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OAKLAND, Calif. — One message on the web forum asked neighbors to be on the lookout for “two young African-Americans, slim, baggy pants, early 20s.” Another warned of a “light-skinned black female” walking her dog and talking on her cellphone. “I don’t recognize her,” the post read. “Has anyone described any suspect of crime like her?” These postings appeared on the Oakland forums of Nextdoor.com, a website intended to be a virtual neighborhood hangout for the tens of thousands of neighborhoods and hundreds of local police departments that use it to communicate with residents. The site’s chief executive and co-founder, Nirav Tolia, describes it as a place to find a babysitter, a plumber or a missing cat, and to have a “kind of ‘Leave It to Beaver’ chatter.” But people also use it to report suspected crimes. And as Nextdoor has grown, users have complained that it has become a magnet for racial profiling, leading African-American and Latino residents to be seen as suspects in their own neighborhoods. In response to the complaints, the company has begun testing ways to prevent these kinds of postings.

Donald Trump. (Lucas Jackson/Reuters) This story has been updated. In an interview with Reuters on Tuesday, likely Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump made what appeared to be some of his most extensive comments yet about international climate change negotiations. In particular, Trump said he didn’t like the Paris climate agreement, recently signed by 175 countries, including the United States, and would either renegotiate it or do something more than that. “I will be looking at that very, very seriously, and at a minimum I will be renegotiating those agreements, at a minimum. And at a maximum I may do something else,” Trump told Reuters. “But those agreements are one-sided agreements and they are bad for the United States.” [U.S. and 170 other nations sign historic climate agreement] The main reason given, in the Reuters story about the interview, was that Trump didn’t believe other countries would comply with what Paris requires. “Not a big fan because other countries don’t adhere to it, and China doesn’t adhere to it, and China’s spewing into the atmosphere,” he said. While the White House press secretary Josh Earnest dismissed the remarks Wednesday — “I don’t know if there’s anyone losing sleep here at the White House,” he said at a press briefing regarding Trump’s plans — environmental groups quickly denounced the statements. However, Trump’s words in many ways appear less a rehash of Trump’s overall climate change skepticism and more just baffling. Consider some of the things that don’t make much sense about what Trump appears to be saying, in light of what the Paris agreement actually is and how it works. [Trump: ‘I’m not a big believer in man-made climate change’] Trump suggests the agreement is “one-sided” or “bad” for the United States. It’s not entirely clear why he thinks that, but if the implication is that it imposes something on us from outside, that isn’t how the agreement works. Under Paris, each country makes its own individual commitments to reduce emissions. The United States sets its own targets, in pledges made to the United Nations, and like every other country, it is supposed to increase them over time. Thus, in the end, the United States does as much as it can or wants to under Paris. In fairness, the agreement certainly does assume that all countries are earnestly committed to cutting emissions. The current U.S. pledge, to reduce emissions 26 percent to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025, is fairly ambitious, and without such a pledge by the world’s second largest emitter, the Paris agreement would have been harder to reach. Equally surprising is Trump’s assertion that China “doesn’t adhere” to the Paris agreement. [As the planet flashes warning signs, U.S. and China pledge hasty signing of climate accord] China’s commitments, too, are self-generated under the agreement, but no less significant for that reason. Getting on the same page with the world’s top emitter, as President Obama did in late 2014, was key to setting the world on the road to achieving Paris. And if China did balk at those commitments — a commitment, principally, to have its greenhouse gas emissions peak by 2030 and to “make best efforts to peak early” — that would pose a problem just like any balking by the United States would. For the agreement to work, countries individually must live up to what they say they’re going to do — which then gives the entire agreement credibility in the eyes of its many parties. That’s the nature of the Paris game. And there will be many tests ahead to see whether this all works as intended. But we don’t really have any reason to think China isn’t serious about the Paris accord. If anything, there is evidence suggesting that China could have its emissions peak, and start reducing them, well before 2030. The country is striving to burn less coal and increase the production of renewable electricity, and also to electrify transportation. [Apple’s big bet on China is also a bet on driverless cars] It is, in fact, leading the world in both areas. Last year China invested more than any other country — and twice as much as the United States — in clean energy, at $ 110.5 billion, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. And more plug-in electric vehicles were sold in China last year than in any other country. Most of all, though, the problem with Trump’s statement it that it isn’t clear what renegotiating the Paris agreement would even mean, or look like. The agreement is the result of a multi-year process under the United Nations’ Framework Convention on Climate Change, and one that 195 countries already agreed to after assembling their negotiators in Paris in an enormous, long-planned event. You don’t just suddenly pull them all back into a room and require changes. Indeed, if ongoing ratification efforts move fast enough, it’s possible that the agreement could come into force this year, binding a future hypothetical president Trump to comply with it. Even if he wanted to, Trump then couldn’t completely withdraw, once the agreement is in force, for four years. [Obama’s rapid move to join the Paris climate agreement could tie up the next president] “Countries gave considerable thought in Paris to creating a durable agreement that would outlive occasional lapses in political will,” Nigel Purvis, the president and chief executive of Climate Advisers, said in an April interview with The Washington Post. Among all these hurdles to renegotiating the Paris agreement, there’s also this: Trump would be negotiating with, among others, Patricia Espinosa, the new executive secretary of the United Nations’ Framework Convention on Climate Change. Espinosa was previously the minister of foreign affairs for Mexico under then-President Felipe Calderón, who has slammed Trump for his pledge to build a “huge” wall on the Mexican border and make the Mexican government pay for it. Calderón said of Trump: “We won’t pay a single cent for that stupid wall. It’s pathetic. . . . Trump is completely demagogical.”

Appearance and function match the final product, but is made with different manufacturing methods. Looks like the final product, but is not functional. Demonstrates the functionality of the final product, but looks different. A prototype is a preliminary model of something. Projects that offer physical products need to show backers documentation of a working prototype. This gallery features photos, videos, and other visual documentation that will give backers a sense of what’s been accomplished so far and what’s left to do. Though the development process can vary for each project, these are the stages we typically see: 中文頁面 | 中文教學 | 分享給朋友 We even had the privilege to make a custom SketchyNotebook for our favorite company, Dropbox. By Kai Ng, Concept Artist / LiK Studios By Kai Ng, Concept Artist / LiK Studios By Min Chi, CoMaker SketchyNotebook is designed to be a minimalist notebook. It has all the little details that make for a quality notebook, with the addition unique template designs stored in the expandable back pocket if you need them. Like most artists, when I have an idea I just want to quickly put it down on paper so I won't forget it. Sometimes I just want to doodle, sometimes I want to do mockups for websites, and other times I want to sketch up iPhone apps or just write down ideas. Sure, there are preprinted template notebooks out there with grids, dots and lines, but all the printed lines and grids distract me and make it difficult to get my idea down exactly as I envision it. Preprinted lines or templates on the page inhibit my freedom and my creativity, so I can't use those as an everyday notebook. Bottom line is this: I just love blank page paper but I also like having guidelines for structure. What if I can just take the qualities that I need from both worlds and get rid of everything else? 180° Flat When Open Designed to open flat no matter what page you’re on. Premium Paper A full 240 pages of 80 gsm acid-free blank paper. We have narrowed down from hundreds of different types of paper to bring you the best results. You can use ink pens, fountain pens, color markers, and permanent markers with no bleed through. Removable Pages Ready to share your sketches? You can tear off any page - perfect for pinning an idea on a wall or brainstorming with co-workers! Expandable Smart Pocket The easy storage pocket in the back of the notebook allows you to store your templates right in the notebook. It's also expandable to fit all types of flat items. Store what you need -- whether it’s the included templates, business cards, or loose leaf notes. Hard Cover Each of our notebooks is hardcover with a faux leather finish (choice of black or white). An elastic band holds the notebook closed when not in use. Quality Templates All templates are double-sided and waterproof, made out of PVC with UV print on top . Durable and easy to clean, each template is only 0.35mm thick and it fits perfectly underneath the notebook page. Professional Templates The idea behind SketchyNotebook is to keep a blank canvas open for creativity, but still have the guidelines there on paper when you need it. Each SketchyNotebook comes with Basic Template Pack (Narrow / Wide Lined & Grid / Isometric Grid). The PRO version offers more detail and more template designs for hard-core designers like you! Basic Pack Grid / Isometric Narrow Lined / Wide Lined Every SketchyNotebook will come with the Basic Pack templates. This is great for graphic designers and journalist to draw technical drawings or just writings. The lined now offers 2 different heights depending on your hand-writing style. Creative Pack Perspective Grid Calligraphy Grid Storyboard The storyboard template can also be used as sketching for Keynote or Powerpoint presentation. The Perspective Grid is extremely useful for any spatial design. With Calligraphy Grid, your calligraphy will look stunning once you remove the template behind it. Startup Pack iPhone Mockup Responsive Web Design Grid Smart Wearable Mockup The Responsive Web Grid offers the most commonly used grid style, so you can quickly sketch the mockup with web view, tablet view and mobile view. Fashion Pack Men Figure Women Figure Shoe Mockup For you fashion designers out there, you can start sketching instantly without worrying about the proportion. The poses are all different, so you can choose which ever you prefer. This is also great if you want to make your model disproportional depending on your drawing style. What's New and Improved? After getting feedback and continually making improvements over the past SketchyNotebook, we now have the New SketchyNotebook Series with a total of 3 notebook sizes and a wider template selection. Rounded corners to protect the notebook and improve durability Total of 3 notebook sizes: A6 , A5 and Letter , and Improved built-in expandable pocket to store templates with more storage to store templates with more storage Templates are 30% thinner with the same durability with the same durability Improved quality of binding for pages quality of for pages Wider selection of templates Thicker elastic band to hold the notebook closed All templates sized to fit notebook better Special Thanks We would love to thank our family, friends, and everyone who has helped along the journey. Their feedback, support, and positive encouragement has been incredibly inspiring. Do you want to give a product review too? We're always happy to work with fellow creatives. If you're a blogger or designer who wants to give us a try, please contact us below: info@sketchynotebook.com You can also find us here: facebook.com/SketchyNotebook twitter.com/SketchyNotebook instagram.com/SketchyNotebook Why Kickstarter? Kickstarter is where it all started. I really want to thank all my previous supporters for turning my idea of SketchyNotebook into a reality! Now after getting additional feedback and making improvements, I need your help to launch the second production run. It will cover the costs of manufacturing and production for the improved SketchyNotebook Series. Our goal is to help creatives increase productivity and inspire others. Kickstarter is the perfect platform to make it all happen.

national Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi addressed a workers' meet at Malad on Friday; turns out, some who attended, came only for the goodies Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi began his speech with 'Til gul ghya, god, god bola,' (Have tilgul, talk sweetly) the traditional greeting on Makar Sankrant, at Malad on Friday. While his speech saw a huge crowd, it seems some had gathered because they had allegedly been sweet-talked into attending and given promises of what they would get if they did. mid-day spoke to a number of people at the event. While some said that they were promised R100, one said that she was given biryani before the event. Some residents of Kandivli’s Damu Nagar who had lost their homes to the fire said that corporator Ajanta Yadav had promised them houses. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi arrives to address a workers’ meet at Malad yesterday. The Congress leader arrived more or less on time, but had to wait while other leaders gave their speeches Also Read: Rahul Gandhi's Mumbai padyatra over power tariff hike evokes good response Makar Sankrant was unusually busy for Malad this year as the Congress had organised a karyakarta melava (workers’ meet), to be addressed by Gandhi at the St Joseph’s School ground. A moderately sized school ground, it had the stage at its far end and a shamiana for the audience. All routes to the ground were decorated with Congress posters and banners. The police, as well as traffic police, were having a busy time controlling the situation as people thronged the gates in large groups. Inside the shamiana, people were given vada-pav and packaged water since they had been waiting for hours. The crowds largely consisted of people from the Malad, Kandivli, Charkop areas, including Malwani, Congress MLA Aslam Shaikh’s stronghold. Sanjay Nirupam, Kripashankar Singh, Priya Dutt were also present for the meeting. Also Read: Rahul Gandhi blasts RSS, BJP's 'rigid thinking' Gandhi sat next to the AICC secretary, Sanjay Nirupam. Nirupam passed him a chit with “Til gul ghya, god, god bola,” (Have tilgul, speak sweetly) the traditional Marathi greeting on Makar Sankrant, written on it. Gandhi used it in the beginning of his speech, to the delight of the crowds. He said, “I am going to take this phrase back with me to Delhi. And whenever Congressmen fight amongst themselves, I will say this to them.” Pics/Sayyed Sameer Abedi Also Read: Start ups and intolerance can't go together, says Rahul Gandhi The event started more or less on time. Gandhi’s convoy arrived at the venue around 2.20 pm, but since other leaders gave elaborate speeches, Rahul, dressed in his trademark white kurta, stood up to speak only around 3 pm. Starting off with “Til gul ghya, god god bola,” Gandhi tried to reach out to the masses. People instantly cheered and some shouted slogans like “Rahul Gandhi ki jai”. His speech ended in less than 30 minutes and he made a swift exit. Chetna Kadam claimed she was promised Rs 100 if she attended the speech Promises This reporter chatted with several people from the audience and there emerged shocking details of how the party had allegedly got them to attend the event. Money, food, houses...there was no end to the things allegedly promised to get people to come and join the meeting on a hot afternoon. Mahmooda said Indira Gandhi’s son Sanjay Gandhi was coming Chetna Kadam and Lata Joshi, seated in the back row, said, “We have been promised Rs 100 by her (Neelam Mhatre) for attending. Otherwise, why would we leave our household chores?” Both are residents of Charkop and had reached the venue around 1 pm. “Today is the day of Sankrant. We were supposed to do puja in the house. The programme was supposed to start at 1 that is why I couldn’t even do puja properly and rushed here. A lot of housework is remaining.” When asked who promised them money, Joshi said that Mhatre promised it to them, and that it will be delivered to their houses soon. “You also contact the person (from Congress), you will also get it,” she said. Hamida said they were given biryani to attend (right) Kastura of Damu Nagar said they were promised houses Homes for all There were a large number of people from Kandivli’s Damu Nagar attending the event. This is the area where a major fire ravaged 2,000 shanties last month. Kastura, a resident who had lost her house in the fire said they had been promised houses by local corporator Ajanta Yadav. “Yadav has called all of us here. She arranged buses for us. Do bus bhar ke log aaye hai, (Two buses full of people arrived)” she told mid-day. Kastura and people like her were allegedly given passes by Yadav along with transportation. “I have come here for a house. Yadav said we would be given houses.” When asked how big the houses would be, where and when they would get them, she said she did not know. Even Alka Vidyadhar, another resident of Damu Nagar, said they had been promised houses by Yadav. “I lost Rs 80,000 in the fire. I had my shanty there and that was the day we all had got our salaries. Fridge, TV, cash... everything got burnt. Right now we are living there (in another shanty). Today, we have been brought here in luxury buses,” she said. Shakeela, another resident said that they were promised breakfast. “Pata nahin kya milega,” she said. Biryani treat Hamida, a resident of Ambulwadi in Malwani, had been waiting in the crowd for about two hours before Rahul Gandhi arrived. Dressed in a burkha, she said, “Aslam’s (Shaikh) men have been coming to our area for 3-4 days and registering us for the event. They gave us passes and even arranged a bus for us. Today morning, we were given biryani,” she said. “I don’t know if we’ll get anything in the evening as well.” Sanjay Gandhi? Mehmooda, a resident of Malwani unit no.8, was sitting in one of the front rows with her daughter. In a reply that said a lot about the sorry state of affairs in the country, when asked who is coming for the event, she said Indira Gandhi’s son Sanjay is coming. When asked why she was attending the event, she said their local Congress people asked them to come. They had not been offered anything.

‘Notorious B.I.G.’ Name and Likeness Rights Sold to Marketing Company Written by Tyler Hakes. Published: the_date('l, F j, Y'); ?>. Biggie’s name gets hocked. Expected outcome: Huge number of products bearing his name and image. According to a report from Undercover.fm, the rights to the name and likeness of the late Biggie Smalls has been handed over to a specialty marketing company and will be turned into a range of new products. The estate of Christopher Wallace (Notorious B.I.G.) have apparently struck a deal with a large marketing company which allows them to create products with Christopher’s name and likeness. Although there isn’t any information on who was involved in the decision, it is reported that trustees for the estate include Biggie’s former wife, Faith Evans, and his mother, Voletta Wallace. Brand Sense Partners, the company names in the report, boasts relationships with past and present celebrities such as Chuck Norris, Brittney Spears, Jimi Hendrix and Halle Berry. The explain their relationship with these “brands”, by saying that they have the, “ability to consistently identify and unlock hidden value, allowing clients to maximize brand equity and growth.” Undercover.fm reports that the line of Biggie products will be managed by Teresa Brown, who currently manages products from Albert Einstein and Steve McQueen. Wayne Barrow, who formerly served as Notorious B.I.G.’s manager and now works as an advisor to Voletta Wallace is quoted as saying, “The family and I are excited to move forward with the exceptional team at [Brand Sense Partners]. Their understanding of Christopher’s cultural impact, as well as their vision for our brand mission made them the best partner possible for the task. We look forward to working hand in hand with them to build on Christopher’s unique legacy.” It’s unclear at this time when and what products should be expected to come from the deal. Get The Latest More Culture Comments

Untangling Evented Code with Ruby Fibers Event-driven programming requires a mind-shift in how you architect the program, and oftentimes directly affects the choice of language, drivers, and even frameworks you can use. Most commonly found in highly interactive applications (GUI, network servers, etc), it usually implements the reactor pattern to handle concurrency in favor of threads: the “reactor” is a main loop which is responsible for receiving all inbound events (network IO, filesystem, IPC, etc) and demultiplexing them to appropriate handlers or callbacks. Turns out, the reactor pattern performs extremely well under heavy loads (C10K challenge), hence the continuous rise in adoption (Nginx, Beanstalkd, EventMachine, Twisted, Node.js), but it does have its downsides: it requires reactor-aware libraries, still relies on background processing capabilities for long running computations, and last but not least, once you have nested several callbacks, it results in much more complicated code. Functional purists will disagree with the last statement – after all, we all love JavaScript, and node.js is the new hot thing on the block – but what if we could write event driven code without the added complexity imposed by hundreds of nested callbacks? Accidental Complexity of Event-Driven Code Anyone who has written a non-trivial event driven application will be familiar with the following pattern: you often start reading your code bottom-up and then navigate your way up the callback chain. In addition, since there is no single execution context, each callback requires its own nested exception handling, which adds to the complexity - debugging is non-trivial, to say the least. Of course, this is usually not too bad in a context of a simple demo, but it also quickly spirals out of control. EventMachine . run { page = EventMachine :: HttpRequest . new ( 'http://google.ca/' ) . get page . errback { p "Google is down! terminate?" } page . callback { about = EventMachine :: HttpRequest . new ( 'http://google.ca/search?q=eventmachine' ) . get about . callback { # callback nesting, ad infinitum } about . errback { # error-handling code } } } Call me old-fashioned, but I much prefer the if-then-else control flow, with top-down execution and code I can actually read without callback gymnastics. And as luck would have it, turns out these are not inconsistent requirements in Ruby 1.9. With the introduction of Fibers, our applications can do fully-cooperative scheduling (worth a re-read to make sense of the rest), which with a little extra work also means that we can abstract much of the complexity of event driven programming while maintaining all of its benefits! Fibers & EventMachine: under the hood Ruby 1.9 Fibers are a means of creating code blocks which can be paused and resumed by our application (think lightweight threads, minus the thread scheduler and less overhead). Each fiber comes with a small 4KB stack, which makes them cheap to spin up, pause and resume. Best of all, a fiber can yield the control and wait until someone else resumes it. I bet you see where we're going: start an async operation, yield the fiber, and then make the callback resume the fiber once the operation is complete. Let's wrap our async em-http client as an example: def http_get ( url ) f = Fiber . current http = EventMachine :: HttpRequest . new ( url ) . get # resume fiber once http call is done http . callback { f . resume ( http ) } http . errback { f . resume ( http ) } return Fiber . yield end EventMachine . run do Fiber . new { page = http_get ( 'http://www.google.com/' ) puts "Fetched page: #{ page . response_header . status } " if page page = http_get ( 'http://www.google.com/search?q=eventmachine' ) puts "Fetched page 2: #{ page . response_header . status } " end } . resume end First thing to notice is that we are now executing our asynchronous code within a fiber (Fiber.new{}.resume), and our http_get method sets up the call, assigns the callbacks and then immediately yields control as it tries to return from the function. From there, EventMachine takes over, fetches the data in the background, and then calls the callback method, which in turn resumes our fiber, passing it the actual response. A little bit of fiber gymnastics, but it means that our original code with nested callbacks can now be unwound into a regular top-down execution context with if-then-else control flow. Not bad! EM-Synchrony: Evented Code With Less Pain Of course, we wouldn't gain much if the net effect of introducing fibers into our event driven code was swapping callbacks for fiber gymnastics. Thankfully, we can do better because much of the underlying implementation can be easily abstracted at the level of the driver. Let's take a look at our new helper library, em-synchrony: EventMachine . synchrony do page = EventMachine :: HttpRequest . new ( "http://www.google.com" ) . get p "No callbacks! Fetched page: #{ page } " EventMachine . stop end Instead of invoking the default EM.run block, we call EM.synchrony, which in turn wraps our execution into a Ruby fiber behind the scenes. From there, the library also provides ready-made, fiber aware classes for some of the most common use cases (http: em-http-request, mysql: em-mysqlplus, and memcached: remcached), as well as, a fiber aware connection pool, iterator for concurrency control, and a multi-request interface. Let's take a look at an example which flexes all of the above: EM . synchrony do # open 4 concurrent MySQL connections db = EventMachine :: Synchrony :: ConnectionPool . new ( size : 4 ) do EventMachine :: MySQL . new ( host : "localhost" ) end # perform 4 http requests in parallel, and collect responses multi = EventMachine :: Synchrony :: Multi . new multi . add :page1 , EventMachine :: HttpRequest . new ( "http://service.com/page1" ) . aget multi . add :page2 , EventMachine :: HttpRequest . new ( "http://service.com/page2" ) . aget multi . add :page3 , EventMachine :: HttpRequest . new ( "http://service.com/page3" ) . aget multi . add :page4 , EventMachine :: HttpRequest . new ( "http://service.com/page4" ) . aget data = multi . perform . responses [ :callback ]. values # insert fetched HTTP data into a mysql database, using at most 2 connections at a time # - note that we're writing async code within the iterator! EM :: Synchrony :: Iterator . new ( data , 2 ) . each do | page , iter | db . aquery ( "INSERT INTO table (data) VALUES( #{ page } );" ) db . callback { iter . return ( db ) } end puts "All done! Stopping event loop." EventMachine . stop end Synchrony implements a common pattern: original asynchronous methods which return a deferrable object are aliased with "a" prefix (.get becomes .aget, .query becomes .aquery) to indicate that they are asynchronous, and the fiber aware methods take their place as the defaults. This way, you can still mix sync and async code all in the same context (within an iterator, for example). For more examples of em-synchrony in action, take a look at the specs provided within the library itself. Towards Scalable & Manageable Event-Driven Code Event driven programming does not have to be complicated. With a little help from Ruby 1.9 much of the complexity is easily abstracted, which means that we can have all the benefits of event-driven IO, without any of the overhead of a thread scheduler or complicated code. Node.js, Twisted, and other reactor frameworks have a lot going for them, but the combination of EventMachine and Ruby 1.9, to me, is a clear winner. We should also mention that fibers have been ported to Ruby 1.8, but due to their implementation on top of green threads they incur much larger overhead - in other words, this is your reason to switch to Ruby 1.9! And last but not least, fibers or not, don't forget that Ruby 1.9 still has a GIL which means that only one CPU core will be used. Until we see MVM (multi-VM) support, the solution is simply to run multiple reactors (one or more for each core).

A woman described in court as an animal lover has admitted cutting a rabbit’s ears off. Tereska Al-Rawi, of Dirkhill Road, claimed she amputated the ears by accident. Bradford and Keighley Magistrates’ Court yesterday heard that Al-Rawi, 55, initially lied to the RSPCA and claimed she had found the rabbit in a park and that it was already injured. The RSPCA released pictures of the injured animal in an appeal to help track down those responsible for its injuries, which also included a broken leg that Al-Rawi claimed was nothing to do with her. Nigel Monaghan, prosecuting for the RSPCA, said the white Angora rabbit – which are known for their long and soft wool – was taken to a vet on October 12 last year after Al-Rawi claimed to have found it. He said despite treatment the animal had to be put down. MORE TOP STORIES Mr Monaghan said Al-Rawi eventually confessed to buying the rabbit on October 11 last year from a second-hand shop, before cutting off what she believed was matted fur. “She was adamant in interview that she did not know she had cut the ears off,” said Mr Monaghan. The court heard, in mitigation, that Al-Rawi bought the rabbit after taking pity on it. The animal was already not in a good condition at the time, the court was told. Her solicitor said: “She took the rabbit in with her heart in the right place. She is an animal lover with three dogs and two cats. “She was reckless and should have been a bit more careful in what she was doing.” Magistrates adjourned the case for probation reports to be prepared, and chairman Nadine Tidswell said: “She has no previous convictions, but it is a very serious offence and very upsetting for everyone, including the lady.” Al-Rawi, who admitted a charge of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, was released on bail to be sentenced on April 28.

1893 New York hurricane Category 3 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS) Map of the hurricane on August 24 over New York City Formed August 15, 1893 Dissipated August 25, 1893 Highest winds 1-minute sustained: 115 mph (185 km/h) Lowest pressure 952 mbar (hPa); 28.11 inHg Fatalities At least 34 Areas affected Eastern United States Part of the 1893 Atlantic hurricane season The 1893 New York hurricane, also known as the Midnight Storm,[1] was a powerful and destructive tropical cyclone that struck the New York City area in August 1893. First identified as a tropical storm on August 15, over the central Atlantic Ocean, the hurricane moved northwestward for most of its course, ultimately peaking with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure reading of 952 mbar (hPa; 28.11 inHg). It turned due northward as it approached the U.S. East Coast and struck western Long Island on August 24. It moved inland and quickly deteriorated, degenerating the next day. The storm inflicted severe damage with storm tides as high as 30 ft (9 m). Trees were brought down, houses were demolished, and Hog Island was largely washed away by the cyclone. Several areas suffered extensive effects from the hurricane, and at least 34 sailors lost their lives. The storm is regarded as one of the most severe hurricanes to strike the city. Meteorological history [ edit ] The system was first classified as a tropical storm while situated in the central Atlantic Ocean on August 15, 1893. It steadily intensified as it tracked generally toward the west and attained hurricane force. Gradually curving northwestward, the storm continued to gain power and, on August 18, it achieved wind speeds corresponding to Category 2 intensity on the modern-day Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.[2] This scale was devised in 1971 to categorize tropical cyclones based on their maximum sustained winds.[3] The storm is estimated to have maintained winds of approximately 100 mph (155 km/h) for several days as it passed well to the north of the Lesser Antilles. As the hurricane turned more northerly still, approaching the United States, it strengthened to major hurricane intensity, Category 3, on August 22. At this point, it peaked in intensity with winds of 115 mph (185 km/h). The lowest known barometric pressure in relation to the storm was 952 mbar (hPa; 28.11 inHg).[2] Less than a day later, the storm deteriorated to Category 2 strength.[2] Cape Hatteras, North Carolina experienced the hurricane on the morning of August 23 while its center passed less than 100 mi (160 km) offshore. Heading nearly due northward, the cyclone skimmed the New Jersey coastline, passing just east of Atlantic City,[4] and weakened further to Category 1 status.[2] On August 23 the storm was one of four hurricanes occurring simultaneously within the Atlantic Ocean.[5] On August 24 the storm moved ashore on western Long Island, in the New York City area. At 1200 UTC that day, while centered just inland, its maximum winds were estimated to have been 85 mph (140 km/h). It progressed northward through New England, quickly weakening. It was briefly downgraded to a tropical storm before becoming extratropical.[2] It dissipated fully on August 25, near the mouth of the Saint Lawrence River.[4] Impact [ edit ] Winds from the storm exceeded 50 mph (80 km/h) at Atlantic City and New York, initially blowing from the northeast before shifting southwesterly.[4] The hurricane wrought severe destruction,[6] described by The New York Times on August 25 as "a mighty war of winds and a great tumbling of chimneys" and 3.82 inches (97 mm) of rain falling from 8:00 PM Wednesday to 8:00 AM Thursday.[7] A 30 ft (10 m) storm surge impacted the shore, demolishing structures as large as an elevated railway.[6] The storm has been cited as an example of a noteworthy New York City tropical cyclone.[8] The cyclone is known for largely destroying Hog Island, a developed resort island along the southern Long Island coast, which had been as long as about 1 mi (1.6 km) in the 1870s.[9] The worst of the damage was reportedly confined to a 50 mi (80 km) area surrounding New York City. In a 12-hour period, 3.82 in (97 mm) of precipitation fell, breaking the daily rainfall record. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses accompanied the severe impact. Low-lying areas of the city, particularly those near the coast, were flooded. Roofs and chimneys were ripped off buildings and windows were broken in many homes and businesses. In Central Park, "More than a hundred noble trees were torn up by the roots, and branches were twisted off everywhere."[7] The park was devastated and thousands of dead birds fell to the ground after being washed out of, or drowned in, their nests. Groups of children gathered the birds and picked them up, with the apparent intention of selling them to restaurants.[7] The storm took the lives of 34 sailors as vessels were blown ashore and men swept overboard. The tugboat Panther, towing two coal barges, was wrecked; 17 crew members perished and three lived.[7] High winds brought down telegraph wires and left the city almost entirely cut off from communication with outside locations. At Coney Island, the storm completely destroyed many buildings, walkways, piers, and beach resorts. Brighton Beach was hit particularly hard. The raging seas swept inland, washing out tracks of the Marine Railway.[7] Bathing houses were moved a great distance by the cyclone. Near the Sheepshead Bay, Emmons Avenue was heavily damaged. Further to the east, at Greenport, numerous yachts were wrecked and scattered. Corn crops on land were ruined and fruit trees lost their fruits.[7] At Brooklyn, still an independent city from New York, houses were dismantled and uprooted trees blocked streets. Damage was widespread throughout the area and flood waters reached waist-high levels. The storm was the most severe in years at Jersey City, New Jersey, despite the fact that its damage was moderate. Trees were blown down and cellars filled with water there and in nearby areas, such as Hoboken.[7] See also [ edit ]

Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte has described as ‘disgusting’ pictures of Ukraine rebels digging through the possessions of people killed in the Malaysia plane crash disaster. In a short news conference, Rutte said he had just had a ‘very intense’ phone call with Russian president Vladimir Putin. ‘I told him “time is running out for you to show the world that you have good intentions, that you will take responsibility”,’ Rutte said. Putin now ‘has to show that he will do what is expected of him and will exert his influence,’ the Dutch prime minister said. ‘It is 35 degrees there. The bodies need to be recovered now. I want to see results, unhindered access and the repatriation of the victims.’ Personal The phone conversation with Putin was ‘very personal’, the Dutch prime minister said. ‘I think the entire Dutch population knows people who directly or indirectly know someone who was on board. There were 80 people under the age of 18, of whom 23 were under the age of 12 and three were babies. It is too terrible for words.’ Images of rebels holding up children’s toys were ‘too disgusting for words’, Rutte said. Such action is also hindering the investigation into the crash, he said. Investigators Earlier on Saturday, Dutch foreign minister Frans Timmermans met Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko in Kiev and told him the Netherlands was ‘angry, furious’ at the news that bodies were being dragged around the crash site, Reuters said. ‘Once we have the proof, we will not stop before the people are brought to justice. Not just the people who pulled the trigger but also those who made it possible. I think the international community needs to step up its efforts in this respect,’ Reuters quoted Timmermans as saying. According to Dutch broadcaster Nos, Poroschenko in turn told Timmermans it is unacceptable that international experts are being denied access to the disaster zone. ‘We will not tolerate interference with the work of the commission and that those representatives of other countries do not have the possibility of conducting an objective investigation,’ Poroshenko is quoted as saying. Denials However, the separatists deny interfering, Nos television reports. It quotes ‘one of their commanders’ as saying they have promised the OSCE that they will not touch bodies or the remains of the plane. As well as the Dutch, Malaysian and Ukrainian researchers have arrived in the region to begin investigating the crash. Two German forensic pathologists are also on their way to Ukraine, as is a six-strong British team, Nos television said. Malaysia Airlines released the full passenger list on Saturday. The Dutch death toll is now put at 193, out of 298 people on board the plane. Rutte’s statement (official English translation)

Pune: In a bizarre case, a parrot accused of "hurling obscenities" at an octogenarian woman was summoned to a police station at Rajura in Maharashtra's Chandrapur district on Monday after a complaint against its owner that he had allegedly tutored his caged pet to do so. The police was at its wit's end after 85-year-old Janabai Sakharkar accused her stepson Suresh of teaching his parrot 'Hariyal', to shower abuses at her whenever she passed by his house. In order to verify the agitated woman's complaint, the police called all the three involved, including Janabai, her stepson Suresh and Hariyal the parrot to the police station. However, the parrot seemed to have became conscious of khaki clad policmen and kept mum when his cage was brought near Janabai, to see if it would hurl any obscenities at her. "There is a dispute over land and property between the woman and her stepson. We watched the parrot carefully but it did not utter a word at the police station after being confronted by the complainant," Police Inspector P S Dongre told reporters. Although Hariyal never showed any alleged penchant to abuse the woman, the police decided to hand it over to forest department officials, after taking into account the harassed mental condition of the aged woman. PTI Firstpost is now on WhatsApp. For the latest analysis, commentary and news updates, sign up for our WhatsApp services. Just go to Firstpost.com/Whatsapp and hit the Subscribe button.

Putting all that aside, if you like politics— if you like America, dammit—it'll be tremendously fun to watch for several reasons. For starters, it's going to be awkward. Christie and Booker are friends, as close as two politicians with identical aspirations can be. They don’t attack each other, they text all the time, and they shot an amusing parody video together. Over the summer they cut away from a party at the gubernatorial Jersey Shore house and took a stroll on the beach, just the two of them. They're even Facebook friends, having sat on Oprah Winfrey's couch last year and collected a $100 million investment from Mark Zuckerberg for Newark's schools. From education reform to a property tax cap, they have supported each other in a bipartisan way that is unfathomable in the nation’s capital. Second, this will be Campaign 2.0. They may love a good TV interview, but Booker and Christie have drawn much of their popularity by circumventing traditional news and developing their own social-media channels for disseminating information. Booker has the second-most Twitter followers of any politician who hasn’t run for president and he recently cofounded a video-based social media company called Waywire. Christie, meanwhile, has amassed an online following from countless video clips, posted by his staff, of his dressing down journalists, constituents, Democrats, academic researchers and the New Jersey Supreme Court. YouTube against Twitter: Which is more effective? And finally, perhaps most importantly, the race represents a stark contrast in style. The mayor who meditates and quotes poetry versus the governor who…what's the opposite of meditation and poetry? Booker is a chameleon, able to give any audience what it needs. To the Florida delegation at the Democratic convention, for example, he dropped “Jesus Loves You” and the Hebrew equivalent, “Baruch Hashem,” in the same sentence, bringing black women and Jewish grandmothers to their feet. Christie, on the other hand, keeps his finger on the trigger—choosing respect, as he always says, before love. While Christie is a married father of four and the fattest national politician since the dawn of television, Booker is a fit, single man often dubbed “America’s sexiest mayor.” His sex life is of more than a little interest in political circles, and his name was appropriated for an erotic novel, “Cory’s Salvation.” He is crushed on by 20-something female progressives across the country, as evidenced by the question recently asked about him on Jezebel: “Is it hot in here or is that just the rising temperature of a million vaginas?” Booker, a vegetarian, often points to the contrast: “The governor is a Republican, I’m a Democrat. The governor likes steak, I like tofu. The governor is bold, I am bald. But we both recognize that we have common ground between us.” When the Klieg lights are turned on at the must-see debates next fall, though, don't expect the candidates to tread on such common ground. Christie will look to smash what one Republican operative described as Booker's “glass jaw” by attacking him for being the same kind of tax-and-spend Democrat that brought New Jersey the highest property taxes in the nation. He will say that Booker followed the playbook of his tarnished ally, former governor and bank boss Jon Corzine, by failing to address Newark’s structural deficit and continued reliance on suburban taxes. Like Democrats in Congress who ignore the cost of entitlements, Christie will argue, Booker failed to do the “big things.” Christie’s been to war before as a federal prosecutor, challenger to Corzine, and chief surrogate for Romney. Booker won his mayorship in a nasty race against a longtime state senator, but he's the relative newbie on the national scene. So he will first try to deflect Christie's shots with some of the platitudes he peddles on Twitter. Failing that, he will follow the advice of the focus groups and attempt to exploit Christie's gender gap by repeatedly bringing up the governor's opposition to abortion and gay marriage. He will frame these as civil rights matters, then go for the gut by questioning Christie's blue-collar-hero status—that the governor reduced a tax credit for the working poor, while vetoing taxes for millionaires. Most of all, Booker will wait for the inevitable insult, some word that Christie lets slip that a few thousand independent voters think goes too far. This isn't a state where we want our leaders calling lawmakers “numbnuts” and Navy SEALs “idiots,” as Christie has done. Booker will wait for that gaffe, and then let it simmer. The message: Christie's tough talk, his Insult the Comic Dog routine, is growing too old, New Jersey. You've done bold; now is the time to go bald. Matt Katz covers Christie for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Yakitori Alley in Yurakucho, Under the JR Yamanote Tracks I previously wrote about a couple of other places in the Yurakucho area and mentioned Yakitori, the classic Japanese dish of grilled meat or... Candy and Snacks From Japan February 2019 Over the last couple of months I ordered some food and snacks from Hobbylink, Candysan, and Jbox, and also picked up stuff from local Asian ... UHA Mikakuto Croquette, Cheeza, and other Japanese Snacks (Beer Optional) Savoury Japanese snacks like traditional sembei rice crackers are really good. Japan has produced all kinds of more modern snacks since and... Tokyo 2013 Trip Highlights: Day 6 - Nissin Cup Noodle Museum, Yokohama Ramen Museum, Ekibenya, Tokyo Character Street, Pokemon Store Today is RAMEN DAY! We're heading down south to Yokohama for a fun filled day of ramen education and dining. I plotted a path that doe... Ekiben Matsuri (Train Bento Festival Store) at Tokyo Station Ekiben (駅弁)are the "legendary" bento lunch boxes sold at Japanese train stations to feed you on the long train ride. Ekiben and... Ajinomoto Tokyo Style Shoyu Ramen with Chicken Ajinomoto USA makes a bowl of frozen ramen soup with toppings that is ready after adding water and microwaving for 4 minutes. Hmmm... That ... Funny Airline Safety Videos and Custom Airliner Paint Jobs This post isn't exactly about Japan, but is related to the process of getting there in the air, unless you're going by container shi... Asakusa Tori No Ichi Shrine Festival This is a very popular and busy shrine festival that happens two or three times in November (depends on how the calendar works out) at the O... Kyushu Marugoto Ramen Pack By Marutai This was a nifty find at the local T&T Market the other day. It was a big gift box / sampler pack of Kyushu ramen made by Murutai, a we...

Buy Photo A series of water pipes at Indiana American Water Co. Tuesday. The city issues a boil order for its water after a valve was opened too wide, leading to contamination. (Photo: Jordan Kartholl / The Star Press)Buy Photo MUNCIE, Ind. — A boil order announced early Tuesday morning for the city of Muncie was lifted by 8:30 p.m. Tuesday after tests found water to be safe for consumption. Valves that were opened too wide, allowing too much water to rush through a treatment plant system, resulted in the boil order, closing some restaurants and prompting schools and other institutions to implement emergency steps to provide drinking water. The city of Muncie and some of the surrounding area had been placed on the boil order because of the valve mishap at Indiana American Water Company's plant along Burlington Drive. Delaware County Emergency Management announced in an email Tuesday night that testing sites in and around Muncie had been tested throughout the day, and " All indications have been that the water is safe for consumers to use and return to all normal water usage." Indiana American Water Company phoned customers with an automated "all clear" announcement shortly after that. The water company issued an alert shortly after midnight Tuesday morning noting that "during routine maintenance, issues with valves opening beyond their normal range resulted in an increased turbidity level beyond the permitted limit for less than one hour in the Muncie system." The turbidity level was below the Environmental Protection Agency level, Indiana American said. In initial social media postings, Delaware County 911 attributed the problem to a water main break along Burlington Drive, where the water company office is located. But Indiana American Water spokesman Joe Loughmiller told The Star Press early Tuesday, and again later in the morning, that the alert and boil order were because valves at the company's water plant "were opened too far." "This had to do with doing maintenance," Loughmiller said. "It had nothing to do with a main break. This order was not the result of a break." Loughmiller said valves in the filtering system at the plant were opened too wide around 3 p.m. Monday. Water company executives assessed the situation and consulted with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management before issuing the "Code Red" alert and boil order. The water that moved too quickly through the system was from White River and the company's groundwater wells at its Burlington Drive plant. Loughmiller said that while the water was filtered, it still was "clouded," a sign of suspended solids in the water. Buy Photo The Youth Opportunity Center's campus along Kilgore Ave. was affected by Muncie's boil order Monday, causing the campus to shut down water usage in the kitchen and drinking fountains while providing safe water in beverage dispensers and bottled water to the staff and students. (Photo: Corey Ohlenkamp/The Star Press) People throughout the area received automated calls at about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, warning them against drinking tap water and urging them to either drink bottled water or boil water for approximately three minutes. Tap water can be used for washing and bathing, the company said. A map on Indiana American Water's website indicated the affected area reaches beyond city limits. Loughmiller said as many as 30,000 customers were affected. Officials had expected the boil order to be lifted by 10 p.m. or earlier Tuesday, Loughmiller said, depending on how quickly water test results came back. About the 12:30 a.m. Tuesday automated call, Loughmiller said he was aware it might have alarmed some who heard their phone ring so late. "We really look at our normal hours for Code Red calls, which is 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. But in a case like this, we felt like we should go on and get it out." A map from Indiana American Water's website showing the affected area of the boil order issued in Delaware County. (Photo: Indiana American Water) The entire City of Muncie and customers of Indiana American Water are on a water boil order until 10 pm Tuesday... https://t.co/1ZdpTruNlT — DELAWARE COUNTY E911 (@DELAWARECO911) November 15, 2016 All residents of City of Muncie using City water, do not drink water. Boil alert has been issued until 10:00pm Tues Nov 15 — Ball State Alert (@ballstate_alert) November 15, 2016 Several Muncie restaurants, faced with no usable water, decided to close. Among those announcing their closing on Tuesday were the Caffeinery, Savages Ale House and Sitara. Food establishments that remained open were taking precautions. Thr3e Wisemen, for example, emptied out and sterilized its ice bins, which will remain out of use until the boil advisory is lifted. The restaurant also stopped serving carbonated soft drinks, which contain tap water. Dish washing machines, however, remained in use because of their very hot temperatures and sanitizers. A sign on the front door of a Village Pantry read, "No fountain pop or coffee." Buy Photo Potentially hazardous tap water halted coffee making and carbonated beverage service at Muncie food establishments including this Village Pantry. (Photo: Seth Slabaugh/The Star Press) Delaware County Health Administrator Jammie Bane told The Star Press: "The only advice I’d offer to the public would be to feel free to question an establishment on whether they are aware of the order and whether they have taken the proper precautions including boiling water and using ice produced from either boiled water or ice produced outside of the boil water order. Boil water orders are nothing new. The scale of this one is just geographically larger based on the location where the problem occurred. There is no indication of a direct health threat, just the slightest of possibilities of one due to an occurrence that fell outside of the water company’s standard procedures. As I understand it, the disinfectant levels never fell below the standard, and the water company took all the proper steps following the occurrence in order to notify the public and to remedy the problem in the shortest time frame possible." Muncie Community Schools was in session Tuesday. Water fountains were to be blocked in all buildings and water bottles were to be provided to students, according to corporation spokesperson Ana Pichardo. Liberty-Perry, Delaware Community and Burris/Indiana Academy schools are the only others affected by the boil order, and all were in session Tuesday, according to school officials. The campus at the Youth Opportunity Center along Kilgore Ave. also had to block water fountains and water use in their kitchens. Water bottles and other safe potable water sources were provided to students and staff according to Jeff Helm, Director of Information Technology and Facilities for the campus. So far, 1,160 bottles of water have been delivered to campus, and additional distilled water for kitchen use. IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital has put in place contingency plans so that its patients and employees will not be impacted. Neil Gifford, director of marketing and communication, said that the hospital has placed signs on public water fountains, has made bottled water available to patients and team members and is taking necessary precautions during food preparations and other day-to-day operations. Elm Street Brewing Co. offered to assist those in need of water today at their business on 519 N Elm St. "The city of Muncie has been great for us as we are getting ready to open, so we want to be a good neighbor," said co-owner Eric Jones. The full original alert from Indiana American Water was as follows: "Muncie Boil Water Advisory This is an important message from Indiana American Water. Our water system recently violated a drinking water standard. Although this is not an emergency, we are issuing a boil water advisory as a precautionary measure through at least 10 p.m., Tuesday, November 15, 2016 while samples are being collected and analyzed. Customers in the affected area are advised to drink and cook with tap water only after boiling it for approximately three minutes. Tap water can be used for washing/bathing. As our customers, you have a right to know what happened, what you should do, and what we are doing to correct this situation. We are required to monitor your drinking water for specific contaminants on a regular basis. The results of regular monitoring are an indicator of whether or not our drinking water meets EPA's health standards. Our November 14, 2016 results showed the combined filter effluent turbidity exceeded 1 NTU. If you have specific health concerns, consult your doctor. Turbidity has no health effects. However, turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. Turbidity may indicate the presence of disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches. The treatment issue leading to the turbidity violation occurred during routine maintenance after valves opened beyond their normal range, resulting in an increased turbidity level beyond the permitted limit for less than one hour. During this time, the chloramine disinfection residual remained within its normal range and never dropped below 2 parts per million in the water leaving the treatment plant and at a representative site within the distribution system where it is continuously monitored. The problem has already been corrected and Indiana American Water is in the process of collecting and analyzing samples to ensure the safety of your drinking water. Any additional information regarding this boil advisory will be shared with residents through local media outlets, the company's Facebook page and through the company’s CodeRed phone notification service. Please share this information with all other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). Customers can also call the Indiana American Water Customer Service Center at 1-800-492-8373 for the latest updates." Read or Share this story: http://tspne.ws/2fsWKMO

Government spending restraint will be a drag on Canada’s economic growth in 2013, according to an analysis by CIBC World Markets. That finding is at odds with one from the Bank of Canada, which sees the country’s real GDP getting a slight boost from government spending. Real GDP measures growth after inflation has been taken into account. To arrive at its conclusion, CIBC economists took projections from the last federal budget as well as those from the four biggest provinces. It then adjusted the figures to strip out such things as transfers to households and added back capital spending. "Our analysis points to yet another drop in real expenditures, with no major offset from planned tax reductions," says CIBC chief economist Avery Shenfeld. Shenfeld estimates that real government spending will drop by 0.9 per cent in 2013/14. For the 2013 calendar year, he says that works out to a drag on real GDP of 0.2 per cent. Bank of Canada's growth forecast 'too high' "That doesn't look like a big deal, until one contrasts it with the 0.3 per cent boost to growth in the Bank of Canada forecast," Shenfeld says. "The result is that the Bank’s forecast could be about 0.5 percentage points too high, enough to make the difference between growth being above potential, requiring interest rate hikes, or as in our forecast of 2.0 per cent growth next year, not fast enough to narrow the output gap and call for monetary tightening." In April, parliamentary budget officer Kevin Page said his office's analysis of federal spending plans also led him to conclude that government restraint would be a drag on growth. "The [Parliamentary Budget Office] expects that restraint and reductions in government spending on programs in Canada will act as a drag on economic growth and job creation, pushing the economy further away from its potential [GDP] and delaying the economic recovery," the report said. The PBO report projected that spending restraints and cutbacks will reduce economic output by 0.3 per cent this year, climbing to 0.88 per cent in 2014. The PBO’s analysis was sharply criticized by Conservative MPs as being "too pessimistic." In its last monetary policy announcement in July, the Bank of Canada said overall government spending was expected to contribute "modestly" to growth in 2013 – the finding that CIBC takes issue with. In that same announcement, the central bank slightly lowered its forecast for real GDP growth next year to 2.3 per cent – still higher than CIBC’s 2.0 per cent forecast. No recession risk Shenfeld notes that any belt-tightening in Canada poses no threat that the country will slide back into recession. "Having started from a combined federal/provincial deficit of only a third of that stateside, there's no equivalent threat of an outright recession being induced by cuts coming from Ottawa and the provinces," he says. "We'll get through our fiscal drag much sooner than the U.S. with a lot less pain in total."

