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Your GPS-based activities can be broken down into smaller sections called segments. Segments designate specific features or portions of a route – such as a climb, a tricky stretch of trail or part of an open-water swim. Each time you complete a segment, your time is recorded so you can compare it to previous efforts and those of your friends and other athletes.
Each activity type has its own segments and leaderboards. Cyclists compete with cyclists, runners compete with runners, swimmers with swimmers, hikers with hikers and so on.
You'll find that many of your activities contain pre-existing segments, but you can also create your own using the Create Segment tool found on your activity pages on the web.
Earning achievements
When you upload an activity to Strava, you may be awarded "achievements" for outstanding performances on the segments you traverse. The different types of achievements are listed below.
Crown — King/Queen of the Mountain (KOM/QOM) or Course Record (CR)
The crown signifies the top performer on a given segment. Crowns are awarded to the fastest athlete to date on a segment's overall leaderboard. Your current all-time KOM/QOM/CR crowns are stored in a special list on Strava for your reference. Access the list under "KOMs/CRs" or "QOMs/CRs" from your profile page on the web.
Trophy — Overall Top 10 Placement
A trophy is awarded when you place near the top of an overall segment leaderboard. Trophies exist for 2nd place to 10th place all-time efforts.
Medal — Personal Top 3 Placement |
Tracking changes to django models.
Model fields for keeping track of the user and session that created and modified a model instance.
Abstract model class with fields created_by and modified_by fields.
and fields. A model manager class that can automatically track changes made to a model in the database.
Support for Django 1.6 and 1.7, South migrations, Django 1.7 migrations and custom User classes.
Python 3 and 2.x support
The documentation can be found here
Tracking full model history on M2M relations is not supported yet. Version 0.3.0 onwards is tested with Django 1.6. It should work with older versions of Django, but may break things unexpectedly!
Quickstart Guide
Install it with pip from PyPi:
pip install django-audit-log
Add audit_log.middleware.UserLoggingMiddleware to your MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES :
MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES = ( 'django.contrib.sessions.middleware.SessionMiddleware', 'django.middleware.common.CommonMiddleware', 'django.middleware.csrf.CsrfViewMiddleware', 'django.contrib.auth.middleware.AuthenticationMiddleware', 'django.contrib.messages.middleware.MessageMiddleware', 'django.middleware.clickjacking.XFrameOptionsMiddleware', 'audit_log.middleware.UserLoggingMiddleware', )
To just track who created or edited a model instance just make it inherit from AuthStampedModel :
from audit_log.models import AuthStampedModel class WarehouseEntry(AuthStampedModel): product = models.ForeignKey(Product) quantity = models.DecimalField(max_digits = 10, decimal_places = 2)
This will add 4 fields to the WarehouseEntry model:
created_by - A foreign key to the user that created the model instance.
- A foreign key to the user that created the model instance. created_with_session_key - Stores the session key with which the model instance was first created.
- Stores the session key with which the model instance was first created. modified_by - A foreign key to the user that last saved a model instance.
- A foreign key to the user that last saved a model instance. modified_with_session_key - Stores the session key with which the model instance was last saved.
If you want to track full model change history you need to attach an AuditLog manager to the model:
from django.db import models from audit_log.models.fields import LastUserField from audit_log.models.managers import AuditLog class ProductCategory(models.Model): name = models.CharField(max_length=150, primary_key = True) description = models.TextField() audit_log = AuditLog() class Product(models.Model): name = models.CharField(max_length = 150) description = models.TextField() price = models.DecimalField(max_digits = 10, decimal_places = 2) category = models.ForeignKey(ProductCategory) audit_log = AuditLog()
You can then query the audit log:
In [2]: Product.audit_log.all() Out[2]: [<ProductAuditLogEntry: Product: My widget changed at 2011-02-25 06:04:29.292363>, <ProductAuditLogEntry: Product: My widget changed at 2011-02-25 06:04:24.898991>, <ProductAuditLogEntry: Product: My Gadget super changed at 2011-02-25 06:04:15.448934>, <ProductAuditLogEntry: Product: My Gadget changed at 2011-02-25 06:04:06.566589>, <ProductAuditLogEntry: Product: My Gadget created at 2011-02-25 06:03:57.751222>, <ProductAuditLogEntry: Product: My widget created at 2011-02-25 06:03:42.027220>]
The documentation can be found here
Note: This project was not maintained actively for a while. One of the reasons was that I wasn't receiving email notifications from GitHub. The other reason: We were using it just on a couple of projects that were frozen to old versions of Django. If you need any help with the project you can contact me by email directly if I don't respond to your GitHub issues. Feel free to nudge me over email if you have a patch for something. You can find my email in the AUTHORS file. |
Comeback Coach Gary Kubiak
When NFL Coach Gary Kubiak experienced a stroke during a game in 2013, he wasn't sure if football would still be in his future, let alone a Super Bowl.
Sam Adams Aug 23, 2016
Gary Kubiak offers a handshake as he invites an old acquaintance into his office at the Denver Broncos' UCHealth Training Center. The grin on Kubiak's face looks as if it's been in place since winning Super Bowl 50 last season—his first season as the Broncos' head coach.
Instead of talking football X's and O's, Kubiak chooses this particularly cold spring morning to open up about the night he was brought to his knees by a TIA—transient ischemic attack.
The mini-stroke occurred on Nov. 3, 2013, in front of a national television audience. Kubiak was head coach of the Houston Texans at the time. He was leaving the field with his team at then–Reliant Stadium when he dropped suddenly to his knees.
Within minutes he was on a stretcher, being wheeled to a waiting ambulance. The Houston native was taken to Houston Methodist hospital, where it was confirmed through a series of tests that Kubiak had experienced a TIA. A TIA can occur when blood flow to part of the brain stops for a short period of time. It can mimic stroke-like symptoms and last less than 24 hours before disappearing.
"I don't recall a lot of what happened,'' says Kubiak, who turned 55 on Aug. 15. "But what I do recall is after the fact. I remember being at the hospital, and they were putting me through MRIs, various things. I had some issues going on with my left side, which was scaring the hell out of me."
"So I'm going through all these things, and I remember them asking me and my family to sign papers okaying them to give me this shot. And my wife and kids were saying, 'You've got to do it.' That's when I realized something was going on." Luckily, doctors were able to administer a clotbusting thrombolytic drug, which if received in a timely manner can limit the potential damage caused by a stroke.
"I think after that, a couple days went by and I felt normal. But I knew I'd been through something that could have been life-threatening.
"I came to the realization that I was OK, but after what had taken place I'd better stop and listen. I had some issues going on, like weakness in my left arm and left leg. But I knew that I had weathered the storm, so to speak. I felt very fortunate that I was getting under control to get back to being myself."
Kubiak's interpretation of "being myself" meant returning to countless hours of work at the practice facility, watching game film of opponents, evaluating players' performances, and drawing up game plans. To say the National Football League has consumed his life would be an understatement. The 2016 season will be his 32nd in the league—nine as a player (all with the Broncos) and 23 as a head coach or assistant.
The grind of countless hours of football was catching up to Kubiak when the TIA hit him with all the force of a blitzing linebacker leveling an unsuspecting quarterback.
Being the competitor that he is, Kubiak wanted to pick himself up off the ground and go back to work. Instead, he was advised to stay home and was given guidelines to follow while he slowly worked his way back to the team.
"They told me I'd find that I'd be pretty exhausted going through this situation," Kubiak says. "That was the biggest thing for about two or three weeks. You know, being a football coach and waking up every day at 5 o'clock in the morning, going to work, and working until 10, 11 at night … you think you're a little invincible.
"All of a sudden I'm getting up and around the house—I'd make it until noon and have to sit down. I knew something had changed about me, as far as my energy, and I had some work to do to get back to being myself."
When Kubiak received clearance to return to the Texans, his time with the team didn't last long. After losing 27–20 to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Dec. 5, Houston's season record dropped to 2–11.
The Texans decided to fire Kubiak, bringing his eight-year tenure with the team to an abrupt end. "So I went from worrying about my health to all of a sudden, shoot, I just got fired," Kubiak says. "There was a lot going on."
Not long after being fired, Kubiak took a weekend trip to Louisiana with his wife, Rhonda. The two have been married now for 33 years. The getaway might have |
The earliest reference that I have for this device is a U.P. press release from January of 1951. The relevant sections follow:
"Navy Develops Atom Detectors . . . Dog Tag Devices Test Radiation." "Silver-activated phosphate glass is the sensitive element in the second type[of dog tag device]. Gama [sic] rays turn the glass to an orange color under ultra-violet light. The navy said a quick measure of radiation intensity can be made visually and that a more accurate measurement can be determined by a simple and compact photo-electric "reader.""
Ten years later, in October of 1961, an AP press release featured a photo of a woman holding a DT-60 dosimeter. The accompanying text read: "Nuclear Neckwear. Linda Bromley of New Rochelle, N.Y., holds in her left hand a personal radiation detector whose maker says could be the next thing in ladies neckwear should the threat of nuclear fallout increase. The lead shield plastic-covered detector, called a dosimeter, is the size of a half dollar and weighs one and a half ounces."
The DT60 was produced for the military by a variety of manufacturers: Bausch and Lomb Optical Co., Penberthy Instrument Co. Inc., Corning Glass Works, and Polaroid Corporation. The DT-60B/PD was manufactured by Speciality Electronics Corp. and the Model DT-60C was manufactured by Industrial Electronic Hardware Corp.
Donated by Ron Kathren and David Bullock
References
RADIAC data sheet.
Department of the Navy Directory of Radiac Equipment NAVSHIPS 94200.5, page date April 1958.
Defense Nuclear Agency List of Military and Civil Defense Radiac Devices HQDNA(AR)-124 3M, August 1987.
Ron Kathren, personal communication. |
"I own stocks," Nassim Taleb told CNBC Tuesday. "I don't trust Treasury bonds. I'd rather have a dividend than a coupon. I am afraid of hyperinflation. So I have no choice but to own stock and some real estate to preserve my financial situation."
He also has "some euros," because despite the bad press, "they know the problems in Europe" but the U.S. does not.
Taleb, who is in the process of updating his 2007 book, considers a "black swan" event to be something undirected and unpredicted. But he said the current U.S. economic problems have been years in the making, causing him to distrust the Obama administration, the Republicans in Congress and all the Republican presidential challengers — except Texas congressman Ron Paul.
"Only one candidate, Ron Paul, is saying the right things for the issues we are facing," Taleb said. "I'm a risk-based person. From my vantage point there's only one candidate representing the right policies."
Taleb said he believes in an America that is resilient. "You don't achieve that through bailouts," he said. "You need the economy to stay vital. You need a rate of failure. What is fragile should break early." |
In the early morning hours of April 10th, a kitchen fire spread through two buildings in Portsmouth, destroying the State Street Saloon and the apartments above and causing major damage to adjacent buildings.
Join the Seacoast Business Owners Group as we raise funds to support those displaced by the fire. The funds will be put into a savings account to be allocated according to need. These donations are tax deductible thanks to Art-Speak!
HUGE THANKS to all the businesses contributing to the raffle.
SPECIAL THANKS to Art-Speak who made this raffle possible by serving as the fiscal sponsor. The mission of Art-Speak is to enhance Portsmouth's community, which includes non profit arts, historical and cultural organizations, individual artists, citizens and businesses, as well as its economy through the arts and cultural programs and initiatives.
In addition to this work, Art-Speak supports the development of new non-profits by offering a platform to raise tax-exempt funds without official 501(c)(3) status.
#StateyStrong
Check out the amazing prizes below from 50 local businesses!! Donations make you eligible for any of the prizes below. |
Steffon Josey-Davis
The Garden State's draconian firearms regulations have ensnared another innocent person — but he may beat the rap.
On September 20, 2013, a 22-year-old private security guard named Steffon Josey-Davis was unloading his service pistol in his car when his six-year-old sister suddenly entered the garage. Hoping to avoid alarming her, Josey-Davis stopped what he was doing, placed his gun quietly into the glove box, and, having been "distracted by a chain of events," quickly forgot all about it. Later that evening, while out for a drive with his girlfriend, he was pulled over for a minor traffic offense, at which point he volunteered to the officer that he had a loaded firearm in the front of the car, in violation of New Jersey's transportation rules. The pistol was confiscated, and, when he went to pick it up later in the week, he was arrested and charged with illegal possession — a second-degree felony.
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Of all the states in all the country, Steffon Josey-Davis had to screw up in this one.
Whatever his intentions might have been, there is no question that Josey-Davis broke the law. In a recent interview with Fox News, he noted rather hopefully that his concealed-carry permit "was due to be approved the week he was arrested." Perhaps this is true, and he would have received it shortly after. But it is also utterly irrelevant. If one needs a permit to carry a concealed weapon, one needs a permit to carry a concealed weapon. If one lacks that permit, one is in violation of the law. Steffon Josey-Davis was in violation of the law.
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#related#And yet a couple of factors complicate the story somewhat. The first is that, at the time of his arrest, New Jersey was experimenting with a firearms amnesty that explicitly applied to the very provisions of which Josey-Davis was eventually found guilty. Evan Nappen, the prolific firearms attorney who has now taken charge of Josey-Davis's appeal, holds that his client should never have been detained in the first place. "He shouldn't be in this situation," Nappen says over the phone. "The amnesty was in force."
Nappen has a point. Not only is the plain language of the law on his side, but he has a solid legal precedent to point to as well. In State of New Jersey v. Onn Rapeika, decided in January of this year, Judge James J. Guida dismissed a series of firearms-related indictments that had been leveled against a drug dealer because an "amnesty program (P.L. 2013, c.117) passed by the Legislature . . . was in effect at the time" when the police found his guns. "Armed with statutory construction and the synopsis that the law provides a 'window' to dispose of certain unlawfully possessed firearms," Guida wrote, "the only logical conclusion to be reached is that defendant cannot be prosecuted for possession." "The plain reading of the statute," he added, "indicates defendant had until February 4, 2014 to exercise one of the disposal options authorized." And yet the "firearms were seized on January 3, 2014," a month before the deadline.
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That amnesty program went into effect on August 8, 2013. Steffon Josey-Davis was stopped on September 20. The obvious question, then: If Onn Rapeika is covered by its protections, why is Josey-Davis not?
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Indeed, if the appeals court agrees with Nappen's logic, Josey-Davis may well find himself freed by the perverse breadth of the very rules that were used to prosecute him. Unlike most states, New Jersey does not have a law on the books that explicitly prohibits carrying a firearm without a permit; instead, the state requires anybody who is discovered in possession of a firearm to demonstrate either that he has a concealed-carry permit or that he is exempt from prosecution under one of the few legal exemptions that the state has reluctantly carved out in Title 2c:39–6 of its Code of Criminal Justice. Or, put another way, rather than presuming that its citizens may do anything with their firearms that has not been explicitly prohibited, New Jersey presumes that all gun owners are guilty of illegal possession unless they — or their temporary behaviors — are exempted from the law. The practical upshot of this is that if a gun owner cannot prove that he is exempt from prosecution, he is deemed by default to be in illegal possession — regardless of whether he has purchased his firearms legally (which Josey-Davis did), or whether he intended to commit a crime (which Josey-Davis did not).
This being so, Nappen's amnesty claim makes a great deal of sense. Subsection b of Section 2C: |
Join us Thursday, October 25th for ArcGNO's 1st Annual SBP Culinary Classic! Enjoy delicious St. Bernard Parish cuisine and drinks while supporting the intellectual disability community.
Click here for tickets and more information |
In Venezuela, there was a brief, bright moment when Edward Snowden, the N.S.A. leaker, was expected to land suddenly at Simón Bolívar International Airport, jet-lagged and red-eyed but safe and sound and victorious. His slipping out of Moscow and crossing the world would have been seen as a remarkable act of defiance against the power of the American government. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro had offered him asylum after visiting Russia for the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, at the beginning of July. He declared that Snowden had done nothing wrong and was being subjected to a "crazy manhunt" by the United States authorities, and promised to protect him once he arrived in Caracas. It is probably no accident that Maduro made the announcement on July 5th, Venezuela's independence day.
Domestic critics argued that Maduro should have given priority to repairing the country's relationship with the United States, damaged after long years of quarreling under his predecessor, the late Hugo Chávez, particularly after both countries withdrew their ambassadors in 2010. Others speculated that a hero's welcome for Snowden would give a much-needed boost to Maduro's popularity. It was also suggested that Snowden would be exchanged for Luis Posada Carriles, a terrorist of Cuban extraction now living in Miami, who Venezuela has been seeking to extradite for blowing up a Cubana Airlines plane in 1976, killing seventy-three people. Or that the Cubans would get their hands on him, and then exchange him for the remaining four members of the Cuban Five—agents convicted in Florida for espionage. Laureano Márquez, a prominent comedian and opposition columnist, wrote that Maduro had expelled the filmmaker Tim Tracy, accusing him without evidence of being a spy for the C.I.A., in order to bring in Snowden, a full-time, real spy.
The impact Snowden's presence might have on the relationship between the United States and Venezuela was a constant topic of discussion for both Chavistas and the opposition. Speculation about possible U.S. retaliations ran from cancelling the visas of high-level officials to stopping purchases of Venezuelan oil.
There's no doubt that Snowden would have been a valuable asset for the Venezuelan government, which is seeking to legitimize itself after elections in April were questioned by the opposition, and which has lost much of the glow and potency Chávez conferred to it. But after keeping Venezuela waiting for a formal reply, Snowden, who has now been languishing for a month in Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport, made the surprise announcement that he will stay in the land of Pussy Riot—and Putin—until the conditions for his journey are more favorable.
At that, the Snowden case disappeared almost instantaneously from Venezuelan media, enveloped in the most rotund official silence. Several government officials asked for comment said that the only people authorized to speak about the case were the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Elías Jaua, and Maduro himself.
Last Thursday, the newspaper ABC de España disclosed that Secretary of State John Kerry had called Jaua on Friday, July 12th, to talk about the Venezuelan offer. The newspaper described Kerry's tone as intimidating, and said that the Secretary of State had threatened Jaua with bold actions against Venezuela if the asylum materialized. Among other things, these steps would include stopping the sale of gasoline and other oil derivatives from Venezuela and suspending U.S. visas for diplomats, officials, and businessmen. On Friday, an unnamed State Department source told the D.P.A. news agency that, indeed, there had been a call, but that it was "completely untrue" that Kerry had bullied Jaua or given details about possible sanctions. The Venezuelan government's silence was regarded as an implicit acknowledgement that the issue is too delicate to risk any miscalculation that might worsen the impasse.
The fragile truce was broken when Obama's nominee for United Nations ambassador, Samantha Power, promised before a Senate committee last Wednesday that she would stand up against "repressive regimes" and "the crackdown on civil society being carried out in countries like Cuba, Iran, Russia, and Venezuela."
The remarks infuriated Maduro, who, in a full bravado, responded, "As president, my policy is zero tolerance for any attacks the Gringos make on Venezuela. I'm not going to tolerate any sort of aggression against Venezuela—verbal, political, or diplomatic. That's enough! You there with your empire. No more meddling with Venezuela." Venezuela, he said, was suspending ongoing talks to improve relations with the U.S. He also reaffirmed his willingness to give asylum to Snowden, since "the right to asylum is an international humanitarian right, and Venezuela has always respected it."
Maduro, that is to say, found it more convenient to step back to the previous status quo than to move forward and regularize the relations. By doing so, he can claim that he cares enough about the nationalistic values |
Just like any other vacation, select the destination that calls to you, the activities that thrill you and the duration that will challenge and exhilarate you. Our running vacations take you to places that aren't in the guidebooks and that you can only reach by foot. Since our trips are not competitive, there's no pressure to run fast or rush through the terrain or meet a certain time cutoff. All of our guides are highly experienced and make your comfort and safety their number one priority.
Run the World Adventures is committed to making your vacations as easy and carefree as possible. From booking to trip planning, we look after the logistics so that you don't have to. Your only job is to show upready to run! Want to meet other runners an experience foreign cultures ? Our small groups include runners from all other the world, who quickly gel with one another after a day on the trails together. Not only that, but local guides, village residents and lodging hosts are welcoming and eager to share their local traditions and food.
Each vacation, which you can book privately or join a small group, showcases a region's most beautiful and unique aspects. Some trips may be customized to match your ability level or ideal balance between time spent running versus exploring the destinations and culture along the way. |
Sorcery
Target creature you control fights target creature you don't control.
Ferocious — The creature you control gets +2/+2 until end of turn before it fights if you control a creature with power 4 or greater. |
Brandon Saad #20 of the Chicago Blackhawks celebrates by hoisting the Stanley Cup after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning by a score of 2-0 in Game Six to win the 2015 NHL Stanley Cup Final at the United Center on June 15, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
The Chicago Blackhawks have made it abundantly clear that they want to keep star forward Brandon Saad in the fold for the long-term, but with some tough choices to make in terms of which players to keep, the question of how much money he wants will end up determining his future.
To that end, Saad addressed the media at the United Center on Wednesday afternoon, and he discussed the notion of giving the team a hometown discount.
Here is what he told Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times:
"It's something that's crossed my mind, for sure," he said. "The money's going to come and go. But to win championships and play on a great team, that's what it's all about...We have a tight group here. I'm close with a lot of the guys, and it's fun out there on the ice and off the ice. The goal is to be in Chicago."
Saad will be a restricted free agent on July 1, with teams able to sign him to offer sheets. The Blackhawks will have the option of matching any offer that the winger receives, but if the price tag gets too high, they could opt to let him go and take back a bounty of draft picks in return for his services. |
By Elaine Magliaro
Last month, I wrote a post about a batshit crazy politician from Nevada who claims that cancer is a fungus that can be flushed out with baking soda. That politician–Michele Fiore–also "gained notoriety for telling a 'colored' colleague that racism was a thing of the past, and for calling for 'hot little girls' on college campuses to be armed."
Earlier today, Arturo Garcia of Raw Story posted an article about Cliven Bundy supporter Fiore–who has become a "figure of curiosity" in the Nevada state legislature–once having had hollywood aspirations. You see, nearly ten years ago, Fiore co-wrote and produced a "little-seen" movie called Siren.
Garcia said that what the trailer for Siren "appears to show is a basic-late night-cable quality rags-to-riches story, with Fiore playing a housewife who ventures into the music business, only to run into not only industry pressures, but tensions at home."
According to the Los Angeles Times, Fiore and her husband made the film on a $1 million budget.
Siren (The Movie) Trailer
Los Angeles Times:
In the role she wrote for herself, Fiore-Kaime, portrays Storm Fagan, a wife and mother who endures the slings and arrows of music industry skeptics to follow her dreams of rock stardom — Fiore-Kaime's real childhood dream. A script rewrite was done by Robert Gosnell ("Firewalker"), and a cast that includes Erin Gray ("Buck Rogers in the 25th Century") and Gary Graham ("JAG," "Star Trek: Enterprise") was hired. To raise the film's $1-million budget, Fiore-Kaime and her husband, Nat Kaime, and her mother refinanced their homes and pooled their savings accounts.
"She's so driven I can't ever think about holding her back. I never want to do that," said Kaime, who operates a home healthcare business in Las Vegas with his wife. "When she came here and did this, it was just one of many incredible things that she has done that I couldn't even ponder."
To convincingly portray her stay-at-home mom to diva transformation, Brooklyn, N.Y.-born Fiore-Kaime gained 20 pounds, ballooning to 189 pounds, then lost 30 more in 10 weeks on a diet of roasted chicken and water.
SOURCE
'Cancer is a fungus' Nevada lawmaker had Hollywood dreams — and here's the trailer to prove it (Raw Story)
Putting the 'I' in independent filmmaking: A first-time director and an Oscar-winning actress present very different films. (Los Angeles Times) |
Tega Brain, This tutorial was made by the Education Working Group, during the p5.js contributor conference at the Frank-Ratchye Studio for Creative Inquiry, Carnegie Mellon University in May of 2015. The contributors to this tutorial include Jason Alderman Taeyoon Choi and Luisa Pereira
This is a field guide for debugging for everyone—whether you are beginning to code or whether you have been coding for a long time, this guide breaks down the mysterious process of solving problems.
0. Debugging is a Creative Act
At all levels, programmers encounter bugs and will often spend more time debugging than actually programming the application. You can expect to spend a lot of time doing this and so it is important to develop good strategies for identifying and working through bugs as you learn to program in p5.js. A bug is a gap between what you think your system is doing, and what it is actually doing. Clay Shirky aptly describes a bug as "the moment when there is both a technical problem with your code as well as a problem with your mental picture of what is happening in your code." You think you are telling the computer one thing, but it is doing something else. It may also be crashing or throwing errors. In order to close the gap, you must investigate. When you are working on a project, you may play many different roles. You are an architect when designing and planning your program, an engineer when you are developing it. Then you will be an explorer, discovering the problems and errors and testing it in all the situations in which it needs to run. You are trying to find out where it might break. Finally, when debugging you are a detective, trying to figure out how and why things broke. So how can you become a good detective and debug your program? Here are the ten steps that can help you become a good code sleuth.
1. Change Perspectives.
Don't panic. When you encounter a bug that you do not know how to solve, stop, pause and take a deep breath. Stand up, say hi to the dog, take a walk or if it's late go get some sleep. When you are frustrated, tired and upset, you are not in a good frame of mind to learn or solve a problem. To find your errors you will need to change perspectives and become the detective. The goal is to find out what the program IS doing, rather than why it's not doing what it's supposed to. We need to get the computer to show us what it's doing. The clues are in the values of variables and flow of program.
2. Observe the problem
Walk someone through the issue even if they themselves do not know how to program. If no one is around, draft an email explaining what you have done and breaking down what the problem is. You probably won't need to actually send this email as often the act of writing it will help you to locate and identify what you need to do next. Some programmers have even been known to explain their problem to a friendly inanimate object like a rubber ducky. This is also a good time to add comments to your code that tell you exactly what each of your functions is doing. Some coders also print out their code (or a section of it) and go through it line by line, tracing the path of variables and making notes.
3. Before you start...
Before doing anything, save a copy of your code that you can go back to. While debugging you are likely to introduce other problems, break things or accidentally delete good work. You don't want to make bigger bugs in the process of debugging. If you make a mistake or your problem gets more worse, you can always UNDO or revert back to your saved file. You can try version control such as GitHub. Write a list of what you are trying, so you can keep track of what still needs to be checked. Be methodical, it will save you a lot of time in the long run. Only ever change one thing at a time. As you debug, you will be turning parts of your code on and off. Every time you make a change, test your program. If you make multiple changes before testing, you will not know which change has what effect and are likely to break things further.
4. Check the basics
Many bugs end up being very basic mistakes, equivalent to forgetting to plug in the power cord. These mistakes are so obvious they are often invisible. Check the dumb stuff like... Are you editing the file that you are actually running (and not, for example, editing the local file, and looking at a different file on the server)?
Are all of your external files where you think they are?
Are your file dependencies correct?
Are there any typos in your paths?
Check your server? etc.
5. Black boxes
A black box describes any part of your system you do not understand the |
The pro-European businessman Petro Poroshenko has won a landmark presidential election in Ukraine with 56% of the vote, according to exit polls, clearing the 50% threshold to win outright without a second round. Former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko was trailing far behind, with about 13%.
Ukrainians flocked to the polling stations on Sunday in what was seen as the most important election since independence. Millions of citizens in the restive east, however, did not vote at all, either because of separatist sympathies, feelings of intimidation by pro-Russian militias or simply a lack of polling stations.
