Read more about Momentum says: read Steve Cohen’s book!
Above: Activists from the Standing Together movement.
As part of an ongoing series of interviews with leftist activists in Israel/Palestine, Daniel Randall of Workers’ Liberty spoke to Hannah Pollin-Galay, an activist in Standing Together, a cross-party movement organising Jews and Arabs against occupation and in favour of social and economic equality. By profession, Pollin-Galay is a Yiddish and Holocaust researcher at Tel Aviv University.
Over the past decade the situation for the Palestinians has gone from bad to worse.
Continued occupation, continued settlement expansion in the West Bank, no end to the conflict, the US moving their embassy to Jerusalem (undermining the widely held view that Jerusalem should be shared as a city after a settlement between Israelis and Palestinians) and now Trump has pledged to withdraw all US funding for the UN’s refugee agency for Palestinians UNWRA, while also closing down the PLO’s offices in Washington DC.
In an interesting article in the Guardian (14 August) Nathan Thrall sets out the way in which many Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) activists now view the Israel-Palestinian conflict and how they pose a solution.
An open letter (printed in full below) is being circulated which calls on Labour’s National Executive to refuse to endorse the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) examples of antisemitism. Workers' Liberty thinks the Open Letter is based on a misunderstanding of the IHRA and thus will not help Labour's leadership deal with the controversy over the Party's new code on antisemitism.
Despite what is said, no IHRA examples, exclude criticism of any racist actions of the Israeli government.
Five Labour Party members have written an article ‘The AWL, Zionism and the struggle for equal rights in Israel/Palestine’ (bit.ly/20ma0WX) in which they accuse the AWL of being a “Zionist front organisation” outside the Palestinian solidarity movement (defined as being the PSC, BDS campaigns, Jewish Voice for Labour etc).
They accuse us of “justifying settler colonialism” and justifying “apartheid”. They accuse “powerful” organisations such as Labour Friends of Israel as organising a witch-hunt in the Labour Party.
They oppose the Two States solution; they are for BDS; they are “anti-Zionist”.
Extracted here from the Engage website.


The recent incident in the Richmond District in which Peter Woo was suspected of stabbing his parents, killing his mother before ultimately being shot and killed by police ("Police kill man suspected of slaying mother," Oct. 4) reminded me of the multitude of other recent tragedies involving the mentally ill. While details of possible motives for this incident are lacking, his brother reported last week that Woo had a long history of schizophrenia. Similar to other recent events in Mendocino ("Rifle-wielding suspect killed," Oct. 2) and Orange County ("Suspect held after 8 killed in rampage at hair salon," Oct. 13) involving the untreated mentally ill, this incident ended in tragedy for all involved.
As a psychiatrist working in the public mental health system, and the son of a mother with schizophrenia, I know all too well the challenges of getting a loved one treatment in a system that seems designed to wait for catastrophe before providing necessary care.
After decades of trying to get my mother help for her relentless psychotic symptoms and being told by mental health professionals that she did not meet the legal criteria for involuntary hospitalization, my family was left feeling confused and abandoned. Eventually, we realized that she would never voluntarily agree to treatment for an illness she did not believe she had.
It was clear that my mother was suffering, believing that the TV was communicating with her and that North Korean spies were tracking her, but when interviewed at the hospital she would deny her symptoms, refuse treatment and inevitably be released.
Like millions of other families with severely mentally ill loved ones, we felt powerless as we watched our mother's gradual socioeconomic decline from a cancer research scientist with a Ph.D to an employee at a hardware store to unemployment and complete social isolation. We were locked out of the system that should have been there to help us.
After years of frustration and helplessness, my mother finally deteriorated to the point where she did meet the strict criteria for involuntary hospitalization. Several trips to the hospital, a series of failed follow-up appointments because she still did not believe she was ill or needed help, and being jailed for creating a disturbance due to her psychotic symptoms resulted in her involvement in an assisted outpatient treatment program in North Carolina. Similar to Laura's Law in California, this program involved court-mandated treatment in the community rather than in a locked psychiatric or forensic facility. The goal was to engage and provide intensive community services for the small subset of those who are most seriously ill and at risk for repeated hospitalization, incarceration and dangerous behavior.
While the process was long, complex and heart-wrenching, this approach worked for our family and finally connected my mother with the services she desperately needed to maintain stability in her life. Though her illness has forever changed her, it no longer controls her. Today she lives independently, enjoys gardening and has dinner with my brother every Sunday.
The issue of how to provide care for some of the most vulnerable members of society - the seriously mentally ill who suffer from schizophrenia or bipolar disorder - has plagued mental health systems everywhere. Recently, a slew of high-profile tragedies has shined a light on the potential benefits of Laura's Law. Both New York state and Nevada County have implemented such programs and obtained impressive results, achieving significant reductions in psychiatric hospitalizations, incarcerations, homelessness and violent behavior.
While critics cite concerns about protecting patients' rights, surveys of participants in assisted outpatient treatment programs in New York have found that these individuals actually reported more positive subjective experiences of their treatment than their non-program counterparts. Why? Because allowing a severely mentally ill individual, who often lacks the ability to make reasonable medical decisions, to suffer and succumb to homelessness, incarceration or placement in a locked psychiatric facility is more restrictive of rights than compelling them to receive treatment in the community. Individuals who are too ill to advocate for themselves need others to speak out for them to help them avoid these common pitfalls of their illness. I have no doubt that had my brother and I not continued to advocate for my mother's treatment and stayed by her side, that she would be institutionalized, homeless or in jail.
Ironically, critics also cite concerns that Laura's Law is too weak because it does not enable providers to force people to take their medications. Yet, research has clearly shown that assisted outpatient programs increase the degree to which participants take their medications. Thus, even if not mandated in the law, the program's effect on increasing medication adherence is the same.
Finally, mental health systems are also understandably concerned about funding. Nevada County saved $1.81 for every $1 invested in Laura's Law as a result of savings from decreased costly hospitalizations and incarcerations. I have no doubt that should Laura's Law be implemented in San Francisco, our upstream costs would be rewarded with downstream savings.
It is time for our leaders to stop reacting to tragedies and start preventing them. Laura's Law is good policy, is proactive and is a good first step toward the humane treatment of our severely mentally ill neighbors and loved ones.


The Chairman of the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan Ramiz Rzayev participated in the 8th conference of the Chairmen of Supreme Courts of the Council of Europe member-countries in Paris, Trend reports with reference to the Press-Service of the Supreme Court.
Organized by the Council of Europe, Cassation Court and Justice Ministry of France, the meeting focused on the topic Supreme Court: tendencies and prospects.
In addition, the sides exchanged views on the admission of citizens in the Supreme Courts, application of new information technologies in the Supreme Court, etc.


THE US has clamped down on two Chinese shipping companies accused of helping North Korea dodge sanctions imposed over its nuclear weapons programme in a move which risks enraging leaders in Beijing and Pyongyang.
The crackdown comes as North Korean officials threaten to resume nuclear testing after talks between leader Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump collapsed before any agreement was reached. Washington said shipping giants Dalian Haibo International Freight and Liaoning Danxing International Forwarding were now banned from dealing with US companies and confirmed any US assets held by the companies would be frozen.
The US Treasury Department also issued an updated advisory listing 67 ships allegedly engaged in illicit transfers of refined petroleum with North Korean tankers or were believed to have exported North Korean coal.
It said Liaoning Danxing had "routinely used deceptive practices" to enable the work of North Korean procurement officials based in the European Union.
Evasion tactics employed by North Korea included disabling or manipulating automated identification systems, physically altering vessels, transferring cargoes between ships and falsifying cargo documentation.
Ports visited by vessels involved in ship-to-ship transfers included those in Taiwan, China, Russia and South Korea.
Treasury Department officials said North Korean ports received at least 263 tanker deliveries of refined petroleum via UN-prohibited ship-to-ship transfers.
The sanctions come just three weeks after a second meeting between Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un broke down over conflicting demands by North Korea for relief from sanctions and from the US side for Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons.
US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said: "The United States and our like-minded partners remain committed to achieving the final, fully verified denuclearisation of North Korea and believe that the full implementation of North Korea-related UN Security Council resolutions is crucial to a successful outcome.
Negotiations between the two sides have been in limbo since the Hanoi summit.
Washington said it wants to re-engage with Kim but North Korea has warned it is considering suspending talks and may rethink a freeze on missile and nuclear tests, in place since 2017, unless Washington makes concessions.


