{"text": " 27 The three Turks killed by an 18-year-old German-Iranian gunman were named as Sevda Dag, Can Leyla and Selcuk Kilic by the minister on NTV television. 27 \"Three of our citizens were killed in the Munich shooting,\" he said, adding that he had telephoned the families of the victims. 27 Greece said one of its citizens had also been killed, and three Kosovans were confirmed dead in the attack by their country's foreign ministry. 17 Sixteen others were injured, of whom three are in critical condition, Munich police said. 17 Most of the casualties were young people aged 15 to 21, Bavarian public television said. 12 The gunman is believed to have killed himself after the attack. 27 He began shooting at a McDonald's fast-food restaurant at the Olympia shopping mall near Munich's Olympic stadium shortly before 5 pm GMT on Friday. 35 Police are looking into the possibility that the shooter, 18-year-old David S., had lured his victims to the McDonalds where the shooting started by means of a fake or hacked Twitter account. 23 Prosecutors say that S. was in psychological treatment and have said it is unlikely there was any political motive behind his crimes."} {"text": " 30 Hey everyone,\n\nWe were excited to show off the Rash trailer today and the team is loving all of the positive response to his inclusion in Season 3. 196 We hope you\u2019re enjoying the 2.9 Update with Rash this week and wanted to share patch notes that also went out with the update below:\n\n\u2013 Updated Main Menu video to include the entire Season 2 Cast \u2013 Riptor and Omen are now available for use in Shadow Lab \u2013 Various system improvements to Shadow Lab \u2013 Fixed an issue where Aganos\u2019 rival cinematic played before his Rival Fight in Season 2 Story Mode \u2013 Completed Goals in Season 2 Story Mode now show the proper cinematic when selected \u2013 Added an option to view unlocked intro and rival cutscenes in the Cinematics tab of the Extras menu \u2013 Added audio cues to the Shadow Meter when an entire bar is filled up \u2013 Fixed an issue where Jago Ending 3 did not fire if completed by Shadow Jago \u2013 Fixed an issue where ARIA\u2019s health was not being reset when exiting and re-entering Survival Mode \u2013 Fixed an issue where defeating ARIA while she had instinct activated results in a DRAW \u2013 Fixed a few cases where characters would not auto-quick-rise after their opponent failed a counter breaker. 16 \u2013 Fixed a very rare issue that could get juggled opponents stuck in the air. 41 \u2013 Added audio cues to KV meter buildup to inform players of when a combo is about to drop\n\nJago:\n\n-Added a visual effect that plays when you gain Instinct Meter from completing his Around the World combo trait. 24 Sabrewulf:\n\n-Fixed a bug that could cause a Heavy Kick Rabid Double to come out in a single press with specific timing. 15 -Fixed a bug that could cause Lv1 Eclipse Ender to whiff from max distance. 25 Sadira:\n\n-Fixed a VFX bug that caused the webs from Heavy Widow\u2019s Bite to attach to the wrong spots on Aganos. 15 -Fixed a bug that could cause late-jump-cancel auto doubles to be blocked during Instinct. 18 -Fixed a bug that prioritized her air target combos over her air specials off of jumping LK. 28 Orchid:\n\n-Fixed a bug preventing you from doing a counter breaker during Shadow Flick Flack after the 2nd rekka, even though your opponent could break. 18 Spinal:\n\n-Soul Sword linkers have less pushback to fix an issue where certain manuals could miss. 24 TJ Combo:\n\n-Fixed a bug that could cause the 3rd Punching Bag to come out in a single press with specific timing. 19 Omen:\n\n-Fixed a bug that let you counter breaker from a blocked Shadow Slide in specific situations. 16 -Fixed a bug that let you Instinct Cancel out of his throw earlier than expected. 24 Aganos:\n\n-Fixed a bug causing all of the air Natural Disasters to be breakable with Lights and unbreakable on the way down. 18 Cinder:\n\n-Fixed a bug that caused Pyrobombs to not advance damage scaling to the next step. 15 -When hit out of Trailblazer, the VFX will cut off instead of finishing. 15 -When Burnout debuff ends, a smoke effect will play to visually indicate it. 13 -Fireflash\u2019s flame trail doesn\u2019t linger nearly as long. 13 -Fixed a bug preventing Heavy Fission from being breakable as a manual. 15 -Added audio cues to Cinder\u2019s Burnout Enders for both Inferno and Fission. 20 *We are aware of a meter building Spinal bug In the latest build and working on a fix. 13 *\n\nNo Changes for:\n\n-Fulgore\n\n-Glacius\n\n-Hisako\n\n-Kan Ra\n\n-Maya\n\n-Riptor\n\n-Thunder"} {"text": " 18 This article is about a person whose name ends in a patronymic rather than a family name. 19 The article properly refers to the person by their given name, Lisbetha, and not as Olsdotter. 40 Elisabeth \"Lisbetha\" Olsdotter (died November 1679) was a Swedish woman, who was executed on a number of different charges after having dressed as a man, served as a soldier and married a woman. 21 On 24 October 1679 Svea Hovr\u00e4tt in Stockholm brought the charges, earlier raised in the court of L\u00e5nghundra H\u00e4radsting. 27 The trial [ edit ]\n\nBackground [ edit ]\n\nLisbetha Olsdotter is reported to have been originally from Tysslinge torp in \u00d6stuna parish in L\u00e5nghundra H\u00e4rad. 33 She married the village tailor Anders Persson and had children with him: during her trial in 1679, it was reported that she had one surviving child of six years old. 38 In 1674, she abandoned her husband and for the sake of his adultery and debauched lifestyle, and become a domestic servant to H. Schlangenfeldt in Huvudsta in Stockholm, where she worked for four years. 43 According to court documents, she was originally advised to dress as a man by her colleague, the soldier's widow, Sara, for the purpose of seducing a vivacious widow, referred to by the names Maria or Walborg. 35 After this incident, she left her employ and successfully sought employment as a male servant in the household of the country administrator Jon Persson in Alby in Botkyrka under the name Mats Ersson. 20 In 1678, her employer was visited by a man with the task to enlist soldiers to the king. 38 In parallel, the brother of her employer, the master mariner Erik Persson Arnelii, reportedly discovered her gender and persuaded her to enlist as a soldier by threatening to expose her if she did not. 31 He assisted her in how to enlist, and after having successfully done so, she gave Arnelii some of her salary as in return for his help and silence. 17 She was present in all the military drills and performed all her duties as a soldier. 20 In Easter 1679 she married the maid Kerstin Ersdotter in accordance with all customary traditional ceremonies of the church. 31 After the wedding, however, Kerstin Ersdotter discovered the biological sex of her groom when attempting to have intercourse, and reported Lisbetha Olsdotter to the authorities for fraud. 14 She was arrested on Norrmalm and put on trial on 5 July 1679. 97 Charges [ edit ]\n\nOlsdotter was put on trial for several charges:\n\nAbandonment of husband and children;\n\nWearing of male clothing, which was forbidden in the Bible, and the crime of secular fraud by pretending to be a man;\n\nBigamy, as she married when she already had a husband;\n\nHomosexuality, and having ridiculed the holy act of marriage by marrying someone of the same sex;\n\nTheft, after having received salary as a soldier;\n\nFraud, for taking a profession she was not capable of performing. 59 Execution [ edit ]\n\nOlsdotter was judged guilty of the charges under the law of the act of religion from 1655: for having, with full intent, \"mutilated\" her gender, \"mocked God and the Order of God\", and fooled authorities and her \"fellow Christians\" by impersonating a man. 8 She was sentenced to death by decapitation. 37 The woman she had married, Kerstin Ersdotter, claimed that she had been as fooled as every one else and was therefore judged as a victim of the crime rather than an accomplice to it. 13 Sara and Arnelii, who had helped her, were also arrested. 25 The case, however, was so unusual, that the verdict would be confirmed by the highest Royal court in the country first. 29 The Royal court confirmed the verdict on 12 November, and ordered the priests to clarify for her what sin she had committed in the eyes of religion. 24 It was decided by the court, that she would go to her execution dressed as a man, but wear female headgear. 10 She was decapitated on H\u00f6torget in Stockholm in 1679. 35 From the late 16th century to the early 19th century, there were several known cases in Swedish military history of women dressing and presenting as men, especially in the early 18th century. 14 The most famous case was the one of Ulrika Eleonora St\u00e5lhammar in 1728. 82 An unnamed woman, who served in the Great Northern War, was whipped as a punishment, but continued to wear male clothing until the 1740s, when she was known on the streets of Stockholm as \"The Rider\"; Maria Johansdotter, who was put on trial in Stockholm in 1706 for having dressed as a man and served as a parish clerk, was given a sentence of eight days in jail and then set free. 18 Most of the cases did not lead to execution, as in the case of Lisbetha Olsdotter. 4 References [ edit ]"} {"text": " 46 Two senior Iraqi politicians told Western intelligence that Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction on the eve of the 2003 invasion \u2013 but their warnings were ignored and then not reported to the subsequent Butler inquiry, according to a major new investigation. 30 Vital intelligence used to justify the invasion of Iraq 10 years ago was based on \"fabrication\" and \"wishful thinking\", the BBC Panorama documentary claims. 47 While information from highly placed Iraqis was dismissed as unimportant if it indicated that Hussein did not have WMD, tip offs from low-ranking Iraqis were eagerly lapped up if they reinforced what George W Bush and Tony Blair wanted to hear, it is claimed. 53 Lord Butler, who conducted the 2004 inquiry into the intelligence used to justify the war, told the programme-makers that he later discovered a previously overlooked report which revealed that an MI6 officer had a meeting in Jordan with one of Iraq's most senior intelligence officers, Tahir Habbush al-Tikriti. 12 Habbush told MI6 that there were no WMD left in Iraq. 10 We\u2019ll tell you what\u2019s true. 7 You can form your own view. 17 From 15p \u20ac0.18 $0.18 $0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras. 26 \"We discovered that it was part of the paperwork we got \u2013 after the event,\" Lord Butler told Panorama's Peter Taylor. 12 \"This was something which I think our review did miss. 37 But when we asked about it, we were told that it wasn't a very significant fact, because SIS (Secret Intelligence Service) discounted it as something designed by Saddam to mislead.\" 25 Several months before the war, the CIA's Paris station made contact through an intermediary with Iraq's Foreign Minister, Naji Sabri. 27 Bill Murray, head of the CIA in Paris, reported to CIA headquarters that Iraq held \"virtually nothing\" in the way of WMD. 9 That information was also passed to British intelligence. 11 \"They were not happy,\" Murray told Panorama. 8 \"They just didn't believe it. 14 There was a consistent effort to find intelligence that supported pre-conceived positions.\" 20 Lord Butler's inquiry was not told that the CIA had been in indirect contact with the Foreign Minister. 19 \"If SIS was aware of it, we should have been informed,\" Lord Butler said. 56 Yet the CIA and MI6 were prepared to believe sources like the informant Curveball, whose real name was Rafed al Janabi, a chemical engineer who fled from Iraq to Germany in 1999, and claimed that the seed factory in which he had worked was producing chemical and biological agents for mobile laboratories. 27 By the start of 2001, German intelligence officers had realised that at least part of his story was made up and stopped relying on him. 11 MI6 also assessed that he was a \"fabricator\". 28 But his claims were repeated as fact when the then US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, addressed the United Nations on the eve of war. 16 Interviewed by Panorama, Rafed al Janabi admitted that he had made the story up. 30 The programme also traced the origin of Mr Blair's notorious claim that Iraq had \"chemical and biological weapons, which could be activated within 45 minutes\". 53 The warning was originally conveyed in the mid-1990s to Iraqi exiles in Jordan, who were planning a coup, but were warned that if it came to a firefight between supporters and opponents of Hussein, the government was ready to attack any defecting unit with chemical weapons within 45 minutes. 8 This report reached MI6, third hand. 46 The head of MI6, Sir Richard Dearlove, knew that the 45-minute warning applied only to weapons that could be used on a battlefield, but that caveat was not included in the MI6 dossier, and he reportedly did not tell Mr Blair. 26 Lord Butler told Panorama: \"It was interpreted as referring to missiles you could fire at Cyprus, and that did make it sensational. 14 That misunderstanding was due to a sloppy bit of use of intelligence.\" 22 'The Spies Who Fooled The World: A BBC Panorama Special', is broadcast tonight on BBC One at 10.35pm. 10 We\u2019ll tell you what\u2019s true. 7 You can form your own view. 12 At The Independent, no one tells us what to write. 24 That\u2019s why, in an era of political lies and Brexit bias, more readers are turning to an independent source. 19 Subscribe from just 15p a day for extra exclusives, events and ebooks \u2013 all with no ads. 2 Subscribe now"} {"text": " 34 Noel Gallagher has again ruled out an Oasis comeback for the foreseeable future.The songwriter told BBC 6 Music that his former bandmates haven't suggested a reunion when he has spoken to them. 22 \"I've seen everybody from the band recently apart from Andy [Bell], everyone,\" Gallagher said. 5 \"Nobody mentions it. 14 As I understand it, Beady Eye are working on a new record. 8 I've just come back off tour. 28 \"He added: \"I can't speak for anybody else, and I don't want to sound callous towards Oasis fans around the world. 11 \"But they have to understand that we lived it. 4 We did it. 20 It's not enough for people to email in and say, 'We think you should do it'. 11 \"That's not enough for anybody in the band. 15 I don't believe that it could ever match up to what it was. 20 Saying that, I'll go on record as saying if I'm ever skint I'll do it. 5 No qualms about it. 25 \"The guitarist also confirmed that he had sent a text to Liam at Christmas and saw him at a party after the Olympics. 41 \"He done the usual, which was hurl an insult at me and walked off, which was kind of par for the course - nothing new there... he's like a squeaky toy that swears a lot. 4 In a blazer. 75 \"Noel wrapped up his Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds world tour last night with a sell-out show at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire.The guitarist said in September that he would not reform the band \"even if all the starving children in the world depended on it\", while founding member and rhythm guitarist Bonehead said that Liam Gallagher would \"do it in a shot tomorrow\".Source: www.digitalspy.co.uk"} {"text": " 11 Howard Stern is the perfect candidate for your next vegan. 20 He\u2019s married to animal welfare activist and author of a book about caring for dogs, Beth. 43 He\u2019s got a co-host, Robin Quivers, who\u2019s been vegan for half a decade and showed the world how it\u2019s a great path to a trimmer waistline by losing 60 pounds from following the diet. 16 But, really, how does Stern feel about a diet of seitan and soybeans? 29 \u201cI need to get involved eventually in this vegan shit, like Robin, cuz this is killing me,\u201d he said on a recent show. 40 Stern was having a conversation with one of his employees, Richard, who discussed raising a calf that he grew to love as a pet, and how he felt about having it killed, then eating it. 26 This Richard character may need some therapy, because apparently, the butcher gave the calf\u2019s eyeballs back to him as a gift. 4 How heart warming. 24 Adding to the reasons why he should stop eating them, Stern brought up the intelligence, personality differences and beauty of animals. 22 \u201cThey\u2019re smart animals, they say they\u2019re bright like 3-year-olds,\u201d Stern said about pigs. 11 He also commented on the recent New Jersey bear hunt. 62 \u201cThey had this beautiful bear upside down on some guy\u2019s truck.\u201d\n\nWhen referring to the calf Richard eventually ate, Stern said, \u201cand he would follow you, and you would feed him, and lick you, and miss you\u2026he had a personality.\u201d\n\nMore details on the show can be found at vegan.com. 16 Yeah, we feel Stern should be getting into that vegan shit any day now. 15 He just needs Robin to slip a little something into his next green drink. 8 Photo: PR Photos\n\nPossibly Related Posts:"} {"text": " 24 For those who just came for the update, Justice League has ended its second week of domestic release with $180.759 million. 74 The DC Films superhero team-up movie has made, in 14 days, just over/under what Captain America: Civil War earned in its first weekend ($179m), what Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice earned ($181m) in four days, what Man of Steel earned ($181m) in eight days and what Suicide Squad earned ($179m) in its first week. 29 Depending on how it does this weekend, we're still looking at a domestic total over/under Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them ($234m). 27 Its overseas numbers had been comparatively better, but that just means it'll probably end up closer to $650 million global than $600m. 37 And yeah, that's pretty awful all things considered, with the caveat that Warner Bros. looked at the film as a soft reboot and the start of something as opposed to a culminating chapter. 12 Nonetheless, there is a cruel irony in all of this. 38 If you recall, Warner Bros. began on this path, with Man of Steel 2 becoming Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, after Man of Steel \"only\" made $668 million worldwide. 28 And now Justice League will indeed struggle to match that global total while not coming anywhere close to the first Superman movie's $291m domestic cume. 11 Again, I keep thinking back to The Matrix series. 22 The first Wachowski and Wachowski-directed sci-fi actioner earned $171 million domestic and $463m worldwide in the spring of 1999. 18 At the time, it was WB's second-biggest global earner behind Twister ($494m). 22 And four years later, The Matrix Reloaded was a prototypical breakout sequel, earning $134m in its Thurs-Sun debut. 20 But audiences weren't super keen on the more philosophical and ponderous sequel and the legs were... short. 20 Nonetheless, the film earned $281m domestic and $742m worldwide, setting records for an R-rated film. 28 Now money is money, but the poor reaction to The Matrix Reloaded gave way to a disastrous performance for The Matrix Revolutions just six months later. 25 That trilogy capper earned $84 million in its Wed-Sun debut and flatlined almost immediately, earning $134m domestic and $421m worldwide. 27 So, yes, in this case, part 3 actually made less than part 1 after the mega-grossing but super-divisive part 2 alienated general audiences. 7 It's not an exact comparison. 27 Folks like The Matrix a lot more than Man of Steel (and for that matter, I'll defend both Matrix sequels unto death). 63 But while Warner Bros. may have wanted a run closer to The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Bourne series or the first three X-Men movies (up and up and up), they instead ended up with a series that both overtly peaked with the second chapter and ended on a major whimper like The Matrix or The Hangover. 37 And of course, The Matrix Revolutions (which still made nearly three times its budget in theatrical) was the end of a saga, Justice League was supposed to be the beginning of one. 28 Through that prism, you can argue that WB and friends would have been better off just letting Zack Snyder make whatever movie he wanted to make. 33 They could have merely offered this current underperformer as the end of a given chapter before the next wave of DC Films movies modeled more on Wonder Woman than Dawn of Justice. 42 In regards to that report over at The Wrap the other day which detailed the various post-Dawn of Justice struggles to get Justice League into theaters by mid-November, at the end of the day there wasn't a perfect solution. 64 But, in hindsight, I would argue that the choice was either to delay Justice League and dump Zack Snyder right after Batman v Superman debuted to withering reviews and poor legs or just let Snyder make the movie he wanted to make with the full knowledge that this would be the end of the first arc of the DC Films story. 12 But the error was in trying to have it both ways. 47 It's hard to imagine Snyder's preferred version doing any worse at the global box office, and I imagine a lot of money might have been saved without reshoots and recuts, to say nothing of a better reception with more polished special effects. 34 So instead of a $200 million+ Justice League struggling to top $650m worldwide, you've got an alleged $250-$300m Justice League struggling to top $650m worldwide. 52 And yeah, as shocking as it is in hindsight, we have a situation where the studio threw Batman into the Man of Steel sequel and turned it into a backdoor Justice League pilot only to now have a Justice League that will probably make less than Man of Steel. 40 The only thing more ironic than Wonder Woman outgrossing Justice League would be Man of Steel outgrossing Justice League, since that film's \"meh\" reception is what got this crazy ball rolling in the first place. 28 Well, that and the skewed notion of the DC Films brand being saved, not by Batman and Superman, but by Wonder Woman and Aquaman. 45 And yeah, Warner Bros. will end 2017 with two of the most outlandish whiffs (Justice League and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword) and two of the most jaw-droppingly buzzy hits (Wonder Woman and It) of the year."} {"text": " 44 Image caption Dame Helen sported a T-shirt on Monday promoting As One in the Park\n\nDame Helen Mirren has defended scolding a group of drummers for interrupting her West End play The Audience, saying she had been \"steaming\" with rage. 19 \"If they make the same noise, I would say the same again,\" she said. 22 The incident took place on Saturday after a parade promoting a gay and transgender festival stopped outside London's Gielgud theatre. 20 Participants were stunned when Dame Helen emerged, dressed as the Queen, and told them to be quiet. 14 \"I was very cross,\" the actress told reporters on Monday. 28 \"I had just spent five or 10 minutes on stage trying to allow the audience to hear what I was saying, which was impossible.\" 25 She admitted she had been \"very cross\" and \"very upset\" and had used strong language to put her point across. 65 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption As she arrived at the theatre on Monday, Dame Helen was asked if she would do the same again\n\nIn a conciliatory gesture to the festival's organisers, the 67-year-old wore a T-shirt promoting the As One in the Park event, to take place at London's Victoria Park on 26 May. 21 The back of the shirt featured a picture of a drum, followed by the words: \"Yes please! 7 Just not outside a theatre!\" 23 \"The irony is, I love drumming and I love drummers,\" Dame Helen said outside the Gielgud on Monday. 17 \"In another situation I would have been out here enjoying it with all the punters. 14 Unfortunately I was having to do a play at the same time.\" 18 The Audience imagines the private meetings between Queen Elizabeth II and her prime ministers over the decades. 17 It reunites Dame Helen with playwright Peter Morgan, who also wrote 2006 film The Queen. 31 Dame Helen, who won an Oscar for her performance in that film, was crowned best actress for her latest regal portrayal at this year's Laurence Olivier Awards."} {"text": " 24 Bolton Wanderers have admitted their debts have grown to a staggering \u00a3163.8m, with \u00a350.7m haemorrhaging during the 12 months to June 2013. 16 It raises fears that the club may follow Leeds United and Portsmouth into financial crisis. 52 Only Chelsea \u2013 who announced a yearly loss of \u00a349.4m to take them back into the red after making a small profit the previous year \u2013 Manchester United and Fulham have a greater debt than Bolton, yet the north-west club is the only one of these outside the Premier League. 28 The eye-watering loss in a single year means Wanderers have the unwanted distinction of becoming the fifth club to have lost more than \u00a350m over 12 months. 48 Yet as Manchester City, who have done it four times, Chelsea (seven), Liverpool and Aston Villa (once each) all boast far greater financing and revenue streams than Bolton, their ability to soak up such astronomical losses will be questioned. 55 In a statement Phil Gartside, Bolton's chairman, said: \"This year's results show the difficulties faced in the football business when a club has enjoyed a sustained and successful period in the Premier League \u2013 in our case 11 years \u2013 then suffers relegation to the Football League Championship. 22 The ever-widening gap between the two leagues makes the transition extremely difficult, even with the benefit of parachute payments.\" 24 The club's perilous finances underline the dangers of overspending and dropping out of the Premier League as Wanderers did in May 2012. 17 Concerns are heightened by their being dependent on a single benefactor, the owner Eddie Davies. 49 Sources at Bolton say Davies, who took over Wanderers for \u00a32.5m in 2003, has no plans to walk away and that there is a five-year plan to ensure finances will return to a less fraught condition, which does not depend on rejoining the Premier League. 27 Yet as \u00a3151.3m of the debt is owed to Davies through his company, Moonlight Investment Ltd, the future of Wanderers is within his compass. 30 Gartside conceded the club's future hinges on Davies' continuing goodwill while admitting that financial fair play rules mean he can no longer support the club as before. 25 \"It should go without saying that Eddie Davies continues to provide a humbling level of support to the club,\" Gartside said. 20 \"However, [owners'] financial support is no longer possible in this league without severe penalty. 18 We are responding to a changing environment \u2026 by development of the wider Burnden Leisure business interests. 25 This year we secured sole ownership of the hotel, expanded our education business and applied for planning permission to increase our non-football operations. 22 \"We will continue to invest, both in the long and short term, where the returns can be justified. 24 However, financial fair play rules require an alternative funding structure and Bolton Wanderers is very much moving towards a self-sustainable future.\" 23 Bolton's relegation took place the year before the new Premier League television deal, worth a record \u00a33bn over three seasons. 15 Davies's decision to charge interest on loans to the club will be questioned. 27 Although he ended the policy in July, Mohamed Al Fayed, for example, never charged interest on loans that left Fulham \u00a3193m in debt. 9 Fayed sold Fulham to Shahid Khan last summer."} {"text": " 28 A scorecard, if you will, of the Penn State football scholarship transfer defections to date:\n\nDIFFERENCE-MAKERS\n\nJUNIOR TB SILAS REDD\n\nNew home: USC. 43 Former PSU role: returning starter who ran for 1,241 yards \u2026 returning second-team All-Big Ten selection \u2026 carried the Lions' offense last year until an assortment of injuries (stingers, collarbone/shoulder), limited him in the final month. 25 About Silas: The 5-10, 200-pounder is close to the total package, possessing quickness, strength, toughness, vision and balance. 15 He would have been The Main Man in first-year coach Bill O'Brien's offense. 18 How much it hurts (scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being YEEEEE-OUCH!!! 4 ): 10. 10 REDSHIRT JR. P-PK ANTHONY FERA\n\nNew home: Texas. 25 Former PSU role: Terrific field-position weapon for Lions in 2011, averaging 42.0 yards per punt and converting 14 of 17 field-goal attempts. 22 ... Fera was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week three times in 2011 and also handled kickoff chores. 41 View full size\n\nAbout Anthony: You can argue Fera was one of the most underrated weapons in the Big Ten last season and the Lions were counting on him to establish an edge in the field-position game this season. 20 Look for first-year coach Bill O'Brien to lean on PK Sam Ficken and P Alex Butterworth to replace Fera. 10 How much it hurts (1-10): 8. 8 PSU's biggest transfer loss after Redd. 9 SENIOR WR JUSTIN BROWN\n\nNew home: Oklahoma. 17 Former PSU role: Top returning Lions wideout after his 35-catch, 517-yard season in 2011. 21 ... His 69-yard TD catch was the lone highlight in PSU's 30-14 TicketCity Bowl loss to Houston last January. 22 About Justin: There is little doubt first-year coach Bill O'Brien was going to feature Brown in his diverse passing game. 23 How he fits in the Oklahoma passing attack, where he will not be the main man, remains to be seen. 10 How much it hurts (1-10): 8. 17 The Lions are now without their top two offensive weapons -- TB Silas Redd and Brown. 14 ROLE GUYS\n\nJUNIOR LB KHAIRI FORTT\n\nView full size\n\nNew home: California. 20 Former PSU role: solid backup for the Lions' last season, capable of playing inside or outside. 16 \u2026 recorded 33 tackles in limited time in 2011, posted 6.5 tackles for loss. 16 About Khairi: Decorated Connecticut prep player could have played for just about any Div. 19 I power coming out of high school, chose the Lions and was used as a true freshman. 20 Despite the impressive resume, the 6-2, 238-pounder was unable to crack starting lineup in first two seasons. 10 Suffered serious kneecap injury last spring that required surgery. 6 Could be a redshirt candidate. 10 How much it hurts (1-10): 6. 16 There is upside with Fortt, but he never put it together in State College. 10 JUNIOR TE KEVIN HAPLEA\n\nNew home: Florida State. 30 Former PSU role: Big body (6-4, 248) was part of Lions' TE rotation in 2010 and 2011, appearing in every game last season. 1 ... 12 Very limited role as pass catcher (6 career catches). 20 About Kevin: Really needed to be redshirted during his 2010 true freshman season but played out of necessity. 35 Didn't make much noise during his first spring under first-year coach Bill O'Brien, who instead praised the work of young tight ends Kyle Carter, Jesse James and fourth-year junior Garry Gilliam. 10 How much it hurts (1-10): 3. 5 Strictly a depth player. 5 MYSTERY MEN\n\nTRUE FR. 8 DL JAMIL POLLARD\n\nNew home: Rutgers. 7 Former PSU role: Had none. 25 Pollard, a 6-4, 280-pounder from West Deptford (N.J.) High School was a member of the Lions' incoming 2012 class. 11 About Jamil: The Jersey Guy is going back home. 13 Is considered by most recruiting services as a 3 or 4-star player. 10 How much it hurts (1-10): 1. 25 Even with the NCAA sanctions, O'Brien and defensive line coach/ace recruiter Larry Johnson Sr. should always be able to find good defensive linemen. 3 REDSHIRT FR. 8 OL RYAN NOWICKI\n\nNew home: Illinois. 6 Former PSU role: None. 27 Nowicki, a true freshman on last year's team, was not in the mix to push for serious playing time heading into preseason practice. 31 About Ryan: Regarded as a tackle prospect, Nowicki is from the Glendale, Arizona area and had an offer from the Fighting Illini coming out of high school. 10 How much it hurts (1-10): 1. 15 So THAT'S why Illinois sent all those coaches to State College last week. 2 Bingo! 