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They are messages from the grave, never to be received by those for whom they were intended. This week, wills made by servicemen from England and Wales destined to die in the First World War have been released into the public domain. Many come accompanied by letters to loved ones, yellowing and unread, retained by officialdom and stored away for a century.
This poignant historical repository of some 230,000 wills, maybe five per cent of which are accompanied by final farewells to mothers, wives and sweethearts, has been made available on the internet by the Courts and Tribunals Service.
The wills, as military documents formerly the property of the War Office, were made in haste, as troops entrained for the killing fields of France and Flanders. Few legal niceties were observed and no witness was required to the signing of the documents, usually brutal in the their brevity and beginning “In the event of my death...”
They were written by ordinary men, of often limited education, caught up by catastrophe (wills made by officers are stored elsewhere) and are all the more moving for it.
“It is quite emotional reading the last words of men who knew that their chances of survival were often slim,” says John Apthorpe, director of services at the Iron Mountain storage facility near Birmingham, where the wills are stored. “What surprised me as I leafed through these documents was the legibility of the handwriting, the beauty of it.”
Ordinary men like plain John Smith, from Manchester, who willed his few possessions to his sister Lily. A member of the 20th Battalion The Manchester Regiment, he disappeared on the battlefield in September 1916, four months after making his modest bequest. And Private Arthur Clark of the Rifle Brigade, who scribbled a few lines naming his wife as beneficiary, before being killed a fortnight after Britain’s declaration of war on Germany on August 4, 1914.
The First World War witnessed slaughter on a colossal scale. Of the 8,690,000 men mobilised by Britain and her empire between 1914 and 1918, 957,000 were killed in action, died of wounds at a later date or succumbed to injury or disease.
The average daily death rate for the imperial forces was about 610, a figure only slightly lower than the total number of military deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001. Of the dead, almost three quarters, 705,000 servicemen, came from the mother country. The rate of loss, difficult to comprehend in these times, equates to the destruction of a modern infantry battalion every day for 1,560 days, the duration of the war.
Joseph Ditchburn was a humble private in 2nd Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry, but his script is impeccable. Nineteen years old, he completed his will on August 6, 1914, two days after Britain’s declaration of war on Germany. On the same day, he wrote a letter to his “Dearest Mother”, explaining that it might be the last he would be able to send before the end of hostilities.
“I am preparing to move to the front,” he wrote, “and I am only sorry that I did not see you all before I went, but then, Mother dear, do not lose heart I may come back again.”
Joseph then tells his mother that he has bequeathed all of his possessions to her, including his bicycle – “a very nice machine and worth a lot of money” – and then: “Mother dear, do have courage. I will be all right, there are thousands of other mothers and relations in the same circumstances and if I do die I will die with a good heart.”
His letter from the grave ends with 17 kisses. For reasons unknown, it was never delivered. Joseph Ditchburn’s war was a brief one. Two months after making his will, he was dead, succumbing to wounds sustained in France.
Most of the wills are poignantly brief. Private Edward Warner of the 1st Bedfordshires left “all of my belongings to my mother Charlott Warner”, and that was that. He died on June 29, 1915 after inhaling poison gas while holding a trench single-handed. His heroism was to earn him a posthumous Victoria Cross.
The War Office insisted on wills. Among other reasons, there was concern that soldiers might leave unpaid mess bills after their deaths. The King’s men were therefore ordered to ensure their financial affairs were in order before going over the top.
Harry Lewis-Lincoln, also of the 1st Bedfordshires, completed his will a week after Ditchburn as his unit prepared to move from Ireland to join the British Expeditionary Force. Raised in Suffolk, he spent part of his short life in an orphanage before joining the Regular Army. He writes to his sweetheart, Clara, asking her to look after his son if he should not return. The letter oscillates between the macabre and mundane: “We have been issued with a little tin disc with our number, name and regiment on, which we have to wear round our necks so they can tell who we are if we get killed.
“We have to fight like tigers to get our food here soon as ever it comes up. If you go to the coffee shop or canteen you have to wait about two hours before it is your turn to be served.”
Reality was already beginning to kick in. The troops would most likely not be ''home by Christmas’’.
“Dear, this war is going to be worse than I thought, some seem to think it won’t last a month and some say it will last three years. Our officers told us this morning it would be a hard and long war.”
Maybe it was this comment, and brief details of his battalion’s movements, that persuaded the censor to retain the letter. Lewis-Lincoln’s request that any medal conferred on him posthumously should be given to his boy was never received by his love. Bidding farewell to an England fast disappearing, he concludes: “Remember me to the men in the harvest – tell them I am all right so far.”
Lewis-Lincoln never saw another harvest. He was killed at Ypres on May 5, 1915. Aged 26, he has no known grave.
The killing continued right up to the 11th hour of the 11th day of November 1918, when the Armistice came into effect.
The archives contain 143 wills made by men killed or listed as missing on that last day. William Spalding, an artilleryman, was one. “I leave all my money and effects to my mother, Mrs R Spalding, of 62 Richmond Park Road, Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey,” he writes.
A few words that for one woman translated into endless pain. |
The latest revelations about abuse and intimidation within the republican movement have highlighted the dark shadow Sinn Féin is casting over Irish democracy.
The voters, and indeed the entire political system, may have been slow to appreciate the implications of Sinn Féin’s continued rise but the courage of Paudie McGahon and Maíria Cahill have shown people the naked face of the republican movement.
An organisation that presides over its own kangaroo courts and offers abuse victims the choice of having bullets put through the heads of alleged perpetrators is a very different type of political animal to any other party offering itself to the Irish electorate.
The implications for the democratic institutions of the State if Sinn Féin achieves power should be obvious to all. It appears, though, that many, including some of the party’s political opponents, would prefer to wallow in wilful ignorance.
What is so shocking about the behaviour disclosed by Paudie McGahon is that it took place so recently, long after the peace process was supposed to have put an end to the activities of the IRA.
Many people appear to have succumbed to amnesia over the appalling events of the Troubles and the role played by some in the current leadership of Sinn Féin during that terrible time but it is not so easy to ignore more recent events.
Deeply troubling mindset
The fine investigative journalism of the BBC Spotlight programme and the courage shown by McGahon in coming forward to tell his story has shone a light into the more recent activities the republican movement and revealed a mindset in the leadership that is deeply troubling.
Gerry Adams’s denial that he was ever in the IRA has almost become a joke in the political world but if he can get away with finessing the truth on such a serious matter what else is he not telling the full story about?
Richard Haass, president of the United States Council on Foreign Relations, who has had intimate involvement in Northern peace process in a recent interview with the New Yorker magazine said of Adams: “I don’t know what the Irish word for Teflon is, but he has it.”
Almost as striking as the ability of Adams to defy reality is the manner in which the so-called new generation of Sinn Féin such as Mary Lou McDonald and Pearse Doherty have no problem backing their leader through every twist and turn, including the abuse scandals.
In the Dáil on Thursday, Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan, one of the most courteous TDs in the House, issued a devastating response to McDonald, who had the brass neck to ask if the Labour Party supported Sinn Féin’s demand for an official North/South inquiry into abuse.
“It is about time the deputy and her own party took their responsibility in this matter rather than putting it on people who were abused and providing a smokescreen in regard to a North-South intervention . . . It is about time the deputy told us what people around her know,” said the Minister, who suggested there could be up to 100 cases of republican abuse at issue.
While the abuse story was unfolding the latest crisis row over budget cuts at Stormont erupted and this time it appears to have the potential to bring the power- sharing executive crashing down.
Again Sinn Féin is at the centre of the row, refusing to accept the implications of the welfare reforms agreed before Christmas. This is a more mundane squabble but it raises serious questions about the party’s ability to participate in normal political discourse.
All of the questions about the implications of Sinn Féin achieving power in this State need far more careful consideration by the voters and the media than they have got to date, but they also demand a more mature response from the other political parties than has been apparent as the election draws close.
In particular, some in Fine Gael have started a dangerous game of trying to turn the next election into a binary choice of themselves or Sinn Féin with the narrow political objective of marginalising Fianna Fáil. This arrogant ploy has the capacity to backfire in the most spectacular fashion. What Fine Gael strategists need to realise is that there are many voters out there who will not support their party in any circumstances and may well be driven into the arms of Sinn Féin if they are presented with such a crude choice.
Opportunity to take office
With Sinn Féin featuring as either the biggest or close to the biggest party in a succession of opinion polls there is at least a possibility that the outcome of the election could provide an opportunity for the party to take office with the support of the Trotskyist factions and a raggle-taggle group of Independents.
Fine Gael strategists need to cut out the smart-alec tactics and focus on the real danger that could emerge from the election not just to the Irish economic recovery but to the fundamentals of Irish democracy.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has shown considerable courage in standing up to Sinn Féin over the abuse scandals and refusing to buy into the party’s attempt to build a nationalist consensus for wrecking the Northern institutions once again.
He has avoided the temptation followed by all his predecessors as Fianna Fáil leader in simply denouncing the government of the day regardless of the issues involved and for that he deserves a lot of credit. At the next election the voters will have far more than a choice of Fine Gael and Sinn Féin and so much the better for that. |
UPDATE: I had not checked my mail in a while, but can you imagine my joy when I found yet another gift from my SS in there yesterday?! A sweet Chicago Bears decal to go with my already awesome SS gifts. Thank you!!
Well done Secret Santa, well done. Not only did my SS get me two volumes of The Walking Dead that were missing from my collection, but also the perfect pic of the Chicago skyline for my office.
My SS must me psychic, because all I said was "anything having to do with Chicago" and I was specifically thinking of a skyline picture. Good on you sir, because I'm framing that shit!
My GF also says thanks for TWD comics. I just got her into reading them because she is obsessed with the show! |
Tasheem Maeweather, leaves the court Monday Dec. 5, 2016 after his arraignment in Albany County Court in Albany, N.Y. on charges involved with the alleged shooting at Crossgates Mall in November in Albany, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union) less Tasheem Maeweather, leaves the court Monday Dec. 5, 2016 after his arraignment in Albany County Court in Albany, N.Y. on charges involved with the alleged shooting at Crossgates Mall in November in Albany, N.Y. ... more Photo: SKIP DICKSTEIN Buy photo Photo: SKIP DICKSTEIN Image 1 of / 12 Caption Close Split verdict in Crossgates Mall gunfire trial 1 / 12 Back to Gallery
ALBANY -- Tasheem Maeweather, the Albany man accused of firing a gun inside a bustling Crossgates Mall last fall, was acquitted of attempted murder.
The Albany County jury on Friday also found Maeweather, 20, innocent of criminal possession of a weapon, attempted assault, but convicted him of reckless endangerment.
Maeweather faces a penalty of 2 1/3 to 7 years at sentencing on June 23, said his attorney Lee Kindlon.
He could have faced a maximum to 25 years behind bars on the top attempted murder offense, if convicted.
"The people put on an eyewitness who claimed they were 10 feet away from my client firing a gun, and we asked the jury not to give into fear, and clearly they didn't," said Kindlon, adding that prosecution witness, an off-duty state trooper "was wrong."
Despite being cleared of 3 of the 4 charges, Kindlon said his client is still "devastated because he has said from Day One that he's not guilty."
Kindlon said an appeal is planned.
"I'm confident on appeal this will get overturned but for now, the three biggest and most detrimental charges are knocked out," added Kindlon.
Albany County District Attorney David Soares issued a statement Friday that in part said the defendant "violated our sense of safety and has left a traumatic and indelible memory for those who were present that day" and that the incident is also a reminder of the prevalence of guns and the danger they pose in the hands of criminals.
Maeweather is already serving nine years in prison, a sentence imposed in December for violating his parole for an earlier drug conviction in Schenectady County.
At trial, Albany County Assistant District Attorney Steven Sharp argued that Maeweather opened fire on a group of rival gang members after one of them punched him in the face near the Apple store, not far from the popular Santa Land.
In fact, the man who was playing Santa that afternoon took the stand for the prosecution.
Most of the prosecution witnesses who testified during the week-long trial told jurors they heard what sounded like two shots, but few said they saw who fired the shot.
No one was injured in the gunfire which sent people scrambling for the exits or forced them to hunker down inside businesses, some for hours.
Kindlon denied the prosecutor's contention his client is a gang member and countered that prosecutors got the wrong man and did not consider other potential suspects. |
Hulk Hogan I'm Developing a Movie About My Life
Hulk Hogan -- I'm Developing a Movie ... About My Life
EXCLUSIVE
tells TMZ ... a movie about his shirt-ripping, leg-dropping, arm-flexing life is officially in the works -- and he's already got someone in mind to play the lead role.We sorta stumbled into the movie bombshell ... after jokingly asking Hulk who he would like to see don the yellow bandana if a biopic is ever made about him."It's being worked on right now, brotha," Hulk said ... before revealing who he believes would be the "perfect" person to fill his boots.Hulk's life story is definitely interesting -- from bodybuilder to wrestling champ to movie star to reality TV star ... and don't forget all of the family drama. It's pretty riveting stuff ...After the encounter at LaGuardia, we reached out to Hulk to find out more about the movie -- but so far, no word back. |
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The owner of a badly wounded dog in Centerton has been found, and police are investigating whether animal abuse occurred, officials said.
The dog, known as Moxy at the Centerton Animal Shelter where workers are attempting to save its life, is actually named Tinkerbelle, officials said.
The owner's name had not been released by early Friday (July 11), but Centerton police were expected to update the public later in the day on the progress of their investigation, according to Centerton City Hall.
A fundraising effort was launched this week to save the life of the badly wounded dog found July 8 in Northwest Arkansas with fireworks strapped to its body, according to a post on the Centerton Animal Shelter's Facebook page.
Animal caretaker DJ Ritchie said the dog was found with open wounds and no collar in the Appleridge neighborhood in Centerton. Animal control officers said a neighbor reportedly found the eight-year-old rat terrier with fireworks strapped to her torso.
The neighbor said she went inside to call authorities and the dog wandered next door. Her next door neighbor called officials to come pick up the badly injured dog, authorities said.
"People that let dogs get into this condition," Ritchie said. "I just don't have any words,"
The dog's veterinarian said she didn't have any broken bones but was having trouble walking as of Thursday (July 10).
The veterinarian said the dog is expected to have a clear bill of health by Saturday.
Police said if it is determined the dog was abused, the abuser could face up to a year in jail or up to $1,000 in fines.
The Centerton Animal Shelter conducted a fundraiser to help the dog get back on her feet. By Friday morning (July 11), 138 people had donated a total of $3,990 toward care for the dog.
"Before the person who found her called the shelter, people in the neighborhood saw her with fireworks strapped to her body," according to a post on the fundraising site GoFundMe. "We don't know what all the scars are, but they are old and healing. The vet says she needs to be on fluids for a few days, so I am asking for your help to save this precious girl." |
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A fox-sized marsupial predator that roamed Australia from about 23 to 12 million years ago had plenty of bite to go along with its bark. But while it was certainly fierce, it was no Tasmanian devil, Australia’s famously ferocious bantamweight brute.
Those were the findings reported on Wednesday by scientists who essentially brought the extinct mammal back to life in the virtual world to study its bite force and other qualities in comparison to other marsupial meat-eaters.
They used 3D computer software to reconstruct its skull - patterned after a nicely preserved fossil - and performed biomechanical analysis to see whether it was a champion chomper.
The study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, assessed the biting and killing capabilities of a marsupial called Nimbacinus dicksoni that lived in northern Australia during the Miocene Epoch, a span of time populated by a wondrous array of mammals and other animals.
Nimbacinus dicksoni proved to be quite formidable and was probably able to hunt prey bigger than itself, the study found.
“It has the teeth of a true marsupial carnivore, with well-developed vertical slicing blades for cutting through meat and sinew,” said Stephen Wroe, a zoologist and paleontologist at Australia’s University of New England and one of the researchers.
“It likely preyed upon small to medium-sized birds, frogs, lizards and snakes, as well as a wide range of marsupials.”
But it fell short of the Tasmanian devil’s chomping power.
“It was certainly less powerful and less able to handle heavy loadings or forces than the Tasmanian devil. While it could probably have processed smaller bones, it did not have the capacity to crush and crack bone that the devil has - but then few creatures do,” Wroe said.
While placental mammals - rodents, bats, cats, dogs, cows, whales and many more, including people - dominated most of the world, Australia was dominated by marsupial mammals, which give birth to premature babies and then nourish them inside a pouch.
TASMANIAN TIGER
Australia’s marsupials include kangaroos, wallabies, wombats and koalas, but also some fierce meat-eaters like the Tasmanian devil and spotted-tailed quoll. The island continent once was home to many more carnivorous marsupials, including the wolf-sized Tasmanian tiger that went extinct in 1936.
Nimbacinus dicksoni, also called Dickson’s thylacine, was about the size of a small fox or very big domestic cat, weighed about 11 pounds (5 kg) and had a face like a cross between a cat and an opossum. It was a smaller relative of the Tasmanian tiger, which of course was not a cat despite its name.
The researchers compared the bite force of the two species to each other and to existing marsupial predators including the Tasmanian devil, spotted-tailed quoll and northern quoll.
The fossilized skull of Nimbacinus dicksoni was very well preserved but some parts still were damaged or missing. The researchers digitally replaced those parts using 3D computer software, then made a 3D model to predict mechanical performance and how the skull might do when biting and killing prey.
Nimbacinus dicksoni most closely matched the biting power of the spotted-tailed quoll, which has a pink nose and brown fur covered in white spots, even though the two species are not closely related, the researchers found.
“Quolls are cute, but don’t be deceived. They are fearless and ferocious predators,” Wroe said.
The simulations suggested the Tasmanian tiger was poorly suited to capture and kill large prey despite being the largest of the marsupial predators to live into recent times.
Compared to the Tasmanian tiger, Nimbacinus dicksoni possessed a shorter, wider snout and its distinctive cheek teeth, used for cutting and shearing meat, were not as specialized, according to zoologist Marie Attard of the University of New England, another of the researchers.
The thylacinids, the group that includes Nimbacinus dicksoni and the Tasmanian tiger, “are an excellent example of an ecologically diverse family that has now become extinct, and provides an important reminder of how easily large carnivores such as the Tasmanian tiger can be wiped out if we don’t fight to save them,” Attard said. |
A Poinciana man is facing charges after police said they discovered more than 800 counterfeit DVDs in his car during a traffic stop.
Robert L. Jackson, 25, was arrested Saturday night after police pulled him over on Avenue G SW in Winter Haven, the report said.
Officers said they noticed he was driving without lights, so they stopped him, the report said. Officials said Lee was knowingly driving with a suspended license.
The officers then searched his car and found the counterfeit movies, including "Zero Dark Thirty," "Lincoln" and "Argo," in the trunk, the report said.
Jackson was taken to Polk County Jail on charges of counterfeit of private labels and driving with a suspended license.
Police said Jackson had previously served time in a Florida state prison for counterfeiting movies/music. |
Like most things at Ford that don't have GT or RS in their name these days, the new Ford EcoSport is about 90% hype and 10% car.
Fortunately, underneath all that ad-speak, it's a cute little thing, with some cool features.
If Ford can deliver it with the right driving experience, for the right price, those in the market for a fun and functional pint-sized crossover will likely have another great option.
If you think the EcoSport looks familiar, you may be well-traveled; Ford has sold the EcoSport in markets outside the U.S. since 2003, launching the current, second-generation vehicle in 2013. In fact, we've even driven it.
We're getting an updated version for the U.S. launch. However, since the EcoSport isn't hitting the market here until early 2018, details like price and specifics on options packages, features, technology, and driver assistance systems are still undecided--or at least unannounced.
What we can tell you is that it looks pretty good, it has a nice interior, and it ticks the major boxes most small crossover buyers will want to have ticked.
Primary among those boxes is Ford's SYNC 3 system, complete with an 8.0-inch floating touch screen, bringing with it Android Auto and Apple Car Play.
While Ford is eager to play this up as "living big" despite "going small," the truth is, the availability of a proper smartphone-integrated entertainment system is nearly a pre-requisite for relvance today--let alone in early 2018.
But Ford's SYNC 3 system is quite good, and with the major phone-system integration bases covered, you'll get all the features Google and Apple see fit to bake into their hardware and software as well.
The other key to the EcoSport is the combination of a ride height that matches some light trucks and an available all-wheel drive system. Yes, Ford calls it "Intelligent 4WD," but there is no low-range function, or any other function that's driver-controlled, however, and you can't even make it operate all the time in inclement conditions.
Under normal driving, the "intelligent" part of the system disengages the rear wheels for better fuel economy; when the system detects wheel slip, yaw, or other metrics that fall within its pre-determined grid, it will activate the all-wheel-drive system, sending an unspecified amount of power rearward.
Despite the murky marketing message (by the way, it's pronounced "echo-sport," not like "eek-o-boost" despite offering an EcoBoost engine as the base configuration) the package is about on par with other compact crossovers, and should be serviceable in snow and light mud when equipped with the right tires.
Speaking of EcoBoost, there are just two engine options for North American versions of the EcoSport, and both will share a 6-speed automatic transmission. The base engine, which comes only in front-wheel drive, is the 1.0-liter three-cylinder that has been used in several other Ford vehicles.
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The upgrade option is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder, which brings with it your only route to all-wheel drive. Horsepower, torque, and gas mileage figures are still forthcoming, and should be released closer to the vehicle's on-sale date in early 2018.
On the tech front, aside from the SYNC 3 system, the EcoSport will also offer an available B&O PLAY (yes, as in Bang & Olufsen) stereo system, featuring 10 speakers (six of them B&O PLAY-branded) and 675 watts of output. |
This article is about an island grouping in the Dutch Caribbean. For the insular region in the United States, see ABC Islands (Alaska) . For similarly named localities elsewhere, see ABC#Places
The ABC islands are the three western-most islands of the Leeward Antilles in the Caribbean Sea that lie north of Falcón State, Venezuela.[1] In order alphabetically they are Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao. All three islands are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, although they remain outside the European Union. Aruba and Curaçao are autonomous, self-governing constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, while Bonaire is a special municipality of the Netherlands proper.
History [ edit ]
According to the disputed letters of Amerigo Vespucci, the ABC islands were first explored by one of Christopher Columbus' captains, Alonso de Ojeda, who landed on Curaçao in 1499.[2] He is said to have called the islands Las islas de los Gigantes or Islands of the Giants due to the native inhabitants, the Caiquetio Indians. The first known European exploration was by Amerigo Vespucci, whose cartographer Juan de la Cosa first described the islands. The first Spanish colonists, unable to find any gold or silver, kidnapped most of the natives to work on plantations on the island of Hispaniola.[citation needed] By 1527 the Spanish had formed a government and established Catholicism on the islands.
In 1634, the Netherlands fought Spain over control of the islands. The Dutch won, and the islands were then administered by the Netherlands. The Dutch West India Company developed the areas, establishing a major port on Curaçao. The abolition of the slave trade in 1863 had a devastating impact on their economies, although the economy revived when oil was discovered in Venezuela during the early 20th century, and the islands became major oil refineries.
From 1815 until 1954 the three islands were known as the Colony of Curaçao and Dependencies. This colony at various times also included Netherlands Suriname and Sint Eustatius and Dependencies. In 1954, the ABC islands became part of the Netherlands Antilles, which gave them political autonomy within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In 1986 Aruba withdrew from the Netherlands Antilles, becoming a separate country within the kingdom.[3] Upon the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles on 10 October 2010, Curaçao gained a similar status to Aruba. Bonaire became a special municipality of the Netherlands proper, although it maintains its status of an overseas territory of the European Union.
Geography and climate [ edit ]
The ABC islands are part of the Leeward Antilles, which is the westernmost area of the Lesser Antilles. They lie immediately to the north of Falcón State, Venezuela. Due to their political history, they are sometimes considered to be part of North America along with the other Caribbean islands, although they lie on South America’s geographical plate; the same phenomenon happens with Trinidad and Tobago.
ABC does not indicate the geographical order to each other; from west to east the islands are Aruba, Curação, and Bonaire.
Aruba is a flat island, exposed to the ocean currents. Bonaire and Curação are surrounded by reefs, and so are much more sheltered from the weather. Bonaire and Curação’s reefs are popular tourist destinations.
The ABC Islands have an atypical hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh) which is generally very dry as they lie north of the Intertropical Convergence Zone but except in their short rainy season from October to December or January are not exposed to moisture from the northeast trade winds. The rainy season is powerfully influenced by the Southern Oscillation resulting in very high variability.[4] During strong El Niño years like 1911/1912, 1930/1931, 1982/1983 and 1997/1998 annual (fiscal year) rainfall can be less than 200 millimetres or 8 inches, and even under 100 millimetres or 4 inches at Curação in 1911/1912. In contrast, as much as 1,100 millimetres or 43 inches may fall during a strong La Niña year like 1933/1934, 1970/1971, 1988/1989, 1999/2000 or 2010/2011, with the highest monthly totals being over 350 millimetres or 14 inches.
Temperatures in the ABC Islands are uniformly hot, averaging around 28 to 30 °C (82.4 to 86.0 °F) year-round, with high humidity and minima rarely falling below 20 °C or 68 °F even on the mildest mornings, although afternoons rarely top 35 °C or 95 °F.
Environment [ edit ]
Bonaire is known for being a "diving paradise", with ecotourism playing a large part in its economy. The islands have a huge variety of wildlife, including flamingoes and four species of sea turtle.[3]
Demographics [ edit ]
Afro-Caribbean people make up a large proportion of Curaçao and Bonaire's population and Mestizo people make up for the majority of Aruba's population. There has been substantial immigration from Latin America to the islands.
Language [ edit ]
Dutch has been the official language of the islands for most of their history. A unique creole language has developed there known as Papiamentu.[5] Unlike other creole languages, Papiamentu is not decreasing in usage, and was made an official language on 7 March 2007.[6] Papiamentu's origins are debated, a dispute arising on whether it originates from Portuguese or Spanish. It is heavily influenced by Spanish and English.
Politics [ edit ]
Aruba and Curaçao are autonomous countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which have their own parliament and prime minister. Bonaire is a "special municipality" of the Netherlands proper, and subject to Netherlands law.
See also [ edit ] |
Each week, we’ll ask our stable of scribes across the globe to weigh in on the most important NBA topics of the day — and then give you a chance to step on the scale, too, in the comments below.
BLOGTABLE: Your All-Star reserves | Reflecting on Klay | Bold second-half prediction
> We’re about one week past the halfway point of the season. Still plenty of ball to be played, so give me one bold prediction for the second half (the key word being “bold”).
Steve Aschburner, NBA.com: The Clippers will make it out of the West to reach The Finals. And here’s a second bold prediction to bolster the first: They’ll acquire Kevin Garnett from Brooklyn one way or another (buyout by Nets?) to heighten their intensity and tighten their defense. Point guard Chris Paul is acutely aware of his window and his horizon, and he’ll draw out some of the Clippers’ untapped potential. This team will remember, too, how unfairly it got derailed last postseason.
Fran Blinebury, NBA.com: The Thunder do not make the playoffs. Since a seven-game win streak immediately upon Kevin Durant’s return to the lineup, OKC has struggled to find consistency and rhythm in its game. That’s a fatal flaw with little margin for error in a brutal Western Conference race.
Scott Howard-Cooper, NBA.com: The Clippers lose in the first round of the playoffs. This is the ultimate in flawed crystal ball-ness because a lot will depend on the matchup, not just L.A. itself. But this is a hurting team, and that comes from someone who picked the Clips to win the West a season ago. They have so many ingredients to be good, even championship good, but the defense has taken a giant step backward and the bench is weak. There is still time to recover — and for me to change the pick once the opening series is set. But there is reason to be concerned.
Shaun Powell, NBA.com: Bold: OKC won’t make the playoffs. Everyone keeps waiting for the Suns to falter, and yes they’re young and vulnerable to a degree. But even if the Suns do collapse, New Orleans will make it ahead of OKC. And of course, coach Scott Brooks will suffer as a result.
John Schuhmann, NBA.com: Come April 1, the Boston Celtics will be in the mix for a playoff spot. That might not be very bold considering the state of the bottom half of the Eastern Conference, but it’s bold considering the state of the Celtics (still in tear-down mode). They have the seventh best NetRtg (point differential per 100 possessions) in the East, having played the fourth toughest schedule. But they have a deflated record because they’re 8-16 in games that were within five points in the last five minutes. Still, having gone 3-2 on their trip West (with only Wednesday’s game in Minnesota remaining), they’re just a game in the loss column behind the eighth-place Hornets. They have an easier remaining schedule than Brooklyn, Charlotte or Detroit. And they have a positive point differential (plus-24) in almost 900 minutes with neither Jeff Green nor Rajon Rondo on the floor.
Sekou Smith, NBA.com: The key word is “bold” which usually translates to “crazy” or at least “preposterous.” I can live with that. So here goes “bold;” Kevin Durant shakes off these toe, foot and ankle injuries and takes his All-Star snub personally and goes on a tear for the ages to claim his second straight MVP trophy, leads the Thunder to a playoff spot and then guides them through the Western Conference playoff chase all the way to The Finals. You said “bold,” right?
Ian Thomsen, NBA.com: The Pacers will make the playoffs — which will be a big surprise, even in the horrid East, considering the injuries and hard times they have endured since last summer.
Lang Whitaker, NBA.com’s All Ball blog: The Cleveland Cavaliers will win the Eastern Conference. Right now the Cavs are a dozen losses behind the Hawks for the No. 1 spot in the East, but the bulk of Cleveland’s record belongs to the Cavs of LeBron James before he took that eight-game break. The Cavs are currently riding a seven-game win streak, all of which have been decisive wins. They’ve embraced an uptempo offense, James is playing like the MVP, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving seem more comfortable and new guys like J.R. Smith and Timofey Mozgov clearly fit in well. My bold prediction may fall flat and Cleveland may not be able to catch the one spot in the conference, but it’s clear the Cavs are back.
Category: Blogtable / Tags: , Chris Paul, Cleveland Cavaliers, Fran Blinebury, Ian Thomsen, Indiana Pacers, John Schuhmann, Kevin Durant, Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving, Lang Whitaker, LeBron James, Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Scott Howard Cooper, Sekou Smith, Shaun Powell, Steve Aschburner / 23 Comments on Blogtable: Bold second-half predictions / |
On July 16, 2010, David J. Barron, a lawyer at the Department of Justice, sent Eric Holder, the Attorney General, a lengthy memorandum. Barron, who had celebrated his forty-third birthday earlier that month, was a professor at Harvard Law School, on leave for a couple years to work for President Barack Obama. Barron, like many young lawyers who arrived in Washington with the new Administration in 2009, had impeccable liberal credentials. As a Harvard undergraduate on the Crimson, the campus newspaper, he wrote sympathetic pieces about Jesse Jackson’s 1988 Presidential campaign. During the summer of 1993, before his third year at Harvard Law School, he interned with the N.A.A.C.P. in Washington. After graduating, he clerked for Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, a leader of the court’s liberal wing, and then worked in the Clinton Justice Department. During the Bush years, he was a relatively prominent critic of the Administration’s national-security polices, especially its embrace of torture.
In 2006, while Bush’s Justice Department lawyers were tweaking a new legal regime allowing for bulk-collection surveillance and what they called “enhanced interrogation,” Barron helped review the bylaws of the Botanic Gardens Children’s Center. As a professor in Cambridge, he raised money for the campaign of Deval Patrick, who has been governor of Massachusetts since 2007. That same year, 2007, he even attended the YearlyKos convention, a sort of South by Southwest for left-leaning bloggers and activists trying to push the Democratic Party in a more unabashedly progressive direction. During his legal career, he has signed amicus-curiae briefs in several highly political cases, including one defending a living-wage ordinance in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and another defending a major campaign-finance reform law. In 2008, during an NPR interview, he mused that articles of impeachment could be justified against a President who purposely misled the country into war.
At the Justice Department, in his capacity as the lead attorney in the Office of Legal Counsel, Barron had sent many memoranda that, like the one he sent to Holder in July, 2010, touched on the most serious questions of national security and civil liberties. Early in his tenure, he drafted an opinion that withdrew the Bush-era legal guidance—the so-called torture memos—governing C.I.A. interrogations.
But, like any government lawyer, much of Barron’s work at OLC was pedestrian. One of his opinions concerned removing “the federal coordinator for Alaska natural gas transportation projects.” Another dealt with the “constitutionality of mandatory registration of credit rating agencies.”
His July, 2010, missive, which was one of the last that he wrote during his eighteen months running O.L.C., was historic and—to many—troubling: yes, Barron argued, the President of the United States could kill an American citizen named Anwar al-Awlaki. And, as a rule, the memo argued, the President could kill any American citizen abroad connected to Al Qaeda or an associated group—without a trial or other legal proceedings—if he deemed that person an imminent threat.
Awlaki, who was four years younger than Barron, was born in Las Cruces, New Mexico, in 1971. His father, a Yemeni, was a Fulbright scholar studying agriculture and, when Awlaki was eleven, his father moved the family back to Yemen, where he became a senior government official. Awlaki returned to the United States for college, in 1991, and studied at Colorado State University, where he was the president of the Muslim Student Association. For a brief period after 9/11, Awlaki, who was then a cleric preaching in Northern Virginia, was known as a voice of moderate Islam. He even attended a luncheon at the Pentagon in early 2002.
But, by the time Barron joined the Obama Administration, Awlaki had become radicalized and was hiding in Yemen, a key figure in Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and a crucial link between AQAP and ambitious terrorists in increasingly lawless havens like Somalia. In December, 2009, after Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab tried to blow up a plane as it landed in Detroit, the Obama Administration accused Awlaki of helping to train Abdulmutallab. Obama added Awlaki to a list of terrorists targeted for death. According to “Kill or Capture,” Daniel Klaidman’s scrupulously reported 2012 book, Obama was personally consumed with getting Awlaki, telling “his counterterrorism advisers that Awlaki was his top priority, even over Ayman al-Zawahiri,” Osama bin Laden’s longtime deputy.
Barron’s memo providing the legal case for killing Awlaki was written seven months after Obama placed him on the kill list. In late September of 2011, Barron was back at Harvard, and Awlaki was on the run in Yemen, when a missile from a C.I.A. drone struck him as he returned to his vehicle after eating breakfast in the desert near the Saudi border.
For several years now, Barron’s classified memo justifying this extrajudicial execution has been the white whale of national-security reporters and civil libertarians. In January, Obama nominated Barron to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, in Boston, and those hunting the memo finally had the leverage they needed to extract it from the Justice Department. An odd coalition of Rand Paul, the politician most vigorously opposed to Obama’s assertion of the right to smite Americans abroad; several right-wing senators who oppose Barron on purely ideological grounds; and several Democrats who believe that, whatever one’s views on the legal underpinnings of Obama’s drone policy, at the very least the Barron opinion should be available for public inspection, united to force the Administration to release the document.
Holder and several other officials have made speeches about the legal case for putting an American on the President’s kill list, and an unclassified white paper describing in general terms that legal rationale has been leaked to the press. But last month, a court ruled that the Administration had to release a redacted version of the original legal opinion in order to satisfy a Freedom of Information request by the Times and the A.C.L.U. As the Justice Department contemplated appealing that ruling, Paul and his Senate allies threatened to hold Barron’s nomination hostage unless the Administration relented, which it did earlier this week. The White House now says that the infamous memo will be released in a matter of weeks. On Thursday, Barron was confirmed by a vote of 53-45.
Somewhat overlooked in the coverage of Awlaki is how much of a threat he was to the United States. Klaidman reports that, in addition to his links to Abdulmutallab, the so-called underwear bomber, and Al Shabaab, the Somalian terrorist group, and the killer at Fort Hood, intelligence linked Awlaki to “multiple plots to kill Americans and Europeans” that he was “deeply involved in at an operational level,” including “plans to poison Western water and food supplies with botulinum toxin, as well as attack Americans with ricin and cyanide.”
Whether or not one believes these alleged plots allowed the President to strip Awlaki of his constitutional rights as an American citizen, it is shameful that the White House has worked for several years to conceal the secret legal opinion making that case. The final outcome of the hunt for this document and Barron’s nomination did not please everyone. Paul believes that Barron’s legal opinion showed that Barron was unqualified to serve on the federal bench. But the end result is a decent compromise, the kind lacking in Washington these days: the President gets his nominee and the rest of us finally get to see the Barron memo.
More: On this week’s Political Scene podcast, Ryan Lizza, Jeffrey Toobin, and Dorothy Wickenden discuss the Obama Administration’s use of drones.
Photograph by Chip Somodevilla/Getty. |
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Larry Chavez attended the very first game at University Stadium on Sept. 17, 1960. The next couple of years, he sold soft drinks in the stands.
More than a half-century later, his love for the University of New Mexico and UNM football flows unabated.
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That’s why he’s undertaking a $350,000 project to remodel, renovate and redesign the UNM football offices in the L.F. “Tow” Diehm Athletics Facility adjacent to the stadium — at no cost to the athletic department, the university or the state.
“We’re repaying,” Chavez, a UNM graduate and president of Dreamstyle Remodeling, a highly successful Albuquerque business, said in a phone interview. “If I hadn’t gone to UNM, I might not be sitting here.”
Chavez has donated $100,000 to the project. Rick Galles, president and CEO of Albuquerque’s Galles Motor Co., has contributed an unspecified amount. Chavez is soliciting donations for the rest.
He doesn’t know, Chavez said, who initially put him in touch with UNM coach Bob Davie. But once the two met and discussed the possibility of enhancing the 21-year-old, rather generic-looking offices, no arm-twisting was required.
“My son (Larry Jr., a company vice president) and I have Zia Level seats,” Chavez said. “Every game, we turn and say to each other, ‘This team deserves more support.’
“They’ve had progress on the field, (but) the community hasn’t supported it in the way that we feel they should. So we’re hoping to prime the pump and get people in this community behind this football program.”
Arm-twisting, Davie said, absolutely is not his style in such matters.
“I’ve never been one, from the first day I came here, just to go out and put people on the spot and ask people to give,” he said after Tuesday’s practice at the stadium.
“I’ve chosen to just coach our team and hope people appreciate that and see that we’re making progress. That’s what’s most rewarding to me about this whole thing. I think people are taking notice, and I’m very appreciative.”
After seven consecutive losing seasons, the Lobos went 7-6 and played in the New Mexico Bowl last season.
Davie cited Chavez, Galles and the late Albuquerque attorney Turner Branch as paramount among those who have contributed to his program without being asked.
Chavez would add to that list Albuquerque architect Rick Bennett and Kilmer and Kilmer, an Albuquerque branding and graphic design firm. Both are contributing to the football office project without compensation, Chavez said.
The project already is under way, he said, with some modifications in the coaches’ offices and meeting rooms to improve functionality.
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“We’re doing some structural work — removing some walls, putting some new walls in, changing some of the overall facilities just from a functional standpoint,” he said. “There are going to be $50,000 worth of new chairs for the meeting rooms and so forth. They’ve worn the chairs out. They’ve worn out the carpet.
“It’s where (the coaches) work … day and night for number of months, and continuously the rest of the year. It’s their home, so we want to make it modern and impressive and functional.”
But Chavez said the “wow factor” that visitors to the offices will see upon entry — see the accompanying illustrations — have yet to be initiated.
“We’re giving it a significant face-lift, starting with the lobby,” he said. “What we intend to do is (install) a lot of three-dimensional logos with a lot of three-dimensional motivational phrases. A complete new look in terms of colors.
“A new carpet, a lot of lighting. Lighting is really in nowadays, and we’ve researched a number of major programs around the country — Alabama, Ohio State, Tennessee, Stanford and so forth.”
A new color scheme will include “a little less red, and little more silver and gray and a little more black. Those are more contemporary colors now, but staying within the UNM theme.”
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The target date for completion is sometime in November, he said.
Chavez’s love for UNM football actually predates that first game at University Stadium.
“Since I was old enough to know what football was, I’ve been a Lobo fan,” he said. “I remember riding the bus to Zimmerman Field in 1959.
“I’ve continued to be a fan of all the sports (at UNM), but, mainly football has always had my interest. For some reason, I’ve always liked football better than basketball and other things.”
Most Lobo fans will never set foot in the UNM football offices, but Chavez hopes the improvements will impress those who do — recruits included.
Chavez’s firm has expanded into several other cities, including Boise, Idaho — home of the Boise State Broncos, the nation’s most successful program outside the “Power Five” conferences.
“You can’t go 100 feet and not see something about the Broncos,” he said. “… We want to help (the UNM) program head in that direction and become a really important part of our community.” |
What's 4.3-inches diagonally, costs $200 to build and has absolutely no reception issues when held as shown in the image above? Why, the Open SciCal! Matt Stack, the genius who pieced this gem together, relied on a 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 CPU, 8GB SD card, WiFi module and a spartan web browser in order to concoct what's likely the most desirable graphing calculator this side of Pluto. The handheld device weighs about 1.6 pounds, runs Linux as well as the statistically inclined R, and is reportedly capable of doing roughly twice as much crunching as Texas Instruments' Nspire . Skeptical? Considering that this bad boy sucked down stock data from Yahoo! Finance and ran auto-correlation on the numbers in order to near-instantly report current trends, we're guessing TI (or any other graphing calculator company, really) has no room to argue. Hit the source for more details, and don't worry -- that feeling of insignificance wanes with time. |
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Compromise would see Mahmoud Abbas submit letter to security council, which would then defer vote until further talks
International efforts to forestall a showdown in the UN security council over the declaration of a Palestinian state are solidifying around a plan for the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, to submit a request for recognition but for a vote on the issue to be put on hold while a new round of peace talks is launched.
The deal is being pushed by the Middle East "Quartet" of the UN, EU, US and Russia, which is attempting to persuade Abbas to back away from a diplomatic confrontation with Washington, which says it will veto the Palestinian bid.
The US president Barack Obama is expected to meet the Palestinian leader at the UN on Wednesday as Abbas comes under intense pressure from the US and Europe to compromise.
Diplomats said the proposed compromise would see Abbas submit his letter to the security council, which would then defer action. In parallel, the Quartet would issue the framework for renewed negotiations that would include a timeline for the birth of a Palestinian state.
The deal is intended to permit Abbas to follow through on his commitment to Palestinians to seek recognition for an independent state at the security council, a pledge he could not abandon entirely without considerable damage to his already battered leadership.
If the proposals under discussion come to fruition, Abbas could claim a victory for the Palestinians by saying he has achieved his principal goal in going to the UN of breaking the deadlock that has seen no serious movement towards a Palestinian state in years.
However, diplomats warned that a number of issues remain unresolved, including a Palestinian demand that the statement include a requirement that Israel halt construction of Jewish settlements in the occupied territories.
Israel's position is unclear. Its prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, arrives in New York on Wednesday and has appealed for immediate talks with Abbas but without preconditions.
Diplomats said negotiations were likely to come down to the wire as Abbas plans to submit the request on Friday.
"The Palestinians are open to a way out of this," said a diplomat with knowledge of the negotiations. "But they can't abandon the security council vote without something to show. The question is how to turn this to their advantage. If the result is that there is a serious push to make peace talks work, then that's a win for the Palestinians. I think everyone involved in this – the Americans, the Europeans – would like to see that happen."
Husam Zomlot, a Palestinian spokesman, said Abbas remains committed to submitting the Palestinian request to the security council but he noted that the intention behind the move was to break the deadlock in the peace process, which may now be happening.
"There is absolutely no contradiction whatsoever between our quest for United Nations full membership and any possible negotiations. In fact, we see them as very very complementary. We are seeking this to provide any future bilateral process with sufficient multilateral cover where we don't waste another 20 years," he said.
The proposals under discussion would have the Quartet statement say, at the Palestinians' behest, that the goal is a Palestinian state based on the borders at the time of the 1967 war that led to the occupation of East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. It will also meet an Israeli demand by saying that talks will result in two countries with Israel as a Jewish state.
A Palestinian official acknowledged the plan was a focus of discussion with the Quartet although he cautioned that the leadership is concerned to ensure there is real momentum and that Israel is not permitted to drag out negotiations.
Abbas has come under intense pressure from the US and European nations to avoid forcing Washington to wield its veto. The British foreign secretary, William Hague, and the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, met the Palestinian leader on Tuesday to press him to reopen talks.
Nabil Shaath, a senior member of Abbas's delegation to the UN, said the US has attempted to dissuade the Palestinians from going to the security council with the threat of punitive measures. He did not say what they might be although there are demands in Congress for the $500m in US aid to the Palestinian Authority to be cut.
The Palestinians are also under pressure because it is far from certain they will win the necessary nine votes in the security council to win recognition. The US has been using its influence to get some security council members to abstain in the hope the Palestinians will lose the vote and that the US veto will not be required.
Nonetheless, Abbas can claim a diplomatic success in forcing the most serious effort to kickstart peace negotiations in years. The US insistence that it will veto the Palestinian bid for membership in the security council has strengthened the hand of European governments, which have generally be sidelined by Washington in the Middle East peace process.
Britain and France in particular, as permanent members of the security council, have attempted to use their votes as a bargaining chip in dealings with Abbas by suggesting that they could support a move to give the Palestinians greater recognition in the UN general assembly if a vote is not forced in the security council.
However, diplomats cautioned that the plan is far from complete and that obstacles remain. |
A pro-immigration advocate says the hard-hit mostly white working-class communities in the United States must be wheeled into “political hospice care,” and a Washington Post columnist commended his solution “as a way forward.”
“Economic dislocation and demographic changes are fueling discomfort and desperation among white working-class voters,” wrote WashPo columnist and editorial board member Jonathan Capehart, continuing:
While [university professor and author] Justin Gest says that both Republicans and Democrats have exploited these voters, he sees a way forward. “The only way of addressing their plight is a form of political hospice care,” [Gest] said. “These are communities that are on the paths to death. And the question is: How can we make that as comfortable as possible?”
Capehart declined to answer questions from Breitbart about his statement that “hospice care” for mostly white working-class communities is “a way forward” for the nation. He declined to suggest alternative policies or to suggest which of the progressives’ political goals could be traded to win support for white working-class voters in 2020.
The offer of political elimination to working-class communities has prompted anger even from some left-wing writers, such as Martin Longman at The Washington Monthly.
I’m not saying the whole Democratic Party feels this way, but the default position among a lot of progressives since the election has been that to even talk about these folks is to pander to their racism and dilute the party’s commitment to civil rights, women’s rights, gay rights, and the environment. If we want to draw up our battle lines like that, then they sure as s*** are going to take the hint… I don’t recognize a [political] left that has no better solution for struggling people than to make their inevitable deaths more comfortable. That’s not just a political loser. It’s an indefensible position to take as human beings. Every single community needs a left that will represent them and that doesn’t mean it will tolerate them or give them just enough to ease the worst of their pain.
Gest responded to Breitbart’s questions by doubling down, saying immigrants can replace American consumers, workers, and children, and also that expert advice will soothe American communities during their government-managed exit:
Declining towns need immigrants to reinvigorate their markets, take on unwanted labor positions, and add youth to aging demographies. Once these communities understood the benefits immigrants bring and were consulted about the terms of their integration, they would feel more comfortable with their arrival.
Breitbart asked if Americans’ communities can be strengthened by wage-boosting curbs on immigration or trade, but Gest, a strong advocate for globalism, offered only a series of additional government programs to offset the current government-imposed policies of cheap labor and cheap imports.
Public policy can help ease the pressure on ‘outmoded’ post-industrial communities and facilitate their integration into the modern economy… States can incentivize apprenticeships and job training by the private sector like they do in Montana. They can provide universal health care like they do in Vermont. Other ideas have yet to be pursued: What if welfare benefits increased when recipients were enrolled in university programs or trade schools, so that we subsidize re-skilling and innovation? What if the quality of school districts weren’t correlated with the income of their neighborhoods, entrenching people into intergenerational poverty? What if minimum wage laws, workplace protections, and family leave policies allowed people to live on the jobs that already exist in the United States today? These ideas don’t require a revolution; they require courage and political will… Higher wages can be mandated by policy, and so can more accessible, high quality education. Policy can therefore reduce wage competition at the bottom and help level the playing field for poorer Americans.
Gest, an assistant professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, sharply opposed cuts to current high level of immigration, which now imports one immigrant for every four Americans who turn 18. Gest also argued that immigrants are more inventive and hardworking than Americans and are also more useful to the prosperous middle-class, saying:
Immigration is one of the principal engines of [economic] growth in the United States because immigrants disproportionately start new businesses (which hire people) and innovate (by filing patents). They also often take unwanted jobs in meatpacking, cleaning, and agriculture. Would it have been better if Albert Einstein stayed in Germany? What if Jerry Yang’s family stayed in Taiwan? … [also] reducing immigration would actually hurt the middle class.
Gest made his hospice comments when Capehart invited him to talk via his podcast about his book on white working-class communities, titled “The New Minority: White Working Class Politics in an Age of Immigration and Inequality.”
Their conversation was revealing because Gest repeatedly admitted that the fight over working-class communities is also a political fight over who gets higher social status. Democrats, he argued, want to grant higher status to their diverse coalition of progressives and various minorities, and are willing to reduce the social status of the white working-class.
Many working-class whites supported former President Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 but pulled the lever for Donald Trump in 2016 because Trump’s support for working-class communities was a huge contrast to the disdain from Democrats. “It has become okay [among Democrats] to become classist against poor white people and the [white voters] see it,” said Gest.
The party’s coalition includes environmentalists, lawyers, Latinos, hippies, and electric-car drivers, Gest said, adding “there are many people in there who like the privileged status that the Democratic Party gives to certain ethnic groups.” For the party to welcome the white working class, he added, it would be “cheapening” the privileges given to others.
Capehart did not disagree and did not counter Gest’s comments during the podcast interview.
Capehart did push the claim that white working-class support for Trump is based on mere nostalgia for prior decades, not on a rational hope that Trump’s pro-American policies are better than the Democrats’ cheap-labor immigration policies, and might even revive struggling American communities in Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and other states.