I love children. I grew up in a family with a lot of them. Eleven of us to be exact.
There are many things I loved about growing up in a large family, we looked out for each other, we spent hours playing together, and when we worked together jobs were accomplished quickly.
A woman who could not have children was a sad empty sort of person, and women who chose to avoid having children were the worst of all. Women who rejected motherhood in favor of anything else (be it career, missions, or even health) were the worst kind of selfish, their life was pretty much without meaning.
Even women who limited their number of children were rejecting God’s will for their lives. There were no reasons to delay having children, or to space the arrival of children. God would provide whatever you needed, whether that was resources/income or reserves of strength and patience, so there really were no valid reasons to prevent from having as many children as your body would conceive. Some families within the Quiverfull movement took the value of having children so seriously, that they would wean their babies early so that they could increase the chance of being able to conceive again.
My interests were carefully tailored by my parents. Nursing was too career oriented, and there was no way I could raise a large family and work outside of the home, my focus needed to be in the home. When I was interested in taking a culinary arts course (because of my love of cooking) I was told that it would be a waste of time and money because the fancy food I learned to cook would have no place on a family table, and I would never be running a restaurant. Actually any college education would be a waste of time, and would only feed the career mentality that we were trying to avoid. I was allowed to take courses in teaching violin, because that was something I could do from the home and that could come in handy someday if my husband needed me to make some money.
I got married, and I was still living in this mindset. When I miscarried our first 2 babies, I felt that I was failing my calling as a woman. I felt horrible for my husband, how could he have known that he was marrying a sub-par producer? Was God angry with me? What was I doing wrong? What if I never carried a baby to term? What would I do?
Eventually, our firstborn arrived, and I felt a sense of relief, my body was working! When our second baby arrived 14 months later, I was happy and proud, and tired. But everything was going so well! Our babies were beautiful! I worked hard to make sure they were well-behaved, because I knew that people would be watching for any reason to criticize our growing family, and I was determined to prove them wrong.
By the time our third arrived, I was questioning the Quiverfull mentality. Yes, children were a blessing, but they were also a responsibility. I no longer felt that caring for my children’s physical needs was enough. I wanted to enjoy them, revel in their childhood, spend time with them. I wanted to make sure I had the time and energy to be there for them when they wanted to talk about things, to encourage them and build them up.
Could my body endure pregnancy after pregnancy and still have enough health and energy to play with my kids? Would I be able to care for so many babies this close together and still be able to keep the house reasonably clean and make the meals with out overburdening my children with responsibility? And would we really be able to provide for the sheer amount of children we could end up with? If I kept up this average of 18 months between children, we could end up with 16 children over 25 years of fertility. Blessings yes, but 16 is a lot of people to care for.
Now that I’ve wrestled with the Catholic teachings on sexuality, I no longer think that naturally spacing children is bad for families or marriages, or evidence of a “lack of trust” in God. I feel that there are valid reasons to delay pregnancy, space your children, or even limit the number of children you have. I love how the church’s teachings embrace life fully, the conception of life, but also the living of life.
Now that I am open to spacing or limiting our children, I am faced with a new set of questions.
To date, we have never used any form of birth control including NFP. I am currently pregnant with our 4th baby, and I couldn’t be happier. On the one hand, I love being pregnant. I love feeling the baby move inside of me. I love meeting a whole new person when they are born. I love watching my children grow and learn. When I think about “being done” my heart aches. I would miss this.
The idea of “spacing” makes sense to me, I want to be there for my children, I want to care for my body.
And yet, I question myself.
I still have the old voices that tell me I will be haunted by ghosts of children never conceived. That my value and purpose is completely tied to producing and raising children, what would I do if I delay conception? Without a baby arriving every 18-24 months I would be useless.
And I have new questions and doubts as well. I’ve always wanted a large family, but how large? Yes, maybe spacing is a good option, but how big of a space? I love that our children are close together and the best of friends, but with a move, career change for my husband and eventually homeschooling or sending our children to school, is it best to continue having a child every 18 months? My body has done OK so far, but I am tired, and each pregnancy can take a lot out of me. Can I continue as we have and still be the mother my children need?
I also have questions about who I am, now that I am starting to realize that my value and purpose is not dependant on how many children I can produce, I wonder what else I may discover about my interests and goals. I will write about that in Part 2.


Rutgers wrestling coach Scott Goodale was clearly frustrated following the Scarlet Knights’ 21-9 setback to EIWA-rival Lehigh before the largest crowd ever to watch a wrestling match in school history.
But if Goodale had a message for the 5,011 fans in attendance it was this: We’ll be back.
The Scarlet Knights’ fourth-year coach spoke about better days ahead in both the EIWA and NCAA tournaments, and predicted that it won’t be too long before wins over Lehigh (now 40-1 all-time over Rutgers) are commonplace.
Posted in Uncategorized on February 17, 2011 by Keith Sargeant.
In the end, former Rutgers quarterback Tom Savage opted to play at one of the schools Scarlet Knights coach Greg Schiano approved on his original transfer release.
Savage, whose father publicly ripped Schiano for not letting his son contact Miami and Florida about the possibility of transferring south, is headed 2,400 miles west to play for Arizona, according to TucsonCitizen.com.
Arizona, which finished 7-6 and 4-5 in the Pac-10 last season, was among the 17 schools Schiano reportedly Ok’d as a possible transfer destination last month.
According to the TucsonCitizen.com report, Arizona was the only recruiting trip Savage took after transferring out of Rutgers. The Springfield, Pa., native, who is currently not enrolled in college, will have two years to play at Arizona beginning in 2012 after sitting out this upcoming season per NCAA transfer rules.
Savage, who turned down two dozen major scholarship offers to play for Rutgers, lived up to his billing when he first arrived, throwing for 2,211 yards and 14 touchdowns en route to earning Freshman All-America honors. But the 6-4, 230-pounder struggled in the early part of his sophomore season and, after injuries to his ribs and hand shelved him for three weeks midway through Rutgers’ 4-8 campaign, Savage relinquished his starting job to true freshman Chas Dodd.
PISCATAWAY — The Rutgers softball team set a modest goal before the start of last season, striving to qualify for the Big East Tournament for the first time in 12 years.
The Scarlet Knights accomplished that quest, but needed to go to the final game of the season to secure their spot in the eight-team conference dance.
Now, if Brittney Lindley has her way, the Scarlet Knights will be punching their Big East Tournament ticket earlier this spring.
Rutgers coach Jay Nelson, who last season offered a preseason guarantee that his club would qualify for the Big East Tournament, didn’t make any such promises on the eve of the 2011 season. Instead, the Scarlet Knights’ fifth-year coach said “”the goal is to get in and win the Big East” this spring.
Posted in Uncategorized on February 17, 2011 by Jerry Carino.


SSD Tweaker is a small tool which aims to optimise Windows for the best possible solid state drive performance.
For the most part this just involves turning off Windows features that generate drive activity. And so in a few clicks you can disable the Windows indexing service, NTFS 8.3 name creation and "last access" date stamping, boot tracing and so on. Or simply click "Auto Tweak Settings" and the program will optimise all your settings at once.
If you'd like to see if the program can help to optimise your SSD's performance, though, don't let this put you off. Just be sure to make a note of your original settings before you apply any tweaks, so it's easy to restore them later, should it be necessary.
Please note, there's also a commercial SSD Tweaker Pro version available. This also allows you to tweak relevant hibernation settings and Windows services, as well as providing the ability to check and optimise Windows TRIM status. The program can be yours for $12.95, and you can find out more at Elpamsoft.com.


Google has unveiled a new digital gaming platform called Stadia which will stream better-than-console-quality games that have traditionally had to be either downloaded or purchased on disc, the BBC reports.
At launch it will work on existing desktops, laptops, TVs and phones, said the firm's Phil Harrison.
Google also revealed a controller.
It looks like a traditional console gamepad but the Stadia version has a button for capturing and sharing gaming directly to YouTube.
It was also announced that id Software's major title Doom Eternal will be one of the first games available.
No pricing was revealed at the event in San Francisco but the firm did say Stadia would launch in 2019 in the US, UK, Canada and Europe.
Google experimented with streaming data-rich games in 2018 with Project Stream, when the tech giant made the Ubisoft game Assassin's Creed: Odyssey available to play to trial participants via the Chrome web browser.


