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A 5-year-old boy was attacked by a mountain lion at around 8 p.m. Friday. The attack happened in the family's yard at their home near Lower River Road in the community of Lower Woody Creek about 10 miles northwest of Aspen. The boy suffered injuries to his head, neck and face, according to the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office. A news release said the boy and his older brother were outside their home playing in the yard. The boys' mother was inside the home and heard her son start screaming. The mother ran outside and saw the mountain lion on top of her child. She then fought off the lion and pulled her son out of its grip. “If that animal engages, not just a lion, but a bear, you want to fight," said Matt Robbins with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. "You want to put up a resistance and you want that animal to know that you’re not an easy prey. From what I understand from reports, she did absolutely the right thing.” Deputies said the mother sustained minor injuries to her hand and legs. Sign up for the 9NEWSLETTER Thank You Something went wrong. This email will be delivered to your inbox once a day in the morning. Thank You for signing up for the 9NEWSLETTER Please try again later. Submit The boy's father drove the child to Aspen Valley Hospital for treatment. Pitkin Sheriff's deputies and a U.S. Forest Service officer went to the home and spotted the mountain lion nearby. A short time later, the Forest Service officer found the 2-year-old mountain lion, shot it and killed it. Parks and Wildlife officials are still investigating the incident, and a necropsy will be performed on the lions suspected in the attack to see if they were involved. Officers also looking for a second mountain lion that had been spotted in the area by witnesses earlier Friday. They found the mountain lion about 600 yards away from the attack site around 2 a.m. and euthanized it. “We’ll be doing a DNA tech. We’ll be checking not only the saliva of the animal, but also checking within the claws and the mouth and the fur of the animal to see if any those correlate with what was found on the victim,” said Robbins. The boy was brought to Children's Hospital via helicopter in fair condition, according to Aspen Valley Hospital. The last known lion attack on a human in Colorado occurred in July 2015 when a young lion attacked a man as he fished along the Coffee Pot Road north of Dotsero. The man was scratched and bitten on his back and was treated and released from a local clinic. The lion in that incident, a small yearling male, was tracked down and killed. There have been three fatal mountain lion attacks and 18 people injured since 1990. CPW officials have cautioned the public that lion sightings are increasing across Colorado, likely due to a growing human population encroaching on lion habitat in conjunction with a robust lion population in the state. Colorado Parks and Wildlife offers extensive information on its website. If you live in lion country, keep the following tips in mind: Don't feed any wildlife. It attracts lion prey like foxes, raccoons and deer. Predators follow prey Avoid planting non-native shrubs and plants that deer prefer to eat. It might encourage wildlife to come onto your property Make noise if you come and go during the times mountain lions are most active—dusk to dawn Install outside lighting in areas where you walk so you could see a lion if one were present Closely supervise children whenever they play outdoors. Make sure children are inside before dusk and not outside before dawn. Talk with children about lions and teach them what to do if they meet one Landscape or remove vegetation to eliminate hiding places for lions, especially around children's play areas. Make it difficult for lions to approach unseen Keep your pet under control. Roaming pets are easy prey and can attract lions. Bring pets in at night. If you leave your pet outside, keep it in a kennel with a secure top Don't feed pets outside; this can attract raccoons and other animals that are eaten by lions. Store all garbage securely Place livestock in enclosed sheds or barns at night. Close doors to all outbuildings since inquisitive lions may go inside for a look When you walk or hike in mountain lion country, go in groups and make plenty of noise to reduce your chances of surprising a lion. A sturdy walking stick can ward off a lion. Make sure children are close to you and within your sight at all times. Talk with children about lions and teach them what to do if they meet one Do not approach a lion, especially one that is feeding or with kittens. Most mountain lions will try to avoid a confrontation. Give them a way to escape Stay calm when you come upon a lion. Talk calmly yet firmly to it. Move slowly Stop or back away slowly, if you can do it safely. Do not turn and run! Running may stimulate a lion's instinct to chase and attack. Face the lion and stand upright Do all you can to appear larger. Raise your arms. Open your jacket if you are wearing one. If you have small children with you, protect them by picking them up so they won't panic and run If the lion behaves aggressively, throw stones, branches or whatever you can get your hands on without crouching down or turning your back. Wave your arms slowly and speak firmly. Convince the lion you are not prey and that you may in fact be a danger to the lion Fight back if a lion attacks you. Lions can be driven away by prey that fights back. People have fought back with rocks, sticks, caps or jackets, garden tools and their bare hands successfully. Remain standing or try to get back up Encourage your neighbors to follow these simple precautions. Prevention is far better than a possible lion confrontation Copyright 2016 KUSA

IS claims killing of Hindu tailor in Bangladesh: SITE The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the murder of a Hindu tailor in central Bangladesh on Saturday, a US-based monitoring group said. Nikhil Chandra Joarder, who was hacked to death by at least two attackers outside his shop, may have been killed for making derogatory remarks about the Prophet Mohammed several years ago, police said. "Elements from the Islamic State assassinated a Hindu in the city of Tangail in Bangladesh by stabbing him to death," the IS-affiliated Amaq news agency said, citing a source, according to SITE Intelligence Group. Bangladeshi protesters in Dhaka demonstrate on April 29, 2016 against the killing of a university professor days earlier in the capital "He was known for blaspheming the Prophet Muhammad," Amaq added in the Arabic-language message. Police officials told AFP they were investigating whether the killing was linked to Islamist militants or tied to a family dispute. "They came on a motorcycle and attacked him as he sat on a roadside," deputy chief of Tangail district police Aslam Khan said. "They hacked him on his head, neck and hand." Muslim-majority Bangladesh is reeling from a series of brutal attacks on members of minority faiths, secularists, foreigners and intellectuals in recent months, including