"Today we can definitely say all of Ukraine has voted, this is a national vote," said Poroshenko from his campaign headquarters shortly after the exit polls were released. "The first steps that we will take at beginning of presidential office should be focused on stopping the war, to put an end to this chaos and bring peace to a united Ukraine." Poroshenko promised to hold parliamentary elections before the end of the year. "When there is a parliamentarian crisis, the only solution in a democracy is early elections," he said.
He also committed himself to start a dialogue with Russia and launch negotiations for a new treaty to replace the Budapest memorandum – the 1994 document in which Russia, the US and the UK promised to protect Ukrainian territorial integrity in exchange for the country giving up its nuclear arms. His first trip as president, he said, would be to the Donbass region.
Earlier in the day, voters said they felt the election was an important step toward solving the country's political crisis, and several said they wanted Poroshenko to exceed the 50% threshold to avoid a runoff vote in three weeks.
"Since Russia doesn't recognise our government, it's very important that the people say that now there is one person they support. Then the whole world will understand that their position is absurd," said Vladimir Pestenkov, an executive at an IT company.
But truck driver Alexander Pivin was one of a significant minority sceptical about Poroshenko. He voted for a controversial radical, Oleh Lyashko, the only candidate who went to the restive regions in the east, where he took part in operations against separatists.
"I don't like that they're forcing Poroshenko on us as the unity candidate," Pivin said. "At this moment, when people are dying in the east, politicians shouldn't be here [Kiev] or in the west where it's peaceful, they should be at the hotspots."
Lyashko came third, with 8% of the vote, according to exit polls. Turnout was reported to be high in most of the country.
"The turnout is a lot higher this time, which is good, although the election workers are barely able to keep up," said Olesya Maximenko, a vote observer with the civil society non-governmental organisation OPORA in Kiev, said turnout was high. "These elections cost us lives and blood so, knowing the price, the least people could do is come out and vote."
In the east, polling day revealed how much work the government in Kiev has in store to bring the region back under control. It was always expected that in separatist strongholds such as Slavyansk there would be no voting but, more surprisingly, in Donetsk, a city of close to 1m people, not a single polling station opened. Even in the morning, sources inside the pro-Kiev administration said they hoped to have a number of polling stations open by the afternoon, but that did not happen.
In Dokuchayevsk, several of the 13 polling stations had planned to open but in the end none did. At School Number Three, there were plans for a late opening at 10am after the local committee finally received ballot papers overnight but, just before voting opened, a separatist representative arrived and demanded that the station was closed.
"He asked politely, but made it clear that if we did not accede, he would come back," said one of the election officials. The separatist made off with the ballot papers, and the town's only remaining polling station closed.
The closest town to normality in the region was Mariupol, scene of violence on 9 May when pro-Ukrainian forces entered the town and clashes broke out in which unarmed people were shot. Here, most polling stations opened.
After oligarch Rinat Akhmetov, Ukraine's richest man and an important political broker, came out in the past fortnight against the separatist movement, he also ordered his factories to provide unarmed worker patrols to ensure order in the city. The separatist barricades have been removed, and workers were standing guard at polling stations. Voting proceeded smoothly but the atmosphere was tense.
"The ballots were delivered in the dead of night, and we weren't told they were coming until the last minute," said Sergei Pashkovsky, the head of |
Disordered eating and dieting
Disordered eating refers to a wide range of abnormal eating behaviours, many of which are shared with diagnosed eating disorders. The main thing differentiating disordered eating from an eating disorder is the level of severity and frequency of behaviours.
Read more: Warning Signs and Symptoms of Eating Disorders
Disordered eating can have a negative impact on a person's emotional, social and physical wellbeing. It may lead to fatigue, malnutrition or poor concentration. It can affect someone's social life (when socialising is restricted due to anxiety around food/eating), and can lead to anxiety and depression.
Disordered eating behaviours and attitudes include:
Binge eating
Dieting
Skipping meals regularly
Self-induced vomiting
Obsessive calorie counting
Self-worth based on body shape and weight
Misusing laxatives or diurectics
Fasting or chronic restrained eating (read more on fasting for cultural or religious reasons)
What is considered "normal" in terms of quantities and types of food consumed varies considerably from person to person. "Normal eating" refers to the attitude a person holds in their relationship with food, rather than the type or amount of food they eat.
It is normal to:
Eat more on some days, less on others
Eat some foods just because they taste good
Have a positive attitude towards food
Not label foods with judgement words such as "good", "bad", "clean"
Over-eat occasionally
Under-eat occasionally
Crave certain foods at times
Treat food and eating as one small part of a balanced life
Mindful eating
Mindful eating is a simple-to-learn life skill which can lead people to enjoy a satisfying, healthy and enjoyable relationship with food. It is a skill that can help people break free from 'food rules' and begin to enjoy healthy, flexible and relaxed eating practices. Mindful eating is not a diet. Mindful eating is about the way we eat, not what we eat. To learn more, download the Mindful Eating fact sheet.
Did you know? Dieting is the single most important risk factor for developing an eating disorder. Girls who diet moderately are 5 times more likely to develop an eating disorder than those who don't diet, and those who diet severely are 18 times more likely. |
BERLIN—Political backlash against German chancellor Angela Merkel intensified on Friday as her most conservative ally threatened to take the government to court if it doesn't adopt measures to limit the flow of migrants into Germany.
As the number of migrants flocking to Germany has continued to swell, Ms. Merkel's open-arms policy has exposed a widening rift inside the government over how to tackle the biggest migrant tide Germany has witnessed since WWII.
... |
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
# 3810
If you are a frequent reader of scientific studies, you are no doubt aware that science isn't always neat, tidy, orderly and clear. We get conflicting data, and analysis, all of the time.
Sorting out what is true . . . or at least likely to be true . . . is a continual challenge for the reader.
Up until recently the poster child for scientific ambiguity has been the debate over whether surgical masks are effective in protecting Health Care Workers from influenza. We get studies that say they work, and studies that say they are practically useless.
But now, at least temporarily, the debate over whether seasonal flu vaccines offer protection against the novel H1N1 virus , or increase your odds of catching it , takes center stage.
In the past couple of weeks we've heard a good deal about ` The Canadian Problem' , an as yet unpublished study that links getting last year's seasonal flu vaccine with an increased likelihood of catching the novel H1N1 virus.
This study is still undergoing peer review, but its impact has already been felt across much of Canada. Many provinces have curtailed their seasonal flu vaccination programs for those under the age of 65, out of concern that taking the seasonal vaccine may exacerbate the pandemic.
The WHO and the CDC meanwhile say they've seen no evidence to support this supposed link. They continue to recommend taking the seasonal flu vaccine.
As if this weren't confusing enough, now we get a study published in the BMJ ( British Medical Journal) that suggests exactly the opposite - that getting the seasonal flu vaccination may be slightly protective against the swine flu.
This also runs contrary to what we've heard from the CDC , which maintains that the seasonal vaccine is not expected to offer any protection against the novel H1N1 swine flu virus.
Published 6 October 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b3928
Design Frequency matched case-control study.
Setting Specialty hospital in Mexico City, March to May 2009.
Participants 60 patients with laboratory confirmed influenza A/H1N1 and 180 controls with other diseases (not influenza-like illness or pneumonia) living in Mexico City or the State of Mexico and matched for age and socioeconomic status.
Main outcome measures Odds ratio and effectiveness of trivalent inactivated vaccine against influenza A/H1N1.
Results Cases were more likely than controls to be admitted to hospital, undergo invasive mechanical ventilation, and die. Controls were more likely than cases to have chronic conditions that conferred a higher risk of influenza related complications. In the multivariate model, influenza A/H1N1 was independently associated with trivalent inactivated vaccine (odds ratio 0.27, 95% confidence interval 0.11 to 0.66) and underlying conditions (0.15, 0.08 to 0.30). Vaccine effectiveness was 73% (95% confidence interval 34% to 89%). None of the eight vaccinated cases died.
Conclusions Preliminary evidence suggests some protection from the 2008-9 trivalent inactivated vaccine against pandemic influenza A/H1N1 2009 , particularly severe forms of the disease, diagnosed in a specialty hospital during the influenza epidemic in Mexico City.
So, the reader is now in the unenviable position of having to decide decide between 3 different stances.
Taking the Seasonal Flu vaccine may increase your odds of getting the pandemic flu (Canadian Unpublished Study) Taking the Seasonal Flu vaccine may decrease your odds of getting the pandemic flu (BMJ study) Taking the seasonal flu vaccine has no effect on your risks of acquiring the pandemic flu (CDC)
These are not trivial matters. Lives, and global public health policies, hinge on sorting this all out as quickly ( and scientifically accurately ) as possible. This kind of ambiguity and debate, while fascinating to us disease-geeks-types, no doubt breeds apathy and mistrust among the public.
This BMJ study is, admittedly, on a very small number of patients. The Canadian study is unpublished, and so we have very little to go on. So, as always, Caveat Lector.
As far as which study is right, I've no idea.
Since I've already gotten my seasonal shot, I'm hoping it's either option #2 or #3.
But I suppose only time will tell. |
Generics
This is the ninth part of the Tour of Ceylon. The previous leg covered intersection types, union types, and enumerated types. In this part we're looking at generic types.
Inheritance and subtyping are a powerful tool for abstracting over types. But this tool has its limitations. It can't help us express generic container types like collections. For this problem we need parameterized types. We've seen plenty of parameterized types already—for example, iterables, sequences, and tuples—but now let's explore a few more details.
Generic types
Programming with generic types is one of the most difficult parts of Java. That's still true, to some extent, in Ceylon. But because the Ceylon language and SDK were designed for generics from the ground up, Ceylon is able to alleviate the most painful aspects of Java's bolted-on-later model.
There are two kinds of things which may be generic:
a class, interface, or type alias, or
a function.
Type parameters
Just like in Java, only types and methods may declare type parameters. Also just like in Java, type parameters are listed before ordinary parameters, enclosed in angle brackets.
shared interface Iterator<out Element> { ... }
shared class Singleton<out Element>(Element element) extends Object() satisfies [Element+] given Element satisfies Object { ... }
shared Value sum<Value>({Value+} values) given Value satisfies Summable<Value> { ... }
shared <Key->Item>[] zip<Key,Item>({Key*} keys, {Item*} items) given Key satisfies Object given Item satisfies Object { ... }
As you can see, the convention in Ceylon is to use meaningful names for type parameters (in other languages the usual convention is to use single letter names).
Type arguments
Unlike Java, we always do need to specify type arguments in a type declaration (there are no raw types in Ceylon). The following will not compile:
value strings = {"hello", "world"}; Iterator it = strings.iterator(); //error: missing type argument to parameter Element of Iterable
Instead, we have to provide a type argument like this:
value strings = {"hello", "world"}; Iterator<String> it = strings.iterator();
On the other hand, it would be very annoying if we always had to specify all type arguments explicitly everywhere.
Type argument inference
Fortunately, we don't need to explicitly specify type arguments in most method invocations or class instantiations. We don't usually need to write:
Array<String> strings = Array<String> { "Hello", "World" }; {String|Integer*} things = interleave<String|Integer,Null>(strings, 0..2);
Instead, it's very often possible to infer the type arguments from the ordinary arguments.
value strings = Array { "Hello", "World" }; // type Array<String> value things = interleave(strings, 0..2); // type {String|Integer*}
The generic type argument inference algorithm is slightly involved, so you should refer to the language specification for a complete definition. But essentially what happens is that Ceylon infers a type argument by combining the types of corresponding arguments using union in the case of a covariant type parameter, or intersection in the case of a contravariant type parameter.
value points = Array { Polar(pi/4, 0.5), Cartesian(-1.0, 2.5) }; // type Array<Polar|Cartesian> value entries = zipEntries(1..points.size, points); // type {<Integer->Polar|Cartesian>*}
There's one more way to avoid having to write in type arguments explicitly.
Default type arguments
A type parameter may have a default argument.
shared interface Iterable<out Element, out Absent=Null> ...
If a type parameter has a default argument, we're allowed to leave out the type argument to that type parameter when we supply a type argument list. Therefore:
Iterable<String> means Iterable<String,Null> , and
means , and Iterable<> means Iterable<Anything,Null> .
Note that we needed to explicitly specify the pointy brackets in Iterable<> .
Gotcha!
Default type arguments are always ignored when type arguments are inferred.
Suppose I have a generic class with a default argument:
class Container<out Element=Anything>(Element* elements) {}
Let's instantiate this class without any arguments:
value container = Container();
You might imagine that this instantiation would produce a Container |
Loading ... Loading ...
In another devastating blow to the 4th Amendment, on Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that evidence of an alleged crime can be used against a defendant even if police did something inappropriate or even illegal to obtain it.
In a split 5-3 decision, the justices voted to reinstate the drug-related convictions of Joseph Edward Strieff. In the case of Strieff, he was illegally detained during a "concededly unconstitutional detention," which eventually led to the discovery of drugs inside his vehicle.
In Strieff's case, a trial court judge later found that the officer did not have enough evidence to initially stop and question him. But the judge ruled that Strieff's subsequent arrest on an outstanding traffic warrant justified the search — implying that the use of criminal behavior to catch criminal behavior is just.
The Utah Court of Appeals agreed with the trial court that the drug evidence was admissible at trial, but, in a moment of logic, the Utah Supreme Court last year reversed that decision.
The Utah Supreme Court noted in its January 2015 decision that the case presented "a gap of substantial significance" in terms of prior rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court on Fourth Amendment issues, and that other courts that have addressed the issue have come to "substantially different conclusions" regarding search and seizure law.
The Fourth Amendment exclusionary rule allows criminal defendants to suppress "fruit of the poisonous tree" — that is, evidence obtained as a result of a search or seizure that violates the Fourth Amendment. The reason this rule exists is due to the obvious conflict of interests in cops breaking the law to enforce the law.
However, thanks to Monday's ruling by the Supreme Court, that is exactly what will happen now. Police have essentially been given a free pass to violate the rights of individuals — just so long as they find evidence of a 'crime.'
On Monday, the logic applied by the Utah Supreme Court in 2015, was thrown to the wayside in a handout to the police state.
Given the reality of the militarized police state rising up from the horrors of the war on drugs, the fact that cops can now legally act illegally to bust people for possessing arbitrary substances is chilling.
As if breaking the law wasn't enough, prior to this ruling, police were no longer required to even give the appearance of an understanding of the laws they're tasked with enforcing, thanks to a recent court decision surpassing even the veritable green light previously granted in Heien v. North Carolina.
In the Heien case, the Supreme Court ruled a "police officer's reasonable mistake of law gives rise to reasonable suspicion that justifies a traffic stop under the Fourth Amendment." A motorist's broken tail light caused an officer to make a traffic stop — during which evidence of a separate violation of the law was discovered in the vehicle.
But in North Carolina, a broken tail light wasn't illegal, thus not sufficient cause to justify the stop — nor the arrests stemming from it, lawyers argued, because that would be a violation of unreasonable searches and seizures.
However, the Supreme Court ruled the officer's ignorance of the law essentially didn't matter — effectively allowing police around the country the ability to make stops if they 'reasonably' believe the cause for the stop is legal. Plainly, police can stop and search you despite ignorance of the law.
Now, in U.S. v Shelton Barnes et. al. — a case that seemed to slip by largely unnoticed — even that flimsy justification has been deemed too constricting of police power, and police ignorance can actually be used against you in a trial.
On Monday, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said in dissent that the decision in Utah vs. Edward Joseph Strieff, is a blow to constitutional rights.
"The court today holds that the discovery of a warrant for an unpaid parking ticket will forgive a police officer's violation of your Fourth Amendment rights," Sotomayor wrote.
Sotomayor's dissent was joined by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Justice Elena Kagan.
Now, police need not understand the law, or even abide by the law — to enforce the law. In what world is this considered acceptable?
Help Us Be The Change We Wish To See In The World. |
Watch the video about handling both book formats.
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In your notebook, put down three pros and three cons of either use and then compare your writing with your partner. Do not forget to justify your ideas. |
With LSU Spring Football started up it's time to start thinking about all the roster battles we have set up going into this fall.
While we won't see the kind of wholesale change we did after LSU had 9 players drafted in both 2013 and 2014, there are some major position battles shaping up, including a pair of Kwon Alexander sized shoes to fill at one of the Linebacker spots.
Big loss from last year:
The aforementioned Kwon Alexander.
One of the best pure athletes on the team, he really wowed the scouts at the NFL Draft Combine with his speed and agility.
That kind of playmaking ability will be tough to replace. Also gone is DJ Welter, who lost his starting job last year during the Auburn game.
Returning Starters:
Kendall Beckwith who replaced DJ Welter midgame against Auburn last year will retain his starting role in the middle.
Senior Lamar Louis is a safe bet to keep his starting role as well.
There is a lot of talent at LB competing for the other starters job and the key backup roles.
Clifton Garrett was a very highly touted recruit coming in, he can Kendell Beckwith up in the middle or slide outside.
That will be one of new Defensive Coordinator Kevin Steele's first major decisions. Duke Riley, Donnie Alexander, Ronnie Feist and Deion Jones will round out the LB 2-deep chart.
Watch Out This Fall : No one.
LSU was high enough on the returning group of linebackers this year, that they didn't stretch on any recruits after missing their top targets.
No freshmen linebackers will mean some interesting recruitment battles next year, but right now the team is set, whoever is starting by the end of spring training is starting this fall.
Here is a session of LSU "Big Cat" drills posted to Youtube by Scott Long of DandyDon.com
New defensive coordinator Steele comes directly from Alabama, which of course was known for its 3-4 defense under Nick Saban. Word has it that Steele wants to eventually get the Tigers there.
Howver, LSU is likely to stick to a base 4-3 defense under Steele.
Steele has run a "4-3 under" alignment for much of his career, a formation that has the strongside linebacker line up over tight end and the strongside defensive end lining up right over left tackle.
While LSU will use a lot of that formation in Steele's first year, you can expect to see a variation in defensive alignments, something several LSU players and the head coach have said in various interviews with the media since Steele's hiring. |
The Learning Co.
Developed by
The Learning Co.
Released
1987
Also For
Apple II | Combined View
Genre
Educational, Strategy/Tactics
Perspective
Top-down
Educational
Math / Logic
Misc
Editor
Description
A dragon has taken over the Castle of Mystikar. To defeat the dragon, you must find the parts to build an enchanted knight which are spread throughout the castle. Numerous locked doors, many of which need to be opened in the proper order, block passageways. Roaming the halls are numerous slime worms, who will swallow you whole or fall asleep if you can feed them some flowers first. From any of the castle rooms you can access your hideout, which allows you to store useful items and clues you may find, and also pause the game. Each section of the castle has a time limit, and gets progressively harder. A castle builder is also included allowing players to create their own maze and puzzles.
From Mobygames.com. Original Entry |
A California father whose son was murdered execution-style in 2008 by an illegal immigrant gangster has launched a campaign to persuade Gov. Jerry Brown to veto a bill that would have police release illegal immigrants into the streets even when the feds want them detained.
The controversial bill, which passed the legislature in August, would compel local law enforcement in most cases to ignore requests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hold illegal immigrants if they could otherwise be released.
Advocates say it's a way for police to build "trust" with local communities -- the name of the bill is the TRUST Act. But opponents warn the policy could have dangerous consequences.
The bill "will have real and potentially devastating consequences for people across our state," Jamiel Shaw Sr., whose 17-year-old son was killed, said in a statement.
Shaw separately put out a web video appealing to Brown to reject the bill.
More On This... Governor Brown, please veto immigration bill AB 1081
"Would you want that to happen to your son? ... How many have to die by people being let out into the streets from the county jail that should be deported," he said in the video. "No one should have to go through losing a child."
Click for the original story on Shaw's case.
Shaw's son Jamiel Shaw Jr., a high school football player, was killed in 2008 by a member of the 18th Street Gang hours after he had been released from a local jail. Pedro Espinoza was found guilty of the murder, in which he shot Shaw twice after mistaking him for a rival gang member. A jury recommended the death penalty for Espinoza earlier this year.
Bob Dane, a spokesman at the Federation for American Immigration Reform, said California would open the door to a rampant public safety threat -- as well as additional financial burden on the state -- if the governor lets the bill become law. He noted Brown could opt to take no action on the bill, allowing it to become law by default.
"It's the perfect storm for complete lawlessness," he told FoxNews.com, saying the state would be rolling out "the welcome mat" for illegal immigrants and become even more of a magnet.
"This is not the work of responsible custodians of the public trust," he said.
The bill would compel law enforcement in California to release illegal immigrants once they become eligible -- even if ICE wants them held -- unless the individual has been convicted of a "serious or violent felony."
Supporters cited the financial burden on local communities that hold these detainees for ICE and the potential erosion of trust with police.
In a Sept. 13 letter to Brown signed by House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic members of the California congressional delegation, supporters urged the governor to sign the bill. They cited accounts that a federal program called Secure Communities "currently erodes trust between local communities and law enforcement."
"They report that the initiative already has reduced the willingness of immigrant and non-immigrant crime victims and witnesses to cooperate with law enforcement and has consequently diminished public safety," they wrote. The suggestion is that illegal immigrants would be reluctant to report crimes out of concern ICE would come after them.
Secure Communities is a program that allows federal immigration agents to work with local officials to determine who in local jails might be deportable.
But Shaw argues that police in California are not interested in checking the immigration status of people who report or witness crimes.
Further, he argues that in California in particular, illegal immigrants are not fearful of law enforcement.
Federal immigration officials have defended the Secure Communities program, which they say has helped the agency remove nearly 150,000 convicted criminals to date -- including murderers and rapists.
ICE Director John Morton wrote in an Aug. 23 letter to FAIR that communities that ignore ICE requests to hold detainees "are undermining public safety in their communities by exposing their local communities to risks from suspected and convicted sex offenders, weapons violators, drunk drivers and other violent criminals."
"These are not hypothetical risks," he wrote. The letter was in reference to a separate initiative in Illinois.
ICE spokeswoman Gillian Christensen told FoxNews.com on Wednesday that the agency implements "clear priorities" to focus on convicted criminals. She stressed the importance of local cooperation, without commenting specifically on the California proposal.
"The federal government alone sets these priorities and places detainers on individuals arrested on criminal charges to ensure that dangerous criminal aliens and other priority individuals are not released from prisons/jails and into our communities," she said. "The Administration remains committed to immigration reform and to enforcing current law in a smart and effective manner across the country." |
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Ordering Information.
The JOB 225 Stereo amplifier was available initially only in 115V AC.
This initial version is not available anymore.
However, seeing the demand of our product in other countries, we are now making a 230/115 version that is deliverable in the U.S., Canada, Europe (except for Portugal and Greece), Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand directly from the JOB factory.
The 115/230V JOB 225 is now available for $ 1699.00 shipment included and can be ordered directly from this page through Paypal.
The new 115/230V JOB Pre2 is also available for $ 1699.00 shipment included and can be ordered directly from this page through Paypal.
The JOB INTegrated is available for 1699 USD shipment included and can be ordered from this page through Paypal.
All products are shipped from the factory by DHL air.
Shipping is usually immediate once payment has been cleared. If there were to be a temporary shortage of any products or a delay in production we would inform you upon receipt of your order.
Please make sure that you indicate your phone number for DHL delivery purposes. Otherwise we would not be able to ship your purchase on time.
The associated Job Sweetcord is also available for $ 299.00 from this page and may be purchased separately.
If you return one of our products within 10 days of shipping date, we apply a restocking fee of 20% before returning your payment.
For service issues, please use our service email: [email protected]
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JOB 225 worldwide $1,699.00 USD California's sales tax included $1,851.91 USD JOB Sweetcord worldwide $299.00 USD California's sales tax included $325.91 USD JOB Pre2 preamplifier worldwide $1,699.00 USD California's sales tax included $1,851.91 USD JOB INTegrated worldwide $1,699.00 USD California's sales tax included $1,851.91 USD
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Bitcoin prices rise above $910
Investing.com - Web-based digital currency bitcoin hit its highest levels since January 2014 in post-Christmas trade on Monday, extending its recent rally.
Bitcoin ( ) was trading as high as $914.72 on the New York-based itBit exchange, before falling back to $906.72 by 9:20AM ET (14:20GMT), up around 1% on the day.
The digital currency is up almost 23% so far this month amid heavy buying from China and India, as investors look to shield themselves from currency devaluations and cash shortages.
U.S. and European buyers also accounted for the bulk of trading volume, as traders look for safe havens following dramatic political shifts in the world economy.
For the year, Bitcoin is up a whopping 87%, making it one of the best performing assets of 2016.
Analysts say prices of the digital currency look set to test all-time highs of $1,216 in 2017 amid rising demand for alternative assets.
Bitcoin is digital cash and is not backed by a government or central bank to regulate or issue it. It can be used to purchase goods and services from stores and online retailers. |
The board of Bus Éireann has said it is "gravely concerned" about losses the company is experiencing while strike action is being carried out by its staff.
An indefinite strike action, which began due to a dispute over management's decision to implement a survival plan for the State-owned company without union agreement, is under way.
Bus Éireann has said the losses are accelerating, and estimated that the dispute is costing it €500,000 per day.
Around 110,000 Bus Éireann customers are affected by the strike.
The board of Bus Éireann met to consider management proposals for a survival plan including up to 300 redundancies.
Following the meeting, the company said in a statement that it was unable to sign off on the 2016 company accounts, or pass this year's budget without agreement from its staff.
It said its inability to sign off the accounts is a "very serious matter", and it "must now formally advise CIE that this governance requirement will not be met".
Management presented the board with a plan to secure the company's future - the key component is elimination of "grossly inefficient work practices".
It has requested all staff to urgently engage with management at the company through their representatives to agree a survival plan to prevent insolvency.
The company said without a plan encompassing necessary work practice changes to generate savings, it cannot fund a voluntary redundancy scheme.
The company also said without a plan generating savings to fund voluntary redundancies, the board has no option but to consider other measures to avoid insolvency.
Bus Éireann's Chief Commercial Officer has said the company is perfectly salvageable.
Speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime, Stephen Kent said measures can be taken to avoid immediate insolvency.
He said based on delivering a survival plan that would ensure the long-term viability of the company, there would be 300 voluntary redundancies.
Mr Kent said, however, that the redundancies would have to be targeted.
He said management is prepared to go to any forum for talks with unions, but discussions would have to be time-limited.
Asked about the potential spread of the industrial dispute to Iarnród Éireann or Dublin Bus, Mr Kent said: "There is absolutely no reason for that to happen. There is no dispute with each of those two companies."
He said there is an issue with the Minister for Transport getting involved in the dispute, saying it is a problem that can be solved between management and staff representatives.
"This is all a perfectly salvageable business. What we need to is engage with the employees and to get people to accept what we believe are very reasonable changes to some custom and practice."
"And we require some flexibility in the driver rosters, and some of the other aspects of the business, in order to make the business more flexible and more responsive. And it will generate the savings", he added.
Disruption may spread to other transport companies
Earlier, Bus Éireann unions stressed that they were not in dispute with other CIE group companies but said they could not rule out workers at Dublin Bus and Iarnród Éireann joining the protest.
This afternoon, SIPTU confirmed that its members in Dublin Bus and Iarnród Éireann are to ballot for industrial action in light of the ongoing Bus Éireann dispute.
SIPTU representatives from the three companies met at Liberty Hall in Dublin to discuss the ongoing strike.
The meeting heard of a planned protest in support of Bus Éireann workers to be held at Leinster House on Wednesday to coincide with a meeting of the Oireachtas Transport Committee, which Minister for Transport Shane Ross is expected to attend.
SIPTU sector organiser Willie Noone said: "The representatives agreed that the protest should be supported as it is a means of highlighting the failure of the minister to take responsibility for the dysfunctional state of the public transport service.
"We are encouraging members of the public and of the union, including those who work in the public transport sector and are available, to attend the protest.