Almond milk for babies: Is it safe?
Can babies and toddlers drink almond milk?
Can babies drink almond milk?
Almond milk is a common alternative to cow's milk for adults, but developing babies have different nutritional needs.
Most doctors and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that babies less than 1-year-old drink breast milk or, if breast milk is not available, dairy- or soy-based infant formula unless otherwise advised.
Experts advise only introducing other milk, such as cow's milk or almond milk, after a baby's first birthday, as the specific nutrient profile in breast and formula milk is essential for development.
Almond milk can safely be given to most toddlers but is not a replacement for breast milk or infant formula.
Almond milk may be a healthful replacement for cow's milk in some cases, but there are some nutritional differences to be aware of when making the switch.
Almond milk is popular with people avoiding dairy.
Some people may give almond milk to children who are lactose-intolerant or if they avoid dairy for other reasons.
Toddlers can drink almond milk once or twice a day in between periods of breast-feeding or eating their other foods, but only when they are over 12 months old.
Almond milk is made of finely ground almonds and water. Other ingredients may include thickeners, sweeteners, and flavorings, such as vanilla. Many manufacturers also add nutrients, including vitamin A, vitamin D, and calcium.
Almond milk may be a safe supplement to a toddler's diet, but no milk will compare to the nutrients provided by breast milk or infant formula.
Almond milk should not be used to replace breast milk or formula, as developing babies need specific vitamins and nutrients that these kinds of milk provide.
If anyone has any concerns that a child may be lactose-intolerant, talk to the child's doctor. Lactose intolerance is more common in older children and adults than in babies and toddlers.
Ask a pediatrician about added ingredients, such as flavorings or thickeners.
It is also essential to find out whether the baby has a nut allergy. If relatives of the baby have nut allergies, it is best to avoid nuts altogether and ask a pediatrician before introducing any type of nut milk into the baby's diet.
How does almond milk compare to cow's milk?
Different types of milk vary in their nutritional content.
Nutritionally, cow's milk and almond milk vary significantly. Some doctors recommend using whole cow's milk for weaning babies from 1 to 2 years old because it has a high concentration of fat.
A single cup of whole milk contains about 8 grams (g) of fat, which the developing baby's brain needs to grow. In comparison, unsweetened almond milk contains only 2.5 g of fat.
According to the same report, cow's milk is also higher in protein than almond milk: 1 cup of whole milk contains almost 8 grams of protein, but 1 cup of fortified almond milk contains only 1 gram of protein.
However, if these fats and proteins are supplemented somewhere else in the baby's diet, almond milk may be an appropriate substitute for whole milk in toddlers.
Cow's milk is also higher in naturally-occurring sugars when compared to unsweetened almond milk. People should be cautious and look for unsweetened almond milk, as sweetened or flavored brands may contain more sugar than cow's milk.
After a baby is 1 year old, milk of any kind should only supplement their diet, and it should not take the place of other whole foods.
Neither almond milk nor regular cow's milk are good substitutes for breast or formula milk for babies under 1 year. At any age, if the child is breast-feeding, no other milk is necessary.
Just as some babies may be allergic to nuts or almonds, some babies may also be allergic or intolerant to cow's milk. If any members of the baby's close family are lactose-intolerant, talk to the child's doctor about what to give them to drink.
Weaning a baby onto other milks or decreasing the frequency of breast-feeding can be stressful. We look at some simple tips to make the process easier.
Before buying plant-based milk, always check to make sure they are fortified with vitamins and minerals and are low in sugar.
1-year olds should not fill up on liquids too often.
Almond milk fortified with vitamins and minerals can be a safe supplement to a toddler's diet. However, added ingredients such as thickeners and sweeteners are not ideal for a child.
Almond milk is low in both fat and protein content, and a toddler who is drinking almond milk will need to consume plenty of fat and protein in their diet from other sources.
Babies may have an allergic reaction to nut milks, so always talk to a doctor before adding almond milk to the diet.
Once they are 1 year old, babies should have no more than 16 to 24 ounces of any milk (other than breast milk) per day. It is essential that toddlers over 1 year old get most of their nutrition from foods and do not to fill up on liquids that do not give them balanced nutrition.
Adding one or two servings a day of fortified almond milk to a well-rounded diet is a safe alternative to cow's milk in developing early toddlers.
Do not give cow's milk, almond milk, or types of milk to toddlers until their first birthday. Babies younger than this should only have breast milk or infant formula.
Article last reviewed by Fri 8 June 2018.
Basic Report: 01077, Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D. (2018, April). Retrieved from https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/01077?
Basic Report: 14016, Beverages, almond milk, sweetened, vanilla flavor, ready-to-drink. (2018, April). Retrieved from https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/14016?
Basic Report: 14091, Beverages, almond milk, unsweetened, shelf stable. (2018, April). Retrieved from https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/14091?
Johnson, Jon. "Can babies and toddlers drink almond milk?." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 10 Jun. 2018. Web.


April 26, 2016, 8:41 p.m.
The Gmail app for Android is about to get a little more inclusive.
Google has started rolling out an app update, which brings support for Microsoft Exchange accounts, so your work and personal messages can live together. Now, when you set up an email address within Gmail for Android, you'll see a new option to add an Exchange account alongside existing options for a Google, Yahoo, Outlook.com, or another personal email address. From there, sign in with your Exchange credentials, set your account options, and voila.
"All your mail in one place," the Web giant posted to its Gmail Twitter account.
The update comes after Google last week refreshed its Inbox by Gmail app with a more streamlined events feature, "glanceable" newsletters, and an easy way to save links in an effort to help you "feel more in control" of your ever-expanding inbox.
Meanwhile, Google also on Monday started rolling out a handy change for Drive on the Web. If you use Chrome, you can now get a notification from Drive in your browser when someone shares a file with you, or requests access. To enable this feature, head over to your Drive settings, click Notifications, and choose the option to get notifications on the Web. You can also opt to get Drive notifications on your mobile device or email.
For more, be sure to check out PCMag's review of Google Drive and 31 Google Drive Tips You Can't Afford to Miss.


The audience was packed for Ladd’s last school board meeting. A line of dignitaries including Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan, D-Alamo, and Sacramento County Supervisor Don Nottoli lined up to hand him proclamations and wish him well in retirement.
The board announced Tuesday that Associate Superintendent Mark Cerutti would serve as interim superintendent while a new district leader is being sought.
Ladd, 62, has led the district for nine years, making him the longest serving superintendent of the region's large districts. Ladd’s salary is $273,195.
The district, the fifth largest in the state, serves 62,000 students in south Sacramento County.
Ladd has been an educator for 42 years, starting as a teacher’s aide in Dade County, Florida, in 1972. He worked his way up to serve as regional director of 42 Dade County Schools. Ladd was the superintendent of the San Luis Coastal Unified School District for four years before coming to Elk Grove.


If you love NBA stars who do awesome things for their fans, then get ready to smile.
Nine-year-old DeSean Pollis adores the Golden State Warriors, but since November he’s had to watch every game from his bed in a hospital. Of course, it wasn’t long before reigning MVP Stephen Curry heard that one of his biggest fans was sick, and on Monday night he did something amazing: Curry scored 31 points to go with six assists and two boards in an authoritative 111-103 victory over the Miami Heat.
Yup. Curry was 4 for 11 from beyond the arc and 5 for 7 from the line in 38 minutes of playing time.
DeSean cheered louder than ever as he watched what proved to be a wire-to-wire victory for the Warriors, who were able to hold off a challenge from Miami in the fourth quarter when Curry hit a crucial three. He then hit another with under 30 seconds to play that put the game permanently out of reach for Miami, who were playing without injured center Hassan Whiteside.
Curry committed only one turnover and stayed out of foul trouble—an inspiring gesture from a real-life superhero!
Curry and Klay Thompson (17 points, seven rebounds) scored or assisted on 56 of Golden State’s 111 points, while Draymond Green (22 points on 8-for-14 shooting) was a force too, proving once again what a scary team Golden State can be when they have their whole starting lineup healthy. Harrison Barnes also chipped in 12 points and six rebounds off the bench.
Wow! DeSean is one lucky kid!
Curry’s outing was the latest gem in a year full of them. His PER—player efficiency rating, a metric that combines all of a player’s offensive and defensive contributions into a single number—currently sits at 31.7, putting him in the running to eclipse the current single-season PER record of 31.8.
That record was set by Wilt Chamberlain playing for the San Francisco Warriors in 1962-63, the first year after the team moved from Philadelphia and a decade before they changed their name to the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors lead the Western Conference playoff race by 2.5 games over the San Antonio Spurs. They lead the Los Angeles Clippers in the Pacific Division by 10 games.
The Warriors host the Lakers on Thursday night.
The Heat visit the Nuggets on Friday night.


My best friend in college was a straight-A student, an English major. In part he got all A’s because he is whip smart—his essays were systematically better than everyone else’s. But the other reason was that he refused to enroll in a course unless he was certain he would ace it. Consequently, he never really challenged himself to try something beyond his comfort zone. I, on the other hand, was not a straight-A student. My first semester I took atomic physics with Professor Delroy Baugh, self-proclaimed “Laser Guy.” I’d never taken a physics course before in my life, and as a reward for my willingness to transcend my comfort zone I received a D.
Somewhere between the two of us lies a sweet spot: if you only ever get 100 percent on your tests, they aren’t hard enough. If you never get above 50 percent, you’re probably in the wrong major. The trick is to be right enough, but not so right that you never allow yourself the opportunity to be wrong.
So, how wrong should you be?
Wilson and his colleagues derive the number from experiments in machine learning. Under loose assumptions, they show that the optimal error rate for training a broad class of deep learning algorithms is 15 percent. The fastest learning progress occurs when the error rate hits this sweet spot. They show that this number is also in line with previous work on learning in humans and animals.
The implications of the 85 percent rule in the classroom are straightforward. If you’re a teacher, your tests should be difficult enough that the average score is 85 percent. If you’re a student, the optimal level of challenge is about a B or a B+ average. An A might look nice on your transcript, but you could have stood to learn more from a class that was harder. Outside the classroom, the implications of the 85 percent rule are similar. If you are learning a new language, say on Duolingo, then you should be getting about 15 percent of the answers wrong. Otherwise, you’re not being challenged at the right level to consistently improve in picking up your new language.
But the 85 percent rule only holds for one class of problems, where the point is to build up expertise over many trials. With other kinds of problems you really don’t want to get them wrong at all. For example, should you believe in God? Pascal wagered that you should, because if you don’t there’ll be hell to pay. Most people make up their minds one way about this issue and tend not to change their position too frequently. This presents a paradox: suppose 50 percent of people believe in God and 50 percent don’t. Half are on the side opposite the truth. Yet no matter what evidence you present them with they won’t admit they’re wrong. In this case we see an error rate of zero. Why is no one ever wrong about their belief in God?
Here another answer comes from cognitive science, in a paper by Samuel Gershman of Harvard University titled “How to Never Be Wrong.” In the paper Gershman considers the problem of auxiliary hypotheses. The idea is that any given theory comes with a set of undisclosed assumptions, which can protect the core theory from being disproved. For example, the seven-day creation story of Genesis is at odds with the fossil record. So if you accept the fossil record, do you have to forfeit Genesis?
Nope. All you have to do is note that a “day” doesn’t have to be 24 hours—especially not if God hasn’t created the sun and moon yet. The definition of day is merely an auxiliary hypothesis of the core theory that God created the world. Such auxiliary hypotheses form a “protective belt” around the core theory, deflecting contrary evidence from pesky one-offs, such as a handful of really old rocks, while leaving the main argument unscathed.
But never being wrong isn’t an especially good thing. To the contrary, being wrong is important because it is the first step on the way to being right. If you’re never wrong, you never learn anything you didn’t already know. So whether you’re taking a test from the Laser Guy or reconsidering your slate of metaphysical tenets, getting a few answers wrong is like salting a meal: a little bit makes the whole thing better, just don’t take it too far.
Cody Kommers worked in the Computational Cognitive Neuroscience lab at Harvard University. He lives in Boston.