Gest did not suggest any political fixes for cheap-labor immigration or global trade, saying:
For many white working class people, and this is going to be controversial, for many white working class people, not all of them but many, you have a community of people who are advanced in age, whose skill set is for a different economy, who are living in communities that are losing population, losing resources, and so in many ways, the only way of addressing their plight is a form of political hospice care. These are communities that are on the paths to death, and the question is how can we make that as comfortable as possible …
Gest inadvertently admitted that the targets of his pity, white working-class communities, actually have a broader, non-racial view of their economic circumstances, saying:
How can we truly ‘level the playing field’? And what is so remarkable Jonathan, is that that is the language many of my white working class respondents used. It is the language that we’ve heard the civil rights movement use – ‘Leveling the playing field,’ ‘Finding equality.’
That is where Gest defaulted to the palliative policy of giving more taxpayer funds to his peers in the white-collar education industry:
How can we make an America that has greater mobility … independent of your race, independent of your ethnicity. How can we create avenues for people who start off in these communities in hospice care to live vibrant and dynamic lives of possibility, and I think that so much actually returns to education … education is that avenue to mobility, intergenerational mobility. It allows a steel town to raise children who are not necessarily predestined for manufacturing … our system of education is not allowing us to create a break, an intervention, where we actually prevent these communities destined for death, to be revived.
Education can’t be the only answer for Americans if the U.S. labor market is also being flooded with cheap foreign workers, said a highly skilled worker contacted by Breitbart. “I know you don’t know me from a can of paint, but I had to throw in my 2 cents in your article about the WashPo editor,” said the woman, who tunes and operates computer-controlled machine tools in Cincinnati, Ohio. She continued:
I work in manufacturing. I have a high school diploma and a so-called associate degree from Wyotech that currently has as much worth to me as toilet paper (and it’s just as disposable). I am a [Computer Numeric Control] Machinist. I set up, tool, program, and operate CNC mills and lathes to make precision parts out of Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene, that nonstick stuff on your frying pan) and can hold tolerances to +/- 0.0002″. So I’m wondering, since I am working in a field of a bygone economic era, how dumb do they think I really am that I need “more” education? What is more education going to do for me? So I can sit around and be a great do-nothing thinker as a white (non) working class individual? What is the threshold of intellectual satiation? How many degrees do we need to be indebted to the federal government before they deem the white working middle class smart enough to associate with people like THAT? I have a hard time understanding how someone like Gest or Capehart can look down their noses at someone like me because I don’t share their desire for overpriced toilet paper. Could either of them program a machine to cut an arc into a piece of material? No, but I can. Could either of them change their oil, replace their brakes, or change their front differential fluid? (I’d be surprised if they knew where the dipstick is to even check it.) No, but I can. I’m a 35-year-old, white working class woman that could outsmart them on a common sense basis and on a highly technical basis, and somehow I am the one that needs more education? People like that think that “working class white voters” is a descriptor of who we are as a socioeconomic group, with a dash of race and political functionality. “Working class (white) voters” are machinists, assemblers, machine operators, mechanics, nurse’s aides, waitresses, small retail store managers, bus drivers, taxi drivers, truck drivers, and all the jobs that they wouldn’t dare do themselves, being so much smarter than the rest of us (doubtful they know which end of a wrench to use). Being a “working class white voter” does not make us inferior or intellectually stunted so much that we need to be (re)educated in liberally biased schools of doublespeak and thoughtlessness. All we want to do is work a good job that does present a modest challenge, that does feel rewarding, keeps the lights on and our bellies full and after all of that, we just want to come home, drink some beers, pet the dog and enjoy the sunset in our small suburban slice of heaven. For us, that is what life is all about. We don’t care about revolutions, microaggressions, or how many physical and economic descriptors we can apply to a sub group of a sub group of a sub group. People like Gest and Capehart are more important to themselves, like Narcissus was to his reflection; eventually, they will drown in their obsession. And when they do, they’re still gonna be at the counter of a Mom and Pop shop asking some “white working class voter” with grease on his or her face “What’s wrong with my Prius?”
Follow Neil Munro on Twitter @NeilMunroDC or email the author at NMunro@Breitbart.com |
In 1998, Ask Ars was an early feature of the newly launched Ars Technica. Now, as then, it's all about your questions and our community's answers. We occasionally dig into our question bag, provide our own take, then tap the wisdom of our readers. To submit your own question, see our helpful tips page
Q: How long do status updates, text, photos, et cetera, stay on Facebook?
I ask, because I want to use Facebook to create a historical timeline about an ancestor in my family so people can learn more about their heritage. I have Googled my question several times and all answers are confusing and mixed: some say everything stays on a FB page until you clean it off and others say Facebook deletes status updates and photos monthly.
This is an interesting way to use Facebook—to create a page for someone who is not currently living, and never lived during the time Facebook existed. (Typically, the question is the other way around: what to do with someone's existing Facebook account after they pass away?) And given the level of confusion constantly floating around about Facebook's data retention policies, it's no surprise that it might be hard to pinpoint exactly when (if ever) information gets deleted from the social network.
Luckily in this case, the answer is mostly straightforward. From Facebook's Data Use Policy:
We store data for as long as it is necessary to provide products and services to you and others, including those described above. Typically, information associated with your account will be kept until your account is deleted. For certain categories of data, we may also tell you about specific data retention practices.
Just to be sure, we reached out to Facebook to confirm this is indeed the policy for the above use case. The company confirmed that as long as you have not deleted the content yourself—or in the case of a message between two people, both people have not deleted it—the content should stay online indefinitely.
But as usual, there are some nuances to keep in mind about this policy. If you ever do want to delete the content, you should know that it's not likely to disappear instantly. As you may remember, we followed a thread for several years over how fast photos are deleted from Facebook's servers once you delete them from the site; as of late 2012, we verified that photos indeed appear to be removed within 30 days of deletion (our tests showed they were actually removed much faster).
It's not just about photos, though. As outlined in the same Data Use Policy referenced above, there are major differences between deactivating an account versus deleting an account, should you choose to eventually remove the account you created for your ancestor. Many Facebook users mistakenly think that deactivating their accounts equals deletion, but that is not so:
Deactivating your account puts your account on hold. Other users will no longer see your timeline, but we do not delete any of your information. Deactivating an account is the same as you telling us not to delete any information because you might want to reactivate your account at some point in the future. You can deactivate your account on your account settings page. Your friends will still see you listed in their list of friends while your account is deactivated.
So when you deactivate your ancestor's account, it's not really going anywhere. The data is still there, lurking somewhere on Facebook's servers, even if the "friends" of that account can no longer see it.
Deletion, however, is another matter:
When you delete an account, it is permanently deleted from Facebook. It typically takes about one month to delete an account, but some information may remain in backup copies and logs for up to 90 days. You should only delete your account if you are sure you never want to reactivate it. […] Certain information is needed to provide you with services, so we only delete this information after you delete your account. Some of the things you do on Facebook aren't stored in your account, like posting to a group or sending someone a message (where your friend may still have a message you sent, even after you delete your account). That information remains after you delete your account.
I often see Facebook users confusing these two things. They usually become alarmed when they've deactivated an account, only to have all the old information show up again when they go to "register" a new account. But if you actually go through with a real deletion, the information shouldn't be there past 90 days—and hopefully it will be gone sooner. |
The Church of England's ruling body has voted overwhelming in favour of welcoming transgender people.
The General Synod backed a motion which said there was a need for transgender people to be "welcomed and affirmed in their parish church" as part of the "long and often complex process" of transition.
Bishops voted 30 to two in favour, while 127 lay members voted for and 48 against, and clergy backed the motion 127 to 28.
The motion called on the House of Bishops "to consider providing some nationally commended liturgical materials which may be used in parish churches and chaplaincies to provide a pastoral response to the need of transgender people to be affirmed following their long, distressing, and often complex process of transition".
Rev Chris Newlands' motion also called for the church to provide guidance to help clergy provide services for transgender people to mark their transition.
Opening the debate, Rev Newlands, of the Blackburn Diocesan Synod, said: "I hope that we can make a powerful statement to say that we believe that trans people are cherished and loved by God, who created them, and is present through all the twists and turns of their lives."
The Bishop of Worcester, Dr John Inge, said: "Our response needs to be loving and open and welcoming and the passing of this motion would be a very important factor in that."
Synod rejected an amendment proposed by Dr Nick Land of the Diocese of York, which asked for the Church to determine the theological arguments before any liturgy, or customs, are adopted.
The vote came after bishops overwhelmingly backed a motion calling for a ban on "unethical" conversion therapy for gay Christians. |
By Liliana Segura | In the run-up to the Republican convention, Minnesota police launched a series of preemptive raids to intimidate protesters and quash dissent.
“St. Paul is a free country!” cried a resident of Iglehart Avenue, a neighborhood street in St. Paul, Minn., as she watched her next-door neighbor’s house being overtaken by police officers on Saturday afternoon. Just one in a series of house raids over a 24-hour period the weekend before the Republican National Convention, St. Paul police surrounded the private home with weapons drawn, detaining people in the backyard, while journalists, activists and neighbors — including several children — looked on.
Their crime? None whatsoever. No one was trespassing or engaging in acts of civil disobedience. Instead, members of I-Witness Video, a New York-based media watchdog group that records police activity in order to protect civil liberties, were holding an organizing meeting at 949 Iglehart, the home of St. Paul resident Mike Whalen, when armed police officers arrived in the early afternoon and ordered their surrender.
Among them was Eileen Clancy, founder of I-Witness Video, as well as a producer with Democracy Now! DN! host Amy Goodman and her staff had just arrived at Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport when they received word that producer Elizabeth Press was in the house and being threatened with arrest.
An urgent alert had been sent by Clancy:
This is Eileen Clancy. … The house where I-Witness Video is staying in St. Paul has been surrounded by police. We have locked all the doors. We have been told that if we leave we will be detained. One of our people who was caught outside is being detained in handcuffs in front of the house. The police say that they are waiting to get a search warrant. More than a dozen police are wielding firearms …
… We are asking the public to contact the office of St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman at 651-266-8510 to stop this house arrest, this gross intimidation by police officers, and the detention of media activists and reporters.
By the time we arrived at the 900 block at Iglehart Ave a short while later, the people in the house had been handcuffed and taken out back. Police officers could be seen sitting in unmarked cars, blocking off the residential street, where a growing crowd of observers gathered in front and across the street from the blue house with green columns, straining to get a glimpse of what was happening.
With two officers flanking the entrance of the house, it was hard to see anything — but moments later, a woman emerged from the house next door. “You guys go in my backyard,” she called out. “They’re handcuffed back here!” With that, the crowd rushed around to the back, where over a short chain-link fence they spotted the handcuffed group, seated and surrounded by stoic police in sunglasses.
“These are nice people,” the neighbor admonished the cops. “These are good people.”
Sitting with her hands behind her back, Clancy spoke calmly and deliberately as she described what had happened and answered questions from people on the other side of the fence. Someone asked whether they had been read their Miranda rights. “Fuck no!” yelled one of the detainees.
As Press would later explain, a pair of police officers had actually shown up at the house earlier that day, at 11 in the morning, asking about the owner of the house. One of them identified himself as being with the FBI. “I think that was them just checking out the scene at the house,” said Press, who videotaped the officers coming to the door. They claimed to want to question a former resident about an action that had occurred a few months earlier. “We’re not here from the convention,” one officer said. Nervous I-Witness members didn’t know what to make of it — “We were like, this is f-d up let’s get out of here,” recalled Press — but they chose to finish their meeting anyway. It was only when they were getting ready to leave that the police showed up, some 20 officers this time, with guns drawn.
Sara Coffey of the National Lawyers Guild had just left the house and was immediately handcuffed. But, as described in Clancy’s alert, Press and the rest of the people in the duplex refused to let the police in because they did not have a warrant. However, at around 3:00 p.m., a warrant materialized for the adjacent space, apartment 951. “They entered through 951, detained everyone in that apartment, including the owner,” recalled Press, “… and then broke into 949 through the attic.” The police entered with their guns drawn, ordered everyone’s hands up and handcuffed them.
Their belongings were confiscated and searched, and the group was assembled in the backyard. But soon after the crowd gathered with video cameras and legal observers, including an attorney for Mike Whalen — and after Amy Goodman jumped the fence to interview people and ask the cops why they were holding nonviolent people who had done nothing wrong — they were released.
Preemptive Strikes
Unlike the preceding raids, including one targeting the convergence space of the RNC Welcoming Committee — an anarchist group dubiously described by Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher as “a criminal enterprise … intent on committing criminal acts” — the raid on the I-Witness house was specifically designed to target media activists whose mission is to hold police officers responsible for abusing their authority. I-Witness Video was instrumental in documenting police abuse during the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York, during which some 1,800 people were arrested. Working in cooperation with the National Lawyers Guild, I-Witness Video led to the dismissal of charges or the acquittal of some 400 protesters. This summer, New York City authorities subpoenaed I-Witness Video for tapes from the protests. In an interview with Democracy Now! on Aug. 1, Clancy discussed the group’s plans for the political conventions.
We’re going to bring a crew to both presidential conventions. It’s pretty exciting. I mean, one of the reasons we’re very interested in covering the conventions is (not) because we want … bad things to happen, but because the focus of the federal government, the law enforcement agencies and all that is very keenly directed at demonstrators. And when you cover these events completely, you’re able to see the patterns. The patterns emerge.
“I-Witness definitely does document things like police brutality and policing in general during situations of conflict,” I-Witness member Emily Foreman, one of three members who managed to leave the house only to be followed by police and pulled over on their bikes, told a reporter with The Uptake after the raid, noting that that could make the group a target, “not because of anything illegal but because of our interest in upholding the law.”
Nevertheless, the list of items police were looking for would suggest the activists were nothing short of terror suspects. “Packages and contents, firearms and ammunition, holsters, cleaning equipment for firearms, (and) weapons devices” were included in the warrant read by Whalen, who spoke to reporters shortly after his handcuffs were removed. Asked what connection he had to the I-Witness Video activists, he replied, “no connection,” adding, “People needed a place to stay, and I support the work they do.”
Series of Raids
All told, six raids took place in St. Paul in 24 hours, resulting in six arrests. (Read about the other raids here.) On Sunday, the Minnesota Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild sent out a press release announcing that it is “seeking prompt judicial review” of the “preventative detentions” of the six people arrested, all of whom remain on “probable cause holds” in the Ramsey County Jail. According to the press release: “In Minnesota, a probable cause hold can be ordered by a police officer without a prosecutor or a judge reviewing a criminal complaint. Due to the arrest occurring on a weekend holiday, all six citizens can be held until Wednesday, September 3, 2008, without the filing of a formal charge.”
The extent of the federal involvement in the raids is not entirely clear. Although they were reportedly spearheaded by the Ramsey County Sheriff’s office, St. Paul Police coordinated them with the FBI. Furthermore, according to the Star Tribune, the raids were “aided by informants planted in protest groups.” Indeed, as Glenn Greenwald reminded readers on Sunday, the Minneapolis Joint Terrorist Task Force spent months recruiting people to spy on activist groups planning to protest the RNC. On May 21, the Minneapolis City Pages ran a bizarre but chilling story titled “Moles Wanted,” about the recruitment efforts by the task force — specifically, attempts to enlist people to “attend ‘vegan potlucks’ throughout the Twin Cities and rub shoulders with RNC protesters” in a mission to “investigate terrorist acts carried out by groups or organizations which fall within the definition of terrorist groups as set forth in the current United States Attorney General Guidelines.”
“This is all part of a larger government effort to quell political dissent,” attorney Jordan Kushner, told the City Pages at the time. “The Joint Terrorism Task Force is another example of using the buzzword ‘terrorism’ as a basis to clamp down on people’s freedoms and push forward a more authoritarian government.”
With most of the subjects of the raids eventually released, the consensus among activists at the RNC in the wake of the raids is that the police actions are mainly meant to stop protests, lawful or not, before they start. “I think what they’re doing is trying to intimidate people,” said Press. But even as the GOP plans to scale back its convention activities in the face of Hurricane Gustav, with multiple protests scheduled for the week, the actions of the police do not seem to be doing much to dissuade people from going forward with their plans.
The next day, a group of peaceful marchers organized by Veterans for Peace headed downtown. With armed police officers far outnumbering protesters, several marchers were discussing the raids. “It’s intimidation, absolutely,” VFP member Leah Bolger said. “People are harassed to no end.” Although veterans groups were not among the targeted organizations, word of the raids had spread quickly among the demonstrators. “I started this work as part of the peace movement,” said Bolger, a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Navy. “But more and more it’s about civil rights. … When I hear about the raids, it’s just really upsetting and frightening,” she said. But not necessarily surprising. In this era of the supposed “war on terror,” she said, Americans have become used to trading civil rights for a perceived safety. “They’re willing to throw away their civil liberties.” |
Kyle Walker is about to become the world’s most expensive defender and the costliest English player of all time, after Tottenham Hotspur accepted a bid worth £53m from Manchester City. The package includes £3m of add-ons and takes Walker beyond David Luiz on the list of defenders and above Raheem Sterling in terms of players from England.
David Luiz cost £50m when he moved from Chelsea to Paris Saint-Germain in 2014 and City paid £49m to Liverpool, including add-ons, for Sterling in 2015.
Walker’s move had been expected, with Pep Guardiola having made the signing of full-backs a priority and making the England international his No1 target at right-back. City are also trying to sign the left-back Benjamin Mendy, who has been left out of Monaco’s squad for a pre-season tour of Switzerland.
Tottenham’s great transfer balancing act, starring Daniel Levy’s iron fist Read more
The negotiations over Walker have been protracted, with Daniel Levy, the Spurs chairman, feeling empowered to drive the hardest of bargains. Walker was the best right‑back in England last season, according to the Professional Footballers’ Association, which named him in its team of the year, and, at 27, he is not only highly experienced in the Premier League but about to enter his prime.
Levy wanted the basic figure of £50m and City were reluctant to go above £40m but, in the end, they paid up to break the deadlock. They had missed out on Dani Alves, another right-back target, earlier in the week – the Brazilian has gone to PSG, having left Juventus as a free agent – and time is ticking down to their pre-season tour of the United States.
Tottenham are also touring there and they will face City in Nashville on 29 July, raising the prospect of an early reunion for Walker with his former club. Walker travelled to Manchester on Thursday afternoon and will undertake his City medical on Friday.
Transfer window 2017 – every deal in Europe's top five leagues Read more
Mauricio Pochettino knows he needs to generate funds in order to increase the depth of his Tottenham squad and he came to consider the sale of Walker as the best way to do so. The manager has faith in Kieran Trippier, who has been Walker’s understudy, and it was significant that he preferred him to Walker towards the end of last season in the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea and the league fixtures against Arsenal and Manchester United.
City are in talks over the loan of the goalkeeper Joe Hart, with West Ham United confident they are close to an arrangement. City have also signed Bernardo Silva for £43.6m from Monaco and Ederson for £34.7m from Benfica. Tottenham have yet to make a summer signing. |
Personal insolvencies in Britain reached an all-time high in 2010, with 135,089 bankruptcies recorded (up 0.7 percent from the prior year), although the trend has been declining since the second quarter of last year, according to The Insolvency Service.
Indeed, the number of insolvencies reported in the fourth quarter of 2010 (30,729), was the lowest figure since the first quarter of 2009 and 13.6 percent below the year-ago figure.
Lower unemployment has also helped to limit individual insolvencies, while banks and creditors have also been encouraged to take a sympathetic approach to financial problems, said Howard Archer, a London-based economist ar IHS Global Insight. “ In addition, the government has been willing to defer companies' tax payments.”
Still, it is somewhat shocking to realize that 370 Britons are going bankrupt every single day.
Louise Brittain, a partner in Deloitte’s Contentious Insolvency team, was quoted as saying “it comes as no surprise that we have seen an increase in debt recovery orders as even those with a relatively low level of debt will be struggling to make ends meet.”
She also commented that these figures do not accurately represent the number of people (perhaps in the thousands) who are managing their debt without depending on professional assistance.
In fact, Archer said that the risk of insolvency remains high for many Britons, given the likelihood of higher interest rates by the Bank of England, soaring taxes and many more job cuts as a result of the coalition government’s spending review.
“The reality is many people remain at risk, particularly if economic activity is muted and unemployment moves higher in 2011 as tighter fiscal policy increasingly bites,” he said.
“The substantial fiscal squeeze will increasingly hit public sector jobs and consumers' pockets, while households already face high unemployment, negative real wage growth and elevated debt levels.”
Similarly, Brittain warned that we will undoubtedly see the number of people filing for bankruptcy in 2011 remain high as soaring commodity prices, inflation and the increase in [value-added tax] VAT begin to hit households hard.”
Archer also believes that there will be a “lagged impact” on personal insolvencies arising from the recession as “likely relatively muted growth in 2011 will mean that many people who have lost their jobs will be unemployed for a long time and this will weigh heavily on their finances.” |
Intensive pig farming is a subset of pig farming and of Industrial animal agriculture, all of which are types of animal husbandry, in which livestock domestic pigs are raised up to slaughter weight. These operations are known as AFO or CAFO in the U.S. In this system of pig production, grower pigs are housed indoors in group-housing or straw-lined sheds, whilst pregnant sows are housed in gestation crates or pens and give birth in farrowing crates.
The use of gestation crates for pregnant sows has resulted in lower birth production costs; however, this practice has led to more significant animal cruelty. Many of the world's largest producers of pigs (US, China, Mexico) use gestation crates but some nations and nine US states have banned and removed these crates. The European Union has banned the use of gestation crates after the 4th week of pregnancy.[1]
Description [ edit ]
Intensive piggeries are generally large warehouse-like buildings or barns. Indoor pig systems allow the pigs' conditions to be monitored, ensuring minimum fatalities and increased productivity. Buildings are ventilated and their temperature regulated. Most domestic pig varieties are susceptible to sunburn and heat stress, and all pigs lack sweat glands and cannot cool themselves. Pigs have a limited tolerance to high temperatures and heat stress can lead to death. Maintaining a more specific temperature within the pig-tolerance range also maximizes growth and growth-to-feed ratio. Indoor piggeries have allowed pig farming to be undertaken in countries or areas with unsuitable climate or soil for outdoor pig raising.[2] In an intensive operation, pigs will no longer need access to a wallow (mud), which is their natural cooling mechanism. Intensive piggeries control temperature through ventilation or drip water systems.
Pigs are naturally omnivorous and are generally fed a combination of grains and protein sources (soybeans, or meat and bone meal). Larger intensive pig farms may be surrounded by farmland where feed-grain crops are grown. Consequently, piggeries are reliant on the grains industry. Pig feed may be bought packaged, in bulk or mixed on-site. The intensive piggery system, where pigs are confined in individual stalls, allows each pig to be allotted a portion of feed. The individual feeding system also facilitates individual medication of pigs through feed. This has more significance to intensive farming methods, as the proximity to other animals enables diseases to spread more rapidly. To prevent disease spreading and encourage growth, drug programs such as vitamins and antibiotics are administered preemptively.
Indoor systems allow for the easy collection of waste. In an indoor intensive pig farm, manure can be managed through a lagoon system or other waste-management system. However, waste smell remains a problem which is difficult to manage.[3] Pigs in the wild or on open farmland are naturally clean animals.
The way animals are housed in intensive systems varies. Breeding sows will spend the bulk of their time in gestation crates during pregnancy. The use of these crates may be preferred as they facilitate feed management and growth control and prevent pig aggression. Sows are moved to farrowing crates, with litter, from before farrowing until weaning, to ease management of farrowing and reduce piglet loss from sows lying on them. Dry or open time for sows can be spent in indoor pens or outdoor pens or pastures. Houses should be clean and well ventilated but draught-free.
Piglets can be subjected to castration, tail docking to prevent tail biting, teeth clipping, and earmarking and tattooing for litter identification. Treatments are usually made without any pain killers.[citation needed] Weak runts could be killed shortly after birth.[citation needed] Injections with a high availability iron solution often are given, as sow's milk is low in iron. The docking due to tail biting is a common practice in intensive rearing facilities as animals in that environment are more prone to increased levels of aggression and instability.[4]
Piglets are weaned and removed from the sows at between two and five weeks old[5] and placed in sheds, nursery barns or directly to growout barns. Grower pigs are usually housed in alternative indoor housing, such as batch pens. Group pens generally require higher stockmanship skills. Such pens will usually not contain straw or other material. Alternatively, a straw-lined shed may house a larger group in age groups. Larger swine operations use slotted floors for waste removal, and deliver bulk feed into feeders in each pen; feed is available ad libitum.
Environmental impacts [ edit ]
Regulation [ edit ]
Many countries have introduced laws to regulate treatment of farmed animals.
EU [ edit ]
As of 2016, The European Union legislation has required that pigs be given environmental enrichment, specifically they must have permanent access to a sufficient quantity of material to enable proper investigation and manipulation activities.[6]
Under the legislation tail docking may only be used as a last resort. The law provides that farmers must first take measures to improve the pigs’ conditions and, only where these have failed to prevent tail biting, may they tail dock.[7]
United States [ edit ]
Nine states have banned the use of gestation crates, with Rhode Island being the most recent as of July 2012.[8]
Discharge from CAFOs is regulated by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In 2003, the EPA revised the Clean Water Act to include permitting requirements and effluent (discharge) limitations for CAFOs. In 2008, final AFO/CAFO regulation revised portions of it under EPA's National Point Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting program.[9]
The federal Humane Slaughter Act requires pigs to be stunned before slaughter, although compliance and enforcement is questioned. There is concern from animal liberation/welfare groups that the laws have not resulted in a prevention of animal suffering and that there are "repeated violations of the Humane Slaughter Act at dozens of slaughterhouses".[10]
Criticism [ edit ]
Dispute regarding farming methods [ edit ]
Intensive piggeries have been increasingly[when?] criticized in preference of free range systems. Such systems usually refer not to a group-pen or shedding system, but to outdoor farming systems. Those that support outdoor systems usually do so on the grounds that they are more animal friendly and allow pigs to experience natural activities (e.g., wallowing in mud, relating to young, rooting soil). Outdoor systems are usually less economically productive due to increased space requirements and higher morbidity, (though, when dealing with the killing of piglets and other groups of swine, the methods are the same.) They also have a range of environmental impacts, such as denitrification of soil[11][12] and erosion. Outdoor pig farming may also have welfare implications, for example, pigs kept outside may get sunburnt and are more susceptible to heat stress than in indoor systems, where air conditioning or similar can be used.[13][14] Outdoor pig farming may also increase the incidence of worms and parasites in pigs.[15][16] Management of these problems depends on local conditions, such as geography, climate, and the availability of skilled staff.
Transition of an indoor production system to an outdoor system may present obstacles. Some breeds of pig commonly used in intensive farming have been selectively bred to suit intensive conditions. Lean pink-pigmented pigs are unsuited for outdoor agriculture, as they suffer sunburn and heat stress.[citation needed] In certain environmental conditions – for example, a temperate climate – outdoor pig farming of these breeds is possible. However, there are many other breeds of pig suited to outdoor rearing, as they have been used in this way for centuries, such as Gloucester Old Spot and Oxford Forest. Following the UK ban of sow stalls, the British Pig Executive indicates that the pig farming industry in the UK has declined.[17] The increase in production costs[18] has led to British pig-products being more expensive than those from other countries, leading to increased imports and the need to position UK pork as a product deserving a price premium.
In 1997, Grampian Country Foods, then the UK's largest pig producer, pointed out that pigmeat production costs in the UK were 44 p/kg higher than on the continent. Grampian stated that only 2 p/kg of this was due to the ban on stalls; the majority of the extra costs resulted from the then strength of sterling and the fact that at that time meat and bone meal had been banned in the UK but not on the continent. A study by the Meat and Livestock Commission in 1999, the year that the gestation crate ban came into force, found that moving from gestation crates, to group housing added just 1.6 pence to the cost of producing 1 kg of pigmeat. French and Dutch studies show that even in the higher welfare group housing systems – ones giving more space and straw – a kg of pigmeat costs less than 2 pence more to produce than in gestation crates.[7]
Sow breeding systems [ edit ]
Organized campaigns by animal activists have focused on the use of the gestation crate, such as the 'gestation crate' and farrowing crate. The gestation crate has now been banned in the UK, certain US states, and other European countries, although it remains part of pig production in much of the US and European Union.
Only the sows selected for breeding will spend time in a gestation crate. In an intensive system, the sow will be placed in a crate prior mating and will stay there for at least the start of her pregnancy, when the risk of miscarriage is higher.[citation needed] The typical length of the sow's pregnancy is 3 months, 3 weeks, and 3 days. In certain cases, sows may spend this time in the crate. However, a variety of farming systems are used and the time in the crate may vary from 4 weeks to the whole pregnancy.
There is also some criticism of 'farrowing crates'. A farrowing crate houses the sow in one section and her piglets in another. It allows the sow to lie down and roll over to feed her piglets, but keeps her piglets in a separate section. This prevents the large sow from sitting on her piglets and killing them, which is quite common where the sow is not separated from the piglets.[19] Sows are also prevented from being able to move other than between standing and lying. Some models of farrowing crates may allow more space than others, and allow greater interaction between sow and young. Well-designed farrowing pens in which the sow has ample space can be just as effective as crates in preventing piglet mortality.[7] Some crates may also be designed with cost-effectiveness or efficiency in mind and therefore be smaller.
Authoritative industry data indicate that moving from sow stalls to group housing added 2 pence to the cost of producing 1 kg. of pigmeat.[7]
Many English fattening pigs are kept in barren conditions and are routinely tail docked. Since 2003 EU legislation has required pigs to be given environmental enrichment and has banned routine tail docking. However, 80% of UK pigs are tail docked.[7]
In 2015, use of sow crates was made illegal on New Zealand pig farms.[20]
Effects on traditional rural communities [ edit ]
Common criticism of intensive piggeries is that they represent a corporatization of the traditional rural lifestyle. Critics feel the rise of intensive piggeries has largely replaced family farming. Between 1982 and 1987 some 21% of Iowa hog farmers went out of business.[citation needed] By 1992, another 12% had gone out of business.[citation needed] In large part, this is because intensive piggeries are more economical than outdoor systems, pen systems, or the sty. In many pork-producing countries (e.g., United States, Canada, Australia, Denmark) the use of intensive piggeries has led to market rationalization and concentration. The New York Times reported that keeping pigs and other animals in "unnaturally overcrowded" environments poses considerable health risks for workers, neighbors, and consumers.[21]
Waste management and public health concerns [ edit ]
Contaminants from animal wastes can enter the environment through pathways such as through leakage of poorly constructed manure lagoons or during major precipitation events resulting in either overflow of lagoons and runoff from recent applications of waste to farm fields, or atmospheric deposition followed by dry or wet fallout. Runoff can leach through permeable soils to vulnerable aquifers that tap ground water sources for human consumption. Runoff of manure can also find its way into surface water such as lakes, streams, and ponds. An example of weather induced runoff having been recently reported in the wake of Hurricane Matthew.[22]
Many contaminants are present in livestock wastes, including nutrients, pathogens, veterinary pharmaceuticals and naturally excreted hormones. Improper disposal of animal carcasses and abandoned livestock facilities can also contribute to water quality problems in surrounding areas of CAFOs.[citation needed]
Exposure to waterborne contaminants can result from both recreational use of affected surface water and from ingestion of drinking water derived from either contaminated surface water or ground water. High-Risk populations are generally the very young, the elderly, pregnant women, and immunocompromised individuals. Dermal contact may cause skin, eye, or ear infections. Drinking water exposures to pathogens could occur in vulnerable private wells.[23]
At Varkensproefcentrum Sterksel in the Netherlands, a pig farm has been created that reuses its waste streams. CO² and ammonia from the pig manure are reused to grow algae which in turn are used to feed the pigs.[24]
Another method to reduce the effect on the environment is to switch to other breeds of pig. The enviropig is a genetically modified type of pig with the capability to digest plant phosphorus more efficiently than ordinary pigs, though the enviropig program ended in 2012 and did not reach commercial distribution.
Nutrient-rich runoff from CAFO's can contribute to Algal blooms in rivers, lakes and seas. The 2009 Harmful Algal Bloom event off the coast of Brittany, France was attributed to runoff from an intensive pig farm.[25]
North Carolina [ edit ]
As of 2010, North Carolina housed approximately ten million hogs, most of which are located in the eastern half of the state in industrialized CAFOs or Confined Animal Feeding Operations. This was not the case twenty years ago. The initial horizontal integration and the vertical integration that arose in this industry resulted in numerous issues, including issues of environmental disparity, loss of work, pollution, animal rights, and overall general public health. The most remarkable example of swine CAFO monopoly is found in the United States, where in 2001, 50 producers had control over 70% of total pork production. In 2001, the biggest CAFO had just over 710,000 sows.[26]
Originally, Murphy Family Farms horizontally integrated the North Carolina system. They laid the groundwork for the industry to be vertically integrated. Today[when?] the hog industry in North Carolina is led by Smithfield Foods, which has expanded into both nationwide and international production.[27]
The environmental justice problems in North Carolina's agroindustrialization of swine production seem to stem from the history of the coastal region's economy, which has relied heavily on black and low-income populations to supply the necessary agricultural labor. The industry's shift from family-owned hog farms to factory hogging has contributed to the frequent targeting of these areas.[28]
This swine production and pollution that accompanies factory hogging is concentrated in the parts of North Carolina that have the highest disease rates, the least access to medical care, and the greatest need for positive education and economic development.[29] Since hog production has become consolidated in the coastal region of N.C., the high water tables and low-lying flood plains have increased the risk and impact of hog farm pollution. A swine CAFO is made up of three parts: the hog house, the “lagoon,” and the “spray field.” Waste disposal techniques used by small-scale traditional hog farms, like using waste as fertilizer for commercially viable crops, were adopted and expanded for use by CAFOs. Lagoons are supposed to be protected with an impermeable liner, but some do not work properly. This can cause environmental damage, as seen in 1995 when a lagoon burst in North Carolina. This lagoon released 25 million gallons of noxious sludge into North Carolina's New River and killed approximately eight to ten million fish.[30]
The toxins emitted by the swine CAFOs can produce a variety of symptoms and illnesses ranging from respiratory disorders, headaches, and shortness of breath to hydrogen sulfide poisoning, bronchitis, and asthma. The potential for spray field runoff or lagoon leakage puts nearby residents in danger of contaminated drinking water, which can lead to diseases like samonellosis, giardiasis, Chlamydia, meningitis, cryptosporidiosis, worms, and influenza.[31]
Denmark [ edit ]
Slaughterhouses and veterinarians are obliged to report pigs with injuries to the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, which forwards cases to the police. There were relatively few cases before 2006, but by 2008-9 there were about 300 per year.[32] When there are visible injuries, it represents not only a problem in animal welfare but also the farmers economy because parts or occasionally the entire carcass has to be discarded.[32] From 2006 to 2009 the number of pigs with injuries caused by hard objects, such as planks or chains received by slaughterhouses rose significantly. It was possibly related to a system introduced in 2006, which rewards "the rushed loading of animals onto vehicles", as well as a sharp increase in uneducated Eastern European farm workers unaware of Danish laws.[33][32]
Gestation crates were sometimes used on some Danish farms to restrict the movement of sows during pregnancy, as documented by British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver in a television programme for the UK's Channel 4 in 2009.[34] In other fields, such as bathing facilities for the pigs and floor material Danish requirements were higher than in the UK.[34] As of 2008 the practice was already prohibited for pigs exported to the UK.[35] The use of gestation crates became illegal in Denmark (as part of the EU) in 2013.[36][37][38]
New Zealand [ edit ]
According to Scoop, in 2009 the New Zealand pork industry was "dealt a shameful public relations slap-in-the-face after its former celebrity kingpin, Mike King, outed their farming practices as 'brutal', 'callous' and 'evil'" on a May episode of New Zealand television show Sunday. King condemned the "appalling treatment" of factory farmed pigs. King observed conditions inside a New Zealand piggery, and saw a dead female pig inside a gestation crate, lame and crippled pigs and others that could barely stand, pigs either extremely depressed or highly distressed, pigs with scars and injuries, and a lack of clean drinking water and food.
Sow crate farming should be illegal and we should outlaw it right now. It is absolutely disgusting and I am sorry that I was part of it Mike King, 2009[39]
See also [ edit ]
Smithfield Foods – the world's largest producer of pork
References [ edit ]
US Government regulation
Proponent, neutral, and industry-related |
A fellow Jewish tumblr blogger {x} (in response to asks - some of which were mine, which he kindly answered) was discussing the lack of a full secular education in many jewish schools and why he didn’t think it was a big deal (or even preferable). I’d like to discuss one of his answers; not as an attack, but just as an illustration of different perspectives on this (as I obviously disagree with him):
He made some good points about how one can often still earn a living and live a functional life without a lot of what secular education provides. And perhaps he’s right, but it does limit one’s options, and the nature of work is changing. (Also, I think education is a lot more than merely learning how to earn a living.) But Ok, I can accept this.
I asked about the morality of not teaching kids all that we know so that they can come to their own decisions. This is his response:
Perhaps they won’t fully understand - from a secular point of view - why certain secular people have their own beliefs. Just like they won’t fully understand why certain people still worship statues or many gods. We don’t want our children to learn/study kefirah [heresy] and avodoh zoro [idol worship~]. We teach them in the ways of the Avos [forefathers]. Which we believe is the very best thing for a Jew. We should protect our, and our childrens’, minds the way pianists protect their fingers and singers protect their voices. מכל משמר נצור לבך - כי ממנו תוצאות חיים [most of all, guard your heart bc from there comes life~] our opinions, what we think, what we believe, what we know - that is our life. So of course we won’t allow our children’s souls to be influenced by outside/non-Torah sources. As I said in my original post on this subject, there is an issur [prohibition] to read, let alone actually study, divrei kefirah [heresy]. So why should we expose innocent pure children to it?
Also, people - especially children - get easily influenced by what they hear or see (see for example my post on hatred towards Charedim in EY). We want to prevent this as much as possible, even though we know the Torah is emmes [true]. Would any normal parent let their kids watch racist propaganda films, or study it intensively, because they’re not afraid of it being true? Most likely not. Why not? One of the reasons would probably be because it’s wrong in their eyes.
Every parent - whether Jewish, non-Jewish, religious or Atheist - teaches his child in the ways he thinks is best. A point where we can ask the same question. Isn’t that also ‘brainwashing’? Teaching your child only what you think is best? Is that ethical? I think that from a Torah point of view, protecting our children from kefirah and avodoh zoroh… is indeed ethical; it is even the best thing we could do for them.
To start, I could talk about the effects of racism - including against Jews! - and how these are real, measurable, and obviously horrible practices - as opposed to “heresy” which has only an imagined effect on one’s soul and the like, since souls and the like have never been demonstrated to exist! So I think there’s a big difference between obvious dangers with manifestly horrific results and hypothesized dangers with no obviously negative repercussions at all (in fact, repercussions most of the civilized world would consider a vast improvement!). But still, that’s not the most important difference.
To me, the biggest difference is that that secular people do teach about the beliefs of others. That doesn’t mean they condone everything, but they’ll talk about, and when the child gets older, he can easily come to study whatever he wants - whether to agree or just to understand. So while, yes, a secular parent teaches his perspective to his kids, it’s really not the same thing as limiting the person to only learning about one perspective - both as a child, and as they get older. To me, that’s indoctrination.
And I understand that a Jewish parent wants nothing more than for his child to be a religious jew, but only providing information that teaches the Jewish perspective - and forbidding the study of anything against the jewish perspective - is, as I see it, pretty severe indoctrination. The person is religious bc he hardly had a chance to even consider anything else. Worse yet, bc they can’t study heretical material, there’s no mechanism for people to correct mistaken beliefs! That’s why there are still many religious people, for instance, who think the sun revolves around the earth, that our planet is 6,000 years old, and that we were created from dust and ribs. That same faulty setup prevents someone from really evaluating their belief system itself. It’s not giving this child a chance to make up his or her own mind. Instead, it feeds it the perspective of elders, many of whom have nothing but the perspective of their elders! And they never come to understand what we now know about the world. It’s only after much, much effort that even more moderate streams come to accept now known realities; that process is all the more difficult for groups which won’t listen a bit to the outside.
And that’s why you get sincere people like Rav Natan Slifkin who wrote books trying to help orthodoxy address some of these questions - yet the ultra-orthodox, instead of taking it as an opportunity to learn and manage the discrepancies, instead ban the books as heretical and formally shun Rav Slifkin. (wiki)
So children are left uninformed, become anti-informed adults, and beget misinformed children. They system has no correcting mechanism and in the process, entire lives are lost to the beauty of reality, and instead devote their lives to what, had they been better informed, they might have concluded was a fiction. To me, that’s just unethical. And while I can appreciate the argument that parents know whats best for their children, that hinges on the parents actually knowing what’s best! That isn’t always the case. And I think it’s pretty clear that if the parents aren’t critically examining these claims, then they can’t be responsible about the ideas they’re indoctrinating their kids with. And when I say responsible, I mean “being sensible and mature.” I’m not talking about their culpability, which still applies.
It’d be like telling your kids that the entire planet is just your little town and forbidding them from reading maps or books that make reference to other places. And so the cycle would perpetuate. (Until they filled up the town; then the world would have to become a slightly a larger area - but still, ’that’s it! No more!’)
And I think it’s important to remember that many ex-religious folk are very, very upset at the terrible education they received, which is why many are fighting for education reform in Jewish schools. So, yeah, people who’ve had it and escaped consider it a gross violation of human rights.
$.02 |
I’m pretty sure almost all of you love AMC’s The Walking Dead? I mean, its hard not to like it really. Okay, it has had its ups and downs, and maybe the season 3 finale was a bit of a let down, or at least it was for me. But still, I’m stoked for the future, and it appears as if AMC has plans to see this one for many years.
Recently AMC Networks CEO Josh Sapan appeared at Barclays Global Technology, Media and Telecommunications Conference, to state the following via The Hollywood Reporter;
We hope that zombies live forever, and we’ve just begun to find out what the post-apocalyptic world is like,” said Sapan, “so that we’ll be sitting here at the Barclays conference in 2022 discussing the fact that Walking Dead is not over … at that point, I think any one of the companies will have replaced the United States government and we’ll be in a complete free enterprise world in which there are no nations.
So basically, The Walking Dead looks set to be going for at least another decade. But really, can they keep it going that long and being able to keep it fresh? Who knows, but if you love the show then you’re safe in the knowledge that it isn’t going anywhere fast. These zombies are forever! |
Religious freedom need not be a complicated concept. You can believe what you like. You have the right to worship the god (or gods) of your choice – or worship no god at all if you like.
The problem is, some people are never satisfied with exercising that private right. They demand that they be allowed to use government channels to impose what they believe on others.
I’ve written before about some Christian cheerleaders in Kountze, Texas, who have taken to creating large banners containing Bible verses that are displayed during high school football games. When school officials told them to stop, the cheerleaders got an attorney to sue on their behalf in state court.
Not surprisingly, the local judge sided with the cheerleaders, accepting their argument that their free speech rights had been violated.
The judge is wrong. No rights have been violated. No one has the right to use a government forum (such as a public school) to impose religion onto others.
Several newspapers took the trouble to point this out recently.
“Those banners are not merely personal expressions of belief, but in that setting become religious messages endorsed by the school, the school district and the local government,” observed The New York Times.
The paper scored Texas officials who are “blind to the dangers to religious freedom when government shifts from being neutral about religion to favoring a particular one.”
The Washington Post asked an obvious question: What if you’re not a member of the majority religion? Or what if you’re a Christian who doesn’t believe that it’s appropriate to reduce the Bible to a football game banner?
The newspaper noted that Texas Gov. Rick Perry has insisted that our nation is based on the Ten Commandments.
“And if a student in the stands doesn’t believe that?” queried The Post. “Or an aspiring cheerleader happens to be a Hindu? Or a wide receiver is a Christian who is offended by the notion that God cares about the outcome of a high school football game?”
Asserted The Post, “[I]t would be better for the cheerleading squad, the football team and the community they represent if the cheerleaders would drop their suit, stick to messages that are more inclusive and practice and preach their religion in a more appropriate setting.”
Writing in USA Today, Ken Paulson, president and CEO of the First Amendment Center, called for an end to sectarian activity at high school events.
“The safest course for all public schools is to simply call for a moment of silence before a game,” Paulson observed. “Players, coaches and fans alike can then pray silently in the tradition of their own faiths or simply sit in reflection. That will keep schools out of court, leave freedom of faith intact and ensure an even playing field for all religions.”
Another option would be for the cheerleaders in Kountze and all of those who agree with them to understand that not everyone shares their enthusiasm for ostentatious public displays of faith and in-your-face forms of proselytizing.
Some people feel this way because they don’t share the faith being promoted. Others consider public prayer a less-than-genuine form of spirituality.
Pardon me as I step into the pulpit for a minute to remind the cheerleaders of Kountze that they might want to take some advice from the founder of the religion they claim to treasure so much.
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others,” Jesus observed in the Book of Matthew. “Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” |
Republican presidential candidate Texas Senator Ted Cruz stated that “no one should be surprised that Donald Trump is trying to stir up riots” in reaction to Trump’s prediction that there would be riots if he was denied the nomination after being just shy of the necessary 1,237 delegates and challenged Trump to a debate when both are in Washington, DC for AIPAC’s conference on Wednesday’s “Kelly File” on the Fox News Channel.
Cruz said, “Well, listen, no one should be surprised that Donald Trump is trying to stir up riots. I wish we had a presidential candidate that bringing us together instead of encouraging such things. But let’s talk about the math, because a lot of people get the math wrong, to be the Republican nominee takes 1,237 delegates. There are only two candidates that have any plausible path to getting there, Donald Trump and me. Now, by the way, if Donald continues getting delegates at the same rate he has so far, he won’t get to 1,237.”
Earlier, Cruz commented on Trump skipping Fox News’ planned March 21st debate by telling host Megyn Kelly, “[F]or whatever reason, it seems that Donald Trump finds you a very, very terrifying person. He skipped the debate in Iowa because you were going to be moderating. And I guess he doesn’t like when anyone challenges him. You know, he was saying just a week ago that he was eager to get one-on-one with me. Well, this debate, the field is narrowed even more, and he could have had a direct debate with me, and yet Donald apparently is ducking, He’s afraid of being challenged. And I think that’s because the race has shifted to a terrain that is not favorable for him. Even though the media is already ready to put a coronation on him, the reality is going forward, the closer we get to a one-on-one battle, the worse Donald Trump does. He’s been benefited by having a wide field, and [Sen.] Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) decision to suspend his campaign last night was a bad blow for Donald Trump, because it means the opposition to Trump continues to unify, and Republicans continue to unify behind our campaign.”
Cruz added that Trump’s reason for cancelling, that he had a speech at AIPAC at the same time is “silliness, and it reflects his assumption that he thinks the voters can’t figure out that he’s not telling them the truth. Listen, AIPAC would have allowed him to spoke at any time, it’s a multi-day conference. He chose to speak right in the middle of the debate because he’s scared to debate. And he just — he looks down on the voters. He thinks they’re gullible and will believe whatever he’s saying. So I’m going to be in DC for AIPAC as well, and since Donald is running away from the debate, I’m happy to debate him there. If he wants, we can debate foreign policy, but the problem is, Donald doesn’t do well on foreign policy because he doesn’t have even a basic modicum of knowledge. Two debates ago, Donald explained that if he were president, he’d be neutral between Israel and the Palestinians. That is a stunning statement. It’s the nonsense you hear from Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. I’ll tell you, Megyn, if I’m president, I will not be neutral. America will stand unapologetically with Israel. And it says something about Donald Trump, if he can’t tell the difference between our friends and allies, if he can’t tell the difference between Israel and Islamic terrorists who want to murder us, that raises real questions about his fitness and his judgment to be commander-in-chief. And so, I’m happy to debate him in Utah, where the debate was supposed to happen, or DC, or anywhere else. But I suspect Donald will continue to running and hiding and basking in the protection from the network media, that is trying to do everything they can to make him the nominee, because they know he’s the one candidate on the face of the planet that Hillary Clinton can beat in the general election.”
Cruz further criticized the media’s coverage of Trump arguing, “[T]he media has given him the equivalent of about $2 billion in free media. If you turn on the television at any given moment, it is a is wall-to-wall infomercial.” He added, “Donald Trump practically goes to the bathroom and it gets carried live on network television. Every speech he gives, he does a press conference that’s like watching the shopping channel. He’s up there selling steaks and steak knives and wine. The media desperately wants him to be the nominee, and as a result, they don’t cover anything about his record, about the fact that he had a $1 million fine against him for hiring illegal aliens. You didn’t see the media cover that till we brought it up in the debates, and they never brought it up again. You didn’t see the media covering the fact that his hotel down in Florida hires foreign workers instead of American workers because he can pay them. You didn’t see — you don’t see the media — when’s the last time any of the network news have mentioned the fact that he refuses to hand over his tax returns? The media is doing everything they can to cover up his background. You’ve seen no reporting on his multiple business interaction with members of the mob. You’ve seen no reporting of that, and every bit of that Megyn, if he’s the nominee, I guarantee you, September, October, November, every station, they’ll cover all of that aspect.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett |
Image copyright Google Image caption Some of the miners went to the courthouse in Santiago for the filing of the lawsuit
Nine of the 33 miners who in 2010 were trapped by a rockfall in a mine in Chile for 69 days before being rescued are suing their lawyers.
The group accuses the lawyers of cheating them out of money.
The lawyers negotiated the rights relating to films, TV series and books based on the miners' ordeal.
The plaintiffs allege that they were badly advised by the lawyers, who they say conned them into signing away their rights.
'Rescued again'
The plaintiffs said that lawyers Remberto Rodrigo Valdes and Fernando Garcia "misled the 33, making them believe they would manage their own company, only to harm them and appropriate monies that rightfully belonged to them".
