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Dogs labelled as "pit bulls" may wait three times as long to be adopted from shelters than differently labelled lookalikes, according to a study published March 23, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Lisa Gunter from Arizona State University, USA, and colleagues. Previous research had suggested that certain types of dogs take longer to be adopted from shelters, but it was unclear how much breed identification influenced adoption decisions. Since pit bull breeds are often negatively perceived, the authors of this study wanted to know if the "pit bull" label affects adoption. The authors initially assessed perceptions of pit bull dogs compared to other breeds. They then analysed the effect of the "pit bull" breed label in dog shelters by surveying the perceived attractiveness to potential adopters, based on factors including perceived friendliness, aggressiveness and intelligence, of dogs labelled as pit bull breeds and of differently labelled lookalikes. They also examined length of stay in shelters. They found that pit bull breeds were perceived by study participants as less adoptable than other breeds such as Labradors, considered less friendly and more aggressive. In shelters, compared to lookalikes that were unlabelled or labelled as other breeds, dogs labelled as "pit bull" breeds were again seen as less 'attractive', and waited over three times as long as lookalikes to be adopted. Lisa Gunter notes: "We were surprised how very similar looking dogs sometimes get labelled "pit bull" and other times as something completely different. These dogs may look and act the same, but the pit bull label damns them to a much longer wait to adoption." Assigned breed labels can be inaccurate, based on sometimes misleading appearances, and this research may indicate that dogs could be inadvertently penalised when labelled as a pit bull breed. The authors state that removing breed labels seems to be an easy way to improve the experience of pit bull type dogs in animal shelters. ### In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available paper: http://dx. plos. org/ 10. 1371/ journal. pone. 0146857 Citation: Gunter LM, Barber RT, Wynne CDL (2016) What's in a Name? Effect of Breed Perceptions & Labeling on Attractiveness, Adoptions & Length of Stay for Pit-Bull-Type Dogs. PLoS ONE 11(3): e0146857. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0146857 Funding: The authors have no support or funding to report. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
For tens of thousands of years, the birds of Gough Island lived unmolested, without predators on a remote outcrop in the south Atlantic. Today, the British-owned island, described as the home of the most important seabird colony in the world, still hosts 22 breeding species and is a world heritage site. But as a terrible consequence of the first whalers making landfall there 150 years ago, Gough has become the stage for one of nature's great horror shows. Mice stowed away on the whaling boats jumped ship and have since multiplied to 700,000 or more on an island of about 25 square miles. What is horrifying ornithologists is that the British house mouse has somehow evolved, growing to up to three times the size of ordinary domestic house mice, and instead of surviving on a diet of insects and seeds, has adapted itself to become a carnivore, eating albatross, petrel and shearwater chicks alive in their nests. They are now believed to be the largest mice in the world. Yesterday Birdlife International, a global alliance of conservation groups, recognised that the mice, who are without predators themselves, are out of control and threatening to make extinct several of the world's rarest bird species. The organisation, which runs the Red List of endangered bird species, elevated the Tristan albatross, of which only a few remain in the world, and the Gough bunting, a small finch found only on the island, to the list of the world's most critically endangered species, the highest category of threat. Five other bird species on the island are also said to be threatened. The RSPB has proposed hiring helicopters to drop thousands of tonnes of rodent poison on the of the volcanic island 2,000 miles off the coast of south America. "A government-funded feasibility study done with New Zealand, which has eradicated rats from many islands, shows it is possible. The mice would take the poison and just go to their nests and die. We think it could be done fairly easily and would cost about £2.6m," a spokeswoman said. "Things are getting worse on Gough," said Dr Geoff Hilton, an RSPB scientist who has been researching conservation problems in UK overseas territories. "In the presence of house mice, the albatross and bunting have no chance of survival. The only hope for these threatened birds is complete eradication of mice. "The world's greatest seabird island is being eaten alive, as the mice are likely to be affecting the fortunes of many seabirds on the island. Without help Gough Island will be likely to lose the majority of seabirds," said Hilton. Those who have witnessed the phenomenon say the mice attack at night either alone or in groups, gnawing through the nests to get at the baby birds. Their parents, who have never experienced predators, are unable to defend them. Studies suggest about 60% of all Gough's chicks die in their nests. "It is a catastrophe. The albatross chicks weigh 10 kilograms. They evolved on Gough because it had no mammal predators - that is why they are so vulnerable. The mice weigh 35 grammes; it is like a tabby cat attacking a hippopotamus," said Hilton. Britain has long been criticised for not maintaining the ecology of its overseas territories, which are mainly made up of groups of islands such as Pitcairn, Tristan da Cunha, and the Falklands. Of the world's 190 most endangered birds, 32 are now officially British responsibility. The RSPB's spokeswoman added: "The study shows there is a glimmer of light. The UK government has supported us in discovering the problem, in conducting the feasibility study, and now in finalising our plan for the mouse eradication. "The big question is whether the UK will take its international commitments seriously and do what the governments of New Zealand and Australia have done, and provide the big money needed to actually do the mouse eradication. "If they don't, we won't be able to give two critically threatened species the lifeline they need." The discovery that the mice had adapted their diets and supersized themselves was made by Richard Cuthbert, a professional ornithologist who spent a year on the island in 2001 and stumbled on the phenomenon as he was leaving. "It sounds incredulous, implausible that a mouse could attack a chick, but these chicks are really big spherical balls of fat covered in down, and because they are so fat and big they cannot defend themselves," he said.
India is all set to be gripped by the Kabaddi fever as the Kabaddi World Cup draws near. Seven-time champions India will take on South Korea in the opening match on 7th October. The tournament will be held in Ahmedabad from 7 to 22 October. There are going to be 12 teams taking part in the Kabaddi world cup. The participating nations include USA, England, Australia, Iran, Poland, Thailand, Bangladesh, South Korea, Japan, Argentina and Kenya, apart from hosts India. The teams have been divide in two groups of six each. Group A consists of India, Bangladesh, South Korea, Australia, England and Argentina. Group B will see Iran, Thailand, Japan, USA, Poland and Kenya battling it out. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals which will be held on 21 October. The finale is set for the following evening. The schedule was announced by Sports Minister Vijay Goel on Wednesday. The minister also unveiled the logo of the tournament – the famous “Asiatic Lion”. Goel also took time out to congratulate the Indian Paralympians who have won medals in the ongoing Rio Paralympic Games. As of now, India has secured four medals- two gold and a silver and bronze each. Also Read: Twitter reacts to Devendra jhajharia’s gold medal and world record “In Rio Olympics our preparation was very good but we didn’t have luck on our side. But in the Paralympics we are doing very well. It’s a matter of pride that we have four medals in Paralympics. When the Paralympians will return we will felicitate them,” said the minister. Meanwhile International Kabaddi Federation (IKF) president Janardan Singh Gehlot stated that their aim now is to take the sport to the Olympics. “We already took kabaddi to Asiad but now we want to take it to the Olympics. We want people to play kabaddi all across the world,” he said. Interestingly, India have the kabaddi gold, all seven times the sport has been featured at the Asian Games. In the latest edition in 2014, India beat Iran 27-25 in the Final. Also Read: Interesting facts abot Devendra Jhajharia Full schedule: 7th October: India vs South Korea, USA vs Iran 8th October: England vs Bangladesh, Poland vs Kenya, India vs Australia 9th October: South Korea vs Argentina, USA vs Japan, Thailand vs Iran 10th October: England vs Australia, Thailand vs Poland 11th October: Iran vs Kenya, India vs Bangladesh 12th October: Poland vs Japan, Australia vs Argentina 13th October: Thailand vs Kenya, Bangladesh vs South Korea 14th October: England vs Argentina, USA vs Poland 15th October: South Korea vs Australia, Iran vs Japan, India vs Argentina 16th October: Thailand vs USA, England vs South Korea, Japan vs Kenya 17th October: Poland vs Iran, Australia vs Bangladesh 18th October: USA vs Kenya, India vs England 19th October: Bangladesh vs Argentina, Thailand vs Japan 21st October: Semi-finals 22nd October: Final Related Comments
Australia Post has confirmed the sale of one of Australia's most significant heritage buildings, the Sydney GPO, to two Singaporean billionaires, despite an outcry over heritage concerns and a secretive sales process. The sale stands as one of the last acts of outgoing Australia Post boss Ahmed Fahour who leaves the organisation on Friday, delivering a $150 million bump to the organisation's bottom line. Sydney GPO has been sold in a secretive deal for $150 million. Credit:Wolter Peeters Australia Post said Mr Fahour would not benefit from the sale, including from bonuses. "Mr Fahour's compensation for FY2016/17 is unaffected by the sale of the GPO. His one month of employment in the new financial year (FY17/18) does not have a bonus attached to it," Australia Post said in a statement.
Burnsville-based Pawn America is closing three stores, including its Midway store in St. Paul, by the end of June as it restructures after filing for bankruptcy last month. The other two pawnshops closing are in Wisconsin in Ashwaubenon and Eau Claire. The chain's 20 other stores, which are located in Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Dakotas, will remain open for business, the company said. “The decision to close stores was not easy, but it is in the best interest of Pawn America’s customers and employees going forward,” Brad Rixmann, the company's president, said in a statement. “We are confronting the challenges facing our retail locations head-on in the very competitive marketplace that exists today.” Pawn America, which started with a single store in Robbinsdale in 1991, has been facing many of the same challenges as other bricks-and-mortar retailers as more consumers shift their spending online. The company added that its online sales continue to grow.
A protester was killed in unclear circumstances during clashes between police and protesters at the site of a controversial dam project in southwestern France. Claude Derens, general prosecutor of the town of Albi, said it was "impossible" to determine the cause of death of the 21-year-old activist named Remi Fraisse. Around 2,000 people had attended the protest against the Sivens dam project in woodlands located northeast of the city of Toulouse. Ben Lefetey, a spokesman for the group Save the Testet Wetland, told AFP: "We are not saying that the security forces killed a protester, but a witness told us the death happened at the time of fighting." Lieutenant Colonel Sylvain Renier of the Tarn police said between 100 and 150 "anarchists" wearing hoods threw incendiary devices at the security forces at around 2am, and the police used tear gas, stun grenades and flash balls in return. Local residents and environmental activists have been protesting against the deforestation of the area for a couple of months, employing tactics such as burying themselves up to their necks in the road, and staging hunger strikes. The Tarn council states that the dam would supply much-needed irrigation to surrounding farms, but activists argue it would kill off wildlife, including 94 protected species that reside in the forest.
Bennett and Cox have made only seven first-team appearances between them this season Bristol City have signed Norwich winger Elliott Bennett and Reading striker Simon Cox on loan until 3 January. The Robins are currently bottom of the Championship table but will have the services of 26-year-old Bennett, formerly with Wolves and Brighton. City boss Steve Cotterill then sealed his sixth loan recruit of the season by adding 28-year-old Cox. He has already signed Ben Hamer, Liam Moore, Nathan Baker and Callum Robinson on loan deals this campaign. City are however only permitted to name five loanees in any matchday squad. Bennett has struggled for first team football recently and has made just two appearances for the Canaries this season, both in the League Cup. The winger won promotion from League One with Brighton in 2011. Cox left Swindon Town for West Bromwich Albion for £1.5m in 2009 and spent two years at Nottingham Forest before joining Reading in 2014, but has made just three Championship appearances for the Royals this term.
He’s already appeared in The Simpsons and Star Trek but Stephen Hawking says there’s one role that would be perfect for him: a James Bond villain. The legendary astrophysicist made the comments during an interview with Wired UK (print edition only as reported by The Telegraph). "My ideal role would be a baddie in a James Bond film," he said. "I think the wheelchair and the computer voice would fit the part." Apart from Hawking’s proven dramatic ability (he even appeared in a special video segment of the final Monty Python show in January this year) he rightly points out that he has exactly the sort of "accessories" that gives a Bond villain flair. Plus, his real life profession might provide the bones for a suitably apocalyptic threat to Earth. With all the comic book movies around, it's about time James Bond went galactic in its stakes. "I think the wheelchair and the computer voice would fit the part." Imagine Bond uncovering a devious plot to hold the world’s governments to ransom using a miniature black hole with – shock, horror! – trusted and esteemed professor Stephen Hawking at the head of the intrigue. Bond travels to Hawking's old alma mater Cambridge University to hunt down the evil mastermind in his steepled and ancient lair, and cinema-goers get to enjoy 20 minutes of explosions and chaos in the cloistered alleyways. (Will there be a chase scene on the river using boats? Of course. Will Hawking make a getaway using his wheelchair's hidden outboard motor? Absolutely!) Then: the final showdown where the Bond writers get to the beating British heart of the series. No, that’s not the delusional sense of empire or a love of classic cars: it’s the puns. Those terrible, terrible puns. Bond, perhaps, at this point is in dire straits, hanging on to a crumbling cliff face by just his fingertips. Hawking is poised disdainfully above, ready to unleash a shower of boulders to flatten the spy. Bond: So Hawking, after all your scientific scheming, this is how you plan to finish me off – a pile of rocks? This feels a bit rushed for you. Hawking (via computer): You know what they say, Mr. Bond. A rolling stone... gathers no moss. [Nitro boosters pop out from the sides of his wheel chair. Wheels screech! Hawking tears off as boulders slam down towards Bond.] Hmm. When you think about it, the most difficult thing about casting Hawking as a Bond villain isn’t the believability of him being evil –- it’s trying to picture him not winning.
Teen births in the United States dropped to a record low last year, falling 9 percent from 2015, U.S. health officials reported Friday. The overall birth rate declined, too, dropping 1 percent between 2015 and 2016, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The total number of births in 2016 was 3,941,109. Moreover, the fertility rate declined to 62 births per 1,000 among women of childbearing age -- a record low for the nation, researchers found. Births among 15-to 19-year-olds have declined dramatically since 2007 -- more than 50 percent, said lead researcher Brady Hamilton, a statistician at CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. "It's really quite astounding for a demographic rate in an age group to decline that much," he added. The teen birth rate was 20.3 births per 1,000 female teens in 2016, compared to 41.5 births per 1,000 in 2007, according to the report. Pediatricians endorse IUDs for teen birth control The falloff in teen motherhood is a plus because teenagers are less likely than adults to have good prenatal care, and they have a higher risk of pregnancy complications, said Dr. Paul Jarris, deputy medical officer at the March of Dimes. Teen moms also often experience poverty and loneliness, and lose out on educational opportunities -- hurdles that can pose health risks for mother and child, added Jarris, who wasn't involved in the research. He said more teens are using long-lasting birth control, such as implants and intrauterine devices (IUDs), which make unintended pregnancy less likely. The CDC report isn't all rosy, however. Both preterm births and low birthweight babies increased, the researchers noted. Preterm births climbed for the second year, increasing 2 percent from 2015 to 2016. Preemies accounted for almost 10 percent of births last year, Hamilton said. Whether this is a blip in the data or a continuing trend isn't clear. "Only time will tell," Hamilton said. The rising rate of preterm births is the most disturbing finding in the report, said Jarris. "For seven years, we had improvements in preterm births in this country, and now after years of improvement we are getting worsening conditions for moms and babies," he said. Preterm birth and its associated conditions are the largest killers of children up to age 5 worldwide, Jarris said. Teen pregnancies and abortions drop with free birth control, study finds Children born preterm don't have fully developed brains or lungs, he explained. This can lead to immediate problems of breathing and temperature control. It can also mean learning and developmental problems that last a lifetime, he said. Fortunately, many preterm babies go on to be just fine, Jarris said. The rise in preterm births is probably due to many factors, including lack of prenatal care, Jarris said. He expressed concern that earlier reports showed the increase in preterm births was among black and Hispanic women. "So not only are we getting worse as a nation, we are getting less equitable as a nation," Jarris said. "We really feel that when a baby is born, the race or ethnicity of the mom should not determine their chances for survival, and unfortunately, that's all too true in this country," he said. Other highlights of the 2015-2016 CDC report: The birth rate climbed among women in their 30s and 40s, with births among 30- to 34-year-olds up 1 percent, to 102.6 births per 1,000 women, reaching their highest level since 1964. Births among unmarried women ages 15 to 44 dropped 3 percent in 2016, down to 42.1 births per 1,000 unmarried women. More than three-quarters of pregnant women started essential prenatal care in the first trimester. But 6 percent waited until the third trimester to get prenatal care or had no prenatal care. For the fourth year in a row, the number of cesarean deliveries declined slightly, falling to just below 32 percent of births. The rate of low-risk cesarean deliveries also dropped slightly. For the report, CDC researchers used birth records for nearly 100 percent of the births in the United States in 2016.
Sony Says More 100 Games Are Planned For Vita This Year, Borderlands 2 Set For Spring By Spencer . February 10, 2014 . 4:03pm Sony Computer Entertainment America is working with Gearbox Software and Iron Galaxy Studios to bring Borderlands 2 to PlayStation Vita. The Vita version includes six downloadable content packs, Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate’s Booty, Mr. Torgue’s Campaign of Carnage, Psycho Character Class, Mechromancer Class, Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack 1, and Collector’s Edition Pack. Borderlands 2 is slated for spring and a voucher will be bundled with the slim PlayStation Vita plus an 8 GB memory card for $199.99. Sony says more than 100 games are planned for PlayStation Vita this year including God of War Collection (a compilation of God of War and God of War 2) which is due on May 6 and The Sly Collection which is scheduled for May 27. Other games confirmed for release this year include: Invizimals: The Alliance MLB 14: The Show Murasaki Baby Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster Hohokum Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number Minecraft Metrico Luftrausers Fez 1001 Spikes Helldivers Destiny of Spirits No Heroes Allowed: No Puzzles Either! BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Conception II The Walking Dead: Season Two The Wolf Among Us
More than seven years after his death, the lawsuits against Michael Jackson keep on coming. The latest complaint, filed by a Jane Doe who alleges that she was abused by Jackson from 1986 to 1989, when she was aged 12 to 15, claims that Jackson secretly operated, “the most sophisticated public child sexual-abuse procurement and facilitation organizations the world has known.” RadarOnline.com has obtained the woman’s court papers, which give graphic detail about the “childhood sexual abuse” she alleges she suffered at the hands of Jackson. Reps for Jackson’s estate have been quick to rubbish the claims, accusing the woman of an “attempt to hit the lottery by suing the estate of Michael Jackson more than seven years after Michael’s death and close to 30 years after these incidents supposedly occurred.” Describing the claim as being “without any merit,” the reps also told Radar, “It’s no coincidence that this woman is represented by the same attorneys involved in two other frivolous claims against the estate.” According to the complaint obtained by Radar, the woman had a chance meeting with Jackson at his Hayvenhurst estate in 1986, when she was 12. Jackson obtained her family’s home phone number, she says, and through letters, phone calls, and gifts groomed her to be his sex partner. The complaint lists a litany of disturbing sex acts the woman alleges Jackson performed, and also claims that while his businesses “held out to the public to be businesses dedicated to creating and distributing multimedia entertainment,” they were in fact “specifically designed to locate, attract, lure, and seduce child sexual-abuse victims.” Although the Thriller singer is said to have paid as much as $200 million in hush money to multiple victims before his death in 2009, he was never convicted of child abuse. Many of his defenders simply prefer to focus on his musical achievements. His trial, in 2005, found him not guilty on 14 counts of sexual abuse. But since that time, a steady stream of additional accusers has come forward. Last year, Radar published allegations that investigators at the time of the trial discovered Jackson had stockpiled a vast collection of sexual imagery, including child pornography, scenes of animal torture, and S&M pictures, reportedly used as part of a twisted strategy to groom sexual-molestation victims by desensitizing them.
