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I recently learned all about "Poe's Law," from Cracked Editor David Wong. Poe's Law is a handy little concept invented by Nathan Poe in a religious Internet forum a few years ago. According to Wikipedia, the "core of Poe's law is that a parody of something is by nature extreme, [which] makes it impossible to differentiate from sincere extremism." In Nathan's case, the law applied to his inability to distinguish religious extremism from a parody of religious extremism. I don't hang around religious forums (court order), but I'm starting to feel like Poe's Law is just as applicable to movies. Something about movies changed over the last few years. Like Poe, I'm looking at the world around me and desperately searching for a joke that would be impossible to find.
I can no longer tell if movies are being serious. I used to be able to watch trailers and say, "This is clearly a parody" or "This is just a bad movie." But, these days, the gap between the two has become so blurry and thin, I'm like Nathan Poe, looking for some kind of winking emoticon that let's me know what's what. So many people will say that they love movies like Machete and Drive Angry and Snakes On A Plane "ironically" which is absolutely meaningless to me because A) I'm kinda dumb, B) irony as a concept was murdered by the Internet years ago and C) I only know how to like movies or hate movies genuinely. Some filmmakers are embracing this idea of movies being designed to be consumed ironically, while other filmmakers are just making shitty movies. And the frustrating thing is that there is no observable difference between the two. Once upon a time, I could finish watching a trailer and my only thought would either be "That was good" or "That was bad." Now, I watch most trailers and I just scratch my head, thinking, "Hey, filmmakers: Did you really mean that? Do you think shooting a movie where Nicolas Cage has sex on a motorcycle while he shoots machine guns is a genuinely good idea, or a patently ridiculous (and therefore 'ironically' good) idea? Is any of this a joke?"
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To help illustrate my point, I watched three current movie trailers of films that are either terrible or hilarious from three different genres (Romantic Comedy, Comedy, Action), over and over again, all day. (My job is pretty cool.) | 0.061608 |
Updated, March 10: Climate denialists, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, and Donald Trump himself have expressed interest in the idea of a “red team blue team” debate on climate change, conducted on a national stage.
But it looks like they are out of luck. According to The New York Times, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly has definitively put an end to the notion.
Kelly and other White House officials “regarded it as ill-conceived and politically risky, and when Pruitt sought to announce it last fall, they weighed in to stop him.” At a crucial inter-departmental meeting, “every office within the White House was opposed to the idea.”
Ah well, so long, red team. We barely knew ye.
Below is a post I wrote in 2017, exploring the idea — not only Pruitt’s proposal, but the way the exercise could be used to glean real insight about climate change. It’s still worth reading!
Back in June 2017, E&E’s Emily Holden broke the story that EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt is planning a “red team, blue team” exercise to critique climate change science. He told Breitbart he got the idea from a Wall Street Journal editorial by physicist Steven Koonin. Rick Perry is also a big fan.
Then on Thursday, at his first oversight hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment, Pruitt told Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) that he has a timeline: the red team/blue process will be underway by "early next year."
The way Pruitt reportedly plans to do it is, he will assemble a team of climate “skeptics,” who doubt some or all of the results of mainstream climate science, to be one team. Another group of climate scientists would defend the existing body of research, as the blue team. And there will be some kind of public debate or exchange between them, perhaps televised.
This is, for many, many obvious reasons, a terrible idea. But one of its worst consequences is perhaps the least obvious: It will discredit the idea of a red team, blue team exercise focused on climate change. That is too bad, because the concept could be used for a more productive conversation about what to do about this gigantic threat.
I’ll get to why in a second. First, briefly, the main two reasons that Pruitt’s idea is bad and wrong.
The red-team exercise is not suited to basic science
The red-team exercise has its origins in the military, which has done some of the most rigorous thinking of any institution about decision-making in the face of deep uncertainty. Military planners do not typically use cost-benefit analysis in pursuit of ideally efficient results. They are not focused on optimality, but on resilience and robustness. They seek to create systems — computer systems, systems of rank and discipline, combat systems, decision-making systems, war plans — that are robust against a variety of risks.
Risk, crudely speaking, means probability multiplied by severity. So lower probability does not necessarily mean lower risk. It depends on the shape of the curve.
The black line shows a more probable risk, with outcomes grouped tightly around a narrow (and low) range of severities. The red line shows a less probable risk but with longer “tails,” encompassing some extremely severe outcomes. The red scenario is less likely, but contains more total risk.
One way to assess a system’s resilience is to attack it — or rather, to simulate an attack. That, in a nutshell, is the origin of the red-team exercise. The idea is to create a group devoted to taking the system down and find out how it holds up under stress. The blue team and read team do faux battle, whether it’s hackers trying to penetrate a computer system or terrorist cells trying to take down US installations. Then blue teams figure out how to ruggedize their systems and run the exercise again. (For an extensive account, see Red Team: How to Succeed by Thinking Like the Enemy, by Micah Zenko of the Council on Foreign Relations.)
It’s a great way to help figure out what to do. (More on that in a minute.) It’s not necessarily suited to determining what’s true, scientifically speaking.
Or rather, what you’d want for science is something with the same spirit, but slower, more deliberate, more systematized. Call it “peer review.”
As many scientists and others have already pointed out, science basically is one giant, slow-moving red-team exercise, and it’s working just fine. Scientists spend a great deal of time scrutinizing one another’s work. Correcting or amending important work can make a scientific career.
There is always the possibility of cultural bias in peer review, as there is in everything, but there is no evidence, at long last, after years of attacks, that the many disciplines that fall under the rubric “climate science” face any unique problems in that regard, or have ignored significant results.
There is certainly no reason to believe that our collective understanding would be improved by a televised debate.
No body of science has been more reviewed and stress-tested than climate science. The most-cited list of skeptics hasn’t changed in years, in some cases for decades. They are kept in the public eye entirely through the efforts of an organized ideological campaign, but they rarely add to their ranks.
Which brings us to the second reason this a dumb idea.
Trump’s a denier, Pruitt’s a denier, and the whole point of the exercise is denialist
Whatever theoretical good a red-team exercise might do for climate science — Niskanen Center’s Joseph Majkut makes a decent case for them — there is every reason to think that this administration will approach the exercise as it has everything else: incompetently and in bad faith.
Trump has a long record of dismissing climate change. Neither Pruitt nor Perry believes the consensus conclusion that human beings are the primary drivers of recent warming.
They have not thought a lot about climate science, certainly not about systemic weaknesses in the peer review process. They don’t even really know what those words mean.
“What the American people deserve,” Pruitt told Breitbart, “is a true, legitimate, peer-reviewed, objective, transparent discussion about CO2.”
You’re thinking “uh, that’s science.” But the thing to remember, the thing that becomes clear when listening to any Pruitt speech or interview, is that he’s just saying words. He’s heard liberals say “peer review” a lot, so he’s gathered that it’s some kind of synonym for “good” and just co-opted it.
Almost nothing Pruitt has ever said about climate change has made sense, or been true, or either. He is not a man one might reasonably trust to run an objective stress test on the findings of a large and diverse scientific field.
Meanwhile, in a recent budget hearing, Sen. Al Franken explained to Perry that the red-team thing is basically what scientists do all the time. He mentioned the red team of skeptics assembled by the Koch brothers several years ago, run by Dr. Richard Muller. At the end of the process, Muller renounced his skepticism and urged action on climate change.
Here is Muller’s New York Times op-ed: “The Conversion of a Climate-Change Skeptic.”
“I don’t believe that,” Perry said. “I don’t buy it.”
These are not people who care about climate science.
Red team exercises would be great for climate decision-making
Where red-team exercises excel is in helping with decision-making — figuring out what to do.
Climate science confronts us with a skein of overlapping risks of varying probabilities, some of them high probability and moderately severe, many of them low probability but extremely severe. Even among the “known” risks, like droughts and crop failures, it is difficult for scientists to predict regional effects with confidence, especially at the temporal scale humans need (decades, not centuries).
Risks arise not only from the physical manifestations of atmospheric heat, but from its social effects — the heat stress, starvation, migration, and conflict it will drive. Climate is what the military calls a “risk multiplier.” Faced with these rising and potentially catastrophic risks, and not much time, we very urgently need to figure out what to do.
And climate science, whatever its merits, can never tell us what to do.
In a large and complex culture, any collective decision involves myriad conflicting interests and influences. Decisions must take climate science into account, but also how to balance risks, how to judge the economic and political challenges against the atmospheric one, how to weigh lives, money, and time.
Decisions require not just true facts and accurate projections, they require wisdom, a balancing of risks and interests.
The military’s experience making urgent decisions in the face of deep uncertainty will soon prove extremely valuable to all of us. Like military strategists, we will have to think in terms of risk management, make decisions based not primarily on optimality — the situation is too urgent and too uncertain for economic optimization — but on resilience. We will need to ruggedize our systems, in Alex Steffen’s words.
We need ways to make good, reliable decisions quickly (especially, I would argue, at the city level). That is the kind of thing red-team exercises can help with. Come up with plans, budgets, and strategies and then assign teams to tear them apart: Point out overlooked risks, challenge the weighting of values, or expose possible unanticipated effects and feedback loops. Run the exercise until you find a plan that is rugged against multiple attacks, points of failure, and unanticipated outcomes.
Red team exercises are something other parts of the government could adopt from the military to healthy effect. It will be a shame if their name and reputation are tarnished by Pruitt’s hackish attempt to prosecute old and long-settled disputes over basic science.
Further reading
Back in 2012, I did a couple of posts for Grist on these themes: | 0.860073 |
There are This article was co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS . Dr. Elliott is a veterinarian with over thirty years of experience. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987, and worked as a veterinary surgeon for 7 years. Afterward, Dr. Elliott worked as a veterinarian at an animal clinic for over a decade.There are 16 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
In this Article:Article SummaryDeciding Whether or Not to Clean Your Horse’s SheathGetting PreparedCleaning the SheathCommunity Q&A16 References
The sheath is a tube of skin that protects the horse’s penis. Smegma or a lubricating secretion fills the inside of the horse’s sheath. In the wild, a horse would work out this lubrication naturally through sex, but in a domesticated setting, this secretion tends to build up, forming “beans” within the horse’s sheath. Not every horse has this problem, nor is there a consensus on whether or not a sheath should be cleaned. Either as a preventative or reactionary measure, in consultation with your vet, you may decide to periodically clean your horse’s sheath. Normally, this cleaning should be done at least every 6 months for a gelding (a castrated male horse) and every year for a stallion (an uncastrated male horse).[1] A male horse’s genitalia is very sensitive, so you need to proceed carefully. | 0.952915 |
Decorating the wedding car is a fun tradition however make sure you keep some control as if it is applied incorrectly it could damage the car or possibly offend wedding guests.
Over the past 20 years we have heard many stories, some rather funny and original and some about wedding car decoration which has been rather costly, and embarrassing.
The most traditional and most remembered is the String of Empty Cans or Old Boots attached to the back of the Wedding Car, however the law has since changed and it is no longer permitted to trail anything behind a wedding car as it would be illegal on the road.
Other popular products such as toilet rolls, shaving foam, toothpaste or eggs may contain chemicals that can alter and damage the wedding car paint so this is definitely a No No on hired cars, unless it is on your own car of course.
Although fun and traditional wedding car decoration can be very distressful and costly when it comes to damaging someone’s pride and joy.
To avoid any embarrassment and/or damage to the wedding car and for the traditional approach simply attach ribbons to the car. Most professional wedding cars for hire will be provided already dressed with the traditional V-shape ribbons over the bonnet and silk flowers on the parcel shelf. Best avoid fresh flowers in the car as they wilt very quickly on a parcel shelf in the sun and water in the oasis and containers can spill or leak and stain or damage rear parcel shelves, as most older classic and vintage cars have a material or felt covering on these shelves.
This Vintage Wedding Car based in Hampshire has a silk flower arrangement especially made to be placed into position for when the hood is down.
Some Cars available for Wedding Hire already come with specific decorations such as this VW Beetle wedding car available for hire in Hampshire with flowers on the front bumper.
Some VW Campervans come with interiors already decorated especially for weddings
You may want to add bows on the door handles but this is a personal preference as sometimes it can look a bit ‘Over the Top’ with too much wedding car decoration, another thing to consider with door handles is if they are open ended the bows may fly off when driving, on closed handles this would not happen. You don’t need to spend out much money on this either as there are such things as ‘Pull Bows’ on the market which you simply pull two cords and the bow is miraculously formed into a perfect shape. For those who are talented you could of course make the bows yourself and give them to your Wedding Car Chauffeur prior to your wedding day. Remember bows and ribbon should be of polypropylene ribbon which is waterproof and needs to be used for cars, as if silk were used and the weather was wet you will end up with a soggy flat mess on the car.
If you’d like something a bit less traditional why not have big ribbon knots made, smaller knots can be attached to the door handles. This blue Modern Bentley Wedding Car in Dorset has a larger bow at the front and smaller bows on its door handles, in fact these are the ‘Pull Bows’ we mentioned earlier.
A “Just Married” sign can be made and placed inside the rear window with little suction cup so it does not damage the car’s paint on the outside. Some wedding car owners may have a variety of “Just Married” signs to match the style of their vehicles such as this Volkswagen Camper Van in Devon. Very flower power !
Balloons filled with helium are another wedding car decorating idea and can be attached to the wedding car’s door handle, or the strings can be held in place by the closed window so that when the window is opened the balloons fly upwards and to the sky. When the car starts to drive off after the ceremony is probably a good time to let them fly.
Some other iconic Wedding Cars of a certain era would come with chauffeurs fully dressed in a period uniform which complement the decoration and style of the wedding, this American Buick Wedding Car in Kent has Bridesmaids dressed in a 50’s era style.
This Wolseley Police Car based in Hampshire, which was very popular in the 50’s and 60’s even has a chauffeur dressed as a police driver, how about that for attention to detail. Not sure who the ladies are but they seem to be enjoying themselves !
You can of course be as creative as your imagination about your wedding car decoration, however before you buy or commit to doing anything make sure you check with the car owner as some Wedding Car Owners will not wish to have anything attached on their car without prior consent, sometimes it can even create a problem with their vehicle insurance, for example ribbons are not legal on a wedding car after dark due to visibility problems. The policeman above may have a few things to say about it also.
Enjoy your planning. | 0.861164 |
If one regards himself superior or equal or inferior by reason of the body that is impermanent, painful and subject to change, what else is it than not seeing reality? Or if one regards himself superior or equal or inferior by reason of feelings, perceptions, volitions or consciousness, what else is it than not seeing reality? If one does not regard himself superior or equal or inferior by reason of the body, the feelings, perceptions, volitions or consciousness what else is it than seeing reality?
A word of warning may not be out of place here. It is inadvisable to dwell too much on our so-obvious faults. By unwisely reflecting on them we encourage them to root themselves still more firmly in our unconscious (i.e., our sankharas ). Instead remember the advice of Paul the Apostle "Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest... whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things ." We as Buddhists have the Buddha Dhamma to think about — "lovely in the beginning, lovely in the middle, lovely in the ending." This as Dr. Henn Collins has pointed out is the true philosopher's stone whose alchemy will transmute the base metal of our ordinary consciousness into the gold of Enlightenment.
Alternatively "I" am the result of past kamma. My talents are not due to my own virtue, but have arisen on account of the skilled actions performed by vanished personalities whose kammic descendant "I" am. Therefore it is silly of me to be conceited about qualities which are not in any real sense "mine."
The method of analysis is also helpful. "I" am being praised for some real or imagined virtue, say generosity. Generosity is non-greed ( alobha ) one of the Good Roots, and as such appears in the list of dharmas given in the Abhidharma philosophy. According to Mahayana "All dharmas are empty of own-being" — that is to say they are non-existent. Therefore "I" am being praised for something which doesn't exist. This is so absurd that it knocks the bottom out of my conceit.
2. Get back to the first two "steps" of the Noble Eightfold Path (a) Right Understanding of the mental quality or capacity involved: to see according to reality "This (quality) is not mine; I am not this; there is no self in it"; (b) Right Aspiration towards the expunging of Conceit. In the Discourse on Expunging (Majjh. Nik. I.8) we read "Now I say that the arising of thoughts is very helpful in regard to skilled states of mind. Therefore the thought should arise 'Others may be harmful; as to this we will not be harmful' and so on for all our evil propensities. Others may be conceited; but we as to this will not be conceited.'"
1. Recognize Conceit whenever he pops up and name him. This as readers will remember is the advise given by Nyanaponika Thera in his valuable articles in "Sangha." Mara, like Satan, hates to be recognized. This practice is doubly effective because it "keeps one on one's toes," and induces a real dislike of the tendency.
For our comfort we find that much can be done to curb the activities of this persistent Mara. Pride has been aptly described as the "giant weed." We may grub up a few roots in this life-span, but the thing has already gone to seed and will appear in the future.
The cultivation of humility is not easy; there's a temptation to indulge in mock-modesty, and untruthfully disclaim any real achievement, and still worse to be conceited about not being conceited. It is wiser, I think, to tackle Conceit at its first uprising; if one can do that, then Humility will develop in the natural course of events.
Conceit is very prone to arise when one is praised for some particular work or mental quality. Within limits praise from a knowledgeable person is stimulating and encouraging; some people who are modest or diffident by nature can only work well when they are appreciated. The trouble is that too much praise, particularly if it borders on flattery, stimulates the sense of "I"-ness. The ego sticks out its chest and feels two inches taller; it has a delicious feeling of security and believes itself to be invulnerable!
Any conceit that arises in connection with the practice of Dhamma is much to be deplored. This sometimes occurs when students are making good progress in their studies. Some queer experience or flash of "insight" is assumed to be a sign of virtue or an advance towards Higher Consciousness, and the student, instead of checking up on his experience with a wise teacher, jumps to the conclusion that he is half-way to being an Arahant. We do well to remember that no two people have exactly the same experience in regard to meditation practice. The was recognized in the Buddha's own day: Sariputta was revered for his wisdom, and Moggallana for his psychic powers, but both were venerated as "Great Beings."
Conceit can arise from the most trivial cause. One completes a piece of work, and having made a good job of it, one is naturally pleased. There's no harm in that: we all know the difference between a worker whose only interest is his pay-packet, and the man who takes pride in his work. The trouble arises when we begin to make comparisons — "X. couldn't have done it half as well." That may be quite true, but it is dangerous to think that because one's skill is superior in a single instance that one is therefore a better person. That is "Superiority Conceit," and it has its counterpart in the "Inferiority Conceit" of the unsuccessful person, and the "Equality Conceit" of the man who says "I'm as good as you." With the underlying implication "And a good deal better!"
Pride in all its forms, devolves from self-esteem, which is in reality "ego-worship." It stems, so they say, from Greed, the first of the Roots of evil. The thought here is rather subtle: when the ordinary person thinks of greed he thinks first of what one puts into one's tummy — that second helping of plum-pudding, or the consumption of a pound of candies in a single evening. The commentators of old were much more drastic. Greed is "delight in one's own possessions." Hence we can be greedy about anything to which we have affixed the label "mine." My car, my table, my cat, my best beloved. The Greedy aspect of Conceit is recognized when we realize we are "taking delight" in our own good qualities or capacities.
In Christian literature of the lighter sort we sometimes come across the expression "Little Devil DOUBT." This personage is not known to Buddhists, but another little devil can be still more devastating. He is an ugly little Mara, named CONCEIT. Unlike his big brother Pride, who is not lacking in dignity, Conceit is a mean, slinking little devil, lurking in dark corners and always ready to rush out and nip our heels. Doubt is slain when the disciple wins the stream: Conceit being a manifestation of Pride, remains a menace to the very end.
by Brian Fawcett
(From "The Sangha," The Journal of the English Sangha Association, V.1)
Few of us are free from Pride in one form or another. We know that in the interests of spiritual development it must be killed out. We are taught as much, and accept the teaching without question. But the method by which Pride may be eliminated is a problem not easy to solve, and the indirect, sweeping precepts of the sages are of little practical help to us. It is all very well saying: "Kill out this, and kill out that," but what we want to know is, how may we go about it?
In the first place: what is Pride?
Let us call analogy to our aid. Regard pride as a weed, propagating itself with alarming fecundity in the garden of the mind. Its root is not visible, but the flowering shoots are in plain view. Cut down these shoots and either they grow again or the roots puts out new ones. The only way to destroy it is to dig it up altogether. That root is Self-Esteem. From it grow the roots of Conceit, Boastfulness, Ambition, Jealousy, Envy and Intolerance. There are others, but let us take these six manifestations for the sake of discussions. Unbiased, detached self-scrutiny will disclose what others may exist in one's own character, and it is unlikely that all will be found equally developed. There is cause for alarm when we discover them in ourselves. Pride is invariably despised when observed in others, yet we sometimes boast of possessing it. "I have my pride, you know," is a common assertion.
Beneath every manifestation of Pride, lies Self-Esteem. It is the conviction of superiority over others — the feeling that we are what they are not, or that we can do what they cannot do. Successes in early childhood may sow the seeds of it. The praise of relatives fosters it. Once planted, it grows, and not even the flattening criticism by one's own contemporaries in adolescence can stop it. By and by it becomes a habit to compare oneself with the people one meets or passes in the street, generally to their disadvantage. What we know of our own accomplishments is measured by what we presume they lack. We think we know our friends inside and out, and our judgments are based on a firm belief in the infallibility of our perception. There is a tendency to group those who are not obviously outstanding under the heading of "Ordinary People," and sometimes to place them in the inferior category for no more reason than that they look as if they belong there. How often we hear the remark: "He seems so ordinary, but when you get to know him there's a lot in him!" We are surprised to see our spot judgment wrong — that there really is something in that very ordinary-looking person. Can we honestly claim to be free of this habit of automatically comparing others with our own ideas of ourselves? If so, then Self-Esteem is not present.
It would be bad enough if Pride flourished in no more then Self-Esteem, but it must manifest itself in every way it can. It strives to show on the surface, which is perhaps just as well, for then it becomes obvious. Conceit, first shoot of the weed Pride, is Self-Esteem manifesting in visible form. Not content with merely feeling superior to the people around us, we show it in our bearing. A glance from some passer-by of the opposite sex may be interpreted as a look of approval. The fine figure reflected in the shop window as we pass engenders a feeling of warm satisfaction. Smart clothes, we believe, do justice to our carriage. We may not be so tall as that person over yonder, but we have a more distinguished look. No one would pick out any one of them in a crowd, but all can see we are different. Crude, isn't it? But that is the way Conceit affects us, and its crudity is indeed shocking when self-analysis brings us face to face with it. Inspired by a consciousness of a desire for Truth, our minds turn the searchlight of enquiry inwards upon our own characters, and then there dawns the realization that Conceit has been part of us for as long as we remember. Formerly, we would have angrily denied the charge of being conceited. Now we see that it is well founded. Our "apartness," our treasured "individuality," is plainly one of its aspects.
Conceit has grown without its presence being suspected, and an even more dangerous and disgusting shoot has sprung up beside it. This is Boastfulness — Self-Esteem's oral manifestation. One of our national conventions is the taboo on bragging, and the idea of voicing a plain, undisguised boast would shock us as much as it would disgust the conventional listener. a very admirable convention too — but it by no means eliminates Boastfulness, for there are other ways of boasting, and as long as the desire to call attention to oneself exists, that particular ramification of Pride is a danger. We can get others to boast for us. We can also impress them (particulary our relations) that they sing our praises to others. In this way we gain more than were it to come from ourselves, and run no risk of its incurring disagreeable criticism. We can seek publicity and, once gained, declaim it. We may artfully bring a conversation round to a point at which we "modestly" have to admit to something we are really proud of. It takes a certain amount of courage to probe one's own secret heart and bring to light some of the many ways in which we who sincerely believe ourselves to be guiltless can actually indulge in Boastfulness. It is one of the most persistent roots of the weed of Pride, and the most dangerous because so frequently overlooked.
There are two kinds of Ambition. There is Wrong Ambition, and Right Ambition. One is based on Self-Esteem; the other is free of any taint of it. Wrong Ambition is the desire to excel or succeed in order to enhance one's standing — one's reputation. It is the urge to achieve with the object of "putting the other chap's eye out!" In its more acceptable, and therefore more insidious aspect, it is the will to gain admiration and respect — to become, in fact, a worldly "success," which nearly always means a financial success. Confident of our great worth, we cannot be satisfied until repeated success have called the attention of others to it. We feel that wealth is a concrete recognition of it.
Right Ambition, on the other hand, is above itself. It is the will to succeed, not for the gratification of self-esteem, but to further achievement for its own sake. The painter who strives to express adequately the idea inspiring him — the poet who seeks to express an emotion as it has never been expressed — the craftsman ever intent on bettering his achievement — all are followers of Right Ambition. Their "selves" are forgotten. They work as instruments, and they feel that in the expression of their art is little personal, but rather a universal power whose tools they are. Noblest ambition of all is the desire to achieve an objective of disinterested service to one's fellow creatures, whether human or animal. it is sometimes gratifying to learn how many of us have this objective.
Jealousy might be defined as the resentment felt against another for competing at the same level. Note that it is at the same level that competition begets jealousy. An admission of inferiority by the other will quickly banish the jealousy we may feel against him. Those we admit to be our superiors do not arouse our jealousy. It is a bestial emotion, but one that undoubtedly had its uses in our passage through the lives in the Instinctive Mind, for it was an aid to our survival. Carried over into the influence of Intellect it has no place, and puts a drag on our upward progress. He who is at one moment the object of our jealousy, is regarded with affection once that jealousy has been smothered. What may has served us for the conservation of the means of life when we existed in a lower condition is now no more than a vehicle for Pride's manifestation, and its redundancy is obvious the moment the reason has torn Jealousy's red veil from the perception. We know it is useless, and long to rid ourselves of it. We seem to succeed, and then conditions come about favorable to its reappearance, and the unwelcome pangs are felt again. Remember, then, that it is a shoot of Self-Esteem and until that root has been killed out the shoot may be beaten down only to blossom again.
We joke about Envy, and are inclined to look on it as less despicable than Jealousy, its near relative. Think about it — think over and around it — define it to yourself — get to know it. When the nature of an unpleasant thing is known, it is less to be dreaded. With all these ramifications of the weed of Pride the same approach can be recommended. Define them to yourself. Figure out what they are and how much you are subject to their influence. Envy can be called the resentment felt against another for possessing that which one values and does not posses oneself. It may be only a gentle resentment sometimes, but is dangerous nevertheless, for it may become fierce. Underlying it is the feeling, "Why should he have it, and not I?" Self-Esteem is outraged.
Then there is Intolerance. Sometimes it is the only form of Pride we are subject to. It is often the most robust shoot of the whole plant. It springs directly from Self-Esteem, for it is a refusal to accept anything that conflicts with our own ideas. It is to brand as wrong all that to us is not right. Intolerance causes us to condemn a person for doing that with which we disagree, but let him do just what we would do ourselves and — here is what is so unreasonable — a feeling of jealousy may be aroused. Pride sweeps us first one way, then another. There is no keeping our feet when once in its grasp. Don't expect Pride to be in any way "reasonable," for it wilts and disappears in the light of reason, its greatest foe.
We are repeatedly being asked: "Why carry the burden of Pride? Throw it aside! It is so much relief to rid yourselves of its weight and know the lightness of freedom!" We feel inclined to retort: " That's all very well, but how can we get rid of it? We know we must, but we don't know how to begin!"
The sickle which can cut down these roots is Reason — calm reflection — Meditation. Make it your task for a few weeks to give up half an hour daily for reasoning it out, and the results may amaze you. Look at yourself, as it were, from outside. Be honest with yourself, in making a searching examination to determine how Pride is manifesting through you, for fair self-analysis is in itself a powerful weapon to use against it. Classify those manifestations. Reason them out. Do they make sense? In your everyday life try and form the habit of watching with interest to spot each of Pride's several shoots as it appears, and once a week spend a meditation hour in asking yourself for a detailed report of every one noted. Form a picture in your mind of the perfect character, and compare your own character with it. For example, say to your self: "Now, I think there was an inclination to boast in my remark to Mrs. So-and-so at tea yesterday. How would the Ideal Being have acted under the circumstances?" Or again: "Would the Ideal Being have considered himself superior in bearing to those ugly people I passed in such-and-such a street? Of course not! He would have been above that." The power of standing apart from, and criticizing, the Ego who is subject to Pride, allows you to find satisfaction in adverse criticism from others. Whereas formerly you felt bitter if ridiculed or put "in the wrong," it now amuses you, for you see what good medicine it is for the Self you desire to set free. When others treat you with intolerance, welcome it, for they are doing you a favor by striking direct at your own intolerance. Seek those things which formerly aroused in you the pangs of Envy or Jealousy. Find pleasure in feeling that other self hurt by them, knowing that the wounds are suffered by the false Ego — Pride — and not by the real You. It will not be long before the pain is gone, and then you will have a good laugh at the memory of that squirming demon who fled surprised and vanquished.
We who are subject to Conceit dread ridicule. Cease to dread it. When we see the wicked caricatures, or witness those vivid mimicries of ourselves, it is for us to welcome them, for they are aiding us materially in the conquest of Pride. So also, to hear ourselves belittled is an antidote for Boastfulness. When we do, there is no need to hide a raging heart behind a sickly smile. Once we have learned the trick of standing apart from ourselves these things can no longer hurt.
But beat down the shoots of Pride as we may, we cannot be free from the weed until the root has gone. It is right to prevent the shoots from thriving. Destroy them by all means. But Pride will persist in making its appearance until Self-Esteem is rooted out — and to accomplish that is the hardest job of all!
Here is a tip that may perhaps be of service. Try and form the habit of supposing every passer-by on whom the thoughts rest to be possessed of at least one attribute superior to your own. Think to yourself: "This creature isn't much to look at, but I'll bet she is far more even-tempered than I am!" Look at that rather foppish young man whose appearance used to annoy you, and think: "All the same, in a pinch he would show far greater physical courage than I." Cease to regard the large, loud-mouthed person as empty-headed, and think instead: "He's probably far cleverer with his hands than I." We are all learning our lessons in Life's school-room. Some are more advanced than us in one thing, and behind us in others. The person who cannot resist the temptation to gratify the senses may nevertheless be a good angel to others in need of help. The thief may be an actual hero. If we consistently regard others as possessing at least one of those desirable characteristics we ourselves are striving for, we are actually admitting our inferiority, and Self-Esteem suffers a staggering blow. Remember that Self-Esteem is a habit, and just as a habit must be acquired, so may it be abandoned. We are not born with it. We cultivate it by regarding ourselves as superior to others in some particular thing — later in more things — ultimately in everything. Kill it out by recognizing the superiority of others in some way. Credit them with that superiority, even though you don't know they possess it. Self-Esteem will die for lack of nourishment, and one day will come the first joyful realization that there is no Him nor Her nor You, but that we are all one. You need not fear going too far and acquiring an "inferiority complex." Your eyes will be open, and what you will find is True Humility. | 0.004521 |
Lincoln University is in a delicate state and needs significant course cuts, more Māori and Pasifika students, and more donations, an advisory board says.
Photo: Wiki Commons
The report by the university's transformation advisory board also recommends the university "move away from being a stand-alone university" and focus on its role as part of the Lincoln Hub partnership with several Crown research institutes.
It said the university should out-source administration and contract other institutions to provide courses that were not central to Lincoln's focus on land-based sciences.
The university has been seeking a viable business model after years of struggling with low enrolments and financial deficits.
Last year, an independent report said the university had not generated an operating surplus since 2007 and its best option for the future was to "integrate" with another university.
The transformation board report did not recommend a merger but said the university should remain open to future partnerships of all types, including integration.
It said its recommendations had the potential to transform the university, which "should aspire to become a globally-ranked, top five agri-focused university and top five New Zealand university".
The university should redefine its course offerings, build its research and "reset" its governance and management capability, the report said.
The university had improved significantly, but there was still more to do.
"There remain a number of hurdles for the university to overcome, however, before it gets to the point where the board would consider that it can be a successful university long-term, domestically and internationally.
"These include overcoming its small scale, substantially growing student numbers, developing a viable long-term strategy, and strengthening current weak relationships with key stakeholders and other organisations."
Transformation board chair Sir Maarten Wevers said Lincoln had an important role to play in New Zealand's land-based economy.
"The responsibility now lies with Lincoln University and its leadership to accelerate and expand its change programmes in order to realise the opportunities in front of it." | 0.952536 |
CLOSE The Colts activated franchise QB Andrew Luck on Saturday, but how long will it take him to play? Plus, the notable cuts as the team moves down to 53 players. Zak Keefer/IndyStar
Colts traded Phillip Dorsett to New England for QB Jacoby Brissett. (Photo: USA TODAY, IndyStar)
INDIANAPOLIS – It’s the day every NFL player on the roster bubble dreads.
NFL teams, including the Indianapolis Colts, are required to make their final roster cuts today, reducing rosters from 90 to 53 men. The Colts’ moves are underway. Here’s the latest…
MORE:
Colts QB Andrew Luck is back — but when can he play?
Twitter lost its mind over the Andrew Luck news
Download the IndyStar Sports app for more Colts content
3:42 p.m.: Preseason darling JoJo Natson, the NFL's leader in all-purpose yards in the exhibition season, has been waived, according to an NFL source.
Natson seemed to be making headway in his effort to make the final roster before he fumbled three times in Thursday night's preseason finale. Those fumbled undermined what was an otherwise impressive preseason for the smallest prospect on the roster. Natson, at 5-7 and 153 pounds, had shown to be something more than a return man with his receiving skills in the preseason.
Now, the Colts will wait to see if he clears waivers on Sunday and, perhaps, consider him for their practice squad.
2:44 p.m.: Veteran outside linebacker Akeem Ayers has been released, according to an NFL source. Ayers seemed a strong candidate to make the final roster, but his extensive playing time in the preseason finale raised questions about the team's plans for him.
This move would seem to bode well for fellow linebacker Lavar Edwards and others.
2:01 p.m.: Here's a stunner: The Colts have traded 2015 first-round pick Phillip Dorsett to the New England Patriots for backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett, Dorsett's agent confirmed to IndyStar.
The Colts receive an intriguing backup quarterback who could, perhaps, step in and play in place of Andrew Luck if he misses the start of the season, as expected. It throws into question the status of current quarterbacks Scott Tolzien and Stephen Morris.
Dorsett's agent, Ron Butler, said the Colts told him they had been receiving significant interest in a trade for Dorsett in recent weeks. But the team resisted the urge to accept any of those deals until today's opportunity presented itself.
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"A lot of teams were reaching out, but it had to be the right situation," Butler said. "This deal, with the uncertainty at quarterback, was a deal that felt right."
1. Not sure if this deal impacts Andrew Luck's short-term status.
2. I do think it means Brisett is Colts backup longterm, not Tolzien. — Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) September 2, 2017
Dorsett gets a chance to play with the defending Super Bowl champs, who have been known to turn disappointing players into successful ones — especially with future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady under center.
"Phillip is just looking for an opportunity," Butler said. "He got drafted into a situation where they already had a No. 1 and No. 2 receiver (T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief). I think in New England, he goes there with an opportunity to really help them and play with a great quarterback.
"It's a fresh start."
One thing I will say on Dorsett: you could tell Pagano was getting annoyed w his muscle strains and pulls. Missed too much practice time. — Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) September 2, 2017
What's less clear is the Colts' end of this trade. Are they acquiring Brissett as a short-term solution to their quarterback questions? Or are the Colts thinking about a possible long-term backup behind Luck? Brissett has three seasons remaining on his contract and the Colts will assume his current contract.
Some of this might be clarified later today when the Colts will have to decide whether to activate Luck from the physically unable to perform list. If Luck is not activated by this afternoon, he must miss at least the first six weeks of the season.
>> 11:54 a.m.: Here's another one: Rookie receiver Bug Howard, who had a strong training camp, has been waived, per an NFL source. Howard, an undrafted free agent from North Carolina, was competing for one of the Colts' final spots at receiver, a position that was quite competitive.
>> 11:10 a.m.: Rookie quarterback Phillip Walker, who at one point in the preseason was ahead of Stephen Morris on the depth chart, has been waived, an NFL source said.
Walker is a strong candidate for the Colts' practice squad if he clears waivers.
Indianapolis Colts linebacker Sean Spence (55) at practice during preseason training camp Friday, August 4, 2017, morning at the Colts complex on West 56th Street. (Photo: Matt Kryger/IndyStar)
>> 10:44 a.m.: The Colts have released inside linebacker Sean Spence, a source confirmed to IndyStar. The news was first reported by profootballtalk.com. Spence, signed to a free-agent contract in March to compete at the position, never got on track during training camp or the preseason because of missed practice time.
The Colts have generally used Jon Bostic and Antonio Morrison as starters at inside linebacker during the preseason, with rookie Anthony Walker and Edwin Jackson getting most of the second-team snaps.
The Colts have also waived offensive lineman Andrew Wylie, a rookie from Western Michigan, according to an NFL source.
Wylie, the source said, seems likely to be added to the Colts’ practice squad once he clears waivers.
>> Friday: The Colts waived-injured running back Josh Fergsuon, who had a difficult training camp and preseason because of missed practice time.
If Ferguson clears waivers, he will revert to the Colts' injured reserve list and would likely later negotiate an injury settlement with the team. If so, he would be released from injured reserve and become a free agent. | 0.000837 |
Israel will not tolerate any missiles or mortars being fired from either Syria or from Gaza and will respond with disproportionate force, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Thursday, a day after projectiles were fired at Israel from across both frontiers.
Speaking in the southern Israeli city of Netivot on Thursday evening, Netanyahu said that the country will not continue to absorb rocket fire “not from the north or from the south.”
“Anyone who thinks [of firing] a drizzle will receive a downpour,” he said during a ceremony in the Gaza border city. “The response of the past weeks speaks for itself.”
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On Wednesday, a mortar shell fired from Syria struck the northern Golan Heights.
The projectile, the latest of a series of apparently errant rounds to hit Israel in recent days, exploded in an open field near Israel’s border with Syria, causing no casualties or damage, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.
It was the sixth such incident this week and came as fighting between President Bashar Assad’s regime and the numerous rebel groups in southern Syria escalated in recent weeks.
In response to the incidents, Israeli jets have targeted Syrian regime artillery batteries near the border several times, though there were no reports of any Israeli response in Syria Wednesday.
The United Nations, Russia and others have called for Israel to show restraint and keep tensions from spiraling out of control.
Later Wednesday night, a mortar shell fired from Gaza landed in an open field in the Eshkol region, causing no injury or damage.
In response, Israeli jets struck three targets overnight, which belonged to the Hamas terror group, which rules the Strip. The strikes were all carried out in northern Gaza, according to an IDF statement.
Israel is currently readying itself in case of all-out war.
Beginning next week, the Home Front Command will kick off “Standing Firm,” a preparedness drill which will include exercises to test the ability of the IDF and local governments to handle rocket attacks, terrorists infiltrating communities, electric grid failures and other emergency situations.
On Tuesday morning, the Home Front Command will sound the rocket alert siren in cities around Israel at different times and then throughout the country at 7:05 p.m., except for the communities surrounding the Gaza Strip.
According to the army, some 230,000 rockets of various sizes and warhead capacities are currently aimed toward Israel from a host of enemies. | 0.00183 |
Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.
Dec. 3, 2015, 8:28 PM GMT / Updated Dec. 3, 2015, 8:28 PM GMT By Hannah Rappleye, Tracy Connor and Stephanie Gosk
Members of two California mosques where San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook worshipped told NBC News they knew him as a mild-mannered and devout Muslim who came to prayers on his lunch break and got married at Islam's holiest shrine.
They said that if he had been radicalized — authorities now say it appears he was recently in touch with people with extremist viewpoints — it did not happen at their Southern California masjids.
"It doesn't make any sense at all," said Nizaam Ali, 23, of Dar-Al-Uloom Al-Islamia mosque in Muscoy, a suburb of San Bernardino.
"We never saw him raise his voice. We never saw him curse at anyone, disrespect anyone. He was always a very nice guy, always very simple, very straightforward. ... He had a lot of manners."
Mustafa Kuko, director of the Islamic Center of Riverside, another mosque Farook attended for several years, had the same impression.
"He was very mild, very calm, very peaceful, very nice, very decent," Kuko said.
In interviews with NBC News, they said that despite his regular attendance, Farook was so reserved that they did not get to know him intimately.
"He was always a very nice guy, always very simple, very straightforward."
They worried that Wednesday's massacre would bring a backlash against peaceful Muslims who would have turned in Farook had they known his plans. One imam said investigators showed up at his home with guns drawn to question him.
"I swear that if any one of the Muslims had any idea that this man would do such a thing, we would be the first people to respond, the first people to tell authorities that this is what's going on," Ali said.
"It's our religious duty."
Farook attended the Riverside mosque for several years, faithfully appearing at morning and late evening services, Kuko said.
READ: Suspects Had Radical Ties — and a Baby Registry
In 2013, he went on Umrah, a pilgrimage to Mecca, telling Ali that he planned to meet the fiancée he had met online — Tashfeen Malik — and to get married at the Black Stone in the Grand Mosque.
"Imagine to say, 'I got married in the holiest shrine of Islam,'" Ali said.
When he returned from Saudi Arabia, Farook asked Kuko if he could have a marriage celebration at the Islamic Center.
"He invited some people, his Pakistani brothers and sisters. And it was a good evening," Kuko said. | 0.001095 |
If you don’t know—it’s hard to imagine you don’t—Fallout 4 is really good, bugs notwithstanding. However, there might be some things going on in the game world the player might find … problematic. It is possible to bring progressive authoritarian orthodoxy to the heathens of the Commonwealth. Never mind the people living in the Commonwealth are just trying to survive; truly, what is survival without living the “correct” life of the Social Justice Warrior? Never fear, because Tech Raptor is your hookup. Here’s a comprehensive guide to bringing the ideological purity of the SJW to the Commonwealth.
Character Build
How does one build an SJW for the Commonwealth? The character doing things for herself, in general, is beneath her; consequently, she prefers to be able to talk other people in to doing them for her. So the first stop in terms of SPECIAL is Charisma.
Charisma is not just a measure of how easily the character interacts with others in the Commonwealth. Charisma is also a measure of moxie and chutzpah. She needs to have the chutzpah to, say, stand in front of the UN with a straight face and state being told, “You suck,” on the Internet is identical to being beheaded for witchcraft in Riyadh. In order to ensure the character can get people to act appropriately (i.e. exactly how she tells them they should) AND have the chutzpah to make such a claim, the character must have maxed out Charisma.
When the character does choose to lower herself to actually do something, she needs to maximize the reward for doing it, as well as maximize the resources she has at any given moment to do whatever it is she’s lowered herself to do. Whether the things she does, or makes, actually work or provide value to her or the people around her is irrelevant, so long as she gets the credit for building it in the first place. The Luck stat provides both the additional resources and the additional reward she needs. The character will have maxed out Luck as well.
The SJW character prefers to talk over expending real effort to affect change in the Commonwealth, so the SJW character has low Strength, Endurance, Intelligence, and Agility—all stats involved with the actual doing of things. The lack of survivability SPECIAL stats make the character really squishy when it comes to combat, but our plan is to slink around or talk our way out of most combat situations. When we do need to be in combat, we’ll need the critical hits we have stored up to end combats quickly, but more on that in a second.
The last SPECIAL stat, Perception, can be higher, but not at the expense of Charisma and Luck. In terms of Introductory SPECIAL stats, the character looks something like this:
Strength: 2
Perception: 2
Endurance: 2
Charisma: 10
Intelligence: 1
Agility: 2
Luck: 9
Note: The SPECIAL book in Sanctuary is used to give the SJW character the tenth point in Luck.
SPECIAL stats are only half the story. We also need to fill out the perks for our character as she levels up in the Commonwealth. Here are some of the key perks for the SJW character braving the Commonwealth.
Intimidation: The best tactic for an SJW in the Commonwealth is Intimidation. At Rank 1, pointing a gun at a human has a chance of pacifying them. At higher ranks, Intimidation can create a White Knight, a useful idiot who does the attacking for the player. This is our go-to weapon, so max it out as soon as possible.
Black Widow: The Commonwealth is a construct of the patriarchy, so the character wants to take advantage of all the men who built it. Rank 1 provides a 5% bonus to damage against men, as well as making men easier to persuade. As more points are put in Black Widow, men become even easier to persuade, and the damage bonus against men in combat continues to increase. Another go-to perk she’ll max out ASAP.
Bloody Mess, Better Criticals, and Critical Banker: The Luck stat contributions to the build provide bonuses in case we can’t talk or intimidate our way out of action. Bloody Mess is a straight increase in damage, combined with more gory finishers when the SJW is forced to Chu someone. Better Criticals increases the amount of bonus damage for critical hits, and Critical Banker allows for storage of up to 3 critical hits at max ranks, so we can dump them all into a man who isn’t affected by intimidation tactics.
Idiot Savant: Life in the Commonwealth is hard. In that way, it’s the antithesis of the American university. Because of the harshness of life in the Commonwealth, the SJW character is going to have to do things at some point. To maximize the effectiveness of doing things when doing things isn’t beneath her, we need a 3x experience point multiplier that has a chance to occur, or proc, any time experience is earned. That’s just Rank 1; at Rank 2, the multiplier increases to 5x. Pay attention to the sound that played when Idiot Savant procs; you’ll be glad you did.
Mysterious Stranger: Sometimes just creating White Knights isn’t enough for the SJW in the Commonwealth. Sometimes more is needed, like an overweight intellectual and emotional infant that reviews movies, to come and fight our battles for us. Let’s call him Bob. Rank 1 of Mysterious Stranger provides a chance for Bob to show up anytime the SJW uses VATS in combat. At increased ranks, Bob shows up more often, and has a chance to refill the critical meter when he kills in combat.
Fortune Finder and Scrounger: I mentioned above the character needs resources in order to build things. Fortune Finder increases the amount of caps found in containers around the Commonwealth, and Scrounger increases the amount of ammunition found in containers. Adding up the cost saving provided by Scrounger with the additional caps from Fortune Finder, and the SJW can dump caps on shipments of Screws and Gears, instead of 5.56 ammo.
Faction Alignment
There’s only one faction in the Commonwealth the SJW character can be a part of, and that’s the Brotherhood of Steel. In an attempt to minimize the number of spoilers for the Brotherhood storyline, I won’t belabor the details of the storyline. Instead, I’ll make a list of things the Brotherhood does that’s in keeping with the feelings and tactics of Social Justice Warriors.
Absolute hatred of everything not them? Check.
Require total subjugation of the individual to the orthodoxy? Check.
Willingness to use any and all means to achieve their goals? Check.
Capability to destroy one of their own the instant he/she becomes ideologically non-compliant? Check.
Misplaced sense of being the “good guys”? Check.
Hide behind technology instead of engaging in earnest conflict/debate? Check.
Everything one could want as an SJW is here for the taking. The character can hide behind the orthodoxy of the BoS, while self-deluding into believing they are going to “save” the people of the Commonwealth. Go forth to cleanse or convert, Paladin. Ad Victoriam!
Gear and Playstyle
Obviously, the character is going to deviate slightly from current time SJWs, as all the blogs to whine about patriarchy or Skinny Malone’s suit have been destroyed. The character will want to equip gear that increases her inferior stats (STR, AGI, END, and INT). In general, these are pretty common and easy to acquire. There’s one other piece of gear the SJW character absolutely must have, though.
In the basement of D.B. Technical High School is a character with a unique piece of headgear. Kill the character wearing it as soon as it is feasible—possibly right after finishing ArcJet Systems. I won’t spoil what the headgear is other than to say, if the character does get caught doing something untoward to the children of Diamond City, the character can always say they were just being edgy on a Robo Co. terminal.
In terms of combat, the most important thing is acknowledging how paper thin the character is. A stern look from a decently equipped Raider is enough to kill the character if Intimidation doesn’t work, and the SJW is out of banked criticals. With a full bank of criticals and a decent rifle class weapon, the SJW character can take down a legendary man, or a man that cons with a skull. Banking those criticals requires a hefty dose of VATS, so keeping an eye out for armor upgrades that decrease VATS cost might be helpful.
In the broadest sense, things that work for other Fallout 4 sniper or rifle character archetypes works for the SJW archetype, though there’s increased importance on crippling legs so the character can maintain distance from enemies. Having a combat shotgun around for ghoul infested areas is nice, too.
When not fighting, the character should be building or modifying as much stuff as possible. The stuff doesn’t need to be useful, nor does it actually need to work—the stuff just needs to be built. Every time something is built, the player earns EXPs, which in turn is an opportunity for Idiot Savant to proc. Does a settlement need a 5 story tower in the middle of it? Of course not, but think about all the credit, in the form of free EXPs, the character will receive for building it in the first place. Sure, all the beds are on the first floor and there’s no door, but the tower doesn’t need to be functional to proc Idiot Savant.
Companion
Since INT and PER are low, getting Locksmith and Hacker perks is going to be nearly impossible. The care and feeding of the character in the Commonwealth will be significantly easier if she has the capability to hack terminals or pick locks. Nick Valentine can hack terminals, and Cait can pick locks. Cait also has a double barrel shotgun, for those of the militant SJW mindset.
Giving either of these characters a high damage, close range weapon option, like a flamethrower, certainly helps, but realistically, it’s almost a certainty the SJW character will have to fight at some point. The SJW fighting in the Commonwealth should be looked at as even more chances for more credit from Idiot Savant procs.
Most Important, Have Fun in Fallout 4!
I had been having a ton of fun already playing Fallout 4 before trying this archetype, and credit where it is due, I saw the basic archetype in PC Gamer first and molded it into the SJW archetype.
