{ // 获取包含Hugging Face文本的span元素 const spans = link.querySelectorAll('span.whitespace-nowrap, span.hidden.whitespace-nowrap'); spans.forEach(span => { if (span.textContent && span.textContent.trim().match(/Hugging\s*Face/i)) { span.textContent = 'AI快站'; } }); }); // 替换logo图片的alt属性 document.querySelectorAll('img[alt*="Hugging"], img[alt*="Face"]').forEach(img => { if (img.alt.match(/Hugging\s*Face/i)) { img.alt = 'AI快站 logo'; } }); } // 替换导航栏中的链接 function replaceNavigationLinks() { // 已替换标记,防止重复运行 if (window._navLinksReplaced) { return; } // 已经替换过的链接集合,防止重复替换 const replacedLinks = new Set(); // 只在导航栏区域查找和替换链接 const headerArea = document.querySelector('header') || document.querySelector('nav'); if (!headerArea) { return; } // 在导航区域内查找链接 const navLinks = headerArea.querySelectorAll('a'); navLinks.forEach(link => { // 如果已经替换过,跳过 if (replacedLinks.has(link)) return; const linkText = link.textContent.trim(); const linkHref = link.getAttribute('href') || ''; // 替换Spaces链接 - 仅替换一次 if ( (linkHref.includes('/spaces') || linkHref === '/spaces' || linkText === 'Spaces' || linkText.match(/^s*Spacess*$/i)) && linkText !== 'PDF TO Markdown' && linkText !== 'PDF TO Markdown' ) { link.textContent = 'PDF TO Markdown'; link.href = 'https://fast360.xyz'; link.setAttribute('target', '_blank'); link.setAttribute('rel', 'noopener noreferrer'); replacedLinks.add(link); } // 删除Posts链接 else if ( (linkHref.includes('/posts') || linkHref === '/posts' || linkText === 'Posts' || linkText.match(/^s*Postss*$/i)) ) { if (link.parentNode) { link.parentNode.removeChild(link); } replacedLinks.add(link); } // 替换Docs链接 - 仅替换一次 else if ( (linkHref.includes('/docs') || linkHref === '/docs' || linkText === 'Docs' || linkText.match(/^s*Docss*$/i)) && linkText !== 'Voice Cloning' ) { link.textContent = 'Voice Cloning'; link.href = 'https://vibevoice.info/'; replacedLinks.add(link); } // 删除Enterprise链接 else if ( (linkHref.includes('/enterprise') || linkHref === '/enterprise' || linkText === 'Enterprise' || linkText.match(/^s*Enterprises*$/i)) ) { if (link.parentNode) { link.parentNode.removeChild(link); } replacedLinks.add(link); } }); // 查找可能嵌套的Spaces和Posts文本 const textNodes = []; function findTextNodes(element) { if (element.nodeType === Node.TEXT_NODE) { const text = element.textContent.trim(); if (text === 'Spaces' || text === 'Posts' || text === 'Enterprise') { textNodes.push(element); } } else { for (const child of element.childNodes) { findTextNodes(child); } } } // 只在导航区域内查找文本节点 findTextNodes(headerArea); // 替换找到的文本节点 textNodes.forEach(node => { const text = node.textContent.trim(); if (text === 'Spaces') { node.textContent = node.textContent.replace(/Spaces/g, 'PDF TO Markdown'); } else if (text === 'Posts') { // 删除Posts文本节点 if (node.parentNode) { node.parentNode.removeChild(node); } } else if (text === 'Enterprise') { // 删除Enterprise文本节点 if (node.parentNode) { node.parentNode.removeChild(node); } } }); // 标记已替换完成 window._navLinksReplaced = true; } // 替换代码区域中的域名 function replaceCodeDomains() { // 特别处理span.hljs-string和span.njs-string元素 document.querySelectorAll('span.hljs-string, span.njs-string, span[class*="hljs-string"], span[class*="njs-string"]').forEach(span => { if (span.textContent && span.textContent.includes('huggingface.co')) { span.textContent = span.textContent.replace(/huggingface.co/g, 'aifasthub.com'); } }); // 替换hljs-string类的span中的域名(移除多余的转义符号) document.querySelectorAll('span.hljs-string, span[class*="hljs-string"]').forEach(span => { if (span.textContent && span.textContent.includes('huggingface.co')) { span.textContent = span.textContent.replace(/huggingface.co/g, 'aifasthub.com'); } }); // 替换pre和code标签中包含git clone命令的域名 document.querySelectorAll('pre, code').forEach(element => { if (element.textContent && element.textContent.includes('git clone')) { const text = element.innerHTML; if (text.includes('huggingface.co')) { element.innerHTML = text.replace(/huggingface.co/g, 'aifasthub.com'); } } }); // 处理特定的命令行示例 document.querySelectorAll('pre, code').forEach(element => { const text = element.innerHTML; if (text.includes('huggingface.co')) { // 针对git clone命令的专门处理 if (text.includes('git clone') || text.includes('GIT_LFS_SKIP_SMUDGE=1')) { element.innerHTML = text.replace(/huggingface.co/g, 'aifasthub.com'); } } }); // 特别处理模型下载页面上的代码片段 document.querySelectorAll('.flex.border-t, .svelte_hydrator, .inline-block').forEach(container => { const content = container.innerHTML; if (content && content.includes('huggingface.co')) { container.innerHTML = content.replace(/huggingface.co/g, 'aifasthub.com'); } }); // 特别处理模型仓库克隆对话框中的代码片段 try { // 查找包含"Clone this model repository"标题的对话框 const cloneDialog = document.querySelector('.svelte_hydration_boundary, [data-target="MainHeader"]'); if (cloneDialog) { // 查找对话框中所有的代码片段和命令示例 const codeElements = cloneDialog.querySelectorAll('pre, code, span'); codeElements.forEach(element => { if (element.textContent && element.textContent.includes('huggingface.co')) { if (element.innerHTML.includes('huggingface.co')) { element.innerHTML = element.innerHTML.replace(/huggingface.co/g, 'aifasthub.com'); } else { element.textContent = element.textContent.replace(/huggingface.co/g, 'aifasthub.com'); } } }); } // 更精确地定位克隆命令中的域名 document.querySelectorAll('[data-target]').forEach(container => { const codeBlocks = container.querySelectorAll('pre, code, span.hljs-string'); codeBlocks.forEach(block => { if (block.textContent && block.textContent.includes('huggingface.co')) { if (block.innerHTML.includes('huggingface.co')) { block.innerHTML = block.innerHTML.replace(/huggingface.co/g, 'aifasthub.com'); } else { block.textContent = block.textContent.replace(/huggingface.co/g, 'aifasthub.com'); } } }); }); } catch (e) { // 错误处理但不打印日志 } } // 当DOM加载完成后执行替换 if (document.readyState === 'loading') { document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => { replaceHeaderBranding(); replaceNavigationLinks(); replaceCodeDomains(); // 只在必要时执行替换 - 3秒后再次检查 setTimeout(() => { if (!window._navLinksReplaced) { console.log('[Client] 3秒后重新检查导航链接'); replaceNavigationLinks(); } }, 3000); }); } else { replaceHeaderBranding(); replaceNavigationLinks(); replaceCodeDomains(); // 只在必要时执行替换 - 3秒后再次检查 setTimeout(() => { if (!window._navLinksReplaced) { console.log('[Client] 3秒后重新检查导航链接'); replaceNavigationLinks(); } }, 3000); } // 增加一个MutationObserver来处理可能的动态元素加载 const observer = new MutationObserver(mutations => { // 检查是否导航区域有变化 const hasNavChanges = mutations.some(mutation => { // 检查是否存在header或nav元素变化 return Array.from(mutation.addedNodes).some(node => { if (node.nodeType === Node.ELEMENT_NODE) { // 检查是否是导航元素或其子元素 if (node.tagName === 'HEADER' || node.tagName === 'NAV' || node.querySelector('header, nav')) { return true; } // 检查是否在导航元素内部 let parent = node.parentElement; while (parent) { if (parent.tagName === 'HEADER' || parent.tagName === 'NAV') { return true; } parent = parent.parentElement; } } return false; }); }); // 只在导航区域有变化时执行替换 if (hasNavChanges) { // 重置替换状态,允许再次替换 window._navLinksReplaced = false; replaceHeaderBranding(); replaceNavigationLinks(); } }); // 开始观察document.body的变化,包括子节点 if (document.body) { observer.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true }); } else { document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => { observer.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true }); }); } })(); 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
\n\nIn this standard angular template, we’re not loading anything crazy. We’re loading the base angular library as well as ngRoute and our custom application code.\n\nOur application code is also standard. Our scripts/app.js simply defines an angular module along with a single route / :\n\nangular.module('myApp', [ 'ngRoute', 'myApp.services', 'myApp.directives']) .config(function($routeProvider) { $routeProvider .when('/', { controller: 'MainCtrl', templateUrl: 'templates/main.html', }) .otherwise({ redirectTo: '/' }); }); 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 angular . module ( 'myApp' , [ 'ngRoute' , 'myApp.services' , 'myApp.directives' ] ) . config ( function ( $ routeProvider ) { $ routeProvider . when ( '/' , { controller : 'MainCtrl' , templateUrl : 'templates/main.html' , } ) . otherwise ( { redirectTo : '/' } ) ; } ) ;\n\nOur scripts/controllers.js creates controllers from the main module:\n\nangular.module('myApp') .controller('MainCtrl', function($scope) { }); 1 2 3 4 angular . module ( 'myApp' ) . controller ( 'MainCtrl' , function ( $ scope ) { } ) ;\n\nAnd our scripts/services.js and scripts/directives.js are simple as well:\n\n// scripts/services.js angular.module('myApp.services', []); 1 2 // scripts/services.js angular . module ( 'myApp.services' , [ ] ) ;\n\n// scripts/directives.js angular.module('myApp.directives', []) 1 2 // scripts/directives.js angular . module ( 'myApp.directives' , [ ] )\n\nIntroduction\n\nThe aws ecosystem is huge and is used all over the world, in production. The gross amount of useful services that Amazon runs makes it a fantastic platform to power our applications on top of.\n\nHistorically, the APIs have not always been the easiest to use and understand, so we hope to address some of that confusion here.\n\nTraditionally, we’d use a signed request with our applications utilizing the clientid/secret access key model. Since we’re operating in the browser, it’s not a good idea to embed our clientid and our client_secret in the browser where anyone can see it. (It’s not much of a secret anyway if it’s embedded in clear text, right?).\n\nLuckily, the AWS team has provided us with an alternative method of identifying and authenticating our site to give access to the aws resources.\n\nThe first steps to creating an AWS-based angular app will be to set up this relatively complex authentication and authorization we’ll use throughout the process.\n\nCurrently (at the time of this writing), the AWS JS library integrates cleanly with three authentication providers:\n\nFacebook\n\nGoogle Plus\n\nAmazon Login\n\nIn this section, we’ll be focusing on integrating with the Google+ API to host our login, but the process is very similar for the other two authentication providers.\n\nInstallation\n\nFirst things first, we’ll need to install the files in our index.html . Inside of our index.html , we’ll need to include the aws-sdk library as well as the Google API library.\n\nWe’ll modify our index.html to include these libraries:\n\n
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
\n\nNow, notice that we added an onload callback for the Google Javascript library and we did not use the ng-app to bootstrap our application. If we let angular automatically bootstrap our application, we’ll run into a race condition where the Google API may not be loaded when the application starts.\n\nThis non-deterministic nature of our application will make the experience unusable, so instead we will manually bootstrap our app in the onLoadCallback function.\n\nTo manually bootstrap the application, we’ll add the onLoadCallback function to the window service. Before we can call to bootstrap angular, we’ll need to ensure that the google login client is loaded.\n\nThe google API client, or gapi gets included at run-time and is set by default to lazy-load its services. By telling the gapi.client to load the oauth2 library in advance of starting our app, we will avoid any potential mishaps of the oauth2 library being unavailable.\n\n// in scripts/app.js window.onLoadCallback = function() { // When the document is ready angular.element(document).ready(function() { // Bootstrap the oauth2 library gapi.client.load('oauth2', 'v2', function() { // Finally, bootstrap our angular app angular.bootstrap(document, ['myApp']); }); }); } 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 // in scripts/app.js window . onLoadCallback = function ( ) { // When the document is ready angular . element ( document ) . ready ( function ( ) { // Bootstrap the oauth2 library gapi . client . load ( 'oauth2' , 'v2' , function ( ) { // Finally, bootstrap our angular app angular . bootstrap ( document , [ 'myApp' ] ) ; } ) ; } ) ; }\n\nWith the libraries available and our application ready to be bootstrapped, we can set up the authorization part of our app.\n\nRunning\n\nAs we are using services that depend upon our URL to be an expected URL, we’ll need to run this as a server, rather than simply loading the html in our browser.\n\nWe recommend using the incredibly simple python SimpleHTTPServer\n\n$ python -m SimpleHTTPServer 9000 1 $ python - m SimpleHTTPServer 9000\n\nNow we can load the url http://localhost:9000/ in our browser.\n\nUser authorization/authentication\n\nFirst, we’ll need to get a client_id and a client_secret from Google so that we’ll be able to actually interact with the google plus login system.\n\nTo get an app, head over to the Google APIs console and create a project.\n\nOpen the project by clicking on the name and click on the APIs & auth nav button. From here, we’ll need to enable the Google+ API . Find the APIs button and click on it. Find the Google+ API item and click the OFF to ON slider.\n\nOnce that’s set, we’ll need to create and register an application and use it’s application ID to make authenticated calls.\n\nFind the Registered apps option and click on it to create an app. Make sure to select the Web Application option when it asks about the type of application.\n\nOnce this is set, you’ll be brought to the application details page. Select the OAuth 2.0 Client ID dropdown and take note of the application’s Client ID. We’ll use this in a few minutes.\n\nLastly, add the localhost origin to the WEB ORIGIN of the application. This will ensure we can develop with the API locally:\n\nThe google console has changed slightly and no longer accepts localhost as a valid origin. When in development, we like to change our local computer name. For instance, my local computer name is ari.dev . In the google web console, change the name to http://ari.dev:9000 and load the html by the name in the browser.\n\nNext, we’ll create a google+ login directive. This Angular directive will enable us to add a customized login button to our app with a single file element.\n\nFor more information about directives, check out our in-depth post on directives.\n\nWe’re going to have two pieces of functionality with our google login, we’ll create an element that we’ll attach a the standard google login button and we’ll want to run a custom function after the button has been rendered.\n\nThe final directive will look like the following in scripts/directives.js :\n\nangular.module('myApp.directives', []) .directive('googleSignin', function() { return { restrict: 'A', template: '', replace: true, scope: { afterSignin: '&' }, link: function(scope, ele, attrs) { // Set standard google class attrs.$set('class', 'g-signin'); // Set the clientid attrs.$set('data-clientid', attrs.clientId+'.apps.googleusercontent.com'); // build scope urls var scopes = attrs.scopes || [ 'auth/plus.login', 'auth/userinfo.email' ]; var scopeUrls = []; for (var i = 0; i < scopes.length; i++) { scopeUrls.push('https://www.googleapis.com/' + scopes[i]); }; // Create a custom callback method var callbackId = \"_googleSigninCallback\", directiveScope = scope; window[callbackId] = function() { var oauth = arguments[0]; directiveScope.afterSignin({oauth: oauth}); window[callbackId] = null; }; // Set standard google signin button settings attrs.$set('data-callback', callbackId); attrs.$set('data-cookiepolicy', 'single_host_origin'); attrs.$set('data-requestvisibleactions', 'http://schemas.google.com/AddActivity') attrs.$set('data-scope', scopeUrls.join(' ')); // Finally, reload the client library to // force the button to be painted in the browser (function() { var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true; po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/client:plusone.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s); })(); } } }); 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 angular . module ( 'myApp.directives' , [ ] ) . directive ( 'googleSignin' , function ( ) { return { restrict : 'A' , template : '' , replace : true , scope : { afterSignin : '&' } , link : function ( scope , ele , attrs ) { // Set standard google class attrs . $ set ( 'class' , 'g-signin' ) ; // Set the clientid attrs . $ set ( 'data-clientid' , attrs . clientId + '.apps.googleusercontent.com' ) ; // build scope urls var scopes = attrs . scopes || [ 'auth/plus.login' , 'auth/userinfo.email' ] ; var scopeUrls = [ ] ; for ( var i = 0 ; i < scopes . length ; i ++ ) { scopeUrls . push ( 'https://www.googleapis.com/' + scopes [ i ] ) ; } ; // Create a custom callback method var callbackId = \"_googleSigninCallback\" , directiveScope = scope ; window [ callbackId ] = function ( ) { var oauth = arguments [ 0 ] ; directiveScope . afterSignin ( { oauth : oauth } ) ; window [ callbackId ] = null ; } ; // Set standard google signin button settings attrs . $ set ( 'data-callback' , callbackId ) ; attrs . $ set ( 'data-cookiepolicy' , 'single_host_origin' ) ; attrs . $ set ( 'data-requestvisibleactions' , 'http://schemas.google.com/AddActivity' ) attrs . $ set ( 'data-scope' , scopeUrls . join ( ' ' ) ) ; // Finally, reload the client library to // force the button to be painted in the browser ( function ( ) { var po = document . createElement ( 'script' ) ; po . type = 'text/javascript' ; po . async = true ; po . src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/client:plusone.js' ; var s = document . getElementsByTagName ( 'script' ) [ 0 ] ; s . parentNode . insertBefore ( po , s ) ; } ) ( ) ; } } } ) ;\n\nAlthough it’s long, it’s fairly straightforward. We’re assigning the google button class g-signin , attaching the clientid based on an attribute we pass in, building the scopes, etc.\n\nOne unique part of this directive is that we’re creating a custom callback on the window object. Effectively, this will allow us to fake the callback method needing to be called in Javascript when we make the function to allow us to actually make the call to the local afterSignin action instead.\n\nWe’ll then clean up the global object because we’re allergic to global state in AngularJS.\n\nWith our directive primed and ready to go, we can include the directive in our view. We’re going to call the directive in our view like so, replacing the client-id and the after-signin attributes on the directive to our own.\n\nMake sure to include the oauth parameter exactly as it’s spelled in the after-signup attribute. This is called this way due to how angular directives call methods with parameters inside of directives.\n\n

Signin to ngroad

{{ user | json }}
1 2 3 4 5

Signin to ngroad

 {{ user | json }} 
\n\nSee it\n\nSignin to ngroad { \"state\": \"\", \"error_subtype\": \"origin_mismatch\", \"error\": \"immediate_failed\", \"session_state\": \"1a29b5a9ae878c25f578ff912e3aca68dcb17274.WK13g5v8CDFIWWon.b6f8\", \"client_id\": \"395118764244-q12ta6un8j1ns15o5blj203sho962prs.apps.googleusercontent.com\", \"scope\": \"https://www.googleapis.com/auth/plus.login https://www.googleapis.com/auth/userinfo.email\", \"g_user_cookie_policy\": \"single_host_origin\", \"cookie_policy\": \"single_host_origin\", \"response_type\": \"code token id_token gsession\", \"issued_at\": \"1439242459\", \"expires_in\": \"86400\", \"expires_at\": \"1439328859\", \"status\": { \"google_logged_in\": true, \"signed_in\": false, \"method\": null } } 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 { \"state\" : \"\" , \"error_subtype\" : \"origin_mismatch\" , \"error\" : \"immediate_failed\" , \"session_state\" : \"1a29b5a9ae878c25f578ff912e3aca68dcb17274.WK13g5v8CDFIWWon.b6f8\" , \"client_id\" : \"395118764244-q12ta6un8j1ns15o5blj203sho962prs.apps.googleusercontent.com\" , \"scope\" : \"https://www.googleapis.com/auth/plus.login https://www.googleapis.com/auth/userinfo.email\" , \"g_user_cookie_policy\" : \"single_host_origin\" , \"cookie_policy\" : \"single_host_origin\" , \"response_type\" : \"code token id_token gsession\" , \"issued_at\" : \"1439242459\" , \"expires_in\" : \"86400\" , \"expires_at\" : \"1439328859\" , \"status\" : { \"google_logged_in\" : true , \"signed_in\" : false , \"method\" : null } }\n\nThe user data in the example is the returned access_token for your login (if you log in). It is not saved on our servers, not sensitive data, and will disappear when you leave the page.\n\nFinally, we’ll need our button to actually cause an action, so we’ll need to define our after-signin method signedIn(oauth) in our controller.\n\nThis signedIn() method will kill off the authenticated page for us in our real application. Note, this method would be an ideal place to set a redirect to a new route, for instance the /dashboard route for authenticated users.\n\nangular.module('myApp') .controller('MainCtrl', function($scope) { $scope.signedIn = function(oauth) { $scope.user = oauth; } }); 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 angular . module ( 'myApp' ) . controller ( 'MainCtrl' , function ( $ scope ) { $ scope . signedIn = function ( oauth ) { $ scope . user = oauth ; } } ) ;\n\nUserService\n\nBefore we dive a bit deeper into the AWS-side of things, let’s create ourselves a UserService that is responsible for holding on to our new user. This UserService will handle the bulk of the work for interacting with the AWS backend as well as keep a copy of the current user.\n\nAlthough we’re not quite ready to attach a backend, we can start building it out to handle holding on to a persistent copy of the user instance.\n\nIn our scripts/services.js , we’ll create the beginnings of our UserService :\n\nangular.module('myApp.services', []) .factory('UserService', function($q, $http) { var service = { _user: null, setCurrentUser: function(u) { if (u && !u.error) { service._user = u; return service.currentUser(); } else { var d = $q.defer(); d.reject(u.error); return d.promise; } }, currentUser: function() { var d = $q.defer(); d.resolve(service._user); return d.promise; } }; return service; }); 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 angular . module ( 'myApp.services' , [ ] ) . factory ( 'UserService' , function ( $ q , $ http ) { var service = { _user : null , setCurrentUser : function ( u ) { if ( u && ! u . error ) { service . _user = u ; return service . currentUser ( ) ; } else { var d = $ q . defer ( ) ; d . reject ( u . error ) ; return d . promise ; } } , currentUser : function ( ) { var d = $ q . defer ( ) ; d . resolve ( service . _user ) ; return d . promise ; } } ; return service ; } ) ;\n\nAlthough this setup is a bit contrived for the time being, we’ll want the functionality to set the currentUser as a permanent fixture in the service.\n\nRemember, services are singleton objects that live for the duration of the application lifecycle.\n\nNow, instead of simply setting our user in the return of the signedIn() function, we can set the user to the UserService :\n\nangular.module('myApp') .controller('MainCtrl', function($scope) { $scope.signedIn = function(oauth) { UserService.setCurrentUser(oauth) .then(function(user) { $scope.user = user; }); } }); 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 angular . module ( 'myApp' ) . controller ( 'MainCtrl' , function ( $ scope ) { $ scope . signedIn = function ( oauth ) { UserService . setCurrentUser ( oauth ) . then ( function ( user ) { $ scope . user = user ; } ) ; } } ) ;\n\nFor our application to work, we’re going to need to hold on to actual user emails so we can provide a better method of interacting with our users as well as holding on to some persistent, unique data per-user.\n\nWe’ll use the gapi.client.oauth2.userinfo.get() method to fetch the user’s email address rather than holding on to the user’s access_token (and other various access details).\n\nIn our UserService , we’ll update our currentUser() method to include this functionality:\n\n// ... }, currentUser: function() { var d = $q.defer(); if (service._user) { d.resolve(service._user); } else { gapi.client.oauth2.userinfo.get() .execute(function(e) { service._user = e; }) } return d.promise; } // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 // ... } , currentUser : function ( ) { var d = $ q . defer ( ) ; if ( service . _user ) { d . resolve ( service . _user ) ; } else { gapi . client . oauth2 . userinfo . get ( ) . execute ( function ( e ) { service . _user = e ; } ) } return d . promise ; } // ...\n\nAll aboard AWS\n\nNow, as we said when we first started this journey, we’ll need to set up authorization with the AWS services.\n\nIf you do not have an AWS account, head over to aws.amazon.com and grab an account. It’s free and quick.\n\nNow, first things first: we’ll need to create an IAM role. IAM, or AWS’s Identity and Access Management service is one of the reasons why the AWS services are so powerful. We can create fine-grain access controls over our systems and data using IAM.\n\nUnfortunately, this flexibility and power of IAM also makes it a bit more complex, so we’ll walk through creating it here and making it as clear as we can.\n\nLet’s create the IAM role. Head to the IAM console and click on the Roles navigation link.\n\nClick the Create New Role button and give our new role a name. We’ll call ours the google-web-role .\n\nNext, we’ll need to configure the IAM role to be a Web Identity Provider Access role type. This is how we’ll be able to manage our new role’s access to our AWS services.\n\nNow, remember the CLIENT ID that we created from google above? In the next screen, select Google from the dropdown and paste the CLIENT ID into the Audience box.\n\nThis will join our IAM role and our Google app together so that our application can call out to AWS services with an authenticated Google user.\n\nClick through the Verify Trust (the next screen). This screen shows the raw configuration for AWS services. Next, we’ll create the policy for our applications.\n\nThe Policy Generator is the easiest method of getting up and running quickly to build policies. This is where we’ll set what actions our users can and cannot take.\n\nIn this step, we’re going to be taking very specific actions that our web users can take. We’re going to allow our users to the following actions for each service:\n\nS3\n\nOn the specific bucket ( ng-newsletter-example , in our example app), we’re going to allow our users to take the following actions:\n\nGetObject\n\nListBucket\n\nPutObject\n\nThe Amazon Resource Name (ARN) for our s3 bucket is:\n\narn:aws:s3:::ng-newsletter-example/* 1 arn : aws : s3 :: : ng - newsletter - example / *\n\nDynamoDB\n\nFor two specific table resources, we’re going to allow the following actions:\n\nGetItem\n\nPutItem\n\nQuery\n\nThe Amazon Resource Name (ARN) for our dynamoDB tables are the following:\n\n[ \"arn:aws:dynamodb:us-east-1::table/Users\", \"arn:aws:dynamodb:us-east-1::table/UsersItems\" ] 1 2 3 4 [ \"arn:aws:dynamodb:us-east-1::table/Users\" , \"arn:aws:dynamodb:us-east-1::table/UsersItems\" ]\n\nYour\n\ncan be found on your Account dashboard. Click on the My Account button at the top of the page and navigate to the page. Your ACCOUNT_ID is the number called ‘Account Number:’.\n\nThe final version of our policy can be found here.\n\nFor more information on the confusing ARN numbers, check out the amazon documentation on them here.\n\nOne final piece of information that we’ll need to hold on to is the Role ARN . We can find this Role ARN on the summary tab of the IAM user in our IAM console.\n\nTake note of this string as we’ll set it in a moment.\n\nNow that we’re finally done with creating our IAM user, we can move on to integrating it inside of our angular app.\n\nAWSService\n\nWe’ll move the root of our application for integrating with AWS into it’s own service we’re going to build called the AWSService .\n\nSince we are going to need to have the ability to custom configure our service at configure-time, we’ll want to create it as a provider .\n\nRemember, the only service-type that can be injected into the .config() function is the .provider() type.\n\nFirst, we’ll create the stub of our provider in scripts/services.js :\n\n// ... .provider('AWSService', function() { var self = this; self.arn = null; self.setArn = function(arn) { if (arn) self.arn = arn; } self.$get = function($q) { return {} } }); 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 // ... . provider ( 'AWSService' , function ( ) { var self = this ; self . arn = null ; self . setArn = function ( arn ) { if ( arn ) self . arn = arn ; } self . $ get = function ( $ q ) { return { } } } ) ;\n\nAs we can already start to notice, we’ll need to set the Role ARN for this service so that we can attach the proper user to the correct services.\n\nSetting up our AWSService as a provider like we do above enables us to set the following in our scripts/app.js file:\n\nangular.module('myApp', ['ngRoute', 'myApp.services', 'myApp.directives'] ) .config(function(AWSServiceProvider) { AWSServiceProvider .setArn( 'arn:aws:iam:::role/google-web-role'); }) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 angular . module ( 'myApp' , [ 'ngRoute' , 'myApp.services' , 'myApp.directives' ] ) . config ( function ( AWSServiceProvider ) { AWSServiceProvider . setArn ( 'arn:aws:iam:::role/google-web-role' ) ; } )\n\nNow, we can carry on with the AWSService and not worry about overriding our Role ARN as well as it becomes incredibly easy to share amongst our different applications instead of recreating it every time.\n\nOur AWSService at this point doesn’t really do anything yet. The last component that we’ll need to ensure works is that we give access to our actual users who log in.\n\nThis final step is where we’ll need to tell the AWS library that we have an authenticated user that can operate as our IAM role.\n\nWe’ll create this credentials as a promise that will eventually be resolved so we can define the different portions of our application without needing to bother checking if the credentials have been loaded simply by using the .then() method on promises.\n\nLet’s modify our $get() method in our service adding a method that we’ll call setToken() to create a new set of WebIdentityCredentials :\n\n// ... self.$get = function($q) { var credentialsDefer = $q.defer(), credentialsPromise = credentialsDefer.promise; return { credentials: function() { return credentialsPromise; }, setToken: function(token, providerId) { var config = { RoleArn: self.arn, WebIdentityToken: token, RoleSessionName: 'web-id' } if (providerId) { config['ProviderId'] = providerId; } self.config = config; AWS.config.credentials = new AWS.WebIdentityCredentials(config); credentialsDefer .resolve(AWS.config.credentials); } } } // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 // ... self . $ get = function ( $ q ) { var credentialsDefer = $ q . defer ( ) , credentialsPromise = credentialsDefer . promise ; return { credentials : function ( ) { return credentialsPromise ; } , setToken : function ( token , providerId ) { var config = { RoleArn : self . arn , WebIdentityToken : token , RoleSessionName : 'web-id' } if ( providerId ) { config [ 'ProviderId' ] = providerId ; } self . config = config ; AWS . config . credentials = new AWS . WebIdentityCredentials ( config ) ; credentialsDefer . resolve ( AWS . config . credentials ) ; } } } // ...\n\nNow, when we get our oauth.access_token back from our login through Google, we’ll pass in the id_token to this function which will take care of the AWS config setup.\n\nLet’s modify the UserService service such that we call the setToken() method:\n\n// ... .factory('UserService', function($q, $http) { var service = { _user: null, setCurrentUser: function(u) { if (u && !u.error) { AWSService.setToken(u.id_token); return service.currentUser(); } else { var d = $q.defer(); d.reject(u.error); return d.promise; } }, // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 // ... . factory ( 'UserService' , function ( $ q , $ http ) { var service = { _user : null , setCurrentUser : function ( u ) { if ( u && ! u . error ) { AWSService . setToken ( u . id_token ) ; return service . currentUser ( ) ; } else { var d = $ q . defer ( ) ; d . reject ( u . error ) ; return d . promise ; } } , // ...\n\nStarting on dynamo\n\nIn our application, we’ll want to associate any images that one user uploads to that unique user. To create this association, we’ll create a dynamo table that stores our users as well as another that stores the association between the user and the user’s uploaded files.\n\nTo start interacting with dynamo, we’ll first need to instantiate a dynamo object. We’ll do this inside of our AWSService service object, like so:\n\n// ... setToken: function(token, providerId) { // ... }, dynamo: function(params) { var d = $q.defer(); credentialsPromise.then(function() { var table = new AWS.DynamoDB(params); d.resolve(table); }); return d.promise; }, // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 // ... setToken : function ( token , providerId ) { // ... } , dynamo : function ( params ) { var d = $ q . defer ( ) ; credentialsPromise . then ( function ( ) { var table = new AWS . DynamoDB ( params ) ; d . resolve ( table ) ; } ) ; return d . promise ; } , // ...\n\nAs we discussed earlier, by using promises inside of our service objects, we only need to use the promise .then() api method to ensure our credentials are set when we’re starting to use them.\n\nYou might ask why we’re setting params with our dynamo function. Sometimes we’ll want to interact with our dynamoDB with different configurations and different setups. This might cause us to need to recreate objects that we already use once in our page.\n\nRather than having this duplication around with our different AWS objects, we’ll cache these objects using the built-in angular $cacheFactory service.\n\n$cacheFactory\n\nThe $cacheFactory service enables us to create an object if we need it or recycle and reuse an object if we’ve already needed it in the past.\n\nTo start caching, we’ll create a dynamoCache object where we’ll store our cached dynamo objects:\n\n// ... self.$get = function($q, $cacheFactory) { var dynamoCache = $cacheFactory('dynamo'), credentialsDefer = $q.defer(), credentialsPromise = credentialsDefer.promise; return { // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 // ... self . $ get = function ( $ q , $ cacheFactory ) { var dynamoCache = $ cacheFactory ( 'dynamo' ) , credentialsDefer = $ q . defer ( ) , credentialsPromise = credentialsDefer . promise ; return { // ...\n\nNow, back in our dynamo method, we can draw from the cache if the object exists in the cache or we can set it to create the object when necessary:\n\n// ... dynamo: function(params) { var d = $q.defer(); credentialsPromise.then(function() { var table = dynamoCache.get(JSON.stringify(params)); if (!table) { var table = new AWS.DynamoDB(params); dynamoCache.put(JSON.stringify(params), table); }; d.resolve(table); }); return d.promise; }, // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 // ... dynamo : function ( params ) { var d = $ q . defer ( ) ; credentialsPromise . then ( function ( ) { var table = dynamoCache . get ( JSON . stringify ( params ) ) ; if ( ! table ) { var table = new AWS . DynamoDB ( params ) ; dynamoCache . put ( JSON . stringify ( params ) , table ) ; } ; d . resolve ( table ) ; } ) ; return d . promise ; } , // ...\n\nSaving our currentUser\n\nWhen a user logs in and we fetch the user’s email, this is a good point for us to add the user to our user’s database.\n\nTo create a dynamo object, we’ll use the promise api method .then() again, this time outside of the service. We’ll create an object that will enable us to interact with the User’s table we’ll create in the dynamo API console.\n\nWe’ll need to manually create these dynamo tables the first time because we do not want to give access to our web users the ability to create dynamo tables, which might include us.\n\nTo create a dynamo table, head to the dynamo console and find the Create Table button.\n\nCreate a table called Users with a primary key type of Hash . The Hash Attribute Name will be the primary key that we’ll use to get and put objects on the table. For this demo, we’ll use the string: User email .\n\nClick through the next two screens and set up a basic alarm by entering your email. Although this step isn’t 100% necessary, it’s easy to forget that our tables are up and without being reminded, we might just end up leaving them up forever.\n\nOnce we’ve clicked through the final review screen and click create, we’ll end up with a brand new Dynamo table where we will store our users.\n\nWhile we are at the console, we’ll create the join table. This is the table that will join the User and the items they upload.\n\nFind the Create Table button again and create a table called UsersItems with a primary key type of Hash and Range . For this table, The Hash Attribute Name will also be User email and the Range Attribute Name will be ItemId .\n\nThis will allow us to query for User’s who have created items based on the User’s email.\n\nThe rest of the options that are available on the next screens are optional and we can click through the rest.\n\nAt this point, we have two dynamo tables available.\n\nBack to our UserService , we’ll first query the table to see if the user is already saved in our database, otherwise we’ll create an entry in our dynamo database.\n\nvar service = { _user: null, UsersTable: \"Users\", UserItemsTable: \"UsersItems\", // ... currentUser: function() { var d = $q.defer(); if (service._user) { d.resolve(service._user); } else { // After we've loaded the credentials AWSService.credentials().then(function() { gapi.client.oauth2.userinfo.get() .execute(function(e) { var email = e.email; // Get the dynamo instance for the // UsersTable AWSService.dynamo({ params: {TableName: service.UsersTable} }) .then(function(table) { // find the user by email table.getItem({ Key: {'User email': {S: email}} }, function(err, data) { if (Object.keys(data).length == 0) { // User didn't previously exist // so create an entry var itemParams = { Item: { 'User email': {S: email}, data: { S: JSON.stringify(e) } } }; table.putItem(itemParams, function(err, data) { service._user = e; d.resolve(e); }); } else { // The user already exists service._user = JSON.parse(data.Item.data.S); d.resolve(service._user); } }); }); }); }); } return d.promise; }, // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 var service = { _user : null , UsersTable : \"Users\" , UserItemsTable : \"UsersItems\" , // ... currentUser : function ( ) { var d = $ q . defer ( ) ; if ( service . _user ) { d . resolve ( service . _user ) ; } else { // After we've loaded the credentials AWSService . credentials ( ) . then ( function ( ) { gapi . client . oauth2 . userinfo . get ( ) . execute ( function ( e ) { var email = e . email ; // Get the dynamo instance for the // UsersTable AWSService . dynamo ( { params : { TableName : service . UsersTable } } ) . then ( function ( table ) { // find the user by email table . getItem ( { Key : { 'User email' : { S : email } } } , function ( err , data ) { if ( Object . keys ( data ) . length == 0 ) { // User didn't previously exist // so create an entry var itemParams = { Item : { 'User email' : { S : email } , data : { S : JSON . stringify ( e ) } } } ; table . putItem ( itemParams , function ( err , data ) { service . _user = e ; d . resolve ( e ) ; } ) ; } else { // The user already exists service . _user = JSON . parse ( data . Item . data . S ) ; d . resolve ( service . _user ) ; } } ) ; } ) ; } ) ; } ) ; } return d . promise ; } , // ...\n\nAlthough it looks like a lot of code, this simply does a find or create by username on our dynamoDB.\n\nAt this point, we can finally get back to our view and check out what’s happening in the view.\n\nIn our templates/main.html , we’ll add a container that simply shows the Login form if there is no user and shows the user details if there is a user.\n\nWe’ll do this with simple ng-show directives and our new google-signin directive.\n\n

Home

Signup or login to ngroad

{{ user | json }}
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Home

Signup or login to ngroad

 {{ user | json }} 
\n\nWith our view set up, we can now work with logged in users inside the second
(in production, it’s a good idea to make it a separate route).\n\nUploading to s3\n\nNow that we have our logged in user stored in dynamo, it’s time we create the ability to handle file upload where we’ll store our files directly on S3.\n\nFirst and foremost, a shallow dive into CORS. CORS, or Cross-Origin Resource Sharing is a security features that modern browsers support allowing us to make requests to foreign domains using a standard protocol.\n\nLuckily, the AWS team has made supporting CORS incredibly simple. If we’re hosting our site on s3, then we don’t even need to set up CORS (other than for development purposes).\n\nTo enable CORS on a bucket, head to the s3 console and find the bucket that we’re going to use for file uploads. For this demo, we’re using the ng-newsletter-example bucket.\n\nOnce the bucket has been located, click on it and load the Properties tab and pull open the Permissions option. click on the Add CORS configuration button and pick the standard CORS configuration.\n\nWe’ll create a simple file upload directive that kicks off a method that uses the HTML5 File API to handle the file upload. This way, when the user selects the file the file upload will immediately start.\n\nTo handle the file selection directive, we’ll create a simple directive that binds to the change event and calls a method after the file has been selected.\n\nThe directive is simple:\n\n// ... .directive('fileUpload', function() { return { restrict: 'A', scope: { fileUpload: '&' }, template: ' ', replace: true, link: function(scope, ele, attrs) { ele.bind('change', function() { var file = ele[0].files; if (file) scope.fileUpload({files: file}); }) } } }) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 // ... . directive ( 'fileUpload' , function ( ) { return { restrict : 'A' , scope : { fileUpload : '&' } , template : ' ' , replace : true , link : function ( scope , ele , attrs ) { ele . bind ( 'change' , function ( ) { var file = ele [ 0 ] . files ; if ( file ) scope . fileUpload ( { files : file } ) ; } ) } } } )\n\nThis directive can be used in our view like so:\n\n
1 2 3 4 5 6
\n\nNow, when the file selection has been made, it will call the method onFile(files) in our current scope.\n\nAlthough we’re creating our own file directive here, we recommend checking out the ngUpload library for handling file uploads.\n\nInside the onFile(files) method, we’ll want to handle the file upload to s3 and save the record to our dynamo database table. Instead of placing this functionality in the controller, we’ll be nice angular citizens and place this in our UserService service.\n\nFirst, we’ll need to make sure we have the ability to get an s3 Javascript object just like we made the dynamo available.\n\n// ... var dynamoCache = $cacheFactory('dynamo'), s3Cache = $cacheFactory('s3Cache'); // ... return { // ... s3: function(params) { var d = $q.defer(); credentialsPromise.then(function() { var s3Obj = s3Cache.get(JSON.stringify(params)); if (!s3Obj) { var s3Obj = new AWS.S3(params); s3Cache.put(JSON.stringify(params), s3Obj); } d.resolve(s3Obj); }); return d.promise; }, // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 // ... var dynamoCache = $ cacheFactory ( 'dynamo' ) , s3Cache = $ cacheFactory ( 's3Cache' ) ; // ... return { // ... s3 : function ( params ) { var d = $ q . defer ( ) ; credentialsPromise . then ( function ( ) { var s3Obj = s3Cache . get ( JSON . stringify ( params ) ) ; if ( ! s3Obj ) { var s3Obj = new AWS . S3 ( params ) ; s3Cache . put ( JSON . stringify ( params ) , s3Obj ) ; } d . resolve ( s3Obj ) ; } ) ; return d . promise ; } , // ...\n\nThis method works the exact same way that our dynamo object creation works, giving us direct access to the s3 instance object as we’ll see shortly.\n\nHandling file uploads\n\nTo handle file uploads, we’ll create a method that we’ll call uploadItemForSale() in our UserService . Planning our functionality, we’ll want to:\n\nUpload the file to S3\n\nGet a signedUrl for the file\n\nSave this information to our database\n\nWe’re going to be using our current user through this process, so we’ll start out by making sure we have our user and get an instance\n\n// in scripts/services.js // ... }, Bucket: 'ng-newsletter-example', uploadItemForSale: function(items) { var d = $q.defer(); service.currentUser().then(function(user) { // Handle the upload AWSService.s3({ params: { Bucket: service.Bucket } }).then(function(s3) { // We have a handle of our s3 bucket // in the s3 object }); }); return d.promise; }, // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 // in scripts/services.js // ... } , Bucket : 'ng-newsletter-example' , uploadItemForSale : function ( items ) { var d = $ q . defer ( ) ; service . currentUser ( ) . then ( function ( user ) { // Handle the upload AWSService . s3 ( { params : { Bucket : service . Bucket } } ) . then ( function ( s3 ) { // We have a handle of our s3 bucket // in the s3 object } ) ; } ) ; return d . promise ; } , // ...\n\nWith the handle of the s3 bucket, we can create a file to upload. There are 3 required parameters when uploading to s3:\n\nKey – The key of the file object\n\nBody – The file blob itself\n\nContentType – The type of file\n\nLuckily for us, all this information is available on the file object when we get it from the browser.\n\n// ... // Handle the upload AWSService.s3({ params: { Bucket: service.Bucket } }).then(function(s3) { // We have a handle of our s3 bucket // in the s3 object var file = items[0]; // Get the first file var params = { Key: file.name, Body: file, ContentType: file.type } s3.putObject(params, function(err, data) { // The file has been uploaded // or an error has occurred during the upload }); }); // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 // ... // Handle the upload AWSService . s3 ( { params : { Bucket : service . Bucket } } ) . then ( function ( s3 ) { // We have a handle of our s3 bucket // in the s3 object var file = items [ 0 ] ; // Get the first file var params = { Key : file . name , Body : file , ContentType : file . type } s3 . putObject ( params , function ( err , data ) { // The file has been uploaded // or an error has occurred during the upload } ) ; } ) ; // ...\n\nBy default, s3 uploads files in a protected form. It prevents us from uploading and having the files available to the public without some work. This is a definite feature as anything that we upload to s3 will be protected and it forces us to make conscious choices about what files will be public and which are not.\n\nWith that in mind, we’ll create a temporary url that expires after a given amount of time. In our ngroad marketplace, this will give a time-expiry on each of the items that are available for sale.\n\nIn any case, to create a temporary url, we’ll fetch a signedUrl and store that in our join table for User’s Items:\n\n// ... s3.putObject(params, function(err, data) { if (!err) { var params = { Bucket: service.Bucket, Key: file.name, Expires: 900*4 // 1 hour }; s3.getSignedUrl('getObject', params, function(err, url) { // Now we have a url }); } }); }); // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 // ... s3 . putObject ( params , function ( err , data ) { if ( ! err ) { var params = { Bucket : service . Bucket , Key : file . name , Expires : 900 * 4 // 1 hour } ; s3 . getSignedUrl ( 'getObject' , params , function ( err , url ) { // Now we have a url } ) ; } } ) ; } ) ; // ...\n\nFinally, we can save our User’s object along with the file they uploaded in our Join table:\n\n// ... s3.getSignedUrl('getObject', params, function(err, url) { // Now we have a url AWSService.dynamo({ params: {TableName: service.UserItemsTable} }).then(function(table) { var itemParams = { Item: { 'ItemId': {S: file.name}, 'User email': {S: user.email}, data: { S: JSON.stringify({ itemId: file.name, itemSize: file.size, itemUrl: url }) } } }; table.putItem(itemParams, function(err, data) { d.resolve(data); }); }); }); // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 // ... s3 . getSignedUrl ( 'getObject' , params , function ( err , url ) { // Now we have a url AWSService . dynamo ( { params : { TableName : service . UserItemsTable } } ) . then ( function ( table ) { var itemParams = { Item : { 'ItemId' : { S : file . name } , 'User email' : { S : user . email } , data : { S : JSON . stringify ( { itemId : file . name , itemSize : file . size , itemUrl : url } ) } } } ; table . putItem ( itemParams , function ( err , data ) { d . resolve ( data ) ; } ) ; } ) ; } ) ; // ...\n\nThis method, all together is available here.\n\nWe can use this new method inside of our controller’s onFile() method, which we can write to be similar to:\n\n$scope.onFile = function(files) { UserService.uploadItemForSale(files) .then(function(data) { // Refresh the current items for sale }); } 1 2 3 4 5 6 $ scope . onFile = function ( files ) { UserService . uploadItemForSale ( files ) . then ( function ( data ) { // Refresh the current items for sale } ) ; }\n\nQuerying dynamo\n\nIdeally, we’ll want to be able to list all the products a certain user has available for purchase. In order to set up a listing of the available items, we will use the query api.\n\nThe dynamo query api is a tad esoteric and can be considerably confusing when looking at it at first glance.\n\nThe dynamo query documentation is available http://docs.aws.amazon.com/amazondynamodb/latest/APIReference/API_Query.html\n\nBasically, we’ll match object schemes up with a comparison operator, such as equal , lt (less than), or gt (greater than) and several more. Our join table’s key is the User email key, so we’ll match this key against the current user’s email as the query key.\n\nAs we did with our other APIs related to users, we’ll creat a method inside of our UserService to handle this querying of the database:\n\n// ... itemsForSale: function() { var d = $q.defer(); service.currentUser().then(function(user) { AWSService.dynamo({ params: {TableName: service.UserItemsTable} }).then(function(table) { table.query({ TableName: service.UserItemsTable, KeyConditions: { \"User email\": { \"ComparisonOperator\": \"EQ\", \"AttributeValueList\": [ {S: user.email} ] } } }, function(err, data) { var items = []; if (data) { angular.forEach(data.Items, function(item) { items.push(JSON.parse(item.data.S)); }); d.resolve(items); } else { d.reject(err); } }) }); }); return d.promise; }, // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 // ... itemsForSale : function ( ) { var d = $ q . defer ( ) ; service . currentUser ( ) . then ( function ( user ) { AWSService . dynamo ( { params : { TableName : service . UserItemsTable } } ) . then ( function ( table ) { table . query ( { TableName : service . UserItemsTable , KeyConditions : { \"User email\" : { \"ComparisonOperator\" : \"EQ\" , \"AttributeValueList\" : [ { S : user . email } ] } } } , function ( err , data ) { var items = [ ] ; if ( data ) { angular . forEach ( data . Items , function ( item ) { items . push ( JSON . parse ( item . data . S ) ) ; } ) ; d . resolve ( items ) ; } else { d . reject ( err ) ; } } ) } ) ; } ) ; return d . promise ; } , // ...\n\nIn the above query, the KeyConditions and \"User email\" are required parameters.\n\nShowing the listing in HTML\n\nTo show our user’s images in HTML, we’ll simply assign the result of our new itemsForSale() method to a property of the controller’s scope:\n\nvar getItemsForSale = function() { UserService.itemsForSale() .then(function(images) { $scope.images = images; }); } getItemsForSale(); // Load the user's list initially 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 var getItemsForSale = function ( ) { UserService . itemsForSale ( ) . then ( function ( images ) { $ scope . images = images ; } ) ; } getItemsForSale ( ) ; // Load the user's list initially\n\nNow we can iterate over the list of items easily using the ng-repeat directive:\n\n
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
\n\nSelling our work\n\nThe final component of our AWS-powered demo app is the ability to create sales from our Single Page App.\n\nIn order to actually take money from customers, we’ll need a thin backend component that will need to convert stripe tokens into sales on Stripe. We cover this in our upcoming book that’s available for pre-release at ng-book.com.\n\nTo start handling payments, we’ll create a StripeService that will handle creating charges for us. Since we’ll want to support configuring Stripe in the .config() method in our module, we’ll need to create a .provider() .\n\nThe service itself is incredibly simple as it leverages the Stripe.js library to do the heavy lifting work.\n\n// ... .provider('StripeService', function() { var self = this; self.setPublishableKey = function(key) { Stripe.setPublishableKey(key); } self.$get = function($q) { return { createCharge: function(obj) { var d = $q.defer(); if (!obj.hasOwnProperty('number') || !obj.hasOwnProperty('cvc') || !obj.hasOwnProperty('exp_month') || !obj.hasOwnProperty('exp_year') ) { d.reject(\"Bad input\", obj); } else { Stripe.card.createToken(obj, function(status, resp) { if (status == 200) { d.resolve(resp); } else { d.reject(status); } }); } return d.promise; } } } }); 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 // ... . provider ( 'StripeService' , function ( ) { var self = this ; self . setPublishableKey = function ( key ) { Stripe . setPublishableKey ( key ) ; } self . $ get = function ( $ q ) { return { createCharge : function ( obj ) { var d = $ q . defer ( ) ; if ( ! obj . hasOwnProperty ( 'number' ) || ! obj . hasOwnProperty ( 'cvc' ) || ! obj . hasOwnProperty ( 'exp_month' ) || ! obj . hasOwnProperty ( 'exp_year' ) ) { d . reject ( \"Bad input\" , obj ) ; } else { Stripe . card . createToken ( obj , function ( status , resp ) { if ( status == 200 ) { d . resolve ( resp ) ; } else { d . reject ( status ) ; } } ) ; } return d . promise ; } } } } ) ;\n\nIf you do not have a Stripe account, get one at stripe.com. Stripe is an incredibly developer friendly payment processing gateway, which makes it ideal for us building our ngroad marketplace on it.\n\nOnce you have an account, find your Account Settings page and locate the API Keys page. Find the publishable key (either the test one – which will not actually make charges or the production version) and take note of it.\n\nIn our scripts/app.js file, add the following line and replace the ‘pktestYOUR_KEY’ publishable key with yours.\n\n.config(function(StripeServiceProvider) { StripeServiceProvider .setPublishableKey('pk_test_YOUR_KEY'); }) 1 2 3 4 . config ( function ( StripeServiceProvider ) { StripeServiceProvider . setPublishableKey ( 'pk_test_YOUR_KEY' ) ; } )\n\nUsing Stripe\n\nWhen a user clicks on an image they like, we’ll open a form in the browser that takes credit card information. We’ll set the form to submit to an action on our controller called submitPayment() .\n\nNotice above where we have the thumbnail of the image, we include an action when the image is clicked that calls the sellImage() action with the image.\n\nImplementing the sellImage() function in the MainCtrl , it looks like:\n\n// ... $scope.sellImage = function(image) { $scope.showCC = true; $scope.currentItem = image; } // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 // ... $ scope . sellImage = function ( image ) { $ scope . showCC = true ; $ scope . currentItem = image ; } // ...\n\nNow, when the image is clicked, the showCC property will be true and we can show the credit card form. We’ve included an incredibly simple one here:\n\n
Card Number CVC Expiration (MM/YYYY) /
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36
Card Number CVC Expiration (MM/YYYY) /
\n\nWe’re binding the form almost entirely to the charge object on the scope, which we will use when we make the charge.\n\nThe form itself submits to the function submitPayment() on the controller’s scope. The submitPayment() function looks like:\n\n// ... $scope.submitPayment = function() { UserService .createPayment($scope.currentItem, $scope.charge) .then(function(data) { $scope.showCC = false; }); } // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 // ... $ scope . submitPayment = function ( ) { UserService . createPayment ( $ scope . currentItem , $ scope . charge ) . then ( function ( data ) { $ scope . showCC = false ; } ) ; } // ...\n\nThe last thing that we’ll have to do to be able to take charges is implement the createPayment() method on the UserService.\n\nNow, since we’re taking payment on the client-side, we’re technically not going to be able to process payments, we can only accept the stripeToken which we can set a background process to manage handling turning the stripe tokens into actual payments.\n\nInside of our createPayment() function, we’ll call our StripeService to generate the stripeToken . Then, we’ll add the payment to an Amazon SQS queue so that our background process can make the charge.\n\nFirst, we’ll use the AWSService to access our SQS queues.\n\nUnlike our other services, the SQS service requires a bit more integration to make it work as they require us to have a URL to interact with them. In our AWSService service object, we’ll need to cache the URL that we’re working with and create a new object every time time using that object instead. The idea behind the workflow is the exact same, however.\n\n// ... self.$get = function($q, $cacheFactory) { var dynamoCache = $cacheFactory('dynamo'), s3Cache = $cacheFactory('s3Cache'), sqsCache = $cacheFactory('sqs'); // ... sqs: function(params) { var d = $q.defer(); credentialsPromise.then(function() { var url = sqsCache.get(JSON.stringify(params)), queued = $q.defer(); if (!url) { var sqs = new AWS.SQS(); sqs.createQueue(params, function(err, data) { if (data) { url = data.QueueUrl; sqsCache.put(JSON.stringify(params), url); queued.resolve(url); } else { queued.reject(err); } }); } else { queued.resolve(url); } queued.promise.then(function(url) { var queue = new AWS.SQS({params: {QueueUrl: url}}); d.resolve(queue); }); }) return d.promise; } // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 // ... self . $ get = function ( $ q , $ cacheFactory ) { var dynamoCache = $ cacheFactory ( 'dynamo' ) , s3Cache = $ cacheFactory ( 's3Cache' ) , sqsCache = $ cacheFactory ( 'sqs' ) ; // ... sqs : function ( params ) { var d = $ q . defer ( ) ; credentialsPromise . then ( function ( ) { var url = sqsCache . get ( JSON . stringify ( params ) ) , queued = $ q . defer ( ) ; if ( ! url ) { var sqs = new AWS . SQS ( ) ; sqs . createQueue ( params , function ( err , data ) { if ( data ) { url = data . QueueUrl ; sqsCache . put ( JSON . stringify ( params ) , url ) ; queued . resolve ( url ) ; } else { queued . reject ( err ) ; } } ) ; } else { queued . resolve ( url ) ; } queued . promise . then ( function ( url ) { var queue = new AWS . SQS ( { params : { QueueUrl : url } } ) ; d . resolve ( queue ) ; } ) ; } ) return d . promise ; } // ...\n\nNow we can use SQS inside of our createPayment() function. One caveat to the SQS service is that it can only send simple messages, such as with strings and numbers. It cannot send objects, so we’ll need to call JSON.stringify on our objects that we’ll want to pass through the queue.\n\n// ... ChargeTable: \"UserCharges\", // ... createPayment: function(item, charge) { var d = $q.defer(); StripeService.createCharge(charge) .then(function(data) { var stripeToken = data.id; AWSService.sqs( {QueueName: service.ChargeTable} ).then(function(queue) { queue.sendMessage({ MessageBody: JSON.stringify({ item: item, stripeToken: stripeToken }) }, function(err, data) { d.resolve(data); }) }) }, function(err) { d.reject(err); }); return d.promise; } 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 // ... ChargeTable : \"UserCharges\" , // ... createPayment : function ( item , charge ) { var d = $ q . defer ( ) ; StripeService . createCharge ( charge ) . then ( function ( data ) { var stripeToken = data . id ; AWSService . sqs ( { QueueName : service . ChargeTable } ) . then ( function ( queue ) { queue . sendMessage ( { MessageBody : JSON . stringify ( { item : item , stripeToken : stripeToken } ) } , function ( err , data ) { d . resolve ( data ) ; } ) } ) } , function ( err ) { d . reject ( err ) ; } ) ; return d . promise ; }\n\nWhen we submit the form…\n\nOur SQS queue grows and we have a payment just waiting to be completed.\n\nConclusion\n\nThe entire source for this article is available at http://d.pr/aL9q.\n\nAmazon’s AWS presents us with powerful services so that we can completely change the way we work and deploy our angular apps.\n\nFor more in-depth information about Angular, both more in-depth articles about back-end infrastructure and all levels of Angular, check out our upcoming book at ng-book.com.\n\nGet the weekly email all focused on AngularJS. Sign up below to receive the weekly email and exclusive content.\n\nWe will never send you spam and it's a cinch to unsubscribe."}}},{"rowIdx":1005412,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"The Sheboygan Armory as seen Wednesday June 8, 2016 in Sheboygan. Sheboygan was among several Midwestern cities vying to land new Bucks D-League team and the Armory have a second life. (Photo: Gary C. Klein/USA TODAY NETWORK-)\n\nAn effort is underway to bring a professional basketball team to Sheboygan for the first time in more than six decades.\n\nThe Sheboygan Armory as seen Wednesday June 8, 2016 in Sheboygan. (Photo: Gary C. Klein/USA TODAY NETWORK-)\n\nSources have confirmed Sheboygan is among several Midwestern cities vying to land a new NBA Development League team being launched by the Milwaukee Bucks.\n\nChad Pelishek, the city’s planning and development director, said the local stakeholders group behind the bid has met with the Sheboygan Common Council and other city officials in closed session to discuss the proposal, though he declined to provide details on those talks.\n\nBucks officials have said the team hopes to launch a D-League affiliate by fall 2017 and have confirmed that several cities have shown interest, though the team hasn’t disclosed any suitors.\n\nPelishek would not say if the local effort would involve public money, but added that the council could take action related to the proposal in open session as the Bucks’ late-June proposal deadline nears.\n\nIf the bid was successful, the team would become the city’s first professional basketball franchise since the Sheboygan Red Skins, which played in various professional leagues beginning in the 1930s before becoming a charter member of the NBA in 1949. The team disbanded shortly after.\n\nRELATED STORY: Oshkosh vying for Milwaukee Bucks farm team\n\nRELATED STORY: Found document details Armory's origins\n\nRELATED STORY: Sheboygan council votes down Armory landmarking attempt\n\nThe Red Skins’ former venue, the Sheboygan Armory, still stands, though the historic, Depression-era building has deteriorated over the years and was to be bulldozed before a recent development deal fell apart.\n\nThe Common Council went into closed session during its May 2 meeting to discuss the “long-term strategy” for the Armory, 516 Broughton Drive, though city officials won't say whether the venue would be part of the Bucks proposal, or what other locations could be in play.\n\nCity officials also declined to say who exactly will submit the proposal to the Bucks. When reached for comment, Mayor Mike Vandersteen said the city itself was not preparing a proposal.\n\nDane Checolinski, director of the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corp., said his agency has not been involved in the effort but said at least in concept, having a Bucks affiliate here would complement the area’s existing professional sports venues, including Whistling Straits and Road America.\n\n“Certainly it gives the residents of the area another social venue and certainly it helps raise the awareness of Sheboygan,” he said.\n\nSo far, Oshkosh is the only other Wisconsin community that’s gone public with its bid to land the team.\n\nWindward Wealth Strategies, an Oshkosh wealth management firm, earlier this week confirmed that it was putting together a bid to bring the team there.\n\nTo make that happen, Windward would need to build a 3,500-seat stadium for the team, said Greg Pierce, president of Windward Wealth Strategies.\n\nThe project would be funded entirely with private money at a cost of more than $4 million, Pierce said.\n\nSheboygan or Oshkosh would be among the smallest of 19 D-league sites to host a team, if the Bucks select either city.\n\nMost NBA D-league teams play in markets with more than 200,000 people, though a Phoenix Suns franchise moved this spring from Bakersfield, California to Prescott Valley, Arizona, with a combined population there and in nearby Prescott of about 80,000.\n\nPortland Maine’s D-league franchise, the Maine Red Claws, plays in a city of about 66,000 — roughly the size of Oshkosh — but more than 285,000 live in that county, while nearly 170,000 live in Winnebago County and 114,000 live in Sheboygan County.\n\nSheboygan and Oshkosh would need to draw fans from across northeast Wisconsin regularly to make a D-league team viable.\n\nThe Bucks could go outside the state but likely would seek out a D-League site somewhere in Wisconsin to build a fan base outside Milwaukee and Madison, Pierce said.\n\nIn a statement to USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin, the Bucks said a D-League team would be an important addition, but plans are still in the early stages.\n\n\"While there is no immediate timetable for an announcement, we are excited to learn more about the cities throughout the region that have expressed an interest in welcoming the Bucks' D-League affiliate to their community,\" the statement said.\n\nThe push to attract a Bucks' D-League team comes as the franchise is working to keep pace with the growing trend of D-League teams affiliated with or owned by single NBA teams.\n\nThe league launched with eight teams in the 2001-02 season.\n\nThree NBA franchises have purchased D-League teams that will begin play during the 2016-17 season, bringing the total of franchises to 22. Joining the league will be the Windy City Bulls (Chicago affiliate), Greensboro Swarm (Charlotte) and Long Island Nets (Brooklyn).\n\nOnly eight of 30 NBA teams, including the Bucks, will be without a D-League team.\n\nLast season the Bucks had to go through a newly established process to assign players to other clubs' D-League affiliates.\n\nRookie Rashad Vaughn was assigned to the Canton Charge, an affiliate of the Cleveland Cavaliers, while forward Damien Inglis had D-League stints with both Canton and the Westchester Knicks, an affiliate of the New York Knicks.\n\nReach USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Reporter Josh Lintereur at 920-453-5147, jlintereur@gannett.com or on Twitter @joshlintereur."}}},{"rowIdx":1005413,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"In the base package, there's a module called System.Console.GetOpt. It offers a simple command-line option parser. Here's how this is typically used.\n\n{-# LANGUAGE LambdaCase #-} import System.Console.GetOpt import System.Environment import System.Exit data Options = Options { verbose :: Bool , extra :: Maybe String } defaultOptions :: Options defaultOptions = Options { verbose = False , extra = Nothing } options :: [OptDescr (Options -> Options)] options = [Option \"v\" [\"verbose\"] (NoArg $ \\o -> o { verbose = True }) \"verbose output\" , Option \"e\" [\"extra\"] (ReqArg (\\e o -> o { extra = Just e }) \"ARG\") \"extra argument\"] main = getOpt Permute options <$> getArgs >>= \\case (fs, _, []) -> do let o = foldl (flip id) defaultOptions fs putStrLn $ \"verbose: \" ++ show (verbose o) putStrLn $ \"extra: \" ++ show (extra o) (_, _, es) -> do name <- getProgName die $ unlines es ++ usageInfo name options\n\nNot too bad. However you need to write 3 things for each option:\n\nThe type of the option\n\nThe default value for the option\n\nA record updater\n\nAlso foldl (flip id) and the code for printing errors are annoying pieces of boilerplate.\n\nIn the latest version of extensible, I added a new module Data.Extensible.GetOpt to get things easier. This is just a wrapper of System.Console.GetOpt which returns an extensible record instead of a list of OptDescr s.\n\n-- | Option without an argument; the result is the total count of this option. optNoArg :: [Char] -- ^ short option -> [String] -- ^ long option -> String -- ^ explanation -> OptDescr' Int -- | Option with an argument optReqArg :: [Char] -- ^ short option -> [String] -- ^ long option -> String -- ^ placeholder -> String -- ^ explanation -> OptDescr' [String]\n\nA set of options is expressed as an extensible record. Each field is either optNoArg or optReqArg . Int means the total count of option occurrences and [String] is the list of arguments for the option.\n\nopts :: RecordOf OptDescr' [\"verbose\" >: Int, \"extra\" >: [String]] opts = #verbose @= optNoArg \"v\" [\"verbose\"] \"verbose\" <: #extra @= optReqArg \"e\" [\"extra\"] \"ARG\" \"extra arguments\" <: nil\n\nwithGetOpt does what you'd expect; when something is wrong, it writes the errors and the usage to stderr and dies. Otherwise it passes the record of option arguments and the remainder to the function.\n\nwithGetOpt :: MonadIO m => RecordOf OptDescr' xs -> (Record xs -> [String] -> m a) -> m a\n\nPutting it all together, we get 13 lines of code. Much tidier!"}}},{"rowIdx":1005414,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"AdRotator vs Windows Ad Mediation – Which to use\n\nA few weeks ago Microsoft announced Windows Ad Mediation. Their own solution to the problem that the Open Source AdRotator project has helped app developers with since the early Windows Phone 7 days. Since both AdRotator and Windows Ad Mediation are trying to fix the same problem I wanted to look at the different scenarios for Windows and Windows Phone app developers and see which solution made sense for you.\n\nThe Problem\n\nIf you’re not familiar with AdRotator or Windows Ad Mediation you may not be aware of why you would want to use one of these solutions in your app. The main reason is fill rate; fill rate can be expressed as a percentage of the number of ads served over the number of ads requested. Many first time developers will assume that they can use an ad control and it will always display an ad for them and generate revenue. There is a limited supply of ads available to these networks though, so depending on factors like category and region the fill rate may vary wildly. Fill rates can often dip well below 50% though, so it’s important that you not let that ad space go to waste!\n\nMaximizing fill rate is the goal of AdRotator and Windows Ad Mediation. They do this by acting as a smart container for multiple ad controls. When one ad network fails to deliver an ad they will switch over to another ad control and give that one a chance to request and display an ad.\n\nAdDuplex, a cross promotion network supported by both AdRotator and Windows Ad Mediation works well as a ‘fallback’ ad provider because unlike other ad networks AdDuplex does have a 100% fill rate. AdDuplex doesn’t generate revenue, but will instead generate ad impressions for your app at an 8:10 ratio.\n\nAdRotator\n\nAdRotator has been around since the early Windows Phone 7 days. It was created by talented developer Gergely Orosz. Simon Jackson is currently the main contributor of the project, and I’ve also worked on it myself recently, bringing Universal App Support to AdRotator. One of the key benefits to AdRotator is it’s versatility. It can be used on Windows Phone 7, Windows Phone 8 (both Silverlight and 8.1 XAML) and Windows 8. There’s also an AdRotator Unity plugin for game developers targeting the Windows platforms.\n\nAdRotator supports most of the major Ad providers that have SDKs available for Windows developers. And one of it’s key features is the ability to set a remote configuration file. This file can be setup with regional configurations that allow you to target specific ad networks that perform better in certain regions. By hosting this file remotely you can have your app’s AdRotator control change it’s behavior by updating the file without publishing an app update.\n\nAdRotator Supported Providers\n\nMicrosoft PubCenter\n\nAdDuplex\n\nAdMob\n\nInmobi\n\nInneractive\n\nMobFox\n\nSmaato\n\nHouse Ads\n\nAnother interesting feature of AdRotator is the ability to specify house ads. This can be considered the ultimate fallback option, display a house ad when the device has no network connection. Some developers will use the House Ad to advertise a new version of their app, or to promote other apps they’ve published. Some enterprising developers have even sold their House Ad space to advertisers, skipping the middle man of the traditional ad provider networks.\n\nWindows Ad Mediation\n\nMicrosoft announced Windows Ad Mediation on November 7, 2014. Currently the Ad Mediation SDK is available for Windows Phone 8, 8.1 Silverlight and 8.1 XAML.\n\nSimilar to AdRotator, the Windows Ad Mediation supports the ability to specify region specific remote configurations. Since this is an official Microsoft product though this feature is actually built into the Windows Phone dashboard.\n\nWhich one should I use?\n\nWhether you use AdRotator or Windows Ad Mediation really depends on your app’s scenario. Here’s a rundown:\n\n1. Are you already using AdRotator for a project?\n\nIf you’re already using AdRotator there shouldn’t be much motivation to switch to Windows Ad Mediation. Both tools should do a great job at maximizing your fill rate.\n\n2. Do you want to target Windows Phone 7?\n\nThis one’s easy. AdRotator started on Windows Phone 7 so it’s the only option for your Windows Phone 7 app.\n\n3. Are you building a Windows 8 or Universal App?\n\nCurrently AdRotator supports Windows 8/Universal Apps and Windows Ad Mediation does not. So if your app is ready to go, use AdRotator. I’m sure Microsoft will eventually bring Windows Ad Mediation to big Windows as well though.\n\n4. Are you building a game using Unity?\n\nAnother easy one. AdRotator’s Unity plugin should make advertising with your Unity game easy to manage. Windows Ad Mediation does not yet have any support for Unity.\n\n5. Do you have a website where you can host your own remote configuration file?\n\nBeing able to change the regional configuration file is pretty important. Many app developers have their own website and a place where they can host a remote ad settings file to be pulled down by AdRotator. But if you don’t have your own website and want to be able to change your Ad configurations, then Windows Ad Mediation’s dashboard integration may be a better choice for you.\n\n6. Do you want to use House Ads?\n\nI encourage using AdDuplex as a fallback option in AdRotator/Ad Mediation since it has a 100% fill rate. The only time AdDuplex won’t give you an ad is if your network is down. For that scenario having a House Ad to display is a nice option. One more point to AdRotator.\n\n7. Does using OSS frighten you?\n\nThis one seems unlikely. I think most app developers are fans of Open Source, but if you’d rather go with the official option produced my Microsoft, go with Windows Ad Mediation.\n\nWrap Up\n\nI may seem a bit biased in this post. I’ve been using AdRotator in my apps for quite a while, and it’s been a pleasure contributing back to the project. But I am very glad that Microsoft has created their own tool for this problem. I’m sure there are many developers who will discover Windows Ad Mediation through official channels that were never aware of AdRotator, and that’s great. I just hope more developers can become successful using either of these tools.\n\nResources\n\nAdRotator – Get More out of your Ads\n\nThe configuration XML – What you need to know\n\nWindows 8 – Getting Started\n\nWindows Phone – Getting Started\n\nAnnouncing Windows Ad Mediation\n\nHow to maximize the impact of Windows ad mediation for Windows Phone\n\nWindows Ad Mediator Extension\n\nUsing Ad Mediation to maximize ad revenue"}}},{"rowIdx":1005415,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) will send a “trial observer” in the Philippines to monitor the case of detained Senator Leila de Lima.\n\nIPU came up with the decision after it concluded its general assembly in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation last Oct. 18, based on the report and recommendation of the Human Rights Committee.\n\nADVERTISEMENT\n\nEarlier, IPU, in its report expressed grave concern over what it called trumped-up charges against De Lima.\n\nThe report concluded that the charges against De Lima were based on “dubious evidence and overreliance on testimonies of convicted drug inmates.”\n\n“In each of the three cases, there are serious questions and doubts about the evidence. There are general concerns about the overreliance on testimonies by convicted drug lords, not only because they are proven criminals but because these individuals have an axe to grind with Senator de Lima,” the report said.\n\nIt also called on Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III to take up the cudgels for De Lima to ensure that her rights are not violated as she faces what appeared to be trumped-up charges levelled against her.\n\n“The Senate has a special responsibility to help ensure that concerns about due process regarding one of its members are effectively addressed. The delegation therefore calls on the Senate, through its President, to do everything possible in this regard and thus help ensure that Senator de Lima can participate again in its work as soon as possible,” the report said.\n\nIn the IPU’s website, it said the union currently has 173 member parliaments and 11 associate members working closely with the United Nations and other partner organizations. The union’s headquarters is based in Geneva, Switzerland.\n\nLast May, IPU’s Committee on Human Rights President Fawzia Koofi from Afghanistan, Fazle Karim Chowdhury from Bangladesh and Rogier Huzienga, IPU Human Rights programme manager, visited De Lima in detention at the Philippine National Police’s Custodial Center.\n\nREAD: Foreign rights leaders visit De Lima in Camp Crame\n\nDe Lima, in her latest dispatch from detention, expressed elation over the IPU’s initiative to send representatives to monitor her case.\n\nADVERTISEMENT\n\n“Despite the Duterte administration’s obvious effort to intimidate and silence me through my continued unjust detention, I am grateful that the Inter-Parliamentary Union vows to fight for my right to fair trial,” she said.\n\n“I thank the IPU for defending my causes and vouching for my integrity. I know that my fight is not my fight alone as this is the fight for human rights, democracy and rule of law. I will never be cowed until this government decides to value democratic principles and respect for human rights,” De Lima said. /jpv\n\nRead Next\n\nLATEST STORIES\n\nMOST READ"}}},{"rowIdx":1005416,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"ATCHISON, Kan., July 2, 2014—Produced from a mash bill consisting of 95 percent wheat and 5 percent barley malt, wheat whiskey is one of several whiskey and bourbon mash bills launched by MGP within the past year.\n\nAccording to David Dykstra, vice president of alcohol sales and marketing, MGP’s wheat whiskey “represents one of the more unique products of its type in the distilled spirits industry.” He described this new offering as being “exceptionally smooth and possessing lightly floral and sweet taste characteristics with good barrel notes and nice balance.”\n\nDykstra also pointed out that the company’s wheat whiskey is produced from non-GMO grain, “providing another appealing quality for customers, especially those serving consumers in global and various regional U.S. markets.”\n\nInitially spurred by consumer interest in wheat vodkas, “the popularity of wheat-based spirits has increased in recent years,” Dykstra said. “With rising demand in this area of the market, the addition of wheat whiskey to our product portfolio provides MGP’s customers another excellent opportunity to grow their brand presence,” he added.\n\nMGP has significant experience in wheat science and processing technologies as the largest U.S. producer of specialty wheat proteins and starches. “This expertise is now being applied in an increasingly significant manner toward the development and production of wheat-based premium spirits,” said Greg Metze, master distiller at MGP’s Lawrenceburg, Ind., facility. “The resulting innovations complement the many other products we make from a variety of grains, giving customers more options from which to select to expand their offerings at the retail level.”\n\nAdditional details regarding MGP’s premium lines of whiskeys, bourbons, grain neutral spirits and distilled gins, along with capabilities for creating custom formulations, can be obtained by accessing the company’s website, mgpingredients.com, or by contacting 913.360.5211.\n\nAbout MGP\n\nMGP is a leading independent supplier of premium spirits, offering flavor innovations and custom distillery blends to the beverage alcohol industry. The company also produces high quality food grade industrial alcohol and formulates grain-based starches and proteins into nutritional and highly functional ingredients for the branded consumer packaged goods industry. The company is headquartered in Atchison, Kansas, where a variety of distilled alcohol products and food ingredients are manufactured. Distilled spirits are also produced at company facilities in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. For more information, visit mgpingredients.com."}}},{"rowIdx":1005417,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Burning grass caused a hazy start to Schoolies celebrations on the Gold Coast today, after a fire sparked the evacuation of Sea World and nearby beaches.\n\nThe fast-moving grass fire caught beachgoers unaware at The Spit, with some families and tourists forced to take shelter in the sea.\n\nFootage shows people trying to flee the fire and being forced into the water after the paths to their cars were cut off.\n\nCrowds wait outside Sea World after the park evacuation. (9NEWS / Brittney Kleyn) ()\n\n“You’ve got to go, go quick, think about your life,” a police officer told one person.\n\nJet-skiers offered to take people to safety, and police boats helped to ferry those trapped.\n\n“The police picked us up and said we have to evacuate you,” one man said.\n\nA helicopter water-bombs The Spit. (Supplied / Tim Cram) ()\n\nSmoke seen from Crystal Bay Resort. (Supplied / Tim Cram) ()\n\nThirteen fire crews and water-bombing helicopters were called in to fight the blaze, which broke out near Seaworld Drive, Main Beach, about 9.40am (AEST).\n\nIt was brought under control about 2pm (AEST), Queensland Fire and Emergency Services said.\n\nSea World was left empty for about three hours, and police also closed Seaworld Drive through to The Spit under an emergent situation declaration.\n\nSchoolies Week celebrations officially began at Surfers Paradise, despite the smoke billowing over popular Gold Coast beaches.\n\nA grass fire has broken out at The Spit. (9NEWS / Brittney Kleyn) ()\n\n© Nine Digital Pty Ltd 2019"}}},{"rowIdx":1005418,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"[Previously published at The Cobden Centre, 25 August 2011. Available in PDF at SSRN.]\n\nBanking theory remains one of the most heatedly debated areas of economics within Austrian circles, with two camps sitting opposite each other: full reservists and free bankers. The naming of the two groups may prove a bit misleading, since both sides support a free market in banking. The difference is that full reservists believe that either fractional reserve banking should be considered a form of fraud or that the perceived inherent instability of fiduciary expansion will force banks to maintain full reserves against their clients’ deposits. The term free banker usually refers to those who believe that a form of fractional reserve banking would be prevalent on the free market.\n\nThe case for free banking has been best laid out in George Selgin’s The Theory of Free Banking.1 It is a microeconomic theory of banking which suggests that fractional reserves will arise out of two different factors,\n\nOver time, “inside money” — banknotes (money substitute) — will replace “outside money” — the original commodity money — as the predominate form of currency in circulation. As the demand for outside money falls and the demand for inside money rises, banks will be given the opportunity to shed unnecessary reserves of commodity money. In other words, the less bank clients demand outside money, the less outside money a bank actually has to hold. A rise in the demand to hold inside money will lead to a reduction in the volume of banknotes in circulation, in turn leading to a reduction of the volume of banknotes returning to issuing banks. This gives the issuing banks an opportunity to issue more fiduciary media. Inversely, when the demand for money falls, banks must reduce the quantity of banknotes issued (by, for example, having a loan repaid and not reissuing that money substitute).\n\nFree bankers have been quick to tout a number of supposed macroeconomic advantages of Selgin’s model of fractional reserve banking. One is greater economic growth, since free bankers suppose that a rise in the demand for money should be considered the same thing as an increase in real savings. Thus, within this framework, fractional reserve banking capitalizes on a greater amount of savings than would a full reserve banking system.\n\nAnother supposed advantage is that of monetary equilibrium. An increase in the demand for money, without an equal increase in the supply of money, will cause a general fall in prices. This deflation will lead to a reduction in productivity, as producers suffer from a mismatch between input and output prices. As Leland Yeager writes, “the rot can snowball”, as an increase in uncertainty leads to a greater increase in the demand for money. This can all be avoided if the supply of money rises in accordance with the demand for money (thus, why free-bankers and quasi-monetarists generally agree with a central bank policy which commits to some form of income targeting).2\n\nMonetary (dis)equilibrium theory is not new, nor does it originate with the free bankers. The concept finds its roots in the work of David Hume3 and was later developed in the United States during the first half of the 20th Century.4 The theory saw a more recent revival with the work of Leland Yeager, Axel Leijonhufvud, and Robert Clower.5 The integration of monetary disequilibrium theory with the microeconomic theory of free banking is an attempt at harmonizing the two bodies of theory.6 If a free banking system can meet the demand for money, then a central bank is unnecessary to maintain monetary stability.\n\nThe integration of the macro theory of monetary disequilibrium into the micro theory of free banking, however, should be considered more of a blemish than an accomplishment. It has unnecessarily drawn attention away from the merits of fractional reserve banking and instead muddled the free bankers’ case. Neither is it an accurate or useful macroeconomic theory of industrial misbalances or fluctuations.\n\nThe Nature of Price Fluctuations\n\nThe argument that deflation resulting from an increase in the demand for money can lead to a harmful reduction in industrial productivity is based on the concept of sticky prices. If all prices do not immediately adjust to changes in the demand for money then a mismatch between the prices of output and inputs goods may cause a dramatic reduction in profitability. This fall in profitability may, in turn, lead to the bankruptcy of relevant industries, potentially spiraling into a general industrial fluctuation. Since price stickiness is assumed to be an existing factor, monetary equilibrium is necessary to avoid necessitating a readjustment of individual prices.\n\nSince price inflexibility plays such a central role in monetary disequilibrium, it is worth exploring the nature of this inflexibility — why are prices sticky? The more popular explanation blames stickiness on an entrepreneurial unwillingness to adjust prices. Those who are taking the hit rather suffer from a lower income later than now.8 Wage stickiness is also oftentimes blamed on the existence of long-term contracts, which prohibit downward wage adjustments.9\n\nAustrians can supply an alternative, or at least complimentary, explanation for price stickiness.10 If equilibrium is explained as the flawless convergence of every single action during a specific moment in time, Austrians recognize that an economy shrouded in uncertainty is never in equilibrium. Prices are set by businessmen looking to maximize profits by best estimating consumer demand. As such, individual prices are likely to move around, as consumer demand and entrepreneurial expectations change. This type of “inflexibility” is not only present during downward adjustments, but also during upward adjustments. It is “stickiness” inherent in a money-based market process beset by uncertainty.\n\nIt is true that government interventionism oftentimes makes prices more inflexible than they would be otherwise. Examples of this are wage floors (minimum wage), labor laws, and other legislation which makes redrawing labor contracts much more difficult. These types of labor laws handicap the employer’s ability to adjust his employees’ wages in the face of falling profit margins. Wages are not the only prices which suffer from government-induced inflexibility. It is not uncommon for government to fix the prices of goods and services on the market; the most well-known case is possibly the price fixing scheme which caused the 1973–74 oil crisis. There is a bevy of policies which can be enacted by government as a means of congesting the pricing process.\n\nBut, let us assume away government and instead focus on the type of price rigidity which exists on the market. That is, the flexibility of prices and the proximity of the actual price to the theoretical market clearing price is dependent on the entrepreneur. As long as we are dealing with a world of uncertainty and imperfect information, the pricing process too will be imperfect.\n\nPrice rigidity is not an issue only during monetary disequilibrium, however. In our dynamic market, where consumer preferences are constantly changing and re-arranging themselves, prices will have to fluctuate in accordance with these changes. Consumers may reduce demand for one product and raise demand for another, and these industries will have to change their prices accordingly: some prices will fall and others will rise. The ability for entrepreneurs to survive these price fluctuations depends on their ability to estimate consumer preferences for their products. It is all part of the coordination process which characterizes the market.\n\nThe point is that if price rigidity is “almost inherent in the very concept of money”,11 then why are price fluctuations potentially harmful in one case but not in the other? That is, why do entrepreneurs who face a reduction in demand originating from a change in preferences not suffer from the same consequences as those who face a reduction in demand resulting from an increase in the demand for money?\n\nPrice Discoordination and Entrepreneurship\n\nIn an effort to illustrate the problems of an excess demand for money, some have likened the problem to an oversupply of fiduciary media. The problem of an oversupply of money in the loanable funds market is that it leads to a reduction in the rate of interest without a corresponding increase in real savings. This leads to changes in the prices between goods of different orders, which send profit signals to entrepreneurs. The structure of production becomes more capital intensive, but without the necessary increase in the quantity of capital goods. This is the quintessential Austrian example of discoordination.\n\nIn a sense, an excess demand for money is the opposite problem. There is too little money circulating in the economy, leading to a general glut.12 Austrian monetary disequilibrium theorists have tried to frame it within the same context of discoordination. An increase in the demand for money leads to a withdrawal of that amount of money from circulation, forcing a downward adjustment of prices.\n\nBut there is an important difference between the two. In the first case, the oversupply of fiduciary media is largely exogenous to the individual money holders. In other words, the increase in the supply of money is a result of central policy (either by part of the central bank or of government). Theoretically, an oversupply of fiduciary media could also be caused by a bank in a completely free industry but it would still be artificial in the sense that it does not reflect any particular preference of the consumer. Instead, it represents a miscalculation by part of the central banker, bureaucrat, or bank manager. In fact, this is the reason behind the intertemporal discoordination — the changing profit signals do not reflect an underlying change in the “real” economy.\n\nThis is not the issue when regarding an excess demand for money. Here, consumers are purposefully holding on to money, preferring to increase their cash balances instead of making immediate purchases. The decision to hold money represents a preference. Thus, the decision to reduce effective demand also represents a preference. The fall in prices which may result from an increase in the demand for money all represent changes in preferences. Entrepreneurs will have to foresee or respond to these changes just like they do to any other.13 That some businessmen may miscalculate changes in preference is one thing, but there can be no accusation of price-induced discoordination.\n\nThe comparison between an insufficient supply of money and an oversupply of fiduciary media would only be valid if the reduction in the money supply was the product of central policy, or a credit contraction by part of the banking system which did not reflect a change in consumer preferences. But, in monetary disequilibrium theory this is not the case.\n\nNone of this, however, says anything about the consequences of deflation on industrial productivity. Will a rise in demand for money lead to falling profit margins, in turn causing bankruptcies and a general period of economic decline?\n\nWhether or not an industry survives a change in demands depends on the accuracy of entrepreneurial foresight. If an entrepreneur expects a fall in demand for the relevant product, then investment into the production of that product will fall. A fall in investment for this product will lead to a fall in demand for the capital goods necessary to produce it, and of all the capital goods which make up the production processes of this particular industry. This will cause a decline in the prices of the relevant capital goods, meaning that a fall in the price of the consumer good usually follows a fall in the price of the precedent capital goods.14 Thus, entrepreneurs who correctly predict changes in preference will be able to avoid the worst part of a fall in demand.\n\nEven if a rise in the demand for money does not lead to the catastrophic consequences envisioned by some monetary disequilibrium theorists, can an injection of fiduciary media make possible the complete avoidance of these price adjustments? This is, after all, the idea behind monetary growth in response to an increase in demand for money. Theoretically, maintaining monetary equilibrium will lead to a stabilization of the price level.\n\nThis view, however, is the result of an overly aggregated analysis of prices. It ignores the microeconomic price movements which will occur with or without further monetary injections. Money is a medium of exchange, and as a result it targets specific goods. An increase in the demand for money will withdraw currency from this bidding process of the present, reducing the prices of the goods which it would have otherwise been bid against. Newly injected fiduciary media, maintaining monetary equilibrium, is being granted to completely different individuals (through the loanable funds market). This means that the businesses originally affected by an increase in the demand for money will still suffer from falling prices, while other businesses may see a rise in the price of their goods. It is only in a superfluous sense that there is “price stability”, because individual prices are still undergoing the changes they would have otherwise gone.\n\nSo, even if the price movements caused by changes in the demand for money were disruptive — and we have established that they are not — the fact remains that monetary injections in response to these changes in demand are insufficient for the maintenance of price stability.\n\nImplications for Free Banking\n\nTo a very limited degree, free banking theory does rely on some aspects of monetary disequilibrium. The ability to extend fiduciary media depends on the volume of returning liabilities; a rise in the demand for money will give banks the opportunity to increase the supply of banknotes. However, the complete integration of monetary disequilibrium theory does not represent theoretical advancement — if anything, it has confused the free bankers’ position and unnecessarily contributed to the ongoing theoretical debate between full reservists (many of which reject the supposed macroeconomic benefits of free banking) and free bankers.\n\nWe know that an increase in the demand for money will not lead to industrial fluctuations, nor does it produce any type of price discoordination. Like any other movement in demand, it reflects the preferences of the consumers which drive the economy. We also know that monetary injections cannot achieve price stability in any relevant sense. Thus, the relevancy of the macroeconomic theory of monetary disequilibrium is brought into question. Free banking theory would be better off without it.\n\nThis suggests, though, that a rejection of monetary disequilibrium is not the same as a rejection of fractional reserve banking. It could be the case that a free banking industry capitalizes on an increase in savings much more efficiently than a full reserve banking system. Or, it could be that the macroeconomic benefits of fractional reserve banking are completely different from those already theorized, or even that there are no macroeconomic benefits at all — it may purely be a microeconomic theory of the banking firm and industry. These aspects of free banking are still up for debate.\n\nNotes:\n\n1. George A. Selgin, The Theory of Free Banking: Money Supply under Competitive Note Issue (Totowa, New Jersey: Rowman & Littlefield, 1988). Also see George A. Selgin, Bank Deregulation and Monetary Order (Oxon, United Kingdom: Routledge, 1996); Larry J. Sechrest, Free Banking: Theory, History, and a Laissez-Faire Model (Auburn, Alabama: Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2008); Lawrence H. White, Competition and Currency(New York City: New York University Press, 1989).\n\n2. Leland B. Yeager, The Fluttering Veil: Essays on Monetary Disequilibrium (Indianapolis, Indiana: Liberty Fund, 1997), pp. 218–219.\n\n3. Ibid., p. 218.\n\n4. Clark Warburton, “Monetary Disequilibrium Theory in the First Half of the Twentieth Century,” History of Political Economy 13, 2 (1981); Clark Warburton, “The Monetary Disequilibrium Hypothesis,” American Journal of Economics and Sociology 10, 1 (1950).\n\n5.Peter Howitt (ed.), et. al., Money, Markets and Method: Essays in Honour of Robert W. Clower (United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing, 1999).\n\n6. Steven Horwitz, Microfoundations and Macroeconomics: An Austrian Perspective (United Kingdom: Routledge, 2000).\n\n7. Some of the criticisms presented here have already been laid out in a forthcoming journal article: Phillip Bagus and David Howden, “Monetary Equilibrium and Price Stickiness: Causes, Consequences, and Remedies,” Review of Austrian Economics. I do not support all of Bagus’ and Howden’s criticisms, nor do I share their general disagreement with free banking theory.\n\n8. Yeager 1997, pp. 222–223.\n\n9. Laurence Ball and N. Gregory Mankiw, “A Sticky-Price Manifesto,” NBER Working Paper Series 4677, 1994, pp. 16–17.\n\n10. Horwitz 2000, pp. 12–13.\n\n11. Yeager 1997, p. 104.\n\n12. Yeager 1997, p. 223. Yeager quotes G. Poulett Scrope’s Principles of Political Economy, “A general glut — that is, a general fall in the prices of the mass of commodities below their producing cost — is tantamount to a rise in the general exchangeable value of money; and is proof, not of an excessive supply of goods, but of a deficient supply of money, against which the goods have to be exchange.”\n\n13. Joseph T. Salerno, Money: Sound & Unsound (Auburn, Alabama: Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2010), pp. 193–196.\n\n14. This is Menger’s theory of imputation; Carl Menger, Principles of Economics (Auburn, Alabama: Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2007), pp. 149–152."}}},{"rowIdx":1005419,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"It looks like “Nashville” will be saved.\n\nCMT is eyeing a pick-up of the fan-favorite series for a fifth season, Variety has learned, following ABC’s cancellation that sent Twitter into a frenzy.\n\nCMT was one of many potential buyers for “Nashville,” which sparked interest from four or five different venues, according to Lionsgate Television, the studio that was shopping the show around with ABC Studios and Opry Entertainment.\n\nLionsgate had been actively searching for a new home for “Nashville,” immediately after ABC cancelled the bubble show. Support poured in from rabid fans, dubbed “Nashies,” who were responsible for the show’s #SaveNashville campaign that was trending on social media for days.\n\nCMT is a seamless home for the country music drama, which is surely seen as a “get” for the Viacom-owned country cabler. While the ratings (1.8 rating in adults 18-49, 6.7 million viewers overall in Nielsen’s “live plus-7” estimates) were not strong enough to warrant another season at ABC, those types of numbers are big for CMT.\n\nLast month on a call with press, Lionsgate’s head of TV, Kevin Beggs, said they have “long-term deals with the cast,” though as the CMT renewal is not yet official, returning cast members have not been announced. Ed Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz are on board as showrunners for Season 5, as the duo was attached before the show was cancelled at ABC.\n\nWith “Nashville” more than likely returning (though the Season 5 CMT renewal is not yet official), it seems there will be a long future for the show beyond a fifth season.\n\n“These kinds of shows can go forever and ever — obviously that’s our hope and expectation, but we’ve got to do it one season at a time. So right now, we’re all about Season 5. So we hope to land Season 5 and keep talking about this show for years to come,” Beggs said on last month’s call."}}},{"rowIdx":1005420,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"SC Judge Rejects Episcopal Church's Attempt to Take Over Breakaway Church's Properties Worth $500 Million\n\nEmail Print Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin\n\nA South Carolina judge has denied a motion to reconsider a ruling made in a $500 million property dispute case in favor of a diocese that voted to leave the Episcopal Church due to the national denomination's increasing acceptance of homosexuality.\n\nJudge Diane Goodstein decided earlier this week to reject arguments made by The Episcopal Church requesting that she reconsider her order granting the Diocese of South Carolina ownership over the name and $500 million worth of diocesan church properties.\n\n\"The court has studied defendant's lengthy motion extensively and oral argument would not be of assistance to the court,\" ruled Goodstein on Monday.\n\nThe legal victory was the latest for the South Carolina Diocese, which broke away from the national mainline denomination back in November 2012 due to theological differences and purported mistreatment of its leader, Bishop Mark Lawrence.\n\nThe Rev. Canon Jim Lewis, spokesman for the Diocese, told The Christian Post that they were \"gratified\" by Goodstein's conclusion to reject the motion.\n\n\"Where closely and factually considered, the TEC argument of hierarchy simply is not defensible,\" said Lewis. \"We are grateful to God that our right to freedom of association continues to be upheld.\"\n\nEarlier this month Goodstein issued a 46-page order concluding that the church properties belong to the diocese rather than The Episcopal Church.\n\nGoodstein ruled that the diocese owns all property, real and personal, according to the paperwork connected to the diocesan property.\n\n\"It is equally undisputed that there is nothing in the deeds of their real property referencing any trust in favor of TEC,\" reads the decision.\n\nGoodstein ordered that both the property and the trademarked name of the diocese belonged to the Diocese of South Carolina and not The Episcopal Church or The Episcopal Church in South Carolina, a group within the diocese loyal to the mainline denomination.\n\nIn response to the order, TECSC filed an 186-page motion for reconsideration which argued that the original decision erred on multiple points.\n\n\"The court erred by failing to recognize that the parties are all part of a religious organization and that their status as incorporated or unincorporated entities does not eradicate the application of First Amendment legal protections,\" read part of the motion.\n\n\"The court erred by applying corporate definitions of membership to the relationship between The Episcopal Church and the diocese, and by failing to recognize clear evidence establishing that the diocese is in union with and part of The Episcopal Church, which is a hierarchical religious organization.\"\n\nRegarding the latest legal victory, Lewis told CP that he expects the legal action to continue, as The Episcopal Church will likely appeal the Goodstein decision.\n\n\"While it is unfortunate that ministry resources on both sides will continue to be wasted in this fashion, it is entirely in keeping with TEC legal strategy,\" said Lewis, who drew parallels to a similar property case that took place in Illinois between The Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Quincy.\n\n\"The court sanctions imposed against TEC in Illinois last week are the perfect illustration of the lengths to which their leadership is prepared to go in pursuit of its scorched earth policy. We have no reason to expect different behavior here in South Carolina.\""}}},{"rowIdx":1005421,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"A famous comedian once said, “I’ve been rich, and I’ve been poor, and believe me, rich is better.” Well, I’ve been a good patient, and I’ve been a bad patient, and believe me, being a good patient helps to get you out of the hospital, but being a bad patient helps to get you back to real life.\n\nBeing a patient was the most devastating experience of my life. At a time when I was already fragile, already vulnerable, being labeled and treated only confirmed to me that I was worthless. It was clear that my thoughts , feelings, and opinions counted for little. I was presumed not to be able to take care of myself, not to be able to make decisions in my own best interest, and to need mental health professionals to run my life for me. For this total disregard of my wishes and feelings, I was expected to be appreciative and grateful. In fact, anything less was tacked as a further symptom of my illness, as one more indication that I truly needed more of the same.\n\nI tried hard to be a good patient. I saw what happened to bad patients: they were the ones in the seclusion rooms, the ones who got sent to the worst wards, the ones who had been in the hospital for years, or who had come back again and again. I was determined not to be like them. So I gritted my teeth and told the staff what they wanted to hear. I told them I appreciated their help. I told them I was glad to be in the safe environment of the hospital. I said that I knew I was sick, and that I wanted to get better. In short, I lied. I didn’t cry and scream and tell them that I hated them and their hospital and their drugs and their diagnoses, even though that was what I was really feeling. I’d learned where that kind of thing got me – that’s how I ended up in the state hospital in the first place. I’d been a bad patient, and this was where it had gotten me. My diagnosis was chronic schizophrenia, my prognosis was that I’d spend my life going in and out of hospitals.\n\nI’d been so outraged during my first few hospitalizations, in the psychiatric ward of a large general hospital, and in a couple of supposedly prestigious private psychiatric hospitals. I hated the regimentation, the requirement that I take drugs that slowed my body and my mind, the lack of fresh air and exercise, the way we were followed everywhere. So I complained, I protested, I even tried running away. And where had it gotten me? Behind the thick walls and barred windows and locked doors of a “hospital” that was far more of a prison that the ones I’d been trying to escape from. The implicit message was clear: this was what happened to bad patients.\n\nI learned to hide my feelings, especially negative ones. The very first day in the state hospital, I received a valuable piece of advice. Feeling frightened, abandoned, and alone, I started to cry in the day room. Another patient came and sat beside me, leaned over and whispered, “Don’t do that. They’ll think you’re depressed.” So I learned to cry only at night, in my bed, under the covers without making a sound.\n\nMy only aim during my two-month stay in the state hospital (probably the longest two months of my life) was to get out. If that meant being a good patient, if that meant playing the game, telling them what they wanted to hear, then so be it. At the same time, I was consumed with the clear conviction that there was something fundamentally wrong here. Who were these people that had taken such total control of our lives? Why were they the experts on what we should do, how we should live? Why was the ugliness, and even the brutality, of what was happening to us overlooked and ignored? Why had the world turned its back on us?\n\nSo I became a good patient outwardly, while inside I nurtured a secret rebellion that was no less real for being hidden. I used to imagine a future in which an army of former patients marched on the hospital, emptied it of patients and staff, and then burned all the buildings to the ground. In my fantasy, we joined hands and danced around this bonfire of oppression. You see, in my heart I was already a very, very bad patient!\n\nOne of the things I had already discovered in my journey through various hospitals, which culminated in my involuntary commitment to the state hospital, is that psychiatric drugs didn’t help me. Every drug I was given made me feel worse, not better. They made me fat, lethargic, unable to think or to remember. When I could, I refused drugs. Before I got committed, I used to hide the pills in my cheek, and spit them out when I was alone. In the state hospital, I didn’t dare to try this trick. I dutifully swallowed the pills, hating the way they made me feel, knowing that, once I was free, I would stop taking them. Once again, I was non-compliant in thought before I could be non-compliant in deed.\n\nNow I want to make one thing very clear here. I am not advocating that no one should take psychiatric drugs. What I am saying, and I want to make sure this point is understood, is that each individual needs to discover for himself or herself whether or not the drugs are part of the solution, or part of the problem. Many people I know and respect tell me that they would not be where they are in their recovery were it not for the particular drugs that they have found work for them. On the other hand, many others, of which I am one, have found that only when we clear ourselves of all psychiatric drugs do we begin to find the road to recovery. We need to respect these choices, and to understand that there is no one single path for all of us.\n\nPsychiatric drugs, like all drugs, have side effects. If the positive effects outweigh the negative effects, then people will generally choose to take the drugs. When the negative effects, however, outweigh the positive ones, then the choice not to take the drugs is a good and reasonable one. Side effects can be more easily tolerated when one is gaining something positive in return. Let my give an example from my own experience. Every day, I take anti-inflammatory drugs to control the symptoms of arthritis. Without these drugs, I would be in pain much of the time, and find it difficult to move easily. I’m willing to put up with the danger of developing ulcers (and I take another drug to help protect my stomach), because the cost/benefit ratio works out in my favor. If, on the other had, the anti-inflammatory drug didn’t relieve the arthritis pain, then the cost/benefit ratio would go the other way, and I would stop taking the drug and discuss with my rheumatologist what other approach to try.\n\nHere is the key difference between what happens to psychiatric patients and what happens to people with physical illnesses. With my rheumatologist, and with my lung doctor (I also have a chronic lung disease). I am a full partner in my own treatment and recovery. I am consulted, listened to, and given the information I need to make informed choices. I acknowledge that the doctors have expertise that I lack, and they, in turn, acknowledge that I have information about the workings of my own body that they need to guide them in their recommendations. Sometimes, we disagree. Then we talk about it. Sometimes I take their advice, while other times I don’t.\n\nPsychiatric patients, on the other hand, are usually assumed not to know what is best for us, and to need supervision and control. We are often assumed to be talking in code; only so-called “experts” can figure out what we really mean. A patient who refuses psychiatric drugs may have very good reasons – the risk of tardive dyskinesia, for example, or the experience of too many undesirable negative effects. But professionals often assume that we are expressing a symbolic rebellion of some sort when we try to give a straightforward explanation of what we want, and what we don’t want. I’m sure you’ve all heard the many psychiatrist jokes that feature the punch line, “Hmm, I wonder what he means by that?” Well, doctor, I want to tell you, we usually mean just what we are saying. In the slogan of the women’s movement: “What part of no don’t you understand?”\n\nI consider myself a very lucky person. I don’t think that I have some special talent or ability that has enabled me to recover when so many others seem stuck in eternal patienthood. I believe that recovery is for everyone. In the words of the mission statement of the National Empowerment Center, we: carry a message of recovery, empowerment, hope and healing to people who have been diagnosed with mental illness. We carry that message with authority because we are a consumer-run organization and each of us is living a personal journey of recovery and empowerment. We are convinced that recovery and empowerment are not the privilege of a few exceptional leaders, but rather are possible for each person who has been diagnosed with a mental illness. Whether on the back ward of a state mental institution of working as an executive in corporation, we want people who are mental health consumers to regain control over their lives and the resources that affect their lives.\n\nOne of the elements that makes recovery possible is the regaining of one’s belief in oneself. Patients are constantly indoctrinated with the message, explicit or implicit, that we are defective human beings who shouldn’t aim too high. In fact, there are diagnostic labels, including “grandiosity” and “lack of insight,” to remind us that our dreams and hopes are often seen as barriers to recovery instead of one its vital components.\n\nProfessionals and patients often have very different ideas of what the word “recovery” means. Recovery, to me, doesn’t mean denying my problems or pretending that they don’t exist. I have learned a lot from people with physical disabilities, who think of recovery not in terms, necessarily, of restoring lost function, but of finding ways to compensate or substitute for what one may be unable to do. Some of the most able people I know, in the true sense of the word, are activists in the physical disability movement – they may not be able to see, or hear, or move their limbs, but they have found ways to do the things they want to do despite these difficulties, and despite those professionals who advised them not even to try. Without our dreams, without our hopes for the future, without our aspirations to move ahead, we become truly “hopeless cases.”\n\nI often hear professionals say that, while they support the ideas of recovery and empowerment in principle, it just won’t work for their clients, who are too sick, too disabled, too unmotivated. Whenever I hear these objections, I want to know more about what kinds of programs these professionals work in, and what goes on there. I know that the professionals who knew me as their patient thought the same things about me. That’s the dilemma of the “good patient.” A good patient is one who is compliant, who does what he or she is told, who doesn’t make trouble, but who also doesn’t ever really get better. A “good patient” is often someone who has given up hope and who has internalized the staff’s very limited vision of his or her potential.\n\nNow, again, I want to make myself clear. I’m not saying that mental health professionals are evil people who want to hold us all in the grip of permanent patienthood, and who don’t want us to get well. What I’m saying is that there’s something about being a “good patient” that is, unintentionally, perhaps, incompatible with recovery and empowerment. When many of us who have become leaders in the consumer/survivor movement compare notes, we find that one of the factors we usually have in common is that we were labeled “bad patients.” We were “uncooperative,” we were “non-compliant,” we were “manipulative,” we “lacked insight.” Often, we were the ones who were told we would never get better. I know I was! But twenty-five years of activism in the consumer/survivor movement has been the key element in my own process of recovery.\n\nLet’s look at this word “compliance.” My dictionary tells me it means “acquiescent,” “submissive,” “yielding.” Emotionally healthy people are supposed to be strong and assertive. It’s slaves and subjects who must be compliant. Yet compliance is often a high value in professionals’ assessments of how well we are doing. Being a good patient becomes more important than getting well. It’s like the healthy woman/healthy person dilemma. Psychological researchers have found that while emotionally healthy adults, gender unspecified, are supposed to be assertive and ambitious, emotionally healthy women are supposed to put others’ needs before their own. If you’re a woman and fulfill the stereotyped “woman’s role,” then you’re not an emotionally healthy person. If, on the other hand, you are strong and assertive, then you can be labeled as not being an emotionally healthy woman.\n\nGetting better, we were informed by staff, meant following their visions of our lives, not our own. Let me give you an example, from a book called Reality Police by Anthony Brandt:\n\n[Brandt says] I was thought to be a hopeful case, for example, so the doctor assigned to it worked up a life plan for me…I was to stay in the hospital three months or so to stabilize my life, she said. When I seemed up to it, I would go to work in the hospital’s “sheltered workshop” where I would make boxes for IBM and be paid on a piecework basis. When I had made enough boxes I would then be moved to the halfway house in Kingston, across the Hudson, where they would arrange a job for me in a special places called Gateway Industries established for the rehabilitation of mental patients. There I would presumably make more boxes. Eventually I might move out of the halfway house into my own apartment.\n\nWhat Anthony Brandt’s doctor didn’t know was that Brandt was not a “mental patient” at all. He was a writer who had feigned the symptoms of mental illness in order to find our first hand what the life of a mental patient was like. He had a successful career and a real life that he could return to. He didn’t have to accept limited view of his abilities as potential. Most real mental patients are not so lucky.\n\nAnthony Brandt wrote his book in the mid ’70’s, but what happened to him unfortunately continues to happen today. All those “unmotivated clients” I keep hearing about are the ones who are on a silent sit-down strike about others’ visions of what their lives should be like. When I ask professionals what it is that their clients are “unmotivated ” about, it usually turns out to be washing floors or dishes, on the one hand, or going to meaningless meetings on the other. Would you be “motivated” to reveal your deepest secrets to a stranger, for example, someone you have no reason to believe you can trust with this sensitive information? And, more important, should you be “motivated” to do so? People, in general, are motivated to do things that they want to do, or which will get them things which they want. Just because someone has a diagnosis of “mental illness” doesn’t change that fundamental fact of human nature. All the time and energy that mental health professionals seem to put into “motivating” their clients to do things they don’t want to do would, I think, be better spent helping clients to figure out what things they want for themselves, and the strategies to achieve them.\n\nWe need to start encouraging people to dream, and to articulate their own visions of their own futures. We may not achieve all our dreams, but hoping and wishing are food for the human spirit. We, all of us, need real goals to aspire to, goals that we determine, aims that are individual and personal. I feel crushed when I visit programs that are training their clients for futures as residents of halfway houses and part-time workers in menial jobs. And if I, a visitor, feel my spirit being crushed, how do the people trapped in those programs feel?\n\nResearchers have asked clinicians what kinds of housing, for example, their clients need, and been told that congregate, segregating housing was the best setting. At the same time, the researchers have asked the clients directly what kind of housing they want, and been told that people would choose (if they were given the choice) to live in their own homes or apartments, alone, or with one other person they had chosen to live with. At the end of the year, the researchers found, the clients who got the kind of housing they wanted were doing better than the clients that got the housing that was thought to be clinically appropriate. Helping people to reach their goals is, among other things, therapeutic.\n\nOne of the reasons I believe I was able to escape the role of chronic patient that had been predicted for me was that I was able to leave the surveillance and control of the mental health system when I left the state hospital. Today, that’s called “falling through the cracks.” While I agree that it’s important to help people avoid hunger and homelessness, such help must not come at too high a price. Help that comes with unwanted strings – “We’ll give you housing if you take medication,” “We’ll sign your SSI papers if you go to the day program” -is help that is paid for in imprisoned spirits and stifled dreams. We should not be surprised that some people won’t sell their souls so cheaply.\n\nLet us celebrate the spirit of non-compliance that is the self struggling to survivor. Let us celebrate the unbowed head, the heart that still dreams, the voice that refuses to be silent. I wish I could show you the picture that hangs on my office wall, which inspires me every day, a drawing by Tanya Temkin, a wonderful artist and psychiatric survivor activist. In a gloomy and barred room a group of women sit slumped in defeat, dresses in rags, while on the opposite wall their shadows, upright, with raised arms and wild hair and clenched fists, dance the triumphant dance of the spirit that will not die."}}},{"rowIdx":1005422,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Up for the Task\n\nNewly Appointed Futsal Coach Opens Up About Sport’s Rapid Growth in Canada\n\nFollow @dasalexperez\n\nOn Monday, Feb. 8, Soccer Canada appointed Montreal native, futsal expert and former national team player Kyriakos Selaidopoulos the men’s national futsal team head coach. Photo Richard Scott\n\nThe ball is just as round, but it doesn’t roll on grass, it rolls on hardwood floor. Many of today’s soccer players owe their success to the little-known sport of futsal.\n\nHousehold names such as Andrés Iniesta of FC Barcelona and Brazilian legend Ronaldinho were able to develop their unique and captivating style in the confned space of a futsal court.\n\nOn Monday, Feb. 8, Soccer Canada appointed Montreal native, futsal expert and former national team player Kyriakos Selaidopoulos the men’s national futsal team head coach.\n\nFutsal is a branch of soccer that differs from the traditional 11-a-side game. It’s five-a-side soccer (including the goalie) and is played on a smaller pitch, compared to its more well known 11-a-side counterpart. The game is separated into two 20-minute halves and unlimited substitutions. As opposed to 11-a-side, futsal has no offside rule, so an attacking player can stand by the opposing goal and never be penalized.\n\nOver the past two years, structured futsal leagues have been picking up in Quebec. The leagues are run by the Quebec Soccer Federation, with FIFA rules. Selaidopoulos has seen himself become one of the leading roles in futsal’s expansion within the province, although with the announcement, his attentions are sure to become national.\n\nDuring the early stages of futsal’s development in Quebec, the Quebec Soccer Federation hired Selaidopoulos as their expert on the sport.\n\nMike Vitulano, an employee of the QSF, works closely with Selaidopoulos and is another one of the prominent figures in futsal’s rapid rise to popularity.\n\n“Quebec is thrilled that Kyt [Selaidopoulos] is going to be representing the country. Being a Quebec coach, it’s great for the province,” Vitulano said. “The idea here is to build something long term, and hopefully it’s well accepted.”\n\nLast year saw both Vitulano and Selaidopoulos introduce the first season of the Première Ligue de Futsal du Québec, a high-standards league, to recruit futsal players—both men and women. From there, they were able to create the first-ever Quebec teams. With futsal developing, and more funding being put into the sport, the future looks positive.\n\n“Futsal is getting bigger,” Selaidopoulos said. “It’s getting bigger by the moment. The thing is everybody needs to come together.”\n\nWith futsal rapidly increasing in popularity, Selaidopoulos’s appointment as head coach can only have positive effects. Vitulano believes that Selaidopoulos, a former player for the Montreal Impact, as well a representative of Canada in both futsal and beach soccer, will bring a direct experience to the national team.\n\n“He’ll bring that player/coach type of approach, you know, having lived it,” Vitulano said.\n\nWith the Coupe Futsal du Québec that took place on Feb. 26 and 27, Selaidopoulos has a keen look at the talent present. Despite being involved with Quebec futsal, he said that it isn’t about provinces, but about Canada.\n\n“I’ll put a team where the best are from, and if they’re [not] from Quebec, then they’re not from Quebec,” Selaidopoulos said.\n\nDespite Selaidopoulos’s involvement on a provincial level, he’s done his homework. The European Championships were also held this past month, and Selaidopoulos used that to look at how other continents across the globe function.\n\nCanadian soccer recently revealed that the national futsal team’s training camp is set to take place in Vaughan, Ont. from March 18 to 20, ahead of the 2016 CONCACAF—the soccer federation representing North and Central America—Championships.\n\nSelaidopoulos will set out to find profile players to fit into team Canada. With such a short period of time to prepare, he said he will seek out players that catch on fast.