Teen Mom OG star Farrah Abraham announced on Friday that she and boyfriend Simon Saran have gone their separate ways.
Abraham posted a picture of the pair kissing on Friday, along with the caption, "Happy #NationalExDay to the best ex haha remember this moment."
Saran posted a picture of his own, writing, "One for the ex! Cheers! #NationalExDay."
The reality star, 24, got together with the San Diego realtor after the tragic passing of her former boyfriend, Derek Underwood. Underwood, the father of Abraham's daughter Sophia, died in a car accident prior to Sophia's birth.
Speculation over the couple's relationship first arose in May when Saran was absent from Abraham's birthday party.
Check out the video below to find out why Abrhama doesn't appreciate being compared to Kim Kardashian.


Al Jazeera gains access to what used to be the intelligence headquarters of Libyan leader.
The headquarters of Libya's intelligence services - a notorious symbol of Muammar Gaddafis 42-year rule - is now firmly in rebel hands.
Detailed reports on anyone opposing him would come directly to this building. Parts of the compound also served as a prison, with secret cells housing many Libyans that the regime would make disappear.
The building is full of confidential documents that could provide a valuable insight into what was one of the world's most secretive regimes. But it will take weeks to sift through.
Jamal Elshayyal reports from Tripoli in this Al Jazeera exclusive.


These allegations are contained in court records [PDF] filed on Monday by Justice Department lawyers prosecuting five Blackwater contractors for the September 2007 shooting frenzy in Baghdad’s Nisour Square that killed 14 Iraqis and wounded 20 others. Anticipating that lawyers representing the contractors will argue that they were acting in self defense, the prosecution is seeking to introduce evidence that “several of the defendants had harbored a deep hostility toward Iraqi civilians which they demonstrated in words and deeds.” The charges are similar to those that recently emerged in civil lawsuits against Blackwater, stemming from the Nisour Square episode.
In addition to verbal expressions of hatred towards Iraqi civilians, the defendants engaged in unprovoked and aggressive behavior toward unarmed Iraqi civilians in Baghdad. In so doing, the defendants routinely acted in disregard of the use of force policies that they were required to follow as a condition of their employment as Blackwater guards.
This evidence tends to establish that the defendants fired at innocent Iraqis not because they actually believed that they were in imminent danger of serious bodily injury and actually believed that they had no alternative to the use of deadly force, but rather that they fired at innocent Iraqi civilians because of their hostility toward Iraqis and their grave indifference to the harm that their actions would cause.
During the twelve months proceeding the events charged in the indictment, while assigned to the Raven 23 convoy operating at various locations in the Red Zone in Baghdad, Iraq, defendant Nicholas Slatten made statements that he wanted to kill as many Iraqis as he could as “payback for 9/11,” and he repeatedly boasted about the number of Iraqis he had shot.
intentionally deployed to Iraq certain men who shared his vision of Christian supremacy, knowing and wanting these men to take every available opportunity to murder Iraqis. Many oft hese men used call signs based on the Knights of the Templar, the warriors who fought the Crusades.
Allegations of serious misconduct by security contractors—including the indiscriminate murder of Iraqi and Afghan civilians—are nothing new. But with the recently disclosed Animal House antics of ArmorGroup’s embassy guards in Kabul, the government’s reliance on (and oversight of) contractors has once again become a flashpoint of controversy. Like ArmorGroup’s embassy guards, the Blackwater contractors accused or murdering innocent Iraqis in Nisour Square—and engaging in a pattern of aggressive and violent behavior, according to the Justice Department—were under the oversight of the State Department when these abuses allegedly occurred. When the Commission on Wartime Contracting convenes a hearing to examine State’s contractor management and oversight next week, expect the agency to face some intense scrutiny not just about how lewd conduct and cruel hazing went on under its nose but about its monitoring of Blackwater’s scandal-prone operators as well.
Is Blackwater Too Big to Fail?


The abrupt ouster of former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe ignited a political firestorm in Washington on Saturday.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsThe Memo: Mueller's depictions will fuel Trump angst Collins: Mueller report includes 'an unflattering portrayal' of Trump Trump frustrated with aides who talked to Mueller MORE said he fired McCabe on Friday, alleging that the FBI's former No. 2 official had misled congressional investigators and leaked information to the press.
But McCabe quickly pushed back on those claims. He said his firing, which came just two days before he was expected to retire, was a political maneuver intended to undermine the special counsel investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
Trump touted McCabe's firing on Saturday as a "great day for democracy," and suggested that the former FBI deputy director was corrupt and dishonest. He also cast the decision as a victory for the "men and women of the FBI."
"Andrew McCabe Andrew George McCabeThe Mueller report concludes it was not needed Ten post-Mueller questions that could turn the tables on Russia collusion investigators Electronic surveillance isn't spying — it's much more powerful MORE FIRED, a great day for the hard working men and women of the FBI - A great day for Democracy," Trump tweeted. "Sanctimonious James Comey James Brien ComeyThorny part of obstruction of justice is proving intent, that's a job for Congress Kellyanne Conway: Mueller didn't need to use the word 'exoneration' in report April Ryan slams Mike Huckabee in Twitter feud: 'Will you get into heaven? The answer is no!' MORE was his boss and made McCabe look like a choirboy. He knew all about the lies and corruption going on at the highest levels of the FBI!"
But McCabe's ouster prompted an outcry from Democrats, who pointed to the episode as the latest in what they say are Trump's efforts to discredit the FBI and undercut federal law enforcement.
Sen. Patrick Leahy Patrick Joseph LeahyDurbin calls Mueller report findings on Trump team 'troubling' 20 Dems demand no more money for ICE agents, Trump wall The Hill's 12:30 Report: Trump, Dems prep for Mueller report's release MORE (D-Vt.), a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called on Saturday for a hearing on the Trump administration's attacks on the FBI and Justice Department.
"I fear the damage being done to the FBI, and to our nation’s institutions more broadly, will far outlast any current crises unless we take decisive, bipartisan action," he wrote in a letter to the committee's chairman, Sen. Chuck Grassley Charles (Chuck) Ernest GrassleyOn The Money: Inside the Mueller report | Cain undeterred in push for Fed seat | Analysis finds modest boost to economy from new NAFTA | White House says deal will give auto sector B boost The 7 most interesting nuggets from the Mueller report Government report says new NAFTA would have minimal impact on economy MORE (R-Iowa).
Rep. Bill Pascrell William (Bill) James PascrellOn The Money: Conservatives rally behind Moore for Fed | White House interviewing other candidates | Trump, Dems spar on Tax Day | Budget watchdogs bemoan 'debt denialism' Dems, Trump harden 2020 battle lines on Tax Day Trump lawyer disputes Dem rationale for requesting tax returns MORE (D-N.J.) accused Trump on Friday of trying to "vandalize our democracy," calling the move to dismiss McCabe just days before his retirement a "disgrace."
"McCabe's dismissal in the dead of night is a disgrace to this country and our law enforcement community. Every day they vandalize our democracy and harm our institutions, and @HouseGOP does nothing," he tweeted.
McCabe's firing also drew condemnation from former officials, most notably ousted FBI Director James Comey, who has come under particular criticism from Trump.
In a tweet on Saturday, Comey made no mention of McCabe, but said that he would soon tell the story of his firing, and that the American people would determine "who is honorable and who is not."
"Mr. President, the American people will hear my story very soon," he tweeted. "And they can judge for themselves who is honorable and who is not."
Comey was abruptly fired in May for what Sessions and his deputy Rod Rosenstein Rod Jay RosensteinKellyanne Conway: Mueller didn't need to use the word 'exoneration' in report Impeachment? Not so fast without missing element of criminal intent Collins: Mueller report includes 'an unflattering portrayal' of Trump MORE said was his mishandling of the FBI's investigation into Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonThorny part of obstruction of justice is proving intent, that's a job for Congress Nadler: I don't understand why Mueller didn't charge Donald Trump Jr., others in Trump Tower meeting Kellyanne Conway: Mueller didn't need to use the word 'exoneration' in report MORE's use of a private email server during her tenure as secretary of State. But Trump later suggested that it was the probe into Russian election meddling that prompted him to fire the former FBI director.
Since then, memos have surfaced detailing Comey's interactions with Trump. Those memos include allegations that Trump once asked the former FBI director for a loyalty pledge, and later pressed him to drop his agency's investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
McCabe reportedly authored his own memos detailing his interactions with Trump. Axios reported Saturday that he had turned those documents over to special counsel Robert Mueller Robert Swan MuellerSasse: US should applaud choice of Mueller to lead Russia probe MORE's team of investigators, and that they corroborate Comey's claims about his meetings with Trump.
Former CIA Director John Brennan also blasted Trump after McCabe's firing, warning the president that he will go down "as a disgraced demagogue in the dustbin of history."
"When the full extent of your venality, moral turpitude, and political corruption becomes known, you will take your rightful place as a disgraced demagogue in the dustbin of history. You may scapegoat Andy McCabe, but you will not destroy America...America will triumph over you," Brennan wrote on Twitter.
Adding to the firestorm surrounding Trump on Saturday was a statement issued by John Dowd, a lawyer for the president, who called for Rosenstein to shut down Mueller's investigation. Dowd initially told the Daily Beast that the statement was issued on Trump's behalf, though he later reversed that claim, saying it was issued in a personal capacity.
Still, the mere prospect of the Trump administration ending Mueller's probe drew scrutiny. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer Charles (Chuck) Ellis SchumerHillicon Valley: House Dems subpoena full Mueller report | DOJ pushes back at 'premature' subpoena | Dems reject offer to view report with fewer redactions | Trump camp runs Facebook ads about Mueller report | Uber gets B for self-driving cars Dem legal analyst says media 'overplayed' hand in Mueller coverage Former FBI official praises Barr for 'professional' press conference MORE (D-N.Y.) warned of "severe consequences" if the investigation was shut down.
"The president, the administration, and his legal team must not take any steps to curtail, interfere with, or end the special counsel's investigation or there will be severe consequences from both Democrats and Republicans," Schumer said.
Rep. Adam Schiff (Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, noted that "it's impossible to evaluate the merits" of McCabe's firing since the Justice Department's inspector general has not released the report that triggered the disciplinary process that resulted in the recommendation that he be fired.
However, he tweeted, "That it comes after the President urged the [Justice Department] to deprive McCabe of his pension, and after his testimony, gives the action an odious taint."


