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Ian Cole Talks Game of Thrones by Michelle Crechiolo / Pittsburgh Penguins “Game of Thrones” is exactly that. The TV show is primarily about several noble houses in a fictional world competing for the right to sit on the Iron Throne. So we asked the hilarious and entertaining Ian Cole, who’s a huge fan of the HBO series and recapped Sunday’s Season Five finale for the website, to tell us which of his Penguins teammates he thinks would be most suited to rule the Seven Kingdoms. His choice? This year’s Penguins MVP, Marc-Andre Fleury. “He’s such a good dude; he’s such a good guy,” Cole said of the goaltender. “He’s obviously still really good at what he does. But I feel like he’s fair, he’s honest, he’s a good person. I think he’d be a good king. Not saying that other people wouldn’t. I’m not saying 'Sid' (Sidney Crosby) wouldn’t. But 'Flower' would be a good king." After explaining his reasoning, Cole immediately began laughing once he realized something. “If Flower was going to be king, it’d have to be an all-French Small Council, obviously,” he joked. In the show, the Small Council is comparable to the President’s Cabinet. So Cole went ahead and picked a few more teammates to fill three key positions on the Small Council. HAND OF THE KING: PASCAL DUPUIS The king’s chief advisor and the executor of his command in the Seven Kingdoms, filling in when he’s not present. Cole: “I think the Hand of the King would be ‘Duper,’ because he’s the old, wise one.” LORD COMMANDER OF THE KINGSGUARD: KRIS LETANG The man in charge of the Kingsguard, who are the royal bodyguards of the Iron Throne and the finest knights in the Seven Kingdoms. They are sworn to protect their king and the royal family with their own lives, to obey his commands, and to keep his secrets. Cole: “I think ‘Tanger’ would be the captain of the Kingsguard. I could see a little Jaime Lannister in Tanger. He’s a guy that’s just confident in himself.” MASTER OF WHISPERERS: DAVID PERRON The person charged with gathering intelligence from around the Seven Kingdoms and beyond. They have a vast network of spies. Cole: “I’m trying to think where I would put ‘Perry.’ He certainly wouldn’t be in charge of the money. He wouldn’t be the Master of Coin. Maybe the Master of Whisperers? I feel like he’s really in tune to Twitter and stuff. He always knows what’s going on. So I’ll put Perry as the Master of Whisperers. The new Varys.” Cole also answered some other questions about Game of Thrones for those of us diehard fans out there. His answers below… Favorite characters (Ian was supposed to rank them, but couldn’t decide on any particular order): - Arya Stark “I really hope Arya figures her stuff out, she might be maybe No. 1 or 2. She’s up there.” - Lady Olenna Tyrell “Grandma Tyrell, she’s pretty cool. Gma Tyrell might be top-three.” - Bronn “Bronn would be top-three for sure, too.” - Daario Naharis “He’s just such a stud.” - Jon Snow “He seems like the most down-to-earth, normal guy on the whole show.” - Ygritte “I really liked Ygritte because she was awesome. I thought she was a babe and a half.” - Tormund Giantsbane - Tyrion Lannister - Daenerys Targaryen Least favorite characters, in Cole’s own words… “Joffrey (Lannister), Cersei (Lannister) and Ramsay Bolton are definitely up there. That awful Night’s Watch guy, Alliser Thorne. Myranda. Walder Frey. That guy who’s now dead from Meereen that Khaleesi was going to marry (Hizdahr zo Loraq). I didn’t like him but he probably wouldn’t be top-five. Tywin Lannister, I really didn’t mind him. He was kind of admirable in being a jerk.” If you could be in a House, which one would you choose? “I’d want to be from the free city of Braavos. Be one of the Faceless Men; be nobody. That’d be cool.” If you could be any character on Game of Thrones, who would you be? “I wouldn’t mind being a sellsword, like a Second Son. I definitely wouldn’t want to be an Unsullied. I wouldn’t mind being a Faceless Man. I like the wildlings too, so I wouldn’t mind being one of them either. I think the structure of the whole Seven Kingdoms and the structure of the different houses, I feel like I’m not a huge fan of the caste system. I feel like I wouldn’t do well in that (laughs).” Who has the best luck on the show and who has the worst luck? “Sansa has the worst luck. Best luck? It’s got to be that Second Son guy (Daario Naharis), a hired sword. He goes from fighting in the pits of Meereen to the leader of the Second Sons to being with Khaleesi to becoming part of her inner circle. That’s some pretty good luck.” If the White Walkers took on the dragons, what would happen? “The dragons would win because anything forged by dragonfire, anything from dragons or dragons by themselves kill White Walkers, no problem. So dragons would win for sure.” Who’s more clever and conniving, Littlefinger or Varys? “I kind of like Varys. I dislike Littlefinger more than Varys. I would say Littlefinger is more of a snake. Littlefinger actually does bad things to people. I don’t think Varys necessarily does bad things to people.” View Less

Blockchain technology company Coinprism has released Openchain, an open source, distributed permissioned ledger that targets enterprise and financial institutions. Unlike bitcoin, which is based on a unique distributed ledger, Openchain will enable users to deploy their own version of the chain, allowing them to potentially cut costs and reduce settlement time. Speaking about Openchain’s launch, Flavien Charlon, founder and CEO of Coinprism, explained: “Traditionally, settlement of a transaction happens some time after the trade happened. For example, three days for stock trading. With Openchain, it is possible to handle the trade and the settlement as a single operation, reducing both costs and counterparty risks.” Openchain vs bitcoin The main difference between Openchain and bitcoin’s blockchain, Charlon said, resides in the type of assets that his product is designed to handle. According to Charlon – previously a software development engineer at Microsoft – bitcoin “is a very special asset … built for censorship resistance”. He added: “The entire design of bitcoin comes from that requirement, with proof-of-work being at the core of that design. We certainly appreciate the incredible innovation around proof-of-work and censorship-resistant assets, but when banks talk about blockchain technology, they are really not interested in censorship resistance.” Similarly to bitcoin’s blockchain, Charlon claimed Openchain is both fully transparent and auditable. “Anyone can connect to a validating node, and receive a real-time copy of the transactions being validated,” said the founder, adding: “Openchain is also secured by digital signatures, which make it impossible to counterfeit a transaction.” One notable difference with bitcoin, Charlon said, is the way in which Openchain deals with transactions to avoid confirmation delays: “Openchain gets rid of blocks, and chains transactions directly to each other, which means you can get instant transaction confirmation.” Competition Distributed ledger technology has become increasingly popular in recent months, with various companies such as Digital Asset Holdings – which acquired Hyperledger – emerging in the space. ItBit also revealed details about its top-secret Bankchain project, a private consensus-based ledger system which also targets financial organisations. Speaking about its competitors, Charlon said: “The first big difference with all those companies is that our product is open source and ready to use today. None of these companies have released anything to date, and most of them (if not all) are making their software proprietary.” Although he declined to divulge specifics, Charlon said a few companies had already experimented with a private beta of Openchain. “The feedback we have received so far is very positive. Unfortunately, I can’t share the names of the companies at this time,” he concluded. Business man image via Shutterstock.

Oh shoot, we have so many figures that I want to have in Coming Soon this week!!! (@@. Color Collect The New Prince of Tennis by MOVIC Mammon by Orchidseed Noel Vermillion by Vertex Saber by Aniplex Kosaka Honoka by Kotobukiya Super Sonico by FuRyu Kosaka Kirino True End Ver. by ASCII Media Works Nendoroid Misaka by Good Smile Company Nendoroid Kuroki Tomoko by Good Smile Company Nendoroid Sheryl Nome by Good Smile Company Color Collect The New Prince of Tennis Manufacturer: MOVIC MOVIC Scale: Non-scale, ~40mm tall Non-scale, ~40mm tall Product Type: PVC trading figure PVC trading figure Announce Date: Already announced Already announced Release Date: September 2013 September 2013 Price: 500 yen each, 6,000 yen for a BOX of 12 pieces 500 yen each, 6,000 yen for a BOX of 12 pieces Note: 8 kinds + 1 bonus Mammon Manufacturer: Orchidseed Orchidseed Scale: Unknown Unknown Product Type: PVC figure PVC figure Announce Date: Unknown Unknown Release Date: Unknown Unknown Price: Unknown Noel Vermillion Manufacturer: Vertex Vertex Scale: Unknown Unknown Product Type: PVC figure PVC figure Announce Date: Unknown Unknown Release Date: Unknown Unknown Price: Unknown Saber Manufacturer: Aniplex Aniplex Scale: 1/6 scale, ~212mm 1/6 scale, ~212mm Product Type: PVC figure PVC figure Announce Date: Unknown Unknown Release Date: Spring 2014 Spring 2014 Price: Unknown Kosaka Honoka Manufacturer: Kotobukiya Kotobukiya Scale: Unknown Unknown Product Type: PVC figure PVC figure Announce Date: Unknown Unknown Release Date: Unknown Unknown Price: Unknown Super Sonico Manufacturer: FuRyu FuRyu Scale: Non-scale Non-scale Product Type: Prize figure Prize figure Announce Date: Unknown Unknown Release Date: Unknown Unknown Price: Unknown Super Sonico Manufacturer: FuRyu FuRyu Scale: Non-scale Non-scale Product Type: Prize figure Prize figure Announce Date: Unknown Unknown Release Date: Unknown Unknown Price: Unknown Is it kinda hard to believe that this Kirino is Dengekiya exclusive. Link HERE. Kosaka Kirino True End Ver. Manufacturer: ASCII Media Works (manufactured by Max Factory) ASCII Media Works (manufactured by Max Factory) Scale: 1/7 scale, ~220mm tall 1/7 scale, ~220mm tall Product Type: PVC figure PVC figure Announce Date: Already announced Already announced Release Date: March 2014 March 2014 Price: 15,750 yen (taxed in) 15,750 yen (taxed in) Note: Dengekiya Exclusive Nooo!!! Please don’t!!! Why this Nendoroid Misaka has to be exclusive!! I’m gonna get 3 of her if she is not exclusive!! (><.,,, Nendoroid Misaka Manufacturer: Good Smile Company Good Smile Company Scale: Non-scale, ~100mm tall Non-scale, ~100mm tall Product Type: PVC action figure PVC action figure Announce Date: October 2013 October 2013 Release Date: Unknown Unknown Price: Unknown Unknown Note: Good Smile Cafe & Good Smile Online Shop exclusive Nendoroid Kuroki Tomoko Manufacturer: Good Smile Company Good Smile Company Scale: Non-scale, ~100mm tall Non-scale, ~100mm tall Product Type: PVC action figure PVC action figure Announce Date: Unknown Unknown Release Date: Unknown Unknown Price: Unknown

Breakthrough could lead to "artificial skin" that senses touch, humidity and temperature Using tiny gold particles and a kind of resin, a team of scientists at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology has discovered how to make a new kind of flexible sensor that one day could be integrated into electronic skin, or e-skin. If scientists learn how to attach e-skin to prosthetic limbs, people with amputations might once again be able to feel changes in their environments. The findings appear in the June issue of ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. The secret lies in the sensor's ability to detect three kinds of data simultaneously. While current kinds of e-skin detect only touch, the Technion team's invention "can simultaneously sense touch, humidity, and temperature, as real skin can do," says research team leader Professor Hossam Haick. Additionally, the new system "is at least 10 times more sensitive in touch than the currently existing touch-based e-skin systems." Illustration courtesy of Prof. Hossam Haick, et al. Technion-Israel Institute of Technology Researchers have long been interested in flexible sensors, but have had trouble adapting them for real-world use. To make its way into mainstream society, a flexible sensor would have to run on low voltage (so it would be compatible with the batteries in today's portable devices), measure a wide range of pressures, and make more than one measurement at a time, including humidity, temperature, pressure, and the presence of chemicals. In addition, these sensors would also have to be able to be made quickly, easily, and cheaply. The Technion team's sensor has all of these qualities. The secret is the use of monolayer-capped nanoparticles that are only 5-8 nanometers in diameter. They are made of gold and surrounded by connector molecules called ligands. In fact, "monolayer-capped nanoparticles can be thought of as flowers, where the center of the flower is the gold or metal nanoparticle and the petals are the monolayer of organic ligands that generally protect it," says Haick. Illustration courtesy of Prof. Hossam Haick, el al. Technion-Israel institute of Technology The team discovered that when these nanoparticles are laid on top of a substrate – in this case, made of PET (flexible polyethylene terephthalate), the same plastic found in soda bottles – the resulting compound conducted electricity differently depending on how the substrate was bent. (The bending motion brings some particles closer to others, increasing how quickly electrons can pass between them.) This electrical property means that the sensor can detect a large range of pressures, from tens of milligrams to tens of grams. "The sensor is very stable and can be attached to any surface shape while keeping the function stable," says Dr. Nir Peled, Head of the Thoracic Cancer Research and Detection Center at Israel's Sheba Medical Center, who was not involved in the research. And by varying how thick the substrate is, as well as what it is made of, scientists can modify how sensitive the sensor is. Because these sensors can be customized, they could in the future perform a variety of other tasks, including monitoring strain on bridges and detecting cracks in engines. "Indeed," says Dr. Peled, "the development of the artificial skin as biosensor by Professor Haick and his team is another breakthrough that puts nanotechnology at the front of the diagnostic era." The research team also included Meital Segev-Bar and Gregory Shuster, graduate students in the Technion's Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute, as well as Avigail Landman and Maayan Nir-Shapira, undergraduate students in the Technion's Chemical Engineering Department. Landman and Nir-Shapira are recipients of this year's Norman and Barbara Seiden Family Prizes For Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Student Projects in Optoelectronics, Microelectronics and Nanosciences. The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology is a major source of the innovation and brainpower that drives the Israeli economy, and a key to Israel’s renown as the world’s “Start-Up Nation.” Its three Nobel Prize winners exemplify academic excellence. Technion people, ideas and inventions make immeasurable contributions to the world including life-saving medicine, sustainable energy, computer science, water conservation and nanotechnology. The Joan and Irwin Jacobs Technion-Cornell Innovation Institute is a vital component of Cornell NYC Tech, and a model for graduate applied science education that is expected to transform New York City’s economy. American Technion Society (ATS) donors provide critical support for the Technion—more than $1.9 billion since its inception in 1940. Based in New York City, the ATS and its network of chapters across the U.S. provide funds for scholarships, fellowships, faculty recruitment and chairs, research, buildings, laboratories, classrooms and dormitories, and more.

Over 600 guest stars have featured on The Simpsons since its inception way back in 1989 – more than on any other television show. A Simpsons guest spot is up there with getting a star on the Walk of Fame when it comes to celebrity credentials – and with so many celebrities having appeared on the show, there’s bound to be a few interesting stories. For example: 10 Jose Canseco Acts Like Douche With so many off field dramas, including his own steroid use and the controversial tell-all book Juiced, in which he ratted out fellow baseball players for steroids, Jose Canseco is well known for being an unsavoury character. But when ‘Homer at the Bat’ first aired, starring him and eight other Major League Baseball stars, Canseco was one of the most popular power hitters in the game. Unlike his co-stars, Canseco was extremely un-cooperative, and intimidated the cast. The famous scene where his misses the game after rescuing a lady’s possessions from a burning house came as a result of numerous forced rewrites, which were designed to make him as heroic as possible, as he disliked his original scenes. He also disliked his animation, but stated that the voice-acting was very easy. 9 Lawrence Tierney Intimidates Cast Tough-guy actor Lawrence Tierney was famous for his portrayals of gangsters and hardened criminals in film, but his troubles off the screen made him legendary. He was frequently arrested for brawling, and was a self-confessed alcoholic. His indiscretions lead to him being imprisoned, and at least once he was stabbed. True to form, his character in the episode ‘Marge be not Proud’ was just as intimidating – a towering, chain smoking security guard. During production, Tierney abused employees of the show and refused to perform lines when he didn’t get the jokes. Thankfully, the writers refused his request to change his character’s voice to an over-the-top Southern accent, and his performance remains one of the best and most subtle guest appearances on the show. 8 Barney Beats Up Joe Frazier Smokin’ Joe Frazier is often considered to be one of the greatest boxers of all time. The former World Heavyweight Champion is known in the boxing world for his legendary fights with Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, and by Simpsons fans for his hilarious third season guest spot. You might remember the great scene where he was provoked by Barney Gumble (“Hey Frazier, shut up!”) leading to a street fight outside. Originally, the joke was that Barney would knock Frazier out. However, Frazier’s son, not content with winning every ‘my-dad-could-beat-up-your-dad’ debate in history, opposed this scene and the roles were reversed – Frazier took the much-loved Barney outside and left him a bloody mess in a trash can. 7 Albert Brooks Improvises Classic Scenes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVoTzON8WMs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VX4Lpf-xdg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVDwphMS19g Apparently Albert Brooks is an Academy Award-nominated actor, but until now I literally only knew him for his brilliant roles on the Simpsons – he steals the show in practically every episode he’s in. Brooks is a semi-regular guest star, appearing in six episodes and The Simpsons Movie, and his effort as criminal mastermind Hank Scorpio is often regarded as one of the greatest guest star performances in Simpson’s history. Huge chunks of Brooks’ dialogue were improvised, including the entire hammock speech. Brooks was so well regarded for his improvisation that the writers barely bothered to work on his character’s dialogue, knowing that Brooks would say new lines in their place anyway. 6 Elizabeth Taylor and Maggie’s Sexy First Word http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzvicpiTApw Legendary Golden-Age actress Elizabeth Taylor was part of a significant fourth season milestone – providing the voice of Maggie’s first (and only) word. However, problems arose when Matt Groening and the producers found Taylor’s voice “too sexual” for a baby. After 24 takes, Taylor allegedly said “fuck you” to Groening and stormed out, although there are conflicting accounts of this. Whatever the case, she and the staff seemed to patch things up and she returned later in the season for a second guest spot. After her death in 2011, the Simpsons dedicated an episode to her. 5 Justin Timberlake Punk’d by Writers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gg1Whz4hYNA ‘New Kids on the Blecch’, starring boy band ‘N Sync now seems like an early indication of the show’s future direction – their frustrating tendency to cast storytelling aside in favour of transparent cameos from trending celebrities. Fortunately, the band did a decent job as far as these things go, and the episode is a good one. ‘N Sync were enthusiastic about appearing on the show, although Justin Timberlake had some reservations about saying ‘word’, as he thought it was misrepresentative of how he actually talked. In response, the staff replayed the one take where Timberlake actually said the phrase after almost every ‘N Sync line. 4 Tony Blair Makes Staff Jump Through Hoops Season 15 marked the first time a Head of Government appeared on the show. After being denied an appearance by every U.S. President from Gerald Ford onwards, the Simpsons gave Great Britain a try and were rewarded with Prime Minister Tony Blair after much perseverance. After eight months of negotiations and requested script changes, Blair finally agreed, giving showrunner Al Jean fifteen minutes to record the part on one day’s notice. Tony, we understand you’re a busy man, but what could be more important than guest starring on the greatest television show of all time – get your priorities straight! 3 Julian Assange Records Lines Under House Arrest There’s not much to say about Julian Assange that hasn’t already been said – he is dually seen as both a champion for democracy and a traitor of it. Everything the man says or does is taken ultra-seriously, but sometime between leaking classified military documents and hopping between countries, he found the time to appear as himself in the Simpson’s 500th episode. Assange was under house arrest in England at the time, pending extradition to Sweden. Al Jean managed to acquire a phone number to call, but no information on his whereabouts. As a result, Assange’s lines were recorded over the phone and his voice sounds muffled. His performance isn’t really that great, but the magnitude and controversy of the WikiLeaks phenomenon makes his guest spot instantly memorable. 2 Stephen Hawking Makes Technician Work 36 Hour Shift Stephen Hawking, one of the world’s greatest minds, suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a disease which has left him almost completely paralysed. As a result, he speaks through a speech synthesiser. In spite of this disease, he has produced some of the most significant works in the history of physics and has admirably maintained the ability to make fun of himself, appearing in several Simpson’s episodes. The crazy thing about his first appearance was his utter determination to take part – his wheelchair broke down days before he was due to record in Los Angeles, and he made his assistant and a technician work a 36 hour shift to get it repaired in time. When he arrived, he told the staff “Sorry for being late.” 1 Sonic Youth Won’t Star With Courtney Love The episode ‘Homerpalooza’ from the Simpsons’s seventh season is one of the show’s greatest episodes, and starred a myriad of 90’s music icons – evidence that despite contemporary criticism of the show, huge rosters of guest stars don’t necessarily make for a bad episode. Those featured are pioneering rap group Cypress Hill, alt-rock icons Sonic Youth and Smashing Pumpkins, and singer-songwriter Peter Frampton. Originally, the Courtney Love fronted band Hole was wanted for the episode, but one of the bands (later revealed to be Sonic Youth) stated that if Love appeared in the episode, they would not. It is unclear exactly what the disagreement was over, but the band was friendly with Love’s late husband Kurt Cobain.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Four years after he left the Elysee, Nicolas Sarkozy is keen to return Former French head of state Nicolas Sarkozy has announced that he is a candidate to run again in next year's presidential election. In order to stand, he must first win his centre-right Republicans party's primary in November. Mr Sarkozy said he "felt he had the strength to lead the combat at such a tormented moment in our history." No-one doubts his energy, but a number of obstacles must be overcome if he is to fight his way back to the Elysee. First term legacy Image copyright AFP Image caption Mr Sarkozy's time as president was marked by the 2008 global financial crisis Nicolas Sarkozy served as French president from 2007 to 2012, and the country he left behind as he walked from the Elysee was not a happy one. The campaign promises of a land where people could "work more to earn more" had vanished. Unemployment was back near 10%; the deficit ballooning; and the much-vaunted "rupture" with the country's uncompetitive past as much a dream as five years previously. Mr Sarkozy could argue - with some justice - that all his plans to rewire the economy had gone down the drain by the 2008 world crisis. But still the man with all the answers turned out to be mainly mouth. Profile: Nicolas Sarkozy Rival candidates Image copyright Reuters Image caption Nicolas Sarkozy is one of many people seeking to be the Republicans' candidate for French president Nicolas Sarkozy may want to be the centre-right candidate next April, but sadly for him others have the same idea. There are in fact 10 other runners in the November primary, most of whom have no chance whatsoever and are merely putting down markers for the future. A couple are serious rivals. There is Mr Sarkozy's former Prime Minister Francois Fillon - the man who learned to swallow hard and keep looking impassive through whatever his master's latest putdown. And then there is Alain Juppe - another former prime minister. Right now Mr Juppe is in fact the favourite to win in the November primary - so Mr Sarkozy has a tough and potentially bitter fight ahead. The law Image copyright AFP Image caption Mr Sarkozy was placed under formal investigation after hours of questioning in February Mr Sarkozy's enemies have always given themselves heart from the thought that if all else fails to bring him down, justice will. The list of "affaires" in which the former president is embroiled is long and very complicated. Two stand out. In the first, Mr Sarkozy is accused of knowingly exceeding campaign funding limits in the 2012 election. In the second, he is said to have put pressure on a judge to reveal details on another case in which he was implicated. In both of these affairs, Mr Sarkozy is "mis en examen" - in other words he is formally the target of a judicial investigation that might well end in a trial. Were that to happen in the weeks to come, his chances would be scuppered. Luckily for Mr Sarkozy, the wheels of French justice grind exceeding slow. Still - the law is a weak spot. Investigations Nicolas Sarkozy faces Bling Image copyright Luxor Information Office Image caption Mr Sarkozy and his then-new love Carla Bruni flew to Egypt for Christmas in 2007 Bling is such an annoying, meaningless expression - but Mr Sarkozy undoubtedly suffered from his supposed affinity for a certain kind of lifestyle. He came to be viscerally loathed by a large part of the population - not just as a political figure, but for the kind of man he was. In truth, his lifestyle was not that different from other French leaders'. Carla Bruni was no liability: in fact she is quite admired. Far more problematic was Nicolas Sarkozy's odd personality: impulsive, cocky, braggadocio masking some inner insecurity. Many people didn't like it, and they still don't. The not-again factor Image copyright Reuters Image caption These two, again? If Nicolas Sarkozy ends up against Francois Hollande in 2017 (and it is perfectly possible), it will be an exact re-run of 2012. Could there be a more crying indictment of French politics? And a more potent argument for Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right National Front?

UPDATE: Good Samaritans helped pull a man out of a apartment unit moments after an explosion in Cedar Rapids Tuesday afternoon. First responders took the man, identified as Terry Johnson, to the University of Iowa hospitals, with serious injuries. The explosion happened around 4:30 p.m. at the Hardwick Apartments in Cedar Rapids. A moment of panic for residents at Hardwick apartments. "I felt the vibrations mostly in the floor," Resident Nicholas Drake said. And also for those living nearby. "I was facing towards the part that exploded, kids were outside and I just seen the wall come towards us, glass was everywhere and we just ran to the garage," Neighbor Tara Tucker said. Broken glass and charred walls are all that's left at this apartment unit, where authorities say the explosion occurred. Police say they don't know what caused the explosion. But say man living there was taken to the University of Iowa Hospitals. "Chair was on fire, papers, what not, we put it out," Shawn Vontalge said. At least three good Samaritan helped rescue the man. They say the man is in his sixties and has disabilities. "He couldn't talk, couldn't walk so I just kinda worried about him," Resident Luke Snyder said. The Samaritans say they found the man sleeping in his bed. "Some of the ceiling had fallen on him so we got him out and took him off the bed and brought him right here," Snyder said. A moment rescuers say came as second nature. "It's kinda unreal but you know it happens so just respond the best you can," Snyder said. Authorities their priority is making sure everyone who is displaced has a safe place to stay the next few nights. They say the next steps are to repair the structure and create a temporary wall. (Original) Cedar Rapids emergency personnel are investigating reports of an explosion in northeast Cedar Rapids where at least one person is being treated for injuries sustained in the blast. The incident under investigation occurred at 1414 Oakland road NE in Cedar Rapids at the Hardwick apartments. The wall of one unit was completely blown out. "I was just sitting in my bedroom and I was sitting on the bed and I felt it more than I heard it," said Hardwick resident Nicholas Drake. "It was loud and the vibration was awful." Luke Snider had just walked in the door and sat down in his unit when he said he heard a loud boom and felt the building shake. "I ran outside and we noticed that the front end of the whole apartment had blown out," recalled Snider. "I knew the resident that lived there was handicapped so we called out for him and we heard him say he was in the bedroom." Snider acted immediately, grabbing a fire extinguisher from the stairwell to put out the flames blocking his path to the unit. "then when I ran in there we had to move some stuff out of the way to get to the bed and some of the ceiling had fallen on him, so we had to get that off him. Then I picked him out of his bed and carried him outside." 12 of the 16 available units are currently occupied by residents who will be unable to stay in their apartments tonight because of the explosion. They are working with the Red Cross to find a place to stay and some resources to help them get through the incident.

In a traffic stop, is it legal for an officer to order a driver to put out a cigarette and exit the car? Ms. Bland has a right to smoke in her car, but Trooper Encinia could argue that the cigarette was interfering with legitimate police business. Since he had already processed the papers, however, “I don’t see a good reason,” said Robert Weisberg, a criminal procedure expert and law professor at Stanford University. During a traffic stop, a police officer has the right to ask a driver to get out of the car even for a non-arrestable offense, as a way of securing his own safety. The officer has almost complete discretion and the driver is legally obligated to get out when asked. “He has control over the location of drivers,” Mr. Weisberg said. “It is equal to an officer patting you down to see if you have a gun.” In this case, Mr. Weisberg said, there is no evidence that Trooper Encinia feared for his safety. He would have to argue that Ms. Bland’s refusal to put the cigarette out gave him the impression that she was violent. If Trooper Encinia had feared for his safety, he would not have walked away from the car for five minutes, Mr. Weisberg said.

Kaig Lightner coming out video.png Kaig Lightner, 36, is a Portland youth soccer coach who recently came out as transgender to his players. A video of the team meeting has gone viral. (YouTube screenshot via Portland Community Football Club) A Portland youth soccer coach recently came out as transgender to his players and a video of the team meeting has since gone viral. Kaig Lightner, 36, is the founder and director of the Portland Community Football Club, which serves the area's poor and underprivileged youth. In the video, Lightner calls a huddle after practice, telling players about a coaching trip he took to Washington, D.C. "We ask a lot of you guys to show up and be yourselves and be who you are and get to be better players and I haven't totally shared something with you about myself that's sort of important — that some of you may or may not know," he said. Lightner then came out to his players, saying it was something he's kept close to the chest because of how sports have traditionally dealt with issues of gender. "We have a lot of rules in sports about how boys play and how girls play and that's not really fair," he said. "I got told a lot of things about being a soccer player as a girl — that I couldn't do this, I couldn't do that. I wasn't good enough. I wasn't strong enough, or I was too strong — I acted too much like a boy." Lightner told Buzzfeed News that he's been involved in youth sports since he was a teenager. He stepped down froma coaching position at 26 to begin transitioning. He told the outlet and his players that he felt a responsibility to come out in order to practice what he preached in his work. "I may have this white skin and I may look like I just cruised through life with a lot of privilege — which I have had — but I have one thing that a lot of people don't know about me," Lightner said. You can watch the full video below, which has gotten more than 35,000 as of Saturday evening and is titled "Authenticity": --Eder Campuzano | 503.221.4344 @edercampuzano ecampuzano@oregonian.com

PARIS (Reuters - French President Emmanuel Macron’s party is expected to win the most votes in June’s parliamentary election, polls showed on Monday, with Macron also scoring well in terms of general popularity. FILE PHOTO: French President Emmanuel Macron attends a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, May 23, 2017. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer The Odoxa poll for France Inter radio and L’Express magazine said Macron’s start-up Republic on the Move (LREM) party would come top with 29 percent of votes in the June legislative election, which takes place in two rounds on June 11 and June 18. The far-right National Front (FN) was seen in second place with 17 percent of votes, with the conservative Republicans party in third on 15 percent. Far-left politician Jean-Luc Melenchon’s party was in fourth place with 14 percent. A second poll also confirmed that pattern, with Harris Interactive/LCP forecasting that Macron’s party would get 31 percent of votes in the first round of the June vote, with the FN second on 19 percent and the Republicans on 18 percent. It was unclear how these figures would translate into seats and whether this would mean Macron would get the majority he is seeking. The 39-year-old centrist, elected president on May 7, is hoping to secure a majority in France’s 577-seat National Assembly to enable him to push through a reform agenda aimed at reviving an economy afflicted by slow growth, high unemployment and a lack of competitiveness. Other polls this month have pointed to a likely majority for LREM. However, given that many of their candidates are unknown to voters and inexperienced, and that no parliamentary election has been held before with LREM in the mix, the outcome is uncertain. Macron has sought to broaden his appeal by forming a government which poached representatives from the traditional parties - the Republicans on the right, and the Socialists on the left. Other recent polls have also suggested Macron’s party would displace the left-wing Socialists as the largest party in the lower house of parliament. The Odoxa poll also said 58 percent of French citizens thought Macron would be a good president, while 47 percent thought he would do better than his Socialist predecessor Francois Hollande. Macron plans to pass a reform of labor regulations by the end of September before kicking off overhauls of the unemployment insurance system and professional training later in the year, and tackling pension schemes in 2018.

The King of Swaziland Mswati III, better known for his flamboyant excesses than for his hypothetical qualities as a leader, is, by definition, allergic to democracy. The 46-year old monarch has reigned over his small landlocked nation on the brink of economic disaster for 28 years: 40 per cent of Swazis are unemployed, the country has the highest HIV infection rate per capita in the world, and the life expectancy of 46 years is among the world’s lowest. But these statistics are truly heartbreaking when one considers that for the cost of the king’s expensive cars (fleets of top-of-the-range Mercedes and BMW cars, at least one Rolls Royce and a $500,000 Daimler Chrysler flagship Maybach 62) and private jet ($17 million) alone, the monarch could put every child in his country through school and throw in healthcare while he’s at it. To be fair, primary school education is free in Swaziland, although it remains a challenge keeping it so. But while the king recently upped his annual household budget to $61 million, 70 per cent of the king’s subjects must get by on an income of less than $2 a day. With 13 palaces, riches beyond the wildest dreams of the average Swazi (the king disputes the $200-million frequently cited as his personal fortune), courtiers and a fascinating harem, no one can accuse the king of not knowing how to take care of No. 1. But let’s focus now on this harem. The beloved king is very popular for hosting the traditional reed ceremony where he gets to pick a new wife every year. He now has 14, and while those who have no issue with polygamy in the age of gender equality can shrug that off, it’s harder to shrug off the cost of maintaining such a harem knowing how little the average Swazi has to make do with. In marked contrast to Swaziland’s previous queens – who were expected to shy away from public life and live modestly – our modern Swazi dames like to live large from the public coffers. (Could be worse, I suppose. The king’s predecessor had 70 wives.) Who are these women? Let’s find out. Ritual wife #1 – Inkhosikati (Queen) LaMatsebula: “The Great Wife” Queen LaMatsebula fulfilled all the requirements of the national councilors who appointed the king’s first wife. Like the first wife of any Swazi king, the “Great Wife” is a member of the Matsebula clan. She must be of good character and come from a good family. She is the one to hold special functions in rituals. However, as tradition prohibits, her son can never claim kingship. After earning her degree, the UNISA graduate said she’d studied psychology because as a queen having to work closely with a great number of people, she needed to acquire the knowledge necessary for keeping an open mind and understanding better the people she meets. Ritual wife #2: Inkhosikati LaMotsa: “La Madone” Queen LaMotsa, mother of four and second ritual wife (also selected for the king by the national board), is the Patron of St Annes Girls School in Malkerns, Swaziland. She is also an active public speaker and has been a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Goodwill Ambassador since 1996. Wife #3: Inkhosikati LaMbikiza, née Sibonelo Mngomezulu: “The Gospel Singer” (Born: 1969. Married: 1986) Queen Inkhosikati LaMbikiza, 3rd wife of King Mswati III and the first one to be personally chosen by the king himself, is the founder of the South-Africa based Lusito Charity Organization, whose aim is to provide financial assistance to the underprivileged. She is also the Director of the Swazi Royal Initiative to Combat AIDS (RICH). With several social and professional accomplishments under her belt, this prominent and very articulate UNISA’s law graduate advocates for Christianity, health, AIDS prevention and treatment, poverty-reduction, maternal mortality reduction, and much more. Profoundly religious, she is the first Swazi queen to record a gospel album as well as the first one to continue her education after marrying the king. Queen Inkhosikati LaMbikiza is the mother of the king’s eldest daughter, the popular singer/rapper princess Sikhanyiso Dlamini, who’s musical tribute Hail Your Majesty is to be endured here. The princess also explicates the royal lifestyle in Without the King, a solid documentary about Swaziland’s troubling contrast between poverty and opulence. Wife #4: Inkhosikati LaNgangaza, née Carol Dlamini: “The advocate” (Married: 1987) Law graduate Queen LaNgangaza is the patron of Swaziland Hospice at Home (which was once headed by Princess Diana) and Fundzis’ Umtfwana, an organization that pushes education as a top-priority. Through awareness campaigns, Queen LaNgangaza addresses her people about health, beauty, culture, education and the necessity of caring for others, including the elderly and the pariahs of society. In 2012, she was one of the three wives embroiled in the scandal about a planned multi-million Rand shopping trip and holiday in Las Vegas, all of which the Swazi government denied. Wife #5: Inkhosikati LaHwala, née Putsoana Hwala: “The Wanted” (Born: 1974) Leaving her three children behind, Putsoana Hwala fled the royal life to South Africa in 2004, using her South African passport to escape possible detection by security agents. She is however, still married to the king. Wife #6: Inkhosikati LaMagwaza, née Delisa Magwaza: “The Artist” (Born: 1974.Married: 1993) Former patron of Safe Motherhood, art lover Delisa left the king in 2004 at the height of a sex scandal in which she was the principal actress. She was accused of having an affair with a 23-year-old South African man, Lizo Shabangu. The relationship was allegedly terminated when the Sowetan expressed his desire to elope with Delisa. However, she fashioned an evasion plan of her own and is now reported to be living an abounding life after getting married to a South African business tycoon with whom she has a child. Wife #7: Inkhosikati LaMasango, née Senteni Masango: “The High-School dropout” (Born: 1981. Married: 2000) When King Mswati III secretly chose his 7th bride, the Times of Swaziland ruffled the royal feathers when it referred to LaMasango as an irresponsible high-school dropout, noting that she’d been expelled for indiscipline and absenteeism from two different schools. The New York Times subsequently reported that Bheki Makhubu, the Sunday editor of the paper in question, was arrested, charged with defamation and forced to resign. Since then LaMasango has pursued her interest in painting, hosting auctions of her work to fund-raise for charity. Wife #8: Inkhosikati LaGija, née Angela Dlamini: “The Runaway Spouse” (Born: 1979. Married: 2002) The Swaziland soap opera continues with LaGija, the king’s 8th wife and the third to leave the royal compound, which she vacated in May 2012. LaGija fled to South Africa, leaving her daughter behind. The Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN) stated that “She left citing many years of emotional and physical abuse by her husband as the reason for her departure”. Wife #9: Inkhosikati LaMagongo, née Nontsetselo Magongo: “The Favorite” (Born: 1985. Married: 2002) Allegedly one of the king’s favorites, LaMagongo was quite the athlete in high school. She is also well remembered for her exemplary discipline and her involvement in the Student Christian Fellowship (SCM). In an interview with The Guardian in 2004, she acknowledged that HIV could enter the royal circle, but said she would stay because she trusted God and her husband. “I’m young, he’s old, I can’t raise my concerns. If I live in fear the trust won’t be there any more.” Wife #10: Inkhosikati LaMahlangu, née Zena Soraya Mahlangu: “The One That Couldn’t Get Away” (Born: 1984. Married: 2002) Queen Mahlangu is famous for having been abducted by royal aides to become the king’s 10th wife. According to an Amnesty International report (see page 30), the eighteen-year-old High School student Zena Mahlangu “disappeared from her school on 9 October 2002. After frantic inquiries her mother, Lindiwe Dlamini, learnt that her daughter had been taken by two men, Qethuka Sgombeni Dlamini and Tulujani Sikhondze, and was being held at the Royal Palace at Ludzidzini. On 10 October she reported the matter to the police, but she heard nothing further from them. On the following day the two men came to her home and told her that her daughter was at the Royal Palace and had been “assigned Royal duties”. They concluded: “The king and his agents have violated the internationally recognized human rights of women and girls, including their right not to be arbitrarily detained and the right not to be subjected to forced marriage.” Her mother sued the royal court, but Swaziland’s legal system was not to deliver justice in this case. Quelle surprise. In a poignant interview, the unhappy mother described her resignation: “By the time I realized Zena was not going to be released, I knew there was no point in asking her whether she loved him or not. It would not be fair. I think all the girls, when the king first selects them, cannot know how they feel. There is no choice here. If the king likes you, that’s it.” Wife #11: Inkhosikati LaNtentesa, née Noliqhwa Ayanda Ntentesa: “The Fixer” (Born: 1981. Married: 2005) Engaged in 2002, Inkhosikati LaNtentesa was married in a traditional function held at Ludzidzini Royal Residence in 2005. She is the patron of Cheshire Homes Swaziland, a rehabilitation center based in Matsapha and an affiliate of Leonard Cheshire International, which already has other disability centers in more than 50 countries worldwide. Wife #12: Inkhosikati LaDube, née Nothando Dube: “The Double-Dealer” (Born: 1987. Married: 2005) Mswati III’s 12th wife Inkhosikati LaDube, was placed under house arrest (for life) at the home of the king’s mother in 2010 after an alleged affair with Swaziland’s justice minister Ndumiso Mamba, who was then fired and incarcerated. ‘The police raided the exclusive Royal Villas hotel just seven miles from the palace on the outskirts of the Swazi administrative capital Mbabane and discovered Mr. Mamba hiding under the queen’s double bed,’ reported the Daily Mail. If the former Miss Teen Swaziland was only trying to get us to see that polygamous relationships only work when all parties have equal privileges, you’ve got to give her an A for effort! Unfortunately, LaDube was ordered to leave the royal household in November 2011. Wife #13: Inkhosikati LaNkambule, née Phindile Nkambule: “The Young And The Restless” (Born: 1990. Married: 2007) Inkhosikati LaNkambule who beat a glamorous TV presenter and Miss Swaziland in the 10,000 women race to capture the king’s interest, was chosen at the reed dance ceremony when she was 17. Her nomination was in violation with the rules Mswati himself had instituted, prohibiting Swazi women from getting married before the age of 18, but I guess it’s one rule for the king and another for his subjects, because any other man who breaks the “umchwasho” rule is either fined an animal, such as a cow, or is liable for a fine of about $160. Wife #14: Sindiswa Dlamini, “The Liphovela” (Born: 1995. Married: 2013) It was as a bare-breasted teenager wrapped in traditional cloth accessorized with red feathers and a grand necklace that Simila was chosen to be Mswati III’s 14th wife. A Miss Cultural Heritage finalist, the 18-year-old local beauty pageant participant Sindiswa Dlamini had only just graduated from the religious Mbabane’s St. Francis High School (the year before). The ceremony was held in central Swaziland and with the celebrations the king no doubt succeeded in distracting the electoral observers of the Southern African Development Community. Such is the media censorship in Swaziland when it comes to reporting the king’s activities with respect to his wives that you are probably now better informed than the average king’s subject. Are these women: a) Warts on the face of a changing Africa where mothers and daughters are meant to be exemplary? b) Respectable traditional females who simply carry out with elegance and intelligence their duty in a country where royalty is the pillar of national identity? c) Masters of the art of directing the spotlight on ludicrous and farcical matters, so that shady business can proceed unnoticed in the shadows. d) Gender equality activists for the Swazi women who were long denied opportunities to progress as entrepreneurs and first-class citizens? e) Regular women who would rather live a different life but have no choice but to give in to their fate? f) Happily married women who love their husband beyond the imagination of anyone else, including myself? Are these women prosecutors, traditionalists, victims, role models or crimes witnesses? Perhaps even, voices for those who can’t speak? Share with us what you think about the women behind The Man! Meet some of them in this 7-year-old video.