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Antonio Banderas (left) plays miner Mario Sepulveda (right) in the film The 33
Luis Urzua, who was the shift leader when the rockfall happened, said at the courthouse that "today we're being rescued for a second time".
"The contracts we signed were not what the lawyers said they would be, for example of the $150m [£97m] paid to our company, we only received 17%," Mr Urzua said.
He also said that he hoped that by bringing the lawsuit the remaining 24 miners would be convinced of the validity of the plaintiffs' claim.
"Now they'll see that we're not acting on a whim."
But Mario Sepulveda, one of the miners who has not joined the lawsuit, said the plaintiffs were "letting themselves be led astray by people who haven't read the contracts properly".
A Hollywood film about the miners' rescue starring Antonio Banderas as Mr Sepulveda is currently on release.
The miners became celebrities when their rescue was transmitted live by TV stations around the world.
They had hoped their financial future would be secured, but five years on many say they still suffer from the psychological scars left by their ordeal. |
Egypt Signs Education, Science Cooperation Agreements with China
Egypt and China inked five memoranda of understanding in the fields of education and scientific research on Sunday in the presence of Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail, Chinese Deputy Prime Minister Liu Yandong and other representatives from the two governments, according to the private daily al-Masry al-Youm.
The official spokesman for the Egyptian Cabinet, Hossam Al-Qawish, said that the signing of the agreements comes amid the strengthening of Egyptian-Sino relations, particularly in the fields of education and research.
He added that the inking of the deals represents the implementation of issues previously agreed upon between Egypt and China during mutual visits by the leaders of each country.
The memoranda of understanding included a scholarship exchange program between the countries, with China offering 100 scholarships annually to Egyptians until 2020. The program aims to promote cooperation and to build a “constructive partnership” on issues of mutual interest, including “enhancing the capabilities of Egyptian educators and administrators,” the Cabinet spokesman said.
The agreements also included the creation of an Egyptian-Sino co-financing program in the fields of science and technology aimed at supporting cooperation between Egyptian and Chinese scholars. Egypt and China will each provide USD 10 million over the course of five years, during which the program will be implemented.
The countries also agreed to cooperate in building “Gardens of Science” – a project comprising mutual exchanges of scientific experts and workers between the countries in order to raise the competitiveness of Egyptian and Chinese companies. The project will organize seminars and forums where scientific expertise can be exchanged.
Egypt and China also agreed to establish and develop Confucian and Egyptian institutes where each country’s language and culture can be studied.
Relations between Egypt and China have recently strengthened as the leaders of each country have visited the other and signed a series of agreements. In January, the Chinese and Egyptian presidents inked 21 agreements and memoranda of understanding. During the same month, China offered Egypt a loan worth USD 1 billion, while inviting Egypt to be the guest of honour at a G20 summit in China set to take place in September.
Since the January 25 revolution in 2011, which resulted in a decline in Egypt’s foreign reserves and economic turmoil, the country has been looking to diversify its economic and trade opportunities.
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Leftists Want Minnesota Flag Taken Down Because It Shows White Man Working
This is deliciously ironic. It’s akin to the Left cannibalizing their own history. You see, that flag commemorates the Leftist unions – the labor Left – the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. Yep, Marxists. So, a flag that Progressives contrived as their own for uber Left-leaning Minnesota is not Marxist enough for them evidently. It’s too white. They object to the white man working the field, toiling away to show how strong and independent labor is. More political correctness insanity and in Minnesota, the Leftists may just get their way. Liberal fascism is alive and well in Minnesota.
From Gateway Pundit:
It begins… Trending: The 15 Best Conservative News Sites On The Internet Leftists want the Minnesota flag taken down because it shows white men working on a farm and an Indian with a spear.
Seriously? The Star Tribune reported: The Minnesota state flag depicts a white man as a hardworking, rugged individualist, and an Indian riding a horse and holding a spear. The current interest in the removal of the Confederate battle flag from public displays and store shelves provides an excellent opportunity to examine what the Minnesota state flag represents. The images on the flag are interpreted by state documents as innocuous symbols of the state’s history. A critical examination of what the flag is saying, however, should make Minnesotans reconsider what their state flag projects about their state. The state flag of Minnesota is often something that is taken for granted. Thousands of people see the flag flying without giving it a second thought. First unfurled in 1893 (a date found on the flag), it has the state seal featured prominently in its center. The seal was based on a painting by Seth Eastman and was promoted by Gov. Henry Sibley; it did engender criticism when first used in 1858, but was not changed. The “great symbolism” of the figures on the seal, as described by the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, include an American “Indian on horseback … riding due south and [representing] the Indian heritage of Minnesota. The Indian’s horse and spear and pioneer’s ax, rifle, and plow represent tools that were used for hunting and labor” (Minnesota Legislative Manual). A close examination shows the central figure to be a white pioneer dressed in work clothes, wearing a wide-brim hat and pushing a plow. He is an iconic image of a hardworking, rugged individualist who works alone to chop the trees, plow the land and protect his home. He is looking over his shoulder at the Indian, who is riding a horse and holding a spear. The modern day leftists obviously forgot that the flag was designed to commemorate the state’s labor left party.
Maybe we should just amend the flag to show Americans lounging around doing nothing, because with the unemployment rate and entitlements being what they are, that would be far more accurate these days. Throw a little rioting in there and religious persecution and it would be perfect. Minnesota is also a state bringing Islamic refugees in by the plane load, so maybe they should add the Star and Crescent of Islam to their flag and maybe a communist hammer and sickle. That should cover just about all of it. Unless of course you want to also show a bomb going off or gulags being built. That would be a perk, I suppose. Obama and the Progressives are definitely changing and rewriting our history in their image. This would be laughable if it wasn’t so tragic.
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Obama administration has been criticized for moving too slowly to respond to the five-year crisis in Syria, amid opposition to refugees from Republicans
The United States said it would welcome its 10,000th Syrian refugee of this fiscal year on Monday, meeting Barack Obama’s target more than a month ahead of schedule.
The US has traditionally been a generous host for refugees but has been criticized by activists for moving too slowly to respond to the Syrian crisis, which has dragged on for more than five years.
The US president sought a sixfold increase in the number of Syrian refugees provided safe haven in the United States. After a slow start, the administration was able to hit the goal just a few weeks before Obama convenes a summit on refugees during the 71st session of the United Nations general assembly.
UN pays tens of millions to Assad regime under Syria aid programme Read more
Obama would have been hard-pressed to make the case for other countries to do more with the US failing to reach a goal that amounts to only about 2%of the 480,000 Syrian refugees in need of resettlement. Millions more Syrians have fled to neighboring states such as Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, and to countries in Europe since the civil war broke out in 2011.
“Our 10,000th Syrian refugee will arrive this afternoon,” the national security adviser, Susan Rice, said in a statement, adding that the administration had met the goal “more than a month ahead of schedule”.
Rice said the number represented a “sixfold increase from the prior year”, and called it “a meaningful step that we hope to build upon”.
She noted that refugee admissions represented only “a small part of our broader humanitarian efforts in Syria and the region”.
“On behalf of the president and his administration, I extend the warmest of welcomes to each and every one of our Syrian arrivals, as well as the many other refugees resettled this year from all over the world.”
Rice said the summit in New York City will highlight the contributions the US and other nations have made to help refugees. She said the US has committed to working with the international community to increase funding for humanitarian assistance and double the number of refugees afforded the opportunity to resettle.
The increase in Syrian refugees also comes at a time of heightened national security concerns following extremist attacks in the US and abroad. The Obama administration has said refugees fleeing war and persecution are the most scrutinized of all immigrants who come into the US. The process typically takes 12 months to 18 months and includes in-person interviews and a review of biographical and biometric information.
Tens of thousands of Syrian refugees remain stranded at Turkish border Read more
Officers with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services travel to the country to which the refugees have fled to interview them. Upon completion of security and medical screening, the homeland security officer may approve the refugee’s application for US resettlement. After approval, arrangements are made to match the refugee with a voluntary agency in the US that specializes in helping them find a new home and employment.
The White House spokesman, Josh Earnest, said the United States will also seek to admit about 10,000 Syrian refugees in the coming fiscal year that begins on 1 October.
“I think the president would like to see a ramping up of those efforts, but I think the president is also realistic about how quickly that can happen,” Earnest said.
Overall, the US will admit at least 85,000 refugees over the year, Rice said, mentioning that others would come from countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Myanmar and Somalia.
The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report. |
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The best advice I ever got was from a friend who told me: "Judge someone by what they do, not what they say."
With Donald Trump pinballing through press conferences like a cat on roller skates you'll never get any sense if you take what he says literally.
The chances are that, the more you wonder how mad a man has to be to insist God ordered the sun to shine on a sodden presidential parade which had more Portaloos than people, you'll go mad as well. You'll get sucked in, and end up insecure, half-crazed and fearful just like him.
You can't rely on what he says. So what's he actually DONE?
1. Changed zero laws
(Image: AFP)
Trump has been signing a flurry of executive orders, allowing pipelines, cancelling trade deals, and as of today banning refugees from troubled nations like Iraq and Yemen. He can't do much else, because despite being the most powerful man in the world the President of the USA cannot introduce legislation.
He has to get a member of Congress to sponsor a bill for him - and so far, Trump has not bothered to even start. No doubt someone's told him executive orders are exactly the same and a bit quicker. But all of the President's instructions can be overruled as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, and cancelled or amended by a bill in Congress. It happens rarely, but with Trump that may change.
When it comes to something like banning refugees his orders won't hold. The USA is legally bound by the United Nations Refugees Convention which it signed in 1968, as well as a number of its own laws, to accept people fleeing persecution. As Trump is bound by the Constitution to "take care that the laws be faithfully executed", his signing of an order which directly flouts them is nothing but a pointless pretence of power.
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2. Abandoned Georgia
On January 2 the state of Georgia begged for help from the Federal Emergency Agency, following a tornado which left $50million of damage. This was followed by a series of back-to-back violent twisters and storms which killed 18 people this weekend alone. Nine counties have been declared disaster areas. One eye witness said: "It looked like God picked up the trailer park and threw it across the road into the woods."
On Sunday Trump said: "Georgia is a great state, great people … The tornadoes were vicious and powerful and strong and they suffered greatly. So we'll be helping out the state of Georgia.”
The last head of FEMA left office when Barack Obama did. Trump has yet to name a new one. Meanwhile, Georgia has one FEMA liaison officer at its operations centre. An estimated 90,000 people are without power in Georgia, Florida and Alabama, with more storms predicted.
3. Gave China billions of dollars in lost trade
(Image: Reuters)
On Monday Trump signed a memorandum withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade deal negotiated by Obama with the intention of encircling China with a US-led trade bloc around the Pacific rim.
Within hours of his signature the Australian Prime Minister said the US could be simply replaced by China.
Which means that with one stroke of his pen Trump took something which intended to restrict China's economic power, and instead boosted it at the expense of American jobs and business.
4. Trolled the CIA
(Image: Rex)
Imagine Theresa May making a televised speech while stood on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Westminster Abbey. Imagine her inviting serving soldiers, and packing the front row with her own fans who whooped, cheered and hollered while she boasted about her magazine covers, spoke about how clever she was and complained about the news.
That's what Trump did when he stood in front of the wall memorialising 117 dead CIA heroes, before a crowd of CIA staff who couldn't be shown on TV, with the front three rows allegedly stuffed with his supporters. His spokesman Sean Spicer claimed they were CIA staff, but as they were happy to be seen on television clapping wildly that seems like one of his 'alternative facts'.
5. Ordered women in other countries not to even hear the word 'abortion'
(Image: Getty)
Every Republican president since Ronald Reagan has introduced the 'global gag' clause, which means that foreign health charities given US aid money cannot tell their clients about abortion.
That includes when a woman has been told her child has an horrific abnormality, will die in the womb, or is a product of rape or incest.
Those women would either seek an unsafe abortion and perhaps permanently injure or even kill themselves, or that child will be born into a short life of painful misery.
In another country, where Trump isn't even president.
6. Failed on almost all of his 'day one' promises
(Image: Reuters)
He's failed to convene his generals to get a plan on defeating ISIS; he's not deported a single illegal immigrant, or even located any; he's failed to repeal or replace Obamacare, or even find a Congressman who'll introduce such a bill for him.
He's failed to introduced any "extreme vetting" of migrants and failed to find any "unconstitutional executive actions" of Obama which he can cancel.
As a bonus, he's pissed off the Palestinians by threatening, and then backtracking, on plans to move the US embassy to Israel from the capital Tel Aviv to the disputed, multi-faith city of Jerusalem, and seems to have ordered several government employees to stop tweeting.
7. Not lost a single supporter
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Trump had the lowest public approval rating of an incoming president in the modern era - just 45%.
Yet a poll on Tuesday showed it had risen to 57% following some of those meaningless executive orders, his CIA outburst and his failure to get more than two of his Cabinet sworn in.
It seems that Trump's theatrics have so far convinced Americans he's hard at work, even though every photograph of him behind the White House desk shows it devoid of anything resembling a brain-teaser.
So what will he do next?
(Image: AFP)
Well his history tells us that Trump often talks, makes a quick deal, and then walks off whistling while his customers wonder why they didn't get what they were expecting.
That seems to be what happened with Trump University, it's what seems to have happened with repeated bankruptcies of his companies, and it's what will happen to the USA if he fails to figure out how to do any of the things he promised.
If he can do it, he'll be popular. If he can't - and it's looking very much as if he would rather watch cable news and tweet about it just like other unlikeable irks - his customers will start to get angry.
When they do, he'll tell them it was the UN's fault, the illegals kept hiding, Congress hates him and it's a Chinese conspiracy. That in turn will destroy faith in democracy and national institutions, and I'll bet my bottom dollar someone will suggest letting him rule by executive orders which can't be overturned.
Or, if we're lucky, Congress will figure this all out inside the next six months and impeach him before it all ends horribly.
Fingers crossed, eh? |
Vault 108 Gary
Gary would like to have a word with you... It won't take much, as he only has one thing to say to you.
Vault 108 might be the creepiest location in Fallout 3, and there are some pretty creepy locations. Located in the Wasteland, south of Canterbury Commons, vault 108 was one of Vault-Tec experimental vaults. This one had a cloning facility where the vault's identifying feature was created: Gary.
Gary Vault 108
Vault 108 Gary was cloned at least 54 times, and each clone was more psychotic than the last one. Why did the vault scientists continue to make Gary clones? The reason is unclear. It would seem that at some point the Gary's began cloning themselves.
All the Gary clones were hostile towards anyone who wasn't “Gary.” Because the Gary clones were all violent, and the vault was running out of space in the “observation rooms” to house them, the vault staff decided to “terminate” the clones. Although they apparently had plans to continue making Gary clones. The holodisk in the cloning lab offers little explanation; only more mystery.
The reason for these experiments is not clear, but it can be inferred that they had something to do with how leadership roles are assigned and filled in stressful scenarios. The Overseer selected for this vault was known to have cancer and only 3-4 years left to live, which would leave a power vacuum. Many equipment failures were planned, including a power failure of the main power supply, faulty backup power systems, and malfunctioning medical equipment. This, coupled with a total absence of entertainment created a very potentially volatile situation. “All work and no play makes Gary dull boys...”
It is apparent that these weaknesses in the vault infrastructure, the power vacuum in leadership roles, and the dull and stressful living conditions created a situation of vulnerability for the psychotic Gary clones to exploit. Perhaps, once they learned of the cloning facility scientists' plan to start killing the Gary clones, they decided to develop their eerie method of communicating. The Gary clones communicate amongst themselves by simply repeating the name “Gary” in various tones, with each tone fraught with meaning. Whatever the final instigating trigger was, they decided to revolt. Unfortunately for the scientists, this particular vault was stocked with three times the normal weapons in the armory!
Vault 108 is the most deteriorated vault in the Capital Wasteland, without any working terminals. The interior has completely rusted away over the years, the vault jumpsuits are the dirtiest of all, and the only major loot in this vault is the the Charisma bobblehead located in the cloning labs. Just don't let Gary know you want to steal it from him. He won't like that...
by Christopher Rollin Shove
I felt bad for Vault 108 Gary but, you know, a wastelander gotta do whatever it takes in order to survive out there. I won't lie to you though, I couldn't stop laughing every time Gary opened his mouth. Too much fun! Anyway, stay tuned for more cool Fallout Facts coming up soon...
Tags: vault 108 gary, gary vault 108, vault 108 garys
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CLOSE Nancy Clancy, one of the people who helped create the confederate monument marking the northern most point of the Civil War in rural Bloomfield wants to make sure it’s preserved for its historical value.
Buy Photo Nancy Clancy, of Bloomfield and President of the Davis County Historical Society, sits on the monument marking the northern most point of incursion by the confederate army during the Civil War on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017, in rural Bloomfield. Clancy, who helped create the monument, wants to see sites like these preserved for their historical value. (Photo: Kelsey Kremer/The Register)Buy Photo
BLOOMFIELD, Ia. — If anybody comes to this sleepy patch of rural Iowa trying to remove the Confederate monument she helped build, Nancy Clancy would be willing to dig her fingernails into its craggy surface and shield it with her very body.
It might seem surprising to see Iowa with its pro-Union history — more than 76,000 Iowans fought in blue during the Civil War — embroiled in the national debate that has reignited over Confederate monuments in public spaces.
But southern Iowa has a stronger Confederate legacy than you might suspect.
The state is home to two Confederate monuments, both recently established:
One is south of Bloomfield, built in 2005, and remembers a band of Confederate soldiers who terrorized the countryside.
The other has stood since 2007 along the Des Moines River in downtown Bentonsport, commemorating a Confederate general who spent a year of his life there as a child.
Like their counterparts scattered across the United States, these monuments have become the centerpieces of a fierce debate: Do these stones and statues immortalize American history, or whitewash it using thinly veiled symbols of white supremacy?
These commemorations of the Confederacy occupy a significant chunk of our national landscape: More than 700 rebel monuments and statues are spread across 31 states, according to a recent study by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) in Montgomery, Alabama.
But in the wake of the neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, that left one person dead, more than a dozen Confederate monuments have been removed, either by sober decision or brute force. And a national debate has raged about whether they belong in public settings such courthouses and state capitols.
It's the latest phase of the amplified racial tension buffeting America since the shooting of Michael Brown and subsequent riots three years ago in Ferguson, Missouri.
Mark Meek, a Van Buren County supervisor who also serves on the county conservation board, said that he has received a couple of emails about the Confederate stone in Bentonsport from Iowans who "think it absolutely ought to be removed, and that it's disgracing the country and dishonoring people."
Lynn Sutton, a former city councilwoman in Dubuque who is African-American, characterized removing at least some Confederate monuments as "one small part" of addressing the larger racial problem.
"You have to get to the heart," she said. "Racism is not an easy thing to tackle. It takes time. Sometimes it takes a generation."
RELATED: Iowa has dozens of Confederate flags tucked away in an underground vault
But others such as Clancy see removals as a dangerous attempt to erase the past and forget its hard-learned lessons.
"It doesn't make any sense to me at all," Clancy said. "We have to remember our history."
Complicated legacy of our 'free' state
The sign at the southern edge of Bloomfield points to what it calls a “Civil War historical marker” 5 miles south at Lilac Avenue and 265th Street.
That’s where three massive rocks sit atop a concrete slab, flanked by a pair of flags.
Buy Photo The first confederate national flag and the civil war era 35-star american flag are flown above a monument marking the northern most point of incursion by the confederate army during the Civil War on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017, in rural Bloomfield. (Photo: Kelsey Kremer/The Register)
The U.S. flag on the north side of the monument has 35 stars, which is consistent with the Civil War era.
To its south, 1 inch lower, is the “Stars and Bars,” the first official flag of the Confederacy, which features a circle of seven stars and was raised in 1861 over the temporary Southern capital of Montgomery, Alabama.
Previously, the more infamous and well-known Confederate battle flag had been flown there. But it kept getting stolen.
The Confederate battle flag is visible as a 4½-inch-by-3-inch monochromatic depiction on a bronze plaque that reads: “Confederate partisan rangers came from Missouri to this point, the furthermost north of any Confederate incursion during the Civil War. Donated in 2005 by Sons of the Confederate Veterans of the Civil War.”
Buy Photo A confederate battle flag is displayed on a monument marking the northern most point of incursion by the confederate army during the Civil War on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017, in rural Bloomfield. (Photo: Kelsey Kremer/The Register)
The Union stone next to it honors "those citizens of Davis County who sacrificed and served to preserve the Union.”
The 76,000 Iowans who fought for the Union in the Civil War represented the second-highest percentage of adult men of any state, North or South, except for Ohio.
The center stone provides more detail about the Oct. 12, 1864, raid by a dozen Confederates who disguised themselves in Union uniforms, wreaking havoc, robbing dozens of Iowans and murdering three men.
This basically marks as far north as Civil War fighting reached — 3 miles farther than in Ohio, according to GPS measurements, and not counting Confederates who swept down from Canada into New England.
Clancy, 67, is a widow who was part of a small, passionate group of history buffs whose Davis County Civil War Guerrilla Raid Society spearheaded this monument more than a decade ago.
She's also president of the broader Davis County Historical Society and believes strongly in remembering the past and what it has to teach us now.
"I worry that we will get back in a situation like we were during the Civil War," she said.
Buy Photo Nancy Clancy, of Bloomfield and President of the Davis County Historical Society, stands next to the monument marking the northern most point of incursion by the confederate army during the Civil War on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017, in rural Bloomfield. Clancy, who helped create the monument, wants to see sites like these preserved for their historical value. (Photo: Kelsey Kremer/The Register)
Clancy lives just down the gravel road that turns into a dirt lane, on 40 acres of an original farm that those Confederate soldiers crossed during their raid.
Her great-grandmother Ida Mae Cruikshank and family settled there after the war.
The Cruikshanks came to Iowa from Virginia by way of Kentucky with an estimated 20 slaves — some of them given as a wedding gift.
Clancy speaks of all this as unavoidable historical fact.
"I don't feel any responsibility for it," she said. "I couldn't change it if I wanted to."
She sees her passion to establish and maintain the monument as a responsibility handed down from her ancestors, a mandate to accurately preserve local history.
"It was always instilled in me as a child to take care of the Guerrilla Raid Trail," she said.
Buy Photo Nancy Clancy, of Bloomfield and President of the Davis County Historical Society, adjusts the civil war era, 35-star american flag flown above the monument marking the northern most point of incursion by the confederate army during the Civil War on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017, in rural Bloomfield. Clancy, who helped create and now maintains the monument, wants to see sites like these preserved for their historical value. (Photo: Kelsey Kremer/The Register)
Stories of Civil War-era Iowa tend to emphasize that we were a “free” state in the Union.
Historians have restored homes and added to the detail of Iowa's Underground Railroad, the network of abolitionists who helped usher escaped slaves to freedom.
But research by Clancy and others shows a Davis County that roiled with deeply divided loyalties between the North and South.
Jeff Bremer, an associate professor of history at Iowa State University who's writing a new book on Iowa history, said that while slaves were forbidden in the 1838 Iowa Territorial Constitution, enforcement was lax.
“Southerners dominated the early Iowa territorial legislature,” he said, “and they helped write a 'black code' for Iowa to exclude blacks, keep them from schools and not allow them to vote and (keep them) off of juries.”
Even Iowa’s first state constitution for more than a decade granted rights only to white men.
'Stupid liberals wanting a civil war'
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Talk of removing monuments is not a popular idea with most Americans.
Some recent polls have found that as many as 62 percent of Americans believe that Confederate monuments should remain in place. And even a sizable fraction of African-Americans say they should be left alone.
Those sentiments were evident last week in Davis and Van Buren counties, where residents said that any attempt to remove Confederate monuments was nothing more than absurd overreach.
Since President Barack Obama’s election, Richard Coy in Bloomfield has scrawled daily editorial messages on a giant dry erase board posted in his front lawn along the main U.S. Highway 63 north-south route through town.
It's hard to miss when driving to the Confederate monument.
Buy Photo Barry and Cindy Thompson, of Cottage Grove, Minn. stop to take a photo of the "stupid liberals" sign in Richard Coy's front yard as they drove by on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017, in Bloomfield. Coy said he put up the sign eight years ago and changes the message each day. (Photo: Kelsey Kremer/The Register)
One of his recent inscriptions offered timely commentary: “Stupid liberals wanting a civil war because of the first Civil War. Don’t they know it would last about 3 minutes.” (The presumption being that liberals would surrender quickly because they tend to own fewer guns.)
An appreciative couple from Minnesota stopped to shake Coy’s hand and pose for a photo with his sign. The man wore a “Don’t tread on me” T-shirt.
Coy has a kindred soul in Bentonsport: Randy Hardin, who operates an antique shop across the street from the stone here honoring "Iowa's Confederate general."
This bronze plaque (embossed with a 7½-inch-by-4½-inch Confederate battle flag) marks the birthplace of Lawrence Sullivan "Sul" Ross, a Confederate general born in 1838 who spent the first year of his life here before his family moved to Texas.
Ross went on to serve as governor of Texas and president of Texas A&M University. (A statue of Ross on the campus in College Station still remains.)
Lawrence Sullivan Ross during his time as a soldier in the 1860s. (Photo: Baylor University)
Hardin called the Confederate monuments debate the “biggest joke in this country so far.”
“If we did away with everything that people found offensive,” he said, “we’d have a bare Earth.”
History as the study of change
President Donald Trump himself has waded into the controversy of Confederate monuments with tweets and comments.
"You can't change history, but you can learn from it," he wrote. "Robert E Lee, Stonewall Jackson — who's next, Washington, Jefferson? So foolish!"
Sad to see the history and culture of our great country being ripped apart with the removal of our beautiful statues and monuments. You..... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2017
...can't change history, but you can learn from it. Robert E Lee, Stonewall Jackson - who's next, Washington, Jefferson? So foolish! Also... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2017
...the beauty that is being taken out of our cities, towns and parks will be greatly missed and never able to be comparably replaced! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2017
Supporters of the monuments similarly sound a consistent drumbeat that they represent history that shouldn't be erased or forgotten.
But Kathleen Hilliard, an associate professor of history at Iowa State University who was born in Virginia and raised in the South, rejects the definition of history as something fixed and rigid and frozen in time.
"I joke about historians not wanting to change," she said. "Of course we do. I study history, I study change.
"Monuments are erected and removed all the time. It’s absolutely not removing history."
Hilliard was surprised and happy to see the Confederate flag plucked from the South Carolina Capitol two years ago in the wake of the slaughter of nine African-Americans at a Bible study in Charleston. They were killed by Dylan Roof, a Confederate battle flag-flying white supremacist.
“I’ve long wanted to see (the flag) removed," Hilliard said, "and I see it as a symbol ultimately of white supremacy.”
It may be true that everything from “Gone With the Wind” to “The Dukes of Hazzard” to Lynyrd Skynyrd have helped to spread the Confederate battle flag and muddy its meaning. But that's not what has given the flag its power, Hilliard said — that has come from its use by hate groups.
“The idea that it is leftists or liberals imposing this meaning" on the flag, Hilliard said, “or Hollywood imposing that meaning, I think is ridiculous.”
'Confederacy personified the best qualities of America'
The Civil War may be 150-year-old history, but the work on many Confederate monuments and commemorations is surprisingly recent.
The Iowa Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, chartered in 2001, is dedicated to more than monuments.
For instance, it has identified more than 240 graves of Confederate soldiers buried in Iowa, in all but about seven counties — one more example of a substantial Southern imprint on our Union state.
Sherman Lundy, a geologist in Cedar Falls and a Sons of Confederate Veterans member, helped establish the southern Iowa monuments.
"I’m not going to stick a statue of Robert E. Lee up here in Cedar Falls, Iowa," he clarified. "It doesn’t belong here."
But Lundy also makes a plea that Confederate soldiers shouldn't be judged by modern morals and sensibilities.
"It's difficult to go from the 21st century, from our parameters and our concerns and our feelings," he said, "and thrust those back 150 years ago and think that everybody should have been aware and thought like we did."
Even so, Lundy would not go so far as to endorse what the Iowa SCV's own website declares as its mission statement:
"The citizen-soldiers who fought for the Confederacy personified the best qualities of America. The preservation of liberty and freedom was the motivating factor in the South's decision to fight the Second American Revolution. The tenacity with which Confederate soldiers fought underscored their belief in the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. These attributes are the underpinning of our democratic society and represent the foundation on which this nation was built."
Contrast that, Hilliard said, with Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens' "Cornerstone Speech" from 1861, in which he lambasted the Union because it “rested upon the assumption of the equality of the races.”
“Our new government is founded upon exactly the opposite idea," Stephens said. "Its foundations are laid, its cornerstone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition. This, our new government, is the first, in the history of the world, based upon this great physical, philosophical and moral truth.”
Despite his stand (or, perhaps, because of it), Stephens was elected after the Civil War to the U.S. House of Representatives and governor of Georgia.
Buy Photo Confederate States of America $500 bill (Photo: Des Moines Register)
Those notions of white supremacy are still evident in America, as well as in southern Iowa.
It was just four years ago that residents in and around Keosauqua wrangled with the aftermath of KKK recruitment fliers tossed on lawns by another incursion from Missouri.
Sutton was so rattled by the incident that she drove from her northeast Iowa home to attend a community forum in southern Iowa on the KKK activity.
"You can’t say how someone is being overly sensitive," she said, "because you don’t realize the impact it has had."
'It's beyond disturbing. It's hurtful.'
If Americans, including Iowans, rely on monuments to serve as our official record of history, future civilizations may look at, say, the world's largest popcorn ball in Sac City, or the giant frying pan in Brandon, and get funny ideas about what we valued in the 20th and 21st centuries.
That's a flip way of echoing a serious point about Confederate monuments made by Jessica Welburn Paige, an assistant professor of sociology and African-American studies at the University of Iowa.
"It’s possible to have a record of our history through written texts, through discussions," she said, "without having these monuments and statues and things that for a lot of people in this country symbolize something that’s deeply, deeply disturbing.
"To those of us who are descendants of slaves, it’s beyond disturbing. It’s hurtful, and it doesn’t help to move the country forward."
Buy Photo A Confederate flag with the well-known "Stars and Bars" symbols. (Photo: William Petroski/Des Moines Register)
Paige, Hilliard and other critics of the monuments point out that, if anything, many have been erected in an attempt to rewrite or distort history, rather than preserve it.
They say Confederate flags and monuments — as with the SCV mission statement — often perpetuate the “Lost Cause” myth of the Civil War, that the South fought the war primarily to defend states' rights, not to preserve or even enshrine the institution of slavery.
But the articles of secession drawn up by Southern states made it clear that maintaining slavery, which was ingrained in their economy, was integral to the decision.
The SPLC study identified building booms in Confederate monuments at precisely those times when America's white majority felt most threatened, such as the Jim Crow and Civil Rights eras.
America, Paige said, has yet to confront its own "brutal racial history" as directly and effectively as, say, Germany, which has worked to eradicate its Nazi past.
But down in Davis County, Clancy sits atop her rock and sees a tribute to local history, not a remnant of a vicious dispute stretching back to the Civil War.
“If somebody comes to tear this down, I’ll be sitting right here,” she said. “And I won’t move.”
Buy Photo Kyle Munson, Iowa columnist. (Photo: The Register)
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to credit Iowa with sending the second-highest number of soldiers per capita to fight with the Union in the Civil War. Ohio sent the most.
Kyle Munson can be reached at 515-284-8124 or kmunson@dmreg.com. See more of his columns and video at DesMoinesRegister.com/KyleMunson. Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@KyleMunson).
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genre:This is the second part of Caravaneer . The game is a fusion between an RPG with turn based battles and an economics simulator. You find yourself in a post-apocalyptic desert. Your goal is to survive and to try and gain enough power to complete your mission. There are different ways to achieve this, but the most straightforward one consists in transporting goods between settlements. Buy stuff where it's cheap and sell it where it's expensive. Then you can spend the money you earn on purchasing transport, hiring people or improving your battle gear.The second part preserves the spirit and the basic mechanics of the first game, but it has a completely new set of graphics and a whole lot of new features, such as morale, slavery, electricity, different foodstuffs, weapon attachments, tools, workshop etc.There's also more content. The map has got much bigger, there are more different items and much bigger and less linear story.The game is still at the beta stage. If you encounter any bugs, please submit bug reports. If you want to express your opinions or suggest improvements, please feel free to post about it at this site's forums or search for Caravaneer on Facebook. |
George Lucas is a man with an incredible imagination, as well as vision. He’s just really bad at pulling it off. I honestly think fans give him way too much shit for not making new product that lives up to some childhood standard, which can never be met. That being said, the raging fan-boy in me wants to believe that Lucas is a money-grubbing old asshole who cares more about merchandise than telling brilliant stories that make you wan’t to be a child again. Whether that’s true or not is up for debate, but the only thing that should matter is that Lucas once made movies that joyfully entertained millions, including me.
Something blah bla bla yub jub….
-Aaron
P.S. I love Ewoks and people need to stop talking shit on those furry, huggable little bastards. |
Researchers have identified 25 vulnerabilities that can be used to crash or seize control of facilities’ servers
Power plants across the US and Canada could overheat, shut down or be caused to malfunction because of vulnerabilities that leave them open to hacking, according to new research.
If exploited, the vulnerabilities could be used to crash or potentially hijack the servers controlling electronic substations, water utilities and power plants.
Adam Crain, Chris Sistrunk and Adam Todorski, who are working with industrial consultants Automatak, found 25 zero-day vulnerabilities – flaws which have never before been seen in the wild – in the protocol by which power plants and other parts of the electricity grid communicate internally.
Such protocols are rarely examined by security researchers because they are isolated from the internet, the usual source of hacking attacks.
In addition, the specificity of the protocols, known as supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, means that the are thought to have a sort of security through obscurity: if few know how they work, then it is hoped no one will have the knowledge to exploit them.
Crain warns this is a false comfort. “If someone tries to breach the control center through the internet, they have to bypass layers of firewalls,” he told Wired’s Kim Zetter. “But someone could go out to a remote substation that has very little physical security and get on the network and take out hundreds of substations potentially. And they don’t necessarily have to get into the substation either.”
Project Robus, the name for the team’s ongoing search for vulnerabilities, has so far reported nine of the potential exploits to the vendor who designed each one, as well as the US Department of Homeland Security.
Most of the vulnerabilities allow potential attackers to send controlling servers into infinite loops, rendering them unable to respond to commands from controllers. That isn’t the same as rendering them unable to control the utilities, but it could mean that the operators in charge of sections of the power grid are blind to conditions on the ground.
The worst of the vulnerabilities exposed so far enables a potential buffer-overflow attack, whereby code stored for one purpose “overflows” its container, and can end up being executed when it shouldn’t be. At its most serious, this allows for code to be injected into servers, which could allow attackers to take over the whole system.
• This is the cyber equivalent of a nuclear strike – and yet our electricity grid is more vulnerable than ever |
Freshwater ecosystems such as rivers, lakes and wetlands are precious. They contain several-times more vertebrate species per unit area than land and ocean environments, and they are more degraded.
Protected areas such as Alpine National Park and the Great Barrier Marine Park are a crucial tool for conserving wildlife on land and in the sea. But there is no similar protection for freshwater ecosystems in the world’s driest continent, Australia. Why not?
Protected parks don’t protect freshwater ecosystems
Australia’s National Reserve System is a network of more than 10,000 protected areas, covering approximately 17.88% of the continent. Naturally, there are freshwater environments within these areas and in state parks and international reserves (called Ramsar wetlands).
One example is the Paroo-Darling National Park in New South Wales. This area, like many others, meets International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria for listing as a protected area. But does this listing protect freshwater biodiversity?
Protected areas in Australia and overseas are rarely designed specifically to protect freshwater ecosystems. These areas have clearly defined boundaries, whereas the boundaries of freshwater systems are, by their nature, more fluid. Furthermore, restrictions based on terrestrial environments often do not protect freshwater biodiversity. Collectively, protected areas don’t limit many of the threats to freshwater ecosystems.
For example, the IUCN listing that covers Paroo-Darling National Park does not limit fishing, alien species, boating, or upstream threats such as water extraction, land-use modification, dam construction or pollution.
In other words, the National Park does not limit the major threats to the Paroo and Darling rivers. It’s a similar story right across Australia, where Ramsar wetlands and other freshwater areas remain vulnerable, despite their apparent protection.
River systems are complex networks of interconnected channels, floodplains and wetlands, through which sediment, organic matter, energy, animal and plant populations, communities and species all move and are transformed. This means that the design of protected areas must be tailored specifically to ensure that rivers flow freely, that their entire catchment is connected together without barriers, and that they are also connected to their lowland floodplains.
Free-flowing river systems in Australia represent an opportunity to create true freshwater protected areas. We suggest that free-flowing rivers should be considered for protection as either IUCN category Ia (“areas that are strictly set aside to protect biodiversity”) or category Ib (“large unmodified or slightly modified areas, retaining their natural character”).
Upgrading entire free-flowing river catchments to category I status would limit the number of people and type of activities allowed, but in most cases it would still allow limited-entry tourism, including strictly managed boating and fishing.
This strategy could generate both social and ecological benefits, but would obviously require careful consultation with regional communities. Yet there are examples of how it can be done: the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness on the US-Canada border has been successfully given IUCN category I status. The result is that it has retained much of its natural character while supporting a tightly managed and lucrative ecotourism industry.
If we could harness ecotourism in isolated, protected river systems here in Australia, it could bring real benefits to regional communities, especially indigenous people.
Most of Australia’s free-free flowing rivers are in the northern half of the continent and represent the most diverse freshwater ecosystems in the country. Free-flowing rivers across Australia have been mapped as part of the National Wild Rivers Program, but this classification does not limit human use of these systems.
Restoration versus Conservation
Billions of tax dollars are being spent on ecosystem restoration programmes such as the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. However, there has been little consideration of the potential benefits of investing in freshwater conservation.
The main focus of conservation is preventing loss, whereas restoration projects such as the Murray-Darling plan tend to be more focused on recovery. To use a medical analogy, conservation is like preventative health measures, whereas restoration is like treating people once they are sick.
Prevention is better than cure, and the same is true for environmental conservation versus restoration. Yet Australia currently invests more in freshwater restoration than it does in freshwater conservation. This is understandable in southern Australia, where there are far more degraded systems in need of restoration than there are intact systems. But it is not the case in northern Australia.
The Murray-Darling plan, like most freshwater environmental interventions in Australia is largely a response to over-exploitation and degradation. But for more pristine rivers, we need to start focusing on protection, for example by preventing new dam projects and avoiding water extraction.
Where best to spend our environmental dollars
Given limited funds, we suggest that scientific analysis is needed to identify the most effective and cost-efficient methods of delivering environmental protection, through restoration and conservation.
The default approach largely ignores potential economic, social and environmental benefits of preventing biodiversity loss before it happens. If we are to conserve what we have, right across Australia, we need to protect it.
That means not just setting up national parks around rivers and hoping for the best. It means designing protected areas and restrictions specifically for the conservation of river and wetland biodiversity. |
Some chucklehead working for Microsoft thought it would be funny to slip a thinly camouflaged sexist remark -- "big boobs" -- into software code that connects the Linux kernel to Microsoft's HyperV virtualization product.
Naturally, someone noticed -- that was the intent (snicker, snicker) - and, as should surprise no one, criticism has ensued, since the vast majority of grownups have come to recognize that this kind of juvenile nonsense has no place in the business world.
And, just as predictably, there are critics of the critics -- apologists and enablers for this chucklehead and others like him -- who insist on defending the non-existent right to be just a little bit sexist, even at work, as long as it's just a little bit and as long as not too many people notice or are offended. Lighten up, you nags, is the operative message from these folks.
Yes, still, in the year 2012.
(2012's 25 Geekiest 25th Anniversaries)
Yesterday I asked Microsoft for comment and a public relations representative said she would seek one. (Update: It arrived 45 minutes after this posted and reads: "We thank the community for reporting this issue and apologize for the offensive string. We have submitted a patch to fix this issue and the change will be published in a future release of the kernel.") Here are the particulars of what happened.
Linux developer Matthew Garrett writes on his blog:
Paolo Bonzini noticed something a little awkward in the Linux kernel support code for Microsoft's HyperV virtualisation environment - specifically, that the magic constant passed through to the hypervisor was "0xB16B00B5", or, in English, "BIG BOOBS". It turns out that this isn't an exception - when the code was originally submitted it also contained "0x0B00B135". That one got removed when the Xen support code was ripped out. At the most basic level it's just straightforward childish humour, and the use of vaguely-English strings in magic hex constants is hardly uncommon. But it's also specifically male childish humour. Puerile sniggering at breasts contributes to the continuing impression that software development is a boys club where girls aren't welcome.
Piffle, harrumph the apologists, a number of whom contributed their tired rationalizations - "even my wife thinks it's funny" - in the comments on Garrett's post. And then there's this full-throated rebuke of Garrett by Sam Varghese writing at ITWire:
Of course, this assumes that everyone in the world is reading kernel code while they have their eggs and bacon (or whatever it is people have breakfast in different areas of the world) and being shocked at the use of such expressions in the code. The words "f***", "shit", and "bastard" have been increasingly present in the kernel code since the 2.4 release. That, however, has never bothered Garrett. But a juvenile use of hex? That's reason to raise the Titanic. By reacting to such nonsense - and the code does not come from any Linux kernel developer, it is all from a Microsoft developer - Garrett has trivialised a cause that requires, perhaps, a little more than boy scout behaviour to be tackled.
Go ahead and count the red herrings in that passage; there's an entire school swimming around in there. The heartening news is that Varghese is getting an earful from his readers who do not agree with him; here's my favorite offered by Mairin Duffy:
As in so last century old.
Everyone, of course, is entitled to their own opinion as to whether this particular "joke" was offensive, and, if so, whether it's worthy of criticism. Offensiveness is largely in the eye of the beholder.
What you're not entitled to is your own opinion as to the state of today's workplace laws, rules and general expectations, both those of employers and most employees. These matters have settled into the realm of fact, not opinion (as a Boston radio personality is fond of saying). You cannot use sexist phrases like "big boobs" even in obscure corners of the workplace; even in obscure corners of software code. You can't do it without risking being called out, at the very least, if not officially censured ... or worse. You can't do it without also exposing your employer to risk. You can't do it without offending people. And you can't do it without making yourself look like, at best ... oh, let's go there, a boob.
You just can't do it.
Again, this isn't an opinion; it's a factual characterization of the 2012 state of affairs as they exist in this country. And, moreover, this didn't just happen; this state of affairs has been a bedrock fact for years now. That some still chafe at it, that some find it stifling, prudish, politically correct -- and wish it were not so - these, too, are facts, as we're reminded every time one of these workplace flaps pops up like a summertime thunderstorm.
The chafers are going to chafe - that much is their right -- but their kicking and fussing at the likes of Garrett amount to just so much noise, nothing more, because there's no meaningful debate about these issues anymore. The debate ended a long time ago.
Now there remains only a need for the holdouts - like Mr. Big Boobs -- to change their behavior.
Care to argue otherwise? OK, find me a single corporate legal counsel, a single human resources professional, or a single high-level executive - man or woman - who will attach their name and reputation to the view that it's OK for a software developer to slip "big boobs" into code that carries their company's name.
Good luck. |
There's an old uranium mine on rancher Larry Gordy's grazing land near Cameron, Ariz. Like hundreds of other abandoned mines in the Navajo Nation, the United States' largest Indian reservation, it looks as if it might still be in use—tailings, or waste products of uranium processing, are still piled everywhere, and the land isn't fenced off. "It looks like Mars," said Marsha Monestersky, program director of Forgotten People, an advocacy organization for the western region of the vast Navajo Nation, which covers 27,000 square miles in Arizona, Utah and New Mexico.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is currently embroiled in a massive effort to assess 520 open abandoned uranium mines all over the vast reservation. (Forgotten People says there are even more mines on Navajo land: about 1,300.) Earlier this month, the cleanup got a boost from a bankruptcy settlement with Oklahoma City-based chemical company Tronox Inc., which will give federal and Navajo Nation officials $14.5 million to address the reservation's uranium contamination.
During the Cold War, private companies such as Tronox's former parent company, Kerr-McGee Corp., operated uranium mines under U.S. government contracts, removing four million tons of ore that went into making nuclear weapons and fuel. When demand dried up with the end of the era, companies simply abandoned their mines as they were.
Remediation work started 10 years ago, when the EPA mapped the mines by investigating company records and surveying the land with helicopters equipped with radiation detectors. The agency is now halfway through visiting mines to determine their radiation levels. "It's an overwhelming problem," said Clancy Tenley, EPA assistant director for the region.
The mines expose Navajo Nation residents to uranium through airborne dust and contaminated drinking water. Many residents' homes were built using mud and rocks near mines, and some of that building material is radioactive. There are few published studies on the effects of uranium mines on nearby residents, but researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the University of New Mexico are working on health assessments, according to EPA officials. Researchers have known for decades that uranium exposure increases the risk of lung and bone cancers and kidney damage.
In July, the leaders of Forgotten People pushed the EPA to begin cleanup in Cameron because they were worried about the effects of the mines there on ranchers like Gordy, whose cattle drink and graze on uranium-contaminated land. Their tussle with the agency highlights the difficulties the EPA faces in all stages of its cleanup, which will likely take decades. The uranium mine Gordy found wasn't even included in the EPA's original atlas. "We're grateful to [Monestersky] for pointing that out to us," said Tenley, the agency spokesman. He initially said the EPA would visit the site within six months but publicity over conditions there apparently prompted a change of heart.
Instead, EPA contractors assessed the site November 9. A scientist who participated wouldn't discuss what he found without EPA officials present, and agency officials couldn't be reached for comment. However, Lee Greer, a biologist from La Sierra University in Riverside, Calif., was part of a conference call about the assessment's results. Greer has been working with Forgotten People to record radiation levels at sites that interest the advocacy group. He said the EPA contractors found radiation levels at the mine that were higher than the EPA's Geiger counters could measure.
The accelerated assessment of Gordy's ranch came six days after Greer presented his radiation results from the site to the Geological Society of America. A geologist who was present at the society meeting said that, based on Greer's findings, a cleanup of the mine should be a high priority. "The sooner, the better," said Michael Phillips, a professor at Illinois Valley Community College. Because the uranium at this mine is on the surface of the land, people and animals are more likely to come in contact with it, he added.
But the preliminary assessment of the site is just the first step on a long road to a cleanup that is years and possibly even decades away. The time lag between an assessment and a remediation job depends on what scientists find at a particular mine, said Andrew Bain, EPA remediation project manager. The U.S.'s five-year plan for the Navajo Nation's uranium mines only covers assessment, not cleanup. The EPA started remediating the reservation's largest mine, the Northeast Church Rock Mine in New Mexico, in 2005, and doesn't expect to finish until 2019. "We have no estimate for how long it'll take to clean up all the mines," agency spokesman Tenley said.
As for the price tag, the recent Tronox settlement will only cover a fraction of the overall cleanup. Just assessing the uranium mines in the Navajo Nation costs the EPA about $12 million every year, said Tenley. Remediation would cost more, he added. How much more? "In the hundreds of millions," he said.
All this means a long wait for residents like Gordy, though they've already waited more than 20 years since the close of the Cold War. "It's taking forever to get it cleaned up," said Don Yellowman, president of Forgotten People. "It seems like everyone's aware but nobody's taking notice. We don't understand."
This article is provided by Scienceline, a project of New York University's Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program. |
SAN DIEGO — Federal agents near Mission Bay seized a 35-foot yacht returning from Mexico stuffed with nearly 1,200 pounds of marijuana, authorities announced Tuesday.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents spotted the yacht while patrolling outside Mission Bay early Friday and took it to a nearby marina for further inspection, according to Jackie Wasiluk, a spokeswoman for the federal agency.
PHOTO GALLERY: Bizarre Border Busts
A drug-sniffing dog tipped off CBP and Border Patrol agents to 91 packages containing 1,194 pounds of marijuana in hidden compartments throughout the vessel. Wasiluk said the pot was worth an estimated $715,800.
CBP marine interdiction agents seized the vessel and the marijuana, and took the 33-year-old woman and a 51-year-old man aboard into custody. Wasiluk said both were American citizens and were both turned over to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations agents. Neither suspect’s name was immediately released. |
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Theresa May declined to condemn President Donald Trump's ban during a press conference in Turkey
Prime Minister Theresa May has been criticised for refusing to condemn President Donald Trump's ban on refugees entering the US.
Asked repeatedly about the issue during a news conference in Turkey, Mrs May said only that it was up to the US to decide its own policy.
Mr Trump has banned Syrian refugees indefinitely and suspended visas for people from six other countries.
Labour's Jeremy Corbyn said she should have stood up for British values.
Mrs May told reporters: "The United States is responsible for the United States' policy on refugees.
"The United Kingdom is responsible for the United Kingdom's policy on refugees and our policy on refugees is to have a number of voluntary schemes to bring Syrian refugees into the country, particularly those who are most vulnerable, but also to provide significant financial contributions to support refugees in countries surrounding Syria."
Mrs May was speaking at a news conference in Ankara with Turkish Prime Minister Benali Yildirim.
MPs have rounded on her for not openly condemning Mr Trump's policy.
Mr Corbyn said: "President Trump's executive order against refugees and Muslims should shock and appal us all.
He added: "After Trump's hideous actions and May's weak failure to condemn them, it's more important than ever for us to say to refugees seeking a place of safety, that they will always be welcome in Britain."
Image copyright Twitter
Conservative peer Baroness Warsi wrote on Twitter: "The moment we once again lost a little more moral authority. The hypocrisy of the debate on #Britishvalues becomes more stark by the day."
By Laura Kuenssberg, BBC News political editor
Before this trip Theresa May promised to be frank with the American president when she disagreed. But when pressed for an answer on Donald Trump's controversial refugee ban she first of all, uncomfortably, avoided the question.