Bhubaneswar: As the Indian Meteorology Department (IMD) predicted heavy to very heavy rains in the city for over next 36 to 48 hours or even more, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) along with other line departments chalked out a strategy to fight water logging and urban flooding situation across the State Capital.
BMC Commissioner Dr. Krishan Kumar convened the multi-department emergency meeting at the BMC Conference Room in the evening and briefed the senior officials to be vigilant the next 36 hours and work in tandem with the strategy and the experiences gathered from the last water-logging situations.
The Municipal Commissioner also added that off day and leave of all staff of BMC and BDA remained cancelled so that better coordination would be done to face the situation in the city.
The BMC and Odisha Fire Services have pre-positioned nearly 30 water pumps at vulnerable locations across the city, where the rest 22 are for the developing situation as rains have started across the city after evening hours. Both the agencies have 52 pumps (BMC 19 and Fire Services 33) pumps with them to face the situation.
Meanwhile, the city has been divided into 13 sub-zones or sectors with senior officers taking their sectoral positions and in-charge of decision making activities during heavy rains. Every sub-zone will be having 4 to 5 supporting staff including the Ward Officer, who will be the contact person for that particular ward. The Ward Officer will be the first responder to all the needs from the citizens concerned and community organisers (COs) would assist the team for the next 36 to 48 hours.
The 13 senior officials of sub-zones will coordinate with departments like PWD, PHEO, Fire Services, District Administration, OWSSB, CESU and Water Resources Department.
The Commissioner also asked the PWD Team to have a response team as many secondary drains along the main roads across the city belong to the department. The PWD team will be in constant touch with the Multi-Agency Control Room at BMC. Each line department will also depute an official to the control room for better coordination.
The PWD and BMC teams were also asked by the Commissioner to have 15 JCBc as reserve for any emergency call to attend. Chain mounted proclain machines are also to be hired and kept reserved for any difficult situation to encounter. Apart from the big machines other smaller cleaning tools will also be with the respective teams to clean the secondary and tertiary drains, in case of water-logging like situation.
The Engineers and team members of Water Resources Department were asked to work in a team with the Drainage Division of BMC so that there would be coordinated effort to manage the situation. The engineers from CESU will also be in the coordination team to manage any situation in the next 48 hours.
The sanitation workers of three major sanitation agencies i.e. Jagruti, PMR and Ramkey with 1,400, 600 and 700 will be on guard and at least 10 sanitation workers from these agencies would be with the local team to coordinate the situation.
Bhubaneswar One Helpline numbers 18003450061 (toll-free) 0674-2548295 (landline) are active on 24×7 basis for citizens to register complaints on water-logging. Storm Water Control Room 0674-2432281.
A Multi-Agency Control Room to operate at BMC. Each line department will also depute an official to the control room for better coordination.
Staff of BMC are placed on roaster duty to manage the rush, activity and other work to manage the water-logging situation across the city.
In view of IMD’s forecast BMC & Fire Services Department have made ready 52 pumps. Already 30 are pre-positioned to tackle the waterlogging situations.
Off day and leave of all staff of BMC and BDA remained cancelled so that better coordination.
City has been divided into 13 sub-zones or sectors with senior officers taking their sectoral positions and in-charge of decision making activities during heavy rains.
The PWD and BMC teams were also asked by the Commissioner to have 15 JCBc as reserve for any emergency call to attend. Chain mounted proclaim machines are also to be hired and kept reserved.


Aidan Henderson from Elgin Academy was crowned Moray Young Citizen 2019.
Some of Moray’s youngest residents have been celebrated at an awards ceremony to recognise their achievements.
More than a dozen “inspirational” finalists were named in the young citizen awards.
Now the winners have been crowned following their tireless efforts throughout the year, which have included fundraising, raising awareness of causes, voluntary work and getting involved in their local community.
Elgin Academy student Aidan Henderson won the overall honour of being named Moray’s young citizen of the year for his efforts, which included running a talent show to support Logan’s Fund.
Meanwhile, St Sylvester’s Primary School won the primary school award for its Moray School Bank group, which collected items of school uniform to pass on to other pupils.
Speyside High School lifted the secondary prize for running its own sleep out in the school grounds with some pupils also taking part in the national Sleep in the Park event to raise awareness of homelessness.
Alves Primary School won the global citizenship award while The Country Quines won the community group prize.
Council convener Shona Morrison said: “When I read through the list of achievements, individually and collectively, carried out by the young people I was blown away.
“That despite their busy lives, young people in Moray are prioritising the needs of their local, national and global communities through inter-generational work, fundraising, resilience building and empowerment.
The annual young citizen awards are supported by the council as well as Diageo, Elgin Rotary Club and the police.
Vivienne Cross, Moray Council’s head of schools and curriculum development, said: “The number of nominations has grown, which is great, and I was thrilled to see more community nominations, which really shows we’re united in identifying and showcasing young people’s efforts.