Earlier this week, the Weinstein fire caught onto the pants of prominent showrunner Mark Schwahn when Earlier this week, the Weinstein fire caught onto the pants of prominent showrunner Mark Schwahn when 18 cast and crew members came forward to accuse him of sexual harassment while at the helm of the hit show "One Tree Hill." The accusations started against Schwahn this past weekend when writer Audrey Wauchope reported on her Twitter feed various incidents of sexual harassment she witnessed during her tenure on the series, alleging he routinely touched women inappropriately to the point that some women would avoid sitting next to him on the couch. Wauchope's allegations were quickly corroborated by 18 former cast and crew members in a letter published in The accusations started against Schwahn this past weekend when writer Audrey Wauchope reported on her Twitter feed various incidents of sexual harassment she witnessed during her tenure on the series, alleging he routinely touched women inappropriately to the point that some women would avoid sitting next to him on the couch. Wauchope's allegations were quickly corroborated by 18 former cast and crew members in a letter published in Variety Many of us were, to varying degrees, manipulated psychologically and emotionally. More than one of us is still in treatment for post-traumatic stress. Many of us were put in uncomfortable positions and had to swiftly learn to fight back, sometimes physically, because it was made clear to us that the supervisors in the room were not the protectors they were supposed to be. Many of us were spoken to in ways that ran the spectrum from deeply upsetting, to traumatizing, to downright illegal. And a few of us were put in positions where we felt physically unsafe. More than one woman on our show had her career trajectory threatened. All of the show's female cast members signed the letter, including: Sophia Bush, Hilarie Burton, Bethany Joy Lenz, Danneel Harris, Michaela McManus, Kate Voegele, Daphne Zuniga, India DeBeaufort, Bevin Prince, Jana Kramer, Shantel Van Santen and Allison Munn. Crew members who signed included Wauchope, Rachel Specter, Jane Beck, Tarin Squillante, Cristy Koebley and JoJo Stephens. Since the conclusion of "One Tree Hill" in 2012, Schwahn went to create "The Royals" for the E! network in 2015, which has now been suspended as of this writing. “E!, Universal Cable Productions and Lionsgate Television take sexual harassment allegations very seriously, investigate them thoroughly and independently, and take appropriate action," the network said in a statement. "Lionsgate has suspended Mark Schwahn from 'The Royals' as we continue our investigation." The investigation will probably not go over well for Schwahn, who has since been accused by "The Royals" cast member Alexandra Park of the same misconduct. Speaking on Twitter Wednesday, Park said, "I have a responsibility as someone who was working under Mark Schwahn on 'The Royals' to acknowledge these claims. I am devastated to admit to myself, to my colleagues and to this industry that I too, have been exposed to this reprehensible behavior." E!'s response to the allegations against Schwahn have also been called into question. Shortly before announcing his suspension, actress Sophia Bush called them out on Twitter for being E!'s response to the allegations against Schwahn have also been called into question. Shortly before announcing his suspension, actress Sophia Bush called them out on Twitter for being "awfully silent" amidst the controversy: "Interesting that you publish all of these SA accounts, but not one corroborated by 18 women, 8 men, & counting, about a showrunner you currently employ? The first all-cast statement ever. Awfully silent, E." Schwahn is just one of two prominent showrunners from The CW to have the floodgates opened on their alleged sexual misconduct. This past Friday, "Supergirl" creator Andrew Kreisberg was suspended after 19 people accused him of sexual harassment.
The leaked 56-page roadmap revealing plans for the next generation Xbox and Kinect V2 has been proven real, as Microsoft lawyers have forced it to be removed from websites. So it was all true… Microsoft has admitted that the leaked document describing plans for the next generation Xbox console does belong to the tech giant, and its lawyers have ordered websites to take down links to the 56-page PDF file. The document is referred to as an IEB Roadmap, where IEB stands for Interactive Entertainment Business – the Microsoft division responsible for Xbox and other consumer electronics. For some reason Microsoft is primarily picking on Czech technology site Ihned.cz, although links to the document on the far more high profile Game Informer still seem to be working (although that may only be until America wakes up later this afternoon). The document first surfaced on download site Scribd, which naturally became the first target for Microsoft’s lawyers. Of course by that time the file had already spread across the internet and even if major sites are forced to take it down we doubt more than a few seconds on Google will keep you from it.Although it seems to be almost two years old the roadmap always looked legitimate, not least because it clearly described what was unveiled as Xbox SmartGlass at E3 earlier in the month. Advertisement Advertisement The new console, referred to directly as the Xbox 720, includes a Blu-ray drive, built-in DVR features, an upgraded Kinect V2 that can detect four people at a time, and HD video capture. The hardware is described as four to six times more powerful than the existing Xbox 360 and yet with a price tag of $299 (which in reality will probably translate to £299). Also described in detail in the roadmap are future plans for cloud gaming and a concept based around AR goggles that sounds suspiciously similar to Goggle’s Project Glass . The glasses are codenamed Fortaleza but aren’t expected to be launched until 2014. The Xbox 720 itself is pegged for a 2013 release, but remember that the roadmap is almost two years old now – so plans could easily have changed since then. Video:Check out the Xbox SmartGlass footage Thoughts? Email [email protected] or leave a comment below
A claim by the French interior minister that one of the bombs sent as air cargo from Yemen was found 17 minutes before it was due to explode was today dismissed by security officials in several countries. It is believed that the minister, Brice Hortefeux, was referring, during a television interview, to the bomb found disguised in a printer cartridge on a plane that landed in Britain last Friday. The explosive device with the chemical compound PETN was one of two sent as air cargo and addressed to synagogues in Chicago by al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula. Officials in Britain dismissed the French minister's claims. One told the Guardian that the device found at East Midlands airport was still being examined by scientists, and that investigators were not yet sure when and where the terrorists had intended to detonate it. Scepticism about the French claim also came from security officials in Dubai and from the White House in Washington. The question of when the bombs were set to go off is central to the investigation because it could indicate whether the terrorists wanted to blow up the planes in US airspace or take down the aircraft regardless of location. "One of the packages was defused only 17 minutes before the moment that it was set to explode," said Hortefeux. He made no other statement about the Yemen bomb plot during the interview on the state-run channel France-2 which focused on other security-related matters. His office at the interior ministry refused to give more details. "If this was a reference to the device found in the Federal Express [FedEx] site in Dubai, then it is not correct," the source in the United Arab Emirates said. The White House press secretary, Robert Gibbs, said the question of when the bombs found in Britain and the UAE were to explode, was still being investigated and there was no information confirming that a device was defused with just 17 minutes to elapse. The device found in Dubai had been carried as cargo on passenger planes before its discovery following intelligence passed to the west by Saudi Arabia, without which it was feared the bombs would not have been detected. Under security measures announced today in the wake of the cargo bomb plot, freight from Pakistan, Libya, Iran, Sudan and India passing through UK airports, will have further screening before being allowed to be sent on. Philip Hammond, the transport secretary, said cargo carried on certain routes by airlines including British Airways, BMI and Emirates, would no longer be exempted from extra checks. The services affected by this week's rule change include BA flights from the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, BMI services from Tehran, and a slew of Emirates routes to the UK from Karachi in Pakistan, the Sudanese capital Khartoum and Mumbai. "We are withdrawing some of the trans-shipment exemptions that allowed some freight from some countries to come through our airports and be shipped on without being screened again," said Hammond. Speaking after a security meeting with aviation industry representatives, the secretary of state said that a government review of cargo safety measures would consider a "layered" regime whereby freight from some countries would be banned and there would be enhanced checks on deliveries from countries that carried some risk. Freight from "safe" countries, such as from EU member states, would be afforded easier access into the UK. "We are going to look at categorising countries according to the level of risk," said Hammond. Freight from Yemen and Somalia was banned by the home secretary, Theresa May, after the discoveries at East Midlands airport and in Dubai.
Norwich City are about to enter the race to sign Chesterfield`s highly rated midfielder, Sam Clucas according to HITC Sport. “Sources close to the player” have told HITC that Norwich are about to make a bid for the 24yr old who can also play at left back (?) and did just that last season on several occasions for the Spireites. He scored a rather underwhelming 12 goals in 49 appearances last term but I suppose if he was playing at left back then that would limit his goal scoring opportunities. The report suggests that Wigan have already been knocked back after offering an initial £700k plus a further £300k in performance based add-ons. Clucas was released by Lincoln City in the summer of 2010. In August 2010, having successfully attended trials at Bisham Abbey, he was handed a two-year scholarship at the Glenn Hoddle Academy in Spain with the move also enabling him to turn out for Jerez Industrial. He signed for Hereford United in November 2011 after a trial period. The player signed for Chesterfield just 12 months ago from Mansfield on a three year deal and Norwich are reportedly about to bid £1.5m for the 24yr old. I`m prepared to give anyone a chance and always reserve judgement until I`ve seen a player in the flesh but this is decidedly uninspiring speculation. OTBC
Belfast’s first crisp sandwich cafe will only open its doors on Monday but the founders have revealed that they have already been approached to recreate the magic in Dublin. Belfast’s first crisp sandwich cafe will only open its doors on Monday but the founders have revealed that they have already been approached to recreate the magic in Dublin. The co-founder of satirical website The Ulster Fry said that a Dublin business is eager to partner up after the news of the Belfast opening received huge support on social media this week. Simply Crispy located at No 8 Bedford Street will open on Monday specialising in a wide range of 'classic and contemporary ' crisp sandwiches. The idea was born when Ulster Fry, a satirical website, published a tongue in cheek article about the opening of fictional cafe selling crisp sandwiches in the city. The idea garnered huge interest and the website founders were soon approached by Andrew McMenamin, owner of That Wee Café who offered to transform his premises into a haven for those fond of a good old crisp sandwich. Speaking of the new opening Andrew said: “When I read the article I immediately thought, we could make that joke into a reality, and got in touch. The lads at the Ulster Fry thought it would be fun, so from Monday we’re rebranding the café under the ‘Simply Crispy’.” Hungry customers will be able to choose from a large range of crisps and other fillings to make their sandwiches complete. Soups will be adorned with Monster Munch croutons and the new business partners are in the process of developing Cheesy Wotsit-infused chips. The brains behind The Ulster Fry, Billy and Seamus, said the whole process has been "surreal." "Thousands of people loved the idea of buying a crisp sandwich on the high street or in a cafe," they wrote in an article published today. "We probably loved it the most." "A nice young man who owns a cafe in Belfast city centre loved the idea so much, he wanted to partner with us to convert his premises into Simply Crispy, and bring the idea to life. "And so, The Ulster Fry, exactly 27 days after we launched our parody news website, have accidentally got involved with a cafe, selling crisps, inside bread. Which is a perfectly sensible sentence really." Crisp lovers can flock to the café from Monday. For more information see: www.theulsterfry.com Online Editors
Looking for news you can trust? Subscribe to our free newsletters. What does a climate change denier wish for when everything seems possible? With Congress and the White House in agreement on the unimportance of science, there’s no need to settle for rolling back President Barack Obama’s environmental agenda one regulation at a time. It’s time to get the Environmental Protection Agency out of climate change altogether. To get a sense of what the wish list looks like, the annual conference of the Heartland Institute would be a good place to start. The right-wing think tank that has received funding from ExxonMobil and Koch groups—and is best known for pushing out misinformation on climate change—has sponsored this annual gathering for the last 12 years. This year the theme was “Resetting Climate Policy,” reflecting the triumphant and hopeful mood of the conference now that they control the agenda. The usual ideas floated at the conference have ranged from abolishing the EPA to touting the universal benefits of fossil fuels, but this year one idea in particular dominated the discussions: Climate deniers think they have a chance to reverse the EPA’s endangerment finding that formally says greenhouse gasses poses a threat to Americans and their health. That 2009 determination, prompted by a Supreme Court decision in 2007, is the basis for the EPA’s regulatory work on climate change. “We’ve been at this for 33 years. We have a lot of people in our network,” Heartland Institute President Joseph Bast tells Mother Jones, “and many of these people are now in this new administration.” Transition staff and new appointees in the Trump administration “occasionally ask us for advice and names of people,” he added. Rescinding the endangerment finding is the “number one” priority Bast sees for Trump’s EPA. “I think it’s almost a sure thing they are going to revisit it,” Bast says. “Whether they are going to succeed is maybe a 90 percent certainty.” Bast overstated the strength of his case. The problem with rescinding the endangerment finding is that the EPA would somehow have to make a convincing case that holds up in court that climate change isn’t a threat to humanity. In other words, it would be incumbent upon the EPA to disprove climate change is real. During, his confirmation hearings, EPA administrator Scott Pruitt acknowledged that the endangerment finding was the “law of the land” and there is “nothing that I know that will cause a review at this point.” But he has recently suggested he may attempt to change course. He went on CNBC and claimed “we don’t know” that the science is settled, and insisted “we need to continue the debate and continue the review and the analysis.” Cato Institute’s Director for the Center for the Study of Science, Patrick Michaels, who gave an address to the meeting, agreed that the administration should make reversing the endangerment finding its priority. At one point in his presentation, Michaels asked if David Schnare—who previously spent years suing the EPA until he became a transition appointee at the agency—was in the audience. “David’s big on this,” Michaels said. Schnare was not there, but he helped to emphasize Bast’s point: Trump’s appointees are familiar, friendly faces. In his keynote address, House Science Chair Lamar Smith (R-Texas) expressed his gratitude to Heartland for its “help and support.” Asked if he will be holding a hearing on the endangerment finding, Smith answered, “Probably….It hasn’t been set yet. We can add that to our list.” Smith, who has already held a “Making EPA Great Again” hearing, will plans a hearing for next week questioning the scientific method of climate studies. For anyone who acknowledges climate change is a reality and a threat, Smith’s final words about President Trump to the roughly 200 attendees who were gathered might be considered ominous: “You won’t be disappointed with the direction he’s going.”
Signup to receive a daily roundup of the top LGBT+ news stories from around the world A new health watchdog has been set up in Australia to investigate and crack down on people practicing ‘gay cure therapy’ in Victoria. The Health Complaints Commissioner will ban unregistered practitioners who pose a danger to the public. Karen Cusack, a lawyer heading the commission, will replace the former Health Services Commissioner to work towards eradicating unlicensed “health” providers. Cusack will be given authoritative power to issue temporary and more permanent bans on providers that are not registered under law. This position directly targets providers which are practicing gay ‘cure’ therapy – a form of therapy that attempts to change a persons sexuality through often emotionally damaging ways. Nathan Despott, who runs an advocacy group of LGBT people of faith, praised the move to wipe out conversion therapy, calling the therapy “insidious”. “What the ex-gay movement really looks like is small church groups and pastoral care in church offices after hours,” he said. “It looks like sermons from the pulpit over many years about why same-sex attraction is a form of brokenness or illness. “This is something insidious, it happens in a discreet and secret way, and therefore needs investigation to understand the extent,” he added. Australia’s government recently pledged to a zero tolerance approach to conversion therapy. Minister for Health, Jill Hennessy, said that discriminations against sexual identity was “abhorrent.” Hennessy said: “The government is committed to combating discrimination and homophobia wherever it exists, and I find any discrimination against people on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender abhorrent.” “We have zero tolerance for any person purporting to be able to ‘convert’ gay people through medical or therapeutic means,” she added. “Any attempts to make people feel uncomfortable with their own sexuality is completely unacceptable.”
Researchers say it would take a year for the experimental vaccine to be developed It is developed from human cells and can reproduce in large quantities The antibody is small enough to enter the infected cells and destroy the Ebola proteins Scientists from the Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital announced the discovery of the Udom Kachintorn, the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital, announced the discovery of the antibody at a press conference in Bangkok this week Thai scientists have announced the discovery of a new type of antibody against the Ebola virus and claimed that it is 'more effective' than those that already exist. The potential new cure is still awaiting animal and human trials. 'We are proud to have created a new antibody treatment for Ebola fever,' Udom Kachintorn, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital, said at a press conference in Bangkok this week. 'It is a new antibody structure, a new mechanism to kill the Ebola fever in the most effective manner,' said Udom. Positive results are expected when trials are conducted on animals in the laboratory and on humans, he said. According to his research, this new antibody is small enough to enter the infected cells and destroy the Ebola proteins. It is harmless to humans as it is developed from human cells and can reproduce in large quantities. The researchers indicated that it would take a year for an experimental vaccine to be developed, although this period could be shortened with the availability of more funding and better facilities. According to his research, this new antibody is small enough to enter the infected cells and destroy the Ebola proteins. Pictured: Red Cross workers carry away the body of a person suspected of dying from the Ebola virus in Liberia on October 4 The researches from Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok (pictured) predict it would take a year for an experimental vaccine to be developed Siam Bioscience, a joint Thai-Cuban pharmaceutical company in Thailand, has shown interest in the trial. Currently, there are several experimental drugs for Ebola, such as ZMapp which is a combination of three types of antibodies, while companies such as GlaxoSmithKline and NewLink Genetic are expected to announce a new vaccine by the end of the year. In six months, Ebola has infected 6553 people and killed 3100 in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, three of the countries worst-affected by the epidemic in western Africa. This is the worst outbreak of the disease since the Ebola virus was discovered in 1976 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, then known as Zaire.