Then on the third time of asking she would only say that on the United States policy on refugees it was for the US. Her refusal to comment was immediately condemned by the former Labour leader, Ed Miliband, who said it was shocking and wrong. The UN has expressed dismay and France and Germany have reported concerns.
Downing Street had been delighted with its visit to Washington. But the PM returns to a row over her refusal to give her view.
Having boasted that the virtue of the special relationship is that friends can be candid with each other, Theresa May's silence on President Trump's executive order will raise suspicion that in fact, as the junior partner, she is unwilling to speak her mind.
Read more from Laura Kuenssberg
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said: "Theresa May has failed to criticise President Trump for turning away and banning refugees whose only crime is to believe in a different religion."
Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston said Mr Trump should not be invited to address both MPs and peers on his state visit to the UK.
She said such an honour should be reserved for leaders who have made an outstanding, positive difference in the world, adding: "That doesn't include Mr Trump."
Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said it was "simply shameful that the prime minister had not condemned his actions, adding: "It is heart-breaking to hear that some of the most vulnerable people in the world are being turned back."
Image copyright Getty Images
Responding to the criticism, Downing Street said: "Mrs May has said repeatedly that there will be issues on where we disagree on domestic policies. That is nothing new; the special relationship allows us to have frank conversations at all times."
Mrs May was in Turkey for talks with President Erdogan and Prime Minister Mr Yildirim having met the US president on Friday.
Asked about Mr Trump's changes to immigration policy, Mr Yildirim said the only way to tackle the refugee crisis was to deal with the reasons people were fleeing.
He said: "You cannot solve this issue of refugees by putting up walls. You have to eradicate the root causes of this. You have to eradicate the regional discrepancies in terms of development." |
Story highlights Jean Lapierre, his wife, two brothers and a sister were on their way to the funeral of Lapierre's father when plane went down
The plane crashed in a field while approaching Iles-De-La-Madeleine's regional airport, killing a total of 7
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Twitter: "A great loss to the political world"
(CNN) Former Canadian Parliamentarian Jean Lapierre and several members of his family were among seven killed in a plane crash Tuesday off the coast of eastern Quebec, according to a law enforcement official.
The political commentator, his two brothers and a sister were on their way to the funeral of Lapierre's father in Iles-De-La-Madeleine when the plane went down, the official said. Lapierre's wife, Nicole Beaulieu, also was on board, CNN news partner CBC News reported.
The identities of the two other deceased are not yet known.
Lapierre, 59, had tweeted on Monday that his father had died from Parkinson's disease.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Twitter: "Shaken by the sudden death of the Hon. Jean Lapierre on the Îles-de-la-Madeleine. A great loss to the political world."
Read More |
The Holy Grail story is familiar to many in the western world; to some it is an icon of literature and to others a source of comical amusement thanks to Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It is absolutely true that the Holy Grail represents the divine knowledge gained at the end of an inward spiritual journey—knowledge that is gradually lost through the cyclical ages that Hesiod, Vedic and even Hermetic traditions speak of.
Traditionally, it is a legend commencing in late 12th century, created by French and German poets like Wolfram von Eschenbach in Parzival. The Holy Grail takes various forms: a plate or bowl containing the bread of Holy Communion for the Fisher King. It is also portrayed as a stone cast down from heaven on which the abstaining angels stood for sanctuary when Lucifer rebelled against God as mentioned in texts like Isaiah and Ezekiel. The gem was given to Adam when he lived in the Garden of Eden after the rebellion of the angels. When he and Eve were cast out, the Grail was lost to him as well. Seth, Adam’s progeny, was said to have gained re-entry into Eden and to have recovered the sacred vessel. Significantly, Seth remained in paradise for 40 years. The number 40 is itself a mystical motif; Moses wandered for 40 years in the desert, with Noah on the ark 40 days and nights, for Jesus was tempted for 40 days.
It is also a cup in which Joseph of Arimathea collected Christ’s blood on the cross. More modern interpretations include Mary Magdalene as the receptacle of Jesus’ seed as the foundation for the “Merovingian bloodline,” as the authors of Holy Blood Holy Grail have theorized. The chalice is most popular today, doubling as the same cup used by Jesus in the Last Supper. Joseph of Arimathea is said to have brought the Grail to England, which then became an important part of the Arthurian myths.
The Holy Grail myth also links to ideas of gnosis in its relationship to humanity and the world, especially the world of nature and its elements. In our upcoming book Baphomet: The Mystery of the Temple Unveiled by Tracy Twyman and Alex Rivera, we go into great explanation that the Holy Grail cup wasn’t just the vessel for the holy blood of Christ but was actually connected to the Krater of Hermes and the Ophite/Orphic Bowl of the coiled dragon-like serpent (please see our book for more details on this). It is also connected to the idol head that the Templars supposedly worshiped, being Baphomet. Author authors like Julius Evola, have argued for a non-Christian and even Hyperborean origin for the Grail legend, in his book The Mystery of the Grail, a possibility in which we will explore later in the second part of this post at a future point in time.
Julius Evola writes in the same book that there are certainly repeating patterns and archetypes that any student of Carl Jung would identify with clarity. It also ties into the mono-myth cycles of Joseph Campbell as we will see later:
When we isolate the texts that make up the Grail cycle, we find that they repeat a few essential themes, which are expressed through the symbolism of knightly figures and deeds. What we are dealing with, then, are essentially the themes of a mysterious center; of a quest and a spiritual test; of a regal succession or restoration, which sometimes assumes the character of a healing or avenging action. Percival, Gawain, Galahad, Ogier, Lancelot, and Peredur are essentially various names portraying the same human type; likewise, King Arthur, Joseph of Arimathea, Prester John, and the Fisher King are equivalent figures and variations on another theme. Also equivalent are images of various mysterious castles, islands, kingdoms, and inaccessible and adventurous lands, which in the narratives are described in a series that, on the one hand, creates a strange, surrealistic atmosphere but, on the other, often ends up becoming monotonous.
Like the authors of Holy Blood Holy Grail have identified, the “divine blood” is an important concept and is one that repeats in the Bible, in both the Old and the New Testament as we will see. Evola further writes about all the objects associated the Grail, especially that of the blood:
In the various texts, the Grail is essentially portrayed under three forms: “1. As an immaterial, self-moving object, of an indefinite and enigmatic nature (“it was not made of wood, nor of some metal, nor of stone, horn, or bone”). As a stone-a “heavenly stone” and a “stone of light.” As a cup, bowl or tray, often of gold and sometimes adorned with precious stones. Both in this form and in the previous one, we almost always find women carrying the Grail (another element totally extraneous to any Christian ritual, since no priests appear in it). A mixed form is that of a cup carved out of a stone (sometimes of an emerald). The Grail is sometimes qualified as “holy;’ sometimes as “rich”; “this is the richest thing that any man hath living.”l This text, like many others of the same period, uses the expression “Sangreal;’ which is susceptible to three interpretations: Holy Grail, Royal Blood, and Regal Blood.”
Jack Curtis writes in The Quest for the Holy Grail, is essentially:
“… a system of self transformation that can be reconciled with other similar systems in the Western esoteric tradition. It is a cosmological scheme that is comparable with Tarot, Kabala and Astrology. There are also hints of a connection with Alchemy. All of these systems or schemes follow a unifying principle that points to one underlying reality. The Holy Grail in its 5 Transformations, is one approach to that reality. To achieve the Grail, is to understand reality. To understand reality, is to be transformed and to be saved.”
How does any of this tie into the blood of Jesus Christ? For that answer, we must look beyond the natural and the flesh. The blood is obviously symbolic in its spiritual meaning. It is the spiritual power behind the blood of Jesus in which the believer partakes in, and is eternally saved to be allowed to enter a place that is so radically different than the manifest world—being the “Kingdom of God.”
The Holy Blood
In Jesus’ death on the cross, we read that in John 19:32-38, especially verse 34:
32 So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him; 33 but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. 36 For these things came to pass to fulfill the Scripture, “Not a bone of Him shall be [a]broken.” “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.” 38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body.
Note the extraordinary hiatus John introduces into the narrative at this point. Clearly he wants us to note something of supreme importance: the legend is that Joseph caught some of this blood and water in the chalice used for the last supper.
Eric Wargo in The Passion of Einstein: Light, Spacetime, and the Holy Grail, rightly points out:
I think we can really see the Grail as both objects simultaneously, and that its atemporal “absurdity” is essential to the salvific nature of Christ’s blood: How could the blood shed on the Cross have gotten into the cup of the Last Supper other than by having traveled back in time? Christ’s blood is either made of tachyons (hypothetical faster-than-light particles that most physicists currently reject) or is, in effect,outside of linear Time altogether. Only if Christ’s blood is outside of Time and Cause does it make sense that the cup that once ever held it must have always held it and will keep holding it eternally—and there is just one thing known to physics that has those properties: The blood of Christ is, in effect, light.
Blood symbolism is extremely important in the Grail mythos: In the Old Testament, it is the substance of life. Jewish temple worship revolved around outpouring of blood, and sprinkling of blood via animal sacrifice. It is taken into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled on the mercy seat on Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16). Blood atones for sin and makes everything holy again. It is the seat of the spirit within the body, but it is also the animated life-force, of the body. It that which contains, as it were, the soul of the body.
Over at Temple Secrets, Tony Badillo explains that the animal sacrifice and its sacrificial blood represented a separation between the sins and a person’s spirit/soul:
On Ezekiel 44:6, 7 the Lord rebukes “rebellious” Israel for profaning his temple by offering him food in an unacceptable manner. What is his food? According to v. 7, “the fat and the blood;” similarly in v. 15 where only the Zadok priests may ”offer me the fat and the blood, says the Lord God”. There you have it! His “food” is blood and fat! Should we accept this literally? Yes, in the sense that blood and fat were literally offered to him. But No because he did not consume either. Why does he say this, then? Because the blood, actually poured outside into a Temple drain, symbolizes the spirit’s separation/expiation from sin; while the fat, when turned into smoke, symbolizes the spirit’s ascension to him for acceptance. God’s “food,” then, is simply the language of symbol, and it means that separation/expiation from sin (by the blood) and ascension of purified souls (the rising smoke) are the things he desires from people.
In John 6:53-56, Jesus says to his disciples:
Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.
Jesus implores his followers to consume his divine flesh and blood made up of of spiritual light to regenerate their own fallen meat sacks degenerated as a result of Adam and Eve’s exile from Eden and from the consumption of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. Hence, the Holy Grail cup is said to contain the Christ’s saving blood of the Lamb—the remnant or leftover spiritual substance dripping from a primal trauma of a divine being, who is crucified by the rulers and authorities of the lower heavens, dies and resurrects so that his followers can follow his example, so that they might be salvaged from the sinfulness of the lower world/cosmos of the devil, which is destined to be overthrown, cast out and destroyed at the end of the apocalypse. The saved and elect are transferred into a new kingdom or reality of God while the rest who rejected the Gospel are destroyed.
Many of the Cathars believed what the mythicist scholar Earl Doherty theorizes was the earliest form of docetic Christology: that Christ was never incarnate on earth. Most of the radical dualist Cathars believed that the whole Jesus narrative, from the beginning of his ministry to his crucifixion, occurred in heavenly world of the good god and in the astral realm of the demonic rulers.
In the Parzival romance, the impotency of the Fisher King being his maimed, never-healing state (all thanks to Klingsor’s Spear) reflects the sterility of his land. It also reflects the nature of matter itself. In the studies of pagan practices by such scholars as Sir James G. Frazer in The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion, the recurring themes of the killing of the previous high priest or king to be replaced by a new avatar (much like John the Baptist and Jesus) and the marriage of fruitfulness of this new avatar with a female deity/queen is essential to the vegetative and natural fertility and prosperity of the land. The mirroring effect between the human enactment of natural prosperity and vice versa is apparent enough in the Priest-king of the Grail, Anfortas or the Fisher King’s “Waste Land” is to appropriate this mythic pagan belief into a solid representation that the barrenness of the soul/mind and body reflects upon the surroundings/ environment and nature. This, one might say is the objective co-relative function where the emotions, experiences of the subject becomes objective reality, hence the idea that the imaginal/spirit/ideal realm controls the realm of matter and the manifest world.
It is said that the blood of Christ at Holy Communion in Catholic ritual gives new life and deifies. But that blood is wine transfigured by the descending Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. However, this ritual does seem to have strong vampiric, witchcraft cannibalistic undertones, if placed in a literal context as the Catholic Church has done for hundreds, if not thousands of years. The Cathars were infamous for being hard, uncompromising opponents of the Catholic Sacrament as well as its icons and its worship of the Virgin Mary as devilish trickery to commit idolatry. Various Gnostic groups like the Phibionites, Barbelites, Bororites, Simonians, etc. as well as the Jews (and their rituals as magic in the form of “blood libel”) were accused of human and infant sacrifice in the form of ritually consuming fetuses, in the case that women became pregnant in their infamous orgies. In these ritual orgies, semen and menses were said to be also ritually consumed as a Eucharistic sacrament to Christ as Epiphanius claims in the Panarion. All of this seems to originate in Pliney the Elder in Natural History 30.11, when he writes as a matter-of-fact, that certain magical rites of the Magi (and the Emperor Nero) involve ritually killing and eating men (e.g. cannibalism):
The Magi have certain means of evasion; for example that the gods neither obey those with freckles nor are seen by them. Was this perhaps their objection to Nero? But his body was without blemish; he was free to choose the fixed days, could easily obtain perfectly black sheep, and as for human sacrifice, he took the greatest delight in it.
So, in other words, could the Catholic Eucharist be just a Christianized magical ritual? We certainly see Romans who viewed the Christians as simply a diabolical secret society addicted to sorcery and the conjuring of daimons, as seen in Celsus in the True Doctrine and Suetonius in Nero 16.2. All of this seems to be a precursor for the Medieval and modern gossip and rumors of witch covens and Satanic elite secret societies, like the “Illuminati” who engage in human sacrifice and Faustian pacts with demons. The drinking of wine in Dionysian rituals involved ritually imbibing the spirit of Dionysus, which is like drinking the Elixir of Life, or “being baptized in wisdom.” The wine is the blood of the earth, “fruit of the vine and work of human hands.” This wine is used as a commemoration of ritually consuming the blood of Jesus. The Gospel of John chapter 2, where Jesus transmutes water into wine certainly plays on this distinctly Dionysian idea. So the outpouring of Christ’s blood on the cross is the outpouring of his very life—the spirit of the Son of God.
The Book of Hebrews (9:22-24) tells us that the blood of Jesus (and all the Old Testament sacrifices) were necessary in order to cleanse things in the heavens–the same place in which the angelic rebellion was said to have occurred as recorded in Revelation.
“And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be cleansed with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.”
Colossians 1:20 says something very similar:
“And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.“
Notice how in Hebrews, it says that the tabernacle, and all its services, were “patterns of things in the heavens.” The physical objects associated with the earthly sanctuary were “figures of the true” — the “shadow of heavenly things” (Hebrews 8:5). As it follows, each physical item had its spiritual counterpart in heaven. So, as long as there was a tabernacle or temple on earth, there was a material reflection of God’s heavenly palace for mankind to see and take part in. This all sounds strangely reminiscent of certain Hermetic writings pertaining to “as above, so below.”
Also, in a way, when Jesus Christ was nailed to the Cross, he was essentially nailed to a circular “Leviathan” which is the same as the Ouroboros of the Gnostic alchemists like Mary the Jewess, Zosimos and the Ophites. The atheistic German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche uses this symbolism to build his own theory of “eternal recurrence.” This is what the Gnostics called the “fall of spirit into matter.” Hence, we have various alchemical images of the crucified serpent, and perhaps even the same tempting serpent from Eden. According to the Apocryphon of John, there are a few archons which seem to have strong serpentine and dragon-like features, including Iao and Ialdabaoth, the chief archon and Gnostic parody of Jehovah. All of this seems to have a Pauline basis, in Colossians 2:13-15
…When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.…
In the Gospel of Matthew (20:20-23), we read that a mother of Zebedee was asking Jesus to have her sons sit at his right and the other at his left hand in the Kingdom of God. Jesus asks her sons if they can drink what he is going to drink and they answer in the affirmative. Here is what Jesus says as a reply:
20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. 21 “What is it you want?” he asked. She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” 22 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered. 23 Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”
The Baptism of Blood and Water
In Genesis 1, the Spirit hovers over the face of the deep at the onset of creation. Water signifies the chaotic, untamed and unformed material of creation. It is the proto-element out of which all creation, the whole cosmos, including humanity, is ultimately made (Gen 1:2, 6; Ps 29:3) So crossing the waters of the great Flood, the waters of the Red Sea, the waters of the Jordan, and the waters of baptism are the recreating and renewing waters of creation. This water baptism acts like a conduit that transports the believer from one world (the old man of sin) to another (the newness in Christ). Likewise priests must bathe in water before entering Holy of Holies of the Temple of Solomon on day of Atonement.
Similarly with the Sea of Glass in Revelation 15:2, beside which those who have defeated the beast are standing, singing the song of Moses. This is a reflection of the “Molten Sea” which was a large basin in the Temple in Jerusalem made by Solomon for ablution of the priests. It is described in 1 Kings 7 and 2 Chronicles 4. It stood in the south-eastern corner of the inner court.
Water in essence is a unifying and yet all dissolving element of the earth and the cosmos. Blood and water together therefore signify the fullness of saved humanity: material body and animating soul and spirit as well as the sacrificed body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the Gospel of John 3:5, we have Jesus saying to Nicodemus “you must be born of water and the Spirit.” In 1 John 5:6, it says, “This is he who came by water and blood – Jesus Christ…there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood.”
We need to pause for a moment to reflect on this: the incarnated Son of God took on the likeness of humanity upon himself, meaning that this was not his original nature: this humanity, united to the Second Person of the Trinity, is literally poured out from his side upon the cross. This body and blood is NOT the same as the body and blood of communion, although they are clearly related. The bread and wine of Holy Communion are the substance and blood of the earth, transfigured by the Spirit of God to become our spiritual food and drink as the Eucharist.
The chalice in itself is not the real Holy Grail—that is simply romantic myth. The real Holy Grail is the very ground onto which this blood and water is sprinkled upon. The earth itself received the body and soul of Christ in his death. This is the blood and water of his sacrifice, rather than the blood and body of communion, although again, clearly the two are related. The bread and wine of communion—Christ’s body and blood—rather than being consumed by us to become part of our body, performs a spiritual function, transforming us into the body of Christ. “Though we are many, we are one body because we all share in the one bread.” Thus consuming Christ’s body and blood transforms us into itself. Likewise with Christ’s blood and body out poured on the cross—it transforms the whole of creation into Christ’s body. Christ’s physical presence, although hidden, still abides throughout the very fabric of the universe. His humanity, which is our humanity, abides in creation, even today, transforming it and making it holy. In a sense, this relates to the infamous Baptism of Wisdom ritual of the Knights Templar in which we discuss in the book, at length.
Christ’s crucifixion and the Harrowing of Hell, in effect, unseated and usurped the power and possession of the authorities, archons and their demonic possession of the world and perhaps even the “Wasteland” of the Fisher King, a reflection of the inner state of the sinner. The quest for the holy grail to heal the wounded king and to restore the land to its original, pristine, Edenic state. Many see this as related to Matthew 4:19 in which Christ said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” This reference would later become crucial to the Christian version of the Fisher King of the Arthurian Grail romances.
As one can see, the Parzival/Arthurian Grail stories, like the story of the Temple of Solomon is simply a retelling of Genesis (as well as a intricate visual depiction of the “Divine Man” or “Son of Man”), which in itself is a reflection of the war in heaven, and the fall of the angels. The Titanomachy of the Greeks as well as Hesiod’s Works (126) also speaks of similar tales of Olympian gods struggling against the titans and their terrible giant children, which no doubt mirror the infamous Nephilim of Genesis 6 and Enochian literature. Hesiod in the same text describes these Nephilim as being Heroes of the “Silver Race,” as a gigantic, brutal and ferocious giants:
Then, a second race, far inferior Was created, of Silver, by the gods… Being reared by their mothers. And when they reached adolescence, They died a painful death, On account of their stupidity, For they could not contain their foolish pride and refused to worship the gods above and to sacrifice to them upon the altars.
Hesiod calls them “big children” (mega nepios) and tells how, disgusted with their impiety and arrogance, Zeus decided to wipe them off with a cataclysm, burying them in Tartarus, much like how Jehovah sends a flood to wipe the giant children of the Watchers and condemns the fallen angels in the abyss-like underworld in chains. Essentially all mythologies speak of similar wars between Blacks and Whites or between Angels and Devils, Devas and Asuras, Daevas and Ahuras, the Sons of Light and the Sons of Darkness, Gods and Titans, etc., etc. This all seems to influence the story of Klingsor who injures the Fisher King with a spear. Klingsor also happens to be directly related with Faustus as we will see in Part 2.
Once again, we cannot ignore Tony Badillo’s thoughtful explanation of Eden with those who are baptized in the Holy Spirit being the Spirit of God, which have strong Gnostic undertones:
…in Isaiah 58:11 and Jeremiah 31:12 the people themselves are a “well watered garden,” implying that Paradise on earth consists of an ideal relationship between God and humans. This is a key reason why the Divine spirit is not given solely or primarily for uttering profound prophecies, performing marvelous miracles, or making doomsday declarations, but for subduing the Sinful Inclination and renewing God’s “image and likeness” within each of us, and in so doing we become like a well watered garden, Genesis 2:10, bearing good fruit for the one who did the planting. This is the true Paradise, the true Garden of Eden while we are here on earth. And that which waters one’s personal garden is the Divine spirit.
The sprinkling of his blood on the earth, prefigured in the Old Testament by the sprinkling of the blood of the sacrificial bull and goat in the Holy of Holies, has made the world the Holy of Holies, the dwelling place of God, signified by the rending of the veil in the Temple. Yet it remains hidden, invisible and unknown, until the day that the new heaven and new earth are revealed when Christ return again in glory as discussed in Matthew and Revelation. Just like the hiddenness of the glory of God, momentarily revealed in the burning bush, or on the Mount of Transfiguration. In that day we will see that “in him we live and move and have our being.” The sacrificial bull concept, however is an ancient Rome and eventually later from Mithraic sacrificial rites. The Gospel of John tells us that after the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is made manifest to the believer, and the Body of Christ.
According to the Excerpts of Theodotus, the Valentinian teacher Theodotus said that the baptism releases the believer from the clutches of passions, Fate, destiny and demonic powers that infest the lower world in which mankind finds himself exiled in.
76 As, therefore, the birth of the Saviour released us from “becoming” and from Fate, so also his baptism rescued us from fire, and his Passion rescued us from passion in order that we might in all things follow him. For he who was baptised unto God advanced toward God and has received “power to walk upon scorpions and snakes,” the evil powers. And he commands the disciples “When ye go about, preach and them that believe baptise in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” in whom we are born again, becoming higher than all the other powers. 77 Therefore baptism is called death and an end of the old life when we take leave of the evil principalities, but it is also called life according to Christ, of which he is sole Lord. But the power of the transformation of him who is baptised does not concern the body but the soul, for he who comes up [out of the water] is unchanged. From the moment when he comes up from baptism he is called a servant of God even by the unclean spirits and they now “tremble” at him whom shortly before they obsessed. 78 Until baptism, they say, Fate is real, but after it the astrologists are no longer right. But it is not only the washing that is liberating, but the knowledge of/who we were, and what we have become, where we were or where we were placed, whither we hasten, from what we are redeemed, what birth is and what rebirth.
The Foundation Stone of Fallen Angels
The holy grail also has a strong Hermetic ring to it as Tracy and I have explored in depth in our book. We point out that the word “grail” itself has been derived from crater, the Greco-Latin term for a vessel, meaning a shallow vessel or plate where sacrifices were offered to the gods in ancient Greece. We also explore in depth how the Holy Grail concept is directly tied with the Corpus Hermeticum, as well as Wolfram’s Parzival, which is in itself almost a paraphrase of the Hermetica- a collection of ancient Egyptian texts that also reflect the Gnosticizing tendencies of Alexandria, Egypt. Wolfram rewrote it to match it with thirteenth century German sensibility. The Holy Grail themes seem to greatly match with the Krater of the Hermetica which directly mirror with Parzival’s spiritual journey. In fact, as the above link quotes a book called The Krater and the Grail: Hermetic Sources of the Parzival by Henry and Renee Kahane as towards the end of Parzival, they compare a precision of knights in the Grail Castle to the universe and the Holy Grail itself to the Monad as I.M. Oderberg writes:
A procession comprising the knights and the twenty-four maidens attending the Grail entered the hall, only Repanse de Schoie being permitted by the sacred object to be its bearer. These attendants were grouped in numbers, first four, then eight, then twelve divided into two sixes. Each group carried corresponding numbers of lights. Last came the “princess” of the Grail carrying one. This sequence has baffled many commentators, but Kahane and Kahane point out the marked similarity with the Hermetica, where the groups in the same order “represent the twenty-four stations of the journey of the soul: 4 elements + 8 spheres + 12 signs of the zodiac + 1, the Monad. . . . The Grail procession, in other words, is a representation of the mystic journey of the soul towards the Monad, itself symbolized by the Grail” (op. cit., pp. 105-6). The end of the Grail quest is the return to the source of life and rebirth into it as divinely self-conscious entities purified by involvement in earthly experiences and having also contributed to the ongoing process of cosmic evolution by refining the substance they have used. The great lesson for Parzival — for all of us because he is our prototype — was the interconnected relationship of all earth entities. The bonds of a universal brotherhood make us all kin. The suffering of one hurts all, and compassion in our heart obliges us to ask forever: What ails our brother?
What could be the most interesting aspect of this story, involves looking at the second clue of what the Holy Grail represents, provided by Wolfram in the form of “a precious stone, lapsit exillis (i.e. lapis or lapsi ex caelis) of special purity, possessing miraculous powers conferred upon it and sustained by a consecrated Host”, which is indeed the blood of Christ, with holy powers to act as the Elixir of Life. This precious stone fallen from heaven is both the emerald fallen from Lucifer’s crown.
Wolfram von Eschenbach identified the Holy Grail as a Stone of Heaven, he knew he was alluding to a Holy Grail tradition that had extended far back into the mists of time. Many traditions tell so primitive man, who experienced a physical and or emotional change just by being in the proximity to certain stones. Even the term “magic,” associated with the title of “Magus” or “magician” has its etymological roots in the force of magnets or magnetism, which plays into the idea of “greatness,” or “magnifying” one’s spirit or essential self under the light of God. Perhaps this is why Simon was called “Megas” Greek for “Great” which sounds virtually the same as “Magus.” The Persians thought of the their priests as “magos” as well.
Alchemists told of transforming a base metal into gold and a human into a god or goddess. Many texts were cataloged of the Muslim Empire by the Sufis, who added their own alchemical data before transmitting it to their students, the Knights Templar, who took the wisdom into Europe and supposedly carried in tradition through Freemasonry. Those indoctrinated were of the Holy grail Mysteries and eventually given the wisdom of the Alchemical or Philosophers Stone. Some tell of it being a platter or bowl full of precious stones. The Stone of Heaven is a Latin translation of the term Lapsit Exillus, closely related to Lapis Elixir, an appellation used by the Sufis that denoted, “Philosopher’s Stone.” Lapsit derived from “stone” and related to the Latin lapsus, meaning fallen, thus denoting “fallen stone.” Since the term Exillus is related to exillis stellis, meaning : “from the stars,” the entire moniker Lapsit Exillus literally translates as “The Stone of the Heavens” or “The Stone which came down from the Stars.”
The name Stone of Heaven can also be derived from the word Grail. The term Grail derived from the French gres or Persian gohr, both denoting a stone. Grail of Greal could also be related to the French grele, meaning hailstone, which is a “stone” from heaven. According to Arthur Edward Waite, the term Lapsit Exillus is “Exiles Stone.” This surprisingly affiliates the Stone of heaven with Heaven’s most notorious exile, Lucifer. A poem of a German heritage called, Wartburgkrieg, the “Wartburg War,” summarizes the heavenly battle between Lucifer and St. Michael, and identifies the Stone of Heaven as a large emerald that became dislodged from Lucifer’s crown and descended to Earth:
“Shall I then bring the crown That was made by 60,000 angels?ill Who wished to force GOD out of the Kingdom of Heaven. See! Lucifer, there he is! If there are master-priests, Then you know well that I am singing the truth. Saint Michael saw GOD’s anger, plagued by His insolence. He took (Lucifer’s) crown from his head, In such a way that a stone jumped out of it. Which on Earth became Parsifal’s stone. The stone which sprang out of it, He found it, he who struggled for honor at such a high cost.”
Lucifer’s fall that is incorporated into this poem first popularized by the Prophet Isaiah during his harangue against the King of Babylon. When describing the decline and all of the King of Babylon, Isaiah used the metaphor of the Morning star’s “fall” or descent below the horizon at sunrise, an image subsequently became linked to Lucifer when translated into Latin was Luz-I-fer or Lucifer, the Light Bringer. Morning Star then became known as Shahar or Helel, which were the names of Venus’ dawn appearance. Thus, Lucifer is associated with both Venus and Helel, a name that evolved into Hell, Lucifer’s underworld home.
In the Book of Ezekiel, he expanded upon the meaning of Lucifer’s infamous fall. While comparing the King of Tyre with Lucifer, Ezekiel identifies Lucifer as the anointed cherub and forever-young boy who once walked in the Garden of Eden while covered in precious stones, including the emerald, and was perfect in his ways and from that day he was created until iniquity was found in him. Thus Ezekiel perpetuated the tradition of Isaiah by making Lucifer’s fall the product of pride.
Ezekiel 28:13 tells us:
You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: carnelian, chrysolite and emerald, topaz, onyx and jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared.
Lucifer then resolves to rule in Heaven and this culminated in his expulsion from Paradise. When St. Michael and his angels fought with Lucifer/Samael over his right to rule, states John the Revelator, “that old serpent, called the devil, and Satan which deceiveth the whole world…was cast out (of heaven) into the earth, and his angels were cast with him.”
The remainder of Lucifer’s legend in the poem states that during the battle with Michael an emerald became dislodged from Lucifer’s crown and fell to Earth. This is based on Ezekiel’s description of the gems-especially the emerald-that adorned Lucifer’s regalia in the Garden of Eden. It is also influenced by the Knights Templar. But of course this predates the Templar’s by many thousand of years. Before their time the emerald had been recognized as the esteemed Stone of Venus, the “fallen star” of Lucifer.
Strangely enough, however, Lucifer does seem to embody the twin archetype we see over and over in world mythologies. In a way, Michael the archangel could also very well be his angelic twin, just as Metatron is said to have an angelic twin soul in the form of Sandalphon. Both of these angels’ lower selves exist in the forms of both Enoch and Elijah, both of which are intimately connect with Hermes Trismegistus. In Roman myths, we have Romulus and Remus, in Genesis, Cain and Abel, Ariman and Angra Manyu in Persia, the Ashvin Twins, or Mitra and Varuna in India; Zeus and Poseidon, Castor and Pollux, Apollo and Dionysus and Hercules and Atlas in Greece; Set-Typhon and Horus in Egypt, etc. In a way, Lucifer is simply a reflection of the Supreme Heavenly Father, who is the spiritual sun of Heaven.
As the story goes, a number of angels having remained neutral and inactive during the battle of Lucifer and the rebel angels against God and the faithful heavenly hosts, after Lucifer’s fall they were condemned by God to support this stone, which had dropped from Lucifer’s crown, hovering between Heaven and Earth until the hour of redemption of sinful mankind and the “Day of Judgement” at the end of the apocalypse. Then they brought it to Earth, and, formed into a holy vessel, it served for the dish out of which the Jews ate the Paschal lamb in Exodus 12 on Passover, and in which Joseph of Arimathea received the Saviour’s blood, and perhaps even the receptacle for the severed head of John the Baptist.
By uniting the two objects, being the kraters and with meteoritic stones fallen from heaven, it becomes obvious. We see ancient worship of meteorites in the Kaaba Stone of Mecca in Saudia Arabia, which is associated with the worship of Venus/Lucifer and Saturn/Chronos, the pyramids of Mexico, the vajra thunderbolt of Hinduism, etc. So the Grail is indeed the meteorite crater opened up by a falling object from the heavens. It may also refer to volcanic activity and magma, associated with the conflagration spoken by the ancients that is said to have destroyed Atlantis-Eden.
Rudolf Steiner, the Austrian philosopher and esotericist famously reimagined the grail, foundation stone as a, “dodecahedron fashioned in copper in 1913 to consecrate the building called the first Goetheanum, with twelve, pentagonal (five-sided) facets and called the “dodecahedron of man.” (Bill Trusiewicz, The Foundation Stone as The Golden Triangle, The Mystic Hammer, and The Lost Word)
Bill Trusiewiscz further asks:
Firstly, we should ask: What is a foundation stone? Also called a “cornerstone,” a foundation stone is a stone ceremoniously set in place at the start of the construction of a building. This is done to initiate certain defining principles or ideas in connection with the proposed building with the intention of consecrating it for a specific purpose. It is, if you will, a “mental” building to use modern terminology, to correspond to a physical building proposed. Students of spiritual science would likely be comfortable with the idea that the “soul and spirit” foundations of the building were being laid alongside of the sense perceptible building itself.
Indeed, the Foundation Stone concept can be found all throughout the Old Testament and in the Jewish apocrypha, especially in 2 Enoch (see my paper “The Gods of Imagination: Alchemy, Magic, and the Quintessence” found in The Gnostic 6 by Andrew Phillip Smith). It is the starting point or even the “heart” in which the world and even the whole breadth of the cosmos is founded upon. It is also the Holy of Holies, in which it becomes the “cornerstone” of the Temple of Solomon, which is just another form of the Grail Temple of Parzival. Perhaps this is where the Theosophists would claim that Shamballah of Tibet would be the “heart of the earth” and the “King of the Earth” being “Sanat Kumara,” the so-called “Lord of the Flame” came from Venus! This is undoubtedly connected to Lucifer, the equivalent of Rex Mundi of the Cathars, Melek Taus of the Yezidis, Satan “the god of this world/cosmos” to St. Paul and Ialdabaoth and his legions of archons to the Gnostics. As it follows, the foundation stone is currently owned by Lucifer on his crown, since he is essentially the “prince of the world,” as the Fourth Gospel puts it, when he fell into the depths of the sub-lunar realm after the War in Heaven.
In The Creation and the Garden of Eden as Models for Temple Architecture by Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, he quotes from a not-so-easily identifiable source but it is worth quoting nonetheless:
The brightness of the Holy of Holies was the light of Day One, before the visible world had been created… Those who entered the Holy of Holies entered this place of light, beyond time and matter, which was the presence of “the King of kings and Lord of lords who alone has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light.” This was the place of glory to which Jesus knew he would return after the crucifixion, “the glory which I had with thee before the world was made.” In the Gospel of Thomas, Christians are described as the new high priesthood who enter the light, and Jesus instructed his disciples to say to the guardians (the cherub guardians of Eden?) “We came from the light, the place where the light came into being on its own accord and established [itself]…
Bradshaw rightly points out that the tabernacle of Moses is an earthly attempt to recapture the Edenic state that that man once held before the fall:
Carrying this idea forward to a later epoch, Exodus 40:33 describes how Moses completed the tabernacle. The Hebrew text exactly parallels the account of how God finished creation. Genesis Rabbah comments: “It is as if, on that day [i.e., the day the tabernacle was raised in the wilderness], I actually created the world.” With this idea in mind, Hugh Nibley has famously called the temple “a scale-model of the universe.” As a complement to the view of the Creation as a model for the temple, BYU Professor Donald W. Parry has argued that the Garden of Eden can be seen as a natural “temple,” where Adam and Eve lived in God’s presence for a time, and mirroring the configuration of the heavenly temple intended as their ultimate destination.
Bradshaw concludes that the temple symbolism of Revelation also carries on this Edenic/Solomonic tradition:
Fittingly, just as the first book of the Bible, Genesis, recounts the story of Adam and Eve being cast out from the Garden, its last book, Revelation, prophesies a permanent return to Eden for the sanctified.36 In that day, the veil that separates man and the rest of fallen creation from God will be swept away, and all shall be “done in earth, as it is in heaven.”37 In the original Garden of Eden, “there was no need for a temple—because Adam and Eve enjoyed the continual presence of God”—likewise, in John’s vision “there was no temple in the Holy City, ‘for its temple is the Lord God.’”38 To reenter the Garden at that happy day is to return to the original spiritual state of immortality and innocence through forgiveness of sin, and to know the oneness that existed at the dawn of Creation, before the creative processes of division and separation began. The premortal glory of the righteous shall then be “added upon” 39 as they receive a fullness of the blessings of sanctification, “coupled with eternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy.”
What does any of this have to do with the lore and legends of Baphomet and the Knights Templar exactly? This is a very good question that is answered thoroughly in Baphomet: The Mystery of the Temple Unveiled. The Even ha’Shettiya, also known as the “Stone of Foundation,” which currently resides within the eight-sided Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, the Holy City and center and heart of the earth as European mapmakers charted.
This is the same rock that supposedly was the same rocky site upon which Abraham was coerced into sacrificing his own son Isaac in the sight of Jehovah, to test his faith, as well as the place where Mohammed was lifted into Heaven by the archangel Gabriel. This is also the same site that the Knights Templar resided nearby when they founded modern day Jerusalem. So the Stone of Foundation for the Jews, Muslims, and the Catholic Crusaders was in fact, the Stone of Lucifer as part of the Axis Mundi or column that unites Heaven and Earth, and even the Underworld. King David, who purchased the rock of the Even ha’Shetityya from the Jebusites as the location of the Ark of the Covenant, was not overlooked by him. This sacred object primarily served as a vehicle for communication with Jehovah/Yahweh.
David’s son, King Solomon, a famous alchemist, similarly thought that the stone’s alchemical properties as a mediator between Heaven and Earth, used the rock as a cornerstone or foundation for his famous Temple, which would draw upon the power and spirit of YHWH. We see the Testament of Solomon depicting Sabaoth as the god of Solomon, who gives him a magical ring through the archangel Michael to build the temple through the forced help of 72 goetic demon helpers. This is Sabaoth is probably the same deity as Abraxas. (This connection is fully explored further in depth in the book.)
Perhaps the pyramids of Egypt and Mexico were constructed by similar means though the use of demonic, supernatural power. Furthermore, perhaps this is what the Knights Templar were so drawn towards—the supernatural power behind the Temple of Solomon—the same power that would one day make them so rich that they would become a threat to French and Catholic nobility. It is this power that manifest itself in the form of a head of a man or even of a cat, and eventually from the Dionysian and Azazel-like goat head.
What is most fascinating as that the Freemasonic pontif Albert Pike in Morals & Dogma seems to spur and condemn the idea that the Templars also worshiped Baphomet when he writes:
“[It is absurd to suppose that men of intellect adored a monstrous idol called Baphomet, or recognized Mahomet as an inspired prophet. Their symbolism, invented ages before, to conceal what it was dangerous to avow, was of course misunderstood by those who were not adepts, and to their enemies seemed to be pantheistic. The calf of gold, made by Aaron for the Israelites, was but one of the oxen under the laver of bronze, and the Karobim on the Propitiatory, misunderstood. The symbols of the wise always become the idols of the ignorant multitude. What the Chiefs of the Order really believed and taught, is indicated to the Adepts by the hints contained in the high Degrees of Free-Masonry, and by the symbols which only the Adepts understand.“
Pike is claiming that the symbolism associated with the Templars and Freemasonry is veiled and misunderstood by the masses also reflects the idea that the alchemical Philosopher’s Stone was simply a ruse created by alchemists to confuse the masses and mask their true and secret methods and sciences to create gold or something else completely. However, this doesn’t answer the general claim that a certain Templar possessed a severed idol head and turned to it to form their own Faustian pact with the spirit of Baphomet. We can gain more clarity on this subject from Sean Martin in The Knights Templar (p. 139):
Misunderstanding is almost certainly at the root of the allegation that the Templars worshipped an idol called Baphomet. Descriptions of it varied, but it was usually described as being a life-sized head, which was said to make the land fertile (as is said of the Grail). That the Templars did possess heads is without doubt. They possessed the head of St Euphemia of Chalcedon at their preceptory in Nicosia on Cyprus, and, more curiously, a silver head shaped reliquary was found after the arrests at the Paris Temple. This bore the inscription CAPUT LVIII, and inside it were parts of a woman’s skull (who was believed to have been one of the 11,000 virgins martyred at Cologne with St Ursula). The heads may have indeed been worshiped, in the way that the Celts revered the head. The Assassins, during their initiation ceremonies, buried the initiate up to his neck in sand, leaving only the head visible, before disinterring him. Given their simulation of Saracen torture, the Templars may also have carried out this practice. A further possibility is that Baphomet, long thought to be a mistranslation of ‘Mahomet’ (the Prophet Muhammad), could well be a corruption of the Arabic word abufihamat, which means ‘Father of Understanding’, a reference to a spiritual seeker after realization or enlightenment has taken place: ‘The Baphomet is none other than the symbol of the completed man.’44 It is therefore possible that the supposed head the Templars worshipped was actually a metaphorical head. That Hugues de Payen’s shield carried three black heads suggests that certain elements within the Order – the upper echelons perhaps – were involved with esoteric disciplines learned from the Sufis from the very beginning of the Temple’s existence.
Could these “alchemical heads” be code words for a secret knowledge held by the minds of the initiated as well as literal severed heads who supposedly “prophesied”? The Templars were also said to have in their possession, ritual skulls made out of precious metals and human bone covered in gold and silver. These skulls may have been their own deceased brethren. There are testimonies taken from the Catholic inquisitions that purport of the Templars alluding to possess metallic skulls used in Templar ceremonies, especially in the legend of The Necromantic Skull Of Sidon.
Skulls tend to be used in ancestor worship and also happen to be the premiere emblem of Mexican commemoration of the Dia de los Muertos (“Day of the Dead” being a pre-Colombian tradition of ancestor worship and colonial Catholicism) and demonic deity of the drug cartels, Santa Muerte, a mixture of the Virgin Mary (who, herself is the Catholic version of Astarte and Ishtar/Lilith) and the Aztec god of death Mictlantecuhtli. The Yale Masonic secret society of the “Skull & Bones,” a Satanic club of which a string of U.S. Presidents belong to (John Kerry, the Bush family, etc.) via secret oaths and initiation rites into diabolism similar to the ones found in Templar Baphometic rites. These “Bonesmen” have their origins in the so-called “Bavarian Illuminati” who themselves come from the Jesuits, whose saints are often depicted next to skulls or holding skulls. There are paintings depicting Mary Magdalene holding a skull as well.
The famous skull and crossbones motif normally associated with pirates is often said to have originated with this skull from Sidon, but it was probably much older. This haunting motif, which we today associate with poison, was most likely a symbol related to the earlier alchemical rites of the Templar Knights. During these early rites, skulls were used representing “Caput Mortumm” or “Dead Head,” which refers to a stage in alchemy preceding creation of the “Philosophers Stone,” which is the Great Work of the alchemists, equated with spiritualized gold. This is the stage of “Nigredo” or the “blackening” in Hades/Hell. The Gnostic-Hermetist Zosimos depicts this stage in the most extreme and gruesome imagery in his alchemical work Visions.
The most important skull or head used in the rites of the Knights Templar was known within the Order as Baphomet. This most sacred of heads, which many of the Knights alluded to during their depositions preceding their French trial, may have been that of John the Baptist, whose head was acquired by the Templar’s as part of treasure they looted from Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade in the 11th century. Even stranger is the fact that this Baphomet skull could also be related to the head of Simon Magus! Be sure to check out our book for more details on all of this.
However, the idea that the Templars revered Baphomet in its Gnosticized form, seems to be a later additional detail that emerges during the French Revolution and later emphasized with the likes of Purgstall, Eliphas Levi, Aleister Crowley, etc. Whatever the case may be, it seems as though the Templar treasure is somehow tied with the symbolism of the head, the mind, as well as the Holy Grail cup which is associated with drinking the wisdom of various Hermetic and Gnostic deities and alchemists like Zosimos, as we explain in the book. Indeed, even the Holy Grail/Fisher King legends themselves have strong associations with Gnosticism, and it is this heresy that the Orthodoxy greatly desired to have stamped out of existence and absorbed into their own “universal” collective religion.
(In Part 2, we will re-examine the infamous Medieval legends of Faustus and Simon the Magician and his consort, Helena/Sophia and how it all relates to the Holy Grail legends.) |
Share. Experiencing the finer points of all-out war in a truly grand strategy simulation. Experiencing the finer points of all-out war in a truly grand strategy simulation.
Hearts of Iron 4 is an incredibly complex World War II simulation that will require potentially hundreds of hours to master, both in-game and poring over wiki articles that read like an economics textbook. And as someone eager to invest that kind of time into a game as long as it continues to reward me with new layers of depth, I consider that a very good thing. Thanks to an unusually striking look and clean, easily navigable interface, the biggest challenges we Hearts of Iron 4 presents us with are the good kind: strategic planning, division composition, and fine-tuning economic and political policies. The payoff is brilliant for those willing to put in the time to learn.
The amazingly large world map of Earth circa 1936 is made up of over 11,000 unique provinces, sea regions, and air zones. That’s roughly 250 times as many as a Risk board, and it really feels like a board gamer’s dream representation of Earth during the Second World War. Climates, terrain, the day/night cycle, weather patterns, and supply lines are simulated and animated down to the individual province, and all have noticeable effects on your units’ real-time movement and combat. At the highest level of play, you’ll be considering things like waiting for the weather to break before launching your armored offensive, and the dilemma of deploying your strategic bombers in the wee hours of the morning for better accuracy on vital targets or in the dead of night for a lower chance of being detected by enemy fighters and AA emplacements. It added up to make me feel like I was really there on those North African battlefields of ‘42, considering all possibilities both foreseeable and unforeseeable to eke out a victory.
Exit Theatre Mode
Any nation that existed between 1936 and 1939 is playable, and while great powers like Germany, the US, and the United Kingdom are a lot more detailed, the experience of playing a minor nation is the best it’s ever been at release in a Paradox game. In Europa Universalis 4, for example, you might need to wait months or years for the Aztecs or the Mali Empire to be fleshed out in a patch or expansion. But HoI4’s generic focus tree (used by all nations who aren’t great powers and thus, don’t get their own historically geared focuses) is powerful and open-ended enough that mid-tier and even backwater countries can pick a faction and ideology (Democracy, Communism, or Fascism), make a contribution to the war, and have a good time.
“ I only had eight divisions on the field, but they had kill-to-death ratios that would make a pro Counter-Strike player sweat.
One of the most entertaining runs I attempted was as fascist Estonia, among of the smallest and least-advanced players in Europe. I buddied up to Germany, spammed industrial buildings to keep up in arms production, and held off the entire might of a Soviet army on the banks of Lake Peipus into early ‘45. I only had eight divisions on the field due to my tiny population, but they had kill-to-death ratios that would make a pro Counter-Strike player sweat, enough stored veterancy that their unit cards were emblazoned with skulls, and were overall just the hardest bastards on the entire Ostfront.
These amusing and flexible ahistorical options exist for the majors, as well. By spending political power on national focuses and various, historically based government ministers, you can play as a Germany who pushes its luck as far as it can with political demands, but never actually fires a shot. You can oust Hirohito as Japan, put the workers of Tokyo in charge of a hardworking People’s Republic, and cast your lot in with Mao and the Soviets. You can foment support for a fascist referendum in the American heartland and decide Canada ought to be yours, and those tea-drinking Brits across the pond be damned for thinking otherwise. What’s astonishing is that Paradox foresaw and supported each of these alternate paths with a unique flag, country name, and quasi-historical leader to represent them. The amount of divergence that can take place in the relatively compact 1936-1948 timeline can’t match the centuries you have to play with in Europa Universalis or Crusader Kings, but there are plenty of alternate scenarios to uncover beyond the World War II we all know and love. I can’t get enough of alternate history, and the volume of crazy possibilities adds enormous replayability.
Exit Theatre Mode
Regardless of the path you choose, however, it’s likely as not to end with a stuttering stumble to the finish. Almost every campaign I played past 1944 or so bogged down my beefy Core i7 4770K with the complex AI orders being issued from Normandy to Nanjing, making the last push toward victory, or desperate defense against defeat, a slightly vexing affair. Watching armies putter around with a choppy frame rate takes some of the magic out of it.
But the high-level competition between nations and ideologies in Hearts of Iron 4 is, somewhat unintuitively, not really about commandos or dive bombers or tank battalions. Its beating heart is its intricate simulation of the industry and logistics that allow warfare to take place at all. Even the most gifted commander with the best technology and most elite soldiers would do best to knock out larger, more populous opponents quickly, as wise resource management and industrial development will almost certainly prevail in the long run. That factories, production efficiency, and developing your civilian sector can win you the war is an engaging realization that made me operate outside my comfort zone and think about global conflict in new ways. In addition to considering which ships to build and how many marines I needed to take Iwo Jima, I had to contemplate how to weigh arms production versus expanding my infrastructure in Michigan. I had to strike a balance with my manpower reserves between the factory floors and the front lines. A prominent industrialist in my government cabinet ended up making a larger contribution to victory across the length of the war than any hot-shot fighter ace or brilliant general. This all lends a sense of nuance and so many new, interesting strategic layers to the whole campaign. |
Chuck Hagel's confirmation came Tuesday afternoon. | John Shinkle/POLITICO Senate confirms Chuck Hagel 58-41
A divided Senate on Tuesday finally confirmed Chuck Hagel as secretary of Defense, handing President Barack Obama a victory on one of his key Cabinet appointments after weeks of partisan rancor.
The former Republican senator from Nebraska, who is expected to be sworn in on Wednesday, will take the reins at the Pentagon as some 66,000 Americans serve in the ongoing war in Afghanistan and just days before automatic, across-the-board spending cuts are set to kick in on Friday.