"The meeting also gave a mandate for a ballot for industrial action of union members in Dublin Bus and Irish Rail in sympathy with and in support of their colleagues in Bus Éireann.
"They believe that they are next in the firing line if management in Bus Éireann is allowed to force through cuts to wages and changes to conditions of employment of their staff."
Mr Ross's department issued a statement today noting his "extreme concern" over the ongoing situation.
"The minister remains extremely concerned about the impact of the Bus Éireann strike on the travelling public," the statement said.
"The strike is also harmful to the company's already difficult financial position. Realistic negotiations are required, the type that will lead |
1. A Million Glass Eyes Will Seem To Follow You At The Simpich Doll Museum
If rooms filled with walls of dolls are your thing, then you're in luck. With over 500 dolls in their collection, the Simpich Doll Museum is one of the largest and most extensive collections of its type in the world. Every Simpich Doll you'll see there was handmade in Colorado. The "Gallery on Strings" exhibit is also currently on display, featuring a huge variety of string operated marionettes.
2. Science Comes Full Circle—Literally At The Space Foundation Discovery Center
Colorado Springs is home to the Space Foundation Discovery Center, a museum with the sole purpose of inspiring visitors to learn more about the universe. One of the feature items is the "Science on a Sphere," a huge 50 pound ball. Using the world's first dynamic spherical projection system, over 350 different maps can be displayed on it, including a live weather map of Earth, daily air traffic around the world, or distant planets like Jupiter.
3. Colorado Springsians Bug Out Over The May Natural History Museum
Like Something out of a horror movie, a metal beetle standing well over 10 feet tall marks the way to the May Natural History Museum. A one of a kind experience, the May Museum is home to the largest private bug collection in the world with over 8,000 crazy bugs including spiders bigger than your hand, butterflies the size of birds, and deadly scorpions.
4. The Dragonman Cometh To Colorado Springs
Coloradans can sleep safely knowing that the most heavily armed man in America calls Colorado Springs his home. With more than 80 military vehicles and an entire arsenal of heavy weaponry, not only is Mel Bernstein an avid collector, he also runs a shooting range, paintball course, motorbike track, and one of the most complete military museums in the world.
5. Tesla's Coil Puts The Spring In Colorado Springs
Seeking a means of transmitting electricity without the need for any wiring, Nikola Tesla set up shop in Colorado Springs in 1899 due to the thinner, more conductive air. A great deal of mystery surrounds Tesla's work in The Springs, however those interested can learn a little more at the Tesla Museum of Science in Colorado Springs. Visitors will hear stories about the time a Tesla experiment blacked out the power grid in El Paso County, as well as why Tesla is thought to be the first man to receive a radio wave from outer space.
6. For Colorado Springsians In The Know, Crystal Clear Lake Is The Clear Choice For A Private Getaway
In the shadows of Pikes Peak, Crystal Creek Reservoir is a great location for hiking, fishing, and paddle boating. With almost 3.5 miles of shoreline, there's enough room that it's never crowded.
7. There's A Terror-Dactyl At The Cave Of The Winds
Dropping riders off of a 200-ft cliff side, the Terror-Dactyl reaches speeds up to 100 miles-per-hour during a 150-ft freefall into Williams Canyon. Visitors not up for the Terror-Dactyl may want to try the tamer "Bat-a-pult," a zip line ride across the canyon.
8. The Battle Rages On Just A Couple Blocks From Downtown
"The future of laser tag," Battlefield Colorado is Colorado's first and only outdoor laser tag course. Taking up an entire city block, the company takes laser tag to a whole new level with state-of-the-art military simulation technology. Their arsenal is complete with guns that function as sniper rifles (accurately shooting lasers up to 1,000 ft.), rapid firing submachine guns, and the laser tag equivalent to a 50 caliber mounted guns.
9. Things Get Pretty Wild At The Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center
Only 30 miles from Colorado Springs, the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center lets visitors get up close and personal with huge wild canines. Complete with wolves, wolf dogs, foxes, and coyotes, it's one of the largest centers of its type in the country. Some of the tour options include howl sessions, feeding tours, and adult wolf interaction tours. Feline lovers visiting the Springs can also leave happy with a visit to Serenity Springs Wildlife Center, home of over 120 huge cats including lions, tigers, leopards, cougars and bobcats.
10. There's A Huge Shrine On A Huge Hill
Standing 114 feet high on the side of Cheyenne Mountain, the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun was built in 1937 from a single block of Cheyenne Mountain granite. Spencer and Julie Penrose commissioned the massive monument as one of their projects to beautify the area, as well as honor the late Will Rogers.
11. There's A Really Tiny Magical Town At The Michael Garman Museum
Inside of Colorado Springs, lies one of the coolest |
Most of us scratch our heads when we hear about an incidence of someone being found innocent, despite being convicted of a crime by a jury. We think, "How could the jury have gotten it so wrong?"
But we really sit up and notice when not only an innocent person is sent to prison, not just on an eyewitness's testimony or such, but on the convicted person's own confession! What could lead an innocent person to confess to a crime they did not commit?
Sadly, this happens far more often than you might realize. Somewhere between 20 to 25% of all DNA exonerations involve innocent people who confessed to the crime. DNA exonerations are where a crime's evidence is re-evaluated and tested using modern DNA discovery procedures not available at the time the crime was committed that prove the crime could not have been committed by the person serving time for the crime in prison.
A new article by Saul Kassin (2008) looks at some of the reasons innocent people confess. He describes three primary types of false confessions:
Voluntary — The person confesses to a crime they did not commit without prompting from the police.
Compliant — The person confesses to a crime through inducement or the process of the police interrogation.
Internalized — The person confesses to a crime because they are high vulnerable and are exposed to suggestive interrogation tactics where they come to believe they actually committed the crime.
So what factors put innocent suspects at risk to confess? Kassin identifies three:
1. Situational risk factors
Certain police interrogation tactics commonly employed may exert too strong an influence over a person's willingness to falsely confess. For instance, the presentation of false evidence or misinformation by the police can increase a person's willingness to confess. Studies have shown that the introduction of false evidence ("We know you did it because we have an eyewitness that puts you at the scene of the crime") could raise one's willingness to sign a confession from 48 to 94%. Some people even start to believe they committed the crime!
Police interrogators are also very good at minimizing the crime, to help a person feel more comfortable and willing to confess to it. They may offer sympathy or moral justification for committing the crime, helping a person feel more free and at ease to confess. Such tactics work to gain confessions from the guilty, but also increase false confessions from the innocent.
2. Dispositional vulnerabilities
Kassin suggests that some people are "dispositionally more malleable than others," meaning that their personalities are more prone to compliance and agreement, so as to avoid confrontation, stress or displeasing others. Some people are also more suggestible than others, meaning that during an interrogation police can lead the person into a false set of beliefs that the person will end up agreeing with. "People who are highly anxious, fearful, depressed, delusional, or otherwise psychologically disordered, and people who are mentally retarded, are particularly prone to confess under pressure," noted Kassin.
He also singled out youth and young people at being higher risk, because they more often than not waive their right to remain quiet and not be interrogated by police (even with a parent present, because the parent often wrongly encourages the youth to cooperate with the police and answer their questions). Youth and teenagers often engage in behavior that is focused on short-term, immediate gratification and impulsivity, without taking into account future repercussions or consequences. Confessing to police in such situations may provide a teen a quick way out of a stressful situation (while causing them to confess to a crime they did not commit).
3. The phenomenology of innocence
People who are truly innocent of committing any crime naively believe that the justice system will ferret out the truth in a fair trial, ensuring a "not guilty" verdict (ala an episode of "Law and Order"). Sadly, this is rarely the case. The people say, "I did nothing wrong," or, "I have nothing to hide." Be that as it may, the justice system isn't setup to protect the innocent nearly as much as it is to try cases and process people through the system as quickly as possible. If you know you're innocent, your safest bet is to remain silent and do not talk to the police.
Need more proof? Watch this YouTube video from Prof. James Duane, a law professor at Regent Law School and a former defense attorney for all the reasons you should never talk to the police — especially if you are innocent. (And if you don't believe him, watch the Part 2 of the video where VA Beach Police Officer George Bruch reiterates the same advice.) For instance, one of the nefarious ways discussed in the video that police get an innocent person to confess is to write an "apology letter" to the crime victim. This letter is then used as the written and signed confession at trial. And it always works.
Because once a jury hears your confession, your chances at trial decrease significantly ( |
Planning Commission on Monday further reduced the poverty line to Rs 28.65 per capita daily consumption in cities and Rs 22.42 in rural areas, scaling down India's poverty ratio to 29.8 per cent in 2009-10, the estimates which are likely to raise the hackles of civil society.An individual above a monthly consumption of Rs 859.6 in urban and Rs 672.8 in rural areas is not considered poor, as per the controversial formula.Furthermore, the Plan panel has kept the poverty threshold even lower than it submitted to the Supreme Court last year, which created an outcry among the civil society.The Plan panel had said in its affidavit before the apex court that the "poverty line at June 2011 price level can be placed provisionally at Rs 965 (32 per day) per capita per month in urban areas and Rs 781 (26 per day) in rural areas".The civil society had questioned this definition stating it was very low.As per estimates released today, the number of poor in India has declined to 34.47 crore in 2009-10 from 40.72 crore in 2004-05 estimated on the basis of controversial Tendulkar Committee methodology.The methodology recommended by the Committee includes spending on health and education, besides the calorie intake.Among religious groups, Sikhs have lowest poverty ratio in rural areas at 11.9 per cent, whereas in urban areas, Christians have the lowest proportion of poor at 12.9 per cent. Poverty ratio is the highest for Muslims, at 33.9 per cent, in urban areas. Further, poverty in rural areas declined at a faster pace than in urban cities between 2004-05 and 2009-10. |
Since the day it was announced that Loretta Fuddy, the Director of the Hawaii Department of Health who verified Obama's birth certificate died mysteriously in a plane crash, there was some question of whether is was really an "accident". The authorities seem to be saying, yes. But, because of her close ties to the fraudulent Obama Birth Certificate, many people fear that she was the most recent in Obama's "dead pool" and haven't stopped looking for real answers. It seems that amateur bloggers and Youtubers are the new Investigative Journalists in this new media society of "give the President a pass, or be a racist".
I recently came across a video and still photos that were meticulously retrieved by a fellow blogger, from the Ferdinand Puentes GoCam videos that he took of the plane crash on December 11, 2013 in which Loretta Fuddy died. The photos can be found here: http://butterdezillion.wordpress.com/2014/02/13/extras/ . She has more shots there than I am showing, so check it out. Many thanks – great work!
The Puentes video originally aired on ABC in January 2014 and can be seen here. http://abcnews.go.com/US/harrowing-video-hawaiian-plane-crash-inside-cabin/story?id=21484715 The segment depicted below is at about 3:33 minutes in the video and lasts about 3 seconds. There has been a lot of speculation about this "accident", as so many things just don't add up. The story of a tragic death was reported before rescuers had even gotten to the plane. First reports indicated someone remained in the plane, when in fact, all got out. And the only death was the one person who really might know the truth about Obama's birth certificate. It took a month for vague autopsy results. The local police and the NTSB couldn't decide who was in charge of the investigation into her death.
Dr. Fuddys death was declared to be from a problem with her heart – natural causes, and we're all supposed to believe that it was all just a tragic accident, but after seeing these photos, all doubt is gone. As I looked through the still shots taken from the video, my blood froze, because I knew what I was seeing. I am seeing a diver do something to Loretta Fuddy, which I assume was murder, and it chills me to the bone. I hope that law enforcement can be made aware of what seems to be shown in these pictures, so they can investigate it. Just look, please. Form your own opinion.
The first photos are reference photos of what I think you'll be able to see in the actual photos. (they are NOT actual photos of the divers in the video- the shoe is really Dr. Fuddy's)
THE PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE
The photos below are in sequence. The ones on the left are the originals – to the right I have highlighted what I see. Beyond frightening. This whole video sequence takes about 3 seconds in real time.The series of photos shown below are the actual stills of the events that are shown on Ferdinand Puentes video. http://abcnews.go.com/US/harrowing-video-hawaiian-plane-crash-inside-cabin/story?id=21484715 These photos have been zoomed and cropped by Butterdezillion. In the GoPro video, the action is actually quite a distance away. You can click on any set to enlarge them to see better.
Start with Picture #1, and follow the sequence like a movie. I have labeled people and things on the right hand picture. This is Loretta Fuddy on the right and Keith Yamamoto on the left. He is looking at her. She is laying back into her flotation device. Her head is just visible and one shoe is visible. The shoe is important – and remember, all of this takes 3 seconds in real time.
So, there you have it. Loretta Fuddy is floating in her life jacket holding hands with her Assistant, Keith Yamamoto. A diver completely dressed in black surfaces momentarily for about 3 seconds and seems to be doing something to her foot or leg. My theory is that he administered some type of injection that ultimately caused Dr. Fuddy's death. The he lets go and vanishes. The plan was not to be seen, but she may have felt something and pulled her foot away, and he had no choice but to surface to get to the foot. I have no idea why that would be so important, unless they felt that a medical examiner is less likely to see an injection site on a foot or ankle.
Others seem to think that what I see as a foot is a second diver, because Loretta Fuddy was wearing "Black shoes". As we see from |
Firstly clean out the tank of fuel, remembering to dispose of waste fuel safely!!
Don,t worry about washing it out just shake out any loose bits if you can.
we will doing the tank in two parts, with the tank in its normal position and then upside down. both are done exactly the same way.
This instructable will show the upside down part, but right side up is the same method.
Do this in a well ventilated area, prefably outside as the process of electrolysis will produce hydrogen gas!!
Make sure the tank is stable and block any pipes coming out to prevent leaking.
Make sure the cap seals properly, if in dought use some plastic to help it
Remove the fuel level sender |
"MAYBE I'll live so long I'll forget her; maybe I'll die trying." Thus, the forlorn hope of Michael 'Black Irish' O'Hara in Orson Welles' exotic classic The Lady from Shanghai (1948), the tortuous tale of a man who takes the wrong job and falls for the wrong woman.
An essential entry in the film-noir canon, The Lady from Shanghai is re-released in selected cinemas this week. For this rare treasure we must thank the Park Circus film organisation, whose estimable quest is to "put great pictures back on the big screen".
Now in their 12th year, Park Circus organises screenings of films from across the spectrum of cinema history — from mainstream to margins — and in this DVD age Welles' movie is fully deserving of a proper projected showing.
Placing The Lady from Shanghai in any one category is tricky. As an example of the film-noir style it pointedly reflects upon America's post-war pessimism about its decaying ideals. Simultaneously, the picture recalls the earlier style and symbolism of German Expressionism, which Welles had masterfully exhibited in Citizen Kane (1940) — acute camera angles, exaggerated close-ups, sharp-edged light and shade.
The combined effect implies that as society's morality becomes undermined, its mentality gets unhinged. And while Welles displays the quirky qualities he admired in European cinema — overlapping dialogue, improvised action — he also sticks to the solid plot structure of classical Hollywood.
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Indeed the plot of The Lady from Shanghai is almost text-book noir — some dumb schmuck who reckons he's known every peril is smitten by a woman who gives him more peril than he knows.
When seasoned seaman Michael O'Hara (Welles himself) rescues the mysterious and luminous Elsa Bannister (Rita Hayworth, aka Mrs Welles) from a mugging in New York's Central Park, he doesn't foresee the spider's web that's about to entangle him.
Noir enthusiasts will recognise this narrative set-up from, among others, Huston's Maltese Falcon (1941) and Wilder's Double Indemnity (1944). As that mordant but oft-quoted synopsis of film noir has it: "A girl with a past meets a guy with no future."
But if the plot of the movie stays close to the shore of noir style, Welles' staging of the story sails far from the usual course. The Lady from Shanghai was adapted from a dime novel titled If I Die Before I Wake, penned by Sherwood King.
The O'Hara character was originally named Laurence Planter, who gets in over his head in elevated New York society. Welles changed the character's name and his back story, making him a picaresque hero with an enigmatic past, a wandering adventurer and veteran of the Spanish Civil War who's killed a Franco spy. It's this last episode in O'Hara's background that earns him the nickname Black Irish and leaves him with a troubled conscience.
A major turning point comes when O'Hara is offered a job by the definitely lame, defiantly nasty but distinctly wealthy Arthur Bannister, played by Welles disciple Everett Sloane, who makes limping around on two walking-sticks seem somehow threatening.
Mr Bannister is well aware that Mrs Bannister holds a torch for O'Hara but nevertheless hires him to pilot their yacht (Welles borrowed one from Errol Flynn) from New York to San Francisco. By altering the narrative setting to a sea journey, Welles turned the story into a mini Odyssey, with O'Hara as a kind of Ulysses who finds he's swimming with sharks.
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The movie even includes a siren's song, as Elsa purrs her way through a soft, sultry rendition of Please Don't Kiss Me. "Some people can smell danger — not me," O'Hara mourns. He slowly realises that more than his job depends on him resisting the temptations of his employer's spurious spouse, as the plot turns to murder and to bluff and double bluff.
The cynicism of the Bannister couple was reflective of the Welles/Hayworth marriage, then disintegrating, and the tension crossed over to the screen. "You know, I'm pretty tired of both of us," Bannister tells his wife. Welles wrote this line for the character, but he might have said the same thing himself.
Welles considered 'Black Irish' as the movie's original title, a nod to his time spent in Ireland as a teenager. He once called Ireland "a land haunted with the raw materials of tall tales". In 2011 a TG4 documentary on Welles said he became "an adventurer embarking on great |
Turkish army faction backed by tanks and fighter jets staged an attempted coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
ANKARA / ISTANBUL: Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Saturday 161 people were killed in the coup attempt against the government, with 2,839 soldiers now detained on suspicion of involvement.
Yildirim, speaking outside his Cankaya palace in Ankara and flanked by top general Hulusi Akar who was held during the coup attempt, also described the putsch bid as a "black stain" on Turkish democracy. He added that 1,440 people had been wounded.
"Bu kalkışma silahlı kuvvetler içindeki paralel terör yapılanmasının bir kalkışmasıdır." pic.twitter.com/MlM1lREykK — AK Parti (@Akparti) July 16, 2016
A Turkish army faction backed by tanks and fighter jets staged an attempted coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday but the strongman returned to Istanbul defiantly claiming to have regained control.
Çekilen bir videoda, insanların üzerine ateş açıldığı görülüyor. pic.twitter.com/d7LfagPsRc — 140journos (@140journos) July 15, 2016
The toll 161 did not include the assailants, he emphasised. Turkey's acting army chief Umit Dundar had earlier said 104 putschists had been killed.
Yildirim blamed the coup attempt on the supporters of US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara has for years accused of working to overthrow the authorities and wants to see brought to justice.
The United States has shown little interest so far to Turkey's requests for his extradition.
"Fethullah Gulen is the leader of a terrorist organisation," the premier said.
"Whichever country is behind him is not a friend of Turkey and in a serious war against Turkey," he added.
World powers urge 'stability' in Turkey
Erdogan predicted that the move would fail and crowds of supporters of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) came out onto the streets to try to block the putsch.
Crowds of people, some waving Turkish flags, gathered in major squares in Istanbul and Ankara to show support for the elected government.
After hours of chaos unseen in decades, the president ended uncertainty over his whereabouts, flying into Istanbul airport in the early hours of the morning where he made a defiant speech and was greeted by hundreds of supporters.
Erdogan denounced the coup attempt as "treachery" but said he was carrying out his functions and would keep on working "to the end".
"What is being perpetrated is a treason and a rebellion. They will pay a heavy price for this act of treason," Erdogan said at Istanbul's airport. "We will not leave our country to occupiers."
Turkish military chief rescued after being held during coup bid
The head of Turkey's armed forces was rescued after being held hostage during the attempted coup.
Hulusi Akar had been held by rebel soldiers during the attempted coup, Turkish broadcasters said.
Turkey blames IS for Istanbul airport carnage that killed 41
Social media access restricted
Access was restricted in Turkey on Friday to Facebook Inc, Twitter Inc and Alphabet Inc's YouTube shortly after news that a military coup was under way, according to two internet monitoring groups.
Turkey Blocks, a group that monitors internet shutdowns in the country, and Dyn, which monitors internet performance and traffic globally, both reported it was difficult or impossible to access social media services in Turkey.
Fethullah Gulen, the arch-enemy of Turkey's president
After serving as prime minister from 2003, Erdogan was elected president in 2014 with plans to alter the constitution to give the previously ceremonial presidency far greater executive powers.
Attempted coup in Turkey: what we know so far
Turkey has enjoyed an economic boom during his time in office and has dramatically expanded its influence across the region. But opponents say his rule has become increasingly authoritarian.
Pakistan expresses solidarity with Turkish people
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi telephoned Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavusoglu and expressed solidarity.
The Turkish foreign minister thanked the government and the people of Pakistan for showing resolve to stand by democracy in Turkey.
Read full story |
Harvey Weinstein and I at The Hotel Du Cap
I was only 23 when I was 'Harveyed'. It was 1997. I was a street smart kid with a tougher skin than most, and I came out of my experience with Weinstein physically unscathed, but that doesn't make the story less shocking or emotionally jarring.
As a model I was used to predatory men and had become adept at brushing off unwanted advances and putting creepy perverts in their place. I had protected other, younger models from flashers and gropers, and had even scared away a knife wielding attacker on the Paris Metro by laughing in his face. He didn't know it was a nervous reaction and probably thought I was crazier than he. But, all in all, I was still a naive girl from New Zealand, and no matter how tough I thought I was, I was completely out of my depth and very trusting.
I met Harvey Weinstein in Cannes at the Film Festival. We were seated next to each other at a fancy dinner. I didn't catch his name and assumed I was talking to another hungry producer trying to sell a little movie to the big wigs. Feeling sorry for him, I went out of my way to be entertaining and nice. It wasn't until later in the meal that I asked the name of his production company.
"Miramax."
I laughed and told Harvey that we had a friend in common. Miramax had recently released the Oscar winning film 'The Piano' made by a family friend, Jane Campion. I told Harvey that Jane felt like a pseudo god-mother to me and related a story of how, when I was an angry teenager in a fight with my mom, she had given me a note that read"If you ever need to run away…" and made me feel like I had an ally.
With a dear mutual friend in common I felt safe with Harvey. The night was young and so was I. After dinner our large group, which included my Italian modelling agent, a few rich douchebags, some decorative models, and Harvey's entourage, rolled out into the Cannes night. Black town cars and gleaming limos took us to various parties where we glittered and shone like everyone else.
Harvey and his assistant , Ben Silverman, never left my side.
It was fun. The last time I'd been in the South of France was in 1990. I had watched helplessly as Helena Christensen vomited all over the bathroom at Jimmy's after doing too much blow with Michael Hutchence and Jacques Chirac, who was in between his various Presidencies of France. In 1990 I was 16. Now, at 23 I was pretty jaded. Celebrities and their antics were old news. I could hold my own.
Around midnight we ended up at a beautiful outdoor event at a mansion somewhere in a residential part of Cannes. Everyone was there, and everyone was fabulous. I saw Bono across the room. He yelled "Dolphin Girl!" and waved. I explained to Harvey that this wasn't a nickname that had anything to do with the popular sex toy, but a name I earned after a particularly weird night in Sydney, and a 3am skinny dipping adventure that scared the crap out of U2's bodyguards.
In retrospect I was putting on a tempting show. I didn't intend to titillate Mr Weinstein - I had no intention of leading him on. I felt safe in his company to be myself, and at no time in the evening did I feel anything but platonic energy from him.
Shortly after midnight my crew made moves to leave. We were staying on a large yacht moored in the bay and required water taxis to get us back out to it. Harvey and Ben offered us their cars and herded us towards the exit. My group was ushered into one car and I was somehow separated from them and told to get into another car with Harvey and his two friends. Stupidly, I obliged. I was told we were all going to the same place.
To this day I do not know if my Italian agent was in on the ruse. My instincts tell me he was.
We started driving. The 5 minute drive to the waterfront was taking longer and I asked where we were headed.
"Change of plans! We're all meeting at the Du Cap for one more drink."
It's a 30 minute drive to the Du Cap and it was close to 1am when we got there. We headed upstairs to Harvey's room and opened another bottle of champagne while we waited for the gang to arrive.
But the gang never arrived.
After a few minutes a couple of the guys made motions to leave temporarily to make calls. The energy shifted and I became very uncomfortable. I turned to Ben and asked him to please get in touch with my friends immediately and find out where they were. Ben said he would go downstairs and see if |
WASHINGTON – In recent years, people who believe they were born in a body of the wrong gender have become more public, and social justice warriors have jumped on the bandwagon, engaging in fierce debates about the condition affecting 0.1 to 0.5 percent of the population.
The name for this phenomenon has been changed from "gender identity disorder" to "gender dysphoria," in effect de-pathologizing it, in the latest edition of the psychiatrists' "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual," due to intense pressure from LGBT activists.
One aspect of the new wave of transgender activism that is not often discussed is its effect on children. But it's easy to imagine the impact on impressionable children who see such people celebrated in the media and given special privileges.
National Geographic magazine put a transgender child on the cover of its January 2017 issue, a feature that includes a section called "Helping Families Talk About Gender" and an article titled "Rethinking Gender." The message: Some children will be never be happy or healthy unless they are allowed to express their "perceived gender."
Get David Kupelian's culture war blockbusters: "The Marketing of Evil," "How Evil Works" and his latest, "The Snapping of the American Mind" at the WND Superstore. Also available in e-book and audiobook versions.
Others, however, are worried that these children are merely going through a phase and will later regret any drastic steps taken to permanently switch their gender.
One such critic is Walt Heyer, founder of Sex Change Regret, who has first-hand experience with the issue. He cross-dressed starting at age 4 and went through hormone therapy and sex-change surgery. After eight years of living as a woman, he regretted his decision and had a second surgery to return to his birth gender.
Heyer is a frequent columnist for The Federalist. In a January article discussing the National Geographic gender issue, Heyer wrote that "studies have shown that childhood gender dysphoria does not inevitably continue into adulthood."
"An overwhelming 77 to 94 percent of gender dysphoric children do not become adults with gender dysphoria," he said.
Heyer blames the increase in the number of children who think they have "gender dysphoria" on magazines like National Geographic.
"A cover photo is visually exciting and can persuade young people that male and female gender models are not fixed, when they are. Photos like the one on the cover of National Geographic can encourage a child to question his or her gender and sex and act out accordingly," he wrote.
A paper written by three prominent doctors confirms Heyer's theory. Dr. Paul Hruz of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, along with Dr. Lawrence Mayer and Dr. Paul McHugh, both of Johns Hopkins University, published a study showing that cases of children with "gender dysphoria" have risen significantly in recent years.
They cited statistics from the Gender Identity Development Service in the United Kingdom, which only treats patients under 18 years old. Referrals of children with "gender dysphoria" jumped from 94 in 2009/2010 to 1,986 in 2016/2017 – an increase of almost 2,000 percent. Referrals at a clinic in Toronto, Canada, jumped from around 20 per year in 2004 to almost 100 per year in 2011.
The three doctors see the rise in such controversial medical intervention as exacerbating young people's obsession with becoming the opposite gender, when if just left alone, most would naturally grow out of the feelings.
"The medical treatments provided for children with apparent symptoms of gender dysphoria, including affirmation of gender expression from the earliest evidence of cross-gender behaviors, may drive some children to persist in identifying as transgender when they might otherwise have, as they grow older, found their gender to be aligned with their sex," they said.
"Gender identity for children is elastic (that is, it can change over time) and plastic (that is, it can be shaped by forces like parental approval and social conditions). If the increasing use of gender-affirming care does cause children to persist with their identification as the opposite sex, then many children who would otherwise not need ongoing medical treatment would be exposed to hormonal and surgical interventions."