This character archetype, if you can stomach a few hours of running away from skull mobs, legendary mobs, and picking your spots in terms of quest completions, is amazing and fun. Getting Idiot Savant procs after patiently waiting for someone to get into better position for a sniper rifle headshot makes my day every time I hear it. To say nothing of the ridiculous things that come to mind to build in search of still more free EXP.
So, give smooth talking and blind luck a shot when next you venture into the Commonwealth, and you too can bring intersectional theory to the heathens.
Share Have a tip for us? Awesome! Shoot us an email at [email protected] and we'll take a look! | 0.228537 |
When InGoal Magazine first saw a prototype of a goalie skate in Mike Vaughn’s office two years ago, needless to say we were excited. Now, after a lot more testing and research to make sure they nailed it, we get to share that excitement with our readers as Vaughn Custom Sports launches the new GX1 Goalie Skate right here at InGoal, starting with a message from the President:
Introducing the first goalie skate from The Goalie Company
“Ever wonder why goalies have some of the ugliest feet in every hockey locker room? Why so many calluses and a gnarly, misshaped toes? I wondered that too, and frankly I think it’s because goalie skates have never been made specifically enough for goalies. Most are little more player skates, re-packaged in a protective goaltender-specific cowling.
“So I set out to design and build a skate specifically for us goalies, because at Vaughn we understand a goaltender’s stance and stride is different from a skaters. We put the focus on fit and comfort, all designed ergonomically to match the unique bio-mechanical needs for the way all goaltenders stand and move, with the understanding those of us who stop pucks don’t get to take a break, sit on the bench between shifts and rest our feet. We goaltenders are on the ice from the drop of the to the final whistle.
“Now for the first time, Vaughn has built a skate designed to do just that as well, combining maximum comfort and performance built just for goalies. Introducing the Vaughn GX1 Goal Skate, a design more than two years in the making.
“Check out all the features, and then try a pair on for yourself this spring. We promise they will fit and feel like nothing you’ve worn before. That’s because nothing you’ve worn before was built just for goalies.”
~ Mike Vaughn, President of Vaughn Custom Sports
INTRODUCING FORWARD LEAN
At Vaughn, we understand that goalies don’t stand straight up.
We spend most of our time pitched forward, so why don’t our skates?
Why has the lace pattern always been cut straight up from bend in the ankle?
There’s a reason some goalies don’t even bother to use the top hole in their laces. It pulls the leg back, away from the natural crouch for a goalie.
The new Vaughn GX1 Goal Skate solves this problem by creating a patent-pending forward lean that becomes visually apparent when you look at the top two eyelets for the skate laces. We’ve matched the neutral lace and skate position to the natural stance of a goaltender, putting the foot and ankle in an anatomically correct position for quick, powerful pushes and movement.
WRAP AROUND FIT AND COMFORT
Ever wonder why tightening the laces on your goalie skate feels like you are just pulling them tighter across the top of your foot, pinching in a way that ultimately contributes the lace bite? The Vaughn GX1 Goal Skate solves that problem with higher sides and recessed eyelets, so that when you pull the laces, you are tightening the entire skate around your foot, wrapping the pro-stitched, lightweight boot around the outside rather than just pinching it tight at the top.
So instead of pushing your foot down, the Vaughn GX1 design pulls the sides in, truly forming around the shape of your foot rather than trying to force your foot to conform to the shape of the skate.
The ankle and heel were built with the understanding that ankle bones are not symmetrical – just look at yours, it sticks out higher on the inside than the outside – and placed the ankle pockets for both in the correct spots, helping to lock in the foot even more and prevent the heel from lifting, which costs a goaltender both power and precision.
The toecap on the boot is wider for a superior fit that keeps the inner edge and toes from distorting, firmly setting the foot on the foot bed for increased control. Speaking of the removable foot bed, the Vaughn GX1 comes with one that is properly molded, with edges rising from the bottom and sides of the foot to match and support its shape, rather than flat flap of foam that comes with most skates.
Add in several other goalie-specific creature comforts, including a neoprene collar; a larger tongue that combines orthopedic felt with a high-density molded inner core to spread lace pressure; gel foam and HD lace bite pads; and you’ll quickly feel what separates the Vaughn GX1 from all others.
PERFORMANCE AND PROTECTION
It starts with the bottom of the boot, which has a full carbon outsole, creating a rigid base that gives the boot strength and eliminates twisting or pulling away from the attached cowling, ensuring all the effort that goes into every push and stop is transferred completely to the ice without performance lag.
Speaking of the cowling, in addition to a double-thick toecap for protection where it is needed most, it has several new goalie-specific performance features. The inside edge sidewall is higher than most for increased protection, but also includes cutouts on the inside edge that allow each goalie to dial in their own perfect blend of protection and weight, either by leaving the high protective wall intact, or by removing sections along one of two lines:
The back inside pillar is angled to match the angle of the bootstrap goalies run through it, reducing any twisting and increased wear on the strap. The gap for the toe tie is angled in a “V” shape so the laces don’t slip down, maintaining the optimum connection between the skate and the pad.
The skate blade itself is stainless steel, 4 millimeters in width, and anchored at three points, with the front two closer together in order to increase blade strength and reduce the flex that costs goalies power on their pushes.
The extra attachment point also helps prevent catastrophic blade attachment failures, while two small cutouts atop the blade help save weight, and there are plans to offer taller replacement blades to further increase attack angle.
The latter is already super aggressive thanks to the last – but certainly not least – new innovation in the Vaughn GX1 Goal Skate, a beveled inside edge on the cowling to support goalies that want an aggressive angle.
This new angled inner edge functions as a secondary stopping point, reduces slip outs and allows the goaltender to balance on a flat surface in a half butterfly, providing superior control for quicker body positioning.
Like the rest of the Vaughn GX1 Goal Skate, it’s new and unique.
Like everything else at Vaughn, it’s just for goalies.
Look for the Vaughn GX1 at retailers in 2014, and keep checking InGoal Magazine for more information and the first reviews of both the new skate and the new V6 line, which features several bold new directions for Vaughn. | 0.470958 |
OTTAWA — A Conservative supporter at a Stephen Harper campaign event heckled a reporter Wednesday who was asking about the government's handling of the Syrian refugee crisis.
The government's response of the crisis is now front and centre in the federal election campaign.
The catcalls came in Welland, Ont., as the Conservative leader was taking questions from journalists, almost a week after the world was riveted by the image of a dead Syrian toddler on a Turkish beach.
A low, collective groan was heard in the crowd before a lone voice was heard to say: "How many kids drowned in pools in Canada this past summer? Do you blame the government for that?"
Three-year-old Alan Kurdi drowned along with his five-year-old brother Ghalib and their mother, Rehanna, in their unsuccessful attempt to find sanctuary in Greece.
Harper tried to keep his daily question and answer session with journalists from going off the rails.
"OK, go ahead," he told the reporter, an awkward smile on his face, as the heckler kept speaking. OK, OK. Go ahead."
The prime minister is under pressure to admit more refugees, and Harper said he will — but while taking care to avoid allowing terrorists from a war zone into Canada.
"This government is committed to acting, committed to bringing more people in, committed to expediting the process. And frankly, I said this before this was in the headlines earlier in this campaign, we already made announcements and we'll continue to look at how we can improve," he said.
"But yes . . . we are talking about a terrorist war zone a lot of people are coming from. We will make sure we are also protecting Canadians from the security risk."
It wasn't the first time that hecklers have taken issue — not with Harper, but the questions he's been asked. The incident knocked Harper off message, just as it did in August when Conservative supporters heckled reporters asking questions about the Mike Duffy fraud trial.
Prior to the incident, Harper spent almost an hour talking expansively about the economy in a controlled question-and-answer session with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.
Harper, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau and NDP Leader Tom Mulcair were all campaigning in Ontario on Wednesday, where the fate of the province's ailing manufacturing sector is a key issue.
Harper was responding to an earlier attack by Trudeau on Wednesday.
The Liberal leader invoked examples dating back more than a century, when Canadians helped people fleeing Europe, Africa and Asia.
"Quite frankly, security concerns didn't stop Wilfrid Laurier from bringing in record numbers of Ukrainians," Trudeau told supporters in Toronto.
"Louis St. Laurent didn't let security concerns stop him from welcoming — at the height of the Cold War — tens upon tens of thousands of Hungarian refugees."
Nor did the government of his father, Pierre, "let security concerns prevent him from welcoming in thousands upon thousands of Ismaili refugees fleeing Idi Amin in Uganda" in the 1970s, Trudeau added.
And he noted that the short-lived government of former Progressive Conservative Prime Minister Joe Clark — who briefly drove Pierre Trudeau's government from power — helped alleviate the Vietnamese refugee crisis at the end of the 1970s.
"Joe Clark certainly didn't let security concerns prevent Canada from welcoming tens upon thousands of boat people fleeing what had been a war-ravaged area of the world."
A reporter tried to question Mulcair on the Syrian crisis in Niagara Falls, Ont., but his staff ended a press conference before it could be answered.
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(CNN) -- The number of cholera deaths in Zimbabwe continues to increase, a World Health Organization spokesman said Monday.
Cholera victims lie in a hospital ward in Harare, Zimbabwe, last week. more photos »
As of Sunday, the outbreak had killed 1,564 people, and 29,131 cases had been reported, Gregory Hartl told CNN. These figures represent increases from numbers released Thursday that showed 1,518 deaths and 26,497 cases.
The World Health Organization says the outbreak has affected all of the country's 10 provinces and has spread to neighboring South Africa. It is "closely linked to the lack of safe drinking water, poor sanitation, declining health infrastructure and reduced numbers of health care staff reporting to work."
The organization also says factors "include the commencement of the rainy season and the movement of people within the country, and possibly across borders, during the Christmas season."
Health experts have warned that the water-borne disease could infect more than 60,000 people unless its spread is halted.
Long wracked by political and economic turmoil, Zimbabwe is facing its worst economic and humanitarian crisis since its independence from Great Britain 28 years ago. There is an acute shortage of all essentials such as cash, fuel, medical drugs, electricity and food.
President Robert Mugabe blames the crisis on sanctions imposed by the West on grounds that he is disregarding human rights. But Mugabe's critics attribute the crisis to his economic policies.
The charity Save the Children recently issued a report saying some of Zimbabwe's children are "wasting away" amid the turmoil.
Five million Zimbabweans -- out of a population of about 12 million -- need food aid now, the report said. The group is appealing for 18,000 tons of food for next month.
All About Zimbabwe • Cholera • United Nations | 0.09255 |
Reclaim Australia is one brick in the wall
indonesia / philippines / australia | anti-fascism | opinion / analysis Thursday July 02, 2015 11:24 Thursday July 02, 2015 11:24 by MACG - Anarkismo by MACG - Anarkismo PO Box 5108 Brunswick North VIC 3056, Australia PO Box 5108 Brunswick North VIC 3056, Australia
Let's knock the whole wall down
We must go a few steps further, therefore, than just engaging in anti-racist and antifascist organising. We must fight the ongoing displacement of Aboriginal people from their homelands in Western Australia. We must fight the mass incarceration and illegalisation of people seeking asylum in this country. We must confront all of these single issues. They are part of an entire against the working class and our communities, by the Government, capital and the State.
Reclaim Australia is one brick in the wall Let's knock the whole wall down
It looks like we are in for another round of Reclaim Australia's Islamophobic, racist and anti-Left mobilisations around Australia, particularly in Melbourne. Lately we have seen the racist, Fascist thugs raise their heads, ready to organise not only against Muslim communities, but also against anyone who opposes them.
We have seen the split from Reclaim Australia, the ugly United Patriots Front (UPF) trying to storm Richmond Town Hall believing that by doing so they could destroy the what they imagine to be the main organisers against their rally in Federation Square back in April. They thought they could destroy the Left and the antifascist movement. What they actually showed was a few dozen thugs wearing swastikas and other Nazi paraphernalia, failing to give the Left a lesson.
We believe that, in order to fight back and effectively kick out their new round of hate mobilisations ion 18 July, the whole antifascist movement must not follow the same faults that have been apparent on 4 April. There is an urgent need for a trade union and mass community mobilisation. We need the migrant communities participation in the counter-rallies and other activities planned for 18 July in Melbourne and for the next day in the rest of the country.
The counter-rally on 4 April was comprised mostly not only of white activists but also of mostly Anglo-Australian militants. With the important exception of activists from the Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance (WAR), and some non-white supporters of larger organised Left and Anarchist groups, the non-white and the migrant communities were simply absent. The same happened in the most recent counter-rally against United Patriots Front at Richmond Town Hall on 31 May.
This description of the weaknesses of the mobilisations so far is not meant to discredit the efforts of the organisers of these events. Every effort towards kicking the Fascists out and building of an effective antifascist movement is welcome. Rather, we say this to emphasise that the task in front of us is larger than the work we have done so far.
The task we face is to draw the mass of the working class into direct and active participation in the movement. On the one hand, the Muslim and Asian communities who are the immediate target of Reclaim Australia. On the other hand, the union movement, which is the Fascists' ultimate target. Without these two sectors, the anti-racist, antifascist mobilisation is likely to be seen as a war between fringe groups of our society to which few will pay attention. This orientation, however, does not mean we recognise the leaders of the Muslim communities or the union movement as having a veto on our activities.
Through our mobilisations we seek to halt the progress of the far Right. We must realise the far Right are only a symptom of the government push to criminalise Muslims, indigenous people, immigrants and people of colour. They label them as potential terrorists and thus enemies of some imagined Australia.
We must go a few steps further, therefore, than just engaging in anti-racist and antifascist organising. We must fight the ongoing displacement of Aboriginal people from their homelands in Western Australia. We must fight the mass incarceration and illegalisation of people seeking asylum in this country. We must confront all of these single issues. They are part of an entire attack against the working class and our communities, by the Government, capital and the State.
Capitalism generates racism and produces the potential for Fascist groups to emerge. To abolish racism and to eliminate the Fascist threat for good, we need a workers revolution to overthrow capitalism.
*This is the main article of the latest issue of The Anvil, newsletter of Melbourne Anarchist Communist Group (MACG). You can download the issue (and all the back issues) from here http://melbacg.wordpress.com/the-anvil/ | 0.010709 |
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Though a lot of money sneaks into next generation gaming, smaller, browser-based games are far from extinct. Everyday, tons of them are released MUO Games - The Best Websites to Play Flash Games MUO Games - The Best Websites to Play Flash Games Read More on the world wide web.
As a reply to this huge part of the free gaming community, there will be one weekly MUO Gaming compilation of Flash games.
For this very first episode, we have pointed the theme towards a very important aspect of ourselves and our lives. It’s the thing that keeps the drool in our mouth and our feet on the ground nearly every day. As you may have guessed, I’m talking about our brain.
Featured in this article are five web-based games to kick-start your brain in the morning, or to keep it going in the evening. Our favorite logic and memory flash games.
Z-Rox is a brilliant game. It’s a game that’ll make you use parts of your brain that you probably haven’t used before, maybe even parts you don’t realise you have.
Here’s the concept. On your screen is a line. This line is getting longer, shorter or breaking up into different parts. The thing is, you don’t have to look at it as a line, you have to look at it as a very slim window.
Behind this window, several things will fly upwards, be it letters, numbers or shapes. By looking at the changing line, you have to determine the global form of the object.
It’s almost impossible to guess all of them, but because it’d be a huge shame to miss out on half of the levels, just because you’re stuck at one, a walk-through is provided here. Try to use it as less as possible.
You’ll probably recognize the principle behind “Loops of Zen”. Your screen is filled with lines, which you can turn respectively 90, 180, 270 or 360 degrees. Hereby, you must reach the point wherein all the lines are properly connected.
At the beginning of the game this looks pretty easy, but the levels gradually get harder, towards the point where you’ll be staring in despair at the screen.
Use your mouse to tilt the tiles, the arrow keys to skip back and forth through the levels and the ‘m’ key to mute the sound.
Meet light-Bot. He’s like Wall-E. Only less cute, less patented and less smart. You can help him with that last one, though.
Your job (no, you won’t get paid) is to program little light-Bot. Using simple commands (like walk, turn jump, etc.) and repeating functions, you can make him maneuver through the environment and light up specific tiles.
A woman took her four kids shopping one afternoon. To keep the peace, she said she’d buy one item each of their choice. As she shopped, she discovered that there were four extra items in her shopping cart that she hadn’t added or approved. After leaving the store, they stopped at an ice cream stand for a snack. She bought each child got an ice cream cone and a drink. From the clues, determine the item each child got, the extra item each child snuck into the cart, the flavor of ice cream each got, and the type of drink.
1. Amanda, who had maple walnut ice cream, didn’t get the fruit juice or the coloring book.
2. Sara didn’t get the comic book or the doll but she did slip the board game into the cart.
3. The boy who got the toy car didn’t add the action figure and didn’t have strawberry ice cream.
4. Each child is represented by the following: the girl who got the doll, the boy who got chocolate chip ice cream, Chris, and the girl who got milk.
5. Sara didn’t have vanilla ice cream. The boy who added the baseball cards got water to drink.
6. The child who got the computer game got iced tea. Larry didn’t get water.
Now which is connected to what item? This is a very classic type of riddle, but one that never gets old. Push your deduction skills to the limit and learn to make connections.
Puzzles.com hosts tons of different entertaining and mind-breaking puzzles.
We’ll bring you more compilations of flash games next time. In the meantime, do you have any favourites of online brain games that you’d like to share with us? What games get you thinking? | 0.708814 |
Tony Stewart is as competitive at 1.7 mph as he is at 107, as evidenced by his meticulous approach to moving dirt.
Three-time Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart is ready to put the past two years behind him. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
In January, Stewart attended the Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma, one of the premier events in dirt midget car racing. But he didn't drive a race car. He drove a tractor, as a member of the track preparation unit. In that role, he and three others were charged with six days of diligent tilling, packing and grading.
Dirt tracks are graded beginning with the top groove, up near the outside wall, to drag the "cushion" -- a mound of dirt that plants the cars into the racing surface -- out onto the track. Past the grading, two types of tilling are used to reset the surface; one scratches the surface to loosen the dirt, and another digs a bit deeper if necessary. Then the track is watered down and rolled over with trucks to pack the dirt hard for the next race.
Most of Stewart's time was spent down low at the bottom of the track. At the Chili Bowl, the goal is to have moisture in the bottom groove and a slick surface through the middle leading up to a sturdy cushion.
This is an unsung talent and is of great importance: If the track crew screws up, the racing stinks. For Stewart and the boys, that Monday was a 13-hour day. Tuesday through Friday required six-hour shifts. Saturday -- race day -- was 12 hours.
"Him and the others worked together and communicated," Chili Bowl promoter Emmett Hahn said. "Especially on Saturday, when you start hot-lapping at 10:30 that morning and the feature isn't over 'til 11 that night, it's like a setup on a race car.
"You're trying to figure out what you need at the end of the race. That's what you're doing with the track -- how do you get it to the best it can be at the end?"
Stewart loved it.
"If you look at the role I played, I had 330 guys that relied on me and three other guys to give them a great racetrack each night," he said. "So I was just as competitive doing track prep as I was being in a race car. I enjoyed the pressure that was behind it. There was a lot of pressure to be sure we did our jobs right."
They did it well. Competitors, Stewart said, complimented the racetrack early and often. And Hahn was so impressed he asked him to return next year in the same capacity. Stewart expects to do so.
"He didn't spin it out, not one time!" Hahn howled. "He did great! I'll have him back -- as long as he doesn't want a raise."
Stewart won the Chili Bowl twice as a driver. Sprint car racing is his greatest passion, but he said, "It's going to be a long, long time before you see me back [driving] one."
He stresses that this doesn't bother him. He stresses his offseason was calm and went as planned. He stresses there is no void.
"Pretty much anything I do, I carry that competitive spirit," he said. "Even though I didn't race -- and didn't race there last year either -- it didn't tear me up to not be in a race car."
His mere presence is important to the community.
"Tony is absolutely, hands-down more responsible for the growth of open-wheel racing than any single person," Hahn said. "Whether he's racing, owning teams, owning racetracks, he has put back more than anyone, when it goes back to short-track racing.
"I love Tony Stewart for Tony Stewart the person. He's just a down-to-earth, hardcore racer, and I love him."
The past two years have been very difficult for Stewart. In 2013, he shattered his right leg in a horrific sprint car wreck in Iowa. He swerved to miss competitor Josh Higday, a split-second decision that Higday told ESPN saved his life.
Eighteen months and several surgeries later, Stewart finally can walk without a noticeable limp. One more surgery, he said, remains next winter to remove the titanium rod in his leg.
August presented a far tougher blow, one Stewart said will affect his life forever. While racing in upstate New York, a sprint car Stewart was driving struck and killed driver Kevin Ward Jr. Ward had wrecked on the previous lap and exited his car to confront Stewart. He walked down the track and into Stewart's path.
Grief-stricken in the aftermath, Stewart missed three Sprint Cup races. In September, he was exonerated of any wrongdoing by a grand jury. Ward's toxicology report showed that he was under the influence of marijuana.
As a new NASCAR season dawns, Stewart has the air of confidence and sarcasm that so long defined him. He had lost that during the past two years.
"How could it not change you? Just looking at him you knew he wasn't right," said Kevin Harvick, one of Stewart's closest friends who won the 2014 Sprint Cup title in a Stewart-owned stock car. "Now he's got that bounce back in his step again. He didn't even have that because he could hardly even walk."
In the aftermath of Ward's death last summer, Harvick was among Stewart's staunchest allies. When critics took aim, Harvick fought back, reminding all who would listen of Stewart's generosity, that Stewart gives often and wants no recognition for it.
Now, Harvick said, Stewart must focus that generosity in a new direction.
"He has to put as much effort into himself as he always puts into others," Harvick said. "He had to dig deep in the effort of getting himself right. I'm thrilled to see that he did.
"There is a new perception for him on life, but we want to see that same fire back inside the race car. Everybody in this company is dedicated to seeing our guy back in Victory Lane, racing up front."
At Stewart-Haas Racing's Christmas party in December, Stewart stood and addressed the entire company, saying he is ready to put the past two years behind him and never talk about them again.
"I don't have to prove anything to anybody," Stewart said. "I want to win for me." | 0.33854 |
In vitro demonstration of the pumping of the soft robotic sleeve (Video courtesy of Ellen Roche/Harvard University)
Harvard University and Boston Children’s Hospital researchers have developed a customizable soft robot that fits around a heart and helps it beat, potentially opening new treatment options for people suffering from heart failure.
The soft robotic sleeve twists and compresses in synch with a beating heart, augmenting cardiovascular functions weakened by heart failure. Unlike currently available devices that assist heart function, Harvard’s soft robotic sleeve does not directly contact blood. This reduces the risk of clotting and eliminates the need for a patient to take potentially dangerous blood thinner medications. The device may one day be able to bridge a patient to transplant or to aid in cardiac rehabilitation and recovery.
“This research demonstrates that the growing field of soft robotics can be applied to clinical needs and potentially reduce the burden of heart disease and improve the quality of life for patients,” said Ellen T. Roche, the paper’s first author and former PhD student at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and The Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University. Roche is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the National University of Ireland Galway.
The research, published in Science Translational Medicine, was a collaboration between SEAS, the Wyss Institute and Boston Children’s Hospital.
“This work represents an exciting proof of concept result for this soft robot, demonstrating that it can safely interact with soft tissue and lead to improvements in cardiac function. We envision many other future applications where such devices can delivery mechanotherapy both inside and outside of the body,” said Conor Walsh, senior author of the paper and the John L. Loeb Associate Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences at SEAS and Core Faculty Member at the Wyss Institute.
Heart failure affects 41 million people worldwide. Today, some of the options to treat it are mechanical pumps called ventricular assist devices (VADs), which pump blood from the ventricles into the aorta, and heart transplant. While VADs are continuously improving, patients are still at high risk for blood clots and stroke.
To create an entirely new device that doesn’t come into contact with blood, Harvard researchers took inspiration from the heart itself. The thin silicone sleeve uses soft pneumatic actuators placed around the heart to mimic the outer muscle layers of the mammalian heart. The actuators twist and compress the sleeve in a similar motion to the beating heart.
The device is tethered to an external pump, which uses air to power the soft actuators.
In vivo demonstration of cardiac assist in a porcine model of acute heart failure (Video courtesy of Ellen Rouche/Harvard SEAS)
The sleeve can be customized for each patient, said Roche. If a patient has more weakness on the left side of the heart, for example, the actuators can be tuned to give more assistance on that side. The pressure of the actuators can also increase or decrease over time, as the patient’s condition evolves.
The sleeve is attached to the heart using a combination of a suction device, sutures and a gel interface to help with friction between the device and the heart.
The SEAS and Wyss engineers worked with surgeons at Boston Children’s Hospital to develop the device and determine the best ways to implant the device and test it on animal models.
“The cardiac field had turned away from idea of developing heart compression instead of blood-pumping VADs due to technological limitations, but now with advancements in soft robotics it’s time to turn back,” said Frank Pigula, a cardiothoracic surgeon and co-corresponding author on the study, who was formerly clinical director of pediatric cardiac surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital and is now a faculty member at University of Louisville and division chief of pediatric cardiac surgery at Norton Children’s Hospital. “Most people with heart failure do still have some function left; one day the robotic sleeve may help their heart work well enough that their quality of life can be restored."
More research needs to be done before the sleeve can be implanted in humans but the research is an important first step towards an implantable soft robot that can augment organ function.
Harvard’s Office of Technology Development has filed a patent application and is actively pursuing commercialization opportunities.
“This research is really significant at the moment because more and more people are surviving heart attacks and ending up with heart failure,” said Roche. “Soft robotic devices are ideally suited to interact with soft tissue and give assistance that can help with augmentation of function, and potentially even healing and recovery.”
The research was co-authored by Markus A. Horvath, Isaac Wamala, Ali Alazmani, Sang-Eun Song, William Whyte, Zurab Machaidze, Christopher J. Payne, James Weaver, Gregory Fishbein, Joseph Kuebler, Nikolay V.Vasilyev and David J. Mooney.
It was supported by the Translational Research Program grant from Boston Children’s Hospital, a Director’s Challenge Cross-Platform grant from the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Science Foundation Ireland. | 0.996274 |
Vowing that his successor won’t be able to reverse his actions, President Obama on Tuesday used executive authority to permanently ban new offshore drilling in federally owned waters off the Atlantic coast and in the Arctic Ocean.
Mr. Obama used authority in a section of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, a 1953 law, to ban the drilling. The law includes a provision that allows a president to put certain waters off-limits to oil and gas production.
The presidential authority was used in conjunction with similar actions by Canada, which also moved to prohibit drilling in its own Arctic waters. The U.S. move will ban drilling in the vast majority of American waters in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas, in addition to areas off the Atlantic coast stretching from New England to Virginia.
“These actions, and Canada’s parallel actions, protect a sensitive and unique ecosystem that is unlike any other region on Earth,” Mr. Obama said in a statement. “They reflect the scientific assessment that, even with the high safety standards that both our countries have put in place, the risks of an oil spill in this region are significant and our ability to clean up from a spill in the region’s harsh conditions is limited.”
Mr. Obama said drilling in the areas is simply not economical, though some critics say otherwise.
White House officials also made clear that they believe Mr. Trump, who assumes power Jan. 20, cannot reverse the action. The 1953 law, they said, gives a president authority to ban drilling in areas but contains no provisions giving a president power to reopen them.
“No president has ever acted to reverse an indefinite withdrawal, and we believe there is a strong legal basis that these withdrawals … will go forward and will stand the test of time,” a senior Obama administration official told reporters on a conference call Tuesday afternoon. “There is no authority for subsequent presidents to un-withdraw.”
No president has ever tried to reverse his predecessor’s offshore drilling bans, setting up a historic legal case if Mr. Trump chooses to try to reopen the areas.
Sen. Edward J. Markey, Massachusetts Democrat, left little doubt that the action was carried out with the Trump administration in mind.
“We know that in the Trump administration, there will be a Big Oil bull’s-eye on our coastlines for offshore drilling,” Mr. Markey said. “As President-elect Trump nominates fossil fuel allies to his Cabinet, President Obama has instead put the interests of millions of Americans ahead of those of Big Oil with these permanent protections. We must not allow the Trump administration to open our waters off of New England to dangerous offshore oil and gas drilling.”
Expecting a Trump administration much friendlier to oil and gas interests, environmental activists have been urging the administration to take action before Mr. Trump assumes office. The National Resources Defense Council said Mr. Obama “has an unprecedented opportunity to rack up important environmental gains.”
“And with President-elect Donald Trump — who calls climate change a hoax and plans to dramatically expand fracking, coal mining and oil drilling — taking office in January, these last days are more critical than ever,” the group said.
The American Petroleum Institute is urging Mr. Trump to rescind Mr. Obama’s actions, saying there is no such thing as a permanent ban on drilling. API official Erik Milito said Mr. Obama’s move “ignores congressional intent, our national security and vital good-paying job opportunities for our shipyards, unions and businesses of all types across the country.”
“Our national security depends on our ability to produce oil and natural gas here in the United States,” Mr. Milito said. “This proposal would take us in the wrong direction just as we have become world leader in production and refining of oil and natural gas and in reduction of carbon emissions. Blocking offshore exploration weakens our national security, destroys good-paying jobs and could make energy less affordable for consumers.”
House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop, Utah Republican, called Mr. Obama’s executive action “naive and unprecedented.”
“This is not a moral calling; it’s an abuse of power,” Mr. Bishop said. “Scratch below the facade of pragmatism, and it is nothing more than ideological chest-thumping from the president for the far left.”
Rep. Jeff Duncan, South Carolina Republican and a member of the House Natural Resources Committee, said Mr. Obama’s action “is a vain attempt to salvage a personal legacy for himself.” He said the legal provision is “vague and untested.”
“A permanent ban is clearly not the scope of power provided by law, nor is it in the interest of the United States,” Mr. Duncan said. “However, I am not shocked at his willingness to put his political legacy before his country. Instead of listening to rebuke after rebuke of his policies in successive elections, he would rather act like a king. Governors in South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia have all agreed energy exploration off the coast would be a blessing to our states, and yet he ignores the will of the American people.”
Mr. Duncan said there is a “strong likelihood” that Congress or the courts will strike down Mr. Obama’s executive action, “just like his plans for executive amnesty, unconstitutional recess appointments and illegally transferring terrorists [detained at Guantanamo Bay] to U.S. soil.”
By using the 12(a) provision of the 1953 law to ban drilling in U.S. territorial waters, legal challenges are almost certain. But activists say a court case could take years to resolve.
California Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, last week also asked Mr. Obama to ban drilling in the Pacific Ocean off the state’s coast.
“Millions of people around the world will be grateful to President Obama for permanently protecting much of the Arctic and the Atlantic coasts from catastrophic oil exploration and development,” Greenpeace spokesman Travis Nichols said in a statement.
Lucas Frances of the Arctic Energy Center, a group funded by oil and gas interests, said its research shows that about three-quarters of Native-group respondents in Alaska support offshore energy.
“If reports are true, and taken with last week’s news that sales of Beaufort Sea and North Slope leases generated $18 million, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that the Obama administration is playing politics with the future of Alaska,” he said.
Jacqueline Savitz, senior vice president of the environmental group Oceana, said the move by Mr. Obama would be “a smart business decision, based on science and facts.”
“This decision would help to protect existing lucrative coastal tourism and fishing businesses from offshore drilling, which promises smaller, short-lived returns and threatens coastal livelihoods,” she said. “East Coast communities and businesses that depend on a healthy ocean would finally be able to rest assured that they will be spared from the worst impacts of dirty and dangerous offshore drilling.”
Copyright © 2019 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission. | 0.896366 |
Illustration by Charlie Powell.
Fossils are priceless. I mean that in both senses: They are invaluable clues about vanished lives, and their worth should never be measured in dollars. But Eric Prokopi made quite a bit of money dealing fossils and, as it turns out, brazenly smuggling them. He recently pled guilty to conspiracy, making false statements to customs officials, illegally importing fossils into the United States, and fraudulent transfer of dinosaur bones. He is set to be sentenced in April and faces up to 17 years in prison. Prokopi’s string of fossil offenses was finally exposed in the past few months because of a dinosaur that was almost sold for $1 million. His story is one of the most egregious cases of dinosaur rustling in recent years, and it shows just how corrupt and harmful to science the fossil market can be.
The ugly tale began when Texas-based Heritage Auctions put out a catalog for a May 20 event in New York City. The lots included an ankylosaur skull, a troodontid skeleton, and the hyped star of the sale, a “75 percent complete” Tarbosaurus bataar skeleton. This tyrannosaur, which roamed Mongolia about 70 million years ago, was comparable in size and ferocity to its famous cousin Tyrannosaurus rex. (The auction ads took advantage of a taxonomic disagreement among paleontologists and called the fossil Tyrannosaurus bataar, but I’m in the camp that believes these dinosaurs should be kept in distinct genera.)
It seemed the dinosaur was going to slip away into a private collection. For years, paleontologists have watched as significant specimens have gone from field sites to wealthy fossil enthusiasts. Some researchers have even had dinosaurs stolen right out from under them, finding their carefully-excavated quarries turned to shambles littered with cigarette butts, booze bottles, and broken bones.
There are legitimate dealers who abide by laws on collecting, importing, and selling fossils, but you’ll always find questionable specimens from China, Brazil, Morocco, and other locations if you visit a fossil or mineral show. What’s on display is only the tip of the iceberg. The real action at places like the annual Tuscon Gem and Mineral Show is behind closed doors in private hotel rooms, where sellers save their fanciest—and most illicit—deals for customers they feel they can trust. Countries around the world have passed laws that make it difficult to sell dinosaurs and other fossils legally, but dealers keep finding new ways around the laws, and the black market thrives. Even dealers who keep their noses clean almost never contribute anything to science—they treat fossils as petrified postage stamps to be hoarded, traded, and sold off.
Whoever had collected the Tarbosaurus had stripped away almost everything of scientific importance about the animal: how the bones were scattered in the rock where they were found, what preparations were used to clean and reassemble the skeleton, what other fossils were in the same or nearby layers. But paleontologists were certain that the dinosaur came from the Cretaceous rock of Mongolia. This is the only place in the world where Tarbosaurus skeletons are found in great numbers, and the dinosaur’s off-white bones were the same color as other dinosaur remains found in the Gobi Desert.
There was no reasonable doubt that the Tarbosaurus had been stolen. China and Mongolia strictly regulate who is allowed to launch dinosaur expeditions and collect fossils and where those specimens must be reposited. There was no legal route by which the dinosaur could have ended up in a New York City auction. Days before it was set to be sold, paleontologists and the president of Mongolia objected to the auction. Paleontologist Mark Norell of the American Museum of Natural History, who has worked extensively in Mongolia, pointed out that the dinosaur must be an illicit specimen from the Gobi Desert. According to Mongolian heritage laws, any recovered bones must ultimately rest within an approved Mongolian institution. (The AMNH itself made an international faux pas when it auctioned off a Mongolian dinosaur egg in 1924.)
Heritage Auctions pooh-poohed the concerns and affirmed that the auction house trusted the dealer it was working with. Greg Rohan, president of Heritage Auctions, steadfastly defended the auction, whining that it was too close to the date of the auction to do anything about the complaints of the Mongolian government and concerned researchers. Lawyers working in concert with the Mongolian government entered the kerfuffle and demanded that the auction be halted until the provenance of the skeleton could be settled.
The auction went ahead as scheduled. In the middle of the bidding, a lawyer announced that he had on the phone a judge who had issued an order against the sale. Even this last-minute tactic didn’t stop the bidding. The final price of the Tarbosaurus was just over $1 million.
Fortunately, the unknown buyer couldn’t simply walk off with the dinosaur. Investigations continued, now with the begrudging assistance of Heritage Auctions, and Norell and other paleontologists confirmed that the tyrannosaur must have been uncovered in Mongolia. More than that, what was billed as a nearly complete individual animal turned out to be made of several different dinosaurs. (Surprise, surprise, the smuggler wasn’t honest about his wares. Many dinosaurs that appear at auction houses are not as complete or well-preserved as they might appear to the untrained eye.)
The investigation revealed that the origin of the bones had been obscured by shipping them from Great Britain to the United States labeled as assorted reptile fossils. By June 22, Prokopi was identified as the dealer, and the skeleton had been seized by the United States government. Though it is still bound by red tape, the dinosaur soon may be returned home to Mongolia.
Tarbosaurus Bataar. Andreas Meyer/Hemera/Thinkstock.
Sadly, the other dinosaur fossils in the same auction were sold off without much attention. Still, inspired by the controversy, paleontologist Paul Barrett of the Natural History Museum in London halted the auction of a Tarbosaurus leg at Christie’s that was scheduled for about the same time. Barrett had noticed the leg in the window of the South Kensington auction house and contacted Christie’s, which informed the owner that the specimen was questionable. The lot was pulled from sale, and, Barrett says, is presumably still with its U.K. owner.
Such simple actions may help deter illegal and illicit fossil sales. “I’d say it’s just a case of staying vigilant, helping auction houses know about the legality of the specimens they handle, and in some cases attempting to persuade owners of their responsibilities,” Barrett told me. Private owners may not even know where their prize came from, how it was collected, or whether any laws were broken in the process. Repatriation, however, is hard to enforce. Unless there’s some kind of illegal activity, such as a customs violation, Barrett said, where an illicit fossil ends up depends on the whim of the owners.
Prokopi wasn’t so lucky. His defense crumbled as it became clear through early court proceedings that he had tried to hide the dinosaur by lying about what kind of bones he had and claiming the fossils were found and collected legally in England. Customs violations were the smuggler’s undoing.
Following his guilty plea, details about Prokopi’s dealings have started to trickle out. The Tampa Bay Times characterized him as a passionate Indiana Jones who followed his dream. What the sympathetic reporter didn’t understand, though, was that Prokopi actively undermined legitimate paleontology. He fueled a black market that robs specimens from science and the public alike.
We can’t learn anything from a Tarbosaurus that stands in a millionaire’s mansion. And contrary to what you might expect, relatively abundant dinosaurs like Tarbosaurus are important exactly because so many have been found. By comparing multiple specimens, even cutting up fossil bones to get a look at the microstructure of bone or drilling geochemical samples from them, researchers can get a better idea of how dinosaurs grew up, how they varied as individuals, and other intricate details about dinosaur biology. Dinosaur bones are not just static objects to be left on the shelf. The more individuals of a species we have, the better we can reconstruct how they lived and accurately portray the evolution and biology of these animals, whether in museum displays or movies.
Dinosaurs that make their way to the auction block are often showpieces, sold without information. The geologic context of a dinosaur—which is destroyed by fossil thieves and smugglers—allows paleontologists to properly identify the age of the animal, and the position of the bones in death can illustrate how it died or what happened to the body after death. As paleontologist Jack Horner put it in his book Dinosaur Lives, “A dinosaur out of context is like a character without a story. Worse than that, the character suffers from amnesia.”
The international market for unusual fossil specimens damages science in other ways as well. Some sellers create forgeries and chimeras. The croc-snouted dinosaur Irritator got its name because a fossil dealer glued extraneous bones to the dinosaur’s skull to make it look more complete than it was. Paleontologists were able to catch that fake, but researchers can be fooled by fancy fossils with murky backstories, as in the case of a fossil cheetah skull described in a PNAS paper that was retracted last year. The skull was artificially enhanced, and the lack of locality data meant that no one could be sure where it fit in the big picture of cat evolution.
Even the venerable National Geographic gave undue attention to a faked fossil. (I should mention that I blog about paleontology for the magazine’s Phenomena website.) In the fall of 1999, the magazine heralded “Archaeoraptor” as a significant evolutionary stage in the evolution of birds from dinosaurs. The animal seemed to exhibit a mixture of traits from early birds and their dinosaur predecessors, fitting within the pattern of authentic feathered dinosaurs that were just beginning to be described in the peer-reviewed literature.
But the origins and identity of “Archaeoraptor” were shady from the start. The fossil had been purchased for $80,000 from a commercial dealer at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show and was supposed to go to the tiny Dinosaur Museum in Blanding, Utah, run by artists Stephen and Sylvia Czerkas. They reached out to professional paleontologist Phil Currie, who contacted National Geographic to suggest a story. It quickly became clear that the fossil had been illegally exported from China. Even worse, further preparation of the slab and CT scans by fossil imaging expert Tim Rowe suggested that “Archaeoraptor” was a composite of at least two different fossils.
The Czerkases denied that their prize could be a fake, going so far as to submit manuscripts about the fossil to Nature and Science to legitimize the find, but the journals wouldn’t touch the hot fossil. National Geographic went ahead with its publication and press conference. Shortly after, paleontologist Xu Xing, an expert on feathered dinosaurs, confirmed that “Archaeoraptor” was pieced together from different animals, later identified as including the nonavian dinosaur Microraptor and the early bird Yanornis.
A few months later, after an internal investigation, National Geographic recanted and admitted that “Archaeoraptor” was a fraud. The magazine’s confession was admirable, but the hype around the controversial chimera gave ammunition to creationists and those who stubbornly insist that birds cannot be dinosaurs. Authentic, well-studied fossils have confirmed over and over again that birds are just one kind of dinosaur, but fundamentalists still trot out “Archaeoraptor” to insist that the scientific community cannot be trusted. Black market fossils can hurt science in an unfortunate array of ways.
No one benefits from the sale of fossils except the dealer. The bylaws of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology hold its members to a professional standard: “The barter, sale, or purchase of scientifically significant vertebrate fossils is not condoned, unless it brings them into or keeps them within a public trust.” Even then, many professional paleontologists feel unsettled by high-profile sales that inspire unethical collectors to obtain and sell off important fossils. The controversial, overhyped fossil primate fossil Darwinius—known to the public as “Ida” and presented at the time as The Link to our primate ancestry—was sold to the Natural History Museum in Oslo, Norway for a reported $750,000. Prehistoric primate expert Elwyn Simons and other paleontologists explained in Nature that “such objectionable pricing and publicity can only increase the difficulty of scientific collecting by encouraging the commercial exploitation of sites and the disappearance of fossils into private collections … We strongly believe the fossils should not have any commercial value.”
Natural History Museum engineer Martin Kirkby examines an animatronic Tarbosaurus dinosaur model for a 2011 exhibition in London, England Photograph by Oli Scarff/Getty Images
I understand the urge to have a dinosaur to call your own. I’ve got one myself: a skull of the long-necked, stout Jurassic sauropod Apatosaurus. But mine is a cast, which I found at the estate sale of the late Utah paleontologist James Madsen, Jr. Such alternatives let dinosaur fans have a piece of prehistory without depriving science. Indeed, reconstruction exports like Robert Gaston create and sell beautiful, lightweight casts of scientifically accurate dinosaur skeletons that are easier to mount and less expensive than real fossils.* Museums rely on casts for their own displays, after all, and museum-quality reproductions should satisfy the need of anyone who loves dinosaurs and the science of paleontology.
When I initially objected to the Tarbosaurus auction back in May, many readers responded that museums should fend for themselves. This argument ignores the perilous state of many museums and fundamentally misunderstands how modern paleontology is done. What is happening to the home of the $8 million T. rex named Sue is a sad example of why museums can’t, and shouldn’t, pay through the nose for questionable dinosaurs.
Sue had a twisted backstory of her own, with commercial paleontologists from the Black Hills Institute, landowner Maurice Williams, and even the federal government disputing ownership. Ultimately, after drawn-out legal disputes, Williams was granted ownership of the dinosaur, and he put it up for auction before Sotheby’s auction house. With the help of deals made with Disney, McDonald’s, and other sources, Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History acquired the dinosaur. As the institution recently made clear, though, they’re no longer in any state to purchase fossils.
The Field Museum is so strapped for cash that administrators are threatening to scrap various branches of scientific research. They plan to save the museum by cutting its heart out—a museum is not really a museum without responsibly-kept collections and an active research program. Under such circumstances, even major research institutions like the Field can’t possibly compete with rich private buyers. More than that, trying to outbid wealthy buyers for improperly-collected specimens would be a stupid move for any self-respecting institution, especially since $1 million would allow a museum’s paleontology crew to spend several seasons finding and collecting new dinosaurs.
Even when private collectors act in good faith, looted dinosaurs can still cause headaches for researchers. In 2009, University of Chicago paleontologist Paul Sereno and colleagues described Raptorex kriegsteini, which appeared to be a tiny prototype of the famous Tyrannosaurus rex body plan. They based the description on a skeleton purchased from a dealer by private collector Henry Kriegstein. When Kriegstein approached Sereno about identifying the fossil, Sereno realized that the new dinosaur species had been illegally collected and would have to be returned to China. Kriegstein agreed, and in exchange, Sereno named the dinosaur after Kriegstein’s parents. Through this arrangement, Raptorex was brought into the scientific literature and public trust, and was sent to a museum in Inner Mongolia, China.
The fate of Raptorex sounds like a happy ending, but a subsequent analysis of the same dinosaur highlighted how problematic commercially-collected specimens are. Museum of the Rockies paleontologist Denver Fowler and colleagues suspect that the skeleton of Raptorex is actually a juvenile Tarbosaurus. Anecdotal evidence and the scant amount of geologic information suggest that the dinosaur came from Mongolia rather than China. If we don’t know where fossils came from, how can we return fossils to their home countries, much less understand what the fossils mean?
Cases such as Prokopi’s, the illegal activities of commercial fossil hunter Nathan Murphy, and the legal tangles around “Tinker” the Tyrannosaurus underscore the shady nature of commercial collecting. And during a time when many museums are financially squeezed, the insistence of commercial collectors that they’d really like to sell specimens to research institutions where the fossils will be properly conserved and used to communicate science to the public—they really do claim this is their goal—is disingenuous. Rather than assisting science, commercial collectors are robbing everyone of specimens by making them accessible only to those with deep pockets.
Commercial collectors could do the right thing by working with professional paleontologists to responsibly excavate fossils for public institutions, with a small finder’s fee and rights to produce casts going to the commercial dealer. Of course, this would require private landowners and commercial collectors to stop seeing dollar signs made out of dinosaur bones. After the sale of Sue, Ida, and other high-profile fossils, researchers will continue to struggle against those who seek to turn petrifactions into profit.
Commercial collectors argue that, if they don’t act, many fossils may be destroyed due to erosion. And it’s true that there are not enough professional paleontologists to excavate every dinosaur that starts peeking out of the ground. But it would be better to let a Triceratops skull fall to pieces than have that specimen mangled by amateurs who ignore basic scientific data collection and then try to sell that skull to private buyers, hiding it away from researchers and fueling a market that makes significant specimens inaccessible. There is an opportunity cost to digging up one dinosaur and not another, but it’s better to lose a few in the process of rigorous science than to wind up with a jumble of dinosaurs of questionable provenance.
Correction, Jan. 9, 2012: This article originally misstated the first name of dinosaur reconstruction expert Robert Gaston. (Return to the corrected sentence.) | 0.782729 |
$500 fine for red-light 'California stops' excessive? Jerry Hill says the punishment should be halved
This officer was ticketing red-light violators at Market and Third streets in San Francisco last August. This officer was ticketing red-light violators at Market and Third streets in San Francisco last August. Photo: Liz Hafalia, The Chronicle Photo: Liz Hafalia, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close $500 fine for red-light 'California stops' excessive? 1 / 3 Back to Gallery
A San Mateo state senator is renewing his effort to have the $500 fine for "California stop" red-light violations reduced to a sum that low-income people can afford.
Sen. Jerry Hill thinks the current punishment for the slow, rolling right-hand turns doesn't fit the crime. He introduced legislation last week that would cut the fine in half.
In California, a red-light violation costs a driver about $500, by far the highest fine in the nation, according to the traffic-watch site TheNewspaper.com. The fine is a whopping $540 in Hill's district in San Mateo County. In most states, it's around $100.
"Many people are making $3,000 a month, $2,500 and when you take taxes, their net take-home pay, this is over a fourth of what they take home," Hill told ABC 7.
In 2014, Redflex Traffic System, which administers the red-light camera ticketing program for the city of San Mateo, issued 4,462 tickets worth $2.4 million, according to TheNewspaper. Sixty-three percent of these tickets went to drivers who made "California stops," also known as "Hollywood stops."
The exorbitant fine can make drivers reluctant to make even legal right-hand turns at red-light camera intersections, causing traffic to back up behind them. Would you trust a camera to recognize that you came to full stop before turning?
This isn't the first time Hill has tackled the fine in the Legislature. A bill authored as an assemblyman passed in 2010, but then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed it, arguing a reduced fine would send the wrong message to drivers about traffic safety.
State Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, took a cut at the issue in 2013, writing a bill to prohibit use of the camera tickets merely to raise revenue, and to make it easier to fight them in court. But Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed it.
"There are accuracy issues, privacy issues and due process issues with these tickets," Simitian told the Chronicle's Kevin Fagan. "The trouble is that more and more cities depend on this for revenue."
Simitian does not advocate that red-light cameras should be eliminated, saying they do have a safety value. "I just don't think the current system gives the public a fair shake," he said.
The state Department of Finance estimated in 2014 that red-light cameras bring in more than $80 million annually to the state and $50 million to cities and counties. | 0.007161 |
China, perhaps more than any other country, faces many important and difficult population challenges: reproductive health and reproductive rights, rural-urban migration and reform of the hukou system, and imbalances in the sex ratio at birth. And two deeply connected population issues, the rapid aging of the population, on the one hand, and the low birth rate and the family planning policy on the other, are of great significance to China's future development.