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( PHOTOS: Chuck Hagel's career)
His confirmation, approved 58-41, required only a simple majority after the Senate voted 71-27 earlier in the day to end debate. Four Republicans joined Democrats in confirming Hagel: Thad Cochran of Mississippi, Mike Johanns of Nebraska, Richard Shelby of Alabama and Rand Paul of Kentucky.
"I've said all along I give the president some prerogative in choosing his political appointees,” Paul said. “There are many things I disagree with Chuck Hagel on ... but the president gets to choose political appointees.”
Hagel needed at least 60 votes to clear the day’s earlier procedural hurdle, in which 18 Republicans joined 53 Democrats to end debate.
As the vote approached after Republicans blocked the first nearly two weeks ago, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid bemoaned all the delays, arguing Republicans had accomplished nothing.
( WATCH: Top 5 controversial Chuck Hagel positions)
“Twelve days ago the Republicans mounted a first of its kind filibuster on Sen. Hagel’s nomination. ... What has the filibuster gained my Republican colleagues? Twelve days later, nothing,” Reid said on the Senate floor. “Politically motivated delays send a terrible signal to our allies around the world, and they send a terrible signal to tens of thousands of Americans serving in Afghanistan, other parts of the world and … in the United States.”
Still, even as they approached the vote they knew they’d lose, key Republicans stuck by their opposition. Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he’d asked Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to stay on — or that he’d prefer former undersecretary of Defense for policy Michèle Flournoy or Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter — to Hagel. |
SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski announced four new homeless resource centers in the Salt Lake Valley Tuesday afternoon.
The new locations include:
653 E. Simpson Ave (near 2300 South)
275 W. High Ave (approximately 1400 South)
131 E. 700 South
648 W. 100 South
Biskupski said the new centers are the "best of all the available resources" in the area, including transit and other essential services. "These sites are accessible, secure and support" those impacted and will service a maximum of 150 people each.
The Tuesday announcement is the culmination of a two-year process among Salt Lake County, city and state officials to move from a “shelter-based system to a housing-based system,” according to David Litvak, deputy chief of staff to Biskupski.
Biskupski said the new resource centers would be "places of hope for those in need and for a community to compassionately move from homelessness to housing." She added that Salt Lake City can be a "city for everyone."
City Council Chairman James Rogers added that the resources centers are "key to a change" and that the council has paid careful attention to ensure "safety and security is important to the long-term success" of the centers and the communities impacted and surrounding them.
The new resource centers are intended to provide mental health and substance treatments, in addition to providing job skills and training to the homeless in the Salt Lake County area.
In a briefing before the official announcement, Litvak said the four resources centers will not be in areas zoned for residential use; however, they will be in mixed-use zones where residential housing may be included.
The city originally identified 20 possible locations for the new resources centers, but narrowed them down to the four sites identified based on input from the public, Litvak said.
Video: Mayor Jackie Biskupski press conference:
On Monday, Biskupski's spokesman, Matthew Rojas, told KSL News that the board of directors of Shelter the Homeless Inc. voted to close The Road Home shelter on Rio Grande Street in downtown Salt Lake City once the new resources centers were operational.
The newest example of the type of resource centers is Volunteers of America-Utah's Homeless Youth Resource Center at 888 S. 400 West. It provides youths shelter, meals, a place to do laundry, shower or pick up clothing. It's a place to help youths complete their education, find work and housing. It's a place where youths struggling with addiction, mental illness or other trauma find help.
While the mayor and council stand firm behind the selection of the four sites, Litvak said the decisions have not been made where to place the shelters that will serve specific populations such as single women, single men and families. There will also be an ongoing "due diligence" process.
State Rep. Rebecca Chavez-Houck, D-Salt Lake, whose district makes up the downtown Salt Lake City area, released a statement saying the new sites are a "vital part of how our state will build a culture of success and sustainability." She added that "the solution to addressing homelessness requires much more than rapid housing and emergency shelter."
"We are doomed to fail if we don’t tackle the root causes, which will require long-term, extensive investment from all levels of government in integrated health services," Chavez-Houck said. "I, and other local legislators whose constituents have been the most immediately affected in recent years, call to our colleagues to ensure that this new initiative succeeds."
State Rep. Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake, whose district also makes up the downtown Salt Lake City area, added that legislators and other elected officials will have "a positive model to mirror as we address this statewide issue."
"It is the legislature’s turn to now commit to funding mental health, substance abuse, and many other programs to ensure success," Romero said. "I look forward to working with legislative colleagues, members of my community, and city officials as plans to develop these sites progress.”
The city mayors' Homeless Services Site Evaluation Commission, chaired by Utah Jazz owner Gail Miller and former Salt Lake City Mayor Palmer DePaulis, worked collaboratively with the city to assess and finally recommend sites for new resource centers.
Meanwhile, Salt Lake County’s Collective Impact on Homelessness Steering Committee, appointed by Mayor Ben McAdams has been working to reform the delivery system of homeless services and help plan resource centers.
Earlier this year, the Utah Legislature appropriated the first of what state lawmakers envision as a three-year commitment to the state’s services for people experiencing homelessness. Toward that end, lawmakers appropriated $9.25 million, the first installment of a planned $27 million total appropriation.
Salt Lake City officials identified sites for four new homeless resource centers in Salt Lake City Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2016, including 653 E. Simpson Ave. pictured here. (Photo: Devon Dewey, KSL.com)
More information will be posted when it’s available.
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Russia has vowed to take countermeasures against the Pentagon's decision to station new nuclear weapons inside Germany's territory, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow Wednesday. The U.S. move, which Peskov claims will build tensions and create imbalance inside Europe, comes amid building animosity between Russian and the U.S.-led West over Moscow’s actions in Ukraine and its military's continual probing of Europe's skies and international waters.
“This is yet another step -- and unfortunately, a very serious step -- toward antagonizing the tenseness on the European continent," said Peskov, according to a report from the Russian state news site Sputnik. "Of course, this may lead to a strategic imbalance in Europe, and...this will make Russia take according steps and countermeasures to establish parity because, naturally, this is not a step toward boosting stability, increasing trust or providing security in Europe."
German media reported Tuesday that the U.S. Air Force would station a minimum of 20 B61-12 nuclear bombs in Germany moving into the third quarter of 2015, as per a defense budget decision made last year.
The U.S. already has nuclear weapons inside Europe as part of a NATO-sharing program. While the countries involved -- Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and Turkey -- are technically non-nuclear states, they store, maintain and provide the means to deliver the weapons on behalf of the U.S. military.
While Russia hasn't specifically laid out what countermeasures it will take against the introduction of new nuclear weapons in Europe, it's highly likely to involve Moscow's enclave of Kaliningrad on the Baltic coast, according to a Reuters report. The base, which is strategically positioned between Poland and Lithuania, offers ships and submarines unchallenged access from Russia's Northern ports into the Baltic Sea and to the Atlantic Ocean. It is also a strategic location for placing short-to-medium range Iskander ballistic missiles that are able to target almost any area of Europe.
Russia claims that the U.S. move will contravene the nonproliferation treaty of 1970 that is designed to stop the spread of nuclear weapons. Peskov added that the steps taken by Moscow were for the "provision of national security” in Russia. |
Would-Be Bomber Caught at Orlando Airport
Oddly enough, I flew into Orlando Airport on Tuesday night, hours after TSA and police caught Kevin Brown -- not the baseball player -- with bomb-making equipment in his checked luggage. (Yes, checked luggage. He was bringing it to Jamaica, not planning on blowing up the plane he was on.) Seems like someone trained in behavioral profiling singled him out, probably for stuff like this:
"He was rocking left to right, bouncing up and down ... he was there acting crazy," passenger Jason Doyle said.
But that was a passenger remembering Brown after the fact, so I wouldn't put too much credence in it.
There are a bunch of articles about Brown and potential motives. Note that he is not an Islamic terrorist; he's a U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq:
"This is not him," she said in a phone interview. "It has to be a mental issue for him. I know if they looked through his medical records...I'm sure they will see..."He's not a terrorist." Brown married Holt's daughter, Kamishia, 25, about three years ago. They met while serving in the Army and separated a year later. Brown wasn't the same after returning from Iraq, her daughter told her. "When he doesn't take it [medication], he's off the chain," Holt said. "When you don't take it and drink alcohol, it makes it worse."
Doesn't sound like a terrorist, but this does:
According to the affidavit, Brown admitted he had the items because he wanted to make pipe bombs in Jamaica. It also indicated he wanted to show friends how to make pipe bombs like he made while in Iraq. Federal agents said federal agents found two vodka bottles filled with nitro-methane, a highly explosive liquid, as well as galvanized pipes, end caps with holes, BBs, a model-rocket igniter, AA batteries, a lighter and lighter fluid, plus other items used to make pipe bombs and detailed instructions and diagrams. He indicated the items were purchased in Gainesville where he lived at one time.
Ignore the hyperbole; nitromethane is a liquid fuel, not a high explosive. Here's the whole affidavit, if you want to read it.
Even with all this news, the truth is that we just don't know what happened. It looks like a great win for behavioral profiling (which, when done well, I think is a good idea) and the TSA. The TSA is certainly pleased. But we've seen apparent TSA wins before that turn out to be bogus when the details finally come out. Right now I'm cautiously pleased with the TSA's performance, and offer them a tentative congratulations, especially for not over-reacting. I read -- but can't find the link now -- that only 11 flights were delayed because of the event. The TSA claims that no flights were delayed, and also says that no security checkpoints were closed. Either way, it's certainly something to congratulate the TSA about.
Posted on April 3, 2008 at 9:02 AM • 39 Comments |
FCC Relaxes Rules Governing 800 MHz Spectrum
Article Comments 3
Mar 24, 2017, 9:24 AM by Eric M. Zeman @zeman_e
The FCC this week made it easier for carriers to add LTE to their 800 MHz spectrum holdings. Rules concerning the 800 MHz band (CDMA Band Class 0, LTE Band 5) have been in place since 1981 and limit how much power carriers can use to transmit wireless signals across those airwaves. The effect has stymied wide-scale LTE deployments in the 800 MHz band. By relaxing the outdated regulations, the FCC is essentially making it possible for companies that have 800 MHz spectrum to repurpose it for LTE. Specifically, the Commission plans to allow 800 MHz licensees to transmit the same amount of power across the spectrum band, putting it in line with how other, similar spectrum bands are treated. The FCC will demand that carriers take care to prevent interference with public safety's use of 800 MHz spectrum, but the Commission will also eliminate what it calls unnecessary rules and burdens related to application filings and other red tape. Verizon Wireless, which will benefit most from the change, lauded the decision. "The FCC's unanimous adoption today of Cellular Service Reform rules is a big win for wireless consumers," said the company. "Today's order enables Verizon to accelerate the conversion of 850 MHz spectrum from 3G and put it to use for 4G LTE. The upside for consumers is big: Verizon Wireless will be able to provide 4G LTE coverage on cellular spectrum to 20%-30% more of the US geography and also increase peak 4G LTE speeds by as much as 40%." The change also benefits AT&T, though to a lesser degree.
more info at FCC »
more info at Verizon Wireless »
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wecivus
Why AT&T to a lesser degree? Don't both ATT and Verizon have similar 850 MHz spectrum? Why is Verizon benefiting more from this? cellphonesaretools
Good question. I'm surprised the article didn't mention Sprint, given that it inherited all of the Nextel 800/850 MHz that formerly was used for both Nextel's PTT (push-to-talk) and cellular voice services. I can recall 12-15 years ago when Verizon wa...
(continues) ... |
Image copyright Hull News & Pictures Image caption Kenneth Hugill said he and his wife Sheila had been woken by a light outside their farmhouse
An 83-year-old farmer who shot a convicted burglar on his land has been cleared of inflicting grievous bodily harm.
Kenneth Hugill, from Wilberfoss, near York, shot Richard Stables injuring him in the foot on 13 November 2015.
Hull Crown Court heard Mr Hugill saw a car drive past his remote farmhouse at around 02:00 GMT which he thought "was up to no good".
Mr Stables, 44, had claimed he had stumbled onto the farm accidentally.
Read more about this and other stories from East Yorkshire
The three-day trial was told how Mr Hugill was woken by a light at his bedroom window at around 02:00 before he got dressed and went outside, with his shotgun, to investigate.
"I walked across what I thought was the front of a vehicle," he said.
"It revved up loudly and drove towards me. It petrified me. I did not see any people. I heard nothing at all."
Mr Hugill, who uses a walking stick and a hearing aid, said he had fired one shot at the side of the vehicle and another into the air.
He had he said not intended to hurt anyone but merely intended to frighten them off.
The jury took 24 minutes to clear him.
Image copyright Hull News & Pictures Image caption Mr Stables, who was shot in the foot, denied plans to steal diesel from the farm
Speaking outside the court, Mr Hugill said: "I'm very, very pleased. We thought I shouldn't have been prosecuted right from the start, I didn't feel it was justified at the time.
"I pulled the trigger because I thought that car was going to kill me."
The Crown Prosecution Service has defended its decision to prosecute.
Chief Crown Prosecutor Gerry Wareham said: "We are satisfied that there was sufficient evidence to put the matter before a court and that it was in the public interest to do so."
Mr Hugill's son, David, 50, said Humberside Police took 15 hours to respond to a call he made at 02:23 GMT to report a suspected diesel theft at the farm.
He said the farm had experienced problems with poaching and attempted diesel thefts.
"The police are pushed to the limit and can't cover the countryside, and people have the right to protect their property in the middle of the night when there is no response or back-up," he said.
The court had already heard that Mr Stables, from Bradford, claimed he was out hunting rabbits with a friend, who was driving.
Mr Stables and the driver, Adrian Barron from Oldham, both have convictions for burglary and theft. |
From The Atlantic:
Will the Alt-Right Peddle a New Kind of Racist Genetics? The genomic revolution has led to easy sequencing and cheap “ancestry” tests. White nationalists are paying attention. SARAH ZHANG 7:30 AM ET SCIENCE
Why the quotes around “ancestry?”
Jedidiah Carlson was googling a genetics research paper when he stumbled upon the white nationalist forum Stormfront. Carlson is a graduate student at the University of Michigan, and he is—to be clear—absolutely not a white nationalist. But one link led to another and he ended up reading page after page of Stormfront discussions on the reliability of 23andMe ancestry results and whether Neanderthal interbreeding is the reason for the genetic superiority of whites. Obsession with racial purity is easily channeled, apparently, into an obsession with genetics. Stormfront has been around since the ’90s, which means it’s been around for the entirety of the genomic revolution. The major milestones in human genetics—sequencing of the first human genome, genetic confirmation that humans came out of Africa, the first mail-in DNA ancestry tests—they’re all there, refracted through the lens of white nationalism. Sure, the commentators sometimes disagreed with scientific findings or mischaracterized them, but they could also be serious about understanding genetics. “The threads would turn into an informal tutoring session and journal club,” observes Carlson. “Some of the posters have a really profound understanding of everyday concepts in population genetics.” Carlson had stumbled upon Stormfront months ago. As Donald Trump’s election went from unlikely hypothetical to reality, he began tweeting out the disturbing discussions he found—as a call to action for fellow geneticists. “In light of the current political climate,” he says, “I think there’s a much more present danger for our scientific work to become weaponized to enact these ethno-nationalist policies.” … Modern geneticists now take pains to distance their work from the racist assumptions of eugenics. Yet since the dawn of the genomic revolution, sociologists and historians have warned that even seemingly benign genetics research can reinforce a belief that different races are essentially different—an argument made most famously by Troy Duster in his book Backdoor to Eugenics. If a genetic test can identify you as 78 percent Norwegian, 12 percent Scottish, and 10 percent Italian, then it’s easy to assume there is such thing as white DNA. If scientists find that a new drug works works better in African Americans because of a certain mutation common among them, then it’s easy to believe that races are genetically meaningful categories. The problem is not with the science per se, but with the set of an underlying assumptions about race that we always imprint on the latest science. True, genetics has led to real breakthroughs in medicine, but it is also the latest in a centuries-long effort to understand biological differences. “In a sense, genetics is a modern version of what early scientists were doing in terms of their studies of skulls or blood type,” says Ann Morning, a sociologist at New York University. “We have a long history of turning to whatever we think is the most authoritative sense of knowledge and expecting to find race proved or demonstrated there.” And like its predecessors, genetics is vulnerable to misuse by those with racist agendas. * * * In the genomic age, it is now easy to compare the DNA of people from around the world. And it has indeed revealed that our racial categories are fuzzy proxies for genetic difference—an African man may be more closely related to an Asian than to another African.
This is one of the most popular chestnuts of the 21st Century, but I’ve never seen anybody point to an actual example or even explain how this is supposed to work in theory. Draw me a hypothetical family tree in which an African man may be more closely related to an Asian than to another African.
And to put it in perspective, all of the genetic diversity in humans comprises just 0.1 percent of the human genome.
Obviously, there’s a fair amount of genetic diversity in humans, so 0.1% must be pretty important.
This has inspired the line that race isn’t real—it’s a pure social construction and biologically meaningless. “Yet the lay person will ridicule that position as nonsense,” write geneticists Sarah Tishkoff and Kenneth Kidd in the journal Nature Genetics, “because people from different parts of the world look different, whereas people from the same part of the world tend to look similar.” The trouble with the way we talk about race is that our biological differences are by degree rather by category. The borders of a country or continent are not magical lines that demarcate one genetically distinct population from another. “There are no firm and clear boundaries if you sample every grid on Earth,” Tishkoff told me. But because we lack a common vocabulary to talk about these differences between people by degree, we draw boundaries with our words and categorize them: Korean, Mongol, Asian.
Actually, as of 1491 there were some pretty firm and clear boundaries, such as giant oceans. For example, the Atlantic Ocean is only 1600 miles wide between South America and Africa, but as far as we know to this day, nobody ever crossed from Africa to South America or vice-versa before 1492. Also giant deserts (e.g., the Sahara) and giant mountain ranges (e.g., the Himalayas) tended to suffice pretty well.
Those boundaries will depend who is drawing them and where and when. What race, for example, are Mexicans?
La Raza.
In the 1930 U.S. census, Mexicans were their own racial category. In 1940, a court ruled that Mexicans were not eligible for citizenship because they were not white (under a law at the time), so President Roosevelt decided to count Mexicans as white in that year’s census order to shore up Mexican relations. In 2000, the census began distinguishing between race and ethnicity, allowing respondents to choose among several races and answer yes or no on Hispanic or Latino ethnicity.
Race, the way the U.S. government has thought about it for the last half century is about who your genetic ancestors were, while ethnicity is about markers that are usually passed down within biological families, but don’t have to be (e.g., language, names, cuisine, etc.).
Even though geneticists know how messy these racial categories are, the categories are still deeply rooted in biomedical research. The U.S. National Institute of Health, the country’s largest funder of biomedical research, requires researchers to collect data on the race and ethnicity of clinical research participants. So when scientists go to analyze their data, one of the things they can always do is look for differences between the races. The very act of collecting data defines the questions scientists do ask. “There’s this idea there that data collection is somehow a neutral activity,” says Sandra Soo-Jin Lee, a medical anthropologist and bioethicist at Stanford. “We should disabuse ourselves of it.”
Some conservatives, such as Ward Connerly, have tried to get government racial data collection outlawed, but have not had much success.
Implicit in the requirement to collect race data is a belief that race must be biologically meaningful in health. And this ends up producing research that reinforces this belief. The emphasis on race, says Duster who is now at Berkeley, “is so deeply in the structure of genetic medicine now, you cannot disentangle.” A study might find, for example, African Americans have higher rates of diabetes, prompting headlines about racial disparities and even more research into the genetics of African Americans with diabetes. But the focus on genes in African Americans elides the fact that such differences might predominantly come from a disproportionate number of them living in poverty.
You know, there are statistical techniques for disentangling that. You do know that?
Genetics has allowed scientists to start probing exactly how much innate genetic differences between races do matter in health, but this has unintended consequences, too. Jo Phelan, a sociologist recently retired from Columbia, has devised studies seeing how simply reading a news article about racial differences in genetic risk for heart attacks reinforces the belief that whites and African Americans are essentially different. The problem is that these differences are statistical—a mutation may be more prevalent in African Americans but that doesn’t mean every African American has it. There is no gene or set of genes that consistently codes for black, white, or any other race. “There’s nothing wrong with looking at genetics differences and health outcomes, but why does there have to be so much emphasis on race?” says Phelan. “Why not other physical distinctions?”
Well, your race (i.e., your ancestry, i.e., your family tree) is where your genes come from.
Now the falling cost of technology has made the results of DNA sequencing available to anyone willing to shell out a couple hundred bucks to companies like 23andMe and AncestryDNA. Phelan has done similar studies on how such mail-in DNA tests reinforce a belief in racial differences. In a survey of over 500 participants, she found that reading about DNA ancestry tests increased one’s belief in essential differences between racial groups. And one group intensely interested in getting DNA ancestry tests? White nationalists, which Elspeth Reeve chronicled in an excellent piece in Vice earlier this year. DNA ancestry tests can be flawed in a number of ways, and one of the flaws is how much they actually reflect the past. The percentages they report—like 62 percent Scandinavian, 13 percent British and Irish, 5 percent Finnish, and so on—are based on a statistical analysis of people currently living in those areas. For example, says Morning, “They may say you are descended from the Igbo people of Nigeria based on the database of people collected living in Nigeria today and from your DNA today. But we don’t know if those people were there in that place then, or when they got there. Were they moved around by the British? Who was where at what time?”
Ho-hum.
Yet this temporal disjunction is papered over, almost deliberately, in the interpretation of ancestry DNA tests. After all, they promise to tell us where our ancestors lived in their time.
No, the tests promise to tell you who your ancestors were and usually use geography as a shorthand to describe. But they don’t have to, and one extremely famous ancestral group has not been defined by geography for the last 2000 years. For example, DNA tests are pretty accurate at identifying Ashkenazi Jews. Whether some of your ancestors lived in the Rhineland or in Galicia or in South Africa or in Buenos Aires is generally of less concern to Jews than that, wherever their ancestors happened to be, they were Jewish.
DNA ancestry tests go back to a specific historic moment—a time when people were easier to categorize, a time before immigration but after migration. Go back too far, of course, and everyone is African. Go back not far enough and populations are already too scrambled by immigration and colonization. It only makes sense to talk about ancestry tests that spit out country of origin by percentage if you privilege a specific slice of time about 500 years ago.
I.e., before 1492. You know, there are reasons why 1492 is famous.
White nationalists like those on Stormfront, which claims to support a “homeland for all peoples” as long as people go back to their “original” homelands, explicitly appeal to a return to that past. “White supremacists are kind of the tip of the iceberg when it comes to beliefs about race,” says Morning. Their rhetoric is extreme, of course, but the idea that race represents real biological differences is pervasive. Genetics are just the latest frontier. SARAH ZHANG is a staff writer at The Atlantic.
If The Atlantic wants to disempower Stormfront, The Atlantic should stop promoting self-evidently wrong mainstream media anti-science dogmas such as Race Does Not Exist and “an African man may be more closely related to an Asian than to another African.”
P.S., here’s my 2007 Race FAQ from VDARE. |
Uepaa! turns the smartphones of millions of outdoor users into an alpine tracking, alerting and rescue device for the Swiss Alps. It achieves this task by using a disruptive wireless phone to phone to phone (mesh-) communication technology going far beyond the boundaries of today’s net operators.
More info from Uepaa! official press release
The Startup Uepaa has developed a security service for people who spend their leisure time and sports activities in the mountains. The alarm app locates casualties in areas without mobile coverage via other smart phones in the vicinity. Made possible by the so-called peer-to-peer technology, which combines the smartphone and savior of all UepaaNutzer to an ad hoc network that automatically searches for the way to the next Mobile phone network. In an emergency, so the network independently Mountain Rescue alerted the overflight search is possible. The recovery service of Uepaa but is already effective at an earlier point: even missing persons or persons consuming to search via the Trackingysystem the Emergency App, the timely alarm and direct aid enables comrades, are reduced significantly in the future.
www.uepaa.ch |
A Saudi official has confirmed that Riyadh has sent warplanes to Turkey’s southern Incirlik airbase, a move considered as preparation for the campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said: “From the very beginning, Turkey and Saudi Arabia have been in favor of a ground operation in the fight against [ISIS].
“We have been saying in all meetings of the [anti-ISIS] coalition that there should be a comprehensive and outcome-oriented strategy. We have said if such a strategy is implemented, we, as Turkey and Saudi Arabia, can join a ground offensive.”
However, Turkish Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz on Monday said his country was not considering sending troops.
Cavusoglu says if ISIS is eradicated, the world will not have to accept Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as the lesser of two evils.
Turkish troops
In recent weeks, there has been speculation that Turkey might be preparing for an incursion into Syria.
A Turkish soldier stands guard while smoke rises in the Syrian town of Kobane as it is seen from the Turkish border town of Suruc. (File: Reuters)
However, Sinan Ulgen, a former Turkish diplomat who now chairs the Istanbul-based Center for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies (EDAM), said this was unrealistic under present conditions.
“It will only happen if the United States gives its support and participates in such an expeditionary land force,” Ulgen told Al Arabia English.
“That seems unlikely since the United States doesn’t attach the same priority to pushing back regime forces, which seems to be one of the key motivations behind the alleged Turkish-Saudi alliance.”
Ulgen says the most likely scenario at present is the Saudi air force participating in the anti-ISIS campaign from Incirlik airbase.
Reaction
Experts say Russian reaction to Turkish-Saudi coordination on Syria will determine the course of the conflict.
Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, director of the Ankara office of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, says a Turkish land operation in Syria - with or without Saudi support - would lack political and military grounds, even if could be justified by international law.
“The Turkish public is against it, and the Turkish military isn’t enthusiastic according to a recent report in Turkish daily Hurriyet,” he told Al Arabiya English.
n this photo made from the footage taken from Russian Defense Ministry official web site on Monday, Feb. 1, 2016, an aerial image shows what it says is a column of heavy trucks carrying ammunition hit by a Russian air strike near Aleppo, Syria. (AP)
“Russia, Iran and the Assad regime would react very sharply, and there’s no reason to think that the United States would welcome such a development.”
Unluhisarcikli said the scope, end-goal and exit strategy of such an operation are at best unclear at present.
Bilateral ties
Turkey and Saudi Arabia are part of the U.S.-led anti-ISIS coalition, which officially comprises 65 members. Ankara also grants the coalition access to Incirlik airbase.
Turkey is part of the recently-launched Saudi military alliance, and bilateral military cooperation was boosted in December with a deal to set up a strategic cooperation council.
In January, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu visited Saudi Arabia, followed toward the end of the month by Turkish Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar to boost military ties.
“The firm stand of Turkey and the Gulf, led Saudi Arabia, is very important in terms of creating a military counterweight against the Russia-Iran-Hezbollah axis,” Mehmet Seyfettin Erol, director of Gazi University’s Strategic Research Center in Ankara, told Al Arabiya English.
“The entry of Russia into the battleground has opened the door for other powers to intervene in the region,” he said.
“The use of Incirlik by Germany, the UK, Qatar and now Saudi Arabia has a symbolic importance to challenge field control by Russia and Iran.”
Last Update: Wednesday, 17 February 2016 KSA 11:17 - GMT 08:17 |
Credit: Ints Kalnins/Reuters A U.S. soldier sits in his Humvee during the NATO Force Integration Unit inauguration event in Vilnius, Lithuania on September 3, 2015. This week, the Pentagon announced plans to beef up U.S. military presence in Eastern Europe.
As tensions continue to escalate between Russia and the West, the Pentagon has announced plans to deploy U.S. troops, armed with modern equipment and heavy artillery, full time along NATO’s eastern borders.
The so-called “European Reassurance Initiative,” will be the first such deployment since the Cold War ended, The Wall Street Journal reported. Its purpose: To deter Russian aggression while serving to reassure Western allies of U.S. commitment to the region.
General Philip Breedlove, the top U.S. commander in Europe, announced the plan on Wednesday, calling it a “strong and balanced approach to reassuring our NATO Allies and partners in the wake of an aggressive Russia in Eastern Europe and elsewhere.”
“Our allies and partners will see more capability,” he said in a statement. “They will see a more frequent presence of an armored brigade with more modernized equipment in their countries.”
The new proposal would put an additional U.S. armored brigade in Europe, specifically along NATO’s eastern flank. The brigade, which typically comprises about 4,200 soldiers and hundreds of heavy vehicles, tanks and other equipment, will rotate in on a continual basis, and will be divided across six countries: Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria.
Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, the commander of U.S. Army Europe, said the proposal would create “a constant presence of U.S. forces along NATO’s eastern border.”
“There will be American equipment and people in each of these countries,” Hodges told the Journal. “We will have the flexibility to converge the entire brigade for exercises and that is an important part of the deterrence, to show a warfighting capability.”
Google Maps The Pentagon plans to have U.S. troops continually stationed along NATO's Eastern flank.
Slated to start in February 2017, the plan will increase the number of U.S. combat brigades in Europe to three. Currently, there are approximately 62,000 U.S. military forces, including a reported 25,000 Army soldiers, permanently based in the continent.
According to Pentagon spokeswoman Laura Seal, the proposal will also allow for the U.S. to bring in more advanced equipment to eastern Europe.
“This will be the most modernized equipment the Army has to offer, and will, over the next year, replace the less modern training equipment we put in Europe over the last few years," Seal told AP.
The new gear will reportedly include 250 tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, Paladin self-propelled howitzers and more than 1,700 additional wheeled vehicles.
Pentagon readies more robust U.S. military presence in Eastern Europehttps://t.co/edxNWsT4qt pic.twitter.com/a1loWCNYNk — Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) March 30, 2016
According to Mashable, the Pentagon requested $3.4 billion in February for the initiative, after the White House gave the go-ahead. Congress, however, still must approve the request.
What does the European Reassurance Initiative (ERI) implementation plan mean for Europe? https://t.co/2CvWBYlbdF pic.twitter.com/N9a7fqaNP3 — US Mission to NATO (@USNATO) March 30, 2016
Relations between the Kremlin and the West have been particularly strained since Russia's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014, and its subsequent military actions in Ukraine. Just this week, the mounting tension was highlighted again when Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would boycott the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington. |
MEXICO CITY -- The airline that carried Pope Francis to Mexico says the plane carrying the pontiff was hit by a laser light from the ground as it arrived on Friday.
Mexican prisoner chosen to share message with Pope Francis
Alitalia says no one was hurt and the aircraft landed safely. It said Wednesday that the crew notified the Mexico City airport's control tower of the incident.
Officials around the world have been increasingly concerned about people training laser pointers on jetliners. In some cases, crewmembers have suffered eye damage.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration reported nearly 4,000 laser strikes in 2013.
Francis was wrapping up his trip to Mexico on Wednesday with some of his most anticipated events: a visit in a Ciudad Juarez prison just days after a riot in another lockup killed 49 inmates and a stop at the Texas border when immigration is a hot issue for the U.S. presidential campaign.
He also scheduled a meeting with Mexican workers, grassroots groups and employers in an encounter at which he was likely to repeat his mantra on the need for dignified work for all and "land, labor and lodging."
Migrants help highlight Pope Francis' message in Mexico
Francis flew out of Mexico's capital with a final tour in the popemobile and serenades by mariachi bands as he nears the end of a whirlwind five-day visit that has focused heavily on the injustices faced by Mexico's poorest, most oppressed and vulnerable to the country's drug-fueled violence. He sought to offer comfort while taking Mexico's political and religious leaders to task for failing to do good for their people.
The pope makes a point of going to prisons on nearly every foreign trip, part of his longtime ministry to inmates and his belief that the lowest in society deserve dignity.
He has denounced abuse of pre-trial detention, called life sentences a "hidden death penalty" and urged a worldwide end to capital punishment. As pope, he continues to check in with Argentine prisoners he ministered to as archbishop of Buenos Aires.
In his penitentiary encounters, Francis often urges inmates not to give up hope, telling them that he, too, has sinned and been forgiven. He criticizes prison overcrowding, the slow pace of justice and lack of rehabilitation.
But he also tells inmates not to let their suffering lead to violence - a message he may repeat given the deadly riot last week at Monterrey's Topo Chico prison, where rival gang factions bloodied each other with hammers, cudgels and makeshift knives. Eight more inmates were injured Tuesday in a brawl at another prison.
Pope Francis condemns drug lords in Mexico
Ciudad Juarez's Prison No. 3, where Francis planned to speak to inmates and visiting family members, is relatively calm these days. But it has seen violent clashes before that reflected the chaos outside its walls.
Not long ago Juarez was considered the murder capital of the world, as cartel-backed gang warfare fed homicide rates that hit 230 per 100,000 residents in 2010. A rash of killings of women, many of them poor factory workers who just disappeared, attracted international attention.
Times have changed. Last year, the city's homicide rate was about 20 per 100,000 people, roughly on par with Mexico's nationwide average of 14 per 100,000 - and well below what is being seen in current hotspots of drug violence such as the Pacific resort city Acapulco and surrounding Guerrero state.
Many businesses that closed during Juarez's darkest years have reopened. Tourists are again crossing over from the United States to shop and dine. People say they no longer have to leave parties early to avoid being on the streets after dark.
"At least now we can go out. We go to the parks. We can walk around a little more at that time of night," Lorena Diaz said, standing under a huge banner of Francis hanging from her second-floor balcony.
Pope Francis visits dangerous city in Mexico
Diaz, who along with about 30 family members secured tickets for Wednesday's Mass, has followed news of Francis' tour and welcomed his calls for Mexicans not to tolerate corruption and violence.
"He's telling us to get out of the trenches, not to close ourselves off," Diaz said.
After the prison stop, Francis set a meeting with workers and advocacy groups at which he was expected to address poverty and income inequality.
Juarez's proximity to the U.S. has brought a job boom at hundreds of foreign-owned assembly plants known as "maquiladoras" that manufacture clothes, electronics and other goods to be shipped north. But many workers say conditions can be poor and pay low. At a recent demonstration, protesters said they were struggling to get by on wages of just $45 a week.
Francis also planned to visit the border with El Paso, Texas, where he was expected to stop at the fence, give a blessing in honor of migrants on the other side and pray for those who died trying to get there.
The pope's first day in Mexico
His visit closes with a large outdoor Mass, with thousands of victims of violence invited. It's to be simulcast live on giant screens on the other side of the Rio Grande at the Sun Bowl, where U.S. officials planned for at least 30,000 people.
Migration is a theme close to the pontiff's heart. He has demanded that countries welcome those fleeing poverty and oppression and denounced what he calls the "globalization of indifference" toward migrants.
It's a message that hasn't gone down well with some in the U.S., at a time when border apprehensions of families and unaccompanied minors rose significantly in the last three months of 2015.
Republican presidential hopefuls Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz have vowed to expel all the estimated 11 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally and build a wall along the entire border from Texas to California.
On the eve of Francis' trip, Trump criticized the pope's border stop.
"I don't think he understands the danger of the open border that we have with Mexico," Trump said in an interview with Fox. "I think Mexico got him to do it because they want to keep the border just the way it is. They're making a fortune, and we're losing."
Late Tuesday, the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said the pope is concerned about the plight of migrants everywhere, not just in the United States.
"The pope always talks about migration problems all around the world, of the duties we have to solve these problems in a humane manner, of hosting those who come from other countries in search of a life of dignity and peace," Lombardi said. |
115th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. J. RES. 48
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States providing that the rights extended by the Constitution are the rights of natural persons only.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 30, 2017
Mr. Nolan (for himself, Ms. McCollum, Mr. Cartwright, Mr. Ellison, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Takano, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. O'Rourke, Ms. Slaughter, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Lee, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Engel, Mr. Tonko, Mr. Raskin, Mr. Khanna, Mr. Capuano, Mr. Ted Lieu of California, Mr. Norcross, and Mr. Jones) submitted the following joint resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
JOINT RESOLUTION
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States providing that the rights extended by the Constitution are the rights of natural persons only.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States:
“ article —
“ section 1. The rights protected by the Constitution of the United States are the rights of natural persons only. Artificial entities, such as corporations, limited liability companies, and other entities, established by the laws of any State, the United States, or any foreign state shall have no rights under this Constitution and are subject to regulation by the People, through Federal, State, or local law. The privileges of artificial entities shall be determined by the People, through Federal, State, or local law, and shall not be construed to be inherent or inalienable.
“ section 2. Federal, State and local government shall regulate, limit, or prohibit contributions and expenditures, including a candidate’s own contributions and expenditures, to ensure that all citizens, regardless of their economic status, have access to the political process, and that no person gains, as a result of that person’s money, substantially more access or ability to influence in any way the election of any candidate for public office or any ballot measure. Federal, State, and local governments shall require that any permissible contributions and expenditures be publicly disclosed. The judiciary shall not construe the spending of money to influence elections to be speech under the First Amendment.”. |
I've been a bit slack with my blogging since I got home from the Retreat... I've been preoccupied with my purchases, and required 8-months-pregnant naps! Today I'd like to share a bunch of photos from the vendors area.... It was a great experience to walk around and chat with the vendors and fondle admire the wares. When else can you go shopping and be encouraged to pick up everything and touch it? Buying fiber is a very tactile experience for me. I need to feel what the fiber is like to know what I can do with it... which is difficult because I often buy wool online for lack of local stores with such goodies. I'd be surprised if anyone would look at you funny if you rolled around in a pile of fiber on the floor in a room like that! Very freeing experience.
Note: I'm trying something new with the photos: Click the thumbnails for full sized images! (Thank you to my technical staff for the upgrade... ahemHUSBANDcough)
The Bobbin Tree - many wonderful wooly treats... complete with experienced wool-pusher and enthusiast Janet! (whose hair matched some of her fiber perfectly... just sayin *wink*) I succumbed to the pitfalls of the booth and ended up with yarn, combed merino top, and a few other goodies too! Also: Jobo's prize for the best booth mascot goes to Orville - the Bobbin Tree Owl!
Gaspereau Valley Fibres - our wonderful hostesses for the weekend... and their piles of dyed locks, tops, books, etc. There were many people walking around with large brown paper gift bags full of these scrumptious locks! The service was great too!
Cobweb Woolies - There were many many bags of wooly treasures at this table... it was like a sea of them! Delia had bags of both washed and unwashed natural wool locks in every color under the sun! Wooly Balls made a comeback - basically dyed beautiful locks wrapped into balls with elastic bands hanging on a tree... forget holiday ornaments, you can decorate my Christmas tree with these!? I bought a bag of creamy white washed Romney locks (8 oz) to play with, and it's springy and wonderful!
Handspun Silks - luscious, wonderful, handspun reeled and spun silks by women in developping countries! I couldn't believe the beautiful colors of the silks, dyed with natural products and locally sourced dyes. One particular shining beige brown was dyed with coconut husks, and just had such a warm lovely glow. The second photo with the felted soaps, brown hat, and yarns... I'm sorry I can't remember the name of the vendor... but the products were really neat! I almost bought one of the felted soap kits... but I feared it would be to nice to use, and would languish in the bathroom forever!
Alpaca House Farm - I had a very interesting chat with a gentleman alpaca herder (and vintage motorcycle enthusiast) about farming, fiber production and processing, and alpaca yarn and blankets in general! The fleeces were lovely, as evidenced by the prize ribbons, and this fellow's woven blankets were out of this world! I loved the geometric patterns in the two colored weave... priceless!
I very much enjoyed all of the vendors and tables, but these were the only ones I managed to photograph between the petting of the yarn :) All in all - a fantastic marketplace full of enthusiastic and helpful vendors and fiber artists! |
If there’s one company that fights to defend their IP more than a certain House of Mouse, that’d be the game company Games Workshop who has sicked quite a few lawyers on companies they felt were infringing on their Warhammer and Warhammer 40k IP. That’s what makes today’s Venom: Space Knight #6 rather interesting.
The series has Venom soaring through space as a Marvel version of DC’s Green Lantern and with that he comes across all sorts of alien races… including Tau!? Tau are an high-tech alien race from the popular GW game Warhammer 40K.
Here’s the panels:
And here’s a GW Tau Hammerhead where you can see the same iconography on the side.
And here’s the GW Sky Ray model with the same missile set up and iconography.
Things don’t end there, because in the same issue we also have what looks like an Eldar vehicle as well.
This wouldn’t be the first time Marvel has dipped into GW design. Amazing Spider-Man #582 featured a Bolt Pistol.
Update: We have heard back from Games Workshop who has said they are aware of this and it has been passed along to their legal team for further investigation.
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Because I am the luckiest man alive, I spent this weekend playing the first ten hours of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, which is starting to look like it’ll be the biggest release of 2011. When I finished those ten hours, I went back and played them again, and have finally managed to compress my thoughts into a handy list of thoughts that’ll occur to you, too, as you play. Five reasons to be hugely excited Deus Ex 3 and five reasons to be knuckle-chewingly nervous await you below.
This is the obvious one. The art design is gorgeous, there’s loads to explore, and the whole package is so polished you can see your grinning face in it.
Better still, while the bugs you’d expect to find in code that hasn’t finished the full gauntlet of quality assurance were present, almost none of them affected how the game plays. No crashes to desktop, no guards being alerted while I was behind cover, no broken quests. Just the camera occasionally placing itself inside an NPC’s mouth, and the wrong text appearing underneath tutorial videos. Eidos Montreal could release this game tomorrow and it it’d still be in a better state than plenty of PC releases.
As for the game proper, after ten hours spent guiding protagonist Adam Jensen through dangerous conversations (his asbestos growl occasionally reveals a Detroit twang), as well as unforgiving infiltrations, a few firefights and an implausible number of air vents, I was left hungry. Both metaphorically – I was having an incredible time, and right on the cusp of fully removing the first layer of Human Revolution’s conspiracy – and literally.
I started playing Human Revolution on Saturday morning. I’d come home with a hangover, having eaten no breakfast. I didn’t stop to eat anything until late in the evening. It’s been a long time since a game’s managed to starve me like that.
“Hmm. Human Revolution seems to be offering what Deus Ex did, but that’s it.”
Deus Ex went down in history not just because it was a great game, but because it was a staggeringly inventive game that has, in a sense, come to define the immersive sim as a genre.
Deus Ex was a game about freedom of choice. Arguably, a true sequel would try and expand on that freedom of choice, in much the same way that Half-Life 2 proved itself as a true sequel to Half-Life by being as inventive as the first game once again.
Instead, Human Revolution hones the more raw mechanics of the original game, improving the action, the implementation of augmentations, the visuals and so forth, without offering a great deal more choice. Buildings still have two or three entry points, you can still talk, hack, sneak or fight your way through obstacles, your decisions as to how to treat a character will still occasionally have repercussions, and you’ll be on the receiving end of different lines of dialogue depending on whether you follow a character’s orders to the letter or not. Talking purely in terms of your freedom of choice, Human Revolution could be an expansion pack for Deus Ex.
Then again, the problem with my only having played the first ten hours of the game is obviously that I don’t know precisely how many of my choices will twist things up further down the line.
“Whoah, this Detroit hub area is huge. And I’m free! Free!”
I gasped a little too loudly when I first opened my map and saw the size the inner city Detroit level, where the game first lets you off the leash. The gasp also went on a little too long, as you can’t zoom out enough to see the whole level at once, so I had to do some scrolling around. It’s bigger than any of the hubs in the first Deus Ex, with more side quests, more incidental detail, more passers by to harass and less loading times.
Do you remember first getting to Hong Kong in the first game, and ignoring the main plot for hours just to explore and get involved in side quests? That’s what this felt like. Except with everybody, everywhere talking about human augmentation and with less rats and pantomime accents.
“Seriously? I have to break into another industrial estate?”
The original Deus Ex had its fair share of offices, sewers, warehouses and plain streets, certainly, but it also had the Statue of Liberty, lime green Greasels, the Illuminati, comic book AIs, monks, energy swords, aliens, a German cyborg lamenting a vending machine that gave him the wrong snack, Men in Black, killswitches, a plague, Parisian catacombs and even Area 51.
Whether all this stuff could make a welcome return in Human Revolution is arguable (I’m sure lots of people remember Deus Ex as being significantly less silly than it was), but Human Revolution’s first ten hours lacks almost any colour at all. It’s a parade of cops, gangsters, mercenaries, revolutionaries, warehouses, offices, hobos, factories, penthouses and the occasional (excellent) robot. About the most colourful thing in it is the world’s dingiest basketball court, complete with a basketball, which – in what has to be a nod to the first game – you can fling at the hoop, but only with the same velocity and angle you’d use to smash a second storey window.
I also get the feeling that the above “crazy” story elements aren’t simply waiting in the wings, ready to pop out further down the line. I’m thinking this noirish and more plausible world is all we’re going to get.
“Wow, I actually care about these people.”
Yes, the world is a bit drab, but it’s also very human, making me suspect that Human Revolution is the more adult game than its predecessor. Yes, the ridiculous arguments about politics with Australian bartenders will be missed, but look what we have instead- a love interest, and old flames. In one early mission, talking your way into a police station involves re-forging ties with Jensen’s old friend, despite Jensen and him having long since fallen out. And there’s one particularly horrible and deeply real bit of imagery the game drops into your path if you fail to save a hostage.
The new conversation battles are the star of these more serious themes. Where before you had to fumble your way through a multiple choice conversation like a blind man going down a water slide, now NPCs will randomly say slightly different lines on each playthrough that give you clues as to what approach might work best on them. It’s a fantastically subtle solution to a part of the game that more often than not was at best a little obscure and at worst meant several quickloads in succession to feel out your options.
It’s funny- not only are Human Revolution’s conversations now more of a game than before, they’re so fair and well written that they also feel more like part of the story. After failing one, I was inclined to face the consequences rather than just try again.
Better still, you have the option of picking up a social enhancement augmentation that gives you vague guidelines as to whether the person you’re talking to is susceptible to orders, praise and so forth, as well as letting you release pheremones along with a killer line once you’ve made your guess as to whether they’re personality type Alpha, Beta or Omega, with an insta-fail if you’re wrong.
“These cutscenes are making me want to take my keyboard and smash my monitor like a piñata.”
While the swap to a 3rd person camera when you’re in cover or performing a takedown doesn’t hinder immersion at all (take my word for it?), Human Revolution’s hateful reliance on pre-rendered cutscenes definitely does. These clips are only ever very short, and only occur during the main story missions about once an hour, but they’re still irritating every single time.
I have no idea why they’re here. I’d rather find a severed testicle in my cup of coffee. Actually, that’s a lie. I do know why they’re here. They crop up during pivotal plot moments to make sure Jensen does the “right” thing, like eavesdropping on a conversation, leaping away from an explosion or walking into a room and going straight up to the person of interest.
Put another way, during the game’s most dramatic moments, the game doesn’t just take control away from you, it abandons the rendering engine for a rolling video that looks completely different. The last game to have this sickness quite as bad was Arkham Asylum.
“I want to spend the rest of my life on this augmentation screen.”
Human Revolution’s handling of your augmentations is masterful. Rather than starting off as something akin to a display model, Adam Jensen is the archetypal billion dollar man from the off, with everything from cloaking technology to crowd control explosives mounted in his body. However, at the beginning of the game almost none of it is active. Instead, as Adam goes about his startling and high-risk life, his body gradually accepts his augmentations, and you’re allowed to activate one after another.
This means that right from the start of the game you can turn on anything that takes your fancy, from improved hacking to being able to punch through walls, with the twist that there are a wealth of choices and you amass the Praxis Points that let you activate this gear agonisingly slowly. Of the ten or so hours I spent playing the game, I think at least eight of them must have been spent in a blissful dilemma as to what I wanted to improve.
Better still, the game’s design constantly rewards you for the choices you’ve made, and never stops making you feel stupid for what you didn’t take. Going crawling through a sewer only to find the end of the tunnel is blocked by a crate too heavy for you to push makes you feel like an imbecile for not taking super strength. Looking down off a roof at your objective, far below, you’ll despise yourself for not taking the Icarus landing hardware that drops you slowly from any height. But you’ll also have that moment where you did take Heightened Reflexes, enabling you to do multi-opponent takedowns, and you’ll go sprinting up to two enemies having a conversation and knock them both out with a display of cyborg-fu that leaves you breathless.
“Wow, did they think of including an autopilot button, too?”
For all of its great environment exploration, Human Revolution’s waypointing system is a little out of control. Almost every objective of your missions and side missions appears on-screen as a large floating arrow, no matter how far away you are. On the one hand it’s extremely helpful, and casually eliminates all the maddening downtime of not quite knowing where to go, especially prominent in a game where you’ll often enter a building via what should have probably been your exit route.
On the other hand, there are plenty of missions which instruct you to “find” something, when that something is right there on both your map and your hud. Thoughtfully, you can both turn these waypoints off completely and toggle missions on and off in your log so their objectives do or don’t show up, but you’d probably be giving yourself a headache. The game’s been designed for use with them, so there will be plenty of cases where the game lacks the necessary signposting. Having no idea which door to knock on in a huge apartment block would be a good example.
“I am SUCH a badass. Watch this!”
Man alive, the action in this game is good. As much as the obvious questions pertaining to a Deus Ex sequel are whether it’ll keep the nonlinear design and interest in human interaction and consequence, a lot of your time in Deus Ex was spent sneaking, shooting, getting shot and thumping guys in the face with an extendable baton, which was fun enough. Here, it’s something to look forward to.
The guns feel great. The close-combat takedowns feel great. The sneaking feels great. My God, the sneaking feels great. Getting through Deus Ex without killing anybody was always an option, but Human Revolution positively encourages you to complete whole levels without being seen. Which, with the new minimap and Jensen’s grace when you attach him to cover, is a totally do-able objective, and even gets you an experience boost towards your next Praxis Point.
Crucially, you never feel weak. In the first Deus Ex, if you were a sneaky type and got caught, or you were a murderous type and took a lot of damage in a fight, there was a sense of failure. Human Revolution gives the sneaky guy tools to correct being located from his very first mission (punching that enemy who just walked into your hiding spot, or activating your camoflage to make your escape), and by swapping numerical health for regenerating health, the murderous type can no longer make mistakes. Now, it’s just a fantastic ride.