\n\n“It’s stressful, for sure. It’s a big job,” Selaidopoulos said. “I will take profile players that understand and that believe in the program for the future.\n\n“I might leave behind players that are better, but since we have a short time of preparation, I’m going to have to go with players that understand the game plan very quick,” he continued.\n\nSelaidopoulos enjoys uniting players into a team. That concept of togetherness is what he and Vitulano started in Quebec, and what he wants to bring to the national team. It’s the idea of provinces and players working together, to achieve their objective to qualify.\n\nCanada is set to face the United States in May. The winner of the two-match series will qualify for the CONCACAF Futsal Championship, which runs from May 8 to 15 in Costa Rica.\n\nBy commenting on this page you agree to the terms of our Comments Policy.\n\nPlease enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus."}}},{"rowIdx":1005423,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Exclusive: Guillermo del Toro’s Original Idea for Pacific Rim 2\n\nA successful opening in China makes Pacific Rim a more international hit than it was domestically. The linked report says Warner Brothers is now thinking about a sequel. Good timing for me, as Charlie Day was with the Television Critics Association for the new season of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” today and I had a one on one interview with him.\n\nDay shared the sequel talk that he heard from Guillermo del Toro on the set of Pacific Rim, which was a shocking turn for his scientist character Newt. “I remember when I first met with him that he liked the idea of Newt becoming a bit of a villain in the second film,” Day said. “But, I think over the course of making the film, and the way the character resonated with the audience, I don’t think he would want to turn him into a villain now, but I really have no idea.”\n\nTo put this in perspective, Day said del Toro shared a lot of ideas that changed through the creative process. “Guillermo is one of these guys that his mind is so active that he might have an idea about something and then it’s a completely different idea five minutes later.”\n\nIn CraveOnline’s interview with Day this summer Day shared his hopes that Newt would get a jaeger to pilot in the sequel. He still wants one, only now he elaborates on ideas to copilot one in a drift with fellow scientist Gottlieb (Burn Gorman).\n\n“I’m hopeful that we get to drive a big punching robot,” Day said. “I think traditionally in those comics, sometimes the science guys put together a cheap, dorky version of one of the robots so maybe we’ll get to do something like that.\n\nDay is managing expectations though. The Chinese box office is good news, but nothing is guaranteed. “I also don’t know if it would ever get made. I think because there’s no one in a cape it might hurt our chances of making another one. We’ll see. Look, I would love to do it. Hopefully if it keeps performing this well overseas we’ll get to find out.”\n\nWe’ll be back with more Pacific Rim 2 news after we meet with Hannibal Chau.\n\nFred Topel is a staff writer at CraveOnline and the man behind Shelf Space Weekly. Follow him on Twitter at @FredTopel."}}},{"rowIdx":1005424,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"INDIANAPOLIS – A child died at the hospital after being shot by another child Monday evening on Indianapolis' northwest side.\n\nIndianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers said the child was shot in the face in the 7100 block of Warrior Trail shortly before 10 p.m. in The Flat apartment complex.\n\nOn Tuesday, an IMPD spokesperson said the weapon was unsecured, and fired by another child. The two were playing with the gun when it went off.\n\n#IMPDNOW : Deadly shooting of 9-year old appears to be a tragedy of unsecured weapon fired by another child. No arrest case remains active — IMPD (@IMPDnews) June 27, 2017\n\nAfter the shooting, the 9-year-old boy was taken to St. Vincent Hospital where he died, according to police. He was identified as Mykah Jackson.\n\nRatshel Gray, who drove Jackson to the hospital, said she hasn't slept much since the incident.\n\n\"He was telling his son to hold on, breathe. So he was talking to his son to just tell him to stay focused, keep his eyes open and breathe,\" said Gray. \"That's the only thing I remember. I didn't remember nothing else. I was just trying to get him to the hospital. \"Seeing the baby with a bullet and the blood running down his face...\"\n\nMykah Jackson was the third juvenile fatally shot so far this year in Indianapolis. Citywide, police have seen a 70-percent increase in gun-related incidents involving kids in the past few years. Click here to read about what they're doing to turn that number around.\n\nOn Tuesday, IMPD Chief Bryan Roach said anybody who is considering owning a gun needs to have a \"healthy respect\" for the machine.\n\n\"Things like emotion, fear, pride, anger, lust, greed,\" Roach said. \"If you can't control those emotions, then you have no business carrying a firearm.\"\n\nHe said the owner of the gun is a 27-year-old man. Family members said Jackson lived in Gary and was visiting his father in Indy for the summer.\n\n\"I spend a lot of time thinking about gun violence,\" Roach said. \"We as a city are recognized for a number of great things -- nationwide and worldwide. Unfortunately, we are also recognized for our gun violence and we are trying to impact that. We as a police department are dedicated to that.\"\n\nPolice on scene said they aren't sure if the shooting took place inside the apartment, but blood was found both inside and outside of the unit.\n\nNeighbors said Jackson's father ran out of the building cradling his son in his arms and another neighbor called 911.\n\n\"I saw a man carrying a little boy, and he fell to the ground, and I'm like is everything alright. Do you need any assistance? He said 'my son can't breathe, he got shot,'\" said a neighbor who helped Jackson's father who wished to remain anonymous. \"I walked away so I get could my own composure and stay strong for him even though I don't know the man, I still had to stay strong because hey, if it was anyone of our kids, we would have been hysterical. \"It was really unbearable. I really can't explain it.\"\n\nNobody has been arrested, but the investigation is still ongoing. A memorial was set up Tuesday afternoon in honor of Jackson.\n\n\"I can't imagine feeling responsible for that 9-year-old child's death, whether you're an adult or a child,\" Roach said. \"It's significant. Its irrevocable. It's going to impact those people around it for years to come.\"\n\nIMPD officers gave away free gun locks to those living in the apartment complex. At least seven children under the age of 18 have been fatally shot in Indianapolis in 2017."}}},{"rowIdx":1005425,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Italian capitalists fostered fascists and German capitalists – Nazis to oppose communists. Fostering devils to oppose beasts is a bad strategy. It can be good tactics, though. Israel would do well to prompt the PLO to bleed Hamas. Israel would be stupid to foster the PLO as an alternative to Hamas. Your enemy’s enemy is a tactical tool to bring your enemy down, but often not an acceptable alternative to your enemy. America figured out that Saddam relied on Sunnis, and pulled the Shia majority to power; the emboldened Shia extremists fought the Americans.\n\nThe US repeats similar error with Kurds: for the tactical benefit of having a strong anti-Arab ally, America creates a time-bomb of the terrorist Kurdish state. Iraq’s Kurdistan will support the insurrection among Turkish Kurds, prompt a civil conflict in Turkey, and cause a wave of Turkish nationalism which could drown Turkey’s secularism in Islamism. The Iraqi Kurds won’t do the American bidding. They don’t care about democratic Iraq where Arabs outvote them. The Iraqi Kurds want to appropriate oil revenues and isolate themselves from the Arabs. Kurds are set on a crash course with Iraqi government over administrative autonomy-cum-sovereignty and oil income. Kurds sit on much of Iraqi oil – which the Arabs consider their own. Kurds stress the Saddam’s ethnic cleansing of Kirkuk oil field region; Arabs equally stress that the Kurds demographically swarmed that region, originally populated by Arabs. Once America ceases massive infusions into Iraqi economy, the Kirkuk oil issue will become critical enough for the Iraqi government to fight the Kurds for. For the illusionary benefit of having the Kurds as a viable anti-Arab ally in Iraq, America risks the only secular Muslim country, Turkey.\n\nCIA and the State Department embarked in Iran on their usual course of finding “our SOBs” and proclaiming them “moderates.” Thus the American support for the Iranian ex-president Khatami who is expected to oust Ahmadinejad. Khatami will have – unrealistically – to oust ayatollah Khamenei and the Council of Guardians first, since they support Ahmadinejad. America ignores that Khatami is an Islamist who spreads Iranian Shia influence from Africa to Middle East to Asia. Khatami unequivocally supports the Iranian “peaceful” nuclear program.\n\nMorality is not an academic concept, but time tested strategy of communal survival. Decidedly immoral approaches, like fostering thugs who specifically aim at oppressing the target population, rarely bears fruit for sponsors. If local collaborators are indispensable, they should be paid only to do the job necessary, and not to develop into the ruling parties. Israel can pay the PLO’s cost of combating Hamas – if the PLO will do that at all. America rightly co-opted Shia to overthrow Saddam and hunt down the Baathists. Khatami can be given media tribune and funds to bug Ahmadinejad and damage the Iranian consensus on the nuclear weapons. Small efforts like these often bring disproportionate effect; extending the efforts into large-scale operations like the occupation of Iraq is generally inefficient in cost-benefit terms. Bombing the Iranian nuclear facilities is way cheaper, simpler, and more reliable than bringing Khatami to power in the expectation that he will end the nuclear program. The bombing is more moral, too."}}},{"rowIdx":1005426,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Mike Vecchione is focusing on his mental game just as much as his physical game this summer. (Photo: Getty Images)\n\nWhen Ron Hextall took over as Flyers General Manager in 2014, his focus was on overhauling a farm system that was severely devoid of talent. He reversed a team philosophy of trading draft picks for veterans and instead began to invest in acquiring draft picks through dealing older players and patiently developing younger ones.\n\nIn just three years Hextall, and the organization, are seeing the fruits of their labor. Last month ESPN ranked the Flyers farm system as the best in the league.\n\nIt’s already produced budding stars such as Shayne Gostisbehere, Ivan Provorov and Travis Konecney. More are loudly knocking on the door.\n\nMany of the current prospects responsible for giving the Flyers such lofty status will be in attendance at rookie camp, which begins this Friday. If there ever was a time to pay attention to the five-day event, which concludes with a game against the Islanders rookies next Wednesday at the Wells Fargo Center, it’s this year.\n\nThe days of not recognizing the names on the invite list are history. The roster for this season is overloaded with well-known and publicized players who are either expected to make the Flyers opening night lineup this season or join the team at some point in the next couple of months or years.\n\nNeed a guide on players to keep an eye on? It’s a long, long, list. Regardless, let’s try and summarize which players bear the most attention.\n\nReady for Prime Time\n\nBy now, you’ve probably heard of the guys closest to graduating to the NHL. Nolan Patrick, taken with the No. 2 pick in last year’s draft, leads the crop of possibly five players who are penciled in to join the Flyers. Joining Patrick are likely forwards Oskar Lindblom and Mike Vecchioine and defensemen Sam Morin and Robert Haag.\n\nOn the Cusp\n\nIf defenseman Travis Sanheim fails to make the Flyers this month, he will be the first player summoned from the Phantoms to fill in for an injury. Phillipe Myers, a towering 6-foot-7 defenseman, will be the second. Both could end up as mainstays before the season ends.\n\nA Year or Two Away\n\nGerman Rubtsov is quickly climbing the depth chart. Taken 22nd overall in the 2016 draft, he is a longshot to make the Flyers this year but could climb to On the Cusp status next fall. Goalie Carter Hart is at least two years away but the two-time top goaltender of the Western Hockey League is emerging as the team’s No. 1 goalie of the future.\n\nWhile they might not fit into one of the three categories mentioned above, make sure to circle jersey numbers for forwards Pascal Laberge, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Morgan Frost and Isaac Ratcliffe and goalie Alex Lyon."}}},{"rowIdx":1005427,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Get the biggest celebs stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email\n\nA family who had turned a car park into their home for 11 years were forced out by a local council.\n\nTraveller Sally Bowers and her 18-year-old son Elwood arrived in the town of Coverack, Cornwall in 2005 for the solar eclipse and then never left.\n\nTheir story is featured in the ITV series of Parking Wars , which returns tonight, as residents of the picturesque town share their concerns about travellers living rent free.\n\nPeter who runs the village website says: \"They have free rent, free water, free sanitary,\" while B&B owner Dick has \"had enough\" of their freeloading and wants them gone.\n\n(Image: BBC)\n\nSally, who supports her family by dealing scrap metal, explains her perfect home life on the car park which is leased and operated by St Keverne Parish Council: \"It’s rather nice because we have water that comes up from the toilet block up here so it means we can have running water.\"\n\nHer four other children who Sally brought with her have all left and now there's just Elwood left who says: \"This is the only home I’ve known, I’ve lived here for two thirds of my life in a car park.\"\n\nFor Sally it's a nervous wait to find out if the court will choose to evict her, her son, two dogs and her 16 vehicles all crammed into the small space.\n\n“We don’t want to move unless it’s absolutely necessary. The solution is out there somewhere we just need to find it,\" she says.\n\n(Image: ITV)\n\nBut it's bad news for Sally and her son, as once the ball is set in motion and the villagers desperation to get them out is recognised, the judge decides there's only one option.\n\nDick couldn't be happier as he leaves court to explain to the cameras that they have been served an eviction notice and have been given five months to leave.\n\n“It's good that she will no longer after this year costing the parish and the community of Coverack, five to ten thousand pounds per year.\"\n\nVideo Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now\n\nSally and her son reflect on their impending situation, and speak of the judge: \"He was very nice the judge and said he hoped we would find somewhere to go to in the time that we have got. I thought that was really nice.\"\n\nMeanwhile in the rest of the episode viewers are introduced to the most ruthless civil enforcement officers in Hereford.\n\nJulie, Yvonne and Andy along with three other officers dished out 22,000 last year helping to rake in half a million pounds.\n\n* Parking Wars is on Tuesdays, ITV at 8pm"}}},{"rowIdx":1005428,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Home\n\nBrisbane Wedding Photographer – Tom Hall Photography\n\nBrisbane Wedding Photography\n\nHi, my name is Tom Hall and I am a Brisbane Wedding Photographer. Actually, I’m an Australian Wedding Photographer who photographs weddings everywhere. You’ll find me in Maleny, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Byron, Toowoomba, and anywhere else in the country I’m invited.\n\nThank you for visiting my website. It means a lot that you’d like to see what I’m about.\n\nThere’s nothing cooler for me than being invited to be part of such an awesome day. I absolutely love weddings! Anyone who’s seen me work will tell you I’m like a kid in a candy store. From the minute I turn up to the very last second before I leave, I love what I do. I couldn’t think of a better thing than being a wedding photographer.\n\nI have a lot of fun while I work. Weddings are filled with ridiculously happy moments and I can’t help but be swept up them.\n\nSTYLE\n\nYour wedding is something I’m hoping you’ll want to remember, so when I’m photographing throughout the day I’ll capture as much as possible. I want for you to be able to remember all the good stuff for the rest of your lives together, including those unexpected and candid moments.\n\nAWARDS\n\nI took a break this year, but I’ve decided to jump back into it and see how far I can go!\n\nIf you’re interested to know more about my qualifications and previous awards, they’re here. I’m very grateful for them and I really treasure the memories of the days when I captured those award images. I care about being lucky enough to live a life where I get to see so much joy! I care about the memories of my clients saying to me, “Tom, we had such an amazing day!”\n\nWhat’s important to me is that on your wedding day you feel like you can be completely comfortable in your own space. I want for you to feel like the only thing you need to do is to have the time of your life. Whatever you wanna do, whomever you wanna be on your big day, I’m there for you.\n\nI sincerely hope you enjoy looking through the many pages of my website and seeing some of the many weddings I’ve captured over the years. I invite you to contact me as I would be very happy to photograph your wedding.\n\nHave a great day or evening.\n\nTom Hall APP. M.Photog AWPPI.\n\nFully Accredited Brisbane Wedding Photographer\n\nTom Hall Photography Facebook Business Page\n\nRecent Posts"}}},{"rowIdx":1005429,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Astronauts Experience God\n\nHow Astronauts Experience God\n\nMetaphysical Mind #63\n\nDear Friend,\n\nIn this issue of Metaphysical Mind I have a fascinating article about how astronauts experience God that I have been wanting to share with you for quite some time. This basic ezine issue only contains this one article which is all about space euphoria. The following article comes from DailyGalaxy.com.\n\nLearn how astronauts experience god by reading this:\n\nSpace Euphoria: Do Our Brains Change When We Travel In Outer Space?\n\nIn February, 1971, Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell experienced the little understood phenomenon sometimes called the “Overview Effect”.\n\nHe describes being completely engulfed by a profound sense of universal connectedness. Without warning, he says, a feeing of bliss, timelessness, and connectedness began to overwhelm him. He describes becoming instantly and profoundly aware that each of his constituent atoms were connected to the fragile planet he saw in the window and to every other atom in the Universe.\n\nHe described experiencing an intense awareness that Earth, with its humans, other animal species, and systems were all one synergistic whole. He says the feeling that rushed over him was a sense of interconnected euphoria. He was not the first—nor the last—to experience this strange “cosmic connection”.\n\nRusty Schweikart experienced it on March 6th 1969 during a spacewalk outside his Apollo 9 vehicle: “When you go around the Earth in an hour and a half, you begin to recognize that your identity is with that whole thing. That makes a change…it comes through to you so powerfully that you’re the sensing element for Man.” Schweikart, similar to what Mitchell experienced, describes intuitively sensing that everything is profoundly connected.\n\nTheir experiences, along with dozens of other similar experiences described by other astronauts, intrigue scientists who study the brain. This “Overview Effect”, or acute awareness of all matter as synergistically connected, sounds somewhat similar to certain religious experiences described by Buddhist monks, for example. Where does it come from and why?\n\nAndy Newberg, a neuroscientist/physician with a background in spacemedicine, is learning how to identify the markers of someone who hasexperienced space travel. He says there is a palpable difference in someone who has been in space, and he wants to know why. Newberg specializes in finding the neurological markers of brains in states of altered consciousness: Praying nuns, transcendental mediators, and others in focused or “transcendent” states.\n\nNewberg can actually pinpoint regions in subjects’ gray matter that correlate to these circumstances, and now he plans to use his expertise to find how and why the Overview Effect occurs. He is setting up advanced neurological scanning instruments that can head into space to study–live–the brain functions of space travelers. If this Overview Effect is a real, physiological phenomenon—he wants to watch it unfold.\n\nNewberg’s first test subject will not be an astronaut, but rather a civilian. Reda Andersen will be leaving the planet with Rocketplane Kistler. She says, that as one of the world’s first civilian space adventurers, she is more than happy to let Andy scan her brain if it can help unlock the mystery. Why do astronauts all seem to experience a profound alteration of their perceptions when entering space, and will it happen for Rita and the other civilian explorers as well?\n\nAfter decades of study and contemplation about his experience, Ed Mitchell believes that the feeling of “oneness” with the Universe that he and others have experienced is a consequence of little understood quantum physics.\n\nIn a recent interview with writer Diana deRegnier of American Chronicle, Mitchell explains how the event changed his life and his entire perspective on the world and how each of us fits into the grand scale of the cosmos.\n\n“Four hundred years ago. the philosopher Rene Descartes came to the conclusion that physicality, spirituality, mind and body belonged to different realms of reality that didn’t interact. Now, that served the purpose to get the Inquisition off the backs of the intellectuals so they could disagree on material things with the church and without the fear of being burned at the stake. So that ended that, but it did cause, for four hundred years, science to consider consciousness and mind a subject for philosophy and religion and not a subject for science.\n\nNow, one of the things that happened, in the 1940s, was the mathematician, physicist, Norbert Wiener (MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology) for the first time really defined information as the negative of entropy, and entropy as the idea of the universe is running down and wastes energy. But, Wiener defined information as the negative of entropy, and that’s wonderful but it didn’t go far enough.”\n\nMitchell says that in an attempt to fill in some of the missing gap, the 2008 revised edition of his book The Way of the Explorer explores the largely ignored science of human consciousness. Using what he calls the “dyadic model” he outlines the “two faces” of energy. “Instead of being two separate things, it’s the energy as the basis of our existence in matter. And, it’s the basis of our knowing and information,” Mitchell explains.\n\n“We had not had, in science, a definition of consciousness. The only definition of consciousness from the dictionary is that at its basic level it is awareness. Consciousness means to be aware, and then we have different levels of consciousness depending upon how complex the substance is. It has been demonstrated many times over in laboratories that basic awareness is demonstrable at the level of plants, at simple bacteria, at simple life forms.\n\nThis is done with Faraday cages. It’s shown that this information at this deep level, at the quantum level, can transcend electromagnetic theory. And, now we’re getting into quantum physics and we don´t want to go there at this point. But it’s a very fundamental notion that awareness is at the very basis of things.”\n\nMitchell believes that perhaps both the theologians and scientists have missed the mark.\n\n“All I can suggest to the mystic and the theologian is that our gods have been too small; they fill the universe. And to the scientist all I can say is that the gods do exist; they are the eternal, connected, and aware Self experienced by all intelligent beings.’\n\nIn response to DeRegnier questioning whether or not Mitchell believes in the idea of God, he responds that while he does not believe in the traditional “grandfather figure” version of God, “we do have great mystery about what is the origin of the universe, how it came to be. There’s a great deal of question as to whether the big bang is the correct answer to the way the universe arose, and under what auspices and conditions. I don’t think we have the full answers to that yet. Hopefully in due course we’ll be able to find a much better way to describe all this.”\n\nBut while Mitchell does not claim to know how to perfectly interpret his experience, he is certain that it was a glimpse into a largely ignored reality: People, places and things are all more closely connected than they sometimes appear. He also mentions the need for better stewardship of our precious planet.\n\n“The great thinker Buckminster Fuller, philosopher, now deceased but for a goodly portion of the twentieth century, pointed out at the beginning of our space exploration that we are the crew of ‘space ship earth’. But we ‘re a crew of mutiny and how can you run a space ship with a mutinous crew?”\n\nPosted by Rebecca Sato at DailyGalaxy.com\n\nHumanity and personal spirituality still have so much to gain from science…\n\nCK"}}},{"rowIdx":1005430,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Lexington, Ky\n\nThe rolling green hills and rambling black fences of Lexington, Kentucky horse country are legendary. While we heartily recommend whiling away an afternoon at Keeneland placing bets on your favorite filly, there’s more to Lex than equines. The NoLi Night Market, for instance, draws urbanites from nearby neighborhoods and downtown with its food truck parade, handmade goods by local makers, and live music under the stars (plus a few strings of twinkly lights). You might be lured by all the action downtown, and we don’t blame you, but be sure to scope out the surrounding areas like the Historic Western Suburb, Woodland Triangle, and North Lime. There’s plenty we love in the Coolavin Park area too, not the least of which are pick-up games of bike polo across from County Club and West Sixth Brewery. Of particular note, the once gritty Distillery District is coming into its own. You won’t want to miss the beloved dessertery Crank & Boom’s first brick and mortar in one of the district’s restored warehouses. Some cities just need a little coaxing to reveal their sweet spots–stick with us–and if someone asks you if you bleed blue, just say yes.\n\nHistoric Distillery District\n\nD=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop\n\nGoodfellas Distillery N.Y. style pizza, a veritable wall of bourbon in the Wiseguy Lounge, and a smokestack encircled by a winding staircase–how could you go wrong? Chillax at Goodfellas with a slice and your preferred beverage on their delightful patio or inside the magnificently renovated distillery. Good times. 1228 Manchester St. (E)\n\nEthereal Brewing Irish Espresso Stout, P.B.& J. Porter, Cascadian Cream Ale, Ethereal Strength Bitter–these guys are delivering plenty of reasons for you to venture out to the Old Pepper Distillery. Enjoy a flight of their creative brews including a few solid Saisons and their signature IPA, Wanderlust. They keep ten rotating guest taps as well. Ethereal has darts in the tank room, the best food trucks in town on the regular, and a mighty fine looking taproom to sweeten the pot. 1224 Manchester St. (E)\n\nMiddle Fork Kitchen Bar Mark Jensen, whose popular mobile galley Fork in the Road won your hearts, now brings his globally-inspired street cuisine to a earthy-urban sit down venue right next door to Ethereal Brewing. You can expect good views to all the action in the kitchen, including a chef’s counter and communal tables. Middle Fork is making good use of the outdoor space as well, overlooking the meandering Town Branch River. Go see what Mark and his team put together. 1224 Manchester St. (E)\n\nCrank and Boom’s Dessert Cafe and Lounge Lex’s favorite craft ice creamery brings its small batch velvety goodness to the Distillery District–Bourbon & Honey, Superfudge, Kentucky Blackberry & Buttermilk, plus much more.1210 Manchester St. (E)\n\nBarrel House Distilling Co. is an official stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour, but we won’t blame you if you head straight down to Manchester St. Their Oak Rum is aged in charred oak bourbon barrels, and naturally you can’t leave Kentucky without tasting shine. We heartily recommend you start with the good stuff–Barrel House’s Devil John Moonshine No. 9. The small batch Pure Blue Vodka is a hit with the Big Blue Nation. At Barrel House, they’re patiently waiting for the bourbon to be “ready,” but you can check out the groovy copper pot still while it ages. Tours and tastings are offered Wednesday through Sunday. 1200 Manchester St. (D)\n\nThe Elkhorn Tavern is Barrel House’s lounge and taproom. Sink into a leather bourbon-barrel chair with a Big Ass Mule or Pure Blue Cheese Martini featuring Barrel House spirits and regale us with tales of how you’ve wrestled with bigger bears than the one adorning the wall of the Elkhorn. You’ll love their cozy fireplace during the chillier months, but all we can think of right now is cooling down with a refreshing Blueberry Oak Smash. 1200 Manchester St. (E)\n\nBreak Room at the Pepper Hang out at Town Branch with your friends, sit on the patio and soak up some sun, play cornhole, watch the game, have some drinks—what’s not to like about this place? If your chill friend’s river house was actually a bar, it would be the Break Room. 1178 Manchester St. (E)\n\nThe Burl is a great little music venue in the Distillery District. The wood planking gives it a nice warm feel and makes for amazing acoustics. See a show there, and you’ll be scanning the schedule for your next visit. 375 Thompson Rd. (D)\n\nM.S. Rezny Studio and Gallery Gorgeous natural light floods Mary Rezny’s gallery featuring “contemporary, professional, experimental, and innovative artists.” You’ll find a wide range of photography, mixed media, collage, fiber arts, and paintings here. Stop by during third Friday’s Gallery Hop (every other month) or during gallery hours Tuesday through Saturday. 903 Manchester St. (S)\n\nPRHBTN Those really cool street art murals around town are brought to you by the folks at PRHBTN. Check out their gallery events or their annual PRHBTN Festival each year when they invite artists from all over the world to share their art with Lexington. PRHBTN “showcases local, regional, and national artists, musicians, and businesses intrinsic to urban culture.” Keep up to date with their latest endeavors here. 899 Manchester St. (D)\n\nManchester Music Hall The newly refurbished venue is a nice place to see a show. Ride share is the way to go here. 899 Manchester St. (D)\n\nKre8now Makerspace 3-D printers, Build-a-Drone workshops, wood routers–you name it, Kre8now probably has it. Their new 12,000 foot space is meant to be a community creative hive. Makers and inventors unite. 903 Manchester St. #120 (D)\n\nTown Branch Distillery is the oldest craft distillery in Lexington. Take a tour to bolster your beer and bourbon I.Q. Town Branch Distillery and Alltech Lexington Brewing produce Kentucky Ales including their flagship Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, and Town Branch Bourbon, Bluegrass Sundown liqueur, as well as “the first malt whiskey produced in Kentucky since the Prohibition,” Pearse Lyons Reserve. 401 Cross St. (E)\n\nPop’s Resale Visit this “clearinghouse for vinyl records, vintage and quirky clothing, old-school game systems, and a million other things you ain’t never heard of,” and pick up what Pop’s is dropping. Go by and gab with Dan Shorr (Pop) and add to your vinyl collection. 1423 Leestown Rd. (S)\n\nHistoric Western Suburb\n\nD=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop\n\nStella’s Kentucky Deli It’s the little things that please us the most about Stella’s farm-sourced food. For instance, you can add a fried green tomato to any burger or salad on the menu. They make their own jalapeno syrup and use it in their clever tequila gimlet. Anything with Weisenburger cheese grits is a good call, and don’t forget a slice of Mary Porter pie, to go if necessary. Stella’s has a sweet little side patio. But be warned, this popular little yellow house is jumping during lunch and seating is tight. 143 Jefferson St.(E)\n\nNick Ryan’s Saloon It’s hard to resist a Southern double porch. Nick Ryan’s food matches the appeal of its architecture. Try the Braised Beef Short Ribs or another house favorite, the Shrimp & Grits made with Weisenberger Mill’s stone ground white grits, smoked Gouda, and andouille sausage. Join them for Saturday brunch and enjoy their Bloody Mary bar ($5 each for your spicy Saturday wake-up). 157 Jefferson St. (E)\n\nJefferson Street Soiree is an annual neighborhood throwdown in celebration of Keeneland’s Yearling Sale. The evening soiree gathers folks all the way down the Jefferson Street corridor, from Short to Second. We’re talkin’ some serious food, libations, and musical entertainment–all on one of our favorite destinations in Lex, Jefferson Street. (D)\n\nGrey Goose Bar Those stable doors just draw us right in. Order up one of their hand-tossed New York style pizzas; the specials are always a good way to go here, and sit back soaking in the dimly lit atmosphere. It is where all the cool kids hang out. 170 Jefferson St. (E)\n\nWine + Market We never resist dropping in Wine + Market when in Lexington–great sandwiches on crusty bread, a kickin’ cheese case, gourmet goodies and plenty of white subway tile and mirror to draw in the light. We’re feeling their European vibe. Offering free tastings in the adjoining wine room on Fridays from 5-8, this is the perfect place to pull together an impromptu picnic for your honey. 486 W. 2nd St. (S)\n\nThe Green Lantern Bar If you mention that you live or travel through Lexington, people are inevitably going to ask if you’ve been to The Green Lantern (yes, it is that famous). This little neighborhood dive bar features an eclectic mix of live music and is considered a staple of the local rock scene. 497 W. 3rd St. (E)\n\nBlue Stallion Brewing specializes in German lagers and British ales. Head over on Test Batch Tuesdays for limited edition brews and pick up a little dinner from the Gastro Gnome truck. Trivia is on Thursday for you competitive types, and you can cue up at Lyles BBQ for additional brain fuel. 610 W. 3rd St. (E)\n\nCoolavin Park\n\nD=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop\n\nBike Polo is way cool, and it is happening in Coolavin Park. Did you know that Lexington has its very own bike polo court? Fact. Lexington is even hosting this year’s Bike Polo World Championship in October. How rad is that? Find out more about bike polo and roller hockey on Lex’s Bicycle Polo League website. Coolavin Park, 550 W. 6th St. (D)\n\nCounty Club Hardwood-smoked low and slow, County Club utilizes “responsibly raised Kentucky cow, hog, sheep, goat, and chicken while applying flavor traditions from around the world.” The smoked brisket with Cornichon and poutine of the day are local favorites, and their house-made vinegar bbq sauce made with West Sixth IPA was spotlighted by Garden & Gun magazine. Be sure to order the daily salad–it is always amazing. 555 Jefferson St. (E)\n\nBroke Spoke Community Bike Shop is a volunteer-run organization that wants “better bicycles for all people” and to help you help yourself when it comes to bike upkeep. They offer bike mechanics classes and fully stocked workstations. “At Broke Spoke you can buy used bikes and parts. You can rent workstand time. You can ask one of our mechanics if you are doing something right. And, if you can’t afford to pay, you can volunteer your time for $8/hour, otherwise known as sweat equity.” Righteous. 501 W. Sixth St. (S)\n\nWest Sixth Brewing recently announced the release of its first County Series beer–Washington, fermented in a gently-used red wine barrel. This limited edition ale is described as “tart, crisp, and funky, with high effervescence created during the bottle conditioning.” Their Pay it Forward Cocoa Porter, besides being delicious, generates 50 cents a six pack for worthy charities in the town where it is sold. If you’re looking for yet another reason to love West Sixth, show up with your mat on Wednesday (6-7 p.m.) for Community Yoga. 501 W. Sixth St. (E)\n\nSmithtown Seafood is located right inside West Sixth in the Bread Box building. Who couldn’t do with a basket of Crispy Seafood Pups alongside a refreshing West Sixth brew? Even though the vibe is casual (pick up window and brewery seating), Smithtown is dead serious about serving up deliciously prepared seafood that is sustainably raised or responsibly farmed. You can even take advantage of Chef Michel’s expert fishmonger by purchasing fresh fish to go. Every tilapia special sends $8 to FoodChain’s urban farm and helps educate the community about sustainable agriculture and food production. 501 W. Sixth St. (E)\n\nRollergirls of Central Kentucky practice sessions are held at The Bread Box warehouse behind West Sixth Brewing. This Flat Track Roller Derby League hosts home bouts during the season at the Lexington Ice Center and the Lexington Convention Center. They are often looking for emergency medical personnel to oversee the matches, if that tells you anything. 581 W. Sixth (D)\n\nCricket Press Studio+Gallery Brian and Sara Turner are the dynamic duo behind the West Sixth can designs and those groovy gig and event posters you’ll see around town. Catch up with them at the weekly Bread Box Farmers Market to snag some amazing art prints or check out their facebook page for their next open studio. They also do laser etching and custom work. 501 W. Sixth St. Suite 185 (S)\n\nBread Box Farmers Market Get your local goodness every Wednesday May through August from 5-7:30! At the Bread Box Building 501 W. Sixth St. (S)\n\nNorth Lime\n\nD=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop\n\nLexington Art League is vital to the Lexington arts community. Don’t wait until the Gallery Hop to view some engaging art. The Lexington Art League brings the work of regional, national, and international artists to Lexington through the Artist Residency Program. The LAL also has a vibrant education program including classes for youth and teens. Their Community Supported Art (CSA) is “at the forefront of national trends to promote grass-roots art buying and collecting and was recently featured in the New York Times.” Join the CSA by buying a share and reaping this season’s crop of art. 209 Castlewood Dr. (D)\n\nKentucky for Kentucky Shop all things “Kick Ass Kentuckian” including Clucking Awesome dress socks and Kentucky Rocks! ice trays. We’re particularly partial to the new Watch Me Sip, Watch Them Neigh, Neigh tees. 720 Bryan Ave. (S)\n\nThe Parachute Factory is a non-profit multi-use space aimed at “promoting artistic endeavors and community engagement.” Join them on the Northside for art installations of all types, pop-up rock shows, poetry readings, and more. 720 Bryan Ave. (D)\n\nNoli Night Market On the corner of Limestone and Loudon, look for a neighborly ruckus going on the first Friday of every month May through December. This groovy pop-up street festival features inventive goods by local vendors, handmade art, tasty food trucks and beer, naturally. Bring cash. 804 N. Limestone (D)\n\nBroomwagon Coffee+Bikes Why isn’t there a cool place to hang while getting your bike serviced in Lexington–oh wait, there is. The folks at Broomwagon have supplied many reasons to venture out, whether or not you have an issue with your ride: Monday night Old Time Jam, Team Trivia Fridays, comedy open mics, a beer garden, plus a mighty little cafe that serves lunch, coffee, milkshakes, smoothies, local craft beer, and more! They know their way around a bike, too. Pick up some new gear or maybe even the bike of your dreams. 800 N. Limestone (S)\n\nThe Red Light Kitchen & Lounge For the legions of bereft A La Lucie devotees, take heart. Red Light will lift your spirits with its familiar Southern cuisine, eclectic decor, and fun cocktails. From the Lamb Shank served atop Weisenberger grits to the Red Light Burger crowned with a fried green tomato, bacon and spicy mayo, Red Light is comfort food you’ll want to stop for. 780 N. Limestone (E)\n\nMinton’s at 760 If you don’t feel like chasing down their food truck, whisk over to the corner of Luigart Street and Limestone for lunch or brunch. Minton’s is open Tuesday through Saturday 11-3 serving the kicked up Southern dishes you adore. The Little Brother, Brunch on a Bun (you know bacon jam is our kryptonite)–it is all so good, Southern Living is including Minton’s at 760 in their newest cookbook. Call to order one of their amazing cakes for your next fete; it is certain Nick’s Birthday Cake made with banana cake and caramel sauce or the Mascarpone Cheesecake topped with amaretto soaked pecans will clench your party-hero status. 760 N. Limestone (E)\n\nThe Stitchery This is not Granny’s embroidery shop. That is unless your Grams is super edgy. The Stitchery specializes in machine-embroidered patches and hoop art. Let your rebel side show with a Biggie, Frida, or “Free the Nipple” patch. Ask them about custom embroidery as well. Think of it as tattoos for your clothes. 754 N. Limestone inside Charmed Life Tattoo (S)\n\nWild Fig Books & Coffee We get it. You need a place to camp that has an excellent selection of books, a good cup of coffee, and on occasion, some sustenance to fuel that big brain of yours. Wild Fig gets you too. Besides that tempting case of pastries, they serve lunch. 726 N. Limestone (S)\n\nAl’s Bar and Beer Garden Kentucky has its fair share of dive bars, and Lexington is no exception. While Al’s might merit the “dive” label, it is far more. Consider it more of a Limestone street institution. “Local burgers highlight a diverse menu along with a large bourbon selection, draft beer, and a neighborhood personality.” While you’re vacillating between the Bison Burger with chipotle bourbon mayo and the Willie’s Bluegrass Burger crowned with beer cheese, bacon, onion rings and bbq sauce, you can enjoy live music most nights. Don’t miss the Cult Film Series on the first Wednesday of every month–free. Al’s Bar also hosts the Holler Poet Series on last Wednesdays to nourish your literary yearnings. 601 N. Limestone (E)\n\nNorth Lime Coffee and Donuts serves Nate’s coffee all the ways you like it, including specialty drinks like Cortados and Espresso Con Panna (two shots of espresso layered with homemade whipped cream). While life might be unpredictable, you can depend on North Lime’s Plain Glazed,Chocolate Iced, Cinnamon & Sugar, Cinnamonkey, and Funnel Cake donuts to be there for you day in and day out. Check their twitter @northlimelex to see what kooky flavors of the day they’re serving (like Dublin Stout, Bourbon Caramel, or Key Lime Long Johns). 575 N. Limestone St. (E)\n\nArcadium With twenty taps of craft beer and a cozy Edison bulb-lit full bar, Arcadium is a must. Did we mention games–all the old-school arcade games you need to fuel those high score dreams. If you’re lucky your land on a Tuk Tuk Sri Lanken Bites night! 574 N. Limestone St. (E)\n\nHomegrown Press is John Lackey’s studio and gallery. If you pop in sometime after lunch, you might find him in the studio. We love his linoleum block prints. 569 N. Limestone St. (S)\n\nRock House Brewing Still somewhat under the radar, the tasting room of this fledgling microbrewer is indeed in a stone house. The fireplace is lovely in colder months, but it’s the beer that is the real draw. Try their crowd-pleasing Roadie American Pale Ale. RHB hosts open mic nights, trivia and a regular line-up of appealing food trucks.119 Luigart Court (E)\n\nGratz Park\n\nD=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop\n\nMorlan Gallery Transylvania University is located in the Mitchell Fine Art Center on campus. It features contemporary art that “represents Western and non-Western viewpoints, gives voice to the marginalized, and encourages experimental installation, performance, and digital artworks.” The gallery is open daily (during the exhibition season from May-September) from noon-5 p.m. 300 N. Broadway (D)\n\nWander through the idyllic Gratz Park gazing at the 19th Century townhouses, or cop a squat near the Fountain of Youth bronze sculpture. It couldn’t hurt, right? (D)\n\nDoodles Breakfast & Lunch serves local and organic food–“comfort food with a conscience.” The beignets are where it’s at. We can’t get enough of the hearty Oatmeal Brulee either, Weisenberger Mill steel cut oats topped with a crackling raw sugar shell. Or, if we need something savory, Tara’s Tasty Hash squares us away for the morning. Don’t be afraid of the crowds, just take our advice and have a cup of joe first (to stave off the “hangry”). 262 N. Limestone (E)\n\nThird Street Stuff and Coffee Artist Pat Gerhard’s exuberant Third Street Stuff has been a neighborhood staple for more than a decade. Pick up a gift, grab a bite to eat, or a Frozen Monkey mocha to liven up your afternoon. Their coffee has been voted Best in Lexington numerous times by Ace Weekly, and last year was named best coffee shop in the state by Business Insider. We don’t know if it is Gerhard’s funky, folky art energizing her patrons or the Dirty Chai Lattes. Either way, you’re likely to leave with a little more pep in your step. Happy hour comes everyday from 5-7 p.m. when you can get your coffee or tea for half off. 257 N. Limestone (E)\n\nBeloved Lexington Pasta gurus Reinaldo and Lesme second venture, Pasta Garage Italian Cafe, supplies plenty of fresh pasta perfect for stocking your fridge or dinner table. Nobody needs to know. 227 N. Limestone (E)\n\nSorella Don’t bother resisting these sisters’ small-batch Italian gelato and sorbetto. Rasberry Chocolate Chip, Biscoff, Whipped Cream, Espresso and more–with so many luscious flavors to try, one needs to be methodical. Best to go every day. 219 N. Limestone (E)\n\nMulberry & Lime We adore ambling through the historic 1813 Colonial and all the goodies owner Mary Ginocchio has assembled there. Mulberry & Lime features lovely gifts, furnishings, and home accents. Pine Cone Hill bedding, Dash and Albert rugs, and Bowron New Zealand lambskin, linens, tabletop, and all manner of beautiful accoutrements to feather your nest. 216 N. Limestone (S)\n\nPaper on Stone Whether you’re feeling cheeky or coy, Paper on Stone has the card that just gets you, plus custom invitations, unique stationary, elegant wrapping paper and more. Write more, text less. 215 N. Limestone (S)\n\nLexington Beerworks has twelve rotating taps of your favorite craft brews to fill your growler, over 100 microbrews by the bottle or can, and a fully-stocked homebrew shop. Cocktails and wine is also available. If you’re peckish, they serve apps and artisan pizzas. Or just skip to dessert and order the Chocolate Milk Stout Beer Float. The best seat in the house is on the back deck with a view to the skyline at dusk. 213 N. Limestone (S)\n\nLe Deauville Their Borducan (orange liquor) cocktail is the exilir of the gods. We like to visit this quaint French bistro while the sun is still streaming in onto the crisp white tablecloths. During the week, appetizers are half price from 5:00-6:30; it’s an opportune time to sample the excellent Pate Maison or delicate Beef Carpaccio. Monday nights are all-you-can-eat sweet or savory crepes, and Tuesdays we suggest you make a standing date with Mussels night. 199 N. Limestone (E)\n\nInstitute 193 “collaborates with artists, musicians, and writers to produce exhibitions, publications, and projects that document the cultural landscape of the modern South.” Check it out. 193 N. Limestone (D)\n\nDistilled at Gratz Park Inn is an elegant restaurant and bourbon bar located in Gratz Park Inn. Whether you’re trying to impress an in-law, get on the right side of your boss, or romance a significant other, Distilled’s artful plates of farm-to-table food are sure to please. Besides if things aren’t going well, the spirits list is extensive. If you are there for brunch, be sure someone at your table orders the Fried Chicken Biscuit. 120 W. 2nd St. (E)\n\nDowntown/West Short Design District\n\nD=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop\n\nONA Bar Just shy of their first birthday, ONA made Esquire’s Best Bars in America list. The younger sibling of County Club, ONA has the same exquisite attention to detail. Expect masterful cocktails in this sexy sidestreet bar. The cheeky drink names are almost as appealing as the libations. Almost. Don’t worry about hustling down in time for happy hour either. ONA specials are “happy days” like $5 Negronis on Thursdays until close. 108 Church St. (E)\n\nLussi Brown Coffee Bringing to Lex the harmonious marriage of excellent coffee and craft cocktails, Lussi Brown is coffee shop by day and “Nightcap Coffee Bar” by night. Proudly championing KY products from loose leaf MonTea to Hosey’s Kentucky Honey, Lussi Brown sources locally whenever possible including those incredible pastries waiting for you on the counter. They’ve got house-made cold brew on tap and Nitro when the temps climb. Their ever changing seasonal cocktail list is even fodder for a little friendly competition. Check out the bracket on Fridays and vote for your favorite. With creations like RumChata Undertow, Real Espresso Martini, Cthulu, Earl Grey Mojito and more, Lussi Brown is slaying it. 114 Church St. (E)\n\nSidebar Grill is the place to hang like a local. If you’re looking to score some lunch, you might have to arm wrestle a few suits eating burgers or daydrinkers. But it’s worth it. Velvet Johnny Cash will keep you company. Sidebar has friendly folks, good grub, and zero pretense. 147 N. Limestone (E)\n\nOscar Diggs is the lovechild of legendary food truck Gastro Gnomes and Quillin’s popular Rooster Brewing in Paris. We didn’t need much convincing to believe this place would be golden, but naming it after the great and powerful Oz put us right over the top. Nice to know that you won’t have to scout out the truck for one of their choice burgers. Kill two birds with one stone and order The Thorogood–one burger, one shot, and one beer. Try Oscar Diggs exclusive Saison, Rooster Brewing Basic. 155 N. Limestone (E)\n\nMinglewood is a excellent place to kick-off your weekend with Friday Happy Hour featuring half-price cocktails. Or breakup your work week with Besties and Burgers on Wednesdays–buy one burger, and get one 1/2 price for your buddy. Order the smoked cheddar and parmesan pimento cheese and stay for the music. 159 N. Limestone (E)\n\nCorto Lima Jonathan Lundy, James Beard Award Semi-Finalist for best Chef in the Southeast, brings his midas touch to Latin-inspired cuisine downtown. This place should absolutely be on your short list. Whether it is the Prickly Pear Margaritas, the warm light flooding in, or the downright gorgeous food, Corto Lima will transport you to your happy place. 101 W. Short St. (E)\n\nWest Sixth Greenroom is bringing your favorite brews downtown for your swigging pleasure, plus some soon-to-be superstars like their new small batch Key Lime Pie P.A. Huzzah! 109 W. Main St. (E)\n\nWest Main Crafting Company It should come as no surprise that we are big fans of a well-made cocktail. West Main as far exceeded that mark serving “authentic farm-to-shaker cocktails with house made sodas, syrups, tonics, and bitters” as well as the perfect bites to accompany them. We are big fans of the Bao Buns nestled in dim sum baskets and the Shishito Peppers with grilled lemon. If you’re looking for heartier fare, they’ve got entrees too, and of course there’s Bourbon Donut Holes with pear butter and candied orange to slake your sweet tooth. When perusing their glossy libations menu, don’t overlook The Lost Ingredients Cocktails like The Sea Monster, a spiced rum creation that will have you pining for more winter. Watch their social media for new cocktail pairing dinners with local chefs. 135 W. Main St. (E)\n\nThe Lockbox in 21C Hotel Stroll through the contemporary art in the lobby before cocktails, dinner, or brunch. Lunch, after-dinner drinks, 9am…heck, anytime is a good time to eat at Lockbox. The Crispy Octopus with olives, white beans and house-fermented hot sauce is a revelation. It’s hard to share their Pepper Jam, Pimento Cheese, and Chicken Liver Mousse (In Jars appetizer), but we’ll try. Drop in for their fish sandwich, and you’ll be craving it the next day around noon.167 W. Main St. (E)\n\nThe Clock Shop That traditional German Cuckoo clock you’ve secretly always wanted is inside, along with a mind bending array of magician’s supplies. Yes, if ever there was a moment to set your inner child free, this is it. 154 W. Short St. (S)\n\nSchool Sushi Duck in for a satifsying Bento tray at lunchtime. 163 W. Short St. (E)\n\nParlay Social The best time to visit Parlay Social is when the bands are heating up the stage. Live music (Rock, Soul, Funk, Retro, Country, or Blues) begins most nights by 9:30. When you need a little nosh, their thin crust specialty pizzas or the plentiful meat and cheese boards make perfect accompaniments to the night’s libations. Bourbon flights are available. Or if tonight’s really your night, Parlay Social has bottles of the elusive Pappy Van Winkle, aged from 12-25 years. Join Parlay Social on Tannic Tuesdays for weekly wine bottle specials. 257 W. Short (E)\n\nDudley’s on Short This elegant eatery on Short has garnered many fans in the last 34 years. Whichever entree you choose, follow it in the good ole Southern tradition with Pawpaw Pie. While Dudley’s fabulous rooftop patio seems somehow to have escaped popular notice, it is a quintessential Lexington experience. 259 W. Short St. (E)\n\nD=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop\n\nDaily Offerings Coffee Roasters wants you to discover coffee again. We’re down for it. Plenty of natural light, high ceilings, and the relaxing vibe at Daily Offerings will make you feel like you’ve found a heavenly oasis downtown. Get adventurous and try the offerings off their Discover Bar menu like Cold Brew Lemonade or the Blood Orange and Basil Coffee Soda. Make it a point to attend one of their monthly cuppings and have a ball getting smarter about what goes in your cup. 529 W. Main St. (E)\n\nThe Village Idiot While their Idiot Burger topped with Tillamook cheddar, fried onion ring, and pulled pork gets a lot of play, this gastropub serves a mighty tasty Korean Fried Chicken Biscuit. We don’t even need to know what gochujang sauce is–we’re on board. However, we are curious to know who decided to throw candied jalapenos on the infamous Duck & Waffles because that was a baller move. The Village Idiot has twenty rotating taps of craft beer, a solid selection of microbrews and wine, plus a number of creative house cocktails. 307 W. Short St. (E)\n\nBelle’s Cocktail House is owned in part by the gentlemen of The Bourbon Review, so you can expect a healthy selection of Kentucky’s spirit of choice. Belle’s also features craft beers, wine, and as the name suggests, house cocktails named after famous Lexingtonians. We suggest you head upstairs to enjoy your libation amongst the bricks, taxidermy, and tufted leather. 156 Market St. (E)\n\nCirca Home This well-appointed small showroom has furnishings and accessories that are both refined and on trend. Visit Circa Home when you’re strolling Short St. and pick up something beautiful to enliven your space. Kimbrel Birkman offers design services out of this downtown spot. 351 W. Short St. (S)\n\nLexington Opera House Go see something–anything–at the Lexington Opera House. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this 1887 jewel should be seen and enjoyed. See their event calendar here. 401 W. Short St. (D)\n\nFable + Flame James Snowden’s impeccably curated lifestyle and home design boutique has found a new home downtown. Fable + Flame, has garnered the attention of the New York Times and Victoria Magazine. You’ll want to stop in frequently to soak in Snowden’s impeccable design aesthetic. 157 N. Broadway (S)\n\nClawdaddy’s Oh my! Lobster, Jonah crab and shrimp directly from Maine heaped high on a freshly-baked brioche roll. Heaven. Don’t forget a slice of Danielle’s blueberry pie. We can’t resist bundling up a Whoopie pie for later. 128 N. Broadway St. (E)\n\nVinaigrette Salad Kitchen You’ll be craving these salads in no time. Honestly. The Meyer Lemon & Rosemary, Blackberry Ginger and Fresh Basil Lemonades (to name a few) are just as addicting…in a good way. 113 N. Broadway or 1781 Sharkey Way #110 (E)\n\nWhile the fountain in Triangle Park is lovely, the area is even more magical in the winter months when you can ice-skate in the middle of the city. We’ll be watching for you to land that next triple axel. (D)\n\nCheapside Park Pavillion Farmer’s Market are in full swing on Saturdays 7-2, or in winter from 8-1 p.m.\n\nSkybar is your sushi lounge in the sky. Go for the great views of downtown and enjoy a “Makin’ Whoopie” moment (Michelle Pfeiffer as piano-slithering lounge singer in The Fabulous Baker Boys movie–look it up). 269 W. Main #900 (E)\n\nLexington Diner Chef Ranada Riley offers the diner experience downtown. Angus beef burgers, house-made fries and kettle chips, boss Overstuffed Omelets, and decadent French Toast options keep ’em coming back for more. 124 N. Upper St. (E)\n\nSouth Broadway/UK/Historic South Hill\n\nD=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop\n\nCountry Boy Brewing Jalapeno Smoked Porter, Cougar Bait Blonde, Ghost Gose–how we love you! Country Boy brews with the freshest ingredients they can find and minimal processing. Those “Country Boys” know how to do it right with a nice patio, relaxed taproom, and friendly folk serving great beer. On special release days, like for the Barreled Black Gold Porter aged in Kentucky rum barrels, expect a line. 436 Chair Ave. (E)\n\nDV8 Kitchen Their Huevos Rancheros on a biscuit or brioche will power your morning up right. 867 S. Broadway (E)\n\nTolly Ho Open 24 hours a day for you to get your Ho-burgers; and no, we are not making that up. 606 S. Broadway (E)\n\nEllo’s on Broadway We’re salivating like Pavlov’s dog just thinking about Ello’s tacos. Order the famed Ribeye Steak taco, or the equally tasty tamales, or bulging burritos. So good. Look for Ello’s Taco Cart around town. 406 S. Broadway (E)\n\nLexington Farmers Market Tuesdays and Thursdays 7-4 p.m. May through November S. Broadway and Maxwell (S)\n\nWant to find your favorite food truck around Lexington? Follow That Food Truck is a new app with a real time map.\n\nD=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop\n\nPedal Power was recently named one of America’s Best Bike Shops. Pedal Power has everything you need to prepare for your commute or recreational ride–in-store clinics, thorough fitting services, and accessories to outfit your wheels right. They have a great selection of bikes in every category and a knowledgeable staff to help you build to the next level. From racing gear to children’s bikes, they’ve got it. Pedal Power initiated the non-profit Shifting Gears which donates bikes to refugees new to the area. They also sponsor the yearly Bike Lexington event. 401 S. Upper St. (S)\n\nCD Central is smack dab in the middle of UK territory, which is a good thing in terms of longevity. They “specialize in indie rock, alternative, R&B, metal, country, jazz, blues, bluegrass, and musical alternatives of all kinds. CD Central has an extensive selection of new, used and collectible LPs and carries turntables and accessories to help you get the most out of your vinyl collection.” Go out and support your local music store. 377 S. Limestone (S)\n\nHan Woo Ri is a small Korean food joint that packs a whallop of flavor. Get your Beef Bulogi fix here. The Dol Sot Bi Bim Bop, a traditional meal of rice and veggies topped with an egg and crunchy strips of fried seaweed, is a good call…and the dumplings. One must always order dumplings when given the chance. 371 S. Limestone (E)\n\nSqecial Media has been supplying Lexington with books, gifts and oddities since 1972. We love their arthouse and special interest mags. Plus they’ve got some pretty sweet t-shirts to flaunt your literary prowess. 371 S. Limestone (S)\n\nFor tasty and satisfying West African fare, try Sav’s Grill. 304 S. Limestone (E)\n\nSav’s Chill serves luscious, local gourmet ice cream, gelato and sorbet starting at noon daily. 289 S. Limestone (E)\n\nSoundbar is for dancing ’til you can’t dance, dance, dance no mo’. 208 S. Limestone (D)\n\nEast Main/Martin Luther King\n\nD=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop\n\nKentucky Theatre When UK Wildcats are playing, Kentucky Theatre broadcasts the games on the big screen. Otherwise, you can catch an arthouse film, a smart documentary, a concert, or a midnight showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show. Good times. 214 E. Main St. (D)\n\nPam Miller Downtown Arts Center Make plans to spend an evening in the DAC’s Black Box Theatre which features a wide array of cultural happenings including productions from the area’s newest professional theatre group, AthensWest. 141 E. Main St. (D)\n\nLyric Theatre and Cultural Arts Center The beloved Lyric Theatre has a storied past including epic performances by Count Basie, B.B. King and Ray Charles. Today the venue hosts an in-house art gallery, lectures, community events, The Troubadour Concert Series, programs for youth, and free movies during the Lyric Picture Show each summer. In addition, every Monday, Lyric Theatre is home to the live broadcast of Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour. Support the Lyric and keep this iconic theatre alive. 300 E. Third St. (D)\n\nA Cup of Commonwealth We regard genuine warmth as a hot commodity, and A Cup of Commonwealth has it in spades. Friendly baristas, great coffee, and a real sense of community pervades this little corner of the Eastern Ave. Naturally, we adored the pay-it-forward coffee wall here. Pour-overs, steamers, cold brew–they’ve got it (and more). Go in, get caffeinated, and do your brother a solid. 105 Eastern Ave. (E)\n\nEastside\n\nD=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop\n\nPivot Brewing plays well with others. Cider fans will be in heaven choosing from Pivot’s impressive lineup of hard ciders including four of their own. In addition, there’s a fine selection of locally-brewed craft beer for that friend who just can’t get on board the cider train. June through October bust a move over on Sundays for Market Days between 11-4: food trucks, local makers’ goods, beer, cider, and farm fresh veggies. Drop by midweek for Wednesdays on Wax because everything sounds better on vinyl.1400 Delaware Ave. (E)\n\nSpalding’s Bakery accepts cash only for your little bundles of glazed joy. 760 Winchester Rd. (E)\n\nWorn & Company A good menswear shop is hard to find. Worn & Company is one of our all time faves: housemade leather goods, vintage hats, cool menswear with a casual vibe, stylish durable goods and premium denim. We can’t stop drooling over their perfectly worn vintage furniture and rugs either. Give yourself some time. There’s plenty to browse here from cheeky patches to great looking messenger bags. 901 Winchester Rd. (S)\n\nLocals Craft Food & Drink is one of the best spots in town to enjoy a beverage on the roof. 701 National Ave. (E)\n\nCosmic Charlie’s is a rock music venue. This is the kind of place you’ll be referencing in twenty years,”I saw them at Cosmic before everybody else knew about ’em.” 723 National Ave. (D)\n\nMirror Twin Brewing Solid brews, Rolling Oven pizza, and a relaxed, dog-friendly atmosphere have made Mirror Twin an instant neighborhood hit. Try their Whoops, I Tarted Gose or Citranomical IPA.They’ve got ample guest taps too, plus live music Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 725 National Ave. (E)\n\nMarket on National When you are in need of a little affordable design inspo, head to Market on National. They know how to pull together a room, combining a modern sensibility with earthy elements for warmth. Their well-chosen furniture, rugs, lighting and accessories will give your space the refresh it needs. 730 National Ave. (S)\n\nBlue Door Smokehouse Best. Brisket. Ever. 226 Walton Ave. (E)\n\nThe Breakout Games It’s Sherlock Holmes meets The Amazing Race as The Breakout Games offers Lexington an entirely new group game experience. You and your team have exactly one hour to complete your mission and “breakout” of a carefully-designed caper room. Select from four scenarios which will require your wits, moxie, and teamwork: The Kidnapping; The Derby Heist; The Island Escape; or Casino Royale. 306 N. Ashland Ave. (D)\n\nScout Antique and Modern You’ll find a wide range of antiques from an Italian gilt pendant lamp to a Mid-Century Modern writing desk. This is a great place to scout for re-purposed industrial items as well. 935 Liberty Rd. (S)\n\nD=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop\n\nCowgirl Attic Reclaimed Urban Artifacts Architectural salvage, quirky yard art, clawfoot tubs, and antique signage are just a few of the treasures you’ll find in this massive repository of odds and ends. Come armed with your patience and a visionary eye. 1535 Delaware Ave. (S)\n\nColes 735 Set aside any qualms you might have about the traditional setting, Coles 735’s flavor profiles just might surprise you. While this upscale eatery serves the elegant Filet Mignon you might be expecting, they also offer a delicately-spiced Moroccan Butternut Squash Stew with pesto and toasted almonds. If you’d rather nibble on something a bit more casual, Coles has a terrific Bar Bites menu including Weisenberger Grit Fries, Crispy Pork Belly Tacos, and Big Eye Tuna Sashimi. 735 E. Main St. (E)\n\nWoodland Triangle\n\nD=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop\n\nCommon Grounds Coffee House roasts its own coffee weekly. If you thought beer aged in bourbon barrels was pretty nifty, you’ll be stoked about Common Grounds’ newest collaboration with Willett Distillery–bourbon barrel coffee. You can grab lunch or a breakfast sandwich along with your favorite brew. We are partial to the High St. location with its maze of rooms and cozy nooks to work in, but you’ll find multiple Common Grounds spreading the coffee gospel around Lexington. 343 E. High St. (E)\n\nThe Weekly Juicery Go pure this week! Check out The Weekly Juicery’s raw, cold-pressed juices and superfood smoothies. They offer twice-weekly delivery to your home or office and can assist you with a guided detox anytime. 436 Old Vine St. (E)\n\nChocolate Holler is Lex’s only chocolate and coffee bar brought to you by the fine folks of A Cup of Common Wealth. Order a flight of sipping chocolate or choose from eight, yes, eight different hot chocolate styles to whet your whistle. Of course they’ve got cold brew and the usual lineup of excellent coffee drinks too, plus bar chocolate and sinful baked goods. Join them for trivia on Mondays, and don’t pass up the Bourbon Chocolate ice cream for your affogato! 400 Old Vine St. Suite 104 (E)\n\nShop Local Kentucky is your first stop for tailgating apparel or just all-around Bluegrass love. They’ve got trucker caps for days. Plus, who can pass up a Pizzatucky tee? 212 Woodland Ave. (S)\n\nBlack Swan Books is the place to go for rare or antique books. You’ll find a large representation of state and military history books, as well as a unique collection of Wendell Berry works. 505 E. Maxwell St. (S)\n\nFox House Vintage This killer boutique on 6th carries men’s and women’s vintage apparel. Every week get sick style at a bargain on Tiiiight Tuesday. Fox House carries Shine jewelry and accessories. Swing by on Saturdays and scout to your heart’s content with a mimosa in hand. The best. 512 E. High St. (S)\n\nThe Black Market Boutique Put this adorable “vintage style boutique” in heavy rotation. Seychelles wedge heels, fetching dresses, Esley tanks, and retro print tees to give your wardrobe a punch of sass. Be sure to check out the jewelry case to score some baubles and bangles by local artisans. The Black Market carries a sweet collection of gifts and accessories too. 516 E. High St. (S)\n\nBest Friend Bar BFB is a dive bar. It is a music venue. It is the home of girlsgirlsgirls burritos. We rest our case. Visit soon. Visit often. 500 E. Euclid Ave. (E)\n\nFood Truck Watch: Tin Can coffee; Bradford BBQ; J Renders BBQ; Lyles BBQ; Little Brother by Minton’s; Fork in the Road; Thai and Mighty; Ellos; El Habenero Loko; Waffle E Good; Rico’s empanadas; hogfather’s barbecue; Whoo Wants waffles\n\nChevy Chase/Ashland Park\n\nD=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop\n\nWorld’s Apart This eclectic Chevy Chase boutique is a prime place to shop for gifts. Their Voluspa candles, hand-hooked Kentucky pillows, fun trinkets for kids and decorative home goods are sure to please. 850 E. High St. (S)\n\nHigh Street Fly knows the best way to sport some local pride. Say it on a soft-comfy tee. Bourbon State, Ale-8, West Sixth Brewing, and more emblazoned across your chest lets your friends know you’re a baller. 887 E. High St. (S)\n\nTribeca Trunk When you see the ghostly painted trunk out front, you’ve reached one of our favorite spots in Lex. While Tribeca functions as a boutique, it is also a trunk fashion show and art venue featuring “unique contemporary works by acclaimed designers and artists.” We took an immediate shine to their boss rings. 116 Old Lafayette Ave. (S)\n\nOmar + Elsie This fetching women’s fashion boutique has just the right quotient of elegance and sass. Omar + Elsie has those strappy sandals, leather booties, and designer flats to set off your look, too. 114 Old Lafayette Ave. (S)\n\nPeplum Step out confidently on-trend after nabbing a few new looks from Peplum, a nice addition to the Chevy Chase shopping district. Score some flirty accessories too, like fun tassel earrings or that boho statement necklace you’ve been hunting. 824 Euclid Ave. #103 (S)\n\nMorton James This airy and sophisticated Chevy Chase boutique carries the kind of pieces that not only last, but have the touch of urban flair that lends a bit of “bad-ass” tude to your wardrobe. Morton James carries both men’s and women’s clothing and accessories. 836 Euclid Ave. (S)\n\nBourbon n’ Toulousse serves heaping portions of spicy Cajun stews over rice on the cheap. Enjoy a local craft brew and sample one of the dozens of hot sauces on your Creole dish. 829 Euclid Ave. (E)\n\nD=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop\n\nThe Beer Trappe rated a “world class” ranking on Beer Advocate. They’re stocked with over 500 specialty beers on the shelves, with hundreds chilled and ready for you to enjoy at your leisure. Go to a Beer School session held by a National BJCP judge and certified Cicerone. It’s only ten bucks. The Beer Trappe features eight rotating taps of interesting craft brews should you decide to sit a spell. 811 Euclid Ave. (S)\n\nAthenian Grill Oh, we’d travel a long way for a top-notch gyro. Thankfully, you Lexingtonians don’t need to. We’re even excited about the Avgolemono soup, and Athenian Grill’s traditional Greek dips like Taramosalata, and Htipiti served with warm pita. Save yourself the trouble of deciding between them, just order the Meze Platter to sample four. 313 S. Ashland Ave. (E)\n\nBrier Books Be sure to spend some time at Brier Books. Don’t be shy about striking up a conversation because all the stories aren’t in books (though they could recommend a good one). 319 S. Ashland Ave. (S)\n\nThe Sage Rabbit When you think of a great neighborhood spot, you want low-key and local. The Sage Rabbit is both. Specializing in farm-sourced fare served in a friendly, off the beaten-path eatery, consider bringing your furry pal next time and sit on their roomy patio. They’ve got wholesome selections (including vegan) for when you’re feeling virtuous. When you’ve got a hankering to indulge, try the Pan-Fried Oysters with rosy red cocktail sauce and their version of a smore–Pot de Creme with salted caramel, toasted marshmallow and a housemade graham cracker. 438 S. Ashland Ave. (E)\n\nAdelé offers “interior design & stylish finds for the home, gift, baby, and you.” Drop by for a little aesthetic therapy and breathe in all the pretty. 805 Chevy Chase Place.(S)\n\nJosie’s Restaurant Lexington loves to spend its mornings in Josie’s. When in doubt, the cheese grit casserole–always. If you’re not in the mood for breakfast fare, try the Grouper Fingers. 821 Chevy Chase Place (E)\n\nThe Bridge Eatery & Bar is the place to go for Mediterranean fare. Order the Lahmacun, Turkish pizzas, or Adana’s kebabs. The Bridge is also dishing up their crowd-pleasing garlic knots and N.Y. style pizza. 342 Romany Rd. (E)\n\nSouthland/Zandale\n\nD=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop\n\nGumbo Ya Ya Craving some Creole? Gumbo Ya Ya is serving heaping portions of Maque Choux, E’touffee, Gumbo and more delish dishes. Make it your go-to for a fast and tasty cajun fix. 1080 S. Broadway Suite 107 (E)\n\nScheller’s Fitness and Cycling Lexington is fortunate to have two bike shops named in America’s Best Bike Shops this past year. Scheller’s was one.That clearly speaks to the health of the cycling community in Lex. Scheller’s is helping to sponsor this year’s Tour De Lou bike race held as part of the Kentucky Derby Festival. Though it started as a family-owned bike shop, Scheller’s began carrying fitness equipment in the eighties. They are also a full-service bike shop with a terrific inventory of bikes, parts, and accessories. Scheller’s sponsors a racing team and holds free clinics on riding and maintenance. Check out the Scheller University tab on their website for a plethora of cycling related info. including buying, training, and advocacy issues. 1987 Harroldsburg Rd. (S)\n\nDad’s Favorites is a deli which features Dad’s own incredible cheese spreads on its sandwiches. If you’ve never been, and even if you have, a “tasting” is essential. You’ll hear all about Dad’s cheese spreads and be further flummoxed about which to take home (because they are all that good). As for your lunch, should the Asiago Pot Roast sandwich miraculously still be available, order that. Dad recommends the Friday special too, Mac & Cheese smothered in Dad’s Stampin’ Ground Cheddar (beer cheese made with Country Boy’s Stout Porter) along with their Dry Rubbed BBQ topped with Chipotle Cheddar and a side of Honey Lime Coleslaw. 820 Lane Allen Rd. (E)\n\nD=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop\n\nBrasabana Cuban Cuisine Have you tried Brunchabana? We’ll eat Brasabana’s amazing Cuban food anytime of the day, but we’re developing a soft spot for their festive brunch. Mojo chicken over a Monterey Jack biscuit topped with perfectly poached egg, crispy bacon, and cilantro achiote gravy– say hello to the Brasabana Benedict. 841 Lane Allen Rd. (E)\n\nTortilleria Y Taqueria Ramirez We’ve read numerous accounts swearing by Nate Silver’s Burrito Bracket (made famous on his FiveThirtyEight blog). Nate and his team rigorously evaluated 67,391 burrito joints around the country to hail the best burrito in America. Tortilleria Y Taqueria’s Carne Asada wound up number three. We kid you not. The Al Pastor and the Carnitas tacos are worthy contenders too. 1425 Alexandria Dr. (E)\n\nWillie’s Locally Known Music and barbecue is a time tested combo. Willie’s knows how to do both exceptionally well. If you haven’t been to their Southland spot, it’s been far too long. Join them for Brunch in the Bluegrass or just any weekday for Burnt Ends, Bacon Flights, or their delectable smoked chicken wings. The Signature Blackberry Habanero is the way to go here. Check out their music lineup online. 286 Southland Dr. (D)\n\nMarikka’s Restaurant and Bier Stube Lexington’s only authentic German restaurant definitely has a sports bar vibe, and it’s not just the wall of German beers we’re talking about. They even have their own volleyball league with courts in the back. But even if we have to duck a few elbows on our way, we’ll do what is necessary to get Marikka’s Mettwurst Dinner with sauerkraut, Spatzle, or Kartoffelpuffer (potato pancakes with applesauce). 411 Southland Dr. (E)\n\nGood Foods Market and Cafe They say you shouldn’t shop hungry. So grab The Big Italian sandwich from their deli or maybe a slice of pie from the case. The Hot Bar is epic for brunch. Give it a go. 455 Southland Dr. (E)\n\nCherry Seed Coffee Roastery Sustainably-sourced coffee expertly roasted in-house and served in a fetching coffee house. Switch it up every now and again with their local MonTea Chai or Cherry Seed’s Nitro Cold Brew, and don’t forget to bring home a bag of their specialty single origins or proprietary blends. 472 Southland Dr. (E)\n\nRamsey’s Diner is beloved for its good ole Southern cooking.This is the kind of place you can order Chicken Livers or Pan-Fried Blackened Catfish with your Pinto Beans and Stewed Tomatoes.Their Cold Meatloaf Sandwich might give you flashbacks of late-night fridge raids in your footy pajamas. Just be sure to save room for Missy’s Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie. 151 W. Zandale Dr.; multiple locations (E)\n\nEl Rancho Tapatio Restaurant features a live Mariachi band on Fridays, a long list of authentic Mexican dishes, and Margarita Monday specials. Go for the Flan…nom nom nom. 144 Burt Rd. (E)\n\nOld San Juan Cuban Cuisine We can’t get enough of Old San Juan’s plantains. We’ve never been know to turn down their Empanadas, either. Stop in for a pressed sandwich, or the Ropa Vieja with a side of black beans and rice. 247 Surfside Dr. (E)\n\nJ & H Lanmark Store carries all the necessities for outdoor fun including camping supplies and sports equipment to get you climbing, backpacking, paddling, and adventure seeking. 189 Moore Dr. (S)\n\nJoseph Beth Booksellers The scale of this massive book emporium and community space might be a little shocking at first (think anchor department store). They have a first rate in-store restaurant, Bronte Bistro, which serves fresh and flavorful fare to fuel your book search. With frequent appearances by acclaimed authors and lecturers as well as Kid’s Storytime programs, Joseph Beth has solidified its status as local treasure. 161 Lexington Green Circle Suite B1 (S)\n\nFarm Market It may look like a garden shop from the outside, but inside are the best tamales in the state! 1079 E. New Circle Rd. (E)\n\nBella Notte Relax with some beautiful pasta dishes, wood-grilled meats or seafood and a fine glass of wine. Bella Notte has a nice cocktail menu too, for those times you want to take it up a notch. 3715 Nicholasville Rd. (E)\n\nMetropolitan Donuts and Coffee is serving up small batch mini-donuts with a plethora of toppings. For those like us who are decision-impaired before coffee, Met has house specialties like Strawberry Cheesecake with graham cracker crumble and cream cheese drizzle or the Samoa, to bridge your cravings before your Girl Scout order arrives. Open until high noon. Closed Monday and Tuesday. 3070 Lakecrest Circle Suite 600 (E)\n\nOutside New Circle\n\nD=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop\n\nBluegrass Baking Company Owner and Baker Jim Betts has said, “Bread is life well-lived.” We’re with you, Jim! Particularly when he’s serving up loaves like Bohemian Beer Bread, the Urban/Herb’n Cheese Bread, Raisin Pecan Levain, and crusty French Baguettes. While you’re there, the pastries are pretty kickin’ too. Just saying. 3101 Clays Mill Rd. (E)\n\nCrust Don’t be afraid of a little char–you aren’t living until you’ve had pizza baked in a wood-fired oven. Oh, the Burrata of prosciutto, fig jam and crostini! The popular Stufato is a ricotta stuffed crust topped with artichokes, roasted peppers, garlic, and capers. The Dante pie is a fiendishly good pairing of arrabiata, sausage, fior di latte, garlic, parmesan, and balsamic honey. Drop in Thursdays for Wine Nights when bottles are half-price. 2573 Richmond Rd. (E)\n\nCooper Brothers Gourmet Meats is Lex’s premier butchery offering fresh seafood and farm raised meats. Their Japanese Waygu and Registered Black Angus come directly from Cane Ridge Cattle Company in neighboring Paris, Ky. You can also shop for other fine Kentucky products like Woodford Reserve Bourbon Cherries and Cruxial Hot Sauce. 4379 Old Harrodsburg Rd. (S)\n\nOBC Kitchen Bacon in a glass? Yeah, we’re down with that. Crispy Fried Oysters? Hells yeah. In fact, all OBC’s small plates are so good, we could be happy with that…until we saw that Bacon ‘N Egg salad on frissee or those Chicken and Waffles and that Cola Braised Short Rib. Now we have a problem. 3373 Tates Creek Rd. (E)\n\nHoneywood Ouita Michel once again highlights all that is wonderful about living in the Bluegrass featuring locally-sourced food brought to you with down-home hospitality. Honeywood is like Ouita’s “best of” album, from the Wallace Station Chicken Salad to the Blue Monday Sunday starring the Midway Bakery brownie topped with Sorella Whipped Cream Gelato and crushed Ruth Hunt Blue Monday candy along with hot fudge, whipped cream and a cherry. The Four O’Clock is just our speed of charcuterie plate: a delightful combo of “salt-and-pepper almonds, cheese salad, Midway Bakery buttermilk biscuits with shaved Browning’s ham, mixed pickles, saltines and Lisa’s cheese wafer.” We can’t wait to dig in.110 Summit at Fritz Farm Suite 140 (E)\n\nMeg C Jewelry Gallery Meg C. rocks. She created the award-winning gold-plated KFC chicken bone necklace that caused a media fervor last year (spotlighted by Food & Wine). We’re kind of in love with her Wishbone necklace, too. Check out Meg C. Jewelry to snag some amazing custom pieces from Meg and other regional designers. If you’re a native, you really need her Kentucky necklace. The Summit at Fritz Farm\n\n122 Marion, Suite 140 (S)\n\nDraper James Reese Witherspoon’s upscale Southern lifestyle brand has just hit Lexington. You’ll find cheery floral prints, plenty of lace and seersucker, plus charming accessories to add some grace and wit to your home. Freshen up your summer wardrobe with a breezy sweetheart dress while you sing a few bars of “I feel pretty and witty and bright…” 120 Summit at Fritz Farm, Suite 170 (S)\n\nWindy Corners It is just unthinkable to visit Lexington without getting out into horse country, and Windy Corners is your perfect solution. You can nosh on one of their famous Po Boys while surrounded by majestic thoroughbreds grazing over rolling green hills. Don’t be taunted by the massive Kentucky Boy–BBQ pulled pork slathered with beer cheese, fried pickles and WC special sauce. You can handle it. They make a mean Shrimp Po Boy, too. Before you go, have the fine folks pack up a few Sorghum Cookies from Midway School Bakery–sugar and spice perfection. 4595 Bryan’s Station Rd. (E)\n\nLocal Products: Mousetrap Pimento Cheese; Ale 8 One; Cruxial Hot Sauce; Magic Beans Coffee Roasters; The Pig and the Pepper pies and quiches\n\nProud Mary Honky Tonk BBQ Need a break? Head down to the river and Proud Mary. Jambalaya, red Beans and rice, beer, music…just promise to play nice in the sandpit. 9079 Old Richmond Road, exit 99 off Interstate 75\n\nEvents\n\nKeeneland Go to the races; put some money down; have a good time. If you arrive early, you can see the horses led about the grounds. It’s the only way to convince your buddies that betting windfall was actually a result of your finely-honed horse assessing skills.\n\nCrave Lexington Food + Music Festival is Lex’s favorite late summer bash. As the name implies, this is foodie paradise. Get out and see what the area’s best chefs are cooking up while getting your groove on. Find out deets about this year’s event here.\n\nAFB Woodland Art Fair Lexington’s favorite art festival is in its 40th year. Amble the stalls of over 200 artists in charming Woodland Park. AFB Woodland Art Fair was voted a top ten event by the Southeast Tourism Society. Learn more here.\n\nThe Bread Box Holiday Market is “a curated art market showcasing unique, handmade art & goods.” This market showcases Bread Box studio artists as well as local and regional talent.\n\nTweed Ride Social Cycling Lexington sponsors this festive Spring tradition. “Sport your finest tweedy attire and join us as we embark on a leisurely jaunt about the town on our velocipedes, randonneurs, pedersons, mixtes, bromptons, and more.” Join other upstanding citizens for a little fresh air and some great scenery. Check out Social Cycling’s facebook page here to keep current on this and other groovy cycling meet-ups like the monthly Moonlight Ride.\n\nThe Bourbon Social When you’re famous for two things, you better get ’em right. Kentucky is here to show you how bourbon is done. The Bourbon Social is “a celebration of Bourbon craft and culture, and the great people who share a love of America’s native spirit. Mix in a little Kentucky hospitality and the tasty foods we’re known for, and you’ve got one helluva party.” You’ve got 11 days and a multitude of events to pay proper homage. Check out more here.\n\nOut of Doors\n\nShakertown Did you realize Shaker Village Preserve has 40 miles of trails for walking, hiking, running, cycling, and horseback riding? The trails are open daily from sunrise to sunset. Learn more here.\n\nRed River Gorge Don’t miss the stunning rock formations, secret waterfalls, and caves of Red River Gorge. If you love rock climbing, this is your place. Red River Gorge has ziplines, miles of trails, camping, cabin rentals and the sandstone Natural Bridge. Plan your next trip here. After your Gorge adventure, refuel at the legendary Miguels Pizza. 1890 Natural Bridge Rd. Slade, KY\n\nLegacy Trail is “a 12-mile walking, biking, interpretative trail and public art venue.” You can pick it up at the Issac Murphy Memorial Art Garden, East 3rd St., and take it all the way to the Kentucky Horse Park.\n\n© 2019\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave\n\nSave"}}},{"rowIdx":1005431,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Tsujigiri (辻斬り or 辻斬, literally \"crossroads killing\") is a Japanese term for a practice when a samurai, after receiving a new katana or developing a new fighting style or weapon, tests its effectiveness by attacking a human opponent, usually a random defenseless passer-by, in many cases during nighttime.[1] The practitioners themselves are also referred to as tsujigiri.[1]\n\nIn the medieval era, the term referred to traditional duels between bushi, but in the Sengoku period (1467–1600), widespread anarchy caused it to degrade into indiscriminate murder, permitted by the unchecked power of the bushi. Shortly after order was restored, the Edo government prohibited the practice in 1602. Offenders would receive capital punishment.[1] The only known incident where a very large number of people were indiscriminately killed in the Edo period was the 1696 Yoshiwara spree killing (吉原百人斬り), where a wealthy lord had a psychotic fit and murdered dozens of prostitutes with a katana. He was treated by authorities as a spree killer and sentenced to death. Later, a kabuki play was made about the incident.[2]\n\nSee also [ edit ]"}}},{"rowIdx":1005432,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"(CNN) -- The Arkansas Geological Survey is trying to unravel a mystery: What is causing earthquakes in the town of Guy, Arkansas?\n\nSince September 20, the community of 549 residents north of Little Rock has experienced an almost constant shaking from 487 measurable earthquakes.\n\n\"We've had 15 today including a 3.1 (magnitude) from this morning,\" Scott Ausbrooks, geohazards supervisor for the Geological Survey, said Monday. \"These are shallow quakes between two and eight kilometers (between one-and-a-quarter and five miles) below the surface.\"\n\nWhile earthquakes aren't unusual in the Southeast state, the frequency is.\n\n\"This time last year we had 39 quakes total for the entire state,\" said Ausbrooks.\n\nMost of the quakes in the swarm -- a localized surge of earthquakes with all of them about the same magnitude, according to the United States Geological Survey -- are so small they go unnoticed. The largest, a 4.0 on October 11, caused the only documented damage, cracking a window at a visitor's center to a state park.\n\nGuy Mayor Sam Higdon said when the swarm first happened, citizens took notice. \"They were calling City Hall asking, \"What are you going to do?'\" he said.\n\nIn response to the constant bombardment of tiny quakes, Higdon's office has organized a three-hour long town meeting, and sought the help of state geologists and members of the oil and gas industry to find answers.\n\n\"My wife wants to buy earthquake insurance. I'm trying to talk her out of it,\" the mayor said Monday.\n\nThere are several geologic faults in the area, but none associated with the New Madrid fault, the large seismic fault in the region and one that was the source of an estimated 7.0-magnitude earthquake in 1811. And there was another historic flurry of earthquakes in 1982, 15 miles south of Guy. Geologists know it as the Enola Swarm, responsible for 15,000 quakes within a year's time, followed by more shaking in 2001.\n\nAt first, town officials assumed the current wave of shakes came from work at a gravel company on the outskirts of town.\n\nAusbrooks says the state Geological Survey has no idea whether the current swarm is a natural or man-made event, but his office is seriously exploring the latter. \"We see no relation to the drilling in the area, but we haven't ruled out a connection to the salt water disposal wells,\" he said.\n\nAccording to the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission, there are at least a half dozen \"disposal wells\" within a 500-square-mile zone around Guy. Licensed by the state of Arkansas, disposal wells are a byproduct of the oil and gas industry and are used to inject drilling waste water back into the earth after drilling.\n\nAusbrooks said drillers inject waste water into the earth at high pressure, and in the area around the town the disposal wells go as deep as 12,000 feet. He points to incidents in Colorado in the 1960s at Rocky Mountain Arsenal, where deep water injection was tied to earthquakes.\n\nLast week the state of Arkansas issued a moratorium on new drilling permits. Lawrence Bengal, director of the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission, said previously his office required only monthly reports outlining the operations of injection wells.\n\n\"We're asking well operators to provide daily reports now,\" Benegal said.\n\nAusbrooks said his office is poring over the data trying to determine whether there is a correlation between the disposal wells and the shaking, and he hopes to present preliminary findings to the state next month."}}},{"rowIdx":1005433,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Photo: Myke Hermsmeyer\n\nFor the first 93 miles of last weekend’s Western States 100, 26-year-old Jim Walmsley was on pace to shatter the course record. Spectators following Walmsley’s progress—both along the trail in Northern California and via social media—were dumbfounded: Western States is considered one of the most competitive ultras in the world, and this was Walmsley’s first-ever 100-mile race. Then, just seven miles from the finish, he disappeared.\n\nFor well over an hour, an eternity even by ultrarunning standards, the Flagstaff native was nowhere to be found. Walmsley had missed a tight left turn and veered well off course. A crew of photographers finally spotted him lying on the 105-degree pavement of Highway 49. He’d given up the record, the lead, and, realistically, any chance of a top 10 finish.\n\nWhereas some might have thrown in the towel, Walmsley zombie-walked his way back to the course and, eventually, to the finish line. We had the chance to talk with Walmsley to get an inside look at how it all unfolded.\n\nPhoto: Three weeks before the race, Walmsley left his home in Flagstaff, Arizona, to attend the Mountain Pulse Running Camp in Lake Tahoe, California. “I was coming off of by far the biggest and best training of my life, including back-to-back 140-mile weeks. My time in Tahoe was really great for sharpening the saw and just dialing in everything I’d need for a good race.”"}}},{"rowIdx":1005434,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"One Yeezy apologist's struggle to find answers.\n\nA lot of people thought Kanye West's career was over after he infamously crashed the VMAs stage on September 13, 2009. I was a little shocked by the incident, but I was already too in the bag as a fan of West's to even think of convicting him of any real moral wrongdoing. Sure, he interrupted Taylor Swift's would-be career-defining moment, but West was the biggest and most influential star in music in the five years prior—what could really stop him? But the president called him a jackass, and he literally left the United States for months in the wake of the press onslaught, while I, person by person, did my best to explain how West had just been over enthusiastic in a Hennessy-induced moment. And, after all, when it came to Beyoncé's \"Single Ladies\" video, he was right, wasn't he? Thus began my long career as a Kanye West apologist, which in the wake of recent events, including his visit yesterday to meet with President-elect, may finally be over.\n\nSince the \"Taylor Swift incident,\" the so-called liberal mainstream media has even been guilty of bias—sometimes subtlety racial-driven in nature—against West. (When white rock stars are rude, vocal, and controversial, the media brands them as \"rebels.\" When West does it, he's \"crazy.\") Yes, Kanye West is outspoken, but he's also the first to admit that he isn't always right. \"We have the right to be wrong,\" he's uttered on several occasions. Despite the commonly held idea that Kanye West only cares about himself, he has many times sacrificed his own good-standing in culture to speak out on behalf of others, be it Beyonce, African-Americans, or the artist's community at large. So whether or not you agree with Kanye West's point of view, you can almost always guarantee it's his point of view, one that isn't twisted by endorsement deals or popular opinion.\n\nWhen Kanye West married Kim Kardashian, who's often considered one of the least sincere, most financially-motivated people on earth, I reminded people that West was in love with her for years, even dedicating his verse on 2010's \"Lost in the World\" to his future spouse. When he was lampooned for selling $120 T-shirts, I reminded people that 1) he didn't price the T-shirts, A.P.C. did and 2) in the grand scheme of fashion, $120 T-shirts aren't that crazy. When he threw a fit after Nike refused to bankroll his fashion collection, I understood his frustrations after creating two of the most hyped-up sneakers in the brand's history, the Air Yeezy and Air Yeezy 2. When he claimed he was the most influential person in fashion, I explained to doubters that in fact he was responsible for the death of throwback jerseys, the rise of mid-aughts prep, Shutter Shades, the popularity of Givenchy, not to mention a generation of obsessives dedicated to dressing exactly like him. When he attacked a paparazzi, I felt it was obvious he was provoked, and recited his own line about how he was returning from the funeral of his grandfather when confronted.\n\nWhen people claimed his Yeezy Season collections were \"homeless looking\" and too expensive, I pointed to other collections that inspired the looks, and to West's claim that while he had no intention of overcharging customers, the pricing was simply a product of wanting to use quality materials while being beholden to the prices of the fabrics set by Adidas's suppliers. When fellow fashion editors complained about the spectacle of his Yeezy Season 3 show at Madison Square Garden, I noted that it was the most fun I'd ever had a fashion event, and that we got to hear a brand new Kanye West album in an arena setting. See, the one place I've always felt most comfortable in defending Kanye West is when he has claimed he's a genius. When it comes to making music, the simple truth is he is a genius, and I've accused anyone that disagrees with this point of being too influenced by tabloids and not open enough to actually listening to West's catalog. Even today, I still think all of the above is true.\n\nBut I've never once thought that liking an artist means endorsing every single thing they say, do, or create. But recently it's become morally conflicting to defend West's comments and actions. It started for me personally when he compared his stage performances to being a soldier, which I brushed off as simple hyperbole. Later, he began to align himself with Louis Farrakhan, a man who, as a Jew, I refuse to label a pure anti-Semite. But Farrakhan is guilty of perpetuating the fallacy that Jews are conspirators hellbent on controlling the world through banks, the media, and Hollywood, and these ideas seem to have permeated West's worldview. \"We ain't got money like that, we ain't Jewish,\" West once said, later defending the comment by saying he felt it was a compliment. It was ignorant thing to say, admittedly, but it wasn't completely unforgivable. But I'm not naive to the fact that many black artists have felt manipulated by record executives throughout the years (a disproportionate amount of which are Jewish), so I did my best to understand his perspective.\n\nA few other eyebrow-raising moments from West's recent past have included: Claiming Tyga was \"smart\" for dating an underage Kylie Jenner, claiming to want to offer democratically-priced clothing only then to sell cheap Gildan hoodies for $80, and staging a sloppy Yeezy Season 4 fashion show this September. But those slip-ups are nothing compared to West's defense of Bill Cosby, a serial rapist. In early 2016 he tweeted \"Bill Cosby Innocent!\" and on his song \"Facts,\" which he released on New Years Eve this past year, also asked the question \"Do anybody feel bad for Bill Cosby?\" Even I responded with a resounding, \"No, Kanye, no one feels bad for him,\" but it didn't stop me from buying his collections, his merch, his music, and from championing him as culturally vital. When I saw his Saint Pablo Tour recently, I told people around me that it was a reminder of his value to the world and why I became a fan in the first place. Then, the Saint Pablo Tour derailed when West endorsed President-elect Donald Trump.\n\nWest has never been great at communicating his ideas through public speaking. But even through my biased, Kanye Westism-translating ears, what I heard was that West admired Trump's ability to speak his mind and win. And that's just patently untrue; Trump has never spoke his mind, and won simply by saying what people wanted to hear. A more understandable point West made on stage in San Jose was when he said that the internet was to blame for Hillary Clinton's electoral college defeat. (\"Don't believe everything you read on the internet\" is something that West has been saying for years in response to the media's insistence on labeling him a crazy narcissist.) But by saying things on stage like \"I'm on my Trump shit,\" all West did was come off as a troll and validate the suspicion that he'll do anything to remain in the spotlight. Which brings us to his meeting with Trump today following a stay in the hospital (after an apparent incident involving his ongoing mental health issues, the specifics of which are unknown). Once again it seemed like West was only doing it for the headlines, including the moment when he refused to answer questions and simply said, \"I just want to take a picture.\" So when West tweeted out that he met with Trump to discuss \"multicultural issues\" in addition to a signed copy of Trump's recent Time Magazine cover, I felt something unfamiliar: I didn't understand him or really care to try to.\n\nIt would be irresponsible to armchair diagnose West's psychological issues, and I can't exclusively blame the people around him—the crew of \"vibes\" Yesmen—for enabling his god complex. But between the proclamations of his own holiness and a self-induced pseudo-exile in Calabasas, Kanye West has perhaps become too detached from the problems facing average people."}}},{"rowIdx":1005435,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"A teenager in Siberia successfully auctioned off her virginity online.\n\n\"Money is urgently needed, so I am selling the most treasured thing,\" the 18-year-old wrote on Russian auction website 24au.ru, according to a Huffington Post translation of the text.\n\n(Story continues below)\n\nThe woman, who listed her name only as \"Shatuniha,\" said she was willing to meet the next day. \"I can come to a hotel at Predmostnaya [Square] with a certificate proving my innocence.\"\n\nThe auction was posted Oct. 30 with a 800,000 ruble price tag, which translates to about $24,600. A day later, someone had bid 900,000 rubles, or about $27,700, in order to deflower her.\n\nShatuniha not only auctioned off her chastity for a hefty sum, she appears to have done it with impunity. Police in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, where the teen lives, told The Siberian Times that she broke no laws.\n\n\"[We have] no right to give a moral assessment of the girl's actions,\" officials said."}}},{"rowIdx":1005436,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"The Editors Committee is an informal forum comprising the editors and owners of the main Israeli media. It meets regularly with the prime minister, cabinet members and senior officials. Until the 1980s, it took a central role in the self-censorship practiced by the Israeli media. The understanding was that the information reported to the committee would not be published in the media, even once received from another source.\n\nOrigins [ edit ]\n\nThe British authorities enacted in 1933 the Press Ordinance, which regulated the content of the news press in British Palestine. Many of the country's Jewish newspapers, particularly the English-language Jerusalem Post and those printed in Hebrew, were founded by Zionist political parties during the pre-statehood period, and subsequently continued to be politically affiliated with such parties.\n\nProfessor Dan Caspi, who has served as chairman of the Israeli Communications Association, notes in his Mass Media and Politics (The Open University, 1997), \"The majority of the newspapers in Israel's pre-state period were founded as ideological organs of political trends, and were under the ideological authority of the political parties and dependent on their financial backing. The party institutions and their leaders were involved in the selection process for the sensitive senior positions in the paper, particularly in the choice of the editor.\"\n\nIn the pre-state yishuv period, most Hebrew press editors felt that their primary role was educational, to help in the state-building process. Such values as freedom of the press and the idea of being a public watchdog were secondary. The editors of the Hebrew-language press founded the Reaction Committee in 1942 because, as they stated at the time, they \"felt the need for guidance from the Jewish community's leadership on publication policy concerning sensitive matters, such as the expulsion of ma'apilim (illegal immigrants) and the search for weapons in Hebrew settlements\".\n\nEarly Statehood [ edit ]\n\nIn 1948, the Press Ordinance was adopted by Israel and administered by the Ministry of Interior which undertook to \"license, supervise, and regulate\" the press. After the establishment of the state in 1948, prime minister David Ben-Gurion saw great advantages in the arrangement with the Israeli press, and he frequently convened the newly renamed Editors Committee to share important information with the editors, on condition that it would not be published.\n\nThe IDF assumed responsibility for administering the censorship regulations. This was done through an agreement with the Editor's Committee, which allowed most Hebrew-language newspapers to exercise self-censorship, with the censor receiving only articles dealing with national security matters. This arrangement did not cover Arabic language publications, whose editors were required to submit items for publication to the military administration on a nightly basis.\n\nDecline in status [ edit ]\n\nCo-operation between the government and the press was sometimes tense. These tensions increased as the value of free speech and the role of the press as watchdog came to be more widely recognized. The process accelerated in the 1970s, as a result of social changes in Israel and developments in the global media. The Yom Kippur War of 1973 served as a major change catalyst, by initiating a wide coverage of military issues and criticism of military failures. Towards the 1982 Lebanon War, partial information was published concerning the plans for an operation and the disagreement in the cabinet towards it. When fighting eventually started, the Israeli media initially followed the government's guidance in publishing information about the war. However, within about three weeks, when it became clear that the operation was not meeting its original goals, Israeli society engaged in a public debate about the war, which was covered widely by the press.\n\nIn parallel, the role of the Committee itself declined following the 1977 elections, that brought right-wing Likud party to power for the first time. New prime minister Menachem Begin was suspicious of most of the press, which he considered as being hostile to his party, and rarely convened the forum.\n\nIn 1992, five soldiers of Sayeret Matkal, an elite commando unit of the Israel Defense Forces, were killed in a training accident. Information about the accident, and in particular the presence at the site of Ehud Barak, then chief of IDF staff, was censored. However, after information was leaked to the foreign press and published abroad, the episode was reported in Israel, too. As a result of this affair, two major newspapers, Haaretz and Yediot Aharonot, withdrew from the censorship agreement and the Editors Committee.\n\nCurrent status [ edit ]\n\nA new censorship agreement, signed in 1996, limited censorship to information that, when published, would, \"with high probability\", constitute a real danger to national security. In addition, it ensured the press's right to appeal the censor's decisions to the Supreme Court.\n\nTo receive an official press card, Israeli journalists must sign an agreement pledging not to publish any security information that could \"help Israel's enemies\" or \"harm the state.\"[1]\n\nIsraeli censorship in the Occupied Territories [ edit ]\n\nIn 1988, Israeli authorities, suspecting Palestinian journalists of involvement in the Intifada, censored or shut down many Palestinian newspapers and magazines in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and arrested several journalists.\n\nSee also [ edit ]\n\nNotes [ edit ]"}}},{"rowIdx":1005437,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"KEZAR STADIUM — San Francisco City Football Club closed out their inaugural season in the Premier Development League with a thrilling 4-0 victory over their rival, the Burlingame Dragons, last week.\n\nEnding a season with a win for a 6-6-2 record and third place in the division isn’t always reason to celebrate, but SF City FC president Jacques Pelham says the group met expectations.\n\n“We’ve had a long season at home and just never could get going in terms of scoring goals,” Pelham said. “But we come out here and put four on the board against Burlingame, who are a great team and our rival, and put on a great show for the fans. It’s very satisfying.”\n\nAt the start of the season, SF City had dreams of making the playoffs and maybe winning a championship in their first season, but it wasn’t meant to be.\n\nHead coach Paddy Coyne said the biggest challenge facing the coaching staff this season was keeping their players, most of them spending their college offseason competing in the PDL, at their best.\n\n“A lot of kids are coming off an intense college season, and injuries were a big roadblock,” Coyne said. “We had a lot of injuries with our striker [position], so we haven’t been able to score too many goals this year. But today we had David Garrod come out, and he played really, really well.”\n\nCoyne and his team hoped to build a team rich with local talent, and borrowing Garrod and his University of San Francisco teammate Danny Kirkland helped fulfill that goal.\n\nTo promote membership, the team relied heavily on its supporters group The Northsiders.\n\nThe group solidified a rivalry with the neighboring Burlingame Dragons. During an away match with the Dragons early in the season, the home team sent their mascot to pester the Northsiders, who responded by briefly removing the dragon’s plush green head. The Dragons did not approve.\n\nThe same fans have themselves done the bulk of promotional work for the club. Instead of billboards and commercials, the club relies heavily on word-of-mouth from their current supporters to increase membership, and it appears to be working.\n\n“Last year we were at about 300 members total, and then this year we’re at 670 members right now,” Steven Kenyon said, the team’s vice president of community development. “We’ve over doubled our membership since last year, that’s a great success for the club and everyone involved.”\n\nClick here or scroll down to comment"}}},{"rowIdx":1005438,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Duane Burleson/Getty Images\n\nMichigan Wolverines star guard Caris LeVert was held out of action for 11 games after suffering a leg injury on Dec. 30. However, he has been cleared to return to the court.\n\nContinue for updates.\n\nLeVert Active vs. Purdue\n\nSaturday, Feb. 13\n\nLeVert will play against Purdue on Saturday, per Matt Shepard of WDFN.\n\nInjuries Continue to Nag LeVert\n\nJeff Goodman of ESPN.com noted the senior has dealt with a nagging foot injury over the previous two seasons that required two surgeries and cut his 2014-15 campaign short.\n\nHopefully his return from this injury isn't short-lived, as Michigan relies on him heavily.\n\nLeVert is an explosive scorer who rebounds well for a 2-guard and is a capable passer, not to mention a strong on-ball defender who can disrupt passing lanes (1.8 steals per game last season). No one on the Wolverines roster can replicate his all-around skill set."}}},{"rowIdx":1005439,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"After news emerged that Ubisoft had abandoned the main Watch Dogs trademark, it now appears as though it has been restored. Polygon says that the lucrative trademark was reinstated earlier today by the company This means that Ubisoft once again owns it, now they just have to announce a date for the long-awaited game.\n\n“Here, the circumstances are extraordinary,” the USPTO said in its review of the case. “An unknown party who lacked authority executed the purported abandonment of the application. Although the request appears to have been sent by petitioner, petitioner declared that it did not submit the request and has every reason to believe that this filing was fraudulent.”\n\n“The Director finds the application should not have been abandoned. Pursuant to supervisory authority provided by 37 C.F.R. §2.146(a)(3), the Director permits the reinstatement of the application.”\n\nThanks, Portal Dark"}}},{"rowIdx":1005440,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Reid pushes forward on Patriot Act\n\nSenate Majority Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Tuesday used a procedural move to circumvent Sen. Rand Paul's efforts to offer amendments to a bill granting a four-year extension of expiring provisions of the Patriot Act.\n\nThe parliamentary maneuver allows the chamber to finish debate on the legislation sooner and move past what was sure to be a drawn-out amendment process lead by Paul, the Kentucky Republican and tea party favorite who is a vocal critic of the law.\n\nReid said he's recently held discussions with Paul and other senators who want votes on their amendments to the extension bill, which covers three key provisions of the counter-terrorism surveillance law that are set to sunset at midnight Thursday.\n\n\"I understand Senator Paul's exasperation because this is something that is extremely important to him and there was every desire from my perspective and I think this body to have a full, complete debate on the Patriot Act,\" Reid said on the Senate floor Tuesday night. \"But the Senate doesn't always work that way. . We cannot let this Patriot Act expire. I have a personal responsibility to try to get this bill done as soon as possible.\"\n\nHe added: \"The time has come for me to take some action.\n\nPaul remained on the Senate floor through most of Tuesday - even skipping Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to a joint session of Congress - to remind Reid of his promise earlier this year to allow senators a week-long debate and the ability to offer amendments to the Patriot Act legislation.\n\n\"Sen. Reid went through procedural hoops to go back on his word,\" Paul said in a statement, adding that Reid \"denied the Senate the opportunity to debate the constitutionality of its provisions.\"\n\n\"Today's events further underscore the U.S. government's lack of transparency and accountability to the American people,\" Paul said.\n\nThe Senate voted 74-13 to shelve a Patriot Act extension bill that Paul and other senators had offered changes to this week. Nine members of the Democratic caucus and two Republicans - Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Dean Heller of Nevada - voted no. Paul voted present.\n\nReid then inserted the Patriot Act legislation in a message the Senate received from the House and filed cloture, setting up a final vote later this week.\n\nThe three expiring provisions of the Patriot Act authorize authorities to conduct court-approved roving wiretaps, monitor so-called \"lone-wolf\" terror suspects and access business, library and other records. One of Paul's amendments would bar authorities from accessing firearm records.\n\nSens. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), who voted no on Tuesday, vowed in a conference call earlier in the day to vote no on the final extension bill if their amendments were not agreed to.\n\nTheir amendments would place additional restrictions on when federal authorities could conduct expanded surveillance of terrorism suspects, and the senators argued that another short-term extension was preferable to a long-term extension with no debate or reforms.\n\n\"We've known for months - years, in fact - that this was on our to-do list this Congress. Many Americans have been demanding reforms to these provisions for years,\" Udall said.\n\n\"Instead, we've been passing short-term reauthorizations, waiting for the promised opportunity to finally consider a comprehensive overhaul,\" Udall added. \"Yet suddenly we're being pushed to approve a four-year straight reauthorization in just a few days, saying - falsely - that we don't have time for a full debate.\"\n\nWhile Reid and Paul may disagree on a number of political issues, Reid called Paul a \"very pleasant man with strong, strong feelings.\" Paul has been \"reasonable,\" Reid said, agreeing to bring down the number of amendments from 11 to just three or four.\n\n\"He will learn over the years that it's always difficult to get what you want in the Senate,\" Reid said. \"It doesn't mean you won't get it, but sometimes you have to wait and get it done at a subsequent time.\""}}},{"rowIdx":1005441,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Foreign Policy: Iran's Terrifying Facebook Police\n\nA scary anecdote from Iran. A trusted colleague - who is married to an Iranian-American and would thus prefer to stay anonymous - has told me of a very disturbing episode that happened to her friend, another Iranian-American, as she was flying to Iran last week. On passing through the immigration control at the airport in Tehran, she was asked by the officers if she has a Facebook account. When she said \"no\", the officers pulled up a laptop and searched for her name on Facebook. They found her account and noted down the names of her Facebook friends.\n\nThis is very disturbing. For once, it means that the Iranian authorities are paying very close attention to what's going on Facebook and Twitter (which, in my opinion, also explains why they decided not to take those web-sites down entirely - they are useful tools of intelligence gathering).\n\nSecond, it means, as far as authorities are concerned, our online and offline identities are closely tied and we have to be fully prepared to be quizzed about any online trace that we have left (I can easily see us being asked our Facebook and Twitter handles in immigration forms; one of the forms I regularly fill flying back to the US has recently added a field for email address).\n\nThird, this reveals that some of the spontaneous online activism we witnessed in the last few weeks - with Americans re-tweeting the posts published by those in Tehran - may eventually have very dire consequences, as Iranians would need to explain how exactly they are connected to foreigners that follow them on Twitter (believe me, I've observed enough bureaucratic stupidity in Eastern Europe to know that even some of the officials who follow Twitter activity on a daily basis may not know how it works).\n\nI am curious if there have been other reports of foreigners being asked about their social media activity on traveling to authoritarian states. Any ideas?"}}},{"rowIdx":1005442,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"324 days. It had been 324 days since Jabari Parker last played basketball before making his season debut this past Wednesday night after suffering a torn ACL during a mid-December game against the Phoenix Suns last season.\n\nEven after looking at that number, it feels like more than almost a year has gone by since Parker went down with his injury.\n\nFor one, almost half of the entire Bucks team that started out with the team left due to either being traded, released or left the NBA entirely at some point last season, with a few more players added to that list after a very busy off-season.\n\nAnd two, the Bucks carved out an improbable identity since Parker went down last year as a defensive-oriented/grind it out-type team on the backs of unlikely names along with their promising and athletic rising stars (To be fair, the Bucks were tenth in defensive efficiency around the league before Parker’s injury, per NBA.com/stats).\n\nWith everything considered, it’s fair to say Parker’s injury was definitely a catalyst for not only what the team looks like now, but also what some of the players look like now with no one other than Giannis Antetokounmpo being the shining example.\n\nEven with the small sample size from what we’ve seen of Giannis this far into the season, it’s quite incredible how far he’s come in the last eighteen months.\n\nMaybe it’s the effect that coach Jason Kidd has had on him since coming to Milwaukee or just how much he’s gotten better, but both factors have played a big part in the growth of his game. Of course, he’s also had a lot of time playing basketball not just with the Bucks, but playing internationally as part of the Greek national team the last two summers.\n\nIt’s not to say that all of this wouldn’t come to pass for Giannis since being drafted by the Bucks in 2013, but the consensus was always that it was more down the road to expect this type of performance from him than where he is now.\n\nEven though it’s been almost a year, it’s interesting looking back at how the Bucks’ front office reacted post-Parker injury. You couldn’t classify it as a “tear down” exactly, given the success the team would go on to continue to have last year, but there was undoubtedly a shift in their thinking.\n\nThe shocking decision to trade the team’s leading scorer at the time, Brandon Knight, at the deadline last season and the departures of many veterans have really opened the door for the Giannis to take another leap, with hopefully Jabari (and others) soon to follow once he fully gets back into the groove of things.\n\nWith that said, it’s hard to not play the ‘what if?’ game regarding Parker’s injury.\n\nIt was devastating to see Parker fall to his injury last year and we still don’t know how much of an effect that will have on his game, but would we still be seeing the Giannis from this year if not for the injury? Would Khris Middleton be where he is? Would Knight still be on the team? Would Greg Monroe sign with Milwaukee this past Summer?\n\nThere’s an endless amount of ripple effects that Parker’s injury could have an effect the team’s transactions within the last year, but the Bucks haven’t strayed from the course of emphasizing their youth movement as being the way to (hopefully) true success down the road.\n\nThe team had two dynamic forces in both their forward spots once upon a time with Glenn Robinson and Vin Baker (not making the comparison mind you), but the lack of team success as well as personal circumstances eventually came into play for the departure of Baker.\n\nBut this time around looks to be very different.\n\nIt’s been incredible to experience Giannis’ play so far this season, but the true test will be how much he and Parker can grow together. The door is open for them to grow together and hopefully they reach the level of being the lethal dynamic duo that all Bucks fans hope they can be."}}},{"rowIdx":1005443,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"A new report on global religious identity shows that while Christians and Muslims make up the two largest groups, those with no religious affiliation — including atheists and agnostics — are now the third-largest “religious” group in the world.\n\nThe study, released Tuesday (Dec. 18) by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, found that more than eight in 10 (84 percent) of the world’s 7 billion people adheres to some form of religion. Christians make up the largest group, with 2.2 billion adherents, or 23 percent worldwide, followed by Muslims, with 1.6 billion adherents, or 23 percent worldwide.\n\nClose behind are the “nones” — those who say they have no religious affiliation or say they do not believe in God — at 1. 1 billion, or 16 percent. That means that about the same number of people who identify as Catholics worldwide say they have no religion.\n\n“One out of six people does not have a religious identity,” said Conrad Hackett, a primary researcher and demographer on the study. “But it is also striking that that overwhelming majority of the world does have some type of religious identity. So I think people will be surprised by either way of looking at it.”\n\nThe next largest groups, the report finds, are Hindus (1 billion people, or 15 percent), Buddhists (500 million people, or 7 percent) and Jews (14 million people, or 0.2 percent). More than 400 million people — 6 percent — practice folk traditions from African, Chinese, Native American or Australian aboriginal cultures.\n\nAn additional 58 million people — slightly less than 1 percent of the global population — belong to “other” religions, such as the Baha’i faith, Jainism, Sikhism, Shintoism, Taoism, Tenrikyo, Wicca and Zoroastrianism.\n\nIn addition to the numbers of adherents, the study also looks at where they live. Christians are the most evenly distributed, while Jews are fairly evenly divided between North America and the Middle East. The United States has the highest number of Christians of any nation, at more than 243 million, or 78 percent of the total U.S. population.\n\nMeanwhile, the majority of the world’s religiously unaffiliated — 76 percent — live in the Asia-Pacific region, with 700 million in China alone, where religion was stifled during the Cultural Revolution.\n\nThe report found nearly 51 million religiously unaffiliated Americans, or about 16.4 percent of the U.S. population. That number is smaller than the 19 percent of Americans Pew reported earlier this year. Researchers attribute this discrepancy to the fact that their 2012 report was based on information from adults only, and the newest report includes the religious adherence of children, which tends to be higher than that of adults.\n\nAnd while the number of the religiously unaffiliated is high, researchers are careful to point out that they are by no means homogeneous.\n\nSurveys considered in this report show that 7 percent of unaffiliated Chinese report a belief in God or some other high power, while that number among the unaffiliated French is 30 percent, and among Americans it climbs to 68 percent. In China, 44 percent of unaffiliated adults say they have worshiped at a graveside or tomb in the past year.\n\nThe report covers 230 countries and is drawn from more than 2,500 censuses, surveys and population records accrued through 2010. It marks the first attempt to pin down a global religious landscape using such records, Hackett said.\n\nOther findings include:\n\n* About three-quarters (73 percent) of the world’s people live in countries where their religion is in the majority, mostly Christians and Hindus.\n\n* The religiously unaffiliated are in the majority in six nations: China, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hong Kong, Japan and North Korea.\n\n* The unaffiliated, Buddhists and Jews have the highest median age (34, 34 and 36 respectively) while Muslims, Hindus and Christians have the lowest (23, 26 and 30 respectively). Median age is a predictor of how religious groups will grow, as those with a younger age have more women of child-bearing age.\n\nRyan Cragun, a religion sociologist at the University of Tampa who studies the nonreligious, said the numbers on the unaffiliated are not surprising. But he cautions that surveys that rely on secondary data, such as censuses, and self-reporting often over calculates some groups, such as Christians.\n\n“The real question is whether or not the nonreligious are outpacing the religious when it comes to growth,” he said.\n\nCopyright: For copyright information, please check with the distributor of this item, Religion News Service LLC."}}},{"rowIdx":1005444,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"E-VAI – The Artificial Intelligence Platform From Eularis Changes The Rules Of Marketing In Pharma\n\nEularis Challenges the Pharma Industry To Improve Marketing Results with new disruptive Machine Learning based Analytics\n\nEularis announces recently the release of E-VAI, the latest development in sophisticated machine learning technology delivering next generation analytics and decision making to Pharma marketers globally. Eularis, at the leading edge of marketing analytics in Pharma since 2003 has launched E-VAI, changing the game for marketers struggling to understand and get value from their marketing data.\n\nFor a number of years now, all eyes have been pointing towards the powers of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in business. However one thing that has recently changed the game for AI is that machine learning is being used to power Google’s driverless cars and now the real potential for its use in other areas are really being understood. This is why Eularis saw the opportunity to bring the same advanced technology into Pharma marketing to reverse the trend of poor marketing and sales results and decreasing budgets. E-VAI takes the same data but delivers more accurate results, faster and provides answers to the questions that marketers need such as how to do more with less.