Simple Trump/Russian timeline. Dates reveal timely coincidences. Ryan Merket Blocked Unblock Follow Following Aug 7, 2017 I put together this list after spending way too much time trying to find an article or source that lists out the major dates of the TRump/Russia saga, but found nothing that listed them all so succinctly and digest-able. So the below is a hodge-podge of dates that I gathered from various sources. I hope this shows the coincidences in a new light that you, dear reader, hasn’t seen before. April 27, 2016 — Russian Ambassador attends Trump’s first major foreign policy speech. He meets Trump and Sessions. Sessions goes on to say he doesn’t remember meeting him at all. Ambassador goes on the record to the Kremlin to say that he and Sessions talked about matters important to Moscow. June 3rd, 2016 — Donald Trump Jr., per his own email chain is offered a meeting in which he will be given “very high-level and sensitive information” that would “incriminate Hillary” as “part of Russia and it’s government’s support for Mr. Trump.” June 7th, 2016 (4 days after the email!) — Trump Jr confirms the meeting and a few hours later Donald Trump himself promises a speech the following week about Hillary’s “corrupt dealings with the Russians.” 🤔 June 9th, 2016 — Trump Jr, Paul Manafort, Jared Kushner, meet with the Russians at Trump Tower. 10–20 minutes after the meeting ends, Trump tweets despairingly about the Clinton emails and uses the number “33,000” for the first time. June 15th, 2016 — The “hacker” Guccifer2.0 posts hacked documents from DNC computers. July 7th, 2016 — Carter Page (Trump foreign policy advisor) travels to Moscow to give a speech to a Russian economics institute, broadly criticizing US foreign policy. He will later be investigated for having meeting with the Russian leader in charge of monitoring and meddling with the US election. July 18th, 2016 — During the Republican National Convention, the Russian Ambassador meets with Sessions and Carter Page. The Ambassador informed, according to the latest Senate reports, both of them that his “superiors in Moscow were eager for updates on the candidates position.” July 27th, 2016 — At his last press conference of his campaign, Donald Trump urges Russia to find Clinton’s emails. September 9th, 2016 — Sessions has a private meeting with the Russian ambassador in his own Senate office. To this day no one knows what was said in that meeting. October 7th, 2016 — Long time Trump confidant, Roger Stone, tweets, “it will soon be Podesta’s time in the barrel” — “payload coming” October 7th, 2016 (later the day) — Wikileaks starts dumping 20,000 pages of emails stolen from Clinton campaign manager, John Podesta. Podesta aide fell for spear-phishing technique, with identical technique used to hack Ukraine and French political left-winged candidates. This type of hacking technique is the hallmark of Russian criminal hacking units closely associated with Russian government intelligence. December 1st, 2016 — Russian ambassador goes to Trump Tower, and meets with Jared Kushner and incoming national security advisor Michael Flynn. Kushner now admits to this meeting. In the meeting Kushner proposes using Russian embassies, consulates, or other Russian intelligence control communications systems to allow the Trump transition team to talk directly to Moscow without the American people knowing about it. January 10th, 2017 — Jeff Sessions testifies at his Senate confirmation hearing, under oath, “I did not have communications with the Russians.”
I knew doing this exchange was going to be difficult, but you SS have NAILED IT!!!!(needed more exclamations, LOL) I was doing this exchange for my wife, I did one for each of us my wife (books), my daughter (stickers), and myself (100th), I didn't expect much as these were my first ever exchanges. This exchange was far exceeded to my wife's expectations, even from the beginning. I posted that it was for my wife but really didn't have much to go on otherwise. My SS contacted me and we had a great chat! Seams the two have much in common I didn't want to ruin any surprise for my wife so I kept it all to myself only told her that I and her Santa were talking. My wife does a wishlist for me so I know what to buy for occasions through the year, I shared that with my Secret Santa. I still did not share the information with my wife. Next thing we knew they were marked as shipped, with the weather lately we did not know how long it would take for the gifts to arrive so we waited and last night they arrived! She opened the package to find the first 2 books of a series shes been dying to read! She was super excited and it ended date night pretty awesomely! Thank you so much SS. You are the best! On a side note as I was writing this my SS messaged and advised me who they were so I could tag them in this post. They also told me that due to circumstances they could not at the time get the 3rd book in the series and that when they could they will be sending it along. To u/GorgeousOrange I just want to say that we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all that you had done and for taking time to get to know us personally. We really didn't expect such generosity from a random stranger and you have restored much faith in people as a whole. You deserve good things and hopefully (fingers crossed) that karma will be coming your way :)
James Bowen wasn't always a cat person. Before, he was a homeless heroin addict struggling to take care of himself. But, according to the Daily Mail, when Bob showed up, wounded and ill, little did Bowen know that both their lives would turn a corner. And it seems they are destined to be together - Bowen, an aspiring musician, and Bob, a ginger cat with a big personality. They have become a regular sight on the streets of London and Bob has almost tripled the busking income of Bowen, who now has his life back on track. Their story has already been turned into a best-selling book, and Bowen is now leading discussions to have it turned into a Hollywood movie. That's a far cry from the days when Bowen was living on the streets. "When you're sleeping rough, you are surrounded by people doing drugs," he told the Daily Mail. "They offer you some, saying it will help you sleep - which it does - or make you feel better. And before you know it, you're thinking 'Why not? I've got nothing else'." Bowen became so heavily dependent on opiates that on several occasions he almost died. After three years on the streets, he was given a council flat. By the time he found Bob, he was in the process of kicking his drug habit with the help of a National Health Service recovery programme. "He was hiding in my building - he had been attacked by another cat, or maybe a fox. He had a great big wound on his side, the poor thing." At that stage, Bowen was pulling in a meagre £25 (NZ$48) a week from busking, but the course of antibiotics Bob required cost £28. Bowen paid, and Bob has been eternally grateful. Streetcat Bob now has more than 12,000 followers on Twitter. Bowen's book, A Streetcat Named Bob, has sold more than 250,000 copies and been translated into 18 languages, and it has netted the pair £30,000. Having always lived a fairly nomadic life, Bowen said Bob saved him just as much as he saved Bob. "I didn't plan to keep him - I thought he was a street cat. So after three weeks, I tried to set him free," he told the Mail. "I'd take him outside, but he just wouldn't run off. I would leave for a day's busking and he'd follow me up the road. Then, one day, he followed me all the way on to the number 73 bus. He climbed on right after me!" Bob now has his own photo ID card for the London transport system, and goes busking regularly with Bowen. "I got him a lead, but he likes to climb up on my shoulders. He just picked it up naturally. He's a genius, really."
A few days ago, we listed the pros and cons of Robbie Keane possibly coming to Atlanta. That speculation took an interesting turn today. Earlier today, MLS Transfers, a popular rumors twitter account, claimed that Atlanta United’s interest in the Irishman is very real, stating that the club have a legitimate offer on the table for the Galaxy DP. Sources: Atlanta United have offer in on Robbie Keane. No deal signed yet. Atlanta FO told me they won't be commenting on rumors. — MLS Transfers (@MLSTransfers) November 20, 2016 Keane confirmed he was leaving the Los Angeles Galaxy last week, stating “Now is the right time for a new challenge”. Heading to an expansion team would certainly be a new challenge. Immediate questions come to mind. First, would Keane be a Designated Player signing? He was a DP with the Galaxy, but perhaps Atlanta United could use the extra General Allocation Money they receive from MLS, due to the decrease in Expansion Draft picks, to convince Keane to sign on as a non-DP. Would that be enough remains to be seen. Keane could also be acquired through a trade. Considering he isn’t eligible for MLS Free Agency, the Galaxy still own his rights. Perhaps Atlanta United players, Allocation money or Rankings, or MLS Superdraft picks could entice them. A few days ago, Fox Sports reporter Julie Stewart-Binks claimed Vancouver and Minnesota United were in the mix. Whitecaps' Carl Robinson told us he wanted Keane // some Rumors he'll join Minnesota // or does he even stay in MLS? https://t.co/b81XBLWjt7 — Julie Stewart-Binks (@JSB_FOX) November 17, 2016 Something else to consider, Keane has previously expressed his dismay for artificial turf fields back in 2014 during an interview with Sports Illustrated. “I've said it before and said it so many times. If this league wants to progress -- or any league in the world -- turf has to go,” Keane said. “In this day and age, playing on turf, it's not good enough. It's completely different -- it's not good for you.” Will that be enough to turn him away from Atlanta? He seems to feel pretty strongly about it. All that being said, who knows what’s going to happen? What do you guys think about the possibility of Robbie Keane to Atlanta United?
Scientists have finally managed to extract DNA from Australia's extinct giant kangaroos ─ the mysterious marsupial megafauna that roamed Australia over 40,000 years ago. A team of scientists led by Dr Bastien Llamas and Professor Alan Cooper from the University of Adelaide's Australian Centre for Ancient DNA (ACAD) have extracted DNA sequences from two species: a giant short-faced kangaroo (Simosthenurus occidentalis) and a giant wallaby (Protemnodon anak). These specimens died around 45,000 years ago and their remains were discovered in a cold and dry cave in Tasmania. Relatively good preservation conditions in the cave allowed enough short pieces of DNA to survive so researchers could reconstruct partial "mitochondrial genomes"─genetic material transmitted from mother to offspring and widely used to infer evolutionary relationships. "The ancient DNA reveals that extinct giant wallabies are very close relatives of large living kangaroos, such as the red and western grey kangaroos," says lead author Dr Bastien Llamas, ACAD senior research associate. "Their skeletons had suggested they were quite primitive macropods─a group that includes kangaroos, wallabies, pademelons and quokkas─but now we can place giant wallaby much higher up the kangaroo family tree." The research has also confirmed that short-faced kangaroos are a highly distinct lineage of macropods, which had been predicted on their unusual anatomy. Generally poor preservation conditions and the age of Australian megafaunal remains has prevented retrieval of its DNA until now, although complete nuclear or mitochondrial genomes have been previously obtained from extinct megafauna from Eurasia, the Americas, and New Zealand. Scientists attempting to decipher the evolutionary relationships of the Australian megafauna were previously restricted to using information from bones. "In addition to poor DNA preservation, most of the extinct Australian megafauna do not have very close relatives roaming around today, which makes it more difficult to retrieve and interpret the genetic data," says Dr Llamas. "Together with my colleagues Alan Cooper and Paul Brotherton, we had to think hard about experimental and bioinformatics approaches to overcome more than 10 million years of divergent evolution between the extinct and living species." Although ancient DNA confirms that the short-faced kangaroos left no descendants, it also shows their closest living cousin could be the banded hare-wallaby (Lagostrophus fasciatus), which is now restricted to small isolated islands off the coast of Western Australia. "Our results suggest the banded hare-wallaby is the last living representative of a previously diverse lineage of kangaroos. It will hopefully further encourage and justify conservation efforts for this endangered species," says co-author Professor Mike Lee of the South Australian Museum and the University's School of Biological Sciences. The research is published online (ahead of print) in Molecular Biology and Evolution.
Re: ‘Your chosen land’: 40 people from 13 countries become Canadian, by Tamar Harris, July 1. It is great to hear that people see Canada as a safe, open country in which to live. According to polls, Canada is seen as the most admired country in the world. Therefore, I’m a bit miffed that Canada should be only “second choice.” Claudette Katerere and her nine-year-old daughter became Canadians at the citizenship ceremony this weekend. Katerere is from Zimbabwe. When she couldn’t get refugee status in the U.S., she immigrated to Canada. She goes on to say, “I came as a refugee (to Canada) because I was living in the States and I decided to come here for a better life.” Is Canada now accepting refugees from the U.S.? Jokes about Donald Trump aside, I thought refugee laws did not permit people to “immigrate to Canada” as second choice if things didn’t look as advantageous elsewhere. Katerere says that “Canada is the land of the free and that’s the reason why we came here.” I think that there could be some Americans who take exception to the implication that Canada is free, but the U.S. is not. What has happened to the definition of refugee? Evelyn Meyer, Belle River Share Your Views Send letters to the editor to [email protected]. (Don’t send them as attachments; put them in the body of the emails.) Letters must include your full name, address and phone number. (We will only publish your name and the municipality where you live.) Letters must be fewer than 300 words. The Star reserves the right to edit, condense and reject letters.
Aussie shooting for sixth Olympics Updated Sorry, this video has expired Video: Double hopes for London Olympics (7pm TV News SA) Russell Mark has seen it all and wants more. The 46-year-old, five-time Olympian is aiming to make a sixth appearance in shooting at the London Games. Mark's performances in the past six months have just about guaranteed him the one place available in the double trap competition. He is confident of his position and that has allowed him to plan carefully. "I'm not going to the Olympics to collect pins, I'm there to try and win it and the process really has started now," he said. "Every event that I am shooting in now is really based on July this year. It's not really a process of making the team, I'm thinking of the big picture." And the bigger picture includes a better gun. "It's an $11,000 gun so it's not just something you walk in and buy at a typical gun shop," Mark enthused. "It's the newest piece of the latest technology in the world and I think it will be an advantage." Sporting a wide grin ahead of a competition in Adelaide, Mark even compared the shotgun with the technology that allowed Australian II to wrest the America's Cup from the United States in 1983. "It's a little bit like the winged keel," he said. "They've got something different with this gun and the people that have got them now and there's only a handful in the world - everyone is having great results. "I think that will be the difference between me being a competitor and maybe a medallist." His road to what he hopes will be gold in London will take him through competitions in the United States and Europe. The 1996 gold medallist has targeted a World Cup competition in Tuscon, Arizona, in March for the changeover to the new gun. "I've got five months and that'll be enough," Mark said. "I probably only need five weeks to get used to it." High profile He also may have to get used to a higher profile at the Olympics. After appearances in the Games of 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004, Mark will no doubt be one of the athletes in contention to be the flag bearer for Australia. Mark, born in Ballarat and now from Geelong, has a simple theory on that speculation. "I get that thrown at me a lot but there's this cyclist Cadel someone I think that's probably favourite to be the flag bearer and you know, how could you argue with that," said Mark in reference to the 2011 Tour de France winner Cadel Evans, as he laughed off the idea a shooter would lead out the Australian team. His priority is making sure he does everything possible to be ready for London and second on his wish list is the hope that his wife Lauryn will be there, not as a spectator but as a competitor as well. "I often watch her shoot and I feel more nervous watching her shoot because I've got no control over what she does," Mark said. Lauryn Mark is gunning for a second Olympics appearance in skeet shooting. "She's just in front at the moment so her's will go down to the wire but to have her there will be a big support for me," he said. "It's always an advantage to have family there and to have them on the inside of the fence instead of the grandstand will help me and I'm sure it will help her." Double gold. Surely then Mark would have it all. Topics: shooting, olympics-summer, sport, other-sports, human-interest, sa, vic, australia, adelaide-5000, geelong-3220, ballarat-3350 First posted
Google’s first foray into offering cellular service has been pretty solid so far, offering affordable plans, a simple app to manage everything, and great customer service. The only thing holding back Project Fi is the limited amount of devices that are compatible with the service. Because Project Fi relies on both T-Mobile and Sprint networks, it’s traditionally been exclusive to Google’s own Nexus/ Pixel devices given their wide support for US carrier bands — but that might soon change. In a tweet today, Project Fi’s Twitter account responded to a customer looking for a less expensive device through the service. According to Project Fi, they have plans to offer a mid-tier device from an unnamed hardware partner later this year. The big question is whether Google could be hinting at their own mid-range Nexus/Pixel branded device, or a less exciting regular ‘ol Android phone from another manufacturer (i.e., a non-Pixel), something that would be a first for the service. In either case, we’re intrigued and hope to learn more in the coming week. via Twitter
Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney praised President Trump's speech before the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, saying it was both strong and necessary. "President Trump gave a strong and needed challenge to UN members to live up to its charter and to confront global challenges," Romney tweeted Tuesday. President Trump gave a strong and needed challenge to UN members to live up to its charter and to confront global challenges. — Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) September 19, 2017 Diplomats and foreign leaders from 193 counties gathered at the United Nations headquarters in New York City for the 72nd annual gathering. Trump's speech before the United Nations General Assembly was highly-anticipated, and the president's address promoted a message of sovereignty. During the speech, Trump emboldened the members of the United Nations to focus on and defend their own countries and their interests, and called for a "great reawakening of nations." Romney was a noted anti-Trump Republican leader during the 2016 primary elections, even at one point holding a speech in Utah urging his fellow Republicans not to vote for him.
Nowadays, insurance sector has begun to expose some questions, meanwhile, the new advanced technology—— Blockchain will take great changes to the industry. In other way, it means insurance markets embrace Blockchain, many Blockchain experts offer solutions to solve the present issues. What is the market situation? For insurance enterprise: Fast growth for the insurance fee, enterprise profits declined Increased market entity, types of insurance diversified High labor cost, strong dependence For customers: Difficult to choose High product price Marketing harassment & misleading From above questions, people has begun to realize that Blockchain is a great match for reinsurance and that smart contracts lend itself to the complexities of offsetting risk and managing multiple parties, each with a role to play and financial interest in getting it right the first time. However, the concepts with Blockchain has yet to be accepted in insurance markets, and there is no well-developed and Blockchain-based service plarform. Many companies try to make complex technologies easier to use and experiment with. It still has a long way to do with the decentralized applications. Shuqin Tech is a Blockchain company, they have organized to accelerate their Blockchain thinking, plane and development to the real-world projects. For the insurance smart platform, they also proposed the platform model conception: Their first product Baoquan.com is for data attestation based on Blockchain. This platform is focusing on filling the gaps and resolve the pain point for fintech industry, and has constructed an infrastructure with “Third-party” data preservation, credit enhancement, and truth verification. For more solutions: https://www.baoquan.com/en/ If you are a Blockchain developer, if you are familiar with IBM Hyerledger, Ethereum, siacoin or bitcoin, if you are good at golang language, if you wanna change your position, if you wanna fight in Blockchain field, if you are seeking for a better life, please contact us: [email protected] Advertisements
The Belgian Parliament has adopted a controversial bill extending the right to euthanasia to terminally ill children, the Parliament announced Thursday via Twitter. The bill easily passed the Belgian House of Representatives 86 to 44, following a vote by the country’s Senate in December in support of the measure. The bill is expected to be signed by King Philippe, making Belgium the first country in the world to remove age limits to the practice. “Our responsibility is to allow everybody to live, but also to die, in dignity,” said Karine Lalieux, a Socialist member of the House of Representatives, according to The Associated Press. Under amendments to the country’s 2002 euthanasia law, a child of any age may be helped to die under strict conditions: the child must be terminally ill, close to death and suffering a great amount of pain. Counseling by doctors and a psychiatrist or psychologist is required, as is approval by parents or guardians. The child must possess the “capacity of discernment and be conscious” of requesting death. Socialist Senator Philippe Mahoux, sponsor of the country’s 2002 “right to die” legislation, called for the law’s expansion because he said doctors have been illegally helping sick children die. Mahoux, a trained surgeon, called euthanasia “the ultimate gesture of humanity,” according to Agence France-Presse. “The scandal is illness and the death of children from disease.” Opponents, including religious leaders and some medical professionals, argue that children are not capable of making such difficult decisions. “The law says adolescents cannot make important decisions on economic or emotional issues, but suddenly they’ve become able to decide that someone should make them die,” Brussels Archbishop Andre-Joseph Leonard said at a prayer vigil last week, according to the BBC. On Wednesday, 160 pediatricians petitioned lawmakers to postpone the vote arguing the bill is unnecessary. “Pain can be eased nowadays; there’s been huge progress in palliative care,” Nadine Francotte, a cancer specialist in the city of Liege, told AFP. In 2012, euthanasia accounted for 2 percent of all deaths in Belgium, up 25 percent to nearly 1,400 cases. A terminally ill person may drink a barbiturate-laden syrup, or a doctor can administer the drug through an intravenous tube to induce death. Belgium is one of a handful of European countries where euthanasia is legal. The Netherlands legalized euthanasia in 2002, even allowing it in some cases for seriously ill minors 12 and older. Luxembourg allows euthanasia for adults; Switzerland allows doctors to help patients die in some circumstances. Euthanasia is banned in the U.S., but physician-assisted suicide, or “Death with Dignity,” is legal in four states: Oregon, Washington, Vermont and Montana.