two gay activists and a liberal professor in the past eight days alone. Many of the killings have been blamed on or claimed by Islamist groups -- and in several cases, attackers riding motorbikes hacked the victims to death with machetes or cleavers. In 2012, local Muslims had filed a complaint with police against Joarder, who owned a tailoring shop, for making derogatory comments about the Prophet Mohammed. Charged with hurting religious sentiments, he spent three weeks in jail. The trial did not proceed "after the complainants withdrew the charges," Abdul Jalil, police chief of Gopalpur sub-district, told AFP. The dispute appeared to have ended peacefully, another official said, adding that the victim's family said he was also being threatened by a relative. - 'Claim has no base' - The IS group has in recent months claimed responsibility for the killing of Christians, Hindu priests and members of the minority Sufi, Ahmadi and Shiite faiths in Bangladesh. However, the government denies that international Islamists such as the IS group or Al-Qaeda have a presence in the country, blaming homegrown militants for the killings instead. "There is no presence of Islamic State in this country. The claim has no base," Bangladesh home minister Asaduzzaman Khan told The Daily Star newspaper of the IS group claim Saturday. "In the name of IS, a vested quarter is trying to destabilise the country." Separately, police said Saturday they had arrested two members of a banned Islamist militant outfit, Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), in the case of a Christian convert brutally hacked to death in March. "The JMB men are suspects in the murder of Hossain Ali Sarker," Kurigram district police chief Tobarak Ullah told AFP, adding that the arrests took place two days ago. In February, suspected Islamists decapitated a top Hindu priest inside a temple complex in one of the country's northern districts, in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. The murders come amid a long-running political crisis some suggest has radicalised government opponents. Analysts say Islamists now pose a growing danger in the South Asian country. At least 30 members of religious minorities, secular activists, foreigners and intellectuals have been murdered in Bangladesh in the past three years. Hindus, the country's largest religious minority, make up nearly 10 percent of Bangladesh's 160 million people. In another killing claimed by the Islamic State group, a university professor was hacked to death in Dhaka on April 23, 2016 ©Str (AFP/File)

Nekekur Watches Symphogear: S2 E1 Season 2: Electric Boogaloo first episode here, masterlist here - Maybe should’ve saved that image for the start of Season 4, but I could be frickin dead by that point considering what this anime puts me through, so might as well use it while I can. “Agonizing pain” aside, I’m thrumming with excitement at starting the second season of Symphogear! No matter the trials we’re sure to endure, I trust this anime will sweeten the suffering with plenty of radness, fun times, and of course, extravagant lesbianism. I block out Symphogear-related stuff for the sake of avoiding spoilers, but things inevitably leak through (anon is now disabled for this reason), and I do remember seeing some fanart of this series before I started watching it. So, I gotta say upfront there are two things I know about Season 2 in advance. The first being that we get a new pink magical girl, and people ship her with Tsubasa. That’s it, that’s all I know about her. I don’t know her name, what her skills or personality are, what her role in the story is, why some people ship her with Tsubasa, and whether there’s any canon basis for this ship or if it’s just fan crack. All I know about her: is pink, is a Symphogear, and is weak to the Leg. (Really though, who wouldn’t be?) The second thing I know about Season 2, and thankfully this isn’t really a spoiler, but I’ve been told “the girls make some weird fashion choices” apparently? I don’t know what the big deal is, the first season had mostly normal clothing. Except Chris’s bizarre thneed thing. How ba-aad can it be? I guess we’ll find out. One more thing I should add before pressing play: I’m gonna keep these posts about the episodes only, so any non-episode material, such as the OVAs/ manga/ keywords/ etc., I’ve decided to wait to watch until after the first three seasons. Tl;dr explanation why here. Okay, I think that covers any pre-season thoughts. Eager to start watching, so let’s not wait another moment. Brace for ten degrees down bubble, folks, it’s time to dive dive dive right in! Here we go, Episode 1: The Gungnir Girl! We open the new season with a grayed-out scene, presumably a flashback. A young woman’s voice sings over the scene as a lone Symphogear stands in a burning and collapsing building. In her hand she clutches a… …tiny white metal-plated monster fetus? Fuck is that. It sure doesn’t look like the monsters we’ve seen before. The Noise never really had faces, but this thing has a clearly defined bony facial structure, including eyes. Could this be a new type of Noise, or a different monster entirely? A second unknown girl stumbles through the rubble toward the Symphogear girl. But it may already be too late. Yikes, those look like Climax Song wounds! Never forget. So I suppose Unknown Girl 1 died from her Climax Song while she held the white monster fetus thingy, and Unknown Girl 2 will now become a Symphogear herself and set out on a quest of personal vengeance to slay the tiny white Moby Dick monster? Who are these people? Where did that first girl get her Gear? I thought our team’s top-secret agency, a.k.a. Section 2, had a monopoly on Symphogear technology. It’s hard to see exactly what’s happening in this flashback due to the way it’s shot, and the swirling flames and collapsing building obscuring the scene even more. I have no more idea of what is going on around me right now than a squirrel caught on a merry-go-round. But, prologues are meant to be Mysterious, so any viewer confusion is likely intentional. This flashback will no doubt become clearer as we get deeper into the season. The wounded girl continues to sing while holding the Moby Dick fetus, but the building crumbles around her. Unknown Girl 2, who I’m gonna call Ahab until proven otherwise, is saved by another unknown person who dashes in and tackles her out of the way of burning debris. Ahab can only watch, helpless and horrified, as her Symphogear friend (girlfriend?) presumably dies. The scene ends with a shot of Ahab’s stricken face. WELP GLAD TO SEE WE’RE OFF TO A CHEERFUL START ANOTHER FUN-FILLED SEASON AHEAD OF US, I SEE TOP FORM, SYMPHOGEAR. TOP FORM. After that prologue, we get a look at… Saturn? Turns out that’s what the moon looks like now, post-Kadingir. We get a few seconds to take in the view before the camera swoops on over to a pop idol performance. Oh hey, it’s the prophesied pink girl! That was fast. So she’s a pop idol, too? Maybe that’s why people ship her with T-boss. She sings a darkly energetic song. In Engrish, even. But hey, at least it’s a step