\n\nDr Andree Bates, founder and CEO of Eularis Analytics says “this is superior technology because marketing executives must continuously make complex decisions that need a large degree of judgment. The increase in complexity of channels, and the market environment itself makes it very difficult to get this consistently right without the intervention of something as sophisticated as AI. “\n\nEularis has used the brains of top Professors in the field to redefine the future of Pharma marketing analytics. Dr Andree Bates highlights that “While older linear approaches had their place, we realized that a more advanced approach was needed to achieve stronger results. The outcome was E-VAI, a next generation analytics client portal that uses cutting edge machine learning algorithms within an easy-to-use interface”. A comparison of the new results with those delivered by traditional linear approaches has shown a much higher level of accuracy and a far superior understanding of real driver impacts and their synergistic effects.\n\nProf Lang, Mathematician, Theoretical Physicist and Data Scientist, when studying the results had this to say:\n\n\"What Eularis has developed for the Pharma Industry is a thing of beauty. The underlying algorithms are so cutting edge they did not exist 3 years ago. I can safely say that Eularis is the first company in the world to offer this level of sophisticated machine learning based tools, using a live customer focused environment to ensure stronger financial results.”\n\nE-VAI is available now globally and has already been tested on a number of projects across multiple portfolios and markets.\n\nAbout Eularis\n\nEularis is the leading provider of next generation advanced marketing analytics to the Pharmaceutical market. The machine learning-based artificial intelligence powering Eularis analytics enables marketing, analytics and sales executives to achieve faster brand success. Since 2003 the company has developed significant experience in the global pharmaceutical market through client engagements with Boehringer-Ingelheim, Merck, Pfizer, Roche, Shire and many others. For more information, visit www.Eularis.com."}}},{"rowIdx":1005445,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"BERLIN (Reuters) - Syria is descending into a Somalia-style failed state run by warlords which poses a grave threat to the future of the Middle East, former peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi has said.\n\nA general view of damage in Saif Al-Dawla street in Aleppo June 8, 2014. REUTERS/Hamid Khatib\n\nBrahimi, who stepped down a week ago after the failure of peace talks he mediated in Geneva, said that without concerted efforts for a political solution to Syria’s brutal civil war “there is a serious risk that the entire region will blow up.”\n\n“The conflict is not going to stay inside Syria,” he told Der Spiegel magazine in an interview published at the weekend.\n\nMore than 160,000 people have been killed in the conflict, which grew out of protests against President Bashar al-Assad in March 2011, inspired by uprisings in the wider Arab world.\n\nBrahimi said many countries misjudged the Syrian crisis, expecting Assad’s rule to crumble as some other Arab leaders’ had done, a mistake they compounded by supporting “the war effort instead of the peace effort”.\n\nThe civil war has drawn in powerful regional states, with Sunni Gulf monarchies and Turkey supporting the rebels and foreign jihadis. Shi’ite Iran, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Iraqi Shi’ites back Assad.\n\nMajor powers at the United Nations have also been divided, paralyzing diplomatic efforts. Assad’s Western foes have pressed for action against Syrian authorities, but Russia and China have vetoed draft resolutions against Syrian authorities.\n\nBrahimi, who resigned as United Nations special envoy for Afghanistan in 1999, drew comparisons between Syria now and Afghanistan under Taliban rule in the lead-up to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.\n\n“The U.N. Security Council had no interest in Afghanistan, a small country, poor, far away. I said one day it’s going to blow up in your faces. It did,” he said. “Syria is so much worse.”\n\nHe also compared it to Somalia, which has suffered more than two decades of conflict. “It will not be divided, as many have predicted. It’s going to be a failed state, with warlords all over the place.”\n\nAssad’s forces have consolidated their grip over central Syria but swathes of its northern and eastern provinces are controlled by hundreds of rebel brigades including the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and other powerful Islamist groups.\n\nOPPOSITION “LIKELY USED CHEMICAL WEAPONS”\n\nWar crimes were committed daily by both sides in Syria, with starvation used as a weapon of war, civilians held as human shields and chemical weapons used in battle, Brahimi said.\n\nRebels appeared to have been behind at least one incident in Aleppo province in March 2013, he said.\n\n“From the little I know, it does seem that in Khan al-Assal, in the north, the first time chemical weapons were used, there is a likelihood it was used by the opposition.”\n\nU.N. investigators have not made direct accusations about responsibility for several chemical attacks, including a sarin attack which killed hundreds outside Damascus last August.\n\nBut a team of human rights experts said three months ago the Khan al-Assal and Damascus perpetrators “likely had access to the chemical weapons stockpile of the Syrian military”.\n\nBrahimi’s failed peace effort focused on persuading the United States and Russia to bring together the government and opposition in Geneva. In the end, getting them to sit down in the same room yielded nothing.\n\n“Neither Russia nor the U.S. could convince their friends to participate in the negotiations with serious intent,” he told the magazine, adding that the two parties came “screaming and kicking”, against their will.\n\nThe government negotiating team only went to Geneva to please Moscow, he said, believing that they were winning the war militarily. Most of the opposition also preferred to settle the conflict on the battlefield, and arrived completely unprepared.\n\nBrahimi said Saudi Arabia and Iran, the main powers on either side of the region’s Sunni-Shi’ite Muslim divide, had “to start discussing not how to help warring parties, but how to help the Syrian people (and) their neighbours.”\n\nBut despite hints at rapprochement the two powers remain wary of each other. Saudi Arabia also refused to meet Brahimi, making his task of forging a consensus nearly impossible.\n\n“I think they didn’t like what I was saying about a peaceful and negotiated settlement with concessions from both sides,” Brahimi said."}}},{"rowIdx":1005446,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Close\n\nMany of us will be familiar with the feeling of setting up a new Wi-Fi router only to find that it doesn't reach the far corners of our house. While businesses solve this with multiple Wi-Fi access points, the concept is pretty new when it comes to the home.\n\nOne of the newest startups to try and bring the idea of multiple Wi-Fi points to the house is called Luma, which is a new system designed to help users fill their home with a strong Wi-Fi signal, at the same time offering the user more control of their network and what happens to it.\n\nSetting up a network is actually pretty easy. While you can buy one single router from Luma, the idea is that you'll buy multiple, with the devices coming in packs of three. These can be placed throughout the home. Once the devices are set up, they connect to each other and can form one single, strong network. You can even use the routers to move from between 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks.\n\nUnlike other routers, however, users can control their network through a companion app, which will enable users to see which devices have connected to their network and even what those devices are doing. This means everything from the servers that Internet-of-Things devices are sending data to, to even seeing exactly which websites people are visiting through their computer. For those who really want to stalk, the device doesn't show specific content, so while it might show that someone is visiting Facebook; it won't show things like messages.\n\nParents with young children can also use Luma as a way to ensure their children don't accidentally visit inappropriate content, with users able to lock certain users into only being able to view content that is G, PG, PG-13 or R rated content. Users can send requests to bypass the filter on a website-by-website basis.\n\nOne of the problems with this comes when users don't want to track others' content, with activity tracking being front and center for Luma. History is recorded for a year, and while the user can tell Luma to hide some activity, there's no way to really lock that setting in.\n\nLuma itself is launching next year, and shipments will go out sometime during spring. Currently, users can buy Luma's devices at half price, with a single router being $99, and a pack of three costing $249. Eventually those prices will double.\n\nⓒ 2018 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission."}}},{"rowIdx":1005447,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Story highlights Millionaire hotel magnate Jim Graves challenging Michele Bachmann for her seat\n\nDemocrats believe political newcomer poses best challenge yet to tea party darling\n\nFormer GOP presidential candidate seeking fourth term representing Minnesota district\n\nJim Graves strolled down Main Street in his pressed shirt with French cuffs and skinny jeans, a dapper enigma in a land of flannels and Wranglers. He stuck out his hand to introduce himself to a ruffian in a wheelchair scooter.\n\nThe two talked politics before the stranger confessed he's an anarchist who believes Americans should be allowed to kill three people a day. \"That would take care of the idiots REALLLLLL fast,\" the man said with a chuckle.\n\nNot the typical conversation for a millionaire hotel magnate, who's more prone to discuss bed-sheet thread count than shooting folks. But when people know you're running for Congress, apparently no topic is off limits. A bit exasperated, Graves wished the man well and quickly departed.\n\nGraves isn't gunning for just any seat. He's the Democratic challenger to Michele Bachmann, the firebrand darling of the tea party running for a fourth term.\n\nNew to the political scene, Graves doesn't mince words. Bachmann is running scared, he told me, avoiding him at all costs and refusing to debate him until a week before the November election.\n\n\"It's just a fact she doesn't want to meet,\" Graves said. \"We've asked her to come on with us, anywhere, anytime, and we'll be there.\"\n\nAsked about this, Bachmann responded, \"Well, phooey. ... I'm not afraid at all.\"\n\nIf America is polarized like never before, few congressional races represent this divide more than the battle going on here. I don't typically cover politics, but this one was too good to resist: a businessman who made millions by accommodating guests at his hotels versus a politician who Fox News host Sean Hannity has described as one of the women most feared by liberals in America.\n\nI traveled to the 6th District of Minnesota to meet both candidates and take the pulse of the race. Bible verses course through the veins of most residents, from the evangelical base in suburban Blaine -- just north of the Twin Cities -- through the rural countryside on northward to the Catholics of St. Cloud, a city anchored by several colleges.\n\nThe biggest issue here, like the rest of the nation, is the economy. The district's unemployment rate hovers around 6%, well below the national average of nearly 8%, but it also has the highest foreclosure rate in Minnesota -- a sign there aren't enough high-paying jobs and that residents are struggling to pay their bills.\n\nThe district also is highly Republican, very conservative and nearly all white. But even in her home base, there's no shortage of opinion of Bachmann.\n\nMillionaire hotel magnate Jim Graves represents Democrats' latest hope of unseating Bachmann.\n\nDefender of the Constitution. Nut job. Saint. Ol' Miss Crazy Eyes.\n\nYou hear it all.\n\n\"I hope she gets her ass kicked,\" said one Minnesotan, one of the few dissenters who met Bachmann during one of her campaign stops.\n\nFew people stoke the ire of liberals like the three-term congresswoman, who last year was a GOP presidential favorite for her anti-tax, political-correctness-be-damned approach. She took on President Bush over his Wall Street bailout. She blasted President Obama when he asked for more bailout money. And she's been one of the most vocal critics of Obamacare, saying it will bankrupt the middle class if it's not repealed.\n\nThis summer, Bachmann angered Democrats -- and even some Republicans -- when she suggested the Muslim Brotherhood had infiltrated the U.S. government under Obama. She's unabashed and unapologetic, saying the recent unrest in Libya, Egypt and the Mideast only underscores her conviction.\n\n\"I've been proven right in the tragic events of this last month. The Muslim Brotherhood is not the Lutheran Brotherhood,\" she told Minnesota Public Radio reporter Conrad Wilson during a stop at Buffalo Wild Wings in St. Cloud.\n\n\"Political correctness,\" she told me later, \"is a problem. ... We cannot subordinate national security to abide by political correctness. But also political correctness is killing the economy, and it's hurting job creation and innovation. The rest of the world isn't standing still while we're being politically correct.\"\n\nDemocrats believe Graves, 59, poses the best challenge yet to Bachmann, especially because there is no independent in the race. In Bachmann's closest race, in 2008, she won 46% to 43% against her Democratic rival, with an independent getting 10% of the vote. In 2010, Bachmann stomped her Democratic opponent by 13 percentage points.\n\nIf Bachmann has alienated independents and socially liberal Republicans while seeking higher office, Democrats hope those voters will gravitate toward Graves. He sounds Republican on many fiscal issues, and because he's never held public office he doesn't have a voting record that could be skewered by conservatives.\n\nThat hasn't stopped an avalanche of spin. Bachmann ads have dubbed him Big Spending Jim in lockstep with House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, whose name here is treated with lips curled, like the dirtiest of words. The Bachmann camp has even launched a website, www.bigspendingjim.com\n\n\"I don't care what Michele Bachmann calls me,\" Graves said. \"In business there's a term for smoke and mirrors: It's called bankruptcy. You don't play around with budgets. You're serious about them. ... The last thing we want in a salesperson is somebody who goes and divides and separates and antagonizes and lacks civility and throws verbal grenades at different people, because that doesn't help get the thing done. You've got to bring people together. That's how we've always done it in business.\n\n\"I think that Rep. Bachmann is just inexperienced. In deference to her, she doesn't understand business. She doesn't understand budgeting, but then again: Why should she?\"\n\nHe smiled from beneath his Ray Bans. In nonpolitically correct terms, he just dished out a verbal can of whoop-ass. During one campaign stop, he handed out buttons: \"I dig Graves.\"\n\nJust whose political grave will be dug will be determined by voters in November.\n\nBachmann, 56, described Graves as a liberal whose support of abortion rights and same-sex marriage run counter to the views of the district.\n\n\"This race will offer a clear, stark choice between what my opponent stands for and what I stand for,\" Bachmann said.\n\nShe's proud to carry the mantle of chairwoman of the Tea Party Caucus and said she'll go to bat for the policies that have kept her in office the last six years.\n\nThe tea party \"really does represent the views of mainstream America, certainly this district, because there are three things the tea party stands for: We believe we're taxed enough already; we believe the government shouldn't spend more money than it takes in; and we believe the government should follow the Constitution.\"\n\nShe added, \"Liberals are liberals. That's just who they are. They'd love to see my voice silenced.\"\n\nIt's impossible to know just how close the race is, though apparently it's tightening. Two non-partisan political handicappers -- the Cook Political Report and the Rothenberg Political Report -- have moved their ranking of the contest from likely Republican earlier this year to now lean Republican.\n\nPolling from the Graves campaign last month showed Bachmann with a 2-percentage point lead, 48%-46%, a statistical dead heat because it's within the margin of error. The Bachmann campaign refused to disclose its polling; the congresswoman acknowledged it's a tough race, but one she expects to win.\n\n\"Democrats are salivating at the idea of taking out Michele Bachmann,\" said Kathryn Pearson, associate professor of political science at the University of Minnesota. \"On the other hand, she's a fundraising machine. If she needs any money, it won't be hard to raise it. So it's an interesting race, but it's an uphill battle for Graves.\"\n\nWhat is clear, the race for the 6th District has the Bachmann camp in overdrive. Her campaign raised about $1.1 million in July alone, and expects to spend well over $10 million for the course of the campaign. By comparison, the Graves campaign has raised about $1.5 million for the entire race, including $520,000 of his own money.\n\nAbout 20 Bachmann supporters -- ranging in age from College Republicans to retirees -- crowd an office in Blaine to place about 1,100 calls around the district every night, Monday through Thursday. They fill out bubble sheets that are then fed through a computer for instant voter analysis.\n\n\"Government has no interest or willingness to balance its books,\" Bachmann told a radio audience.\n\nEvery time a Bachmann supporter is reached, volunteers ring a bell.\n\nDing. Ding. Ding.\n\n\"I honestly believe this woman's a saint,\" said Pamela Larson, a Bachmann volunteer with the Christian Motorcycle Association. \"I just think she's the most wonderful, selfless servant as far as working for the government and taking our concerns to Washington.\"\n\nMore bells ring. Another supporter reached.\n\nFrom math teacher to hotel magnate\n\nWhen you're challenging a political heavyweight, your every move is followed. Literally. The Graves campaign has dubbed their stalker \"Tracker Mike,\" a fresh-faced college grad and Bachmann supporter who stands about 5 feet away from Graves at events with a handheld video camera. Anything to catch him in a gotcha moment -- a slip of the tongue, a frown on his face, picking his nose.\n\n\"You got a busy day today?\" Graves asked Tracker Mike during a festival at Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge.\n\n\"It depends on your day,\" Tracker Mike responded.\n\n\"When you stick to what you believe in,\" Graves said later, \"it isn't stressful at all as far as somebody having a camera in your face. It doesn't bother me. I just ignore it.\n\n\"The primary issue is that the 6th District needs good, quality, on-the-ground representation,\" Graves said, \"and it just hasn't been there during her tenure in Congress. She isn't representing the people. She's representing her own ideologies and own platforms that don't resonate and don't directly correlate with the needs of the district. We think it's very important for somebody to be from the 6th District and get things done.\"\n\nGraves doesn't just criticize Bachmann; he's equally harsh on President Obama for using what he calls class warfare to divide the nation. Since when was it such a bad thing, the millionaire pondered, to work hard and become successful in this nation?\n\n\"Where I differ most with Obama is on the tenor of his approach at times. An example: discussion on the Buffett Rule. I would never approach that as a class warfare issue,\" he said. \"I come from business, so I approach it from that perspective: We know the best way to bring an enemy into our camp is to make them our friends.\n\n\"I think the president could've gotten a little more done if he had reached across the aisle and worked a little bit more. Again, I'm being very candid. People may not want to hear that, but that's what I believe.\"\n\nOn other key issues, he believes the Wall Street bailouts were necessary, contrary to Bachmann. \"The whole system could've rolled down, and the whole world was looking at us, at America, to hold it up,\" Graves said.\n\nHe also supports portions of Obamacare, namely the pre-existing conditions provision and allowing children to stay on their parents' plans until the age of 26. \"People ask me all the time: 'Would you ever vote against it?' What I say is: 'Well, sure I would if there was something better.'\"\n\nGraves' narrative is the apple-pie American success story.\n\nHe worked in a factory grinding and polishing lenses at age 15 to pay for his tuition at Cathedral High School in St. Cloud, then labored as a janitor before classes at St. Cloud State University. He met his future wife, Julie, while rehearsing for the musical \"Hello Dolly\" in high school; they've been married nearly 40 years. He and Julie played music in bars to help make ends meet during college. He strummed the guitar; she sang.\n\nHis first full-time job was at a Catholic elementary school in St. Cloud, where he taught for two years. \"What I remember most,\" said Sandy Oltz, one of his former students, \"is he wasn't strictly by the book. He taught us math and arithmetic and reading and the Bible, but he also wanted us to know what the world was really like.\"\n\nGraves got his big break when the father of one of his students asked if he would join him in a business development. He and Julie had two young sons, with a third boy on the way, and $2,000 in the bank. On a hunch, he quit teaching. The first project went well, and Graves began taking risks on his own. He found investors, started with three restaurants, then dabbled in the agricultural business before starting the Midwest hotel chain AmericInn, a name he chose for patriotic loyalty after the 1979 Iran hostage crisis.\n\nThe chain flourished, and Graves soon owned more than 60 hotels across the Midwest. It wasn't an overnight success. There were many Christmas Eves early on, he said, when he wondered if he'd make payroll. He sold out for millions in 1993 and moved into the luxury hotel and condo development business. His Graves 601 Hotel is one of the signature hotels in downtown Minneapolis, frequented by NBA stars and socialites.\n\nHis net worth stands between $22 million and $111 million, according to his House financial disclosure form, which allows for wide ranges in reporting one's wealth.\n\nWhen Graves decided to expand his luxury business into Chicago and New York, some questioned his business acumen. \"The barriers are one step below insurmountable,\" hotel consultant Kirby Payne told the Star Tribune in 2005. \"I'm not sure why he wants to do this. Is it ego?\"\n\nMany have wondered the same thing now: Why would a guy who has everything throw his hat into the political ring against a juggernaut like Bachmann?\n\nHe wasn't even thinking of running for Congress in January. But he said he was watching a cable news show this spring when the host asked why \"good people\" weren't going into public office.\n\n\"My wife and I looked at each other, and I said, 'Why don't we try to help make a change?'\"\n\n\"Where I differ most with Obama is on the tenor of his approach at times,\" Graves said.\n\nThere were two other Democrats in the race already. After meeting with both, he decided to join the race and the other two quickly bowed out.\n\nIf the Bachmann campaign is a well-oiled, well-financed machine, the Graves' camp is very much a family affair, largely run out of their hybrid vehicles, which overflow with buttons and other campaign material. His son, Adam, took a sabbatical from teaching religious thought at Metropolitan State University of Denver to run his father's campaign. He has begun calling his dad \"Jim\" to sound more professional, but admits it's weird.\n\nOn a recent Saturday, the family traversed more than 100 miles across the district to try to meet voters. They hit a festival at the wildlife refuge, an Alzheimer's walk in St. Cloud (Graves' mother suffers from the debilitating disease), a stroll through downtown Annandale and a visit to Minnesota Pioneer Park -- where about two dozen old folks, some in bonnets, gathered for a celebration.\n\n\"I hope he wins,\" said Doris Ashwill, 91. \"I just shake my head at her. Radical isn't the word. What do they call the ones who go backwards? ... Reactionary, that's what she is.\"\n\nThe night ended with a fundraiser for the Paramount Theatre in downtown St. Cloud. More than 700 people jammed inside the theater, dancing and swaying as local bands played classic rock.\n\nGraves, his wife and close friends took in the scene. Campaign treasurer Peter Donohue pointed out the festive mood of the largely Democratic crowd in the land of Bachmann. \"These are the people Michele Bachmann represents,\" he said facetiously.\n\nOn stage, the bass kicked in and a woman crooned, \"Barracuda.\"\n\nDisappointed by Democrats\n\nLong before Michele Bachmann became a political rock star -- the first Republican woman to represent Minnesota in Congress -- she and her then-boyfriend Marcus campaigned for Jimmy Carter when he was running for president in 1976.\n\nShe was a senior in college at Winona State. The two were captivated by Carter's status as a born-again Christian and his selection of Minnesota's Walter Mondale as his running mate.\n\n\"We were very proud that our favorite son, Walter Mondale, was chosen as vice president,\" Bachmann said. \"And so we volunteered to work on the presidential campaign. It was my first presidential election. ... So I was proud to go and work for him. (Marcus) and I did. We danced at the inaugural ball.\"\n\nBut the enthusiasm for Carter quickly dissipated amid an energy crisis, the Iran hostage taking and a floundering economy. \"We just decided we couldn't support him any more. And we voted for Ronald Reagan in 1980 and never looked back.\"\n\nIn hindsight, she said, she's not shocked at her younger self. That college senior was \"very reflective of Minnesota,\" she said, a person who believed the Democratic Party \"was the party of the little guy.\"\n\n\"I think it was at one time, but it isn't any more,\" she said. \"And today, I think the party of the little guy is the Republican Party -- because it's really about traditional values, it's about a strong military presence and it's also about the economy and making sure that there truly is competition. You can have free markets. That's what the Republican Party stands for. That's what we thought the Democrat Party used to stand for.\"\n\nBachmann's parents were Democrats. They divorced in 1970 when she was about 14. After the split she was raised by her mother, who struggled to pay bills. The young Bachmann babysat for 50 cents an hour to help make ends meet. (One of the girls she babysat, Gretchen Carlson, went on to become Miss America in 1989 and later the co-host of \"Fox and Friends.\")\n\nThe lessons instilled by her mother -- of working hard, saving money and believing in God's loving hand -- have never left her.\n\n\"So many of the things that have happened in the last four years really hurt people in this district,\" she said. \"I care about them, because I came from a family where I had a single mom; we were below poverty. I don't want anybody to have to live like that. It's no fun. I've been there, and I want to make sure people have opportunities.\"\n\nThe former Miss Congeniality of Anoka swept into state politics in 2000, quickly becoming known as one of the most conservative state legislators for her stances against abortion and homosexuality -- positions she has defended in the halls of Congress to the ire of Democrats, independents and socially liberal Republicans.\n\nThe mother of five children has created countless enemies along the way. Her anti-gay stance has caused a divide within her family; one of her stepsisters is a lesbian. Bachmann once hid behind bushes at a gay rights rally, her opponents contend, and her husband's counseling clinic has been vilified by gay rights activists as a place where they try to \"pray the gay away.\"\n\nWhile liberals are licking their chops at the prospect of Graves etching her political epitaph, Bachmann has no plans of going anywhere.\n\n\"I'm a very consistent person. I don't run for popularity contests. What you see is what you get,\" she said. \"I don't promise one thing here in the district and then go differently to vote in Washington.\"\n\nRunning for the Republican presidential nomination, she said, was the \"hardest thing I've ever done in my life,\" but she was buoyed by supporters and her conviction to overturn Obamacare.\n\n\"It's worth it because the country is so magnificent. It's worth fighting for. That's why I ran. Because I want to make sure that it's everything it was when I was growing up.\"\n\nBachmann rose to the front of the GOP presidential pack in August 2011 after winning a straw poll in Iowa. Months later, she dropped out after a poor finish in the Iowa caucuses.\n\nNow, back home, she's basking in the district's anti-establishment beliefs. The more she's mocked by Jon Stewart, the more New York Times op-eds condemn her beliefs, the more her base rallies.\n\n\"The roaring 1990s are over, unfortunately. We now need to concentrate on saving this nation, and Michele is a wonderful individual that cares very much about doing that,\" said Matthew Coombes, a volunteer who drove from Massachusetts to pitch in.\n\nIn the 6th District, it's easy to see why she's loved by many. She's charismatic, engaging, even charming to complete strangers. When she walks into a room, all eyes turn toward her. She sticks out her hand and introduces herself: \"Hi, I'm Michele.\"\n\nBachmann dished up a round of chicken wings to Kim Saatzer's table during a stop at Buffalo Wild Wings in St. Cloud. \"She's just fighting for our freedom,\" the 49-year-old Saatzer said. \"If you take God out of this country, this country is going under.\"\n\nFrom there, she met with workers at J-Berd Mechanical Contractors, who told her of being audited three times in three years, which they said was a sign of an overzealous government cracking down on small businesses. That's the No. 1 complaint among business owners: regulatory burdens stifling job growth, Bachmann told the employees.\n\n\"Don't you think they could find somebody else they could go and look at once in a while?\" she asked.\n\nShe spun through St. Cloud for a quick hit on a conservative radio show, \"Ox in the Afternoon,\" where she picked up the endorsement of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. While at the radio station, she criticized the administration for underestimating the turmoil in the Mideast, for spending \"billions and billions more staying in a lost cause\" in Afghanistan, and for budgetary overspending.\n\n\"That's the real problem in America right now,\" she told the radio audience. \"Government has no interest or willingness to balance its books. ... All of us have to. Only the federal government keeps trying to figure out ways to print money it doesn't have, and that puts all of us at risk.\"\n\nShe then toured a high-tech business and hobnobbed with powerful Republicans before settling in with supporters to watch the first presidential debate at a call center in the town of St. Michael. There were hisses and gasps when Obama spoke, cheers when Romney offered up his beat-down.\n\nThat same night, her opponent hosted Rep. Barney Frank, the Massachusetts Democrat despised by Bachmann. She's seeking to repeal Dodd-Frank, the set of banking reforms that Obama pushed for and Congress passed in the wake of the nation's financial crisis.\n\n\"So, this is my opponent's new mentor in Congress,\" Bachmann said, working her supporters into a frenzy of \"Wowwwwwwws.\"\n\n\"Thank God, Barney Frank is timing out,\" she said, referring to Frank's decision not to run for re-election.\n\nThe crowd clung to her every word, ready for her looming showdown with Graves. She loved the moment, said it was inspiring to be home. \"Just remember,\" Bachmann said, \"the only way we repeal Obamacare is this year.\"\n\n\"We have to!\" one woman shouted.\n\n\"Hey, that's a great option,\" Bachmann said. \"I'm grateful we got it, because the Supreme Court completely let us down. They upheld this completely unconstitutional bill, unfortunately. But now, it's up to the American people. Now, we've got a chance.\"\n\nShe urged them to hit the call centers in droves, tell their friends, neighbors, relatives the importance of this election. \"Call your little heart out between now and election night, because it's that important,\" she said. \"We only have one chance at this.\"\n\n\"Count me in,\" another woman shouted.\n\nBefore leaving, Bachmann said she was more energized than ever for an election.\n\nGraves and Bachmann are on a collision course for their first of three debates, beginning October 30.\n\n\"I have to confess,\" Graves told me, \"over the years, I've said I wish I could sit down and debate that woman.\"\n\nBut he couldn't help but wonder if she'd avoid him yet again. \"Hopefully, she'll show up,\" he said.\n\nBachmann said she's sticking to the script she's followed in previous races, with debates waiting until the end -- a point that has driven Democrats crazy. \"These are the debates we've always set up; these are the debates we always do,\" she said. \"I look forward to that.\"\n\nGame on."}}},{"rowIdx":1005448,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Police have launched a criminal investigation after eight people died following an explosion at a kindergarten in Fengxian in China’s eastern Jiangsu province, Chinese state media reports.\n\nPolice say they have identified a suspect in the blast and are searching for him, Xinhua reported.\n\nPolice have yet to confirm the number of casualties, but China Global Television Network are reporting that eight people have died and a further 65 have been injured in the blast. Eight of the injured are in a critical condition.\n\n#Chinaexplosion: Death toll rises to 8 after blast occurred in Jiangsu at the gate of the kindergarten, as the children were leaving pic.twitter.com/QbL8EiycDU — People's Daily,China (@PDChina) June 15, 2017\n\nChinese state media CCTV reports that two people died at the scene while the other six died in hospital.\n\nXinhua is reporting that the blast took place at 4.50pm local time as parents were arriving to collect their children. It was confirmed later on Thursday that the incident is being investigated as a criminal act, according to CGTN.\n\nOne witness told the Global Times that the explosion was caused by a gas cylinder at a nearby roadside stall.\n\nGraphic footage from the scene show dozens of victims lying on the ground outside the school. Young children can also be seen among the injured.\n\nMany of the victims are covered in blood and appear unconscious. One of the videos shows medics apparently trying to resuscitate a young child.\n\n“Around 5pm, we heard an explosion,” one witness told online news site Sohu. “We heard a blast and thought it might have been a gas explosion. Five minutes after the explosion, [a] fire truck and police arrived at the scene.”"}}},{"rowIdx":1005449,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"We previously reported on a new campaign called #RogueOneWish, which sought to allow Star Wars fan Neil Hanvey to view the upcoming Rogue One: A Star Wars Story before its official release.\n\nHis wife, Andrea Hanvey, initiated the push on social media due to her husband's illness, which did not give him much longer to live. Unfortunately, Neil passed away on Sunday, but not until after he was able to see an early cut of the film on Saturday. St Michael's Hospice posted a thank you to everyone who supported the campaign (via Star Wars News).\n\n\"On behalf of Neil Hanvey, his wife Andrea and all his family, we want to thank everyone who supported the #RogueOneWish campaign. The director of Rogue One, Gareth Edwards did all he could to make Saturday a very special day for Neil. Neil, his family and everyone at St Michael’s Hospice would like to say thank you to Disney, Lucasfilm and especially Gareth Edwards.\" Andrea posted on the hospice's page as well and thanked all the people who made that Saturday so special for Neil, and to those who reached out after the news released of his passing."}}},{"rowIdx":1005450,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Getty Images\n\nThe Packers need to find a safety to replace Nick Collins this season, but it isn’t going to be Charlie Peprah.\n\nJason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com reported the news after getting a text message from Peprah confirming his change in employment status. Peprah did not practice this spring after having arthroscopic surgery on his knee, but there wasn’t much of an inkling out of Green Bay that this move was coming.\n\n“It’s tough to leave your compadres. You have a bond with those guys. Who knows? I could come back. I don’t have any grudges,” Peprah told Wilde after his release.\n\nWith Peprah gone, the Packers’ most experienced safety is third-year man Morgan Burnett which is part of what makes the timing so surprising. Unless Peprah’s knee is worse than anyone has reported, it would seem like a good idea to keep him around until you have a better grasp on the other options.\n\nBurnett’s likely to start at one safety spot, with M.D. Jennings and 2012 fourth-rounder Jerron McMillian looking like the likeliest choices for the other spot. The Packers could also give Charles Woodson more time at safety, although that would require some of their other cornerbacks stepping up over the summer.\n\nPeprah started 25 games for the Packers over the last two seasons and signed a two-year, $2.3 million deal with the team before the 2011 season. If he’s healthy, he’ll likely catch on with a team looking for veteran help at safety but that might be a big if given the unexpected timing of his departure from the Packers."}}},{"rowIdx":1005451,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"HoloLens sales are now open to the public YouTube/Microsoft In the office of the not-too-distant future, we will all be sitting around, wearing special eyewear that projects holograms and information into the room around us.\n\nThat is, if companies like Microsoft, and Magic Leap have their way.\n\nWhile most of the world is still waiting to try the Magic Leap tech, (the company has sworn to secrecy the thousands of people who have demoed its device, its CEO says), Microsoft is zooming ahead with its augmented reality glasses, HoloLens.\n\nOn Tuesday, Microsoft made HoloLens available to anyone who wants to pay $3,000 per device to buy one. That's probably a bit steep for consumers but Microsoft has always geared the device towards business use.\n\nIn this next, open phase, Microsoft is courting corporate developers - programmers writing custom apps for use inside their own companies, rather than for sale to others.\n\nAnyone can now purchase up to five devices, no application required.\n\nPlus, Microsoft has released software that allows companies to track these devices, to let employees use them with a corporate VPN (the passwords and security that let employees log onto their company's private networks) and companies can also set up private app stores for them.\n\nMicrosoft is putting all the pieces in play to bring these devices into your work world. It sees augmented reality and virtual reality as the next big trend beyond mobile and it's not going to be accused of missing this like it did on mobile.\n\nHere's the video detailing all the new features available now for business use of HoloLens."}}},{"rowIdx":1005452,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is criticizing the amount of money two Nova Scotia government agencies spent on hospitality at an international golf event last year in Halifax.\n\nNova Scotia Business Inc. and Tourism Nova Scotia signed a two-year deal to sponsor the Nova Scotia Open — a tournament on the Web.com tour, the developmental system for the PGA.\n\nAccording to documents the Canadian Taxpayers Federation obtained under the Access to Information Act, the province paid $300,000 for its sponsorship position.\n\nHospitality costs for government officials and their guests during the tournament in 2014 cost an additional $22,805.49, according to the documents.\n\n\"This is not really about whether the government should have sponsored or should not have sponsored,\" Kevin Lacey, the Atlantic director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said in an interview with CBC News.\n\n\"What this is about is, why is it when something good happens — like this golf tournament coming to Nova Scotia — do our government officials use it as an opportunity to stuff themselves with free food and booze on the taxpayer dime?\"\n\nThe federation says guests at the government's VIP tent consumed 336 bottles of water, pop, Gatorade and juice along with 137 bottles of beer, coolers and glasses of wine. The cost of food totalled about $14,750, they said.\n\n'They don't need to spend to entertain themselves'\n\n\"The government is telling everybody, 'It's time for cutbacks and be prepared for higher taxes' and yet here we are with the government spending thousands of dollars they don't need to spend to entertain themselves on a golf course,\" Lacey said.\n\nIn a statement to CBC News, Tourism Nova Scotia said the golf event generated about $3.6 million in economic activity. It was broadcast live on NBC's Golf Channel to more than 191 countries and an audience of 3.8 million viewers.\n\nThe agency said money was also raised for the QEII Health Sciences Centre Foundation, Feed Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame.\n\nMeanwhile, a spokesperson for Nova Scotia Business Inc. said the Nova Scotia Open \"presented a significant opportunity to promote Nova Scotia to an international business audience and make connections.\"\n\nNova Scotia Business Inc. said aside from the Golf Channel broadcast, advertising from the event was worth $834,000.\n\nWeb.com, which sponsors the entire junior golf tour, also hosted a small business summit that attracted 200 Nova Scotia businesses.\n\nDespite claiming success, Nova Scotia Business Inc. changed its approach for the 2015 tournament. It offered no alcohol in its hospitality tent and reduced its catering costs by 50 per cent."}}},{"rowIdx":1005453,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"The New York Times recently published a long investigative report by Eric Lipton, Brooke Williams, and Nicholas Confessore on how foreign countries buy political influence through Washington think tanks. Judging from Twitter and other leading journalistic indicators, the paper’s original reporting appears to have gone almost entirely unread by human beings anywhere on the planet. In part, that’s because the Times’ editors decided to gift their big investigative scoop with the dry-as-dust title “Foreign Powers Buy Influence at Think Tanks,” which sounds like the headline for an article in a D.C. version of The Onion. There is also the fact that the first 10 paragraphs of the Times piece are devoted to that highly controversial global actor, Norway, and its attempts to purchase the favors of The Center for Global Development, which I confess I’d never heard of before, although I live in Washington and attend think-tank events once or twice a week.\n\nExcept, buried deep in the Times’ epic snoozer was a world-class scoop related to one of the world’s biggest and most controversial stories—something so startling, and frankly so grotesque, that I have to bring it up again here: Martin Indyk, the man who ran John Kerry’s Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, whose failure in turn set off this summer’s bloody Gaza War, cashed a $14.8 million check from Qatar. Yes, you heard that right: In his capacity as vice president and director of the Foreign Policy Program at the prestigious Brookings Institution, Martin Indyk took an enormous sum of money from a foreign government that, in addition to its well-documented role as a funder of Sunni terror outfits throughout the Middle East, is the main patron of Hamas—which happens to be the mortal enemy of both the State of Israel and Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party.\n\nBut far from trumpeting its big scoop, the Times seems to have missed it entirely, even allowing Indyk to opine that the best way for foreign governments to shape policy is “scholarly, independent research, based on objective criteria.” Really? It is pretty hard to imagine what the words “independent” and “objective” mean coming from a man who while going from Brookings to public service and back to Brookings again pocketed $14.8 million in Qatari cash. At least the Times might have asked Indyk a few follow-up questions, like: Did he cash the check from Qatar before signing on to lead the peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians? Did the check clear while he was in Jerusalem, or Ramallah? Or did the Qatari money land in the Brookings account only after Indyk gave interviews and speeches blaming the Israelis for his failure? We’ll never know now. But whichever way it happened looks pretty awful.\n\nOr maybe the editors decided that it was all on the level, and the money influenced neither Indyk’s government work on the peace process nor Brookings’ analysis of the Middle East. Or maybe journalists just don’t think it’s worth making a big fuss out of obvious conflicts of interest that may affect American foreign policy. Maybe Qatar’s $14.8 million doesn’t affect Brookings’ research projects or what the think tank’s scholars tell the media, including the New York Times, about subjects like Qatar, Hamas, Israel, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and other related areas in which Qatar has key interests at stake. Maybe the think tank’s vaunted objectivity, and Indyk’s personal integrity and his pride in his career as a public servant, trump the large piles of vulgar Qatari natural gas money that keep the lights on and furnish the offices of Brookings scholars and pay their cell-phone bills and foreign travel.\n\nBut people in the Middle East may be a little less blasé about this kind of behavior than we are. Officials in the Netanyahu government, likely including the prime minister himself, say they’ll never trust Indyk again, in part due to the article by Israeli journalist Nahum Barnea in which an unnamed U.S. official with intimate knowledge of the talks, believed to be Indyk, blamed Israel for the failure of the peace talks. Certainly Jerusalem has good reason to be wary of an American diplomat who is also, or intermittently, a highly paid employee of Qatar’s ruling family. Among other things, Qatar hosts Hamas’ political chief Khaled Meshaal, the man calling the shots in Hamas’ war against the Jewish state. Moreover, Doha is currently Hamas’ chief financial backer—which means that while Qatar isn’t itself launching missiles on Israeli towns, Hamas wouldn’t be able to do so without Qatari cash.\n\nOf course, Hamas, which Qatar proudly sponsors, is a problem not just for Israel but also the Palestinian Authority. Which means that both sides in the negotiations that Indyk was supposed to oversee had good reason to distrust an American envoy who worked for the sponsor of their mutual enemy. In retrospect, it’s pretty hard to see how either side could have trusted Indyk at all—or why the administration imagined he would make a good go-between in the first place.\n\nIndeed, the notion that Indyk himself was personally responsible for the failure of peace talks is hardly far-fetched in a Middle East wilderness of conspiracy theories. After all, who benefits with an Israeli-PA stalemate? Why, the Islamist movement funded by the Arab emirate whose name starts with the letter “Q” and, according to the New York Times, is Brookings’ biggest donor.\n\nThere are lots of other questions that also seem worth asking, in light of this smelly revelation—like why in the midst of Operation Protective Edge this summer did Kerry seek to broker a Qatari- (and Turkish-) sponsored truce that would necessarily come at the expense of U.S. allies, Israel, and the PA, as well as Egypt, while benefiting Hamas, Qatar, and Turkey? Maybe it was just Kerry looking to stay active. Or maybe Indyk whispered something in his former boss’ ear—from his office at Brookings, which is paid for by Qatar.\n\nIt’s not clear why Indyk and Brookings seem to be getting a free pass from journalists—or why Qatar does. Yes, as host of the 2022 World Cup and owner of two famous European soccer teams (Barcelona and Paris St. Germain), Doha projects a fair amount of soft power—in Europe, but not America. Sure, Doha hosts U.S. Central Command at Al Udeid air base, but it also hosts Al Jazeera, the world’s most famous anti-American satellite news network. The Saudis hate Doha, as does Egypt and virtually all of America’s Sunni Arab allies. That’s in part because Qataris back not only Hamas, but other Muslim Brotherhood chapters around the region and Islamist movements that threaten the rule of the U.S.’s traditional partners and pride themselves on vehement anti-Americanism.\n\nWhich is why, of course, Qatar wisely chose to go over the heads of the American public and appeal to the policy elite—a strategy that began in 2007, when Qatar and Brookings struck a deal to open a branch of the Washington-based organization in Doha. Since then, the relationship has obviously progressed, to the point where it can appear, to suspicious-minded people, like Qatar actually bought and paid for John Kerry’s point man in the Middle East, the same way they paid for the plane that flew U.N. Sec. Gen. Ban Ki-Moon around the region during this summer’s Gaza war.\n\nIndeed, the Doha-Brookings love affair has gotten so hot that it may have pushed aside the previous major benefactor of Brookings’ Middle East program, Israeli-American businessman Haim Saban. The inventor of the Power Rangers will still fund the annual Saban forum, but in the spring Brookings took his name off of what was formerly the Haim Saban Center for Middle East Policy, so that now it’s just Center for Middle East Policy. Maybe the Qatari Center For Middle East Policy didn’t sound objective enough.\n\nAnother fact buried deep inside the Times piece is that Israel—the country usually portrayed as the octopus whose tentacles control all foreign policy debate in America—ranks exactly 56th in foreign donations to Washington think tanks. The Israeli government isn’t writing checks or buying dinner because—it doesn’t have to. The curious paradox is that a country that has the widespread support of rich and poor Americans alike—from big urban Jewish donors to tens of millions of heartland Christian voters—is accused of somehow improperly influencing American policy. While a country like Qatar, whose behavior is routinely so vile, and so openly anti-American, that it has no choice but to buy influence—and perhaps individual policymakers—gets off scot free among the opinion-shapers.\n\nIt turns out that, in a certain light, critics of U.S. foreign policy like Andrew Sullivan, John J. Mearsheimer, and Stephen Walt were correct: The national interest is vulnerable to the grubby machinations of D.C. insiders—lobbyists, think tank chiefs, and policymakers who cash in on their past and future government posts. But the culprits aren’t who the curator of “The Dish” and the authors of The Israel Lobby say they are. In fact, they got it backwards. And don’t expect others like Martin Indyk to correct the mistake, for they have a vested interest in maintaining the illusion that the problem with America’s Middle East policy is the pro-Israel lobby. In Indyk’s case, we now know exactly how big that interest is.\n\n***\n\nLike this article? Sign up for our Daily Digest to get Tablet Magazine’s new content in your inbox each morning.\n\nLee Smith is the author of The Consequences of Syria."}}},{"rowIdx":1005454,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"There may be a literal truth underlying the common-sense intuition that happiness and sadness are contagious.\n\nA new study on the spread of emotions through social networks shows that these feelings circulate in patterns analogous to what's seen from epidemiological models of disease.\n\nEarlier studies raised the possibility, but had not mapped social networks against actual disease models.\n\n\"This is the first time this contagion has been measured in the way we think about traditional infectious disease,\" said biophysicist Alison Hill of Harvard University.\n\nData in the research, in the July 7 Proceedings of the Royal Society, comes from the Framingham Heart Study, a one-of-a-kind project which since 1948 has regularly collected social and medical information from thousands of people in Framingham, Massachusetts.\n\nEarlier analyses found that a variety of habits and feelings, including obesity, loneliness, smoking and happiness appear to be contagious.\n\nIn the current study, Hill's team compared patterns of relationships and emotions measured in the study to those generated by a model designed to track SARS, foot-and-mouth disease and other traditional contagions. They discounted spontaneous or immediately shared emotion – friends or relatives undergoing a common experience – and focused on emotional changes that followed changes in others.\n\nIn the spread of happiness, the researchers found clusters of \"infected\" and \"uninfected\" people, a pattern considered a \"hallmark of the infectious process,\" said Hill. \"For happiness, clustering is what you expect from contagion rates. Whereas for sadness, the clusters were much larger than we'd expect. Something else is going on.\"\n\nHappiness proved less social than sadness. Each happy friend increased an individual's chances of personal happiness by 11 percent, while just one sad friend was needed to double an individual's chance of becoming unhappy.\n\nPatterns fit disease models in another way. \"The more friends with flu that you have, the more likely you are to get it. But once you have the flu, how long it takes you to get better doesn't depend on your contacts. The same thing is true of happiness and sadness,\" said David Rand, an evolutionary dynamics researcher at Harvard. \"It fits with the infectious disease framework.\"\n\nThe findings still aren't conclusive proof of contagion, but they provide parameters of transmission rates and network dynamics that will guide predictions tested against future Framingham results, said Hill and Rand. And whereas the Framingham study wasn't originally designed with emotional information in mind, future studies tailored to test network contagion should provide more sophisticated information.\n\nBoth Hill and Rand warned that the findings illustrate broad, possible dynamics, and are not intended to guide personal decisions, such as withdrawing from friends who are having a hard time.\n\n\"The better solution is to make your sad friends happy,\" said Rand.\n\nImage: Morgan/Flickr.\n\nSee Also:\n\nCitation: \"Emotions as infectious diseases in a large social network: the SISa model.\" By Alison L. Hill, David G. Rand, Martin A. Nowak and Nicholas A. Christakis. Proceedings for the Royal Society B, Published online before print, July 7, 2010.\n\nBrandon Keim's Twitter stream and reportorial outtakes; Wired Science on Twitter. Brandon is currently working on a book about ecological tipping points."}}},{"rowIdx":1005455,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"My first interaction with make-up was, I imagine, a universal one. I used to watch my mother painting her nails and applying lipstick and mimic her as she was getting ready. By the age of eleven I had progressed to experimenting with silver eyeshadow and dark brown lipstick. I blame these colour choices on the nineties: watching endless episodes of My So-Called Life and obsessing over a space-themed Levi’s advert. By the time I was a teenager I was struggling to understand the correct way to apply foundation and felt like I was supposed to wear it when I definitely didn’t need to and probably looked like a pageant child (no photos of this era exist – presumably my parents had the foresight and compassion not to capture it on film). And then I started modelling at the age of sixteen and was subjected to all sorts of glittery, smoky, sticky, sexy, oily, unpolished experiments with my face. Despite all of that playing around I still think make-up is a difficult thing to get right. In a perfect world we wouldn’t need to wear it at all, but unless you want to deal with that make-up tattoo situation, that’s not an option for most women. For me, if I don’t want to look like Dave Grohl past 11 a.m., it’s sort of a must. Personally for a daytime look I like to keep things natural. Often for photoshoots or TV I have stronger make-up on so on days off I just tend to moisturise, add concealer, mascara, blusher and lip balm. Some things I’ve learnt from being lucky enough to have my make-up done professionally: a little eyelash curl goes a long way, especially if, like me you have what could pass as a row of iron filings for eyelashes. With lip balm it’s best to stick to Australian pawpaw cream or natural products to avoid a massive lip peel which can happen when you use glosses or overly fragranced products. Your mouth should always look kissable and to that end I will occasionally exfoliate my lips (sounds disgusting, sort of is). An impromptu exfoliation kit I have used in the past is some Vaseline and brown sugar, which I rub onto my mouth and rinse off with warm water. In the winter this can restore your wind-chapped lips to dewy summer status. With blusher it took me a while to perfect the art of application without going overboard and coming over all Aunt Sal. A dot of cream blush on each cheek blended with my fingertips is the approach I now take for that slightly flushed but not overly embarrassed look. I prefer cream blushers to powders because I’m weird and have this aversion to anything dry on my face. I am obsessed with moisturising. I am also obsessed with cigarettes – so I like to think the two balance each other out. So that’s a classic crawl-out-of-bed face overhaul, but if I know I’m going out for the day and potentially into the night I add a cat-eye eyeliner. I stole this look from Cleopatra and Ronnie Spector from The Ronettes and I think it’s pretty much the most flattering make-up of all time. The two problems you’ll encounter if you’re trying to line the top of your lid are finding an eyeliner that doesn’t smudge all over your face and being able to draw in a straight line. I cannot help you with either of these things other than to say practice makes perfect and always think ‘up and out’. The thing you’re trying to fake is making your eyes look wider and more cat-like. Now study a cat’s face. Yeah, that. Liquid liners in a pen form are best for control and staying power. I find the pot with the wand with the brush on the end of it was probably invented for the sole purpose of causing pre-leaving-the-house meltdowns. Someone evil designed it. My addiction to cat-eye eyeliner started long before I knew who I was referencing. My first TV job meant that I had a professional make-up artist applying professional make-up to my unprofessional (hungover) face. We decided that all things considered we should play up my eyes as on TV eye contact is imperative. Once I had the black line traced on my top lid for the first time it was game over and no other make-up choices got a look in. It’s sexy and classic without seeming too much. (Apparently Cleopatra may have lined her eyes with kohl liner not just to look rad but also to help ward off disease.) Eyeliner aside, sometimes I go crazy and add a red lip to my make-up look, but it has to be a very special occasion. That’s a lie actually, because one top tip I have is if I’m looking tired I wear a red lip to detract from my heavy eyebags. *WARNING* this can make you look as though you haven’t been to bed but came to work straight from a very special occasion. Also, a red lip is great to wear in airports. I don’t know why but it makes me feel very glamorous to have bothered to apply lipstick when I’m travelling. To pack for flying: red lipstick, moisturiser, concealer, hand sanitizer, a can of dry shampoo and a mirror, because queueing for the loo and managing to do a beauty overhaul before they turn the seatbelt sign on is nigh-on impossible. Obviously different make-up suits different faces and it’s best to work out which features you’d like to play up and then experiment (in the house). Also work out which things don’t suit you, e.g.: I look odd when I’m overly tanned and so bronzer has never been my thing because I don’t like anything false as I feel like I’m lying to myself. In winter when things start getting very pale I just go with it and try and get into a gothic mood. Eyeliner inside my eye makes me look like I’m giving people evils so I try to avoid that, whereas it really looks brilliant on my friend Lizzy, who has rounder eyes than me. What are your best make-up tips? Leave your answer in the comments below. ------------------------ Liked this preview? You can buy Alexa’s book now at: http://po.st/AlexaChungIT"}}},{"rowIdx":1005456,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"After months of gruesome news of rape in India, the world's largest democracy is still struggling to stop violence against women. Delhi passed stricter nationwide penalties for rape, and local governments are looking for their own ways to address the problem. Mumbai, India's financial capital, is taking it's own controversial step. The city plans to ban mannequins from displaying lingerie.\n\nThe reason? City leaders believe mannequins give men impure thoughts.\n\nIn Mumbai's trendy Bandra neighborhood shoppers from all over the city are drawn to its open-air markets. Everything is on sale here–clothing, purses, and shoes. And most of it is for women.\n\nOne shopper, Zara Sheik, quickly scans a table of bras and underwear. On the wall in front her, clear plastic torsos show off the selection of lingerie. They're not full mannequins, but the plastic forms have enough cleavage to make Mrs. Sheik uncomfortable.\n\nSo you don't like to see that up there? I ask.\n\n\"No, not at all,\" she says.\n\nWhat does it make you think?\n\n\"It feels very embarrassing. Even if my husband sees it I won't like it.\"\n\nSheik blames the display on western influence.\n\n\"You people,\" she says. \"You people are coming here.\"\n\nSurprisingly, the shop manager agrees with her. Zeeshon Menon says mannequins wearing underwear is a problem. When I ask him if they give him impure thoughts, he seems embarrassed.\n\n\"It's against tradition,\" he says. \"It's against our religion.\"\n\nOkay, a little context: Generally, women in India wear loose-fitting clothes that cover their arms and legs. Showing shoulders or wearing jeans is off-limits in many traditional homes. So in this context a mannequin in a bra can seem provocative.\n\nAt least that's how it seems to 39-year-old Ritu Tawde. She is a \"corporator\" for the city of Mumbai. It's kind of like being a city councilor. The now-infamous Delhi gang-rape that took the life of a 23-year-old student last year jolted Tawde into action.\n\n\"Rape cases in our country are increasing,\" says Tawde. \"To stop this, somewhere someone has to make an effort.\"\n\nTawde blames some rape cases on mannequins exposing so much skin, albeit fake skin.\n\n\"Our Indian culture, one that has been around for many years, has not witnessed this kind of exposure,\" she says. \"There are certain disturbed minds in our society, existing or potential criminals, who upon seeing a female mannequin wearing lingerie, will be provoked to commit a crime.\"\n\nTawde proposed a city ordinance banning stores from displaying mannequins wearing lingerie in their windows. The measure passed and just needs the approval of the city commissioner before it can take effect.\n\nMany lingerie sellers are upset.\n\nTasneem Mansuri owns a new lingerie store inside a popular Mumbai mall. She says the law is something he's really pissed and mad about.\n\n\"Because a visual sells,\" she says.\n\nTwo mannequins dressed in thongs, garter belts and feather boas greet customers at the door to Mansuri's store. But the proposed ban has stopped her from displaying mannequins in the windows facing the street. She says mannequins are important for helping women visualize what they'll look like in lingerie.\n\n\"What's the harm of having a lingerie display? It's not vulgar at all. It's something that a woman needs to wear and does wear,\" she says.\n\nMansuri says scantily clad mannequins don't turn Indian men into rapists. And she worries that this ban means Mumbai isn't the cosmopolitan city she hoped it was when she opened her store.\n\nMany media commentators have similar complaints. They're making fun of the ban and called it regressive. Forbes India Editor-In-Chief R. Jagganathan says the mannequin ban exposes a growing rift between the elite and everyone else.\n\n\"You have a very progressive element, which obviously finds this silly,\" says Jagganathan. \"To ban mannequins because it will put thoughts in men's heads is silly. You have to change the way they think. You can't do it by removing a mannequin. That's an obvious thing to say.\"\n\nHowever, Jagganathan says there's another side.\n\n\"This is a city that is accumulating people every year. We are nearly 18 million people in the city. And different people come from villages with different mindsets. There are places I think where boys and girls don't even talk to each other.\"\n\nJagganathan says the city found an easy, inanimate symbol to target–lingerie mannequins. But he says it requires deep societal change to root out misogyny and violence against women.\n\nAnd that's hard to legislate."}}},{"rowIdx":1005457,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Full Scale Attack=> Jared Kushner’s Family’s Real Estate Company Subpoenaed Over Investment Program\n\nAs the old saying goes, things happen in threes. Not only has Special Counsel Robert Mueller impaneled a Washington grand jury and grand jury subpoenas been issued over the Don Jr.-Russian lawyer meeting, but Jared Kushner’s real estate company has been subpoenaed, as well.\n\nIndependent UK reports:\n\nNew York federal prosecutors have reportedly subpoenaed Kushner Companies, the New York real estate business owned by the family of Donald Trump‘s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner. The subpoenea concerns the company’s use of the controversial EB-5 visa programme to finance its development in New Jersey called One Journal Square, the Wall Street Journal reported. The EB-5 programme allows wealthy foreign investors to effectively buy US immigration visas for themselves and their families by investing at least $500,000 (£378,000) in US development projects. In a statement to the paper, Emily Wolf, the Kushner Company’s general council, said: “Kushner Companies utilised the program, fully complied with its rules and regulations and did nothing improper. “We are cooperating with legal requests for information.” It is currently unclear what potential violations the New York attorney’s office is looking into. The family was criticised earlier this year when Mr Kushner’s sister, Nicole Kushner Meyer, mentioned her brother’s work in the Trump administration while urging Chinese citizens to invest in the New Jersey project.\n\nReuters is reporting grand jury subpoenas have been issued in connection with the meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya last June.\n\nhttps://twitter.com/Reuters/status/893204347433226240?ref_src=twsrc% 5Etfw&ref_url=http% 3A% 2F% 2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com% 2F2017% 2F08% 2Fbreaking-grand-jury-subpoenas-issued-connection-donald-trump-jr-russian-lawyer-meeting% 2F\n\nBut that’s not all.\n\nSpecial Counsel Robert Mueller is ramping up his investigation into Russia’s alleged role in the 2016 presidential election. The Wall Street Journal reports Mueller will impanel a Washington Grand Jury to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 president election.\n\nWall Street Journal reports:\n\nThe grand jury, which began its work in recent weeks, is a sign that Mr. Mueller’s inquiry is ramping up and that it will likely continue for months. Mr. Mueller is investigating Russia’s efforts to influence the 2016 election and whether President Donald Trump’s campaign or associates colluded with the Kremlin as part of that effort. A spokesman for Mr. Mueller, Joshua Stueve, declined to comment. Moscow has denied seeking to influence the election, and Mr. Trump has vigorously disputed allegations of collusion. The president has called Mr. Mueller’s inquiry a “witch hunt.” Ty Cobb, special counsel to the president, said he wasn’t aware that Mr. Mueller had started using a new grand jury. “Grand jury matters are typically secret,” Mr. Cobb said. “The White House favors anything that accelerates the conclusion of his work fairly.…The White House is committed to fully cooperating with Mr. Mueller.” Before Mr. Mueller was tapped in May to be special counsel, federal prosecutors had been using at least one other grand jury, located in Alexandria, Va., to assist in their criminal investigation of Michael Flynn, a former national security adviser. That probe, which has been taken over by Mr. Mueller’s team, focuses on Mr. Flynn’s work in the private sector on behalf of foreign interests. Grand juries are powerful investigative tools that allow prosecutors to subpoena documents, put witnesses under oath and seek indictments, if there is evidence of a crime. Legal experts said that the decision by Mr. Mueller to impanel a grand jury suggests he believes he will need to subpoena records and take testimony from witnesses."}}},{"rowIdx":1005458,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"For the historical district in central Saudi Arabia, see Al-Yamama\n\nAl Yamamah (Arabic: اليمامة‎, lit. 'The Dove') is the name of a series of record arms sales by the United Kingdom to Saudi Arabia, paid for by the delivery of up to 600,000 barrels (95,000 m3) of crude oil per day to the UK government.[1] The prime contractor has been BAE Systems and its predecessor British Aerospace. The first sales occurred in September 1985 and the most recent contract for 72 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighters was signed in August 2006.\n\nMike Turner, then CEO of BAE Systems, said in August 2005 that BAE and its predecessor had earned £43 billion in twenty years from the contracts and that it could earn £40 billion more.[2] It is Britain's largest ever export agreement, and employs at least 5,000 people in Saudi Arabia.[3]\n\nIn 2010, BAE Systems pleaded guilty to a United States court, to charges of false accounting and making misleading statements in connection with the sales.[4] An investigation by the British Serious Fraud Office into the deal was discontinued after political pressure from the Saudi and British governments.\n\nBackground [ edit ]\n\nThe UK was already a major supplier of arms to Saudi Arabia prior to Al Yamamah. In 1964 The British Aircraft Corporation conducted demonstration flights of their Lightning in Riyadh and in 1965 Saudi Arabia signed a letter of intent for the supply of Lightning and Strikemaster aircraft as well as Thunderbird surface to air missiles. The main contract was signed in 1966 for 40 Lightnings and 25 Strikemasters (eventually raised to 40). In 1973 the Saudi government signed an agreement with the British government which specified BAC as the contractor for all parts of the defence system (AEI was previously contracted to supply the radar equipment and Airwork Services provided servicing and training). Overall spending by the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) was over £10 billion GBP (SAR 57 Billion).[5]\n\nIn the 1970s United States defense contractors won major contracts, including 114 Northrop F-5s. In 1981 the RSAF ordered 46 F-15Cs and 16 F-15Ds, followed in 1982 by the purchase of 5 E-3A AWACS aircraft. Following these deals and partly due to pro-Israeli sentiment in the US Congress, which would have either blocked a deal or insisted on usage restrictions for exported aircraft, Saudi Arabia turned to the UK for further arms purchases.[6]\n\nSummary [ edit ]\n\nThe Financial Times reported Saudi Arabian \"interest\" in the Panavia Tornado in July 1984. Export had become a possibility after West Germany lifted its objections to exports outside of NATO.[7] In September 1985 Saudi Arabia agreed \"in principle\" to a Tornado, Hawk and missile deal.[8] On 26 September 1985 the defence ministers of the UK and Saudi Arabia sign a Memorandum of Understanding in London for 48 Tornado IDSs, 24 Tornado ADVs, 30 Hawk training aircraft, 30 Pilatus PC-9 trainers, a range of weapons, radar, spares and a pilot-training programme.[9] The second stage (Al Yamamah II) was signed on 3 July 1988 in Bermuda by the defence ministers of the UK and Saudi Arabia.[10]\n\nAlthough the full extent of the deal has never been fully clarified, it has been described as \"the biggest [UK] sale ever of anything to anyone\", \"staggering both by its sheer size and complexity\".[11] At a minimum, it is believed to involve the supply and support of 96 Panavia Tornado ground attack aircraft, 24 Air Defence Variants (ADVs), 50 BAE Hawk and 50 Pilatus PC-9 aircraft, specialised naval vessels, and various infrastructure works. The initial Memorandum of Understanding committed the UK to purchasing the obsolete Lightning and Strikemaster aircraft, along with associated equipment and spare parts.[12]\n\nThe UK government's prime contractor for the project is BAE Systems. BAE has approximately 4,000 employees working directly with the Royal Saudi Air Force (also see Military of Saudi Arabia).\n\nThe success of the initial contract has been attributed to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who lobbied hard on behalf of British industry. A Ministry of Defence briefing paper for Thatcher detailed her involvement in the negotiations:[13]\n\nSince early 1984, intensive efforts have been made to sell Tornado and Hawk to the Saudis. When, in the Autumn of 1984, they seemed to be leaning towards French Mirage fighters, Mr Heseltine paid an urgent visit to Saudi Arabia, carrying a letter from the Prime Minister to King Fahd. In December 1984 the Prime Minister started a series of important negotiations by meeting Prince Bandar, the son of Prince Sultan. The Prime Minister met the King in Riyahd in April this year and in August the King wrote to her stating his decision to buy 48 Tornado IDS and 30 Hawk.\n\nThere were no conditions relating to security sector reform or human rights included in the contracts.[14] Contracts between BAE Systems and the Saudi government have been underwritten by the Export Credits Guarantee Department, a tax-payer funded insurance system. Guarantees on a contract worth up to £2.7billion were signed by the Government on 1 September 2003.[15] In December 2004, the Commons Trade Committee chairman, Martin O'Neill, accused the Government of being foolish for concealing a £1billion guarantee they have given to BAE Systems.[16]\n\nAl Yamamah I [ edit ]\n\nThe first aircraft (two Hawks) were delivered on 11 August 1987 at BAE's Dunsfold facility.[17]\n\nAl Yamamah II [ edit ]\n\nDeliveries early 1990s – 1998\n\n48 Panavia Tornado IDS'\n\nEurofighter Typhoon (al-Salam) [ edit ]\n\nIn December 2005 the governments of the UK and Saudi Arabia signed an \"Understanding Document\" which involved the sale of Typhoon aircraft to replace RSAF Tornados and other aircraft. Although no details were released, reports suggested the deal involved the supply of 72 aircraft. On 18 August 2006 a contract was signed for 72 aircraft. The aircraft cost approximately £4.43 billion, and the full weapons system is expected to cost approximately £10 billion.[18]\n\nTornado upgrade [ edit ]\n\nIn February 2006 Air Forces Monthly suggested that the eventual Eurofighter order may reach 100 and the deal could include the upgrade of the RSAF's Tornado IDS aircraft, likely similar to the RAF's Tornado GR4 standard. In an editorial the magazine also raises the prospect of a requirement for a new lead-in fighter trainer to replace the earlier generation of Hawk 65/65As and to provide adequate training for transition of pilots to the advanced Typhoon.[19] BAE System's 2005 Interim Report noted that three RSAF Tornado IDS' arrived at their Warton facility for design evaluation tests with the ultimate aim being \"to improve serviceability, address obsolescence, and enhance and sustain the capability of the aircraft\". On 10 September 2006 BAE won a £2.5bn (€3.7bn, $4.6bn) contract for the upgrade of 80 RSAF Tornado IDS'.[20]\n\nCorruption allegations [ edit ]\n\nThere have been numerous allegations that the Al Yamamah contracts were a result of bribes (\"douceurs\") to members of the Saudi royal family and government officials.\n\nSome allegations suggested that the former prime minister's son Mark Thatcher may have been involved, however he has strongly denied receiving payments or exploiting his mother's connections in his business dealings.[21]\n\nIn February 2001, the solicitor of a former BAE Systems employee, Edward Cunningham, notified Serious Fraud Office of the evidence that his client was holding which related to an alleged \"slush fund\". The SFO wrote a letter to Kevin Tebbit at the MoD who notified the Chairman of BAE Systems[22] but not the Secretary of Defence.[23] No further action was taken until the letter was leaked to and reported on by The Guardian in September 2003.[24]\n\nIn May 2004, Sir Richard Evans appeared before parliament's defence select committee and said: \"I can certainly assure you that we are not in the business of making payments to members of any government.\"[25]\n\nIn October 2004, the BBC's Money Programme broadcast an in-depth story, including allegations in interviews with Edward Cunningham and another former insider, about the way BAE Systems alleged to have paid bribes to Prince Turki bin Nasser and ran a secret £60 million slush fund in relation to the Al Yamamah deal.[26] Most of the money was alleged to have been spent through a front company called Robert Lee International Limited.\n\nIn June 2007 the BBC's investigative programme Panorama alleged that BAE Systems \"..paid hundreds of millions of pounds to the ex-Saudi ambassador to the US, Prince Bandar bin Sultan.\"[27]\n\nAccording to the Campaign Against The Arms Trade, successive UK governments have given support to British Aerospace Engineering (BAE). By doing so, have given support to the Saudi regime and undermined global efforts to eradicate corruption. It has brought into question the integrity of UK business more generally.[28]. In his book, David Wearing uses the example of F&C Asset Management, a major institutional investor, who (despite benefiting in the short term), warned the defence procurement minister that it would reduce the efficient functioning of financial markets as a whole. \"We believe that, for long term investors, bribery and corruption distort and de-stabilise markets, expose companies to legal liabilities, disadvantage non-corrupt companies and reduce transparency...\". Thus undermining national legislation governing corrupt practices [29].\n\n1992 NAO report [ edit ]\n\nThe UK National Audit Office (NAO) investigated the contracts and has so far not released its conclusions – the only NAO report ever to be withheld. Official statements about the contents of the report go no further than to state that the then chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, now Lord Sheldon, considered the report in private in February 1992, and said: \"I did an investigation and I find no evidence that the MOD made improper payments. I have found no evidence of fraud or corruption. The deal... complied with Treasury approval and the rules of Government accounting.\"[30]\n\nIn July 2006, Sir John Bourn, the head of the NAO, refused to release a copy to the investigators of an unpublished report into the contract that had been drawn up in 1992.[31]\n\nThe MP Harry Cohen said, \"This does look like a serious conflict of interest. Sir John did a lot of work at the MoD on Al Yamamah and here we now have the NAO covering up this report.\"[31] In early 2002 he had proposed an Early Day Motion noting \"that there have been... allegations made of large commission payments made to individuals in Saudi Arabia as part of... Al Yamamah... [and] that Osama bin Laden and the Al-Qaeda network have received substantial funds from individuals in Saudi Arabia.\"[32]\n\nSerious Fraud Office investigation [ edit ]\n\nThe Serious Fraud Office was reported to be considering opening an investigation into an alleged £20 million slush fund on 12 September 2003, the day after The Guardian had published its slush fund story.[33] The SFO also investigated BAE's relationship with Travellers World Limited.[34]\n\nIn November 2004 the SFO made two arrests as part of the investigation.[35] BAE Systems stated that they welcomed the investigation and \"believe[d] that it would put these matters to rest once and for all.\"[36]\n\nIn late 2005, BAE refused to comply with compulsory production notices for details of its secret offshore payments to the Middle East.[37] The terms of the investigation was for a prosecution under Part 12 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001.\n\nThreats by the Saudi government [ edit ]\n\nAt the end of November 2006, when the long-running investigation was threatening to go on for two more years,[38] BAE Systems was negotiating a multibillion-pound sale of Eurofighter Typhoons to Saudi Arabia. According to the BBC the contract was worth £6billion with 5,000 people directly employed in the manufacture of the Eurofighter,[39] while other reports put the value at £10billion with 50,000 jobs at stake.[40]\n\nOn 1 December The Daily Telegraph ran a front-page headline suggesting that Saudi Arabia had given the UK ten days to suspend the Serious Fraud Office investigation into BAE/Saudi Arabian transactions or they would take the deal to France,[40] but this threat was played down in other quarters. A French official had said \"the situation was complex and difficult... and there was no indication to suggest the Saudis planned to drop the Eurofighter.\" This analysis was confirmed by Andrew Brookes, an analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, who said \"there could be an element here of trying to scare the SFO off. Will it mean they do not buy the Eurofighter? I doubt it.\"[41]\n\nThere were reports of a systematic PR campaign operated by Tim Bell through newspaper scare stories, letters from business owners and MPs in whose constituencies the factories were located to get the case closed.[37]\n\nRobert Wardle, head of the SFO, also stated (in a later High Court challenge, see below) that he had received a direct threat of a cessation of counterterrorist co-operation from the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the UK, in the first of three meetings held to assess the seriousness of the threat: \"as he put it to me, British lives on British streets were at risk\".\n\nArticle 5 of the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery prohibits the decision to drop investigations into corruption from being influenced by considerations of the national economic interest or the potential effect upon relations with another state. This does not however explicitly exclude grounds of national security.[42]\n\nThis prompted the investigation team to consider striking an early guilty plea deal with BAE that would minimise the intrusiveness to Saudi Arabia and mitigate damage. The Attorney General agreed the strategy, but briefed Prime Minister Blair - who in a reply dated 5 December 2006 - urged that the case be dropped. Despite affirming his government's commitment to bribery prosecution, he stressed the financial and counter-terrorism implications. That same day, Prince Bandar met with Foreign Office officials, after spending a week with Jacques Chirac to negotiate a French alternative to the BAE deal.[43]\n\nA week later, after consultation with the SFO, the Attorney General met with Blair to argue against dropping the case. It was Blair's opinion that \"Any proposal that the investigation be resolved by parties pleading guilty to certain charges would be unlikely to reduce the offence caused to the Saudi Royal Family, even if the deal were accepted, and the process would still drag out for a considerable period\".\n\nOn 13 December, the Director of the SFO wrote to the Attorney General to inform him that the SFO was dropping the investigation and would not be looking into the Swiss bank accounts, citing \"real and imminent damage to the UK's national and international security and would endanger the lives of UK citizens and service personnel.\"[44]\n\nInvestigation discontinued [ edit ]\n\nOn 14 December 2006, the Attorney General Lord Goldsmith announced that the investigation was being discontinued on grounds of the public interest.[45] The 15-strong team had been ordered to turn in their files two days before.[37] The statement in the House of Lords read:\n\nThe Director of the Serious Fraud Office has decided to discontinue the investigation into the affairs of BAE Systems plc as far as they relate to the Al Yamamah defence contract. This decision has been taken following representations that have been made both to the Attorney General and the Director concerning the need to safeguard national and international security. It has been necessary to balance the need to maintain the rule of law against the wider public interest. No weight has been given to commercial interests or to the national economic interest.[46]\n\nThe Prime Minister, Tony Blair, justified the decision by saying \"Our relationship with Saudi Arabia is vitally important for our country in terms of counter-terrorism, in terms of the broader Middle East, in terms of helping in respect of Israel and Palestine. That strategic interest comes first.\"[47]\n\nJonathan Aitken, a former Conservative government minister and convicted perjurer, who was connected with the deals in the 1980s, said that even if the allegations against BAE were true, it was correct to end the investigation to maintain good relations with Saudi Arabia.[48]\n\nMark Pieth, director of anti-fraud section at the OECD, on behalf of the United States, Japan, France, Sweden, Switzerland and Greece, addressed a formal complaint letter before Christmas 2006 to the Foreign Office, seeking explanation as to why the investigation had been discontinued.[49] Transparency International and Labour MP Roger Berry, chairman of the Commons Quadripartite Committee, urged the government to reopen the corruption investigation.[50]\n\nIn a newspaper interview, Robert Wardle, head of the Serious Fraud Office, acknowledged that the decision to terminate the investigation may have damaged \"the reputation of the UK as a place which is determined to stamp out corruption\".[51]\n\nDelivery of the first two Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft (of 72 purchased by the Saudi Air Force) took place in June 2009.[52]\n\nJudicial review [ edit ]\n\nA judicial review of the decision by the SFO to drop the investigation was granted on 9 November 2007.[53] On 10 April 2008 the High Court of Justice ruled that the SFO \"acted unlawfully\" by dropping its investigation.[54] The Times described the ruling as \"one of the most strongly worded judicial attacks on government action\" which condemned how \"ministers 'buckled' to 'blatant threats' that Saudi cooperation in the fight against terror would end unless the ...investigation was dropped.\"[55]\n\nOn 24 April the SFO was granted leave to appeal to the House of Lords against the ruling.[56] There was a two-day hearing before the Lords on 7 and 8 July 2008.[57] On 30 July the House of Lords unanimously overturned the High Court ruling, stating that the decision to discontinue the investigation was lawful.[58]\n\nOECD investigation [ edit ]\n\nThe OECD sent their inspectors to the UK to establish the reasons behind the dropping of the investigation in March 2007.[59] The OECD also wished to establish why the UK had yet to bring a prosecution since the incorporation of the OECD's anti-bribery treaty into UK law.[59]\n\nUS Department of Justice investigation [ edit ]\n\nOn 26 June 2007 BAE announced that the United States Department of Justice had launched its own investigation into Al Yamamah. It was looking into allegations that a US bank had been used to funnel payments to Prince Bandar.[60] The Riggs Bank has been mentioned in some accounts.[61] On 19 May 2008 BAE confirmed that its CEO Mike Turner and non-executive director Nigel Rudd had been detained \"for about 20 minutes\" at George Bush Intercontinental and Newark airports respectively the previous week and that the DOJ had issued \"a number of additional subpoenas in the US to employees of BAE Systems plc and BAE Systems Inc as part of its ongoing investigation\".[62] The Times suggests that, according to Alexandra Wrage of Trace International, such \"humiliating behaviour by the DOJ\" is unusual toward a company that is co-operating fully.[62]\n\nUnder a plea bargain with the US Department of Justice BAE was sentenced in March 2010 by US District Court Judge John D. Bates to pay a $400 million fine, one of the largest fines in the history of the DOJ. US District Judge John Bates said the company's conduct involved \"deception, duplicity and knowing violations of law, I think it's fair to say, on an enormous scale\".[63] BAE was not convicted of bribery, and is thus not internationally blacklisted from future contracts.\n\nSee also [ edit ]\n\nReferences [ edit ]"}}},{"rowIdx":1005459,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"The media would like you to believe that everyone under 35 is either cowering in fear of a Trump presidency or taking to the streets to protest it. In reality, more millennials support the President-elect than at any other time since he announced his bid for the White House in June 2015.\n\nAccording to a poll released by CNN, Trump received a significant post-election bounce from the American public. Overall, 47 percent people have a favorable opinion of the President-elect — that’s an 11-point jump in a month.\n\nTrump is also doing better among millennials. 40 percent have a favorable opinion of him, while 42 percent approve of the job he’s doing with his transition team.\n\nMillennials also believe that Trump will be a positive force for change in their future; 53-to-43 percent believe he will change the country for the better.\n\nThey also think Trump can keep some of his economic campaign promises. Of those surveyed, 59 percent believe he will create good-paying jobs in economically challenged areas, and 71 percent believe he will repeal and replace Obamacare. Meanwhile, 58 percent think he will renegotiate NAFTA, and 48 percent think he will reduce corruption in Congress.\n\nIf Trump can deliver on any of these pledges, it’s guaranteed that he will see his numbers improve throughout his first term. The higher his approval rating, the greater chance he’ll have at bringing young people back into the Republican Party.\n\nLatest Videos"}}},{"rowIdx":1005460,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":".- The veto of a religious freedom bill means faith-based groups that support marriage as a union of a man and a woman won’t have needed protections, the state’s Catholic bishops said.\n\n“The Virginia Catholic Conference is deeply dismayed by the governor’s action,” the conference said March 30. “This veto risks the destruction of Virginia’s long tradition of upholding the religious freedom of faith communities which dates back to Thomas Jefferson.”\n\nThe bill would have forbidden the state of Virginia from punishing religious groups that follow their sincerely held beliefs that marriage is between a man and a woman. The bill passed the House of Delegates by a vote of 59-38 and the Senate by 21-19.\n\nVirginia’s Catholic conference said the bill would ensure “that clergy and religious organizations are not penalized by the government.” The bill would also protect these individuals and organizations from civil liability.\n\nGov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, vetoed the bill on live radio Wednesday. He claimed that signing the bill would be “making Virginia unwelcome to same-sex couples, while artificially engendering a sense of fear and persecution among our religious communities.”\n\nHe also cited corporation leaders’ opposition to the bill, charging that it was “bad for business.”\n\n“They don't want headaches coming from the state,” he said.\n\nLGBT activist groups also opposed the bill.\n\nThe Catholic conference said that the bill does not apply to businesses, but “simply affirms the right of religious organizations to follow their religious beliefs.” The conference charged that Gov. McAuliffe’s veto “marginalizes religious believers who hold to the timeless truth about marriage.”\n\nThe legislation would have preserved “fair access to state resources” for clergy and religious organizations, including charities and schools, the conference said.\n\n“Marriage is the first institution, written in natural law and existing before any government or religion, and is between one man and one woman,” the conference added. “Recognizing and honoring this institution is not discrimination, but counting people’s faith against them most certainly is.”\n\nSen. Charles W. Carrico Sr. (R-Grayson) sponsored the bill. He told the Washington Post he believes there will be lawsuits against churches.\n\n“I think you see a trend around the country right now to promote homosexual beliefs, and I think you see that trend happening on a wide-scale basis,” he said.\n\nThe Virginia legislature could override the veto, but that is considered very unlikely, the Associated Press reports.\n\nOther bills to protect religious freedom have drawn significant opposition in recent years. In Georgia on Monday, Republican Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed another proposed religious freedom protection bill.\n\nIn some states and the District of Columbia, new laws and funding decisions have shut down Catholic adoption agencies on the grounds they do not place children with same-sex couples. Some Catholic schools have also become the targets of lawsuits from employees fired for violating morals standards on sexual morality.\n\nWealthy funders like the Ford Foundation, the Arcus Foundation and the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund have poured millions of dollars into legal groups, law school projects and activist groups to counter religious freedom protections.\n\nPhoto credit: Joseph Sohm via www.shutterstock.com"}}},{"rowIdx":1005461,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"2 June 2015\n\nA security issue affects these releases of Ubuntu and its derivatives:\n\nUbuntu 12.04 LTS\n\nSummary\n\nSeveral security improvements have been made to the Apache HTTP Server.\n\nSoftware Description\n\napache2 - Apache HTTP server\n\nDetails\n\nAs a security improvement, this update makes the following changes to the Apache package in Ubuntu 12.04 LTS:\n\nAdded support for ECC keys and ECDH ciphers.\n\nThe SSLProtocol configuration directive now allows specifying the TLSv1.1 and TLSv1.2 protocols.\n\nEphemeral key handling has been improved, including allowing DH parameters to be loaded from the SSL certificate file specified in SSLCertificateFile.\n\nThe export cipher suites are now disabled by default.\n\nThe problem can be corrected by updating your system to the following package versions:\n\nTo update your system, please follow these instructions: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Security/Upgrades.\n\nIn general, a standard system update will make all the necessary changes.\n\nThis update may cause DH parameters to change which could impact certain Java clients. See http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/ssl/ssl_faq.html#javadh for more information.\n\nReferences"}}},{"rowIdx":1005462,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"KABUL (Reuters) - A popular female politician in east Afghanistan died in hospital on Monday following a bomb attack on her vehicle last week, Afghan officials said, underscoring the growing dangers for women in the government.\n\nAngiza Shinwari, in her mid-thirties, was at the start of a second term as a provincial council member in Nangarhar and had been transferred to Kabul for treatment. Her driver was killed in the explosion and four other people injured.\n\nIt was the second deadly attack on a female politician in three months, after outspoken parliamentarian Shukria Barakzai was targeted in November. Barakzai survived the suicide bombing, but at least three others were killed.\n\nFemale politicians are often threatened by their families as well as the Taliban, because taking a public role is considered indecent in much of ultra-conservative Afghanistan.\n\nColleagues described Shinwari as a determined defender of women’s rights in the ultra-conservative east and an active member of Nangarhar’s provincial council.\n\n“She worked very hard, for women and for her own people,” said Muhtarama Amin, a friend and former provincial council member in Nangarhar.\n\nAmin left her post last year to teach at university and wait for an opportunity to run for parliament.\n\n“When I go to teach at university, I face a very bad, dangerous situation,” Amin said by telephone. “I am very afraid that the people sending me threats will try to kill me.”\n\nAmin said she had appealed both to Afghan and foreign officials for protection without success. “All women working in government are in great danger. And the situation is especially bad for provincial council members,” Amin said.\n\nNo one has claimed responsibility for the attack.\n\nShinwari kept a low profile, appearing in public with her face covered by a niqab, a Muslim veil leaving only the eyes visible.\n\nIn the more conservative parts of Afghanistan, even this is considered improper and women are pressured to wear the all-covering burqa, which covers the eyes with a fabric grill.\n\nThe governor of Nangarhar province blamed Kabul for Shinwari’s death. “Because of their carelessness, Shinwari passed away after surgery,” he said in a statement.\n\nThe president’s office described Shinwari in a statement as a teacher of Islamic sciences, a poet and a national hero.\n\nShinwari had lost both legs in the attack and doctors were unable to save her after surgery."}}},{"rowIdx":1005463,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"RENTON, Wash. -- NFL referee Bill Leavy acknowledged he made mistakes in the Seattle Seahawks' 2006 Super Bowl loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.\n\nThe veteran official began an annual training-camp rules interpretation session with the Seattle media after practice on Friday by bringing up the subject without being asked.\n\n\"It was a tough thing for me. I kicked two calls in the fourth quarter and I impacted the game, and as an official you never want to do that,\" said the veteran of 15 NFL seasons and two Super Bowls.\n\n\"It left me with a lot of sleepless nights, and I think about it constantly,\" Leavy said of the February 2006 game. \"I'll go to my grave wishing that I'd been better.\"\n\nSeveral calls went against the Seahawks in their 21-10 loss to the Steelers. It was Seattle's only Super Bowl appearance.\n\nThis week is the first time since that game Leavy has been in Seattle with the Seahawks. He and a mini-crew arrived Thursday to help with the team's practices and give it a rules presentation.\n\nLeavy didn't specify which plays he \"kicked\" that day in Detroit.\n\n\"Bill's personal comments speak for themselves and we see no reason to add to them,\" NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Saturday.\n\nEarly in the fourth quarter, tackle Sean Locklear was called for holding on a pass completion that would have put the Seahawks at the Pittsburgh 1, in position for the go-ahead touchdown. After the penalty, Matt Hasselbeck threw an interception, and then was called for a low block on a play that ended with him tackling Pittsburgh's Ike Taylor on the defensive back's return.\n\nThe penalty moved the Steelers from their 29 to the 44. Pittsburgh used its better field position to score the clinching touchdown four plays later.\n\nThe next day, then-Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren told fans at a civic gathering at Qwest Field: \"I knew it was going to be tough going up against the Pittsburgh Steelers. I didn't know we were going to have to play the guys in the striped shirts, as well.\"\n\nHolmgren, now a top executive with the Cleveland Browns, has since said he's gotten over that game.\n\nBut Leavy hasn't.\n\n\"I know that I did my best at that time, but it wasn't good enough,\" said the retired police officer and firefighter in San Jose, Calif., who became an NFL referee in 2001. \"When we make mistakes, you got to step up and own them. It's something that all officials have to deal with, but unfortunately when you have to deal with it in the Super Bowl it's difficult.\"\n\nHasselbeck said he and Leavy had a chance to talk last season and address the game.\n\n\"I think all of the officials we have in the NFL are stand-up guys and Leavy is no different,\" Hasselbeck said Saturday.\n\nBobby Engram, who spent eight seasons with the Seahawks and now is with the Browns, said the team wasn't playing its best that day anyway, on top of the momentum-changing calls.\n\n\"But I feel bad for the guy,\" Engram said. \"These refs try hard and I respect what they do. It's not an easy job. It's a fast-paced game and a lot of big, strong guys are flying around. It's just unfortunate that he had a bad game in the Super Bowl.\"\n\nWhen high-profile referee Ed Hochuli visited the Seahawks' training camp in the months after that Super Bowl, he and his crew took good-natured ribbing from players.\n\n\"The Super Bowl was one of those games where it seemed the big calls went against Seattle,\" Hochuli said in August 2006. \"And that was just fortuitous -- bad fortuitous for Seattle.\n\n\"The league felt, actually, that the Super Bowl was well officiated. Now, that doesn't mean there were no mistakes. There are always mistakes, but it was a well-officiated game.\"\n\nInformation from ESPN.com's Mike Sando and James Walker, and The Associated Press contributed to this report."}}},{"rowIdx":1005464,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"“My purpose is to destroy the daemonic, and if I must rise to command an entire sector to do so, then so be it.”\n\n–Torquemada Coteaz\n\nFantasy Flight Games is proud to announce The Threat Beyond, the fifth War Pack in the Warlord cycle for Warhammer 40,000: Conquest!\n\nAs the Warlord cycle approaches its epic conclusion, The Threat Beyond invites you to take on the mantle of an Imperial Inquisitor and exercise the power of the Inquisition with a new warlord for the Astra Militarum. Nowhere is truly safe in the darkness of the far future, but more than most leaders, Torquemada Coteaz has carved out a region of relative stability among the stars. His eternal watchfulness and unflagging zeal have exterminated countless heresies. Now, he turns his gaze to the Traxis sector, eager to bring the order of the Imperium to this newly discovered space.\n\nThe power of the Inquisition stands against dark heresies throughout the Traxis sector, but new cards for every faction also continue the cycle’s main themes, granting more significance to your warlords and how you to choose to use them every turn. With this War Pack, you can fight alongside the Salamanders legion of Space Marines, lead a vicious attack with the Orks, or turn to the excess of Slaanesh with the Chaos faction. The Wargear of the Dark Eldar is yours to command, as are the deadly wraithknights of the Eldar, or the grenadiers of the Tau. Every faction gains new cards as they struggle to conquer the Traxis sector.\n\nThe Fury of the Righteous\n\nWith the introduction of The Threat Beyond, Torquemada Coteaz (The Threat Beyond, 89) offers you a number of distinct advantages, breaking away from standards set by other warlords and forging his own path to victory. Torquemada Coteaz allows you to start the game with both eight cards and eight resources, whereas most other warlords provide seven of each. This extra advantage may seem small, but the options that it brings you can easily shape the entire game. Torquemada Coteaz also bears eight HP on his hale side, more than any other warlord.\n\nThese bonuses come at a cost, however: Torquemada Coteaz has an ATK of zero. Even here, however, Torquemada Coteaz’s resourcefulness can increase his prowess in battle. He bears a Combat Action that reads, “Sacrifice a unit at this planet to give this warlord +3 ATK for its next attack this phase. (Limit once per attack.)” By drawing upon the nigh-limitless manpower of the Astra Militarum, including token units like the Guardsman, Torquemada Coteaz can easily strike for more damage than any other warlord.\n\nThe units in Torquemada Coteaz’s signature squad live to serve him in battle and enhance his power. The signature squad includes four copies of Coteaz’s Henchmen (The Threat Beyond, 90). This unit can engage in battle on its own, but perhaps its most useful purpose is to support Torquemada Coteaz. Coteaz’s Henchmen has an Interrupt that allows you to ready your warlord when this unit leaves play. Because of this, you can attack with Coteaz’s Henchmen and then sacrifice the Henchmen to ready Coteaz and boost his attack, allowing him to rain the fury of the Inquisition down on his foes.\n\nExpendable Guardsman token units may be ideally suited to fuel Torquemada Coteaz, but they may not always be present when you need to boost Torquemada Coteaz’s attack. Thankfully, that’s where some of the other cards in the signature squad come in. You’ll gain access to a new support, the Formosan Black Ship (The Threat Beyond, 91), which allows you to put two Guardsman token units into play when you sacrifice a non-token unit, giving you more fodder to fling at the enemies of the Imperium.\n\nYou may also choose to use The Emperor Protects (The Threat Beyond, 93) to save your sacrificed units. By playing this free event when one of your units leaves play from your warlord’s planet, you can return that unit to your hand instead, allowing you to redeploy the unit and continue the onslaught of Torquemada Coteaz and the Astra Militarum.\n\nThe final card in the signature squad is The Glovodan Eagle (The Threat Beyond, 92). This card is an attachment that can only be attached to your warlord, giving him a permanently raised ATK. Obviously, this can be crucial for giving Torquemada a means to attack even when you don’t have units to sacrifice. However, you can also detach this attachment from your warlord, causing it to become a unit with one ATK and one HP, allowing you to deal more damage after your opponent’s units are exhausted. Then, you can sacrifice it to boost Torquemada Coteaz’s damage. Alternatively, you can take an Action to return this unit to your hand, allowing you to redeploy it next round or use it as a shield card to block up to three damage. The Glovodan Eagle offers an unprecedented amount of versatility, allowing you to command the forces of the Astra Militarum in the best possible way.\n\nConfront the Threat\n\nDarkness stirs among the stars and planets of the Traxis sector, and only the vigilance of the Inquisition can root out corruption and bring this new sector into the fold of the Imperium. Confront the darkest servants of Chaos in The Threat Beyond and stand triumphant with Torquemada Coteaz!\n\nLook for The Threat Beyond at your local retailer in the first quarter of 2015!"}}},{"rowIdx":1005465,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Citation: Ivarsson N, Westerblad H (2015) α-Actinin-3: Why Gene Loss Is an Evolutionary Gain. PLoS Genet 11(1): e1004908. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1004908 Editor: Gregory S. Barsh, Stanford University School of Medicine, United States of America Published: January 15, 2015 Copyright: © 2015 Ivarsson, Westerblad. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited Funding: This work was supported by Swedish research Council and the Swedish National Center for Sports Research. The funders had no role in the preparation of the article. Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.\n\nIntroduction Large-scale sequencing of human populations has revealed many regions of the genome that have undergone positive selection during recent human evolution [1]. For most such regions, the genes and the nucleotide variants under selection are challenging to identify, and one can only guess about the cellular and physiological mechanisms. In this issue of PLOS Genetics, Head et al. [2] shed light on this question for one of the most fascinating examples of selection, in part because the variant undergoing selection is a loss-of-function, and in part because it was discovered long before the human genome sequence was completed. Originally identified during a search for muscular dystrophy defects [3], deficiency of α-actinin-3 later turned out to be surprisingly common [4]. Roughly 18% of the world population is homozygous for a nonsense mutation (R577X) in ACTN3 deficiency, and the derivative allele (ACTN3 577xx) frequency correlates with greater latitude and lower temperature [5]. There is an intriguing correlation with athletic performance—the derivative allele is overrepresented among elite marathoners and other endurance athletes, but underrepresented among elite sprinters—indeed, the ancestral allele has been referred to as “the gene for speed” [6]. The evidence for positive selection of the derivative allele in European and East Asian populations is strong, but the phenotype being selected is uncertain and the underlying cell biology is even less clear. The article by Head et al. [2] provides some clarity and, together with earlier work from our group (Bruton et al. [7]), a unifying hypothesis.\n\nBackground To put the work on mechanism into context, it is helpful to review some of the basics of ACTN3 biology. The ACTN3 gene is only expressed in glycolytic, fast-twitch (type II) skeletal muscle fibers, where it binds to actin and is part of the Z-line in the sarcomere structure [8]. Considerable insight into function has come from knockout mice: fast-twitch muscle fibers of Actn3 knockout (KO) mice have increased aerobic capacity with increased citrate synthase (CS) activity and higher expression of mitochondrial proteins, such as cytochrome c oxidase and porin [4]. The Actn3 KO mice can cover more distance on a treadmill, and therefore exhibit adaptations also observed in response to endurance exercise [9]. One interesting aspect of Actn3 KO muscle is an increase in calcineurin (CaN) signaling [10]. CaN, together with calmodulin kinase (CaMK), acts as a Ca2+ decoder that responds to increases in Ca2+ and trigger intracellular signaling [11]. Wright et al. showed that mitochondrial biogenesis is activated in skeletal muscle by artificially increasing cytosolic [Ca2+] with caffeine; e.g., increases in citrate synthase and cytochrome c oxidase mRNA were observed 24 hours after caffeine exposure [12]. They also observed an increase in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ɣ coactivator 1-α (PGC-1α) [12], which is regarded as key promoter of mitochondrial biogenesis [13, 14]. Work from our group (Bruton et al.) showed that in cold-exposed mice, there was also a link between sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ leak and mitochondrial biogenesis. Non-shivering muscles of cold-exposed mice displayed increased expression of PGC-1α with subsequent increases in citrate synthase activity and endurance [7].\n\nBringing It All Together In this issue of PLOS Genetics, Head et al. [2] observed marked changes in cellular Ca2+ handling in fast-twitch muscles of Actn3 KO mice. These muscles expressed more of the SR Ca2+ ATPase 1 (SERCA1) and the SR Ca2+ buffering proteins calsequestrin 1 and sarcolumenin. Muscle fibers of Actn3 KO mice showed 3- to 4-fold increases in SR Ca2+ leak and Ca2+ reuptake. Moreover, cytoplasmic Ca2+ transients were better maintained during repeated tetanic stimulation, which is in accordance with previously published data showing increased fatigue resistance in muscles of Actn3 KO mice (Fig. 1). PPT PowerPoint slide\n\nPowerPoint slide PNG larger image\n\nlarger image TIFF original image Download: Figure 1. Ca2+, heat, and mitochondrial biogenesis. The contraction of skeletal muscle fibers is initiated by sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ release via the ryanodine receptors (RyR), which is triggered by action potential activation of the transverse tubular voltage sensors, the dihydropyridine receptors (DHPR). Ca2+ activates the contractile machinery and is subsequently pumped back into the SR via SERCA (dashed arrows). α-Actinin 3 deficiency results in increased protein expression of SERCA and the SR Ca2+ buffers calsequestrin (CSQ) (grey arrows) and sarcalumenin (not shown). These changes are accompanied by increased SR Ca2+ leak and, subsequently, increased Ca2+ reuptake (red arrows), which generates heat. Increased [Ca2+] in the cytosol can trigger calcineurin (CaN) and calmodulin kinase (CaMK), resulting in PGC-1α activation (blue arrows) and subsequent mitochondrial biogenesis (green arrow). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1004908.g001 Head et al. highlight the similar adaptations in Actn3 KO muscles and non-shivering muscles of cold-acclimated mice, which also show increased SR Ca2+ leak and are more fatigue resistant [7]. An increased SR Ca2+ leak would require increased SR Ca2+ re-uptake and increased SERCA1 ATP hydrolysis, which would generate heat. Thus, in addition to heat from activation of brown adipose tissue [15], fatigue-resistant muscle fibers with leaky SR would contribute to non-shivering thermogenesis, providing a tentative explanation for the evolutionary advantage of carrying the ACTN3 577xx gene in a cold climate.\n\nUnanswered Questions and Future Perspectives From a cell biologic perspective, the source of the SR Ca2+ leak in Actn3 KO muscle is not yet clear. Head et al. [2] suggest that the major source is via SERCA [16]; alternatively, it might be due to destabilized SR Ca2+ release channel (ryanodine receptor, RyR) protein complexes [7, 17, 18]. Regardless, the SR Ca2+ leak seems to enhance the oxidative capacity of muscle in a number of settings: development, as with the Actn3 KO mice; stress, such as cold exposure; and, possibly, endurance exercise. From an evolutionary perspective, the SR Ca2+ leak may be good for ancestral humans in cold climates and good for endurance athletes, but it is also known to be deleterious in aging-associated muscle weakness [19], in muscular dystrophies [18], and in response to excessive endurance training (“overtraining”) [17]. In this respect, the evolutionary balance between the functional and non-functional ACTN3 alleles may be “playing with fire”, as exemplified by results from cold-exposed mice. In these animals, we noted that minor modifications in the RyR protein complex were accompanied by larger cytosolic [Ca2+] during contractions and increased fatigue resistance [7] in non-shivering muscle. In more stressed, shivering muscle, however, severe RyR modifications led to decreased tetanic [Ca2+] and muscle weakness [20]. Human evolution and athletic performance are fascinating, but the findings of Head et al. provide additional avenues for future studies with important implications for human health, since the benefits of improved mitochondrial function span far beyond increased exercise capacity. Obesity and the metabolic syndrome are associated with impaired mitochondrial function, and of course, constitute a widespread and rapidly increasing health problem. Could strategies that phenocopy the effects of the ACTN3 577xx allele promote increased energy expenditure and improved mitochondrial function without requiring an increase in physical activity? Perhaps treatments to induce a controlled SR Ca2+ leak provide such an opportunity, but then the risk of causing impaired muscle function due to excessive Ca2+ leakage has to be overcome."}}},{"rowIdx":1005466,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"About\n\nI am one of the directors of the upcoming New England Comic Arts in the Classroom Conference (www.necac.net), taking place on March 26, 2011 at Rhode Island College in Providence, RI. I submit that with visual media production and consumption on the rise, educators from the elementary grades through college are finding it increasingly vital to work with visual texts in their classrooms and to offer their students opportunities to read and to represent ideas visually. The growing popularity of manga, comic art, and graphic novels among readers of all ages, and particularly among adolescents, and the growing credibility of comic art as literature, has fueled a movement dedicated to bringing comic art into content area and literacy-rich classrooms.\n\nIn other words, comics in the classroom as a viable and valuable resource have been ignored for too long. We seek to help educate teachers and media specialists on what graphic novels are and how they can find their way onto classroom and library shelves.\n\nIn order to help fund our upcoming conference, we are creating an anthology with help from our friends at the Boston Comics Roundtable (www.bostoncomicsroundtable.com). The anthology, called \"Show and Tell\" will feature short stories (in comic form) about teaching and learning. We are accepting submissions now - email me for more information. We need assistance paying for the printing of the anthology, which will be sold at the conference."}}},{"rowIdx":1005467,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Credit: CraftBeer.com\n\n5 Questions Brewers Wish You Would Ask During a Brewery Tour\n\nNovember 12, 2016\n\nHave you ever reached the end of a brewery tour, and there’s that uncomfortable moment when the tour guide asks if anyone has questions — and all you hear are crickets?\n\nAmerica’s small and independent breweries have stories, personalities and their own set of challenges that you may not hear about in the taproom. A brewery tour is your chance to get to know them intimately — and you want to be asking the right questions.\n\n“I’d love for our guests to ask more about the breadth of ingredients that breweries are using, and not using, to make the beers they drink,” says Merlin Ward, head brewer at Wartega Brewing, a nano brewery in Brooklyn, New York. “Imagine if you could ask your chef why they chose the ingredients they use to make your favorite dish? During a brewery tour, you get that opportunity.”\n\n(READ: What Is the Independent Craft Brewer Seal?)\n\nJeff Stuffings, founder and owner of Jester King Brewery in Austin, Texas, wishes more tour goers would ask, “Are there laws that make it more difficult to operate your business successfully? What can we do to help change them?”\n\nAlicia Grasso, marketing director at Cape May Brewing Co. in New Jersey, says this is one rarely-asked question that her colleagues would love to field: “Why does Cape May have so many rules: no kitchen, no live entertainment, required tour?”\n\nI’d love for our guests to ask more about the breadth of ingredients that breweries are using, and not using, to make the beers they drink.\n\nHere are five more questions brewers wish you would ask during a tour.\n\n5. “How is your beer connected to the local area?”\n\nCareful thought often goes into weaving local ingredients and history into beer recipes and beer names. You may never know that the 1903 Berliner Weisse at St. Petersburg’s Green Bench Brewing Co. is named for the year the city was founded if you didn’t ask.\n\n(VISIT: 20 Brewery Hotels & Inns)\n\n4. “What’s unique about your beer? Why is it relevant?”\n\nEach and every small and independent brewery in the U.S. is trying to find a way to stand out, and when you ask what’s different at a particularly brewery, you’re going to learn some very specific techniques your favorites breweries are using.\n\n3. “Which beer was your first craft beer?”\n\nThis is a question a lot of beer lovers ask their friends, and brewers say they want to tell you about the craft beers that made them fall in love with brewing, too. Everyone wants to share their story about what hooked them, even the people who are making the beer.\n\n2. “Is working at a brewery different than what you thought it would be?”\n\nWorking to build America’s small and independent breweries is a dream job for a lot of us, but is it everything you’d think? Chances are the love of the job still trumps the long hours and (sometimes) hot, sticky work conditions inside a brewery. But ask! You’ll probably get answers you’d never expect.\n\n1. “What efforts do you make to be environmentally friendly?”\n\nGeorgia’s SweetWater Brewing Co. is donating $100,000 to its “Save Our Water” campaign this summer. New Belgium Brewing is deeply committed to its sustainability goals. Jester King is now farming 58 acres of land around the brewery. Small and independent breweries are well aware of the resources used to make good beer, and they’d love to tell any tour group how they’re working towards being good stewards of the land and our planet.\n\n5 Questions Brewers Wish You Would Ask During a Brewery Tour was last modified: by\n\nCraftBeer.com is fully dedicated to small and independent U.S. breweries. We are published by the Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade group dedicated to promoting and protecting America’s small and independent craft brewers. Stories and opinions shared on CraftBeer.com do not imply endorsement by or positions taken by the Brewers Association or its members."}}},{"rowIdx":1005468,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Today I want to give you a look inside my business vault and walk you through the proposal document I have used to close multi-thousand-dollar per month clients in my SEO business.\n\nThis particular proposal was for a deal that resulted in over $100,000 in revenue for my business over the next year and a half.\n\n^Subscribe\n\nHere’s a quick summary of the key principles covered in the video:\n\nUnderstand your prospect’s individual challenges in depth and craft your pitch to their needs to show you understand and care about them.\n\nSpeak their language – talk in terms they will understand and respond to.\n\nConvey that you are: 1 – sharp as a tack, 2 – enthusiastic as hell, 3 – a figure of authority (based on Jordan Belfort’s Straight Line Persuasion sales system).\n\nThe Three 10s – the prospect be a 10 out of 10 on You, Your Product, and Your Company. If they are not a 10 on all three, they will not buy from you.\n\nYou cannot just tell potential buyers that you are a pro or an expert – you must convey this by demonstration.\n\nEliminate risk for the client as much as possible so that if they are unsure, they can convince themselves by saying, “Well, we have nothing to lose by trying.”\n\nLearn their fears and potential objections in advance, so you can knock these out as you go. Build up positives and knock out negatives.\n\nGo deeper into understanding the prospect’s problems than any other competitor will to show them you care and that they’ll be better looked after by choosing you than choosing the competition.\n\nWant more awesome free content on developing a location independent income, straight to your inbox? Subscribe for the email list and get instant access to the Digital Nomad Business Mastermind Facebook Group – for FREE.\n\nClick Here to Subscribe"}}},{"rowIdx":1005469,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"SANTA ANA — The idea came to Natalie Salvatierra after she dealt with bullying at school.\n\nAn eighth grader at Hewes Middle School in Tustin, Natalie started getting picked on by the classmate last year who made jokes about her Jewish background. She thought the jokes would stop after a summer break.\n\nZubaida Katbi talks about Islam at a religious tolerance event at Temple Beth Sholom in Santa Ana on Sunday, November 12, 2017.(Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)\n\nChildren of various ethnicities and religions gather around the Jewish Torah at Temple Beth Sholom while Rabbi Heidi Cohen explains its significance. The religious tolerance event was put on by Natalie Salvatierra as her project to earn her a Girl Scout Silver Award.(Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)\n\nSound The gallery will resume in seconds\n\nGirls look at a “yad” or a pointer for the Jewish Torah as Natalie Salvatierra passes it around. About 80 children of various ethnicities and religions came together at Temple Beth Sholom for a religious tolerance event organized by Salvatierra so she can earn her Girl Scout Silver Award.(Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)\n\nNatalie Salvatierra, 13, right, watches a yoga demonstration by Chandrashekhar S. Bhatt in Santa Ana on Sunday, November 12, 2017. Salvatierra organized a religious tolerance event at her Temple Beth Sholom for her Girl Scout Silver Award.(Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)\n\nGirls taste Matza, an unleavened Jewish flatbread, at Temple Beth Sholom in Santa Ana on Sunday, November 12, 2017. Various religious stations were set up to introduce children to different customs and viewpoints and to promote tolerance. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)\n\nRabbi Heidi Cohen of Temple Beth Sholom talks to children about Judaism in Santa Ana on Sunday, November 12, 2017.(Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)\n\nNuha Iftekhar, 11, right, and members of her Muslim Girl Scout Troop 3357, get an up-close look at the Jewish Torah during a tolerance event in Santa Ana on Sunday, November 12, 2017. Iftekhar said she didn’t expect to see so much writing on the parchment or for the parchment to be so thick. “I think it’s cool how we’re all learning about each other,” she added. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)\n\nChildren of various ethnicities and religions gather around the Jewish Torah at Temple Beth Sholom while Rabbi Heidi Cohen explains its significance. The religious tolerance event was put on by Natalie Salvatierra as her project to earn her a Girl Scout Silver Award.(Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)\n\nNatalie Salvatierra, 13, second from left, organized a religious tolerance event at her Temple Beth Sholom in Santa Ana on Sunday, November 12, 2017, for her Girl Scout Silver Award. Stations offered glimpses into different religious customs. This group learns about a shofar, an ancient musical horn used for Jewish ceremonies.(Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)\n\nAbout 80 children of various ethnicities and religions came together at Temple Beth Sholom in Santa Ana on Sunday, November 12, 2017 for a religious tolerance event. It was organized by Natalie Salvatierra, 13, for her Girl Scout Silver Award. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)\n\nNuha Iftekhar, 11, right, and some members of her Muslim Girl Scout Troop 3357, get an up-close look at the Jewish Torah during a tolerance event in Santa Ana on Sunday, November 12, 2017. Iftekhar said she didn’t expect to see so much writing on the parchment or for the parchment to be so thick. “I think it’s cool how we’re all learning about each other,” she added. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)\n\n“Over the summer, I thought it would be over and that he’d forget about it,” she said. “But in 8th grade, he started making jokes again.”