Both Pollitt's and Culver's ceremonial beginnings, although vastly different, were appropriate in that they reflected the personal styles of each man.
Wicomico County's government is working exactly as it was intended — the person occupying the office of county executive is accountable to voters. I was privileged to witness the establishment of the office itself in the wake of a referendum approving the new structure, the tenure of Rick Pollitt, Wicomico's first-ever county executive, and now the swearing-in of its second, Bob Culver.
A majority of those who voted in 2014 were apparently seeking change — and that is precisely what they are getting. Although both are Wicomico County natives and members of the same generation, the stark contrast between Culver and his predecessor became apparent immediately upon walking into the Guerreri Hall auditorium at Wor-Wic Community College Tuesday morning.
In December 2006, Pollitt took his oath of office — the first ever for what was a newly created office — during a gathering in the ceremonial courtroom of the old Wicomico County Courthouse, a location that's steeped in history both for the community and for Pollitt's family. In the room hung a portrait of Pollitt's father, the late Court of Special Appeals Judge Richard M. Pollitt. Music was provided by a choir of children and two pastors were on the program – his own from Asbury United Methodist Church in Allen and Gloria Ortiz from the Fruitland City Council. Pollitt had most recently served as city manager in Fruitland.
Pollitt took office in a courtroom; Culver, on stage in Guerreri Hall auditorium at Wor-Wic Community College The room was larger and it was packed. The dignitaries included Gov.-elect Larry Hogan as well as state, county and local officials and leaders.
Among those on the stage were Culver, the Rev. George Patterson, Culver's pastor from Trinity United Methodist Church, Hogan and Wor-Wic President Ray Hoy. SU professor John Wesley Wright sang several numbers for the occasion, accompanied by Bill Folger, chairman of SU's music department. The Sheriff's Office provided a color guard for the occasion.
One chose the historic county courthouse where the public life of Wicomico County has been carried out in the form of marriages, property transactions, deed recordings and more. The other was sworn in on stage in a building that is relatively new but distinctly grounded in Wicomico County.
Pollitt's speech was full of optimism and hope, coming as it did before the Great Recession arrived, Culver spoke less than five minutes. He is a man of few words who, as we now know, will oversee a very different sort of administration.
Culver, a lifetime entrepreneur and businessman, is a man of action.
Culver said in an interview just moments after stepping off the stage that the first thing he would do — that day, he said adamantly — was to stop giving county employees their birthdays off with pay and to look for ways to cut back on the use of take-home county vehicles.
In the immediacy of that moment, Culver placed his stamp firmly on the office of county executive by wiping out of existence a gesture of appreciation to county employees that was one of Pollitt's first actions upon taking office.
Pollitt, whose career took the very different path of public service rather than private sector business, established the birthday holiday during his first couple of months in office, contrasted with Culver's announcement before he had left the room where he was sworn in.
Culver's clear priorities and assertive manner were also obvious Tuesday evening at the first County Council meeting under his tenure. Our new county executive withdrew three projects from the bond sale proposal, catching the immediate — and not necessarily favorable — attention of county residents: the initial phase of construction of a new West Salisbury Elementary School, the next phase of the Westside Collector Road and planned renovations at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center.
Those issues will play out in the days and weeks ahead. It appears voters — at least, those who took the time to cast a ballot — will not need to wait long to see their desire for change come to fruition. Whether that change will return Wicomico County to prosperity or bring about a different outcome may take time, perhaps years.
We might know a lot more about the role of a county executive than we did eight years ago, but we are nonetheless setting out into uncharted territory with a new occupant in that office whose style and intentions are quite different. Whether we enthusiastically support Culver's early decisions or feel nervous about the contrast, however, we all should hope for the best possible outcomes, for the sake of our community.
Susan Parker is community conversations editor for The Daily Times.
Editor's Note: This column has been updated to correct its description of Rick Pollitt's swearing-in ceremony. The original version described the incorrect ceremony.


Blackhawks team historian Bob Verdi moderates the discussion between former players during the Blackhawks Convention at the Hilton Chicago Hotel July 20, 2014, in Chicago.
When the incomparable Bob Verdi used to call the Tribune sports desk to check on his columns, several questions routinely followed.
Self-deprecating to a fault, Verdi liked to ask if his work was running in the back of the section by the tire ads. He would quiz copy editors about Chicago's breaking news or screaming headlines. He might challenge the slightest changes to the version he filed with deft diplomacy every columnist needs or draw chuckles with wit drier than vermouth. Almost always, Verdi wondered the same thing aloud before hanging up.
"How did it read?" Verdi asked sincerely, according to several former Tribune colleagues.
More times than not, Verdi was told his column read fine.
No, Bob, it was good. Very good.
The answer, once and for all, came last week, when the Hockey Hall of Fame announced Verdi will receive the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award for excellence in hockey journalism.
Has anybody in Chicago sports journalism ever written any better than the man named Illinois Sportswriter of the Year 19 times over a Tribune career that spanned from 1967 to 1997?
In conversation and print, Verdi playfully referred to himself as a typist/clerk, but truth is, he was a Picasso pecking away at the keyboard, using words to paint pictures and sculpt meaning, artfully crafting prose that always distinguished him from the rest.
Since 2010, Verdi has worked for the Blackhawks as the team historian, added to the payroll without affecting the salary cap. It represented a natural transition for a former Hawks beat writer who also inimitably entertained readers in this space as an In the Wake of the News columnist.
Many recall Verdi famously wrote that Chicago was “a city of broad shoulders and narrow trophy cases.” He also called it “a city of sporting potholes,” among other things. He dubbed late Hawks Chairman Bill Wirtz “Dollar Bill” in 1972 after Bobby Hull bolted to the World Hockey Association for $1 million, a nickname Wirtz later thanked Verdi for in a 2005 interview.
About the Cubs' appeal as lovable losers, Verdi chided in a 1989 column that "there are 51 states that embrace the Cubs, including the state of confusion."
About Walter Payton, he suggested No. 34 "not only ran to daylight better than any back in professional football history. He slipped through the seams of time, too, without anybody laying a hand on him."
About Phil Jackson's departure from the Bulls in 1998, he applauded it as "the most dignified in the sloppy and sorry sports history of Chicago, where coaches and managers routinely depart amid a backdrop of hiss and vinegar."
About Chicago sports, Verdi commanded respect and carried relevance in every press box he walked into and every news hole he filled.
No matter the topic, Verdi knew exactly what to say and how to say it — until, of course, the subject changed to him. Then the understated gentleman suddenly develops writer's block. So with that in mind, rather than ask Verdi to sum up his Hall of Fame honor for readers who still remember him fondly, we enlisted some of the people he covered on his way to hockey immortality.
Verdi might kid you usually can't get this kind of coverage without a hearse and a eulogy. But each member of the hockey family was asked the same, simple question about sports journalism's living legend: What made Bob Verdi so good at what he did?
Scotty Bowman: "Bob is always capable of putting some humor into prose even if the story is quite serious. The manner he gains trust from star athletes is unique, thus he is so capable of capturing the moment. He is so confident in his abilities to get the right story and does it in such a correct and honest manner."
Chris Chelios: "No nonsense. He is going into the Hall of Fame because of how talented he is as a writer, but he also has an incredible knowledge of sports and always has been a great judge of character. I think he loves golf more than hockey. It's nice to see a member of the media always acting like such a professional get such deserved recognition. ... There are not many writers you can sit down with today and have a beer. You absolutely can with Bob. He loves Chicago."
Tony Esposito: "He was a confidant and we often went to dinner. Once Bob came to my house in Elmhurst for an article. He took his typewriter in my office to do it there. Said he needed 30 minutes. About three hours later, he finished. He was such a perfectionist. He threw in that little bit of humor too. As far as I'm concerned, he's in a class by himself."
Wayne Gretzky: "Bob was one of the first pro sportswriters I met, and I knew from day one how nice he was. What I didn't know at the time is that we would end up talking hockey, talking golf, playing golf together and having a lot of fun. When he covered golf, every year he sent me a golf shirt from the Masters — just a nice man who is well-deserving of the Hockey Hall of Fame."
Patrick Kane: "He's very personable with the players. When you're talking to Bob, it's not like you're doing an interview. It's more like a conversation with someone who can make you laugh and ask unique questions at the same time."
Steve Konroyd, former Hawks player and CSN analyst who named Verdi godfather to his five kids: "Bob writes what we think ... but we can't quite articulate the way he can. He's not afraid to poke fun at owners or star players because he pokes fun at himself. Bob has absolutely no ego and realizes the game is the thing.
"I once asked Bob if he ever had any regrets in life. He said one: that he never served his country in the military. He is fiercely loyal — to his country, to his friends, to his employers, to anyone he cares about."
John McDonough: "Subtle brilliance. Bob is enlightening with a unique and humorous perspective. He always respects the subject and the reader. He has a very calm approach that tends to relax the interviewee. Fairness and balance are two of his most admirable characteristics. He makes his point without a sledgehammer."
Eddie Olczyk: "There is mutual respect there that 'Verd' has earned. I remember being in a compromising spot, he would not jump to any conclusions. Instead, he would ask the proper questions. He has extreme knowledge of everything. When I talk to him, I hope he gets into his amazing ability to be a storyteller."
Bobby Orr: "He was one of the guys. We all loved Bob. He'd have dinner with us and go out but did his job as well as anybody. I don't know if I've ever seen anybody with more of a passion for what he did than Bob. He loved hockey more than anybody I've ever met."
Joel Quenneville: "Bob is very in tune to the situation, be it the mentality of the sport, the strategy of the game or how we go about our business. ... I enjoy when we are on the road and going out to the team bus before we play a big game, and Bob is standing there by the bus ready to go, smoking a cigar as calm as can be. He keeps it light and fun, just talking hockey, life or about the nice cigar he is smoking."
Denis Savard: "Bob is a great friend, an incredible person in many ways and his talent in writing is unbelievable. When I think of what makes him great at what he does, it is for sure his honesty. He is brutally honest but does it in the right way. It is also his sense of humor, generosity and loyalty. When I think about Bob's work, I think about how you always trusted him."
Jonathan Toews: "Bob is a great writer firstly because of the relationships he maintains with the players. He never intrudes and is respectful of the players' space. He's able to come up with his stories in a very relaxed conversation, and over time, he pretty much becomes a part of the stories he writes."


Thanks to Blagg’s trial being elsewhere, local media can mull over his case more openly. It’s helpful to step back and get some perspective because the players want to take the story down different rabbit holes.
One of the best ways to view the whole story online is to go to a “48 Hours” production from 2005 at https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dark-side-of-the-mesa-14-06-2005/.
Ask yourself, since a mysterious killer is such a long shot, why you would be motivated to kill your wife if your daughter wasn’t already dead?