up from Finé’s “duck-hunting.” We intercut between her performance and a Noise attack at a different location. A military train hurtles along the tracks, trying to escape the pursuing monsters. The train busts out anti-air turrets against the Noise, because apparently they didn’t Get That Memo from Lumbergh that conventional weapons are useless against the Noise. Only a Symphogear can defeat them. We get a look inside the train and see a woman recognizable as a Section 2 agent from the first season, but damned if I know her name. Pink girl’s lyrics play over the scene, and the agent tells some scientist clutching a box to get to safety. Dr. Ver? For real, this guy’s name is Dr. Ver? That is like two shades away from being a flat-out Bond villain’s name. Dr. No and the agent are soon joined by… OUR GIRLS, THERE THEY ARE! It’s the episode’s titular “Gungnir Girl” and her jellyfish-haired friend! I’m clutching my own cheeks from joy at seeing Hibiki and Chris again. It hasn’t been that long, but I missed them so! I can’t imagine how it must’ve felt to viewers who had the wait the entire inter-season gap during broadcast. Now all we’re missing is Tsubasa. Where she at? Probably lying in wait elsewhere on the train, waiting for the exact perfect moment to make the most dramatic entrance possible. A motorcycle may or may not be involved. The girls confer with the agent and Dr. Ver about the Noise attacking their train. Chris points out: Well, Chris, you’re the only person besides Finé capable of that, so… …Nevermind, I forgot you don’t know what you’re doing either. They don’t have time to speculate on who could be controlling these Noise, however, as the bombardment continues. We still switch between this scene and the pop idol, with her lyrics overlaying their conversation. New girl, your song is cool, but who the hell are you and why is your performance intercut with this train attack? I think the anime is trying to parallel Tsubasa’s solo concert from Season 1, which was also intercut with a scene of Hibiki and Chris fighting the Noise together. But it made sense there to blend Tsubasa’s concert with Hibiki and Chris’s fight, because that concert was Tsubasa’s fight. It was the culmination of her character arc for the entire season, where she finally Let It Go, The Self-Loathing Never Bothered Me Anyway, and moved forward after years of pain. But here with the new girl, we have no idea who her character is as a person or what her arc will be, so there can be no viewer investment in her yet and therefore no satisfaction from seeing her perform the way Tsubasa did. So intercutting it with this tense attack scene is just distracting. We get a shot of agents back in the base monitoring the train. Flashy new high-tech base! Looks like they rebuilt the entire place from scratch after Finé destroyed it. The old base design was more elegant and cruise-ship looking, this one looks like they’re hacking into the Matrix. Pretty cool. Snoop Oni, my man, good to see you again! Mercy. The inter-season gap must’ve been rough. But I guess our team dad now has three daughter figures to worry about instead of just one, so it’s no wonder the guy is stressed. The Staff of Solomon? …That Staff of Solomon? How in hell was that Relic not destroyed along with Finé? And if the Staff survived, could that mean Nehushtan or Durandal could be recovered, too? And where are they taking the Staff on this train? It ought to be locked up somewhere, or better yet destroyed for good. We’re still doing this. Also, beautiful, why is your hair shaped like kitty ears? Is this a Thing people do? Well, I guess I shouldn’t be so harsh. It’s not any stranger than that thing Tsubasa always does with her hair where she makes it look like her head has an apostrophe. Pink girl and Ahab are the same person? Maybe that was supposed to be obvious from the start, or maybe I just got distracted by the glee of seeing Hibiki and Chris again. The team is able to make it to another train car away from the Noise. Dr. No tells us it’s been three months since the Red Dragon’s apocalypse, which they are calling the Lunar Attack because… …actually I have no idea why they’re calling it that when holy shit that is such a lamer name than RED DRAGON APOCALYPSE seriously this could be the name of a frickin metal band why are you passing up this golden opportunity. They released the technology for creating Symphogears? THEY PUBLICLY RELEASED THE BLUEPRINTS FOR CRAFTING A MAGICAL WMD? Wow. Revealing the existence of Gear and telling the world how to make Gear are two completely different things, and the latter sounds like it’s going to create extreme problems for our team. Sure, the ideal is that Symphogear girls will be Good People and will fight to protect others from the Noise, and it’s unfair for Japan to have sole protection from the Noise when the rest of the world just gets eaten by them, but… With this data release, now any schmuck could make a Symphogear and train some girl into their personal weapon. It’s not like Gear is only effective against the Noise, you could use it to kill humans just as easily. What’s to stop some rogue Symphogear girl from going haywire and slaughtering people? What’s to stop some rich warlord from amassing his own personal army of Symphogear mercenaries to invade places? What’s to stop some dictatorship from trafficking little girls and putting them through some vicious brainwashing regimen until they’re magical killers? Hell, that’s not too far removed from what Finé tried to do with turning Chris into her minion. I come from a country where civilians can legally own a TANK and even I think widespread Symphogear access is a bad idea. News broadcasts during the above scene at the end of last season told us the Japanese government was under a lot of international pressure, considering the world almost ended because of Finé’s dickery happening under their watch. But even so, releasing the data in response to that pressure will definitely lead to havoc. Because this anime loves Pain. Dr. Ver continues, telling us the agency is studying the Staff of Solomon. They hope it’ll lead to a better understanding of how the Noise work and how to fight them. I’m glad that Chris, who knows better than anyone, can see that this Relic will cause more harm than good. She even clenches her fist, the same fist she used to wield the Staff herself. Seems her past still haunts her. Finé was the one pulling the strings, but Chris knew full well the strings were there and didn’t try to cut them for a long-ass time. Chris earned her redemption last season, but I like that the anime isn’t just brushing off all the harm she did before she clawed her way out of that life. Redemption doesn’t mean forgetting what you’ve done, it means always staying mindful of what you’ve done, so you can catch yourself if you ever start to backslide. But backsliding into assholery doesn’t seem likely with Hamster-Jesus around to hold Chris’s hand through the self-doubt! Literally. The same hand Chris used to cause pain with the Staff, Hibiki now uses to hold gently and offer reassurance. Hamster knows all about using