Even though statistically most children outgrow transgender feelings as they get older if left alone, the heightened attention given to transsexuals has also led to more parents seeking treatment that solidifies the condition, experts warn.
However, in some countries, it's not only media coverage and peer pressure that force parents to seek medical affirmation for their gender-questioning child. It's the law of the land.
Get David Kupelian's culture war blockbusters: "The Marketing of Evil," "How Evil Works" and his latest, "The Snapping of the American Mind" at the WND Superstore. Also available in e-book and audiobook versions. |
Civil rights activist Al Sharpton early Thursday said Bernie Sanders Bernard (Bernie) SandersOn The Money: Bombshell NY Times report on Trump's taxes | Mulvaney backs official under fire for posts dismissing racism | Regulators pledge relief for mid-sized banks | Amazon raises minimum wage | Trump defends name of new trade deal Hillicon Valley: Trump to meet Google chief | DHS chief blasts bureaucratic red tape | Russian hackers went after 'Star Wars' | Amazon raises minimum wage Progressive lawmakers praise Amazon wage hike MORE "did not address" during a discussion how the Democratic presidential hopeful's welfare plan would combat the effects of racism on income inequality.
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"One of the things that I was saying to Senator Sanders is saying that you've got to deal with income inequality and wages is fine, but what about the race element of that?" Sharpton said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe."
"He did not address that directly," the reverend added. "That's what I was pressing him on."
"Are you going to talk about affirmative action? Are you going to talk about racial disparities in terms of promotions and access to capital?"
Sharpton said he wanted to share during their Harlem meeting the issues that minorities care about as the election moves toward the South.
"As we leave the New Hampshire/Iowa states, which are basically white electorate, they're going to have to deal now with issues across the board," he said.
"You've got to deal with the immigration issue with Latinos in Nevada, you're going to have to deal with a lot of the issues in our community."
Sharpton said he is planning to meet with Democratic primary front-runner Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonIn quest for majority, Dems swarm McCarthy's home state Overnight Defense: Suspicious substance found in mail sent to Pentagon | Secret Service intercepts letter to Trump | Russia gives Syria missile defense over US warnings Two prosecutors leaving Mueller team MORE next Tuesday. |
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1969-89)
He played in the NBA for two full decades, and each one represented a distinct chapter of his career. In the 1970s, he was the best player in the league, winning five of his six MVP awards as a dominant center on the Milwaukee Bucks. In the '80s, he was a critical cog in the Los Angeles Lakers dynasty spearheaded by Magic Johnson, winning five of his six titles. Through it all, he unleashed the most devastating shot the NBA has ever seen, using the sky hook to score many of his league-record 38,387 points. |
Metrics are an important part of incident response. You should know your average time to detect compromised systems and how successful phishing campaigns are against your users. To start successful metrics, you need to choose a taxonomy to use. In this example, we will be using the VERIS(1) taxonomy. It is well documented and allows you to compare yourself to the DBIR report.
One of the problems with metrics is the amount of time it takes to enter data and correlate it. While it may take less than 5 minutes to determine how many people responded to a phish, it may take up to 20 minutes to create the tickets in your tracking system. To greatly increase your efficiency and accuracy, scripting should be used.
RTIR(2) is an open source ticketing system for incident response based on Request Tracker. This system can be built based on the VERIS taxonomy by creating custom fields that match the categories. This system supports using a REST API(3) to automate the creation of tickets.
We need to create the following custom fields for our use case. Some of these will have static values and others will need to enter as a command line argument.
hacking.discovery_method, hacking.targeted, impact.security_incident, social.variety, social.vector,social.target, confidentiality.data.variety, misuse.variety
Additionally, we want to track other stats that aren't used in VERIS, but are very useful for tracking campaigns.
victim-username,ioc.attacker.ip, ioc.attacker.domain
Now that we have the basic breakdown of what fields we want to enter data in, we need to script it (4). You need to make sure you put in your credentials to the script along with the IP/DNS name of your server. The two main parts that you can adjust to fit any incident type are the arguments and the post_data. The ticket will be created and closed when the script is complete.
To run this script as posted, do the following:
>rt-phishing.py --username bob --ip 127.0.0.1 --domain malware.bad --creator twebb --time 5
While metrics are important, they shouldn't be demanding to create. Anything that your SOC does that doesn't require lots of documentation should be easily scripted.
1.http://veriscommunity.net/enums.html#section-incident_desc
2.https://www.bestpractical.com/rtir/
3.http://requesttracker.wikia.com/wiki/REST
4.https://github.com/tcw3bb/ISC_Posts/blob/master/RTIR-phish-template.py
--
Tom Webb |
BOISE - Idaho Gov. C. L. "Butch" Otter on Tuesday vetoed legislation that would have expressly permitted the use of the Bible in public school instruction, calling the measure unconstitutional.
In the veto's accompanying letter Otter said he respected the Bible, but the measure would result in costly litigation for Idaho's public schools. He said the measure directly contradicts Idaho's Constitution.
The bill stated the Bible could be used for reference purposes in subjects like literature, history, music and world geography in public schools, but not scientific subjects.
Schools are already allowed to reference the Bible and other religious texts, but this legislation specifically mentioned the Bible.
RELATED: Otter vetoes funding bill to study Medicaid gap population
The Legislature passed the measure in the final week of this year's session, after ignoring a warning from the attorney general's office that questioned its legality.
Copyright 2016 KTVB |
A new medical centre is opening inside the former Morgentaler clinic in Fredericton and will once again be the only private abortion clinic in New Brunswick.
Clinic 554, which was formally announced on Friday, will offer various publicly funded health services, such as contraception, cancer screening and pregnancy options, such as emergency IUDs, prenatal care, but it will also perform abortions not covered by medicare.
A new health centre will open inside the former Morgentaler clinic in downtown Fredericton. Clinic 554 will offer health services such as contraception, cancer screening, prenatal care and abortions. (CBC) New Brunswick only pays for abortions if they are performed in one of two hospitals in the province.
Medical director Dr. Adrian Eoin Edgar said in a statement that Clinic 554, on Brunswick Street, will fill an important gap in the health system.
"We just wanted to do our part to contribute — to make sure all New Brunswickers have access to the same quality and range of health-care services other provinces have," Edgar said.
The new medical clinic is the result of a fundraising campaign led by Reproductive Justice New Brunswick and the Fredericton Youth Feminists that garnered more than $125,000.
The crowdfunding initiative started after the Morgentaler clinic announced it was closing.
Wendy Robbins, a longtime advocate for improving access to abortion services in New Brunswick, said there is a need for a private clinic to offer reproductive health services.
"I would assume there is a huge need for very progressive medical care being provided right here in New Brunswick, right here in the capital city," she said on Friday.
It's an achievement to get back to square one. It is an achievement to catch up to the 1980s. It is a very muted hallelujah. - Wendy Robbins
The health clinic will open in the "coming weeks."
It will also treat about 600 people without family doctors and "underserved communities," such as people newly infected with HIV or with sexually transmitted infections.
The Morgentaler clinic's decision to shut last year forced politicians to begin debating the provincial government's abortion policies. It thrust the topic of abortion into the discussion during the September election campaign.
Wendy Robbins, a longtime advocate for improving access to abortion services in New Brunswick, said there is a need for better health services in the province. (CBC) Brian Gallant's Liberals pledged to review the province's abortion rules, particularly the regulation that forced women to get two doctors to declare an abortion was medically necessary before it would be paid for in a public hospital.
That promise prompted Gallant to be the target of anti-abortion postcards in the final days of the campaign.
Gallant announced in November that the contentious regulation was being removed. Starting in January, abortions still must be performed in a hospital to be covered by medicare, but the so-called two-doctor rule has been lifted.
Hospitals in Bathurst and Moncton are currently the only facilities that perform abortions. It's unclear how many additional hospitals may provide the service.
That means a woman who wants to have the procedure may need to drive three or four hours, depending on where she lives in the province.
When the Liberal government changed the province's abortion policy, the rationale for restricting it being done in hospitals was because it would be treated like any other surgery.
Health minister responds
Health Minister Victor Boudreau said the government intends to keep that rule in place.
"Our government recently identified and eliminated the barriers in order to respect our legal obligations under the Supreme Court of Canada rulings and the Canada Health Act regarding a woman's right to choose," he said in a statement.
"As it stands, this procedure will be funded by medicare when done in a hospital like other insured services. Regional health authorities have been charged with increasing their capacity to provide this service in a timely and non-judgmental fashion."
Robbins described the new rules governing abortion services as a "partial victory."
"It's an achievement to get back to Square 1. It is an achievement to catch up to the 1980s. It is a very muted Hallelujah," she said.
"It is a hallelujah, but it is not where we wanted to be with a change of government."
The political fight is moving from eliminating the two-doctor rule to having medicare fund abortions performed in other settings outside of hospitals, such as community health centres, private clinics and doctors' offices.
Robbins said an abortion costs roughly $800 to be performed in a clinic. Meanwhile, the cost in a hospital is close to $2,000.
"A sheer economic argument is made for providing it in the least costly environment possible," she said.
"[Gallant's abortion policy change] got two |
Bakersfield, CA (93301)
Today
Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 62F. Winds light and variable..
Tonight
Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. |
A young Canberra woman has been abused and chased by a car full of men while riding her bicycle home from Civic, and there are suggestions it's not the first time this group has harassed people in the area.
One of the best, and most commonly cited, benefits of living in Canberra is the that it is a safe city.
Like an oversized country town, we're proudly and frequented described as a place where it's safe to walk the streets at night.
This is why it's very concerning to see any indication that suggests that might be changing.
Inner north resident Kirsty Dale has written on Facebook about an incident she experienced earlier this month in a post that has since been widely shared across the community.
We spoke with Ms Dale, who was shaken by the experience but otherwise not seriously hurt.
After a night out in town earlier in March, she was riding her bike home towards Turner when she was approached by a (possibly late model) shiny back sedan.
Inside the car were four or five young men who, Ms Dale said, seemed to be intoxicated.
Ms Dale said the men yelled lewd and sexual comments out to her from the car, including highlighting the fact that she was alone.
She said she responded by "sticking her finger up" at the men as she continued riding, a reaction that she admits was, "in hindsight, probably not the best decision because I was alone and quite vulnerable.
"But I'm sick of being harassed," she said.
The car stopped at a red light at the next intersection, and it was here that the situation took a turn from offensive to seriously dangerous.
"They pulled up at a red light at the intersection … I slowed down to avoid passing them again," said Ms Dale.
"It became obvious I was going to have to pass them, and as I came up to the car the back door opened. This started to scare me so I started riding faster and took the corner so quickly my bike nearly came out from under me and my bike lock flew out of the basket.
"The man started running after me on foot, yelling something along the lines of 'I'm going to get you'. Luckily this was my neighbourhood, so I rode as fast as I could home with the car speeding along beside me and the occupants yelling, 'You should be scared' and 'We're literally going to rape you'.
"I was terrified and thought about going into another random front yard but ended up deciding to risk getting home. I actually fell off my bike at my gate, and have a huge bruise on my knee. As I was struggling to get in my gate and door, the car overshot my address but they kept yelling at me.
"I almost left my bike outside of my gate in my panic, but realised this would give away which apartment I live in.
Ms Dale said she was so scared they were going to come back that she went inside, turned off all the lights and called the friends she'd been out with to come and sit with her for a bit.
She reported the incident to police. ACT Policing has confirmed they've received the report and are investigating.
Alarmingly, Ms Dale said two of her friends have had similar encounters whilst riding their bikes home in the same area at night time.
On both occasions, the men had a black shiny sedan come up behind them and apparently try to hit them with an object that was described as being like "a police baton".
At least one of these incidents has also been reported to the police.
Ms Dale said it wasn't the first time she'd been harassed in the area, either.
Previously, while walking home from Civic to her university accommodation, she was followed by a black Holden Commodore.
"I bolted through [the block] and hid in the bushes for 10 minutes before continuing to the other side of campus," Ms Dale said.
"Another time I was leaving [a club in Civic] by myself when a group of four older men started following me and yelling things like, 'Hey girl in the blue dress, come back'. Luckily that time I ran into a friend that time and I was so thankful.
"I know a lot of friends who have experienced harassment but not many to the extent that I experienced on Friday night that I know of, apart from those two friends I mentioned above," she said.
In 2016, there were 10,210 incidents of crime in Canberra, including 97 incident of sexual assault.
North Canberra had the second highest number of sexual assaults (22), behind Belconnen with 32 incidents.
Add in all kinds of assault, and North Canberra has the highest rate, with 198 incidents over the course of the year.
What do you think? Are you worried Canberra is becoming less safe? Have you heard about any other recent street |
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Welcome to /r/Anarcho_Capitalism, a place to discuss free market capitalist anarchism and related topics, and share things that would be of interest to Anarcho-Capitalists. |
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The Seattle Seahawks opened up the 2013 season with a gutsy win over the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte. The headlines this week were mostly about the two Pro Bowl quarterbacks who were facing off in this game, but the real story on Sunday was the two very solid defenses.
It is easy to focus on the positive after a win, and there were plenty of positive in this game. Russell Wilson throwing for 320 yards would be one, and the defense only giving up seven points would be another.
At the same time, the Seahawks were far from perfect in this game. The offensive line really struggled, and the penalty problem that plagued this team in the preseason showed up again. There will be plenty of teaching points for head coach Pete Carroll and his staff to break down once they get a chance to look at the film.
Here's a breakdown of the Seahawks' roster and how it graded out against the Panthers. |
Moebius Models, manufacturer of classic sci-fi and horror models, is coming back to San Diego Comic-Con with some more high-quality statues sure to grab the attention of attendees. Last year, the company brought along an incredible Batman v Superman set, and we're so excited about what they have up their sleeves for this year.
The company has now started to unveil its 2017 exclusives, which you can pick up at Booth #2946. Just like in previous years, you'll be able to pre-order all of their exclusives by e-mailing [email protected] when they open orders in mid-June. We'll share when that's open.
Here's a look at what's in store for Moebius Models in 2017:
[UPDATE June 12]
Moebius Models has one more San Diego Comic-Con up their metaphorical sleeves: Frazetta's Death Dealer Lapel Pin (Set of Four). Just like the amazingly detailed styrene kit below, this pin set is based on the painting by fantasy artist Frank Frazette. The set comes with four metal lapel pins, including a Frazetta signature pin, a Death Dealer gothic frame pin, a Death Dealer sculpted pin, and a Death Dealer parchment pin. The pins measure from 1.5″-2″.
[UPDATE May 27]
Something sinister is coming — but there's no need to fear. The first of Moebius Models' San Diego Comic-Con exclusives is a 1:10 scale styrene kit of Death Dealer, based on the classic painting by legendary fantasy artist Frank Frazetta. The 10″ kit features the ominous character on his mighty steed, and is molded in Midnight Black. It also includes a unique numbered signature sleeve signed by Frank Frazetta, Jr., the son of the artist, as well as a detailed display base, and real metal chains. It will retail for $70.
If you loved last year's awesome Batman v Super battle pose set, then Moebius Models has something else for you to add to your collection with the Batman v Superman Batwing 1/25 Scale Model. Unlike the previous exclusive, this one comes fully assembled and fully painted. It features a highly detailed, accurate recreation of the Batwing, measuring over 17″ long and 17″ wide.
When you purchase the styrene Batwing for $150, you'll also get a screen-printed carrying bag.
Next up from Moebius Models is a San Diego Comic-Con exclusive you probably don't want helping to pilot your spacecraft — a 2001: A Space Odyssey Hal 9000 Lapel Pin, which retails for just $8, and features the ominous HAL 9000 interface as seen in the film. It measures 2″ high, and features a secure butterfly clasp. |
After President Bill Clinton signed welfare reform legislation in 1996 "ending welfare as we know it," many highlighted this "common sense" solution and criticized progressives for opposing the bill. Soon after passage, politicians and the media said it had not caused the downsides that activists had predicted, ignoring that the law had not been fully implemented. But troubling reports soon emerged.
Jason DeParle wrote a number of pieces in the New York Times about rising homelessness among Milwaukee families denied welfare under the new law. Welfare rolls were down, but the nation had unusually low unemployment, and many leaving the rolls had become homeless. Now, a new report shows that the Clinton welfare law is performing exactly as opponents feared, as the nation's deep recession allows states to force families off aid and into destitution. It is an American tragedy, largely ignored because the victims are primarily low-income women and their children.
After reading Robert Pear's April 11 story on how welfare reform is playing out in blue-state Rhode Island, I wondered whether it would echo through the rest of the media. After all, the media had given extraordinarily positive coverage of the "success" of the 1996 law eliminating the federal welfare entitlement, and recall many reporters in the late 1990's who expressed surprise when I told them I thought the bill would cause great harm to families.
Today, a decade after implementation, the Clinton-Republican "bipartisan" welfare law is a failure. As unemployment has doubled since 2007 and the number of people receiving food stamps has skyrocketed by 40%, the welfare caseload has risen only 10% — a clear indication that the nation's poorest families are not receiving welfare grants due to the restrictive time limits imposed by the 1996 law.
Ask yourself: if the federal government allowed states to put time limits on food stamps, would those numbers have gone up 40%? Or would we have even more kids on the streets begging for alms?
Politics over Policy
Families are suffering unnecessarily today because Bill Clinton branded himself a "New Democrat," vowed to "end welfare as we know it" as part of his 1992 campaign, and then found himself at the start of his 1996 re-election year with not having passed welfare reform.
In the paranoid world of presidential politics, Clinton's people actually believed that Republican Bob Dole could defeat him that November unless welfare reform was passed. So Clinton, along with every Democratic Senator up for election that year except the late Paul Wellstone, joined with Republicans in enacting a welfare bill that omitted many of the essential safeguards that progressives had insisted be part of any deal.
Safeguards like avoiding lifetime time limits, which were completely unrealistic in light of the nation's boom and bust economy. Or allowing states to cut or even eliminate benefits as sanctions against families allegedly missing work requirements, regardless of surrounding circumstances.
Liberal supporters pointed to the increased funding for job training, and argued that this was worth the trade-off. Others pointed to the current system not giving recipients sufficient incentive to work (as if the meager grants available prior to 1996 would lead many people to prefer welfare to employment).
Few with experience working with low-income families felt the time limits were anything but a strategy for states to reduce their rolls. And that is precisely what happened.
Progressives Proven Correct
Welfare reform was said to be a tremendous success in the years following passage, because the economy had jobs for welfare recipients and the lifetime time limits had not kicked in. And thousands of articles and columns written about welfare reform succeeded and why its progressive critics were wrong.
And progressives were not simply criticized for backing the wrong policy. Instead, opponents were identified McGovernite, "big government knows best," pie-in-the-sky 1960's throwbacks whose views had brought the Democratic Party nothing but failure in national elections.
But as progressives warned back in 1996, welfare reform could not be measured only by the first few years, or only during economic good times.
As family homeless shelters are overfilled in city after city, as mothers are forced to return to abusive husbands to get money for their kids, and as child poverty has greatly increased since 1996, the law's failure is clear.
A 35-year Head Start worker in Woonsocket, Rhode Island told Pear, "For the first time, we are seeing significant numbers of families who report no income whatsoever, zero, because they have reached the time limit on cash assistance or have been sanctioned for not meeting work requirements."
Since 1996, the proportion of children receiving welfare has declined by 50%, while fewer than half of economically eligible families participate in the program.
As progressives predicted, the primary impact of the welfare law has been to deny cash assistance to the nation's poorest families. This escalation of poverty among the nation's families is a key part of Bill Clinton's legacy, ignored as he troops through the third world on missions to help the downtrodden.
The problems of the poor have |
The US National Security Agency (NSA) intercepts nearly all communications in the South American continent, the founder of the WikiLeaks whistleblower portal, Julian Assange, said Tuesday.
© Sputnik / Ilya Pitalev US, UK Oil Companies in Brazil Benefit From NSA Espionage
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The website leaked a trove of documents over the weekend, implicating the NSA in wiretapping some 29 Brazilian high-level government and economic officials.
The revelations fueled a rift in bilateral ties created by a similar disclosures in 2013, when Brazilian President Dilma Roussef's communications were also revealed to have been tapped.
"Ninety-eight percent of Latin American communications are intercepted by the NSA while passing through the United States to the world," Assange said in an interview with Chile's El Mostrador publication.
© AFP 2018 / EVARISTO SA Wikileaks Reveals NSA Wiretapped Brazilian President, Other Officials
Assange stressed the role of Internet giants Google and Facebook in assisting the NSA with its dragnet data collection program.
"They are physically in the United States and therefore under their legal jurisdiction, with punitive laws used to force them to hand over the information they are collecting," Assange said.
On a global scale, the mastermind behind WikiLeaks lamented that neither company is "financially motivated to stop collecting the world's information." The most recent disclosures of classified communications concern the NSA's surveillance of French and German, in addition to Brazilian, officials. |
The US military has handed down much less severe sentences in similar cases, although civilian courts have been tougher
The 35-year sentence given to Bradley Manning on Wednesday, for passing classified military documents to WikiLeaks, was criticised by many observers as being especially harsh when compared to punishments that have been meted out for similar crimes.
Although prosecutors had demanded he serve at least 60 years, there is a sense among observers that the length of Manning's imprisonment is harsh, especially when compared to the punishments given to other military and government personnel convicted of leaking information or other crimes.
Marine Sergeant Clayton Lonetree
Lonetree, the only marine to have ever been convicted of espionage, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for providing the Soviet KGB with the identities of CIA agents in the 1980s. Lonetree had also handed over the floor plans of US embassies in Moscow and Vienna. His sentence was reduced to 15 years when the secretary of the navy found that the effect of his actions "was minimal". He was released after serving nine.
Army Specialist Albert T Sombolay
In 1991, Sombolay was convicted in a military court of giving a Jordanian intelligence agent information on the build-up for the first Iraq war. He had also passed on documents and samples of US army chemical protection equipment. He was sentenced to 34 years in jail, of which he served only 12.
Michael Peri
Peri, a military electronic warfare systems analyst for the US Army, was convicted of espionage in 1989. He was found to have stolen a portable computer used to store classified military information and handed it to East Germany. Peri pleaded guilty to espionage charges and was sentenced to 30 years in prison – avoiding a life sentence.
The Haditha killings
US marine Frank Wuterich with his lawyers. Photograph: Gregory Bull/AP
The punishment for military personnel convicted of arguably more serious crimes is often less than what Manning faces. In 2005, 24 unarmed Iraqi men, women and children were gunned down by a group of US marines in what became known as the Haditha killings. Charges were filed against eight marines, then dropped against seven. Murder charges against the remaining suspect, Frank Wuterich, were reduced to involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault. Wuterich struck a deal with military prosecutors and pleaded guilty to one count of negligent dereliction of duty. He was sentenced to forfeit two-thirds of his pay for three months, and a reduction in rank to private.
Aldrich Ames
The US civilian courts have tended to give harsher sentences than their military counterparts. Ames, a 31-year veteran of the CIA, is one of the more famous espionage convicts.
In 1994, he was arrested and accused of spying for the Soviet Union since 1985. Ames was convicted of passing classified information about CIA and FBI "human sources" to the KGB and details of technical operations relating to the Soviet Union during his time in Turkey and Italy. Upon returning to the US, he continued to pass documents to the KGB; the CIA and FBI found their Russian sources were being executed. Ames was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Robert Hanssen
Hanssen, a former FBI agent who was convicted in 2001 of spying for Moscow, was sentenced to 15 consecutive sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole. He had first provided information to the Soviet Union in 1979 and had continued to divulge secrets – and the identities of agents– throughout the 1980s and 90s. Among Hanssen's crimes was giving up the identities of three KGB agents who were working for the US – two of them were executed. Hanssen was apparently unaware that all three had already been exposed by Ames.
A government transparency advocate, Steven Aftergood of the Federation of American Scientists, said the sentences handed to Ames and Hanssen in civilian court were determined by their being career intelligence officers who had knowingly supplied foreign governments with US secrets over a number of years. In Ames's case, his disclosure led to two men being killed. |
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INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama tried to quell a political furor on Saturday over his comments about small-town Pennsylvanians, saying he used the wrong words to describe their mood.
U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) speaks to supporters during a campaign stop in Gary, Indiana April 10, 2008. REUTERS/Frank Polich
Democratic rival Hillary Clinton and Republican candidate John McCain kept the heat on the Illinois senator for his comments that small-town residents were bitter over job losses and turned in frustration to religion, guns and anti-immigrant sentiments.
Clinton, campaigning in Indiana before the state's May 6 contest, said the comments were elitist, divisive and out of touch and did not reflect the values of Americans she met.
"I don't think it helps to divide our country into one America that is enlightened and one that is not," Clinton, a New York senator, said in Indianapolis. "If you want to be the president of all Americans, you need to respect all Americans."
Obama said he did not use the right language to describe the anger and frustration small-town residents feel about the struggling economy and the failure of government to help them.
"I said something that everybody knows is true, which is that there are a whole bunch of folks in small towns in Pennsylvania, in towns right here in Indiana, in my hometown in Illinois, who are bitter," Obama said in Muncie, Indiana.
Related Coverage Clinton offers steps to help defense industry
"So I said well you know when you're bitter you turn to what you can count on. So people they vote about guns, or they take comfort from their faith and their family and their community," he said.
"Now, I didn't say it as well as I should have."
In an interview with the Winston-Salem Journal, Obama said, "If I worded things in a way that made people offended, I deeply regret that.
"The underlying truth of what I said remains, which is simply that people who have seen their way of life upended because of economic distress are frustrated and rightfully so," he was quoted as saying.
Obama touched off the controversy with his remarks at a closed San Francisco fundraiser earlier in the week. The remarks became public on Friday.
He said jobs had been disappearing in small towns in Pennsylvania and across the Midwest for 25 years with nothing to replace them.
"It's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations," he said.
Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) addresses supporters during a campaign stop at Columbus East High School in Columbus, Indiana, April 11, 2008. REUTERS/John Sommers II
FOCUS ON PENNSYLVANIA
The furor could threaten Obama's chances in Pennsylvania, which votes on April 22, the next big showdown in his fight with Clinton for the Democratic nomination to face McCain in November's presidential election.
Clinton once enjoyed a big lead in Pennsylvania polls but that has dwindled to about 4 to 6 points in a state that has struggled from job losses and has a large number of the blue-collar voters who have been Clinton's biggest backers.
Both Democratic candidates have campaigned for the support of working-class families battling a shaky job market and a home foreclosure crisis.
Clinton visited a transmission assembly plant in Indianapolis that supplies U.S. tanks to talk about her plans to rejuvenate defense industries. She later took a tour and met with employees of a plant in Mishawaka, Indiana, that manufactures Humvees for the military.
Obama's comments "are not reflective of the values and beliefs of Americans," she said.
"Americans who believe in God believe it's a matter of personal faith. People embrace faith not because they are materially poor but because they are spiritually rich."
Slideshow (5 Images)
The Obama campaign accused Clinton of supporting special interests that leave common workers behind.
"We won't be lectured on being out of touch by Sen. Clinton, who believes lobbyists represent real people and is awash in their money," said Obama spokesman Hari Sevugan.
Obama also came under fire from McCain's campaign.
"Barack Obama's elitism allows him to believe that the American traditions that have contributed to the identity and greatness of this country are actually just frustrations and bitterness," McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said.
Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, a Clinton supporter, said the controversy could hurt Obama's effort to win over superdelegates, the Democratic Party insiders who are free to back any candidate at the August nominating convention and could decide the race.