On the subject, hacking is now done via an excellent minigame. Not only is the curious arcade Uplink-alike they’ve got in here fun, and fairly deep, and based around risk-reward, you can hold down both mouse buttons to swivel the camera away from the computer terminal, allowing you to keep a lookout. Perfect. I remember reading in an interview that the hacking minigame was the project of one guy at the office, who worked on it obsessively and even scrapped it and started from scratch at one point. True or not, that’s exactly what it feels like.
“Seriously?”
The preview code ends with a boss fight that you can’t escape from. And that’s not the worst of it.
As I found out after four deaths (mine), two concussion grenades, four stun gun zaps, eight potent tranquilizer darts, three point-blank blasts from a Pulse Energy gun and a final, desperate EMP grenade, you can’t incapacitate said boss, Metal Gear Solid style. You have to kill him. Or rather, you have to injure him enough so that the game can take over and show you Jensen being forced to kill in a pre-rendered cutscene. Which struck me as a pretty miserable ending to everything up to that point. |
Jack Wilshere is expected to miss Arsenal's Champions League tie at Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday as he struggles with his latest injury to a foot. The midfielder rolled his left ankle in training last Thursday and was forced to sit out the 2-0 home win over Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday.
Wilshere did not train last Friday; he worked only in the gym on Saturday before the Liverpool game and the indications were that he would not travel to Germany with the squad.
The good news for Wilshere is that it is not the right foot, which was the one he damaged so seriously it cost him 17 months out of the game from June 2011. But he has also had problems with the left as a result, according to the manager, Arsène Wenger, of over-compensating to protect the right.
Wenger has tried to look after Wilshere this season, taking him out of the starting line-up, for example, against Fulham and Napoli; he has admitted to over-using him in the past. Yet there is a suspicion that Wilshere has not been 100 % fit.
He needed lengthy treatment to his right foot after a heavy landing in the home game against Dortmund two weeks ago and was eventually forced off. He claimed that he was fine but Wenger used him only as a substitute in the following game at Crystal Palace.
Wilshere returned to the starting XI against Chelsea in the Capital One Cup last Tuesday only to succumb to the ankle turn in training.
The England manager, Roy Hodgson, attended the Liverpool game and he was not only denied the chance to see Wilshere but also saw the left-back Kieran Gibbs limp off with a calf strain in the 78th minute. Gibbs is a selection doubt for Dortmund. "I will follow the medical advice [on Wilshere]," Wenger said. "He came in on Friday and was not available. We kept him out of the training. On Saturday he had a session but inside on the bike and we will see on Monday morning how he is." |
“Neoliberals, Neocons, Corporate media and “Progressives” (collectively, the Deep State) praising Trump for the illegal airstrike against Syria, uniformly calling for more war, and vociferously attacking all those opposing war. Many figures who opposed Bush’s war making have become totally “controlled puppets” who say and do what they are ordered to do—regardless of consistency with past views and actions.” Larry Chin, April 8, 2017
Segments of the anti-war movement which opposed the 2003 invasion and occupation of Iraq are tacitly supportive of Trump’s punitive airstrikes directed against the “Assad regime” allegedly involved in “killing their own people”, gassing them to death in a premeditated chemical weapons attack. According to Trump “Assad choked out the lives of helpless men women and children”.
America’s “Progressive Idol” Noam Chomsky in an April 5 interview with “Democracy Now” (aired two days before Trump’s punitive airstrikes) favors “regime change”, intimating that a negotiated “removal” of Bashar Al Assad could lead to a peaceful settlement.
According to Chomsky: “The Assad regime is a moral disgrace. They’re carrying out horrendous acts, the Russians with them.” Strong statement with no supporting evidence and documentation provided. The victims of imperialism are casually blamed for the crimes of imperialism:
…You know, you can’t tell them, “We’re going to murder you. Please negotiate.” That’s not going to work. But some system in which, in the course of negotiations …[with the Russians], … he [Bashar al-Assad] would be removed, and some kind of settlement would be made. The West would not accept it, … At the time, they believed they could overthrow Assad, so they didn’t want to do this, so the war went on. Could it have worked? You never know for sure. But it could have been pursued. Meanwhile, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are supporting jihadi groups, which are not all that different from ISIS. So you have a horror story on all sides. The Syrian people are being decimated. (Noam Chomsky on Democracy Now, April 5, 2017, See the video of the Democracy Now interview with Chomsky here
Update, Scan of Chomsky Interview Democracy Now, April 26, 2017
Who was behind the Chemical Weapons Attack?
No research, no investigative reports, no historical review have been conducted by Western governments and the mainstream media to support president Trump’s allegations directed against the Syrian government. (See Trump’s April 6 address below)
Financial Times screenshot. Trump nationwide statement on April 6, announcing the illegal airstrikes against Syria
The “humanitarian airstrikes” ordered by Trump constitute a criminal act which has resulted in civilian deaths including children. The US media applauds. The loss of Syrian lives is “collateral damage”.
While there is no evidence that president Al-Assad ordered the chemical weapons attack, there is ample evidence –including a comprehensive UN report– that the opposition “rebels” (supported by US-NATO) have since 2012 stockpiled and used chemical weapons against Syrian civilians as well as SAA soldiers.
There is also evidence that Washington and its allies had previously planned and supported “False Flag” chemical weapons attacks perpetrated by the “rebels” (including the 2012 East Ghouta attacks) with a view to incriminating the Damascus government.
See: The East Ghouta Chemical Attacks (2013): US-Backed False Flag? Killing Syrian Children to Justify a “Humanitarian” Military Intervention By Julie Lévesque and Prof Michel Chossudovsky, originally published in 2013.
The UN Mission to Investigate Allegations of the Use of Chemical Weapons (2013)
According to Carla del Ponte on behalf of the UN Mission to Investigate Allegations of the Use Chemical Weapons in the Syrian Arabic Republic:
“evidence from casualties and medical staff indicated that rebel forces in the civil war had used the deadly nerve agent sarin. ‘Our investigators have been in neighbouring countries interviewing victims, doctors and field hospitals, and there are strong, concrete suspicions, but not yet incontrovertible proof, of the use of sarin gas,’ said Del Ponte in an interview with Swiss-Italian television. ‘This was use on the part of the opposition, the rebels, not by the government authorities.’ The comments by Ms Del Ponte, a member of the U.N. panel probing alleged war crimes in Syria, contradict claims by Britain and the U.S. that intelligence reports showed Syrian soldiers had used chemical weapons. She said that the United Nations independent commission of inquiry on Syria has not yet seen evidence of government forces having used chemical weapons, which are banned under international law. (See Daily Mail Online, May 6, 2013)) “We still have to deepen our investigation, verify and confirm (the findings) through new witness testimony, but according to what we have established so far, it is at the moment opponents of the regime who are using sarin gas,” (The Independent, May 6, 2013)
To consult the complete UN Report which has been heavily redacted click here
The final version of the UN report was watered down: the role of opposition rebels acknowledged by the UN mission of investigators was omitted. The use of chemical weapons against both civilians and Syrian SAA soldiers is nonetheless documented and acknowledged.
On page 19 (para 111) of the UN report:
“Khan al Asal, 19 March 2013: 111. The United Nations Mission collected credible information that corroborates the allegations that chemical weapons were used in Khan al Asal on 19 March 2013 against soldiers and civilians.” [the report is careful not to mention that the attacks were conducted by opposition rebels and the attacks were directed against government forces] Page 19 (para 111) “Jobar, 24 August 2013: 113. The United Nations Mission collected evidence consistent with the probable use of chemical weapons in Jobar on 24 August on a relatively small scale against soldiers…” [by opposition rebels] Page 19 (para 113) See the official UN report, see also Carla Stea’s review article entitled: UN Mission Report Confirms that “Opposition” Rebels Used Chemical Weapons against Civilians and Government Forces, Global Research, December 31, 2013
The Training of Opposition Rebels in the Use of Chemical Weapons
Moreover, acknowledged by mainstream media reports, Western special forces on contract to the Pentagon were involved in training the Al Qaeda affiliated rebels in the use of chemical weapons.
For details see Michel Chossudovsky, Pentagon Trained Syria’s Al-Qaeda Rebels in the use of Chemical Weapons, Global Research, April 6, 2017.
See also Michel Chossudovsky, The Syria Chemical Weapons Saga: The Staging of a US-NATO Sponsored Humanitarian Disaster, originally published in December 2012
Paying Lip Service to US imperialism?
Whereas US-NATO inflicts death and destruction across the Middle East, not to mention its support of Al Qaeda affiliated terror groups, the victims of US aggression are casually blamed for “carrying out [these] horrendous acts” committed by the US and its allies.
Many “Progressives” view Syria as a “civil war” rather than a US-NATO supported terrorist insurgency. Noam Chomsky is largely supportive of “regime change” in Damascus in derogation of international law.
And anti-war activists concur, American “progressives” tow the line, follow suit in Chomsky’s footsteps.
In an earlier interview with Alternet, Chomsky avoids addressing US foreign policy, casually placing the blame on the “Assad regime”:
EF: To what extent is the US administration responsible for Syria’s implosion? NC It’s hard to say. The Assad regime is absolutely monstrous and responsible for a large majority of the atrocities. IS [Islamic State] is another monstrosity. The al-Qaida affiliated al-Nusra Front is not much better than IS [Islamic state], while some of the other major groups are closely linked to it. … Noam Chomsky, AlterNet, August 25, 2016. emphasis added)
“…is the US administration responsible? It’s hard to say.”
In response to Emron Feroz (EF), Chomsky conveniently lumps the “Assad regime” together with the terrorists. Moreover, he fails to acknowledge that the Syrian government is fighting both Al Qaeda and the Islamic State and that these terror groups are supported and financed by the Western military alliance.
Both Al Qaeda and the Islamic State (ISIS) are creations of US intelligence.
War has become peace. Realities have been turned upside down.
Trump’s illegal punitive airstrikes against Syria are heralded as a humanitarian act against Bashar Al Assad who is “killing his own people”.
The illegal cruise missile airstrikes have set the stage: “Responsibility to Protect” (R2P).
More airstrikes including direct US military intervention are envisaged.
And “Progressives” applaud. The anti-war movement is dead. |
Are you a photographer who needs a break and wants to share your work with some of the most important photo editors, publishers, gallery owners and curators in the world? Then you should apply today to the free (yes, free) fifth annual New York Portfolio Review, sponsored by The New York Times Lens blog and the City University of New York’s Graduate School of Journalism.
Participation is open to anyone over 18 years, and all types of photography will be considered. But remember, time is running out and the deadline is Feb. 12 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
Since we believe that only the quality of your work should matter — not who you know, how much money you have or your race, gender, ethnic background or sexual orientation, we are again bringing together 150 talented photographers with 75 top photo editors, publishers, video producers, gallery owners and curators for two days of private sessions on April 29th and 30th.
This will be an opportunity for people in the photographic community to meet, trade ideas, help each other — and have fun.
The first session, on Saturday, April 29, will be held for photographers 21 and older. Each participant will receive six private critiques. The second session, on Sunday, April 30, will be solely for photographers 18 to 27 and will consist of at least four private critiques for each participant, as well as workshops on how to best present, promote and publish photographs. We will screen all applicants and choose 100 participants for Saturday and 50 for Sunday. All kinds of photographic work — from fine art to photojournalism — are encouraged.
Please note: Photographers who attended last year’s review are not eligible to apply this year. Those who attended once in previous years can apply for this year’s review, but they must submit new work and expectations will be higher. Those who have already attended the review twice cannot apply.
Once photographers are selected, they will submit their top choices for reviewers of their work. We will match participants with as many of those reviewers as possible.
To enter, send no more than 20 photos total, from one or two projects, using the form below. The files should be jpegs, 1,200 pixels across and 72 D.P.I. We will inform those who are accepted by March 21.
Note: Be sure to triple-check the email address you submit. In the past, people have been accepted into the review, but we couldn’t reach them because of a misspelling in their address.
A list of reviewers is under the submission form below.
New York Portfolio Review 2017 Sorry, but the deadline for the 2017 Lens Portfolio Review has passed.
If you have any questions, you can send us an email.
Our lineup of reviewers this year includes:
Elizabeth Avedon, correspondent, L’Oeil de la Photographie
Felicia Anastasia, owner, Anastasia Gallery
Daniel Aycock, owner, Front Room Gallery
Stacey Baker, photo editor, The New York Times Magazine
Sam Barzilay, creative director, United Photo Industries and Photoville
Jacqueline Bates, photography director, The California Sunday Magazine
Liz Baylen, director of video enterprise, The New York Times
Deborah Bell, president and owner, Deborah Bell Photographs
Jonathan Blaustein, contributing writer, A Photo Editor
Elliot Jerome Brown Jr., exhibitions coordinator, Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts
Clinton Cargill, director of photography, Bloomberg Businessweek
Eliezer Budasoff, editor, New York Times en Español.
Sam Cate-Gumpert, deputy art director, Harper’s Magazine
Pamela Chen, editorial director, Instagram
Stacey Clarkson, art director, Harper’s Magazine
Rhea Combs, curator for photography and film, National Museum of African American History and Culture
Sean Corcoran, curator, Museum of the City of New York
Jonas Cuénin, editor-in-chief, L’Oeil de la Photographie
Tanner Curtis, national photo editor, The New York Times
Barbara Davidson, staff photographer, The Los Angeles Times
Mike Davis, board member, Alexia Foundation
Jessica Dimson, deputy photo editor, The New York Times Magazine
Shaminder Dulai, director of photography, Newsweek
James Estrin, co-editor, The New York Times Lens blog
Michael Famighetti, editor, Aperture magazine
Beth Flynn, deputy editor of photography, The New York Times
Maura Foley, national photo editor, The New York Times
Hannah Frieser, executive director, Center for Photography in Woodstock
David Furst, international photo editor, The New York Times
Genevieve Fussell, photo editor, The New Yorker
Jeffrey Furticella, sports photo editor, The New York Times
Alice Gabriner, senior photo editor, Time magazine
Alessia Glaviano, senior photo editor, Vogue Italia
MaryAnne Golon, assistant managing editor and director of photography, The Washington Post
David Gonzalez, co-editor, The New York Times Lens blog
Amanda Gorence, photo editor, Refinery29
Becky Lebowitz Hanger, sports photo editor, The New York Times
Todd Heisler, board member, Chris Hondros Foundation
Eric Himmel, vice president and editor in chief, Abrams Books
Lisa Hostetler, curator-in-charge, Department of Photography, Eastman House
Jérôme Huffer, head of photo department, Paris Match
W. M. Hunt, independent curator/collector, Dancing Bear
Nicolas Jimenez, director of photography, Le Monde
Whitney Johnson, deputy director of photography, National Geographic Magazine
Michael Kamber, founder, Bronx Documentary Center
Steven Kasher, owner, Steven Kasher Gallery
Debra Klomp Ching, owner, Klompching Gallery
Elizabeth Krist, independent photo editor
Adrees Latif, editor in charge, U.S. Pictures, Reuters
Olivier Laurent, editor, Time LightBox
Sacha Lecca, deputy photo editor, Rolling Stone
Sarah Leen, director of photography, National Geographic Magazine
Brent Lewis, photo editor, The Undefeated Magazine
Eve Lyons, photo editor, The New York Times
Santiago Lyon, former director of photography, The Associated Press
Kerri MacDonald, social media photo editor, The New York Times
Morrigan McCarthy, national photo editor, The New York Times
Michele McNally, director of photography and assistant editor, The New York Times
Sarah Meister, curator, Museum of Modern Art
Joanna Milter, director of photography, The New Yorker
Paul Moakley, deputy photo editor, Time magazine
Azu Nwagbogu, founder and director, African Artists’ Foundation and Lagos Photo Festival
Evan Ortiz, digital photo editor, Bloomberg Pursuits
Kira Pollack, director of photography and visual enterprise, Time
Jenna Pirog, virtual reality editor/producer, The New York Times Magazine
Gabriela Rangel, director of visual arts and chief curator, The America Society
Tim Rasmussen, director of photography, ESPN
Emma Raynes, director of programs, Magnum Foundation
Siobhan Riordan, exhibition associate, Open Society
Kathy Ryan, director of photography, The New York Times Magazine
Bertan Selim, grants & collaborations coordinator, Prince Claus Fund
Sandra M. Stevenson, Visual Editor — Digital, The New York Times
Noelle Flores Theard, program associate, Magnum Foundation
Scott Thode, director of art and education, Visura
Paula Tognarelli, executive director and curator, Griffin Museum of Photography
Thea Traff, photo editor, The New Yorker
David Walker, executive editor, Photo District News
Damon Winter, staff photographer, The New York Times
Patrick Witty, deputy director of photography for digital, National Geographic
Denise Wolff, senior editor, books, Aperture Foundation
Tim Wride, curator of photography, Norton Museum of Art
Yukiko Yamagata, associate director, Open Society
Cynthia Young, curator, International Center of Photography
Laura Roumanos, of United Photo Industries and Photoville, Ania Bartkowiak, producer of the Lens blog, and Whitney Richardson, photo editor at The New York Times, will be producing this event.
Follow @nytimesphoto on Twitter. You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram. |
It’s a horse race.
Will Donald Trump’s first new war be with Russia, Iran, China, or North Korea?
Here are some things to consider as you try to handicap this deadly contest:
RUSSIA:
It is a certainty that a war of principals or proxies with Russia remains a chief objective of the neocons and the Deep State. If Victoria Nuland in Kiev didn’t convince you of this, recall Murray Rothbard’s trenchant observation that “sanctions are simply the coward’s and the babbler’s halfway house to war,” and it is clear we have been on the way to war with Russia for some time.
Physical Gold & Silver in your IRA. Get the Facts.
All that could ever have been hoped from Donald Trump was that if elected president he would deflect Washington’s headlong rush to a Russian war, beginning with the lifting of sanctions. Judging today by the way he has populated his administration, I no longer have any hope that Trump will change that trajectory.
Look at it this way. For Donald Trump to have survived and flourished in New York and New Jersey real estate development, he had to have a keen sense of the hidden power interests that he needed to appease: Which union or brotherhood had to be guaranteed building contracts, which suppliers must be used, and which politicians need to be greased to win zoning and other approvals. Beginning with the Flynn episode and other surveillance and leaks, the President is being schooled by the permanent government. Whatever else you may say about him, he is a quick learner. Unquestionably, in its few short weeks in Washington, the Trump team’s rhetoric about Russia has toughened and official U.S. behavior is again growing bellicose. The Dollar Meltdown: S... Best Price: $3.03 Buy New $8.09 (as of 11:55 EST - Details)
IRAN:
Iran has been more sinned against than sinning in its relations with the United States over the past couple of generations. Nevertheless, for reasons that are discernable to those willing to look closely, but unknown to the average American, Iran remains a primary target of the war-making classes in Washington.
Among them, we must now include the new president. Trump is more enchanted with the ability to wield deadly power than anyone with healthy human consciousness. (We’ve learned from Joe Scarborough that Trump repeatedly pressed a foreign policy advisor during the campaign to explain why the U.S. can’t use its nuclear weapons.)
As Eric Margolis observed recently on LewRockwell.com, in the Persian Gulf the US Navy “is provoking the Iranians to please President Donald Trump who seems determined to have war with Iran.”
CHINA:
Trump has more been more critical of China than of any other country. To underscore his outlook, at his confirmation hearing Trump’s Secretary of State struck a tone that China justifiably found alarming: “We’re going to have to send China a clear signal that, first, the island-building stops and, second, your access to those islands also is not going to be allowed,” said Rex Tillerson.
It looks like the Trumpsters want to teach China that the South China Sea is an American lake.
What is more apparent is that Trump is eager to start a trade war with China. That trade wars often lead to hot wars should be a given, but it is clearly unknown to most of Washington and to Trump.
NORTH KOREA:
For persistence of policy failure, nothing can equal the Empire’s standoff with North Korea. A near total economic embargo of North Korea has been in place since 1950, the policy under 13 consecutive presidents – under more than a quarter of the occupants of the White House and for more than a quarter of the life of the American constitutional republic.
At what point is the failed North Korean embargo due for reevaluation? Does anyone think that in the embargo’s seventh decade North Korea has been insufficiently isolated? Since the policy has had so little effect, could the answer be to continue doing the same thing for another two-thirds of a century? Does it make sense to continue the wishful-thinking Korean policy for another 13 presidencies expecting different results?
It is a policy that has made the region ever more dangerous today. It cannot be denied that 28,500 troops from the world’s sole superpower just across the DMZ make the Dear Leaders of the Hermit Kingdom nervous indeed, while U.S. war games in the region involving tens of thousands of U.S. and South Korean troops provoke hysterical reactions from an already paranoid regime. The fear of a joint U.S. – South Korean attack fuels the North’s nuclear ambitions.
China’s tolerance for the rogue and impulsive regime on its border is only likely to change when the Empire vacates the region. China’s concern about the U.S. and its nuclear arsenal holding sway on the Korean peninsula is justified by the facts. Under the existing protocol, if a war were to break out there, a U.S. general would be in charge of both U.S. and South Korean forces.
Unless the U.S. military leaves Korea, the region is headed to war. China has no wish to be maneuvered into defending the North Korean miscreants. But it will feel cornered into doing so in the event of hostilities.
PLACE YOUR BETS: Red and Blue and Broke... Charles Goyette Best Price: $2.53 Buy New $11.83 (as of 10:05 EST - Details)
You may remember Iraq war architect Paul Wolfowitz arguing for Bush’s elective war on the grounds that it was “doable.”
Because sometimes that is all that logic it takes, for now, my money is on the pale horse of North Korea as the first new Trump war.
The U.S. has:
1.) deployed its THAAD anti-missile system in South, a technology that the North suspects is intended to provide cover for an attack on it;
2.) refused to stand down the annual war games that the North finds so frightening, and;
3.) planned to send B-1 and B-52 bombers to the peninsula.
I fear the crazies think that a war there is “doable.” If I am right, the Korean War that began in 1950 will be re-ignited. It will likely involve the same alignment of North Korea, China, and Russia allied against the United States and South Korea.
Only this time it is certain to go nuclear.
What say you? Will Trump’s first new war be with Russia, Iran, China, or North Korea?
The Best of Charles Goyette |
WEDNESDAY, March 6 (HealthDay News) -- States with the strongest gun laws have fewer gun-related suicides and murders, a new study suggests.
In the study, researchers analyzed U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics on deaths between 2007 and 2010. They also looked at five categories of gun laws in all 50 states to create a gun law "strength score" for each state. The highest possible score was 28.
Over the four-year study period, there were more than 121,000 gun deaths in the United States. Average gun-related death rates ranged from a high of 17.9 per 100,000 people in Louisiana to a low of 2.9 per 100,000 in Hawaii. State gun law strength scores ranged from zero in Utah to 24 in Massachusetts.
States with the highest gun law strength scores (nine or higher) had a lower overall gun-related death rate -- 6.4 fewer deaths per 100,000 -- than those with the lowest scores (two or lower).
The study also found that states with the strongest gun laws had a lower rate of gun-related suicides (6.3 fewer deaths per 100,000) and a lower rate of gun-related deaths (0.4 fewer deaths per 100,000) than states with the weakest gun laws.
The study was published online March 6 in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.
"In conclusion, we found an association between the legislative strength of a state's firearm laws -- as measured by a higher number of laws -- and a lower rate of firearm fatalities," Dr. Eric Fleegler, of Boston Children's Hospital, and colleagues said in a JAMA news release. "The association was significant for firearm fatalities overall and for firearm suicide and firearm homicide deaths, individually. As our study could not determine a cause-and-effect relationship, further studies are necessary to define the nature of this association."
In an accompanying editorial, Dr. Garen Wintemute, of the University of California, Davis, said this would be an important study "if it were robust and if its meaning were clear." He said the study provides "no firm guidance."
"Do the laws work or not? If so, which ones?" he said. "Should policymakers enact the entire package? Some part? Which part?"
Wintemute called for improvements in the way research into gun violence is conducted, including better data and better data systems.
"To prevent firearm violence, our research efforts must be substantial and sustained," he wrote.
More than 30,000 people die each year in the United States from gun-related injuries.
More information
The American College of Emergency Physicians has more about gun-related deaths and injuries. |
politics Legal-Aid Clinics Dodge Closures
As legal aid across Ontario struggles to serve growing low-income populations, community clinics are under pressure to reform.
In 1989, Josephine Grey and her three children were forced out of their home and into a shelter. Grey was being abused by her partner—her children’s father—and, with his name on the lease of the matrimonial home, she had no legal right to ask him to leave. Homeless for nine months, she sought legal aid to have her abusive partner kicked out so she and her children could return home safely. But her request violated the social housing policy at the time, and without the ability to hire a lawyer, there was little she could do. She could either choose to stay in an abusive home, or perpetually dwell in shelters with her children—two options Grey refused to accept.
Based on her extremely low income, Grey was eligible for legal representation through the legal-aid certificate program. She was matched with lawyer Patrick Casey, who helped take her case to Superior Court. Grey won her case, which set a new precedent allowing victims of domestic abuse to retain their home and have their abuser kicked out, regardless of who originally signed the lease.
“The system worked for me in many, many ways,” says Grey, who credits community legal aid with saving her life. Now, she’s an anti-poverty activist and the founding director of Low Income Families Together (LIFT).
“The system worked for me in many, many ways.”
But legal aid in Ontario is at a crossroads. A lack of funding and changing poverty demographics in the GTA have left large chunks of communities in need of legal aid, but unable to access it. If Grey faced the same legal conflict today that she did back in 1989, she doubts the system would provide the same support. “Forget it. I’d be on the street,” she says. “I would have lost my kids by now.”
Nearly a quarter of Toronto’s population lives in poverty, but only a fraction of those people are eligible for legal aid. A family of three, for example, is only eligible if their annual household income after tax is less than $32,860—about $4000 below the poverty line, and $40,000 less than the median household income in Toronto. To access a lawyer through the legal-aid certificate program, income eligibility drops to $22,577.
According to a 2011 Ontario Auditor General report [PDF]: “For at least the last decade, Ontario has spent more on legal-aid support per capita than any other province, even though it has one of the lowest income eligibility thresholds and issues fewer certificates entitling people to legal aid per capita than most other provinces.” And in its 2012 budget, the Ontario Government stated, “[I]f programs are not achieving the desired results and ensuring the best use of taxpayer dollars, they need to be transformed.”
The GTA Legal Clinic Transformation Project was “a heated, at times emotional process.”
Legal Aid Ontario (LAO), the primary funder for legal clinics across the province, has been under pressure to reform. Desperate for a funding boost from the province, LAO endorsed the GTA Legal Clinic Transformation Project. The project was initiated by Flemingdon Community Legal Services, and was then developed by six east-end clinics looking for more efficient ways to serve low-income people. The group proposed all clinics in the GTA consider restructuring their services, and LAO supported the idea. A steering committee made up of two staff from each clinic was formed, along with a smaller working group of clinic executive directors. Thus began what Marjorie Hilley, co-chair of the project and executive director of the Flemingdon clinic, describes as “a heated, at times emotional process.”
In August 2014, two months before the Ontario government announced a three-year, $100-million investment in legal aid, the working group released a “Vision Report” [PDF]. The report suggested ways to create “efficiencies” in the system, namely, replacing the 17 community clinics in the GTA with five prototyped facilities, each with 33 staff. In Toronto proper, the number of clinics would shrink from 14 to three.
The larger clinic model would be a huge improvement for clinics in the 905 area, which are even more under-resourced than those located in downtown Toronto. But most clinics were against the idea from the start. Even opposing clinics, however, weren’t prepared to alienate themselves from the process, or risk having LAO reduce funding for not cooperating.
“Our clinic didn’t really like what we were seeing, but we wanted to be involved in the process,” says Timothy Maxwell, community organizer with Kensington-Bellwoods Community Legal Services (KBCLS). “We registered some concerns around LAO’s philosophy and approach—but we said, ‘Yeah, we’re in.’ If you signed [on], your clinic would be funded, no question.”
“A lot of people don’t want to be putting their head out there to get knocked off.”
Maxwell worked for KBCLS from 1986 1o 1999. In July, Kensington-Bellwoods asked him to return to organize a campaign to stop the Vision Report. “A lot of people don’t want to be putting their head out there to get knocked off,” he says. “Whereas that’s my job.”
Maxwell sees “clinic consolidation” as part of a dangerous trend in legal aid across Ontario, where community outreach is sacrificed for casework. Closing individual cases has become increasingly more important than reforming deficient laws and regulations that cause casework to pile up in the first place.
“Legal Aid [Ontario] has this tunnel vision,” says Maxwell, cupping his hands around his eyes. “They’ve never really gotten the whole clinic mandate thing. And they resisted constantly.”
The mandate he’s referring to is community involvement in community legal clinics and their decision-making. Maxwell and other critics argue that client populations have been left out of the process. Josephine Grey, who’s highly involved on both sides of the legal-aid system, only learned about the Transformation Project in late September 2014. But according to Marjorie Hilley, discussions about clinic reform began in 2010.
Maxwell and Gary Newhouse, chair of KBCLS, initiated a Town Hall meeting to inform neighbourhoods about proposed changes to their clinics. They also asked client populations how, if at all, legal aid should be reformed.
Out of that process, two community groups emerged—Concerned Parkdale and the Keepers—that have helped reframe the transformation discussion.
“If you ask if this has been a democratic process, the answer is no.”
“Having a bottom-up process is essential,” says Oriel Varga, a recent law-school graduate and member of the Keepers. “Low-income people who use clinics should be at the forefront. They know what they need—they shouldn’t be an afterthought.”
But Varga says many legal-aid clients don’t even know their clinics were at risk of closing. “If you ask if this has been a democratic process, the answer is no.”
“They kept moving the target hoping to change opposition.”
Clinics were supposed to vote by the end of September on whether or not to implement the Transformation Project. This deadline was extended to November, then December. Meanwhile, opposition to the project was growing. “So they said, ‘Okay, let’s vote on it by the end of February,’” says Maxwell. “They kept moving the target, hoping to change opposition.”
The steering committee finally met on February 25, and the Transformation Project was rejected. Flemingdon was the only Toronto clinic that fully endorsed the “mega clinic” plan. While some clinics, including North Dufferin-Peel and York Region, supported the idea of larger facilities with more staff, they acknowledged this model may not work for downtown communities. “What clinics are saying is that one size doesn’t fit all,” says Marjorie Hilley—something clinics like Kensington-Bellwoods and Parkdale have been saying all along.
“It’s a very positive thing that we destroyed the notion of three clinics replacing 14 in Toronto,” says Maxwell. Meanwhile, poverty is still increasing all over Toronto, but the conversation around legal-aid reform has changed.
“Clinics have started talking about a new kind of transformation that is more community focused,” says Maxwell, “not a sweeping, catch-all transformation.” |
GIANTS OF THE FIRST PROGRESSIVE ERA: At left is Robert M. Lafollette of Wisconsin, remembered as one of the greatest statesmen ever to serve in the U.S. Senate. A 1982 survey of American historians ranked him as No. 1 among U.S. Senators for “long range impact on American history”—tied with Henry Clay. In his era, LaFollette eventually left the Republican Party to join forces with other Progressives. At right in this photo is Samuel Gompers (1850-1924), founder of the American Federation of Labor (AFL). Are we on the verge of a new Progressive Era? The first Progressive Era was a period of reform, correcting the excesses of the first Gilded Age in which untold wealth was accumulated by a few while the rest languished. Now, we’re in a new Gilded Age, as we’ve discussed this week, a time of immense wealth for a few and record levels of inequality.
So, the final question this week: If history repeats itself, is a new Progressive Era inevitable?
This week, we’ve talked about the division of the world into the ultra-rich and the rest of us, the new Gilded Age, and the new plutocrats’ ambivalent attitudes about the rest of us, relying on a new book, Plutocrats: The Rise of the New Global Super-Rich and the Fall of Everyone Else.
Why might history repeat? In one word: Democracy. In our political system, the people can elect officials who implement reforms, such as redistribution of wealth and regulation of the financial sector. Democracy is an inconvenient truth for plutocrats. In the first Progressive Era, a steep progressive tax was enacted on the super-rich. By 1918, the tax rate on the super-rich had reached 77 percent, writes Chrystia Freeland, author of Plutocrats. She also describes how plutocrats fought back, reducing the rate. Yet plutocrats can’t control what happens at the ballot box.
It’s a good question: Are we at the verge of the next Progressive Era? Obama has drawn a line in the sand, insisting that the wealthy pay more taxes. The public is behind him. Over half of Americans (55%) say that Obama is making a serious effort to avert the fiscal cliff, but only 32% say that Republicans are doing the same, according to a new Pew poll.
Do you support Obama’s solution to the fiscal cliff?
Do you think we are on the verge of a new Progressive Era?
Please, leave a Comment below.
Originally published at www.OurValues.org, an experiment in civil dialogue about American values. |
Cousins Miguel Ojeda and John Zakoor started playing music together over a decade ago, but they’ve just started to hit their stride in the riffy pop-rock outfit Migrant Kids. The trio — which also features drummer Bryan O’Flynn — was named Best New Band by the Austin Chronicle last year, but 2016 is prime to have even bigger things in store. The band has just announced that they’ll be releasing a new EP, entitled Primordial Soup, on May 13th via Pure Joy Records.
“The EP is about embracing where we come from, and trying to tap into that,” Ojeda says of the four-track effort. “Beyond this earth where everything started, after the big bang and brewing in a Primordial Soup!”
Alongside the record announcement, they’ve shared the video for new single “Thread”. Shot in Laredo, TX, the self-consciously “vintage” video recalls the glory days of VHS; if it weren’t for the sweet arpeggios and ultramodern post-rock riffing, you might think it was actually a relic from the 1980s. In any case — and despite the grainy footage — it sure is pretty to look at.
“We wanted to showcase all of the beauty in that city that seems so overlooked,” explains O’Flynn. “Laredo has really incredible people and a budding art scene, and they were certainly one of the first to embrace us as we were getting started in Texas.”
Check out the video below, and look out for the Primordial Soup EP on May 13th. |
Mohamed Amimour told Le Monde last year of mission to rescue his son, Samy, who blew himself up after the Bataclan theatre attack
The father of one of the gunmen who killed scores of concert-goers in Paris had tried unsuccessfully last year to bring his son back from Syria where he had joined Islamic State (Isis).
Mohamed Amimour, 67, spoke about his failed attempt to extract his son, Samy, from the control of Isis commanders, telling the French newspaper Le Monde afterwards how he had been greeted with coldness and “a distant sort of smile”.
Samy Amimour, 28, who was born in Drancy, a north-eastern suburb of Paris, has been identified as one of the attackers at the Bataclan theatre. He wore a suicide vest and blew himself up on Friday evening as French police closed in.
His father had urged his son to renounce his jihadi beliefs. In June 2014, Mohamed Amimour, who is of French-Algerian descent, set out on a private family mission to rescue his son, crossing the Turkish border and travelling to the Syrian town of Minbej, near Aleppo.
Abdelhamid Abaaoud named as alleged mastermind of Paris terror attacks Read more
On his return last year, he explained to Le Monde how he had failed to persuade Samy to return home. “Daesh [Isis] are highly organised,” he said. “They use a telephone chip just once. You can never call them back again.”
Amimour had kept in contact with Samy through conversations on Skype but did not tell his son he was flying out to see him.
The 67-year-old was smuggled across the Turkish border in a minibus near Gaziantep and driven south across a minefield in the desert to Minbej, where he first saw the black Isis flags.
“At the first checkpoint there was a man with a Kalashnikov,” he recalled. “My travelling companions applauded [when they arrived]. My passport was taken. The new jihadi recruits were greeted by a crowd of bearded men with cries of ‘Allahu akbar’.”
Amimour waited. He was not allowed to smoke. It was the day that the Isis leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, declared an Islamic caliphate. Standing outside a cybercafe, he was picked up by an Isis patrol and taken to a mosque where he was ordered to attend prayers.
Paris attack suspects: what do we know about them? Read more
The next day, Amimour was reunited with his son. He described Samy as having a “distant sort of smile”.
Amimour said: “He was with another man who never left us alone. Our reunion was very cold. [My son] didn’t invite me back to his lodgings, he didn’t say how he had been wounded nor whether he had been fighting.”
That evening he gave Samy a letter from his mother in which he had hidden €100 (£70) . His father remembered: “He went into a corner to read it, then gave me back the cash, saying he didn’t have any need of money.”
Amimour, hurt by the coldness of their encounter, talked to other jihadi fighters, who showed him videos of men being tortured by the forces of Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president.
Amimour said: “One of my son’s colleagues showed me a film where they themselves killed men at close quarters. I saw horrible images. I was sickened.”
Two days later Amimour crossed back over the Syrian-Turkish border alongside a French woman from Montpellier, whom he remembered as having green eyes and carrying a six-month-old baby. “Her husband was learning how to commit a suicide attack. She seemed happy.”
Amimour flew home from Istanbul. He was not debriefed by the police. He later learned that his son had married and changed his name to Abu Hajia.
“I don’t want him to stay down there for the rest of his life,” he told Le Monde last year. |
History of Mirrors - Mirrors in ancient world
The first mirrors used by people were most likely water collected in a some kind of primitive vessel. The examples of the earliest manufactured mirrors made from pieces of polished stone such as naturally occurring volcanic glass obsidian found in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) have been dated to around 6000 BC. Polished stone mirrors made in Central and South America date from 2000 BC onwards. Mesopotamians crafted mirrors of polished cooper from 4000 BC, and ancient Egyptians made this kind of mirrors from around 3000 BC. Chinese manufactured bronze mirrors from around 2000 BC. Mirrors produced of copper and tin speculum metal may also have been produced in China and India. Speculum metal or any precious metal mirrors were hard to produce, they were very expensive and were only owned by the wealthy.
Metal-coated glass mirrors are said to have been produced for the first time in Sidon (modern-day Lebanon) in the first century AD. The technique for creating crude mirrors by coating blown glass with molten lead was discovered by the Romans. In Greco-Roman culture and throughout European Middle Ages mirrors were simply slightly convex disks of metal, either bronze, tin, or silver, that reflected light off their highly polished surfaces.
Some time during the early Renaissance, a superior method of coating glass with a tin-mercury amalgam was perfected in Europe. In the 16th century, Venice, a city very famous for its glass-making expertise, became a center of mirror manufacturing. The mirrors manufactured in Venice were famed for their high quality. The Saint-Gobain factory, established by royal initiative in France, was an important mirror producer. By the middle of the 17th century, mirror was extensively made in London and Paris.
From the late 17th century onward, mirrors-and their frames-played an increasingly important part in home decoration. The early frames were usually made of ivory, silver, ebony, or tortoiseshell.
By the end of the 18th century, the frames were decorated with floral patterns or classical ornaments.
The invention of the chemical process of coating a glass surface with metallic silver is credited to German chemist Justus von Liebig in 1835. His silvering process involved the deposition of a thin layer of metallic silver onto glass through the chemical reduction of silver nature. This process inaugurated the modern techniques of mirror manufacturing and led to the greater availability of affordable mirror. Nowadays, mirrors are often produced by sputtering a thin layer of molten aluminum or silver onto the back of a plate of glass in a vacuum.
People have used mirrors both as household objects and as objects of decoration throughout history. The earliest made mirrors were hand mirrors; mirrors large enough to reflect the whole body appeared in the 1st century AD. Celts adopted hand mirrors from the Romans and by the end of the Middle Ages had become quite common throughout Europe. They were usually made of silver, though sometimes of polished bronze. |
With OneDrive, we want to give you one place for all of your stuff: your photos, videos, documents and other files. Of course, to do this, we need to make sure you actually have enough storage space for everything, particularly given that the amount of content everyone has is growing by leaps and bounds.
It’s also clear that you want more than just the ability to store your stuff in the cloud. You want to be able to share it, to collaborate on it, and so much more. The landscape is changing to the point that we believe it’s no longer enough to provide only cloud storage — that’s table stakes. We want to provide a complete experience that brings in the power of Office and lets you do more with everything you put in your OneDrive — whether it’s sharing your favorite photos with the people you care about in one simple click or working together in real time on an important project.
With this in mind, today we are announcing the following:
1. OneDrive will come with 15 GB for free (up from 7 GB)
Our data tells us that 3 out of 4 people have less than 15 GB of files stored on their PC. Factoring in what they may also have stored on other devices, we believe providing 15 GB for free right out of the gate – with no hoops to jump through – will make it much easier for people to have their documents, videos, and photos available in one place.
2. All versions of Office 365 will come with 1 TB of OneDrive storage
Soon you will get 1 TB of OneDrive with your subscription to Office 365. This means you will get the power of the world’s most popular productivity suite, Office, along with apps for your laptop, smartphone, and tablet, plus an enormous amount of storage, for an unbelievably low price.
For Office 365 Home ($9.99/mo) you’ll get 1 TB per person (up to 5 people), and with Office 365 Personal ($6.99/mo) and University ($79.99/4yr) you will get 1 TB per subscription. This is a great follow on to our April announcement that all OneDrive for Business customers will get 1 TB of cloud storage per person too.
3. We are dropping storage prices by over 70%
Of course, we also want to give you as much flexibility as possible, so if you need more storage, but don’t need an Office 365 subscription, we will also still provide monthly subscription storage options – at dramatically reduced rates.
The new monthly prices will be $1.99 for 100 GB (previously $7.49) and $3.99 for 200 GB (previously $11.49).
All of these updates will take effect in the next month. For current subscribers, you are all set, you’ll automatically be moved to the lower prices.
We’re really excited to bring more storage to OneDrive so you have all the room you need to store all of your photos, videos, and documents in one place. If you haven’t yet signed up for OneDrive, you can learn more and sign up at http://onedrive.com/.
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Omar Shahine
Group Program Manager, OneDrive.com |
Saab and PT Lundin have revealed their Bonefishunmanned surface vessel (USV) technology demonstrator at Indo Defence 2014.
Formally unveiled by Indonesia’s defence minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Marsetio in a joint ribbon-cutting ceremony on the first day of the show, the 12m carbon-fibre composite trimaran prototype is set to begin sea trials next month.
Joint development of the Bonefish demonstrator, which can be seen on PT Lundin’s stand (Hall D, 025) began at the start of this year, the concept marrying Saab’s mission systems integration expertise with PT Lundin’s advanced wave-piercing trimaran hullform.
The prototype was built in approximately six months at PT Lundin’s composite boat production facility in Banyuwangi, East Java.
Capable of speeds of up to 40kts, Bonefish is designed to incorporate a wide range of sensors, satellite-based control and a modular payload bay to enable role flexibility.
Potential missions could include anti-piracy, maritime surveillance, anti-submarine warfare, mine countermeasures, search and rescue, and hydrography.
Peter Carlqvist, head of Saab Indonesia (Hall D, Stand 052), said the collaboration between Saab and PT Lundin represented an exciting opportunity for the two companies.
“Saab has identified the need for a USV that is modular and adaptable according to the mission,” he told the Show Daily. “The wave-piercing trimaran platform developed by PT Lundin is unique with regard to its ability to sustain high speed in high sea states. That is very important for a craft that is going to be out at sea for extended periods by itself.”
Dan Enstedt, president and CEO of Saab Asia-Pacific, added: “We are extremely proud and happy that we were able to unveil this demonstrator at Indo Defence and show a tangible example of co-operation between Saab of Sweden and Indonesian industry.”
Tests and trials of the prototype are expected to run through 2015. |
J.J. Abrams must have some sort of geographical boner for places that start with “AUS,” because he debuted “Star Trek” in AUStralia a month before it’s US release (complete with a Wonkaesque Golden Ticket contest) and held a sneak preview in AUStin, TX. The Austin this was actually really cool. The fans thought they were showing up for “Wrath of Kahn” and a 10 minute sneak preview of “Star Trek.” Instead “the film broke” and Leonard Nimoy came out, bitched about the technical snafu then they showed the new film in its entirety. Harry Knowles was there and you can read his account HERE. You might want to bring a book because his review is LONG. I love what he does for the geek community in general but that dude can’t write a review without retelling his entire life. He’s kind of like a fatter, red-headed Dewey Cox that way.
I suppose if I get desperate I can travel down I-35, find one of the lucky Austinites, then tie them up in a mini storage unit and mind meld with him to get a taste of the movie. That kind of shit happens in Austin all the time. Also weed. Weed happens in Austin all the time.
I had a really hard time writing this comic, so I thought I would throw in some extra art juice to even it out. I felt like I’d already done a vegemite joke, but I couldn’t find it in the archives. Maybe it was a comment from a while back. I was also pretty sure I’d done a “The Core” joke before but then I realized the joke was on me… because I had seen “The Core.” |
Watch Dogs animation director Colin Graham says the two versions are practically the same.
Xbox One users may have been dismayed to learn that an increasing number of cross-platform games run at higher resolutions or framerates on the rival PlayStation 4. The fact that all of the gameplay footage we've seen from Ubisoft's Watch Dogs so far is from the PS4 version, has been worrying some that the Xbox One version would again get the shaft in terms of graphics, however, Watch Dogs animation director Colin Graham assures us that this is not the case.
"It really doesn't look different though," Tweeted Graham, in response to a fan asking if we would ever see promotional footage of Watch Dogs running on the Xbox One. "The two versions are identical in almost every way," he added.
He did, however, clarify that "On the technical side I cannot say, I just don't know," when asked if the games will have the same resolution and framerate. "I'm an Animator, not an engineer," he admitted, adding "To me they look the same."
So, while it's not quite a 100% confirmation that the Xbox One version of the game won't be scaled back in some way, it's still looking good for Xbox owners.
Watch Dogs has faced a rather lengthy delay from it's initial release date of November, 2013, but it has now been confirmed to be coming this spring. The delay meant that the team had time to better fine tune the game, and include some game systems that they were initially saving for a sequel.
Which platform will you be getting Watch Dogs on?
Source: Twitter |
In the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics, the decay of one quark to another by the emission of a virtual W boson is described by the 3 × 3 unitary Cabibbo–Kobayashi–Maskawa (CKM) matrix1,2. This matrix arises from the coupling of the quarks to the Higgs boson. Although the SM does not predict the values of the four free parameters of the CKM matrix, the measurements of these parameters in different processes should be consistent with each other. If they are not, it is a sign of physics beyond the SM. In global fits combining all available measurements3,4, the sensitivity of the overall consistency check is limited by the precision in the measurements of the magnitude and phase of the matrix element V ub , which describes the transition of a b quark to a u quark.
The magnitude of V ub can be measured via the semileptonic quark-level transition . Semileptonic decays are used to minimize the uncertainties arising from the interaction of the strong force, described by quantum chromodynamics (QCD), between the final-state quarks. For the measurement of the magnitude of V ub , as opposed to measurements of the phase, all decays of the b quark, and the equivalent quark, can be considered together. There are two complementary methods to perform the measurement. From an experimental point of view, the simplest is to measure the branching fraction (probability to decay to a given final state) of a specific (exclusive) decay. An example is the decay of a (b ) meson to the final state , where the influence of the strong interaction on the decay, encompassed by a form factor, is predicted by non-perturbative techniques such as lattice QCD (LQCD; ref. 5) or QCD sum rules6. The world average from ref. 7 for this method, using the decays and , is |V ub | = (3.28 ± 0.29) × 10−3, where the most precise experimental inputs come from the BaBar8,9 and Belle10,11 experiments. The uncertainty is dominated by the LQCD calculations, which have recently been updated12,13 and result in larger values of V ub than the average given in ref. 7. The alternative method is to measure the differential decay rate in an inclusive way over all possible B meson decays containing the quark-level transition. This results in (ref. 14), where the first uncertainty arises from the experimental measurement and the second from theoretical calculations. The discrepancy between the exclusive and inclusive |V ub | determinations is approximately three standard deviations and has been a long-standing puzzle in flavour physics. Several explanations have been proposed, such as the presence of a right-handed (vector plus axial-vector) coupling as an extension of the SM beyond the left-handed (vector minus axial-vector) W coupling15,16,17,18. A similar discrepancy also exists between exclusive and inclusive measurements of |V cb | (the coupling of the b quark to the c quark)14.
This article describes a measurement of the ratio of branching fractions of the Λ b 0 (bud) baryon into the and final states. This is performed using proton–proton collision data from the LHCb detector, corresponding to 2.0 fb−1 of integrated luminosity collected at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV . The b → u transition, , has not been considered before as Λ b 0 baryons are not produced at an e+e− B-factory; however, at the LHC, they constitute around 20% of the b-hadrons produced19. These measurements together with recent LQCD calculations20 allow for the determination of |V ub | 2/ |V cb | 2 according to where denotes the branching fraction and R FF is a ratio of the relevant form factors, calculated using LQCD. This is then converted into a measurement of |V ub | using the existing measurements of |V cb | obtained from exclusive decays. The normalization to the decay cancels many experimental uncertainties, including the uncertainty on the total production rate of Λ b 0 baryons. At the LHC, the number of signal candidates is large, allowing the optimization of the event selection and the analysis approach to minimize systematic effects.
The LHCb detector21,22 is one of the four major detectors at the Large Hadron Collider. It is instrumented in a cone around the proton beam axis, covering the angles between 10 and 250 mrad, where most b-hadron decays produced in proton–proton collisions occur. The detector includes a high-precision tracking system with a dipole magnet, providing a measurement of momentum and impact parameter (IP), defined for charged particles as the minimum distance of a track to a primary proton–proton interaction vertex (PV). Different types of charged particles are distinguished using information from two ring-imaging Cherenkov detectors, a calorimeter and a muon system. Simulated samples of specific signal and background decay modes of b hadrons are used at many stages throughout the analysis. These simulated events model the experimental conditions in full detail, including the proton–proton collision, the decay of the particles, and the response of the detector. The software used is described in refs 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29.