Is American decline exaggerated? It’s a hot topic, again. We’ll hear the debate. ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 23, 2012) The aircraft carrier USS Enterprise , bottom, the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Vicksburg, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Porter, USS James E. Williams, USS McFaul, USS Cole and USS Nitze maneuver into formation during the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group. (U.S. Navy) Is America in decline? It’s become almost assumed in recent years. China, India, Brazil, others – up. America – down. Humbled. Less than it was. Now comes the pushback. “The Myth of American Decline,” goes one headline. And the theme becomes political just as fast as you can breathe. America in decline? No way, said the president last week. Not on his watch. Well, which is it? Are we up, down or sideways? Is decline a myth? Or is that idea just a kind of denial? American dreaming? This hour, On Point: Truth or dare. We’re debating American decline. -Tom Ashbrook Guests Michael Beckley, research fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government's international security program. His recent article in the journal International Security contends that America is not in decline and that both its international power and hegemony are increasing. Christopher Layne, professor, and Robert M. Gates Chair in Intelligence and National Security at the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. His recent article in International Studies Quarterly argues that America is in decline. Highlights “The best way to sell books is to title it something like, When China Rules the World,” said Michael Beckley, research fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. “That sells a lot more than when you title it “When Things Are Pretty Much The Same As They Are Now.” In reality, he says, looking at a broad set of indicators including wealth, innovation, and military power – the United States will remain atop the world for decades, in some areas even increasing its lead over the rest, said Beckley. It all stems from the fact that people always know more about the failings and liabilities of their own countries and little about the failings and liabilities of foreign nations, Beckley said. “It’s very easy to get caught up in current evens, the financial crisis, Iraq, and Afghanistan, when you look across the broad sweep of indicators, you see much more stability and strength in the United States,” Beckley said. Sure, issues like wealth inequality are troubling. But in the U.S., they pale in comparison to other places. “If inequality is a sign of decline, then China is more in decline than the United States,” Beckley said. So, why the rampant ‘declinism’ in the United States? “It’s great for fundraising to think that the United States is in decline. If you work in the Defense Department, the best way in increase your budget is to say ‘There’s this rising superpower on the horizon and we need more money,’” he said. “If you’re in Congress, it’s a lot easier to blame job losses in your district on Chinese currency manipulation than it is to blame it on your own policies or your constituents.” Others point out that China’s growing GDP – it will soon surpass that of the U.S.—coupled with and more effective government means that China does pose a near-term threat to the current U.S. global dominance. Indeed, said Christopher Layne, there are several indicators that show that the U.S. isn’t just in decline vis-à-vis China, but also in relative decline to where the country stood in the 1950s, Layne said. What the decline of American power suggests, is that the post-WWII global order “is going to weaken and that the U.S. is going to have a lot less influence in those parts of the world that it cares about, especially in Asia,” Layne said. From Tom's Reading List International Security "The United States is not in decline; in fact, it is now wealthier, more innovative, and more militarily powerful compared to China than it was in 1991. Moreover, globalization and hegemony do not erode U.S. power; they reinforce it. The United States derives competitive advantages from its hegemonic position, and globalization allows it to exploit these advantages, attracting economic activity and manipulating the international system to its benefit. The United States should therefore continue to prop up the global economy and maintain a robust diplomatic and military presence abroad." International Studies Quarterly "The Great Recession has had a two-fold impact. First, it highlighted the shift of global wealth—and power—from West to East, a trend illustrated by China’s breathtakingly rapid rise to great power status. Second, it has raised doubts about the robustness of US primacy’s economic and financial underpinnings. This article argues that the Aunipolar moment is over, and the Pax Americana—the era of American ascendancy in international politics that began in 1945—is fast winding down. " The New Republic "Is the United States in decline, as so many seem to believe these days? Or are Americans in danger of committing pre-emptive superpower suicide out of a misplaced fear of their own declining power? A great deal depends on the answer to these questions. The present world order—characterized by an unprecedented number of democratic nations; a greater global prosperity, even with the current crisis, than the world has ever known; and a long peace among great powers—reflects American principles and preferences, and was built and preserved by American power in all its political, economic, and military dimensions. If American power declines, this world order will decline with it." Foreign Policy "The issue isn't whether the United States is about to fall the from the ranks of the great powers, or even be equaled (let alone surpassed) by a rising China. The world may be evolving toward a more multipolar structure, for example, but the United States is going to be one of those poles, and almost certainly the strongest of them, for many years to come. "

Expand Photo Marc Jacobs and Sofia Coppola WHO: The rehabbed, muscular Gen-X designer and the girl of his dreams from his bad boy days. -- MET: In the early... more Marc Jacobs and Sofia Coppola WHO: The rehabbed, muscular Gen-X designer and the girl of his dreams from his bad boy days. -- MET: In the early nineties, when he was pushing grunge at Perry Ellis and she was just the teenaged daughter of Francis Ford Coppola living in New York. -- SPAWNED: Jacobs’s first ad campaign (2000), which starred her. Also, the Sofia handbag. Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris Expand Photo Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy and Oleg Cassini WHO: The first lady of First Lady fashion and her “Secretary of Style.” -- MET: JBK appointed Cassi... more Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy and Oleg Cassini WHO: The first lady of First Lady fashion and her “Secretary of Style.” -- MET: JBK appointed Cassini, a family friend, as her official designer after facing criticism that she spent too much on Parisian couture. -- SPAWNED: A lexicon of all-American looks that were “simple, youthful, [and] elegant,” plus legions of look-alikes in pillbox hats. Photo: FPG/2004 Getty Images Expand Photo Ralph Lauren and Americana WHO: The Jewish Prince of Polos and the U.S. of A. -- MET: When he ditched the Lifshitz for Lauren and launched his ... more Ralph Lauren and Americana WHO: The Jewish Prince of Polos and the U.S. of A. -- MET: When he ditched the Lifshitz for Lauren and launched his line in 1969. -- SPAWNED: Fashion patriotism, with collections inspired by the Western frontier, Ivy League prep, and The Great Gatsby, both the 1974 movie's costumes and the East Coast lifestyle depicted. Photo: Jemal Countess/2010 Getty Images Expand Photo Amber Valletta and Shalom Harlow WHO: Super Friends. -- MET: Around the early nineties, when both signed with Ford Models and ruled the runways... more Amber Valletta and Shalom Harlow WHO: Super Friends. -- MET: Around the early nineties, when both signed with Ford Models and ruled the runways. -- SPAWNED: Two shared Vogue covers, House of Style 2.0, and they were recently united in a Vogue editorial from January 2012. Photo: Mark Von Holden/2011 Getty Images Expand Photo Marie Antoinette and Rose Bertin WHO: The guillotined Queen and her Ministre des Modes. -- MET: After the coronation in 1775, when Marie Antoin... more Marie Antoinette and Rose Bertin WHO: The guillotined Queen and her Ministre des Modes. -- MET: After the coronation in 1775, when Marie Antoinette began consulting her modiste twice weekly about every aspect of her appearance. -- SPAWNED: Peasant dresses, the three-foot powdered “pouf,” and perfumed sheep as accessories. Expand Photo David Bowie and Iman WHO: The original glam rocker and his Somali supermodel wife–cosmetic mogul. -- MET: On a blind date in 1990, then married... more David Bowie and Iman WHO: The original glam rocker and his Somali supermodel wife–cosmetic mogul. -- MET: On a blind date in 1990, then married two years later. -- SPAWNED: A line of cosmetics for women of color, tons of party photographs, and a daughter named Alexandria Zahra Jones. Photo: Ron Galella Expand Photo Steven Meisel and Pat McGrath WHO: Paint and Shoot, image-makers of some of the fashion world's most memorable editorials. -- MET: In 1997, whe... more Steven Meisel and Pat McGrath WHO: Paint and Shoot, image-makers of some of the fashion world's most memorable editorials. -- MET: In 1997, when they made over Karen Elson — “shaved-off eyebrows and a flaming red crop” — and launched her career. -- SPAWNED: Countless photographs, covers, and ads, including recent hits with the LV Fashion Express and Lanvin Advanced Style campaigns; Disney doppelgängers for Barneys’ “Electric Holiday” windows. Expand Photo Anna Wintour and Grace Coddington WHO: The chief editor-in-chief and her “jewel in the crown.” -- MET: Grace has been by Anna’s side since day ... more Anna Wintour and Grace Coddington WHO: The chief editor-in-chief and her “jewel in the crown.” -- MET: Grace has been by Anna’s side since day one at Wintour Vogue (July 1988). -- SPAWNED: The September Issue, and all the pages therein. Photo: Eugene Gologursky/2010 Eugene Gologursky Expand Photo Diana Vreeland and Richard Avedon WHO: The eye and the lens. -- MET: In 1945 at Harper’s Bazaar, when she thought his name was “Aberdeen.” -- ... more Diana Vreeland and Richard Avedon WHO: The eye and the lens. -- MET: In 1945 at Harper’s Bazaar, when she thought his name was “Aberdeen.” -- SPAWNED: “A totally new profession … the fashion editor.” Funny Face, and the rise of the jolie laide model. Photo: Sherman/Getty Images Expand Photo Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise WHO: The ex-Mrs. Tom Cruise and the littlest fashionista, not counting Blue Ivy (yet). -- MET: April 18, 2006 (Hap... more Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise WHO: The ex-Mrs. Tom Cruise and the littlest fashionista, not counting Blue Ivy (yet). -- MET: April 18, 2006 (Happy Birthday, Suri!) -- SPAWNED: An obsession with mini-heels; multiple Twitter imposters; and reportedly $400,000/year in child support (shopping allowance?). Photo: Jackson Lee / Splash News/© Corbis. All Rights Reserved. Expand Photo Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti WHO: Onetime boyfriends and business partners for nearly 50 years. -- MET: On the Via Veneto in the ... more Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti WHO: Onetime boyfriends and business partners for nearly 50 years. -- MET: On the Via Veneto in the summer of La Dolce Vita. -- SPAWNED: Red gowns for red carpets, a documentary called Valentino: The Last Emperor, and enviable yacht-born perma-tans. Photo: Ron Galella Expand Photo Humberto Leon and Carol Lim WHO: Best friends and business partners as the founders of Opening Ceremony, and now the creative directors of Kenzo.... more Humberto Leon and Carol Lim WHO: Best friends and business partners as the founders of Opening Ceremony, and now the creative directors of Kenzo. -- MET: As Berkeley sophomores, they established their cool-kid emporium in 2002. -- SPAWNED: Introduced Havianas to the U.S. and mastered the designer collaboration with O.C. x Acne, Rodarte, and Pendleton. Then established new outposts in New York, Los Angeles, London, and Tokyo, and convinced LVMH to hire them. Photo: Larry Busacca/2010 Getty Images Expand Photo Jane Birkin and Hermès WHO: The bohemian singer-actress and the French leader in horsey-inspired luxury. -- MET: On an Air France flig... more Jane Birkin and Hermès WHO: The bohemian singer-actress and the French leader in horsey-inspired luxury. -- MET: On an Air France flight in 1981, when Birkin spilled the contents of her purse in front of Hermès chairman Jean-Louis Dumas. By the time they landed, the Hermès Birkin bag had been born. -- SPAWNED: The ne plus ultra of status handbags for socialite and celebutante hoarders, and the original legendary waiting list. Photo: Jun Sato/2010 Jun Sato Expand Photo Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen WHO: Fashion’s favorite twin billionaires. -- MET: In utero, we can only presume? -- SPAWNED: Michelle Tanner; &qu... more Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen WHO: Fashion’s favorite twin billionaires. -- MET: In utero, we can only presume? -- SPAWNED: Michelle Tanner; "hobo-chic"; and — against all odds — the Row, a label that women love. Photo: Ben Gabbe/2010 Getty Images Expand Photo Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana WHO: Former boyfriends and current co-designers of their eponymous label. -- MET: In 1980, as design assis... more Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana WHO: Former boyfriends and current co-designers of their eponymous label. -- MET: In 1980, as design assistants in Milan. They launched their business in 1982. -- SPAWNED: The lingerie look, and the sexy Sicilian widow as style icon. Photo: Gareth Cattermole/2011 Getty Images Expand Photo Count Hubert James Marcel Taffin de Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn WHO: The Couturier Count and his gamine muse. -- MET: When she asked him to cos... more Count Hubert James Marcel Taffin de Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn WHO: The Couturier Count and his gamine muse. -- MET: When she asked him to costume Sabrina — he was expecting Katharine Hepburn, but was charmed when Audrey arrived instead. -- SPAWNED: The definitive LBD and trench in Breakfast at Tiffany’s (a far cry from today's goth-glam Givenchy). Photo: Ron Galella Expand Photo Riccardo Tisci and Marina Abramović WHO: The Givenchy designer and the performance art provocateur. -- MET: Circa 2007, when he collabora... more Riccardo Tisci and Marina Abramović WHO: The Givenchy designer and the performance art provocateur. -- MET: Circa 2007, when he collaborated on an AnOther magazine project with her ex-husband. -- SPAWNED: A breast-feeding portrait, and a shared Manhattan townhouse. He’s upstairs and she’s downstairs. Photo: Stephen Lovekin/2010 Getty Images Expand Photo Scott Schuman and Garance Doré WHO: The doyens of digital fashion — more WHO: The doyens of digital fashion — thesartorialist.com (2005) and garancedore.fr/en (2006). -- MET: S... Scott Schuman and Garance Doré WHO: The doyens of digital fashion — Photo: Jamie McCarthy/2012 Getty Images WHO: The doyens of digital fashion — thesartorialist.com (2005) and garancedore.fr/en (2006). -- MET: She was a fan, they were introduced by a friend, and they have been dating since 2009. -- SPAWNED: Gallery-worthy street-style photography, fashion blogging as a career, and the blogger as brand consultant and ad star. Expand Photo Yves Saint Laurent and Nan Kempner WHO: The paragon of twentieth-century fashion design and “the world’s most famous clotheshorse.” -- MET: In ... more Yves Saint Laurent and Nan Kempner WHO: The paragon of twentieth-century fashion design and “the world’s most famous clotheshorse.” -- MET: In 1958, when she witnessed his couture debut at Dior; she wanted a white satin sheath and matching mink-trimmed coat so badly she burst into tears. Then Dior lowered the price and she met its maker. -- SPAWNED: A near-40-year friendship and plenty of patronage: She owned an unrivaled collection of 376 YSL couture pieces. Photo: Robin Platzer/Robin Platzer Expand Photo Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé WHO: The shy genius and his former paramour-businessman. -- MET: In 1958. They split in 1976 but rem... more Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé WHO: The shy genius and his former paramour-businessman. -- MET: In 1958. They split in 1976 but remained business partners, then had a civil union in 2008, days before YSL’s death. -- SPAWNED: The Fondation Pierre Bergé - Yves Saint Laurent; L’amour Fou and Lettres à Yves. Photo: Ron Galella Expand Photo Isabella Rossellini and Elettra Ingrid Rossellini Wiedemann WHO: Model mother and her philanthropist daughter. -- MET: July 26, 1983 (Happy Bir... more Isabella Rossellini and Elettra Ingrid Rossellini Wiedemann WHO: Model mother and her philanthropist daughter. -- MET: July 26, 1983 (Happy Birthday, Elettra!) -- SPAWNED: The genetic mother lode (grandma’s Ingrid Bergman), one New York cover, and two generations as the face of Lancôme. Photo: Fernando Leon/2012 Fernando Leon Expand Photo Isabella Blow and Alexander McQueen WHO: The eccentric editrix and the dark genius she loved. -- MET: At his Central Saint Martins graduation s... more Isabella Blow and Alexander McQueen WHO: The eccentric editrix and the dark genius she loved. -- MET: At his Central Saint Martins graduation show, when she bought everything for £5,000 by paying £100 a week for about a year. -- SPAWNED: A hauntingly poetic vision and an eloquent eulogy Met exhibit — "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" — featuring many pieces she owned. Photo: Dave Benett Expand Photo Cleopatra and Kohl WHO: The last Pharoah and her favorite eye makeup. -- MET: Worn in Egypt since around 3,100 B.C., kohl has antiseptic proper... more Cleopatra and Kohl WHO: The last Pharoah and her favorite eye makeup. -- MET: Worn in Egypt since around 3,100 B.C., kohl has antiseptic properties. It was believed to combat glare, protect children from the evil eye, repel insects, and made her look fierce. -- SPAWNED: The Taylor-Burton diamond; Amy Winehouse; Cleo-costumes as worn by Bündchen, Kardashian, and Photo: Photoshot/2012 Photoshot WHO: The last Pharoah and her favorite eye makeup. -- MET: Worn in Egypt since around 3,100 B.C., kohl has antiseptic properties. It was believed to combat glare, protect children from the evil eye, repel insects, and made her look fierce. -- SPAWNED: The Taylor-Burton diamond; Amy Winehouse; Cleo-costumes as worn by Bündchen, Kardashian, and Klum Expand Photo Ottavio “Tai” and Rosita Missoni WHO: The patriarch and matriarch of a close-knit family business. -- MET: At the 1948 London Olympics (he wa... more Ottavio “Tai” and Rosita Missoni WHO: The patriarch and matriarch of a close-knit family business. -- MET: At the 1948 London Olympics (he was running the 400-meter hurdles), then married in 1953. -- SPAWNED: Zig-zags worldwide from a Target collaboration to a chain of boutique hotels with the Missoni name. Photo: Giovanni Giannoni/© Corbis. All Rights Reserved. Expand Photo Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez WHO: The Proenza Schouler boys — personal and professional partners. -- MET: As students at Parsons, got s... more Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez WHO: The Proenza Schouler boys — personal and professional partners. -- MET: As students at Parsons, got special permission from Tim Gunn to collaborate on their senior thesis show. Barneys bought it all. -- SPAWNED: Specialty textiles (artisanal tie-dye, woven leather, patchwork snakeskin), and a slew of money-making bags that have become downtown girls' favorite arm candy. Photo: Theo Wargo/2012 Getty Images Expand Photo Naomi Campbell and Vladislav Doronin WHO: The catwalk stalker and her Russian beau-ligarch. -- MET: In 2008, at her birthday party during the C... more Naomi Campbell and Vladislav Doronin WHO: The catwalk stalker and her Russian beau-ligarch. -- MET: In 2008, at her birthday party during the Cannes Film Festival. -- SPAWNED: A kinder, gentler Naomi, thanks in part to an easy excuse for another fur coat and their Zaha Hadid spaceship villa. Photo: George Pimentel/2011 George Pimentel Expand Photo David and Victoria Beckham WHO: Posh and Becks, the favored Brits of the fashion world. -- MET: In 1996. He says she picked him “out of a socce... more David and Victoria Beckham WHO: Posh and Becks, the favored Brits of the fashion world. -- MET: In 1996. He says she picked him “out of a soccer sticker book” and he “chose her off the telly.” Is that love before first sight? They married in 1999. -- SPAWNED: A steamy Armani underwear campaign, a W cover, and the creatively named Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz, and Harper. Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/2012 Getty Images Expand Photo Nancy Davis Reagan and James Galanos WHO: The Californian first lady and the blue chip designer for blue-blooded ladies. -- MET: At a Beverly H... more Nancy Davis Reagan and James Galanos WHO: The Californian first lady and the blue chip designer for blue-blooded ladies. -- MET: At a Beverly Hills boutique in 1949, where she adopted him as her style savior. -- SPAWNED: Two inaugural gowns; Hollywood glamour inside the Beltway; controversy over gifted clothing lampooned as a “wear-now, donate-later” campaign. Photo: Lester Cohen/2007 Lester Cohen Expand Photo Tsar Alexander III and Peter Carl Fabergé WHO: The famous Romanovs and the jeweler to the Tsars. -- MET: Tsar Alexander III discovered F... more Tsar Alexander III and Peter Carl Fabergé WHO: The famous Romanovs and the jeweler to the Tsars. -- MET: Tsar Alexander III discovered Fabergé at the Moscow Pan-Russian exhibition in 1882. -- SPAWNED: Along with son Tsar Nicholas II, Alexander commissioned Imperial Eggs every Easter from 1885 to 1917 (save during the 1904 to 1905 Russo-Japanese War); 50 priceless objets d’art; and countless faux-bergé dust catchers. Photo: Keith Srakocic/© Corbis. All Rights Reserved. Expand Photo Simon Doonan and Jonathan Adler WHO: The Happy Chic potter and the witty Barneys creative ambassador. -- MET: On a blind date, then partnered u... more Simon Doonan and Jonathan Adler WHO: The Happy Chic potter and the witty Barneys creative ambassador. -- MET: On a blind date, then partnered up in 1995 and married in 2008. -- SPAWNED: Holiday windows like no one else, kitsch “mantiques,” and a Norwich terrier named Liberace. Photo: Paul Morigi/2012 Paul Morigi Expand Photo Peter Brant II and Harry Brant WHO: Tongue-in-chic teens Peter Brant II and Harry Brant, scions of industrialist Peter M. Brant and supermodel St... more Peter Brant II and Harry Brant WHO: Tongue-in-chic teens Peter Brant II and Harry Brant, scions of industrialist Peter M. Brant and supermodel Stephanie Seymour. -- MET: 1997, when Harry was born. -- SPAWNED: The bolero jacket for boys; the disdain of the 99 percent; and the outrageously quotable @HarryPeterBrant, which has since been deleted Photo: Charles Eshelman/2012 Charles Eshelman WHO: Tongue-in-chic teens Peter Brant II and Harry Brant, scions of industrialist Peter M. Brant and supermodel Stephanie Seymour. -- MET: 1997, when Harry was born. -- SPAWNED: The bolero jacket for boys; the disdain of the 99 percent; and the outrageously quotable @HarryPeterBrant, which has since been deleted because Dad got mad Expand Photo Lisa Mayock and Jeff Halmos WHO: She’s half of Vena Cava, for cool girls; he's half of Shipley & Halmos, for cool guys. -- MET: At a CFDA/V... more Lisa Mayock and Jeff Halmos WHO: She’s half of Vena Cava, for cool girls; he's half of Shipley & Halmos, for cool guys. -- MET: At a CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Dinner. Their first date was on July Fourth, and they married this year (when she wore an amethyst vintage Galliano and they were featured in Vogue). -- SPAWNED: His and hers CFDA awards; his and hers wardrobes for Brooklyn’s finest. Photo: Michael Loccisano/2010 Getty Images Expand Photo Isabel and Ruben Toledo WHO: She’s the designer’s designer; he’s an artist and illustrator. -- MET: In ninth grade Spanish class in West New Yo... more Isabel and Ruben Toledo WHO: She’s the designer’s designer; he’s an artist and illustrator. -- MET: In ninth grade Spanish class in West New York, New Jersey. -- SPAWNED: Michelle Obama's citron lace inauguration outfit and an F.I.T. exhibit called “Toledo/Toledo: A Marriage of Art and Fashion.” Photo: Astrid Stawiarz/2012 Getty Images Expand Photo Stella McCartney and Animals WHO: The champion of cruelty-free fashion. -- MET: A lifelong vegetarian, McCartney was raised on an organic farm.... more Stella McCartney and Animals WHO: The champion of cruelty-free fashion. -- MET: A lifelong vegetarian, McCartney was raised on an organic farm. -- SPAWNED: She’s made faux fabulous, creating covetable (animal-free) shoes and handbags. Photo: David Montgomery/2010 Getty Images Expand Photo Mario Testino and Kate Moss WHO: The fashion photographer/royal portraitist and his favorite waif. -- MET: When he consoled her backstage at Jo... more Mario Testino and Kate Moss WHO: The fashion photographer/royal portraitist and his favorite waif. -- MET: When he consoled her backstage at John Galliano’s first Paris show, when she was distraught she’d only had one dress to wear. -- SPAWNED: Twenty years of unforgettable images and a monograph Kate Moss by Mario Testino, plus a wedding album from her nuptials to Jamie Hince. Photo: Nick Harvey/2010 Nick Harvey Expand Photo Cristóbal Balenciaga Eizaguirre and Countess Mona von Bismarck WHO: The Spanish maestro and the “Kentucky Countess” who loved him. -- ... more Cristóbal Balenciaga Eizaguirre and Countess Mona von Bismarck WHO: The Spanish maestro and the “Kentucky Countess” who loved him. -- MET: She was his faithful friend and patron for 30 years. -- SPAWNED: Fashion lore. She once ordered 150 dresses from Balenciaga after a railroad accident destroyed her wardrobe and took to her bed for three days when he announced his retirement in 1968. Expand Photo Queen Elizabeth I and Ermine WHO: The Virgin Queen and the royal rodent. -- MET: Once reserved for royalty, bright white ermine fur became syno... more Queen Elizabeth I and Ermine WHO: The Virgin Queen and the royal rodent. -- MET: Once reserved for royalty, bright white ermine fur became synonymous with Elizabeth’s unsullied virtue. -- SPAWNED: The Coronation Portrait (artist unknown, ca. 1600); Elizabeth I: The Ermine Portrait (Nicholas Hilliard, 1585). Photo: © Corbis. All Rights Reserved. Expand Photo Karl Lagerfeld and Choupette WHO: The Kaiser and his new kitty. -- MET: When man-muse Baptiste Giabiconi asked Karl to cat-sit, he never got Ch... more Karl Lagerfeld and Choupette WHO: The Kaiser and his new kitty. -- MET: When man-muse Baptiste Giabiconi asked Karl to cat-sit, he never got Choupette back. -- SPAWNED: An all-blue Chanel couture collection (reportedly inspired by Choupette’s eyes), plus pussycat profiles in i-D and Harper’s Bazaar. Photo: Alex Grimm/© Corbis. All Rights Reserved. Expand Photo Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin WHO: Dutch shooting stars who only work together. -- MET: As art students in Amsterdam. They began work... more Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin WHO: Dutch shooting stars who only work together. -- MET: As art students in Amsterdam. They began working together in 1986 and married in 1999. -- SPAWNED: A digital approach to fashion photography, plus an ongoing roster of magazine and advertising assignments. Photo: Fernando Leon/2009 Getty Images Expand Photo Isabel Marant and Jérôme Dreyfuss WHO: Parisian proponents of La Vie Bohème. Her clothes and his bags are cool-girl essenti... more Isabel Marant and Jérôme Dreyfuss WHO: Parisian proponents of La Vie Bohème. Her clothes and his bags are cool-girl essentials in France. -- MET: They haven’t said, but husband and wife both have ties to Elite; Marant’s mother was director at the agency and Dreyfuss was a consultant. -- SPAWNED: Side-by-side Soho boutiques and a son named Tal. Photo: Foc Kan Expand Photo George Bryan “Beau” Brummell and the Dandy WHO: “A Dandy is a clothes-wearing Man … others dress to live, he lives to dress.” —Thomas Carly... more George Bryan “Beau” Brummell and the Dandy WHO: “A Dandy is a clothes-wearing Man … others dress to live, he lives to dress.” —Thomas Carlyle -- MET: Born middle class, Brummell’s stock rose when he joined the Tenth Royal Hussars in 1794 and befriended the Prince of Wales. -- SPAWNED: Hamish Bowles. Photo: © Corbis. All Rights Reserved. Expand Photo Joseph Altuzarra and Lily Kwong WHO: The wunderkind designer and his model-student cousin. -- MET: As kids, then were onetime roommates in... more Joseph Altuzarra and Lily Kwong WHO: The wunderkind designer and his model-student cousin. -- MET: As kids, then were onetime roommates in the late aughts. -- SPAWNED: His brand (she was his first fit-model), and stacks of street-style snaps. Photo: Steve Eichner/© Corbis. All Rights Reserved. Expand Photo Haider Ackermann and Tilda Swinton WHO: The master draper and his otherworldly advocate. -- MET: In a “Chinese Karaoke” in Paris, where he sang... more Haider Ackermann and Tilda Swinton WHO: The master draper and his otherworldly advocate. -- MET: In a “Chinese Karaoke” in Paris, where he sang “Love Lifts Us Up Where We Belong.” -- SPAWNED: Major Photo: Francois Durand/2009 Getty Images WHO: The master draper and his otherworldly advocate. -- MET: In a “Chinese Karaoke” in Paris, where he sang “Love Lifts Us Up Where We Belong.” -- SPAWNED: Major red carpet moments at the Golden Globes and Cannes. Expand Photo Truman Capote and Barbara “Babe” Cushing Mortimer Paley WHO: The Breakfast at Tiffany’s scribe and his society “swan.” -- MET: In January 1955,... more Truman Capote and Barbara “Babe” Cushing Mortimer Paley WHO: The Breakfast at Tiffany’s scribe and his society “swan.” -- MET: In January 1955, when mutual friends brought Capote along for a long weekend at the Paley’s Jamaican retreat. -- SPAWNED: The famous Black and White Ball and a friendship of twenty years, until he betrayed her in print by revealing her husband’s indiscretions in thinly veiled detail. Truman committed social suicide. Expand Photo Grace Jones and Jean-Paul Goude WHO: The Grace of Goude, the groundbreaking graphic designer–photographer and his androgynous icon. -- MET: In ... more Grace Jones and Jean-Paul Goude WHO: The Grace of Goude, the groundbreaking graphic designer–photographer and his androgynous icon. -- MET: In 1977, when she sought his advice on her nightclub act and romance ensued. -- SPAWNED: The pre-Photoshop crop, the flat-top for girls, and a son named Paulo. Photo: Allpix/© Corbis. All Rights Reserved. Expand Photo Sarah Jessica Parker and Patricia Field WHO: Carrie Bradshaw and the woman behind the wardrobe. -- MET: On the set of Miami Rhapsody, three yea... more Sarah Jessica Parker and Patricia Field WHO: Carrie Bradshaw and the woman behind the wardrobe. -- MET: On the set of Miami Rhapsody, three years before Sex and the City. -- SPAWNED: Manolo madness, Baguette mania, Birkin envy, and the nameplate necklace. Photo: Evan Agostini/2003 Getty Images Expand Photo David Bailey and Jean Shrimpton WHO: The East End photographer and the Shrimp he loved. -- MET: In 1960, he spotted her on another shooter’s se... more David Bailey and Jean Shrimpton WHO: The East End photographer and the Shrimp he loved. -- MET: In 1960, he spotted her on another shooter’s set. Within three months, they were living together and later were briefly engaged. They never married. -- SPAWNED: A break from the patrician photographers and society-girl models of the fifties; the “Youthquake”; and Antonioni’s Blow-Up, an iconic fashion film. Photo: Terry O’Neill/2007 Getty Images Expand Photo Roy Halston Frowick and Liza Minnelli WHO: The premier designer of the disco decade and “Liza with a Z.” -- MET: Through Liza’s godmother ... more Roy Halston Frowick and Liza Minnelli WHO: The premier designer of the disco decade and “Liza with a Z.” -- MET: Through Liza’s godmother Kay Thompson (of Eloise fame), then became best friends. -- SPAWNED: The one-seam dress, as worn at that glamour overdose called Studio 54. Ultrasuede. Photo: Vinnie Zuffante Expand Photo Azzedine Alaïa and Stephanie Seymour WHO: The “King of Cling” and his supermodel “daughter.” (Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell also... more Azzedine Alaïa and Stephanie Seymour WHO: The “King of Cling” and his supermodel “daughter.” (Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell also call him “Papa.”) -- MET: When she was 14, he was the first to hire her for a runway show. -- SPAWNED: A Schnabel portrait of Seymour in Alaïa’s boutique; a boycott of the “Model As Muse” Met Ball after Alaïa was overlooked; Seymour’s wedding gown. Photo: Djamilla Rosa Cochran

NEW DELHI: Most abortions reported in urban areas are below the age group of 20, pointing to a more liberal attitude towards sex and earlier engagement in sexual activity, reveals a government health survey.The NSSO survey found that among all pregnancies reported, 77% in rural and 74% in urban areas ended with a live birth while abortion was only 2% in rural and 3% in urban India.But the highest 14% abortions were seen in the youngest age-group of those below the age of 20 in urban areas.The survey also found that pregnancy wastage was highest at 21% also in the youngest age group of less than 20 years. 'Wastage of pregnancy' is defined as the 'total number of pregnancies which did not result into live-birth during the reference period' per 1000 number of completed pregnancies during the same period.' Interestingly, about 4.4% of the pregnancies were wasted in the rural areas, and it was little higher in urban areas (5.9%) despite accessibility of heath care services in cities.A number of factors - a greater readiness to report, a greater incidence, a better access to abortion services could all account for it, but further studies would be required to comment, the survey noted.It was found that among women in the age group of 15-49 years, about 9.6% in the rural areas and 6.8% in the urban areas were pregnant during the 365 days preceding the date of survey.The survey also found that in rural India, 56% childbirths took place in public hospitals and 24% in private hospitals. In cities, around 42% children were born in public hospital and 48% in private hospitals. Reflecting lack of health care facilities in rural areas, the survey highlighted that about 20% non-institutional childbirths were reported in villages while it was at 11% in urban areas.

Editor’s note: Updated below. A video allegedly of a second year fourth year resident at the University of Miami Jackson Health System who attacked an Uber driver in Miami on Sunday night has gone viral. The video was first posted to YouTube by Juan Cinco. He says the woman, who appears to be drunk, jumped into the back seat of the Uber car that was coming to pick him up and refused to get out. An altercation between the driver and the woman ensued, ending with the woman kicking the Uber driver in the groin and her then trashing the car. Check it out: According to Cinco, police eventually arrived and detained the woman until she agreed to a financial settlement of an undisclosed amount: Once in handcuffs, she then tried kicking some of the police officers on the scene. It was only when they put her in the police car that she started crying, apologizing, and claiming that she would lose her medical license (she claimed to be a neurologist) if she got arrested. The Uber driver was too good of a person and decided to take a cash settlement instead of pressing charges. In his words, “…she was crying (and) said (she) was sorry for everything.” I don’t want to disclose the amount the driver was paid, but can say he could only use the money to pay his cellphone bill and maybeee his cable bill. It’s safe to safe this girl got off easy. She kicked the cops and didn’t get charged? Wow, that is getting “off easy.” Update. It’s been confirmed that she is a doctor at the University of Miami and she’s been suspended: VIDEO: Miami doctor suspended after video shows her attacking #Uber driver. https://t.co/Ac5uXVHh23 — Naples Daily News (@ndn) January 22, 2016 From the Miami Herald: A neurology resident at Jackson Health System has been placed on administrative leave after a YouTube video of her hitting and screaming profanities at an Uber driver went viral, a hospital spokeswoman confirmed in a statement. Anjali Ramkissoon, a fourth-year resident, was “removed from all clinical duties.” “Jackson has launched an internal investigation,” the statement reads. “The outcome of the investigation will determine whether any disciplinary action will be taken, up to and including termination.” Editor’s note: This post has been updated and the title changed to reflect new information. ***

101 Reasonable Doubts About Mormon Claims In the first "History of the Church," written by Oliver Cowdery and Joseph Smith in 1834, there is no mention of Joseph Smith's"first vision" (where God the Father and Jesus appeared and told him that all churches of the day were "abominations"), even though the church leaders today insist that this vision is the basis and beginning of Mormonism. Mormons believe that Adam and Eve were the first human beings on earth. This contradicts all scientific evidence showing that there have been humans for many thousands of years before the traditional time for Adam. B. H. Roberts, a General Authority of the church until his death in 1933, studied the Book of Mormon extensively and concluded that Joseph Smith could have authored it himself, using as a source the 1825 book A View of the Hebrews by a protestant minister. (MORE) Although Mormons claim that they are "family oriented," they exclude non-Mormon family members - even parents - from weddings in the temple, since only "worthy" Mormons are allowed to enter a Mormon temple. (MORE) Mormon women are limited to a secondary role in the church and in the family: they are not allowed to hold any priesthood office (which is required to exercise any authority); they are to be obedient to their husbands (or, if unmarried, to their fathers); their ideal role is to bear children and to be a homemaker. (MORE) The Book of Mormon says that wheat and barley were mainstay crops in ancient America. This is false. Only in Europe were those crops known and cultivated. And the actual staple crops grown in ancient America are never mentioned in the Book of Mormon : beans, sweet potatoes, squash, manioc, peppers, breadnut, fruits. One of the most highly praised human traits in Mormonism is "obedience." This is also one of the characteristics of a cult. (MORE) Mormon scripture (D&C 84:86, 91) says that true missionaries from God will not rely on their own money or supplies ("purse or scrip") for support, and this will be a test to distinguish them from false missionaries. Modern Mormon missionaries now rely on themselves for support; i.e., they do "carry purse [and] scrip." Although Joseph Smith claimed to be able to translate ancient documents by the power of God, he was unable to identify the papyrus obtained from Mr. Chandler correctly as pagan Egyptian funerary scrolls from the time of Christ (as identified subsequently by professional Egyptologists), but rather declared that they were a book written by the Patriarch Abraham two thousand years earlier, and from them "translated" the Book of Abraham . (MORE) The "United Order" was a series of revelations in the 1830s under which Mormons were to turn over all their property to the church, which would then make the members "stewards" and "equal." It was based on the apparent practice in the New Testament church where the Christians "held all things in common." (Acts 4:32-37) This Order was to be "everlasting" (D&C 82:20, 104:1). It lasted only briefly, although the church attempted to implement it several times, both in Ohio and in Utah. The Book of Mormon says that the people of ancient America had chariots (wheeled vehicles). The wheel was unknown in ancient America. Mormons believe that God was once a man like us, and became God, although many passages in their own scriptures say that God never changes. Mormons emphasize the uniqueness of Joseph Smith's story of his visitations by heavenly beings and his miraculous production of long sacred texts. However, such things - although unusual - are not unique. Other examples of people who claimed to have had angelic visitors and produced sacred texts: Ann Lee, Emanuel Swedenborg, James J. Strang, Baha-ullah, Mohammed, John Newbrough, Edgar Cayce, Helen Schucman, Levi H. Dowling, the anonymous author of the "Urantia" books, and many others, including many religious contemporaries of Joseph Smith (see, for example, Fawn Brodie, No Man Knows My History , p 22-23). Joseph Smith claimed that his telling others of his "first vision" in 1820 caused him to be persecuted. There is no contemporary evidence that he was persecuted for such a story. None of his enemies seem to have been aware of such a claim at the time. The Book of Mormon (2 Nephi 29:3) uses the word "Bible" at a time (about 590 B.C.) when there was no such concept. Mormons waver on the ultimate authority for doctrine between the Bible, Mormon scriptures, statements of former Mormon prophets, statements of living Mormon prophets, and individual "revelation" - apparently depending on what they think gives them authority to believe what they want to believe. All of those sources are often mutually contradictory. The story of the cattle-herding serpents in the Book of Mormon (Ether 9:31-33) is an absurd "tall tale." Mormons disagree on where the actual events of the Book of Mormon took place in America. Some - including many Mormon prophets now deceased - say throughout both North and South America (the "hemispheric model"), others - including many church scholars - say in a small area in Central America and southern Mexico (the "limited geography model"). The recent prophets, who are supposed to be inspired by God and "know all things," have declined to make any statement on the issue. The church did not acknowledge the role of church leaders in the massacre of 120 innocent people in 1857 at Mountain Meadows until the 150th anniversary of the event, when a church spokesman said that the church had "deep regret" for the role that "local" Mormon church leaders played in the massacre. The church emphasized that the statement was not to be understood as an apology. (MORE) Mormons teach that there are many gods, and that humans can become gods, even though many scriptural passages both biblical and Mormon, say that there is only one God. The Book of Mormon says that the horse was used as a beast of burden or draft animal in ancient America. This is false. The ancient Americans had no beasts of burden or draft animals, and especially not the horse. (The Incas domesticated the llama, but not until long after Book of Mormon times.) Brigham Young, supposedly a divinely inspired prophet, taught that Adam was actually God the Father. This idea is repudiated by the present-day church as false. (MORE) Originally the terms "eternal marriage" and "celestial marriage" as used in D&C 132 meant "plural marriage," as interpreted by the 19th century Mormon leaders. Now the church has changed the meaning so as not to imply polygamy, although the terms were introduced in the revelation which authorized polygamy. The church today claims that the divine plan for marriage is one man to one woman. But D&C 132 is still scripture, and still authorizes a man to marry more than one woman at a time. Joseph Smith asserted that Mormons believe in obeying and sustaining the law (Articles of Faith 12), but he continually flouted the law, as in his establishing the illegal Kirtland Bank (for which he was found guilty and fined) and his entering into illegal bigamous (polygamous) relationships. (MORE) Joseph Smith claimed that he told his family about his "first vision" in 1820, in which he said that God and Christ had told him that he should join no church at that time because they were all false. However, several family members did subsequently join the Presbyterian church, and Joseph Smith applied to join the Methodist church in 1828, thus casting doubt on whether he had had the vision as claimed. (MORE) The Book of Mormon is supposed to be the "word of God" and translated correctly (unlike the Bible, which Mormons believe to be the word of God only so far as it is translated correctly - Articles of Faith 8). But over 3000 changes and corrections have been made in the text since it was first published. Many were corrections of grammar, but others changed meaning and even doctrine. (MORE) The earliest accounts of Joseph Smith's1823 angelic visitor (who told him about the gold plates) say that the angel's name was "Nephi." Only later was the name changed to "Moroni." Both are important characters in the Book of Mormon , but they are very different, and supposedly lived a thousand years apart. The Book of Mormon teaches that a dark skin is a "loathsome" curse from God, imposed for one's unrighteousness (or the unrighteousness of one's ancestors), and that righteous living will cause a person's dark skin to become white and "delightsome." This is scientifically nonsense. Some Mormon scriptures say that God has a physical body (e.g. D&C 130:22); others say that God is a spirit (Alma 28:26-28). Although the official version of the translation of the gold plates says that Joseph Smith used the "Urim and Thummim" (two stones set into a bow attached to a breast plate) as the vehicle for inspiration, most witnesses to the process said that he used the same "peepstone" that he had used for many years for treasure-hunting, by placing it in his hat and then covering his face with the hat so as to exclude light. Until 1978 the church excluded from the priesthood and from the temple any member who had "Negro" blood. Now the church claims that it was never "racist." (MORE) Mormons teach that the process of going from the pre-existent life as spirit offspring of God requires obtaining a body, following all of God's commandments in this life, being resurrected with a perfect physical body and proceeding to godhood. No satisfactory explanation is given as to how the third member of the Mormon godhead (the Holy Ghost) can have status as a god but lack a physical body. Brigham Young, in all his sermons, mentions nothing about Joseph Smith's "first vision." In one of his few references to the visionary beginnings of Mormonism he asserts that God did not appear to Joseph Smith, but rather sent an angel. (MORE) The Book of Mormon portrays Lehi as a devout Israelite (a prophet), but he is completely ignorant of which tribe he belongs to (1 Nephi 5:14-16). This would be extremely unlikely. The Mormon "endowment" ceremony, introduced by Joseph Smith soon after he had been initiated into Freemasonry, had many similarities to the Masonic initiation ceremony of his day. (MORE) Although the divinely inspired "Word of Wisdom" (D&C 89:5) condemns wine as harmful, recent research shows that drinking one or two glasses of wine daily has a beneficial effect on the health. Many of the revelations which Joseph Smith received up to 1833 were published that year in the Book of Commandments . They were later re-published in the D&C (1835), but only after major revisions to many of them, even though God had certified the original versions as "true." (MORE) Mormon archaeologists have been unable to identify any New World site conclusively as a site mentioned in the Book of Mormon . Many present Mormon doctines and practices are at odds with the teachings found in the Book of Mormon (MORE). When Mormon leaders announced in 1890 that the practice of plural marriage was ended, it was a lie. Church officials continued secretly to perform plural marriages and to enter into them for about sixteen years. The Apostle Paul said that a deacon should be married and the head of a household. But most Mormon deacons are boys only twelve to fourteen years old. (MORE) The Book of Mormon says that elephants were a useful domestic animal in ancient America (Ether 9:19). This is impossible because there were no elephants in America at that time. It may be that Joseph Smith included elephants in the Book of Mormon because a woolly mammoth skeleton had recently been found in America, and this led some people to think that elephants were known to the Indians' ancestors. However, the mammoth (or mastodon) had become extinct about six thousand years before the events in the Book of Mormon are dated. Joseph Smith frequently received revelations through visiting angels. No leader of the church has had angelic visitors for many years. Such lack of revelation was prophesied as a sign of apostasy (Micah 3:5-11). Mormons claim that the "endowment" ceremony of the temple was restored by Joseph Smith after having been "corrupted" - particularly by the Masons, who deleted many "plain and precious parts." Ever since it was first introduced the Mormons have continued to change it, by deleting many essential parts of the original version. (MORE). The D&C says (116, also 78:15 and 107:53-57) that the Garden of Eden was in Missouri, but the Book of Moses (PoGP, supposedly written by the prophet Moses, 3:10-16) says it was near the River Euphrates, which to Moses and his hearers meant the river in present-day Iraq. The Book of Mormon claims to be the story of devout Jews in America, but demonstrates almost no knowledge of Jewish laws and customs (Passover, the Feasts, clean/unclean observance, etc.). (MORE) The Book of Mormon says that one must be saved in this life - after you die, it's too late (Alma 34:32-35). But Mormons spend much time and effort in baptizing dead non-Mormons in proxy ceremonies so that they can be saved in the afterlife. Joseph Smith secretly "married" over thirty women, some of them mere teenagers, others with husbands still living. Many of these liaisons he kept secret from his wife Emma, as well as from the general church membership. (MORE) The Book of Mormon describes the people of ancient America as having domestic cattle. This is false - the ancient Americans had no domestic cattle. The one prayer which Jesus commanded his disciples to use (the "Lord's Prayer") is almost never used by Mormons. The "Word of Wisdom" (D&C 89:8) recommends using tobacco as a poultice for bruises, and for sick cattle. This has no medical basis in fact. The Book of Abraham describes Egyptian sacred places in Babylon (Abraham 1:8, 20). This is historically false. The church teaches that homosexuality is a personal choice (and therefore a willful sin). This is contrary to almost all scientific research on homosexuality. A basic teaching of the Book of Mormon is that the American Indians are descendants of Israelites who arrived in America about 600 BC. Anthropologists have shown that there is no Hebrew ancestry in native Americans, who are rather descendants of immigrants from eastern Asia who came to America at least 15,000 years ago, long before Book of Mormon times. (MORE) Mormon scripture says that God lives near the star "Kolob" (Abraham 3:3-10). Mormons are unable to identify that star with any known star. Mormons believe that marriages performed in a Mormon temple are for "time and all eternity" - that is, the couple will be in a married state in heaven. But Jesus said that this is a false idea - there is no married state in heaven (Matt 22:23-30, Mark 12:18-25, Luke 20:27-36). Joseph Smith was supposedly a prophet, and he made many prophecies, most of which failed. (MORE) Mormons believe that anyone can verify the truth of Mormonism by praying to God for confirmation (Moroni 10:4. This is not a testable means of obtaining information, especially in light of the fact that many other religions make the same claim, and apparently are confirmed as true by the same method. The Book of Mormon (Jacob 2:24) says that God considered the multiple wives of David and Solomon to be an "abomination." But the D&C (132:38-39) says that it was not wrong. Mormons claim that their church is patterned after the early church of Jesus' apostles, but there are major differences. (MORE) The gold plates from which the Book of Mormon was supposedly translated, containing the sacred records of devout Jews, were written in a form of Egyptian, not Hebrew, according to the Book of Mormon . That is extremely implausible, in view of the attitude of Jews toward their language and its sanctity, and their hatred of all things Egyptian. Also, there is no other historical example of Jews keeping sacred or historical records in Egyptian. Mormons believe literally in the Bible story of the Great Flood. There is no credible evidence that there was such a world-wide flood. Mormons assert that they no longer practice polygamy and that it is no longer church doctrine. However, the D&C still contains the revelations authorizing it and commanding it (Sections 132 and 131:1-4), and present-day Mormon men, under certain circumstances, can be married to more than one wife for the afterlife. Mormons consider the present president of the church to be a prophet, and consider his pronouncements to be God's word. According to many experts on religious cults, this is one of the signs of a cult. Many Mormons assert that the reason polygamy was practiced in early Utah was because there were not enough men to provide husbands for worthy women. This is historically false - Utah census records for the 19th century show that Utah had a considerable excess of men. The Book of Mormon (Ether 1:33 ff) portrays the Tower of Babel and the confusion of languages that occurred there as historical fact. No linguistic scholar accepts the Babel story as a historical event or as the origin of the world's different languages. Joseph Smith taught that one of the tests of whether a revelation was really from God was its consistency with previous revelations: if it contradicted previous revelations, it was not from God. Many of his revelations, and the revelations of many of his successor prophets, have indeed contradicted previous revelations. The Book of Mormon (Book of Ether 6) describes a 344-day oceanic voyage by the Jaredites in small submarine-like "barges" with only two air holes (one in the top and one in the bottom, i.e., only one usable at a time). These boats contained not only people, but livestock of many kinds, apparently with enough food and water that no landfall was necessary. This is completely impossible. (MORE) In the 1980s a master forger named Mark Hofmann was able to sell numerous forged documents to the church leaders. The documents purported to be early writings by prominent Mormons which would put the church in a bad light. The church bought them in order to avoid their becoming widely known. The supposed prophets of God were apparently not warned by God that they were being duped. (MORE) In the 1840s Dr. John C. Bennett joined the church and became Joseph Smith's closest associate. Joseph Smith was not warned by God that Bennett was a scoundrel and adulterer, having abandoned a wife and children. The Book of Mormon describes the ancient Americans as fighting with steel swords. Neither steel nor metal weapons were known in ancient America. Joseph Smith claimed to have seen in vision both the prophet Elijah and the prophet Elias (D&C 27:6-9). He apparently was unaware that in the Bible those two names refer to only one prophet (one is the Hebrew version of the name, the other Greek). (MORE) Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley in several interviews for news media has said that he did not know much about whether the church teaches that God was once a man. But this has been a fundamental teaching of the church for many years. Either Hinckley was woefully ignorant about his own church's doctrines, or he was lying. (MORE) "Zion's Camp" (the 1834 Mormon military expedition sent from Ohio to Missouri to protect Mormon settlers there) failed utterly, even though it was organized pursuant to revelations to Joseph Smith. One of the important factors causing its failure was that over one third of the army contracted cholera. Joseph Smith was at a loss as to how to deal with the disease, and God did not tell him how to prevent its spread (it could have been prevented if God had told Joseph Smith to boil all the drinking water). Mormon scripture says that the Christian gospel (belief in Jesus Christ, his atonement, necessity of baptism, etc.) were known to Adam and to subsequent Old Testament prophets. There is no corroborating evidence of this. Mormons are unable to give a satisfactory explanation of why it was so important for the angel to preserve and guard the gold plates and for Joseph Smith to obtain them, since Joseph Smith usually did not even have the plates present in the same room in order to dictate the Book of Mormon text to his scribes. In the official version of Joseph Smith's "first vision" he states that it occurred in 1820 as a result of his being moved by a large religious revival in the area to wonder which church was the true church. There was no such religious revival in the area between 1817 and 1824. This throws doubt on the entire chronology of events as depicted by Joseph Smith. (MORE) Joseph Smith produced an "inspired translation" of the Bible. It was not a translation in any sense, but rather his own corrections and additions to the King James translation, made without consulting any ancient texts or manuscripts. His changes are not supported by any non-Mormon biblical text scholarship, and in fact preserve many of the errors which biblical scholarship has since discovered in the King James version. Church historians are unable to provide any contemporary documentation for the restoration of the Melchizedek priesthood through a visit to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery by the resurrected apostles Peter, James and John, even though it is this event upon which the church claims to have its highest authority. The original text of the Book of Mormon was supposedly engraved on metal plates, a slow and laborious process. The translation, however, is frequently wordy, verbose, repetitive, characteristic of something dictated. (MORE) Mormon scripture says that the earth has (will have) a "temporal existence" of seven thousand years (D&C 77:6-7). This is contrary to all scientific evidence about the age of the earth. Mormons teach that a rape victim has "lost her chastity"; a woman should fight off her attacker or be killed in the attempt. Thus, young Mormon women are taught that their chastity is more valuable than their life. The result is that a Mormon woman who survives a rape is made to feel guilty, and is thus victimized again, this time by her church. The Book of Mormon contains many lengthy passages almost identical to passages in the King James translation of the Bible, including some of its mistranslations. Mormon scripture asserts (D&C OD-1) that God would not allow any president of the church to "lead [it] astray." God would "remove [him] out of his place" rather than permit that - presumably by causing his premature death. Joseph Smith was removed at the height of his power, at the age of 39, when he was being accused by many Mormons of leading the church astray with his polygamous doctrines, his megalomania and his financial schemes. One could assume that God "removed" him and that he was indeed leading the church astray. The Book of Mormon describes a detailed monetary system based on various pieces of gold and silver (Alma 11:4-20). There is no evidence that any such system was ever used in any ancient American civilization, whose economies were based entirely on the barter system. The most common exchange currency of the Mayas and Aztecs was cocoa beans, which are never mentioned in the Book of Mormon . Mormon scholars and prophets disagree on the location of the Hill Cumorah, where two great battles in the Book of Mormon took place. Some insist it was in Central America or southern Mexico, but others insist it was in New York state. The proponents of the Mexican location cite the impossibility of the New York view. Their opponents cite the fact that Moroni and Joseph Smith identified the New York location specifically. Mormons often obtain a "patriarchal blessing" when in late teens or early twenties. This is a solemn blessing pronounced by an ordained "patriarch" telling the recipients about what life holds for them if they are obedient Mormons. It also tells the person from which tribe of Israel that person is descended (usually Ephraim or Manasseh). The blessing is recorded and transcribed for future reference. This is just a form of fortune-telling. Many blessings are vague and worded very conditionally. Those which are more specific are often not verified by events. Many of the astronomical ideas in the Book of Abraham are similar to those in popular scientific books of Joseph Smith's time, and have proven incorrect. The long passages in the Book of Mormon copied from Isaiah seem to serve no purpose, since God would not have to provide them in the Book of Mormon to the audience for the Book of Mormon (the people of the 19th century) - they were already available in the Bible. Mormonism's view of gender is that there are only two (male and female). This is no longer considered scientifically accurate, since geneticists now recognize that some people are born with sexual traits of both genders, and surgery is needed to adjust the physical body of such a person to conform to one gender or the other. (See the website of the Intersex Society of North America.) If Mormon, such persons are denied entrance to Mormon temples, and thus are denied the possibility of attaining the highest degree of Mormon heaven. In Mormon theology "Lucifer" is the revealed name of Satan. Although many Christians also believe that, the idea is due to a mistaken translation of the passage in Isaiah (14:12; also Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 24:12), a mistake which occurred only when Isaiah was translated into Latin in the fourth century AD, long after the alleged date that Nephi was writing. (MORE) Although Mormon scriptures and Mormon sermons denounce lying, and although Mormon scriptures say that any message that is not given "in the spirit of truth" is not from God (D&C 50:17-18 and D&C 129:7), Mormon leaders have not hesitated to lie to the membership and to the public about their history, their doctrine, and their practices. (MORE) The Mormon temple ceremony (the "endowment") includes rituals in which participants learn four secret handshakes ("tokens") and four secret passwords (the "names" of the tokens) which will be needed to gain entrance to heaven. Not only is the idea absurd and unscriptural, but it overlooks the fact that many former Mormons have learned them as well. The question naturally arises as to whether knowing the secret tokens and their names is really sensible or necessary. (MORE) When Martin Harris took home the first 116 pages of the manuscript for the Book of Mormon in order to demonstrate to his skeptical wife that he was justified in financing the book's publication, the pages disappeared. Smith was frantic. He soon received a revelation (D&C 10:1-19) telling him not to re-translate that portion of the plates, since "wicked men" would alter the original translation and use it to cast doubts on Smith's work. That explanation does not seem to make sense, since any alterations on a manuscript would be obvious. The more likely explanation is that Smith knew he was unable to reproduce the same text word-perfect. One must also wonder why God did not realize that Mrs. Harris had simply burned the manuscript in order to put an end to her husband's involvement. According to Mormon scripture (D&C 84:19-22) no man can see God unless he has the Melchizedek priesthood. This revelation was given in 1832. The priesthood was supposedly restored at some unknown date in 1829 or 1830. But Joseph Smith claimed in the 1830s to have seen God in 1820, long before he received the priesthood. (The implication is also that no woman can ever see God, since women cannot hold the Mormon priesthood.) Two elements of Mormonism combine to teach children to lie. First, they are taught that they should strive to be perfect. Then they are required to be interviewed in private by a church authority (usually the local bishop) as to whether they are "worthy" for the next advancement. If they tell the truth about their failings they risk not being able to advance. If they lie, they are advanced. But their advancement is then accompanied by feelings of guilt or by a realization that lying is the way to advance. (MORE) There is considerable evidence that the Book of Mormon was originally simply a money-making project, the latest in Joseph Smith's attempts to find wealth by seeking buried treasure. One telling item of evidence is that Joseph Smith attempted to sell the rights to the book after it was published, but could not find a buyer. It seems odd that Joseph Smith remembers very precisely the date of the visitation of the angel Moroni (or was it "Nephi"? - September 21, 1823), but he is unable to give a date for his claimed 1820 vision of God and Christ ("early in the spring" PoGP, JS-H 1:14) nor an accurate date for the momentous visitation by Peter, James and John, when they restored the Melchizedek priesthood. (Mormon historians can only date that event as sometime in 1829 or early 1830.) In 1843 six brass plates with strange characters engraved on them were found in an Indian burial mound near Kinderhook, Illinois. They were taken to Joseph Smith, since he claimed to be able to translate ancient writings. He wrote in the Mormon newspaper Times and Seasons (April 1843) that they were a history of the person with whose bones they had been found, who "was a descendant of Ham, through the loins of Pharaoh, king of Egypt." ( History of the Church , 5:372-379). The plates were an elaborate hoax, although many Mormons continued to cite them as corroboration of the Book of Mormon , as late as the 1949 edition of the History (5:378n). (MORE) Mormons insist that the name of true church of Christ must include his name, citing 1 Cor 1:11-15 and 3 Nephi 27:3-8. But on May 3, 1834, the original name of the church ("Church of Christ") was changed to "The Church of the Latter-day Saints," thus deleting any reference to the name of Christ. It retained that name until April 1838, when it was renamed "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" (D&C 115:3-4). Applying the Mormons' own test, their church was then not the "true" church for almost four years of its early history. Although the truth is not subject to popularity votes, it is interesting that there are probably more people who have left the Mormon church than there are now active (practicing) Mormons. These are primarily people who were raised as Mormons or who converted to Mormonism, but who left it. Rather than being (as the official Mormon press releases claim) "one of the fastest-growing religions", its growth is stagnating, and its membership numbers are artificially inflated to disguise the hemorrhaging membership. (MORE) Yes, that is already the promised 101, but the list goes on! When a visitor to Nauvoo showed Joseph Smith the ancient manuscript of a collection of psalms written in Greek, Joseph Smith identified it incorrectly as containing "Reformed Egyptian" writing. (Henry Caswell, The City of the Mormons , London 1842. 35-43, cited in Grant Palmer, An Insider's View of Mormon Origins , Salt Lake City 2002, pp 34-36.) The Mormon sacred undergarment has a marking over each nipple, one in the shape of a compass, the other a square. They also appear in the Mormon temple on the "veil of the temple." These two symbols are of course the well-known Masonic symbols, where - in the context of building crafts - they make sense. They seem quite out of place in Mormon theology, and an obvious borrowing by Joseph Smith. Nor are they mentioned in any Mormon scripture. Numerous Bible passages (Ex 28-31; Num 3:7; Neh 7:63,65; Heb 7:12-14) clearly say that only Levites can offer sacrifices. No Levites are mentioned as accompanying Lehi from Jerusalem. Yet according to the Book of Mormon , sacrifices were offered by Lehi (1 Nephi 5:9) and his descendants (Mosiah 2:3). By what authority, then? D&C 131 and 132 contain the "new and everlasting covenant" of marriage, announcing the twin doctrines that the correct form of marriage, according to God, is marriage for eternity performed by one holding the "keys," and that it is also polygamous. D&C 132:3-6 says that whoever receives this law and does not obey it will be damned. The doctrine was not "new," but rather claimed to be a restoration of the polygamy of the Old Testament patriachs. Nor was it "everlasting," since the church abandoned polygamy only fifty years after this revelation, and now excommunicates any Mormon who feels obligated to obey this commandment. The Book of Abraham says (1:26-27 and 1:20-22 ) that descendants of Ham cannot hold any priesthood, and that all Egyptians are descended from Ham. Until 1978 this was interpreted to ban anyone with even a single "drop" of Hamitic (Negro) blood. Most Mormons claim that they are descended from Ephraim or Manasseh, sons of Joseph, based on their individual patriarchal blessings. Since the mother of those two sons was Asenath, the daughter of Potipherah, priest at On (Genesis 41:45, 50), who was undoubtedly Egyptian, it would appear then that no such Mormon was entitled to hold the priesthood (until 1978 at least, when the church chose to disregard this passage of scripture). The Book of Mormon frequently condemns secret "combinations" (societies) and the taking of oaths of secrecy. Yet an essential part of the Mormon temple's endowment ceremony is an emphasis on the secrecy of the oaths taken during the ritual and its other details. The explanation in the Book of Mormon for writing the important records in Egyptian (Mormon 9:32-33) is that it would have required too much space on the precious gold plates to write in Hebrew. This does not make sense, since Hebrew is a very concise language, using consonants almost exclusively, compared to Egyptian, which required a large number of complex characters and would have been unsuitable for engraving in limited space. (MORE)