Obama leads Clinton in |
A beard-second is a measurement of length based on the distance that a beard hair grows in one second of time. This is similar, in structure though not in quantitative value, to a light-year, which is a measurement of length equal to the distance that light travels in one year. While a light-year is a very long distance, due to the tremendous speed of light, the beard-second is quite small since hair grows at a very slow rate. The exact length that this equals is the basis for some debate, and some sources cite it at about 10 nanometers (nm) while other sources use only 5 nm.
There are a number of ridiculous or unnecessarily complicated measurements used, often unofficially, in physics and engineering. In quantum physics, and other disciplines that use extremely small measurements of distance and space, one such measurement is the beard-second. There are two different values that can be used for the beard-second, based on the fact that beard follicles can grow at different rates on different people. The larger of the two measurements is 10 nm, while the smaller measurement is 5 nm in length; a nanometer is one-billionth of a meter (m), or about three-billionths of a foot, in length. |
Polling Locations
For a complete list of polling locations please click on the link below. If you need to know where you vote and what precinct you are, please visit the Voter Information Center.
Polling Locations |
Over the past several months, we've reviewed nine amazing projects that reached 10,000 supporters between May and September last year, which was our second review qualification period of 2015. Here are the results:
Caterham Super Seven
Carl Greatrix is known in the LEGO fan community for his photo-realistic models of cars, trains, and aircraft. He's perfectly captured the classic British sports car in LEGO bricks … and now you'll be able to own one too.
Adventure Time
These poseable brick-built Adventure Time figures are coming to a Land of Ooo near you. Yep, it's finally time for LEGO Adventure Time, thanks to aBetterMonkey.
Design, pricing, and availability
We're still working out the final product design, pricing and availably for both Caterham Super Seven and Adventure Time, so check back on LEGO Ideas later this year for details.
Decision regarding Star Citizen F7A Hornet
For the last two review periods, we've carried forward the Star Citizen F7A Hornet by nosmigon project for review. Unfortunately we've decided not to consider the project further.
Next Review Results Late Spring 2016
The next batch of LEGO Ideas projects are already in review. We're considering these projects that reached 10,000 supporters between September and January as possible future LEGO sets. We'll share results of the Third 2015 LEGO review period for projects that qualified between September 2015 and early January 2016 later this spring. |
It seems Intel is looking to get into the content distribution game: The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the chip-making giant is planning to launch an Intel-branded, web-based TV service, complete with an Intel-built set-top box. Intel has apparently been making pitches to media companies for months, with plans to have similar TV channel offerings as existing cable and satellite TV providers, except all of the content would be delivered over the internet. Customers, however, would need to provide their own internet connection to access this service. The company is shooting to have this service launched by the end of the year, although it isn't yet clear if Intel will be able to meet that goal — The Wall Street Journal's source indicated that no content deals had been struck yet. Between this potential new service, the ever-present Apple TV set rumors, and proposed online TV network Ora.tv trying to lure Larry King out of retirement, it looks like internet-based TV could start really start putting pressure on cable providers. |
Story highlights Trystan Reese was assigned the female gender at birth
He and his partner welcomed baby Leo on July 14
(CNN) — Trystan Reese, a transgender man living in Portland, Oregon, has given birth to a boy with his partner of seven years, Biff Chaplow. Their son, Leo Murray Chaplow, was born July 14.
Leo is the couple's first biological child, but they are no strangers to parenting: Reese and Chaplow adopted Chaplow's niece and nephew in 2011.
Both Leo and Reese were in good health after the birth, the couple wrote on Facebook. They didn't respond to a request for comment.
Reese and Chaplow have documented their parenting adventures and posted updates throughout Reese's pregnancy on their Facebook page . They made a video announcing the pregnancy in January.
Reese, who was assigned the female gender at birth, posted a video in March explaining his decision to carry a baby as a transgender man.
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"I'm OK with my body being a trans body," he said. "I'm OK being a man who has a uterus and has the capacity and capability of carrying a baby." Reese told CNN in June that he had stopped taking testosterone to prepare for the pregnancy. "We've been under medical supervision the entire time," he said, "to make it as healthy and safe as possible." In addition to the "normal pregnancy stuff" like cravings -- Reese's was French fries from McDonald's -- the couple has had to face criticism and negativity online. "We find that behind the shroud of anonymity, people feel pretty empowered to tell us what should happen to us, to our children, to our family," Reese said. "The reason why you have a kid is because you want to see more love in the world, and remembering how difficult that's going to be, it's hard." But since Leo was born, the couple has received an outpouring of support on Facebook and media attention from around the world.
CNN's Carma Hassan contributed to this report. |
Tom Browns Restaurant, Gunthorpe, Nottingham combines the stunning charm and character of an Old Victorian School House with an elegant, contemporary interior. Sitting on the leafy banks of the River Trent it offers some gorgeous views of the river and local wildlife, especially from the heated outdoor alfresco dining terrace. We are very proud of our two AA Rosettes (2008-2017) & Michelin Restaurant Guide 2017/18 entry; and work exceptionally hard to deliver consistent quality.
Over the past 30 years Tom Browns Restaurant has built a reputation as one of the best restaurants in Nottingham and we pride ourselves on serving fantastic quality, fresh, modern, international cuisine and providing superb service. Our outdoor alfresco dining terrace boasts gorgeous riverside restaurant views and is the perfect setting in which to relax in the summer months, either for a meal or just drinks. When the weather gets a little cooler there are blankets and outside fire pits to keep you warm.
The ethos of Tom Browns Restaurant is simple - to deliver superb food and service. Professional service which is informative yet unobtrusive allows our guests to relax in the contemporary surroundings and focus on each other.
We believe your meal should be enjoyed with great conversation and our staff aim to let you enjoy your company whilst offering some of the best drinks we can get our hands on. Our wine list is diverse yet easily read and we have a great selection of mainstream and craft beers. Our cocktail list is incredibly creative and changes with the seasons - new ideas are always being trialed.
Our main reputation stems from the quality of the food. It's simple and classic in one respect yet imaginative and creative in another. There are two main menus on offer – A La Carte and Early Bird. The menus are designed to be approachable and there's something for everyone. At lunch we offer ciabattas and light lunches alongside char-grills and classic mains such as fish & chips. We offer, in our minds, the best Sunday Lunch in Nottingham, deliciously pink sirloin of beef, crispy beef dripping roasties and massive home-made yorkies – you have to try it! Since we launched our quirky Afternoon Tea in 2015 it has grown to be incredibly popular. We don't buy any of the cakes in, everything is made fresh on the morning of your afternoon tea.
We also specialise in private function rooms, other people would call it a private room. These rooms would be perfect for formal dinners, business conferences and any sort of special occasion, our function rooms can be adapted for many different events.
We hold a number of special events throughout the year, including fine dining events and live music party nights. In November we hold our famous Beaujolais Breakfast Party in our 250 seater marquee and we also host two highly extravagant balls, one in winter and one in summer, a black tie event with amazing food, entertainment and International DJs. We also host a handful of beautiful, bespoke wedding receptions throughout the year.
We are, above all else - a Brasserie so we don't see ourselves as formal, but we do offer to take our guest's jackets. We are a warm, friendly and genuine rosette restaurant in which you can enjoy a few hours with your family or friends, whether having a meal or catching up over cocktails, while gazing over our riverside view. in Nottingham It really is that simple. |
WASHINGTON, DC — National Security Advisor H. R. McMaster said in a private conversation that President Trump has the intelligence of a kindergartner, according to a BuzzFeed News report citing five anonymous sources familiar with the conversation.
The report echoes a similar story from October by NBC News that alleged that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had called Trump a "moron." While Tillerson voiced his support for the president shortly after that report was made public, he was slow to deny that he had actually made the comment.
According to BuzzFeed News, McMaster made his remarks at a dinner with Oracle CEO Safra Catz, who is a potential candidate for jobs in the administration. Both the administration and Oracle have denied the report about McMaster's comments, which says that he also called Trump an "idiot and a "dope," but four of BuzzFeed's sources said they heard about the remarks directly from Catz. A sixth source told BuzzFeed that McMaster had made similar comments in private, "including that the president lacked the necessary brainpower to understand the matters before the National Security Council."
Read the full report at BuzzFeed>>
Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images |
Featured on #FOAMED REVIEW 26TH EDITION – Thank you to Michael Macias from emCurious for the shout out!
Author: Alex Koyfman, MD (Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center) // Editor: Justin Bright, MD
Your next 3 patients…
#1: Gastric bypass pt with SIRS criteria
#2: Gastric bypass pt with psychiatric complaints
#3: Gastric bypass pt with nausea/vomiting
The Basics
-Morbid obesity continues to rise significantly (epidemic)
-Increasing # of weight-loss surgeries w/ physical/psych effects => increasing ED visits for postoperative complications
-Increased laparoscopic techniques; each surgical option w/ potential complications
-2 main strategies of surgery: gastric restriction (early satiety) => banding / gastroplasty; intestinal malabsorption (bypass parts of small intestine) => distal gastric bypass / biliopancreatic diversion +/- duodenal switch
-Hospital stays: 3-4 days
Clinical Pearls
–Challenging / unreliable abdominal exam => more extensive work-ups including CT abdo/pelv w/ oral + IV contrast (drink over several hours)
-May not fit into CT scan
–Often don't manifest symptoms/signs of serious intra-abdominal pathology i.e. signs of peritonitis masked by large amount of intra-abdominal fat
-Lack cardiopulmonary physiologic reserve => quick deterioration; get surgery involved early
-Concern for band migration: need swallow study under fluoroscopy
-Roux-en-Y pts are tricky b/c part of small intestine is bypassed; signs/sxs not classic and abdo XR not reliable
–Fever + tachycardia + increasing abdominal / back pain in Roux-en-Y pt in 1st several weeks post-surgery, pursue anastomotic leak/intra-abdominal abscess; need UGI series vs surgical exploration
-Upper endoscopy has a role in diagnosing bleeding / stricture / stenosis
–Internal hernia: tough dx; many w/ normal labs / XR / UGI series / CT; surgical exploration needed
Surgical options
–Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding (LAGB)
-restrictive procedure; very popular outside of US
-adjustable band positioned around upper portion of stomach, then connected to port implanted under skin (allows for loosening/tightening)
-easily reversed; adjust for goal weight loss; lower operative risk/complications
–many sent home same day or next day; return to have band inflated as needed
–favorable long-term results in Europe, less in USA
–Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGBP)
–restrictive procedure and subclinical malabsorption; most popular in US
–laparoscopic (technically challenging) or open; small proximal gastric pouch created, then connected to small bowel (portion of small bowel is bypassed) => malabsorption of calories + dumping syndrome
–sustained long-term weight loss (50-80%) + decrease in co-morbidities (HTN, DM, HLD, etc.)
–Biliopancreatic Diversion with or without duodenal switch (BPD, BPD-DS)
–restrictive procedure and surgical malabsorption
-decrease size of stomach (limited gastrectomy) and bypass of duodenum / jejunum +/- duodenal switch
-prevents development of dumping syndrome
-High long-term success (60-80%)
–Vertical Banded Gastroplasty (VBG)
–restrictive procedure; less commonly utilized currently
-small pouch created along lesser curvature of stomach using staples, followed by non-adjustable band constricting outlet from pouch
-long-term follow-up: not very effective at keeping off weight (50%); many pts go on to have another weight-loss procedure
Risks/Complications
-Nausea / vomiting: most common chief complaint
-GERD
-Surgical site infection
-Wound dehiscence
–GI bleed
-Acute gastric distention => n/v, bloating, LUQ pain; w/in several days post-op
-who to consider in: Roux-en-Y
–DVT / PE: 2nd most common cause of death
-Chronic abdominal pain |
Welcome back to Top Shelf Prospects, the daily column that brings you the next crop of professional hockey players. Each day I will bring you a new player profile or topical article in the lead-up to the 2017 NHL Draft. Be sure to bookmark the site, follow me on Twitter, and spread the word for the site that will bring you analytical and critical profiles and scouting reports! Last Word On Hockey Prospects is your new headquarters for everything "NHL Draft"! We have a complete listing of our draft articles here.
The big day has come and gone, and now we look back to see how each team did in the NHL draft. Look, we know that it is way too soon to evaluate a draft and that the true evaluation will be seen four or five years from now. However, we don't want to wait, instead we follow our yearly tradition and do our draft grades now.
LWOS 2017 NHL Draft Grades
Note: We include trades in the grades. The moves for players like Travis Hamonic, Artemi Panarin, Brandon Saad, Derek Stepan, Brayden Schenn, Jordan Eberle, and others from the last week will be included in our draft grades.
A second note: VALUE PICK does NOT mean best player drafted. It means best value. For Example, Nico Hischier was the first player taken in this draft. However he is not our best value pick for the Devils. Why? Because anyone can take the best player with the first overall pick, we are looking for value here, what steal did the team get in the draft that went later than we thought he would? If it was merely an exercise in naming the best player drafted, might as well just name the team's first pick, as that is who their own scouts felt was their best player.
A third note: The links lead back to our scouting reports.
Anaheim Ducks: B
Picks: Maxime Comtois, Antoine Morand, Jack Badini, Kyle Olson, Olle Eriksson-Ek
Best Value: Comtois
The Ducks got very good value when they drafted Comtois. He was once seen as a top five pick, but had a disappointing draft season. The thing with Comtois is that he started the season at wing and did not produce much. In December he was shifted back to centre and had good numbers. Antoine Morand is small but very skilled. He is playing centre now, but may end up as a winger going forward.
Badini was passed over for the draft last year. While we aren't surprised that he was drafted, 91 seemed a bit early and a bit of a reach. Olson is another smaller player with skill. He plays like a buzz-saw though, as Olson is not afraid to mix things up in the corners or in front of the net. He also is talented enough to put up points. Eriksson-Ek gives the Ducks a nice goalie project to work with. He is the brother of Wild prospect Joel Eriksson Ek.
Arizona Coyotes: B +
Picks: Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Filip Westerlund, MacKenzie Entwistle, Nate Schnarr, Cameron Crotty, Noel Hoefenmayer, Michael Karow, Tyler Steenbergen, Erik Walli-Walterholm
Trades: Acquired Niklas Hjalmarsson, Acquired Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta
Best Value: Hjalmarsson
It was an interesting weekend for the Coyotes. Long-time head coach Dave Tippett was shown the door. This was followed by a slew of trades. The Coyotes got excellent value in picking up Hjalmarsson. He's a solid defensive defenceman. They gave up Connor Murphy, whose contract is nearly as big as Hjalmarsson's. Centre Laurent Dauphin was passed by many on the Coyotes depth chart. They also picked up Stepan and Raanta. Stepan is proven top six centre and Raanta will be the team's new number one goalie. The seventh overall pick and Anthony DeAngelo was a big price. Given the age of the Coyotes team, getting proven talent, and the need to hit to the cap floor, this is decent value. The value in their Saturday trade down with the Flyers was great as well, getting two extra picks while moving nine spots.
The Coyotes also had a boatload of picks. We had Joseph lower than many others did, as we see a player who does a lot of things good, but does not have a standout skill. He could be a solid NHL contributor though, but most gain weight. Westerlund was also taken quite a bit higher than where we had hm as a mid third. These two picks keep them away from an A grade. They got good value later in the draft. Entwistle is |
There's a part of me that has always longed to lead a simpler, more ascetic life. But I've had to balance that with the demands of constantly being in the public eye. When I retired from coaching, Jeanie urged me to stay up to date with what was happening in the basketball world — which I did — but my first inclination was to go inside and become more attuned to my "inner minister." I fantasized about slowing down, living more mindfully, and dedicating myself primarily to service. I was happy being the chief cook and bottle washer at home and spending a good part of my time buying the groceries, making dinner, and taking care of the household. I taught meditation to some business executives and flirted with the idea of mentoring students at the Union Theological Center. As long as they didn't call me "Reverend," I thought, it would be OK. |
From semi-professional 8 year old magician to opening for Sam Kinison, what hasn't Jimmy Shubert done?
All CrabFeast episodes are available on iTunes, Stitcher and AllThingsComedy and the player below! #FTCF ***** |
When Roose freed Jaime, Jaime said jokingly, Give my regards to Robb Stark. It was him just running his mouth, it didn't really mean anything. Roose however actually repeats this when he betrays Robb. It was him being cruel, Yes I had Jaime and let him go, yes I sided with the Lannisters. The unfortunate part of this though is that Catelyn having freed Jaime personally, hears this remarks and dies thinking he was behind The Red Wedding. When she returns as Lady Stoneheart she surely remembers it. And poor Jaime, having worked so hard to redeem himself, can very well be done in by something he likely doesn't even remember saying, and surely meant nothing by. But it's basically his chickens coming home to roost, he's put out do much negativity that even though now that he's changed that negativity is bound to be his undoing. It's one of those things. Forget your jacket, catch a cold, and somebody calls you Snot Boogie, and your Snot Boogie for life. |
Midnight Drive-Thru is a pop culture podcast and streams live every week on Mixlr.com/midnightdrive_thru. Read Less
Midnight Drive-Thru is a pop culture podcast and streams live every week on Mixlr.com/midnightdrive_thru. Read more »
Most Recent Episode
...And We're Back (Episode 57)
Aug 10, 2017 · 8 minutes
Traves drops by with a quick update on the status of MNDT and where the show is headed in the future. That's right, MNDT is back!
Traves drops by with a quick update on the status of MNDT and where the show is headed in the future. That's right, MNDT is back! Read less |
Despite his invocation of socialist principles, Wang was quick to tell me that he dislikes the New Left label, even though he has used it himself. "Intellectuals reacted against 'leftism' in the 80's, blaming it for all of China's problems," he said, "and right-wing radicals use the words 'New Left' to discredit us, make us look like remnants from the Maoist days." Wang also doesn't care to be identified with the radical intellectuals of the 60's in America and Europe, to whom the term New Left was originally applied. Many of them, he said, had passion and slogans but very little practical politics, and not surprisingly, more than a few ended up with the neoconservatives, supporting "fantasy projects" like democracy in Iraq.
Wang prefers the term "critical intellectual" for himself and like-minded colleagues, some of whom are also part of China's nascent activist movement in the countryside, working to alleviate rural poverty and environmental damage. Though broadly left wing, Dushu publishes writing from across the ideological spectrum. Wang's own work draws on a broad range of Western thinkers, from the French historian Fernand Braudel to the globalization theorist Immanuel Wallerstein. "Intellectual quality is important to me," Wang said. "I don't want to run just any left-wing garbage." The magazine has carried abstract debates on postcolonial theory as well as, he claims, some of the most interesting analyses in China of how the government's urban-oriented reforms have damaged rural society. There are restrictions on what Dushu can publish, of course, and Wang is frank about them. As with all intellectual journals in mainland China, authors and editors at Dushu have to exercise a degree of self-censorship. Articles cannot directly criticize the leadership or deviate much from the official line on subjects that the Chinese government considers most sensitive — Taiwan or restive Muslim and Buddhist minorities in Xinjiang and Tibet.
"I get asked in Western countries, 'How do you define your position?"' Wang said. "'Are you a dissident?' I say no. What is a dissident? It is a cold-war category. And it has no meaning now. Many of the Chinese dissidents in America can return to China. But they don't want to. They are doing well in the U.S. To people who ask me if we are dissidents, I say, we are critical intellectuals. Some government policies we support. Others, we oppose. It really depends on the content of the policy."
Born in Yangzhou in the southeast province of Jiangsu, Wang was just 7 and entering primary school when the Cultural Revolution began in 1966. The decade-long chaos, which traumatized older generations, seems to have left benign memories for Wang. He remembers being taken by his school to work in the villages for a week or two during the school year. "My generation of urban intellectuals," he said, with a hint of pride, "is the last to have firsthand experience of conditions in the countryside."
He counts the 20 months he spent working in factories around Yangzhou after middle school as a valuable experience. In 1977, he took the first university entrance exams to be held after the Cultural Revolution, during which many universities were either shut or would admit only peasants, workers and soldiers. "Thousands of aspiring students," he reminisced, "were competing for a single place."
When he moved from Yangzhou to Beijing to begin his doctoral studies in the mid-80's, Wang found himself part of an even more privileged class. "Intellectuals," he said, "had been targeted during Mao's time; now, post-Mao, they were the elite again." And by then, Wang said, they all agreed on what needed to be done: China had to abandon its "feudal" and socialist traditions and catch up with the capitalist West. Scarred by the Cultural Revolution, intellectuals saw socialism in China as a failure. Consequently, they had, Wang argues, no real debate on whether a Western-style consumerist society could be successfully recreated or was environmentally sustainable in China. The West, especially the United States, was idealized.
Wang first began to develop his own views on contemporary China while working on a dissertation about one of the most admired of modern Chinese writers, Lu Xun (1881 1936). Lu Xun, Wang explained to me, was a writer of the left, but he was very critical of left-wing writers and activists. He criticized Chinese tradition, but was also an excellent classical scholar. He welcomed the Western idea of progress, but was also skeptical of it. The paradoxes in Lu Xun helped Wang to see that Chinese modernity could not be a simple matter of abandoning the old and embracing the new — as it had been for both Maoists and free-market capitalists.
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For Wang, the problems associated with China's uneven development were |
Abstract
Context: The American Heart Association Nutrition Committee recommends women and men consume no more than 100 and 150 kcal of added sugar per day, respectively, whereas the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010, suggests a maximal added sugar intake of 25% or less of total energy. Objective: To address this discrepancy, we compared the effects of consuming glucose, fructose, or high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) at 25% of energy requirements (E) on risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Participants, Design and Setting, and Intervention: Forty-eight adults (aged 18–40 yr; body mass index 18–35 kg/m2) resided at the Clinical Research Center for 3.5 d of baseline testing while consuming energy-balanced diets containing 55% E complex carbohydrate. For 12 outpatient days, they consumed usual ad libitum diets along with three servings per day of glucose, fructose, or HFCS-sweetened beverages (n = 16/group), which provided 25% E requirements. Subjects then consumed energy-balanced diets containing 25% E sugar-sweetened beverages/30% E complex carbohydrate during 3.5 d of inpatient intervention testing. Main Outcome Measures: Twenty-four-hour triglyceride area under the curve, fasting plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and apolipoprotein B (apoB) concentrations were measured. Results: Twenty-four-hour triglyceride area under the curve was increased compared with baseline during consumption of fructose (+4.7 ± 1.2 mmol/liter × 24 h, P = 0.0032) and HFCS (+1.8 ± 1.4 mmol/liter × 24 h, P = 0.035) but not glucose (−1.9 ± 0.9 mmol/liter × 24 h, P = 0.14). Fasting LDL and apoB concentrations were increased during consumption of fructose (LDL: +0.29 ± 0.082 mmol/liter, P = 0.0023; apoB: +0.093 ± 0.022 g/liter, P = 0.0005) and HFCS (LDL: +0.42 ± 0.11 mmol/liter, P < 0.0001; apoB: +0.12 ± 0.031 g/liter, P < 0.0001) but not glucose (LDL: +0.012 ± 0.071 mmol/liter, P = 0.86; apoB: +0.0097 ± 0.019 g/liter, P = 0.90). Conclusions: Consumption of HFCS-sweetened beverages for 2 wk at 25% E increased risk factors for cardiovascular disease comparably with fructose and more than glucose in young adults.
In epidemiological studies, consumption of sugar and/or sugar-sweetened beverages has been linked to the presence of unfavorable lipid levels (1–5), insulin resistance (6, 7), fatty liver (8, 9), type 2 diabetes (10–12), cardiovascular disease (13), and metabolic syndrome (14). We have recently reported that consumption of fructose-sweetened beverages at 25% of energy requirements (E) increased visceral adipose deposition and de novo lipogenesis, produced dyslipidemia, and decreased glucose tolerance/insulin sensitivity in older, overweight/obese men and women, whereas consumption of glucose-sweetened beverages did not (15). Because the commonly consumed sugars, sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), are composed of 50–55% fructose, these results provide a potential mechanistic explanation for the associations between sugar consumption and metabolic disease. However, the adverse metabolic effects of fructose consumption observed in the older, overweight/obese population (15) may not occur in a younger, leaner population.
Authors of three recent reviews have concluded that long-term sugar intakes as high as 25–50% E have no adverse effects with respect to components of metabolic syndrome (16) and that fructose consumption up to 140 g/d does not result in biologically relevant increases of fasting or postprandial triglycerides (TG) in healthy, normal-weight (17), or overweight or obese (18) humans. These reviews (16, 17) are cited in the Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, released June of 2010, in which a maximal intake level of 25% or less of total energy from added sugars is suggested (19). However, in August of 2009, the American Heart Association Nutrition Committee recommended that women consume no more than 100 kcal/d and men consume no more than 150 kcal/d of added sugar (20). This equates to differences between the two guidelines of 400 kcal/d for women consuming 2000 kcal/d and 525 kcal/d for men consuming 2500 kcal/d. To address this discrepancy, we compared the effects of consuming 25%E as glucose, fructose or HFCS for 2 weeks |
Internet heavyweights Facebook, Google, Amazon, and Netflix are joining at least 80,000 other websites to protest the Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) proposed rollback of network neutrality (net neutrality) today, urging users to send comments to the regulatory agency demanding net neutrality's preservation.
But what, exactly, is net neutrality? And why does everyone care about it all of a sudden?
As of now, net neutrality is shorthand for the internet as we know it. It's the idea and tradition that internet service providers (ISPs) will not discriminate or charge differently based on content, website, or platform–and essentially that ISPs must provide the same version of the internet to everyone regardless of their location, political opinion, or internet consumption habits.
Though generally understood as more of a principle than anything, it wouldn't be entirely inaccurate to say that it's the present state of the law. The FCC officially regulates ISPs and in 2015 classified them as "common carriers" under Title II of the 1934 Communications Act and Section 706 of the 1996 Telecommunications Act in order to preserve the neutrality of the network we call the internet.
Common carrier status effectively means ISPs are treated similar to phone companies and other utilities; therefore they must keep the internet an open and neutral gateway to the content contained online. Effectively, this means ISPs can't speed up or slow down access to certain content or throttle users' bandwidth just because they feel like it.
Here are a few examples of what a compromised (i.e. non-neutral) network might look like:
1. The illicit behavior of Comcast in 2007. The ISP was secretly throttling the bandwidth of users who were uploading to peer-to-peer file sharing services like BitTorrent; once this behavior was discovered by the FCC, Comcast was ordered to stop.
2. The illegal 2004 activity of Madison River Communications, a phone company which was blocking users' ability to access competitor Vonage's internet-based phone services. They were fined $15,000 by the FCC.
3. AT&T got in on the unlawful action in 2012: limiting access to Apple's FaceTime app to those customers who purchased a more expensive data plan. They eventually backed down before the FCC was forced to act.
4. Not to be outdone, Verizon in 2007 decided to censor pro-choice text messages sent across their SMS network. This decision was swiftly criticized across the political spectrum–and then swiftly reversed.
Net neutrality, therefore, in its present state, is a regulation intended to curb potential abuses of corporate power by ISPs who seek to offer tiered pricing, regulate political content they might disagree with, or single-out certain users or applications and deny them access.
The extent of the FCC's authority over ISPs, however, is an open question currently subject to varied legal wrangling on all sides of the issue. Thus, net neutrality is in an ever-precarious state of being. Which brings us to today.
President Trump's appointed FCC Chairman, Ajit Pai, began the process of compromising net neutrality just a few months after taking office.
In a 2-1 vote along partisan lines–the FCC is nonsensically straitjacketed by a rule that no more than three of its five members may come from the same political party–earlier this year, the FCC decided to review the Obama-era policy on net neutrality.