May 1st, 2013 RAWTunes.exe 10 July / December 2012 RAWTunes.exe 10 is a noise-art album made in homage to the now late, (great?) iTunes 10 release. As iTunes 11 makes its way onto computers across the globe this album will remain as a media-archive of splendid noises transcoded from iTunes 10 executables. Available for £7.99 on iTunes, now and forever (or as long as I keep paying the renewal fee). Last year I released a music single through iTunes. Entitled RAWTunes.exe 10.4.2, it was my first foray into sound-art/noise-art. Today, I AM a popstar. I am proud to announce the release of my 8 track album RAWTunes.exe 10! You can listen to a selection of tracks below (making sure that all small children and dogs are at a safe distance), or buy the whole lot on iTunes for £7.99 (also at Amazon and Spotify) It took me about 20 minutes to make this album. Here’s how you can do it yourself: Using a program like Audacity, open ANY file as RAW data (see this video tutorial for detailed instructions) Choose your conversion method The file you send to iTunes and release to the world MUST be in this format: 16 bit (sample size), 44.1 kHz (sample rate), 1411 kbps (bit rate) stereo wav So, after playing with your file (or not doing anything in particular) export it with these options Using a service like TuneCore, release your album to the world Become a famous Noise artist like me I chose to convert a series of iTunes executable files, each one plucked from a long list of releases under the iTunes 10 label, but you can choose anything. Have a look on Soundcloud for a bunch of people who have done just this. This is ‘art’, so of course my work has to be critically engaged, and self aware. Thankfully, iTunes regulations make this really easy: Content that is not produced by Apple Inc. must not include the word “iTunes” anywhere in the metadata or cover art. I would argue that the content of my album is 100% ‘produced by Apple Inc.’ but they wouldn’t let me call it ‘iTunes.exe 10’. It was only after several iterations of cover art that the album was allowed into the Apple store. These are just some of the woes that a true Noise artist must suffer in the pursuit of their art. RAWerTUNES10dotEXE [3Dude Remix] May 2013 The RAWTunes homage to iTunes 10 was later been transcoded and extruded into another iteration, in a collaboration with Alex Myers. You could hear, see and 3D print RAWerTUNES10dotEXE at your own great expense at Run Computer, Run exhibition, Rua Red, Dublin (May 2013). ALEX MYERS Alex Myers makes artgames to explore how accidental meaning/anomalous discourse emerges by breaking rule-based game spaces to disrupt player expectations and concepts. He is an Assistant Professor and Director of Game Studies at Bellevue University. Alex has exhibited at NP3 in Groningen,Nikolaj Kunsthallen in Copenhagen, Lab for Electronic Art and Performance, Berlin, Interaccess in Toronto, FACT in Liverpool, and LACDA in Los Angeles. www.alexmyers.info / twitter @aandnota

The other day, FedEx showed up at my door with a little surprise. I spotted my username on the shipping label and knew right away how it got here. I was so excited and opened it up as quickly as possible. The first thing I saw was a little note saying: "Merry Christmas! I hope you enjoy your gifts! We tried to get all the items based on what you said. The LEDs for running, the sign for your guinea pigs, the minecraft keychain, and of course a lava lamp! Enjoy!!!" I jumped with so much joy because my gift last year was not even CLOSE and personal to this one. It took a few business days for all FOUR gifts to arrive. The first two gifts I received were the lava lamp and the LED light. They both constantly switched to different colors in time. The lamp is super neat and entertaining! The LED light will DEFINITELY come in handy when running in the night when no one can see you. Thank you for taking this into consideration! The last two gifts were the "BEWARE OF GUINEA PIG" sign and Minecraft pickaxe keychain. The sign is so perfect for my guinea pigs' cage! I've already had a few people giggle from reading it. The last gift was a Minecraft keychain. Man, you have no idea how long I've been wanting one of these! It's a perfect addition to my dorky keychain collection! I was looking all over for a username so I could thank them. All I have is the Secret Santa's full name. James, whoever you are, I can guarantee you that you made my Christmas a whole lot more hopeful this year. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING! Merry Christmas, Reddit!

Don’t know what to do for your next date? Here’s an idea for your next 26. It’s called “Alphabet Dating,” and the concept has exploded on social media. The idea is that the couple (or serial daters) take turns planning normal dates using the order of the letters in the alphabet. Couples have been choosing dates and keeping it a secret from their partner until the big reveal. The idea is to keep the spice on your relationship and have some fun with your partner. To the horror of men everywhere, “A” can be apple picking, while “B” can be a baseball game or a boat ride. “C” can be a simple coffee date. “D” can be a double date, and so on. Here are some couples who are going through the alphabet and coming up with some inventive date ideas. Started Alphabet dating tonight, A is for Asian food," wrote one couple. Started alphabet dating tonight 💖 A is for Asian food. 😍🍴 #alphabetdating #cheatmeal #slimmingworld A photo posted by 💜 laura (@_lauraeats) on Jul 16, 2016 at 3:16pm PDT This couple played video games. V is for... Variety pack (for breakfast) , Vintage Video games, Vale curry house takeaway (but we didn't have a Vindaloo 😉), Vino and Vanilla Viennetta! #alphabetdating A photo posted by Rebecca Barber (@beckyraymcfly) on Nov 5, 2016 at 1:54pm PDT Breakfast and Bingo for this couple. Scary movies for these two. #alphabetdating s for sweet shops and 'scary' movies like the shining and saw :) A photo posted by Katy Dear (@katy_xxv) on Oct 30, 2016 at 3:44pm PDT Someone needs ideas. Can any of my fellow alphabet daters give me any good suggestions for our last 4 dates?! #alphabetdating #w #x #y #z #needhelpplease A photo posted by Sophie (@sophie231092) on Oct 30, 2016 at 4:25am PDT These guys went to the zoo. Z is for Zoo 🐧🐘🐒🦁 #alphabetdating #z #zoo #blackpool #penguins #otters #giraffes A photo posted by Fiona Tennant (@fionat10) on Oct 30, 2016 at 3:17am PDT A little fresh air for these two. Nature. 'N' is for nature 🍁 #alphabetdating A photo posted by Sophie 🐒 (@sophieevandersteen) on Oct 29, 2016 at 8:45am PDT A jacuzzi for this couple. J date #jaccuzzi #jigsaw #judson's #j20 #jellytots #jurrasicworld #alphabetdating A photo posted by Natasha Crow (@tasha24amiee) on Oct 26, 2016 at 9:52am PDT Who doesn't love a trolley? T is for Tramcar Restaurant. 👫🚃🍴❤️ #alphabetdating #dateday A photo posted by Shelley. (@sheilashoe) on Oct 21, 2016 at 11:08pm PDT Lobstah! A gin distillery tour for this adorable duo. 'G' stands for Gin Distillery Tour with Gin&Tonic fish #alphabetdating #gin A photo posted by James (@irving42) on Oct 14, 2016 at 12:02pm PDT This couple plays games on "J" day. J - Jenga 😅 @bazzzyyy21 #alphabetdating #letterj #jenga #wine A photo posted by Kirsty McCombie (@kirstymccombie) on Oct 7, 2016 at 11:58am PDT "D" means drink. Cheers! This couple has the stomach for "R" day. Roller coasters. #alphabetdating r for rollercoasters :) #thorpepark A photo posted by Katy Dear (@katy_xxv) on Sep 24, 2016 at 2:39pm PDT Personal Space is Bravo’s home for all things “relationships,” from romance to friendships to family to co-workers. Ready for a commitment? Then Like us on Facebook to stay connected to our daily updates.

Sometimes Séverine Mehault climbs the stairs to the second floor for no reason at all. She walks along the hallway, past her son's room and into her daughter's bedroom. Then the 40-year-old lies down on the bed, next to a white stuffed bunny, and closes her eyes for a moment, trying to understand why only one of her two daughters, 15-year-old Kenza, is still there -- and why Sahra has abandoned her. Not much of Sahra is left in the room: her stuffed rabbit, a Koran in translation, a prayer book and a guide to the correct methods of bathing for Islamic women. The guide is a worn, pink brochure with small illustrations. Chapter 3 is titled: Instructions for Cleaning Your Ears. There's a dish containing red nail polish, mascara and lip gloss, but Sahra hasn't worn makeup in almost two years. After turning 15 at the time, she converted to Islam. She left France on March 11, 2014 to joint the jihadists in Syria. The family doesn't know where she is exactly, or which terrorist group she has joined. Her father drove her to the train station in Narbonne on that March day, as he did every day, when she would take the train to school in the nearby city of Carcassonne in southwestern France. A surveillance camera image shows Sahra, 17, standing on the platform in Narbonne, at 7:44 a.m. She is wearing white jeans, white sneakers and a black headscarf, and she is carrying two shoulder bags. The last image of Sahra on French soil, also taken with a surveillance camera, shows her at the airport in Marseille. She took an afternoon flight to Istanbul, and the next day she continued to Antakya on the Turkish-Syrian border. Séverine Mehault has spread out photocopies of the surveillance camera images on the dining room table, next to the last photo she took of Sahra. It depicts her daughter dressed entirely in black, in a jilbab, a floor-length robe with baggy sleeves, and a hijab, or headscarf. She is smiling, with a soft, roundish face. A Faraway Country "Before she left, I didn't even know what was happening in Syria. It was a faraway country for me," says Mehault, running her fingers across the photo. Her fingernails gnawed to the quick. These days, she anxiously follows the news, trying to discern where exactly the group known as the Islamic State is fighting and where the West is bombing the terrorists. The TV set in the living room is constantly switched on. Sometimes she even leaves the radio on at night. On that Tuesday in March, Sahra didn't come home in the evening. The family called the police. When officers came to the house the next day, they brought along the surveillance photos and retraced the route Sahra had taken. They asked a few questions, and when they left they took along the family's computer and tablet device. Séverine Mehault received a call on her mobile phone two days later, with an unknown number appearing on the screen. She was so excited that she passed the phone to her eldest son, Jonathan. It was Sahra. She was calling to tell her parents not to worry, and that she was doing well. "I married Farid, a fighter," she told them. "He's 25 and comes from Tunisia." "Where are you?" Jonathan asked. "In Syria," his sister replied. She also said that she would protect her family, even though they were all infidels. Then she hung up. Her mother describes herself as an atheist, while her father, Kamal Mehenni, is a Muslim. He was born in France, the son of a French woman and an Algerian man. But Mehenni never goes to the mosque, and he doesn't strictly abide by Ramadan fasting rules. Sitting next to his wife at the table, he says: "We raised our children without any religion. Togetherness was important to us, not faith." 'We Should Have Noticed Something' Sahra's father is a tall, gentle man with powerful hands. In a region with high unemployment, he has been supporting his family with odd jobs for the last few years. "We should have noticed something," says Mehenni. His wife repeatedly says the same thing. Mehault and Mehenni live with their children in a yellow, two-story house, in a town of 8,000 inhabitants near Narbonne, which we will not name, surrounded by the vineyards of the Languedoc region. Wild grapevines are entwined around the front door, and there is a plastic pool in the yard. There are many framed family photos on the walls. There is nothing to suggest a reason for a 17-year-old girl to run away from this life. Nevertheless, Sahra spent a long time preparing her escape, as she gradually became radicalized, in full view of her family. Extremism is infecting young French people like a slow but steadily progressing disease. And like a disease, its course varies slightly among individuals, and yet in each case it passes through similar stages. Targeting French Youth There are believed to be about 1,000 French citizens in Iraq and Syria, or en route to those countries, more than from any other European nation. Entire families have joined jihadist movements, including about 100 young French women. Many have already been married off to fighters in the Turkish-Syrian border region. Once a girl is married and pregnant, it becomes more difficult for her to flee. The terrorist groups that are targeting France in their recruitment efforts include Islamic State and Syria's Al-Nusra Front. "Young people are being deliberately targeted, boys and girls, each for different purposes," says Dounia Bouzar, who has been studying the radicalization of French youth for 15 years. Bouzar, 50, an anthropologist specializing in religion, had already analyzed the phenomenon of self-proclaimed holy warriors when officials at the French Interior Ministry were still dealing with isolated cases. She wrote a book on the subject in 2006, a sort of guide for parents. Bouzar says that she saw this wave of radicalization of French youth coming, but that she would have preferred to be wrong. On a sunny fall day, Bouzar is sitting in a Paris brasserie, ignoring a constant stream of calls on her mobile phone. Today she is part of a small team of advisers to the interior minister. In the spring, when cases of minors who had secretly left the country were mounting, Bouzar set up a hotline for family members seeking advice. About five new families call the hotline every week. But Bouzar also receives calls from young girls wanting to know what to do about female friends who have stopped wearing makeup and no longer want to go to the movies. Instead, they say, the girls are now covering their entire bodies with loose-fitting robes. Radicalization Sahra's radicalization began the same way. Then she converted to Islam. When she told her parents about it, Mehault thought that her daughter was simply becoming interested in her father's religion. Then Sahra began praying regularly, first twice and eventually five times a day. She traded her jeans for long dresses, wouldn't leave the house without a headscarf, and stopped plucking her eyebrows. One day, when Mehault caught her daughter trying on a face veil, she said: "Sahra, religion is something you carry in your heart. You don't have to show it to everyone." Sahra told her mother that she was an "infidel," that she was "impure," and that she had no right to judge what her daughter was doing. Arguments became more frequent, and there were long discussions over meals. The parents, afraid that Islamophobes might attack their daughter, forbade her from leaving the house in a full veil. Instead, she stayed at home and spent hours in front of the computer. "We should have stopped it," her mother says. "We didn't notice how bad things were with her," says her father. Kenza, who is two years younger than her sister, once eavesdropped on Sahra when she was Skyping with one of her "sisters" while looking at a series of images of dead children. "You shouldn't see this," said Sahra, quickly closing the window on the screen.

Arctic Methane Emissions ‘Certain to Trigger Warming’ As climate change melts Arctic permafrost and releases large amounts of methane into the atmosphere, it is creating a feedback loop that is “certain to trigger additional warming,” according to the lead scientist of a new study investigating Arctic methane emissions. The study released this week examined 71 wetlands across the globe and found that melting permafrost is creating wetlands known as fens, which are unexpectedly emitting large quantities of methane. Over a 100-year timeframe, methane is about 35 times as potent as a climate change-driving greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, and over 20 years, it's 84 times more potent. Permafrost terraces in Alaska. Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildife Service Alaska/flickr Methane emissions come from agriculture, fossil fuel production and microbes in wetland soils, among other sources. The study says scientists have assumed that methane emissions from wetlands are high in the tropics, but not necessarily in the Arctic because of the cold temperatures there. But a spike in global methane concentrations in the atmosphere seen since 2007 can be partly traced back to the formation of fens in areas where permafrost once existed, according to the study, led by University of Guelph (Ontario, Canada) biology professor Merritt Turetsky. The methane emissions stemming from melting permafrost could be critical to determining how fast the climate will change in the future. “Methane emissions are one example of a positive feedback between ecosystems and the climate system,” Turetsky said. “The permafrost carbon feedback is one of the important and likely consequences of climate change, and it is certain to trigger additional warming.” Warming and thawing permafrost stimulate methane release, which enhances the greenhouse effect, creating a feedback loop, she said. “Even if we ceased all human emissions, permafrost would continue to thaw and release carbon into the atmosphere,” Turetsky said. “Instead of reducing emissions, we currently are on track with the most dire scenario considered by the IPCC. There is no way to capture emissions from thawing permafrost as this carbon is released from soils across large regions of land in very remote spaces.” The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projected in its fifth assessment on climate change report that the earth’s average temperatures could warm by as much as 8.64°F above 1986-2005 temperatures if nothing is done to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Coastal erosion reveals the ice-rich permafrost underlying the Arctic Coastal Plain in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. Credit: USGS Turetsky’s study shows that fens in the northern latitudes created when permafrost thaws can have emissions similar to wetlands in the tropics. Emissions from fens are generally higher than bogs and some other wetland types because fens, fed by groundwater, have higher nutrient levels and more grasses than bogs, leading to more methane production. “Our study highlights that northern wetlands without permafrost emit more methane than wetlands with permafrost,” U.S. Geological Survey research ecologist and study co-author Kimberly Wickland said. “When permafrost is absent, wetlands can be more connected to groundwater, allowing for wetter conditions — the main ingredient for methane production,” she said. “It is possible that methane emissions from wetlands will continue to increase with continued permafrost thaw, but that will depend primarily on whether wetlands stay wet. If they dry, then methane emissions will decline.” Gavin Schmidt, a climate scientist at NASA's Goodard Institute for Space Studies in New York and not part of the study, said it's too soon to draw conclusions about how much wetland methane emissions will impact global warming, though scientists widely agree that the amplified feedback is generally going to increase. The paleo record shows that the Arctic was several degrees warmer during the last interglacial period 120,000 years ago, and there is no evidence of increased levels of methane in the atmosphere during that period, he said. “It's not to say at some point it won't become an issue,” Schmidt said, adding that there is evidence of many “methane burps” across the globe in the very distant past. “The planet is very capable of surprising us,” he said. By surveying many wetland sites across the globe as Turetsky and her team have, scientists can gain a much broader understanding of the source of methane emissions from melting permafrost and their role in the feedback loop, Schmidt said. Many previous studies have examined just a single site whereas Turetsky's team examined numerous sites across the globe. “The work these people are doing in terms of trying to synthesize that information and bring it all together, I think it's certainly going in the right direction,” he said. Turetsky's study, “A synthesis of methane emissions from 71 northern, temperate, and subtropical wetlands,” was published this week in the journal Global Change Biology. You May Also Like April Becomes 1st Month With CO2 Levels Above 400 PPM Despite Spate of Tornadoes, 2014 on Track for Low Total Astronauts Capture Arctic Sea Ice Melt Season in Progress The Explosive Growth of California’s Drought in 1 Chart

New York’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg is locking up the baby formula, because he wants newborns to drink breast milk instead. He’s using his mayoral power to direct maternity-ward nurses to hide baby-milk formula after Sept. 2 so that new moms feel pressured to provide breast milk to their newborns. Bloomberg’s mammary-mandate is supported by white-coated public-health officials, who say the scientific data shows that mothers’ milk aids infants’ digestive systems and shields them from some diseases. His wishes are law because he controls much of the city’s health network in a city-wide version of Obamacare. But Bloomberg’s lactate-dictate is likely to get him a slap in the face from women who prefer to choose how they will raise their children, and how they juggle child-rearing and work in a city where unemployment has reached at least 14 percent in the Bronx. The “reality is that some women may not want to breastfeed their baby and it is simply their choice,” said Cherlyn Harley LeBon, a lawyer, mom and member of the libertarian-minded Project 21’s advisory board. “I completely support breastfeeding our babies… [but] the government should not force them to do it,” she said in a July 29 statement. “Mayor Bloomberg is now playing the role of pediatrician and neonatal specialist… [who has declared that] a mother is now forced to breastfeed unless she has a medical reason for not doing so.” The story was broken by The New York Post, where commentators were merciless. “I’m another former member of La Leche League who nursed all my kids,” said Rosemarie Scott, at Marymount Manhattan College. “I’m all for encouraging women to breastfeed but agree that this is NOT the way to do it. Leave it to Bloomberg to be so heavy-handed as to turn off even a breastfeeding advocate like myself.” The mayor’s formula-fatwa follows his earlier effort to stop moms — or any one else — from buying cups of soda larger than 16 ounces. Babies, however, will be pushed to drink from cups sizes A to DDD under the new rules, dubbed “Latch On NYC.” Women who refuse to nurse their infants face no penalty, because there’s no requirement that they discharge milk before they’re discharged from the hospital. Twenty seven of the city’s 40 hospitals are complying with Bloomberg’s nursery rules. The breast-behest is the newest feature of Bloomberg’s big-government, nanny-state, experts-first-citizens-second, progressive outlook. He’s a social liberal, but is eager to impose rules when allied professionals say they’re good for city government. He’s a self-declared feminist and outspoken supporter of unrestricted abortion-choice who opposes any limit on women’s ability to buy abortion services. But once the infant escapes from the womb, they’re now under the rule of Bloomberg’s nanny-state rules. Bloomberg’s personal involvement in the private lives of citizens extends far beyond cup sizes. He’s an outspoken critic of protests against the now-moribund effort to build a mosque alongside the Twin Towers’ ground-zero, where Islamists killed almost 3,000 Americans on 9/11. He’s been in the news recently because of his — quickly recanted — call for cops to go on illegal strikes until Americans lose their constitutional right to guns, and because of his applause for President Barack Obama’s decision in June to offer a campaign-trail de-facto amnesty to at least 800,000 illegal aliens, despite a record national unemployment rate. New York’s unemployment rate is at least 10 percent, and half of African-American adults in the city lack jobs. Follow Neil on Twitter

On April 18th the Arizona Coyotes received disappointing news as they received the third overall pick in this year’s draft from the results of the 2015 NHL Draft Lottery. Finishing 29th in the entire league behind the Buffalo Sabres, the Coyotes had a good chance at landing a first or second overall selection. Unfortunately the Edmonton Oilers came out on top, pushing Buffalo to second and Arizona to third. The Arizona Coyotes will miss out on Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel this year but all is not lost. This team will receive a young skilled player with their pick but the question on everyone’s mind is who that is going to be. After McDavid and Eichel are selected there will be a handful of players that could easily fill that number three slot. Do the Coyotes fill the defensive hole left after the departure of Keith Yandle? Do they tackle their lackluster scoring problem that haunted them this season? Do they trade their pick? There are many questions that can be answered with their pick on June 26th so we will have to wait and see. The three main names left on the draft board will be Noah Hanifin, Dylan Strome, and Mitch Marner after Edmonton and Buffalo make their selections. Each of these players have a different skill set that could benefit the Arizona Coyotes in many different ways and will help in the overall goal of bringing the Stanley Cup to the desert. With that being said, Howlin’ Hockey wants to hear from YOU! With the third overall selection in the 2015 NHL Draft, who would YOU select to join the Arizona Coyotes? Here’s the rundown: Position: Defenseman Games Played: 37 Goals: 5 Assists: 18 Points: 23 Noah Hanifin is regarded as the number one defensive player coming into the 2015 NHL Draft and projected to be taken third overall. Hanifin is a unique combination of physicality and mentality as he puts his body and mind to the test with each shift. He has a natural skating ability that compliments both his offensive and defensive style of play. Not only can his 6’3″ and 203 pound body eliminate players from the puck, he can also set his teammates up in a position to score. As a freshman at Boston College, Noah Hanifin was a prominent member on the Eagles’ power-play and penalty kill. Scouts praise his ability to run the point and protect the blue line every time he steps on the ice. Noah describes his style as that of an offensive defenseman and models his skills by studying the playing styles of Duncan Keith and Drew Doughty. Boston College coach Jerry York praised Hanifin on NHL.com by stating: “We’re extremely pleased that not only is he a very good hockey player but he’s an outstanding teammate. He’s respected in the locker room because of his work habits and humble nature. He’s got a lot of qualities going for him besides his ability to play hockey and that makes it more enjoyable to have him around every day. Clearly his skating ability is at the NHL level right now and his puck handling and skills are excellent. He just needs to be little more assertive in the defensive zone but that will come with time.” The biggest question with Noah Hanifin is whether or not the Arizona Coyotes feel the need to tackle their defensive problems with another young player. While an Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Noah Hanifin pairing could take the league by storm in a few seasons, it may not be essential with larger problems at hand. The Arizona Coyotes tallied only 170 goals this season which places them 29th in the league in that category. Offense seems to be an issue for Arizona so passing on Hanifin may be an option on June 26th. Position: Center Games Played: 68 Goals: 45 Assists: 84 Points:129 Dylan Strome is a pure playmaker that is ready to step up and play at the next level. Strome lead the entire Ontario Hockey League with 129 points this season, proving that he can light up the score sheet. Dylan has a strong knowledge of the ice and an alert vision which ultimately led him to the lead the league in assists with 84. His offensive awareness is top notch and he enjoys having the puck on his stick. When asked about who he looks up to, Strome mentions Joe Thornton due to his soft hands and physicality. Dylan is very beneficial to his team in the faceoff circle as he wins a vast majority of draws. Dylan comes from a hockey family as well with his brother Ryan Strome currently playing for the New York Islanders. Strome’s knowledge is a key component in his high draft stock. There are a few criticisms pertaining to the OHL’s leading scorer. Playing alongside Connor McDavid can easily make someone better and that has definitely been the case for Dylan Strome. With that being said, critics are wondering how Strome will perform without McDavid on his line. Well, without McDavid in the lineup Strome put up 35 points in 21 games. Playing without McDavid does not seem to be a problem. Steve Kournianos of The Draft Analyst had this to say about Dylan: “Strome’s elite play with the puck and the way he protects it can make attempts at slowing him down both futile and nightmarish. He’s a hard match up who can carve up any game plan with precision puck movement. He’s excellent at creating plays off the rush, but he also excels when the game is tightly checked and every lane is seemingly clogged. It is in the offensive zone where he uses his size, reach and elite vision to his advantage. He’s is a precise passer and gifted playmaker who epitomizes opportunistic; make a bad decision with him on the ice, and there’s a good chance you’re going pay for it.” Is Dylan Strome the answer to Arizona’s scoring problem? Having the leading scorer of the OHL would certainly be a great starting point in the Coyotes rebuild. The probability of Strome playing in the NHL next season is low as it seems like he may need to sharpen his skills a little bit more with Erie. With that being said, having a superstar playmaker to set up players like Mikkel Boedker and Max Domi will be a huge threat in the future. His offensive awareness would be something that the Coyotes desperately need. Position: Right Wing Games Played: 63 Goals: 44 Assists: 82 Points: 126 Mitch Marner has slowly climbed up the draft ladder as he was not expected to be a third overall pick at the beginning of the season. Marner has proved that he has what it takes to compete at the next level with his prolific offensive performance with London this year. Mitch would finish second behind Dylan Strome for the OHL scoring title at 126 points. Mitch is also the first player in London to reach a 100 point season since John Tavares in 2008. Mitch Marner makes scoring look easy with his speed and ability to control the puck. He enjoys having the puck on his stick when entering the offensive zone in order to snipe one past the goaltender. Mitch is also recognized as a relentless forechecker and attacker. Marner compares himself to Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks and tries to model his game after him. One of the reasons that a few analysts would pass on Mitch Marner would be due to his size. He is 5’11” and 160 pounds which isn’t necessarily ideal in the NHL. On the other hand, many players already in the league have a size limitation and that does not stop them. Tyler Johnson of the Tampa Bay Lightning currently leads the 2015 NHL Playoffs with 21 points at only 5’9″ and 175 pounds. Patrick Kane is a close second with 20 points in the playoffs at 5’11”. Size does not matter if you know how to use it and Mitch Marner certainly knows how to use his. There is a high possibility that he will hit another growth spurt before the year is over too. Curtis Joe of EliteProspects describes Mitch Marner as: “A dynamic offensive forward that backchecks hard and establishes his presence through playing smart, puck-possession hockey. A very quick skater gifted with great hands and hockey sense. Battles hard in all three zones and shows a willingness to do whatever it takes to get the puck to the back of the net; an unselfish player. Embodies the definition of a dynamic number-generating machine who makes the players around him better.” The Arizona Coyotes could use a guy of Marner’s caliber on their team. Marner is a pure goal scorer that lets his presence be known with each shift he takes. Size does not limit him as he can be physical with anyone he is put up against. Drafting Marner will be beneficial to the Coyotes in terms of team chemistry as well. His junior hockey teammates Max Domi and Christian Dvorak have already been drafted by the Arizona Coyotes organization. Having three guys that all played in London together would definitely help their transition from the OHL to the NHL. Mitch Marner will aid in the Coyotes goal production if given the opportunity. Now it’s time to let your voice be heard! There is the defensive talents of a Duncan Keith style player in Noah Hanifin, a playmaking Joe Thornton caliber player in Dylan Strome, and then a Patrick Kane influenced player in Mitch Marner. Who would you like the Arizona Coyotes to draft with the third overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft? Who should the Arizona Coyotes draft with the third overall pick? Noah Hanifin Dylan Strome Mitch Marner View Results

On Media Blog Archives Select Date… December, 2015 November, 2015 October, 2015 September, 2015 August, 2015 July, 2015 June, 2015 May, 2015 April, 2015 March, 2015 February, 2015 January, 2015 Right-wing radio: Romney loses, GOP dies Leading conservative talk show hosts Rush Limbaugh and Laura Ingraham are both arguing that the Republican party will or should be shut down if Mitt Romney loses in November -- an idea that, however hard to believe, gives you an indication of the right wing's dissatisfaction with the Republican party. "If you can't beat Barack Obama with this record, then shut down the party. Shut it down, start new, with new people. Because this is a gimme election, or at least it should be," Ingraham said on her radio program yesterday. "Election after election, we hire people who have lost previous campaigns, who have run campaigns that have failed, who have messaged campaigns where the message fell flat, and they keep getting re-hired." Where Ingraham made an argument, Limbaugh made a prediction: The Republicans would fall, but not before blaming the conservative base for their woes and opening a window for a third, more conservative party to take their place. "If Obama wins, let me tell you what it's the end of: The Republican Party. There's gonna be a third party that's gonna be oriented toward conservatism. I know Rand Paul thinks libertarianism. And I know if Obama wins, the Republican Party is gonna try to maneuver things so conservatives get blamed," he said. "The only problem is, right now Romney's not running a conservative campaign. But they're gonna set it up to say, 'Well, the right sat home,' or, 'The right made Romney be other than who he is.' They'll try to deflect the blame, but they got who they want."

I got lots of wonderful things, and they were all wrapped -so fun! I got: a big sketch book (how did my match know I was on the last page of my old one? awesome timing) a pack of Micron pens for drawing. My old ones had dried out, so also awesome! A National Audubon Society Guide to Nature Photography (digital). Perfect! I love doing nature photography and I'm a beginner. I've been trying to figure out how to get better and this is exactly what I needed. A Falcon Guide to the Best Easy Day Hikes near my Oklahoma City. I love hiking and I just moved here, so this will be great for helping me explore the area and find good hiking spots! Thank you so much Legotech! These were all very thoughtful gifts, you are awesome!

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario — The Maine Red Claws, used a balanced attack and solid defense to shut down Raptors 905 Saturday afternoon, 100-91. Damion Lee led the Red Claws with 22 points, and Marcus Georges-Hunt finished near another triple-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. Demetrius Jackson, on assignment from the Boston Celtics, added 19 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in the win. Arthur Edwards led the bench with 11 points, while Coron Williams contributed 10 points in his first start of the season. The Red Claws (5-2) carried Lee to a hot offensive start. Scoring both inside and outside, Lee was able to score 10 of his points in the 1st quarter, including eight straight to give the Claws the lead. With Lee and Georges-Hunt leading the charge, Edwards and Jason Calliste added three’s off the banch, and Maine rolled out to a 31-18 lead after one. Edwards opened the 2nd quarter with a three-point play, putting Maine up 38-23. Raptors 905 (3-1) would go on a 11-0 run, thanks in large part to Will Sheehey, who drained back-to-back three-pointers. The 905 took a 44-42 lead. Williams snapped a 49-49 tie with a pair of free throws, and. J.J. Panoske’s three late in the 2nd gave Maine a 59-50 lead at the break. But the 905 were not finished. The 3rd quarter turned out to be the lowest scoring of the season for the Red Claws, with Raptors 905 out-scoring Maine 17-15 in the period. Jakob Poeltl, on assignment from the Toronto Raptors, tipped home a basket to give the 905 a 68-66 lead. Jackson’s free throws at the end of the quarter gave Maine a 74-73 lead heading into the final quarter. The Red Claws started the 4th quarter on a 7-0 run, with Lee draining a three and Georges-Hunt driving and scoring for two. Georges-Hunt and Lee traded baskets, and Williams’ three-ball put Maine up nine, as Maine cruised to the finish line from there. This was the lowest-scoring game of the season for Maine, which shot 45 percent (32-71) from the field, and 34 percent (11-32) from downtown. The Red Claws went 25-31 from the free throw line. Raptors 905 shot just 40 percent (35-87) from the field and 11% (2-18) from three-point range.

beginning, beginning, beginning, beginning, beginning, beginning, beginning, beginning, beginning, beginning, At the beginning, the Host was infinite dominion. It hosted many multiple entities, internal mental residents and dissociative parties, all contained therein its singular form. After the virtual eclipse, its individuated body became messy and disordered. Compression upon compression, grubby codec and missing render files allowed The Host to become The Many it had previously hosted. It degraded, and from within inside itself .mov files spawned .mov files, parasite organisms. Now plural, it joyously performed its own congregation, giving great pleasure with the “Coming Soon” and the “Now Showing”. Deep inside this live lost universe, a network of rooms opened onto other rooms, corridors unto corridors, windows looked onto windows. Knock and the door will open, seek and you will find. Respond to and process data. The Host was no longer a location, no longer an origin, but riddled with black holes of lenticular flesh that sucked the light. The once smooth compere gave way to a beautiful, infinite vista of glitching, shivering images, a twitching hyper-media information retrieval initiative. The interlace curtain raises onto the backstage and a fibre optic Babel. Distant Karaoke. Wireless keyboard ambience. Small ecstasies of forgetting The only singularity here is the follow spotlight. Illuminating with a perfect, bright intensity, burning your fate in the sand. This is the modern dance.

Silence on human rights encourages despots, discourages activists. President Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on April 3, 2017. (Photo11: Brendan Smialowski, AFP/Getty Images) To the extent that the Trump administration's foreign policy has started to take shape — and it seems to be a work in progress — advocacy of human rights and democracy doesn't seem to be very high on the agenda. If anything, Trump's "America First" foreign policy is looking more like a sort of realpolitik, where ethical and moral considerations are shed in favor of achieving transactional "wins" on jobs and security. The president seems drawn to autocrats and cynical about promoting cherished American ideals. Asked in February about Russian President Vladimir Putin's reputation for ordering political killings, Trump didn't miss a beat: "Do you think our country is so innocent?" Last month, the administration lifted human rights conditions on the sale of F-16 fighters to Bahrain, where political dissidents are locked up without due process. And the annual State Department report on global human rights was issued without fanfare or the usual news conference. This week, Trump gushed about Egyptian strongman Abdel Fattah al-Sisi when the two met at the White House. Sisi overthrew his democratically elected predecessor in 2013 and has brutally cracked down on political dissent, a sure route to fomenting more violent extremism. "He's done a fantastic job in a very difficult situation," Trump said, vigorously shaking Sisi's hand, something he didn't do with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, a staunch ally, two weeks earlier. It's true, as the foreign policy realists like to point out, that America can't right every wrong in the world. Trump needn't go as far as President George W. Bush, whose grandiose vision of bringing democracy to the Middle East, by military invasion if necessary, led to the fiasco in Iraq. Or even as far as President Carter, who made human rights a cornerstone of his foreign policy. But there’s nothing wrong with private nudges, public rhetoric and material incentives to make clear America stands for basic freedoms. There’s no reason to cede the moral high ground and every reason to try to hold it. Silence on human rights discourages the pro-democracy activists who put their lives on the line for the rights Americans take for granted — and encourages the bad actors such as Putin and Syrian President Bashar Assad. As Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said Wednesday, it's probably no coincidence that a horrific chemical weapons attack occurred in Syria soon after U.S. officials suggested that Assad could stay in power. (Later in the day, Trump condemned the attack but didn't say what he'd do about it.) Which brings us to the meetings between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping planned for Thursday and Friday at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. The White House has said that human rights will be raised discreetly, if at all. Xi's regime imprisons peaceful critics, detains people accused of violating Communist Party rules, holds hundreds of activists for years without trial, and engages in widespread Internet censorship. For all this, Xi avoids accountability to the Chinese people. Shouldn't America at least advocate — for a moment during the discussion of trade imbalances, currency rates and North Korea — doctrines of freedom for the leader of the world's largest, repressive regime? Would it do any harm if Trump diplomatically pressed Xi to release Nobel Peace laureate Liu Xiaobo, whose "crime," for which he's serving an 11-year prison sentence, was to circulate a petition for placing human rights, democracy and the rule of law at the core of the Chinese political system? As much as Trump might disdain moralizing, part of his job is to send the message that America cares about its values. USA TODAY's editorial opinions are decided by its Editorial Board, separate from the news staff. Most editorials are coupled with an opposing view — a unique USA TODAY feature. To read more editorials, go to the Opinion front page or sign up for the daily Opinion email newsletter. To respond to this editorial, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com. Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/2oD96ro

Before I get started, I want to point out that this article is aimed at pre-field graduate students and undergraduates, and that the context is working with American funding agencies. YMMV. As I mentioned in my previous blog, my dissertation research is supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (NSFGRFP) and the Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship (FHDDRA). The former provides three years of funding that must be used in five years of graduate school. I can use it in place of a TA stipend while I’m on campus or I can use it during fieldwork. In my case, I’ve opted to defer it while I’m in the field so that I can use the Fulbright-Hays, and then I’ll use it when I get back so that I don’t have to TA while I write-up. The proposal that I wrote for the NSFGRFP was submitted during my senior year in college, and I’m sorry to say that I can’t recall a particular process that I used to write it. For those looking for information on how to write a proposal for the NSFGRFP, there are some useful websites, guides, and resources on the internet, and you can read my dreadful proposal here. The FHDDRA is another – much longer – story. Start Early and Construct a Prototype The sociocultural curriculum at Washington University is designed with very specific goals in mind, perhaps none more important than “get your research funded.” So, while I would like to say that the Proposal Writing course that we are privileged to have at WashU was the most influential to my ability to win money, the process started before that. First, I consider the National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant (NSFDDRIG) as a prototype, as it may be the longest and most comprehensive form of a dissertation research grant for sociocultural anthropologists. My proposal for the NSFDDRIG was ten pages, single-spaced, Times New Roman, 11pt font, justified, with one-inch margins on all sides. (Additionally, there was a four-page section of References Cited in the same format. I used the Chicago Manual of Style author-date citation.) That gives me an enormous amount of room to explain my project, and that’s important because proposal writing (for me) amounts to the spectre of my mentors watching as I write while incessantly asking, “Why is that important?” and “How do you know that?” The headers of the NSFDDRIG are up to the author, so I took some winning proposals which were generously donated by more senior graduate students and constructed my own in this order: Problem Statement: What is the problem? Why is it important? Foreshadow every major point you’re going to make in the rest of the proposal. This section is constantly being retooled as new things are being added later in the proposal because you don’t want readers to find something out half-way through. At the same time, you’ve got to keep it brief. Research Objectives (1, 2, and 3): Once I’ve explained the problem, I’ve got to explain what my objectives are to figuring out an answer to the problem. Here, you should foreshadow what kinds of data counts as satisfying these objectives and what kinds of methods are most appropriate for collecting that data. Literature Review (with subsections): Backup a second. Your work is a response to other scholars’ work – you’re having a conversation – so you need to catch the reader up on what has been said so far and how your project proposes something new and different. Research Methods (includes Timeline, Sampling Design, Data Collection, and Data Analysis) Research Timeline: A broad overview of your plan. I put mine into a table that took up half-a-page and basically said, in “Months 1-2” (first column), I’ll be “Hiring research assistants; conducting focus group interviews with community stakeholders and gatekeepers; recruiting interview participants” and so forth. Sampling Design: Who do you need to talk to and why? What methods will you use with them and what kind of data do you expect to get from them? How will those data answer objectives 1 or 2 or 3? (Tie it back to the rest of the proposal.) Data Collection Methods: What are the methods you will use, what data do you expect to get from them, why are those data important to helping you make your argument, and how do those data relate to your objectives? Data Analysis: Once you collect your data, what will you do to confirm that they address your objectives and how will you recognize that they do? Broader Impacts: “encompasses the potential to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes” (from NSF 15-556). For me, this meant giving back to the community and participants with which I work, giving back to the academic community in Dakar, and (lastly) engaging my home public though social media. Research Experience: Who are you and why are you the right person for the job? This is an important first consideration because it serves as a kind of checklist. One of the first things that I needed to do as a graduate student at WashU was prepare my “Second Year Paper,” a sort of part lit review, part non-thesis made up of three parts: two theoretical (I chose Postcolonial Theory and Masculinity) and one Area Studies (i.e. Senegal for me). This paper needed to be submitted to my committee by early-January of my second year. Just before that, in the fall semester of the second year, we’re taking a Research Methods in Anthropology course. Therefore, by the time we begin our Proposal Writing course in the spring of our second year, we’ve already got our literature review and our methods roughly done – which were a full seven pages of my ten-page proposal. The biggest challenge for me in the Proposal Writing course was not designing the research (much of that had already been cooking for a couple years), but stringing it all together in a cogent, deliberate, and airtight argument. While we spent weeks writing and re-writing and re-writing the Problem Statement and Objectives in a class dedicated to fine-tuning the argument, I was also taking a course in Argumentation through Ethnography which was teaching me – by deep-reading newly published ethnographic monographs – how to piece together arguments and turn data into evidence. That semester completely changed the way I thought about writing and the most significant lessons I learned were simple: Say what you’re going to do and don’t leave loose ends. Cut, cut, cut. The reason, I think, that it’s important to begin with the NSFDDRIG is that it is easier (for me) to trim and cut material than it is to add. It is true that some agencies are asking different kinds of questions. The Social Science Research Council, for example, wants Mellon International Dissertation Research Fellowship proposals to draw heavily on interdisciplinarity, so I wrote about feminist geography, urban studies, global health, and the sociology of space. The Wenner-Gren Dissertation Fieldwork Grant Application asks the dreaded Question 5: “What contribution does your project make to anthropological theory and to the discipline?” – an overwhelming question that one must answer in half of the space allotted to the other four questions! NSF and SSRC do care about your answer to this question, but they aren’t asking so explicitly, and having seen previous NSF and SSRC dissertation award proposals, I’m fairly certain that someone could skate by with barely a consideration to their contributions to anthropological theory and still be awarded money. Indeed, they have. Aside from these differences in questions, the major components remain the same: What is the problem? What is the context of the problem? How are you going to figure it out? The most significant difference between the NSFDDRIG and the rest of my proposals is the page count. While the NSFDDRIG is up to ten pages, single-spaced, the Wenner-Gren is essentially four and a half pages, single-spaced; SSRC was ten pages, double-spaced; Fulbright U.S. includes a two-page, single-space “Grant Purpose” and a one-page, single-spaced personal statement; my Fulbright-Hays was eight pages, double-spaced. I think that completing the NSFDDRIG first, if possible, will allow you to get the fullest view of your research plan. Find a community! Lastly, I recommend joining a writing group, either on campus or online, where members are committed to regularly reading and commenting on each other’s writing. It, of course, helps if those members are either at the same level of proposal writing or are experienced and winning proposal winners in anthropology. Importantly: A winning proposal does not make it a model for future writers. First, sometimes people win because the problem statement is just that irresistible and compelling, despite their dreadful methodologies and incomplete literature reviews. (I know! I’ve seen them!) Second, as long as judges, entry rules, annual budgets, and trends in anthropology are changing from year to year, the target will always be moving. Do not take winning examples and attempt to replicate their formulas. It won’t work. So, in the end, between April 2016 and June 2017, I wrote and submitted two FHDDRA proposals, I wrote three NSF-DDRIG proposals and submitted two, I wrote two Wenner-Gren proposals and submitted one, and I wrote and submitted one proposal to SSRC and one for the Fulbright U.S. That’s nine written proposals, seven submitted, and one awarded. But let’s be honest – they’re all basically the same. To recap: Develop a prototype. I recommend the NSFDDRIG. Be recursive. Tie everything you write into something else you’ve already written. Justify every word and sentence. Find a community of writers to work with. Write a lot and submit a lot, but also don’t write too much because you already have a prototype. (That doesn’t make sense. I know.) Next up: Ethical review or writing the interview instruments? Dick Powis is a PhD Candidate in Anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis, and is also pursuing a Graduate Certificate in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. His research interests include men and childbirth, prenatal screening technologies, and reproductive health in urban settings in Senegal. Read more at dickpowis.com. http://www.dickpowis.com

When the Charlotte Hornets selected Malik Monk with the 11th overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft, there were some undoubtedly high expectations by fans and scouts. Many expected Monk to be able to step in almost immediately and be not only a solid role player but an above average starter as well. Let's rewind to that day. I covered draft night for At The Hive, and remember how excited many were about this big-name prospect. There were about seven or eight guards that were very highly touted of in the NBA draft, and all were all projected to go in the top ten. Charlotte, of course, had the 11th pick, making it unlikely to come away with one of these prospects. However, when Sacramento traded the 10th overall pick to the Portland Trail Blazers, most watching the draft knew that Charlotte would have an opportunity to select the high-firepower guard from Kentucky. Then, it happened. Rich Cho and Michael Jordan selected the nineteen-year-old, from the Kentucky Wildcats over the likes of Donovan Mitchell, Luke Kennard, and Bam Adebayo. In fact, in a poll that was run among Hornets fans before the draft (where 227 total votes were tallied), 27 percent of fans agreed the Hornets should trade up for Monk, while 70 percent agreed that Charlotte should take him if available. In fact, only three percent of Hornets fans would have picked another player over Monk (seven total votes). It was a pick out of the ordinary. It wasn’t a ‘Charlotte’ pick. It shattered the stereotypes of the Hornets always picking big, white, unathletic centers. Monk, when asked to describe his own game in one word, said, “Electric”. As you can tell by his own response, this is not the typical Charlotte first round pick. When you think of a Hornets’ draft pick (before the 2017 NBA Draft), your thought probably floats around three ideas. A lengthy defensive guard, a grit-and-grind wing, or a defensive center. Malik Monk fits into none of the above. However, disappointment struck after Monk missed Orlando Summer League with an ankle injury sustained in a pre-draft workout. Recovery took longer than expected, but Monk eventually made his debut in the preseason. He performed well, averaging 16 points, three rebounds, and two assists, managing to only turn the ball over once per game, and more importantly, remaining healthy. As if the expectations were not already high, this raised the bar another degree. But many forget that preseason is, well, the only preseason. In the regular season, Monk has been streaky to say the least. Other than a few games, he has been a below average role player. His best scoring outbreak came against the Milwaukee Bucks on November 1st. He scored 25 points on 10-17 shooting, most of which came in the fourth quarter. He is also currently one of the worst defensive players in the NBA. He ranks in the bottom 29 percent in points per possession allowed, giving up almost a full point (0.96) points per possession when his man shoots the ball. Monk also struggles to defend spot-up shooters. He ranks in the bottom nine percent, allowing a full 1.296 points per possession when his man is spotting up. This isn’t good. Considering Clifford’s defense-first mentality, this stat alone makes the fact that Monk minutes are disappearing not surprising. That said, rookies often struggling defensively, and most teams that do actually have a top rookie don’t have any players to play above their selected player. For instance, Lauri Markkanen of the Chicago Bulls has been just plain bad on defense this season. However, what separates him from Monk are a few different factors. First of all, Markkanen has been the main scoring threat on a team that many would consider, the worst in the NBA. The Bulls aren’t exactly a playoff threat (despite beating the Hornets now twice). It’s important to remember that the Hornets are in a win-now-or-everybody-might-be-fired mode. Cho is in a contract year, and Steve Clifford is on the hot seat. This is part of the reason that Monk will a) not start many, if not any games this season, or b) get many minutes when he does actually play. It’s all about circumstance. Monk is the team’s third-best shooting guard behind Nicolas Batum and sixth-man Jeremy Lamb. When a team is trying to win games, they do not exactly want their third-best shooting guard playing more than 20 minutes per game. However, there is an argument that Monk could play point-guard instead. When Michael Carter-Williams was out with an injury to start the season, Monk played backup to Kemba Walker, and even showed off some flashy passes and nice vision as well. And with the way MCW has been playing recently, there is definitely a solid argument to play Monk over him. But once again, when a borderline playoff team is trying to play with the big dogs, playing a nineteen-year-old with little point guard experience over experienced players is not ideal. In fact, it's a wildcard move. It is not a Steve Clifford-esque move. Let’s compare Monk’s efficiency to Lamb, Batum, and Carter-Williams. FG% of Active Hornet Guards Name FG% 3P% FT% eFG% Name FG% 3P% FT% eFG% Nic Batum 44% 36% 84% 52% Jeremy Lamb 44% 33% 83% 50% Malik Monk 34% 33% 75% 44% Michael Carter-Williams 40% 25% 70% 31.00% As you can see, if you compare Monk’s game so far to the likes of Batum and Lamb, it isn’t even a contest. So, why is Monk not playing instead of MCW? It’s simple. Would you rather have an experienced player, who is solid defensively, that has size, or an inexperienced rookie who has not found a rhythm yet? This is not just confined to Clifford. I’d bet that nine out of ten coaches in the NBA would choose the experienced vet above the rookie. There have been two coaches fired so far this year. Clifford is not attempting to be the third. Criticism aside, I still believe in Monk. I was ecstatic when the Hornets drafted him, and wrote this on him pre-draft: Before the draft, I wrote about how it would be mindless to pass on Monk: “Malik Monk is the most explosive player in this draft, but he is no safe bet. He is inconsistent on defense and also settles for mid-range jumpers instead of using his vision to creates shots. That being said, he is also the draft’s the best shooter, and if the Hornets are able to select him with the 11th overall pick, it would be foolish to pass on him.” We should not be worried about Monk’s start. There is little reason to panic. He has the ability to be one of the future stars in today’s league. Sure, players like Donovan Mitchell make you concerned, considering Mitchell was taken two spots after Monk. But in reality, it takes years to fully evaluate and compare players, and even then, no comparison will be fully accurate. But here’s a comparison that could be eye-opening. Compare Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker to Monk through their first 20 games: Malik Monk vs Devin Booker in their first 20 games. Name Minutes Points Rebounds Assists Name Minutes Points Rebounds Assists Devin Booker 14.6 6 1.2 0.7 Malik Monk 16.9 7.1 0.2 1.8 It may be hard to remember, especially when a player like Monk falls into your hands, but greatness does not happen overnight. It’s also important to remember that Booker and Monk were very similar players coming out of college. They both went to Kentucky, both were expected to go earlier in the draft. Both were also the best shooters of their class, and both are horrible on defense. This comparison strikes many similarities. The point is, don’t panic. Some rookies adjust quicker than others, and it often depends on many factors. Monk has potential, he just may need more time to realize it.