her hands and fists as weapons, but the heart of her personality has always been to offer those hands in forgiveness before resorting to a fight. THREE MINUTES AND FORTY-NINE SECONDS INTO THE NEW SEASON AND WE ARE GO FOR GAY LIFT-OFF, HOUSTON. I guess to be fair, maybe Ahab and that poor girl she watched die in the prologue scene were gay together, too. We don’t know yet. They could have just been friends or colleagues or sisters. …Uh, not that that would stop a lot of fans from gay-shipping them together. Chris still can’t cope with receiving kindness, so she blushes and calls Hibiki a baka and oh someone save me these two are too cute right now. The moe trifecta is complete. Also, holy art shift, Batman. This new style isn’t bad at all, it’s just jarring to see such a difference in the characters we’re familiar with. They look like doujinshi versions of themselves. Will we get a new art style with each season? Maybe I’ll finally get used to this style and then the anime will yank the rug out from under me for Season 3 and completely redraw them. The agent gets Dr. No and the Staff to safety from the Noise attack, while Hibiki and Chris suddenly remember they’re magical girls and summon their Gear right as the Noise break through the roof. New transformation sequences!! We went from 80s synth rock album covers to… Leonardo sketches? Hibiki’s armor pours over her in this upgraded transformation sequence. We see Gungnir clamp on layer by layer in intense detail. Hibiki gainaxes during the transformation, which I definitely don’t remember happening last season, and then… Oh, Symphogear. Art shift or not, it’s reassuring to know that some things about this anime will never change. Those two little cloth tails at the base of her neck are new, too. They look very Leaderly and they flutter neatly as she moves. We don’t get to see Chris’s new transformation sequence for her Ichaival Gear? BOO! A whole murder’s worth of Noise swoops through the sky, but Hibiki is confident she and Chris can take them out. They’ve been practicing a new combination attack, but Chris says it’s not perfected yet. If Hibiki and Chris don’t use that combo attack for some climactic fight by the end of the season, I will eat one of my daggers. Hamster has a new battle song too, similar to the old but with some alterations. Chris shoots down the Noise while Hibiki sings and stays in melee range to guard Chris’s back. This fight is fucking rad. Now that Symphogears are public knowledge, I guess the agency can start recruiting more openly. This shot would make a highly effective recruitment poster. No text needed, literally the entire poster is just this shot of Hibiki and Chris being badasses and maybe add a link to the agency’s website at the bottom. Even gunned down by Chris and Bruce Lee’d by Hibiki, more Noise keep attacking. The girls have to blow all their DPS cooldowns to take them out. I am drowning in this scene’s flood of awesomeness. We went from recruitment posters to prog-metal album covers. Chris spots the boss Noise and racks a whole clip of missiles to shoot it down. This particular Noise seems to have a pretty high Evade stat, though. She pulls out her Gatlings for more firepower, gainaxing as she does. I better take off my shoes if we’re gonna be spending this much time in the Bounce House this season. I guess the budget didn’t only go toward animating transformation sequences. Snoop Oni and the others continue monitoring the fight from the base. He reflects that the Noise aren’t intelligent enough to plot attacks like this. But if the Staff is already in the agency’s custody, then that rules it out for being what’s controlling these Noise. Chris gripes how the fight would be easier if they still had their super-strong white Gear from last season’s finale. Really though, those things were too powerful for the anime to break out for anything less than another apocalypse. If something is OP, it gets nerfed. That’s just how it works, Chris. A more immediate problem presents itself. The train is about to enter a tunnel, meaning Chris and Hibiki need to move fast or this is gonna turn into a Wile E. Coyote cartoon. Hibiki quickly grabs Chris and kicks back down through the train roof just in time, saving them both from getting smashed into the arch of the tunnel. Yuri hand-holding and a bridal carry in the same episode?! Symphogear, you’re spoiling me. Chris has come so far in terms of teamwork. That’s a far cry from the first time Hibiki saved her. Hibiki gets an idea how to beat the remaining Noise. Hah, still funny. I hope Snoop Oni’s Bruce Lee movies are in every season. Also, if he can pass action movies off as Combat Manuals, can I pass this anime off as Music Appreciation Theory 101? Hibiki decides to uncouple one of the train cars and hit the Noise with it, because this is Hibiki we are talking about here, High Impact is her deal and everything can be solved by smashing hard enough. The Noise in the tunnel are lured into the unhooked train car and trapped by the explosion of her attack. She lands a mighty Thunder Punch, singing as she does. Hamster’s new lyrics are hurting me and they need to stop. Hey, speaking of songs, whatever happened to our new magical girl? We stopped intercutting with Ahab’s stage performance sometime during the battle, but I was too distracted by the awesomeness to notice exactly when. Aaand of course the symbolic dawn breaks right behind Hibiki as she wins the day and poses triumphantly. Even Chris marvels at how strong she’s become. Hamster went from fangirling over Tsubasa’s battle prowess… …to now inspiring that fangirling in others. Maybe someday Chris will get her own fangirl to look up at her adoringly, and the Circle of Life will continue. Where is Tsubasa, actually? It’s true Hibiki has grown in power, and Chris was pretty strong to begin with, but even so, Tsubasa is still Section 2’s most skilled and experienced fighter. You’d think they would include her on a mission as important as transporting the Staff. The train arrives safely at its destination, some kind of military base, and our team hands the Staff to a bunch of soldiers. Dr. Ver, now with the soldiers, thanks Hibiki and Chris for protecting him during the escort. They better get a sweet-ass exp bonus for this mission. Useless escort NPCs like this guy can really tax a girl’s patience. There is no fucking way this guy is not evil. I was shocked when Dr. Ryouko was first revealed as a traitor, since nothing about her ever pinged my bad-guy radar before then. But nope, no surprise factor on Dr. No here. Unnaturally pale coloring, tall and reedy, wears glasses and a lab coat, even has purple trim… Every inch of this character design screams Untrustworthy. The camera even shoots him from a slightly lower angle than the straight-on shots of the girls, subtly making him loom. Is the position of doctor/scientist in this anime going to be like the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, as in we’ll get a new one every season and they’ll all be shady to some degree? This guy is so transparently evil I’m surprised he isn’t stroking a fluffy white cat in