Tom Brokaw, 72, was on the set of MSNBC’s Morning Joe when he claimed to feel light-headed. Acting in “an abundance of caution,” he was taken to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, NC. He was released hours later. Brokaw was in town to cover the Democratic National Convention as a special correspondent for NBC.
Tom Brokaw was previously an anchor and managing editor of the NBC Nightly News for 21 years. He also received the Edward R. Murrow Lifetime Achievement Award, the Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement and was inducted as a fellow into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
The correspondent has been involved in NBC’s presidential election coverage every cycle since 1968. Brokaw has also interviewed every president since Lyndon B. Johnson.
He is said to be in good spirits following his hospitalization.


Golden Globes nominee Mel Brooks arrives for the NBC Universal/Focus Features after-party following the 63rd Annual Golden Globe Awards on Monday, Jan. 16, 2006.
Patrick McGilligan's new biography, "Funny Man: Mel Brooks," seeks to undermine the cultivated image of the lovable, goofy uber-Jew who has worked in film, television, audio recordings and theater. He has earned an Oscar, four Emmys, three Tonys, three Grammys, a Kennedy Center Honor and a National Medal of the Arts. If one were to hold up these accolades as evidence of Brooks's genius, McGilligan's response might resemble the soundtrack from a certain vulgar scene in "Blazing Saddles."
The book's organizing principle is that Brooks is bifurcated, a Jekyll-and-Hyde-type being, comprising "Good Mel" and "Bad Mel." Good Mel, resembling Yogurt from "Spaceballs" - kindly and ever ready with a pun or an endearingly crude joke - is the public Mel. But Bad Mel - like the nasty, greedy and uncaring President Skroob - is most of Mel.
McGilligan distinguishes three phases in the comedian's life: pre-famous Mel, famous Mel and little old man (Lilolman!) Mel. Young Melvin Kaminsky was the innocent Good Mel. Making his widowed mother and older brothers laugh as a boy, he grows to idolize the Borscht Belt saxophonist and rising comedy star Sid Caesar as a late teen, becoming Caesar's personal jester, forever at his heel trying to make him laugh to gain validation. Adopting a truncated version of his mother's maiden name, Brookman, he becomes a mixture of vulnerability and tenacity, yearning for Caesar's approval so that he may glom onto his accelerating success.
At the end of the book, as a senior citizen, Good Mel again resurfaces. He ages into the 2,000-year-old man: a cute old Jew who reminisces and makes jokes that come across as innocuous, even in their occasional vulgarity.
But for the vast majority of McGilligan's telling, the Mel of the Mel Brooks brand is Bad Mel. And not just bad, but a new Jewish supervillan, the Incredible Schmuck, who, whenever anyone else receives credit or compensation for creative work, turns green with envy and rages in a destructive, often litigious fury that wrecks anything and anyone who gets in his way, friend or foe. Good Mel becomes a mere mask that Bad Mel could wear when trying to sway judges or woo potential investors.
McGilligan's cataloguing of the artistic, financial and personal atrocities of Bad Mel constitutes the main thrust of the telling of Brooks's life story. You do not come away from the book feeling like you have spent time with Mel Brooks. Rather, you feel like you were on a long car ride with Brooks's gossipy, catty accountant. In exploring a prolific figure in show business, we get lots of business and much less show.
Brooks has warts. From his serial womanizing during his first marriage and the shielding of his wealth during the divorce, to squabbles over on-screen credits and revenue from creative work, there are morally worrisome elements that should complicate our understanding of him. But McGilligan is so enthusiastic about the destructive aspects that the complexity becomes caricature. We are regaled with many instances of Brooks craving more money and credit than he deserves, obliterating those who labored beside him and were forced to survive his violent, cutting outbursts.
The minimal descriptions of his caring thereby seem peculiar. "Brooks could surprise people with behavior that seemed the opposite of his reputation: sudden sensitivity or gestures of extravagant generosity." McGilligan describes one such act, when Brooks found a small role in "Spaceballs" for an actor who otherwise would not have met his annual minimum earnings for union-provided health insurance for his family. The actor, Ted Sorel, wrote a letter to the Los Angeles Times saying, "When I mentioned this thoughtfulness to one of Brooks' associates on the movie, he remarked that I was one of many remembered with similar favors." Yet the few examples of thoughtfulness sit oddly among an overwhelming abundance of stories showing, as McGilligan puts it, "Rude Crude Mel with cruel quips or verbal assaults on people."
And if there is not evidence of wrongdoing, innuendo will suffice. "Had Brooks ended the trifling and womanizing that helped poison his first marriage? ... He had a reputation among Hollywood insiders for having a 'zipper problem,' in the words of one associate, who traveled with him. But was it a real 'zipper problem' or just the whispering of detractors?" We are told that "Brooks and [wife Anne] Bancroft enjoyed the image of a perfect couple, the parents of a happy family, spouses who might bicker, might quarrel, but always ended up in each other's arms. In an industry that manufactured pleasant fakery, they seemed the romantic ideal." But were they really? Either way, McGilligan provides us with the whispers.
There is some of what Brooks's fans would hope for in a biography, the sort of behind-the-scenes insights that provide us with background into the bits and characters that have become so beloved. We meet the real-life model for the character Max Bialystock. We see the connection between Brooks's early love of the comedic song-and-dance team the Ritz Brothers and the performance of "Puttin' on the Ritz" in "Young Frankenstein."
We are told of the squeezing out of co-writer Richard Pryor from the cast of "Blazing Saddles." Brooks had fought to have him placed in the role of Sheriff Bart, but the studio's concerns about his reliability eliminated him from consideration. While devoted Brooks fans may recognize some of these tidbits, there are enough new trivia nuggets that most readers will come away with something they did not know before.
For those who want an in-depth account of Mel Brooks, the ruthless businessman, "Funny Man" is for you. For those who want a genuine funny book about the man, you'll feel more like you were ruthlessly given the business.
Steven Gimbel is the author of "Isn't That Clever: A Philosophy of Humor and Comedy" and a professor of Judaic studies and philosophy at Gettysburg College.


The Raiders took two offensive tackles in the draft and that make the competition for spots on the 53-man roster tighter at the position in the coming months.
That could be bad news for Vadal Alexander, who didn’t do anything to help his chances of making the team again this year by getting suspended. The team announced that Alexander has been suspended for the first four games of the regular season for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.
Alexander, a 2016 seventh-round pick, played 24 games and made nine starts for the Raiders the last two years.
Alexander is able to practice with the team this offseason and play in the preseason before starting his suspension. He will be eligible to return to the roster after a September 30 game against the Browns.
There’s your A-typical Raider and I’m sure Gruden encourages this kind of Activity.
The only thing you should be SURE about is that you’re an idiot.
HOW BOUT DEM RAIDERS! A new day and new scandal. Nobody does it better!
Was a fan of this team most of my life and they don’t make it easy anymore to hang in there.
This team is a clown show. Look at your drafts, your trades, your free agency? No character whatsoever, only rap sheets. And you wonder why you haven’t won a playoff game in a million years.
Alexander performed very poorly in his starts with the Raiders so his suspension is no loss as far as I’m concerned.
I’m not too impressed by the 2 OTs that the Raiders just drafted but I have to think that they’re an improvement over Alexander. And if the Raiders have any common sense, they’ll get rid of Penn too.
Some of the “experts” were second guessing the Raiders for drafting those two elite young tackles, but it’s funny, I haven’t heard any chirping this morning. Raiders fans, just sit back and relax and enjoy the next decade. As time goes on, it’s going to become clear that Mark Davis knew what he was doing when he handed the keys to the Raiders to Jon Gruden.


A 2-way SMP server designed to accommodate Intel dual-core Xeon processors, the PowerEdge 1950 sits at the top of Dell’s 1U rack-mount range. It’s not a particularly expandable solution — there simply isn’t room for lots of adapters or disks — but that hasn’t stopped Dell’s designers cramming a lot in to create a server that can be used for a variety of purposes.
The PE 1950 is very solid and well built. No special tools are needed to install or service it, and the whole of the top lifts off for access. A sliding rail kit can be supplied as an optional extra and there’s a lockable front bezel to prevent unauthorised tampering and stop the server being switched off accidentally. You can also specify a second, redundant, power supply if required.
The Intel motherboard takes up only a fraction of the space inside the chassis, with two prominent sockets for the 64-bit Xeon processors. The review system came with Woodcrest chips fitted (now referred to as the Xeon 5000 and 5100 series), which are both faster and more energy-efficient than earlier Intel dual-core designs. However, the amount of power you’ll have on tap will depend on the processors chosen, as will the price you’ll have to pay.
Dual-core prices continue to fall as new designs are introduced and quad-core products are released. Our review sample, for example, had a pair of mid-range Xeon 5140 chips, clocked at 2.33GHz with a 1,333MHz frontside bus (FSB). You can also specify the much faster (3GHz) 5160 chips, although this will add an extra £1,090 (ex. VAT) to the price. At the other end of the scale are the Xeon 5050 processors, also clocked at 3GHz but with a 667MHz FSB, which will save £470 (ex. VAT) compared to our review setup. Dell has also recently added quad-core Xeons as an option.
Of course you could start with one processor and add another later as needed, but with such a huge range of options and prices it’s worth getting some expert advice. A low-cost configuration with one processor, for example, will probably be more than adequate for basic file and print sharing, but processor performance can have a big impact when it comes to clustering and application hosting. It’s also worth bearing in mind that processors need to be matched, and if you don’t order what you want up front you could encounter difficulties when upgrading later on. This perhaps explains why very few 2-way purchases are ever beefed up with a second processor.
Memory can also have a big effect, both on your wallet and what you can do with the server. There are eight DIMM sockets on the PE 1950, which can accommodate up to 32GB of DDR2, fully buffered, DRAM with optional memory sparing and mirroring capabilities for those looking for maximum reliability. You can start with as little as 256MB, but ours had a more reasonable 4GB — more than enough for file sharing and a decent amount if you're hosting an intranet server or a small company email system. If you go for a full 32GB of RAM, however, you’ll need deep pockets: you’ll have to stump up just under £20,000 (ex. VAT) on top of the price quoted here.
There are yet more options when it comes to storage, starting with a choice between standard 3.5in. internal hard disks or small 2.5in. notebook-format drives. With 3.5in. drives the limit is just two, using either Serial ATA (SATA) or Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) connectivity. The SATA disks can hold up to 750GB each, while the biggest SAS drive is limited to 300GB. If you opt for smaller 2.5in. drives, SAS is your only choice, at a mere 73GB per disk; however, you can cram four 2.5in. disks into the case, as on our review system.
Our review server also came with a basic integrated RAID controller, although more advanced plug-in RAID adapters are optionally available. You can also specify a TCP offload engine (TOE) to be enabled as an option on the integrated Gigabit Ethernet network interface, which would be valuable when connecting the server to an iSCSI SAN.
Further expansion is via plug-in adapters: riser cards provide either two x8 lane PCI-Express slots or a pair of 64-bit 133MHz PCI-X connectors.
On the software front, Dell will factory-install Windows Server 2003, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 ES or SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10. Finally, you get the usual integrated remote management controller plus additional out-of-band management options.