China's population is aging as rapidly as anywhere in the world and its low birth rate means it faces a significant population decline in the not too distant future. In part, China's population will age because people are living longer, an important dimension of China's great progress. But the country's low birth rate is the most important reason for population aging, leading to a very top-heavy age structure with many elderly, fewer workers, and even fewer children.
The low birth rate and population aging mean China faces two important economic challenges. The first is maintaining economic growth and poverty reduction, while the second is ensuring economic security for hundreds of millions of elderly.
Since the beginning of economic reform in 1978, changes in age structure have been very favorable in China. Because of the decline in the birth rate, only partly a consequence of the family planning policy, the number of children in China has decreased and the proportion of the population that is of working age increased. This led to a demographic dividend in China that provided an important boost to efforts to increase economic growth. Experts disagree about the size of the demographic dividend, but scholar Wang Feng and I believe that it added about 1.3 percentage points to economic growth between 1978 and 2000, smaller than some have argued, but still an enormous effect.
China's first demographic dividend is coming to an end as the size of working age population is peaking and will soon begin a rapid decline. Over the next 40 years, China's support ratio, the effective number of producers per effective consumer, will decline by about 0.4 percent per year. As compared with the dividend phase, this changing age structure of the population could lead to a downward swing in economic growth of 1.7 percentage points per year. That would be a very serious development and a great setback to China's efforts to join the ranks of high-income countries.
A second demographic dividend could be the answer to China's economic growth challenge, but it is far from automatic. First, as countries' birth rates decline they substitute child quality for child quantity. People around the world are having fewer children but they are spending more on each child. In particular, they are spending more on health and education for children. Countries end up with fewer workers, but workers who are healthier, more educated, and more productive. China's recent emphasis on improved human capital investment is an important step toward realizing this second demographic dividend.
Realizing the second dividend also requires an increase in wealth and investment. If the elderly are to be self-sufficient in old age, they will need to save more while they are working. By ensuring that China is well-endowed with both human capital and physical capital, a strong second demographic dividend is well within reach. But three additional steps are necessary if China is to meet its population challenges.
First, China needs to retool its approach to capital accumulation. High rates of saving and investment have been critical to fueling economic development, but wealth accumulated by State-owned enterprises and in sovereign wealth funds is not creating economic security for China's elderly. China needs to refocus its efforts on building strong and successful pension funds that can meet the dual goals of supporting both economic development and economic security for the elderly. China doesn't need to save more. If anything saving rates are too high. But China needs to save in a different way.
Second, China needs to make better use of its older work force. Labor income peaks at a very young age in China and drops sharply at a much younger age than in other countries in Asia, including South Korea, Japan, India, and Indonesia. Life expectancy is rising in China and older adults are much healthier than in the past. Extending the years spent in employment, lifelong learning, and better employment opportunities for older workers will contribute to stronger economic growth and better economic security for the elderly.
Third, China needs to reconsider its family planning policy. The low birth rate is leading to accelerated population aging making it more difficult to sustain economic growth and to meet major population challenges.
The author is a professor of economics at the University of Hawaii, senior fellow at the East-West Center, and co-author of Population Aging and the Generational Economy.
(China Daily 07/10/2012 page9) | 0.995151 |
Washington Redskins linebacker Junior Galette suffered a torn Achilles at the end of practice Wednesday and will miss the entire season, coach Jay Gruden said Thursday.
Editor's Picks Losing Junior Galette devastating blow to Redskinsâ plans With pass-rusher Junior Galette lost for the season with a ruptured Achilles, the Redskins must find a way to replace his outside pressure.
Gruden said Galette is scheduled to have surgery Friday.
Galette, 27, was released by the New Orleans Saints earlier this summer, less than a year after they signed him to an extension worth up to $41 million.
He was arrested in January on charges of domestic violence, but those were later dismissed. There's also a video from 2013 that shows a man who resembles Galette involved in a fracas on the beach, during which the man strikes a woman. Galette's attorney has denied that the man was his client.
Galette remains under investigation by the NFL and faces suspension.
Galette's streak of 10-sack seasons Junior Galette is one of three linebackers to record at least 10 sacks in each of the past two seasons, joining Justin Houston and Terrell Suggs. Justin Houston 3 Junior Galette 2 Terrell Suggs 2 -- ESPN Stats & Information
The Redskins signed Galette earlier this month to a one-year deal, with general manager Scot McCloughan saying the team was "thorough, thorough, thorough" in its investigation of him.
Galette had just returned to full-time work after suffering a torn pectoral muscle in June and was expected to make his preseason debut Saturday at Baltimore. The Redskins were counting on Galette and fellow outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan to form a strong pass-rush combination this season.
"Right now, I'm worried about him as a person," nose tackle Terrance Knighton said of Galette. "I know he loved the game and he probably feels like he's letting people down, that's how much he cares about his teammates and the people around him and his family. To me right now the impact hurts on a personal level.
"Football-wise, the next guy has to step up. Trent Murphy has been having a great camp. He was definitely ready to start, so he'll be ready. We drafted Preston Smith to come in and be an impact player."
Information from ESPN's Dianna Russini and John Keim and The Associated Press was used in this report. | 0.000841 |
The made-up scandal that just won’t quit is back, with a vengeance.
A group of Republican lawmakers in New Hampshire asked the state’s attorney general on Tuesday to launch an investigation into President Barack Obama’s citizenship, The Associated Press reported.
The effort was being staged in hopes that they may be able to knock Obama’s name off the New Hampshire primary ballot.
The group, led by state Rep. Laurence Rappaport (R), has not been told whether the investigation will proceed. Rappaport has long been attached to the so-called “birthers” in New Hampshire, and he helped former dentist Orly Taitz pursue a “birther” complaint with the state’s Ballot Law Commission in November.
Other Republicans who helped Taitz, who’s been repeatedly rebuked by the courts, included Republican state Reps. Harry Accornero, Lucien Vita and Carol Vita.
All of them have alleged that the long-form birth certificate presented by the White House last April was a forgery, but the Ballot Law Commission rejected their claims.
“There’s sufficient controversy that I want it investigated,” Rappaport said in November, according to The Concord Monitor. “Every time this is brought up… we get a lot of flak, but we’ve never gotten an answer.”
President Obama released his birth certificate long before running for office. After challenges to its authenticity became popular among prominent Republicans, he publicly shamed them and released the original document, pulled from the state of Hawaii’s archives.
The president’s citizenship has been attested to by Hawaii officials, and newspapers published in Honolulu in 1961 bear record of the family’s birth announcement. | 0.341696 |
In dense, urban centers around the world, many people live and work in dim and narrow streets surrounded by tall buildings that block sunlight. And as the global population continues to rise and buildings are jammed closer together, the darkness will only spread.
To alleviate the problem, Egyptian researchers have developed a corrugated, translucent panel that redirects sunlight onto narrow streets and alleyways. The panel is mounted on rooftops and hung over the edge at an angle, where it spreads sunlight onto the street below. The researchers describe their design in a paper published today in Energy Express, a supplement of The Optical Society's (OSA) open-access journal Optics Express.
"We expect the device to provide illumination to perform everyday tasks, and improve the quality of light and health conditions in dark areas," said Amr Safwat, a professor of electronics and communications engineering at Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt. These dimly lit areas specifically include narrow streets in developing countries, but Safwat said the new panel could be used in any country as a greener, cheaper, and more pleasant alternative to fluorescent and other artificial light.
While other commercially available window-like devices can redirect light, they are designed for shade and redirecting glare or for brightening a room -- not a narrow street. So the researchers decided to create their own design. They wanted a simple way to redistribute natural light without the need for a tracking device that follows the rising and setting sun.
What they came up with is a panel made of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), the same acrylic plastic of which Plexiglas is made. The bottom of the panel is smooth while the top is covered in ridges that are based on a sine wave, the mathematical function that describes everything from light to pendulums. The researchers used computer simulations to find the size and shape of the grooves that distribute the most amount of sunlight in a wide range of sun positions all year round, whether it's high or low in the sky. A sine-wave pattern is also easy to manufacture.
Using simulations of sunlight shining on an alleyway, the researchers found that their panels increased illumination by 200 percent and 400 percent in autumn and winter, respectively, when sunlight is most limited. They also tested a small prototype over a 0.4-meter-by-0.4-meter shaft that is 1.2-meters deep and found that it lit up the area as designed.
The next step, Safwat said, will be to build a full-scale model 10 times bigger to validate their calculations and to test it in a real alleyway. The team then plans to market and commercialize the panel. He estimates that a one-square-meter panel and a frame will cost between $70 and $100.
And that may be a small price to pay for the benefits of sunlight. The lack of sun in urban areas doesn't just make life gloomy; it can be harmful to your health, Safwat said.
"Research has shown that lack of natural lighting can cause severe physiological problems," such as serious mood changes, excessive sleeping, loss of energy and depression, Safwat said.
He also noted that using sunlight to illuminate historical places -- such as ancient alleyways in Egypt -- also helps preserve the authenticity of the site, maintaining its cultural value and historical significance.
This work was funded by the Science and Technology Development Fund of Egypt. | 0.993825 |
Mary Dailey | Lead Organizer
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Quote
“I had to turn my anger into a slow burning fire, instead of a consuming fire. You don’t want the fire to go out — you never let it go out — and if it ever gets weak, you stoke it, but you don’t want it to burn you up. It keeps you going, but you subdue it, because you don’t want to be destroyed by it.
When I talk about a slow burning fire, I mean a fire that is banked for the moment. All the fire it ever had is still there. I can uncover a little bit at a time, and if it flames up too high, I can throw more ashes on it so it won’t come up and burn me, and everybody around me. But I don’t want to put it out, I want it to stay there. It’s there, it could flare up, and there may be times when it should flare up. What you need is a good backlog going all the time.” – Myles Horton – from The Long Haul | 0.585691 |
You know that sound that pugs make when they're excited? Well, I missed the delivery yesterday and today I was watching the window like a hawk, making my disturbing excited pug sounds. I had the COD cheque in hand when the poor man started up the walk. I pounded up the stair and took his pen to sign before he even knew what was happening.
I raced back inside (quietly to keep my sleeping partner from waking up lest he be a zombie when he gets to work at 3am) and almost started opening the box before I remembered I should take pictures. Of course my phone was nowhere to be found. I finally figured out where it was and I started opening the box.
Now, I might have figured out where the order came from (ThinkGeek) because my santa warned me there would be a COD charge and I knew that ThinkGeek does COD charges and has zombie stuff. I maybe, kinda, sorta looked on the site a little bit to see what it might have been (and also figured out the price range from the COD charge <_<).
I honestly said probably about fifteen times last night "I hope my Santa got me one of those zombie mugs." I drink coffee like I would die without it (let's be honest, I probably would - have you ever tried to quit drinking coffee? It's HELL.) I was not disapointed! There was a zombie coffee mug in there!
Wait, what's in the white box? It's kinda heavy... Another zombie mug, in the other gender! I might even share it with my partner (but we'll see how I feel when I could have two kick ass mugs of coffee at the same time. Double tap the zombie-sleep away!).
There was another box inside too. BOOK ENDS! I mentioned that I like zombie fiction and if they wanted to get me a book they should probably ask because I have loads already. WELL, let me tell you, if I can find room on a shelf for book ends, they're going on ASAP, or as is more realistic, they're going to become a "floor shelf" for my spare room where I'll keep all my zombie books!
I am so excited and I cannot thank you enough Santa. You're AMAZING and so thoughtful. I'm going to make a pot of coffee right now! | 0.001522 |
Streaming service Ustream has suspended the use of the third-party DRM tool Vobile after the system automatically shut down a broadcast of a popular science fiction awards ceremony on Sunday night. Viewers tuning in to Neil Gaiman's acceptance speech during the annual Hugo Awards were confronted with the message "Worldcon banned due to copyright infringement" — the ban was triggered by clips of the British drama Doctor Who, for which Gaiman had written a script.
As io9 points out, not only did the Hugo Awards have explicit permission to broadcast the clips, but they would also likely be covered by fair use provisions in US copyright law. Writing in a post published on the official Ustream blog yesterday, CEO Brad Hunstable admitted that "our editorial team and content monitors almost immediately noticed a flood of livid Twitter messages about the ban and attempted to restore the broadcast," but noted that "we were not able to lift the ban before the broadcast ended."
Users have expressed disbelief that Ustream was unable to override the DRM tool, raising questions about Vobile's use on other sites. According Hunstable, "users of our paid, ad-free Pro Broadcasting service are automatically white listed to avoid situations like this," a thought that is unlikely to console fans forced to miss the ceremony. | 0.018087 |
The arrest today of the head of the Egyptian Press Syndicate and two colleagues is an alarming setback for freedom of expression and the most brazen attack on the media the country witnessed in decades, said Amnesty International.
The arrest of key media figures at the Press Syndicate signals a dangerous escalation of the Egyptian authorities’ draconian clampdown on freedom of expression Magdalena Mughrabi Share this Twitter
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Yahia Galash, head of Press Syndicate and senior board members Khaled Elbalshy and Gamal Abd el-Reheem were summoned for questioning on 29 May by the public prosecution. After 13 hours of questioning, the three men were charged with ‘harbouring suspects against whom an arrest warrant has been issued’ and ‘publishing false news, which threatens public peace, related to their arrest’. The prosecution ordered that the three men be put in custody, with bail set at 10,000 Egyptian pounds (USD$1,123), which they have refused to pay.
“The arrest of key media figures at the Press Syndicate signals a dangerous escalation of the Egyptian authorities’ draconian clampdown on freedom of expression and demonstrates the extreme measures the authorities are prepared to take in order to tighten their iron grip on power,” said Magdalena Mughrabi, interim Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Amnesty International.
The storming of the Press Syndicate earlier this month was unprecedented. It is the most brazen attack on the media the country has seen in decades Magdalena Mughrabi Share this Twitter
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Successive Egyptian governments have attempted to control the media and impose restrictions on journalists but on 1 May up to 40 heavily armed members of the National Security agency stormed the Press Syndicate for the first time since it was established in 1941. They attacked journalists, beating security guards and detained two journalists Amro Badr and Mahmoud Al-Saqqa. They are being held in Tora prison and have been charged with forming an illegal group with the aim of overthrowing the government, inciting protests and publishing false news, and belonging to the April 6 Movement, a leading youth group that was instrumental in organizing protests in 2011.
Days later on 4 May, thousands of journalists gathered outside the Syndicate to make a series of demands, including calling for the dismissal of Minister of Interior Magdy Abdel Ghaffar, the release of detained and imprisoned journalists, as well as demanding further measures to strengthen the protection of journalists.
“By prosecuting senior members of the Press Syndicate the authorities are clearly attempting to punish them for speaking out against the government and to send a strong message to intimidate all journalists into silence. The authorities must immediately order their release and drop the charges against them,” said Magdalena Mughrabi.
The authorities must also drop charges against the two journalists who were detained at the Press Syndicate and investigate the circumstances of the raid Magdalena Mughrabi Share this Twitter
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Under Egyptian law, permission from the Public Prosecutor is required in order to search the Press Syndicate premises and any search must be carried out in the presence of the head of the Syndicate or other senior management.
“The storming of the Press Syndicate earlier this month was unprecedented. It is the most brazen attack on the media the country has seen in decades. The Egyptian authorities appear to be prepared to breach their own laws in their chilling attempt to crush all signs of dissent,” said Magdalena Mughrabi.
“The authorities must also drop charges against the two journalists who were detained at the Press Syndicate and investigate the circumstances of the raid.”
At least 20 journalists are currently behind bars in Egypt imprisoned carrying out their legitimate journalistic work, according to the Egyptian Press Syndicate. | 0.00725 |
In a head-to-head matchup, Hillary Clinton earned 44 percent of the vote to Donald Trump's 38 percent. | AP Photo Clinton's lead over Trump grows in Fox News poll
Hillary Clinton opened up a 6-point lead over Donald Trump in the latest Fox News poll released Wednesday evening, continuing a string of recent surveys showing the presumptive Democratic nominee out in front of her Republican rival.
In a head-to-head matchup, Clinton earned 44 percent to Trump's 38 percent, while 7 percent volunteered that they would vote for someone else, 5 percent said they would not vote and 5 percent said they did not know who they would choose.
Story Continued Below
In the previous Fox News survey conducted earlier in June, Clinton's lead was only 3 points, 42 percent to 39 percent. But apart from a Quinnipiac University national poll released earlier Wednesday that showed him behind by only 2 points, Trump has trailed by similar margins in other recent surveys, including a f5-point deficit in the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll and a more pronounced 12-point gulf in the ABC News/Washington Post poll, which the Manhattan businessman derided as "dirty" because the sample included 10 percent more Democrats than Republicans.
Matched against Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson in the latest Fox survey, Clinton earned 41 percent, Trump took 36 percent, while the former governor of New Mexico drew 10 percent, all roughly at the same levels of support as the Fox News poll conducted earlier in June.
Neither major party candidate inspired much confidence from voters, as 48 percent said they were confident that Clinton would do right by the United States and 51 percent said they did not think so. Even fewer people, 42 percent, said they were confident in Trump's decision-making for the country, while 58 percent indicated a lack of confidence to some degree.
Asked a series of questions about personal characteristics, 45 percent said Clinton is someone who cares about people like them, while 51 percent disagreed with that sentiment, about the same as when the question was last asked in May. But for Trump, 35 percent in June said they saw empathy from him, down from 42 percent in May. Neither candidate is seen as trustworthy, while Trump is seen as more hot-headed and obnoxious than Clinton, who is seen as more sensible, experienced and intelligent.
The poll was conducted June 26-28, surveying a random national sample of 1,017 registered voters via landlines and cellphones. The overall margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points. | 0.001243 |
The man at the head of a new government asbestos agency has warned that home renovators and DIY heroes will keep Australia’s asbestos-related death toll rising until the 2030s.
Former Communications, Electrical, Plumbing Union boss Peter Tighe, now CEO of the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency, says the trend for do-it-yourself renovations is creating a growing “fourth wave” of asbestos victims.
He told the inaugural National Asbestos Forum in Sydney on Monday it was generally predicted that rates of deadly conditions like mesothelioma would peak in about 2020.
“The way it’s going, unless this agency can turn the process around (the peak will probably occur) further down the track, somewhere around 2030,” Mr Tighe told the forum.
Training was “critical” to his agency’s strategy for wiping out asbestos-related deaths, he said.
He told reporters that could include requiring home renovators to achieve a basic level of competence and asbestos awareness before they could be issued an owner-builder licence.
Critics in the audience said that approach risked leading homeowners to believe they knew what they were doing based on limited information.
Wendy Tredinnick, the managing director of South Australian firm Total Asbestos Services, said she met unsuspecting renovators on an almost-weekly basis.
“Six months ago I had a young woman come into my office with a baby on her hip, literally crying,” she said on Monday.
“She said, ‘I’ve just been down to the hardware store to buy more scrapers, and the guy down there said, are you sure it’s not asbestos vinyl you’re trying to scrape up?'”
A sample analysis showed it was.
“She said, ‘I’ve been in there with my children, my sister and her children have been in there,'” Ms Tredinnick said.
“‘Why aren’t people doing something about this?'”
Mr Tighe said he didn’t want renovators to think they were fully trained simply because someone had “given them a leaflet”, but many were taking risks already.
“The problem is that it’s happening anyway,” he said. | 0.99633 |
Some Western European countries are getting serious about transporting consumer goods through automated subterranean networks – introducing a fifth transport mode next to road, rail, air and water. This rare combination of low-tech sense and high-tech knowledge could lead to a further economic growth without destroying the environment and the quality of life. Super fast underground cargo transport is a favourite subject of futurologists. Yet, the key to the feasibility of the proposed systems is their very low but constant speed.
If water, sewage, gas and oil can be transported through underground pipelines, why not consumer goods as well?
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"You could order something on the internet and pick it up in your cellar the next morning"
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Sending cargo goods through underground pipelines is anything but new. As early as the second half of the 19th century, systems for the transport of mail and small packages became quite common in most world cities. In these pneumatic post networks (they are still in use in some shops and large buildings today), little capsules are propelled by means of air pressure through tubes, reaching a speed of around 35 km/h (25 mph).
Paris and Berlin had more than 400 kilometres of extensive citywide networks that were in use until the end of the 20th century – in Prague, the pneumatic system was even operating until 2002 when it was damaged by a flood.
In the United States, the technique was already abandoned in the 50s, in favour of trucks and new communication technology. Especially in Paris the system (which was mainly located in the sewers) became very sophisticated, with upgrades to larger diameters and the introduction of two-way traffic and automatic navigation. (map: pneumatic post network of Paris, click to enlarge)
Note that pneumatic systems could deliver physical objects, which is hard to do with email or any other automatic technology in use today.
Revival
Since the 60s several attempts were made to transport goods by pneumatic networks with a much larger diameter (picture below: capsule system in Ontario). Lines were built in the US, the UK, Canada, Russia, Japan and Germany. However, they never became much of a success. Also today, several inventors and companies try to revive the technique.
It’s not hard to find out why: due to traffic congestion, a courier in a truck today needs considerably more time to deliver a package than the pneumatic post systems of the 19th century.
However, even though the concept clearly works, simply copying the two centuries old technology is not the way forward. Pneumatic driven systems consume quite some energy and they are not suited for longer distances (which are, by the way, also the problems of compressed air cars). Some try to eliminate these drawbacks by designing tubular systems based on an electromagnetic drive, a technique that in the future could be used to reach very high speeds.
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A courier in a truck today needs considerably more time to deliver a package than the pneumatic post systems of the 19th century
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The most viable techniques, however, adopt just the concept of automated underground transport: they make use of well-known electric propulsion instead of compressed air or electromagnetic forces, and they envision extreme low speeds of 7 to 35 kilometres per hour (4 to 22 mph).
In fact, they mix the concept of pneumatic transport with that of an automated subway line or a conveyor belt.
Container traffic
Germany, Holland and Belgium are closest to implementing an underground logistic network. That’s no coincidence. In spite of their extensive road networks, these countries face an enormous traffic overload. Three of the top ten ports in the world – Hamburg, Rotterdam and Antwerp – are situated at just a few hundred kilometres away from each other.
A massive amount of goods has to be transported from the ports to the hinterland. And things will become much worse, since the ports keep expanding their container handling capacity. In all three countries, road cargo transport is expected at least to double in 2020, which would completely clog the existing (and planned) road infrastructure.
Underground conveyor belt
In Belgium, the University of Antwerp designed and proposed an underground logistic system that would transport large 40-ft containers from the newly built container dock in the harbour to an existing marshalling yard and a planned inland navigation hub on the other bank of the river.
The project, called “Underground Container Mover” would consist of an electric driven conveyor belt of nearly 21 kilometres that would transport 5,500 shipping containers each day (and night).
More than 20 computer-controlled perpendicular shafts would drop the containers from the wharf to the underground, 22 to 28 metres below. The slow moving conveyor belt (travelling at a speed of just 7 kilometres per hour) will not even be stopped while loading and unloading the containers. According to the construction firm Denys, who is candidate to build the system, it could be ready in 4 years.
Electric vehicles
In Germany, the Ruhr University of Bochum is working on a rather different concept, called the CargoCap project. The German system is designed for much smaller loads and makes use of unmanned electric vehicles on rails that travel through pipelines with a diameter of only 1.6 metres. Each vehicle, called a ‘Cap’, is designed for the transportation of two European standard pallets. The German system is designed for use on a regional scale (up to 150 kilometres) in a much more finely woven network. Each vehicle is programmed to follow a certain path to its destination.
While the Belgian system is still only on the drawing board, the German engineers are already conducting experiments with a large-scale model. There is a distance of 2 meters between two vehicles, which enables a branching system to unload the single caps out of a collective without speed reduction. To prevent blockages, each vehicle is equipped with several motors, so that in case of a breakdown the vehicle does not stop the flow of traffic and can reach the next station
The German system resembles research that was conducted in Holland almost ten years ago.
The Dutch then investigated the possibility of an underground logistic network that spanned the whole country.
Email for things
The ambitious plan consisted of a finely-woven network with one hub for every 1,000 to 5,000 homes, which boiled down to a maximum walking distance of 750 meters to pick up goods (the information is not on the internet, data and illustration taken from paper brochure).
These concepts offer exciting possibilities. Goods can be transported from factories to stores, from factories to factories or even from stores to consumers - in the long run, the infrastructure could become so intricate that goods can be delivered to individual homes. You could order something on the internet and pick it up through a trapdoor in your cellar the next morning.
In the Dutch plan, the city hubs would also offer the possibility to send goods to other cities, which would effectively turn them into a democratized courier service. It might also become possible to send goods from one home to another: email for things.
A constant flow of goods
But even without a trapdoor in the cellar the advantages are surprisingly large. Trucks are an important cause of noise and air pollution, they bring about severe traffic accidents, they consume a lot of fuel and they demand a lot of space. An automated, underground transport system erases all these problems. Thanks to the automated control, the low speed and the higher efficiency of the electric drive, the energy consumption of the system is much lower than that of any other form of transport. Moreover, harmful batteries are not needed since the vehicles receive electricity from the rails.
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"Thanks to the automated control, the low speed and the higher efficiency of the electric drive, the energy consumption of the system is much lower than that of any other form of transport"
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The economical advantages are as important as the ecological ones, but less obvious. Firstly, goods can be delivered much faster, in spite of the much lower speed.
It’s the constant flow of movement that makes an underground automated system fast.
Trucks have to wait at traffic lights and they can get stuck for hours because of traffic jams or weather conditions. The driver also has to sleep, and accidents can happen.
Even more important than the higher delivery speed, is the fact that a separate, automated infrastructure makes it possible to predict very accurately when goods will arrive. That makes it possible for companies to lower the amount of warehouses. In fact, in such a system, supply chains become physically connected to each other: the conveyor belts actually leave the factories and connect several production facilities as if they were one large, regional or even global production facility.
Last but not least, automated transport is cheaper – not only because of the more reliable delivery of the goods, but also because there are no drivers to pay and because energy use is much lower.
Buried in silence
The most important problem of an underground logistics infrastructure is the initial cost. The Dutch calculated that their nationwide network would cost them around 60 billion Euros – and that’s ten years ago. The plan was buried in silence. Nevertheless, the researchers also calculated that an extension of the road infrastructure would cost almost as much. That’s because the maintenance costs (paying the truck drivers, repairing the roads) and the external costs (economical losses due to traffic jams, accidents and pollution-related diseases) are much higher with a road network.
But extending the road network has one, important benefit: it concerns the extension of an already existing infrastructure, which means that it immediately yields results. Developing a new (inter)national underground transport system, on the other hand, asks an enormous initial investment and the results are only visible after some decennia. It’s long term thinking versus short term thinking, and humans (especially politicians) invariably prefer the latter.
© Kris De Decker (edited by Vincent Grosjean).
This article was featured on Slashdot, together with a story from Modern Mechanix on Chicago's underground freight tunnel network (which was not an automated system, but nevertheless impressive - more info here). "A world without trucks" was translated in Spanish and in Dutch.
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The 1556 Shaanxi earthquake or Huaxian earthquake (simplified Chinese: 华县大地震; traditional Chinese: 華縣大地震; pinyin: Huáxiàn Dàdìzhèn) or Jiajing earthquake (Chinese: 嘉靖大地震; pinyin: Jiājìng Dàdìzhèn) was the deadliest earthquake in recorded history, killing approximately 830,000 people.[3]
It occurred on the morning of 23 January 1556 in Shaanxi, during the Ming Dynasty. More than 97 counties in the provinces of Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, Gansu, Hebei, Shandong, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu and Anhui were affected. Buildings were damaged slightly in the cities of Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai.[4] An 840-kilometre-wide (520 mi) area was destroyed,[5] and in some counties as much as 60% of the population was killed.[6] Most of the population in the area at the time lived in yaodongs, artificial caves in loess cliffs, many of which collapsed with catastrophic loss of life.
Geography [ edit ]
The Shaanxi earthquake's epicenter was in the Wei River Valley in Shaanxi Province, near Huaxian (now Huazhou District of Weinan), Weinan and Huayin. In Huaxian, every single building and home was demolished, killing more than half the residents of the city, with a death toll estimated in the hundreds of thousands. The situation in Weinan and Huayin was similar. In certain areas, 20-metre (66 ft) deep crevices opened in the earth. Destruction and death were everywhere, affecting places as far as 500 kilometres (310 mi) from the epicenter. The earthquake also triggered landslides, which contributed to the massive death toll.[7] The rupture occurred during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, in the Chinese historical record, this earthquake is often referred to as the Jiajing Great earthquake.[8]
Modern estimates, based on geological data, give the earthquake a magnitude of approximately 8 on the moment magnitude scale or XI on the Mercalli scale, though more recent discoveries have shown that it was 7.9.[1] While it was the deadliest earthquake and the third deadliest natural disaster in history, there have been earthquakes with considerably higher magnitudes. Following the earthquake, aftershocks continued several times a month for half a year.[9]
In the annals of China it was described in this manner:
In the winter of 1556, an earthquake catastrophe occurred in the Shaanxi and Shanxi Provinces. In our Hua County, various misfortunes took place. Mountains and rivers changed places and roads were destroyed. In some places, the ground suddenly rose up and formed new hills, or it sank abruptly and became new valleys. In other areas, a stream burst out in an instant, or the ground broke and new gullies appeared. Huts, official houses, temples and city walls collapsed all of a sudden.[10]
The earthquake damaged many of the Forest of Stone steles badly. Of the 114 Kaicheng Stone Classics, 40 were broken in the earthquake.[11]
The scholar Qin Keda lived through the earthquake and recorded details. One conclusion he drew was that "at the very beginning of an earthquake, people indoors should not go out immediately. Just crouch down and wait. Even if the nest has collapsed, some eggs may remain intact."[12] The shaking reduced the height of the Small Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an by three levels.[13]
Loess caves [ edit ]
Millions of people at the time lived in artificial loess caves on high cliffs in the area of the Loess Plateau. Loess is the silty soil that windstorms have deposited on the plateau over the ages. The soft loess clay formed over thousands of years due to wind blowing silt into the area from the Gobi Desert. Loess is a highly erosion-prone soil that is susceptible to the forces of wind and water.[14][better source needed]
The Loess Plateau and its dusty soil cover almost all of Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces and parts of others. Much of the population lived in dwellings called yaodongs in these cliffs. This was the major contributing factor to the very high death toll. The earthquake collapsed many caves and caused landslides, which destroyed many more.[14][better source needed]
Cost [ edit ]
The cost of damage done by the earthquake is almost impossible to measure in modern terms. The death toll, however, has been traditionally given as 820,000 to 830,000.[1] The accompanying property damage would have been incalculable – an entire region of inner China had been destroyed and an estimated 60% of the region’s population died.[14][better source needed]
Foreign reaction [ edit ]
The Portuguese Dominican friar Gaspar da Cruz, who visited Guangzhou later in 1556, heard about the earthquake, and later reported about it in the last chapter of his book, A Treatise of China (1569). He viewed the earthquake as a possible punishment for people's sins, and the Great Comet of 1556 as, possibly, the sign of this calamity (as well as perhaps the sign of the birth of the Antichrist).[15]
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Further reading [ edit ] | 0.984533 |
The Council of State, in a ruling issued on Monday, found that a ministerial decision allowing shops to open on Sunday in three specific regions in Greece was unconstitutional. The measure had been introduced as a pilot scheme on July 7, 2014 by the then development minister; it was then suspended pending the court’s final ruling, after it was challenged as unconstitutional by trade associations and unions.
In its ruling on Monday, the Council of State plenum granted the associations’ request that the ministerial order be revoked as unconstitutional. The court found that the laws, issued in 2013 and 2014, were contrary to the 1909 law establishing Sunday as a day of rest for all shops and businesses, with the exception of specific categories such as recreational establishments, restaurants, tavernas, cake shops, coffee shops and shops selling goods for tourists.
The new laws allowed the development minister to ordain three areas to be treated as tourist areas, where the optional Sunday opening of retail outlets would be allowed on a pilot basis for one year, without the need for any decision by regional authorities.
(source: ana-mpa) | 0.395816 |
CHANDLER, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In recognition of its commitment to patients, innovation in diagnostics development and health care delivery, Theranos has been named the 2015 Arizona Bioscience Company of the Year by the Arizona Bioindustry Association (AZBio).
Headquartered in Palo Alto, Theranos, Inc. is a consumer health care technology company. Theranos’ clinical laboratory offers comprehensive laboratory tests from smaller samples at unprecedented low prices. Founded in 2003 by Elizabeth Holmes, Theranos’ mission is to make actionable health information accessible to people everywhere in the world at the time it matters, enabling early detection and intervention of disease, and empowering individuals with information to live the lives they want to live.
The company is also leading transparency in lab testing by committing to FDA review all of its laboratory developed tests and publishing its prices, lab proficiency testing scores, customer satisfaction scores, guest visit times, and more.
“When one of our Arizona bioscience companies achieves great success, it is cause for celebration across the entire life sciences community,” said AZBio President and CEO Joan Koerber-Walker. “The Arizona Bioscience Company of the Year award recognizes the bioscience company whose Arizona-based operations did the most to transform the world during the last 12 months.”
“Theranos’ mission is to make actionable health information accessible to everyone at the time it matters. The company’s testing system uses cutting edge technology to make lab testing more efficient, affordable, convenient, and accessible to patients,” said Koerber-Walker. “Theranos has shown great leadership in Arizona, actively advocating for patient access to lab tests and the importance of the information those tests provide to empower patients in our community to engage in their own health, which has the potential to be life-saving.”
The company began operations in Arizona in late 2013 and has 42 Theranos Wellness Centers in the greater Phoenix area. Theranos also has business operations and a lab in the newest SkySong building in Scottsdale, employing hundreds of Arizonans, with plans to expand throughout the state.
“By empowering individuals with the information they need to make more informed health care decisions and better engage with their doctors, we’re helping shift the health care paradigm in this country to one focused on prevention and the early detection of disease, to empower individuals to live their best possible lives,” said Elizabeth Holmes, founder and CEO of Theranos. “The passage of Arizona’s groundbreaking Direct Access testing law introduced the potential for a new era of preventive care across the country, giving Arizonans the opportunity to take control of their own health information, and work with their doctors, so that they can seek care and make lifestyle changes before the onset of disease by taking control of their own health.”
Theranos will be honored during the Tenth Annual AZBio Awards at the Phoenix Convention Center on October 1, 2015, in front of an audience of local, national, and international leaders.
Previous recipients of the Arizona Bioscience Company of the Year Award include: Insys Therapeutics, Inc. (2014), W.L. Gore & Associates (2013), Cord Blood Registry (2012), SynCardia Systems, Inc. (2011), Abraxis Biosciences (2010), which was acquired by Celgene that year for $2.9B, and Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. (2009), which was acquired by Roche in 2010 for $3.4B.
For a full list of past honorees, visit www.azbio.org/azbio-awards-2015/awards-history.
For registration and more information, go to www.azbioawards.com.
About AZBio
AZBio – The Arizona Bioindustry Association – is comprised of member organizations in business, research, government, and other professions involved in the biosciences. AZBio supports the members of the Arizona bioscience community by providing access to the key resources, connections, and information that support their ability to Connect, Collaborate, Innovate and Succeed thus supporting the growth of a thriving economic ecosystem for Arizona’s Bioscience Industry. The AZBio Awards are an exciting opportunity to connect with Arizona’s fastest growing industry sector.
For more information visit www.AZBio.org and www.AZBio.TV.
About Theranos
Headquartered in Palo Alto, Theranos, Inc. is a consumer health care technology company. Theranos’ clinical laboratory offers comprehensive laboratory tests from samples as small as a few drops of blood at unprecedented low prices. Founded in 2003 by Elizabeth Holmes, Theranos’ mission is to make actionable health information accessible to people everywhere in the world at the time it matters, enabling early detection and intervention of disease, and empowering individuals with information to live the lives they want to live. Visit us at theranos.com. Follow us at @theranos.
Images available upon request. | 0.995198 |
Minister for Finance Michael Noonan will abstain in the vote on the remuneration package for Bank of Ireland chief executive Richie Boucher at the bank’s agm today, the Dáil has heard.
The Government has rejected a call by Labour backbenchers for Mr Noonan to exercise his vote based on the State’s shareholding against the package for Mr Boucher and other directors of the financial institution.
In a series of questions five Labour TDs urged the Minister to send a “very clear and loud message that these outrageous salaries are not acceptable in a bank that this State and taxpayers had to bail out”.
Dublin South East TD Kevin Humphreys said “abstention is not policy and it’s not good policy in this case”. Minister of State for Finance Brian Hayes insisted however it was a decision of every member of the Government that Mr Noonan abstain. He also said Mr Noonan was voting “in favour of the election and re-election of the bank’s directors”.
Bank strategy
The Minister holds a 15 per cent stake in the bank on behalf of the Government. He expects to receive an outline of each bank’s strategy by the end of April to reduce payroll costs by between 6 per cent and 10 per cent. “It was in this context that he decided to abstain on the resolution to consider the report on directors’ remuneration,” Mr Hayes said.
Mr Humphreys said Mr Boucher received a basic salary of €690,000 well above the Government cap of €500,000.
“He also receives other payments including pension contributions to bring his package to over €800,000. He was one of the architects of the lending bubble who directed lending in Bank of Ireland.”
He added: “I urge you to abandon the policy of abstention on this issue and vote No in this case.” The bank had “lapsed back into its old ways” and was using market research “to try and trick people off tracker mortgages to improve their bottom line so they can pay super salaries to their top executives”.
Dublin Mid-West TD Robert Dowd said: “We as a Government have been too soft on the banks for too long and it’s time for the Minister to take a stand for the public when dealing with them.”
Voice of the people
Wicklow TD Anne Ferris said she was looking to the Minister to ensure the voices of the Irish people were heard at the Bank of Ireland agm. She asked why the State had not repossessed the bank’s historically significant College Green premises, “the world’s first purpose-built two-chamber parliament”, as part of the social dividend for the State’s investment in the bank.
Carlow-Kilkenny TD Ann Phelan said the payments to Mr Boucher and other directors showed “the blatant disregard for the current economic situation in this country”.
She urged Mr Noonan to “say no to the bankers and say no to the huge salaries and restore some faith to the Irish people that we will do right by them”.
Kerry North TD Arthur Spring said Mr Boucher joined Bank of Ireland in 2003 and became a director in 2006. Mr Boucher “should have a shot across the bow” and “should be put in his place”. | 0.993013 |
Pictures and details of a stripped-back ultra-compact desktop computer from Intel have hit the web.
Packing a Core i3 or Core i5 processor socket on a 10cm-by-10cm board, the hand-sized Intel Next Unit of Computing (NUC) doesn't feature a touchscreen nor a keyboard, although it is one of the smallest complete x86-compatible computers on the market. It's more like an Apple TV in terms of form factor, it's smaller than Mini-ITX boards and yet larger than the credit card-sized Raspberry Pi.
The NUC is destined for kiosks and digital signs, rather than mass sale to the schoolchildren targeted by the UK-designed Pi, but it could find a corner under tellies or in classrooms.
According to Fred Birang, a senior product marketing engineer at Intel, in an interview with Just Press Start, the gear will hit the market in the second half of the year.
The NUC has two SO-DIMM laptop memory slots, and two mini PCIe headers allowing the motherboard to be expanded. There are a series of sockets for Thunderbolt, HDMI and USB 3.0. Naturally it needs a heatsink and fan assembly. Anyone who has used or seen a development board or played with Mini-ITX kit will be forgiven for their bemusement at the ripple of excitement caused by this hunk of silicon.
Powered by the Sandy Bridge i5 chip with an Intel HD 3000 GPU, the NUC is still going to be a whole load more powerful than the ARM-compatible 700MHz Broadcom SoC in the Raspberry Pi - and will support the gigantic Microsoft Windows platform. Consequently it's going to chug a lot more energy and be more expensive.
The price is not yet decided, but the smart boxes are likely to cost significantly more than the $35 Raspberry Pi. Birang said the price wouldn't be in the "hundreds or thousands" and blog Extreme Tech suggested a $100 price tag. But then, the Pi is not for profit, and Intel obviously wants to make money off their boxes. ® | 0.003334 |
Starting tomorrow and then throughout the week, BBC Radio 1's Zane Lowe will air his new interview with Jay-Z. According to NME, Jay revealed to Lowe that he had already started working on the Magna Carta Holy Grail tracks "Holy Grail" (featuring Justin Timberlake) and "Oceans" (featuring Frank Ocean) around the time he was working on Watch the Throne with Kanye West.
Jay said he and Kanye agreed that after they did the album together, they'd start working on their new solo albums. Jay made those two tracks and played them for Kanye, which instigated a four-day argument about if they should've been on WTT or held for MCHG:
"[There were] no lyrics on 'Holy Grail' and I recorded 'Oceans' and I played those records for Kanye. And he was like, 'No those have to go on Watch the Throne,' so we spent four days arguing about those records and I was explaining to him why it wasn't right for this project and I had a whole idea for making this album called Magna Carta... Holy Grail [part of] the name came after."
Jay also explained that the arguing was civil. "Four days literally arguing... not like fighting. Well, there was some pushing at one point but not between us, just everyone else got a little excited."
Here's their video for "Otis": | 0.001768 |
The Barack Obama reelection campaign began its operation on April 4th, 2011, nineteen months before voters decide to send him back for a second term or send him back to Chicago. In the 570 days between that day and now, Obama and the DNC have raised and spent several hundred million dollars. Obama passed his 100th fundraising event months ago.
In that time, Republicans held more than 20 debates, primaries or caucuses in all 50 states as well as in American territories. Both parties held their national conventions. The two campaigns fought in four national debates, finishing on Day 567 of the Obama campaign.
Finally, on Day 568, Barack Obama got around to telling us what he plans to do with a second term in office.
This may sound like a joke, but it’s not – at least not intentionally a joke. Team Obama had never laid out a second-term agenda during the campaign, other than vague references to programs they had promised for the first term but had never bothered to address: comprehensive immigration reform as well as a continuance of preferred initiatives already begun in the last four years, such as expanded education funding.
Instead, Obama and his team have worked tirelessly for the first 566 days of their campaign to delegitimize their opposition. While Republicans mulled their choice of nominee, Team Obama attacked all of them as George Bush retreads and/or extremists. After Mitt Romney wrapped up the nomination in late April of this year around Day 385 of their campaign, Obama and his team spent all summer painting Romney as a vampire capitalist and a potential felon rather than offering their own vision for the future to voters.
Rumors swirled on the last day of the Democratic convention -- Day 521 -- that Obama might roll out a formal agenda for a second term in his speech. Campaign communications chair David Axelrod and deputy chair Stephanie Cutter both told the media that Obama would at least propose entitlement reform in his acceptance speech. Not only did Obama barely even mention the topic, the campaign never followed through with a proposal for release.
On Day 548, the presidential debate series began in Denver, Colorado. Instead of offering a plan of his own, Obama tried attacking the 60-page plan Romney had rolled out months earlier during the Republican primaries. He did the same at the second debate on Day 561 at the townhall debate at Hofstra University in New York.
By this time, the media had begun to wonder when Obama would bother to make a case for himself, as the delegitimization strategy had clearly backfired in Denver. After the Hofstra debate failed to dent Romney’s momentum, Time Magazine’s Mark Halperin warned that Obama’s failure to provide a second-term agenda could prove fatal to his reelection hopes. “If there’s an undercurrent here that could really hurt him,” Halperin told Joe Scarborough, it’s that “he didn’t lay out a second term agenda.”
Even after that debate, Obama talked about binders and Big Bird rather than offering his own plan, sticking to the delegitimization strategy. In the final debate on Day 567 in Boca Raton, Florida, Obama tried again to keep the focus on Romney’s foreign-policy agenda rather than his own, offering snide remarks about “horses and bayonets” in order to belittle Romney and make his ideas seem irrelevant.
How well did that work? The very next morning – Day 568 of the campaign, with only 14 days left to go before the election – Obama finally released a 20-page pamphlet purporting to outline a second term agenda, filled mainly with pictures and a collection of campaign sound bites. Most of the document sounds and looks familiar, because they offer what Obama promised in a first term:
• Promising to reform the corporate tax code while closing “loopholes” and stop companies from shipping jobs overseas while rewarding them for bringing jobs to the US
• More worker training
• Investing in wind, solar, nuclear, and clean coal while demanding higher gas mileage from vehicles
• Tax breaks for hiring workers
• Hiring another 100,000 teachers
• Continuing to roll out ObamaCare
Obama’s new proposal has two glossy pages (mostly dedicated to a picture of a senior citizen) on “Protecting Retirement Security,” which talks about Medicare and Social Security without ever mentioning the need to reform either, or the $100 trillion or more in unfunded liabilities in both programs. Even hisconvention speech went farther than this “agenda” does. “Yes, we will reform and strengthen Medicare for the long haul,” Obama said on September 6th, “but we’ll do it by reducing the cost of health care, not by asking seniors to pay thousands of dollars more.”
The newly released 20-page pamphlet doesn’t mention the word “reform” once in this section. It does go on at length about what Obama won’t do to solve the problems of Medicare and Social Security (“Oppose efforts to gamble Social Security on the stock market,” “Stop proposals to turn Medicare into a voucher program”). These sound a lot like Obama in debates – attempting to talk about everyone else’s plans in order to distract attention from the fact that he has none of his own.
Small wonder, then, that no one found themselves terribly impressed with the product of 568 days of waiting. “There’s not anything significantly new in here,” CNN’s Jessica Yellin reported later Tuesday morning. “It’s all just compiled in a nice booklet now. You can still critique it,” Yellin continued, “for lacking details, such as – will he pursue immigration reform, what specifically would his tax reform plan look like?”
Don’t expect to find answers to any of the above. Obama’s plan offers the same tax reform promises of his 2008 campaign. On immigration reform – which Obama promised in 2008 to pursue in his first year as President – Obama’s agenda offers not even a single mention. Perhaps that’s why Obama refused to speak to the Des Moines Register editorial board on the record the next day (which he later reversed), but lined up interviews with hard-hitting news organizations like The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and MTV.
It took Barack Obama 568 days to offer next to nothing as a case for giving him a second term. It should take voters a lot less than 14 days to refuse it to him. | 0.057208 |
TNT is making summer plans with the network today announcing airdates for the fourth season premiere of their hit sci-fi series “Falling Skies,” as well as premiere dates for their new series “The Last Ship” and “Legends.” They’ve also debuted video previews of all three shows, and you can check them out in the players below!
“For the past three summers, TNT has had great creative and commercial success with ‘Falling Skies,’ which has inspired us to continue to program for fans of sci-fi and action,” said Michael Wright, president, head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). “This year, we’re going to launch ‘The Last Ship’ and ‘Legends,’ two expertly crafted shows that bring the storytelling scope and thrill-ride excitement of our favorite summer movies to series television. With their great writing, expansive casts and outstanding production quality, these are really fun, smart and addictive shows.”
TNT’s summer action series will kick off Sunday, June 22, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT) with the premiere of “The Last Ship,” from executive producer Michael Bay (Transformers). Eric Dane (Grey’s Anatomy) and Rhona Mitra (“Strike Back”) star in the series about a Navy vessel that may be humanity’s last hope in the wake of a worldwide catastrophe.
The fourth season premiere of “Falling Skies,” from Amblin Television and executive producer Steven Spielberg, will follow “The Last Ship” at 10 p.m. (ET/PT). Noah Wyle stars in the highly rated drama about the struggle against a deadly force of alien invaders.
In August, TNT then premieres the new drama “Legends,” from “Homeland” executive producers Howard Gordon and Alexander Cary and Fringe co-executive producer David Wilcox. Set to premiere Wednesday, Aug. 20, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT), “Legends” stars Sean Bean (“Game of Thrones,” “The Lord of the Rings”) as a deep-undercover FBI agent who may be losing his grip on reality.
TNT’s summer slate will also include new seasons of the hit series “Major Crimes,” “Rizzoli & Isles,” “Perception” and “Franklin & Bash”; new episodes of “Dallas”; and the launch of Stephen Bochco’s new crime drama “Murder in the First”. Premiere dates for those series will be announced later. | 0.210623 |
Use the adjective extant to describe old things that are still around, like your extant diary from third grade or the only extant piece of pottery from certain craftspeople who lived hundreds of years ago.
Choose Your Words extant / extent They sounds similar and both have exes, but extant means “still here,” and extent refers to “the range of something.” People get them mixed up to a certain extent. Continue reading...
Extant is the opposite of extinct: it refers to things that are here — they haven't disappeared or been destroyed. Use extant to describe things that it may be surprising to learn are still around — you wouldn't say jeans you bought last year are extant, but a pair of jeans worn by Marilyn Monroe back in the 1950s? Definitely extant. | 0.589798 |
Colorado State University researchers have exposed a sad irony to the seemingly healthy choice of bicycling to work: While cyclists are reaping the benefits of exercise, they may be increasing their exposure to harmful air pollution.
CSU air quality researchers John Volckens and Jennifer Peel have published the first set of results from their multi-year Fort Collins Commuter Study. They recruited 45 non-smoking, healthy Fort Collins commuters to wear monitoring and GPS tracking equipment that measured their air pollution exposure as they commuted by bicycle and car between work and home within the city.
“We wanted to ask practical questions that would empower people to make choices to reduce their exposure,” said Volckens, an associate professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Center for Energy Development and Health in the CSU Energy Institute. Peel is an associate professor in the Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences.
Varying levels of exposure
The researchers asked two questions: If you cycle or drive to work, how does your air pollution exposure change? Also, if you had a choice of route – the direct, busy one, or the less busy, longer one – could you change your exposure to pollution?