4 important things that you’ll learn in this 2016 Kia Soul EV review. 1. 2016 Soul EV price 2. Trim level changes 3. Kia Soul EV range 4. 2016 Soul EV color options With more and more automakers making the move towards the eco-friendly market, the need to build electric cars that can be seen as a viable replacement for gas-powered vehicles becomes all the more important. Kia certainly delivered the goods with the new Soul EV, as it has been praised for its long range, as well as its incredibly roomy interior. There are three different trim levels available for the all-electric Soul crossover, so let’s take a closer look at what you get with each one, and what you can expect to pay. Base 2016 Soul EV-e MSRP This model, which is new for 2016, serves as the base model and is also the cheapest Soul EV in the range. This is an excellent entry model for those looking to make the change to an electric vehicle, as it comes with a ton of standard features at an affordable price. Those standard features include a 3.5-inch OLED supervision cluster, DC fast charge outlet, smart key with push button start, 6.6-kilowatt onboard charger, and a ventilation system that can be employed when only the driver is in the car so that maximum efficiency can be attained. Also included are a leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated front seats, and the FlexSteer system. The starting MSRP for this model is $31,950, which drops down to $24,450 when the $7,500 federal tax credit is applied. Mid trim 2016 Kia Soul EV price This model is the mid-trim level of the Soul EV, and it comes with a few premium features that don’t come standard with the EV-e. The biggest addition here is the 8-inch touchscreen navigation system that also features Rear Camera Display, as well as Kia’s UVO eServices system. Driving range in this model is helped by the addition of a heat pump HVAC system designed to be extremely energy efficient. Starting MSRP for Soul EV is is $33,950, but it drops to $26,450 after the $7,500 federal tax credit is applied. Range-topping 2016 Kia Soul EV+ pricing The top of the range model comes fully loaded, and can have even more if you spend additional $1,100 to get the Sun & Fun Package. Standard equipment includes everything found on the lower trims, as well as leather trim on the seats, heated rear outboard seats, ventilated front seats, power folding mirrors, and Rear Park Assist. The Sun & Fun Package adds LED interior lights, panoramic sunroof, and speaker lights that pulse in time to the music from the 6-speaker sound system. Starting MSRP for Soul EV+ is $35,950, and it drops to $28,450 after the $7,500 federal tax credit is applied. 2016 model year changes, colors Each of the three trim levels also includes new enhancements for 2016, including illuminated AUX/USB port, a nozzle lock for the charge port, and a pair of new exterior colors: Bright Silver and Shadow Black. The 2016 Kia Soul EV range need not be a concern, as the EPA estimated range sits at 93 miles, while the EPA MPGe comes in at 92/120/105 miles city/highway/combined. As you can see, the 2016 Kia Soul EV offers a little something for everyone, and all at a great price. There can be no denying that it is one of the best electric cars currently on the market.
Visa Approved for the First Philippine DOTA 2 Team to Represent SEA in Ukraine ohestiada After dealing with process delays and budget issues, Visa applications for Ukraine have been approved for IAP.Execration (XCTN). As the first team from the Philippines to represent the South East Asian (SEA) Region in the StarLadder X LAN Grand Finals in Kiev, Ukraine on Oct. 23-26, XCTN faced hurdles upon hurdles to secure their spot. After winning the StarLadder X SEA qualifiers last September, the team went on to secure funding support for their travel documents, tickets and accommodations to the event. With the mounting costs of logistics pressuring the team, however, it seemed that they would bow down from the event. In a message sent to Esports Inquirer, manager Arvin Risos confirmed that their Visa applications have been approved after being delayed by three days. As there is no Ukrainian embassy in the Philippines, the team had to fly back and forth to Vietnam to process their documents. According to Risos, their applications were supposed to be approved by Wednesday this week. They were released early Saturday morning. Irymarc “Tryke” Gutierrez, Executive Director of PeSO and Alex Lim from International eSports Federation Securing Help The team approached the Philippine eSports Organization (PeSO) for help in securing their Visa approval in time for the event. PeSO is a member of the umbrella organization, International eSports Federation (IeSF). IeSF is an organized body that pushes for eSports to be recognized as a legitimate sporting activity worthy of inclusion in events such as the South East Asian Games and the Olympics. Currently, IeSF has more than 50 member nations recognized by the government of their respective countries. Their members include Vietnam and Ukraine — both were instrumental in helping the team in getting their Visas approved on time. Through PeSO and IeSF’s network in eSports, they were able to help XCTN in processing their Visas. Supposedly, the five players of XCTN were required to stay in Vietnam for a week during the processing period, which was too costly for the team. PeSO then sought help from its co-IeSF members from Ukraine and Vietnam. In a letter sent by PeSO to the Ukrainian Embassy in Vietnam, the organization requested that only manager Arvin Risos be present to process the documents to which they acquiesced. In the future, PeSO hopes that with the help of IeSF, more Filipino players can have their Visas approved — allowing them to compete in the grandest stages of the industry. Struggles Ahead Despite the good news, Risos said that the team’s passports are still in Vietnam. “We aren’t sure if they will arrive in the Philippines on time. The flight is on Monday,” Risos told Esports Inquirer. “We will fly to Vietnam on Sunday, flight availability permitting.” XCTN was recently supported by the fan community as well as SteelSeries’ social media community management arm, outfitting them with gaming peripherals for the event in Ukraine. The community feedback also attracted the attention of eclubmalaysia and gaming peripherals manufacturer Roccat, who offered to shoulder some of the travel costs for the team.
Image caption Northern Ireland fans are angry over the allocation of tickets to EURO 2016 Uefa has said it will make extra tickets available to Northern Ireland supporters who missed out on tickets for the European championships. The Irish Football Association (IFA) had said it was "inundated" with calls from angry Northern Ireland fans unable to purchase tickets. Some fans who said they ranked near the top of the IFA's 'priority list' missed out on tickets for the Poland game. Uefa is allocating extra tickets for the Poland match. Northern Ireland is due to play Poland, Ukraine and Germany in France in June. More than 29,000 tickets have been allocated to Northern Ireland for the three games. Earlier, Gary McAllister from the Amalgamation of Official NI Supporters Clubs said his phone had been "red hot" with messages from disappointed fans. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Some fans spoke of their disappointment at the original allocation The question was over a points system which was meant to establish a priority list, favouring fans who had attended the most matches at home and abroad. Mr McAllister and other fans were now asking whether the loyalty scheme has been implemented correctly. He missed out on a ticket to the Poland game, despite having 27 loyalty points out of a possible 29. "We have been swamped with messages from supporters, people who have travelled faithfully for many, many years to support Northern Ireland," he told Radio Ulster's Talkback. Image caption Supporters are questioning whether a loyalty scheme was used correctly to allocate tickets "I am not glad that I haven't received a ticket, but people will know how many games I've attended." The appeared to be a particular problem with the Poland match and fans said they wanted to know how the points system was used. One caller to Talkback, Ian, said: "I have been to four away games in the last year and all the home games. That means not quite maximum points, but getting there. "I have friends who have zero points in the same category and they got tickets. "But I had 23 or 24 out of 29 points. The points did not mean anything." Patrick Nelson, chief executive of the IFA, said: "We've been working for three months on a priority scheme with UEFA around the tickets that we've got for 2016 and obviously our priority is to our fans who follow us home and away." He said the IFA ticketing team was working "to connect with Uefa at their level to make sure that the priority scheme is very well understood and we know exactly what UEFA have done". "I got on to Uefa at the most senior level this morning to say that we were surprised and disappointed at the application of the priority scheme and that we needed them to look at this instantly and come back to me," he said.
Police were deployed after a picture of a woman cupping her breasts caused traffic chaos on Moscow streets. The image carried the strapline 'They attract' and was used by the company to catch the attention of commuters. But it appears to have worked too well, according to MailOnline. Motorist Ildar Yuriev, 35, said: "I was on my way to a business meeting when I saw this truck with a huge photo of breasts on its side go by. Then I was hit by the car behind who said he had been distracted by the truck." A total of 517 impact incidents blamed on the poster were recorded and now a slew of insurance claims are expected from victims. Eventually, Moscow police were forced to order the vans off the roads in the interests of public safety. The advertising agency responsible for the advert claimed it wanted to encourage more advertising on vehicles by illustrating how visible the format is. Mission accomplished.
The just-concluded civic bodies’ election in Tripura has thrown up a surprise, especially for a state that has been under Left Front rule for fifth consecutive term; the BJP has emerged as a force to reckon by winning for the first time in four wards and relegating the Opposition Congress to the third position in most of the councils. Advertising This has happened despite the BJP’s defeat in the Bihar assembly elections, indicating that while there is some kind of growing opposition to the Left Front in Tripura, the saffron party has definitely made major inroads into urban Tripura. In rural Tripura too, the BJP had last year got 142 panchayat members and captured as many as five panchayats. Though the Left Front – and particularly the CPI(M) – had won in all the 19 town committees and municipal committees and the Agartala Municipal Corporation, the BJP has secured a record overall 14.24 per cent votes to replace the Congress as the state’s major opposition party at least in the urban bodies. Of the 310 wards in across the state, the Congress could retain only 13 wards, while the BJP won four, and the remainder staying with the Left Front. State BJP president Sudhindra Dasgupta claims that the BJP would have polled more votes and won a few more wards but for the “combined” pressure of the Left Front and Congress on its workers and supporters. “More people have voted for us because they now know that the CPI(M) and Congress are on the same boat, especially when it comes to contesting against the BJP. But despite that we polled 14.24 per cent votes, which is huge jump from just 1.5 per cent in the 2010 civic elections,” Dasgupta said. That the BJP has maintained a steady growth in the country’s only Left-ruled state is evident is clear from the percentage of votes it has own the last few years. While it polled 1.5 per cent votes in th 2010 civic polls, that rose to 1.69 per cent in the 2013 assembly election, and then about 6 per cent in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. In the Autonomous District Council election on the other hand the BJP polled a little over 24 per cent, simultaneously relegating the Congress to a poor third. Advertising The CPI(M) however sees the rise in BJP vote-share as a shift of Congress votes to the saffron party. “The BJP vote-share has gone up at the expense of the Congress. Moreover, the BJP probably spent a lot of money, as if it was fighting an assembly election. But there is nothing to worry because the Left vote share has remained intact,” said Gautam Das, a senior functionary of the BJP in Tripura.
When you decide to go with a hip-hop moniker like Chamillionaire, it’s probably not the best PR move to let one of your houses go into foreclosure. But, says the rapper, it wasn’t because he was having money problems. Instead, he handed the manse back to the bank because he just didn’t feel like paying the mortgage on a house he never lived in. Chamillionaire purchased the 7,583 sq-ft. Houston home for around $2 million in 2006. Now he tells TMZ that the house “isn’t worth anything” but that it was still his most expensive mortgage. Explained Chamillionaire when cornered by TMZ’s camera on a NYC street: So I just decided to make a business decision, to let it go, give it back to the bank. I just didn’t feel like it was a good business investment to keep paying that much mortgage for a house that I’m never at. But lest you think the rapper is in dire financial straits, he says all is fine: “When I’m a Cha-thousandaire, then you’ll have a real story.” Chamillionaire — I Chose to Be Foreclosed On [TMZ via NY Mag]
Did The Warranties Just Run Out On Undersea Cables? from the snapping-left-and-right dept If you've never read Neal Stephenson's epic article from Wired magazine in 1996 about the laying of undersea fiber optic cable , I highly recommend you set aside some time to do so. Just a warning: set aside a lot of time. The article is almost book length, and it's hard to stop reading once you get into it. He goes into quite a lot of detail about FLAG, the Fiberoptic Link Around the Globe. You'll learn quite a bit about undersea cables and FLAG, which could come in handy, because in the last week, it appears that a bunch of these undersea cables have all started experiencing problems. It started off with reports of two cut cables (one of which is FLAG's) in the Mediterranean, with the explanation being that a boat anchor dragged across them. Yet, late Friday, reports came in of a third cut cable (also a FLAG cable) in the Persian gulf, followed by Egyptian reports denying that the cuts were caused by ships , saying none were in the area. To top that off, on Sunday, reports came in of a fourth cable with problems in the Middle East (it's unclear if this problem is as serious as a full cut cable), causing people to start thinking up conspiracy theories . It certainly is mighty strange to have four separate undersea cables with such problems in the same region within a few days of each other. You hate to ascribe it to malice without further evidence, but unless these cables all just went off of warranty, it's going to have a lot of folks asking similar questions. Filed Under: conspiracy theories, middle east, undersea cables
In a text-message poll asking what Sen. John McCain's acceptance speech "accomplished the most," MSNBC gave viewers only positive responses to choose from. By contrast, when MSNBC asked viewers the week before what Sen. Barack Obama's acceptance speech "accomplished the most," one of the options given was, "Attacked John McCain." The day after Sen. John McCain's September 4 acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, MSNBC conducted a text-message poll asking, "What do you feel McCain's speech accomplished the most?" But MSNBC gave viewers only positive responses to choose from; it did not give them the option of responding that the speech was in any way negative. Specifically, the options given to respond to the September 5 MSNBC text-message poll were: A. Inspired the nation B. Explained what motivated his presidential run C. Outlined his policy priorities if elected D. Positioned himself as the tough maverick for change By contrast, an MSNBC text-message poll conducted the day after Sen. Barack Obama's August 28 speech at the Democratic National Convention, asking, "What do you feel Obama's speech accomplished the most?" provided only three options, one of which was, "Attacked John McCain": A. Inspired the nation B. Outlined his policy priorities if elected C. Attacked John McCain From the 9 a.m. ET hour of the September 5 edition of MSNBC Live: From the August 29 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe:
LEADING women’s footy voices have called for the inaugural AFLW grand final to be staged as a stand alone match. The AFL last Thursday confirmed the inaugural women’s grand final would take place at 1.45pm on Saturday March 25, coinciding with Round 1 of the men’s fixture. The scheduling of the AFLW grand final has caused the AFL headaches, as it seeks to strike a balance between promoting its new league and ensuring it doesn’t get lost among the opening round of the men’s fixture. Ordinarily, the Saturday afternoon timeslot would be reserved for a men’s clash, but the AFL has decided to use the spot for the AFLW grand final. Two twilight AFL matches have been scheduled instead. The women’s grand final shapes as a curtain raiser, but it may only be a curtain raiser for TV audiences, with the match unlikely to be played at a major venue such as the MCG. If the match is billed as a double-header, the most likely outcome would be back-to-back matches at Etihad Stadium, with St Kilda and Melbourne playing in the twilight spot at the stadium. Hawthorn and Essendon play at the MCG at 7.45pm, meaning the gap between the two matches could be awkward if the women’s grand final was held there. Daisy Pearce favours a stand alone grand final. Picture: Eugene Hyland Source: News Corp Australia Melbourne marquee player Daisy Pearce indicated a stand alone match would be preferable. “From my experience of playing in curtain raisers, while it’s amazing the buzz you get playing before the men, it comes at a cost,” Pearce told foxfooty.com.au. “You have to make sacrifices with timelines leading into the game because it’s so tightly regulated. At a separate venue, the day and the experience would be all about the women’s grand final. “It would probably work best if you had it at a nearby venue at a time where it works for TV purposes, as well as for people coming to the game. If fans can get to our game before heading to a twilight game, I think that could work best.” There are concerns the atmosphere for the women’s grand final would be lacklustre if it was staged at the MCG. But Pearce disagreed, saying the competition would be well established by the big dance. “It’s an amazing stadium and you could make an atmosphere there regardless of how many people turn up, but I don’t think it’s essential we do play at the MCG,” Pearce said. “Hopefully by the end of the fixtures season it will have legs of its own and we can create our own atmosphere. In saying that, I don’t see a problem with it not being at the MCG.” Player manager Alex Saundry concurred with Pearce. While she said it would be romantic to stage the inaugural women’s grand final at the MCG, she told foxfooty.com.au entertainment should be the AFL’s first priority. Staging the women’s exhibition match at Whitten Oval was a success. Picture: Michael Dodge/Getty Images Source: Herald Sun “Why not play again at Whitten Oval, which worked really bloody well? Or Punt Road where no team has a home advantage? If it was at Punt Road it would still be in the hub of footy,” Saundry said. “We shouldn’t bite off more than we can chew.” AFL General Manager Clubs and AFL Operations Travis Auld told 3AW last Thursday the AFL was still working towards finding the right balance. While he didn’t rule out a women’s grand final at the MCG, he indicated the match would more than likely take place at another venue. Auld said the women’s fixture was still being determined in order to ensure the majority of matches aligned with NAB Challenge games, either as curtain raisers or curtain closers. “It’s taken a little bit longer but we want to make sure, where the facilities allow, that we do double headers throughout that period.,” he said. “That’s why we haven’t released the preseason fixture and why we haven’t released the women’s fixture just yet.”
How to be a Successful NGU (Non-Grown Up) Part II: Never Follow Rules. No Such Thing as Grown Ups Manifesto This is an immediate callback to Part I-Always Question Authority, but we feel that it’s important to reiterate that rules are a form of applied authority that should also be questioned extensively, but really why even follow rules? Rules you should never follow: Rules on Bulletin Boards Laws (That don’t apply to hurting people, OBVIOUSLY!!!) Decrees by Queens or Princes Guidelines Etiquette Rules that are on signs Rules that are written anywhere… What? But if I don’t follow the rules, I’ll get in trouble! Exactly! That’s what pretend grown ups want you to believe! Now I want you to stay safe and not to harm others, but other than that, be free of rules. You will not get into trouble, or at least never as much trouble as you think, and the reality is saying you’re sorry is a powerful solution. Well why are there rules anyways? Why would all these rules be made if it weren’t for our own good? Fear. Rules are only stories. They tell the story of something that happened to the rule maker. Keep off the grass is a story of an unappreciated gardener, the tale of the lady who sat in wet paint on her way to a job interview. It’s usually something scary enough that they make a rule up about it, like Do not use lunchroom Trays as Sleds! Is a rule from high school to keep people from stealing lunchroom trays and then sledding down the snowy hills… on their butts. Getting Butts! all over the food tray! Maybe the rule was about breaking your arm or face on school property and insurance premiums and what not. But everyone’s experience is not the same, and if I leave the 3-hole-punch-paper in the photocopier, I say it’s your fault for not checking before you print…ahem…so where was I? You’ll never get thanked for following the rules. And honestly it will drive you crazy when you do follow rules and others don’t. The only upside I see is a feeling of superiority. If you are always following the rules you may feel free to point out the failings in people around you, but eventually this will just lead to bitter negativity, so just join us and stop following rules, forget about it, and do what you like!Hüpfburgen Think before you Leap. That’s all. If you follow enough rules they start to contradict themselves. Trust me! There only exists actions & consequences. Educate yourself on the consequences and make and educated decision, instead of following because it’s written on cardstock. Make your own decisions, you can do it! The real reason for rules is to prevent you from learning on your own. I think about rules in art, rules in religion, rules in business and I just have to ask Why? Why? So many Whys? But then I just learn & do what I want and forget about all that. Sorry 😉 See it works! It can be easy to not follow rules Just Follow these 3 simple Rules: I Find rules and stare them down like they stole your ice cream… 2 Prove them wrong and get your ice cream back! 3 Do what you feel is right because you aren’t a moron. (if you are a moron see #4). 4Follow all rules, always.