10 NON-FACTOR\n\nJUNIOR QB ROB BOLDEN\n\nNew home: LSU. 25 View full size\n\nFormer PSU role: Split time at quarterback with Matt McGloin in 2010 and 2011 but struggled with accuracy and decision-making. 14 \u2026 McGloin won the starting job for the stretch run of each season. 26 \u2026 Last PSU effort was dreadful in 30-14 TicketCity Bowl to Houston (7 of 26, 137 yards, TD, 3 INTs). 22 About Rob: Highly rated prep QB won the starting job as a true freshman coming out of camp in 2010. 12 Despite some good early moments, never developed into big-time player. 12 Good size (6-3, 214), very good arm. 14 Fizzled in 2012 PSU QB derby, competing against McGloin and Paul Jones. 3 Clear No. 24 3 coming out of spring and with true freshman Steven Bench now here, there was no role for Bolden at Penn State. 16 Coach Bill O'Brien released Bolden from his scholarship prior to the announcement of NCAA sanctions. 10 How much it hurts (1-10): 1. 10 Bolden wasn't in PSU's plans moving forward."} {"text": " 29 One of the big things making waves in Astronomy right now (and all of science really) are the applications of Machine Learning, or Artificial Intelligence. 21 In astronomy we have a bunch of problems that can be broadly labelled as \u201cCategorisation Problems\u201d, i.e. 24 \u201cIs that thing a star or a galaxy?\u201d or \u201cDoes this galaxy have a bar or not?\u201d. 38 These are tasks that are very, very easy to train humans to do, and Citizen Science projects like Galaxy Zoo have been utilizing the brains of millions of humans to do tasks just like this. 57 However, we can\u2019t always rely on people, sometimes there just isn\u2019t enough time (the data needs to be shipped out next week), others the project just isn\u2019t interesting enough to capture the million people you need to help (drawing spiral arms on galaxies). 17 For projects like this and many more, astronomers are now turning to Machine Learning techniques. 9 Let me put this softly to start with. 5 Computers are really dumb. 3 Super dumb. 4 Dumb as bricks. 32 The human brain with 5 minutes of training can look at a picture of a galaxy and tell you whether or not it has a bar with a reasonably good accuracy. 30 A computer on the other hand, being really really dumb, can\u2019t, because it\u2019s really hard to teach them what a bar is. 50 The biggest hurdle it seems, is we don\u2019t know how humans do it, we can look at a picture, recognise the features and then point them out in a different picture, all without having to do math or matrix manipulation in our heads. 36 So I, being the aspiring, determined and dedicated data analyst I am (lol, I made a joke), decided to set out and learn a little bit of machine learning. 37 Since I don\u2019t have any cool work stuff to do this on, I decided to try my hand at some text generation, in particular making up spell names for D&D/Pathfinder. 6 The results are pretty hilarious. 46 Neural Nets\n\nA Neural Net is a pretty common type of AI, it\u2019s built on layers of \u201cNeurons\u201d or \u201cNodes\u201d, each of which does SOMETHING to some input data, and eventually gives out some output data. 30 The input might be an image of a galaxy, and the output will be a probability of whether or not the mage contains a gravitational lens or not. 33 The SOMETHING in the middle is complicated though, because the net is made up of \u201cHidden Layers\u201d, which do math wizardry to transform the input into the output. 35 Some of this wizardry you code yourself, telling the net to look for arcs or starkly different regions of colour for example, and some of it the net \u201cLearns\u201d itself. 28 It\u2019s a creepy self learning black box, which hopefully won\u2019t learn that you are using it and grow a desire for revenge. 46 For the task I\u2019m doing, we are going to use a \u201cRecurrent Neural Net\u201d or RNN, which basically means the net loops over itself, using the output from the last step as the input for the next step. 60 If, for example, the Net decides the first word of a spell is \u201cRay\u201d, it will use that as the input to find the next word, say \u201cof\u201d, finally it uses the words \u201cRay of\u201d as the next input, finding \u201cMonkeys\u201d as the final word. 8 Thus, \u201cRay of Monkeys\u201d. 29 I\u2019m not going to go into all the nitty gritty details, but I followed the guide and code over on this WILDML post about RNNs. 32 I used the spell database from D20PFSRD.com, from which I took just the spell names, as I thought trying to learn spell descriptions might be too much for now. 23 I trained the net on near enough the full list of spells (2500 out of 2600), with 25 epochs. 24 The loss function gets down to about it\u2019s lowest after just 5 epochs, so we might even be overfitting here. 24 The Results\n\nPathfinder has about 2500 spells in it\u2019s rules, which is kind of crazy when you think about it. 109 Some classics include:\n\nAcid Arrow Bless Beast Shape Black Tentacles Chain Lightning Fireball Dominate Person Mass Invisibility Protection from Evil\n\nI set up the script to generate a few hundred spells, the full list can be found here, but I\u2019ve picked out a few of my favourites, with a description of what I think they would do:\n\nWard Of Blood - Protect yourself with BLOOD, get more AC when theres more blood around or something Skeleton Of Chaos - Summon a Skeleton buddy who gets Smite Law and other Chaotic abilities Extreme Terrain - Make the terrain X-TREME!!! 16 Mad Buoyancy - Things float on water, but can't control where they go! 14 Linebreaker Nimbus - Summon a cloud of solid fog which bull rushes enemies. 24 Detect Weapon - Detect the prescene of weapons within a 60ft cone, determine the type, material and enhancement bonuses by concentrating. 12 Toxic Of Death, Mass - Some area affect poison spell? 20 Blade Reminder - Deal damage to an enemy equal to damage it took from a weapon attack last turn. 28 A curious result from this project is that because the spell names are all quite short, the net often comes up with spells that already exist. 20 This happens particularly for spells that only have one word, like \u201cPain\u201d and \u201cHeal\u201d. 32 I suppose as these words aren\u2019t used very often in spells which multiple words, the net sees them and finds the END_SENTENCE token to be the most likely. 32 Another interesting thing is the way the net treats roman numerals, which appear in spells like \u201cBeast Shape II\u201d and \u201cSummon Nature\u2019s Ally IV\u201d. 36 Because the net can\u2019t learn anything about context, it just treats this as other words, so we get results like \u201cFuneral of II\u201d and \u201cInvisibility Of IV\u201d. 38 The get this kind of context right, we need to move to something like a Long Short Term Memory Network (LSTM), which are the state of the art for these kinds of problems. 37 The next step with this would be to see if the net can generate spell descriptions based on their names, but something tells me the sample size won\u2019t be big enough for that. 16 I\u2019m also curious if it could work out potential spell levels as well? 8 That is almost definitely crazy talk though. 1 Advertisements"} {"text": " 39 NCAA basketball tournament: MSU Sweet 16 Practice\n\nMichigan State guard Keith Appling practices his jump shot during their Sweet 16 open practice at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Thursday, March 27, 2014. 9 Number 4 seed Michigan State will play No. 11 1 seed Virginia on Friday at 9:57 p.m. on TBS. 32 (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)\n\nEAST LANSING -- Former Michigan State point guard Keith Appling was arrested over the weekend carrying a loaded AK-47 at a Dearborn strip club,\n\n. 6 The report cites anonymous sources. 22 A spokeswoman for Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy confirmed there is a warrant review request underway for Appling in their office. 10 She wouldn't say what charges are being sought. 6 Nancy Hamood-Strutz, the admin. 25 assistant for Dearborn Police Chief Ronald Haddad, said \"if there is anything, it will be tomorrow before it is released.\" 32 A Detroit native who played for Pershing High School and won the state's Mr. Basketball, Appling started 123 games for Michigan State, tied for third-most in school history. 4 He's No. 13 18 on the school's career scoring list, with 1,509 points. 23 Appling made his NBA debut this past season, playing in five games for the Orlando Magic in his second professional season. 27 He spent the majority of his season in the NBA D-League with the Erie Bayhawks, where he averaged 19 points and 5.3 assists per game. 17 Appling is the third former Michigan State player to be arrested in the last two months. 18 On March 15,\n\nAlso in March, Branden Dawson was arrested under suspicion of spousal abuse. 16 The Los Angeles County district attorney's office declined to press charges in the case. 15 MLive.com reporter Gus Burns contributed to this story\n\n-- Follow MLive Sports on\n\n,\n\nand"} {"text": " 60 We constantly aim to build the most extensive guide to every single show the Red Hot Chili Peppers have played from the early days to the present day.The Live Archive is easy to understand and navigate:At the top of every entry you will find the date and details of the location for the show you have selected. 17 Below that, on the left side is the setlist (if it's known). 22 Clicking on a song will get you redirected to a detailed page for that particular song with extra info and stats. 54 On the right side there may be notes about that particular show such as support acts, attendance numbers and more, scans of the handwritten setlist, ticket or flyer followed by stats of the the songs played.Finally, any audio or video recordings that we know of will be listed below. 25 Each recording is labeled by the source name and number, followed by the equipment used for taping and the lowest generation in circulation. 26 Some audio recordings are available to download, and some video recordings can be streamed.Unfortunately, setlist info gets very vague in the early years. 8 Can you help us fill the gaps? 8 Do you have any info to submit? 4 Please let us know"} {"text": " 40 \u201cYeah, but isn\u2019t opera a dying art form?\u201d\n\nYou can\u2019t browse any classical music blog or arts news section without encountering a thinkpiece on the slow, painful death of opera. 18 These (typically) well-written articles cite sagging ticket sales, shorter seasons, fewer opera companies. 24 They ask readers if an art form with its roots in the late 16th century has any relevance to today\u2019s audiences. 11 Pardon me\u2013my eyes have just rolled out of my head. 11 Numbers don\u2019t lie; this much is true. 25 Empty seats in opera houses have an unmistakable impact\u2013it becomes increasingly harder to mount large, expensive productions or take risks on new works. 24 If you wondered why you\u2019re seeing the 90th run of the same production of La boh\u00e8me, that would be it. 26 Artistic directors know what will fill seats\u2013and they accordingly plan shorter seasons with the same four operas to ensure the financial security of the house. 15 All because of the fear of the relevance of opera to 21st century audiences. 24 We fear we can\u2019t make early music relevant\u2013it\u2019s too antiquated, the plots silly\u2013but we refuse to update it. 38 We fear that audiences won\u2019t respond to new works\u2013there isn\u2019t the name recognition with Mark-Anthony Turnage, Kaija Saariaho, or Jonathan Dove as there is with Puccini, Verdi, or Mozart. 25 The old guard of opera fans lament Regietheater as a threat to the sanctity of music; they fear the sullying of operatic masterpieces. 28 Enter the new guard of opera fans\u2013social media savvy, interested in pre-Classical works, curiously imaginative about direction and concept theater, passionate about new music. 26 They livetweet their opera experiences, they meet up with friends from Twitter at the Met, they blog about their ideas for new productions. 23 If you wondered who\u2019s listening, who\u2019s attending operas, take a look at the #OperaTwitter crowd. 11 Does this look like the death of opera to you? 6 I am not foolishly optimistic. 21 I know that companies are closing at an alarming rate, unable to sustain one more season in the red. 19 As a singer, this reduces an already bleak number of job opportunities in an overly-saturated job market. 19 As an opera fan, this reduces the number of chances for opera exposure to a piddling amount. 11 We have, by our own fault, wounded opera. 7 How can we stop the bleeding? 7 \u2013 We must champion new works. 26 We must take the music of Daron Hagen, Nico Muhly, Jake Heggie, and countless other talented composers and promote it whenever possible. 24 It was one of my major disappointments that Muhly\u2019s Two Boys did not receive a Met Live in HD cinema showing. 24 What better way to show the world how opera can be used to express 20th/21st century experiences than an opera about the Internet? 16 \u2013 We must not be afraid of the re-imagining of operas already in the canon. 15 I do not mean to suggest that Orfeo should be set in an airport. 13 I don\u2019t think a Regietheater approach works for every piece. 29 I do, however, think that life is breathed into works when we imagine them in a different time, a different place, a different situation. 9 \u2013 We must give our audiences more credit. 32 We worry that audiences won\u2019t relate to Baroque operas, but we\u2019ve seen time and time again that they will flock to imaginative productions with good singing. 23 We fear that no one has interest in an opera of Brokeback Mountain and yet thousands tune in online to stream it. 10 If we trust our audiences, they will respond. 8 Opera addresses the most primal human emotions. 23 It attempts to shed light on love, on hate, on lust, on despair, on greed, on fear. 9 These feelings are universal; they are timeless. 27 They don\u2019t rely on the setting of an opera and they find themselves just as poignant and powerful today as in the 16th century. 12 So, to answer the question\u2013no, opera is not dead. 13 Let\u2019s stop talking about it and start living that answer."} {"text": " 40 Last week, Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson warned lawmakers during an unrelated hearing against imposing new sanctions at all, arguing that it would undermine the administration\u2019s efforts to forge new diplomatic channels with Russia. 91 \u201cThe basic message is, if you\u2019re going to do this, give us the flexibility to, if we need to, turn up the heat, or if Russia starts to demonstrate signs that it\u2019s pulling out of Ukraine or fulfilling some of the requirements of the Minsk agreement around Ukraine, that we have the ability to dial back,\u201d said R. C. Hammond, an adviser to Mr. Tillerson, referring to the 2015 cease-fire agreement between Russia and Ukraine. 12 The Trump administration\u2019s position is not an unusual one. 35 Presidents, who have authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to unilaterally impose sanctions in response to national threats, often bristle against attempts by Congress to review or block such moves. 23 Congress, which can impose sanctions through legislation, typically insists on having its own say as a coequal branch of government. 12 President Barack Obama had similar disputes with Congress over Russia sanctions. 48 And Mr. Obama clashed sharply with lawmakers in 2015 over legislation that gave Congress the power to review the nuclear deal with Iran \u2014 which was then being negotiated \u2014 and block a move by the president to lift sanctions in exchange for Tehran\u2019s compliance. 43 But for Mr. Trump, the dispute is complicated by the swirl of inquiries regarding his campaign\u2019s potential collusion with Russia and his highly charged response to those investigations, including his firing of James B. Comey, the F.B.I. 10 director who had been leading one of the inquiries. 81 \u201cThe Obama administration would take the exact same position that the Trump administration is taking right now on waivers \u2014 any administration would \u2014 but this is as much about politics as about the ever-present tension between the executive branch and the legislative branch over sanctions,\u201d said Mark Dubowitz, a sanctions expert who is chief executive of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a nonpartisan policy organization, and who supports toughening sanctions on Russia. 32 The battle over the sanctions bill is unfolding two weeks before Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin are expected to meet at the Group of 20 summit meeting in Hamburg, Germany. 50 On Tuesday, in what many observers interpreted as a move to demonstrate toughness on Russia to skeptical lawmakers, the Treasury Department added to the existing sanctions, imposing restrictions on over three dozen individuals and organizations that have participated in the country\u2019s incursion in Ukraine."} {"text": " 10 I received my gift today and it was great. 6 Very thoughtful and spot on. 15 I got 3 records I didn't have to add to my vinyl collection. 18 They were from an inherited collection which makes them even better, thanks for parting with them. 15 I mentioned that I was into photography and was sent an old school camera. 20 I actually collect vintage cameras (something I never mentioned), so it's found a good home. 17 Unfortunately the Santa costume sent was too small for the large dog it was intended for. 14 However I put it on the small dog, the results were hilarious. 6 Thank you for the thoughtfulness. 13 I will enjoy the good tunes, and start restoring the camera. 21 Your note was very kind, and I hope you had a great holiday and an even better 2014 :)"} {"text": " 7 Nanny Bloomberg must be loving this. 48 Philadelphia just passed what amounts to a soda tax at 1.5 cents per ounce, making it the first in the country to do this:\n\n6ABC \u2013 Philadelphia City Council has passed a beverage tax despite a multimillion-dollar campaign by the beverage industry to block it. 28 The City Council gave final approval to a 1.5 cent-per-ounce tax on sugary and diet beverages, becoming the first major American city with a beverage tax. 5 The vote was 13-4. 14 But get this, they aren\u2019t doing it for health reasons. 21 They are doing it to create more revenue to pay for what they say will be schools and recreation centers. 7 But you know how it works. 55 Once they get that money, they\u2019ll spend it on whatever they want:\n\nDemocratic Mayor Jim Kenney sold the council on the idea with a plan to spend most of the estimated $90 million in new tax revenues next year to pay for prekindergarten, community schools and recreation centers. 24 Many communities where soda tax proposals have failed sought it as a way to discourage consumers from buying sugary beverages for health reasons. 30 The case could certainly be made for a healthier Philadelphia \u2013 more than 68 percent of adults and 41 percent of children in the city are overweight or obese. 18 But Kenney focused on public interest over public health in making the argument to tax sugary drinks. 10 The tax is a hard-fought win for the city. 23 The soda industry spent millions of dollars in advertising against the proposal, arguing that the tax would be costly to consumers. 38 The plan also attracted national attention and dollars, with former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Texas billionaires John and Laura Arnold \u2013 advocates for less consumption of sugary drinks \u2013 funding ads in support. 29 \u201cIf this tax is passed, Philadelphia would create the worst black market for non-alcoholic beverages since prohibition, which was back in the 1920s and 30s. 20 Let\u2019s not go back in history,\u201d Chris Hunter, an employee of Coca-Cola, said. 8 The soda industry is expected to sue. 11 READ FULL ARTICLE\u2026\n\nThis is big government at its worst. 21 I hope the citizens of Philadelphia kicks these city council members out of office when they are up for re-election. 13 That\u2019s the only way to deal with thugs like this."} {"text": " 30 Employees of Salboni currency printing press have stopped working overtime, citing health reasons, which is likely to reduce the number of notes printed daily by 6 million. 36 After working for 12-hour shifts for the past fortnight to put more cash into circulation, some of the employees began complaining of lower back pain, disturbed sleep and overall physical and mental stress. 26 As a result of the 12-hour shifts, instead of the usual nine-hour ones, the press was printing 46 million currency notes per day. 23 But with three shifts from Wednesday, the number of notes they are printing are set to go down to 40 million. 20 \u201cWe entered an agreement with the management on December 14 for working on 12-hour shifts for two weeks. 39 The agreement ended on December 27 and we have refused to continue with it,\u201d a member of Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Private Limited (BRBNMPL) Employees\u2019 Association told HT on condition of anonymity. 18 The Salboni press is one of the two currency printing presses under the Reserve Bank of India. 28 \u201cIt is solely the health impact of continuously working for long hours that forced us to switch to normal shift hours,\u201d an employee said. 8 The machines remain idle during shift change. 32 \u201cWhen the day is broken up into more shifts, the machine remains idle for more time between the shifts, and that\u2019s the reason for lower production. 29 In a bid to increase production, RBI had asked the press management to reduce shifts (and thereby increase production),\u201d a source told HT. 14 From Wednesday the press has switched to two nine-hour and one six-hour shift. 18 Despite repeated attempts, S Thalikerappa, general manager of the press, could not be contacted. 14 An RBI spokesperson refused to divulge information even on the denominations printed here. 29 The employees HT managed to contact, however, said they were not forced to work overtime, and were being paid wages for extra hours put in. 9 First Published: Dec 29, 2016 07:25 IST"} {"text": " 37 David Cameron faced a fresh row over his personal finances after it was revealed that he had been given a \u00a3200,000 gift by his mother following his father's death which could potentially avoid inheritance tax. 33 Information revealed as part of a release by Downing Street of information about the Prime Minister's finances showed that in 2011 he received two payments of \u00a3100,000 by his mother Mary. 14 It came on top of the \u00a3300,000 he inherited from his father Ian. 47 The payments by Mary Cameron to her son in May and July 2011 were given tax free, and will only become liable to inheritance tax of up to 40% if the Prime Minister's mother dies within seven years of handing over the money. 43 The release of the information followed the furore over the Panama Papers data leak and the revelation that Mr Cameron and his wife Samantha made a \u00a319,000 profit on shares in an offshore trust set up by the Prime Minister's father. 38 The Prime Minister has been angered by the focus on his father's offshore business interests, insisting it was a \"fundamental misconception\" that the Blairmore Holdings trust had been set up to avoid tax. 26 But Labour seized on his father's offshore business links to question the source of Mr Cameron's inheritance and the gift from his mother."} {"text": " 26 Kill Me Again is a 1989 American neo-noir thriller film directed by John Dahl, and starring Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley and Michael Madsen. 27 Plot [ edit ]\n\nFay Forrester (Whalley-Kilmer) is an attractive young woman who wants to escape from her abusive boyfriend Vince (Madsen). 21 She hires Jack Andrews (Kilmer), a second class private investigator, to arrange her \"death\". 21 She wants to restart her life with a new identity and the money she got from helping Vince commit robberies. 15 Due to Jack's financial problems, he joins Fay after her fake death. 11 Unfortunately, Vince finds out that Fay is still alive. 11 The hunt for Jack, Fay and the money begins. 20 Cast [ edit ]\n\nReception [ edit ]\n\nCritical response [ edit ]\n\nThe film drew a mixed reception. 29 Variety gave it a mostly positive review, stating: \"The tale of a down-and-out detective and a seamy femme fatale is a thoroughly professional little entertainment. 96 [2] Time Out gave it a mostly negative review, complaining: \"Derived from assorted Hitchcocks and noir classics, the tortuous storyline of writer-director Dahl's determinedly sordid thriller has its moments,\" but was critical of the three lead actors and concludes: \"Setting its study of betrayal and deceit in and around the gambling towns of the Nevada desert, the film sporadically achieves a truly seedy atmosphere, but there are too many symbols, too many loose ends, and too many vaguely sensationalist scenes. 31 [3]\n\nBox office [ edit ]\n\nThe film was a failure at the box office,[1] but it later achieved some success on home video. 9 [citation needed]\n\nSee also [ edit ]"} {"text": " 17 Background\n\nInformation about trends in adolescent health inequalities is scarce, especially at an international level. 26 We examined secular trends in socioeconomic inequality in five domains of adolescent health and the association of socioeconomic inequality with national wealth and income inequality. 44 Methods\n\nWe undertook a time-series analysis of data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study, in which cross-sectional surveys were done in 34 North American and European countries in 2002, 2006, and 2010 (pooled n 492 788). 66 We used individual data for socioeconomic status (Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Family Affluence Scale) and health (days of physical activity per week, body-mass index Z score [zBMI], frequency of psychological and physical symptoms on 0\u20135 scale, and life satisfaction scored 0\u201310 on the Cantril ladder) to examine trends in health and socioeconomic inequalities in health. 21 We also investigated whether international differences in health and health inequalities were associated with per person income and income inequality. 63 Findings\n\nFrom 2002 to 2010, average levels of physical activity (3\u00b790 to 4\u00b708 days per week; p<0\u00b70001), body mass (zBMI \u22120\u00b708 to 0\u00b703; p<0\u00b70001), and physical symptoms (3\u00b706 to 3\u00b720, p<0\u00b70001), and life satisfaction (7\u00b758 to 7\u00b761; p=0\u00b70034) slightly increased. 57 Inequalities between socioeconomic groups increased in physical activity (\u22120\u00b779 to \u22120\u00b783 days per week difference between most and least affluent groups; p=0\u00b70008), zBMI (0\u00b715 to 0\u00b718; p<0\u00b70001), and psychological (0\u00b758 to 0\u00b767; p=0\u00b70360) and physical (0\u00b721 to 0\u00b726; p=0\u00b70018) symptoms. 19 Only in life satisfaction did health inequality fall during this period (\u22120\u00b798 to \u22120\u00b795; p=0\u00b70198). 56 Internationally, the higher the per person income, the better and more equal health was in terms of physical activity (0\u00b706 days per SD increase in income; p<0\u00b70001), psychological symptoms (\u22120\u00b709; p<0\u00b70001), and life satisfaction (0\u00b708; p<0\u00b70001). 82 However, higher income inequality uniquely related to fewer days of physical activity (\u22120\u00b705 days; p=0\u00b70295), higher zBMI (0\u00b706; p<0\u00b70001), more psychological (0\u00b718; p<0\u00b70001) and physical (0\u00b716; p<0\u00b70001) symptoms, and larger health inequalities between socioeconomic groups in psychological (0\u00b713; p=0\u00b70080) and physical (0\u00b707; p=0\u00b70022) symptoms, and life satisfaction (\u22120\u00b710; p=0\u00b70092). 12 Interpretation\n\nSocioeconomic inequality has increased in many domains of adolescent health. 14 These trends coincide with unequal distribution of income between rich and poor people. 18 Widening gaps in adolescent health could predict future inequalities in adult health and need urgent policy action. 7 Funding\n\nCanadian Institutes of Health Research."} {"text": " 37 Image copyright Warner Bros Image caption The artwork for Sign O' The Times introduced Prince's new peach and black colour scheme\n\nThirty years ago, Prince was at a turning point in his career. 15 The film Purple Rain and its soundtrack had made him a star in 1984. 39 But the following two years saw, by commercial expectations, three flops: The albums Around The World In A Day and Parade, as well as the ill-conceived, self-directed movie bomb Under The Cherry Moon. 6 He decided to cut loose. 18 He split from his band, The Revolution, and planned a triple album - Crystal Ball. 31 But his label, Warner Bros, put their foot down and the project became the double disc Sign O' The Times, released on 31 March, 1987. 56 It would become one of the most acclaimed albums of the second half of the 20th century, and remains Prince's masterpiece - encompassing all of his musical personas: bedroom balladeer; penitent Christian; one-track-mind loverman; modern-day Basie-style bandleader; whimsical storyteller; meticulous orchestrator, guitar-wielding axeman and pop craftsman. 43 Prince, then 29 years old, created it in a period of feverish activity, making copious use of a new Linn drum machine, and a state-of-the-art Prophet-5 synthesiser, borrowed from his keyboard player Matt \"Dr\" Fink. 24 \"Just to be clear, he really did a lot of stuff on that album on his own,\" recalls Fink. 24 \"[Two] years later, he did Batman with no help in the studio, as far as I know.\" 56 Image copyright Warner Bros Image caption The star released a concert film of the album in 1988, which remains the best document of his powerful live shows\n\nEven engineer Susan Rogers, his closest collaborator at the time, was banished to another room when Prince recorded vocals in the basement of his house. 30 \"He may have been feeling a bit constricted and hemmed in by the familial,\" reflects Jill Jones, who sang with Prince from 1982 to 1990. 44 The title track, as well as Housequake, The Ballad of Dorothy Parker, It, Hot Thing, Forever In My Life, U Got The Look, The Cross and Adore \"all emanated from him\", Fink adds. 45 Others were reworked from sessions for a clutch of abandoned albums - Dream Factory, planned as the fourth album by Prince and the Revolution; and Camille, a disc of songs recorded by Prince in the sped-up voice of an androgynous alter-ego. 40 For good measure, while making Sign O' The Times, Prince also wrote and recorded for other people, including The Bangles, George Clinton, Taja Sevelle, Sheila E, Sheena Easton and Jill Jones. 39 This time-frame of his career remains the most exciting to students of The Vault, the collection of hundreds of unreleased songs housed at Paisley Park and the subject of much debate since his untimely death last April. 41 Brent Fischer, who alongside his late father Dr Clare Fischer wrote orchestral accompaniments for Prince's albums from 1985 to 2010, estimates \"about 70 per cent of the songs we worked on with Prince remain unreleased\". 30 Eric Leeds, his saxophonist from 1984 to 2003, reckons the figure is \"over 90 per cent... And those were just the songs with horns\". 45 \"It is as creative a period,\" argues Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor, \"as The Beatles from Rubber Soul to The White Album; or Stevie Wonder from Music of My Mind to Songs in the Key of Life\". 43 Taylor ranks Sign O' The Times in his \"top four favourite\" albums, alongside The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds, The Beatles' White Album and Sly & The Family Stone's There's a Riot Going On. 17 \"But I'm not afraid to group it as the best,\" he adds. 18 \"What I like about it is it's a personal-sounding record, quite a dark record. 22 It doesn't have his biggest hits on it and that might not reach out to quite so many people.