They found that exposures vary by pollutant. Drivers got the highest exposure to carbon monoxide and gaseous pollutants, whereas cyclists got higher exposure to particulate matter like black carbon.
They also found that both cyclists and drivers taking an alternative route, away from major roadways, can lower their exposure to pollutants by 20 percent to 30 percent. Great! They thought. But alas – the alternative routes almost always take longer, so in some cases, the benefits of decreased exposure could be offset by longer time on the road.
“That was disappointing,” Volckens said.
What’s more, cyclists, because they’re breathing harder, inhale about three times as much pollution as people breathing normally – likely increasing the exposure experienced while cycling.
Car-centric built environment
The results seem to suggest that the built environment strongly affects how people are exposed to air pollution, the researchers said. While putting bicycle lanes on roads is a great way to promote exercise, that alone ignores the exposure problem. After all, the traditional built environment is and always has been centered around cars – the source of about a third to half the country’s air pollution problem, depending on the region, Volckens said.
More to learn
There’s more to study, such as analyzing data from off-road bike paths, like the Spring Creek Trail. Hopefully those routes do offer some protection since they’re farther from major roadways. Phase II of the study will also look at health indicators of the commuters.
Peel emphasized that the likely health benefits of cycling, overall, may still outweigh the risks. “But we simply do not have enough information to inform this decision – particularly regarding the adverse health effects due to the air pollution exposure. The next phase of our study may help to fill that gap.”
“Our results can be put in a larger context of what others have already observed – that choosing different commute routes can have a significant effect on one’s exposure to pollution – yet sometimes, those choices are limited,” Peel added.
What’s more, Volckens said, there are things communities can do in the long run that can offset these air pollution exposure levels, though they might seem radical. One way would be establishing electric-only routes – think bikers and non-fossil-fuel-burning electric cars happily sharing the roads. | 0.996276 |
Hillary Clinton speaks at a campaign event at Truckee Meadows Community College, in Reno, Nev., Aug. 25. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)
Hillary Clinton's campaign is launching a new, two-week, back-to-school effort to energize and register college students in the final stretch before Election Day.
In the fall, as students head back to campuses, the campaign plans a push to launch new or reengage existing chapters of Students for Hillary, in an effort to mobilize young voters at about 280 college campuses across the country. It is part of an overall goal of registering more than 3 million new voters this election.
Millennial voters are poised to be as large a voting block as baby boomers in coming elections, and younger voters have increasingly become an important part of the Democratic Party’s base.
Clinton is intensifying efforts to reach those voters in a year in which polls show that many younger voters are turning away from both major party candidates and are leaning toward third-party options in higher numbers. Clinton also leads Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump by wide margins among voters under 30.
[Pro-Clinton groups launch new ads targeted at female millennials]
Student organizers will launch regular phone banks, voter registration drives and voter outreach efforts on their campuses. The efforts will be reinforced by celebrity surrogates and campaign staffers who will participate in voter registration drives and round tables as well as a social media engagement campaign.
Last week, the campaign also announced that it would launch a voter registration and mobilization effort at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
In the Democratic primary, Clinton lost the support of millennials to her rival Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) by a wide margin.
[For millennial voters, the Clinton vs. Trump choice ‘feels like a joke’]
After the primary, her campaign hired several Sanders staffers, including Sanders’s National Director of Student Organizing and New Hampshire Campus Director Kunoor Ojha, who joined Clinton's millennial outreach team.
Clinton's millennial outreach effort is lead by Anne Hubert, a former senior vice president at Viacom, and the campaign also brought on Sarah Audelo, the former political director at Rock the Vote, and Amnesty International alumna Jamira Burley. A former Democratic National Convention staffer, Christopher Huntley, also recently joined the campaign as director of millennial media. | 0.103652 |
The Pierre-sur-Haute military radio station is a 30-hectare (74-acre) site used for French military communications. It is in the Sauvain and Job communes, with the boundary between the Rhône-Alpes and Auvergne regions passing through the site. A civilian radio relay has also been built at this location by the telecommunications company Télédiffusion de France.[1]
History [ edit ]
The optical telegraph station in 1913.
In 1913, a semaphore telegraph (French: télégraphe Chappe) was built where the military radio station is now. At the time, it was a small stone building, with the semaphore on top.[1]
In 1961, during the Cold War, NATO asked the French Army to build the station as part of the 82-node transmission network in Europe known as the ACE High system.[2] In this network, the Pierre-sur-Haute station, or FLYZ, was a relay between the Lachens (FNIZ) station to the south and the Mont-Août (FADZ) station to the north.[3] The NATO radio station was using American-made tropospheric scatter equipment to relay voice and telegraph signals on a network stretching from Turkey to the Arctic Polar Circle in Norway.[2] The French Air Force took control of the station in 1974.[1] In the late 1980s, the system was gradually replaced by a combination of national defense systems and some NATO-owned subsystems.[2] The large parabolic antennas, known locally as Mickey's ears, were replaced with the current two-antenna setup in 1991.[1]
Role [ edit ]
The Pierre-sur-Haute station is controlled by the French Air Force and is a subsidiary of the Lyon – Mont Verdun Air Base, 80 km (50 mi) from the station. It is one of the four radio stations along France's north-south axis, in constant communication with the three others: Lacaune, Henrichemont and the Rochefort air base.[4] The station is mainly used for transmissions relating to the command of operational units. If French nuclear weapons (force de dissuasion) were used, the fire order might pass through this relay.[1]
The station has been part of the Commandement Air des Systèmes de Surveillance d’Information et de Communications (Air Command of Surveillance, Information and Communication Systems) since its creation on 1 June 1994; from 1 January 2006, it has been run by the Direction Interarmées des Réseaux d'Infrastructure et des Systèmes d'Information (Joint Direction of Infrastructure Networks and Information Systems).[4]
The station is under the command of a major.[1][5] About 20 personnel are on-site, including electricians, mechanics, and cooks.[1]
Infrastructure [ edit ]
Concrete towers housing the military radio equipment at Pierre-sur-Haute
The station is situated on a 30-hectare site between the communes of Sauvain and Job, positioned over the border between the two departments of Loire and Puy-de-Dôme. The perimeter is surrounded by a high barrier of wood and metal. Military staff and employees arrive via road or tracked vehicles. This road is closed to the public.[1]
Buildings [ edit ]
The radio station, photographed in February 2009
There are three towers at the site. The tallest one is a 55-metre-high civilian telecommunication tower, owned by Télédiffusion de France.[6] The telecommunication tower is topped by a radome and contains a mode S air traffic control radar beacon system owned by the Directorate General for Civil Aviation. The radar has been in operation since 18 August 2009[7][8] but has experienced malfunctions due to heavy snowfall in the area.[9]
The two remaining concrete towers are owned by the military. The 30-metre-high structures[10] have been used since 1991 for radio transmission and reception. These are built to withstand the blast of a nuclear explosion.[1]
Some buildings are used as garages and living quarters, complete with kitchen, dining room and bedrooms. They are linked together by tunnels, 400 metres in total length, so as to avoid walking through thick snow in winter when moving from one building to the other.[1]
Underground facilities [ edit ]
The most important part of the site is the underground part, used for transmissions dispatch: at a speed of 2 Mb/s, communications from the towers are analysed, then redirected to be transmitted.[1]
This part of the facility is supplied with chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear defences. It defends against electromagnetic pulses using a Faraday cage. Positively pressured rooms help prevent contaminants from entering the facility. The facility has independent water and power supplies.[1]
Controversy over Wikipedia article [ edit ]
In April 2013, the French-language Wikipedia article Station hertzienne militaire de Pierre-sur-Haute attracted attention from the French interior intelligence agency DCRI. The agency attempted to have the article about the facility removed from the French-language Wikipedia. After a request for deletion in March 2013, the Wikimedia Foundation had asked the DCRI which parts of the article were causing a problem, noting that the article closely reflected information in a 2004 documentary made by Télévision Loire 7, a French local television station, which is freely available online and had been made with the cooperation of the French Air Force.[11][12] The DCRI refused to give these details, and repeated its demand for deletion of the article.
The DCRI then pressured Rémi Mathis, a volunteer administrator of the French-language Wikipedia, and president of Wikimedia France, into deleting the article.[11][13] The article was promptly restored by another Wikipedia contributor living in Switzerland.[14][15]
As a result of the controversy, the article temporarily became the most read page on the French Wikipedia,[16] with more than 120,000 page views during the weekend of 6/7 April 2013,[17] and is now translated to many languages. For his role in the controversy, Mathis was named Wikipedian of the Year by Jimmy Wales at Wikimania 2013.[18]
References [ edit ]
Coordinates: | 0.99235 |
Fonterra is reviewing its rules for milk powder resellers in China, after 19 people were arrested for on-selling milk powder that should have been thrown out.
Fonterra says it does not know if anyone has fallen ill from consuming its expired milk powder, as the NZ dairy giant tries to come to terms with the latest scandal to engulf the Chinese food industry.
Chinese police on Monday (NZT) arrested 19 people in Shanghai for selling about 300 tonnes of expired Fonterra milk powder, Shanghai Daily reported.
The suspects were allegedly managing a company, which was packaging expired products of the New Zealand dairy company - one of the most popular brands in China - into smaller packages for resale below market prices, according to media reports.
FAIRFAX The suspects were allegedly managing a company, which was packaging expired products of New Zealand dairy company Fonterra.
After a months-long investigation, the police discovered that one of the suspects sold the expired products to another company, who in turn allegedly resold almost 200 tonnes to distributors in Shanghai and in the Jiangsu, Henan and Qinghai provinces, who sold them on e-commerce platforms or in wholesale.
READ MORE:
* Fonterra's big profit shows it can pay suppliers on time: Prime Minister John Key
* Support loans cast shadow on Fonterra half-year result
* Fonterra bill payment extension criticism grows
* Fonterra says it is feeling the pain alongside farmers, contractors
SUPPLIED Fonterra milk powder being bagged at Waikato's Te Rapa processing plant.
The authorities have seized 100 tonnes of these products and have shut down the websites selling them.
Fonterra spokeswoman Maree Wilson said on Monday night it supported the enforcement steps taken by Chinese officials.
"The Chinese authorities have acted strongly and swiftly to investigate and arrest the people they believe are responsible for this and we fully support their actions.
"Food safety is our top priority and we are committed to providing safe and high quality dairy products.
"We work actively with our direct customers to ensure the integrity of our products. This includes providing guidelines on how to manage expired product in a responsible way.
"In this case there appears to have been criminal activity much further along the supply chain.
"While we believe this is an isolated criminal incident, we are reviewing the case internally."
It's the latest scandal to hit China's beleaguered food industry, where food safety incidents, including sale of adulterated or expired products have been on the rise.
The dairy sector has been among the worst affected by such incidents.
In 2008, six babies died and 300,000 were affected by melamine-contaminated baby milk powder produced in China, prompting many Chinese citizens to begin turning to foreign milk products.
Fonterra milk products were pulled off shelves in 2013 when it emerged they were potentially contaminated with botulism.
Testing showed the risk of botulism never existed and none of the products were contaminated, but the false alarm prompted a review of New Zealand's food safety system.
Wilson said Fonterra was not directly involved in this case - the issues related to alleged criminal activity much further along the supply chain - and the company was alerted to the issue by Chinese media reports.
Wilson said that, to Fonterra's knowledge, the milk powder was not being resold with Fonterra packaging.
It was not aware of anyone falling ill as a result of consuming the expired milk powder, she said.
*Audio courtesy of RNZ | 0.263297 |
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday informed that extradition of absconding liquor baron Vijay Mallya has been stratified by Secretary of State of the UK Government and soon a warrant would be released against him.
"Somewhere in the month of February, the home office of the UK Government conveyed that India's request for extradition of Mallya has been stratified by Secretary of State and sent to Westminster Magistrate court for a district judge consider issue of releasing of warrant," MEA official spokesperson Gopal Bagley told the media here.
Earlier in March, the Supreme Court fast-tracked the proceedings against Mallya and reserved its order on contempt proceedings against him for allegedly diverting $40 million (nearly Rs 266.11 crore) to his children's accounts in foreign banks in violation of court orders.
A bench of Justices A.K. Goel and U.U. Lalit reserved its order on whether or not Mallya was guilty of contempt and what action should be taken to bring back the money.
The court concluded the proceedings after a three-and-a-half-hour hearing during which the Centre contended that Mallya was mocking the Indian system after fleeing the country. It said the government was holding talks with UK authorities to get him deported.
The apex court had started proceedings against Mallya a year ago and had issued notice to him on March 8, 2016 on a plea by a consortium of banks led by the State Bank of India (SBI) for recovery of about Rs. 9,000 crore which the businessman and his companies owed to them.
The liquor baron, however, fled the country days before the apex court took up the case against him.
Attorney general Mukul Rohatgi urged the court to direct Mallya to bring back the $40 million which he had received from Diageo. He told the bench that Mallya had breached court orders and his refusal to bring back the money had aggravated the breach and he should be directed to appear personally before the court.
(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.) | 0.00154 |
Natalia Viri
Para oferecer preços mais baixos sem colocar a mão no próprio bolso, o Grupo Pão de Açúcar (GPA) sacou uma arma poderosa mas até então subestimada: a inteligência de mercado sobre os hábitos de consumo dos quase 12 milhões de membros de seus programas de fidelidade, o Pão de Açúcar Mais e o Clube Extra.
Lançado há um mês, o aplicativo 'Meu Desconto' oferece promoções personalizadas para quem está cadastrado nos dois programas. A cada 15 dias, o cliente recebe ofertas sob medida, que levam em conta o que ele já consumiu e o que pode vir a consumir, dado seu perfil de compra. Para ter acesso ao preço promocional, ele precisa apenas ativar a oferta no aplicativo e fornecer seu CPF ao passar no caixa.
Nos primeiros 30 dias, o app teve 1,4 milhão de downloads, e 400 mil novos clientes se cadastraram nos programas de fidelidade, um aumento de 3,2% na base.
A verdadeira inovação, no entanto, está na outra ponta da cadeia. Nem R$1 dos descontos, que começam em 20% e chegam a mais de 50%, sai do bolso do GPA. Todos os descontos são inseridos no sistema e bancados pelos fornecedores.
A moeda de troca do Pão de Açúcar era um tesouro que estava enterrado debaixo de uma camada de algoritmos: o grupo abriu para a indústria toda a base de dados de seus programas de fidelidade.
Os fornecedores têm acesso ao perfil de quem consome (e de quem ignora) seus produtos, e podem fazer ofertas 'nichadas'. A identidade do consumidor é preservada. De acordo com o GPA, trata-se de um ganha-ganha: o grupo melhora sua margem bruta e tráfego, e o fornecedor aumenta a assertividade de seu produto.
“A indústria consegue entrar e verificar o cliente que ela quer impactar: os mais fiéis ou menos fiéis, os abandonadores..." diz Renato Camargo, gerente de programas de fidelidade do GPA. "Ele pode fazer um desconto só para quem compra a categoria mas não compra seu produto, por exemplo. Ou para quem compra o produto de menor valor da marca e poderia subir para uma categoria mais premium. A oferta vai direto para esse cliente, sem passar pelo GPA.”
No modelo tradicional, quando decide dar desconto em algum produto, o fornecedor tem que abrir mão da margem em contratos que envolvem volumes expressivos negociados direto com o supermercado. Com o novo sistema, ele pode decidir 'promocionar' para, por exemplo, apenas 100 mil pessoas. Quando uma pessoa ativa e compra com o preço da oferta, é só este desconto que impacta sua linha de custo.
“O varejo não pode se dar ao luxo de investir numa promoção sem saber qual é o retorno. Com a nossa plataforma, o fornecedor consegue ver quase em tempo real o que está acontecendo, quanto [a promoção] está rendendo e qual o real interesse por cada oferta. Como o investimento é mais assertivo, dá pra fazer promoções mais relevantes para o consumidor”, diz Camargo.
A iniciativa vem num momento em que o GPA precisa fortalecer sua bandeira mais premium, o Pão de Açúcar, que acabou negligenciada nos últimos anos com o avanço do atacarejo e das lojas de bairro.
Num segundo trimestre de bons resultados para o grupo, o Pão foi o destaque negativo, com o faturamento em queda de 1%, e a direção já sinalizou que vai focar na bandeira, reformando suas 15-20 maiores lojas nos próximos trimestres. (O Pão tem 185 lojas.)Além dos descontos, a ideia do aplicativo é melhorar a experiência de compra. Em breve, os apps devem ganhar funções que mostram o mapa das lojas, apontando onde fica cada produto e categoria, e uma ‘fila virtual’ em que o cliente pode agendar a hora que quer passar no caixa para evitar as filas.O app muda também a equação das estratégias promocionais que fizeram com que a bandeira Extra retomasse o fôlego nos últimos trimestres, após anos comendo poeira do Carrefour.Um dos pilares da revitalização do negócio de hipermercados foi a promoção ‘1, 2, 3 passos da economia’, com descontos de 20% na compra da primeira unidade, 50% na segunda e a terceira de graça -- que se provou acertada, mas à custa de rentabilidade.O custo dos descontos era normalmente dividido entre o Extra e o fornecedor, numa conta em que o volume de vendas compensa a perda de margem. Agora, o GPA está usando o app como uma ferramenta para rever sua agressividade promocional e melhorar a relação com os fornecedores.Segundo Camargo, a demanda do 'Meu Desconto' por clientes do Extra vem surpreendendo. Nos primeiros dias após o lançamento, a maior parte dos downloads acontecia por clientes do Pão de Açúcar -- de mais alta renda e, portanto, mais habituados aos apps e a programas de fidelidade.Conforme as ofertas foram circulando, via campanhas publicitárias e no boca a boca, a balança se inverteu, e cerca de 65% dos downloads agora são feitos por clientes do Clube Extra.No Extra, o clube de fidelidade é mais recente, apenas de 2013, e soma cerca de 7 milhões de clientes. Já o ‘Cliente Mais’ do Pão de Açúcar foi lançado há 17 anos, quando programas de fidelização eram quase exclusividade das companhias áreas, e hoje tem mais de 4 milhões de usuários.O desenvolvimento do aplicativo e do sistema levou cerca de seis meses. A ideia do 'Meu Desconto', nascida no Brasil, já foi apresentada na França e em breve deve ser replicada por outras empresas controladas pelo Casino.E quando a concorrência decidir replicar? "Estamos na frente, voltando a ter aquela pegada de inovação que pautava o GPA. É a evolução do varejo: no mundo da informação, não dá mais para ter aquele 'black box' com o fornecedor como era nos anos 80."
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“Since January of 2016 — the period in which the anti-Trump ‘resistance’ movement formed — Americans are fifty-one times more likely to be killed by a radical Islamic terrorist, and thirteen times more likely to be killed by a left-wing terrorist, than by a right-wing terrorist. That’s 51:1, and 13:1, respectively.”
So writes the “Cowboy Historian,” a scholar who maintains a blog and has tallied up the recent violence in a piece that lays waste to the narrative that “Trump’s election electrified racists, misogynists, and bigots, and represents no less than the return of Jim Crow America, or worse.”
“My point here is not to claim that violent attacks by Trump supporters haven’t occurred, or to conflate the attacks of left-wing terrorists with all Democrats,” the historian writes. “Rather, my point is to illustrate the hate-filled narrative that undergirds the anti-Trump resistance.”
In an interview with The College Fix, the historian (who asked for anonymity because he does not have tenure), said the claim that Trump inspired a wave of right-wing violence in the last 18 months is a lie.
“What I am showing is that, on the one hand, Islamic terrorism continues to be the No. 1 threat, but a growing threat is left-wing terrorism,” he said.
In his blog post, he highlights not only the attacks against Trump supporters, but also various attacks associated with the Black Lives Matter and Black Power movements over the last 18 months, combining them under one “left-wing” category.
He argues that while left-leaning organizations mislabel certain attacks when calculating hate-crime statistics (mostly notably the New America think tank), when one combines anti-Trump attacks with those associated with anti-white attacks, the comparisons show which ideologies are truly the most dangerous.
Nevertheless, his findings still largely mirror that of New America: “Should you still prefer the New America classification system, which appears to downplay the role of left-wing ideology, then the statistics are 51:1 (jihadist terrorism vs. right wing terrorism) and 11:1 (black nationalist/separatist/supremacist terrorism vs. right wing terrorism), and 2:1 (left-wing terrorism vs. right-wing terrorism),” he writes.
So what does it all mean?
“I began forecasting a rise in left-wing violence just after the election, when regressive leftists so crassly started publicizing false Fascist/Nazi allegations, physically attacking conservatives on college and university campuses, and justifying violence against Trump and his supporters — all with very little pushback,” the historian writes. “Unfortunately, I was right. Violence has started to snowball. Barring a change in course, we are headed for some type of wider civil conflict. Deep down, everyone knows it.”
Read his full blog post.
MORE: Prof DEBUNKS study claiming right-wing extremists in U.S. more deadly than Islamic terrorists
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Spot the two valve stems? One valve inflates the high pressure chamber that fills the rim well, while the other inflates the low pressure outer chamber.
Two Chambers?
Markus Hachmeyer, Schwalbe's Senior Product Manager, had a busy time checking tire pressures between runs and ripping laps himself.
What's Inside?
Schwalbe sponsored French enduro racer Nico Lau was with us, trying the new system for the first time. He seemed pretty confident on it.
Schwalbe's marketing guy Michael Kull has spent a serious amount of time on the system, and has overseen testing with some of Schwalbe's top sponsored riders. Expect to see some World Cup downhillers riding the dual chamber system this season.
On the Trail
Normally you'd think twice about ripping into a berm with 17 psi in your tire, but with the stability of a two chamber system and a wide rim, you really didn't think twice. And Nico Lau is FAST - he's going to have a big year in 2014.
Pinkbike's take:
We've still not seen what's going on inside Schwalbe's dual chamber tires, but we'd guess that it works like two tubeless systems rather than a tube inside a tubeless tire. The high pressure inner chamber would therefore be contained by a bulbous rim strip. Until the official launch, we don't know, but what we do know is that we were able to run insanely low pressures on some pretty gnarly trails without flatting. And it wasn't just us - Schwalbe sponsored pro and two-time Trans-Provence winner Nico Lau was riding with us and, despite taking some super rowdy lines at speeds most of us couldn't dream of, he didn't flat in two days of shuttling. At the moment Schwalbe is aiming this technology at the gravity disciplines of downhill and enduro, but they are already talking about the advantages it could have across all off-road cycling, including XC racing and cyclocross. If you're riding a bike off-road, lowering the pressure works, but the compromise has always been pinch flats, damage to rims, a lack of tire stability and burping of tubeless systems. With two chambers Schwalbe and Syntace seem on the way to solving those problems and allowing the advantages of greater traction - braking, cornering and drive - to shine through. - Andy Waterman
Tire manufacturer Schwalbe has teamed up with German component maker Syntace to produce a double chamber tire system that is said to increase traction while decreasing the risk of punctures. Historically it's a claim that's been too good to be true, but in two days of testing with Switch-Backs.com around Malaga in Southern Spain, we were unable to cause a flat that would end a race run. Precise details are still to be released, but here is what we know so far...Schwalbe and Syntace are pooling their know-how to develop what could be a revolutionary idea for mountain bikers. With a double chamber system, it will be possible to ride with very low air pressures and, consequently, to improve tire performance enormously. Initially, Schwalbe and Syntace had the same idea independently of each other. Now, the two companies have decided to join forces and further develop the system together.Why go to the trouble of creating a two chamber design? “With low air pressure, off-road tire performance improves - the tires can adapt better to the terrain and react far more sensitively,'' Schwalbe told us. ''They roll more easily over uneven ground and provide more grip and control. But one can hardly risk riding on standard MTB tires with less than 1.5 bar, because the risk of pinch flats is simply too great with the current trend towards wide rims, the performance of tires with low air pressure is considerably better and less spongy. The risk of pinch flats, however, remains the same.” And this is where the double chamber system looks to leap ahead of standard technology that we're all used to seeing. “The solution is a double chamber system,'' they explained to us. ''There is a further air chamber inside the visible tire. This inner chamber is filled with high air pressure and effectively prevents the tire hitting the edge of the rim. At the same time, the inner system secures the tire on the rim and prevents burping, a loss of air of the tubeless system in the case of low pressure. Depending on the situation, the air pressure in the outer chamber can now be reduced down to 1bar without running any risk.''So, what exactly does this double chamber system look like? Despite the intentionally vague description by Schwalbe, we're not quite sure yet, and we were kept pretty much in the dark before the first ride as to what we were even there for. That there were two valves into the rim was obvious, but beyond that... What we were told is that it isn't the kind of system many downhill teams use with a tube inside a sealed tubeless system that acts as a back up if the tube pinches; we were told it was about performance, about tuning the spring curve of the tire; we were told that when Michael Kull, Schwalbe's marketing and race support guy, tested the system for a week on the Canary Island of La Palma's notoriously rocky, high impact trails, he was unable to puncture.When will it be available? We'll find out during the 2014 Eurobike trade show, during which we'll be able to present precise information regarding design and prices. Schwalbe says that they will be responsible for the production and marketing of the system, and it is expected to be compatible with conventional tires and rims while weighing less than 200 grams.Schwalbe is making some big claims of the new dual chamber system, and it's obvious that they've been quite happy with its performance during the development phase. They told us that all of the testers involved have been thrilled about the possibilities that the design presents:• With 14.5 psi / 1bar, the tire grip is gigantic. The contact surface is very large and the tires seldom, if ever, slide on loose ground. Even on the roughest terrain, the tires literally stick to the ground.• The tire is the most sensitive cushioning element on the bike. The extra cushioning and traction in the case of low air pressure lead to much better control over the bike and allow distinctly higher speeds.• And all this without the risk of pinch flats. Dented rims are also a thing of the past. Consequently, much lighter tires can be used even for the toughest conditions. What is more, the additional air chamber has excellent emergency running characteristics.This last week Schwalbe pulled together something more like an informal gathering of the bike press than a full on product launch: there were no powerpoint presentations, no goodie bags and no thumb drives loaded with product imagery - just good old fashioned shuttling on some of Europe's best winter trails.We started riding on day one with 1.9 bar in our tires front and rear. That's 27.5 psi, so about what I would expect to inflate a tubeless tire to for a day of shuttling. The first couple of runs were fun, the tires felt good and no-one flatted, despite the rock-strewn track we were riding. After two runs the Schwalbe engineers dropped the pressure to 1.2 bar front, 1.4 bar rear, which works out as 17 and 20 psi. Chances are, you'd never run that low of pressure on purpose in a traditional system, even with the thickest casings you could find - the tire would roll from side to side, and the risk of pinching or burping would be too great. With Schwalbe's new system, it didn't feel particularly strange, and in fact the first place I really noticed it was under heavy braking - the extra traction you gain when the tire is able to spread wide across the trail and doesn't skip over bumps meant rethinking the braking points I'd worked out on my first two runs.Through flat corners the lower pressure felt good, but pushing through sandy ruts felt strange - the tire felt like it wanted to catch the edge more than it did at a higher pressure. It's safe to say, though, that having flown in from a particularly wet British winter, dry, sandy ruts aren't something I've ridden much recently, so this could well be something you'd work around.So, were there any troubles during the two days we spent riding the double chamber system? On my third run on the lower pressure, I hit a rock really hard and felt the rear suspension bottom in a way you'd normally associate with a pinch flat. I pumped through the next couple of compressions and was surprised to find the tire holding pressure. At the bottom of the trail, I gave the rear tire the thumb test and found it considerably harder than the front - something had happened when I hit the rock, but the tire hadn't flatted, and if anything, it had gained pressure. I pushed the Schwalbe representatives over lunch to find out what had happened but they remained tight-lipped. On day two, Markus Hachmeyer, Schwalbe's Senior Product Manager, told me that the inner chamber had been incorrectly seated and the impact had forced air from that high pressure chamber into the low pressure main chamber. If this was a race run, I'd have been pretty happy to finish with an extra 10 psi more in my tire at the finish line rather than a flat thanks to an impact like that. This also shows that, just like with a standard tube or tubeless layout, proper setup is key.Despite a distinct lack of details, it seems the system provides many of the benefits of a lower volume tire - more stability at low pressures, more small bump compliance thanks to the lower pressure - with the advantages of a larger volume tire, like the reduced risk of a pinch flat and a broader contact patch. Even if you do flat the outer chamber, the inner chamber, which occupies a much smaller volume that a traditional inner tube, will retain high pressure and allow the rider to finish their run with the tire firmly secured to the rim. | 0.04277 |
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Although Narcissus himself might not have been able to step away from his reflection in the mirror to get to the office, when it comes to leadership, a moderate amount of narcissism can go a long way.
So says a new study published in the journal Personnel Psychology.
According to University of Illinois psychology professor and study leader Emily Grijalva, narcissists have an exaggerated sense of their own self-importance, an exaggerated need for others' admiration and a lack of empathy.
"They can be preoccupied with thoughts and fantasies of their enormous success, power, attractiveness and intelligence," Grijalva said. "They are addicted to others' admiration. And in the long term, they're not very good at maintaining positive, interpersonal relationships with others."
Many previous studies have focused on narcissism's relationship with leadership effectiveness, but Grijalva said these results were "relatively inconsistent," with different studies showing "a significant relationship," but, "just in opposite directions." Because the data were conflicting, Grijalva and her team set out to determine exactly how narcissism is tied to leadership, analyzing the results of previous studies that examined narcissism's relationship with both leadership emergence and leadership effectiveness.
They found that although narcissists are more likely to emerge as group leaders, after a certain point, too much narcissism is likely to undermine a person's effectiveness as a leader.
"Narcissists tend to be extraverted, and that is leading to the positive relationship between narcissism and leader emergence," Grijalva said. "But you have to keep in mind that although narcissists are likely to emerge as the group leader, over time, the more negative aspects of narcissism tend to emerge."
She said that these negative characteristics include "being exploitative, arrogant and even tyrannical," adding that these attributes "aren't really prototypical of effective leadership."
Study co-author Peter Harms, a professor of management in the College of Business Administration at the University of Nebraska, said those with moderate levels of narcissism have achieved "a nice balance between having sufficient levels of self-confidence, but do not manifest the negative, antisocial aspects of narcissism that involve putting others down to feel good about themselves."
These new findings could have interesting applications for the business world; according to Grijalva, in the future, personality tests that measure narcissism "need to be interpreted differently for leadership selection or development."
"These results could really shift the focus of the discussion, because instead of asking whether or not narcissists make good leaders, we are asking how much narcissism it takes to be the ideal leader," Grijalva said. "We confirmed that narcissism is neither fully beneficial nor harmful, but it's really best in moderation."
Grijalva said that her research will continue to focus on narcissism, but will break the complicated trait down even further to focus on its positive and negative subcategories, while looking at particular leader-employee interpersonal relationships.
"It would be interesting to try to determine what kinds of employees can work well with a narcissistic leader, because some employees seem to be able to maintain their levels of satisfaction even when they are working with someone who is difficult," Grijalva said. "There might be a trade-off between narcissistic leaders' needing a subordinate who is confident enough to earn the leader's respect, but also deferential enough to show the leader unwavering admiration." | 0.8333 |
Outgoing Rush frustrated by athletes' recognition
Updated
Sorry, this video has expired Video: Geoffrey Rush bows out as Australian of the Year (ABC News)
Outgoing Australian of the Year Geoffrey Rush has expressed frustration that high achievers in the performing arts do not get the same recognition in Australia as those in sport.
The Oscar-winning actor has delivered his valedictory speech in Canberra ahead of this year's winners being announced at a concert outside Parliament House.
In his speech, Rush said a newspaper article at the end of last year described him as being pushed off the stage by Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke.
"He is the undisputed captain of 2012, end quote," Rush said.
"I'm sure he is and I'm genuinely in awe of his historic achievement, but I do hope that one day a graduate from the Newtown High School of Performing Arts or the Empire Theatre youth program will challenge this automatic presumption in our psyche."
Rush said he was often asked what it meant to be an Australian.
He told of how he gained a sense of Australia's multi-dimensional character while travelling on a train to Melbourne before dropping into the mix of people in Flinders Street.
He said he did not talk with the other commuters, but they had much in common.
"We are all texting someone else who is not on that train," he said.
"Now I stand here with incomprehensible disbelief that I was at this luncheon exactly 12 months ago."
During his time as Australian of the Year, Rush visited schools and institutions throughout Australia, as well as Brisbane's Ekka show, where he sheared sheep, dodged prize bulls and drank beer with legendary barflies.
"It seems we talked with, at and to everybody everywhere on the vast shopfloor of Australia. It was amazing," he said.
Rush said perhaps the greatest moment was a visit to the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence in a resurrected schoolhouse in Redfern, Sydney.
"In the bus on the way there we had passed a giant billboard featuring the towering beautiful faces of my colleagues Jessica Mauboy and Deborah Mailman advertising The Sapphires, just about to open," he said.
"Our host Jason Glanville said simply 'this place endeavours and strives to stimulate a positive image for my people'.
"He said, 'you can change perceptions in a flash, you know'. I now knew what he meant."
ABC/AAP
Topics: australia-day, arts-and-entertainment, awards-and-prizes, actor, australia
First posted | 0.084261 |
Popular over-the-counter remedies, approved by Health Canada as "safe and effective," may be supported by little to no scientific evidence that the products work, an investigation by CBC's Marketplace reveals.
Canadians spend $2.4 billion a year on natural health products.While some products may have clinical trials or other scientific evidence to support their claims, many do not require any scientific proof, and there's little way for consumers to tell the difference.
"It's frustrating that the government standards are not protecting the public the way they should be," Dr. Matthew Stanbrook, deputy editor of the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), told Marketplace co-host Erica Johnson.
"If you want to sell a natural health product and you don't want to do the science to prove that it works, then don't claim that it works," Dr. Matthew Stanbrook told Marketplace co-host Erica Johnson. (CBC)
This is "lending the veneer of approval to something that really hasn't demonstrated the science."
To test how little evidence is required to get Health Canada to license a product, Marketplace created a children's remedy, applied for approval and received a licence.
Manufacturers need a Health Canada licence number in order to sell their natural health product. Once a product is licensed, manufacturers can claim it is approved as "safe and effective."
The investigation found that even a remedy making serious health claims — such as the ability to reduce children's fever — can acquire a licence with no scientific evidence.
Process is 'a joke'
Pharmaceutical drugs require years of clinical research before they are approved for sale. But Health Canada allows natural health product manufacturers to make similar health claims based on traditional medicine or homeopathic use, instead of scientific evidence.
Licensed natural products have an eight-digit Natural Product Number (NPN) or Homeopathic Medicine Number (DIN-HM) on the label, which may give consumers peace of mind knowing the product has been authorized and approved for sale.
Last year, Health Canada licensed almost 10,000 natural health products, including herbal remedies, traditional medicines and homeopathic products. Many natural products are sold in drugstores alongside pharmaceutical options.
Natural health and homeopathic products are often stocked alongside over-the-counter medications and make similar claims, making it difficult for consumers to tell which are backed by scientific evidence and which are not. (CBC) Marketplace created a children's fever and pain remedy called Nighton, which claimed to provide "effective relief from fever, pain, and inflammation" for children and infants.
There is a growing market in natural children's treatments. In 2008, Health Canada advised that over-the-counter cough and cold pharmaceutical products should not be given to children under the age of six, leading to a boom in natural alternatives as parents look for options on drugstore shelves.
To get a licence, Marketplace submitted an application in May, 2014, to Health Canada, and included photocopied pages from A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica by Dr. John Henry Clarke, a 1902 homeopathic reference book of ingredients, as evidence for its effectiveness.
In October, Health Canada approved the application for Nighton. (The product remains licensed, but was never manufactured or offered for sale.)
Stanbrook, who is also an assistant professor of medicine and health policy at the University of Toronto, says that Health Canada's licensing of Nighton "really makes a joke of the regulatory process."
It's particularly concerning, he says, when products don't live up to their claims. For instance, in the case of Nighton, ineffective treatment for fever can lead to seizures in children.
Licensing products provides 'choices'
Health Canada has been regulating natural health products since 2004 under what is now called the Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate, as a way to monitor the safety of products on the market.
The agency declined to be interviewed by Marketplace about Nighton and how the agency approves natural health products. By email, Health Canada responded that licensing these products is about giving consumers more choice.
"Canadians want a range of treatment choices available to them for conditions they can manage themselves," wrote Health Canada spokesperson Eric Morrissette.
To get a Health Canada licence for a children's fever remedy, Marketplace submitted photocopied pages from a 1902 homeopathic reference book of ingredients as evidence for its effectiveness. (CBC) "Health Canada supports these choices in its licensing decisions by applying standards of evidence appropriate to the product type.
"In the case of your application for a homeopathic medicine number, the appropriate evidence was provided for this type of product, so the application was approved."
Some natural health products do require additional clinical evidence in order to get approval, such as products that aren't based on homeopathic or traditional use.
Approvals face criticism
In an editorial in the CMAJ in 2011, Stanbrook wrote that Health Canada licensing of natural health products "has created a loophole through which manufacturers can sell a product with implied health benefits without having to obtain the supporting scientific evidence that would be needed if it were sold as a drug."
There should be one standard of approval for products if a manufacturer wants to make a health claim on packaging, Stanbrook says, "If you want to sell a natural health product and you don't want to do the science to prove that it works, then don't claim that it works."
Existing regulations allow products "to be marketed with ... poorly documented health benefits and little or no safety data," he wrote. And many companies "seem all too willing to convey misinformation about the ostensible benefits of natural or other nondrug products."
Health Canada has faced similar criticism from public health advocates in recent months over its licensing of nosodes, which are treatments that some homeopaths sell as vaccine alternatives. There is no evidence that nosodes provide immunity against disease.
In the fall of 2014, Marketplace investigated homeopathic practitioners selling homeopathic nosodes as an alternative to conventional vaccines. The investigation found that some practitioners downplayed the dangers of disease, while saying that nosodes were 95 per cent effective against diseases including measles and whooping cough.
Health Canada has licensed nosodes but says they are not approved as "a substitute for conventional vaccines." | 0.986957 |
Written by Charlie Jane Anders
I’m basically a total hypocrite. I go on these fire-breathing rants all the time at io9.com about the lack of good villains in pop culture. I’ve typed the phrase “an adventure story is usually only as good as its villain” so many times, my fingers cramp up when I even think about them. But when it came time to write my novel All the Birds in the Sky, I wanted it to feel like a grand epic… but I didn’t want there to be a villain, at all.
I guess part of this was because I wanted All the Birds in the Sky to be a relationship story as well as a wild adventure. When I set out to tell the story of a witch named Patricia and a mad scientist named Laurence, I really the action to be driven by stuff that happened between the two of them. The first few drafts had more “bad guy” action for them to react to, but it kept getting in the way of the emotional realness. And the more the two of them were making choices that pushed the story forward, the more real it felt to me.
I needed this to be a book about the meeting of those two worlds—Patricia’s mysticism and love of nature, and Laurence’s scientific mastery and cool gadgets. All of the energy, all the most interesting stuff, seemed to come from the two of them running up against each other in different ways over the course of the book.
So instead of Patricia having her own personal Voldemort, an evil witch who keeps trying to take over the world—something I really tried to make work in the second or third draft—I kept moving in the direction of Patricia struggling with her own mistakes, and her own personal demons. And likewise, I kept toying with the idea of Laurence having a rival, or a fellow science genius that he was trying to outwit—and for a long time, there were actual aliens who wanted to invade the Earth, as a running subplot for Laurence. But Laurence was most interesting when he was dealing with his own self-imposed pressure, and the demands of his friends.
That still left me with Theodolphus, the evil guidance counselor who torments Laurence and Patricia in middle school. But Theodolphus took on such a life of his own, and evolved into something so much bigger than just a “villain,” that he kind of needed to stay. Plus we all knew at least one authority figure like that in middle school.
Part of revising a book is paring back all the “ooo shiny” ideas so you can get to what the book is actually about, of course. And the more I worked on this, the more it seemed like this would be a book with no villains. There would still be terrible, reprehensible acts—but they would be committed by our heroes, and their friends, with the best intentions. Just like how I started out intending to stick to my principles and include real proper villainy, but wound up becoming a total hypocrite.
Preorder All the Birds in the Sky today:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | iBooks | Indiebound | Powell’s
Follow Charlie Jane Anders on Twitter at @charliejane, on Facebook, and on Tumblr. | 0.25696 |
There is more to the CIA's online release of unclassified documents than meets the eye, security expert Dmitry Efimov told Sputnik.
On Wednesday the CIA published roughly 930,000 documents online, totaling more than 1 million pages, which had previously only been accessible on computers at the National Archives in Maryland.
The database, which is searchable via the CIA Records Search Tool (CREST), contains information from the 1940s to the 1990s, including reports from the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
The CIA had planned to publish the documents at the end of 2017, but finished the work ahead of schedule. The agency began the project following a Freedom of Information Act injunction launched in 2014 by Muckrock, a non-profit news organization.
"Access to this historically significant collection is no longer limited by geography. The American public can access these documents from the comfort of their homes," Joseph Lambert, CIA Director of Information Management, said.
However, not everybody is convinced that the documents in the CREST database are genuine. Security expert Dmitry Efimov, a member of Moscow Council's Advisory Committee on Security, told Radio Sputnik that he suspects many of the files are fakes.
"I think this was published on the personal orders of CIA Director Brennan, a famous neocon who is leaving along with Obama and who is probably using this opportunity to create a new stream of misinformation," Efimov said.
"Particularly since there is no such thing as the whole truth, there is the truth which is present in the CIA's real documents, which of course exist, but I think that a lot of work has been done to falsify a huge number of documents in this batch and change the relationship to the Vietnam War, for example."
Commenting on the release, CIA spokesperson Heather Fritz Horniak insisted that the documents, which appear redacted, are genuine and were not released on a selective basis.
"None of this is cherry-picked," Horniak said.
"It's the full history. It's good and bads."
However, Efimov claims that the release is an attempt by the CIA to rewrite history in order to assist its political ambitions.
"The main objective of the US is the spread of liberal American democracy around the world despite the objections of the receiving country. It is in this respect that history will change, there will be new documents which don't have sources. But the presence of a large number of hidden sources in certain documents on a specific topic says that here (in the declassified CIA documents) someone has edited the past very well."
© AP Photo / Carolyn Kaster CIA Shows 'No Single Piece of Evidence' of Russia's Alleged Involvement in US Election
Among CREST's revelations is that the CIA carried out research on topics like UFO's, telepathy and psychic phenomena. For example, the Stargate Project, which ran from 1978 to 1995 and was intended to investigate psychic phenomena, even interviewed Israeli celebrity psychic Uri Geller in the 1980s to see if his supposed paranormal abilities could be of use in military and domestic intelligence applications.
This kind of disclosure is a way to distract attention from political topics, Efimov said.
"Disclosure of the 'Stargate' CIA program is a wonderful theme, a great way to divert the consciousness of American society away from real problems. Just imagine how you can use that topic on CNN, in order to bring it to the attention of all American housewives. I don't exclude the possibility that some more fine papers will appear, some kind of reports about something, which predicted something, we will get the names of some new American prophets. That is, the construction of a mythical American history that will distract the attention of Americans," Efimov said. | 0.095555 |
Even reality television has its limits, and the BBC—that vaunted public trust—may have found them last week, after advertising for contestants for “Britain’s Hardest Grafter.” The five-part series, which is set to air on BBC2, will pit 25 underpaid young people against each other to win the equivalent of a year’s living wage—roughly £15,500—in a competition that the British press and angry viewers have already called “Hunger Games-style,” “degrading and exploitative,” and “poverty porn.” The show has contestants performing different kinds of blue-collar work to prove they’re the most productive grafter. (That’s British slang for “hard worker.”)
It’s an entertainment concept that’s difficult to defend (though BBC’s PR team is certainly trying, calling it a “serious social experiment” investigating “just how hard people in the low-wage economy work”). Asking poor people to “prove themselves” by laboring in a faux-factory is creepy and dystopian and, yes, kind of reminiscent of The Hunger Games or the bleak futuristic TV show “Black Mirror.” The production company’s description of the show—“At the end of each episode, those who have produced the least will be eliminated”—is both a perfect distillation of capitalism and a nightmarish vision of the future. Over 20,000 people have signed an online petition asking the BBC to scrap the show.
Yet I’m inclined to be a little charitable toward the BBC’s straightforward exploitation right now, if only because on this side of the pond the reality-TV industry has just presented American viewers with something far, far worse.
That would be “The Briefcase,” which began its six-episode run on CBS last Wednesday as the most-watched series of the night. Created by the venal mind behind NBC’s “The Biggest Loser,” the would-be inspirational show offers struggling families the opportunity to change their lives—only to manipulate them into feeling guilty about it. In each episode, producers arrive at the home of two couples in the lower-middle class, who think they have signed up to appear in a documentary about money, with a briefcase containing $101,000. “Oh my god, smell it,” one woman says to her husband, pressing the cash against her forehead. Only after they’ve had the chance to imagine what they can do with this windfall—cover medical bills, pay for IVF treatment, repay loans—they hear the catch: They have 72 hours to decide whether to keep all the money, keep part of the money, or give it all away to another family that’s just as needy. There is a lot of crying. | 0.995615 |
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon addresses journalists in Kiev Thomson Reuters
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday he should be replaced by a woman. It is "high time" a woman lead the multinational organization, he said.
The South Korean statesman was speaking at an event in Los Angeles and responded to a question about a potential female successor, the Associated Press reported.
"We have many distinguished and eminent women leaders in national governments or other organizations or even business communities, political communities, and cultural and every aspect of our life," Ban told the Associated Press Thursday, the day after. "There's no reason why not in the United Nations."
"[There are] many distinguished, motivated women leaders who can really change this world, who can actively engage with the other leaders of the world," he added.
Ban also argued his successor should be able to represent minorities and the underserved, according to the AP. He is serving his second five-year term and is set to be replaced at the end of the year.
The process involves a vote among the U.N. Security Council— the permanent members include the United States, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and China, with 10 rotating, non-permanent member states — whereby a candidate is recommended to the General Assembly. The group of 193 states comprising the General Assembly will then vote on the proposed candidate.
Five of the eleven finalists are women.
The female candidates are UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova of Bulgaria, former Moldovan Foreign Minister Natalia Gherman, former Executive-General of the U.N.'s Framework Convention on Climate Change and Costa Rican Christina Figueres, Foreign Minister of Argentina Susana Malcorra and former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark.
While Ban does not technically have any say in who will fill the role, he made it clear he was pulling for a female successor. "That's my humble suggestion," he told the AP.
The U.N., established in the wake of World War II in 1945, has had eight secretaries-general in its more than 70 years of existence — all of them have been men. | 0.184259 |
This post is adapted from a term paper I wrote for my course on Parallel Processing at San José State University. My comparison with C is definitely very limited in scope—a more fair comparison would need consideration of many other libraries besides pthreads . However, this treatment would have taken much more time than I had in the semester. In any case, my hope is that it is enlightening nonetheless.
In 2009, Google released the first open-source version of their new compiled programming language Go. Go’s new and unusual approach to facilitating parallel programming aims to make it much simpler to use than most other languages, including C. This post will examine and compare different aspects of Go’s and C’s approach to, and ability to facilitate, parallel programming, including: ease of use, compile time, performance and efficiency, fine-grained control, and proneness to bugs such as deadlocks and race conditions.
Introduction
Google has created a new compiled programming language called Go. It was invented in 2007 by Robert Griesemer, Rob Pike, and Ken Thompson, and first released as open source in 2009 (Pike, n.d.; Golang.org, n.d.). Their main goal was to design a language that would make life easier for software engineers (Pike, n.d.). Go aims to be as easy to use as a scripting language, but as fast as a compiled language (Golang.org, n.d.). It features automatic memory management (garbage collection), type safety, a built-in suite of developer tools, and most importantly, its built-in concurrency primitives. Go takes a new and unusual approach to concurrency which makes it much simpler to use than C. The traditional approach to safe multithreading, as in C, is to use synchronization primitives, such as semaphores, locks, and condition variables. Go uses a different model, inspired by the formal language Communicating Sequential Processes (CSP);1 the mantra of Go’s memory model is: “Do not communicate by sharing memory; instead, share memory by communicating” (Gerrand, 2010).
This paper will compare different aspects of C and Go’s approach to, and ability to facilitate, parallel programming, including: ease of use, compile time, performance and efficiency, fine-grained control, and proneness to bugs such as deadlocks and race conditions. There are several C libraries which facilitate multithreaded programming, and since comparing C’s approach with all libraries would be infeasible, this paper will only discuss the approach with the POSIX Threads (or pthreads) library, since it represents and showcases the most traditional and standard approach to managing multithreaded applications.
Overview of Go
In order to fully understand Go’s approach to concurrency, it is necessary to cover some of the fundamentals of the language. Go includes a few built-in primitives: slices, maps, and channels. The latter is specifically designed to facilitate concurrency through Go’s shared memory model via goroutines.
Goroutines
The basic thread of execution in Go is called a goroutine, so named because the Go team felt the existing terms (threads, coroutines, processes, etc.) convey inaccurate connotations (Golang.org, n.d.). Goroutines have a simpler model. They are simply functions executing in the same address space. According to Golang.org’s document “Effective Go,”
[They are] lightweight, costing little more than the allocation of stack space. And the stacks start small, so they are cheap, and grow by allocating (and freeing) heap storage as required. Goroutines are multiplexed onto multiple OS threads so if one should block, such as while waiting for I/O, others continue to run. Their design hides many of the complexities of thread creation and management (Golang.org, n.d.).