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Conference Series llc LTD invites all claimants to attend “ 12 th International Conference on Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine ” which is going to be held during November 11-12, 2019 at Madrid, Spain mainly focuses on two key topics viz. Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine with basic theme “ Regenerative Medicine: Power to Repair, Rejuvenate, Renew ”. Sessions & Tracks Scaffolds Scaffolds are one of the three most important essentials constituting the basic concept of Regenerative Medicine, and are included in the core technology of Regenerative Medicine. Every day thousands of surgical procedures are done to replace or repair tissue that has been damaged through disease or trauma. The developing field of tissue engineering (TE) aims to regenerate damaged tissues by combining cells from the body with highly porous scaffold biomaterials, which act as templates for tissue regeneration, to guide the growth of new tissue. Scaffolds has a prominent role in tissue regeneration the designs, fabrication, 3D models, surface ligands and molecular architecture, nanoparticle-cell interactions and porous of the scaffolds are been used in the field in attempts to regenerate different tissues and organs in the body. The world stem cell market was approximately 2.715 billion dollars in 2010, and with a growth rate of 16.8% annually, a market of 6.877 billion dollars will be formed in 2016. From 2017, the expected annual growth rate is 10.6%, which would expand the market to 11.38 billion dollars by 2021. Related Regenerative Medicine Conferences | Stem Cell Conferences | Stem Cell Congress | Tissue Science Conferences | Europe Conferences 9th Advanced Cell and Gene Therapy conference, March 21-22, 2019 Rome, Italy; 12th Genomics and Molecular Biology conference, April 15-17, 2019 Berlin, Germany; 7th Integrative Biology conference, April 15-16, 2019 Berlin, Germany; Pacific Regenerative Medicine Conference, May 16-19, 2019 Hawaii, USA; Annual conference & Exhibition on Transversal, Translational & Transformative, December 2-5, 2019 Florida, USA; 21st International Conference on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, June 27 - 28, 2019 London, United Kingdom; World Advanced Therapies & Regenerative Medicine Congress 2019, May 15 – 17, London, UK; 6th Annual European Congress on Clinical & Translational Sciences, October 18-20, 2019 Vienna, Austria; Europe: EuroStemCell (European Consortium for Stem Cell Research); German Stem Cell Network (GSCN); German Society for Stem Cell Research (GSZ); Stem Cell Network North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW); Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research (NCSCR); USA: California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM); New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF); Tissue Engineering International & Regenerative Medicine Society (TERMIS); International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR); Asia: The New South Wales Stem Cell Network; Korean Society for Stem Cell Research; Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine; Taiwan Society for Stem Cell Research; Stem Cell Society Singapore (SCSS); Cord Blood Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Recently, cord blood stems cells are developed in the treatment of different diseases, including a broad range of cancers, blood disorders, and genetic diseases. In a cord blood transplant, stem cells are infused in to a patient’s bloodstream for healing and repairing damaged cells and tissue. In a successful transplant, new healthy immune system has been created. The natural power and purity of newborn's cord blood are responsible for healthy development during gestation. Cord blood applications have developed beyond transplant medicine into the areas of regenerative medicine including brain injuries, autism, Cardiac Problems, and Autoimmune Deficiencies. The latest research in routine transplantation of cord blood are reviewed followed by the critical role of cord blood stem cells in regenerative medicine research and novel approaches using cord blood as a source of whole blood for transfusion. Related Regenerative Medicine Conferences | Stem Cell Conferences | Stem Cell Congress | Tissue Science Conferences | Europe Conferences 9th Advanced Cell and Gene Therapy conference, March 21-22, 2019 Rome, Italy; 12th Genomics and Molecular Biology conference, April 15-17, 2019 Berlin, Germany; 7th Integrative Biology conference, April 15-16, 2019 Berlin, Germany; Pacific Regenerative Medicine Conference, May 16-19, 2019 Hawaii, USA; Annual conference & Exhibition on Transversal, Translational & Transformative, December 2-5, 2019 Florida, USA; 21st International Conference on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, June 27 - 28, 2019 London, United Kingdom; World Advanced Therapies & Regenerative Medicine Congress 2019, May 15 – 17, London, UK; 6th Annual European Congress on Clinical & Translational Sciences, October 18-20, 2019 Vienna, Austria; Related Associations and Societies: Europe: EuroStemCell (European Consortium for Stem Cell Research); German Stem Cell Network (GSCN); German Society for Stem Cell Research (GSZ); British Association of Tissue Banks; British Association for Tissue Banking; European Tissue Repair Society; Spanish Association of Tissue Bank; European Calcified Tissue Society; European Association of Tissue Banks; USA: California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM); New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF); Tissue Engineering International & Regenerative Medicine Society (TERMIS); International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR). Asia: The New South Wales Stem Cell Network; Korean Society for Stem Cell Research; Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine; Taiwan Society for Stem Cell Research; Stem Cell Society Singapore (SCSS). Bone and Cartilage Tissue Engineering This interdisciplinary engineering has attracted much attention as a new therapeutic means that may overcome the drawbacks involved in the current artificial organs and organ transplantation that have been also aiming at replacing lost or severely damaged tissues or organs. Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine is an exciting research area that aims at regenerative alternatives to harvested tissues for organ transplantation with soft tissues. Although significant progress has been made in the tissue engineering field, many challenges remain and further development in this area will require on-going interactions and collaborations among the scientists from multiple disciplines, and in partnership with the regulatory and the funding agencies. As a result of the medical and market potential, there is significant academic and corporate interest in this technology. Related Regenerative Medicine Conferences | Stem Cell Conferences | Stem Cell Congress | Tissue Science Conferences | Europe Conferences 9th Advanced Cell and Gene Therapy conference, March 21-22, 2019 Rome, Italy; 12th Genomics and Molecular Biology conference, April 15-17, 2019 Berlin, Germany; 7th Integrative Biology conference, April 15-16, 2019 Berlin, Germany; Pacific Regenerative Medicine Conference, May 16-19, 2019 Hawaii, USA; Annual conference & Exhibition on Transversal, Translational & Transformative, December 2-5, 2019 Florida, USA; 21st International Conference on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, June 27 - 28, 2019 London, United Kingdom; World Advanced Therapies & Regenerative Medicine Congress 2019, May 15 – 17, London, UK; 6th Annual European Congress on Clinical & Translational Sciences, October 18-20, 2019 Vienna, Austria; Related Associations and Societies: Europe: EuroStemCell (European Consortium for Stem Cell Research); German Stem Cell Network (GSCN); German Society for Stem Cell Research (GSZ); Stem Cell Network North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW); Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research (NCSCR); ScanBalt Stem Cell Research Network; USA: California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM); American Association of tissue banks; New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF); Tissue Engineering International & Regenerative Medicine Society (TERMIS); Asia: Asia Pacific Association of Surgical Tissue Banking; The New South Wales Stem Cell Network; Korean Society for Stem Cell Research; Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine; Taiwan Society for Stem Cell Research; Stem cells to Battle cancer Stem cell transplant is treatment in some types of cancers like leukemia, multiple myeloma, or some types of lymphoma. Stem cell transplantation is the procedure that restores blood-forming stem cells in patients who have had theirs destroyed by the very high doses of chemotherapy or radiation therapy that are used to treat certain cancers. Related Regenerative Medicine Conferences | Stem Cell Conferences | Stem Cell Congress | Tissue Science Conferences | Europe Conferences 9th Advanced Cell and Gene Therapy conference, March 21-22, 2019 Rome, Italy; 12th Genomics and Molecular Biology conference, April 15-17, 2019 Berlin, Germany; 7th Integrative Biology conference, April 15-16, 2019 Berlin, Germany; Pacific Regenerative Medicine Conference, May 16-19, 2019 Hawaii, USA; Annual conference & Exhibition on Transversal, Translational & Transformative, December 2-5, 2019 Florida, USA; 21st International Conference on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, June 27 - 28, 2019 London, United Kingdom; World Advanced Therapies & Regenerative Medicine Congress 2019, May 15 – 17, London, UK; 6th Annual European Congress on Clinical & Translational Sciences, October 18-20, 2019 Vienna, Austria; Related Associations and Societies: Europe: EuroStemCell (European Consortium for Stem Cell Research); German Stem Cell Network (GSCN); German Society for Stem Cell Research (GSZ); Stem Cell Network North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW); Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research (NCSCR); USA: California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM); New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF); Tissue Engineering International & Regenerative Medicine Society (TERMIS); International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR); Asia: The New South Wales Stem Cell Network; Korean Society for Stem Cell Research; Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine; Taiwan Society for Stem Cell Research; Stem Cell Society Singapore (SCSS); Novel Approaches guided in Tissue Engineering GTR are dental surgical procedures that use barrier membranes to direct the growth of new bone and gingival tissue at sites with insufficient volumes or dimensions of bone or gingiva for proper function, esthetics or prosthetic restoration Related Regenerative Medicine Conferences | Stem Cell Conferences | Stem Cell Congress | Tissue Science Conferences | Europe Conferences 9th Advanced Cell and Gene Therapy conference, March 21-22, 2019 Rome, Italy; 12th Genomics and Molecular Biology conference, April 15-17, 2019 Berlin, Germany; 7th Integrative Biology conference, April 15-16, 2019 Berlin, Germany; Pacific Regenerative Medicine Conference, May 16-19, 2019 Hawaii, USA; Annual conference & Exhibition on Transversal, Translational & Transformative, December 2-5, 2019 Florida, USA; 21st International Conference on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, June 27 - 28, 2019 London, United Kingdom; World Advanced Therapies & Regenerative Medicine Congress 2019, May 15 – 17, London, UK; 6th Annual European Congress on Clinical & Translational Sciences, October 18-20, 2019 Vienna, Austria; Related Associations and Societies: Europe: EuroStemCell (European Consortium for Stem Cell Research); German Stem Cell Network (GSCN); German Society for Stem Cell Research (GSZ); Stem Cell Network North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW); Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research (NCSCR); USA: California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM); New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF); Tissue Engineering International & Regenerative Medicine Society (TERMIS); International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR); Asia: The New South Wales Stem Cell Network; Korean Society for Stem Cell Research; Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine; Taiwan Society for Stem Cell Research; Stem Cell Society Singapore (SCSS); Clinical Medicine Clinical medicine relates to medicine field that deals mainly with the study and practice of medicine based on the direct examination of the patient. In clinical medicine, medical practitioners assess patients in order to diagnose, treat, and prevent disease Related Regenerative Medicine Conferences | Stem Cell Conferences | Stem Cell Congress | Tissue Science Conferences | Europe Conferences 9th Advanced Cell and Gene Therapy conference, March 21-22, 2019 Rome, Italy; 12th Genomics and Molecular Biology conference, April 15-17, 2019 Berlin, Germany; 7th Integrative Biology conference, April 15-16, 2019 Berlin, Germany; Pacific Regenerative Medicine Conference, May 16-19, 2019 Hawaii, USA; Annual conference & Exhibition on Transversal, Translational & Transformative, December 2-5, 2019 Florida, USA; 21st International Conference on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, June 27 - 28, 2019 London, United Kingdom; World Advanced Therapies & Regenerative Medicine Congress 2019, May 15 – 17, London, UK; 6th Annual European Congress on Clinical & Translational Sciences, October 18-20, 2019 Vienna, Austria; Related Associations and Societies: Europe: EuroStemCell (European Consortium for Stem Cell Research); German Stem Cell Network (GSCN); German Society for Stem Cell Research (GSZ); Stem Cell Network North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW); Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research (NCSCR); USA: California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM); New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF); Tissue Engineering International & Regenerative Medicine Society (TERMIS); International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR); Asia: The New South Wales Stem Cell Network; Korean Society for Stem Cell Research; Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine; Taiwan Society for Stem Cell Research; Stem Cell Society Singapore (SCSS); Clinical trials with Stem Cells Stem cell treatments and clinical trials have been going on for over 40 years; however we are still in the initial stages of stem cell therapy being utilized as an effective alternative treatment method to traditional pharmaceutical based treatments. Much of the early work in stem cell clinical trials focused on the overall effectiveness and safety of the procedures involved. The primary concern with any new treatment is the long term safety and standardization of results. There have been countless journals and research papers focusing in on these clinical trials that have revealed promising results from these initial trials around the world Related Regenerative Medicine Conferences | Stem Cell Conferences | Stem Cell Congress | Tissue Science Conferences | Europe Conferences 9th Advanced Cell and Gene Therapy conference, March 21-22, 2019 Rome, Italy; 12th Genomics and Molecular Biology conference, April 15-17, 2019 Berlin, Germany; 7th Integrative Biology conference, April 15-16, 2019 Berlin, Germany; Pacific Regenerative Medicine Conference, May 16-19, 2019 Hawaii, USA; Annual conference & Exhibition on Transversal, Translational & Transformative, December 2-5, 2019 Florida, USA; 21st International Conference on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, June 27 - 28, 2019 London, United Kingdom; World Advanced Therapies & Regenerative Medicine Congress 2019, May 15 – 17, London, UK; 6th Annual European Congress on Clinical & Translational Sciences, October 18-20, 2019 Vienna, Austria; Related Associations and Societies: Europe: EuroStemCell (European Consortium for Stem Cell Research); German Stem Cell Network (GSCN); German Society for Stem Cell Research (GSZ); Stem Cell Network North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW); Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research (NCSCR); USA: California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM); New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF); Tissue Engineering International & Regenerative Medicine Society (TERMIS); International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR); Asia: The New South Wales Stem Cell Network; Korean Society for Stem Cell Research; Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine; Taiwan Society for Stem Cell Research; Stem Cell Society Singapore (SCSS); Biomaterials & Bioengineering Biomaterials are being utilized for the social insurance applications from old circumstances. In any case, consequent development has made them more flexible and has expanded their utility. Biomaterials have reformed the territories like bioengineering and tissue designing for the advancement of novel methodologies to battle perilous infections. Together with biomaterials, immature microorganism innovation is additionally being utilized to enhance the current human services offices. These ideas and innovations are being utilized for the treatment of various maladies like cardiovascular disappointment, cracks, profound skin wounds, and so forth. Presentation of nanomaterial’s then again is turning into a major seek after a superior and a reasonable social insurance. Mechanical headways are in progress for the advancement of persistent observing and controlling glucose levels by the implantation of sensor chips. Related Regenerative Medicine Conferences | Stem Cell Conferences | Stem Cell Congress | Tissue Science Conferences | Europe Conferences 9th Advanced Cell and Gene Therapy conference, March 21-22, 2019 Rome, Italy; 12th Genomics and Molecular Biology conference, April 15-17, 2019 Berlin, Germany; 7th Integrative Biology conference, April 15-16, 2019 Berlin, Germany; Pacific Regenerative Medicine Conference, May 16-19, 2019 Hawaii, USA; Annual conference & Exhibition on Transversal, Translational & Transformative, December 2-5, 2019 Florida, USA; 21st International Conference on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, June 27 - 28, 2019 London, United Kingdom; World Advanced Therapies & Regenerative Medicine Congress 2019, May 15 – 17, London, UK; 6th Annual European Congress on Clinical & Translational Sciences, October 18-20, 2019 Vienna, Austria; Related Associations and Societies: Europe: EuroStemCell (European Consortium for Stem Cell Research); German Stem Cell Network (GSCN); German Society for Stem Cell Research (GSZ); Stem Cell Network North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW); Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research (NCSCR); USA: California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM); New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF); Tissue Engineering International & Regenerative Medicine Society (TERMIS); International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR); Asia: The New South Wales Stem Cell Network; Korean Society for Stem Cell Research; Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine; Taiwan Society for Stem Cell Research; Stem Cell Society Singapore (SCSS); Biomarkers Biomarkers, in the hands of clinical investigators, provide a dynamic and powerful approach to understanding the spectrum of diseases with obvious applications in analytic epidemiology, biomarkers and clinical research in disease prevention, diagnosis and disease management. Biomarkers have the additional potential to identify individuals susceptible to particular diseases. This conference is a podium that brings and shares collective knowledge and research explorations in biomarkers study. In the recent years, the information about cancer biomarkers has increased largely providing a huge potential for improving the management of cancer patients by improving the accuracy of detection and efficacy of treatment. Latest technological advancements have enabled the examination of many possible biomarkers and renewed interest in developing new biomarkers. All such developments can be evidenced in this biomarker congress. Cancer Biomarkers, Molecular Biomarkers, Genomics biomarkers, Biomarkers in Clinical Research & Development, Biomarkers and Pathology Related Regenerative Medicine Conferences | Stem Cell Conferences | Stem Cell Congress | Tissue Science Conferences | Europe Conferences 9th Advanced Cell and Gene Therapy conference, March 21-22, 2019 Rome, Italy; 12th Genomics and Molecular Biology conference, April 15-17, 2019 Berlin, Germany; 7th Integrative Biology conference, April 15-16, 2019 Berlin, Germany; Pacific Regenerative Medicine Conference, May 16-19, 2019 Hawaii, USA; Annual conference & Exhibition on Transversal, Translational & Transformative, December 2-5, 2019 Florida, USA; 21st International Conference on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, June 27 - 28, 2019 London, United Kingdom; World Advanced Therapies & Regenerative Medicine Congress 2019, May 15 – 17, London, UK; 6th Annual European Congress on Clinical & Translational Sciences, October 18-20, 2019 Vienna, Austria; Related Associations and Societies: Europe: EuroStemCell (European Consortium for Stem Cell Research); German Stem Cell Network (GSCN); German Society for Stem Cell Research (GSZ); Stem Cell Network North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW); Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research (NCSCR); USA: California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM); New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF); Tissue Engineering International & Regenerative Medicine Society (TERMIS); International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR); Asia: The New South Wales Stem Cell Network; Korean Society for Stem Cell Research; Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine; Taiwan Society for Stem Cell Research; Stem Cell Society Singapore (SCSS); Regeneration & Therapeutics Some parts of our bodies can repair themselves quite well after injury, but others don’t repair at all. We certainly can’t regrow a whole leg or arm, but some animals can regrow - or regenerate - whole body parts. Regeneration means the regrowth of a damaged or missing organ part from the remaining tissue. As adults, humans can regenerate some organs, such as the liver. If part of the liver is lost by disease or injury, the liver grows back to its original size, though not its original shape. And our skin is constantly being renewed and repaired. Unfortunately many other human tissues don’t regenerate, and a goal in regenerative medicine is to find ways to kick-start tissue regeneration in the body, or to engineer replacement tissues. Related Regenerative Medicine Conferences | Stem Cell Conferences | Stem Cell Congress | Tissue Science Conferences | Europe Conferences 9th Advanced Cell and Gene Therapy conference, March 21-22, 2019 Rome, Italy; 12th Genomics and Molecular Biology conference, April 15-17, 2019 Berlin, Germany; 7th Integrative Biology conference, April 15-16, 2019 Berlin, Germany; Pacific Regenerative Medicine Conference, May 16-19, 2019 Hawaii, USA; Annual conference & Exhibition on Transversal, Translational & Transformative, December 2-5, 2019 Florida, USA; 21st International Conference on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, June 27 - 28, 2019 London, United Kingdom; World Advanced Therapies & Regenerative Medicine Congress 2019, May 15 – 17, London, UK; 6th Annual European Congress on Clinical & Translational Sciences, October 18-20, 2019 Vienna, Austria; Related Associations and Societies: Europe: EuroStemCell (European Consortium for Stem Cell Research); German Stem Cell Network (GSCN); German Society for Stem Cell Research (GSZ); Stem Cell Network North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW); Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research (NCSCR); USA: California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM); New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF); Tissue Engineering International & Regenerative Medicine Society (TERMIS); International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR); Asia: The New South Wales Stem Cell Network; Korean Society for Stem Cell Research; Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine; Taiwan Society for Stem Cell Research; Stem Cell Society Singapore (SCSS); Rejuvenation Rejuvenation is a medical discipline focused on the practical reversal of the aging process. Rejuvenation is distinct from life extension. Life extension strategies often study the causes of aging and try to oppose those causes in order to slow aging. Rejuvenation is the reversal of aging and thus requires a different strategy, namely repair of the damage that is associated with aging or replacement of damaged tissue with new tissue. Rejuvenation can be a means of life extension, but most life extension strategies do not involve rejuvenation. Immunotherapy Immunotherapy, also called biologic treatment, is a kind of disease treatment that lifts the body's common guards to battle the malignancy. It utilizes substances made by the body or in a research facility to enhance or re-establish safe framework work. Immunotherapy may work in these ways: Halting or abating the development of tumor cells, preventing malignancy from spreading to different parts of the body, helping the safe framework work better at crushing disease cells. There are several types of immunotherapy, including: Monoclonal antibodies, Non-specific immunotherapies, oncolytic virus therapy, T-cell therapy, Cancer vaccines Related Regenerative Medicine Conferences | Stem Cell Conferences | Stem Cell Congress | Tissue Science Conferences | Europe Conferences 9th Advanced Cell and Gene Therapy conference, March 21-22, 2019 Rome, Italy; 12th Genomics and Molecular Biology conference, April 15-17, 2019 Berlin, Germany; 7th Integrative Biology conference, April 15-16, 2019 Berlin, Germany; Pacific Regenerative Medicine Conference, May 16-19, 2019 Hawaii, USA; Annual conference & Exhibition on Transversal, Translational & Transformative, December 2-5, 2019 Florida, USA; 21st International Conference on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, June 27 - 28, 2019 London, United Kingdom; World Advanced Therapies & Regenerative Medicine Congress 2019, May 15 – 17, London, UK; 6th Annual European Congress on Clinical & Translational Sciences, October 18-20, 2019 Vienna, Austria; Related Associations and Societies: Europe: EuroStemCell (European Consortium for Stem Cell Research); German Stem Cell Network (GSCN); German Society for Stem Cell Research (GSZ); Stem Cell Network North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW); Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research (NCSCR); USA: California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM); New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF); Tissue Engineering International & Regenerative Medicine Society (TERMIS); International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR); Asia: The New South Wales Stem Cell Network; Korean Society for Stem Cell Research; Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine; Taiwan Society for Stem Cell Research; Stem Cell Society Singapore (SCSS); Stem cell treatment for Diabetes Insulin is a very important hormone that is produced by the pancreas and helps to keep the body’s blood sugar (glucose) levels in check. Diabetes is caused when there is an imbalance of insulin in the body. Type 1 Diabetes: This is usually diagnosed during childhood where the body makes very little or no insulin. In conventional therapy, there is only a way to maintain the right levels of insulin with daily injections. Type 2 Diabetes: In this condition, the body becomes resistive to insulin and the pancreas loses the capability to make enough insulin which is required to keep blood glucose levels normal. This is usually because of incorrect diet, lack or exercise or being overweight. Most diabetics suffer from Type 2 Diabetes. Related Regenerative Medicine Conferences | Stem Cell Conferences | Stem Cell Congress | Tissue Science Conferences | Europe Conferences 9th Advanced Cell and Gene Therapy conference, March 21-22, 2019 Rome, Italy; 12th Genomics and Molecular Biology conference, April 15-17, 2019 Berlin, Germany; 7th Integrative Biology conference, April 15-16, 2019 Berlin, Germany; Pacific Regenerative Medicine Conference, May 16-19, 2019 Hawaii, USA; Annual conference & Exhibition on Transversal, Translational & Transformative, December 2-5, 2019 Florida, USA; 21st International Conference on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, June 27 - 28, 2019 London, United Kingdom; World Advanced Therapies & Regenerative Medicine Congress 2019, May 15 – 17, London, UK; 6th Annual European Congress on Clinical & Translational Sciences, October 18-20, 2019 Vienna, Austria; Related Associations and Societies: Europe: EuroStemCell (European Consortium for Stem Cell Research); German Stem Cell Network (GSCN); German Society for Stem Cell Research (GSZ); Stem Cell Network North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW); Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research (NCSCR); USA: California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM); New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF); Tissue Engineering International & Regenerative Medicine Society (TERMIS); International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR); Asia: The New South Wales Stem Cell Network; Korean Society for Stem Cell Research; Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine; Taiwan Society for Stem Cell Research; Stem Cell Society Singapore (SCSS); Applications of Tissue engineering & Regenerative Medicine There are many applications of Tissue engineering but majorly they are used in Organ Transplantation and Therapeutic Cloning like Bio Artificial liver device, artificial pancreas, artificial bladders, and Cartilage. When there is damage in our body cells or organs we use tissue engineering techniques to overcome the damage by replacing the old cell. There is wide range of Tissue Engineered product or materials which are used to cure diseases in human and save life. Related Regenerative Medicine Conferences | Stem Cell Conferences | Stem Cell Congress | Tissue Science Conferences | Europe Conferences 9th Advanced Cell and Gene Therapy conference, March 21-22, 2019 Rome, Italy; 12th Genomics and Molecular Biology conference, April 15-17, 2019 Berlin, Germany; 7th Integrative Biology conference, April 15-16, 2019 Berlin, Germany; Pacific Regenerative Medicine Conference, May 16-19, 2019 Hawaii, USA; Annual conference & Exhibition on Transversal, Translational & Transformative, December 2-5, 2019 Florida, USA; 21st International Conference on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, June 27 - 28, 2019 London, United Kingdom; World Advanced Therapies & Regenerative Medicine Congress 2019, May 15 – 17, London, UK; 6th Annual European Congress on Clinical & Translational Sciences, October 18-20, 2019 Vienna, Austria; Related Associations and Societies: Europe: EuroStemCell (European Consortium for Stem Cell Research); German Stem Cell Network (GSCN); German Society for Stem Cell Research (GSZ); Stem Cell Network North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW); Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research (NCSCR); USA: California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM); New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF); Tissue Engineering International & Regenerative Medicine Society (TERMIS); International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR); Asia: The New South Wales Stem Cell Network; Korean Society for Stem Cell Research; Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine; Taiwan Society for Stem Cell Research; Stem Cell Society Singapore (SCSS); Bioreactors in Tissue Engineering Bioreactors in Tissue Engineering a bioreactor is a device that utilizations mechanical intend to impact organic procedures. In tissue designing bioreactors can be utilized to help in the in vitro advancement of new tissue by giving biochemical and physical administrative signs to cells and urging them to experience separation as well as to create extracellular network before in vivo implantation. This section examines the need for bioreactors in tissue building, the various kinds of bioreactor that exist, the methods by which they empower cells and how their usefulness is represented by the prerequisites of the particular tissue being built and the cell compose experiencing incitement. Related Regenerative Medicine Conferences | Stem Cell Conferences | Stem Cell Congress | Tissue Science Conferences | Europe Conferences 9th Advanced Cell and Gene Therapy conference, March 21-22, 2019 Rome, Italy; 12th Genomics and Molecular Biology conference, April 15-17, 2019 Berlin, Germany; 7th Integrative Biology conference, April 15-16, 2019 Berlin, Germany; Pacific Regenerative Medicine Conference, May 16-19, 2019 Hawaii, USA; Annual conference & Exhibition on Transversal, Translational & Transformative, December 2-5, 2019 Florida, USA; 21st International Conference on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, June 27 - 28, 2019 London, United Kingdom; World Advanced Therapies & Regenerative Medicine Congress 2019, May 15 – 17, London, UK; 6th Annual European Congress on Clinical & Translational Sciences, October 18-20, 2019 Vienna, Austria; Related Associations and Societies: Europe: EuroStemCell (European Consortium for Stem Cell Research); German Stem Cell Network (GSCN); German Society for Stem Cell Research (GSZ); Stem Cell Network North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW); Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research (NCSCR); USA: California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM); New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF); Tissue Engineering International & Regenerative Medicine Society (TERMIS); International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR); Asia: The New South Wales Stem Cell Network; Korean Society for Stem Cell Research; Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine; Taiwan Society for Stem Cell Research; Stem Cell Society Singapore (SCSS); Biochips & Tissue chips Biochips refer to the complete fundamental functional unit, capable of performing multi biochemical tasks simultaneously. Tissue chips on the other hand are similar miniaturized units that can replace a tissue or some part of it, enabling the organ to work normally. Both biochips & tissue chips have been elemental in tissue engineering technology and have proven to be of utmost importance in the same arena. DNA microarray also called as biochip in simple terms consists of a two dimensional grid system where upon sensors or solid flat substrates are incorporated. These solid substrates can be either positively charged just like silicon or glass or can also be consisting of integrated circuitry units that perform best in signal transduction studies. These sorts of microarrays have application in micromechanical studies. Related Regenerative Medicine Conferences | Stem Cell Conferences | Stem Cell Congress | Tissue Science Conferences | Europe Conferences 9th Advanced Cell and Gene Therapy conference, March 21-22, 2019 Rome, Italy; 12th Genomics and Molecular Biology conference, April 15-17, 2019 Berlin, Germany; 7th Integrative Biology conference, April 15-16, 2019 Berlin, Germany; Pacific Regenerative Medicine Conference, May 16-19, 2019 Hawaii, USA; Annual conference & Exhibition on Transversal, Translational & Transformative, December 2-5, 2019 Florida, USA; 21st International Conference on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, June 27 - 28, 2019 London, United Kingdom; World Advanced Therapies & Regenerative Medicine Congress 2019, May 15 – 17, London, UK; 6th Annual European Congress on Clinical & Translational Sciences, October 18-20, 2019 Vienna, Austria; Related Associations and Societies: Europe: EuroStemCell (European Consortium for Stem Cell Research); German Stem Cell Network (GSCN); German Society for Stem Cell Research (GSZ); Stem Cell Network North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW); Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research (NCSCR); USA: California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM); New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF); Tissue Engineering International & Regenerative Medicine Society (TERMIS); International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR); Asia: The New South Wales Stem Cell Network; Korean Society for Stem Cell Research; Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine; Taiwan Society for Stem Cell Research; Stem Cell Society Singapore (SCSS); Cancer Stem Cells Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are cancer cells (found within tumors or hematological cancers) that possess characteristics associated with normal stem cells, specifically the ability to give rise to all cell types found in a particular cancer sample. CSCs are therefore tumorigenic (tumor-forming), perhaps in contrast to other non-tumorigenic cancer cells. CSCs may generate tumors through the stem cell processes of self-renewal and differentiation into multiple cell types. Such cells are hypothesized to persist in tumors as a distinct population and cause relapse and metastasis by giving rise to new tumors. Therefore, development of specific therapies targeted at CSCs holds hope for improvement of survival and quality of life of cancer patients, especially for patients with metastatic disease. Related Regenerative Medicine Conferences | Stem Cell Conferences | Stem Cell Congress | Tissue Science Conferences | Europe Conferences 9th Advanced Cell and Gene Therapy conference, March 21-22, 2019 Rome, Italy; 12th Genomics and Molecular Biology conference, April 15-17, 2019 Berlin, Germany; 7th Integrative Biology conference, April 15-16, 2019 Berlin, Germany; Pacific Regenerative Medicine Conference, May 16-19, 2019 Hawaii, USA; Annual conference & Exhibition on Transversal, Translational & Transformative, December 2-5, 2019 Florida, USA; 21st International Conference on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, June 27 - 28, 2019 London, United Kingdom; World Advanced Therapies & Regenerative Medicine Congress 2019, May 15 – 17, London, UK; 6th Annual European Congress on Clinical & Translational Sciences, October 18-20, 2019 Vienna, Austria; Related Associations and Societies: Europe: EuroStemCell (European Consortium for Stem Cell Research); German Stem Cell Network (GSCN); German Society for Stem Cell Research (GSZ); Stem Cell Network North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW); Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research (NCSCR); ScanBalt Stem Cell Research Network; USA: California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM); American Association of tissue banks; New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF); Tissue Engineering International & Regenerative Medicine Society (TERMIS); Asia: Asia Pacific Association of Surgical Tissue Banking; The New South Wales Stem Cell Network; Korean Society for Stem Cell Research; Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine; Taiwan Society for Stem Cell Research; Chemotherapy Chemotherapy is a widely used treatment for cancer. It usually entails the use of chemicals to destroy cancer cells on a selective basis. As part of the body's natural process, cells are constantly replaced through a process of dividing and growing. When cancer occurs, cells reproduce in an uncontrolled manner. More and more cells are produced, and they start to occupy an increasing amount of space until they occupy the space previously inhabited by useful cells. It usually is used to treat patients with cancer that has spread from the place in the body where it metastasized. Chemotherapy destroys cancer cells anywhere in the body. It even kills cells that have broken off from the main tumor & travel through the blood or lymph systems to the other parts of the body. Chemotherapy drugs: Impair mitosis, or prevent cell division, as in the case of cytotoxic drugs. Target the cancer cells' food source, which consists of the enzymes and hormones they need to grow. Apoptosis stop the growth of new blood vessels that supply a tumor in order to starve it. A single drug or a combination of drugs is used. These can be delivered either directly into the bloodstream, to attack cancer cells throughout the body, or they can be targeted to specific cancer sites. Related Regenerative Medicine Conferences | Stem Cell Conferences | Stem Cell Congress | Tissue Science Conferences | Europe Conferences 9th Advanced Cell and Gene Therapy conference, March 21-22, 2019 Rome, Italy; 12th Genomics and Molecular Biology conference, April 15-17, 2019 Berlin, Germany; 7th Integrative Biology conference, April 15-16, 2019 Berlin, Germany; Pacific Regenerative Medicine Conference, May 16-19, 2019 Hawaii, USA; Annual conference & Exhibition on Transversal, Translational & Transformative, December 2-5, 2019 Florida, USA; 21st International Conference on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, June 27 - 28, 2019 London, United Kingdom; World Advanced Therapies & Regenerative Medicine Congress 2019, May 15 – 17, London, UK; 6th Annual European Congress on Clinical & Translational Sciences, October 18-20, 2019 Vienna, Austria; Related Associations and Societies: Europe: EuroStemCell (European Consortium for Stem Cell Research); German Stem Cell Network (GSCN); German Society for Stem Cell Research (GSZ); Stem Cell Network North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW); Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research (NCSCR); USA: California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM); New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF); Tissue Engineering International & Regenerative Medicine Society (TERMIS); International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR); Asia: The New South Wales Stem Cell Network; Korean Society for Stem Cell Research; Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine; Taiwan Society for Stem Cell Research; Stem Cell Society Singapore (SCSS); Tissue Regeneration In the field of biology, Regeneration is the progression of renewal, regeneration, and growth that makes it possible for genomes, cells, organ regeneration to natural changes or events that cause damage or disturbance. This study is carried out as craniofacial tissue engineering, in-situ tissue regeneration, adipose-derived stem cells for regenerative medicine which is also a breakthrough in cell culture technology. The study is not stopped with the regeneration of tissue where it is further carried out in relation with cell signalling, morphogenetic proteins. Most of the neurological disorders occurred accidental having a scope of recovery by replacement or repair of intervertebral discs repair, spinal fusion, and many more developments. The global market for tissue engineering and regeneration products such as scaffolds, tissue implants, biomimetic materials reached $55.9 billion in 2010 and it is expected to reach $89.7 billion by 2016 at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.4%. It grows to $135 billion by 2024. Related Regenerative Medicine Conferences | Stem Cell Conferences | Stem Cell Congress | Tissue Science Conferences | Europe Conferences 9th Advanced Cell and Gene Therapy conference, March 21-22, 2019 Rome, Italy; 12th Genomics and Molecular Biology conference, April 15-17, 2019 Berlin, Germany; 7th Integrative Biology conference, April 15-16, 2019 Berlin, Germany; Pacific Regenerative Medicine Conference, May 16-19, 2019 Hawaii, USA; Annual conference & Exhibition on Transversal, Translational & Transformative, December 2-5, 2019 Florida, USA; 21st International Conference on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, June 27 - 28, 2019 London, United Kingdom; World Advanced Therapies & Regenerative Medicine Congress 2019, May 15 – 17, London, UK; 6th Annual European Congress on Clinical & Translational Sciences, October 18-20, 2019 Vienna, Austria; Related Associations and Societies: Europe: EuroStemCell (European Consortium for Stem Cell Research); German Stem Cell Network (GSCN); German Society for Stem Cell Research (GSZ); Stem Cell Network North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW); Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research (NCSCR); USA: California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM); New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF); Tissue Engineering International & Regenerative Medicine Society (TERMIS); International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR); Asia: The New South Wales Stem Cell Network; Korean Society for Stem Cell Research; Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine; Taiwan Society for Stem Cell Research; Stem Cell Society Singapore (SCSS); Advances in Stem Cell Since the beginning of there has been a effective research in the field of stem cell biology, recent advances in the field of stem cell research mainly focused in the translation of scientific insights into new therapies. It represents a new strategy for organ and tissue repair in several pathologies. Additional treatment strategies are urgently needed due to donor organ shortage that costs many lives every year and results in lifelong immunosuppression. Stem cells are characterized by the ability to renew themselves and differentiating into a various range of specialized cell types. Stem cells have potential to treat various diseases, genetic bone marrow disorders and the treatment of malignant. Being all other stem cell applications highly experimental, Moreover, there is a growing body of evidence showing that administration of stem cells leads to the successful regeneration of tissues or organ. Related Regenerative Medicine Conferences | Stem Cell Conferences | Stem Cell Congress | Tissue Science Conferences | Europe Conferences 9th Advanced Cell and Gene Therapy conference, March 21-22, 2019 Rome, Italy; 12th Genomics and Molecular Biology conference, April 15-17, 2019 Berlin, Germany; 7th Integrative Biology conference, April 15-16, 2019 Berlin, Germany; Pacific Regenerative Medicine Conference, May 16-19, 2019 Hawaii, USA; Annual conference & Exhibition on Transversal, Translational & Transformative, December 2-5, 2019 Florida, USA; 21st International Conference on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, June 27 - 28, 2019 London, United Kingdom; World Advanced Therapies & Regenerative Medicine Congress 2019, May 15 – 17, London, UK; 6th Annual European Congress on Clinical & Translational Sciences, October 18-20, 2019 Vienna, Austria; Related Associations and Societies: Europe: German Stem Cell Network (GSCN); German Society for Stem Cell Research (GSZ); Stem Cell Network North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW); ScanBalt Stem Cell Research Network; EuroStemCell (European Consortium for Stem Cell Research); Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research (NCSCR); British Association of Tissue Banks. USA: Regenerative Medicine Foundation; American association of tissue banks; California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM); New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF); Tissue Engineering International & Regenerative Medicine Society (TERMIS). Asia: Asia Pacific Association of Surgical Tissue Banking; Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine; Taiwan Society for Stem Cell Research; The New South Wales Stem Cell Network; Korean Society for Stem Cell Research. Materials and Designs for Tissue Engineering Tissue engineering of musculoskeletal tissues, particularly bone and cartilage, is a rapidly advancing field. In bone, technology has centered on bone graft substitute materials and the development of biodegradable scaffolds. Recently, tissue engineering strategies have included cell and gene therapy. The availability of growth factors and the expanding knowledge base concerning the bone regeneration with modern techniques like recombinant signalling molecules, solid free form fabrication of scaffolds, synthetic cartilage, Electrochemical deposition, spinal fusion and ossification are new generated techniques for tissue-engineering applications. The worldwide market for bone and cartilage repairs strategies is estimated about $300 million. During the last 10/15 years, the scientific community witnessed and reported the appearance of several sources of stem cells with both osteo and chondrogenic potential. Related Regenerative Medicine Conferences | Stem Cell Conferences | Stem Cell Congress | Tissue Science Conferences | Europe Conferences 9th Advanced Cell and Gene Therapy conference, March 21-22, 2019 Rome, Italy; 12th Genomics and Molecular Biology conference, April 15-17, 2019 Berlin, Germany; 7th Integrative Biology conference, April 15-16, 2019 Berlin, Germany; Pacific Regenerative Medicine Conference, May 16-19, 2019 Hawaii, USA; Annual conference & Exhibition on Transversal, Translational & Transformative, December 2-5, 2019 Florida, USA; 21st International Conference on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, June 27 - 28, 2019 London, United Kingdom; World Advanced Therapies & Regenerative Medicine Congress 2019, May 15 – 17, London, UK; 6th Annual European Congress on Clinical & Translational Sciences, October 18-20, 2019 Vienna, Austria; Related Associations and Societies: Europe: European Association of Tissue Banks; Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research (NCSCR); ScanBalt Stem Cell Research Network; Danish Stem Cell Society (DASCS); Stem Cell Network North Rhine-Westphalia. USA: American association of tissue banks; International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR); Adult Stem Cell Research Network (ASCR); California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM); New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Asia: Korean Society for Stem Cell Research; Stem Cell Society Singapore (SCSS); Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine; Australian Society for Stem Cell Research (ASSCR); Taiwan Society for Stem Cell Research; Tissue Engineering and 3D Printing Aims to fabricate of multifunctional scaffolds that meet the mechanical, structural, and nutritional requirements based on optimized models. Computer-aided three-dimensional (3D) printing technology is driving major innovations in many areas, such as engineering, manufacturing, art, education and medicine. It is being applied to regenerative medicine to address the need for tissues and organs suitable for transplantation. Recently, it has shown a great promise in tissue fabrication with structural control from micro- to macro-scale by using a layer-by-layer approach. It involves additional complexities, such as choice of materials, cell types, growth and differentiation factors, and technical challenges related to the sensitivities of living cells and the construction of tissues. It has been already used for the generation and transplantation of several tissues, including multi-layered skin, bone, vascular grafts, tracheal splints, heart tissue and cartilaginous structures. Other applications involve developing the high-throughput 3D-bioprinted tissue models for analysis, drug discovery, and pharmacological medicine. This track will cover several approaches that have advanced the field of 3D technology through novel fabrication methods of tissue engineering constructs. Related Regenerative Medicine Conferences | Stem Cell Conferences | Stem Cell Congress | Tissue Science Conferences | Europe Conferences 9th Advanced Cell and Gene Therapy conference, March 21-22, 2019 Rome, Italy; 12th Genomics and Molecular Biology conference, April 15-17, 2019 Berlin, Germany; 7th Integrative Biology conference, April 15-16, 2019 Berlin, Germany; Pacific Regenerative Medicine Conference, May 16-19, 2019 Hawaii, USA; Annual conference & Exhibition on Transversal, Translational & Transformative, December 2-5, 2019 Florida, USA; 21st International Conference on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, June 27 - 28, 2019 London, United Kingdom; World Advanced Therapies & Regenerative Medicine Congress 2019, May 15 – 17, London, UK; 6th Annual European Congress on Clinical & Translational Sciences, October 18-20, 2019 Vienna, Austria; Related Associations and Societies: Europe: The Swiss Stem Cell Network; Danish Stem Cell Society (DASCS); Stem Cell Network North Rhine-Westphalia. EuroStemCell (European Consortium for Stem Cell Research); German Stem Cell Network (GSCN); ScanBalt Stem Cell Research Network; European Calcified Tissue Society; European Association of Tissue Banks. USA: Adult Stem Cell Research Network (ASCR); International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR); California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM); New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF); American association of tissue banks; Tissue Engineering International & Regenerative Medicine Society (TERMIS). Asia: Asia Pacific Association of Surgical Tissue Banking; Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine; Taiwan Society for Stem Cell Research; The New South Wales Stem Cell Network; Korean Society for Stem Cell Research. Whole Organ Engineering and Approaches Guided tissue regeneration is defined as procedures attempting to regenerate lost periodontal structures through differential tissue responses. Guided bone regeneration typically refers to ridge augmentation or bone regenerative procedures it typically refers to regeneration of periodontal therapy. The recent advancements and innovations in biomedical and regenerative tissue engineering techniques include the novel approach of guided tissue regeneration. Related Regenerative Medicine Conferences | Stem Cell Conferences | Stem Cell Congress | Tissue Science Conferences | Europe Conferences 9th Advanced Cell and Gene Therapy conference, March 21-22, 2019 Rome, Italy; 12th Genomics and Molecular Biology conference, April 15-17, 2019 Berlin, Germany; 7th Integrative Biology conference, April 15-16, 2019 Berlin, Germany; Pacific Regenerative Medicine Conference, May 16-19, 2019 Hawaii, USA; Annual conference & Exhibition on Transversal, Translational & Transformative, December 2-5, 2019 Florida, USA; 21st International Conference on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, June 27 - 28, 2019 London, United Kingdom; World Advanced Therapies & Regenerative Medicine Congress 2019, May 15 – 17, London, UK; 6th Annual European Congress on Clinical & Translational Sciences, October 18-20, 2019 Vienna, Austria; Europe: Stem Cell Network North Rhine-Westphalia; German Stem Cell Network (GSCN); German Society for Stem Cell Research (GSZ); Stem Cell Network North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW); Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research (NCSCR); European Tissue Repair Society; Spanish Association of Tissue Bank. USA: International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR); Tissue Engineering International & Regenerative Medicine Society (TERMIS); Adult Stem Cell Research Network (ASCR); California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM); New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF); Regenerative Medicine Foundation. Asia: Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine; Australian Society for Stem Cell Research (ASSCR); The New South Wales Stem Cell Network; Korean Society for Stem Cell Research; Taiwan Society for Stem Cell Research; Stem Cell Society Singapore (SCSS); Stem Cell Engineering (SCE) Stem cell engineering (SCE) was to gather information on the worldwide status and trends of research and development in field SCE, that is, the engineers and engineering approaches in the stem cell field, both in basic research and translation of research into clinical applications and commercial products. The study of Stem Cells Engineering is facilitated and managed by the World Technology Evaluation Center (WTEC). This will provide a support for the generation of future economic growth and new markets. The process involved site visits in both Europe and Asia, and it also included several different workshops. Related Regenerative Medicine Conferences | Stem Cell Conferences | Stem Cell Congress | Tissue Science Conferences | Europe Conferences 9th Advanced Cell and Gene Therapy conference, March 21-22, 2019 Rome, Italy; 12th Genomics and Molecular Biology conference, April 15-17, 2019 Berlin, Germany; 7th Integrative Biology conference, April 15-16, 2019 Berlin, Germany; Pacific Regenerative Medicine Conference, May 16-19, 2019 Hawaii, USA; Annual conference & Exhibition on Transversal, Translational & Transformative, December 2-5, 2019 Florida, USA; 21st International Conference on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, June 27 - 28, 2019 London, United Kingdom; World Advanced Therapies & Regenerative Medicine Congress 2019, May 15 – 17, London, UK; 6th Annual European Congress on Clinical & Translational Sciences, October 18-20, 2019 Vienna, Austria; Related Associations and Societies: Europe: Danish Stem Cell Society (DASCS); Stem Cell Network North Rhine-Westphalia; German Society for Stem Cell Research (GSZ); Stem Cell Network North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW); Spanish Association of Tissue Bank; European Calcified Tissue Society; European Association of Tissue Banks. USA: Adult Stem Cell Research Network (ASCR); California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM); New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF); Tissue Engineering International & Regenerative Medicine Society (TERMIS); International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR); Regenerative Medicine Foundation. Asia: Australian Society for Stem Cell Research (ASSCR); The New South Wales Stem Cell Network; Korean Society for Stem Cell Research; Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine; Taiwan Society for Stem Cell Research; Stem Cell Society Singapore (SCSS)

BY: Follow @FBillMcMorris General Motors has shied away from promoting the Chevrolet Volt in 2013 as the federal government begins selling off its final shares of company stock, a move one expert said may have been made to avoid reminding the public of the federal bailout. GM press releases have avoided discussing the plug-in hybrid that was once hailed as the "halo car" and a "moon shot" that could increase GM’s market share in green technology. GM’s public press releases mentioned the Chevrolet Volt roughly 111 times per month when it launched in 2010 and 92 times the following year. However, the company began drawing less attention to the vehicle in November 2011 when the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration launched an investigation into claims that the vehicle’s fire hazards. From December 2011 to December 2012, the company mentioned the Volt just 31 times per month. The acceleration of the federal government’s withdrawal from the company has also coincided with decreasing attention drawn to the Volt. GM press releases have mentioned the vehicle just 11 times per month on average through September 2013. Despite record-breaking sales in August, GM mentioned the Volt only once, as part of a press release focused on overall company performance. "The Chevrolet Volt had its best month ever, as did the Chevrolet Spark, Chevrolet Sonic, Cadillac XTS and Buick Verano," the release said. Auto analyst Ed Niedermeyer said that GM has every reason to distance itself from the car because it served as a reminder of the company’s ties to Washington and the $50 billion taxpayer bailout, which he says tarnished the brand. "More than turning a profit, Volt was supposed to give GM a ‘green halo’ like the one the Prius bestows on the Toyota brand," he said. "Because the Volt is so closely associated with the bailout, it has turned out to be a net negative in terms of public relations." The Treasury Department sold $3.4 billion worth of stock between January and August of 2013, before announcing in September that it would sell off the remaining 101.3 million shares in taxpayer holdings. GM did not respond to request for comment. Company executives have been doing their best to turn the page on the bailout in recent years, especially as it attempts to unveil a new line of pick-up trucks, SUVs, and a revamped Corvette. GM North America President Mark Reuss said in October that the company must overcome the "Government Motors" moniker it acquired during the bailout. "We … know that the government ownership influence is highest among truck buyers," Reuss said. "Being owned by the government is problematic for now." Dave Sullivan, a car expert with AutoPacific, said that the company’s lack of attention for the Volt reflects the "natural" market cycles for vehicles, rather than any relation to government ownership. "The car came out three years ago now," he said. "They’re introducing their bread and butter pick-up trucks; they’re now turning to SUVs, so the Volt is going to get passed by right now." The reason the Volt received so much attention when it was first introduced had more to do with GM’s "stale line-up—there wasn’t a whole lot to get excited about," according to Sullivan. "Now they have very good product," he said. "They’re probably turning out the best vehicles they’ve ever engineered—they’ve come a long way in a very short time." Niedermeyer agreed that the new car excitement "tapers off" the longer it is around, but said the Volt stands out as a special case of silence. "GM doesn’t want the Volt out there reminding traditional truck buyers that it’s a bailed-out company, as that message clashes with the values of patriotism and self-reliance that truck marketing depends on," he said. Taxpayers are expected to lose $10 billion on the GM bailout.