[image via ; video courtesy The Hill]
Follow Colin Kalmbacher on Twitter: @colinkalmbacher |
Glass et al. (1989) reported a 16-year-old boy with severe mental retardation, microcephaly, and craniofacial dysmorphism associated with an interstitial deletion of chromosome 2q32.2-q33.1. He had no comprehensible speech and was totally dependent for all activities. Facial features included large beaked nose, ptosis, and cleft palate. He also had seizures and a striking scalloped skin pigmentation that did not follow Blaschko lines. Activity of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH1; 147700) was normal.
Van Buggenhout et al. (2005) reported 4 unrelated patients with interstitial deletions of chromosome 2q32-q33. Common clinical features included pre- and postnatal growth retardation, severe mental retardation, thin and sparse hair, persistent feeding difficulties, inguinal hernia, and broad-based gait. Facial features included high long face, high forehead, ptosis, dacrocystitis, high nasal bridge, small mouth, teeth abnormalities, micrognathia, and cleft or high-arched palate. Two patients had seizures, and 3 had spasticity and contractures. Three patients had a specific behavioral phenotype with hyperactivity and motor restlessness, chaotic behavior, and happy personality intermixed with periods of aggression and anxiety, sleeping problems and self-mutilation. Array CGH and FISH analysis showed that all patients shared an 8.1-Mb minimal deleted region. The cleft or high-arched palate most likely resulted from hemizygosity for the SATB2 gene (608148).
Rosenfeld et al. (2009) reported 3 unrelated patients with small heterozygous deletions of chromosome 2q33.1, ranging from 173.1 to 185.2 kb, that affected only the SATB2 gene. Parental samples from the mother were available for only 2 patients, and neither mother carried the deletion; parental samples were not available for the third patient. All patients had severe developmental delay, mental retardation, and tooth anomalies, but other features varied. Dentofacial anomalies included delayed primary dentition and micrognathia in 1 patient; cleft palate, crowded teeth, and small mandible in the second; and fused mandibular central incisors without cleft palate in the third. Two patients had behavioral abnormalities and mild dysmorphic features. Rosenfeld et al. (2009) concluded that haploinsufficiency for SATB2 is responsible for some of the clinical features associated with the 2q32-q33 deletion syndrome.
Urquhart et al. (2009) reported a girl with a de novo heterozygous 4.5-Mb microdeletion of chromosome 2q33.1. She had cleft soft palate, feeding problems, febrile seizures, and delayed psychomotor development with poor speech. She was mildly dysmorphic, with broad forehead, flat philtrum, small mouth, thin upper lip, missing lateral incisors, and relative macrocephaly, but ears were normal. She also had joint laxity, valgus foot deformity, broad toes and thumbs, brachydactyly, and contractures of the fourth and fifth fingers. She had a social disposition. Brain MRI showed nonspecific periventricular white matter abnormalities. The deleted region included the SATB2 gene.
Rifai et al. (2010) reported a 16-year-old girl, born of unrelated French Caribbean parents, with an interstitial 26.3-Mb deletion of chromosome 2q31.2-q33.2. She had prenatal and postnatal growth retardation, microcephaly, facial dysmorphism, cleft palate, camptodactyly, bilateral talipes equinovarus, severe intellectual disability, and ectodermal anomalies. Ectodermal anomalies included thin, atrophic skin, sparse, brittle, slowly growing hair, oligodontia with abnormally shaped teeth, normal sweating, and normal fingernails. These findings were consistent with a diagnosis of ectodermal dysplasia. The deletion resulted in hemizygosity for the HOXD gene (see, e.g., HOXD1; 142987) cluster and its regulatory elements, which may affect limb development. Haploinsufficiency of other genes such as COL3A1 (120180)/COL5A2 (120190), GTF3C3 (604888), CASP8 (601763), CASP10 (601762), and SATB2 may also influence the phenotype.
Balasubramanian et al. (2011) reported 7 unrelated patients with different interstitial deletions of chromosome 2q33.1. The phenotype was variable, but common features included delayed psych |
Fraudsters stole personal and financial information over phone
About 43% of UK adults aged above 50 have encountered new telephone scam involving fraudsters posing as legitimate organisations to dupe them, according to the country's fraud watchdog.
The Financial Fraud Action UK (FFA UK) reported that fraudsters tricked people reveal personal and financial information, such as credit and debit card information, with victims' bank accounts being wiped out within 24-hours.
The agency reported a £36m rise across crimes involving either online or phone banking, buying online and over the phone or criminals filling out fake applications, with recent estimates indicating about £7m may be accredited to the scam, dubbed as 'Vishing'.
The UK Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Crime Unit (DCPCU) head DCI Dave Carter said that fraudsters can use personal information gleaned from Vishing in a number of ways including to access a victim's bank account, make fraudulent purchases and commit identity theft .
"Always be wary of cold callers who suggest you hang up the phone and call them back," Carter said.
"Fraudsters will keep your phone line open by not putting down the receiver at their end.
"Remember that it takes two people to terminate a call so try and use a different phone line if you are asked to ring back.
"If you think you've already been a victim of this scam, contact your bank or card company immediately." |
Watch Video – How to Count Colored Cells in Excel
Wouldn't it be great if there was a function that could count colored cells in Excel?
Sadly, there isn't any inbuilt function to do this.
BUT..
It can easily be done.
How to Count Colored Cells in Excel
In this tutorial, I will show you three ways to count colored cells in Excel (with and without VBA):
Using Filter and SUBTOTAL function Using GET.CELL function Using a Custom Function created using VBA
#1 Count Colored Cells Using Filter and SUBTOTAL
To count colored cells in Excel, you need to use the following two steps:
Filter colored cells
Use the SUBTOTAL function to count colored cells that are visible (after filtering).
Suppose you have a dataset as shown below:
There are two background colors used in this data set (green and orange).
Here are the steps count colored cells in Excel:
In any cell below the data set, use the following formula: =SUBTOTAL(102,E1:E20)
Select the headers. Go to Data –> Sort and Filter –> Filter. This will apply a filter to all the headers. Click on any of the filter drop-downs. Go to 'Filter by Color' and select the color. In the above dataset, since there are two colors used for highlighting the cells, the filter shows two colors to filter these cells.
As soon as you filter the cells, you will notice that the value in the SUBTOTAL function changes and returns only the number of cells that are visible after filtering.
How does this work?
The SUBTOTAL function uses 102 as the first argument, which is used to count visible cells (hidden rows are not counted) in the specified range.
If the data if not filtered it returns 19, but if it is filtered, then it only returns the count of the visible cells.
Try it Yourself.. Download the Example File
#2 Count Colored Cells Using GET.CELL Function
GET.CELL is a Macro4 function that has been kept due to compatibility reasons.
It does not work if used as regular functions in the worksheet.
However, it works in Excel named ranges.
See Also: Know more about GET.CELL function.
Here are the three steps to use GET.CELL to count colored cells in Excel:
Create a Named Range using GET.CELL function
Use the Named Range to get color code in a column
Using the Color Number to Count the number of Colored Cells (by color)
Let's deep dive and see what to do in each of the three mentioned steps.
Creating a Named Range
Go to Formulas –> Define Name.
In the New Name dialog box, enter: Name: GetColor Scope: Workbook Refers to:
as the second argument. You need to use the reference of the column where you have the cells with the background color. Sheet1!$A2 In the above formula, I have used =GET.CELL(38,Sheet1!$A2)
Getting the Color Code for Each Cell
In the cell adjacent to the data, use the formula =GetColor
This formula would return 0 if there is NO background color in a cell and would return a specific number if there is a background color.
This number is specific to a color, so all the cells with the same background color get the same number.
Count Colored Cells using the Color Code
If you follow the above process, you would have a column with numbers corresponding to the background color in it.
To get the count of a specific color:
Somewhere below the dataset, give the same background color to a cell that you want to count. Make sure you are doing this in the same column that you used in creating the named range. For example, I used Column A, and hence I will use the cells in column 'A' only.
In the adjacent cell, use the following formula:
=COUNTIF($F$2:$F$20,GetColor)
This formula will give you the count of all the cells with the specified background color.
How Does It Work?
The COUNTIF function uses the named range (GetColor) as the criteria. The named range in the formula refers to the adjacent cell on the left (in column A) and returns the color code for that cell. Hence, this color code number is the criteria.
The COUNTIF function uses the range ($F$2:$F$18) which holds the color code numbers of all the cells and returns the count based |
For many of us singletons, Valentine's Day is a kick in the teeth. Our loved-up friends gushing over their flowers, chocolates and slushy texts from their partners are just another reminder of how unromantic our lives are. But do not fear, online dating is here! And a new study provides some tips that could help you find the love of your life.
A username beginning with a letter in the first half of the alphabet could bring you closer to finding a date online, according to the study. A username beginning with a letter in the first half of the alphabet could bring you closer to finding a date online, according to the study.
More than 40 million Americans have tried online dating. While some people are lucky enough to get a date within days of signing up, it can be weeks or months before other users even generate any interest. So where are they going wrong?
Many of you may be thinking that an attractive photo and a good headline message are bound to gain interest on dating sites, and you are right. But according to new research published in Evidence Based Medicine - a journal of The BMJ - your username is just as important.
The research team, including Prof. Khalid Khan of the Queen Mary University of London in the UK, found that choosing a screen name that begins with a letter in the first half of the alphabet may lead to greater success with online dating.
According to the researchers - who reached their findings by analyzing almost 4,000 studies that investigated the art of attraction and persuasion - this is because people associate names beginning with letters higher in the alphabet with measures of success, such as income and educational attainment.
"Search engine listings are also sorted alphabetically: screen names starting with a letter near the top of the alphabet are presented first," the authors note. "Those in the lower quarter of the alphabet will be lost in the bottom of the pile if you start at the top."
The researchers also found that people are more likely to respond to positive usernames, such as "Fun2bwith," but are more likely to avoid usernames associated with negativity. "Names with negative connotations - such as 'Little' or 'Bugg' - are often associated with inferiority," they explain. "Playful screen names are universally attractive."
In addition, the team found that men are more likely to be drawn to usernames that indicate physical attractiveness, such as "Cutie" or "Blondie," while women are more attracted to usernames that suggest intelligence, such as "Cultured."
Profile pictures: more than meets the eye
It is well established that having an attractive profile picture is important for generating interest on dating sites, but according to the study, you should focus on more than just your hair or makeup.
The researchers found that people are more likely to respond to those with profile pictures that feature a genuine smile that crinkles up the eyes, and a slight head tilt can boost attractiveness. In addition, they found men appear to be more attracted to women who wear red in their picture.
A group photo can also generate interest, according to the team, and standing in the middle can generate a sense of importance that is attractive to other users.
"This can be further enhanced in group photos where you are shown touching another person - confining this to the upper arm to be socially acceptable," they add. "This is because a toucher is perceived to be of higher status than the one touched."
Furthermore, they found that women are more attracted to a man in a photo when they see other women smiling at him.
Complex language will not make you appear more intelligent
The headline message on a user profile is equally as important as the photo and username, according to the researchers, but many people make the mistake of using complex words in an attempt to make themselves sound more intelligent. This should be avoided.
The researchers explain:
"Simple language, not overcomplicated wording, is likely to result in significantly higher ratings of intelligence because people are naturally drawn to words that are easy to remember and pronounce. It makes information-processing easier, which also increases likeability."
The team adds that increasing interest in the headline message also increases exposure to the profile picture, which will make the individual appear more likable.
A "good sense of humor" seems to be a staple in a dating profile. But the researchers say more interest is generated through a "show" rather than a "tell" approach. "A profile written in a humorous, clever manner will be seen as more credible evidence of a sense of humor than the use of the words 'I am hilarious,'" they add.
As a general rule, the researchers say a user profile should have a balance of "comprehensive honesty and positive self-presentation." After all, any lies or exaggerations are likely to be exposed in |
The promotion for Wrestlemania 28 was centered around "Once in a Lifetime", the tagline for the main event match pitting the current generation's poster boy, John Cena, against the golden ticket of yesteryear and A-List movie star, The Rock. It wasn't difficult to see how this angle was a winner for WWE, and was reminiscent of a similar concept 11 years earlier featuring The Rock and Hulk Hogan. Last year's build-up was entertaining indeed, but the match itself left something to be desired. Ultimately, it was a nice little ride but we were glad when it was over.
When a possible path to a second Wrestlemania encounter between Cena and Rock was laid before our eyes after Dwayne Johnson announced his intentions last summer to once again become WWE Champion at this January's Royal Rumble, I couldn't help but gasp in sheer horror. Of course, CM Punk was the champ at the time and in the midst of what would eventually become a historic 434 day reign, but it was clear that the eventual showdown several months later would allow The Rock to relieve him of his title holding duties. After all, WWE wouldn't have had The Rock make such a bold claim if they weren't going to put the belt on him at some point.
There were still a slew of options possible for this year's Wrestlemania main event, many which involved Punk, but the one that kept staring us in the face for months, with The Rock acquiring the championship and John Cena winning the Royal Rumble, causing the rematch and the least interesting of the bunch, is what we ultimately got stuck with.
Before we even get into Wrestlemania 29, what is really irking about this whole situation is that we were basically lied to for a year. All of the hype, the promos, the video packages…hell even the DVD they released on "Once in a Lifetime" is a total sham. To WWE, it doesn't matter at this point; they got their money from the fans from that match. But when we look back years from now, in a business where nostalgia carries as much weight in terms of the overall fun as the present, it won't hold an ounce of water.
So what does this all mean for this year's 'Mania and why is it so bad? For starters, it signifies that we're about to get the most predictable outcome for a main event in history. As previously mentioned, John Cena is the guy for WWE. Whereas last year's hype was drawn from The Rock as a conquering hero returning to former glory, this time around the build is based on Cena's redemption and getting back to the mountain top. That doesn't just include losing on last year's big stage, but almost the entire year since then. For a mat has held the title numerous times, it has been far too long for the company to not have him as their champion. Obviously, he is going to win.
And, oh yeah, there's the fact that The Rock came out victorious last year and will be leaving to film yet another movie afterward. WWE is practically lobbing us a batting practice fastball here.
What is even more troubling is that The Rock, the man holding the WWE Championship, has been on television only part-time during the build to the rematch of what was dubbed the biggest match of all time. Granted, I understand that Dwayne Johnson is getting paid millions of dollars to be in other countries on Monday nights to shoot movie scenes. I also grasp the concept that Vince McMahon wants to have him carry around the belt all over the world to draw publicity for WWE. As a business move, it is hard to argue against it. Despite that, you can't have the top guy, the champion of your company, miss half of the televised shows after he wins the title in the lead up to your biggest show of the year.
Simply put, it's embarrassing. After last year, it is an act that is getting very, very old. I don't know if the March 18th Raw crowd in Pittsburgh is a good indicator (considering how dead and awful they were all night), but when The Rock was mentioned, a moment that always draws a tremendous pop from the fans, it wasn't met with the same enthusiasm as usual, and even a smattering of jeers made their way through. Perhaps it was an anomaly, but I wouldn't be surprised if people are finally starting to get tired of this "here one week, gone the next" shtick.
Possibly the worst part of this entire situation is that we are going to have to sit through this match again, a match that was below average at best the first time around. If it were a couple of other guys, I might have faith it would be better. But with two limited in-ring performers as it is, I'm not holding my breath.
Furthermore, unless if something earth-shattering happens, we're looking at the same style ending as last year, just the total reverse with |
Our calculations of low-income households refer to the percentage of students at a given school who qualify for free and reduced fee lunch, which is considered a measure of economic need.
To be deemed eligible for free lunch, a student's family income must be within 130% of the poverty line (a max of $29,055 for a family of four). For reduced fee lunch, the family income must be within 185% of the poverty level (a max of $41,348 for a family of four).
We receive data about students' economic need from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
Projects on DonorsChoose.org will denote the approximate percentage of students at the school that qualify for free and reduced free lunch. You'll see the following demarcations in accordance with our NCES data:
More than a third of students from low-income households: 30-44%
Half of students from low-income households: 45-50%
More than half of students from low-income households: 51-75%
More than three-quarters of students from low-income households: 76-89%
Nearly all students from low-income households: 90%+
If you believe our data on student household income is incorrect in the DonorsChoose.org database, contact our team and provide us with either an official school report card/government website review of your school's free and reduced lunch percentage, or ask that your principal/director send in an email providing this official percentage. |
Anaheim Ducks' Sami Vatanen (45) celebrates his goal against the Vancouver Canucks with teammates David Perron (57) and Ryan Getzlaf (15) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Feb. 18, 2016, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Ben Nelms/The Canadian Press via AP)
Local beat writers like to joke the Anaheim Ducks are the most interesting team in the NHL.
In the last couple years, the team has experienced everything from the mumps to illegal bear poaching to a player testing positive for performance enhancing drugs to their captain needing an immediate appendectomy while on the road. Oh, and how about the franchise's beloved Finnish legend slamming the current coach in his book right before the start of training camp a season ago?
The list goes on, and we haven't even come to what's happened on the ice.
Anaheim had steadily developed into the role the San Jose Sharks have held over the years: the team with a ton of talent that underperforms come playoff time -- the hallmark of a Bruce Boudreau coached team. Each of the last three postseasons, the Ducks went a round further than they had the year before, only to stink it up in Game 7 of the series.
Coming into this season, they were projected by many to represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup. Fitting considering their playoff pattern. Those were pretty high expectations. The players said they didn't feel it, but how could they not? Their record reflected it as the season wore on.
To put it kindly, the team was so bafflingly average.
Despite the coach being widely agreed upon to not be the issue with the team, #BruceWatch was a nightly occurrence. Bruce Boudreau's days in Anaheim appeared to be numbered.
It wasn't until the Christmas break when the team's reclusive general manager, Bob Murray, emerged to talk about his team. He made it clear: he wasn't going to fire Boudreau. Murray put the team's struggles squarely on the shoulders of his players. The GM went out of his way to say there were veteran players who arrived at camp not in shape.
While Murray didn't name names, it didn't take a seasoned reporter to connect the dots. The guy he was (probably) addressing was Ryan Getzlaf. The team's captain had a whopping 1 goal and 19 assists through 29 games. Through the same span last season, he had 8 goals and 21 assists.
Getzlaf's bad season was multiplied further by the struggles of the players tapped to replace depth scoring provided by now-former Ducks Kyle Palmieri and Matt Beleskey.
Following Murray's remarks, the team won the next three games, and by December 31 their record improved to 15-15-6.
The calendar turned to 2016 and the Ducks began to resemble the team we thought they were going to be all along. Since New Year's Day, Anaheim has a 15-4-4 record. As of Friday night, they're second in the Pacific Division, only one point ahead of the third place San Jose Sharks and only two points behind the Los Angeles Kings. (All three California teams should count their blessings that the Pacific is hot garbage this season.)
Teams who see a massive turnaround usually can point to one moment that made the difference. For the Ducks, that moment was a trade. Well, a trade to make up for a trade that didn't work.
Carl Hagelin was acquired by the Ducks from the New York Rangers for Emerson Etem in the off-season as a part of Murray's plan to ice a faster team and later signed a four year, $16-million RFA contract.
However, seeing the Kings kicking ass and taking names gave GMBM a revelation. His boys needed to get bigger, and go back to a style of play that was less finesse, as the cliche goes, getting goals from the 'dirty areas' in front of the net. Hagelin simply didn't fit in with that style. Through 43 games with the Anaheim, he had only 12 points.
So last month Murray flipped Hagelin to the Pittsburgh Penguins for David Perron. Somehow, Murray fleeced Jim Rutherford again (see: Lovejoy for Despres), convincing him to take on Hagelin's deal for Perron's expiring contract.
Through 14 games with Anaheim, Perron has 6 goals and 7 assists. His offensive contribution is welcomed, but he provided a spark to someone that needed it – Ryan Getzlaf.
In the 14 games since Perron's arrival, Getzlaf has 4 goals and 15 assists. The line combination of Getzlaf, Perron, and Chris Stewart were the top producing trio prior to Stewart's fractured jaw. Mike Santorelli has found his scoring touch filling in for Stewart with four points is his last three games. |
The American History and Institutions (AH&I) requirements are based on the principle that a US resident graduated from an American university should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.
Before enrolling at Berkeley, students may satisfy both the American History and American Institutions in the following ways:
High School Course Work: By fulfilling the portion of the area "a" (History/Social Science) subject requirement for freshman admission that consists of (1) one year of US history or (2) one-half year (semester) of US history AND one-half year (semester) of US government in high school with letter grades of C or better.
Advanced Placement or SAT Exam: By passing the Advanced Placement American History exam with a score of 3 or better; or the SAT Subject Test in US history with a score of 550 or better (500 or better if taken before April 1995). (NOTE: Only the American Institutions requirement may be satisfied by passing the high school Advanced Placement US Government exam with a score of 3 or better.)
International Baccalaureate Exam: By passing the International Baccalaureate Higher Level (IB-HL) History of the Americas exam with a score of 5, 6, or 7.
Other College or University Course Work: By passing with a grade of C or better or P (if Pass is equivalent to a C [2.00]), one quarter or semester of a UC-transferable course in basic US history or US government at a college or university before entering Berkeley. Students may also go to ASSIST, the California transfer information system, to find California community college courses that have been approved to satisfy the American History and American Institutions requirements.
Other UC Campus: For students transferring from another UC campus: by passing any course or courses that satisfy the AH&I requirements of that campus. For inquiries, please contact the Central Evaluation Unit by opening a case with Cal Student Central.
After enrolling at Berkeley, students must satisfy the American History and Institutions Requirements by completing two courses with a grade of P, C- or better: one to satisfy the American History requirement and another to satisfy the American Institutions requirement.
American History Requirement
American Institutions Requirement
Course List Code Title Units POL SCI 1 Introduction to American Politics 4 POL SCI N1AC Introduction to American Politics 4 HISTORY 137AC The Repeopling of America 4
Students may also use a combination of one UC Berkeley courses and one approved course from another college or university.
International Students
International students with 90.5 units and a current, non-immigrant visa (F is the most common) are exempted from this requirement, so long as their status does not change prior to graduation. For inquiries, please contact the Central Evaluation Unit by opening a case with Cal Student Central.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the American History and Institutions (AH&I) requirements?
The AH&I requirements constitute two of the University's graduation requirements. They were established in accordance with Academic Senate Regulation 638, which reads as follows:
"A knowledge of American history and of the principles of American Institutions under the federal and state constitutions is required of all candidates for the degree of A.B., B.Arch., and B.S. This requirement may be met by passing an examination or examinations under the direction of the appropriate committee, or by passing any course or courses of instruction that may be accepted as satisfactory by that committee. The papers submitted in the examination shall be rated 'passed' or 'not passed'."
However, UC Berkeley does not currently offer an exam or exams to satisfy the requirements.
In CalCentral it indicates that I still need to satisfy my AH&I requirements, but I took the necessary course work (or exam) in high school or at another college. How do I fix this?
If the course you completed was approved to satisfy the requirements, but about mid-way through your first semester at UC Berkeley your records still indicate that you have not satisfied your AH&I requirements, please contact the Central Evaluation Unit by opening a case with Cal Student Central.
As a California community college transfer student, I satisfied the IGETC requirements. Does this mean I have automatically satisfied the UC's AH&I requirements?
No. Unless you passed one of the approved American history or political science courses at your colleges, you have not satisfied the AH&I requirements. Use the California transfer information system, ASSIST, to find out what courses are approved at the California community college you attended before transferring to UC Berkeley. Remember, many transfer students satisfied the requirements in high school.
May I take an online class from UC Cross-Campus Enrollment or a community college in spring together with my regular curriculum at Cal?
You must request and receive approval from your College to |
I made a desperate attempt to finish this gorgeous project over Thanksgiving, but sadly I failed. So here I am finishing it over winter break. I didn't want to drown in this sweater (my sheep one, unfortunately, has stretched with time and someone not long ago mistook it for a dress, which is not how I intended it--not into the shapeless sweater look!!) so I figured I could sub worsted for bulky and go down two needle sizes.
12/22: All the charts are FINALLY done, and I sewed in the majority of the loose ends. Finishing on projects like this is so daunting--I still have to seam the underarms and shoulders (kind of, my shoulders ended up wonky). I like set-in sleeves better, esp. for colorwork projects where you can see the floats between the raglan decreases, so I considered rewriting the pattern, but laziness and a desire to wear the sweater took over.
These amazing charts are too fabulous, but I was not wowed by the quality of the knitting instructions, especially for the price of the pattern. Will make better notes on potential mods/issues once I finish.
12/23: DONE OMG IT'S BEAUTIFUL. I'm so glad I went down two needle sizes from suggested and used worsted; it fits like a glove. Just need to steam it into submission and will get pics!
12/28: No project is truly done without pics, so here they are. I ended up having to reinforce the decrease line between the sleeves and body because I thought it looked sloppy. I think if I knit this again I would just do set-in sleeves. I have so much midnight heather left, I need to figure out something to do with it all.
Gauge: 5 st = 1 in. in pattern on US 8
Measurements of finished sweater:
-length from bottom edge to beginning of armhole: 17.5"
-circumference: 35" (17.5" front and back after blocking, no ease)
-length from bottom edge to center neck below the ribbing: 20"
-length from bottom edge to top of left and right shoulders: 24"
The ribbing at the bottom edge is 3" long. The neck ribbing is 1.5" but was rather improvised, so I do not remember how many I picked up or how I decreased for it.
Mods:
-Disregarded the initials at the bottom of the chart. Did not want.
-Made the neck ribbing longer and added some decreases so that it would not be a boatneck.
-Reinforced decrease line between arms and body.
-Worked the right sleeve in MC stranding so that the gauge would be similar to the left.
-Added three extra rounds of ribbing at hips to make sweater hang better.
Things you might find weird about this pattern:
-The yoke chart works, but it is very strange, because you have to follow it in a circle. I didn't find it overly difficult, but I wasn't too concerned with following it exactly.
-As someone else mentioned, the raglan decreases come every row instead of every other row, which created an exaggerated gap between arms and body. Ended up having to seam around the decrease line so that it looked neat, otherwise there would've been visible floats.
-The way the neckband is written lends itself to a boat neck or (worst case scenario) a floppy neck, so if you want a traditional sweater neck you may need to increase the length of the ribbing.
Yes, this pattern is expensive. Ordinarily I wouldn't pay so much for a pattern, particularly an imperfect one, but it's incredibly beautiful. The chart is a work of art. I prefer to look at it as, "Could I ever buy a sweater like this, that fits me so well, for less than $50 total cost to me?" (what I paid total for materials + pattern in this case, not counting labor hours, since it's for me and I would've spent those hours watching TV anyway). I highly doubt it, plus it's satisfying to be able to say I made it!
Failed IntSweMoDo #4. |
Developers Epic and DICE are focused on the future
At this point, most gamers probably won't be surprised to hear that the Wii U isn't a primary focus for third party companies. Well, you should never say "never," but for the hopeful Wii U owners out there, both Epic and DICE have confirmed that Nintendo's newest platform really isn't their primary focus right now. That is to say, the Unreal Engine 4 and Frostbite 3 aren't catering to the Wii U.
Considering the Wii U is pretty much the same generation as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the revelation really isn't much of one. On the subject, Epic Games' co-founder Mark Rein explained that they simply aren't aiming for the current era of "PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, or Wii U. It's next-gen technology." And that's where their aim is set.
As it stands, Epic can boast that the Unreal Engine 3 remains the best non-Nintendo engine for the Wii U. So when it comes to the Unreal Engine 4, Epic really wants to keep their eyes ahead on the fast-approaching next generation. Rein said:
"The truth is, if a developer wanted to take an Unreal Engine game and put it on Wii U, they could. Unreal Engine 3 is kicking ass on Wii U. The best games on Wii U are made on our technology. What more do you want from us?"