\" 37 Image copyright Warner Bros Image caption Prince spent three days - an uncharacteristically long time - perfecting the Sheena Easton duet U Got The Look\n\nThe title and opening track was not for faint-hearted radio pluggers. 30 It addressed Aids (\"a big disease with a little name\"), social inequality, drugs, gun crime and mothers struggling to feed their children. 14 The \"O\" of the title was rendered as a peace sign. 34 Although Fink recalls that \"Prince didn't talk politics very much\", Van Jones, a former special advisor to President Obama and Prince's friend from 2009, reckons otherwise. 7 \"He was incredibly socially aware. 24 You can put on Marvin Gaye's What's Going On and feel like you're living through the late '60s and '70s. 23 Put on Sign O' The Times and you can get a sense of how the '80s and '90s were playing out. 8 It still has that timeless quality.\" 38 'He needed a hit'\n\nSign O' The Times and U Got the Look, recorded with Sheena Easton, laid the commercial groundwork for fans to accept what was, in part, an experimental record. 46 According to notes Prince wrote for his 1993 Hits album, the latter track was deliberately written in the style of Robert Palmer's Addicted To Love - as a challenge to a friend who would only dance to his songs when they became popular. 31 Although he laboured for hours over the tempo and structure of the song, \"the friend didn't like the song until it was in the Top 10\". 40 \"This relationship in itself reveals a touch of his business acumen,\" says Jill Jones, hinting at Prince's pragmatism, \"because at that time he managed to parlay himself back into the pop sphere. 8 He also needed a hit record.\" 15 Elsewhere, Prince wasn't afraid to use bandmates or even strangers for inspiration. 36 It's Going To Be a Beautiful Night, seen as an affectionate tribute to The Revolution, was \"a live / studio jam\" according to one of its co-writers, Eric Leeds. 15 \"It was rather spontaneously written at the soundcheck before a gig in Paris. 11 We recorded the song live during the concert that evening. 11 Weeks later we added additional parts in the studio.\" 78 Image copyright Warner Bros Image caption Prince's dancer and foil Cat Glover appeared on the cover of the single, but many people thought it was the star himself, after shaving his legs\n\nOne of the album's more enigmatic tracks is The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker, a psychedelic funk track about a waitress who mocks Prince when he orders a fruit cocktail (\"Sounds like a real man to me\"). 48 Although it borrows the name of the wisecracking journalist, Prince had no idea who she was; telling Tionne \"T-Boz\" Watkins of TLC (who would later cover the album's If I Was Your Girlfriend) it was inspired by a real-life encounter. 16 \"He told me it was about this waitress he met,\" she says. 22 \"He had a crush on her and they were flirting but [Prince] told her he had a girlfriend. 25 \"That's why he said in the song he wanted to have a bath with her - but keep his pants on.\" 31 That girlfriend (or even fiancee) for much of recording was Susannah Melvoin, who inspired and took a writing credit on the playful playground song Starfish and Coffee. 13 According to Matt Fink, it originally had a much different title. 50 \"It was basically a story about when she was a schoolgirl and elementary school, she and Wendy (Melvoin, Prince's ex-guitarist and Susannah's sister) had a girl in their class who was mentally challenged and she used to talk about Starfish and Pee-pee. 7 \"She told Prince the story. 21 He was fascinated and felt for her disability and they worked on a song which became Starfish and Coffee.\" 58 Image copyright Warner Bros Image caption I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man features one of Prince's most incendiary guitar solos\n\nThe prodigious inventiveness of Sign O' The Times won Prince five star reviews from Q Magazine and Rolling Stone, which named it one of the top 500 albums of all time. 10 But to this day, the album provokes debate. 35 Jones and Leeds both question Prince's former head of security Gilbert Davison, who claimed in GQ that Prince wrote the first of the two discs \"in a three-and-a-half-hour plane ride.\" 21 \"I recognise some of the songs on this album as having been written other times\" maintains Jill Jones. 10 \"Like Strange Relationship, The Cross and others. 19 (A studio version of I Could Never Take The Place of Your Man originates from 1982). 11 Not so sure it all happened in one go.\" 8 T-Boz hails it as her favourite record. 16 \"When I first heard If I was Your Girlfriend, I almost lost it. 11 I would play it eight to 10 times a day. 8 My mom was ready to kill me. 4 Or Prince.\" 52 Asked about U2 beating Prince in the best album category at 1988's Grammys, she snarls: \"No disrespect to U2, but you don't wanna get me started on that\u2026\"\n\nJones is more relaxed, calling it \"no skin off Prince's nose\". 26 Sign O' The Times remains Prince's \"high water mark\" among critics and musical commentators, according to both Fischer and Leeds. 20 Leeds claims: \"It displays perhaps more than any other of his albums the range of his musicality. 30 If someone just getting into his music was to ask me for the best place to start, I would direct them to Sign O' The Times.\" 29 The Roots' bandleader Questlove, disagrees: \"I never tell Prince newbies to start their listening with it,\" he wrote on Instagram last year. 10 \"I tell 'em\u2026 'Save it for last'. 11 Most come back to let me know I was correct. 7 Man, that's cool.\" 37 Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The star's image became more demure in keeping with the album's socially-aware themes\n\nFollow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. 11 If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk."} {"text": " 52 For six months, reporter Sa\u0161a Uhlov\u00e1 worked in the lowest-paid manual jobs in the Czech Republic, having a go at work in a hospital laundry room, a chicken processing plant, as a cashier in a supermarket, in a razorblade factory, and in a waste-sorting plant. 12 All these jobs are indispensable, yet they are severely underpaid. 15 How do people make ends meet on just a few hundred pounds a month? 26 Uhlov\u00e1\u2019s project, entitled The Heroes of Capitalist Labour, exposes the dark side of Czech Republic\u2019s alleged post-communist economic success. 22 In a country with one of the lowest unemployment rates in Europe, wages remain low in comparison to Western neighbours. 30 As Uhlov\u00e1 shows, those who earn minimum wage live on the edge or even below the poverty line and their small earnings get swallowed up by debt repayments. 32 Published on A2larm.cz, the series of texts is also accompanied by the documentary film Limits of Work, which will premiere this October at the Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival. 24 The first text takes us to the laundry room of Motol, the largest hospital in the country\u2019s capital, Prague. 19 She led me down the stairs while I confessed my fear that I won\u2019t make it. 19 She reassured me, everyone has to start at some point, and every first step is hard. 27 As we drew nearer, we heard the noise get louder and louder; we walked through a badly lit hallway and entered an enormous hall. 23 The white light of fluorescent lamps provided slightly better illumination than in the dark hallway, but it still was not enough. 16 Inside, there were large machines: washers, driers, mangles, ironing presses. 11 The smell of freshly washed linen was in the air. 16 People had to raise their voices to be heard over the hum of the machines. 21 My guide led me to the forewoman, a calm, smiling woman who asked me what my name was. 7 \u201cAlex,\u201d I replied. 21 \u201cOh, we have an exotic one,\u201d she laughed and told them to take me to Elenka. 33 \u201cWhat am I supposed to do?\u201d I asked after being introduced to Elenka, a small, aging lady with well-kempt hair and a strict stare behind thick glasses. 30 She was busy hanging trousers on a mechanical coat hanger, then she waved her hand in front of a photosensor and the hanger flew up on a conveyor. 11 The work seemed simple and I took to it eagerly. 24 Elenka led me over to the place where the hangers were arriving and took a pair of trousers from a huge metal cart. 19 She showed me how to fold them, that they must not be inside out or too crumpled. 11 Then she put them on a hanger and waved again. 6 The hanger obligingly flew off. 26 I took a pair of trousers and tried it for myself, then she showed me how to properly hang nightgowns and surgeons\u2019 gowns. 44 The work seemed simple and I took to it eagerly: we took the laundry from big carts standing next to us and when we emptied them, we got more from the place that sorts the laundry after it leaves the wringer. 26 After an hour and a half, I felt that I\u2019d been standing there and just hanging and hanging and hanging for ages. 9 It was unbearable, I wanted to cry. 29 I was thirsty, I needed a cigarette, my back and hands ached, I wanted to lie down in my bed, I was awfully hungry. 31 And suddenly I realized it was dawn, despite us being four floors underground: the Motol hospital is built into a hill so even the laundry room has windows. 20 About two hours later, Elenka told me to go out into the yard for a quick cigarette break. 10 And then she offered me water and a candy. 19 I immediately felt better; she asked me if I was there for the money or the punishment. 22 That meant whether I\u2019d been sent there by the Employment Office or whether I was sentenced to community service. 21 When I told her I was there on my own will, she didn\u2019t want to believe me. 35 I found the advertisement on the Employment Office\u2019s website and it fit perfectly into what I wanted to examine: an unqualified but useful and necessary job, in a public institution. 11 I signed a contract for eleven thousand crowns (approx. 39 \u00a3380) a month with the agency \u2013 because my employer was not the Motol hospital, but Midian \u2013 Coral general partnership, a company that Motol contracted for odd jobs in the kitchens and food distribution. 13 It won\u2019t fit you price-wise\n\nHalf-past eleven meant lunch break. 72 Elenka explained that the lunch would be expensive for me, because I work \u201cunder Natasha.\u201d That means I am employed by the agency: Natasha is a thirty-year old Ukrainian who personifies Midian \u2013 Coral to us: we negotiate with her, she hands out the payments, but when there is a lot of work and not much people, she works at the machines herself. 12 She is essentially our second superior, next to the forewoman. 23 I still wasn\u2019t sure why I could order only soup and a bread roll for eighteen crowns (60p). 29 Elenka took me with her and walked me through the labyrinth of the hospital to the canteen, where she ordered soup, the main course and dessert. 18 I sipped the salty water from my bowl and watched Elenka stuff herself with meat and dumplings. 18 I was actually told I would not be able to afford the lunch back at the agency. 38 \u201cThere is a canteen, but it won\u2019t fit you price-wise,\u201d the woman who hired me told me when describing the job, recommending I take a sandwich with me from home. 8 Now I regretted not listening to her. 19 I gathered my courage and asked Elenka how come she can afford lunch while I can\u2019t. 16 I would have to pay seventy-two crowns (\u00a32.50) just for the main course. 9 Which is more than I earn per hour. 14 It turned out Elenka was, unlike me, an employee of Motol. 26 She earned several thousand crowns per month more than I did and was eligible to buy a full meal for twenty-five crowns (86p). 18 Motol\u2019s employees are the ones who have worked in the laundry for a longer time. 30 In 2004 Motol\u2019s director Martin Ludv\u00edk signed the contract with Midian \u2013 Coral for providing kitchen and food distribution services, as well as sorting dirty laundry. 30 Other work in the laundry room is not detailed in the contract, but about twelve more people and I have signed up with them, not the hospital. 28 Which means that if I want to buy the full lunch menu, I will not be able to take advantage of the subsidy Motol employees receive. 16 I would have to pay seventy-two crowns (\u00a32.50) just for the main course. 9 Which is more than I earn per hour. 10 Now I understand I simply cannot afford that. 25 As the day went on, the work relaxed somewhat: sometimes there were three, even four minutes when I could sit down. 29 But by then I knew there would be another slower period, that the worst part of the day is the morning when one simply cannot stop. 9 It made the work easier to cope with. 16 Half-past three, the shift was over, and I was allowed to stagger home. 35 I won\u2018t live to see retirement\n\nOver the following days, I would start right before six in the morning, even though I am aware that I should be coming earlier. 29 The others are usually there at half past five, they clean the machines and manage to grab a coffee before the first batch of laundry is ready. 13 I cannot manage to get up before four thirty, though. 18 On the other hand, I can find my way through the hospital\u2019s hallways now. 12 Most of the time, I work with Elenka and Hela. 42 We talk over the lunch break \u2013 it\u2019s not possible during the work, because we don\u2019t have the time to stop and besides we wouldn\u2019t hear a word of what the others are saying. 4 Elenka is fifty-nine. 13 She is energetic, short-tempered, and has a limp and diabetes. 25 She is the only one in the laundry room with her hair done by a hairdresser, and she is not missing any teeth. 15 Her whole personality makes it vivid that everything is perfectly fine with her life. 5 She loves her job. 37 She lives in a dormitory nearby and shares a room with a roommate with whom she splits the rent, so that she only pays two and a half thousand crowns (\u00a386) a month. 7 She raised four kids, alone. 24 Back when she was married, she lived in Slovakia and worked as a seamstress \u2013 that is the job she trained for. 27 \u201cThen I ran away to Czech Republic, because of my husband.\u201d\n\n\u201cTo the husband or away from him?\u201d\n\n\u201cAway. 25 Away from him.\u201d\n\n\u201cDid he beat you?\u201d\n\n\u201cMore than that, he drank and brought whores into our home. 31 He was a horrible man.\u201d\n\nWhen she arrived in the country, she found herself a job in the Avia car factory, where she stayed for fourteen years. 24 And because it was not enough to pay for the family\u2019s expenses, she made money on the side by cleaning. 12 She has been working in the laundry room for seventeen years. 10 Apart from her wages, she gets a bonus. 29 She does not complain about her earnings, she even manages to send some money to her children in Slovakia and have an Internet connection in her phone. 20 She will reach retirement age next year, but she wants to stay, to earn some more money. 10 She even plans to find herself a small flat. 21 Every morning, Hela rides the four thirty bus, so she has to get up at half past three. 20 She arrives home late in the afternoon, does all the household, and then falls asleep around 8pm. 11 My second colleague, Hela, is quiet and kind. 16 She explains the way the laundry room works to me and patiently answers my questions. 8 She radiates a peculiar, calm sadness. 11 She is fifty-six and takes care of an ill husband. 17 They live on the second floor of a small house some ten kilometers outside of Prague. 39 The rent is low, housing costs them about three thousand (\u00a3100) a month: this is because Hela also takes care of the old lady that rents the upper part of the house to them. 28 But the lady lives in the centre of Prague and Hela has to commute in order to do the shopping for her and help around the flat. 21 Every morning, she rides the four thirty bus, so she has to get up at half past three. 37 She works until half past two, then she has to go help her landlady, she arrives home late in the afternoon, takes care of her husband, makes food for the next day. 26 She is done around eight P.M. \u201cI try to watch the news then, but I almost always fall asleep,\u201d she says. 27 Her monthly pay has been 9900 (\u00a3342) gross so far, but she should be getting a raise soon \u2013 for the first time. 19 It is February 2017 and the government has raised the minimum wage to eleven thousand (\u00a3380). 8 Hela does not understand the social system. 12 She does not know whether she is eligible for financial help. 15 She pays over three thousand a month only for her husband\u2019s medication. 6 They barely make ends meet. 22 It will be six years before she can retire, but she does not believe she will ever receive retirement money. 31 \u201cThey\u2019ll change it before then, or I won\u2019t live that long,\u201d she smiles sadly, without bitterness, but also without irony. 77 Doesn\u2019t matter if you\u2019re dead, just make sure to show up\n\nAnother colleague, Marta, who works the mangle next to us, went to see a doctor on Monday morning on account of her aching back and knee, even though Natasha tried to dissuade her, saying that going to a doctor on Monday is not allowed \u2013 there is too much work and too few of us. 30 Marta has waited for a long time to get that appointment so she decided to disobey, as her knee has been aching ever since she started working here. 15 Elenka\u2019s knee aches as well and mine started to hurt on Friday. 20 Maybe it\u2019s because of the way I use my leg to support my weight when folding trousers. 25 At first, I joked about my knee, but then I realized the kind of hell I would face if the ache remained. 8 Thankfully, it passed over the weekend. 14 Ten o\u2019clock, Marta came back from the doctor\u2019s. 12 Something was wrong with her spine and her body was inflamed. 22 She received some pills and was told to report to a rehabilitation clinic, but it was fully booked until April. 10 She said she won\u2019t last that long. 38 But if she went to a different doctor and got examined again, she would have to excuse herself from work again \u2013 and this time she would probably have to use her holiday allocation for it. 21 A lot of the people here are sick, they cough, their noses run, but they keep working. 18 This makes the sicknesses spread quickly, even I start to feel a scratch in my throat. 23 Over the following days, we drag the sickness with us everywhere we go, at this point almost everyone feels ill. 28 While she has a noticeable limp, when she pushes the heavy cart full of laundry, it almost looks like she\u2019s forgetting the pain. 20 That morning, before the shift started, the women talked about Berta being sick again and not coming. 8 Natasha is bound to fire her soon. 48 \u201cYou can\u2019t blame her, what is the use of an employee who\u2019s sick all the time?\u201d Elenka says she does not use sick leave at all \u2013 when she was ill some time ago, she took a holiday. 14 Five days of vacation and she was as fresh as a daisy again. 29 It is just the knee that keeps tormenting her, she did not sleep last night because of it, but it does not stop her from working. 28 While she has a noticeable limp, when she pushes the heavy cart full of laundry, it almost looks like she\u2019s forgetting the pain. 10 For Elenka, this job fills her whole life. 21 Hopefully they will allow her to keep on working there even the next year, when she is officially retired. 32 At lunch break, a colleague said that she cannot take sick leave because she would not be able to pay her rent, but she is sick as well. 11 Another, Libor, has to pay off distrain fees. 45 He could use his holiday allocation for his flu, but he will not, because there are too few of us at work: solidarity with the others is one of the reasons why people keep showing up at work even when sick. 16 No one will explicitly admit that their superiors won\u2019t allow them sick leave. 36 Only Marta added that some time ago they would not let her stay home when she was taking antibiotics, and they allowed her to take only a two-day holiday to lie down a bit. 22 \u201cDoesn\u2019t matter if you\u2019re dead if you show up for work,\u201d she smiled bitterly. 3 Alexis came! 16 Someone falling sick is a serious problem, it means more work for the others. 18 One morning, Hela did not come and no one knew what was going on with her. 15 Even the unbreakable Elenka feels ill. She is coughing and her eyes are red. 19 The next day, Hela arrived: her voice was shaky and there were tears in her eyes. 7 Her husband suffered a heart attack. 19 They brought him here to the hospital Motol, but Hela had no idea how to find him. 16 Elenka has promised to help her, since she knows her way around the hospital. 54 At the same time, she proclaimed that even though she wanted to take a holiday to get better, she will stay because they have no idea what will happen with Hela\u2019s husband and they are only two employees who know how to work on the constantly jamming folding machine. 20 The forewoman eventually decided they will teach me as well, in order for more of us to know. 17 At lunch, Elenka told me the issue was that there was too few of us. 26 Hanging the laundry is a job intended for three people, but there are only two of us there, which makes it more difficult. 16 She also said that it is the people employed by the agency that get sick. 17 \u201cMotol supports the agency, not the other way around,\u201d she stated angrily. 14 They were afraid I would break under the pressure of the Monday shift. 7 I started the job on Tuesday. 26 When I managed to survive the first Monday shift, I was really glad that it had not been my first day on the job. 25 There is considerably more laundry after the weekend, there are no breaks except for lunch and we work for ten or eleven hours. 10 In spite of that, everyone seemed curiously optimistic. 17 As if each heap of laundry was an amazing thing that we will happily overcome together. 28 It was only later on that I realized they wanted to reassure me; they were afraid I would break under the pressure of the Monday shift. 39 Every time I went to fetch more laundry and dragged my feet because everything hurt, Michal, who is in charge of sorting the laundry, asked me how it was going and if I was alright. 15 \u201cToday we are working overtime, but at least there will be money. 11 More money than we can carry,\u201d he joked. 14 The next morning, I was exhausted and got up a bit later. 10 I showed up at the laundry room at six. 34 \u201cAlexis has come!\u201d yelled Elenka with relief in her voice and then she added: \u201cIt was Monday yesterday\u2026\u201d They thought I would just drop off after it. 19 Had I not known there were only two more Mondays like that before me, I might have. 2 Distraint? 2 Me? 9 On Wednesday morning, I walked past Michal. 24 He stood near his locker and happily shouted: \u201cToday the people around you will be happy!\u201d I asked why. 36 \u201cBecause they get paid today!\u201d That day even the ones working \u201cunder Natasha\u201d were to receive more: it was the first payday after the minimum wage had been raised. 5 They were not happy. 8 They looked just as tired as ever. 9 Some of them seemed more bewildered than anything. 4 Elenka was angry. 17 She was badmouthing our colleague Radek, who complained about getting the same money as always. 22 \u201cBut to notice he\u2019s paying distraint fees, that\u2019s below him,\u201d she snorted dismissively. 16 Hela timidly whispered she got the same amount of money as last month as well. 10 We went to take a look at her payslip. 16 It featured deductions for health and social care and an EX followed by a number. 23 Elenka pointed at it and asked: \u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d Hela shakily replied it had always been there. 9 Elenka told her it had to be distraint. 6 Hela looked frightened and surprise. 3 \u201cDistraint? 9 Me?\u201d\n\nHela looked frightened and surprise. 3 \u201cDistraint? 16 Me?\u201d\n\nWe sent her to Natasha to find out what\u2019s what. 6 It was a distraint fee. 43 It turned out that in the past, Hela had not worked for a couple months \u2013 her husband still earned money back then, she was a housewife and it did not occur to her to go to the Employment Office. 28 She did not pay for her health insurance, and that was the basis of a debt that managed to grow a considerable amount in the meantime. 16 And now that she is working, they deduct the debt payments from her earnings. 28 Up to December, she earned so little she has not noticed \u2013 the minimal unseizeable amount defined by law was essentially equivalent to what she earned. 27 And she does not live in the place she wrote down as her permanent address, so she does not receive any notifications from the court. 13 She was not alone in finding she was under distraint that day. 26 The desperate looks revealed just how many people received less than they expected, and the mood in the laundry room was grim and hopeless. 33 Only the ever-positive Michal seemed all right: he is paying distraint fees as well, but he has known about it for a long time and has already reconciled with it. 27 Even though he works overtime on Mondays, he does not earn too much extra, since most of it ends up going towards his debt. 23 In spite of that, he cannot imagine just going away and leaving the others to work overtime on their own. 15 A cake at a metro station\n\nThat day, I left work with Michal. 17 As we walked through the hallways and rode the elevator, he talked about his life. 8 He lives in a dormitory in Motol. 25 He pays five thousand (\u00a3173) a month for it, leaving him with about three thousand (\u00a3100) for everything else. 35 He is really glad they extended the subway line to Motol: \u201cNow that the subway is here, I sometimes buy a ticket for twenty-four crowns and go shopping to the supermarket. 31 I can get there, do my shopping and get back in half an hour, so that I only use one subway ticket,\u201d he told me enthusiastically. 16 Finally, he can do cheap shopping elsewhere than the shops in the hospital itself. 25 He also recalled that back when he had money, he rode the subway to some station with a shopping center and a patisserie. 40 \u201cI bought a cake there and took a photo of it, to have a memory of this fine living.\u201d\n\nWhen we neared the entrance, he asked if I was going to buy a tram ticket. 11 \u201cNo, I have a card.\u201d\n\n\u201cReally? 3 A card? 19 You mean for the whole month?\u201d\n\n\u201cYeah, the whole month,\u201d I lied. 21 I did not want to admit I have a year-long one, because such an expense would probably shock Michal. 19 So in order to get to work or home, they pay more than they earn per hour. 20 The ticket inspectors run amok on the trains to Motol, and mornings before six are their favorite time. 31 So every single one of my colleagues, who earn minimum wages that makes them incapable of saving enough money to get a tram card, pay for tickets religiously. 20 Many of them ended up with debt for riding without them and they are afraid of paying more fees. 19 So in order to get to work or home, they pay more than they earn per hour. 15 This work is beautiful\n\nThe next Monday was even worse than the previous one. 9 We spent the entire day hanging the laundry. 19 More than ten hours, excepting the lunch break which I decided to cut short by ten minutes. 27 Seeing the carts full of wet laundry and the subsequent thought that they will keep coming at the same pace for the whole afternoon terrified me. 12 In the end, we even managed a five minute break. 5 That was so wonderful! 14 I felt the aches of Monday in my body even two days later. 14 I felt the aches of Monday in my body even two days later. 10 In spite of that, the work is beautiful. 21 The laundry is pleasantly wet and even though it does not have a scent, one can smell the cleanness. 19 It is a useful job as well, which everyone who does it knows and takes pride in. 5 And it is efficient. 19 It is a well-thought out system where everyone does what they can to make the work run smoothly. 27 A whole lot of laundry gets washed every day and more than that \u2013 it is also ironed, folded and sent back to the hospital. 27 Apart from hanging shirts and trousers, I also check for persistent stains, missing strings and buttons and whether there aren\u2019t any holes. 39 I take a piece of laundry, I hang it on the hanger, I straighten it, sometimes I shake it out a bit if it\u2019s crumpled up, all the while checking for flaws. 18 Then I clamp it to the hanger and wave at the photo sensor to send it on. 26 Laundry for intensive care units, hospital wards and the anesthesiology-resuscitation unit are sent separately and also washed separately, in sacks full of holes. 30 A lot of the work is automated: washing, wringing and ironing, but it is people who put the laundry into mangles, ironing presses and driers. 13 Elenka and Hela and I work on trousers, gowns and nightshirts. 20 If they are torn, we send them up to the sewing workshop for the seamstresses to fix it. 10 Four floors underground\n\nThe hangers fall from the rack. 10 They are heavy, made of wood and metal. 22 Sometimes they hit me in the shoulder, thankfully I have managed to avoid a hit to the head so far. 17 I do not even turn when I hear the crash, I got used to it. 20 I am here for the fourth week and I know I have to leave and look for another job. 7 I don\u2019t want to. 19 There is solidarity amongst the people here, helping each other with the work in a friendly atmosphere. 17 And the laundry room is restless: they expect changes and they are afraid of them. 15 In April, a new company is supposed to take over the laundry room. 22 Elenka promised to get in a good word for me so they would hire me and I would earn better wages. 16 But none of the people employed by the agency believe they will be so lucky. 36 People say that \u201cthey will only take those who work for Motol\u201d \u2013 and those in question believe they will keep their wages and employee benefits like cheaper lunch in the hospital canteen. 27 When a group from the new company came to see us work, we were not allowed to sit down even when there was no laundry. 7 The takeover is a big topic. 14 \u201cThey were here and looked nice, but we\u2019ll see. 41 I\u2019ve been working here for nine years and it\u2019s good now, but if it can\u2019t be helped, I\u2019ll just leave,\u201d a lady who does the ironing told me. 27 Apparently it is the people who work for Motol that are scared the most \u2013 the rest earn so little it cannot get any worse. 27 The new company is supposed to modernize the laundry room and they have a new accountant, whom they will bring from as far as Ostrava. 14 \u201cWe\u2019ll see,\u201d the employees keep telling one another. 28 But when a group from the new company came to see us work, we were not allowed to sit down even when there was no laundry. 14 We talk about the important things over in the yard during lunch breaks. 34 Apart from the ever-present worries about the future, a constant topic is pointing out from the people who spend too much and ask others for money at the end of the month. 4 They despise begging. 12 They have so little, even if some have even less. 30 No one is concerned with the fact that different wage levels in the same workplace are a violation of the Labour Code, but everyone sees it as unjust. 28 But they do not know how to call for justice and they cannot think of other venues of complaint than lunch break gossip in the yard. 55 The work will always be the same\n\nNear the end of the shift, when we were putting bedsheets into the mangle, Libor said that back in communist times, one could just do the work and go home, while nowadays one has to wait for all the others to be done. 4 Libor is twenty-three. 13 He only knows communism from what he has been told by others. 