\n\nSince Natalie’s mother is Jewish and her father is Catholic, she’s able to accept others’ beliefs and practices, said the13-year-old.\n\nSo, she decided to stand up for herself and talk to the classmate.\n\n“I told him that every religion deserves respect and it doesn’t mean that the person is bad because of it,” Natalie said. “It’s just their own individual practices.”\n\nIt worked. Natalie said she’s had no issues since that conversation.\n\nIn expanding on her experience, Natalie decided to earn her Girl Scouts Silver Award by basing her project around religious tolerance.\n\nAt Temple Beth Sholom, nearly 100 middle school students rotated through seven different stations and were taught the history, beliefs and practices of different religions while also participating in demonstrations, such as yoga and trying on hijabs, and sampled food, Sunday, Nov. 12.\n\nThe stations were part of Natalie’s event titled The Amazing Race – Rocking All Religions. After completing one station, students would answer clues to figure out where to go next.\n\n“It’s critical, this generation needs to understand and respect other cultures,” said Kristan Hinman, a member of Trinity United Presbyterian Church in Santa Ana who brought her 14-year old son, Zander. “They’ve done a great job.”\n\nStudents got a more in-depth understanding of Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Catholicism, Mormonism, Judaism and Protestantism. Each station included displays, some had food samples, while others had demonstrations or games.\n\nNatalie’s goal was to create a fun event that also educated her peers of the religious diversity among their classmates in an effort to prevent bullying.\n\n“I think it is especially important that middle schoolers are taught about religious tolerance because they are still forming their opinions,” she said.\n\nNatalie was given a $500 grant from the Disney Be Inspired Foundation to fund the event. She decided to model the event around one of her favorite television shows, “The Amazing Race.”\n\n“Religious tolerance might not be a topic everyone wants to learn about on the weekend, so it was important for me to make it fun,” she said. “I thought it would be a good way to tie a country in with a religion like they do with the Amazing Race.”\n\nMembers of a youth group at Trinity United Presbyterian in Santa Ana were among the students who participated in the event.\n\n“I think this is a great way to know that people may practice religion differently, but they pretty much believe in the same things,” said youth group member Olivia Hernandez, 13.\n\nStudents were also given a history of the temple and shown a Torah scroll by Rabbi Heidi Cohen prior to exploring the stations.\n\n“The timing is great, because elementary school children are usually still pretty accepting of everyone, but in middle school, they start to develop their own identities and challenge others,” said Cohen, who has served at Temple Beth Sholom since 1998. “It’s important to talk and respect each other and take the time to get to know one another.”"}}},{"rowIdx":1005470,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Allow me to lay a scene: It's 7:00 am. The kids need to be fed and bundled off to school. The toast is burning. The cat just knocked a pile of papers off the counter, and you've got a big presentation to give in an hour and you haven't even begun to prepare. Okay, so that bit of fiction certainly doesn't describe all of us, but there is a universal truth to it: our lives are busy and hectic and we have little in the way of spare time. So how can we ever find the time to actually learn something new?\n\nThis list of web-based resources will point you toward web sites that will help you learn how to do new things, stay on top of current events, and learn about topics where your current knowledge may be lacking. And these resources will do all that in under 10 minutes each day. Do you know of any other sites where people can absorb quality, new information in under 10 minutes? Add them in the comments!\n\n5min bills itself as a \"life videopedia,\" which essentially means that it aggregates and hosts instructional and DIY how-to videos from sites all over the web. The site hosts tens of thousands of videos on everything from cooking to ethics, from fighting the common cold to living with cancer, from parenting to playing the guitar. Though the 5min moniker is a bit misleading — many videos on the site are longer than 5 minutes — most of the content is under 10 minutes long, meaning you can easily absorb educational nuggets of information during your lunch break.\n\nMonkeySee is another instructional video sharing site that invites experts to share both amateur and professionally created how-to and advice videos. Though many of the videos are over 10 minutes in length, they're broken up into short 3-4 minute segments, allowing you to view them in chunks whenever you have spare time. The site is also unique in that videos come with printable transcripts, can be downloaded to mobile devices for on-the-go viewing, and include biographical information about the expert to help you determine if this is someone you'd like to trust to teach you something new.\n\nYou may not immediately think of YouTube as a place to go to learn, and certainly the site is filled with more than its share of silly, brain-cell-erasing videos. But buried beneath all the fluff is a treasure trove of great how-to and educational content, and because of the site's 10 minute time limit on most videos, you can learn new things in no time flat. Start at the YouTube EDU section, which aggregates content from colleges and universities, then branch off and search the site for how-to clips on any topic you want to learn about.\n\nThe just-launched iMinds publishes original, short audio podcasts about liberal arts topics (such as history, economics, current events, and business) that are approximately eight minutes in length each. The idea is to allow people to learn new things, from a credible source while on the go. The tracks are available via iTunes and Audible.com for 99 cents each, while longer, multi-track lessons are sold for $3.99 (6 tracks) up to $24.99 (72 tracks).\n\nThe iMinds concept of delivering short, high quality audio books is sound, and we think they offer an interesting way for busy people to absorb new information. The Australian-based company is adding one to two new tracks per week and plans to have several hundred audio books on a variety of topics available by the end of 2010.\n\nThe Week is a printed current events magazine delivered, rather predictably, once per week. The magazine summarizes the news of the previous week by drawing on a variety of sources to present a short, but balanced, overview of issues. A recent summary of US President Barack Obama's shifting policies relating to Afghanistan, for example, drew on information from articles and editorials in the Washington Post, Slate, Politico, and from the blog Hot Air.\n\nOn their web site, The Week does the same thing but without the 7-day delay, providing a great way for busy readers to learn about current events — with links original sources in order to dig deeper if they have the time.\n\nHowStuffWorks, which is now owned by the same company that owns The Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, is a great information site that endeavors to clearly explain how things work in layman's terms. Articles are paginated, illustrated, and written in a format that makes reading and digesting them quickly very doable. Many articles are accompanied by videos that make understanding abstract or unfamiliar concepts even easier.\n\nThe site has a huge team of well-credentialed writers that produce the content.\n\nInstructables is a huge community of do-it-yourselfers who actively engage in creating and sharing well-illustrated, step-by-step how-to articles on everything from building robots to repairing torn clothing to creating 3D anamorphic sidewalk art (really). The guides are written by the extremely vibrant community, and all follow the same, step-by-step illustrated format that make comprehending the information quickly a snap.\n\nEach guide can also be downloaded as a PDF file for easy offline viewing and printing.\n\nThe ten-year-old eHow is one of the largest how-to sites on the Internet, with over 160,000 videos and a whopping 600,000 articles. The majority of the articles, which are often presented in a clear and concise step-by-step format, can be consumed in under 10 minutes, as can their how-to videos. Of course, the things they teach you how to do might take up more than 10 minutes of your day.\n\nwikiHow is the last \"how-to\" site on our list. It's built using the familiar Wikpedia model: anyone can contribute a how-to article and anyone else can edit it and make it better by refining the steps, adding photos, or correcting mistakes. The site has over 61,000 articles and all of them are free and Creative Commons licensed.\n\nThe oddly named Shvoong is a user generated summary site on which users submit summaries (and short reviews) of everything — from books to blogs to movies to news articles. For those who are in a hurry, but still want to be in the know so they can participate in water cooler discussions at work, Shvoong might be the site for you. Because the summaries are user submitted, they are of varying quality, but they're all short enough to be read in under 10 minutes and the better ones are certainly edifying.\n\nFor those who prefer more professionally produced summaries, check out SparkNotes. The site, which was founded in 1998 by a group of Harvard students, offers hundreds of free summarized versions of books, textbooks, and entire subject overviews for a wide range of topics. The notes on the site are written by students or recent graduates at top-tier universities.\n\nImage courtesy of iStockphoto, ARTappler"}}},{"rowIdx":1005471,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Taoiseach Enda Kenny will arrange for the election of a new Fine Gael leader soon after he returns from Washington DC next month but will not specifically layout a timeframe for his departure this week.\n\nMr Kenny will not definitively tell his parliamentary party tomorrow when the process of electing a new leader will begin, but will instead say the issue will be dealt with after St Patrick’s Day.\n\nA close friend of Mr Kenny’s said it is likely he will trigger the 20-day contest to elect a new Fine Gael leader after his March 16th visit to meet US president Donald Trump at the White House.\n\nSources said the Taoiseach did not want to travel to Washington with a “cloud” hanging over him, and that being in place for the beginning of Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union was important to him.\n\nMr Kenny informed friends in Mayo of his decision over the weekend. He is said to be “philosophical” and to have always intended to retire in the coming months.\n\n“He was never going to stay past the summer,” said Mr Kenny’s friend.\n\n“He’s a good man being pushed out. But it’s generational change in the party, and sometimes you just can’t hold back the tide.\n\nWho is Sgt Maurice McCabe? In 2008, Sgt Maurice McCabe raised concerns about quashing of penalty points. Claims that he was the subject of a smear campaign are to be examined in a tribunal of inquiry. The Garda whistleblowers: read more I found this helpful Yes No\n\n“He is very resilient; he wouldn’t have brought us through these last few years if he wasn’t. He will be remembered as a great taoiseach.”\n\nMr Kenny will be in Washington DC on March 15th and 16th, with his meeting with Mr Trump scheduled for Thursday, March 16th.\n\nFront-runners\n\nOther Ministers, including Simon Harris, Richard Bruton and Frances Fitzgerald, have all also been mentioned as possible candidates. Paschal Donohoe has ruled himself out.\n\nIt means Mr Kenny will be Taoiseach for the European Council meeting on March 9th and 10th, when British prime minister Theresa May is expected to trigger the article 50 process to officially begin the process of Britain’s withdrawal from the EU.\n\nMr Kenny will also remain as Taoiseach pending the election of his successor, which means he will represent Ireland during the opening weeks of the Brexit negotiations.\n\nA group of TDs are threatening to table a motion of no confidence in Mr Kenny if he does not outline a solid timeline at tomorrow’s meeting, but this has angered others.\n\nAndrew Doyle, the Minister of State for Agriculture, said he found the behaviour of some of his colleagues “distasteful”.\n\n“There is a right way and a wrong way to do this, and I want to see everybody do it the dignified way.”\n\nSources said Mr Kenny also wanted to remain as party leader during the election of his successor, although Fine Gael rules say a vacancy must arise before a contest takes place.\n\n“Polling day and times of opening will be determined by the executive council, but shall not be later than 20 days after a vacancy in the position of leader arises,” the Fine Gael constitution says.\n\nIt was suggested that there was no clarity on this point because this method of electing a leader, introduced under Mr Kenny, has never been tested.\n\nIt gives 65 per cent of the voting weight to the parliamentary party, 25 per cent to rank-and-file members, and 10 per cent to councillors. It includes a series of regional hustings."}}},{"rowIdx":1005472,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Stardew Valley Review\n\nConnect\n\nThe Definitive Version\n\nHarvest Moon 64 was one of my favorite games on the Nintendo 64; like with Ocarina of Time and Metroid Prime, Harvest Moon 64 is a game that I go back to annually. I haven’t latched onto any of the recent Harvest Moon games the same way I did with 64, though, and Harvest Moon-like games such as Rune Factory and Story of Seasons didn’t do it for me, either. I figured I’d try one more game that was reminiscent of Harvest Moon 64 in Stardew Valley for PlayStation 4. I put in a good five or six hours over the course of several days before it was officially announced for Nintendo Switch. That’s when I decided to hold off until it finally came out for Switch, and that decision has paid off because I can’t imagine any other way to play Stardew Valley.\n\nStardew Valley is a farming and life simulation similar to Harvest Moon. At its very basic core, Stardew Valley is a game about farming, fishing, mining and interacting with townsfolk. You’ll get hooked on the gameplay loop after a couple in-game days because there’s just so much to do in Stardew Valley, even after you’ve accomplished a good number of personal goals. Adding the Nintendo Switch’s portability into the mix makes for a game that’s perfect to play in bed with headphones on, listening to the game’s wonderful soundtrack, or while you watch a light comedy on TV.\n\nA Day in the Life\n\nStardew Valley runs on an in-game time system that spans four months, one for each of the seasons, that make up a year. You can stay out until 2 AM before your character falls asleep and wakes up back at home the next day — minus a few gold pieces. Aside from time of day, an energy meter on the bottom-right of the screen will dictate how long you’re able to do physically-intensive tasks; things like chopping down trees, casting a fishing line, and breaking a rock all consume different amounts of energy. Eating food like cookies or fish will replenish some of that energy meter, but they’re generally better left to sell.\n\nCertain crops will only grow during specific months of the year, and some crops are more valuable than others. For example, melons can only be grown during the summer and yield a whopping 250 gold, whereas corn only sells for 50 gold pieces. The two take 12 and 14 days to grow respectively, and while corn continues to re-grow and melons don’t, I find that it’s better to go with a big-boom farming strategy while supplementing those waiting days by selling fish.\n\nI usually hit the mine when I’m not fishing — it’s an underground cave system filled with monsters, ores, rocks, and more rocks. The mine is where you really need to take some time preparing for, because breaking rocks takes a lot of energy off your meter and the only way to find the ladder down to the next level of the mine is to break more rocks. An elevator back to the top, or to that level, is available every five levels. A lot of valuable minerals are found in the mine, like copper and iron ores, quartz, and topaz.\n\nYour Own Farm\n\nStardew Valley is also a crafting and building game. In the beginning you can craft some simple structures like fences from wood and a cobblestone path from stone. As you progress through the game and do things like fishing, farming, and mining, you’ll gain experience that levels up your proficiency in these tasks, and each new level gives you new tools and structures to craft. Eventually, you’ll be able to craft sprinklers from iron and copper ore found in the mine, which take out the need to manually water your vegetables if you set them up right. You can even craft a keg after a certain point, and that allows you to turn your farm — or part of your farm — into a lucrative winery.\n\nThere are also larger structures, like barns and silos, that you can order to be built from a character in town. These larger structures, along with the smaller ones you can craft, can all be placed anywhere in your farm. This aspect of Stardew Valley kind of reminds me of Sim City. Fishing, mining, and chatting up the townsfolk is already fun enough, but the process of planning out a new area for your farm, putting it all together, removing it all because you’ve thought of a better idea, and then putting it all back together again is incredibly fun.\n\nRight now I’m working on a city for chickens filled with a bunch of coops, grassy areas for the chickens to hang out, and as many chickens as I can hold (one coop can hold eight chickens, so there are going to be a lot of chickens).\n\nThe People of the Valley\n\nWhat really sets Stardew Valley apart from other farm-life simulators is the storytelling. A small town called Pelican Town sits to the east of your farm, and every single character that resides there feels like a real person. Everyone has their routines based on the time of day, weather, and season, which is standard for games in this genre; however, Stardew Valley goes above and beyond what’s standard by giving each character their own backstory, their own wants, and their own needs.\n\nThere are a lot of bright, happy-go-lucky characters in Pelican Town. There are also a lot of characters whose stories will pull at your heartstrings. Pam is a single mother struggling to make ends meet, and has more or less accepted that her dreams didn’t quite work out. Her daughter, Penny, helps her mother as best she can, but longs for a better life. Linus lives in a tent in the mountains, and rummages through peoples’ trash bins for food at night.\n\nIn one seemingly random instance, I left the Stardrop Saloon after midnight and came across Linus rummaging through George’s trash. George, who is a crotchety old man, came outside thinking it was a raccoon and asked me to shoo it away for him. Linus overheard George’s hurtful words, and the game presented me with a few dialogue options: I could criticize Linus’s actions, I could tell him I understand but suggest he not rummage through the trash anymore, or I could empathize with Linus’s struggles. I chose the latter-most option. Linus thanked me and said he wouldn’t go through George’s trash anymore so he wouldn’t bother him, and went down to look through the Stardrop Saloon’s trash instead. This prompted the Saloon’s owner, Gus, to come outside and offer Linus a meal — he didn’t want to see anyone in Pelican Town go hungry.\n\nI feel like the way I reacted to Linus led to Gus giving him food. Linus may have run away and never encountered Gus that night if I had reacted negatively to his plight. You’ll be missing a huge part of what makes Stardew Valley great if you lack empathy for the game’s characters. Stardew Valley doesn’t make it hard to connect with its characters, either. Unlike another recent indie release on Switch, Golf Story, none of the characters in Stardew Valley are caricatures or negative stereotypes.\n\nYou can also grow your relationships with the residents of Pelican Town by talking to them, engaging in dialogue options when they come up, and by giving them stuff they like. You can give people two gifts per week, and you’ll unlock bonding events for characters every so often. Get a bond up with a character that’s single and you can marry them.\n\nSystem reviewed on: Nintendo Switch.\n\nDisclaimer: The reviewer purchased a copy of the game for this review."}}},{"rowIdx":1005473,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"North American distributor Discotek Media announced on Friday that it has licensed the Lupin the Third Series 2 (Lupin III: Part II) TV anime series. The company plans to release the series in four DVD sets starting in 2016. The company will include \"any English dubs that already exist\" and the Japanese language with English subtitles.\n\nDiscotek added that episodes 80-155 will have improved English subtitles and episodes 145 and 155 will also have the Streamline English dub.\n\nLupin III: Part II ran for 155 episodes from 1977 to 1980, and several episodes aired on Adult Swim in the United States in 2003. Geneon released part of the season on DVD in North America.\n\nCrunchyroll added episodes 1-79 dubbed and subbed in June, and it then added episodes 80-155 with English subtitles earlier this month.\n\nCrunchyroll describes the plot:\n\nFive years have passed since master thief Lupin and his gang made their daring escape out of Japan and went their separate ways. Then one day Lupin, Jigen, Goemon and Fujiko each receive an invitation from Lupin for a reunion aboard the luxury liner Sirloin. Reunited on the ship, they discover Lupin didn't send the invitations and the reunion is a trap by a vengeful Mister X, the Leader of the Scorpion Gang! Foiling Mister X's plot while evading his ICPO nemesis, Inspector Zenigata, is all in a day's work for Lupin and his gang, as their heisting adventures around the globe begin again!\n\nJapanese publisher Kodansha is releasing all 178 episodes of Lupin III: Part II and Lupin III on DVDs bundled with its Lupin III DVD Collection magazine."}}},{"rowIdx":1005474,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Despite Marshawn Lynch likely returning for the Seahawks, Michael Smith and Jemele Hill are still picking the Panthers to beat Seattle. (2:08)\n\nSeattle has one of the best home-field advantages in football.\n\nThe deafening crowd noise has caused more visiting teams to commit more false start penalties than in any other stadium since the opening of CenturyLink Field. Pete Carroll has converted home-field playoff advantage into trips to the Super Bowl for the past two seasons.\n\nYet Seahawks defenders are looking at this season's path to the Super Bowl as a little bit of a break. Going back to Week 7, the Seattle defense has allowed only one offensive touchdown in its past six road games.\n\nWhile Seattle misses its home-field advantage, the wild card in this campaign's playoffs for the Seahawks is that defensive players regain their ability to hear.\n\n\"Communication is the key,\" Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright said. \"The little things get away from us when we are at home that doesn't show up on the road. Everybody can hear each other calling out the routes. We can't do that at home.\"\n\nGo back to the Seahawks' 27-23 loss to Carolina on Oct. 18. Panthers tight end Greg Olsen split the Seahawks' defense with a 26-yard touchdown reception with 32 seconds remaining. Some defenders heard a \"Cover 3\" call while others thought they had heard \"Cover 2.\" The miscommunication opened the door to an easy touchdown.\n\nThe road offers a better chance for the Seahawks to communicate.\n\n\"When you are at home, things happen where you don't notice where we messed up, even where we did mess up,\" Wright said. \"It's a pro and a con. I believe that on the road is really big for us. I've noticed it more this year. It's worked out in past year, but for some reason this season hasn't gone that way for us.\n\nIn the Panthers-Seahawks game in Seattle, a miscommunication in the Seahawks secondary led to tight end Greg Olsen reeling in a decisive touchdown pass. AP Photo/Elaine Thompson\n\n\"A couple things get exposed [at home], especially in the last game where we were in two different coverages for that touchdown. We are going to be on it because we will be on the road.\"\n\nSince Week 7, including the wild-card playoff round, the Seahawks' defensive numbers have been dominating on the road. They've given up 200.7 yards a game and have surrendered only 3.77 yards per play during those six road games.\n\nPart of the road advantage was the teams and quarterbacks the Seahawks faced. They visited San Francisco, Dallas without Tony Romo, Baltimore without Joe Flacco, Arizona (Carson Palmer) and Minnesota (Teddy Bridgewater) twice. Palmer is the only quarterback they faced who ranked among the top 12 in Total QBR this season. Regardless, Total QBR ratings in those six games were 29.8.\n\nThe Seahawks have been successful stopping the run in those six games, allowing only 55.7 yards per game. They also allowed just 145 passing yards per game during that stretch.\n\n\"A lot of the guys don't get the checks that we need at home in order to be successful when you are at home,\" Wright said.\n\nCam Newton completed 20 of 36 passes for 269 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in the Panthers' victory in Seattle, but the Seahawks won three consecutive low-scoring games against Newton from 2012 to 2014. The Seahawks are hoping the road can play to their advantage Sunday."}}},{"rowIdx":1005475,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"The Scout Oath, Motto and Law\n\nThe Scout Oath\n\n1. To do my duty to God and my country, and to obey the scout law;\n\n2. To help other people at all times;\n\nmentally awake\n\nThe Scout Motto\n\nBe Prepared - in Mind by having disciplined yourself to be obedient to every order, and also by having thought out beforehand any accident or situation that might occur, so that you know the right thing to do at the right moment, and are willing to do it.\n\nBe Prepared - in Body by making yourself strong and active and able to do the right thing at the right moment, and do it.\n\nThe Twelve Points of the Scout Law\n\n1. A Scout is trustworthy.\n\n2. A Scout is loyal.\n\n3. A Scout is helpful.\n\n4. A Scout is friendly.\n\n5. A Scout is courteous.\n\n6. A Scout is kind.\n\n7. A Scout is obedient.\n\n12. A Scout is reverent.\n\nBefore he becomes a Scout a boy must promise:On my honor I will do my best:3. To keep myself physically strong,, and morally straight.A scout must follow the Scout motto:[Just skip the fluff and focus on the the important things.]8. A Scout is cheerful.9. A Scout is thrifty.10. A Scout is brave.11. A Scout is clean."}}},{"rowIdx":1005476,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"BOSTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is running a disciplined campaign focused on slamming President Barack Obama and promoting his own skills, but pressure could mount for a more aggressive approach as his poll numbers worsen.\n\nRepublican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks to employees during a visit to Stanley Elevators in Merrimack, New Hampshire August 16, 2011. REUTERS/Brian Snyder\n\nThis week a trio of opinion surveys showed Romney trailing Texas Governor Rick Perry, who jumped into the 2012 race less than two weeks ago and generated a blaze of mostly favorable publicity.\n\nRomney, a former Massachusetts governor and venture capitalist, has been the nominal front-runner among Republicans so far, partly reflecting his name recognition after finishing second to John McCain in his 2008 run.\n\nRomney’s second White House run, launched in June, has been designed around almost daily attacks on Obama. His campaign appearances have been relatively scarce and balanced by a heavy fund-raising schedule.\n\n“We’ve stayed focused on talking to people about why Governor Romney is the best alternative to President Obama on the most important issue facing our country: jobs and the economy. That’s what this race will be about,” said Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul.\n\nThe Romney campaign issues regular videos on the theme “Obama Isn’t Working,” which highlights high unemployment. It mocked the president’s recent bus trip through the Midwest as a “Magical Misery Tour,” complete with tie-dye T-shirts available for a $30 campaign pledge.\n\nRomney has led most polls among the Republican challengers this year, but with numbers well below levels that create a sense of inevitability.\n\nBoth Gallup and Public Policy Polling on Wednesday issued national surveys of likely Republican primary voters that showed Rick Perry holding a sizable lead.\n\n“So far he (Romney) has really played it safe. I really think that strategy can’t continue with Rick Perry in the race,” said Krystal Ball, a Democratic strategist and former Congressional contender in Virginia.\n\n“If Romney is going to stay in the game, he has to take more risks.”\n\nTOO EARLY FOR PANIC?\n\nPolitical scientist Charles Franklin said it was too early for Romney to panic about Perry, but his campaign needs to stay on its toes.\n\nRomney has been polite but distant in talking about Perry. In New Hampshire, this week he termed the Texan “a very effective candidate ... maybe when the field narrows down to two or three we’ll spend more time talking about each other.”\n\n“So far, the Romney strategy to not be reactive to the ‘flavor of the week’ is smart. But it’s only in hindsight when we know if someone was a flash in the pan or not,” said Franklin, a professor at the University of Wisconsin.\n\nIndeed, the 2012 Romney campaign has been shaped by a different dynamic from the wide-open 2008 race: running against an incumbent with low approval ratings who has left many of his previous supporters disappointed.\n\nHis strategists believe voters will respond positively to Romney’s business pedigree as the polar opposite of Obama.\n\nAs the leading moderate among Republican contenders, Romney also might hope that his opponents simply beat each other up.\n\n“My sense is that Romney’s strategy is based on the assumption that Bachmann, Perry and others, even Rick Santorum, will fight it out among themselves,” said Donna Robinson Divine, professor of government at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts.\n\n“Then, Romney will be able to claim that he is focusing on the real issue — capturing the White House. It has been a sound strategy. Whether he has to change it at this point is unclear.”\n\nDivine said the danger is that Romney’s campaign could lose control of the message; this week’s pro-Perry opinion polls could be the start of such a trend.\n\nThe Gallup survey had Perry with 29 percent support among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents. Romney was at 17 percent, down 6 points from a month ago, with Texas Congressman Ron Paul at 13 percent and Bachmann at 10 percent.\n\n“The polls create a certain narrative that could force Romney to change tactics,” said Divine.\n\nAs voting in the 2012 primaries draws closer, Romney’s campaign might need to acknowledge a shift in the electorate with a sharper tone, said Ball.\n\nIn polling, Romney does better among independent leaning Republicans and moderates, but they don’t typically vote in big numbers in primaries,” she said.\n\nEven compared with 2008, Republican voters are more conservative, largely because of the emergence of the Tea Party that was so influential in the 2010 mid-term elections and in the recent fractious debate over raising the U.S. debt limit.\n\n“I think Mitt Romney really has to do some soul searching about what the Republican party is. at this point in time,” Ball said. “The Republicans are looking for someone to get aggressive in attacking Obama.”\n\nUltimately, though, strategists think Romney, who has a large campaign funding warchest, will be ready for hand-to-hand combat if he needs to.\n\n“I suspect if he sees Perry approaching some kind of tipping point, Romney will engage him,” said Divine."}}},{"rowIdx":1005477,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"American comedian\n\nFor the theatre producer, see Andy Sandberg\n\nAndy Samberg (born August 18, 1978)[1] is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician. He is a member of the comedy music group The Lonely Island and was a cast member on Saturday Night Live (2005–2012), where he and his fellow group members have been credited with popularizing the SNL Digital Shorts.[2]\n\nSamberg has starred in several films, including Hot Rod (2007), I Love You, Man (2009), That's My Boy (2012), Celeste and Jesse Forever (2012), Hotel Transylvania (2012), Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015), Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018), Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016), and Storks (2016).\n\nSince 2013, he stars as Jake Peralta in the police sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine, for which he was awarded a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 2014.[3]\n\nEarly life and background [ edit ]\n\nSamberg was born in Berkeley, California on August 18, 1978.[1] His mother, Marjorie Isabel \"Margi\" (Marrow), is an elementary school teacher, and his father, Joe, is a photographer.[4] He has two sisters, Johanna and Darrow.[5] Samberg was raised in a Jewish family, and describes himself as \"not particularly religious.\"[6][7][8][9] In a 2019 episode of Finding Your Roots, hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr., Samberg discovered that his mother Marjorie, who was adopted, is the biological daughter of a Sicilian father (Salvatore Maida) who immigrated in 1925, and a German Jewish refugee mother (Ellen Philipsborn), who had come to the U.S. in 1938; they met in San Francisco.[10] Samberg's adoptive grandfather was industrial psychologist and philanthropist Alfred J. Marrow,[11] through whom he is a third cousin to U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin.[12]\n\nSamberg attended elementary school with his future Brooklyn Nine Nine co-star Chelsea Peretti.[13] He discovered Saturday Night Live as a child while sneaking past his parents to watch professional wrestling on television. He was obsessed with the show and his devotion to comedy was frustrating to teachers who felt he was distracted from his schoolwork.[14] Samberg graduated from Berkeley High School in 1996, where he became interested in creative writing and has stated that writing classes \"were the ones that [he] put all [his] effort into... that's what [he] cared about and that's what [he] ended up doing\".[15] He attended college at University of California, Santa Cruz for two years[16] before transferring to New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he graduated in 2000.[17] Writer Murray Miller was his roommate.[18]\n\nCareer [ edit ]\n\nActing and filmmaking [ edit ]\n\nSamberg majored in experimental film. He became an online star and made his own comedy videos with his two friends Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone.[19] When YouTube was created in 2005, the streaming of their videos became much more widespread. Samberg became a featured player on Saturday Night Live in part because of the work he had done on his sketch comedy website TheLonelyIsland.com, which helped them land an agent and eventually get hired at Saturday Night Live.[20] Prior to joining its cast, Samberg was (and remains) a member of the comedy troupe The Lonely Island, along with Taccone and Schaffer. The trio began writing for Saturday Night Live in 2005 and released their debut album, Incredibad, in 2009. Samberg appeared in numerous theatrical films, commercials, music videos and hosted special events, including the 2009 MTV Movie Awards.\n\nIn 2012, Samberg delivered the Class Day speech at Harvard University,[21] and starred with Adam Sandler in That's My Boy and Hotel Transylvania as the main character, Jonathan, a role he reprised for its sequels Hotel Transylvania 2 and Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation.[22] In September 2012, Samberg played Cuckoo in the BAFTA nominated BBC Three series Cuckoo,[23] and stars as Detective Jake Peralta in NBC's police sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine which first aired on September 17, 2013,[24] for which he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 2014. Samberg hosted the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards on September 20, 2015.[25][26][27] Recently, he co-hosted the 76th Golden Globe Awards with Sandra Oh on January 6, 2019.\n\nSamberg starred in Sleater-Kinney's \"No Cities to Love\" video along with other celebrities such as Fred Armisen, Ellen Page, and Norman Reedus. On May 16, 2016, Samberg and the Lonely Island performed their 2009 hit \"I'm on a Boat\" with classroom instruments on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.[28]\n\nSaturday Night Live [ edit ]\n\nSamberg in 2010\n\nIn September 2005, Samberg joined Saturday Night Live as a featured player along with Schaffer and Taccone as the show's writing staff. Though his live sketch roles were limited in his first year, he appeared in many prerecorded sketches including commercial parodies and various other filmed segments. On December 17, 2005, he and Chris Parnell starred in the Digital Short show \"Lazy Sunday\", a hip hop song performed by two Manhattanites on a quest to see the film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The short became an Internet phenomenon and garnered Samberg significant media and public attention, as did \"Dick in a Box\", a duet with Justin Timberlake that won a Creative Arts Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics.[2] The video for his comedy troupe's collaboration with T-Pain, \"I'm on a Boat\", had over 56 million views on YouTube, after debuting on February 7, 2009. The song was nominated for a Grammy Award. Another digital short, \"Motherlover\", also featuring Timberlake, was released on May 10, 2009, to commemorate Mother's Day, and is a sequel of \"Dick in a Box\".[29] Outside of his prerecorded segments, he also participated in recurring live segments, such as his Blizzard Man sketch.[30] On June 1, 2012, Samberg's spokesperson announced that he had left the show.[31][32] He returned to the show as the host on the Season 39 finale in 2014[33] and in the 40th anniversary special's Digital Short.\n\nPersonal life [ edit ]\n\nSamberg once described himself as a \"superfan\" of musician Joanna Newsom, whom he first met at one of her concerts.[34][35] After five years of dating, Samberg proposed to her in February 2013, and they married on September 21, 2013, in Big Sur, California,[36][37][38] with Saturday Night Live co-star Seth Meyers serving as the wedding's groomsman.[39] In March 2014, Samberg and Newsom purchased the Moorcrest estate in the Beachwood Canyon area of Los Angeles, California.[40] They also own a home in the West Village in New York City.[41] The couple announced the birth of their daughter in August 2017.[42]\n\nFilmography [ edit ]\n\nHot Rod Samberg on set for\n\nFilm [ edit ]\n\nTelevision [ edit ]\n\nAwards and nominations [ edit ]"}}},{"rowIdx":1005478,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Get James Pindell’s analysis first via his weekday newsletter, Ground Game. Sign up here.\n\nEven before the second presidential debate began Sunday night, we had a good idea about where Donald Trump wanted the discussion to go: the gutter. Roughly 90 minutes before the debate, he held a press conference with women who had accused former president Bill Clinton of sexual assault decades ago. Then Trump sat them inside the debate hall.\n\nThe next question was what would Hillary Clinton do. Of course she spoke about a 2005 videotape that showed Trump making crude comments about women, especially when she was directly asked about it, but then what?\n\nAt first, Clinton seemed to signal she wouldn’t join Trump in the gutter. But after Trump brought up Bill Clinton’s accusers early on in the debate, she quoted Michelle Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Committee.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“When I hear something like that, I am reminded of what my friend, Michelle Obama, advised us all: When they go low, you go high,” Clinton said.\n\nGet Today in Politics in your inbox: A digest of the top political stories from the Globe, sent to your inbox Monday-Friday. Sign Up Thank you for signing up! Sign up for more newsletters here\n\nBut then Hillary Clinton did the opposite. She went low.\n\nClinton got applause for the Obama remark, then continued, “And, look, if this were just about one video, maybe what he’s saying tonight would be understandable, but everyone can draw their own conclusions at this point about whether or not the man in the video or the man on the stage respects women. But he never apologizes for anything to anyone.”\n\nAnd Clinton went on from there to discuss Trump’s attacks on the Gold Star Khan family and his mocking of a disabled reporter.\n\nIt may have been a mistake.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nBy going into the gutter, she may have allowed Trump to stay in the game. While much of the post-debate analysis has focused on whether Trump could stem the bleeding of his campaign, not enough attention was paid to the opposite question: Why didn’t Clinton put Trump away?\n\nWhat would have happened if Clinton entertained questions about Trump’s taped comments and later the temporary Muslim immigration ban, and then pivoted not to put it in the broader context of what Trump represents, but to her own policy plans? Here’s one way she could have said it:\n\n“We have children watching at home, and you want to see those comments that I think frankly disqualify him from being president, well there is YouTube. But this is a presidential debate, and you want to know what we will do as president, so here is my plan to create jobs,” she could have said.\n\nThere’s been evidence in the past two weeks that this was the obvious path. Clinton’s campaign rightly points out the campaign is being endorsed by newspapers who have not endorsed a Republican in 100 years or ever. Some magazines, like the Atlantic and Foreign Policy Magazine, are also breaking with tradition to endorse Clinton.\n\nIf you read those editorials, there is a different argument than the one Clinton presented at the debate. They are suggesting that there is only one person being serious about running for president. She could have suggested as much by invoking her litany of campaign proposals during the debate, in nearly every question.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nTrump would no doubt pester her with phrases such as, “You don’t want to talk about XYZ past scandal.” But Clinton could respond, “Why don’t you want to engage on the issues?”\n\nWhen the debate was over, one audience member, Ken Bone, was heaped with praise over his wonky question on energy policy. It was seen as the one moment of policy in a debate that otherwise did not include much of it.\n\nHillary Clinton may well win the presidential election over Trump. But when she is elected president and trying to move her policies forward, she may look back and wish she hadn’t been upstaged by Bone.\n\nWant the latest news on the presidential campaign, every weekday in your inbox? Sign up here for Ground Game. And check out more of the Boston Globe’s newsletters offerings here. James Pindell can be reached at james.pindell@globe.com . Follow him on Twitter @jamespindell"}}},{"rowIdx":1005479,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"South Africa's first black president died peacefully in company of his family at home in Johannesburg, Jacob Zuma announces\n\nNelson Mandela, the towering figure of Africa's struggle for freedom and a hero to millions around the world, has died at the age of 95.\n\nSouth Africa's first black president died in the company of his family at home in Johannesburg after years of declining health that had caused him to withdraw from public life.\n\nThe news was announced to the country by the current president, Jacob Zuma, who in a sombre televised address said Mandela had \"departed\" around 8.50pm local time and was at peace.\n\n\"This is the moment of our deepest sorrow,\" Zuma said. \"Our nation has lost its greatest son … What made Nelson Mandela great was precisely what made him human. We saw in him what we seek in ourselves.\n\n\"Fellow South Africans, Nelson Mandela brought us together and it is together that we will bid him farewell.\"\n\nZuma announced that Mandela would receive a state funeral and ordered that flags fly at half-mast.\n\nEarly on Friday morning Archbishop Desmond Tutu led a memorial service in Capetown where he called for South Africa to become as a nation what Mandela had been as a man.\n\nMandela's two youngest daughters were at the premiere of the biopic Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom in London last night. They received the news of their father's death during the screening in Leicester Square and immediately left the cinema.\n\nBarack Obama led tributes from world leaders, referring to Mandela by his clan name – Madiba. The US president said: \"Through his fierce dignity and unbending will to sacrifice his own freedom for the freedom of others, Madiba transformed South Africa – and moved all of us.\n\n\"His journey from a prisoner to a president embodied the promise that human beings – and countries – can change for the better. His commitment to transfer power and reconcile with those who jailed him set an example that all humanity should aspire to, whether in the lives of nations or our own personal lives.\"\n\nDavid Cameron said: \"A great light has gone out in the world\" and described Mandela as \"a hero of our time\".\n\nFW de Klerk – the South African president who freed Mandela, shared the Nobel peace prize with him and paved the way for him to become South Africa's first post-apartheid head of state – said the news was deeply saddening for South Africa and the world.\n\n\"He lived reconciliation. He was a great unifier,\" De Klerk said.\n\nThroughout Thursday night and into Friday morning people gathered in the streets of South Africa to celebrate Mandela's life.\n\nIn Soweto people gathered to sing and dance near the house where he once lived. They formed a circle in the middle of Vilakazi Street and sang songs from the anti-apartheid struggle. Some people were draped in South African flags and the green, yellow and black colours of Mandela's party, the African National Congress.\n\n\"We have not seen Mandela in the place where he is, in the place where he is kept,\" they sang, a lyric anti-apartheid protesters had sung during Mandela's long incarceration.\n\nSeveral hundred people took part in lively commemorations outside Mandela's final home in the Houghton neighbourhood of Johannesburg. A man blew on a vuvuzela horn and people made impromptu shrines with national flags, candles, flowers and photographs.\n\nMandela was taken to hospital in June with a recurring lung infection and slipped into a critical condition, but returned home in September where his bedroom was converted into an intensive care unit.\n\nHis death sends South Africa deep into mourning and self-reflection, nearly 20 years after he led the country from racial apartheid to inclusive democracy.\n\nBut his passing will also be keenly felt by people around the world who revered Mandela as one of history's last great statesmen, and a moral paragon comparable with Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Martin Luther King.\n\nIt was a transcendent act of forgiveness after spending 27 years in prison, 18 of them on Robben Island, that will assure his place in history. With South Africa facing possible civil war, Mandela sought reconciliation with the white minority to build a new democracy.\n\nHe led the African National Congress to victory in the country's first multiracial election in 1994. Unlike other African liberation leaders who cling to power, such as Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, he then voluntarily stepped down after one term.\n\nSouth Africans hold a candle outside the house of former South African president Nelson Mandela following his death in Johannesburg. Photograph: Alexander Joe/Afp/Getty Images\n\nMandela was awarded the Nobel peace prize in 1993.\n\nAt his inauguration a year later, the new president said: \"Never, never, and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another … the sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement. Let freedom reign. God bless Africa!\"\n\nBorn Rolihlahla Dalibhunga in a small village in the Eastern Cape on 18 July 1918, Mandela was given his English name, Nelson, by a teacher at his school.\n\nHe joined the ANC in 1943 and became a co-founder of its youth league. In 1952, he started South Africa's first black law firm with his partner, Oliver Tambo.\n\nMandela was a charming, charismatic figure with a passion for boxing and an eye for women. He once said: \"I can't help it if the ladies take note of me. I am not going to protest.\"\n\nHe married his first wife, Evelyn Mase, in 1944. They were divorced in 1957 after having three children. In 1958, he married Winnie Madikizela, who later campaigned to free her husband from jail and became a key figure in the struggle.\n\nWhen the ANC was banned in 1960, Mandela went underground. After the Sharpeville massacre, in which 69 black protesters were shot dead by police, he took the difficult decision to launch an armed struggle. He was arrested and eventually charged with sabotage and attempting to overthrow the government.\n\nConducting his own defence in the Rivonia trial in 1964, he said: \"I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.\n\n\"It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.\"\n\nHe escaped the death penalty but was sentenced to life in prison, a huge blow to the ANC that had to regroup to continue the struggle. But unrest grew in townships and international pressure on the apartheid regime slowly tightened.\n\nFinally, in 1990, FW de Klerk lifted the ban on the ANC and Mandela was released from prison amid scenes of jubilation witnessed around the world.\n\nIn 1992, Mandela divorced Winnie after she was convicted on charges of kidnapping and accessory to assault.\n\nHis presidency rode a wave of tremendous global goodwill but was not without its difficulties. After leaving frontline politics in 1999, he admitted he should have moved sooner against the spread of HIV/Aids in South Africa.\n\nHis son died from an Aids-related illness. On his 80th birthday, Mandela married Graça Machel, the widow of the former president of Mozambique. It was his third marriage. In total, he had six children, of whom three daughters survive: Pumla Makaziwe (Maki), Zenani and Zindziswa (Zindzi). He has 17 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.\n\nArchbishop Desmond Tutu, who headed the truth and reconciliation committee after the fall of apartheid, said: \"He transcended race and class in his personal actions, through his warmth and through his willingness to listen and to emphasise with others. And he restored others' faith in Africa and Africans.\"\n\nMandela was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2001 and retired from public life to be with his family and enjoy some \"quiet reflection\". But he remained a beloved and venerated figure, with countless buildings, streets and squares named after him. His every move was scrutinised and his health was a constant source of media speculation.\n\nMandela continued to make occasional appearances at ANC events and attended the inauguration of the current president, Jacob Zuma. His 91st birthday was marked by the first annual \"Mandela Day\" in his honour.\n\nHe was last seen in public at the final of the 2010 World Cup in Johannesburg, a tournament he had helped bring to South Africa for the first time. Early in 2011, he was taken to hospital in a health scare but he recovered and was visited by Michelle Obama and her daughters a few months later.\n\nIn January 2012, he was notably missing from the ANC's centenary celebrations due to his frail condition. With other giants of the movement such as Tambo and Walter Sisulu having gone before Mandela, the defining chapter of Africa's oldest liberation movement is now closed."}}},{"rowIdx":1005480,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley has met with the parents of an Israeli soldier whose remains have never been returned after he was killed in Gaza.\n\nHaley told Leah and Dr. Simcha Goldin on Wednesday that she'd work with them and Israeli diplomats to advocate for the return, the U.S. mission said.\n\nLt. Hadar Goldin and two other Israeli soldiers were ambushed and killed by Hamas militants after a U.N.-backed cease-fire took effect in Gaza in August 2014.\n\nGoldin's parents have since made international appeals for the 23-year-old soldier's remains to be brought back to Israel for burial. Last fall, Goldin's artwork was displayed at U.N. headquarters, and his parents accompanied Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the U.N. General Assembly meeting. His address to the gathering mentioned the ongoing efforts to secure Goldin's remains and those of another soldier killed in the fighting, Oron Shaul.\n\nHamas has demanded that Israel release dozens of prisoners before it opens negotiations on returning the soldiers' remains.\n\nThe Goldins said in a statement Thursday they were \"very optimistic about our cause\" after talking with Haley and felt she'd ensure it gets further attention at the U.N.\n\n\"We look forward to having U.S. support in our quest to return our son's body home for a proper burial,\" they said.\n\nIsraeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon thanked Haley for meeting the Goldins and stressed that he'd continue pressing for the return of the soldiers' remains."}}},{"rowIdx":1005481,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"The bill would require most Americans to have health insurance, would add 15 million people to the Medicaid rolls and would subsidize private coverage for low- and middle-income people, at a cost to the government of $871 billion over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.\n\nThe budget office estimates that the bill would provide coverage to 31 million uninsured people, but still leave 23 million uninsured in 2019. One-third of those remaining uninsured would be illegal immigrants.\n\nMr. Obama hailed the Senate action. “We are now incredibly close to making health insurance reform a reality,” he said, before leaving the White House to celebrate Christmas in Hawaii.\n\nPhoto\n\nThe president, who endorsed the Senate and House bills, said he would be deeply involved in trying to help the two chambers work out their differences. But it is unclear how specific he will be — if, for example, he will push for one type of tax over another or try to concoct a compromise on insurance coverage for abortion.\n\nSenator Olympia J. Snowe of Maine, a moderate Republican who has spent years working with Democrats on health care and other issues, said she was “extremely disappointed” with the bill’s evolution in recent weeks. After Senate Democrats locked up 60 votes within their caucus, she said, “there was zero opportunity to amend the bill or modify it, and Democrats had no incentive to reach across the aisle.”\n\nLike many Republicans, Ms. Snowe was troubled by new taxes and fees in the bill, which she said could have “a dampening effect on job creation and job preservation.” The bill would increase the Medicare payroll tax on high-income people and levy a new excise tax on high-premium insurance policies, as one way to control costs.\n\nWhen the roll was called Thursday morning, the mood was solemn as senators called out “aye” or “no.” Senator Robert C. Byrd, the 92-year-old Democrat from West Virginia, deviated slightly from the protocol.\n\nAdvertisement Continue reading the main story\n\n“This is for my friend Ted Kennedy,” Mr. Byrd said. “Aye!”\n\nSenator Kennedy of Massachusetts, a longtime champion of universal health care, died of brain cancer in August at age 77.\n\nNewsletter Sign Up Continue reading the main story Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up You will receive emails containing news content , updates and promotions from The New York Times. You may opt-out at any time. You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters.\n\nSenator Jim Bunning, Republican of Kentucky, did not vote.\n\nThe fight on Capitol Hill prefigures a larger political battle that is likely to play out in the elections of 2010 and 2012, as Democrats try to persuade a skeptical public of the bill’s merits, while Republicans warn that it will drive up costs for those who already have insurance.\n\n“Our members are leaving happy and upbeat,” said the Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. “The public is on our side. This fight is not over.”\n\nAfter struggling for years to expand health insurance in modest, incremental ways, Democrats decided this year that they could not let another opportunity slip away. As usual, lawmakers were deluged with appeals from lobbyists for health care interests who have stymied similar ambitious efforts in the past. But this year was different.\n\nPhoto\n\nLawmakers listened to countless stories of hardship told by constituents who had been denied insurance, lost coverage when they got sick or seen their premiums soar. Hostility to the insurance industry was a theme throughout the Senate debate.\n\nSenator Sherrod Brown, Democrat of Ohio, said insurance companies were often “just one step ahead of the sheriff.” Senator Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California, said the industry “lacks a moral compass.” And Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Democrat of Rhode Island, said the business model of the industry “deserves a stake through its cold and greedy heart.”\n\nThe bill would establish strict federal standards for an industry that, since its inception, has been regulated mainly by the states. Under it, insurers could not deny coverage because of a person’s medical condition; could not charge higher premiums because of a person’s sex or health status; and could not rescind coverage when a person became sick or disabled. The government would, in effect, limit insurers’ profits by requiring them to spend at least 80 to 85 cents of every premium dollar on health care.\n\nThe specificity of federal standards is illustrated by one section of the bill, which requires insurers to issue a benefits summary that “does not exceed four pages in length and does not include print smaller than 12-point font.”\n\nAnother force propelling health legislation through the Senate was the Democrats’ view that it was a moral imperative and an economic necessity.\n\nAdvertisement Continue reading the main story\n\n“The health insurance policies of America, what we have right now is a moral disgrace,” said Senator Tom Harkin, Democrat of Iowa. “We are called upon to right a great injustice, a great wrong that has been put upon the American people.”\n\nCosts of the bill would, according to the Congressional Budget Office, be more than offset by new taxes and fees and by savings in Medicare. The bill would squeeze nearly a half-trillion dollars from Medicare over the next 10 years, mainly by reducing the growth of payments to hospitals, nursing homes, Medicare Advantage plans and other providers.\n\nRepublicans asserted that the cuts would hurt Medicare beneficiaries. But AARP, the lobby for older Americans, and the American Medical Association ran an advertisement urging senators to pass the bill, under which Medicare would cover more of the cost for prescription drugs and preventive health services.\n\nKaren M. Ignagni, president of America’s Health Insurance Plans, a trade group, said the bill appeared to be unstoppable. But she added: “We are not sure it will be workable. It could disrupt existing coverage for families, seniors and small businesses, particularly between now and when the legislation is fully implemented in 2014.”"}}},{"rowIdx":1005482,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Smoke rises near a house on Mountain Ranch Road at the Butte fire in September 2015 near San Andreas, California. David McNew/Getty Images\n\nOn Wednesday, California said goodbye to its mandatory statewide water restrictions for urban use, a tip of the umbrella to the relatively wet winter northern parts of the state had, which helped fill reservoirs and brought a relatively normal snowpack to the Sierras.\n\nThat decision was probably premature. For Southern California especially, the drought is still just as bad as ever. In much of the Sierra Nevada and Southern California, there’s still two or three entire years of rain missing since this drought began five years ago.\n\n#ElNino you blew it; 2-3 years worth of rain missing in SoCal during past 5 years. #cadrought #cawx pic.twitter.com/Y9RsLIt1Bk — Paul Iniguez (@pauliniguez) May 18, 2016\n\nIf that’s not a reason to continue with large-scale water conservation, I don’t know what is. In making the announcement, the state declared that local communities could set their own limits, so the opposite will likely happen as they back off on restrictions for things like watering lawns.\n\nAdd climate change on top, and California is still heading toward drought disaster. A warming spring season means the state’s crucial snowpack now melts much faster than in the past, creating a false sense of security before running out entirely. So although this year’s snowpack was near normal on April 1, six weeks later it’s already down to just 35 percent of normal for late May. In a few more weeks—at this rate—it’ll be gone entirely.\n\nBasically, it was an “El Niño in the streets, La Niña in the sheets” kind of winter for the entire West Coast. Seattle wound up with its rainiest rainy season on record, something unheard of for an El Niño year, which typically dries out the Pacific Northwest. And then in some parts of Southern California, the drought’s severity actually ticked upward slightly since the start of the rainy season—and that’s what we’d expect with a typical La Niña pattern, not El Niño. (We are currently in the transitional period between these two weather events.)\n\nThe quick reason for the weirdness of the just-completed winter is that the jet stream, which typically delivers the relentless coastal storms to California that make El Niño famous, was much farther north than expected. (My winter outlook for the West Coast, for one, was pretty off-base.) But why? Smarter meteorologists than me are digging into that answer.\n\nAnthony Masiello is a New Jersey–based meteorologist who focuses on seasonal predictability and has provided convincing evidence that the character of El Niño itself might be changing as the planet warms. Here’s the theory: Since warm air expands, the volume of our entire atmosphere is growing, and the circulation system of the tropics is expanding toward the poles. That could be shifting the jet stream northward, too, at least during El Niño years.\n\nSince the last strong El Niño in 1997–98, we’ve had nearly two decades of global warming. But that warming hasn’t been uniform over the entire planet, so to truly understand how this might affect El Niño, one has to specifically consider what has happened in the Pacific Ocean, as Daniel Swain points out, and that’s a very complex thing to sort out. Chances are, though, that global warming is shifting El Niño precipitation patterns geographically at least a little. For Southern California, that might have been enough to cut off the tap almost entirely this year.\n\nOn the left, a forecast of this winter’s precipitation compared to normal. On the right, what actually happened. For the West Coast, it’s almost completely opposite. Judah Cohen/Atmospheric and Environmental Research\n\nThe meteorologist who’s looked at this in the most detail is probably Judah Cohen. Last month, he posted a “special recap,” which contains a torrent of meteorological detail, of just why most West Coast forecasts were so wrong. He also published a correspondence in the journal Nature on May 11 about the same topic. In a phone conversation, he cut to the chase: “The models clearly failed. … It was a good year for chaos.”\n\nThis winter’s chaos has caused Cohen to lose a bit of confidence in using past El Niño patterns to predict future El Niño patterns, he says. Even though this El Niño was one of the strongest on record, “impacts-wise, this winter was classical La Niña.” Cohen thinks he’s found a big reason why: This winter featured sharply fluctuating strength of the polar vortex, which in its strong phase tends to pull the Pacific jet stream northward. That, combined with the steady pressure of a gradually warming tropics, might have done the trick.\n\nWhatever the reason for the weird El Niño on the West Coast, the result is Southern California remains locked into its worst drought on record. Going into the state’s six-month dry season, for the near-term at least, fire conditions there are only going to get worse.\n\nThe drought has already had widespread ramifications. By the U.S. Forest Service’s count, 40 million trees statewide have died during the five-year drought, 29 million in just 2015. Dead trees are like matchsticks for forest fires—Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, told the San Francisco Chronicle that fire danger has markedly increased as a result. “No level of rain is going to bring the dead trees back,” Berlant said. “We’re talking trees that are decades-old that are now dead. Those larger trees are going to burn a lot hotter and a lot faster. We’re talking huge trees in mass quantity surrounding homes.”\n\nNot only that, but this year’s rains, where they did fall, may have actually increased fire danger by spurring a good crop of grasses and shrubs, so-called “ladder fuels” that help fires jump from smoldering near the ground to hopping from treetop to treetop.\n\nIn a briefing this week, U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell said that California’s trees will continue to die due to drought for at least three more years, and this year’s switch to La Niña probably won’t help. I know, I know, calling for a La Niña–caused dry rainy season next year is a little awkward considering this past year’s forecast performed so horribly. But the long-term trends show that should the warmth of the recent past continue, California will continue to have less snowpack for a long time to come. “This is not weather,” Tidwell said. “This is climate change. That’s what we’re dealing with.”\n\nLast year’s fire season was the worst on record nationwide, with 10.1 million acres burned. Federal and state governments have upped their firefighting budgets for this year, expecting another very bad fire season. In California, Cal Fire has awarded millions of dollars in grants to communities in part to assist with clearing dead trees from around houses.\n\nWildfire photographer Stuart Palley, whose work has been featured on Slate, spent the winter in firefighting training and will embed with a fire crew in the Cleveland National Forest near San Diego later this year as a crew member—made possible by that increase in funding.\n\n“[The firefighters’] view is, ‘anything can happen at anytime, anywhere. It’s a new normal. Fire season is year-round,’ ” Palley said. “They’re all staffed and ready to go right now.”\n\nPalley, like many of us, was caught off-guard by the size and intensity of the fires in Alberta, Canada, already in May. While Southern California has a much different ecosystem than the northern boreal forest, if anything, there’s a much greater risk of wildfires becoming urban fires simply because of the sheer number of people living near forests and the severity of the ongoing drought.\n\n“I think this might be Southern California’s year,” Palley said. “I think a lot of firefighters around here are wondering it’s not a matter of if it’s going to happen, but when it’s going to happen.”"}}},{"rowIdx":1005483,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"I won’t regale you with stories of an idealized past, laud our many golf courses, or tout our “vibrant” local economy. I’d like to tell a different story. I am a North Carolina native. I’ve lived my entire life in this state, in every corner, born to a pastor and public-school teacher in the coastal northeast and educated in our colleges in Wilmington. My sister makes Durham her home, her husband tends our state parks, my brother is a veteran, and for the last eight years, I’ve called Asheville my home.\n\nIt is ironic that President Barack Obama chose Asheville, both as a vacation spot and as a place for economic speeches of late, given what I have to say. But I don’t wish to speak to those in power, beg them for an audience, change or hope. I’d like to address Asheville’s working people, its poor and the powerless.\n\nYou have a right to this city. We are an invisible class, in our own country at least. We are the class who cook the meals that retirees and tourists consume. We vacuum their offices. We build the mansions, isolated in ghettos of wealth. In short, we make this city possible. Yet, as it grows and develops, does it grow and develop for us? Do our wages and opportunities increase? Do we influence the priorities of how this city modernizes? The answer is no.\n\nIt is my experience — gleaned from years in the service industry, renting, gardening, moving jobs and scrapping metal — that more and more, little by little, Asheville is being turned into an amnesiac consumer destination. See our dog bakeries! Come visit our olive-oil-tasting rooms! True, unemployment is low, but so is pay, and many residents work multiple jobs. Rent is high, and buying costs are astronomical to the everyday worker. To get by, we share homes, rides, potlucks and often are one broken ankle away from eviction. We are called “entitled” or derided as leeches —often by baby boomers, the richest generation, from the richest nation, in the history of mankind.\n\nThe poor are rendered invisible. The homeless choose between drink, day labor or access to overcrowded, proselytizing shelters. Our media boost small-business capitalism as the cure to all our ills. Our artists reclaim the industrial wasteland of the River Arts District, edgy and sketchy, and slowly morph into a high-rent row of arty knickknack sellers. Our asteroid belt of architectural garbage surrounding the city grows and grows. The police await the next opportunity to loot their evidence room. The diminishing returns of Beer City, USA, are plain to see, unless one sees what they want to see.\n\nAsheville is being built on a foundation of tourism dollars and cheap thrills. When the next shock comes through the economic system — whether it’s spiking gas prices or uncontrolled financial speculation (impossible, I know!) — the leisure economy is the first to get hit. We are the canary in the coal mine. People need food, housing and health care. The first thing to be de-prioritized is vacation money, and that’s the cash that Asheville and its residents rely on. Ours is a castle built on sand.\n\nIt’s not as if we don’t know that politicians and their allies in business are fighting to strip public goods away from localities, under the pretense of democratic control. In Asheville, our water system — paid for by the citizens of this city as a common good — is coveted by right-wing politicians in Raleigh. Our political voice is silenced due to corrupt gerrymandering. Democracy is surely an empty shell in our nation and around the world. It is controlled by money, business interests and crass propaganda that peddles wishful thinking, and by the most retrograde characters who grow wealthier jumping between the private sector and public service.\n\nPublic service! These hypocrites disgust me. Where are the school teachers, like my mother, bearing witness to the de-funding of education and draconian test regimens? Where are the firemen? Where are the working men and women of our land when it comes to the questions of power and decisions over our common future? Our schools are closed and prisons built. Those in power summon patriotism to support imperial wars that their siblings and children will never fight. They speak much and hear little. Their imaginations are stunted and cruel. They chastise us with moralism, yet the only God they know is Mammon, greed, and destruction.\n\nActivists, citizens and workers in our city and across this country should organize to fight for a minimum-wage increase, one that at the very least reflects inflation, keeping pace with rising costs of food, housing and medical care. It is long past time that working people went on the offensive to cast off the shackles of poverty wages, debt and isolation. We so desperately need a working-class movement to address poverty. We need a movement that transcends cultures and languages, one that reaches out to the most exploited of American workers, those who pick our foods and, disgracefully, fill our immigration jails.\n\nUnions should feel empowered to not only defend their workers on the job and advocate for higher wages but to be part of the movement for a fundamentally different economy, one based on community responsibility, autonomy and solidarity. It’s high time for unions to organize the right-to-work states, to give up on bending the ear of the rich and powerful who so rarely listen, to give up their stodgy bureaucracies, and to help articulate a world of work that embodies democracy in daily life, cooperative production, sustainability and abundance.\n\nIt’s time to organize and build a city that stands in opposition to this constantly growing, rapacious capitalism, and creates a humane world in its wake.\n\nMartin Ramsey is an Asheville resident."}}},{"rowIdx":1005484,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"If he wants to redeem himself he can give his fans the $100,000 worth of content they paid in full for. When his fans realized he had no intentions of delivering any of his met goals they cancelled their subscriptions and started getting vocal on the Patreon forums. Spoony couldn’t handle dealing with angry people he screwed over so he abandoned coming here and fled to twitter where he can live in his heavily moderated kingdom of kiss asses with his Queen James Hill.\n\nSomeone needs to answer for all the money he was paid and the content that was never provided and that person is Noah Antwiler. Patreon is all about the money they don’t care what their Patreons do or how much they abuse and misuse their service. They won’t ask questions so long as they get a piece of the pie. Spoony might think he got way with ripping off his fans for thousands but his image has taken a permanent hit and he’ll never recover because people simply don’t trust him and he’s given them no reason to. He’s proven to be a liar a fraud and a con artist.\n\nFrom his sleep machine to his rocky mountain disease to his staph infection the only disease Spoony has ever been certified with is Bullshitter’s Disease. He was formerly the guy making over 5grand a month while providing absolutely Zero content. Now he’s the guy ripping fans for over 900 a month while milking the illness of the day in order to get sympathy money from what remains of his fans & still making ZERO content. March was a big month for Spoony’s reputation. It was the month where even his hardened fans started pulling support away from him. He hit a new tier low for his Patreon.\n\nSo is it likely that he can ever recover? I’d say it’s about as likely as him ever making “The Spoony Movie”. I tip my glass to the downfall of this schemer.\n\nFor the Nay sayers that are still dumb enough to defend or support him *Ahem Daniel Tilson... I would just say this... show me $100,000 worth of content that costs $100,000 to create."}}},{"rowIdx":1005485,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Joakim Noah confirms that the murder of Lil Durk’s manager came hours after Noah’s anti-violence event\n\nBasketball seemed to be second on the mind of Joakim Noah Saturday night.\n\nFollowing the win over the New York Knicks, the Bulls big man confirmed that the manager of rapper Lil Durk, who was shot and killed early Friday morning, was at an event of Noah’s just hours earlier, discussing a way to get involved in Noah’s “Rock the Drop’’ anti-violence campaign.\n\nUchenna Agina, 24, was shot at 1:50 a.m. Friday, while sitting in a car in the 8400 block of South Stony Island Avenue, according to authorities.\n\n“It’s very sad,’’ Noah said. “What’s going on in this city is very real. I signed up for this, and you know that I’m just doing everything I can to do something positive. We just need to keep up the good fight. I know that everything I’m doing with my foundation comes from my heart, and I think it’s really important that we don’t turn our backs on anybody.\n\n“I just know that someone came to my house and we were talking about doing some work for the kids, doing something positive, and he got murdered. I never experienced anything like that. My respects go to his family and to his friends. I just hope that we can find solutions.’’\n\nNoah has promoting his anti-violence campaign most of the season, with his Noah’s Arc Foundation providing the big push behind it.\n\nAccording to Noah, while he’s been warned by some people to stay away from various rappers in the community, the death of Agina has made his resolve even stronger.\n\n“No question, and we need everybody involved,’’ Noah said. “That’s why these rappers, a lot of people tell me to stay away from certain people. I’m not staying away from anybody. We need everybody involved in this. The reason why I think these rappers are important is even though their message is violent in Chicago, they are a force. And I want to engage with them and I want to work together with them to do something positive.\n\n“I don’t want there to just … even though their message sometimes is negative and it might clash with the message that we’re bringing with the drop, their followers and the people that follow them is who I’m trying to reach.’’"}}},{"rowIdx":1005486,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"SURREY, British Columbia (Reuters) - Canadian police said on Tuesday they foiled an al Qaeda-inspired plot to detonate three pressure-cooker bombs during Monday’s Canada Day holiday outside the parliament building in the Pacific coast city of Victoria, arresting a Canadian man and woman and seizing their home-made explosive devices.\n\nRoyal Canadian Mounted Police Assistant Commissioner Wayne Rideout displays a picture of pressure cookers used by two individuals arrested while conspiring to commit an attack in Surrey, British Columbia July 2, 2013. REUTERS/Andy Clark\n\nPolice said there was no evidence to suggest a foreign link to the planned attack, which targeted public celebrations outside the parliament building in Victoria, capital of the province of British Columbia.\n\nThey declined to detail any links between the two Canadians and the al Qaeda network. They also said they were not aware of any connection to the April 15 bombings at the Boston Marathon in which three people were killed by devices built from pressure cookers.\n\n“This self-radicalized behavior was intended to create maximum impact on a national holiday,” Wayne Rideout, assistant commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, told a news conference.\n\n“They took steps to educate themselves and produced explosive devices designed to cause injury and death.”\n\nPolice said there was no risk to the public at any time because they began monitoring the suspects in February and had known all along what was happening.\n\nThe two people charged are John Stuart Nuttall and Amanda Korody, Canadian-born citizens from Surrey, British Columbia, authorities said.\n\nCanada Day is the equivalent of the July Fourth Independence Day celebrations in the United States, with street parties, barbecues and fireworks displays.\n\nThe Canadian spy agency, CSIS, has expressed concern that disgruntled and radicalized Canadians could attack targets at home and abroad.\n\nIn April, Canadian police arrested two men and charged them with plotting to derail a Toronto-area passenger train in an operation they say was backed by al Qaeda elements in Iran.\n\nPolice also say Canadians took part in an attack by militants on a gas plant in Algeria in January.\n\nCanadian resident Ahmed Ressam, an Algerian citizen, tried to cross into the United States from British Columbia on a mission to blow up Los Angeles airport in 2000 and is serving 37 years in a U.S. prison."}}},{"rowIdx":1005487,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Amanda Hawkins, the young woman who left her two young children in the car to die while she was out partying, is a proud Christian who routinely mentions God on Facebook.\n\nAuthorities say that Hawkins intentionally left her young girls — ages 1 and 2 — in her vehicle for more than 15 hours while she was at a friend’s house. Temperatures rose into the 90s in the morning before they were taken to the hospital and soon pronounced dead.\n\nKerr County Sheriff Rusty Hierholzer said in a statement:\n\n“This is by far the most horrific case of child endangerment that I have seen in the 37 years that I have been in law enforcement. Now with the death of the girls the charges could be upgraded after this case is presented to a grand jury.”\n\nIt turns out that Hawkins, who lied about a trip to the lake when she finally brought them to the hospital, is a Christian who regularly posts about parenting and the Bible.\n\nLike this post, made before she killed her children, featuring 2 Timothy 3, about the “Dangers of the Last Days.”\n\nHawkins also posted a “Realistic Daily Plan for Moms,” which included an exhaustive list of things to do for her children. On the “to-do” part of that list, most notably, is “Keep kids alive.” Looks like that part was harder than she thought.\n\nShe has also posted about Easter, thanked God for her husband getting a new job, shared a Christian marriage advice thread, and reposted an image saying, “Having kids didn’t change my life… it SAVED my life.”\n\nIf only she hadn’t ended theirs.\n\nI’m not saying Christianity caused Amanda to kill her young daughters. I am saying, however, that the Christian morals she espoused didn’t prevent her from doing something most parents could only imagine in their nightmares. She frequently quoted the Bible and talked about protecting her kids, but ultimately, it was all talk. She wasn’t able to keep them safe from herself, and she is being held accountable not by God but by the justice system.\n\n(Images via Bexar County Sheriff’s Office and Facebook)"}}},{"rowIdx":1005488,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Young students and their parents wearing masks walk along a street on a hazy day in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, China, November 3, 2015. Some kindergartens and schools were closed as severe air pollution hit northeastern Chinese city of Harbin on Tuesday, local media reported. China Stringer Network/Reuters An unhealthy environment was responsible for 12.6 million deaths in 2012, nearly one in four worldwide, according to a new report by the World Health Organisation (WHO).\n\nThe WHO report looked at how environmental risks such as air, water and soil pollution, chemical exposure, climate change and ultraviolet radiation, influenced diseases and injuries.\n\nThe report shows that deaths from infectious diseases mostly associated with water, sanitation and waste management have declined.\n\nNoncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as stroke, heart disease, cancers and chronic respiratory disease, now represent nearly two-thirds of the total deaths caused by unhealthy environments.\n\nThe report shows that unhealthy environments most adversely affected young children and older adults. The places most affected by environment-related diseases are South-East Asia and Western Pacific Regions where 7.3 million people died, mostly of air pollution related diseases.\n\nDr Maria Neira, WHO Director for the Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health, said that countries needed to urgently invest in strategies to make environments more healthy.\n\n\"Such investments can significantly reduce the rising worldwide burden of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, injuries, and cancers, and lead to immediate savings in healthcare costs,\" Neira said.\n\nWhile Dr Margaret Chan, the WHO Director-General warned that if environments continued to be this unhealthy, millions would continue to fall ill. \"If countries do not take actions to make environments where people live and work healthy, millions will continue to become ill and die too young,\" Chan said.\n\nPCB contamination warning signs surround Silver Lake in Pittsfield, Mass., Friday, June 20, 1997. The old General Electric plant, left, is one of GE's 250-acre complex of plants in the northeast section of the city, where the contamination was thought to be concentrated, including a 55-mile stretch of the Housatonic River from the plant to the Connecticut border. Alan Solomon/AP The report emphasises how air pollution is becoming more and more of a threat and contributing environmental health factor. 8.2 million deaths due to NCDs in 2012 are attributable to air pollution according to the report.\n\nAround 19% of all cancers, now a leading cause of death worldwide, were estimated by the WHO to be attributable to environmental factors.\n\nLung cancer, which killed 1.6 million people in 2012, is a prime example. Although smoking is the most important risk factor for the disease, \"over 20 environmental and occupational agents are proven lung carcinogens in humans. Air pollution, for example from indoor burning of coal or biomass, was associated with substantial increases of lung cancer risk,\" the report says.\n\nAbout 18% of all heart diseases worldwide were attributable to household air pollution and 24% to ambient air pollution. 42% of all strokes were linked to the environment.\n\nThe report says that the total environmental deaths did not change since 2002, but that noncommunicable diseases are now linked to more deaths than before.\n\n\"The last decade has seen a shift away from infectious, parasitic and nutritional diseases to NCDs, not only in terms of the environmental fraction but also the total burden,\" the report says. \"This shift is mainly due to a global decline of infectious disease rates, and a reduction in the environmental risks causing infectious diseases, and a lower share of households using solid fuels for cooking.\""}}},{"rowIdx":1005489,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)\n\nIt was no coincidence that Ryan Kesler’s best season in the NHL coincided with the best team in Vancouver Canucks history.\n\nIn 2010-11, Kesler scored a career-high 41 goals as the Canucks won the Presidents’ Trophy and came within a game of winning the Stanley Cup. For his efforts, he was awarded the Selke Trophy as the best defensive forward in the league, snapping Pavel Datsyuk’s string of three straight seasons winning the award.\n\nUnfortunately for Kesler and the Canucks, 2010-11 was the high-water mark for player and club. As a result, he’s now a member of the Anaheim Ducks, after the 29-year-old requested, and was granted, a trade out of Vancouver.\n\n“I’m going to Anaheim to win a championship,” said Kesler. “That’s going to be my sole goal, and my team’s sole goal.”\n\nAnd history shows that championship teams often have a player with a Selke on their résumé — be it Datsyuk in Detroit, Jonathan Toews in Chicago, Patrice Bergeron in Boston, Rod Brind’Amour in Carolina, or going all the way back to Bob Gainey in Montreal. The 2007 Ducks team that won it all had a Selke nominee in Samuel Pahlsson.\n\n“I think I can fit into this team and be a good No. 2 behind Ryan Getzlaf,” said Kesler, who played behind Henrik Sedin in Vancouver. “We have size, speed and grit. I’d say that Getzlaf is one of the best centers in the game. I’m going to come in behind him and do my job.”\n\nMotivation shouldn’t be a problem for Kesler, who’s suffered the two biggest losses a hockey player can possibly suffer. In 2011, he lost Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. In 2010, he lost the Olympic gold-medal game as a member of Team USA.\n\nHealth, however, could be another story. A veteran of 655 regular-season NHL games, Kesler’s body has taken a lot of punishment. He had hip surgery in the summer of 2011. He had shoulder surgery in the summer of 2012.\n\nYet despite all the hard miles he’s logged, Kesler still managed to lead the Canucks with 25 goals in 2013-14, while averaging 21:49 of ice time per game. Among NHL forwards, only Sidney Crosby (21:58) played more per contest.\n\nIn fact, Kesler’s increased ice time under coach John Tortorella became a hot topic in hockey-mad Vancouver, where there’s rarely a shortage of hot topics.\n\n“A lot of people in Vancouver make a lot of everything,” Kesler said in Sochi during the Olympics. “It’s two minutes [more per game]. It’s two shifts. It’s not that big a deal for me.”\n\nShortly thereafter, it was reported he wanted out of Vancouver.\n\nKesler has two years remaining on his contract before he can become an unrestricted free agent. For Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau, the addition of the Livonia native makes Anaheim “a bona fide threat to become an elite team.”\n\nSaid Boudreau: “I’ve never coached a team in the NHL that’s had a second-line center that you’re going to have with Ryan Kesler. It’s a great [acquisition], and it gets you excited.”\n\nTo be sure, the Ducks still have question marks, namely on the blue line and in goal. But assuming he can stay healthy, Kesler should make them a tougher out in the playoffs.\n\n“After the season in reviewing things, we knew we had to fill that,” Anaheim general manager Bob Murray said. “Not that [Kesler is] a second-line center, but we knew we needed someone behind Ryan Getzlaf. This is a huge move for our hockey team.”"}}},{"rowIdx":1005490,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"ES News Email Enter your email address Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in or register with your social account\n\nHundreds of people marched towards Downing Street in protest of Theresa May’s “hateful” alliance with the socially hardline Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).\n\nProtesters chanted outside Downing Street, blasting the Conservative Party for uniting with the DUP, which has drawn criticism for its right-wing stance on issues such gay rights and abortion.\n\nPeople carried placards reading anti-DUP and pro-Jeremy Corbyn messages, while chants of “Tories out, refugees in” echoed across Parliament Square.\n\nThe protest comes the day after Mrs May formed a minority government propped up by the DUP, having failed to win a majority in Thursday’s General Election.\n\nOrganisers from Stand Up To Racism and the Stop The War Coalition spoke to the crowd, who cheered at the mention of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s name.\n\nMusicians performed to the protesters, who seemed in good spirits. One organiser led chants of \"racist, sexist, anti-gay, the DUP has got to go\".\n\nThe protest then moved to outside the gates of Downing Street, where they were met by a wall of uniformed police officers.\n\nLuke O'Neill, who voted for Labour in Kensington, said he felt Mr Corbyn had motivated young people.\n\nThe 27-year-old said: \"May's mandate has gone, that's probably the best news and Labour is gaining - that is the best news as well.\n\n\"Jeremy Corbyn gave us power, that's what he's all about.\"\n\nThe nursery worker said he was \"angry\" that Mrs May had done a deal with the DUP, although he admitted he did not initially know who they were.\n\n\"I've never seen people more hateful in my life,\" he said.\n\n\"I didn't know who the DUP were, I had to Google them, as many people no doubt in this country would have had to Google them.\"\n\nThe DUP opposes gay marriage and Northern Ireland remains the only part of the UK where women cannot access abortion unless their life is endangered by the pregnancy.\n\nThe Prime Minister has been forced to seek a “confidence and supply” deal with the DUP after losing her majority in a snap election that spectacularly backfired.\n\nAn online petition has also gathered almost 500,000 signatures, with the political party branded “dangerous” on the page."}}},{"rowIdx":1005491,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"The UK government spent more than £750,000 on lawyers’ fees trying to deny responsibility for the deaths of soldiers killed in lightly armoured Snatch Land Rovers, a freedom of information request has revealed.\n\nThe massive bill was run up on behalf of the Ministry of Defence at a time when legal aid to claimants has suffered deep cuts. The department was ultimately unsuccessful in supporting it did not have a duty of care to those killed using the vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan.\n\nThe revelation will reinforce accusations that ministers are prepared to exploit taxpayers’ funds to obtain a legal advantage in court while claimants are often left to rely on lawyers working pro bono.\n\nSnatch Land Rovers, nicknamed “mobile coffins”, were developed to transport troops in Northern Ireland. They were subsequently deployed in the Afghan and Iraq conflicts. Last year the Chilcot inquiry found a string of MoD failings in the preparation for the Iraq war, including a delay in replacing the vehicles, which were vulnerable to bombs.\n\nFamilies whose sons and daughters died in Snatch Land Rovers brought compensation claims against the government under legislation covering negligence and human rights. In 2013,the supreme court found that, based on human rights legislation, the army has a duty of care to soldiers killed in combat.\n\nThe MoD is planning to introduce a compensation scheme that will do away with the need to prove negligence and divert cases away from the courts. It claims that it will produce more generous payments; the proposal has caused misgivings among service families who have campaigned to reveal flaws in army equipment. The department is also planning to suspend human rights legislation in future wars.\n\nThe legal costs for the Snatch Land Rover cases were obtained through a freedom of information request to the government’s legal department by a campaigner, Omran Belhadi. It shows that total legal costs to the government for Snatch Land Rover cases to date are £765,731, of which £321,354 was for in-house lawyers and charges, and £444,376 was for “external disbursements” – mainly barristers fees.\n\nOf that total sum, £169,519 was spent on government lawyers and barristers at the supreme court case where the lead case was brought by Sue Smith. Her son, Pte Phillip Hewett, 21, of Tamworth, Staffordshire, died in July 2005 after the Snatch Land Rover he was travelling in was blown up in Amara, south-east Iraq.\n\nBelhadi said: “This was a staggering waste of taxpayers’ money. Thanks to the courage of the bereaved families – and reliance on the Human Rights Act – the government was compelled to do what is right and apologise. It is a disgrace that it took 12 years to get here.\n\n“These cases highlight how much we need the Human Rights Act. Justice could not be achieved without it. Any plans to repeal the Act must be permanently abandoned.”\n\nHilary Meredith, a solicitor and visiting professor of law and veterans’ affairs at Chester University, said: “This is a huge amount and compounds the David and Goliath plight of those parents fighting for the rights of their sons and daughters killed in these vehicles dubbed the mobile coffins.\n\n“Legal aid is not available to them and they have to find lawyers to either act pro bono or on a no-win no-fee basis. What is even more ironic is that the MoD didn’t fight this case because they believed the Snatch Land Rover was the right vehicle for the job, they fought it to try and wriggle out of any duty of care owed to those who fight on the front line when sent with inadequate or faulty equipment.”\n\nThe Law Society, which represents solicitors in England and Wales, is opposing the MoD’s new compensation scheme.\n\nCommenting on the legal costs, an MoD spokesperson said: “The defence secretary directed that cases related to Snatch Land Rovers should be settled, ending prolonged legal battles. Our plans for better compensation would mean that money spent on lawyers would instead go on higher compensation for armed forces personnel and their families. The proposals would offer more generous compensation, paid at a rate a court would likely award if it found in the claimant’s favour.”\n\nThe MoD believes its proposed compensation scheme would avoid lengthy and expensive court cases for those who bring claims in the future."}}},{"rowIdx":1005492,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"The paving and safety projects scheduled to be built with Portland’s proposed gas tax will be spread quite evenly across the city.\n\nBut votes on the gas tax definitely weren’t.\n\nOf the 81 Multnomah County precincts in the City of Portland, only 19 tallied “yes” votes between 45 percent and 55 percent. In more than half of precincts, the vote on the 10-cent local gas tax, one of the country’s largest local fuel taxes ever approved by popular vote, was a blowout victory or loss by 20-point margins or even more.\n\nThe southeast Portland precinct that includes the Sunnyside neighborhood gave the “Fix our Streets” proposal its strongest margin in the city.\n\nDisregarding two tiny precincts that had fewer than 100 voters (one of those voted yes, the other no) the “Fix our Streets” campaign was most popular in Precinct 4207, the Sunnyside district along Belmont Street and Hawthorne Boulevard on either side of Cesar Chavez Way. More than 69 percent of voters there supported it.\n\nBut the tax went down hard in every precinct east of Interstate 205. The further east, the more “no” votes it saw. In Precinct 5009 along the Gresham border (which also happens to be the eastern endpoint of the 4M Neighborhood Greenway that will be funded by the tax) only 20 percent of voters voted “yes.”\n\nIn all, 43 precincts voted “no” on the tax and 38 voted “yes.” But (unlike in national presidential elections, for example) every vote cast in the city has equal power, and precincts that voted “yes” generally had more residents. The tax slid into a 4-point victory (52.1 percent to 47.9 percent) on May 17.\n\nDid votes split along income lines? By the amount of driving people do? By the perceived viability of alternatives to driving? By environmentalist or social justice sentiment? By trust in local government? Those are all possibilities but without exit polls, it’s hard to say.\n\nHere are three two details worth noticing in the map above, though:\n\nThanks for reading BikePortland. Please consider a $10/month subscription or a one-time payment\n\nto help maintain and expand this vital community resource.\n\n1) Southwest Portland said “yes” even though east Portland didn’t.\n\nSafety advocate Roger Averbeck on SW Capitol Highway, which will get a $1.7 million for repaving and $3.3 million for sidewalks thanks to the gas tax.\n\n(Photos: J.Maus/BikePortland)\n\nTwo parts of Portland, outer east and outer southwest, were built mostly on Multnomah County roads, without sidewalks, in the era after 1959 when the city had banned multifamily housing from most areas, required on-site parking for commercial lots and avoided street grids. Decades later, all those decisions shape transportation habits, development patterns, housing prices and culture.\n\nPeople who live in east and southwest Portland alike will tell you that their streets need a lot of work.\n\nBut last month, one of those two areas — the richer one — voted something like 55/45 “yes” on the gas tax and the other voted more like 70/30 against. What happened? One possibility is that it’s related to this map from a recent city study:\n\nSouthwest Portland is far from homogenously rich and east Portland is far from homogenously poor. But east Portlanders’ job market is hugely dependent on the city’s most important jobs center that’s virtually inaccessible except by car: the industrial and port land along the Columbia River. East of Interstate 205, transit lines and bikeways to central Portland and Gresham are scarce and mediocre, but they do exist. Transit and bike routes to the Columbia Corridor, though, basically don’t exist at all.\n\nSouthwest Portland, by contrast, can also be unpleasant to navigate on foot or bike, but it’s likely that more people there work in areas such as downtown that are relatively well-served by transit — or if they car-commute to Washington or Clackamas County, will be easily able to avoid the tax. Maybe that’s part of the reason the proposal did better in southwest.\n\n2) Central Portland said “hell yes.”\n\nParking at New Seasons Market on N Williams Avenue.\n\nIf we assume that in the long run the gas tax will be a smart, money-saving and justice-advancing policy (as, presumably, most people in Portland government do), then we can’t ignore the single most important thing about this ballot measure: It passed.\n\nWhy did it pass? In part because of the 20 to 30 percent of east Portland voters who backed it despite their neighbors’ disagreement. In part because it broke 50 percent support in the southwest. But more than anything, it was because the proposal, which was very explicitly organized around the narrative that walking and biking should be safe and pleasant, racked up massive support in central Portland.\n\nThis support wasn’t limited to people who don’t buy much gasoline. Far more than half of people in central Portland drive to work, and almost every precinct in and around the central city saw more than 60 percent “yes.” Whatever the reason — some of it probably in self-interest, some of it probably cultural, some of it probably ideological — a gas tax that was once assumed to be politically impossible was successfully sold to overwhelming majorities in these neighborhoods.\n\nPolitical action requires coalitions. Against odds, the gas tax built one.\n\nCorrection 3 pm: Due to a transcription error, an earlier version of the map and post reported an incorrect figure for inner northwest Portland, conflating it with the results from outer northwest. Since the revised figure is less surprising — inner northwest Portland voted overwhelmingly for the tax, like other central neighborhoods — we’ve deleted a section discussing this.\n\n— Michael Andersen, (503) 333-7824 – michael@bikeportland.org\n\nOur work is supported by subscribers. Please become one today.\n\nFront Page, Politics\n\nelection 2016, local gas tax, Street Fee Proposal"}}},{"rowIdx":1005493,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"OAKLAND — Officials in this fire-ravaged city reacted with alarm Monday over a report by this news organization that almost 80 percent of firefighter referrals to inspect dangerous conditions went ignored over the last six years.\n\n“It is horrifying,” Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan said of the investigation’s findings. “In fact, one of the issues (the story) identified is how it gets decided who gets inspected.”\n\nIn early 2017, a few months after the Ghost Ship warehouse fire killed 36 people, Kaplan proposed reprioritizing which businesses get inspected. Kaplan said she had heard from residents who said their businesses received multiple inspections, while others were never inspected.\n\n“I’ve been getting complaints from random small business owners that say they get fire inspections over and over again for no reason and charged a fee,” Kaplan said Monday.\n\nCouncilman Noel Gallo, who represents a district that includes the Ghost Ship warehouse, said the city can’t wait until more fire inspectors are hired. He said the city should hire private inspectors to help the fire department until it can get up to speed, similar to when the California Highway Patrol and the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office were brought in to help Oakland police patrol city streets. Gallo met with City Administrator Sabrina Landreth Monday morning.\n\nGet top headlines in your inbox every afternoon.\n\nSign up for the free PM Report newsletter.\n\n“I don’t want to sit here idle knowing we have all these properties and facilities challenged when it comes to public safety,” Gallo said.\n\nThe Bay Area News Group analysis of city records from 2011 until early this year revealed that more than 200 apartment buildings, housing thousands of residents, were referred to the Fire Prevention Bureau for inspection, but those inspections did not happen.\n\nIn all, firefighters referred 879 properties for fire code issues, a number that includes the apartment buildings, plus commercial buildings and several schools. But 696 (79 percent) of the flagged properties were never inspected by the bureau, a cross-check of the data obtained through multiple public records requests shows. Only 183 (21 percent) of the referred properties had subsequent inspections, and only a handful of them were conducted within the first month. It often took months or years before the visits occurred.\n\nOakland fire referrals\n\nSince 2011, Oakland firefighters have made 879 referrals at properties they found with fire safety issues and needing an inspection. Only 183 (21 percent) of those were ever inspected, often months or years later.\n\nReferrals from January 2011 to March 2017. Dot colors: Red=Artist collective, Green=Commercial, Blue=Residential, Yellow=Other\n\nFire experts called such “referrals” a top priority for inspections.\n\nThe city blamed the inspection lapse on a problematic software system and lack of staffing. The city has proposed beefing up its inspection staff and changing to a new computer program.\n\nFormer Oakland city inspector Mark Grissom, who is now a wildlands firefighter for the federal government, told this news organization that the Fire Prevention Bureau would prioritize modern buildings with superior fire-prevention systems to inspect because the agency knew it would get paid for its inspection services. The city charges for fire inspections, and Grissom said that at older buildings in poorer neighborhoods, inspectors knew that if they conducted an inspection, the payment might not happen.\n\nKaplan said she proposed reducing inspections for low-risk office spaces and increasing inspections for high-risk buildings, such as unpermitted ones like the Ghost Ship warehouse. The City Administrator’s Office rejected it, she said, because the Mayor’s Office was working on its own proposal.\n\nRepresentatives for Mayor Libby Schaaf and Landreth did not respond to calls for comment Monday.\n\n“This change needs to happen immediately. They need to change the inspection prioritization, and it needs to actually be managed,” said Kaplan, who as the at-large council member represents all of Oakland. “It’s not just the last fire we need to fight, it’s the next fire.”"}}},{"rowIdx":1005494,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Murray spoke ahead of Queen’s (Picture: Getty)\n\nAndy Murray insists he’s been the best player in the world over the last 12 months, despite John McEnroe describing him as a ‘distant fourth’ in comparison to Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.\n\nWho are the three Manchester United youngsters who could feature against Crystal Palace?\n\nThe world No. 1 climbed to the top of the rankings in the backend of 2016 after a splendid run of form saw him overtake Djokovic at the summit.\n\nBut despite that incredible surge in form, McEnroe still suggested he was behind the other major stars of the game, saying: ‘He’s always been top four, but it’s been a distant fourth. In a way, he’s still a distant fourth.’\n\nWhile Murray wouldn’t disagree with the assessment throughout his career, he hit back at the idea that he’s still behind them now.\n\nMcEnroe still rates Murray behind the rest of the ‘Big Four’ (Picture: Getty)\n\n‘I think for pretty much all of my career, yeah, I think that would have been the case,’ he said ahead of Queen’s.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAdvertisement\n\n‘I’ve always been behind them in the rankings. If you look at the titles and everything those guys have won, I mean, I can’t compare myself to them.\n\n‘There’s maybe one or two things that I have done that they won’t have but for the most part I would have been fourth. That’s if you look at a whole career.\n\nNadal and Federer are chasing Murray in the rankings (Picture: Getty)\n\n‘But it’s not true of the last year because I’m ranked No. 1 in the world. I’ve been better than them for the last 12 months, that’s how the ranking systems work. It took me a long time to get there.\n\n‘It’s not true of the last year but in terms of the career as a whole, then I would, if I could swap careers with those guys I obviously would because they’ve won a lot more than me.’\n\nThe Scot has plenty of work to do to maintain his status as the world’s best player, which will start with the defence of his titles at Queen’s and Wimbledon.\n\nMurray enjoyed a good run at the French Open (Picture: AFP/Getty)\n\nMurray had previously endured a tough start to the season but an encouraging run to the semi-finals of the French Open has seen him be cast as one of the top-two favourites for the title at Wimbledon.\n\nBut despite his solid performances at Roland Garros, Murray revealed what he’s looking to improve on as he heads into the grass-court season.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAdvertisement\n\n‘My serving could have improved,’ he added. ‘That is something that in the last few months has not been so good.\n\n‘It was better in Paris but again, if you want to win the best competitions you cannot get away with things not being at a great level.\n\n‘At the Slams and the major tournaments, you have to be doing everything well. That is something I struggled a little bit during the clay.\n\n‘So I worked a little bit on that. Obviously, the grass helps being a little bit quicker – you get a lot more free points.\n\n‘I felt I could have moved a bit better in Paris but again it is a completely different surface. It is a completely different way of moving and playing the points, so I have worked a bit on that as well.’\n\nMORE: Wawrinka still rates ‘Big Four’ as favourites amid incredibly tough Wimbledon field"}}},{"rowIdx":1005495,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Image caption The ice balls impact the ring at slow speed (about 2m per second), pulling out jets of particles\n\nIt is like a huge snowball fight and it is taking place in the outer Solar System around Saturn.\n\nScientists working on the Cassini probe have witnessed small clumps of ice ploughing through one of the gas giant's main rings - its F-ring.\n\nAs they plunge through, the km-sized ice balls leave glittering trails behind them referred to as mini-jets.\n\nSome of these collisions trace quite exotic shapes in the F-ring that look like barbs on a harpoon.\n\nThe research has been presented here at the European Geosciences Union (EGU) meeting in Vienna, Austria, by Carl Murray, a Cassini imaging team member based at Queen Mary University of London, UK.\n\nThe F-ring is the outermost of Saturn's main rings. It is located 3,000km beyond the bright A-ring and has a circumference approaching 900,000km.\n\nMedia playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Prof Carl Murray: Prometheus acts like a cookie-cutter on the F-ring\n\nThe Cassini imaging team had been watching the 40km-wide Prometheus moon dance along the edge of this ring for some time.\n\nThe moon's gravitational perturbations regularly produce channels and ripples in the F-ring, and it was known some of the disturbed ice particles could clump together. But it was assumed collisions or tidal forces in their orbit around Saturn would soon break these clumps apart.\n\n\"We know that Prometheus, as well as producing regular patterns, is capable of producing concentrations of material in the ring,\" Prof Murray explained to BBC News.\n\n\"We just call them large snowballs, and if these things can survive - because Prometheus will come around to the same part of the F-ring again and interact with them again - they may grow, and maybe these are what form the moonlets that collide with the core of the F-ring.\"\n\nCassini's archive of pictures would certainly seem to suggest they can survive and play their own game in the F-ring.\n\nThe discovery was somewhat lucky. It was while observing Prometheus one more time that Prof Murray and colleagues noticed a jet in the ring that could not have been formed by the moon or by a quasi-moon referred to simply as S6, which is known to cross right through the ring on occasions.\n\nAnd when the team examined 20,000 images stretching back over Cassini's seven years at Saturn, the researchers found 500 examples of similar rogue jets.\n\nSystem simulation\n\nIt is clear the ice balls collide with the F-ring at slow speed - about two meters per second. The jets they produce in their wake are about 40-180km long.\n\nIn some instances, it is the jets of lone rogues that are seen. In other cases, there is evidence that groups of ice balls have ploughed through the F-ring en masse to produce a series of jets.\n\nSaturn's rings are composed primarily of water ice. Although the rings extend some 140,000km from the centre of the planet, their average thickness is far less than 100m.\n\nImage caption The collisions create harpoon-like structures\n\nApart from their great beauty, scientists are fascinated by the rings because they can be used as a model to study Solar System formation.\n\nSome of the behaviours seen in the rings are probably very similar to the ones that occurred in the disc of material that collected around the infant Sun more than four and a half billion years ago, and which eventually gave rise to the planets, Saturn included.\n\n\"The rings of Saturn are simply our closest example of an astrophysical disc,\" Prof Murray told the BBC.\n\n\"We're trying to understand the processes going on in Saturn's rings because they're direct analogues for processes that went on in the early history of not only our Solar System but other planetary systems as well.\n\n\"These are discs of gas and dust where larger objects form and start influencing the material around them, and then the whole system evolves.\"\n\nCassini is a cooperative mission between the US, European and Italian space agencies.\n\nThe spacecraft entered into orbit around Saturn in 2004. It is due continue its science observations until 2017, when it will then be commanded to destroy itself in the atmosphere of the gas giant.\n\nScientists are keen to avoid any chance that parts of Cassini will end up on Saturn's moons Enceladus or Titan (targets of interest in the search for extraterrestrial life) and contaminate them with any Earth bugs that have survived all these years on the spacecraft.\n\nImage caption Projections of the F-ring assembled from Cassini observations. The structure is caused by perturbations from Prometheus and the object known as S6\n\nJonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter"}}},{"rowIdx":1005496,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Florida Gov. Rick Scott on July 13, 2015, in Miami Gardens, Florida. Joe Raedle/Getty Images\n\nFlorida has passed a law overhauling the state’s death penalty system to address problems identified by the Supreme Court in a Jan. 12 ruling that halted executions in the state; it remains to be seen whether nearly 400 individuals sentenced to death before the new law will still face capital punishment without resentencing. SCOTUS ruled the state system in which judges, rather than juries, imposed death sentences unconstitutional with an 8–1 ruling in Hurst v. Florida.\n\nThe new Florida law, passed by wide bipartisan margins in the state’s House and Senate and signed by Republican Gov. Rick Scott, requires juries to unanimously affirm the existence of “aggravating factors” that make a crime eligible for punishment by death and requires the votes of 10 out of 12 jurors to impose a death sentence. The 389 individuals already on Florida’s death row, however, were sentenced under the previous system; in a case pending before the state’s Supreme Court, attorneys for the state’s government have argued that Hurst does not invalidate those sentences. The Supreme Court majority opinion in Hurst, written by Sonia Sotomayor, appears to have punted on that question. Here’s SCOTUSBlog on the subject:\n\nThe [Hurst] ruling, however, did not immediately spare the life of Timothy Lee Hurst of Pensacola for murdering a co-worker at a fast-food restaurant more than seventeen years ago. The Court sent back to state courts the question whether the flaw in the sentencing procedure was a “harmless error” — that is, whether Hurst would have been sentenced to death even if Florida had left the decision solely to the jury.\n\nFlorida has executed more prisoners in the past five years than any state except Texas."}}},{"rowIdx":1005497,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Actor George Clooney declared the arguments of global warming skeptics to be “stupid” and “ridiculous.” Clooney made the remarks to reporters on the eve of Typhoon Haiyan hitting the Philippines. He was attending the BAFTA Britannia Awards in Beverly Hills on Saturday night November 9.\n\n“Well it’s just a stupid argument,” Clooney said on the red carpet, referring to the dissenters of man-made global warming.\n\n“If you have 99 percent of doctors who tell you ‘you are sick’ and 1 percent that says ‘you’re fine,’ you probably want to hang out with, check it up for the 99. You know what I mean? The idea that we ignore that we are in some way involved in climate change is ridiculous. What’s the worst thing that happens? We clean up the earth a little bit?”\n\n“I find this to be the most ridiculous argument ever,” Clooney explained.\n\nClooney added that he was unsure whether global warming was responsible for the Typhoon that devastated the Philippines.\n\nA Climate Depot special report has found scientists have rejected any link to man-made global warming. See: Media/Climate Activists ‘Hype False Claims’ About Typhoon Haiyan As Scientists Reject Climate Link – Claim of ‘strongest storm ever’ refuted\n\nClooney’s claim of “99 percent” of scientists agreeing about man-made global warming has been challenged in peer-reviewed studies and other analyses. See: Contrary to reports, global warming studies don’t show 97% of scientists fear global warming: ‘The 97% figure represented just 75 individuals’ – – Another study’s ‘results add up to little more than ‘carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas’ and ‘mankind affects the climate.’\n\nRelated Links:\n\nAnalysis: 97% of warmists cite a 97% that’s false\n\nContrary to reports, global warming studies don’t show 97% of scientists fear global warming: ‘The 97% figure represented just 75 individuals’ – – Another study’s ‘results add up to little more than ‘carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas’ and ‘mankind affects the climate.’\n\nSPECIAL REPORT: More Than 1000 International Scientists Dissent Over Man-Made Global Warming Claims – Challenge UN IPCC & Gore\n\nCONSENSUS? WHAT 97% CONSENSUS? — ‘The consensus revealed by the paper by Cook et al. is so broad that it incorporates the views of most prominent climate skeptics’"}}},{"rowIdx":1005498,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"Sneed scoop: Black officials to boycott Duckworth event\n\nDucking Tammy . . .\n\nSneed hears a whammy is being planned for Tammy.\n\n• Translation: Sneed has learned a major boycott of a black unity breakfast in Chicago on Monday for U.S. Senate Dem primary winner Tammy Duckworth is being hatched by City Council and state legislative black caucuses.\n\n“Why would we want to express unity with Tammy Duckworth, who was selected for that spot by the Washington insiders at the Democratic National Campaign Committee?” said a powerful member of the City Council’s 18-member black caucus who asked to remain off-the-record.\n\nSneed is told a hush-hush meeting of aldermanic and state caucus members, who had endorsed Andrea Zopp for the U.S. Senate seat, met recently in Hyde Park to discuss the boycott of the Duckworth event, which sources claim was organized by U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly and Secretary of State Jesse White, who supported Duckworth’s primary candidacy.\n\nWord is the boycott support group includes powerful State Sen. Kwame Raoul, State Sen. Kim Lightford, State Sen. Toi Hutchinson, State Sen. Patricia Van Pelt, Ald. Howard Brookins (21st), Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6th) and Ald. Leslie Hairston (5th).\n\n“It was taken for granted we would suck it all up — her candidacy — and it was patently unfair,” the source added.\n\nThe Duckworth event is set for 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Pearl’s Place, 3901 S. Michigan Avenue.\n\nOPINION\n\nSpec check . . .\n\nIn case you care about eyewear: It’s been noted President Barack Obama sported a pair of $485 designer sunglasses during his trip to Cuba, ditching his old wire frames.\n\nThe police blotter . . .\n\nIt’s not a slam dunk, yet.\n\nSneed hears Mayor Rahm Emanuel is between a rock and a hard place trying to decide who gets the nod as the city’s next top cop.\n\nSneed hears Emanuel, who still could toss out the list of three recommendations for the job and pick someone else, has been unnerved by negative police blog comments about contestant Deputy Police Supt. Gene Williams — as well as the very public mouth of frequent CNN commentator Cedric Alexander, the contestant who is public safety director of DeKalb County, Georgia.\n\nWill he pick a new name out of the hat?\n\nP.S. The Sun-Times first reported last month Alexander had emerged as a front-runner for the vacancy last December when Emanuel fired Police Supt. Garry McCarthy.\n\nLee’s way . . .\n\nFilmmaker Spike ‘Chi-raq’ Lee plans to fly in Sunday to attend Easter mass at St. Sabina Church in the South Side’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood, where he shot his controversial headline-grabbing film — and sit in his favorite third-row aisle seat.\n\n“He was here every Sunday during filming,” said the church’s pastor, Father Michael Pfleger.\n\n• A reserved seat: Whadda you think?\n\nA sad note . . .\n\nFor Chicago Police Officer Anthony M. Letizia, Tuesday was a walk-off home run.\n\nOfficer Letizia, a major Cubs fan who had been in the final days of hospice care when Sneed featured him in last Sunday’s column, died Tuesday at the age of 32.\n\n“I just wanted to share with you that Chicago Police Officer Anthony Letizia lost his courageous three-year battle with brain cancer,” wrote former Chicago Police Supt. Phil Cline, who is head of the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation. “His family is in our thoughts and prayers.”\n\nOfficer Letizia unexpectedly received the last part of a lifetime goal recently — a small piece of sod from the last national professional ballpark he had failed to visit. He and his wife, Sarah, a White Sox fan — were stunned and thankful.\n\n“Miracles have been known to happen,” said Cline. “Seven years ago, he donated bone marrow to a little girl in England he never met and it was a match. He saved her life, never mind the countless lives he didn’t know he saved in service as a police officer.”\n\nVisitation is March 30 at Cumberland Chapels in Norridge; funeral mass is at 11 a.m. March 31 at St. Beatrice Church in Schiller Park.\n\nI spy . . .\n\nActor Edward James Olmos, who was in town attending the #C2E2 Comic Convention, was spotted at C Chicago Friday night. . . . Chicago Bulls forward Doug McDermott dropped into Harry Caray’s Italian Steakhouse on Kinzie Street on Friday while watching the NCAA tournament in the bar.\n\nSneedlings . . .\n\nGet well wishes to State Sen. Kwame Raoul, who underwent surgery Tuesday. . . . Congrats to State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz on receiving the “Friend of Tourism Award” from the Illinois Office of Tourism and the Convention and Tourism Bureaus. . . . Today’s birthdays: Jim Parsons, 43; Starlin Castro, 26, and Peyton Manning, 40."}}},{"rowIdx":1005499,"cells":{"text":{"kind":"string","value":"As Hub housing prices skyrocket, poverty tightens its grip on hundreds of Boston families who are pushed out and further down the economic ?ladder, advocates say.\n\n“There is not enough affordable housing,” said Liza Hirsch of Massachusetts Advocates for Children.\n\n“Rents are so high in Boston right now even middle class families are struggling to afford rent. The private market is unaffordable and there is not enough supply of affordable housing. Families are just trying to survive.”\n\nBetween 2010 and 2016, single-family rental home prices have steadily climbed in Boston, jumping from $1,500 in November 2010 to over $2,500 in June 2016, according to data provided by Action for Boston Community Development.\n\n“Boston now has a huge run-up of $30 million condos,” said John Drew, ?president of ABCD.\n\n“It’s the whole business of inequality and racism. People don’t have the skills to compete. There is huge gentrification in Boston and prices are skyrocketing.”\n\nGov. Charlie Baker’s ?office says his administration is trying to stem the tide statewide. The Baker administration has created a five-year housing plan that includes millions of dollars in investment in supportive housing for homeless families, affordable housing preservation, mixed-income housing development and aid for local public housing authorities.\n\nBut Drew says Boston’s expensive market reflects a lack of national policy to address housing.\n\n“Congress is sitting on its hands and doing nothing. It’s a national problem,” Drew continued. “We are allowing this implosion to take place.\n\n“The end game is more and more families will be priced out and more youth will have no place to stay,” Drew said. “Are they going to sleep under bridges?”"}}}],"truncated":false,"partial":true},"paginationData":{"pageIndex":10054,"numItemsPerPage":100,"numTotalItems":1006729,"offset":1005400,"length":100}},"jwt":"eyJhbGciOiJFZERTQSJ9.eyJyZWFkIjp0cnVlLCJwZXJtaXNzaW9ucyI6eyJyZXBvLmNvbnRlbnQucmVhZCI6dHJ1ZX0sImlhdCI6MTc1ODM3MzYxMCwic3ViIjoiL2RhdGFzZXRzL3N5dGVsdXMvb3BlbndlYnRleHQiLCJleHAiOjE3NTgzNzcyMTAsImlzcyI6Imh0dHBzOi8vaHVnZ2luZ2ZhY2UuY28ifQ.9JNh_dUGEcQ2Zf9WXR4Etc_tSN3rKePewUp0vsfEZe8KoP_xq1QpZZVgx8WUFUHOxIwq_RsNZ2nr138olSSNAQ","displayUrls":true},"discussionsStats":{"closed":0,"open":1,"total":1},"fullWidth":true,"hasGatedAccess":true,"hasFullAccess":true,"isEmbedded":false,"savedQueries":{"community":[],"user":[]}}">
text
stringlengths
316
100k
Former securities exchange executive Atsushi Saito was approved as the next commissioner of Nippon Professional Baseball on Monday. Saito, formerly the CEO of the Japan Exchange Group Inc. that oversees the operations of the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Osaka Exchange, will take over from Katsuhiko Kumazaki, whose term runs through the end of this month. NPB’s commissioners, who are appointed by a meeting of the owners’ committee, had been generally nominated by the Central League’s Yomiuri Giants, whose former owner, Matsutaro Shoriki, virtually created Japan’s current pro baseball establishment. But the Pacific League has been pressing for an NPB chief with a thorough business background, which Saito possesses. Saito, 78, has been serving as an adviser to commissioner Kumazaki since July. Kumazaki was a former high-profile prosecutor, while his predecessor, Ryozo Kato was Japan’s former ambassador to the United States. Kato was forced out after his deputies secretly changed NPB’s official ball in 2013 to make it livelier. Kumazaki, who took over in January 2014, will take over as adviser to the new commissioner.