In Maine, Even With A GPS, You Can't Get There From Here Enlarge this image toggle caption iStockphoto.com iStockphoto.com Once a standard fixture at every gas station, good old fashioned paper maps have all but folded in the digital age. But, there are places that can baffle your high tech gadgets. Getting yourself lost in a rural state is an easy thing to do. Pavement turns into dirt track, and before you know it, you're driving through miles of woods and boulders, and your GPS isn't helping. "Where it's an electronic device and has batteries and relies on a satellite signal, there's a lot of things that can go wrong," says Bryan Courtois, a search and rescue specialist. Trying to rely solely on electronic mapping, he says, is a good way to get yourself lost. Even he doesn't do that. "I'll probably look at a map ahead of time, and just have a rough idea. And then if I agree with where the GPS is bringing me then I follow it. If not then I'll probably pull over and look at the map," he says. But that's assuming you can find a paper map. "I think there's definitely a slowing down of the production of paper maps," says Shannon Garrity, a data specialist with Delorme, a company that sells GPS units, but still publishes paper maps. Since 1998, map sales have steadily fallen for Delorme. A spokesperson for Illinois-based Rand McNally confirmed that the market is trending away from paper. But for Delorme, the slump has finally leveled out, and people are buying maps again in addition to their GPS units. And that's probably a good thing says Garrity, because the most common GPS units aren't really meant for wilderness exploration. Maine has actually had several incidents in recent years of motorists driving into remote bodies of water, most recently in the small coastal village of Roque Bluffs, where two women on a foggy evening accidentally drove their car right into the ocean and drowned. It's not known if the women were using a GPS device, but driving along that same road, here's what happened when a GPS was set for Roque Bluffs: "Your destination is straight ahead." But, "straight ahead" at that point is actually the ocean. Getting too caught-up in the turn-by-turn instructions that are so helpful when trying to find a coffee shop in Boston, won't serve you well here. Not having that "big picture" view is perhaps the flaw with current GPS technology says Garrity. For Maine Guide Bryan Courtois, a GPS unit is a worthy addition to your road trip supplies, but it shouldn't be the only thing in your glove box. "It's a nice tool, but you still have to have a map and compass, and look at the map and compass more than the GPS," he says. In time, as more remote areas are digitally mapped, GPS services WILL be improved for remote parts of the United States, but for now, when taking the road less traveled, you might also want to take along an old fashioned map — even if you can't fold one.

Android 2.1 - 4.1.1 Allows DHCP Lease to Expire, Keeps Using IP Address This document provides details for a group of bugs exhibited by the Android operating system on many devices. We provide this information for individuals who would like detailed technical information about the issues. These bugs involve the DHCP client software included in Android. They may also involve a wireless network interface driver or firmware included in Android. The bugs cause Android devices to continue to use DHCP-leased IP addresses after the leases expire, and cause Android devices to resume using IP addresses from expired DHCP leases. These bugs cause the Android device to disrupt service to other devices on the network. In September 2010, Princeton University reported the bugs to Google, the vendor responsible for the Android operating system. On November 2012, Google commented that the bugs should not be present in Android version 4.2. As we no longer have an environment where we can test for these bugs, we are unable to determine if these bugs have indeed been fixed, and if so, in which version of Android. Devices exhibiting these bugs are unsuitable for use with all network services at Princeton University which rely on the client respecting DHCP lease times. These include wireless service provided by OIT, OIT Mobile IP Service, Visitor IP (VIP) Service, and Temporary Unregistered Dormnet (TUD) IP Address Service. Contents What is DHCP? A device that uses DHCPv4 runs DHCP client software on a network (e.g., Ethernet or Wireless) interface. The DHCP client software contacts DHCP servers to obtain network configuration; in particular, it usually obtains a lease (a loan) of an IP address. For example, the DHCP client tells the DHCP server "I am network interface 0:1:2:3:4:5; please lease an IP address to me." The DHCP server might respond "You may use IP address 192.168.1.2 for the next six hours; if you would like to continue using that address, please renew it when three hours have elapsed." When three hours have elapsed, the DHCP client contacts the DHCP server which granted the lease; the client asks that server to renew the lease Typically the DHCP server responds to the client: "You may use IP address 192.168.1.2 for the next six hours; if you would like to continue using that address, please renew it again when three hours have elapsed." (If the DHCP client is unable to contact the DHCP server to the renew its unexpired lease, it will retry from time to time, and is permitted to continue using the IP address until the lease is due to expire.) Assuming the DHCP client successfully renews the lease before it expires, this repeats periodically until the device goes offline. Once the device is offline, it no longer contacts the DHCP server to renew the lease, so eventually the last lease renewal expires. Once the last lease renewal has expired, the DHCP server is free to lease the IP address to another client. If the device goes offline, when it later comes back online it broadcasts a DHCP request for a new lease. It may choose to request a brand-new lease, or (if it believes the old lease has not yet expired) may request a new lease on the old IP address. Which Versions of Android Are Affected? We have seen these issues on a range of models from a variety of vendors; the bugs are not confined to one vendor or device model. Based upon information provided by Princeton University customers, one or more of these issues are present in (at least) Android versions below. These are the Android versions our customers report running on those devices we have detected exhibiting one or more of the issues. Android as provided 'standard' by the Device Carrier or Device Manufacturer Android 2.1 Android 2.2 Android 2.2.1 Android 2.2.2 Android 2.3 Android 2.3.1 Android 2.3.3 Android 2.3.4 Android 2.3.5 Android 2.3.6 Android 3.0.0 Android 3.0.1 Android 3.1 Android 3.2 Android 4.0.2 Android 4.0.3 Android 4.0.4 Android 4.1.1 Custom Android Distributions CyanogenMod 6.1 (Android 2.2.1) CyanogenMod 7 (Android 2.3.x) CyanogenMod 7.0.3 (Android 2.3.3) CyanogenMod 7.0.3-N1 (Android 2.3.3) CyanogenMod 9.0.x (Android 4.0.3) Kindle System Version 7.2.3 (Android 4.0.3) Kindle System Version 10.2.4 (Android 4.0.3 (or 4.0.4 ?)) We do not have data to allow us to determine whether one or more of these bugs remains present in Android 4.2 or later. Changes made to some of our wireless network(s) beginning in late 2012 prevent us from detecting devices exhibiting this malfunction on most of our wireless network(s). What are the Issues? Under some circumstances, a device running one of the affected versions of Android stop renewing its DHCP lease, yet continues (or resumes) using the IP address after the lease expires. Although the owner of the device may not realize there is a problem, this interferes with service to others on the network. We've only observed Android devices exhibit these issues when connected via their Wi-Fi network interfaces. We do not know whether these issues also affect Android device connected via Ethernet network interfaces; Android devices with Ethernet interfaces appear to be rare at this time. DHCP Behavior We have observed a number of issues from affected Android devices. Some devices exhibit only a subset of these issues; this is likely because the issues are due to more than one bug. Issue 1 After the lease has expired, the device continues using the IP address. That is, it continues to respond to ARP Requests, claiming to own that IP address. It responds to ICMP Echo Request for that IP address. It responds to UDP and TCP traffic sent to that IP address. It initiates traffic to the Internet from that IP address. It may do so for hours after the lease has expired. This issue is common to all the Android devices exibibiting the bugs. Eventually the device uses DHCP (in the INIT or INIT-REBOOT state) to request a new lease, which usually ends the incident. One situation that appears to trigger this is that the device disconnects from the wireless network (or loses it connection), for example, as a result of leaving the ESSID's coverage area; when it next connects, it starts in the DHCP INIT state. We assume there other circumstances that also will trigger a return to the DHCP INIT state. Issue 2 Sometimes the malfunctioning device exhibits this issue in addition to issue #1. While the device is continuing to use the IP address after the lease has expired, sometimes it unicasts DHCPREQUEST packets to the DHCP server for that lease, asking to renew the lease. It may do this for a few minutes, or for hours. That makes no sense, as the lease has already expired. (A DHCP client wishing to renew a lease must renew it before the lease expires, not afterwards.) (Our DHCP server refuses to renew the lease if the IP address was for a dynamically-assigned IP address; the lease has already expired.) The client clearly believes that its DHCP lease has not yet expired. A check of one affected client confirms that the problem is not due to the client's clock going backwards in time since it obtained the lease. The clock on the client seems to be counting forwards just fine. Issue 3 This issue appears independently of issues #1 and #2. Some devices exibit this issue alone; others exhibit this issue along with issue #1, while others exhibit this issue along with issues #1 and #2. As described above, eventually the device chooses to return to the DHCP INIT or INIT-REBOOT state. The device asks for a new lease, and obtains one. Sometimes this new lease is for a different IP address than the old lease. The device begins using the IP address from the new lease. This is normal. But sometimes, the device continues (or resumes) using the IP address from the old expired lease as well. That is, the device is now using both IP addresses simultaneously. (It answers IP ARP Request packets for both IP addresses.) Over time, the device may use DHCP to obtain a series of leases, but from time to time, it resumes using the IP address from that earlier expired lease as well. Some devices simply use the old expired lease all of the time (in addition to whatever other IP address they have leased), rather than doing so only from time to time. Sometimes the device resumes using the IP address from an old expired lease "out of the blue" (at the same it is using another IP address for which it has an unexpired DHCP lease). We have seen devices do so hours, days, even months after the old lease has expired. (We've even seen an example of this over 16 months after the original lease expired.) The device may have slept and awoken many times (or perhaps even rebooted) since the time the original lease expired. We sometimes see devices simultaneously use multiple IP addresses from expired DHCP leases well after the leases have expired, as if the device were accumulating the expired leases. Sometimes, the malfunctioning device exhibits issues #1, #2, and #3 simultaneously. For example, the original lease on IP address 'a' expires, and the device continues using that IP address after lease expiration. Later, the device enters DHCP INIT and obtains a lease on IP address 'b'. The device now uses both IP addresses 'a' and 'b' simultaneously. While doing so, the device also tries to renew the expired lease on IP address 'a'. Why are these Behaviors a Problem? When a device continues to use an IP address from an expired DHCP lease after that lease expires, this can interfere with service to other devices. Once the malfunctioning device has allowed its DHCP lease to expire, the DHCP server may lease the same IP address to another client. If two devices on the same IP network try to use the same IP address at the same time, one or both can experience difficulties using IP. The DHCP servers try to reduce the impact of these malfunctioning clients. Before offering a client a new lease for a dynamically-assigned IP address, the servers perform a quick PING test to determine whether the IP address is unexpectedly in use. (For example, is some device "stealing" the IP address?) This quick test helps, but does not entirely work around the problem caused by the malfunctioning clients. For example, sometimes the malfunctioning device may not respond to PING at the time the DHCP server checks before leasing the IP address to another client. In some DHCP server implementations, the DHCP server may have limited time to perform the test, as other clients are waiting for responses from the DHCP server. And when a device exhibiting issue #3 resumes using an IP address from an expired lease "out of the blue," that IP address may have already been leased to another client; this makes it impossible for the DHCP server to discover the malfunctioning client at the time the server leases the IP address to a soon-to-be victim. Circumstances Leading to the Issues We have observed that one situation in which the device can exibit issue #1 and issue #2 is for the device to choose to remain attached to a Wi-Fi network while the device is asleep. If the DHCP lease comes due for renewal while the device is asleep, the device doesn't renew the lease. If the device remains asleep through the time that the lease expires, the device allows the lease to expire. The device continues to behave as if it believes the lease has not yet expired; it continues to use the IP address, and in some cases, tries renew the lease after expiration time. We have observed that it makes no difference whether the device is plugged into a power source throughout this period. Some of the information from Google suggests that the cause (or one cause) of issue #3 may be a known bug in the Broadcom firmware supporting an Android device's wireless interface. Google has indicated that a bug in that firmware's "ARP Offload" feature can cause a device to claim IP addresses from expired leases. (They indicate the ARP Offload feature is used to allow the device to respond to ARP requests while the device is asleep, without fully waking the device.) We do not know if the problematic firmware is used on all Android devices, or only those with wireless hardware made by Broadcom. We do not know if the version of Android provided by some vendors for some devices might be customized to disable that feature in the Broadcom firmware, or to replace the problematic version of the Broadcom firmware with a fixed version. Any of these could explain why not all devices exhibit issue #3. How Has Princeton Handled These Issues? Princeton recognized this as a pattern involving Android devices during the Summer of 2010. We first saw an Android device attached to our network exhibit the problem in February 2010, another in April 2010, one more in June 2010, nine more in July 2010, and ten more in August 2010. As students returned to campus during Fall 2010, we saw the numbers of malfunctioning Android devices grow rapidly. Nearly all of the devices we've detected exhibiting the bugs have malfunctioned repeatedly. Often the device will malfunction in this way several times per day. To help us better understand which Android platforms malfunction in this way, our customer support organization collected from owners of the malfunctioning devices the following information: Android version, device make and model. While only a small fraction of our Android customers responded, the data we collected indicates that the problem is widespread, present in Android versions 2.1 through 4.1.1 running on different device models from different vendors. We collected data showing malfunctioning Android devices' DHCP behavior and IP address use, and determined that the devices were all exhibiting a set of bugs described above. On September 14 2010, we filed a bug report #11236 with Google, the vendor of the Android operating system. On September 14 2010, we published the first version of the document you are presently reading. A day later, OIT added a pointer to this information to its KnowledgeBase, used by both Princeton University customers and support staff. Over the months (and eventually years) since filing our bug report with Google, we have continued updating our bug report at Google with more information demonstrating the problems, and showing how they affected a wide variety of Android devices. On December 24 2010, an engineer at Google acknowledged the bug report. On April 19 2011, there was a mention of our bug report on Slashdot. On April 20 2011, an engineer at Google updated our bug report to say that Google had identified a couple of the causes for the issue we reported. The engineer indicated that Google had identified multiple bugs causing these behaviors; this is not just a single bug. They found bugs associated with the way the device renews DHCP leases with respect to the way the device sleeps. And they reported there is a bug in the firmware for Broadcom Wi-Fi hardware, causing its ARP offload feature to claim old IP addresses after the DHCP lease has expired. The engineer indicated that they have fixes for the bugs they have identified, and would soon be releasing those fixes. Through November 27 2012, we have not received word from Google that any Android fixes for these bugs have been released. During late May 2011 through late July 2011, we tested a workaround proposed by a Princeton University customer. For each Android device previously identified as exhibiting these bugs, as well as those identified during the test period, we contacted the customer associated with the device (where that person was known). We invited these customers to participate in this test. Of the 730 malfunctioning devices identified through that time, it was practical to contact the customers associated with 205 of these devices. The remaining 525 devices belonged mostly to anonymous visitors; a few belonged to customers who were impractical to contact. Of the 205 customers contacted, 52 chose to participate in the test. The test ran for ten weeks. Some of the devices participated for the entire period; most joined as the test proceeded. The typical device participated for about a month. We found that the proposed workaround was effective for 75-80% of the devices exhibiting issues #1, #2, and/or #3. It was ineffective for the remaining devices; all three issues were represented among the failure cases. Based upon the test above, on July 29 2011 we published the procedure as a Partial Workaround for "Android Allows DHCP Lease to Expire, Keeps Using IP Address" Bugs. While that procedure does not fix the bugs, it allows some of the malfunctioning Android devices to be used on Wi-Fi network without disrupting service to others. We began including a pointer to that procedure in the information we provide to affected Android customers. If a device malfunctions in a similar manner after the customer advises us that s/he had adopted the partial workaround, we take that as final indication that the partial workaround has proven not effective for that particular customer's device. We block the device, advise the customer, and then keep the block in place permanently (or until a fix for the device is available from Google). We do not allow the device to be unblocked and have "another try" to use the partial workaround, even if the customer believes the reason for the malfunction was that the customer didn't apply the partial workaround properly (or unwittingly removed the workaround). This is beause we have experienced so many Android devices on our network exhibiting these bugs, it is impractical for us to allow each one to interfere with service repeatedly. Each device gets one opportunity to try the partial workaround. During July 29 2011 - September 1 2011, we noticed that some of the test participants previously counted as successes malfunctioned again. We therefore updated our results on September 2 2011 to reflect that the partial workaround was effective for 70% of the tested devices exhibiting issues #1, #2, and/or #3. On December 30 2011 we reviewed incident records for all devices which had attempted to use the partial workaround to-date. That data shows that over time, more of these devices eventually malfunction again in the same way. We therefore updated our results to reflect that the partial workaround has been effective for 61% of the devices exhibiting issues #1, #2, and/or #3. We continue to encounter a growing number of Android devices exibiting these bugs, disrupting network service for others on a daily basis. The partial workaround proved ineffective for a significant fraction of Android devices. We continued updating our bug report at Google for two years, showing how the bugs have remained present in newer Android releases across a variety of devices. Through March 3 2013, we have seen over 2100 Android devices malfunction in this way while attached to our campus network. Changes were made to portions of Princeton's wireless network architecture beginning in September 2012 to accomodate the growing demand for wireless service. These changes included migrating some wireless network(s) from using globally-routable IPv4 addresses behind normal IPv4 routers to using private IPv4 addresses behind NAT routers, to accomodate a demand for more IPv4 addresses. And these changes included migrating from DHCP servers instrumented to detect malfunctioning clients to commodity DHCP servers, to accomodate growth in DHCP transacation rates from wireless clients. Side effects of those changes prevent us from detecting wireless clients exhibiting this issue which they are attached via most of our wireless networks. As we can no longer detect those malfunctioning clients when they are attached via most wireless networks, we no longer block these clients and contact the owner. As a result, those malfunctioning clients may disrupt service to other wireless clients and degrade overall wireless network service on an ongoing basis. (On one remaining small wireless network, we can still detect these malfunction clients, and continue to block the devices and contact owners if feasible.) On November 26 2012, Google marked the bug as closed, and marked the bug as having a fix released. On November 26 2012, Google commented that these bugs should not be present in Android version 4.2. It is unclear to us exactly what this means. This is because Google indicated in April 2011 that they'd soon be releasing fixes, but at that time did not indicate that fixes had been included beginning in any specific version of Android. Long after that April 2011, we continued to find devices running newly-released Android updates exhibiting the malfunctions, all the way through Android 4.1.1. It is unclear to us whether Google's comment that Android 4.2 should not have the bugs is based on some new changes they made in version 4.2, or if Google was restating that they believed they had fixed the issue(s) in versions prior to 4.2. If the latter, we already know that any changes made to the earlier versions (through 4.1.1) didn't entirely fix these bugs. So at this time, we do not know whether the bugs remains present in Android 4.2. And because Princeton's wireless network architecture was changed beginning in September 2012 in such a way that we can no longer check for these bugs, we can't determine if Android 4.2 still has any of these bugs. If Google has fixed these bugs starting in Android version 4.2 (or does so in some future version of Android), it is not clear to us that owners of most devices running older versions of Android will ever be able to obtain such bug fixes. Google's distribution model for Android updates does not result in timely Android OS updates for most owners. Often Android updates for existing devices are never made available in a way most customers can use. Have We Banned Android Devices at Princeton? We did not ban the use of Android devices at Princeton. Each Android device is welcome on our network, unless or until that device malfunctions in such a way as to disrupt or degrade service. Only those that are detected malfunctioning in this way were blocked from using the network. However, it is an unfortunate fact that most Android devices running the affected versions of the operating system do malfunction in this way, ultimately resulting in us blocking each of those devices, one at a time. Once an individual Android device exhibits this bug, we contacted the customer to advise him or her of the problem. We advised the customer that if the device interfered with service a second time in this way, network service for the device would be blocked. If the same device exhibited the problem more than once, we blocked that individual device from our network. (Most affected Android devices malfunction so frequently, often we detected the device malfunction several times in the same day, and so we blocked the device at the same time we first contacted the owner.) Once blocked, if the device had a cellular network interface, the device coiuld still be used with the customer's cellular network provider, of course. If it was not practical to contact the customer (for example, because the device was using our visitor wireless service and the owner was anonymous), we blocked that individual device from our network the first time it exhibited this bug. If at a later time it became practical to contact the customer (for example, because the customer registered the device in the University's Host Database), we contacted the customer to advise him or her of the problem. Beginning with the availability of the partial workaround during Summer 2011, if the owner of a blocked malfunctioning Android device chooses to adopt the partial workaround, we unblocked the device, allowing it to resume using the campus network. Because the partial workaround is not fully effective, some of these devices would continue to disrupt service, or would resume disrupting service at a later date. When we detected one of these devices again disrupting service, we blocked the device from the network and contacted the customer again. In the absence of a fully-effective workaround or a fix from Google, once a device has malfunctioned after trying to use the partial workaround, that device remains blocked from our network. We did not unblock a device after the partial workaround has proved ineffective. This is similar to how we handle other malfunctioning devices which disrupt or degrade service. We typically do not ban entire classes of devices. We have not singled out Android devices for special handling. We block individual devices after they actually disrupt or degrade service. In most cases, we unblock such devices when the owner takes acceptable action to address the issue. (Lacking a fix from Google, for those Android devices where the partial workaround is not fully effective, there was nothing those customers could do to address this particular issue.) Device Blocking Policies describes these policies in greater detail. As described above, architectural changes made to our wireless networks beginning in September 2012 to accomodate growth now prevent us from detecting clients exhibiting this malfunction. As a result, we no longer contact the owner of these devices or block them. Instead, these malfunctioning devices continue to disrupt and degade network service for others. Beginning in September 2012 wireless clients blocked from network service because they were exhibiting this issue will be unblocked upon request from the customer. This is because (as described above) we no longer are able to detect wireless clients exhibiting this issue. Once unblocked, if the device continues/resumes malfunctioning in this way, it may disrupt service to other wireless clients and degrade overall wireless network service on an ongoing basis. If it does so, we will no longer be able to determine the cause of the problem or address it. Why Was Princeton The Only Site to Report This Particular Issue (at First)? Some may wonder why Princeton was the only site to report this problem at first. Some may believe that because other sites did not report the problem at first, the problem must be due to a problem with Princeton's network. Princeton detected this issue because at the time, we took a very pro-active stance to monitor for certain kinds of common network problems which interfere with service or degrade service, including this one. At that time, our network monitoring included comparing actual IP address usage to DHCP server lease assignments on a daily basis. Specifically, we compared our IP router ARP cache data to our DHCP server logs. We were able to do so because we were using DHCP servers instrumented to provide us with the necessary information, and non-NAT'd IP networks in which we were able to reliably gather IP ARP data from the IP router. This allowed us to detect some devices using IP addresses not assigned for their use. This was a degree of monitoring that many sites did not perform. Many sites place client devices -- especially wireless clients -- behind NATs. And many sites operate a DHCP service that is not instrumented in a way to assist in such monitoring. Without such closely monitored ARP data and DHCP server data, detecting this kind of problem is difficult or impractical. We also monitored our DHCP servers very closely for any problems they detected, including when they saw DHCP-leased IP addresses in-use when they should not be, or when a client tried to SELECT an offer that was not made to it, or when a client tried to renew or rebind an IP address after the client's lease on that IP address has already expired. We had instrumented our DHCP server software to make it (somewhat) easier to see such events. Our monitoring also reported DHCP clients which were the source of excessive transactions; occasionally these were victims of malfunctioning iPhone OS devices "stealing" IP addresses. As a result of the close monitoring we performed to detect DHCP issues, Princeton tended to learn about some kinds of bugs in DHCP client implementations sooner and more often than many other sites. A more common approach is to ignore the kinds of problems caused by devices using IP addresses not leased to them, allowing such malfunctioning devices to cause sporadic mysterious network problems for customers as their IP addresses are "stolen". Sites that use that approach may take action only when a victim of a malfunctioning device chooses to complain. Most victims probably don't complain because these kinds of problems appear random and short-lived to each victim, and often go away when they "try again." We felt that the stance we took ultimately benefited our customers, as it resulted in more reliable network service to the customers. It reduced the frequency that our customers experience network disruptions due to others' malfunctioning devices. As a side note, this pro-active stance also resulted in our discovering DHCP client issues a number of times over the years for a variety of common platforms. Typically we provided technical details of these issues to the DHCP client vendors, which helped the vendors to fix bugs and improve DHCP client behavior, as Apple did for this bug. Although identifying issues in vendors' DHCP client software was not our goal -- our mission was and remains to provide excellent network service to Princeton University customers -- it does speak to the technical accuracy of the bugs we discovered. In the time since we reported this issue, a small number of others sites have indicated that they too are seeing one or more of the bugs described above. Sites that are able to monitor for these problems closely are less likely to notice notice issue #1 if they assign DHCP leases with long expiration times., for example, on the order of days. Princeton's wireless services rely on DHCP leases in the 1-3 hour range. (Shorter leases allow us to recover unused IP addresses rapidly, in turn permitting us to assign globally-routable IP addresses to clients without requiring Princeton to impose a NAT between wireless clients and the Internet.) Expiration times so long that the Android device is likely to be woken from sleep by the customer before the lease expires might hide issue #1 in some cases, but we have found that even waking an Android device exhibiting issue #1 will not always cause the device to use DHCP to obtain a fresh lease. And issue #3 is not hidden by using long lease times, even on the order of months. Sites which operate network infrastructure that modifies the behavior of ARP traffic may have difficulty detecting these problems. For example, some enterprise Wi-Fi infrastructures rewrite ARP request broadcast frames to becomes unicast frames destined to the device the infrastructure "believes" should be the owner of the requested IP address. Or the infrastructure may drop ARP request broadcast frames and instead reply to these requests on behalf of the device the infrastructure "believes" should be the owner of the requested IP address. Such interference with ARP traffic can make it difficult or impossible for network operators to detect these Android bugs. Depending on the way such infrastructures decide which device "should" be the legitimate owner of a requested IP address, these ARP changes may not reliably work around the damage (stolen IP addresses) caused by the Android bugs. That is, such modifications to the behavior of ARP may not hide the damage these Android bugs cause, but may prevent network operators from discovering that the damage is happening and that it's due to these Android bugs. Since the time we detected this bug, Princeton University has re-architected most of our wireless networks to accomodate wireless growth. These network changes began in September 2012. One of the side effects of these changes is that we now are unable to detect and troubleshoot these kinds of problems on most of our wireless networks. Previously, each of our wireless networks used globally-routable IPv4 addresses and was not behind a NAT. A side effect of that design was that we could reliably retrieve IP ARP data from each network's IP router. Now most of our wireless networks are behind NAT routers so we may assign private IPv4 addresses to wireless clients; we are doing so to extend the time before we run out of globally-routable IPv4 addresses. A side-effect of the shift from normal IP routers to NAT routers is that we are no longer able to record IP ARP data for wireless clients in a manner reliable enough to let us detect wireless clients malfunctioning in various ways, including the way described in this document. Additionally, our wireless networks previously used DHCP servers we had instrumented to help us to detect "stolen" IP addresses. Now most of our wireless networks use commodity DHCP servers, because those servers are rated to handle higher DHCP transaction rates than our instrumented DHCP servers. A side-effect of the shift from instrumented DHCP servers to commodity DHCP servers is that we no longer have the DHCP server instrumentation to detect wireless clients malfunctioning in various ways, including the way described in this document. Furthermore, our wireless networks previously allowed IP ARP traffic to flow normally. Now on most of our wireless networks, wireless controllers intercept most IP ARP requests to reduce the broadcast traffic rate; instead of flooding the requests to allow all possible clients to see and respond to ARP requests, the wireless controllers may choose to construct an ARP response themselves based on the controller's notion of the "correct" answer. A side-effect of the move away from normal ARP traffic flow is that on our wireless networks, we no longer can truly determine which devices are using which IP addresses. The upshot is that as a side-effect of the the network changes we made starting in September 2012, we are no longer able to detect these kinds of malfunctioning wireless clients. Wireless clients which exhibit these kinds of issues can still disrupt or degrade network service for others, but we are not able to detect and troubleshoot these kinds of problems.

The Electricity Authority says the home-owner who producers their own power through solar has an 'artificial advantage' over other power generators such as large hydro, wind and coal generated electricity, and in doing so disadvantages other customers using those power sources. The authority has ruled the Hawkes Bay lines company Unison isn't breaking any laws under schedule 6.4 of the Code which sets pricing principles for large scale power generators connected to local lines companies. It's believed to be the first ruling of its kind in New Zealand. It found schedule 6.4 doesn’t pertain to tariffs between distributors and retailers, and so Unison did not breach the Code by introducing a new tariff for electricity retailers. While the authority doesn’t state in its decision on Tuesday whether the laws need to be updated to allow for new power generators such as solar generation by home owners, it is presently consulting on the removal of schedule 6.4 from the Code because it creates an unfair advantage to some power generators and increases costs for consumers. Chief Executive of the Electricity Authority Carl Hansen said the three sources of power; small scale solar generation provided by home owners, the distributed generators connected to lines companies, and the grid-connected generators such as large hydro, wind, coal and gas, are treated differently under the Code. The home owner who produces their own power, such as from solar panels, is artificially advantaged by the current pricing arrangements of most lines companies, but the home owner is disadvantaged when it comes to using systems such as the Tesla wall pack and the charging of electric vehicles. The distributed generators connected to lines companies are presently advantaged over other power generators. "Under the current approach to ACOT, distributed generators are paid to operate to avoid transmission charges rather than to defer or reduce transmission investments and costs. This just leads to higher transmission charges on other distributors and their consumers, which is a ‘pass the parcel’ outcome that’s of no benefit to consumers overall." Lastly the grid connected power generators such as large hydro, wind, coal and gas are unfairly disadvantaged in some cases. Greenpeace Climate Campaigner Simon Boxer said the fact they see the solar user as advantaged, and coal as disadvantaged, is a blatant admission that the authority supports dirty fossil fuel power providers over the consumer's choice of clean energy. He said it's an extraordinary move to make only months after New Zealand signed the Paris Climate agreement which talks about phasing out fossil fuels. Mr Boxer said the electricity watch-dog is trying to discourage people from solar because it could ruin power company's profits. "They've really decided to pick a fight with New Zealanders and side with the big power companies, their dirty energy and their high profits." He said the authority's in deep trouble with consumers who effectively see it as a tax on the sun. He said solar users are now exploring how to get off the grid completely and the technology is becoming available to make it easier for them to do so. They're asking Energy Simon Bridges to intervene in what they say is an electricity watch-dog that can no-longer do its job. "The energy Minister Simon Bridges should now be intervening because the Electricity Authority as a watch dog is now off the leash and we need to bring this watch-dog to heel."

Hard Disk Drive Myths Debunked! This guide was written in response to the numerous fallacies about the hard disk drive that are still being propagated in many forum discussions. As you read through this guide, you may think that some of these myths may have been made up. We wished that was true. We collected these myths from various discussions we heard or read over time. To be honest, many articles have covered these topics. It would have been easy for someone to do a quick search online before imparting their opinions to newbies. Unfortunately, it became apparent to us that some folks just prefer to trust their innate instincts over logic and knowledge. As such, these hard disk drive urban legends have remained more popular than the simple truth. So, let's get down to basics and examine some of these common fallacies or myths and debunk them! If you know of any myth that have not been covered by this guide, please tell us about it. We would love to add them to the current list of myths. Support Tech ARP! If you like our work, you can help support out work by visiting our sponsors, participate in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donate to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated! Questions & Comments Please feel free to post your questions or comments here!