Human puff-adder Bill Kristol drolly noted on Morning Joe this week that the shutdown is not "the end of the world". The Huffington Post's Sam Stein snapped back, "For these people affected by these cuts, it is sort of comparable to the end of the world." I have one quibble with Stein's otherwise satisfying smackdown: "For the people affected by these cuts" implies that there are people who are not affected by these cuts. Stein was talking specifically about the families and children across the country most likely to suffer when the government stops paying for Head Start programs and nutritional aid, but they are only the most sympathetic victims of the shutdown. And there are a lot of them: Almost 9m mothers and children rely on the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (Wic). Most states will be able to operate for about a week on the money they have, but in the words of one administrator in Cook County, "We have no cushion. If our funding stream stops we will temporarily suspend service." The US Department of Agriculture is attempting to prop up the program in the states hardest hit – they announced this week a $2.5m grant to Utah. But the $125m they have on reserve is laughably small for a program that costs $7b a year – it's less than 2% of the total budget. If $125m was all the money the program had, it would operate for six days. But that's just women and children. The poorest of the poor, right? We're a civilized country; we won't let them starve. As Kristol told Stein, "Localities can help out. Churches can help out." Because obviously, up until now, localities and churches were just standing around twiddling their thumbs as lounged on divans and wondered if it was time to pick out new wallpaper or maybe treat themselves to a day at the spa. If you actually attend a church or do service work, I hope you've picked up the laptop from when you hurled it across the room just now. Already a huge patch in the patchwork of federal social services across the country, churches and private food banks have stretched themselves thin to cover the drop in federal aid that accompanied the sequester cuts last spring (Remember that? The last time we had a budget showdown?). The ripple effects of a Wic crash spread outward quickly. Food stamp and Wic programs pump about $23m a year into retail grocery stores – indeed, a quarter of all meals for recipients of nutritional aid come from a supermarket. The Wic buys 60% of all the baby formula produced in the country. For every dollar spent on Wic, states save about $3.5 in Medicaid spending – but that's just a quantitative way of saying that Wic produces healthier babies. But maybe you're still thinking of this as a sad story, not that has anything to do with you or anyone you know. You don't go to national parks, or live near one. (Communities that depend on national park tourism stand to lose $30m a day.) You're not a veteran. (At the VA, money allocated for disability payments and students studying under the GI bill will run out in a few weeks.) You don't take commercial airplane flights. (About 34% of the Federal Aviation Administraion workforce is now on leave, including almost 3,000 safety inspectors.) You eat only meat and vegetables grown by your own hand and don't take any medications. (The Food and Drug Administration will cease all food and drug safety inspections, except for meat. They usually monitor about 80% of the nation's food supply; in the interm, state agencies will try to pick up the slack.) You're not in college and no one you know is one of the approximately 14 million students working their way through college or paying for it with a subsidized loan. (There will be no payments made via the Federal Work-Study or Perkins Loan Programs, or Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants.) Basically, you are a very rich, very healthy person that lives in a cave. If you are not, then the shutdown affects you. And this produces the one aspect of the shutdown I'm almost cynical enough to enjoy myself: far from producing proof dispositive that government is a burdensome hindrance to personal freedom, they've simply proven how little personal freedom we can enjoy if government breaks down. If this sounds familiar, it's because that reasoning has been the cornerstone of modern civilization. Or you watched "Lost". It's not that Americans don't want government in their lives, it's that they'd like it to be an unobtrusive part of their lives. The National Security Agency might be just a little too unobtrusive, it's true. If capitalism is governed by an invisible hand, then a well-functioning government is an invisible safety net – not just for those getting obviously slapped around by capitalism, but also for anyone whose well-being depends on the free market not taking too many whiplash turns. We want the government to help the least of us, we also want it to keep planes from falling out of the sky and our food from making us sick. This goes on long enough, and a lot that we take for granted will go away – and the thing about an invisible safety net is that you only notice it's gone once you fall.

(I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my review) This is an absolutely fantastic book! And I DO NOT give out praise like that all willy nilly. I immensely enjoyed reading Vision and am so glad I was given a chance to review it. So, a BIG thanks to the authors! I was not quite sure what to expect when I agreed to review this novel. The synopsis intrigued me and I was interested to see how the authors had chosen to portray demons. There are a lot of different takes on demons and for the most part I am not that fond of them as a subject for a book. However, Cathy and Galen changed my mind with this one. The demons in this book do have a supernatural element to them but they are more than that. To me they seemed to be depicted as the negative subconscious thoughts that tend to plague humans. That voice that encourages defeat and lack of confidence when life seems to be dragging you down. However, Vision is not so much about the demons, as it is about the main character and what she can do in her life because she can see them. This book was original and had a wonderful story line. I like books with a message and this one really stood out to me. I enjoyed Maddies' character. She is strong and determined and most importantly, she has hope. She never gives up on Cassie, which is something I so admired about her. She portrays a friend anyone would be lucky to have. I enjoyed the development of her character as the story progressed and am so glad that she eventually found her voice. Music is a huge part of this book and really made the story special. I enjoyed all the references to music artists and even looked some of them up. Vision had a perfect ending. It kind of makes your heart swell at the last page. I don't want to give it away, so I am not going to say anything more. This book has a great pace and I was hooked from the first chapter. I told myself I was only going to read the first fifty pages, but the story compels you to read on. I ended up not moving from my spot until I was finished. It was one of those situations where you have to know what is going to happen next. I am highly recommending this book to all readers. If you are looking for something different that also happens to be a page turner, read this book!

Adorable – short lived and with strained relations. Adorable – in concert at Glastonbury 1993 – BBC Radio 1 – Homage to Shoegaze tonight with Adorable, a band from Coventry who were together only four years but managed to get two albums out before splitting. Formed in 1990, as The Candy Thieves, consisting of Pete Fijalkowski (vocals, guitar), Wayne Peters (guitar), Stephen ‘Wil’ Williams (bass) and Kevin Gritton (drums). But after the release of their first and only single, Homeboy and Underwater, which failed to make any waves. As a result, Peters quit the band in frustration and was replaced by Robert Dillam, and the band changed their name to Adorable. But even with the name change, the band encountered not a huge pile of success at first – their debut gig under their new name had the misfortune of happening the same night The Gulf War started, in January of 1991. However, their first single, a re-recording of Sunshine Smile for Creation, who they had just signed to, was designated Single Of The Week from NME, and did well on the Indie singles charts, as did two other singles released shortly after. Their debut album, Against Perfection was released in March of 1993 and showed promise, reaching #70 on the UK album charts. The band subsequently did a tour of Europe, the US, Australia and Japan. And it’s around the time of that tour that this appearance at Glastonbury takes place. When they released their second album, Fake, in September of 1994, it provided two singles which also did well on the Indie charts. However the album itself didn’t break into the mainstream and it proved to be a capper for the band, who were experiencing strained relations between themselves and their label, Creation. All of that led up to an onstage announcement during a gig in Brussels, that Adorable were splitting up. I haven’t found very much recorded live of this band, so I suspect there’s not much that is representative of them. If you missed them the first time around, here’s a memory refresher. If you’ve never heard of them before, here’s another example of what was going on in the early 90s.

At this point, the journey that Mighty No. 9 has taken to development has become almost comical. After a record breaking Kickstarter, hype was at an all-time high, but things quickly began to deflate after numerous delays and an attempt at doing a second fundraising campaign. The development team has remained worryingly quiet as of late, and the 'Spring 2016' window looks increasingly more unlikely with each passing day. If a store listing at EB Games is to be believed, then it seems the game has been pushed back again. A fan recently snapped a picture of a store display, which puts the game down for a Summer 2016 release. While it's not been confirmed by the development studio yet, retailers occasionally have access to release data that's not yet public knowledge, so there's a chance that it has, in fact, been delayed once again. At this rate, perhaps we can finally expect to see the game release for the NX's successor sometime in 2022. What do you think? How many more times will Mighty No. 9 be delayed? Were you one of the original backers? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

FC Dallas travel to Denver this Friday to face the Colorado Rapids in a rematch of the match no one will forget this year. The last time these teams faced off, Colorado picked FC Dallas apart piece by piece and went on to score four goals in a 4-0 romping, the worst loss for FC Dallas in the Oscar Pareja era. It was a loss that made this FC Dallas team much more focused, and motivated, which we saw in the match against Toronto. This week could also mark the return of Mauro Diaz, which could change Colorado’s game plan heading into this Friday’s match. The biggest thing we saw during the last match against Colorado was that the Rapids knew exactly what FC Dallas were going to do, and stuck to their guns to shut down Dallas. After the quick goal Colorado got from Dominique Badji, all they had to do was see out their game plan. The plan was to force FC Dallas into the middle and never effectively use Fabian Castillo or Ryan Hollingshead. When you do not have the passing prowess of Mauro Diaz in the midfield, which Dallas did not have against Colorado the first time, it can be troubling. There was no one there to play cutting through balls through the middle of the backline. The plan was very effective, as no one on this FC Dallas team has quite the vision that Diaz has and it was apparent as they could not find the open outside pass. Move the calendar forward eight days, and we see a motivated FC Dallas come out and run rampant over Toronto FC until a storm comes and delays the game ruining their flow. We really have to look at the three goals we saw from FC Dallas, as they were exactly what FC Dallas want to do week in and week out. The first goal was made with brilliant passing, and burning speed from Fabian Castillo proving that Castillo is absolutely one of the most dangerous attackers in MLS. It was the fastest goal against an MLS opponent in club history. The second goal was a brilliant through ball from Blas Perez and a great curler from Castillo, and goal number three was just flat out hustle from Hollingshead and then Perez being Perez with his poacher goal. FC Dallas played exactly how they wanted to play, and with passion. If you compare the Toronto defense with the Colorado defense head-to-head, they Toronto defense is facing injuries, and not been as stout as the Colorado defense. Obviously Castillo facing off with Nick Hagglund plays in favor of Castillo. The Colorado defense can be beat on the counter attack as Seattle proved, so the speed of Castillo, possibly Michael Barrios and the passing of Mauro Diaz will be crucial in breaking down Colorado and not getting the 4-0 smacking that happened last time out. Mauro Diaz is expected to make his return as he practiced with the ones for the full week. With Marcelo Sarvas missing due to suspension, the Colorado midfield will be vulnerable. Against Toronto, Michel and Victor Ulloa had a much better showing than what they had against Colorado the first time out. As noted, of their 14 unsuccessful passes, 6 of them were inside Dallas’ own half. They improved greatly in the match against Toronto with 18 unsuccessful passes, only 4 made FC Dallas have to reel back on the defensive. Most were near the halfway line. With Mauro Diaz expected to make his return, Michel could be forced out of the XI, if FC Dallas goes into a 4-4-2. That would put Diaz and Ulloa as the midfielders for Friday. Defensively, FC Dallas looked confused last time out against Colorado. The combination of Walker Zimmerman and Zach Loyd proved to be leaky, and Je-Vaughn Watson was rusty in his first start back. In the Toronto match we saw the normal combo of Matt Hedges, who was injured for the last match against Colorado, and Zach Loyd, which looked a lot better, and much more organized. Really, the biggest FC Dallas defensive gaff came in the 85th minute when they did not close Sebastian Giovinco down, and he hit an outstanding curler that almost went in from the top of box. The defense was great in playing defense in front and making Toronto attack them, and being up to the task. The two goals for Toronto were absolute class from Giovinco that Real Madrid would have trouble stopping. Colorado have only won one of their past four at home, so FC Dallas may have caught them at a right time. This one is a tough one to call, as FC Dallas are motivated and are good enough to beat the Rapids, but the Rapids have the confidence of a 4-0 win under their belt and know FC Dallas’ weaknesses. This is a new Dallas team though, they are motivated and never want to let a score line like that happen again.

Billionaire business mogul Mark Cuban recently was with “Extra’s” Renee Bargh on the set of his hit ABC show “Shark Tank,” where he is never afraid to share his honest opinions when contestants pitch their ideas to him. When Renee asked Cuban about his former friend, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, he held nothing back. He said, “You know what? It’s rare that you see someone get stupider before your eyes, but he’s really working at it…You have to give him credit. It’s a difficult thing to do, but he’s accomplished it.” Cuban, who has accomplished a lot as owner of the Dallas Mavericks and as an investor in many other businesses, questioned Trump’s decisions, pointing out, “Let’s look at it this way: Name one good deal he’s done… When he talks about his great renegotiations, they’re renegotiations, so tell me if you think this is a good deal: I lose four casinos, they go out of business, but I’m really good at renegotiating the debt of his companies that have already gone out of business.” Mark smiled, “He’d get kicked out of 'Shark Tank' so fast, it would make your head spin.” Cuban also made it clear he used to be friends with Trump, but revealed they haven’t spoken in the last month. “He sent me an email when I started picking on him… What happened was I really didn’t like Ted Cruz, so I started helping Donald, tried to encourage him, 'cause I thought he’d be, and to this day thought he’d be a better candidate than Ted Cruz… But at some point, you’ve got to start learning and understanding the issues, you know? Donald has been at this a year but you don’t look at him and say, ‘Wow, he’s gotten so much smarter on this topic or that topic.' In fact, you look at him and say, ‘What the hell are you talking about?' That’s not good for America.”

It’s already hard enough to part with a quarter-of-a-million dollars to buy a Ferrari 458 Italia, but can you imagine the rationale behind the man who would fork over that much money to buy a book? Yeah, neither can we. Now if you’re wondering if such a book even exists, then prepare to be introduced to the “Official Ferrari Opus”. The book’s publisher, Opus Media Group, is calling it the “most exclusive book in the world”, and with the most expensive version retailing at $275,000, we find it hard to believe that there’s another book that’s being sold for that much. Ridiculous as the price tag of this book may be – believe us, there’s nothing justifiable about a book that costs more than an actual car – those interested in it do have options to choose from. The 852-page book weighs in at 82 lbs and is printed using heavy-duty paper. It’s got over 2,000 photos of every Ferrari vehicle that Maranello has ever produced, be it a road car or a race car. On top of that, the book contains over 200,000 words detailing literally everything and anything you need to know about the Italian automaker. Check out how much each version of the Official Ferrari Opus book costs after the jump.

According to the Express, Arsenal are close to striking a deal for West Ham defender Winston Reid, with a fee supposedly agreed with just personal terms left to discuss. West Ham manager Sam Allardyce seems desperate to keep the talented defender who's solid performances have seen West Ham soar to 4th in the Premier League, their best start to a season in over 30 years. Arsenal however are in desperate need of defensive cover following several injuries to first team players Laurent Koscielny and Mathieu Debuchy leaving the side worryingly short at the back. After another defensive slip that saw the Gunners throw away a 1-0 lead to lose 2-1 to Swansea in the Premier League, it seems the fans are either calling for Wenger's head or reinforcements in the January window. Despite Arsene Wenger's stubbornness to spend following a string of embarrassing performances defensively the Gunner's manager might just be persuaded to reach into his pocket to bolster his side's faltering defence. Related Articles Reid would certainly add a different dimension to Arsenal's back line, as a very physical defender it would be hard to see Arsenal beaten in the air with Winston Reid and Per Mertesacker controlling the back line. Much-Needed Bolstering With vice-captain Mertesacker in poor form it would be a breath of fresh air to see a new defender at the club to replace the gaping hole left by ex-skipper Thomas Vermaelen, who left the club in the summer to join Spanish giants Barcelona. Are we to see new signings for Arsenal in the January transfer window? Or are Arsenal fans set to be disappointed again by Wenger's refusal to spend?

Are we on the verge of creating artificial intelligence capable of finding answers to the world’s most pressing challenges? After steady progress in basic AI tasks in recent years, this is the vision that some leading technologists have for AI. And yet, how we will make this grand leap is anyone’s guess. Eric Schmidt, the executive chairman of Alphabet (formerly Google), says AI could be harnessed to help solve major challenges, including climate change and food security. Speaking at an event convened in New York this week to discuss the opportunities and risks in AI, Schmidt offered no details on how the technology might be adapted for such complex and abstract problems. Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google Deepmind, a division within Google doing groundbreaking work in machine learning, and which aims to bring about an “artificial general intelligence” (see “Google’s Intelligence Designer”), said the goal of this effort was to harness AI for grand challenges. “If we can solve intelligence in a general enough way, then we can apply it to all sorts of things to make the world a better place,” he said. And the chief technology officer of Facebook, Mike Schroepfer, expressed similar hope. “The power of AI technology is it can solve problems that scale to the whole planet,” he said. Eric Schmidt A steady stream of advances—mostly enabled by the latest machine-learning techniques—are indeed empowering computers to do ever more things, from recognizing the contents of images to holding short text or voice conversations. These advances seem destined to change the way computers are used in many industries, but it’s far from clear how the industry will go from captioning images to tackling poverty and climate change. In fact, speaking after his talk, Schroepfer was eager to limit expectations, at least in the short term. Schroepfer said that recent advances were not enough to allow machines to reach human levels of intelligence, and that two dozen or more “major breakthroughs” would be needed before this happened. And he said many people apparently had the wrong idea about how rapidly the field was moving. “People see one cool example, and then extrapolate from that,” he said. The event, organized by New York University as well as companies leading the effort to harness artificial intelligence, including Facebook and Google, comes at a delicate moment for academic researchers and companies riding the wave of progress in AI. Progress seems certain to revolutionize many industries, perhaps with negative consequences, such as eradicating certain jobs (see “Who Will Own the Robots?”). It will surely also raise new ethical questions, such as the legal and moral liability in self-driving cars, or the implications of autonomous weapons (see “How to Help Self-Driving Cars Make Ethical Decisions”). But the impressive progress has inspired some within the field of AI (as well as a few outside it) to pontificate about the long-term implications of the technology. Sometimes this discussion has focused on the challenge of controlling AI should it become vastly more powerful and independent—something that is very far from possible today. Worries over the long-term risks of AI recently inspired the foundation of a new nonprofit called OpenAI dedicated to advancing artificial intelligence that benefits humanity (see “What Will It Take to Build a Virtuous AI?”). OpenAI is funded by a billion-dollar grant from Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, who has been outspoken about the long-term dangers of AI, and other technology heavyweights. Hassabis and several others acknowledged that the ethical issues should be taken seriously. “As with any technology, if it’s going to be that powerful, we have to think about how to use it ethically and responsibly,” he said.

Abstract Early warning signals of the coronary heart disease (CHD) risk of sugar (sucrose) emerged in the 1950s. We examined Sugar Research Foundation (SRF) internal documents, historical reports, and statements relevant to early debates about the dietary causes of CHD and assembled findings chronologically into a narrative case study. The SRF sponsored its first CHD research project in 1965, a literature review published in the New England Journal of Medicine, which singled out fat and cholesterol as the dietary causes of CHD and downplayed evidence that sucrose consumption was also a risk factor. The SRF set the review’s objective, contributed articles for inclusion, and received drafts. The SRF’s funding and role was not disclosed. Together with other recent analyses of sugar industry documents, our findings suggest the industry sponsored a research program in the 1960s and 1970s that successfully cast doubt about the hazards of sucrose while promoting fat as the dietary culprit in CHD. Policymaking committees should consider giving less weight to food industry–funded studies and include mechanistic and animal studies as well as studies appraising the effect of added sugars on multiple CHD biomarkers and disease development. Introduction In the 1950s, disproportionately high rates of coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality in American men led to studies of the role of dietary factors, including cholesterol, phytosterols, excessive calories, amino acids, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals in influencing CHD risk.1 By the 1960s, 2 prominent physiologists were championing divergent causal hypotheses of CHD2,3: John Yudkin identified added sugars as the primary agent, while Ancel Keys identified total fat, saturated fat, and dietary cholesterol. However, by the 1980s, few scientists believed that added sugars played a significant role in CHD, and the first 1980 Dietary Guidelines for Americans4 focused on reducing total fat, saturated fat, and dietary cholesterol for CHD prevention. Although the contribution of dietary sugars to CHD is still debated, what is clear is that the sugar industry, led by the Sugar Association, the sucrose industry’s Washington, DC–based trade association,5 steadfastly denies that there is a relationship between added sugar consumption and CVD risk.6,7 This Special Communication uses internal sugar industry documents to describe how the industry sought to influence the scientific debate over the dietary causes of CHD in the 1950s and 1960s, a debate still reverberating in 2016. Methods The Sugar Association evolved from the Sugar Research Foundation (SRF), founded in 1943.8 We located correspondence between the SRF and Roger Adams, a professor who served on the SRF’s scientific advisory board (SAB) between 1959 and 1971, in the University of Illinois Archives9 (319 documents totaling 1551 pages). We located correspondence between the SRF and D. Mark Hegsted, professor of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health and codirector of the SRF’s first CHD research project from 1965 to 1966,10 in the Harvard Medical Library11 (27 documents totaling 31 pages). We collected additional SRF materials through a WorldCat search including annual reports, symposium proceedings, and internal reviews of research. We reviewed historical reports and statements contextualizing scientific debates in the 1950s and 1960s on dietary factors causally related to CHD published by the National Academy of Sciences–National Research Council (NAS-NRC), US Public Health Service, the American Heart Association (AHA), and American Medical Association (AMA). Findings were assembled chronologically into a narrative case study. Results SRF’s Interest in Promoting a Low-Fat Diet to Prevent CHD Sugar Research Foundation president Henry Hass’s 1954 speech, “What’s New in Sugar Research,”12 to the American Society of Sugar Beet Technologists identified a strategic opportunity for the sugar industry: increase sugar’s market share by getting Americans to eat a lower-fat diet: “Leading nutritionists are pointing out the chemical connection between [American’s] high-fat diet and the formation of cholesterol which partly plugs our arteries and capillaries, restricts the flow of blood, and causes high blood pressure and heart trouble… if you put [the middle-aged man] on a low-fat diet, it takes just five days for the blood cholesterol to get down to where it should be… If the carbohydrate industries were to recapture this 20 percent of the calories in the US diet (the difference between the 40 percent which fat has and the 20 percent which it ought to have) and if sugar maintained its present share of the carbohydrate market, this change would mean an increase in the per capita consumption of sugar more than a third with a tremendous improvement in general health.”12 The industry would subsequently spend $600 000 ($5.3 million in 2016 dollars) to teach “people who had never had a course in biochemistry… that sugar is what keeps every human being alive and with energy to face our daily problems.”12 Growing Evidence That Sucrose Elevates Serum Cholesterol Level In 1962, the SRF became concerned with evidence showing that a low-fat diet high in sugar could elevate serum cholesterol level. At its November 1962 SAB meeting,13 the SRF considered an AMA Council on Foods and Nutrition report, The Regulation of Dietary Fat,14 that, according to the SRF, “indicate[d] that, in low fat diets, the kind of carbohydrate ingested may have an influence on the formation of serum cholesterol.”13 The SAB concluded, “that research developments in the [CHD] field should be watched carefully.”13 The SRF’s vice president and director of research, John Hickson, started closely monitoring the field.15 In December 1964, Hickson reported to an SRF subcommittee15 that new CHD research was a cause for concern: “From a number of laboratories of greater or lesser repute, there are flowing reports that sugar is a less desirable dietary source of calories than other carbohydrates, eg,—Yudkin.”15 Since 1957, British physiologist John Yudkin16 had challenged population studies singling out saturated fat as the primary dietary cause of CHD and suggested that other factors, including sucrose, were at least equally important.17,18 Hickson proposed that the SRF “could embark on a major program” to counter Yudkin and other “negative attitudes toward sugar.”15 He recommended an opinion poll “to learn what public concepts we should reinforce and what ones we need to combat through our research and information and legislative programs” and a symposium to “bring detractors before a board of their peers where their fallacies could be unveiled.”15 Finally, he recommended that SRF fund CHD research: “There seems to be a question as to whether the [atherogenic] effects are due to the carbohydrate or to other nutrient imbalance. We should carefully review the reports, probably with a committee of nutrition specialists; see what weak points there are in the experimentation, and replicate the studies with appropriate corrections. Then we can publish the data and refute our detractors.”15 In 1965, the SRF asked Fredrick Stare, chair of the Harvard University School of Public Health Nutrition Department19 to join its SAB as an ad hoc member.20 Stare was an expert in dietary causes of CHD and had been consulted by the NAS,1 National Heart Institute,21 and AHA,22 as well as by food companies and trade groups.19 Stare’s industry-favorable positions and financial ties would not be widely questioned until the 1970s.23 Link Between Sucrose and Elevated Serum Triglyceride Level On July 1, 1965, the SRF’s Hickson visited D. Mark Hegsted, a faculty member of Stare’s department,24,25 after publication of articles in Annals of Internal Medicine in June 196526-29 linking sucrose to CHD. The first 2 articles26,27 reported results from an epidemiological study suggesting that blood glucose levels were a better predictor of atherosclerosis than serum cholesterol level or hypertension. The third28(p210) demonstrated that sucrose, more than starches, aggravated carbohydrate-induced hypertriglyceridemia and hypothesized that “perhaps fructose, a constituent of sucrose but not of starch, [was] the agent mainly responsible.” An accompanying editorial29(p1330) argued that these findings corroborated Yudkin’s research and that if elevated serum triglyceride levels were a CHD risk factor, then “sucrose must be atherogenic.” On July 11, 1965, the New York Herald Tribune ran a full-page article on the Annals articles stating that new research “threatened to tie the whole business [of diet and heart disease] in a knot.”30 It explained that, while sugar’s association with atherosclerosis was once thought to be theoretical and supported by limited studies, the new research strengthened the case that sugar increased the risk of heart attacks. SRF Funds Project 226: A Literature Review on Sugars, Fats, and CHD On July 13, 1965, 2 days after the Tribune article, the SRF’s executive committee approved Project 226,31 a literature review on “Carbohydrates and Cholesterol Metabolism” by Hegsted and Robert McGandy, overseen by Stare.10 The SRF initially offered $500 ($3800 in 2016 dollars) to Hegsted and $1000 ($7500 in 2016 dollars) to McGandy, “half to be paid when you start work on the project, and the remainder when you inform me that the article has been accepted for publication.”31 Eventually, the SRF would pay them $650032 ($48 900 in 2016 dollars) for “a review article of the several papers which find some special metabolic peril in sucrose and, in particular, fructose.”31 On July 23, 1965, Hegsted asked Hickson to provide articles relevant to the review.33 Most of the articles Hickson sent34-40 contained findings that could threaten sugar sales, which suggests that the industry expected the review authors to critique them. Hickson also sent the Tribune article30 and a letter to the editor that criticized findings questioning the therapeutic value of corn oil.41,42 On July 30, 1965, Hickson emphasized the SRF’s objective for funding the literature review to Hegsted: “Our particular interest had to do with that part of nutrition in which there are claims that carbohydrates in the form of sucrose make an inordinate contribution to the metabolic condition, hitherto ascribed to aberrations called fat metabolism. I will be disappointed if this aspect is drowned out in a cascade of review and general interpretation.”34 In response, Hegsted assured Hickson that “We are well aware of your particular interest in carbohydrate and will cover this as well as we can.”43 Nine months into the project, in April 1966, Hegsted told the SRF that the review had been delayed because of new evidence linking sugar to CHD: “Every time the Iowa group publishes a paper we have to rework a section in rebuttal [emphasis added].”44 The “Iowa group” included Alfredo Lopez, Robert Hodges, and Willard Krehl, who had reported a positive association between sugar consumption and elevated serum cholesterol level.45 It is not clear whether the SRF commented on or edited drafts of the review. However, on September 6, 1966, Hickson asked Hegsted, “Am I going to get another copy of the draft shortly?”40 suggesting Hickson had been involved. Hegsted responded on September 29, “I expect to get it down to you within a week or two.”46 Hickson received the final draft on October 25, 1966, a few days before Hegsted intended to submit it for publication.47 On November 2, Hickson told Hegsted, “Let me assure you this is quite what we had in mind and we look forward to its appearance in print.”47 Publication of Project 226 Project 226 resulted in a 2-part literature review by McGandy, Hegsted, and Stare “Dietary Fats, Carbohydrates and Atherosclerotic Disease,” in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) in 1967.48,49 Industry and nonindustry funding of the review authors’ experimental research was disclosed, but the SRF’s funding and participation in the review was not. Evidence reported in the review was relevant to 2 questions: (1) Does the high sucrose content of the American diet cause CHD? and (2) What is the comparative effectiveness of interventions modifying the sucrose or saturated fat content of the diet for the prevention of CHD? The review concluded there was “no doubt” that the only dietary intervention required to prevent CHD was to reduce dietary cholesterol and substitute polyunsaturated fat for saturated fat in the American diet.49(p246) High Sucrose Content of the American Diet and CHD The review summarized findings from epidemiologic, experimental, and mechanistic studies examining the role of sucrose in CHD (see eTable 1 in the Supplement). It reported that epidemiologic studies showed a positive association between high sucrose consumption and CHD outcomes48(pp187-189)and that experimental studies showed that sucrose caused serum cholesterol and serum triglyceride levels to rise in healthy individuals,48(pp190-192) and serum triglyceride levels to rise in those with hypertriglyceridemia.49(pp242-243) Finally, it reported that mechanistic studies demonstrated the biological plausibility of (1) sucrose affecting serum cholesterol level mediated through changes to the intestinal microbiome,49(p243) and (2) fructose, a component of sucrose, affecting serum triglyceride levels mediated through endogenous lipogenesis in the liver, adipose tissues, and other organs.49(pp244-246) The review evaluated the quality of individual studies, including the work of Yudkin and the Iowa Group48(pp187-188) (see eTables 1 and 2 in the Supplement), investigators whom the SRF had identified as threatening before initiating the review15 and in correspondence while it was being prepared.34,44 The review discounted these studies on the grounds that they contained questionable data or incorrect interpretation.48(pp187-189)49(pp242-243) It questioned whether entire classes of evidence were relevant (see eTables 1 and 3 in the Supplement). It discounted epidemiologic evidence for identifying dietary causes of CHD because of multifactorial confounding48(p188) and experimental evidence from short-term studies using large doses of sucrose because they were not comparable with amounts typically consumed in the American diet.48(pp191-192) It discounted mechanistic studies conducted with fructose or glucose, not sucrose,49(p244) and animal evidence because of species differences and because people rarely consumed low-fat diets typically fed to rats.49(pp243-244) Overall, the review focused on possible bias in individual studies and types of evidence rather than on consistency across studies and the coherence of epidemiologic, experimental and mechanistic evidence. Comparative Effectiveness of Dietary Interventions for the Prevention of CHD The NEJM review summarized findings from human randomized clinical trials (RCTs) evaluating the effect of sucrose interventions on serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels in healthy and hypertriglyceridemic individuals, and the effect of fat interventions on serum cholesterol levels in healthy persons (see eTable 4 in the Supplement). Regarding sucrose interventions, it argued that substituting fat for sucrose caused a large improvement in serum triglyceride levels in healthy individuals,48(p190) substituting starch for sucrose caused a large improvement in serum triglyceride levels in patients with hypertriglyceridemia,49(pp242-243) and that substituting leguminous vegetables for sucrose caused a large improvement in serum cholesterol levels in healthy individuals.48(pp190-191) Finally, it reported that substituting starch for sucrose caused a small improvement in serum cholesterol levels in healthy individuals.48(pp190-191) Regarding fat interventions, the review reported that reducing dietary cholesterol and substituting polyunsaturated fat for saturated fat caused a large improvement in serum cholesterol level in healthy persons.48(pp189-190) The review discounted RCTs that had shown that substituting starch for sucrose had a large effect on improving serum triglyceride levels and implied that only studies that had used serum cholesterol level as a biomarker of CHD risk should be used to compare the efficacy of sucrose interventions to fat interventions (see eTable 4 in the Supplement). The review then discounted RCTs that had shown that substituting fat or vegetables for sucrose had a large effect on improving serum cholesterol level, by arguing this intervention was infeasible48(p191) (see eTables 4 and 5 in the Supplement). Substituting refined starches (sweetened with artificial sweeteners) for sucrose, despite being feasible, was dismissed because the magnitude of effect on serum cholesterol level was minimal compared with reducing dietary cholesterol level and substituting polyunsaturated for saturated fat.48(pp190-191) Unlike its summary of sucrose intervention RCTs, the review reported few study characteristics and no quantitative results in its summary of fat intervention RCTs.48(pp189-190) Consulting the original fat intervention RCTs reveals that the review overstated the consistency of studies (see eTable 6 in the Supplement). Only 1 RCT, conducted by Hegsted et al,50 concluded that reducing dietary cholesterol and substituting polyunsaturated fat for saturated fat substantially improved serum cholesterol levels. Consulting the original clinical studies cited to substantiate reducing dietary cholesterol and substituting polyunsaturated fat for saturated fat reveals that they were not well controlled. Despite arguing earlier in the review that epidemiologic evidence was irrelevant to determining dietary causes of CHD,48(pp187-189) the review implied that the epidemiologic evidence pointed to dietary cholesterol and saturated fat as the primary dietary causes of CHD.49(p246) The review argued that the lack of mechanistic evidence confirming the biological plausibility that dietary cholesterol and saturated fat raised serum cholesterol levels was unimportant.49(p246) Finally, the review emphasized that polyunsaturated fats were readily available and would be well accepted as substitute for saturated fats in the American diet.49(p246) Discussion These internal documents show that the SRF initiated CHD research in 1965 to protect market share and that its first project, a literature review, was published in NEJM in 1967 without disclosure of the sugar industry’s funding or role. The NEJM review served the sugar industry’s interests by arguing that epidemiologic, animal, and mechanistic studies associating sucrose with CHD were limited, implying they should not be included in an evidentiary assessment of the CHD risks of sucrose. Instead, the review argued that the only evidence modality needed to yield a definitive answer to the question of how to modify the American diet to prevent CHD was RCTs that exclusively used serum cholesterol level as a CHD biomarker. Randomized clinical trials using serum cholesterol level as the CHD biomarker made the high sucrose content of the American diet seem less hazardous than if the entire body of evidence had been considered. Following the NEJM review, the sugar industry continued to fund research on CHD and other chronic diseases “as a main prop of the industry’s defense.”51 For example, in 1971, it influenced the National Institute of Dental Research’s National Caries Program to shift its emphasis to dental caries interventions other than restricting sucrose.8 The industry commissioned a review, “Sugar in the Diet of Man,” which it credited with, among other industry tactics, favorably influencing the 1976 US Food and Drug Administration evaluation of the safety of sugar.51 These findings, our analysis, and current Sugar Association criticisms of evidence linking sucrose to cardiovascular disease6,7 suggest the industry may have a long history of influencing federal policy. This historical account of industry efforts demonstrates the importance of having reviews written by people without conflicts of interest and the need for financial disclosure. Scientific reviews shape policy debates, subsequent investigations, and the funding priorities of federal agencies.52 The NEJM has required authors to disclose all conflicts of interest since 1984,53 and conflict of interest disclosure policies have been widely implemented since the sugar industry launched its CHD research program. Whether current conflict of interest policies are adequate to withstand the economic interests of industry remains unclear.54 Many industries sponsor research to influence assessments of the risks and benefits of their products.55-57 The influence of industry sponsorship on nutrition research is receiving increased scrutiny.58 Access to documents not meant for public consumption has provided the public health community unprecedented insight into industry motives, strategies, tactics, and data designed to protect companies from litigation and regulation.59 This insight has been a major factor behind successful global tobacco control policies.60 Our analysis suggests that research using sugar industry documents has the potential to inform the health community about how to counter this industry’s strategies and tactics to control information on the adverse health effects of sucrose. Study Limitations The Roger Adams papers and other documents used in this research provide a narrow window into the activities of 1 sugar industry trade association; therefore, it is difficult to validate that the documents gathered are representative of the entirety of SRF internal materials related to Project 226 from the 1950s and 1960s or that the proper weight was given to each data source. There is no direct evidence that the sugar industry wrote or changed the NEJM review manuscript; the evidence that the industry shaped the review’s conclusions is circumstantial. We did not analyze the role of other organizations, nutrition leaders, or food industries that advocated that saturated fat and dietary cholesterol were the main dietary cause of CHD. We could not interview key actors involved in this historical episode because they have died. Conclusions This study suggests that the sugar industry sponsored its first CHD research project in 1965 to downplay early warning signals that sucrose consumption was a risk factor in CHD. As of 2016, sugar control policies are being promulgated in international,61 federal,62,63 state, and local venues.64 Yet CHD risk is inconsistently cited as a health consequence of added sugars consumption. Because CHD is the leading cause of death globally, the health community should ensure that CHD risk is evaluated in future risk assessments of added sugars. Policymaking committees should consider giving less weight to food industry–funded studies, and include mechanistic and animal studies as well as studies appraising the effect of added sugars on multiple CHD biomarkers and disease development.65 Back to top Article Information Correction: This article was corrected online October 3, 2016, to include additional information regarding funding and additional contributions. Corresponding Author: Stanton A. Glantz, PhD, UCSF Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, 530 Parnassus Ave, Ste 366, San Francisco, CA 94143-1390 (glantz@medicine.ucsf.edu). Accepted for Publication: July 2, 2016. Published Online: September 12, 2016. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.5394 Author Contributions: Drs Kearns and Glantz had full access to all the data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of data analysis. Study concept and design: All authors. Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data: All authors. Drafting of the manuscript: Kearns. Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content: All authors. Statistical analysis: Glantz. Obtained funding: Glantz. Administrative, technical, or material support: Kearns, Glantz. Study supervision: Schmidt, Glantz. Conflict of Interest Disclosures: None reported. Funding/Support: This work was supported by the UCSF Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, a donation by the Hellmann Family Fund to the UCSF Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, the UCSF School of Dentistry Department of Orofacial Sciences and Global Oral Health Program, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research grant DE-007306 and National Cancer Institute grant CA-087472. We also thank Gary Taubes, MS, co-founder of Nutrition Science Initiative, for providing funding for travel to the Harvard Medical Library. Role of the Funder/Sponsor: The funders had no role in design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; and preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript. Additional Contributions: We thank Kimber Stanhope, PhD, RD, for advice on the analysis of the SRF-funded NEJM review and the original studies it cited. No compensation was received for her contribution. We also thank Gary Taubes, MS, co-founder of Nutrition Science Initiative, for photographing documents in the D. Mark Hegsted papers at the Harvard Medical Library.

MUMBAI/DELHI: Ritesh Srivastava speaks with the fervour of a true believer. “I am a lifer here. The work and systems are as professional as any other FMCG company. But the work culture and what the brand stands for in terms of living with a purpose is totally different.”Four years ago, Srivastava joined Yoga guru Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurved Ltd. as senior manager marketing and sales from Himalaya . He’s not alone in his enthusiasm. In the past six months, as many as 250 executives have joined Patanjali from established fast-moving consumer goods companies. Patanjali itself has in the meantime been winning market share from its rivals as becomes a strong contender in the FMCG stakes.Executives have joined from Hindustan Unilever and Procter & Gamble, apart from domestic companies Himalaya, Bisleri and Emami . The company is deluged with applications, it says.Apart from the controversial Ramdev’s charisma, many are drawn by the prospects for career growth, the chance of taking a business to new heights and the ethos of the company.“Ours is not a corporate culture--it is a spiritual culture and it is purpose-driven,” said managing director Acharya Balkrishna. Ramdev says people are drawn by Patanjali’s objectives of reinvesting in society and nation building.“There is no company that can be compared to Patanjali,” he said. “Professionals earlier did not have a place where they could take care of their family needs and at the same time work for a purpose, to give back to society and be proud of what they do.” It isn’t looking for top-bracket, Indian Institute of Management-trained professionals who command crores in pay.“Our compensation packages are in line with industry standards,” said managing director Balkrishna. “We do not seek great qualifications. During our interviews, we only make sure of two things--that the applicant does not smoke or consume liquor and should be of Satvik nature.”This has led to questions about its ability to recruit the best talent, especially at the senior level. But that’s exactly what may be a draw for some.Sharad Bharadwaj, who joined Patanjali as western zonal manager in 2015 from P&G, said he was taken by the swadeshi model and the emphasis on treating employees well.“At least 70% of the talent in MNCs is sidelined,” he said. “At Patanjali, they do not give up on an individual. If someone is not up to a task, he is trained to do things that he is capable of. That does not mean there are no targets and we are all very aggressive about that. In that sense, it is like any other FMCG company with accountability.” There is criticism that the system isn’t professional enough. “Patanjali does not have a professional CEO who can attract top talent,” said the CEO of an Indian soaps and detergent maker. “Their systems and processes are still rudimentary and until they improve that, attracting senior-level talent will be a challenge.”Vibhav Dhawan, managing partner at search firm Positive Moves Consulting, said, "While there will always be people Patanjali will be looking to hire, the A-grade, top-notch talent looking for sustainable career growth and pedigree are unlikely to join the company."But people are keen on joining, said Abneesh Roy, vice president at Edelweiss Securities. Patanjali is seeking to professionalise the management and incorporate processes and technology in the work culture. “During our visit and interactions, we found there any many professionals who are managing different units and have past work experience in companies like Dabur, Shahnaz Hussain, SGH Labs and Alkem Laboratories,” he said.Gurvinder Pal Singh, who joined eight months ago from Bisleri, said Patanjali was the ideal FMCG company to his mind. “Bisleri distributors were co-distributors of Patanjali brands and I was hugely impressed with their admiration for the brand and product quality,” he said. “I was also a consumer of the brand--toothpaste and atta--and the product quality was very good. That further motivated me and in the last eight months I have learnt more in Patanjali than in my previous 12 years.”Ramdev is closely involved, participating in discussions with advertising agencies, on marketing plans or research, said a senior manager. “Baba Ramdev is an astute manager with exemplary oratory skills,” said Rahul Nene, managing director of Witthaus Management Consulting, a talent search company. “Nobody has probably understood rural marketing so well and in such a short time… this is probably the magnet for officials to move out of established firms.” Besides, a growing firm offers greater opportunity than mature ones, he said. Pratima Kumari, who joined Patanjali as a marketing manager from DDB Mudra four months ago, echoed this view.“I get an opportunity to grow along with the brand,” she said. “In the mid and junior levels, I see the kind of respect this organisation gives its employees, which is missing in other companies.” Seniors are enjoined to treat colleagues with respect—rude behaviour is frowned upon. The dress code is white—it’s probably the only FMCG company where an executive can wear a kurta pyjama to work.Started as a pharmacy in Haridwar in 1997, Patanjali is now a Rs 2,000 crore company with about 1,500 employees. Reporting to Balkrishna are three vice-presidents: CP Nagpal heads foods and juices and used to be with Dabur; Ravindra Kumar Chaudhary leads the cosmetics business and was previously with Emami; and Rakesh Sharma is chief of sales and marketing, having worked with HUL earlier. Sharma, who used to handle HR as well, elaborated on hiring practices.“We do not follow the conventional FMCG system of hiring IIMs or IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology) candidates or those with fancy degrees,” he said. “We are also recruiting youths, around 250 from several non-metros in each market, training them and taking them on our rolls as territory in-charges… Corporates tend to view non-English speaking youth as unqualified, when the fact is it has nothing to do with the actual skills required.Rajesh Sharma joined Patanjali as senior manager of sales and marketing a month ago after 14 years in companies such as Revlon and JL Morrison, having been struck by a Discovery Channel report on the big profits that multinational FMCG companies made in India.“When I heard about Patanjali, I was willing to even take a pay cut to join,” he said. “Patanjali not only matched my compensation expectations but also offered a work culture rich in diversity of talent in the truest sense.”Patanjali prefers people without experience, he said. “All they need is enthusiasm and commitment. I have seen a mix of city and rural employees, some of whom you think are almost illiterate, but their work enthusiasm and commitment are amazing.”A CLSA report last year didn’t stint on praise, bearing the title “Wish You Were Listed.” Patanjali has pitchforked itself into the top league with profit said to be in excess of such companies as Jyothy Laboratories and Emami, it said.“The plans are even more interesting as the company is now looking at ‘traditional’ ways to expand and targets to more than double the top line in coming years,” CLSA said.Rishabh Sinha, a regional manager who joined a year ago from HUL, said the nature of the company appealed to him. “That this was a swadeshi company and the culture based on spirituality appealed to me,” he said. “In all other senses, the level of professionalism in the company and systems and processes are as good as any FMCG company,” he said.Damodar Mall, CEO of Reliance Retail, pointed out that “Elitist FMCG is a homogenous club. Mavericks do not fit well there. The lure of an untreated marketing challenge appeals to such people.”Managers at some rivals are dismissive of those who’ve left to join Ramdev’s company. Patanjali executives put this down to envy.“That is always an elitist view of established players,” VP Rakesh Sharma said. “Earlier, they wrote off the company. Now, they cannot believe the numbers coming in.’’