And the hits just keep on coming. At the same time as the latest Wikileaks email dump revealed an email sent from the gmail account of DOJ assistant attorney general, Peter Kadzik, to the gmail account of John Podesta, warning him of a FOIA case that would make it "a while before the State Department posts the [Hillary] emails", an off-the-record communication which the DOJ apparently had no complaints about, we learned of another coordinated, collusive event, this time involving not the Department of Justice, but the Secretary of State, the New York Times, and the Clinton campaign. In an email dated March 1, 2015, just one day before the NYT's story revealing that Hillary Clinton had a personal email server, a State Department official, Lauren Hickey, coordinated with Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign staffers Heather Samuelson as well as Philippe Reines and Nick Merrill, on a statement given to The New York Times regarding how to frame its landmark story. In the email also sent from the gmail account of State Department press aide Lauren Hickey ([email protected]), the government employee told Clinton aides that then-State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki had “just cleared” a statement to a New York Times reporter. Hickey attached the statement, which appeared to include a change made at the behest of the Clinton aides. “Yes on your point re records - done below,” she wrote although it is unclear what change the Clinton campaign had requested. Hi guys - Jen just cleared. She made the highlighted change -- just rephrased a line about NARA updates state is undertaking. Yes on your point re records - done below. And yes will let you know -- should be in the new few minutes. The statement describes the State Department’s efforts to respond to document requests from the House Benghazi Committee, which uncovered the existence of Clinton's server. “From the moment that the Select Committee was created, the State Department has been proactively and consistently engaged in responding to the Committee’s many requests in a timely manner, providing more than 40,000 pages of documents, scheduling more than 20 transcribed interviews and participating in several briefings and each of the Committee’s hearings. One day after the exchange, the New York Times published its "groundbreaking", if preapproved report revealing Clinton's server to the public. A short time later, Hillary Clinton would announce her candidacy for president. In a briefing Wednesday afternoon, State Department spokesman John Kirby declined to comment on the alleged leaked documents in a statement, but noted that “[providing] accurate information to the media and the public related to former Secretary Clinton’s emails… at times required communicating with her representatives to ensure accuracy.” Stated simply, collusion happen: it's all for the sake of "accuracy." To summarize: on the same day we obtained evidence of collusion between the Clinton campaign's chairman, John Podesta, and one of the top-ranked staffers at the Justice Department, we also have confirmation of collusion between the State Department, the Clinton campaign and the New York Times. Or, as president Obama put it, "an honest mistake." * * * The email in question showing the coordinated effort between State, the NYT and the Clinton campaign is shown below.
Getty Images Milo Yiannopoulos Share Pinterest Email Milo Yiannopoulos will headline a protest this month against Linda Sarsour and the City University of New York’s invitation for her to give the commencement address at a graduation ceremony for public health graduate students. Organized by far-right provocateur Pamela Geller, the demonstration is targeting the Muslim civil rights activist for her previous hostility toward Israel and defense of Islamic, or Sharia law. “Such sanction is so malignant and so evil. it cannot be ignored. There is a responsibility for the time we are living in,” wrote Geller, in a press release announcing the news. Other speakers will include Geller and New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind, who represents the Hasidic neighborhood of Borough Park. Yiannopoulous is beginning to reemerge after his career took a nosedive in February, following the surfacing of old audio tape in which he defended pedophilia. The controversy led him to resign as a pundit at Breitbart, lose a speaking appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference and spurred the cancellation of a lucrative book deal with Simon & Schuster. Contact Daniel J. Solomon at [email protected] or on Twitter @DanielJSolomon
Trailer Frenzy A special place to find the newest trailers for movies and TV shows you're craving. Move over everything else coming out in 2013, the first trailer for the ridiculous movie The Brass Teapot just charmed the pants off of us. The film, which was lensed by music director Ramaa Mosley, was discovered after the director started googling "best short story," and came across Tim Macy's teapot tale. The story centers around the little known story about the Brass Teapot. According to religious folk lore, the brass teapot is made in part from the blood money paid in silver to Judas for the treason of Jesus, thus giving it magical powers. Specifically, the power to spew out money every time the Brass Teapot's owner injure themselves. The short became a comic which then became this movie, and here is the very first trailer starring Juno Temple and Michael Angarano. Enjoy — we certainly did. Advertisement Here's the official synopsis:
JAIPUR: A 19-year-old BSc student of Maharani's College was arrested by Galta Gate police for allegedly blackmailing a 47-year-old Gurgaon businessman after threatening to lodge a rape case against him. Police also recovered Rs 27 lakh from the teen, given to her by the businessman following the blackmail.The girl allegedly was not happy with the Rs 27 lakh given to her and demanded a further Rs 18 lakh or his SUV from the victim. The victim had, meanwhile, recorded the conversation with the blackmailer and her promise to not lodge a rape case against him after receiving the money. Following her new demand, the victim approached the police who finally arrested the girl late on Tuesday for extortion and cheating.The girl met the businessman in Rohtak, Haryana, in 2015 where she was pursuing a one-year diploma course.Jaipur: "The victim, Jeetendra Kumar, met her in Rohtak a year ago," said a police officer.They had met through a common friend. Later, both had frequent telephonic conversations. On August 8, the girl invited him to Jaipur. The man booked a room in a hotel near Galta Gate area of the Walled City. Both had boozed together and had consensual sex at the hotel. Next day, the girl demanded Rs 25 lakh from the man, threatening to implicate him for rape," said deputy commissioner of police (north) Anshuman Bhomia on Wednesday."Though shocked, the victim gave the first instalment of Rs 20 lakh in cash on August 9. Later on August 10, he paid the rest Rs 5 lakh. He, meanwhile, took an undertaking from her on a stamp paper that everything was settled and she would not implicate him in any case," Bhomia added.But it was not over yet as the girl asked the victim to either hand over his SUV or pay her or Rs 18 lakh."That's when he approached us. As per a plan, we constituted a team and asked the man to pay Rs 2 lakh as the first instalment of Rs 18 lakh demanded by her. Our team then caught her while she was accepting Rs 2 lakh. Following interrogation, we recovered Rs 25 lakh which she had kept in a brief case at her paying guest facility in Lal Kothi," he said.Senior police officers said that the girl was good in her studies and had scored over 80% marks in her secondary and senior secondary exams."We sought police remand. However, she has been sent to judicial custody. A case under sections 420 (cheating) and 384 (extortion) has been lodged against her," said Ramganj assistant commissioner of police Bhag Singh.According to police, the girl had shown some signs of regret. "She asked us to forgive her," he said.
The new X-Men: Apocalypse trailer was released earlier today, and we’ve already dug into our favorite moments from the trailer, but there may be something else worth noticing. If you pay attention, you may spot our first look at some new, more super heroic costumes for the cinematic X-Men. Director Bryan Singer previously hinted that we’ll be seeing some more colorful costumes for the movie mutants, with a more comic book aesthetic, saying, “in X-Men: Apocalypse, there is a chance, without giving anything way, that you may get closer to seeing what I think…you are interested in seeing.” So that brings us to two shots in the new X-Men: Apocalypse trailer. The first is a shot of Mystique as she tells someone we don’t see, presumably Xavier’s students, that they are no longer children, but X-Men. To me, this seems like a closing scene of the film, one in which Mystique is presiding over a kind of graduation for the young X-Men. Further, the scene brings Mystique’s story arc full circle, as she rejects the terrorist life she lived alongside Magneto in the pre-Days of Future Past timeline to stand by Professor X’s side as an X-Man instead in the new timeline. In this closing shot, we can see that she is both blue, something that fans noted was rare in the previous trailer, and dressed in a dramatically different costume than the armored suit we’ve seen all of the X-Men in so far. This new costume seems directly inspired by Mystique’s most iconic and recognizable costume form the comics. The film costume’s outer portion is blue, while the center section is white, similar to how Mystique’s blue skin would offset the white dress she wore in the comics.
Israel is using lethal force on unarmed Palestinian protesters in the West Bank, according to the latest report by the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem. It says 56 people were killed in the clashes, with an average age of 18. In the 31-page report, B’Tselem accused Israeli security forces of having "extensively and systematically violated" rules that ban deadly response to a non-lethal assault. B’Tselem has been working on the report, ‘Crowd Control: Israel’s use of Crowd Control Weapons in the West Bank’ for the past year. Only in the past fortnight, the Israeli military shot dead two Palestinians in the clashes. Since 2005, six people were killed by rubber-coated metal bullets and two by teargas canisters, both supposedly non-lethal weapons which were fired directly at protesters, according to B'Tselem. Live ammunition was utilized in other 48 cases of death. The average age of those killed was reportedly 18-and-a-half. The typical riot dispersal tools of security forces include teargas, rubber-coated bullets, stun grenades, live ammunition, skunk and water cannons, pepper spray, and sponge rounds – non-lethal weapons which are not dangerous for long-term health if used correctly. However, "in practice, members of the security forces make almost routine use of these weapons in unlawful, dangerous ways, and the relevant Israeli authorities do too little to prevent the recurrence of this conduct," says the document reported by Reuters. Investigations, if launched, tend to be closed without any action taken to hold those who are guilty of deaths responsible. “Senior officers on the ground back up their troops in such incidents, and the law enforcement authorities refrain from promoting accountability in cases where orders were allegedly breached,” the document stated. In particular, the report called the IDF to prohibit using live ammunition including 0.22 inch-caliber bullets and rubber-coated metal bullets for crowd control, except in instances of mortal danger. Firing 40mm teargas canisters directly or horizontally at individuals should be prohibited, the report further argued, Jerusalem Post reported. The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) countered that the human rights group’s report "presents a biased narrative, relying primarily on incidents that are either old or still under investigation by the Military Police", Reuters reported. "The IDF does everything in its power to ensure that the use of riot dispersal means is done in accordance with the rules of engagement," the report also said. Peace talks between the sides have been frozen since 2010. Palestinians withdrew from the negotiations with Israel at the time, saying talks would only be possible after Tel Aviv halts all construction projects in the disputed areas.
You'll get 1 TXT, 4 M4B and 4 MP3 Get it now Add to cart Celebrate 30 Seasons of Survivor with "The Evolution of Strategy" For going on 30 seasons, Survivor has captured the imagination of a generation of TV watchers and ushered in a new genre of TV. Two-Time Survivor player, Rob Cesternino, and entertainment journalist, Josh Wigler, are going back through every season to discuss the strategic breakthroughs, game innovations and play Monday morning quarterback through every tribal council ever. In each chapter of this presentation, Rob and Josh will go through each episode of the show and discuss how the the game played out. Plus, Rob and Josh discuss their favorite moments and memories from each of the Survivor seasons. Get Chapter 1 for Free Chapter 1 of The Evolution of Strategy is completely free. Rob and Josh discuss the entire first season in great detail discussing how the first Survivor players learned to play the game. Volume 1 Release Schedule Each Friday between the end of Survivor 29 and the Premiere of Survivor 30, a new chapter will be released for a purchase price of $2.99. The Amazon and All-Stars chapters will cost $3.99 and have a runtime of over 13 hours each. All of Volume 1 (covering seasons 1-10) will be available for a purchase price of 19.99 with a run time of almost 80 hours. View Volume 1 in the Store The subsequent chapters will be released on the following dates: Friday, December 19th – Survivor: Borneo Friday, December 26th – Survivor: The Australian Outback Friday, January 2nd – Survivor: Africa Friday, January 9th – Survivor: Marquesas Friday, January 16th – Survivor: Thailand Friday, January 23rd – Survivor: The Amazon Friday, January 30th – Survivor: Pearl Islands Friday, February 6th – Survivor: All-Stars Friday, February 13th – Survivor: Vanuatu Friday, February 20th – Survivor: Palau Volume 2 and 3 will be available in the summer of 2015 following the airing of Survivor 30. Details Runtime: 5 hours, 55 minutes File Types Included Audiobook Format (4 m4b files will be available to download with purchase. Drag and drop into itunes or your audiobook player) These files have the word AUDIOBOOK in the file name. Mp3 Files - These files will play on ALL devices. These files all have the word MP3 in the file name. RSS Feed Link for Mp3 Podcast Format (In the enclosed text file, there will be an RSS feed for you to add to your podcast player. Download all 4 mp3 files to listen like you would a podcast) Notes Review the text file enclosed with the purchase for further detail on how to play the audiobook.
CLIFTON - Two men face lewdness and other charges after they were caught in an alleged sex act on a display bed at Bed Bath & Beyond, according to a report on NorthJersey.com. Police were called to the store on Route 3 during business hours on Jan. 30 after an employee said the men were engaged in a sex act on the display, according to the report. Two 28-year-olds were arrested: one from Nutley, the other from North Carolina, according to the report. The men are charged with lewdness, criminal mischief and possession of marijuana, according to the report. Police did not release the men's names because both are suffering from a health condition known as scabies and that releasing their names would violate the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. A store spokeswoman told NorthJersey.com that the display bed had been removed from the store as a precaution. Officers were exposed to the scabies parasite and were treated at a local hospital, the report said. The booking area of the Clifton Police Department had to be fumigated to prevent the spread of the parasite, cops told NorthJersey.com Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
An Italian man has astonished doctors by sneezing a bullet out through his nose after being shot in the head. Darco Sangermano, 28, had been taken to hospital in Naples for emergency treatment after being hit by a stray bullet during New Year's Eve celebrations. The bullet passed behind his right eye and lodged in his nostril, but miraculously did no serious damage. He is expected to make a full recovery, doctors say. Mr Sangermano had spent New Year's Eve with his girlfriend in Naples. As the city sky exploded in a traditional celebration of fireworks, firecrackers - and the occasional high-spirited blast of firearms - he was wandering the streets when a stray .22 calibre bullet struck him on the side of the head, behind his right eye. Bleeding heavily, he was rushed to hospital. But while he was waiting for doctors he sneezed - and the bullet popped out of his right nostril. Doctors say it had been slowed down when it hit his skull - which almost certainly saved his sight, as well as his life. Mr Sangermano is expected to undergo laser surgery on his right eye's damaged retina.
By Richard Thomas Rating: B I have fond-if-dim memories of Columbus, Ohio, because that is where my grandfather lived prior to his retirement. Although I was likely a pain in the neck on the long drive there from Lexington, as small boys usually are, I liked being there once the trip was over. So with that in mind, I thought my Mom would approve when I told her about Columbus’s Watershed Distillery and how I would be reviewing their bourbon. She gave me a disapproving look and said “Yankees can’t make bourbon.” “Ohioans aren’t Yankees. They’re Buckeyes,” I replied. “It’s the same thing, and they can’t make bourbon.” Yet with the craft distilling boom, more and more locally made bourbon is coming from places north of the Mason-Dixon line, and it’s not like Ohio is a stranger to whiskey-making. I know for a fact there was such a thing as Ohio bourbon during the Civil War years, having read references to it, and the state boasted a sizable distilling industry until Prohibition. So when Greg Lehman and David Rigo opened their micro-distillery in Columbus, they were less puncturing some Southern misconceptions and more reviving a tradition that had been dead for nearly a century. The Bourbon Watershed has an odd duck in that they’ve made a four-grain, spelted bourbon. You read that right: spelted. Also known as hulled wheat or dinkel wheat, spelt fell out of favor with farmers and food processors decades ago because it is harder to thresh. However, spelt has different qualities from common red winter wheat that has brought it into favor with craft bakers in recent years, so why not craft distillers as well? The bourbon is aged in 10- and 30-gallon barrels, making it a small barrel whiskey (note that it is not designated a “straight” bourbon, so the liquid is less than two years old). Watershed has bourbon aging in standard 53-gallon barrels, but that isn’t ready for market yet. Bottled at 47% abv (94 proof), the color of Watershed’s bourbon is surprisingly light. Even young small barrel bourbons can come out quite dark, but this has a bright, coppery, middle amber appearance. The nose is fragrant with cedar and pine, giving it a crisp quality that balances against the corn sweetness and dollop of vanilla. The flavor is light, offering up a subdued caramel sweetness and a note of toasty wood. A tiny rye spice note is in there too, one that grows on the tongue to the point of elbowing the other flavors off center-stage. The finish leaves a light, lingering spicy afterglow. So can a Buckeye make bourbon? Yes they can. Perhaps it has rubbed off on them. They do share the Ohio River with us Kentucks, after all. The Price Watershed’s bourbon is reasonably priced by the standards of craft whiskey, running about $40 a bottle.
Prosecutors in the court-martial of Pfc. Bradley Manning rested their case Tuesday after hearing testimony from nearly 80 witnesses in their attempt to convict him on nearly two dozen charges, including a violation of the Espionage Act. Manning, a former Army intelligence analyst, has acknowledged providing hundreds of thousands of sensitive diplomatic and military files to the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks. Prosecutors have sought to prove that, in doing so, he was aware that al-Qaeda would see the material. If convicted on charges of violating the Espionage Act and of aiding and abetting the enemy, Manning could face life in prison. He has already entered a plea to lesser charges that carry a prison sentence of 20 years. Most of the proceedings, being held at Fort Meade, Md., have been consumed by the submissions of written statements from government officials and members of the investigative teams who researched the case against Manning. Much of this material has been technical in nature, with the prosecution seeking to prove that Manning had exceeded his access to materials, leaked classified information, and illegally downloaded programs onto government computers. Some of the proceedings have been carried out in closed session because the testimony has involved classified material. This week, the prosecution was able to enter information into the record concerning Osama bin Laden’s correspondence to associates requesting access to certain documents that Manning provided to WikiLeaks, including U.S. military battlefield reports from Afghanistan. The government also presented evidence from a video made by Adam Gadahn, a member of al-Qaeda, praising the release of classified information by WikiLeaks. The court was forced to hear testimony in just three closed sessions. Before the start of the court-martial, officials from the Military District of Washington had estimated that a third of the proceedings could be closed to the public. The defense was able to chip away at some of the prosecution’s attempts to enter some material as evidence — it admitted a letter into the court record refuting the classification of a video disclosed by WikiLeaks that showed Iraqi civilians being gunned down by an Apache helicopter, making it more difficult for the prosecution to prove one of the Espionage Act violations against Manning. In addition, the prosecution was unable to locate the computer security agreement that Manning signed before he deployed to Iraq. He is charged with violating that agreement in three separate charges. The defense will start its case on Monday. Defense attorney David Coombs has expressed his intention to call nearly 50 witnesses.