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (1-4-1) face off against the Montreal Canadiens (3-1-1) at the Bell Centre in Montreal. This is the first meeting between the teams this season. The Last Devils Game: The Devils lost to the Boston Bruins, 4-1, Saturday at the Prudential Center. After a scoreless first period, Dainius Zubrus opened the scoring, giving the Devils a 1-0 lead at 3:45 of the second period. But that would be all the Devils would get, as Boston came roaring back to put the game away. Jordan Caron scored at 5:38 to tie the game at 1-1. Michael Ryder scored the eventual game-winning goal, connecting off a feed from Tyler Seguin to put the Bruins ahead, 2-1. Shawn Thornton increased the lead to 3-1 at 16:43 of the second. Milan Lucic capped the four-goal outburst, scoring at 18:09 to put the Bruins ahead, 4-1. Tim Thomas finished with 31 saves for the win. Martin Brodeur stopped 31 shots in the loss. The Last Canadiens Game: The Canadiens defeated the Ottawa Senators, 4-3, Sunday at the Bell Centre. Trailing 3-1 in the second period, the Canadiens scored four straight goals to take the lead. Jeff Halpern began the comeback, netting his second goal at 13:39 of the second period. Andrei Kostitsyn tied the game, 3-3, at 17:29 of the second. Tomas Plekanec played hero, scoring the game-winner at 16:01 of the third period. The Last Devils – Canadiens Game: The Devils won the final game of the series last season, 4-2, on March 27. Patrik Elias struck first for the Devils, giving the team a 1-0 lead with a powerplay goal at 8:11 of the first period. The teams traded goals in the second period, with the Devils holding a 3-2 advantage at the end of the second period. Brian Rolston added an empty-net goal in the third period to clinch the win. Last season, the Devils won three of four from the Montreal Canadiens. For a full analysis of the historical matchup between the two teams, click here. Welcome Home Marty! Brodeur makes his 60th career start against the Canadiens tonight, his most against a non-Atlantic Division opponent. In 30 appearances at Montreal, Broduer is 17-12-1 with a 1.80 goals against average, a .935 save percentage and four shutouts. In his career, Brodeur is 38-16-5 against the Habs, with a 1.78 GAA and eight shutouts. Brodeur admitted yesterday that he hasn’t been sharp to begin the season, but these meetings always seem to bring out the best in the veteran netminder. Tonight’s Matchup: The Devils took three days to practice, and coach John MacLean put the team to work. They skated hard, practiced game situations and made significant moves throughout the lineup. But captain Jamie Langenbrunner said the positives from practice mean nothing if they don’t translate to a win. “It depends on how we come out of it,” Langenbrunner said to Tom Gulitti. “We did have a good week of practice where we got the battle and work back in our game, but it’s how we respond on the ice tomorrow night for 60 minutes that counts. No one gives you any points for a practice.” The Devils couldn’t be walking into a better situation to earn their second win of the season. Despite Montreal’s early success, New Jersey has always played them well, especially in their own building. The Devils are 8-2-0 in their last 10 games at the Bell Centre, and the team holds an overall record of 22-23-4 all time in Montreal. An almost .500 record against a team in their own building is respectable. One thing New Jersey will have to do is meet the energy and pressure from the Canadiens. The Bell Centre will be loud, and the building will be a sellout. The Devils will need to respond to that energy and attempt to silence the crowd early. With some solid scoring and surprising play from Carey Price, the Canadiens won’t be a cakewalk. But the Devils, with four days to prepare, should be able to handle them in Montreal. Game time is 7:30 p.m., and you can catch all the action on MSG Plus or WFAN 660.Remember to come back to The Devils’ Den for our live game blog, beginning at 7:15 pm! Here are tonight’s starting lines, based off of the Devils’ pairings from practice yesterday: Forwards: Zach Parise – Travis Zajac – Dainius Zubrus; Patrik Elias – Jacob Josefson – Ilya Kovalchuk; Rod Pelley – Jason Arnott – Jamie Langenbrunner; Adam Mair – Tim Sestito – David Clarkson Defenseman: Henrik Tallinder – Matt Corrente; Matt Taormina – Colin White; Andy Greene – Olivier Magnan – Grenier Goalies: Martin Brodeur; Johan Hedberg Advertisements

Visit our Re-post guidelines This article is copyrighted by GreenMedInfo LLC, 2015 Calcium deficiency is a common nutritional concern, but how many folks consider the vital importance of magnesium in human health and disease? New research published in the journal BMC Bioinformatics indicates that magnesium's role in human health and disease is far more significant and complicated than previously imagined. While it is well known that all living things require magnesium, and that it is found in over 300 enzymes in the human body, including those enzymes utilizing or synthesizing ATP (the molecular unit of currency for energy transfer), the new studied titled, "3,751 magnesium binding sites have been detected on human proteins," indicates that a deficiency of magnesium may profoundly affect a far wider range of biological structures than previously understood.[i] The proteome, or entire set of proteins expressed by the human genome, contains well over 100,000 distinct protein structures, despite the fact that there are believed to be only 20,300 protein-coding genes in the human genome. The discovery of the "magneseome," as its being called, adds additional complexity to the picture, indicating that the presence or absence of adequate levels of this basic mineral may epigenetically alter the expression and behavior of the proteins in our body, thereby altering the course of both health and disease. Indeed, modern medicine and nutrition fixates primarily on calcium deficiency (due, in part, to the WHO's highly unscientific definition of osteoporosis), even in the face of accumulating peer-reviewed research indicating that excess calcium consumption can greatly increase cardiac morbidity and mortality. Magnesium Research Research relevant to magnesium has been accumulating for the past 40 years at a steady rate of approximately 2,000 new studies a year. Our database project has indexed well over 100 health benefits of magnesium thus far. For the sake of brevity, we will address seven key therapeutic applications for magnesium as follows: Fibromyalgia : Not only is magnesium deficiency common in those diagnosed with fibromyalgia, [ii] [iii] but relatively low doses of magnesium (50 mg), combined with malic acid in the form of magnesium malate, has been clinically demonstrated to improve pain and tenderness in those to which it was administered.[iv] : Not only is magnesium deficiency common in those diagnosed with fibromyalgia, [ii] [iii] but relatively low doses of magnesium (50 mg), combined with malic acid in the form of magnesium malate, has been clinically demonstrated to improve pain and tenderness in those to which it was administered.[iv] Atrial Fibrillation : A number of studies now exist showing that magnesium supplementation reduce atrial fibrillation, either by itself, or in combination with conventional drug agents.[v] : A number of studies now exist showing that magnesium supplementation reduce atrial fibrillation, either by itself, or in combination with conventional drug agents.[v] Diabetes, Type 2 : Magnesium deficiency is common in type 2 diabetics, at an incidence of 13.5 to 47.7% according to a 2007 study.[vi] Research has also shown that type 2 diabetics with peripheral neuropathy and coronary artery disease have lower intracellular magnesium levels.[vii] Oral magnesium supplementation has been shown to reduce plasma fasting glucose and raising HDL cholesterol in patients with type 2 diabetes.[viii] It has also been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and metabolic control in type 2 diabetic subjects.[ix] : Magnesium deficiency is common in type 2 diabetics, at an incidence of 13.5 to 47.7% according to a 2007 study.[vi] Research has also shown that type 2 diabetics with peripheral neuropathy and coronary artery disease have lower intracellular magnesium levels.[vii] Oral magnesium supplementation has been shown to reduce plasma fasting glucose and raising HDL cholesterol in patients with type 2 diabetes.[viii] It has also been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and metabolic control in type 2 diabetic subjects.[ix] Premenstrual Syndrome : Magnesium deficiency has been observed in women affected by premenstrual syndrome.[x] It is no surprise therefore that it has been found to alleviate premenstrual symptoms of fluid retention,[xi] as well as broadly reducing associated symptoms by approximately 34% in women, aged 18-45, given 250 mg tablets for a 3-month observational period.[xii] When combined with B6, magnesium supplementation has been found to improve anxiety-related premenstrual symptoms.[xiii] : Magnesium deficiency has been observed in women affected by premenstrual syndrome.[x] It is no surprise therefore that it has been found to alleviate premenstrual symptoms of fluid retention,[xi] as well as broadly reducing associated symptoms by approximately 34% in women, aged 18-45, given 250 mg tablets for a 3-month observational period.[xii] When combined with B6, magnesium supplementation has been found to improve anxiety-related premenstrual symptoms.[xiii] Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality : Low serum magnesium concentrations predict cardiovascular and all-cause mortality.[xiv] There are a wide range of ways that magnesium may confer its protective effects. It may act like a calcium channel blocker,[xv] it is hypotensive,[xvi] it is antispasmodic (which may protect against coronary artery spasm),[xvii] and anti-thrombotic.[xviii] Also, the heart muscle cells are exceedingly dense in mitochondria (as high as 100 times more per cell than skeletal muscle), the "powerhouses" of the cell," which require adequate magnesium to produce ATP via the citric acid cycle. : Low serum magnesium concentrations predict cardiovascular and all-cause mortality.[xiv] There are a wide range of ways that magnesium may confer its protective effects. It may act like a calcium channel blocker,[xv] it is hypotensive,[xvi] it is antispasmodic (which may protect against coronary artery spasm),[xvii] and anti-thrombotic.[xviii] Also, the heart muscle cells are exceedingly dense in mitochondria (as high as 100 times more per cell than skeletal muscle), the "powerhouses" of the cell," which require adequate magnesium to produce ATP via the citric acid cycle. Migraine Disorders: Blood magnesium levels have been found to be significantly lower in those who suffer from migraine attacks.[xix] [xx] A recent Journal of Neural Transmission article titled, "Why all migraine patients should be treated with magnesium," pointed out that routine blood tests do not accurately convey the true body magnesium stores since less than 2% is in the measurable, extracellular space, "67% is in the bone and 31% is located intracellularly."[xxi] The authors argued that since "routine blood tests are not indicative of magnesium status, empiric treatment with at least oral magnesium is warranted in all migraine sufferers." Indeed, oral magnesium supplementation has been found to reduce the number of headache days in children experiencing frequent migranous headaches, [xxii] and when combined with l-carnitine, is effective at reducing migraine frequency in adults, as well.[xxiii] Blood magnesium levels have been found to be significantly lower in those who suffer from migraine attacks.[xix] [xx] A recent Journal of Neural Transmission article titled, "Why all migraine patients should be treated with magnesium," pointed out that routine blood tests do not accurately convey the true body magnesium stores since less than 2% is in the measurable, extracellular space, "67% is in the bone and 31% is located intracellularly."[xxi] The authors argued that since "routine blood tests are not indicative of magnesium status, empiric treatment with at least oral magnesium is warranted in all migraine sufferers." Indeed, oral magnesium supplementation has been found to reduce the number of headache days in children experiencing frequent migranous headaches, [xxii] and when combined with l-carnitine, is effective at reducing migraine frequency in adults, as well.[xxiii] Aging: While natural aging is a healthy process, accelerated aging has been noted to be a feature of magnesium deficiency,[xxiv] especially evident in the context of long space-flight missions where low magnesium levels are associated with cardiovascular aging over 10 times faster than occurs on earth.[xxv] Magnesium supplementation has been shown to reverse age-related neuroendocrine and sleep EEG changes in humans.[xxvi] One of the possible mechanisms behind magnesium deficiency associated aging is that magnesium is needed to stabilize DNA and promotes DNA replication. It is also involved in healing up of the ends of the chromosomes after they are divided in mitosis.[xxvii] Best Sources of Magnesium In The Diet The best source of magnesium is from food, and one way to identify magnesium-containing foods are those which are green, i.e. chlorophyll rich. Chlorophyll, which enable plants to capture solar energy and convert it into metabolic energy, has a magnesium atom at its center. Without magnesium, in fact, plants could not utilize the sun's light energy. Magnesium, however, in its elemental form is colorless, and many foods that are not green contain it as well. The point is that when found complexed with food cofactors, it is absorbed and utilized more efficiently than in its elemental form, say, extracted from limestone in the form of magnesium oxide. The following foods contain exceptionally high amounts of magnesium. The portions described are 100 grams, or a little over three ounces. Rice bran, crude (781 mg) Seaweed, agar, dried (770 mg) Chives, freeze-dried (640 mg) Spice, coriander leaf, dried (694 mg) Seeds, pumpkin, dried (535 mg) Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened (499 mg) Spices, basil, dried (422 mg) Seeds, flaxseed (392 mg) Spices, cumin seed (366 mg) Nuts, brazilnuts, dried (376 mg) Parsley, freeze-dried (372 mg) Seeds, sesame meal (346 mg) Nut, almond butter (303 mg) Nuts, cashew nuts, roasted (273 mg) Soy flour, defatted (290 mg) Whey, sweet, dried (176 mg) Bananas, dehydrated (108 mg) Millet, puffed (106 mg) Shallots, freeze-dried (104 mg) Leeks, freeze-dried (156 mg) Fish, salmon, raw (95 mg) Onions, dehydrated flakes (92 mg) Kale, scotch, raw (88 mg) Fortunately, for those who need higher doses, or are not inclined to consume magnesium rich foods, there are supplemental forms commonly available on the market. Keep in mind, for those who wish to take advantage of the side benefit of magnesium therapy, namely, its stool softening and laxative properties, magnesium citrate or oxide will provide this additional feature. For those looking to maximize absorption and bioavailability magnesium glycinate is ideal, as glycine is the smallest amino acid commonly found chelated to magnesium, and therefore highly absorbable. Resources

Man I haven't painted anything like this in such a long time.Felt pretty good and i'm quite happy with how it turned outfor not being that familiar with paint tool sai other then simpleflat shading usually.I'm just going to copy paste what I said on the original sketchto show my thought process behind this:Since we're getting a bit more Luna in season 2, which is awesome,I kind of thought of her personal turmoil she probably has, beingtrapped in the moon for like 1000 years after all. I see her as havinghallucinations or nightmares (no pun intended) about nightmare moonwhich are just manifestations of guilt. I could see an episode clearlyshowing this and her having to somehow over come and confront herfears with the help of the main cast or at least twilight, I dunno lolOther then some kind of internal battle, I have no idea what's goingon here, I just wanted to paint some pretty ponies lol. Your free tointerpret this however you want haha.Art c) Original moon vector c) MLP:FIM c)

CIA adopted Nazi and communist torture techniques. Kurt Nimmo Prison Planet.com December 10, 2014 Washington’s Blog notes how the CIA’s torture techniques resemble those used by the Nazis. The Nazis called it “Verschärfte Vernehmung,” German for “enhanced interrogation.” “It’s a phrase that appears to have been concocted in 1937, to describe a form of torture that would leave no marks, and hence save the embarrassment pre-war Nazi officials were experiencing as their wounded torture victims ended up in court. The methods, as you can see above, are indistinguishable from those described as ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’ by the president,” The Atlantic wrote in 2007. Considering the early history of the CIA and its post-war collaboration with Nazi party members, including Gestapo butchers, this similarity should not be surprising. According to author and researcher Annie Jacobsen, former Nazis were at the forefront of developing torture techniques for the United States government. “The work took place inside a clandestine facility in the American zone of occupied Germany, called Camp King. The facility’s chief medical doctor was Operation Paperclip’s Dr. Walter Schreiber, the former Surgeon General of the Third Reich… The activities that went on at Camp King between 1946 and the late 1950s have never been fully accounted for by either the Department of Defense or the CIA,” Jacobsen writes. A d v e r t i s e m e n t While early CIA torture concentrated on extracting information from Soviet spies, it was later used to create a propaganda narrative. Former CIA boss George Tenet: We don’t torture. Washington’s Blog notes that “the specific type of torture used by the U.S. last decade is even worse … it was a systematic program of torture specially designed in order to intentionally create false confessions.” This was admitted by Sen. Carl Levin, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services. “In SERE (Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape) training, U.S. troops are briefly exposed, in a highly controlled setting, to abusive interrogation techniques used by enemies that refuse to follow the Geneva Conventions,” Levin remarked. “The techniques are based on tactics used by Chinese Communists against American soldiers during the Korean War for the purpose of eliciting false confessions for propaganda purposes.” The technique was used extensively as the Bush neocons cobbled together fabrications used to rationalize the war on terror and provide a pretext for the invasion of Iraq in 2003. “Despite what you’ve seen on TV, torture is really only good at one thing: eliciting false confessions,” Dan Froomkin wrote for The Washington Post. “Indeed, Bush-era torture techniques, we now know, were cold-bloodedly modeled after methods used by Chinese Communists to extract confessions from captured U.S. servicemen that they could then use for propaganda during the Korean War.” Liberals are miffed Obama will not prosecute those responsible for violating the law. “So the question is why Obama decided to spare the torturers,” Eric Posner writes for Slate, the liberal website owned by Graham Holdings, a conglomerate named after CIA operative Philip Graham, editor Washington Post, and point man for Operation Mockingbird, the CIA’s “Mighty Wurlitzer” conversion of a free press into a massive government propaganda machine. This reveals what on the surface appears to be political naiveté. It isn’t, though. It is another rabbit hole designed to deceive a habitually deceived American public. Torture, as a propaganda tool, is a required asset for the state. Otherwise the bottom would fall out of the manufactured war on terror, the latest scam perpetuated by the financial elite and the military-industrial complex. This article was posted: Wednesday, December 10, 2014 at 1:18 pm Print this page. Infowars.com Videos: Comment on this article

This looks like yummy! Strawberry and Basil, who would have thought. As my sister says to me “Yummy Clark”. 8 tsp Black Berried Treasure Tea 1 lb strawberry’s hulled and halved 1 cup water plus steeping water 3/4 cup sugar or agave 1 cup fresh basil plus more for garnish Ice Preperation Steep the tea in boiled water for about 5 minutes and remove leaves from water. Let tea cool. Put Strawberries in a bowl. Boil 1 cup water with the 3/4 cup sugar and make sure you stir it so the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add basil. Let the Basil steep for 10 minutes. (Basil flavored simple syrup.) Pour the basil flavored simple syrup over strawberries and toss it around a bit. Discard the Basil. Let cool about 25 minutes as the flavors will infuse. Pour everything together. Tea and Strawberry mixture. Pour over ice and garnish with more basil. Cheers! Advertisements

HB 1180 would mandate that CPCs that wish to be registered as “pregnancy help centers" in the state cannot "place children for adoption," either directly or indirectly, such as by referring women to outside agencies that handle adoptions. HB 1180 would mandate that CPCs that wish to be registered as “pregnancy help centers" in the state cannot "place children for adoption," either directly or indirectly, such as by referring women to outside agencies that handle adoptions. Judge gavel via Shutterstock The South Dakota Senate approved a bill Tuesday that would change requirements for crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) wishing to be registered by the state as “pregnancy help centers”; under a 2011 law, women in the state must obtain counseling from a pregnancy help center before obtaining an abortion. (That law is currently in litigation, and has been blocked by the courts.) Under the current law, to be eligible as a pregnancy help center, CPCs must not perform or have any affiliation with any physician or organization that provides abortions. The new bill, HB 1180, would mandate that eligible CPCs also cannot “place children for adoption,” either directly or indirectly, such as by referring women to outside agencies that handle adoptions. Of the more than a dozen CPCs in the state, there are only two registered as pregnancy help centers with the South Dakota Department of Health: the Care Net Pregnancy Resource Center in Rapid City and the Alpha Center in Sioux Falls. The Care Net center is part of a network of affiliated CPCs that identify as “faith-based organizations,” while the Alpha Center is independently owned and located a few miles from the state’s lone abortion provider. In 1984, the Alpha Center’s founder, Leslee Unruh, was investigated by the state attorney’s office because of complaints that “Unruh had offered young women money to carry their pregnancies to term and then relinquish their babies for adoption,” as Kathryn Joyce reported in 2009. Both CPCs currently refer women to outside agencies for adoptions. Get the facts, direct to your inbox. Subscribe to our daily or weekly digest. SUBSCRIBE Abbie Peterson, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice South Dakota, which opposes the bill, told Rewire over email that the bill “is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” “Currently in order to qualify as a [pregnancy help center] in South Dakota, the facility cannot perform abortion, refer for abortion, have any affiliation with an organization or physician that performs or refers for abortion and have not referred any pregnant woman for an abortion at any time in the previous three years. Women are already being denied information about abortion services,” she said. “HB 1180 further restricts information by prohibiting facilities that offer adoption services from becoming [pregnancy help centers]. Women facing an unintended pregnancy need to be presented comprehensive information on every option, including abortion and adoption.” During the committee hearing on HB 1180, Debbie Pease, a lobbyist representing South Dakota Right to Life, testified in favor of the bill, saying it would strengthen the 2011 law by removing potential conflicts of interest. Rep. Scott Ecklund (R-Brandon), an obstetrician who has practiced medicine in Sioux Falls for two decades and a sponsor of the bill, gave testimony to both the house and senate committees. During the house hearing, Ecklund said that the bill was designed to make CPCs “more of a neutral place” and provide “a safe haven for objective counseling free of conflict.” While answering question from the committee, Ecklund said that he had spoken to representatives at Catholic Family Services (CFS), which operates CPCs and adoption agencies in six locations in the state, and the group supports the bill. According to Ecklund, the Alpha Center, which has received financial contributions from CFS, also supports the bill. Ecklund was a sponsor of the Alpha Center’s annual Purity Ball in 2012. Ecklund said that under the new legislation, if the two already registered pregnancy help centers in the state don’t change how they operate in relation to adoption, they will lose their pregnancy help center status. “The ones that I have spoken to are OK with that,” said Ecklund. ”That’s not to say that they will continue to provide adoption through other means, but that they would have set up another counseling service.” Rep. Paula Hawks (D-Hartford), a member of the Health and Human Services Committee who questioned Ecklund, told Rewire that committee members were told “over and over again” during the hearing that the bill would make state-required counseling “fair and equitable.” “You can’t be an organization that refers for abortion, and you can’t be a place that refers for adoption. Let’s just take care of these ladies, and let’s offer the options,” said Ecklund during the hearing. “If we’re not talking about abortions, and we’re not talking about adoption, then what is the point of having a crisis pregnancy center?” said Hawks. “That’s really what women are looking for,” she said. “Advice about what can [the centers] do and what kind of help they can provide.” HB 1180 passed the state senate Tuesday with a 26-9 vote, mostly along party lines. The bill now moves to the desk of Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard for signature or veto.

A child in North Carolina spent part of his Easter Sunday morning protesting outside a Winston-Salem church that has vowed not to host any wedding ceremonies until same sex marriage is legalized. Kelly Carpenter, the pastor of Green Street United Methodist Church, said last month that no weddings were being scheduled because his congregation was becoming more diverse and the heterosexual members wanted same sex couples to “share a sense of the love that they have found.” Anti-LGBT activist Brian Cranford, who says that the “Lord has called Me specifically into evangelism Street ministry,” on Sunday posted a YouTube video of an unidentified child standing outside Green Street Church and yelling at the congregation as they exited after Easter services. “You have your chance to repent, to stop your sinning, to quit affirming the gay people!” the kid shouts in the eight-minute video clip. “The Bible talks about the homosexuals, they’re worthy of death!” “And you people approve of that! And that’s why you’re going to hell! You can turn from your sin. You can turn to Jesus or go to hell!” Watch this video from Bible Brian, uploaded March 31, 2013. (h/t: Good As You)

Get the biggest Everton FC stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email At the top of Roberto Martinez’s to-do list, just a few months into the Everton job, was to bring back a legend. The Catalan would promote Duncan Ferguson to his coaching staff and later ensure Joe Royle’s return but first he made it a priority to invite the great Howard Kendall to Finch Farm. Martinez wanted to make a fuss of him but also to pick the brains of the club’s greatest ever manager, hear his ideas, thoughts and feelings towards Everton and ask him for advice. Howard had never been to the Blues’ state-of-the-art training facility in the six years it had been open before that day in October 2013 but Martinez wanted him to know it was his home too. “It was very important because, first of all, to show him that he IS Everton in our eyes,” Martinez told the ECHO. “We are custodians of a football club that he made what it is today. “We wanted him to know that he is the life of the football club and that he was always welcome to come in and be around his home. “But it was also to get that close feeling with the most successful manager in the club’s history and to understand how we can bring those times back to the football club. “Howard built the football club into one of the leading clubs in European football.” It was at Finch Farm on Saturday morning that Martinez, the Everton squad and backroom staff were told of Howard’s passing. Two years to the day Howard was shown around the complex, sat down with Martinez and transfixed everyone he greeted, the club was in grief, mourning his absence. “We were at Finch Farm, where we always have our pre-match meal, when we heard the news,” the Blues manager said. “It was a really significant moment. “You get that shock and sadness but I have never seen such an instant reaction from everyone in the room. “Howard was such a charismatic figure and someone at Finch Farm on Saturday morning had, in one way or another, been in contact with him in the last few days. “From that point on you are thinking about the direction he gave to the football club. “Howard is such an iconic figure and it is difficult to understand that he is not going to be there anymore.” Howard would attend every Everton home game and was a vocal supporter of Martinez. The Catalan says he valued any time he got to spend with the great man. “He was such an open human being and such an approachable person,” he said. “Straight away you develop a respect towards him, first and foremost, because you know what he achieved. “I always admired him as a coach. “His teams were so successful and he managed to understand the demands and the history of the football club. “To do so you have to be unique, not just special.” Martinez added: "Howard was also brave. “He left to go Spain and he managed to develop that same respect in a different language. “The people of Athletic Bilbao always, always have a special feeling towards him. “He was a unique football person and human being. “I had the opportunity to sit down with Howard and share ideas and his experiences from when he went to Spain. “We also talked about what I was going to have, coming to Everton. “It was a comfortable opportunity to get information and he always gave me that feeling that everything was going to be okay.” He didn’t just leave Martinez bowled over but everyone at Finch Farm the day Howard paid a visit. “When he came to Finch Farm, you could see everyone’s eyes light up,” Martinez said. “Everyone one from our kit men to the young players. “Because Howard was a man that touched every single generation of people to represent Everton. “And he has always been a guide and inspirational figure.”

CLOSE Three Spring Valley residents filed a lawsuit seeking to remove Mayor Demeza Delhomme from office. Akiko Matsuda Attorney William Anthony Gerard apparently collapsed on the soccer field and later died from heart issues at Good Samaritan Hospital, his friend Lawrence Weissmann said after speaking with his family William Anthony Gerard (Photo: Screenshot) William Anthony Gerard, the tall, lanky Palisades attorney who represented poor people and civil rights many times for free, died of heart failure Thursday at the age of 63. Gerard had been playing soccer when he collapsed on the field, said Lawrence Weissmann, a friend who spoke with Gerard's family. He died at Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern on Thursday night. Gerard considered himself a protege of iconic civil right attorney Conrad Lynn, a Pomona resident who represented people who couldn't afford a lawyer. Lynn, who died in 1995 at age 87, sued to desegrate the armed forces and his clients included freedom riders in the South, Vietnam War draft resisters, Puerto Rican nationalists and people targeted by the government. Gerard, who shared office space with Lynn, often worked for free representing his clients, spending hours advocating for them in court or through legal documents, his legal colleagues said. He was a throwback to the civil rights advocates in the legal world, not unlike Lynn and the late Harry Edelstein. "He would fight endlessly for his client," Weissmann said. "He did not care about money. He would fight for his client. He was brilliant. He was the smartest guy in the room." Gerard, a Pace University graduate who passed the bar in 1983, represented many poor people and people from the Haitian community, often without charge or a manageable fee. When Spring Valley Trustee Vilair Fonvil got convicted of election law misdemeanors, Gerard spent 14 years fighting the charges on appeal for free until he cleared Fonvil in court, Weissmann said. Weissmann said it was difficult at times partnering up with Gerard. "People who had no money he would take their case," Weissman said. "He's travel upstate after working hours to represent people, not telling me." He shared an office with Lynn as a young lawyer some 30 years ago. "Tony always talked about how he love Conrad Lynn," Weissmann said. "Like Lynn, if he believed in you he fought for you. Most lawyers worried about billable hours. Tony worried about the Constitution." Gerard took all types of criminal cases - from murder to robbery. He also represented people in Rockland Family Court, once recently being tossed in jail for several hours by a judge for his strenuous advocacy. Known to friends as Tony, he also went by the name of Bill and Gerard, friends said. NEWSLETTERS Get the Breaking News newsletter delivered to your inbox We're sorry, but something went wrong Please try again soon, or contact Customer Service at 1-888-426-6388. Delivery: Varies Invalid email address Thank you! You're almost signed up for Breaking News Keep an eye out for an email to confirm your newsletter registration. More newsletters His loyalty to Fonvil and his own sense of righteousness got him entangled in the political machinations in Spring Valley. He represented Fonvil and the forces opposing Mayor Demeza Delhomme - a situation that has led to multiple lawsuit and even a legal fight in process to impeach the mayor. He served several months as a village lawyer, only to be fired by Delhomme for his friendship with Fonvil. Spring Valley Trustee Vilair Fonvil remains at odds with Mayor Demeza Delhomme. (Photo: File photo) Gerard successfully got charges dropped against Spring Valley Building Inspector Walter Booker, who had been suspended by the mayor at one point. Attorney David Goldstein called Gerard a "champion of civil rights" and influenced by Lynn. "Tony was always a gentlemen in court and he always seem to take up cases of cause," Goldstein said. "That was a high quality of his. Taking cases of causes is a very high quality for any lawyer. He's definitely going to be missed." "He was more aggressive than most lawyers, but a likeable person and an advocte for the underdog," attorney John Edwards said. Weissmann said Gerard had a heart of gold and integrity. "He was a bulldog in court who played fair and by the rules," Weissmann said. "I loved him. I miss him." Twitter: @lohudlegal Read or Share this story: http://lohud.us/2pMx8gW

Drilling for oil in a part of the Amazon rainforest considered one of the most biodiverse hotspots on the planet is to go ahead less than a year after Ecuador's president lifted a moratorium on oil drilling there. Last August, Rafeal Correa scrapped a pioneering scheme, the Yasuni Ishpingo-Tambococha-Tiputini (ITT) initiative, to keep oil in the ground under a corner of the Yasuni national park in return for donations from the international community. He said only $13m (£8m) of the $3.6bn goal had been given, and that "the world has failed us", giving the green light to drilling. On Thursday, environment minister, Lorena Tapia, said permits for drilling had been signed for the 6,500-square-mile reserve, known as block 43, and oil production might begin as soon as 2016. The permits allow Petroamazonas, a subsidary of the state oil company, to begin construction of access roads and camps to prepare for drilling. Esperanza Martinez, an environmental activist in Ecuador, was quoted in a leading national daily as saying Petroamazonas had a bad record on oil spills and it could not be trusted to drill safely in the Yasuni-ITT. Earlier this month, Ecuador's government rejected a petition calling for abandoning plans for drilling in the area, saying the organisers had failed to get enough signatures to trigger a national referendum. The petition's backers, YASunidos, accused the government of fraud after only 359,762 signatures of around 850,000 submitted were deemed genuine – the threshold for forcing a referendum is 583,323. The ITT block of the Yasuni park, where the drilling will go ahead, is home to two uncontacted tribes. It is a Unesco site, and one hectare of the area is home to a richer mix of trees, birds, amphibians, and reptiles than the US and Canada put together. Oil drilling has been taking place in the wider Yasuni national park for decades, dating back to Shell in the 1940s. In 2012, access roads had already been built in blocks neighbouring Ishpingo-Tambococha-Tiputini. In February, the Guardian revealed that documents showed the Ecuadorean government had been negotiating a $1bn deal with a Chinese bank to drill for oil in the area, at the same time as seeking donations for the Yasuni-ITT initiative. The Ecuadorean ambassador to the UK, Juan Falconi Puig, rejected the claim as "baseless" and claimed the document was "fraudulent."

A Republican from Iowa who was appointed to the Electoral College resigned her post yesterday because she indicated she would support Ron Paul over Mitt Romney. Melinda Wadsley told the Associated Press early on Thursday that she planned to vote for Ron Paul because the Texas congressman has never been given a "fair shot" by Republican leaders. But after the AP report was published, the Iowa Republican Party talked to Wadsley and she stepped down so the state GOP could appoint a Romney supporter, the Des Moines Register reports. "I have always been a straight-ticket Republican, and for the first time in my life I am an undecided voter, therefore, I need to resign my position as a Republican presidential elector," Wadsley told the AP in an e-mail. The AP reported GOP electors in Nevada and Alaska were also considering withholding their support for Romney. Each party chooses people to serve in the Electoral College, which meets after the popular vote has been cast to formally elect the president and vice president. In 2000, George W. Bush won the Electoral College but received fewer popular votes than Al Gore. With the 2012 election expected to be a close one, the possibility of defections by several members of the Electoral College could deprive Romney of the presidency. His campaign has said repeatedly that Republicans are united behind the cause of defeating President Obama in November. Wadsley's resignation underscores the tensions that still exist between Ron Paul supporters and the GOP establishment. At the GOP convention in Tampa last month, some Paul supporters protested a rules change that will make it more difficult for insurgent candidates to win delegates to future party conventions.

And so when Lieberman was nixed at the last minute by state party chairmen and their allies, we had the specter of Rick Davis actually scrambling through Google to find a woman - any woman - who could complement McCain. The sexism was due to Davis' and Schmidt's and McCain's bizarre notion that alienated Clinton primary voters would flock to a cranky old pro-lifer as long as someone with estrogen was his Number Two. The sheer distance from reality this implies and the identity politics it represents found its natural apotheosis in Palin: also detached from reality, and also an identity politics candidate - but not for women, as it turned out, but for the white Christianist far-right. And so McCain triggered a rebirth of the old GOP more akin to the party before Buckley - with racists, extremists and religious nuts defining the party's base, as they still do. This was a farce; a joke; a disaster. Palin had no notion of basic high school history. She barely understood what the Cold War was. She didn't know what the Federal Reserve did. She believed that her First Amendment rights meant she was protected from press inquiries. She couldn't tell you why there's a North and a South Korea. And she had an inability to distinguish between her own view of the world - which always rationalized everything that Sarah Palin did - and reality. This discovery then led to the elaborate and panicked strategy of shielding Palin from any direct press scrutiny - she held zero open press conferences in the campaign - and the desperate attempts to cram as much into her brain before the one-on-one media interviews and the veep debate. She also, as Schmidt details, had a capacity for saying things that were demonstrably untrue, even repeating them forcefully after the world had moved on. The Dish chronicled this bizarre record as it unfolded, but the more we found out about her, the loopier she seemed. Inside, we now know, it became clear to many McCain aides that it was simply irresponsible to allow her to assume the office of vice-presidency. Their patriotism eventually came to the fore, as they contemplated the horror of this total novice and ignoramus - however sexy and eager to learn - actually running the United States. The responsible thing to have done, of course, would have been to have taken her off the ticket early on. But that, of course, would have destroyed what was left of McCain's chances. For a presidential candidate to concede that his first significant presidential decision had been a total fiasco would be to concede that he shouldn't be president. And indeed, McCain shouldn't have been president. In fact, he should in my view resign from the Senate because his conduct of the last campaign revealed that he put narrow partisan interests ahead of core patriotic ones. He was prepared to allow someone to replace him as president who, his own staff believed, could be "mentally unstable."

Product Overview Limited Offer Price on Standalone Radeon RX Vega64 - Once It's Gone, It's Gone !!! Save a chunk of cash with this special offer on this standalone MSI Vega64 graphics card! With limited stock, and high demand, this offer is strictly one card per customer, but destined to sell-out fast! Please note: Standalone card DOES NOT include the games promotion. This is the retail boxed card only. Vega has arrived. Probably the most anticipated graphics cards architecture for years, the flagship line of Radeon RX Vega64 graphics cards are now available to buy from Scan. Coming initially in three different flavours - no matter if your priority is style, value or ultimate performance, Team Red has a card to suit you & your gaming rig. *Please Note: VEGA 64's need approx 260W of Power (Card Alone) so make sure you have a PSU to cater for this. This MSI Radeon RX Vega64 graphics card features a blower-style cooler with a stealthy black backplate & shroud, making it ideal for those who prefer much more understated graphics card designs. It is subtle in looks alone, since all Vega64 graphics cards from Scan feature a massive 4096 stream processors, paired up with 8 Gigabytes of the latest HBM2 Memory, for out-of-this world performance. Demand More, Demand Radeon: Bring Gaming to Life Radeon™ RX Vega Graphics is for extreme gamers looking to run their games at the highest resolutions, highest framerates, maximum settings, and who want cutting edge features to carry them into the future. Immersive VR Experiences Experience the next level of immersion with the world of VR gaming and entertainment with Radeon RX graphics cards powered by the revolutionary Polaris architecture. AMD FreeSync™ Technology Puts an end to choppy gameplay and broken frames with fluid, artifact-free performance at virtually any framerate. HDR Compatible Enhanced contrast and colours deliver a strikingly sharp, colourful, and vivid visual experience. Military Class 4 Components One of the deciding factors in performance is the quality of the components used. That is why MSI only uses MIL-STD-810G certified components for graphics cards. These components have proven durable enough to withstand the torturous circumstances of extreme gaming and overclocking for extended usage. Solid Cap With their aluminium core design, Solid CAP's have been a staple in high-end component designs and provides lower Equivalent Series Resistance (ESR) as well as its over-10-year lifespan. The Future of Gaming • AMD FreeSync: The smoothest, fastest and most exciting gaming experience ever by eliminating screen tearing, display shutter and input lag. • 4K Ultra HD: Ultra-high resolution (UHD) delivers 4x the resolution of 1080p content, enabling much sharper and crisper images with delicate details during gaming. Prepare for VR with MSI To experience and enjoy the impressive world of Virtual Reality, high-performance hardware is required. MSI, world leading brand in high-end gaming and eSports, provides the right advice to make sure your system is VR Ready. Integrating the very best of cutting edge technologies in recommended MSI VR gaming hardware for smooth performance. Together with our VR partners, MSI brings gamers an extremely realistic VR experience where games come alive. Afterburner MSI Afterburner is the world’s most recognized and widely used graphics card overclocking utility which gives you full control of your graphics cards. It also provides an incredibly detailed overview of your hardware and comes with some additional features such as customizing fan profiles, benchmarking and video recording. Features All Solid Capacitors • 10 years long lifetime under full load. • Lower temperature and higher efficiency. • Aluminium core for higher stability. Afterburner Overclocking Utility • Wireless control through Android/iOS devices. • Predator: In-game video recording. AMD Eyefinity • Makes games more immersive by enabling you to play across multiple screens for an eye-popping gaming experience. AMD FreeSync™ • Synchronizes the display refresh to your Radeon RX Series GPU for the fast, smooth gaming. Warranty Please note your statutory rights are not affected. For further information regarding Scan's warranty procedure please see our terms and conditions Details Duration: 24 months Type: Direct DOA Period: 14 days RTB Period: 24 months Manufacturer Contact Details Manufacturer: MSI UK Support Telephone: 08708200009 TekSpek Guides AMD Radeon RX Vega Date Issued: 14th Aug 2017 Date Issued: 2017 is turning into a historic year for AMD. The chip giant has revitalised its CPU portfolio with competitive Ryzen processors, but that is just one part of the puzzle: stage two entails launching a GPU that can compete with NVIDIA's dominant GeForce. Read More Reviews

2019 Events Saturday February 23rd 10.30am Stroud. Radical Stroud Terminalia Walk This year, Radical Stroud are carrying out a circular walk in Oakridge. In honour of Terminus we will visit the site of Oakridge Common. It was enclosed in 1866 against local opposition and we will view the present day boundaries with an eye to the past. In our usual eclectic fashion we will also take in the site of a Roman villa, a long barrow and the crash site of a WW2 German bomber. Quiet lanes and footpaths and a few styles. A couple of steep climbs. Likely to be muddy. 2-3hours. (Also see some images from last years walk) Meet at 10.30 at the gate of the Church of St Bartholomew, Oakridge Lynch Latitude: 51.7291 / 51°43'44"N Longitude: -2.1277 / 2°7'39"W OS Eastings: 391278 OS Northings: 203385 OS Grid: SO912033 More details and a map on Radical Stroud's blog post 10.30am Glasgow, Scotland. Terminalia Glasguensis (Terminalia of Glasgow) Celebrate Terminalia Glasguensis on Saturday 23 February with a walk around the boundaries of the ancient town, following the River Clyde, the Molendinar and the St Enoch Burn. Terminalia is the ancient Roman festival of boundaries, held on the last day of the Roman year, when citizens and landed proprietors processed round the edges of their property and praised Terminus, the god of boundaries, for continued peace and stable borders. The walk begins in Glasgow city centre at 10.30 am, and will last around three hours. Bring drinks and snacks to share, and a small item to leave behind at a boundary point. If you would like to take part, please e-mail ronnie@ronnie-scott.com 10.30am Osaka, Japan: Widdershins Osaka 2019 A walking tour of time, place and the city! Join us Feb 23rd for a circular walk through downtown Osaka. The walk maps onto the Leeds bars onto Osaka. We will be walking from Yodoybashi at 10.30am and finish at the same place around 1pm. View poster for the walk. Organised by Gareth Morris Jones. For more information please email Gareth at garethmorrisjones@exweb.ne.jp 11am Seasalter, Kent: A Walk with Thread and Word in Seasalter for Terminalia Through Thread and Word we are organising a collaborative walk - inviting participation with interventions and eco-poetry in Seasalter which is between Whitstable and Faversham in Kent. There is a proposal to build 1,000s of solar panels, along part of our route through Seasalter which will decimate the surrounding environment. The walk will focus on the boundaries between alternative ways of producing energy and our surrounding environment and natural habitat. We already have a boundary sea wall to protect the surrounding land from the sea ..... as well as a boundary for fishing for bait .... (which we walked last year) and a graveyard of old Groynes to protect the beaches. The walk on Saturday Feb 23rd as part of Terminalia Festival which celebrates the Roman God of boundaries Terminus, will use the surrounding countryside to explore ideas and consider where we draw the line as we try to protect our environment. We will use threads to record our thoughts as we respond to the surrounding landscape and poetry readings chosen from the eco -poetry archive to inspire our thoughts related to the area. We will end up in a local pub 😊 where we will write a short declaration of findings it might even be a poem! I hope you can join us. Meeting for a 11am start from outside the Sportsman in Seasalter. The walk would last about an hour and a half walking on mostly flat terrain. Also visit the Faversham council listing of the walk. Please contact elspethpenfold@yahoo.co.uk directly if interested . More info can be found on Thread and Word Facebook Page. 12pm Barbican, London: The Act of Walking - Paving the Streets of London. This walk will start at White Cross Street but we will meet prior outside Barbican underground station at 12pm, it will last one hour, following the route of the 1542 Paving Act. Due to the walk having various stops and changing with the context of each experience, its end location remains unknown but will be somewhere along this route. The route will raise questions around human impact on the environment and urban topographies, whilst exploring the significance of the pavings history from all the way back in 1542 to the evidence of history from yesterday. We will explore the stones themselves, the cracks in them, the litter on top, the chewing gum tarred into them and finally the pebbles and the dirt. Organised by Lucy Faherty. If you are interested or want more information please email Lucy, it's handy to get a good idea of numbers before the walk. 12pm Swansea: The Infinite Lawn Join us on an mission to find The Infinite Lawn, a surreal exploration into urban sprawl and the continued greyifaction of the urban environment, as we attempt to walk a seamless greenbelt through the city by only permitting grass, moss or other flora to pass underfoot. Taking our cue from Italo Calvino's novel Mr. Palomar, we will practically explore the questions the novel raises around the symbolism and perceived homogeneity of the well manicured lawn, and the use of managed horticulture as public and private status symbols and boundaries. Join us on February 23rd for an epic hop, skip and jump across Swansea. Starting location TBC. For more information please visit the Facebook Event Page for the Infinite Lawn including details of participating at your own location. Organised by Mat Hutchinson / Stephen Donnelly and the team who attempted to levitate Swansea's Palace Theatre. 2.30pm Barletta, Apulia, Italy: "The Scenes of Crimini" Among the Perimeters of the Ancient Walls of Barletta After organizing, a few years ago, a temporary installation made of metal nets and enveloped and classified waste called "The crime scene" in Cassano Murge. The "garden of scraps" was an operation accomplished by collecting elements and garbage of all kinds and shown to the public in one of the most important squares for a few weeks. During the Festival of Psychogeography 2018, our journey took place in the direction of Porta Marina and then we crossed the Walls of Carmine and stopped at the Paraticchio, there we laid a chaplet of symbolic laurels to practice our ritual dedicated to Terminalia. Then we went along the borders that are no longer there ... the probable track of the beaten sixteenth-century city walls. In Piazza Castello, we placed another small laurel wreath at the foot of the monument to the missing in the sea This year for the Festival we propose a singular "walk" between the perimeter that contains very particular "boundaries" of the ancient center in the city of Barletta: "The Scenes of Crimini" Among the Perimeters of the Ancient Walls of Barletta The crime scene proposed here is a sort of identification of very singular places within the medieval walls where they were carried out in remote times acts of brutal violence: murders, murderers etc. We can imagine how many episodes may have occurred in ancient times in the square in front of the castle, along the walls of the Carmine, between the streets of the village! Returning through these tales and symbolic geolocalizations these particular boundaries, Pursing of the "titles" or symbolic stick stickers on the walls of the palaces, between the streets of the medieval nucleus is an operation that symbolically re-enacts buried episodes and forgotten tames ... ..In the so-called seaside village among the humble houses or the ancient palaces of civilians, between churches and buildings inhabited by monks / nuns. In the building next to the church of Sant 'Andrea, turned into a prison how many violences were consumed? In this way, we will perform a performance in which we will reactivate one of these criminal incidents, now forgotten, which took place in Barletta. The episodes we will mention are: 1) The massacre of the Terlizzesi occurred on 10 January 1899 near the disappearance "Porta Nuova", where the two brothers Baldassare da Terlizzi lost their lives 2) Aggression to the Evangelical Community in March 1866 that cost the lives of 4 people, of which only one of evangelical faith occurred near Via del Pesce. Schedule 14:30 Piazza Aldo Moro: Talk on Baldassare da Terlizzi murders 15.15 Walk around walls 16:00 Via Fieramosca: Talk "Le porte del morto". 16:30 Walk onto Via San Giorgio 17:30 Via Nazareth: Performance: 1866 the massacre of the Evangelists 18:30 Finish at a nice spot in the old town. Participants are asked to bring flowers to be placed along the path. For more details and to attend, please find details on the Event Poster. Organised by Bernado Bruno (blog) 3pm Utrecht, the Netherlands: The Lazy End The ancient Terminalia festival is particularly meaningful for the city of Utrecht, where ancient Romans once built a military fort on what is now the Domplein, marking the northernmost border of their vast empire. Starting at that very real Terminus (a God represented by a temporal or spatial boundary marker), this open participative walk will take us southwards to one of the city's storied streets - the Gansstraat. This street, bordered by a prison on one end and a cemetery on the other, is popularly known by its nickname The Lazy End, where "on one side they sit [captive], and on the other they lie." While walking down to The Lazy End, we will playfully explore Utrecht's many identities as a 'center' or 'boundary' and dwell on the notion of ending in life and times. Depending on weather conditions, we may indulge in a brief lie-in at the cemetery before the group returns to the city center for Terminalia Bacchanalia in a bar near het Ledig Erf. This walk is organized by Ienke Kastelein and Witold van Ratingen. Starting point: by the passage underneath the Domkerk. 15.00. For more details including the full schedule of the day please visit the Het Luie End - Terminalia Festival Walk event page on Facebook. 4pm Leeds: Beating the Bounds - Circular walk around medieval boundary of Leeds Leeds - Beating the Bounds. Bring treats to share, flowers to leave and drinks to keep you warm! With events, interventions, and special performances from local artists. We will be walking in an anti-clockwise direction around the city, visiting the ancient boundary stone markers that defined the medieval boundaries of the city. Traditionally, feasting and sacrifices were performed during Terminalia at boundary markers, and we will do the same with things like poetry, cake, flowers or a drink! The boundary markers around Leeds are called bars (gates, possibly that barred off an entrance) and mark the borders where the city ended and the countryside began. Most are recorded and some still exist. This year as we will be walking during the day we will be able to see the Burley Bar Stone which is inside a bank! (Check out the previous years pages to see what has happened before) Beating the Bounds: Additional Interventions and Performances * 'Out of It! Post-urban Desire Lines'. Edgeogs (Simon Bradley & Ursula Troche) will perform untidled voyages from the inner reaches to the outer reaches. * Anzir Boodoo will perform a traditional Roman blessing at a suitable spot along the walk (bus or train terminus) - possibly including an invocation to a Roman river god! * Wesley Perriman will stage an intervention very close to the East Bar stone. Attend Meet at 3.45 at the North Bar pub on New Briggate. We will leave on the dot at 4pm. The walk usually takes between 2 and 3 hours. Bring flowers to lay and drinks and treats to share. Other associated events.