The traditional approach to thread management can indeed be cumbersome. For example, in C with pthreads, to create a handful of threads which execute in parallel, the programmer has to do something like this:
int i , * ret , * args ; pthread_t thd_handle [ NUM_THREADS ]; for ( i = 0 ; i < NUM_THREADS ; i ++ ) { pthread_create ( & thd_handle [ i ], NULL , SomeFunction , ( void * ) args ); } for ( i = 0 ; i < NUM_THREADS ; i ++ ) { pthread_join ( thd_handle [ i ], ( void ** ) & ret ); // do something with ret }
The programmer must explicitly store all threads in a variable, and then wait for each individual thread to exit, doing something with its return value after each successful termination. Also, because pthreads must take untyped (void) parameters, the data may have to be casted to and from its actual type multiple times, while making sure pointers are dereferenced appropriately–giving us such unwieldy code as (void**)&ret .
Go’s approach is much simpler. To launch a goroutine, the programmer simply puts the keyword go in front of a function call. For example, go list.Sort() will launch a goroutine which sorts list concurrently, without waiting for it to finish. In this trivial example, though, we don’t see how to handle return values or shared data synchronization. In order for goroutines to communicate, Go makes use of primitives called channels.
Channels
Go’s approach to concurrency is designed to avoid explicit synchronization by the programmer, which can be difficult to manage. Traditionally, synchronization of data occurs through the use of primitives such as semaphores, locks, and condition variables. Typically, the programmer must protect shared data and critical code blocks from hazards by using something like a mutex variable with a condition variable.
For example, with the pthreads library in C, to synchronize a multithreaded program that fits the producer–consumer model,2 one first has to set up a synchronized data structure which encapsulates both the payload and its synchronization locks:
typedef struct { pthread_mutex_t mutex ; pthread_cond_t cv ; int data ; } flag ; flag ourFlag = { PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER , PTHREAD_COND_INITIALIZER , 0 };
Then, any time the programmer wishes to perform operations on the data, and then have an independent thread wait for changes to that data before proceeding, it is necessary to explicitly lock the variable, perform the operations, and signal the condition to allow the waiting threads to execute.
int main () { ... // create worker threads ... pthread_mutex_lock ( & ourFlag . mutex ); ourFlag . data = someValue ; pthread_cond_broadcast ( & ourFlag . cv ); pthread_mutex_unlock ( & ourFlag . mutex ); ... }
Similarly, within the worker thread, one must wait on the mutex lock, then wait on the condition variable before doing something with the changed data.
void * workerThread ( void * args ) { ... pthread_mutex_lock ( & ourFlag . mutex ); pthread_cond_wait ( & ourFlag . cv , & ourFlag . mutex ); // do something with ourFlag.data pthread_mutex_unlock ( & ourFlag . mutex ); ... }
In order to avoid data hazards and/or race conditions, access to the data must be explicitly managed by the programmer by bundling the synchronization primitives with the payload, and then acquiring and releasing locks and signaling to the other threads when they may continue. The use of semaphores can make this a bit simpler, but they are limited when dealing with multiple consumer threads, so condition variables are the best general solution (Akhter & Roberts, 2006, p. 132). The explicit management required by this approach is exactly the kind of manual tracking that Go was designed to avoid.
Go takes a different approach to the problem of thread communication and synchronization through the use of built-in primitives called channels. A channel is defined by the Go Language Specification as a primitive which “provides a mechanism for two concurrently executing functions to synchronize execution and communicate by passing a value of a specified element type” (Golang.org, n.d.). They work in a manner analogous to Unix pipes—data values are written to them (sent) and read from them (received) in a first-in, first-out (FIFO) manner. In fact, the document “Effective Go” says that they “can... be seen as a type-safe generalization of Unix pipes” (Gerrand, 2010). The typical flow of a multithreaded program in Go involves setting up communication channels, and then passing these channels to all goroutines which need to communicate. Worker goroutines send processed data to the channel, and goroutines which need to wait on work done by others will do so by receiving from this channel.
func WorkerGoroutine ( data [] int , c chan int ) { for d := range data { result := SomeOperation ( d ) c <- result } close ( c ) } func main () { var data [] int = // some data var c chan int = make ( chan int , BUF_SIZE ) go WorkerGoroutine ( data , c ) // blocks until there is data to receive from c and stops when c // has been closed for result := range c { // do something with result } }
As the reader can see, there is no need to set up any explicit data synchronization. Channels are inherently hazard safe, and blocking and signaling are done automatically.
The above example used buffered channels. Channels can either be buffered or not, depending on their use case. An unbuffered channel c would be declared like so (without a second parameter): c := make(chan int) Sending on an unbuffered channel will block until the receiver receives the value, whereas sending on a buffered channel will only block if the buffer is full, and receives will block only if the buffer is empty. One use of this is to limit throughput. The document “Effective Go” includes an example in which one can use channels like semaphores to limit the number of simultaneous goroutines that handle requests (Golang.org, n.d.).
var sem = make ( chan int , MaxOutstanding ) func init () { for i := 0 ; i < MaxOutstanding ; i ++ { // initialize semaphore with one value sem <- 1 } } func Serve ( queue chan * Request ) { // handle the requests as they come for req := range queue { // Wait for active queue to drain. <- sem go func ( req * Request ) { process ( req ) // Done; enable next request to run. sem <- 1 }( req ) } }
The Go team does, however, acknowledge that the approach with channels is not a universal solution. The Go team says that “This approach can be taken too far. Reference counts may be best done by putting a mutex around an integer variable, for instance” (Gerrand, 2010). Channels are ultimately a high level solution, and sometimes lower-level solutions are needed. For this purpose, the Go standard library does include packages with lower-level synchronization primitives, such as the sync package, which includes mutex types and condition types (Golang.org, n.d.). See section Fine-grained control for more detail.
Memory model
From the previous examples, one can understand the difference in approach. With the traditional approach to synchronization in C, the memory model can be very cumbersome. Much of the hazard safety is left as the responsibility of the programmer, who must explicitly restrict access to shared data by communicating to other threads, via synchronization primitives, when the data is being used and when the data is free. Go makes this easier for the programmer with a simpler shared memory model. Data is never actively shared between separate threads of communication—it is just passed around in channels. Thus, data races cannot happen, by design, when the data are passed between channels. The document “Effective Go” explains that
One way to think about this model is to consider a typical single-threaded program running on one CPU. It has no need for synchronization primitives. Now run another such instance; it too needs no synchronization. Now let those two communicate; if the communication is the synchronizer, there’s still no need for other synchronization (Gerrand, 2010).
This is why the Go team has reduced the model to a slogan: “Do not communicate by sharing memory; instead, share memory by communicating.”3
Proneness to deadlocks and race conditions
Although Go takes a very different approach to concurrency than C, it is ultimately a lower level language, and thus it can be easy to write code which does not behave as expected. While Go’s concurrency primitives can make it easier to avoid data hazards, they are not a panacea—the programmer does still have to be mindful of race conditions.
A simple example
In C, without explicitly locking critical code, data races are very likely to happen. As a simple example, consider a multithreaded program which increments a shared integer variable a set number of times.4
void * sum ( void * ret ) { for ( int i = 0 ; i < 1000000 ; i ++ ) { ( * (( int * ) ret )) ++ ; } }
If, say, 4 threads were running the sum function concurrently, then by the time all threads have finished, the value in the ret variable would not be 4 million. It would, in fact, be a different number every time the program was run. One could easily construct a Go program with analogous behavior.
func sum ( ret * int , done chan int ) { for i := 0 ; i < 1000000 ; i ++ { * ret ++ } done <- 1 }
So the question that remains is: how easy is it to avoid race conditions like this?
Avoiding race conditions
As we have seen, in C, to avoid race conditions, one could use a mutex variable to protect any shared data. To fix the example C code above, one could lock just before incrementing the shared variable, and then unlock just after.
void * sum ( void * ret ) { for ( int i = 0 ; i < 1000000 ; i ++ ) { pthread_mutex_lock ( & mutex ); ( * (( int * ) ret )) ++ ; pthread_mutex_unlock ( & mutex ); } }
Similarly, for analogous Go code, one could use a buffered channel of size 1 to restrict access to the sum variable to one goroutine at a time.5
func sum ( sumChan chan int , done chan int ) { for i := 0 ; i < 1000000 ; i ++ { // sumChan has a buffer of size 1, so receiving blocks if there // is another goroutine currently incrementing the sum cur := <- sumChan cur ++ sumChan <- cur } done <- 1 }
In this simple case, the solutions are not terribly different. However, as we can gather from the previous Go code examples, channels can be very flexible in their usage. Where C needs distinct synchronization primitives, such as mutex variables, condition variables, and semaphores, to handle all of the different use cases, Go’s channels can be used: as a hazard-safe conduit to share actual data; to signal when a goroutine is finished; and as a way to limit the throughput of the program. In other words, good solutions exist in both languages, but Go’s channels provide a much more effortless way to design programs which are safe from race conditions.
Detecting race conditions
No matter how skilled a programmer is, race conditions will inevitably arise. Therefore, tools to help the programmer detect race conditions are necessary. Various tools exist which analyze a C program’s runtime to aid the detection of race conditions. A common tool is Valgrind, which includes the race detector Helgrind (Valgrind.org, n.d.). The Go tool chain comes packaged with a race detector, which is built on the ThreadSanitizer race detector for C/C++ (Vyukov & Gerrand, n.d.). To run the race detector on a Go program, one can simply use the -race option when compiling (e.g. go run -race mysrc.go ). Similarly, gcc comes bundled with ThreadSanitizer, so to run the race detector on a C program, one would simply compile with the -fsanitize=thread and -fPIE options and then link to -fsanitize=thread -pie (Code.google.com, n.d.). Therefore, the options for helping detect race conditions are similar for both C and Go.
Deadlocks
Deadlocks are one of the trickiest bugs to remediate. Often, they are transient and very difficult to trace (especially in a large project). Deadlocks take care to avoid in both C and Go. Mechanisms and methodologies exist in both languages to aid in avoiding deadlocks.
Data segmentation/replication
If it is possible, replicating the shared resource for each thread will eliminate deadlocks, because no locking mechanism is needed for synchronization (Akhter & Roberts, 2006, p. 178). For example, in C, if the shared resource is an array, then replication can be done with the memcpy function. Although, if the data set is not small, replicating can consume too much memory. Therefore, if the concurrent operations are independent from each other, it is better to segment the shared data, rather than replicate it.
In Go, segmentation can be done easily with its built-in slice type. Go’s slice type is similar to Python’s slice type. Slices are references to an underlying array, and they provide operators which make it easy to segment that array. For example, one can “reslice” a slice with the bracket operator. If arr is a slice variable, then arr[:len(arr)/2] will return a slice which can access the first half of arr ’s elements.6 Thus, if sum is a function which returns the sum of every element of an integer slice, then
arr := [] int { 7 , 2 , 8 , - 9 , 4 , 0 } partSums := make ( chan int ) go sum ( a [: len ( a ) / 2 ], partSums ) go sum ( a [ len ( a ) / 2 :], partSums ) x , y := <- partSums , <- partSums fmt . Println ( x + y )
will launch two goroutines which sum the first and second half of arr , respectively, and receive both partial sums from the partSums channel. Then, these two partial sums are added together to yield the correct sum of all the elements in arr—in this case, 12. Segmenting the data like this avoids the need for any communication between the two goroutines, as well as the need to replicate any data (since slices are simply references). A similar functionality could be achieved in C, although the segmentation would have to be done manually; the sum function, for instance, might need to take parameters for the beginning and ending indices of which elements in the shared array to sum. In both languages, if data segmentation is possible, this is a good way to avoid deadlocks. It obviates the need to use any kind of synchronization locks.
Try and back off
However, when locks are unavoidable, there exist methodologies in both C and Go to help avoid deadlocking. When using mutex variables to guard critical code sections, one approach is to instruct a thread to release any resources it currently holds if locking another resource results in failure (Akhter & Roberts, 2006, p. 180). In C, this can be done with the pthread function pthread_mutex_trylock .7
while ( true ) { pthread_mutex_lock ( & mutex1 ); if ( pthread_mutex_trylock ( & mutex2 ) == 0 ) { break ; } pthread_mutex_unlock ( & mutex2 ); }
In Go, however, if mutex variables absolutely must be used, this approach may not work, as mutex behavior is more strict than in C’s pthread library. In Go, there is no analogous “trylock” function on its mutex type; furthermore, it is a runtime error if the Unlock function is called on a mutex which is already unlocked,(Golang.org, n.d.) so greater care must be given to restrict the ordering of lock and unlock operations.
Go’s select statement
However, in a typical Go program where channels suffice for synchronization, a different approach may be used to avoid deadlocking on channel blocks. In Go, the select statement is analogous to a switch statement for channels. Essentially, the cases will try to execute a given operation on a channel, and if that operation would block, then it tries a different case.
select { case a := <- ch1 : // use a case b := <- ch2 : // use b default : // receiving from both a and b would block }
Here, if the program can receive from the channel ch1 , then it assigns the received value to the variable a , and a can be used within the code below the case statement. Similarly, if the program can receive from ch2 , it assigns the received value to the variable b , which can be used in the code following the case statement. If both ch1 and ch2 are ready, the program picks one case at random. If neither are ready, the code in the default case is run. Therefore, a tactic analogous to the “try and back off” method can be used.8
OuterLoop : for { a := <- ch1 select { case b := <- ch2 : break OuterLoop default : ch1 <- a // wait } } // use a and b
Given how flexible channels are in general, there are, of course, many more ways one can use the select statement to avoid deadlocks. For example, in his article “Go Concurrency Patterns: Timing out, moving on,” Andrew Gerrand describes how one could implement a simple timeout operation with channels (Gerrand, n.d.).
timeout := make ( chan bool , 1 ) go func () { time . Sleep ( 1 * time . Second ) timeout <- true }() select { case <- ch : // a read from ch has occurred case <- timeout : // the read from ch has timed out }
In the above code, a “timeout” channel is created, and an anonymous function is launched in a goroutine which sends a value to the timeout channel after one second. In the select statement that follows, the main goroutine is blocked until one of the select cases can happen. If it takes too long to receive from ch (i.e., if the operation takes too long), then the select statement receives from the timeout channel and the program continues.
Fine-grained control
As we have seen, Go is intended to be somewhere in between the level of a scripting language and that of a lower-level language, like C. It is not surprising, then, to learn that C provides a finer level of control over the behavior of the program’s threads than Go does. However, Go does include some reflective functions which provide some finer-grained control over the execution of the program, if so needed. Ultimately, though, the memory models of Go and C are anything but isomorphic, so the comparison between each language’s runtime may not be apt.
Thread attributes in C
In C with pthreads , there are a few standard thread attributes which can be set when threads are created. These attributes include: its detached or joinable state; scheduling inheritance, policies, parameters, and contention scopes, and stack size (Barney, n.d.). As an example, if the programmer knows that a thread will never need to join with another, they can set the thread’s attributes such that it will always be detached, and thus, not joinable with any thread, for the duration of its execution.
pthread_t thread ; pthread_attr_t attr ; pthread_attr_init ( & attr ); pthread_attr_setdetachstate ( & attr , PTHREAD_CREATE_DETACHED ); pthread_create ( & thread , & attr , SomeFunction , args );
Similarly, one can set the scheduling policy of a thread with attributes. There are three scheduling types in pthreads: SCHED_FIFO (first-in, first-out), SCHED_RR (round robin), or SCHED_OTHER ,(Barney, n.d.)-attributes which can be set in a similar manner.
pthread_attr_init ( & attr ); pthread_attr_setschedpolicy ( & attr , SCHED_FIFO );
This example would set the execution policy of any threads created with the attr variable to run in a FIFO order. Similar mechanisms exist for all the other attributes. Some local implementations of pthreads include a pthread_setaffinity_np function, which allows the programmer to specify which processor/core they would like the thread to run on (Barney, n.d.).
Fine-grained control in Go
As this author has previously discussed, the memory model in Go is much different. Go does not run traditional threads—it runs goroutines. This memory model is designed to be much more lightweight and easier to use than the traditional approach; thus, many of the fine-grained details are abstracted away from the programmer. However, because these details are not always avoidable, Go does provide some packages which allow access to lower-level synchronization primitives and runtime scheduling.
For example, the sync package provides more traditional synchronization primitives, such as mutex and condition variables, as well as the WaitGroup type, which allows the programmer to explicitly wait on a set of goroutines to finish. The subpackage sync/atomic provides even lower-level functions which assist in implementation of synchronization algorithms by providing various operations which are guaranteed to be atomic (Golang.org, n.d.). The runtime package provides functions which interact with Go’s runtime directly. Some example functions include: runtime.Gosched() , which yields the current goroutine, allowing others to run; runtime.LockOSThread() , which locks a goroutine to whichever OS thread it happens to be running on; and various reflective functions which report runtime information, such as runtime.Stack() , which prints stack trace information (Golang.org, n.d.).
Go does not provide mechanisms to control thread attributes as seen in section Fine-grained control, however, because goroutines operate on a higher level than threads. As discussed in section Goroutines, goroutines are managed dynamically and multiplexed onto multiple OS threads, so providing lower-level control mechanisms than those shown above is not really feasible. Most of the time, this works out in the programmer’s favor, as they do not have to manage as much manually, but these control mechanisms can be missed if the application calls for them.
Performance
For the most part, the comparisons here are not directly related to each language’s ability to facilitate parallel programs, but performance is nonetheless an important factor when deciding which language to implement an application with.
Compilation time
One of the major reasons why Google decided to write a new compiled language was because the compile times of their large C++ code bases grew to be a significant engineering problem (Pike, n.d.). Rob Pike discusses this problem in the document “Go at Google” (Pike, n.d.). C and C++ use preprocessor directives to manage dependencies, which does not scale well for very large projects. Typically, a C/C++ header file will use #ifndef guards to protect against errors when multiple source files #include the same library. If a dependency is included multiple times, after the first compilation, the contents are disregarded, but the compiler still opens and scans the whole file. As an example, Pike noted that for one large project at Google in 2007, a code base of 4.2 MB expanded to over 8 GB when delivered to the compiler because of all the repeated dependencies (Pike, n.d.). For this reason, it was impractical to build large projects on a single machine, so Google had to design a large distributed compilation system. With an early version of this distributed system, the binary took 45 minutes to compile. At the time of this writing, Pike’s document says the same 2007 binary takes 27 minutes to compile today.
Pike says that “the origin myth for Go states that it was during one of those 45 minute builds that Go was conceived” (Pike, n.d.). The Go compiler was based on an approach that the Plan 9 team designed to remedy the repeated dependency problems described above.9 Essentially, how it works is it builds a dependency graph from the source files themselves by reading all of the import statements from every file, and then compiling the lowest-level dependencies first by compiling every source file in topologically sorted order. Note that this implies that there are no cycles in the dependency graph—it was decided to make circular dependencies illegal (Pike, n.d.). When the compiler progresses in its traversal of the sorted dependency graph, if the file being built includes a file which has already been compiled, it only reads that dependency’s object file, not its source code. Pike notes that this design “has the important effect that when the compiler executes an import clause, it opens exactly one file, the object file identified by the string in the import clause…in effect, the compiler writes the header file when the Go source file is compiled” (Pike, n.d.).10
In addition to this, the language itself was designed with efficient compile time in mind. Its compact grammar and regular syntax makes it much easier to parse (Pike, n.d.). For instance, requiring opening braces to be kept on the same line as its function declaration allowed semicolon insertion to happen without the need for lookahead (Golang.org, n.d.). Go does not have inheritance; instead, it relies on a simple interface system, which greatly simplifies the underlying type system, and the structure of Go programs (Golang.org, n.d.).
When testing the results of this design on a large binary, Google recorded a speedup of about 40x (Pike, n.d.). During one of Google’s Tech Talks in 2009, Rob Pike gave a demonstration of how fast the Go compiler was. On Pike’s single-core laptop, building the entire Go source tree, which he estimated at about 120,000–130,000 lines and included “regular expressions, flags, concurrency primitives, the runtime, [and] the garbage collector…” took about 8 seconds (Pike, 2009). Today, the standard library comes in at over 400,000 lines of code, and on this author’s laptop with a 4-core Intel i3-3110M CPU, compile time averages around 8 seconds on a cold cache. It is clear that for large projects, the compile time of Go wins over C/C++.
Raw performance
Unsurprisingly, typical performance of a Go program is much faster than most scripting languages and slightly slower than most other lower-level languages, like C. In the Computer Language Benchmarks Game, a web site which hosts programming language benchmarks, in their “Ten Tiny Examples,” Go comes in at the same order of magnitude of relative performance of Java, Scala, Haskell, and OCaml (Gouy, n.d.). These were slightly slower than C++, Ada, C, and Fortran, but much faster than PHP, Perl, Python, Ruby, and Hack. It is worth mentioning, however, that the site does disclaim that language comparison benchmarks are not representative of real-world performance; they warn not to jump to conclusions based on these tests because “programming languages are compared against each other as though their designers intended them to be used for the exact same purpose – that just isn’t so” (Gouy, n.d.).
In 2011, Robert Hundt, one of Google’s own software engineers, published a paper entitled “Loop Recognition in C++/Java/Go/Scala” which compared performances of those languages with a particular loop recognition algorithm (Hundt, 2011). Hundt found that the Go implementation described in the paper fell behind all other languages considered by a significant margin. However, Russ Cox, from the Go team, wrote an article that examined the paper, and found that the reason for the slow performance was mostly because of the naïveté of the implementation (Cox, 2013). Cox took the paper as an opportunity to showcase the Go performance profiler. After some analysis and a few minor tweaks to the code published in the paper, the program improved from 25.2 seconds and 1302MB of memory to 2.29 seconds and 351MB of memory—a speedup of 11x. Cox also noticed some inefficiencies in the C++ implementation and fixed those as well so that a new comparison would be fair. It was found that Go performed slightly slower than C++—as expected. Cox concluded that “benchmarks are only as good as the programs they measure” and that Go can be competitive with C++ (and by extension, all other compiled languages, depending on the application) when care is taken to avoid generating excess garbage (Cox, 2013).
These are, of course, only two examples of performance measurement, but in general, it is expected that Go, in its current state, will follow this pattern—being much faster than scripting languages, but slightly behind most other compiled languages. This is not surprising, given that Go is such a new language. Being a modern compiled language, it will be much faster than any interpreted language, but the compiler has not had the decades of optimizations that, say, the C compiler has had. In addition, as discussed in section Compilation time, because one of the primary goals of the language was to compile fast, it does not necessarily spend as much time passing the code through optimizers. According to a question on the Go FAQ, “one of Go’s design goals is to approach the performance of C for comparable programs” while being much easier to use (Golang.org, n.d.). The same question concludes that, while there is certainly room for improvement in the compiler, standard library implementations, and the garbage collector, Go can be competitive for many applications.
Conclusion
Go is an exciting new language which introduces many interesting features which make many aspects of programming much easier, particularly in implementing parallel programs. Go makes use of a simple memory model with goroutines to automatically manage multiple threads of execution, which can be much easier than the manual approach that is required in C. Through the use of channels, Go makes inter-process communication much simpler than traditional mechanisms. Both Go and C are equally prone to deadlocks and race conditions, and both come with comparable tools and techniques to help debug these issues. Since Go is designed to be simpler, it is not possible to reach quite the level of control over threads that C can achieve, so if such control is necessary, C may be better suited. For very large projects, Go compiles faster than C and C++ by an order of magnitude, while actual program performance will typically fall slightly behind C/C++. The goal of Go was to approach the performance of C and to make software engineering much simpler; given the analysis in this paper, it appears the Go team has achieved that goal remarkably well.
There are many other interesting features and idioms in Go which are outside the scope of this paper. To learn more, the official web site provides excellent and thorough documentation of the language, and the Go Blog has many in-depth articles that cover: the inner-workings of Go, idiomatic practices, and how to use the included tool suite. Many large companies have started adopting Go, including: BBC Worldwide, Bitbucket, GitHub, Canonical, Heroku, SoundCloud, and Docker, among others (go-wiki, n.d.).
References | 0.820019 |
of Castile (daughter of
) which secured a vital alliance for the Algarve.
Information:
Capital: Silvas
Currency: Ouros
Head of State: King Afonso XIII, de Bourgogne
-----------------------------------
Thinking of continuing and making colonial maps of the Algarve... we'll see.
Also Afonso IV is a real person... well he wasn't king: Information:Capital: SilvasCurrency: OurosHead of State: King Afonso XIII, de Bourgogne-----------------------------------Thinking of continuing and making colonial maps of the Algarve... we'll see.Also Afonso IV is a real person... well he wasn't king: Afonso
After the death of Afonso III of Portugal and the Algarve, his two sons: Dinis (Denis I "Lavrador" of Portugal) and Afonso (Afonso IV "Poeta" of the Algarves) succeeded his Kingdoms. The realm was split between the de jure lands, apart from the barony of Portalegra which was rightfully inherited by Afonso IV of the Algarve.Afonso IV marriedSurviving till the present day, via what appears to be divine intervention, we see the nation in all its glory. | 0.019849 |
2007 compilation album by Various artists
Kiss Does... Rave Compilation album by Various artists Released 30 April 2007 Genre Electronica Length 156 : 11 (CD)
(CD) 116 : 50 (USB flash drive) Label Wonderland
Kiss Does... Rave is a compilation album released by the Kiss Network on 30 April 2007. It was released on both a two-CD album and on a 1GB USB flash drive – it was the first album in the UK to be released in USB format,[1] and was sold exclusively through HMV stores and on Kiss and HMV's websites.[2] Steve Parkinson, Kiss's managing director, described releasing the album on USB as "another example of Kiss being ahead of the game, knowing its audience and engaging with them in ways that will inspire and entertain".[3]
The first disc of the CD version of the album comprised 19 rave tracks from the 1990s; the second disc contained 18 new rave songs from the 2000s.[4] The USB version held 26 tracks in 256kpbs WMA format.[5] NME described Kiss Does... Rave as being "the first album to draw the line between original and nu rave".[6]
Track listings [ edit ]
USB flash drive No. Title Artist Length 1. "Activ-8" Altern 8 4:45 2. "Go" Moby 3:24 3. "LFO" LFO 4:23 4. "Take Me Away (Pinned Up mix)" True Faith featuring Bridget Grace 6:37 5. "Far Out" Sonz of a Loop da Loop Era 4:34 6. "Bouncer" Kicks Like a Mule 5:22 7. "£20 to Get In" Shut Up and Dance 2:04 8. "We Are I.E." Lennie De Ice 4:10 9. "Bombscare" 2 Bad Mice 4:20 10. "On a Ragga Tip 2007" SL2 4:59 11. "Compnded" Edge 1 4:18 12. "DJ's Unite, Vol 1" DJ's Unite 3:33 13. "This Sound Is for the Underground" Krome & Time 5:06 14. "Gravity's Rainbow" Kicks Like a Mule 3:00 15. "Standing in the Way of Control (Soulwax Nite version)" Gossip 5:22 16. "Thou Shalt Always Kill (Knifehand Chop mix)" dan le sac vs Scroobius Pip 3:38 17. "Banquet (Boys Noize mix)" Bloc Party 6:09 18. "The Bomb (Phones Collateral Damage mix)" New Young Pony Club 4:52 19. "The Beat" Simian Mobile Disco 3:18 20. "Pop the Glock" Uffie 3:28 21. "You're Gonna Want Me" Tiga 4:32 22. "Plastic Dreams (Switch remix)" Jaydee 4:51 23. "Podium (Max Graham mix)" Trisco 6:00 24. "Work on You (original)" MSTRKRFT 6:00 25. "Jealous Girls (New Young Pony club mix)" Gossip 3:38 26. "Your Love" Friendly Fires 4:47 Total length: 116:50
References [ edit ] | 0.249946 |
Initially identified as Short-billed Dowitcher, identification was changed to Long-billed Dowitcher upon further review of dowitcher identification and the photos below.
This afternoon, Bill Oyler and I checked Tadpole Rd for shorebirds. Shortly after we arrived, Bill spotted a dowitcher foraging. While I was watching it in my scope, a second dowitcher walked into view and then both birds instantly flushed. I never got a good enough look at the second bird to say what species it was for sure, but the first bird I was able to get good looks at as well as photos, and it is a Long-billed Dowitcher. There were also Pectoral Sandpiper, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Killdeer, Wilson’s Snipe, and one lone juvenile American Golden-Plover. Long-billed Dowitcher was a new Centre County lifer for me as well as a few other area birders that stopped to check it out, like Tim Schreckengost. Bill and I also stopped by the Polled Hereford farm ponds and there were Northern Shovelers and Blue-winged Teal there, as well as a very wet and angry juvenile Cooper’s Hawk. | 0.473242 |
The Indian economy is unable to shrug off the after-effects of the Narendra Modi government’s disruptive move to demonetise two key currency notes.
In the April-June quarter of financial year 2018 (Q1FY18), India’s GDP grew at 5.7%—the slowest in the past three years.
India lost its title as the world’s fastest-growing major economy in the January-March quarter, when GDP growth declined to 6.1%.
In November 2016, in a surprise move, prime minister Modi declared two high-value notes—Rs500 and Rs 1,000—illegal tenders. This led to a severe cash crunch, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises, which suffered significantly. Ten months later, the jury is still out on whether demonetisation was successful in fulfilling many of its stated goals, the most important of which was curbing black money or cash unaccounted for. However, a recent report by India’s central bank doesn’t paint a very promising picture.
Within months of demonetisation, the government introduced the goods and service tax (GST), a uniform system to replace the country’s layered taxation structure. It kicked in on July 01. In the run up to its introduction, businesses, particularly smaller ones, had found themselves struggling to adapt to this overhauling. That seems to have taken a toll on the country’s economic growth.
It’s possible that the GDP numbers are even bleaker than reported—the current data doesn’t capture the informal sector, which accounts for about half of the country’s output.
Here is a look at how India’s economy is gradually losing its charm: | 0.968463 |
P uzzles, anchors, stars, and plowhorses; those are a few of the terms consultants now use when assembling a menu (which is as much an advertisement as anything else). A star is a popular, high-profit itemin other words, an item for which customers are willing to pay a good deal more than it costs to make, Poundstone explains. A puzzle is high-profit but unpopular; a plowhorse is the opposite, popular yet unprofitable. Consultants try to turn puzzles into stars, nudge customers away from plowhorses, and convince everyone that the prices on the menu are more reasonable than they look. Poundstone uses Balthazar’s menu to illustrate these ideas.
1. The Upper Right-Hand Corner
That’s the prime spot where diners’ eyes automatically go first. Balthazar uses it to highlight a tasteful, expensive pile of seafood. Generally, pictures of food are powerful motivators but also menu taboosmostly because they’re used extensively in lowbrow chains like Chili’s and Applebee’s. This illustration is as far as a restaurant of this caliber can go, and it’s used to draw attention to two of the most expensive orders, Poundstone says.
2. The Anchor
The main role of that $115 platterthe only three-digit thing on the menuis to make everything else near it look like a relative bargain, Poundstone says.
3. Right Next Door
At a mere $70, the smaller seafood platter next to Le Balthazar seems like a deal, though there’s no sense of how much food you’re getting. It’s an indefinite comparison that also feels like an indulgencea win-win for the restaurant.
4. In The Vicinity
The restaurant’s high-profit dishes tend to cluster near the anchor. Here, it’s more seafood at prices that seem comparatively modest.
5. Columns Are Killers
According to Brandon O’Dell, one of the consultants Poundstone quotes in Priceless, it’s a big mistake to list prices in a straight column. Customers will go down and choose from the cheapest items, he says. At least the Balthazar menu doesn’t use leader dots to connect the dish to the price; that draws the diner’s gaze right to the numbers. Consultant Gregg Rapp tells clients to omit dollar signs, decimal points, and cents It’s not that customers can’t check prices, but most will follow whatever subtle cues are provided.
6. The Benefit Of Boxes
A box draws attention and, usually, orders, Poundstone says. A really fancy box is better yet. The fromages at the bottom of the menu are probably high-profit puzzles.
7. Menu Siberia
That’s where low-margin dishes that the regulars like end up. The examples here are the easy-to-miss (and relatively inexpensive) burgers.
8. Bracketing
A regular trick, it’s when the same dish comes in different sizes. Here, that’s done with steak tartare and raviolibut because you never know the portion size, you’re encouraged to trade up, Poundstone says. Usually the smaller size is perfectly adequate. | 0.992468 |
With the release of Minecraft on the Gear VR earlier this year, Oculus and John Carmack showed their understanding of what gamers want. You don’t always have to create something groundbreaking or revolutionary – sometimes adapting the most popular game on the planet for all ages is the right move and it’s already paying off in a big way.
Currently, on the Gear VR, you can play Minecraft one of two ways. You can either play it in a virtual theater mode, similar to how you watch movies in the Gear VR Netflix app. The game will run on a big screen in front of you, while you’re sitting on a virtual couch. It’s a neat way to emulate the console experience of the game, but is mostly targeting people that have trouble stomaching standard Minecraft in VR due to motion sickness.
Then you can also zoom into the world itself and play the game with full motion tracking support of your head movements. Look around you in full 360 degree immersion and experience what John Carmack refers to as “the best thing” on either Oculus platform.
Now, thanks to the folks at Virtuix Omni, you can take that immersion even further. Using their treadmill device, you can sync your phone and the Gear VR to provide full movement tracking. You can hold a gamepad in your hand to control all of your inputs like jumping, browsing the inventory, and actually building things, but physically move your legs and feet to walk around the world.
“This VR version of Minecraft developed by Oculus / John Carmack is surprisingly one of the most immersive experiences we’ve had in VR so far,” Jan Goetgeluk, CEO of Virtuix, told me via email. “And it works out-of-the-box with the Omni for natural movement without motion sickness (no tweaks are needed thanks to the Omni’s built-in Bluetooth gamepad emulation). Minecraft has more than 100 million registered users and more than 1 million players at any given time, so we believe this popular game has the potential to become one of the first killer apps for VR.”
You can read our thoughts on the latest model of the Virtuix Omni from GDC 2016 here. Virtuix recently raised nearly $5 million from over 1,000 private investors and VR enthusiasts in their Regulation A financing round.
Tagged with: bluetooth, funding, gear vr, Minecraft, oculus, Omni, samsung, Virtuix | 0.041346 |
Ohio’s prison department said it would increase the amount of two death penalty drugs it uses in executions after reviewing a case in which a condemned inmate was seen convulsing and gasping for breath for some time after being injected.
Dennis McGuire, 53, who admitting raping and killing a pregnant woman, was executed in January with a sedative-painkiller combination never before used in the United States, where lethal injection is the preferred method of execution.
The execution witnessed by reporters and McGuire’s adult children took about 25 minutes to complete, amid reports that he gasped for an unusually long 15 minutes while clenching his fists and that his stomach had churned up and down visibly.
The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC) said on Monday its use of a two-drug combination of the sedative midazolam and the pain killer hydromorphone to execute McGuire had been within constitutional bounds and that his movements had been consistent with the drug effects and other factors.
The DRC said it would increase the midazolam from 10 mg to 50 mg and the hydromorphone from 40 to 50 mg, saying there was “no reason not to increase the dosage levels to reaffirm that the drugs will, without doubt, cause profound general anesthetic and ventilatory depressant effects”.
“The massive doses of drugs given to McGuire rendered him unconscious before any of the irregular bodily movements were observed. There is no evidence that McGuire experienced any pain, distress, or anxiety,” the DRC added in a statement.
McGuire’s children have sued Ohio, alleging the state violated his constitutional right for protection against cruel and unusual punishment.
Ohio and other states that have the death penalty have increasingly been forced to seek alternate drugs and sources of drugs for executions as pharmaceutical companies have raised objections to their products being used in capital punishment.
Executions have gone forward in Missouri, Texas, and Oklahoma despite appeals raising concerns over the drugs.
Ohio turned to the two drugs after a shortage of its primary execution drug, the fast-acting barbiturate pentobarbital.
Ohio Governor John Kasich in February delayed the next scheduled execution until November to give the state prison department time to complete a review of McGuire’s execution.
Gregory Lott, 52, had been scheduled to die on March 19 by a lethal injection of the same combination used on McGuire.
(Reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle; Editing by Gareth Jones) nL2N0NL094 | 0.436231 |
Daniel Greenfield, a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the Freedom Center, is a New York writer focusing on radical Islam.
The amnesty wing of the GOP has traditionally offered a false choice between legalizing millions of illegal aliens or losing the Hispanic vote. Their argument was that to be competitive with the growing numbers of Hispanic voters, Republicans had to get on board with amnesty.
The numbers for that argument never made any sense.
Even George W. Bush, as a wartime president who was supportive of amnesty, had only managed 40% of the Hispanic vote in his best election. And that was the strongest performance by a Republican since Reagan. Even assuming that every post-amnesty Republican candidate could get 40%, a ridiculously implausible political fantasy, that would only doom the GOP as a political party a good deal faster.
Republicans who were less enthusiastic about illegal alien amnesty still usually insisted on the need for more immigration. As if a country with high unemployment among unskilled laborers needs even more unskilled laborers whose only asset is a willingness to undercut American workers by working for less.
But the best way for Republicans to increase their share of Hispanic voters is by rejecting amnesty and reducing immigration.
The latest Gallup numbers show that among foreign-born Hispanics, Hillary Clinton enjoys an 87% percent approval rating while Donald Trump only has a 13% approval rating. However among Hispanics born in this country, Hillary Clinton only scores a 43% approval rating while Trump rises to 29%.
Those numbers are not significantly worse than Romney’s overall ratings among Hispanic voters.
While Trump performs very badly with Hispanic immigrants, his numbers improve significantly among Hispanics who were born in this country. Some of them even support his anti-migration stance.
If Republicans really want to increase their share of the Hispanic vote, the smart way to do it is to increase the share of native-born Hispanics within the Hispanic population. Originally the majority of Hispanics were born in America. But by the new century, foreign-born Hispanics had become the majority. The increase in foreign-born Hispanics coincided with a sharp decline in the Republican Hispanic vote which dropped from the 30s to the 20s.
Bush’s 40% was a wartime aberration, but the share of foreign-born Hispanics began slowly declining again this decade. That is one reason for Obama’s open borders and the aggressive push for amnesty.
Democrats know that their best bet for increasing their share of the Hispanic vote is to quickly increase the number of foreign-born Hispanics on the voter rolls. And some Republicans have been foolishly helping them. Republicans perform best with native-born Hispanic small business owners. Democrats perform best with unskilled immigrants with poor language skills and little sense of the larger country.
Democrats have been trying to reshape the Hispanic population to match their political interests. Republicans however routinely champion illegal alien amnesty and increased immigration. These policies, undertaken under the pretext of increasing the Republican Hispanic vote, actually increase the share of the Hispanic population most likely to vote Democrat and least likely to vote Republican.
The idea of limiting immigration to do better with Hispanic voters may seem counterintuitive. But Hispanic support for open borders and even open immigration is a talking point, not a truth.
Immigration is not a priority for most Hispanic voters. The economy is. Immigration restrictions with an economic basis that are applied fairly and without prejudice would score more points than amnesty. The Hispanic voters for whom amnesty and immigration are the highest priorities are the least likely to vote for the GOP anyway. Republican “evolution” in these areas will benefit Democrats and hurt Republicans.
The left has made amnesty and immigration into racial issues to distract from integration. Immigration has always been premised on integration. Republicans do better with better integrated voters.
Integration means learning the language, becoming self-sufficient and moving up the economic ladder. Democrats want open borders because a flow of constant migration undermines integration. Instead of moving forward, immigrant communities remain ghettos always full of new immigrants in need of government services who never integrate, but who become comfortable with that static way of life.
That’s unhealthy for them. It’s unhealthy for the country. But it’s very healthy for the Democrats.
American immigration was meant to be cyclical. A wave of immigrants, like a heavy meal, takes time to digest. The entry of a million immigrants should be followed by an extended pause to allow them to integrate. Instead we take in a million immigrants the next year and then the year after that.
And every single year.
Immigration is a problem for the GOP. Not because immigration is bad, but because immigration without integration increases two types of problems that the left thrives on as a political movement; dependency and divisiveness. A dependent voter is easy to control. A divided society is easier to manipulate.
Mass migration strains social services which increases the budgets and political power of left-wing organizations. It leads to tensions that the left volunteers to resolve by fighting bigotry. The new immigrant is speedily recruited as a client and a victim while retarding his integration. And even if he does manage to learn to stand on his own two feet, there will be four others to replace him.
The country’s immigrant population tops 40 million. We need time to integrate that many people. That’s what Trump is asking for. That’s what the Democrats are fighting tooth and nail because their political interests are served through disruptive immigration rather than constructive immigration.
We need an honest conversation about immigration both nationally and within the GOP.
The amnesty wing of the GOP has spent far too much time peddling myths that have no basis in fact. They have offered us a menu of false choices and told us that we were doomed to destruction if we didn’t destroy ourselves. The Democrats have misconstrued the immigration debate as a racial issue. They have offered Republicans yet another false choice between racism and open borders.
Both choices are false.
Amnesty, on any terms, would doom the GOP. An immigration pause would make the GOP more competitive nationally and among Hispanic voters. The Democrats have spent generations laboring to reshape national demographics to suit their political ambitions. Republicans would be wise to do the same. Less immigration means more integration. And that equals more Republican voters.
America has taken in 40 million immigrants. It’s time for it to begin the long process of integrating those who are here legally and expelling those who are not. And then, once we are politically and economically healthier, the time may come for us to resume immigration again. | 0.199658 |
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Check out this video preview of The Card Game of Oz from Tom Vasel of The Dice Tower:
And here's another video preview of the game from UndeadViking!
Hundreds of unique and gorgeously illustrated cards.
The idea is pretty basic:
A storyline is laid out before you. It is your job, as Author of your own Oz story, to populate it with characters. Each character's vitality is worth so many points to the story. At the end of the game, the Author whose characters have the greatest total vitality wins the game.
Sounds simple enough? But it can't be that easy. It isn't.
In The Card Game of Oz, you're sharing your storyline with other Authors. There may even be multiple storylines at once. Characters come and go from various locations, each having a different effect on the story. The locations themselves might even change right out from under the feet of your characters.
Characters might be unexpectedly shifted around. Objects and other characters can affect the story. Not to mention Effects, Events, and Spells that can change everything in a blink of an eye. - Jim O'Connor, Orion's Bell
Check out the rules for The Card Game of Oz here.
You can Print and Play The Card Game of Oz now to try it out!
You can watch this How to Play video from Grey Elephant Gaming.
You can watch this Live Play video from Grey Elephant Gaming.
We sent out a number of preview copies of The Card Game of OZ and the reviews and comments are starting to come in.
The Card Game of OZ has received the Father Geek Seal of Approval!
Orion's Bell has been working on The Card Game of Oz for years, as you can see from the gorgeous presentation on the game. With your support, we can build on the time, money, and energy we've invested in this game and help cover a portion of the production costs to make The Card Game of Oz a reality.
You, our KickStarter Backers, will make The Card Game of Oz a reality, and we really want to show our appreciation. We want to give you something special and we found a couple of things!
If we're successful, Backers who pledge $40 or more will receive two awesome bonuses:
The Ultimate Author!
Now, if we get far enough into later releases, this card may eventually show up as standard card. However, this version of the card has a unique image made just for this KickStarter and it has a special "KS" set icon! I hope you'll all enjoy it! Jim O'Connor, Orion's Bell
The other awesome bonus we have is a sneak peek at Set 2:The Marvelous Land of Oz.
Pledge $40 or more and you will also receive a pack of 10 cards from Set 2 to mix in with your Set 1 cards before anyone else! This sneak peek set will include 4 new Characters (2 of them "Prime") plus 6 new strange Events and Effects (including 2 Spells that are just plain evil.)
Sneak Peek Cards for Backers at the "Founder of OZ" Pledge Level and Higher
How can you expand your support for The Card Game of Oz (and get more cool stuff?) Add-ons of course :)
Click here for a preview of the Illustrated Card Game of Oz edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
If we are lucky enough to inspire hundreds of backers to support THE CARD GAME OF OZ we may be able to surpass our original goal. The more backers we attract, the more stretch goals we can achieve, so please, share the Kickstarter link for THE CARD GAME OF OZ with all of your friends on Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, and any other blog or social network you're on.
The Springboard Seal of Quality is your assurance that a new game project is worth your time and attention. All titles approved for Springboard campaigns are vetted by the game professionals at Game Salute. During this comprehensive evaluation process, Game Salute play tests the game to make certain it is solid and fun, and examines all aspects of production plans to verify that you are getting the highest quality for your pledge dollars.
Thanks to partnerships we have arranged in key locations around the globe, we are able to offer greatly reduced shipping costs to most international destinations.
Backers in Canada, Mexico, EU, UK, and Australia need to add only $10 to their pledges to cover International Shipping.
Backers in the USA receive Free Shipping.
Backers in any other area, please add $30 for International Shipping.
THE CARD GAME OF OZ will be available locally all around the world through friendly local game stores that participate in the Game Salute Select Stores.
You can use GameStoreLocator.com to find a Game Salute Select Store near you. If your favorite store is not on our Select Stores list, be sure to ask them to sign up today at GameSalute.com/SelectStoreSignUp
Springboard Local Support
You can pledge through this campaign AND support your local store. Simply select your favorite local store when you complete your delivery survey and your pledge will benefit the store just as if you purchased the game through the store. You can check out the details here.
We have special Bonus Bundles available for local stores. These bundles provide retailer pricing, free shipping with minimum order, complimentary demo copies, and more. Contact James Takenaka at [email protected] or 1-800-459-5516 to pre-order your Card Game of Oz now.
We are pleased to offer access to our game designers and creative team for podcast, blog, newspaper, or television interviews. Team members can also be present for conventions and event appearances with a timely invitation and appropriate travel and lodging expense allowances. Please contact David MacKenzie at [email protected] to discuss any of these media support opportunities.
Game Design and Development: James C. O'Connor
Art Direction: James C. O'Connor & Dann May
Artists:
Dann May, Yoann Boissonnet, Banu Andaru, Elizabeth Arnold,
Verónica Atanacio, Alan Bayudan, Swendly Benilia, Carl Beu, Lee Blair,
Del Bovoric, Eva Cajnko, Cina Canady, Crystal Carpenter, Verónica Casas,
Carmen Martinez Ceballos, Maxime Desmettre, Meredith Dillman,
Elysia S. Dinolfo, Oleg Djimbinov, Ersin Ertűrk, Anna Fehr, Felix Eddy,
Victor Fetsch, Luke Finlayson, Frank Franco III, Mark Girondi,
Ryan Godshalk, Christine Griffin, Geoffrey Grisso, Michael Gullbrandson,
Hinoraito, Dawn Holliday, Pierre Internoscia, Nathan James, Juha Järvinen,
Jacob Johnson, Erin Kelso, Danny Kuang, John Larriva, Alan Lathwell,
Kim Lerchbacher, Sonya Lindsay, Magnozz, Michelle Maiden,
Sarah Markley, Todd Mathews, Kelly McClellan, Kate McCredie,
Susan McKivergan, Roberto Melo, Nicolas Michel, Nathaniel Milljour,
Kirstin Mills, Gerald Minor, Telli Narcizo, Elisa Navacchi, James C. O'Connor,
Santiago Olivera, Egil Paulsen, Anne Pogoda, Mark Rehkopf, Kaitlin Reid,
Marissa Rivera, Loraine Sammy, Cynthia Sheppard, Daniel Silberberg,
Patrycja Stanczyk, Monika Szewczyk, Kaveh Taherian, Laura Taylor,
Bill Thompson, Agnieszka Topolska, Rachelle Traut, Scott Turk,
Tim van Gendt, Jeremy Vickery, Tom Waterhouse, Stina Wiik,
Joanna Wolska, Marcin Woś, Maja Wrzosek, Celia Yost,
Gracjana Zielińska.
Graphic Design: James C. O'Connor & Cody Jones
Executive Producer: Dan Yarrington
Associate Producer: Jeremy Anderson
Design Studio: Orion's Bell
Publisher: Game Salute
Special Thanks to: Marc I. Jacobs, James W. O’Connor,
Eleanor R. O’Connor, “Dresden”, L. Frank Baum, and All of Our Dedicated Play Testers.
We will update the project FAQ below as you send in your questions.
For the $500 Honored Citizen of Oz level, here are the submission guidelines:
*Submission Conditions:
• Honored Citizens may not be fictional characters nor public figures.
• Honored Citizens may be human, animal, doll, or plush. (Dolls and plush may not represent copyrighted properties such as Mickey Mouse, Barbie, Sponge Bob, etc.)
• Humans’ names must include a first and last name. A middle intial may also be included. No “Nicknames”.
• Honored Citizens who have passed away will have the keyword “Historic”, while living and toy honorees will have the keyword “Minor”.
• Card type will be designated as “Character”, with a Green background and Emerald City icon, with Gold (Good) borders and the “OZ” monogram in the text field as shown in the actual game card pictured above.
• Honored Citizen illustrations and resulting cards will remain the copyright of Orion’s Bell.
• Orion’s Bell retains the right to reject submissions deemed inappropriate.
• Orion’s Bell shall make all final decisions regarding text, numbers, layout, and illustrations on cards.
• Other conditions may arise as each submission is individually reviewed.
** If you have any other questions about Honored Citizen submissions, please contact us through the links provided on this page before making your pledge. | 0.008307 |
(Left: William III of Orange, who made the migration of Jewish Capitalism from Amsterdam to Britain possible.)