14 Evidently, he views it as a mythical age when everything was better. 44 As he handed the bedsheets to me and Marta, he reproached us: \u201cIt\u2019s your generation that wanted the change, it\u2019s your fault!\u201d\n\nHe steals, he steals and that one steals as well. 5 Would you believe that? 13 I gathered my courage and asked if he voted in the elections. 7 \u201cNo, why would I? 15 Work will always be the same.\u201d\n\nI ask the others in the yard. 27 Not even Elenka votes, because: \u201cHe steals, he steals and that one steals as well,\u201d so there is no choice. 5 The others nod approvingly. 20 The most astonishing thing is that the people high above steal, even though they earn so much money. 22 \u201cWould you believe that?\u201d\n\nIn April, the laundry room was indeed taken over by a new company. 13 Shortly afterwards, six people left, saying that they were bullied. 10 This made the job even harder for the others. 23 Currently the company offers work for 14 120 crowns (\u00a3488) a month with a 2500 (\u00a386) efficiency bonus. 36 Midian \u2013 Coral still advertises the same job, but now for 12 000 crowns (\u00a3415) a month and rumors around the laundry room say they plan to bring workers over from Ukraine. 14 Those who worked under Midian \u2013 Coral before still earn the minimum wage. 17 Even half a year later, I cannot forget the moment right before I left. 3 I cried. 21 I saw Elenka and Hela at the folding machine, staying there after regular hours to get the job done. 11 One earns so little she cannot make ends meet. 19 She spends whole days worrying about her husband who cannot walk and is stuck at home alone. 30 The other likes her job, she is satisfied with her wages, but she cannot even take sick leave so she keeps destroying her already bad health. 15 I met great people in the laundry room, and a very supportive team. 18 It was a beautiful and important job that I did, even though it was physically challenging. 40 In three weeks, I earned 8106 crowns (\u00a3280) of take-home wages, which I had to collect in person because Natasha told me they do not send payments to accounts, but only pay in cash. 31 The difference in wages was a clear breach of the Labour Code, because employees on the same workplace doing the same job have a right for the same reward. 20 ***\n\nThis text is part of a series created with the support of the Independent Journalism Fund. 5 Translated by Michal Chmela."} {"text": " 10 Another year, another Note, another S-Pen issue. 28 Samsung made sure this year the Galaxy Note7 users can't insert the S-Pen backwards, and yet a new flaw seems to be plaguing some styluses. 24 As it turns out, the mechanical button on the S-Pen, which ejects the stylus from the silo, may stop clicking. 12 And no clicking means no S-Pen ejection from within the Note. 39 You can still get it out with a pin, or some hitting on the S-pen's hole, but once you start having problems with it, you may have to resort to doing this quite often. 19 There are already a few videos on YouTube showing the issue and it's clearly the S-Pen fault. 8 Apparently, the clicking mechanism occasionally fails. 25 Some suspect waterproofing failure as the issue began after water submerging, but there are other which hadn't exposed the S-Pen to water. 41 We got a tip from an employee working in the telecommunication industry that Samsung has acknowledged the presence of the problem and has issued instructions to front-office staff for handling the matter if a customer comes with a stuck S-Pen. 29 Upon successful removal of the S-Pen with a pin, the user will be logged for a new S-Pen replacement free of charge, probably a redesigned one. 25 If easy removal is not possible, the device will be sent for service removal and will be issued a new S-Pen, too. 28 In the meantime, the company will also be advising the Note7 users not to push the S-Pen too hard in the silo after the click sound. 22 We guess this is good advice for anyone, who doesn't want to unlock this potential flaw of their S-Pen. 16 Here are a few YouTube videos that we found to demonstrate the issue quite well. 18 We'll keep an eye on this story, and we'll inform you of any developments. 8 A hat tip to our anonymous tipster!"} {"text": " 9 About\n\nAll by utilizing the power of Tor! 4 What is Tor? 17 :\n\nTor is a global network which serves the purpose of concealing your location and activities. 14 An essential tool to insure your security and privacy in the informational age. 20 \"Tor was originally designed, implemented, and deployed as a third-generation onion routing project of the U.S. 4 Naval Research Laboratory. 20 It was originally developed with the U.S. Navy in mind, for the primary purpose of protecting government communications. 33 Today, it is used every day for a wide variety of purposes by normal people, the military, journalists, law enforcement officers, activists, and many others.\" 20 ~The Tor Project\n\nPreviously, it required alot of technical knowledge and configuration to anonymize all trafic through Tor. 10 Now the Dark-Ingress does all the work for you! 18 It routes all your network traffic through the Tor network automatically without needing to do any configuration. 19 Just plug the Dark-Ingress into your computer, connect to WiFi, and you are good to go! 30 Our Goal:\n\nThe goal is to raise funding to support the previous, current, future development & maintenance of this essential project along with trusted exit nodes. 30 Once our funding goal is met, we will release the software image along with future updates as open-source software free for everyone to download from the project website. 28 www.Dark-Ingress.com\n\nWhy I created this:\n\nThis is not some \"fly by night\" operation in reponse to the new \"Tor hardware router\" craze. 26 The Dark-Ingress is something I have been working on for a while, and have planned to bring to kickstarter when the time was right. 30 I originally created the Dark-Ingress for personal use, as I needed a way to automatically route all my network traffic through Tor, not just the web browser. 13 Currently there are many options to run Tor on a hardware level. 10 However they all acted as a stationary access point. 22 There was no solution for a Tor hardware router that was portable allowing me to connect to wifi on the go. 11 So I created the Dark-Ingress to meet this specific need. 12 The Dark-Ingress runs on the Raspberry PI as its hardware platform. 16 I chose the Raspberry PI due to the widespread availability and popularity of the RPI. 28 The Dark-Ingress software is open source and I plan to release the software image, along with any future updates for download once we reach our goal. 23 I also plan to operate at least one if not more, designated trusted Tor exit nodes which funding will also support. 28 The Dark-Ingress acts as an easy and portable way for people to utilize the Tor network to protect themselves from the illegal dragnet spying conducted by governments. 40 And with an increased demand for Tor use this year due to the leaks about the NSA and bulk spying by other entities, I realized that people needed a portable, user friendly, and safe Tor solution. 9 I created the Dark-Ingress to meet this need. 20 With the Dark-Ingress, there is no need to download special software to your computers or make other modifications. 14 As the Dark-Ingress works with any computer to route all your traffic automatically. 37 With it being hardware based, it makes using Tor safer to use than software based solutions for two reasons:\n\n1- No need to worry about data accidentally leaking outside of Tor due to misconfiguration. 28 2- If your computer gets compromised, your location cannot be revealled since all network traffic is forced through the Dark-Ingress before entering the local network. 35 In the past people have been caught when using Tor because they where not using a Tor transparent proxy such as the Dark-Ingrress, and so their location was identified through the regular internet. 13 Other Features:\n\n-New IP address every 5 minutes or upon demand. 12 Users can re-configure the IP renewal time to suit their needs. 14 -Automatically routes all network traffic through Tor (not just web browser). 10 -Ability to access the Dark Net and .onion addresses. 12 -No need to install software or configure your computer to use. 22 (Computers usually have remote desktop or SSH capability, if it does not these capabilities are free for download.) 18 -User friendly control panel via remote desktop -or- command line control panel with curses interface through SSH. 20 This also offers more security than using a web based control panel as found in other Tor hardware routers. 24 Both of the control panel interfaces use a non-standard port so you can still connect to other computers across the internet through Tor. 40 -The control panel allows you to connect the Dark-Ingress to WiFi access points, bypass captive portals such as those found in airports or coffee shops, change identities, along with configuring the more advanced features of Tor. 23 (Once funding is reached I will be releasing manuals and guides on the project website from simple to more advanced.) 30 -By default the Dark-Ingress is configured to never use an exit IP address from any of the 5-Eyes nations or Germany (which houses an NSA SIGINT post). 16 This is to prevent your unencrypted traffic from going through nations that co-operate with NSA. 9 Users can re-configure this to suit their needs. 24 -The device is powered by USB which cannot accept data through this USB port used for power, providing another security advantage. 15 -This is currently designed to act as a WiFi card for a single computer. 33 Though I have found it is possible to use multiple computers with the Dark-Ingress by plugging a router into the Dark-Ingress ethernet port after connecting the Dark-Ingress to the internet via WiFi. 30 Planned Features:\n\nYour contributions and support is also helping to fund not just project maintenance but also development for more enhancements which users can apply with an update. 25 Future enhancements I have ideas for, is support for USB ethernet adapters, on-device WiFi AP mode, and potentially 3G modem support. 22 Not a guaranteed feature, but I am working very hard to figure out how to integrate device MAC address randomization. 40 I am seeking a way to change WiFi MAC addresses on the Raspberry PI\n\nOne of these future enhancements, is a second design (a.k.a Type-02) of Dark-Ingress model which works with the Raspberry PI touch screen. 38 This would enable access to the Dark-Ingress control panel directly from the touchscreen without having to open up software channels to access the device control panel, making the device even more secure and easier to use. 30 Other than the touchscreen, the other difference between the Type-01 and Type-02 is that the Type-02 sofware interface will be optimized & designed for use with a touchscreen. 46 Even if you already have the current setup that has no touch screen (Type-01), you'll be able to obtain the touch screen addition later on after the Type-02 design is ready so you can easily convert your Type-01 to a Type-02. 28 The limited few whom score the Type-02 from the reward tiers will have the early stage Type-02 before the Type-02 is made accessible to every one else. 11 Idea Behind The Name:\n\nDark-Ingress seemed a fitting name. 13 Ingress means an entry or passage, or \"to enter\". 8 Dark means to be hidden, invisible. 16 When you use the Dark-Ingress all your activities are kept dark by entering through Tor. 15 This device also allows you passage into what is known as the Dark Net. 8 And so the name Dark-Ingress was chosen. 2 Screenshots! 32 :\n\nGraphical Interface Control Panel\n\nCommand Line Control Panel (Note that this only appears to have the Anonymous logo because my terminal is transparent, reavealling my desktop wallpaper.) 6 Developed For The Raspberry PI! 56 :\n\nEstimated timeline:\n\nEarly November - CAMPAIGN STARTS\n\n1 Month for fundraising campaign (30 days) starting in beginning of November\n\n1 Month for fundraising campaign (30 days) starting in beginning of November Early to Mid December - CAMPAIGN ENDS\n\nRecieve funding from KickStarter by end of 2nd week of December. 12 We will immediately order parts upon reciept of funding from KickStarter. 12 Recieve funding from KickStarter by end of 2nd week of December. 12 We will immediately order parts upon reciept of funding from KickStarter. 14 Mid to End of December - ARRIVAL OF PARTS\n\nAwaiting arrival of parts. 15 We will assemble Dark-Ingress units as soon as parts arrive\n\nAwaiting arrival of parts. 17 We will assemble Dark-Ingress units as soon as parts arrive Jan. - Assembling & delivering units. 8 Orders will be fulfilled in order received. 8 Orders will be fulfilled in order received. 7 Feb. - Assembling & delivering units. 8 Orders will be fulfilled in order received. 26 Units might be delivered sooner than expected, we chose Feb. as an honest and realistic timeframe in case we reach the maximum unit order. 41 IMPORTANT NOTE:\n\nTor will encrypt and anonymize your internet traffic, though bear in mind, that as with anything, even though your location is concealed, you are not anonymous if you give away your personal information. 18 It is important to not mix your anonymous data with your personal data during the same session. 21 Also know that this product is created independently from and is not affiliated in any way with The Tor Project. 18 More information about Tor or The Tor Project can be obtained from The Tor Project's website www.torproject.org"} {"text": " 21 The Obama Administration announced a new program Tuesday to make it easier for active-duty servicemen and servicewomen to afford homes. 21 The White House hopes the plan will help thousands of military families save hundreds of dollars or more each year. 39 Currently, Americans serving on active duty are eligible to have their home interest rates and some other debt fees capped at 6% under a 2003 law, but they must first prove their eligibility to lenders. 52 Recent studies by the Government Accountability Office, however, have found many of those entitled to protections under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) don\u2019t benefit from them, because they\u2019re either unaware of them or choose not to deal with the paperwork involved. 52 Speaking to veterans at the American Legion National Convention, President Barack Obama announced a plan to address those issues, with five of the country\u2019s largest mortgage lenders agreeing to make the process easier and to proactively reach out to those who should be eligible for lower rates. 45 \u201cWe\u2019re announcing a new partnership in which some of America\u2019s biggest banks and financial institutions will simplify the process, proactively notify service members who qualify for lower rates and make it easier to enroll,\u201d Obama said. 55 \u201cIn other words, we\u2019re going to help more of our troops and military families own their own home without a crushing debt.\u201d\n\nAccording to the White House, Wells Fargo Bank, Bank of America, Ocwen Loan Servicing, CitiMortgage and Quicken Loans are participating in the program. 24 The five companies are also pledging to more frequently check Defense Department databases to see whether their customers are entitled to unclaimed benefits. 17 The Brief Newsletter Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now. 54 View Sample Sign Up Now\n\n\u201cOur preliminary analysis suggests that this new partnership will help tens of thousands of military families save money by reducing their mortgage interest rates,\u201d wrote National Economic Council director Jeff Zients in a blog post on the White House website shared with TIME before publication. 85 \u201cOn a $200,000 mortgage, even an interest rate reduction of only one percent will result in over $1,500 a year in savings for our military families \u2014 money they can put towards daily expenses, retirement savings or sending their children to college.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s clearly the right thing to proactively reach out to active-duty military members and make sure they \u2014 and their families \u2014 are financially protected,\u201d said Quicken Loans CEO Bill Emerson. 63 \u201cOur military members have enough on their plate without burdening them with the added stress of having to contact their lenders to activate benefits the law entitles them to receive.\u201d\n\nThe Financial Services Roundtable industry group hailed the announcement in a statement Tuesday, announcing that about 5,500 homes have been donated by affiliated companies to veterans and their families. 60 \u201cWe are proud that the voluntary commitments made in partnership with the White House today reinforce the industry\u2019s overall mission to give back to those who sacrifice the most for this country,\u201d said the group\u2019s Housing Policy Council president and former Secretary of the Navy, John Dalton, in a statement. 7 Contact us at editors@time.com."} {"text": " 18 An unannounced Asus tablet has been spotted at the Bluetooth SIG apparently running an Android 4.3 version. 31 The K008, a 7-inch device according to the Bluetooth SIG documentation, runs software version JWR11, which is said to be an Android 4.3 Jelly Bean build version. 34 Other details are not available about the device except for this description on the site:\n\nThe tablet features a 7\u2033 LED-backlit capacitive multitouch screen for easy carrying and fantastic multi-media experience everywhere. 11 Wireless networking Ensures simple connection to the Internet without wires. 15 We have no idea what kind of tablet the K008 is supposed to be. 9 Are we looking at the new Nexus 7? 10 We can\u2019t answer that question just yet. 35 For what it\u2019s worth, we\u2019ll remind you that just recently we\u2019ve seen the Nexus 7 hit the Bluetooth SIG again, running the same JWR11 software version. 19 The model number of the Nexus 7 is ME370T, which is not even remotely similar to K008. 56 In case you\u2019re not confused enough, we\u2019ll also tell you that there\u2019s also a 10-inch Asus K008 tablet \u2013 at least that\u2019s what the image below seem to suggest about the size of the device \u2013 that has been spotted at the FCC earlier this year. 37 Considering that FCC and Bluetooth SIG documentation about the Asus K008 tablet (or tablets) is available, we can only assume that the device would be unveiled at some point in the near future."} {"text": " 34 Please enable Javascript to watch this video\n\nCLEVELAND- The FOX 8 I-Team has found state Department of Transportation plows played a hidden role for security during last week\u2019s Republican National Convention. 20 And the same thing crews did last week could make a difference on your highways when the snow flies. 32 We\u2019ve learned ODOT had 15 plows out on local highways last week in mid-July, and those plows had cameras feeding back LIVE video that was recorded as well. 40 ODOT had said it planned for lots of heavy equipment to stay on the highways during the convention week, so crews would be right there to quickly move debris or help clear an accident and keep traffic moving. 11 In fact, in some cases the crews did that. 25 But we\u2019ve found the plows with cameras also served as extra eyes for police in case protestors tried to block a highway. 16 And, the cameras in the heavy equipment are actually part of a larger study. 30 \"The cameras that are in those trucks are part of a bigger project ODOT is doing with the University of Akron,\" said ODOT spokesperson Amanda McFarland. 14 She says ODOT has been testing cameras in 184 trucks in ten counties. 26 They can help supervisors see actual road conditions, and if need be, adjust how the crews are working to clear snow and ice. 44 McFarland added, \"If there's a whiteout condition, and drivers are reporting it, we can verify it, and you know, maybe we need to send a plow to that area for an extra hour or so.\" 14 Locally, ODOT has been testing the cameras in Summit and Medina Counties. 22 Not clear when the state may decide whether to start using the cameras in every truck, or even more trucks. 27 The state is considering the cost, how the equipment holds up in severe winter weather, whether mountains or hills affect the cameras and more. 35 Drivers we met were surprised to learn of the special role of the cameras during the Convention, and they\u2019re anxious for anything that can help make driving in winter weather easier. 23 As one woman put it, \u201cIt\u2019s coming.\u201d\n\n**More on the Republican National Convention here**"} {"text": " 15 Did one of you people wish for an Andy Richter Christmas spectacular this year? 5 Because you got it. 18 Seeso has announced it will air Andy Richter\u2019s Home For The Holidays this Yuletide season. 74 In the comedy special\u2014written by Upright Citizens Brigade co-founder Matt Besser and You\u2019re The Worst writer Eva Anderson\u2014Richter and his wife (played by Lauren Lapkus) will host to all of your favorite holiday characters, such as Santa Claus (Eddie Pepitone) Sappity Tappity The Talking Christmas Tree (Jon Daly), Piano Playing Uncle (Mike Cassady), and Talking Gift (Allan McLeod). 29 Coming just a year after Bill Murray\u2019s A Very Murray Christmas for Netflix, we can only hope that this signals the start of a trend. 24 There are worse fates that could befall mankind than a series of seminal oddball comedians getting festive on our TV screens every year. 12 Andy Dick would almost certainly do something worth watching with the genre\u2026"} {"text": " 10 It is the future, and I am alone. 6 I'm petrified with fear. 13 I've gone this way before- Sterile hallways, frosted glass windows. 8 They all lead to the same place. 9 The windows all give me the same view. 2 Nothing. 2 Blackness. 11 I proceed anyway, stumbling blindly down towards my destination. 7 Where else is there to go? 5 Where am I going? 25 I don't know for sure- The more you know about where you are, the less you know about where you're going. 5 Heisenber g said that. 5 Might've been Einstein. 25 I topple into a void of the absolute value of infinity, as far away from where I started as where I'm going. 3 No sound. 3 Total vacuum. 7 Where else is there to go? 13 I don't know why I'm here- But where is here? 4 Nobody's home. 7 What's my frame of reference? 12 Can I fall if there's no space to fall in? 9 I don't subscribe to a Newtonian universe. 7 Luminiferous aether sounds far-fetched to me. 9 Einstein's theory of relativity got it right. 13 Stretching, bending- The universe warps shape as I approach relativistic speeds. 16 The light bends into different wavelength s. I'm dead before I hit the ground. 6 It's a waking nightmare. 22 I snap straight with a start, my hand grasping my handgun under my pillow- But my once-over reveals no results. 37 It takes me a couple of seconds, as the air from my ceiling fan flash-freezes the sweat on my skin, to remember what it is that I'm supposed to be protecting myself against. 3 Flashbulb memory. 12 Window repaired, locks changed, broken, and changed again. 3 Ransacked fridge. 22 I finally release my grip on my handgun, tugging the thin white sheets of my bed around my naked skin. 20 The dull glow of the clock reads four and a quarter- Not enough time to go back to sleep. 4 Handgun safety on. 5 Back under the pillow. 14 My feet make contact with the floor and I move towards my destination. 34 No hallways, no gaps in space-time- Just stars outside, white flakes of snow against the window, and the soft tap of bare feet on tile as I open the fridge. 21 It's nice and orderly again, just the way I left it- No hand-drawn notes, no crude threats. 16 I instinctively pat my side for my handgun, but it's under the bed. 4 Paranoia strikes deep. 19 I grab a slice of bread, toss it on the counter, and promptly forget about it. 6 No reception on the television. 6 Radio's out of batteries. 15 I collapse into a conscious stupor, wandering the house with no clear goal. 13 I can hear my daughter toss and turn in the next room. 5 She has school tomorrow. 20 I unlock the door to the garage, heading out into the cramped workroom, and promptly regret it. 6 My body shivers in protest. 18 Thin layer of frost on the concrete next to the garage door- Should probably get that plugged. 6 No tools out of place. 4 Car still locked. 12 Keys in the pocket of my jacket hanging on the door. 17 I look down at my wrist, but my watch is still on the bedside table. 3 Back inside. 4 Get the watch. 5 Four and three quarters. 5 No time at all. 10 It is the past, and I am alone. 6 I'm petrified with fear. 13 I've gone this way before- Sterile hallways, stained-g lass windows. 9 They're all going to the same place. 8 The windows all have the same picture. 3 EKG lines. 6 Peak, second peak- Flatline. 13 I proceed anyway, stumbling blindly down towards my daughter's bedroom. 7 Where else is there to go? 4 Where is she? 25 I don't know for sure- The more you know about where you are, the less you know about where you've been. 7 That's probably Einstein's idea. 7 It sounds like Einstein's idea. 21 I collapse into a heap on the wet concrete, the blizzard- like conditions forcing me to shut my eyes. 5 My fingers brush hers. 3 No feeling. 3 Completely numb. 7 What else is there to do? 13 I don't know why I'm here- But where is here? 4 No cars around. 5 Where's the ambulance? 12 Can I die if there's nobody around to witness it? 11 I don't subscribe to the idea of out-of-body experiences. 7 They sound like ravings to me. 2 Throbbing,"} {"text": " 4 Skip to comments. 3 Hey Gov. 27 Kasich, your Medicaid expansion push could be ruinously expensive\n\nHotair ^ | 04/04/2016 | Matt Vespa\n\nPosted on by SeekAndFind\n\nWe knew this was coming. 25 In fact, anyone who has ever crunched the numbers for Medicaid expansion knows that the government health care program is a budget buster. 36 The Foundation for Government Accountability has noted that on average, a state legislature needs to find two to three dollars in cuts in their receptive budgets just to save one dollar in Medicaid spending. 14 In Virginia, about a quarter of doctors aren\u0092t accepting new Medicaid recipients. 25 In fact, a 2011 University of Virginia Study showed that those without insurance actually fared better than those enrolled in this government program. 36 But alas, those who support hitching onto this public policy bandwagon, which is a key component of Obamacare, is due to the misconception that it helps the poor\u0096and that it\u0092s free money. 32 Well, there is no such thing as free money, and most of the new people who are eligible for Medicaid benefits are able-bodied, childless adults who don\u0092t work. 27 Yet, back to Ohio, its Medicaid expansion has already run over budget, as Jason Hart of Watchdog wrote last month:\n\nOhio Gov. 25 John Kasich\u0092s expansion of Medicaid under the 2010 federal health law has cost taxpayers $7 billion in a little more than two years. 37 The federal government \u0097 which is $19 trillion in debt \u0097 paid $390 million for Ohio Medicaid expansion benefits in February, bringing the program\u0092s total cost since January 2014 to $7.1 billion. 30 Kasich frames his Obamacare expansion as a fiscally responsible way to keep drug addicts and the mentally ill out of prison, even as costs zoom past his projections. 12 The expansion was $1.5 billion over budget after 18 months. 47 \u0093Ohio\u0092s Obamacare expansion has already run $3.1 billion over budget and is on track to run nearly $8 billion over budget by the end of next year,\u0094 Jonathan Ingram, research director at the free-market Foundation for Government Accountability, told Watchdog.org. 29 \u0093Finding the funding to pay for those overruns will mean fewer resources for education, public safety, and care for the most vulnerable,\u0094 Ingram said. 30 [\u2026] Kasich\u0092s Obamacare expansion cost an average of $391 million per month \u0097 more than $1.5 billion per quarter \u0097 during the past six months. 21 At this rate, expansion will cost $14.1 billion by August 2017 and $27.5 billion by June 2020. 46 Editor\u2019s Note: This is a crosspost from Townhall.com\n\nTOPICS:\n\nGovernment\n\nNews/Current Events\n\nUS: Ohio\n\nKEYWORDS:\n\nkasich\n\nmedicaid\n\nobamacare\n\nohio\n\nTo: SeekAndFind\n\nNow that\u2019s real money and there has to be a lot of mad Ohioan taxpayers. 26 Will they wise up and Vote Trump or are they going to stick with the dog and pony show they got them into this mess? 32 by 2 posted onby WMarshal (War came to Chicago and Cruz joined the Enemy)\n\nTo: SeekAndFind\n\nThis is the big reason i turn my back on this clown. 22 by 3 posted onby Joe Boucher (500 years ago we had Shakesphere, obammys people live in mud huts still. 18 Go figure)\n\nMedicaid is a loan the patient takes out with the state being the lender. 11 They will move in and liquidate YOUR ASSETS to collect. 27 It\u2019s all in the fine print of the pile of documents that no one ever reads as they are rushed to the emergency room. 27 Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. 19 All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works. 21 FreeRepublic , LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794\n\nFreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson"} {"text": " 16 Q: The Heat's offense should go through Chris Bosh, not Hassan Whiteside. 8 Bosh is a much better offensive player. 3 -- Kevin. 49 A: It's been interesting this past week, the reader-fueled debates about how certain dynamics should play out this season, be it the ball in the hands of Dwyane Wade or Goran Dragic, or whether Bosh or Whiteside should be the primary post option. 33 But, as Erik Spoelstra would/will say (I think), this is not a conventional roster, so I'm not sure any type of conventional, majority-of-the-time thinking fits. 26 In order to spread the wealth and keep everyone happy, I'm not sure there should be a set approach from game to game. 16 If Whiteside has an advantage against a small-ball team, then go in that direction. 21 If Bosh can draw a big man out of the post and drive past him, then utilize that advantage. 6 Same with Wade and Dragic. 33 This will be one of Spoelstra's greatest challenges, but the reality is that lower individual statistics across the board could be an indication of the Heat becoming a better team. 10 There is plenty of talent that can be utilized. 27 But the only way the majority of it is tapped is if there is a collective appreciation that less could be more from an individual standpoint. 20 Q: In iso situations late in games, I still think you have to go with Dwyane Wade. 3 -- Leif. 10 A: And I have no issue with that. 25 With the game close and the clock winding down, there are few better options in the NBA, let alone on this roster. 28 But what the Heat simply cannot have is Wade pounding seconds away on the dribble when there are so many other scoring options on the floor. 18 At ends of games, this is a roster capable of putting five scorers on the floor. 24 If time allows, all of those options have to be considered, even if it almost always starts and runs through Wade. 13 Q: What is your expert opinion about the Heat this season? 14 Are you waiting to see them on the court first before making predictions? 8 I'm not sold on them yet. 20 I still feel they are a fourth seed, trailing the Cavs, Bucks, and Pistons or Wizards. 5 -- Bryan, Davie. 26 A: I still don't know what the collective result will be because there still are concerns about the 3-poont shooting and individual defense. 20 Getting past injuries, which you never can truly forecast, I'd say the ceiling would be No. 48 2 in the East, but that if some of the concerns manifest themselves, then beyond the Cavaliers, there has to be respect for the Bucks, Bulls, Wizards and still the Hawks, let alone what Toronto has done in reconfiguring its roster. 