Four women who spent more than a decade in prison after being wrongfully convicted of sexually assaulting two girls were declared innocent and exonerated on Wednesday by Texas’s highest criminal court. “These four women have unquestionably established that they are innocent of these charges,” Judge David Newell wrote in a majority opinion of the Texas court of criminal appeals. “Those defendants have won the right to proclaim to the citizens of Texas that they did not commit a crime. That they are innocent. That they deserve to be exonerated.” The “San Antonio Four” were convicted of gang-raping the girls at an apartment in the city largely as a result of scientific evidence that was later discredited and retracted by the state’s expert witness. One of the girls, who were seven and nine at the time of the alleged offense in 1994, recanted her accusation in an interview with the San Antonio Express-News in 2012. “It couldn’t be more clear that they are acknowledging and declaring that these women are factually and legally innocent and that’s obviously what we have been fighting and struggling for,” said Mike Ware, an attorney with the Innocence Project who represented them. The outcome will allow the four to seek compensation from the state that could amount to $80,000 each for every year spent in prison. It follows a long effort by the women and their supporters to win their release and clear their names. As evidence mounted that the convictions were faulty, the girls’ aunt, Elizabeth Ramirez, Cassandra Rivera and Kristie Mayhugh were granted bail in 2013, and Anna Vasquez was paroled in 2012. All are in their early forties. Ramirez, who was pregnant when accused, was sentenced to 37 and a half years in prison in 1997 and the other three women to 15 years in 1998. The women were subject to bail restrictions, such as requiring permission to leave the San Antonio area. “I think maybe it hasn’t sunk in yet but we are so excited and so happy,” said Rivera, who said she cried with joy after seeing the news posted on Facebook on Wednesday morning while having coffee with her brother. “It means everything to me, to my family. I have a son and a daughter and I do not want them living with the fact that I had been charged with a crime I did not commit, especially one such as child molestation,” she said. “I have so much to be thankful for already because I have my children back in my life, I have a beautiful family that has always been supportive. I’m thankful [for] every day that I’m given because I was taken from them for 14 years so when I got this news this morning it’s like ‘wow, this year we’re going to have a beautiful Thanksgiving because we have so much more to be thankful for.” The case emerged toward the end of the “satanic panic” era, when fear swept the US that ritualistic child abuse was rampant and innocent people became ensnared in a climate likened to a modern-day witch-hunt. Nancy Kellogg, the expert witness who examined the girls, wrote in her notes that what she supposedly saw “could be satanic-related”. Vasquez said earlier this year that homophobia may have been a factor in the prosecution and conviction. “When we were being questioned by police, they made a point to put it out in there – that we were gay,” she said.
Hundreds of people with mental health problems in south London are to lose their free travel passes because of council cuts. Lambeth council, in south London, has said it can no longer afford to fund discretionary Freedom Passes. But a mental health patients support group said the cuts would leave people with mental health issues "isolated". Labour Lambeth councillor Jim Dickson said: "By scrapping them, Lambeth could save up to half a million pounds." New criteria About 8,500 people in the capital and nearly 750 people in Lambeth currently receive a discretionary Freedom Pass. The majority of the people in Lambeth who currently receive a pass are expected to lose this under new criteria introduced by the council. Andrew Ridge, 51, from Brixton, who is currently eligible for a Freedom Pass said: "Although it has not gone, I've already started to act as if it's gone." "I don't feel I can take up new things that I can't afford to continue." Lisa Shokir, who runs a drop-in centre for people with mental health issues, based in Lambeth Accord, said: "Taking the bus freedom passes off people with mental health issues is they will become isolated, or even get ill, or not keep hospital appointments because they can't afford to travel." But Mr Dickson said: "There are people who need the passes who currently receive them who may not get them in the future because we need to focus the service on those most in need."
We are sure there is a joke in here somewhere but it is no laughing matter. Following a request for copies of 8 documents of correspondence between Ireland's (former) finance minister and the nations' largest bank executives, the Irish minstry of finance has been forced to admit that it cannot find two out of the eight. The documents, previously 100% redacted, raises questions as to whether other documents have gone 'missing'. As RTE reports, the Department of Finance said it had carried out a widespread search for the documents and it was not clear why the original versions could not be located. Those darn leprechauns... We are sure, however, it has nothing to do with the Irish banks "picking bailout numbers out of their arses." Via RTE, Documents relating to the banking crisis have gone missing at the Department of Finance. The department has conceded that some correspondence forwarded from Bank of Ireland to the former minister for finance Brian Lenihan can no longer be located. ... In 2009, the department was asked under Freedom of Information to release copies of all correspondence between the late Mr Lenihan and the chief executives of the banks during the period August 2008 to March 2009. The department released eight items. Late last year, Sinn Féin finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty requested repeat copies of these documents. He was told that two out of the eight could no longer be found. When released in 2009, both had been completely redacted. They concerned correspondence between the governor of Bank of Ireland Richard Burrows and an advisor to the Jupiter group, Noel Corcoran. Jupiter was trying to buy Bank of Ireland at the time. Mr Doherty said the fact that the department could not locate records was worrying ahead of the banking inquiry. He said it raised questions as to whether other documents may have gone missing. In a statement to RTÉ News this evening, the Department of Finance said it had carried out a widespread search for the documents and it was not clear why the original versions could not be located. It said that it had undertaken a project which would ensure the completeness and integrity of its records from the time of the bank guarantee. ... It said that it was not aware of any documents relating to the bank guarantee which may have gone missing. Mr Doherty said: "These letters existed in 2009. They were released but the content was fully redacted to a journalist under the Freedom of Information legislation. "However I have now been informed that these letters have gone missing from the Department of Finance. "These are some of the only documents between the Governor of the Bank of Ireland and the Minister for Finance during a period when the government decided to pump €3.5m of taxpayers' money into that bank." He went on to say: "The only reason we know that these documents are missing is because two separate FOIs were made on the same document over a four year period. The question has to be asked about what other sensitive documents have gone missing. The reality is that we may never know. "If the upcoming banking inquiry is to be successful it is important that all relevant documents are found or returned."
Next year 8,000 permits can be dished out to non-EU workers (3,500 B permits and 4,500 L permits), 500 more than in 2017, news agency ATS reported on Wednesday. The news will be a relief to several cantons that earlier this year demanded an increase in permits , saying the low number available was damaging to businesses. Unlike foreigners arriving in Switzerland from the EU, who have the right to work here under a bilateral agreement granting free movement, workers from outside the EU – so-called third states – are subject to quotas. However after the 2014 anti-immigration vote, the Swiss federal government reduced the quota of third-state permits for 2015 and 2016 by a quarter. The number of permits was raised for 2017 but still fell short of 2014 levels. In a joint letter to the government in August, the cantons of Geneva, Basel-City and Zurich – which together make up a third of Switzerland's economy – said they had used up their quota of permits by the end of the first trimester of this year and demanded the number be increased. “The low level of quotas leads to uncertainty for the authorities and businesses, which isn't favourable to our economic development,” they said. While domestic and EU workers make up a large part of the workforce, companies must be able to call on workers from third states, particularly specialists in research and development, added the letter. If not, there would be an “increased risk that projects will be moved abroad or that companies decide not to come to Switzerland”. READ ALSO: 14 mistakes foreigners make on moving to Switzerland The government's announcement on Wednesday goes part way to meeting their demands, but still falls short of the 8,500 permits requested, which would have meant a return to 2014's levels. Cantons that run out of permits can also ask another canton to hand over some of its own allocation, it said.
There have been rumblings that Spotify would unveil a browser-based client. Well, the company has just confirmed to us that such a service is not only in the works, but is currently in beta testing. The trial version is being rolled out slowly to users over the coming weeks and months, though it may be sometime before the general public is granted access. The statement we received didn't specify an official launch date, the company simply said it "will have more information in Q1 of next year." We weren't able to squeeze too many details out of the spokesperson but, according to a report from The Verge, there is a basic set of features that mirrors what you see in the desktop app. That means a what's new section, simple search and Spotify Radio, though no support for apps at the moment. Now you'll just have to cross your fingers that you'll be one of the lucky few granted testing privileges sooner, rather than later. Update: As you can see, a lovely reader sent us in a screenshot of the web app and it seems to be designed with fingers in mind. There's big icons, sliding panes (three of 'em in total) and easily tapped buttons. You can see the full width shot -- including the large, mostly blank control pane -- in the gallery below. Update 2: And thanks to one Thomas Kjemperud anyone can now gain access by using this link which activates the beta through your Facebook account. Enjoy! [Thanks, anonymous]
Taulupe Faletau (right) has played 70 times for Wales Wales forward Taulupe Faletau does not require surgery on his injured knee, increasing his chances of playing some part in the 2018 Six Nations. The 70-times capped number eight damaged medial knee ligaments on European Champions Cup duty for Bath. The prognosis means Faletau, 27, could be available for Wales' final two games against Italy and France in March. "It doesn't need surgical intervention, which is a real positive," Bath rugby director Todd Blackadder said. "That cuts it back by about a month. We are looking at about 12 weeks." Faletau was injured in Bath's 24-20 loss away to Toulon on 9 December and it was initially feared he could be out for up to 16 weeks if he required surgery. However, although the recovery time has now been revised to 12 weeks, the British and Irish Lions forward will still miss Wales' opening Six Nations games with Scotland, England and Ireland. Wales, who begin the competition against Scotland in Cardiff, are already without Faletau's fellow 2017 Lions Sam Warburton and Jonathan Davies. Warburton has had knee surgery, while centre Davies is out for the season after surgery on an ankle. Wales are also likely to start the tournament without Scarlets lock Jake Ball, who dislocated his shoulder in the defeat by the All Blacks in November.
Biofuel created by explosive technology Plant sugars, fermented, burn like oil, but cleaner Harvey Blanch, chief science and technology officer of the Joint BioEnergy Institute, looks in on plants growing in a climate-controlled cabinet in Emeryville, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2008. Harvey Blanch, chief science and technology officer of the Joint BioEnergy Institute, looks in on plants growing in a climate-controlled cabinet in Emeryville, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2008. Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Biofuel created by explosive technology 1 / 1 Back to Gallery Chemical engineers at UC Berkeley have created a new, cleaner fuel out of an old concoction that was once used to make explosives. The fuel, which uses a century-old fermentation process to transform plant material into a propellant, could eventually replace gasoline and drastically cut down on greenhouse gas emissions, according to the team of Berkeley scientists. "It's a much more efficient way of (creating renewable fuel) than many of the other products being considered," said Harvey Blanch, a professor of chemical engineering at Berkeley. "This product is one that may be closest to commercialization." The discovery, published in the journal Nature, means corn, sugar cane, grasses and other fast-growing plants or trees, like eucalyptus, could be used to make the propellant, replacing oil. The process uses a fermentation system discovered around 1914 by Chaim Weizmann, a chemist who later became the first president of Israel. Weizmann used a bacterium called Clostridium acetobutylicum to ferment sugars and turn them into acetone, butanol and ethanol. The process, dubbed ABE, allowed the British to manufacture cordite and make explosives used during World War I. The process was later used to manufacture synthetic rubber, but that was unnecessary after petroleum became widely available. The last U.S. factory using the process to produce acetone and butanol closed in 1965. The research into creating a diesel substitute is part of a 10-year development program by the Energy Biosciences Institute, a collaboration among UC Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The research, paid for using $50 million a year from the British oil company BP, has been going on for five years. Blanch and Douglas Clark, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, extracted the acetone and butanol from the fermentation mixture, according to their paper. Their co-author, chemistry Professor Dean Toste, then created a catalyst that converted the brew into a mix of hydrocarbons similar to those in diesel fuel. The resulting substance burns as well as petroleum-based fuel and contains more energy per gallon than ethanol, according to the study. It can be produced using a variety of renewable starches and sugars that can be grown in crops. "You can take a wide variety of sugar sources - from corn, sugar cane, molasses to woody biomass or plant biomass - and turn it into a diesel product using this fermentation process," said Blanch, adding that about 90 percent of the raw material remains in the finished product, reducing the loss of carbon. "Grasses are also a possible source. Eucalyptus could also be used. Anything that's fast-growing." The blend could be adjusted for summer or winter driving, according to the researchers, who predicted it will be five to 10 years before the fuel is ready to be mass-marketed. Blanch said it will probably take five years for the fuel to be perfected and become ready to be sold to the public. It could take another five years, he said, to develop a system that would produce the product on a scale large enough to meet the demand of the motoring public at a low enough cost to compete with oil-based products. The expectation in California is that it will be used initially for niche markets, like the military, and eventually in trucks, trains and other vehicles that need more oomph than hybrid or battery power can provide.
Why were wages so high until 1968? Because that's when Teddy Kennedy's 1965 Immigration Act kicked in, bringing in about a million immigrants a year, almost 90 percent of them unskilled workers from the Third World. Our immigration policies massively redistribute wealth from the poorest Americans to the richest. It's a basic law of economics that when the supply goes up, the price goes down. More workers means the price of their labor plummets. Unfortunately, politicians spend a lot more time talking to rich employers than to working-class Americans. And the rich apparently have an insatiable appetite for cheap labor. Having artificially created a glut of low-wage workers, now Democrats want to artificially raise their wages. It's win-win-win-win-win for Democrats. -- Employees who get a higher minimum wage are grateful to the Democrats. -- Employees who lose their jobs because of the minimum wage hike are grateful to the Democrats for generous government handouts. -- Poor immigrants who need government benefits are grateful to the Democrats. -- American businesses enjoying the deluge of cheap labor are grateful to the Democrats. -- Democratic politicians guaranteed re-election by virtue of ethnic bloc voting are grateful to the Democrats. Do Republicans have any principles at all? Why isn't the GOP demanding an end to this dump of unskilled workers/Democratic voters on the country? Democrats show how much they love the poor by importing a million more of them to America each year. But then they prevent the last batch of poor immigrants from getting decent, well-paying jobs by bringing in another million poor people the next year. You want a higher minimum wage? Turn off the spigot of low-wage workers pouring in to the U.S. and it will rise on its own through the iron law of supply and demand. In response to the Democrats' minimum wage proposal, Republicans should introduce a bill ending both legal and illegal immigration until the minimum wage rises naturally to $14 an hour. Ann Coulter sees the connection between immigration and falling real wages , but she fails to see the obvious Republican strategy:No, in response to the Democrats' minimum wage proposal, Republicans should introduce a bill that ends both legal and illegal immigration AND raises the minimum wage to $14 per hour. This will eliminate the incentive to businesses and families to continue importing cheap labor from south of the border. What is the point of hiring an illegal if you've got to pay him the same as you'd pay an American?And what is the point of increasing the Gross National Product when the Nation is destroyed in the process?However, it is interesting to see Miss Coulter finally abandon the artificial and irrelevant distinction between legal and illegal immigration that so many Republican commentators attempted to maintain for the last two decades. It doesn't matter if they invade legally or illegally, in either case, they are here to replace the native population. Historically speaking, it didn't matter to the Indians that the Pilgrims were here legally, or to the Romans that the Lombards weren't breaking any laws by colonizing their northern territories.Legally or illegally, they were still conquered and subjected to rule by the foreign invaders before largely fading into irrelevance. Labels: immigration
Cristiano Ronaldo: Sir Alex Ferguson doubts move for former star Ronaldo returns to Old Trafford on Tuesday as Real Madrid take on United in the second leg of their last 16 UEFA Champions League tie. The Portuguese star's future has been the subject of speculation for the last few weeks as talks over a new deal at the Bernabeu have dragged on. Although Ferguson has previosuly admitted he would love to see Ronaldo back at Old Trafford he has dismissed talk that a move could be on the cards this summer. "There hasn't been anything to encourage me to think Cristiano would come back here," said Ferguson. "As far as I am aware, there is nothing in it at all. Ronaldo has got two years left on his contract and it seems to me it is all part of the negotiations that are going on about a new deal. "Maybe his agent is playing the game. I think it is false hope. Cristiano will get a good reception. All our former players, especially the ones who have been great for this club, get a good reception when they return." Ferguson believes Ronaldo is at the peak of his career and he has joked he has two ways to try and stop the forward ending their Champions League dreams. "He is a better player now than he was when he was with us because he has matured," added Ferguson. "He is 28 and at the peak of his career. From 28 to 32, with the fitness Ronaldo has got - he never misses a game and is never injured - he will be at his absolute best," he continued. "I've got a plan to stop him: it's called a machete. Plan B is a machine gun!"
Owner of the Portage Restaurant Starts Building Community View Full Caption PORTAGE PARK — Work has finally begun on Community, a new gastropub from the owner of the Portage, which promises upscale, classic American food and a relaxed atmosphere. Community, 4038 N. Milwaukee Ave., is expected to open in June in the Six Corners Shopping District, owner Quay Tao said, as a construction crew sawed, hammered and drilled in an effort to make the most of this week's winter thaw. "I've always been one to take chances," Tao said, adding that he has owned the building for two years and spent about 10 months securing permits from the city. "I see the opportunities and potential in a bunch of empty storefronts." The Portage, 3938 N. Central Ave., has become an institution in a neighborhood with very few trendy restaurants catering to upper middle-class residents. Tao, who lives in nearby Old Irving Park with his wife, said he wants Community to be another reason for people all over the city to travel to the Far Northwest Side. "I love this stretch of Milwaukee Avenue," Tao said. "It is going to be an extension of what's going on in Logan Square, Wicker Park and Bucktown." Once the premier shopping district in Chicago outside the Loop, the area near Irving Park Road and Milwaukee and Cicero avenues was home to dozens of stores offering shoppers their hearts' desire and a chance to see a movie at the Portage Theater, built in the 1920s. Community will be just a few doors down from the theater. But Six Corners fell into decline with the rise of the malls in and around Chicago, and has struggled for decades to regain a measure of its former glory. Ald. John Arena (45th) has been working to turn the area into an arts and culture mecca that would draw people from all over the city with the promise of a show and dinner. At a Feb. 13 meeting of the Six Corners Business Association, Arena said seven businesses — including Community — are slated to open at Six Corners in the next several months. "We are on the map," Arena said. "We are part of the next wave" of business development, said the alderman. But development at Six Corners has been stalled by the closure of the Portage Theater, which many see as the key to revitalizing the area. Owner Eddie Carranza shuttered the theater in May as part of a dispute with Arena over its liquor license. Tao said he stopped following the "up-and-down" saga of the Portage Theater several months ago. "With or without the Portage Theater, this area is on an upward trend," Tao said. "If it is open, it could be a benefit, but I'm not losing sleep over it." A former billiards supply shop that was in foreclosure when Tao bought it, the restaurant-to-be has been stripped down to the brick walls, with the frames of new walls, the large bar and the private dining room taking shape. While the Portage is known for its neoAmerican cuisine, Community will focus on classics like chops, steaks and seafood while offering a vibrant bar scene, Tao said. "It will be refined," Tao said. "We will take the food very seriously." Once a month, the restaurant will host a fundraiser for a local charity, Tao said. "I want this place to be a gathering place and a place where people connect," Tao said, adding that the restaurant will welcome couples for romantic dinners as well as locals stopping in for a craft beer after work. There's no reason Six Corners can't be a "fun, vibrant" area with "a ton" of pedestrian traffic, Tao said. "We just have to make it happen by all doing our part," Tao said. "Nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd."