his lap. I guarantee you that whoever our villain is this season, Dr. No already works for that villain or will turn to the villain’s side at some point. In fact, he’s so obviously evil, I’m starting to wonder if it’s just a bluff. It can’t be that obvious, can it? Like, is he secretly good underneath? Or is that also too obvious a twist? Maybe it’s a double-twist, and the anime will make you think he has some good beneath the bad, but then nope, turns out he really was just a Scumbag All Along. Hibiki preens so much when he calls a hero that Chris cuffs her over it, because we haven’t had enough adorable interactions between these two already this episode. Also, I don’t know what those earlier “weird fashion” warnings were about. These casual clothes don’t look too strange. I much prefer this outfit for Chris than her original one. Dr. No takes the opportunity to pull more shady expressions when praising their heroism. Buddy, the way you’re behaving right now makes me wonder if you’re the kind of person who is required to update their registration annually. Please take it down a few notches. “Good use” haha we are so fucked, you guys. Dr. No-Chill-Whatsoever is going to use that Staff to rain Noise down on us like a plague of frogs. We’re shown that this outpost is part of the American military, who are now cooperating with the Japanese agency. They’re Marines? Oops, maybe I should go back and edit out references to these guys as “soldiers”, fucken Devil Dogs get real touchy about being called that. I’ve had my nose bitten off before. I’m wary of where this new Japanese/American cooperation will lead. Last time somebody in this anime tried to cooperate with Americans, it didn’t end well for anyone. Hibiki, Chris, and the agent walk off the base, satisfied after a successful mission. Tsubasa blew off an escort mission for a concert? Wow, this kind of mission really does tax a girl’s patience. WELL THAT SCENE WENT FROM ZERO TO SIXTY Shitting geese by the flock. It’s like the concert battle ALL OVER AGAIN. Will this happen every season’s opening episode?? Peaceful scene suddenly interrupted by horrific explosion and Noise attack claiming people’s lives? The Marines open fire on the Noise, but of course it’s useless and they’re slaughtered. Hibiki and Chris rush to help with a disbelieving “Seriously?!” considering they already had to deal with a train’s worth of Noise. But we don’t get to see the battle itself, as we transition to the new girl. Ahab absently hums what sounds like the same song we heard her dying Gal Pal sing in the prologue? She sits in an empty outdoor concert hall, watching the crew break down the stage after her performance from earlier. Wait… why was she performing her song at like 4 a.m.? No, seriously. Her performance we saw earlier was intercut with the scene of Hibiki and Chris fighting the Noise on the train, conveying to the viewer that the two events were happening simultaneously. And yet the sun rises right when Hibiki wins the battle, meaning the battle ended somewhere around 4:30 to 5 a.m.. The girls weren’t fighting the Noise for hours on end, I doubt the battle lasted more than an hour at most. So the only conclusion is that Ahab was up there in full costume under the glaring lights singing her heart out for her audience… in the wee hours of the morning. Ahab’s phone rings, and an ominous female voice speaks through it. Uh… Is… Is the new magical girl… evil? Do people ship Tsubasa with a villain? Because this phone conversation sounds pretty dastardly. “Sacrist S” we can assume refers to the Staff of Solomon, since Durandal was code named Sacrist D. So Ahab and this woman must be the ones behind the Noise attacks on the train and the Marine base. The woman on the phone is speaking kinda creepily, and even the music is shadowy and ill-at-ease. Either Ahab is on the bad guy’s side, or she’s at least a gray character to some degree. I’m… not sure how I feel about this yet, other than shriveling foreboding. More as it develops. This sure can’t bode well for our heroes, though. Ahab seems to be A-okay with whatever plan she is supposed to “begin” once the Staff arrives. Okay yeah there’s no question about grayness now, this character and her mom are definitely going to be bad news for… …Hold on, why is she only wearing one stocking? Enough caffeine shooters will fuck you up, I guess. Back at the Marine outpost, it looks like Hibiki and Chris were able to Fuck That Noise. Survivors survey the post-battle damage while the agent calls in a report to Snoop Oni. She tells him that Dr. Ver is nowhere to be found. Gee, you mean Dr. Bond Villain did something suspicious?? Let me try to contain my shock. So… are we supposed to gather from all this that Ahab and her mom are working with Dr. Ver to steal the Staff to summon Noise and “drop the curtain” i.e. destroy the world? That’s… straightforward? I suppose more plot will develop as we get deeper into the season. Not that this is a bad plot. It makes enough sense and it creates a substantial threat for our heroes. But it feels weird for the anime to lay all that out there when we’re only halfway through the first episode. Season 1’s plot of Finé destroying the world to transform it into one under her control was developed over the course of several episodes, with a lot of symbolism and foreshadowing. Season 2 is laying it all out so fast I can only assume this whole Steal The Staff, Destroy The World deal is just a decoy for the real plot and the real villain, someone who will be bigger and scarier than Ahab and Dr. Ver and who will have something even more dire planned for our heroes than just simple Noise attacks. Snoop Oni tells the agent and the girls to report back to base. We cut to Tsubasa’s concert that Hibiki was excited about. Fuck me with a blunderbuss. I can’t believe this. Not only is Tsubasa performing jointly with someone again after working solo ever since Kanade died, but that someone is Ahab?! OF ALL THE CAFFEINE JOINTS IN ALL THE CONCERT HALLS IN ALL THE WORLD, SHE WALKS INTO OURS Turns out this may just be a one-time thing however, as this TV newscaster tells us tonight’s international concert is a rare collaborative effort between Tsubasa and “the diva Maria”. Ahab’s real name is Maria? Blessed Julie Andrews, forgive me this sin. If the concert is only just now about to start, why was Ahab/Maria up singing at 4 a.m. in costume? Dress rehearsal, I guess? Oh okay, I think I get it now. The song and the train battle were intercut, which usually conveys to viewers that two events are happening at the same time. But instead, the battle was happening in present time while Maria’s cool-but-distracting song was meant to be a flash forward to later in the episode. This feels like a clunky directorial decision. Especially since that scene came right after the prologue’s flashback. So we went from flashback → present time → intercut with future time → then back to present time → then we meet Maria properly during the phone call → and now we’re seeing her song happen for real this time. All this editing choice did was confuse the viewer (well, me at least) and