DICE has the same outlook when it comes to Frostbite 3 and Wii U support. Battlefield's Patrick Bach did a fair job of explaining things from a developer's perspective. Concerning Frostbite and the Wii U, he remarked:
"The biggest problem we have right now is we don't want to back down from what we see as our low spec machines. We right now don't have support for the Wii U in the Frostbite engine. The reason for that is it takes development time. What should we focus on to create the best possible Battlefield experience? We are now focused on PC and the current-gen platforms, and then there might be other platforms in the future that we can't talk about..."
DICE has already confirmed that Battlefield 4 won't be released to Wii U. Recently, BioWare did announce that Dragon Age III and the next Mass Effect would both be running on Frostbite 3.
If you're curious to see exactly what Epic's Unreal Engine 4 can do, the studio has been eager to show it off in tech demos. The most recent one, seen at GDC, will undoubtedly leave you breathless.
Update (3/31/2013): Just to be clear, the Unreal Engine 4 can run on current-gen hardware, even if Epic is choosing to focus on next-gen. In an interview with Engadget, Mark Reins laughed over entire thing, and everyone's apparent overreaction to the obvious. He clarifies:
"You heard the stupid gaffe yesterday about the Wii U. If someone wants to take Unreal Engine 4 and ship a game on Wii U, they can! If they wanna ship an Unreal Engine 4 game on Xbox 360, they could make it happen."
Thanks for the tip, nnnddd101010! |
Cowboys fans are an optimistic bunch. (Twitter/@BMS_Derek)
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NFL fans with unrealistic expectations for their team might soon overtake 'college girls on spring break' as the most profitable customers in the tattoo industry.
Back in June, we wrote about a Lions fan who got a '2015 Super Bowl champs' tattoo on his leg. Now we have a Cowboys fan who thinks that Lions fan is wrong and to prove it, he got his own tattoo.
As you can see at the top of the page, this tattoo says the Cowboys will be '2015 World Champs.'
One of these guys is definitely going to regret getting his tattoo, but more likely, both of them will regret it. Any laser removal specialists reading may want to follow these guys on Twitter and give them a call in February after the Lions and Cowboys don't win the Super Bowl.
If Dallas doesn't win it all though this year, maybe our optimistic Cowboys fan can alter that '2015' to say '1995 World Champs' and then he can show off his tattoo to any fans old enough to remember Super Bowl XXX. Neil O'Donnell probably wouldn't approve, but who cares what Neil O'Donnell thinks.
By the way, the guy swears his Cowboys tattoo is real and he's even willing to pinky promise. He also thanked his tattoo artist after putting pictures of his new ink on Twitter. |
Back in the day when "a man who, beyond the age of 26, finds himself on a bus can count himself a failure" ( Margaret Thatcher, 1986 ), a man who found himself on a bicycle must have really felt at the bottom of the economic hierarchy. These days bicycles are more likely to be associated with aspiring Prime Ministers ( both of them ), Lord Sugar and the affluent classes, not to mention the well-documented rise of the monied MAMIL and the migration of the golf set on to two wheels . Perhaps this has helped to bring about a perception that people cycle out of choice and not necessity; that their journeys could be easily supplanted with a trip by car or on the Tube if conditions are unfavourable; but as cycling rates grow in London so will the profile of its cyclists and we could soon find ourselves with a new "cycling tribe"; one that is very poor indeed. This week sees the overhaul of England's social welfare system and unless you've been living under a rock you won't have been able to escape all of the media chatter about benefits and the so-called bedroom tax. In the coming years poorer people within our society are likely to find themselves initially less well off; its claimed that inner city poorer people will move to cheaper suburban areas and poorer people with limited mobility already living in suburban areas could have to give up running a car . Government minister Iain Duncan Smith may think it is possible to live off £53 a week , but most people would struggle and be looking to make economies where it is possible. With diesel fuel currently costing around £1.40p a litre and a one day Zone 1-4 Transport for London Travelcard coming in at £11, or £43.50 for a week, the bicycle makes the most sensible choice for people with decreasing incomes to get around.
How will the profile of London's cyclists change in the coming years? Transport consultants Steer Davies Gleave recently released a discussion document outlining how cycling levels will grow across London in the forthcoming years. A "contagion" effect will see cycling growth ripple out from boroughs with already high levels of cycling, such as Hackney, whilst new centres for cycling will grow in the outer London boroughs. Outer London locations with no cycling to work will decrease to 7% down from 42% in 2001, based on projections modeled on 2001 and 2011 Census data, whilst across the capital 95% of locations will include people who cycle to work, compared to just 66% in 2001. Cycling to work levels across London in 2011:
Projected cycling to work levels across London in 2021;
As more people turn to using a bicycle as the most economic mode of transport as a consequence of their personal financial situation, we should expect to see people from a wider spectrum of London's society riding. Very cheap second-hand bicycles and sub-£50 supermarket bikes will become as ubiquitous as City racers on high-end road bikes. People will begin to use bikes more in poorer outer London areas where previously there was little or no bicycle use at all. Using a bicycle out of necessity rather than by choice means you are less likely to be able to afford to switch transport modes in the event of inclement weather; we can expect to see more people riding through winter, riding in the dark and riding in wet and extreme-weather conditions. Most people I know who currently ride do so because they have a certain passion for bikes, a love of the ride, but this emerging new sub-group of cyclists will have a different approach. Many will feel they have no choice but to ride, as alternatives are untenable - as pointed out in the now defunct Sustainable Development Commission's excellent report Fairness in a Car Dependant Society ; "The cost of public transport alternatives to car ownership have risen substantially in real terms over the last decade, while in many cases services have worsened. A transport system that offers only limited and expensive public transport options can exacerbate unemployment issues. The Social Exclusion Unit's report found two out of five jobseekers stated that lack of transport is a barrier to getting a job and the two most common problems for young jobseekers were "lack of personal transport" and "no job nearby". For those currently hoping to move off benefits, transport problems can be a major worry. Research for the Department for Work and Pensions found: "Of all the factors associated with concern about moving off benefit, one (access to transportation) stood out as especially important in predicting anxiety." (page 26)
Drawing Rings data blog's heat map of cycling collisions in central London show that the "hottest" areas are also some of the poorest; Elephant and Castle, Whitechapel and the Euston Road feature strongly alongside more "traditionally dangerous" corners of the capital such as Blackfriars and Trafalgar Square. Conversely, some of these areas are perceived to be poorer areas because of the way in which they are blighted by motor traffic, which in |
Bacteria has spread rapidly to cover almost all of Utah Lake, turning the water bright green with a pea soup texture and leaving scummy foam along the shore
A huge toxic algae bloom in Utah has closed one of the largest freshwater lakes west of the Mississippi river, sickening more than 100 people and leaving farmers scrambling for clean water during some of the hottest days of the year.
The bacteria commonly known as blue-green algae has spread rapidly to cover almost all of 150-square-mile Utah Lake, turning the water bright, anti-freeze green with a pea soup texture and leaving scummy foam along the shore.
"It smells like something is rotting," said Jason Garrett, water quality director for the Utah County health department. "We don't have an idea of how long this event will last."
US west coast toxic algae bloom might be largest ever, say scientists Read more
Toxic algae is a problem around the country. An enormous outbreak in Florida is now fouling beaches on the east coast, and a 2014 outbreak at Lake Erie left more than 400,000 people in the Toledo area without tap water for two days.
Utah Lake doesn't provide drinking water, but its closure is causing big problems for people who use the lake for swimming, fishing and other activities, and for farmers with thirsty crops.
Utah poison control says it has fielded hundreds of calls related to the bloom, including 130 involving people who have reported vomiting, diarrhea, headache and rashes.
The contamination has now spread to the Jordan river, which supplies irrigation to dozens of farmers around Salt Lake City, about 45 miles north of the lake. The problem has occurred amid days of triple-digit temperatures as growers prepare for farmers markets and try to nurture crops such as corn and fruit trees at key points in their development.
"We've spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on this crop, maxed out every dollar we have," said Luke Petersen, who farms about 100 acres of tomatoes, summer squash and other produce in Riverton. "We're real worried about it."
Meanwhile, the Bonneville School of Sailing has had to cancel more than a dozen groups since the lake was closed.
"This will be a real hit," said co-owner Todd Frye. He loves the mountain-rimmed lake and has worked to change the decades-old perception that it's murky and polluted. New efforts to clean out bottom-feeding carp are improving the water quality, but he worries the algae bloom will be a blow to its image.
The lake is largely fed by treated wastewater as well as agricultural runoff, said Erica Gaddis, assistant director for the Utah division of water quality.
Longstanding drought conditions have made the water especially low and stagnant. Combine that with hot summer weather and Utah Lake became a perfect petri dish for the cyanobacteria.
There are chemical and biological treatments for the problem, but using them on such a large bloom would be unprecedented and possibly harmful, Gaddis said.
For now, authorities are waiting for the bloom to run its course and clear, hopefully aided by a drop in temperatures or a storm that could stir up the water and reduce stagnation.
One bit of good news is that early test results indicate levels of dangerous toxins produced by the bacteria may not be as high as feared, though the state is still waiting for more data.
To stave off new blooms in coming years, the state is looking to reduce the levels of toxic algae-feeding phosphorous and nitrogen in wastewater that's pumped into the lake. That could be difficult, however, because cities served by those plants include some of the fastest-growing in the nation.
"We've been loading the Utah Lake in one form or another for 150 years, and it's catching up with us," Gaddis said. |
Microsoft is not a company renowned for changing its mind on things, but that's exactly what the company did today with its Xbox One console.
After a month of criticisms of its always-on DRM systems for game trade-ins and the online requirement, the Xbox team did something virtually unheard of in the video game industry - it changed its tune.
Gone are the requirements of the Xbox One checking in to Xbox servers every 24 hours. Gone are the restrictions on traded-in games.
And perhaps best of all for Australian gamers, gone are the arbitrary restrictions of region coding.
Since the dawn of the original Xbox, Microsoft has restricted the games that the console can play depending on where you live.
But as part of Don Mattrick's Xbox One 80 announcement came confirmation that regional restrictions have gone the way of… Well, the way of the Xbox One's daily Internet check-in.
While Australia has managed to get away with playing games from the UK thanks to shared region coding, the Xbox One will be the first Microsoft console to let Australian gamers buy games online from places like America and Japan.
Save a buck, save the world
This is a big deal. Despite Microsoft confirming that One games will cost the same as their 360 counterparts, the fact remains that the price of games varies greatly around the world.
For Australians, who regularly face recommended retail prices of $120 a game (compared to $US70) in America), this is a very convenient way of saving some money on a games library.
Even with shipping, in many cases it's cheaper to buy a game from the US than it is to pick it up from the local EB Games store.
And while many pundits are now lamenting the lost possibility of Steam-like savings that Microsoft could have offered with its original, DRM-laden Xbox One, the fact remains that region free gaming is a proven way to save money on games.
But even more importantly than cost, having a region free console allows gamers to experience games that might not get an Australian release. Fans of JRPGs, for example, will be able to import games without needing a foreign console.
And who can forget the frustrations of Rock Band lovers in the current generation who couldn't purchase the game's sequel in Australia without importing?
The good news also translates for non-Australians: this will also have the benefit of killing off the rumour that the Xbox One would only work in 21 countries around the world.
It's only a game
It's not all fireworks and champagne for international bargain hunters though. While Mattrick made it abundantly clear that Xbox One games will not have region locking, there has been no indication that the same rule will apply to Blu-ray discs or content available through the Xbox Live Marketplace.
In fact, given the similarities between the new terms and the Xbox 360's offering, it's unlikely the console will be completely region free.
To be fair, it's unlikely that Sony is looking at unlocking movie and PSN content across regions. But regardless of console manufacturer, it's still an arbitrary restriction for international gamers.
But perhaps we protest too much. The fact that the Xbox One and the PS4 are both games consoles, having region-free games is still a step in the right direction for Microsoft, and a much more palatable solution for gamers. |
Product Rating: 5.00 (12 Ratings)
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A very nice set of three silver cosmetic brushes with lovely sirens on the ends. Make a great Christmas gift for my mom. |
Part 2 of this review can be found here: https://llco.org/dissent-science-and-a-healthy-world2/
Dissent, science, and a healthy world: comments on Judith Shapiro's Mao's War Against Nature (2001) Part 1 of 2
(llco.org)
Mao's War Against Nature (Cambridge University Press, 2010) by Judith Shapiro was published a decade ago. Even though the book is problematic in many ways, the issues that it raises are more important than ever. Since its publication, the ecological crisis caused by global capitalism has only gotten worse. There are only so many resources to go around. Capitalism has created a system where people in the First World get more than their fair share at the expense of people in the Third World, and at the expense of the Earth itself. Capitalism has created a system that not only consigns the vast majority of humanity in the Third World to incredible poverty and oppression, but also a system that is unsustainable ecologically. I once attended a campaign rally many years ago, Elaine Brown, ex-Black Panther Party celebrity and then-current Green Party activist, informed her audience that she sought a system in which everyone, presumably both in the First and Third Worlds, could be millionaires. The proposition, like many idealist fantasies, was met with applause despite the obvious problems such a solution to the world's problems would entail. How would this super-mall economy of the nouveau riche materialize? Who would toil away to produce the goods? Who would staff the mall? The current system is unsustainable as it is, imagine how unsustainable it would be if First Worldist rhetoric were realized and every human being was somehow magically granted the leisurely, consumerist lifestyle, opportunities and way of life of the American nouveau riche. Even continuing as it has, civilization itself is headed for ecological catastrophe. Not only does capitalism steal the livelihood and dignity of the vast majority in the Third World, but it threatens the future of much of the life on Earth. The Earth weeps. The masses cry out for an alternative. The need for total revolution, for new socialism and Leading Light Communism, has never been greater. The need for Leading Light, the most advanced scientific leadership becomes greater every passing day. Shapiro's book convincingly shows that the past attempt at an alternative, at socialism, at reaching communism, in China was flawed in important ways. Shapiro shows that errors abounded in the Maoist revolution's approach to intellectual dissent, green science and to the natural world. According to Shapiro, despite its pseudo-scientific pretense, the Maoist ideal to control, to dominate, to micromanage, almost every aspect of the intellectual and natural world to better serve human interests often ended in disasters that worked against both the interests of humans and the environment. The revolution, says Shapiro, veered to unscientific extremes due to Maoist fanaticism:
"Our story begins not in the physical world but in the political one — with a struggle among human beings. In the summer of 1957, just a few years after the 1949 Communist victory, hundreds of thousands of China's most distinguished scholars and scientists were criticized, harshly punished, ostracized, and silenced in an 'Anti-rightist movement.' By destroying those who sought simply to perform the Chinese intellectual's traditional duty to speak out in order to assist the country's leaders to govern better. China deprived itself of authoritative voices that might have cautioned against foolhardy schemes that ultimately destroyed the natural environment. People from many levels of society contributed to the events that will be described in the coming pages. However, as we shall see, Mao played a leading role in launching the Anti-rightist movement, as he did in numerous subsequent decisions that affected China's environment for the worse." (Shapiro 21)
Shapiro does not hide her distaste for the Maoist regime. She often fails to distinguish between very different trends within the regime. She lets it be known that she is not a fellow traveler or sympathizer with the Maoist project. She has no love of Maoism or the Cultural Revolution. If Shapiro had to pick a side during the line struggles within the Communist Party in the last decade of Mao's life, Shapiro would opt for revisionism and capitalism, even Western liberalism. Even so, her criticisms can be a starting place for our own revolutionary self-criticism over errors that occurred in those years. The Maoist history is our own. Their victories are our own, so too are their defeats. It is our burden to provide answers to the masses, to ultimately explain why socialism in China was defeated. These errors, both the demand to micromanage dissent and the natural world, ultimately aided the counter-revolutionaries in China, and also in the Soviet Union. Rather than ignore the kinds of problems Shapiro raises, we should use her work as an opportunity to examine ourselves. We must dissect the past attempts at social transformation in |
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Could the Conservative Attack on the Administrative State be Good for Net Neutrality—and for Progressive Regulation More Generally?
Cornell law professor Michael C. Dorf anticipates the possible next steps in the federal government's lawsuit against California over the state's new law mandating net neutrality. |
Leading US Private Investigators Hired By T&C Network Solutions
Update 10/26: Twitter Twitter has officially banned Russia Today (RT) due to corruption. RT, which libeled Todd and Clare last year has now been named by authorities basically as a terrorist media organization interfering in our constitutional process and American democracy.
It's been 1 year since Todd and Clare closed our dating network in the wake of It's been 1 year since Todd and Clare closed our dating network in the wake of the wholly fabricated, smear article on RT against our dating app. Assange has extremely powerful interests working for him inside the UN, left wing "liberal" press, including the UK's Channel 4 and RT, a left-wing outlet which helped to package the lies against us so that we were introduced to mainstream media with extreme prejudice.
After the 2016 attacks on ToddandClare.com where Assange's cohorts in the media openly encouraged bloggers to dismiss and silence our voice, the company turned to a leading US private investigation firm based in Atlanta to look into this case with the Canadian Family, Julian Assange, Wikileaks, and the whole background of the RT article, which contains code-language cues used by intelligence.
Original flight log from Nassau to Little St James known as Epstein's "Lolita Express" will only be released to a US grand jury indicting Assange on crimes against America.
We now believe Assange was using our site to recruit on behalf of the Epstein pedophile ring, which despite Epstein's arrest and conviction, many believe is still active.
The probe uncovered a series of disturbing flight logs (and mobile IP address computer forensic evidence from chat logs Assange had with the 8 year old child and teen on our site last year) that evidence Assange boarded a Gulfstream jet in a small Caribbean airfield, on at least 4 occasions, and that among the passengers on board were minors and the convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein after the latter had undergone due process.
Collapse of Swedish Rape Case Due to Pressure from UN Officials
Assange has very powerful friends.
They have links into Governments and the UN at the highest level.
We will not let Mads Andenas use this Canadian family as a political football. @HillaryClinton @nytimes We will not let Mads Andenas use this Canadian family as a political football. https://t.co/kb7i4bC9j6 — Todd and Clare (@toddandclare) — Todd and Clare (@toddandclare) October 17, 2016
This is the reason our dating site has been smeared by RT's Washington and Moscow Studios.
We never at any time accused Assange of being a Russian spy, this is completely fabricated by Wikileaks. As is the absurb, We never at any time accused Assange of being a Russian spy, this is completely fabricated by Wikileaks. As is the absurb, fishy Wikileaks dump that had our sister Hannah Hammond attempting to solicit $1M from Assange. These are lies to cloud the truth and muddy the facts from being accurately reported.
We have evidence the Swedish Rape Case collapsed against Assange due to pressure from Epstein's money network, which went into overdrive last year, even hiring Washington PR firms linked to some of the most powerful and influencial financiers on Wall Street, to shut down and calm the situation around Todd and Clare's UN report.
Wikileaks has done everything they could think of to make us go away, even evasively closing the thread on Reddit regarding our dating site to hide facts and prevent their own community asking too many deep questions.
How Fake News, White Supremacist Trolling from 4Chan.org is Affecting the Canadian Family
The Canadian Family at the center of our United Nations report, published when we were members of the UN body named The Canadian Family at the center of our United Nations report, published when we were members of the UN body named in the fabricated RT article , has been attacked with genocidal death threats by vicious anonymous trolls on the internet.
One of the main sites behind this silencing campaign is an alt right forum called 4chan. It is similar to the kind of cruel trolling the McCann parents in the UK faced from trolls–cowardly attacks from people hiding behind anonymous username handles.
From the research our side has done, we understand 4chan is an organized gang of white supremacist KKK affiliates who have an agenda for mass genocide of black people. They also want to see a mass genocide of anyone else who is not "genetically pure white" in the sense of eugenics and genotype science used by the Nazis.
We know that the head of the KKK, David Duke, is one of the 4chan trolls and a fierce supporter of Assange. Here's a tweet from the white supremacist that dates back to April 22, 2017, eulogizing about his colleague Assange as a "true hero":
Julian Assange is |
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships Office of the Chief of Naval Operations
Naval History Division • Washington USS Chester II (CA-27)
A city in Pennsylvania.
(CA-27: dp. 9,200; 1. 600'3"; b. 66'1"; dr. 16'6"; s. 32 k.; cpl. 621; a. 9 8', 4 5", 6 21" tt.; cl. Northampton)
The second Chester (CA-27) was launched 3 July 1929 by New York Shipbuilding Co., Camden, NJ., sponsored by Miss J. T Blain, commissioned 24 June 1930, Captain A. P. Fairfield in command; and reported to the Atlantic Fleet.
Chester cleared Newport, R.I., 13 August 1930 for an extensive European cruise. She visited Barcelona, Naples, Constantinople, Phaleron Bay, And Gibraltar before returning to Chester, Pa., for voyage repairs 13 October. She joined the Scouting Fleet as flagship for Commander, Light Cruiser Divisions and on 6 March 1931 embarked the Secretary of the Navy for the Canal Zone where he observed the annual Fleet problem from Texas (BB-35). Chester carried the Secretary back to Miami, Fla., arriving 22 March, then sailed to Narragansett Bay for exercises and duty escorting two visiting French cruisers.
Following an overhaul at New York Navy Yard during which she was equipped with two catapults amidships, Chester stood out of Hampton Roads 31 July 1932 with planes and ammunition for the west coast. She arrived at San Pedro, Calif., 14 August and joined in the regular activities of the Fleet. Departing San Pedro 9 April 1934 as flagship of Commander, Special Service Squadron, she arrived in New York 31 May for that day's Presidential Naval Review, returning to San Pedro 9 November. On 25 September 1935 Chester embarked the Secretary of War and his party for a voyage to the Philippines in connection with the inauguration of the President of the Philippines Commonwealth on 16 November. Returning to San Francisco 14 December 1935, she resumed operations with Cruiser Division 4.
Sailing from San Francisco 28 October 1936 Chester arrived at Charleston, S.C., 13 November and departed 5 days later to escort Indianapolis (CA-35) with President F. D. Roosevelt embarked for a good-will visit to Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Montevideo, Uruguay. Chester returned to San Pedro 24 December.
Chester remained on the west coast for fleet exercises and training cruises to Hawaiian and Alaskan waters from 1937 except for a cruise to the east coast for exercises and overhaul (23 September 1940-21 January 1941). Homeported at Pearl Harbor from 3 February, the cruiser exercised in Hawaiian waters, and made one voyage to the west coast with Commander, Scouting Force embarked (14 May-18 June 1941). From 10 October to 13 November she escorted two Army transports carrying reinforcements to Manila, P.I. Upon her return she joined Northampton (CA-26) and Enterprise (CV-6) and was at sea returning from Wake Island when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.
Chester remained on patrol with TF 8 in Hawaiian waters. On 12 December her planes bombed a submarine, then guided Balch (DD-363) to a depth charge attack which continued until contact was lost. Chester supported the reinforcement landing on Samoa (18-24 January 1942), then joined TG 8.3 for the successful raid on Taroa (1 February). Retiring under heavy air attack she received a bomb hit in the well deck which killed eight and injured 38. She returned to Pearl Harbor 3 February for repairs.
Following an escort voyage to San Francisco, Chester joined TF 17 for the Guadalcanal-Tulagi raid (4 May)the attack on Misima Island, Louisiade Archipelago (7 May); and the Battle of the Coral Sea (8 May) during which her steady antiaircraft fire protected the carriers providing the air strikes which stopped the invasion force heading for Port Moresby, New Guinea. Five of Chester's crew were wounded in this encounter. On 10 May she received 478 survivors of Lexington (CV-2) from Hammann (DD-412), whom she transferred to Tonga Island 15 May.
After a west coast overhaul Chester arrived at Noumea 21 September 1942, to join TF 62 for the landings on Funafuti, Ellice Islands (2-4 October). She then proceeded south and while cruising in support of the operations in the Solomons, Chester was hit by a torpedo on the starboard side, amidships, on 20 October which killed 11 and wounded 12. She returned to Espiritu Santo under her own power for emergency repairs 23 October. Three days later SS President Coolidge struck a minefield and Chester sent fire and rescue parties to her aid as well as taking on the 440 survivors for transfer to Espiritu Santo. She steamed to Sydney, Australia |
Overview (4)
Mini Bio (1)
Spouse (4)
Trade Mark (6)
Self-deprecating wit
Charming debonair persona
Habitually raising his eyebrows
Refined English accent
Deep smooth voice
Tinted gold-rimmed spectacles (worn in later years)
Trivia (141)
During the early stages of his career, Roger collected towels from the hotels he stayed in. However, he stopped when a British newspaper printed a story entitled "Roger Moore is a towel thief". He revealed on So Graham Norton (1998) that he still had the collection in his Swiss home.
He succeeded Audrey Hepburn as goodwill ambassador for UNICEF.
He was created a Commander of the Order of the British Empire on December 31, 1998 in the New Year Honours list for services to UNICEF and on June 14, 2003, in the Queen's Birthdays honours, was promoted to Knight Commander of the same order his services to the charities UNICEF and Kiwanis International.
He was scheduled to make his musical theatre debut as Sir George in "Aspects of Love" in 1990. He left the production days before his escape clause expired due to his own concerns over his singing ability. He was replaced by Kevin Colson
He received an International Humanitarian Award from the London Variety Club for his charity work in 2000.
His father, George Alfred Moore, was a policeman.
Whilst doing National Service, Moore served with Military Intelligence.
In just a few days after he had arrived in the United States in 1952, he appeared in the television play World by the Tail (1953).
He was good friends with Lois Maxwell , who played Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond movies. They first met in mid 1940s at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, where they were in the same class in 1944.
On January 13, 2001, Moore and his then companion, Christina 'Kiki' Tholstrup , escaped injury when another vehicle collided with the actor's car. Airbags were attributed to preventing injury. They married the next year.
In 1990, he participated as a guest host in "33 Zecchino d'Oro".
He received an honorary degree from Ryerson University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada (1999).
His contract for the 007 films provided him with an unlimited supply of Montecristo cigars during filming. The bill for this typically ran to thousands of pounds.
He lived in Switzerland and Monte Carlo with his wife Christina 'Kiki' Tholstrup (2002).
In 1954, he was offered contracts with the Royal Shakespeare Company or MGM. Noël Coward advised him to go for the money.
Despite playing James Bond in seven Bond films, he never ordered a vodka martini shaken not stirred.
He was the oldest person to debut as James Bond. He was age 45 when Live and Let Die (1973) was filmed.
On May 21, 1964, he was Air France's 8,000,000th passenger.
On May 7, 2003, he collapsed during a matinee performance of the Broadway comedy "The Play What I Wrote", but finished the show after a 10-minute break. Roger was playing the role of the mystery guest star, which the cameo role is filled by celebrities, when he fainted toward the end of the second act. He was taken to hospital after the show. The next day, he was fitted with a pacemaker - something he had been previously told he would eventually have to get.
Ironically for his first Razzie nomination (Worst Supporting Actor in Spice World (1997)), he went head to head with another former Bond, Sean Connery in The Avengers (1998), also receiving his first Razzie nomination. However, neither man won.
He was born in the same Labour Ward in London as the actor Brian Weske , five years previously.
He attended the wedding of Joan Collins and Percy Gibson . Collins had first met him when her father was his agent and described him in her autobiography as her first crush.
He underwent surgery for prostate cancer in 1993.
He spoke Italian perfectly, former wife Luisa Mattioli is an Italian citizen.
He often spent summers in Hornbæk, Denmark, where his wife Christina 'Kiki' Tholstrup has a summer house.
He detested doing scenes that involve him shooting firearms - which caused him to ruin countless 007 takes.