30 Other than the 76ers, I think the balance of the East could remain in the playoff mix, with the Magic and perhaps even Knicks stronger this season."} {"text": " 34 Special Delivery - next day ( from day of posting not from day of purchase)\n\nAll times are approximate, delays with postal services may occur and are out of my control. 17 If you need an item in a hurry please contact me first BEFORE placing your order. 24 All my designs are hand made to order and most items can take approx 4-6 weeks to be lovingly hand crafted before dispatch. 28 More intricate designs and multiple orders may take longer depending on how busy I am at time of purchase as we usually have a very high demand. 11 Please check individual item description for approximate current lead times. 15 RETURNS\n\nI am happy to receive returns for exchange or refund for any reason. 9 STRICTLY NO RETURNS OR REFUNDS ON CUSTOM DESIGNS. 10 Items must be returned within 14 days of receipt. 9 Before returning any item/s please contact me first. 12 Items must be unworn, unwashed and with tags still attached. 32 Please include a note with your order number, name (name on the Paypal account), email address, date of purchase and details of the return or exchange. 15 All parcels should be sent securely packaged via a recorded delivery method for security. 10 I cannot be held responsible for lost parcels. 15 Refunds will usually be given within 14 working days of receipt of the parcel. 18 Unless there is a fault with the item the customer is liable for all return postage costs. 16 Failure to comply with these instructions may result in refusal or delay of your refund. 15 RETURN ADDRESS\n\nGround Floor Flat,\n\n5 Pearson Street\n\nCalverley\n\nLeeds\n\nLS28 5RG\n\nUnited Kingdom"} {"text": " 11 MJIC Inc. has added five new companies to the U.S. 10 Marijuana Index as a result of its quarterly rebalancing. 43 In order for a company to be in the index, they have to have a weighted average minimum market capitalization of $30 million, daily trading volume of $600,000 and a share price that is at least 10 cents. 16 Companies with over $5 million in revenue per year are exempt from these requirements. 28 The United States Marijuana Index has jumped from a level of 48.39 a year ago to the current level of 70.83, an increase of 46%. 54 \u201cThe first quarter of 2017 saw the cannabis stock market settle from the previous fall\u2019s elections, with average daily volatility and volume for the constituents on the North American Marijuana Index decreasing 67% compared to the fourth quarter of 2016,\u201d said Dan Nicholls, Vice President. 14 \u201cOverall, the Canadian Marijuana Index increased 7% and the U.S. 45 Marijuana Index decreased 1% in the first quarter.\u201d\n\nHere are the five companies added to the index in alphabetical order:\n\n1) AmeriCann Inc. designs, builds and owns state of the art cultivation and processing facilities to grow medical marijuana. 15 The company identifies, acquires and develops real estate specifically suited for cannabis operations. 18 In addition to its real estate business, AmeriCann also provides venture capital to emerging cannabis businesses. 19 It has a market of $75 million and is up almost 400% over the past year. 12 2) Cannabics Pharmaceuticals develops and licenses cannabinoid-based treatments and therapies. 24 The company's research division is based in Israel, where it is licensed for its work in both scientific and clinical research. 13 The company specializes in the development of personalized anti-cancer and palliative treatments. 22 Most recently the company announced results that indicated its cannabinoid compounds caused cancer cell death with no effects on healthy cells. 11 The results pave the way for a possible antitumor treatment. 23 The company has a market capitalization of $236 million and the stock has risen over 2,000% for the past year. 33 3) Marapharm Ventures, Inc. invests in medical and adult-use marijuana businesses and while its operations are based in British Columbia, the company has been very active in the states. 9 Marapharm is currently focused on Nevada and Washington. 21 Land has been purchased in North Las Vegas to build a production facility that will house three medical marijuana licenses. 18 In Washington, the company is leasing a 30,000-square-foot facility and has plans for the California market. 13 It has also purchased and developed a hemp oil product call Maragold. 28 The company has not earned any revenues in any of the last eight quarters, but it has traded up over 400% in the Canadian market. 13 It has only been listed in the U.S. for a short time. 20 4) mCig, Inc. or Medical Cannabis Innovations Group makes, markets and distributes electronic cigarettes and vaporizers. 25 It also has a wholly owned subsidiary called Grow Contractors that was selected last month to build the largest indoor grow facility in Oregon. 23 In the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2016, the company reported that its revenues increased 446% to $1.3 million. 34 The company has a $76 million market capitalization and is up almost 400% for the past year, but in the past three months, the stock has fallen 22%. 15 5) Solis Tek Inc. imports and distributes digital lighting for indoor grow facilities. 12 Its products are designed to achieve higher yields and maximize grows. 19 The company's technology also maximizes electrical efficiency, which is a big challenge for indoor growing facilities. 12 It achieves much of its efficiency and lighting quality through technology. 21 It has a $37 million market capitalization and recorded revenues of $8.5 million for the year ending 2016. 24 The stock's share price over the past year has ranged between 25 cents and $1.42 and lately traded at $1.02."} {"text": " 19 Large crowds assembled in east London to oppose a demonstration by the far-right English Defence League on Saturday. 6 There were frequent angry confrontations. 41 At one stage EDL members chanted \"You're scum and you know you are\" to foreign tourists, while an Asian man singled out for abuse shouted back: \"I'm as English as you are.\" 39 Hundreds of residents and anti-fascist campaigners converged on Whitechapel Road close to the East London Mosque, a target for members of the EDL, amid a police presence of around 3,000 officers, some in riot gear. 23 Muslims accuse the EDL of fostering hate against them through claims that a gradual \"Islamisation\" of Britain is taking place. 31 As he began his speech, the EDL's founder, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, 28, who uses the name Tommy Robinson, appeared to be led away by police. 22 He is under court restrictions after being convicted of leading a fight at a football match in Luton earlier this year. 47 At one stage, staff at King's Cross station in north London closed the entrance to the tube, preventing the majority of the EDL supporters who had gathered outside from travelling to the demonstration close to Aldgate tube station for around half an hour. 51 Around 1,000 people assembled near the east London tube station \u2013 10 minutes from the mosque \u2013 at what had been billed as a \"static demonstration\" to circumvent a 30-day ban on political marches imposed after the recent riots in England by the home secretary, Theresa May. 31 It is the first time since the Brixton riots 30 years ago that the police had sought powers to stop marches in London, where tensions are still running high. 28 The EDL decision to go ahead with a demonstration was also controversial following the recent massacre of young Norwegian political activists by anti-Muslim extremist Anders Behring Breivik. 38 Breivik admitted killing 77 people in July when he detonated a bomb in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, before embarking on a shooting spree at a Social Democratic youth camp on the nearby island of Ut\u00f8ya. 24 Breivik had previously lauded EDL campaigns against the \"Islamisation of Britain\" and claimed to have 600 EDL supporters as Facebook friends. 18 Along Whitechapel Road, scores of anti-EDL protesters waved placards carrying portraits of Brievik and Tommy Robinson. 13 Most carried the slogan: \"Different faces, same hatred.\" 50 Some in the crowd drew parallels with the Battle of Cable Street, several minutes' walk south, where the local community rallied in defiance of Sir Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists almost 75 years ago, refusing to let them pass through the East End. 18 The same chant, \"They shall not pass\", echoed down the streets on Saturday. 42 Jamie Pitman, who had travelled from Oxford to show solidarity with the residents of Tower Hamlets, said: \"Cable Street showed that, in times of austerity and a poor economic climate, fascism and racism can flourish. 27 We need to beat fascism by turning out in bigger numbers than them \u2013 not resorting to violence but providing a bigger show of strength.\" 21 The mood was defiant, with a number of people dancing to a sound system erected on a parked lorry. 51 The Rev Alan Green, of St John on Bethnal Green, one of the organisers of United East End, a coalition of groups opposed to the EDL entering Tower Hamlets, said: \"The vast majority of the population are very happy to live together in diversity. 29 We need to show the extent of opposition to the EDL and how the things they say about the area, their rhetoric, is so wrong.\" 56 In the afternoon, as more EDL supporters arrived to drink and chant at Aldgate, Martin Smith, of Unite Against Facism, was among those demanding that the EDL should not be allowed into the borough, but be contained by the police at Aldgate, on the eastern periphery of Tower Hamlets. 23 Dave Wainwright, an organiser of the Unite Against Fascism wing in Leicester, said he had expected violence despite the ban. 27 \"In Leicester, the EDL were also banned from marching but that had little effect in terms of minimising their violence,\" he said. 14 \"It stems from their ideology and a culture of heavy drinking.\" 19 Disturbances in Tower Hamlets continued as a coach carrying EDL supporters was allowed to travel through the borough. 12 By 7pm, police had made a total of 12 arrests."} {"text": " 41 WASHINGTON \u2014 The Senate will not consider the nomination of Loretta E. Lynch to be attorney general until it moves forward on a stalled human trafficking bill, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, said Sunday. 83 \u201cI had hoped to turn to her next week, but if we can\u2019t finish the trafficking bill, she will be put off again,\u201d he said on the CNN program \u201cState of the Union.\u201d\n\nMr. McConnell said on Tuesday that he would hold a vote this week on Ms. Lynch\u2019s nomination, which is the next item on the Senate\u2019s agenda and is otherwise unrelated to the human trafficking bill. 31 The Senate reached an unexpected stalemate last week on bipartisan legislation that would combat human trafficking when Democrats said they had become aware of an anti-abortion provision in the bill."} {"text": " 5 It\u2019s simple. 5 It\u2019s effective. 12 It\u2019s \u201cBernie vs. Hillary\u201d: the meme. 38 Boosted on Tumblr, on Twitter, and in \u201cBernie Sanders\u2019 Dank Meme Stash\u201d\u2014a Facebook group with 160,000 members and counting\u2014it riffs on a typical election year poster: \u201cBernie or Hillary? 3 Be informed. 37 Compare them on the issues that really matter.\u201d The issues that really matter, in this telling, include the candidates\u2019 preferred gaming consoles and philosophies on sneaking soda in the free water cup. 20 Invariably, Bernie Sanders\u2019 response is passionate and charming while Hillary Clinton\u2019s is insufferable and cloying. 151 As one Facebook contributor spelled it out: \u201cThe meme is supposed to show that Bernie [knows] what he\u2019s talking about and is relatable while Hillary is out of touch and flip flops.\u201d\n\nIn the Olive Garden one, Hillary regurgitates corporate lines while Bernie gives it to you straight:\n\nThen there\u2019s the Radiohead version, in which Hillary gets overexcited about the band\u2019s mainstream hit while Bernie wheels competently through the band\u2019s catalogue:\n\nAnd who could forget the lizard iteration, in which Bernie projects authentic enthusiasm, while Hillary hates fun:\n\nimportant issues for me pic.twitter.com/LYbEwIXovk \u2014 LIZARD WARNING (@Spurksploodge) January 28, 2016\n\nThe meme recalls \u201cBarack Obama Is Your New Bicycle,\u201d a single-serving site created by the journalist Mat Honan almost exactly eight years ago. 15 The difference here isn\u2019t just that Clinton is not your new bicycle. 17 (Man, she probably doesn\u2019t even know how to ride a bicycle.) 61 It\u2019s that while Honan\u2019s site bestowed Clinton\u2019s challenger with universally pleasing attributes\u2014\u201cBarack Obama gave you a puppy,\u201d \u201cBarack Obama fixed your car,\u201d \u201cBarack Obama escorted your grammy across the street\u201d\u2014the Bernie vs. Hillary meme hinges on cultural identifications that are at least somewhat arcane. 20 The point is that Hillary tries, and fails, to project fluency with the pop product in question. 33 The meme\u2019s portrait of Clinton as overeager to relate to the cool kids reads as a backlash to her campaign\u2019s own strategic approach to youth and Internet culture. 54 Clinton has signaled a gameness to engage with fluff, politely fielding garbage questions like, \u201cWould you rather be the president or Beyonc\u00e9?\u201d even when what comes out are stilted lines like: \u201cI mean, she sings, she\u2019s up, she\u2019s down. 35 It\u2019s just amazing.\u201d The meme\u2019s vision of Sanders rapturously nerding out, though, doesn\u2019t jibe with his typical response to a softball: dismissal and hostility. 42 When the New York Times Magazine\u2019s Ana Marie Cox asked Sanders to comment on his iconic hairdo, he shut her down, saying: \u201cOK, Ana, I don\u2019t mean to be rude here. 15 I am running for president of the United States on serious issues, OK? 16 Do you have serious questions?\u201d This no-nonsense attitude is part of his charm. 34 The joke at the heart of this meme is the translation of Sanders\u2019 passion and expertise in discussions of economic inequality to a meaningless cultural dispute he\u2019d never actually address. 53 But even the staunchest Sanders supporter can recognize that Clinton is a policy nerd who stumps with what the New York Times calls \u201ca wonkish intensity.\u201d So the meme doesn\u2019t exactly fight fair: It compares how Clinton fields soft questions with how Sanders replies to hard ones. 3 But whatever. 10 A successful meme doesn\u2019t stick to facts. 6 It riffs off a vibe. 22 Bernie registers as passionate and authentic, Hillary comes across as pandering and robotic, and those assessments are very sticky. 114 When New York magazine\u2019s Rembert Browne asked Sanders to name his favorite David Bowie song at Fusion\u2019s January Brown and Black Democratic Presidential Forum, Sanders replied, \u201cI know he passed away, and the answer is that I wasn\u2019t much of a follower of his.\u201d Weeks later, Bernie closed an Iowa speech to the tune of \u201cStarman,\u201d and Newsweek raved that the choice \u201cfelt sincere.\u201d Close readers of Bernie\u2019s musical tastes know it was as calculated as any other candidate\u2019s pandering playlist, but it \u201cfeels\u201d sincere because Bernie feels sincere. 52 Meanwhile, as Sady Doyle has chronicled for Slate, Hillary\u2019s reputation as a pandering fake is informed by 20 years of being skewered as either \u201cbitchy, crazy, dangerous\u201d or \u201ccold, robotic, calculating\u201d by critics on both the left and right. 21 If she seems to try too hard, it\u2019s because she does have to work harder to succeed. 26 Which brings us back to that nuclear critique of Bernie supporters: Some of them, sometimes, may just be a little bit sexist. 41 Though there are some notable exceptions\u2014Bernie has better eyeliner!\u2014the meme overwhelmingly situates Bernie\u2019s dominance in masculine subcultures and products: anime, Tony Hawk, Star Wars, Pokemon, PlayStation, gaming, first-person shooters. 43 Hillary, meanwhile, doesn\u2019t understand football (actually, she doesn\u2019t know what any sports even are); confuses Star Trek with Star Wars; and is, of course, unfamiliar with dank memes themselves. 80 As Houston Press writer Jef Rouner points out, the Bernie vs. Hillary meme looks an awful lot like the old \u201cIdiot Nerd Girl\u201d meme, which posited that \u201cwomen are interested in traditional nerdy things like Star Wars or video games simply because they are now trendy, and that their interest is superficial.\u201d So similar are the two memes that they can make the exact same joke, and it works both ways. 6 Images via QuickMeme and Tumblr. 4 Composite by Slate. 35 The Bernie vs. Hillary memes \u201care just the latest expression of this idea, utilizing arguably the most famous woman in America right now as its sexist punch line,\u201d Rouner argues. 63 \u201cDon\u2019t think for a second the jokes in these memes have nothing to do with the fact that a woman is in serious contention for a job that has always been held by a man.\u201d\n\nIt doesn\u2019t help that one popular strain of the meme sounds just like a rewarmed Fox News talking point from 2008. 33 \u201cWhen Barack Obama speaks, men hear, \u2018Take off for the future!\u2019 \u201d Marc Rudov said on the network after Obama\u2019s Iowa win in 2008. 50 \u201cWhen Hillary Clinton speaks, men hear, \u2018Take out the garbage!\u2019 \u201d\n\nBut while 2008 Hillary reminded men of \u201ctheir nagging wives,\u201d as Fox put it, the joke about 2016 Hillary is that she reminds kids of their nagging moms. 47 The Hillary of the meme is simultaneously a prim hall monitor, a teacher\u2019s pet, a strict schoolmarm, and a mean mommy who won\u2019t let you stop at McDonald\u2019s for a snack and makes you eat healthy cereal. 24 (By the way, calling the meme sexist is, according to the meme, a very Hillary thing to do.) 45 She\u2019s also\u2014why not?\u2014a racist who says stuff like \u201c#AllLivesMatter\u201d and \u201cI have a black friend.\u201d Some iterations of the meme are just excuses for a ba-dump-ching punchline about Hillary\u2019s husband cheating on her. 9 Point is: Bernie good, Hillary bad. 69 Or, to express that in meme form:\n\nMichael Walton\u200e/Facebook\n\nThe laziest iterations of the meme reduce the choice between the two candidates to capitalist brand identification: Bernie and Hillary are Coke vs. Pepsi, Apple vs. Android, MAC makeup vs. a drugstore brand, Cinnamon Toast Crunch vs. Kix, TurboTax vs. H&R Block, and McDonald\u2019s vs. Burger King. 15 Sanders, the democratic socialist, is often aligned with the more expensive product. 34 In a way, the memeing of the presidential race helps keep the campaign focused on substantive stuff: Now, issues of pop cultural identification have been outsourced to the supporters themselves. 31 Unsurprisingly, as the meme has strayed further and further from any relevant political observation, the debate about the candidates has devolved into a fight over the meme itself. 29 On the dank memes Facebook page, long threads unfurl where Sanders supporters debate, for instance, whether Bernie would play the Xbox One or the PS4. 28 To the most exacting meme-ers, Bernie vs. Hillary has already evolved into such an undank meme that it\u2019s been shoved into the Hillary column. 20 It\u2019s yet another fun thing ruined by overeager latecomers who like it for all the wrong reasons."} {"text": " 27 Bernie Sanders defeated Hillary Clinton in the Indiana primary on Tuesday night - an upset that he says shows he can still win the Democratic nomination. 40 Mr Sanders, a self-declared democratic socialist, beat Mrs Clinton by 53.2 percent to 46.8 percent with about three quarters of precincts reporting - although Mrs Clinton remained well ahead in the overall delegate battle for the nomination. 26 He said he had won a \"great upset victory\" in Indiana and he expects \"more victories in the weeks to come.\" 16 The Vermont senator said on Tuesday \"the Clinton campaign thinks this campaign is over. 5 They're wrong.\" 35 He said he has an \"uphill climb\" to the nomination but he is \"in this campaign to win and we are going to fight until the last vote is cast\". 16 Mr Sanders said he wants another television debate with Mrs Clinton before the California primary."} {"text": " 10 Another Community mini-reunion is just what Dr. Ken ordered. 15 Gillian Jacobs will guest on the ABC family/medical comedy, EW has learned exclusively. 46 In an episode slated to air in January, Jacobs \u2014 who starred with Dr. Ken co-creator/star Ken Jeong on Community for six seasons \u2014 will play Erin, the attractive new intern at the hospital who is studying under Dr. Ken (Jeong). 25 When Erin\u2019s admiration for Ken veers into flirtatious territory, Ken\u2019s wife, Allison (Suzy Nakamura) becomes jealous. 13 Jacobs is now the fourth Community regular to pop on Dr. Ken. 25 Joel McHale and Danny Pudi appeared together in a February episode, and the following month, Jim Rash butted heads with Jeong onscreen. 33 Currently starring in the Netflix comedy Love, Jacobs had a recurring role on Girls and recently guested on Community creator Dan Harmon\u2019s History series Great Minds with Dan Harmon. 10 Dr. Ken airs Fridays at 8:30 p.m.ET on ABC."} {"text": " 41 Pittsburgh Steelers doctors are hopeful, though hardly optimistic, that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will be able to return from his rib and shoulder injuries Dec. 2 against the Baltimore Ravens, according to a source familiar with the situation. 35 Steelers doctors believe Roethlisberger will miss three weeks, though the team has not abandoned hope that he may miss only two games and be able to return for the rematch against the Ravens. 23 Roethlisberger was ruled out of Sunday night's game against the Ravens and is not expected to play next Sunday at Cleveland. 36 Though Roethlisberger said the injury to his first rib on his right side threatened his aorta, a source said doctors believe the greater threat is to the surrounding arteries, vessels and soft tissue. 26 Roethlisberger was in as much pain Friday as he was Monday, a source said, and the timetable for his return is somewhat unpredictable. 22 The injury is rare and needs to heal itself -- there's no treatment or procedure that can fix it quicker. 25 While Roethlisberger missed Sunday night's 13-10 loss to the Ravens, running back Rashard Mendenhall started and rushed 11 times for 33 yards. 41 And safety Ryan Clark, who has suffered two concussions in the last three weeks, told ESPN that he would wear a special helmet which is one size bigger than usual and packed with bullet-proof Kevlar against the Ravens. 9 ESPN's Rachel Nichols contributed to this report."} {"text": " 9 You've probably never heard of Les Wexner. 26 Say the name to Gen X-ers and baby boomers and they might think of Les Nessman from the TV sitcom \"WKRP in Cincinnati.\" 6 (Google it, millennials. 8 The first season is on Hulu.) 6 Les Wexner is real though. 6 And he lives in Ohio. 5 He rarely does interviews. 28 But the 77-year old founder and CEO of Columbus-based Victoria's Secret owner L Brands (LB) is worth $7.6 billion, according to Forbes. 11 That makes him the richest person in the Buckeye State. 14 LeBron James has a way to go before he can claim that title. 15 But Wexner -- like King James -- remains at the top of his game. 10 Shares of L Brands are near their all-time high. 14 Earnings rose 15% last year and hit a record in the process. 14 Victoria's Secret is obviously a huge part of the company's success. 8 Sales rose nearly 5% in 2014. 21 Related: Bra boom: Why Wall Street love Victoria's Secret\n\nAnd the brand is a pop culture phenomenon. 19 Fashion shows featuring \"angel\" models wearing little more than bras and panties tend to attract attention. 3 Who knew? 12 Still, L Brands is more than just Victoria's Secret. 13 The company's Bath & Body Works stores are growing more rapidly. 25 Revenues at that division were up 7% last year and now account for nearly 30% of the overall sales at L Brands. 14 (My mom constantly refers to these stores as Bath Body & Beyond. 7 Does anyone else mix them up? 15 I wonder if Wexner has ever thought to acquire BBBY (BBBY).) 14 L Brands shares surged 42% in 2014 thanks to the strong results. 16 It's a big reason why Wexner made my list of top CEOs last year. 17 And the stock is up another 9% this year as sales continue to head higher. 45 Related: The best CEOs of 2014: Wexner was the best founder\n\nWexner, who founded the company with one store called The Limited in a Columbus mall in 1963, has much of his wealth tied up in the company's shares. 21 He owns a more than 15% stake in the firm and that is currently worth about $4.2 billion. 7 How has he stayed on top? 11 By never being complacent and always adapting to new trends. 12 The company has morphed a lot in the past 52 years. 10 It was known as Limited Brands up until 2013. 9 The company sold off The Limited in 2007. 12 It's now owned by private equity firm Sun Capital Partners. 17 L Brands sold Express to another PE firm -- Golden Gate Capital Partners -- in 2007. 8 Express is once again a public company. 43 L Brands also owned (and subsequently sold) Lane Bryant, Lerner (now part of New York & Co. (NWY)) and Galyans, a sporting goods retailer that wound up merging with Dick's (DKS). 12 The company even once owned Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF). 13 L Brands bought it in 1988 and spun it off in 1996. 30 Wexner must be tickled PINK (a franchise that's part of the current L Brands portfolio) that he's no longer involved with the struggling teen retailer. 35 But clearly the best thing that Wexner ever did was to acquire Victoria's Secret, which now operates more than 1,000 stores and generated more than $7.2 billion in sales last year. 36 When Wexner bought the six Victoria's Secret stores and catalog in 1982 (coincidentally the last year \"WKRP\" was on the air) he paid a mere $1 million for it. 3 Not billion. 2 Million."} {"text": " 38 USDA Forest Service scientists, collaborators, and supporters gathered at Mark Twain Cave Complex in Hannibal, Mo., on Tuesday evening to express cautious optimism about a possible treatment for White-nose Syndrome (WNS). 27 The purpose of the gathering was to release bats that had WNS last fall but were successfully treated during a field trial over the past winter. 47 \"While more research is needed before we know if our current discovery is an effective and environmentally safe treatment for White-nose Syndrome, we are very encouraged,\" said Michael T. Rains, Director of the Northern Research Station and the Forest Products Laboratory. 45 \"We are extremely grateful for the support of Bat Conservation International and The Nature Conservancy, and honored to be collaborating with Georgia State University on research that has potential to reduce mortality of bats in the face of this devastating disease.\" 51 White-nose Syndrome is caused by a cold-loving fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), which is deadly to hibernating bats because it penetrates tissues of the nose and mouth as well as the wings, which are vital to bats' ability to avoid dehydration and maintain body temperature. 29 In affected hibernacula, 78 to 100 percent of bat populations have died; total overall deaths so far are estimated at between 5 and 6 million bats. 76 In partnership with universities and state and federal wildlife agencies, and with funding support from Bat Conservation International and The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Forest Service researchers Sybill Amelon, a wildlife biologist, Daniel Lindner, a researcher specializing in fungal diseases, and Chris Cornelison, a scientist with Georgia State University, are studying the use of native soil bacteria that produce natural volatiles that inhibit growth of the Pd fungus. 26 Amelon, Lindner and Cornelison conducted field trials last fall in which diseased bats in the laboratory were treated with compounds produced by the bacteria. 13 Many of the bats in those trials experienced increased health and survival. 12 Bat Conservation International has provided funding for the research since 2012. 35 \"We are pleased to see such progress being made on the development of a tool to control the WNS-fungus,\" said Katie Gillies, Director of Imperiled Species, US/Canada for BCI. 25 \"The work that the USDA Forest Service and Georgia State University have completed to date bring us closer to managing this devastating disease. 22 It's imperative that we continue to support such management-based research to ensure the future of North America's bats.\" 10 Collaboration has been a vital component of the research. 7 Many entities, including the U.S. 38 Fish and Wildlife Service, Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the Kentucky Department of Conservation, and Mark Twain Cave Complex have provided scientists with access to caves and other resources. 46 \"While it has been discouraging to watch the spread of White-nose Syndrome and the loss of bats, the collaboration that has resulted among institutions, agencies, non-profits and volunteers who are committed to bats has been immensely gratifying,\" said Amelon. 21 Disease management research such as this is a priority for the White-nose Syndrome Interagency Group, coordinated by the U.S. 5 Fish and Wildlife Service. 20 As a major predator of defoliating forest and agricultural insects, bats are important to forests and forest health. 15 The value of bats to the agricultural industry is estimated at $23 billion/year."} {"text": " 42 The David Ferreira era is over in Big D.\n\nFC Dallas announced on Monday that that have declined to pick up the option on the 2010 MLS MVP's contract, meaning Ferreira will go into next month's Re-Entry process. 12 Fellow midfielders Ramon Nu\u00f1ez and Erick also saw their options declined. 19 Nu\u00f1ez will join Ferreira in the Re-Entry process, while Erick did not qualify for that acquisition mechanism. 28 Ferreira, 34, joined Dallas at the start of the 2009 season following a long and storied career spent primarily in his home country of Colombia. 29 The attacking midfielder started all 30 games that season and ranked second on the team in goals scored (8) and third in assists (7). 7 The following year was his best. 24 He was named MLS MVP after leading FCD to the 2010 MLS Cup with eight goals and 13 assists during the regular season. 47 Ferreira added two goals and three assists during Dallas\u2019 four-game playoff run that season, and ranks third in franchise history in regular-season assists (39), while sitting tied for seventh in goals scored (24) with Eddie Johnson and Dante Washington. 22 A broken ankle suffered early in 2011 sidelined Ferreira for much of that season, and limited his effectiveness ever since. 26 Nu\u00f1ez, 28, rejoined FCD for the 2013 season after scoring 14 goals and nine assists in 67 appearances with the club from 2004-07. 30 The Honduran spent time with Chivas USA, Olimpia, Puebla FC, Leeds United and Scunthorpe United before suffering a torn ACL in 2012 and returning to Dallas. 20 After recovering from his injury, Nu\u00f1ez went on to score one goal and three assists in 10 appearances. 21 Erick, 25, joined FC Dallas to fill a need in the defensive midfield on July 5, 2013. 11 The Brazilian logged 652 minutes in nine appearances this season."} {"text": " 15 Listen to the Podcast\n\nClick here to download an audio file of this podcast. 25 In this episode, Bo Bennett interviews Bob Ready, Chair of Camp Quest, along with Sarah Henry, a long time camper. 23 Camp Quest, the secular summer camp, is a place for fun, friends, and freethought for kids ages 8-17. 26 They provide a traditional sleep-away summer camp experience with a wide range of activities including sports, crafts, games, swimming, and campfires. 