By George Will, Washington Post - November 1, 2012 Energetic in body but indolent in mind, Barack Obama in his frenetic campaigning for a second term is promising to replicate his first term, although simply apologizing would be appropriate. His long campaign’s bilious tone — scurrilities about Mitt Romney as a monster of, at best, callous indifference; adolescent japes about “Romnesia” — is discordant coming from someone who has favorably compared his achievements to those of “any president” since Lincoln, with the “possible” exceptions of Lincoln, LBJ and FDR. Obama’s oceanic self-esteem — no deficit there — may explain why he seems to smolder with resentment that he must actually ask for a second term. Speaking of apologies, Syracuse University’s law school should issue one for having graduated Joe Biden. In the 2008 vice presidential debate, he condescendingly lectured Sarah Palin that Article I of the Constitution defines the executive branch. Actually, Article II does. In this year’s debate, he said that overturning Roe v. Wade would “outlaw” abortion. Actually, this would just restore abortion as a subject for states to regulate as they choose. Biden, whose legal education ended well before he was full to the brim, was nominated for his current high office because Democrats believe compassion should temper the severities of meritocracy. It is, however, remarkable, and evidence of voters’ dangerous frivolity regarding the vice presidency, that Biden’s proximity to the presidency has not stirred more unease. To forestall that, Biden should heed Alexis de Tocqueville: “To remain silent is the most useful service that a mediocre speaker can render to the public good.”

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints will be mostly healthy when they face each other, as both teams only have a few inactives due to injury. For the Bucs, Jacquies Smith and George Johnson are the only injury-based inactives. Gerald McCoy and Lavonte David will play today, with McCoy having his hand in a cast. The Bucs did make on interesting decision: they're keeping Demar Dotson inactive. The veteran tackle got his first start of the season last week filling in for the injured Gosder Cherilus, and looked better than Cherilus -- especially in the passing game. But Cherilus is healthy now, and apparently the Bucs really don't like going away from people they've started all season on the offensive line -- an attitude that led to a lot of problems last season, too. Bruce Carter will start at middle linebacker, though Danny Lansanah may see some playing time there too. Howard Jones will start at defensive end for Jacquies Smith. Buccaneers inactives: QB Ryan Griffin, DE Jacquies Smith, DE George Johnson, LB Jeremiah George, T Demar Dotson, TE Brandon Myers, DE Josh Shirley Saints inactives: DT John Jenkins, G Jahri Evans, WR T.J. Graham, QB Garrett Grayson, DB Chris Owens, LB David Hawthorne, DE Philip Hunt

USA Buys Enough Guns in 3 Months to Outfit the Entire Chinese and Indian Army Law abiding US citizens bought on average 3,177,256 guns every 3 months in 2008. EveryTown, USA – -(AmmoLand.com)- In just 3 months Americans bought enough guns to outfit the entire Chinese and Indian army's combined. “You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind every blade of grass.” – Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto WWII You also bought 1,529,635,000 rounds of ammunition in just the month of December 2008. Yeah that is right, that is Billion with a “B”. This number takes no accounting of reloading or reloaded ammunition. This is an evaluation of overall firearms and ammunition purchases based on low end numbers per Federal NIC instacheck data base Statistics. The numbers presented are only PART of the overall numbers of arms and ammunition that have been sold. The actual numbers are much higher. Follow Up:

- Weather shelters are now operating in various Los Angeles County locations and more are slated to open soon, authorities said Wednesday. Bassett Park at 510 Vineland Ave. in La Puente opened today and will remain available to those seeking shelter from cold and/or rainy weather though Dec. 8, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. "Warm meals and pet accommodations are provided," according to an authority statement that said doors open at 6 p.m., but when it rains, the shelter shifts to 24-hour operation. As of Thursday, shelters will be open in Bell, the East San Gabriel Valley, Highland Park, Lancaster, Santa Clarita, Skid Row, South Los Angeles, Sylmar and West Los Angeles. Shelters in Lancaster and Santa Clarita opened last Thursday. Shelters in Pacoima, Long Beach and Pomona will open later in December, according to the Homeless Services Authority. Most of the shelters will remain open until March 1, officials said. Transportation options are available. More information, including locations, are available on the Homeless Service Authority website at www.lahsa.org/ces/winter-shelter/ or at (800) 548-6047. Copyright 2016 FOX 11 Los Angeles : Download our mobile app for breaking news alerts or to watch FOX 11 News | Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Be a citizen journalist for FOX 11 and get paid – download the Fresco News App today.

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- A "frustrated" Mark Davis said he stands behind general manager Reggie McKenzie and new interim head coach Tony Sparano as the Oakland Raiders try to bounce back from a 0-4 start and the firing of coach Dennis Allen. However, Davis said it is imperative that the Raiders improve. "The way we were losing was frustrating," the Raiders owner said after the news conference to announce Allen's firing and Sparano's hiring for the rest of the season. "I think it's just the way we lost some of the games, yeah, I think we weren't in them. To me, that's not what the Raiders are. ... In my analysis, I think we do have players that can play in this game. And I just think that there may be some changes in how the schemes are utilized. Dennis is the one who has taken the fall for it." Editor's Picks Williamson: Raiders need to remember how to win What does interim head coach Tony Sparano think the Raiders' biggest problem is? They have forgotten how to win, Bill Williamson writes. Davis said it was McKenzie's decision to fire Allen and that he agreed. McKenzie chose Allen in 2012 after Davis made McKenzie the primary decision-maker of the franchise in the first move after the death of his father, Al Davis, in November 2011. Allen was 8-28 as the Raiders coach and they have lost a league-high 10 games dating to last season. Asked if it was a mistake to keep Allen after consecutive 4-12 seasons, Allen said, "No, that was Reggie's decision, and you see where it ended up. So, I don't know if you'd call it a mistake." McKenzie said in the news conference that he will hire the next coach. Yet he said he realizes nothing is guaranteed with his own job security. "A lot rides on me," said McKenzie, whose drafting and free-agent signings have yet to pay dividends on the field in Oakland. "I brought Dennis here to win, and that did not materialize." Sparano At A Loss Since Tony Sparano became the Dolphins' head coach in 2008, the teams he has been involved with have had just one season .500 or better. The past six seasons, his teams have finished below .500 every year: Team W-L Role 2008 Dolphins 11-5 HC 2009 Dolphins 7-9 HC 2010 Dolphins 7-9 HC 2011 Dolphins 4-9* HC 2012 Jets 6-10 Off. Coord. 2013 Raiders 4-12 Asst. HC 2014 Raiders 0-4 Asst. HC * Fired after Week 14 -- ESPN Stats & Information Davis said he has not considered firing McKenzie. However, if the losing continues, Davis made no promises. He said it could be considered "a step backward or step forward" to fire McKenzie, depending on how this season goes. Davis said he will take an increased role in hiring decisions going forward. Davis said he wasn't sure when asked whether he would contact former Oakland coach and current ESPN "Monday Night Football" analyst Jon Gruden. "I don't know," Davis said. "He may reach out to me, I may reach out to him. I may reach out to anybody. That's the future, and I'm not going to talk about future coaches." Davis said McKenzie can start looking for a permanent new coach now to hire after the season. But he also said Sparano will have the opportunity to show the team he can be the permanent coach. Sparano, 52, was the head coach in Miami from 2008 to 2011. He went 29-31 there. Sparano, who has been the Raiders' assistant head coach/offensive line coach since last season, said he believes the Raiders need a "philosophy" change. He was not ready to announce what that was. However, Davis said he believes the Raiders need to work on schemes, and Sparano hinted that some could change. "I think my evaluation is that we do have some players," Davis said. "And we may be running some schemes that are putting a square peg into a round hole, and that maybe with some changes in that type of environment we might be able to get something out of these players." Asked what the Raiders' biggest problem is, Sparano said the team had forgotten "how to win. ... They have to get that taste back."

Passengers on United Airlines reported long delays after the latest in a long line of technology problems at the nation’s biggest carriers. United said Friday that it had fixed the overnight issue, yet hours later the airline still could not explain what went wrong or even how many flights were canceled or delayed. Tracking service FlightStats Inc. said in late afternoon that United had cancelled 10 flights — not an unusual number — and delayed more than 380. However, those numbers don’t include United Express flights, which are outsourced to smaller carriers. READ MORE: 2 United Airlines pilots suspected of being drunk arrested at Glasgow Airport Timing helped United. The outage spanned a late-night period when few U.S. flights were operating, and United reported it was fixed before the wave of morning departures. United responded on Twitter to passengers who experienced delays or problems with the airline’s website. The airline tweeted that it was having problems with its weight-reporting system. Some passengers travelling late Thursday and early Friday took to social media to complain about delays as long as six hours. United spokeswoman Maddie King said that overnight the airline “experienced a system issue causing some flights delays.” She said the problem was fixed by 4 a.m. Eastern time, although there could be lingering brief delays on Friday. READ MORE: United Airlines flights temporarily grounded due to ‘automation issues’ Asked about the cause of the outage, King said, “We are still working to determine that.” In August, Delta Air Lines suffered a computer breakdown after a power outage in its operations center. The airline canceled more than 2,000 flights over three days. In July, Southwest Airlines also canceled more than 2,000 flights after an outage that it blamed on a failed network router. United and American Airlines both suffered computer-system problems in summer 2015. Airline technology systems have hundreds of programs that are often of different ages and sources and are layered on top of each other. After recent outages at other carriers, outside experts have questioned whether airlines have enough redundancy in their systems and test the systems frequently enough.

If Mind MGMT—Matt Kindt’s winding epic about men and women with the cognitive power to manipulate reality and those who would stop them—expanded out into a global onslaught of cities to emphasize the series’ blockbuster scope, his new project ranks up the tension and pressure by drilling deep and under. Announced today at Comic-Con International, Matt will both write and pencil the new Dark Horse monthly Dept. H, a murder mystery that takes place in a sabotaged deep-sea observatory. Sharlene Kindt, Matt’s wife who provided coloring and direction on this gorgeous Mind MGMT cover, will provide watercolors. The plot follows Mia, a secret agent posing as a journalist, as she ventures into the Challenger Deep to investigate a homicide among the 100-strong crew. Her investigation pivots to a fight for survival as an act of vandalism sends her and her stranded researchers into a desperate search for a way to survive a two-week period before the station floods. The Kindts will embrace real-time storytelling as each issue takes place over 24-hours, adding a new tension to the suffocating pressure encroaching on the characters. Like a cross between sci-fi Jack London, The Abyss and the criss-cross espionage of Kindt’s previous material, there is no element of this new project we’re not ecstatically awaiting. (And is that a sea monster we spy?!) While in the process of inking the last issue of Mind MGMT, Matt shared the first cover of Dept. H and discussed his fear of the deep seas, his love of Jacques Cousteau and how this project, set to debut this winter, is challenging him after decades in the industry. Paste: So what exactly is Dept. H? Matt Kindt: Dept. H is my next ongoing series. I’m taking the summer off to write the whole thing, or as much as I can, and then I’ll start drawing it in the fall. It’s basically an underwater adventure/murder mystery. This woman gets tasked with going down to the deepest underwater base in the world to figure out what happened when somebody’s murdered down there. The series starts out with her getting into this weird sub designed to go down that deep, then investigating the murder. The whole series is structured around her investigation. The series takes place in real time, but is released monthly. It’ll follow her and the crazy stuff that happens down there, and the mystery and then some other weird stuff I can’t spoil. My wife, who taught me how to watercolor, is going to watercolor this one. So I’m going to be doing all the drawing, and she’s going to be doing all the painting over the top. Paste: I saw the recent Doctor Strange commission you worked on with her. Kindt: She uses a different kind of watercolor than I do that gets those crazy, bright colors. We’re going to do a mix of more subdued stuff, and then there are going to be parts of the story that call for crazy, bonkers over-the-top color. She can do both of those—I don’t really like using bright color. She’s well-suited for it. Paste: The last time I spoke with you, I listed all the projects you were on and how busy you seem. Not much has changed. You’d told me, “What else am I going to do?” When you’re looking at a new book after working under every scope of project available (mini comics, creator-owned, Big Two), are you actively searching to tackle new storytelling approaches or elements, or do the ideas just come organically? Kindt: I just have a running list of ideas of different things I want to work on. Working on Mind MGMT was long, and it took so long that these ideas built up over time. I thought maybe some of these ideas I like more than others. I think how I tell it is always a product of what the story is. I try to pick a story that I think is interesting or I think would be fun, and then let the story dictate how it’s going to be told, which is an approach I’ve tried to take my whole life. Let the story dictate the structure, how it unfolds. In comics, specifically, the story suggests ways that comics can be pushed in new directions, and how you can use pictures and words. That’s basically a wide-open art form. You can do anything. Put some pictures in any combination. That’s the part that’s exciting to me—how limitless the possibilities are, as you sit at your table and think all day. Paste: The more read I read your comics, the more I realize how important a sense of place is to your narratives. It’s often one of the most important characters in your books, thinking back to the myriad international stops in Mind MGMT, the rotating universes of Revolver and even the psychedelic fun-house of Marvel Knights: Spider-Man. These places also define and provide a kind of relief to the characters, like Henry Lyme in Zanzibar. Now we’re going underwater. What attracted you to the deep blue sea? Does it reflect the characters in some way? Kindt: Definitely. I think the most exciting thing to me, other than coming up with the story idea, is where it’s going to take place. A lot of it is I’m going to have to draw that place. I’m going to have to draw the environment. Comics is a visual medium; having something take place in an office or in an American city is super boring to me because we see that all the time. Again, the story dictates location as well, and what makes sense. But with Dept. H and the underwater stuff, my greatest fear is drowning. That’s something I’ve always been intrigued by. Jacques Costeau is someone who I’ve always really loved, and he did that documentary back in the late ‘60s about the deep-sea base he made. I watched that I thought Whoa. It just made me sick to my stomach. I think it’s fun to play around with that stuff. I’m taking Scuba diving lessons, which I’m terrified of. I can swim. I’m not terrified of water. I’m scared of being underwater, I guess. Even snorkeling freaks me out for a second, until I’ve learned to trust the snorkel. I think there’s a lot of stuff there I want to deal with, as far as psychology. I also love that the ocean is our last unexplored wilderness. It’s like the wild west…but underwater. I think there’s a lot going on down there. There’s more than we even know and have ever seen. I think that’s always appealed to me too, as a kid. NASA going into space is awesome and seeing other planets, but man if we could figure out how to go deeper, there’s a lot of stuff we could see here. We’re digging, hoping for something alive on Mars—there’s the weirdest things alive on earth in water that we haven’t found yet. Paste: It was only within the last few years that we’ve mapped it all. Did you research much? Was there anything you found especially interesting? Kindt: I’m actually in the process of doing that now. That’s part of my summer—doing a ton of research. Basically I got the story, but now I have to figure out the details. I’m doing a ton of research, finding out about all of these crazy creatures that we’re still finding. I’m actually doing a bunch of research just on survivability—like how deep you can go and the problems with being down that far, and how creatures can adapt to that extreme environment. All that’s going to play into it. I’m doing a ton of research into that to see how it’s going to play into the story. Paste: Right—on a more pragmatic level, the story revolves around scientists attempting to survive on a sabotaged underwater station. How far is Dept. H going to veer into engineering, something akin to The Martian? Kindt: It’s going to be a little bit like that. The beauty of the series is that there’s not going to be a way to save the base that’s filling up. I like the idea that every month the water gets a little bit deeper. Literally, it gets deeper. There’s going to be design elements to track the rise of the water, sort of this impending doom. So every month there’s going to be a little gauge at the edge of the paper. So when you collect the whole book or you stack the issues up, you’ll be able to see the water on the edge of the pages rising. The problem with Mind MGMT is that I put every idea I could think of twisting comics around. So coming up with something is…hard [laughs], without repeating myself. But I’m trying. Paste: Speaking of, you have this constraint—each issue covers 24 hours. Why take this approach? Did you personally want to challenge yourself? Kindt: I think so. I love the format of a monthly comic. I love that you have this finite amount of time to get this piece of a story put out there, and have to work on its own, but also be part of a bigger thing. That was something that was interesting to me, but also the idea that this whole thing is finite. Her space that she’s living in is finite, it’s ticking down. You’re not going to get six issues of flashbacks and then go back to the main story. I want it to be more of an intense experience, a little more action-oriented. A little more immediate. Paste: The general impression I’m getting is that you write without releasing until you have the whole story mapped in your head, which is something I generally associate with designers. But when you work this far in advance, do you ever think of new developments that you wish you would have had, but you can’t capitalize on because it would contradict past continuity? Kindt: That’s part of the design of the books, too. With Mind MGMT and then this, I’m hopefully going to write out the scripts for the whole thing ahead of time. A couple years worth at least. But with Mind MGMT and how I usually structure things, I try to leave some wiggle room. Here are the main beats we’re going to hit, and then leave a little room for extra ideas. You are married to those bigger beats, but if you can structure it right, you can fit in some extra ideas or some things that occur to you on the way. The nature of comics is like that. You sit down and you write it, you write a couple drafts, but then you’re drawing it for a few weeks, and then during those few weeks your’e thinking about it. You’re literally staring at it every day. It’s impossible not to come up with more ideas just because of the way the process works. That’s why it’s extra fun to write and draw the thing, because I’m thinking about it 1,000 times more than if I were just writing it. The inside front covers on the single issues would be like an outlet for some extra ideas I had. And then even some of the backup stories gave me a chance to elaborate on things that I didn’t have time to hit on the main storyline or other ideas. A lot of that stuff was planned at the beginning, but then as I went along I kept a running list of ideas for some things I wanted to hit so it wouldn’t disrupt the main narrative, but I could still fit it in and use it to stitch the bigger story together, and add some backstory or some shading to some things that I wouldn’t have maybe been able to do otherwise. Paste: So Mind MGMT. has Meru and Dept. H. has another two-consonant M-name female journalist—Mia. Are the works in dialogue within one another? Or is this just the best way to start any spy story? Kindt: Every book I’ve ever done is connected. In my mind they’re all in the same universe. So there’s a loose connection, but there’s not a literal connection between her and Meru. I like writing female characters because they’re different than me. I think when I was first starting doing mini-comics and autobiographical stuff, I was really just writing me. I was writing this character and the character’s thoughts were my thoughts. Early on, I decided that could kind of boring, boring to read. So I unconsciously tried to pick a character who’s the opposite of me, or different than me and pushes me outside my comfort zone, makes it a little harder and makes me think a little more. Having characters with different backgrounds who aren’t me. Having a girl instead of a guy immediately makes it more interesting. As a writer, stuff like that is more of what I’m thinking about. Trying to put another hurdle in front of myself that I can jump over. Paste: Describing your work can be difficult because pragmatic elements like government agencies and political philosophy dovetail so seamlessly with surrealism, and your visuals are incredibly stylized. What media were you into as a kid? How about now? Kindt: When I was a kid I read everything. Pulp, science-fiction. I read almost every Philip K. Dick book. I’m saving a couple because there aren’t not many left, so I’m saving some so I don’t run out. I read all the Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett. Any crime fiction from the ‘40s and ‘50s was my favorite. I read every kind of pulpy thing ever. I was a fan of The Shadow and Doc Savage, and that was all the way up through high school. I was also reading every Marvel and DC comic I could get my hands on. That’s how I grew up. I hit college and I was starting to hate superhero comics, and I think I just didn’t like comics anymore. I stopped reading, but then I went to the Chicago Comic Con back in ’92 or ’93, where I picked up the first couple issues of Eightball [by Daniel Clowes], which had just come out. I remember reading those on the way home, and I was like ‘oh, I don’t hate comics. I’m not sick of comics. I’m sick of superhero stuff. It opened my eyes to different genres and different things you can do with comics. When I was reading those, I thought ‘here’s something that’s still fun, it’s still pulpy, but there are no capes.’ It didn’t have to fit into the superhero genre. That got me interested, and I was reading a bunch of other stuff, too: Hate [by Peter Bagge] and pretty much everything Fantagraphics put out. This is why I went all the way to the opposite [spectrum] and was just doing autobiographical comics, and then I started getting bored of doing those. I was getting bored of real-life stuff, and then I figured that I’d take that stuff and add spies and sci-fi back into it, and then it’s more fun to draw and it’s more fun to write. It’s definitely more fun to read. That’s sort of what formed me—what I am now. I love genre, I love the trappings of it and I love the way it looks. The visuals are so great. That’s the candy coating I put my other stories in. The stories I’m telling could be in any genre. I just pick something that’s fun to draw and to look at, and then hopefully it helps further the idea and the story as well. Now I mostly read stuff like reference and nonfiction for inspiration and for research. I’ll dip in—I’ll read comics now and again. But I mostly don’t have as much time to read for fun anymore. I read for work. Even though work is fun!

In addition to seeking an emergency declaration, the commission proposed waiving a federal rule that sharply limits the number of Medicaid recipients who can receive residential addiction treatment. It also called for expanding access to medications that help treat opioid addiction, requiring “prescriber education initiatives” and providing model legislation for states to allow a standing order for anyone to receive naloxone, a drug used to reverse opioid overdoses. Some public health experts said the main effect of declaring an emergency would be to make Americans regard the epidemic more urgently. “It’s really about drawing attention to the issue and pushing for all hands on deck,” said Michael Fraser, the executive director of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. “It would allow a level of attention and coordination that the federal agencies might not otherwise have, but in terms of day-to-day lifesaving, I don’t think it would make much difference.” The governors of Arizona, Florida, Maryland and Virginia have declared states of emergency regarding the opioid addiction crisis; in Alaska, Gov. Bill Walker has issued a disaster declaration.

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way. Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way. Logic would lead one to believe that "dyslogistic" is somehow related to the Greek word "logos," from which the words "logic" and "logistics" are derived. In actuality, however, "dyslogistic" is a 19th-century merger of the prefix "dys-," meaning "bad," and "eulogy," referring to an expression of praise. English jurist and philosopher Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) often used "dyslogistic" in his writings as an adjective to convey dispraise or opprobrium. And even today the word is likely to be encountered in judicial and intellectual writings. Examples The blogger used many dyslogistic adjectives to express his dissatisfaction with the mayor. "One answer lies in ... the dyslogistic school of memoir written by former officials who present themselves as disillusioned innocents." - From a book review by Jacob Heilbrunn in The New York Times, June 22, 2008

Warner Bros. has stuck pretty much solely to Batman and Justice League related animated features in recent years, but it seems as if the success of Batman: The Killing Joke and the recently released Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders may have opened the door to some slightly riskier ventures from the studio. That's according to WGTC as they're reporting that moviegoers who paid to see the studio's latest animated release earlier this week were handed a very interesting survey.On that, they were presented with a list of possible upcoming releases and asked how interested they would be in each of them. That's clearly a way of guaging interest in the movies by Warner Bros.Among those mentioned were a Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover, a Wonder Woman '77 movie (presumably with Lynda Carter voicing the titular hero), and Swamp-Thing, a character who will soon get the spotlight in the Justice League Dark animated feature. That's an interesting mixture, and while there's nothing to say any of them will happen, it's entirely possible that any or all of these movies could end up on Warner Bros. Animations 2018 slate. What do you guys think of them?

Winnipeg's MTS Centre is getting a whole lot flashier with $12 million in enhancements, including a new high-definition scoreboard 2½ times bigger than the current one. The new board will feature four large screens, offering three times the resolution of the screens on the existing one. True North Sports & Entertainment unveiled the planned improvements on Monday. They also include: Installation of a new 360-degree power ring presenting two times the resolution of the existing power ring . Installation of a new state-of-the-art control room that will allow the production of high-definition images throughout the MTS Centre and improve audio in the existing sound system, and allow for additional cameras which will bring an enhanced scoreboard experience. Installation of 278 new premium loge seats, accessed through the upper concourse and initially made available to patrons currently sitting in Row 1 of the 300 Level. Installation of new seamless glass in the front row of the 300 Level, replacing the existing mesh railing, for improved sightlines for 300-level patrons. The upgrades will be undertaken this summer. MTS Centre, which opened Nov. 16, 2004, has hosted almost 1,400 events, including hockey games, concerts and other entertainment events.

Homeownership rates tumbled this summer statewide and across much of Southern California. The U.S. Census Bureau reports 53.5 percent of Californians lived in a home they owned in the third quarter, down from 53.8 percent in the second quarter and up from 53.2 percent a year ago. It’s the fourth-lowest level nationwide behind Washington, D.C., New York and Hawaii. West Virginia was best at 75.6 percent. Ownership in Los Angeles and Orange counties fell to 46.6 percent in the summer quarter, second worst among 75 markets tracked trailing only Fresno. L.A.-O.C. had the nation’s lowest ownership levels in six out of eight quarters in 2015-16. Third-quarter ownership in L.A.-O.C. was down from 48.3 percent in the second quarter and 44.7 percent a year ago. In San Diego County, ownership was 54.1 percent in the third quarter, eighth worst vs. 56.1 percent in the second quarter and 54.4 percent a year ago. Gains were only found in Riverside and San Bernardino counties where ownership hit 59.2 percent in the quarter, 19th worst out of the big 75. Inland Empire ownership is up from 58.4 percent in the second quarter but down from 62.6 percent a year ago. Other government stats show Southern Californians spending the biggest share of their household pay among major U.S. metro areas. That’s a key reason why Southern California’s renter households grew by roughly 749,000 in the past 10 years — a 33 percent jump. Meanwhile, the number of local homeowners was essentially flat. Nationally, 63.9 percent of Americans lived in homes they owned in the third quarter, up from 63.7 percent in the second quarter and 63.5 percent a year ago. It’s also the highest homeownership rate since 2014’s fourth quarter. By the way, best metro area for ownership? Allentown, Pa., at 75 percent in the third quarter. How much Orange County housing can you buy for $350,000? SEE: $350,000 new home in Orange County? It’s in the works in Rancho Mission Viejo

"I am looking to put this guy out," Bradley says, "I don’t want to go 12 rounds with this guy." In anticipation of Timothy Bradley’s return to the ring against Ruslan Provodnikov on Saturday, March 16, at the Home Depot Center in Carson California, Bradley and his trainer recently met with the press. The WBO welterweight champion remains undefeated at 29-0 and is one of the premier fighters in the game today. But things have not gone smoothly. There were promotional issues. There were family issues. There were public relations issues. And there were issues with the fans of Manny Pacquiao, who he defeated, albeit controversially, in his last fight. “Every fight from here on out is a statement fight, especially coming after the Pacquiao fight,” Bradley said. “I am looking to make a statement in this fight and I am looking to damage this guy. I am looking to put this guy out. I don’t want to go 12 rounds with this guy. The longer he stays around the more confident he will get so I want to get him out of there as soon as possible.” Bradley is known for many things, but power isn’t among them. The same, however, cannot be said for the hard-hitting but overmatched Provodnikov (22-1). “I don’t know about his knockout power,” admitted Bradley. “I’m not worried about his power. He needs to worry about my power. I am not worried about anything he is going to bring. He is going to stand in the middle of the ring. I know exactly how to beat this guy—outbox him. Provodnikov has to worry about me. I am not worried about him.” Bradley’s trainer, Joel Diaz, feels much the same way. “We don’t take anyone light,” he said, “no matter who it is or what style he has. Ruslan has his style and I know he is training really hard because this is a great opportunity for him. I watch Provodnikov fights every night and know what he is and he’s not going to change very much. I know he has power in both hands, but to catch Tim Bradley is going to be very hard. Tim is really smart and now his punching power has increased because we made some adjustments. You are going to see a different Tim Bradley on the 16th and don’t be surprised if it doesn’t go the distance.” Wherever Bradley goes, it seems Pacquiao is soon to follow. “The Pacquiao made me grow as a person and as a fighter and it made me realize who was important and who was not important and what is important in my career,” said Bradley. “What is not important is what people’s perception of me is. Everyone has an opinion and they can say whatever they want to say but it’s not going to stop me from what I do and that’s kick butt in the ring. What’s important is my family and I pay attention to my career and stop worrying about everyone else’s career and what they are making. I just need to focus on my career and my life. Stop reading all this garbage that all these people are writing about me. I stopped reading columns. I used to read it all the time now I don’t read it at all.” It’s easy to understand why Bradley is upset. When he defeated the Philippine icon, many were unhappy. Some even went so far as to make death threats. But whether one agrees with the judges’ decision or not, it was hardly a dominating performance. The best one can say is that Bradley held his own, an accomplishment in its own right, if not quite enough to limp away with the crown. “I don’t get any credit after the Pacquiao fight, whatsoever,” he complained. “People talk about me, my style, that I’m boring. Some people talk about my wife, my kids. People sent me death threats after the fight because I won undeservingly. I should have given the belt back. A lot of different things went on. I can talk all day about things that people said about me. But it doesn’t matter. None of these people are going to get in the ring with me. People can say whatever they want—it’s a free country—so I am going to say whatever I want, when I want to say it and how I want to say it. Those people don’t know me at all. If you get to know me, if you know what I go through, how I train and you still talk crap about me, then you have the problem. No one knows what I go through to prepare for my fights. People need to sell papers I guess. I am the nicest guy you will ever meet on the street, ever.” Appearances can be deceiving, yet it’s the appearance of arrogance that turns many off. Blanket dismissals are not, after all, how to win friends and influence people. Bradley can no sooner be Asian than Pacquiao can be African American. But when says he’s “the nicest guy you will ever meet,” Bradley is tempting fate. Like Bradley, Provodnikov will never be mistaken Pacquiao. For one thing, he is considerably easier to hit. “Oh heck yes,” agreed Bradley. “Pacquiao is tough to hit. He is good defensively.” Diaz seconded that emotion. “Pacquiao is really smart, but at the same time Tim is the same way. Pacquiao was throwing punches from every angle and missing most of them. For the Pacquiao fight we wanted to execute Manny’s strategy, movement, technique, but the injury made us survive for the fight. But this guy (Provodnikov) comes straight forward. He is just a target in front of you.” One of the things that Provodnikov has going for him is cornerman Freddie Roach. Roach’s career, after the two Pacquiao losses, no less than Amir Khan’s loss to Danny Garcia and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.’s loss to Sergio Martinez, is being reassessed. His star has lost its luster. Some blame the Parkinson’s. But others, like Joel Diaz, blame Roach himself. “Freddie Roach was just a name that was created,” he said. “I think Freddie Roach lost the love of the sport. He created a name and it’s out there but he doesn’t have the compassion for the sport that he had a few years ago. I’ve seen it in the last Marquez fight. I’ve seen it in the fight before, the third fight with Marquez. Freddie Roach is the least of my concern for any fight. I just focus on the fighter. Freddie Roach is always trying to play mind games. Freddie says Tim is going to run. That is just Freddie playing mind games. They don’t know how we are going to fight. He is trying to get under Tim’s skin. At the end of the day Tim is going to be a winner, and that’s what matters.”

When Mark Baker looks up at the moon at night, he does not see magic or mystery. He ponders megawatts. Twice a day, like clockwork, the moon’s gravity makes the seas ebb and flow. For Baker, a marine renewables business manager at GE Power Conversion, the tides are the perfect source of energy, more predictable and reliable than wind or solar power. “Some U.K. locations have significant tidal head ranges,” he says. “They offer a tantalizing energy generation potential.“ The moon could join the sun as a source of renewable energy. GE Power Conversion is testing tidal turbine generators and other underwater technology in turbines standing on the sea floor near the Orkneys in Scotland and at Ramsey Sound in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Baker says that GE is ready to scale up the power system to a large array of tidal turbines planned for the bottom of the Pentland Firth, a narrow channel that separates the Orkneys from the northern tip of Scotland. The channel has some of the fastest moving currents in the U.K. (see video). People tried to capture tidal and wave energy since the Middle Ages when they used “tide mills” to grind grain. Ideas Lab reported that the first tidal power station was the Rance tidal power plant built between 1960 and 1966 in La Rance, France. But the technology did not catch on because of its high capital cost and the limited availability of sites with sufficient tidal flows. Although innovations in turbine technology and design have begun to lower those costs and make deployment possible in more areas, the technology is “decades behind other forms of renewables and will likely need significant government support and research to become a true clean energy player,” according Ideas Lab. The Orkneys’ rugged coast has some of the strongest tides. The U.S. is currently underwriting development of 17 tidal and wave energy demonstration projects. The U.S. Department of Energy’s latest assessment identified up to 1,400 terawatt hours of potential tidal energy generation per year—one terawatt-hour of electricity is enough to power about 85,000 homes. Developing just a small fraction of the wave and tidal energy available in the U.S. could power millions of American homes. “Wave and tidal energy represent a large, untapped resource for the United States and responsible development of this clean, renewable energy source is an important part of our all-of-the-above energy strategy,” said Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy David Danielson in a statement last year. BBC recently described Scotland as “a Saudi Arabia of renewable energy potential.” The Pentland Firth project alone could supply almost half of Scotland’s electricity needs – as much as 1.9 gigawatts. The turbines resemble large aircraft propellers submerged in 180 to 240 feet of water. They stand in strategic “pinch points” of the firth, where the tides rush in and out at the highest speeds. Engineers can capture energy from the vertical and horizontal movements of the tides. Some teams have also used buoys that generate electricity from the up and down movement of the waves. But “it happens to be roughly an order of magnitude more difficult to mount and maintain equipment on the surface of the sea,” Baker says. “Companies have put in wave systems only to find them dashed upon the rocks.” Baker believes that tidal power generation arrays will start popping up in the U.K. and elsewhere in the world. “Tidal lagoon power stations could soon also become a reality in the U.K.,” he says. “They are capable of utility-scale power generation.”

Obama’s speech aside, why don’t Republicans want for America the world’s best, state of the art infra-structure–high speed trains and the 75 industries that would design and build the systems, attracting revenue and growth to sustain the economy and families? Why don’t they want the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, whose news roundups let European and Asian travelers and business people feel at home–and give Americans a peek at the world beyond our coasts? Why build weapons systems the Forces line out, but are restored in each budget cycle? The Times reports 2,000 mental health patients released by a major service provider due to cuts and privatization in Salt Lake City. We know the House-passed Farm bill leaves the SNAP safety net on the table without a promise of passage. Where, as the President asked, is the GOP’s economic plan? Is it spending cuts and repealing Obamacare? The impressive growth of 7 million new jobs, doubling domestic oil production, providing stimulus to states to protect essential services, creating the largest crackdown on fraud in Medicaid’s history, securing a escrow trust for the Gulf oil spill victims–how much more could be done if the GOP reached out, taking credit for leadership and innovation? Yet the GOP persists in blame and labels.They agreed–before the speech–to use the hashtag,#SpeechesDontHire, Is that their best response? To plan an attack with a generic putdown before the speech was heard? Their fault finding never has a fix.

Hillary Clinton and her aides directed Platte River Networks to systematically alter, fabricate and forge emails to protect her communications from being “exposed to anyone,” according to documents obtained by True Pundit. The request was so unusual and complex that Denver-based Platte River IT executives, who maintained Clinton’s private email server, had to turn to other IT gurus on a clandestine chat forum for a solution to try to satisfy their “VIP” client, as executives dubbed Clinton. Platte River computer specialist Paul Combetta turned to a web forum on computer coding to solicit help with Clinton’s directive to forge her emails, according to documents. Writing under the seemingly-stealth screen name “stonetear,” Combetta asked reddit.com forum users in July 2014: “Hello all- I may be facing a very interesting situation where I need to strip out a VIP’s (VERY VIP) email address from a bunch of archived email that I have both in a live Exchange mailbox, as well as a PST file. Basically, they don’t want the VIP’s email address exposed to anyone, and want to be able to either strip out or replace the email address in the to/from fields in all of the emails we want to send out. I am not sure if something like this is possible with PowerShell, or exporting all of the emails to MSG and doing find/replaces with a batch processing program of some sort. Does anyone have experience with something like this, and/or suggestions on how this might be accomplished?” Combetta’s online plea for guidance was met with limited resistance, as many users offered advice on how he could effectively alter the emails. One user, however warned him that he could be stepping into a legal mine field: “To my knowledge, there’s no way to edit existing messages, that’s a possibility for a (legal) discovery nightmare.” True Pundit was able to trace the screen name “stonetear” directly to Combetta, as he has used it exclusively for social media and gaming accounts, as well as certain anonymous email accounts, according to our intelligence. Combetta never revealed his real name or company name in the communications but the IT specialist with no security clearance did divulge: “I have full access to the server.” These damning revelations comprise the first public intelligence pinpointed indicating that Platte River was directly requested to perform what can only be described as illegally altering Clinton’s emails and related federal records. The criminal code, 18 U.S. Code § 1519, dealing with destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in Federal investigations and bankruptcy is very clear. It states: Whoever knowingly alters, destroys, mutilates, conceals, covers up, falsifies, or makes a false entry in any record, document, or tangible object with the intent to impede, obstruct, or influence the investigation or proper administration of any matter within the jurisdiction of any department or agency of the United States or any case filed under title 11, or in relation to or contemplation of any such matter or case, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both. While previous laws applied only to an “official proceeding,” like a public FBI investigation, or pending judicial and federal agency proceedings, the new stipulations in subsection § 802 passed under Sarbanes-Oxley now also covers those individuals who destroy or fabricate documents merely “in contemplation” of a future investigation or “any matter” within the jurisdiction of a federal agency. “The issue is that these emails involve the private email address of someone you’d recognize, and we’re trying to replace it with a placeholder address as to not expose it,” Combetta wrote later in the forum to answer a user’s technical questions. “I think maybe I wasn’t clear enough in the original post. I have these emails available in a PST file. Can I rewrite them in the PST? I could also export to MSG and do some sort of batch find/replace. Anyone know of tools that might help with this?” Combetta is also accused of deleting an untold number Clinton’s emails despite orders from Congress to preserve them. Platte River’s destruction of these emails followed months of warnings from by the House Select Committee on Benghazi to obtain them. The house select committee likewise instructed Clinton’s attorney David Kendall on Dec. 2, 2014, to retain these emails, and a formal House subpoena was issued on March 4, 2015. Combetta and a Platte River colleague Bill Thornton were on Capitol Hill last week answering subpoenas to testify before the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Combetta refused to answer all of committee chairman Congressman Jason Chaffetz’s questions about his role in maintaining Clinton’s private server. That included Chaffetz’s inquiry on whether Combetta received an immunity agreement from the Justice Deoartment to cooperate with the FBI’s now defunct criminal investigation into Clinton’s handling of classified email while secretary of state. Combetta cited his 5th Amendment right not to incriminate himself at the hearing. Combetta’s immunity agreement was divulged in a recent New York Times article detailing its stipulations. Congressman Chaffetz’s committee has shed light on other internal Platte River communications where company executives scurried to distance the company from what they believed was Clinton “covering up some shaddy s- -t.” In another internal message, one executive called Clinton’s requests to Platte River “Hillary’s coverup operation.” These new revelations, however, place a white-hot light on the FBI’s arrangement with Combetta. If FBI agents were aware of this request from Clinton to illegally mask her emails, one has to wonder even more than usual how Clinton walked away without an indictment form the bureau’s year-long probe. This only adds to other recent troubling revelations regarding the FBI’s investigation. -30- Queen #HillarysEmails Server Hosting Company BUSTED Erasing Backups, Then Clams Up at Oversight Hearing Part 1 RT pic.twitter.com/pHPS5sHAM3 — Thomas Paine (@Thomas1774Paine) September 15, 2016

Story highlights New findings suggest sperm alone could be used to create children in the future Research overturns almost 200 years of knowledge about fertilization (CNN) It might be possible in the future to make babies without female eggs, new research claims. Scientists at Bath University in the United Kingdom say they have successfully used sperm to create healthy baby mice by injecting the sperm cells directly into embryos. "Up until now people thought the only way you could fertilize a cell with a sperm and have offspring is if the cell is an egg," Dr Tony Perry , University of Bath molecular embryologist and senior researcher, told CNN. "(We thought) only a sperm in an egg can give you offspring. So that's something that kind of erodes from the first." This isn't the first time scientists have attempted unconventional fertilization techniques -- previously researchers "tricked" eggs into developing into embryos without fertilization by sperm. Read More

ABOUT THE STORY Arif Ayaz Parrey’s achievement in this story is the evocation of an entire climate of fear and suspicion in Kashmir without the use of any characters or events. The story works purely as a text about another text—a torture manual allegedly used in the repression of the insurgency—and through its ironic repetition of the language and categories, at once bureaucratic and sinister, of the manual. The only person whom we know by the name in the story—the “Major Ali” of the title—appears to be fictional twice over. Even his reality as a character in fiction is disturbed by the notion that he may have first been invented by the nameless, shadowy powers whose motives and modus operandi the story describes. Parrey drops us into a maze of smoke and mirrors, disorienting us in a manner analogous to the “sustainable and ever-widening cycle of distrust” that the torture manual seeks to generate among “the subject population”. It’s not even clear where the narrator himself stands, or which of the manual’s five classes of Kashmiris on the resistor/collaborator axis he inhabits, or—most disturbingly—whether he may himself be “Major Ali” in a new guise, now a wolf in sheep’s clothing. In this way, Parrey renovates the narrative tactic of self-reflexivity—a playful gesture in the work of Laurence Sterne or Beckett or Borges, but here, the default setting of all human activity when subjected to the modern state’s mania for control and power. The Torture Manual of Major Ali

In Bite #159, we started looking at some syntactic shortcuts in Swift. Today we'll continue by looking at a few (perhaps) lesser-known Swift tricks, and their effects. Let's get started. @autoclosure This attribute can help save space when writing simple closures: func cache ( key : String , @autoclosure cacheIf : () -> Bool ) Now, the compiler will infer the curly braces {} around our statement: cache ( "spaceships" , cacheIf : ships . count > 0 ) private(set) struct Spaceship { private(set) var name = "Untitled" } With the private(set) declaration, we're telling the compiler this property has the default access-level of internal for reads, but writes can only happen in the source file where it's declared. For frameworks, we can configure both the getter/setter explicitly: public struct Droid { public private(set) var number : String } final When optimizing performance-critical code, dynamic dispatch can be our enemy. If our class's properties and functions can be overridden by subclasses, we're going to pay the performance cost of an indirect call or access every time we use one of those functions or properties. We can easily prevent this by declaring a property or function final .

'Naughty' joke gets Santa Claus fired from Macy's SAN FRANCISCO John Toomey has been known as "Santa John" at the Union Square Macy's for more than 20 years -- but no more. John Toomey has been known as "Santa John" at the Union Square Macy's for more than 20 years -- but no more. Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 7 Caption Close 'Naughty' joke gets Santa Claus fired from Macy's 1 / 7 Back to Gallery Santa Claus has been canned from Macy's, and he's anything but jolly about it. His fans aren't happy, either. And there are many. John Toomey, known for 20 years at the Union Square Macy's in San Francisco as "Santa John," was told Saturday he'll have to take his "ho, ho, hos" elsewhere because an adult couple complained about a joke he cracked. The joke has been in his Santa bag for decades. But after thousands of tellings, the 68-year-old retired caretaker for the elderly finally hit the wrong recipients - apparently an older woman and her husband, who considered it inappropriate. Toomey - who stays in Oroville most summers and winters in San Francisco while he does the kiddie-on-the-knee gig - said he'd never had complaints before about the joke, which he saves for the occasional grown-up who visits him. "When I ask the older people who sit on my lap if they've been good and they say, 'Yes,' I say, 'Gee, that's too bad,' " Toomey said Monday. "Then, if they ask why Santa is so jolly, I joke that it's because I know where all the naughty boys and girls live." The kids who sit on his lap, he said, get only his trademark laugh and questions about what toys they want. Macy's spokeswoman Betsy Nelson said the store cannot comment because the matter involves personnel. But several workers used words including "devastated" and "overreaction" to describe their take on Santa John being booted from his throne at Santaland on the seventh floor. They all asked not be named because store policy forbids them from speaking publicly about such matters, but their un-yule-ish gloom was palpable. "People make a pilgrimage to see him every year, some for as long as 15 years," said one worker. "Everyone loves him. Everybody's just heartsick about this." Many customers said that with his gentle manner, chest-length white beard and well-practiced laugh, Toomey looks so genuine you expect elves to be playing at his feet. "He's totally the best Santa ever, very jolly and very authentic," said Sharon Owens, 56, of Oakland. "I've been coming to see him for years. There's just nobody better." She and a friend, 56-year-old Theresa Pepin of Martinez, came Monday to see Santa John, and shock swept across their faces when they saw a new Kriss Kringle in his place. The new guy was doing just fine - but the women missed their old favorite. "We're very sad," Pepin said. As for Santa John: He's retreated to his local north pole station, otherwise known as a hotel on Market Street, to see what becomes of his request for reconsideration. "Everything was going OK until this couple came in," he said. "I don't know why they reported me. I don't think I said anything untoward." There's no doubt Toomey takes seriously the responsibility that comes with the red hat. "With the children, it's important to listen carefully to them and make sure they're doing things properly, like brushing their teeth, helping Mom around the house, things like that," Toomey said. "Then when they tell you what they want, repeat it loudly enough so the parents can hear, and tell the child you'll talk it over with Mrs. Santa and the elves. That way you leave it up to the parents. "It's an important job," he said, "and the joking around like I did is only for the adults." While he waits to see if Macy's will relent, Toomey is looking into hiring himself out at parties and other stores. "I've got my Social Security and some savings, so I'll be OK," he said. "But I sure do miss being Santa."