▲ From left to right (Front row then back row): Ignar , Hans Sama , Hussain Moosvi , Maxlore , PowerofEvil , H1iva , Alphari , Joe Elouassi , and Ishmael . Getting second place in the EU LCS playoffs, the Misfits have been an underdog of the EU LCS. People claimed that they would lose to Fnatic and Unicorns of Love, yet they trumped all those expectations and came in second. Beating Unicorns of Love 3-0 and Fnatic 3-1. Although Misfits’ final roster has only been finalized quite recently, they have shown that they have incredible talent and are a team to definitely keep an eye out for. Coming to Korea for boot camp, Misfits has been training and doing non-stop scrims. It has been a little over 2 weeks now since they first arrived in South Korea. We luckily had the opportunity to grab Misfits for a quick interview in between their busy schedule. Let’s see what Misfits have in mind for boot camp, Worlds 2017, and the impression they want to leave on the international stage. ¤ To start things off, since you guys are not that well known in Korea, can you guys briefly introduce yourselves? Hussain Moosvi: Hi I’m Hussain, I have been the head coach for Misfits for a year and a half now. I’ve been with them since they got Challenger and am with them for Worlds now. H1iva: I’m H1iva also coach for Misfits. I’ve been with Misfits for a year or something like that. This is my first split doing actual coaching. Joe Elouassi: Hi I’m Joe. I am the CGO for Misfits. I take care of everything that has to do with the players. Our team manager isn’t here right now so I am just taking over the boot camp. Maxlore: Hi my name is Maxlore. I am the jungler for Misfits. I am pretty new to the team and I am here for Worlds 2017. PowerofEvil: I’m PowerofEvil. I have been in Misfits for one year now and I’m also here for Worlds. Ignar: I’m Ignar. The support for the EU LCS team, Misfits. Hans Sama: I’m Hans Sama and I have been playing with Misfits for over a year now. My role is ADC. Alphari: Hi i’m Alphari or Barney and I’ve been with Misfits since we started in the Challenger series qualifier. I’ve climbed from then to Worlds in a year and a half. ¤ How did you guys come up with the icon/mascot for Misfits? It is very unique. Joe Elouassi: I’m not really sure… it was there before I joined Misfits. I know our colors used to be different before. It used to be blue and orange, but when we partnered with the Miami Heat it became black and red, just as a tribute. The logo itself I am not sure. I know the rabbit is called ‘Fidget’ but I don’t really know how it started cause I wasn't here. ¤ How long have you guys been in Korea? Joe Elouassi: Some of the guys came before the others. The boot camp officially started on the 14th and everyone was here by the 14th, except for Ishmael our Sports Psychologist. I think Barney, H1iva, and Ignar came directly after the finals in Paris. They have been here for almost a month now. Alphari: We came around the 6th. Joe Elouassi: Sometime around then, and they just played solo queue. The others came a few days after and we started to scrim while trying to adjust to the jetlag. ¤ So you guys must have played a lot of solo queue then. Ignar: Yeah we did, Barney played a lot actually. He already hit challenger. Joe Elouassi: H1iva is our coach but he is also our sub because he is a high elo player. He is more of a positional coach. ▲ H1iva, coach and sub player ¤ How was the first time playing in solo queue for you Maxlore? Maxlore: It was so good (laughs). I learned so much.. In the first 10 games I learned so much. Compared to European solo queue, people open the games faster if you are losing and I had way more close 50 minute games. I would have to be more careful macro-wise compared to EU solo queue, where someone will just die in a side lane and you win the game from that. ¤ I am kind of nervous right now as well because it is the first time I interviewed a whole team at once (laughs) Joe Elouassi: Don’t worry, we don’t bite (laughs). ¤ As you guys know, Korean cuisine is a lot different from other cuisines, especially the spiciness. How have you guys coped with the food change? Hussain Moosvi: Some of us came to boot camp here before so we kind of got used to it. *Everyone laughs and agrees* PowerofEvil: I think some of us like it (spicy food) but then again some of us need to balance it with other foods. Joe Elouassi: When I was in Dignitas, we had a Korean chef so I ate Korean food for like 3-4 months. It was fine for me. ▲ 'That' much spiciness ¤ Onto Worlds this year. How was the Journey towards Worlds? Were there any problems? PowerofEvil: I think the start of the season was kinda rough since we had adjustments. We got a new jungler, Kakao to Maxlore, and weak communication. We had to work on the mid and jungle synergy as well. In the last few weeks of the LCS, we improved a lot and I am really happy because everyone doubted us. Everyone said we were going to lose against Unicorns of Love in the playoffs but we won against them. Everyone said we were going to lose against Fnatic and we won against them as well. H1iva: They said we were going to lose to G2 and we lost (laughs). PowerofEvil: So overall I am happy with how we reached Worlds and our group is fine as well. You guys know you can add something as well (talking to his teammates). Hans Sama: Everyone didn’t expect us to reach worlds but we won against UOL (Unicorns of Love) 3-0 and Fnatic 3-1. I think this year we can actually reach far in worlds. PowerofEvil: For Hans and Ignar, it is their first LCS and first time going into worlds. For me, I have played in the LCS for 3 years and the last 2 times I didn’t make it. I am even more happy that I made it after all the effort I put in. Joe Elouassi: I think from a family perspective, we have been the underdogs all the way through, so people think there should be no pressure on us, but we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to win. ¤ It must have been nice to beat UOL and Fnatic while being considered the underdogs. Joe Elouassi: We expected to beat G2 as well so we were a little disappointed with that. ¤ How do you guys feel about your group placements? Maxlore: No Korean Teams so… prety good (laughs). ¤ So are you guys somewhat happy with how the groups turned out? Maxlore: At least in my opinion, if you think your goal is to just make it out of groups and lose in the quarter or semi finals, you don’t really deserve to be here. If you care about winning worlds, at least I do, you should not care who you match up against in groups and just focus on beating them. PowerofEvil: Every team at worlds deserves to be there, so I think it is going to be a tough competition regardless. ¤ We recently got word from a Korean coach that TSM is looking good this year. Does this concern you guys? Hussain Moosvi: TSM has always claimed to be looking good every year and it is not like they are doing anything different this year round. Maybe this year, they can actually back up their words, but for us it doesn’t really matter. We have been considered the underdogs and we beat almost every team that got in our way. I don’t think TSM or any other team in our group is so far ahead of how we play, so we’re not really too concerned about TSM. Joe Elouassi: We are not scared. ¤ Are you guys fairly confident you can make it into the quarterfinals and above? Maxlore: I don’t think anyone will say no to that question (laughs). Joe Elouassi: As we said, everyone wants to win the tournament so I think we definitely can. PowerofEvil: I think we just need to adapt, especially in the group phase. It is all about adapting fast and learning what your opponents can do. Maybe not even steal but take the style of another team if the style is working really well. The group phase is all about learning and adapting fast, and since it is a best of 1 as well, you can lose to a team from cheese or win by cheesing them. It’s all about mind games, drafts, and playstyles. ¤ Moving onto a lighter topic, does anyone on the team have a rivalry with a specific team or player? Joe Elouassi: We say in the west that, there’s a meme with POE (PowerofEvil); POE and Bjergsen, since POE always beats Bjergsen in international tournaments. So if we had to pick, it would be TSM Bjergsen. Alphari: Ignar vs Biofrost. *Everyone laughs* Alphari: That was my initial thought when I saw TSM: holy crap it is Ignar vs Biofrost. ¤ Do you have any team you want to go up against Ignar? Ignar: Hmm…. Longzhu Gaming? ¤ Continuing that topic, do you guys have any specific teams you want to go up against in order to learn from/beat? PowerofEvil: For me, I really want to vs Maple and Bjergsen because they are two really good mid laners. I also want to face Faker or BDD. These four mid laners are probably the strongest mid laners in Worlds I want to face and hopefully I can learn a lot from them and maybe even beat them. Maxlore: I want to play against G2 again cause they smashed us in the playoffs. Hopefully, we can beat them in the finals if they can beat the rest. EU vs EU finals (laughs). Probably not going to happen. The junglers this year coming into worlds, none of them really stand out. Maybe Blank or Ambition but I think everyone else, even those two, don’t really worry me. Basically it won’t be as fun for me as a jungler this year compared to if I went to worlds last year. It is going to be boring for me. ¤ Which player would be the mood setter/hype man in the team? Joe Elouassi: I think everyone has their moments. Maxlore: Everyone is funny in their own way. Some players are funny because they have really stupid moments and some players like me are funny because they are comedians. ¤ Other than playing league and training, what other activities do you guys do? Maxlore: ‘mast------’ (laughs) Joe Elouassi: We actually play Warcraft 3 together as a team. We have actually done some 4v4s. PowerofEvil: Some of us play PUBG as well and outside activities like socce- I mean football. We went Go-karting as well. What other games do you play again Ingar? Ignar: PUBG? PowerofEvil: No the other game… I forgot what it was… Ignar: oh, Tekken! PowerofEvil: Everyone just has their own games. Alphari: and card games. PowerofEvil: Oh yeah and card games. Ignar is addicted to card games. Joe Elouassi: He plays the Piano a lot and Hans does animation. Ignar: and Barney…. Misfits: He is a machine Ignar: Always dresses the same and only spams solo queue. PowerofEvil: Never leaves the house you know? Joe Elouassi: H1iva and Barney play chess as well. H1iva is really good. Alphari: Obviously he hasn't played against me. Joe Elouassi: He is really good though… Alphari: Is it going to be one sided? Joe Elouassi: Yeah.. I guess you’re pretty ‘special’ too so… ▲ Warcraft 3, PUBG, Tekken, and The Solo Queue Machine ¤ In Korean solo queue, there are a plentiful amount of flamers. Which member in the team would flame the most in solo queue games? *Everyone points at Alphari* Alphari: I don’t flame… Ignar: He doesn’t chat but he talks to the screen. Alphari: I don’t say anything… Joe Elouassi: Wait hold up.. He won’t flame in chat but he will just flame to the screen. But, EU is considered one of the most toxic regions, even more toxic than KR. PowerofEvil: Even when people flame in Korean solo queue, I don’t know what they are saying so I don’t get tilted at all. Alphari: I think Koreans are the most toxic. They are toxic by never ‘ff-ing’ for the ‘inter’ so the game won’t end. Tristan (POE) will do this by never ff-ing and make his team play the game out… that’s how toxic he is. *Everyone laughs* Maxlore: I’m just sarcastic. I just comment in chat like “oh wow you’re really good!”. Joe Elouassi: POE actually changed his name. PowerofEvil: You know how Korean people say “if you buy Nashor’s tooth I go afk”? I changed my name to Nashor’s Tooth Mid Lane and plus the build is really fun you know? Everyone says I make troll builds but it is actually not bad. Ignar: You think the build is really good right?... PowerofEvil: It is good! Ignar: This is how troll he is… he goes Nashor’s not only on Orianna but also on every other mid laner like lux. Always comments “damn my auto attacks are so fast.. This is so nice!” PowerofEvil: It is not like I build it every game, like on Syndra I would never go Nashor’s. Against some mid laners like Corki, I would go Nashor’s cause it does more damage. Maxlore: I think his wallpaper on his phone is Nashor’s tooth…. PowerofEvil: wait what really? Maxlore: I think so. ▲ Alphari getting ready to flame at his screen ¤ You won’t use that build in worlds right? Ignar: I think he actually might… PowerofEvil: I think it actually might be really good. Alphari: *sighs* *Everyone laughs* PowerofEvil: Who knows.. I can’t say, it is a secret. I honestly think it might be better at worlds because no one really expects the damage from Nashor’s. They are going to be like “oh wtf?” Alphari: I don’t think they will be surprised by the damage, more so the item itself. Maxlore: I’m never pressing tab in our games now… Alphari: They’re going to say “oh no enemy Orianna is troll get me out”. ▲ Ignar and Hans Sama anxious about POE's build ¤ Were there any moments when you were thankful to a player on your team, in or outside of the game? Maxlore: I remember when POE gave up one wave to defend my raptor camp. That was a good moment but it will never happen again though… PowerofEvil: I think me and Hans really fit well together. We have good synergy in team fights and really match well together. ¤ Any moments when you get help from your teammates without asking for it? PowerofEvil: Oh, there was this one time when the enemy mid laner was playing really aggressive and my hero Ignar comes, with Alistar from behind. Ignar is my hero Maxlore: I’m just stuck in my jungle… PowerofEvil: But the difference is, I expect a gank from you since you are the jungler but bot lane doesn’t need to come. Ignar: One time my teammates came to help and failed so we were just like “okay guys we can just ff”. Alphari: If one of my teammates do that I’ll just say “do that one more time and see what happens”. Maxlore: There is a reason you’re playing a tank. It is impossible to fail mechanically. ¤ This one is for you Maxlore. Is there any lane that you always worry about and have to cover for? Maxlore: Not trying to revealing any of our picks or strategies. Certain team comps would make me worry about a certain person (won’t mention who). I worry that a certain player will die to an enemy jungler game at every point of the game. What I like to do is see our draft and review what I have to do as a jungler in that game. By doing this, we can get through the early game even if we are losing in lane. Usually I would play around mid because mid and jungle are the pillars of early game. But sometimes, I can’t play around mid if our mid is a champion that is really useless early game but scales well later. It just depends on the situation. At the end of the day, I have to trust my teammates not to die to jungle ganks and play the game. ¤ Do you guys have girlfriends? Misfits: Nope. PowerofEvil: We can focus on the game more. Maxlore: If Faker doesn’t have a girlfriend, I don’t have a girlfriend. ¤ Like POE, does anyone else have a ‘Nashor’s tooth-esque’ build that they have? PowerofEvil: Hans always tries insane rune pages. He says “omg this is so broken 41% attack speed so damn good!” Ignar: Hans will always get Doran’s Shield and get hit by every skillshot and say “Look! My health regen is insane… this is busted” Ignar: I, personally, like going Protobelt on support like Blitzcrank and rush Rylai’s and Ardent with it for fun. ▲ POE feeling very uneasy about the Protobelt build ¤ I saw a lot of Korean snacks in the room. Do you guys like the Korean snacks? PowerofEvil: Ignar usually just picks all the snacks for us and feeds us. Maxlore: You guys make really good chicken. ¤ Ignar seem very close to Hans Sama. Are you guys fairly close? PowerofEvil: Ignar always bullies Hans… Ignar, he is actually the bully of the team. ▲ Real life Synergy bot lane ¤ Are you guys all of similar age? PowerofEvil: Everyone is around 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 years old. ¤ To wrap things up, the main goal for Misfits is to win Worlds, but do you guys have any other goals in mind? Such as beating a certain player or beating a specific team, etc. Maxlore: I would say my goal is to play perfectly every game. I don’t really care about KDA unless you want to get girls, but I am a jungler so I don’t get many kills. PowerofEvil: My goals were to reach Worlds this year and to improve myself and I achieved both of those. I would say my additional goal is the same as Maxlore, play the best I can for every game. Ignar: I want to beat every bot lane I face against in Worlds. Hans Sama: I want to do my best and beat the enemy bot lane. Alphari: I think it is the same for me. I want to say “I want to beat every top laner” but the top laners in my group are not so good. I am excited to go against a Korean top laner and see how I match against them. The main goal is to do the best I can.

Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) trails Democratic gubernatorial rival John Bel Edwards by 12 points after edging out his Republican challengers in Saturday’s jungle primary, according to a Democratic poll made public Thursday. The survey conducted by Democratic polling firm Anzalone Liszt Grove on behalf of the anti-Vitter Gumbo PAC found Edwards, a state representative, leading the senator 52 percent to 40 percent. The runoff is Nov. 21. Notably, the poll found that voters who cast their ballots for losing Republican candidates Scott Angelle and Lt. Gov Jay Dardenne are now just as likely to choose Edwards as they are to choose Vitter. Forty-seven percent of those Republican voters said they’d be likely to move toward Edwards while 46 percent said they’d be likely to move toward Vitter. Those Republican voters also have a more favorable view of Edwards than they do of Vitter. Forty-seven percent of Angelle and Dardenne supporters said they viewed Edwards favorably compared to forty percent who said they viewed Vitter favorably. The poll surveyed 700 likely runoff voters by phone from Oct. 26-28. The survey had a margin of error of 3.7 percentage points. Correction: This post has been updated to reflect that Edwards leads Vitter 52-40, not 50-42.

UPDATED: December 18, 2013, at 2:36 a.m. In 2009, then-high school sophomore Eldo Kim ’16 earned first place in the state of Washington in the U.S. Institute of Peace essay contest for his composition, “Cultural Genocide: A Look into the Unknown.” On Tuesday, he was charged with threatening to set off explosives in Harvard buildings. Kim, the Quincy House sophomore who will appear in federal court Wednesday morning in connection with Monday’s bomb scare, was described by his peers as involved on campus and engaged in his schoolwork. They were stunned, they said, to hear that he had confessed to sending an emailed bomb threat to avoid a final exam. Kim has close ties to sites affected by the bomb threats in and around Harvard Yard, which was closed for several hours Monday morning amid building evacuations, a six-hour search by authorities, and the cancellation and rescheduling of final exams in several large courses. According to former Thayer residents, Kim lived as a freshman last academic year in Thayer Hall, one of the four buildings he is charged with threatening to target. He also has an older sister who serves as a proctor in Weld Hall, according to a former Weld resident. Advertisement “I find it very shocking that he would actually do this,” said Edward Cho ’16, who lived in Thayer with Kim last year. Kim is not listed on the Harvard College Facebook or the University’s online directory. His entry in the freshman register for the Class of 2016 says he hails from Seoul, South Korea, and attended Kamiak High School in Mukilteo, Wash. On the website of Harvard’s Institute for Quantitative Social Science, a profile of Kim from last academic year described him as a prospective psychology concentrator, while a cached version of Kim’s taken-down LinkedIn profile identifies him as a psychology and sociology concentrator. The Crimson could not immediately confirm Kim’s concentration. Friends and acquaintances, as well as online records, indicate that Kim was involved in a variety of campus activities, ranging from research to student media publications. Kim’s taken-down LinkedIn profile lists him as research assistant at the University’s inter-school Behavioral Insights Group Research Lab, a community teaching assistant for the HarvardX course CB22x: “The Ancient Greek Hero,” and a research scholar at the IQSS. The profile also lists Eleganza, the Harvard Independent, and the Harvard International Review as campus organizations in which he has been involved. Vivian E. Lee ’14, an executive producer for Eleganza, wrote in an email Tuesday evening that Kim was involved with Eleganza’s fashion committee. Lee wrote that she “only knew him in the context of Eleganza” but that she “knew him as quiet but very sweet.” “He always took the time to say hi in the dining hall and had some great ideas to contribute for the show,” Lee wrote. “Given my opinion of him, it was quite a shock to find out that he was responsible for the bomb hoax.” Kim is listed as a senior staff writer on the staff box of the Independent’s Sept. 19 issue. Angela Y. Song ’14, the Independent’s president, confirmed in a phone interview Tuesday evening that Kim was a writer for the publication. Christine R. Wolfe ’14, the Independent’s outgoing editor-in-chief, said in a phone interview Tuesday that few if any on the paper’s staff knew Kim well. Kim came to meetings infrequently, she said, “but when he did come, he was nice.” James R. M. Watkins ’16, a member of the HIR’s executive board, said Tuesday night that Kim had comped the organization but decided not to join this spring. Kim’s LinkedIn page indicates that he left the organization in March. Most of the two dozen acquaintances and friends of Kim approached for comment by The Crimson could not be reached or declined to comment, but several who did agree to be interviewed emphasized their shock upon learning that Kim was the suspect.

The province is raising the minimum wage by 20 cents to $10.60 an hour today, a hike it says is needed to keep pace with cost of living increases. Minimum wage rates are adjusted annually in Nova Scotia and are based on the previous year's national Consumer Price Index. This increase makes Nova Scotia"s minimum wage as the fifth highest in the country. Nunavut and Ontario have the highest minimum wage in the country at $11 an hour. The Northwest Territories has the lowest at $10 an hour. But not all hourly wage earners in Nova Scotia will earn $10.60 an hour as there is a lower rate for those with less than three months experience. It will also increase by 20 cents to $10.10 an hour. Most provinces have alternate rates of pay for specific workers. In Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario people who serve liquor are paid a lower rate. In Quebec, employees who usually receive gratuities are also paid less. The Retail Council of Canada says it supports Nova Scotia's approach of setting the minimum wage because it "is directly linked to the economy, is predictable, and allows retailers lead time to budget and manage changes to their labour costs."

Combine the Pluto powered magnetism of a Scorpio Sun with the stunning stage presence of a Leo Moon and the result is a Sun/Moon pairing that will have jaws dropping, heads turning, and pulses racing. Dramatic and magnetic, determined and ambitious, this pairing is difficult to resist and impossible to ignore. If this pairing has a theme song it’s either “Number One Stunna” by Birdman or “This is Why I’m Hot” by MIMS. Actress Veronica Lake, Hollywood’s original smokin’ hot femme fatale show-stopper, is a Scorpio Sun, Leo Moon. (Chart) Scorpio Sun represents the darkest of the dark while Leo Moon represents the brightest of the bright. The combination is correlated with high contrast and high drama. According to astrologer Jefferson Anderson, the collision of late autumn darkness with mid-summer sunshine produces the “Magnificent Obsession” who will be anything but pedestrian as they walk through life: You stand apart from the crowd. A rugged individualist, you have tremendous confidence and self-sustaining vitality, which make it unnecessary for you to rely on others for encouragement. People sense you are a leader for your presence alone is compelling. With a strong sense of the dramatic, you rarely do things halfway, and your actions and behavior are usually designed to attract attention. (Source) Actress Julia Roberts, who has been named one of People magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People in the World” list eleven times, is a Scorpio/Leo. (Chart) Like many Scorpio/Leo natives Roberts has major workaholic tendencies, having starred in a total of 42 films in the last 22 years. One of the most intensely romantic of the 144 Sun/Moon pairings, relationships are of extraordinary importance to this pairing. Actors do best in roles that match their Sun/Moon pairing so it’s no coincidence that Roberts is best known for roles in films with distinctly romantic themes such as Pretty Woman, My Best Friend’s Wedding, and Eat Pray Love. Actress Gabrielle Union is also a Scorpio/Leo who has carved out a successful acting career in romantic themed films such as Two Can Play That Game, Deliver Us from Eva and The Honeymooners. (Chart) Like many Scorpio/Leo natives Union is known for her compelling presence, attention getting style, and near total immunity to would be haters: This pairing can be more than a handful in relationships. Union, for instance, has been banned from sitting court side at Miami Heat basketball games for her intense trash talking of players, fans, referees, and even her own boyfriend NBA superstar Dwayne Wade. (Source) Not unlike her fellow Scorpio/Leo Julia Roberts, Union is a legit “Number One Stunner” whose show-stopping hair style has been known to, quite literally, set off the body scanner security alarms at airports: Actress Lauren Hutton, a former Vogue cover model and Revlon spokeswoman, is also a Scorpio Sun, Leo Moon. (Chart) At age 61 she is still a “number one stunner”, having recently posed naked and guest starred on the television show Nip, Tuck. (Source) Her Scorpio/Leo astrological pedigree comes through quite clearly in the 1984 film Once Bitten where she plays a centuries old vampire who keeps herself going by romancing much younger men, including the then 22 year old Jim Carrey. Scorpio Sun, Leo Moon: The Show Stopper and the Good Samaritan Don’t be fooled by the fact that Julia Roberts, Gabrielle Union and other Scorpio Sun, Leo Moon natives such as Veronica Lake and Lauren Hutton are known for stopping traffic, setting off body scanner alarms and stunning the daylights out of scandalously younger men. There’s much more to this pairing than just bright lights, big hair, and show-stopping style. Scorpio Sun, at its most profound, has an deep understanding of others’ emotional pain. Leo Moon, at its most generous, will give of its time, energy, and money as freely as the Sun gives its light and warmth. The combination make for a Sun/Moon pairing that will bring sunshine (Leo) to those trapped within even the most subterranean of emotional situations (Scorpio). Gabrielle Union, for instance, has donated generously to rape crisis centers. Commenting on why she has chosen to be public on the matter: This is why I now lobby for state legislatures across the country and the federal government to help raise funds and awareness for rape crisis centers, and I speak to all different kinds of people across the country about what happened to me. My goal is to never hear the words ‘me too’ from someone after I say ‘I was raped.’ (Source) Union’s Sun (identity) is closely conjunct her Black Moon Lilith, a point which in astrological canon represents the female survivor archetype. (Source) Her identity (Sun) is thus closely connected to being a survivor (Black Moon Lilith) of the darker experiences that people with Scorpio emphasized in their charts often endure. According to the Harveys, two metaphoric images that capture the highest expression of the Scorpio Sun, Leo Moon combination are, “A Samaritan mirrors sunshine into the depths of a dark pit bringing hope to those who live there . . . A sexy superstar creates a new charity.” (Source) Both images happen to be an excellent approximation of Mrs. Union. A sexy superstar, she has mirrored sunshine into the depths of the dark emotional pit that survivors of sexual assault so often fall into. Scorpio Sun, Leo Moon Astro-Twins: Actress Gabrielle Union, CEO George Zimmer The Harveys’ images also happen to be excellent approximations of one of Union’s Scorpio/Leo astro-twins, Men’s Warehouse CEO George Zimmer. (Chart) If Zimmer’s name doesn’t ring a bell his commercials for Men’s Warehouse probably will. They’re the ones that end with Zimmer delivering his signature line, “You’re gonna look great, I guarantee it.” A go-getter in the business world and a superstar of men’s clothing who specializes in helping others look like number one stunners, Zimmer has donated generously to marijuana legalization efforts. (Source) He’s also helped finance research into the use of MDMA, commonly called “Ecstasy”, as a therapy for those suffering from PTSD. A study he donated money for in 2005 included a rape victim who had suffered from nightmares for twenty five years. (Source) People with the same Sun/Moon pairing often bear an impossible to dismiss resemblance to each other even if they’re obviously not related by blood. For instance, take a look at these photos of Gabrielle Union and George Zimmer and notice how the camera picks up on a vibe of charismatic self-confidence and magnetic vitality in both of them: That Gabrielle Union and George Zimmer would both be legit number one stunners who also help those trapped in darkness is no surprise given their astrological pedigree. At its most noble expression Scorpio Sun, Leo Moon is both the showstopper who slows traffic with their superstar style and the Good Samaritan who renders assistance to those in desperate need. About the Author: Matt Savinar is a California licensed attorney (State Bar #228957), voluntarily inactive as of June 2013. He can be reached for questions, comments, or astrological consults at his contact page. The premier issue of Hexagon, now shipping:

• Agent Dirk De Vries claims French side tried to sign teenager • 'He earns more than Ronaldo and Messi when they were 18' Adnan Januzaj's agent has claimed the Manchester United winger turned down a lucrative offer from Paris Saint-Germain before signing a new deal that made him "the world's highest-paid youngster" in October. Januzaj was voted man of the match in United's 3-1 victory over Hull on Tuesday night and has been a rare bright spot in a difficult season for last year's champions. The 19-year-old – who recently pledged his internatinal future to Belgium – signed a five-year contract reportedly worth around £50,000 a week to stay at Old Trafford despite interest from elsewhere. "Minutes before Adnan signed a new deal at Manchester United, PSG offered us an astonishing deal. As Adnan was a free agent at the end of the season, the Qatari were ready to offer anything," agent Dirk De Vries told Belgian publication Sport/Voetbalmagazine. "It could have been interesting from a commercial point of view. But money has never been a deciding factor in his choice. "I can say Adnan's the best paid youngster in the world. He earns more than [Cristiano] Ronaldo and [Lionel] Messi when they were 18. It could have been interesting from a commercial point of view. But money has never been a deciding factor in his choice." Januzaj escaped serious injury on Tuesday after Hull's David Meyler appeared to stamp on him during United's win at Old Trafford. Former United captain and Hull manager Steve Bruce believes the teenager's performance showed his vast potential. "It can't be dark times when you have someone like Adnan Januzaj, he is only 18 and he looks a proper, proper player," he said. "In Januzaj they have the outstanding young player in Europe."

Flu shots only 9% effective for elderly MEDICINE FILE - In this Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013 file photo, Carlos Maisonet, 73, reacts as Dr. Eva Berrios-Colon, a professor at Touro College of Pharmacy, injects him with flu vaccine during a visit to the faculty practice center at Brooklyn Hospital in New York. Health officials said Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013 this season's flu shot was only 9 percent effective in protecting seniors against the most common and dangerous flu bug. Flu vaccine tends to protect younger people better than older ones and is never 100 percent effective. But experts say the preliminary results are disappointing and highlight the need for a better vaccine. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File) less FILE - In this Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013 file photo, Carlos Maisonet, 73, reacts as Dr. Eva Berrios-Colon, a professor at Touro College of Pharmacy, injects him with flu vaccine during a visit to the faculty ... more Photo: Bebeto Matthews, Associated Press Photo: Bebeto Matthews, Associated Press Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Flu shots only 9% effective for elderly 1 / 1 Back to Gallery Atlanta -- It turns out that this year's flu shot is doing a startlingly dismal job of protecting senior citizens, the most vulnerable age group. The vaccine is proving only 9 percent effective in people 65 and older against the harsh strain of the flu that is predominant this season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. Health officials are baffled as to why this is so. But the findings help explain why so many older people have been hospitalized with the flu this year. Overall, across the age groups studied, the vaccine's effectiveness was found to be a moderate 56 percent, which means those who got a shot have a 56 percent lower chance of winding up at the doctor with the flu. That is somewhat worse than in other years. This flu season had some of the highest hospitalization rates in a decade for people 65 and older, at 146 per 100,000 people.

The researchers found that from age 20 to 56, obese people racked up the most expensive health costs. But because both the smokers and the obese people died sooner than the healthy group, it cost less to treat them in the long run. On average, healthy people lived 84 years. Smokers lived about 77 years and obese people lived about 80 years. Smokers and obese people tended to have more heart disease than the healthy people. Cancer incidence, except for lung cancer, was the same in all three groups. Obese people had the most diabetes, and healthy people had the most strokes. Ultimately, the thin and healthy group cost the most, about $417,000, from age 20 on. The cost of care for obese people was $371,000, and for smokers, about $326,000. The results counter the common perception that preventing obesity will save health systems worldwide millions of dollars. Newsletter Sign Up Continue reading the main story Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up You will receive emails containing news content , updates and promotions from The New York Times. You may opt-out at any time. You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters. "This throws a bucket of cold water onto the idea that obesity is going to cost trillions of dollars," said Patrick Basham, a professor of health politics at Johns Hopkins University who was unconnected to the study. He said that government projections about obesity costs are frequently based on guesswork, political agendas and changing science. "If we're going to worry about the future of obesity, we should stop worrying about its financial impact," he said. Obesity experts said that fighting the epidemic is about more than just saving money. "The benefits of obesity prevention may not be seen immediately in terms of cost savings in tomorrow's budget, but there are long-term gains," said Neville Rigby, spokesman for the International Association for the Study of Obesity. "These are often immeasurable when it comes to people living longer and healthier lives." Van Baal described the paper as "a bookkeeping exercise" and said that governments should recognize that successful smoking and obesity prevention programs mean that people will have a higher chance of dying of something more expensive later in life. Advertisement Continue reading the main story "Lung cancer is a cheap disease to treat because people don't survive very long," van Baal said. "But if they are old enough to get Alzheimer's one day, they may survive longer and cost more." The study, paid for by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports, did not take into account other potential costs of obesity and smoking, such as lost economic productivity or social costs. "We are not recommending that governments stop trying to prevent obesity," van Baal said. "But they should do it for the right reasons."

There are roughly three kinds of restaurants: new spots, old standbys, and the ones you’ve been meaning to visit forever. Maybe your metro Phoenix restaurant bucket list includes famous names like Pizzeria Bianco, Barrio Café, and Little Miss BBQ. Maybe your ears turn slightly pink with shame when forced to admit in public that you’ve never eaten at any of them. When it comes to restaurants that any self-respecting Phoenician should try at least once — places too good to ignore for much longer — here are 10 more to add to your list. Andreoli Italian Grocer 8880 East Via Linda, Scottsdale 480-614-1980 This year marks Andreoli’s 10th anniversary in Scottsdale, which seems like the perfect excuse to savor the virtues of chef-owner Giovvani Scorza’s Italian restaurant and market all over again — or perhaps for the first time. The sprawling menu of homemade salumi, bread, antipasti, salads, sandwiches, and salads, plus a bakery case teeming with pastries and cakes, is ingeniously crafted to inspire peccati di gola: the sin of gluttony. The grilled calamari is always a good idea, as is the porchetta sandwich, stuffed with sumptuously fatty, garlicky ribbons of pork. It is probably against local ordinance to leave Andreoli’s without taking home a few desserts. The pistachio cake, a dense and ultra-moist tour de force bulging with pistachio-flavored frosting, has been known to produce feelings of intense joy. Continue Reading Little Saigon Restaurant 7016 North 57th Avenue, Glendale 623-939-6136 Little Saigon is one of the oldest Vietnamese restaurants in metro Phoenix; maybe you remember its run at the old ’90s-era Christown Mall. The family-run restaurant migrated to downtown Glendale more than a decade ago, making its home in a historic bungalow framed with white picket fencing. It’s still a gem. The shrimp-stuffed spring rolls are consistently plump and fresh, the banh xeo crepe is gorgeously crisp and flavorful, and gurgling hot pots of sauteed shrimp and spicy fish sauce still warms both belly and soul. The dessert selection, which includes options like coconut- or taro-flavored shaved ice, is not to be missed. Pane Bianco 4404 North Central Avenue, #A 602-234-2100 Pane Bianco is perhaps the quietest sibling in the growing family of Bianco restaurants, an understated spot closely associated with its heavenly split focaccia sandwiches. Those sandwiches have been putting soggy desk lunches to shame for more than a decade — the baked-to-order, wood-fired focaccia is spongy and powdery-soft, and bulges with ingredients like soppressata, house-made mozzarella, and roasted peppers. What used to be a lunch-only spot has expanded its repertoire over the years — the restaurant started serving dinner a few years ago, and pizza and entrees have found their way onto the menu. All of which means you’ve run out reasons for not eating there. EXPAND Birria tacos at Hola Cabrito. Jackie Mercandetti Hola Cabrito 4835 South 16th Street 602-513-8384 Hola Cabrito is missing most of the things you would normally associate with a destination restaurant in metro Phoenix — there is no well-lit patio with high-end lawn furniture, no famous chef in the kitchen, no tantalizing city or desert views. But Hola Cabrito is one of the hottest tickets south of Buckeye Road, especially on weekend mornings, when a short line trails out the door and the adjacent gravel parking lot gets jam-packed with cars and vendors. The specialty — the thing people wait in line for — is birria de chivo, Mexican braised goat stew, a dish known to smooth away the first signs of a winter cold. You can have it in a bowl, dampened with rich, garlicky consomme broth. Or you can order it without the consomme, the meat softly shredded and heaped on a platter, served with a short stack of corn tortillas, plus all the fixings (chopped onions, cilantro, and homemade salsa). Request the meat tatemada, gently crisped up on the grill, which deepens its natural earthiness and richness. You’ll be glad you came. Rhema Soul Cuisine 1153 East Jefferson Street, #1 480-987-1460 Tucked into a nondescript building near downtown Phoenix, the Childs family has devised a delicious, notably creative menu that draws inspiration from traditional Southern, Caribbean, and Jamaican cooking. You’ll want the chicken and waffles plate, featuring a fluffy red velvet waffle served with crispy, boneless chicken. And there are St. Louis-style ribs, the small bundles of ribs so tender that you can practically fold the meat into your mouth. Traditional sides are uniformly good, including a baked macaroni casserole of thick, buttery noodles, bound together by no less than seven kinds of melted cheese. BP Street Cafe 1845 East Broadway, #127, Tempe 480-268-7331 This family-run Malaysian cafe in Tempe is a noodle-lover’s paradise. Before you dive into the entrees, though, it’s worth trying one of the restaurant’s specialty drinks, which includes bandung, a frothy cotton candy pink drink made with milk and rosewater. It pairs well with the menu’s spicier items. If standard-issue chicken noodle soup is too tame for you, perhaps then you were made for laska, Malaysia’s famously spicy coconut-infused soup. It’s served medium-spicy, with rice noodles, chicken, and fried cubes of tofu. Keep an eye out for off-menu specials like rendang, a labor-intensive meat dish served in an irresistibly rich, gravy-like curry. EXPAND The pies at LAMP Pizzeria are worth the drive to North Scottsdale. Jacob Tyler Dunn LAMP Pizzeria 8900 East Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale 480-292-8773 It’s true that LAMP Pizzeria, located in north Scottsdale, is about a 40-minute drive from downtown Phoenix. But Matt Pilato’s gorgeously wood-fired pies, which often taste like they aspire to be the best in the city, are worth the long haul from most corners of the Valley. The Gem pizza remains a highlight — a texture-rich pie that’s mosaicked with fresh dollops of ricotta, crisped-up flakes of pepperoni, and hunks of the restaurant’s homemade Sicilian sausage. It’s breathtakingly good. Long wait times are not unusual on the weekends, and the best place to wait for an open table is next door at LAMP Cafe, the pizzeria’s sister restaurant. There you can whet your appetite with homemade mignulata, a Southern Italian stuffed bread oozing with ingredients like sausage, pecorino, peas, and potatoes. Yasu Sushi Bistro 4316 East Cactus Road 602-376-9823 The uncommonly good restaurant, camouflaged by a drab, run-of-the-mill strip mall, has become a cliche in metro Phoenix. It’s become a cliche because of restaurants like Yasu Sushi Bistro, a cozy, upscale Japanese restaurant that brings a taste of Tokyo to an otherwise nondescript strip mall near Paradise Valley Mall. This is a chef-driven restaurant, one where you suspect that chef-owner Yasu Hashino personally selects all the seafood that goes into assembling every piece of nigiri. Put yourself in the chef’s hands with the omakase, a multicourse tasting menu that you must order several days in advance, but which is perhaps the best way to experience chef Hashino’s culinary artistry and fondness for hard-to-find Japanese ingredients. Service is not always speedy, but Yasu Sushi Bistro seems best enjoyed in izakaya pub fashion — with some shochu and plenty of time on your side. There are about nine different tacos offered daily at Tacos Sahuaro. Patricia Escarcega Tacos Sahuaro 2320 North 32nd Street 602-366-5435 I am not suggesting you eat your feelings or drown your sorrows in queso. But if you’re going to do it, there are much worse places than Tacos Sahuaro. True, there are no margaritas or micheladas, or even Coronitas, at this friendly, counter-service Mexican restaurant. But there is a very steady supply of top-notch tacos, sopes, gorditas, and quesadillas, served in an unassuming dining room that has the old-fashioned airs of your abuelita’s living room. The best way to experience Tacos Sahuaro is to bring a group, so that you can try something from every corner of the menu. The homemade gorditas, especially, are wonderful. Or come alone — the carne asada and spicy chicharrón tacos will taste just as good, and you won’t even have to share. Nocawich 777 South College Avenue, #105, Tempe 480-758-5322 Sometimes, in my weaker moments, I think with envy about the ASU students and university staffers whose dorm rooms and offices are within walking distance to Nocawich. The sleek sandwich shop — and progeny of the Phoenix’s late, great Noca restaurant — is only open for breakfast and lunch, and generally closed on the weekends. It’s a slightly tragic state of affairs that means eating here will probably require some finessing of your weekday lunch schedule. It’s worth planning ahead, though, for something like the What the Cluck? — a delightfully well-executed fried chicken sandwich that crackles with texture and sweet-savory flavor. There’s also the restaurant’s beautifully crisp french fries, and the Meyer Lansky, a sandwich whose house-made pastrami is alone worth the drive to Tempe.

The T-shirts support any team but England at this year's World Cup A company selling "Anyone but England" T-shirts for this year's World Cup has rejected suggestions it is racist after police in Aberdeen visited its store. Police warned Slanj, which also has stores in Glasgow and Edinburgh, that a window display featuring the shirt could cause offence. Grampian officers advised a store worker to consider whether the display was appropriate and should be removed. A spokesman for Slanj said staff were "flabbergasted" by the warning. Ross Lyle, from the company, said: "To be honest we're absolutely flabbergasted. "We have been selling this T-shirt for the past three months and we've had a great response. We would be failing in our duty if we did not make people aware of the potential for disturbance such a window display could cause Pc Kirk Hemmings Grampian Police "Even the English people who come into the store think it's a laugh and just a bit of tongue-in-cheek football banter. "We're certainly not being racist. We are the same race as the English. It's just daft to say it's offensive." A spokesman for Grampian Police said the force's visit to the Slanj store was not in response to any public complaint about the shirt slogan and was prompted by an officer acting on his own initiative. In a statement, the force said it was purely an "advisory visit" and there was no criminal investigation as a result. Pc Kirk Hemmings added: "The primary role of any police force is to preserve the peace and we would be failing in our duty if we did not make people aware of the potential for disturbance such a window display could cause. "The Grampian area, in common with the rest of the country, has recorded incidents relating to nationality and we have a responsibility to do our best to ensure that incidents of this nature are kept to a minimum. "The public expect no less of us." Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version

The U.S. ambassador to Mexico has resigned after the publication of U.S. diplomatic cables that criticized that government’s anti-drug fight, infuriating the Mexican president. Carlos Pascual appears to be the first senior U.S. diplomat to lose his job because of the WikiLeaks revelations. He had been stationed in Mexico for 19 months. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in a statement Saturday evening that she had accepted Pascual’s resignation “with great regret.” “Carlos has relayed his decision to return to Washington based upon his personal desire to ensure the strong relationship between our two countries and to avert issues raised by President [Felipe] Calderon that could distract from the important business of advancing our bilateral interests,” she said. Calderon has publicly criticized Pascual, telling The Washington Post early this month that he was angered by the U.S. ambassador’s characterization of the Mexican army as “risk-averse” in going after drug traffickers. Calderon also said the cables laid bare U.S. attempts to play Mexican agencies off against one another in the drug fight. Calderon said he intended to talk to President Obama in a meeting on March 3 about his troubles with Pascual. The White House and Clinton have steadfastly expressed support for Pascual, a 23-year veteran of the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development. Pascual has been a leading architect of U.S. policy toward Mexico, particularly the latest developments in the Merida Initiative, a joint effort to fight soaring drug violence. He is highly regarded at the senior levels of the State Department, and Clinton’s statement said he will assume a new position there. Analysts say the opinions expressed by Pascual and other U.S. diplomats in the classified documents aren’t surprising to most people who follow the drug fight in Mexico. But the Mexican government clearly felt exposed upon publication of the criticism by a close ally, which became a media sensation.

Over the past eight years - the Obama administration has never let a crisis go to waste. The Orlando terrorist attack was no different. President Obama co-opted an Islamic radical terrorist attack and turned it into a campaign to ban “assault rifles” (their words, not mine). Click here to join Todd’s American Dispatch: a must-read for conservatives! “We have to make it harder for people who want to kill Americans to get their hands on weapons of war that let them kill dozens of innocents,” the president declared. So does he plan on confiscating our pressure cookers? What about fertilizer or cutlery or jetliners? Would that make us safer? “Enough talking about being tough on terrorism,” the president said in a lecture to the nation on Tuesday. “Actually be tough on terrorism, and stop making it easy as possible for terrorists to buy assault weapons.” Click here to get Todd’s latest book! It’s your primer on how to restore traditional American values! If the president really wanted to be tough on terrorism, he would actually acknowledge the real enemy and he would stop making it easy for the jihadists to cross our borders. “Reinstate the assault weapons ban,” he demanded. “Make it harder for terrorists to use these weapons to kill us.” How about making sure Americans have the tools necessary to defend themselves and their families against the jihadists? How about you stop being an apologist for the Islamists – and start being a Commander-in-Chief for the United States? The mainstream media has been more than willing to take up the president's cause. The New York Daily News leading the charge with a front page headline blaming the National Rifle Association for the Orlando massacre. In today's edition - they accused NRA members of being traitors. Traitors. “Thanks, NRA. Because of your continued opposition to an assault rifle ban, terrorists like this lunatic can legally buy a killing machine and perpetrate the worst mass shooing in U.S. history,” another headline screamed. Can you believe people actually read this garbage? The anti-gun crowd has become unhinged. Truth is, most of them would not be able to tell the difference between an AR-15 and a Super Soaker. They do not understand this central truth: the Second Amendment protects all of the other Amendments. What happened in Orlando was the work of a jihadist - not a law-abiding NRA member. It was an Islamic radical who slaughtered those people -- not a deer hunter. Chris Cox, the executive director of the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action, summed it up nicely in a USA Today editorial: “It’s time for us to admit that radical Islam is a hate crime waiting to happen. The only way to defeat them is to destroy them – not destroy the right of law-abiding Americans to defend ourselves.” The enemy is radical Islam, folks -- not the NRA.

It was a good system: Each generation would get its turn at the media steering wheel, allowing people in their thirties and forties to talk incessantly about how anything and everything that happened in their teens and early twenties was tremendously consequential and yet somehow criminally underrated. After that, these people were swept aside, and the next generation would rewrite history all over again. I grew up in the ’80s and ’90s, when baby boomers had their run memorializing the Beatles on Ed Sullivan and the game-changing brilliance of All in the Family with countless Time magazine covers and major TV network retrospectives. I assumed something similar would happen for the MTV debut of “November Rain” and the revolutionary competence of ABC’s TGIF lineup. And I guess that did happen, sort of. Arsenio Hall has a talk show again. Ed Kowalczyk is still putting out solo records. My people allowed these things to happen. But the world has changed. By the time my generation had its hand on the controls, the media power structure was diminished. Now we can’t force kids to watch our nostalgia fests. Instead, we have to be satisfied with the Internet and social media, where it’s more difficult to proclaim the superiority of the past over the din of nattering youngsters. “The kids are coming up from behind,” some old dude whose band broke up in a distant time called 2011 once said. In the postapocalyptic media hellscape, you have to fight for your sliver of attention 140 characters at a time. The reality of a perpetually splintering media culture is that it’s very difficult to not be wholly aware of your own relative insignificance. For instance, those boomers could wax poetic about how Jimi Hendrix ended the war in Vietnam with his incendiary rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Woodstock; they believed they were acting in the interest of history and not their own solipsism. But in 2013, everything in the media seems solipsistic — there are just too many constituencies with fully formed, well-articulated points of view to pretend that most experiences are universal. The downside of this is that it reminds us how utterly alone we are, alienating everyone. But it invariably has also made the public savvier about how the media frames reality in accordance with a certain (and not always amenable) agenda. A person who argues that anything is equally “important” to all people is immediately suspected of being full of shit. This is why I’ve chosen to write about In Utero by talking about August and Everything After. In accordance with its 20th anniversary, the third and final Nirvana studio album is being reissued next week. In Utero will arrive in a variety of packages, including the requisite four-disc “super-deluxe edition” that include more than 40 tracks of unearthed B sides, demos, live cuts, and rehearsal tapes. One of these tracks, an instrumental called “Forgotten Tune,” is being touted as a recently unearthed discovery. The In Utero reissue will also present a newly remixed version of the record, along with the original LP overseen by producer Steve Albini — a curious choice considering the trumped-up controversy over In Utero‘s supposedly unlistenable sound quality that dominated the discourse about the record before it was released. Of the many acts that have been perpetrated over Kurt Cobain’s dead body, cleaning up In Utero might not be the most egregious, but it does seem to contradict the spirit of the project. I’m not going regurgitate the reasons why In Utero is the most artistically trenchant statement to emerge from the ill-fated grunge movement, nor am I going to delve into my own past to illustrate the intensity of my personal connection to this album. I’m also not going to do the opposite of this and build a counterintuitive argument about how In Utero actually isn’t that good and why millions of people are dumb for caring about it 20 years later. On the off chance you’re not already sick to death of reading about Nirvana, let me state the following for the record: I think In Utero is the fourth-best rock album of the ’90s, behind Radiohead’s OK Computer, My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless, and Guided by Voices’ Alien Lanes. It has probably my favorite “track one, side one” of all time, “Serve the Servants,” which also has my favorite opening line to an album ever: “Teenage angst has paid off well / now I’m bored and old.” Dave Grohl’s drums have never sounded better than they do on In Utero. (The only counterargument is Foo Fighters’ The Colour and the Shape.) When I play In Utero now, it’s still powerful in that familiar raw and ravaged way, though it’s impossible for me to hear this album strictly as music and not as a full-on evocation of my high school years. I’m reluctant to delve deeper because I suspect there will be plenty of other people who will be delving the hell out of In Utero in the next week. Music websites have turned “anniversary” stories on classic albums into a cottage industry. Records a lot less notable than In Utero are rehashed and re-celebrated on a near-weekly basis. I’m not knocking it — I’ve written these stories myself. They’re fun. Readers enjoy clicking on breaking news about their own iTunes queues, and rock critics like paying homage to records they’ve been thinking about for most of their lives. For a music writer, having the opportunity to exhume classic albums and perform your own autopsy is like a political reporter getting an invite to re-report Watergate. Rather than investigate In Utero, I’m interested in revisiting a record that was released one week earlier, Counting Crows’ August and Everything After. I wouldn’t say I like August and Everything After as much as In Utero, but it’s not far off. I was a huge fan of both records in ’93 — and still am in ’13 — and I know I’m not the only one. August and In Utero existed in essentially the same context — their videos were played during the same Alternative Nation segments on MTV, their singles were heard on the same radio stations, and many of the people who bought the Nirvana record also bought the Counting Crows record. August was actually more popular than In Utero, eventually selling 7 million copies. The album’s big hit, “Mr. Jones,” is arguably better known than any Nirvana song with the exception of “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” And it’s not like Counting Crows fell off the face of the planet afterward: Its next record, Recovering the Satellites, debuted at no. 1 on the Billboard album charts, and every Counting Crows album since then has debuted in the top 10 (save for 2012’s all-covers record, Underwater Sunshine (Or What We Did on Our Summer Vacation), which entered at no. 11). Counting Crows’ most popular radio songs of the 21st century — an execrable cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” and the Shrek 2 dreck “Accidentally in Love” — are easily the worst tracks in the band’s catalogue, which hasn’t helped its already deficient coolness quotient. But the band’s output has been admirably consistent and worthwhile (if not especially voluminous) over the course of two decades. And yet I suspect that August and Everything After won’t get the same coverage as In Utero. They certainly haven’t been put on the same plane before now, and the reason why is obvious: Counting Crows has a bad-to-nonexistent standing with most critics. Music writers either don’t like them or don’t consider them worthy of thinking about one way or the other. Among “normal” people, Counting Crows is a group you can casually mock without having to justify it. I don’t think it’s necessarily the consensus opinion that Counting Crows sucks, because I know plenty of people who couldn’t care less about the band’s albums but will concede that “Round Here” is a great song. It’s just accepted that Counting Crows signifies a lot of what’s retroactively considered embarrassing about ’90s rock — the earnestness, the over-the-top emotionalism that veers into whininess, and the weird combination of sullenness about fame and the intense interest in crafting singles that are still played endlessly on the radio. What’s funny (or maybe just confusing) about all of this is that what makes Counting Crows seem dated in the minds of serious music fans is what also makes Nirvana seem immortal. The canonization of Kurt Cobain is based on the premise that he was an “authentic” person — he critiqued the star system while also embodying what a rock star is supposed to be, and he did so better than any musician of his time (or since). Adam Duritz, meanwhile, isn’t perceived like that, even though he’s authentic in a similar way. I’m not suggesting that Counting Crows is as good as or better than Nirvana, or that Duritz deserves the same iconic status that’s afforded to Cobain. My point is that we’ve chosen to remember Counting Crows as being more different from Nirvana than it really was in 1993. Both bands were signed to the same label, Geffen. (They even had the same A&R guy, Gary Gersh.) They were both known primarily for songs (“Mr. Jones” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit”) that commented ironically on the entertainment industry. August and Nirvana’s Geffen debut, Nevermind, were both pop-oriented smashes that led to noisier, angrier, and less successful follow-ups. The no. 2 tracks on August (“Omaha”) and Nevermind (“In Bloom”) are set in unforgiving rural environments; the no. 8 tracks (“Sullivan Street” on August, “Drain You” on Nevermind) are about romantic breakups. Both bands were fronted by singer-songwriters known for their struggles with mental illness and love lives that unfolded in the tabloids. The difference is that Kurt Cobain is now an eternally romanticized dead person, while Adam Duritz exists among the eternally awkward living. If you’re a songwriter who’s known primarily for writing sad or even downright depressing songs, you typically fall into one of two camps. The first is preferable, and it’s reserved for the “tangentially” sad. “All Apologies” is a tangentially sad song. The subject matter isn’t necessarily morose — Cobain dedicated “All Apologies” to Courtney Love and Frances Bean, which suggests that he associated the song with his attempt to find an oasis of peace in his life. But it’s impossible to hear “All Apologies” now and not think about Cobain’s death. Like much of In Utero and the entirety of MTV Unplugged in New York, “All Apologies” now seems to be exclusively about the events that led up to his suicide. It’s a sad song because of how it relates to the person who created it and the tragedy that eventually befell him — this is also true for songs by Nick Drake, Joy Division, and Jeff Buckley, among others. The second camp is a lot less glamorous — it’s just realistically sad. “Anna Begins” by Counting Crows is an example of a realistically sad song. It describes a scenario that occurs in nearly everyone’s life at least once (if you’re lucky) between the ages of 16 and 23: A person falls in love with a friend, the friend is interested in possibly reciprocating, they consummate their feelings, it doesn’t work, and the relationship is ruined. The song is so direct and plainspoken that it hardly seems like art; it just sounds like dialogue that’s been transcribed from a million arguments between emotionally exhausted parties: It does not bother me to say this isn’t love Because if you don’t want to talk about it then it isn’t love And I guess I’m going to have to live with that But I’m sure there’s something in a shade of gray Or something in between And I can always change my name if that’s what you mean I don’t know if I ever said those exact words to a woman, but I’ve said something like those words. And hearing Duritz sing them never fails to make me cringe a bit. Not because it makes me think about Duritz and the circumstances of his life, but because it makes me think about my life, and not a particularly good part of my life. This is Duritz’s unique talent as a songwriter: He vividly re-creates the feeling of your lowest of personal lows — the “it’s 4:30 a.m. on a Tuesday and it doesn’t get much worse than this” moments that many of us would just as soon forget. Listening to In Utero makes those moments seem noble; it connects you with a rock legend and elevates your feelings to similarly larger-than-life status. Listening to August and Everything After makes loneliness seem like what it really is: a small and pitiful feeling drenched in a disgusting cocktail of tears and snot that causes outsiders to recoil. If talking about culture is really a vehicle for people to talk about themselves, then it’s not surprising that remembering the former is more tantalizing than remembering the latter. In Utero represents who we’d like to be; August and Everything After is who we want to hide. It’s not musical history we’re revising. It’s our own.