Candidates of the signal modes are required to pass a trigger system30 which reduces in real time the rate of recorded collisions (events) from the 40 MHz read-out clock of the LHC to around 4 kHz. For this analysis, the trigger requires a muon with a large momentum transverse to the beam axis that at the same time forms a good vertex with another track in the event. This vertex should be displaced from the PVs in the event. The identification efficiency for these high-momentum muons is 98%.
In the selection of the final states, stringent particle identification (PID) requirements are applied to the proton. These criteria are accompanied by a requirement that its momentum is greater than 15 GeV/c, as the PID performance is most effective for protons above the momentum threshold to produce Cherenkov light. The pμ− vertex fit is required to be of good quality, which reduces background from most of the decays, as the resulting ground state charmed hadrons have significant lifetime.
To reconstruct candidates, two additional tracks, positively identified as a pion and kaon, are combined with the proton to form a Λ c + → pK−π+ candidate. These are reconstructed from the same pμ− vertex as the signal to minimize systematic uncertainties. As the lifetime of the Λ c + is short compared to other weakly decaying charm hadrons, the requirement has an acceptable efficiency.
There is a large background from b-hadron decays, with additional charged tracks in the decay products, as illustrated in Fig. 1. To reduce this background, a multivariate machine learning algorithm (a boosted decision tree, BDT (refs 31, 32)) is employed to determine the compatibility of each track from a charged particle in the event to originate from the same vertex as the signal candidate. This isolation BDT includes variables such as the change in vertex quality if the track is combined with the signal vertex, as well as kinematic and IP information of the track that is tested. For the BDT, the training sample of well-isolated tracks consists of all tracks apart from the signal decay products in a sample of simulated events. The training sample of non-isolated tracks consists of the tracks from charged particles in the decay products X in a sample of simulated events. The BDT selection removes 90% of background with additional charged particles from the signal vertex, whereas it retains more than 80% of signal. The same isolation requirement is placed on both the and decay candidates, where the pion and kaon are ignored in the calculation of the BDT response for the case.
Figure 1: Diagram illustrating the topology for the (top) signal and (bottom) background decays. The Λ b 0 baryon travels about 1 cm on average before decaying; its flight direction is indicated in the diagram. In the signal case, the only other particles present are typically reconstructed far away from the signal, which are shown as grey arrows. For the background from Λ c + decays, there are particles that are reconstructed in close proximity to the signal, which are indicated as dotted arrows. Full size image
The Λ b 0 mass is reconstructed using the so-called corrected mass33, defined as where m hμ is the visible mass of the hμ pair and p ⊥ is the momentum of the hμ pair transverse to the Λ b 0 flight direction, where h represents either the proton or Λ c + candidate. The flight direction is measured using the PV and Λ b 0 vertex positions. The uncertainties on the PV and the Λ b 0 vertex are estimated for each candidate and propagated to the uncertainty on m corr ; the dominant contribution is from the uncertainty in the Λ b 0 vertex.
Candidates with an uncertainty of less than 100 MeV/c2 on the corrected mass are selected for the decay. This selects only 23% of the signal; however, the separation between signal and background for these candidates is significantly improved and the selection thus reduces the dependence on background modelling.
The LQCD form factors that are required to calculate |V ub | are most precise in the kinematic region where q2, the invariant mass squared of the muon and the neutrino in the decay, is high. The neutrino is not reconstructed, but q2 can still be determined using the Λ b 0 flight direction and the Λ b 0 mass, but only up to a two-fold ambiguity. The correct solution has a resolution of about 1 GeV2/c4, whereas the wrong solution has a resolution of 4 GeV2/c4. To avoid influence on the measurement by the large uncertainty in form factors at low q2, both solutions are required to exceed 15 GeV2/c4 for the decay and 7 GeV2/c4 for the decay. Simulation shows that only 2% of decays and 5% of decays with q2 values below the cut values pass the selection requirements. The effect of this can be seen in Fig. 2, where the efficiency for the signal below 15 GeV2/c4 is reduced significantly if requirements are applied on both solutions. It is also possible that both solutions are imaginary owing to the limited detector resolution. Candidates of this type are rejected. The overall q2 selection has an efficiency of 38% for decays and 39% for decays in their respective high-q2 regions.
Figure 2: Illustrating the method used to reduce the number of selected events from the q2 region where lattice QCD has high uncertainties. The efficiency of simulated candidates as a function of q2. For the case where one q2 solution is required to be above 15 GeV2/c4 (marked by the vertical line), there is still significant efficiency for the signal below this value, whereas, when both solutions have this requirement, only a small amount of signal below 15 GeV2/c4 is selected. Full size image
The mass distributions of the signal candidates for the two decays are shown in Fig. 3. The signal yields are determined from separate χ2 fits to the m corr distributions of the and candidates. The shapes of the signal and background components are modelled using simulation, where the uncertainties coming from the finite size of the simulated samples are propagated in the fits. The yields of all background components are allowed to vary within uncertainties obtained as described below.
Figure 3: Corrected mass fit used for determining signal yields. Fits are made to (top) and (bottom) candidates. The statistical uncertainties arising from the finite size of the simulation samples used to model the mass shapes are indicated by open boxes and the data are represented by the black points. The statistical uncertainty on the data points is smaller than the marker size used. The different signal and background components appear in the same order in the fits and the legends. There are no data above the nominal Λ b 0 mass owing to the removal of unphysical q2 solutions. Full size image
For the fit to the m corr distribution of the candidates, many sources of background are accounted for. The largest of these is the cross-feed from decays, where the Λ c + decays into a proton and other particles that are not reconstructed. The amount of background arising from these decay modes is estimated by fully reconstructing two Λ c + decays in the data. The background where the additional particles include charged particles originating directly from the Λ c + decay is estimated by reconstructing decays, whereas the background where only neutral particles come directly from the Λ c + decay is estimated by reconstructing decays. These two background categories are separated because the isolation BDT significantly reduces the charged component but has no effect on the neutral case. For the rest of the Λ c + decay modes, the relative branching fraction between the decay and either the Λ c + → pK−π+ or Λ c + → pK s 0 decay modes, as appropriate, is taken from ref. 14. For some neutral decay modes, where only the corresponding mode with charged decay particles is measured, assumptions based on isospin symmetry are used. In these decays, an uncertainty corresponding to 100% of the branching fraction is allowed for in the fit. Background from decays is constrained in a similar way to the Λ c + charged decay modes, with the normalization done relative to decays reconstructed in the data.
Any background with a Λ c + baryon may also arise from decays of the type , where Λ c ∗+ represents the Λ c (2,595)+ or Λ c (2,625)+ resonances as well as non-resonant contributions. The proportions between the and the backgrounds are determined from the fit to the m corr distribution and then used in the fit.
The decays , where the N∗ baryon decays into a proton and other non-reconstructed particles, are very similar to the signal decay and have poorly known branching fractions. The N∗ resonance represents any of the states N(1,440), N(1,520), N(1,535) or N(1,770). None of the decays have been observed and the m corr shape of these decays is obtained using simulation samples generated according to the quark-model prediction of the form factors and branching fractions34. A 100% uncertainty is allowed for in the branching fractions of these decays.
Background where a pion or kaon is mis-identified as a proton originates from various sources and is measured by using a special data set where no PID is applied to the proton candidate. Finally, an estimate of combinatorial background, where the proton and muon originate from different decays, is obtained from a data set where the proton and muon have the same charge. The amount and shape of this background are in good agreement between the same-sign and opposite-sign pμ samples for corrected masses above 6 GeV/c2.
For the yield, the reconstructed pK−π+ mass is studied to determine the level of combinatorial background. The Λ c + signal shape is modelled using a Gaussian function with an asymmetric power-law tail, and the background is modelled as an exponential function. Within a selected signal region of 30 MeV/c2 from the known Λ c + mass, the combinatorial background is 2% of the signal yield. Subsequently, a fit is performed to the m corr distribution for candidates, as shown in Fig. 3, which is used to discriminate between and decays.
The and yields are 17,687 ± 733 and 34,255 ± 571, respectively. This is the first observation of the decay .
The branching fraction is measured relative to the branching fraction. The relative efficiencies for reconstruction, trigger and final event selection are obtained from simulated events, with several corrections applied to improve the agreement between the data and the simulation. These correct for differences between data and simulation in the detector response and differences in the Λ b 0 kinematic properties for the selected and candidates. The ratio of efficiencies is 3.52 ± 0.20, with the sources of the uncertainty described below.
Systematic uncertainties associated with the measurement are summarized in Table 1. The largest uncertainty originates from the Λ c + → pK−π+ branching fraction, which is taken from ref. 35. This is followed by the uncertainty on the trigger response, which is due to the statistical uncertainty of the calibration sample. Other contributions come from the tracking efficiency, which is due to possible differences between the data and simulation in the probability of interactions with the material of the detector for the kaon and pion in the decay. Another systematic uncertainty is assigned due to the limited knowledge of the momentum distribution for the Λ c + → pK−π+ decay products. Uncertainties related to the background composition are included in the statistical uncertainty for the signal yield through the use of nuisance parameters in the fit. The exception to this is the uncertainty on the mass shapes due to the limited knowledge of the form factors and widths of each state, which is estimated by generating pseudoexperiments and assessing the impact on the signal yield.
Table 1: Summary of systematic uncertainties. Full size table
Smaller uncertainties are assigned for the following effects: the uncertainty in the Λ b 0 lifetime; differences in data and simulation in the isolation BDT response; differences in the relative efficiency and q2 migration due to form factor uncertainties for both signal and normalization channels; corrections to the Λ b 0 kinematic properties; the disagreement in the q2 migration between data and simulation; and the finite size of the PID calibration samples. The total fractional systematic uncertainty is where the individual uncertainties are added in quadrature. The small impact of the form factor uncertainties means that the measured ratio of branching fractions can safely be considered independent of the theoretical input at the current level of precision.
From the ratio of yields and their determined efficiencies, the ratio of branching fractions of to in the selected q2 regions is where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. Using equation (1) with R FF = 0.68 ± 0.07, computed in ref. 20 for the restricted q2 regions, the measurement is obtained. The first uncertainty arises from the experimental measurement and the second is due to the uncertainty in the LQCD prediction. Finally, using the world average |V cb | = (39.5 ± 0.8) × 10−3 measured using exclusive decays14, |V ub | is measured as where the first uncertainty is due to the experimental measurement, the second arises from the uncertainty in the LQCD prediction and the third from the normalization to |V cb |. As the measurement of |V ub |/|V cb | already depends on LQCD calculations of the form factors it makes sense to normalize to the |V cb | exclusive world average and not include the inclusive |V cb | measurements. The experimental uncertainty is dominated by systematic effects, most of which will be improved with additional data by a reduction of the statistical uncertainty of the control samples.
The measured ratio of branching fractions can be extrapolated to the full q2 region using |V cb | and the form factor predictions20, resulting in a measurement of , where the uncertainty is dominated by knowledge of the form factors at low q2.
The determination of |V ub | from the measured ratio of branching fractions depends on the size of a possible right-handed coupling36. This can clearly be seen in Fig. 4, which shows the experimental constraints on the left-handed coupling, |V ub L|, and the fractional right-handed coupling added to the SM, ε R , for different measurements. The LHCb result presented here is compared to the world averages of the inclusive and exclusive measurements. Unlike the case for the pion in and decays, the spin of the proton is non-zero, allowing an axial-vector current, which gives a different sensitivity to ε R . The overlap of the bands from the previous measurements suggested a significant right-handed coupling, but the inclusion of the LHCb |V ub | measurement does not support that.
Figure 4: Experimental constraints on the left-handed coupling, |V ub L| and the fractional right-handed coupling, ε R . Whereas the overlap of the 68% confidence level bands for the inclusive14 and exclusive7 world averages of past measurements suggested a right-handed coupling of significant magnitude, the inclusion of the LHCb |V ub | measurement does not support this. Full size image |
The New York Times (NYT) is encouraging voters in states with gun control on the ballot to vote for stronger regulations under the guise that more gun control equals less crime.
Meanwhile, gun-controlled Chicago is nearing 600 homicides for 2016 alone.
According to the NYT, “analysis” from George Soros-funded Center for American Progress shows that “gun fatalities in states with weaker laws are three times as high as in those states with tougher restrictions.” Based on this, the paper calls for voters in “California, Maine, Nevada, and Washington” to support gun control measures that will be on the ballot next month.
The NYT does not mention that California is already one of the most gun-controlled states in the union. It has comprehensive background checks — which eliminate a “gun show loophole” or “online loophole” — a waiting period on gun purchases, firearm registration, and gun confiscation laws, yet it also had the May 23, 2014, Santa Barbara attack, the December 2, 2015, San Bernardino firearm-based terror attack, the June 1, 2016, murder-suicide on the gun-free UCLA campus, and the October 8, 2016, high-profile shooting deaths of two police officers in Palm Springs.
Washington state also has comprehensive background checks — the very checks Hillary Clinton, Gabby Giffords, and Michael Bloomberg-funded gun control groups pursue as key to American safety. Yet our nation’s most recent mass shooting took place in Burlington, Washington, on September 23. Five innocent lives were taken in Cascades Mall. On July 30, three innocents were shot and killed at a house party just north of Seattle, and in late February, the AP reported a gunman killed four people then himself in Belfair, Washington.
Ironically, much of the momentum for gun control continues to come from the December 14, 2012, attack on Sandy Hook Elementary. Even now, new laws are being pushed under the guise of preventing such an attack, and the NYT says a total of eight states have passed “universal background checks” — the same thing as comprehensive background checks — as a way to keep a Sandy Hook-like attack from occurring. But if the examples of California and Washington state teach us anything, it is that comprehensive background checks offer no hindrance to determined attackers.
In fact, it is worth remembering that Connecticut was ranked 5th in the nation for most stringent gun controls when the attack on Sandy Hook occurred. The Brady Campaign Against Gun Violence lauded Connecticut for 5th “toughest” laws in 2011, and in 2012, Adam Lanza circumvented every one of those laws by stealing his guns and carrying out a heinous crime in a gun-free zone.
Nevertheless, the NYT contends that more gun control makes us safer.
AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. |
Michael Dell Is “At Peace” With Whatever His Shareholders Decide
Michael Dell made what reads like his final appeal to shareholders of the computing company that bears his name, seeking their approval of a $24.6 billion leveraged buyout he has proposed with the private equity firm Silver Lake.
“The decision is now yours. I am at peace either way and I will honor your decision,” Dell wrote in an open letter filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission early this morning.
The letter came after a day of significant developments in the ongoing drama surrounding the fate of what was once the world’s largest supplier of personal computers. Dell and Silver Lake raised their bid by a dime to $13.75 a share in the hope of convincing the company’s board to change some of the rules governing the shareholder vote. Naturally, that didn’t sit well with Carl Icahn, the activist investor stalking the company with a competing shareholder proposal of his own. He resorted to writing verse on Twitter to make his case.
Without mentioning him by name, Dell criticized some of the proposals floated by Icahn, including the sale of assets and a leveraged recapitalization, saying they would be “destructive to the company.” Should the buyout be rejected by shareholders, he said he won’t support any of Icahn’s proposals. Dell remains the company’s largest single shareholder, with about 14 percent to 15 percent of the shares outstanding.
Dell also reiterated the case he and Silver Lake made in a joint letter yesterday, saying the “non-vote-equals-no-vote” provision of the shareholder vote process is unfair. “Currently, over 25 percent of the unaffiliated shares have not voted,” he wrote. “This means that even if a majority of the unaffiliated shares that vote on the transaction want to accept our offer, the will of the majority may be defeated by the shares that do not vote. I think this is clearly unfair.”
The special committee of Dell’s board hasn’t yet formally responded to the latest offer.
Dell’s full letter is below: |
Detroit public school teachers get layoff notices
Union workers in Michigan protest Gov. Rick Snyder's proposed budget cuts.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The Detroit Public Schools district is sending layoff notices to all its 5,714 teachers, saying it must determine its staffing needs amid a drop in enrollment.
The district is also mailing non-renewal notices to 248 administrators.
Detroit has lost one-quarter of its population over the past 10 years and now has as many people living in the city as did in 1910, two years after Henry Ford debuted the Model T.
Student enrollment, meanwhile, has dropped to about 73,000 -- down more than 83,000 from 10 years ago. The district is also facing a $327 million budget deficit.
While not every teacher will lose his or her job, there will be a reduction in staffing, the district said Thursday. It sent the notice to comply with the union contract. The effective date of the layoffs will be July 29.
"The timeliness of the process allows for ample preparation so that the district can assess staffing needs to create a smooth transition for the start of the school year," the district said in a statement.
The district is also warning the Detroit Federation of Teachers that certain provisions of the union contract may change under a new state law that gives certain powers to the district's emergency manager, Robert Bobb. The law allows emergency managers to reject, modify or terminate collective bargaining agreements.
Bobb said he "fully intends to use the authority" granted under the law.
The teachers' union, however, said Bobb was conducting a "backdoor attempt" to circumvent seniority. In late 2009, both sides signed a contract that contained $90 million in cost cuts and the union expects him to honor that agreement, said Keith Johnson, president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers.
"It was heralded and praised then, he'll have to live with it now," Johnson said of the contract that deferred teacher salaries, raised their prescription co-pays and narrowed their health insurance choices.
Detroit's school district's financial woes mirror that of the city and state. The district had to issue $231 million in short-term debt last month to keep itself operating until August. It also wants to turn 41 of its 142 schools into charter schools, which would eliminate up to $99 million in operating costs.
Detroit's move follows a similar move in Providence, R.I., in February. The Providence public school department sent dismissal notices to every one of its 1,926 teachers.
A month later, the district announced it wanted to shutter four schools, eliminating up to 70 teaching positions. The closures would cut more than $12 million from the Providence school district's budget, which faces a $28 million deficit next year. |
Japanese singer-songwriter and voice actress
Mari Iijima (飯島 真理, Iijima Mari, born May 18, 1963 in Tsuchiura, Ibaraki, Japan) is a Japanese singer-songwriter. She writes and produces most of her own music, and plays the piano and other instruments. After being signed to JVC Victor in 1982, Mari first became known for her voice-acting role as Lynn Minmay in the anime Macross. Her debut original album, Rosé, was released in 1983, which was produced by composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. She also later collaborated with other world-renowned musicians, such as Van Dyke Parks. She lives in Los Angeles, California, United States.
Biography [ edit ]
Mari Iijima live at Tekkoshocon 5, April 14, 2007
Mari Iijima Live in Tokyo at the Hakuju Hall on July 31, 2010
Iijima's original demo tape was picked up by JVC Victor in 1982 and she was signed to the record company as a singer-songwriter. Soon afterward, she was asked to audition for the role of Lynn Minmay in The Super Dimension Fortress Macross by the label and the producers chose her to play the role. The series quickly became a mega hit and brought Iijima to stardom. Her debut album, Rosé, containing no Macross tracks, had lyrics and music written by her. It debuted at number 10 on the charts in September 1983, and she started her career as a singer-songwriter.[1]
Iijima moved to Los Angeles in 1989 to expand her music career.[citation needed] That same year, she appeared as a guest vocalist on Van Dyke Parks' album Tokyo Rose. After releasing her first independent (and first English language) album, No Limit, she was nominated for the 2000 Los Angeles Music Awards' Best Pop Artist for the album and she was in the final four for the award.[citation needed]
Mari Iijima Live in Tokyo at the Hakuju Hall on July 31, 2010
She won the best Asian song for her track Unspoken Love from the album Wonderful People at the Just Plain Folks Awards in 2006 and performed as a guest performer.[2]
In 2006, she reprised her role as Lynn Minmay in ADV Films' English-language release of Macross,[3] which made her the second Japanese voice actor to reprise her role in an English anime dub.[4][5][6] Iijima released her twenty-first studio album, called Echo, in August 2009. The title was taken from the nymph character Echo that appears in Echo and Narcissus. The album's theme is unrequited love.[7]
Discography [ edit ]
Original albums [ edit ]
Year Title 1983 Rosé 1984 Blanche 1985 Midori 1985 Kimono Stereo 1987 Coquettish Blue 1988 Miss Lemon 1989 My Heart in Red 1990 It's a Love Thing 1991 Believe 1993 Different Worlds 1994 Love Season 1995 Sonic Boom 1996 Good Medicine 1997 Europe 1998 Rain & Shine 1999 No Limit 2001 Right Now 2003 Silent Love 2004 Wonderful People 2006 Uncompromising Innocence 2009 Echo 2012 Take a Picture Against The Light 2014 Sharp As A Knife, As Sweet As Strawberries 2016 Awakening 2018 Chaos and Stillness
Compilation albums [ edit ]
Year Title 1984 Variée 1993 The Classics 1995 Best of the Best 2005 Mari picks "The Ultimate Collection" (1983-1985) 2005 Mari picks "The Ultimate Collection" (1987-1999) 2004 Gems 2007 palette
EPs [ edit ]
Year Title 2011 2 Seconds of Infinity 2013 Dancing with Minmay 2018 Anger is The New Sadness
Singles [ edit ]
Year Title 1983 Yumeiro no Spoon Kitto Ieru 1984 Ai Oboete Imasu ka 1 gram no Shiawase 1985 Cecile no Amagasa 1986 Harukana Hohoemi -Koudo Kougen- 1987 People! People! People! 1988 Kagami yo! Kagami (I wanna marry you) Blue Christmas 1989 Still Secret 1990 Nichiyobi No Date Sayonara Wa Ienai Bokura wa Tenshija Nai 1991 Love is a miracle 1992 Kirai 1993 Ai Oboete Imasu ka (re-release) 1994 Don't fade out!/Sunset 1995 Is There Anybody Out There? 1996 Forever Young 1997 Mikazuki no Canoe Friends 2002 Eternal love ~Hikari no Tenshi~ 2003 Eternal love 2003 2009 Iki Wo Shiteru Kanjiteiru 2012 Churiru Churira/Anata No Hana Ni Naritai/The Unconventional 2013 Eternal Forest/Sky's Dance
Filmography [ edit ]
Video games [ edit ] |
British Muslim social and political activist
Anjem Choudary (Urdu: انجم چودهرى; born 18 January 1967) is a British Islamist and a social and political activist convicted of inviting support for a proscribed organisation, namely the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, under the Terrorism Act 2000. He was previously a solicitor and served, until it was proscribed, as the spokesman for Islam4UK.
With Omar Bakri Muhammad, Choudary helped form an Islamist organisation, al-Muhajiroun. The group organised several anti-Western demonstrations, including a banned protest march in London for which Choudary was summoned to appear in court. The UK government banned Al-Muhajiroun and Choudary was present at the launch of its intended successor, Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah. He later helped form Al Ghurabaa, which was also banned. Choudary then became the spokesman for Islam4UK. He has been denounced by mainstream Muslim groups,[6] and has been largely criticised in the country's media.
A critic of the UK's involvement in the wars in Iraq (2003–2011) and Afghanistan (2001–2016), Choudary praised those responsible for the 11 September 2001 and 7 July 2005 attacks. He supports the implementation of Sharia law throughout the UK, Poland and India.[7][8][9][10] He marched in protest at the Jyllands-Posten cartoons controversy, following which he was prosecuted for organising an unlawful demonstration. During a protest outside Westminster Cathedral in 2006, Choudary told demonstrators that the Pope should be executed for insulting Islam.[11]
On 6 September 2016, Choudary was sentenced to five years and six months following conviction for inviting others to support the proscribed organisation ISIS.[12] He was subsequently released on parole (licence) in October 2018.[13]
Early life [ edit ]
Born in London on 18 January 1967,[14] Anjem Choudary is the son of a Welling market trader and is of Pakistani descent.[15][16] He attended Mulgrave Primary School, in Woolwich.[17] In 1996, Choudary married Rubana Akhtar, or Akhgar, who was then 22 years old and had recently joined al-Muhajiroun, which he led at the time. She later became the group's head of women.[18] The couple have four children.[15]
He enrolled as a medical student at the University of Southampton, where he was known as Andy, but failed his first-year exams. While attending university, he was reputed to have indulged in drink and drugs. Responding to claims that he was a "party animal" who joined his friends in "getting stoned", in 2014 Choudary commented "I admit that I wasn't always practising... I committed many mistakes in my life.".[19][17][20]
He switched to law and spent his final year as a legal student (1990–1991) at Guildford, before moving to London to teach English as a second language. He found work at a legal firm and completed his legal qualifications to become a lawyer.[21]
Choudary became the chairman of the Society of Muslim Lawyers, but was removed from the roll of solicitors (the official register of legal practitioners) in 2002.[why?][15]
Jihadist military training in Britain [ edit ]
On 7 November 1999 the Sunday Telegraph reported that Muslims were receiving weapons training at secret locations in Britain. Most of those who trained at these centers would then fight for Osama Bin Laden's International Islamic Front in Chechnya, while others would fight in such places as Kosovo, Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Kashmir. The report identified Anjem Choudray as a key figure in recruiting for these training centers.[22][23][24]
Organisations [ edit ]
Choudary embraced Islamism and, with the Islamist militant leader Omar Bakri Muhammed, co-founded al-Muhajiroun,[15] a Salafi Wahabi organization.[25] The two men had met at a local mosque, where Bakri was giving a tafsir (an interpretation of the Qur'an).[26] In 2002, following a bazaar organised by al-Muhajiroun (advertised by leaflet and word of mouth), Choudary gave a talk on education at Slough. His lecture outlined his ideas for a parallel system of Islamic education in the UK and included elements of the group's ideology.[27] In the same year, although they were refused a permit by the then Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, on 25 August the group held a rally in London. Choudary was summonsed to Bow Street Magistrates' Court in January 2003, on charges which included "exhibiting a notice, advertisement or any other written or pictorial matter", "using apparatus for the amplification of sound", "making a public speech or address" and "organising an assembly".[28]
In 2003 or 2004 he organised an Islamic-themed camping trip, at which Bakri lectured, on the 54-acre (220,000 m2) grounds of the Jameah Islamiyah School in East Sussex. Advertised by word-of-mouth, the trip was attended by 50 Muslim men, most of whom were members of al-Muhajiroun. Bakri later claimed the camp's activities included lectures on Islam, football and paintballing.[29] In September 2006, following allegations that it was used in the training and recruitment of terrorists, police searched the school. According to testimony from Al Qaeda suspects held at the Guantanamo Bay detainment camp, in 1997 and 1998 Abu Hamza and groups of around 30 of his followers held training camps at the school, which included training with AK47 rifles and handguns, and a mock rocket launcher.[30] No arrests were made, and students and faculty were allowed to return on 23 September 2006, the first day of Ramadan.[31]
The UK government had investigated expelling Bakri even before the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, and in July 2003 the headquarters of al-Muhajiroun, and the homes of Bakri and Choudary, were raided by the police.[32] The following year, under new anti-terrorist legislation, the government announced that it wanted to ban al-Muhajiroun. In 2005 Bakri learned that he was at risk of prosecution for his support of the 7 July 2005 London bombers, and in August left the UK for Lebanon, where he claimed that he was on holiday.[33] After leaving a television station where he said "I will not return to Britain unless I want to go there as a visitor or as a tourist", he was detained by Lebanon's general security department and held in a Beirut prison.[34] Several days later, Bakri was excluded from returning to Britain by the Home Secretary, Charles Clarke, on the grounds that his presence in Britain was "not conducive to the public good." Choudary condemned the decision and demanded to know what Bakri had done to justify the ban. He claimed that ministers were inventing rules to ensure that Bakri could not return.[35] In November Choudary and three other followers of Bakri were deported from Lebanon, and returned to the UK. Choudary blamed the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for orchestrating their deportations, claiming that the four were there to help Bakri set up a madrasah.[36]
Following his deportation, Choudary attended the launch in London of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah, the intended successor organisation to al-Muhajiroun. Choudary said that Bakri was not on the committee of the new group, but that "we would love for the sheikh to have a role."[37] The organisation operates mainly through an invitation-only internet forum, to which Choudary contributes under the screen name Abou Luqman.[citation needed] A reporter visiting the site found calls for holy war, and recordings by Osama Bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri, and Omar Bakri Mohammed.[38]
Al-Muhajiroun attempted a relaunch in June 2009 at Conway Hall, in Holborn. Several speakers were invited to share a platform with Choudary, but some later claimed that they had been invited under false pretences. When the group refused to allow women into the meeting, the chairman of the society which runs the hall canceled the event. He was heckled by many of those in the audience. Choudary took the microphone from the chairman and led chants of "Sharia for UK", saying in reference to the exclusion of women: "Jews and Christians will never make peace with you until you either become like them or adopt their ways." Outside the hall, Choudary criticised British society, and predicted that Muslims would make up the majority within one or two decades. When asked why, if society was so bad, he lived here, he replied: "We come here to civilise people, get them to come out of the darkness and injustice into the beauty of Islam."[39]
Al Ghurabaa [ edit ]
Choudary was also a spokesman for Al Ghurabaa, believed to have been an offshoot of al-Muhajiroun. It was proscribed in 2006 by the then Home Secretary John Reid.[40] Choudary was outraged: "The easy option when one is losing an argument is to ban the opposition voice. ... We [al-Ghurabaa] are not a military organisation; we have only been vociferous in our views—views concerning everything from the government's foreign policy in Iraq and Afghanistan to the host of draconian laws, which they’ve introduced against us in this country."[41]
Islam4UK [ edit ]
In November 2008, Choudary organised a meeting of the then recently formed Islam4UK, which, according to its website, was "established by sincere Muslims as a platform to propagate the supreme Islamic ideology within the United Kingdom as a divine alternative to man-made law", and to "convince the British public about the superiority of Islam ... thereby changing public opinion in favour of Islam in order to transfer the authority and power ... to the Muslims in order to implement the Sharee’ah (here in Britain)".[42] According to Ed Husain, co-founder of the counter-terrorism think-tank the Quilliam Foundation, Islam4UK was a "splinter group of al-Muhajiroun and Hizb ut-Tahrir, the originators of extremism in Britain." The meeting, advertised as a conference to "rise to defend the honour of the Muslims", was held at the Brady Arts and Community Centre in Tower Hamlets. Choudary then announced that Bakri would be speaking, via a video-conference link, although technical problems meant that his address was instead given over a telephone line. When asked by a Muslim woman how the comments of one of the event's speakers could be justified, with regards to Islam being a religion of peace, Choudary stated, "Islam is not a religion of peace ... It is a religion of submission. We need to submit to the will of Allah."[43]
sic] call for the Shari'ah are the real reasons why the military has sought to establish a permanent role there, no matter what the cost to the lives and wealth of the indigenous people or indeed their own. Pivotal in this is the desire to prevent Muslims from running their own affairs and establishing an Islamic State if they so wish but rather to maintain a puppet in the area (Mr. Karzia) to maintain and protect Western interests. The rich resources of Afghanistan, its position on the cusp between the Indian sub-continent, Southern Russian, Asia and China and its populations [] call for the Shari'ah are the real reasons why the military has sought to establish a permanent role there, no matter what the cost to the lives and wealth of the indigenous people or indeed their own. Pivotal in this is the desire to prevent Muslims from running their own affairs and establishing an Islamic State if they so wish but rather to maintain a puppet in the area (Mr. Karzia) to maintain and protect Western interests. Anjem Choudary (3 January 2010), open letter published on Islam4UK website and reprinted in The Telegraph[44]
With the announcement by Islam4UK that it planned to hold a protest march through Wootton Bassett (known for the military funeral repatriations of dead British soldiers returning from the war in Afghanistan), Choudary said "You may see one or two coffins being returned to the UK every other day, but when you think about the people of Afghanistan its a huge number [being killed] in comparison ... I intend to write a letter to the parents of British soldiers telling them the reality of what they died for."[45] Choudary's open letter was published on 3 January 2010. It explained his reasons for proposing the march, endorsed his religious beliefs, and claimed that UK politicians had been lying about the war. Choudary wrote that the proposed march was to "engage the British public's minds on the real reasons why their soldiers are returning home in body bags and the real cost of the war."[44] In an interview with Sky News, he stated that the location was chosen to effect a level of media attention which "it would not have gained anywhere else".[46] The proposal was condemned by the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, who said that to offend the families of dead or wounded troops would be "completely inappropriate".[47] The Minhaj-ul-Quran International UK centre in Forest Gate also condemned the proposal,[48] as did the Muslim Council of Britain, which stated that it "condemns the call by the fringe extremist group Islam4UK for their proposed march in Wootton Bassett."[49] The planned march was cancelled by the group, on 10 January 2010.[50]
From 14 January 2010, Islam4UK was proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000, making membership illegal and punishable by imprisonment.[51] Choudary condemned the order. In an interview on BBC Radio he said "we are now being targeted as an extremist or terrorist organisation and even banned for merely expressing that" and "I feel this is a failure of the concept of democracy and freedom."[52] Following his arrest and subsequent release in September 2014 on suspicion of encouraging terrorism, Choudary claimed he was questioned about his membership of or support for proscribed groups including Islam4UK and Need4Khalifah, both of which the government believes are successors to al-Muhajiroun.[53]
Views [ edit ]
Look, at the end of the day innocent people—when we say 'innocent people' we mean Muslims—as far as non-Muslims are concerned they have not accepted Islam and as far as we are concerned that is a crime against God. Anjem Choudary, BBC HARDtalk (8 August 2005)[nb 1][54]
Choudary referred to the 11 September 2001 terrorists as "magnificent martyrs". In 2003 he said that al-Muhajiroun would "encourage people to fulfil their Islamic duties and responsibilities", although he also said that the group was a political movement and not responsible for individual actions. In 2004 he said that a terror attack on British soil was "a matter of time". He refused to condemn the 7 July 2005 London bombings,[55] but accused the Muslim Council of Britain (who had) of "selling their souls to the devil".[56] He blamed the 2013 murder of Lee Rigby, an off-duty British soldier, on British foreign policy.[57]
Choudary has voiced support for the Muslim community in Somalia, who, he claims, have been "violated" by Christian-backed Ethiopians, and has also called for other members to fight jihad.[58]
The Wall Street Journal describes Choudary as a supporter of "the fundamentalist strain of Islamic teaching known as Salafism".[59] He believes in the primacy of Islam over all other faiths, and the implementation of Sharia Law, in its entirety, in the UK. In 2001 he stated that his allegiance is to Islam, and not a country. He believes that, for a true Muslim, "a British passport is no more than a travel document."[60] In October 2006 he addressed an audience at Trinity College, Dublin to oppose the motion that "This house believes that Islamist violence can never be justified".[61] In February 2008 the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, commented that "as a matter of fact certain provisions of sharia are already recognised in our society and under our law".[62] Choudary responded by saying that Sharia "has to be adopted wholesale", and that "it will come either by embracing Islam because it is the fastest growing religion in the country, or by an Islamic country conquering Britain or by elements embracing Islam and imposing it."[63]
In 2008 he spoke of the "flag of Sharia" flying over Downing Street by 2020,[nb 2] claimed that some Muslim families in east London were having "10 or 12 children each", and that hundreds were converting to Islam each day.[56] Choudary has spoken against elements of the Christian faith. In December 2008 he posted a sermon on an Islamic website, in which he stated: "Every Muslim has a responsibility to protect his family from the misguidance of Christmas, because its observance will lead to hellfire. Protect your Paradise from being taken away – protect yourself and your family from Christmas".[64]
In an interview with Iran's Press TV (which was subsequently posted online on 11 April 2013), Choudary stated "As Muslims, we reject democracy, we reject secularism, and freedom, and human rights. We reject all of the things that you espouse as being ideals ... There is nothing called a republic in Islam. When we talk about the shari'a, we are talking about only the shari'a. We are talking about rejecting the U.N., the IMF, and the World Bank."[65]
In 2013 the British pressure group Hope not Hate presented a report which identified Choudary as "a serious player on the international Islamist scene", saying that although there was no evidence that he was directly responsible for instigating any terrorist plots, "he helped shape the mindset of many of those behind them" and "through his networks linked them up to terror groups and supporters across the world."[20][66] Choudary dismissed the claims as "fanciful", that if they were true, UK security services would have arrested him.[67]
In September 2014, Choudary described Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, as "the caliph of all Muslims and the prince of the believers".[20]
Activism [ edit ]
Choudary has regularly attended public marches and, following a protest march outside the Danish Embassy in London on 3 February 2006, held in response to the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy, he was a member of a panel of interviewees on the BBC news programme Newsnight. He defended Muslims in Britain, saying that "we live in peace with the host community, we are not allowed to target people here", and claimed that the police had inspected and allowed the controversial placards used in the demonstration. Choudary was criticised by his fellow panellists, who included Ann Cryer, then MP for Keighley, Humera Khan, of the al-Nisa Muslim Women's Group (who accused him of demonising Islam), Sayeeda Warsi, the vice-chair of the Conservative Party, Professor Tariq Ramadan (who claimed that Choudary's actions were designed to evoke a strong response from the media), and Roger Knapman, the leader of the UK Independence Party.[68] On 15 March 2006 he was among five men arrested in connection with the demonstration, which had been organised by al Ghurabaa.[69] He was arrested again on 4 May at Stansted Airport for an alleged breach of bail, and charged with organising the protest without notifying police. He was bailed to appear before Bow Street Magistrates Court on 11 May.[70] On 4 July 2006 he was convicted and fined £500 with £300 court costs.[71]
The following day, at an Al Ghurabaa press conference at the Al Badr centre in Leyton, Choudary claimed that the blame for the London bombings lay with the British government, and said that the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair, had "blood on his hands". He also urged Muslims to defend themselves against perceived attacks by "whatever means they have at their disposal", and referred to the 2 June 2006 Forest Gate raid in which Mohammed Abdul Kahar was shot in the shoulder. He encouraged Muslims not to co-operate with the police under any circumstances. Local council leader Clyde Loakes criticised Choudary's comments, stating "I am sure the vast majority of Waltham Forest residents do not support these views."[72] Several days later, on 9 June 2006, Choudary organised a demonstration outside the Forest Gate police station in London, to protest against the arrest of the two Forest Gate men. The men's families said that an extremist protest would "only give another opportunity for our community to be portrayed in a negative light" and sent a statement to more than twenty mosques (read to worshippers during prayers) urging them to disassociate themselves from the event. About 35 men and 15 women attended the demonstration.[73]
Had we been aware that Al Ghurabaa was booking the hall, we would have refused this request as the values and ethos of Al Ghurabaa do not reflect those of Al Badr, a community-based organisation committed to help promote community harmony. Al Badr spokesman (July 2006)[72]
In September 2006 Pope Benedict XVI gave a speech on the question of the "reasonableness" of the Christian faith, to the University of Regensburg in Germany. In the Regensburg lecture he spoke about rationality in faith, and cited comments by the fourteenth-century Byzantine emperor Manuel II Palaiologos, who, as the Pope put it, said "show me just what Mohamed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." The citation attracted severe criticism from Muslims around the world, including the parliament of Pakistan which condemned the Pope for his comments, and which sought an apology from him.[74] Following the speech, on 17 September Choudary led a protest outside Westminster Cathedral, where he told reporters "Whoever insults the message of Mohammed is going to be subject to capital punishment." The Daily Mail reported him as saying: "I am here [to] have a peaceful demonstration, but there may be people in Italy and other parts that would carry that out."[75] The Metropolitan Police investigated his comments, but concluded that "no substantive offences" were committed during the demonstration. The Shadow Home Secretary, David Davis, who had called for action to be taken against Choudary, said: "It is quite disgraceful. It sends out a message to Muslim extremists that we, as a country, do not have the moral courage to stand up to them."[76]
He attempted to enter France to demonstrate against the French government's decision to ban the burka, but was stopped at the port of Calais. His passport was seized and he was issued documents banning him from France indefinitely.[77][78]
On 13 December 2013 Choudary led a march in Brick Lane, organised by the east London-based Sharia Project, demanding a ban on alcohol being sold by Muslim establishments.[79][80][81][82] An East London Mosque official, speaking of the patrols, identified The Shariah Project as "strongly linked" to Anjem Choudary's banned group Al-Muhajiroun.[83] Abu Rumaysah of The Shariah Project had predicted "hundreds" would join the demonstration, claiming that groups of Muslims would come from as far away as the Midlands to take part.[84] In the event, only a few dozen protesters took part in the march.[79][80] Choudary afterwards explained its purpose: "What we did is we posted a notice to the shop owners saying that under Sharia and under the Koran the sale of alcohol is prohibited and if one were to also drink alcohol, that would be 40 lashes. We were there to teach them that just because they are living among non-Muslims is no excuse because Sharia law will be implemented in Britain, and so they should be aware that just because it is not Sharia today, they can’t just do whatever they like."[80] Choudary said that the Shariah Project group would be arranging many more such rallies.[80]
Conviction and imprisonment [ edit ]
On 5 August 2015, Choudary was charged with one offence under section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000 for inviting support of a proscribed organisation, namely Islamic State, between June 2014 and March 2015.[85][86] The trial was postponed to 27 June 2016, and was expected to last no more than four weeks.[87] Choudary was convicted on 28 July 2016.[12][88] At the Old Bailey on 6 September 2016, Mr Justice Holroyde sentenced Choudary to five years and six months in prison, telling him that he had "crossed the line between the legitimate expression of your own views and a criminal act".[89]
Choudary was released from prison on 19th October 2018. Shortly after his release, it was reported that Choudary would be placed in a probation hostel in London Borough of Camden for six months where he would be required to abide by a number of conditions.[13]
Terrorist designation [ edit ]
On 30 March 2017 Choudary was declared a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the United States Department of State.[90] The designation blocks his assets and prohibits him from engaging in trade or financial transactions with U.S. persons.
Public reception [ edit ]
Islam4UK and its leader Anjem Choudary do not represent or speak for Islam or British Muslims but are a "platform" for the extremist movement al-Muhajiroun. There is no room for such kind of people or their organisations in our community or the peaceful religion of Islam. Dr Waqar Azmi OBE of the British Muslim Forum[91]
Choudary has been largely criticised by most UK newspapers, some of whom describe him as an extremist, or radical cleric or preacher.[92] In January 2010, Guardian contributor Mehdi Hasan wrote: "Is Choudary an Islamic scholar whose views merit attention or consideration? No. Has he studied under leading Islamic scholars? Nope. Does he have any Islamic qualifications or credentials? None whatsoever. So what gives him the right to pontificate on Islam, British Muslims or 'the hellfire'? Or proclaim himself a 'sharia judge'?", and claimed that Choudary was "as unrepresentative of British Muslim opinion, as he is of British anti-war opinion."[93]
The Conservative Party leader David Cameron said that Choudary "is one of those people who needs to be looked at seriously in terms of the legality of what he's saying because he strays, I think, extremely close to the line of encouraging hatred, extremism and violence."[94]
Salma Yaqoob, then leader of the Respect Party, said in 2010 of Choudary: "He is a bigot whose goal in life is to provoke division. He engages in these provocations because he is deeply hostile to any coming together of Muslims and non-Muslims. For him, the fact that a majority of the British people – Muslim and non-Muslim – oppose the war in Afghanistan is not something to be celebrated, but is something to be feared."[95] Rod Liddle, writing in The Spectator, said: "Anjem Choudray...is one of those thick-as-mince gobby little chancers who could only possibly come from Britain."[96] Conservatives in the United States have also been critical of Choudary. Fox News host Sean Hannity called Choudary "one sick, miserable, evil S.O.B." during a segment on his show discussing the 2011 Egyptian protests.[97]
Choudary has been denounced by mainstream Muslim groups.[6] However, in January 2010 Jamie Bartlett, a writer for The Daily Telegraph, speculated that he might have "some" support among the minority of Muslims in the UK who could be considered to hold conservative views.[98] The following year, Peter Oborne, defending Baroness Warsi's criticism of how British Muslims have been treated, singled out Choudary as an exception to the majority that were "decent people".[99]
Tabloid criticism of Islam4UK and Choudary since news of the proposed march first became public has, generally, been vitriolic, calling him a "hate preacher".[100] In January 2010, appearing on the BBC's The Daily Politics, he was asked by its presenter, Andrew Neil, for his opinions on the banning of Islam4UK, before being asked to comment on his financial status, claiming that it was "relevant to our viewers". Choudary told Neil that his finances were a personal matter, and that he was "doing something, and I don't want to discuss that with you. I'm not on Jobseeker's allowance, but at the same time, I have family allowance, I have very firmly held views which I'm propagating at the same time." Responding to the media's criticism of him, Choudary said "I do believe that people have been whipped up into an anti-Islam anti-Muslim frenzy."[101]
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Footnotes
^ When asked why he would not condemn the 7 July bombings when Bakri already had. ^ [20] In 2014 he revised the estimated date of Britain becoming a Muslim country to 2050.
Notes |
" " Artist monks constructing the Kalachakra mandala which is made with colored sand. Ernst Haas/Ernst Haas/Getty Images
The mandalas of Tibetan Buddhism entice us as artistic expressions, meta symbols and conscience expressions of a complex spiritual cosmology. In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert and Christian explore the nature of Tibetan Buddhism, the meaning within mandalic art and how this all connects to the western mnemonic system known as ‘the memory palace’ and the modern use of simulated worlds.
Related Content:
The Memory Palace Revisited (with Nelson Dellis) (podcast)
The Self-Mummifying Monk (podcast)
Human Remains: Past, Present and Future (podcast)
Art Spotlight: The Wheel of Samsara
How Sky Burial Works (HowStuffWorks.com)
Cosmic Canvas: Starships of The White Temple
Artatomical: Tibetan Thangka Medical Illustrations
Concentric circles represent air, water, fire, and earth. Mahayana 1000. Dashang Kagyu Ling, Tibet. Temple of 1000 Buddhas. BSIP/UIG via Getty Images |
Kicking off a series of summer blogs, we have a special preview for you this week. Over the last month we've been holding off on previewing a lot of our content until the Eden Star website goes live, so keep an eye on this space...
Posted by clarky006 on Apr 19th, 2013
So what are we actually up to? We've been hard at work developing a preview trailer for the game itself, to showcase how we want the the final game to feel. In parallel we've been coding away equally as hard at the gameplay, which we will be featuring more later in the summer.
To cast more light on the games atmosphere and lore we will be doing several features on an upcoming trailer. This weeks development snippet has been put together by myself, Matt, the art director here at Flix.
This is by far one of the larger game assets I've been developing, I’m going to briefly present the Eden Star herself! which I've been working on for the past month, detailing, and getting the large scale feel right. The ship design came about from many different movie and game influences, and is quite monstrous in terms of real world size.
The images shown are taken from mesh development to a glimpse of her near to final appearance in Engine.
So a bit of information about the ship...
The Eden Star is a Frontier Class Migration Vessel (FCMV) sent out to Pharus 07. Her mission - to support and deploy teams of colonists and miners that you are spearheading, mainly for acquisition of rare and exotic resources which ultimately is one of the games focal mechanics. She is about 1 km in length and supports a crew compliment of 2,500. She is also the first vessel to of been sent out this far, kitted out for deep space colonisation and advanced deploy-able hardware for Terra forming.
I'll leave it short and sweet as I've been told I can't spoil too much...
Next week we’ll be previewing some more aspects of the games visuals, with some very beautiful concept pieces from one of our resident ninja artists - Gavin Li.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you're as excited as I am about this year! |
The force is training 140 non-firearm officers to use Tasers to deal with potentially violent situations. There are currently 130 firearms officers and 30 other support officers who carry the 50,000-volt stun gun in the force.
The move comes after a year-long pilot study which involved support officers carrying the weapons for the first time. The first of the new wave of officers will be in Somerset, where 60 will be trained.
A further 50 officers from the Road Policing Unit and 30 from the Support Group will have training phased in over the next year.
This will bring the total number of Taser-trained officers to 300 across Avon and Somerset, though they will have to share 200 of the stun guns between them.
A Taser works by firing two barbs which penetrate the skin and discharge 50,000 volts along two copper wires attached to the gun.
It can also be held against a person and fired to temporarily incapacitate. Despite the high voltage, a Taser bolt is considered safe because of its low amperage.
The weapons were initially only available to specially-trained firearms officers, but last November the government announced plans to fund the provision of 10,000 Taser guns nationally and training for up to 30,000 frontline officers to use them.
Only a few forces have so far agreed to extend the use of Tasers to non fire-arm officers, with Metropolitan Police and Sussex Police deciding against it.
In June, Devon and Cornwall Constabulary and South Yorkshire Police said they were still deciding on whether to extend the use of the guns.
Cleveland Police said they would not introduce any new Taser weapons this year.
Somerset West chief inspector Yan Georgiou said the force had received 130 additional Taser devices from the Home Office.
"The number of officers being assaulted or injured on duty is reducing," he said. "There are many reasons for this, but there is no doubt that Taser is a contributory factor."
Somerset East chief inspector Paul Richards said: "Tasers have proved a useful tactical option for officers faced with threats of violence of such severity that they would need to use force to protect the public, themselves or the offender.
"In many cases, the presence alone of a Taser can act as a deterrent to offenders, and so it is hoped that many future situations will be resolved without conflict." |
Blame the 2016 Republican presidential candidates (cough, Donald Trump, cough) or the recent stock market meltdown or Americans' general conviction that the country is going to hell, but a recent poll showed that one-third of U.S. citizens aren't satisfied with their government. In fact, 30 percent would support a military takeover, The Guardian reports.
The numbers come from a YouGov survey, which polled 1,000 people online. The exact question asked was, "Is there any situation in which you could imagine yourself supporting the U.S. military taking over the powers of federal government?" Interestingly, Republicans were twice as likely as Democrats to answer 'yes' to the question; 43 percent of Republicans said they could imagine supporting a military coup, while only 20 percent of Democrat said they'd support the move. About 30 percent of self-identified independent voters said they could get behind a military takeover.
Although the numbers look pretty grim, Abraham Wyner, director of the undergraduate program in statistics at the University of Pennsylvania, said that online polls are suspect when it comes to getting accurate results. "People who are participating in an online poll are generally attracted to that poll because of some variable," he said. In other words, people who respond to the poll tend to feel strongly about the poll's subject matter, so they're inherently biased.