Residents in a Dublin city centre apartment complex have been told to pay €4 million in less than a week or face eviction after major fire safety deficiencies were discovered in their building. Residents in a Dublin city centre apartment complex have been told to pay €4 million in less than a week or face eviction after major fire safety deficiencies were discovered in their building. 'We're the victims here' - Longboat Quay residents face eviction unless they cover €4m repair bill for fire safety failings Around 900 people live in the 299 apartments in the Longboat Quay complex by the Dublin docklands. Residents of the apartments on Sir John Rogerson's Quay were left horrified when they were told last night owners would have to pay between €9,300 to €18,000 depending on the size of their apartment. “I was asked to pay €18,000 and I told the chap last night I wouldn’t be paying it – I haven’t got that kind of money,” one resident told RTE’s Six One News. Longboat Quay was built by developer Bernard McNamara in 2006 with owners paying between €450,000 and €750,000 at the height of the boom. However serious fire safety deficiencies were uncovered last year and so far Dublin Docklands Development Authority, the nominal landlord, has paid €1 million to fix the fire alarm system. But further work is required to upgrade fire walls and smoke vents at a cost of €4 million. Read More: Enda Kenny urged to help resolve plight of residents in 'fire risk' complex The docklands authority insists this is the responsibility of apartment owners as the company used by Mr NcNamara has gone into receivership. But many owners say while they could pay some of the cost, they should not be responsible for “problems they did not know existed”. Richard Eardley Director Longboat Quay Management “We the owners are the victims here, we all bought apartments here in the last few years without knowing these problems existed and now we’re faced with a big problem,” said Richard Eardley Director Longboat Quay Management. He told Six One News that while owners could be part of the solution, the receiver and the DDDA also had a part to play. Longboat Quay is 60 pc owner occupier and 40 pc tenants. Speaking to Independent.ie this morning, local Cllr Dermot Lacey (Labour), who was at the public meeting last night, said both Dublin City Council and the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) have a "moral responsibility" to deal with the issue and not leave residents "in the lurch". "I am horrified by the lack of engagement by public bodies in this matter. Dublin City Council are the moral landlords and the DDDA have a moral responsibility... and yet people are walking away from responsibility," he said. "My job is to sit down with both Dublin City Council and the DDDA and try and resolve it and not leave people in the lurch," he added. Read More: Bernard McNamara's development firm Gendsong behind the Longboat Quay property Speaking to Today with Sean O’Rourke on RTÉ One today, resident Paula Daly said that residents knew about a potential problem 24 months ago. “Apparently, going back to 2011, Dublin Fire Brigade gave the ok that everything was ok, but they came back two years ago and told us there was a problem. “Last night we got hit with the amount they’re looking for everyone to pay. I’m in a three-bedroom duplex and they want €18,000. Myself and my husband have two children and we both work, but I don’t know where we’re going to get this money.” In the last six weeks, Dublin Fire Brigade has twice threatened to apply for a fire safety notice if remedial works to make the complex safe were not performed. Last night, residents were told a tender for the remedial works has been accepted - but funding required for the work has not yet been acquired. Residents were then told that a sum of €4 million was required or Dublin Fire Brigade could move in to evacuate the premises. "I think the Dublin Fire Brigade is trying to be helpful here. They are trying to push for a resolution," Cllr Lacey said. "The DDDA was a very successful company - and they do have some assets. There is funding there. It's not a lot of money but it could help," he said. Cllr Lacey also claimed that some 18 apartments were owned by a receiver. Read More: Residents angry at new charges for fire safety work at Dockland homes The complex was constructed by Gendson, a vehicle for bankrupt developer Bernard McNamara, which has now gone into receivership. Cllr Lacey suggested that these apartments could be sold in order to help residents with the funding required. "The figures outlined last night at the meeting - whether they can find that money at the end of the week, it's a little unreal. We need to identify where such monies will come from in a very short period of time." The 299 units in the development were built eight years ago by former developer Bernard McNamara who later went bankrupt. Most were sold to private buyers and some cost more than €500,000. In February, it emerged serious shortcomings were discovered in an inspection last summer, including some walls deemed inadequate to contain a fire and an absence of some smoke vents needed if a fire broke out. Consultations with Dublin Fire Brigade resulted in an evacuation of the blocks being avoided on condition that fire warden patrols were implemented. One couple said their annual management fee for their one-bedroom apartment was increased by €200 a year to €1,200 for the next four years to pay for some of the work. Online Editors

According to some of the most popular dating advice books, one of the keys to attracting a romantic partner is to take the somewhat counterintuitive step of pretending like you aren’t interested in the other person. But does this tactic really work? Can “playing hard to get” really help you score a date? According to a new set of studies published in the European Journal of Personality, it would appear so. In one of these studies, researchers gave 270 heterosexual college students three dating profiles that were equivalent in terms of attractiveness, age, and background information [1]. The only thing that differed was the likelihood that the person would go out with someone they had just met (i.e., the target was described as having either low, intermediate, or high availability). Participants were asked to choose which person they would be most likely to have casual sex with, which one they would be most likely to date, and which one they would be most likely to start a romantic relationship with. Participants could choose the same or different persons for each option. When it came to casual sex, both men and women overwhelming preferred the highly available target. So, if you’re hoping to get lucky, playing hard to get is not particularly advantageous. However, when it came to dating and starting a romantic relationship, both men and women preferred the target with intermediate availability. So, if you’re looking for love, playing at least a little hard to get seems advisable. In another study, the researchers gave heterosexual college student participants photos of equally attractive targets that again varied in perceived availability (low, intermediate, or high). Participants were asked what kind of restaurant they would take this person to (fast food, casual, or fine dining) and how much money they would be willing to spend on the other person’s dinner. In this case, the low availability targets won hands down. Both men and women reported that they would take the low availability target to a fancier restaurant, as well as spend more money on this person. Specifically, the low availability target was worth $44.45 on average, compared to $34.99 and $33.10 for the intermediate and high availability targets, respectively. In other words, playing hard to get may lead your date to spring for a better meal. One other question this set of studies sought to answer is how people play hard to get. To answer this, the researchers asked a sample of men and women whether they have ever played hard to get and, if so, how they accomplished this. Women reported playing hard to get more often than did men. In addition, the two most commonly reported tactics were acting confident and talking to other people, with men and women being equally likely to say that they had done these specific things before. However, several other reasons were reported, and some important sex differences emerged. Specifically, women were more likely than men to say that they do things like not calling, not talking much, and keeping busy. In contrast, men were more likely than women to report things like “saying all the right things but not calling,” “acting snotty or rude,” and “treating others like sh*t.” Fortunately, those last two were rated as occurring with very low frequency. I should also mention that just because at least a few people reported doing these behaviors, it does not necessarily mean that they work! Of course, these findings are limited in that they only looked at college students and, further, all participants were heterosexual. However, the results suggest that if you're looking for casual sex, being more available will make you more successful--but if you're looking for love, playing hard to get is the better strategy. In other words, when it comes to love, the old adage rings true: "why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?" Want to learn more about The Psychology of Human Sexuality? Click here for a complete list of articles or like the Facebook page to get articles delivered to your newsfeed. [1] Jonason, P. K., & Li, N. P. (in press). Playing hard‐to‐get: Manipulating one's perceived availability as a mate. European Journal of Personality. Image Source: 123rf.com You Might Also Like:

There is an old saying that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I really like this saying because it is a basic principle of skepticism, and it goes hand in hand with a statement that was made famous by none other than Carl Sagan. Namely, “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.” I find that these two principles are broadly applicable to the many “miracle treatments” and fad diets that pervade the internet, but in this post I am just going to focus on the “Miracle Mineral Solution” (a.k.a. Miracle Mineral Supplement or MMS) as an illustration. Basically, this post is just an exercise in common sense in which I am going to point out some obvious hallmarks of snake oil. What is MMS? To put it simply, it’s bleach. To put it more technically, it is a 28% solution of sodium chlorate which breaks down to release chlorine dioxide, and it is the chlorine dioxide which actually reacts with pathogens (remember this chemical, it is going to show up a lot in this post). To be clear, MMS is not the same type of bleach that is used to clean your house (sodium hypochlorite), but it is nevertheless a type of bleach and is used to bleach various paper, wood, and textile products. This is also one of the chlorines that is sometimes used in very low concentrations to disinfect drinking water. Now, the fact that someone is selling a concentrated bleach solution as a miracle cure should throw up some red flags, but let’s investigate further. After all, the skeptic principle is to demand evidence, not to blindly reject something without looking for evidence. Are its effects plausible? According to the almighty internet, MMS cures pretty much everything. Spiritportal.org states that it “CURES” (their emphasis) “malaria, AIDs, most cancers, any type of hepatitis, tuberculosis, typhoid, pneumonia, asthma, herpes, HPV, chicken pox, smallpox, measles, influenza (including bird flu), colds, food poisoning, snake bite, Lyme disease, ringworm, roundworm, tapeworm, yeast infections, and many other common diseases.” Many other websites list additional ailments, and one hilariously unfactual website even goes as far as saying that it kills 95% of all diseases! Similarly, MMSWiki has an insanely long list that includes things like Down syndrome, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, depression, etc., and, of course, what good would a miracle cure be if it didn’t cure baldness and erectile dysfunction. This type of list is characteristic of supposed miracle cures, and it provides really obvious evidence that these “cures” are a load of crap. For one thing, diseases like AIDs, cancer, and Alzheimer’s should jump out at you. Anytime that someone claims to have found a simple cure for one of those diseases, you should be very, very skeptical. Further, the sheer range of diseases that MMS supposedly cures gives us a good reason to be cautious. The list includes cancers, viruses, fungi, bacteria, auto-immune disorders, protozoan infections, parasites, genetic disorders, neurological disorders, snake bites, etc. I’m going to walk through some of those in more detail below, but first, just ask yourself if it is actually plausible that something is going to be effective against all of those maladies (spoiler alert: it’s not). Pathogenic diseases First, let’s look at the list of pathogenic diseases that it supposedly treats. In other words, all of the viruses, bacteria, protozoa, intestinal parasites, and fungi. When I first started looking into MMS, I was very skeptical that it would be able to kill so many different types of organisms, because all of these organisms are extremely different from each other. For example, bacteria have a cell wall made of peptidoglycan, whereas fungi have walls made of chitin; protozoa and intestinal parasites have no cell walls, and viruses don’t even have cells. So, generally speaking, treatments are specific for each group (e.g., antibiotics work for bacteria, but not viruses). Much to my surprise, there is actually very good evidence that chlorine dioxide (the chemical that is produced by MMS) is very effective at killing all of these organisms in water. This is a very important point. Just because something kills “germs” in a glass of water or even when it is poured on a cut, that does not inherently mean that it will kill the targeted germs inside you. There are several reasons for this, but the most important one is that the chemical will react with lots of other things before it gets to the target organism. One of the primary mechanisms through which chlorine dioxide kills cells is by reacting with amine groups through oxidation/reduction reactions (type “chlorine dioxide amine” into Google Scholar for a host of articles about how it behaves). Amines are a type of chemical that contains a nitrogen with a lone pair of atoms, and they are ubiquitous in living organisms. They are, for example, part of some of the amino acids which are used to make proteins. So, we have amines, good bacteria have amines, bad bacteria have amines, etc. This is important because MMS is going to react with the first amines it encounters. Remember, this is just a chlorine atom bound to two oxygen atoms. It doesn’t have any way to detect good cells and bad cells. It’s just doing simple chemical reactions. So, let’s say that you take a few drops of MMS to treat chicken pox, most of it is going to react with the amines in the bacteria that populate your mouth and throat long before it gets circulated to the viruses that you want it to react with. True believers of course claim otherwise. According to one website: “It [MMS] does not react with organic matter, such as food, body cells or even our ‘good’ intestinal bacteria, but is specific in destroying pathogenic microbes.” This statement is hilariously impossible. First, all living things are made of organic matter. Amines are, for example, organic matter. So this statement is clearly false. If it were true, then MMS wouldn’t kill pathogenic microbes because they are made of organic matter. In fact, here is a paper entirely devoted to the fact that chlorine dioxide dissolves organic matter. Also, MMS does not discriminate between bacteria types. Both good bacteria and bad bacteria are made of the same chemicals, and chlorine dioxide will react with the amines in good bacteria just as quickly as it reacts with the amines in bad bacteria. Finally, there is evidence that chlorine dioxide reacts with bacteria more quickly than it does with our cells (this is the case because bacteria are much smaller than our cells so the chemical can react with them more quickly), but that is not the same thing as saying that it won’t react with our cells. If you put chlorine dioxide on living human cells and give it enough time, it will enter the cells and react with the amines. This is simple chemistry. Cancer Next up, we have cancer. I can admit that it is technically possible that MMS could treat some infectious diseases (though that still doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to take it), but it is completely absurd to think that it could treat cancer. Cancer is not like most diseases because it is caused by our own cells mutating and replicating uncontrollably. This makes cancer extremely difficult to fight because we are fighting against our own cells! So almost anything that will kill a cancer cell will also kill our healthy cells. Cancer cells are made of the same chemicals as normal cells. They are both full of amines, and nothing about the chemistry of chlorine dioxide suggests that it would be able to tell the difference between a cancer cell and a regular cell. Again, it’s going to react with the first amines it encounters, regardless of whether those are in healthy cells or cancer cells. Asthma Asthma is also included in the list. This inclusion is rather non-specific as there are many types of asthma that can be triggered by many different things, but most asthmas fall under the umbrella of autoimmune. To put it simply, they are caused by the body over-reacting to something harmless and, as a result, damaging itself. It would, therefore, be rather curious if MMS could treat asthma since there isn’t anything for it to kill (unlike the vast majority of other things it supposedly does). Rather, it somehow has to suppress an immune response. As with cancer, there is no reason to think that chlorine dioxide is in anyway capable of doing that. Snake bites Next, we have my personal favorite: “snake bites.” I have to assume that this means venomous snake bites (you don’t typically need medicine for a normal snake bite), but this raises the obvious question of what type of snake bit it treats. You see, there are two broad categories of snake venom: neurotoxins (which affect the nervous system) and hemotoxins (which affect the cardiovascular and muscular systems). There are, however, numerous sub-categories, and there is a tremendous amount of variation. In other words, different species have very different venoms that act very differently. Some block nerve signals, some coagulate the blood, some destroy cell membranes, etc. The chemistry of snake venom is extremely diverse and it simply isn’t plausible that one single chemical would be able to counteract all of the different types of snake venom. As someone who does research on venomous snakes, I am begging you, if you are bitten by a venomous snake, get to a hospital ASAP and do not take MMS for the bite. (On a side note, snake bite kits are also totally worthless and typically do more harm than good. Getting to the hospital as quickly as possible really is your only option [unless you live in Australia, in which case snake bandages are a good stop-gap measure to give you more time to get to a hospital]) Disorders Finally, I want to briefly look at a few of the most absurd claims about MMS. For example, MMS supposedly cures Down syndrome. This would be truly remarkable because Down syndrome is caused by a trisomy (extra copy) of chromosome #21. So people with Down syndrome have an entire extra chromosome which is giving commands to the body. So to cure Down syndrome, you would have to somehow shut off that entire extra chromosome without interfering with the other chromosomes (which are made of the same chemicals, btw). There is simply no mechanism through which chlorine dioxide could possibly do that. The procedure for “curing” autism is similarly absurd (and downright barbaric). For some reason, people got it in their heads that autism is caused by intestinal parasites (which is one thing that we know doesn’t cause autism). So, to treat it, well-intended, but dangerously misguided parents are giving their children MMS enemas (sometimes daily)! Remember, MMS is a bleach, and it is caustic enough that it sometimes causes the children to shed their intestinal linings. To the true believers, however, these linings aren’t the results of bleach killing their children’s intestinal cells, rather they are parasitic “rope worms,” and their presence in a child’s discharge confirms that the MMS is doing its job. Summary of supposed effects To review, this chemical is supposedly able to cure an extremely broad array of aliments, each of which requires a different mechanism. A mechanism that kills bacteria won’t cure cancer, won’t treat snake venom, won’t suppress the immune system, won’t cause hair to grow, won’t cure Down syndrome, etc. It just isn’t plausible for one chemical to do all of these things. Now, you may be thinking, “fine, maybe the claims are exaggerated, but just because it doesn’t cure all of these doesn’t mean that it can’t cure some of them.” That is true, but there are still several problems. First, without rigorous testing, you have no way of knowing which (if any) ailment it actually treats, and you have no reason to trust the people selling this stuff. I think that I have clearly demonstrated that at least some of the claims about MMS are scientifically incorrect. This means that the people making these claims are either dishonest or ignorant. Either way, you shouldn’t be getting medical advice from them. Second, without rigorous testing, you don’t know if it is safe. There are, for example, many things that will kill bacteria (such as iodine, gasoline, Clorox, rubbing alcohol, etc.), but that doesn’t mean that drinking them is a good idea. Is the scientific evidence to support these claims? Every once in a great while, a truly extraordinary claim turns out to be true, but we need some really solid evidence before concluding that it is true. So, are the claims of MMS peddlers supported by science? NO! There is not a scrap of scientific evidence that ingesting MMS does anything beneficial! The only “studies” are poorly designed, uncontrolled, and self-reported tests that were conducted by the inventor of MMS (Jim Humble). You can read about his “tests” in one of his many books which he would be more than happy to sell to you. All of the other “evidence” comes from anecdotal reports. I have previously elaborated on why anecdotes are meaningless, so I won’t do it here. Are there side effects? According to the charlatans that sell this stuff, it has “no harmful side effects or damage to healthy cells.” This claim is characteristic of quack treatments and miracle cures, and it is a dead giveaway that you are being lied to. Any medicine that has an effect on our bodies will also have side effects. This is an inevitability of our bodies’ chemistry. All medicines (including the handful of alternative medicines that are actually effective) work entirely because of chemical reactions inside of our bodies, and for at least some people, these reactions will invariably produce unintended consequences. So, the only way that something won’t have any side effects is if it doesn’t have any effects in the first place (on a side note, this is why homeopathy doesn’t have any side effects). This claim is especially absurd for MMS because we know that MMS has side effects. Remember that that we are dealing with an industrial strength bleach. To be fair, it is not as caustic as regular bleach, and it attacks bacteria more readily than it attacks human cells, but, it will still kill human tissue in a high enough dose. Most people only take one or two drops of this stuff, which probably isn’t enough to do much harm, but some people take large quantities of it and use it daily, which is potentially dangerous. Despite all of the claims that MMS doesn’t affect your body’s good cells, it is a scientific fact that chlorine dioxide can be lethal. Fortunately, the LD50 (the does that will kill 50% of the mice that are given that dose) is estimated to be greater than 10,000 mg/kg, which is a very high LD50. So you probably aren’t going to kill yourself with this stuff, but at the same time, there have been plenty of lab trials where animals died from chlorine dioxide exposure. The non-lethal effects vary. Some studies haven’t found much in the way of harmful side effects, but other studies have found good evidence the chlorine dioxide causes problems such as ulcers, lesions, altered blood chemistry, nausea, and diarrhea (you can find a good review of the toxicity of chlorine dioxide here). So, as far as a bleach goes, MMS is fairly safe, and it probably won’t do much serious damage in the doses that most people take. Nevertheless, the evidence against it is strong enough that health agencies from multiple countries warn against using it. These countries include: USA, Australia, Canada, and several others. The FDA even comically states that: “Consumers who have MMS should stop using it immediately and throw it away.” But, of course, we all know that every major health organization in the world is paid off by Big Pharma (note the immense sarcasm), so let’s look at the information given to us by the supporters of MMS. Miracle-mineral-supplement.com makes the following statement: “Note: If you notice diarrhea, or even vomiting that is not necessarily a bad sign. The body is simply throwing off toxins and cleaning itself out. Some people say they feel much better after having diarrhea.” Now, a rational person might stop and think that perhaps they were throwing up because they drank bleach, but according to the true believers, that is simply the MMS doing its job of removing vague “toxins” and whatever else might ail you (all of course without damaging your cells or the good bacteria that live in your gut). This is clearly rubbish. First, even if the claim that your nausea and diarrhea were from the MMS working was true, that is still a side effect! You cannot simultaneously say “this has no side effects” and “while taking this you may lose your lunch and your anus may be converted into an upside-down volcano.” If taking something gives you diarrhea, then diarrhea is a side effect. Second, except under very rare circumstances, the death of bacteria, virus, etc. will not make you sick. You have these wonderful cells called phagocytes that go around removing old cells and harmful materials. They do this all the time, and you don’t get sick from it. Every day, thousands of your cells die, and phagocytes run around disposing of them. Things are similarly bizarre when we look at the procedure for “treating” cancer. According to spiritportal.org you should start off with 1/2 drop and see if that makes you nauseated. If it doesn’t, you should keep slowly increasing the dose until you find an amount that does make you nauseated. You want to reach the dose that makes you nauseated because being nauseated supposedly means that it is working. You see, after the MMS kills your cancer cells, they become “a poison to your body,” and it is those poisonous dead cells (not the bleach) that are making you sick. I honestly laughed the first time that I read this. For one thing, Occam’s razor tells us that we should default to the explanation that makes the fewest assumptions, and that explanation is clearly that you are throwing up because you drank bleach. Further, why on earth would a dead cancer cell be poisonous? The chemical composition of cancer cells isn’t substantially different from other cells, and, as previously stated, your cells die constantly. So why would a dead cancer cell be poisonous when a normal dead cell is not? Once again, you have phagocytes that do a very good job of getting rid of dead cells. Why isn’t MMS an approved treatment? No miracle cure would be complete without a conspiracy theory, and MMS supporters are more than happy to concoct one. In classic conspiracy theorist form, almost every MMS website that I have looked at has stated that pharmaceutical companies are suppressing the truth of MMS because they make so much money treating these ailments, and, of course, all of the world’s health organizations (and bloggers like me) are paid shills. There are so many problems with this argument that I plan on eventually devoting an entire post to it, but for now, I’ll just hit the highlights. First, pharmaceutical companies spend billions of dollars looking for cures to cancer, Alzheimer’s, etc. Why would they do that if they already have a cure that they have no intention of using? Second, if MMS actually works, why wouldn’t they start marketing it themselves and make billions of dollars of off it? Inevitably they would charge way more for it than it costs to produce, and, yes, they would have to compete with the unlicensed internet retailers, but there are still plenty of people who would rather pay a little bit more and get something official than use something from the internet. Surely that would make more sense than spending billions of dollars paying off all of the world’s doctors while simultaneously spending billions of dollars looking for a cure that they already have. Third, realize that all of the thousands of doctors who work for pharmaceutical companies have friends and family who are afflicted by these diseases (especially cancer). Do you really think that they are just going to sit by and watch tons of people suffer and die when they know that a cure exists? Finally, realize that this claim is a question begging fallacy/ad hoc fallacy (depending on how it is worded). In other words, I would never accept this absurd conspiracy theory unless I was already totally convinced that MMS worked. So it’s a logically invalid argument. Conclusion Hopefully this post has made it clear that MMS is nothing but snake oil and shouldn’t be trusted. More importantly, I hope that this post has given you some basic common sense guidelines for examining miracle treatments, fad diets, etc. The following list gives some of the hallmark characteristics of quack treatments, and you should watch out for them. Implausible effects (e.g. an absurdly wide array of ailments that it cures, unrealistic recoveries, improbable amounts of weight loss, etc.) No plausible mechanisms for causing those effects No scientific evidence to support its claims Claims that it has no side effects Conspiracy theories For MMS, we find that it doesn’t pass any checkpoints, and there is absolutely no reason to think that taking it is a good idea. Advertisements

As the UK referendum result dropped in that fateful Friday morning, the tech startup world didn’t immediately grind to a halt. Websites kept loading. Apps kept opening. But what left UK technology entrepreneurs aghast was not just that Britain had chosen to leave the European Union after 40 years, but that all those years of trying compete with the giants of Silicon Valley would now be thrown into doubt. Although Europe’s 500 million citizens dwarfs the 323 million in the US, for years European startups had to deal with 28 jurisdictions and many languages. But the EU had at least managed to harmonize (more or less) the processes of company operation, data sharing and hiring. Hiring from a talent base of 500 million people was also an incredible asset to startups, as was raising funding from Venture capitalists. Based in Berlin? No problem. Developers in Slovenia, but the the HQ was in London? No problem. And, after several Eastern European states had joined, suddenly the whole of Europe could tap into the talent produced from Soviet-era education systems built around engineering and maths. The truth is the overwhelming majority of the UK tech startup industry was for ‘Remain’. Industry body COADEC found over 80% of companies were in favour of staying in the EU, citing the single market, free movement of labour and economic stability as their reasons. But “Brexit” has now thrown into enormous doubt how all of that will operate in the future. The immediate effects on startups have been incredibly personal. Bewilderment is the word you hear most. European staff suddenly have no idea how long they will be able to work in Britain. They created business ties, friendships, relationships, often marriages. Their kids are in nursery schools and high schools across the country. Furthermore, so many tech startups today are created by young people, who typically voted in droves for Remain. The decision to leave Europe will have disproportionate effects on them and their companies, which, ironically are so often labelled by politicians as providing the jobs of the future. What future now for them? The immediate reaction of some in the sector has been typically entrepreneurial. “Stay calm and make lemonade,” wrote leading investor Saul Klein. Leading voices have been quick to come out as upbeat — anything not to ‘frighten the horses’ and potentially spook the pipeline of possible new companies to invest in. Some see it as an opportunity. The UK is still open for business! This, despite imploring everyone to vote for Remain only a few days earlier. Klein’s sanguine attitude is reflected by many VCs. Early stage startups are agile and can relocate if need be. Big tech companies are global and not overly dependent on the U.K. But VCs have warned that mid-stage companies too dependent on the U.K. could feel the heat of Brexit. Taavet Hinrikus, Co-founder and CEO ofTransferWise, a declared ‘Remainer’, says he is “moving on” from the Brexit decision. His London-based company couldn’t be more quintessentially European: he’s an Estonian immigrant living in London. Half his staff are British, a third from mainland Europe, with others from the US, Latin America and elsewhere. TransferWise also benefits from “passporting”: because it is regulated in the UK by the FCA, it’s therefore regulated all across Europe. For now. But, he blogged, “Five years ago, we chose to base TransferWise here in the UK — and we’ll continue that plan.” And ‘seize the day’ was effectively the message put out by former Number 10 tech adviser Rohan Silva, who wrote in the Sunday Times that Britain should now embrace the technology future to use Artificial Intelligence to drive its society. Free from the constraints of a ponderous EU, the UK could now go feet-first into a tech-driven future. These were upbeat words from voices who had openly declared they were for Remain prior to the Referendum. It was true that the EU had often lurched towards heavy regulation. Ironically, as the EU Commission had often created encouraging programmes for startups, EU legislators were making laws which could put more and more onerous restraints on startups around data privacy, for instance. There were clearly going to be many arguments worth engaging with if Europe was to compete globally. Arguments which, because of Brexit, the UK will no longer have a say in, of course. Many felt the EU had gone too far in regulation. One startup founder told me the European Data Privacy Regulations could have “ruined” her online advertising business, which relies on being able to transport data between the EU and the US. However, while the sun-lit uplands of a world where the UK fully embraces the advances of technology (and speeds ahead of the EU) could well be a possible future, that ideal is thrown into sharp relief when set against the realities biting today. Some, like Jeff Lynn of Seedrs, were utterly incensed. The day after the referendum I was contacted by three separate startups to say their venture capital funding had been cancelled because they were being financially backed from the UK and were in the EU, or in the UK and backed by EU-based investors. Several more have come to me since with similar news. Uncertainty has left the normally upbeat tech sector reeling. And we’ve been coldly reminded of the complexity of the modern international startup, once seen as a strength, but, post-Brexit, could now become a huge headache. One UK-based founder contacted me: “My entire budget is now completely invalid as we have employees in 3 different EU countries, and in the USA. We are deeply affected by the currency devaluation issue. Every single person that I employ is from a different EU country. Most are based in London and now there is a real feeling of unease and uncertainty as to what will happened to them in the future – which means that this is affecting the day to day running of the business,” she told me. In addition, she was about to embark on a fundraising tour and was hoping to get US investors: “I now think that this will be much more difficult, if at all possible. Which means that the 6 jobs I have created and the 5 more that I need to fill – will be in jeopardy.” The company in question also took on interns from underprivileged backgrounds. That programme will now likely be cancelled because of a lack of funding. “Long term I think I will have to relocate my business to the USA as the market in the UK is just too small to justify staying here,” she told me. What’s that? A market of 65 million too small? Well, yes, when just a fortnight ago it was 500 million. In Manchester, Tom New, CEO of Formisimo, believes startups in the North West and EU-backed UK regions will find it much harder to raise funding because part of their cash was raised because it had that EU cushion underneath. Without that “we would have likely have had to move to the South East and the North West’s tech ecosystem would still be where it was back then,” he told me. The UK also could now face a potential brain drain of talent. Before June 23 London was seen as Europe’s largest powerhouse of startups. Just over a week later an adverting-hoarding truck was seen trawling the startup-filled streets of Shoreditch, extolling the benefits of moving to Berlin (London’s chief tech startup competitor). The van was sponsored by a German political party. Suddenly other European hubs like Dublin, Berlin, Stockholm or Amsterdam look attractive as bases from which to reach the EU single market. Even some London VCs are privately saying that they will invest more on the continent now as a result. Tech companies will no doubt work around it all – moving people and HQs around, knowing they can all still work online. And it may be that the booming nature of London’s tech scene will now have to be spread more equally to Europe’s other tech centres. This much was admitted by Balderton Capital, which plans now to stockpile cash and invest more internationally. Look for talented British entrepreneurs suddenly turning up in Berlin, Stockholm, Lisbon and Barcelona. But one of the greatest myths ever told about the tech world is that it’s about technology. The truth is, it’s about people. Extremely smart and talented people. Given that the UK had been part of a single market which allowed for enormous freedom of movement, its access to all that talent in Europe is now in jeopardy. Meanwhile, the march of technology continues, as does the soul searching. Did those of us in London pay too much attention to our hackathons and our Flat Whites to notice that so much of the rest of the UK wasn’t interested in the tech startup revolution? It looks like we just found out. (A shorter version of this article is also published in the first edition of The New European newspaper) (Picture by Tom Hayton)

Last week, a prominent Arab archaeologist sent me a web­link to a doubly-depressing story from the Hasakeh region of north-east Syria. Bordering Turkey and Iraq, it’s long been one of the poorest areas in the country and now, with control of the area being contested by several of the factions engaged in Syria’s brutal civil war, its 1.7 million people, or those who haven’t already fled across the border, are among those most in need of humanitarian assistance. Watered by the Khabur river, Hasakeh has seen the birth of some of the earliest civilisations in the region. Indeed, one site, Hamoukar, is considered by some archaeologists to be the oldest city in the world. Dozens of important sites, dating from the Stone Age onwards, have been identified, though few have yet been extensively studied. There’s no scope for investigations now into what this region has to offer in terms of discovering the origins of agriculture and early urban society. Such studies require a peaceful environment – and that is absent. The first depressing part of the story is that many sites are being severely damaged by illegal digging, searching for items that can be sold into the underground market for antiquities. Supplies of such artefacts grow dramatically in areas of conflict where the maintenance of law and order breaks down. Local inhabitants, desperate for income, plunder sites, destroying evidence of past civilisations in the search for goods they can sell on to unscrupulous dealers who then put them into the illicit market. Those dealers are often linked with gangs of thugs, thieves and bandits who are themselves to a considerable degree responsible for the level of insecurity that permits the unauthorised digging to take place. In Hasakeh, such plundering is now apparently widespread. One site that is being affected is that of Tell Ajaja, an important centre during the neo-Assyrian period, around 3,000 years ago. Pictures surfacing on the internet, if authentic, indicate that a number of major discoveries have been made, including large statues and bas-reliefs. If properly excavated and studied, they could yield much valuable information on this early phase of Syrian history. Instead, that opportunity to gain knowledge is being lost. And the second part of this depressing story? One of the videos recently posted on the internet shows some of the statues being smashed to rubble by gangs from the ultra-fundamentalist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), one of the armed groups competing for supremacy in Hasakeh. Lacking in historical knowledge and indoctrinated by a perverted view of Islam, ISIL’s followers are either unaware that some of the great Islamic civilisations produced art of this type, and did so within the framework of a society where tolerance for the views of others was an essential part of life, or, perhaps more likely, they simply don’t care, glorying in their ignorance. What lunacy is this? Although the representation of humans may be a controversial topic in some Islamic societies, these statues predate the coming of Islam by 1,500 years or more. They’re not in breach of anything, just like the great statues of Buddha from Bamiyan that were blown to pieces by the ignorant, uncultured Taliban. Instead, they represent important elements of the way in which civilisation has developed, not just since the early 7th century AD, when Islam was revealed, but for millennia before that. I regret the plundering of Hasakeh’s ancient archaeological sites, because of the loss of knowledge that represents. I can, however, understand the economic imperatives that lead its people to destroy the evidence of their past to survive in a difficult present. As for the actions of ISIL in reducing these important artefacts of the history of Hasakeh to rubble, I should, I suppose, not be too surprised. Many of the members of the ISIL gangs will be foreign extremists to whom the history of the area means nothing. They are led by evil men who think nothing of slaughtering the innocent just because they have a different set of beliefs, even within Islam. They care nothing for culture, history or heritage, or even for the basic principles of humanity to be found in all of the world’s religions. They are little better than ignorant and ravening beasts – and many would argue that they are, in fact, much worse. How sad that Hasakeh, a cradle of civilisation, should today be a centre of their ignorance and inhumanity. Peter Hellyer is a consultant specialising in the UAE’s history and culture

Authorities in Bahrain, which has been rocked by protests for two years, have voiced "dismay" over an assessment by the US State Department of the rights situation in the kingdom. "The report includes texts which are totally far from the truth, adopting a manner that fuels terror and terrorists targeting Bahrain's national security," state news agency BNA late on Wednesday quoted government spokeswoman Samira Rajab as saying. The strategic tiny kingdom of Bahrain, home to the US Fifth Fleet, has been hit since February 2011 by a wave of Shia-led protests calling for the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa in office since 1971. A US State Department report released on April 19 said that "the most serious human rights problems included citizens' inability to change their government peacefully; arrest and detention of protesters on vague charges, in some cases leading to their torture in detention." It criticised the "lack of due process in trials of political and human rights activists, medical personnel, teachers, and students, with some resulting in harsh sentences." The report claimed that "discrimination on the basis of gender, religion, nationality, and sect persisted, especially against the Shia population" which makes up a majority in Bahrain, ruled by the Sunni Al-Khalifa dynasty. Rajab "deplored the report for lacking objectivity, totally siding with the terrorists who seek to sow chaos in the whole region." Bahrain refers to protesters who clash frequently with police forces in Shia villages as "terrorists" it claims are backed by Shia-majority Iran. The kingdom "reiterated full commitment to comply with the human rights principles and standards in confronting terror which targets Bahrain and innocent civilians," said Rajab. The State Department report acknowledged that "some protesters engaged in lethal acts of violence against security forces, including the use of improvised explosive devices, Molotov cocktails, and other improvised weapons." Rajab in her statement "urged the US State Department to help countries protect their national security and back their stability, the way the US itself does in the war it is waging on global terror." UN torture investigator trip cancelled Meanwhile, the UN torture investigator said Bahrain had effectively cancelled a trip he had planned to the Gulf Arab state. Juan Mendez, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, said in a statement it was the second time a scheduled visit had been postponed at short notice. His trip had been set for May 8-15. "It is effectively a cancellation as no alternative dates were proposed, nor is there a future road map to discuss," he said on Wednesday. "Let me be clear, this was a unilateral decision by the authorities." Mendez said "this postponement could be perceived as if there is something to hide." Bahrain's state news agency said on Monday the authorities had asked Mendez to delay his trip, without giving a reason. Mendez then put it off until further notice, the agency said.

Google has released the final preview of Android Oreo 8.1, an update to its Linux-based mobile platform which will activate the Pixel Visual Core co-processor built into the company's Pixel 2 smartphones for the first time. Unveiled back in October, the Pixel Visual Core marks the first time a Google-designed co-processor has found its way into one of the company's consumer products. An eight-core Image Processing Unit (IPU) connected to an ARM Cortex-A53 general-purpose processor and PCI Express and Mobile Industry Processor Interface (MIPI) links, the Visual Core has been present but deactivated in every single Pixel 2 smartphone the company has sold. In Android Oreo 8.1, though, the chip will be activated for the first time. Announced as part of the final developer preview release ahead of public availability, the software update will activate the Pixel Visual Core - though only through a 'new developer option' rather than as an on-by-default feature. 'Using Pixel Visual Core, HDR+ [High Dynamic Range Plus photographic processing] can run 5x faster and at less than one-tenth the energy than running on the application processor,' explained Google's Ofer Shacham and Masumi Reynders in the original technology announcement. 'HDR+ will be the first application to run on Pixel Visual Core. Notably, because Pixel Visual Core is programmable, we’re already preparing the next set of applications. The great thing is that as we port more machine learning and imaging applications to use Pixel Visual Core, Pixel 2 will continuously improve.' The developer toggle in Android 8.1 will allow early adopters to activate accelerated HDR+ using the Pixel 2's native camera app, with support for third-party camera packages using the Android camera application programming interface (API) to follow. Thus far, though, Google has not indicated what other tasks it plans to offload to the Pixel Visual Core, a device which boasts performance in the range of three trillion operations per second (TOPS) through its 4,096 Halide and TensorFlow compatible arithmetic and logic units (ALUs).

Jess said she was sorry for getting her father into trouble (pic: MEN) A man who was arrested and cautioned for slapping his 13-year-old daughter across the face fears he will no longer be able to work with children. Jim McCullough, of Manchester, hit Jess after she banged a neighbour's window at midnight, and she called the police. He has now quit the football coaching and community work he has done for over 15 years, as the caution could stop him working with vulnerable children. Mr McCullough said he had never slapped Jess before. She has apologised. The father-of-four said he felt striking Jess was the only way to get her to understand what she had done. The single parent, from Wythenshawe, said: "I wish I had asked for my day in court rather than accepted a police caution. "That way I could have explained that I was trying to do what was right for my daughter. I did deserve the slapping because of the things I'd been doing Jess McCullough "Jess isn't bad, but some of the 13-year-olds who live here do use drugs and drink and I don't want that path for her." Mr McCullough said he had had no trouble with his other three children Christopher, 22, Nicola, 21, and Joanna, 19. A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: "When an offence is admitted the offender is always liable to receive a caution. "Had the offence not been admitted, officers would have pursued the matter with the CPS. 'Wrong message' "An allegation of domestic violence was made and GMP officers always take these allegations very seriously." Mr McCullough previously had a clean criminal record and recently qualified as a security guard, but said his work prospects had been ruined. Jess, a year nine pupil at Parklands High School in Wythenshawe, said she was sorry for what had happened. She said: "I did deserve the slapping because of the things I'd been doing. "I was expecting my dad to come home from the police station and for everything to be the same as before." National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) policy manager Lucy Thorpe said: "All parents can sometimes be pushed to the limit by teenagers who are looking to see how far they can go but smacking won't solve the problem. "It simply tells your child that violence is acceptable and gives the message that it's all right for them to hit other people." Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement E-mail this to a friend Printable version Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these?

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump greets the crowd as he arrives to speak at a campaign rally in Fredericksburg, Va. (Photo: Courtesy photo) Donald Trump will host a public rally at Asheville's U.S. Cellular Center on Sept. 12. Doors open at 3 p.m., and the event begins at 6 p.m. Tickets are available at no charge through the Trump campaign's website, donaldjtrump.com/schedule/register/asheville-nc. Nathan West, chair of the Buncombe County GOP, which helped organize the event, said he's expecting a casual rally as opposed to a formal, teleprompter speech. “I think it’s going to be more of a rally," he said. "I don’t think there’s going to be any specific policy, but I’m not 100 percent sure right now. We just wanted to make a statement in Asheville and to let people know Western North Carolina is in play.” The Republican National Committee, the North Carolina GOP, the local Republican party and the Trump campaign are involved in organizing the event, West said. Other GOP leaders will attend the rally, West said, but those details are forthcoming. West said the organizers are prepared for crowds and protesters. “Have we heard of any (protests)? No. But I’m sure that will develop over the next few days," he said. The United States Secret Service is in charge of security in and around the U.S. Cellular Center, said Joey Robison, public information officer for the city of Asheville, which owns the venue. Local law enforcement will play a supporting role, she said. Matt Quinn, public information officer at the Secret Service's field office in Charlotte, said he could not release details about road closures or protest procedures, but he said details might become available prior to the event. Drivers who do not have to come downtown Monday should avoid the area because of traffic and security, West said. The U.S. Cellular Center website encourages attendees to carpool. West said the event will highlight the number of Trump supporters in the area. Republican organizers want to show that Buncombe County and Western North Carolina are significant this election season, he explained. “I think Asheville, specifically Buncombe County, there is some doubt as to the momentum here," he said. The Asheville metro area displayed a variety of results in the presidential primary in March. More Buncombe County residents voted for Democrat Bernie Sanders than all the Republican candidates combined. In Henderson County, where the majority of primary voters were Republican, Ted Cruz was the front runner, although Trump was a close second with 8,374 and 7,042 votes, respectively. He also placed second behind Cruz in Transylvania County's primary. In Haywood County, Trump was the No. 1 Republican primary candidate, although Sanders and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton each garnered more votes. In Madison County, Trump lagged behind Sanders, Clinton and Cruz, and Democrats outnumbered Republicans. Trump performed best in the far western portion of the state. He was No. 1 in presidential primaries in Macon, Graham, Swain, Cherokee and Clay counties. He also performed best in McDowell, Polk and Avery counties. It's unclear whether Trump will make additional Western North Carolina stops. The Trump campaign was not immediately available for comment Thursday. Online, Trump's schedule is sparsely populated. Asheville is the only campaign stop scheduled after Friday, when he will appear in Washington, D.C. and Pensacola, Florida. Read or Share this story: http://avlne.ws/2ca2BSI

Bass Fishing Heating Up in Cooler Weather by Tom Lester Old man winter has finally awakened and cooler temperatures are here and holding steady. For quite some time, we fall bass fishermen have been anxiously awaiting a cool down that would in turn our lake water temperatures lower. Although, today is the first official day of winter, the water is cooling off nicely. It's time to go fishing. Personally, I love fall pattern bass fishing. It is the time of year bass gorge themselves with food getting ready for winter. When they are filling themselves up, I like to be on the water catching 'em. Generally speaking, if you can find them, they are pretty easy to catch, and catch and catch. As the water cools down on our lakes, the shad (one of Mr. Bass' primary dishes) move into the creeks and guess who is following right behind them? That's right, ole man bass. Now that we've got 'um cornered and hemmed up in the creeks, its time put your boat in the water and get ready for some fun. I generally start out on the points of main creeks. It is a good place to find bass that are moving into the creek or coming out. They will literally "stack up" on the points as they move around to feed on the shad. My bait of choice on the points is a Norman's crankbait. My overall favorite is the Deep Little N (DLN) in any of the numerous shad colored patterns they have on the market. The Deep Little N crankbait is a medium diving bait that works really well when the fish are suspended off of the points. It is also about the same size as the shad this time of year. It has good action and sound with the built in rattles. I use 10-12# CXX P Line year round, when cranking. My friend, Eric Talley of Corsicana, TX, turned me on to using the smaller lines. I'm glad he did because it has greatly improved my numbers since I switched. The smaller line allows the bait to dive deeper and have a better action than the larger lines do. If you are like I used to be, using 15-20# line while fishing a crankbait, try sizing down your line. I bet you catch more bass, like I did. I know what you're thinking; what if I get a $4 or $5 crankbait hung up and all I have is 10 or 12 pound test line on? It's a gonner, right? Not always. You can improve your odds of retrieving that bait in two ways. First, try using P Line. It is a copolymer line that has tremendous tensile strength making it super strong. Strong enough to bring in a big fish and strong enough to help you get most of your baits back, yet small enough to let you bait perform properly in the water. For more information on P Line fishing line, see their web site at www.p-line.com or email me at the address below. Secondly, there is a new lure retriever on the market that is second to none. I like it because it is simple to use, inexpensive and mainly because it works. It's called the Easy Retriever. Basically, it is a 2 ounce lead weight with a special, film-coated, clip on it that clips right onto your line and slides down to your bait. Once it is in contact with your bait, simply use it to bounce your bait off of the snag and reel both the bait and the Easy Retriever in. For more information on the Easy Retriever, you can visit their web site at www.easyretriever.com or you can email me at the address below. Once the fish are in a feeding frenzy along the banks of the creek, it's time to pull out the spinnerbaits and jigs. The spinnerbaits work well, and in the right situation, can catch you a lot of fish. Use white spinnerbaits in clear to slightly stained water and chartreuse in off colored to stained water. I prefer a combination of gold and silver Colorado and willowleaf blades. Again, because of its strength, I use P Line in 15-20# test depending on the amount of cover (trees, logs, rocks, etc.) I'm fishing. If you're looking for the big guys, whip out a jig. Once you find a part of the creek that is holding fish, pull off of the shoreline and find the main creek channel. This is where the hawgs tend to hang out waiting for that unsuspecting meal to swim by. My favorite is a 3/8-1/2 oz. Bulldog jig. I like the lighter baits because they fall slower allowing the fish more time to eat 'em. In clear to stained water, white is my favorite color. It better represents the color of the fish's forage than any other does, even though I will use the traditional black/blue, too. Be certain to use a trailer, either a pork rind or one of the soft plastic ones will work fine. It gives the bait more bulk and slows the fall down even more. 20-25# P Line will work nicely for you with a strong reel and stout rod. Pitch the jig up close to large trees, stumps or lay downs and allow it fall slowly beside the cover. Watch your line closely. Often this time of the year, the big fish are suspended off of the bottom. They can pick up your bait and be swimming off with it, and you'll never know it if you're not watching your line. If it starts moving off to the side, set the hook and hang on. It could be the fish of a lifetime. This is also a great place to use the crankbait. Cast the bait beyond your target and slowly reel it in. When you think the bait is at or near your target area, stop it momentarily to allow the fish that might be sitting there time to strike it, then continue reeling it in. Change the retrieve from time to time to give the fish different looks. It might make a big difference. Fall and early winter can be a great time to catch large numbers of bass. Keep in mind, however, the danger associated with cool and cold weather outdoor sports. Hypothermia is a silent killer. If you or your fishing partner gets wet, find a place to get out of the weather, get dry and get warm. It doesn't have to be below freezing to die of hypothermia. Please be careful. Until next time, enjoy the Texas outdoors. Tom Lester. Author Information. Tom Lester owns and operates Four Seasons Lawnscape, a landscape and lawn maintenance service, in Corsicana, Texas. He has fished for most of his 36 years to some degree or another. He fishes competitively in bass tournaments and is beginning his professional bass fishing career in the BASS invitational circuit and the Everstart Series. Tom lives with his wife, Kelly, in Corsicana, Texas, only a few miles from Richland-Chambers reservoir, one of the hottest new bass lakes to open in Texas in the past ten years. He formerly resided in Cleburne, Texas, where he guided part-time for largemouth and smallmouth bass. Tom is currently on the field staff for Abu Garcia, Norman Lures, Inspiration Lures, and Bill Lewis Lures, and on the pro staff for Kalin's, CastAway Rods, P-Line, and Nuwave Products. Tom enjoys fishing, hunting and writing his outdoor column for the Corsicana Daily Sun and freelance writing. He is a former high school Agricultural Science instructor and animal health pharmaceutical sales rep. He graduated from Texas A&M University with a B.S in Agricultural Education and a Master of Education degree. Tom likes being his own boss so he can take off to go fishing, whenever he likes, and leave his wife in charge of the business. Email Tom at lester01@airmail.net Visit Tom at his web site: Fishing Pro Staff

The Nasa 'space drink' that can rub out sun spots: Fruit juice developed to protect astronauts reduces wrinkles and reverses the telltale signs of ageing in four months These startling images may prove that a fruit drink developed by Nasa to protect astronauts from radiation can rejuvenate the skin. A groundbreaking study has shown that the concoction, known as AS10, dramatically reduces wrinkles, blemishes and sun damage after four months. Visia photographs – which reveal the condition of the skin below the surface by using different types of light exposure – were taken of 180 participants at the start of the trial, and again after four months of drinking two shots of AS10 a day. By the end UV spots were reduced by 30 per cent and wrinkles by 17 per cent. Out of this world: The dramatic effect of AS10 on pigmentation as seen through Visia photographs, before on the left and after on the right AS10 was developed as a nutritional supplement for astronauts to protect them from the damaging effects of high levels of radiation outside the Earth’s atmosphere. The drink contains a blend of fruits including cupuacu (a Brazilian fruit from the cacao plant family), acai, acerola, prickly pear and yumberry, which all provide vitamins and phytochemicals – compounds known to block the harmful effects of radiation. Other ingredients are grape, green tea, pomegranate and vegetables. Radiation particles alter oxygen molecules in the body to create reactive oxygen species (ROS) – so-called ‘free radicals’ which damage cells in a process known as oxidative stress. This process has been linked to diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s. The toxic molecules are also thought to play a role in the skin ageing process. ROS are created naturally within the body as cells generate energy, but also through environmental factors such as chemicals and ultraviolet light from the sun – the strongest stress to skin. Mobile phone radiation, cigarette smoke and alcohol also generate ROS. Space-age: AS10 was developed in conjunction with Nasa for the Astronaut Programme to ensure they received enough fruit and vegetables ‘Think of them as little Pac-men taking bites out of molecules that are essential for cells to function,’ says Dr Aaron Barson, the nutritional scientist from Utah who carried out the AS10 study after patients reported dramatic improvement from the drink. AS10 is thought to improve skin condition because the drink’s large quantities of antioxidants ward off oxidative stress, allowing the skin to heal naturally. Antioxidants attach themselves to ROS and neutralise them before they cause damage. Dr Barson says: ‘The skin is the first body tissue to be exposed to UV rays and we know it is sensitive to oxidative stress. Our study shows it greatly benefits from a reduction in this stress. The effects of oxidative stress on the skin can be quickly modified and the skin can heal itself by drinking AS10.’ Dr Barson suggests that the results may have been even better had the trial been conducted during the winter, when exposure to ultraviolet light would have been less. A second, larger study is planned this summer to investigate for how long the effects last and whether skin condition reaches a plateau or deteriorates once the drink is no longer consumed. The main drawback is the high price of the drink. The women in the trial drank a sherry glass – 60ml – of AS10 a day. At £30 per 750ml bottle, the cost was just under £300 over the four months. Cosmetic dermatologist Dr Sam Bunting says: ‘The Visia scans show a marked improvement in the level of UV spots, which represent sun damage beneath the surface of the skin. The kind of interventions that might deliver this level of improvement are glycolic skin peels, which use acids to strip away layers of skin, retinoids, high-potency Vitamin C and hydroquinone with the use of sun block on a daily basis. ‘If these changes were due to AS10, this would be of great interest as UV is responsible for 80 per cent of the skin changes we associate with ageing.’ She adds that although AS10 might well do what it claims, a critical appraisal of the methods in the study would be required to back this up. Cosmetic dermatologist Dr Mervyn Patterson, of Woodford Medical, agrees. He says: ‘These images show a reduction in the degree of pigmentation on the skin caused by UV exposure. This could be due to the drink.’ But he says daily use of sunscreen with UVB/UVA sun protection factor of 50+ could deliver results on a par with AS10. ‘It is more likely to protect the skin, resulting in reductions in redness and pigmentation and a subtle reduction in wrinkles.’