Over half of Britons would vote to leave the European Union, a poll conducted on behalf of the ‘out’ campaign revealed on Friday, with just 47 percent of respondents suggesting they want Britain to remain part of the bloc. The results come as two major London hedge-funds have signaled they will pump millions of pounds into the ‘in’ campaign. The poll was carried out by Survation, which said the results mark the first sample of public opinion since Prime Minister David Cameron outlined his demands for a renegotiation of the terms of Britain’s membership of the bloc. Cameron has said he wants to stay in a reformed EU and will call a referendum before the end of 2017. However, he said if his demands are not met then he could campaign to leave. Read more The results show 53 percent of the 2,007 respondents to take the survey between November 9 and 11 are in favor of leaving the EU. It also found some 22 percent are confident Cameron can secure a beneficial agreement. Most of the respondents want Cameron to focus on negotiating more secure borders and restrict benefits for migrants. Last week, Cameron laid out his terms for renegotiation. In a letter to president of the EU, Donald Tusk, he said he wants to change welfare payments to migrants, install safeguards for countries outside the eurozone, promote more business competition and for Britain to be excluded from the principle of “ever closer union.” Following Cameron’s letter, UKIP leader Nigel Farage said the PM had “already surrendered” and was “doing nothing” to address the public’s concerns about Europe. However, the ‘in’ campaign received a boost on Friday when two major hedge-fund managers said they would provide financial support for the movement. The announcement will come as a relief to Cameron, who had previously feared that fund managers, frustrated by Brussels’ attempts to impose strict regulation, may bankroll the ‘out’ campaign. While the ‘out’ campaign is still expected to receive ample funding from hedge-funds, Winton Capital and Egerton Capital both expressed their support for the EU. Founder of Winton Capital, David Harding, will join the board of the ‘in’ campaign and will donate several million pounds. He told the Financial Times that European markets benefit British financial firms. “I consider Europe to be a home market for us. The benefits of a successful European capital markets union to a firm like ours and to the financial services industry would be great.” A friend of John Armitage, founder of Egerton Capital, said he was “fighting against the Little Englanders on the out campaign. Who is going to be negotiating trade deals with the US if we’re outside Europe?”

In general, a scrutineer (also called poll-watcher or challenger in the United States), is a person who observes any process which requires rigorous oversight, either to prevent the occurrence of corruption or genuine mistakes.[1][2] It is most commonly known as part of voting in an election, where the scrutineer observes the counting of ballot papers, in order to check that election rules are followed. There are other uses of the concept, such as in motorsport, when a scrutineer is responsible for ensuring that vehicles meet the technical regulations. Politics [ edit ] One formal duty of an election scrutineer is to verify the ballot boxes are empty when sealed, and that the seals have not been tampered with at the end of the polling day Rules vary concerning the number of scrutineers that are allowed to be present at each polling station from a political party. In some jurisdictions, each candidate or party may have one scrutineer or poll-watcher per constituency or precinct where voting or counting is taking place. In other jurisdictions, such as Australia and Canada, each party is permitted to appoint one or two scrutineers per polling booth. They are often required to refrain from contact with voters, wearing or displaying political slogans, or otherwise exerting influence on the conduct of the election while it is taking place. Scrutineers also report back unofficial results to their campaign headquarters, as the official results can take some time to be issued. Sport [ edit ] Scrutineers play an important role in many motorsports. Racing series typically have a set of technical regulations to which the cars, bikes or other vehicles must conform. The role of the scrutineer in this case is to confirm that vehicles entered for the race meet the relevant regulations. Design and engineering [ edit ] Someone who carefully verifies the accuracy of technical specifications, drawings, or configurations as they apply to a specific discipline field. Competitive dance [ edit ] Dancing competitions (especially dancesport) employ (usually professionally certified) officials who oversee judging and tabulates scores. Software is often used to aid with tabulation.

Where? - 444 Gaffney St. Pascoe Vale Price? - $20 Website? http://www.thegatespizzaandkitchen.com.au/ Reviewers – Lee & Nikki Delivery areas - Aberfeldie, Airport West, Batman, Broadmeadows, Brunswick, Campbellfield, Coburg, Dallas, Essendon, Fawkner, Gilberton, Gladstone Park, Glenroy, Gowanbrae, Hadfield, Jacana, Keilor, Maribyrnong, Merlynston, Moonee Ponds, Moreland, Niddrie, Oak Park, Parkville, Pascoe Vale, Strathmore, Tullamarine, University of Melbourne Fun fact - I've been living in Melbourne for nearly 34 years and before typing it moments ago I had no idea that "Merlynston" was a suburb that existed in our city. I had to Google maps it to find out exactly where it was (between Coburg and Fawkner, apparently). I guess you learn something new every day! In case you missed the first issue of Crossing the Road back at the start of March, here is the quick spiel explaining what it's all about once more - The point of Crossing the Road is to feature some parmas that, while they may be great, never get a guernsey as they are only available via delivery. The Menulog, the Uber Eats, the EatNow, the Delivery Hero and the Deliveroo parmas that, while not boasting the same atmosphere and range of alcohol options as a parma at your local pub, afford the opportunity to eat a parma without pants and not be told "You have to put on some jeans or get out of the bistro", "people are trying to eat" and "for the love of god sir, where are your underpants?!" It's been 3 months and I still think that underpants thing is one of the best things I've ever written. Anyway, so now you're up to speed. The Gates in Pascoe Vale is one of the parmas that inspired the existence of Crossing The Road, we kept getting emails recommending it to us and it was actually intended to be the target of Crossing the Road #1, but I found out at the last minute that they weren't open on the day we wanted to do it, so we found the other place instead. So with the parma bus parked in the driveway I fired up my phone and placed our order with The Gates. Our last Crossing the Road went overboard with the screenshots - It looked like an ad for Menulog by the time we were done (which this isn't, I'd be upfront if we were running any sort of cash-for-comment scam here), So I'm gonna do my best to cut back on the screenshots as I'm sure you all know what Menulog looks like by now. The parma is a little hard to find, even though it is listed in their "Popular Items" at the top of the page it is squirrelled away as a customisation of the Chicken Schnitzel...

For people who value the Rule of Law, the last Republican debate reached a new low. One would think that the promise of war and torture has now replaced work and taxes as the main issues for voters. To their great credit, John Huntsman and Ron Paul stood against torture as “unAmerican.” However, as noted in prior blogs, Herman Cain and Michele Bachmann called for the use of torture in the resumption of the waterboarding program. In the meantime, Gingrich called for yet another war: this time against Iran unless it yields to our demands. He and Santorum appeared to add promises of the murder of scientists as part of their package of promised presidential acts. I will be moderating a debate on torture this week organized by Ralph Nader’s “Debating Taboos” program. Cain was asked directly about torture: Herman Cain: I believe that following the procedures that have been established by our military, I do not agree with torture, period. However, I will trust the judgment of our military leaders to determine what is torture and what is not torture. That is the critical consideration. Major Garrett: Mr. Cain, of course you’re familiar with the long-running debate we’ve had about whether waterboarding constitutes torture or is an enhanced interrogation tech– technique. In the last campaign, Republican nominee John McCain and Barack Obama agreed that it was torture and should not be allowed legally and that the Army Field Manual should be the methodology used to interrogate enemy combatants. Do you agree with that or do you disagree, sir? Herman Cain: I agree that it was an enhanced interrogation technique. Major Garrett: And then you would support it at present. You would return to that policy. Herman Cain: Yes, I would return to that policy. I don’t see it as torture. I see it as an enhanced interrogation technique. First, the question starts with a common misrepresentation in the media that there is a real debate over waterboarding being torture among experts. There is certainly a debate among politicians but the status of waterboarding as torture has been well-established for decades as noted in this recent chapter on torture. Second, the whole purpose of our laws and treaties making torture a war crime is that it is not left to the military in this country or other countries. It is a war crime subject to prosecution. The questioning then turned to Bachmann: Major Garrett: Congressman– congresswoman Bachmann, your opinion on this question that our emailer asked. Michele Bachmann: If I were president, I would be willing to use waterboarding. I think it was very effective. It gained information for our country. And I– and I also would like to say that today, under Barack Obama, he is allowing the A.C.L.U. to run the C.I.A. You need to understand that today– today we– it– when we– when we interdict a terrorist on the battlefield, we have no jail for them. We have nowhere to take them. We have no C.I.A. interrogations anymore. It is as though we have decided we want to lose in the War on Terror under President Obama. That’s not my strategy. My strategy will be that the United States will be victorious in the War on Terror.” Now there is a strong platform: I would like to win in the war on terror. It appears that this pledge comes with the added promise of “by any means — legal or illegal.” Paul and Huntsman offered the only redeeming moments in the debate: “Ron Paul: Well, waterboarding is torture. And– and many other– it’s ill– it’s illegal under international law and under our law. It’s also immoral. The– and it’s also very impractical. There’s no evidence that you really get reliable evidence. Why would you accept the position of torturing 100 people because you know one person might have information? And that’s what you do when you accept the principle of a– of– of– of torture. I think it’s– I think it’s uncivilized and prac– and has no practical advantages and is really un-American to accept on principle that we will torture people that we capture.” Huntsman then added “We diminish our standing in the world and the values we project which include liberty, Democracy, human rights and open markets when we torture. We should not torture. Waterboarding is torture.” Of course, for those who are not satisfied with a pledge to torture our way to victory, there is always Newt Gingrich. Previously, Gingrich pledged to eliminate the EPA and its protection of citizens from pollution. Now, he pledged to start yet another — and bigger — war with Iran. Gingrich called for “maximum covert operations to block and disrupt the Iranian program including taking out their scientists, including breaking up their systems.” Of course, killing scientists is generally defined as murder. Yet, Gingrich appears to have thought about that little wrinkle: “All of it covertly, all of it deniable.” That would be the first overt covert operation in our history. Not to be outdone, Santorum added “You know there have been scientists turning up dead in Russia and Iran, there have been computer viruses, there have been problems at their facility. I hope that the United States has been involved with that.” Gingrich also added that war would be necessary “if, in the end, despite all those things, the dictatorship persists, you have–you have to take whatever steps are necessary to break its capacity to have a nuclear weapon.” Santorum, however, wants immediate support for Israel in commencing the bombing of Iran” “We should be working with Israel right now to do what they did in Syria, what they did in Iraq, which is take out that nuclear capability. Before the next explosion we hear in Iran is a nuclear one and the world changes.” Gingrich appeared to be joined by Mitt Romney in his pledge for war if Iran does not yield. [Recently, I sat next to Romney on a flight from Oklahoma City. I told him that my editors would be grateful if he would unburden himself of any embarrassing stories or policies during the flight. It would remain between us and the readers of USA Today. Somehow the “I will go to war” policy escaped his attention. I actually found him to be remarkably nice despite what was clearly a long day. With the exception of turning down snacks in First Class, I was left with little to show for the long flight.] It was truly an other-worldly moment with candidates for president casually discussing the murder of scientists and starting another war to attract voters. Of course, this could trigger a race to the bottom. Why stop at Iran? How about Syria or even China? Then there is Canada, which continues to threaten our fishing areas and dump low cost potatoes on our market. Indeed, you now have two candidates — Huntsman and Paul — who have campaign platforms that are entirely devoid of any pledged war. Even Obama has a war to his sole credit. The war gap could explain their low ratings in our new political reality. Share this: Twitter Reddit Facebook

MIT Media Lab Identity, 2010 from readyletsgo on Vimeo. MIT Media Lab hired Brooklyn-based designers E Roon Kang and Richard The to come up with the perfect visual identity. The resulting logo is genius at work, an algorithmic logo that generates a unique image for each of the Lab’s team members. The logo has three intersecting spotlights that can be organized in any of 40,000 shapes and 12 color combinations using a customized algorithm. Designer Richard The says “the Media Lab has outgrown this notion of traditional media, with researchers working in areas ranging from human computer interaction to neurobiology or nanotechnology. Whatever ‘media’ means, it has been and will be defined at this place, in the next 5, 10, 20 years. The algorithmic logo is an effort to capture this dynamism.”

The final face-off between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders before the April 19 New York primary was marked by jabs about Wall Street, gun control and the Iraq War. The final debate between Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders before the critical New York primary on April 19 was watched by 5.6 million viewers on CNN and NY1. CNN had the lion’s share of viewers with 5.4 million, while 171,000 watched on Time Warner Cable-owned NY1. Among news' target demographic of 25-54-year-olds, CNN pulled in 1.7 million. It was enough to make CNN the No. 1 cable-news network in primetime on Thursday night, with an average of 4.14 million viewers between 8-11 p.m., followed by Fox News Channel (2.4 million) and MSNBC (748,000); the latter hosted a town hall with Republican candidate Ted Cruz. Among adults 25-54, CNN had 1.3 million, Fox News followed with 409,000, and MSNBC had 211,000. It was among the most contentious face-offs between the two Democratic presidential hopefuls, with Sanders and CNN moderator Dana Bash challenging Clinton to release the transcripts of her closed-door speeches at Wall Street firms including Goldman Sachs, which paid her nearly $700,000 for multiple speeches. Clinton attempted to deflect by challenging Sanders to release his tax returns. But the Vermont senator neutralized Clinton's attempted counterpunch by promising to release his 2014 returns today. And he twisted the knife by noting that not only were his tax returns "very boring," with "no big money from speeches" and "no major investments," but that his wife, Jane O'Meara, files their taxes, and they've "been a little bit busy lately." It was one exchange in a night of memorable and caustic exchanges in front of an audibly pro-Sanders crowd at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, mere miles from where Sanders grew up in the borough's Flatbush neighborhood. The candidates have, at this point, shed the collegial tone that marked their early primary debates and now have sparred on everything from gun control to climate change to the Iraq War. And it was a critical outing for both candidates, as Clinton is working to regain momentum after a series of losses, and Sanders is looking at his best and perhaps last chance of becoming a real contender in the Democratic presidential primary. The previous debate between Clinton and Sanders on March 9 in Flint, Mich., averaged 5.95 million viewers on CNN and Univision. See below for the increasingly long rundown of debate audiences to date. RNC Aug. 6 — 24 million (FNC) Sept. 16 — 23 million (CNN) Oct. 28 — 14 million (CNBC) Nov. 10 — 13.5 million (FBN) Dec. 15 — 18.2 million (CNN) Jan. 14 — 11.1 million (FBN) Jan. 28 — 12.5 million (FNC) Feb. 6 — 13.2 million (ABC) Feb. 13 — 13.5 million (CBS) Feb. 25 — 14.5 million (CNN/Telemundo) March 3 — 16.9 million (FNC) DNC Oct. 13 — 15.8 million (CNN) Nov. 14 — 8.6 million (CBS) Dec. 19 — 8.0 million (ABC) Jan. 17 — 10.2 million (NBC) Feb. 4 — 4.5 million (MSNBC) Feb. 11 — 8.0 million (PBS/CNN) March 6 — 5.5 million (CNN) March 9 — 5.9 million (CNN, Univision)

A dog was killed by a man in a northwest Las Vegas neighborhood Sunday afternoon. Around 1:15 p.m., a call came in from El Campo Grande Avenue and Perfect View Street, near Decatur Boulevard and Tropical Parkway. The dog was later shot at Tropical Springs Street and Tropical Cliff Avenue. Police heard reports that two dogs got loose and attacked other animals and people. As the dogs continued running loose in the neighborhood, police said a neighbor fired a gun toward the dogs. One dog was struck and killed after being shot at twice. The second dog was taken into custody by police using a catch pole. 13 Action News spoke to the man who shot and killed the dog. He's a disabled veteran who owns two dogs. He said he felt bad about shooting the dog, but said that it had attacked his son. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's Animal Cruelty Unit is still investigating whether they will press charges against the man. 13 Action News also talked with Darren Alcivar who owns the two dogs. He describes 10-year-old Lucky as a lover, who looked after the other dog, his son, Lucky Jr. "He loves playing with all the kids, we took him to the park and he was never aggressive or mean," Alcivar said. Neighbor Andy Goetz tells a different story after his two dogs were attacked by the pit bulls Sunday. "The big red dog was attacking [my dog] Abby," said Goetz. "I got him [Lucky] back out of the garage and shut the door and got my dogs to safety." Lucky's owner was upset the dog was shot twice. "Shoot him once, maybe, if he was barking or something, but to shoot them twice to make sure that's completely wrong," Alcivar said.

A mod for The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim has replaced the Xbox 360 game’s dragons with a disturbing, fire-breathing version of fictional steam locomotive Thomas the Tank Engine. A clip of the adventure game’s opening cut-scene posted on YouTube shows it in action, with a public execution being broken up by Thomas, who comes whistling over the horizon to mercilessly attack men, women and children. Titled ‘Really Useful World Eater’ (a play on Thomas’s ‘Really Useful Engine’ nickname), the video sees soldiers struggle to restrain the locomotive, with one shouting: ‘For the love of God, die!’ as another questions: ‘What does it take to kill this monster?’ The mod also replaces dragon spells with ‘more appropriate versions’ of them, though the mod’s creator did not give specifics. The face that will haunt you for many moons: I used to be a steam engine like you, then I took an arrow to the axel (Picture: YouTube) The Steamborn

This week marks two significant dates for North Korea – the anniversaries of its first nuclear test and the foundation of the ruling Worker’s Party of Korea. Officials have warned that North Korea could use the special dates – in particular, the Oct. 10 anniversary of the Worker’s Party – to provoke the U.S. or launch a new missile. "There is a clarity of purpose in what (North Korean leader) Kim Jong Un is doing. I don’t think he’s done," Yong Suk Lee, the deputy assistant director of the CIA’s Korea Mission Center, said at a conference last week, according to Reuters. “In fact, I told my own staff (that) Oct. 10th is the Korean Workers Party founding day. That’s Tuesday in North Korea, but Monday – the Columbus Day holiday - in the United States. So stand by your phones.” As North Korea’s past provocations have coincided with dates important to them, the U.S., China or Japan, Dr. Sung-Yoon Lee, the Kim Koo-Korea Foundation Professor of Korean Studies at the Fletcher School at Tufts University, predicted the east Asian country could test a missile by late Monday night. North Korea said it had “perfect success” with a hydrogen bomb test on Sept. 3, 2017, Labor Day weekend in the U.S. It said it tested its first nuclear bomb on Oct. 9, 2006, coinciding with Party Foundation Day in North Korea, Lee said. Other nuclear tests have lined up with Memorial Day weekend in the U.S. in 2009, Lunar New Year celebrations in China in 2013, Kim Jong Un’s birthday in 2016 and the Day of the Foundation of the Republic in 2016. North Korea also tested its first successful intercontinental ballistic missile on July 4, 2017. “I have a feeling that they’re ready [for provocation] and they’re biding their time … for the most adverse impact,” Lee told Fox News Monday. He predicted that the country could fire a missile into the waters by Guam – which would illicit a response that would still be less than if Americans were killed. NORTH KOREA’S NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM HAS GROWN WITH EACH KIM REGIME “They like to rub it in and spoil government officials’ long weekends,” Lee said. A member of Russia’s lower house of parliament told local media that North Korea is preparing to test a long-range missile believed to reach the west coast of the U.S., according to The Guardian. “They are preparing for new tests of a long-range missile. They even gave us mathematical calculations that they believe prove that their missile can hit the west coast of the United States,” Anton Morozov reportedly said last week after visiting Pyongyang. As North Korea continues to develop its nuclear program, Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump are engaged in a war of words and threats. Trump promised last month to “totally destroy” the Asian nation if provoked. TRUMP WARNS KIM JONG UN, SAYS US POLICY TOWARD NORTH KOREA ‘DIDN’T WORK’ Lee also noted that China’s 19th party congress will meet later this month, and Trump is expected to visit China, Japan and South Korea in November – which could be when North Korea provokes next. “They have a strategic game plan,” Lee said, dismissing the idea that North Korea simply “throws a tantrum” and launches missile tests.

This article is Part 2 in a 2-Part Series. Part 1 - The cost of garbage collection Part 2 - This Article This is a rectification for the previous post about the cost of garbage collection. If You didn’t read it give it a try and check if You can spot the bug/mistake. Like Konrad pointed out in his comment not all objects were in generation 0 as I assumed. This is partly connected to the fact that .NET, seeing rapid need for memory in Setup , will try to collect some of them, calling garbage collection, but I make the matters worse by calling GC.Collect in the end. So making sure that objects created during Setup will be in generation 2 (in my defence it was left over after a bit different take on this problem). This is the proper code (it also was committed to the github repo): using System ; using System.Collections.Generic ; using System.Diagnostics ; using System.Runtime.CompilerServices ; using NBench ; namespace Tests { public class GCCollection { private readonly string [] _messages = { "Gen 0 ticks: " , "Gen 0+1 ticks: " , "Gen 0+1+2 ticks: " }; private readonly int _objectNumber = 20 * 1000 ; [ PerfSetup ] public void Setup ( BenchmarkContext context ) { Console . WriteLine ( "Objects generated." ); GenerateObjects ( _objectNumber * 2 ); GC . Collect ( 2 , GCCollectionMode . Forced , true , true ); } [ PerfBenchmark ( Description = "Gen 2 collection with nothing" , NumberOfIterations = 1 , RunMode = RunMode . Iterations , TestMode = TestMode . Test )] [ GcTotalAssertion ( GcMetric . TotalCollections , GcGeneration . Gen0 , MustBe . ExactlyEqualTo , 3d )] [ GcTotalAssertion ( GcMetric . TotalCollections , GcGeneration . Gen1 , MustBe . ExactlyEqualTo , 2d )] [ GcTotalAssertion ( GcMetric . TotalCollections , GcGeneration . Gen2 , MustBe . ExactlyEqualTo , 1d )] public void Gen2CollectionWithNothing () { GC . Collect ( 2 , GCCollectionMode . Forced , true , true ); var sw = Stopwatch . StartNew (); RunGCAndCheck ( 0 , sw ); /* Run collect for gen 0 - collect everything.*/ RunGCAndCheck ( 1 , sw ); /* Nothing should be here.*/ RunGCAndCheck ( 2 , sw ); /* Nothing should be here.*/ } [ PerfBenchmark ( Description = "Gen 0 collection" , NumberOfIterations = 1 , RunMode = RunMode . Iterations , TestMode = TestMode . Test )] [ GcTotalAssertion ( GcMetric . TotalCollections , GcGeneration . Gen0 , MustBe . ExactlyEqualTo , 1d )] [ GcTotalAssertion ( GcMetric . TotalCollections , GcGeneration . Gen1 , MustBe . ExactlyEqualTo , 0.0d )] [ GcTotalAssertion ( GcMetric . TotalCollections , GcGeneration . Gen2 , MustBe . ExactlyEqualTo , 0.0d )] public void Gen0Collection () { var list = GenerateObjects ( _objectNumber ); list = null ; var sw = Stopwatch . StartNew (); RunGCAndCheck ( 0 , sw ); /* Run collect for gen 0 - collect everything.*/ } [ PerfBenchmark ( Description = "Gen 1 collection" , NumberOfIterations = 1 , RunMode = RunMode . Iterations , TestMode = TestMode . Test )] [ GcTotalAssertion ( GcMetric . TotalCollections , GcGeneration . Gen0 , MustBe . ExactlyEqualTo , 2.0d )] [ GcTotalAssertion ( GcMetric . TotalCollections , GcGeneration . Gen1 , MustBe . ExactlyEqualTo , 1.0d )] [ GcTotalAssertion ( GcMetric . TotalCollections , GcGeneration . Gen2 , MustBe . ExactlyEqualTo , 0.0d )] public void Gen1Collection () { var list = GenerateObjects ( _objectNumber ); var sw = Stopwatch . StartNew (); RunGCAndCheck ( 0 , sw ); /* Can't collect anything. Move it to gen 1.*/ list = null ; RunGCAndCheck ( 1 , sw ); /* Run collect for gen 0 - it is empty. Run gen 1 collection - collect everything.*/ } [ PerfBenchmark ( Description = "Gen 2 collection" , NumberOfIterations = 1 , RunMode = RunMode . Iterations , TestMode = TestMode . Test )] [ GcTotalAssertion ( GcMetric . TotalCollections , GcGeneration . Gen0 , MustBe . ExactlyEqualTo , 3.0d )] [ GcTotalAssertion ( GcMetric . TotalCollections , GcGeneration . Gen1 , MustBe . ExactlyEqualTo , 2.0d )] [ GcTotalAssertion ( GcMetric . TotalCollections , GcGeneration . Gen2 , MustBe . ExactlyEqualTo , 1.0d )] public void Gen2Collection () { var list = GenerateObjects ( _objectNumber ); var sw = Stopwatch . StartNew (); RunGCAndCheck ( 0 , sw ); /* Can't collect anything. Move it to gen 1.*/ RunGCAndCheck ( 1 , sw ); /* Run collect for gen 0 - it is empty. Run gen 1 collection - collect the list elements.*/ list = null ; RunGCAndCheck ( 2 , sw ); /* Run collect for generation 0 - it is empty. Run collect for generation 1 - it is empty. Run collect for generation 2 - collect everything.*/ } [ MethodImpl ( MethodImplOptions . AggressiveInlining )] private void RunGCAndCheck ( int generationNumber , Stopwatch sw ) { sw . Restart (); GC . Collect ( generationNumber , GCCollectionMode . Forced , true , true ); Console . WriteLine ( _messages [ generationNumber ] + sw . ElapsedTicks ); } private List < MyGCTestClass > GenerateObjects ( long count ) { var ret = new List < MyGCTestClass >(); for ( var i = 0 ; i < count ; i ++) { ret . Add ( new MyGCTestClass ( Guid . NewGuid (). ToString ())); } return ret ; } private class MyGCTestClass { private readonly string Text ; public MyGCTestClass ( string text ) { Text = text ; } public MyGCTestClass ( MyGCTestClass source ) { Text = source . Text ; } } } } What has changed: This code generates ‘only’ 20 thousand objects because it is the maximal number that does not trigger garbage collection at my machine. Setup generates 40 thousand objects to make sure .NET will preallocate enough memory for the process so when tests are run it won’t need to ask the OS for additional memory. It also triggers GC.Collect(2) after it to make sure that all objects will be collected and the test will have a clean run. generates 40 thousand objects to make sure .NET will preallocate enough memory for the process so when tests are run it won’t need to ask the OS for additional memory. It also triggers after it to make sure that all objects will be collected and the test will have a clean run. GenerateObjects is called in every test to make sure I measure any GC.Collect that may affect in which generation objects are in. And the results (I spared the NBench info, so just the numbers). Gen0Collection Gen 0 ticks: 6167 Gen1Collection Gen 0 ticks: 6153 Gen 0+1 ticks: 5059 Gen2Collection Gen 0 ticks: 4963 Gen 0+1 ticks: 4772 Gen 0+1+2 ticks: 2955 Gen2CollectionWithNothing Gen 0 ticks: 171 Gen 0+1 ticks: 140 Gen 0+1+2 ticks: 1365 Final thoughts:

A first-of-its kind lawsuit challenging the practice of gay "conversion therapy" is winding its way through the New Jersey legal system. On Monday, lawyers representing a counseling center, its director and an affiliated "life coach" filed an initial response to the suit, arguing that the complaint is without merit and that some people can experience "relief from unwanted same-sex attraction" through counseling. The lawsuit, brought under New Jersey's Consumer Fraud Act, alleges that the counseling center, Jews Offering New Alternatives for Healing, co-founder Arthur Goldberg and life coach Alan Downing repeatedly misled the plaintiffs -- four former patients and two of their mothers -- by telling them that JONAH's services would succeed in changing a person's sexual orientation from gay to straight. "Plaintiffs relied on Defendants' misrepresentations in paying for their services -- services that can cost participants more than $10,000 per year for individual and group sessions as well as weekend retreats," the lawsuit states. These misrepresentations, the suit continues, "caused Plaintiffs to suffer depression and other emotional harm when they were unable to change their sexual orientation using Defendants' services." Charles S. LiMandri, an attorney working on behalf of JONAH, disputed all the issues raised in the suit, beginning with the claim that anyone at the center promised its services could change a patient's sexual orientation. "My clients don't make those kind of promises to anyone" LiMandri said, adding that the plaintiffs signed statements stating that they were not guaranteed any particular result. LiMandri, who works with the Freedom of Conscience Defense Fund, a legal group that describes its mission as "defending religious freedom," added that "hundreds" of people have, in fact, been "helped by my clients over the years." "How can it be fraudulent when people can, in fact, change?," LiMandri said. "We don't promise that everyone does, but people do, people can, and people have." Lawyers for the plaintiffs declined to comment on the latest development. "We are reviewing defendants' answer that we received yesterday and are set to advance the litigation process," said Sam Wolfe, an attorney at the Southern Poverty Law Center, who filed the suit. While anecdotal evidence of the benefits and harms of so-called conversion therapy abound on both sides of the aisle, there are no rigorous scientific studies showing either that the practice can actually change a patient's sexual orientation, or that it will necessarily harm someone who undergoes it. The mainstream mental health community, however, has rejected conversion therapy as potentially harmful and ineffective.

According to the promotional material, the MG6 was conceived, designed, engineered and built in Britain. It’s a great British name, and a great British car. A slice of Jerusalem among the dark, satanic mills of Germanic nonsense. A UKIP pin-up girl with windscreen wipers. Brown beer with a tax disc. This is a car for people who grew up dreaming of driving a sporty B but who are now to be found at home, in their wing-backs, flicking through the channels and muttering about how there’s nothing to watch on television these days. It’s a car that takes them back to their youth. A car that reminds them that Britain was, and still is, the greatest country on earth. It’s the Spitfire, the hovercraft and Nelson. It’s Churchill. It’s Elgar. It’s Wordsworth and Shakespeare and Brunel. Search for and buy a MG6 on driving.co.uk Except it isn’t. Because it turns out that the MG6 is actually built in China by SAIC Motor — the company that now owns MG Rover (though not the name Rover). It is then shipped over to Birmingham, where a small team inserts the engine. Claiming that this car is British is like claiming that an Airfix model was built in your front room. It wasn’t. It was merely assembled there. Yes, the car we buy here was styled in Britain, and some of the chassis work was done here too, with — whisper it — German components. But in essence, while this car may be pretending to be Kenneth More, it’s as Chinese as a chopstick. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Because, typically, what happens when a Far Eastern country starts exporting cars to the West is: you get a substandard product with a price that’s so low, no one really cares that it’s held together with wallpaper paste and has an engine that sounds as if it’s running on gravel. Then, in an alarmingly short time, the cars are suddenly as good as their European rivals. Toyota went from the Toyopet to the Lexus LFA in about five weeks. One minute Kia was making the woefully awful Rio, and the next it had the bloody good Cee’d. The company behind the MG6 started with an advantage. It didn’t begin with a jungle clearing and a workforce that thought it was making dragons: it began with the underpinnings of the Rover 75 and employed people who navigated to work with their iPhone 5. In theory, then, the MG6 would drive quite well and come with a DFS everything-must-go price tag. Which would make it a tempting proposition even without the nonsensical Last Night of the Proms-style marketing. So why, I wondered, was it so hard to book a test drive? Excuses were always made. Other phones were ringing. Other priorities had to be addressed. Well, last week I sneaked behind the wheel for a short drive, and very quickly the reason became obvious. This car is not bad at all. It’s hysterically terrible. Let’s start with the ignition key. You know those cheap electronic toys that you buy children from the gift shop on a cross-Channel ferry? Well, this has the quality of the wrapping in which they are sold. And naturally it didn’t work. I learnt this outside the police station in Ladbroke Grove in west London. The traffic lights went green and I set off. But I didn’t because the car stalled and it would not restart. So I pushed it to the side of the road, where after several attempts the diesel engine finally clattered into life. At the next set of lights exactly the same thing happened again. And so at the third set I made sure it didn’t stall by summoning 3,000 revs and setting off nice and gently. This made the whole of Notting Hill smell of frazzled clutch. There are some other interesting faults as well. This is not a small car. It’s a little larger than a Ford Focus and a little smaller than a Mondeo. But inside it has the headroom of a coffin. Speaking of which, it didn’t do especially well in its Euro NCAP safety tests. The airbag didn’t inflate sufficiently well to stop the dummy driver’s head hitting the steering wheel, and while the feet and neck were well looked after, protection for the thighs and genitals was only “marginal”. I make no observation about that. Yet. Of course, as it’s a Chinese car that’s assembled in Longbridge, you would not expect much in the way of quality. And it doesn’t disappoint. It’s a widely held belief that mass- produced plastic was developed around the turn of last century. Well, the dashboard on the MG6 appears to be fabricated from a plastic that pre-dates that. I think it may follow a recipe laid down in the Middle Ages, when villagers would use cattle horns to make rudimentary windows. Naturally there are many sharp edges. There’s one in particular on the steering wheel that could probably give you an elegant paper cut on that sensitive bit of webbing between your index finger and thumb. Then there’s the kung-fu cupholder. It’s not damped, as it would be in a normal European car, so when you push the button your drink leaps out onto your passenger’s leg like Cato from the Pink Panther films. And it is a struggle to get any can I’ve ever seen to fit in it. I shall talk now about the steering. It’s electric. But only literally. It feels as though the steering wheel is connected to an egg whisk of some kind. Spin it fast enough and the blades turn, causing a vat of creamy milk to start thickening. After this happens it begins to revolve v e r y s l o w l y and that action produces a centrifugal force that turns the front wheels. It’s a neat idea but I’m not sure it works very well. As a boy, I used to look at my dad driving and wonder how he knew how much to turn the wheel when going round a corner. Alarmingly, in the MG6 you don’t. Last weekend in Scotland I encountered many members of the MG Owners’ Club, driving from breakdown to breakdown with dirty fingernails and big grins on their faces. They had their roofs down, despite the cold, and it all looked very hearty and rorty and James May-ish. The MG6 offers an experience that is nothing like that. It may say MG on the rump but it is as far removed from its predecessors as you are from an amoeba. It’s a carrier bag with a Coco Chanel badge. And I think that’s rotten. The whole car’s rotten, really, and here’s the clincher. It’s not that cheap. The Magnette model I drove is £21,195. And for that you can have a normal car that doesn’t lacerate your fingers, stall, refuse to start, bash your head in every time you go over a bump and ruin your gentleman sausage if you have a crash. In the whole of April the new MG operation sold 13 cars throughout the whole of the UK. I’m surprised it was that many. Verdict ★☆☆☆☆ Rotten to the core. Factfile MG6 Magnette 1.9 DTi-Tech Release date: Out now Price: £21,195 Engine: 1849cc, 4 cylinders Power: 148bhp @ 4000rpm Torque: 258 lb ft @ 1800rpm Transmission: 6-speed manual Acceleration: 0-60mph in 8.9sec Top speed: 120mph Fuel: 53.5mpg CO2: 139g/km Road tax band: E (£125 for first year) Dimensions: L 4651mm, W 1837mm, H 1472mm Search for and buy a MG6 on driving.co.uk

Since Coyote posted their note to men who just don’t understand personal space, 68,000 people have reacted on Facebook and over 24,000 people have shared it. A 2014 nationally representative study commissioned by Stop Street Harassment found that of the 2,000 people surveyed, 65 percent of all women had experienced street harassment sometime in their life. “Leave her alone. Let her read her book,” continues Coyote. “Tell your friends.” Thanks for being an ally, Coyote. Update: Ivan Coyote told Revelist: "I wrote this post because while I was walking to the grocery store witnessed a man waving his hands in the face of a young woman who was waiting at a bus stop. She was wearing her headphones and reading a book. Everything about her body language told me she didn't want to talk to him, but as I got closer he just continued to get more and more in her face, and as I walked right up I could tell she was now pretty scared of the guy. By this time an older woman (late 60's, I would guess) had stepped in and told the guy to back down. Her and I both told the guy to back off and leave her alone. He called the old woman the c word and me a fag. I'm not a man, I'm a masculine appearing trans person. I do not identify as a man, nor do I want to be one. Anyway, the guy gets on the bus but the young woman does not. She doesn't want to be on the bus with him. As soon as the bus pulled away she burst into tears and thanked us both, and said that was the third time that day some guy had bothered her, she thought because she had worn a dress and took a long commute in and out of the city to go to a job interview. She said next time she would wear a flour sack so they would leave her alone.This really struck me. I was never a very pretty girl but I remember my own incidents of street harassment when I was young, and I often get called names or hassled now for being/looking queer and/or trans but that is different.It made me really sad and angry that a woman couldn't put on a dress and take public transit without knowing that she would receive a barrage of uninvited attention, even if she sent multiple signals to be left alone."

Nearly two months have passed since the polls closed in B.C. and at last British Columbians know who will get to form government. On Thursday, upon the conclusion of a no-confidence vote that ousted former Premier Christy Clark, NDP Leader John Horgan has been offered the opportunity to lead a new B.C. government under a historic partnership between his party and the Greens. While B.C. awaits the swearing in of a new premier, we thought we’d take the time to tally up some critical promises the NDP and their Green collaborators have made on the environment file. So Long, Site C? The NDP and Greens have promised to send the controversial $9 billion Site C dam in B.C.’s northeast for an expedited review by the B.C. Utilities Commission. Site C is the most expensive public infrastructure project in B.C.’s history and numerous experts have come forward to question the need for the electricity the dam will generate. The dam will flood 107 kilometres of Peace River valley, displacing residents and flooding valuable agricultural land and sacred indigenous sites. The Utilities Commission review will look in detail at the cost of the project and demand for the power — something that until this point hasn't been done. Supporters of the dam say B.C. will eventually need Site C’s power and that the 2,000 jobs created by the project are reason enough to let the dam go forward as planned. But with less destructive and cheaper alternatives more available now than ever, the debate over Site C is a complicated one. A preliminary report-back is expected to take about six weeks once the new government takes power. The Kinder Morgan Pipeline Battle Levels Up In their agreement to work together, the NDP and Greens have committed to “immediately employ every tool available” to stop the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain oilsands pipeline running from Alberta to export facilities in Burnaby. There are a number of ways the pipeline, which has already received federal and provincial approval, can still be stopped. The pipeline is currently being fought by local First Nations who say the project’s review process failed to meet legal guideline for consultation. The province could also implement other regulatory processes the pipeline must pass. The pipeline is supported by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, so how Horgan and Weaver deal with the project will likely involve some sort of messy political showdown. Step Up the Carbon Tax B.C.’s famed carbon tax languished under Christy Clark and the B.C. Liberals. The former ruling party froze the tax and created exemptions for some of the province’s biggest polluters. The NDP and Greens plan to increase the carbon tax by $5 per year starting in April 2018 in an effort to bring the price up to the federally mandated price of $50 per tonne by 2022. The carbon tax will also be re-jigged to deal with the major climate problem of fugitive emissions, greenhouse gasses that leak or are vented from the province’s massive gas projects and transmission lines. These emissions have been poorly measured and wildly underestimated, so bringing them more fully under a carbon tax regime is important for meaningful climate action. Beefing Up B.C.’s Project Review Process There have been major systemic problems with B.C.’s environmental assessment process. These problems have led to a lack of public trust in how major projects are reviewed and approved in the province. The NDP and Greens have committed to revitalizing the environmental assessment process, which goes hand in hand with a major review and improvement of the federal process. Respect for B.C.’s Indigenous Peoples Whether it’s pipelines running through traditional territory, the Site C dam flooding sacred indigenous sites, or the cumulative effects of industrialization leading to species extinction, many First Nations communities are on the frontline of B.C.’s biggest environmental battles. The NDP and Greens have stated explicitly that a foundational part of their political partnership is the two parties’ shared adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Both parties also take to heart the significance of the historic Tsilhqot’in Supreme Court Decision and what that means for untreatied First Nations in B.C. Many First Nations are fighting off multiple mining, oil and gas and hydro projects in their traditional and treaty territories across B.C. If the NDP and Greens take indigenous rights truly to heart, this could mean big changes for the way projects are evaluated and given the go ahead. Funding for Transit! For all those daily grind commuters near big cities, this should be an exciting one. In their agreement, the NDP and Greens promised to “act immediately to improve transit and transportation infrastructure” to “reduce emissions, create jobs and get people home faster.” Shifting into a New Economy Renewable energy hasn’t gotten the foothold it has needed in B.C. and there are ways to make the transition to a clean, 21st century economy easier. That’s what the new “Emerging Economy Task Force” is designed to do. This task force will look at the changing nature of business in B.C. over the next 10 to 25 years. One way the NDP and Greens want to prepare for the changes ahead is by shifting from a measure of GDP ( gross domestic product) to the use of a new metric: the Genuine Progress Indicator or GPI. Under old GDP rules, anything that is of profit to society is considered of benefit. But analysis has shown that while disasters like oil spills may be a short-lived boon to the economy, they can degrade other measures of social wellbeing like health, safety and a clean environment. The GPI measure will help B.C. understand, measure and prioritize those opportunities that represent a truer benefit to British Columbians. Electoral and Campaign Finance Reform The current political system is set up to advantage the wealthy and powerful. But with changes to how campaigns are financed and run that could help put power back into the hands of the people. The Green party in particular would benefit from the two parties’ shared commitment to electoral reform. In the fall of 2018 a referendum will be held to ask British Columbians if they want to switch to a proportional representation system. The NDP and Greens have also promised to ban big money in politics at the first available opportunity. The new rules will place an outright ban on corporate, union and out-of-province donations to political parties and also limit the amount individuals in B.C. can give. As a bonus, the NDP/Green agreement also lays out a plan for revising lobbying rules that prevent politicians from becoming lobbyists for several years after leaving office. These promises signal a big change in B.C., where fossil fuel and mining interests are some of the most powerful lobbyists and political donors. Image: NDP Leader John Horgan and Green Leader Andrew Weaver sign a coalition agreement, May 30, 2017. Photo: B.C. NDP via Flickr

Donald Trump is taking heat for his slow response to the crisis in Puerto Rico after the island was hit by Hurricane Maria, and perhaps he could take a lesson from some Florida politicians who wasted no time finding a way to get there. Florida Senator Marco Rubio was on the island Monday for a visit of just over three hours in which he met with Governor Ricardo Rossello and emergency management officials. Florida governor, Rick Scott, rode on a helicopter Thursday with Rosselló to help deliver supplies. Meanwhile, Trump found himself in another Twitter war defending himself from criticism for the administration's slow response to the disaster. Rubio and Scott are seen as having more on the line than Trump in Puerto Rico. While Hispanics are not a core constituency of the president, for Florida politicians all Latin American politics is local. There are already more than one million Puerto Ricans in Florida and the figure has grown even faster in recent years because of the economic crisis on the island. It is foreseeable that the exodus of Puerto Ricans will accelerate as a result of the chaos in the island, where a return to normality could take months. In Florida, some are calling for emergency measures, especially in schools. “Think about it, kids may not be able to go to school for a whole year on that island. Those parents are gonna want to send their kids somewhere where they can go to school,” Rep. Renee Plasencia told the ABC News affiliate in Orlando. “We're bracing of very large, large group, unprecedented.” In Florida, the most contested state by Democrats and Republicans nationwide, small demographic changes can trigger a political earthquake. Since 1992 voters have cast 50 million presidential election ballots in Florida, with Democrats enjoying an 18,000-vote advantage — only a 0.4 percent difference. Scott is considered a likely Republican candidate for the Senate in 2018, when the other aging Florida Senator, Democrat Bill Nelson, 75, is due to seek re-election. Rubio was re-elected in November last year. In the Senate he is seen as the voice of reference in matters of Latin America and the Spanish-speaking world. He tweets almost daily about Latin America, including 33 posts on Puerto Rico since Monday. Another likely Democratic candidate for Florida governor next year, Miami Beach mayor Philip Levine, arrived in Puerto Rico Wednesday with thousands of pounds of supplies. But Republicans stand to lose the most if they are not seen as invested in the island's plight, because the vast majority of Puerto Ricans who settle on mainland often vote for the Democrats. Although Puerto Rico does not vote in presidential elections, its residents can vote on the mainland if they relocate there as they hold U.S. citizenship. We still do not know how the Puerto Ricans performed in the 2016 presidential election because the U.S. Census Bureau has yet to publish its periodic breakdown of voting by nationalities, but for decades Democrats have won that vote overwhelmingly. Political scientist Daniel Smith concluded that seven out of ten Puerto Rican Florida voters supported Democrat Hillary Clinton, based on an analysis of the precincts with more Puerto Ricans. We still do not know how the Puerto Ricans performed in the 2016 presidential election because the census has not published the breakdown of voting by nationalities, but for decades Democrats have won that vote overwhelmingly. Political scientist Daniel Smith concluded that seven out of ten Puerto Rican Florida voters supported Democrat Hillary Clinton, based on an analysis of the seals with more Puerto Ricans. Both Scott and Rubio also have an interest in not being associated with the president's slow response, Univision News tells Eduardo Gamarra, a pollster and professor at Florida International University. "It's still a matter of debate but the response from the Trump government has been atrocious, especially because of the delay in sending the Armed Forces," says Gamarra. "They want to show that their response is better than Washington's." Other politicians in the rest of the United States have shown solidarity with Puerto Rico. Office holders from New York and New Jersey - states with 1.1 million and 470,000 Puerto Ricans - have also visited the island or have leapt into action. Among others, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York visited the island last Friday along with Puerto Rican congresswoman Nydia Velázquez; New York Mayor Bill de Blasio sent police and firefighters to help with relief efforts and New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, a Cuban-American, visited the island Thursday. While they have large Puerto Rican constituencies in their communities, Florida politics stands to be shaken the most by events in the island. It is likely that the new wave of Puerto Ricans will affect Florida, the number one destination for decades. No to Maduro The attention of Republicans in Florida to Puerto Rico is reminiscent of their support for the growing community of Venezuelan immigrants opposing the Nicolás Maduro regime. But unlike the Puerto Ricans of Florida, many of the immigrant Venezuelans do not automatically have the right to vote. The Venezuelan community in Florida is also much smaller. In the referendum organized by the opposition against President Maduro's plan to call a constituent assemby, 144,000 Venezuelans participated throughout Florida. Some Republicans in Florida are alarmed by some signs that Hispanics in Florida might mobilize massively against the party in the Trump era. Against the odds, Colombian-American Annette Tadeo, a Democrat, won a special state Senate election on Tuesday for a district that contains part of the Miami metropolitan area. But not all political analysts believe that the possible increase in the exodus will bring immediate negative consequences for Republicans. Although Puerto Ricans often vote for Democrats, newcomers have low rates of participation in elections due to lack of knowledge of the electoral system and national politics. And against many predictions, the Hispanic vote did not add Florida to Clinton's column.