The spat over Arizona's new immigration law expanded Tuesday as a state official dared Los Angeles to follow through on its new boycott by agreeing to give up the 25 percent of electricity the city gets from Arizona sources.
In a letter to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Arizona Corporation Commissioner Gary Pierce said a boycott war is bad for both sides, and said he would "be happy to encourage Arizona utilities to renegotiate your power agreements" to end the electricity flowing to Los Angeles.
"I am confident that Arizona's utilities would be happy to take those electrons off your hands," Mr. Pierce said. "If, however, you find that the City Council lacks the strength of its convictions to turn off the lights in Los Angeles and boycott Arizona power, please reconsider the wisdom of attempting to harm Arizona's economy."
Los Angeles City Council voted overwhelmingly last week to adopt a boycott of Arizona businesses — at least in instances where it wouldn't impose a significant economic cost to the city.
Arizona's law requires police to ask for proof of legal residence from anyone they reasonably suspect to be in the country illegally. In most cases, a driver's license is sufficient to comply, and the law prohibits using race or ethnicity as a reason for suspicion.
Nonetheless, critics say they expect the measure to spark racial profiling.
Civil rights and Hispanic groups have sued to try to block the law, and the Obama administration is reviewing the legislation to see if it violates civil rights laws.
The law goes into effect in July, but already a number of municipalities have condemned or announced boycotts of Arizona. Mr. Villaraigosa said his city's boycott was intended to hurt the Arizona economy.
Mr. Pierce, the Arizona official, said in his letter to Mr. Villaraigosa that this was a poor path to trod.
"I received your message; please receive mine," he said.
A message left with the Mr. Villaraigosa's office was not returned.
But Mr. Villaraigosa offered his own tongue-in-cheek challenge to Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon this week in a bet over the NBA playoff series between the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns.
Mr. Villaraigosa said if Phoenix wins, Los Angeles will have to accept Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, a fierce opponent of illegal immigration. If the Lakers win, Mr. Villaraigosa said Phoenix will have to accept Steve Poizner and Meg Whitman, two Republicans battling for the GOP's gubernatorial nomination in California, where illegal immigration is a major issue.


The National Weather Service says Tuesday through Thursday, about a half-an-inch of rain is expected in the valley with an inch or so of rain in the foothills.
Mike Smith with the Weather Service in Sacramento says there's also a chance of thunderstorms and even a tornado.
"This is probably a pretty normal winter storm for a normal season, so it's not going to help a whole lot; it's just one system," says Smith. "The good news is, we do have more on the way. We're expecting more rain coming up this weekend and then possibly some more even going into next week."
He says the region is still a long way from normal when it comes to precipitation - but there's positive news in the forecast.
Smith says the storm is also likely to bring a foot or two of snow to the Sierra. He says gusty winds are possible, and there's a winter storm warning in effect from 3 p.m. today through Thursday morning.


Air travel experts estimate that as many as 1,500 private jets will be coming and going from a Swiss Ski resort hosting the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, the Guardian reports. In addition to the sheer volume of the costly and fuel-hungry aircraft, the jets themselves appear to be bigger and more expensive than those used in past years.
The increasing use of private jets is drawing particular scrutiny this year, as the forum’s global risk report lists environmental concerns — including failure to address climate change — as the number one threat to the global economy. Jet travel has been identified as a substantial contributor to climate change, per Deutsche Welle.
Many eyes are presently on this gathering of global leaders as they consider options to preserve the environment.
Although leaders have prioritized further discussion of environmental issues as a central part of the event, this concern has not yet carried over to travel plans, generally speaking.
Another potential contributor to the higher volume of jets is the increasing trend of “jet-sharing” services — services which allow individuals to purchase partial shares in shared aircraft, meaning that private jet travel is no longer a luxury only available for the ultra rich. For an even lower cost option, subscriptions can also be purchased, providing access to private travel without an ownership stake.
In any case, climate scientists and advocates continue to monitor the words and actions of conference attendees, whose support — or lack thereof — could substantially influence the trajectory of global climate issues in the years to come.
“What we do now, and in the next few years, will profoundly affect the next few thousand years,” said Attenborough.


The company has raised over $64 million since it emerged from the MIT Human Dynamics Lab back in 2007 trying to use the artificial intelligence technology available at the time to understand sentiment and apply it in a business context.
While it took some time for the technology to catch up with the vision, and find the right use case, company CEO and founder Joshua Feast says today they are helping customer service representatives understand the sentiment and emotional context of the person on the line and give them behavioral cues on how to proceed.
“We sell software to very large software, premium brands with many thousands of people in contact centers. The purpose of our solution is to help provide a really wonderful service experience in moments of truth,” he explained. Anyone who deals with a large company’s customer service has likely felt there is sometimes a disconnect between the person on the phone and their ability to understand your predicament and solve your problem.
Cogito in action giving customer service reps real-time feedback.
He says using his company’s solution, which analyzes the contents of the call in real time, and provides relevant feedback, the goal is to not just complete the service call, but to leave the customer feeling good about the brand and the experience. Certainly a bad experience can have the opposite effect.
He wants to use technology to make the experience a more human interaction and he recognizes that as an organization grows, layers of business process make it harder for the customer service representative to convey that humanity. Feast believes that technology has helped create this problem and it can help solve it too.
While the company is not talking about valuation or specific revenue at this point, Feast reports that revenue has grown 3X over the last year. Among their customers are Humana and Metlife, two large insurance companies, each with thousands of customer service agents.
Cogito is based in downtown Boston with 117 employees at last count, and of course they hope to use the money to add on to that number and help scale this vision further.
“This is about scaling our organization to meet client’s needs. It’s also about deepening what we do. In a lot of ways, we are only scratching the surface [of the underlying technology] in terms of how we can use AI to support emotional connections and help organizations be more human,” Feast said.


PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles and Nick Foles have agreed to a reworked contract that gives the Super Bowl MVP and projected 2018 backup a reward for his outstanding postseason and allows him to pursue free agency prior to the 2019 campaign, according to NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo.
In addition to a $2 million signing bonus for the upcoming season, the new deal contains a mutual option for the 2019 season. That gives Foles the chance to become a free agent, but if both parties agree to it, the new deal also would potentially let him come back to Philly if he didn’t find a new home elsewhere.
The reworked contract does not reflect any change in the status of starter Carson Wentz, who is working his way back from a torn ACL injury he suffered in Week 13. Foles famously took over for Wentz and led the Eagles to their first Super Bowl championship.
Wentz and team officials told reporters this week that he is still projected to be back in the lineup by the start of the regular season.
Foles' deal was about hooking him up after his performance in the postseason. It is not a reflection of the team's feeling on Wentz's recovery. They remain confident he's working his way back.


Some environmentalists are concerned it doesn't go far enough.
BEND, Ore. (AP) -- A proposed statewide rule would curb the use of a controversial weedkiller linked to the death of more than a thousand trees near Sisters, but some environmentalists are concerned it doesn't go far enough.
The Bulletin reports that the Oregon Department of Agriculture released a proposed rule Wednesday that significantly limits where herbicides containing aminocyclopyrachlor, the main active ingredient in the product that killed trees northwest of Sisters, may be used in Oregon.
The rule, which could be in effect by spring, would prohibit using the chemical in wildlife management areas, swamps, canals, sage grouse habitat and many other natural environments, while maintaining temporary restrictions on use in right-of-ways for roads, highways, railroad tracks, bike paths and more.
If approved, Oregon will be the first state on the West Coast to restrict the use of ACP statewide.