Capitalism is Usury. Its defining belief is ‘return on investment’. This is an extension of the ‘time value’ of money, which is the central tenet of modern economics. Capitalism is unthinkable without banking and banking is institutionalized Usury.
Usury is Plutocracy. Compound interest makes it unavoidable that the very richest own everything in generations.
And this is indeed what happened: Capitalism is one huge global monopoly. All the major banks own each other and most Transnationals plus a huge chunk of land. This juggernaut was built with the plunder of Usury.
We have all seen that Rothschild was worth 50 billion in 1850. At 5% per year, this fortune would now be a trillion, at 8% per year Rothschild would now be worth hundreds of trillions.
This is why it has been said that ‘compound interest is the strongest force in the Universe’.
This is Usurious Usurpation.
The Rise of Capitalism
Modern Capitalism was first clearly visible in the Dutch Republic, where Italian Banking, expelled Iberian Jews, the Reformation, naval power and the acquisition of huge trade fortunes came together in the Amsterdam Empire, which would outshine its much bigger Spanish, British and even French competitors until the mid seventeenth century.
Everything that defines modern Capitalism was either invented or came to fruition in Amsterdam. The first Stock Exchange, Multinationals (the East Indies Company, which would rule over Indonesia with unrestrained Corporatocracy for centuries), and most importantly, a Central Bank, the ‘Amsterdamsche Wisselbank’. And of course a huge pile of money, that would be the envy of Europe even long after its ‘glory’ had subsided.
Amsterdam also saw the first bubble: the Tulip mania, 1637. This typical banker device, blowing bubbles with easy credit and then popping them by calling in loans, would haunt Western economies for centuries to come.
The Dutch Republic resulted from a Calvinist rebellion against Catholic Spain. Calvin is considered by many to have been Jewish. He openly defended Usury. This was in an era that the Medieval era of Usury prohibition was in terminal decline.
Calvinist thought was also infected by the typically Jewish notion that wealth is a sign of God’s favor.
Notwithstanding Usury prohibition, Jewish Usury had been a huge issue throughout the Middle Ages and it does not require a great leap of the imagination to see that Capitalism is in fact the modern equivalent of what was once known as Jewish Usury.
Jewish fortunes and their methods played a large part in Amsterdam. Their ships would also dominate the growing slave trade on America. They had come from Spain, after being expelled in 1492. Holland was known at the time for its ‘tolerance’.
Amsterdam was the first great star of high finance. Opulence acquired through trade became Capital, looking for returns. And here we see that Capitalism is about finance, not production or consumption. Finance rules over producers, workers, consumers, farmers, crafstmen and industrialists alike.
They lend to those they control or want to control and withhold credit to those for whom they have no purpose. Usury gives them their take of any venture. By keeping money scarce, they keep labor cheap. This is how money rules.
Moving on to Britain
Amsterdam peaked in 1648, when the peace of Westphalia ended both the 80 year war for independence with Spain and the 30 year war in Germany. But after the peak comes the decline and already in the fifties problems began to mount when Cromwell landed a blow on Dutch naval supremacy with the Acts of Navigation.
The Jews had been expelled from Britain in 1290. This was a few decades after the Magna Carta, which clearly points at Jewish Usury as a huge problem at the time.
Cromwell, who was a calvinist Puritan, negotiated extensively with Amsterdam Jews about resettlement. He probably was a tool of Jewish/Amsterdam finance to begin with.
Resettlement came with the promise of making London a better Amsterdam. And while British merchants (and many others too) were against the readmittance of the Jews, Cromwell went ahead anyway. The Puritans were optimistic and naive and thought they could ‘redeem’ the Jews. But while Jewish Capital indeed pushed Britain’s Empire to unprecedented heights, there was no redemption: by the end of the 19th century the British Aristocracy had been entirely Judaized.
While Cromwell, as a tool of Amsterdam Imperialism, ultimately failed, the Jews did not relent and they had a second shot at London with the Glorious Revolution, when William III of Orange, Stadtholder of Holland, became William III of Britain and the Dutch Republic and England were united in a personal union.
He repaid his financial backers by chartering the Bank of England in 1694 and this was the official entry of Capitalism in Britain. It came with the end of sovereign money and the ascent of Gold: until then the British economy had been financed with Talley Sticks, simple pieces of wood issued by the King. British partners in the Bank paid for their shares with them, but the first thing the Bank did was take them out of circulation. The Bank of England is only the eigth bank in history and is the second oldest to survive today.
The United States
The real history of the United States is not about the War of Independence and the Constitution. It’s about banking.
The United States did not revolt over ‘taxes without representation’. According to Benjamin Franklin the real reason for the War of Independence was that Whitehall forced scarce money through Britain’s Gold Standard on the Colonies, who had thrived with their own Colonial Scrip. A depression was the inevitable result.
Only a few years after nominal independence, Hamilton’s first Bank of the United States brought Capitalism to the United States. It was closed in 1800, but in 1816, in the aftermath of the war with Britain, a second Bank of the United States (a privately owned corporation) was opened with a 20 year charter.
The heroic President Andrew Jackson did not renew this charter and miraculously survived an attempt on his life. His last words, ‘I killed the Bank’ still ring triumphantly through the ages. Unfortunately, he failed to replace it with a decent monetary system and the country was plunged in a depression because of a tanking money supply.
This left the Whigs, Abraham Lincoln prominently among them, plenty of scope to campaign for a new ‘National’ Bank, which came in the aftermath of the Civil War.
In 1913 the Federal Reserve Bank was founded. This privately owned corporation is owned by primarily Jewish ‘member banks’. The presidents of the Federal Reserve are always Jewish and by far most of its board members are too. It’s no secret Wall Street is run by the Jews and is now the global standard bearer of Jewish Usury with derivatives being the scam du jour.
Of course there are Americans in Wall Street too, just as there are Englishmen in the City or Germans in Deutsche Bank, but whereas these nationalities compete amongst each other, the Jews are strong in all nations and this gives them supremacy.
Equally true is that the Jewish many gain nothing from the banking prowess of their ‘elites’. They may have some privileges, but on the other hand they’re also easily duped into nasty affairs or sacrificed like the pawns we all are.
But considering the above history of Capitalism and Jewish Usury, it is very hard to avoid the conclusion that they are the same thing.
Conclusion
YHVH emphatically orders the Jews several times to conquer the world with Usury in Deutoronomy, for instance: “15:6 For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.”
Pivotal documents from the medieval era squarely point at Jewish Usury. We have already mentioned the Magna Carta, but there is also for instance the Quran: ‘That they (the Jews) took usury, though they were forbidden; and that they devoured men’s substance wrongfully;- we have prepared for those among them who reject faith a grievous punishment.’ (sura 4.161)
Capitalism and its ‘return on investment’ is clearly the successor of medieval Jewish Usury. It arose during the destruction of medieval Usury prohibition. Its typical devices, Usury, Banking, the Stock Exchange, asset bubbles, Transnationals, all were already present in Amsterdam. It was this force that migrated to Britain and the US. It was in these three financial Empires that Captitalism showed its unrestrained imperialist designs.
Already the poor lose up to 50% of their income to Usury, mostly passed on by producers in prices. The middle classes are somewhat better off, but they are being decapitated everywhere. Usury only benefits the richest 10%, while most of the money ends up with the ‘fabulously’ wealthy.
The enslavement is total: most people work the first two and half days of the week to pay off the bank. Even if they have no debts.
And we face not only enslavement, but extinction. Mass immigration, combined with the demographic catastrophy caused by the trinity of feminism, the not-so-gay lobby, and sexual ‘liberation’, is now threatening to actually destroy the white race. Whites are expected to be a minority all over the West in 2050/2060 and irrelevant by the end of the century.
Capitalism is the core of the Jewish Question. All their other depravities, including Zionism and (Cultural) Marxism were built and financed from the Capitalist powerbase.
The Jewish Question can only be reasonably resolved by reforming money and ending its rule through Usury.
Related:
Is Anti Usury Activism Antisemitic?
Babylon = Usury! We want Interest-Free Money!
Demystifying the ‘Conspiracy’
Why Do People Have Difficulty Seeing The Jewish Question?
Rationalizing Usury: the Time Value Hoax
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NORFOLK — Old Dominion suspended three basketball players — two women and one man — in the wake of an altercation on campus, the school announced Thursday.
Galaisha Goodhope and Chelisa Painter, starters on the women's team, and newcomer Javonte Douglas were suspended indefinitely. All three remain in school, according to a source, but are prohibited from practice and team-related activities.
Neither men's coach Jeff Jones or women's coach Karen Barefoot were permitted to comment. ODU athletic director Wood Selig released a statement in which he said that based on recommendations from Jones and Barefoot, "I am accepting the indefinite suspension of Galaisha Goodhope, Chelisa Painter and Javonte Douglas from the women's and men's basketball teams, respectively, for violation of team rules."
The Virginian-Pilot reported that all three are appealing their suspensions, which are being handled through campus judiciary and according to the student code of conduct. The length of the suspensions will be determined after further hearings.
The Pilot reported that, according to sources, Goodhope intervened in a dispute between Douglas and Painter in August. No details were revealed.
Goodhope and Painter were two of ODU's most productive returning players. Goodhope, a 5-foot-5 junior from Virginia Beach's Princess Anne High, started 30 games last season, averaged 8.1 points per game and led the Lady Monarchs in assists (115).
Painter, a 6-1 forward from Indian River in Chesapeake, started 33 of 34 games. She was ODU's second-leading scorer (8.9 ppg) and rebounder (5.9 rpg).
Douglas is an athletic 6-7 forward from Charlotte, by way of College of Central Florida, where he was a second-team junior college All-American last season. He averaged 17.2 points and 9.1 rebounds last season and was expected to be a key contributor on the wing.
Fairbank can be reached by phone at 757-247-4637. | 0.001016 |
The simultaneous fall of the Murdoch and Berlusconi media empires – symbolic of an epoch – is not a coincidence but part of a deep global change in which the exponential growth of horizontal communication networks plays a central role. In this global epoch, despite the thin line between new democratic opportunities and the old threats of control, unforeseen democratic movements are demanding a new kind of democracy.
The fall of the two most symbolic and influential media barons of the last thirty years might strike one as at most an important and pleasant coincidence. Here, I will reflect on the causes and implications of this double event and on how it could be a decisive model for a certain manner of exodus from the previous era. My argument is that what happened was no casual coincidence but rather determined by a movement of multitudes that, using networks of horizontal autonomous communication, has drained power from the vertical media empires. I address certain links between the two people in question in order to shed light both on their behaviour and the ideology that animates them.
One thing is certain: nothing will ever be able to restore the terrible power that they have exercised throughout all these years. Their extensive and infernal multimedia machines will continue to disseminate what is left of their disastrous influence, but progressively deprived of their essential energies (like the savoir-faire of how to create majoritarian political consensus), they will inevitably burn out or fade away.
These highly personal projects of dynastic continuity, coupled with the shame they profited from for what they imagined would be in perpetuity, suddenly appears illusory and out of step with current times. The circumstantial causes behind these two illustrious disappearances at first sight appear dissimilar:
- Berlusconi inextricably intertwined three types of power: media domination, financial rule and political supremacy, all regionally localized, making their joint operation impregnable. - By contrast, Murdoch’s strategy was elaborated on the basis of a progressive expansion of his influence through an immense media network, acting in osmosis with other political and financial nerve centres of global governance. As we will see, the fall of his pre-eminence originates in the media and only appears fortuitous.
Multimedia corporations and financialized global governance
The rise and consolidation of global media corporations is one of the keystones of the transition from industrial capitalism to cognitive capitalism. The processes of privatization open up spaces previously reserved for the traditional media of nation-states and naturally favour conglomerates and hybrids. The big network moguls found themselves in an ideal position to assume this new role; our two ‘heroes’ are their own illustrious self-promoters, integrating their capitalist and financial projects into this new strategy of biopower.
Corporations in the media sector became cognitive factories where the complex and articulated machines of mass immaterial production operated. In addition, big conglomerates like Time Warner, Viacom/CBS, Mediaset or Canal+ are connected through a dense network of collaborative participation and constitute, de facto, an oligopoly; a privileged environment in which to create a meta-language obeisant to biopower and spreading standardized content.
Television had already undermined the Gutenburg Galaxy,[i] replacing the typographical symbol with images, as the first great media visionary, Marshall McLuhan, hypothesized, and had already become the dominant mass media in the ‘60s and ‘70s without this preventing, however, the social upheavals of that time from emerging and even involuntarily contributing to their propagation.
In the meantime, privatization generated an enormous proliferation of television channels whose abundant production found a socially fertile terrain in the political flux of the ‘80s, which saw the rapid growth of single-parent families and young singles themselves (the latter accounting for around 25% of the US population in the 1990s).[ii] In this context, the daily number of hours spent watching television rapidly increased (4.5 hours in the US as against 2.5 hours in France at the end of the 1980s) on top of the time dedicated to other unidirectional media like the radio, the press, etc.
Subjection and fear: dominant elements in biopower’s media framing[iii]
The idea of mass manipulation is certainly not new. As Hermann Göring stated in an interview with G.M. Gilbert on April 18, 1946 during the Nuremberg Trials:
The people don't want war, but they can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. […] This is easy. […] All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and for exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country. [iv]
What is interesting are the techniques that were used by postindustrial media empires during this epoch.
Information and entertainment, from which we get the famous neologism infotainment, are the legs of this mass-media cyborg. Biopower concentrated a particular effort in these two fields in order to create and enable the techniques of manipulation. In sophisticated ways, ‘framing’ was deployed – understood as the ability to create frames of interpretation and opportune associations and meanings in the minds of the viewers.
Let’s take for example ‘reality shows’, an entertainment created with these goals in mind. One of its main supporters, the Dutch producer Endemol, invented ‘Big Brother’. Today, he is one of the owners of a consortium led, tellingly, by Mediaset and Goldman-Sachs. In this sense, Maurizio Lazzarato wrote in 1992 of the, “staging of information and public opinion that the [first] Gulf War unashamedly revealed in a series of ‘fabrication processes’ that rapidly shifted to the staging of ‘real life’”.[v]
In reality, today we are beginning to realize that it wasn’t only real life that was being staged, but the spectacle of psychological and social isolation experiments; a form of calculated torture that is, quite possibly, a plausible matrix for the interpretation of Abu Ghraib.[vi] What we are looking at, as Jean Baudrillard rightly evokes, is the attempt to strengthen the fusion of the ‘enslavement show’ with the spectator – a technique developed to solicit collective animal automatisms.[vii]
This media action led to paroxysms on Fox News in the period after the failed global coup d’état of the US administration,[viii] culminating in the campaigns to re-elect Bush and for the second Gulf War. In the first case, after the tenacious staging of a false neutrality continually highlighted by their ‘fair & balanced’ pop-ups, we saw Fox News’ masterful media coup announcing the victory of its candidate on the closing night of the polls. It dragged all the other networks into imitating it, thus taking out a decisive psychological mortgage on the controversy that would follow the Florida vote.
In the second case, we witnessed the unlimited exploitation of the images of the World Trade Center in flames, with various media pundits hauntingly repeating keywords in a mantra, the systematic use of polls, music and graphics created ad hoc, and talk shows with the fire-breathing fascist Bill O’Reilly and his aggressive “Shut up!” against anyone who tried to contradict him, as revealed in the 2004 documentary Outfoxed, Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism.[ix]
Manuel Castells wrote, “violence, broadcast over the communication networks, becomes the medium for the culture of fear communication power”.[x] In fact, the ‘production’, the commercialization and the daily and widespread dissemination of narratives and images of war, terror, violence and death are the leitmotif of nightly news and the other various transmissions from the media factory. The use of this media device has increased until it became a truly obsessive, continuous hammering after September 11. Messages were spread thanks to a meta-language created ad hoc to generate primary emotions and feelings; fear of the other, disgust and suspicion, all evocative frameworks used in classic ideological totalitarianism: the love of country, religious fundamentalism and the xenophobia so dear to many of our current ‘democratic’ leaders in Europe.
As Castells states, “mirror neurons, by activating certain neural patterns, appear to play an important role in emotional communication”.[xi] Today, we have a build-up of neuroscientific evidence on how and how much the mass media can shape our mental processes, starting with A. Damasio’s findings on the influence that emotions and feelings have over reason and social behaviour.[xii] It is precisely on the basis of these thoughts and feelings that the process of political decision is formed. Added to this, we can include the discoveries made around the biological trait of mirror neurons,[xiii] the innate mechanism of automatic neural activation generated by the actions of those who surround us or by communication and which makes it possible to identify ourselves with the behaviour and intentions of others. The complex mechanisms triggered by mirror neurons are at the base of empathy and the evolution of language but, at the same time, make us vulnerable to political narration through media like the television: “mirror neurons produce the tendency to imitate in our brains and we are often unaware of it. They limit our autonomy with powerful conditioning that plays out on a social level”.[xiv]
Over the course of this research, scientific evidence of the levels of conditioning have emerged and a new light has been shed on the efficiency of framing and other media conditioning techniques in a posthumous validation of the prophetic intuitions of Baudrillard and Debord in this field.[xv] Not to mention the validity of Michael Moore’s hypothesis when, in Bowling for Columbine, he highlighted the link between the use of violence in American media and the terrible massacre – the same could be said of what recently happened in Oslo.
Not by chance, governance politicians hire communication specialists from multinationals, paid for with public money: “spin doctors” and “story spinners” that produce the ad hoc narratives broadcast by the media as illustrated by C. Salmon in his Storytelling. Bewitching the Modern Mind.[xvi]
The rise to power: two parallel stories
Returning to the parallel emergence of the two media empires in question and their respective creators, we need to go back to the ‘80s when a stream of privatizations and the attack on wages, employment and welfare began. It is during this time that the two began to gain visibility, when Reagan – who understood media, claptrap and cutting public expenditures quite well – sounded the first great charge of neoliberalism. Then Thatcher, whose neurons had already began to stiffen from epic antiunion and postcolonial battles, answered his call from London.
It is precisely in this period that the Australian Rupert Murdoch, who had earned the nickname ‘Dirty Digger’, started the transformation of the tabloids Sun and News of the World into official news outlets, extracting huge profits in the process. These are some of the ‘talents’ that Murdoch already had in common with Silvio Berlusconi, the other rising media star of his generation, as well as traits such as the lack of any scruples in liquidating adversaries and business partners and the populist perspective that in due course made them the natural allies of the Iron Lady.
Murdoch will repeat the process in the mid-‘80s when he lands in Los Angeles, the Mecca of global media power, buys a major network, Fox, and creates Fox News that from then on will be put to the service of Bush and the Republican party. As far as Berlusconi is concerned, without going over his complex life story here, what remains most vivid about his ascent are the images from an old documentary on the cultural channel ‘Arte’ that showed him entering the ’94 political race with his media and managers and hoards of call centres transformed into a political weapon for the lightning victory of his new Forza Italia party. This is the perfect example of the use of massive marketing and mass vertical communication as a way to mould minds into accommodating a political and personal model. He successfully fused neoliberalism, populism, corruption and illegal business practices in a single crucible.
His character perfectly incarnated the model: he flaunted his hardnosed business practices, vulgarity and aggressiveness like a street hawker under the guise of common sense. Not to mention the particular aura created by his innumerable trials and summons in various tribunals.
Despite all this, we cannot deny the favourable conjunctures he has been smart enough to exploit, nor the risks he has taken, something he loves to show off in the euphoric wake of opportune situations like the famous 1977 photo that shows him with a .357 magnum revolver negligently resting on his desk. This photo was taken and was understood in the context of his friendship with Bettino Craxi, at the beginning of his rise in the media.
The Dirty Digger and the Caiman – a figure immortalized in Nanni Moretti’s film by the same name – had the same intuition: the media power of television at its historical height was crucial to their political projects. In fact, when the two appropriated the medium of TV, the conditions for creating and exploiting ‘available brain time’ were more than favourable. Patrick Le Lay, cynical ex-director of the French channel TF1, claimed with some pride that it was this ‘brain time’ that was the product being sold to Coca Cola in the form of commercials. Both were the first to use this principle of persuasion, subliminal, compulsive and heavily tilted towards the dominant ideology, on behalf of the political establishment.
If this operation became the insignia of that global era, this was due above all to its perfect fit with the socio-political developments of the ‘80s. Television was dumbed down with very little by way of resistance to the lack of social, political and cultural stimuli after a hard day of underpaid, precarious work, not to mention the marketing segmentation that generated the famous over-50 housewife, the privileged target of commercial and political ads.
Though they shared the same intuition, their rise and later fall were inevitably shaped by their surrounding contexts of class relations and geopolitical situations: Berlusconi, driven by the need to avoid bankruptcy and prison time, took advantage of Italy’s political contingency in the 1990’s, together with his regional media reach, to access his country’s executive power. Instead, Murdoch applied a different strategy of associating his networks with the political class and global finance in a rise to a personal power that may be less blatant but even more consistent. The name of his group reveals the ambition: News International Corporation.
Manuel Castells maintains that network commutation, or ‘switching power’, resides at the heart of Murdoch’s authority: “the ability to connect different networks to ensure their cooperation by sharing common goals and increasing their resources”.[xvii]
His 2007 buyout of the Wall Street Journal, one of the most influential voices in the financial world, seemed to confirm this hypothesis; while his attempt to buy into the world of social networks with his 2005 purchase of Myspace for $580 million (recently resold for $35 million), profoundly questioned it. I’d like to suggest that the strategies that once worked in the era of vertical media are no longer effective in the era of the networked multitudes.
The fall from grace
In many respects, Murdoch seemed far ahead in the media hierarchy; he was the third man behind Bush and Blair in the war against Iraq. We could call him Rupert XIII, as this was his ranking in Time magazine’s ‘100 Most Influential People’. Although Berlusconi has never been classified in this list, it would seem that he is poised to win 2011’s top prize for ‘Political Sex Scandals’ due to his noted sexual escapades with underage prostitutes.
Berlusconi, even adding up all his media and political power, has never enjoyed this level of global influence; if anything his role in Italy, Europe and on the global chessboard has become ever more marginal. On a personal level, he has often made a fool of himself, calling a Social-democratic Member of the European Parliament a Kapo in full session and clowning around at various G8 and G20 Summits – a cruel and perverse clown, certainly, as emerged from the tragic demonstrations against the Group of Eight in Genoa in 2001, where Carlo Giuliani was murdered.
However, we can begin to see certain common features in the falls from grace of Murdoch and Berlusconi. Each of the three heads of Berlusconi’s hydra has been severed in a striking coincidence of events. His political power suffered two electoral major defeats in quick succession this summer: the local elections, where he is was humiliated in his own town, Milan, and the national popular referendums abrogating his government legislation. The march of over 1 million women who took to the streets out of pure indignation was also telling. But despite these recent events, he is still the Prime Minister of a discredited government facing comatose institutional opposition, as in so many other European countries. A coma reflecting a model of representative politics whose media havoc seems to have to put itself out of its own misery.
Regarding his financial power, the humiliating blow of having to pay €530 million euro to De Benedetti, Berlusconi’s longterm media adversary, for the Mondadori fraud is also quite significant. However, the fact remains that the most symbolic, most decisive and most irreversible loss of power has been through communication. It is irreversible, because his vertical media network, although reinforced through his preponderant control of state-run channels, is no longer the decisive factor in winning electoral campaigns. For the first time, it is precisely the strength of the multitude’s independent network communication that is substituting for the influence of nightly news and biased programming. This, I believe, is an irreversible historical development.
For Murdoch’s part, it is ironically a leak published by a traditional media source, The Guardian, that will be fatal for him and that opened the first peephole into the backroom deals of his empire. A backroom based on a corruption of historical proportions involving Her Majesty’s decrepit governments, Scotland Yard, Secret Services, etc., in facilitating the intrusion and manipulation of personal databases from celebrities to anonymous victims of crime. In reality, these practices were doubtless already the common currency in the Murdoch archipelago and it is probable that we will see further revelations of the same sort in the future.
Today, there is the impression that anything could happen, as expressed by Anthony Barnett in his article ‘After Murdoch’ when he says that populism has become a double-edged sword.[xviii] The Guardian’s uncovering of News of the World’s prying into the voicemail of a 12-year-old girl who had gone missing gave her parents a vain hope she still might be alive when, in fact, she had already been killed. This was taken as the double death of an innocent girl with Murdoch’s organization pulling the trigger. This child was a symbolic victim, recalling the symbolic act that took place in Tunisia, in Sidi Bouzid.
Less surprising is the fact that Cameron chose one of Murdoch’s key men as his media consultant who, not by chance, is responsible for the corruption. We have already seen how Murdoch has had free access to the backdoors of 10 Downing Street: after Thatcher, he had a long relationship with Blair and finally a (fortunately) brief relationship with Cameron. He has always practiced lavish distribution on a wide political scale, having financed Hillary Clinton’s run for Senate and other Democratic candidates while simultaneously supporting Bush’s campaign for the war on/of terror. His own New York Post even supported Obama.[xix] This is just more evidence of the crisis of representative politics and of a political class that has gone awry.
So, Murdoch and Berlusconi’s use of power for generalized corruption is a common trait: politicians, magistrates, public offices, lawyers… anyone who can be corrupted, while their media networks are the spokespersons of a securitarian discourse based on order and legality, up to the point of passing laws, or getting laws passed, for their own personal advantage. At this point, how can we be surprised by the fact that both share a strong sense of impunity?
It is likely that they too were astonished by the sudden change of events. One could certainly object that they have a morbid sense of greed and probably weren’t aware of anything: Silvio occupied in his sessions of ‘bunga-bunga’ and Rupert spread thin between a young and adventurous wife, dynastic problems and the fragile acquisition of BskyB. Dominique Strauss Khan was also used to impunity, and has recently been made a fresh political cadaver. Are we facing an epidemic ?
ICT[xx] networks as a tool for the production of the commons
I fully concur with the recent analysis of Judith Revel and Toni Negri, in which they highlight the common denominators of the social movements that have emerged from Tunisia to Spain, passing through England, Italy, Greece, Egypt, Syria and a growing number of important countries, including Israel:
These are revolts born, in Egypt, Spain, or England, out of the simultaneous refusal of the subjection, exploitation and plunder this economy has prepared for the lives of entire populations of the world, and the political forms within which the crisis of this biopolitical appropriation has been managed. And this is also true for all the so-called “democratic” regimes. Such a form of government appears only preferable for the seeming “civility” with which it masks the attack on the dignity and humanity of the existences it crushes, but the vanishing of political representation is now at the point of collapse.[xxi]
Still, I’d like to add that the main and indispensable tool of these developing movements is precisely the autonomous, horizontal communication network of the multitude. The use of internet and its progressive integration with mobile networks, are breathing life into a new paradigm, as we shall see. This is the crux of the matter for democratic communication and also the main cause of the fall of media empires.
The exponential growth of user-generated media such as social networks, blogs and the joining of mobile internet with the body (bio-hypermedia) are visibly generating an effect of critical threshold in which a new creation of the commons in all its forms – including revolt – are developing not only more and more rapidly and in vaster and vaster spaces, but are overwhelming the old world in ways and in locations that are quite unpredictable: first in Tunisia and now in Brasilia, Santiago del Chile and Tel Aviv.
The fall of Murdoch and Berlusconi and their sinking ships fit perfectly into such a framework and complete it. It is evident that the influence, the pervasiveness and the mental formatting exercised until today by their mass media is in irreversible decline.
The free multitude, through reticular infrastructures that it has learned to manage and control, has become an autonomous force of information, creation, cooperation, exchange and the generation of new meanings, i.e. the production of value that breaks the barrier of imperial governance’s vertical and hierarchical communication. With this understanding, the causes behind these two men’s fall are the same: the production of the commons renders their enclosing communication machines ineffective and throws their illegal operating means into relief.
After “Murdosconi”: capitalism 2.0 and a new paradigm of bio-hypermedia
Even though it is clear that it will be less and less possible to shape opinion with twentieth century communication technologies, we cannot say the same about the use of new technologies in twenty-first century governance. The example of Myspace, mentioned earlier, shows how the Murdosconi generation is shut out of the reappropriation of new media such as social networks. But the same cannot be said for the leaders of capitalism 2.0 that, in the end, are their heirs.
Take for example:
– the tyrannical and paranoid celebrity, Steve Jobs, the ex-CEO (for health reasons) and cofounder of Apple, today the most valuable company in the world thanks to the iPhone, the iPad and its Appstore that are on an equal footing with Exxon. What better way to symbolize the fact that the new global fuel, cognitive fuel, is just as important as the old one. – Marc Zuckerberg, CEO and co-founder of Facebook, with more than 750 million of active users, who was received with honors by the Head of State in Paris in the spring of 2011. His business methods, every bit equal to Murdoch’s in cynicism, were recently illustrated in the film ‘The Social Network’. – Sergey Brin and Larry Page, founders of Google, who, in their totalitarian anxiety to hoard all cognitive terrain, have declared that they activate more than half a million Android smartphones every day.[xxii]
There is no doubt that we are up against a new generation that holds a part of the powerful tools of communication and that is the very essence of digital capitalism. The ambiguities of this position are hinted at in the title of my article, ‘Digital Capitalism and Cognitive Bioproduction: The Thin Line between Control, Capture and Opportunity’. [xxiii]
On the one hand, interactive media are fully conditioned by the political instances and media of cognitive capitalism: the tactics of viral marketing, the commercial and political use of social networks, multichannel communication and mobile applications are essential elements in their strategies. On the other hand, Zuckerberg and others like him know that their power is fragile and their kites are kept afloat exclusively thanks to the multitudinary wind from which they capture value through crowdsourcing.[xxiv] However, as noted, this wind cannot be managed as one pleases. In turbulent phases, these instruments become uncontrollable or easily replaced by new tools created by the commons of the internet.
Introducing bio-hypermedia
We need to remember that there are more than 5.5 billion active cellphones on a planet with a population of 7 billion inhabitants. Even if the spread of the iPhone remains relatively small in relation to these figures, other smartphones with internet connection are rapidly replacing older phones, as Google’s claims regarding Android show. We are facing the fastest, most capillary technological revolution in human history.
Bio-hypermedia is the birth of a new paradigm of internet-meets-body, prefigured by ‘always connected’ devices like smartphones, tablets and others, invented in qualitatively and ontologically different ways to be infinitely more powerful than landline internet and the PC. This is the first media that interacts with our lives, freeing the exchange of information from the fixed time and place to which television and the PC are limited. Production, interaction and autonomous exchange are set free from the cocoon that was so popular in the thirty years of political and social change that we have just endured, a context that reduced and flattened perception and possibility. The ability to interact in the socially ubiquitous metropolis and in an environment of collective intelligence is already implicit in new technologies, including near field communication (NFC), object-oriented internet and augmented reality.
It seems evident that our minds function differently ‘on the road’ and that it therefore interacts differently with networks. This is an important area for further research, already spearheaded by Antonio Damasio, who affirms that “the current digital revolution, the globalization of information and the arrival of the era of empathy represent the pressing examples that can lead to structural changes of the mind and the Self, attacking the cerebral processes that shape the mind and the Self”.[xxv]
Certainly, governance will try and has already tried to use these technologies to its advantage, as we can see in the individual ‘profiling’ nowadays used for commercial scoping – a profiling that, without a doubt, will be used tomorrow in directly political ways.
Nevertheless, this project seems difficult to get off the ground: revolts and multiple and varied signals of a diffused and intergenerational awareness, quite foreign to the previous generation of social struggles, are the expression of a generalized refusal to pay for a crisis managed with the sole intention of extracting value, expropriating common production and increasing rent.
Political hacks are starting to threaten restricted network access. But it will not be difficult for them to obtain the support of ICT corporations. What will be difficult to handle is the implicit and paralyzing contradictions that these threats inspire. This is highlighted by the title the Economist chose for coverage of the London riots – the “Blackberry Riots”; an irresistible irony if one considers that this smartphone was the exclusive symbol of successful business executives until just a few years ago.
Among other things, this means that bio-hypermedia is in the hands of a biopolitical movement that is difficult to stop. And that governance is facing the same scenario that has confronted Berlusconi and Murdoch: cognitive capitalism’s classic capacity to recover is, perhaps as never before, in trouble.
It is precisely the awareness of this weakness of cognitive capital that is the harbinger of threats: a traditional identitarian implosion that is crystalized in a post-fascist, populist and ‘anti-systemic’ political expression that is emerging in nearly all of Europe and elsewhere. In addition, there is the second, possibly more dangerous symptom of the lashing tail of financial power that knows the danger it is facing, threatened with losing a control that it is not willing to give up. Once again, we experience fear mongering politics. Now that the imperial wars have lost control and that its designated and useful external enemy, Islamic fundamentalism, has been politically defeated by the Arab world itself, only the option of market terror remains. “Without us there is only chaos” is the threat voiced by these “institutional investors”.
This is where the vital importance of the networked multitude will use its constituent power to stop this nefarious design, where it will be able to build new forms of democracy. We are facing an unprecedented change that will collectively involve not only our minds and our lives but also the very biosphere in which we live.
This article was translated by Jason Francis Mc Gimsey.
Notes
[i] Marshall McLuhan, The Gutenberg Galaxy, University Toronto Press, Toronto, 1962.
[ii] Manuel Castells, Rise of the network society, Blackwell Publishing Ltd, Oxford, 2000, vol. I, p.356.
[iii] “A frame in social theory consists of a schema of interpretation – that is, a collection of anecdotes and stereotypes – that individuals rely on to understand and respond to events. In simpler terms, people build a series of mental filters through biological and cultural influences. They use these filters to make sense of the world. The choices they then make are influenced by their creation of a frame. Framing is also a key component of sociology, the study of social interaction among humans”, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Framing_(social_sciences).
[iv] Gustave Gilbert, Nuremberg Diary. Farrar, Straus, 1947.
[v] Maurizio Lazzarato, “Reality shows: le sujet et l’expérience. Variations sur quelques thèmes benjaminiens” in Multitudes, 1992. Available online at: http://multitudes.samizdat.net/Reality-shows-le-sujet-et-l.
[vi] See “Bagdhad Central Prison” on Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Ghraib_prison.
[vii] Jean Baudrillard, Telemorphose, Sens&Tonka Editeurs, Paris, 2001.
[viii] Antonio Negri, Michael Hardt, Empire, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 2000.
[ix] Robert Greenwald, Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism, MoveOn.org, 2004.
[x] Manuel Castells, Communication Power, Oxford University Press, USA, 2009, p. 417.
[xi] Ibidem, p. 145.
[xii] See, for example, Antonio Damasio, Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain, Penguin, New York, 2005; The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness, Mariner Books, Boston, 2000; Looking for Spinoza: Joy, Sorrow, and the Feeling Brain, Mariner Books, Boston, 2003; available only in French, L'autre moi-même - Les nouvelles cartes du cerveau, de la conscience et des émotions , Paris, Odile Jacob, 2010.
[xiii] Giacomo Rizzolatti and Corrado Sinigaglia, “The Mirror Neuron System”, in Annual Reviews, Vol. 27: 169-192, July 2004.
[xiv] Marco Iacoboni, I neuroni a specchio. Come capiamo ciò che fanno gli altri, Bollati Boringhieri, Torino 2008, p. 180 [our translation].
[xv] “A recent longitudinal study of American children (2005) […] produced one of the most impressive empirical results supporting the hypothesis that media violence induces imitative violence […]. In statistical terms, the “wideness of the effect” relative to media violence and aggressiveness by far surpasses that observed in the relationship between smoke and lung tumors […] or exposure to asbestos and tumors”. Marco Iacoboni, op. cit., p. 180 [our translation].
[xvi] Christian Salmon, Storytelling: Bewitching the Modern Mind, Verso, London, 2010.
[xvii] Amelia Arsenault, Manuel Castells, Switching Power: Rupert Murdoch and the Global Business of Media Politics A Sociological Analysis, Sage Publications, 2008, p. 489.
[xviii] Anthony Barnett, “After Murdoch”, in OpenDemocracy, 2011. Available online at:
http://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/anthony-barnett/after-murdoch.
[xix] Manuel Castels, op. cit. 2000, p546.
[xx] ICT: Information and Communication Technologies.
[xxi] Judith Revel and Antonio Negri, “The Common in Revolt” in Uninomade, 2011. Available online at: http://uninomade.org/commoninrevolt/.
[xxii] Except then shooting himself in the foot with the purchase of Motorola Mobility thus making Google his competition of his smartphone and tablet producers.
[xxiii] Giorgio Griziotti, “Capitalismo digitale e bioproduzione cognitiva: l’esile linea fra controllo, captazione ed opportunita’ d’autonomia”, in Uninomade, 2011. Available online at:
http://uninomade.org/capitalismo-digitale-e-bioproduzione-cognitiva-lesile-linea-fra-controllo-captazione-ed-oppotunita-dautonomia/.
[xxiv] “The term "crowdsourcing" is a portmanteau of "crowd" and "outsourcing," first coined by Jeff Howe in a June 2006 Wired magazine article "The Rise of Crowdsourcing". Howe explains that because technological advances have allowed for cheap consumer electronics, the gap between professionals and amateurs has been diminished. Companies are then able to take advantage of the talent of the public, and Howe states that "It’s not outsourcing; it’s crowdsourcing." A less commercial approach was introduced by Henk van Ess in September 2010: “Crowdsourcing is channelling [sic] the experts' desire to solve a problem and then freely sharing the answer with everyone”, Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowdsourcing.
[xxv] A. Damasio, op. cit., (2010), p. 224 [our translation]. | 0.277802 |
Category Description:
Campgrounds that advertise camping, irrespective of amenities provided.
An unadvertised camp spot associated with another business or institution (restaurant, gas station, etc)
A camping spot not linked to a business or institution irrespective of amenities or formal permissions.
Private accomodations
Accomodations for groups of people
A place to purchase gasoline/petrol and/or diesel fuel
A place to fill/purchase propane
A mechanic or a parts store
A place to purchase potable water
A place where you can empty your black water tank
Food stalls, restaurants
A tourist attraction
Locations for purchasing goods related to overlanding, specifically gear shops or quality supermarkets.
Recommended doctors, dentists or other medical professionals.
Veterinarians, supplies, or other services for overlander pets.
Self-service or full-service laundry facilities.
Customs checkpoints, immigration offices, etc.
A permanent police/military or agricultural checkpoint.
An embassy or consluate
A place where you can purchase or renew insurance for your vehicle.
Any office, port or place related to long-distance vehicle shipping, or ferry crossings with waits of 2 hours or more, or difficult processes.
Locations that offer parking for overland vehicles for weeks or months at a time.
Warnings about serious danger to personal health, safety or property, or road problems that cause delays or reroutes of two hours or more.
Another place of interest to overlanders. | 0.382203 |
We’ve known for quite some time that President Donald Trump’s political opponents paid for the opposition research that led to the infamous Russia dossier of assorted allegations — some subsequently confirmed, some not, some salacious, some not — involving the Republican’s connections with the Putin regime. We’ve known for months that a wealthy Republican opposed to Mr. Trump’s candidacy initially paid for it, and after the primaries, Democrats took over. It turns out those Democrats were the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee via a Washington law firm that hired the opposition research company that hired the former British intelligence agent who did the digging. That’s interesting, but mainly in that none of the contents of the dossier became public until after the campaign was over. Apparently the Clinton camp showed some modicum of compunction about throwing around unsubstantiated allegations. How quaint.
But what this does not mean is that the questions about the Trump campaign’s possible ties to Russia or the Putin government’s efforts to help him get elected are made-up or unimportant. And it definitely does not mean that, as Mr. Trump put it Wednesday, “the hoax is turned around, and you look at what’s happened with Russia and … you look at the fake dossier, so that’s all turned around.” Nor does it mean, as White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders tweeted, “The real Russia scandal? Clinton campaign paid for the fake Russia dossier, then lied about it & covered it up.”
Or what former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer tweeted: “Hard 2read this w/o concluding Clinton campaign colluded w Russia 2interfere in US election.”
In other words, someone hired by someone hired by someone hired by the Clinton campaign talked to sources in Russia and got dirt that the campaign didn’t use that could have undermined the Kremlin’s goal of electing Mr. Trump, ergo, Hillary colluded with Mr. Putin. For that, Mr. Fleischer earns undisputed Alternative Fact of the Week honors.
If people who knew the Clinton campaign and DNC paid for part of the research eventually conducted by Christopher Steele directly lied about it, as some who have covered the story allege, that’s bad.
If the Clinton aides who criticized the media for not reporting on the contents of the dossier before the election knew that the campaign had played a role in funding it, that’s disgraceful. If Ms. Clinton knew about it before airing similar criticism in her post-campaign book, that’s worse. Indeed, there may well prove to be many alternative facts from the Clinton side in regard to this whole episode.
But none of that represents a threat to national security or to the integrity of our elections. What we actually know about about Russian interference in the election does.
Just to recap, we know that Russian hackers spread fake stories designed to boost his prospects and hurt Ms. Clinton’s. Russians bought thousands of Facebook, Google and Twitter ads in a targeted effort to influence swing-state voters. Leaders of those companies are due to testify about it before Congress next week.
For decades I have argued against any form of increased government regulation of media. But Facebook's dirty dance with the Russians in the 2016 election proves it can't be trusted to police itself. (Ulysses Muñoz / Baltimore Sun) For decades I have argued against any form of increased government regulation of media. But Facebook's dirty dance with the Russians in the 2016 election proves it can't be trusted to police itself. (Ulysses Muñoz / Baltimore Sun) SEE MORE VIDEOS
Russians attempted to hack into at least 21 states’ election systems (including Maryland’s). Assorted U.S. intelligence agencies have unanimously concluded that Russians sought to intervene on Mr. Trump’s behalf, and the bi-partisan leaders of a Senate panel investigating the matter have said the same thing. Oh, and there was the bit about Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner and then-Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort sitting down with a Kremlin-connected Russian lawyer who promised to deliver dirt on Hillary Clinton in what an intermediary who set up the meeting said was part of the Russian government’s effort to help Mr. Trump. That all happened, and it’s a big deal whether the Trump campaign was actively involved or not.
If Robert Mueller, the special counsel leading the Department of Justice’s investigation into the matter, finds any evidence that the Clinton campaign engaged in any illegal activity, by all means he should follow it. (He’s reportedly already investigating Tony Podesta, the brother of former Clinton campaign manager John Podesta, for work in Ukraine, though from what is known it appears to have had to do with an election there, not here.) But we trust that neither Mr. Mueller, the Senate nor the American people are ready to ignore all the evidence that Russia wanted to help the Trump campaign because of some twisted Trumpian effort to tie the mess around Hillary Clinton’s neck.
Become a subscriber today to support editorial writing like this. Start getting full access to our signature journalism for just 99 cents for the first four weeks. | 0.033452 |
If you’ve been peeking out the windows at night, or maybe looked up while walking the dog before bedtime or taking out the trash after dinner, perhaps you’ve seen three fairly bright stars in a row. Depending on how early or late you look, you may see them lined up side-by-side above the horizon, or they may be one on top the other when they are setting to the west. If you’ve noticed them, you wouldn’t be the first… Humankind has been telling stories about this set of stars for centuries!
The three stars are the most notable feature in the ancient constellation of Orion and it’s best to look for them just after the Sun sets and the skies get dark. If you live in the northern half of the world, you’ll find them to the south. If you llive near the equator, they will be overhead. If you live in the southern hemisphere, you’ll spy the trio north. But no matter where you live, the Star Hunter is visible to everyone! Once you see it, hold your left hand out at arm’s length and spread your fingers wide – covering the three stars with your palm. If you look just above your little finger, you will see an orange looking star. It’s name is Betelgeuse and it’s the brightest of all the stars in the constellation. Just below your thumb you’ll see another bright star. This blue/white giant is named Rigel and it’s the second brightest star. Now, take your hand away and look at the pattern. Do you see a connect-the-dots hourglass shape? Congratulations! If your skies are dark enough, you’ll see a patch of stars to the north that represents the head of the hunter. To the west you may see a curved line of stars that represents his bow or shield. But the most special place of all is just below those three stars…
The ancient Greeks gave us a lot of great stories – many of them very different from each other. One might say that Orion was a great hunter who was banished to the sky for bragging on how many animals he could kill and the two bright stars which follow him represent his hunting dogs. Another says Orion fell in love with a goddess and was killed by an arrow when the goddess’ brother was tricked into shooting him. Still another says he was killed by a sting from Scorpio, the Scorpion. No matter which tale you may care to listen to, the fact remains that cultures all over the world have recognized this constellation for centuries on end and all see Orion as a human figure. But why would they notice this constellation more than any other? Maybe it’s the magic that’s just below those three stars!
If you live where the skies are dark, you’ll see another line of stars just below the trio. In myth, this represents Orion’s “sword”, but it’s a magic one. Take a close look and you’ll see a ghostly glow just about in the center of the sword. If you don’t spot it with your eyes alone, try using a pair of binoculars. It will look like a glowing cloud for a very good reason. It’s a cloud where stars are being born! This glowing gas cloud is called the Great Orion Nebula and the light you see now left on its journey to your eyes around 500 A.D. That’s about the time that King Arthur was around! Inside are hundreds of stars being born and their energy lights up the gas, just like a neon tube. While you won’t see the pretty colors with your eyes the way the camera does, you can still enjoy the magic and share what you’ve learned with your friends. All you need to do is just find three stars in a row…
Image Credits: Orion Chart courtesy of University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), Orion Sky Shot courtesy of Mouser Williams, Stellarium represenation of Orion and Orion Nebula courtesy of the Hubble Space Telescope. | 0.944399 |
Organize your cables into one handy dandy area with the modern desk cable organizer. The cable organizer holds on to the ends of your cables when not in use, so that they don't fall of the end of your desk, and when you are using the cables, it keeps them organized, parallel and neat so that they aren't going every which way. The cable organizer has 5 rubber grips that give you 4 slots that you can stack cords on top of one another so that it can hold a lot of diffent cables at a time, such as a power cords, usb cables, cell phone chargers, or headphone cables. The cable organizer also has a weighted base to keep it stable and not move around everywhere when in use. | 0.592273 |
COVER STORY STRUCTURES (9/24/2001) Most Surrounding Buildings Safe By Nadine M. Post
IMPACT ZONE About 10 nearby buildings have structural damage that is severe. (Photo by Michael Goodman for ENR) I n the mountain of wreckage that was the 12-million-sq-ft World Trade Center, hundreds from the construction industry have been working in shifts around the clock since the Sept. 11 plane attacks on the 110-story twin towers. They are fighting a multiheaded monster never before encountered. Contractors have been mobilizing to move an estimated 1.2 million tons of rubble and debris, which could take six months to a year to untangle and remove. Engineers have been "on-call" to help them design supports for heavy equipment. Other engineers have been designing a tieback system for the complex's slurry wall foundation, now partly packed with twisted steel from the towers. And even more have been combing surrounding buildings to assess damage done by the collapse of the towers. While an army of construction industry forces was mobilizing around "Ground Zero" in lower Manhattan, experts around the country were also mobilizing to learn lessons about the disaster and possibly to reconsider codes and standards relating to the design and construction of tall buildings. Beyond that, the attack on the WTC has triggered a national debate on whether the twin towers should be replaced in kind, replaced with something taller or whether the site should be left as a memorial to the deada number which could top 5,000. Additionally, there is much heated discussion over the future of the skyscraper as a building form. As of Sept. 18, most of the 50 or so buildings closest to the impact zone immediately surrounding the complex have cosmetic damage, but only 10 or so have structural damage. "Some of that is severe, but none of the buildings damaged is currently in danger of collapse," says Daniel Cuoco, a managing principal of LZA-Thornton Tomasetti, the New York City engineer leading the structural engineering operations, including damage assessment surveys, for the New York City Dept. of Design and Construction. Cuoco adds that "no building outside the WTC has collapsed," contrary to news reports. This includes One Liberty Plaza and the Hotel Millennium Hilton, both across the street from the WTC. MAPPED OUT Efforts focused on damage assessments in and around complex. The roster of collapsed or partly collapsed buildings includes the south tower, called Two WTC, which came down at 10 a.m. on Sept. 11; the north tower, One WTC, which crashed down at 10:29 a.m.; the 47-story Seven WTC, which collapsed in the evening, presumably as a result of fire caused by the towers' collapsing. Three WTC, most recently a Marriott Hotel, is mostly down and burned. Four, Five and Six WTC are standing but ruined. A structural damage assessment survey of 406 buildings several blocks in each direction outside the immediate impact zone has found 382 buildings are fine, 20 have some damage and need a closer look and five are unsafe. The effort was completed Sept. 18 by some 60 engineers organized by the Structural Engineers Association of New York (SEAoNY) at the request of Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani (R). Plans are forming for a relief commission to oversee reconstruction, and city officials clearly intend it to be a major vehicle for recovery. Reports indicate the City Council might amend the City Charter to give the commission extraordinary powers to redo and rebuild. Outside the 16-acre complex, there have also been no reports of foundation damage, says George Tamaro, an engineer with Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers, which is leading the city's foundation engineering operation. Tamaro was involved in the original construction of the foundation while working for the WTC's original owner-developer, the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. Tamaro says there are no foundations in imminent danger of collapse even within the WTC complex, though he cautions, "We have to go through a verification program." With that said, all eyes are on the 7.5-acre reinforced concrete slurry wall foundationa giant bathtub in which the towers sat. The fear is that superstructure steel, which compressed as it collapsed into the basement levels, undermined the bathtub's reinforced concrete floor diaphragms that hold up the slurry walls. The approximately 1,000 x 500-ft basement has six levels of slabs to support 65-ft-deep perimeter walls socketed a minimum of 2 ft into rock. The integrity of the excavation depends on all four slurry walls being intact, says Tamaro. Currently, those could be supported by remaining structure or by the debris from the towers. "Where the debris is standing and there is no sound structure," it is necessary to resupport the wall with tieback structures, he says. The first priority is the west wall, closest to the Hudson River. Engineers are developing three ways of resupporting the foundation walls, if necessary. Rock anchors figure into the picture in all three cases. "We probably should replicate the original design, which worked then," says Tamaro, referring to the temporary rock anchors that supported the wall until the floor slabs were in place, during the original construction. The system had six levels of rock anchors, each using up to twenty-one 1�2-in. strands of steel, which were installed at an angle in a 6-in.-dia hole drilled through the wall. At the top, the anchors were 100 ft long. 90 WEST STREET Some buildings nearby do have serious damage. ( Photo by Michael Goodman for ENR) Tamaro's first choice is to find a "good platform" inside the bathtuban intact floor slab or stable debrisfor a tieback machine to install new tiebacks. Another choice would be to locate a crane on the street outside the perimeter of the foundation box with a set of flexible leads hanging over the wall to install the anchors from the inside. Engineers suspect there are some areas of the foundation floor slabs that are in very good shape. But all have probably been breached in the tower areas. There may be small holes in the diaphragms that can be bridged. At press time, engineers had only been able to enter the concourse level, just below grade, under the northeast corner of the site, and walk in about 50 ft to assess the condition inside and under Five WTC. "The floors are in place and we believe intact," says engineer David Cacoilo, also of Mueser Rutledge. The foundations of the burned-out Five WTC are still there, he adds. "The northeast corner of the complex is more stable than any place on site," says Cacoilo. Still, "huge beams and columns [from the towers], much like projectiles, penetrated the concourse, which is the roof of the subway tunnel." Mueser Rutledge has organized itself into task teams to provide support to the contractors and authorities during the rescue and recovery effort, says Tamaro. Each task force is assigned to a groupone for the transit authority, one for Battery Park City, one for the contractors and one for the port authority. Above ground at and around Ground Zero, LZA/Thornton-Tomasetti's team, expanded by SEAoNY engineers, is doing "engineering on the fly," as Cuoco describes it. The engineers have switched from three, eight-hour shifts to two, 12-hour shifts. There are about 26 engineers during each shift. "There are lots of grillage designs" to support the up-to-300-ton cranes that contractors are positioning for debris removal. All things considered, things have been going "pretty well," says Cuoco. But there have been moments. One came on Sept. 17, when the engineers got a report that a 60-ft-tall section of tower cladding and structural tube that had fallen from the 80th floor of the south tower, was moving. It was soon pulled out of the ground with a cable attached to a backhoe. HOTEL MILLENNIUM HILTON Collapse reports on news casts were unfounded. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez) Cuoco says that the top portion of the south tower, above the floor of impact, toppled to the east during the Sept. 11 debacle. The balance of the tower fell to the northwest, he says. The north tower came down "pretty much vertically," says Cuoco (ENR 9/17 p. 10). Reports that the plaza is bouncing somewhat are true, he says, but "one would expect that considering the large pieces of steel and other debris over that area of the plaza." For the 406 damage assessments, a SEAoNY team used a database provided by the city's Dept. of Finance, which had been compiled for use in an earthquake preparedness study. Each engineer received a checklist for each building, which contained an address, lot and block number. Engineers made a rapid engineering evaluation of each building to determine those that required further attention. "It was a collective effort," says Guy Nordenson, a professor of architecture and engineering at Princeton University. With so many authorities involved, it is taking time to get organized. Leslie E. Robertson Associates, the consultant to the port authority on the World Trade Center, is working directly under the agency as well as participating in the SEAoNY effort. "We have pointed out concerns" about the nine-story Five WTC, says Saw-Teen See, LERA's managing partner. Its columns are supported on transfer girders that span the subway. "There's a lot of rubble and added weight," she says. "The girders may be overloaded at and below street level." LERA has turned over hundreds of drawings of the complex to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the city's Office of Emergency Management. "We even gave them plumbing drawings," says See. Though the pace is expected to slow down somewhat, Cuoco, who himself has been working 16-hour days, says the structural engineers' involvement will likely last for a while: "This will be going on for months." CLICK HERE FOR PAST COVER STORIES AND FEATURES © 2001 Engineering News-Record Site Sponsors | 0.830576 |
Sauf Haus, Dupont Circle's three-story, German-inspired beer garden, opens to the public Thursday at 4 p.m. Here are nine things to know about the 18th Street destination for pretzels, lager, foosball and oompah music.