Ministry of Women and Child Development under Maneka Gandhi. The National Commission for Women (NCW) is all set to be elevated to the status of a civil court with jurisdiction over Jammu and Kashmir too. Every proceeding before the commission will have the status of a judicial proceeding and it will have the power to issue arrest warrants if the summons are not heeded to. Advertising These are some of the changes the Ministry of Women and Child Development under Maneka Gandhi is including in an amended version of the NCW Act, 1990. Maneka Gandhi, according to sources in the ministry, wants to give teeth to the commission and make it a body at par with the National Human Rights Commission. Soon after the new government took over, the ministry sent feelers to NCW chairperson and members that it would like to reconstitute the body. However, chairperson Mamta Sharma, a Congress politician from Rajasthan, refused to budge without written orders. The government will now wait for her tenure to end — which is in August. The draft of the amended Act will soon be circulated for comments from ministries before placing it in the Cabinet. “We are working on the amendments to the NCW Act to extend its jurisdiction to Jammu and Kashmir on all matters listed in the central and concurrent list of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution. This would mean that like NHRC the commission too can take up matters in the state. The commission will be deemed to be a civil court with powers to issue arrest warrants in case summons are ignored. They can fine up to Rs 5,000 for non-appearance and also call for information from Central or any state government,” said an official in the ministry. It can also approach the Supreme Court or concerned High Court for directions, orders or writs, according to the draft. Rules will be framed for appointment of chairperson and members to do away with political discretion and each one of them will have a fixed tenure of three years. In case of a vacancy because of death or resignation, it will be filled within 90 days but the new incumbent will only get to serve the remaining term and not a full one. It will also have powers to recommend to the appropriate government or authority to initiate prosecution if its own inquiry reveals violation of women’s rights either by a public servant or a private person. Advertising Maneka Gandhi, sources said, has expressed her displeasure with the working style of the commission and the fact that the full commission meets at best only once a week. She wants the commission to meet on a daily basis and take up matters with urgency instead of choosing arbitrary issues relating to celebrities like Preity Zinta and Rakhi Sawant.

YouTube According to various reports, the man arrested for sending ricin-laced letters to Senators and President Obama is Paul Kevin Curtis from Tupelo or Corinth Mississippi. Among the alleged intended recipients of his letters was Senator Roger Wicker (MS). The suspect also reportedly signed his letters with "I am KC, and I approved this message." Anyway, someone with the same name, Paul Kevin Curtis, who is also from Mississippi, and who ends his writing with a similar tagline, has posted widely on the internet about a supposed human body parts conspiracy. In this letter, posted to Ripoff Report, he also talks about interactions with Senator Wicker. The whole thing is below the dotted line, but here's how it ends: I personally sent out more than a million emails in one year detailing what happened to me when I found the body parts at NMMC. In 2004, 4 arrests were made in New York City. In 2006, another illegal body parts scam was discovered in North Carolina. I am confident that although no local media has agreed to put in print what happened to me in Tupelo or the trigger-happy, intoxicated assistant DA, I know in my heart that my coming forward has brought national attention to this terrible and illegal black market. This is Kevin Curtis and I approve this report. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After owning & operating a commercial & residential cleaning business for almost 8 years, I landed a contract with the largest non-metropolitan hospital in America, AKA North Mississippi Medical Center, which fronts itself as a "not-for-profit" charity hospital in Tupelo, Mississippi. I was immediately put in charge of the highest traffic area of this 650 bed facility & cut costs by 30% in the first 3 months of employment. I was also written up in various newsletters and made the front page of the local daily newspaper which read "People Well Met...Kevin Curtis, local entertainer does more than make tile floors shine at NMMC"--Staff writer, Scott Morris went on to publish several other articles surrounding my music and work accomplishments. After about a year and a half of employment, I questioned management about unfair employment practices & work ethics involving Hispanics, who did not speak English working excessive hours & off the clock each day, while non-hispanic's were being sent home and/or written up for not having his/her "nametag". Then, one night, the drainage system backed up in the morgue. I was asked by a new supervisor to go into the morgue (which was located on the ground floor which I had been in charge of for more than a year. Unthinkable things washed back up through the drainage system under the autopsy table. I put on a face mask and gloves and began the extraction process to prepare the floors for maintenence. About 4 hour into the job after I laid down the first coat of sealer, I became very thirsty. I was unable to exit the morgue due to floor finish not drying as fast as I had anticipated with the humidity level, so I opened the dor to a small refrigerator located to the right of the autopsy table. I assumed I might find some water or anything to drink as I was dehydrated. What I discovered, changed my life forever! There were dismembered body parts & organs wrapped in plastic. A leg, an arm, a hand, a foot, hearts, lungs, tissue, eyes and even a severed human head! I guess I was in a state of shock when I rushed out of the morgue because a physician asked me "What's wrong"? I told him exactly what I had seen & asked him what they did with so many body parts? He looked very strange & did not answer me. Instead, wrote something down on a piece of paper. I suddenly became a prime "person of interest" where my every move was watched & video-taped. I escorted a young radiology technician to the morgue as she did not believe me. When she saw the body parts and severed head, she could not believe it either. We told every single person in Radiology what was in the old upright refrigerator. I immediately noticed a change in the atmosphere. Security guards were all of a sudden around me...walking behind me and I could hear video camera's zooming in on me as I walked down the hallways that night. Security followed me to the time card machine that night for the first time in 14 months. The following day, I was called over the loud speaker for the first time since joining the team at NMMC. I was questioned by men I had never met in my life. I was asked to sign several false documents stating I was in an area of the NMMC that I was not authorized to be in and would be hereby suspended without pay while the matter at hand was investigated. I did not go to law school like my sister but I knew better than to sign something like that. After refusing to sign the false documents, I was on my way to the CEO's office, Dr. Jeff Barber (who was later terminated) and before reaching his office, 6 security officers grabbed me and held me while placing hand-cuffs on my wrists and walked me out of the hospital in front of all of my friends and co-workers. I was informed to not appear on company property until notified in writing. (seemed they had practice in this area) I researched court dockets & discovered thousands of lawsuits filed against this so-called "not-for-profit", charity healthcare system. I went public with my story and lawsuit. I contacted various media outlets but was unable to get my story in print. I was notified via U.S. mail that I was terminated and banned for life but no reason as to why. 3 Years of research lead to countless court battles, cops harassing me weekly, death threats, personal & financial losses, several thefts, my home burned down, car exploded, marriage dissolved & bankruptcy. You can imagine how helpless I felt the day I found out my attorney dropped my case & represented the very hospital I filed suit against? The attorney's name was Jim Waide. My brother said he was the best of the best and specialized in areas such as this. He kept telling me "don't mention the body parts you discovered until we get a grand jury trial". He focused on the illegal immigrant issues and wrongful firing. He held onto the case for 18 months and dropped it one day after a team of attorney's and members of the hospital's administration offered me $10,000.00 and said I would have to sign a "gag order" stating that I would never talk about my lawsuit or the body parts I discovered to ANYONE. I refused. I sent letters to State Representative Roger Wicker, Senator Trent Lott and Thad Cochran. I never heard a word from anyone. I even ran into Roger Wicker several different times while performing at special banquets and fundraisers in northeast, Mississippi but he seemed very nervous while speaking with me and would make a fast exit to the door when I engaged in conversation leading up to my case against NMMC. On May 23, 2003, an intoxicated assistant district attorney pushed me backwards during a debate about corruption in northeast, MS. and then put a loaded 9 mm bereta to my head in front of my (then) wife and 2 sons, ages 7 and 9. I didn't know at the time he was an assistant DA in Tupelo. All I knew was that the city hired him to play rythem guitar in a special new production that I developed including my older brother Jack. The show was gaining attention as we are the only brother duo Elvis Presley Tribute act in the world. Pat Rasberry, executive director of the Tupelo Convention & Visitor's Bureau drove up right at the moment he put the gun to my head and cocked it. I had my hands up in the air. She jumped out of her car and he threw the gun into his truck like nothing ever happened. I filed charges against him for assault but instead of HIM going to jail for almost killing me in front of my family, the police showed up at my door and arrested ME. There is no jail time for simple assault. He physically assaulted me by putting his hands on me just before putting the gun to my head. I have been to jail various times on this same charge and was made to stand trial with no legal representation for 7 hours in justice court, yet there is NO RECORD of this or any trials. I feel this and everything that has been happening since 2000 is a direct result of my finding the dismembered body parts and being terminated from the largest employer in the state. I am watched by police officers, followed, my trash taken, harassed, threatened my city officials and put on the no hire list. I don't have much more to lose and was notified last week that the charges for simple assault have been re-instated. "State of Ms Vs Paul K. Curtis" in Justice court, Tupelo, Mississippi on October 10, 2007 at 9:00 am I have no faith left in the Mississippi Justice system. I feel my coming forward with my story and releasing it to news media all over the USA in 2001 has helped expose the illegal body parts and organ trade market world-wide. I personally sent out more than a million emails in one year detailing what happened to me when I found the body parts at NMMC. In 2004, 4 arrests were made in New York City. In 2006, another illegal body parts scam was discovered in North Carolina. I am confident that although no local media has agreed to put in print what happened to me in Tupelo or the trigger-happy, intoxicated assistant DA, I know in my heart that my coming forward has brought national attention to this terrible and illegal black market. This is Kevin Curtis and I approve this report.

My urban commuter folding bicycle made its 2.85 mile maiden voyage to work this morning. Was it a blast! I should have bought one of these years ago. Fun, maneuverable, speedy, and comfortable for the short-medium haul ride, it is a joy to ride. The saga began a month or so ago as I decided to shop around for an urban commuter folding bike. Much to my surprise (and dismay) there is a much larger selection than I ever dreamed and prices are all over the map. Since this was going to be my first one and locally there is no place to try one out, I decided to be conservative on my spending and not go over $400. So…the quest began. I checked out Dahon, Brompton, Bike Friday, Citizen, and several others. Eventually, due to price I zeroed in on Citizen, which is out of Southeast Florida, though the bike was made in China. Did not want to spend a wad and find out I didn’t like the bike. After reviewing a plethora of brands and models, I ordered a “Miami” by Citizen for $199, plus $30 for a case and $30 for shipping. It has a six speed Shimano index gear system with RevoShift. The bicycle is largely assembled when it arrives. My task was to remove the packing and protective materials, connect the handlebars and seat, and unfold and lock it into position. This was a snap (other than the ceremonial first scratch while cutting through one of the zip ties). Ugh! The ride is so much more enjoyable, at least for the short-haul, than my Diamondback cross-country bike. As a result, I will be pedaling away on my Citizen “Miami” as much as possible until the weather turns sour. Urban commuter folding bikes are a hot commodity these days and I can see why. Ease of storage, ease of assembly, ease of transport, and flexibility make them great for commuting and traveling. Gone for me are the days of latching the bike onto the back of the car, unless it is for off-road riding. Yay! My only recommendation – retail bicycle stores need to start carrying these things. Otherwise, they risk being left in the dust of a new riding revolution. Advertisements

Lawsuit Filed To Force NYPD To Respect Citizens' First Amendment Right To Record Police Officers from the inevitable-law-enforcement-response:-'make-me' dept The NYPD may be arbitrarily slapping the word "secret" on its internal documents and making sure all of its intelligence stays safely within its walls, but when it comes to communicating with the outside world, it's apparently a one-way transaction. It talks (when it wants to and can completely guide the narrative) but it rarely ever listens. Case in point: the Brooklyn DA says he won't prosecute low-level marijuana possession charges, so naturally the Brooklyn division tells its officers that low-level marijuana possession arrests will continue uninterrupted. Now, it's facing a lawsuit for its refusal to stop arresting citizens for filming police officers. A recent court of appeals decision UPHELD (all caps for a reason) the public's First Amendment right to film police officers and other public servants. The ruling was loaded with exceptions, but it did reaffirm what was already a legal right, albeit one that is routinely trampled by members of law enforcement who take offense to being publicly recorded while performing their public duties. A federal lawsuit, which cites arrests of people who recorded police confrontations or activity, was filed on Tuesday asking a judge to declare that people have a right under the First Amendment to film or record officers working in public places. The suit was filed in Federal District Court in Manhattan on behalf of one of the people arrested, and seeks a permanent injunction barring New York City employees from retaliating against those who record them in public. [T]he justification for this right is firmly rooted in longstanding First Amendment principles. [T]he Police Department Patrol Guide states that “taking photographs, videotapes or tape recordings” do not constitute probable cause for arrest or detention so long as the activity does not jeopardize the safety of officers or others. "[B]ystanders are allowed to film police officers as long as they’re not interfering with the officers’ duties and/or police operations.” Recording governmental officers engaged in public duties is a form of speech through which private individuals may gather and disseminate information of public concern, including the conduct of law enforcement officers.(2) See, e.g., Glik v. Cunniffe, 655 F.3d 78, 82 (1st Cir. 2011) There is no binding precedent to the contrary. Debra Goodman, was taking a cellphone video of paramedics assisting a woman in a wheelchair on West 73rd Street and Broadway last year before a police officer intervened. "He asked me to produce ID. I refused, because I knew I wasn’t doing anything wrong,” Goodman told CBS. “And then he grabbed my arm and handcuffed me, and told me I was under arrest.” She was held for 25 hours. The NYPD apparently believes it's exempt because there's been no specific ruling from a district court covering its jurisdiction. This despite the fact that the DOJ itself fired off a letter in response to a lawsuit brought Baltimore that stated plainly:This also despite the fact that its own Patrol Guide say photographing police isn't an arrestable offense.This also despite the fact that the NYPD's own chief of federal litigation made the following statement:The NYPD may be trying to dodge this on jurisdiction specifics, but note that the DOJ's letter doesn't specify this only applies to Baltimore. The letter plainly says "First Amendment right," which is something applied toAmericans, regardless of jurisdiction. It also references the Glik decision, which plainly established citizens' right to record.The footnote (2) begins with this unambiguous sentence:And yet, the NYPD continues to harass , arrest and shut down citizens who record police interactions. Shawn Thomas' experience, which we detailed here earlier , saw him harassed by a police officer who claimed he was interfering with police business despite the fact that he had to walk 30 feet away from the detained suspect to deliver this statement. The whole interaction began with police intimidation tactics and culminated in the arrest of Thomas.This lawsuit asks for a permanent injunction prohibiting retaliatory actions from NYPD officers against those who record them. Time and money are going to be poured into "protecting" a right that already unequivocally exists. And there's no guarantee the NYPD will pay attention even if it receives a jurisdiction-specific injunction. After all, a federal appeals court ruled the state's wiretapping law (something frequently abused to prosecute citizens for recording cops) was unconstitutional and this decision was greeted by Morgan County prosecutors and law enforcement with a "so, business as usual" shrug . It took the involvement of the ACLU to get Morgan County to align itself with a ruling that plainly stated recording police wasa violation of the wiretapping statute.What the NYPD is doing is ignoring common knowledge and several court decisions. The DOJ's letter may have been addressed to Baltimore's police department, but the wording (and the cases cited) apply to every law enforcement agency. The US government itself has declared that citizens have this right, something that comes bundled with the First Amendment. It's utterly ridiculous that anyone should have to force the issue in a "local" court in order to make the NYPD respect citizens' First Amendment rights. Filed Under: citizens, filming, first amendment, nypd, police, recording police

A youth sports coach in Metairie, Louisiana was arrested this summer on claims that he provided alcohol to minors during a party at his home. The coach has now been accused of spooning with three drunk boys on his bed. 55-year-old Allen Joseph served as a playground coach in Jefferson Parish. He volunteered at Cleary, Mike Miley, Girard, and Delta playgrounds. He was also an assistant football coach at the Jesuit High School in New Orleans. In 1992, Joseph served as a paid supervisor at Girard. He only held that position for one year. The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office claims that Joseph provided three unidentified boys with alcohol. The boys ended up severely intoxicated at Joseph’s home on North Sibley Street on August 5. It is alleged that Allen Joseph got into bed with the three boys and pressed his body up against one, while another filmed it all on SnapChat. Initially, Joseph was booked on three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. At the time, the allegations only accused Joseph of providing the boys with alcohol. He was released on a $1,500 bond. On Thursday, Joseph was booked on one count of indecent behavior with a juvenile. The charge stems from the contract with the boy who Joseph allegedly rubbed up against. As a result of the initial arrest, Joseph was banned from all parish playgrounds. Indecent behavior with a juvenile carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison and a fine of $5,000. Authorities now believe that there may be additional victims from Joseph’s past. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.

The US president, who said countries ‘play the market while we sit like a bunch of dummies’, signals possible retreat from strong dollar policy Japan has rejected Donald Trump’s claims that Tokyo was deliberately weakening the yen to gain an unfair trade advantage over the US. Trump told a meeting of pharmaceutical companies on Tuesday that Japan, along with China and Germany, were guilty of “global freeloading” for using regulation and currency devaluation in their trade dealings with the US. The president’s trade adviser, Peter Navarro, also accused Germany of using a “grossly undervalued” euro to gain an unfair advantage over the US and other EU countries. In unusually frank comments, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, Yoshihide Suga, said Trump’s criticism “completely misses the mark”. Suga added that the Bank of Japan’s pursuit of monetary easing was intended to boost inflation, not weaken the yen against the dollar. A tumultuous year: the 2016 global economy in 10 charts Read more Japan’s policy was in line with G7 and G20 agreements, he said, adding that Tokyo would continue to respond to “one-sided” currency moves by other countries. Vowing to end the emasculation of US trade, Trump’s said: “You look at what China’s doing, you look at what Japan has done over the years. ... they play the money market, they play the devaluation market and we sit there like a bunch of dummies.” According to a transcript of Tuesday’s meeting, Trump said other countries “live on devaluation”. Trump’s outburst, which suggests he could backtrack on his wish to see higher US interest rates, came at the end of the worst January for the dollar for three decades. But that follows a huge rise in the dollar on the back of his election win in November when promises of a huge stimulus for the US economy sent the greenback to 14-year highs. The yen was one of many Asian currencies that pushed lower as a result but, falling more than 10% against the dollar since Trump’s election victory. The US currency briefly fell to 112.08 yen in Tokyo on Wednesday, but later recovered to around 113 yen as investors sensed a bargain. Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, will explain Japan’s monetary easing policy when he meets Trump in Washington on 10 February, according to Suga. Abe, who has declined to join in the widespread condemnation of Trump’s immigration policies, is also expected to emphasise Japanese automakers’ role in the US, where it employs just over 1.5 million people, following the president’s threat to impose a ”big border tax” on Toyota for building a new vehicle plant in Mexico. The Japanese leader will propose a raft of new investments in US infrastructure that would create hundreds of thousands of jobs in sectors such as high-speed rail and shale oil development, Kyodo news reported. Japan’s central bank has been pursuing a super-loose monetary policy since Abe became prime minister four years ago, as it attempts to encourage consumer spending and lift the world’s third biggest economy out of its deflationary spiral – measures that have yet to pay off. The yen has weakened considerably in that time, from about 80 yen to the dollar to a low of about 125 yen in the middle of 2015. The dollar was trading near 100 yen in August but now stands at about 113 yen. The Nikkei share average hovered around the 19,000-point mark on Wednesday, as investors were shaken by the possible impact of Trump’s protectionist stance, days after he horrified Japanese officials by implementing a campaign promise to pull the US out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement. “There are lots of concerns about his policy moves, particularly for Japan whenever he mentions the currency rate,” said Harumi Taguchi, principal economist at IHS Markit in Tokyo. A finance ministry official added to denials that Japan was deliberately seeking a weaker yen, which helps the country’s exporters because it boost repatriated profits on sales made overseas. “Foreign exchange rates are led by the markets. We are not manipulating them,” Masatsugu Asakawa, vice finance minister for international affairs, said, according to Kyodo. “I don’t quite understand what (Trump) actually meant,” Asakawa added, since Japan had not intervened in forex markets for some time.

This is a guest post by Maggie Dwyer (@MagDwyer). She teaches courses related to security and politics in Africa at University of Saint Andrews and University of Edinburgh. Things are often not the way they seem in the Gambia, and this may help explain why this week’s coup attempt in Banjul was not anticipated by Jay’s statistical forecasting. Nicknamed “the smiling coast,” the Gambia has long been known for its beach resorts, which are particularly popular with European tourists. The country has never experienced a civil war and is generally considered peaceful. Its president, Yahya Jammeh, came to power in a coup in 1994 and has won four elections since. A deeper look at the Gambia, however, shows that the appearance of stability comes at a high cost for the population. The repressive style of the Jammeh government has led to a growing list of human rights abuses. Critics of the regime are often met with harassment, arrest, detention, and disappearance. The country is shrouded in secrecy due to a lack of press freedoms. With no presidential term limits and no significant opposition, many see no end in sight for Jammeh’s regime. The military is often viewed as the strong arm of the Jammeh regime and is responsible for many of the abuses. Yet, the military is also kept on edge. An endless series of promotions, demotions, firings, and re-hirings leave military personnel in a constant state of uncertainty. The sense of fear within the military is exacerbated by severe punishment for those deemed disloyal. Several military members were officially executed for alleged involvement in coup plots in 2013, and there are many more suspected executions, disappearances, and torture of military personnel on which the government has never commented. There have also been reports of growing military discontent within the military over preference for Jammeh’s minority ethnic group, the Jola. There are claims that the Jola have been given a disproportionate number of promotions, top positions and opportunities (e.g., training and participation in peacekeeping), and that this favoritism has created divisions and spurred resentment in the military. Despite the fate of past coup plotters in the Gambia, military personnel have continued to try to oust Jammeh. He has endured at least eight alleged coup attempts during his 20 years in office. Many of the accused plotters had served at the highest military positions, including Army Chief of Staff and Director of the National Intelligence Agency, suggesting divisions at the most senior levels. It should be noted that there is speculation as to whether some of the attempts were real or simply ways to purge members of the military. The ambiguity of these events is another cause of uncertainty and fear within the military. These tensions, divisions, and dissatisfaction within the Gambian military probably contributed to the most recent and past coup attempts against Jammeh. Unfortunately, internal military tensions are difficult to observe and quantify, especially in repressive states like the Gambia. Because these tensions are hard to quantify, they rarely factor into larger statistical forecasts, even though we have good reason to believe they contribute significantly to coup risks. The recent coup attempt in the Gambia will switch the “domestic coup activity” variable used in Jay’s models from ‘no’ to ‘yes’ and will thereby increase its ranking in the next iteration of those assessments. The climate of fear in the Gambia will also intensify following the crackdown from this week’s coup attempt, however, and may deter copycats in the near future. Advertisements

All Stories Prenatal Nicotine Exposure Might Lead To ADHD, A News Study Revealed We already know that pregnant women should stay away from nicotine for the sake of their babies. A recent study focused on the adverse effects of prenatal nicotine exposure, especially when it comes to deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). As it turns… New Quantum Memory Reading Method Developed, Paving The Way To A Functional Quantum Computer Back in 2012, a well-known physicist had an exciting idea, which was later pitched to Google. Seth Lloyd envisioned a quantum internet application which harnessed the power of quantum memory to answer a query instantly. The new type of memory… Insomnia Negatively Impacts Heart and Mental Health, According To New Human Genome Studies Insomnia is generally dismissed as a minor issue caused by either stress or bad habits like all-night-long Netflix binges. A pair of recently published studies argue that insomniacs are more susceptible to heart and mental health issues. The studies analyzed… The Place Where Kids Eat Breakfast Influences Weight Gain, Recent Research Revealed Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and most persons will perform better after eating a healthy breakfast. A recent study conducted in Philadelphia revealed what would happen if children enrolled in the School Breakfast Program have the… What Are The Side Effects Of Prenatal Vitamins? If you are pregnant, or still trying to conceive, your Obstetrician and Gynecologist or OB-GYN may prescribe you with prenatal vitamins. You can consider your prenatal vitamins as an added boost needed to keep up with the increasing demands of… Social Ostracism Negatively Impacts Human Behavior A recently published study suggests that social ostracism can lead to a high number of negative emotions, including sadness, anger, and revenge, negatively impacting human behavior. The study notes that human motivation is tied to four essential psychological needs: The desire… New Study Gives Hopes To Patients With Friedreich’s Ataxia, A Rare Genetic Disease A recently published study has discovered that skin cells harvested from patients which were diagnosed with Friedreich’s Ataxia, a rare genetic disease, are up to ten times more sensitive to ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation in comparison to those taken from healthy… The Flu Season Is Not Over – A More Severe Strain Becomes Widely Spread This flu season appears to be an ugly one. The virus is a nasty one and things are expected to get even worse. Health officials explained that the whole country will be swiped by the flu. It appears that t… The Terrifying T. Rex Was The Size of A Deer At First The Tyrannosaurus rex is one of the scariest dinosaurs and it is known as a giant. Nonetheless, it appears that this beast wasn’t that big at first. An early relative of the dinosaur was recently discovered, and it reveals the…

Sometimes the most amazing discoveries can come from the most horrific accidents. Such is the case with the fire tornado, which has inspired scientists to work on a new flame called the Blue Whirl. A team of researchers coined the nickname after recreating a famous fire that started when lightning hit a Jim Beam warehouse in 2003 and spilled hundreds of thousands of gallons of whiskey into a nearby lake. The spirits set on fire, tornadoes spiraled off from the surface for nearly an hour, and the world held hands and wept. When researchers got done crying over this tragic loss, they realized that they had just seen something that actually could useful for removing oil spills. See, unlike “firenadoes,” which sometimes appear in wildfires and look equally cool (though far less tragic), blue whirls burn clean and don’t distribute soot around the environment. This is what the blue flame means- it’s burning so hot thanks to the liquor that everything is getting combusted. This would effectively burn off all of the oil without getting the rest of the water fouled up. So the scientists took a bath of water and ignited liquid fuel floating on top of it, sucking air from the top to create a vortex. It burned like a normal fire for a moment before settling into the Blue Whirl, as you can see below. Now the only trick is going to be finding a way to control these blue blurs. This is usually the part of the story where a mad scientist steals this research and uses it to control mankind, but if we’re lucky we might have a way to stop oil spills that can truly help the environment, and look pretty awesome while doing so.

Gimi Levakovic, known in Denmark as ‘the Gypsy boss’ (Sigøjnerbossen), was convicted on charges of having a loading pistol and making death threats by a Næstved court on Thursday and sentenced to 15 months in prison followed by expulsion from Denmark. The lawyer for Levakovic, who became nationally-known thanks to a TV2 documentary entitled ‘The Gypsy Boss and His Notorious Family’ (Sigøjnerbossen og hans berygtede familie), immediately filed an appeal against the decision. Levakovic, a Roma from Croatia, is the head of what for many years has been called ‘Denmark’s most criminal family’ and is the self-declared ‘boss’ of the nation’s Romas. According to TV2, the Levakovic family first arrived in Denmark in 1972 and most of the 45-member clan have never had jobs and have instead lived off a mix of welfare benefits and crime. Levakovic’s Facebook page is filled with updates in which he flashily displays large sums of money. In an update posted after his sentence, he had a profane and grammatically-challenged message to Denmark. “Fuck you Denmark and your Danes racist Pia Kjærsgaard [an icon of the Danish People's Party, ed.]. I’m already taking your free money with me; fuck you. But remember Denmark, I’ll be back and it not just me but all of Romania!”, he wrote Three members of the Levakovic family have previously been sent back to Croatia for their crimes, which include home robberies, violence and rape. The court said on Thursday that Levaokic’s past escapades were a major factor in the decision to kick him out of the country. “We have given weight to the fact that he has a history with numerous incidents of violence and we believe upon that background that there is a risk that he will continue his criminal activities,” Christian Ankerstjerne, a judge in the case, said in court according to Ekstra Bladet. For his part, Levakovic claimed that despite his reputation and his propensity to refer to himself as ‘the Boss’, he is actually nothing of the sort. “After I participated in that programme on TV2, I’ve been portrayed as a mafia boss. I’m not at all a mafia boss or a boss of anything,” he said in court according to Ekstra Bladet.

While SETI researchers search for a new Wow! Signal thanks to the Breakthrough Listen cash infusion, they may want to search for something other than radio transmissions along the way. Like exhaust from microwaves used to propulse giant light sail-like spacecraft. Two researchers from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics proposed the new detection method in a paper draft published on Arxiv. James Guillochon and Abraham Loeb propose that a light sail-like craft—vehicles with a sail of conductive material that push them through space without rocket propellant—might get their thrust from microwave transmissions delivered from the ground of some alien planet. Those highly concentrated bursts of microwave would be easily detectable energy signatures from ground-based SETI instruments. "Given its practical appeal for transit within our own solar system, it seems reasonable that intelligent life elsewhere in the galaxy may employ similar technology to facilitate rapid transit between the habitable worlds within its host planetary system," Guillochon and Loeb write in the paper SETI via Leakage From Light Sails in Exoplanetary Systems. Their model uses an Earth-Mars like system as a baseline. They propose leaked energy from the sides of the spacecraft could be spotted in transit to the spacecraft, with the point where it terminates indicating the presence of the light sail, which may appear as a series of short bursts. Those bursts would be detectable by Breakthrough Listen. They may also occur with some frequency. "As the infrastructure has a high capital cost but low operating expenses, it seems reasonable to expect that the apparatus would be in constant use by any civilization that has built it," Loeb and Guillochon write. They further propose basing it off of Kepler data, utilizing planetary transit information to find worlds with similar separations and orbital resonances as Earth-Mars. Of course, this means that when we have more robust light sail technology that uses full-fledged energy beams, we might be detectable as well. And that could turn Bill Nye from heroic science educator who promoted light sails because they're awesome to the man responsible for our subjugation and destruction at the hands of an alien race. Hopefully not.

Yokohama F. Marinos and Suphanburi FC announce partnership A week after defeating Manchester United in front of a home crowd, the J-League co-founders followed Vissel Kobe and Cerezo Osaka in formalising ties with a Thai club Japan's Yokohama F. Marinos on Tuesday have formed a partnership with Suphanburi FC of the Thai Premier League (TPL), the two clubs announced in a joint statement on Monday. The J-League co-founders are the latest Japanese club to set up formal links with Thai teams as the league looks to capture a piece of the booming football market in Southeast Asia. The J-League and Thai Premier League are in the second year of a strategic agreement signed in Bangkok in 2012. The Marinos-Suphanburi deal opens the way for not only the exchange of club personnel and team management knowledge, but also interactions between the two clubs' sponsors in both Thailand and Japan. "Suphanburi FC are proud to be associated with Yokohama F. Marinos today," club president Varawut Silpa-archa said after the signing ceremony, which took place in Japan. "This synergy will propel both teams to achieve our greatest potentials. "We can learn so much from one another in many aspects, and Suphanburi is greatly honoured by the hospitality extended to us today." The announcement comes as both clubs are enjoying success in their domestic campaigns; Marinos are in third place as the J-League prepares to begin the second half of its 20th season, while Suphanburi are fourth after 19 rounds of the TPL season. "We felt that we could apply our knowledge of building a successful youth system to Suphanburi," said Marinos president Akira Kaetsu when explaining the reasons for the partnership. "We hope that this partnership will benefit not only our clubs, but the development of Asian football as a whole."

Nashville might have found a new home. The country music drama, canceled after four seasons at ABC, is near a deal for a fifth-season rescue by Viacom-owned CMT, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. CMT was one of the rumored potential homes for Nashville — Hulu, Lifetime, Bravo and E! also had been mentioned in recent weeks as producer Lionsgate Television has remained steadfast in its pursuit of a fifth season. A formal announcement could come Wednesday during the CMT Awards. Sources tell THR the central issue is stacking rights, as CMT, Hulu and Lionsgate TV are eyeing a number of different options. A Nashville revival also would mean a likely dual window for the drama starring Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere. Hulu, which already had second-window rights to the former ABC series, had been mentioned as a potential exclusive home. Having CMT and Hulu share in the window for Nashville would make sense given the sizable price tag on the series. CMT already has syndication rights to the first three seasons of the drama. ABC shockingly canceled Nashville in May, but Lionsgate TV refused to accept that fate and opted to go with a massive cliffhanger in its season finale (billed as a series finale) involving Juliette Barnes (Panettiere). The character's fate was left up in the air as her baby daddy Avery (Jonathan Jackson), waiting for her return at the airport, learned that her plane had gone missing. The series then cut to credits, leaving the fate of one of its leading ladies unclear as producers Lionsgate TV and ABC Studios actively shop the drama to other outlets following ABC's May 12 decision to cancel the show after four seasons. For Lionsgate's part, the independent studio actively started shopping Nashville immediately and has used its Twitter feed to keep the show's 8 million viewers posted on its efforts to find a new home. To hear Lionsgate TV chairman Kevin Beggs tell it, efforts to find a new outlet for Nashville contributed to the cliffhanger finale — despite producers having also filmed what was ultimately a happy reunion for Juliette and Avery.

UNREAL: ESPN Loon Blames Trump for Kaepernick Not Standing for National Anthem (VIDEO) Does everyone remember when ESPN was a sports network and not a left-wing social justice warrior network? In the video below, one ESPN commentator asks another about the Kaepernick controversy of this weekend when the player refused to stand for the national anthem. The second commentator immediately cites Donald Trump and his proposed temporary ban on Muslims from countries that sponsor terrorism as the reason. Then he even mentions Ferguson and the Black Lives Matter movement. Unreal! What does ANY of that have to do with Kaepernick’s decision to disrespect the American flag? Watch the video and turn it all the way up because the audio is a little faint. Earbuds work best to hear the whole exchange. ESPN is a perfect example of what Powerline calls O’Sullivan’s Law: Any institution that is not explicitly right wing will become left wing over time.

***Update***: The new site is right here. … Marwa Berro, who has written quite a bit about leaving Islam, is embarking on a new project to empower women who used to wear head/face coverings but who have since proudly taken them off: It’s not just before and after shots of their faces. The project will also feature: … ex-hijabis with awesome hairstyles and tattoos and piercings. Ex-hijabis in bikinis and little black dresses and cargo pants and hiking boots. Ex-hijabis who are femme and ex-hijabis who are butch. Ex-hijabis who are women and ex-hijabis who are men. Ex-hijabis topless and legsome and all decked out and minimalistic and with long hair and buzzcuts and everything. EVERYTHING. Marwa has answered many questions about the project on her site — and she also has all the contact information there if you’d like to participate.

Maisie Williams: What, for you, has been Cersei’s best moment? Lena Headey: I think the highlight was last season when she blew up the Great Sept of Baelor, then just enjoyed her wine. And this season coming, because she’s lost everything. Whatever was good in her life has been erased and she’s a horrible cow to one particular character… It’s really quite loathsome. Williams: Was the explosion in the Sept when you liked her least? Headey: No! I thought that was great. The High Sparrow played by Jonathan Pryce was yet another man who came along and was like, “I’m going to manipulate you.” So I think her revenge… Well, I was like, “Yes! F**k you!” And she took out Margaery Tyrell Natalie Dormer and her low-cut blouse. Bye, perky tits.

The British Interplanetary Society (BIS), founded by Phillip Cleator in Liverpool in 1933, is the world's oldest existing organization devoted to the promotion of spaceflight. In 1936, the BIS moved its headquarters to London and launched a Technical Committee, which soon began to design a Lunar Spaceship. The Society published results of its Lunar Spaceship study in its journal in 1939, then suspended its activities for the duration of the Second World War. A decade later, on 19 November 1949, the reconstituted and always prescient BIS hosted the Symposium of Medical Problems Associated with Space-Flight. The third paper presented at the Symposium was a collaboration between self-taught engineer H. E. Ross and artist R. A. Smith, two men instrumental in the pre-war Lunar Spaceship study. It focused on the problems of designing a space suit for lunar surface exploration. The moon, they explained, has no atmosphere (they added, however, that an atmosphere might be "present below the surface, in the caverns, galleries, and pipes of an extinct volcanic system"). Every bit as important from the standpoint of space suit design, the moon's surface undergoes extremes of temperature during its nearly month-long day/night cycle. On the lunar equator at noon, for example, the temperature soars to an "oven-high" 120° C (248° F). At night, it plummets to a "ferocious" -150° C (-238° F). Ross and Smith noted that across the moon's night hemisphere the temperature is uniform, but that it varies widely across its day hemisphere. During the lunar day, such factors as landscape "cragginess," color, and composition could produce significant local temperature variations. This implied that designing separate space suits for night and day use would be easier than designing a single day-and-night suit (and that night suit design might be easiest of all). Despite this, Ross and Smith chose to take on the challenge of designing a lunar "ensemble" capable of protecting its wearer at any point in the day/night cycle and anywhere on the moon's surface. Their lunar suit's pressure vessel would comprise four layers: a thin, smooth exterior layer (or "cuticle") of closely woven cloth (A in the drawing below); a "thickish" layer of "cellular heat-resisting material," such as wool (B); a rubber "airtight sheath" (C); and, to ensure the wearer's comfort, a soft, non-water-absorbing inner layer (D). To enhance mobility, the layers would form bellows joints at knees, ankles, hips, elbows, shoulders, and wrists. Cutaway showing Ross & Smith lunar suit design details. Letter and number call-outs are explained in the blog post text. Image: R. A. Smith/British Interplanetary Society Cutaway showing Ross & Smith lunar suit design details. Letter and number call-outs are explained in the blog post text. Image: R. A. Smith/British Interplanetary Society Persons versed in the design of the Apollo A7L lunar suit will note the absence of a cooling layer; that is, one laced with water tubes for actively carrying away body heat generated during exertion. As was typical of space suit designers until at least the mid-1960s, Ross and Smith underestimated the significance of heat generated by the suit wearer's body. They assumed that air flow through an air & temperature conditioning unit (8) and, under the hottest conditions, through an air-cooling "refrigerator" (10), would, if combined with passive moderation of absorbed or radiated heat, be sufficient to control their suit's internal temperature. To passively moderate its internal temperature, the suit would be colored black from just above the knees up to the shoulders (20) and silver elsewhere (19). Black would, of course, absorb the Sun's heat, while silver would reflect it. The suit would include a silver cape (22) that the wearer could draw over the black area to reflect sunlight or hold in escaping heat, "studs" protruding from the chest (23) to separate the cape from the suit's outer surface and thus create a vacuum barrier, a silver helmet (3) with a vacuum barrier between its inner metal and outer plastic layers, and pull-on boots (18) with four-centimeter-thick asbestos soles (17) and narrow treads (16) to prevent heat gain and loss through contact with the moon's surface. If crawling up steep slopes on hands and knees or handling hot or cold tools or rocks became necessary, the lunar explorer would don mitts to protect his suit's permanently attached gloves. Knee pads could be added for kneeling or crawling. Ross and Smith settled on a pure oxygen suit atmosphere at a pressure of 160 millimeters of mercury (for comparison, Earth's air mix is about 21% oxygen and 79% nitrogen at 760 mm of mercury). At the start of any moonwalk, the backpack would carry enough compressed gaseous oxygen to supply the lunar explorer for 12 hours. The suit wearer would, of course, exhale carbon dioxide and water vapor, neither of which could be permitted to build up within the suit. Ross and Smith briefly considered continuously venting "foul air" from the suit and replacing it with pure oxygen. (This approach was, incidentally, put to use in the Berkut space suit Alexei Leonov wore during the world's first spacewalk on 18 March 1965.) After rejecting continuous venting - it would, they calculated, require either a prohibitively large quantity of oxygen or very short moonwalks - they adopted a sodium peroxide-based system which would absorb exhaled carbon dioxide and water vapor and release supplemental oxygen as a by-product. Ross and Smith proposed that, rather than exit and enter through an opening sealed by a zipper, which would tend to leak, the moonwalker should squeeze into the suit through its neck opening. The helmet would then lock into place, sealing the wearer inside. To prevent eye damage through exposure to harsh sunlight, they envisioned a helmet with only a narrow slit for viewing (28) and a bill and a pull-down visor (1) to reduce glare. The suit would employ "internal body-hardness" to prevent air pressure within it from pushing the helmet up so that the slit rose above the wearer's eye level. Shoulder pads (7) would prevent the suit's hard parts from chafing its wearer. How one might squeeze into the suit through a rigid neck and shoulder structure was, however, not explained. A collapsible chest-mounted airlock (24) and arm holes large enough to permit the lunar explorer to extract his arms from the suit arms (9) would enable him to pass objects in and out of the suit. Such objects might include moon rocks needing close examination and food and drink. An electric lamp (25) for lighting the way at night and in stark daytime shadow would be mounted on the chest above the round airlock hatch. Internal (14) and external (not shown) pockets would hold adhesive patches the wearer would apply if the suit became punctured by a micrometeoroid or torn by a tumble on sharp rocks. Ross and Smith apparently chose not to apply their considerable creativity to providing their moon suit with means for accommodating two important bodily functions: specifically, urination and defecation. The two BIS veterans wrote that their suit might be worn continuously for days during "camping trips" away from the Lunar Spaceship, so this omission is difficult to understand. During camping trips, a suited explorer would not sleep on the ground or in direct sunlight; instead, to help maintain a comfortable temperature inside the suit, he would rest on a simple "camp-bed" in an unpressurized tent made of silver fabric. Similarly, he would not rest during long hikes by sitting on hot or cold boulders. Instead, the suit wearer would carry a walking stick, the handle of which could unfold to turn it into a one-legged stool (see image at top of post). The handle might be electrically heated for night use. A radio antenna (4) atop the suit's backpack would enable both private communication between individuals and broadcast "party" communication among members of a group up to the distance of the lunar horizon (about 1.5 miles away on a level lunar plain, Ross and Smith estimated). The suit wearer could communicate directly with an antenna on the 50-foot-tall Lunar Spaceship at a distance of up to six miles on a level plain. If communication beyond the horizon or in an area with many surface obstructions - for example, hillocks and large boulders - became necessary, then the moonwalker could leave behind a series of small radio repeater stations as he moved over the surface. The moonwalker would wear a "telephone head-set" (5) and a "laryngaphone" (throat microphone) (27). The radio, located at the top of the backpack directly beneath the antenna, would be controlled using knobs on the lower part of the backpack (11). Ross and Smith ended their paper by estimating their suit's weight. It would, they calculated, have an Earth weight of 150 pounds. On the moon, however, where gravity pulls with about 15% as much force as on Earth, their suit would weigh only about 25 pounds. Reference: "Lunar Spacesuit," H. E. Ross and R. A. Smith, Journal of the British Interplanetary Society, Vol. 9, No. 1, January 1950, pp. 23-37; paper presented at the British Interplanetary Society's Symposium of Medical Problems Associated with Space-Flight in London, United Kingdom, 19 November 1949.