I'm trying to make it so when the user selects a certain item it gives the user some information by setting the visible property of a label to "true", it should be relatively simple but i can't seem to make it work. I'm using Web Forms. Aspx code: <label for="footerPlaceHolder_twoFactorAuthentication" class="sr-only"><asp:Localize runat="server" Text="<%$ Resources:UserMessages, SelectTwoFactor %>"></asp:Localize></label> <asp:DropDownList runat="server" ID="twoFactorAuthenticationDropDownList" OnSelectedIndexChange="twoFactorAuthenticationDropDownList_SelectedIndex" CssClass="selectpicker"> <asp:ListItem Value="0" Text = "<%$ Resources:UserMessages, SelectTwoFactor %>"></asp:ListItem> <asp:ListItem Value="1" Text = "<%$ Resources:UserMessages, RequireTwoFactor %>" ></asp:ListItem> <asp:ListItem Value="2" Text = "<%$ Resources:UserMessages, RecommendTwoFactor %>" ></asp:ListItem> <asp:ListItem Value="3" Text = "<%$ Resources:UserMessages, TwoFactorNotRequired %>" ></asp:ListItem> </asp:DropDownList> <p><asp:RequiredFieldValidator runat="server" ControlToValidate="paymentDay" CssClass="field-validation-error" ErrorMessage="<%$ Resources:ErrorMessages, ValidationPaymentDayRequired %>" InitialValue="0" EnableClientScript="true" Display="Dynamic"></asp:RequiredFieldValidator></p> <h3><asp:Localize runat="server" ID="noticeLabel" Visible="false" Text="<%$ Resources:UserMessages, Notice %>"></asp:Localize></h3> <h5 class="leftspace"><asp:Localize runat="server" ID="noticeText" Visible="false" Text="<%$ Resources:UserMessages, NoticeInfo %>"></asp:Localize></h5> What I've tried:
There’s an episode of The Simpsons in which Ringo Starr answers a piece of fan mail from Marge, decades after she wrote to him. So by the standard of a Beatle, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is pretty quick in responding to his fan mail. Still, when 15-year-old fan Nick Stigsell got a Rodgers autograph in the mail last week, it had been so long since he asked for it that he had forgotten he ever made the request. When the self-addressed envelope with Stigsell’s name on it, containing a signed Rodgers rookie card, finally arrived, it took Stigsell a moment to remember that when he was 10, he had mailed the card to the Packers’ headquarters with a request that Rodgers sign it and send it back to him. Stigsell told Michele Steele of ESPN that in 2007 he thought that Rodgers, who was Brett Favre’s backup, would get fewer autograph requests and therefore be more likely to respond. “I was really surprised because I don’t even remember sending it, so to get it five years later I was just really surprised,” Stigsell said. “I think I probably thought that since he’s a backup that he’d get less mail so there’d be a greater chance of him returning it. I figured that if I sent it to Favre I probably wouldn’t get it back. But since it’s Aaron Rodgers, the backup, I’d get it back.” Stigsell said he plans to hold on to the card — unless some sports memorabilia collector blows him away with an offer. “I don’t think I’m going to sell it unless I’m going to get a lot of money for it, like if it could pay for college,” he said. An autographed card paying for college is probably too much to ask for, but it is a cool memento for a Packers fan. But the Packers caution other fans that if you want a player’s autograph, you’re a lot more likely to get it by attending training camp or a fan convention. Most fans who send a card in the mail won’t get an autograph back, even if they’re willing to wait five years.
Your message has been sent successfully “We kicked his a tonight,” bragged a senior Hillary Clinton aide. “I hope this convinces Bernie to tone it down. If not, fk him.” A Politico reporter says this is what he was told Tuesday night, after Clinton won the New York primary, with around 58 percent of the vote to Sanders' 42 percent. Advertisement: Sanders won the vast majority of New York state, but Clinton won the densely populated urban areas, particularly New York City. In Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse, the candidates were neck-and-neck, but Clinton pulled just ahead. Voting day was plagued with enormous problems, leading to widespread accusations of voter suppression and disenfranchisement. Since last fall, the New York Board of Elections mysteriously purged more than 125,000 Brooklyn Democrats from the voting records without their knowledge. Mayor Bill de Blasio acknowledged that there had been “purging of entire buildings and blocks of voters from the voting lists.” The New York City watchdog, Comptroller Scott Stringer, said all of this happened “without any adequate explanation furnished by the Board of Elections.” There were also countless reports that residents were given wrong voting information, people were sent to wrong polling locations, voters were forced to fill out affidavit ballots that may not count, poll workers did not know how to operate the voting machines and voting machines were broken. Advertisement: The complaint hotline was flooded with 468 percent more complaints than in the 2012 primary. The office said it was "by far the largest volume of complaints we have received for an election since" since Attorney General Eric Schneiderman entered his position. Stringer condemned the massive "irregularities" and vowed to audit the election board. "Election after election, reports come in of people who were inexplicably purged from the polls, told to vote at the wrong location or unable to get in to their polling site," the city watchdog said. Stringer went on public radio station WYNC explaining "we need to reform the Board of Elections." Advertisement: A group of New Yorkers who were purged from the voting records sued the government in an attempt to get back their right to vote. A New York federal district court judge did not rule to open the primary or issue an order to count provisional ballots, instead leaving electoral decisions up to New York's counties, "essentially kick[ing] the ball down the road." And these are just the voters who were registered with a dominant party. Advertisement: New York is one of only 11 U.S. states that has a closed primary, meaning residents who are not registered with the Democratic or Republican Parties cannot participate. More than one-quarter (27 percent) of New York’s registered voters were therefore unable to vote in the primary. Because they were registered either as independents or with third parties, 3.2 million New Yorkers were left without a voice. Salon contacted the New York City Board of Elections, asking if there was any way for independents to vote. The office spokesperson bluntly said “You cannot vote today” and “There’s no way,” before abruptly hanging up. Advertisement: Some groups urged independents to vote with provisional ballots, but there is no indication that they will be counted. In order to participate, voters had to register for a party in October, six months before the primary. And this is not even considering the possibility of being purged from the records. The Nation flatly stated that New York has “some of the worst voting laws in the country.” It has no early voting, no same-day registration, no pre-registration and no out-of-precinct voting. North Carolina, in fact, invoked New York laws to justify its own harsh voting restrictions. Advertisement: Sanders, a Vermont senator who has been elected for decades as an independent, does significantly better with independent voters than Clinton. Sanders said he commiserated with the more than 3 million New Yorkers who were unable to vote.
TWO AND A HALF years ago Microsoft discontinued its Internet Explorer for Mac and the firm recommended users migrate to Apple's Safari. Today, the MSN video page tells Mac users to use Firefox. Microsoft killed its proprietary IE engine for Mac OS X and removed it from the firms' download pages in early 2006, suggesting at the time that "Macintosh users migrate to more recent web browsing technologies such as Apple's Safari." While testing the Flash plug-in for Linux and the very nice Preferences Toolbar we decided to switch to the IE 5.0 for Macintosh user-agent on Microsoft's MSN Video web page. The result was a warning page telling that our browser and OS combination was unsupported - as a result of the browser user-agent sniffing by Microsoft's servers - but what really caught our attention was the recommended browsers: IE 6 or 7 - predictably- but Firefox 2.0 as the second option, both on Windows and on Mac OS X. The message, verbatim, reads: "We recommend the following browsers: Internet Explorer 6 or 7 and FireFox 2.x on Windows XP SP2, Internet Explorer 7 and FireFox 2.x on Windows Vista, FireFox 2.x on Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger". So, we guess that Microsoft is still not aware of the Firefox 3.0 release, yet. Besides highlighting the pitfalls of recommending a given version number instead of just "the latest version of..." in an error page - specially considering the fast-moving world of web related software - it's good to know that Microsoft is not even recommending Safari for Mac OS-X users. Or perhaps they do like plenty of web designers and just test its site with the two most common browser engines, IE and Mozilla?. INQuiring minds want to know. µ L'INQs Apple forced Safari to customers via Quicktime software updater Firefox developer uncovers "hidden" speed boost for Safari in OS X Safari for Windows 'Tripled market share' is relative
Studies have demonstrated an unconscious bias against short men and many tall women feel uncomfortable standing out from the crowd. In a world designed for people of average height, those that fall outside the norm can find life hard, writes Amanda Smith. TSC: The Australian Broadcasting Corporation recently published an interesting radio piece about the way short men and tall women are perceived in society, as well as how those perceptions affect their respective lives. For the most part, the questions and conclusions drawn from the guests on this topic were fair and mature. However, I do have some major criticism of the piece. I felt that the overall tone of the broadcast was inappropriate and the actual content was lacking in terms of people who could speak intelligently about heightism as a pervasive and harmful social phenomena. At one point they interviewed Howard Goldberg, filmmaker of the documentary S & M: Short and Male, about heightism as it applies to short males and most of what he said was fairly accurate and mildly informative for those who may have never been introduced to the subject. However, Mr. Goldberg is far from an anti-heightism activist. In fact, if you listen to the radio program as it aired (which is archived in the form of a link in the article), you’ll notice that one of the last things said in the broadcast was a piece of ludicrous advice from Mr. Goldberg on how we should challenge heightism. That is, we shouldn’t challenge heightism. We should stick our proverbial heads in the sand because (as he puts it) “the best thing a short person can do is to completely forget about being short”. Imagine if NPR in the United States broadcasted an interview about racism featuring a black man who said “the best thing a black person can do is to completely forget about being black”. Or imagine what would happen if a show was done on sexism and they found a woman to say “the best thing a woman can do is to completely forget about being a woman." What would such a statement have to do with racism or sexism? Likewise, what did Mr. Golberg’s statement (which seems to this author to be verging on a perverse type of self-hate) add to the discussion about heightism? Unfortunately, to some extent, the Goldberg interview fit with the tone of the entire piece. There was even a segment in which a proprietor of a "shoe lift” shop was interviewed and at no point did the interviewer question whether or not promoting shoes which make people taller is a better route to take than actually challenging the social prejudices which make people want to become taller. Additionally, there was no substantive statistics given about the level of wage discrimination shorter people face in the job market, their odds in finding a romantic partner or obtaining leadership roles, their increased rates of depression or suicides, or their decreased rates of self-reported “quality of life” arising from heightism and various types of microaggressions connected to height related body shaming. Throughout the piece, there also seemed an implicit suggestion that much of heightism was a “subconscious” (a distinction with very little substantive meaning) and therefore blameless prejudice. And all of that before I even mention the background music selected for the piece. Ostensibly, the program was about social discrimination and body shaming - but, for some reason, they choose a generic uptempo salsa beat for the background music. It’s like “today we are going to discuss a serious social ill that very few people talk about because while it’s socially acceptable, questioning it is completely taboo… but first, the smooth yet spicy Afro-Cuban rhythms of José Alberto, ladies and gentlemen.” I can sum up the section on tall women in one sentence: Sometimes tall women feel masculine because of gender norms but they have Tall Clubs where they can meet even taller men to compensate for these feelings. The End. Now, don’t get me wrong. This broadcast was much better than most of what I hear about heightism in the media. The content and analysis was lacking, but the topic was taken fairly seriously and there was very little blame-shifting (until the very end). I would have liked to have seen a bit more information about how society regards short people instead of simply how some short people cope with social stigma. But, the fact that the topic was taken seriously at all (instead of as an opportunity to hurl short “jokes” and engage in body shaming) is a step in the right direction. I highly recommend this broadcast to anyone interested in the topic of heightism. You should give it a listen at least once.
Afghan Poppy Trade Blurs All the Lines The opium poppy was introduced to Afghanistan more than 2,300 years ago by the armies of Alexander the Great. His forces were eventually driven out, like those of every would-be conqueror since. The poppy has proved more tenacious. On Monday, three U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents — Forrest Leamon, Chad Michael and Michael Weston, all from the Washington area — were killed in a helicopter crash in western Afghanistan. U.S. officials have released few details about the incident. The Times of London reported that the aircraft was shot down following a raid on the compound of a prominent Afghan drug lord. On Wednesday, The New York Times reported that the CIA has been making regular payments to a suspected major figure in the Afghan opium trade: Ahmed Wali Karzai, the brother of President Hamid Karzai. The newspaper quoted sources alleging that Ahmed Wali Karzai — who denies any involvement in the drug business — collects “huge” fees from traffickers for allowing trucks loaded with drugs to cross bridges he controls in the southern part of the country. So is it our policy to attack the Afghan drug trade while we also line the pockets of one of its reputed kingpins? Who is going to explain this to the families of agents Leamon, Michael and Weston? Afghanistan’s status as a narco-superpower is another reason why President Obama would be wrong to deepen U.S. involvement. Opium is the one booming sector of the Afghan economy: Poppy fields in the south and west of the country produce the raw material for an estimated 90 percent of the world’s heroin. Money from the opium trade supports the resurgent Taliban, which is fighting to expel U.S. and NATO forces. Therefore, a blow against the drug business is a blow against the enemy. Except when it isn’t. Except when the “good guys” who are supposed to be our allies — and many of the Afghan citizens a counterinsurgency strategy would try to protect — are dependent on the drug trade as well. Except when the corruption that is an intrinsic element of the drug business not only blurs the line between friend and foe, but also obscures the difference between right and wrong in a thick fog of moral ambiguity. As The Washington Post’s South America correspondent during the administration of George Bush the Elder, I watched firsthand our government’s costly and futile crusade against the cocaine industry. We tried attacking the problem in the coca fields — I visited a U.S.-financed military base in Peru’s Upper Huallaga Valley, where at the time 60 percent of the world’s coca was grown. We tried going after the processors — in Colombia, police took me to a jungle camp where chemists had been hard at work just hours earlier. We tried breaking up the trafficking cartels — I was served lunch at a Medellin prison by three cocaine bosses whose comfortable incarceration was almost like an extended stay at a hotel. Nothing worked. All the U.S. managed to do was shift the coca fields from one valley to the next and break the big cartels into smaller ones. Profits from the drug trade still sustain a guerrilla insurgency in Colombia that has controlled huge swaths of the countryside for more than four decades. Meanwhile, cocaine is readily available throughout the United States. The illegal drug industry is driven by demand: As long as some people want drugs, other people will find ways to supply them. DEA officials have said they are sharply increasing the agency’s presence in Afghanistan. Wisely, the Obama administration is abandoning the George W. Bush-era strategy of trying to eradicate the poppy fields; eradication, which robs rural communities of their only livelihood, may be the quickest and surest way to turn apolitical farmers into anti-American insurgents. The focus now is on the middlemen who buy, transport and process the drugs — which creates a different kind of problem. Those middlemen logically seek, and obtain, official protection. In Latin America, they approach police and government officials with an offer of plata o plomo — silver or lead — meaning the officials can choose to accept the bribes they are being offered, or they can choose to be shot. In a country as poor as Afghanistan, with such weak central authority, the U.S.-backed government is vulnerable to bribery at almost every level. The inevitable future is one in which we attack and support the Afghan drug trade at the same time. Is this a policy for which we can ask DEA agents to give their lives? Eugene Robinson’s e-mail address is eugenerobinson(at)washpost.com.
A camera lost on a Hawaiian holiday in 2007 has been found washed ashore in Taiwan - surviving the underwater journey of 5,200 miles with memory card still intact. The waterproof Canon camera, lost by Lindsay Crumbley Scallan from Georigia while on holiday in Hawaii in 2007, was found intact on a beach in Taiwan by an employee of China Airlines. The pictures found on the memory card of the camera were shown on local TV news in Hawaii, and a friend of Ms Scallan recognised the pictures and was able to link owner and camera.Douglas Cheng, a manager at China Airlines, explained that one of his employees was taking a walk along a beach in Taiwan and noticed "something Strange" lying in the sand. On closer inspection it was found to be the barnacle-encrusted camera, looking slightly rusted and scuffed but remarkably remaining watertight enough to protect the memory card inside."I just was floored that it was my camera and it was all my old pictures and it was amazing," said ms Scallan, talking to Hawaii News Now. "I just couldn't believe it had floated so far, so long ago and the memory card was still intact."The pictures on the card included images of Ms Scallan and friends on the holiday in Hawaii , as well as underwater photos taken by its owner while snorkelling in the Kannapali region. China Airlines capitalised on the unusual story by offering Ms Scallan a free flight to Taiwan to pick up the camera and card in person."Ms Scallan is welcome to visit Taiwan so that she can take home the invaluable memories of her trip to Hawaii," said Lee Wen-yi of China Airline in an interview with Yahoo.Image sources: 1
In an exclusive interview with Breitbart News, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump blasted Bill Clinton’s suggestion that the United States use Syrian refugees to rebuild Detroit. The populist billionaire denounced Clinton’s suggested proposal as “crazy” and “unfair” to American workers who are already living there and are in need of good-paying jobs. “It’s very unfair to the people that are living there. I think it’s crazy,” Trump told Breitbart on Thursday. “I mean, these people are getting started—I think it’s a very, very hard place to get your start.” “We shouldn’t have them [i.e. Syrian refugees] in the country,” Trump added. “We don’t know who these people are. We have no idea. This could be the all time great Trojan horse. We have no idea who they are. The whole thing is ridiculous. Number one: we should build safe zones over in Syria, that’s what we should have, and we should have the Gulf states fund them. It’s just crazy. We ought to be building safe zones in Syria and not taking these people in– whether it’s Detroit or anywhere else.” Detroit-native and former GOP presidential contender Ben Carson echoed Trump’s sentiment in a Friday interview on Breitbart News Daily on SiriusXM Patriot Channel 125. Carson explained that “we need to take care of our own people” and noted that the policies of Democrat politicians have turned many Americans living in Detroit into refugees in their own country. “There are plenty of people in Detroit who you could almost look at as refugees,” Carson said. “I mean, we need to take care of our own people. We need to create jobs for them.” Clinton’s suggestion that the U.S. ought to give Detroit jobs to foreign refugees came during a February discussion at the Clinton Global Initiative with Chobani billionaire and mass migration enthusiast, Hamdi Ulukaya. “The truth is that the big loser in this over the long run is going to be Syria. This [i.e. the Syrian migrant crisis] is an enormous opportunity for Americans,” Clinton said in February. “Detroit has 10,000 empty, structurally sound houses —10,000. And lot of jobs are to be had repairing those houses. Detroit just came out of bankruptcy and the mayor’s trying to do an innovative sort of urban homesteading program there. But it just gives you an example of what could be done. And I think any of us who have ever had any personal experience with either Syrian Americans or Syrian refugees think it’s a pretty good deal.” During the discussion, Clinton praised Ulukaya for his efforts to fill his yogurt plants with imported foreign refugees. Ulukaya suggested that the U.S. ought to be taking in more refugees and said that he was “proud” of Turkey’s decision to accept 2 million Syrian refugees. Ulukaya told Clinton that Syrian refugees “bring flavors to the community just like in… Twin Falls, [Idaho]” where Ulukaya’s yogurt factory is based. Clinton’s controversial suggestion that U.S. give Detroit jobs to imported foreign refugees has received virtually no media coverage outside of Breitbart News. During his Wednesday immigration policy address, Trump challenged the media to begin asking Hillary Clinton to explain her “radical” immigration platform. The media needs to begin demanding to hear Hillary Clinton’s answer on how her policies will affect Americans and their security… These are matters of life-and-death for our country and its people, and we deserve answers from Hillary Clinton… What we do know, despite the total lack of media curiosity, is that Hillary Clinton promises a radical amnesty combined with a radical reduction in immigration enforcement. The result will be millions of more illegal immigrants, thousands of more violent crimes, and total chaos and lawlessness. According to Pew polling data, Hillary Clinton’s plan to expand immigration is opposed by at least 83 percent of the American electorate — voters whom Clinton has suggested are racist for opposing large-scale immigration. According to a September 2015 Rasmussen survey, 85 percent black voters oppose Clinton’s refugee agenda to admit more than 100,000 Middle Eastern refugees—with less than one percent of black voters (.56 percent) in favor of her refugee plan.