He quit smoking cigarettes in 1971 following a stern lecture from Tony Curtis on the set of The Persuaders! (1971).
Both he and his daughter, Deborah Moore , have acted in the James Bond franchise. She played the air hostess in Die Another Day (2002).
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Ivan Abadjiev, the great Bulgarian weightlifting coach made the world take notice when his team started dominating Olympic contests and international meets during the prime of his coaching career. What was the secret to his success? Increasing the annual training volume of the contest lifts with his athletes in training. The Bulgarian training regime for weightlifters is legendary. Multiple sessions per day, six days per week with athletes working up to daily maxes in all their big lifts. The relatively small country of Bulgaria was outpacing the Soviet Union, which had a much larger population and the most advanced training based science on the planet at that time. Abadjiev demonstrated with clarity and certainty that attacking specificity with a volume based approach was the most dominant methodology for developing weightlifters.
There are many potential downsides to increasing volume, particularly when specificity is the only training means utilized. Many people will experience overuse injuries, become burned out psychologically, and demonstrate the classical signs and symptoms of overtraining syndrome. For the past few summer Olympic years, collegiate athletic training rooms were inundated with swimmers coming in with overuse shoulder injuries. Why? Because Michael Phelps' training regime would always be publicized, and collegiate swimmers would attempt to replicate the swimming volume that Phelps would accumulate in his training phases. Michael Phelps is able to handle the Michael Phelps training plan because he is Michael Phelps. He is anatomically well suited for swimming, his biomechanics are as on point as possible, and genetically he had a situation where he was able to buffer hydrogen with his energy systems better than almost any other human being on the planet. The greatest in the world are outliers, and the rest of us probably shouldn't attempt to try to copy everything that they do. The great ones won the genetic lottery. Their bony attachments are ideal for their sporting choice, and generally speaking their technical mastery is sounder than everyone else's.
So should we all give up hope and jump in the excuse heap? Absolutely not. If your sport biomechanics are really clean, you can handle larger training volumes compared with athletes who demonstrate suboptimal movement strategies. When speaking of overhead lifts, we as coaches and athletes need to analyze the anatomical considerations that are involved with the movement and maximize the strategies that will provide the most optimal biomechanics possible. Saying that any one particular bony region is the most critical segment of the body for an action is impossible.
(Editor's note – The following section is very heavy in anatomy out of necessity. There is a series of videos demonstrating the techniques discussed below at the end of the post)
The positioning of one bony landmark is highly dependent upon its relative orientation to adjacent and even far off segments. That being said, scapular positioning and stability is of critical importance when discussing overhead lifts. In the competitive lifting and performance coaching communities, it is fairly well accepted that maximizing stability of the scapula is of critical importance. We focus on the local stabilizer muscles of the scapula, such as the lower trapezius and serratus anterior. We study the kinesiology text books that discuss the exact joint motions associated with what happens when either the insertion or the origin of one of these muscles fires. We then perform many repetitions of corrective exercises, such as wall slides and push-up plus to pick up the performance of these muscles. The problem with simply attacking these muscles with many of the exercise choices is that we fail to consider that air pressure driving out into the scapula from the regions of the lung that are adjacent to the posterior ribs that border the scapula is the mechanism of creating reflexive firing of the local stabilizing muscles. To see the way that traditional interventions have failed strength and power athletes, and approaches aimed at treating more proximal matters involving respiration and authentic stabilization mechanisms, here's a great example.
Let me try to explain the way in which air pressure stabilizes the scapula first, and then I'll get into the critical zone of the lungs that must experience filling in order to pull off reflexive scapular stabilization. Many of us have seen someone squat who demonstrate knee valgus during the execution of the movement. What do we do to correct this? Put a band around their knees. The band would create a pull force that would be trying to cave the athlete's knees into the valgus position. When the band tries to force the athlete into valgus, the athlete reflexively pushes the knees out by recruiting the femoral abductor muscles. This strategy was developed by Gray Cook and is part of something that he calls, Reflexive Neuromuscular Training (RNT). If you push someone in a direction, they reflexively push back on you. The phenomenon that I am describing here is an RNT-style concept. The only difference is that in the case of stabilizing the scapula with air pressure, we are doing it from the inside out. The scapula sits on the posterior rib cage. If the posterior rib |
Francesco Gabbani's Occidentali's Karma broke record after record and now competes in Kyiv as the main favourite for the trophy. But did you know the meaning of the Italian lyrics? Time to analyse what that track has to offer.
Even though Francesco Gabbani is the bookmaker's favourite with the best betting odds in recent years, chances are that a part of the audience might see his song Occidentali's Karma as a joke act. The reason for that reaction is understandable as the artist competes with an up-tempo pop song and is further accompanied by a dancing gorilla on stage. In this way the serious and deep society criticism which is the main theme of the lyrics can't be spotted as easily. Time to have a look at the English translation of Francesco's lyrics:
To be or ought to be The Hamlet-like doubt As contemporary as Neolithic man Intelligence is démodé Easy answers… Useless dilemmas… Wanted: tales with a grand finale We hope (hope, yes!) Whatever happens, panta rhei And "Singing in the Rain"
Nirvana lessons There's Buddha in single line Yard time for everyone, their time of fame! (Allez!) The crowd chants a mantra Evolution is stumbling The naked ape is dancing Westerners' karma Westerners' karma […] Virtual humanity Sex appeal (Sex appeal) When life loses focus Men fall […]
Eurovision.tv
The song starts the line ,,to be or ought to be"(Martin Heidegger) which in its message is similar to Shakespeare's ,,to be or not to be". This famous sentence from Hamlet has already a very deep meaning. It reflects uncertainty whether yes or not Prince Hamlet wants to live any longer in the situation he finds himself in. Francesco Gabbani in this way addresses modern day society as the following lyrics prove.
The Neolithic Man is a person from the Neolithic Era (10,200-4,500 BC), a period of time which is over for a long period of time already. Francesco wants to point out that in terms of thinking we actually are not as far away from that era as we probably should be, a harsh criticism regarding our society. The next two lines continue there, adding that in our world people stop thinking and start searching for easy answers. A very simple form of processing which might be adressed by the comparison with the Neolithic man before.
In the following phrases the lyrics say that people always look for tales with positive outcomes and then naively hope and believe them to come true. This criticism can be related to many different area and showcast a very general problem: the lack of self-implication in the process of solving the issues in our society.
Another interesting quote is Heraclitus' ,,Panta rhei" (engl. ,,everything flows"), interpreted by Plato as ,,everything flows and nothing remains". It again addresses the same fatalist way of thinking which only implies belief and hope instead of own action. Humans are simply accepting the situation and go on singing in the rain (may refer to Gene Kelly's song Singing in the rain with the following lyrics
,,I'm singin' in the rain
Just singin' in the rain,
What a glorious feeling,
And I'm happy again." )
Then, Francesco talks about Nirvana Lessons. Nirvana, according to buddhism, is the state of happiness we achieve, once the cicle of repeated rebirth is over. Life is considered as the pain we all have to get through first before we can reach that Nirvana.
In the following, it is mentioned that the crowd chants a mantra, which can be any religious sentence that is meant to come true if it is repeated often enough. This also showcasts how naively our society thinks – an opinion does not become true only by being shared by many people.
One of the most interesting lines is the reference to evolution. According to the lyrics it is stumbling right now, which alludes to the fact that human beings can survive in our society even if they are not a good or adaptable version of their species. What remains are many dancing apes, instead of high evolved humans.
Of course, some of the lyrics can also be interpreted in different ways, but the main message remains the same.
As a summary can be said that there are many messages packaged into the lyrics of this entry. After a deeper analyse, Occidentali's Karma can even be seen as one of the most meaningful songs of this year's Eurovision Song Contest.
What do you think? Can Francesco Gabbani win in Kyiv? Do you appreciate the song more after getting to know the lyrics? Let us know on social media!
Sources: EBU
Author: Matei Ruta
Reclame |
"There is no question that coalition forces were clearly engaged in combat operations against a hostile force," said Lt. Col. Scott Bleichwehl, a spokesman for the multinational forces in Baghdad.
The military command offered condolences to the families of the civilians who were killed during the combat action, the statement said.
Officials at the Interior Ministry and at a Baghdad bank drastically revised their account of a large robbery at the Dar Es Salaam bank on Wednesday, saying that there had been confusion about how much of the stolen money was Iraqi dinars and how much was United States dollars. The robbers made off with 282 million Iraqi dinars, equal to about $225,000, and $366,000 American dollars; on Wednesday the police reported that $282 million had been stolen.
In Baghdad, violence racked the southern neighborhood of Saydiya, where the police picked up 17 of the 28 bodies found in the capital on Thursday. The neighborhood has become a battleground over the past several months, with Sunni Arab extremists controlling many of its streets and killing people who refuse to help them.
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Shiite Mahdi Army militiamen allied with the anti-American cleric Moktada al-Sadr have been attacking the area as well, residents said. They described sometimes arriving home after work and being unable to approach their front doors because of gunfights in the streets.
A suicide bomber attacked a wedding in Tal Afar, a town 30 miles north of Mosul, killing four people and wounding six, said Brig. Gen. Mohamed al-Wakaa of the Mosul police. The groom was an Iraqi policeman. A car bomb targeting a police patrol in central Mosul killed one policeman and wounded eight, General Wakaa said.
And in central Iraq, gunmen opened fire on a police checkpoint on the road near Samarra, killing four policemen and two Iraqi soldiers.
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In Diwaniya in southern Iraq, American helicopters fired on six men burying a roadside bomb, killing five of them, said Maj. Marc Young, a spokesman for the Multinational Force-Iraq. A hospital worker in the city said the five men were connected to the movement allied with Mr. Sadr. Later in the day, Mr. Sadr's supporters walked through the streets mourning the death of their colleagues, chanting anti-American slogans and promising revenge, said witnesses who watched the procession.
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An American soldier was killed Thursday east of Baghdad while involved in combat operations, the military said in a statement.
The two journalists who were killed Thursday had been gathering information for a report on weightlifting early in the day, and then they heard that something was happening in the Ameen neighborhood and drove there to learn more about it, according to a Reuters official.
According to a Reuters report after the incident, some people at the scene said that American troops fired into the area from a helicopter, and a police report stated that the American attack killed the two journalists and nine other people.
Mr. Noor-Eldeen, who was not married, was originally from Mosul and first worked for Reuters there, moving on to Baghdad after receiving threats. Mr. Chmagh had worked for Reuters since before the United States-led invasion in 2003 and had four children. He also supported his sister's family after her husband was killed by insurgents.
"Noor-Eldeen and Chmagh's outstanding contribution to reporting on the unfolding events in Iraq has been vital," said the chief executive of Reuters, Tom Glocer, in a statement.
"They stand alongside other colleagues in Reuters who have died doing a job that they believe in," he added. Six Reuters employees have been killed in Iraq since the invasion.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees made an urgent plea on Thursday for money to help it increase aid for Iraqi refugees, whose numbers continue to rise. Nearly two million Iraqis are displaced within the country and nearly two million more have left, fleeing primarily to neighboring countries. About 2,000 Iraqis a day flee their homes, according to the United Nations appeal. |
Demonic #4
Writer: Christopher Sebela
Artist / Cover: Niko Walter, Dan Brown
Published: November 16, 2016
Diamond ID: SEP160722
Age Rating: M
Scott Graves has no use for the law or his own soul. Not when New York's fi nest hunt him every night. Not when corruption and violence has become the only way to survive.
Digital : $1.99
Print: $2.99 |
Luigi Auriemma is truly and iconically a visionary.
Now, there are a lot of specifications and definitions out there, so I'll save you the legwork of researching for clarity:
Visionary - noun: a person of unusually keen foresight; a person who is given to audacious, highly speculative, or impractical ideas or schemes; (and finally, probably most relatable) dreamer.
Don't believe me? Take it from the person who probably knows best. Here's UConn Associate Head Coach Chris Dailey from "UConn '95: Birth of a Dynasty:
"We really focused on what we had. We didn't get caught up in what we didn't have. We focused on Geno & I as coaches. Our vision.
Starting a program, building a program. Being apart of that foundation. Right from the beginning, we've always focused on 'here's what we have:'
We have good people.
A toughness.
People who know how to play basketball.
& those players helped us recruit more talented players but still, with the same mindset."
At the time, it just seemed like common sense. Nothing too farfetched or overdramatic.
Fast forward to now, 999 wins later. Everyone wants to know the secret. Everyone wants into UConn's practice.
Everybody (now that Stewie's gone) wants to play UConn since they can't simulate what playing them is like. Everybody wants a piece of the pie.
But, Geno has been and will always be the first to tell you, it's just basketball. UConn just does it better than anyone else, and it's not a special drill or special potion. It begins and ends (not really — there's a ton of help from CD that goes unseen) with the Geno Auriemma effect.
Born from Italian parents who emigrated to Norristown, Pennsylvania when he was seven-years-old, Auriemma is the embodiment of the oft-misplaced concept of the "American Dream." Thankfully for basketball junkies like myself, the dream he chose to chase was his own.
Given his first opportunity to coach at St Joseph's University a year after graduating in 1978, Auriemma got to learn from one of the absolute best in Jim Foster, who is still coaching and currently serving as the head coach of the Chattanooga Mocs of the Southern Conference.
Ironically enough? His fellow assistant coach on that staff was none other than Notre Dame Head Coach Muffet McGraw. Talk about iron sharpening iron. It's no wonder they've all been successful. Imagine having your late night basketball junkie conversations consist of that caliber of IQ. I salivate just thinking about it.
Following a two-year return to coaching his high school boys team, Auriemma joined the University of Virginia women's basketball coaching staff as an assistant for four seasons under the incomparable Debbie Ryan. Immediately, two legends in the game — Ryan remained the UVA coach until retiring following the 2010-11 season, opening the door for current Head Coach JoAnne Boyle (who coached my sister) — got to show Geno Auriemma the ropes.
So, as much as one might try and call it luck of the draw, something is revealing to me that this was more destiny. A calling, if you will.
The last interview of the bunch, Auriemma was up against a strong selection of female coaches ready to take the reins of the UConn program for themselves. One of those names? Chris Dailey. Lore shows that if Geno had turned down the position, she would've been the hire. Maybe this will kill the question about why CD never leaves. She's where she wanted to be all along.
Remember the vision from before? Well, please bear in mind: This was literally, just a vision.
"Anything that remotely would describe what you would need to recruit good players to come to Connecticut? None of that was here.
There was no 'hey, come play at Connecticut.
Hey, come play in our conference.
Hey, come play in our building. Come to this school & get a great education.
Hey! Come live in this beautiful, vibrant college community.'
No. 'Hey! Come stay in our world-class dorms.'
No. There wasn't one tangible thing that you could put your finger on & say 'this is why you should come to Connecticut."
Wife Kathy even goes on to say, confidently, that she never imagined staying at UConn, and never got an inkling of such from Geno early on either. He was even quoted as saying he would "do three or four years here then move on to a real school that takes women's basketball seriously."
Well, that all |
David North addresses London meeting on the 15th anniversary of the WSWS
By our reporters
8 May 2013
The London WSWS 15th anniversary meeting
David North, chairman of the World Socialist Web Site 's international editorial board and national chairman of the Socialist Equality Party in the United States, addressed a May 5 meeting on 15th anniversary of the WSWS in London. The meeting was well attended, with 135 present, including workers and young people from South Africa, Greece, Italy, France, Ireland, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Pakistan, Libya and Bangladesh. North's presentation had a powerful impact, with dozens seeking continued contact with the Socialist Equality Party in Britain and a number applying to join.
The audience listened attentively to North's extensive lecture. It began with an outline of the theoretical and philosophical foundations of the WSWS—rooted in the historical materialist tradition established by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.
North gave an explanation of the present political situation, which centred on a comparison between the 15 years of the WSWS, 1998-2013, with the the equivalent period 100 years ago, 1898-1913. The earlier period led to the outbreak of World War I in 1914 and the subsequent revolutionary overthrow of Tsarism in Russia in 1917, in which the world's first workers' state was established by Lenin, Trotsky and the Bolsheviks.
The historic parallels drawn included a survey of the depth of the present economic crisis, the return to colonial-style wars, led by the United States, and the growing danger of war against Iran in the Middle East and against China.
North noted the sharp ideological separation of the classical Marxist tradition represented by the International Committee of the Fourth International and the WSWS from the various petty bourgeois tendencies that now stood openly as pro-capitalist and pro-war.
The report was followed by wide-ranging questions from the audience. Among many questions asked, Neil, a philosophy student, noted how the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) movement had adopted right-wing, pro-war positions. He asked North, "How do we within these various identities move our fellows into a different position, a Marxist position?"
North said that Marxism could not be utilised to render more correct an orientation based upon identity politics. He explained that identity politics is deeply rooted in postmodernism's repudiation of both the Enlightenment conception of a unified humanity and of Marxism, which is based upon class politics.
All discrimination based on a person's sexual orientation must be opposed, North said. "This shouldn't be an issue with thoughtful people who are concerned with democratic rights." But a political perspective that declares sexual identity and race to be the primary social categories is invariably an attack on class-based politics and a striving instead for "the allocation of privileges amongst various select identities."
Amjad from Glasgow spoke about the "incompetence" of the trade unions and their inability to "build a meaningful resistance to austerity." He asked, "Do we need to build new trade unions? How do we organise the working class?"
Amjad referred to what he called "the Venezuela experiment," asking how the SEP saw the future of Venezuela after the death of President Hugo Chavez.
North explained that underlying the breakdown of the trade unions internationally "is the globalisation of capitalist production and the international mobility of capital."
The national programmes of the trade unions were "blown apart by globalisation… There is an objective basis for the crisis of trade unionism, and the rottenness of the bureaucracies is only a subjective expression of that deeper objective problem."
In a broader historical perspective, he added, "trade unions at best can only be defensive organisations of the working class, and the problem of social revolution cannot be resolved by organisations whose aim is to fix the best possible conditions for the sale of labour power."
The existing trade unions have long ago given up even that function. However, "The task before us is not the formation of new trade unions, but the creation of insurgent organisations of the working class, of a democratic character, revolutionary in their orientation, such as factory councils, rank and file committees. Such a struggle can only bear fruit by building a revolutionary movement in the working class.
"What separates the International Committee from other groups is that we do not conceive of the workers' movement in a trade union form. The central problem of the working class is politics, the struggle for power, the reorganisation of the productive forces of mankind. That is the central question."
Turning to Venezuela, North asked, "How long do we have to go on debating this? Looking for another leader, whether his name is Castro or Chavez or, at one time, Nasser in Egypt, Ben Bella in Algeria? Looking for one or another hero based on a largely bourgeois movement that shall grant reforms we can call socialism?"
"The question again is the independent organisation of the |
Russia Today is a media organization, funded and controlled by the Russian government, which is highly critical of the United States. It is, in a literal sense, Russian propaganda. For some reason, Larry King has a show that's broadcast on Russia Today's American cable network. On Thursday, Donald Trump went on King's show and asserted that: |
As an enthusiastic Bernie Sanders supporter living on the Olympic Peninsula and one of the myriad volunteers across the country on behalf of the Sanders presidential campaign, I would like to share my observations as a sign-waver for Sanders ["Veep Biden defends Bernie Sanders on guns, authenticity," Nation and World, Jan. 11].
The positive support for Sanders has been overwhelming with beeps, waves and thumbs-up from diverse groups, such as Republicans for Bernie, retirees on fixed incomes, the anyone-but-Hillary people, the millennials, organic farmers, young mothers with babies — and the list goes on and on.
On numerous sign-waving days, I, along with fellow volunteers, have been heartened at how passionate and well-informed passersby are on Sanders' positions. One tourist who stopped to talk to us was in the process of an 18,000 mile journey traveling throughout America and wanted to proudly show off a "Bernie Sanders for President " bumper sticker.
Bernie has gone from being virtually unknown a few months ago to become the most electable Democratic candidate today. From what I am seeing and hearing, Democratic- leaning Washington voters should be at their local neighborhood precincts in record numbers 10 a.m. Saturday, March 26, to sign in for Sanders, then let their voices be heard, loud and clear, to get Bernie Sanders on the ballot.
Diane Jerich-Domin, Port Ludlow |
Wilder Shores is this one special garment that you love to wear for ages. Our sense of value is not defined by the latest trends but by the beautiful stories behind our clothes. Every item is a fragment of your own personal style.
My name is Laura and my goal is to create something special, ethical and accessible. I believe there is a very powerful and fulfilling feeling we get each time we wear a piece that has been crafted by the energy and talent of an individual.
Wilder Shores is the expression of my love for contemporary art, for the wilderness of nature and for the unique women that follow their own path. It is a platform to collaborate with creative people, experiment and form synergies. To my mind fashion is an open field where all artistic and expression freedoms come alive.
All the creative and production process is made locally in our studio in Barcelona between Mercè, Marga, Mari Carmen, Montse, Juani, my light Carole and myself. Each piece is the labour of our love; we carefully construct and check it to ensure an excellent fit and quality workmanship. When selecting materials we strive for the textiles to be natural such as cotton and linen or rescued dead-stock fabrics.
I hope you enjoy with us this journey that stands for sustainability, creativity, self-confidence, freedom and happiness.
Accepted payment methods |
A man found guilty of the sexual assault of two women at knife point in a Vernon Burger King in 2005 may never see the light of day again.
At his sentencing hearing in Vernon Thursday, Raymond Mark Simpson was labelled a dangerous offender and handed an indefinite prison sentence.
Vernon Crown Prosecutor, Howard Pontious, says the dangerous offender order is not very common in Canada.
"This is a very rare order. It's not made very often," says Pontious.
"It's only something that occurs when the crown can show that an accused can't be reasonably managed in the community in the foreseeable future."
Pontious says according to a psychologist who testified in the case, there are about 396 dangerous offenders in the prison system and only 15 out on parole.
"The odds are most dangerous offenders don't get out and if they do get out, it's very late in life."
He says Simpson has an out of control cocaine problem and a long history of violent sexual assaults.
According to court documents, Simpson has been convicted twice previously for violent rapes in Ontario dating back to 1991.
He received two years for the first offence and eight years for the second.
"His parole on the second offence expired in April of 2005 and in October of that year, he's attacking these two young girls at a Burger King in Vernon at knife point."
During his trial Simpson, 41, changed his plea from not guilty to guilty.
He changed his plea after one of the two girls in the case testified Simpson had threatened them at knife point, tied their hands behind their backs and cut their clothing. The women were also forced to perform oral sex on the accused.
The woman testified she thought she was going to die and prayed for her life. She also said the other victim begged the accused not to kill them.
He pled guilty to eight separate counts, including sexual assault with violence, forcible confinement and robbery. |
Only two months until Christmas everyone!
Soph started our Xmas today by soaking lots of dried fruit in booze, I then collected up the leftover packets and went to work on the mincemeat.
We've got a new slow cooker, so of course I'll be using it for everything! The new one is bigger, and has a timer that switches from high or low to warm. The plan is to set it cooking in the morning before work, have it cook for 8 hours, then let it warm until we get home.
One benefit of slow cooking this: no need to do things in stages on the hob. Just bung it all in the slow cooker, mix it up, set for 8 hours, and leave it overnight!
The details of how to slow cook came from The Pink Whisk, with additional ingredients from the veg mincemeat I made last last year, plus whatever Soph had left over :)
So here's what went in it:
150g light suet
200g suet
400g (aka 2) cooking apples, cored, peeled and diced
140g candied peel
200g raisins
200g currants
200g sultanas
200g cranberries
80g chopped apricots
100g chopped crystallised ginger
250g chopped walnuts and dates mixed
150ml ruby port
60ml Calvados
2tbsp honey
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp gournd cloves
100g soft light brown sugar
1 orange, zest and juice
1 lemon, zest and juice
The only reason for 150g of light suet in there is that we had some lying around. We've discovered it contains palm oil, which we're avoiding for ethical reasons, so from now on it's full-fat suet (not that the light stuff saved many calories anyway).
Anyway as I said… throw it all in the slow cooker, big mix with a big wooden spoon.
Then on for 8 hours on low, then warm until we wake up and deal with it.
Next morning it's all gone lovely and dark!
After cooling I took the top off an it smelled amazing!
Then it gets a good stir. Ah. Now we hit a problem… the back left side (which looks dark in the above pic if you look carefully) is actually burnt rock solid :(
The burnt part is, unsurprisingly, very bitter and not very nice at all. Thankfully the rest of it tastes great :)
Now it's time to put it in jars. These need sterilising first, and as we don't have a dishwasher that means washing in soapy water followed by 5 minutes in a 160c fan oven.
I managed to get 3 full jars out of it.
Unfortunately there was another jar's worth stuck to the pot :(
So the pot is now soaking… and I'm off to the pub! I'm not sure if I just cooked for too long, kept warm for too long, or if the back left part of my slow cooker is hotter than other parts…
Tomorrow I'm planning Tex-Mex chicken in the slow cooker, so I'll keep an eye out for hot spots. |
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Senate voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to raise the state's minimum wage from $8 an hour to $11 an hour over three years, giving a boost to nearly 600,000 workers and putting the state on track for the highest such pay in the nation.
The Senate voted 32-7 to approve the increase.
Under the bill, amended during debate, the minimum wage would increase to $9 an hour on July 1, $10 an hour on July 1, 2015, and $11 an hour starting July 1, 2016. The minimum wage in Massachusetts last increased to $8 an hour in January 2008.
In the shadow of a looming 2014 ballot question on the minimum wage, the Senate also voted 31-7 to increase the wage for tipped employees to half the minimum wage. The tipped wage is currently $2.63 per hour.
One supporter, Sen. Mark C. Montigny, a New Bedford Democrat, said the bill might help close the growing gap between the rich and poor.
"Tens of thousands of people are working full time and living below the poverty level," Montigny said. "It is inexcusable."
The bill now moves to the state House of Representatives, which is unlikely to vote on a minimum wage bill until sometime next year.
The bill for the first time would index the state's minimum wage to inflation. Starting in 2016, the minimum wage would rise each year at the same rate as the consumer price index for the Northeast.
Supporters have said the increase is needed because some companies are making strong profits, but lower wage workers are falling behind.
Opponents, including some business leaders, said that an increase would hike costs for businesses and could prompt layoffs.
Jon B. Hurst, president of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts, said the association strongly opposed the Senate bill. Hurst said the bill goes too far in giving Massachusetts the highest minimum wage in the country.
Hurst said the bill would increase costs for employers, make employers less competitive and eliminate some jobs including those held by teenagers.
"We've got to be somewhat in line with what competitors are doing," said Hurst.
Rhode Island increased its minimum wage to $8 starting Jan. 1, while Connecticut and New York are raising their wages to $9 on Jan. 1, 2015, and Dec. 31, 2015, respectively.
States cannot approve a minimum wage that is lower than the federal standard, currently $7.25 per hour, but they can approve a higher one. Washington state has the highest state minimum wage at $9.19; followed by Oregon, $8.95, and Vermont, $8.60.
According to California's new law, the state minimum wage would increase from $8 an hour to $9 an hour on July 1, 2014, and then increase to $10 an hour on Jan. 1 2016.
Approval of the bill comes as advocates said they have collected enough signatures to place a statewide question on the ballot next year to bring the minimum wage to $10.50 in January 2016. Tipped wages would climb to 60 percent of the minimum wage under the ballot question.
According to a study by the nonpartisan Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center in Boston, 17,800 workers in Springfield would be affected if the minimum wage goes to $10.50 an hour, with 14,600 workers currently receiving less than $10.50 an hour and 3,200 earning just above that.
Statewide, if the wage rises to $10.50, 495,000 workers would be affected, including 440,000 because they earn less than that. |