make me think Maria keeps really odd hours. I realize the truth now, but if you think I’m ever going to stop teasing her about it, you’re sadly mistaken. Also, this means I was wrong during her phone scene. That crew wasn’t breaking down the concert hall, they were setting it up for tonight’s performance with Tsubasa. Speaking of Tsubasa, WE FINALLY SEE HER! She’s literally just sitting there doing nothing, but that didn’t stop me right now from letting out an ugly seal-bark of happiness at seeing her again. She’s wearing some kind of black covering, presumably to protect her costume while she waits backstage. It’s much more dignified looking than those oversize altar boy outfits she and Kanade wore before the first concert. There are actually a lot of parallels so far in this episode with the first episode of Season 1. An explosive Noise attack, a concert with two idols, Hibiki excited to attend it, Tsubasa waiting backstage for it to start… Please stop the similarities there, Symphogear, I really don’t want to see anyone die tonight like Kanade. Brown-haired guy, still so nondescript I refuse to use his name out of spite, stands by Tsubasa. Since he’s a Section 2 agent as well as Tsubasa’s manager for her idol career, he gets a phone call from Snoop Oni updating him as to all the terribleness that transpired today. But Snoop Oni insists Tsubasa not cancel her concert. Probably for morale reasons if nothing else. Tsubasa seems pretty calm as she prepares for this important concert. Brown-haired guy doesn’t tell her about all the Shit That Happened Guuuurl You Would Not Believe info he got from Snoop Oni, not wanting to stress her before her performance. Tsubasa sees through his bullshit and knows there must be something wrong, but she’s called away to the stage before she can pin him down on it. Yeah, “healing the hearts of the wounded” doesn’t just mean the concert audience, does it, guy? I mean sure, everybody was traumatized by the Red Dragon apocalypse that burned their city and the Lunar Attack that shattered the moon, and they could really use inspiration from their pop idol to help them through the recovery process. But he’s talking about Tsubasa’s heart. The first backstage scene we saw, Tsubasa was hunched up and nervous, needing Kanade to reassure her. But tonight, she stands tall and confident. This is what she does, her goal in life, sharing her music to inspire people just like Kanade wished. Tsubasa allowing herself to be vulnerable enough to partner with someone again to share that passion, even just for a one-night performance, after she’s been I Work Alone for years, is a huge emotional risk. Healing her wounded heart, as this guy put it. She made a lot of progress last season learning to live with her grief, but she still has some recovery left. Tonight is a big step for her. And she’s going to spend it with someone who wants to end the world. Just fucking fantastic. I wish knowing we’re in for some Hurt would somehow make it less painful. But, that’s one of the cruelties and beauties of Symphogear. The anime often forecasts incoming suffering so clearly yet still manages to make it rain a torrent when it actually arrives. We cut to a surveillance van parked near the concert hall. Heavy, menacing music beats as we move through the interior of the van, where everything is low-lit with blacks and purples, literally the most evil color combination, seriously it never fails. A woman watches the broadcast of Maria’s performance. This must be Maria’s mom she was talking to on the phone earlier. Whether she’s literally her mother or if that’s just a code name, I don’t know. Why Evil Mom is living in a van down by the river outside the concert hall is also a mystery. Uh, wow. Evil Mom’s motto is a phrase historically used by imperialists, military units, and gun rights activists. Yikes. Next thing you know, she’s gonna be spouting “Molon labe”. Is that phrase a description of their plan with stealing the Staff and ending the world? Just slaughter everyone who could possibly threaten you, and then when you look out onto the barren, bloodied wasteland you’ve created, nod your head and say, “Look how peaceful it is now. We’re safe.” I thought we went through that shit with Chris, where she had to unlearn her mentality of wanting to kill everyone in power so they couldn’t start wars like the one that orphaned her when she was little. Maria and her mom need to learn that lesson too, I guess. Maria stands on stage in costume once again (did she remember to put both socks on this time?) and waves at the cheering crowd. TV screens remind us the concert’s being broadcast live all around the world. She and Tsubasa must be wildly popular and their collaboration long awaited. A wider audience just means more victims if another disaster occurs. Are we going to see a slaughter just like the first concert with Tsubasa and Kanade? Will Tsubasa be the one to fall this time? I don’t think Symphogear would kill off such an established character in the first episode, especially after it went to the trouble of resurrecting her twice last season, but… Symphogear has trained me to fear. On the other hand, does this joint concert mean Tsubasa and Maria already know each other? Collaborations between artists take a lot of effort and communication, so presumably she and Maria have been working closely together in the three months of the inter-season timeskip to make this concert possible. In all that time, has Tsubasa not sniffed out that Maria is Up To Something? We see Miku and her school friends in the concert hall, cheering for Maria. Oh merciful Madokami, it’s that “This Isn’t an Anime” girl, aka TIA-chan. I expect she’ll give us plenty of Mr. Gorbachev Tear Down This Fourth Wall moments like last season. That’s Maria’s full name? It sounds like European royalty. I changed my mind. Forget European royalty, it sounds like pony royalty. Dammit. Cannot unsee. Teasing aside, I think it’s really interesting that the new Symphogear girl is named after the two major female characters in Christian mythology. Eve is demonized as the original sinner, the corrupter who tempted her partner into wickedness and fucked everyone else’s lives up because of it. But Maria is idolized as the atoner, the motherly figure of purity who supported her son in redeeming humanity from its inborn sin that Eve cursed them with. Both figures are pretty dehumanizing ways of portraying women, but this is a mythology we’re dealing with here, if it wasn’t at least slightly fucked up we wouldn’t still be talking about it thousands of years later. So if our new magical girl Maria Eve embodies the dual aspects of Corruption and Purity like her name suggests, maybe it means she will eventually purify/atone from her current alignment, which seems to lean toward corrupt/evil from what the anime has shown us so far. I don’t know if “Cadenzavna” is a mythological reference, too. Could just google it, but I worry that might yield spoilers, so I’ll hold off. TIA-chan and the other schoolgirls tell us that Princess Cadence (wait, it’s supposed to be spelled Cadance? Silly ponies) is a hot new