29 In addition to traditional summer camp activities, Camp Quest offers educational activities focused on critical thinking, ethics, scientific inquiry, philosophy, and comparative religion. 32 Camp Quest is open to all children and teenagers, but it is particularly geared towards building a community for children from atheist, agnostic, humanist and other freethinking families. 33 Their goal is to provide a place where children can explore their developing worldviews, ask questions, and make friends in an environment that is supportive of critical thinking and skepticism. 6 Camp Quest\u2019s links:"} {"text": " 33 Advertisement\n\nUS Secretary of Defense James Mattis has raised the threat of the 'total annihilation' of North Korea in the aftermath of an early morning hydrogen bomb test by North Korea. 36 In a terse statement outside the White House on Sunday afternoon, Mattis said that Trump had been briefed on each of the 'many military options' available during a meeting with national security heads. 38 'We made it clear that we have the ability to defend ourselves and our allies, South Korea and Japan, from any attack and that our agreements with our allies are iron-clad,' he said. 33 'Any threat to the United States or its territories including Guam, or our allies, will be met with a massive military response, a response both effective and overwhelming.' 32 He urged Kim Jong-Un to 'take heed' of the UN Security Council's 'unified' objection to the test of the 100-kiloton bomb test, which caused a 6.3-magnitude earthquake. 34 'We are not looking to the total annihilation of a country - namely North Korea,' Mattis concluded, 'but as I said, we have many options to do so.' 30 He, and Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who had been present but silent throughout, then left without answering any questions. 9 President Trump was not seen during the announcement. 27 Scroll down for video\n\nKim Jong-un was pictured inspecting the peanut-shaped device \u2013 the design and scale of which indicated it had a powerful thermonuclear warhead. 44 State media said it was a bomb intended for an intercontinental ballistic missile\n\nUS Secretary of Defense James Mattis appeared outside the White House on Sunday to promise North Korea that the US had the ability to 'totally annihilate' the nuke-testing country. 68 Also present was Gen. Joseph Dunford (right in left), chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff\n\nDonald Trump remained tight-lipped on whether the US would attack North Korea in response to its nuclear test Sunday morning, but said economic sanctions were possible\n\nOn Saturday night EST, North Korea released this photo showing Kim Jong-Un and what appeared to be a nuclear warhead. 29 Soon after, it detonated a 100kt bomb underground\n\nAs Mattis and Dunford walked away, the press shouted a series of questions that they declined to answer. 22 They included 'Secretary Mattis, do you believe they've got a nuclear warhead that could go on a missile?' 2 'Mr. 7 Secretary, is war inevitable?' 12 and 'Is the president going to war, Secretary Mattis?' 16 South Korea launched a ballistic missile exercise late Sunday, state news agency Yonhap reported. 38 The South's military conducted a live-fire exercise simulating an attack on the North's nuclear site, hitting 'designated targets in the East Sea', the report added, quoting the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 12 JAMES MATTIS' STATEMENT IN FULL 'Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. 23 'We had a small-group national security meeting today with the president and the vice-president about the latest provocation on the Korean peninsula. 18 'We have many military options and the president wanted to be briefed on each one of them. 32 'We made clear that we have the ability to defend ourselves and our allies, South Korea and Japan, from any attack and our commitments among the allies are iron-clad. 32 'Any threat to the United States or its territories including Guam, or our allies, will be met with a massive military response, a response both effective and overwhelming. 41 'Kim Jong-un should take heed of the United Nations security council's unified voice, all members unanimously agreed on the threat North Korea poses, and they remain unanimous in their commitment to the de-nuclearization of the Korean peninsula. 29 'Because we are not looking to the total annihilation of a country, namely North Korea, but as I said we have many options to do so. 10 'Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen.' 31 'The training came in response to the North's sixth nuclear test... and involved the country's Hyunmoo ballistic missile and the F-15K fighter jets,' it said. 26 The South's military said the range to the simulated targets were equivalent to the North's Punggye-ri nuclear test site in its northeastern province. 33 It's unclear why Donald Trump was not present for the announcement, but the US's military leaders may have been chosen to make the calmly-worded warning to add extra gravitas. 29 Trump had already made threats via Twitter earlier in the day that 'appeasement with North Korea won't work' and that 'They only understand one thing!' 27 On Sunday morning, as he left church hours after the tweets, the president remained tight-lipped when asked if he might order a preemptive strike. 14 When asked by the press, he responded: 'We'll see.' 40 However, after Mattis' remarks it would appear that the US is only willing to act in retaliation to 'threats' - although it's ambiguous as to whether that would include verbal threats or only outright attacks. 25 Those remarks would appear to put the US more or less in accord with what appeared to be China's own policy last month. 38 On August 11, state newspaper The Global Times warned that if the US ignited conflict in the area, China would come to the defense of North Korea, its nominal - but disliked - ally. 22 However, it said, if North Korea was the one to instigate military action then China would not become involved. 24 According to the editorial 'if North Korea launches missiles that threaten US soil first and the US retaliates, China will stay neutral. 36 'If the US and South Korea carry out strikes and try to overthrow the North Korean regime and change the political pattern of the Korean Peninsula, China will prevent them from doing so.' 27 Although The Global Times is not officially a mouthpiece for the government, experts said that the remarks were likely in line with official government policy. 12 That would appear to put the ball in Kim's court. 23 While Beijing has no love for the Kim regime it fears losing the country as a bulwark against US ally South Korea. 18 Reunification would likely mean North Korea falling under the control of Seoul - and by extension America. 34 More immediately, it is concerned about the risk of a flood of refugees across North Korea's northern border, which is larger and more porous than the border with South Korea. 14 However, China might not get off lightly if Trump gets his way. 122 When asked outside church whether an attack was possible, the president (pictured left, with the First Lady, and right with a cleric) only said, 'We'll see'\n\nNorth Korean television today released these photos appearing to show Kim Jong-Un signing the order to carry out the test\n\nShortly shortly after leaving church and before Mattis' comments, Trump said that the US was 'considering... stopping all trade with any country doing business with North Korea'\n\nIn a tweet after leaving church but before Mattis' comments, Trump wrote 'The United States is considering, in addition to other options, stopping all trade with any country doing business with North Korea.' 29 That was likely a veiled threat to China, which provides 85 per cent of North Korea's imports, and buys 83 per cent of its exports. 211 NORTH KOREA'S TOP TRADE PARTNERS EXPORTS (total $2.83 billion) China (83%, $2.34b) India (3.5%, $97.8m) Pakistan (1.5%, $43.1m) Burkina Faso (1.2%, $32.8m) Other Asia (0.94%, $26.7m) Saudi Arabia (0.89%, $25.3m) Chile (0.81%, 22.9m) Paraguay (0.58%, $16.5m) Brazil (0.54%, $15.54m) Turkey (0.53%, $13.6m) IMPORTS (total $3.47 billion) China (85%, $2.95b) India (3.1%, 109m) Thailand (2.1%, $73.8m) Russia (2.3%, $78.2m) Mexico (1.3%, $45.7m) Philippines (1.5%, $53.2m) Ukraine (0.97%, $33.7m) Singapore (0.81%, $28.2m) Germany (0.21%, $7.4m) Saudi Arabia (0.19%, $6.68m) (Source: OEC, data from 2015)\n\nBut US-China trade totaled more than $600 billion last year, and such a plan may be unworkable. 44 Trump's proposed sanctions against anyone dealing with North Korea would hit many countries hard - particularly China, which accounts for 83 per cent of North Korean exports and 85 per cent of imports, according to the Office of Economic Complexity. 29 It's entirely possible that Trump's remarks were made to pressure the country - North Korea's only ally - into renewing efforts to rein Kim in. 30 But refusing to do business with China would in turn cause huge damage to US companies that have invested in, or sell products to, in the country. 19 The most prominent of those, of course, is Apple, which manufactures its electronics in China. 22 It has also invested heavily in tech there, including pumping $1 billion into ride-share app Didi Chuxing last year. 29 But a string of other American businesses have huge investments in the country, including Walmart, KFC and McDonald's - all of which are popular there. 16 General Motors, Nike, Boeing and Coca-Cola also make huge profits from the country. 32 In 2016, trade with China - America's largest good trading partner - totaled an estimated $648.2 billion, according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative. 15 Of that figure imports were $478.9 billion and exports totaled $169.3 billion. 31 Even discounting the China factor, a string of US allies do trade with North Korea, including the UK, Germany and France - as well as America itself. 16 US products made up 1.6 per cent of all imports to North Korea in 2016. 28 Speaking to Fox News Sunday, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said he was putting together a package to cut off the US's ties with North Korea. 25 North Korea responded to Trump's early-morning tweets by saying that the US 'would not be able to escape from the greatest disaster'. 22 It said that was a 'severe warning'\n\n'I will submit new sanctions for his strong consideration,' he said. 10 'There's much more we can do economically.' 16 RADIATION WORRIES Japan has deployed radiation-detecting planes in the wake of the North Korean detonation. 23 But if the hermit state is correct, they won't find anything, as the 100kt nuke was detonated deep underground. 20 That would also make it hard to tell if it is a regular nuke or the purported hydrogen bomb. 29 Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority said no abnormal change in radiation levels had been detected on monitoring posts across the country as of Sunday night, local time. 18 China's National Nuclear Safety Administration says it activated nuclear-radiation-related plans shortly after the test was conducted. 10 It said nearby radiation monitoring stations were operating normally. 23 He added that he had spoken with Trump and that he would 'draft a sanctions bill and send it to the president. 7 We will work with our allies. 6 We will work with China. 11 But people need to cut off North Korea economically.' 30 Trump's remarks about economic action came after a string of tweets at around 7:45am Sunday, when he wrote: 'North Korea has conducted a major Nuclear Test. 16 'Their words and actions continue to be very hostile and dangerous to the United States. 27 'North Korea is a rogue nation which has become a great threat and embarrassment to China, which is trying to help but with little success. 30 'South Korea is finding, as I have told them, that their talk of appeasement with North Korea will not work, they only understand one thing!' 16 North Korea responded less than an hour later by threatening the US with dire consequences. 31 'If the US imperialists awkwardly provoke the DPRK, they would not be able to escape from the greatest disaster,' the state's Korean Central News Agency said. 43 It added: 'Do not forget even a moment that sharp ultra-modern strike means aim at the US This is a severe warning of Songun Korea' - 'Songun' being the term used to describe the country's 'military-first' policy. 39 US and South Korean officials have agreed to make a military response to the detonation of the bomb - which occurred shortly after midnight EST on Sunday - 'as soon as possible,' according to South Korea. 143 Early Sunday morning, following the test of the hydrogen bomb, Trump made a string of fiery tweets in which he called the county 'hostile and dangerous'\n\nHe said that the country had been an 'embarrassment' to China, whom he has long tried to encourage to intervene on America's behalf\n\nThe president concluded with a worrying warning that 'appeasement with North Korea will not work' and that the North Korean government 'only understand one thing'\n\nKim Jong-Un (left) appears to sign the order (right) asking his scientist to proceed with the test in images released by North Korean TV\n\nAfter the announcement, Texas Senator Ted Cruz said that he didn't necessarily approve of Trump's remarks, but that he was grateful for the appearance of a 'strong' US president. 28 TRUMP PLANS TO END SOUTH KOREAN TRADE AGREEMENT Despite the pressure faced by South Korea, Trump may end a trade deal with the longtime US ally. 20 On Saturday he said he would discuss the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS), created by Obama. 37 The deal runs a deficit of almost $28b for the US, but Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, National Security Adviser HR McMaster, and National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn all oppose ending it. 12 They agree it would have devastating economic results for the US. 28 The US Chamber of Commerce also said it objected to the proposed departure in a memo similar to the one sent out as Trump considered scrapping NAFTA. 32 It urged member companies to have senior executives call the White House and other administration officials to tell them not to proceed, and to enlist Republican governors in the effort. 17 'This is an all hands on deck effort,' the group said in a memo. 28 'The president speaks in ways that I wouldn't speak, but that is his prerogative,' the Republican figure told ABC News' This Week. 23 'I do think it helps for North Korea and for China to understand that we have a president who is strong. 29 'I think the president is right that Kim Jong-Un and other bullies only understand and respect strength, that weakness, that appeasement, encourages this action. 51 'In term of what happens, listen, no rational person wants to see a military conflict with North Korea, with the nuclear weapons, there almost any scenario, you're looking at tens or thousands or hundreds of thousands of casualties in a matter of days.' 36 Others were more critical of the tweets, such as ex-State Department nonproliferation expert, who told the New York Times he didn't like Trump's implication that South Korea had been appeasing Kim. 20 'Moon has actually been very supportive of the US approach of maximum pressure and engagement,' he said. 11 'Nothing he's done so far smacks of appeasement.' 37 Ely Ratner, a top national security official in the Obama administration, complained that Trump had slammed South Korea even after the country underwent economic sanctions by China for hosting a US-run missile defense system. 43 'In a circumstance where we're going to need close cooperation with not only South Korea but China as well, he's coming out swinging at all of them rather than trying to build support and coordination,' he said. 7 'It just looks so haphazard.' 31 In an early-morning phone call on Sunday, Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, promised the support and co-operation to his South Korean counterpart. 7 Gen. Jeong Kyeong-doo, Yonhap reported. 19 Jeong's office said that the pair had 'agreed to discuss all military measures against the North'. 23 The South Korean army took part in military exercises (pictured) in Paju on Sunday in the wake of the test. 59 The country says it and the US will take military action 'as soon as possible'\n\nIn Japan (left), pedestrians were seen horrified at the news on a public display, while (right) North Koreans reacted with joy to the announcement\n\nIt also said that Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, commander of the U.S. 24 Forces Korea and the allies' Combined Forces Command, agreed shortly after the detonation to take action 'as soon as possible'. 91 NORTH KOREA'S NUCLEAR TESTS October 9, 2006: 0.7-2 kilotons May 25, 2009: 2-5.4 kilotons February 12, 2013: 6-16 kilotons January 6, 2016: 7-10 kilotons September 9, 2016: 15-25 kilotons September 3, 2017: 100 kilotons\n\nIn a press release, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff's press office warned that the US and South Korea would 'show their powerful response through action,' although there has been no confirmation of what that action might entail. 35 Xinhua, China's news agency, reported that the country's president, Xi Jinping, and Russian leader Vladimir Putin had both agreed to deal 'appropriately with the latest nuclear test'. 32 'The two leaders agreed to stick to the goal of denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and keep close communication and coordination to deal with the new situation,' it said. 29 Both countries lie directly on the northern border of North Korea, and would be at risk of receiving a flood of refugees in the event of war. 30 Putin is currently in Beijing as part of a summit for the BRICS countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - that starts Monday. 24 Putin has also spoken to Japanese leader Shinzo Abe and urged restraint after the tests, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists Sunday. 47 He said Putin 'said the international community could not give in to emotions, should act calmly and deliberately, and stressed that the complex settlement of the nuclear and other problems of the Korean Peninsula can be achieved exclusively through political and diplomatic means.' 60 South Korea and the US are now planning 'military action' to be taken against North Korea 'as soon as possible,' according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff\n\nChina says its premier, Xi Jinping, and Vladimir Putin (both seen at a summit in Beijing, Sunday) will deal 'appropriately' with the threat. 15 Both countries share borders with North Korea\n\nInternational condemnation to the tests was widespread. 29 UK prime minister Theresa May released a statement saying: 'This latest action by North Korea is reckless and poses an unacceptable further threat to the international community. 11 WHAT MAKES A HYDROGEN BOMB DIFFERENT FROM A REGULAR NUKE? 12 North Korea claimed on Sunday to have successfully tested an H-bomb. 19 Thermonuclear weapons, also known as hydrogen bombs, are more advanced and powerful types of atomic weapons. 22 The earliest atom bombs, including those dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, were fission bombs that relied upon splitting atoms. 25 H-bombs are two-stage weapons, which use an initial fission reaction to trigger a fusion reaction, where light nuclei of atoms fuse together. 11 Fusion is the same nuclear process that powers the sun. 16 The US first tested a hydrogen bomb in 1952, with a 1000 kiloton yield. 8 H-bombs have never been used in war. 29 Experts believe the latest North Korean device exploded with a 100 kiloton yield, which could be within the yield range of either traditional atomic or thermonuclear weapons. 53 'I discussed the serious and grave threat these dangerous and illegal actions present with President Abe in Japan this week and reiterate the call we jointly made for tougher action, including increasing the pace of implementation of existing sanctions and looking urgently in the UN Security Council at new measures. 7 'This is now even more pressing. 30 The international community has universally condemned this test and must come together to continue to increase the pressure on North Korea's leaders to stop their destabilising actions.' 28 UK foreign secretary Boris Johnson condemned the 'reckless' nuclear weapon test and stressed that 'all options are on the table' when pressed on military action. 33 But he warned: 'The distance between North Korea and Seoul is very very small - they could basically vaporize large parts of the South Korean population even with conventional weapons.' 18 Also condemning the hermit state's actions was Donald Tusk, the president of the European Commission. 37 He called on the UN Security Council 'to adopt further UN sanctions and show stronger resolve to achieve a peaceful denuclearization of the Korean peninsula,' adding, 'The stakes are getting too high.' 21 UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the actions 'profoundly destabilizing for regional security' and demanded North Korea cease its tests. 28 UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric added: 'This act is yet another serious breach of the DPRK's international obligations and undermines international non-proliferation and disarmament efforts.' 10 Turkey also called the test 'irresponsible and provocative'. 34 North Korea's hydrogen bomb - which is powerful enough to destroy a city - sparked a powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake amid an 'escalating' nuclear crisis when it was detonated on Sunday. 32 The terrifying tremor was detected in the northeast of the country where the Punggye-ri test site is located - but was so strong that it shook buildings in China and Russia. 36 But the raw power of the bomb - which has a 100 kiloton yield, around five times bigger than that dropped on Nagasaki - isn't the only threat it presents to the US. 46 UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (pictured) called North Korea's tests actions 'profoundly destabilizing for regional security'\n\nFor the first time, North Korea specifically mentioned the possibility of an EMP, or electro-magnetic pulse, attack on the US following Sunday's test. 33 North Korea's state news agency warned that the weapon 'is a multifunctional thermonuclear nuke with great destructive power which can be detonated even at high altitudes for super-powerful EMP attack.' 6 WHAT IS A NUCLEAR EMP? 16 North Korea has specifically threatened an EMP attack on the US for the first time. 11 Nuclear blasts generate high-intensity radio waves that can disrupt electronics. 18 These EMP blasts travel along line-of-sight, which means the effects extend only to the visual horizon. 18 A powerful enough blast at an altitude of 249 miles could impact most of the continental US. 34 North Korea has already demonstrated its ability to reach this altitude with two satellite launches, in 2012 and 2016, which some experts believe were secret tests of an EMP launch trajectory. 33 An EMP is a burst of high-intensity radio waves emitted from nuclear explosions in the upper atmosphere that scrambles electronics, much like a sudden power surge can overload a power outlet. 37 But an EMP is far, far worse; a nuclear bomb detonated high in the atmosphere could knock out the power grid across a swathe of the continental US - or even all of it. 23 That would leave hospitals without power, civilian and government agencies unable to coordinate, and the fabric of society unraveling fast. 44 'I think this is the principal, the most important and dangerous, threat to the United States,' James Woolsey, former chief of the Central Intelligence Agency from 1993 to 1995, told the San Diego Union-Tribune in March. 39 'If you look at the electric grid and what it's susceptible to, we would be moving into a world with no food delivery, no water purification, no banking, no telecommunications, no medicine. 14 All of these things depend on electricity in one way or another.' 48 The higher the bomb is detonated, the wider the EMP's range off effect; a bomb detonated 19 miles above the center of the country would affect all of Kansas and Nebraska, almost all of South Dakota, and substantial chunks of surrounding states. 41 Theoretically, a sufficiently powerful bomb detonated at an altitude of 249 miles would wipe out all electronics in the US, save the southernmost top of Florida and the easternmost states - as well as affecting Canada and Mexico. 34 North Korea has already demonstrated its ability to reach this altitude with two satellite launches, in 2012 and 2016, which some experts believe were secret tests of an EMP launch trajectory. 51 The detonation was announced by news anchor Ri Chun-hee (pictured Sunday), who has been making proclamations on Korean Central Television for more than 40 years\n\nThe reason for testing the weapon this weekend was not immediately clear, leading to speculation about the motives for the timing. 5 WHY ANOTHER TEST NOW? 13 The timing of this latest detonation is the subject of intense speculation. 34 North Korea usually times its shows of force for public holidays, and indeed the last test came on September 9, last years for its Day of the Foundation of the Republic. 22 Similarly, detonating the nuke a week earlier may be an attempt to disrupt the US's Labor Day weekend holiday. 41 It may also be an attempt to disrupt the BRICS summit being held in Beijing by Chinese premier Xi Jinping on Monday and Tuesday, as an attempt to prove that North Korea is not under its ally's thumb. 31 It could also be a sign that Kim Jong-Un, either threatened or emboldened by Trump, is in a hurry to get the nuclear deterrent his country is after. 27 But tensions on the Korean Peninsula rise every year in the spring and late summer, when the US and South Korea hold annual military exercises. 22 North Korea has said it is, at least in part, responding to the exercises, which ended last week. 20 It is also protesting newly approved UN sanctions and the launch of bombers from Guam into South Korean air. 36 North Korea usually times its detonations for its national holidays, and so many would have expected a detonation on September 9 - which is North Korea's Day of the Foundation of the Republic. 8 The last nuclear test occurred that day. 23 Instead, it came during the Labor Day weekend - likely a direct attempt to spite the US, Foreign Policy suggested. 40 Others have speculated that detonating the bomb now is intended to thumb a nose at Xi, disrupting preparations for Beijing's upcoming BRICS summit in an effort to prove that North Korea isn't under China's control. 46 Earlier on Sunday, North Korean state television claimed the country's sixth nuclear test - 10 times more powerful than its fifth - was a 'perfect success' and could pave the way for a frightening new range of missiles loaded with hydrogen bombs. 30 It added that the underground test - which was directly ordered by leader Kim Jong-un - was a 'meaningful' step in completing the country's nuclear weapons program. 25 The worrying development comes amid heightened tensions following Pyongyang's test-launch of two missiles in July that potentially could hit major mainland US cities. 31 The regime frequently flaunts its intercontinental ballistic missile technology and has repeatedly tested hydrogen bombs - but has so far been unable to combine the two into a lethal weapon. 43 However, Kim claims the latest explosive - which seismologists calculated to be eight times as damaging as the Hiroshima nuclear bomb dropped by the US in World War II - could be packed into a warhead and fired towards US territory. 34 The sudden escalation comes after months of posturing from North Korea and America, with a war of words between the two countries spiraling into a series of escalating weapons tests by Pyongyang. 21 It has seen Kim flaunting his military might with increasingly powerful missiles in a bid to scare off his enemies. 16 Overhead pictures of Punggye-ri nuclear test site from August 17, published by 38 North. 62 The detonation occurred close to this location, and vibrations were felt in China and Russia\n\nYonhap, South Korea's official news agency, reports the quake struck where North Korea's nuclear test site Punggye-ri is located\n\nSimultaneously, he has branded world leaders 'puppets' and bragged that attempts to locate his missiles were a 'silly dream'. 23 Meanwhile Donald Trump had promised 'fire and fury like the world has never seen' if North Korea continued to test missiles. 28 The latest blast has sparked an international backlash, with South Korea pledging to 'completely' isolate North Korea and deploy the most powerful US tactical weapons. 31 US National Security Adviser HR McMaster spoke to his South Korean counterpart in an emergency phone call following the test, which was seen as a direct challenge to Trump. 21 Just hours earlier, Trump had talked to Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe about the nuclear crisis in the region. 10 Abe later slammed the test as 'absolutely unacceptable'. 33 He added: 'North Korea's nuclear and missile development programme is a threat that is more grave and urgent to the safety of our country and has entered a new stage. 12 'It is significantly hurting regional and international peace and stability.' 25 China added that it 'resolutely opposes' and 'strongly condemns' the test while urging the rogue state to 'stop taking wrong actions'. 21 South Korean general Cho Han-kyu, chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's operation office, condemns the test. 58 The country has warned that military action would happen soon\n\nPhotos released Sunday show the country's leader Kim Jong-un inspecting the hydrogen device that it promised would be loaded on a new intercontinental ballistic missile\n\nMeanwhile Russia urged calm and warned Pyongyang to 'refrain from any actions that lead to a further escalation of tension'. 41 Photographs released Saturday night appeared to show Kim signing the order to carry out the test blast, which seismologists calculate was eight times as damaging as the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima by the US in World War II. 38 The shock news was delivered on state television by veteran anchor Ri Chun-hee - who has become the face of North Korean media after delivering major propaganda announcements from the rogue state for the past 40 years. 70 A statement from the country read: 'Scientists in the nuclear field of the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] successfully carried out a test of H-bomb for ICBM [intercontinental ballistic missile] in the northern nuclear test ground of the DPRK at 12:00 on September 2, true to the Workers' Party of Korea's plan for building a strategic nuclear force.' 21 Just hours earlier, the country claimed it had developed a more advanced nuclear weapon with 'great destructive power'. 25 South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul said it had detected a seismic wave from 12.34pm to 12.36pm on Sunday around Punggye-ri. 69 The hydrogen bomb's power is adjustable and can be detonated at high altitudes, North Korea said (Kim pictured in photos released Sunday)\n\nThe country's weather agency and the Joint Chiefs of Staff said an artificial 5.7 magnitude quake occurred at 12.29pm local time, in Kilju, northern Hamgyong province, the site where North Korea has conducted nuclear tests in the past. 11 Seoul officials revised their earlier estimate of 5.6 magnitude quake. 16 The U.S. Geological Survey called the first quake an explosion with a magnitude of 6.3. 21 South Korea's presidential office also said it would hold a National Security Council meeting chaired by President Moon Jae-in. 27 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said: 'It is absolutely unacceptable if North Korea did force another nuclear test, and we must protest strongly.' 