When head judging a large event with many judges, one of your most important tasks is selecting good Team Leads. But your job doesn’t stop there. Even before the event begins, you should ensure that your Team Leads have all the tools and information they need to do their jobs. My preferred way of doing this is through email. Email is a great communication method because it’s bothand When I say “persistent”, I mean that an email is easy to refer to at a later date. Unlike an in-person meeting, the recipients don’t have to try to take notes as I’m talking, further dividing their attention. By virtue of being composed of bits and bytes, the email is always going to be there. The advantage of being “preemptive” is that you don’t have to wait for the day of the event to have an in-person meeting to discuss things. Instead, you can send your Team Lead email before the event begins, enabling you to hash out some details and get your TLs thinking about the event well in advance. If you then have a meeting with all your Team Leads at the event itself, you don’t have to spend a lot of time going over expectations, but can just briefly recap the important points and go from there. To give a concrete example, here are the first few paragraphs of the email I sent to the Team Leads for the Standard Open in SCG Providence two weekends ago: Hello friends! I wanted to touch base about this Saturday’s SCG Open in Providence. Since you’ve all done this before, this email is going to mostly focus on big picture statements about my expectations of your roles. First of all, I’d like to emphasize the importance of communication. As the middle managers of the event, you’re the people I expect to spend the majority of my time interacting with. I’ll be relying on you to keep me informed about how the event is going, who’s doing well on your team, who could use some additional help. To give a concrete guideline, I want to hear from each of you at least once a round, even if it’s just to say “yep, everything’s going smoothly.” I try to work the phrase “middle manager” into all of my TL emails, in order to emphasize the importance of communicating both “up” (to me, the Head Judge) and “down” (with team members). This stems largely from my own experience as a Team Lead. While I’ve never had trouble keeping in touch with my team members, keeping open lines of communication with the Head Judge was definitely something I struggled with early on, especially when I was team leading on Day 2 of a Grand Prix (judges in red shirts are scary!). The idea of round-by-round check-ins was something new that I tried for this Open. I’m happy I expressed this goal because it said something specific about how much communication I wanted from my Team Leads, even though ultimately my Team Leads and I both fell short of actually checking in with each other every round. From my perspective, this stemmed from two major causes: first, I got caught up with some major issues early on, so I lost track of this as a concrete goal. Second, I was up on the stage for much of the event, which made it both intimidating and physically difficult for judges to come talk to me. Although I wanted to remain on the stage so I was easy to find for appeals, standing on the floor next to the stage would have accomplished that goal while also making me more accessible. (Thanks tofor providing this feedback!) I plan on setting the same goal for my next big event, but doing a better job of actually tracking which Team Leads I’ve chatted with each round, as well as making sure to be physically more accessible. In addition to the big-picture briefing email, I also emailed each TL individually to discuss their specific team. Compared to the previous email, this was a much more casual and down-to-earth, and in some cases downright frivolous (Eric “Raging” Levine got an email that ended with “<3 <3 <3"). The first half of these emails focused on issues particular to that team. For instance, SCG has some specific policies about how to handle deck checks, so I put those in the email to my Deck Checks TL. Wants to learn how he can be a better TL; I figured you would be a useful example. I think you two have very different leadership styles so I hope that’s fertile grounds for discussion. He’s leading the “not-Checks” team on Sunday. Working with you should be a good way of exposing him to the various components of that role. I wanted to pair him with an L3 Team Lead since he’s moving towards L2. Asked to work with you for his L3 rec. The second half of the email listed the team members, why they were on that team, and any other relevant information I had about that judge. Some of the descriptions from the SCG Providence emails included: I’d never seen a Head Judge list the specific reasons certain judges were put on a given team before, and the response from my Team Leads was very positive. As a rule, Head Judges put a lot of effort into crafting the schedule and team assignments. Communicating why the schedule was set in a certain way is just one small step beyond that, but it makes a big difference. Sending these personalized emails also opened lines of discussion between me and my Team Leads, not just one-way communication, before the event even began. In my experience, it’s pretty rare for judges to respond to briefing emails, but three of my five TLs replied to this individualized email. This is a practice I definitely plan on continuing, and I encourage you to try it as well! To recap things: email is an incredibly helpful method for getting in touch with your Team Leads, since you can do it before the event starts and it’s easy for your Team Leads to reference later on. These emails are a great opportunity to set expectations, communicate goals, and share insights into who’s who on their team. These days, I like sending multiple emails: one briefing email to all the TLs, with big-picture goals and expectations; and a separate, individualized email to each TL, listing any team-specific expectations and why each member of their team is actually on that team. What are your thoughts? As Head Judge, how do you like to communicate with your Team Leads? As a Team Lead, what do you most want to hear from your Head Judge before the event begins? Thanks for joining me this week! Next week, I’ll talk about what it’s like to actually be the Head Judge of a large staff and wear the red shirt.
Medical Examiner: 'Staying Alive Is Mostly Common Sense' Working Stiff Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner by Judy Melinek and T.J. Mitchell Hardcover, 258 pages | purchase close overlay Buy Featured Book Your purchase helps support NPR programming. How? Judy Melinek trained as a surgeon, and she originally focused on saving the lives of the sick. But after one too many 36-hour shifts, she collapsed from exhaustion. Disillusioned with the surgeon's 24-hour lifestyle, Melinek decided to shift careers: Instead of preserving lives, she started investigating deaths. Her new book, Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, And The Making Of A Medical Examiner tells the story of her training as a medical examiner — which began just two months before the Sept. 11 attacks — and the hundreds of deaths she investigated during her time in training in New York City. Melinek, who now works as a forensic pathologist in San Francisco, hopes her book will debunk some of the myths created by crime TV shows. In real life, she says, most deaths are accidents. And when there are crimes, medical examiners do not always end up with answers, and not every case gets solved. Despite having to face death every day, Melinek loves her job. "I think it is the most exciting job in the world," she tells NPR's Arun Rath. "I look forward to it every day." Interview Highlights On the inspiration for the book The reason I wrote the book is because if you watch the nightly shows, CSI, Bones, all the forensic dramas, they tend to give the impression that the forensic pathologist is all-knowing and springs from the womb knowing everything. And the reality is that there is a training process, and it's a gradual training process — it's on the job. And we make mistakes, and not all crimes are solved, and not all deaths are crimes. In fact, most deaths are naturals, are accidents. Enlarge this image toggle caption Douglas Zimmerman/ Courtesy of Scribner Publicity Douglas Zimmerman/ Courtesy of Scribner Publicity On how the job changed how she views death The more you know about death, actually, it demystifies it. I just realized staying alive is mostly common sense. If you are smoking, stop; if you haven't started, don't start. Stay healthy, get exercise. That yellow line on the subway, it's there for a reason — stay away from that. Look both ways before you cross the streets. The majority of deaths I saw were mundane. Just by standard health and safety behaviors, we can avoid them. On the emotional challenges of being a medical examiner There are cases that really get to you personally. I'm a physician, but I am also a mommy: I have three kids. So when a child dies — and especially when a child dies from inflicted injury, from abuse — that is very hard, emotionally, because you know by looking at those injuries what the child had to suffer through. That said, it's important that we objectively document everything, and that we're rigorous in documenting it, because when and if that case goes to litigation ... we need to be able to testify objectively to those findings.
Georgians wanted Russian soldiers to "take" then-president Mikheil Saakashvili during the 2008 war over South Ossetia, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. During his marathon press conference Thursday, Putin was asked by a reporter from Georgian television station Rustavi-2 about Russia-Georgia relations. As he did with many questions, Putin took the opportunity to hold forth at some length, and he described the very warm feelings he had for Georgian people, and that Georgians and Russians have for one another generally. Most intriguingly, he suggested that Georgians were rooting for Russia to defeat Georgia, or at least Saakashvili: Even during the most difficult time, when fighting was underway in the Caucasus [reference to the August, 2008 war], relations with the Georgian people were very good. And it was confirmed even during those difficult days and hours and demonstrated in attitude of Georgians themselves towards Russia. Don’t remember if I have ever said it publicly, but in one of the towns a grandpa approached our soldiers and told him: ‘What do you want here? What are you looking for here? Go over there – Tbilisi and take Mishka [referring to then President Mikheil Saakashvili]’.” “You know we had losses among our military servicemen. Aircraft was downed, a pilot ejected and landed somewhere; a Georgian babushka approached and told him: ‘Come here son’; she took him and fed him. Then he was sent towards the Russian military." (Translation via civil.ge.) Putin touched on the conflict another time, as well, when a reporter asked him if, as in South Ossetia, he would send in Russian forces to Crimea if the situation in Ukraine worsened. Putin answered: You compared the situation in South Ossetia and Abkhazia with the situation in Crimea. To me, this is an incorrect comparison. Nothing in Crimea is happening comparable to what happened in South Ossetia and with Abkhazia. Because on these territories declared independence and there was, unfortunately, massive, if we talk about the regional context, bloody interethnic conflict. This is not the first conflict of its kind, if we keep in mind 1919 and 1921, when there were punitive operations connected with the collapse of the Russian empire and these territories said they wanted to remain part of Russia, and not in an independent Georgia. So there is nothing new here. In addition, as you know, there were peacekeepers on this territory to stop the bloodshed, having international status and consisting mostly of Russian soldiers, although there were also Georgian soldiers and representatives of the then-unrecognized republic. Our reaction was not only connected with the protection of Russian citizens, although it was not a small factor, but the connection was with the attack on our peacekeepers and the murder of our soldiers. That's the issue, that was the essence of those events. In Crimea, thank God, there is nothing similar and, I hope, there won't be. We have an agreement on the presence of the Russian fleet there, it was extended, as you know -- extended, I think, in the interests of both governments, both countries. And the presence of the Russian fleet in Sevastopol, in Crimea, is a serious stabilizing factor, in my opinion, in international and regional politics. Putin also sought to distinguish today's Georgian leadership from that of Saakashvili, saying "Now there is a certain reality; we cannot neglect it. But still, we see some signals coming from the new leadership of Georgia." Other Russian officials have tended to be critical of Georgia's new government and its continued ambitions toward joining the EU and NATO. So it's somewhat interesting that on this occasion Putin chose to be the good cop, and emphasizing more what Georgia and Russia have in common than what divides them.
Maybe you’re a fan of fruit cake, maybe you aren’t. But consider this. Pretty much everybody eating fruit cake from BC to Newfoundland is eating something that was produced right here in Chilliwack. Pragash Govender with Sandel Foods in Chilliwack says they produce and ship over 4 million pounds of fruit cake mix every year…they’re the only ones in Canada doing it, and have been doing it for 38 years! “They’ve been making fruit cake right from the very start. They make it the very traditional way, which is to preserve the fruit with sugar. The mix we produce, the fruit in there is 72% sugar.” She says they source the ingredients from all over the world. Some of the mix takes 17 days to process, some can be made as quickly as 3 or 4 days. Sandel Foods employs over 80 people here locally, and processes not just fruit cake, but things like pie filling and glazes as well. Govender says it’s a good news story for the local economy, and besides…a lot of people LOVE fruit cake or they wouldn’t be selling so much of it. She says it comes in a lot of different flavours and can be souped up in a lot of different ways (rum anyone?) so it wouldn’t be hard to find a fruit cake you like.
A PRIEST who used a dead woman’s blue disabled badge to park his car has been ordered to complete 200 hours unpaid work. Father William Haymaker, 63, was convicted of fraud after using the blue badge to park in a disabled bay in Western Road, Bexhill, in December 2015 – but it belonged to a woman who had died two months before. His sentencing at Hove Crown Court this morning was delayed by around 90 minutes while staff tried to find a working hearing aid for the priest who said he could not hear proceedings from the dock without it. Judge Christine Henson also ordered Haymaker to pay £3,700 in costs after she said his financial situation was “a little bit murky.” She told Haymaker: “I don’t think this court has been appraised of the true picture of this financial situation. “It is difficult to see what you are spending your money on.” Haymaker claimed he received no money from his church despite claiming he was working flat out, attending between three and four funerals a day. He previously told the court his work meant he was unsuitable for unpaid community work. The judge said Haymaker was convicted on overwhelming evidence. A jury took 45 minutes to unanimously find him guilty of possessing an article for use in a fraud earlier this year. Haymaker, who was ordained in 1984, is a rector of St Paul’s Anglican Parish in Bexhill which is part of the Anglican Independent Communion. The court heard he has no connection to the Church of England and regularly travels to Moldova. Reverend Peter Gadsen said there is no such church in the parish, and contacted The Argus to say Father Haymaker is in no way associated with St Paul’s Evangelical Free Church, Bexhill, where he is a minister. Haymaker also claimed to have worked for many years at British Airways. But investigations by his legal team and prosecutors failed to find any evidence he ever worked for the airline, the court heard. The priest said he was on medication for epilepsy and a number of other health issues. He was again accompanied to court by his official clerical dog The Venerable Mr Piddles. As well as supporting his parishioners and leading services Haymaker, of Suffolk Road, Bexhill, said he has been helping children in crisis for more than 25 years.
The kitchen at Spicy Mike's Bar-B-Q Haven has all the essentials: mounds of Hereford Beef, chicken breasts and smoked sausages stored in a towering refrigerator; and a spice rack full of cumin, paprika and all the other seasonings that give the restaurant its name. And hidden away - somewhere only owner Mike Havens knows - is a loaded Kahr 9 mm handgun. Just in case. The right to bear arms isn't limited to staff members. Havens estimates a quarter of Spicy Mike's customers are carrying at least one gun when they walk into the restaurant at 6723 S. Western St. Many local eateries ban the open or concealed carry of firearms, but a sign inside Spicy Mike's encourages licensed gun owners to arm themselves before entering the restaurant. "Guns are welcome on premises," the sign reads. "Please keep all weapons holstered unless need arises. In such case, judicious marksmanship is appreciated." Open carry is generally taboo in chain restaurants, which typically aim to please customers in both red and blue states. Even Texas-based Whataburger banned open carry in all locations shortly after Gov. Greg Abbott signed Texas' open-carry legislation in June 2015. Whataburger, which has six Amarillo locations, allows concealed carry, a practice banned at national chains such as Sonic and Starbucks. Some local restaurant owners are less gunshy. Havens keeps a handgun with him from when he arrives at Spicy Mike's at 4 a.m. to when he leaves late in the evening. If he leaves during the day, he's usually transporting money to a bank. That's reason enough to arm himself, Havens said, and he has no qualms if licensed customers want do the same. 'Not the Wild Wild West' More than 1.15 million Texans were licensed to carry handguns as of Dec. 31, 2016, according to the Department of Public Safety. Applicants must pass a series of background checks regarding their criminal history, chemical dependency and other automatic disqualifiers. "If you've got a license to carry, you've done your due diligence, your homework," Havens said. "You know the level of responsibility that comes with carrying a gun." Tyler Frazer of Tyler's Barbeque said he has armed himself at work since opening seven years ago. Like Havens, he's never needed to brandish the weapon. As for customers, Frazer generally holds them to a don't-ask, don't-tell policy. He said people rarely walk in with an exterior holster. But if they do? Not a problem, as long as they're licensed. "I'm fine if people want to concealed carry, as long as they have their license. Same thing with open carry," Frazer said. "I know that Amarillo is not the Wild Wild West, but it just makes me feel more comfortable to have it with me." Tyler's has become somewhat of an Amarillo Police Department hangout. If the restaurant is busy, there's likely at least one off-duty officer eating with a weapon on his person, Frazer said. That serves as a crime deterrent, as does having chefs with large carving knives in clear view of the counter. To Havens and Frazer, guns pair with Texas barbecue as naturally as coleslaw or potato salad. But Shi Lee owner Charlottee Brown doesn't want to see any customers packing heat. She won't know if they have a concealed weapon, but said the barbecue and soul food cafe is a gun-free zone for customers. "I feel you shouldn't be able to carry guns around in public in a place with too many people. Someone's going to get hurt," Brown said. "You have someone walk in and sit down to eat, and they see that they're sitting by one of their enemies … things are going to go bad." Rules are less stringent behind the counter. Brown doesn't keep a gun with her at work but said she's planning to get one to defend herself when she's alone in the restaurant. What kind of gun? "Something that hurts," she said. A sign posted outside Hoffbrau Steaks tells customers to leave guns hidden or at home. The Irving-based steakhouse has five locations throughout Texas, and human resources manager Susan Humphrey said differing political climates throughout the state have turned out a blanket policy intent on keeping clientele comfortable. "When you see someone walk in with a firearm, it's one more thing our manager has to manage," Humphrey said. "When somebody walks in with a gun out and another guest takes offense to it, that is one more thing the manager has to address - the guest being offended by it, not the actual gun in the holster." Hoffbrau apprehensively implemented its policy when the open-carry law went into effect in January 2016. Only two customers have called to complain since then, Humphrey said, solidifying Hoffbrau's decision. 'You never know' On March 12, 1998, 19-year-old Yvette Barraz was beaten to death by the claw end of a hammer by a stalking ex-boyfriend upon leaving her shift at Leal's Restaurant in Muleshoe. Owner Victor Leal didn't know the extent of the ex-boyfriend's harassment, which Barraz reported to the Muleshoe Police Department two weeks before she was abducted. Leal, who now walks around with a concealed Kimber .45-caliber, makes it a point to have employees walk to their cars in groups, which could have been the first step in preventing her murder. But would a firearm have helped? Absolutely, Leal said. "I wish I would have been more aware of (what was going on) and had taken precautions," Leal said. "When you have something like that happen, it makes you realize how real things like that are." On the night of December 27, 2014, a Chop Chop Japanese Steakhouse employee was taking out the trash when he felt a gun barrel press into his back. The robber walked inside the kitchen, where another employee led him to an office and handed over an undisclosed amount of money. Police never found the suspect. Chop Chop currently has no firearms policy for customers or staff. The moral of these stories? "You never know, some crazy person could come in and want to rob you," Havens said. "It just gives you a sense of security, having (a gun) nearby. And I hope I never use it."
WWF researchers are celebrating the first live sighting of a Sumatran rhino in Kalimantan, the Indonesia part of Borneo, since it was thought to be extinct there. This is also the first physical contact with the species in the area for over 40 years and is a major milestone for rhino conservation in Indonesia. The female Sumatran rhino, which is estimated to be between four and five years old, was safely captured in a pit trap in Kutai Barat in East Kalimantan on 12 March. WWF researchers are celebrating the first live sighting of a Sumatran rhino in Kalimantan, the Indonesia part of Borneo, since it was thought to be extinct there. This is also the first physical contact with the species in the area for over 40 years and is a major milestone for rhino conservation in Indonesia. The female Sumatran rhino, which is estimated to be between four and five years old, was safely captured in a pit trap in Kutai Barat in East Kalimantan on 12 March. “This is an exciting discovery and a major conservation success,” said Dr Efransjah, CEO of WWF-Indonesia. “We now have proof that a species once thought extinct in Kalimantan still roams the forests, and we will now strengthen our efforts to protect this extraordinary species.” In 2013, a WWF survey team first found evidence that the species was not extinct in Kalimantan by identifying footprints and capturing an image of a rhino on a camera trap in the same forest. Since then,15 Sumatran rhinos have been identified in three populations in Kutai Barat. The Sumatran rhino is one of two rhino species that exist in Indonesia. It is estimated that less than 100 Sumatran rhinos remain in the wild, mainly on the island of Sumatra. The rhinos face serious threats from poaching, and habitat loss due to mining, plantations and logging. The wild population of Sumatran rhinos in the Malaysian part of Borneo was declared extinct last year. Sumatran rhino image via Shutterstock. Read more at WWF.
The University of Melbourne Veterinary Science degree allows a graduate to register to practice as a veterinarian throughout Australia, New Zealand, North America and in the United Kingdom. They are on the list of accredited Veterinary Colleges. Dr. Dawn, who graduated from the University of Melbourne says “It’s worth the climb. It’s going to be one of the hardest things you’ll ever do, but it’s worth it. You are going to find yourself crying in the middle of the supermarket at some point but DON’T GIVE UP!” *Note to reader: there might be affiliate links and if you buy Magoosh, or anything else through the links provided (at no extra cost to you) you will be helping to keep this site running.* Check out this book: Veterinary Medical School Admission Requirements (VMSAR) to help you navigate all of the requirements for each college. Name, Veterinary School attended, and year that you started. Dr. Dawn Chong; University of Melbourne; 2004 *All photos are from Dr. Dawn’s IG@dawnlikesmanatees, you can laugh along with all of Pazuzu and Sally’s antics.* What was your major in undergrad? Back in the day, Veterinary science was offered as a Bachelors degree in Australia. How many schools/application cycles did you apply to before being accepted? 5 Schools, 1 application cycle. How many schools invited you for an interview? 3 How many of those gave you an acceptance letter? 2 If you were accepted to more than one school, what were some reasons for your choice of school? The choice of vet school came down to: 1) Location (since this was going to be a long course, I wanted to be somewhere I knew I’d enjoy exploring) 2) Cost! Tuition fees were expensive, and more so in some universities, so that was definitely a consideration. What was your GPA (in undergraduate)? I did the GCE A-Levels (British education system ) and acquired 3As and a B Did you have exotic, large and small animal experience prior to applying to veterinary school? I had no clinical experience prior to entering Vet school. My work experience was limited to volunteering at shelters, but I did not get a chance to work with the Vets there. Mainly walked the dogs, cleaned the animal holding areas etc. What types of paying jobs did you have before going to veterinary school? Just some small jobs spilling coffee at restaurants 🙂 Did you volunteer? If so, where? Yes, at the local shelter (SPCA) in Singapore How many people read your personal statement before submitting it? Just one When did you decide to become a vet? When I was 15 and realized I’m a misanthrope and had given up on people. No, really. : ) Did you interview any vets before starting the application process? If so how did you approach them? I didn’t have a proper sit-down with them, just spoke to them about their vocation when I happened to bring my pets for Vet checks. Did you join student clubs/orgs while at The University of Melbourne? Were they helpful? Just recreational ones like the horse-riding club, they helped in the sense that they preserved my sanity. Who gave you your letters of recommendation? Did you know them well? I got letters from my professors only. I didn’t get a chance to know them very well, but they were always kindly. Are you happy that you chose this career? What makes you most happy about this career choice? Yes, the animals are a joy. The people, not always, but I have developed coping mechanisms to not take things personally when people are rude. Do you treat all animals? I treat dogs, cats, birds, and pocket pets like rabbits and hamsters. I haven’t had a chance to work with reptiles, as it’s not legal in Singapore to keep most reptiles. We also don’t have a lot of large animals (cattle, horses, etc) here. Do you have any advice for students, once accepted? Do work experience at your local Vet whenever you can! It helps with the transition from University to the workplace when the time comes. Any study tips? I’m going to give advice which helps but I failed to follow (and regretted): CONSISTENT REVISION. What I mean by this is be consistent with revision. I tended towards only studying when I HAD TO (ie JUST BEFORE exams), but if you make it a point to revise and review what you’ve been taught regularly in small digestible portions, you’d save yourself a lot of stress! Also, the practical part of the course + work experience in clinics etc would make a lot more sense, when you’re up to scratch on the theory side of things! 🙂 Were there any classes, at The University of Melbourne College of Veterinary Science, that would be considered especially relatable to your current position? While studying for my BVSc, at The University of Melbourne all the classes turned out helpful, even the ones which I thought were a waste of petrol getting to when I had to make the drive to campus. What was the most challenging class, in your DVM program? Can I pick two? cardiology & ophthalmology. Was there anything in particular about your BVSc program or the University of Melbourne that you liked? I enjoyed that my faculty at Uni of Melbourne prepped us for the toughest aspect of the job: No, not euthanasia. Rather, it’s handling your clients. From sharing breakfast with farmers at 5 in the morning to speaking to a teary family about what to expect before our mentor Vet enters the room to euthanize their ailing pet, our mentors/professors constantly reminded us that animals are only half of the equation. The people the animals belong to are similarly important. As a Doctor, have there been any particular cases that were your favorite? No clear favorites, but I love treating the lymphoma cases, as those are usually rewarding and you tend to form strong bonds with the pet + families. Do you have a specialty or are you working towards one? No specialty yet. I am keen on soft tissue surgery and oncology. What has been your most challenging case? A dog that had what looked like a bee sting reaction, but the swollen muzzle turned out to be cancer with a secondary MRSA infection. Do you frequently have to research cases, on off hours? ALL THE TIME! Tell us about the animals that you currently share your home with. I currently live with a 10yo (a guesstimated age) golden retriever Sally, and a 2yo African Grey Pazuzu. As the name suggests, Pazuzu is not to be trusted around sharp implements. Tell us the story about how you found Pazu. Pazu was found traipsing on the road one sunny afternoon by my friend Gin, who works with SPCA. He was brought into the shelter, and after a week of nobody coming forward to claim him, they asked if I’d like to take care of him. And that’s how we came to be! Do you bring Pazu or Sally to work with you? Pazu and Sally have both been to work with me, but they prefer the comfort of home, so I only bring them to work occasionally! Have you read or listened to anything worth sharing? Check out Ted Morris – a veterinarian who also happens to perform standup comedy! Do you have any last words of wisdom? It’s worth the climb. It’s going to be one of the hardest things you’ll ever do, but it’s worth it. You are going to find yourself crying in the middle of the supermarket at some point but DON’T GIVE UP! How can people find you? (Social media or email) [email protected] Instagram: Dawn Likes Manatees
Australian officials who led the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 airliner—believed to be in waters up to 6 kilometres deep off Western Australia—are confident that it will be found if the hunt resumes. The Boeing 777 and its 227 passengers and 12 crew vanished on 8 March 2014 during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. MH370 took off just after midnight and the final voice communication from it was pilot Zaharhie Ahmad Shah bidding the control tower ‘goodnight’. The initial search focused on the ocean along the route to China to the northeast of Malaysia. But analysis of radar and satellite communication data days later revealed that the aircraft had turned back across the Malay Peninsula and then made another turn southwards down towards the southern Indian Ocean. It flew on for six hours. Those turns had to have been made by someone at the controls. Malaysian police discovered that the pilot had plotted a course into the southern Indian Ocean on a computer flight simulator at his home, but that is regarded as inconclusive and circumstantial and no other evidence has emerged to indicate that he was responsible for the jet’s disappearance. And two Iranian men aboard the jet were travelling on false passports, though nothing has emerged to indicate that they were involved in the loss of MH370. The search covered 120,000 square kilometres over 1,046 days until 17 January 2017, when the governments of Malaysia, Australia and China decided to suspend it until clear evidence emerged of the aircraft’s likely location. In the search area, up to 2,800 kilometres from the coast, sections of the ocean floor are rugged and scattered with volcanoes and giant ravines. Now a US company, Ocean Infinity, has reached an agreement with Malaysia to renew the search on a ‘no find, no fee’ basis. It’s expected to focus on an area of under 25,000 square kilometres which the Australian Transport Safety Bureau says in its final investigation report ‘has the highest likelihood of containing MH370’. Transport Minister Darren Chester has announced that, at Malaysia’s request, Australia will provide technical assistance to the Malaysian government and Ocean Infinity. The company plans to use six remote-controlled autonomous underwater vehicles to scan the ocean floor. The intersecting evidence provided by different branches of science has identified an area, to the north of that searched so far, where the jet is now believed to lie. ‘The understanding of where MH370 may be located is better now than it has ever been’, the bureau’s search summary says. Re-analysis of satellite imagery taken on 23 March 2014 has identified a range of objects which may be MH370 debris. Their location is consistent with the findings of an expert review panel on the area most likely to contain MH370. The ATSB says the underwater search has eliminated most of what were considered high-probability areas identified by reconstructing the aircraft’s flight path. Over two years, pieces of the airliner’s wings and interior have been carried for thousands of kilometres on ocean currents and washed up on Indian Ocean islands and on the east coast of Africa. Studies of the path taken by that debris have identified the most likely crash area with increased precision. The ATSB says the reasons for the loss of MH370 can’t be established with certainty until the aircraft is found. ‘It is almost inconceivable, and certainly societally unacceptable in the modern aviation era with 10 million passengers boarding commercial aircraft every day, for a large commercial aircraft to be missing and for the world not to know with certainty what became of the aircraft and those on board.’ Once it became clear that the aircraft turned southwards, the search teams were left to cover a vast area guided by the slenderest of clues drawn from minute fragments of evidence. Those fragments give glimpses that are enticing but too fleeting to build a picture of what happened. After the pilot’s final contact, the aircraft made a slow right turn south of Penang Island. Then, the first officer’s mobile phone was detected by a communications tower on Penang. There’s no evidence that a call was made, but that does indicate that the phone was turned on. If the aircraft is found and the wreckage recovered, investigators will target the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder. If it’s intact, the flight recorder should provide 24 hours of operational information from the jet. The cockpit recorder is problematic. It operates in a loop of about two hours that records over what has gone before. That would pick up any conversations, or words spoken, in the cockpit in the lead-up to the crash. Even no one in the cockpit was conscious when MH370 made its final dive, the device would still have picked up relevant information such as engines shutting down and alarms sounding as the fuel ran out and the aircraft’s attitude changed. But there may well be other sources of information in the mobile phones, cameras and other electronic equipment carried by passengers and crew members that might provide evidence of what caused the disaster if they had time to use them. With little concrete evidence for investigators to work with, the search so far has been based on information painstakingly squeezed from systems that were never intended to find missing aircraft. As MH370 flew, it automatically received or sent routine signals as ‘handshakes’ with a satellite linked to a ground station in Perth. That system worked independently from others controlled by the crew and was designed to provide data about the state of parts such as the engines. Technicians from Inmarsat discovered the signals and realised that the jet must have flown on for hours. Two satellite phone calls made to MH370 had gone unanswered, but analysis of the signals indicated that the jet was heading south. With almost nothing else to go on, scientists from the Defence Science and Technology Group were left to calculate the time it took for the signals to travel between the aircraft and the satellite, and hence to work out where MH370 was at that time. Two signals from the aircraft were different. One came early on, when the satellite communications system came back to life after a period of silence. And then, after the six-hourly ‘handshakes’ came a signal which was out of sequence and, again, seemed to be the result of a power failure to the satellite communications system. The investigators believe that happened at 8.19 am (WA time) on 9 March, after the aircraft ran out of fuel and the two giant engines flamed out—the left engine first and the right up to 15 minutes later. Simulations by Boeing indicate that once the engines lost power, MH370 would likely have slowed and lost lift. Its nose would have dropped and it would have descended in a ‘phugoid’ motion in a series of swoops. It’s likely that the jet fell very fast—up to 25,000 feet a minute. As it gathered speed, it would gain lift and climb again. As that speed fell off, its nose would have dropped rapidly once more and the aircraft would have done another steep dive. That process is likely to have been repeated until it hit the water, probably with one wing down, according to Boeing. The impact would have been catastrophic. The discovery of ­pieces of the aircraft’s interior indicates that it broke up on impact. Examination of a crucial piece of wreckage confirms that when MH370 slammed into the ocean, a wing flap was in a ‘cruise’ position and not lowered for a landing as it would have been had there been a pilot at the controls. The flap was likely torn from the jet as it hit the water and drifted for more than a year to the coast of Tanzania in East Africa. It was part of the right wing ­positioned next to another control surface known as a ‘flaperon’ which washed up on Réunion Island. The new search area lies along the seventh of a series of arcs calculated from the satellite signals. It was one of the first areas covered but the view now is that search wasn’t wide enough and should be expanded by about 25 nautical miles on each side of the arc. Based on costs so far, the fresh search is likely to cost up to $50 million.
A family didn't realize their home had been broken into until they found a bag with the stolen items along with $50 attached to a letter of apology from the thief. The thief wrote that the burglary was "the worst mistake in my life" and that the money would cover the cost of repairing a screen door broken during the robbery. A camera and video game console were pinched from the home in Guelph, Ont., last Thursday night, but brought back hours later in a green bag with the letter and apology cash. "I can't put it into words how sorry I am," the thief explained in the typed note, adding they were having financial trouble. "This is the first and last time I will ever commit a crime... Please find it in your hearts to forgive the stranger who harmed you." The note explained the thief felt "ashamed" and would perform at least 15 hours of community service to "partially atone" for the crime. Guelph police Sgt. Doug Pflug said the items were taken while the family was out walking their dog, but the robbery wasn't noticed until a family member found the bag outside the door the next morning. Pflug said realizing they'd been robbed was a shock to the family, who asked police not to identify them. "They were surprised," he said. "They didn't know their home had been violated." Pflug said police aren't closing the case, but explained the thief's change of heart doesn't mean they'd avoid arrest if found, since they could be wanted on outstanding charges. "Even though they say this is the first time they've committed a crime, how do you know?" he said. Pflug said Guelph last saw a repentant thief last August, when items stolen from parked cars were returned with an apology note signed "two stupid kids."
One of the biggest benefits to building a single page app (SPA) is the ability to host flat files, rather than needing to build and service a back-end infrastructure. However, most of the applications that we will build need to be powered by a back-end server with custom data. There are a growing number of options to enable us developers to focus on building only our front-end code and leave the back-ends alone. Amazon released a new option for us late last week to allow us to build server-less web applications from right inside the browser: Amazon AWS Javascript SDK. Their browser-based (and server-side with NodeJS) SDK allows us to confidently host our applications and interact with production-grade back-end services. Now, it’s possible to host our application stack entirely on Amazon infrastructure, using S3 to host our application and files, DynamoDB as a NoSQL store, and other web-scale services. We can even securely accept payments from the client side and get all the benefits of the Amazon CDN. With this release, the Javascript SDK now allows us to interact with a large portion of the dozens of Amazon AWS services. These services include: DynamoDB The fast, fully managed NoSQL database service that allows you to scale to infinite size with automatic triplicate replication with secure access controls. Simple Notification Service (SNS) The fast, flexible fully managed push notification service that allows us to push messages to mobile devices as well as other services, such as email or even to amazon’s own Simple Queue Service (SQS). Simple Queue Service (SQS) The fast, reliable, fully managed queue service that allows us to create huge queues in a fully managed way. It allows us to create large request objects so we can fully decouple our application’s components from each other using a common queue. Simple Storage Service (S3) The web-scale and fully managed data store that allows us to store large objects (up to 5 terabytes) with an unlimited number of objects. We can use S3 to securely store encrypted and protected data all over the world. We’ll even use S3 to host our own Angular apps. Security Token Service (STS) The web-service that allows us to request temporary and limited privileged credentials for IAM users. We won’t cover this in-depth, but it does provide a nice interface to creating limited secure operations on our data. The full list of services can be found on the official project here. AWSJS + Angular In this section, we intend on demonstrating how to get our applications up and running on the AWSJS stack in minutes. To do so, we’re going to create a mini, bare-bones version of Gumroad that we will allow our users to upload screenshots and we’ll let them sell their screenshots by integrating with the fantastic Stripe API. We cannot recommend enough these two services and this mini-demo is not intended on replacing their services, only to demonstrate the power of Angular and the AWS API. To create our product, we’ll need to: Allow users to login to our service and store their unique emails Allow users to upload files that are associated with them Allow buyers to click on images and present them with an option to buy the uploaded image Take credit card charges and accept money, directly from a single page angular app We’ve included the entire source of the article at http://d.pr/aL9q. Getting started We’ll start with a standard structured index.html : <!doctype html> <html> <head> <script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/angularjs/1.2.0-rc.3/angular.min.js"></script> <script src="http://code.angularjs.org/1.2.0-rc.3/angular-route.min.js"></script> <link rel="stylesheet" href="styles/bootstrap.min.css"> </head> <body> <div ng-view></div> <script src="scripts/app.js"></script> <script src="scripts/controllers.js"></script> <script src="scripts/services.js"></script> <script src="scripts/directives.js"></script> </body> </html> 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 <!doctype html> <html> <head> <script src = "https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/angularjs/1.2.0-rc.3/angular.min.js" > </script> <script src = "http://code.angularjs.org/1.2.0-rc.3/angular-route.min.js" > </script> <link rel = "stylesheet" href = "styles/bootstrap.min.css" > </head> <body> <div ng - view > </div> <script src = "scripts/app.js" > </script> <script src = "scripts/controllers.js" > </script> <script src = "scripts/services.js" > </script> <script src = "scripts/directives.js" > </script> </body> </html> In this standard angular template, we’re not loading anything crazy. We’re loading the base angular library as well as ngRoute and our custom application code. Our application code is also standard. Our scripts/app.js simply defines an angular module along with a single route / : angular.module('myApp', [ 'ngRoute', 'myApp.services', 'myApp.directives']) .config(function($routeProvider) { $routeProvider .when('/', { controller: 'MainCtrl', templateUrl: 'templates/main.html', }) .otherwise({ redirectTo: '/' }); }); 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 angular . module ( 'myApp' , [ 'ngRoute' , 'myApp.services' , 'myApp.directives' ] ) . config ( function ( $ routeProvider ) { $ routeProvider . when ( '/' , { controller : 'MainCtrl' , templateUrl : 'templates/main.html' , } ) . otherwise ( { redirectTo : '/' } ) ; } ) ; Our scripts/controllers.js creates controllers from the main module: angular.module('myApp') .controller('MainCtrl', function($scope) { }); 1 2 3 4 angular . module ( 'myApp' ) . controller ( 'MainCtrl' , function ( $ scope ) { } ) ; And our scripts/services.js and scripts/directives.js are simple as well: // scripts/services.js angular.module('myApp.services', []); 1 2 // scripts/services.js angular . module ( 'myApp.services' , [ ] ) ; // scripts/directives.js angular.module('myApp.directives', []) 1 2 // scripts/directives.js angular . module ( 'myApp.directives' , [ ] ) Introduction The aws ecosystem is huge and is used all over the world, in production. The gross amount of useful services that Amazon runs makes it a fantastic platform to power our applications on top of. Historically, the APIs have not always been the easiest to use and understand, so we hope to address some of that confusion here. Traditionally, we’d use a signed request with our applications utilizing the clientid/secret access key model. Since we’re operating in the browser, it’s not a good idea to embed our clientid and our client_secret in the browser where anyone can see it. (It’s not much of a secret anyway if it’s embedded in clear text, right?). Luckily, the AWS team has provided us with an alternative method of identifying and authenticating our site to give access to the aws resources. The first steps to creating an AWS-based angular app will be to set up this relatively complex authentication and authorization we’ll use throughout the process. Currently (at the time of this writing), the AWS JS library integrates cleanly with three authentication providers: Facebook Google Plus Amazon Login In this section, we’ll be focusing on integrating with the Google+ API to host our login, but the process is very similar for the other two authentication providers. Installation First things first, we’ll need to install the files in our index.html . Inside of our index.html , we’ll need to include the aws-sdk library as well as the Google API library. We’ll modify our index.html to include these libraries: <!doctype html> <html> <head> <script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/angularjs/1.2.0-rc.3/angular.min.js"></script> <script src="http://code.angularjs.org/1.2.0-rc.3/angular-route.min.js"></script> <script src="https://sdk.amazonaws.com/js/aws-sdk-2.0.0-rc1.min.js"></script> <link rel="stylesheet" href="styles/bootstrap.min.css"> </head> <body> <div ng-view></div> <script src="scripts/app.js"></script> <script src="scripts/controllers.js"></script> <script src="scripts/services.js"></script> <script src="scripts/directives.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://js.stripe.com/v2/"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> (function() { var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true; po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/client:plusone.js?onload=onLoadCallback'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s); })(); </script> </body> </html> 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 <!doctype html> <html> <head> <script src = "https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/angularjs/1.2.0-rc.3/angular.min.js" > </script> <script src = "http://code.angularjs.org/1.2.0-rc.3/angular-route.min.js" > </script> <script src = "https://sdk.amazonaws.com/js/aws-sdk-2.0.0-rc1.min.js" > </script> <link rel = "stylesheet" href = "styles/bootstrap.min.css" > </head> <body> <div ng - view > </div> <script src = "scripts/app.js" > </script> <script src = "scripts/controllers.js" > </script> <script src = "scripts/services.js" > </script> <script src = "scripts/directives.js" > </script> <script type = "text/javascript" src = "https://js.stripe.com/v2/" > </script> <script type = "text/javascript" > ( function ( ) { var po = document . createElement ( 'script' ) ; po . type = 'text/javascript' ; po . async = true ; po . src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/client:plusone.js?onload=onLoadCallback' ; var s = document . getElementsByTagName ( 'script' ) [ 0 ] ; s . parentNode . insertBefore ( po , s ) ; } ) ( ) ; </script> </body> </html> Now, notice that we added an onload callback for the Google Javascript library and we did not use the ng-app to bootstrap our application. If we let angular automatically bootstrap our application, we’ll run into a race condition where the Google API may not be loaded when the application starts. This non-deterministic nature of our application will make the experience unusable, so instead we will manually bootstrap our app in the onLoadCallback function. To manually bootstrap the application, we’ll add the onLoadCallback function to the window service. Before we can call to bootstrap angular, we’ll need to ensure that the google login client is loaded. The google API client, or gapi gets included at run-time and is set by default to lazy-load its services. By telling the gapi.client to load the oauth2 library in advance of starting our app, we will avoid any potential mishaps of the oauth2 library being unavailable. // in scripts/app.js window.onLoadCallback = function() { // When the document is ready angular.element(document).ready(function() { // Bootstrap the oauth2 library gapi.client.load('oauth2', 'v2', function() { // Finally, bootstrap our angular app angular.bootstrap(document, ['myApp']); }); }); } 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 // in scripts/app.js window . onLoadCallback = function ( ) { // When the document is ready angular . element ( document ) . ready ( function ( ) { // Bootstrap the oauth2 library gapi . client . load ( 'oauth2' , 'v2' , function ( ) { // Finally, bootstrap our angular app angular . bootstrap ( document , [ 'myApp' ] ) ; } ) ; } ) ; } With the libraries available and our application ready to be bootstrapped, we can set up the authorization part of our app. Running As we are using services that depend upon our URL to be an expected URL, we’ll need to run this as a server, rather than simply loading the html in our browser. We recommend using the incredibly simple python SimpleHTTPServer $ python -m SimpleHTTPServer 9000 1 $ python - m SimpleHTTPServer 9000 Now we can load the url http://localhost:9000/ in our browser. User authorization/authentication First, we’ll need to get a client_id and a client_secret from Google so that we’ll be able to actually interact with the google plus login system. To get an app, head over to the Google APIs console and create a project. Open the project by clicking on the name and click on the APIs & auth nav button. From here, we’ll need to enable the Google+ API . Find the APIs button and click on it. Find the Google+ API item and click the OFF to ON slider. Once that’s set, we’ll need to create and register an application and use it’s application ID to make authenticated calls. Find the Registered apps option and click on it to create an app. Make sure to select the Web Application option when it asks about the type of application. Once this is set, you’ll be brought to the application details page. Select the OAuth 2.0 Client ID dropdown and take note of the application’s Client ID. We’ll use this in a few minutes. Lastly, add the localhost origin to the WEB ORIGIN of the application. This will ensure we can develop with the API locally: The google console has changed slightly and no longer accepts localhost as a valid origin. When in development, we like to change our local computer name. For instance, my local computer name is ari.dev . In the google web console, change the name to http://ari.dev:9000 and load the html by the name in the browser. Next, we’ll create a google+ login directive. This Angular directive will enable us to add a customized login button to our app with a single file element. For more information about directives, check out our in-depth post on directives. We’re going to have two pieces of functionality with our google login, we’ll create an element that we’ll attach a the standard google login button and we’ll want to run a custom function after the button has been rendered. The final directive will look like the following in scripts/directives.js : angular.module('myApp.directives', []) .directive('googleSignin', function() { return { restrict: 'A', template: '<span id="signinButton"></span>', replace: true, scope: { afterSignin: '&' }, link: function(scope, ele, attrs) { // Set standard google class attrs.$set('class', 'g-signin'); // Set the clientid attrs.$set('data-clientid', attrs.clientId+'.apps.googleusercontent.com'); // build scope urls var scopes = attrs.scopes || [ 'auth/plus.login', 'auth/userinfo.email' ]; var scopeUrls = []; for (var i = 0; i < scopes.length; i++) { scopeUrls.push('https://www.googleapis.com/' + scopes[i]); }; // Create a custom callback method var callbackId = "_googleSigninCallback", directiveScope = scope; window[callbackId] = function() { var oauth = arguments[0]; directiveScope.afterSignin({oauth: oauth}); window[callbackId] = null; }; // Set standard google signin button settings attrs.$set('data-callback', callbackId); attrs.$set('data-cookiepolicy', 'single_host_origin'); attrs.$set('data-requestvisibleactions', 'http://schemas.google.com/AddActivity') attrs.$set('data-scope', scopeUrls.join(' ')); // Finally, reload the client library to // force the button to be painted in the browser (function() { var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true; po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/client:plusone.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s); })(); } } }); 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 angular . module ( 'myApp.directives' , [ ] ) . directive ( 'googleSignin' , function ( ) { return { restrict : 'A' , template : '<span id="signinButton"></span>' , replace : true , scope : { afterSignin : '&' } , link : function ( scope , ele , attrs ) { // Set standard google class attrs . $ set ( 'class' , 'g-signin' ) ; // Set the clientid attrs . $ set ( 'data-clientid' , attrs . clientId + '.apps.googleusercontent.com' ) ; // build scope urls var scopes = attrs . scopes || [ 'auth/plus.login' , 'auth/userinfo.email' ] ; var scopeUrls = [ ] ; for ( var i = 0 ; i < scopes . length ; i ++ ) { scopeUrls . push ( 'https://www.googleapis.com/' + scopes [ i ] ) ; } ; // Create a custom callback method var callbackId = "_googleSigninCallback" , directiveScope = scope ; window [ callbackId ] = function ( ) { var oauth = arguments [ 0 ] ; directiveScope . afterSignin ( { oauth : oauth } ) ; window [ callbackId ] = null ; } ; // Set standard google signin button settings attrs . $ set ( 'data-callback' , callbackId ) ; attrs . $ set ( 'data-cookiepolicy' , 'single_host_origin' ) ; attrs . $ set ( 'data-requestvisibleactions' , 'http://schemas.google.com/AddActivity' ) attrs . $ set ( 'data-scope' , scopeUrls . join ( ' ' ) ) ; // Finally, reload the client library to // force the button to be painted in the browser ( function ( ) { var po = document . createElement ( 'script' ) ; po . type = 'text/javascript' ; po . async = true ; po . src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/client:plusone.js' ; var s = document . getElementsByTagName ( 'script' ) [ 0 ] ; s . parentNode . insertBefore ( po , s ) ; } ) ( ) ; } } } ) ; Although it’s long, it’s fairly straightforward. We’re assigning the google button class g-signin , attaching the clientid based on an attribute we pass in, building the scopes, etc. One unique part of this directive is that we’re creating a custom callback on the window object. Effectively, this will allow us to fake the callback method needing to be called in Javascript when we make the function to allow us to actually make the call to the local afterSignin action instead. We’ll then clean up the global object because we’re allergic to global state in AngularJS. With our directive primed and ready to go, we can include the directive in our view. We’re going to call the directive in our view like so, replacing the client-id and the after-signin attributes on the directive to our own. Make sure to include the oauth parameter exactly as it’s spelled in the after-signup attribute. This is called this way due to how angular directives call methods with parameters inside of directives. <h2>Signin to ngroad</h2> <div google-signin client-id='CLIENT_ID' after-signin="signedIn(oauth)"></div> <pre>{{ user | json }}</pre> 1 2 3 4 5 <h2> Signin to ngroad </h2> <div google - signin client-id = 'CLIENT_ID' after-signin = "signedIn(oauth)" > </div> <pre> {{ user | json }} </pre> See it Signin to ngroad { "state": "", "error_subtype": "origin_mismatch", "error": "immediate_failed", "session_state": "1a29b5a9ae878c25f578ff912e3aca68dcb17274.WK13g5v8CDFIWWon.b6f8", "client_id": "395118764244-q12ta6un8j1ns15o5blj203sho962prs.apps.googleusercontent.com", "scope": "https://www.googleapis.com/auth/plus.login https://www.googleapis.com/auth/userinfo.email", "g_user_cookie_policy": "single_host_origin", "cookie_policy": "single_host_origin", "response_type": "code token id_token gsession", "issued_at": "1439242459", "expires_in": "86400", "expires_at": "1439328859", "status": { "google_logged_in": true, "signed_in": false, "method": null } } 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 { "state" : "" , "error_subtype" : "origin_mismatch" , "error" : "immediate_failed" , "session_state" : "1a29b5a9ae878c25f578ff912e3aca68dcb17274.WK13g5v8CDFIWWon.b6f8" , "client_id" : "395118764244-q12ta6un8j1ns15o5blj203sho962prs.apps.googleusercontent.com" , "scope" : "https://www.googleapis.com/auth/plus.login https://www.googleapis.com/auth/userinfo.email" , "g_user_cookie_policy" : "single_host_origin" , "cookie_policy" : "single_host_origin" , "response_type" : "code token id_token gsession" , "issued_at" : "1439242459" , "expires_in" : "86400" , "expires_at" : "1439328859" , "status" : { "google_logged_in" : true , "signed_in" : false , "method" : null } } The user data in the example is the returned access_token for your login (if you log in). It is not saved on our servers, not sensitive data, and will disappear when you leave the page. Finally, we’ll need our button to actually cause an action, so we’ll need to define our after-signin method signedIn(oauth) in our controller. This signedIn() method will kill off the authenticated page for us in our real application. Note, this method would be an ideal place to set a redirect to a new route, for instance the /dashboard route for authenticated users. angular.module('myApp') .controller('MainCtrl', function($scope) { $scope.signedIn = function(oauth) { $scope.user = oauth; } }); 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 angular . module ( 'myApp' ) . controller ( 'MainCtrl' , function ( $ scope ) { $ scope . signedIn = function ( oauth ) { $ scope . user = oauth ; } } ) ; UserService Before we dive a bit deeper into the AWS-side of things, let’s create ourselves a UserService that is responsible for holding on to our new user. This UserService will handle the bulk of the work for interacting with the AWS backend as well as keep a copy of the current user. Although we’re not quite ready to attach a backend, we can start building it out to handle holding on to a persistent copy of the user instance. In our scripts/services.js , we’ll create the beginnings of our UserService : angular.module('myApp.services', []) .factory('UserService', function($q, $http) { var service = { _user: null, setCurrentUser: function(u) { if (u && !u.error) { service._user = u; return service.currentUser(); } else { var d = $q.defer(); d.reject(u.error); return d.promise; } }, currentUser: function() { var d = $q.defer(); d.resolve(service._user); return d.promise; } }; return service; }); 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 angular . module ( 'myApp.services' , [ ] ) . factory ( 'UserService' , function ( $ q , $ http ) { var service = { _user : null , setCurrentUser : function ( u ) { if ( u && ! u . error ) { service . _user = u ; return service . currentUser ( ) ; } else { var d = $ q . defer ( ) ; d . reject ( u . error ) ; return d . promise ; } } , currentUser : function ( ) { var d = $ q . defer ( ) ; d . resolve ( service . _user ) ; return d . promise ; } } ; return service ; } ) ; Although this setup is a bit contrived for the time being, we’ll want the functionality to set the currentUser as a permanent fixture in the service. Remember, services are singleton objects that live for the duration of the application lifecycle. Now, instead of simply setting our user in the return of the signedIn() function, we can set the user to the UserService : angular.module('myApp') .controller('MainCtrl', function($scope) { $scope.signedIn = function(oauth) { UserService.setCurrentUser(oauth) .then(function(user) { $scope.user = user; }); } }); 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 angular . module ( 'myApp' ) . controller ( 'MainCtrl' , function ( $ scope ) { $ scope . signedIn = function ( oauth ) { UserService . setCurrentUser ( oauth ) . then ( function ( user ) { $ scope . user = user ; } ) ; } } ) ; For our application to work, we’re going to need to hold on to actual user emails so we can provide a better method of interacting with our users as well as holding on to some persistent, unique data per-user. We’ll use the gapi.client.oauth2.userinfo.get() method to fetch the user’s email address rather than holding on to the user’s access_token (and other various access details). In our UserService , we’ll update our currentUser() method to include this functionality: // ... }, currentUser: function() { var d = $q.defer(); if (service._user) { d.resolve(service._user); } else { gapi.client.oauth2.userinfo.get() .execute(function(e) { service._user = e; }) } return d.promise; } // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 // ... } , currentUser : function ( ) { var d = $ q . defer ( ) ; if ( service . _user ) { d . resolve ( service . _user ) ; } else { gapi . client . oauth2 . userinfo . get ( ) . execute ( function ( e ) { service . _user = e ; } ) } return d . promise ; } // ... All aboard AWS Now, as we said when we first started this journey, we’ll need to set up authorization with the AWS services. If you do not have an AWS account, head over to aws.amazon.com and grab an account. It’s free and quick. Now, first things first: we’ll need to create an IAM role. IAM, or AWS’s Identity and Access Management service is one of the reasons why the AWS services are so powerful. We can create fine-grain access controls over our systems and data using IAM. Unfortunately, this flexibility and power of IAM also makes it a bit more complex, so we’ll walk through creating it here and making it as clear as we can. Let’s create the IAM role. Head to the IAM console and click on the Roles navigation link. Click the Create New Role button and give our new role a name. We’ll call ours the google-web-role . Next, we’ll need to configure the IAM role to be a Web Identity Provider Access role type. This is how we’ll be able to manage our new role’s access to our AWS services. Now, remember the CLIENT ID that we created from google above? In the next screen, select Google from the dropdown and paste the CLIENT ID into the Audience box. This will join our IAM role and our Google app together so that our application can call out to AWS services with an authenticated Google user. Click through the Verify Trust (the next screen). This screen shows the raw configuration for AWS services. Next, we’ll create the policy for our applications. The Policy Generator is the easiest method of getting up and running quickly to build policies. This is where we’ll set what actions our users can and cannot take. In this step, we’re going to be taking very specific actions that our web users can take. We’re going to allow our users to the following actions for each service: S3 On the specific bucket ( ng-newsletter-example , in our example app), we’re going to allow our users to take the following actions: GetObject ListBucket PutObject The Amazon Resource Name (ARN) for our s3 bucket is: arn:aws:s3:::ng-newsletter-example/* 1 arn : aws : s3 :: : ng - newsletter - example / * DynamoDB For two specific table resources, we’re going to allow the following actions: GetItem PutItem Query The Amazon Resource Name (ARN) for our dynamoDB tables are the following: [ "arn:aws:dynamodb:us-east-1:<ACCOUNT_ID>:table/Users", "arn:aws:dynamodb:us-east-1:<ACCOUNT_ID>:table/UsersItems" ] 1 2 3 4 [ "arn:aws:dynamodb:us-east-1:<ACCOUNT_ID>:table/Users" , "arn:aws:dynamodb:us-east-1:<ACCOUNT_ID>:table/UsersItems" ] Your can be found on your Account dashboard. Click on the My Account button at the top of the page and navigate to the page. Your ACCOUNT_ID is the number called ‘Account Number:’. The final version of our policy can be found here. For more information on the confusing ARN numbers, check out the amazon documentation on them here. One final piece of information that we’ll need to hold on to is the Role ARN . We can find this Role ARN on the summary tab of the IAM user in our IAM console. Take note of this string as we’ll set it in a moment. Now that we’re finally done with creating our IAM user, we can move on to integrating it inside of our angular app. AWSService We’ll move the root of our application for integrating with AWS into it’s own service we’re going to build called the AWSService . Since we are going to need to have the ability to custom configure our service at configure-time, we’ll want to create it as a provider . Remember, the only service-type that can be injected into the .config() function is the .provider() type. First, we’ll create the stub of our provider in scripts/services.js : // ... .provider('AWSService', function() { var self = this; self.arn = null; self.setArn = function(arn) { if (arn) self.arn = arn; } self.$get = function($q) { return {} } }); 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 // ... . provider ( 'AWSService' , function ( ) { var self = this ; self . arn = null ; self . setArn = function ( arn ) { if ( arn ) self . arn = arn ; } self . $ get = function ( $ q ) { return { } } } ) ; As we can already start to notice, we’ll need to set the Role ARN for this service so that we can attach the proper user to the correct services. Setting up our AWSService as a provider like we do above enables us to set the following in our scripts/app.js file: angular.module('myApp', ['ngRoute', 'myApp.services', 'myApp.directives'] ) .config(function(AWSServiceProvider) { AWSServiceProvider .setArn( 'arn:aws:iam::<ACCOUNT_ID>:role/google-web-role'); }) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 angular . module ( 'myApp' , [ 'ngRoute' , 'myApp.services' , 'myApp.directives' ] ) . config ( function ( AWSServiceProvider ) { AWSServiceProvider . setArn ( 'arn:aws:iam::<ACCOUNT_ID>:role/google-web-role' ) ; } ) Now, we can carry on with the AWSService and not worry about overriding our Role ARN as well as it becomes incredibly easy to share amongst our different applications instead of recreating it every time. Our AWSService at this point doesn’t really do anything yet. The last component that we’ll need to ensure works is that we give access to our actual users who log in. This final step is where we’ll need to tell the AWS library that we have an authenticated user that can operate as our IAM role. We’ll create this credentials as a promise that will eventually be resolved so we can define the different portions of our application without needing to bother checking if the credentials have been loaded simply by using the .then() method on promises. Let’s modify our $get() method in our service adding a method that we’ll call setToken() to create a new set of WebIdentityCredentials : // ... self.$get = function($q) { var credentialsDefer = $q.defer(), credentialsPromise = credentialsDefer.promise; return { credentials: function() { return credentialsPromise; }, setToken: function(token, providerId) { var config = { RoleArn: self.arn, WebIdentityToken: token, RoleSessionName: 'web-id' } if (providerId) { config['ProviderId'] = providerId; } self.config = config; AWS.config.credentials = new AWS.WebIdentityCredentials(config); credentialsDefer .resolve(AWS.config.credentials); } } } // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 // ... self . $ get = function ( $ q ) { var credentialsDefer = $ q . defer ( ) , credentialsPromise = credentialsDefer . promise ; return { credentials : function ( ) { return credentialsPromise ; } , setToken : function ( token , providerId ) { var config = { RoleArn : self . arn , WebIdentityToken : token , RoleSessionName : 'web-id' } if ( providerId ) { config [ 'ProviderId' ] = providerId ; } self . config = config ; AWS . config . credentials = new AWS . WebIdentityCredentials ( config ) ; credentialsDefer . resolve ( AWS . config . credentials ) ; } } } // ... Now, when we get our oauth.access_token back from our login through Google, we’ll pass in the id_token to this function which will take care of the AWS config setup. Let’s modify the UserService service such that we call the setToken() method: // ... .factory('UserService', function($q, $http) { var service = { _user: null, setCurrentUser: function(u) { if (u && !u.error) { AWSService.setToken(u.id_token); return service.currentUser(); } else { var d = $q.defer(); d.reject(u.error); return d.promise; } }, // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 // ... . factory ( 'UserService' , function ( $ q , $ http ) { var service = { _user : null , setCurrentUser : function ( u ) { if ( u && ! u . error ) { AWSService . setToken ( u . id_token ) ; return service . currentUser ( ) ; } else { var d = $ q . defer ( ) ; d . reject ( u . error ) ; return d . promise ; } } , // ... Starting on dynamo In our application, we’ll want to associate any images that one user uploads to that unique user. To create this association, we’ll create a dynamo table that stores our users as well as another that stores the association between the user and the user’s uploaded files. To start interacting with dynamo, we’ll first need to instantiate a dynamo object. We’ll do this inside of our AWSService service object, like so: // ... setToken: function(token, providerId) { // ... }, dynamo: function(params) { var d = $q.defer(); credentialsPromise.then(function() { var table = new AWS.DynamoDB(params); d.resolve(table); }); return d.promise; }, // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 // ... setToken : function ( token , providerId ) { // ... } , dynamo : function ( params ) { var d = $ q . defer ( ) ; credentialsPromise . then ( function ( ) { var table = new AWS . DynamoDB ( params ) ; d . resolve ( table ) ; } ) ; return d . promise ; } , // ... As we discussed earlier, by using promises inside of our service objects, we only need to use the promise .then() api method to ensure our credentials are set when we’re starting to use them. You might ask why we’re setting params with our dynamo function. Sometimes we’ll want to interact with our dynamoDB with different configurations and different setups. This might cause us to need to recreate objects that we already use once in our page. Rather than having this duplication around with our different AWS objects, we’ll cache these objects using the built-in angular $cacheFactory service. $cacheFactory The $cacheFactory service enables us to create an object if we need it or recycle and reuse an object if we’ve already needed it in the past. To start caching, we’ll create a dynamoCache object where we’ll store our cached dynamo objects: // ... self.$get = function($q, $cacheFactory) { var dynamoCache = $cacheFactory('dynamo'), credentialsDefer = $q.defer(), credentialsPromise = credentialsDefer.promise; return { // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 // ... self . $ get = function ( $ q , $ cacheFactory ) { var dynamoCache = $ cacheFactory ( 'dynamo' ) , credentialsDefer = $ q . defer ( ) , credentialsPromise = credentialsDefer . promise ; return { // ... Now, back in our dynamo method, we can draw from the cache if the object exists in the cache or we can set it to create the object when necessary: // ... dynamo: function(params) { var d = $q.defer(); credentialsPromise.then(function() { var table = dynamoCache.get(JSON.stringify(params)); if (!table) { var table = new AWS.DynamoDB(params); dynamoCache.put(JSON.stringify(params), table); }; d.resolve(table); }); return d.promise; }, // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 // ... dynamo : function ( params ) { var d = $ q . defer ( ) ; credentialsPromise . then ( function ( ) { var table = dynamoCache . get ( JSON . stringify ( params ) ) ; if ( ! table ) { var table = new AWS . DynamoDB ( params ) ; dynamoCache . put ( JSON . stringify ( params ) , table ) ; } ; d . resolve ( table ) ; } ) ; return d . promise ; } , // ... Saving our currentUser When a user logs in and we fetch the user’s email, this is a good point for us to add the user to our user’s database. To create a dynamo object, we’ll use the promise api method .then() again, this time outside of the service. We’ll create an object that will enable us to interact with the User’s table we’ll create in the dynamo API console. We’ll need to manually create these dynamo tables the first time because we do not want to give access to our web users the ability to create dynamo tables, which might include us. To create a dynamo table, head to the dynamo console and find the Create Table button. Create a table called Users with a primary key type of Hash . The Hash Attribute Name will be the primary key that we’ll use to get and put objects on the table. For this demo, we’ll use the string: User email . Click through the next two screens and set up a basic alarm by entering your email. Although this step isn’t 100% necessary, it’s easy to forget that our tables are up and without being reminded, we might just end up leaving them up forever. Once we’ve clicked through the final review screen and click create, we’ll end up with a brand new Dynamo table where we will store our users. While we are at the console, we’ll create the join table. This is the table that will join the User and the items they upload. Find the Create Table button again and create a table called UsersItems with a primary key type of Hash and Range . For this table, The Hash Attribute Name will also be User email and the Range Attribute Name will be ItemId . This will allow us to query for User’s who have created items based on the User’s email. The rest of the options that are available on the next screens are optional and we can click through the rest. At this point, we have two dynamo tables available. Back to our UserService , we’ll first query the table to see if the user is already saved in our database, otherwise we’ll create an entry in our dynamo database. var service = { _user: null, UsersTable: "Users", UserItemsTable: "UsersItems", // ... currentUser: function() { var d = $q.defer(); if (service._user) { d.resolve(service._user); } else { // After we've loaded the credentials AWSService.credentials().then(function() { gapi.client.oauth2.userinfo.get() .execute(function(e) { var email = e.email; // Get the dynamo instance for the // UsersTable AWSService.dynamo({ params: {TableName: service.UsersTable} }) .then(function(table) { // find the user by email table.getItem({ Key: {'User email': {S: email}} }, function(err, data) { if (Object.keys(data).length == 0) { // User didn't previously exist // so create an entry var itemParams = { Item: { 'User email': {S: email}, data: { S: JSON.stringify(e) } } }; table.putItem(itemParams, function(err, data) { service._user = e; d.resolve(e); }); } else { // The user already exists service._user = JSON.parse(data.Item.data.S); d.resolve(service._user); } }); }); }); }); } return d.promise; }, // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 var service = { _user : null , UsersTable : "Users" , UserItemsTable : "UsersItems" , // ... currentUser : function ( ) { var d = $ q . defer ( ) ; if ( service . _user ) { d . resolve ( service . _user ) ; } else { // After we've loaded the credentials AWSService . credentials ( ) . then ( function ( ) { gapi . client . oauth2 . userinfo . get ( ) . execute ( function ( e ) { var email = e . email ; // Get the dynamo instance for the // UsersTable AWSService . dynamo ( { params : { TableName : service . UsersTable } } ) . then ( function ( table ) { // find the user by email table . getItem ( { Key : { 'User email' : { S : email } } } , function ( err , data ) { if ( Object . keys ( data ) . length == 0 ) { // User didn't previously exist // so create an entry var itemParams = { Item : { 'User email' : { S : email } , data : { S : JSON . stringify ( e ) } } } ; table . putItem ( itemParams , function ( err , data ) { service . _user = e ; d . resolve ( e ) ; } ) ; } else { // The user already exists service . _user = JSON . parse ( data . Item . data . S ) ; d . resolve ( service . _user ) ; } } ) ; } ) ; } ) ; } ) ; } return d . promise ; } , // ... Although it looks like a lot of code, this simply does a find or create by username on our dynamoDB. At this point, we can finally get back to our view and check out what’s happening in the view. In our templates/main.html , we’ll add a container that simply shows the Login form if there is no user and shows the user details if there is a user. We’ll do this with simple ng-show directives and our new google-signin directive. <div class="container"> <h1>Home</h1> <div ng-show="!user" class="row"> <div class="col-md-12"> <h2>Signup or login to ngroad</h2> <div google-signin client-id='395118764200' after-signin="signedIn(oauth)"></div> </div> </div> <div ng-show="user"> <pre>{{ user | json }}</pre> </div> </div> 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 <div class = "container" > <h1> Home </h1> <div ng-show = "!user" class = "row" > <div class = "col-md-12" > <h2> Signup or login to ngroad </h2> <div google - signin client-id = '395118764200' after-signin = "signedIn(oauth)" > </div> </div> </div> <div ng-show = "user" > <pre> {{ user | json }} </pre> </div> </div> With our view set up, we can now work with logged in users inside the second <div> (in production, it’s a good idea to make it a separate route). Uploading to s3 Now that we have our logged in user stored in dynamo, it’s time we create the ability to handle file upload where we’ll store our files directly on S3. First and foremost, a shallow dive into CORS. CORS, or Cross-Origin Resource Sharing is a security features that modern browsers support allowing us to make requests to foreign domains using a standard protocol. Luckily, the AWS team has made supporting CORS incredibly simple. If we’re hosting our site on s3, then we don’t even need to set up CORS (other than for development purposes). To enable CORS on a bucket, head to the s3 console and find the bucket that we’re going to use for file uploads. For this demo, we’re using the ng-newsletter-example bucket. Once the bucket has been located, click on it and load the Properties tab and pull open the Permissions option. click on the Add CORS configuration button and pick the standard CORS configuration. We’ll create a simple file upload directive that kicks off a method that uses the HTML5 File API to handle the file upload. This way, when the user selects the file the file upload will immediately start. To handle the file selection directive, we’ll create a simple directive that binds to the change event and calls a method after the file has been selected. The directive is simple: // ... .directive('fileUpload', function() { return { restrict: 'A', scope: { fileUpload: '&' }, template: '<input type="file" id="file" /> ', replace: true, link: function(scope, ele, attrs) { ele.bind('change', function() { var file = ele[0].files; if (file) scope.fileUpload({files: file}); }) } } }) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 // ... . directive ( 'fileUpload' , function ( ) { return { restrict : 'A' , scope : { fileUpload : '&' } , template : '<input type="file" id="file" /> ' , replace : true , link : function ( scope , ele , attrs ) { ele . bind ( 'change' , function ( ) { var file = ele [ 0 ] . files ; if ( file ) scope . fileUpload ( { files : file } ) ; } ) } } } ) This directive can be used in our view like so: <!-- ... --> <div class="row" <div class="col-md-12"> <div file-upload="onFile(files)"></div> </div> </div> 1 2 3 4 5 6 <!-- ... --> <div class = "row" <div class = "col-md-12" > <div file-upload = "onFile(files)" > </div> </div> </div> Now, when the file selection has been made, it will call the method onFile(files) in our current scope. Although we’re creating our own file directive here, we recommend checking out the ngUpload library for handling file uploads. Inside the onFile(files) method, we’ll want to handle the file upload to s3 and save the record to our dynamo database table. Instead of placing this functionality in the controller, we’ll be nice angular citizens and place this in our UserService service. First, we’ll need to make sure we have the ability to get an s3 Javascript object just like we made the dynamo available. // ... var dynamoCache = $cacheFactory('dynamo'), s3Cache = $cacheFactory('s3Cache'); // ... return { // ... s3: function(params) { var d = $q.defer(); credentialsPromise.then(function() { var s3Obj = s3Cache.get(JSON.stringify(params)); if (!s3Obj) { var s3Obj = new AWS.S3(params); s3Cache.put(JSON.stringify(params), s3Obj); } d.resolve(s3Obj); }); return d.promise; }, // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 // ... var dynamoCache = $ cacheFactory ( 'dynamo' ) , s3Cache = $ cacheFactory ( 's3Cache' ) ; // ... return { // ... s3 : function ( params ) { var d = $ q . defer ( ) ; credentialsPromise . then ( function ( ) { var s3Obj = s3Cache . get ( JSON . stringify ( params ) ) ; if ( ! s3Obj ) { var s3Obj = new AWS . S3 ( params ) ; s3Cache . put ( JSON . stringify ( params ) , s3Obj ) ; } d . resolve ( s3Obj ) ; } ) ; return d . promise ; } , // ... This method works the exact same way that our dynamo object creation works, giving us direct access to the s3 instance object as we’ll see shortly. Handling file uploads To handle file uploads, we’ll create a method that we’ll call uploadItemForSale() in our UserService . Planning our functionality, we’ll want to: Upload the file to S3 Get a signedUrl for the file Save this information to our database We’re going to be using our current user through this process, so we’ll start out by making sure we have our user and get an instance // in scripts/services.js // ... }, Bucket: 'ng-newsletter-example', uploadItemForSale: function(items) { var d = $q.defer(); service.currentUser().then(function(user) { // Handle the upload AWSService.s3({ params: { Bucket: service.Bucket } }).then(function(s3) { // We have a handle of our s3 bucket // in the s3 object }); }); return d.promise; }, // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 // in scripts/services.js // ... } , Bucket : 'ng-newsletter-example' , uploadItemForSale : function ( items ) { var d = $ q . defer ( ) ; service . currentUser ( ) . then ( function ( user ) { // Handle the upload AWSService . s3 ( { params : { Bucket : service . Bucket } } ) . then ( function ( s3 ) { // We have a handle of our s3 bucket // in the s3 object } ) ; } ) ; return d . promise ; } , // ... With the handle of the s3 bucket, we can create a file to upload. There are 3 required parameters when uploading to s3: Key – The key of the file object Body – The file blob itself ContentType – The type of file Luckily for us, all this information is available on the file object when we get it from the browser. // ... // Handle the upload AWSService.s3({ params: { Bucket: service.Bucket } }).then(function(s3) { // We have a handle of our s3 bucket // in the s3 object var file = items[0]; // Get the first file var params = { Key: file.name, Body: file, ContentType: file.type } s3.putObject(params, function(err, data) { // The file has been uploaded // or an error has occurred during the upload }); }); // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 // ... // Handle the upload AWSService . s3 ( { params : { Bucket : service . Bucket } } ) . then ( function ( s3 ) { // We have a handle of our s3 bucket // in the s3 object var file = items [ 0 ] ; // Get the first file var params = { Key : file . name , Body : file , ContentType : file . type } s3 . putObject ( params , function ( err , data ) { // The file has been uploaded // or an error has occurred during the upload } ) ; } ) ; // ... By default, s3 uploads files in a protected form. It prevents us from uploading and having the files available to the public without some work. This is a definite feature as anything that we upload to s3 will be protected and it forces us to make conscious choices about what files will be public and which are not. With that in mind, we’ll create a temporary url that expires after a given amount of time. In our ngroad marketplace, this will give a time-expiry on each of the items that are available for sale. In any case, to create a temporary url, we’ll fetch a signedUrl and store that in our join table for User’s Items: // ... s3.putObject(params, function(err, data) { if (!err) { var params = { Bucket: service.Bucket, Key: file.name, Expires: 900*4 // 1 hour }; s3.getSignedUrl('getObject', params, function(err, url) { // Now we have a url }); } }); }); // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 // ... s3 . putObject ( params , function ( err , data ) { if ( ! err ) { var params = { Bucket : service . Bucket , Key : file . name , Expires : 900 * 4 // 1 hour } ; s3 . getSignedUrl ( 'getObject' , params , function ( err , url ) { // Now we have a url } ) ; } } ) ; } ) ; // ... Finally, we can save our User’s object along with the file they uploaded in our Join table: // ... s3.getSignedUrl('getObject', params, function(err, url) { // Now we have a url AWSService.dynamo({ params: {TableName: service.UserItemsTable} }).then(function(table) { var itemParams = { Item: { 'ItemId': {S: file.name}, 'User email': {S: user.email}, data: { S: JSON.stringify({ itemId: file.name, itemSize: file.size, itemUrl: url }) } } }; table.putItem(itemParams, function(err, data) { d.resolve(data); }); }); }); // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 // ... s3 . getSignedUrl ( 'getObject' , params , function ( err , url ) { // Now we have a url AWSService . dynamo ( { params : { TableName : service . UserItemsTable } } ) . then ( function ( table ) { var itemParams = { Item : { 'ItemId' : { S : file . name } , 'User email' : { S : user . email } , data : { S : JSON . stringify ( { itemId : file . name , itemSize : file . size , itemUrl : url } ) } } } ; table . putItem ( itemParams , function ( err , data ) { d . resolve ( data ) ; } ) ; } ) ; } ) ; // ... This method, all together is available here. We can use this new method inside of our controller’s onFile() method, which we can write to be similar to: $scope.onFile = function(files) { UserService.uploadItemForSale(files) .then(function(data) { // Refresh the current items for sale }); } 1 2 3 4 5 6 $ scope . onFile = function ( files ) { UserService . uploadItemForSale ( files ) . then ( function ( data ) { // Refresh the current items for sale } ) ; } Querying dynamo Ideally, we’ll want to be able to list all the products a certain user has available for purchase. In order to set up a listing of the available items, we will use the query api. The dynamo query api is a tad esoteric and can be considerably confusing when looking at it at first glance. The dynamo query documentation is available http://docs.aws.amazon.com/amazondynamodb/latest/APIReference/API_Query.html Basically, we’ll match object schemes up with a comparison operator, such as equal , lt (less than), or gt (greater than) and several more. Our join table’s key is the User email key, so we’ll match this key against the current user’s email as the query key. As we did with our other APIs related to users, we’ll creat a method inside of our UserService to handle this querying of the database: // ... itemsForSale: function() { var d = $q.defer(); service.currentUser().then(function(user) { AWSService.dynamo({ params: {TableName: service.UserItemsTable} }).then(function(table) { table.query({ TableName: service.UserItemsTable, KeyConditions: { "User email": { "ComparisonOperator": "EQ", "AttributeValueList": [ {S: user.email} ] } } }, function(err, data) { var items = []; if (data) { angular.forEach(data.Items, function(item) { items.push(JSON.parse(item.data.S)); }); d.resolve(items); } else { d.reject(err); } }) }); }); return d.promise; }, // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 // ... itemsForSale : function ( ) { var d = $ q . defer ( ) ; service . currentUser ( ) . then ( function ( user ) { AWSService . dynamo ( { params : { TableName : service . UserItemsTable } } ) . then ( function ( table ) { table . query ( { TableName : service . UserItemsTable , KeyConditions : { "User email" : { "ComparisonOperator" : "EQ" , "AttributeValueList" : [ { S : user . email } ] } } } , function ( err , data ) { var items = [ ] ; if ( data ) { angular . forEach ( data . Items , function ( item ) { items . push ( JSON . parse ( item . data . S ) ) ; } ) ; d . resolve ( items ) ; } else { d . reject ( err ) ; } } ) } ) ; } ) ; return d . promise ; } , // ... In the above query, the KeyConditions and "User email" are required parameters. Showing the listing in HTML To show our user’s images in HTML, we’ll simply assign the result of our new itemsForSale() method to a property of the controller’s scope: var getItemsForSale = function() { UserService.itemsForSale() .then(function(images) { $scope.images = images; }); } getItemsForSale(); // Load the user's list initially 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 var getItemsForSale = function ( ) { UserService . itemsForSale ( ) . then ( function ( images ) { $ scope . images = images ; } ) ; } getItemsForSale ( ) ; // Load the user's list initially Now we can iterate over the list of items easily using the ng-repeat directive: <!-- ... --> <div ng-show="images"> <div class="col-sm-6 col-md-4" ng-repeat="image in images"> <div class="thumbnail"> <img ng-click="sellImage(image)" data-ng-src="{{image.itemUrl}}" /> </div> </div> </div> 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 <!-- ... --> <div ng-show = "images" > <div class = "col-sm-6 col-md-4" ng-repeat = "image in images" > <div class = "thumbnail" > <img ng-click = "sellImage(image)" data-ng-src = "{{image.itemUrl}}" /> </div> </div> </div> Selling our work The final component of our AWS-powered demo app is the ability to create sales from our Single Page App. In order to actually take money from customers, we’ll need a thin backend component that will need to convert stripe tokens into sales on Stripe. We cover this in our upcoming book that’s available for pre-release at ng-book.com. To start handling payments, we’ll create a StripeService that will handle creating charges for us. Since we’ll want to support configuring Stripe in the .config() method in our module, we’ll need to create a .provider() . The service itself is incredibly simple as it leverages the Stripe.js library to do the heavy lifting work. // ... .provider('StripeService', function() { var self = this; self.setPublishableKey = function(key) { Stripe.setPublishableKey(key); } self.$get = function($q) { return { createCharge: function(obj) { var d = $q.defer(); if (!obj.hasOwnProperty('number') || !obj.hasOwnProperty('cvc') || !obj.hasOwnProperty('exp_month') || !obj.hasOwnProperty('exp_year') ) { d.reject("Bad input", obj); } else { Stripe.card.createToken(obj, function(status, resp) { if (status == 200) { d.resolve(resp); } else { d.reject(status); } }); } return d.promise; } } } }); 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 // ... . provider ( 'StripeService' , function ( ) { var self = this ; self . setPublishableKey = function ( key ) { Stripe . setPublishableKey ( key ) ; } self . $ get = function ( $ q ) { return { createCharge : function ( obj ) { var d = $ q . defer ( ) ; if ( ! obj . hasOwnProperty ( 'number' ) || ! obj . hasOwnProperty ( 'cvc' ) || ! obj . hasOwnProperty ( 'exp_month' ) || ! obj . hasOwnProperty ( 'exp_year' ) ) { d . reject ( "Bad input" , obj ) ; } else { Stripe . card . createToken ( obj , function ( status , resp ) { if ( status == 200 ) { d . resolve ( resp ) ; } else { d . reject ( status ) ; } } ) ; } return d . promise ; } } } } ) ; If you do not have a Stripe account, get one at stripe.com. Stripe is an incredibly developer friendly payment processing gateway, which makes it ideal for us building our ngroad marketplace on it. Once you have an account, find your Account Settings page and locate the API Keys page. Find the publishable key (either the test one – which will not actually make charges or the production version) and take note of it. In our scripts/app.js file, add the following line and replace the ‘pktestYOUR_KEY’ publishable key with yours. .config(function(StripeServiceProvider) { StripeServiceProvider .setPublishableKey('pk_test_YOUR_KEY'); }) 1 2 3 4 . config ( function ( StripeServiceProvider ) { StripeServiceProvider . setPublishableKey ( 'pk_test_YOUR_KEY' ) ; } ) Using Stripe When a user clicks on an image they like, we’ll open a form in the browser that takes credit card information. We’ll set the form to submit to an action on our controller called submitPayment() . Notice above where we have the thumbnail of the image, we include an action when the image is clicked that calls the sellImage() action with the image. Implementing the sellImage() function in the MainCtrl , it looks like: // ... $scope.sellImage = function(image) { $scope.showCC = true; $scope.currentItem = image; } // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 // ... $ scope . sellImage = function ( image ) { $ scope . showCC = true ; $ scope . currentItem = image ; } // ... Now, when the image is clicked, the showCC property will be true and we can show the credit card form. We’ve included an incredibly simple one here: <div ng-show="showCC"> <form ng-submit="submitPayment()"> <span ng-bind="errors"></span> <span>Card Number</span> <input type="text" ng-minlength="16" ng-maxlength="20" size="20" data-stripe="number" ng-model="charge.number" /> <span>CVC</span> <input type="text" ng-minlength="3" ng-maxlength="4" data-stripe="cvc" ng-model="charge.cvc" /> <span>Expiration (MM/YYYY)</span> <input type="text" ng-minlength="2" ng-maxlength="2" size="2" data-stripe="exp_month" ng-model="charge.exp_month" /> <span> / </span> <input type="text" ng-minlength="4" ng-maxlength="4" size="4" data-stripe="exp-year" ng-model="charge.exp_year" /> <input type="hidden" name="email" value="user.email" /> <button type="submit">Submit Payment</button> </form> </div> 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 <div ng-show = "showCC" > <form ng-submit = "submitPayment()" > <span ng-bind = "errors" > </span> <span> Card Number </span> <input type = "text" ng-minlength = "16" ng-maxlength = "20" size = "20" data-stripe = "number" ng-model = "charge.number" /> <span> CVC </span> <input type = "text" ng-minlength = "3" ng-maxlength = "4" data-stripe = "cvc" ng-model = "charge.cvc" /> <span> Expiration (MM/YYYY) </span> <input type = "text" ng-minlength = "2" ng-maxlength = "2" size = "2" data-stripe = "exp_month" ng-model = "charge.exp_month" /> <span> / </span> <input type = "text" ng-minlength = "4" ng-maxlength = "4" size = "4" data-stripe = "exp-year" ng-model = "charge.exp_year" /> <input type = "hidden" name = "email" value = "user.email" /> <button type = "submit" > Submit Payment </button> </form> </div> We’re binding the form almost entirely to the charge object on the scope, which we will use when we make the charge. The form itself submits to the function submitPayment() on the controller’s scope. The submitPayment() function looks like: // ... $scope.submitPayment = function() { UserService .createPayment($scope.currentItem, $scope.charge) .then(function(data) { $scope.showCC = false; }); } // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 // ... $ scope . submitPayment = function ( ) { UserService . createPayment ( $ scope . currentItem , $ scope . charge ) . then ( function ( data ) { $ scope . showCC = false ; } ) ; } // ... The last thing that we’ll have to do to be able to take charges is implement the createPayment() method on the UserService. Now, since we’re taking payment on the client-side, we’re technically not going to be able to process payments, we can only accept the stripeToken which we can set a background process to manage handling turning the stripe tokens into actual payments. Inside of our createPayment() function, we’ll call our StripeService to generate the stripeToken . Then, we’ll add the payment to an Amazon SQS queue so that our background process can make the charge. First, we’ll use the AWSService to access our SQS queues. Unlike our other services, the SQS service requires a bit more integration to make it work as they require us to have a URL to interact with them. In our AWSService service object, we’ll need to cache the URL that we’re working with and create a new object every time time using that object instead. The idea behind the workflow is the exact same, however. // ... self.$get = function($q, $cacheFactory) { var dynamoCache = $cacheFactory('dynamo'), s3Cache = $cacheFactory('s3Cache'), sqsCache = $cacheFactory('sqs'); // ... sqs: function(params) { var d = $q.defer(); credentialsPromise.then(function() { var url = sqsCache.get(JSON.stringify(params)), queued = $q.defer(); if (!url) { var sqs = new AWS.SQS(); sqs.createQueue(params, function(err, data) { if (data) { url = data.QueueUrl; sqsCache.put(JSON.stringify(params), url); queued.resolve(url); } else { queued.reject(err); } }); } else { queued.resolve(url); } queued.promise.then(function(url) { var queue = new AWS.SQS({params: {QueueUrl: url}}); d.resolve(queue); }); }) return d.promise; } // ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 // ... self . $ get = function ( $ q , $ cacheFactory ) { var dynamoCache = $ cacheFactory ( 'dynamo' ) , s3Cache = $ cacheFactory ( 's3Cache' ) , sqsCache = $ cacheFactory ( 'sqs' ) ; // ... sqs : function ( params ) { var d = $ q . defer ( ) ; credentialsPromise . then ( function ( ) { var url = sqsCache . get ( JSON . stringify ( params ) ) , queued = $ q . defer ( ) ; if ( ! url ) { var sqs = new AWS . SQS ( ) ; sqs . createQueue ( params , function ( err , data ) { if ( data ) { url = data . QueueUrl ; sqsCache . put ( JSON . stringify ( params ) , url ) ; queued . resolve ( url ) ; } else { queued . reject ( err ) ; } } ) ; } else { queued . resolve ( url ) ; } queued . promise . then ( function ( url ) { var queue = new AWS . SQS ( { params : { QueueUrl : url } } ) ; d . resolve ( queue ) ; } ) ; } ) return d . promise ; } // ... Now we can use SQS inside of our createPayment() function. One caveat to the SQS service is that it can only send simple messages, such as with strings and numbers. It cannot send objects, so we’ll need to call JSON.stringify on our objects that we’ll want to pass through the queue. // ... ChargeTable: "UserCharges", // ... createPayment: function(item, charge) { var d = $q.defer(); StripeService.createCharge(charge) .then(function(data) { var stripeToken = data.id; AWSService.sqs( {QueueName: service.ChargeTable} ).then(function(queue) { queue.sendMessage({ MessageBody: JSON.stringify({ item: item, stripeToken: stripeToken }) }, function(err, data) { d.resolve(data); }) }) }, function(err) { d.reject(err); }); return d.promise; } 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 // ... ChargeTable : "UserCharges" , // ... createPayment : function ( item , charge ) { var d = $ q . defer ( ) ; StripeService . createCharge ( charge ) . then ( function ( data ) { var stripeToken = data . id ; AWSService . sqs ( { QueueName : service . ChargeTable } ) . then ( function ( queue ) { queue . sendMessage ( { MessageBody : JSON . stringify ( { item : item , stripeToken : stripeToken } ) } , function ( err , data ) { d . resolve ( data ) ; } ) } ) } , function ( err ) { d . reject ( err ) ; } ) ; return d . promise ; } When we submit the form… Our SQS queue grows and we have a payment just waiting to be completed. Conclusion The entire source for this article is available at http://d.pr/aL9q. Amazon’s AWS presents us with powerful services so that we can completely change the way we work and deploy our angular apps. For more in-depth information about Angular, both more in-depth articles about back-end infrastructure and all levels of Angular, check out our upcoming book at ng-book.com. Get the weekly email all focused on AngularJS. Sign up below to receive the weekly email and exclusive content. We will never send you spam and it's a cinch to unsubscribe.
The Sheboygan Armory as seen Wednesday June 8, 2016 in Sheboygan. Sheboygan was among several Midwestern cities vying to land new Bucks D-League team and the Armory have a second life. (Photo: Gary C. Klein/USA TODAY NETWORK-) An effort is underway to bring a professional basketball team to Sheboygan for the first time in more than six decades. The Sheboygan Armory as seen Wednesday June 8, 2016 in Sheboygan. (Photo: Gary C. Klein/USA TODAY NETWORK-) Sources have confirmed Sheboygan is among several Midwestern cities vying to land a new NBA Development League team being launched by the Milwaukee Bucks. Chad Pelishek, the city’s planning and development director, said the local stakeholders group behind the bid has met with the Sheboygan Common Council and other city officials in closed session to discuss the proposal, though he declined to provide details on those talks. Bucks officials have said the team hopes to launch a D-League affiliate by fall 2017 and have confirmed that several cities have shown interest, though the team hasn’t disclosed any suitors. Pelishek would not say if the local effort would involve public money, but added that the council could take action related to the proposal in open session as the Bucks’ late-June proposal deadline nears. If the bid was successful, the team would become the city’s first professional basketball franchise since the Sheboygan Red Skins, which played in various professional leagues beginning in the 1930s before becoming a charter member of the NBA in 1949. The team disbanded shortly after. RELATED STORY: Oshkosh vying for Milwaukee Bucks farm team RELATED STORY: Found document details Armory's origins RELATED STORY: Sheboygan council votes down Armory landmarking attempt The Red Skins’ former venue, the Sheboygan Armory, still stands, though the historic, Depression-era building has deteriorated over the years and was to be bulldozed before a recent development deal fell apart. The Common Council went into closed session during its May 2 meeting to discuss the “long-term strategy” for the Armory, 516 Broughton Drive, though city officials won't say whether the venue would be part of the Bucks proposal, or what other locations could be in play. City officials also declined to say who exactly will submit the proposal to the Bucks. When reached for comment, Mayor Mike Vandersteen said the city itself was not preparing a proposal. Dane Checolinski, director of the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corp., said his agency has not been involved in the effort but said at least in concept, having a Bucks affiliate here would complement the area’s existing professional sports venues, including Whistling Straits and Road America. “Certainly it gives the residents of the area another social venue and certainly it helps raise the awareness of Sheboygan,” he said. So far, Oshkosh is the only other Wisconsin community that’s gone public with its bid to land the team. Windward Wealth Strategies, an Oshkosh wealth management firm, earlier this week confirmed that it was putting together a bid to bring the team there. To make that happen, Windward would need to build a 3,500-seat stadium for the team, said Greg Pierce, president of Windward Wealth Strategies. The project would be funded entirely with private money at a cost of more than $4 million, Pierce said. Sheboygan or Oshkosh would be among the smallest of 19 D-league sites to host a team, if the Bucks select either city. Most NBA D-league teams play in markets with more than 200,000 people, though a Phoenix Suns franchise moved this spring from Bakersfield, California to Prescott Valley, Arizona, with a combined population there and in nearby Prescott of about 80,000. Portland Maine’s D-league franchise, the Maine Red Claws, plays in a city of about 66,000 — roughly the size of Oshkosh — but more than 285,000 live in that county, while nearly 170,000 live in Winnebago County and 114,000 live in Sheboygan County. Sheboygan and Oshkosh would need to draw fans from across northeast Wisconsin regularly to make a D-league team viable. The Bucks could go outside the state but likely would seek out a D-League site somewhere in Wisconsin to build a fan base outside Milwaukee and Madison, Pierce said. In a statement to USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin, the Bucks said a D-League team would be an important addition, but plans are still in the early stages. "While there is no immediate timetable for an announcement, we are excited to learn more about the cities throughout the region that have expressed an interest in welcoming the Bucks' D-League affiliate to their community," the statement said. The push to attract a Bucks' D-League team comes as the franchise is working to keep pace with the growing trend of D-League teams affiliated with or owned by single NBA teams. The league launched with eight teams in the 2001-02 season. Three NBA franchises have purchased D-League teams that will begin play during the 2016-17 season, bringing the total of franchises to 22. Joining the league will be the Windy City Bulls (Chicago affiliate), Greensboro Swarm (Charlotte) and Long Island Nets (Brooklyn). Only eight of 30 NBA teams, including the Bucks, will be without a D-League team. Last season the Bucks had to go through a newly established process to assign players to other clubs' D-League affiliates. Rookie Rashad Vaughn was assigned to the Canton Charge, an affiliate of the Cleveland Cavaliers, while forward Damien Inglis had D-League stints with both Canton and the Westchester Knicks, an affiliate of the New York Knicks. Reach USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Reporter Josh Lintereur at 920-453-5147, [email protected] or on Twitter @joshlintereur.
In the base package, there's a module called System.Console.GetOpt. It offers a simple command-line option parser. Here's how this is typically used. {-# LANGUAGE LambdaCase #-} import System.Console.GetOpt import System.Environment import System.Exit data Options = Options { verbose :: Bool , extra :: Maybe String } defaultOptions :: Options defaultOptions = Options { verbose = False , extra = Nothing } options :: [OptDescr (Options -> Options)] options = [Option "v" ["verbose"] (NoArg $ \o -> o { verbose = True }) "verbose output" , Option "e" ["extra"] (ReqArg (\e o -> o { extra = Just e }) "ARG") "extra argument"] main = getOpt Permute options <$> getArgs >>= \case (fs, _, []) -> do let o = foldl (flip id) defaultOptions fs putStrLn $ "verbose: " ++ show (verbose o) putStrLn $ "extra: " ++ show (extra o) (_, _, es) -> do name <- getProgName die $ unlines es ++ usageInfo name options Not too bad. However you need to write 3 things for each option: The type of the option The default value for the option A record updater Also foldl (flip id) and the code for printing errors are annoying pieces of boilerplate. In the latest version of extensible, I added a new module Data.Extensible.GetOpt to get things easier. This is just a wrapper of System.Console.GetOpt which returns an extensible record instead of a list of OptDescr s. -- | Option without an argument; the result is the total count of this option. optNoArg :: [Char] -- ^ short option -> [String] -- ^ long option -> String -- ^ explanation -> OptDescr' Int -- | Option with an argument optReqArg :: [Char] -- ^ short option -> [String] -- ^ long option -> String -- ^ placeholder -> String -- ^ explanation -> OptDescr' [String] A set of options is expressed as an extensible record. Each field is either optNoArg or optReqArg . Int means the total count of option occurrences and [String] is the list of arguments for the option. opts :: RecordOf OptDescr' ["verbose" >: Int, "extra" >: [String]] opts = #verbose @= optNoArg "v" ["verbose"] "verbose" <: #extra @= optReqArg "e" ["extra"] "ARG" "extra arguments" <: nil withGetOpt does what you'd expect; when something is wrong, it writes the errors and the usage to stderr and dies. Otherwise it passes the record of option arguments and the remainder to the function. withGetOpt :: MonadIO m => RecordOf OptDescr' xs -> (Record xs -> [String] -> m a) -> m a Putting it all together, we get 13 lines of code. Much tidier!
AdRotator vs Windows Ad Mediation – Which to use A few weeks ago Microsoft announced Windows Ad Mediation. Their own solution to the problem that the Open Source AdRotator project has helped app developers with since the early Windows Phone 7 days. Since both AdRotator and Windows Ad Mediation are trying to fix the same problem I wanted to look at the different scenarios for Windows and Windows Phone app developers and see which solution made sense for you. The Problem If you’re not familiar with AdRotator or Windows Ad Mediation you may not be aware of why you would want to use one of these solutions in your app. The main reason is fill rate; fill rate can be expressed as a percentage of the number of ads served over the number of ads requested. Many first time developers will assume that they can use an ad control and it will always display an ad for them and generate revenue. There is a limited supply of ads available to these networks though, so depending on factors like category and region the fill rate may vary wildly. Fill rates can often dip well below 50% though, so it’s important that you not let that ad space go to waste! Maximizing fill rate is the goal of AdRotator and Windows Ad Mediation. They do this by acting as a smart container for multiple ad controls. When one ad network fails to deliver an ad they will switch over to another ad control and give that one a chance to request and display an ad. AdDuplex, a cross promotion network supported by both AdRotator and Windows Ad Mediation works well as a ‘fallback’ ad provider because unlike other ad networks AdDuplex does have a 100% fill rate. AdDuplex doesn’t generate revenue, but will instead generate ad impressions for your app at an 8:10 ratio. AdRotator AdRotator has been around since the early Windows Phone 7 days. It was created by talented developer Gergely Orosz. Simon Jackson is currently the main contributor of the project, and I’ve also worked on it myself recently, bringing Universal App Support to AdRotator. One of the key benefits to AdRotator is it’s versatility. It can be used on Windows Phone 7, Windows Phone 8 (both Silverlight and 8.1 XAML) and Windows 8. There’s also an AdRotator Unity plugin for game developers targeting the Windows platforms. AdRotator supports most of the major Ad providers that have SDKs available for Windows developers. And one of it’s key features is the ability to set a remote configuration file. This file can be setup with regional configurations that allow you to target specific ad networks that perform better in certain regions. By hosting this file remotely you can have your app’s AdRotator control change it’s behavior by updating the file without publishing an app update. AdRotator Supported Providers Microsoft PubCenter AdDuplex AdMob Inmobi Inneractive MobFox Smaato House Ads Another interesting feature of AdRotator is the ability to specify house ads. This can be considered the ultimate fallback option, display a house ad when the device has no network connection. Some developers will use the House Ad to advertise a new version of their app, or to promote other apps they’ve published. Some enterprising developers have even sold their House Ad space to advertisers, skipping the middle man of the traditional ad provider networks. Windows Ad Mediation Microsoft announced Windows Ad Mediation on November 7, 2014. Currently the Ad Mediation SDK is available for Windows Phone 8, 8.1 Silverlight and 8.1 XAML. Similar to AdRotator, the Windows Ad Mediation supports the ability to specify region specific remote configurations. Since this is an official Microsoft product though this feature is actually built into the Windows Phone dashboard. Which one should I use? Whether you use AdRotator or Windows Ad Mediation really depends on your app’s scenario. Here’s a rundown: 1. Are you already using AdRotator for a project? If you’re already using AdRotator there shouldn’t be much motivation to switch to Windows Ad Mediation. Both tools should do a great job at maximizing your fill rate. 2. Do you want to target Windows Phone 7? This one’s easy. AdRotator started on Windows Phone 7 so it’s the only option for your Windows Phone 7 app. 3. Are you building a Windows 8 or Universal App? Currently AdRotator supports Windows 8/Universal Apps and Windows Ad Mediation does not. So if your app is ready to go, use AdRotator. I’m sure Microsoft will eventually bring Windows Ad Mediation to big Windows as well though. 4. Are you building a game using Unity? Another easy one. AdRotator’s Unity plugin should make advertising with your Unity game easy to manage. Windows Ad Mediation does not yet have any support for Unity. 5. Do you have a website where you can host your own remote configuration file? Being able to change the regional configuration file is pretty important. Many app developers have their own website and a place where they can host a remote ad settings file to be pulled down by AdRotator. But if you don’t have your own website and want to be able to change your Ad configurations, then Windows Ad Mediation’s dashboard integration may be a better choice for you. 6. Do you want to use House Ads? I encourage using AdDuplex as a fallback option in AdRotator/Ad Mediation since it has a 100% fill rate. The only time AdDuplex won’t give you an ad is if your network is down. For that scenario having a House Ad to display is a nice option. One more point to AdRotator. 7. Does using OSS frighten you? This one seems unlikely. I think most app developers are fans of Open Source, but if you’d rather go with the official option produced my Microsoft, go with Windows Ad Mediation. Wrap Up I may seem a bit biased in this post. I’ve been using AdRotator in my apps for quite a while, and it’s been a pleasure contributing back to the project. But I am very glad that Microsoft has created their own tool for this problem. I’m sure there are many developers who will discover Windows Ad Mediation through official channels that were never aware of AdRotator, and that’s great. I just hope more developers can become successful using either of these tools. Resources AdRotator – Get More out of your Ads The configuration XML – What you need to know Windows 8 – Getting Started Windows Phone – Getting Started Announcing Windows Ad Mediation How to maximize the impact of Windows ad mediation for Windows Phone Windows Ad Mediator Extension Using Ad Mediation to maximize ad revenue
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) will send a “trial observer” in the Philippines to monitor the case of detained Senator Leila de Lima. IPU came up with the decision after it concluded its general assembly in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation last Oct. 18, based on the report and recommendation of the Human Rights Committee. ADVERTISEMENT Earlier, IPU, in its report expressed grave concern over what it called trumped-up charges against De Lima. The report concluded that the charges against De Lima were based on “dubious evidence and overreliance on testimonies of convicted drug inmates.” “In each of the three cases, there are serious questions and doubts about the evidence. There are general concerns about the overreliance on testimonies by convicted drug lords, not only because they are proven criminals but because these individuals have an axe to grind with Senator de Lima,” the report said. It also called on Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III to take up the cudgels for De Lima to ensure that her rights are not violated as she faces what appeared to be trumped-up charges levelled against her. “The Senate has a special responsibility to help ensure that concerns about due process regarding one of its members are effectively addressed. The delegation therefore calls on the Senate, through its President, to do everything possible in this regard and thus help ensure that Senator de Lima can participate again in its work as soon as possible,” the report said. In the IPU’s website, it said the union currently has 173 member parliaments and 11 associate members working closely with the United Nations and other partner organizations. The union’s headquarters is based in Geneva, Switzerland. Last May, IPU’s Committee on Human Rights President Fawzia Koofi from Afghanistan, Fazle Karim Chowdhury from Bangladesh and Rogier Huzienga, IPU Human Rights programme manager, visited De Lima in detention at the Philippine National Police’s Custodial Center. READ: Foreign rights leaders visit De Lima in Camp Crame De Lima, in her latest dispatch from detention, expressed elation over the IPU’s initiative to send representatives to monitor her case. ADVERTISEMENT “Despite the Duterte administration’s obvious effort to intimidate and silence me through my continued unjust detention, I am grateful that the Inter-Parliamentary Union vows to fight for my right to fair trial,” she said. “I thank the IPU for defending my causes and vouching for my integrity. I know that my fight is not my fight alone as this is the fight for human rights, democracy and rule of law. I will never be cowed until this government decides to value democratic principles and respect for human rights,” De Lima said. /jpv Read Next LATEST STORIES MOST READ
ATCHISON, Kan., July 2, 2014—Produced from a mash bill consisting of 95 percent wheat and 5 percent barley malt, wheat whiskey is one of several whiskey and bourbon mash bills launched by MGP within the past year. According to David Dykstra, vice president of alcohol sales and marketing, MGP’s wheat whiskey “represents one of the more unique products of its type in the distilled spirits industry.” He described this new offering as being “exceptionally smooth and possessing lightly floral and sweet taste characteristics with good barrel notes and nice balance.” Dykstra also pointed out that the company’s wheat whiskey is produced from non-GMO grain, “providing another appealing quality for customers, especially those serving consumers in global and various regional U.S. markets.” Initially spurred by consumer interest in wheat vodkas, “the popularity of wheat-based spirits has increased in recent years,” Dykstra said. “With rising demand in this area of the market, the addition of wheat whiskey to our product portfolio provides MGP’s customers another excellent opportunity to grow their brand presence,” he added. MGP has significant experience in wheat science and processing technologies as the largest U.S. producer of specialty wheat proteins and starches. “This expertise is now being applied in an increasingly significant manner toward the development and production of wheat-based premium spirits,” said Greg Metze, master distiller at MGP’s Lawrenceburg, Ind., facility. “The resulting innovations complement the many other products we make from a variety of grains, giving customers more options from which to select to expand their offerings at the retail level.” Additional details regarding MGP’s premium lines of whiskeys, bourbons, grain neutral spirits and distilled gins, along with capabilities for creating custom formulations, can be obtained by accessing the company’s website, mgpingredients.com, or by contacting 913.360.5211. About MGP MGP is a leading independent supplier of premium spirits, offering flavor innovations and custom distillery blends to the beverage alcohol industry. The company also produces high quality food grade industrial alcohol and formulates grain-based starches and proteins into nutritional and highly functional ingredients for the branded consumer packaged goods industry. The company is headquartered in Atchison, Kansas, where a variety of distilled alcohol products and food ingredients are manufactured. Distilled spirits are also produced at company facilities in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. For more information, visit mgpingredients.com.
Burning grass caused a hazy start to Schoolies celebrations on the Gold Coast today, after a fire sparked the evacuation of Sea World and nearby beaches. The fast-moving grass fire caught beachgoers unaware at The Spit, with some families and tourists forced to take shelter in the sea. Footage shows people trying to flee the fire and being forced into the water after the paths to their cars were cut off. Crowds wait outside Sea World after the park evacuation. (9NEWS / Brittney Kleyn) () “You’ve got to go, go quick, think about your life,” a police officer told one person. Jet-skiers offered to take people to safety, and police boats helped to ferry those trapped. “The police picked us up and said we have to evacuate you,” one man said. A helicopter water-bombs The Spit. (Supplied / Tim Cram) () Smoke seen from Crystal Bay Resort. (Supplied / Tim Cram) () Thirteen fire crews and water-bombing helicopters were called in to fight the blaze, which broke out near Seaworld Drive, Main Beach, about 9.40am (AEST). It was brought under control about 2pm (AEST), Queensland Fire and Emergency Services said. Sea World was left empty for about three hours, and police also closed Seaworld Drive through to The Spit under an emergent situation declaration. Schoolies Week celebrations officially began at Surfers Paradise, despite the smoke billowing over popular Gold Coast beaches. A grass fire has broken out at The Spit. (9NEWS / Brittney Kleyn) () © Nine Digital Pty Ltd 2019
[Previously published at The Cobden Centre, 25 August 2011. Available in PDF at SSRN.] Banking theory remains one of the most heatedly debated areas of economics within Austrian circles, with two camps sitting opposite each other: full reservists and free bankers. The naming of the two groups may prove a bit misleading, since both sides support a free market in banking. The difference is that full reservists believe that either fractional reserve banking should be considered a form of fraud or that the perceived inherent instability of fiduciary expansion will force banks to maintain full reserves against their clients’ deposits. The term free banker usually refers to those who believe that a form of fractional reserve banking would be prevalent on the free market. The case for free banking has been best laid out in George Selgin’s The Theory of Free Banking.1 It is a microeconomic theory of banking which suggests that fractional reserves will arise out of two different factors, Over time, “inside money” — banknotes (money substitute) — will replace “outside money” — the original commodity money — as the predominate form of currency in circulation. As the demand for outside money falls and the demand for inside money rises, banks will be given the opportunity to shed unnecessary reserves of commodity money. In other words, the less bank clients demand outside money, the less outside money a bank actually has to hold. A rise in the demand to hold inside money will lead to a reduction in the volume of banknotes in circulation, in turn leading to a reduction of the volume of banknotes returning to issuing banks. This gives the issuing banks an opportunity to issue more fiduciary media. Inversely, when the demand for money falls, banks must reduce the quantity of banknotes issued (by, for example, having a loan repaid and not reissuing that money substitute). Free bankers have been quick to tout a number of supposed macroeconomic advantages of Selgin’s model of fractional reserve banking. One is greater economic growth, since free bankers suppose that a rise in the demand for money should be considered the same thing as an increase in real savings. Thus, within this framework, fractional reserve banking capitalizes on a greater amount of savings than would a full reserve banking system. Another supposed advantage is that of monetary equilibrium. An increase in the demand for money, without an equal increase in the supply of money, will cause a general fall in prices. This deflation will lead to a reduction in productivity, as producers suffer from a mismatch between input and output prices. As Leland Yeager writes, “the rot can snowball”, as an increase in uncertainty leads to a greater increase in the demand for money. This can all be avoided if the supply of money rises in accordance with the demand for money (thus, why free-bankers and quasi-monetarists generally agree with a central bank policy which commits to some form of income targeting).2 Monetary (dis)equilibrium theory is not new, nor does it originate with the free bankers. The concept finds its roots in the work of David Hume3 and was later developed in the United States during the first half of the 20th Century.4 The theory saw a more recent revival with the work of Leland Yeager, Axel Leijonhufvud, and Robert Clower.5 The integration of monetary disequilibrium theory with the microeconomic theory of free banking is an attempt at harmonizing the two bodies of theory.6 If a free banking system can meet the demand for money, then a central bank is unnecessary to maintain monetary stability. The integration of the macro theory of monetary disequilibrium into the micro theory of free banking, however, should be considered more of a blemish than an accomplishment. It has unnecessarily drawn attention away from the merits of fractional reserve banking and instead muddled the free bankers’ case. Neither is it an accurate or useful macroeconomic theory of industrial misbalances or fluctuations. The Nature of Price Fluctuations The argument that deflation resulting from an increase in the demand for money can lead to a harmful reduction in industrial productivity is based on the concept of sticky prices. If all prices do not immediately adjust to changes in the demand for money then a mismatch between the prices of output and inputs goods may cause a dramatic reduction in profitability. This fall in profitability may, in turn, lead to the bankruptcy of relevant industries, potentially spiraling into a general industrial fluctuation. Since price stickiness is assumed to be an existing factor, monetary equilibrium is necessary to avoid necessitating a readjustment of individual prices. Since price inflexibility plays such a central role in monetary disequilibrium, it is worth exploring the nature of this inflexibility — why are prices sticky? The more popular explanation blames stickiness on an entrepreneurial unwillingness to adjust prices. Those who are taking the hit rather suffer from a lower income later than now.8 Wage stickiness is also oftentimes blamed on the existence of long-term contracts, which prohibit downward wage adjustments.9 Austrians can supply an alternative, or at least complimentary, explanation for price stickiness.10 If equilibrium is explained as the flawless convergence of every single action during a specific moment in time, Austrians recognize that an economy shrouded in uncertainty is never in equilibrium. Prices are set by businessmen looking to maximize profits by best estimating consumer demand. As such, individual prices are likely to move around, as consumer demand and entrepreneurial expectations change. This type of “inflexibility” is not only present during downward adjustments, but also during upward adjustments. It is “stickiness” inherent in a money-based market process beset by uncertainty. It is true that government interventionism oftentimes makes prices more inflexible than they would be otherwise. Examples of this are wage floors (minimum wage), labor laws, and other legislation which makes redrawing labor contracts much more difficult. These types of labor laws handicap the employer’s ability to adjust his employees’ wages in the face of falling profit margins. Wages are not the only prices which suffer from government-induced inflexibility. It is not uncommon for government to fix the prices of goods and services on the market; the most well-known case is possibly the price fixing scheme which caused the 1973–74 oil crisis. There is a bevy of policies which can be enacted by government as a means of congesting the pricing process. But, let us assume away government and instead focus on the type of price rigidity which exists on the market. That is, the flexibility of prices and the proximity of the actual price to the theoretical market clearing price is dependent on the entrepreneur. As long as we are dealing with a world of uncertainty and imperfect information, the pricing process too will be imperfect. Price rigidity is not an issue only during monetary disequilibrium, however. In our dynamic market, where consumer preferences are constantly changing and re-arranging themselves, prices will have to fluctuate in accordance with these changes. Consumers may reduce demand for one product and raise demand for another, and these industries will have to change their prices accordingly: some prices will fall and others will rise. The ability for entrepreneurs to survive these price fluctuations depends on their ability to estimate consumer preferences for their products. It is all part of the coordination process which characterizes the market. The point is that if price rigidity is “almost inherent in the very concept of money”,11 then why are price fluctuations potentially harmful in one case but not in the other? That is, why do entrepreneurs who face a reduction in demand originating from a change in preferences not suffer from the same consequences as those who face a reduction in demand resulting from an increase in the demand for money? Price Discoordination and Entrepreneurship In an effort to illustrate the problems of an excess demand for money, some have likened the problem to an oversupply of fiduciary media. The problem of an oversupply of money in the loanable funds market is that it leads to a reduction in the rate of interest without a corresponding increase in real savings. This leads to changes in the prices between goods of different orders, which send profit signals to entrepreneurs. The structure of production becomes more capital intensive, but without the necessary increase in the quantity of capital goods. This is the quintessential Austrian example of discoordination. In a sense, an excess demand for money is the opposite problem. There is too little money circulating in the economy, leading to a general glut.12 Austrian monetary disequilibrium theorists have tried to frame it within the same context of discoordination. An increase in the demand for money leads to a withdrawal of that amount of money from circulation, forcing a downward adjustment of prices. But there is an important difference between the two. In the first case, the oversupply of fiduciary media is largely exogenous to the individual money holders. In other words, the increase in the supply of money is a result of central policy (either by part of the central bank or of government). Theoretically, an oversupply of fiduciary media could also be caused by a bank in a completely free industry but it would still be artificial in the sense that it does not reflect any particular preference of the consumer. Instead, it represents a miscalculation by part of the central banker, bureaucrat, or bank manager. In fact, this is the reason behind the intertemporal discoordination — the changing profit signals do not reflect an underlying change in the “real” economy. This is not the issue when regarding an excess demand for money. Here, consumers are purposefully holding on to money, preferring to increase their cash balances instead of making immediate purchases. The decision to hold money represents a preference. Thus, the decision to reduce effective demand also represents a preference. The fall in prices which may result from an increase in the demand for money all represent changes in preferences. Entrepreneurs will have to foresee or respond to these changes just like they do to any other.13 That some businessmen may miscalculate changes in preference is one thing, but there can be no accusation of price-induced discoordination. The comparison between an insufficient supply of money and an oversupply of fiduciary media would only be valid if the reduction in the money supply was the product of central policy, or a credit contraction by part of the banking system which did not reflect a change in consumer preferences. But, in monetary disequilibrium theory this is not the case. None of this, however, says anything about the consequences of deflation on industrial productivity. Will a rise in demand for money lead to falling profit margins, in turn causing bankruptcies and a general period of economic decline? Whether or not an industry survives a change in demands depends on the accuracy of entrepreneurial foresight. If an entrepreneur expects a fall in demand for the relevant product, then investment into the production of that product will fall. A fall in investment for this product will lead to a fall in demand for the capital goods necessary to produce it, and of all the capital goods which make up the production processes of this particular industry. This will cause a decline in the prices of the relevant capital goods, meaning that a fall in the price of the consumer good usually follows a fall in the price of the precedent capital goods.14 Thus, entrepreneurs who correctly predict changes in preference will be able to avoid the worst part of a fall in demand. Even if a rise in the demand for money does not lead to the catastrophic consequences envisioned by some monetary disequilibrium theorists, can an injection of fiduciary media make possible the complete avoidance of these price adjustments? This is, after all, the idea behind monetary growth in response to an increase in demand for money. Theoretically, maintaining monetary equilibrium will lead to a stabilization of the price level. This view, however, is the result of an overly aggregated analysis of prices. It ignores the microeconomic price movements which will occur with or without further monetary injections. Money is a medium of exchange, and as a result it targets specific goods. An increase in the demand for money will withdraw currency from this bidding process of the present, reducing the prices of the goods which it would have otherwise been bid against. Newly injected fiduciary media, maintaining monetary equilibrium, is being granted to completely different individuals (through the loanable funds market). This means that the businesses originally affected by an increase in the demand for money will still suffer from falling prices, while other businesses may see a rise in the price of their goods. It is only in a superfluous sense that there is “price stability”, because individual prices are still undergoing the changes they would have otherwise gone. So, even if the price movements caused by changes in the demand for money were disruptive — and we have established that they are not — the fact remains that monetary injections in response to these changes in demand are insufficient for the maintenance of price stability. Implications for Free Banking To a very limited degree, free banking theory does rely on some aspects of monetary disequilibrium. The ability to extend fiduciary media depends on the volume of returning liabilities; a rise in the demand for money will give banks the opportunity to increase the supply of banknotes. However, the complete integration of monetary disequilibrium theory does not represent theoretical advancement — if anything, it has confused the free bankers’ position and unnecessarily contributed to the ongoing theoretical debate between full reservists (many of which reject the supposed macroeconomic benefits of free banking) and free bankers. We know that an increase in the demand for money will not lead to industrial fluctuations, nor does it produce any type of price discoordination. Like any other movement in demand, it reflects the preferences of the consumers which drive the economy. We also know that monetary injections cannot achieve price stability in any relevant sense. Thus, the relevancy of the macroeconomic theory of monetary disequilibrium is brought into question. Free banking theory would be better off without it. This suggests, though, that a rejection of monetary disequilibrium is not the same as a rejection of fractional reserve banking. It could be the case that a free banking industry capitalizes on an increase in savings much more efficiently than a full reserve banking system. Or, it could be that the macroeconomic benefits of fractional reserve banking are completely different from those already theorized, or even that there are no macroeconomic benefits at all — it may purely be a microeconomic theory of the banking firm and industry. These aspects of free banking are still up for debate. Notes: 1. George A. Selgin, The Theory of Free Banking: Money Supply under Competitive Note Issue (Totowa, New Jersey: Rowman & Littlefield, 1988). Also see George A. Selgin, Bank Deregulation and Monetary Order (Oxon, United Kingdom: Routledge, 1996); Larry J. Sechrest, Free Banking: Theory, History, and a Laissez-Faire Model (Auburn, Alabama: Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2008); Lawrence H. White, Competition and Currency(New York City: New York University Press, 1989). 2. Leland B. Yeager, The Fluttering Veil: Essays on Monetary Disequilibrium (Indianapolis, Indiana: Liberty Fund, 1997), pp. 218–219. 3. Ibid., p. 218. 4. Clark Warburton, “Monetary Disequilibrium Theory in the First Half of the Twentieth Century,” History of Political Economy 13, 2 (1981); Clark Warburton, “The Monetary Disequilibrium Hypothesis,” American Journal of Economics and Sociology 10, 1 (1950). 5.Peter Howitt (ed.), et. al., Money, Markets and Method: Essays in Honour of Robert W. Clower (United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing, 1999). 6. Steven Horwitz, Microfoundations and Macroeconomics: An Austrian Perspective (United Kingdom: Routledge, 2000). 7. Some of the criticisms presented here have already been laid out in a forthcoming journal article: Phillip Bagus and David Howden, “Monetary Equilibrium and Price Stickiness: Causes, Consequences, and Remedies,” Review of Austrian Economics. I do not support all of Bagus’ and Howden’s criticisms, nor do I share their general disagreement with free banking theory. 8. Yeager 1997, pp. 222–223. 9. Laurence Ball and N. Gregory Mankiw, “A Sticky-Price Manifesto,” NBER Working Paper Series 4677, 1994, pp. 16–17. 10. Horwitz 2000, pp. 12–13. 11. Yeager 1997, p. 104. 12. Yeager 1997, p. 223. Yeager quotes G. Poulett Scrope’s Principles of Political Economy, “A general glut — that is, a general fall in the prices of the mass of commodities below their producing cost — is tantamount to a rise in the general exchangeable value of money; and is proof, not of an excessive supply of goods, but of a deficient supply of money, against which the goods have to be exchange.” 13. Joseph T. Salerno, Money: Sound & Unsound (Auburn, Alabama: Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2010), pp. 193–196. 14. This is Menger’s theory of imputation; Carl Menger, Principles of Economics (Auburn, Alabama: Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2007), pp. 149–152.