music sensation from America. They add that Maria only appeared on the charts a few months ago, but her popularity grew fast due to her impressive “stage presence”. By which I guess they mean, “Girl was up rehearsing all night like a tweaker and she can’t find her other sock for the life of her, but goddamn she’s got a pair of lungs on her!” Miku checks her watch, worried that Hibiki hasn’t shown up for the concert. Her friends worry too, as they know Hamster is a Symphogear, so her being late for an important event could spell something dire. Miku seems downcast, maybe wondering if she might have kept Hibiki in the doghouse too long and now she and Chris have run off together somewhere cozy. Their worries are interrupted as the concert begins. Tsubasa and Princess Cadence rise up through the stage on a platform in front of huge screens that display the name of their duo. Maria gives a scripted opening line to Tsubasa to kick off the performance for the crowd. Yeah lol, I think it’s pretty certain you’ll face Tsubasa on the battlefield at some point, Princess. Their microphones seem to be shaped like swords or lances or some other long stabby thing. Because it’s Tsubasa, do we even need an explanation why anything is swords with her? Their dance and duet begins. Tsubasa has a deep voice while Maria’s is higher in comparison, blending well together. They move smoothly in sync and against each other as they dance and swirl their microphones. The camera barely stays still, carrying us across the stage in big sweeps that emphasize the cheering crowd and the detailed choreography. The performance even includes impressive pyrotechnics. This scene is way fucking cool. Symphogear’s concert scenes are always top-notch and entrancing. Their dance routine is really complex. It must’ve taken a lot of rehearsal for them to get it down so smoothly and not like, accidentally whack each other over the head with those microphone-swords. There is no way Tsubasa and Maria are not already familiar with each other by this point, even just on a professional level. That will really sting for Tsubasa when Maria shows her true colors, whatever the hell those may be. Poor girl’s still gotta be raw from Ryouko/Finé’s betrayal. Having Tsubasa’s new colleague betray her too is just going to be extra salt in the wound left by last season’s villain. Especially considering the bravery it took for Tsubasa to perform as part of a duo again after the heartbreak of how her last duo ended. Just singing and dancing with Maria like this is a pretty big connection, honestly. Dance is often used as a metaphor for intimacy, and it makes sense for two idols to connect with each other this way. We certainly saw with Kanade and Tsubasa how dancing side by side and joining their voices drew them closer as a pair. It’s also amazing that Tsubasa and Maria pair so smoothly when we haven’t even seen them talk to each other yet, except that one opening line from Princess Cadence that seemed to be just part of the performance. So their connection is conveyed entirely through bodily movements and song. Heck, they even hold their microphones for each other at one point. I gotta say… just from this scene alone, I can see now why people would ship these two. Regardless of what their canon relationship may be, which I don’t know yet because again we haven’t actually seen these two hold a conversation, they just plain look fantastictogether. TIA-chan and the others were right, Maria has a powerful stage presence. She may be a bad guy, but she’s got a lot of dramatic flair. Which anyone who wants to share a stage with a drama queen like Tsubasa will definitely need, hah. Tsubasa and Maria have great stage chemistry together. So great it’s making me cringe, because Maria is almost certainly Shot Through The Heart And You’re To Blame levels of an unwise romantic choice at this point in time. Please, Maria, don’t turn out to be bad after all. Please be a good person, for Tsubasa’s sake if no one else’s. Maria’s costume is pure white (there’s that Purity theme from her name again…) while Tsubasa’s is mostly black. It’s a flipped contrast – Tsubasa in dark even though she’s a hero, and Maria in light even though so far the anime seems to be setting her up as an enemy. This scene is really thoughtfully orchestrated. Hey, the anime even managed to work in a nod to Kanade with her fiery wings/rebirth motif! That’s a nice way of remembering her tonight as Tsubasa takes her first official dance with a new partner. Princess, if you fuck this concert up for Tsubasa… I will find out where you live, creep into your bedroom in the wee hours while you’re out singing, and hide at least twelve spiders in your pillowcase. At least twelve. After the opening song, Tsubasa thanks the crowd and the international viewers. She says their support always gives her courage. Maria takes a much bolder tone when she speaks to the crowd. She doesn’t thank her fans like Tsubasa did, or say she wants to share good things with them. Well, that sounds menacing. I can’t picture someone like Tsubasa or Hibiki telling people she’ll leave them behind if they can’t keep up with her. No hero would say that. It’s like a twisted version of the first season’s Don’t Give Up On Life theme. Encouraging people to save themselves, like our protagonists did last season, is completely different from telling people you won’t save them unless they can keep up. After talking to their fans, the two idols turn to each other. They both say what a privilege it is to sing with each other. Okay but they mean like, their first official/public meeting, right? For the sake of the camera crews? I’m so confused on how they could possibly not have met before tonight. I hope the anime clarifies at some point. After their handshake, the camera takes a sinister pull in close to Maria’s face, hiding her eyes and focusing on a wicked little smirk. She says she has just one more thing to add… She does an almost Marilyn-esque swish of her white skirt, and HORDES OF FUCKING NOISE BURST FROM THE GROUND THROUGHOUT THE CONCERT HALL AT HER SUMMONS NOT AGAIN ARE YOU KIDDING ME The crowd shrieks in terror and tries to flee, but they’re trapped. Everyone else is aghast, too. Snoop Oni and the agents back in the base flip out, and as for Tsubasa up there on stage next to Maria… Maria takes cold control of the situation and orders the panicking crowd to stay calm. Shit, these people were screaming in excitement for her song a minute ago, and now they’re screaming in terror as she summons monsters that could devour them all. We cut back to Evil Mom in her van, saying to herself that the Noise appeared late but at least she can go ahead with the “plan” now. Two shadowy figures stand behind her chair. Hold on, hold the fuck on, those glowing things look like Relic amulets. I thought we were getting one new magical girl this season, now we have three? We just doubled our pool of Symphogears! Slow down there, anime. If you keep doubling at the start of each season, then by the time Season 5 airs the number of characters is gonna rival an AKB48 lineup. This is why it was a bad idea to