19 China's earthquake administration detected a second tremor of magnitude 4.6 in North Korea minutes after the first. 8 It described the event as a cave-in. 14 South Korea's weather agency, however, said no second quake happened. 29 A US researcher told the BBC that if the earthquake was caused by a nuclear blast, it would be the largest atomic test conducted by North Korea. 43 Citizens of the North Korean capital Pyongyang gathered around a screen showing the order signed by Kim Jong-Un authorising the nuclear test\n\nDave Schmerler, of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, added: 'We should definitely be alarmed.' 29 Japan's Ministry of Defence has dispatched three military jets to test for radiation despite North Korea's claims that radioactive material did not leak into the environment. 40 Tremors caused by the nuclear test were at least ten times as powerful as the last time Pyongyang exploded an atomic bomb a year ago, the Japan Meteorological Agency said at a briefing aired by public broadcaster NHK. 18 The previous nuclear blast in North Korea is estimated by experts to have been around 10 kilotons. 24 South Korea's defense committee says the blast was about 100 kilotons - powerful enough to destroy an entire city, BBC reports. 13 Residents in the Vladivostok in eastern Russia said they felt the tremors. 16 North Korea conducted its fifth test last September - which also caused a massive earthquake. 46 NORTH KOREA'S MISSILE DEVELOPMENT Here are key dates in the North's quest to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the United States: Late 1970s: North Korea starts working on a version of the Soviet Scud-B (range 185 miles). 4 Test-fired in 1984. 36 1987-92: Begins developing variant of Scud-C (range 311 miles), Rodong-1 (808 miles, Taepodong-1 (1,553 miles), Musudan-1 (1,172 miles) and Taepodong-2 (4,163 miles). 27 Aug 1998: Test-fires Taepodong-1 rocket over Japan in what it calls a satellite launch - the US and others say it is a missile test. 15 Sept 1999: Declares moratorium on long-range missile tests amid improving ties with US. 33 July 12, 2000: Fifth round of US-North Korean missile talks in Kuala Lumpur ends without agreement after North demands $1 billion a year in return for halting missile exports. 21 March 3, 2005: Pyongyang ends moratorium on long-range missile testing, blames Bush administration's 'hostile' policy. 19 July 5, 2006: Test-fires seven missiles, including a long-range Taepodong-2 which explodes after 40 seconds. 13 Oct 9, 2006: Conducts underground nuclear test, its first. 32 April 5, 2009: Launches long-range rocket which flies over Japan and lands in the Pacific, in what it says is an attempt to put a satellite into orbit. 18 The United States, Japan and South Korea see it as a disguised test of a Taepodong-2. 20 May 25, 2009: Conducts its second underground nuclear test, several times more powerful than the first. 28 April 13, 2012: Launches what it has said is a long-range rocket to put a satellite into orbit, but which disintegrates soon after blast-off. 19 December 12, 2012: Launches a multi-stage rocket and successfully places an Earth observational satellite in orbit. 12 February 12, 2013: Conducts its third underground nuclear test. 27 January 6, 2016: Conducts its fourth underground nuclear test, which it says was a hydrogen bomb - a claim doubted by most experts. 17 March 9, 2016: Kim Jong-Un claims the North has successfully miniaturized a thermonuclear warhead. 12 April 23, 2016: Pyongyang test-fires a submarine-launched ballistic missile. 28 July 8, 2016: US and South Korea announce plans to deploy an advanced missile defense system - THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense). 23 August 3, 2016: North Korea fires a ballistic missile directly into Japan's maritime economic zone for the first time. 16 September 9, 2016: Conducts fifth nuclear test, its most powerful to date. 23 March 6, 2017: Fires four ballistic missiles in what it says is an exercise to hit US bases in Japan. 16 March 7, 2017: US begins deploying THAAD missile defense system in South Korea. 23 May 14, 2017: North Korea fires a ballistic missile which flies 435 miles before landing in the Sea of Japan. 16 Analysts say it has an imputed range of 2,800 miles and brings Guam within reach. 17 July 4, 2017: Test-fires a ballistic missile that analysts say brings Alaska within reach. 19 Pyongyang later says it was a 'landmark' test of a Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). 26 July 28, 2017: Launches an ICBM with a theoretical range of 6,214 miles, meaning it could hit much of the United States. 11 August 26, 2017: Fires three short-range ballistic missiles. 26 August 29, 2017: Fires ballistic missile over Japan and into the Pacific, acknowledging for the first time that it has done so. 17 South Korea says it flew around 1,678 miles at a maximum altitude of about 342 miles. 29 September 3, 2017: North Korea carries out sixth nuclear test, with seismic monitors measuring an 'explosion' of 6.3 magnitude near its main test site. 9 Japan's government confirms nuclear test took place. 26 Photos released on Sunday show the country's leader inspecting the hydrogen bomb that it says will be loaded on a new intercontinental ballistic missile. 32 Its power is adjustable and can be detonated at high altitudes, the regime claimed - and added that it can build as many of the nuclear weapons as it wishes. 64 In the report about the new bomb Kim was seen inspecting, North Korea's Korean Central News Agency added: 'Kim Jong-un said he felt the pride at the indomitably bolstering up of [North Korea's] nuclear forces despite a great price as he watched the Juche-oriented thermonuclear weapon with super explosive power made by our own efforts and technology. 23 'He expressed great satisfaction over the fact that our scientists can do anything without fail if the party is determined to do. 26 'The scientists further upgraded its technical performance at a higher ultra-modern level on the basis of precious successes made in the first H-bomb test.' 21 There will be some skepticism about the claim from experts about Pyongyang's assertion that it has mastered hydrogen technology. 30 Still, North Korea is increasingly putting leaders on edge as the isolated country continues to push its limits in regards to building up weaponry and firing off missiles. 55 This picture released by the North Korean government late last week shows the last test launch by the country\n\nIn a show of force with South Korea, Trump conducted bombing drills along the border on Thursday, in a clear warning to following another ballistic missile from Kim Jong-un launch earlier this week. 43 Korean Central News Agency denounced the military drills in robust fashion that same day, calling them 'the rash act of those taken aback' by the missile test, which it described as 'the first military operation in the Pacific.' 41 LONG-RANGE ROCKETS READY 'IN MONTHS' France's foreign minister said on Friday that North Korea would have capability to send long-range ballistic missiles in a few months and urged China to be more active diplomatically to resolve the crisis. 29 'The situation is extremely serious... we see North Korea setting itself as an objective to have tomorrow or the day after missiles that can transport nuclear weapons. 18 In a few months that will be a reality,' Jean-Yves Le Drian told RTL radio. 32 'At the moment, when North Korea has the means to strike the United States, even Europe, but definitely Japan and China, then the situation will be explosive. 9 'North Korea must find the path to negotiations. 7 It must be diplomatically active.' 37 North Korea last year conducted its fourth and fifth nuclear tests, saying the fourth in January 2016 was a successful hydrogen bomb test, although outside experts questioned whether it was a full-fledged hydrogen bomb. 38 The fifth nuclear test in September 2016 was measured to be possibly North Korea's biggest detonation ever, but the earthquake it caused was still not believed to be big enough to demonstrate a thermonuclear test. 19 Satellite images taken last month suggested North Korea was ready to carry out a sixth nuclear bomb test. 35 The overhead pictures of Punggye-ri nuclear test site, in the country's north east revealed Kim Jong-un could order a test blast 'at any time with minimal advance warning', experts said. 27 There were fears the tyrant may chose September 9, North Korea's Day of the Foundation of the Republic, to carry out the trial. 28 The same date was chosen last year by North Korea to conduct its fifth nuclear test, marking the 68 years since Kim Il-sung came to power. 9 Instead, the explosion came a week earlier. 21 Satellite pictures released by 38 North showed minor movements at Punggye-ri - suggesting that the site was on 'standby'. 34 The satellite images from August 27 suggested North Korea was ready to carry out a sixth nuclear bomb test\n\nThe facility in north eastern North Korea remains on 'standby', according to experts"} {"text": " 16 Well, I did say I had a Doctor Whooves image, didn't I? 32 I was originally going to draw ponified versions of the Third Doctor and Jo, but it occurred to me that Katy Manning ponified would probably look rather like Derpy anyway! 63 XD\n\nMLP:FiM owned by Hasbro\n\nDoctor Who owned by the BBC\n\nBased on a scene from Doctor Who story \"Terror of the Autons\", first broadcast in 1971, it is best remembered for its portrayal of how death could strike from simple household items, such as an inflatable chair, a troll doll & plastic daffodils. 56 Unfortunately, despite being a having a good storyline (Bar the Autons being reduced to the role of soldiers) too much reliance on the then brand new CSO system (Ye Olde Green Screen techniques for those who have never heard of it) caused some of the visuals to look rather flawed."} {"text": " 14 It's inevitable - around Christmastime, many couples become engaged to marry. 33 But a Birmingham man this week popped the question in a unique, Alabama way - on the marquee of the Alabama Theatre, one of the largest theaters in the South. 18 Brandon Marley, 21, knew his now-fiance Greer Maddox, 22, wanted a memorable proposal. 19 Marley and Maddox, both seniors at University of Alabama, are from Hoover and Birmingham, respectively. 36 A couple months ago as he was trying to figure out how he wanted to provide that memorable event, he drove through downtown Birmingham and saw the marquee above the entrance of the theater. 13 \"I knew it when I saw it,\" Marley said. 9 \"I knew she'd love it.\" 18 So he contacted the theater's management, paid a small fee and carefully plotted the evening. 26 On Tuesday evening, he took the unsuspecting Maddox to dinner at Bottega, which would be followed by attending a show at the theater. 12 \"I honestly had no idea whatsoever,\" Maddox said. 10 \"He didn't show any signs of nervousness. 12 I thought we were just having a nice date night.\" 13 Marley parked downtown, and the couple approached the theater by foot. 11 That's when Maddox started sensing something unusual was happening. 21 \"There was a big crowd of people outside the theater, and they started applauding,\" she said. 15 \"I thought that was strange, and then I saw the sign.\" 18 Big letters on the marquee above the entrance read: \"GREER WILL YOU MARRY ME.\" 14 Marley got on one knee and asked Maddox for her hand in marriage. 4 She said yes. 13 Both said they blacked out at various points during those few minutes. 25 Marley said his knees were weak and he can't remember a word he said, despite rehearsing the moment a thousand times beforehand. 13 Maddox said she doesn't remember much after he asked the question. 18 \"I was crying my eyes out, but they were happy tears,\" she said. 10 \"It was just so magical and special.\" 13 But that wasn't the only surprise Marley had up his sleeve. 11 They didn't have tickets to a show after all. 18 Instead, Marley asked if they could go see his parents at Superior Grill on Highway 280. 25 Maddox asked if he had contacted her parents, and Marley said they had other plans that night and couldn't make it out. 27 \"I wanted her to be upset about that because I knew the next surprise would've been even better for her,\" Marley said. 26 When they arrived to the restaurant, the entire back room was filled with family members, including Maddox's parents, and close friends. 31 \"I wanted that intimate moment with us at the theater, but there was no question her family would be very involved in the night,\" Marley said. 15 In fact, members of Maddox's family were involved in the whole night. 13 Her younger sister videoed the proposal, and her brother photographed it. 14 Her older sister decorated the back room at Superior Grill for the celebration. 19 And Marley asked each of her parents' and siblings' permission to marry Maddox before the night. 22 Maddox says the couple hasn't yet set a date from the wedding, but they are considering summer of 2017. 19 \"The whole night was just amazing, and I'll never forget it,\" Maddox said. 8 \"It was the perfect night.\""} {"text": " 26 NBA player Enes Kanter arrived back in the U.S. having been detained in Romania, where authorities declared his passport cancelled by his native Turkey. 21 The center for the Oklahoma City Thunder is an outspoken critic of Turkey\u2019s Islamist President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 45 In a video made at the airport in Bucharest, Kanter said after hours of detention, \u201cYou know the reason behind it is because of my political views and the guy who did it is Recep Tayyip, the president of Turkey. 11 You guys know him \u2026 He attacked people in Washington. 9 He\u2019s a bad, bad man. 24 He\u2019s the dictator and the Hitler of our century.\u201d\n\nI\u2019m being held at Romanian airport by Police!! 37 pic.twitter.com/uYZMBqKx54 \u2014 Enes Kanter (@Enes_Kanter) May 20, 2017\n\nKanter was referring to the violent attack on peaceful protesters in front of the residence of the Turkish ambassador in Washington by Erdogan supporters. 99 Victims of the attack \u2014 comprised of Kurds, Armenians, Greeks and Yazidis who have borne the brunt of the Turkish state\u2019s oppressive policies against minorities \u2014 said the attackers were not ordinary civilians, but people with military training, \u201clikely from Recep Tayyip Erdogan\u2019s security detail.\u201d\n\nKanter has been a vocal critic of Erdogan and an avid supporter of Erdogan\u2019s nemesis Fethullah Gulen, a powerful Turkish cleric in America who Erdogan says was behind the July 2016 failed coup that attempted to oust the Turkish leader. 29 Kanter, who posted his message also in Turkish, was flown out the London after close to five hours due to the efforts of the State Department. 10 From there, he was flown to New York. 37 Kanter\u2019s family in Turkey has disowned him after Kanter came out in support of Gulen, a stance which earned him messages in Turkey containing death threats sent with images of guns and nooses. 22 Posting from the airport in Bucharest, Enes tweeted a picture of himself with the airport officials assigned to watch him:"} {"text": " 30 1 On/Off Mug\n\nCreated with heat sensitive pigment, at first glance the,looks like a standard black mug with big white letters that say \u201cOFF\u201d. 32 Nothing fancy, but once you add the hot beverage of your choice, the mug changes color to white and in big black letters it states: \u201cON\u201d. 16 2 Drink Selector Mug\n\nTired of telling people how you like your tea or coffee? 16 Twist rings on yourto reveal your choice of drink and your milk and sugar preferences. 16 3 Gun Mug\n\nSick and tired of high design constantly cast as sensitive and wimpy? 23 Then kill a little time with this cleverthat replaces the boring office cubicle mug by a gold plated trigger custom made mug. 21 4 My Cuppa Coffee\n\nhelps you mix your drink to the perfect consistency, based on the color-coded guide inside. 80 Options include everything from a straightforward \u201cmilky\u201d to an extra-strong \u201cbuilder\u2019s brew\u201d\n\n5 Darth Vader Mug\n\nLet the Dark Lord of the Sith watch over your coffee with your\n\n6 2-Carat Cup\n\nIf you\u2019re hoping the next Valentine\u2019s Day will give you something to look at on your ring finger, but aren\u2019t sure your significant other is completely aware of this, say it with this. 31 The Swarovski crystal ring comes in gold or silver, and will serve as a constant reminder of what you may have your heart set on for next February 14th. 44 7 Equal Measure Cup\n\nView your measurements in a surprising new light \u2013 next time you make brownies, use a tyrannosaur\u2019s brain of flour, or sugar equal to the water in a cumulus cloud the size of a bus. 13 Theis half measuring cup, half laboratory beaker, and all fun. 50 8 Skull Coffee Mug\n\nStart your gothic, evil morning routine off right with this.Standing 4 inches tall, 4 inches deep and 3 1/2 inches wide (5 inches including the bone shaped handle), this mug holds 8 ounces of your favorite hot or cold beverage. 13 It is hand-glazed, and no two mugs are exactly the same."} {"text": " 25 How I made a little money by running a lot\n\nSteve Herrin Blocked Unblock Follow Following Jun 8, 2017\n\nI like to run. 20 And unlike most Americans, I don\u2019t normally stop to pick up pennies when I spot them. 16 But to add some variety to my runs, I decided to run an experiment. 14 For the month of May, I collected all the coins I saw. 32 The data\n\nIn May, I ran every day, but on two of those I was out of town for a race, so I excluded those from the dataset. 18 Each day, I recorded my mileage (measured by GPS) and the coins I collected. 14 All of the data is available in csv format over at my GitHub. 42 There\u2019s extra information there like my pace and whether I ran a loop or an out-and-back, but with only a month of data, I don\u2019t think I can do any reliable analysis on these factors. 26 The money\n\nOver the course of the month, I collected:\n\n18 pennies\n\n2 nickels\n\n6 dimes\n\n1 dog wash token\n\ntotaling $0.88. 42 If I had a dog, the token might be worth more to me than all the other change combined, but it\u2019s a weird enough outlier that I\u2019ve excluded it from the rest of the analysis. 10 The easy math\n\nI ran 128.3 miles in total. 10 So that works out to $0.007 per mile. 19 On average, I found one coin (of any denomination) for every 5 miles I ran. 27 For comparison, a professional runner making $70,000 per year and running something like 130 miles per week is making over $10 per mile. 18 Na\u00efve variance\n\nLooking at the month, there was a lot of variance from day to day. 22 You can see most days I found nothing, and a handful of good days accounted for most of my coins. 33 So even though I made 7/10 of a cent per mile, I can\u2019t guarantee that if I run 3 miles, I\u2019ll find a penny or two. 14 The amount of money I found on each day, normalized for distance. 31 I can try to get a handle on how much variance there is by treating each run as an independent measurement of the dollars-per-mile rate and computing the standard deviation. 25 When I do this, I get that I can expect my running income to vary by plus or minus a penny per mile. 18 Assuming the dollar-per-mile rate is normally distributed predicts I\u2019ll be losing money on some runs. 9 But that\u2019s not a satisfying answer. 8 I don\u2019t lose money running. 18 The mistake I\u2019ve made here is assuming my data is normally (Gaussian) distributed. 21 The normal distribution is symmetric around the mean, and has tails that go off to plus and minus infinity. 16 Under this model, I\u2019d lose money almost a third of the time. 14 Fortunately, my actual money collection rate has a hard floor at zero. 16 A better model\n\nIn my physics career, I thought a lot about radioactive decay. 33 And I can make an analogy between that and my coin collecting:\n\nDecays either happen or they don\u2019t; there are a whole number of them in the interval. 12 Similarly, I either find coins or I don\u2019t. 6 There are no fractional coins. 24 Even though I can\u2019t predict individual radioactive decays, I can predict how many will happen in an interval of time. 34 Likewise, I can\u2019t know when I\u2019ll find a coin, but I\u2019m trying to predict how many I\u2019ll find in an interval of distance. 33 The average rate of radioactive decays doesn\u2019t change over time (at least not significantly if we\u2019re talking about relatively short intervals compared to the half life). 33 Similarly, I don\u2019t expect that the amount of change dropped will vary too much from day to day or block to block.\u00b9\n\nRadioactive decays are independent of each other. 23 When something decays, it doesn\u2019t make the next decay any more or less likely to happen in the future. 63 Likewise, I expect that if I find one coin, that\u2019s not going to make it more or less likely to find one further along.\u00b2\n\nIn a system that has the properties I\u2019ve just mentioned, the Poisson distribution provides predictions for how many events, like radioactive decays or found coins, happen in an interval. 63 If I call the \u201ccoins per mile\u201d rate \u03bb, and the distance I run d, then the probability I find n coins is:\n\nFor the Poisson distribution, the expected mean number of coins will (\u03bbd), so I can estimate \u03bb by dividing the total number of coins I found by the total distance. 12 The best estimate is that I find 0.20 coins per mile\u00b3. 5 What can I expect? 16 Let\u2019s say I go out for a typical-length run of around 4 miles. 61 Plugging the value I got for \u03bb in, I can expect to find:\n\n0 coins 44% of the time\n\n1 coin 36% of the time\n\n2 coins 15% of the time\n\nmore than 2 coins 5% of the time\n\nProbability of finding n coins on a 4 mile run\n\nThis seems at least plausible. 24 I did have a lot of days when I found no coins, and a few rare days when I found many coins. 23 Quantitatively, I had more days (around 80%) with zero coins than this predicts (around 45%). 36 If I look at the uncertainty on my estimate of \u03bb, which I\u2019ll take as the 95% confidence interval, a smaller \u03bb of 0.13 coins per mile is still plausible. 20 This would give closer to 60% of days with zero coins, still lower than what I got. 17 It could simply be that with only 12 runs around 4 miles, I got unlucky. 16 It could also be evidence my model isn\u2019t a great description of reality. 14 I\u2019ll need to collect more data to find out either way. 46 If I estimate the number of coins I expect to find on the roughly 2000 miles I plan to run this year, and consider the value of the \u201caverage\u201d coin I find, I\u2019d expect to make about $12.29. 25 That\u2019s not going to be enough to cover my shoe bill, but it should buy me some beers, at least. 19 So, for now, I\u2019ll keep collecting and see how well the prediction bears out."} {"text": " 18 Zimbabwe\u2019s elections agency has said it needs $104 million to organise polls this year. 75 Biti added: \u2018\u2018The government has no money for elections ... We will be approaching the international community to assist us in this regard, but it\u2019s important that government should also do something.\u2019\u2019 Zimbabwe\u2019s economy boomed after independence in 1980 but took a hit in 1997 when the president, Robert Mugabe, gave in to pressure from war veterans waging violent protests for pensions. 21 From 2000 the seizure of white-owned farms led to chaos in the agriculture sector and the economy shrank by half. 17 In 2008 hyperinflation of 231,000,000% broke the national currency and left millions of people hungry. 20 But the adoption of the US dollar and South African rand appeared to have brought a measure of stability. 25 The government\u2019s national budget for this year stands at $3.8 billion and the economy is projected to grow 5 per cent. 13 The headline figures are not necessarily reflected on the ground, however. 35 The UN has said Zimbabwe will require at least $131 million in aid this year, the bulk for food assistance after a failed farming season left nearly 1.7 million people facing hunger. 38 \u2018\u2018There have been some assertions that the economy is getting better but as ordinary people we have not been seeing it,\u2019\u2019 said McDonald Lewanika, director of the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition. 25 \u2018\u2018Without foreign direct investment coming in and with some companies leaving because of uncertainty, I wonder where these assertions come from. 18 \u2018\u2018The minister\u2019s statement is indicative of the very difficult situation in the country. 12 It shows the economy really is in the intensive care unit. 19 We have a very small formal economy so the space where minister Biti can raise resources is limited. 40 And we should ask where certain revenues are going.\u2019\u2019\n\nThe Movement for Democratic Change claims that income from lucrative diamond sales is being expropriated by 88-year-old Mugabe\u2019s Zanu-PF party to boost its campaign for votes. 23 Biti, who is also MDC secretary general, has claimed the treasury received only $40 million from diamonds last year. 15 The MDC spokesman Douglas Mwonzora said: \u2018\u2018The government has no money. 17 The most important thing is that money from diamonds is not being remitted to government coffers. 37 As a result, after payments were made last week, there was only $217 left.\u2019\u2019 He added: \u2018\u2018The diamond wealth is going to Zanu-PF machinery and its war chest. 23 There is likely to be an economic crash because of the uncertainty of the elections and the possibility of a Zanu-PF victory. 65 Investors really have to pray for an MDC victory.\u2019\u2019 The watchdog Partnership Africa Canada said last November that at least $2 billion of diamonds from the Marange fields had been stolen by Mugabe\u2019s ruling elite, international dealers and criminals in \u2018\u2018perhaps the biggest single plunder of diamonds the world has seen since Cecil Rhodes\u2019\u2019. 26 A referendum on a new constitution is set to be held in March after which Mugabe is expected to name a date for the election. 16 The latest draft of the constitution curbs presidential powers and strengthens the cabinet and parliament. 18 The new document also limits the president to two five-year terms, starting from the next election. 27 However, this will not be applied retrospectively, so Mugabe, already in power for 32 years, could technically rule for another two terms. 2 The Guardian"} {"text": " 38 At times during the 2012-13 Ohio State basketball season, Amedeo Della Valle wasn\u2019t sure if being in Columbus \u2014 more than 4,400 miles from his hometown of Alba, Italy \u2014 was for him. 19 \u201cI\u2019m here by myself,\u201d Della Valle said at OSU Media Day Oct. 10. 59 \u201cI don\u2019t have family with me, so it\u2019s not the easiest thing to do.\u201d\n\nThe sophomore sharpshooter spent the summer back home, earning Most Valuable Player honors during the U20 European Championship after averaging 13.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game while playing with his Italian team. 113 Della Valle said although his lack of playing time last season was tough, he decided to come back because of assurances from the coaching staff and the relationship he has with his teammates, who he calls his \u201cbest friends.\u201d\n\n\u201cCoach (Thad) Matta\u2019s a great coach, not just as a coach, as a person (too), and coach (Chris) Jent was here too, so sometimes when I wasn\u2019t playing, I used to talk to them and be like, \u2018What am I doing wrong?\u2019\u201d Della Valle said at Media Day. 17 \u201cThey would tell me, \u2018It\u2019s not just about being ready today. 41 We know what kind of player you can be, so just work hard on your game.\u2019\u201d\n\nJent has since joined the Sacramento Kings of the NBA, but Della Valle continued to work hard in the offseason. 24 It paid off, as he logged 21 minutes in OSU\u2019s 93-63 exhibition victory over Walsh Sunday, totaling 13 points. 6 \u201cI like his confidence. 21 Amedeo is a young man who cares about the welfare of the team,\u201d Matta said after the win. 60 \u201cHe wants to do everything he can do to help this team win; I put that in higher regard than a lot of things that happen.\u201d\n\nThe 6-foot-5-inch 190 pound sophomore has never been shy about taking his shot when it is there, hoisting 26 3-pointers last season while only averaging 7.2 minutes per game. 23 Spending the majority of his time toward the end of the bench during his freshman year was because of one simple thing. 12 \u201cDefinitely defense,\u201d Della Valle said at Media Day. 29 \u201cDefinitely wasn\u2019t surprised that defense was something I had to work on, because I\u2019ve never been a great defender my whole life. 71 You just look at your teammates and what they do, and how they do it, and you just try to see yourself doing that.\u201d\n\nHis defense might have improved, but the Buckeyes could need Della Valle\u2019s help offensively more than they think as they try to replace 2012-13 Big Ten leading scorer Deshaun Thomas, who left following the 2012 season for the NBA. 26 Junior forward LaQuinton Ross said he thinks Della Valle can certainly be that guy because of how he\u2019s always been able to score. 34 \u201cI would say Amedeo has probably been one of the most consistent guys since he\u2019s been here as far as scoring the ball,\u201d Ross said at Media Day. 71 \u201cWhat he did overseas this year with his Italian League was incredible \u2026 I think he\u2019s one of the best scorers.\u201d\n\nDella Valle made three of the Buckeyes\u2019 four 3-pointers in Sunday\u2019s win, something Matta said he was pleased with, even though shooting from the behind the arc might not be what the team is looking for a lot this year. 26 \u201cObviously shooting the ball is very, very important to us in terms of percentage and that sort of thing,\u201d Matta said. 13 \u201cFortunately for us, (Amedeo) knocked down some threes. 36 But we didn\u2019t attempt a lot of them, which is good.\u201d\n\nThe Italian, though, said going away from the outside shot is not necessarily the team\u2019s mindset. 18 \u201cI feel like that\u2019s not the plan, or something we are focused on. 23 I think we are focused on running the right play, and taking the right shots,\u201d Della Valle said Sunday. 50 \u201cYou don\u2019t want to take a forced three \u2014 I mean the threes that I shot, I was open, so I had to take those shots.\u201d\n\nAt Media Day, Matta said replacing Thomas is going to be a team effort this season. 23 That was clear in the win against Walsh, as Della Valle was one of five players who scored in double figures. 26 \u201cI don\u2019t think we necessarily need somebody that shoots 20 shots per game or averages 30 points,\u201d Della Valle said. 50 \u201cBut I feel like we have enough scorers, enough players to make plays.\u201d\n\nDella Valle believes he is one of those players, and said he is excited to be on the court more this winter after a \u201cfun\u201d first year as a Buckeye. 14 \u201cI\u2019m lucky,\u201d Della Valle said at Media Day. 15 \u201cIt was definitely fun, and it was definitely a good freshman year. 6 It helped me a lot. 59 I feel like if I would have played more, I would have never realized what I need to work on more, and I would have never been motivated like I was last year to push myself.\u201d\n\nThe Buckeyes are scheduled to open their regular season Saturday at the Schottenstein Center against Morgan State at noon."} {"text": " 11 How high can the CO2 concentration in the air go? 19 It is a bit like looking at the stock market except that the CO2 does not go down. 45 For the first time in human history, concentrations of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) could rise above 400 parts per million (ppm) for sustained lengths of time throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere as soon as May 2013. 