Days after making all of us *facepalm* by pointing out that 32% of all Americans think the Syrian crisis is part of the “End Times,” LifeWay Research has published another result from the same poll and this one’s equally disturbing if not worse: LifeWay Research asked four questions about mental illness as part of a telephone survey of 1,001 Americans conducted Sept. 6-10, 2013. Thirty-five percent agree with the statement, “With just Bible study and prayer, ALONE, people with serious mental illness like depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia could overcome mental illness.” … Evangelical, fundamentalist, or born-again Christians (48 percent) agree prayer can overcome mental illness. Only 27 percent of other Americans agree. When I think about how many other obviously ridiculous things evangelicals believe with no evidence whatsoever — Jesus rose from the dead, people choose to be gay, Sarah Palin would have made a great Vice President — their gullibility here shouldn’t surprise me at all. But 27% of everybody else? For shame, non-evangelical Americans… God can’t heal you (even if He makes you feel better) and the Bible doesn’t contain any magic words. There’s always an uproar, and rightfully so, when Christian Science parents pray for their children’s life-threatening illnesses instead of taking them to a doctor. So where’s the uproar here? Mental illness should be treated no differently from other kinds; those who have it deserve care from experts, not imaginary friends. Even Pastor Rick Warren said as much after his son committed suicide several months ago: In spite of America’s best doctors, meds, counselors, and prayers for healing, the torture of mental illness never subsided. Today, after a fun evening together with Kay and me, in a momentary wave of despair at his home, he took his life. Yes, the Warrens prayed. But they also did things that actually had a chance of helping their son. That they couldn’t save his life isn’t a knock on professional help (or the Warrens themselves), but a reminder that mental illness is not a problem that can be so quickly or easily treated. Ed Stetzer, the president of LifeWay Research, adds that this position — that Jesus and the Bible alone can cure things like depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia — is one Christians would be wise to avoid: … he worries some Christians see mental illness as a character flaw rather than a medical condition. Christians will go to the doctor if they break their leg, he said. But some may try to pray away serious mental illness. “They forget that the key part of mental illness is the word ‘illness,’” he said. Damn right. On a side note, if you haven’t seen it yet, watch this powerful TED talk from Kevin Breel in which he talks about his depression:

After helping a man pick up paints that fell from his bag on a train in Cumbria, 14-year-old Ben Azarya​ was blessed with a signed painting by an artist he had never heard of. The man turned out to be Banksy, one of the most famous street artists of all time, and the painting Azarya received is said to be worth five figures. Image via Cascadenews.co.uk According to the New York Daily News, Azarya helped the man who introduced himself as Robin Banks. "He opened his rucksack and had a gas mask and spray paints inside," the teenager said. "He got out a piece of paper and had colors marked on it of what he had been trying out and he dropped his colors." Banksy asked the Azarya if he knew who Robin Banks was, and when Azarya said he didn't, the street artist gave him the artwork, said that it would be worth around $30,000, and told him, "Have a good life, brother." Azarya described Banksy as a white man in his late 40s with "scruffy clothes" and an old, fluffy hat. "He had a little jacket that didn't go over his arms and jeans with paint on. He looked really wacky and had blonde hair and blue eyes." POST CONTINUES BELOW Bonhams Auction House has advised Azarya and his mother to have the work authenticated, and Azarya already has plans to buy a new phone when the painting is sold. UPDATE: It looks like young Ben Azarya won't be getting that new phone after all. According to The Independent, there was another alleged run-in with "Robin Banks" at a Wild Zucchinis restaurant in Cumbria on Jan. 19, but Banksy's publicist Jo Brooks says he was not in the area on either of those occasions. "It isn’t true. I don’t know where it has come from, it is really strange," she said. Restaurant owner Manon Plouffe gave a description similar to that of Azarya, and she said that the man announced himself as a graffiti artist and was admiring the art on the walls of the establishment. He never returned despite an offer to have coffee the next day. So if you are in or around Cumbria and meet a man named Robin Banks, he is an imposter. [via NY Daily News]

@cheesyhel/Twitter A birthday greeting card that tells 13-year-old girls they could get jewels from rich boyfriends "when they have bigger boobies" has sparked outrage on Twitter. The condemnation was unleashed following a Dec. 7 tweet from user @cheesyhels in the United Kingdom: "Look at this shockingly awful card I found today for a 13 year old!" she wrote, along with a link to an image of the card. The card, created more than 14 years ago by a company that was since acquired by Hallmark Cards UK, read: "You're 13 today! If you had a rich boyfriend he'd give you diamonds and rubies Well, maybe next year you will - when you've bigger boobies!" The drawing on the Arnold Barton brand card depicts a girl holding a box containing a ring. There was immediate outrage on Twitter. The original tweet was retweeted 515 times. American author Maureen Johnson also tweeted about the card, and her tweet was retweeted more than 1,100 times. User ?@andrewtshaffer tweeted in response: "I hope when she's 14 she doesn't have a boyfriend buying her rubies because of her boobies." Other Twitter users expressed disbelief. "Is that real? That cannot be real," Tweeted user ?@katelinnea. @cheesyhels also tweeted the image to Twitter user @LynnCSchreiber, who wrote a post about it for Jump!, a British magazine for young girls. In her post, Schreiber wrote: "Words failed me when a Twitter friend showed me the card that she had seen in a local newsagent." "You won't have to rely on a boyfriend, or hope that your 'boobies' grow big enough," Schreiber's post continued. "You will be successful and happy because of your intelligence and creativity, not because of your looks." Hallmark's U.S. corporate office posted an apology from Hallmark UK on its website on December 7. It also explained that the card was created before Hallmark bought the company in 1998. "We are as surprised and horrified as anyone else to have discovered that there are still copies in circulation," David Dean, managing director of Hambledon Studios, a subsidiary of Hallmark UK, said in the statement. "The card has not been produced for over 15 years and would never pass our own strict guidelines of taste and appropriateness. We would like to assure all our customers that we will do everything in our power to track down remaining copies." Schreiber updated her blog and posted on Twitter to ask that people not blow the issue out of proportion. "We didn't not intend to get the Twitchforks out against either the manufacturer of the card … or the company who now own the manufacturer," she wrote in an update to her initial blog.

Julian Assange's residency at the Ecuadorian embassy in London would be coming to an end should Ecuadorian presidential hopeful Guillermo Lasso win the election next week. Lasso made the remarks in an interview to the Guardian on 9 February. "The Ecuadorian people have been paying a cost that we should not have to bear," he said during an interview in Quito. "We will cordially ask Señor Assange to leave within 30 days of assuming a mandate." Israel: 12th Dead Sea Scroll cave of Qumran discovered The right-wing candidate of the Creo-Suma alliance is running behind the ruling socialist party candidate Lenin Moreno in the first round of the vote on 19 February. Moreno served as vice-president under current president Rafael Correa between 2007 and 2013. He is a well-known activists for the rights of people with disability as he has been in a wheelchair since he was shot in a robbery in 1998. He has been leading the polls since November, but Lasso, who is a former banker, could still stand a chance of winning should the two face each other in a run-off. Couple arrested after autistic girl found locked in cage covered in excrement The Correa government has been supporting Assange's request of political asylum since 2012 when the Australian sought refuge in the country's embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is accused of rape. But, according to the Guardian, politicians and diplomats are increasingly weary of the situation and occasional tensions have surfaced. Internet access to the Wikileaks founder was temporarily cut during the US presidential election, when his website published leaked email about the Democratic Party and its candidate Hillary Clinton. "We wanted to be clear that our sovereign space was not being used for interference in the election of another country," the foreign minister, Guillaume Long told the British newspaper. Man trapped underwater by digger saved by using yoga position He added that there is a human cost to the situation and that the embassy staff has been "through a lot". "This is probably the most watched embassy on the planet," he said. According to Long, the staff tried to give Assange, who recently said he had not seen the sunlight in four years, as much comfort as possible, but the building does not have outside areas and he occupies a room on the first floor, where there is not much light. Julian Assange More Regardless of Ecuador's decision, Assange himself may decide to leave of his own free will. While the only extradition request for Assange is from Sweden, he has refused to go to the Scandinavian country for fear he would be handed over to the US, where the Department of Justice (DoJ) has a case open against Wikileaks for the disclosure of thousands of confidential government documents. Assange and his team contested the legality of the DoJ investigation, but agreed to US extradition on the condition that Wikileaks whistleblower Chelsea Manning, who was serving a 35-year prison sentence, was released. Former President Barack Obama commuted Manning's sentence on 17 January and the former US soldier is due for release in May. Assange has since been vague as to how he will proceed. Speaking to British channel ITV, he said he may consider going to the US to help close the DoJ investigation once and for all: "If to settle the matter it requires going to the United States, where certain circumstances and where my rights are protected then that's something we want to discuss, but the ball is in the DoJ court." In an interview to Australian television, Assange was a little clearer about his intentions. "We had a major strategic victory in liberating Chelsea Manning – the most significant alleged whistleblower in the last 10 years" he said "But of course saying I'm willing to accept extradition doesn't mean I'm saying, I'm willing to be a complete idiot and throw all my lawyers away." Get your daily digest with the best of the day's news, opinion, entertainment and sport You may be interested in:

Last season, the Los Angeles Chargers offensive line was ranked second to last. Veteran quarterback Phillip Rivers was pressured 238 times last season and out of the 1, 510 total rushing yards the team totaled last season, 960 of them came after contact. While there are other areas the Bolts need to address, shoring up their offensive line should be a top priority for the team if they hope to have Rivers behind center for a couple more seasons. Aside from center Matt Slauson, the offensive line was a train wreck in 2016. The team has signed former Seattle Seahawk Russel Okung to a four-year deal worth $53 million and are likely parting ways with left tackle King Dunlap and have already parted with former first-round pick D.J. Fluker. Related Kenjon Barner prodded by two former Chargers to join team Although it’s a weak 2017 Draft class for offensive lineman, here are three options for the Chargers in the first three rounds.

Plants can’t run away from a threat but they can stand their ground. “They are very good at avoiding getting eaten,” said Linda Walling of the University of California , Riverside. “It’s an unusual situation where insects can overcome those defenses.” At the smallest nip to its leaves, specialized cells on the plant’s surface release chemicals to irritate the predator or sticky goo to entrap it. Genes in the plant’s DNA are activated to wage systemwide chemical warfare, the plant’s version of an immune response . We need terpenes, alkaloids, phenolics — let’s move. Photo “I’m amazed at how fast some of these things happen,” said Consuelo M. De Moraes of Pennsylvania State University . Dr. De Moraes and her colleagues did labeling experiments to clock a plant’s systemic response time and found that, in less than 20 minutes from the moment the caterpillar had begun feeding on its leaves, the plant had plucked carbon from the air and forged defensive compounds from scratch. Just because we humans can’t hear them doesn’t mean plants don’t howl. Some of the compounds that plants generate in response to insect mastication — their feedback, you might say — are volatile chemicals that serve as cries for help. Such airborne alarm calls have been shown to attract both large predatory insects like dragon flies, which delight in caterpillar meat, and tiny parasitic insects, which can infect a caterpillar and destroy it from within. Enemies of the plant’s enemies are not the only ones to tune into the emergency broadcast. “Some of these cues, some of these volatiles that are released when a focal plant is damaged,” said Richard Karban of the University of California, Davis , “cause other plants of the same species, or even of another species, to likewise become more resistant to herbivores.” Newsletter Sign Up Continue reading the main story Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up You will receive emails containing news content , updates and promotions from The New York Times. You may opt-out at any time. You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters. Yes, it’s best to nip trouble in the bud. Dr. Hilker and her colleagues, as well as other research teams, have found that certain plants can sense when insect eggs have been deposited on their leaves and will act immediately to rid themselves of the incubating menace. They may sprout carpets of tumorlike neoplasms to knock the eggs off, or secrete ovicides to kill them, or sound the S O S. Reporting in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Dr. Hilker and her coworkers determined that when a female cabbage butterfly lays her eggs on a brussels sprout plant and attaches her treasures to the leaves with tiny dabs of glue, the vigilant vegetable detects the presence of a simple additive in the glue, benzyl cyanide. Cued by the additive, the plant swiftly alters the chemistry of its leaf surface to beckon female parasitic wasps. Spying the anchored bounty, the female wasps in turn inject their eggs inside, the gestating wasps feed on the gestating butterflies, and the plant’s problem is solved. Here’s the lurid Edgar Allan Poetry of it: that benzyl cyanide tip-off had been donated to the female butterfly by the male during mating. “It’s an anti-aphrodisiac pheromone, so that the female wouldn’t mate anymore,” Dr. Hilker said. “The male is trying to ensure his paternity, but he ends up endangering his own offspring.” Plants eavesdrop on one another benignly and malignly. As they described in Science and other journals, Dr. De Moraes and her colleagues have discovered that seedlings of the dodder plant, a parasitic weed related to morning glory, can detect volatile chemicals released by potential host plants like the tomato. The young dodder then grows inexorably toward the host, until it can encircle the victim’s stem and begin sucking the life phloem right out of it. The parasite can even distinguish between the scents of healthier and weaker tomato plants and then head for the hale one. “Even if you have quite a bit of knowledge about plants,” Dr. De Moraes said, “it’s still surprising to see how sophisticated they can be.” It’s a small daily tragedy that we animals must kill to stay alive. Plants are the ethical autotrophs here, the ones that wrest their meals from the sun. Don’t expect them to boast: they’re too busy fighting to survive.

Paul Kimmage on rugby was the main talking point from the Sunday Independent journalist's appearance on The Last Word with Matt Cooper. Days after L'Equipe broke the news that Dan Carter, Juan Imhoff and Joe Rockocoko had tested positive for cortisone after the Top 14 final, the issue of doping in rugby has found itself back upon the wider sporting consciousness. In the case of Carter, his agent released a statement to say that the out-half had a Therapeutic Use Exemption for the supplement. The entire story has brought the medicalisation of rugby under scrutiny. Ronan O'Gara offered a strong defence of his Racing players, saying that it was a "sad state of affairs" that his players were attacked based on such little information: I've been in the meetings and I'm fully aware of exactly what's gone on. There's 60-80 of these administered in a year - an injection into a joint - and that's exactly what it is. Every player gets tested after a final, that's the rule. And there were three readings showing a corticoid and the readings are extremely low. And if you have an explanation as to why you administered them then it's a non-story. Kimmage is one of the few journalists who regularly returns to the topic of the medicalisation of rugby. In 2014, Kimmage conducted a very interesting interview with former French rugby player with Laurent Benezech on this very subject. And following the Racing revelations, Kimmage wrote in the Sunday Independent of the nature of cheating in rugby, and what exactly constituted a performance-enhancing drug in the game. He recalls a conversation with Brian O'Driscoll as to whether pre-game painkillers constituted a doping offence. Advertisement "I'd say the abuse of painkillers in rugby is massive," I observed. "I would have thought that was very much a doing offence. "Would you?", he asked. "Painkillers? Of course. The whole game is about confrontation and trying to get the ball. So if I can endure more pain than you..." "I disagree", he said. "It's a game of skill. It's a game of intensity and an ability to handle collisions and things..." "Which is pain", I suggested. Prior to Kimmage's appearance with Cooper, Paul O'Connell was on the show, who said that Kimmage was of the belief that "[he thinks] you should not even take a paracetamol". Kimmage responded as follows: He totally misrepresents my position on the use of painkillers. If Paul O'Connell ha a headache, by all means Paul, take a paracetamol. The point I made, and what I'm totally against, rugby players are taking paracetamol and taking painkillers not because they have a headache. They are using it in anticipation of pain. In anyone's language, that is performance enhancing. That is using a drug to enhance your performance. In the interview cited above, Ronan O'Gara admitted that the potential use of a growth hormone in rugby caused him alarm. Kimmage praised O'Gara for saying this, contrasting O'Gara's stance with the "44 rugby autobiographies at home and the word 'doping' never appears in any of them". Kimmage then produced a Sunday Tribune editorial penned by Cooper about doping in rugby. It was written in 1998.

As many as 8 passengers have been charred to death in a tragic accident involving a luxury bus and a diesel tanker in the outskirts of Mumbai. The luxury bus, which was on way to Ahmedabad from Pune, hit a diesel tanker near Kude village in Manor, Maharashtra between 1 and 2 a.m. on Wednesday. Seven people were charred to death after the bus caught fire in the impact of the collision. The tanker, which was carrying diesel towards Hazira in Gujarat, also caught fire. The incident reportedly took place when most of the passengers were asleep. Police officials, emergency services and medical staff rushed to the spot to carry out rescue operations. "We had to be very careful in our operations as there was a diesel tanker and a risk of explosion," a senior police officer who was on the spot told NDTV. The charred bodies of victims were recovered. "The bodies could not be identified as they are charred beyond recognition. The bodies have been sent for postmortem. The district administration is in the process of contacting the bus operator to get the names of the passengers travelling in the bus," Thane District Collector P Velrasu told the Press Trust of India. At least 14 people were injured in the accident and they have been rushed to Manor rural hospital for treatment. The accident halted traffic on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway for several hours.

It’s 6 p.m. Thursday and about 50 men and women, many of them homeless, are seated in an outdoor area behind an old brick building on Tampa Heights’s Florida Avenue, waiting for dinner. First, Charissa Stepp, 23, the director of what is called The Banquet, asks everyone to keep silent while she says a prayer of thanks. Then the serving begins: In the indoor kitchen of this building called “The Well,” three volunteers pile plates high with beef, zucchini and rice (prepared by Metropolitan Ministries) and hand them to four other volunteers who, acting as waiters and waitresses, distribute them to the hungry. Most of the diners say “Thank you” or “God bless you,” but a few are so focused on some private anguish that they barely acknowledge the food in front of them. Most eat avidly — for some, it’s their only meal of the day. There’s laughter now, and conversation, and the occasional friendly argument. By 6:15, plates are empty and the waitstaff comes by with full bowls, offering seconds to whoever wants them. Then, if Metro Min has provided, there’s dessert: cookies or cake. Their bellies full, the guests wander back to their lives on the street or at the Good Samaritan Inn while volunteers collect the plates and glasses and hand them to others who wash them in big metal sinks. By 7, the chairs and tables are folded up and the eating area is mostly deserted. Another Banquet has come and gone. The Well has served Tampa’s poor once again. Not everybody is comfortable about this. “He told me that he’d be crucified if he renewed our lease,” says Jon Dengler, The Well’s visionary director, about landlord Pawan Rattan. Dengler explains that Rattan told him the pressure from businesses and private citizens in Tampa Heights was simply overwhelming: This home for the homeless was marring an area that’s on the rise socio-economically. Rattan tells me he doesn’t remember making such a statement, and adds that he won’t decide for a few more months whether or not to renew The Well’s lease. But Dengler knows what he heard, and is already thinking about how to carry on when he loses the building in mid-2017. One thing is certain: He won’t give up on the poor. He’s profoundly committed to serving them — sees it as a religious obligation — and nothing like a gentrifying community will stop him. Still, it’s an admirable enterprise that he’s in danger of losing. At the moment, The Well provides a large family room in which the homeless can meet each other, eat, watch TV or even sleep. There’s a free grocery that distributes food to the hungry, a bicycle shop, outdoor vegetable gardens, and, not unnecessarily, a shower and a clean bathroom. Once a month, there’s a free medical clinic, and on occasion, free haircuts. On Tuesdays, The Well serves dinner at the Good Samaritan Inn up Florida Ave., also with food from Metro Min; on Thursdays, there’s The Banquet. About 100 people use The Well’s services every day, and some of them depend on the place as the only home Tampa offers them. Without it, they’d have nowhere to go. The sailing isn’t always smooth, though. Rick Fernandez, genial president of the Tampa Heights Civic Association, notes that a few months ago, he alerted Denger to “multiple complaints” he’d fielded about the The Well. There were sightings of people drinking, selling drugs, and even “people having sex back in the back areas — generally, the kinds of things you don’t want to see in your neighborhood where your children live.” But after Fernandez conferred with Dengler, the Well’s founder held a “town hall” with his population, and Fernandez says the problem was solved — there’s been only one “minimal” complaint since. As to landlord Rattan’s decision whether or not to renew The Well’s lease, “that’s between him and his tenant,” says Fernandez. “As far as I’m concerned, Jon is being a good neighborhood member at this point.” If The Well goes, it’s the poor and hungry who’ll feel it most. Consider Tom Logan, a regular denizen of The Well who lives in a house rented by Dengler. Tom is 64, a tall, thin Caucasian man with a bushy blondish beard and glasses. He tells me he’s been coming to The Well for about a year now. “I got here because when I first was in Tampa, I was living under a bridge in downtown. The police gave me a warning, told me if they caught me again in the next year, I was going to do some jail time. So basically, they pushed me north, away from downtown… They want to make downtown look better.” Logan was sleeping in a vacant lot when another homeless man told him about The Well. Now “I volunteer, I straighten up the pantry, I’ve got my driver’s license back so I do pickups for The Well.” He uses the food pantry at least once a week, but usually eats only one or two meals a day: “If there’s breakfast available, I’ll eat breakfast. If they serve lunch here, I’ll have lunch.” What will he do if The Well closes and he loses his housing? “I’ll be back on the streets.” Or, if the police catch him, in jail. Tom’s concerns are echoed by Dwayn Gregory, 51, known as “Shorty,” an African-American man missing most of his front teeth, but radiantly smiling when he discusses The Well. “This is my favorite place to be at, man. It’s a beautiful thing what they’re doing for people.” Shorty goes to The Banquet every Thursday night, and says he comes not just for the food but “for the people. It’s beautiful, man. It’s amazing to see somebody that’s so kind and giving to people to make sure the homeless is fed. It means a lot to my heart.” What would happen if The Well ceased to exist? “There would be a whole lot of hurt people out there… The majority of the people that I know are right out on the streets today. And this here is a big progress for them.” It’s not clear just what can be done to save The Well. If some philanthropist doesn’t come along with the money to buy the property (smaller contributors can donate at welltampa.com), Dengler, Stepp, and the few other underpaid staff members of this home for the homeless will have no choice but to move on. Dengler says he’s working on it: “We’re looking toward maybe some mobile models where we can put some of our services on trailers, buses, whatever, and actually be able to… work with communities in poor neighborhoods. We would love to find partners to help invest in the work we do, whether it is helping to purchase this property or another property, or helping us to finance and go mobile.” Beyond that, he mostly wishes for a change in the consciousness of area residents. “The Well is nothing but an effort to help the poor, so in my mind, anything that anyone can do to love the poor, to stand with the poor, to shoulder the weight and pressure that is on the poor in the community… I feel like it’s on all of us to take some personal responsibility for what we see in our city and the struggles of the vulnerable. And see that this is a byproduct of the kind of community that we’re building. “And we have to look out for them.”

ESPN legal analyst Roger Cossack explains possible reasons why Ronald Gasser, the man named as shooting Joe McKnight, was released from custody and has not been formally charged. (2:17) The shooting death of former USC Trojans and New York Jets running back Joe McKnight in a New Orleans suburb was a "road rage" incident that started on a nearby bridge, a sheriff said Friday, as he urged against a rush to judgment and defended his handling of the case as the alleged shooter was released overnight. McKnight was shot and killed Thursday afternoon in the community of Terrytown, just across the Mississippi River from New Orleans. Authorities have identified 54-year-old Ronald Gasser, who stayed at the scene, as the shooter, and he was released overnight, sparking criticism. Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand said during a news conference on Friday that the altercation that ended with McKnight's death started on a nearby bridge -- possibly when one of the two men cut the other off -- and then proceeded into nearby streets in the New Orleans suburb. He did not say which driver cut off the other. Authorities said Gasser shot McKnight three times through an open window from inside his car with a semi-automatic handgun while McKnight was standing outside. Normand said witnesses observed a "heated verbal exchange" between Gasser and McKnight before the shooting. However, Normand said that one witness account, which indicated Gasser was standing over McKnight when he fired a shot, was factually incorrect and "did not happen." Normand said three casings were located inside Gasser's vehicle, and coroner Gerry Cvitanovich said Friday that McKnight had wounds to his left hand and entry wounds to his right shoulder and the right side of his chest. Gasser stayed at the scene, relinquished his semi-automatic handgun to officers and was taken into custody and questioned, the sheriff said. No guns were found outside either vehicle. According to The Times-Picayune, Gasser told police he was the shooter. Normand said later Friday in a news release that the man who shot McKnight was involved in a 2006 altercation at the same intersection, during which he chased down and struck another male driver, who had observed a truck driving erratically and called a phone number on the truck and spoke to a man later identified as Gasser. Gasser and the 51-year-old man got into an argument on the phone, according to the sheriff's statement. Gasser followed the man to a service station and "began to strike him with a closed fist several times." Gasser drove away and the other man called 911. Investigators found Gasser and issued a misdemeanor summons for simple battery, which was later dismissed. Protesters upset at Gasser's overnight release gathered outside the sheriff's office earlier Friday. Normand defended his handling of the current case, saying the investigation was ongoing. No charges have been filed, with Normand saying the state has certain "statutes" that provide a defense to certain crimes, but he did not go into further detail. "The easiest thing for me would have been, 'Book him, Danno.' Right?" Normand said, referring to the police saying made popular on "Hawaii Five-O." "Mr. Gasser is not going anywhere. He has been completely cooperative with us in every request we have made. We will do a very thorough and deliberate investigation." The body of former NFL player Joe McKnight lies between the alleged shooter's vehicle at left and his Audi SUV at right on Thursday in Terrytown, Louisiana. Michael DeMocker/AP Photo Normand said he did not want to go into detail about the investigation, saying that he did not want to taint any prospective witnesses that might still come forward. McKnight's grandmother said family members are still seeking information on his death and why Gasser was released. Barbara Franklin told The Associated Press by phone Friday that relatives are "trying to find out our own selves" more about what happened. She said relatives haven't had any communication with the sheriff's office about Gasser's release, saying she learned of it through a radio broadcast on Friday. "He might be released now, but God is going to bring about justice in it," Franklin said. Gasser couldn't immediately be reached by The Associated Press. Gasser's release immediately raised questions about what exactly led to the shooting. Arthur A. Lemmann, a New Orleans-based attorney not connected with the case, told The Associated Press it was too early to tell but that it could indicate Gasser had said he acted in self-defense. "It's not the end of the matter. They can continue to investigate. They can always bring charges, but what it indicates to me is that there was some basis to believe that the homicide was justified. And the most typical justification of a homicide is self-defense," Lemmann said. McKnight was born in River Ridge, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans, and starred at John Curtis Christian High School. He was considered the No. 1 running back recruit in the country when he signed with USC. He played three seasons at USC (2007-09) under coach Pete Carroll and was often compared to do-it-all running back Reggie Bush. McKnight totaled 2,755 yards from scrimmage and 15 touchdowns while with the Trojans, and his 2,213 career rushing yards are 16th all time at the school. He did not play in the final game of the 2009 season -- the Emerald Bowl -- as USC investigated him for allegedly receiving improper benefits. He eventually left school for the NFL draft, where the Jets made him a fourth-round pick in 2010. He spent three seasons with New York, earning one start in 39 games and totaling 502 yards rushing and 177 yards receiving. He also was one of the NFL's top kick returners in 2011 and 2012, averaging 29.4 yards per return over that span. The Jets will honor McKnight with a moment of silence before their Monday night game. But McKnight landed in the doghouse amid a turbulent training camp in 2013. He flunked the team's conditioning test, blaming dehydration; he was arrested in New Jersey on outstanding traffic violations on an off day; he missed practice time with what the team characterized as a "head injury" and McKnight later called a concussion; and he got into a war of words with a fan on Twitter, suggesting they meet for a fight. McKnight was released by the Jets in August 2013, the biggest surprise of the team's final cuts before the regular season. McKnight signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in January 2014, playing two games that year and scoring two touchdowns, both on receptions, before tearing an Achilles tendon. He played in the CFL this season, with the Edmonton Eskimos and Saskatchewan Roughriders. He had 38 rushes for 228 yards for the Roughriders, whose season ended Nov. 5. As of Thursday, he still was listed on their roster. McKnight is the second NFL player to die as a result of an apparent road rage incident in 2016. New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith was killed in April. Information from ESPN staff writer Rich Cimini and The Associated Press was used in this report.

CLEVELAND -- Indians owner Paul Dolan could soon have a financial partner. An investment banker hired by Dolan last year to search for a minority owner said Thursday that a "small group" of investors has been identified and a deal could be completed soon. Steve Greenberg, managing director of Allen & Company, a New York-based financial boutique that has brokered sports acquisitions in the past, said the pursuit of an investor has narrowed and Dolan's goal to bring in someone to ease his financial burden and add capital could be finalized by the end of the year. "Being a baseball guy let me describe it this way," said Greenberg, whose father, Hank, was the Indians' general manager from 1950-59. "We're in the bottom of the seventh inning. It's not over yet, but we can see the outcome if we just get two innings of relief ball." Greenberg did not identify the group or what percentage of the team it would purchase from Dolan. The Indians owner, whose family bought the team from Richard Jacobs in 1999, has no intention of selling the majority share of the Indians, who went 81-80 this season and missed the playoffs for the seventh time in eight years. Greenberg has had major success in completing business deals. He created regional sports TV channels in Chicago and New York, helped the Wilpon family land a $400 million naming rights deal for Citi Field and worked with Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert on the purchase of the NBA's Cavaliers. Because Major League Baseball does not have a salary cap, mid-market teams such as the Indians are at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to signing free agents. Cleveland has to be selective and one or two bad signings, as was the case with outfielders Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher in 2013 to deals totaling $104 million, can have a debilitating effect. Greenberg doesn't think a minority investor in Cleveland will necessarily change Dolan's spending habits radically, but it can provide a stronger economic foothold. "I don't think it's going to be that kind of a game changer," Greenberg said when asked if an infusion of capital will alter the Indians' philosophy in building their roster. "I wouldn't expect that, but what I do think it does, however, is broaden the base of ownership. If there are years where you lose a little bit of money, it's not as stressful and you don't feel the need to trim payroll in August and September or July if you're out of the pennant race because you're not writing the whole check." In recent years, Dolan's spending or lack thereof has angered some Indians fans, who complain that he doesn't do enough to make his team more competitive. Cleveland's attendance has been dropped over the past decade and the team drew just 1.38 million fans -- second lowest in the majors -- and the lowest in 22 seasons at Progressive Field. Greenberg believes the addition of a minority owner in Cleveland can help change any perception about Dolan. "If we bring in the right partner, separate and apart from any capital he may bring, we're also hoping that the partner becomes a true partner in terms of running the business in terms of ideas and contributes beyond any check he writes, so I think it will be perceived as, and will hopefully also be, a positive factor," he said.

By Scott Stewart Over the past few weeks, I've had people at speaking engagements ask me if I thought the Islamic State or some other militant group is using Ebola as a biological weapon, or if such a group could do so in the future. Such questions and concerns are not surprising given the intense media hype that surrounds the disease, even though only one person has died from Ebola out of the three confirmed cases in the United States. The media hype about the threat posed by the Islamic State to the United States and the West is almost as bad. Both subjects of all this hype were combined into a tidy package on Oct. 20, when the Washington Post published an editorial by columnist Mark Thiessen in which he claimed it would be easy for a group such as the Islamic State to use Ebola in a terrorist attack. Despite Thiessen's claims, using Ebola as a biological warfare agent is much more difficult than it might appear at first blush. The 2014 Outbreak In the past, there have been several outbreaks of Ebola in Africa. Countries included Sudan, Uganda, the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and several comparatively small outbreaks occurred in Gabon as well. In most cases, people who handled or ate animals infected with the disease started the outbreaks. "Bushmeat," or portions of roasted meat from a variety of wild animals, is considered by many to be a delicacy in Africa, and in a continent where hunger is widespread, it is also a necessity for many hungry people. After several months of medical investigations, epidemiologists believe the current outbreak most likely began when a two-year-old child in Guinea touched or perhaps ate part of an infected animal such as a bat or monkey. The source of the disease means it is highly unlikely that some malevolent actor intentionally caused the latest outbreak. Besides the fact that the current outbreak's cause has been identified as a natural one, even if a transnational militant group such as the Islamic State was able to somehow develop an Ebola weapon, it would have chosen to deploy the weapon against a far more desirable target than a small village in Guinea. We would have seen the militants use their weapon in a location such as New York, Paris or London, or against their local enemies in Syria and Iraq. As far as intent goes, there is very little doubt that such a group would employ a biological weapon. As we noted last month when there was increased talk about the Islamic State possibly weaponizing plague for a biological attack, terrorist attacks are intended to have a psychological impact that outweighs the physical damage they cause. The Islamic State itself has a long history of conducting brutal actions to foster panic. In 2006 and 2007, the Islamic State's predecessor, al Qaeda in Iraq, included large quantities of chlorine in vehicle bombs deployed against U.S. and Iraqi troops in an attempt to produce mass casualties. The explosives in the vehicle bombs killed more people than the chlorine did, and after several unsuccessful attempts, al Qaeda in Iraq gave up on its chlorine bombings because the results were not worth the effort. Al Qaeda in Iraq also included chemical artillery rounds in improvised explosive devices used in attacks against American troops in Iraq on several occasions. Again, these attacks failed to produce mass casualties. Finally, according to human rights organizations, the Islamic State appears to have recently used some artillery rounds containing mustard gas against its enemies in Syria; the group presumably recovered the rounds from a former Saddam-era chemical weapons facility in Iraq or from Syrian stockpiles. The problem, then, lies not with the Islamic State's intent but instead with its capability to obtain and weaponize the Ebola virus. Creating a biological weapon is far more difficult than using a chemical such as chlorine or manufactured chemical munitions. Contrary to how the media frequently portrays them, biological weapons are not easy to obtain, they are not easy to deploy effectively and they do not always cause mass casualties. The Difficulty of Weaponization Ebola and terrorism are not new. Nor is the possibility of terrorist groups using the Ebola virus in an attack. As we have previously noted, the Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo attempted to obtain the Ebola virus as part of its biological warfare program. The group sent a medical team to Africa under the pretext of being aid workers with the intent of obtaining samples of the virus. It failed in that mission, but even if it had succeeded, the group would have faced the challenge of getting the sample back to its biological warfare laboratory in Japan. The Ebola virus is relatively fragile. Its lifetime on dry surfaces outside of a host is only a couple of hours, and while some studies have shown that the virus can survive on surfaces for days when still in bodily fluids, this requires ideal conditions that would be difficult to replicate during transport. If the group had been able to get the virus back to its laboratory, it would have then faced the challenge of reproducing the Ebola virus with enough volume to be used in a large-scale biological warfare attack, similar to its failed attacks on Tokyo and other Japanese cities in which the group sprayed thousands of gallons of botulinum toxin and Anthrax spores. Reproducing the Ebola virus would present additional challenges because it is an extremely dangerous virus to work with. It has infected researchers, even when they were working in laboratories with advanced biosafety measures in place. Although Aum Shinrikyo had a large staff of trained scientists and a state-of-the-art biological weapons laboratory, it was still unable to effectively weaponize the virus. The challenges Aum Shinrikyo's biological weapons program faced would be multiplied for the Islamic State. Aum Shinrikyo operatives were given a great deal of operational freedom until their plans were discovered after the 1995 sarin attacks on the Tokyo subway. (The group's previous biological weapons attacks were so unsuccessful that nobody knew they had been carried out until after its members were arrested and its chemical and biological weapons factories were raided.) Unlike the Japanese cult, the Islamic State's every move is under heavy scrutiny by most of the world's intelligence and security agencies. This means jihadist operatives would have far more difficulty assembling the personnel and equipment needed to construct a biological weapons laboratory. Since randomly encountering an infected Ebola patient would be unreliable, the group would have to travel to a country impacted by the outbreak. This would be a difficult task for the group to complete without drawing attention to itself. Furthermore, once group members reached the infected countries, they would have to enter quarantined areas of medical facilities, retrieve the samples and then escape the country unnoticed, since they could not count on randomly encountering an infected Ebola patient. Even if Islamic State operatives were somehow able to accomplish all of this -- without killing themselves in the process -- Ebola is not an ideal biological warfare vector. The virus is hard to pass from person to person. In fact, on average, its basic reproductive rate (the average amount of people that are infected by an Ebola patient) is only between one and two people. There are far more infectious diseases such as measles, which has a basic reproductive rate of 12-18, or smallpox, which has a basic reproductive rate of five to seven. Even HIV, which is only passed via sexual contact or intravenous blood transmission, has a basic reproductive rate of two to five. The Ebola disease is also somewhat slow to take effect, and infected individuals do not become symptomatic and contagious for an average of 8-10 days. The disease's full incubation period can last anywhere from two to 21 days. As a comparison, influenza, which can be transmitted as quickly as three days after being contracted, can be spread before symptoms begin showing. This means that an Ebola attack would take longer to spread and would be easier to contain because infected people would be easier to identify. Besides the fact that Ebola can only be passed through the bodily fluids of a person showing symptoms at the time, the virus in those bodily fluids must also somehow bypass the protection of a person's skin. The infectious fluid must enter the body through a cut or abrasion, or come into contact with the mucus membranes in the eyes, nose or mouth. This is different from more contagious viruses like measles and smallpox, which are airborne viruses and do not require any direct contact or transfer of bodily fluids. Additionally, the Ebola virus is quite fragile and sensitive to light, heat and low-humidity environments, and bleach and other common disinfectants can kill it. This means it is difficult to spread the virus by contaminating surfaces with it. The only way to infect a large amount of people with Ebola would be to spray them with a fluid containing the virus, something that would be difficult to do and easily detectable. Thiessen's piece suggested that the Islamic State might implement an attack strategy of infecting suicide operatives with Ebola and then having them blow themselves up in a crowded place, spraying people with infected bodily fluids. One problem with this scenario is that it would be extremely difficult to get an infected operative from the group's laboratory to the United States without being detected. As we have discussed elsewhere, jihadist groups have struggled to get operatives to the West to conduct conventional terrorist attacks using guns and bombs, a constraint that would also affect their ability to deploy a biological weapon. Even if a hostile group did mange to get an operative in place, it would still face several important obstacles. By the time Ebola patients are highly contagious, they are normally very ill and bedridden with high fever, fatigue, vomiting and diarrhea, meaning they are not strong enough to walk into a crowded area. The heat and shock of the suicide device's explosion would likely kill most of the virus. Anyone close enough to be exposed to the virus would also likely be injured by the blast and taken to a hospital, where they would then be quarantined and treated for the virus. Biological weapons look great in the movies, but they are difficult and expensive to develop in real life. That is why we have rarely seen them used in terrorist attacks. As we have noted for a decade now, jihadists can kill far more people with far less expense and effort by utilizing traditional terrorist tactics, which makes the threat of a successful attack using the Ebola virus extremely unlikely.

ST. PETERSBURG — Police departments usually aren't interested in drawing attention to the vehicles they use to monitor crime suspects. The goal: Be bland and blend in. That's what makes the St. Petersburg Police Department's newest surveillance truck stick out so much. It's large, lime green and has two giant eyeballs on its side underneath the ominous phrase, "We are watching …" Discreet, it is not. "Our purpose with this thing is to be very overt," said police Chief Chuck Harmon. "We want people to see it." It will start showing up around the city soon. The concept is this: Authorities will park the armored truck in a neighborhood or crime hot spot and leave it there for up to 48 hours. It will be recording that whole time. The goal, Harmon said, will be to send a message and displace, if not eliminate, the crime in that area. The city got the truck for $1 from Brinks, Harmon said. Drawing money from the city's forfeiture fund, the agency spent about $12,000 hardening the vehicle and $18,000 to outfit it with 360 degrees of camera equipment. "The real positive for me is its visibility," Harmon said. The truck is being debuted as city leaders are grappling with another type of surveillance. The city bought 26 powerful security cameras for the Republican National Convention in August. Now they have to decide what to do with them. But despite concerns about where those cameras would go and how they would be used, city leaders seemed fine — even enthused — about using the truck as a new crime-fighting tool at a recent meeting. "I think it's a good start," said City Council member Wengay Newton. Newton and others on the council have campaigned for years to put cameras in high-crime neighborhoods where drug dealing and prostitution are blatant. People in those areas need to know authorities are watching, they said. "Privacy … is a big issue for all of us," Mayor Bill Foster said. "But I think you'd have to be a real idiot to deal your drugs in front of this thing." Harmon said recordings will be kept for about 30 days. The truck "may or may not be" manned, he said. He also left open the possibility that it could be used in other ways, either for education purposes or perhaps crowd control. The department recently tested the truck, parking it at Williams Park this week, and at First Avenue S and 34th Street last week. Harmon said he's also heard Kenwood and areas along Central Avenue are interested in having the truck park there. The department plans to come up with its own list of hot spots as well. "We're still in the infancy with this," he said. "We're still looking at how we're going to deploy it and where." Harmon said the truck has been in the works for more than a year. He said he heard about a law enforcement agency out West doing the same thing, and wanted to try it in St. Petersburg. Two teens from the Childs Park recreation center collaborated on the design, winning a contest that drew hundreds of entries. The pair were presented with iPods for their effort this week. "They came up with the eye concept," said Rob Norton, a supervisor for the city's Teens, Arts, Sports and Cultural Opportunities program. "We built it into a strong industrial theme." Harmon said he's happy with it. "This is … in your face," he said. "It's very out there. Not only the bad people can see it, but the good people will as well." Kameel Stanley can be reached at [email protected] or (727) 893-8643.