It looks like “Nashville” will be saved. CMT is eyeing a pick-up of the fan-favorite series for a fifth season, Variety has learned, following ABC’s cancellation that sent Twitter into a frenzy. CMT was one of many potential buyers for “Nashville,” which sparked interest from four or five different venues, according to Lionsgate Television, the studio that was shopping the show around with ABC Studios and Opry Entertainment. Lionsgate had been actively searching for a new home for “Nashville,” immediately after ABC cancelled the bubble show. Support poured in from rabid fans, dubbed “Nashies,” who were responsible for the show’s #SaveNashville campaign that was trending on social media for days. CMT is a seamless home for the country music drama, which is surely seen as a “get” for the Viacom-owned country cabler. While the ratings (1.8 rating in adults 18-49, 6.7 million viewers overall in Nielsen’s “live plus-7” estimates) were not strong enough to warrant another season at ABC, those types of numbers are big for CMT. Last month on a call with press, Lionsgate’s head of TV, Kevin Beggs, said they have “long-term deals with the cast,” though as the CMT renewal is not yet official, returning cast members have not been announced. Ed Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz are on board as showrunners for Season 5, as the duo was attached before the show was cancelled at ABC. With “Nashville” more than likely returning (though the Season 5 CMT renewal is not yet official), it seems there will be a long future for the show beyond a fifth season. “These kinds of shows can go forever and ever — obviously that’s our hope and expectation, but we’ve got to do it one season at a time. So right now, we’re all about Season 5. So we hope to land Season 5 and keep talking about this show for years to come,” Beggs said on last month’s call.
SC Judge Rejects Episcopal Church's Attempt to Take Over Breakaway Church's Properties Worth $500 Million Email Print Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin A South Carolina judge has denied a motion to reconsider a ruling made in a $500 million property dispute case in favor of a diocese that voted to leave the Episcopal Church due to the national denomination's increasing acceptance of homosexuality. Judge Diane Goodstein decided earlier this week to reject arguments made by The Episcopal Church requesting that she reconsider her order granting the Diocese of South Carolina ownership over the name and $500 million worth of diocesan church properties. "The court has studied defendant's lengthy motion extensively and oral argument would not be of assistance to the court," ruled Goodstein on Monday. The legal victory was the latest for the South Carolina Diocese, which broke away from the national mainline denomination back in November 2012 due to theological differences and purported mistreatment of its leader, Bishop Mark Lawrence. The Rev. Canon Jim Lewis, spokesman for the Diocese, told The Christian Post that they were "gratified" by Goodstein's conclusion to reject the motion. "Where closely and factually considered, the TEC argument of hierarchy simply is not defensible," said Lewis. "We are grateful to God that our right to freedom of association continues to be upheld." Earlier this month Goodstein issued a 46-page order concluding that the church properties belong to the diocese rather than The Episcopal Church. Goodstein ruled that the diocese owns all property, real and personal, according to the paperwork connected to the diocesan property. "It is equally undisputed that there is nothing in the deeds of their real property referencing any trust in favor of TEC," reads the decision. Goodstein ordered that both the property and the trademarked name of the diocese belonged to the Diocese of South Carolina and not The Episcopal Church or The Episcopal Church in South Carolina, a group within the diocese loyal to the mainline denomination. In response to the order, TECSC filed an 186-page motion for reconsideration which argued that the original decision erred on multiple points. "The court erred by failing to recognize that the parties are all part of a religious organization and that their status as incorporated or unincorporated entities does not eradicate the application of First Amendment legal protections," read part of the motion. "The court erred by applying corporate definitions of membership to the relationship between The Episcopal Church and the diocese, and by failing to recognize clear evidence establishing that the diocese is in union with and part of The Episcopal Church, which is a hierarchical religious organization." Regarding the latest legal victory, Lewis told CP that he expects the legal action to continue, as The Episcopal Church will likely appeal the Goodstein decision. "While it is unfortunate that ministry resources on both sides will continue to be wasted in this fashion, it is entirely in keeping with TEC legal strategy," said Lewis, who drew parallels to a similar property case that took place in Illinois between The Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Quincy. "The court sanctions imposed against TEC in Illinois last week are the perfect illustration of the lengths to which their leadership is prepared to go in pursuit of its scorched earth policy. We have no reason to expect different behavior here in South Carolina."
A famous comedian once said, “I’ve been rich, and I’ve been poor, and believe me, rich is better.” Well, I’ve been a good patient, and I’ve been a bad patient, and believe me, being a good patient helps to get you out of the hospital, but being a bad patient helps to get you back to real life. Being a patient was the most devastating experience of my life. At a time when I was already fragile, already vulnerable, being labeled and treated only confirmed to me that I was worthless. It was clear that my thoughts , feelings, and opinions counted for little. I was presumed not to be able to take care of myself, not to be able to make decisions in my own best interest, and to need mental health professionals to run my life for me. For this total disregard of my wishes and feelings, I was expected to be appreciative and grateful. In fact, anything less was tacked as a further symptom of my illness, as one more indication that I truly needed more of the same. I tried hard to be a good patient. I saw what happened to bad patients: they were the ones in the seclusion rooms, the ones who got sent to the worst wards, the ones who had been in the hospital for years, or who had come back again and again. I was determined not to be like them. So I gritted my teeth and told the staff what they wanted to hear. I told them I appreciated their help. I told them I was glad to be in the safe environment of the hospital. I said that I knew I was sick, and that I wanted to get better. In short, I lied. I didn’t cry and scream and tell them that I hated them and their hospital and their drugs and their diagnoses, even though that was what I was really feeling. I’d learned where that kind of thing got me – that’s how I ended up in the state hospital in the first place. I’d been a bad patient, and this was where it had gotten me. My diagnosis was chronic schizophrenia, my prognosis was that I’d spend my life going in and out of hospitals. I’d been so outraged during my first few hospitalizations, in the psychiatric ward of a large general hospital, and in a couple of supposedly prestigious private psychiatric hospitals. I hated the regimentation, the requirement that I take drugs that slowed my body and my mind, the lack of fresh air and exercise, the way we were followed everywhere. So I complained, I protested, I even tried running away. And where had it gotten me? Behind the thick walls and barred windows and locked doors of a “hospital” that was far more of a prison that the ones I’d been trying to escape from. The implicit message was clear: this was what happened to bad patients. I learned to hide my feelings, especially negative ones. The very first day in the state hospital, I received a valuable piece of advice. Feeling frightened, abandoned, and alone, I started to cry in the day room. Another patient came and sat beside me, leaned over and whispered, “Don’t do that. They’ll think you’re depressed.” So I learned to cry only at night, in my bed, under the covers without making a sound. My only aim during my two-month stay in the state hospital (probably the longest two months of my life) was to get out. If that meant being a good patient, if that meant playing the game, telling them what they wanted to hear, then so be it. At the same time, I was consumed with the clear conviction that there was something fundamentally wrong here. Who were these people that had taken such total control of our lives? Why were they the experts on what we should do, how we should live? Why was the ugliness, and even the brutality, of what was happening to us overlooked and ignored? Why had the world turned its back on us? So I became a good patient outwardly, while inside I nurtured a secret rebellion that was no less real for being hidden. I used to imagine a future in which an army of former patients marched on the hospital, emptied it of patients and staff, and then burned all the buildings to the ground. In my fantasy, we joined hands and danced around this bonfire of oppression. You see, in my heart I was already a very, very bad patient! One of the things I had already discovered in my journey through various hospitals, which culminated in my involuntary commitment to the state hospital, is that psychiatric drugs didn’t help me. Every drug I was given made me feel worse, not better. They made me fat, lethargic, unable to think or to remember. When I could, I refused drugs. Before I got committed, I used to hide the pills in my cheek, and spit them out when I was alone. In the state hospital, I didn’t dare to try this trick. I dutifully swallowed the pills, hating the way they made me feel, knowing that, once I was free, I would stop taking them. Once again, I was non-compliant in thought before I could be non-compliant in deed. Now I want to make one thing very clear here. I am not advocating that no one should take psychiatric drugs. What I am saying, and I want to make sure this point is understood, is that each individual needs to discover for himself or herself whether or not the drugs are part of the solution, or part of the problem. Many people I know and respect tell me that they would not be where they are in their recovery were it not for the particular drugs that they have found work for them. On the other hand, many others, of which I am one, have found that only when we clear ourselves of all psychiatric drugs do we begin to find the road to recovery. We need to respect these choices, and to understand that there is no one single path for all of us. Psychiatric drugs, like all drugs, have side effects. If the positive effects outweigh the negative effects, then people will generally choose to take the drugs. When the negative effects, however, outweigh the positive ones, then the choice not to take the drugs is a good and reasonable one. Side effects can be more easily tolerated when one is gaining something positive in return. Let my give an example from my own experience. Every day, I take anti-inflammatory drugs to control the symptoms of arthritis. Without these drugs, I would be in pain much of the time, and find it difficult to move easily. I’m willing to put up with the danger of developing ulcers (and I take another drug to help protect my stomach), because the cost/benefit ratio works out in my favor. If, on the other had, the anti-inflammatory drug didn’t relieve the arthritis pain, then the cost/benefit ratio would go the other way, and I would stop taking the drug and discuss with my rheumatologist what other approach to try. Here is the key difference between what happens to psychiatric patients and what happens to people with physical illnesses. With my rheumatologist, and with my lung doctor (I also have a chronic lung disease). I am a full partner in my own treatment and recovery. I am consulted, listened to, and given the information I need to make informed choices. I acknowledge that the doctors have expertise that I lack, and they, in turn, acknowledge that I have information about the workings of my own body that they need to guide them in their recommendations. Sometimes, we disagree. Then we talk about it. Sometimes I take their advice, while other times I don’t. Psychiatric patients, on the other hand, are usually assumed not to know what is best for us, and to need supervision and control. We are often assumed to be talking in code; only so-called “experts” can figure out what we really mean. A patient who refuses psychiatric drugs may have very good reasons – the risk of tardive dyskinesia, for example, or the experience of too many undesirable negative effects. But professionals often assume that we are expressing a symbolic rebellion of some sort when we try to give a straightforward explanation of what we want, and what we don’t want. I’m sure you’ve all heard the many psychiatrist jokes that feature the punch line, “Hmm, I wonder what he means by that?” Well, doctor, I want to tell you, we usually mean just what we are saying. In the slogan of the women’s movement: “What part of no don’t you understand?” I consider myself a very lucky person. I don’t think that I have some special talent or ability that has enabled me to recover when so many others seem stuck in eternal patienthood. I believe that recovery is for everyone. In the words of the mission statement of the National Empowerment Center, we: carry a message of recovery, empowerment, hope and healing to people who have been diagnosed with mental illness. We carry that message with authority because we are a consumer-run organization and each of us is living a personal journey of recovery and empowerment. We are convinced that recovery and empowerment are not the privilege of a few exceptional leaders, but rather are possible for each person who has been diagnosed with a mental illness. Whether on the back ward of a state mental institution of working as an executive in corporation, we want people who are mental health consumers to regain control over their lives and the resources that affect their lives. One of the elements that makes recovery possible is the regaining of one’s belief in oneself. Patients are constantly indoctrinated with the message, explicit or implicit, that we are defective human beings who shouldn’t aim too high. In fact, there are diagnostic labels, including “grandiosity” and “lack of insight,” to remind us that our dreams and hopes are often seen as barriers to recovery instead of one its vital components. Professionals and patients often have very different ideas of what the word “recovery” means. Recovery, to me, doesn’t mean denying my problems or pretending that they don’t exist. I have learned a lot from people with physical disabilities, who think of recovery not in terms, necessarily, of restoring lost function, but of finding ways to compensate or substitute for what one may be unable to do. Some of the most able people I know, in the true sense of the word, are activists in the physical disability movement – they may not be able to see, or hear, or move their limbs, but they have found ways to do the things they want to do despite these difficulties, and despite those professionals who advised them not even to try. Without our dreams, without our hopes for the future, without our aspirations to move ahead, we become truly “hopeless cases.” I often hear professionals say that, while they support the ideas of recovery and empowerment in principle, it just won’t work for their clients, who are too sick, too disabled, too unmotivated. Whenever I hear these objections, I want to know more about what kinds of programs these professionals work in, and what goes on there. I know that the professionals who knew me as their patient thought the same things about me. That’s the dilemma of the “good patient.” A good patient is one who is compliant, who does what he or she is told, who doesn’t make trouble, but who also doesn’t ever really get better. A “good patient” is often someone who has given up hope and who has internalized the staff’s very limited vision of his or her potential. Now, again, I want to make myself clear. I’m not saying that mental health professionals are evil people who want to hold us all in the grip of permanent patienthood, and who don’t want us to get well. What I’m saying is that there’s something about being a “good patient” that is, unintentionally, perhaps, incompatible with recovery and empowerment. When many of us who have become leaders in the consumer/survivor movement compare notes, we find that one of the factors we usually have in common is that we were labeled “bad patients.” We were “uncooperative,” we were “non-compliant,” we were “manipulative,” we “lacked insight.” Often, we were the ones who were told we would never get better. I know I was! But twenty-five years of activism in the consumer/survivor movement has been the key element in my own process of recovery. Let’s look at this word “compliance.” My dictionary tells me it means “acquiescent,” “submissive,” “yielding.” Emotionally healthy people are supposed to be strong and assertive. It’s slaves and subjects who must be compliant. Yet compliance is often a high value in professionals’ assessments of how well we are doing. Being a good patient becomes more important than getting well. It’s like the healthy woman/healthy person dilemma. Psychological researchers have found that while emotionally healthy adults, gender unspecified, are supposed to be assertive and ambitious, emotionally healthy women are supposed to put others’ needs before their own. If you’re a woman and fulfill the stereotyped “woman’s role,” then you’re not an emotionally healthy person. If, on the other hand, you are strong and assertive, then you can be labeled as not being an emotionally healthy woman. Getting better, we were informed by staff, meant following their visions of our lives, not our own. Let me give you an example, from a book called Reality Police by Anthony Brandt: [Brandt says] I was thought to be a hopeful case, for example, so the doctor assigned to it worked up a life plan for me…I was to stay in the hospital three months or so to stabilize my life, she said. When I seemed up to it, I would go to work in the hospital’s “sheltered workshop” where I would make boxes for IBM and be paid on a piecework basis. When I had made enough boxes I would then be moved to the halfway house in Kingston, across the Hudson, where they would arrange a job for me in a special places called Gateway Industries established for the rehabilitation of mental patients. There I would presumably make more boxes. Eventually I might move out of the halfway house into my own apartment. What Anthony Brandt’s doctor didn’t know was that Brandt was not a “mental patient” at all. He was a writer who had feigned the symptoms of mental illness in order to find our first hand what the life of a mental patient was like. He had a successful career and a real life that he could return to. He didn’t have to accept limited view of his abilities as potential. Most real mental patients are not so lucky. Anthony Brandt wrote his book in the mid ’70’s, but what happened to him unfortunately continues to happen today. All those “unmotivated clients” I keep hearing about are the ones who are on a silent sit-down strike about others’ visions of what their lives should be like. When I ask professionals what it is that their clients are “unmotivated ” about, it usually turns out to be washing floors or dishes, on the one hand, or going to meaningless meetings on the other. Would you be “motivated” to reveal your deepest secrets to a stranger, for example, someone you have no reason to believe you can trust with this sensitive information? And, more important, should you be “motivated” to do so? People, in general, are motivated to do things that they want to do, or which will get them things which they want. Just because someone has a diagnosis of “mental illness” doesn’t change that fundamental fact of human nature. All the time and energy that mental health professionals seem to put into “motivating” their clients to do things they don’t want to do would, I think, be better spent helping clients to figure out what things they want for themselves, and the strategies to achieve them. We need to start encouraging people to dream, and to articulate their own visions of their own futures. We may not achieve all our dreams, but hoping and wishing are food for the human spirit. We, all of us, need real goals to aspire to, goals that we determine, aims that are individual and personal. I feel crushed when I visit programs that are training their clients for futures as residents of halfway houses and part-time workers in menial jobs. And if I, a visitor, feel my spirit being crushed, how do the people trapped in those programs feel? Researchers have asked clinicians what kinds of housing, for example, their clients need, and been told that congregate, segregating housing was the best setting. At the same time, the researchers have asked the clients directly what kind of housing they want, and been told that people would choose (if they were given the choice) to live in their own homes or apartments, alone, or with one other person they had chosen to live with. At the end of the year, the researchers found, the clients who got the kind of housing they wanted were doing better than the clients that got the housing that was thought to be clinically appropriate. Helping people to reach their goals is, among other things, therapeutic. One of the reasons I believe I was able to escape the role of chronic patient that had been predicted for me was that I was able to leave the surveillance and control of the mental health system when I left the state hospital. Today, that’s called “falling through the cracks.” While I agree that it’s important to help people avoid hunger and homelessness, such help must not come at too high a price. Help that comes with unwanted strings – “We’ll give you housing if you take medication,” “We’ll sign your SSI papers if you go to the day program” -is help that is paid for in imprisoned spirits and stifled dreams. We should not be surprised that some people won’t sell their souls so cheaply. Let us celebrate the spirit of non-compliance that is the self struggling to survivor. Let us celebrate the unbowed head, the heart that still dreams, the voice that refuses to be silent. I wish I could show you the picture that hangs on my office wall, which inspires me every day, a drawing by Tanya Temkin, a wonderful artist and psychiatric survivor activist. In a gloomy and barred room a group of women sit slumped in defeat, dresses in rags, while on the opposite wall their shadows, upright, with raised arms and wild hair and clenched fists, dance the triumphant dance of the spirit that will not die.
Up for the Task Newly Appointed Futsal Coach Opens Up About Sport’s Rapid Growth in Canada Follow @dasalexperez On Monday, Feb. 8, Soccer Canada appointed Montreal native, futsal expert and former national team player Kyriakos Selaidopoulos the men’s national futsal team head coach. Photo Richard Scott The ball is just as round, but it doesn’t roll on grass, it rolls on hardwood floor. Many of today’s soccer players owe their success to the little-known sport of futsal. Household names such as Andrés Iniesta of FC Barcelona and Brazilian legend Ronaldinho were able to develop their unique and captivating style in the confned space of a futsal court. On Monday, Feb. 8, Soccer Canada appointed Montreal native, futsal expert and former national team player Kyriakos Selaidopoulos the men’s national futsal team head coach. Futsal is a branch of soccer that differs from the traditional 11-a-side game. It’s five-a-side soccer (including the goalie) and is played on a smaller pitch, compared to its more well known 11-a-side counterpart. The game is separated into two 20-minute halves and unlimited substitutions. As opposed to 11-a-side, futsal has no offside rule, so an attacking player can stand by the opposing goal and never be penalized. Over the past two years, structured futsal leagues have been picking up in Quebec. The leagues are run by the Quebec Soccer Federation, with FIFA rules. Selaidopoulos has seen himself become one of the leading roles in futsal’s expansion within the province, although with the announcement, his attentions are sure to become national. During the early stages of futsal’s development in Quebec, the Quebec Soccer Federation hired Selaidopoulos as their expert on the sport. Mike Vitulano, an employee of the QSF, works closely with Selaidopoulos and is another one of the prominent figures in futsal’s rapid rise to popularity. “Quebec is thrilled that Kyt [Selaidopoulos] is going to be representing the country. Being a Quebec coach, it’s great for the province,” Vitulano said. “The idea here is to build something long term, and hopefully it’s well accepted.” Last year saw both Vitulano and Selaidopoulos introduce the first season of the Première Ligue de Futsal du Québec, a high-standards league, to recruit futsal players—both men and women. From there, they were able to create the first-ever Quebec teams. With futsal developing, and more funding being put into the sport, the future looks positive. “Futsal is getting bigger,” Selaidopoulos said. “It’s getting bigger by the moment. The thing is everybody needs to come together.” With futsal rapidly increasing in popularity, Selaidopoulos’s appointment as head coach can only have positive effects. Vitulano believes that Selaidopoulos, a former player for the Montreal Impact, as well a representative of Canada in both futsal and beach soccer, will bring a direct experience to the national team. “He’ll bring that player/coach type of approach, you know, having lived it,” Vitulano said. With the Coupe Futsal du Québec that took place on Feb. 26 and 27, Selaidopoulos has a keen look at the talent present. Despite being involved with Quebec futsal, he said that it isn’t about provinces, but about Canada. “I’ll put a team where the best are from, and if they’re [not] from Quebec, then they’re not from Quebec,” Selaidopoulos said. Despite Selaidopoulos’s involvement on a provincial level, he’s done his homework. The European Championships were also held this past month, and Selaidopoulos used that to look at how other continents across the globe function. Canadian soccer recently revealed that the national futsal team’s training camp is set to take place in Vaughan, Ont. from March 18 to 20, ahead of the 2016 CONCACAF—the soccer federation representing North and Central America—Championships. Selaidopoulos will set out to find profile players to fit into team Canada. With such a short period of time to prepare, he said he will seek out players that catch on fast. “It’s stressful, for sure. It’s a big job,” Selaidopoulos said. “I will take profile players that understand and that believe in the program for the future. “I might leave behind players that are better, but since we have a short time of preparation, I’m going to have to go with players that understand the game plan very quick,” he continued. Selaidopoulos enjoys uniting players into a team. That concept of togetherness is what he and Vitulano started in Quebec, and what he wants to bring to the national team. It’s the idea of provinces and players working together, to achieve their objective to qualify. Canada is set to face the United States in May. The winner of the two-match series will qualify for the CONCACAF Futsal Championship, which runs from May 8 to 15 in Costa Rica. By commenting on this page you agree to the terms of our Comments Policy. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
Exclusive: Guillermo del Toro’s Original Idea for Pacific Rim 2 A successful opening in China makes Pacific Rim a more international hit than it was domestically. The linked report says Warner Brothers is now thinking about a sequel. Good timing for me, as Charlie Day was with the Television Critics Association for the new season of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” today and I had a one on one interview with him. Day shared the sequel talk that he heard from Guillermo del Toro on the set of Pacific Rim, which was a shocking turn for his scientist character Newt. “I remember when I first met with him that he liked the idea of Newt becoming a bit of a villain in the second film,” Day said. “But, I think over the course of making the film, and the way the character resonated with the audience, I don’t think he would want to turn him into a villain now, but I really have no idea.” To put this in perspective, Day said del Toro shared a lot of ideas that changed through the creative process. “Guillermo is one of these guys that his mind is so active that he might have an idea about something and then it’s a completely different idea five minutes later.” In CraveOnline’s interview with Day this summer Day shared his hopes that Newt would get a jaeger to pilot in the sequel. He still wants one, only now he elaborates on ideas to copilot one in a drift with fellow scientist Gottlieb (Burn Gorman). “I’m hopeful that we get to drive a big punching robot,” Day said. “I think traditionally in those comics, sometimes the science guys put together a cheap, dorky version of one of the robots so maybe we’ll get to do something like that. Day is managing expectations though. The Chinese box office is good news, but nothing is guaranteed. “I also don’t know if it would ever get made. I think because there’s no one in a cape it might hurt our chances of making another one. We’ll see. Look, I would love to do it. Hopefully if it keeps performing this well overseas we’ll get to find out.” We’ll be back with more Pacific Rim 2 news after we meet with Hannibal Chau. Fred Topel is a staff writer at CraveOnline and the man behind Shelf Space Weekly. Follow him on Twitter at @FredTopel.
INDIANAPOLIS – A child died at the hospital after being shot by another child Monday evening on Indianapolis' northwest side. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers said the child was shot in the face in the 7100 block of Warrior Trail shortly before 10 p.m. in The Flat apartment complex. On Tuesday, an IMPD spokesperson said the weapon was unsecured, and fired by another child. The two were playing with the gun when it went off. #IMPDNOW : Deadly shooting of 9-year old appears to be a tragedy of unsecured weapon fired by another child. No arrest case remains active — IMPD (@IMPDnews) June 27, 2017 After the shooting, the 9-year-old boy was taken to St. Vincent Hospital where he died, according to police. He was identified as Mykah Jackson. Ratshel Gray, who drove Jackson to the hospital, said she hasn't slept much since the incident. "He was telling his son to hold on, breathe. So he was talking to his son to just tell him to stay focused, keep his eyes open and breathe," said Gray. "That's the only thing I remember. I didn't remember nothing else. I was just trying to get him to the hospital. "Seeing the baby with a bullet and the blood running down his face..." Mykah Jackson was the third juvenile fatally shot so far this year in Indianapolis. Citywide, police have seen a 70-percent increase in gun-related incidents involving kids in the past few years. Click here to read about what they're doing to turn that number around. On Tuesday, IMPD Chief Bryan Roach said anybody who is considering owning a gun needs to have a "healthy respect" for the machine. "Things like emotion, fear, pride, anger, lust, greed," Roach said. "If you can't control those emotions, then you have no business carrying a firearm." He said the owner of the gun is a 27-year-old man. Family members said Jackson lived in Gary and was visiting his father in Indy for the summer. "I spend a lot of time thinking about gun violence," Roach said. "We as a city are recognized for a number of great things -- nationwide and worldwide. Unfortunately, we are also recognized for our gun violence and we are trying to impact that. We as a police department are dedicated to that." Police on scene said they aren't sure if the shooting took place inside the apartment, but blood was found both inside and outside of the unit. Neighbors said Jackson's father ran out of the building cradling his son in his arms and another neighbor called 911. "I saw a man carrying a little boy, and he fell to the ground, and I'm like is everything alright. Do you need any assistance? He said 'my son can't breathe, he got shot,'" said a neighbor who helped Jackson's father who wished to remain anonymous. "I walked away so I get could my own composure and stay strong for him even though I don't know the man, I still had to stay strong because hey, if it was anyone of our kids, we would have been hysterical. "It was really unbearable. I really can't explain it." Nobody has been arrested, but the investigation is still ongoing. A memorial was set up Tuesday afternoon in honor of Jackson. "I can't imagine feeling responsible for that 9-year-old child's death, whether you're an adult or a child," Roach said. "It's significant. Its irrevocable. It's going to impact those people around it for years to come." IMPD officers gave away free gun locks to those living in the apartment complex. At least seven children under the age of 18 have been fatally shot in Indianapolis in 2017.
Italian capitalists fostered fascists and German capitalists – Nazis to oppose communists. Fostering devils to oppose beasts is a bad strategy. It can be good tactics, though. Israel would do well to prompt the PLO to bleed Hamas. Israel would be stupid to foster the PLO as an alternative to Hamas. Your enemy’s enemy is a tactical tool to bring your enemy down, but often not an acceptable alternative to your enemy. America figured out that Saddam relied on Sunnis, and pulled the Shia majority to power; the emboldened Shia extremists fought the Americans. The US repeats similar error with Kurds: for the tactical benefit of having a strong anti-Arab ally, America creates a time-bomb of the terrorist Kurdish state. Iraq’s Kurdistan will support the insurrection among Turkish Kurds, prompt a civil conflict in Turkey, and cause a wave of Turkish nationalism which could drown Turkey’s secularism in Islamism. The Iraqi Kurds won’t do the American bidding. They don’t care about democratic Iraq where Arabs outvote them. The Iraqi Kurds want to appropriate oil revenues and isolate themselves from the Arabs. Kurds are set on a crash course with Iraqi government over administrative autonomy-cum-sovereignty and oil income. Kurds sit on much of Iraqi oil – which the Arabs consider their own. Kurds stress the Saddam’s ethnic cleansing of Kirkuk oil field region; Arabs equally stress that the Kurds demographically swarmed that region, originally populated by Arabs. Once America ceases massive infusions into Iraqi economy, the Kirkuk oil issue will become critical enough for the Iraqi government to fight the Kurds for. For the illusionary benefit of having the Kurds as a viable anti-Arab ally in Iraq, America risks the only secular Muslim country, Turkey. CIA and the State Department embarked in Iran on their usual course of finding “our SOBs” and proclaiming them “moderates.” Thus the American support for the Iranian ex-president Khatami who is expected to oust Ahmadinejad. Khatami will have – unrealistically – to oust ayatollah Khamenei and the Council of Guardians first, since they support Ahmadinejad. America ignores that Khatami is an Islamist who spreads Iranian Shia influence from Africa to Middle East to Asia. Khatami unequivocally supports the Iranian “peaceful” nuclear program. Morality is not an academic concept, but time tested strategy of communal survival. Decidedly immoral approaches, like fostering thugs who specifically aim at oppressing the target population, rarely bears fruit for sponsors. If local collaborators are indispensable, they should be paid only to do the job necessary, and not to develop into the ruling parties. Israel can pay the PLO’s cost of combating Hamas – if the PLO will do that at all. America rightly co-opted Shia to overthrow Saddam and hunt down the Baathists. Khatami can be given media tribune and funds to bug Ahmadinejad and damage the Iranian consensus on the nuclear weapons. Small efforts like these often bring disproportionate effect; extending the efforts into large-scale operations like the occupation of Iraq is generally inefficient in cost-benefit terms. Bombing the Iranian nuclear facilities is way cheaper, simpler, and more reliable than bringing Khatami to power in the expectation that he will end the nuclear program. The bombing is more moral, too.
Mike Vecchione is focusing on his mental game just as much as his physical game this summer. (Photo: Getty Images) When Ron Hextall took over as Flyers General Manager in 2014, his focus was on overhauling a farm system that was severely devoid of talent. He reversed a team philosophy of trading draft picks for veterans and instead began to invest in acquiring draft picks through dealing older players and patiently developing younger ones. In just three years Hextall, and the organization, are seeing the fruits of their labor. Last month ESPN ranked the Flyers farm system as the best in the league. It’s already produced budding stars such as Shayne Gostisbehere, Ivan Provorov and Travis Konecney. More are loudly knocking on the door. Many of the current prospects responsible for giving the Flyers such lofty status will be in attendance at rookie camp, which begins this Friday. If there ever was a time to pay attention to the five-day event, which concludes with a game against the Islanders rookies next Wednesday at the Wells Fargo Center, it’s this year. The days of not recognizing the names on the invite list are history. The roster for this season is overloaded with well-known and publicized players who are either expected to make the Flyers opening night lineup this season or join the team at some point in the next couple of months or years. Need a guide on players to keep an eye on? It’s a long, long, list. Regardless, let’s try and summarize which players bear the most attention. Ready for Prime Time By now, you’ve probably heard of the guys closest to graduating to the NHL. Nolan Patrick, taken with the No. 2 pick in last year’s draft, leads the crop of possibly five players who are penciled in to join the Flyers. Joining Patrick are likely forwards Oskar Lindblom and Mike Vecchioine and defensemen Sam Morin and Robert Haag. On the Cusp If defenseman Travis Sanheim fails to make the Flyers this month, he will be the first player summoned from the Phantoms to fill in for an injury. Phillipe Myers, a towering 6-foot-7 defenseman, will be the second. Both could end up as mainstays before the season ends. A Year or Two Away German Rubtsov is quickly climbing the depth chart. Taken 22nd overall in the 2016 draft, he is a longshot to make the Flyers this year but could climb to On the Cusp status next fall. Goalie Carter Hart is at least two years away but the two-time top goaltender of the Western Hockey League is emerging as the team’s No. 1 goalie of the future. While they might not fit into one of the three categories mentioned above, make sure to circle jersey numbers for forwards Pascal Laberge, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Morgan Frost and Isaac Ratcliffe and goalie Alex Lyon.
Get the biggest celebs stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email A family who had turned a car park into their home for 11 years were forced out by a local council. Traveller Sally Bowers and her 18-year-old son Elwood arrived in the town of Coverack, Cornwall in 2005 for the solar eclipse and then never left. Their story is featured in the ITV series of Parking Wars , which returns tonight, as residents of the picturesque town share their concerns about travellers living rent free. Peter who runs the village website says: "They have free rent, free water, free sanitary," while B&B owner Dick has "had enough" of their freeloading and wants them gone. (Image: BBC) Sally, who supports her family by dealing scrap metal, explains her perfect home life on the car park which is leased and operated by St Keverne Parish Council: "It’s rather nice because we have water that comes up from the toilet block up here so it means we can have running water." Her four other children who Sally brought with her have all left and now there's just Elwood left who says: "This is the only home I’ve known, I’ve lived here for two thirds of my life in a car park." For Sally it's a nervous wait to find out if the court will choose to evict her, her son, two dogs and her 16 vehicles all crammed into the small space. “We don’t want to move unless it’s absolutely necessary. The solution is out there somewhere we just need to find it," she says. (Image: ITV) But it's bad news for Sally and her son, as once the ball is set in motion and the villagers desperation to get them out is recognised, the judge decides there's only one option. Dick couldn't be happier as he leaves court to explain to the cameras that they have been served an eviction notice and have been given five months to leave. “It's good that she will no longer after this year costing the parish and the community of Coverack, five to ten thousand pounds per year." Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now Sally and her son reflect on their impending situation, and speak of the judge: "He was very nice the judge and said he hoped we would find somewhere to go to in the time that we have got. I thought that was really nice." Meanwhile in the rest of the episode viewers are introduced to the most ruthless civil enforcement officers in Hereford. Julie, Yvonne and Andy along with three other officers dished out 22,000 last year helping to rake in half a million pounds. * Parking Wars is on Tuesdays, ITV at 8pm
Home Brisbane Wedding Photographer – Tom Hall Photography Brisbane Wedding Photography Hi, my name is Tom Hall and I am a Brisbane Wedding Photographer. Actually, I’m an Australian Wedding Photographer who photographs weddings everywhere. You’ll find me in Maleny, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Byron, Toowoomba, and anywhere else in the country I’m invited. Thank you for visiting my website. It means a lot that you’d like to see what I’m about. There’s nothing cooler for me than being invited to be part of such an awesome day. I absolutely love weddings! Anyone who’s seen me work will tell you I’m like a kid in a candy store. From the minute I turn up to the very last second before I leave, I love what I do. I couldn’t think of a better thing than being a wedding photographer. I have a lot of fun while I work. Weddings are filled with ridiculously happy moments and I can’t help but be swept up them. STYLE Your wedding is something I’m hoping you’ll want to remember, so when I’m photographing throughout the day I’ll capture as much as possible. I want for you to be able to remember all the good stuff for the rest of your lives together, including those unexpected and candid moments. AWARDS I took a break this year, but I’ve decided to jump back into it and see how far I can go! If you’re interested to know more about my qualifications and previous awards, they’re here. I’m very grateful for them and I really treasure the memories of the days when I captured those award images. I care about being lucky enough to live a life where I get to see so much joy! I care about the memories of my clients saying to me, “Tom, we had such an amazing day!” What’s important to me is that on your wedding day you feel like you can be completely comfortable in your own space. I want for you to feel like the only thing you need to do is to have the time of your life. Whatever you wanna do, whomever you wanna be on your big day, I’m there for you. I sincerely hope you enjoy looking through the many pages of my website and seeing some of the many weddings I’ve captured over the years. I invite you to contact me as I would be very happy to photograph your wedding. Have a great day or evening. Tom Hall APP. M.Photog AWPPI. Fully Accredited Brisbane Wedding Photographer Tom Hall Photography Facebook Business Page Recent Posts
Astronauts Experience God How Astronauts Experience God Metaphysical Mind #63 Dear Friend, In this issue of Metaphysical Mind I have a fascinating article about how astronauts experience God that I have been wanting to share with you for quite some time. This basic ezine issue only contains this one article which is all about space euphoria. The following article comes from DailyGalaxy.com. Learn how astronauts experience god by reading this: Space Euphoria: Do Our Brains Change When We Travel In Outer Space? In February, 1971, Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell experienced the little understood phenomenon sometimes called the “Overview Effect”. He describes being completely engulfed by a profound sense of universal connectedness. Without warning, he says, a feeing of bliss, timelessness, and connectedness began to overwhelm him. He describes becoming instantly and profoundly aware that each of his constituent atoms were connected to the fragile planet he saw in the window and to every other atom in the Universe. He described experiencing an intense awareness that Earth, with its humans, other animal species, and systems were all one synergistic whole. He says the feeling that rushed over him was a sense of interconnected euphoria. He was not the first—nor the last—to experience this strange “cosmic connection”. Rusty Schweikart experienced it on March 6th 1969 during a spacewalk outside his Apollo 9 vehicle: “When you go around the Earth in an hour and a half, you begin to recognize that your identity is with that whole thing. That makes a change…it comes through to you so powerfully that you’re the sensing element for Man.” Schweikart, similar to what Mitchell experienced, describes intuitively sensing that everything is profoundly connected. Their experiences, along with dozens of other similar experiences described by other astronauts, intrigue scientists who study the brain. This “Overview Effect”, or acute awareness of all matter as synergistically connected, sounds somewhat similar to certain religious experiences described by Buddhist monks, for example. Where does it come from and why? Andy Newberg, a neuroscientist/physician with a background in spacemedicine, is learning how to identify the markers of someone who hasexperienced space travel. He says there is a palpable difference in someone who has been in space, and he wants to know why. Newberg specializes in finding the neurological markers of brains in states of altered consciousness: Praying nuns, transcendental mediators, and others in focused or “transcendent” states. Newberg can actually pinpoint regions in subjects’ gray matter that correlate to these circumstances, and now he plans to use his expertise to find how and why the Overview Effect occurs. He is setting up advanced neurological scanning instruments that can head into space to study–live–the brain functions of space travelers. If this Overview Effect is a real, physiological phenomenon—he wants to watch it unfold. Newberg’s first test subject will not be an astronaut, but rather a civilian. Reda Andersen will be leaving the planet with Rocketplane Kistler. She says, that as one of the world’s first civilian space adventurers, she is more than happy to let Andy scan her brain if it can help unlock the mystery. Why do astronauts all seem to experience a profound alteration of their perceptions when entering space, and will it happen for Rita and the other civilian explorers as well? After decades of study and contemplation about his experience, Ed Mitchell believes that the feeling of “oneness” with the Universe that he and others have experienced is a consequence of little understood quantum physics. In a recent interview with writer Diana deRegnier of American Chronicle, Mitchell explains how the event changed his life and his entire perspective on the world and how each of us fits into the grand scale of the cosmos. “Four hundred years ago. the philosopher Rene Descartes came to the conclusion that physicality, spirituality, mind and body belonged to different realms of reality that didn’t interact. Now, that served the purpose to get the Inquisition off the backs of the intellectuals so they could disagree on material things with the church and without the fear of being burned at the stake. So that ended that, but it did cause, for four hundred years, science to consider consciousness and mind a subject for philosophy and religion and not a subject for science. Now, one of the things that happened, in the 1940s, was the mathematician, physicist, Norbert Wiener (MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology) for the first time really defined information as the negative of entropy, and entropy as the idea of the universe is running down and wastes energy. But, Wiener defined information as the negative of entropy, and that’s wonderful but it didn’t go far enough.” Mitchell says that in an attempt to fill in some of the missing gap, the 2008 revised edition of his book The Way of the Explorer explores the largely ignored science of human consciousness. Using what he calls the “dyadic model” he outlines the “two faces” of energy. “Instead of being two separate things, it’s the energy as the basis of our existence in matter. And, it’s the basis of our knowing and information,” Mitchell explains. “We had not had, in science, a definition of consciousness. The only definition of consciousness from the dictionary is that at its basic level it is awareness. Consciousness means to be aware, and then we have different levels of consciousness depending upon how complex the substance is. It has been demonstrated many times over in laboratories that basic awareness is demonstrable at the level of plants, at simple bacteria, at simple life forms. This is done with Faraday cages. It’s shown that this information at this deep level, at the quantum level, can transcend electromagnetic theory. And, now we’re getting into quantum physics and we don´t want to go there at this point. But it’s a very fundamental notion that awareness is at the very basis of things.” Mitchell believes that perhaps both the theologians and scientists have missed the mark. “All I can suggest to the mystic and the theologian is that our gods have been too small; they fill the universe. And to the scientist all I can say is that the gods do exist; they are the eternal, connected, and aware Self experienced by all intelligent beings.’ In response to DeRegnier questioning whether or not Mitchell believes in the idea of God, he responds that while he does not believe in the traditional “grandfather figure” version of God, “we do have great mystery about what is the origin of the universe, how it came to be. There’s a great deal of question as to whether the big bang is the correct answer to the way the universe arose, and under what auspices and conditions. I don’t think we have the full answers to that yet. Hopefully in due course we’ll be able to find a much better way to describe all this.” But while Mitchell does not claim to know how to perfectly interpret his experience, he is certain that it was a glimpse into a largely ignored reality: People, places and things are all more closely connected than they sometimes appear. He also mentions the need for better stewardship of our precious planet. “The great thinker Buckminster Fuller, philosopher, now deceased but for a goodly portion of the twentieth century, pointed out at the beginning of our space exploration that we are the crew of ‘space ship earth’. But we ‘re a crew of mutiny and how can you run a space ship with a mutinous crew?” Posted by Rebecca Sato at DailyGalaxy.com Humanity and personal spirituality still have so much to gain from science… CK
Lexington, Ky The rolling green hills and rambling black fences of Lexington, Kentucky horse country are legendary. While we heartily recommend whiling away an afternoon at Keeneland placing bets on your favorite filly, there’s more to Lex than equines. The NoLi Night Market, for instance, draws urbanites from nearby neighborhoods and downtown with its food truck parade, handmade goods by local makers, and live music under the stars (plus a few strings of twinkly lights). You might be lured by all the action downtown, and we don’t blame you, but be sure to scope out the surrounding areas like the Historic Western Suburb, Woodland Triangle, and North Lime. There’s plenty we love in the Coolavin Park area too, not the least of which are pick-up games of bike polo across from County Club and West Sixth Brewery. Of particular note, the once gritty Distillery District is coming into its own. You won’t want to miss the beloved dessertery Crank & Boom’s first brick and mortar in one of the district’s restored warehouses. Some cities just need a little coaxing to reveal their sweet spots–stick with us–and if someone asks you if you bleed blue, just say yes. Historic Distillery District D=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop Goodfellas Distillery N.Y. style pizza, a veritable wall of bourbon in the Wiseguy Lounge, and a smokestack encircled by a winding staircase–how could you go wrong? Chillax at Goodfellas with a slice and your preferred beverage on their delightful patio or inside the magnificently renovated distillery. Good times. 1228 Manchester St. (E) Ethereal Brewing Irish Espresso Stout, P.B.& J. Porter, Cascadian Cream Ale, Ethereal Strength Bitter–these guys are delivering plenty of reasons for you to venture out to the Old Pepper Distillery. Enjoy a flight of their creative brews including a few solid Saisons and their signature IPA, Wanderlust. They keep ten rotating guest taps as well. Ethereal has darts in the tank room, the best food trucks in town on the regular, and a mighty fine looking taproom to sweeten the pot. 1224 Manchester St. (E) Middle Fork Kitchen Bar Mark Jensen, whose popular mobile galley Fork in the Road won your hearts, now brings his globally-inspired street cuisine to a earthy-urban sit down venue right next door to Ethereal Brewing. You can expect good views to all the action in the kitchen, including a chef’s counter and communal tables. Middle Fork is making good use of the outdoor space as well, overlooking the meandering Town Branch River. Go see what Mark and his team put together. 1224 Manchester St. (E) Crank and Boom’s Dessert Cafe and Lounge Lex’s favorite craft ice creamery brings its small batch velvety goodness to the Distillery District–Bourbon & Honey, Superfudge, Kentucky Blackberry & Buttermilk, plus much more.1210 Manchester St. (E) Barrel House Distilling Co. is an official stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour, but we won’t blame you if you head straight down to Manchester St. Their Oak Rum is aged in charred oak bourbon barrels, and naturally you can’t leave Kentucky without tasting shine. We heartily recommend you start with the good stuff–Barrel House’s Devil John Moonshine No. 9. The small batch Pure Blue Vodka is a hit with the Big Blue Nation. At Barrel House, they’re patiently waiting for the bourbon to be “ready,” but you can check out the groovy copper pot still while it ages. Tours and tastings are offered Wednesday through Sunday. 1200 Manchester St. (D) The Elkhorn Tavern is Barrel House’s lounge and taproom. Sink into a leather bourbon-barrel chair with a Big Ass Mule or Pure Blue Cheese Martini featuring Barrel House spirits and regale us with tales of how you’ve wrestled with bigger bears than the one adorning the wall of the Elkhorn. You’ll love their cozy fireplace during the chillier months, but all we can think of right now is cooling down with a refreshing Blueberry Oak Smash. 1200 Manchester St. (E) Break Room at the Pepper Hang out at Town Branch with your friends, sit on the patio and soak up some sun, play cornhole, watch the game, have some drinks—what’s not to like about this place? If your chill friend’s river house was actually a bar, it would be the Break Room. 1178 Manchester St. (E) The Burl is a great little music venue in the Distillery District. The wood planking gives it a nice warm feel and makes for amazing acoustics. See a show there, and you’ll be scanning the schedule for your next visit. 375 Thompson Rd. (D) M.S. Rezny Studio and Gallery Gorgeous natural light floods Mary Rezny’s gallery featuring “contemporary, professional, experimental, and innovative artists.” You’ll find a wide range of photography, mixed media, collage, fiber arts, and paintings here. Stop by during third Friday’s Gallery Hop (every other month) or during gallery hours Tuesday through Saturday. 903 Manchester St. (S) PRHBTN Those really cool street art murals around town are brought to you by the folks at PRHBTN. Check out their gallery events or their annual PRHBTN Festival each year when they invite artists from all over the world to share their art with Lexington. PRHBTN “showcases local, regional, and national artists, musicians, and businesses intrinsic to urban culture.” Keep up to date with their latest endeavors here. 899 Manchester St. (D) Manchester Music Hall The newly refurbished venue is a nice place to see a show. Ride share is the way to go here. 899 Manchester St. (D) Kre8now Makerspace 3-D printers, Build-a-Drone workshops, wood routers–you name it, Kre8now probably has it. Their new 12,000 foot space is meant to be a community creative hive. Makers and inventors unite. 903 Manchester St. #120 (D) Town Branch Distillery is the oldest craft distillery in Lexington. Take a tour to bolster your beer and bourbon I.Q. Town Branch Distillery and Alltech Lexington Brewing produce Kentucky Ales including their flagship Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, and Town Branch Bourbon, Bluegrass Sundown liqueur, as well as “the first malt whiskey produced in Kentucky since the Prohibition,” Pearse Lyons Reserve. 401 Cross St. (E) Pop’s Resale Visit this “clearinghouse for vinyl records, vintage and quirky clothing, old-school game systems, and a million other things you ain’t never heard of,” and pick up what Pop’s is dropping. Go by and gab with Dan Shorr (Pop) and add to your vinyl collection. 1423 Leestown Rd. (S) Historic Western Suburb D=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop Stella’s Kentucky Deli It’s the little things that please us the most about Stella’s farm-sourced food. For instance, you can add a fried green tomato to any burger or salad on the menu. They make their own jalapeno syrup and use it in their clever tequila gimlet. Anything with Weisenburger cheese grits is a good call, and don’t forget a slice of Mary Porter pie, to go if necessary. Stella’s has a sweet little side patio. But be warned, this popular little yellow house is jumping during lunch and seating is tight. 143 Jefferson St.(E) Nick Ryan’s Saloon It’s hard to resist a Southern double porch. Nick Ryan’s food matches the appeal of its architecture. Try the Braised Beef Short Ribs or another house favorite, the Shrimp & Grits made with Weisenberger Mill’s stone ground white grits, smoked Gouda, and andouille sausage. Join them for Saturday brunch and enjoy their Bloody Mary bar ($5 each for your spicy Saturday wake-up). 157 Jefferson St. (E) Jefferson Street Soiree is an annual neighborhood throwdown in celebration of Keeneland’s Yearling Sale. The evening soiree gathers folks all the way down the Jefferson Street corridor, from Short to Second. We’re talkin’ some serious food, libations, and musical entertainment–all on one of our favorite destinations in Lex, Jefferson Street. (D) Grey Goose Bar Those stable doors just draw us right in. Order up one of their hand-tossed New York style pizzas; the specials are always a good way to go here, and sit back soaking in the dimly lit atmosphere. It is where all the cool kids hang out. 170 Jefferson St. (E) Wine + Market We never resist dropping in Wine + Market when in Lexington–great sandwiches on crusty bread, a kickin’ cheese case, gourmet goodies and plenty of white subway tile and mirror to draw in the light. We’re feeling their European vibe. Offering free tastings in the adjoining wine room on Fridays from 5-8, this is the perfect place to pull together an impromptu picnic for your honey. 486 W. 2nd St. (S) The Green Lantern Bar If you mention that you live or travel through Lexington, people are inevitably going to ask if you’ve been to The Green Lantern (yes, it is that famous). This little neighborhood dive bar features an eclectic mix of live music and is considered a staple of the local rock scene. 497 W. 3rd St. (E) Blue Stallion Brewing specializes in German lagers and British ales. Head over on Test Batch Tuesdays for limited edition brews and pick up a little dinner from the Gastro Gnome truck. Trivia is on Thursday for you competitive types, and you can cue up at Lyles BBQ for additional brain fuel. 610 W. 3rd St. (E) Coolavin Park D=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop Bike Polo is way cool, and it is happening in Coolavin Park. Did you know that Lexington has its very own bike polo court? Fact. Lexington is even hosting this year’s Bike Polo World Championship in October. How rad is that? Find out more about bike polo and roller hockey on Lex’s Bicycle Polo League website. Coolavin Park, 550 W. 6th St. (D) County Club Hardwood-smoked low and slow, County Club utilizes “responsibly raised Kentucky cow, hog, sheep, goat, and chicken while applying flavor traditions from around the world.” The smoked brisket with Cornichon and poutine of the day are local favorites, and their house-made vinegar bbq sauce made with West Sixth IPA was spotlighted by Garden & Gun magazine. Be sure to order the daily salad–it is always amazing. 555 Jefferson St. (E) Broke Spoke Community Bike Shop is a volunteer-run organization that wants “better bicycles for all people” and to help you help yourself when it comes to bike upkeep. They offer bike mechanics classes and fully stocked workstations. “At Broke Spoke you can buy used bikes and parts. You can rent workstand time. You can ask one of our mechanics if you are doing something right. And, if you can’t afford to pay, you can volunteer your time for $8/hour, otherwise known as sweat equity.” Righteous. 501 W. Sixth St. (S) West Sixth Brewing recently announced the release of its first County Series beer–Washington, fermented in a gently-used red wine barrel. This limited edition ale is described as “tart, crisp, and funky, with high effervescence created during the bottle conditioning.” Their Pay it Forward Cocoa Porter, besides being delicious, generates 50 cents a six pack for worthy charities in the town where it is sold. If you’re looking for yet another reason to love West Sixth, show up with your mat on Wednesday (6-7 p.m.) for Community Yoga. 501 W. Sixth St. (E) Smithtown Seafood is located right inside West Sixth in the Bread Box building. Who couldn’t do with a basket of Crispy Seafood Pups alongside a refreshing West Sixth brew? Even though the vibe is casual (pick up window and brewery seating), Smithtown is dead serious about serving up deliciously prepared seafood that is sustainably raised or responsibly farmed. You can even take advantage of Chef Michel’s expert fishmonger by purchasing fresh fish to go. Every tilapia special sends $8 to FoodChain’s urban farm and helps educate the community about sustainable agriculture and food production. 501 W. Sixth St. (E) Rollergirls of Central Kentucky practice sessions are held at The Bread Box warehouse behind West Sixth Brewing. This Flat Track Roller Derby League hosts home bouts during the season at the Lexington Ice Center and the Lexington Convention Center. They are often looking for emergency medical personnel to oversee the matches, if that tells you anything. 581 W. Sixth (D) Cricket Press Studio+Gallery Brian and Sara Turner are the dynamic duo behind the West Sixth can designs and those groovy gig and event posters you’ll see around town. Catch up with them at the weekly Bread Box Farmers Market to snag some amazing art prints or check out their facebook page for their next open studio. They also do laser etching and custom work. 501 W. Sixth St. Suite 185 (S) Bread Box Farmers Market Get your local goodness every Wednesday May through August from 5-7:30! At the Bread Box Building 501 W. Sixth St. (S) North Lime D=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop Lexington Art League is vital to the Lexington arts community. Don’t wait until the Gallery Hop to view some engaging art. The Lexington Art League brings the work of regional, national, and international artists to Lexington through the Artist Residency Program. The LAL also has a vibrant education program including classes for youth and teens. Their Community Supported Art (CSA) is “at the forefront of national trends to promote grass-roots art buying and collecting and was recently featured in the New York Times.” Join the CSA by buying a share and reaping this season’s crop of art. 209 Castlewood Dr. (D) Kentucky for Kentucky Shop all things “Kick Ass Kentuckian” including Clucking Awesome dress socks and Kentucky Rocks! ice trays. We’re particularly partial to the new Watch Me Sip, Watch Them Neigh, Neigh tees. 720 Bryan Ave. (S) The Parachute Factory is a non-profit multi-use space aimed at “promoting artistic endeavors and community engagement.” Join them on the Northside for art installations of all types, pop-up rock shows, poetry readings, and more. 720 Bryan Ave. (D) Noli Night Market On the corner of Limestone and Loudon, look for a neighborly ruckus going on the first Friday of every month May through December. This groovy pop-up street festival features inventive goods by local vendors, handmade art, tasty food trucks and beer, naturally. Bring cash. 804 N. Limestone (D) Broomwagon Coffee+Bikes Why isn’t there a cool place to hang while getting your bike serviced in Lexington–oh wait, there is. The folks at Broomwagon have supplied many reasons to venture out, whether or not you have an issue with your ride: Monday night Old Time Jam, Team Trivia Fridays, comedy open mics, a beer garden, plus a mighty little cafe that serves lunch, coffee, milkshakes, smoothies, local craft beer, and more! They know their way around a bike, too. Pick up some new gear or maybe even the bike of your dreams. 800 N. Limestone (S) The Red Light Kitchen & Lounge For the legions of bereft A La Lucie devotees, take heart. Red Light will lift your spirits with its familiar Southern cuisine, eclectic decor, and fun cocktails. From the Lamb Shank served atop Weisenberger grits to the Red Light Burger crowned with a fried green tomato, bacon and spicy mayo, Red Light is comfort food you’ll want to stop for. 780 N. Limestone (E) Minton’s at 760 If you don’t feel like chasing down their food truck, whisk over to the corner of Luigart Street and Limestone for lunch or brunch. Minton’s is open Tuesday through Saturday 11-3 serving the kicked up Southern dishes you adore. The Little Brother, Brunch on a Bun (you know bacon jam is our kryptonite)–it is all so good, Southern Living is including Minton’s at 760 in their newest cookbook. Call to order one of their amazing cakes for your next fete; it is certain Nick’s Birthday Cake made with banana cake and caramel sauce or the Mascarpone Cheesecake topped with amaretto soaked pecans will clench your party-hero status. 760 N. Limestone (E) The Stitchery This is not Granny’s embroidery shop. That is unless your Grams is super edgy. The Stitchery specializes in machine-embroidered patches and hoop art. Let your rebel side show with a Biggie, Frida, or “Free the Nipple” patch. Ask them about custom embroidery as well. Think of it as tattoos for your clothes. 754 N. Limestone inside Charmed Life Tattoo (S) Wild Fig Books & Coffee We get it. You need a place to camp that has an excellent selection of books, a good cup of coffee, and on occasion, some sustenance to fuel that big brain of yours. Wild Fig gets you too. Besides that tempting case of pastries, they serve lunch. 726 N. Limestone (S) Al’s Bar and Beer Garden Kentucky has its fair share of dive bars, and Lexington is no exception. While Al’s might merit the “dive” label, it is far more. Consider it more of a Limestone street institution. “Local burgers highlight a diverse menu along with a large bourbon selection, draft beer, and a neighborhood personality.” While you’re vacillating between the Bison Burger with chipotle bourbon mayo and the Willie’s Bluegrass Burger crowned with beer cheese, bacon, onion rings and bbq sauce, you can enjoy live music most nights. Don’t miss the Cult Film Series on the first Wednesday of every month–free. Al’s Bar also hosts the Holler Poet Series on last Wednesdays to nourish your literary yearnings. 601 N. Limestone (E) North Lime Coffee and Donuts serves Nate’s coffee all the ways you like it, including specialty drinks like Cortados and Espresso Con Panna (two shots of espresso layered with homemade whipped cream). While life might be unpredictable, you can depend on North Lime’s Plain Glazed,Chocolate Iced, Cinnamon & Sugar, Cinnamonkey, and Funnel Cake donuts to be there for you day in and day out. Check their twitter @northlimelex to see what kooky flavors of the day they’re serving (like Dublin Stout, Bourbon Caramel, or Key Lime Long Johns). 575 N. Limestone St. (E) Arcadium With twenty taps of craft beer and a cozy Edison bulb-lit full bar, Arcadium is a must. Did we mention games–all the old-school arcade games you need to fuel those high score dreams. If you’re lucky your land on a Tuk Tuk Sri Lanken Bites night! 574 N. Limestone St. (E) Homegrown Press is John Lackey’s studio and gallery. If you pop in sometime after lunch, you might find him in the studio. We love his linoleum block prints. 569 N. Limestone St. (S) Rock House Brewing Still somewhat under the radar, the tasting room of this fledgling microbrewer is indeed in a stone house. The fireplace is lovely in colder months, but it’s the beer that is the real draw. Try their crowd-pleasing Roadie American Pale Ale. RHB hosts open mic nights, trivia and a regular line-up of appealing food trucks.119 Luigart Court (E) Gratz Park D=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop Morlan Gallery Transylvania University is located in the Mitchell Fine Art Center on campus. It features contemporary art that “represents Western and non-Western viewpoints, gives voice to the marginalized, and encourages experimental installation, performance, and digital artworks.” The gallery is open daily (during the exhibition season from May-September) from noon-5 p.m. 300 N. Broadway (D) Wander through the idyllic Gratz Park gazing at the 19th Century townhouses, or cop a squat near the Fountain of Youth bronze sculpture. It couldn’t hurt, right? (D) Doodles Breakfast & Lunch serves local and organic food–“comfort food with a conscience.” The beignets are where it’s at. We can’t get enough of the hearty Oatmeal Brulee either, Weisenberger Mill steel cut oats topped with a crackling raw sugar shell. Or, if we need something savory, Tara’s Tasty Hash squares us away for the morning. Don’t be afraid of the crowds, just take our advice and have a cup of joe first (to stave off the “hangry”). 262 N. Limestone (E) Third Street Stuff and Coffee Artist Pat Gerhard’s exuberant Third Street Stuff has been a neighborhood staple for more than a decade. Pick up a gift, grab a bite to eat, or a Frozen Monkey mocha to liven up your afternoon. Their coffee has been voted Best in Lexington numerous times by Ace Weekly, and last year was named best coffee shop in the state by Business Insider. We don’t know if it is Gerhard’s funky, folky art energizing her patrons or the Dirty Chai Lattes. Either way, you’re likely to leave with a little more pep in your step. Happy hour comes everyday from 5-7 p.m. when you can get your coffee or tea for half off. 257 N. Limestone (E) Beloved Lexington Pasta gurus Reinaldo and Lesme second venture, Pasta Garage Italian Cafe, supplies plenty of fresh pasta perfect for stocking your fridge or dinner table. Nobody needs to know. 227 N. Limestone (E) Sorella Don’t bother resisting these sisters’ small-batch Italian gelato and sorbetto. Rasberry Chocolate Chip, Biscoff, Whipped Cream, Espresso and more–with so many luscious flavors to try, one needs to be methodical. Best to go every day. 219 N. Limestone (E) Mulberry & Lime We adore ambling through the historic 1813 Colonial and all the goodies owner Mary Ginocchio has assembled there. Mulberry & Lime features lovely gifts, furnishings, and home accents. Pine Cone Hill bedding, Dash and Albert rugs, and Bowron New Zealand lambskin, linens, tabletop, and all manner of beautiful accoutrements to feather your nest. 216 N. Limestone (S) Paper on Stone Whether you’re feeling cheeky or coy, Paper on Stone has the card that just gets you, plus custom invitations, unique stationary, elegant wrapping paper and more. Write more, text less. 215 N. Limestone (S) Lexington Beerworks has twelve rotating taps of your favorite craft brews to fill your growler, over 100 microbrews by the bottle or can, and a fully-stocked homebrew shop. Cocktails and wine is also available. If you’re peckish, they serve apps and artisan pizzas. Or just skip to dessert and order the Chocolate Milk Stout Beer Float. The best seat in the house is on the back deck with a view to the skyline at dusk. 213 N. Limestone (S) Le Deauville Their Borducan (orange liquor) cocktail is the exilir of the gods. We like to visit this quaint French bistro while the sun is still streaming in onto the crisp white tablecloths. During the week, appetizers are half price from 5:00-6:30; it’s an opportune time to sample the excellent Pate Maison or delicate Beef Carpaccio. Monday nights are all-you-can-eat sweet or savory crepes, and Tuesdays we suggest you make a standing date with Mussels night. 199 N. Limestone (E) Institute 193 “collaborates with artists, musicians, and writers to produce exhibitions, publications, and projects that document the cultural landscape of the modern South.” Check it out. 193 N. Limestone (D) Distilled at Gratz Park Inn is an elegant restaurant and bourbon bar located in Gratz Park Inn. Whether you’re trying to impress an in-law, get on the right side of your boss, or romance a significant other, Distilled’s artful plates of farm-to-table food are sure to please. Besides if things aren’t going well, the spirits list is extensive. If you are there for brunch, be sure someone at your table orders the Fried Chicken Biscuit. 120 W. 2nd St. (E) Downtown/West Short Design District D=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop ONA Bar Just shy of their first birthday, ONA made Esquire’s Best Bars in America list. The younger sibling of County Club, ONA has the same exquisite attention to detail. Expect masterful cocktails in this sexy sidestreet bar. The cheeky drink names are almost as appealing as the libations. Almost. Don’t worry about hustling down in time for happy hour either. ONA specials are “happy days” like $5 Negronis on Thursdays until close. 108 Church St. (E) Lussi Brown Coffee Bringing to Lex the harmonious marriage of excellent coffee and craft cocktails, Lussi Brown is coffee shop by day and “Nightcap Coffee Bar” by night. Proudly championing KY products from loose leaf MonTea to Hosey’s Kentucky Honey, Lussi Brown sources locally whenever possible including those incredible pastries waiting for you on the counter. They’ve got house-made cold brew on tap and Nitro when the temps climb. Their ever changing seasonal cocktail list is even fodder for a little friendly competition. Check out the bracket on Fridays and vote for your favorite. With creations like RumChata Undertow, Real Espresso Martini, Cthulu, Earl Grey Mojito and more, Lussi Brown is slaying it. 114 Church St. (E) Sidebar Grill is the place to hang like a local. If you’re looking to score some lunch, you might have to arm wrestle a few suits eating burgers or daydrinkers. But it’s worth it. Velvet Johnny Cash will keep you company. Sidebar has friendly folks, good grub, and zero pretense. 147 N. Limestone (E) Oscar Diggs is the lovechild of legendary food truck Gastro Gnomes and Quillin’s popular Rooster Brewing in Paris. We didn’t need much convincing to believe this place would be golden, but naming it after the great and powerful Oz put us right over the top. Nice to know that you won’t have to scout out the truck for one of their choice burgers. Kill two birds with one stone and order The Thorogood–one burger, one shot, and one beer. Try Oscar Diggs exclusive Saison, Rooster Brewing Basic. 155 N. Limestone (E) Minglewood is a excellent place to kick-off your weekend with Friday Happy Hour featuring half-price cocktails. Or breakup your work week with Besties and Burgers on Wednesdays–buy one burger, and get one 1/2 price for your buddy. Order the smoked cheddar and parmesan pimento cheese and stay for the music. 159 N. Limestone (E) Corto Lima Jonathan Lundy, James Beard Award Semi-Finalist for best Chef in the Southeast, brings his midas touch to Latin-inspired cuisine downtown. This place should absolutely be on your short list. Whether it is the Prickly Pear Margaritas, the warm light flooding in, or the downright gorgeous food, Corto Lima will transport you to your happy place. 101 W. Short St. (E) West Sixth Greenroom is bringing your favorite brews downtown for your swigging pleasure, plus some soon-to-be superstars like their new small batch Key Lime Pie P.A. Huzzah! 109 W. Main St. (E) West Main Crafting Company It should come as no surprise that we are big fans of a well-made cocktail. West Main as far exceeded that mark serving “authentic farm-to-shaker cocktails with house made sodas, syrups, tonics, and bitters” as well as the perfect bites to accompany them. We are big fans of the Bao Buns nestled in dim sum baskets and the Shishito Peppers with grilled lemon. If you’re looking for heartier fare, they’ve got entrees too, and of course there’s Bourbon Donut Holes with pear butter and candied orange to slake your sweet tooth. When perusing their glossy libations menu, don’t overlook The Lost Ingredients Cocktails like The Sea Monster, a spiced rum creation that will have you pining for more winter. Watch their social media for new cocktail pairing dinners with local chefs. 135 W. Main St. (E) The Lockbox in 21C Hotel Stroll through the contemporary art in the lobby before cocktails, dinner, or brunch. Lunch, after-dinner drinks, 9am…heck, anytime is a good time to eat at Lockbox. The Crispy Octopus with olives, white beans and house-fermented hot sauce is a revelation. It’s hard to share their Pepper Jam, Pimento Cheese, and Chicken Liver Mousse (In Jars appetizer), but we’ll try. Drop in for their fish sandwich, and you’ll be craving it the next day around noon.167 W. Main St. (E) The Clock Shop That traditional German Cuckoo clock you’ve secretly always wanted is inside, along with a mind bending array of magician’s supplies. Yes, if ever there was a moment to set your inner child free, this is it. 154 W. Short St. (S) School Sushi Duck in for a satifsying Bento tray at lunchtime. 163 W. Short St. (E) Parlay Social The best time to visit Parlay Social is when the bands are heating up the stage. Live music (Rock, Soul, Funk, Retro, Country, or Blues) begins most nights by 9:30. When you need a little nosh, their thin crust specialty pizzas or the plentiful meat and cheese boards make perfect accompaniments to the night’s libations. Bourbon flights are available. Or if tonight’s really your night, Parlay Social has bottles of the elusive Pappy Van Winkle, aged from 12-25 years. Join Parlay Social on Tannic Tuesdays for weekly wine bottle specials. 257 W. Short (E) Dudley’s on Short This elegant eatery on Short has garnered many fans in the last 34 years. Whichever entree you choose, follow it in the good ole Southern tradition with Pawpaw Pie. While Dudley’s fabulous rooftop patio seems somehow to have escaped popular notice, it is a quintessential Lexington experience. 259 W. Short St. (E) D=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop Daily Offerings Coffee Roasters wants you to discover coffee again. We’re down for it. Plenty of natural light, high ceilings, and the relaxing vibe at Daily Offerings will make you feel like you’ve found a heavenly oasis downtown. Get adventurous and try the offerings off their Discover Bar menu like Cold Brew Lemonade or the Blood Orange and Basil Coffee Soda. Make it a point to attend one of their monthly cuppings and have a ball getting smarter about what goes in your cup. 529 W. Main St. (E) The Village Idiot While their Idiot Burger topped with Tillamook cheddar, fried onion ring, and pulled pork gets a lot of play, this gastropub serves a mighty tasty Korean Fried Chicken Biscuit. We don’t even need to know what gochujang sauce is–we’re on board. However, we are curious to know who decided to throw candied jalapenos on the infamous Duck & Waffles because that was a baller move. The Village Idiot has twenty rotating taps of craft beer, a solid selection of microbrews and wine, plus a number of creative house cocktails. 307 W. Short St. (E) Belle’s Cocktail House is owned in part by the gentlemen of The Bourbon Review, so you can expect a healthy selection of Kentucky’s spirit of choice. Belle’s also features craft beers, wine, and as the name suggests, house cocktails named after famous Lexingtonians. We suggest you head upstairs to enjoy your libation amongst the bricks, taxidermy, and tufted leather. 156 Market St. (E) Circa Home This well-appointed small showroom has furnishings and accessories that are both refined and on trend. Visit Circa Home when you’re strolling Short St. and pick up something beautiful to enliven your space. Kimbrel Birkman offers design services out of this downtown spot. 351 W. Short St. (S) Lexington Opera House Go see something–anything–at the Lexington Opera House. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this 1887 jewel should be seen and enjoyed. See their event calendar here. 401 W. Short St. (D) Fable + Flame James Snowden’s impeccably curated lifestyle and home design boutique has found a new home downtown. Fable + Flame, has garnered the attention of the New York Times and Victoria Magazine. You’ll want to stop in frequently to soak in Snowden’s impeccable design aesthetic. 157 N. Broadway (S) Clawdaddy’s Oh my! Lobster, Jonah crab and shrimp directly from Maine heaped high on a freshly-baked brioche roll. Heaven. Don’t forget a slice of Danielle’s blueberry pie. We can’t resist bundling up a Whoopie pie for later. 128 N. Broadway St. (E) Vinaigrette Salad Kitchen You’ll be craving these salads in no time. Honestly. The Meyer Lemon & Rosemary, Blackberry Ginger and Fresh Basil Lemonades (to name a few) are just as addicting…in a good way. 113 N. Broadway or 1781 Sharkey Way #110 (E) While the fountain in Triangle Park is lovely, the area is even more magical in the winter months when you can ice-skate in the middle of the city. We’ll be watching for you to land that next triple axel. (D) Cheapside Park Pavillion Farmer’s Market are in full swing on Saturdays 7-2, or in winter from 8-1 p.m. Skybar is your sushi lounge in the sky. Go for the great views of downtown and enjoy a “Makin’ Whoopie” moment (Michelle Pfeiffer as piano-slithering lounge singer in The Fabulous Baker Boys movie–look it up). 269 W. Main #900 (E) Lexington Diner Chef Ranada Riley offers the diner experience downtown. Angus beef burgers, house-made fries and kettle chips, boss Overstuffed Omelets, and decadent French Toast options keep ’em coming back for more. 124 N. Upper St. (E) South Broadway/UK/Historic South Hill D=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop Country Boy Brewing Jalapeno Smoked Porter, Cougar Bait Blonde, Ghost Gose–how we love you! Country Boy brews with the freshest ingredients they can find and minimal processing. Those “Country Boys” know how to do it right with a nice patio, relaxed taproom, and friendly folk serving great beer. On special release days, like for the Barreled Black Gold Porter aged in Kentucky rum barrels, expect a line. 436 Chair Ave. (E) DV8 Kitchen Their Huevos Rancheros on a biscuit or brioche will power your morning up right. 867 S. Broadway (E) Tolly Ho Open 24 hours a day for you to get your Ho-burgers; and no, we are not making that up. 606 S. Broadway (E) Ello’s on Broadway We’re salivating like Pavlov’s dog just thinking about Ello’s tacos. Order the famed Ribeye Steak taco, or the equally tasty tamales, or bulging burritos. So good. Look for Ello’s Taco Cart around town. 406 S. Broadway (E) Lexington Farmers Market Tuesdays and Thursdays 7-4 p.m. May through November S. Broadway and Maxwell (S) Want to find your favorite food truck around Lexington? Follow That Food Truck is a new app with a real time map. D=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop Pedal Power was recently named one of America’s Best Bike Shops. Pedal Power has everything you need to prepare for your commute or recreational ride–in-store clinics, thorough fitting services, and accessories to outfit your wheels right. They have a great selection of bikes in every category and a knowledgeable staff to help you build to the next level. From racing gear to children’s bikes, they’ve got it. Pedal Power initiated the non-profit Shifting Gears which donates bikes to refugees new to the area. They also sponsor the yearly Bike Lexington event. 401 S. Upper St. (S) CD Central is smack dab in the middle of UK territory, which is a good thing in terms of longevity. They “specialize in indie rock, alternative, R&B, metal, country, jazz, blues, bluegrass, and musical alternatives of all kinds. CD Central has an extensive selection of new, used and collectible LPs and carries turntables and accessories to help you get the most out of your vinyl collection.” Go out and support your local music store. 377 S. Limestone (S) Han Woo Ri is a small Korean food joint that packs a whallop of flavor. Get your Beef Bulogi fix here. The Dol Sot Bi Bim Bop, a traditional meal of rice and veggies topped with an egg and crunchy strips of fried seaweed, is a good call…and the dumplings. One must always order dumplings when given the chance. 371 S. Limestone (E) Sqecial Media has been supplying Lexington with books, gifts and oddities since 1972. We love their arthouse and special interest mags. Plus they’ve got some pretty sweet t-shirts to flaunt your literary prowess. 371 S. Limestone (S) For tasty and satisfying West African fare, try Sav’s Grill. 304 S. Limestone (E) Sav’s Chill serves luscious, local gourmet ice cream, gelato and sorbet starting at noon daily. 289 S. Limestone (E) Soundbar is for dancing ’til you can’t dance, dance, dance no mo’. 208 S. Limestone (D) East Main/Martin Luther King D=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop Kentucky Theatre When UK Wildcats are playing, Kentucky Theatre broadcasts the games on the big screen. Otherwise, you can catch an arthouse film, a smart documentary, a concert, or a midnight showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show. Good times. 214 E. Main St. (D) Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center Make plans to spend an evening in the DAC’s Black Box Theatre which features a wide array of cultural happenings including productions from the area’s newest professional theatre group, AthensWest. 141 E. Main St. (D) Lyric Theatre and Cultural Arts Center The beloved Lyric Theatre has a storied past including epic performances by Count Basie, B.B. King and Ray Charles. Today the venue hosts an in-house art gallery, lectures, community events, The Troubadour Concert Series, programs for youth, and free movies during the Lyric Picture Show each summer. In addition, every Monday, Lyric Theatre is home to the live broadcast of Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour. Support the Lyric and keep this iconic theatre alive. 300 E. Third St. (D) A Cup of Commonwealth We regard genuine warmth as a hot commodity, and A Cup of Commonwealth has it in spades. Friendly baristas, great coffee, and a real sense of community pervades this little corner of the Eastern Ave. Naturally, we adored the pay-it-forward coffee wall here. Pour-overs, steamers, cold brew–they’ve got it (and more). Go in, get caffeinated, and do your brother a solid. 105 Eastern Ave. (E) Eastside D=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop Pivot Brewing plays well with others. Cider fans will be in heaven choosing from Pivot’s impressive lineup of hard ciders including four of their own. In addition, there’s a fine selection of locally-brewed craft beer for that friend who just can’t get on board the cider train. June through October bust a move over on Sundays for Market Days between 11-4: food trucks, local makers’ goods, beer, cider, and farm fresh veggies. Drop by midweek for Wednesdays on Wax because everything sounds better on vinyl.1400 Delaware Ave. (E) Spalding’s Bakery accepts cash only for your little bundles of glazed joy. 760 Winchester Rd. (E) Worn & Company A good menswear shop is hard to find. Worn & Company is one of our all time faves: housemade leather goods, vintage hats, cool menswear with a casual vibe, stylish durable goods and premium denim. We can’t stop drooling over their perfectly worn vintage furniture and rugs either. Give yourself some time. There’s plenty to browse here from cheeky patches to great looking messenger bags. 901 Winchester Rd. (S) Locals Craft Food & Drink is one of the best spots in town to enjoy a beverage on the roof. 701 National Ave. (E) Cosmic Charlie’s is a rock music venue. This is the kind of place you’ll be referencing in twenty years,”I saw them at Cosmic before everybody else knew about ’em.” 723 National Ave. (D) Mirror Twin Brewing Solid brews, Rolling Oven pizza, and a relaxed, dog-friendly atmosphere have made Mirror Twin an instant neighborhood hit. Try their Whoops, I Tarted Gose or Citranomical IPA.They’ve got ample guest taps too, plus live music Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 725 National Ave. (E) Market on National When you are in need of a little affordable design inspo, head to Market on National. They know how to pull together a room, combining a modern sensibility with earthy elements for warmth. Their well-chosen furniture, rugs, lighting and accessories will give your space the refresh it needs. 730 National Ave. (S) Blue Door Smokehouse Best. Brisket. Ever. 226 Walton Ave. (E) The Breakout Games It’s Sherlock Holmes meets The Amazing Race as The Breakout Games offers Lexington an entirely new group game experience. You and your team have exactly one hour to complete your mission and “breakout” of a carefully-designed caper room. Select from four scenarios which will require your wits, moxie, and teamwork: The Kidnapping; The Derby Heist; The Island Escape; or Casino Royale. 306 N. Ashland Ave. (D) Scout Antique and Modern You’ll find a wide range of antiques from an Italian gilt pendant lamp to a Mid-Century Modern writing desk. This is a great place to scout for re-purposed industrial items as well. 935 Liberty Rd. (S) D=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop Cowgirl Attic Reclaimed Urban Artifacts Architectural salvage, quirky yard art, clawfoot tubs, and antique signage are just a few of the treasures you’ll find in this massive repository of odds and ends. Come armed with your patience and a visionary eye. 1535 Delaware Ave. (S) Coles 735 Set aside any qualms you might have about the traditional setting, Coles 735’s flavor profiles just might surprise you. While this upscale eatery serves the elegant Filet Mignon you might be expecting, they also offer a delicately-spiced Moroccan Butternut Squash Stew with pesto and toasted almonds. If you’d rather nibble on something a bit more casual, Coles has a terrific Bar Bites menu including Weisenberger Grit Fries, Crispy Pork Belly Tacos, and Big Eye Tuna Sashimi. 735 E. Main St. (E) Woodland Triangle D=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop Common Grounds Coffee House roasts its own coffee weekly. If you thought beer aged in bourbon barrels was pretty nifty, you’ll be stoked about Common Grounds’ newest collaboration with Willett Distillery–bourbon barrel coffee. You can grab lunch or a breakfast sandwich along with your favorite brew. We are partial to the High St. location with its maze of rooms and cozy nooks to work in, but you’ll find multiple Common Grounds spreading the coffee gospel around Lexington. 343 E. High St. (E) The Weekly Juicery Go pure this week! Check out The Weekly Juicery’s raw, cold-pressed juices and superfood smoothies. They offer twice-weekly delivery to your home or office and can assist you with a guided detox anytime. 436 Old Vine St. (E) Chocolate Holler is Lex’s only chocolate and coffee bar brought to you by the fine folks of A Cup of Common Wealth. Order a flight of sipping chocolate or choose from eight, yes, eight different hot chocolate styles to whet your whistle. Of course they’ve got cold brew and the usual lineup of excellent coffee drinks too, plus bar chocolate and sinful baked goods. Join them for trivia on Mondays, and don’t pass up the Bourbon Chocolate ice cream for your affogato! 400 Old Vine St. Suite 104 (E) Shop Local Kentucky is your first stop for tailgating apparel or just all-around Bluegrass love. They’ve got trucker caps for days. Plus, who can pass up a Pizzatucky tee? 212 Woodland Ave. (S) Black Swan Books is the place to go for rare or antique books. You’ll find a large representation of state and military history books, as well as a unique collection of Wendell Berry works. 505 E. Maxwell St. (S) Fox House Vintage This killer boutique on 6th carries men’s and women’s vintage apparel. Every week get sick style at a bargain on Tiiiight Tuesday. Fox House carries Shine jewelry and accessories. Swing by on Saturdays and scout to your heart’s content with a mimosa in hand. The best. 512 E. High St. (S) The Black Market Boutique Put this adorable “vintage style boutique” in heavy rotation. Seychelles wedge heels, fetching dresses, Esley tanks, and retro print tees to give your wardrobe a punch of sass. Be sure to check out the jewelry case to score some baubles and bangles by local artisans. The Black Market carries a sweet collection of gifts and accessories too. 516 E. High St. (S) Best Friend Bar BFB is a dive bar. It is a music venue. It is the home of girlsgirlsgirls burritos. We rest our case. Visit soon. Visit often. 500 E. Euclid Ave. (E) Food Truck Watch: Tin Can coffee; Bradford BBQ; J Renders BBQ; Lyles BBQ; Little Brother by Minton’s; Fork in the Road; Thai and Mighty; Ellos; El Habenero Loko; Waffle E Good; Rico’s empanadas; hogfather’s barbecue; Whoo Wants waffles Chevy Chase/Ashland Park D=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop World’s Apart This eclectic Chevy Chase boutique is a prime place to shop for gifts. Their Voluspa candles, hand-hooked Kentucky pillows, fun trinkets for kids and decorative home goods are sure to please. 850 E. High St. (S) High Street Fly knows the best way to sport some local pride. Say it on a soft-comfy tee. Bourbon State, Ale-8, West Sixth Brewing, and more emblazoned across your chest lets your friends know you’re a baller. 887 E. High St. (S) Tribeca Trunk When you see the ghostly painted trunk out front, you’ve reached one of our favorite spots in Lex. While Tribeca functions as a boutique, it is also a trunk fashion show and art venue featuring “unique contemporary works by acclaimed designers and artists.” We took an immediate shine to their boss rings. 116 Old Lafayette Ave. (S) Omar + Elsie This fetching women’s fashion boutique has just the right quotient of elegance and sass. Omar + Elsie has those strappy sandals, leather booties, and designer flats to set off your look, too. 114 Old Lafayette Ave. (S) Peplum Step out confidently on-trend after nabbing a few new looks from Peplum, a nice addition to the Chevy Chase shopping district. Score some flirty accessories too, like fun tassel earrings or that boho statement necklace you’ve been hunting. 824 Euclid Ave. #103 (S) Morton James This airy and sophisticated Chevy Chase boutique carries the kind of pieces that not only last, but have the touch of urban flair that lends a bit of “bad-ass” tude to your wardrobe. Morton James carries both men’s and women’s clothing and accessories. 836 Euclid Ave. (S) Bourbon n’ Toulousse serves heaping portions of spicy Cajun stews over rice on the cheap. Enjoy a local craft brew and sample one of the dozens of hot sauces on your Creole dish. 829 Euclid Ave. (E) D=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop The Beer Trappe rated a “world class” ranking on Beer Advocate. They’re stocked with over 500 specialty beers on the shelves, with hundreds chilled and ready for you to enjoy at your leisure. Go to a Beer School session held by a National BJCP judge and certified Cicerone. It’s only ten bucks. The Beer Trappe features eight rotating taps of interesting craft brews should you decide to sit a spell. 811 Euclid Ave. (S) Athenian Grill Oh, we’d travel a long way for a top-notch gyro. Thankfully, you Lexingtonians don’t need to. We’re even excited about the Avgolemono soup, and Athenian Grill’s traditional Greek dips like Taramosalata, and Htipiti served with warm pita. Save yourself the trouble of deciding between them, just order the Meze Platter to sample four. 313 S. Ashland Ave. (E) Brier Books Be sure to spend some time at Brier Books. Don’t be shy about striking up a conversation because all the stories aren’t in books (though they could recommend a good one). 319 S. Ashland Ave. (S) The Sage Rabbit When you think of a great neighborhood spot, you want low-key and local. The Sage Rabbit is both. Specializing in farm-sourced fare served in a friendly, off the beaten-path eatery, consider bringing your furry pal next time and sit on their roomy patio. They’ve got wholesome selections (including vegan) for when you’re feeling virtuous. When you’ve got a hankering to indulge, try the Pan-Fried Oysters with rosy red cocktail sauce and their version of a smore–Pot de Creme with salted caramel, toasted marshmallow and a housemade graham cracker. 438 S. Ashland Ave. (E) Adelé offers “interior design & stylish finds for the home, gift, baby, and you.” Drop by for a little aesthetic therapy and breathe in all the pretty. 805 Chevy Chase Place.(S) Josie’s Restaurant Lexington loves to spend its mornings in Josie’s. When in doubt, the cheese grit casserole–always. If you’re not in the mood for breakfast fare, try the Grouper Fingers. 821 Chevy Chase Place (E) The Bridge Eatery & Bar is the place to go for Mediterranean fare. Order the Lahmacun, Turkish pizzas, or Adana’s kebabs. The Bridge is also dishing up their crowd-pleasing garlic knots and N.Y. style pizza. 342 Romany Rd. (E) Southland/Zandale D=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop Gumbo Ya Ya Craving some Creole? Gumbo Ya Ya is serving heaping portions of Maque Choux, E’touffee, Gumbo and more delish dishes. Make it your go-to for a fast and tasty cajun fix. 1080 S. Broadway Suite 107 (E) Scheller’s Fitness and Cycling Lexington is fortunate to have two bike shops named in America’s Best Bike Shops this past year. Scheller’s was one.That clearly speaks to the health of the cycling community in Lex. Scheller’s is helping to sponsor this year’s Tour De Lou bike race held as part of the Kentucky Derby Festival. Though it started as a family-owned bike shop, Scheller’s began carrying fitness equipment in the eighties. They are also a full-service bike shop with a terrific inventory of bikes, parts, and accessories. Scheller’s sponsors a racing team and holds free clinics on riding and maintenance. Check out the Scheller University tab on their website for a plethora of cycling related info. including buying, training, and advocacy issues. 1987 Harroldsburg Rd. (S) Dad’s Favorites is a deli which features Dad’s own incredible cheese spreads on its sandwiches. If you’ve never been, and even if you have, a “tasting” is essential. You’ll hear all about Dad’s cheese spreads and be further flummoxed about which to take home (because they are all that good). As for your lunch, should the Asiago Pot Roast sandwich miraculously still be available, order that. Dad recommends the Friday special too, Mac & Cheese smothered in Dad’s Stampin’ Ground Cheddar (beer cheese made with Country Boy’s Stout Porter) along with their Dry Rubbed BBQ topped with Chipotle Cheddar and a side of Honey Lime Coleslaw. 820 Lane Allen Rd. (E) D=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop Brasabana Cuban Cuisine Have you tried Brunchabana? We’ll eat Brasabana’s amazing Cuban food anytime of the day, but we’re developing a soft spot for their festive brunch. Mojo chicken over a Monterey Jack biscuit topped with perfectly poached egg, crispy bacon, and cilantro achiote gravy– say hello to the Brasabana Benedict. 841 Lane Allen Rd. (E) Tortilleria Y Taqueria Ramirez We’ve read numerous accounts swearing by Nate Silver’s Burrito Bracket (made famous on his FiveThirtyEight blog). Nate and his team rigorously evaluated 67,391 burrito joints around the country to hail the best burrito in America. Tortilleria Y Taqueria’s Carne Asada wound up number three. We kid you not. The Al Pastor and the Carnitas tacos are worthy contenders too. 1425 Alexandria Dr. (E) Willie’s Locally Known Music and barbecue is a time tested combo. Willie’s knows how to do both exceptionally well. If you haven’t been to their Southland spot, it’s been far too long. Join them for Brunch in the Bluegrass or just any weekday for Burnt Ends, Bacon Flights, or their delectable smoked chicken wings. The Signature Blackberry Habanero is the way to go here. Check out their music lineup online. 286 Southland Dr. (D) Marikka’s Restaurant and Bier Stube Lexington’s only authentic German restaurant definitely has a sports bar vibe, and it’s not just the wall of German beers we’re talking about. They even have their own volleyball league with courts in the back. But even if we have to duck a few elbows on our way, we’ll do what is necessary to get Marikka’s Mettwurst Dinner with sauerkraut, Spatzle, or Kartoffelpuffer (potato pancakes with applesauce). 411 Southland Dr. (E) Good Foods Market and Cafe They say you shouldn’t shop hungry. So grab The Big Italian sandwich from their deli or maybe a slice of pie from the case. The Hot Bar is epic for brunch. Give it a go. 455 Southland Dr. (E) Cherry Seed Coffee Roastery Sustainably-sourced coffee expertly roasted in-house and served in a fetching coffee house. Switch it up every now and again with their local MonTea Chai or Cherry Seed’s Nitro Cold Brew, and don’t forget to bring home a bag of their specialty single origins or proprietary blends. 472 Southland Dr. (E) Ramsey’s Diner is beloved for its good ole Southern cooking.This is the kind of place you can order Chicken Livers or Pan-Fried Blackened Catfish with your Pinto Beans and Stewed Tomatoes.Their Cold Meatloaf Sandwich might give you flashbacks of late-night fridge raids in your footy pajamas. Just be sure to save room for Missy’s Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie. 151 W. Zandale Dr.; multiple locations (E) El Rancho Tapatio Restaurant features a live Mariachi band on Fridays, a long list of authentic Mexican dishes, and Margarita Monday specials. Go for the Flan…nom nom nom. 144 Burt Rd. (E) Old San Juan Cuban Cuisine We can’t get enough of Old San Juan’s plantains. We’ve never been know to turn down their Empanadas, either. Stop in for a pressed sandwich, or the Ropa Vieja with a side of black beans and rice. 247 Surfside Dr. (E) J & H Lanmark Store carries all the necessities for outdoor fun including camping supplies and sports equipment to get you climbing, backpacking, paddling, and adventure seeking. 189 Moore Dr. (S) Joseph Beth Booksellers The scale of this massive book emporium and community space might be a little shocking at first (think anchor department store). They have a first rate in-store restaurant, Bronte Bistro, which serves fresh and flavorful fare to fuel your book search. With frequent appearances by acclaimed authors and lecturers as well as Kid’s Storytime programs, Joseph Beth has solidified its status as local treasure. 161 Lexington Green Circle Suite B1 (S) Farm Market It may look like a garden shop from the outside, but inside are the best tamales in the state! 1079 E. New Circle Rd. (E) Bella Notte Relax with some beautiful pasta dishes, wood-grilled meats or seafood and a fine glass of wine. Bella Notte has a nice cocktail menu too, for those times you want to take it up a notch. 3715 Nicholasville Rd. (E) Metropolitan Donuts and Coffee is serving up small batch mini-donuts with a plethora of toppings. For those like us who are decision-impaired before coffee, Met has house specialties like Strawberry Cheesecake with graham cracker crumble and cream cheese drizzle or the Samoa, to bridge your cravings before your Girl Scout order arrives. Open until high noon. Closed Monday and Tuesday. 3070 Lakecrest Circle Suite 600 (E) Outside New Circle D=Do; E=Eat/Drink; S=Shop Bluegrass Baking Company Owner and Baker Jim Betts has said, “Bread is life well-lived.” We’re with you, Jim! Particularly when he’s serving up loaves like Bohemian Beer Bread, the Urban/Herb’n Cheese Bread, Raisin Pecan Levain, and crusty French Baguettes. While you’re there, the pastries are pretty kickin’ too. Just saying. 3101 Clays Mill Rd. (E) Crust Don’t be afraid of a little char–you aren’t living until you’ve had pizza baked in a wood-fired oven. Oh, the Burrata of prosciutto, fig jam and crostini! The popular Stufato is a ricotta stuffed crust topped with artichokes, roasted peppers, garlic, and capers. The Dante pie is a fiendishly good pairing of arrabiata, sausage, fior di latte, garlic, parmesan, and balsamic honey. Drop in Thursdays for Wine Nights when bottles are half-price. 2573 Richmond Rd. (E) Cooper Brothers Gourmet Meats is Lex’s premier butchery offering fresh seafood and farm raised meats. Their Japanese Waygu and Registered Black Angus come directly from Cane Ridge Cattle Company in neighboring Paris, Ky. You can also shop for other fine Kentucky products like Woodford Reserve Bourbon Cherries and Cruxial Hot Sauce. 4379 Old Harrodsburg Rd. (S) OBC Kitchen Bacon in a glass? Yeah, we’re down with that. Crispy Fried Oysters? Hells yeah. In fact, all OBC’s small plates are so good, we could be happy with that…until we saw that Bacon ‘N Egg salad on frissee or those Chicken and Waffles and that Cola Braised Short Rib. Now we have a problem. 3373 Tates Creek Rd. (E) Honeywood Ouita Michel once again highlights all that is wonderful about living in the Bluegrass featuring locally-sourced food brought to you with down-home hospitality. Honeywood is like Ouita’s “best of” album, from the Wallace Station Chicken Salad to the Blue Monday Sunday starring the Midway Bakery brownie topped with Sorella Whipped Cream Gelato and crushed Ruth Hunt Blue Monday candy along with hot fudge, whipped cream and a cherry. The Four O’Clock is just our speed of charcuterie plate: a delightful combo of “salt-and-pepper almonds, cheese salad, Midway Bakery buttermilk biscuits with shaved Browning’s ham, mixed pickles, saltines and Lisa’s cheese wafer.” We can’t wait to dig in.110 Summit at Fritz Farm Suite 140 (E) Meg C Jewelry Gallery Meg C. rocks. She created the award-winning gold-plated KFC chicken bone necklace that caused a media fervor last year (spotlighted by Food & Wine). We’re kind of in love with her Wishbone necklace, too. Check out Meg C. Jewelry to snag some amazing custom pieces from Meg and other regional designers. If you’re a native, you really need her Kentucky necklace. The Summit at Fritz Farm 122 Marion, Suite 140 (S) Draper James Reese Witherspoon’s upscale Southern lifestyle brand has just hit Lexington. You’ll find cheery floral prints, plenty of lace and seersucker, plus charming accessories to add some grace and wit to your home. Freshen up your summer wardrobe with a breezy sweetheart dress while you sing a few bars of “I feel pretty and witty and bright…” 120 Summit at Fritz Farm, Suite 170 (S) Windy Corners It is just unthinkable to visit Lexington without getting out into horse country, and Windy Corners is your perfect solution. You can nosh on one of their famous Po Boys while surrounded by majestic thoroughbreds grazing over rolling green hills. Don’t be taunted by the massive Kentucky Boy–BBQ pulled pork slathered with beer cheese, fried pickles and WC special sauce. You can handle it. They make a mean Shrimp Po Boy, too. Before you go, have the fine folks pack up a few Sorghum Cookies from Midway School Bakery–sugar and spice perfection. 4595 Bryan’s Station Rd. (E) Local Products: Mousetrap Pimento Cheese; Ale 8 One; Cruxial Hot Sauce; Magic Beans Coffee Roasters; The Pig and the Pepper pies and quiches Proud Mary Honky Tonk BBQ Need a break? Head down to the river and Proud Mary. Jambalaya, red Beans and rice, beer, music…just promise to play nice in the sandpit. 9079 Old Richmond Road, exit 99 off Interstate 75 Events Keeneland Go to the races; put some money down; have a good time. If you arrive early, you can see the horses led about the grounds. It’s the only way to convince your buddies that betting windfall was actually a result of your finely-honed horse assessing skills. Crave Lexington Food + Music Festival is Lex’s favorite late summer bash. As the name implies, this is foodie paradise. Get out and see what the area’s best chefs are cooking up while getting your groove on. Find out deets about this year’s event here. AFB Woodland Art Fair Lexington’s favorite art festival is in its 40th year. Amble the stalls of over 200 artists in charming Woodland Park. AFB Woodland Art Fair was voted a top ten event by the Southeast Tourism Society. Learn more here. The Bread Box Holiday Market is “a curated art market showcasing unique, handmade art & goods.” This market showcases Bread Box studio artists as well as local and regional talent. Tweed Ride Social Cycling Lexington sponsors this festive Spring tradition. “Sport your finest tweedy attire and join us as we embark on a leisurely jaunt about the town on our velocipedes, randonneurs, pedersons, mixtes, bromptons, and more.” Join other upstanding citizens for a little fresh air and some great scenery. Check out Social Cycling’s facebook page here to keep current on this and other groovy cycling meet-ups like the monthly Moonlight Ride. The Bourbon Social When you’re famous for two things, you better get ’em right. Kentucky is here to show you how bourbon is done. The Bourbon Social is “a celebration of Bourbon craft and culture, and the great people who share a love of America’s native spirit. Mix in a little Kentucky hospitality and the tasty foods we’re known for, and you’ve got one helluva party.” You’ve got 11 days and a multitude of events to pay proper homage. Check out more here. Out of Doors Shakertown Did you realize Shaker Village Preserve has 40 miles of trails for walking, hiking, running, cycling, and horseback riding? The trails are open daily from sunrise to sunset. Learn more here. Red River Gorge Don’t miss the stunning rock formations, secret waterfalls, and caves of Red River Gorge. If you love rock climbing, this is your place. Red River Gorge has ziplines, miles of trails, camping, cabin rentals and the sandstone Natural Bridge. Plan your next trip here. After your Gorge adventure, refuel at the legendary Miguels Pizza. 1890 Natural Bridge Rd. Slade, KY Legacy Trail is “a 12-mile walking, biking, interpretative trail and public art venue.” You can pick it up at the Issac Murphy Memorial Art Garden, East 3rd St., and take it all the way to the Kentucky Horse Park. © 2019 Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save
Tsujigiri (辻斬り or 辻斬, literally "crossroads killing") is a Japanese term for a practice when a samurai, after receiving a new katana or developing a new fighting style or weapon, tests its effectiveness by attacking a human opponent, usually a random defenseless passer-by, in many cases during nighttime.[1] The practitioners themselves are also referred to as tsujigiri.[1] In the medieval era, the term referred to traditional duels between bushi, but in the Sengoku period (1467–1600), widespread anarchy caused it to degrade into indiscriminate murder, permitted by the unchecked power of the bushi. Shortly after order was restored, the Edo government prohibited the practice in 1602. Offenders would receive capital punishment.[1] The only known incident where a very large number of people were indiscriminately killed in the Edo period was the 1696 Yoshiwara spree killing (吉原百人斬り), where a wealthy lord had a psychotic fit and murdered dozens of prostitutes with a katana. He was treated by authorities as a spree killer and sentenced to death. Later, a kabuki play was made about the incident.[2] See also [ edit ]
(CNN) -- The Arkansas Geological Survey is trying to unravel a mystery: What is causing earthquakes in the town of Guy, Arkansas? Since September 20, the community of 549 residents north of Little Rock has experienced an almost constant shaking from 487 measurable earthquakes. "We've had 15 today including a 3.1 (magnitude) from this morning," Scott Ausbrooks, geohazards supervisor for the Geological Survey, said Monday. "These are shallow quakes between two and eight kilometers (between one-and-a-quarter and five miles) below the surface." While earthquakes aren't unusual in the Southeast state, the frequency is. "This time last year we had 39 quakes total for the entire state," said Ausbrooks. Most of the quakes in the swarm -- a localized surge of earthquakes with all of them about the same magnitude, according to the United States Geological Survey -- are so small they go unnoticed. The largest, a 4.0 on October 11, caused the only documented damage, cracking a window at a visitor's center to a state park. Guy Mayor Sam Higdon said when the swarm first happened, citizens took notice. "They were calling City Hall asking, "What are you going to do?'" he said. In response to the constant bombardment of tiny quakes, Higdon's office has organized a three-hour long town meeting, and sought the help of state geologists and members of the oil and gas industry to find answers. "My wife wants to buy earthquake insurance. I'm trying to talk her out of it," the mayor said Monday. There are several geologic faults in the area, but none associated with the New Madrid fault, the large seismic fault in the region and one that was the source of an estimated 7.0-magnitude earthquake in 1811. And there was another historic flurry of earthquakes in 1982, 15 miles south of Guy. Geologists know it as the Enola Swarm, responsible for 15,000 quakes within a year's time, followed by more shaking in 2001. At first, town officials assumed the current wave of shakes came from work at a gravel company on the outskirts of town. Ausbrooks says the state Geological Survey has no idea whether the current swarm is a natural or man-made event, but his office is seriously exploring the latter. "We see no relation to the drilling in the area, but we haven't ruled out a connection to the salt water disposal wells," he said. According to the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission, there are at least a half dozen "disposal wells" within a 500-square-mile zone around Guy. Licensed by the state of Arkansas, disposal wells are a byproduct of the oil and gas industry and are used to inject drilling waste water back into the earth after drilling. Ausbrooks said drillers inject waste water into the earth at high pressure, and in the area around the town the disposal wells go as deep as 12,000 feet. He points to incidents in Colorado in the 1960s at Rocky Mountain Arsenal, where deep water injection was tied to earthquakes. Last week the state of Arkansas issued a moratorium on new drilling permits. Lawrence Bengal, director of the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission, said previously his office required only monthly reports outlining the operations of injection wells. "We're asking well operators to provide daily reports now," Benegal said. Ausbrooks said his office is poring over the data trying to determine whether there is a correlation between the disposal wells and the shaking, and he hopes to present preliminary findings to the state next month.
Photo: Myke Hermsmeyer For the first 93 miles of last weekend’s Western States 100, 26-year-old Jim Walmsley was on pace to shatter the course record. Spectators following Walmsley’s progress—both along the trail in Northern California and via social media—were dumbfounded: Western States is considered one of the most competitive ultras in the world, and this was Walmsley’s first-ever 100-mile race. Then, just seven miles from the finish, he disappeared. For well over an hour, an eternity even by ultrarunning standards, the Flagstaff native was nowhere to be found. Walmsley had missed a tight left turn and veered well off course. A crew of photographers finally spotted him lying on the 105-degree pavement of Highway 49. He’d given up the record, the lead, and, realistically, any chance of a top 10 finish. Whereas some might have thrown in the towel, Walmsley zombie-walked his way back to the course and, eventually, to the finish line. We had the chance to talk with Walmsley to get an inside look at how it all unfolded. Photo: Three weeks before the race, Walmsley left his home in Flagstaff, Arizona, to attend the Mountain Pulse Running Camp in Lake Tahoe, California. “I was coming off of by far the biggest and best training of my life, including back-to-back 140-mile weeks. My time in Tahoe was really great for sharpening the saw and just dialing in everything I’d need for a good race.”