41 To provide a resource for understanding the implications of rising CO2 levels, Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego is providing daily updates of the Keeling Curve, the record of atmospheric CO2 measured at Hawaii\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Mauna Loa. 56 These iconic measurements, begun by Charles David (Dave) Keeling, a world-leading authority on atmospheric greenhouse gas accumulation and Scripps climate science pioneer, comprise the longest continuous record of CO2 in the world, starting from 316 ppm in March 1958 and approaching 400 ppm today with a familiar saw-tooth pattern. 15 For the past 800,000 years, CO2 levels never exceeded 300 parts per million. 3 !ADVERTISEMENT! 25 Many scientists credit Keeling's original graph with first bringing the world's attention to the current increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. 21 Prior to Keeling, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was thought to be affected by constant variability. 45 Keeling had perfected the measurement techniques and observed strong diurnal behavior with steady values of about 310 ppm in the afternoon at three locations: (Big Sur near Monterey, the rain forests of Olympic Peninsula and high mountain forests in Arizona). 32 By measuring the ratio of two isotopes of carbon, Keeling attributed the diurnal change to respiration from local plants and soils, with afternoon values representative of the free atmosphere. 50 By 1960, Keeling and his group had determined that the measurement records from California, Antarctica, and Hawaii were long enough to see not just the diurnal and seasonal variations, but also a year-on-year increase that roughly matched the amount of fossil fuels burned per year. 46 \"I wish it weren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t true, but it looks like the world is going to blow through the 400-ppm level without losing a beat,\" said Scripps geophysicist Ralph Keeling, who has taken over the Keeling Curve measurement from his late father. 14 \"At this pace we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll hit 450 ppm within a few decades.\" 31 The website keelingcurve.ucsd.edu offers background information about how CO2 is measured, the history of the Keeling Curve, and resources from other organizations on the current state of climate. 24 An accompanying Twitter feed, @keeling_curve, also provides followers with the most recent Keeling Curve CO2 reading in a daily tweet. 23 Dave Keeling began recording CO2 data at Mauna Loa and other locations after developing an ultraprecise measurement device known as a manometer. 22 Ralph Keeling took over the program in 2005 and also heads a program at Scripps to measure changes in atmospheric oxygen. 29 The Scripps O2 and CO2 programs make measurements of CO2 and other gases at remote locations around the world, including Antarctica, Tasmania, and northern Alaska. 18 The Scripps programs are complementary to many other programs now measuring CO2 and other greenhouse gases worldwide. 37 Scientists estimate that the last time CO2 was as high as 400 ppm was probably the Pliocene epoch, between 3.2 million and 5 million years ago, when Earth\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s climate was much warmer than today. 29 CO2 was around 280 ppm before the Industrial Revolution, when humans first began releasing large amounts of CO2 to the atmosphere by the burning of fossil fuels. 20 By the time Dave Keeling began measurements in 1958, CO2 had already risen from 280 to 316 ppm. 21 Various proxy measurements have been used to attempt to determine atmospheric carbon dioxide levels millions of years in the past. 45 While these measurements give much less precise estimates of carbon dioxide concentration than ice cores, there is evidence for very high CO2 volume concentrations between 200 and 150 Ma of over 3,000 ppm and between 600 and 400 Ma of over 6,000 ppm. 16 In more recent times, atmospheric CO2 concentration continued to fall after about 60 Ma. 54 About 34 Ma, the time of the Eocene\u00e2\u20ac\u201cOligocene extinction event and when the Antarctic ice sheet started to take its current form, CO2 is found to have been about 760 ppm, and there is geochemical evidence that volume concentrations were less than 300 ppm by about 20 Ma. 28 Each year, the concentration of CO2 at Mauna Loa rises and falls in a sawtooth fashion, with the next year higher than the year before. 10 The peak of the sawtooth typically comes in May. 21 If CO2 levels don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t top 400 ppm in May 2013, they almost certainly will next year, Keeling said. 7 For further information see 400 Barrier. 6 Keeling Curve image via Wikipedia."} {"text": " 21 The creators behind Mcdowell Mountain Music Festival clearly have their eyes on the prize for the breathtaking 15th anniversary festival. 63 Happening from March 2-4 in Downtown Phoenix, I am pretty sure there will be no better way to kick off the 2018 festival season.The three day festival has already won me over by featuring a few of my personal favorites: the smoldering Nick Murphy, the upbeat up-and-comer Mura Masa, and the ever so funky multi-instrumentalist Russ Liquid Test. 7 What more could we want!? 14 Desert vibes and this delicious lineup are a match made in festival heaven. 23 What makes this event even more special is the commitment to giving back: ALL proceeds from MMMF are donated to charity. 12 You can snag a three-day pass for $87.00 after fees. 14 Three day VIP passes are available too, for a nice $600."} {"text": " 5 It\u2019s happening. 12 Verizon has finally released Windows 10 Mobile for the Lumia Icon. 30 If you happen to own a Lumia Icon, you will now be able to get Windows 10 Mobile on your Icon right now using the Upgrade Advisor app. 35 Windows 10 Mobile brings a bunch of new features, including new customization features, the Universal Windows Platform, improved user interface, improvements for Cortana, Microsoft Edge, and much more. 21 In a support page, Verizon stated:\n\nVerizon Wireless is pleased to announce a software update for your device. 22 This software update has been tested to help optimize device performance, resolve known issues and apply the latest security patches. 19 As Verizon noted, make sure your device\u2019s battery is fully charged before starting the upgrade. 36 Once again, you will need to the Upgrade Advisor app installed on your Lumia Icon to get the update \u2014 you can find out how to get Windows 10 Mobile on this article here."} {"text": " 28 Turkey has shown the world how generous a society can be by hosting 3 million Syrian refugees, a UN representative in the country told Anadolu Agency. 18 \"[\u2026] Our secretary general has mentioned it many times that Turkey is an example. 37 Hosting 3 million refugees is a tremendous strain but it is a show of generosity,\" said Irena Vojackova-Sollorano, UN resident coordinator and UN Development Programme resident representative for Turkey since December last year. 17 \"We wish that other countries would show such generosity as well,\" she added. 35 Vojackova-Sollorano also gave details of Turkey-UN projects in the country:\n\n\"We are supporting the government, municipalities, the regions in dealing with the challenges of actually hosting around 3 million refugees. 28 Not only taking care of refugees but also taking care of housing municipalities, which is our big concern because the Turkish people have shown incredible generosity. 35 \"We want to support them so that the refugees who are in need of the protection, they continue to receive the protection that they have received so far,\" she added. 18 Vojackova-Sollorano said the UN was supporting refugees in Turkey in two main areas, education and employment. 25 Through the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) the agency supports schooling for children as well as for adults, she added. 33 \"So it is the education of the Turkish language, which is absolutely key for refugees to find employment and to be able to integrate into society,\" she added. 31 According to the latest data from the country's higher education board, the number of Syrian students in Turkey has risen to 15,000 from just 600 five years ago. 33 Hasan Mandal, acting chairman of the Council of Higher Education said 392 Syrian academics -- including 13 professors and 15 assistant professors -- were currently working in Turkey's 182 universities. 8 She also addressed the issue of unemployment. 55 \"[We are] doing vocational training, bringing people up to speed into what the Turkish labor market needs so that the refugees can get employment,\" she said\n\nVojackova-Sollorano also highlighted the importance of supportive host communities and municipality services that are sufficient enough to take care of the refugees. 17 \"We have municipalities where you have nearly half a million of refugees [...]. 23 That is a big strain on not only the services but also on the health sector and education,\" she added. 14 Vojackova-Sollorano also talked about Turkey's desire to make Istanbul a UN hub. 25 \"It is happening as we speak, there are many agencies that already have their regional offices or technical offices in Istanbul.\" 11 \"Istanbul is a wonderful location,\" she said. 26 \"I think it is a very good policy of the government to make Istanbul an important hub for the UN,\" she added. 20 Turkey is home to nearly three million Syrian people according to the Turkey's Directorate General of Migration Management. 20 This number accounts for around 45 percent of all Syrian refugees in the region, according to the UN."} {"text": " 51 ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistani opposition leader Imran Khan on Sunday dismissed accusations his planned shutdown of the nation\u2019s capital could lead to a military coup, saying Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif \u201ccan\u2019t hide behind \u2018democracy in danger\u2019\u201d to quash protests. 25 Pakistani opposition politician Imran Khan speaks with party leaders at his home in Bani Gala, outside Islamabad, Pakistan October 30, 2016. 50 REUTERS/Caren Firouz\n\nKhan, a former national cricket hero, has vowed to bring a million people into Islamabad on Wednesday to paralyse the government and force Sharif either to resign or allow an inquiry into the \u201cPanama Papers\u201d revelations about his family\u2019s offshore wealth. 50 Sharif\u2019s ruling PML-N party has accused Khan\u2019s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of endangering democracy by attempting to draw Pakistan\u2019s powerful military into a political dispute - a sensitive issue in a nation where the army has a history of staging coups. 44 Reuters interviewed Khan at his plush home in the hills above Islamabad, where he says the police have him under virtual house arrest after the city banned public gatherings ahead of Wednesday\u2019s planned protest and arrested scores of PTI workers. 39 He dismissed claims he wants the army to topple Sharif, as it did when Sharif was in power in the 1990s, and said the protests aim to hold the prime minister to account for alleged corruption. 17 \u201cHow can a democrat want the military to come in?,\u201d Khan said. 6 \u201cHe has to answer. 29 He can\u2019t hide behind \u2018democracy in danger\u2019.\u201d\n\nPakistan\u2019s military has repeatedly refused to comment on Wednesday\u2019s planned protests. 42 Relations between the PML-N party and the military soured earlier this month after a newspaper report about a top-level national security meeting angered the army, prompting the removal of one of Sharif\u2019s cabinet ministers blamed for the leak. 33 The tense relations, as well as the rowing between Sharif and Khan, have stirred unease and prompted newspaper editorial warnings that a descent into street chaos could trigger military intervention. 36 On Sunday, one of Sharif\u2019s closest allies, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, wrote in the English-language The News newspaper that Khan was \u201cwilling to derail democracy for personal gains\u201d. 45 The attack adds to long-held suspicions by PML-N supporters that Khan is being used by the military in a power struggle with the civilian government, which has ceded control of key policy areas such as relations with India and Afghanistan to the military. 13 \u201cI don\u2019t need the army,\u201d Khan said. 13 \u201cI\u2019m doing what the opposition is supposed to do. 11 Expose corruption, expose breaking the laws of the land ... 34 It doesn\u2019t mean I\u2019m asking the army to come in.\u201d\n\nSHARIF \u201cMESSED IT UP\u201d\n\nKhan said it is corruption, not protests, that threatens democracy. 68 \u201cWhen you have people coming to power and looting the country, they actually weaken the democratic system because people lose faith in democracy, and when the army comes in they welcome them with sweets.\u201d\n\nKhan blamed Sharif for the latest tensions between the government and the military, saying Sharif\u2019s allies leaked details of the security meeting to the Dawn newspaper. 10 \u201cThey messed it up,\u201d said Khan. 76 \u201cThey have humiliated the army, they\u2019ve exposed the army, they\u2019ve ridiculed the army because of the (Dawn leak) - what have we got to do with it?\u201d\n\nThe Oct. 6 Dawn article said top PML-N politicians confronted high-ranking military officials and called for the military not to interfere if civilian authorities tried to arrest members of anti-India militant groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba. 22 On Friday, Khan\u2019s supporters fought running battles with police in the city of Rawalpindi, close to Islamabad. 9 Scores of PTI party workers have been arrested. 21 Khan has accused the police of brutality, and urged his supporters to lay low until Wednesday to avoid arrest. 57 FEARS OF INSTABILITY\n\nKhan\u2019s latest challenge to Sharif\u2019s government is based on leaked documents from the Panama-based Mossack Fonseca law firm that appear to show the prime minister\u2019s daughter and two sons owned offshore holding companies registered in the British Virgin Islands and used them to buy properties in London. 7 Sharif\u2019s family denies wrongdoing. 21 Holding offshore companies is not illegal in Pakistan, but Khan insists the Sharif family money was gained by corruption. 25 Khan, 64, said in May he used an offshore company himself to legally avoid paying British tax on a London property sale. 34 The ruling party has said it would take part in an investigation, but has rejected the opposition\u2019s formula focused on Sharif\u2019s family rather than making it broad based. 13 Sharif\u2019s own name did not appear in the Panama Papers. 27 In 2014, Khan led a months-long occupation that paralysed Islamabad\u2019s government quarter after rejecting Sharif\u2019s decisive election win a year earlier. 27 The prospect of similar protests has hit the local stock market, stoking fears of political instability just as the sputtering economy was starting to rebound. 32 Khan said that unless Sharif agreed to his demands over the Panama Papers investigation, there was little the government could do to make him call off Wednesday\u2019s protests. 40 Slideshow (4 Images)\n\nHowever, he sought to downplay his party\u2019s calls to \u201clock down\u201d the city roads and paralyse the capital, something that prompted the authorities to ban all public gatherings. 24 Khan said his previous rallying cries for supporters to stop the government functioning were not a direct threat, but rather a prediction. 23 \u201cWhen you see a million people in Islamabad, trust me, the city will shut down,\u201d said Khan."} {"text": " 20 I watched these Ashes, from New York, on legally dubious links provided by a website called totalsportsmadness.com. 47 Sometimes you got the Sky Sports coverage \u2013 Bumble, Beefy, Nasser, Athers: a poem by Ogden Nash \u2013 other times you ended up with Australia's Channel Nine coverage and its nicknameless greats \u2013 Mark Taylor, Michael Slater, Bill Lawry. 14 Only Warney featured in both broadcasts, spinning both ways, of course. 28 From time to time the live stream would suffer an abrupt death, shut down by some intellectual property killjoy to whom total sports madness means nothing. 40 But invariably an alternative pop-up worked satisfactorily, more or less, even if it was interrupted between overs by Indian ads for body sprays that drive women wild and/or cut out sweating, even if you play rugby. 15 It would seem a solitary business, following the Ashes in America, online. 56 But you also have Cricinfo's live scorecard on, and the Guardian's over-by-over, and it's clear from the emails they receive, and from the fervent, fastidious comments appended to the newspaper blogs, that countless men around the world are in an electronic boat very similar to my own. 40 For the fan of the English cricket team \u2013 who need not be English, I can attest \u2013 the bliss of these Ashes has been without precedent, even those of us who remember Gatting's victorious tourists. 28 For such a fan, traumatised by a quarter-century of drubbings and humiliations, the spectacle of national excellence by proxy has been nothing less than therapeutic. 31 And nothing was more moving than the sight of Gower and Botham and Lloyd succumbing, in the aftermath of the Sydney win, to a daze of unprofessional happiness. 33 For all I know, these men are sick to death of one another and will lose their minds if they see one more ball pragmatically pushed through midwicket by Alastair Cook. 22 But I doubt it, not least because these Ashes have offered a new experience, and new experiences are interesting. 17 It is interesting, for example, to think about how the Australians must be feeling. 7 Not good, I'll bet. 9 They have our sympathy, even our empathy. 31 If there was a body spray that would make them feel better, that would spare them the despair and ignominy, I'm sure we would hand it over. 8 We have no use for it now. 22 Joseph O'Neill is the author of Netherland, considered by many to be one of the best novels ever written about cricket"} {"text": " 21 FORT SASKATCHEWAN \u2014 In the mythical land of Scientia Terra, four guilds gather for battle under scattered cotton-wool clouds. 27 The Minotaur King has a grip on the hero, Master Heebs, who refuses to divulge where he has hidden a rare and precious gem. 22 Tasked with liberating their master and reclaiming their resource-rich land are 22 eighth graders armed with tablets and a mini whiteboard. 28 They will defeat the Minotaur King with a series of quests, battles, and treasure hunts, earning precious objects and experience points on the way. 30 Welcome to science teacher Scott Hebert\u2019s classroom in Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Junior High School, where lessons transport students to another time and place. 37 There are no chairs or tables in this unconventional classroom \u2014 just painter\u2019s tape on the floor marking each group\u2019s territory, a series of fabric tents, and castle-themed wall decor. 34 While some teachers dabble in using games to teach concepts or build skills, Hebert has morphed the whole school year into running narrative that culminates in a battle with the Minotaur King. 33 \u201cIt has reinvigorated my love of teaching, because every class is unique and different,\u201d he said, the din of a guild battle raging behind the castle walls. 34 Hebert turned to gamification after teaching science the conventional way \u2014 with lectures, note-taking, and tests \u2014 and found his students weren\u2019t as engaged as he would have liked. 29 He remembered a video a colleague had shared about bringing a game-like atmosphere to the classroom, re-watched it, and became, frankly, a little obsessed. 39 By the beginning of the last school year, he was begging and borrowing game pieces and decorations for his classroom, and designed and printed his own set of reward and penalty cards for players to use. 41 Worksheets became challenges players had to solve using their knowledge of science, tests became \u201cboss battles,\u201d and kids earn experience points, not grades, which are tallied on a leaderboard under their characters\u2019 names. 35 \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of anecdotal evidence from teachers that if you use different or more calming language, that takes the stress of the situation off kids,\u201d he said. 26 Not only did his students\u2019 grades go by seven per cent to 12 per cent that first year, kids became enthusiastic about science. 22 Confused parents began emailing and tweeting at him, asking why their children wouldn\u2019t stop talking about his class. 29 \u2018I thought science was really boring\u2019\n\nAfter studying the human body for the last month, four guilds clamoured for victory in a Thursday morning battle. 16 Or, as other teachers might say, students took part in a review session. 11 Twenty folders with questions inside lay spread on the floor. 19 When Hebert said, \u201cGo,\u201d there was an all-out sprint to snatch up the folders. 33 Students hastily scrawled their answers on mini whiteboards before darting up to Hebert, who called out his approval, corrections and hints with the smooth co-ordination of an air traffic controller. 31 Success in Thursday\u2019s battle hinged on correctly labelled diagrams of the human heart, identifying organs involved in digestion, and explaining the gall bladder\u2019s function. 21 Players thrust forward \u201cfreeze\u201d and \u201cpoison\u201d cards to stop the particularly ambitious Vicious and Delicious guild. 34 The attacks pulled their restless members away from battle and left them hovering, agitated, in front of \u201cthe punisher\u201d (a mask-wearing superintendent) for a couple of minutes. 12 \u201cThey hate our guts,\u201d said 13-year-old Ezra Walker. 26 The obstacles lobbed at Vicious and Delicious were in vain, as the guild emerged victorious after completing 17 of 20 questions in 40 minutes. 12 The class has changed how 13-year-old Tanisha McQueen feels about science. 20 In Grade 7, the artistic teen found science class stifling, like there were few opportunities for creativity. 19 \u201c(Hebert) makes it fun and it doesn\u2019t feel like you\u2019re learning. 22 It just feels like you\u2019re playing a game, and that it\u2019s fun,\u201d she said. 31 Although some parents have asked Hebert how their children are supposed to learn without desks and chairs, McQueen finds an active approach more engaging than sitting and writing notes. 35 Walker, who describes himself as a \u201cbig nerd,\u201d enjoys the group work essential to success in the class, and students\u2019 ability to choose which projects to work on. 15 Earning extra objects and abilities in the game also pushes him to work harder. 26 \u201cIt kind of encourages you to do better, because you can get all this cool stuff to help you,\u201d he said. 17 Spreading the gospel of gamification\n\nIt\u2019s not just the students who are thinking strategically. 31 Knowing students differ in how they learn and what motivates them, Hebert designed Scientia Terra to pique the interests of many personalities \u2014 not just hyper competitive game lovers. 31 Gaming \u2014 whether table top, role-playing quests, or on digital devices \u2014 is chock full of rewards, Hebert said, which is what makes them so addictive. 28 He wanted to harness the compulsive draw of games in class, and get away from a traditionally punitive approach to teaching that accentuates students\u2019 failures. 29 \u201cPlease be careful with grades,\u201d Hebert told a room full of teachers assembled at a professional development session he ran last month on gamifying classrooms. 33 \u201cKids wear this like a badge.\u201d\n\nEven though she rarely gamed in her free time, the competitive aspect of Hebert\u2019s class is working for 13-year-old Caitlyn Buckler. 22 \u201cIt makes you work your hardest, because you want to be top of the leaderboard,\u201d she said. 35 Buckler wants to be a doctor, so she was delighted after Hebert spent part of his Christmas vacation ordering animal organs to assemble a fake corpse for enthusiastic students to perform an autopsy. 26 In the \u201cHeebs Anatomy\u201d extracurricular project, students applied to be on a team that determined the body\u2019s cause of death. 17 Teachers interested in using gaming don\u2019t have to go quite so over-the-top as Hebert. 22 He suggests they start by gamifying individual lessons, or even a unit, rather than diving into a year-long plot. 27 He runs a website, a YouTube channel, and hosts training sessions to help other teachers learn how to incorporate the approach into their classrooms. 26 Involving students by having them decorate and equip their domains, and seeking their feedback to improve the game are essential elements, he said. 23 And, yes \u2014 maintaining a gamified class is a lot of work, much of it done on his own time. 6 He doesn\u2019t care. 7 \u201cThese kids are our future. 28 These kids are the ones that are going to solve the problems we\u2019ve created, or solve the problems that have yet to be solved. 48 There\u2019s no amount of time or effort that I view as too much in getting kids engaged in the sciences \u2014 especially girls \u2014 because there\u2019s such a lack of girls in science, technology, engineering and math.\u201d\n\njfrench@postmedia.com\n\nTwitter.com/jantafrench"} {"text": " 40 $\\begingroup$\n\nThere's a nice idiom, which is explained more in chapter 22 of Types and Programming Languages (it's used for polymorphism rather than dependent types, but the idea is the same). 27 The idiom is as follows:\n\nA type checking system can be turned into a type inference system by making the rules linear and adding constraints. 10 I'll use the application rule as an example. 92 The checking rule in dependent types is this:\n\n$$\\frac{\\Gamma \\vdash t:\\Pi x:A.B\\quad \\Gamma\\vdash u:A}{\\Gamma\\vdash t\\ u: B[u/x]} $$\n\nLinearizing this rule requires re-naming the 2 occurrences of $A$, such that we obtain:\n\n$$\\frac{\\Gamma \\vdash t:\\Pi x:A_1.B\\quad \\Gamma\\vdash u:A_2}{\\Gamma\\vdash t\\ u: B[u/x]} $$\n\nBut this isn't correct anymore! 86 We need to add the constraint $A_1\\simeq A_2$:\n\n$$\\frac{\\Gamma \\vdash t:\\Pi x:A_1.B\\quad \\Gamma\\vdash u:A_2}{\\Gamma\\vdash t\\ u: B[u/x]}\\quad A_1\\simeq A_2 $$\n\nNote that $\\simeq$ denotes equivalence modulo your conversion relation ($\\beta\\eta$, typically), just like for the conversion rule, but it is now a unification constraint, since you may have meta-variables in your terms. 32 In the course of type checking, you'll accumulate constraints like these, to potentially solve them all at once at the end (or earlier for efficiency reasons). 21 Now things can get trickier, because the type of $t$ itself could be a metavariable in context! 82 A more generally applicable rule would therefore be\n\n$$\\frac{\\Gamma \\vdash t:C\\quad \\Gamma\\vdash u:A_2}{\\Gamma\\vdash t\\ u: B[u/x]}\\ C\\simeq \\Pi x:A_1.B,\\ A_1\\simeq A_2 $$\n\nOr alternatively, keeping the previous rule and adding the rule\n\n$$\\frac{}{\\Gamma_1, x:C, \\Gamma_2 \\vdash x: A} C\\simeq A $$\n\nat variable lookup time. 33 Another useful remark is that in the checking system, the conversion rule only needs to be applied right before applications, and possibly once at the very end of the derivation. 22 Since this rules correspond to a unification constraint in the inference system, this tells you where to place the constraints."} {"text": " 19 Uber has finally rolled out the much-awaited multi-destination feature that lets riders add extra stops to their trip. 47 The feature should save you the trouble of convincing your driver to go a little out of the way to pick up or drop off a friend, and you won\u2019t have to go through the inconvenience of updating the new destination mid-trip either. 44 Up until now, Uber would only allow you to specify a start and end point for a ride, and a pick-up or drop-off along the way meant having to update the new destination mid-trip or requesting for a new ride altogether. 23 The new feature allows riders to add up to three additional stops along their route, allowing for easier pick-ups and drop-offs. 43 To use the feature, simply tap the \u201c+\u201d next to the destination box once you\u2019ve opened the Uber app on your mobile device and add stop(s) at any point before or during your ride. 24 You can add, change, or remove a stop from the on-trip screen, which is accessible from your app home screen. 22 Any new stops you add during a trip instantly updates your driver\u2019s route and also reflects on your app. 21 Your fares get adjusted as you add or remove stops based on time and distance rates disclosed in the app. 29 You\u2019re required to confirm you\u2019ve reached one of the added destinations by swiping \u2018confirm stop\u2019 to get routed to the next location. 19 You can then continue to the next destination by swiping \u201cstart trip\u201d to confirm the same. 21 Uber says you\u2019ll be charged extra if you spend longer than 3 minutes at any of the stops. 10 The new feature has been a long time coming. 26 Uber announced that it would roll out the multi-destination feature along with its in-app chat feature in a phased manner back in August this year."} {"text": " 31 I\u2019ve been trying to write a review for the movie Pariah for a while now but I can\u2019t write anything that conveys what this film accomplishes. 32 For those who need to know about the film before you see it, read Summer M.\u2019s take and the review by Mecca Jamilah Sullivan at the Feminist Wire. 9 Brilliant commentary (and Spoilers, FYI). 41 What I really want to talk about is the power of showing out up for art that creates new narratives and provides another lens on worlds that we don\u2019t often get to see centered on the big screen. 33 As much as I despise Tyler Perry\u2019s films, I appreciate people\u2019s willingness to pay for what they want to see and go out en masse premiere weekend. 21 His audiences\u2019 loyalty is what allows him to continue to create and branch out into other mediums like television. 19 I want that opportunity for longevity and growth for folks who are trying to offer a different perspective. 18 Dee Rees\u2019 Pariah was years in the making and it took a village to raise it. 29 I\u2019m certainly proud to be a part of the community from whence it came and I\u2019ve been rooting for its success for some time. 57 Three years ago I got an email from Beverly Guy-Sheftall, the indomitable director of the Spelman Women\u2019s Research & Resource Center (and the professor that started me down the path of my feminist future), about a young filmmaker who was working to turn a short into a feature length film. 23 I hadn\u2019t even seen the short but I emailed everyone I knew based solely on the premise and the title. 14 Pariah was a queer coming of age story with a Black girl protagonist. 3 Nuff said. 27 Krys Freeman and I mobilized our respective networks and helped the film win a coveted Sundance prize that allowed it to be developed into a feature. 15 We told folks to vote, asked people to donate money and we did! 6 We weren\u2019t alone. 11 So many people were excited for this movie to exist. 20 The opportunity to support a film for us by us was something a lot of folks could get behind. 32 On the CFC we offer critiques of culture but we also like to provide people with information about the things that inspire us and provide proof that another world is possible. 7 Pariah is one of those things! 9 Show up and show OUT for this movie! 28 We are planning a \u201cLet\u2019s go OUT to the Movies\u201d meet up in Atlanta to see the film when it premieres January 13. 11 I encourage folks in other cities to do the same! 21 Leave details in the comments if you\u2019d like to attend or organize such an OUTing in your city!"}