She-HulkSilver SurferHulkFirst, props to facebook commenter Kevin Studdard for the updated decoding, posted as just the second comment, mere moments after we posted the Silver Surfer teaser. Thanks, Kevin! Courtesy of the intrepid gentleman: Yellow: “The Universe Will Break” Orange: “Shut The Engines Down” Red: “Everyone You Love Dies” Crimson: “Fight To Save Everything” Now we have presumably the final teaser in this series, this time featuring...another Hulk? Intereseting to see two Hulks on one team, and the keywords floating around (no highlighted letters this time) in this Hulk make it a little unclear which he is, though it sure seems to be the standard Bruce Banner version. With this added piece of the puzzle, it still looks like some new version of the Defenders, the most guessed by our readers, whose classic roster is Doctor Strange, The Hulk, Silver Surfer, and Namor, though others have rotated in and out of the roster over the decades.And another one! This time Silver Surfer, the cosmically-powered Herald of Galactus gets the spotlight. Most people at this point are guessing toward a team built more for "defense," but nothing specific is in the teasers just yet. As far as those decoding games, here's what we have so far, courtesy of Blog@ commenter Chris Walsh: Yellow: “The Universe Will” Orange: “Shut The Engines” Red: “Everyone You Love” Crimson: “Fight To Save” So get to work on decoding Silver Surfers teaser and we'll see how right we all are in just about a week during Comic-Con International: San Diego!Doctor StrangeThe hat trick of word-based teasers has been reached, with the third featuring what appears to be... Red She-Hulk? Perhaps the even more interesting thing, however, is the highlighted letters in the images. It appears that each color is going to spell out an individual phrase, as the intrepid writers and readers over at Blog@ have started to figure out (head over there to join in the decoding fun!). With Iron Fist, Doctor Strange, and now Red She-Hulk this is starting to look like a very specific type of team.Well that's an interesting wrench in the series. Now a second teaser with the same title features what is clearly, so these teasers are either introducing a line of comics or a team of sorts. It's also interesting to note that one of the primary words for Doctor Strange is "addiction." Stay tuned for more!Original Story: Marvel Comics starts Monday with a rather curious, apparentteaser titled "It's Either In You Or It's Not." December ongoing series perhaps? The title will apparently be revealed at Marvel's(Sunday, July 24th at 12:30PM PST) during Comic-Con International in San Diego. It appears the publisher will be delivering at least a new teaser everyday for a little while. Click on the other recent ones below. Got a comment? There's lots of conversation on Newsarama's FACEBOOK and TWITTER
Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings. Aug. 25, 2016, 9:40 PM GMT / Updated Aug. 25, 2016, 11:10 PM GMT By Corky Siemaszko A charter plane pilot was arrested Thursday at a Michigan airport after police discovered he was allegedly too drunk to fly. Authorities were summoned after the captain of the plane notified the tower at Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City at 7:39 a.m. — as he was preparing to land — that something was wrong with his co-pilot. A co-pilot suspected of being drunk was arrested at Traverse City airport. Brett Kast / WPBN/WGTU When cops arrived, the allegedly addled 35-year-old aviator was at the controls and preparing to take off for Bedford, Massachusetts. The co-pilot, whose name police did not immediately release, was arrested at 8:54 a.m. after his blood-alcohol content registered at .30 — four times the legal limit for driving a car, the Traverse City police said. While the accused pilot was at the Grand Traverse County jail awaiting arraignment, Talon Air has already fired him — and praised Capt. Manny Ramirez for sounding the alarm. "We are very proud of Captain Manny Ramirez' immediate action in detecting the co-pilot's condition and removing him from his position,” the company said in a statement. “This is yet another example of Talon Air's safety procedures working effectively on behalf of our clients and for airport safety. The individual in question has been immediately terminated." The accused pilot is from Florida, the NBC affiliate WPBN reported.
Italian-American leaders vowed Tuesday to fight “like never before” to prevent the city from removing statues of Christopher Columbus, a day after a top elected official called for monuments honoring the explorer to be included in a city review. see also Columbus Circle monument could be next statue to go Christopher Columbus could be next on the monuments chopping block.... The leaders had assembled at Columbus Circle to protest a skit about Italian-Americans on “Saturday Night Live” earlier this year — but shifted their focus to a defense of Columbus after City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito questioned the propriety of honoring him. “That will be a fight like never before seen. The Italian-American community will really mobilize and do anything possible to prevent that from happening,” said John Fratta, chair of the New York State Commission for Social Justice. “It is a slap in the face to the Italian-American community and we are not going to tolerate it.” Mark-Viverito defended her position Tuesday, saying at a Harlem senior center that the 90-day review of city monuments — announced last week by Mayor de Blasio — needs to be thorough. “[Columbus] is a controversial figure, and I know that some people may take offense to that. But for many of us who come from the Caribbean Islands, we see him as a controversial figure,” said Mark-Viverito, who was born in Puerto Rico. Brooklyn Council member Jumaane Williams went further, saying he supports long-running efforts to remove the statue at Columbus Circle. A number of the Italian-American leaders threatened to sue if that were to happen, and state Assemblyman Andrew Raia (R-LI) told The Post he would try to thwart any city bid to yank Columbus by passing a bill in Albany to block it.
Consider this sentence your obligatory reminder of how unbelievably brilliant and hilarious Invader Zim was and that its cancellation by a cowardly Nickelodeon is among the greatest crimes upon art ever perpetrated by man. Of course, the show about the hopelessly inept alien invader and his ceaselessly malfunctioning robot sidekick lives on in our hearts and DVD players -- but also at InvaderCON , a special celebration of the tenth anniversary of Invader Zim . The show took place last weekend in Atlanta, Georgia, where members of the original Invader Zim voice cast reunited to perform readings of two scripts which never went into production. You can bet all your hideous organs that we've got all 40 minutes of that after the jump.Written by Invader Zim creator Jhonen Vasquez, "Day of Da Spookies" would have seen the long awaited return of the hapless Invader Skoodge. According to Wikipedia , this is the synoposis: Invader Skoodge leaves the Irken invasion force and comes to Earth to live with Zim after he realizes that the Almighty Tallest hate him. Later, Zim, GIR, Minimoose, and now Skoodge go and dress up as ghosts to scare Dib into believing that ghosts exist, provoking him to contact Mysterious Mysteries so they can discredit him. Zim and the fake ghosts get captured for testing, but Dib gets captured for just being insane. With "Mopiness of Doom," Danielle Koeing explored what would happen to Dib and Zim if they were no longer nemeses. Dib gives up on the paranormal to study real science like his father. Without no arch nemesis, Zim does nohing but skips school and watching TV and lying on the couch all day. Meanwhile, Dib is avidly studying science, and, to his dad's surprise, his calculations and formulas are all correct. Later, Gir bursts in and demands Dib to get Zim off the couch because the couch is really his. Dib says no, but then messes up on a formula. Professor Membrane sees this as "a cry for help" and asks Dib what's wrong. Dib responds, "I'm fine, I just-" then gets interrupted by his dad and tells the truth. This is the truth:"You're RIGHT, Dad! I feel empty inside! This REAL SCIENCE bores me to death! Maybe I'm not really doing what I was meant to do! Because what I was meant to do was CATCH ME THAT ALIEN!!". He bursts in to Zim's house, who's basically just sleeping on the couch. They fight a lot. The two realize how much they need each other and promise to keep fighting till the end. In the end,Gir gets his couch back, which he's happy about. Brilliant. Come back, Zim! [ Via The Mary Sue ]
NYT Reporter Jeremy Peters warned President Trump on MSNBC Thursday that his “new best friend,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, will move to impeach him if she ever gains control of the House. The comment after after Pelosi released a statement announcing that Trump “agreed to enshrine the protections of DACA into law,” and also follows POTUS making a deal with Democrats to raise the debt ceiling. WATCH: “The President’s new best friend, the Minority Leader in the House, is going to impeach him if she gets the House back,” Peters stated. “And Trump should realize that.” Peters noted that Pelosi is not trustworthy and predicted that Trump is walking into a trap. “The establishment Republicans are not your friends Donald Trump,” Peters continued, “but the Democrats are really not your friends.” Peters suspects Trump is currying favor with Democrats in order to snub Republicans, such as Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. Last month, Pelosi said in a private meeting that she believes the President will “self-impeach” before Democrats need to expend the effort.
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) -- Three pitchers who became dominant after trades and a rock-solid catcher-turned-second baseman entered the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday. Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz and Craig Biggio basked in the moment, with at least 40,000 fans cheering them one more time. Many waved Dominican flags for one of their own. Martinez joined former Giants great Juan Marichal as the only Hall of Famers from the Caribbean nation. "We waited 32 years another Dominican," Martinez said. "I hope all Dominicans remember this." MORE: Biggio doesn't forget his Seton Hall roots Playing through an era tainted by steroids and ruled by offense -- compliments of bulked-up sluggers, a smaller strike zone and smaller ballparks -- Johnson, Martinez and Smoltz proved indomitable. They combined for 735 wins, 11,113 strikeouts and nine Cy Young Awards. Biggio, who played four positions in his 20-year career, all with the Houston Astros, was indefatigable, becoming an All-Star at second base and behind the plate. "We changed the culture in Houston by making it a baseball city," said Biggio, who grew up on New York's Long Island. "To the Astros fans, you guys are the greatest fans in the world." Martinez, 219-100 for his career, was the first Red Sox pitcher inducted. He grew up with five brothers and sisters in a one-room home on the outskirts of Santo Domingo. He credits brother Ramon, a starter with the Dodgers during Pedro's rookie season in Los Angeles, as a key to his career. "I have a second dad," said Martinez, whose blue jacket had emblems on each arm from his country's flag. "Ramon, you are my second dad. I followed in his footsteps and it led me to where I am today." Remarkably, all three pitchers didn't stick around with their first clubs very long. Drafted by Montreal, Johnson made the Expos roster in 1988 and midway through the 1989 season was traded to the Seattle Mariners. Smoltz, signed by his hometown Detroit Tigers after being selected on the 22nd round of the 1985 amateur draft, was dealt to Atlanta for veteran Doyle Alexander in August 1987. And the Dodgers traded Martinez to Montreal after the hard-throwing right-hander with the pinpoint control had a solid rookie season in the bullpen. On this day, that was ancient history. Johnson, at 6-foot-10 the tallest player elected to the Hall of Fame, gave special thanks to his parents. His father died in 1992. His mother, Carol, was watching from the front row. "Thank you, mom. You're the Hall of Famer," Johnson said. Johnson became a 20-game winner in 1997 and won four consecutive Cy Young awards with the Arizona Diamondbacks, leading them to the World Series championship in 2001. He finished with 303 victories in 22 seasons. Smoltz won the 1996 Cy Young award and reached the playoffs 14 times with Atlanta. The Braves won five pennants and the 1995 World Series with Smoltz on the roster. He's the first pitcher to win more than 200 games and save at least 150 games. He's also the first player inducted with Tommy John surgery on his resume. Smoltz understood his debt to John. "I'm a miracle. I'm a medical miracle," Smoltz said. "I never took one day for granted." Biggio became the only player in major league history with at least 3,000 hits, 600 doubles, 400 stolen bases and 250 home runs while being asked to play four positions in his 20-year career, all with the Astros. He thanked coach Matt Galante, who worked tirelessly over six weeks as Biggio made the transition from catcher to second base. Biggio looked at Galante in the audience. ''I'm not here without that man," he said.
Gun control PACs and wealthy donors have bankrolled a push to add a voter referendum on Washington state’s Extreme Risk Protection Order to the ballot this November. The byzantine 21-page proposal, I-1491, would establish protection orders in the state to allow families and law enforcement to ask the courts to issue a temporary restriction on an individual’s gun rights. A similar measure was adopted in California after a disturbed man attacked the campus of the University of California Santa Barbara in Isla Vista. Prior to that incident, parents of the suspect tried unsuccessfully to get authorities to take away his weapons. Taking point on I-1491 is the Alliance for Gun Responsibility, the front group for a 2014 measure fueled by huge influxes from billionaire tech gurus that led to universal background checks in the state. In a repeat of that campaign, which saw millions fed into the engine to push through to voters, a handful of organizations and donors with deep pockets have funded the latest drive. In the latest filings with the state Washington Public Disclosure Commission, the group reports raising $3,499,263 for the effort. Of this sum, just $130,137 is listed as small contributions with the rest being large cash or in-kind donations. How large? Venture capitalist Nicholas Hanauer has given the group $650,000 so far in regular installments while former Microsoft co-founders Steve Ballmer and Paul Allen have chipped in $500,000 and $250,000 respectively. Seattle philanthropist Ann Wyckoff, widow of former lumber entrepreneur T. Evans Wyckoff, gave $100,000. Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Everytown group has delivered at least $584,775 to the campaign through Aug. 31 in cash and staff services, while former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords’s Americans For Responsible Solutions have kicked in $250,000 as of Sept. 2. Where has the money gone? The largest single outlay is no less than $1.1 million given to PCI Consultants, a nationwide petition management firm based in Los Angeles brought in to gather signatures. PCI’s past clients helped push expanded background checks on gun sales in Washington state, anti-hunting agendas in Maine and California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Prop. 63 initiative this year. Lesser amounts have been spent on ad and event production and setting up offices. I-1491 would allow a family member to file a petition with the court for a judge to decide if the person poses a threat to themselves or others. This could lead to an order prohibiting firearms possession for up to one year, and could be renewed annually. The subject of the order can request a hearing once a year to rescind the order while those filing false petitions would set themselves up for a criminal penalty. “Extreme Risk Protection Orders can be an important tool for police officers who see the impact of gun violence on a daily basis, and to family members who see early warning signs of violent behavior up close,” argues Seattle Police Department Assistant Chief Robert Merner, in a statement made through the referendum’s backers. A pro-gun lawmaker, State Rep. Lynda Wilson, R-Vancouver, worries the measure is an overreach and should have been debated through the legislative process. “I support greater protections for victims from violent abusers,” Wilson told The Columbian. “However, this is a poorly written initiative that I can see will lead to abuse due to the lack of due process and broad definitions. Another case where the issue should be fully vetted and scrutinized by the Legislature to make sure it gets done, and done right.”
One week after the B.C. Court of Appeal ruled that it could order Google to remove websites from its global index, the same court (but different judges) ruled that a privacy class action lawsuit against Facebook could not proceed in the province because the Facebook terms and conditions provide that all disputes must be resolved in a court in Santa Clara, California. The decision should provide a wake-up call to users and policy makers because an absolute approach to terms and conditions not only means that Canadian courts may be unable resolve consumer disputes involving companies like Facebook, but that Canadian law will not apply either. The current Facebook terms and conditions state: You will resolve any claim, cause of action or dispute (claim) you have with us arising out of or relating to this Statement or Facebook exclusively in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California or a state court located in San Mateo County, and you agree to submit to the personal jurisdiction of such courts for the purpose of litigating all such claims. The laws of the State of California will govern this Statement, as well as any claim that might arise between you and us, without regard to conflict of law provisions. While this appears to be slightly different from the terms that governed the dispute before the B.C. courts (it referenced courts in Santa Clara county), the key takeaway from the decision goes well beyond a proposed class action lawsuit over a Facebook “sponsored stories” program that no longer exists. The trial judge rightly noted that the heart of the case is whether online terms and conditions override domestic legal protections (in this case, the B.C. Privacy Act). The trial court judge ruled that the terms did not, citing provisions in the B.C. Privacy Act that confer exclusive jurisdiction on the B.C. Supreme Court. The B.C. Court of Appeal rejected both the analysis of the BC Privacy Act and the broader public policy considerations of whether online terms should trump local law. The court ruled that the Facebook terms were “valid, clear, and enforceable”. It then fell to the plaintiff to demonstrate why the court should decline to enforce the forum selection clause. The court cites as a possible example evidence that the case could not be heard in the California court (which would have the effect of creating a limitation of liability for Facebook). Without such evidence, the court ruled that the Facebook terms were binding. Moreover, it rejected the argument that the B.C. Privacy Act is intended to trump valid contracts. Interestingly, a class action lawsuit over Facebook’s sponsored stories launched in the State of Illinois raised similar questions about the enforceability of the Facebook terms and conditions. The court also sided with Facebook, ruling that its forum selection clause was enforceable. The court identified three situations where the clause might not be enforced: if their incorporation into the contract was the result of fraud, undue influence or overweening bargaining power; if the selected forum is so gravely difficult and inconvenient that the complaining party will for all practical purposes be deprived of its day in court; or if enforcement of the clause would contravene a strong public policy of the forum in which the suit is brought, declared by statute or judicial decision. The public policy discussion was interesting as the court ruled that California was fully capable of addressing the issue. That case was one of several that have upheld Facebook’s terms and conditions. From a Canadian perspective, the public policy issue might well be whether California law offers the same level of privacy protection as that found in Canada. The Privacy Commissioner of Canada’s well-known 2009 investigation against Facebook did not focus on jurisdictional issues (the OPC maintains that the collection, use or disclosure of Canadian personal information triggers the law), but this case provides a reminder that Facebook believes that its terms and conditions ensure that California law and California courts govern any dispute or cause of action. There is obvious value in contractual certainty and the benefits for online businesses, who can look to this case to more confidently rely on their terms and conditions. However, there is also a significant public policy risk, since it opens the door to contractual terms that trump local laws and protections. This is particularly true for online consumer contracts that involve no negotiation and are presented on a “take it or leave it” basis. In fact, few expect consumers to actually read the detailed fine print of every online contract, meaning that the clicking “I agree” may result in being bound by terms that trump Canadian law and the Canadian courts.
About the visualization The prior on the effect is a scaled unit-information prior. The black, and red circle on the curves represents the likelihood of 0 under the prior and posterior. Their likelihood ratio is the Savage-Dickey density ratio, which I use here as to compute Bayes factor. The p-value is the traditional p-value for a two-sample t test with known variance (i.e. a Z test). HDI is the posterior highest density interval, which in this case is analogous a credible interval. And CI is the traditional frequentist confidence interval. Learn more Check out Alexander Etz's blog series "Understanding Bayes" for a really good introduction to Bayes factor. Fabian Dablander also wrote a really good post, "Bayesian statistics: why and how", which introduces Bayesian inference in general. If you're interesting in an easy way to perform a Bayesian t test check out JASP, or BayesFactor if you use R.