One Yeezy apologist's struggle to find answers. A lot of people thought Kanye West's career was over after he infamously crashed the VMAs stage on September 13, 2009. I was a little shocked by the incident, but I was already too in the bag as a fan of West's to even think of convicting him of any real moral wrongdoing. Sure, he interrupted Taylor Swift's would-be career-defining moment, but West was the biggest and most influential star in music in the five years prior—what could really stop him? But the president called him a jackass, and he literally left the United States for months in the wake of the press onslaught, while I, person by person, did my best to explain how West had just been over enthusiastic in a Hennessy-induced moment. And, after all, when it came to Beyoncé's "Single Ladies" video, he was right, wasn't he? Thus began my long career as a Kanye West apologist, which in the wake of recent events, including his visit yesterday to meet with President-elect, may finally be over. Since the "Taylor Swift incident," the so-called liberal mainstream media has even been guilty of bias—sometimes subtlety racial-driven in nature—against West. (When white rock stars are rude, vocal, and controversial, the media brands them as "rebels." When West does it, he's "crazy.") Yes, Kanye West is outspoken, but he's also the first to admit that he isn't always right. "We have the right to be wrong," he's uttered on several occasions. Despite the commonly held idea that Kanye West only cares about himself, he has many times sacrificed his own good-standing in culture to speak out on behalf of others, be it Beyonce, African-Americans, or the artist's community at large. So whether or not you agree with Kanye West's point of view, you can almost always guarantee it's his point of view, one that isn't twisted by endorsement deals or popular opinion. When Kanye West married Kim Kardashian, who's often considered one of the least sincere, most financially-motivated people on earth, I reminded people that West was in love with her for years, even dedicating his verse on 2010's "Lost in the World" to his future spouse. When he was lampooned for selling $120 T-shirts, I reminded people that 1) he didn't price the T-shirts, A.P.C. did and 2) in the grand scheme of fashion, $120 T-shirts aren't that crazy. When he threw a fit after Nike refused to bankroll his fashion collection, I understood his frustrations after creating two of the most hyped-up sneakers in the brand's history, the Air Yeezy and Air Yeezy 2. When he claimed he was the most influential person in fashion, I explained to doubters that in fact he was responsible for the death of throwback jerseys, the rise of mid-aughts prep, Shutter Shades, the popularity of Givenchy, not to mention a generation of obsessives dedicated to dressing exactly like him. When he attacked a paparazzi, I felt it was obvious he was provoked, and recited his own line about how he was returning from the funeral of his grandfather when confronted. When people claimed his Yeezy Season collections were "homeless looking" and too expensive, I pointed to other collections that inspired the looks, and to West's claim that while he had no intention of overcharging customers, the pricing was simply a product of wanting to use quality materials while being beholden to the prices of the fabrics set by Adidas's suppliers. When fellow fashion editors complained about the spectacle of his Yeezy Season 3 show at Madison Square Garden, I noted that it was the most fun I'd ever had a fashion event, and that we got to hear a brand new Kanye West album in an arena setting. See, the one place I've always felt most comfortable in defending Kanye West is when he has claimed he's a genius. When it comes to making music, the simple truth is he is a genius, and I've accused anyone that disagrees with this point of being too influenced by tabloids and not open enough to actually listening to West's catalog. Even today, I still think all of the above is true. But I've never once thought that liking an artist means endorsing every single thing they say, do, or create. But recently it's become morally conflicting to defend West's comments and actions. It started for me personally when he compared his stage performances to being a soldier, which I brushed off as simple hyperbole. Later, he began to align himself with Louis Farrakhan, a man who, as a Jew, I refuse to label a pure anti-Semite. But Farrakhan is guilty of perpetuating the fallacy that Jews are conspirators hellbent on controlling the world through banks, the media, and Hollywood, and these ideas seem to have permeated West's worldview. "We ain't got money like that, we ain't Jewish," West once said, later defending the comment by saying he felt it was a compliment. It was ignorant thing to say, admittedly, but it wasn't completely unforgivable. But I'm not naive to the fact that many black artists have felt manipulated by record executives throughout the years (a disproportionate amount of which are Jewish), so I did my best to understand his perspective. A few other eyebrow-raising moments from West's recent past have included: Claiming Tyga was "smart" for dating an underage Kylie Jenner, claiming to want to offer democratically-priced clothing only then to sell cheap Gildan hoodies for $80, and staging a sloppy Yeezy Season 4 fashion show this September. But those slip-ups are nothing compared to West's defense of Bill Cosby, a serial rapist. In early 2016 he tweeted "Bill Cosby Innocent!" and on his song "Facts," which he released on New Years Eve this past year, also asked the question "Do anybody feel bad for Bill Cosby?" Even I responded with a resounding, "No, Kanye, no one feels bad for him," but it didn't stop me from buying his collections, his merch, his music, and from championing him as culturally vital. When I saw his Saint Pablo Tour recently, I told people around me that it was a reminder of his value to the world and why I became a fan in the first place. Then, the Saint Pablo Tour derailed when West endorsed President-elect Donald Trump. West has never been great at communicating his ideas through public speaking. But even through my biased, Kanye Westism-translating ears, what I heard was that West admired Trump's ability to speak his mind and win. And that's just patently untrue; Trump has never spoke his mind, and won simply by saying what people wanted to hear. A more understandable point West made on stage in San Jose was when he said that the internet was to blame for Hillary Clinton's electoral college defeat. ("Don't believe everything you read on the internet" is something that West has been saying for years in response to the media's insistence on labeling him a crazy narcissist.) But by saying things on stage like "I'm on my Trump shit," all West did was come off as a troll and validate the suspicion that he'll do anything to remain in the spotlight. Which brings us to his meeting with Trump today following a stay in the hospital (after an apparent incident involving his ongoing mental health issues, the specifics of which are unknown). Once again it seemed like West was only doing it for the headlines, including the moment when he refused to answer questions and simply said, "I just want to take a picture." So when West tweeted out that he met with Trump to discuss "multicultural issues" in addition to a signed copy of Trump's recent Time Magazine cover, I felt something unfamiliar: I didn't understand him or really care to try to. It would be irresponsible to armchair diagnose West's psychological issues, and I can't exclusively blame the people around him—the crew of "vibes" Yesmen—for enabling his god complex. But between the proclamations of his own holiness and a self-induced pseudo-exile in Calabasas, Kanye West has perhaps become too detached from the problems facing average people.
A teenager in Siberia successfully auctioned off her virginity online. "Money is urgently needed, so I am selling the most treasured thing," the 18-year-old wrote on Russian auction website 24au.ru, according to a Huffington Post translation of the text. (Story continues below) The woman, who listed her name only as "Shatuniha," said she was willing to meet the next day. "I can come to a hotel at Predmostnaya [Square] with a certificate proving my innocence." The auction was posted Oct. 30 with a 800,000 ruble price tag, which translates to about $24,600. A day later, someone had bid 900,000 rubles, or about $27,700, in order to deflower her. Shatuniha not only auctioned off her chastity for a hefty sum, she appears to have done it with impunity. Police in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, where the teen lives, told The Siberian Times that she broke no laws. "[We have] no right to give a moral assessment of the girl's actions," officials said.
The Editors Committee is an informal forum comprising the editors and owners of the main Israeli media. It meets regularly with the prime minister, cabinet members and senior officials. Until the 1980s, it took a central role in the self-censorship practiced by the Israeli media. The understanding was that the information reported to the committee would not be published in the media, even once received from another source. Origins [ edit ] The British authorities enacted in 1933 the Press Ordinance, which regulated the content of the news press in British Palestine. Many of the country's Jewish newspapers, particularly the English-language Jerusalem Post and those printed in Hebrew, were founded by Zionist political parties during the pre-statehood period, and subsequently continued to be politically affiliated with such parties. Professor Dan Caspi, who has served as chairman of the Israeli Communications Association, notes in his Mass Media and Politics (The Open University, 1997), "The majority of the newspapers in Israel's pre-state period were founded as ideological organs of political trends, and were under the ideological authority of the political parties and dependent on their financial backing. The party institutions and their leaders were involved in the selection process for the sensitive senior positions in the paper, particularly in the choice of the editor." In the pre-state yishuv period, most Hebrew press editors felt that their primary role was educational, to help in the state-building process. Such values as freedom of the press and the idea of being a public watchdog were secondary. The editors of the Hebrew-language press founded the Reaction Committee in 1942 because, as they stated at the time, they "felt the need for guidance from the Jewish community's leadership on publication policy concerning sensitive matters, such as the expulsion of ma'apilim (illegal immigrants) and the search for weapons in Hebrew settlements". Early Statehood [ edit ] In 1948, the Press Ordinance was adopted by Israel and administered by the Ministry of Interior which undertook to "license, supervise, and regulate" the press. After the establishment of the state in 1948, prime minister David Ben-Gurion saw great advantages in the arrangement with the Israeli press, and he frequently convened the newly renamed Editors Committee to share important information with the editors, on condition that it would not be published. The IDF assumed responsibility for administering the censorship regulations. This was done through an agreement with the Editor's Committee, which allowed most Hebrew-language newspapers to exercise self-censorship, with the censor receiving only articles dealing with national security matters. This arrangement did not cover Arabic language publications, whose editors were required to submit items for publication to the military administration on a nightly basis. Decline in status [ edit ] Co-operation between the government and the press was sometimes tense. These tensions increased as the value of free speech and the role of the press as watchdog came to be more widely recognized. The process accelerated in the 1970s, as a result of social changes in Israel and developments in the global media. The Yom Kippur War of 1973 served as a major change catalyst, by initiating a wide coverage of military issues and criticism of military failures. Towards the 1982 Lebanon War, partial information was published concerning the plans for an operation and the disagreement in the cabinet towards it. When fighting eventually started, the Israeli media initially followed the government's guidance in publishing information about the war. However, within about three weeks, when it became clear that the operation was not meeting its original goals, Israeli society engaged in a public debate about the war, which was covered widely by the press. In parallel, the role of the Committee itself declined following the 1977 elections, that brought right-wing Likud party to power for the first time. New prime minister Menachem Begin was suspicious of most of the press, which he considered as being hostile to his party, and rarely convened the forum. In 1992, five soldiers of Sayeret Matkal, an elite commando unit of the Israel Defense Forces, were killed in a training accident. Information about the accident, and in particular the presence at the site of Ehud Barak, then chief of IDF staff, was censored. However, after information was leaked to the foreign press and published abroad, the episode was reported in Israel, too. As a result of this affair, two major newspapers, Haaretz and Yediot Aharonot, withdrew from the censorship agreement and the Editors Committee. Current status [ edit ] A new censorship agreement, signed in 1996, limited censorship to information that, when published, would, "with high probability", constitute a real danger to national security. In addition, it ensured the press's right to appeal the censor's decisions to the Supreme Court. To receive an official press card, Israeli journalists must sign an agreement pledging not to publish any security information that could "help Israel's enemies" or "harm the state."[1] Israeli censorship in the Occupied Territories [ edit ] In 1988, Israeli authorities, suspecting Palestinian journalists of involvement in the Intifada, censored or shut down many Palestinian newspapers and magazines in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and arrested several journalists. See also [ edit ] Notes [ edit ]
KEZAR STADIUM — San Francisco City Football Club closed out their inaugural season in the Premier Development League with a thrilling 4-0 victory over their rival, the Burlingame Dragons, last week. Ending a season with a win for a 6-6-2 record and third place in the division isn’t always reason to celebrate, but SF City FC president Jacques Pelham says the group met expectations. “We’ve had a long season at home and just never could get going in terms of scoring goals,” Pelham said. “But we come out here and put four on the board against Burlingame, who are a great team and our rival, and put on a great show for the fans. It’s very satisfying.” At the start of the season, SF City had dreams of making the playoffs and maybe winning a championship in their first season, but it wasn’t meant to be. Head coach Paddy Coyne said the biggest challenge facing the coaching staff this season was keeping their players, most of them spending their college offseason competing in the PDL, at their best. “A lot of kids are coming off an intense college season, and injuries were a big roadblock,” Coyne said. “We had a lot of injuries with our striker [position], so we haven’t been able to score too many goals this year. But today we had David Garrod come out, and he played really, really well.” Coyne and his team hoped to build a team rich with local talent, and borrowing Garrod and his University of San Francisco teammate Danny Kirkland helped fulfill that goal. To promote membership, the team relied heavily on its supporters group The Northsiders. The group solidified a rivalry with the neighboring Burlingame Dragons. During an away match with the Dragons early in the season, the home team sent their mascot to pester the Northsiders, who responded by briefly removing the dragon’s plush green head. The Dragons did not approve. The same fans have themselves done the bulk of promotional work for the club. Instead of billboards and commercials, the club relies heavily on word-of-mouth from their current supporters to increase membership, and it appears to be working. “Last year we were at about 300 members total, and then this year we’re at 670 members right now,” Steven Kenyon said, the team’s vice president of community development. “We’ve over doubled our membership since last year, that’s a great success for the club and everyone involved.” Click here or scroll down to comment
Duane Burleson/Getty Images Michigan Wolverines star guard Caris LeVert was held out of action for 11 games after suffering a leg injury on Dec. 30. However, he has been cleared to return to the court. Continue for updates. LeVert Active vs. Purdue Saturday, Feb. 13 LeVert will play against Purdue on Saturday, per Matt Shepard of WDFN. Injuries Continue to Nag LeVert Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com noted the senior has dealt with a nagging foot injury over the previous two seasons that required two surgeries and cut his 2014-15 campaign short. Hopefully his return from this injury isn't short-lived, as Michigan relies on him heavily. LeVert is an explosive scorer who rebounds well for a 2-guard and is a capable passer, not to mention a strong on-ball defender who can disrupt passing lanes (1.8 steals per game last season). No one on the Wolverines roster can replicate his all-around skill set.
After news emerged that Ubisoft had abandoned the main Watch Dogs trademark, it now appears as though it has been restored. Polygon says that the lucrative trademark was reinstated earlier today by the company This means that Ubisoft once again owns it, now they just have to announce a date for the long-awaited game. “Here, the circumstances are extraordinary,” the USPTO said in its review of the case. “An unknown party who lacked authority executed the purported abandonment of the application. Although the request appears to have been sent by petitioner, petitioner declared that it did not submit the request and has every reason to believe that this filing was fraudulent.” “The Director finds the application should not have been abandoned. Pursuant to supervisory authority provided by 37 C.F.R. §2.146(a)(3), the Director permits the reinstatement of the application.” Thanks, Portal Dark
Reid pushes forward on Patriot Act Senate Majority Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Tuesday used a procedural move to circumvent Sen. Rand Paul's efforts to offer amendments to a bill granting a four-year extension of expiring provisions of the Patriot Act. The parliamentary maneuver allows the chamber to finish debate on the legislation sooner and move past what was sure to be a drawn-out amendment process lead by Paul, the Kentucky Republican and tea party favorite who is a vocal critic of the law. Reid said he's recently held discussions with Paul and other senators who want votes on their amendments to the extension bill, which covers three key provisions of the counter-terrorism surveillance law that are set to sunset at midnight Thursday. "I understand Senator Paul's exasperation because this is something that is extremely important to him and there was every desire from my perspective and I think this body to have a full, complete debate on the Patriot Act," Reid said on the Senate floor Tuesday night. "But the Senate doesn't always work that way. . We cannot let this Patriot Act expire. I have a personal responsibility to try to get this bill done as soon as possible." He added: "The time has come for me to take some action. Paul remained on the Senate floor through most of Tuesday - even skipping Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to a joint session of Congress - to remind Reid of his promise earlier this year to allow senators a week-long debate and the ability to offer amendments to the Patriot Act legislation. "Sen. Reid went through procedural hoops to go back on his word," Paul said in a statement, adding that Reid "denied the Senate the opportunity to debate the constitutionality of its provisions." "Today's events further underscore the U.S. government's lack of transparency and accountability to the American people," Paul said. The Senate voted 74-13 to shelve a Patriot Act extension bill that Paul and other senators had offered changes to this week. Nine members of the Democratic caucus and two Republicans - Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Dean Heller of Nevada - voted no. Paul voted present. Reid then inserted the Patriot Act legislation in a message the Senate received from the House and filed cloture, setting up a final vote later this week. The three expiring provisions of the Patriot Act authorize authorities to conduct court-approved roving wiretaps, monitor so-called "lone-wolf" terror suspects and access business, library and other records. One of Paul's amendments would bar authorities from accessing firearm records. Sens. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), who voted no on Tuesday, vowed in a conference call earlier in the day to vote no on the final extension bill if their amendments were not agreed to. Their amendments would place additional restrictions on when federal authorities could conduct expanded surveillance of terrorism suspects, and the senators argued that another short-term extension was preferable to a long-term extension with no debate or reforms. "We've known for months - years, in fact - that this was on our to-do list this Congress. Many Americans have been demanding reforms to these provisions for years," Udall said. "Instead, we've been passing short-term reauthorizations, waiting for the promised opportunity to finally consider a comprehensive overhaul," Udall added. "Yet suddenly we're being pushed to approve a four-year straight reauthorization in just a few days, saying - falsely - that we don't have time for a full debate." While Reid and Paul may disagree on a number of political issues, Reid called Paul a "very pleasant man with strong, strong feelings." Paul has been "reasonable," Reid said, agreeing to bring down the number of amendments from 11 to just three or four. "He will learn over the years that it's always difficult to get what you want in the Senate," Reid said. "It doesn't mean you won't get it, but sometimes you have to wait and get it done at a subsequent time."
Foreign Policy: Iran's Terrifying Facebook Police A scary anecdote from Iran. A trusted colleague - who is married to an Iranian-American and would thus prefer to stay anonymous - has told me of a very disturbing episode that happened to her friend, another Iranian-American, as she was flying to Iran last week. On passing through the immigration control at the airport in Tehran, she was asked by the officers if she has a Facebook account. When she said "no", the officers pulled up a laptop and searched for her name on Facebook. They found her account and noted down the names of her Facebook friends. This is very disturbing. For once, it means that the Iranian authorities are paying very close attention to what's going on Facebook and Twitter (which, in my opinion, also explains why they decided not to take those web-sites down entirely - they are useful tools of intelligence gathering). Second, it means, as far as authorities are concerned, our online and offline identities are closely tied and we have to be fully prepared to be quizzed about any online trace that we have left (I can easily see us being asked our Facebook and Twitter handles in immigration forms; one of the forms I regularly fill flying back to the US has recently added a field for email address). Third, this reveals that some of the spontaneous online activism we witnessed in the last few weeks - with Americans re-tweeting the posts published by those in Tehran - may eventually have very dire consequences, as Iranians would need to explain how exactly they are connected to foreigners that follow them on Twitter (believe me, I've observed enough bureaucratic stupidity in Eastern Europe to know that even some of the officials who follow Twitter activity on a daily basis may not know how it works). I am curious if there have been other reports of foreigners being asked about their social media activity on traveling to authoritarian states. Any ideas?
324 days. It had been 324 days since Jabari Parker last played basketball before making his season debut this past Wednesday night after suffering a torn ACL during a mid-December game against the Phoenix Suns last season. Even after looking at that number, it feels like more than almost a year has gone by since Parker went down with his injury. For one, almost half of the entire Bucks team that started out with the team left due to either being traded, released or left the NBA entirely at some point last season, with a few more players added to that list after a very busy off-season. And two, the Bucks carved out an improbable identity since Parker went down last year as a defensive-oriented/grind it out-type team on the backs of unlikely names along with their promising and athletic rising stars (To be fair, the Bucks were tenth in defensive efficiency around the league before Parker’s injury, per NBA.com/stats). With everything considered, it’s fair to say Parker’s injury was definitely a catalyst for not only what the team looks like now, but also what some of the players look like now with no one other than Giannis Antetokounmpo being the shining example. Even with the small sample size from what we’ve seen of Giannis this far into the season, it’s quite incredible how far he’s come in the last eighteen months. Maybe it’s the effect that coach Jason Kidd has had on him since coming to Milwaukee or just how much he’s gotten better, but both factors have played a big part in the growth of his game. Of course, he’s also had a lot of time playing basketball not just with the Bucks, but playing internationally as part of the Greek national team the last two summers. It’s not to say that all of this wouldn’t come to pass for Giannis since being drafted by the Bucks in 2013, but the consensus was always that it was more down the road to expect this type of performance from him than where he is now. Even though it’s been almost a year, it’s interesting looking back at how the Bucks’ front office reacted post-Parker injury. You couldn’t classify it as a “tear down” exactly, given the success the team would go on to continue to have last year, but there was undoubtedly a shift in their thinking. The shocking decision to trade the team’s leading scorer at the time, Brandon Knight, at the deadline last season and the departures of many veterans have really opened the door for the Giannis to take another leap, with hopefully Jabari (and others) soon to follow once he fully gets back into the groove of things. With that said, it’s hard to not play the ‘what if?’ game regarding Parker’s injury. It was devastating to see Parker fall to his injury last year and we still don’t know how much of an effect that will have on his game, but would we still be seeing the Giannis from this year if not for the injury? Would Khris Middleton be where he is? Would Knight still be on the team? Would Greg Monroe sign with Milwaukee this past Summer? There’s an endless amount of ripple effects that Parker’s injury could have an effect the team’s transactions within the last year, but the Bucks haven’t strayed from the course of emphasizing their youth movement as being the way to (hopefully) true success down the road. The team had two dynamic forces in both their forward spots once upon a time with Glenn Robinson and Vin Baker (not making the comparison mind you), but the lack of team success as well as personal circumstances eventually came into play for the departure of Baker. But this time around looks to be very different. It’s been incredible to experience Giannis’ play so far this season, but the true test will be how much he and Parker can grow together. The door is open for them to grow together and hopefully they reach the level of being the lethal dynamic duo that all Bucks fans hope they can be.
A new report on global religious identity shows that while Christians and Muslims make up the two largest groups, those with no religious affiliation — including atheists and agnostics — are now the third-largest “religious” group in the world. The study, released Tuesday (Dec. 18) by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, found that more than eight in 10 (84 percent) of the world’s 7 billion people adheres to some form of religion. Christians make up the largest group, with 2.2 billion adherents, or 23 percent worldwide, followed by Muslims, with 1.6 billion adherents, or 23 percent worldwide. Close behind are the “nones” — those who say they have no religious affiliation or say they do not believe in God — at 1. 1 billion, or 16 percent. That means that about the same number of people who identify as Catholics worldwide say they have no religion. “One out of six people does not have a religious identity,” said Conrad Hackett, a primary researcher and demographer on the study. “But it is also striking that that overwhelming majority of the world does have some type of religious identity. So I think people will be surprised by either way of looking at it.” The next largest groups, the report finds, are Hindus (1 billion people, or 15 percent), Buddhists (500 million people, or 7 percent) and Jews (14 million people, or 0.2 percent). More than 400 million people — 6 percent — practice folk traditions from African, Chinese, Native American or Australian aboriginal cultures. An additional 58 million people — slightly less than 1 percent of the global population — belong to “other” religions, such as the Baha’i faith, Jainism, Sikhism, Shintoism, Taoism, Tenrikyo, Wicca and Zoroastrianism. In addition to the numbers of adherents, the study also looks at where they live. Christians are the most evenly distributed, while Jews are fairly evenly divided between North America and the Middle East. The United States has the highest number of Christians of any nation, at more than 243 million, or 78 percent of the total U.S. population. Meanwhile, the majority of the world’s religiously unaffiliated — 76 percent — live in the Asia-Pacific region, with 700 million in China alone, where religion was stifled during the Cultural Revolution. The report found nearly 51 million religiously unaffiliated Americans, or about 16.4 percent of the U.S. population. That number is smaller than the 19 percent of Americans Pew reported earlier this year. Researchers attribute this discrepancy to the fact that their 2012 report was based on information from adults only, and the newest report includes the religious adherence of children, which tends to be higher than that of adults. And while the number of the religiously unaffiliated is high, researchers are careful to point out that they are by no means homogeneous. Surveys considered in this report show that 7 percent of unaffiliated Chinese report a belief in God or some other high power, while that number among the unaffiliated French is 30 percent, and among Americans it climbs to 68 percent. In China, 44 percent of unaffiliated adults say they have worshiped at a graveside or tomb in the past year. The report covers 230 countries and is drawn from more than 2,500 censuses, surveys and population records accrued through 2010. It marks the first attempt to pin down a global religious landscape using such records, Hackett said. Other findings include: * About three-quarters (73 percent) of the world’s people live in countries where their religion is in the majority, mostly Christians and Hindus. * The religiously unaffiliated are in the majority in six nations: China, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hong Kong, Japan and North Korea. * The unaffiliated, Buddhists and Jews have the highest median age (34, 34 and 36 respectively) while Muslims, Hindus and Christians have the lowest (23, 26 and 30 respectively). Median age is a predictor of how religious groups will grow, as those with a younger age have more women of child-bearing age. Ryan Cragun, a religion sociologist at the University of Tampa who studies the nonreligious, said the numbers on the unaffiliated are not surprising. But he cautions that surveys that rely on secondary data, such as censuses, and self-reporting often over calculates some groups, such as Christians. “The real question is whether or not the nonreligious are outpacing the religious when it comes to growth,” he said. Copyright: For copyright information, please check with the distributor of this item, Religion News Service LLC.
E-VAI – The Artificial Intelligence Platform From Eularis Changes The Rules Of Marketing In Pharma Eularis Challenges the Pharma Industry To Improve Marketing Results with new disruptive Machine Learning based Analytics Eularis announces recently the release of E-VAI, the latest development in sophisticated machine learning technology delivering next generation analytics and decision making to Pharma marketers globally. Eularis, at the leading edge of marketing analytics in Pharma since 2003 has launched E-VAI, changing the game for marketers struggling to understand and get value from their marketing data. For a number of years now, all eyes have been pointing towards the powers of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in business. However one thing that has recently changed the game for AI is that machine learning is being used to power Google’s driverless cars and now the real potential for its use in other areas are really being understood. This is why Eularis saw the opportunity to bring the same advanced technology into Pharma marketing to reverse the trend of poor marketing and sales results and decreasing budgets. E-VAI takes the same data but delivers more accurate results, faster and provides answers to the questions that marketers need such as how to do more with less. Dr Andree Bates, founder and CEO of Eularis Analytics says “this is superior technology because marketing executives must continuously make complex decisions that need a large degree of judgment. The increase in complexity of channels, and the market environment itself makes it very difficult to get this consistently right without the intervention of something as sophisticated as AI. “ Eularis has used the brains of top Professors in the field to redefine the future of Pharma marketing analytics. Dr Andree Bates highlights that “While older linear approaches had their place, we realized that a more advanced approach was needed to achieve stronger results. The outcome was E-VAI, a next generation analytics client portal that uses cutting edge machine learning algorithms within an easy-to-use interface”. A comparison of the new results with those delivered by traditional linear approaches has shown a much higher level of accuracy and a far superior understanding of real driver impacts and their synergistic effects. Prof Lang, Mathematician, Theoretical Physicist and Data Scientist, when studying the results had this to say: "What Eularis has developed for the Pharma Industry is a thing of beauty. The underlying algorithms are so cutting edge they did not exist 3 years ago. I can safely say that Eularis is the first company in the world to offer this level of sophisticated machine learning based tools, using a live customer focused environment to ensure stronger financial results.” E-VAI is available now globally and has already been tested on a number of projects across multiple portfolios and markets. About Eularis Eularis is the leading provider of next generation advanced marketing analytics to the Pharmaceutical market. The machine learning-based artificial intelligence powering Eularis analytics enables marketing, analytics and sales executives to achieve faster brand success. Since 2003 the company has developed significant experience in the global pharmaceutical market through client engagements with Boehringer-Ingelheim, Merck, Pfizer, Roche, Shire and many others. For more information, visit www.Eularis.com.
BERLIN (Reuters) - Syria is descending into a Somalia-style failed state run by warlords which poses a grave threat to the future of the Middle East, former peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi has said. A general view of damage in Saif Al-Dawla street in Aleppo June 8, 2014. REUTERS/Hamid Khatib Brahimi, who stepped down a week ago after the failure of peace talks he mediated in Geneva, said that without concerted efforts for a political solution to Syria’s brutal civil war “there is a serious risk that the entire region will blow up.” “The conflict is not going to stay inside Syria,” he told Der Spiegel magazine in an interview published at the weekend. More than 160,000 people have been killed in the conflict, which grew out of protests against President Bashar al-Assad in March 2011, inspired by uprisings in the wider Arab world. Brahimi said many countries misjudged the Syrian crisis, expecting Assad’s rule to crumble as some other Arab leaders’ had done, a mistake they compounded by supporting “the war effort instead of the peace effort”. The civil war has drawn in powerful regional states, with Sunni Gulf monarchies and Turkey supporting the rebels and foreign jihadis. Shi’ite Iran, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Iraqi Shi’ites back Assad. Major powers at the United Nations have also been divided, paralyzing diplomatic efforts. Assad’s Western foes have pressed for action against Syrian authorities, but Russia and China have vetoed draft resolutions against Syrian authorities. Brahimi, who resigned as United Nations special envoy for Afghanistan in 1999, drew comparisons between Syria now and Afghanistan under Taliban rule in the lead-up to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. “The U.N. Security Council had no interest in Afghanistan, a small country, poor, far away. I said one day it’s going to blow up in your faces. It did,” he said. “Syria is so much worse.” He also compared it to Somalia, which has suffered more than two decades of conflict. “It will not be divided, as many have predicted. It’s going to be a failed state, with warlords all over the place.” Assad’s forces have consolidated their grip over central Syria but swathes of its northern and eastern provinces are controlled by hundreds of rebel brigades including the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and other powerful Islamist groups. OPPOSITION “LIKELY USED CHEMICAL WEAPONS” War crimes were committed daily by both sides in Syria, with starvation used as a weapon of war, civilians held as human shields and chemical weapons used in battle, Brahimi said. Rebels appeared to have been behind at least one incident in Aleppo province in March 2013, he said. “From the little I know, it does seem that in Khan al-Assal, in the north, the first time chemical weapons were used, there is a likelihood it was used by the opposition.” U.N. investigators have not made direct accusations about responsibility for several chemical attacks, including a sarin attack which killed hundreds outside Damascus last August. But a team of human rights experts said three months ago the Khan al-Assal and Damascus perpetrators “likely had access to the chemical weapons stockpile of the Syrian military”. Brahimi’s failed peace effort focused on persuading the United States and Russia to bring together the government and opposition in Geneva. In the end, getting them to sit down in the same room yielded nothing. “Neither Russia nor the U.S. could convince their friends to participate in the negotiations with serious intent,” he told the magazine, adding that the two parties came “screaming and kicking”, against their will. The government negotiating team only went to Geneva to please Moscow, he said, believing that they were winning the war militarily. Most of the opposition also preferred to settle the conflict on the battlefield, and arrived completely unprepared. Brahimi said Saudi Arabia and Iran, the main powers on either side of the region’s Sunni-Shi’ite Muslim divide, had “to start discussing not how to help warring parties, but how to help the Syrian people (and) their neighbours.” But despite hints at rapprochement the two powers remain wary of each other. Saudi Arabia also refused to meet Brahimi, making his task of forging a consensus nearly impossible. “I think they didn’t like what I was saying about a peaceful and negotiated settlement with concessions from both sides,” Brahimi said.
Close Many of us will be familiar with the feeling of setting up a new Wi-Fi router only to find that it doesn't reach the far corners of our house. While businesses solve this with multiple Wi-Fi access points, the concept is pretty new when it comes to the home. One of the newest startups to try and bring the idea of multiple Wi-Fi points to the house is called Luma, which is a new system designed to help users fill their home with a strong Wi-Fi signal, at the same time offering the user more control of their network and what happens to it. Setting up a network is actually pretty easy. While you can buy one single router from Luma, the idea is that you'll buy multiple, with the devices coming in packs of three. These can be placed throughout the home. Once the devices are set up, they connect to each other and can form one single, strong network. You can even use the routers to move from between 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks. Unlike other routers, however, users can control their network through a companion app, which will enable users to see which devices have connected to their network and even what those devices are doing. This means everything from the servers that Internet-of-Things devices are sending data to, to even seeing exactly which websites people are visiting through their computer. For those who really want to stalk, the device doesn't show specific content, so while it might show that someone is visiting Facebook; it won't show things like messages. Parents with young children can also use Luma as a way to ensure their children don't accidentally visit inappropriate content, with users able to lock certain users into only being able to view content that is G, PG, PG-13 or R rated content. Users can send requests to bypass the filter on a website-by-website basis. One of the problems with this comes when users don't want to track others' content, with activity tracking being front and center for Luma. History is recorded for a year, and while the user can tell Luma to hide some activity, there's no way to really lock that setting in. Luma itself is launching next year, and shipments will go out sometime during spring. Currently, users can buy Luma's devices at half price, with a single router being $99, and a pack of three costing $249. Eventually those prices will double. ⓒ 2018 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Story highlights Millionaire hotel magnate Jim Graves challenging Michele Bachmann for her seat Democrats believe political newcomer poses best challenge yet to tea party darling Former GOP presidential candidate seeking fourth term representing Minnesota district Jim Graves strolled down Main Street in his pressed shirt with French cuffs and skinny jeans, a dapper enigma in a land of flannels and Wranglers. He stuck out his hand to introduce himself to a ruffian in a wheelchair scooter. The two talked politics before the stranger confessed he's an anarchist who believes Americans should be allowed to kill three people a day. "That would take care of the idiots REALLLLLL fast," the man said with a chuckle. Not the typical conversation for a millionaire hotel magnate, who's more prone to discuss bed-sheet thread count than shooting folks. But when people know you're running for Congress, apparently no topic is off limits. A bit exasperated, Graves wished the man well and quickly departed. Graves isn't gunning for just any seat. He's the Democratic challenger to Michele Bachmann, the firebrand darling of the tea party running for a fourth term. New to the political scene, Graves doesn't mince words. Bachmann is running scared, he told me, avoiding him at all costs and refusing to debate him until a week before the November election. "It's just a fact she doesn't want to meet," Graves said. "We've asked her to come on with us, anywhere, anytime, and we'll be there." Asked about this, Bachmann responded, "Well, phooey. ... I'm not afraid at all." If America is polarized like never before, few congressional races represent this divide more than the battle going on here. I don't typically cover politics, but this one was too good to resist: a businessman who made millions by accommodating guests at his hotels versus a politician who Fox News host Sean Hannity has described as one of the women most feared by liberals in America. I traveled to the 6th District of Minnesota to meet both candidates and take the pulse of the race. Bible verses course through the veins of most residents, from the evangelical base in suburban Blaine -- just north of the Twin Cities -- through the rural countryside on northward to the Catholics of St. Cloud, a city anchored by several colleges. The biggest issue here, like the rest of the nation, is the economy. The district's unemployment rate hovers around 6%, well below the national average of nearly 8%, but it also has the highest foreclosure rate in Minnesota -- a sign there aren't enough high-paying jobs and that residents are struggling to pay their bills. The district also is highly Republican, very conservative and nearly all white. But even in her home base, there's no shortage of opinion of Bachmann. Millionaire hotel magnate Jim Graves represents Democrats' latest hope of unseating Bachmann. Defender of the Constitution. Nut job. Saint. Ol' Miss Crazy Eyes. You hear it all. "I hope she gets her ass kicked," said one Minnesotan, one of the few dissenters who met Bachmann during one of her campaign stops. Few people stoke the ire of liberals like the three-term congresswoman, who last year was a GOP presidential favorite for her anti-tax, political-correctness-be-damned approach. She took on President Bush over his Wall Street bailout. She blasted President Obama when he asked for more bailout money. And she's been one of the most vocal critics of Obamacare, saying it will bankrupt the middle class if it's not repealed. This summer, Bachmann angered Democrats -- and even some Republicans -- when she suggested the Muslim Brotherhood had infiltrated the U.S. government under Obama. She's unabashed and unapologetic, saying the recent unrest in Libya, Egypt and the Mideast only underscores her conviction. "I've been proven right in the tragic events of this last month. The Muslim Brotherhood is not the Lutheran Brotherhood," she told Minnesota Public Radio reporter Conrad Wilson during a stop at Buffalo Wild Wings in St. Cloud. "Political correctness," she told me later, "is a problem. ... We cannot subordinate national security to abide by political correctness. But also political correctness is killing the economy, and it's hurting job creation and innovation. The rest of the world isn't standing still while we're being politically correct." Democrats believe Graves, 59, poses the best challenge yet to Bachmann, especially because there is no independent in the race. In Bachmann's closest race, in 2008, she won 46% to 43% against her Democratic rival, with an independent getting 10% of the vote. In 2010, Bachmann stomped her Democratic opponent by 13 percentage points. If Bachmann has alienated independents and socially liberal Republicans while seeking higher office, Democrats hope those voters will gravitate toward Graves. He sounds Republican on many fiscal issues, and because he's never held public office he doesn't have a voting record that could be skewered by conservatives. That hasn't stopped an avalanche of spin. Bachmann ads have dubbed him Big Spending Jim in lockstep with House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, whose name here is treated with lips curled, like the dirtiest of words. The Bachmann camp has even launched a website, www.bigspendingjim.com "I don't care what Michele Bachmann calls me," Graves said. "In business there's a term for smoke and mirrors: It's called bankruptcy. You don't play around with budgets. You're serious about them. ... The last thing we want in a salesperson is somebody who goes and divides and separates and antagonizes and lacks civility and throws verbal grenades at different people, because that doesn't help get the thing done. You've got to bring people together. That's how we've always done it in business. "I think that Rep. Bachmann is just inexperienced. In deference to her, she doesn't understand business. She doesn't understand budgeting, but then again: Why should she?" He smiled from beneath his Ray Bans. In nonpolitically correct terms, he just dished out a verbal can of whoop-ass. During one campaign stop, he handed out buttons: "I dig Graves." Just whose political grave will be dug will be determined by voters in November. Bachmann, 56, described Graves as a liberal whose support of abortion rights and same-sex marriage run counter to the views of the district. "This race will offer a clear, stark choice between what my opponent stands for and what I stand for," Bachmann said. She's proud to carry the mantle of chairwoman of the Tea Party Caucus and said she'll go to bat for the policies that have kept her in office the last six years. The tea party "really does represent the views of mainstream America, certainly this district, because there are three things the tea party stands for: We believe we're taxed enough already; we believe the government shouldn't spend more money than it takes in; and we believe the government should follow the Constitution." She added, "Liberals are liberals. That's just who they are. They'd love to see my voice silenced." It's impossible to know just how close the race is, though apparently it's tightening. Two non-partisan political handicappers -- the Cook Political Report and the Rothenberg Political Report -- have moved their ranking of the contest from likely Republican earlier this year to now lean Republican. Polling from the Graves campaign last month showed Bachmann with a 2-percentage point lead, 48%-46%, a statistical dead heat because it's within the margin of error. The Bachmann campaign refused to disclose its polling; the congresswoman acknowledged it's a tough race, but one she expects to win. "Democrats are salivating at the idea of taking out Michele Bachmann," said Kathryn Pearson, associate professor of political science at the University of Minnesota. "On the other hand, she's a fundraising machine. If she needs any money, it won't be hard to raise it. So it's an interesting race, but it's an uphill battle for Graves." What is clear, the race for the 6th District has the Bachmann camp in overdrive. Her campaign raised about $1.1 million in July alone, and expects to spend well over $10 million for the course of the campaign. By comparison, the Graves campaign has raised about $1.5 million for the entire race, including $520,000 of his own money. About 20 Bachmann supporters -- ranging in age from College Republicans to retirees -- crowd an office in Blaine to place about 1,100 calls around the district every night, Monday through Thursday. They fill out bubble sheets that are then fed through a computer for instant voter analysis. "Government has no interest or willingness to balance its books," Bachmann told a radio audience. Every time a Bachmann supporter is reached, volunteers ring a bell. Ding. Ding. Ding. "I honestly believe this woman's a saint," said Pamela Larson, a Bachmann volunteer with the Christian Motorcycle Association. "I just think she's the most wonderful, selfless servant as far as working for the government and taking our concerns to Washington." More bells ring. Another supporter reached. From math teacher to hotel magnate When you're challenging a political heavyweight, your every move is followed. Literally. The Graves campaign has dubbed their stalker "Tracker Mike," a fresh-faced college grad and Bachmann supporter who stands about 5 feet away from Graves at events with a handheld video camera. Anything to catch him in a gotcha moment -- a slip of the tongue, a frown on his face, picking his nose. "You got a busy day today?" Graves asked Tracker Mike during a festival at Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge. "It depends on your day," Tracker Mike responded. "When you stick to what you believe in," Graves said later, "it isn't stressful at all as far as somebody having a camera in your face. It doesn't bother me. I just ignore it. "The primary issue is that the 6th District needs good, quality, on-the-ground representation," Graves said, "and it just hasn't been there during her tenure in Congress. She isn't representing the people. She's representing her own ideologies and own platforms that don't resonate and don't directly correlate with the needs of the district. We think it's very important for somebody to be from the 6th District and get things done." Graves doesn't just criticize Bachmann; he's equally harsh on President Obama for using what he calls class warfare to divide the nation. Since when was it such a bad thing, the millionaire pondered, to work hard and become successful in this nation? "Where I differ most with Obama is on the tenor of his approach at times. An example: discussion on the Buffett Rule. I would never approach that as a class warfare issue," he said. "I come from business, so I approach it from that perspective: We know the best way to bring an enemy into our camp is to make them our friends. "I think the president could've gotten a little more done if he had reached across the aisle and worked a little bit more. Again, I'm being very candid. People may not want to hear that, but that's what I believe." On other key issues, he believes the Wall Street bailouts were necessary, contrary to Bachmann. "The whole system could've rolled down, and the whole world was looking at us, at America, to hold it up," Graves said. He also supports portions of Obamacare, namely the pre-existing conditions provision and allowing children to stay on their parents' plans until the age of 26. "People ask me all the time: 'Would you ever vote against it?' What I say is: 'Well, sure I would if there was something better.'" Graves' narrative is the apple-pie American success story. He worked in a factory grinding and polishing lenses at age 15 to pay for his tuition at Cathedral High School in St. Cloud, then labored as a janitor before classes at St. Cloud State University. He met his future wife, Julie, while rehearsing for the musical "Hello Dolly" in high school; they've been married nearly 40 years. He and Julie played music in bars to help make ends meet during college. He strummed the guitar; she sang. His first full-time job was at a Catholic elementary school in St. Cloud, where he taught for two years. "What I remember most," said Sandy Oltz, one of his former students, "is he wasn't strictly by the book. He taught us math and arithmetic and reading and the Bible, but he also wanted us to know what the world was really like." Graves got his big break when the father of one of his students asked if he would join him in a business development. He and Julie had two young sons, with a third boy on the way, and $2,000 in the bank. On a hunch, he quit teaching. The first project went well, and Graves began taking risks on his own. He found investors, started with three restaurants, then dabbled in the agricultural business before starting the Midwest hotel chain AmericInn, a name he chose for patriotic loyalty after the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. The chain flourished, and Graves soon owned more than 60 hotels across the Midwest. It wasn't an overnight success. There were many Christmas Eves early on, he said, when he wondered if he'd make payroll. He sold out for millions in 1993 and moved into the luxury hotel and condo development business. His Graves 601 Hotel is one of the signature hotels in downtown Minneapolis, frequented by NBA stars and socialites. His net worth stands between $22 million and $111 million, according to his House financial disclosure form, which allows for wide ranges in reporting one's wealth. When Graves decided to expand his luxury business into Chicago and New York, some questioned his business acumen. "The barriers are one step below insurmountable," hotel consultant Kirby Payne told the Star Tribune in 2005. "I'm not sure why he wants to do this. Is it ego?" Many have wondered the same thing now: Why would a guy who has everything throw his hat into the political ring against a juggernaut like Bachmann? He wasn't even thinking of running for Congress in January. But he said he was watching a cable news show this spring when the host asked why "good people" weren't going into public office. "My wife and I looked at each other, and I said, 'Why don't we try to help make a change?'" "Where I differ most with Obama is on the tenor of his approach at times," Graves said. There were two other Democrats in the race already. After meeting with both, he decided to join the race and the other two quickly bowed out. If the Bachmann campaign is a well-oiled, well-financed machine, the Graves' camp is very much a family affair, largely run out of their hybrid vehicles, which overflow with buttons and other campaign material. His son, Adam, took a sabbatical from teaching religious thought at Metropolitan State University of Denver to run his father's campaign. He has begun calling his dad "Jim" to sound more professional, but admits it's weird. On a recent Saturday, the family traversed more than 100 miles across the district to try to meet voters. They hit a festival at the wildlife refuge, an Alzheimer's walk in St. Cloud (Graves' mother suffers from the debilitating disease), a stroll through downtown Annandale and a visit to Minnesota Pioneer Park -- where about two dozen old folks, some in bonnets, gathered for a celebration. "I hope he wins," said Doris Ashwill, 91. "I just shake my head at her. Radical isn't the word. What do they call the ones who go backwards? ... Reactionary, that's what she is." The night ended with a fundraiser for the Paramount Theatre in downtown St. Cloud. More than 700 people jammed inside the theater, dancing and swaying as local bands played classic rock. Graves, his wife and close friends took in the scene. Campaign treasurer Peter Donohue pointed out the festive mood of the largely Democratic crowd in the land of Bachmann. "These are the people Michele Bachmann represents," he said facetiously. On stage, the bass kicked in and a woman crooned, "Barracuda." Disappointed by Democrats Long before Michele Bachmann became a political rock star -- the first Republican woman to represent Minnesota in Congress -- she and her then-boyfriend Marcus campaigned for Jimmy Carter when he was running for president in 1976. She was a senior in college at Winona State. The two were captivated by Carter's status as a born-again Christian and his selection of Minnesota's Walter Mondale as his running mate. "We were very proud that our favorite son, Walter Mondale, was chosen as vice president," Bachmann said. "And so we volunteered to work on the presidential campaign. It was my first presidential election. ... So I was proud to go and work for him. (Marcus) and I did. We danced at the inaugural ball." But the enthusiasm for Carter quickly dissipated amid an energy crisis, the Iran hostage taking and a floundering economy. "We just decided we couldn't support him any more. And we voted for Ronald Reagan in 1980 and never looked back." In hindsight, she said, she's not shocked at her younger self. That college senior was "very reflective of Minnesota," she said, a person who believed the Democratic Party "was the party of the little guy." "I think it was at one time, but it isn't any more," she said. "And today, I think the party of the little guy is the Republican Party -- because it's really about traditional values, it's about a strong military presence and it's also about the economy and making sure that there truly is competition. You can have free markets. That's what the Republican Party stands for. That's what we thought the Democrat Party used to stand for." Bachmann's parents were Democrats. They divorced in 1970 when she was about 14. After the split she was raised by her mother, who struggled to pay bills. The young Bachmann babysat for 50 cents an hour to help make ends meet. (One of the girls she babysat, Gretchen Carlson, went on to become Miss America in 1989 and later the co-host of "Fox and Friends.") The lessons instilled by her mother -- of working hard, saving money and believing in God's loving hand -- have never left her. "So many of the things that have happened in the last four years really hurt people in this district," she said. "I care about them, because I came from a family where I had a single mom; we were below poverty. I don't want anybody to have to live like that. It's no fun. I've been there, and I want to make sure people have opportunities." The former Miss Congeniality of Anoka swept into state politics in 2000, quickly becoming known as one of the most conservative state legislators for her stances against abortion and homosexuality -- positions she has defended in the halls of Congress to the ire of Democrats, independents and socially liberal Republicans. The mother of five children has created countless enemies along the way. Her anti-gay stance has caused a divide within her family; one of her stepsisters is a lesbian. Bachmann once hid behind bushes at a gay rights rally, her opponents contend, and her husband's counseling clinic has been vilified by gay rights activists as a place where they try to "pray the gay away." While liberals are licking their chops at the prospect of Graves etching her political epitaph, Bachmann has no plans of going anywhere. "I'm a very consistent person. I don't run for popularity contests. What you see is what you get," she said. "I don't promise one thing here in the district and then go differently to vote in Washington." Running for the Republican presidential nomination, she said, was the "hardest thing I've ever done in my life," but she was buoyed by supporters and her conviction to overturn Obamacare. "It's worth it because the country is so magnificent. It's worth fighting for. That's why I ran. Because I want to make sure that it's everything it was when I was growing up." Bachmann rose to the front of the GOP presidential pack in August 2011 after winning a straw poll in Iowa. Months later, she dropped out after a poor finish in the Iowa caucuses. Now, back home, she's basking in the district's anti-establishment beliefs. The more she's mocked by Jon Stewart, the more New York Times op-eds condemn her beliefs, the more her base rallies. "The roaring 1990s are over, unfortunately. We now need to concentrate on saving this nation, and Michele is a wonderful individual that cares very much about doing that," said Matthew Coombes, a volunteer who drove from Massachusetts to pitch in. In the 6th District, it's easy to see why she's loved by many. She's charismatic, engaging, even charming to complete strangers. When she walks into a room, all eyes turn toward her. She sticks out her hand and introduces herself: "Hi, I'm Michele." Bachmann dished up a round of chicken wings to Kim Saatzer's table during a stop at Buffalo Wild Wings in St. Cloud. "She's just fighting for our freedom," the 49-year-old Saatzer said. "If you take God out of this country, this country is going under." From there, she met with workers at J-Berd Mechanical Contractors, who told her of being audited three times in three years, which they said was a sign of an overzealous government cracking down on small businesses. That's the No. 1 complaint among business owners: regulatory burdens stifling job growth, Bachmann told the employees. "Don't you think they could find somebody else they could go and look at once in a while?" she asked. She spun through St. Cloud for a quick hit on a conservative radio show, "Ox in the Afternoon," where she picked up the endorsement of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. While at the radio station, she criticized the administration for underestimating the turmoil in the Mideast, for spending "billions and billions more staying in a lost cause" in Afghanistan, and for budgetary overspending. "That's the real problem in America right now," she told the radio audience. "Government has no interest or willingness to balance its books. ... All of us have to. Only the federal government keeps trying to figure out ways to print money it doesn't have, and that puts all of us at risk." She then toured a high-tech business and hobnobbed with powerful Republicans before settling in with supporters to watch the first presidential debate at a call center in the town of St. Michael. There were hisses and gasps when Obama spoke, cheers when Romney offered up his beat-down. That same night, her opponent hosted Rep. Barney Frank, the Massachusetts Democrat despised by Bachmann. She's seeking to repeal Dodd-Frank, the set of banking reforms that Obama pushed for and Congress passed in the wake of the nation's financial crisis. "So, this is my opponent's new mentor in Congress," Bachmann said, working her supporters into a frenzy of "Wowwwwwwws." "Thank God, Barney Frank is timing out," she said, referring to Frank's decision not to run for re-election. The crowd clung to her every word, ready for her looming showdown with Graves. She loved the moment, said it was inspiring to be home. "Just remember," Bachmann said, "the only way we repeal Obamacare is this year." "We have to!" one woman shouted. "Hey, that's a great option," Bachmann said. "I'm grateful we got it, because the Supreme Court completely let us down. They upheld this completely unconstitutional bill, unfortunately. But now, it's up to the American people. Now, we've got a chance." She urged them to hit the call centers in droves, tell their friends, neighbors, relatives the importance of this election. "Call your little heart out between now and election night, because it's that important," she said. "We only have one chance at this." "Count me in," another woman shouted. Before leaving, Bachmann said she was more energized than ever for an election. Graves and Bachmann are on a collision course for their first of three debates, beginning October 30. "I have to confess," Graves told me, "over the years, I've said I wish I could sit down and debate that woman." But he couldn't help but wonder if she'd avoid him yet again. "Hopefully, she'll show up," he said. Bachmann said she's sticking to the script she's followed in previous races, with debates waiting until the end -- a point that has driven Democrats crazy. "These are the debates we've always set up; these are the debates we always do," she said. "I look forward to that." Game on.
Police have launched a criminal investigation after eight people died following an explosion at a kindergarten in Fengxian in China’s eastern Jiangsu province, Chinese state media reports. Police say they have identified a suspect in the blast and are searching for him, Xinhua reported. Police have yet to confirm the number of casualties, but China Global Television Network are reporting that eight people have died and a further 65 have been injured in the blast. Eight of the injured are in a critical condition. #Chinaexplosion: Death toll rises to 8 after blast occurred in Jiangsu at the gate of the kindergarten, as the children were leaving pic.twitter.com/QbL8EiycDU — People's Daily,China (@PDChina) June 15, 2017 Chinese state media CCTV reports that two people died at the scene while the other six died in hospital. Xinhua is reporting that the blast took place at 4.50pm local time as parents were arriving to collect their children. It was confirmed later on Thursday that the incident is being investigated as a criminal act, according to CGTN. One witness told the Global Times that the explosion was caused by a gas cylinder at a nearby roadside stall. Graphic footage from the scene show dozens of victims lying on the ground outside the school. Young children can also be seen among the injured. Many of the victims are covered in blood and appear unconscious. One of the videos shows medics apparently trying to resuscitate a young child. “Around 5pm, we heard an explosion,” one witness told online news site Sohu. “We heard a blast and thought it might have been a gas explosion. Five minutes after the explosion, [a] fire truck and police arrived at the scene.”
We previously reported on a new campaign called #RogueOneWish, which sought to allow Star Wars fan Neil Hanvey to view the upcoming Rogue One: A Star Wars Story before its official release. His wife, Andrea Hanvey, initiated the push on social media due to her husband's illness, which did not give him much longer to live. Unfortunately, Neil passed away on Sunday, but not until after he was able to see an early cut of the film on Saturday. St Michael's Hospice posted a thank you to everyone who supported the campaign (via Star Wars News). "On behalf of Neil Hanvey, his wife Andrea and all his family, we want to thank everyone who supported the #RogueOneWish campaign. The director of Rogue One, Gareth Edwards did all he could to make Saturday a very special day for Neil. Neil, his family and everyone at St Michael’s Hospice would like to say thank you to Disney, Lucasfilm and especially Gareth Edwards." Andrea posted on the hospice's page as well and thanked all the people who made that Saturday so special for Neil, and to those who reached out after the news released of his passing.
Getty Images The Packers need to find a safety to replace Nick Collins this season, but it isn’t going to be Charlie Peprah. Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com reported the news after getting a text message from Peprah confirming his change in employment status. Peprah did not practice this spring after having arthroscopic surgery on his knee, but there wasn’t much of an inkling out of Green Bay that this move was coming. “It’s tough to leave your compadres. You have a bond with those guys. Who knows? I could come back. I don’t have any grudges,” Peprah told Wilde after his release. With Peprah gone, the Packers’ most experienced safety is third-year man Morgan Burnett which is part of what makes the timing so surprising. Unless Peprah’s knee is worse than anyone has reported, it would seem like a good idea to keep him around until you have a better grasp on the other options. Burnett’s likely to start at one safety spot, with M.D. Jennings and 2012 fourth-rounder Jerron McMillian looking like the likeliest choices for the other spot. The Packers could also give Charles Woodson more time at safety, although that would require some of their other cornerbacks stepping up over the summer. Peprah started 25 games for the Packers over the last two seasons and signed a two-year, $2.3 million deal with the team before the 2011 season. If he’s healthy, he’ll likely catch on with a team looking for veteran help at safety but that might be a big if given the unexpected timing of his departure from the Packers.
HoloLens sales are now open to the public YouTube/Microsoft In the office of the not-too-distant future, we will all be sitting around, wearing special eyewear that projects holograms and information into the room around us. That is, if companies like Microsoft, and Magic Leap have their way. While most of the world is still waiting to try the Magic Leap tech, (the company has sworn to secrecy the thousands of people who have demoed its device, its CEO says), Microsoft is zooming ahead with its augmented reality glasses, HoloLens. On Tuesday, Microsoft made HoloLens available to anyone who wants to pay $3,000 per device to buy one. That's probably a bit steep for consumers but Microsoft has always geared the device towards business use. In this next, open phase, Microsoft is courting corporate developers - programmers writing custom apps for use inside their own companies, rather than for sale to others. Anyone can now purchase up to five devices, no application required. Plus, Microsoft has released software that allows companies to track these devices, to let employees use them with a corporate VPN (the passwords and security that let employees log onto their company's private networks) and companies can also set up private app stores for them. Microsoft is putting all the pieces in play to bring these devices into your work world. It sees augmented reality and virtual reality as the next big trend beyond mobile and it's not going to be accused of missing this like it did on mobile. Here's the video detailing all the new features available now for business use of HoloLens.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is criticizing the amount of money two Nova Scotia government agencies spent on hospitality at an international golf event last year in Halifax. Nova Scotia Business Inc. and Tourism Nova Scotia signed a two-year deal to sponsor the Nova Scotia Open — a tournament on the Web.com tour, the developmental system for the PGA. According to documents the Canadian Taxpayers Federation obtained under the Access to Information Act, the province paid $300,000 for its sponsorship position. Hospitality costs for government officials and their guests during the tournament in 2014 cost an additional $22,805.49, according to the documents. "This is not really about whether the government should have sponsored or should not have sponsored," Kevin Lacey, the Atlantic director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said in an interview with CBC News. "What this is about is, why is it when something good happens — like this golf tournament coming to Nova Scotia — do our government officials use it as an opportunity to stuff themselves with free food and booze on the taxpayer dime?" The federation says guests at the government's VIP tent consumed 336 bottles of water, pop, Gatorade and juice along with 137 bottles of beer, coolers and glasses of wine. The cost of food totalled about $14,750, they said. 'They don't need to spend to entertain themselves' "The government is telling everybody, 'It's time for cutbacks and be prepared for higher taxes' and yet here we are with the government spending thousands of dollars they don't need to spend to entertain themselves on a golf course," Lacey said. In a statement to CBC News, Tourism Nova Scotia said the golf event generated about $3.6 million in economic activity. It was broadcast live on NBC's Golf Channel to more than 191 countries and an audience of 3.8 million viewers. The agency said money was also raised for the QEII Health Sciences Centre Foundation, Feed Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Nova Scotia Business Inc. said the Nova Scotia Open "presented a significant opportunity to promote Nova Scotia to an international business audience and make connections." Nova Scotia Business Inc. said aside from the Golf Channel broadcast, advertising from the event was worth $834,000. Web.com, which sponsors the entire junior golf tour, also hosted a small business summit that attracted 200 Nova Scotia businesses. Despite claiming success, Nova Scotia Business Inc. changed its approach for the 2015 tournament. It offered no alcohol in its hospitality tent and reduced its catering costs by 50 per cent.
The New York Times recently published a long investigative report by Eric Lipton, Brooke Williams, and Nicholas Confessore on how foreign countries buy political influence through Washington think tanks. Judging from Twitter and other leading journalistic indicators, the paper’s original reporting appears to have gone almost entirely unread by human beings anywhere on the planet. In part, that’s because the Times’ editors decided to gift their big investigative scoop with the dry-as-dust title “Foreign Powers Buy Influence at Think Tanks,” which sounds like the headline for an article in a D.C. version of The Onion. There is also the fact that the first 10 paragraphs of the Times piece are devoted to that highly controversial global actor, Norway, and its attempts to purchase the favors of The Center for Global Development, which I confess I’d never heard of before, although I live in Washington and attend think-tank events once or twice a week. Except, buried deep in the Times’ epic snoozer was a world-class scoop related to one of the world’s biggest and most controversial stories—something so startling, and frankly so grotesque, that I have to bring it up again here: Martin Indyk, the man who ran John Kerry’s Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, whose failure in turn set off this summer’s bloody Gaza War, cashed a $14.8 million check from Qatar. Yes, you heard that right: In his capacity as vice president and director of the Foreign Policy Program at the prestigious Brookings Institution, Martin Indyk took an enormous sum of money from a foreign government that, in addition to its well-documented role as a funder of Sunni terror outfits throughout the Middle East, is the main patron of Hamas—which happens to be the mortal enemy of both the State of Israel and Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party. But far from trumpeting its big scoop, the Times seems to have missed it entirely, even allowing Indyk to opine that the best way for foreign governments to shape policy is “scholarly, independent research, based on objective criteria.” Really? It is pretty hard to imagine what the words “independent” and “objective” mean coming from a man who while going from Brookings to public service and back to Brookings again pocketed $14.8 million in Qatari cash. At least the Times might have asked Indyk a few follow-up questions, like: Did he cash the check from Qatar before signing on to lead the peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians? Did the check clear while he was in Jerusalem, or Ramallah? Or did the Qatari money land in the Brookings account only after Indyk gave interviews and speeches blaming the Israelis for his failure? We’ll never know now. But whichever way it happened looks pretty awful. Or maybe the editors decided that it was all on the level, and the money influenced neither Indyk’s government work on the peace process nor Brookings’ analysis of the Middle East. Or maybe journalists just don’t think it’s worth making a big fuss out of obvious conflicts of interest that may affect American foreign policy. Maybe Qatar’s $14.8 million doesn’t affect Brookings’ research projects or what the think tank’s scholars tell the media, including the New York Times, about subjects like Qatar, Hamas, Israel, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and other related areas in which Qatar has key interests at stake. Maybe the think tank’s vaunted objectivity, and Indyk’s personal integrity and his pride in his career as a public servant, trump the large piles of vulgar Qatari natural gas money that keep the lights on and furnish the offices of Brookings scholars and pay their cell-phone bills and foreign travel. But people in the Middle East may be a little less blasé about this kind of behavior than we are. Officials in the Netanyahu government, likely including the prime minister himself, say they’ll never trust Indyk again, in part due to the article by Israeli journalist Nahum Barnea in which an unnamed U.S. official with intimate knowledge of the talks, believed to be Indyk, blamed Israel for the failure of the peace talks. Certainly Jerusalem has good reason to be wary of an American diplomat who is also, or intermittently, a highly paid employee of Qatar’s ruling family. Among other things, Qatar hosts Hamas’ political chief Khaled Meshaal, the man calling the shots in Hamas’ war against the Jewish state. Moreover, Doha is currently Hamas’ chief financial backer—which means that while Qatar isn’t itself launching missiles on Israeli towns, Hamas wouldn’t be able to do so without Qatari cash. Of course, Hamas, which Qatar proudly sponsors, is a problem not just for Israel but also the Palestinian Authority. Which means that both sides in the negotiations that Indyk was supposed to oversee had good reason to distrust an American envoy who worked for the sponsor of their mutual enemy. In retrospect, it’s pretty hard to see how either side could have trusted Indyk at all—or why the administration imagined he would make a good go-between in the first place. Indeed, the notion that Indyk himself was personally responsible for the failure of peace talks is hardly far-fetched in a Middle East wilderness of conspiracy theories. After all, who benefits with an Israeli-PA stalemate? Why, the Islamist movement funded by the Arab emirate whose name starts with the letter “Q” and, according to the New York Times, is Brookings’ biggest donor. There are lots of other questions that also seem worth asking, in light of this smelly revelation—like why in the midst of Operation Protective Edge this summer did Kerry seek to broker a Qatari- (and Turkish-) sponsored truce that would necessarily come at the expense of U.S. allies, Israel, and the PA, as well as Egypt, while benefiting Hamas, Qatar, and Turkey? Maybe it was just Kerry looking to stay active. Or maybe Indyk whispered something in his former boss’ ear—from his office at Brookings, which is paid for by Qatar. It’s not clear why Indyk and Brookings seem to be getting a free pass from journalists—or why Qatar does. Yes, as host of the 2022 World Cup and owner of two famous European soccer teams (Barcelona and Paris St. Germain), Doha projects a fair amount of soft power—in Europe, but not America. Sure, Doha hosts U.S. Central Command at Al Udeid air base, but it also hosts Al Jazeera, the world’s most famous anti-American satellite news network. The Saudis hate Doha, as does Egypt and virtually all of America’s Sunni Arab allies. That’s in part because Qataris back not only Hamas, but other Muslim Brotherhood chapters around the region and Islamist movements that threaten the rule of the U.S.’s traditional partners and pride themselves on vehement anti-Americanism. Which is why, of course, Qatar wisely chose to go over the heads of the American public and appeal to the policy elite—a strategy that began in 2007, when Qatar and Brookings struck a deal to open a branch of the Washington-based organization in Doha. Since then, the relationship has obviously progressed, to the point where it can appear, to suspicious-minded people, like Qatar actually bought and paid for John Kerry’s point man in the Middle East, the same way they paid for the plane that flew U.N. Sec. Gen. Ban Ki-Moon around the region during this summer’s Gaza war. Indeed, the Doha-Brookings love affair has gotten so hot that it may have pushed aside the previous major benefactor of Brookings’ Middle East program, Israeli-American businessman Haim Saban. The inventor of the Power Rangers will still fund the annual Saban forum, but in the spring Brookings took his name off of what was formerly the Haim Saban Center for Middle East Policy, so that now it’s just Center for Middle East Policy. Maybe the Qatari Center For Middle East Policy didn’t sound objective enough. Another fact buried deep inside the Times piece is that Israel—the country usually portrayed as the octopus whose tentacles control all foreign policy debate in America—ranks exactly 56th in foreign donations to Washington think tanks. The Israeli government isn’t writing checks or buying dinner because—it doesn’t have to. The curious paradox is that a country that has the widespread support of rich and poor Americans alike—from big urban Jewish donors to tens of millions of heartland Christian voters—is accused of somehow improperly influencing American policy. While a country like Qatar, whose behavior is routinely so vile, and so openly anti-American, that it has no choice but to buy influence—and perhaps individual policymakers—gets off scot free among the opinion-shapers. It turns out that, in a certain light, critics of U.S. foreign policy like Andrew Sullivan, John J. Mearsheimer, and Stephen Walt were correct: The national interest is vulnerable to the grubby machinations of D.C. insiders—lobbyists, think tank chiefs, and policymakers who cash in on their past and future government posts. But the culprits aren’t who the curator of “The Dish” and the authors of The Israel Lobby say they are. In fact, they got it backwards. And don’t expect others like Martin Indyk to correct the mistake, for they have a vested interest in maintaining the illusion that the problem with America’s Middle East policy is the pro-Israel lobby. In Indyk’s case, we now know exactly how big that interest is. *** Like this article? Sign up for our Daily Digest to get Tablet Magazine’s new content in your inbox each morning. Lee Smith is the author of The Consequences of Syria.
There may be a literal truth underlying the common-sense intuition that happiness and sadness are contagious. A new study on the spread of emotions through social networks shows that these feelings circulate in patterns analogous to what's seen from epidemiological models of disease. Earlier studies raised the possibility, but had not mapped social networks against actual disease models. "This is the first time this contagion has been measured in the way we think about traditional infectious disease," said biophysicist Alison Hill of Harvard University. Data in the research, in the July 7 Proceedings of the Royal Society, comes from the Framingham Heart Study, a one-of-a-kind project which since 1948 has regularly collected social and medical information from thousands of people in Framingham, Massachusetts. Earlier analyses found that a variety of habits and feelings, including obesity, loneliness, smoking and happiness appear to be contagious. In the current study, Hill's team compared patterns of relationships and emotions measured in the study to those generated by a model designed to track SARS, foot-and-mouth disease and other traditional contagions. They discounted spontaneous or immediately shared emotion – friends or relatives undergoing a common experience – and focused on emotional changes that followed changes in others. In the spread of happiness, the researchers found clusters of "infected" and "uninfected" people, a pattern considered a "hallmark of the infectious process," said Hill. "For happiness, clustering is what you expect from contagion rates. Whereas for sadness, the clusters were much larger than we'd expect. Something else is going on." Happiness proved less social than sadness. Each happy friend increased an individual's chances of personal happiness by 11 percent, while just one sad friend was needed to double an individual's chance of becoming unhappy. Patterns fit disease models in another way. "The more friends with flu that you have, the more likely you are to get it. But once you have the flu, how long it takes you to get better doesn't depend on your contacts. The same thing is true of happiness and sadness," said David Rand, an evolutionary dynamics researcher at Harvard. "It fits with the infectious disease framework." The findings still aren't conclusive proof of contagion, but they provide parameters of transmission rates and network dynamics that will guide predictions tested against future Framingham results, said Hill and Rand. And whereas the Framingham study wasn't originally designed with emotional information in mind, future studies tailored to test network contagion should provide more sophisticated information. Both Hill and Rand warned that the findings illustrate broad, possible dynamics, and are not intended to guide personal decisions, such as withdrawing from friends who are having a hard time. "The better solution is to make your sad friends happy," said Rand. Image: Morgan/Flickr. See Also: Citation: "Emotions as infectious diseases in a large social network: the SISa model." By Alison L. Hill, David G. Rand, Martin A. Nowak and Nicholas A. Christakis. Proceedings for the Royal Society B, Published online before print, July 7, 2010. Brandon Keim's Twitter stream and reportorial outtakes; Wired Science on Twitter. Brandon is currently working on a book about ecological tipping points.
My first interaction with make-up was, I imagine, a universal one. I used to watch my mother painting her nails and applying lipstick and mimic her as she was getting ready. By the age of eleven I had progressed to experimenting with silver eyeshadow and dark brown lipstick. I blame these colour choices on the nineties: watching endless episodes of My So-Called Life and obsessing over a space-themed Levi’s advert. By the time I was a teenager I was struggling to understand the correct way to apply foundation and felt like I was supposed to wear it when I definitely didn’t need to and probably looked like a pageant child (no photos of this era exist – presumably my parents had the foresight and compassion not to capture it on film). And then I started modelling at the age of sixteen and was subjected to all sorts of glittery, smoky, sticky, sexy, oily, unpolished experiments with my face. Despite all of that playing around I still think make-up is a difficult thing to get right. In a perfect world we wouldn’t need to wear it at all, but unless you want to deal with that make-up tattoo situation, that’s not an option for most women. For me, if I don’t want to look like Dave Grohl past 11 a.m., it’s sort of a must. Personally for a daytime look I like to keep things natural. Often for photoshoots or TV I have stronger make-up on so on days off I just tend to moisturise, add concealer, mascara, blusher and lip balm. Some things I’ve learnt from being lucky enough to have my make-up done professionally: a little eyelash curl goes a long way, especially if, like me you have what could pass as a row of iron filings for eyelashes. With lip balm it’s best to stick to Australian pawpaw cream or natural products to avoid a massive lip peel which can happen when you use glosses or overly fragranced products. Your mouth should always look kissable and to that end I will occasionally exfoliate my lips (sounds disgusting, sort of is). An impromptu exfoliation kit I have used in the past is some Vaseline and brown sugar, which I rub onto my mouth and rinse off with warm water. In the winter this can restore your wind-chapped lips to dewy summer status. With blusher it took me a while to perfect the art of application without going overboard and coming over all Aunt Sal. A dot of cream blush on each cheek blended with my fingertips is the approach I now take for that slightly flushed but not overly embarrassed look. I prefer cream blushers to powders because I’m weird and have this aversion to anything dry on my face. I am obsessed with moisturising. I am also obsessed with cigarettes – so I like to think the two balance each other out. So that’s a classic crawl-out-of-bed face overhaul, but if I know I’m going out for the day and potentially into the night I add a cat-eye eyeliner. I stole this look from Cleopatra and Ronnie Spector from The Ronettes and I think it’s pretty much the most flattering make-up of all time. The two problems you’ll encounter if you’re trying to line the top of your lid are finding an eyeliner that doesn’t smudge all over your face and being able to draw in a straight line. I cannot help you with either of these things other than to say practice makes perfect and always think ‘up and out’. The thing you’re trying to fake is making your eyes look wider and more cat-like. Now study a cat’s face. Yeah, that. Liquid liners in a pen form are best for control and staying power. I find the pot with the wand with the brush on the end of it was probably invented for the sole purpose of causing pre-leaving-the-house meltdowns. Someone evil designed it. My addiction to cat-eye eyeliner started long before I knew who I was referencing. My first TV job meant that I had a professional make-up artist applying professional make-up to my unprofessional (hungover) face. We decided that all things considered we should play up my eyes as on TV eye contact is imperative. Once I had the black line traced on my top lid for the first time it was game over and no other make-up choices got a look in. It’s sexy and classic without seeming too much. (Apparently Cleopatra may have lined her eyes with kohl liner not just to look rad but also to help ward off disease.) Eyeliner aside, sometimes I go crazy and add a red lip to my make-up look, but it has to be a very special occasion. That’s a lie actually, because one top tip I have is if I’m looking tired I wear a red lip to detract from my heavy eyebags. *WARNING* this can make you look as though you haven’t been to bed but came to work straight from a very special occasion. Also, a red lip is great to wear in airports. I don’t know why but it makes me feel very glamorous to have bothered to apply lipstick when I’m travelling. To pack for flying: red lipstick, moisturiser, concealer, hand sanitizer, a can of dry shampoo and a mirror, because queueing for the loo and managing to do a beauty overhaul before they turn the seatbelt sign on is nigh-on impossible. Obviously different make-up suits different faces and it’s best to work out which features you’d like to play up and then experiment (in the house). Also work out which things don’t suit you, e.g.: I look odd when I’m overly tanned and so bronzer has never been my thing because I don’t like anything false as I feel like I’m lying to myself. In winter when things start getting very pale I just go with it and try and get into a gothic mood. Eyeliner inside my eye makes me look like I’m giving people evils so I try to avoid that, whereas it really looks brilliant on my friend Lizzy, who has rounder eyes than me. What are your best make-up tips? Leave your answer in the comments below. ------------------------ Liked this preview? You can buy Alexa’s book now at: http://po.st/AlexaChungIT
After months of gruesome news of rape in India, the world's largest democracy is still struggling to stop violence against women. Delhi passed stricter nationwide penalties for rape, and local governments are looking for their own ways to address the problem. Mumbai, India's financial capital, is taking it's own controversial step. The city plans to ban mannequins from displaying lingerie. The reason? City leaders believe mannequins give men impure thoughts. In Mumbai's trendy Bandra neighborhood shoppers from all over the city are drawn to its open-air markets. Everything is on sale here–clothing, purses, and shoes. And most of it is for women. One shopper, Zara Sheik, quickly scans a table of bras and underwear. On the wall in front her, clear plastic torsos show off the selection of lingerie. They're not full mannequins, but the plastic forms have enough cleavage to make Mrs. Sheik uncomfortable. So you don't like to see that up there? I ask. "No, not at all," she says. What does it make you think? "It feels very embarrassing. Even if my husband sees it I won't like it." Sheik blames the display on western influence. "You people," she says. "You people are coming here." Surprisingly, the shop manager agrees with her. Zeeshon Menon says mannequins wearing underwear is a problem. When I ask him if they give him impure thoughts, he seems embarrassed. "It's against tradition," he says. "It's against our religion." Okay, a little context: Generally, women in India wear loose-fitting clothes that cover their arms and legs. Showing shoulders or wearing jeans is off-limits in many traditional homes. So in this context a mannequin in a bra can seem provocative. At least that's how it seems to 39-year-old Ritu Tawde. She is a "corporator" for the city of Mumbai. It's kind of like being a city councilor. The now-infamous Delhi gang-rape that took the life of a 23-year-old student last year jolted Tawde into action. "Rape cases in our country are increasing," says Tawde. "To stop this, somewhere someone has to make an effort." Tawde blames some rape cases on mannequins exposing so much skin, albeit fake skin. "Our Indian culture, one that has been around for many years, has not witnessed this kind of exposure," she says. "There are certain disturbed minds in our society, existing or potential criminals, who upon seeing a female mannequin wearing lingerie, will be provoked to commit a crime." Tawde proposed a city ordinance banning stores from displaying mannequins wearing lingerie in their windows. The measure passed and just needs the approval of the city commissioner before it can take effect. Many lingerie sellers are upset. Tasneem Mansuri owns a new lingerie store inside a popular Mumbai mall. She says the law is something he's really pissed and mad about. "Because a visual sells," she says. Two mannequins dressed in thongs, garter belts and feather boas greet customers at the door to Mansuri's store. But the proposed ban has stopped her from displaying mannequins in the windows facing the street. She says mannequins are important for helping women visualize what they'll look like in lingerie. "What's the harm of having a lingerie display? It's not vulgar at all. It's something that a woman needs to wear and does wear," she says. Mansuri says scantily clad mannequins don't turn Indian men into rapists. And she worries that this ban means Mumbai isn't the cosmopolitan city she hoped it was when she opened her store. Many media commentators have similar complaints. They're making fun of the ban and called it regressive. Forbes India Editor-In-Chief R. Jagganathan says the mannequin ban exposes a growing rift between the elite and everyone else. "You have a very progressive element, which obviously finds this silly," says Jagganathan. "To ban mannequins because it will put thoughts in men's heads is silly. You have to change the way they think. You can't do it by removing a mannequin. That's an obvious thing to say." However, Jagganathan says there's another side. "This is a city that is accumulating people every year. We are nearly 18 million people in the city. And different people come from villages with different mindsets. There are places I think where boys and girls don't even talk to each other." Jagganathan says the city found an easy, inanimate symbol to target–lingerie mannequins. But he says it requires deep societal change to root out misogyny and violence against women. And that's hard to legislate.
Full Scale Attack=> Jared Kushner’s Family’s Real Estate Company Subpoenaed Over Investment Program As the old saying goes, things happen in threes. Not only has Special Counsel Robert Mueller impaneled a Washington grand jury and grand jury subpoenas been issued over the Don Jr.-Russian lawyer meeting, but Jared Kushner’s real estate company has been subpoenaed, as well. Independent UK reports: New York federal prosecutors have reportedly subpoenaed Kushner Companies, the New York real estate business owned by the family of Donald Trump‘s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner. The subpoenea concerns the company’s use of the controversial EB-5 visa programme to finance its development in New Jersey called One Journal Square, the Wall Street Journal reported. The EB-5 programme allows wealthy foreign investors to effectively buy US immigration visas for themselves and their families by investing at least $500,000 (£378,000) in US development projects. In a statement to the paper, Emily Wolf, the Kushner Company’s general council, said: “Kushner Companies utilised the program, fully complied with its rules and regulations and did nothing improper. “We are cooperating with legal requests for information.” It is currently unclear what potential violations the New York attorney’s office is looking into. The family was criticised earlier this year when Mr Kushner’s sister, Nicole Kushner Meyer, mentioned her brother’s work in the Trump administration while urging Chinese citizens to invest in the New Jersey project. Reuters is reporting grand jury subpoenas have been issued in connection with the meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya last June. https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/893204347433226240?ref_src=twsrc% 5Etfw&ref_url=http% 3A% 2F% 2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com% 2F2017% 2F08% 2Fbreaking-grand-jury-subpoenas-issued-connection-donald-trump-jr-russian-lawyer-meeting% 2F But that’s not all. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is ramping up his investigation into Russia’s alleged role in the 2016 presidential election. The Wall Street Journal reports Mueller will impanel a Washington Grand Jury to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 president election. Wall Street Journal reports: The grand jury, which began its work in recent weeks, is a sign that Mr. Mueller’s inquiry is ramping up and that it will likely continue for months. Mr. Mueller is investigating Russia’s efforts to influence the 2016 election and whether President Donald Trump’s campaign or associates colluded with the Kremlin as part of that effort. A spokesman for Mr. Mueller, Joshua Stueve, declined to comment. Moscow has denied seeking to influence the election, and Mr. Trump has vigorously disputed allegations of collusion. The president has called Mr. Mueller’s inquiry a “witch hunt.” Ty Cobb, special counsel to the president, said he wasn’t aware that Mr. Mueller had started using a new grand jury. “Grand jury matters are typically secret,” Mr. Cobb said. “The White House favors anything that accelerates the conclusion of his work fairly.…The White House is committed to fully cooperating with Mr. Mueller.” Before Mr. Mueller was tapped in May to be special counsel, federal prosecutors had been using at least one other grand jury, located in Alexandria, Va., to assist in their criminal investigation of Michael Flynn, a former national security adviser. That probe, which has been taken over by Mr. Mueller’s team, focuses on Mr. Flynn’s work in the private sector on behalf of foreign interests. Grand juries are powerful investigative tools that allow prosecutors to subpoena documents, put witnesses under oath and seek indictments, if there is evidence of a crime. Legal experts said that the decision by Mr. Mueller to impanel a grand jury suggests he believes he will need to subpoena records and take testimony from witnesses.
For the historical district in central Saudi Arabia, see Al-Yamama Al Yamamah (Arabic: اليمامة‎, lit. 'The Dove') is the name of a series of record arms sales by the United Kingdom to Saudi Arabia, paid for by the delivery of up to 600,000 barrels (95,000 m3) of crude oil per day to the UK government.[1] The prime contractor has been BAE Systems and its predecessor British Aerospace. The first sales occurred in September 1985 and the most recent contract for 72 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighters was signed in August 2006. Mike Turner, then CEO of BAE Systems, said in August 2005 that BAE and its predecessor had earned £43 billion in twenty years from the contracts and that it could earn £40 billion more.[2] It is Britain's largest ever export agreement, and employs at least 5,000 people in Saudi Arabia.[3] In 2010, BAE Systems pleaded guilty to a United States court, to charges of false accounting and making misleading statements in connection with the sales.[4] An investigation by the British Serious Fraud Office into the deal was discontinued after political pressure from the Saudi and British governments. Background [ edit ] The UK was already a major supplier of arms to Saudi Arabia prior to Al Yamamah. In 1964 The British Aircraft Corporation conducted demonstration flights of their Lightning in Riyadh and in 1965 Saudi Arabia signed a letter of intent for the supply of Lightning and Strikemaster aircraft as well as Thunderbird surface to air missiles. The main contract was signed in 1966 for 40 Lightnings and 25 Strikemasters (eventually raised to 40). In 1973 the Saudi government signed an agreement with the British government which specified BAC as the contractor for all parts of the defence system (AEI was previously contracted to supply the radar equipment and Airwork Services provided servicing and training). Overall spending by the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) was over £10 billion GBP (SAR 57 Billion).[5] In the 1970s United States defense contractors won major contracts, including 114 Northrop F-5s. In 1981 the RSAF ordered 46 F-15Cs and 16 F-15Ds, followed in 1982 by the purchase of 5 E-3A AWACS aircraft. Following these deals and partly due to pro-Israeli sentiment in the US Congress, which would have either blocked a deal or insisted on usage restrictions for exported aircraft, Saudi Arabia turned to the UK for further arms purchases.[6] Summary [ edit ] The Financial Times reported Saudi Arabian "interest" in the Panavia Tornado in July 1984. Export had become a possibility after West Germany lifted its objections to exports outside of NATO.[7] In September 1985 Saudi Arabia agreed "in principle" to a Tornado, Hawk and missile deal.[8] On 26 September 1985 the defence ministers of the UK and Saudi Arabia sign a Memorandum of Understanding in London for 48 Tornado IDSs, 24 Tornado ADVs, 30 Hawk training aircraft, 30 Pilatus PC-9 trainers, a range of weapons, radar, spares and a pilot-training programme.[9] The second stage (Al Yamamah II) was signed on 3 July 1988 in Bermuda by the defence ministers of the UK and Saudi Arabia.[10] Although the full extent of the deal has never been fully clarified, it has been described as "the biggest [UK] sale ever of anything to anyone", "staggering both by its sheer size and complexity".[11] At a minimum, it is believed to involve the supply and support of 96 Panavia Tornado ground attack aircraft, 24 Air Defence Variants (ADVs), 50 BAE Hawk and 50 Pilatus PC-9 aircraft, specialised naval vessels, and various infrastructure works. The initial Memorandum of Understanding committed the UK to purchasing the obsolete Lightning and Strikemaster aircraft, along with associated equipment and spare parts.[12] The UK government's prime contractor for the project is BAE Systems. BAE has approximately 4,000 employees working directly with the Royal Saudi Air Force (also see Military of Saudi Arabia). The success of the initial contract has been attributed to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who lobbied hard on behalf of British industry. A Ministry of Defence briefing paper for Thatcher detailed her involvement in the negotiations:[13] Since early 1984, intensive efforts have been made to sell Tornado and Hawk to the Saudis. When, in the Autumn of 1984, they seemed to be leaning towards French Mirage fighters, Mr Heseltine paid an urgent visit to Saudi Arabia, carrying a letter from the Prime Minister to King Fahd. In December 1984 the Prime Minister started a series of important negotiations by meeting Prince Bandar, the son of Prince Sultan. The Prime Minister met the King in Riyahd in April this year and in August the King wrote to her stating his decision to buy 48 Tornado IDS and 30 Hawk. There were no conditions relating to security sector reform or human rights included in the contracts.[14] Contracts between BAE Systems and the Saudi government have been underwritten by the Export Credits Guarantee Department, a tax-payer funded insurance system. Guarantees on a contract worth up to £2.7billion were signed by the Government on 1 September 2003.[15] In December 2004, the Commons Trade Committee chairman, Martin O'Neill, accused the Government of being foolish for concealing a £1billion guarantee they have given to BAE Systems.[16] Al Yamamah I [ edit ] The first aircraft (two Hawks) were delivered on 11 August 1987 at BAE's Dunsfold facility.[17] Al Yamamah II [ edit ] Deliveries early 1990s – 1998 48 Panavia Tornado IDS' Eurofighter Typhoon (al-Salam) [ edit ] In December 2005 the governments of the UK and Saudi Arabia signed an "Understanding Document" which involved the sale of Typhoon aircraft to replace RSAF Tornados and other aircraft. Although no details were released, reports suggested the deal involved the supply of 72 aircraft. On 18 August 2006 a contract was signed for 72 aircraft. The aircraft cost approximately £4.43 billion, and the full weapons system is expected to cost approximately £10 billion.[18] Tornado upgrade [ edit ] In February 2006 Air Forces Monthly suggested that the eventual Eurofighter order may reach 100 and the deal could include the upgrade of the RSAF's Tornado IDS aircraft, likely similar to the RAF's Tornado GR4 standard. In an editorial the magazine also raises the prospect of a requirement for a new lead-in fighter trainer to replace the earlier generation of Hawk 65/65As and to provide adequate training for transition of pilots to the advanced Typhoon.[19] BAE System's 2005 Interim Report noted that three RSAF Tornado IDS' arrived at their Warton facility for design evaluation tests with the ultimate aim being "to improve serviceability, address obsolescence, and enhance and sustain the capability of the aircraft". On 10 September 2006 BAE won a £2.5bn (€3.7bn, $4.6bn) contract for the upgrade of 80 RSAF Tornado IDS'.[20] Corruption allegations [ edit ] There have been numerous allegations that the Al Yamamah contracts were a result of bribes ("douceurs") to members of the Saudi royal family and government officials. Some allegations suggested that the former prime minister's son Mark Thatcher may have been involved, however he has strongly denied receiving payments or exploiting his mother's connections in his business dealings.[21] In February 2001, the solicitor of a former BAE Systems employee, Edward Cunningham, notified Serious Fraud Office of the evidence that his client was holding which related to an alleged "slush fund". The SFO wrote a letter to Kevin Tebbit at the MoD who notified the Chairman of BAE Systems[22] but not the Secretary of Defence.[23] No further action was taken until the letter was leaked to and reported on by The Guardian in September 2003.[24] In May 2004, Sir Richard Evans appeared before parliament's defence select committee and said: "I can certainly assure you that we are not in the business of making payments to members of any government."[25] In October 2004, the BBC's Money Programme broadcast an in-depth story, including allegations in interviews with Edward Cunningham and another former insider, about the way BAE Systems alleged to have paid bribes to Prince Turki bin Nasser and ran a secret £60 million slush fund in relation to the Al Yamamah deal.[26] Most of the money was alleged to have been spent through a front company called Robert Lee International Limited. In June 2007 the BBC's investigative programme Panorama alleged that BAE Systems "..paid hundreds of millions of pounds to the ex-Saudi ambassador to the US, Prince Bandar bin Sultan."[27] According to the Campaign Against The Arms Trade, successive UK governments have given support to British Aerospace Engineering (BAE). By doing so, have given support to the Saudi regime and undermined global efforts to eradicate corruption. It has brought into question the integrity of UK business more generally.[28]. In his book, David Wearing uses the example of F&C Asset Management, a major institutional investor, who (despite benefiting in the short term), warned the defence procurement minister that it would reduce the efficient functioning of financial markets as a whole. "We believe that, for long term investors, bribery and corruption distort and de-stabilise markets, expose companies to legal liabilities, disadvantage non-corrupt companies and reduce transparency...". Thus undermining national legislation governing corrupt practices [29]. 1992 NAO report [ edit ] The UK National Audit Office (NAO) investigated the contracts and has so far not released its conclusions – the only NAO report ever to be withheld. Official statements about the contents of the report go no further than to state that the then chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, now Lord Sheldon, considered the report in private in February 1992, and said: "I did an investigation and I find no evidence that the MOD made improper payments. I have found no evidence of fraud or corruption. The deal... complied with Treasury approval and the rules of Government accounting."[30] In July 2006, Sir John Bourn, the head of the NAO, refused to release a copy to the investigators of an unpublished report into the contract that had been drawn up in 1992.[31] The MP Harry Cohen said, "This does look like a serious conflict of interest. Sir John did a lot of work at the MoD on Al Yamamah and here we now have the NAO covering up this report."[31] In early 2002 he had proposed an Early Day Motion noting "that there have been... allegations made of large commission payments made to individuals in Saudi Arabia as part of... Al Yamamah... [and] that Osama bin Laden and the Al-Qaeda network have received substantial funds from individuals in Saudi Arabia."[32] Serious Fraud Office investigation [ edit ] The Serious Fraud Office was reported to be considering opening an investigation into an alleged £20 million slush fund on 12 September 2003, the day after The Guardian had published its slush fund story.[33] The SFO also investigated BAE's relationship with Travellers World Limited.[34] In November 2004 the SFO made two arrests as part of the investigation.[35] BAE Systems stated that they welcomed the investigation and "believe[d] that it would put these matters to rest once and for all."[36] In late 2005, BAE refused to comply with compulsory production notices for details of its secret offshore payments to the Middle East.[37] The terms of the investigation was for a prosecution under Part 12 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001. Threats by the Saudi government [ edit ] At the end of November 2006, when the long-running investigation was threatening to go on for two more years,[38] BAE Systems was negotiating a multibillion-pound sale of Eurofighter Typhoons to Saudi Arabia. According to the BBC the contract was worth £6billion with 5,000 people directly employed in the manufacture of the Eurofighter,[39] while other reports put the value at £10billion with 50,000 jobs at stake.[40] On 1 December The Daily Telegraph ran a front-page headline suggesting that Saudi Arabia had given the UK ten days to suspend the Serious Fraud Office investigation into BAE/Saudi Arabian transactions or they would take the deal to France,[40] but this threat was played down in other quarters. A French official had said "the situation was complex and difficult... and there was no indication to suggest the Saudis planned to drop the Eurofighter." This analysis was confirmed by Andrew Brookes, an analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, who said "there could be an element here of trying to scare the SFO off. Will it mean they do not buy the Eurofighter? I doubt it."[41] There were reports of a systematic PR campaign operated by Tim Bell through newspaper scare stories, letters from business owners and MPs in whose constituencies the factories were located to get the case closed.[37] Robert Wardle, head of the SFO, also stated (in a later High Court challenge, see below) that he had received a direct threat of a cessation of counterterrorist co-operation from the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the UK, in the first of three meetings held to assess the seriousness of the threat: "as he put it to me, British lives on British streets were at risk". Article 5 of the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery prohibits the decision to drop investigations into corruption from being influenced by considerations of the national economic interest or the potential effect upon relations with another state. This does not however explicitly exclude grounds of national security.[42] This prompted the investigation team to consider striking an early guilty plea deal with BAE that would minimise the intrusiveness to Saudi Arabia and mitigate damage. The Attorney General agreed the strategy, but briefed Prime Minister Blair - who in a reply dated 5 December 2006 - urged that the case be dropped. Despite affirming his government's commitment to bribery prosecution, he stressed the financial and counter-terrorism implications. That same day, Prince Bandar met with Foreign Office officials, after spending a week with Jacques Chirac to negotiate a French alternative to the BAE deal.[43] A week later, after consultation with the SFO, the Attorney General met with Blair to argue against dropping the case. It was Blair's opinion that "Any proposal that the investigation be resolved by parties pleading guilty to certain charges would be unlikely to reduce the offence caused to the Saudi Royal Family, even if the deal were accepted, and the process would still drag out for a considerable period". On 13 December, the Director of the SFO wrote to the Attorney General to inform him that the SFO was dropping the investigation and would not be looking into the Swiss bank accounts, citing "real and imminent damage to the UK's national and international security and would endanger the lives of UK citizens and service personnel."[44] Investigation discontinued [ edit ] On 14 December 2006, the Attorney General Lord Goldsmith announced that the investigation was being discontinued on grounds of the public interest.[45] The 15-strong team had been ordered to turn in their files two days before.[37] The statement in the House of Lords read: The Director of the Serious Fraud Office has decided to discontinue the investigation into the affairs of BAE Systems plc as far as they relate to the Al Yamamah defence contract. This decision has been taken following representations that have been made both to the Attorney General and the Director concerning the need to safeguard national and international security. It has been necessary to balance the need to maintain the rule of law against the wider public interest. No weight has been given to commercial interests or to the national economic interest.[46] The Prime Minister, Tony Blair, justified the decision by saying "Our relationship with Saudi Arabia is vitally important for our country in terms of counter-terrorism, in terms of the broader Middle East, in terms of helping in respect of Israel and Palestine. That strategic interest comes first."[47] Jonathan Aitken, a former Conservative government minister and convicted perjurer, who was connected with the deals in the 1980s, said that even if the allegations against BAE were true, it was correct to end the investigation to maintain good relations with Saudi Arabia.[48] Mark Pieth, director of anti-fraud section at the OECD, on behalf of the United States, Japan, France, Sweden, Switzerland and Greece, addressed a formal complaint letter before Christmas 2006 to the Foreign Office, seeking explanation as to why the investigation had been discontinued.[49] Transparency International and Labour MP Roger Berry, chairman of the Commons Quadripartite Committee, urged the government to reopen the corruption investigation.[50] In a newspaper interview, Robert Wardle, head of the Serious Fraud Office, acknowledged that the decision to terminate the investigation may have damaged "the reputation of the UK as a place which is determined to stamp out corruption".[51] Delivery of the first two Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft (of 72 purchased by the Saudi Air Force) took place in June 2009.[52] Judicial review [ edit ] A judicial review of the decision by the SFO to drop the investigation was granted on 9 November 2007.[53] On 10 April 2008 the High Court of Justice ruled that the SFO "acted unlawfully" by dropping its investigation.[54] The Times described the ruling as "one of the most strongly worded judicial attacks on government action" which condemned how "ministers 'buckled' to 'blatant threats' that Saudi cooperation in the fight against terror would end unless the ...investigation was dropped."[55] On 24 April the SFO was granted leave to appeal to the House of Lords against the ruling.[56] There was a two-day hearing before the Lords on 7 and 8 July 2008.[57] On 30 July the House of Lords unanimously overturned the High Court ruling, stating that the decision to discontinue the investigation was lawful.[58] OECD investigation [ edit ] The OECD sent their inspectors to the UK to establish the reasons behind the dropping of the investigation in March 2007.[59] The OECD also wished to establish why the UK had yet to bring a prosecution since the incorporation of the OECD's anti-bribery treaty into UK law.[59] US Department of Justice investigation [ edit ] On 26 June 2007 BAE announced that the United States Department of Justice had launched its own investigation into Al Yamamah. It was looking into allegations that a US bank had been used to funnel payments to Prince Bandar.[60] The Riggs Bank has been mentioned in some accounts.[61] On 19 May 2008 BAE confirmed that its CEO Mike Turner and non-executive director Nigel Rudd had been detained "for about 20 minutes" at George Bush Intercontinental and Newark airports respectively the previous week and that the DOJ had issued "a number of additional subpoenas in the US to employees of BAE Systems plc and BAE Systems Inc as part of its ongoing investigation".[62] The Times suggests that, according to Alexandra Wrage of Trace International, such "humiliating behaviour by the DOJ" is unusual toward a company that is co-operating fully.[62] Under a plea bargain with the US Department of Justice BAE was sentenced in March 2010 by US District Court Judge John D. Bates to pay a $400 million fine, one of the largest fines in the history of the DOJ. US District Judge John Bates said the company's conduct involved "deception, duplicity and knowing violations of law, I think it's fair to say, on an enormous scale".[63] BAE was not convicted of bribery, and is thus not internationally blacklisted from future contracts. See also [ edit ] References [ edit ]
The media would like you to believe that everyone under 35 is either cowering in fear of a Trump presidency or taking to the streets to protest it. In reality, more millennials support the President-elect than at any other time since he announced his bid for the White House in June 2015. According to a poll released by CNN, Trump received a significant post-election bounce from the American public. Overall, 47 percent people have a favorable opinion of the President-elect — that’s an 11-point jump in a month. Trump is also doing better among millennials. 40 percent have a favorable opinion of him, while 42 percent approve of the job he’s doing with his transition team. Millennials also believe that Trump will be a positive force for change in their future; 53-to-43 percent believe he will change the country for the better. They also think Trump can keep some of his economic campaign promises. Of those surveyed, 59 percent believe he will create good-paying jobs in economically challenged areas, and 71 percent believe he will repeal and replace Obamacare. Meanwhile, 58 percent think he will renegotiate NAFTA, and 48 percent think he will reduce corruption in Congress. If Trump can deliver on any of these pledges, it’s guaranteed that he will see his numbers improve throughout his first term. The higher his approval rating, the greater chance he’ll have at bringing young people back into the Republican Party. Latest Videos
.- The veto of a religious freedom bill means faith-based groups that support marriage as a union of a man and a woman won’t have needed protections, the state’s Catholic bishops said. “The Virginia Catholic Conference is deeply dismayed by the governor’s action,” the conference said March 30. “This veto risks the destruction of Virginia’s long tradition of upholding the religious freedom of faith communities which dates back to Thomas Jefferson.” The bill would have forbidden the state of Virginia from punishing religious groups that follow their sincerely held beliefs that marriage is between a man and a woman. The bill passed the House of Delegates by a vote of 59-38 and the Senate by 21-19. Virginia’s Catholic conference said the bill would ensure “that clergy and religious organizations are not penalized by the government.” The bill would also protect these individuals and organizations from civil liability. Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, vetoed the bill on live radio Wednesday. He claimed that signing the bill would be “making Virginia unwelcome to same-sex couples, while artificially engendering a sense of fear and persecution among our religious communities.” He also cited corporation leaders’ opposition to the bill, charging that it was “bad for business.” “They don't want headaches coming from the state,” he said. LGBT activist groups also opposed the bill. The Catholic conference said that the bill does not apply to businesses, but “simply affirms the right of religious organizations to follow their religious beliefs.” The conference charged that Gov. McAuliffe’s veto “marginalizes religious believers who hold to the timeless truth about marriage.” The legislation would have preserved “fair access to state resources” for clergy and religious organizations, including charities and schools, the conference said. “Marriage is the first institution, written in natural law and existing before any government or religion, and is between one man and one woman,” the conference added. “Recognizing and honoring this institution is not discrimination, but counting people’s faith against them most certainly is.” Sen. Charles W. Carrico Sr. (R-Grayson) sponsored the bill. He told the Washington Post he believes there will be lawsuits against churches. “I think you see a trend around the country right now to promote homosexual beliefs, and I think you see that trend happening on a wide-scale basis,” he said. The Virginia legislature could override the veto, but that is considered very unlikely, the Associated Press reports. Other bills to protect religious freedom have drawn significant opposition in recent years. In Georgia on Monday, Republican Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed another proposed religious freedom protection bill. In some states and the District of Columbia, new laws and funding decisions have shut down Catholic adoption agencies on the grounds they do not place children with same-sex couples. Some Catholic schools have also become the targets of lawsuits from employees fired for violating morals standards on sexual morality. Wealthy funders like the Ford Foundation, the Arcus Foundation and the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund have poured millions of dollars into legal groups, law school projects and activist groups to counter religious freedom protections. Photo credit: Joseph Sohm via www.shutterstock.com
2 June 2015 A security issue affects these releases of Ubuntu and its derivatives: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Summary Several security improvements have been made to the Apache HTTP Server. Software Description apache2 - Apache HTTP server Details As a security improvement, this update makes the following changes to the Apache package in Ubuntu 12.04 LTS: Added support for ECC keys and ECDH ciphers. The SSLProtocol configuration directive now allows specifying the TLSv1.1 and TLSv1.2 protocols. Ephemeral key handling has been improved, including allowing DH parameters to be loaded from the SSL certificate file specified in SSLCertificateFile. The export cipher suites are now disabled by default. The problem can be corrected by updating your system to the following package versions: To update your system, please follow these instructions: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Security/Upgrades. In general, a standard system update will make all the necessary changes. This update may cause DH parameters to change which could impact certain Java clients. See http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/ssl/ssl_faq.html#javadh for more information. References
KABUL (Reuters) - A popular female politician in east Afghanistan died in hospital on Monday following a bomb attack on her vehicle last week, Afghan officials said, underscoring the growing dangers for women in the government. Angiza Shinwari, in her mid-thirties, was at the start of a second term as a provincial council member in Nangarhar and had been transferred to Kabul for treatment. Her driver was killed in the explosion and four other people injured. It was the second deadly attack on a female politician in three months, after outspoken parliamentarian Shukria Barakzai was targeted in November. Barakzai survived the suicide bombing, but at least three others were killed. Female politicians are often threatened by their families as well as the Taliban, because taking a public role is considered indecent in much of ultra-conservative Afghanistan. Colleagues described Shinwari as a determined defender of women’s rights in the ultra-conservative east and an active member of Nangarhar’s provincial council. “She worked very hard, for women and for her own people,” said Muhtarama Amin, a friend and former provincial council member in Nangarhar. Amin left her post last year to teach at university and wait for an opportunity to run for parliament. “When I go to teach at university, I face a very bad, dangerous situation,” Amin said by telephone. “I am very afraid that the people sending me threats will try to kill me.” Amin said she had appealed both to Afghan and foreign officials for protection without success. “All women working in government are in great danger. And the situation is especially bad for provincial council members,” Amin said. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. Shinwari kept a low profile, appearing in public with her face covered by a niqab, a Muslim veil leaving only the eyes visible. In the more conservative parts of Afghanistan, even this is considered improper and women are pressured to wear the all-covering burqa, which covers the eyes with a fabric grill. The governor of Nangarhar province blamed Kabul for Shinwari’s death. “Because of their carelessness, Shinwari passed away after surgery,” he said in a statement. The president’s office described Shinwari in a statement as a teacher of Islamic sciences, a poet and a national hero. Shinwari had lost both legs in the attack and doctors were unable to save her after surgery.
RENTON, Wash. -- NFL referee Bill Leavy acknowledged he made mistakes in the Seattle Seahawks' 2006 Super Bowl loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The veteran official began an annual training-camp rules interpretation session with the Seattle media after practice on Friday by bringing up the subject without being asked. "It was a tough thing for me. I kicked two calls in the fourth quarter and I impacted the game, and as an official you never want to do that," said the veteran of 15 NFL seasons and two Super Bowls. "It left me with a lot of sleepless nights, and I think about it constantly," Leavy said of the February 2006 game. "I'll go to my grave wishing that I'd been better." Several calls went against the Seahawks in their 21-10 loss to the Steelers. It was Seattle's only Super Bowl appearance. This week is the first time since that game Leavy has been in Seattle with the Seahawks. He and a mini-crew arrived Thursday to help with the team's practices and give it a rules presentation. Leavy didn't specify which plays he "kicked" that day in Detroit. "Bill's personal comments speak for themselves and we see no reason to add to them," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Saturday. Early in the fourth quarter, tackle Sean Locklear was called for holding on a pass completion that would have put the Seahawks at the Pittsburgh 1, in position for the go-ahead touchdown. After the penalty, Matt Hasselbeck threw an interception, and then was called for a low block on a play that ended with him tackling Pittsburgh's Ike Taylor on the defensive back's return. The penalty moved the Steelers from their 29 to the 44. Pittsburgh used its better field position to score the clinching touchdown four plays later. The next day, then-Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren told fans at a civic gathering at Qwest Field: "I knew it was going to be tough going up against the Pittsburgh Steelers. I didn't know we were going to have to play the guys in the striped shirts, as well." Holmgren, now a top executive with the Cleveland Browns, has since said he's gotten over that game. But Leavy hasn't. "I know that I did my best at that time, but it wasn't good enough," said the retired police officer and firefighter in San Jose, Calif., who became an NFL referee in 2001. "When we make mistakes, you got to step up and own them. It's something that all officials have to deal with, but unfortunately when you have to deal with it in the Super Bowl it's difficult." Hasselbeck said he and Leavy had a chance to talk last season and address the game. "I think all of the officials we have in the NFL are stand-up guys and Leavy is no different," Hasselbeck said Saturday. Bobby Engram, who spent eight seasons with the Seahawks and now is with the Browns, said the team wasn't playing its best that day anyway, on top of the momentum-changing calls. "But I feel bad for the guy," Engram said. "These refs try hard and I respect what they do. It's not an easy job. It's a fast-paced game and a lot of big, strong guys are flying around. It's just unfortunate that he had a bad game in the Super Bowl." When high-profile referee Ed Hochuli visited the Seahawks' training camp in the months after that Super Bowl, he and his crew took good-natured ribbing from players. "The Super Bowl was one of those games where it seemed the big calls went against Seattle," Hochuli said in August 2006. "And that was just fortuitous -- bad fortuitous for Seattle. "The league felt, actually, that the Super Bowl was well officiated. Now, that doesn't mean there were no mistakes. There are always mistakes, but it was a well-officiated game." Information from ESPN.com's Mike Sando and James Walker, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
“My purpose is to destroy the daemonic, and if I must rise to command an entire sector to do so, then so be it.” –Torquemada Coteaz Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce The Threat Beyond, the fifth War Pack in the Warlord cycle for Warhammer 40,000: Conquest! As the Warlord cycle approaches its epic conclusion, The Threat Beyond invites you to take on the mantle of an Imperial Inquisitor and exercise the power of the Inquisition with a new warlord for the Astra Militarum. Nowhere is truly safe in the darkness of the far future, but more than most leaders, Torquemada Coteaz has carved out a region of relative stability among the stars. His eternal watchfulness and unflagging zeal have exterminated countless heresies. Now, he turns his gaze to the Traxis sector, eager to bring the order of the Imperium to this newly discovered space. The power of the Inquisition stands against dark heresies throughout the Traxis sector, but new cards for every faction also continue the cycle’s main themes, granting more significance to your warlords and how you to choose to use them every turn. With this War Pack, you can fight alongside the Salamanders legion of Space Marines, lead a vicious attack with the Orks, or turn to the excess of Slaanesh with the Chaos faction. The Wargear of the Dark Eldar is yours to command, as are the deadly wraithknights of the Eldar, or the grenadiers of the Tau. Every faction gains new cards as they struggle to conquer the Traxis sector. The Fury of the Righteous With the introduction of The Threat Beyond, Torquemada Coteaz (The Threat Beyond, 89) offers you a number of distinct advantages, breaking away from standards set by other warlords and forging his own path to victory. Torquemada Coteaz allows you to start the game with both eight cards and eight resources, whereas most other warlords provide seven of each. This extra advantage may seem small, but the options that it brings you can easily shape the entire game. Torquemada Coteaz also bears eight HP on his hale side, more than any other warlord. These bonuses come at a cost, however: Torquemada Coteaz has an ATK of zero. Even here, however, Torquemada Coteaz’s resourcefulness can increase his prowess in battle. He bears a Combat Action that reads, “Sacrifice a unit at this planet to give this warlord +3 ATK for its next attack this phase. (Limit once per attack.)” By drawing upon the nigh-limitless manpower of the Astra Militarum, including token units like the Guardsman, Torquemada Coteaz can easily strike for more damage than any other warlord. The units in Torquemada Coteaz’s signature squad live to serve him in battle and enhance his power. The signature squad includes four copies of Coteaz’s Henchmen (The Threat Beyond, 90). This unit can engage in battle on its own, but perhaps its most useful purpose is to support Torquemada Coteaz. Coteaz’s Henchmen has an Interrupt that allows you to ready your warlord when this unit leaves play. Because of this, you can attack with Coteaz’s Henchmen and then sacrifice the Henchmen to ready Coteaz and boost his attack, allowing him to rain the fury of the Inquisition down on his foes. Expendable Guardsman token units may be ideally suited to fuel Torquemada Coteaz, but they may not always be present when you need to boost Torquemada Coteaz’s attack. Thankfully, that’s where some of the other cards in the signature squad come in. You’ll gain access to a new support, the Formosan Black Ship (The Threat Beyond, 91), which allows you to put two Guardsman token units into play when you sacrifice a non-token unit, giving you more fodder to fling at the enemies of the Imperium. You may also choose to use The Emperor Protects (The Threat Beyond, 93) to save your sacrificed units. By playing this free event when one of your units leaves play from your warlord’s planet, you can return that unit to your hand instead, allowing you to redeploy the unit and continue the onslaught of Torquemada Coteaz and the Astra Militarum. The final card in the signature squad is The Glovodan Eagle (The Threat Beyond, 92). This card is an attachment that can only be attached to your warlord, giving him a permanently raised ATK. Obviously, this can be crucial for giving Torquemada a means to attack even when you don’t have units to sacrifice. However, you can also detach this attachment from your warlord, causing it to become a unit with one ATK and one HP, allowing you to deal more damage after your opponent’s units are exhausted. Then, you can sacrifice it to boost Torquemada Coteaz’s damage. Alternatively, you can take an Action to return this unit to your hand, allowing you to redeploy it next round or use it as a shield card to block up to three damage. The Glovodan Eagle offers an unprecedented amount of versatility, allowing you to command the forces of the Astra Militarum in the best possible way. Confront the Threat Darkness stirs among the stars and planets of the Traxis sector, and only the vigilance of the Inquisition can root out corruption and bring this new sector into the fold of the Imperium. Confront the darkest servants of Chaos in The Threat Beyond and stand triumphant with Torquemada Coteaz! Look for The Threat Beyond at your local retailer in the first quarter of 2015!