President Trump will travel to Missouri on Wednesday as part of an ongoing effort to pressure Senate Democrats in states he won to back the Republican tax plan. Yet such lawmakers have shown they see no political incentive in supporting the legislation, which could come up for a vote in the upper chamber later this week. Missouri’s Claire McCaskill, whom the president will likely call out while on her home turf, joined more than a dozen fellow Democratic senators from red or swing states for a press conference Tuesday condemning the bill and calling for a bipartisan process to overhaul the tax code. The event was a remarkable demonstration of how the president and congressional Republicans have been unable to sway some of the most vulnerable senators up for re-election next year. Instead, Trump and the White House have spent the week trying to secure Republican votes for the bill, a dynamic that has given Democrats some political cover in holding out. A score released by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office on Sunday showed negative effects on middle-class taxpayers, which is buttressing Democratic opposition, as are polls showing the plan to be unpopular among voters. And if red state Democrats had been eager to back a tax reform measure, the Republicans’ inclusion of a repeal of the health care law’s individual mandate has provided an easy reason to say no to the GOP bill. “We all want to do tax reform, we all believe it needs to be done,” said West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who organized the Democrats’ press conference. “We’re willing to work and sit down. … There’s not one person here who hasn’t worked with a Republican.” Manchin hails from Trump country. His state voted for Trump over Hillary Clinton by 42 percentage points and gives the president his highest approval ratings in the nation. Unlike many of his Democratic colleagues, Manchin would likely be comfortable voting for something with the president’s name on it. But on both taxes and health care, Democrats have been united in opposition to GOP proposals, an indication of how they see political dynamics playing out in their states ahead of the 2018 midterms. “It has been staggering. It’s just amazing how poorly the president and GOP leaders have played their hand,” says Democratic operative Jim Manley, a former top aide to retired Sen. Harry Reid. “There is a handful of Democrats who would have been desperate to vote for a tax bill. But they’re feeling no pressure because the bill is so skewed towards the wealthy.” The CBO estimated the tax plan would add $1.4 trillion to the deficit over a decade, and would cause 4 million Americans to lose health insurance by 2019 and 13 million by 2027. (Republicans dispute the CBO analysis, arguing that the effect would be Americans would simply no longer be mandated to buy insurance, not that it would be taken away.) The report also estimated that Americans earning less than $75,000 would end up paying more in taxes by 2027, as individual tax cuts would expire. “We can do better in the Senate. We can actually come up with bipartisan solutions. ... Everyone here would agree we need a simpler tax code,” said Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, arguing that working-class Americans would shoulder unfair burdens under the current proposal. Trump tried to court Heitkamp early on in the process. He invited the North Dakota Democrat aboard Air Force One to accompany him to a planned rally in her state in September. There to plug the bill, the president summoned Heitkamp on stage and called her a “good woman,” irking Republican operatives who hoped he would be tougher on the first-term incumbent. The event appeared to benefit Heitkamp, who faces a tough re-election next year. Trump also traveled to Indiana with Sen. Joe Donnelly, another Democrat facing a difficult re-election in 2018. Donnelly also joined Vice President Mike Pence for a tax reform event in their home state, which Trump carried by 19 points. During Tuesday’s press conference, Donnelly recalled those visits, attempting to show constituents he was willing to work with the White House. But the eventual legislation, he said, did not do enough for middle-class voters or for keeping jobs from going overseas. “This country is better off with a tax bill with 60 or 70 votes,” Donnelly said. Jon Tester of Montana, which Trump carried by 21 points, also participated in the press event. Trump has treated McCaskill more harshly than the others. During a visit to Springfield in August, he told the audience there to vote her out of office if she didn’t back the tax plan. “She’s got to make that commitment. If she doesn’t do it, we just can’t do this anymore with the obstruction and the obstructionists,” he said. Republicans in the state note that while McCaskill is a savvy politician, a no vote could come with peril. “She was never going to vote for tax reform,” says John Hancock, a former state GOP chairman. He labeled the two-term senator “a rhetorical moderate” who in fact is “actually quite liberal and out of step with Missouri voters.” Though McCaskill defeated a Republican incumbent to win her seat in 2006, Missouri has reddened since then. Last year, Trump carried it by 18 points, outperforming Mitt Romney’s 2012 support by eight points. Nonetheless, McCaskill isn’t feeling much pressure. She voted against the Senate bill in the Banking Committee earlier this month. “I wanted to support real tax reform. This isn’t it — this is a bad deal for Missouri families,” she said in a statement. In a sign of how the legislation is unlikely to garner bipartisan support, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee launched new ads this week slamming the measure as a tax increase for families. “These wrong and self-serving priorities are guaranteed to turn off voters of every political persuasion, and every GOP Senate candidate will be held accountable for their toxic and unpopular tax scam,” said the DSCC chairman, Sen. Chris Van Hollen. Still, the legislation appeared to pick up some needed momentum on Tuesday when Trump traveled to Capitol Hill to meet with Republican lawmakers. The bill passed the Finance Committee afterward on party lines, with skeptics Bob Corker of Tennessee and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin coming aboard. Unlike with the unsuccessful health care repeal effort, Republicans in Congress appear more eager to get to a yes vote, cognizant of the political backlash they would face following another GOP defeat.

WikiLeaks has published 294,546 emails along with thousands of attached files from 762 mail boxes that allegedly belong to the primary email domain of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). The most recent email in the trove released by the whistle-blowing organisation on Tuesday was sent on July 6, 2016. The oldest dates back to 2010. "It should be noted that emails associated with the domain are mostly used for dealing with the world, as opposed to the most sensitive internal matters," WikiLeaks said on its official website. WikiLeaks said it obtained the emails a week before Friday's attempted coup. "WikiLeaks has moved forward its publication schedule in response to the government's post-coup purges. We have verified the material and the source, who is not connected, in any way, to the elements behind the attempted coup, or to a rival political party or state," the organisation said. READ MORE: WikiLeaks to release Turkey power structure documents WikiLeaks previously claimed that the Turkish government would attempt to censor the distribution of the documents, and urged the Turkish public to be ready to bypass any government attempts at blocking access to the material. "Turks will likely be censored to prevent them reading our pending release of 100k+ docs on politics leading up to the coup," the organisation said on Monday via Twitter. "We ask that Turks are ready with censorship bypassing systems such as TorBrowser and uTorrent. And that everyone else is ready to help them bypass censorship and push our links through the censorship to come." WikiLeaks later claimed that its infrastructre was "under sustained attack," following its announcement of the imminent publication of the AKP emails. "We are unsure of the true origin of the attack. The timing suggests a Turkish state power faction or its allies. We will prevail & publish," WikiLeaks said on Twitter.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The move is part of the government's effort to control net migration, as Hugh Pym reports Thousands of foreign nurses working in junior posts in the UK could be forced to return home under new immigration rules, union leaders have warned. A new pay threshold for migrants means non-European workers will have to leave the UK after six years if they are not earning at least £35,000. The Royal College of Nursing said the rules would "cause chaos" for the NHS and waste money spent on recruitment. The Home Office said the rules would help reduce demand for migrant labour. And Prime Minister David Cameron even got drawn into the issue, saying more homegrown nurses were in the process of being recruited. The move is part of the government's effort to control net migration, but the union says that by 2017 more than 3,300 NHS nurses could be affected. And by the end of the decade the numbers could be double that - a potential waste of nearly £40m when all the costs of recruitment are taken into account, the RCN says. There are more than 400,000 nurses working in the NHS and over 600,000 registered to work. The warning comes as the RCN's annual conference gets under way in Bournemouth. More difficult RCN general secretary Peter Carter said: "The immigration rules will cause chaos for the NHS and other care services. "At a time when demand is increasing, the UK is perversely making it harder to employ staff from overseas." He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the move was "totally illogical" as there is currently a "major shortage of nurses", leading to many NHS trusts spending "tens of millions" to recruit from overseas. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption RCN's Peter Carter: "[Foreign nurses] will have to leave their homes in the UK, many of them now have families here... it's a truly deplorable state of affairs" Dr Carter also stressed that most nurses earn "nowhere near" £35,000, with most on salaries of between £21,000 and £28,000 a year. Due to cuts to nurse-training places, trusts are being forced into relying on overseas recruitment as well as temporary staff just to provide safe staffing. The long-term solution is to train more nurses in the UK, but in the interim, foreign nurses filled the gap, he added. Nurse pay and roles Band Pay range Typical role 5 £21,692 - £28,180 Entry level nurse or midwife 6 £26,041 - £34,876 Staff nurse, such as theatre nurse 7 £31,072 - £40,694 Senior nurse, such as ward sister / team leader 8 £39,632 - £81,618 Nurse consultant or matron Source: Royal College of Nursing and NHS England He said of the new rules: "It can't be morally or ethically right but will also have a huge impact on the ability of the health service to carry on in the way it has." A Home Office spokesman said: "As the prime minister has made clear, the government wants to reduce the demand for migrant labour. "We changed the settlement rules in 2011 to break the link between coming to work in the UK and staying here permanently." He said employers had had four years to prepare for the changes, adding: "There are exemptions to this threshold where the UK has a shortage." At the moment nurses are not on that exemption list, but the spokesman said it was possible they could still be added if evidence showed this was needed. Meanwhile, Mr Cameron said he did not believe the immigration rules would lead to a shortfall of nurses. "We have got a massive training programme for nurses at the moment, there are something like 8,000 more nurses in the NHS today than when I became Prime Minister. The training programme will continue," he said. "But, crucially, we have an organisation called the Migration Advisory Committee and they advise us about which occupations to put on the so-called shortage occupations list, the ones where they fear skills shortages will develop. "They haven't put nursing on that shortage occupation list and I think we should listen to their advice above all." Analysis - Hugh Pym, BBC health editor Nursing shortages and spiralling agency costs have generated intense pressures on hospital finances. Calls by regulators for higher staff numbers following scandals such as mid- Staffs have resulted in higher demand for nurses at a time of limited supply. In effect, the RCN is saying the Government is shooting itself in the foot by pursuing a policy which could squeeze the supply of nurses even further. Making nurses from outside the European Economic Area quit the UK if they don't earn enough could deter their compatriots from seeking work here at a time of rising demand for qualified nurses in most leading economies. The other side of the debate is the suggestion that the UK should train more homegrown nurses and not rely so much on migrant staff. The tighter immigration rules do not effect recruitment from inside the EEA so there is still a supply of trained foreign health staff. The Home Office, responsible for immigration policy, and the Department of Health, anxious to ensure there are enough nurses, will no doubt be engaged in some full and frank discussions on this vexed issue. The Economist Intelligence Unit said any problems might be short-lived since there are now more nurse training posts in place and the Migration Advisory Committee has a system in place to identify skills shortages. But Labour's Shadow Health Minister Andrew Gwynne said cuts to nurse training had left NHS hospitals with "no option but to recruit from overseas or hire expensive agency nurses." And British Medical Association Dr Mark Porter, speaking at the doctor's conference which is also taking place this week, also came to the defence of people from abroad who are working in the NHS. "What did we hear in the election campaign from politicians of several parties? "We were told immigrants are filling up our GP surgeries and our hospitals. "Well they are. They're called doctors. And nurses. And porters and cleaners and clinical scientists. And without them, the NHS would be on its knees."

Not much will have changed when Beavis and Butt-head returns to MTV in the fall after nearly 15 years off the air. But while the boys may still be clad in their AC/DC and Metallica shirts, they’ve got an whole lot of ammunition at their disposal when it comes to pop culture, including Jersey Shore and Twilight. Writer-creator Mike Judge and executive producer Van Toffler offered a glimpse Friday at the Television Critics’ Association summer press tour at what could be expected from the animated hit. 1. Judge was nervous about including Jersey Shore in Beavis and Butt-head and watched MTV’s reality hit at Toffler’s recommendation. “It was paydirt,” Judge said, confessing that he’s now “hooked” on the Jersey crew. Toffler, meanwhile, doesn’t expect the housemates to ask for additional compensation when they appear in clips on the animated series. “I’d be scared to think of them with more money than they already have,” Toffler said, noting that he expects the gang to love being subjected to the Beavis and Butt-head treatment. STORY: ‘Beavis and Butt-Head Returning to MTV’ 2. Time stands still. Judge said he wanted new episodes to be topical – Twilight and vampire humor is included in the new trailer – but that there won’t be a specific instance where the series acknowledges the nearly 15-year gap between new episodes. “I wanted to make it not feel too forced; to make it as seamless as I could to what it was how ever many years ago,” he noted. 3. There’s plenty of ammunition for the boys to riff on. Judge said targets in the new episodes include UFC fights, Internet stuff and ... movie reviews. “We have a think where they’re kind of like Siskel & Ebert,” he said. 4. The animation process has been updated. When the original series aired from 1993 to 1997, Judge noted that Beavis and Butt-head — like The Simpsons and King of the Hill – was hand inked and painted onto cells and shot on film. That’s all been digitized now. “It still looks crappy,” Judge joked. “But I like the way it looks.” “It’s high-def, there are some differences.” STORY: ‘Beavis and Butt-Head’ Riff on ‘Jersey Shore’ in MTV Series Relaunch (Video) 5. The boys will still be watching music videos. MGMT, Deadmau5 and Tbaby’s “It’s So Cold in the D” will be among the artists Judge noted will be getting the Beavis & Butt-head treatment. 6. Beavis, meet technology. With Beavis and Butt-head returning to a world that now features cell phones, Facebook and Twitter, Judge said he didn’t want to force “all the modern stuff on them,” but did tease to an upcoming episode where the boys work in tech support. 7. Daria might be back. MTV’s Toffler, an executive producer on the series, notes that the animated spinoff from Beavis and Butt-head that airs in reruns on MTV2 and Logo and has done well on both. “We’ve talked to the creators so there is not as long a shot as you’d think that Daria might be back on one of our channels. Beavis and Butt-head premieres the first of its 12 new episodes on Oct. 27 at 10 p.m. on MTV. Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit

The Fog (1980) [Collector’s Edition Blu-Ray] Director: John Carpenter Cast: Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis,Tom Atkins, Hal Holbrook Release Date: Collector’s Edition Blu-Ray & DVD Available On July 30 A Review By: Kevin Lovell Film Rating: 8.5/10 Disc Rating: 10/10 Plot Summary: A Northern California fishing town, built 100 years ago over an old leper colony, becomes shrouded by a killer fog containing zombie-like ghosts seeking revenge for their deaths. Believe it or not, I had never seen John Carpenters classic ‘The Fog’ until now, but I must say this Collector’s Edition Blu-Ray release from Shout Factory’s Scream Factory division was quite a wonderful way to view this film for the first time and I must also say I loved it. This is a truly fantastic movie and every aspect of it is done right with that famous John Carpenter style. Great casting, some wonderfully creepy moments and yet another phenomenal soundtrack by John Carpenter, who’s music I truly feel is one of the most noteworthy aspects of a lot of his films, and ‘The Fog’ is certainly no exception in that department. The tone of the film is wonderful, the directing spot on, and the story (written by John Carpenter & Debra Hill) is very well crafted. The performances are well done all across the board. We are treated with the likes of Adrienne Barbeau as a radio DJ who is determined to get to the bottom of this strange fog, and keeps the town informed of occurring events via her radio station in which she both owns and is the sole online personality of. Tom Atkins and Jamie Lee Curtis are together for the majority of the story and work quite well together. Let’s all not forget that this was done just a few years after Curtis worked with Carpenter on ‘Halloween’ and was establishing herself as one of that generations ‘Scream Queens’ and it’s no wonder he chose to work with her again. Probably the most noteworthy performance of the film in my opinion is that of Hal Holbrook who portrays the role of Father Malone and does a truly phenomenal job of bringing this character to life. While I am new to this film, I would assume I can’t be the only one who feels what a noteworthy character this is. Now, as far as this new Collector’s Edition from Shout Factory is concerned, prepare to have your socks knocked off. This is an incredibly impressive release, with a beautiful new HD transfer of the film supervised by the cinematographer, a brand new commentary track and a huge array of special features, both new and old that make this one Blu-Ray release that truly lives up to the term Collector’s Edition. I cannot speak highly enough about both the quality and comprehensive list of features that combine to make this a must own for any fan of the film. I would highly recommend any fans of the ‘The Fog’ pick a copy up as I’m certain you will be quite glad you did. VIDEO: The Collector’s Edition Blu-Ray release of ‘The Fog’ features a new 1080p High Definition transfer supervised by Cinematographer Dean Cundey which utilizes the film’s original 2.35:1 Cinemascope Aspect Ratio and it looks remarkable. Not only is every aspect of the transfer sharp, clean and perfectly touched up, it leaves the grain and mild imperfections that I feel are truly an important factor of cinema from this era and it put a smile on my face to see just how properly they treated this transfer. It is a truly rare thing for so much care and detail to be put into an HD transfer in order to leave certain important artifacts while maintaining breathtaking quality and every fan of this film should be more than thoroughly satisfied. AUDIO: The Collector’s Edition Blu-Ray release of ‘The Fog’ features a lossless 5.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack which sounds great. The bass and detail of the soundtrack really give an impressive kick, and both the sudden and overbearing scare elements during creepy moments are spot on. As far as a film like this goes, this is a pretty perfect lossless audio soundtrack, and quite notable considering the age of the film. SPECIAL FEATURES: This Collector’s Edition Blu-Ray is so chock full of special features I won’t even be able to mention them all here, but I’d like to make note of a number, mainly a lot of the new special features being presented for the first time on this release. In addition to the new HD transfer, we are treated with a new audio commentary track featuring actress Adrienne Barbeau, actor Tom Atkins and Production Designer Tommy Lee Wallace, An exclusive interview with Jamie Lee Curtis discussing ‘The Fog’ and covering her legendary early 80s ‘Scream Queen’ career, and a couple more brand new special features as well. On top of all of that, we are additionally presented with a number of previously released features, including another audio commentary track with John Carpenter and Debra Hill, ‘Tales From The Mist: The Fog Featurette’ and a number more. As you can see there is quite an abundance of great features here, giving you yet just another reason to pick up a copy of this Collector’s Edition which you certainly won’t want to miss out on. Film Rating: 8.5/10 Disc Rating: 10/10 ‘The Fog’ Collector’s Edition Blu-Ray & DVD Will Be Available To Own On July 30 From Scream Factory. You can preorder the Blu-Ray on Amazon by clicking here or pick it up at your local retailer beginning July 30.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (REUTERS/Mike Stone/File Photo) The Texas lieutenant governor said on Monday he has enlisted Christian pastors statewide to help him win approval for legislation heading to a sate Senate committee this week that limits access to public restroom access for transgender people. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, a Republican and conservative Christian who guides the legislative agenda in the Republican-controlled Senate, told a news conference at the Capitol the Texas Privacy Act is a common sense measure to keep sexual predators out of bathrooms. Critics contend the bill infringes on the civil rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. Business groups say it will cause economic damage, pointing to a similar measure North Carolina enacted into law last year that led to travel and commercial boycotts. Allowing transgender people to use public bathrooms corresponding to their gender identity rather than their birth gender has become the latest flashpoint in the long U.S. battle over LGBT rights. Patrick announced the start of a “one million voices” campaign, with pastors enlisted to win support from their congregations for the legislation. Committee debate starts on Tuesday. “North Carolina was the tip of the spear. We will be next to pass a bill that focuses on privacy, a person’s privacy, and public safety,” Patrick said, adding there will be no economic harm if it is enacted. Before Patrick spoke, the U.S. Supreme Court scrapped plans to hear a major transgender rights case and threw out a lower court’s ruling in favor of a transgender Virginia student after President Donald Trump rescinded a policy protecting such youths under federal law. A business group including some of the largest employers in Texas, such as American Airlines, sent a letter to Patrick this month opposing the bill, saying it is “discriminatory legislation that jeopardizes the positive environment for our Texas business operations.” Patrick may be able to push the bill through the state Senate, but analysts do not expect it to make it through the House. Speaker Joe Straus, a Republican who drives the agenda in that body, has shown tepid support, saying there are worries in San Antonio, an area he represents that is slated to host the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four. “It may be likely that the bill will pass the Senate, but it will be dead on arrival in the House,” said Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University in Houston. (Reporting by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Dan Grebler)

Synopsis Beethoven the St. Bernard is quite at home with the Newtons now, and as young Ryce Newton has her first crush on a boy at school, Beethoven goes head over paws for a sexy lady St. Bernard next door. Arrf! Academy Award Nominations: Best Song ("The Day I Fall in Love"). Production Notes The MCA/Universal video #82097 is the "Puppy Pack". It includes a St. Bernard puppy plush toy in addition to the video. 100 puppies were used in the making of the film because the pups were growing so fast the filmmakers couldn't use the same dogs they started filming with. The dog trainers used baby food to get Missy (Beethoven's girlfriend) to kiss him. Turkey hot dogs were used to induced the hounds to emote in various scenes. Though "Beethoven" was directed by Ivan Rietman, "Beethoven's 2nd" was directed by Rod Daniel, who also directed "K9" (another dog film) with James Belushi. "Beethoven's 2nd" animal trainers were Glen D. Garner and April Morley. The puppy trainers were Karin McElhatton and Paul A. Alabria. Rated BBFC U by the British Board of Film Classification. TM & copyright 1993 Universal City Studios, Inc. Available to buy in the UK. Reviews "...Amiable....[Mazar is] astonishingly apt..." (Entertainment Weekly)

The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a linchpin in Western occultism, was founded in the late 1880s. Within 15 years there had been schisms dividing the Order. With the internet today, events happen much faster. Various groups claim to be “the” Golden Dawn and fight for the use of the name. New groups claim to have the “real” teachings. People get kicked out of one group or they split off from groups to form their own “real” Golden Dawn. These games don’t matter. It is the work that matters. All of these games are about ego. The Order is about the work. When the Order was founded, they included a document that revealed the Order’s supposed history, going back before its modern founding (or re-creation). Over the years, aspects of this “History Lection” (Lection is an archaic word meaning a particular edition of a text. I always find it amusing how many occult writers think it’s necessary to use archaic or foreign words when there are perfectly acceptable modern words.) have fallen into question—appropriately so—leading not to an editing but to an abandonment. This would be like saying the novel War and Peace is no good if a period is in the wrong place. I contend it would be more appropriate to abandon anything proven wrong and keep what is accurate. Sure, that’s more work, and a lot of “authorities” don’t really like work, even if that work isn’t all that difficult. If instead of simply abandoning the entire History Lection we research each claim for its validity, we’ll soon come to the forgotten man of the Golden Dawn, Johann F. Falk. According to the Golden Dawn lectures, there was a G.D. lodge in London around 1810 which was headed by Johann F. Falk. In all of the books and research through Golden Dawn sources, it seems that nobody was interested in checking up on this. Either they simply believed or discounted the documents completely. In fact, a Rabbi de Falk, also known as Cain Chenuel Falk, was a noted cabalist and magician living in London around this time, the late 1700s. His “son,” Johann Friedrich Falk was born in Hamburg and is mentioned in the classic Royal Masonic Cyclopaedia by Kenneth R. H. Mackenzie. One Masonic historian believes they were the same person. Who was this Falk? Some time ago, while surfing the ’net, I came across an the home page of a group claiming to be the Golden Dawn. [I later saw copies of their mail-order teachings and found a large percentage of it to be nothing more than a slight re-write of my own Modern Magick, complete with expressions I used and breaking down rituals into sections exactly as I did (although no one had done so before).] Anyway, they, like others, claimed that Falk (Faulk) was “an obscure individual.” For a group claiming to be “the” Golden Dawn, they seemed very unwilling to research their own history. In actuality, he was hardly “obscure.” In fact, he was one of the most influential occultists of the time and was called in a book that was written about him, The Baal-Shem of London. Contemporary Painting of the Baal Shem of London, “Dr. Falk” Being called a “Baal-Shem” (speaker of the name) was no small honor. Rather, it was the sign of being a talented kabalist and magician. For the Rabbis known as Baal-Shems used their knowledge of the names of God, and the secret ways to write or say those names, in order to work great magick. Several magickal or even miraculous events are attributed to him. The story of the famous “Golem of Prague” is based on the idea that knowing the magical ways of working with words and names could actually bring life to lifeless matter. The Golem, a huge, hulking creature made of clay, was brought to life to defend the Jews of the Prague Ghetto against their oppressors. A word written on a piece of paper, eh-met (Hebrew for “truth”) brought the creature to life. Removing the first letter changed the word to met, Hebrew for “dead,” ending its existence. The Golem was the forerunner and model for Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein “monster.” In Jewish history there have been many such Baal-Shems, the most important one being called the Great (Tov) Speaker of the Name or Baal Shem Tov (Besht for short). Prayers written by the Besht are still used in synagogues all over the world. Very few have been called a Baal Shem, and Falk was one of the most amazing. First, it is important to question if the story, as told in the History Lection, is accurate. Falk died in 1782, so he couldn’t have run a temple in London in the early 1800s. There is some belief that it might have been his son, however this is questionable. In Judaism, children are not supposed to be named after any living person. Thus, either the dates given in the History Lection are in error or, more likely, the son adopted the name of his more famous father. There can be no doubt that Falk was a magician. He started out in Germany and accounts of his alchemical workings (in the late 1730s) have been published. He was eventually condemned for being a sorcerer. His punishment: to be burned alive. Luckily, he was able to escape to Holland before ending up in London. Falk rapidly became known in England, both among Jews and even more so among Christians. According to some historians, even the infamous Cagliostro was involved with Falk and learned from London’s Baal Shem both the secrets and rituals that later formed his Egyptian Rite of Freemasonry. These Rites, by the way, became one of the sources for the modern O.T.O. Falk was involved with revolutionaries and Freemasons. He is noted in a German history of Freemasonry as being a “very extraordinary man from every point of view. Some people believe him to be the chief of all the Jews…He is referred to…as a Rose-Croix [Rosicrucian]…He has had adventures with the Marechal de Richelieu, a great seeker of the Philosopher’s Stone.” It is also noted that that he predicted the death of Louis XV. One of Falk’s enemies in London complained that wealthy Christians liked him and gave him money which he spent on the men in his “Brotherhood.” This Brotherhood was probably a high-degree, Rose-Croix Masonic group. For those who are not familiar with the Golden Dawn, their so-called Inner Order claims to be the true Rosicrucian Order (and no, they’re not affiliated with the AMORC Rosicrucians). While on one of his frequent trips to Paris, Falk consecrated a talismanic ring made of lapis lazuli for the Duke of Orleans to insure that the Duke, who supported Freemasons (and vice versa), would ascend to the throne of France. As a leader of the Freemasonic movement, he supported the French Revolution and became known as the hero, “Phillipe Egalité.” But the Freemasons lost control of the revolution, and the movement toward liberty became, instead, “The Terror.” He became an “enemy of the people,” yet firmly believed in the ring’s power. He was beheaded on the Guillotine in 1793, but gave the ring first to a Jewish friend who then passed it to the Duke’s son. In 1830 that son ascended to the throne as King Louis Phillipe of France. Not only was there a link between Falk and the Duke of Orleans, but Falk’s student, Cagliostro, is also in this revolutionary brew. In 1786 he predicted that a “great prince” would soon institute a liberal reign in France. Many believe that this was the Duke and the “liberal reign” was the French Revolution during its early days. William Butler Yeats was one of the most famous poets of modern history. He received the Nobel Prize for literature in 1923. He was also a supporter of Freedom for the people of Ireland and supported their culture as a founder of the Abbey Theater and a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival. For a time after the schism against MacGregor Mathers’ leadership of the Golden Dawn, Yeats became the head of the Order. He claimed that the mystical poet/artist William Blake had studied Kabalah in the “Rosicrucian” school of Falk. Interestingly, it is well known that the Duke of Orleans, who had studied practical Kabalah with Falk, was one of Blake’s heroes. In his book, The French Revolution, Blake makes the Duke a hero, a “bulwark of revolutionary hopes” who urged the French nobles to “Fear not dreams, fear not visions.” One of Blake’s associates, an artist named Copley, painted a picture of Falk in which he was depicted in “Cabalistic regalia with the Masonic compass and quadrant in his hands.” It is shown above. So Falk was not obscure. His relationship to the Masonry and the O.T.O. is undeniable. His link to modern Kabalistic, magical, and mystical traditions is at least as important as that of Eliphas Levi, even though he is not as well known today. Why is he not well known? Because the only writing he did, his diary, wasn’t published until 2002, and that was in Hebrew. Falk’s link to the Golden Dawn may only be indirect. For a more direct link it would have to be shown that the dates in the History Lection are wrong (a strong possibility) or that Falk’s son used his father’s name and reputation (unlikely, but possible) In Mackenzie’s Book (the Cyclopaedia), he says that Falk headed a “Cabalistic college” in London. He was, no doubt, referring to the “brotherhood” started by Falk. Could it be that this was the first British lodge of the Golden Dawn? Falk’s son died in 1824. But is there any way to show a direct relationship between this brotherhood/Cabalistic college of Falk and the German Jewish lodge referred to in the G.D. documents as the source of the Golden Dawn? Yes. According to a book published in Germany in 1932, a Jewish Masonic Lodge called the Aurore Naisante was founded in London in 1817. It was founded under the authority of the Duke of Sussex who was the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge in England, but without the authorization of the Frankfurt lodge. As a result, it was closed by the Frankfurt Masonic authorities in 1822, but may have continued on its own. A Jewish Masonic Lodge was also founded in 1807 in Frankfurt under the auspices of the Grand Orient, the more occult version of the Freemasons. In French it too was called the Aurore Naissante and in German it was Zur Aufgehenden Morgenrote. This is very similar to the name of the German temple that supposedly gave authorization to found the famed British Golden Dawn as recorded in the GD’s History Lection. Among the founders of this German Jewish Masonic lodge were three Freemasons who were well-known at the time: Ludwig Borne, Gabriel Riesser and Berthold Auerbach. These men were also associated with the fringe Masonic rite known as the Strict Observance of Baron von Hund. Was is all this important? The S.O. had secret leaders known as “The Secret Chiefs,” an important aspect of the Golden Dawn. The S.O. was also interested in magick and alchemy, two major interests of the G.D. (Yes, I know this is getting a bit conspiratorial.) WHAT IT MEANS: It seems to me that the information about the early history of the Golden Dawn as included in the History Lection of the Order is based on history, but is rather garbled. Therefore, there are three possible sources for how this information got into the History Lection which was written by W.W. Westcott: He got hand-written information that had been copied many times and errors had slipped in. He got it in person from someone who knew the history but whose memory was failing after 60 years. He read it but didn’t remember it accurately himself. I don’t think we’ll ever have a completely accurate history of the Golden Dawn. Personally, I don’t think that matters. It’s the work we do today that counts, not the history.

Rihanna Paying UFO Watcher In Mohave Desert To Update Her On Alien Activity? The 'Diamonds' singer is said to be convinced aliens will land on Earth during her lifetime. Rihanna has reportedly started paying a UFO watcher out in America to keep an eye on the skies for alien activity. The 'We Found Love' singer is alleged to have a keen interest in potential Extra Terrestrial activity, and is said to be paying a sky scanner out in the Mojave desert to give her updates. "Rihanna has always been convinced aliens will land on Earth in her lifetime," a source told the Daily Star this week. "So she's started using the man, who calls himself a sky scanner, to give her information from Nevada on anything that relates to sightings. "This isn't a fad for Rihanna, she's a total believer and doesn't mind spending her money on it to get results," they claim. The 'Diamonds' singer is currently out in New York City, while fresh claims suggest she and Chris Brown split earlier this year over their differing views on raising a family. Check out a picture of Rihanna in New York City this week below (Credit: Splash): Rihanna's fashion TV series Styled To Rock is due to return in November for a second season.

FRENCH voters planning to back centre-right incumbent President Nicolas Sarkozy in next month's election have sex less often than their left-wing rivals, according to a poll published today. The survey, conducted by the respected polling institute Ifop on behalf of the pornographic magazine Hot Video, measured the intensity and variety of the sex lives of various voting blocs using several criteria. According to the results, voters for Sarkozy's UMP make love on average 6.7 times a month, slightly less often than supporters of his main challenger, the Socialist Party's Francois Hollande, on 7.6. Followers of Marine Le Pen's far-right anti-immigrant National Front top the frequency league, having sex eight times a month, while those of centrist Francois Bayrou manage only 5.9 trysts in the same period. Right-wingers also report having had fewer partners over the course of their lives, with seven compared to nine on the left, but once again it was the extreme right on top, with Le Pen supporters claiming 10. But these extra partners don't seem to satisfy the far-right, as 31 per cent of them declare themselves unhappy with their sex life, compared to 26 per cent in the population as a whole and 21 per cent among Socialists. Supporters of Jean-Luc Melenchon's Communist-backed Left Front were the most sexually frustrated, with 35 per cent of them complaining. Ifop said it had conducted the poll among 1411 adults in a weighted sample designed to reflect French society, and had taken care to minimise the margin of error "inherent in a questionnaire dealing with such intimate topics".

Today (28 June) marks the 175th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s coronation at Westminster Abbey. Naturally this major national event was attended by members of both Houses of Parliament. Although it was members of the House of Lords who performed key roles in the ceremony, with peers paying homage to the new queen, MPs also had a privileged view of proceedings, with two of the three galleries above the altar being reserved for them. (The third gallery housed the trumpeters of the orchestra.) On the morning of the coronation around 500 MPs assembled in the Commons chamber. One newspaper report recorded that ‘Some excellent scenes took place on the entrance of Members noted for carelessness in their dress on ordinary occasions, but who appeared upon this instance in splendid attire. Mr Fector and Mr Campbell, the former of whom wore a peach-coloured velvet Court dress, while the latter was attired in the plaid of his clan, were assailed with loud cries of Hear, hear, and as they advanced up the House, the assembly of the first gentlemen in the world stood up, and with one accord shouted their acclamation’. John Fector was the House’s newest member, having been re-elected for Maidstone at a by-election less than two weeks earlier. After prayers, the Speaker announced that there would be a ballot to determine the order in which MPs would take their seats in the Abbey, and the names of counties were drawn from a glass by the Clerk of the House. The representatives of those counties and of the boroughs which lay within them then left the House in turn, the Irish county of Meath being the first to be drawn. The need to dress appropriately meant that Fector’s fellow Conservative MP for Maidstone, Benjamin Disraeli, had initially decided against attending, writing to his sister that ‘I must give up on going to the coronation, as we go in state, and all the M.P.s. must be in court dresses or uniforms. As I have withstood making a costume of this kind for other purposes, I will not make one now, and console myself by the conviction that to get up very early (eight o’clock), to sit dressed like a flunky in the Abbey for seven or eight hours, and to listen to a sermon by the Bishop of London, can be no great enjoyment’. However, Disraeli changed his mind, writing on 29 June that ‘I went to the coronation after all. I did not get a dress till 2.30 on the morning of the ceremony, but it fitted me very well. It turned out that I had a very fine leg, which I never knew before! The pageant within the Abbey was without exception the most splendid, various, and interesting affair at which I ever was present… I had one of the best seats in the Abbey, indeed our House had the best of everything… The Queen looked very well, and performed her part with great grace and completeness, which cannot in general be said of the other performers; they were always in doubt as to what came next, and you saw the want of rehearsal.’ He noted that the Duke of Wellington ‘was loudly cheered when he made his homage’, but was disdainful of the performance of the Whig Prime Minister, Viscount Melbourne, who ‘looked very awkward and uncouth, with his coronet cocked over his nose, his robes under his feet, and holding the great sword of state like a butcher’. Disraeli also commented on Fector’s ‘gorgeous dress’ and the fact that the Irish parliamentary leader, Daniel O’Connell, had bowed to convention and ‘looked very well’ in his court dress, although he was ‘hooted greatly… by the mob’. The Radical MP Joseph Hume refused to wear court dress, and was therefore prevented from sitting in the gallery reserved for MPs, but found a place elsewhere in the Abbey. A month later, motivated by his customary desire for retrenchment, Hume asked questions in the Commons about the expense of the coronation. Also present at the coronation was another figure who, like Disraeli, would become a major political force during Queen Victoria’s reign: William Gladstone. The coronation took place on his sister Helen’s birthday. Unlike Disraeli’s gossipy account to his sister, Gladstone’s diary entry recorded tersely that ‘The service is noble. The sight magnificent’. After attending at the Abbey, he went to the Carlton Club to see the coronation procession, and then to Bath House to see the fireworks, before returning home at 1:30 a.m. Disraeli and Gladstone were certainly not alone in enjoying the coronation festivities. It was thus perhaps hardly surprising that when the Commons met the following day at 4 p.m., it was found to be inquorate, and the Speaker duly adjourned the House. Advertisements

Although my wife and I have taken several trips together since getting married, we still haven’t gone on an official honeymoon. My old job required me to work weekends and I couldn’t take any time off around the date of our wedding ceremony, so I was back in the office two days after saying “I do.” As such, my wife and I didn’t get to do the typical newlywed travel activities. You know, things like toasting each other with champagne every night for a week, lounging on the beach and giggling as we call each other Mr. and Mrs. Baseel, or beating the hell out of a convenience store clerk, like the Chinese newlyweds who are not only just married, but were also just arrested in Japan. On the morning of Saturday, September 26, a pair of newlywed Chinese nationals, the groom 36 and the bride 25, walked into a convenience store in the Chuo Ward of Sapporo, the largest city on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido. Apparently craving a post-breakfast treat, they grabbed a package of ice cream from the cooler box, opened it up, and started munching away on it in the store. Unless you’re the Dalai Lama, however, Japanese convenience stores prefer you pay for the merchandise before you start consuming it. When the 24-year-old Japanese male clerk who was on-duty spotted what the couple was doing, he gestured for them to leave the store. It’s unclear whether he first tried to speak to the couple in Japanese, or why he gestured for them to leave the store instead of pay for their ice cream. What is clear, though, is that the couple responded by punching him in the face, kicking him, and grabbing his hair. While two-on-one-ing a common opponent with that move set will get you a high score in Double Dragon, it’s generally frowned upon in the real world of inexpensive snack commerce. The police were called, arrived to find the assault ongoing, and promptly arrested the pair. The husband, who told the authorities he is a banker from Shanghai and that he and his wife are on their honeymoon in Japan, said that he felt the clerk was being disrespectful, giving his statement as “I thought my wife was being insulted. It is true that I hit him.” The pair remain in police custody, and now face the possibility of having to downgrade from convenience store sweets to the subpar desserts served by the Japanese penal system’s correctional facilities. Source: Sankei News Top image: Wikipedia/Kuha455405

The notion of continuations as first-class values has been a tricky subject for me to understand to a comfortable level of certainty. I think this is probably true for many PLT-laymen like myself. This article represents my attempt at collecting and presenting my thoughts in a coherant manner! I'd be happy to receive corrections and comments. I will start by defining a few key terms in my own style. Continuation We can observe that every expression, regardless of complexity, has the ultimate goal of returning a value to some surrounding execution context. That context is known as a continuation - it represents everything that is left to compute. Therefore, every computation has an associated continuation, which specifies the place from which execution should continue once control has been returned. As a simple example, consider the following Scheme form: ( lambda ( n ) ( + n 1 )) The continuation associated with the sub-expression "1" is an anonymous function, whose body consists of a call to the + primitive procedure whose first argument is the local variable n and whose second argument is being sought. With this understanding we can say expressions deliver values and continuations receive values. Current continuation By "current", we are referring to the continuation that would be derived from the current point in a programs execution. In other words, the current point of execution, lexical environment and state of the call stack (You should be familiar with the stack and the heap). First-class object For an object to be a "first-class citizen" in a programming language, it needs a few properties. Specifically, it must support being: passed as a parameter to a function; returned from a function; stored in a variable or within a data structure; constructed at runtime. Things like numbers and strings are first-class in most programming languages. Functions are first-class in all functional programming languages. And in Scheme, my language of choice for this article, nearly everything can be considered first-class - including continuations as we'll see shortly. OK, now continuations in Scheme In order to render the abstract notion of the current execution context (the current continuation) to the programmer, Scheme needs some way to represent it. It would have been possible to implement specific objects and syntax into the language to handle this, but it's much easier to simply represent the current continuation as a first-class function. This process of transforming something implicit into something that can be explicitely expressed is known as "reification". So we can say Scheme reifies the current continuation as a function object. Scheme provides the function call-with-current-continuation (aliased as call/cc) to furnish continuations to the programmer. call/cc is a unary function that accepts a further unary function, f, as it's argument. When invoked, Scheme will reify the current continuation, c, as a function and apply f to c. Therefore: c ( call/cc f ) --> c ( f c ) ; Not Scheme. c(...) represents the current continuation When c is applied to an argument, v, the existing continuation is terminated and the one represented by c is reinstated. So program flow will continue on from where the continuation was captured and v will become the overall value of the call/cc invokation. Confusing? Take a look at this simple example: ( call/cc ( lambda ( return ) ( + 2 ( return 4 ) 1 ))) At first glance, you may think this expression will evaluate to 7, but infact, it will evaluate to 4. This is because we've captured the current continuation in the formal parameter return and then applied it to the number 4. This causes program flow to return instantly to the point at which the continuation was taken. Yep -- when applied, c will never return! We are effectively emulating the "return" control operator that allows early-escape in many popular programming languages. To demonstrate the concept of early-escape in a more effective manner, let me show you two versions of a small Scheme procedure - one that makes use of continuations and one that does not. The procedure has-sym? accepts as arguments an S-expression (in this case a list of symbols and/or nested lists of symbols) and a symbol. It returns true if the given symbol is present somewhere within the S-expression. First of all, take a look at the non-continuation version: ( define ( has-sym? lst s ) ( cond (( empty? lst ) #f ) ; Nothing left, must not be present. (( list? ( car lst )) ; Is a sublist, inspect it also. ( or ( has-sym? ( car lst ) s ) ( has-sym? ( cdr lst ) s ))) (( eq? s ( car lst )) #t ) ; Found a match, return true to the caller! ( else ( has-sym? ( cdr lst ) s )))) ; Nothing yet, keep looking... Whilst concise and easy to understand, this implementation (because it's defined as a recursive process) suffers from the slight hassle in that even if we find a match, we need to wait until the call-stack unwinds before the actual result gets back to the continuation in which the has-sym? procedure was called. If, perhaps, we captured the continuation of the has-sym? procedure with call/cc and then defined a local helper procedure (to perform the search) inside our function argument, we'd be able to invoke the continuation object and jump straight out of the procedure as soon as we found a match. For example: ( define ( has-sym? lst s ) ( call/cc ( lambda ( return ) ( define ( find lst ) ; Helper proc, local to lambda argument of call/cc. ( cond (( empty? lst ) #f ) (( list? ( car lst )) ( or ( find ( car lst )) ( find ( cdr lst )))) (( eq? s ( car lst )) ( return #t )) ; A match! Invoke 'return' for an early-escape! ( else ( find ( cdr lst ))))) ( find lst )))) ; We end up here when/if 'return' is invoked. At this point it may be worth pointing out that continuations in Scheme, whilst far more powerful, are also more conservative than the GOTO statement of other languages for we can only revert control back to a place we have already visited (obviously, this is a good thing!). Also note that applying a continuation, unlike lexical closures, does not reinstate the referencing environment! If you change the values of variables - they will remain changed. Continuations as first-class citizens So far I've tried to explain the notions of both first-class objects and continuations in Scheme, but when we combine the two and start considering continuations themselves as being of first-class status, we open up a treasure trove of cool ideas. For example, consider the following mind-bender: ( define ( fact n ) ( let* (( total n ) ( k ( call/cc ( lambda ( kk ) kk )))) ( set! n ( - n 1 )) ( set! total ( * total n )) ( if ( <= n 1 ) total ( k k )))) We can demonstrate the indefinite extent of continuations in Scheme by capturing the continuation (reified as a first-class function) in the local variable k. This definition of factorial works by capturing the continuation object, modifying the parameter n and local variable total in place, and then invoking the continuation with itself as an argument. This causes something of a local GOTO and rebinds the original continuation to the local variable k. This process continues until n reaches 1 at which point we return the total back to the user. The let* ** form is important here as it will expand into a series of nested **let forms. Without this, we'd rebind total to the original value of n on each invokation of the continuation object. With *let ** we can store a running total. As you can see, we have used our power over control flow to compute factorial without using recursion or any built in looping construct. Of course, this implementation also suffers from two obvious downsides: It's somewhat esoteric and hard to understand It mutates local state, which makes it harder to prove that this function will maintain referential transparency. And so... With the power of first-class continuation handling at our disposal, we have the ability to define several control flow constructs common to other programming languages, such as backtracking, try/catch exception handling and "green" threads. Studying a topic like continuations helps us to solidify our knowledge of several concepts we may generally grow to take for granted. The idea of managing control flow is so rudimentary to our field that we may never stop to think about how such an implicitely understood idea can be explained effectively. In terms of further reading, I'd suggest the call-with-current-continuation, Continuation and Call stack articles on Wikipedia. The R5RS standard documents call/cc and other control-handling procedures that are available in Scheme. The discussion on understanding continuations at Lambda the Ultimate also helped me in writing this article. And, finally, I think when such high-level control of continuations is given to a programmer, the words of the great Uncle Ben must be remembered:

During his panel at Fan Expo Canada, Aquaman star Jason Momoa answered a number of questions about his forthcoming role. He couldn't say much, which is no surprise, but he did address some very broad-brush things like whether the character will be as dark as Superman and Batman seem to be, and what he has to say to fans who make "fish jokes" about the character. "It's cute and funny, people make fun of him, there's a bunch of jokes about him, but I'm like, 'Just wait. Let's just wait a little bit, and then you can make jokes,'" Momoa said. You can see a supercut of Momoa answering Aquaman inquiries below. Momoa is expected to appear in March's Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, followed by two Justice League movies and an Aquaman stand-alone film. Check out our comic book movie release calendar for more details on just when those are coming.

SAN FRANCISCO (CN) – Oakland police beat a war veteran so badly they ruptured his spleen, then sent him to a jail where “medical personnel mocked and ignored his pleas for help,” the man claims in court. Kayvan Sabeghi sued Oakland and three police officers – Marcell Patterson, Sgt. Patrick Gonzalez, and Frank (last name unknown) – in Federal Court. Sabeghi claims the police beat him as he walked home alone after participating in an Occupy Oakland protest. “These wrongs occurred in the wee hour of Nov. 3, 2011, during political demonstrations initiated by the Occupy Oakland movement,” the complaint states. “Mr. Sabeghi had participated in the protect activity, gone out to dinner and was making his way home when he encountered a police line blocking his path. When Mr. Sabeghi, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, questioned and verbally criticized the officers’ actions, defendant Officer Frank Uu and other Oakland Police officers brutally beat and arrested him in retaliation for his exercise of his First Amendment rights. “Officer Uu and other officers beat plaintiff so viciously that they ruptured his splenic vein, causing severe pain and internal bleeding. Rather than summoning medical attention or taking plaintiff to the hospital, the Oakland Police officers proceeded to detain him at various locations near City Hall for some hours, and then transferred him to the Alameda County Jail, in further unlawful punishment for his First Amendment expression. Police officers, jailers and jail medical personnel mocked and ignored his pleas for help. Plaintiff was not taken to a hospital until approximately 18 hours after the beating. He had been bleeding internally the entire time and was in dire condition necessitating immediate emergency surgery.” Sabeghi says the officers confronted him after her stopped at a newsstand near his home. “Plaintiff asked to be allowed to pass, but the officers refused. Plaintiff was upset by this arbitrariness and began verbally arguing with the officers and criticizing the police. The police line began to move slowly forward … and two Doe officers jabbed plaintiff repeatedly with wooden clubs. Plaintiff retreated backward at a pace with the police. At no time did plaintiff present a physical threat to the police. “Suddenly, defendant Uu came through the police line and confronted plaintiff, cursing at him, and then struck him repeatedly with a club, driving him towards the west sidewalk in front of the police line. Although plaintiff did not resist or fight back and was not physically aggressive in any way, defendants Uu, Patterson, and other officers tackled him at or near the curb with unnecessary and excessive force, piling on top of him and violently twisting his arms. Plaintiff suffered internal injuries as well as cuts and bruises. There was no justification for the use of force on plaintiff. Defendant Sgt. Gonzalez and other superiors failed to adequately supervise Officer Uu and other officers, failed to intervene, and approved and condoned the officers’ unlawful conduct against plaintiff.” Sabeghi says he was put in a police van alone after the beating, then forced to sit on a curb with other handcuffed prisoners. He says police refused to wash a “chemical agent” from his face, to loosen “his painfully tight handcuffs,” or provide medical attention. “Eventually, defendants caused plaintiff to be put on a sheriff’s bus and taken to the Alameda County Jail, in violation of their California statutory obligation to cite and release a misdemeanor arrestee such as plaintiff and in retaliation for plaintiff’s exercise of his First Amendment rights. Defendants failed to communicate plaintiff’s need for medical attention to the Alameda County personnel,” the complaint states. “Plaintiff had been bleeding internally this entire time and once at the jail, he began to experience severe pain and to vomit repeatedly. The sheriff’s personnel and medical personnel at the jail ignored plaintiff’s requests for help even though he was vomiting and unable to stand. Rather than providing medical attention, the jail and medical personnel ridiculed plaintiff, accusing him of being a heroin addict. Plaintiff was confined under unreasonably unsanitary conditions, and moved from holding cell to holding cell, each one filthy and stinking, as he continued to bleed internally. Even after a friend paid his bail, he was not released for several more hours. Finally, an ambulance was brought and he was taken to Alameda County Highland Hospital, some 18 hours or more after he was beaten by defendants. At the hospital, plaintiff received emergency surgery to repair a ruptured blood vessel in his abdomen, caused by the police beating. He remained in the hospital for five days.” Sabeghi says he suffered pain and disability for eight months after the beating. He lost earnings and was unable to participate in “many of his customary exercise and leisure activities.” He seeks punitive damages for constitutional violations, assault and battery and false imprisonment. He is represented by Dennis Cunningham. Like this: Like Loading...