Sauf Haus's 2000-square-foot rooftop deck features a long bar and communal dining tables. Don't try to save seats. (Photo by Fritz Hahn/The Washington Post)
It's going to be Oktoberfest year-round.
The roomy rooftop beer garden holds 160 people over 2,000 square feet. It's lined with long, Oktoberfest-style metal benches, which came directly from Germany, and a huge bar topped with 16 taps. Every draft, sold in half-liter or one-liter mugs, comes from Germany. Speakers will blast oompah and polka music much of the time.
Downstairs, the two smaller floors are inspired by rustic German taverns, with cuckoo clocks, exposed wood and a foosball table, which will be free to play.
The roof will be open late.
Doors open at 4 p.m. daily, and the bar will keep pouring until 2:30 a.m. on weekends, and either 11 p.m. or midnight during the week, depending on crowds and the weather. (The rooftop will be tented in the winter and spring, but open to the elements in the summer and fall. A retractable roof may be in the cards in the future.)
The downstairs bars will be open similar hours, and may be open later.
Judging by the name, this is a place to drink. A lot.
"Sauf" isn't a German word you'd use to describe your weekend to your boss. The verb "saufen" means to drink, but in a way that implies you're not just having a quiet drink with a friend. ("Saufen wie ein Loch" means "to drink like a fish.") Sauf Haus, then, is a place to get sloshed.
Those with a long memory might remember that "Sauf Haus" wasn't the new operation's original name. When the original liquor license application was submitted back in 2011, the place was going to be named "Guitar Bar," after the legendary Guitar Store that occupied the second floor of the building from 1922 to 2011. Owner Edwin Villegas, who also owns the neighboring Public Bar, eventually decided to change the name to focus on his partners' shared love of Oktoberfest and German beer.
Those 16 German beers on tap are joined by 5 American craft beers in cans.
Many of the German beers will be familiar from Oktoberfest, including Paulaner, Spaten and Hofbrau. There will be three different Hofbraus available, including the lager, the hefeweizen and a seasonal, such as the Oktoberfest. Overall, there's a good mix of pilsners, wheat beers, lagers and dunkels. There are plans to highlight a different specialty beer each month, such as Schofferhofer Grapefruit, a radler-style mix of wheat beer and grapefruit soda.
But while having so many German beers is a cool concept, it can be a little limiting, says bar manager Pablo Brown, who also likes the German-style beers from Pennsylvania-based Troegs. "Troegs is an amazing brewery, but we're sticking to our guns and only selling German beers on tap, so we'll sell their beer in cans." Other canned craft beers will come from Sweetwater, Twin Lakes and Goose Island. There will also be cider for the gluten-free crowd.
Even the cocktails will have German beer in them.
The focus here is on beer rather than spirits: The bar will only sell one kind of vodka (Tito's) and one kind of gin (Bluecoat). They're making a special menu of drinks that combine beer and hard liquor, such as a special house-made vanilla vodka to add a flavorful kick to that grapefruit-flavored Schofferhofer, and a twist on the Corona margarita that involves light beer, Grand Marnier and tequila.
Speaking of drinking, there's a happy hour.
Running from 4 to 7 p.m. on weekdays, specials include $8 half-liters and $14 liters of any draft beer and $2 off anything else.
Hungry? Try a huge pretzel!
Sometime in August, Sauf Haus will roll out a menu of bratwursts, frankfurters and oysters. Until then, it's going to sell "comically large" two-pound Bavarian-style pretzels, which should be enough for a table to split.
They aren't taking reservations.
"We're not trying to do bottle service, like [Public Bar] next door," Brown says. "The way we see it, the roof is going to be first-come, first-served." They may take reservations for large groups in the future, but not at first. This means that arriving early will be essential, especially when the neighborhood gets crowded on Friday and Saturday nights.
Still got World Cup fever?
The rooftop only has three TVs, and there's a large projection screen on the second floor. Brown says that they'll show soccer matches year round, capitalizing on Germany's recent World Cup win, and there's always foosball if you want to play a game yourself.
Sauf Haus, 1216 18th St. NW. 202-466-3355. www.saufhausdc.com. Opens July 24. | 0.089542 |
CMS/CERN
The two experiments that discovered the Higgs boson in 2012 have sensed an intriguing — if very preliminary — whiff of a possible new elementary particle. Both collaborations announced their observations on 15 December, as they released their first significant results since a major upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) outside Geneva, Switzerland, was completed earlier this year.
The results largely match a rumour that has been circulating on social media and blogs for several days: that both the CMS and ATLAS detectors at the LHC have seen an unexpected excess of pairs of photons, together carrying around 750 gigaelectronvolts (GeV) of energy, in the debris of their proton–proton collisions. This could be a tell-tale sign of a new particle — also a boson, but not necessarily similar to the Higgs — decaying into two photons of equivalent energy. If so, the particle would be about four times more massive than the next heaviest particle discovered so far, the top quark, and six times more massive than the Higgs.
In their talks at CERN — the laboratory that hosts the LHC — the speakers for the two experiments took turns in surveying the results of the higher-energy, 'run 2' of experiments, which began in June and was suspended in early November. Both speakers left the results on photon pairs for the end of their talks.
Intriguing bump
In both cases, the statistical significances were very low. Marumi Kado of the Linear Accelerator Laboratory at the University of Paris-Sud said that his experiment, ATLAS, had detected about 40 more pairs of photons than would have been expected from the predictions of the standard model of particle physics. Jim Olsen of Princeton University in New Jersey reported that CMS saw merely ten. Neither team would have mentioned the excesses had the other experiment had not seen an almost identical hint.
“It is a little intriguing,” says ATLAS spokesperson Dave Charlton of the University of Birmingham, UK. “But it can happen by coincidence.”
In particle physics, statistical bumps such as this come and go all the time. If this one turns out to be a real particle, it would be “a total game-changer”, says Gian Francesco Giudice, a CERN theorist who is not a member of either ATLAS or CMS. Experimenters have spent decades validating the standard model, and the Higgs was the last missing piece in that picture. A much heavier particle would open an entire new chapter in the field, he says. “The Higgs boson pales in comparison, in terms of novelty.”
CMS spokesman Tiziano Camporesi says that his team does not know what to make of the data. The bump appeared as the team was searching for an unrelated particle, called a graviton.
Maxim Perelstein, a theoretical physicist at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, says that although the 750 GeV boson is not one of the particles that LHC physicists have been searching for, theorists would not necessarily regard it as exotic. It could, for example, be a particle similar to the Higgs, only heavier, he says. “I would not find it a big surprise if this turns out to be real.”
Supersymmetry shortfall
Meanwhile, searches for particles predicted by supersymmetry, physicists' favourite extension of the standard model, continue to come up empty handed. To theoretical physicist Michael Peskin of the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in Menlo Park, California, the most relevant part of the talks concerned the failure to find a supersymmetric particle called a gluino in the range of masses up to 1,600 GeV (much farther than the 1,300-GeV limit of run 1). This pushes supersymmetry closer to the point at which many physicists might give up on it, Peskin says.
As for the photon pairs, Camporesi says that in 2016 the LHC should conclusively establish whether the bump was just another bump or evidence of a new particle. It will be a top priority for the next round of data taking, due to start in March, he says. “If there is an actual natural phenomenon behind these fluctuations, we will know.”
Charlton agrees. “We expect about ten times as much data next year, which should help resolve this question — but quite likely throw up new ones!” | 0.976954 |
The Committee on Infrastructure, Transport and Cities’ created by Australia’s Parliament has recommended the government to explore the use of Hyperloop technology as an alternative to investing in high speed rail systems. Australia is two thirds the size of the United States with vast distances between its major cities. Ultraspeed Australia’s Sean Duggan says the Hyperloop could create a network of “30-minute cities.”
That concept has special resonance for Australians. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull made it a central theme in his latest election campaign. As people flock to urban areas, Australia’s cities are experiencing massive growth but also massive congestion. The “30 minute city” envisions new transportation systems that make it possible for people to live in suburban areas while being able to access the employment, education, and entertainment opportunities available in Australia’s cities within 30 minutes.
U.S.-based Hyperloop One maintains constructing a Hyperloop connection would cost 20% less than building high speed rail lines and be able to operate profitably at much lower occupancy rates. According to Australia Financial Review, Dr. Alan James, head of Hyperloop One, claims the high speed pod system would be financially viable at 15% occupancy, whereas such low usage number would “bankrupt a high-speed rail system.” That’s partly because the operating costs of the Hyperloop would be 60% lower than for a high speed rail system. James says it will cost “next to nothing” to move people from one city to another using the Hyperloop because of its low pressure, low drag configuration.
ALSO SEE: Behind the scenes photos from SpaceX’s Hyperloop Pod Competition
The Committee on Infrastructure, Transport and Cities’ report to Parliament says the Hyperloop would allow passengers to travel between Sydney and Melbourne in less than one hour. Today, that trip requires 12 hours by train or 9 hours 30 minutes by car. Hyperloop One suggests a pod in a “superluxe” configuration could carry 24 people, 50 people if configured for business class travelers, or 90 in economy mode. Pods will be much smaller than rail cars and could operate more frequently with far fewer passengers.
Of course, all of this depends on Hyperloop transportation proving to be technically feasible. The idea is brilliant, as most of Elon Musk’s innovations are, but the engineering challenges are immense. The fact that the Australian government will as least consider using the Hyperloop for some of its future transportation infrastructure is a small but significant step forward for the nascent technology. | 0.995885 |
The All-Star Break is approaching, but the Atlanta Braves have already completed half of their 2017 schedule. A sweep of the Oakland Athletics on Sunday punctuated the 81-game marker which saw the club post a 40-41 record over the season’s first three months.
With Freddie Freeman on the mend and apparently on his way back as the Braves’ new third baseman, the team embarks on a grueling stretch of games that could determine both the fate of their season and their strategy for July’s non-waiver trade deadline.
Here are some notes and trends at the halfway point (81 games):
Following the Oakland series, Atlanta’s record without Freddie Freeman is 24-20.
The Braves were 16-21 when Freeman went on the disabled list.
The team’s 40-41 record is substantially improved from 2016, which was 28-53 at this point.
Atlanta is 7.5 games behind Washington in the NL East and 6.5 games out of the second wild card.
Would you believe the Braves and Chicago Cubs (41-41) are separated by a mere half-game in the wild-card race?
The Braves are 12-10 in one-run games, the third best mark in the National League.
Atlanta’s record in 205 games under manager Brian Snitker is 99-106 (since May 17, 2016).
Some statistical trends through 81 games:
Atlanta’s rotation owns a 4.80 ERA, which ranks 11th in the NL and 24th in MLB.
The Braves were 5-8 in Bartolo Colon’s 13 starts, though it may have felt otherwise.
Starters not named Colon have combined for a 4.28 ERA (402 innings) this season.
That 4.28 ERA minus-Colon would rank ninth best in MLB, but unfortunately it doesn’t work that way.
Braves relievers have combined for a 3.98 ERA, which is fourth among NL teams and ninth in MLB.
Closer Jim Johnson is tied for second in MLB with six blown saves. Atlanta is 3-3 in those games, however.
The Braves have committed 53 errors, fourth most in the NL and seventh most in MLB.
A staggering 27 of those errors came in the month of May.
Those 53 errors have contributed to 41 unearned runs, the most in the NL and third most in MLB.
Atlanta’s offense ranks fifth in the NL with a .263 batting average, but ninth in the league with 370 runs scored.
“Business is about to pick up…”
Based on strength of schedule, the Braves have played the easiest schedule in MLB thus far according to ESPN’s Relative Power Index. The Nationals have played the next easiest, by the way. That aside, there will be nothing pleasant about the 19 games ahead for Atlanta.
About that stretch of games, which begins with a brief two-game set against the Astros on Tuesday at SunTrust Park:
#Braves next 19 games Astros (56-27, .675)
Nats (48-34, .585)
D-backs (52-31, .627 – play twice)
Cubs (41-41, .500)
Dodgers (55-29, .655) — Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) July 3, 2017
A few more stats and trends heading into this meat grinder of a schedule:
The five teams Atlanta will play are a combined 252-162 (.608 winning percentage).
The Braves will square off against the clubs with the best record in the NL and AL (Dodgers and Astros), three division leaders (Dodgers, Astros and Nationals), four would-be playoff teams (Dodgers, Astros, Nationals and Diamondbacks) and the defending World Champion Cubs.
The Braves are 8-9 versus Division Leaders this season (Nationals, Brewers and Astros).
Atlanta is just 11-10 against the three worst teams in the NL (Giants, Padres and Phillies).
For better or worse, the Braves will gain clarity about their season over these next six series. If Atlanta makes it through with a .500 or better mark, then the club could look to add a piece or two at the trade deadline. Conversely, if this stretch of games does not go well, the Braves may field some offers from contenders on a few of their veteran players. Either way, it’s fair to say general manager John Coppolella will likely be conducting business on or before the trade deadline.
Braves have a brand new All-Star representative…
Congratulations to Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte, who was named the All-Star team for the first time in his career. With the injury to Freddie Freeman, Inciarte will likely be Atlanta’s lone representative in Miami next week. In addition to his gold glove exploits, Inciarte has been making his fair share of contributions at the plate. He has collected 210 hits over the past calendar year, a total good for second most (Colorado’s Charlie Blackmon has 212) in all of Major League Baseball. Inciarte batted .316 and posted a 5.2 fWAR (FanGraphs wins above replacement) over that stretch. That is the best total among all regular NL outfielders. The Cubs’ Kris Bryant owns a 6.9 fWAR over that time, but has played just 77 of his 154 games in the outfield during that 365 day sample.
Freeman on rehab assignment, could return this week…
Braves first baseman turned third baseman Freddie Freeman spent the past week ramping up his work in the cage and joined Triple-A Gwinnett for a rehab assignment over the weekend. He had just two plate appearances on Saturday thanks to rain in Charlotte. Freeman finished 0-for-1 with a walk and a strikeout and handled his only chance in the field at third base cleanly. After taking Sunday off, Freeman will play three consecutive games with Gwinnett before being reevaluated on Wednesday. If all goes according to plan, Freeman could be activated from the disabled list in time for Thursday’s series opener against the Nationals in Washington. He has been out since May 18 after suffering a fractured left wrist. The initial timetable called for Freeman to miss 8-10 weeks, with an expected return on or around August 1. Amazingly, he is at least two full weeks ahead of schedule.
Sean Rodriguez sees his first game action…
In what has been a surprising development for all the right reasons, Braves infielder Sean Rodriguez appears to be well ahead of schedule in his return from a shoulder injury. It was initially feared that he could miss the entire 2017 season, but Rodriguez has increased baseball activities throughout June and traveled to Orlando to join the club’s Gulf Coast League affiliate over the weekend. He underwent shoulder surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder in February, the result of a frightening automobile accident for the Rodriguez family. With both he and his loved ones on the mend, it appears that Rodriguez could be ready to make his Braves debut sooner than later. He played second base and went 1-for-3 with the GCL team on Saturday, his first action this season. He followed that up with a start at shortstop on Monday, finishing 0-for-2 at the plate. Atlanta signed the versatile Rodriguez to a two-year, $11.5 million contract over the winter in hopes that he would strengthen the club at all four infield spots and contribute in the outfield as well. Rodriguez appeared at seven position and set numerous career-highs in 2016 while with the Pirates, batting .270/.349/.510 with 18 home runs and 56 RBI in 300 at-bats. An early return for Rodriguez would be yet another boost for the Braves in the second half.
Highly-touted Kevin Maitan makes long-awaited debut…
This is a late entry and one that does not directly affect the big club, but 17-year-old super prospect Kevin Maitan made his professional debut with the GCL Braves on Monday. After signing a $4.25 million deal with Atlanta as the top available international player on the market in 2016, the Venezuela native made his debut exactly one year and one day later. Maitan finished his first game 1-for-1 with a walk while serving as the designated hitter. A shortstop by trade, he had been slowed by a minor hamstring issue which delayed his debut by a week or so. The switch-hitting Maitan could reach Danville this season and be primed for full-season ball by the age of 18 next season.
Grant McAuley covers the Braves and MLB for 92-9 The Game. You can subscribe to the “Around The Big Leagues” podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud and Stitcher. Follow Grant on Twitter. | 0.000844 |
Connie K. Ho for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online
Cannabis seems to have many different allures. It can produce a “high.” It can give the feeling of munchies. Now, it can possibly help combat obesity. Scientists recently revealed that they found two compounds from cannabis leaves that could up the total energy that the body burns.
Previous studies of two specific compounds demonstrated that they could be used to treat type-two diabetes. The compounds were also discovered to have the ability to reduce cholesterol levels in the blood stream and decrease fat in important organs such as the liver. With the aim of treating patients who have “metabolic syndrome,” the researchers are currently conducting clinical trials in 200 patients with the drug. With “metabolic syndrome,” diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity combine to heighten the risk of heart disease and stroke in patients.
“We are conducting four Phase 2a clinical trials and we expect some results later this year,” commented Dr. Steph Wright, director of research and development at GW Pharmaceuticals, in a Telegraph article. “The results in animal models have been very encouraging. We are interested in how these drugs effect the fat distribution and utilization in the body as a treatment for metabolic diseases“¦ Humans have been using these plants for thousands of years so we have quite a lot of experience of the chemicals in the plants.”
GW Pharmaceuticals was given a license to grow cannabis in greenhouses that were specially constructed for project. The company produces cannabis plants that have a number of cannabinoids, which are varied compounds of cannabis. They are already working on creating drugs that can assist in treating epilepsy and multiple sclerosis. Interesting enough, when the scientists studied two specific compounds, THCV and cannabioidoil, they found that they had the ability to suppress appetite but the effect lasted for a short amount of time. Upon further examination, the investigators discovered that the compounds could influence the fat level in the body as well as its effects to the hormone insulin.
Likewise, the studies of the compounds in mice showed that they increased the metabolism of the animals, causing decreased levels of fat in livers and minimized levels of cholesterol in the blood stream. In particular, THCV showed the ability of boosting the animals´ sensitivity to insulin but also shielding the insulin-producing cells. With these actions, the cells were able to work at a longer and more durable pace.
The researchers hope that the findings will help in the development of treatments for obesity-related illnesses and type-two diabetes.
“Overall, it seems these molecules increase energy expenditure in the cells of the body by increasing the metabolism,” noted Professor Mike Cawthorne, director of metabolic research at the University of Buckingham and animal studies researcher, in the Telegraph article.
Recently, there have been other studies related to marijuana. For example, a team of scientists at the University of Haifa used animal studies to investigate how cannabinoids may possibly help patients who are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. As well, researchers at the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry at Plymouth University discovered that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a type of marijuana, has varied effects on subjects diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Those who participated in the study stated a 50% decrease in pain.
Comments
comments | 0.994257 |
Eric Ayuk could be on the move as the Philadelphia Union midfielder is eyeing a job in Europe. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a source tells Metro that Ayuk is close on a deal in Sweden. The move follows his recent strong showing for Cameroon in the U-20 African Cup of Nations tournament. Signed in 2015, Ayuk came on strong in his first year in MLS with 28 appearances and 14 starts. But a crowded midfield in Philadelphia and constant national team duty made playing time harder to come by last season. Recommended Slideshows 4 Pictures PHOTOS: Singapore's treasures star in NY Botanical Garden's 2019 Orchid Show 4 Pictures 36 Pictures Oscars 2019: Red carpet looks and full list of winners 36 Pictures 36 Pictures All of these celebrities have had their nudes leaked 36 Pictures More picture galleries 16 Pictures These photos of Trump and Ivanka will make you deeply uncomfortable 16 Pictures 4 Pictures Inside Brooklyn's Teknopolis is tech that makes us more human 4 Pictures 4 Pictures Inside The Strand's Fight Against Being Named a New York City Landmark 4 Pictures A move would give Ayuk some playing time while also giving him a European platform. The source tells Metro that teams in Switzerland as well as England are trailing the player. Related Articles Kristian Dyer: New York desperately needs American Pharaoh victory Kristian Dyer: Is Triple Crown bad for horse racing Kristian Dyer: Your complete guide to attending Jets training camp | 0.001066 |
Chelsea midfielder Izzy Brown is discussing a permanent £8.5million move to Huddersfield Town.
The 20-year-old had an impressive season on loan at the John Smith's Stadium under David Wagner and is keen to continue progressing during their debut Premier League season.
Brown, an England U20 international, scored five goals last season and Huddersfield hope a deal can be concluded alongside the £10m signing of Aaron Mooy from Manchester City.
Izzy Brown was a regular for Huddersfield last season and the Terriers want to keep him
Huddersfield had a £7.2million bid for Tom Ince rejected by Championship side Derby
Huddersfield had a £7.2m bid rejected by Derby County for Tom Ince last week and are among the number clubs showing interest in signing Manchester City's Patrick Roberts though he is likely to go elsewhere should City decide to sell.
The Terriers were promoted to the Premier League via the playoffs, beating Reading on penalties in the final at Wembley.
Another Chelsea youngster, 18-year-old attacking midfielder Mason Mount is poised to join Vitesse Arnhem on loan while Bertrand Traore is expected to conclude his £16m move to Lyon this week. | 0.000855 |
Exhibit Thumbnail Title Locations Subjects
Exhibits
Art in the Stacks
The Special Collections Research Center is known for being the University of Chicago Library’s center for rare books, manuscripts, and university archives. Nestled within these materials, there is a lesser known aspect of our collections—art. Art in the Stacks highlights these holdings with a selection of original paintings, drawings, and sculptures, in addition to artists’ books and other works on paper produced in the 20th and early 21st centuries. Locations
Special Collections Research Center
June 19 — Sept. 15, 2017
View web exhibit >> Subjects
Art
The Berlin Collection
Showcasing the collection of nearly 100,000 books and manuscripts purchased by William Rainey Harper in Berlin in 1891, which became the core of the University of Chicago Library's holdings and have had an abiding influence on the course of scholarly investigation at the University. Locations
Special Collections Research Center
Jan. 1 — Dec. 31, 1979
View web exhibit >> Subjects
University of Chicago Library
Firmness Commodity and Delight
Firmness, Commodity, and Delight was the inaugural exhibition in the new Special Collections gallery, running from May through July 2011. The exhibition celebrated the opening of the new SCRC exhibition gallery and the completion of the Joe and Rika Mansueto Library with a display of books, manuscripts, and archival drawings and photographs representing our collections in architecture. The exhibition also had two items provided by the architectural firms who designed the Mansueto and Special Collections spaces – one drawing each from Murphy/Jahn (Helmut Jahn) and Booth Hansen. The exhibition was presented in conjunction with "500 Years of the Illustrated Architecture Book," a city-wide festival marking the publication of the first illustrated book on architecture, the Fra Giocondo edition of Vitruvius's De architectura libri decem. Locations
Special Collections Research Center
May 9 — July 29, 2011
View web exhibit >> Subjects
Architecture
Letters from Prison
This exhibit draws together letters written by incarcerated people, across time and space. The centerpiece and inspiration for the exhibit is the collected letters of Chris Vega to his brother. Mr. Vega has been imprisoned by the Illinois Department of Corrections almost continuously since 2007. Juxtaposed with Mr. Vega’s letters and poems are published works written by or for incarcerated people, from the collection at the University of Chicago Library. Locations
Regenstein 4th Floor Reading Room
Aug. 27 — Dec. 16, 2018
View web exhibit >>
Mapping the Young Metropolis
Between 1915 and 1940, a small faculty in the University of Chicago Department of Sociology, working with dozens of talented graduate students, intensively studied the city of Chicago . They aspired to use the approaches of social science in developing a new field of research, and they took the city as their laboratory. Locations
Special Collections Research Center
June 22 — Sept. 11, 2015
View web exhibit >> Subjects
Sociology Chicago and Illinois
Poetic Associations: The Nineteenth-Century English Poetry Collection of Dr. Gerald N. Wachs
In the period between the French Revolution and the start of World War I, often called “the long nineteenth century,” English poetry enjoyed enormous popularity and respect. The Romantics and the Victorians, as we know them today, were celebrities and, often, close friends, part of a literary community that influenced their professional and personal lives. Dr. Gerald N. Wachs (1937-2013), working closely with his friend, bookseller Stephen Weissman of Ximenes Rare Books, collected their works, using as their guidebook the Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (CBEL), the standard primary bibliography of English literature. They sought the finest copies, whenever possible ones that were presented by the author to other writers, friends, or family members. The resulting collection of nearly 900 titles, on deposit from the Estate of Gerald Wachs at the University of Chicago Library, illuminates the life and works of these enduring poets. Locations
Special Collections Research Center
Sept. 21 — Dec. 31, 2015
View web exhibit >> Subjects
Literature
Red Press
Red Press: Radical Print Culture from St. Petersburg to Chicago represents the Bolshevik revolution as it was waged through broadsides, pamphlets, periodicals and posters. Many materials are drawn from the archive of Samuel N. Harper, son of the University’s founding president, the first American Russianist, and eyewitness to the revolution. Through these rare printed sources visitors can trace the worldwide spread of revolutionary and antirevolutionary media and ideas. Locations
Special Collections Research Center
Sept. 25 — Feb. 2, 2018
View web exhibit >> Subjects
History Slavic/Eastern Europe/Eurasia
Super Metroid: A 20th Anniversary Retrospective
This exhibit celebrates the art of the videogame as seen in one of its early classics. Additionally, this exhibit explores the creative activity that lies beyond the game itself, from concept art and promotional materials to the fan art the game still inspires twenty years later. Locations
The Joseph Regenstein Library
Jan. 28 — March 22, 2014
View web exhibit >> Subjects
Arts
Tensions in Renaissance Cities
Rome, Florence, Geneva, London; Renaissance cities used art and literature to express their growing pains. After the Black Death, recovering cities developed in a geography of interdependence, connected by fluctuating kingdoms, mercantile networks, and the newborn printing press. This exhibit charts the tensions of capitals from Venice to Mexico City as they looked eastward, westward, backward toward antiquity, or upward to the celestial geographies offered by magic, science, and theology. Locations
Special Collections Research Center
March 27 — June 9, 2017
View web exhibit >> Subjects
European History
The University of Chicago Centennial Catalogues
This online presentation reproduces the complete text and accompanying images from four University of Chicago Centennial Exhibition Catalogues, published in conjunction with a series of physical exhibitions organized by the Department of Special Collections to celebrate the 1991-92 Centennial of the University of Chicago. Locations
Special Collections Research Center
Jan. 1 — Feb. 1, 1993
View web exhibit >> Subjects
University of Chicago | 0.302124 |
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On Monday—one year after the once-mighty Lehman Brothers collapsed in the nation’s biggest bankruptcy—President Obama addressed the state of the economy and again outlined his proposals for what he calls reform. The location—Federal Hall at 26 Wall Street, near the New York Stock Exchange and New York Federal Reserve Bank—was fitting. George Washington took his presidential oath there, a precursor for how intertwined Washington and Wall Street would become. And Obama’s speech indicates that he’s still making the grave error of mistaking the health of Wall Street for the health of the American economy.
Obama chose not to deliver his speech on, say, the streets of Bend, Oregon, or Fresno, California, which provide different indicators of our economic predicament. That’s because Washington’s approach to the crisis has been to focus on the banking system, throw a few crumbs to citizens, and hope everything else will magically work itself out.
The problem with concentrating on the banking system is that it allows the administration to present an overly optimistic assessment of its actions. “The storms of the past two years are beginning to break,” Obama pronounced, attributing this to a government that “moved quickly on all fronts, initializing a financial stability plan to rescue the system from the crisis and restart lending for all those affected by the crisis.” He continued: “By taking aggressive and innovative steps in credit markets, we spurred lending not just to banks, but to folks looking to buy homes or cars, take out student loans, or finance small businesses. Our home ownership plan has helped responsible homeowners refinance to stem the tide of lost homes and lost home values.”
Those steps were certainly aggressive. Under both the Bush and Obama administrations, the government, from the Federal Reserve to the Treasury Department, has flushed the banking systems and other components of the financial markets with $17.5 trillion worth of loans, guarantees, and other forms of support. About another $1 trillion has been provided to citizens through the recovery package, first-time homeowner tax benefits, auto purchase credits, and approximately $800 billion to help guarantee the loans of certain lenders—which somewhat helps borrowers, but helps lenders more.
But these measures have hardly brought the economy back from the brink. They brought Wall Street back from capital starvation and prevented the possibility of more big banks going bankrupt—instead of the slew of smaller and mid-size ones that have since met the same fate as Lehman Brothers. Taking credit for stabilizing the financial system after feeding it with massive amounts of federal money is like a teacher bragging about turning around the academic performance of a failing student after handing them all the answers to the big tests.
Here’s how the economy is really faring (and how Washington is failing to take adequate steps to fix it):
National unemployment is at 9.7 percent, higher than last year’s 5.8 percent, with double digit jobless rates in 139 metropolitan areas this July, compared to 14 last July.
The number of foreclosures is greater than last year: nearly 2 million new foreclosure filings occurred in the first half of 2009, up 15 percent from the same period in 2008.
While homes in some areas have begun to slowly sell again, they are doing so at deeply depressed prices, in many instances below their mortgage value.
Wall Street bonuses are back to pre-crisis levels. For some firms, such as Goldman Sachs, they are even higher.
Bank leverage, or excessive borrowing on the back of risky assets—a major cause of the meltdown—is rising again.
Geithner recently reported that his program to enable private financial firms to buy up toxic assets with government help will wind up costing less than the $1 trillion he had first envisioned. However, he did not mention that there are less toxic assets available to buy partly because the Fed has allowed banks to use some toxic assets as collateral in return for cheap loans.
Big banks are bigger than they were last year. Since the Fed blessed more mergers last fall, the nation’s three largest banks—Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo—hold the maximum percentage of legally permissable US deposits or more.
Mid-size and smaller banks keep closing. This year, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has closed 92 banks and depleted its deposit insurance money in the process.
We still don’t have detailed information on the trillions of dollars of loans the Fed handed out to the banking sector or about the quality of the collateral banks provided in return.
Obama did acknowledge that the picture isn’t entirely rosy. He also outlined his ideas for avoiding another catastrophe: reshuffle the decks of regulatory agencies, slap a few trading constraints on some derivatives, and create a Consumer Financial Protection Agency (CFPA). But while Obama’s rhetoric was stern—”normalcy cannot lead to complacency,” he vowed—the proposals themselves are hardly sweeping.
Obama’s plan calls for eliminating the Office of Thrift Supervision and providing greater oversight by the Fed of “systemically important” institutions. The Senate is trying to water that down, in part because some members of both parties in Congress remain skeptical about the power of the Fed itself. The Senate also wants to consolidate regulatory authority into fewer entities, but leave oversight to a council of regulators. Of course, consolidating regulatory oversight only works if regulators are doing their jobs and the banking system is transparent enough to allow them to do so.
The last leg of Obama’s proposal would be establishing the CFPA, which would monitor financial products in an effort to protect consumers from risky instruments such as subprime mortgages. Legislation to create such an agency is expected to be taken up this year by the House Financial Services Committee, chaired by Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass).
A strong CFPA is a sensible plan. Right now there is no other body imbued with the power not just to protect consumers but also to foster the general economic stability that would be achieved by closely monitoring the integrity of financial products. This proposal has drawn the most ire from the banking community, so you know it’s good. The Chamber of Commerce launched a $2 million ad campaign to convince people that a CFPA would mean that local butcher couldn’t extend credit to his customers without government interference.
But Obama’s reforms do not strike deeply enough. The banking crisis has been subdued, not fixed, because of enormous amounts of government assistance. Ignoring that fact, and failing to overhaul the sector, leaves us open to another crisis. And the next round will be worse, because there is now so much more federal money invested in the banks.
Simply funding the banking system without reforming it is an expensive and dangerous game. Obama is capable of truly fixing things—by dividing up the Wall Street mega-banks with a new Glass Steagall Act, thereby enabling the success of more extensive regulatory reforms. Or, he could introduce a set of cosmetic changes that allow banks to keep doing what they did before last year’s crisis and that put us on the path for the next one. | 0.907116 |
Not sure I need to explain why this wonderful FanPost has been bumped to the front page. Things like this make me proud of the community we have in this little corner of the Internet. - Travis
ESPN aired their tribute to athletes who have died in 2011.
Not a single hockey player was mentioned.
So, here, I would like to pay tribute to those players of the sport (whether active in 2011 or not) and any dedicated staff members who passed away. The crew killed on the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash is included as well.
Mention anyone who is missed, and they will be added.
Remember those who were lost. They are part of our world as hockey players. ESPN forgets, but we will not.
January
6 - Tom Cavanagh
17 - Vernon "Tex" Kaiser
25 - Arto Javanainen
February
10 - Fred Speck
22 - Jerome "Jud" McAtee
March
10 - Mikolaj "Nick" Harbaruk
13 - Rick Martin
19 - Peter Laframboise
22 - Jean-Guy Morissette
April
3 - Mandi Schwartz
7 - E. J. McGuire
29 - Jim Cunningham
May
3 - Paul Ackerley
7 - Eilert Määttä
13 - Derek Boogaard
24 - Barry Potomski
June
22 - Harley Hotchkiss
26 - Barry Wilkins
July
11 - Jaroslav Jiřík
August
10 - Oldřich Machač
15 - Rick Rypien
Joseph Ronan
22 - Thomas Syme
31 - Wade Belak
September
7 - Vitaly Anikeyenko
Yury Bakhvalov
Aleksandr Belyayev
Mikhail Balandin
Aleksandr Vasyunov
Josef Vasicek
Aleksandr Vyukhin
Robert Dietrich
Pavol Demitra
Andrei Zimin
Marat Kalimulin
Aleksandr Karpovtsev
Aleksandr Kalyanin
Andrei Kiryukhin
Nikita Klyukin
Igor Korolyov
Nikolai Krivonosov
Yevgeny Kunnov
Vyacheslav Kuznetsov
Stefan Liv
Jan Marek
Brad McCrimmon
Sergey Ostapchuk
Vladimir Piskunov
Karel Rachunek
Evgeny Sidorov
Karlis Skrastins
Ruslan Salei
Pavel Snurnitsyn
Daniil Sobchenko
Ivan Tkachenko
Pavel Trakhanov
Igor Urychev
Gennady Churilov
Maksim Shuvalov
Artyom Yarchuk
Andrey Solontsev
Igor Zhevelov
Sergei Zhuravlev
Vladimir Matyushkin
Yelena Sarmatova
Nadezhda Maksumova
Yelena Shavina
12 - Aleksandr Galimov
16 - Roger Belanger
18 - Earl Cook
October
5 - Peter Jaks
20 - Ronald Amess
30 - Serge Aubry
31 - Sven Tumba
November
5 - Hannu Haapalainen
9 - Roger Christian
Patrick Steel
13 - Kyle Fundytus
16 - Eddy Palchak
19 - Pete Leichnitz
25 - Fred Etcher
December
5 - Gregg Madill
12 - Heinrich "Heini" Lohrer
23 - Bill Klatt
27 - Johnny Wilson
27 - Tyson Sievert
"We know that hockey is where we live, where we can best meet and overcome pain and wrong and death. Life is just a place where we spend time between games." - Fred Shero | 0.137332 |
A protester shouts slogans and holds a poster reading “Police, come to the side of people! People will not hurt you!” during an opposition protest on March 15 in Minsk, Belarus. About 3,000 people took part in the protest, local media reported. (Tatyana Zenkovich/European Pressphoto Agency)
In the past month, protests have swept across Belarus, a post-Soviet republic in Eastern Europe. Citizens are outraged by Presidential Decree #3, popularly known as the law against “social parasites.” This 2015 law penalizes part-time or unemployed workers, requiring them to pay an annual tax of approximately $250 — a penalty that helps make up the taxes they would have paid had they held a full-time job.
The protests have been smaller than earlier demonstrations against the regime. But they’re a substantial problem for the long-standing authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko — because many of the protesters come from groups and in live cities that typically support him.
[Why are there protests in Poland? Here are the 5 things you need to know]
In the past, Lukashenko has clamped down on protests pretty quickly. But when these protests began, Lukashenko initially tolerated them to a surprising degree. Why?
We believe that his tolerance comes largely because he wants to keep improved relations with the West, and so is acquiescing to international pressure for free speech, free assembly and other basic democratic freedoms. If that’s true, Western pressure for greater democracy may indeed be effective in this case. That’s important to note when U.S. commitment to promoting democracy may be waning.
The timeline of the surprising protests against Europe’s “last dictator”
As recently as two months ago, Lukashenko, first elected president of Belarus in 1994, seemed in complete control. He had decisively won a fifth-term as president in the 2015 elections, which were criticized by international observers for voting irregularities. The opposition leadership has been fragmented and disorganized since the early 1990s. Belarus’s citizens have been rather politically torpid compared to their neighbors across Eastern Europe, often leaving politics to those in the regime.
[Turkey’s Kurdish conflict has surged again. Here is why.]
But on Feb. 17, in the capital city of Minsk, about 2,500 protesters assembled. The demonstrators represented a large cross-section of Belarusian society, and united in chants criticizing the new law and the regime’s economic performance. Purportedly, what triggered these protests was the Feb. 20 deadline for paying the 2016 tax. As the figure below shows, the protests, surprisingly uninhibited by the regime, have since spread across the country.
In previous protests, the Belarus government reacted to demonstrations by quickly arresting, jailing and treating participants violently, and clamping down on news coverage. This time around, the regime’s response “was delayed and very limited.” It let demonstrators assemble week after week. At first it even allowed journalists to freely cover events.
Then, in perhaps the biggest surprise, Lukashenko unexpectedly announced on March 9, that he would suspend the tax until his government had fully reviewed the policy. This might be the first time in which the Belarus president made policy concessions in response to public demonstrations. And yet the protests continue, with the organizers planning a protest in Minsk on March 25 and a major multicity protest on March 26. The immediate goal of the protests has changed from a repeal of the tax to a change in government.
Many observers blame Belarus’s recession for the protests
Many news reports explain the protests by noting that Belarus’s economy is in trouble, the result of decreasing oil prices and dwindling international support. The recession that began in 2015 is the first in nearly 20 years and has resulted in high levels of unemployment and a nearly insolvent government. When first introduced two years ago, the hotly debated tax was supposed to prevent “social parasitism.” The real purpose was probably to bring in revenue so the state could pay its bills.
But such a tax violates Lukashenko’s unspoken political compact with Belarusians that involves him providing large social welfare programs in exchange for political acquiescence. This worked in the 1990s and 2000s, when Lukashenko used international subsidies to keep Belarus relatively stable and prosperous. But the recent recession has likely damaged public patience with the regime and led to decreased support.
But there is more to the explanation than just economic grievances
Our fieldwork in Belarus revealed that the economic story might explain the underlying motivation for the protests, but not the government’s willingness to tolerate them for so long once they began. By not immediately punishing protesters, the regime signaled that it was willing to allow some opposition. That signal likely encouraged the protests to spread. Opposition groups told us that Lukashenko might have wanted to avoid angering the West by punishing dissenters.
Why?
In the shadow of Russia’s occupation of Crimea and the collapse of Belarus’s economy, Lukashenko has cautiously pivoted his international policy to face westward. Consider: Lukashenko allowed two members of the opposition to win seats in the 2016 parliamentary election, freed all political prisoners and relaxed visa restrictions. He has also not supported Russian actions in Crimea and Ukraine, has demanded lower prices on Russian oil and has repeatedly criticized Russia’s policies toward Belarus.
[Putin is waiting to see whether Trump will fund pro-democracy programs]
In response, the European Union and the United States have lifted many of their most restrictive sanctions, the number of bilateral agreements between Belarus and Western countries and institutions are increasing and there might now even be an opportunity for Belarus to receive another loan from the International Monetary Fund.
European and U.S. interest in promoting democracy abroad might be waning. But the economic carrots so far remain. Belarus’s dictator might still reasonably think that if he had subdued the opposition with characteristic violence and arrests, he might have endangered these important material gains.
Will Lukashenko continue to tolerate the dissent?
None of his reforms have won Lukashenko any friends in Moscow. Russian state-run media regularly criticize him. The Kremlin would probably be all too happy to have him replaced with a more compliant successor. Given all that, Lukashenko may be calculating that he cannot afford to let the demonstrations continue for too long, lest Russia use them to justify his ouster. Perhaps in response, he has stepped up repression in recent days. Between Feb. 17 and March 20, more than 240 people have been arrested and dozens have been sentenced to 15-day jail sentences.
[Why Russia is far less threatening than it seems]
There’s no way to know whether he will continue these measures. But if the West were to no longer make demands for reform, a more violent crackdown would likely be the result. Over the past few days, spokesmen for the European Union, the United Nations and the United States have all expressed concern about the detained protesters. That’s been echoed by international organizations, which have criticized the regime for violating individual rights to freedom of speech and freedom of association. If Lukashenko continues to punish the opposition, he risks losing the gains purchased with his earlier concessions to the West.
There may be renewed debate in the United States about whether to keep funding democracy promotion. But Western efforts in Belarus are making at least one dictator think twice before engaging in repression.
Charles D. Crabtree is a graduate student in the department of political science and a graduate student associate in the Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies at the University of Michigan.
Christopher J. Fariss is an assistant professor in the department of political science and faculty associate in the Center for Political Studies at the University of Michigan.
Paul Schuler is an assistant professor at the University of Arizona School of Government and Public Policy. | 0.576004 |
Elite: Dangerous has been somewhat of a talking point in virtual reality (VR) circles of late. Originally built to encompass Oculus Rift head-mounted displays (HMDs) as part of its entourage of modern technical prowess, a change in Oculus VR’s SDK left Frontier Developments out in the cold. Though still assuring that the title will make realign with the Oculus Rift at some point, in the meantime the tide has turned and Elite: Dangerous will be offering compatibility with the HTC Vive HMD in the coming months.
Elite: Dangerous has always been a compelling experience in VR, and on HTC Vive it’s no different. Although the development kit hardware in no way compares to the consumer version of the Oculus Rift, the lower resolution and discomfort of the HMD do not impede the enjoyment of the experience. A seated experience, as the demo version of the videogame was solely concentrated on cockpit-based combat, the HTC Vive HMD is used in exactly the same way as the Oculus Rift; without motion controllers. Instead, Frontier Developments chose to showcase Elite: Dangerous in a comfy chair with HOTAS.
The HTC Vive preview was limited to training missions only, however a decent variety of scenarios was made available to VRFocus. A single heavily armoured vessel and an ally to help take him out, slow moving carrier ships benefiting from faster, lightweight ships offering suppressing fire, a wave-orientated battle wherein each enemy disposed of leads to another band of more aggressive fighters. Furthermore, each of these scenarios offered different weaponry to the player, showcasing the machine gun, rail gun, rockets and lock-on artillery.
Within each remit the player must use a different tactic. Going up against fast-moving craft in a head-to-head battle will never end well, despite the fact that their shields deplete very quickly. Swift manoeuvring is required to get the best of them, whilst slower moving ships can easily be caught from behind unaware, giving you time to secure a lock-on. Relying solely on brute force in this preview build is not an option, though further into the videogame it may well be possible to obtain a ship and weaponry that allows you to do just that.
Unlike the most direct competition to Elite: Dangerous, CCP Games’ EVE: Valkyrie, lock-on rockets are not commanded by your viewpoint. The lock-on has a small radius from the direct front of your ship, and so while being able to look around a large spectrum outside the windows of your ship increases immersion greatly, it has little effect on gameplay. Elite: Dangerous is not a lightning-fast arcade style space combat videogame, it’s a tactical assault that demands shrewd judgement from the player.
One significant benefit that Elite: Dangerous has over much of the VR playing field at present is that a full videogame already exists. Elite: Dangerous will launch its VR compatibility into an existing videogame universe, immediately offering those who already own the title a new opportunity and those coming to it purely from a VR perspective a huge expanse of gameplay to explore. Elite: Dangerous has already set the videogame world on fire once, and with VR it has the potential to do it once again. | 0.000886 |
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North Charleston, SC — James Terry III has a long rap sheet of traffic tickets. Mounting fines, suspended licenses, and constant harassment from police make it extremely hard to get out from under this burden. So, when he was stopped last November, and targeted for revenue collection once again, naturally, he was agitated. However, his verbal anger was quickly met with police force, which got progressively worse until he was finally in shackles having his face beaten in by officer Leroy Hair.
On November 15, a North Charleston police officer pulled over Terry at a convenience store for allegedly speeding. Terry, who was obviously tired of getting pulled over and harassed, got out of the vehicle and began verbally protesting his stop.
Terry was being pulled over by the same department responsible for hiring Michael Slager — who pleaded guilty earlier this year after murdering a fleeing unarmed man, Walter Scott, by shooting him in the back, on video. These interactions with Charleston police can and have proven to be quite dangerous. So, it was not the best decision for Terry to get out of the car, as he quickly learned.
As Terry voiced his complaints, officer George Fogle tackled him to the ground and placed him in handcuffs. Terry, although still verbally upset, was not physically resisting. However, as officer Kyle Decedue showed up, both officers walked Terry over to the patrol car and smashed his face into the hood. This was enough for Terry who could no longer stand the abuse. He began flailing around in anger.