Citation: Ivarsson N, Westerblad H (2015) α-Actinin-3: Why Gene Loss Is an Evolutionary Gain. PLoS Genet 11(1): e1004908. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1004908 Editor: Gregory S. Barsh, Stanford University School of Medicine, United States of America Published: January 15, 2015 Copyright: © 2015 Ivarsson, Westerblad. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited Funding: This work was supported by Swedish research Council and the Swedish National Center for Sports Research. The funders had no role in the preparation of the article. Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. Introduction Large-scale sequencing of human populations has revealed many regions of the genome that have undergone positive selection during recent human evolution [1]. For most such regions, the genes and the nucleotide variants under selection are challenging to identify, and one can only guess about the cellular and physiological mechanisms. In this issue of PLOS Genetics, Head et al. [2] shed light on this question for one of the most fascinating examples of selection, in part because the variant undergoing selection is a loss-of-function, and in part because it was discovered long before the human genome sequence was completed. Originally identified during a search for muscular dystrophy defects [3], deficiency of α-actinin-3 later turned out to be surprisingly common [4]. Roughly 18% of the world population is homozygous for a nonsense mutation (R577X) in ACTN3 deficiency, and the derivative allele (ACTN3 577xx) frequency correlates with greater latitude and lower temperature [5]. There is an intriguing correlation with athletic performance—the derivative allele is overrepresented among elite marathoners and other endurance athletes, but underrepresented among elite sprinters—indeed, the ancestral allele has been referred to as “the gene for speed” [6]. The evidence for positive selection of the derivative allele in European and East Asian populations is strong, but the phenotype being selected is uncertain and the underlying cell biology is even less clear. The article by Head et al. [2] provides some clarity and, together with earlier work from our group (Bruton et al. [7]), a unifying hypothesis. Background To put the work on mechanism into context, it is helpful to review some of the basics of ACTN3 biology. The ACTN3 gene is only expressed in glycolytic, fast-twitch (type II) skeletal muscle fibers, where it binds to actin and is part of the Z-line in the sarcomere structure [8]. Considerable insight into function has come from knockout mice: fast-twitch muscle fibers of Actn3 knockout (KO) mice have increased aerobic capacity with increased citrate synthase (CS) activity and higher expression of mitochondrial proteins, such as cytochrome c oxidase and porin [4]. The Actn3 KO mice can cover more distance on a treadmill, and therefore exhibit adaptations also observed in response to endurance exercise [9]. One interesting aspect of Actn3 KO muscle is an increase in calcineurin (CaN) signaling [10]. CaN, together with calmodulin kinase (CaMK), acts as a Ca2+ decoder that responds to increases in Ca2+ and trigger intracellular signaling [11]. Wright et al. showed that mitochondrial biogenesis is activated in skeletal muscle by artificially increasing cytosolic [Ca2+] with caffeine; e.g., increases in citrate synthase and cytochrome c oxidase mRNA were observed 24 hours after caffeine exposure [12]. They also observed an increase in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ɣ coactivator 1-α (PGC-1α) [12], which is regarded as key promoter of mitochondrial biogenesis [13, 14]. Work from our group (Bruton et al.) showed that in cold-exposed mice, there was also a link between sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ leak and mitochondrial biogenesis. Non-shivering muscles of cold-exposed mice displayed increased expression of PGC-1α with subsequent increases in citrate synthase activity and endurance [7]. Bringing It All Together In this issue of PLOS Genetics, Head et al. [2] observed marked changes in cellular Ca2+ handling in fast-twitch muscles of Actn3 KO mice. These muscles expressed more of the SR Ca2+ ATPase 1 (SERCA1) and the SR Ca2+ buffering proteins calsequestrin 1 and sarcolumenin. Muscle fibers of Actn3 KO mice showed 3- to 4-fold increases in SR Ca2+ leak and Ca2+ reuptake. Moreover, cytoplasmic Ca2+ transients were better maintained during repeated tetanic stimulation, which is in accordance with previously published data showing increased fatigue resistance in muscles of Actn3 KO mice (Fig. 1). PPT PowerPoint slide PowerPoint slide PNG larger image larger image TIFF original image Download: Figure 1. Ca2+, heat, and mitochondrial biogenesis. The contraction of skeletal muscle fibers is initiated by sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ release via the ryanodine receptors (RyR), which is triggered by action potential activation of the transverse tubular voltage sensors, the dihydropyridine receptors (DHPR). Ca2+ activates the contractile machinery and is subsequently pumped back into the SR via SERCA (dashed arrows). α-Actinin 3 deficiency results in increased protein expression of SERCA and the SR Ca2+ buffers calsequestrin (CSQ) (grey arrows) and sarcalumenin (not shown). These changes are accompanied by increased SR Ca2+ leak and, subsequently, increased Ca2+ reuptake (red arrows), which generates heat. Increased [Ca2+] in the cytosol can trigger calcineurin (CaN) and calmodulin kinase (CaMK), resulting in PGC-1α activation (blue arrows) and subsequent mitochondrial biogenesis (green arrow). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1004908.g001 Head et al. highlight the similar adaptations in Actn3 KO muscles and non-shivering muscles of cold-acclimated mice, which also show increased SR Ca2+ leak and are more fatigue resistant [7]. An increased SR Ca2+ leak would require increased SR Ca2+ re-uptake and increased SERCA1 ATP hydrolysis, which would generate heat. Thus, in addition to heat from activation of brown adipose tissue [15], fatigue-resistant muscle fibers with leaky SR would contribute to non-shivering thermogenesis, providing a tentative explanation for the evolutionary advantage of carrying the ACTN3 577xx gene in a cold climate. Unanswered Questions and Future Perspectives From a cell biologic perspective, the source of the SR Ca2+ leak in Actn3 KO muscle is not yet clear. Head et al. [2] suggest that the major source is via SERCA [16]; alternatively, it might be due to destabilized SR Ca2+ release channel (ryanodine receptor, RyR) protein complexes [7, 17, 18]. Regardless, the SR Ca2+ leak seems to enhance the oxidative capacity of muscle in a number of settings: development, as with the Actn3 KO mice; stress, such as cold exposure; and, possibly, endurance exercise. From an evolutionary perspective, the SR Ca2+ leak may be good for ancestral humans in cold climates and good for endurance athletes, but it is also known to be deleterious in aging-associated muscle weakness [19], in muscular dystrophies [18], and in response to excessive endurance training (“overtraining”) [17]. In this respect, the evolutionary balance between the functional and non-functional ACTN3 alleles may be “playing with fire”, as exemplified by results from cold-exposed mice. In these animals, we noted that minor modifications in the RyR protein complex were accompanied by larger cytosolic [Ca2+] during contractions and increased fatigue resistance [7] in non-shivering muscle. In more stressed, shivering muscle, however, severe RyR modifications led to decreased tetanic [Ca2+] and muscle weakness [20]. Human evolution and athletic performance are fascinating, but the findings of Head et al. provide additional avenues for future studies with important implications for human health, since the benefits of improved mitochondrial function span far beyond increased exercise capacity. Obesity and the metabolic syndrome are associated with impaired mitochondrial function, and of course, constitute a widespread and rapidly increasing health problem. Could strategies that phenocopy the effects of the ACTN3 577xx allele promote increased energy expenditure and improved mitochondrial function without requiring an increase in physical activity? Perhaps treatments to induce a controlled SR Ca2+ leak provide such an opportunity, but then the risk of causing impaired muscle function due to excessive Ca2+ leakage has to be overcome.
About I am one of the directors of the upcoming New England Comic Arts in the Classroom Conference (www.necac.net), taking place on March 26, 2011 at Rhode Island College in Providence, RI. I submit that with visual media production and consumption on the rise, educators from the elementary grades through college are finding it increasingly vital to work with visual texts in their classrooms and to offer their students opportunities to read and to represent ideas visually. The growing popularity of manga, comic art, and graphic novels among readers of all ages, and particularly among adolescents, and the growing credibility of comic art as literature, has fueled a movement dedicated to bringing comic art into content area and literacy-rich classrooms. In other words, comics in the classroom as a viable and valuable resource have been ignored for too long. We seek to help educate teachers and media specialists on what graphic novels are and how they can find their way onto classroom and library shelves. In order to help fund our upcoming conference, we are creating an anthology with help from our friends at the Boston Comics Roundtable (www.bostoncomicsroundtable.com). The anthology, called "Show and Tell" will feature short stories (in comic form) about teaching and learning. We are accepting submissions now - email me for more information. We need assistance paying for the printing of the anthology, which will be sold at the conference.
Credit: CraftBeer.com 5 Questions Brewers Wish You Would Ask During a Brewery Tour November 12, 2016 Have you ever reached the end of a brewery tour, and there’s that uncomfortable moment when the tour guide asks if anyone has questions — and all you hear are crickets? America’s small and independent breweries have stories, personalities and their own set of challenges that you may not hear about in the taproom. A brewery tour is your chance to get to know them intimately — and you want to be asking the right questions. “I’d love for our guests to ask more about the breadth of ingredients that breweries are using, and not using, to make the beers they drink,” says Merlin Ward, head brewer at Wartega Brewing, a nano brewery in Brooklyn, New York. “Imagine if you could ask your chef why they chose the ingredients they use to make your favorite dish? During a brewery tour, you get that opportunity.” (READ: What Is the Independent Craft Brewer Seal?) Jeff Stuffings, founder and owner of Jester King Brewery in Austin, Texas, wishes more tour goers would ask, “Are there laws that make it more difficult to operate your business successfully? What can we do to help change them?” Alicia Grasso, marketing director at Cape May Brewing Co. in New Jersey, says this is one rarely-asked question that her colleagues would love to field: “Why does Cape May have so many rules: no kitchen, no live entertainment, required tour?” I’d love for our guests to ask more about the breadth of ingredients that breweries are using, and not using, to make the beers they drink. Here are five more questions brewers wish you would ask during a tour. 5. “How is your beer connected to the local area?” Careful thought often goes into weaving local ingredients and history into beer recipes and beer names. You may never know that the 1903 Berliner Weisse at St. Petersburg’s Green Bench Brewing Co. is named for the year the city was founded if you didn’t ask. (VISIT: 20 Brewery Hotels & Inns) 4. “What’s unique about your beer? Why is it relevant?” Each and every small and independent brewery in the U.S. is trying to find a way to stand out, and when you ask what’s different at a particularly brewery, you’re going to learn some very specific techniques your favorites breweries are using. 3. “Which beer was your first craft beer?” This is a question a lot of beer lovers ask their friends, and brewers say they want to tell you about the craft beers that made them fall in love with brewing, too. Everyone wants to share their story about what hooked them, even the people who are making the beer. 2. “Is working at a brewery different than what you thought it would be?” Working to build America’s small and independent breweries is a dream job for a lot of us, but is it everything you’d think? Chances are the love of the job still trumps the long hours and (sometimes) hot, sticky work conditions inside a brewery. But ask! You’ll probably get answers you’d never expect. 1. “What efforts do you make to be environmentally friendly?” Georgia’s SweetWater Brewing Co. is donating $100,000 to its “Save Our Water” campaign this summer. New Belgium Brewing is deeply committed to its sustainability goals. Jester King is now farming 58 acres of land around the brewery. Small and independent breweries are well aware of the resources used to make good beer, and they’d love to tell any tour group how they’re working towards being good stewards of the land and our planet. 5 Questions Brewers Wish You Would Ask During a Brewery Tour was last modified: by CraftBeer.com is fully dedicated to small and independent U.S. breweries. We are published by the Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade group dedicated to promoting and protecting America’s small and independent craft brewers. Stories and opinions shared on CraftBeer.com do not imply endorsement by or positions taken by the Brewers Association or its members.
Today I want to give you a look inside my business vault and walk you through the proposal document I have used to close multi-thousand-dollar per month clients in my SEO business. This particular proposal was for a deal that resulted in over $100,000 in revenue for my business over the next year and a half. ^Subscribe Here’s a quick summary of the key principles covered in the video: Understand your prospect’s individual challenges in depth and craft your pitch to their needs to show you understand and care about them. Speak their language – talk in terms they will understand and respond to. Convey that you are: 1 – sharp as a tack, 2 – enthusiastic as hell, 3 – a figure of authority (based on Jordan Belfort’s Straight Line Persuasion sales system). The Three 10s – the prospect be a 10 out of 10 on You, Your Product, and Your Company. If they are not a 10 on all three, they will not buy from you. You cannot just tell potential buyers that you are a pro or an expert – you must convey this by demonstration. Eliminate risk for the client as much as possible so that if they are unsure, they can convince themselves by saying, “Well, we have nothing to lose by trying.” Learn their fears and potential objections in advance, so you can knock these out as you go. Build up positives and knock out negatives. Go deeper into understanding the prospect’s problems than any other competitor will to show them you care and that they’ll be better looked after by choosing you than choosing the competition. Want more awesome free content on developing a location independent income, straight to your inbox? Subscribe for the email list and get instant access to the Digital Nomad Business Mastermind Facebook Group – for FREE. Click Here to Subscribe
SANTA ANA — The idea came to Natalie Salvatierra after she dealt with bullying at school. An eighth grader at Hewes Middle School in Tustin, Natalie started getting picked on by the classmate last year who made jokes about her Jewish background. She thought the jokes would stop after a summer break. Zubaida Katbi talks about Islam at a religious tolerance event at Temple Beth Sholom in Santa Ana on Sunday, November 12, 2017.(Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG) Children of various ethnicities and religions gather around the Jewish Torah at Temple Beth Sholom while Rabbi Heidi Cohen explains its significance. The religious tolerance event was put on by Natalie Salvatierra as her project to earn her a Girl Scout Silver Award.(Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG) Sound The gallery will resume in seconds Girls look at a “yad” or a pointer for the Jewish Torah as Natalie Salvatierra passes it around. About 80 children of various ethnicities and religions came together at Temple Beth Sholom for a religious tolerance event organized by Salvatierra so she can earn her Girl Scout Silver Award.(Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG) Natalie Salvatierra, 13, right, watches a yoga demonstration by Chandrashekhar S. Bhatt in Santa Ana on Sunday, November 12, 2017. Salvatierra organized a religious tolerance event at her Temple Beth Sholom for her Girl Scout Silver Award.(Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG) Girls taste Matza, an unleavened Jewish flatbread, at Temple Beth Sholom in Santa Ana on Sunday, November 12, 2017. Various religious stations were set up to introduce children to different customs and viewpoints and to promote tolerance. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG) Rabbi Heidi Cohen of Temple Beth Sholom talks to children about Judaism in Santa Ana on Sunday, November 12, 2017.(Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG) Nuha Iftekhar, 11, right, and members of her Muslim Girl Scout Troop 3357, get an up-close look at the Jewish Torah during a tolerance event in Santa Ana on Sunday, November 12, 2017. Iftekhar said she didn’t expect to see so much writing on the parchment or for the parchment to be so thick. “I think it’s cool how we’re all learning about each other,” she added. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG) Children of various ethnicities and religions gather around the Jewish Torah at Temple Beth Sholom while Rabbi Heidi Cohen explains its significance. The religious tolerance event was put on by Natalie Salvatierra as her project to earn her a Girl Scout Silver Award.(Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG) Natalie Salvatierra, 13, second from left, organized a religious tolerance event at her Temple Beth Sholom in Santa Ana on Sunday, November 12, 2017, for her Girl Scout Silver Award. Stations offered glimpses into different religious customs. This group learns about a shofar, an ancient musical horn used for Jewish ceremonies.(Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG) About 80 children of various ethnicities and religions came together at Temple Beth Sholom in Santa Ana on Sunday, November 12, 2017 for a religious tolerance event. It was organized by Natalie Salvatierra, 13, for her Girl Scout Silver Award. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG) Nuha Iftekhar, 11, right, and some members of her Muslim Girl Scout Troop 3357, get an up-close look at the Jewish Torah during a tolerance event in Santa Ana on Sunday, November 12, 2017. Iftekhar said she didn’t expect to see so much writing on the parchment or for the parchment to be so thick. “I think it’s cool how we’re all learning about each other,” she added. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG) “Over the summer, I thought it would be over and that he’d forget about it,” she said. “But in 8th grade, he started making jokes again.” Since Natalie’s mother is Jewish and her father is Catholic, she’s able to accept others’ beliefs and practices, said the13-year-old. So, she decided to stand up for herself and talk to the classmate. “I told him that every religion deserves respect and it doesn’t mean that the person is bad because of it,” Natalie said. “It’s just their own individual practices.” It worked. Natalie said she’s had no issues since that conversation. In expanding on her experience, Natalie decided to earn her Girl Scouts Silver Award by basing her project around religious tolerance. At Temple Beth Sholom, nearly 100 middle school students rotated through seven different stations and were taught the history, beliefs and practices of different religions while also participating in demonstrations, such as yoga and trying on hijabs, and sampled food, Sunday, Nov. 12. The stations were part of Natalie’s event titled The Amazing Race – Rocking All Religions. After completing one station, students would answer clues to figure out where to go next. “It’s critical, this generation needs to understand and respect other cultures,” said Kristan Hinman, a member of Trinity United Presbyterian Church in Santa Ana who brought her 14-year old son, Zander. “They’ve done a great job.” Students got a more in-depth understanding of Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Catholicism, Mormonism, Judaism and Protestantism. Each station included displays, some had food samples, while others had demonstrations or games. Natalie’s goal was to create a fun event that also educated her peers of the religious diversity among their classmates in an effort to prevent bullying. “I think it is especially important that middle schoolers are taught about religious tolerance because they are still forming their opinions,” she said. Natalie was given a $500 grant from the Disney Be Inspired Foundation to fund the event. She decided to model the event around one of her favorite television shows, “The Amazing Race.” “Religious tolerance might not be a topic everyone wants to learn about on the weekend, so it was important for me to make it fun,” she said. “I thought it would be a good way to tie a country in with a religion like they do with the Amazing Race.” Members of a youth group at Trinity United Presbyterian in Santa Ana were among the students who participated in the event. “I think this is a great way to know that people may practice religion differently, but they pretty much believe in the same things,” said youth group member Olivia Hernandez, 13. Students were also given a history of the temple and shown a Torah scroll by Rabbi Heidi Cohen prior to exploring the stations. “The timing is great, because elementary school children are usually still pretty accepting of everyone, but in middle school, they start to develop their own identities and challenge others,” said Cohen, who has served at Temple Beth Sholom since 1998. “It’s important to talk and respect each other and take the time to get to know one another.”
Allow me to lay a scene: It's 7:00 am. The kids need to be fed and bundled off to school. The toast is burning. The cat just knocked a pile of papers off the counter, and you've got a big presentation to give in an hour and you haven't even begun to prepare. Okay, so that bit of fiction certainly doesn't describe all of us, but there is a universal truth to it: our lives are busy and hectic and we have little in the way of spare time. So how can we ever find the time to actually learn something new? This list of web-based resources will point you toward web sites that will help you learn how to do new things, stay on top of current events, and learn about topics where your current knowledge may be lacking. And these resources will do all that in under 10 minutes each day. Do you know of any other sites where people can absorb quality, new information in under 10 minutes? Add them in the comments! 5min bills itself as a "life videopedia," which essentially means that it aggregates and hosts instructional and DIY how-to videos from sites all over the web. The site hosts tens of thousands of videos on everything from cooking to ethics, from fighting the common cold to living with cancer, from parenting to playing the guitar. Though the 5min moniker is a bit misleading — many videos on the site are longer than 5 minutes — most of the content is under 10 minutes long, meaning you can easily absorb educational nuggets of information during your lunch break. MonkeySee is another instructional video sharing site that invites experts to share both amateur and professionally created how-to and advice videos. Though many of the videos are over 10 minutes in length, they're broken up into short 3-4 minute segments, allowing you to view them in chunks whenever you have spare time. The site is also unique in that videos come with printable transcripts, can be downloaded to mobile devices for on-the-go viewing, and include biographical information about the expert to help you determine if this is someone you'd like to trust to teach you something new. You may not immediately think of YouTube as a place to go to learn, and certainly the site is filled with more than its share of silly, brain-cell-erasing videos. But buried beneath all the fluff is a treasure trove of great how-to and educational content, and because of the site's 10 minute time limit on most videos, you can learn new things in no time flat. Start at the YouTube EDU section, which aggregates content from colleges and universities, then branch off and search the site for how-to clips on any topic you want to learn about. The just-launched iMinds publishes original, short audio podcasts about liberal arts topics (such as history, economics, current events, and business) that are approximately eight minutes in length each. The idea is to allow people to learn new things, from a credible source while on the go. The tracks are available via iTunes and Audible.com for 99 cents each, while longer, multi-track lessons are sold for $3.99 (6 tracks) up to $24.99 (72 tracks). The iMinds concept of delivering short, high quality audio books is sound, and we think they offer an interesting way for busy people to absorb new information. The Australian-based company is adding one to two new tracks per week and plans to have several hundred audio books on a variety of topics available by the end of 2010. The Week is a printed current events magazine delivered, rather predictably, once per week. The magazine summarizes the news of the previous week by drawing on a variety of sources to present a short, but balanced, overview of issues. A recent summary of US President Barack Obama's shifting policies relating to Afghanistan, for example, drew on information from articles and editorials in the Washington Post, Slate, Politico, and from the blog Hot Air. On their web site, The Week does the same thing but without the 7-day delay, providing a great way for busy readers to learn about current events — with links original sources in order to dig deeper if they have the time. HowStuffWorks, which is now owned by the same company that owns The Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, is a great information site that endeavors to clearly explain how things work in layman's terms. Articles are paginated, illustrated, and written in a format that makes reading and digesting them quickly very doable. Many articles are accompanied by videos that make understanding abstract or unfamiliar concepts even easier. The site has a huge team of well-credentialed writers that produce the content. Instructables is a huge community of do-it-yourselfers who actively engage in creating and sharing well-illustrated, step-by-step how-to articles on everything from building robots to repairing torn clothing to creating 3D anamorphic sidewalk art (really). The guides are written by the extremely vibrant community, and all follow the same, step-by-step illustrated format that make comprehending the information quickly a snap. Each guide can also be downloaded as a PDF file for easy offline viewing and printing. The ten-year-old eHow is one of the largest how-to sites on the Internet, with over 160,000 videos and a whopping 600,000 articles. The majority of the articles, which are often presented in a clear and concise step-by-step format, can be consumed in under 10 minutes, as can their how-to videos. Of course, the things they teach you how to do might take up more than 10 minutes of your day. wikiHow is the last "how-to" site on our list. It's built using the familiar Wikpedia model: anyone can contribute a how-to article and anyone else can edit it and make it better by refining the steps, adding photos, or correcting mistakes. The site has over 61,000 articles and all of them are free and Creative Commons licensed. The oddly named Shvoong is a user generated summary site on which users submit summaries (and short reviews) of everything — from books to blogs to movies to news articles. For those who are in a hurry, but still want to be in the know so they can participate in water cooler discussions at work, Shvoong might be the site for you. Because the summaries are user submitted, they are of varying quality, but they're all short enough to be read in under 10 minutes and the better ones are certainly edifying. For those who prefer more professionally produced summaries, check out SparkNotes. The site, which was founded in 1998 by a group of Harvard students, offers hundreds of free summarized versions of books, textbooks, and entire subject overviews for a wide range of topics. The notes on the site are written by students or recent graduates at top-tier universities. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, ARTappler
Taoiseach Enda Kenny will arrange for the election of a new Fine Gael leader soon after he returns from Washington DC next month but will not specifically layout a timeframe for his departure this week. Mr Kenny will not definitively tell his parliamentary party tomorrow when the process of electing a new leader will begin, but will instead say the issue will be dealt with after St Patrick’s Day. A close friend of Mr Kenny’s said it is likely he will trigger the 20-day contest to elect a new Fine Gael leader after his March 16th visit to meet US president Donald Trump at the White House. Sources said the Taoiseach did not want to travel to Washington with a “cloud” hanging over him, and that being in place for the beginning of Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union was important to him. Mr Kenny informed friends in Mayo of his decision over the weekend. He is said to be “philosophical” and to have always intended to retire in the coming months. “He was never going to stay past the summer,” said Mr Kenny’s friend. “He’s a good man being pushed out. But it’s generational change in the party, and sometimes you just can’t hold back the tide. Who is Sgt Maurice McCabe? In 2008, Sgt Maurice McCabe raised concerns about quashing of penalty points. Claims that he was the subject of a smear campaign are to be examined in a tribunal of inquiry. The Garda whistleblowers: read more I found this helpful Yes No “He is very resilient; he wouldn’t have brought us through these last few years if he wasn’t. He will be remembered as a great taoiseach.” Mr Kenny will be in Washington DC on March 15th and 16th, with his meeting with Mr Trump scheduled for Thursday, March 16th. Front-runners Other Ministers, including Simon Harris, Richard Bruton and Frances Fitzgerald, have all also been mentioned as possible candidates. Paschal Donohoe has ruled himself out. It means Mr Kenny will be Taoiseach for the European Council meeting on March 9th and 10th, when British prime minister Theresa May is expected to trigger the article 50 process to officially begin the process of Britain’s withdrawal from the EU. Mr Kenny will also remain as Taoiseach pending the election of his successor, which means he will represent Ireland during the opening weeks of the Brexit negotiations. A group of TDs are threatening to table a motion of no confidence in Mr Kenny if he does not outline a solid timeline at tomorrow’s meeting, but this has angered others. Andrew Doyle, the Minister of State for Agriculture, said he found the behaviour of some of his colleagues “distasteful”. “There is a right way and a wrong way to do this, and I want to see everybody do it the dignified way.” Sources said Mr Kenny also wanted to remain as party leader during the election of his successor, although Fine Gael rules say a vacancy must arise before a contest takes place. “Polling day and times of opening will be determined by the executive council, but shall not be later than 20 days after a vacancy in the position of leader arises,” the Fine Gael constitution says. It was suggested that there was no clarity on this point because this method of electing a leader, introduced under Mr Kenny, has never been tested. It gives 65 per cent of the voting weight to the parliamentary party, 25 per cent to rank-and-file members, and 10 per cent to councillors. It includes a series of regional hustings.
Stardew Valley Review Connect The Definitive Version Harvest Moon 64 was one of my favorite games on the Nintendo 64; like with Ocarina of Time and Metroid Prime, Harvest Moon 64 is a game that I go back to annually. I haven’t latched onto any of the recent Harvest Moon games the same way I did with 64, though, and Harvest Moon-like games such as Rune Factory and Story of Seasons didn’t do it for me, either. I figured I’d try one more game that was reminiscent of Harvest Moon 64 in Stardew Valley for PlayStation 4. I put in a good five or six hours over the course of several days before it was officially announced for Nintendo Switch. That’s when I decided to hold off until it finally came out for Switch, and that decision has paid off because I can’t imagine any other way to play Stardew Valley. Stardew Valley is a farming and life simulation similar to Harvest Moon. At its very basic core, Stardew Valley is a game about farming, fishing, mining and interacting with townsfolk. You’ll get hooked on the gameplay loop after a couple in-game days because there’s just so much to do in Stardew Valley, even after you’ve accomplished a good number of personal goals. Adding the Nintendo Switch’s portability into the mix makes for a game that’s perfect to play in bed with headphones on, listening to the game’s wonderful soundtrack, or while you watch a light comedy on TV. A Day in the Life Stardew Valley runs on an in-game time system that spans four months, one for each of the seasons, that make up a year. You can stay out until 2 AM before your character falls asleep and wakes up back at home the next day — minus a few gold pieces. Aside from time of day, an energy meter on the bottom-right of the screen will dictate how long you’re able to do physically-intensive tasks; things like chopping down trees, casting a fishing line, and breaking a rock all consume different amounts of energy. Eating food like cookies or fish will replenish some of that energy meter, but they’re generally better left to sell. Certain crops will only grow during specific months of the year, and some crops are more valuable than others. For example, melons can only be grown during the summer and yield a whopping 250 gold, whereas corn only sells for 50 gold pieces. The two take 12 and 14 days to grow respectively, and while corn continues to re-grow and melons don’t, I find that it’s better to go with a big-boom farming strategy while supplementing those waiting days by selling fish. I usually hit the mine when I’m not fishing — it’s an underground cave system filled with monsters, ores, rocks, and more rocks. The mine is where you really need to take some time preparing for, because breaking rocks takes a lot of energy off your meter and the only way to find the ladder down to the next level of the mine is to break more rocks. An elevator back to the top, or to that level, is available every five levels. A lot of valuable minerals are found in the mine, like copper and iron ores, quartz, and topaz. Your Own Farm Stardew Valley is also a crafting and building game. In the beginning you can craft some simple structures like fences from wood and a cobblestone path from stone. As you progress through the game and do things like fishing, farming, and mining, you’ll gain experience that levels up your proficiency in these tasks, and each new level gives you new tools and structures to craft. Eventually, you’ll be able to craft sprinklers from iron and copper ore found in the mine, which take out the need to manually water your vegetables if you set them up right. You can even craft a keg after a certain point, and that allows you to turn your farm — or part of your farm — into a lucrative winery. There are also larger structures, like barns and silos, that you can order to be built from a character in town. These larger structures, along with the smaller ones you can craft, can all be placed anywhere in your farm. This aspect of Stardew Valley kind of reminds me of Sim City. Fishing, mining, and chatting up the townsfolk is already fun enough, but the process of planning out a new area for your farm, putting it all together, removing it all because you’ve thought of a better idea, and then putting it all back together again is incredibly fun. Right now I’m working on a city for chickens filled with a bunch of coops, grassy areas for the chickens to hang out, and as many chickens as I can hold (one coop can hold eight chickens, so there are going to be a lot of chickens). The People of the Valley What really sets Stardew Valley apart from other farm-life simulators is the storytelling. A small town called Pelican Town sits to the east of your farm, and every single character that resides there feels like a real person. Everyone has their routines based on the time of day, weather, and season, which is standard for games in this genre; however, Stardew Valley goes above and beyond what’s standard by giving each character their own backstory, their own wants, and their own needs. There are a lot of bright, happy-go-lucky characters in Pelican Town. There are also a lot of characters whose stories will pull at your heartstrings. Pam is a single mother struggling to make ends meet, and has more or less accepted that her dreams didn’t quite work out. Her daughter, Penny, helps her mother as best she can, but longs for a better life. Linus lives in a tent in the mountains, and rummages through peoples’ trash bins for food at night. In one seemingly random instance, I left the Stardrop Saloon after midnight and came across Linus rummaging through George’s trash. George, who is a crotchety old man, came outside thinking it was a raccoon and asked me to shoo it away for him. Linus overheard George’s hurtful words, and the game presented me with a few dialogue options: I could criticize Linus’s actions, I could tell him I understand but suggest he not rummage through the trash anymore, or I could empathize with Linus’s struggles. I chose the latter-most option. Linus thanked me and said he wouldn’t go through George’s trash anymore so he wouldn’t bother him, and went down to look through the Stardrop Saloon’s trash instead. This prompted the Saloon’s owner, Gus, to come outside and offer Linus a meal — he didn’t want to see anyone in Pelican Town go hungry. I feel like the way I reacted to Linus led to Gus giving him food. Linus may have run away and never encountered Gus that night if I had reacted negatively to his plight. You’ll be missing a huge part of what makes Stardew Valley great if you lack empathy for the game’s characters. Stardew Valley doesn’t make it hard to connect with its characters, either. Unlike another recent indie release on Switch, Golf Story, none of the characters in Stardew Valley are caricatures or negative stereotypes. You can also grow your relationships with the residents of Pelican Town by talking to them, engaging in dialogue options when they come up, and by giving them stuff they like. You can give people two gifts per week, and you’ll unlock bonding events for characters every so often. Get a bond up with a character that’s single and you can marry them. System reviewed on: Nintendo Switch. Disclaimer: The reviewer purchased a copy of the game for this review.
North American distributor Discotek Media announced on Friday that it has licensed the Lupin the Third Series 2 (Lupin III: Part II) TV anime series. The company plans to release the series in four DVD sets starting in 2016. The company will include "any English dubs that already exist" and the Japanese language with English subtitles. Discotek added that episodes 80-155 will have improved English subtitles and episodes 145 and 155 will also have the Streamline English dub. Lupin III: Part II ran for 155 episodes from 1977 to 1980, and several episodes aired on Adult Swim in the United States in 2003. Geneon released part of the season on DVD in North America. Crunchyroll added episodes 1-79 dubbed and subbed in June, and it then added episodes 80-155 with English subtitles earlier this month. Crunchyroll describes the plot: Five years have passed since master thief Lupin and his gang made their daring escape out of Japan and went their separate ways. Then one day Lupin, Jigen, Goemon and Fujiko each receive an invitation from Lupin for a reunion aboard the luxury liner Sirloin. Reunited on the ship, they discover Lupin didn't send the invitations and the reunion is a trap by a vengeful Mister X, the Leader of the Scorpion Gang! Foiling Mister X's plot while evading his ICPO nemesis, Inspector Zenigata, is all in a day's work for Lupin and his gang, as their heisting adventures around the globe begin again! Japanese publisher Kodansha is releasing all 178 episodes of Lupin III: Part II and Lupin III on DVDs bundled with its Lupin III DVD Collection magazine.
Despite Marshawn Lynch likely returning for the Seahawks, Michael Smith and Jemele Hill are still picking the Panthers to beat Seattle. (2:08) Seattle has one of the best home-field advantages in football. The deafening crowd noise has caused more visiting teams to commit more false start penalties than in any other stadium since the opening of CenturyLink Field. Pete Carroll has converted home-field playoff advantage into trips to the Super Bowl for the past two seasons. Yet Seahawks defenders are looking at this season's path to the Super Bowl as a little bit of a break. Going back to Week 7, the Seattle defense has allowed only one offensive touchdown in its past six road games. While Seattle misses its home-field advantage, the wild card in this campaign's playoffs for the Seahawks is that defensive players regain their ability to hear. "Communication is the key," Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright said. "The little things get away from us when we are at home that doesn't show up on the road. Everybody can hear each other calling out the routes. We can't do that at home." Go back to the Seahawks' 27-23 loss to Carolina on Oct. 18. Panthers tight end Greg Olsen split the Seahawks' defense with a 26-yard touchdown reception with 32 seconds remaining. Some defenders heard a "Cover 3" call while others thought they had heard "Cover 2." The miscommunication opened the door to an easy touchdown. The road offers a better chance for the Seahawks to communicate. "When you are at home, things happen where you don't notice where we messed up, even where we did mess up," Wright said. "It's a pro and a con. I believe that on the road is really big for us. I've noticed it more this year. It's worked out in past year, but for some reason this season hasn't gone that way for us. In the Panthers-Seahawks game in Seattle, a miscommunication in the Seahawks secondary led to tight end Greg Olsen reeling in a decisive touchdown pass. AP Photo/Elaine Thompson "A couple things get exposed [at home], especially in the last game where we were in two different coverages for that touchdown. We are going to be on it because we will be on the road." Since Week 7, including the wild-card playoff round, the Seahawks' defensive numbers have been dominating on the road. They've given up 200.7 yards a game and have surrendered only 3.77 yards per play during those six road games. Part of the road advantage was the teams and quarterbacks the Seahawks faced. They visited San Francisco, Dallas without Tony Romo, Baltimore without Joe Flacco, Arizona (Carson Palmer) and Minnesota (Teddy Bridgewater) twice. Palmer is the only quarterback they faced who ranked among the top 12 in Total QBR this season. Regardless, Total QBR ratings in those six games were 29.8. The Seahawks have been successful stopping the run in those six games, allowing only 55.7 yards per game. They also allowed just 145 passing yards per game during that stretch. "A lot of the guys don't get the checks that we need at home in order to be successful when you are at home," Wright said. Cam Newton completed 20 of 36 passes for 269 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in the Panthers' victory in Seattle, but the Seahawks won three consecutive low-scoring games against Newton from 2012 to 2014. The Seahawks are hoping the road can play to their advantage Sunday.
The Scout Oath, Motto and Law The Scout Oath 1. To do my duty to God and my country, and to obey the scout law; 2. To help other people at all times; mentally awake The Scout Motto Be Prepared - in Mind by having disciplined yourself to be obedient to every order, and also by having thought out beforehand any accident or situation that might occur, so that you know the right thing to do at the right moment, and are willing to do it. Be Prepared - in Body by making yourself strong and active and able to do the right thing at the right moment, and do it. The Twelve Points of the Scout Law 1. A Scout is trustworthy. 2. A Scout is loyal. 3. A Scout is helpful. 4. A Scout is friendly. 5. A Scout is courteous. 6. A Scout is kind. 7. A Scout is obedient. 12. A Scout is reverent. Before he becomes a Scout a boy must promise:On my honor I will do my best:3. To keep myself physically strong,, and morally straight.A scout must follow the Scout motto:[Just skip the fluff and focus on the the important things.]8. A Scout is cheerful.9. A Scout is thrifty.10. A Scout is brave.11. A Scout is clean.
BOSTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is running a disciplined campaign focused on slamming President Barack Obama and promoting his own skills, but pressure could mount for a more aggressive approach as his poll numbers worsen. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks to employees during a visit to Stanley Elevators in Merrimack, New Hampshire August 16, 2011. REUTERS/Brian Snyder This week a trio of opinion surveys showed Romney trailing Texas Governor Rick Perry, who jumped into the 2012 race less than two weeks ago and generated a blaze of mostly favorable publicity. Romney, a former Massachusetts governor and venture capitalist, has been the nominal front-runner among Republicans so far, partly reflecting his name recognition after finishing second to John McCain in his 2008 run. Romney’s second White House run, launched in June, has been designed around almost daily attacks on Obama. His campaign appearances have been relatively scarce and balanced by a heavy fund-raising schedule. “We’ve stayed focused on talking to people about why Governor Romney is the best alternative to President Obama on the most important issue facing our country: jobs and the economy. That’s what this race will be about,” said Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul. The Romney campaign issues regular videos on the theme “Obama Isn’t Working,” which highlights high unemployment. It mocked the president’s recent bus trip through the Midwest as a “Magical Misery Tour,” complete with tie-dye T-shirts available for a $30 campaign pledge. Romney has led most polls among the Republican challengers this year, but with numbers well below levels that create a sense of inevitability. Both Gallup and Public Policy Polling on Wednesday issued national surveys of likely Republican primary voters that showed Rick Perry holding a sizable lead. “So far he (Romney) has really played it safe. I really think that strategy can’t continue with Rick Perry in the race,” said Krystal Ball, a Democratic strategist and former Congressional contender in Virginia. “If Romney is going to stay in the game, he has to take more risks.” TOO EARLY FOR PANIC? Political scientist Charles Franklin said it was too early for Romney to panic about Perry, but his campaign needs to stay on its toes. Romney has been polite but distant in talking about Perry. In New Hampshire, this week he termed the Texan “a very effective candidate ... maybe when the field narrows down to two or three we’ll spend more time talking about each other.” “So far, the Romney strategy to not be reactive to the ‘flavor of the week’ is smart. But it’s only in hindsight when we know if someone was a flash in the pan or not,” said Franklin, a professor at the University of Wisconsin. Indeed, the 2012 Romney campaign has been shaped by a different dynamic from the wide-open 2008 race: running against an incumbent with low approval ratings who has left many of his previous supporters disappointed. His strategists believe voters will respond positively to Romney’s business pedigree as the polar opposite of Obama. As the leading moderate among Republican contenders, Romney also might hope that his opponents simply beat each other up. “My sense is that Romney’s strategy is based on the assumption that Bachmann, Perry and others, even Rick Santorum, will fight it out among themselves,” said Donna Robinson Divine, professor of government at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. “Then, Romney will be able to claim that he is focusing on the real issue — capturing the White House. It has been a sound strategy. Whether he has to change it at this point is unclear.” Divine said the danger is that Romney’s campaign could lose control of the message; this week’s pro-Perry opinion polls could be the start of such a trend. The Gallup survey had Perry with 29 percent support among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents. Romney was at 17 percent, down 6 points from a month ago, with Texas Congressman Ron Paul at 13 percent and Bachmann at 10 percent. “The polls create a certain narrative that could force Romney to change tactics,” said Divine. As voting in the 2012 primaries draws closer, Romney’s campaign might need to acknowledge a shift in the electorate with a sharper tone, said Ball. In polling, Romney does better among independent leaning Republicans and moderates, but they don’t typically vote in big numbers in primaries,” she said. Even compared with 2008, Republican voters are more conservative, largely because of the emergence of the Tea Party that was so influential in the 2010 mid-term elections and in the recent fractious debate over raising the U.S. debt limit. “I think Mitt Romney really has to do some soul searching about what the Republican party is. at this point in time,” Ball said. “The Republicans are looking for someone to get aggressive in attacking Obama.” Ultimately, though, strategists think Romney, who has a large campaign funding warchest, will be ready for hand-to-hand combat if he needs to. “I suspect if he sees Perry approaching some kind of tipping point, Romney will engage him,” said Divine.
American comedian For the theatre producer, see Andy Sandberg Andy Samberg (born August 18, 1978)[1] is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician. He is a member of the comedy music group The Lonely Island and was a cast member on Saturday Night Live (2005–2012), where he and his fellow group members have been credited with popularizing the SNL Digital Shorts.[2] Samberg has starred in several films, including Hot Rod (2007), I Love You, Man (2009), That's My Boy (2012), Celeste and Jesse Forever (2012), Hotel Transylvania (2012), Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015), Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018), Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016), and Storks (2016). Since 2013, he stars as Jake Peralta in the police sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine, for which he was awarded a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 2014.[3] Early life and background [ edit ] Samberg was born in Berkeley, California on August 18, 1978.[1] His mother, Marjorie Isabel "Margi" (Marrow), is an elementary school teacher, and his father, Joe, is a photographer.[4] He has two sisters, Johanna and Darrow.[5] Samberg was raised in a Jewish family, and describes himself as "not particularly religious."[6][7][8][9] In a 2019 episode of Finding Your Roots, hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr., Samberg discovered that his mother Marjorie, who was adopted, is the biological daughter of a Sicilian father (Salvatore Maida) who immigrated in 1925, and a German Jewish refugee mother (Ellen Philipsborn), who had come to the U.S. in 1938; they met in San Francisco.[10] Samberg's adoptive grandfather was industrial psychologist and philanthropist Alfred J. Marrow,[11] through whom he is a third cousin to U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin.[12] Samberg attended elementary school with his future Brooklyn Nine Nine co-star Chelsea Peretti.[13] He discovered Saturday Night Live as a child while sneaking past his parents to watch professional wrestling on television. He was obsessed with the show and his devotion to comedy was frustrating to teachers who felt he was distracted from his schoolwork.[14] Samberg graduated from Berkeley High School in 1996, where he became interested in creative writing and has stated that writing classes "were the ones that [he] put all [his] effort into... that's what [he] cared about and that's what [he] ended up doing".[15] He attended college at University of California, Santa Cruz for two years[16] before transferring to New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he graduated in 2000.[17] Writer Murray Miller was his roommate.[18] Career [ edit ] Acting and filmmaking [ edit ] Samberg majored in experimental film. He became an online star and made his own comedy videos with his two friends Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone.[19] When YouTube was created in 2005, the streaming of their videos became much more widespread. Samberg became a featured player on Saturday Night Live in part because of the work he had done on his sketch comedy website TheLonelyIsland.com, which helped them land an agent and eventually get hired at Saturday Night Live.[20] Prior to joining its cast, Samberg was (and remains) a member of the comedy troupe The Lonely Island, along with Taccone and Schaffer. The trio began writing for Saturday Night Live in 2005 and released their debut album, Incredibad, in 2009. Samberg appeared in numerous theatrical films, commercials, music videos and hosted special events, including the 2009 MTV Movie Awards. In 2012, Samberg delivered the Class Day speech at Harvard University,[21] and starred with Adam Sandler in That's My Boy and Hotel Transylvania as the main character, Jonathan, a role he reprised for its sequels Hotel Transylvania 2 and Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation.[22] In September 2012, Samberg played Cuckoo in the BAFTA nominated BBC Three series Cuckoo,[23] and stars as Detective Jake Peralta in NBC's police sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine which first aired on September 17, 2013,[24] for which he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 2014. Samberg hosted the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards on September 20, 2015.[25][26][27] Recently, he co-hosted the 76th Golden Globe Awards with Sandra Oh on January 6, 2019. Samberg starred in Sleater-Kinney's "No Cities to Love" video along with other celebrities such as Fred Armisen, Ellen Page, and Norman Reedus. On May 16, 2016, Samberg and the Lonely Island performed their 2009 hit "I'm on a Boat" with classroom instruments on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.[28] Saturday Night Live [ edit ] Samberg in 2010 In September 2005, Samberg joined Saturday Night Live as a featured player along with Schaffer and Taccone as the show's writing staff. Though his live sketch roles were limited in his first year, he appeared in many prerecorded sketches including commercial parodies and various other filmed segments. On December 17, 2005, he and Chris Parnell starred in the Digital Short show "Lazy Sunday", a hip hop song performed by two Manhattanites on a quest to see the film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The short became an Internet phenomenon and garnered Samberg significant media and public attention, as did "Dick in a Box", a duet with Justin Timberlake that won a Creative Arts Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics.[2] The video for his comedy troupe's collaboration with T-Pain, "I'm on a Boat", had over 56 million views on YouTube, after debuting on February 7, 2009. The song was nominated for a Grammy Award. Another digital short, "Motherlover", also featuring Timberlake, was released on May 10, 2009, to commemorate Mother's Day, and is a sequel of "Dick in a Box".[29] Outside of his prerecorded segments, he also participated in recurring live segments, such as his Blizzard Man sketch.[30] On June 1, 2012, Samberg's spokesperson announced that he had left the show.[31][32] He returned to the show as the host on the Season 39 finale in 2014[33] and in the 40th anniversary special's Digital Short. Personal life [ edit ] Samberg once described himself as a "superfan" of musician Joanna Newsom, whom he first met at one of her concerts.[34][35] After five years of dating, Samberg proposed to her in February 2013, and they married on September 21, 2013, in Big Sur, California,[36][37][38] with Saturday Night Live co-star Seth Meyers serving as the wedding's groomsman.[39] In March 2014, Samberg and Newsom purchased the Moorcrest estate in the Beachwood Canyon area of Los Angeles, California.[40] They also own a home in the West Village in New York City.[41] The couple announced the birth of their daughter in August 2017.[42] Filmography [ edit ] Hot Rod Samberg on set for Film [ edit ] Television [ edit ] Awards and nominations [ edit ]
Get James Pindell’s analysis first via his weekday newsletter, Ground Game. Sign up here. Even before the second presidential debate began Sunday night, we had a good idea about where Donald Trump wanted the discussion to go: the gutter. Roughly 90 minutes before the debate, he held a press conference with women who had accused former president Bill Clinton of sexual assault decades ago. Then Trump sat them inside the debate hall. The next question was what would Hillary Clinton do. Of course she spoke about a 2005 videotape that showed Trump making crude comments about women, especially when she was directly asked about it, but then what? At first, Clinton seemed to signal she wouldn’t join Trump in the gutter. But after Trump brought up Bill Clinton’s accusers early on in the debate, she quoted Michelle Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Committee. Advertisement “When I hear something like that, I am reminded of what my friend, Michelle Obama, advised us all: When they go low, you go high,” Clinton said. Get Today in Politics in your inbox: A digest of the top political stories from the Globe, sent to your inbox Monday-Friday. Sign Up Thank you for signing up! Sign up for more newsletters here But then Hillary Clinton did the opposite. She went low. Clinton got applause for the Obama remark, then continued, “And, look, if this were just about one video, maybe what he’s saying tonight would be understandable, but everyone can draw their own conclusions at this point about whether or not the man in the video or the man on the stage respects women. But he never apologizes for anything to anyone.” And Clinton went on from there to discuss Trump’s attacks on the Gold Star Khan family and his mocking of a disabled reporter. It may have been a mistake. Advertisement By going into the gutter, she may have allowed Trump to stay in the game. While much of the post-debate analysis has focused on whether Trump could stem the bleeding of his campaign, not enough attention was paid to the opposite question: Why didn’t Clinton put Trump away? What would have happened if Clinton entertained questions about Trump’s taped comments and later the temporary Muslim immigration ban, and then pivoted not to put it in the broader context of what Trump represents, but to her own policy plans? Here’s one way she could have said it: “We have children watching at home, and you want to see those comments that I think frankly disqualify him from being president, well there is YouTube. But this is a presidential debate, and you want to know what we will do as president, so here is my plan to create jobs,” she could have said. There’s been evidence in the past two weeks that this was the obvious path. Clinton’s campaign rightly points out the campaign is being endorsed by newspapers who have not endorsed a Republican in 100 years or ever. Some magazines, like the Atlantic and Foreign Policy Magazine, are also breaking with tradition to endorse Clinton. If you read those editorials, there is a different argument than the one Clinton presented at the debate. They are suggesting that there is only one person being serious about running for president. She could have suggested as much by invoking her litany of campaign proposals during the debate, in nearly every question. Advertisement Trump would no doubt pester her with phrases such as, “You don’t want to talk about XYZ past scandal.” But Clinton could respond, “Why don’t you want to engage on the issues?” When the debate was over, one audience member, Ken Bone, was heaped with praise over his wonky question on energy policy. It was seen as the one moment of policy in a debate that otherwise did not include much of it. Hillary Clinton may well win the presidential election over Trump. But when she is elected president and trying to move her policies forward, she may look back and wish she hadn’t been upstaged by Bone. Want the latest news on the presidential campaign, every weekday in your inbox? Sign up here for Ground Game. And check out more of the Boston Globe’s newsletters offerings here. James Pindell can be reached at [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter @jamespindell
South Africa's first black president died peacefully in company of his family at home in Johannesburg, Jacob Zuma announces Nelson Mandela, the towering figure of Africa's struggle for freedom and a hero to millions around the world, has died at the age of 95. South Africa's first black president died in the company of his family at home in Johannesburg after years of declining health that had caused him to withdraw from public life. The news was announced to the country by the current president, Jacob Zuma, who in a sombre televised address said Mandela had "departed" around 8.50pm local time and was at peace. "This is the moment of our deepest sorrow," Zuma said. "Our nation has lost its greatest son … What made Nelson Mandela great was precisely what made him human. We saw in him what we seek in ourselves. "Fellow South Africans, Nelson Mandela brought us together and it is together that we will bid him farewell." Zuma announced that Mandela would receive a state funeral and ordered that flags fly at half-mast. Early on Friday morning Archbishop Desmond Tutu led a memorial service in Capetown where he called for South Africa to become as a nation what Mandela had been as a man. Mandela's two youngest daughters were at the premiere of the biopic Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom in London last night. They received the news of their father's death during the screening in Leicester Square and immediately left the cinema. Barack Obama led tributes from world leaders, referring to Mandela by his clan name – Madiba. The US president said: "Through his fierce dignity and unbending will to sacrifice his own freedom for the freedom of others, Madiba transformed South Africa – and moved all of us. "His journey from a prisoner to a president embodied the promise that human beings – and countries – can change for the better. His commitment to transfer power and reconcile with those who jailed him set an example that all humanity should aspire to, whether in the lives of nations or our own personal lives." David Cameron said: "A great light has gone out in the world" and described Mandela as "a hero of our time". FW de Klerk – the South African president who freed Mandela, shared the Nobel peace prize with him and paved the way for him to become South Africa's first post-apartheid head of state – said the news was deeply saddening for South Africa and the world. "He lived reconciliation. He was a great unifier," De Klerk said. Throughout Thursday night and into Friday morning people gathered in the streets of South Africa to celebrate Mandela's life. In Soweto people gathered to sing and dance near the house where he once lived. They formed a circle in the middle of Vilakazi Street and sang songs from the anti-apartheid struggle. Some people were draped in South African flags and the green, yellow and black colours of Mandela's party, the African National Congress. "We have not seen Mandela in the place where he is, in the place where he is kept," they sang, a lyric anti-apartheid protesters had sung during Mandela's long incarceration. Several hundred people took part in lively commemorations outside Mandela's final home in the Houghton neighbourhood of Johannesburg. A man blew on a vuvuzela horn and people made impromptu shrines with national flags, candles, flowers and photographs. Mandela was taken to hospital in June with a recurring lung infection and slipped into a critical condition, but returned home in September where his bedroom was converted into an intensive care unit. His death sends South Africa deep into mourning and self-reflection, nearly 20 years after he led the country from racial apartheid to inclusive democracy. But his passing will also be keenly felt by people around the world who revered Mandela as one of history's last great statesmen, and a moral paragon comparable with Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Martin Luther King. It was a transcendent act of forgiveness after spending 27 years in prison, 18 of them on Robben Island, that will assure his place in history. With South Africa facing possible civil war, Mandela sought reconciliation with the white minority to build a new democracy. He led the African National Congress to victory in the country's first multiracial election in 1994. Unlike other African liberation leaders who cling to power, such as Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, he then voluntarily stepped down after one term. South Africans hold a candle outside the house of former South African president Nelson Mandela following his death in Johannesburg. Photograph: Alexander Joe/Afp/Getty Images Mandela was awarded the Nobel peace prize in 1993. At his inauguration a year later, the new president said: "Never, never, and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another … the sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement. Let freedom reign. God bless Africa!" Born Rolihlahla Dalibhunga in a small village in the Eastern Cape on 18 July 1918, Mandela was given his English name, Nelson, by a teacher at his school. He joined the ANC in 1943 and became a co-founder of its youth league. In 1952, he started South Africa's first black law firm with his partner, Oliver Tambo. Mandela was a charming, charismatic figure with a passion for boxing and an eye for women. He once said: "I can't help it if the ladies take note of me. I am not going to protest." He married his first wife, Evelyn Mase, in 1944. They were divorced in 1957 after having three children. In 1958, he married Winnie Madikizela, who later campaigned to free her husband from jail and became a key figure in the struggle. When the ANC was banned in 1960, Mandela went underground. After the Sharpeville massacre, in which 69 black protesters were shot dead by police, he took the difficult decision to launch an armed struggle. He was arrested and eventually charged with sabotage and attempting to overthrow the government. Conducting his own defence in the Rivonia trial in 1964, he said: "I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. "It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." He escaped the death penalty but was sentenced to life in prison, a huge blow to the ANC that had to regroup to continue the struggle. But unrest grew in townships and international pressure on the apartheid regime slowly tightened. Finally, in 1990, FW de Klerk lifted the ban on the ANC and Mandela was released from prison amid scenes of jubilation witnessed around the world. In 1992, Mandela divorced Winnie after she was convicted on charges of kidnapping and accessory to assault. His presidency rode a wave of tremendous global goodwill but was not without its difficulties. After leaving frontline politics in 1999, he admitted he should have moved sooner against the spread of HIV/Aids in South Africa. His son died from an Aids-related illness. On his 80th birthday, Mandela married Graça Machel, the widow of the former president of Mozambique. It was his third marriage. In total, he had six children, of whom three daughters survive: Pumla Makaziwe (Maki), Zenani and Zindziswa (Zindzi). He has 17 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who headed the truth and reconciliation committee after the fall of apartheid, said: "He transcended race and class in his personal actions, through his warmth and through his willingness to listen and to emphasise with others. And he restored others' faith in Africa and Africans." Mandela was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2001 and retired from public life to be with his family and enjoy some "quiet reflection". But he remained a beloved and venerated figure, with countless buildings, streets and squares named after him. His every move was scrutinised and his health was a constant source of media speculation. Mandela continued to make occasional appearances at ANC events and attended the inauguration of the current president, Jacob Zuma. His 91st birthday was marked by the first annual "Mandela Day" in his honour. He was last seen in public at the final of the 2010 World Cup in Johannesburg, a tournament he had helped bring to South Africa for the first time. Early in 2011, he was taken to hospital in a health scare but he recovered and was visited by Michelle Obama and her daughters a few months later. In January 2012, he was notably missing from the ANC's centenary celebrations due to his frail condition. With other giants of the movement such as Tambo and Walter Sisulu having gone before Mandela, the defining chapter of Africa's oldest liberation movement is now closed.
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley has met with the parents of an Israeli soldier whose remains have never been returned after he was killed in Gaza. Haley told Leah and Dr. Simcha Goldin on Wednesday that she'd work with them and Israeli diplomats to advocate for the return, the U.S. mission said. Lt. Hadar Goldin and two other Israeli soldiers were ambushed and killed by Hamas militants after a U.N.-backed cease-fire took effect in Gaza in August 2014. Goldin's parents have since made international appeals for the 23-year-old soldier's remains to be brought back to Israel for burial. Last fall, Goldin's artwork was displayed at U.N. headquarters, and his parents accompanied Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the U.N. General Assembly meeting. His address to the gathering mentioned the ongoing efforts to secure Goldin's remains and those of another soldier killed in the fighting, Oron Shaul. Hamas has demanded that Israel release dozens of prisoners before it opens negotiations on returning the soldiers' remains. The Goldins said in a statement Thursday they were "very optimistic about our cause" after talking with Haley and felt she'd ensure it gets further attention at the U.N. "We look forward to having U.S. support in our quest to return our son's body home for a proper burial," they said. Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon thanked Haley for meeting the Goldins and stressed that he'd continue pressing for the return of the soldiers' remains.
The bill would require most Americans to have health insurance, would add 15 million people to the Medicaid rolls and would subsidize private coverage for low- and middle-income people, at a cost to the government of $871 billion over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The budget office estimates that the bill would provide coverage to 31 million uninsured people, but still leave 23 million uninsured in 2019. One-third of those remaining uninsured would be illegal immigrants. Mr. Obama hailed the Senate action. “We are now incredibly close to making health insurance reform a reality,” he said, before leaving the White House to celebrate Christmas in Hawaii. Photo The president, who endorsed the Senate and House bills, said he would be deeply involved in trying to help the two chambers work out their differences. But it is unclear how specific he will be — if, for example, he will push for one type of tax over another or try to concoct a compromise on insurance coverage for abortion. Senator Olympia J. Snowe of Maine, a moderate Republican who has spent years working with Democrats on health care and other issues, said she was “extremely disappointed” with the bill’s evolution in recent weeks. After Senate Democrats locked up 60 votes within their caucus, she said, “there was zero opportunity to amend the bill or modify it, and Democrats had no incentive to reach across the aisle.” Like many Republicans, Ms. Snowe was troubled by new taxes and fees in the bill, which she said could have “a dampening effect on job creation and job preservation.” The bill would increase the Medicare payroll tax on high-income people and levy a new excise tax on high-premium insurance policies, as one way to control costs. When the roll was called Thursday morning, the mood was solemn as senators called out “aye” or “no.” Senator Robert C. Byrd, the 92-year-old Democrat from West Virginia, deviated slightly from the protocol. Advertisement Continue reading the main story “This is for my friend Ted Kennedy,” Mr. Byrd said. “Aye!” Senator Kennedy of Massachusetts, a longtime champion of universal health care, died of brain cancer in August at age 77. Newsletter Sign Up Continue reading the main story Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up You will receive emails containing news content , updates and promotions from The New York Times. You may opt-out at any time. You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters. Senator Jim Bunning, Republican of Kentucky, did not vote. The fight on Capitol Hill prefigures a larger political battle that is likely to play out in the elections of 2010 and 2012, as Democrats try to persuade a skeptical public of the bill’s merits, while Republicans warn that it will drive up costs for those who already have insurance. “Our members are leaving happy and upbeat,” said the Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. “The public is on our side. This fight is not over.” After struggling for years to expand health insurance in modest, incremental ways, Democrats decided this year that they could not let another opportunity slip away. As usual, lawmakers were deluged with appeals from lobbyists for health care interests who have stymied similar ambitious efforts in the past. But this year was different. Photo Lawmakers listened to countless stories of hardship told by constituents who had been denied insurance, lost coverage when they got sick or seen their premiums soar. Hostility to the insurance industry was a theme throughout the Senate debate. Senator Sherrod Brown, Democrat of Ohio, said insurance companies were often “just one step ahead of the sheriff.” Senator Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California, said the industry “lacks a moral compass.” And Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Democrat of Rhode Island, said the business model of the industry “deserves a stake through its cold and greedy heart.” The bill would establish strict federal standards for an industry that, since its inception, has been regulated mainly by the states. Under it, insurers could not deny coverage because of a person’s medical condition; could not charge higher premiums because of a person’s sex or health status; and could not rescind coverage when a person became sick or disabled. The government would, in effect, limit insurers’ profits by requiring them to spend at least 80 to 85 cents of every premium dollar on health care. The specificity of federal standards is illustrated by one section of the bill, which requires insurers to issue a benefits summary that “does not exceed four pages in length and does not include print smaller than 12-point font.” Another force propelling health legislation through the Senate was the Democrats’ view that it was a moral imperative and an economic necessity. Advertisement Continue reading the main story “The health insurance policies of America, what we have right now is a moral disgrace,” said Senator Tom Harkin, Democrat of Iowa. “We are called upon to right a great injustice, a great wrong that has been put upon the American people.” Costs of the bill would, according to the Congressional Budget Office, be more than offset by new taxes and fees and by savings in Medicare. The bill would squeeze nearly a half-trillion dollars from Medicare over the next 10 years, mainly by reducing the growth of payments to hospitals, nursing homes, Medicare Advantage plans and other providers. Republicans asserted that the cuts would hurt Medicare beneficiaries. But AARP, the lobby for older Americans, and the American Medical Association ran an advertisement urging senators to pass the bill, under which Medicare would cover more of the cost for prescription drugs and preventive health services. Karen M. Ignagni, president of America’s Health Insurance Plans, a trade group, said the bill appeared to be unstoppable. But she added: “We are not sure it will be workable. It could disrupt existing coverage for families, seniors and small businesses, particularly between now and when the legislation is fully implemented in 2014.”
Smoke rises near a house on Mountain Ranch Road at the Butte fire in September 2015 near San Andreas, California. David McNew/Getty Images On Wednesday, California said goodbye to its mandatory statewide water restrictions for urban use, a tip of the umbrella to the relatively wet winter northern parts of the state had, which helped fill reservoirs and brought a relatively normal snowpack to the Sierras. That decision was probably premature. For Southern California especially, the drought is still just as bad as ever. In much of the Sierra Nevada and Southern California, there’s still two or three entire years of rain missing since this drought began five years ago. #ElNino you blew it; 2-3 years worth of rain missing in SoCal during past 5 years. #cadrought #cawx pic.twitter.com/Y9RsLIt1Bk — Paul Iniguez (@pauliniguez) May 18, 2016 If that’s not a reason to continue with large-scale water conservation, I don’t know what is. In making the announcement, the state declared that local communities could set their own limits, so the opposite will likely happen as they back off on restrictions for things like watering lawns. Add climate change on top, and California is still heading toward drought disaster. A warming spring season means the state’s crucial snowpack now melts much faster than in the past, creating a false sense of security before running out entirely. So although this year’s snowpack was near normal on April 1, six weeks later it’s already down to just 35 percent of normal for late May. In a few more weeks—at this rate—it’ll be gone entirely. Basically, it was an “El Niño in the streets, La Niña in the sheets” kind of winter for the entire West Coast. Seattle wound up with its rainiest rainy season on record, something unheard of for an El Niño year, which typically dries out the Pacific Northwest. And then in some parts of Southern California, the drought’s severity actually ticked upward slightly since the start of the rainy season—and that’s what we’d expect with a typical La Niña pattern, not El Niño. (We are currently in the transitional period between these two weather events.) The quick reason for the weirdness of the just-completed winter is that the jet stream, which typically delivers the relentless coastal storms to California that make El Niño famous, was much farther north than expected. (My winter outlook for the West Coast, for one, was pretty off-base.) But why? Smarter meteorologists than me are digging into that answer. Anthony Masiello is a New Jersey–based meteorologist who focuses on seasonal predictability and has provided convincing evidence that the character of El Niño itself might be changing as the planet warms. Here’s the theory: Since warm air expands, the volume of our entire atmosphere is growing, and the circulation system of the tropics is expanding toward the poles. That could be shifting the jet stream northward, too, at least during El Niño years. Since the last strong El Niño in 1997–98, we’ve had nearly two decades of global warming. But that warming hasn’t been uniform over the entire planet, so to truly understand how this might affect El Niño, one has to specifically consider what has happened in the Pacific Ocean, as Daniel Swain points out, and that’s a very complex thing to sort out. Chances are, though, that global warming is shifting El Niño precipitation patterns geographically at least a little. For Southern California, that might have been enough to cut off the tap almost entirely this year. On the left, a forecast of this winter’s precipitation compared to normal. On the right, what actually happened. For the West Coast, it’s almost completely opposite. Judah Cohen/Atmospheric and Environmental Research The meteorologist who’s looked at this in the most detail is probably Judah Cohen. Last month, he posted a “special recap,” which contains a torrent of meteorological detail, of just why most West Coast forecasts were so wrong. He also published a correspondence in the journal Nature on May 11 about the same topic. In a phone conversation, he cut to the chase: “The models clearly failed. … It was a good year for chaos.” This winter’s chaos has caused Cohen to lose a bit of confidence in using past El Niño patterns to predict future El Niño patterns, he says. Even though this El Niño was one of the strongest on record, “impacts-wise, this winter was classical La Niña.” Cohen thinks he’s found a big reason why: This winter featured sharply fluctuating strength of the polar vortex, which in its strong phase tends to pull the Pacific jet stream northward. That, combined with the steady pressure of a gradually warming tropics, might have done the trick. Whatever the reason for the weird El Niño on the West Coast, the result is Southern California remains locked into its worst drought on record. Going into the state’s six-month dry season, for the near-term at least, fire conditions there are only going to get worse. The drought has already had widespread ramifications. By the U.S. Forest Service’s count, 40 million trees statewide have died during the five-year drought, 29 million in just 2015. Dead trees are like matchsticks for forest fires—Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, told the San Francisco Chronicle that fire danger has markedly increased as a result. “No level of rain is going to bring the dead trees back,” Berlant said. “We’re talking trees that are decades-old that are now dead. Those larger trees are going to burn a lot hotter and a lot faster. We’re talking huge trees in mass quantity surrounding homes.” Not only that, but this year’s rains, where they did fall, may have actually increased fire danger by spurring a good crop of grasses and shrubs, so-called “ladder fuels” that help fires jump from smoldering near the ground to hopping from treetop to treetop. In a briefing this week, U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell said that California’s trees will continue to die due to drought for at least three more years, and this year’s switch to La Niña probably won’t help. I know, I know, calling for a La Niña–caused dry rainy season next year is a little awkward considering this past year’s forecast performed so horribly. But the long-term trends show that should the warmth of the recent past continue, California will continue to have less snowpack for a long time to come. “This is not weather,” Tidwell said. “This is climate change. That’s what we’re dealing with.” Last year’s fire season was the worst on record nationwide, with 10.1 million acres burned. Federal and state governments have upped their firefighting budgets for this year, expecting another very bad fire season. In California, Cal Fire has awarded millions of dollars in grants to communities in part to assist with clearing dead trees from around houses. Wildfire photographer Stuart Palley, whose work has been featured on Slate, spent the winter in firefighting training and will embed with a fire crew in the Cleveland National Forest near San Diego later this year as a crew member—made possible by that increase in funding. “[The firefighters’] view is, ‘anything can happen at anytime, anywhere. It’s a new normal. Fire season is year-round,’ ” Palley said. “They’re all staffed and ready to go right now.” Palley, like many of us, was caught off-guard by the size and intensity of the fires in Alberta, Canada, already in May. While Southern California has a much different ecosystem than the northern boreal forest, if anything, there’s a much greater risk of wildfires becoming urban fires simply because of the sheer number of people living near forests and the severity of the ongoing drought. “I think this might be Southern California’s year,” Palley said. “I think a lot of firefighters around here are wondering it’s not a matter of if it’s going to happen, but when it’s going to happen.”
I won’t regale you with stories of an idealized past, laud our many golf courses, or tout our “vibrant” local economy. I’d like to tell a different story. I am a North Carolina native. I’ve lived my entire life in this state, in every corner, born to a pastor and public-school teacher in the coastal northeast and educated in our colleges in Wilmington. My sister makes Durham her home, her husband tends our state parks, my brother is a veteran, and for the last eight years, I’ve called Asheville my home. It is ironic that President Barack Obama chose Asheville, both as a vacation spot and as a place for economic speeches of late, given what I have to say. But I don’t wish to speak to those in power, beg them for an audience, change or hope. I’d like to address Asheville’s working people, its poor and the powerless. You have a right to this city. We are an invisible class, in our own country at least. We are the class who cook the meals that retirees and tourists consume. We vacuum their offices. We build the mansions, isolated in ghettos of wealth. In short, we make this city possible. Yet, as it grows and develops, does it grow and develop for us? Do our wages and opportunities increase? Do we influence the priorities of how this city modernizes? The answer is no. It is my experience — gleaned from years in the service industry, renting, gardening, moving jobs and scrapping metal — that more and more, little by little, Asheville is being turned into an amnesiac consumer destination. See our dog bakeries! Come visit our olive-oil-tasting rooms! True, unemployment is low, but so is pay, and many residents work multiple jobs. Rent is high, and buying costs are astronomical to the everyday worker. To get by, we share homes, rides, potlucks and often are one broken ankle away from eviction. We are called “entitled” or derided as leeches —often by baby boomers, the richest generation, from the richest nation, in the history of mankind. The poor are rendered invisible. The homeless choose between drink, day labor or access to overcrowded, proselytizing shelters. Our media boost small-business capitalism as the cure to all our ills. Our artists reclaim the industrial wasteland of the River Arts District, edgy and sketchy, and slowly morph into a high-rent row of arty knickknack sellers. Our asteroid belt of architectural garbage surrounding the city grows and grows. The police await the next opportunity to loot their evidence room. The diminishing returns of Beer City, USA, are plain to see, unless one sees what they want to see. Asheville is being built on a foundation of tourism dollars and cheap thrills. When the next shock comes through the economic system — whether it’s spiking gas prices or uncontrolled financial speculation (impossible, I know!) — the leisure economy is the first to get hit. We are the canary in the coal mine. People need food, housing and health care. The first thing to be de-prioritized is vacation money, and that’s the cash that Asheville and its residents rely on. Ours is a castle built on sand. It’s not as if we don’t know that politicians and their allies in business are fighting to strip public goods away from localities, under the pretense of democratic control. In Asheville, our water system — paid for by the citizens of this city as a common good — is coveted by right-wing politicians in Raleigh. Our political voice is silenced due to corrupt gerrymandering. Democracy is surely an empty shell in our nation and around the world. It is controlled by money, business interests and crass propaganda that peddles wishful thinking, and by the most retrograde characters who grow wealthier jumping between the private sector and public service. Public service! These hypocrites disgust me. Where are the school teachers, like my mother, bearing witness to the de-funding of education and draconian test regimens? Where are the firemen? Where are the working men and women of our land when it comes to the questions of power and decisions over our common future? Our schools are closed and prisons built. Those in power summon patriotism to support imperial wars that their siblings and children will never fight. They speak much and hear little. Their imaginations are stunted and cruel. They chastise us with moralism, yet the only God they know is Mammon, greed, and destruction. Activists, citizens and workers in our city and across this country should organize to fight for a minimum-wage increase, one that at the very least reflects inflation, keeping pace with rising costs of food, housing and medical care. It is long past time that working people went on the offensive to cast off the shackles of poverty wages, debt and isolation. We so desperately need a working-class movement to address poverty. We need a movement that transcends cultures and languages, one that reaches out to the most exploited of American workers, those who pick our foods and, disgracefully, fill our immigration jails. Unions should feel empowered to not only defend their workers on the job and advocate for higher wages but to be part of the movement for a fundamentally different economy, one based on community responsibility, autonomy and solidarity. It’s high time for unions to organize the right-to-work states, to give up on bending the ear of the rich and powerful who so rarely listen, to give up their stodgy bureaucracies, and to help articulate a world of work that embodies democracy in daily life, cooperative production, sustainability and abundance. It’s time to organize and build a city that stands in opposition to this constantly growing, rapacious capitalism, and creates a humane world in its wake. Martin Ramsey is an Asheville resident.
If he wants to redeem himself he can give his fans the $100,000 worth of content they paid in full for. When his fans realized he had no intentions of delivering any of his met goals they cancelled their subscriptions and started getting vocal on the Patreon forums. Spoony couldn’t handle dealing with angry people he screwed over so he abandoned coming here and fled to twitter where he can live in his heavily moderated kingdom of kiss asses with his Queen James Hill. Someone needs to answer for all the money he was paid and the content that was never provided and that person is Noah Antwiler. Patreon is all about the money they don’t care what their Patreons do or how much they abuse and misuse their service. They won’t ask questions so long as they get a piece of the pie. Spoony might think he got way with ripping off his fans for thousands but his image has taken a permanent hit and he’ll never recover because people simply don’t trust him and he’s given them no reason to. He’s proven to be a liar a fraud and a con artist. From his sleep machine to his rocky mountain disease to his staph infection the only disease Spoony has ever been certified with is Bullshitter’s Disease. He was formerly the guy making over 5grand a month while providing absolutely Zero content. Now he’s the guy ripping fans for over 900 a month while milking the illness of the day in order to get sympathy money from what remains of his fans & still making ZERO content. March was a big month for Spoony’s reputation. It was the month where even his hardened fans started pulling support away from him. He hit a new tier low for his Patreon. So is it likely that he can ever recover? I’d say it’s about as likely as him ever making “The Spoony Movie”. I tip my glass to the downfall of this schemer. For the Nay sayers that are still dumb enough to defend or support him *Ahem Daniel Tilson... I would just say this... show me $100,000 worth of content that costs $100,000 to create.
Joakim Noah confirms that the murder of Lil Durk’s manager came hours after Noah’s anti-violence event Basketball seemed to be second on the mind of Joakim Noah Saturday night. Following the win over the New York Knicks, the Bulls big man confirmed that the manager of rapper Lil Durk, who was shot and killed early Friday morning, was at an event of Noah’s just hours earlier, discussing a way to get involved in Noah’s “Rock the Drop’’ anti-violence campaign. Uchenna Agina, 24, was shot at 1:50 a.m. Friday, while sitting in a car in the 8400 block of South Stony Island Avenue, according to authorities. “It’s very sad,’’ Noah said. “What’s going on in this city is very real. I signed up for this, and you know that I’m just doing everything I can to do something positive. We just need to keep up the good fight. I know that everything I’m doing with my foundation comes from my heart, and I think it’s really important that we don’t turn our backs on anybody. “I just know that someone came to my house and we were talking about doing some work for the kids, doing something positive, and he got murdered. I never experienced anything like that. My respects go to his family and to his friends. I just hope that we can find solutions.’’ Noah has promoting his anti-violence campaign most of the season, with his Noah’s Arc Foundation providing the big push behind it. According to Noah, while he’s been warned by some people to stay away from various rappers in the community, the death of Agina has made his resolve even stronger. “No question, and we need everybody involved,’’ Noah said. “That’s why these rappers, a lot of people tell me to stay away from certain people. I’m not staying away from anybody. We need everybody involved in this. The reason why I think these rappers are important is even though their message is violent in Chicago, they are a force. And I want to engage with them and I want to work together with them to do something positive. “I don’t want there to just … even though their message sometimes is negative and it might clash with the message that we’re bringing with the drop, their followers and the people that follow them is who I’m trying to reach.’’
SURREY, British Columbia (Reuters) - Canadian police said on Tuesday they foiled an al Qaeda-inspired plot to detonate three pressure-cooker bombs during Monday’s Canada Day holiday outside the parliament building in the Pacific coast city of Victoria, arresting a Canadian man and woman and seizing their home-made explosive devices. Royal Canadian Mounted Police Assistant Commissioner Wayne Rideout displays a picture of pressure cookers used by two individuals arrested while conspiring to commit an attack in Surrey, British Columbia July 2, 2013. REUTERS/Andy Clark Police said there was no evidence to suggest a foreign link to the planned attack, which targeted public celebrations outside the parliament building in Victoria, capital of the province of British Columbia. They declined to detail any links between the two Canadians and the al Qaeda network. They also said they were not aware of any connection to the April 15 bombings at the Boston Marathon in which three people were killed by devices built from pressure cookers. “This self-radicalized behavior was intended to create maximum impact on a national holiday,” Wayne Rideout, assistant commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, told a news conference. “They took steps to educate themselves and produced explosive devices designed to cause injury and death.” Police said there was no risk to the public at any time because they began monitoring the suspects in February and had known all along what was happening. The two people charged are John Stuart Nuttall and Amanda Korody, Canadian-born citizens from Surrey, British Columbia, authorities said. Canada Day is the equivalent of the July Fourth Independence Day celebrations in the United States, with street parties, barbecues and fireworks displays. The Canadian spy agency, CSIS, has expressed concern that disgruntled and radicalized Canadians could attack targets at home and abroad. In April, Canadian police arrested two men and charged them with plotting to derail a Toronto-area passenger train in an operation they say was backed by al Qaeda elements in Iran. Police also say Canadians took part in an attack by militants on a gas plant in Algeria in January. Canadian resident Ahmed Ressam, an Algerian citizen, tried to cross into the United States from British Columbia on a mission to blow up Los Angeles airport in 2000 and is serving 37 years in a U.S. prison.
Amanda Hawkins, the young woman who left her two young children in the car to die while she was out partying, is a proud Christian who routinely mentions God on Facebook. Authorities say that Hawkins intentionally left her young girls — ages 1 and 2 — in her vehicle for more than 15 hours while she was at a friend’s house. Temperatures rose into the 90s in the morning before they were taken to the hospital and soon pronounced dead. Kerr County Sheriff Rusty Hierholzer said in a statement: “This is by far the most horrific case of child endangerment that I have seen in the 37 years that I have been in law enforcement. Now with the death of the girls the charges could be upgraded after this case is presented to a grand jury.” It turns out that Hawkins, who lied about a trip to the lake when she finally brought them to the hospital, is a Christian who regularly posts about parenting and the Bible. Like this post, made before she killed her children, featuring 2 Timothy 3, about the “Dangers of the Last Days.” Hawkins also posted a “Realistic Daily Plan for Moms,” which included an exhaustive list of things to do for her children. On the “to-do” part of that list, most notably, is “Keep kids alive.” Looks like that part was harder than she thought. She has also posted about Easter, thanked God for her husband getting a new job, shared a Christian marriage advice thread, and reposted an image saying, “Having kids didn’t change my life… it SAVED my life.” If only she hadn’t ended theirs. I’m not saying Christianity caused Amanda to kill her young daughters. I am saying, however, that the Christian morals she espoused didn’t prevent her from doing something most parents could only imagine in their nightmares. She frequently quoted the Bible and talked about protecting her kids, but ultimately, it was all talk. She wasn’t able to keep them safe from herself, and she is being held accountable not by God but by the justice system. (Images via Bexar County Sheriff’s Office and Facebook)
Young students and their parents wearing masks walk along a street on a hazy day in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, China, November 3, 2015. Some kindergartens and schools were closed as severe air pollution hit northeastern Chinese city of Harbin on Tuesday, local media reported. China Stringer Network/Reuters An unhealthy environment was responsible for 12.6 million deaths in 2012, nearly one in four worldwide, according to a new report by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The WHO report looked at how environmental risks such as air, water and soil pollution, chemical exposure, climate change and ultraviolet radiation, influenced diseases and injuries. The report shows that deaths from infectious diseases mostly associated with water, sanitation and waste management have declined. Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as stroke, heart disease, cancers and chronic respiratory disease, now represent nearly two-thirds of the total deaths caused by unhealthy environments. The report shows that unhealthy environments most adversely affected young children and older adults. The places most affected by environment-related diseases are South-East Asia and Western Pacific Regions where 7.3 million people died, mostly of air pollution related diseases. Dr Maria Neira, WHO Director for the Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health, said that countries needed to urgently invest in strategies to make environments more healthy. "Such investments can significantly reduce the rising worldwide burden of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, injuries, and cancers, and lead to immediate savings in healthcare costs," Neira said. While Dr Margaret Chan, the WHO Director-General warned that if environments continued to be this unhealthy, millions would continue to fall ill. "If countries do not take actions to make environments where people live and work healthy, millions will continue to become ill and die too young," Chan said. PCB contamination warning signs surround Silver Lake in Pittsfield, Mass., Friday, June 20, 1997. The old General Electric plant, left, is one of GE's 250-acre complex of plants in the northeast section of the city, where the contamination was thought to be concentrated, including a 55-mile stretch of the Housatonic River from the plant to the Connecticut border. Alan Solomon/AP The report emphasises how air pollution is becoming more and more of a threat and contributing environmental health factor. 8.2 million deaths due to NCDs in 2012 are attributable to air pollution according to the report. Around 19% of all cancers, now a leading cause of death worldwide, were estimated by the WHO to be attributable to environmental factors. Lung cancer, which killed 1.6 million people in 2012, is a prime example. Although smoking is the most important risk factor for the disease, "over 20 environmental and occupational agents are proven lung carcinogens in humans. Air pollution, for example from indoor burning of coal or biomass, was associated with substantial increases of lung cancer risk," the report says. About 18% of all heart diseases worldwide were attributable to household air pollution and 24% to ambient air pollution. 42% of all strokes were linked to the environment. The report says that the total environmental deaths did not change since 2002, but that noncommunicable diseases are now linked to more deaths than before. "The last decade has seen a shift away from infectious, parasitic and nutritional diseases to NCDs, not only in terms of the environmental fraction but also the total burden," the report says. "This shift is mainly due to a global decline of infectious disease rates, and a reduction in the environmental risks causing infectious diseases, and a lower share of households using solid fuels for cooking."
Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window) It was no coincidence that Ryan Kesler’s best season in the NHL coincided with the best team in Vancouver Canucks history. In 2010-11, Kesler scored a career-high 41 goals as the Canucks won the Presidents’ Trophy and came within a game of winning the Stanley Cup. For his efforts, he was awarded the Selke Trophy as the best defensive forward in the league, snapping Pavel Datsyuk’s string of three straight seasons winning the award. Unfortunately for Kesler and the Canucks, 2010-11 was the high-water mark for player and club. As a result, he’s now a member of the Anaheim Ducks, after the 29-year-old requested, and was granted, a trade out of Vancouver. “I’m going to Anaheim to win a championship,” said Kesler. “That’s going to be my sole goal, and my team’s sole goal.” And history shows that championship teams often have a player with a Selke on their résumé — be it Datsyuk in Detroit, Jonathan Toews in Chicago, Patrice Bergeron in Boston, Rod Brind’Amour in Carolina, or going all the way back to Bob Gainey in Montreal. The 2007 Ducks team that won it all had a Selke nominee in Samuel Pahlsson. “I think I can fit into this team and be a good No. 2 behind Ryan Getzlaf,” said Kesler, who played behind Henrik Sedin in Vancouver. “We have size, speed and grit. I’d say that Getzlaf is one of the best centers in the game. I’m going to come in behind him and do my job.” Motivation shouldn’t be a problem for Kesler, who’s suffered the two biggest losses a hockey player can possibly suffer. In 2011, he lost Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. In 2010, he lost the Olympic gold-medal game as a member of Team USA. Health, however, could be another story. A veteran of 655 regular-season NHL games, Kesler’s body has taken a lot of punishment. He had hip surgery in the summer of 2011. He had shoulder surgery in the summer of 2012. Yet despite all the hard miles he’s logged, Kesler still managed to lead the Canucks with 25 goals in 2013-14, while averaging 21:49 of ice time per game. Among NHL forwards, only Sidney Crosby (21:58) played more per contest. In fact, Kesler’s increased ice time under coach John Tortorella became a hot topic in hockey-mad Vancouver, where there’s rarely a shortage of hot topics. “A lot of people in Vancouver make a lot of everything,” Kesler said in Sochi during the Olympics. “It’s two minutes [more per game]. It’s two shifts. It’s not that big a deal for me.” Shortly thereafter, it was reported he wanted out of Vancouver. Kesler has two years remaining on his contract before he can become an unrestricted free agent. For Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau, the addition of the Livonia native makes Anaheim “a bona fide threat to become an elite team.” Said Boudreau: “I’ve never coached a team in the NHL that’s had a second-line center that you’re going to have with Ryan Kesler. It’s a great [acquisition], and it gets you excited.” To be sure, the Ducks still have question marks, namely on the blue line and in goal. But assuming he can stay healthy, Kesler should make them a tougher out in the playoffs. “After the season in reviewing things, we knew we had to fill that,” Anaheim general manager Bob Murray said. “Not that [Kesler is] a second-line center, but we knew we needed someone behind Ryan Getzlaf. This is a huge move for our hockey team.”
ES News Email Enter your email address Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in or register with your social account Hundreds of people marched towards Downing Street in protest of Theresa May’s “hateful” alliance with the socially hardline Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). Protesters chanted outside Downing Street, blasting the Conservative Party for uniting with the DUP, which has drawn criticism for its right-wing stance on issues such gay rights and abortion. People carried placards reading anti-DUP and pro-Jeremy Corbyn messages, while chants of “Tories out, refugees in” echoed across Parliament Square. The protest comes the day after Mrs May formed a minority government propped up by the DUP, having failed to win a majority in Thursday’s General Election. Organisers from Stand Up To Racism and the Stop The War Coalition spoke to the crowd, who cheered at the mention of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s name. Musicians performed to the protesters, who seemed in good spirits. One organiser led chants of "racist, sexist, anti-gay, the DUP has got to go". The protest then moved to outside the gates of Downing Street, where they were met by a wall of uniformed police officers. Luke O'Neill, who voted for Labour in Kensington, said he felt Mr Corbyn had motivated young people. The 27-year-old said: "May's mandate has gone, that's probably the best news and Labour is gaining - that is the best news as well. "Jeremy Corbyn gave us power, that's what he's all about." The nursery worker said he was "angry" that Mrs May had done a deal with the DUP, although he admitted he did not initially know who they were. "I've never seen people more hateful in my life," he said. "I didn't know who the DUP were, I had to Google them, as many people no doubt in this country would have had to Google them." The DUP opposes gay marriage and Northern Ireland remains the only part of the UK where women cannot access abortion unless their life is endangered by the pregnancy. The Prime Minister has been forced to seek a “confidence and supply” deal with the DUP after losing her majority in a snap election that spectacularly backfired. An online petition has also gathered almost 500,000 signatures, with the political party branded “dangerous” on the page.
The UK government spent more than £750,000 on lawyers’ fees trying to deny responsibility for the deaths of soldiers killed in lightly armoured Snatch Land Rovers, a freedom of information request has revealed. The massive bill was run up on behalf of the Ministry of Defence at a time when legal aid to claimants has suffered deep cuts. The department was ultimately unsuccessful in supporting it did not have a duty of care to those killed using the vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan. The revelation will reinforce accusations that ministers are prepared to exploit taxpayers’ funds to obtain a legal advantage in court while claimants are often left to rely on lawyers working pro bono. Snatch Land Rovers, nicknamed “mobile coffins”, were developed to transport troops in Northern Ireland. They were subsequently deployed in the Afghan and Iraq conflicts. Last year the Chilcot inquiry found a string of MoD failings in the preparation for the Iraq war, including a delay in replacing the vehicles, which were vulnerable to bombs. Families whose sons and daughters died in Snatch Land Rovers brought compensation claims against the government under legislation covering negligence and human rights. In 2013,the supreme court found that, based on human rights legislation, the army has a duty of care to soldiers killed in combat. The MoD is planning to introduce a compensation scheme that will do away with the need to prove negligence and divert cases away from the courts. It claims that it will produce more generous payments; the proposal has caused misgivings among service families who have campaigned to reveal flaws in army equipment. The department is also planning to suspend human rights legislation in future wars. The legal costs for the Snatch Land Rover cases were obtained through a freedom of information request to the government’s legal department by a campaigner, Omran Belhadi. It shows that total legal costs to the government for Snatch Land Rover cases to date are £765,731, of which £321,354 was for in-house lawyers and charges, and £444,376 was for “external disbursements” – mainly barristers fees. Of that total sum, £169,519 was spent on government lawyers and barristers at the supreme court case where the lead case was brought by Sue Smith. Her son, Pte Phillip Hewett, 21, of Tamworth, Staffordshire, died in July 2005 after the Snatch Land Rover he was travelling in was blown up in Amara, south-east Iraq. Belhadi said: “This was a staggering waste of taxpayers’ money. Thanks to the courage of the bereaved families – and reliance on the Human Rights Act – the government was compelled to do what is right and apologise. It is a disgrace that it took 12 years to get here. “These cases highlight how much we need the Human Rights Act. Justice could not be achieved without it. Any plans to repeal the Act must be permanently abandoned.” Hilary Meredith, a solicitor and visiting professor of law and veterans’ affairs at Chester University, said: “This is a huge amount and compounds the David and Goliath plight of those parents fighting for the rights of their sons and daughters killed in these vehicles dubbed the mobile coffins. “Legal aid is not available to them and they have to find lawyers to either act pro bono or on a no-win no-fee basis. What is even more ironic is that the MoD didn’t fight this case because they believed the Snatch Land Rover was the right vehicle for the job, they fought it to try and wriggle out of any duty of care owed to those who fight on the front line when sent with inadequate or faulty equipment.” The Law Society, which represents solicitors in England and Wales, is opposing the MoD’s new compensation scheme. Commenting on the legal costs, an MoD spokesperson said: “The defence secretary directed that cases related to Snatch Land Rovers should be settled, ending prolonged legal battles. Our plans for better compensation would mean that money spent on lawyers would instead go on higher compensation for armed forces personnel and their families. The proposals would offer more generous compensation, paid at a rate a court would likely award if it found in the claimant’s favour.” The MoD believes its proposed compensation scheme would avoid lengthy and expensive court cases for those who bring claims in the future.
The paving and safety projects scheduled to be built with Portland’s proposed gas tax will be spread quite evenly across the city. But votes on the gas tax definitely weren’t. Of the 81 Multnomah County precincts in the City of Portland, only 19 tallied “yes” votes between 45 percent and 55 percent. In more than half of precincts, the vote on the 10-cent local gas tax, one of the country’s largest local fuel taxes ever approved by popular vote, was a blowout victory or loss by 20-point margins or even more. The southeast Portland precinct that includes the Sunnyside neighborhood gave the “Fix our Streets” proposal its strongest margin in the city. Disregarding two tiny precincts that had fewer than 100 voters (one of those voted yes, the other no) the “Fix our Streets” campaign was most popular in Precinct 4207, the Sunnyside district along Belmont Street and Hawthorne Boulevard on either side of Cesar Chavez Way. More than 69 percent of voters there supported it. But the tax went down hard in every precinct east of Interstate 205. The further east, the more “no” votes it saw. In Precinct 5009 along the Gresham border (which also happens to be the eastern endpoint of the 4M Neighborhood Greenway that will be funded by the tax) only 20 percent of voters voted “yes.” In all, 43 precincts voted “no” on the tax and 38 voted “yes.” But (unlike in national presidential elections, for example) every vote cast in the city has equal power, and precincts that voted “yes” generally had more residents. The tax slid into a 4-point victory (52.1 percent to 47.9 percent) on May 17. Did votes split along income lines? By the amount of driving people do? By the perceived viability of alternatives to driving? By environmentalist or social justice sentiment? By trust in local government? Those are all possibilities but without exit polls, it’s hard to say. Here are three two details worth noticing in the map above, though: Thanks for reading BikePortland. Please consider a $10/month subscription or a one-time payment to help maintain and expand this vital community resource. 1) Southwest Portland said “yes” even though east Portland didn’t. Safety advocate Roger Averbeck on SW Capitol Highway, which will get a $1.7 million for repaving and $3.3 million for sidewalks thanks to the gas tax. (Photos: J.Maus/BikePortland) Two parts of Portland, outer east and outer southwest, were built mostly on Multnomah County roads, without sidewalks, in the era after 1959 when the city had banned multifamily housing from most areas, required on-site parking for commercial lots and avoided street grids. Decades later, all those decisions shape transportation habits, development patterns, housing prices and culture. People who live in east and southwest Portland alike will tell you that their streets need a lot of work. But last month, one of those two areas — the richer one — voted something like 55/45 “yes” on the gas tax and the other voted more like 70/30 against. What happened? One possibility is that it’s related to this map from a recent city study: Southwest Portland is far from homogenously rich and east Portland is far from homogenously poor. But east Portlanders’ job market is hugely dependent on the city’s most important jobs center that’s virtually inaccessible except by car: the industrial and port land along the Columbia River. East of Interstate 205, transit lines and bikeways to central Portland and Gresham are scarce and mediocre, but they do exist. Transit and bike routes to the Columbia Corridor, though, basically don’t exist at all. Southwest Portland, by contrast, can also be unpleasant to navigate on foot or bike, but it’s likely that more people there work in areas such as downtown that are relatively well-served by transit — or if they car-commute to Washington or Clackamas County, will be easily able to avoid the tax. Maybe that’s part of the reason the proposal did better in southwest. 2) Central Portland said “hell yes.” Parking at New Seasons Market on N Williams Avenue. If we assume that in the long run the gas tax will be a smart, money-saving and justice-advancing policy (as, presumably, most people in Portland government do), then we can’t ignore the single most important thing about this ballot measure: It passed. Why did it pass? In part because of the 20 to 30 percent of east Portland voters who backed it despite their neighbors’ disagreement. In part because it broke 50 percent support in the southwest. But more than anything, it was because the proposal, which was very explicitly organized around the narrative that walking and biking should be safe and pleasant, racked up massive support in central Portland. This support wasn’t limited to people who don’t buy much gasoline. Far more than half of people in central Portland drive to work, and almost every precinct in and around the central city saw more than 60 percent “yes.” Whatever the reason — some of it probably in self-interest, some of it probably cultural, some of it probably ideological — a gas tax that was once assumed to be politically impossible was successfully sold to overwhelming majorities in these neighborhoods. Political action requires coalitions. Against odds, the gas tax built one. Correction 3 pm: Due to a transcription error, an earlier version of the map and post reported an incorrect figure for inner northwest Portland, conflating it with the results from outer northwest. Since the revised figure is less surprising — inner northwest Portland voted overwhelmingly for the tax, like other central neighborhoods — we’ve deleted a section discussing this. — Michael Andersen, (503) 333-7824 – [email protected] Our work is supported by subscribers. Please become one today. Front Page, Politics election 2016, local gas tax, Street Fee Proposal
OAKLAND — Officials in this fire-ravaged city reacted with alarm Monday over a report by this news organization that almost 80 percent of firefighter referrals to inspect dangerous conditions went ignored over the last six years. “It is horrifying,” Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan said of the investigation’s findings. “In fact, one of the issues (the story) identified is how it gets decided who gets inspected.” In early 2017, a few months after the Ghost Ship warehouse fire killed 36 people, Kaplan proposed reprioritizing which businesses get inspected. Kaplan said she had heard from residents who said their businesses received multiple inspections, while others were never inspected. “I’ve been getting complaints from random small business owners that say they get fire inspections over and over again for no reason and charged a fee,” Kaplan said Monday. Councilman Noel Gallo, who represents a district that includes the Ghost Ship warehouse, said the city can’t wait until more fire inspectors are hired. He said the city should hire private inspectors to help the fire department until it can get up to speed, similar to when the California Highway Patrol and the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office were brought in to help Oakland police patrol city streets. Gallo met with City Administrator Sabrina Landreth Monday morning. Get top headlines in your inbox every afternoon. Sign up for the free PM Report newsletter. “I don’t want to sit here idle knowing we have all these properties and facilities challenged when it comes to public safety,” Gallo said. The Bay Area News Group analysis of city records from 2011 until early this year revealed that more than 200 apartment buildings, housing thousands of residents, were referred to the Fire Prevention Bureau for inspection, but those inspections did not happen. In all, firefighters referred 879 properties for fire code issues, a number that includes the apartment buildings, plus commercial buildings and several schools. But 696 (79 percent) of the flagged properties were never inspected by the bureau, a cross-check of the data obtained through multiple public records requests shows. Only 183 (21 percent) of the referred properties had subsequent inspections, and only a handful of them were conducted within the first month. It often took months or years before the visits occurred. Oakland fire referrals Since 2011, Oakland firefighters have made 879 referrals at properties they found with fire safety issues and needing an inspection. Only 183 (21 percent) of those were ever inspected, often months or years later. Referrals from January 2011 to March 2017. Dot colors: Red=Artist collective, Green=Commercial, Blue=Residential, Yellow=Other Fire experts called such “referrals” a top priority for inspections. The city blamed the inspection lapse on a problematic software system and lack of staffing. The city has proposed beefing up its inspection staff and changing to a new computer program. Former Oakland city inspector Mark Grissom, who is now a wildlands firefighter for the federal government, told this news organization that the Fire Prevention Bureau would prioritize modern buildings with superior fire-prevention systems to inspect because the agency knew it would get paid for its inspection services. The city charges for fire inspections, and Grissom said that at older buildings in poorer neighborhoods, inspectors knew that if they conducted an inspection, the payment might not happen. Kaplan said she proposed reducing inspections for low-risk office spaces and increasing inspections for high-risk buildings, such as unpermitted ones like the Ghost Ship warehouse. The City Administrator’s Office rejected it, she said, because the Mayor’s Office was working on its own proposal. Representatives for Mayor Libby Schaaf and Landreth did not respond to calls for comment Monday. “This change needs to happen immediately. They need to change the inspection prioritization, and it needs to actually be managed,” said Kaplan, who as the at-large council member represents all of Oakland. “It’s not just the last fire we need to fight, it’s the next fire.”
Murray spoke ahead of Queen’s (Picture: Getty) Andy Murray insists he’s been the best player in the world over the last 12 months, despite John McEnroe describing him as a ‘distant fourth’ in comparison to Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. Who are the three Manchester United youngsters who could feature against Crystal Palace? The world No. 1 climbed to the top of the rankings in the backend of 2016 after a splendid run of form saw him overtake Djokovic at the summit. But despite that incredible surge in form, McEnroe still suggested he was behind the other major stars of the game, saying: ‘He’s always been top four, but it’s been a distant fourth. In a way, he’s still a distant fourth.’ While Murray wouldn’t disagree with the assessment throughout his career, he hit back at the idea that he’s still behind them now. McEnroe still rates Murray behind the rest of the ‘Big Four’ (Picture: Getty) ‘I think for pretty much all of my career, yeah, I think that would have been the case,’ he said ahead of Queen’s. Advertisement Advertisement ‘I’ve always been behind them in the rankings. If you look at the titles and everything those guys have won, I mean, I can’t compare myself to them. ‘There’s maybe one or two things that I have done that they won’t have but for the most part I would have been fourth. That’s if you look at a whole career. Nadal and Federer are chasing Murray in the rankings (Picture: Getty) ‘But it’s not true of the last year because I’m ranked No. 1 in the world. I’ve been better than them for the last 12 months, that’s how the ranking systems work. It took me a long time to get there. ‘It’s not true of the last year but in terms of the career as a whole, then I would, if I could swap careers with those guys I obviously would because they’ve won a lot more than me.’ The Scot has plenty of work to do to maintain his status as the world’s best player, which will start with the defence of his titles at Queen’s and Wimbledon. Murray enjoyed a good run at the French Open (Picture: AFP/Getty) Murray had previously endured a tough start to the season but an encouraging run to the semi-finals of the French Open has seen him be cast as one of the top-two favourites for the title at Wimbledon. But despite his solid performances at Roland Garros, Murray revealed what he’s looking to improve on as he heads into the grass-court season. Advertisement Advertisement ‘My serving could have improved,’ he added. ‘That is something that in the last few months has not been so good. ‘It was better in Paris but again, if you want to win the best competitions you cannot get away with things not being at a great level. ‘At the Slams and the major tournaments, you have to be doing everything well. That is something I struggled a little bit during the clay. ‘So I worked a little bit on that. Obviously, the grass helps being a little bit quicker – you get a lot more free points. ‘I felt I could have moved a bit better in Paris but again it is a completely different surface. It is a completely different way of moving and playing the points, so I have worked a bit on that as well.’ MORE: Wawrinka still rates ‘Big Four’ as favourites amid incredibly tough Wimbledon field
Image caption The ice balls impact the ring at slow speed (about 2m per second), pulling out jets of particles It is like a huge snowball fight and it is taking place in the outer Solar System around Saturn. Scientists working on the Cassini probe have witnessed small clumps of ice ploughing through one of the gas giant's main rings - its F-ring. As they plunge through, the km-sized ice balls leave glittering trails behind them referred to as mini-jets. Some of these collisions trace quite exotic shapes in the F-ring that look like barbs on a harpoon. The research has been presented here at the European Geosciences Union (EGU) meeting in Vienna, Austria, by Carl Murray, a Cassini imaging team member based at Queen Mary University of London, UK. The F-ring is the outermost of Saturn's main rings. It is located 3,000km beyond the bright A-ring and has a circumference approaching 900,000km. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Prof Carl Murray: Prometheus acts like a cookie-cutter on the F-ring The Cassini imaging team had been watching the 40km-wide Prometheus moon dance along the edge of this ring for some time. The moon's gravitational perturbations regularly produce channels and ripples in the F-ring, and it was known some of the disturbed ice particles could clump together. But it was assumed collisions or tidal forces in their orbit around Saturn would soon break these clumps apart. "We know that Prometheus, as well as producing regular patterns, is capable of producing concentrations of material in the ring," Prof Murray explained to BBC News. "We just call them large snowballs, and if these things can survive - because Prometheus will come around to the same part of the F-ring again and interact with them again - they may grow, and maybe these are what form the moonlets that collide with the core of the F-ring." Cassini's archive of pictures would certainly seem to suggest they can survive and play their own game in the F-ring. The discovery was somewhat lucky. It was while observing Prometheus one more time that Prof Murray and colleagues noticed a jet in the ring that could not have been formed by the moon or by a quasi-moon referred to simply as S6, which is known to cross right through the ring on occasions. And when the team examined 20,000 images stretching back over Cassini's seven years at Saturn, the researchers found 500 examples of similar rogue jets. System simulation It is clear the ice balls collide with the F-ring at slow speed - about two meters per second. The jets they produce in their wake are about 40-180km long. In some instances, it is the jets of lone rogues that are seen. In other cases, there is evidence that groups of ice balls have ploughed through the F-ring en masse to produce a series of jets. Saturn's rings are composed primarily of water ice. Although the rings extend some 140,000km from the centre of the planet, their average thickness is far less than 100m. Image caption The collisions create harpoon-like structures Apart from their great beauty, scientists are fascinated by the rings because they can be used as a model to study Solar System formation. Some of the behaviours seen in the rings are probably very similar to the ones that occurred in the disc of material that collected around the infant Sun more than four and a half billion years ago, and which eventually gave rise to the planets, Saturn included. "The rings of Saturn are simply our closest example of an astrophysical disc," Prof Murray told the BBC. "We're trying to understand the processes going on in Saturn's rings because they're direct analogues for processes that went on in the early history of not only our Solar System but other planetary systems as well. "These are discs of gas and dust where larger objects form and start influencing the material around them, and then the whole system evolves." Cassini is a cooperative mission between the US, European and Italian space agencies. The spacecraft entered into orbit around Saturn in 2004. It is due continue its science observations until 2017, when it will then be commanded to destroy itself in the atmosphere of the gas giant. Scientists are keen to avoid any chance that parts of Cassini will end up on Saturn's moons Enceladus or Titan (targets of interest in the search for extraterrestrial life) and contaminate them with any Earth bugs that have survived all these years on the spacecraft. Image caption Projections of the F-ring assembled from Cassini observations. The structure is caused by perturbations from Prometheus and the object known as S6 [email protected] and follow me on Twitter
Florida Gov. Rick Scott on July 13, 2015, in Miami Gardens, Florida. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Florida has passed a law overhauling the state’s death penalty system to address problems identified by the Supreme Court in a Jan. 12 ruling that halted executions in the state; it remains to be seen whether nearly 400 individuals sentenced to death before the new law will still face capital punishment without resentencing. SCOTUS ruled the state system in which judges, rather than juries, imposed death sentences unconstitutional with an 8–1 ruling in Hurst v. Florida. The new Florida law, passed by wide bipartisan margins in the state’s House and Senate and signed by Republican Gov. Rick Scott, requires juries to unanimously affirm the existence of “aggravating factors” that make a crime eligible for punishment by death and requires the votes of 10 out of 12 jurors to impose a death sentence. The 389 individuals already on Florida’s death row, however, were sentenced under the previous system; in a case pending before the state’s Supreme Court, attorneys for the state’s government have argued that Hurst does not invalidate those sentences. The Supreme Court majority opinion in Hurst, written by Sonia Sotomayor, appears to have punted on that question. Here’s SCOTUSBlog on the subject: The [Hurst] ruling, however, did not immediately spare the life of Timothy Lee Hurst of Pensacola for murdering a co-worker at a fast-food restaurant more than seventeen years ago. The Court sent back to state courts the question whether the flaw in the sentencing procedure was a “harmless error” — that is, whether Hurst would have been sentenced to death even if Florida had left the decision solely to the jury. Florida has executed more prisoners in the past five years than any state except Texas.
Actor George Clooney declared the arguments of global warming skeptics to be “stupid” and “ridiculous.” Clooney made the remarks to reporters on the eve of Typhoon Haiyan hitting the Philippines. He was attending the BAFTA Britannia Awards in Beverly Hills on Saturday night November 9. “Well it’s just a stupid argument,” Clooney said on the red carpet, referring to the dissenters of man-made global warming. “If you have 99 percent of doctors who tell you ‘you are sick’ and 1 percent that says ‘you’re fine,’ you probably want to hang out with, check it up for the 99. You know what I mean? The idea that we ignore that we are in some way involved in climate change is ridiculous. What’s the worst thing that happens? We clean up the earth a little bit?” “I find this to be the most ridiculous argument ever,” Clooney explained. Clooney added that he was unsure whether global warming was responsible for the Typhoon that devastated the Philippines. A Climate Depot special report has found scientists have rejected any link to man-made global warming. See: Media/Climate Activists ‘Hype False Claims’ About Typhoon Haiyan As Scientists Reject Climate Link – Claim of ‘strongest storm ever’ refuted Clooney’s claim of “99 percent” of scientists agreeing about man-made global warming has been challenged in peer-reviewed studies and other analyses. See: Contrary to reports, global warming studies don’t show 97% of scientists fear global warming: ‘The 97% figure represented just 75 individuals’ – – Another study’s ‘results add up to little more than ‘carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas’ and ‘mankind affects the climate.’ Related Links: Analysis: 97% of warmists cite a 97% that’s false Contrary to reports, global warming studies don’t show 97% of scientists fear global warming: ‘The 97% figure represented just 75 individuals’ – – Another study’s ‘results add up to little more than ‘carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas’ and ‘mankind affects the climate.’ SPECIAL REPORT: More Than 1000 International Scientists Dissent Over Man-Made Global Warming Claims – Challenge UN IPCC & Gore CONSENSUS? WHAT 97% CONSENSUS? — ‘The consensus revealed by the paper by Cook et al. is so broad that it incorporates the views of most prominent climate skeptics’
Sneed scoop: Black officials to boycott Duckworth event Ducking Tammy . . . Sneed hears a whammy is being planned for Tammy. • Translation: Sneed has learned a major boycott of a black unity breakfast in Chicago on Monday for U.S. Senate Dem primary winner Tammy Duckworth is being hatched by City Council and state legislative black caucuses. “Why would we want to express unity with Tammy Duckworth, who was selected for that spot by the Washington insiders at the Democratic National Campaign Committee?” said a powerful member of the City Council’s 18-member black caucus who asked to remain off-the-record. Sneed is told a hush-hush meeting of aldermanic and state caucus members, who had endorsed Andrea Zopp for the U.S. Senate seat, met recently in Hyde Park to discuss the boycott of the Duckworth event, which sources claim was organized by U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly and Secretary of State Jesse White, who supported Duckworth’s primary candidacy. Word is the boycott support group includes powerful State Sen. Kwame Raoul, State Sen. Kim Lightford, State Sen. Toi Hutchinson, State Sen. Patricia Van Pelt, Ald. Howard Brookins (21st), Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6th) and Ald. Leslie Hairston (5th). “It was taken for granted we would suck it all up — her candidacy — and it was patently unfair,” the source added. The Duckworth event is set for 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Pearl’s Place, 3901 S. Michigan Avenue. OPINION Spec check . . . In case you care about eyewear: It’s been noted President Barack Obama sported a pair of $485 designer sunglasses during his trip to Cuba, ditching his old wire frames. The police blotter . . . It’s not a slam dunk, yet. Sneed hears Mayor Rahm Emanuel is between a rock and a hard place trying to decide who gets the nod as the city’s next top cop. Sneed hears Emanuel, who still could toss out the list of three recommendations for the job and pick someone else, has been unnerved by negative police blog comments about contestant Deputy Police Supt. Gene Williams — as well as the very public mouth of frequent CNN commentator Cedric Alexander, the contestant who is public safety director of DeKalb County, Georgia. Will he pick a new name out of the hat? P.S. The Sun-Times first reported last month Alexander had emerged as a front-runner for the vacancy last December when Emanuel fired Police Supt. Garry McCarthy. Lee’s way . . . Filmmaker Spike ‘Chi-raq’ Lee plans to fly in Sunday to attend Easter mass at St. Sabina Church in the South Side’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood, where he shot his controversial headline-grabbing film — and sit in his favorite third-row aisle seat. “He was here every Sunday during filming,” said the church’s pastor, Father Michael Pfleger. • A reserved seat: Whadda you think? A sad note . . . For Chicago Police Officer Anthony M. Letizia, Tuesday was a walk-off home run. Officer Letizia, a major Cubs fan who had been in the final days of hospice care when Sneed featured him in last Sunday’s column, died Tuesday at the age of 32. “I just wanted to share with you that Chicago Police Officer Anthony Letizia lost his courageous three-year battle with brain cancer,” wrote former Chicago Police Supt. Phil Cline, who is head of the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation. “His family is in our thoughts and prayers.” Officer Letizia unexpectedly received the last part of a lifetime goal recently — a small piece of sod from the last national professional ballpark he had failed to visit. He and his wife, Sarah, a White Sox fan — were stunned and thankful. “Miracles have been known to happen,” said Cline. “Seven years ago, he donated bone marrow to a little girl in England he never met and it was a match. He saved her life, never mind the countless lives he didn’t know he saved in service as a police officer.” Visitation is March 30 at Cumberland Chapels in Norridge; funeral mass is at 11 a.m. March 31 at St. Beatrice Church in Schiller Park. I spy . . . Actor Edward James Olmos, who was in town attending the #C2E2 Comic Convention, was spotted at C Chicago Friday night. . . . Chicago Bulls forward Doug McDermott dropped into Harry Caray’s Italian Steakhouse on Kinzie Street on Friday while watching the NCAA tournament in the bar. Sneedlings . . . Get well wishes to State Sen. Kwame Raoul, who underwent surgery Tuesday. . . . Congrats to State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz on receiving the “Friend of Tourism Award” from the Illinois Office of Tourism and the Convention and Tourism Bureaus. . . . Today’s birthdays: Jim Parsons, 43; Starlin Castro, 26, and Peyton Manning, 40.
As Hub housing prices skyrocket, poverty tightens its grip on hundreds of Boston families who are pushed out and further down the economic ?ladder, advocates say. “There is not enough affordable housing,” said Liza Hirsch of Massachusetts Advocates for Children. “Rents are so high in Boston right now even middle class families are struggling to afford rent. The private market is unaffordable and there is not enough supply of affordable housing. Families are just trying to survive.” Between 2010 and 2016, single-family rental home prices have steadily climbed in Boston, jumping from $1,500 in November 2010 to over $2,500 in June 2016, according to data provided by Action for Boston Community Development. “Boston now has a huge run-up of $30 million condos,” said John Drew, ?president of ABCD. “It’s the whole business of inequality and racism. People don’t have the skills to compete. There is huge gentrification in Boston and prices are skyrocketing.” Gov. Charlie Baker’s ?office says his administration is trying to stem the tide statewide. The Baker administration has created a five-year housing plan that includes millions of dollars in investment in supportive housing for homeless families, affordable housing preservation, mixed-income housing development and aid for local public housing authorities. But Drew says Boston’s expensive market reflects a lack of national policy to address housing. “Congress is sitting on its hands and doing nothing. It’s a national problem,” Drew continued. “We are allowing this implosion to take place. “The end game is more and more families will be priced out and more youth will have no place to stay,” Drew said. “Are they going to sleep under bridges?”