Among a sea of horrendous PC ports this year, EA's games stand out for their relative quality on PC. Battlefield 1, for example, delivers outstanding visual quality but runs surprisingly well across a range of PC hardware. The reason for this is EA develops its games for high-end PCs, then scales the graphics level to meet the hardware requirements of today's consoles. In a sense, EA ports games from PC to console, and that leaves gamers with the best experience on both platforms. EA's Blake Jorgensen had this to say on the matter at the UBS Global Technology Conference: We build all of our games to the highest possible spec, which is typically a high-powered PC, and as the consoles come in, [which] may not be the highest spec, we may actually dummy down the console product to meet the spec of the console. In a world where the console looks more and more like a PC, that’s good for us. Jorgensen's last point is important in the modern gaming ecosystem. Both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are built using x86 hardware, which has long been the dominant hardware platform for PCs, and this makes it easier to develop games for consoles and PCs. Judging by EA's successes in game optimization, developing for PC first seems to be the right approach. EA has also streamlined the game development process by moving most of their key game franchises to the Frostbite engine. Whenever new hardware is released, such as the PlayStation 4 Pro, it then becomes much easier to update this single engine and its development tools to support the new console. This is keeping EA prepared as Sony and Microsoft move to more frequent console hardware upgrades.

The observer-expectancy effect (also called the experimenter-expectancy effect, expectancy bias, observer effect, or experimenter effect) is a form of reactivity in which a researcher's cognitive bias causes them to subconsciously influence the participants of an experiment. Confirmation bias can lead to the experimenter interpreting results incorrectly because of the tendency to look for information that conforms to their hypothesis, and overlook information that argues against it.[1] It is a significant threat to a study's internal validity, and is therefore typically controlled using a double-blind experimental design. An example of the observer-expectancy effect is demonstrated in music backmasking,[citation needed] in which hidden verbal messages are said to be audible when a recording is played backwards. Some people expect to hear hidden messages when reversing songs, and therefore hear the messages, but to others it sounds like nothing more than random sounds. Often when a song is played backwards, a listener will fail to notice the "hidden" lyrics until they are explicitly pointed out, after which they are obvious. Other prominent examples include facilitated communication and dowsing. In research, experimenter bias occurs when experimenter expectancies regarding study results bias the research outcome.[2] Examples of experimenter bias include conscious or unconscious influences on subject behavior including creation of demand characteristics that influence subjects, and altered or selective recording of experimental results themselves.[3] Overview [ edit ] The experimenter may introduce cognitive bias into a study in several ways. In what is called the observer-expectancy effect, the experimenter may subtly communicate their expectations for the outcome of the study to the participants, causing them to alter their behavior to conform to those expectations. Such observer bias effects are near-universal in human data interpretation under expectation and in the presence of imperfect cultural and methodological norms that promote or enforce objectivity.[4] The classic example of experimenter bias is that of "Clever Hans" (in German, der Kluge Hans), an Orlov Trotter horse claimed by his owner von Osten to be able to do arithmetic and other tasks. As a result of the large public interest in Clever Hans, philosopher and psychologist Carl Stumpf, along with his assistant Oskar Pfungst, investigated these claims. Ruling out simple fraud, Pfungst determined that the horse could answer correctly even when von Osten did not ask the questions. However, the horse was unable to answer correctly when either it could not see the questioner, or if the questioner themselves was unaware of the correct answer: When von Osten knew the answers to the questions, Hans answered correctly 89% of the time. However, when von Osten did not know the answers, Hans guessed only 6% of questions correctly. Pfungst then proceeded to examine the behaviour of the questioner in detail, and showed that as the horse's taps approached the right answer, the questioner's posture and facial expression changed in ways that were consistent with an increase in tension, which was released when the horse made the final, correct tap. This provided a cue that the horse had learned to use as a reinforced cue to stop tapping. Experimenter-bias also influences human subjects. As an example, researchers compared performance of two groups given the same task (rating portrait pictures and estimating how successful each individual was on a scale of -10 to 10), but with different experimenter expectations. In one group, ("Group A"), experimenters were told to expect positive ratings while in another group, ("Group B"), experimenters were told to expect negative ratings. Data collected from Group A was a significant and substantially more optimistic appraisal than the data collected from Group B. The researchers suggested that experimenters gave subtle but clear cues with which the subjects complied.[5] Where bias can emerge [ edit ] A review of bias in clinical studies concluded that bias can occur at any or all of the seven stages of research.[2] These include: Selective background reading Specifying and selecting the study sample Executing the experimental manoeuvre (or exposure) Measuring exposures and outcomes Data analysis Interpretation and discussion of results Publishing the results (or not) The ultimate source of bias lies in a lack of objectivity. It may occur more often in sociological and medical studies, perhaps due to incentives[citation needed]. Experimenter bias can also be found in some physical sciences, for instance, where an experimenter selectively rounds off measurements. Double blind techniques may be employed to combat bias. Classification [ edit ] Modern electronic or computerized data acquisition techniques have greatly reduced the likelihood of such bias, but it can still be introduced by a poorly designed analysis technique. Experimenter's bias was not well recognized until the 1950s and 60s, and then it was primarily in medical experiments and studies. Sackett (1979) catalogued 56 biases that can arise in sampling and measurement in clinical research, among the above-stated first six stages of research. These are as follows: In reading-up on the field the biases of rhetoric the "all's well" literature bias one-sided reference bias positive results bias hot stuff bias In specifying and selecting the study sample popularity bias centripetal bias referral filter bias diagnostic access bias diagnostic suspicion bias unmasking (detection signal) bias mimicry bias previous opinion bias wrong sample size bias admission rate (Berkson) bias prevalence-incidence (Neyman) bias diagnostic vogue bias diagnostic purity bias procedure selection bias missing clinical data bias non-contemporaneous control bias starting time bias unacceptable disease bias migrator bias membership bias non-respondent bias volunteer bias In executing the experimental manoeuvre (or exposure) contamination bias withdrawal bias compliance bias therapeutic personality bias bogus control bias In measuring exposures and outcomes insensitive measure bias underlying cause bias (rumination bias) end-digit preference bias apprehension bias unacceptability bias obsequiousness bias expectation bias substitution game family information bias exposure suspicion bias recall bias attention bias instrument bias In analyzing the data post-hoc significance bias data dredging bias (looking for the pony) scale degradation bias tidying-up bias repeated peeks bias In interpreting the analysis mistaken identity bias cognitive dissonance bias magnitude bias significance bias correlation bias under-exhaustion bias Prevention [ edit ] Double blind techniques may be employed to combat bias by causing the experimenter and subject to be ignorant of which condition data flows from. It might be thought that, due to the central limit theorem of statistics, collecting more independent measurements will improve the precision of estimates, thus decreasing bias. However this assumes that the measurements are statistically independent. In the case of experimenter bias, the measures share correlated bias: simply averaging such data will not lead to a better statistic but may merely reflect the correlations among the individual measurements and their non-independent nature. Examples [ edit ] Medical sciences [ edit ] In medical sciences, the complexity of living systems and ethical constraints may limit the ability of researchers to perform controlled experiments. In such circumstances scientific knowledge about the phenomenon under study, and the systematic elimination of probable causes of bias, by detecting confounding factors, is the only way to isolate true cause-effect relationships.[citation needed] Experimenter bias in epidemiology has been better studied than in other sciences.[citation needed] A number of studies into Spiritual Healing illustrate how the design of the study can introduce experimenter bias into the results. A comparison of two studies illustrates that subtle differences in the design of the tests can adversely affect the results of one. The difference was due to the intended result: a positive or negative outcome rather than positive or neutral. A 1995 paper[6] by Hodges & Scofield of spiritual healing used the growth rate of cress seeds as their independent variable in order to eliminate a placebo response or participant bias. The study reported positive results as the test results for each sample were consistent with the healers intention that healing should or should not occur. However the healer involved in the experiment was a personal acquaintance of the study authors raising the distinct possibility of experimenter bias. A randomized clinical trial,[7] published in 2001, investigated the efficacy of spiritual healing (both at a distance and face-to-face) on the treatment of chronic pain in 120 patients. Healers were observed by "simulated healers" who then mimicked the healers movements on a control group while silently counting backwards in fives - a neutral rather than should not heal intention. The study found a decrease in pain in all patient groups but "no statistically significant differences between healing and control groups ... it was concluded that a specific effect of face-to-face or distant healing on chronic pain could not be demonstrated." In physical sciences [ edit ] When a signal under study is smaller than the rounding error of measurement and data are over-averaged[quantify], a positive result may be found where none exists (i.e. a more precise experimental apparatus would conclusively show no signal).[citation needed] For instance a study of variation in sidereal time, subject to rounding of measures by a human who is aware of the measurement value may lead to selectivity in rounding, effectively generating a false signal. In such cases a single-blind experimental protocol is required; if the human observer does not know the sidereal time of the measurements, then even though the round-off is non-random it cannot introduce a spurious sidereal variation. In forensic sciences [ edit ] Results of a scientific test may be distorted when the underlying data are ambiguous and the scientist is exposed to domain-irrelevant cues which engage emotion.[8] For instance, forensic DNA results are ambiguous, and resolving these ambiguities, particularly when interpreting difficult evidence samples such as those that contain mixtures of DNA from two or more individuals, degraded or inhibited DNA, or limited quantities of DNA template may introduce bias. The full potential of forensic DNA testing can only be realized if observer effects are minimized.[9] In social science [ edit ] After the data are collected, bias may be introduced during data interpretation and analysis. For example, in deciding which variables to control in analysis, social scientists often face a trade-off between omitted-variable bias and post-treatment bias.[10] See also [ edit ]

Once Yokohama was just a fishing village, but now at the beginning of the Meiji era it's becoming a harbor open to foreign countries and one of the leading trade cities of Japan. As a result, many Japanese products such as copper and raw silk are collected in Yokohama for export to other countries. At the same time, the city is starting to incorporate foreign technology and culture, with even the streets becoming more modernized. In the shadow of this development was the presence of many Yokohama merchants. In YOKOHAMA, each player is a merchant in the Meiji period, trying to gain fame from a successful business, and to do so they need to build a store, broaden their sales channels, learn a variety of techniques, and (of course) respond to trade orders from abroad. Rahdo's Final Thoughts Yokohama is the most exciting euro game for me (Michael Mindes) since playing Orléans, and I personally want a copy with all of the deluxe components. Our previous Backers for Orléans are extremely pleased with their purchase, and we want to make this deluxified style of game available again. The additional cost for the deluxe components matches our cost with no additional profit, to make them and deliver to you the backer. For this reason, TMG expects to make this deluxe version only once. We will make enough for Kickstarter Backers, some replacement copies, and some convention sales. Man Vs Meeple Coverage Upgraded Components From cardboard to metal coins. Improved Graphic Design UNLOCKED - $325,000 - Add silk screening to the silk pieces: UNLOCKED - $425,000 - Upgrade Foreign Agents (mercs) to be wooden blocks with flag stickers We really love YOKOHAMA at TMG, which is why we are publishing it. In fact, it is part of the reason that we worked diligently to license the game from Mr. Hayashi and Kickstart it within 7 weeks of first playing the game. Of course, we also really want you to buy YOKOHAMA, so I recommend you check out what others are saying. Undead Viking's Review: Thoughts From Folks At Origins Yokohama is a game for 2-4 Players, and can be played in 60-90 min. A turn in Yokohama is very simple, you place 2-3 assistants, then Activate your President, choose to fulfill any orders you can, maybe activate a mercenary...turn over. The beauty in this game is how much depth of play emerges from those simple choices in the game environment. Undead Vikings Setup and How To Play: In the video above Game Setup is covered until 7:40 after which game play is explained as well as details for each Area and Management Board. Rahdo's Runthrough: Click Here to read the Rulebook. The linked rulebook above is the current English rulebook, however TMG will be making a few edit's and changes. While the majority of the game play will stay the same, there will be a few very minor updates to the Two Player game. All deluxe copies of YOKOHAMA will be pre-packaged at the factory with a layer of bubble wrap and an additional box for protection during shipping. We have all had that bad shipping experience, and we don't want that to happen with your game... Depending on where you live in the world, we are getting your Deluxe YOKOHAMA to you in the best ways that we know how: USA - YOKOHAMA will be shipped in bulk to Amazon, and then promptly sent out to you as a Backer. CANADA - YOKOHAMA will be shipped in bulk to Snakes & Lattes, and then shipped to you from them inside of Canada. EUROPE - YOKOHAMA will be shipped in bulk to Ideaspatcher in France (with VAT paid upon import) and then shipped to you as a Backer from France. AUSTRALIA - YOKOHAMA will be shipped in bulk to our shipping partner in Australia, and then shipped on to you. BRAZIL - YOKOHAMA shipping will be handled by our "tandem" publishing partner Kronos. Kronos will import all of the games, get Portuguese materials added, and then ship the games to you. ASIA (CHINESE SPEAKING) - YOKOHAMA shipping will be handled by our "tandem" publishing partner Mr. Dexker. Mr. Dexker will get Chinese language materials added, and then ship the games to you from Hong Kong. SaveSaveSave

Firefox.html: rebuilding Firefox UI in HTML Firefox.html is an experiment, a proof of concept: trying to re-implement the Firefox UI in HTML, as an app (like FxOS apps). Code, builds, screenshots: https://github.com/paulrouget/firefox.html We are working hard on making HTML fast and rich enough to build a whole operating system (Firefox OS) and a browser (Firefox OS' browser). With a UI in HTML leveraging the Browser API, we could drop XUL and close the gap between B2G and Firefox Desktop. And eventually be able to render Firefox Desktop with Servo. And maybe, one day, host the Firefox UI online (trusted app?). The only purpose of Firefox.html, at this stage, is to yield a discussion about the future of XUL. I'm fully aware of the massive amount work required to ever reach the quality of Firefox Desktop (we're talking about years of work), but I thought that we might want to talk about it. What do you think? Is it something we want to try? Or maybe it's too early, or maybe we don't want to use HTML for this, use native toolkits, or just keep XUL. ~~~ Some techical details: - code is ugly. Don't build stuff on top of that. It's just an experiment. - The runtime is just Firefox Desktop with some tweaks (mostly ajusting how apps are handled on Desktop). - The app (app://browser.gaiamobile.org/manifest.webapp) is loaded in a <iframe>. - The only remaining XUL piece is the top level window. It's a blank window that position the iframe over the window controls, to allow HTML to draw in the titlebar. - The app itself uses the Browser API. -- Paul

Schiff: Gold to skyrocket when people 'wake up to reality' 6:46 PM ET Wed, 4 Sept 2013 While some people follow popular opinion, others wait for popular opinion to come to them. Peter Schiff is certainly in the latter camp. As the market continues to find its way around obstacles large and small, the CEO of Euro Pacific Capital continues to predict a wave of oncoming crises. "It's a monetary problem we have. We have a dollar crisis coming, a bond market collapse coming," Schiff said on Thursday's "Futures Now." He believes that debt will force the U.S. to print a great deal of money, causing a nightmare scenario for the U.S. dollar and the bond market. That's why he advises getting into gold. After all, if the government prints more money, then the value of each dollar will drop. That means that it will take more of those dollars to buy a single bar of gold. So with bond and dollar crises looming, "Gold is going to be a safe haven for all of that," Schiff said. "The fundamentals are fantastic." (Read more: With Syria strike looming, you need to own gold) Indeed, Schiff believes it will get so bad that he calls government seizure of gold "a possibility," even if not a terribly likely one.

There are plenty of reasons to keep an eye on Twilio‘s initial public offering, like whether or not it will open the door for more tech IPOs. Here’s a small-but-fun one: The company has organized a live coding event from the New York Stock Exchange. Tomorrow morning, Twilio will bring three developers to the NYSE floor, where they’ll be trying to build as many apps as they can using the company’s voice and text messaging platform. Three people doesn’t quite add up to a full hackathon (the company’s calling it a “code jam”), but hey, it sounds a lot more interesting than just ringing the bell. Plus, it’s pretty on-brand for a developer platform like Twilio — in fact, developer evangelist Rob Spectre told me via email that “cutting code is the way we celebrate everything at Twilio.” “Every time we have a new office, a new product or any other milestone along the way, we invite developers from our community over to make a bunch of new stuff,” he said. “It’s what we do. We had to do the same thing on Wall Street.” Spectre will be one of the coders participating, along with Dropbox developer advocate Leah Culver and fintech developer David Huerta. You’ll be able to watch the event, which starts with the opening bell at 9:30am, live on Twitch. When will it end? Spectre said, “Whenever they kick us out.”

Commission Prices * Hey guys! I'm currently open for commissions. My prices are as follows: Sketches: Waist up- 5$ USD Full Body- 8$ USD [Additional characters, 5$ extra per character] Full Colour: Bust- 5$ USD Waist Up- 15$ USD Full Body- 20$ USD [Additional Characters- 10$ extra per character] Simple background included Detailed backgrounds can be discussed Reference Sheet in full colour(includes front, back and side view, and a headshot) - 40$ USD Extras can be discussed If interested, send me a note with references, paypal only. Posted: Comments: Comments (0) [Read more...] Artist Information Age : 19 Favorite animal : Goat Favorite food : Broccoli Shouts TheGreatGrog Posted: Super cute art. Can't wait to see more! Xoupia Posted: Oh my gosh welcome to FA! Your artwork is adorable!! ^-^ ♡

Yes, the control room, which perfectly sums up the situation when people think they can control everything, but then something goes wrong... So what we are up to? The changeslog is already too good for a patch we planned. However there is a bug which still makes our days way too hard. When you would think a defect is finally fixed, and after the 12th try it happens again. Then it works for 5 tries, then it happens 3x in a row, then again fine for 10+ tries... This bug happens on Outskirts level, which is around the 65% of the main storyline, and it only happens if you try to approach an area (hard to explain without spoilers :)) from a certain direction, and still it's totally random... I guess some of you already know how we feel now. When you see people would want to play the game so much, and you would like to release the update so much... But! you have the controls and you know, if you let it go with this bug, then 1 or more of 10 people will get this bug, and if they won't have a bit earlier save, then their game is over. It's risky, but when you need to choose from 2 bad options, you need to measure those 2, and choose the one which is not so bad, as the other one. So please give us a little more time. We are waiting for our lead programmer who has RL issues as well (oh yea? you dont say that!), he is rebuilding his pc right now after a mobo and cpu failure, plus doing university stuff and working after that, but still has a little time to check on this bug, which makes us calm a bit, because if we think back, there wasn't any bug he couldn't fix in the past, and we had many, just because he can't sit at his pc 10hours per day, it takes a bit longer. Meanwhile we are decorating the levels, can't say much, just adding more life, and making ai reactions better, but still it's not easy in order to not to ruin the scripted events, where you need to coop with your enemies :) If you are interested in things, we are here to answer.

ES Lifestyle Newsletter Enter your email address Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in or register with your social account The stylish Portuguese coach has picked up 21 trophies at Porto, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Chelsea, where he is currently in his second spell. He lives in Belgravia with his wife Matilde and their children Matilde, 18, and José Mário, 15. DÉCOR My study is for everyone in the house, but they know it’s important not to touch my work. There are flowcharts, diagrams and files for the next match. My family know how organised I am. When I leave something in a position, it stays in that position. My son’s bedroom is a bunker. It’s like a football museum and he’s computer crazy so there are screens everywhere. FILM Michael Caine, Anthony Hopkins and Sean Connery are heroes. They were top actors, but at the same time so stylish. They became legends without the advantages contemporary actors take for granted. I was a teenager growing up with them, so I have a soft spot for the old guys. PEOPLE Any party would be a good party with just me, my friends and family, but to make it really fantastic I’d want Bryan Adams or Sting there. I’m from that time, so those are my people. ACCESSORIES Some guys keep medals, shirts or something football-related after matches, but I collect watches. I have to look at my watch 1,000 times during every final to manage our time on the pitch. If I win, I stop it and don’t wear it again. It’s not a superstition, just a funny way to remember every trophy. I’m wearing Hublot this season. MUSIC Does a music career wait for me after management? Maybe. Of course now I have to put up with my daughter and son’s music, but for me Genesis and Phil Collins will always be my number ones. I can’t sing along. I would destroy the song — in fact, I would destroy everything. FASHION At the moment I’m wearing a lot of Loro Piana. More than the brand, I think quality comes first. I don’t like wool, I just need what I’m wearing to be comfortable on my skin when I’m out there on the touchline, so I’m very careful with what I dress in. FOOD There are so many good restaurants in London that if I named one, I’d be in trouble — but I can say I go to La Famiglia and San Lorenzo often. I lived in Italy for two years when I managed Inter Milan and that rubbed off on me. When you change countries many times there’s always a tendency to go with what you know. TV Normally, when I try to get into a TV series, I wait until the second season. I need 15 to 20 episodes of something like Scandal, House of Cards, Mad Men and then I eat my way through them. I spend a lot of my time travelling or in hotels with the Chelsea team and there’s a lot of waiting around. Watching boxsets helps me relax in those moments.

Get the biggest daily news stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email Three footballers were ­arrested today over an alleged sexual assault at a luxury hotel. Two other stars from Crewe Alexandra are helping ­police with their inquiries and are believed to have been interviewed as witnesses. The three players, who have not been identified, were detained at around 4.30am. The League One team had won a friendly 2-1 last night before the alleged assault. The team has been staying at the plush Penventon Park Hotel in Redruth, Cornwall, for the past week as part of a pre-season tour. A spokesman for Crewe Alexandra said: "I can confirm some players have been arrested. "From what we know there are three arrested and two helping with inquiries over an alleged sexual assault. "The details are a bit sketchy so we can't really comment at the moment." A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman added: "At 4.30am [today], police in Redruth received a complaint of sexual assault against a woman aged in her early 20s. "The incident is alleged to have occurred at a property in Redruth. "As a result of inquiries, five men aged 35, 19, 18 and two aged 24 were arrested in connection with the incident. "They remain in custody centres in Camborne and Newquay. "Earlier this evening, a sixth man was arrested in Cheshire, aged 21 years. He will be taken back to Cornwall where he will be formally interviewed." Manager Steve Davis said last week that the trip would be tough work and it would be “no holiday”. He added: “It’s a fantastic place, private and very ­picturesque. It’s a great place to spend a week.”

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1) It’s October 24th 1901, at Niagara Falls. It is Annie Edson Taylor’s birthday. She has decided to attempt to be the first person ever to survive a trip over the Niagara Falls in a barrel. The falls are 156 meters high. She just turned 63 years old. She is a widow. She’s had a custom barrel made out of oak and iron and put a mattress inside it for comfort. She tested the concept two days before now by putting her cat inside it and sending it over the edge. It was a kitten and it survived and 17 minutes later posed for a photograph with Annie. Today Annie gets in the barrel, along with a heart-shaped cushion. It’s her lucky charm. Friends use a bicycle pump to fill the barrel with air, and then put a cork in it in the hope that it’ll remain pressurised at 30 PSI. She is set free from the side of a rowing boat upstream and the current carries Annie over the falls. Rescuers find the barrel with Annie in it a few minutes later. People are doubtful, of course. If you’ve seen the falls then you know how ridiculous the thought of floating over them in a barrel is. But like her cat, Annie is alive and relatively unscathed, other than a small cut to her head. She would later say, “If it was with my dying breath, I would caution anyone against attempting the feat… I would sooner walk up to the mouth of a cannon, knowing it was going to blow me to pieces than make another trip over the Fall.” Some people would argue that she needn’t have gone over the side of Niagara Falls in a barrel to come to this realisation. ~ ~ 2) It’s 24th January 1943 at British Prisoner of War Camp 354 in Nanyuki, Kenya. When the clouds break, Mount Kenya appears in the distance. Three Italian prisoners, Felize, Giovanni and Enzo, have for months been hoarding food as rations, sewing makeshift rucksacks and clothing, and scavenging for scrap metal to use as homemade ice axes and crampons. They’ve become sick and tired of the monotony that prison life offers. Life in camp is boring not brutal. They leave a note saying they’ll be back in two weeks and set off to attempt to climb the mountain, using a map they’ve sketched on the back of a food tin. They escape by taking advantage of the relaxed vegetable gardening duties they’ve been tasked with, and using a key that’s been moulded in tar. They dig up supplies they’ve buried in the tomato patch. No-one notices them leave, so no guard fires a bullet into their backs. Then they begin the journey to the base of the country’s highest mountain. Days up riverbeds and through dense jungle, precariously avoiding animals like rhinos and leopards and charging elephant bulls. When they make it to the mountain, they risk freezing to death with inadequate equipment, and starving to death with an inadequate amount of food. Enzo gets too ill to continue so the other two carry on, leaving him at the base. On the climb, they face rotten snow and mini-avalanches. They can’t communicate with each other because the wind is so strong. They reach a part of the mountain and realise they can’t go on anymore because of fear of death. It’s Point Lenana, a small peak just 200 meters below the summit. They plant a homemade Italian flag and begin the descent in the same conditions, back to the POW camp where they’ve come from. When they return 18 days later, there is no glory waiting for them. As punishment, they are all sentenced to 28 days in solitary confinement, until the camp commander reduces that to 7 days because of their ‘sporting effort’. ~ ~ 3) It’s August 12th 2000 and four American rock climbers are climbing on The Yellow Wall in the Kara-Suu valley of Kyrgyzstan. Tommy, Beth, John and Jason hear the first gunshots rattle past them at 6.15am. They shout 1,000 feet below, but the gunmen order the group to come down immediately. They draw straws to decide who should go down but John volunteers. From the portaledge, the group watch what happens through a 200mm camera lens. John radio’s up and tells them that the gunmen are requesting that everyone comes down. The group sense that something is seriously wrong. The two gunmen are Abdul and Obert, who turn out to be rebel soldiers in the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. All the climbers descend and are marched to base-camp where they meet two more people. Su, another rebel. And Turat who had pleasantly checked their permits a few days ago. He was a Kyrgyz Army soldier, but had been taken prisoner by the rebels. The three colleagues Turat was originally with were executed in front of him by his captors. Abdul orders they will all walk to Uzbekistan, where there is safety for the rebels. It’s 50 miles north. They walk over valleys and up ridges, until at 3pm there’s a gunfight between the captors and local Kyrgyz soldiers. During this fight the captors execute Turat in front of the Americans. Tommy accidently sits on his lifeless arm and the rebels laugh at him. For four more days they continue through the mountains. Hunger turns to cramping. Jason and Tommy come to the conclusion that they’re now prepared to do whatever it takes to get out of this situation because after Turat’s murder it’s clear negotiation won’t work. The rebels leave Su in charge of keeping the Americans hostage. The group climb a ridge. The plan is for everyone to rendezvous on top. With just one rebel now, Tommy climbs up to Su, grabs the AK-47 that’s strung around him, and throws him off the rock. Su hits a ledge 30ft down, and then rolls off the 1,500 ft cliff into the darkness. Tommy can’t cope because he thinks he’s just killed a man. He asks his girlfriend Beth ‘how can you love me now? After I did this?’. They stumble 18 miles back to a Kyrgyz army base. They’re shot at by rebels again, but eventually are greeted by Kyrgyz soldiers who hand them tins of food and water. They have escaped. ~ ~

HOUSTON, TX – In a heroic and improbable fight against death and human mortality, hospital administrator Steve Phillips correctly identified that patient Dorothy Johnson should have been admitted under ‘observation’ status instead of ‘inpatient,’ saving her life. “Each human life is a gift,” Phillips said at a press conference this afternoon. “We were able to identify Ms. Johnson as someone who could benefit from immediate bureaucratic intervention. By the grace of God, we did it just in time.” The conference was interrupted multiple times by flowers being heaped upon the podium. Ms. Johnson had reportedly been admitted to the hospital for an exacerbation of her Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. However, she began recovering at a much faster rate than was initially expected. That’s when Mr. Phillips saw his opportunity, and struck. “Medicine is like improvisational jazz,” Mr. Phillips said. “You listen, you watch, you feel. But when it’s time for the solo, you’ve gotta be ready to go.” Mr. Phillips called the inpatient medicine team immediately. Although his actions only appeared to change a technicality on her chart that won’t alter any medical or financial aspect of her care, Mr. Phillips warned not to be fooled by first impressions. “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover,” Mr. Phillips implored. “Sometimes, the book will have the wrong cover, or no illustrations.” When asked how he deals with the high-stress environment of his job, Mr. Phillips was characteristically stoic and implacable. “I may have to call a team 10, 20 times during the day and interrupt them from whatever they might be doing to get them to change a meaningless, trivial designation that literally does nothing for patient outcomes. But if that’s what it takes to save a life, then that’s what it takes.” He added: “Medicine is like when you order a burrito at Chipotle with way too much meat. You have to do whatever it takes to get the job done. You have to stuff it all in there, even if it seems like there’s no way the tortilla will hold. You may even need a second tortilla. For my patients, I’ll use a hundred tortillas if it means better outcomes.” Dr. Kenneth Brulo, head of medicine, became teary eyed as he recalled the events of the day. “When medicine works – and it’s rare – but when it works, it is so god damn beautiful. I just wish all of our faculty, staff, trainees, and students could emulate Mr. Phillips on a day to day basis, and strive to obsess over defunct, arcane, and ultimately worthless patient designations as though their lives depended on it.” Mr. Phillips will receive his ‘keys to the city’ from Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner this evening. When asked if he was excited for the ceremony, he demured: “I’m humbled and honored to be invited. And don’t worry, I won’t poke around the governor’s mansion too much. I’ll just observe, and will likely leave 24-48 hours after my arrival.” As the old adage goes: you can take the administrator out of the hospital, but you can never take the hospital out of the administrator. Heroes are heroes, plain and simple.

by The news that was broken exclusively earlier today by RaceDayCT.com, has been made official. NASCAR announced this afternoon that the Whelen Modified Tour will indeed compete in an event at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl on Saturday May 30. The event will continue to be known as the Mr. Rooter 161. “We are excited to have the opportunity to return New London-Waterford Speedbowl to the calendar for 2015,” George Silbermann, NASCAR vice president for regional and touring series said in a release. “It is great news for modified fans that new track owner Bruce Bemer and his staff desired to continue to feature the Whelen Modified Tour on the Speedbowl schedule and remain a NASCAR Home Track.” With the track embroiled in the legal issues surrounding the October foreclosure auction and transfer of ownership, the facility was left off the original Whelen Modified Tour schedule which was announced in early December. The Whelen Modified Tour returned to the Waterford Speedbowl in 2012 after a six-year hiatus, and has run the last three seasons annually the third weekend in June. It will mean three Whelen Modified Tour events in Connecticut over a 12-day stretch. The division will run at Stafford Motor Speedway on June 5 and Thompson Speedway on June 10.

If roses won't do the trick, try Saint Raphael suggests the Catholic Church Britain's Roman Catholic Church is advising lovelorn singles to direct their 14 February requests for love to St Raphael, rather than St Valentine. Over the years St Valentine has come incorrectly to be associated with finding love, the Church says. He is the patron saint for those who have already found their soulmate. St Raphael is the patron saint for happy encounters and it is to him those fearing the Valentine's post should properly direct their prayers. Divine intervention Clare Ward, spokeswoman for the Catholic Enquiry Office, the official body providing information on Catholic life, said that while the distinction between the saints has always been clear within the Church it has, over the years, been blurred outside. "Saint Valentine passed a note to his jailer's daughter, whose sight he is thought to have cured," she said. "The note had no romantic content, but it's from this story that the tradition of sending notes of appreciation has come from. Why not come along to a prayer group it could be your lucky night Clare Ward, Catholic Enquiry Office "If tomorrow you are still looking for your soul mate, the actual patron saint is St Raphael. "He's the person you should dedicate your day or pray to if you are looking for Mr or Mrs right." St Raphael, according to legend, helped Tobias enter into marriage with Sarah, who had seen seven previous bridegrooms perish on the eve of their weddings. It is he within the canon of Catholic saints who is properly associated with helping to forge partnerships. The oldest known Valentine's message, dating from 1477 St Valentine is said to have been martyred in Rome in 269. While his exact history is unclear, Valentine is thought to have existed as archaeologists have unearthed an early church dedicated to someone of that name. One theory is that he was a priest in Rome who continued to marry Christian couples in defiance of the law of the day. On the eve of his execution, he is said to have signed a note to his jailer's daughter: "From your Valentine." Spiritual networks Those hoping for divine intervention to help their love lives may well appreciate the correction in target for their prayers, but Miss Ward also had some more advice. "There is a lot of evidence to suggest that young people who have tapped into prayer groups have found partners," she said. "Those who have exhausted traditional routes like online dating should try spiritual networks. "Why not come along to a prayer group - it could be your lucky night." Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version

The imaginative Doctor Who spin-off returns for its final episodes. After the loss of the show's star it's a fitting celebration of her life Tonight at 5.15pm, CBBC will start to show the last remaining episodes of The Sarah Jane Adventures, filmed before Elisabeth Sladen died from cancer at the age of 63 earlier this year. Beyond the obvious grief of the occasion, it is also a sad loss for children's television. Commissioned in 2006 as a spin-off from Doctor Who – more specifically, the series two episode School Reunion – the alien adventures of journalist and former companion, Sarah Jane Smith were something special. With her adopted son Luke, friends Clyde and Rani, and robot dog K9, Sarah Jane guided children through a drama built upon adult ideas, with storylines that were smart, imaginative and never patronised the show's audience. "We never really, in writing it, thought of The Sarah Jane Adventures as a kids' show" explains lead writer and co-producer, Phil Ford. "Our thinking was of an adult action-adventure show which was merely suitable for children. We've never shied away from difficult subjects." Throughout its five series run, TSJA has tackled issues such as Alzheimer's – in the Eye of the Gorgon no cure is miraculously discovered, nor is the subject matter simply glossed over. "We've always tried to be emotionally truthful", says Ford. Such ambition has seen the show have its script ideas turned down for being too similar to upcoming episodes of Doctor Who, despite having only a fraction of its budget. Indeed, in 2009, Russell T Davies revealed the show was nearly cancelled three times due to the lack of money invested in children's television. Even so, The Sarah Jane Adventures has powered on – occupying a unique place in the Whoniverse. In terms of how it has been viewed in the franchise's canon, it has held a far more credible position than Torchwood – whose world of sex, violence and immortal paedophiles jars. Steven Moffat even confirmed as much earlier this year when he said the Doctor would never appear in Torchwood because "it's not really a children's show". However, David Tennant and Matt Smith have appeared in TSJA . But at the centre of the show has always been Elisabeth Sladen. It's a poignant thought that for certain kids, she was their Doctor. Although, admittedly, rather easier to relate to than the God-like hyperbole of The Oncoming Storm himself. Which is a pleasant irony, given that the original concept for the CBBC spin-off – vetoed by Davies – was a young Doctor growing up on Gallifrey. "I wonder if the BBC would ever have considered commissioning a series about a 60-year-old woman in the lead of a kids' show if there had not been that Doctor Who connection?" Ford asks himself. "I'm sure they wouldn't. Then again, of all the companions the Doctor had over the years, there was something special about Sarah Jane. She wasn't so much a screaming sidekick – she was a character in her own right. She wasn't there just to scream at the aliens, she was there to take the fight to them. I think that's why the character has had such longevity. That's the tragedy of this, really: she still had so much more to give." Even though these three new stories (told across six episodes) are rightfully intended as a celebration of Sladen, they're also inescapably sad. Was it the right decision to show them? "Obviously we have to consider the feelings of the family [who gave permission for the episodes to be shown] and in many ways, it is a confrontation with death for some kids," Ford says. "But they're great episodes and I think it's what she would have wanted. She knew how important that character was to the kids who watch it, and I think the last thing she would have wanted was to have three great stories which were never shown." "The downside, beyond words, is that Lis isn't here to enjoy it herself. Because she's truly, truly magnificent in them."

La'el Collins was absent from the public eye as controversy swirled around him. When it finally came time to step back into the spotlight, the newest member of the Dallas Cowboys had plenty to say. "I just want to thank God for this opportunity," Collins said to open his introductory press conference. "This opportunity sitting here in front of this organization, everything that it stands for, everything that these guys are trying to build here. I feel like I represent. I feel like I fit in. ... I had the opportunity to choose from 32 teams where I wanted to be. I wanted to be a Dallas Cowboy." The LSU offensive lineman displayed a big personality in what was an emotional scene at Cowboys headquarters. The press conference took place hours after Collins signed a three-year contract with the team. Collins was joined on the stage by his mother, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and head coach Jason Garrett. Collins repeatedly referenced his faith for helping him to get through the past two weeks, a period in which he became involved in the murder investigation of ex-girlfriend Brittany Mills in Louisiana. That investigation is ongoing and Collins has not been named as a suspect. Collins thanked those who have stood by him during the ordeal, and spoke confidently about what will come next in his football career. "I guarantee you this. I'm going to give this organization everything that I have and more," he said. "This is going to be the best offensive line in NFL history. Mark my words." Collins said he sat down with his team and went through all 32 teams in the search for the best fit. He was swayed by Jones, who connected with him during a long late-night conversation. "For the first time, I really felt like somebody had seen me for who I am," he said. "Somebody understood me." Jones was emotional during parts of the press conference, wiping away tears while Collins and his mother spoke about how their faith guided them. Garrett said he got "chill bumps" listening to Collins share his story. The coach then made it clear that Collins would have an opportunity to compete for a starting job this summer. "We're going to play our five best offensive linemen," the coach said. Collins beamed about the next chapter in his life and football career. "I'm extremely excited. I can't say that enough. I'm extremely excited," he said. "I chose to wear this star because I feel like I'm a star, and my family is a star and we will represent it very well." The latest Around The NFL Podcast reacts to the most recent "Deflategate" news and discusses the current state of all 16 NFC teams. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.

- Californians are preparing to attend the inauguration for President-elect Donald Trump on Friday January 20, as preparations are underway in Washington DC for large crowds of supporters and protestors. One Bay Area Trump supporter Liz Ritchie got an official invitation to the inaugural parade, the ceremony, and the inaugural ball. On Friday, a knock at the door came with more good news. "Up drives the FedEx and there's my real tickets showing up so I was so excited," said Ritchie, who served as a Northern California Trump campaign volunteer. "The inauguration is right in here and I'm going to get to stand right in here," Ritchie said pointing to a small map, "This is the inaugural invitation, this is to the ball, this is to the welcome concert and this is to the parade...I'm wanting to soak up every minute and moment that I can of the whole entire experience." She will be one of the estimated 800,000 people attending the inauguration. Preparations are ramping up, with flags already hanging from the capitol building where President-elect Trump will raise his right hand on the steps and take the oath of office. At Joint Base Andrews, the Air Force practiced for the parade. About 1,000 Air Force members will march and another 300 members will join the inauguration security force, which includes some 28,000 people from various agencies. The director of the Secret Service Joseph Clancy says they have been conducting as many as 40 mock scenarios and are practicing their response plans. "there's nothing specific, no credible threats at this point," said Clancy, who said there were new concerns compared to the last inauguration, "we weren't as concerned about drones, the UAS’s, the unmanned aerial system." Trucks filled with concrete and buses will line the perimeter as a barrier to any potential vehicle attacks as seen in Germany and France. At least 99 different organizations have requested permits to hold rallies, both for and against the new president. Liz Ritchie, who spent months working without pay as many as 18 hours a day as a campaign volunteer, says the inauguration tickets are the best reward. "All of this is just so exciting. It's gravy that I could never have had expected to have happen in my life. I feel so blessed," Ritchie said. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts is expected to swear in Mr. Trump. Justice Clarence Thomas is listed as administering the oath for Mike Pence to become Vice-President. Some members of Congress have said they don't plan to attend the inauguration. On Friday, Congressman John Lewis of Georgia said he will boycott the inauguration. He is now one of seven Democrats who say they won't go. That includes California representatives Barbara Lee, from Oakland and Jared Huffman of Marin County. The others are Representatives Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, Luis Gutierrez of Illinois, Raul Grijalva of Arizona, and Earl Bluemnauer of Oregon. Mr. Trump's rival Secretary Hillary Clinton has said she'll attend along with former President Bill Clinton.

Today we announce the release of RasPlex 1.8.0. This release focuses on fixing transcoding compatibility with PMS 1.3.x or newer and adding Voice Control (Alexa) support. Big thanks to @benjaminwolf, @“daniel.cull”, @dlanor, @MagnumDoomguy, @DeadEyeFlint and @bkury for working hard to ensure it’s polished and ready to roll! New Voice Control (Alexa) support Support server terminated playback Use music metadata from Streaming Brain Only load first 200 items in a photo slideshow Addon repository is refresed on start Non-working Airplay setting is removed from preferences Updates the HIDRemote class to the latest version (thanks @xzcvczx ) Update german language file (thanks @Eloo ) ) Option to display server name instead of user name in home listing (thanks @Fmstrat ) Updated to ffmpeg 2.8.11 Embedded: Upgraded to LibreELEC 8.0 base OS Embedded: Dropped bundled hyperion (see https://hyperion-project.org/wiki/Installation-on-all-systems) Fixes Fixes transcoding issues when using PMS 1.3.x or newer Re-downloads theme music if it failed first time Fixes a crash in search Fixes a crash due to missing openssl locking Fixes a memory leak when using ssa subtitles Fix pin pad alignment in default skin Downloads RasPlex for Raspberry Pi devices see RasPlex 1.8.0 GitHub page OpenPHT for Windows, OS X, Embedded and Linux see OpenPHT 1.8.0 release post Auto Update RasPlex 1.8.0 is scheduled to be available on the pre-release update channel within the next 24-48 hours. Bugs? Please report bugs on GitHub, https://github.com/RasPlex/RasPlex/issues

The “internet sales tax” approved yesterday by the Senate won’t likely stall the overall growth the online retail economy. The migration of commerce to the web and mobile devices is about much more than the tax-free percentage shaved off in online shopping carts. But the transition to an omnichannel sales-tax system will hardly be seamless, at least according to opponents of the so-called Marketplace Fairness Act. In this huge new experiment in regulating interstate commerce, they say small online businesses will wind up playing the guinea pigs. That’s exactly what the big retailers supporting the measure want, says Brian Bieron, senior director of global public policy at eBay Inc. “They’re businesses. They want to put a tax cost on their little competitors,” he told Wired before the final vote. Supporters of the bill, which allows states to demand out-of-state online retailers collect sales tax on their behalf from in-state customers, include the biggest names in U.S. retail: Walmart, Target, Amazon, Best Buy. Except for Amazon, each of these companies is a huge brick-and-mortar retailer. All four are also huge online retailers that would be forced under the bill to start collecting sales tax as demanded by individual states. Bieron argues that the biggest online sellers benefit from the disproportionate cost he says small online retailers would have to take on to meet the measure’s requirements. That cost, however, won’t come from lost business due to higher prices, he says, or from having to install software that calculates the different tax rates depending on where online orders will be shipped. (The bill requires states to provide free sales tax software to businesses.) Rather, he says, the pain smaller businesses stand to suffer will come in the form of lost time and attorneys’ fees from having to deal with the bureaucracies of the 46 states that collect sales tax—pain that the biggest retailers have the human and financial resources to withstand. “The complexity is not first of all in the calculating of the tax,” Bieron says. “The reason this is the challenge to small businesses in particular is the number of state tax authorities who can come after you with their tax laws. … That’s a dramatic and negative change. And there’s no software for that.” If the House also passes the bill and the president adds his signature, which his spokesman says he’d do, businesses would have at least 90 days to prepare for the change, depending on how quickly each state rushes to get its share of an estimated $23 billion in lost sales tax revenue. And the bill does contain provisions clearly intended to lessen the pain for small businesses. Along with the free software, states must each set up a single agency responsible for managing all sales tax issues related to what the measure calls “remote sales.” In other words, businesses will not be forced to deal separately with cities that have their own sales tax rates. The law, which applies to any online business that does more than $1 million in annual sales, would also exempt those sellers from any liability due to screw-ups by the software or the state. But it’s that question of who screwed up that seems most likely to keep the federal court system busy under the Marketplace Fairness Act. And it’s the Walmarts and the Amazons of the retail world that would be best equipped to bear the costs of those kinds of conflicts. Supporters of the bill argue that eBay is mainly out to protect big sellers on the site who exceed the bill’s $1 million threshold. After the vote, Bieron said eBay would continue to seek a version of the bill that exempts any business with less than $10 million in annual sales or fewer than 50 employees. In a statement, the Marketplace Fairness Coalition accused eBay of disingenuousness: “eBay’s opposition to the Marketplace Fairness Act is a transparent attempt to maintain an unlevel playing field and benefit a very small number of their largest sellers. It is long past time to establish a fair and level playing field on which all sellers can compete.” The “level playing field” argument propelled the bill to success in the Senate speaks to how far online retail has come in fewer than 20 years. Shopping online isn’t something special or obscure that’s limited to a small group of the tech-inclined. It’s just another medium for buying things. Shouldn’t online retailers have the same obligations under the law as anyone who sells out of a physical storefront? At the same time, the very idea of a level playing field implies that online and offline retail are two separate teams—an increasingly false dichotomy that exists mainly in the sentimental rhetoric of politicians and lobbyists. “Make no mistake; the current bill addresses concerns for small businesses both online and on Main Street,” the Marketplace Fairness Coalition said in its statement, as if the owner of the general store down by the soda fountain hadn’t heard of this newfangled thing called the internet. In reality, Main Street retailers are also online retailers, or at least they should be. The big-name supporters of the internet sales tax know this, as evidenced by their heavy promotion of their apps and websites. The online economy is the economy. Any business big or small that doesn’t acknowledge that reality won’t fare well over the next decade—no matter how much sales tax Amazon is forced to collect.

In 2013, an obese man went to Hvidovre Hospital in Denmark to have his stomach stapled. All in all, it was ordinary bariatric surgery — with one big exception. A week before the operation, the man provided a sperm sample to Danish scientists. A week after the procedure, he did so again. A year later, he donated a third sample. Scientists were investigating a tantalizing but controversial hypothesis: that a man’s experiences can alter his sperm, and that those changes in turn may alter his children. That idea runs counter to standard thinking about heredity: that parents pass down only genes to their children. People inherit genes that predispose them to obesity, or stress, or cancer — or they don’t. Whether one’s parents actually were obese or continually anxious doesn’t rewrite those genes.