The same survey included more questions about the U.S. military and law enforcement. Overall, most of those surveyed (70 percent) seemed to think that military officers want what's best for the country, but only 55 percent think that police officers act with the country's best interest at heart. The numbers are even worst for local politicians and federal civil servants (hi, Kim Davis).
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Last night in Seattle, 150 people gathered at Spitfire, a sports bar in the heart of Belltown, to witness the launch of the first Bitcoin ATM kiosk in Washington State.
The launch event was hosted by Coinme, a Seattle-based startup who purchased and installed the Bitcoin ATM kiosk, manufactured by Robocoin. Coinme’s mission is to increase crypto-currency literacy, build the local crypto-currency economy, and provide the safest and most secure solution for buying and selling Bitcoin through their newly deployed Bitcoin kiosks.
“Coinme was created out of the frustration we had with the current state of the Bitcoin market,” said Coinme General Manager Nick Hughes. “In order to reach its full potential, the cryptocurrency industry needs more accountability and consumer protection. The market also needs more leaders who are offering education and community outreach. Coinme was founded with the goal of bringing all of those factors together. The kiosk is just the start.”
The Coinme team, including Hughes and Compliance Officer Neil Bergquist, invited attendees to try out the kiosk and buy or sell Bitcoin, and would be Bitcoiners lined up eagerly to take their turn.
One such newcomer was 71-year-old Michael, a resident of Colorado who was visiting his son in Seattle. He registered with the Bitcoin kiosk in a few minutes and then bought his first bitcoins, $40 worth.
“I was surprised at how easy it was,” said Michael. “Although I had wanted to own some Bitcoin, I had been wary of wiring money to offshore exchanges. This kiosk gave the confidence to trade in some cash.”
A Discussion with Bitcoin Experts
In addition to showcasing the kiosk, Coinme also hosted a panel of Bitcoin experts, featuring Patrick Murck, General Counsel of the Bitcoin Foundation, Will O’Brien, CEO of Bitcoin security company BitGo, and Charles Fitzgerald, Seattle-based angel investor and Bitcoin enthusiast. The panel was moderated by Jonathan Sposato, serial entrepreneur, investor and chairman of Geekwire.
The panel addressed questions ranging from “what is Bitcoin?” to “why will Bitcoin change the world?” to “why is Seattle positioned to embrace the Bitcoin revolution?”
Patrick Murck shared his views about the global opportunity for Bitcoin. “The informal, ‘System D’ economy represents a $10 trillion market opportunity that is largely unaddressed,” explained Murck. “Permission-less global finance using systems like bitcoin gives entrepreneurs the tools to address that market and at the same time help people in the global south create new sources of wealth within their own community.”
Will O’Brien expressed an enthusiasm that Bitcoin is here to stay. “The digital currency genie has left the bottle. Bitcoin will drive much needed innovation in our financial services ecosystem, and adoption is increasing at an incredible pace,” said O’Brien whose company, BitGo, uses multi-sig technology to secure Bitcoin investments and transactions.
Charles Fitzgerald described how Seattle’s can capitalize on this opportunity. “Bitcoin plays incredibly well to Seattle’s strengths. We’re a deep tech, platform software town with a lot of retail and ecommerce talent. And we have no banks.” Fitzgerald, a veteran of Microsoft and long-time investor, is keen to see Seattle become a major driver of financial services innovation.
A Level Playing Field
What made this event special is that it was attended by Bitcoin veterans and rookies alike. The Coinme kiosk leveled the playing field for getting into Bitcoin. Everybody, who wanted to, could walk out that night with more Bitcoin in their digital wallet.
Coinme is accepting appointments for customers to try out the Bitcoin ATM kiosk. Or you can go to Spitfire and use it on your own.
Learn more at www.coinmekiosk.com.
Disclosure: Will O’Brien (referenced in this article) is the owner of On Bitcoin. |
Solar power expert reviews solar panels at the Kosh-Agachskaya solar power plant in the Republic of Altai, launched on September 4, 2014.
Russia has the technology, resources and opportunities to develop alternative energy, but does not have enough political will to make it economically viable at the moment, says Valentin Parmon, Russia's leading expert on catalysis technology.
Traditional sources of energy such as oil, coal and gas are so inexpensive and accessible in Russia that alternative sources will remain economically unviable for a long time.
“In Russia, alternative energy sources are currently used only where there are certain problems with the supply of traditional fuels,” Valentin Parmon, the long-time head of the Institute of Catalysis at the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told RBTH.
The scientist says the situation can be changed dramatically if something forces the authorities to take a political decision and make alternative energy economically viable.
One of the triggers could be a possible transition of the West to aviation fuel with biological additives. Scientists warned the Russian government about such a transition four years ago, Parmon says.
Even as many airlines are exploring this option, there is no public debate on the potential challenges and opportunities for Russia.
“It may be worse than any economic sanctions, because almost all passenger airplanes in Russia are imported,” Parmon says.
“Millions of liters of this type of aviation fuel is being produced in the world, so if Russia will not launch production, for which it has both technologies and raw materials, we'll have to import it.”
Finland already produces aviation bio-fuel from orange milk cap mushrooms, which are imported from the Leningrad Region.
The catalysis technologies developed at Parmon's institute can be used for solar energy, or generate electricity from any biomass, hard coal, sewage and other rubbish.
Solar energy and clean cars
In the Soviet era, the Institute of Catalysis developed a reactor and catalysts that were capable of converting solar energy into chemical energy with an efficiency rate of 43 percent.
“Using similar technology, we can convert nuclear power into chemical energy (nobody thought of putting the catalyst inside the reactor core before us), as well as microwave radiation energy,” Parmon says.
The Institute of Catalysis has also developed a device for cars, “in which a portion of the fuel is converted into a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide before it enters the cylinder of the engine,” Parmon adds.
According to him, this technique reduces two problems at once – it ensures clean emissions and improves fuel efficiency by 30 percent. Such devices are “more efficient than what current hybrid vehicles use, and are easier to manufacture,” he adds.
Hard coal, rice husk and sludge from wastewater treatment plants
The Institute of Catalysis has also proposed the use of catalysts for combustion of solid fuels, including very low quality fuels.
“Five boilers already operate in Russia, using this technology,” Parmon says. “They do not produce smoke. Such boilers need two to four times less coal than conventional ones. There are four boilers in Siberia. One is in the Amur region. These are industrial, not experimental, boilers.”
“The same principle is being developed now for burning sludge from wastewater treatment plants,” Parmon says.
“Water treatment plants have huge fields, where they accumulate huge amounts of this sludge, which cannot be released, because it may contain toxic elements. With the use of our technology, this sludge can be used as fuel. At the same time, the resulting ash can be used by adding it to the lower layers of concrete paving.”
This same technology can be used for generating power from rice husk, 20 percent of which comprises of sand. Another source of power is waste that is generated when palm oil is extracted from palm trees.
All rights reserved by Rossiyskaya Gazeta. |
Data Discs has been teasing its upcoming releases for a couple weeks now, and they’ve just announced what SEGA fans will be spinning in their record players next.
Their next releases will be Panzer Dragoon and The Revenge of Shinobi, and both will go on sale on Dec. 3. There are already product pages for both games: Panzer Dragoon and The Revenge of Shinobi.
According to the press release, Panzer Dragoon vinyl orders will begin shipping in mid-December and will be guaranteed pre-Christmas delivery in the UK, but not outside of the UK. The Revenge of Shinobi vinyl is a pre-order item and won’t begin shipping until January 2017.
If you’re interested in purchasing either vinyl, make sure to register for the Data Discs newsletter, as you’ll gain early access to purchase the items.
The following is from their release:
Panzer Dragoon
We are proud to present the first ever vinyl edition of Yoshitaka Azuma’s score to SEGA’s classic rail-shooter, Panzer Dragoon. First released in 1995 to coincide with the North American launch of the Saturn console, Panzer Dragoon has since become a cult favourite, not only for its stark art direction, inspired by renowned French artist Jean “Mobieus” Giraud, but also for its sweeping soundtrack.
Composed by the late Yoshitaka Azuma, whose previous solo albums for Nippon Columbia had drawn on everything from ambient, prog, krautrock and electronic minimalism, the music of Panzer Dragoon moves between swelling orchestral pieces, blasts of rhythmic synthesis and ambient passages that wouldn’t seem out of place in the Tangerine Dream discography. When viewed as a standalone concept album, Panzer Dragoon succeeds in somehow conveying, by the sum of its seemingly dissonant parts, that most basic of human fantasies; the sensation of being in flight. In the 90s.
Panzer Dragoon is presented as a double 180g LP, cut at 45rpm and housed in a single pocket, 425gsm mirror board sleeve with accompanying lithographic insert and silver laminated OBI strip. This edition features the entirety of Azuma’s score, along with three bonus tracks of alternate synthesizer versions. It is available in the following editions (all priced at £22.99):
180g 2xLP on frosted clear, sky blue and grey vinyl (limited edition, available exclusively from the Data Discs site)
180g 2xLP on sky blue vinyl
180g 2xLP on classic black vinyl
The Revenge of Shinobi
Collaborating once again with legendary composer Yuzo Koshiro, we are thrilled to present one of the most revered and timeless soundtracks of the 16bit era: The Revenge of Shinobi. Composed in 1989, the music for the Mega Drive game (known as The Super Shinobi in Japan) blended Western dance music with Japanese overtones, to create something truly unlike anything else before.
The soundtrack was Koshiro’s first commissioned work for SEGA and served as a forerunner to his seminal Streets of Rage trilogy, where the concepts and styles he founded with Shinobi would be expanded upon to astonishing effect. Koshiro’s work on The Revenge of Shinobi remains a testament to the ingenuity of early game composers who, when given enough creative freedom, found the means of drawing new and unexpected sounds from extremely limited hardware.
The Revenge of Shinobi is presented as a 180g LP, cut at 45rpm and packaged in a 425gsm outer sleeve, with heavyweight inner sleeve and double-sided lithographic print, featuring original artwork sourced from the SEGA archives in Japan. The release also includes exclusive liner notes written by Koshiro himself. It is available in the following editions (all priced at £19.99):
180g bone and black vinyl (limited edition, available exclusively from the Data Discs site)
180g bone coloured vinyl
180g classic black vinyl
In addition, there will be an extremely limited edition (50 copies) signed and numbered by Yuzo Koshiro. These will be sent out at random to customers who order within the first 12 hours of sale. Please see our website for full details. |
By Cordelia Fine, University of Melbourne
It’s been a mixed week for women and their hormones.
When Maryam Mirzakhani became the first woman to win the prestigious Fields Medal for mathematics, a Cambridge mathematician suggested it would “put to bed many myths about women and mathematics”, one of which is the idea that females are not exposed to enough prenatal testosterone to excel in the field.
At the same time, other hormone-related myths were given fresh life by a new evolutionary story claiming to have uncovered the reason why women become “unbearable to live with” once a month, as one news report put it.
Michael Gillings, a population geneticist at Macquarie University, suggests in an article published in the journal Evolutionary Applications that premenstrual syndrome (PMS) evolved because it enabled women to repel men who failed to make them pregnant.
The fantastic past
In our ancestral past, the story goes, women would have had many fewer menstrual cycles due to greater numbers of pregnancies and extended breastfeeding. Being partnered with an infertile man would therefore have gone hand-in-hand with regular menstruation.
Premenstrual syndrome could save ancestral women from evolutionarily disastrous reproductive failure. Having successfully driven off an infertile partner by means of bad-temperedness administered on a monthly schedule, women would be at liberty to seek out a fresh victim.
A well-rehearsed criticism of this kind of fanciful evolutionary speculation is that many aspects of contemporary human conditions are not adaptations; they are not “for” anything.
Contrary to popular “paleofantasy”, which holds that we embody perfected design for a long-gone era, evolutionary change is a compromised, continuously jerry-rigged process that has to always act within the constraints of what’s already there. This means many of our characteristics, including some that are typical or universal, have no evolutionary purpose.
Often, speculating about what adaptive purpose is served by some feature of a pocket of contemporary life is to board the express train to Storyland.
But Gillings argues that the high frequency of the currently “maladaptive” condition of PMS, with “often … significant personal, social and economic costs”, points to an offsetting adaptive benefit from the past.
Not as bad as all that
However, the picture painted of the incapacitating effect on modern women of their reproductive system is far too bleak.
Only a small percentage of women (estimates have ranged from as low as 1.3% to around the 5% to 8% mark) have premenstrual symptoms that are genuinely debilitating and merit a diagnosis of premenstrual dysphoric disorder.
And while 80% of women do indeed report experiencing what Gillings describes as PMS, what this actually means is that they’ve experienced potentially as little as one of a long and generic checklist of “symptoms”, such as abdominal bloating, tension, and poor sleep.
What’s more, a careful and comprehensive 2012 review of studies on mood and the menstrual cycle:
failed to provide clear evidence in support of the existence of a specific premenstrual negative mood syndrome in the general population.
Of the 47 studies identified as of being of adequate quality, only 15% found the expected link between negative mood and the premenstrual phase.
And when, in a different study, researchers looked directly for associations between moods and the ovarian steroid hormones (estrogen and progesterone) assumed to drive them, they mostly failed to find any links.
While there were a few significant correlations here and there, mood and hormones were mostly unrelated. In line with the review study, menstrual cycle phase was also largely unrelated to mood.
What did predict mood well, by contrast, was perceived stress and physical health, leading the researchers to conclude:
Taken together, our findings suggest that natural fluctuations of ovarian hormones do not contribute significantly to variations in the daily moods of healthy women.
Fertility fantasy
Another major derailment for Gillings’ story comes from closer examination of the implicit assumption that it’s very easy for a man to impregnate a fertile woman.
Indeed, the premise that a man can father vast crops of children by spreading his seed widely is treated as an axiom of evolutionary psychology, and serves as the foundation of claims about evolved sex differences in mating preferences.
But there are many reasons why conception might fail to take place following one single sexual act, even if both parties are fertile. It can take several months for a typical modern couple to achieve an intended pregnancy.
For women to have evolved relationship-curdling tendencies in such circumstances would hardly seem to be adaptive.
Remarkably, Gillings suggests the idea that women are maladaptively driven to corrode relationships with their irritability and mood swings will help to “depathologise” PMS.
That seems rather optimistic; attributing behaviour to internal, biological factors doesn’t neccessarily have destigmatising effects. It seems at least as likely that Gillings’ evolutionary story will instead reinforce and legitimate negative stereotypes of women as irrationally emotional.
And that should irritate everyone, no matter what day of the month it is.
Cordelia Fine receives funding from an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship.
This article was originally published on The Conversation.
Read the original article. |
In an interview with Ian Furness and Jason Puckett on Friday, former Mayor Mike McGinn talked about the SODO arena process and the roadblocks along the way, including current Mayor Ed Murray. McGinn said of Murray:
"But what we've seen from Ed from the beginning is he was pretty much absent from the first street vacation vote, tried not to say anything publicly. And I think that, as well as his stance now, I believe based on his actions today and his failure to engage it, he opposes the SODO arena. That's very clear to me that he opposes the SODO arena, will spend no political capital to make it happen, and might even be working behind the scenes to make sure they never get the vacation...So I think that's another thing that we're analyzing to watch. Does Ed come off the bench and publicly fight for it or does he work behind the scenes and say that Key Arena is the highest priority? I think that will have a big impact on the final outcome."
Listen to the full interview below. |
In what will likely be remembered as "Bloody Monday" in radio circles for years to come, 1200 WOAI Program Director Brian Gann announced a reshuffling of talent late Monday night that sent shock waves throughout South Texas.
Longtime drive time host Joe Pagliarulo or "Joe Pags" as he's affectionately known will be replaced by current San Antonio Spurs star Kawhi Leonard at the conclusion of the NBA season. Leonard will host his show, titled Kawhiet Riot from 5-8pm weekdays. In a statement released by WOAI, Gann said:
Joe Pags has been a notable figure in our community for years and we appreciate his contributions. He represented our city and all of South Texas with dignity and class, and for that we are forever grateful. I just couldn't stand listening to him sing Joe Cocker songs for one more minute.
Gann went on to describe his vision for Leonard's new program.
I see Kawhi as the real life Frasier Crane. He will take calls from people facing life issues and open up to them. In our trial runs he's been amazing. He shares stories from his life in the NBA and somehow ties that in to whatever ills the caller may be facing. He has a gift for getting to the heart of the matter and will help people escape from their fog of negativity and see life as they've never seen it before. Kawhi will also speak on pop culture. Whether it's movie reviews or discussing the most recent episode of Girls, the loquacious Leonard will weigh in with his unique brand of observation and wit. The final hour will be reserved for Kawhi eating steak. So you'll get an entire hour of Kawhi eating a steak and describing to his audience the quality of his meal. From our test sessions: "That bite was good. Really, it's good. I said it was good." Groundbreaking stuff to say the least. We can't wait to get started. The most difficult challenge we face is squeezing everything in the three hour run time. Once you get Kawhi going, its hard to get him to stop talking.
Further terms of his contract are not yet available, but the speculation is he will be paid in the low six figure range. Furthermore, hosting the show is not expected to interfere with his role with the Spurs, unless the steak is extraordinarily good on a particular game night.
Late yesterday afternoon Kawhi hinted at the pending change when he sent this tweet.
The ink is not even dry yet so I can't reveal everything, but I can say it's good. Announcement tomorrow. We'll have fun without Joe Cocker. — Kawhi (@Kawhiet_Riot) March 31, 2014
While change is always difficult, these are definitely exciting times. We'd like to wish Joe Pags the best as he searches for a new place to sing his Joe Cocker tunes, and we can't wait to tune in to Kawhiet Riot everyday at 5.
Best of luck, gentlemen!
*****
You didn't forget what day it is, did you? |
We're proud to announce the first release of BlueDevil, the new bluetooth stack for KDE SC.
Description:
BlueDevil is a set of components, which integrates bluetooth within the KDE SC, for example adding a system preference module (KCM), or allowing to browse the files in a cell phone from you favorite file browser.
The list of already implemented components is:
System preference module (KCM) to configure all the options regarding Bluetooth (also fully activate/deactivate it)
Integration with the KDE input/output system (KIO), which allows to discover and explore all bluetooth devices around from your favorite file browser
A wizard to pair your devices, and connect directly to the compatible services, such input (mouse, keybaord, Wiimote) and audio (headsets, phones)
Systray application integrated with the last KDE SC 4.5, from where all BlueDevil actions can be done (disconnect devices, send files, configure...)
Daemon to listen incoming petitions, for example to receive files, or to introduce a requested PIN.
Dependencies:
bluez (to get it working)
obex-data-server (for receiving files, and KIO's)
obexd-client (for sending files)
KDE SC 4.4 or greater
PulseAudio, or a proper configured Alsa (with the bluetooth hook)
Errata:
When using kio_obexftp in dolphin on a KDE SC 4.4, some times it won't load the content because more than one kio is launched at the same time and it is not supported by the backend (Tip: Disable the previews or use konqueror)
In KDE 4.5 SC, some times when a device is removed, the systray is not correctly updated (Seems to be a bug in QDBusMenu)
When trying to open a file from a bluetooth device, the progress gets stucked at 99%
Target Audience:
This release should be stable enough to be used by everybody, but we're looking specially for advanced users with "compiling skills" so we can get quick feedback and fix as many bugs as possible. if you are Interested send an email to Àlex (at) ufocoders dot com.
Internationalization:
Currently BlueDevil is not ready to be translated (the strings are not final), and we're looking for native English speakers who can help us with the strings, interested people send an email to Àlex {at) ufocoders.com
Special thanks to (in no particular order):
BlueZ developers and community for their help during the development (and patience)
David Faure for his help during the development and infinite patience talking about KIO's
To ufocoders for sponsor half of the development
Obtaining the code:
To get the tag:
git clone git://gitorious.org/bluedevil/bluedevil.git; git checkout v1.0-rc1
In the next release we'll provide the proper tarball. |
Dubai: Cyclone Chapala was expected to unleash 400mm of tropical rainfall on central coastal Yemen by the end of the day on Tuesday when it dumps three years worth of precipitation within 24 hours, says a leading global weather expert on climate anomalies.
Dr Mansour Al Mazroui, Director of Centre of Excellence for Climate Change at King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, said on Monday that computer models at the centre suggest that Yemen will be battered by the Category 1 storm with winds of 150-175 km/h by the time it makes landfall on the mainland.
The depression will morph into a tropical storm and decrease in intensity as it moves inland to release its torrential rainfall.
“We’re running models and it’s showing 400mm of rain — that’s more than three years of rain all at once,” he said.
“This cyclone is considered a very tropical cyclone for that region,” Dr Al Mazroui told Gulf News. “Most [Indian Ocean] cyclones hit India but very few go north. We’re seeing now the second strongest cyclone [in the region’s history] and it’s hitting Yemen. It is remarkable.”
The rare cyclone hit the Yemeni island of Socotra on Monday, killing three people and injuring dozens, residents and officials said, as it headed for an Al Qaida-controlled town on the mainland.
"The cyclone is approaching Mukalla and we fear a disaster," one official at the provincial capital said, requesting anonymity.
"Families have evacuated coastal areas and residents are organising themselves and helping each other to deal with the cyclone," he added.
The city has been mostly controlled by militants of Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula since April.
On Socotra, "more than 200 people were injured and dozens of houses and hamlets were either heavily damaged by water or washed away by waves", said Salem Zaher, mayor of the island's main district Hadibo.
Socotra is less than 250 kilometres (150 miles) from the Horn of Africa and 350 kilometres off the Yemeni mainland.
Amateur pictures and videos on social media, which could not be immediately verified, showed torrents of water washing through the provincial capital Hadibu’s streets.
“Three people were killed, around 100 have been injured and hundreds of families were forced to leave their homes in coastal regions for the mountains,” said a local official, without elaborating on the causes of death. The island has likely not experienced a cyclone of hurricane-equivalent intensity since 1922, according to Weather.com.
“Chapala’s rate of intensification from a high-end tropical storm to a high-end Category 4 storm in 24 hours ending 2am EDT Friday morning was quite impressive for this part of the world,” said a Weather.com report.
The strongest cyclone in recorded history to hit the Arabian Peninsula was Gonu when it slammed into northern reaches of Oman in 2007.
Dr Al Mazroui said high resolution computer-simulation models were predicting until late last night serious flooding of areas in central Yemen given that is a highly arid part of the country placed along the southern coast of the Arabian Peninsula.
The forecast, he said, is predicting the storm will make landfall somewhere near Al Mukalla, Yemen, the fifth largest city along the coast with a population of around 300,000.
Dr Al Mazroui said it is unlikely the storm will affect the UAE or other parts of the peninsula.
Situated in the Arabian Sea, isolated Socotra is home to hundreds of exotic plant species found nowhere else on earth. Its around 50,000 residents speak their own language.
The US Navy’s Pearl Harbor-based Joint Typhoon Warning Centre said the storm had reached maximum gusts of 240 km per hour, equivalent to a category 4 hurricane. Yemeni officials said it was the most powerful storm the mostly arid and hot country had experienced in decades.
The centre projected the cyclone would make landfall on the mainland just west of the restive port city of Mukalla, which has been run by a tribal council and Al Qaida militants since the army and government institutions withdrew in April.
Residents there worried that the power vacuum would mean no authorities were in a position to deal with the storm damage.
“The sea water level has risen by 9 metres and has destroyed the Mukalla seafront,” said resident Mohammad Ba Zuhair.
“Many people have left their homes and are seeking refuge in schools. No relief or aid efforts are under way by either the tribal council or Al Qaida, and the situation is really bad.”
— with inputs from agencies |
Hayfever sufferers normally welcome the beginning of autumn, but this year invading pollen could cause the sniffles to continue way past the summer.
The mild weather has allowed ragweed to flourish, a plant normally found only in North America.
The pollen of ragweed is notorious for sparking allergies and asthma attacks across the Atlantic but it requires lengthy mild autumns to survive, and so is rarely seen in Britain.
However scientists at the University of Leicester had recorded ragweed pollen in the air on four consecutive days in the East Midlands in September.
And the problem is likely to get worse as an unseasonal heatwave grips Britain this weekend sending temperatures soaring to 73F (23C).
"Ragweed can't survive in the East Midlands because of our cooler climate compared to North America and Central Europe, so we were very surprised to see it when we analysed the pollen and fungi in the air earlier this month,” said Dr Catherine Pashley from the Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation.
“Most years we haven’t seen any at all. Some years we’ve seen one or two grains in a day. Now instead we’ve had ragweed in the air on four consecutive days and one of the days it went well above the level which is known to cause problems in people allergic to it. So that was completely unexpected. "It could extend the hayfever season for people who may be allergic to it.
"Whether or not we continue to see more ragweed will very much depend on how mild this autumn is and when we have the first frost. If it is a late frost, it is likely that ragweed levels may increase this time next year."
Ragweed pollen under the microscope
The university has monitored the pollens and fungal spores present in the air using spore traps based at the University of Leicester for the past 40 years.
Historically there has never been more than a few grains of ragweed in the air on any one day and most years the pollen is not seen at all.
In Europe, ragweed was first seen in the 1960s and is the cause of much hayfever misery to sufferers in Central and Eastern Europe.
It was predicted in the early 1990s that if annual average temperatures continue to increase by per decade, ragweed could spread north and be present in Central England by 2050.
But the new findings suggest the plant is making its presence felt earlier than expected because of the mild winters.
This weekend the chilly and foggy September weather of recent weeks will melt away to be replaced with blue skies and highs of around 73F (23C) in the south through the weekend. Humid conditions could make some parts of the country feel closer to 81F (27C).
Next week will remain unseasonably warm with temperatures of around 66F (19C). And the unusually clement weather has been tipped to hold out for at least another month with no sign of winter on the way.
"Temperatures are going to be pretty good for the time of year with highs in the low 20s expected in the south and 19C in the north next week," said Met Office forecaster Mark Wilson.
"Most of the UK will be dry and sunny on Friday although there could be some winds across Scotland.
"It is a similar picture for the weekend and into next week with nighttime temperatures picking up.
"For the end of September it is looking very respectable, with temperatures well above-average for the time of year."
Long-range forecasts say Britain could be in for above-average temperatures until the end of November.
James Madden, forecaster for Exacta Weather, said: "A significant area of high pressure is likely to build in across many parts of the country towards the end of the month and into the early part of October, resulting in some even warmer and potentially very hot weather for the time of the year."
Netweather said temperatures could feel close to 81F (27C) in the south by the end of the weekend. |
Like most people, we too have come away from interactions with the healthcare system all too often feeling exasperated and angry. When comparing personal and professional experiences, the root causes immediately have become clear: healthcare is not personal and there is no central depository of our own health information.
First, it’s important to take a wider perspective and understand the 3 challenges plaguing our healthcare system:
The system currently lacks any sort of centralized depository for personal health information (PHI). Without this depository, PHI is unevenly distributed, frustratingly duplicated among care teams, and needlessly cumbersome to access. Patients do not own their PHI. In an environment where patients and caregivers are being asked to coordinate among larger care teams, this has led to frustration, decreased quality of care, and increased hospital readmissions (which also lead to more fines for hospitals).. Technology to safely secure PHI is largely absent, unable to scale, or has proven ineffective. This has led to record fines, increased costs, and increased vulnerability to cyberattacks such as ransomware.
Patientory aims to answer these challenges with a system that works for both patients and doctors:
Patientory’s mobile app allows patients to create an individual profile. On this profile, they store their medical information on a secure, HIPAA-compliant blockchain platform. Then they can connect with care providers as well as other patients who have similar health issues or concerns. This allows patients greater control over their overall health across multiple care teams, both inside and outside the hospital.
Doctors (and their healthcare organizations) use Patientory to get the patient’s complete and up-to-date medical history. In addition, Patientory utilizes blockchain to keep PHI secure, mitigate damaging data breaches, and even execute smart contracts at every stage of the patient care billing and payment cycle.
While many have come forward to support our optimistic vision of a more personal healthcare system, others have sprung up with a skeptical eye. How can you expect to succeed, they ask, when others have already failed? There are four ways to answer this question:
The timing is right.
For healthcare organizations, the situation is growing increasingly fraught. Ransomware like WannaCry are no longer relegated to the relative obscurity of info security blogs. Instead, news about ransomware is loudly broadcasted on mainstream global news outlets like CNN and the BBC.
For healthcare organizations, the situation is growing increasingly fraught. Ransomware like WannaCry are no longer relegated to the relative obscurity of info security blogs. Instead, news about ransomware is loudly broadcasted on mainstream global news outlets like CNN and the BBC. The technology is finally mature.
Instead of having one central administrator act as a gatekeeper to data, blockchain deploys one shared ledger spread across a network of synchronized, replicated databases visible to anyone with the authorized access. It is virtually impossible for a cyber criminal to hack one block in the chain without simultaneously hacking every other block in the chain’s chronology. This makes blockchain incredibly appealing to not only store a patient’s entire health history, but determine who should have access to it.
Instead of having one central administrator act as a gatekeeper to data, blockchain deploys one shared ledger spread across a network of synchronized, replicated databases visible to anyone with the authorized access. It is virtually impossible for a cyber criminal to hack one block in the chain without simultaneously hacking every other block in the chain’s chronology. This makes blockchain incredibly appealing to not only store a patient’s entire health history, but determine who should have access to it. We take a different approach.
We have deliberately chosen a path that does not require healthcare IT executives to impose a new solution or dispose of their legacy capital investments. Instead, our system is a bridge that seamlessly integrates with existing EMR systems such as Meditech, EPIC, Allscripts, and Cerner. In addition, we leverage smarter technologies such as machine learning and AI to help provide better care treatment plans, which promote better health outcomes.
We have deliberately chosen a path that does not require healthcare IT executives to impose a new solution or dispose of their legacy capital investments. Instead, our system is a bridge that seamlessly integrates with existing EMR systems such as Meditech, EPIC, Allscripts, and Cerner. In addition, we leverage smarter technologies such as machine learning and AI to help provide better care treatment plans, which promote better health outcomes. Patients are demanding to own their own data.
From Fitbits to fitness apps, a plethora of products have ushered in the age of the quantified self. Patients – both healthy and ill – are accustomed to owning their health data and are now demanding healthcare organizations unlock their silos. Our app lets patients create a universal profile to keep track of their entire health history. The will provide an easy and hassle free way of tracking doctor visits, medical bills, personal medical information, insurance, immunizations and pharmacy medications. All of this information can then be shared with other providers, labs and diagnostic services.
Join the Mission
We invite you to join our mission to make healthcare more personal:
Let’s empower patients globally by giving them access to their health information.
Let’s connect patients with their many caregivers for improved health outcomes.
Let’s give doctors and healthcare organizations the safety and security of lower risk of cyberattacks and lower costs.
By doing all of this, we not only make healthcare more personal, but improve quality of care and well being for all. |
About This Content
Playable Khitan race
4 Additional adventure zones in Khitai
12 Different factions with high-end rewards
3 Solo instances and 14 Group encounters
Jade Citadel - Tier 4 Raid dungeons
Coast of Ardashir playfield - Level 50 to 55
2 High-level Solo Instances
Fort Ardashir - Level 80 group dungeon
Temple of Erlik - Tier 3.5 Raid dungeon
Dragon’s Spine playfield - Level 80
The Sepulcher of the Wyrm - Level 80 Group Dungeon
The Coils of Ubah Kan - Level 80 Group Dungeon
The Slithering Chaos - Level 80 Group Dungeon (Coming Soon!)
Unchained Raids - Tier 5 Raid encounters
The Palace of Cetriss - Tier 6 Raid dungeon
4 small group instances that scale to your level (Level 20+)
Dynamic Quests that change every day
New Faction and rewards
New vanity gear and mount
Discover the very ends of the Hyborian frontier with the Hyborian Conqueror Collection! This collection features all of the additional content found in Age of Conan: Unchained in a single package!Rise of the GodslayerSavage Coast of TuranSecrets of Dragon’s SpineShadow of VanaheimExclusive “Spiked Cloak of Vapours” vanity item!Discover the secrets of Khitai! Based on the events after the story “The Tower of the Elephant”, Rise of the Godslayer explores the vast lands of the Khitai Empire. Home to powerful sorcerers and ancient mysteries, exploring these dark roads is not for the feint of heart. Expansion Set includes:The coastal city of Ardashir is amidst a power struggle of treachery and turmoil. Inspired by the events of the story “Iron Shadows of the Moon”, when in a place where thieves and pirates reign supreme, who can be trusted beside the blade at your hip? Adventure Pack includes:Amid an unending ocean of sand and dunes to the southwest of Pteion lies a small oasis in mountain shadows. These lands are known to some as the “Dragon’s Spine”, and teems with life both natural and unholy. What ancient secrets lay buried beneath the sand? Adventure Pack includes:A formidable group of Vanir, under the command of mighty Thegn Heimdall, has been sighted gathering near the Cimmerian border. Travel to the untamed Blue Mountains to the north and descend into the snowy tundras of Vanaheim itself! Scenario Pack includes:*Membership offers and loyalty rewards can not be claimed on Saga Servers. |
Disgaea 4 Has More Voice Acting In North America
By Spencer . July 29, 2011 . 5:26pm
Speaking with a representative from NIS America, Siliconera learned certain unvoiced scenes from the Japanese version will have voice acting in the English version of Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten.
We can also confirm the localized version will retain the anime cameo characters for Omega tier spells. Index from A Certain Magical Index appears when a cleric casts Omega Heal. Holo from Spice & Wolf is summoned when you cast Omega Wind. Bikkuriman arrive when a mage casts Omega Star. Meito Anizawa from Anime Tencho heats up the battlefield when someone casts Omega Fire. Lotte or Astarotte from Lotte no Omocha! freezes enemies with Omega Ice.
How did all of these cameos get into Disgaea 4? Nippon Ichi’s president Souhei Niikawa told me it’s because he’s friends with the creators.
Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten is slated for release on September 6. |
Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has outlined the East Southeast Development Action Plan in Turkey's southeastern province of Diyarbakır.
Yıldırım annouced on Sunday that the government will make a TL 10 billion invesment in seven provincial centers damaged by PKK terrorism, in particular the historical Sur district of Diyarbakır.
"We will renew our centers damaged by PKK terror, making schools, buildings, parks, house of worships etc." The Prime Minister said.
The Development Action Plan will provide a total of 16TL billion investment in 23 provinces, TL 10 billion of which will be concentrated in seven provinces.
The state will hire any location in a symbolic rental price to the investors who want to open new factories in southeastern Turkey.
The main aim of the plan is to construct 10 new factories in 23 provinces per year. The PM also announced that zero interests will be provided for investors for their loans on buying new equipment.
The PM highlighted the importance of finding solution to ending unemployment, saying that new job opportunities will be provided.
"67,000 new houses will be built. 15 new hospitals, 3 new stadiums and 51 new police stations will be constructed," PM Yıldırım said in Diyarbakır. He continued that "new attraction centers will be built in 23 provinces and we have divided them into five groups."
Aswell as explaining the details of the East Southeast Development Action Plan, PM Yıldırım also spoke about the regional terror threat and Operation Euphrates Shield in northern Syria.
Speaking about Turkey's fight against terror along its borders, Yıldırım emphasized that Turkey is not against Kurds but against all terror groups in the region.
Pointing out the importance of fighting against Daesh, the PKK and the PKK's Syrian wing PYD/YPG in the region, PM Yıldırım said, "Operation Euphrates Shield is necessary not only for Turkey's border security but also for the stability of Syrian territories. We are there for this purpose." |
correction: An earlier version of this article used the incorrect name for the Woodlawn Estate in Mount Vernon, Va. That property, part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, is called Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House, and is not related to the Woodlawn Manor House museum in Sandy Spring, Md.
The aging neighborhoods along Richmond Highway in Fairfax County, north of Mount Vernon, are slated for a major transformation that could bring tens of thousands of new residents and workers. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)
The aging neighborhoods near George Washington's Mount Vernon estate are witnessing the start of a massive overhaul that over the next decade could add as many as 13,000 homes, plus restaurants, office buildings and new street grids.
The plans are part of an effort in Virginia's largest jurisdiction to revitalize a stretch of Richmond Highway long known for run-down motels, car-title loan shops and traffic congestion, and generate more tax revenue to fund schools and other services.
For the past decade, new development in Fairfax County has been concentrated in Tysons Corner, Reston and Merrifield. Now officials say a state road-widening project, plans for a $500 million county bus rapid transit route and a $40 million levee under construction that includes a park near the Cameron Run waterway will focus attention on the county's eastern edge.
A planning amendment unveiled in November and headed for a January public hearing envisions mixed-use developments, hotels and parks surrounding nine county bus rapid transit stations along Richmond Highway between Metrorail's Huntington Station and Fort Belvoir — currently a canyon of shopping plazas and fast-food restaurants.
The plans also include a 3.1-mile extension of the Yellow Line that would connect the Huntington station to the Hybla Valley section of Richmond Highway, in hopes of creating a pedestrian-friendly urban neighborhood akin to nearby Shirlington.
In the end, the area's population would nearly quadruple, to about 40,000 residents, county officials say.
"These are not dreams anymore; they're expectations," said Supervisor Dan Storck (D-Mount Vernon), whose district includes Richmond Highway. "We know that this kind of public investment is essential to increasing the amount of private investment that we need."
So far, there have been varied reactions to the plans in surrounding communities, a mixture of working-class, mostly Latino and African American enclaves and subdivisions of wealthy professionals whose palatial homes offer stunning views of the Potomac River.
Advocates for affordable housing worry that land values in the area will skyrocket, displacing low-income residents and blue-collar businesses, especially since the state says it will need to acquire portions of about 175 residential and commercial properties as part of the Virginia Department of Transportation's plan to widen a three-mile stretch of Richmond Highway between Jeff Todd Way and Napper Road.
But some residents see a more livable community forming.
"Right now, you have to get in your car to go anywhere," said JanaLee Sponberg, 71, who since 1980 has lived inside the 364-unit Huntington Club condominium apartment complex near the Huntington station. The 19-acre site is slated for a redevelopment that will result in 1,565 condominiums, apartments and townhouses, plus 500,000 square feet of retail space. The project, spearheaded by the condominium association, will allow residents to move into the new units or sell their stakes in the property when it's finished.
Nearby, another project approved by the county Board of Supervisors in October will add 767 apartments and a boat launch to Cameron Run. Several smaller developments are also in the works.
County officials are trying to market the area based on the corridor's rich American history. Besides Mount Vernon, the area includes Woodlawn Estate — once owned by Washington's nephew and step-granddaughter — and the Pope-Leighey House, designed by legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Down the road at the Fort Belvoir complex, the 80-acre National Museum of the U.S. Army is scheduled to open in 2019.
"It's always been my dream to create this cultural corridor," said Storck, stopping during a recent tour of the highway in front of a mostly vacant office building near Woodlawn that he thinks would be an ideal site for a full-service hotel. "We need more tourists to come here."
Advocates say they will push hard during the county approval process for requirements to include moderate and low-priced housing in the new projects. New, higher-end homes along some stretches of Richmond Highway have already driven up land prices, they say, and caused landlords in older, cheaper buildings to raise the rent.
"They have not analyzed the potential land values and rent impacts," said Stewart Schwartz, director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth. "And they have not proposed new ideas to improve inclusionary zoning for affordable units where the new development takes place."
Dana Richardson, center, embraces fellow congregants during a morning service at First AME Church of Alexandria last month. At right is Layla Leavette, 12. The church has decided to move to a less expensive area after learning that a road-widening project would take a portion of its parking lot. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)
Traffic streaks past First AME Church of Alexandria on a recent Sunday. The Fairfax County church intends to move, citing a planned road-widening project. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)
Supervisor Jeff McKay (D-Lee), who also represents a portion of Richmond Highway, said those concerns will be addressed after the county approves the revised land plan, which it must do to boost its chances for federal funding needed for the bus rapid transit route that county officials consider crucial to the area's revitalization. A vote is expected in the spring.
McKay said the corridor might benefit from the removal of some low-income apartments that are in disrepair. The county needs to strike a balance, he said, between luring development that draws more tax revenue and ensuring that current residents can stay.
"There are a lot of moving parts here, and we're going to put in strict housing guidelines and strict environmental guidelines," McKay said. "But I don't want to waste any more time applying for the federal grant money. Without the grant money, we don't have a BRT."
Alison DeCourcey, director of United Community Ministries, said residents in the five mobile home parks along Fairfax's portion of Richmond Highway are particularly vulnerable. "There is a real fear that those are going to be the first to go because they are the easiest," she said.
Residents of Audubon Estates, one of the parks tucked behind a small development of new townhouses, seem resigned to the possibility of being uprooted.
"There's nothing you can do about it," said Hernán Fernandez, an auto mechanic who pays an $870 monthly lot fee for the mobile home he shares with his wife and two children. "When they tell us to go, we have to go. The person who has all the rights is the owner."
Some in the area are preparing to leave. Abe Smith, pastor of the First AME Church on Richmond Highway, said his mostly African American congregation is looking to buy property elsewhere after 12 years of running ministries for neighborhood youngsters and the hungry.
The church recently learned from VDOT that part of its parking lot would be needed for the road-widening project, making it impossible to accommodate a congregation of 125 people, Smith said. With nearby land too expensive, the church is looking at other options.
"We've been doing great work in the community," Smith said. "I don't know where we'll end up." |
EAST HAMPTON, NY--Scott Boras has long been known as a tough negotiator. That reputation was bolstered yesterday when the super agent demanded $35 million to rescue a small child drowning in the ocean near Boras’s home in East Hampton, New York.
The child, an eight-year-old named Danny Corgin, was swimming at a private beach when he was caught in the undertow and dragged away. As he flailed and cried for help, Boras relaxed on the deck of his luxury yacht.
“My grandson was swimming around when all of a sudden he was caught in a riptide and dragged out to sea,” said Ethel Corgin, the boy’s grandmother. “I didn’t know what to do. I started panicking. Then I saw that man relaxing on his yacht reading a book. So I asked for his help, and he just said ‘You want me to save a drowning child? Hmmm…that kind of thing will run you around 35 million.’ I tried to negotiate with him, but he was unwavering. I’ve never seen anyone so stubborn, greedy, and heartless in my life. What is he, a sports agent?”
Corgin said that she was struck by Boras’s casual demeanor, even as her grandson struggled to stay afloat in the vicious riptide.
“He was panicking, the poor thing. He thought he was going to drown,” she said. “I thought for sure that [Boras] would help but he really wanted that money. He said I could give him 10 million up front and sign a written guarantee to deliver the rest within a week. He had the contracts already made up. He just whited out ‘third baseman’ and added ‘drowning child.’”
In the end, a deal was not struck. Fortunately, a fishing boat came by and plucked young Danny out of the water before he could drown. Corgin was relieved, but still outraged over Boras’s refusal to rescue her grandson.
For his part, Boras explained that he was just exercising good business sense.
“How much is an eight-year old boy’s life worth?” asked Boras. “Can you really ever say ‘No, that’s too expensive. I’d rather just let the boy drown?’ No, of course not. I was shocked when Mrs. Corgin refused my offer to save the boy. If you’re not willing to shell out a few bucks to save the life of a child, you’ve got to take a long look in the mirror.”
While young Danny was drowning, Boras described his mood as “horrified” and denied Corgin ’s allegations that he was casually reading his book.
“I think she's in denial or something,” said Boras. “It’s crazy to say that I was just causally looking on. I kept thinking how much I would love to save the boy, but Mrs. Corgin and I just couldn’t see eye to eye on compensation. I even acquiesced a little and told her to just give me 10 million up front, since the boy was dying and all. But she still refused. Talk about stubborn. She ought to be arrested for child neglect.”
Several baseball owners and general managers have had similar experiences with Boras. After learning about the East Hampton incident, a few came forward in support of Mrs. Corgin.
Arizona Diamondbacks GM Joe Garagiola, who haggled with Boras this year over the team’s number one draft pick, called the agent “a piece of shit.”
“That guy is a horrible asshole,” he said. “If I were that woman, Mrs. Corgin, I’d sue him for everything he has. How can you sit in your yacht and casually read a book while a young child is flailing in the water before you? He’s even worse than the Poston brothers. Sure, they’ve had a few people killed, but not children.”
While Boras’s actions have been deemed despicable by some, major league baseball players are flocking to him in record numbers. His aggressive, tough-nosed tactics have made his clients some of the most highly paid in the game.
“He refused to save a drowning child because his grandmother wouldn’t pay him 35 million?” asked Red Sox pitcher Derek Lowe, who is scheduled to be a free agent at the end of the year. “That’s sick. It’s cruel. It’s inhuman. He has absolutely no sense of decency or restraint. Anyone have his number?”
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Protesting at British Gas headquarters
Again and again, energy companies – and the politicians, think tanks and corporate media in their pockets – hammer home the message that being green is going to mean being poor. The energy industry’s claim is that renewables are more expensive than fossil fuels; inaction on the climate is justified under the auspices of bringing down the bills, while inaction on fuel poverty is justified under the auspices of cooling down the planet. These lies, told in order to maintain business as usual, have recently come under increasing pressure from some in the environmental movement who are keen to stress that fuel poverty and climate change arise from a common cause and must be tackled together.
However, much of the environmental discourse in the public domain falls trap to the industry’s spin. A recent post on the Guardian Environment blog by Duncan Clark offered a plea for caution within the environmental movement around calls for cheaper energy. As one of the groups criticised in this blog – the Climate Justice Collective – (‘a new climate change direct action group’) we felt the need to respond.
Our bills are not being driven up by the cost of renewables but, rather, by the rising cost of fossil fuels. According to a recent report by the government’s Committee on Climate change, the investment in low-carbon energy accounted for just 7 per cent of the rise in the cost of energy between 2004 and 2010 (pg 6). 64 per cent of this price hike was caused by the rise in the wholesale price of gas (pg 4).
In his blog post, though, Clark attempts to use this same report to support his insistence that renewable energy is more expensive than polluting alternatives. According to Clark, the report tells us that renewable subsidies and carbon taxes will add more to bills than rising gas prices in the coming decade. But this is simply false: the report says that low-carbon measures will add £110 to bills by 2020, in comparison to £175 from rising gas prices (pg 5).
The report in question does, as Clark points out, predict that low-carbon investment will account for 20 per cent of domestic electricity bills by 2020 (pg 17). But the report was written prior to the release of recent research from the LSE, which forecasts that the cost of wind power is set to dramatically fall in the next few years. Secondly, even if the report’s prediction is accurate, this does not support Clark’s conclusion that renewables are more expensive than fossil fuels. The rising price of fossil fuels has been the main driver of bill rises in the past decade and is set to continue escalating. Even if the cost of renewables was to make up a fifth of electricity bills by the end of the decade, this does not mean that bills would not have been higher should we have replaced this new low-carbon energy with more fossil fuels. Clark seems to ignore the introduction to the report, which explicitly states that the evidence ‘disproves’ the claim ‘that future huge investments in low-carbon capacity will drive very dramatic increases in energy bills by 2020’ (pg 6).
In all, Clark’s blog fails to give us any reason to think that avoiding climate change must inevitably lead to higher energy bills. But the problems don’t end there. The view pressed throughout seems to be that people are in a position that would allow them to choose to pay more for their energy, should they be persuaded of the benefits of renewables. Our mission, says Clark, has to be to ‘make people care sufficiently about climate change that they’re prepared to pay more for energy ‘. Is the suggestion here really that the millionsof people that have to choose between heating and eating in the winter should, in fact, be choosing between heating, eating and investing in clean energy? When rocketing energy costs threaten your life and livelihood how could anything – even the threat of global climate catastrophe – persuade you that you should be paying even more for your energy?
The problem is that the rule of the market makes energy access dependent upon ability to pay. This means that the people who are in a position to pay more for their energy – wealthy individuals and powerful corporations – have their excessive and intensely polluting consumption habits subsidised by the poor who are left to freeze. No-one is saying that the solution here is cheaper bills for all. The point is that we need to fundamentally change the way that our energy system – and the economy and society at large – are organised so that energy decisions are made not on the basis of profit but, rather, on the basis of securing people’s rights to heating, eating and other essentials.
What many environmentalists are starting to realise, particularly in light of the latest global failure at Rio+20, is that addressing climate change will require systemic overhaul in this same direction. It is now the energy companies, not politicians, that call the shots, as is evidenced by recent exposés of the Big Six exercising influence over the government through lending staff, informal consultations and buying access to secret lobbying meetings. The energy companies’ business-models are built on fossil fuel extraction as this is most profitable for them. So, as long as the energy companies retain their monopoly power and influence, politicians will keep on the fossil fuel bandwagon. And, as ‘conventional’ modes of extraction become more difficult, fossil fuels will keep on getting more polluting and more expensive.
The profit-driven fossil fuel economy is the root cause of both climate change and fuel poverty. As long as our energy is a commodity designed, first and foremost, to generate private profit, our needs for warm homes and a safe environment will be sidelined. But what if communities reclaimed control, begun to generate their own renewable energy and distributed it according to need, not ability to pay? In fact, this is already happening across the country in the form of energy co-ops springing up everywhere from Brixton to Brighton, Bristol to Manchester. By building our own alternatives like these in the context of a growing broader movement for the radical reorganisation of society along democratic, fair and sustainable lines, we can make a start on tackling both poverty and climate change together.
Building a movement with the numbers and relevance necessary to take on this task, however, means rejecting an environmentalism that refuses to call for cheaper energy for those being deprived of their basic needs by rising bills. As well as swallowing the lies of the fossil fuel industry, this type of environmentalism can only alienate the very people we need on board, ensuring that the twin crises of rising bills and rising sea levels will just keep getting ever-deeper. Instead, we need a climate justice approach which acknowledges the shared systemic causes of environmental destruction and poverty and sees the pursuit of ecological goals and social justice as inseparable. |