Decedue pulled out his flashlight and began beating Terry, who was then shackled at the ankles. Remember, all this violence and escalation of force is all over a minor traffic violation.
After Terry was handcuffed and shackled, officer Hair shows up to join in on the lynching arrest. The in-car video showed Hair grab Terry by the chain of his handcuffs and violently yank him back into the car only to start pummelling his head.
“(Hair) did strike and punch Terry multiple times about the face while Terry was handcuffed and in the backseat,” a South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) agent wrote in an arrest affidavit.
Three months after the incident, Hair was arrested after a SLED investigation found that he used excessive force on Terry during the stop. He was charged with third-degree assault and battery.
Terry and his family finally thought they may see some justice for his years of harassment and violent escalation by the Charleston police department. However, as they found out this week, Hair will not face any accountability.
In fact, not only will Hair not face accountability, he is now being hailed as a hero in the town. Seriously.
As the Post and Courier reports, Hair’s attorney, Edward Phipps of Charleston, called Hair a “victim” for being prosecuted after pulling a violent person clear of other officers.
“That really saved everybody,” Phipps said. “He’s more of a hero than anything.”
“I’m not sorry because I didn’t do anything wrong,” Hair said of beating a shackled man. “I was helping the officers out, and at the end of the day, we all went home.”
Robert Bogan, a St. Matthews attorney who prosecuted the case, did not agree.
“This is about holding a police officer accountable,” Bogan said. “Police officers cannot be judge, jury and executioner. It ain’t right.”
Sadly, however, a jury agreed with the concocted story about Hair heroically saving his fellow officers from the likes of a ferocious man who somehow caused officers to fear for their lives — in spite of being handcuffed and shackled.
In his own defense, Hair even said those exact words.
“I feared for my life,” said Hair. “He was chomping away trying to get my hand.”
According to the Courier, SLED Agent David Owen contended that Hair had left out key explanations during an interview, and Bogan alleged that the officer wanted to give Terry an “attitude adjustment.”
“He could have done the same thing (as the other officers),” Bogan said. “He could have backed up and closed the door.”
For some reason, the Post and Courier cut off the end of the video which shows Hair begin to punch Terry in the face repeatedly. However, below is a news clip that followed the incident which shows the entire assault.
Terry was paid $250,000 by the department for his abuse while in custody. | 0.018835 |
By Hal Koss
Birthday month?
Jan-Feb: Even the Stones Cry Out:
Mar-Apr: Here I Stand:
May-June: Agape, Actually:
July-Aug: Habits of the Kingdom:
Sep-Oct: We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Tent:
Nov-Dec: The Apocalypse is Inside You:
On your burrito?
Chicken: How
Steak/Pork: The surprising reason
Veggie: Three sneaky ways
Ideal low-key Saturday?
Netflix: Chance the Rapper’s faith
Read a book: The Russell Moore CNN interview
Go out for coffee: Every millennial thinkpiece
Watch / do athletic activity: the mommy blogger controversy
As long as it involves sweatpants: The Last Jedi’s virtue signaling
Favorite la Croix?
Mango: fills us with wonder amid
Grapefruit / Cran-Ras: speaks prophetically to
Coconut: is a parable for
Orange / Tangerine: shines a light on
Other or None: teaches us about
Birthday day?
01-08: the twilight of Christendom
09-17: longing for shalom
18-24: our fractured republic
25-31: our disenchanted imagination
Hal Koss received his BA from Loyola Marymount University and his MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife live in Chicago, IL, where he works in marketing. | 0.002333 |
Clapper Apologizes For Answer On NSA's Data Collection
After telling Congress that the National Security Agency does not collect data on millions of Americans, National Intelligence Director James Clapper has issued an apology, telling Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein that his statement was "clearly erroneous."
Secret documents leaked by former NSA contract worker Edward Snowden have shown that the agency has been collecting metadata from phone records on millions of Americans. The documents also indicated an ability to conduct surveillance on Americans' Internet activities.
When Clapper was asked by Sen. Ron Wyden in March if the NSA collects "any type of data at all on millions, or hundreds of millions of Americans," Clapper answered, "No sir," before adding, "Not wittingly."
After the revelations emerged about the NSA's activities, Wyden, a member of the Senate Intelligence panel, posted an explanation of that exchange, in which he said he sent the question to Clapper's office one day in advance, and also gave Clapper a chance to amend his answer after the public hearing had ended.
YouTube
Snowden has said that Clapper's statements on the NSA's abilities and practices played a role in motivating him to reveal the classified information. Here's what he said, as The Two-Way reported last month:
"It was seeing a continuing litany of lies from senior officials to Congress - and therefore the American people - and the realization that that Congress, specifically the Gang of Eight, wholly supported the lies that compelled me to act. Seeing someone in the position of James Clapper - the Director of National Intelligence - baldly lying to the public without repercussion is the evidence of a subverted democracy. The consent of the governed is not consent if it is not informed."
The letter of apology was first reported on Friday, by The Washington Post. It was released publicly today.
In a statement, Sen. Feinstein said, "I have received Director Clapper's letter and believe it speaks for itself. I have no further comment at this time."
Citing Wyden spokesman Tom Caiazza, the AP reports that "when Wyden staffers contacted Clapper's office shortly after the hearing, his staffers 'acknowledged that the statement was inaccurate but refused to correct the public record when given the opportunity.'"
Calazza says Wyden "is deeply troubled by a number of misleading statements senior officials have made about domestic surveillance in the past several years. He will continue pushing for an open and honest debate." | 0.001291 |
This page is a draft of an RFAR filing and should not be edited by anyone except Hipocrite [ edit ]
Dreadstar [ edit ]
Initiated by Hipocrite (talk) at 12:06, 9 March 2015 (UTC)
Involved parties [ edit ]
, filing party
Confirmation that all parties are aware of the request
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Only ArbCom is empowered to remove adminstrative tools.
Statement by Hipocrite [ edit ]
Dreadstar, over the past two months, has repeatedly abused adminstrative tools and authority. He has acted disruptively. His continued administrative presence is unhelpful.
Dreadstar engaged in either abusive use of revdel or was abusive himself - the final revdel on this page "Purely disruptive material" is Dreadstar revdeling his own comments.
Statement by Username [ edit ]
Statement by Username [ edit ]
Statement by {Non-party} [ edit ]
Other editors are free to make relevant comments on this request as necessary. Comments here should address why or why not the Committee should accept the case request or provide additional information.
Clerk notes [ edit ]
This area is used for notes by the clerks (including clerk recusals).
Dreadstar: Arbitrators' opinion on hearing this matter <0/0/0/0> [ edit ] | 0.001217 |
You know how to work lab equipment and protocols (e.g. autoclaves, thermal cyclers, electrophoresis), so why should you avoid working with another key element in labs, the biotech sales representative? Rather than avoidance of vendors such as VWR, BioRad, Fisher Scientific, or Life Technologies, dealing with biotech sales representatives can get you big payoffs. While it may be initially uncomfortable, a long-term plan can not only save your lab money but also improve your research.
The first goal is one of taxonomy: determining the species of your sales representative. This is not meant to be comprehensive, but having worked long in the industry and now through BrainSpores where we are helping improve scientists and their experience in laboratories, I believe you can make a few useful generalizations and divide biotech sales representatives into three broad groups:
Technologists– these representatives have very strong scientific training and sympathize with researchers. They may not be the easiest to work with as they have a strong opinion on what might be best for your lab, but will likely have access to technology that has not been released yet. Treat them like a fellow scientist and they will repay you in kind. Consultants– some representatives are simply good at networking and have excellent relationships. They are very easy to get along with- friendly and looking out for what is best for your lab. While they may not deeply understand your research or technical problems, these representatives can work both within their company and in their network to provide your lab with expertise and access. Be nice, keep it professional and you will likely see them move heaven and earth to help your lab when you are in a bind or when you need to fund a small conference. Transactors– these are representatives who are excellent at working deals. They are good at listening to your list of requirements and then expanding these to get you a great bargain. While they may not understand the technology or the science problem, they assume you do. Work with them fairly, be ready to bundle or buy in bulk, and your lab can save real money.
Obviously, most representatives have a blend of these characteristics, but if you can figure out the main style of your biotech sales rep, you will know how to deal with them.
The key points to remember when dealing with biotech sales representatives are that they only have two currencies: Their reputation and their time. Reputable sales representatives are in it for the long-haul and want to establish a relationship with your lab group. Since they are part of the community, they are unlikely to be moving any time soon. Even if they change the company they work for, they will still want to be engaging with your team.
Now that you can classify your sales rep, look for “How to Deal With Biotech Sales Representatives, Part 2: Getting What You Want.”
Spotted a different species of sales representative? Tag it, characterize it and tell us!
Quote: “For scientists, growing cells took so much work that they couldn’t get much research done. So the selling of cells was really just for the sake of science, and there weren’t a lot of profits.” Rebecca Skloot
If you are interested in our negotiations course please contact us. | 0.992957 |
Thin privilege is being able to go to the doctor without him thinking you’re unhealthy for your weight.
Earlier yesterday, I was in the doc’s office. After the regular questions, checkup things (like him listening to my heart and looking in my ears…) He asked me to get on the scale. I was uncomfortable with this and said that I didn’t want to.
At this point he was trying really hard to be patient with me I could tell. He told me “I understand if you’re uncomfortable, but weight is detrimental to your health and it could really help me understand any possible health problems you have.”
So just because I was fat, I was unhealthy already? Because I was fat you wanted to humuliate me even more by checking how fat I really am?! I was so upset and furious. Tears were springing to my eyes and I could feel my face getting red from the embarassment.
He tried to reassure me that it wasn’t really about my weight, he just needed to check. What could you possibly check?! You already know I’m not freakin skinny so what?!
I’ve never been more ashamed of my body. As I stormed out I heard ‘tsk tsk’ from the doctor. Freakin tool. | 0.91679 |
The Italian government's borrowing cost has risen as fears grow over political uncertainty in Rome.
The yield on Italian 10-year bonds rose from 6.37% to a euro-era high of 6.67%.
It is feared that Italy, the eurozone's third biggest economy, could become the next victim of the debt crisis. PM Silvio Berlusconi faces a crunch vote on public finance on Tuesday.
Mr Berlusconi denied on Facebook reports that he was about to resign.
Stock markets across Europe bounced up on the chance of the Italian premier's departure but returned to negative territory at Monday's close.
In London, the FTSE 100 ended down 0.3%, France's Cac 40 fell 0.6%, and in Frankfurt the Dax index closed down 0.6%.
But on Wall Street, the Dow Jones bucked the trend, closing up 0.71% at 12,068.4.
Concerns over Italy are overshadowing developments in Greece, where Prime Minister George Papandreou has agreed to stand down.
Mr Papandreou sealed a deal with the opposition to form a new coalition government to approve an EU-IMF bailout package.
Once the vote has been passed, it will open the way for Greece to receive the next 8bn euro tranche of bailout loans.
The deal was welcomed by investors, with the main Athens bourse up 1.4%, lifted by the banking sector. Shares in Alpha Bank were up 6.8% while Hellenic Postbank rose 8.9%.
'Beginning of the end'
If you want to see Italy on the road to ruin, there's no shortage of signposts Read Robert's blog in full Hewitt: Berlusconi on the rack
The markets are viewing Italy's ability to repay its debt as increasingly doubtful.
The spread between Italian and German 10-year government bond yields widened to 488 basis points in early trading, its widest level since 1995.
The yield on Italian one-year bonds also jumped to 6.3% from 5.5% on Friday, though it later fell back to 6.1%.
By comparison, the yield on German one-year bonds is 0.26%.
It comes as data on Monday showed the European Central Bank (ECB) more than doubled its purchases of government bonds in the first week of Mario Draghi's presidency.
Purchases totalled 9.52bn euros, compared with the previous week's 4bn euros and was the most the bank has spent since mid-September.
Richard Hunter, head of equities at Hargreaves Lansdown stockbrokers in London, said the worries over Italy were not so much about the economy but about the state of the political situation.
"This may be the beginning of the end for Berlusconi," he told the BBC.
"We're talking about a completely different animal when it comes to Italy [compared with Greece].
Crisis jargon buster Use the dropdown for easy-to-understand explanations of key financial terms: AAA-rating AAA-rating The best credit rating that can be given to a borrower's debts, indicating that the risk of borrowing defaulting is minuscule.
"Greece is responsible for 2% of [the eurozone's] GDP whereas Italy is the third biggest economy behind Germany and France."
Pressure is growing on Mr Berlusconi ahead of Tuesday's vote on the budget.
Euro discussions
Eurozone finance ministers met in Brussels on Monday.
After their meeting they called on the new government of Greece to approve in writing the terms of the international bailout in exchange for the release of the next tranche of funds.
On Tuesday, finance ministers from the full EU will meet.
However, the BBC's Europe correspondent, Chris Morris, understands there will be no agreement on details of the expanded European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) bailout fund.
Leaders have agreed in principle to boost the EFSF from its current 440bn euros (£375bn) to 1 trillion euros, in order to tackle debt problems in Italy and Spain.
Last week, world leaders from the G20 countries agreed to boost the resources available to the IMF, but gave no detail on plans for the eurozone.
Meanwhile, representatives from the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) - the so-called troika - were in Lisbon on Monday for their latest evaluation of how Portugal is implementing its bailout package. | 0.003707 |
The boy is thought to have been playing a game at the time (Picture: Getty/stock)
A teenager required life-saving surgery after his intestines were sucked out by a swimming pool filter.
It is understood the horrific accident took place when the 14-year-old became trapped in the purifier of a Spanish pool while playing a game, according to The Daily Mail.
Donald Trump's ex-fixer Michael Cohen banned from working as lawyer
The strong force of the suction meant the boy was unable to free himself and his intestines were sucked out.
His injuries were so severe he required a four-hour operation to save his life.
The local boy had been taking part in a swimming lesson last Friday at a private leisure centre in Carpesa, Valencia.
The teenager is now recovering in La Fe hospital (Picture: Google Maps)
But according to witnesses, the accident took place at around 9.30pm, when he and some of the other children stayed behind after the lesson to play.
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It is thought the children were lifting the purifying vents off and sitting on them as part of a game.
Stinky couple who smelt like vomit, BO and feet break into family's house to shower
Once it became obvious the boy was in trouble, a trainer jumped into the water to save him, while shouting for the filter to be switched off.
Others also dived into the water to breath oxygen into the boys lungs, according to the newspaper Levante.
A witness told the paper: ‘He was only under the water and trapped for seconds until the purifier was turned off but it seemed like hours.’
The boy is believed to be out of danger (Picture: Getty/stock)
Emergency services managed to free the youngster and he was rushed to hospital, where doctors found he had ruptured his bowel.
The teenager, who is believed to be out of danger, is currently recovering from surgery in the intensive care unit of La Fe hospital, Valencia.
The Civil Guard said they were investigating the incident.
MORE: Woman whose son was stabbed by London Bridge terrorist tells how he phoned a warning from the scene
MORE: There are petitions calling for ‘magnificent’ Ariana Grande to be given a damehood | 0.009469 |
It’s true that even before the video’s release, an unprecedented array of party leaders had repudiated Trump. The list of names included 50 former senior Republican national-security officials (who declared he lacks “the character, values, and experience to be president”), assorted senators and governors, and even former President George H.W. Bush.
But after the Access Hollywood video surfaced, that flow became a torrent. On Saturday alone, more Republican leaders had renounced their party’s nominee than in any 24-hour period since the day in June 1912 when Theodore Roosevelt’s supporters bolted from the GOP convention after the re-nomination of President William Howard Taft. By Saturday’s end, nearly one-third of Republican senators and almost one-third of Republican governors had declared they would not vote for Trump. So did former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. House Speaker Paul Ryan only made the rubble bounce on Monday when he announced he would no longer defend or campaign for the nominee.
By comparison, only a handful of GOP senators rejected Barry Goldwater in 1964; former President Dwight Eisenhower, despite private doubts, publicly campaigned for him. Even in 1912, when Roosevelt launched an independent candidacy, the Republican leadership remained more unified behind Taft than their modern-day counterparts are behind Trump. University of Southern California communications professor Geoffrey Cowan, author of a rollicking recent book on the 1912 race, Let the People Rule, says only about a half-dozen GOP senators backed Roosevelt, and less than 15 percent of the convention delegates bolted with him. While some Progressive Party leaders joined Roosevelt’s insurgency, “the Progressives who controlled the Republican Party in their home states generally did not want to abandon the party,” Cowan says.
So there’s no question Trump is facing unprecedented friendly fire. But he faced dim odds of victory even before that opposition peaked. In general-election polls all year, Trump has almost never pushed his support past 42 percent. Though he has generated a visceral connection with voters who feel economically and culturally marginalized—particularly non-college-educated, non-urban, and evangelical whites—he has provoked intense antipathy from voters of color and millennials, and is underperforming any previous Republican nominee among college-educated whites, especially women. Even if Trump’s dismal polling this week is a temporary trough, that wall of resistance still looms.
Minorities, millennials, and white-collar whites have been the most likely groups of voters to reject Trump personally as unqualified and temperamentally unfit for the presidency. But in polls they are also most resistant to his insular agenda. Those voters display particular opposition to Trump’s most racially barbed proposals—including his plans for a Mexican border wall and the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, and his evolving proposals to bar Muslims from entering the United States—and are most inclined to view Trump as biased against women and minorities. As a new national survey from the Chicago Council on Global Affairs shows, they are also the most dubious about his protectionism on trade—and most likely to view greater global economic integration as benefiting both the country overall and their own living standards. | 0.063421 |
In the wake of the Cypriot banking crisis of 2012/2013, and the Greek debt crisis, several important tectonic shifts took place in Europe. Among them was a massive $10 billion bailout by the ECB, the IMF, the EC and other organisations. This helped to prop up the beleaguered economies of Cyprus and Greece, and to restore a modicum of stability to the EU. An interesting development took place at the time, and it was the rise of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC). From 2013 onwards, this virtual currency has been thrust into the limelight and a growing number of retailers, consumers, and e-commerce vendors are accepting BTC as their preferred methods of payment. The banking system has proven itself unreliable in crunch situations, and people have decided to pursue alternative means to obviate a recurrence of such crises.
One of the most interesting developments that has taken place with digital currency such as Bitcoin is the emergence of trading on virtual currencies. The concept itself is nothing new, as speculators oftentimes go short or long on obscure commodities and options. Virtual currency has the added advantage of anonymity, low or zero commissions or fees, widespread acceptance and versatility. It may not be a fiat currency such as the USD, EUR, JPY or ZAR, but its acceptance among merchants and traders is growing all the time. If we have learned anything from the recent financial crises (beginning in 2009 with the global financial crisis), it is this: central banks cannot control regional or global economic affairs by way of monetary policy decision-making. Quantitative easing (QE) policies are seen as a way to stimulate economic activity by increasing the velocity flow of money through the economy. The theory is sound, but the practical applications thereof are suspect.
Bitcoin and Binary Options – The Contrarian Investments
Traders have long been seeking a currency that is not subject to the whims and oversight of the Federal reserve bank, the Bank of England, the European Central Bank or the others. Digital currency is provided on open source platforms with complex algorithms. It is not subject to the rules and regulations of monetary authorities or government and it trades openly in the global market. As such, greater legitimacy is being lent to Bitcoin. When fiat currencies lose their lustre among traders, it makes sense that alternatives are sought out. Fortunately, the rise of Bitcoin came hot on the heels of the emergence of binary options trading as an alternative to institutional trading brokerages. Binary options trading is highly regarded as an effective way to bolster your financial portfolio with non-traditional investment vehicles.
With binary options, fees, commissions, leverage and margin are set aside so that traders can get to the crux of the matter: trading. Unlike traditional investments, the only thing that matters is speculation on whether the asset will rise or fall at expiry time. A quality binary options broker offers payouts in the region of 70% – 90% on in-the-money trades. Over time, we have seen many of these brokerages introducing a list of exciting new tradable assets. These broad categories are currency pairs, commodities, indices and stocks. However, digital currencies are now included in the mix, and it is possible to trade BTC in much the same fashion as you would trade a conventional currency. In other words, BTC/USD trades are just as popular as the EUR/USD. The two ways to trade BTC are future price movements based on the value of BTC, and using BTC as an actual currency to trade standard options.
The relative bullishness of BTC over time has made it a preferred digital currency for traders. Over time, this digital currency has proven itself to be a solid performer with long-term bullish trends. Call options and put options are possible, and the currency is subject to the same volatility as a traditional currency in the financial markets. The Mount Gox crisis had a bearish effect on BTC, and any similar hacking or malfeasance of BTC operators will naturally drag down the currency. On the plus side, BTC gains value when increasing numbers of merchants except this virtual currency and it gains mainstream popularity. The question about the viability of BTC as an investment is easily answered. Provided that your BTC wallet is secure, there is no reason to doubt that this limited currency will increase in value over time. Since its total production value is capped at 31 million BTC, it will always have greater demand than supply. This alone combats the inflationary effect the traditional currencies are subject to. Besides, it is the ideal currency for trading since it offers anonymity, flexibility and low cost. | 0.854728 |
Born April 5, 1985, in the southern city of Santiago de Cuba, Héctor Olivera Amaro is the son of Héctor Olivera Sr. (Héctor Olivera González), a star third baseman in the 1970s and 1980s who hit a cumulative .316/.397/.464 over the course of his career. Following in his father's footsteps, the junior Héctor Olivera pursued baseball and earned a roster spot on Las Avispas (the Wasps), the team representing Santiago de Cuba in La Serie Nacional.
Héctor Olivera made his professional debut in the 43rd Serie Nacional (2003-2004) at age 18. He hit the ground running in his rookie campaign, hitting .319/.367/.445. In addition to providing his team a great deal of value with his bat, Olivera demonstrated a great deal of positional versatility, logging time at first base, second base, shortstop, third base, and left field over the course of the season. The following year, newly installed manager Antonio Pacheco decided to make Olivera the team's regular second baseman. The youngster logged an even more impressive sophomore season, hitting 326/.362/.454 and belting six home runs. Of his 108 hits over the course of the season, none were more important than his very last. Santiago de Cuba had made the finals and were up 3-2 on the now-defunct Los Vaqueros de La Habana in the best-of-seven series. In the ninth inning of game six, Olivera led off the inning with a single and scored the clinching run.
The second baseman had his first real down year during the 45th Serie Nacional (2005-2006), hitting .262/.351/.364 with five homers. Adding insult to injury, Santiago de Cuba made the finals, but lost to Los Industriales. In American baseball parlance, this would be akin to the New York Yankees beating the Boston Red Sox in the World Series (if that were possible). Las Avispas for get their revenge, though, as they won the championship the next year, beating those very same Industriales. Olivera had a better season as well, hitting .315/.372/.412 with eight home runs.
In the 47th Serie Nacional (2007-2008), the second-generation ballplayer had his first All-Star season—in part because of the introduction of a new ball that led to an offensive explosion throughout the league and in part because of his own blossoming baseball talents. In 96 games, Olivera hit .353/.467/.542, roughly 30 points higher than his career-best average, 100 points higher than his career-best on-base percentage, and 100 points higher than his career-best slugging percentage. His 11 home runs were a then-career best, and his 21 steals (in 29 attempts) remain a career high. As was the case during the 44th Serie Nacional (2004-2005), no hit was as important as his very last one. With Santiago de Cuba in the finals once again, Olivera reached on a fielder's choice in the bottom of the eighth, stole second, and came around to score the deciding run, giving the team its third championship in four years.
From that point on, the second baseman became one of the preeminent players in Cuba. From the 48th to the 51st Serie Nacional (2008-2009 to 2011-2012), the second baseman averaged a .331/.428/.579 slash line, hitting 18, 14, 16, and 17 home runs in each of those respective four seasons. His name regularly found itself high atop the leader boards, surrounded by such high-profile names as Alfredo Despaigne, Yulieski Gourriel, Frederich Cepeda, and Alexei Bell.
Olivera missed the entire 52nd Serie Nacional (2012-2013) season, as well as the 2013 World Baseball Classic, due to thrombosis in his left bicep, a condition in which a clot forms inside of a blood vessel and obstructs the flow of blood to the area. The middle infielder returned to the field the following year and did not miss a beat, despite not having played in over a year. Olivera logged another season hitting over .300, and though his home run total dropped to only seven, he still slugged a robust .474.
In addition to years of domestic competition, Olivera is no stranger to international competition, having been a member of the Cuban national baseball team for years. Over roughly the last decade, he has played in numerous high-profile international competitions including, but not limited to, the Baseball World Cup, the Intercontinental Cup, the Olympics, the World Baseball Classic, and the World Port Tournament.
Olivera participated in the 2009 WBC, the tournament in which Samurai Japan defeated the Cuban national team twice in the second round to eliminate them from the competition. Penciled in as the starting second baseman, Olivera played in four games. In his 16 at-bats, he hit .313/.389/.500, notching five hits and walking twice. On March 8 against South Africa, Olivera led off the game with a single off of Barry Armitage, walked in the third, and hit a solo home run in the fifth off of Donavon Hendricks. On March 10 against Australia, Olivera drew a walk in the seventh inning against Damian Moss. On March 16 against Mexico, he singled in the third and the fifth, both hits coming off of Jorge Campillo. On March 18 against Japan, he singled in the fifth off of Hisashi Iwakuma.
Year Age G AB AVG OBP SLG HR BB K SB 2009-2010 (49th SNdB) 25 89 345 .322 .415 .565 14 56 29 0/1 2010-2011 (50th SNdB) 26 86 346 .318 .390 .535 16 37 21 2/0 2011-2012 (51st SNdB) 27 60 264 .341 .462 .626 17 44 22 0/1 2012-2013(52nd SNdB) 28 DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP 2013-2014 (53rd SNdB) 29 73 228 .316 .412 .474 7 38 25 0/0
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Héctor Olivera is a fairly well-rounded player and, as a result, Baseball America ranked him the sixth-best baseball player in Cuba back in late August. With his ability to hit for average, hit for power, and get on base at a high rate, the second baseman sat near the top of numerous offensive categories—for both his team and the league—during his career in Serie Nacional.
At the plate, the right-hander exhibits above-average plate recognition and zone awareness, no doubt due in part to working with his father, whose .459 batting average during the 1980 Series Selectivas (a now-defunct summer league that ran yearly from 1975 to 1995) remains a Cuban record. Olivera possesses decent pop for a middle infielder, but it is important to keep his home run numbers in context—stadiums in Cuba are generally smaller than MLB parks. Guillermo Moncada Stadium is the second-biggest in Cuba, and yet it is roughly 320 feet down the lines and 400 feet to straight-away center.
Defensively, scouts have generally been indifferent about Olivera's ability to play second base. In the time that scouts have had to form their opinions, Olivera has neither impressed nor humiliated himself. He is seen as athletic and able to handle the defensive rigors of second base, but unlikely to excel defensively. In addition to manning second base for Las Avispas, Olivera has logged varying amounts of time at both corner infield spots and shortstop, as well as spending time as DH.
The middle infielder only recently defected, so his impact in MLB is still a ways off. Generally speaking, the process can take anywhere from a few months to a year or so, depending on how quickly Olivera can establish permanent residency in a new country, how quickly the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control vets his paperwork for his unblocking license (and whether or not any irregularities turn up), how quickly MLB grants him free agent status, and how aggressive he markets himself and how MLB teams respond.
Does he make sense for the Mets?
Though he has gotten token time at other positions, Olivera is primarily a second baseman. With 2014 All-Star Daniel Murphy the incumbent second baseman, and prospects Wilmer Flores and/or Dilson Herrera ready to step up should Murphy be traded, the Mets have no real pressing need to address the position. Héctor Olivera is also no lock to be an upgrade over Murphy, Flores, or Herrera, making his possible acquisition even less likely.
Because Olivera is fairly athletic, he could, in theory, be shifted to an outfield position, but I do not see the wisdom of such a move. In addition to the difficulties of getting adjusted to a new league in a new country, Olivera would have to learn to play the outfield; outside of a handful of games in his rookie season, Olivera has no experience playing out there. In the past, Terry Collins has cited difficulties adapting to the outfield as a reason Lucas Duda's bat lagged in parts of 2012 and 2013. "When he was playing the outfield, he was so concerned about not making a mistake defensively, he got more caught up in that than producing runs," Collins said. "He always thought he had to drive in two if he was going to drive in any runs. I think right now, he knows he can play first base, he's a good first baseman, and I think it's helped him offensively." While there is no guarantee that Olivera would have similar difficulties at the plate as result of changing positions, I don't see the utility in finding out.
Complicating everything is the thrombosis that forced Olivera to sit out the 52nd Serie Nacional. While he did return for the 53rd annual competition and had a fairly successful season, there were a few red flags. While not necessarily a prolific power hitter, the seven home runs he belted were his fewest since the 45th Serie Nacional (2005-2006) and the first time in six years that he totaled only a single-digit home run total. In addition, he spent most of the season as a DH, playing 29 games at second base and the remaining 44 as the designated hitter. While he has played DH in the past, his number of games played as a DH in 2013-2014 was unusually high. Throw in his relatively advanced age and it makes one wonder: Were those numbers indicative of a player shaking off the rust or of a player starting down the down arc of his career?
As a result of all of these red flags and question marks, it's hard to gauge the market for the middle infielder. By virtue of his advanced age, I don't think any contract that he signs will be particularly long or particularly exorbitant. | 0.824063 |
When Secretary of State John Kerry John Forbes KerryOvernight Defense: White House eyes budget maneuver to boost defense spending | Trump heads to Hanoi for second summit with Kim | Former national security officials rebuke Trump on emergency declaration 58 ex-national security officials rebuke Trump over emergency declaration Ex-national security officials to issue statement slamming Trump's emergency declaration: WaPo MORE raises the American flag at the U.S. Embassy in Havana on Aug. 14, he will officially mark the end of an era of failed foreign policy. Kerry's official actions this Friday will be historic not only for ending the more than half a century of isolation. It will also open up the next battlefront in the continued quest for normalization: Capitol Hill. With three bills pending — two to end the trade embargo, and one that permanently lifts the travel ban — attention in this country will focus on whether a small minority of legislators continue to block the modernization, both economic and political, of an island nation of 9 million people.
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President Obama could go only so far in terms of his executive actions to normalize the U.S.-Cuba relationship. In early January of this year, he was able to ease the travel ban for Americans who wanted to visit, allowing trips to take place under 12 broad categories. This created a boom for tour operators as visitors from this country to Cuba have more than tripled, even if the number of hotels and the capacity to host people has been strained. It has been a boon for Airbnb, the Internet booking service that tapped the existing entrepreneurial vein of many Cubans seeking to earn dollars as hosts.
The Freedom to Travel Act of 2015, the work of Sens. Jeff Flake Jeffrey (Jeff) Lane FlakeBrexit and exit: A transatlantic comparison Poll: 33% of Kentucky voters approve of McConnell Trump suggests Heller lost reelection bid because he was 'hostile' during 2016 presidential campaign MORE (R-Ariz.) and Patrick Leahy Patrick Joseph LeahySenate plots to avoid fall shutdown brawl Booker wins 2020 endorsement of every New Jersey Democrat in Congress The Hill's Morning Report - Can Bernie recapture 2016 magic? MORE (D-Vt.), and supported by both Democrats like Sens. Dick Durbin Richard (Dick) Joseph DurbinKids confront Feinstein over Green New Deal Senate plots to avoid fall shutdown brawl Overnight Energy: Trump ends talks with California on car emissions | Dems face tough vote on Green New Deal | Climate PAC backing Inslee in possible 2020 run MORE (Ill.) and Tom Udall Thomas (Tom) Stewart UdallHillicon Valley: House panel takes on election security | DOJ watchdog eyes employee texts | Senate Dems urge regulators to block T-Mobile, Sprint deal | 'Romance scams' cost victims 3M in 2018 Dems urge regulators to reject T-Mobile, Sprint merger Dems wary of killing off filibuster MORE (N.M.), and Republicans such as John Boozman John Nichols BoozmanGOP senators read Pence riot act before shutdown votes On The Money: Shutdown Day 26 | Pelosi calls on Trump to delay State of the Union | Cites 'security concerns' | DHS chief says they can handle security | Waters lays out agenda | Senate rejects effort to block Trump on Russia sanctions Senate rejects effort to block Trump on Russia sanctions MORE (Ark.), Jerry Moran Gerald (Jerry) MoranThe Hill's Morning Report — Emergency declaration to test GOP loyalty to Trump The Hill's 12:30 Report: Trump escalates fight with NY Times The 10 GOP senators who may break with Trump on emergency MORE (Kan.) and Mike Enzi Michael (Mike) Bradley EnziWill Senate GOP try to pass a budget this year? Presumptive benefits to Blue Water Navy veterans are a major win If single payer were really a bargain, supporters like Rep. John Yarmuth would be upfront about its cost MORE (Wyo.), echo the important national interest in having American citizens travel, unimpeded by rules about a trip's intended purpose. Action is pending on this bill, but we are now in summer recess.
Lifting the 54-year-old embargo remains the other unfinished business. One bill, the Freedom to Export Act, introduced in February by Sen. Amy Klobuchar Amy Jean KlobucharMore than 60 former staffers defend Klobuchar as ‘a mentor and a friend’ Warren Buffett: I would support Bloomberg if he ran for president Warren vows to forgo 'fancy receptions or big money fundraisers' MORE (D-Minn.), with wide bipartisan co-sponsors like Sens. Debbie Stabenow Deborah (Debbie) Ann StabenowLand conservation tax incentives should inspire charitable giving, not loopholes Four names emerge for UN position: report Democrats brush off GOP 'trolling' over Green New Deal MORE (D-Mich.), Enzi, Flake, Leahy and Durbin, would eliminate the legal barriers to Americans doing business in Cuba. Klobuchar noted that "fifty years of the embargo have not secured our interests in Cuba and have disadvantaged American businesses by restricting commerce with a market of 11 million people just 90 miles from our shores. There are many issues in our relationship with Cuba that must be addressed, but this legislation to lift the embargo will begin to open up new opportunities for American companies, boost job creation and exports, and help improve the quality of life for the Cuban people." The U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba is also endorsing this effort.
A second bill, the Cuba Trade Act of 2015, introduced last month in the House by Republican Tom Emmer Thomas (Tom) Earl EmmerElise Stefanik seeks to tackle GOP’s women ‘crisis’ ahead of 2020 GOP maps out early 2020 strategy to retake House Steve King faces new storm over remarks about white supremacy MORE of Minnesota, with bipartisan support from Democrat Kathy Castor Katherine (Kathy) Anne CastorDems face tough vote on Green New Deal Democrats’ Green New Deal leaves lots of room for improvement Dems downplay divisions over Green New Deal MORE of Florida, is also pending. As Emmer told USA Today when he introduced his legislation, "I believe this is in the best interests of the Cuban people. This isn't about the Cuban government — it's about people on the street looking for more opportunity and to improve their quality of life." A new Pew Research Center poll done in July showed that 72 percent of Americans favored an end to the embargo, up from 66 percent in January. In spite of public support for this next step, we will continue to see resistance to opening the door to economic exchanges by members who are still mired in the past and refuse to accept the wisdom of their own citizens about the foolishness of such trade restrictions.
Congress will also be called upon when Obama nominates an ambassador to Cuba. Any name put forward will also require the approval of the Senate, a body with some naysayers who are more than likely to block anyone put up by the administration. Having an ambassador would be further demonstration of our commitment to rebuilding trust and our mature relationship with a neighbor.
Full relations with any country depends on our ability to trade and develop commercial relationships that go beyond the people-to-people engagements that still form the core of exchange. But in the meantime, a very Cuban form of capitalism is already thriving as entrepreneurs have built many businesses that cater to tourists and locals alike. For example, Cubans see the latest movies and TV series taken off the Internet and sold to people by vendors who go door to door with USB sticks that clients can use to download. No pay per view, but pay for the service. Foodie tourists can partake of the wonderful culinary talent of restaurateurs in the renowned paladares, which serve as gastronomic laboratories showing off the bounties of tropical products — even if getting some of the basic goods requires creating your own local supply chain and having friends head to Miami or Cancun to do a quick run to Costco for supplies!
In Cuba, where the leadership still remains uncertain about how their socialist revolution will end, continued inaction to end the embargo only reinforces the regime's propaganda that all of Cuba's troubles arise from it. Ending the embargo would not only accelerate the change taking place amidst Cuba's entrepreneurial society, but would create more unease for Havana's leadership. Greater commerce, more access to the Internet and greater employment are the best ways to promote peaceful changes among a society of young, vibrant Cubans who dream of entry into the connected world of the 21st century. And moreover, who dream of the freedom that we so often take for granted.
But in this season of political uncertainty, where one of the main opponents of the Obama policy, Sen. Marco Rubio Marco Antonio RubioHillicon Valley: Senators urge Trump to bar Huawei products from electric grid | Ex-security officials condemn Trump emergency declaration | New malicious cyber tool found | Facebook faces questions on treatment of moderators Key senators say administration should ban Huawei tech in US electric grid Trump unleashing digital juggernaut ahead of 2020 MORE (R-Fla.), is himself a presidential contender, progress on Capitol Hill will be stymied by the onslaught of anti-Cuba campaign sound bites rather than actions that represent the will of the American people to move beyond a sad episode of our Cold War past.
Forman is a senior adviser at the Stimson Center and a scholar-in-residence at the School of International Service at American University in Washington. | 0.001616 |
She’s Launching a Campaign to Blow the Cover Off the Cover-Up!
Former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) whistleblower Sibel Edmonds, founder of Boiling Frogs Post, is boiling mad these days and has launched a campaign to blow the cover off the cover-up of powerful criminals, including pedophiles, operating at the highest levels of the United States government. The ACLU calls her a “silenced patriot.” Edmonds started the National Security Whistleblowers movement as a result of her findings and her treatment as she tried to report criminal activity within the U.S. government. The abject failure of federal investigators, as well as the U.S. media, to cover the rest of the Hastert crimes is what upsets Edmonds today. What exactly were Hastert’s crimes and what was he indicted for?
Dennis Hastert rose from wrestling and football coach at the local small-town high school in Yorkville, Illinois to become a U.S. Representative, and then Speaker of the House. His fall from grace will see him sentenced in February 2016 with what could be from months to years in prison. Edmonds, a Farsi and Turkish language speaker, was hired by the FBI to translate wiretaps and other intelligence on targeted individuals. In the course of her duties, according to Edmonds, with her Top Secret clearance, she learned of treason, blackmail of Members of Congress, bribery, and other criminal activities, including pedophilia. The information that Edmonds gleaned from the wiretaps that she was translating provides context for the White House scandal that became known as the “Valerie Plame Affair.” When Edmonds reported the content of this intelligence to her superiors, she eventually was slapped with a “State Secrets” gag order and prohibited from talking about what she learned. She skirted that gag order by placing photographs online of the targeted individuals whose conversations she had translated, thereby discovering their criminal activities. Finally, in 2009, as a result of another lawsuit on an entirely different subject, Edmonds was able to air her information publicly under oath. That deposition is here. Edmonds has written two books about her experiences, a memoir, Classified Woman, and a novel, The Lone Gladio.
The renewal of Edmonds’s ire came as the former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, J. Dennis Hastert, appeared in Court defending himself against two felony accusations: one, that he withdrew cash from his bank account in a way to evade federal scrutiny and two, that he lied to investigators about the reason he was making the withdrawals. The media awkwardly reported Hastert’s clumsy situation; mentioning the indictment, even mentioning the “prior misconduct” against “Individual A,” while giving a complete pass on why “Individual A” was being paid $3.5 million by Hastert for hush money.
To be fair, the problem is not only the media’s, but mainly belongs to the federal investigators. Why on earth would a federal investigator examine only half of a crime? I’m sure a regular television news viewer must be left scratching her head trying to make sense of a narrative that just doesn’t make sense. Here, Hastert gets indicted for withdrawing his own money from his own bank account in order to hide something so valuable that it’s worth millions of dollars to Hastert to hide, yet not one day does the federal investigator even inquire what that might be. The indictment merely reads, “He had been withdrawing cash in increments of less than $10,000 to evade currency transaction reporting requirements because he wanted his agreement to compensate Individual A to remain secret so as to cover up his past misconduct.” Neither the Feds nor the indictment goes any further.
Now, we know that the investigators and the media could easily have gone further. The sister of one alleged Hastert victim made a post on her FaceBook page that she was pleased at the Hastert indictment because of what Hastert had done to her brother. She went on to explain the time that her brother “came out” as gay and mentioned Dennis Hastert as his first same-sex partner. Burdge claims that the Hastert “misconduct” goes far deeper than is being made public and believes that Hastert’s relationship with her brother ended after her brother left high school.
In her deposition, when Dennis Hastert’s name was mentioned, Edmonds commented that the problem that she stumbled upon while translating these conversations was that illegal activities that went against the interests of the U.S. and that benefitted foreign governments and foreign entities were discussed. In her deposition, she testified that it was well known that Hastert engaged in activities in non-secure locations and was videotaped; Edmonds testified that Hastert was not the only Member of Congress who was given this treatment. What she describes is a criminal enterprise that has embedded itself inside the U.S. government, operating both overtly and covertly for the interests of foreign governments and foreign companies. According to Edmonds, this enterprise carried out blackmail of U.S. political personalities, espionage, efforts to get highly classified U.S. weapons technology, and bribery. Edmonds’s whistleblowing was investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice Inspector General (OIG), which issued a report stating that the FBI should have done a more thorough job of investigating Edmonds’s allegations.
So, when Edmonds saw that Hastert had been indicted, she hoped that some of these larger issues were going to finally be investigated in public. She wanted the wrongs to be corrected. But she also had feelings of foreboding; that the case would go nowhere, that the Prosecutor would be forced to “lose” or “drop the case.” She calls it the scandal “too deep, too dark and covers too many people from both sides of the political aisle for it to ever proceed in public.”
Edmonds poses several questions about the U.S. media narrative that scrupulously avoids allegations from other witnesses about Hastert’s activities. A real investigation by either the media or the Feds could have helped to expose what’s really wrong with U.S. leadership in Washington, D.C. I believe this would help us to also fundamentally change the scorched earth policies that are burning the people of the U.S. as well as people in the rest of the world. Edmonds was able to overhear the plans that Wesley Clark describes as a “policy coup” that changed the course of U.S. foreign policy. Edmonds has now launched a social network campaign to prevent Dennis Hastert’s plea deal and expose the real crimes. The United Kingdom is embroiled in a few scandals of its own along these very same lines: from the Westminster pedophile scandal to the Hillary Clinton e-mail imbroglio that seemed to implicate former President George W. Bush and former Prime Minister Tony Blair in a commitment to go to war together, the U.S. and the U.K., against Iraq.
I hope Sibel Edmonds is successful and we all will get to know in full public view even a portion of what she came to know, as an FBI translator, of the unprosecuted criminals operating inside the U.S. government. | 0.091426 |
Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank said Wednesday that he hopes the new whiskey distillery he's building in South Baltimore will jump-start the transformation of the area, where he has amassed hundreds of acres in recent years.
The Sagamore Spirit distillery, a four-building complex being built on East Cromwell Street, is expected to draw about 100,000 visitors annually for tours and tastings once it opens in 2016. The project marks the first new buildings to be constructed on Plank's Port Covington properties, a former rail yard where officials have long hoped to see economic development.
"Port Covington was this old industrial land, and the idea was, how do we make it cool? How do we make coming over here a great thing?" Plank said Wednesday at the distillery's ceremonial groundbreaking. "What better than whiskey?"
Plank, who has spent more than $100 million in the last 31/2 years assembling more than 200 acres in South Baltimore, plans to build a new campus for Under Armour in the area, as well as create other mixed-use projects.
Two building renovations are already underway, and glimpses of future plans suggest a mix of buildings and waterfront parks with other improvements that would mark a major transformation.
When Plank broached the idea of building a distillery in Port Covington, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said she thought he was crazy.
But by Wednesday, when she joined Plank and dozens of other state and local politicians at the groundbreaking, she had come around.
"There's a fine line between nuts and genius, and you're teetering on that genius because you're doing amazing, amazing work," Rawlings-Blake said. "I want to acknowledge you ... for your vision and your tenacity to believe that something like this is possible."
The distillery complex, located at 301 E. Cromwell St., not far from the cruise ship terminal, is to include a restaurant and event space, a 22,000-square-foot distillery, a 27,000-square-foot processing center and a 120-foot-high water tower, holding water brought from Plank's Sagamore Farm, a horse breeding facility in Baltimore County.
Details on the whiskey operation itself were scarce.
Sagamore representatives declined to say how much it is costing to get the 5-acre project up and running, how many bottles they plan to produce a year or how many people they expect to employ. Construction is expected to create about 600 jobs.
Industry observers said they expect the company to start as one of the bigger "craft" distillers, but they believe Plank and co-founder Bill McDermond — a teenage friend who previously worked at Under Armour — have sizable ambitions. Already, the 10-person Sagamore Spirit team includes a former distillery manager for Seagram's.
"I know he wants to be a big company," said Dave Pickerell, a master distiller and senior engineer at the Oak View Spirits consulting firm who works with distillery startups and spoke to Plank during Sagamore's early planning days. "He didn't get into the business to do something small."
The first bottles of Sagamore Spirit — an 83-proof rye — are expected to hit shelves next year after several years of aging. The brand is designed to evoke and resuscitate Maryland's tradition of rye production.
The launch coincides with a resurgence in rye's popularity. Production has grown more than 500 percent since 2009, to about 561,000 cases last year, or about $300 million in retail sales, according to a recent analysis by the Distilled Spirits Council.
The number of small distillers is growing too. There are just under 800 in the country today, though they remain a small percentage of the spirits market — just 2 percent of overall sales last year, according to the American Craft Spirits Association.
The growth is creating lots of competition for big and small players, said Alexandra Sklansky, a spokeswoman for the American Craft Spirits Association.
"It will be interesting over the course of the next 10 years," she said. "I think we will see continued growth, but I think some of the craft distilleries that have emerged won't stick around. ... At the end of the day, there's only so much shelf space available at the liquor store."
Maryland is home to about 17 distillers, according to a federal directory, including at least two others in Baltimore.
"We're excited that Kevin Plank is getting into the business," said Max Lents, CEO of the Baltimore Whiskey Company, which expects to start operations at its Sisson Street location next week. "There's more than enough room for everybody at this point. … And somebody with his sort of publicity power bringing attention to Maryland spirits is going to be good for all of us little guys."
[email protected] | 0.068858 |
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A number of independent journalists have been targeted by St. Louis cops on a forum where law enforcement officers communicate. One user named “Thugwatcher” is an alleged officer in St. Louis who made a post titled “Protestors” (since removed) that linked to 5 live-streamers that he claimed were “protest leaders” in Ferguson.
Along with the links was a message that read:
“Below are the handles of some of the primary leaders of the protest. They watch us. We should watch them…”
Among the journalists listed in his post was Jon Ziegler AKA Rebelutionary Z, a live correspondent for The Free Thought Project.
Most of the comments on the board associated these journalists with rioters and terrorists, and the word “thug” was thrown around commonly to describe anyone who disagreed with the police.
One poster by the name of Jimmy Olsen attempted to correct the other officers, saying that “These livestreamers are by no means “leaders” — they are far from that! Some of them do not reside in St. Louis and have traveled here from as far as California to participate in “the movement.” Their intention is to record their activity and document the protesters’ interactions with law enforcement.”
His comments were largely ignored by the majority of the posters, some of whom were asking for the names, addresses and license numbers of both livestreamers and protesters.
Some of the people posting on the board claiming to be police had an intricate knowledge of the personal lives of journalists and protesters, including personal details about their lives, homes, families and children.
It seems that many police in the Ferguson area are paying close attention to independent journalists, and this is likely true to a lesser degree across the country.
At one point during his live-streaming coverage in Ferguson, our correspondent Rebelutionary Z was followed and detained by police. It would not be surprising if he was actually targeted for his journalism.
He was also pepper sprayed while filming a violent arrest of a peaceful protester by police.
#ferguson violent arrest #fergusonoctober VIDEO A video posted by Luke Rudkowski (@lukewearechange) on Oct 10, 2014 at 11:54pm PDT
https://twitter.com/KNationStB/status/521238607223595008
Jon Ziegler has made the following statement in response to being labeled as an organizer:
“The police have targeted livestreamers both on their blog and in the streets. They label me a “leader” and “instigator” but all I do is point the camera and give recaps of events. I don’t plan-I don’t chant-I don’t hold a sign. I DO show cops reactions live, and I believe that’s what they are afraid of. Livestreamers have gotten 3 cops suspended since Ferguson began, and for that I get maced, followed by cops and threatened online. However, what this has exposed about the underlying mindset of the American cop is priceless. We’re not dealing with a few bad apples here, but rather a systemic power issue.”
The post on the Cop Talk forum has since been removed however, thanks to Dylan over at Revolution-new.com we’ve obtained screen capped images of all of these comments. Below are some of these exchanges.
One of the comments on the forum refers to the people exposing this police brutality as a bunch of “nut jobs” with “Shit……leaking out of their pants.” This is how some of the police feel about the protesters and the ones covering the protests. With this mindset is it any wonder that they act the way they do?
John Vibes is an author, researcher and investigative journalist who takes a special interest in the counter culture and the drug war. In addition to his writing and activist work he is also the owner of a successful music promotion company. In 2013, he became one of the organizers of the Free Your Mind Conference, which features top caliber speakers and whistle-blowers from all over the world. You can contact him and stay connected to his work at his Facebook page. You can find his 65 chapter Book entitled “Alchemy of the Timeless Renaissance” at bookpatch.com. | 0.151087 |
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