release Symphogear technology. NOW ANY CREEP CAN LURE GIRLS INTO HER VAN WITH THE PROMISE OF SHINY JEWELRY. The Noise at the concert seem to be under tight control. They surround the trapped crowd threateningly, but don’t attack. Miku and her friends are terrified just like the rest. Miku says Hibiki’s name, and TIA-chan does classic TIA-chan. We see Hibiki and Chris en route to the concert via helicopter. They’re watching Maria’s fuckery happen on the live broadcasts. But they’re still forty minutes away, so they won’t be able to help Tsubasa stop her any time soon. The agent and the girls are certain these three Noise attacks must be connected. It can’t be coincidence that the train, the Marine base, and now the concert attack all happened in one day. Tsubasa could probably single-handedly clean up that concert in less than forty minutes without dulling her sword, but that would mean exposing her powers in front of all those international cameras, and I’m still hazy on whether or not the Symphogears’ superhero identities are still top secret or not. Plus, Tsubasa would have to handle Maria on top of all the Noise, and Tsubasa doesn’t yet know that Princess Cadence is a Symphogear herself. Tsubasa bares her amulet, ready to transform into her Gear. But Maria stops her with a threat of making the Noise start killing the audience. She then adds: Oh okay, that answers that question. Thanks, Maria. Also, why is the camera so tilted right now? Shooting a scene with Dutch angles is supposed to convey tension or imbalance, which is suitable here, but the anime is taking it way too far. These shots are so rotated they’re starting to look like a Loss edit. Even at the cost of revealing her identity, Tsubasa still seems willing to go for it to save these people from the Noise. After all, that’s what Kanade did when their concert came under attack. She leapt right into battle without hesitation. Tsubasa says that Maria’s threats won’t stop her. Maria replies that she “doesn’t hate” that characteristic of Tsubasa. Yeah, Maria, and maybe if people like you didn’t Abandon Ship on humanity at the first leak in the hull, the world would be a better place, too. We touched on this a bit with Finé, but this kind of nihilism Maria seems to be expressing here is a common theme for anime villains. “Suffering exists, therefore humanity is bad, therefore we should destroy the world and remake it, Q.E.D.” is a mentality that shows up a lot. The hero usually defeats it with “Stop, the world is good because Love and Friendship exist, too” which last season executed really well. Maria seems kinda jaded, probably due to watching her Gal Pal die in the prologue. So basically, it seems Maria has failed criterion number one of being a Symphogear: Don’t Give Up On Life. She’s got a long way to go if her character arc involves eventual redemption like Chris’s arc did. That “Cadenzavna” comes out so awkward. Why did the anime choose to name her that when Japanese tongues have such a hard time pronouncing so many consonants together? Why not pick an easy real-world European name, like Wulfefundis or Byrhtnotha or Æþelðryþe? Whoa, Maria and Evil Mom’s group are taking hostages to make demands on governments? That’s flat-out terrorism. Tsubasa and the others are shocked that Maria seems to be declaring war on literally “every country on the planet”, but she has another shock ready for them. Maria reveals that she’s a Symphogear by singing her activation phrase, and… …No… …fucking… …way. Gungnir? Her Gear is Gungnir?? WHAT IS THIS SACRILEGE The nightmare is real, however. Maria shows us her transformation sequence in all its villainous glory. LOOK WHAT YOU DID, TEAM. Not only did the bad guys make a copy of your Gear now that you released the technology, but they made a twisted, dark, corrupted copy of your Gear! The awesome, hideous intensity of this new season is gonna make me miss a period. I mean, I knew the new girl would be a Symphogear, but I expected her to have some random pink Gear or something, to match her hair like the other girls’ Gear! Little did I know it turns out to be not only Gungnir but a wicked mockery of Gungnir?? With sharper horn-spikes, a high sinister collar, and a fucking cape are you serious. Everyone’s jaws drop at this development, from Hibiki and Chris watching from the helicopter, to Snoop Oni and the agents in the base, to Tsubasa still up there on stage with Maria. This must be Tsubasa’s worst nightmare. Yet again she’s faced with a disastrous Noise attack at a concert where people came to see her and could end up dying because of it. Yet again she could fail to protect what she cares about. Yet again Gungnir has returned to her being worn by someone other than the person she loved. And to put icing on the rotten cake, not only is Maria certainly no Kanade, she directly shits on Kanade’s legacy by wielding a corrupted version of her Gear and using it to harm people rather than save them. Hibiki is supposed to be Kanade’s legacy, the one who carries on her message of Don’t Give Up On Life. Kanade’s legacy doesn’t belong on someone who would threaten a concert full of civilians, exactly the same kind of people Kanade gave her life to protect. It took Tsubasa a long time last season to accept Hibiki as the rightful wielder of Gungnir now… …and Hibiki’s a complete cinnamon roll. How much harder will it be for Tsubasa to cope with someone like Maria wearing her former partner’s Gear? After that god damn bombshell reveal, Maria also reveals the name of her terrorist group. WHAT THE FUU UUUUUU UCK I truly hope this is just some sort of code name for Maria’s shady group, and that they aren’t actually connected to the real Finé. Because that would completely nullify the first season’s hopeful ending of Finé’s death and Hibiki’s parting wish for her to find redemption in her next life. The episode ends with its own title card. That’s who the episode title was referring to? Trust Symphogear to blindside me right when I thought I had a bead on this anime. After the credits roll and I get a chance to scoop up the shattered teeth that just sprayed out of my mouth like donut sprinkles due to the punch of this episode, we get a brief shot of those purple display screens in Evil Mom’s van. The camera holds on what is either an early Pokemon evolution or that little white Moby Dick monster from the prologue that Maria’s Gal Pal held. – – I thought I was ready for Symphogear’s second season. I was not ready for Symphogear’s second season. What an explosive start. Talk about blowing your socks off! Well, one sock anyway. If the whole season is like this, I don’t know how I can survive all 13 episodes and not die of adrenaline poisoning. This episode came bursting out the gates faster than that racehorse yuri video. Finé still haunts us like a bad stench, it seems. Her influence was all over this episode. The opening shot of the moon damaged by her attack. The Staff she wielded, stolen and used for more harm. Chris still struggling with her crimes done at Finé’s direction. The Symphogear technology Finé invented now in the hands of a new batch of bad guys. And to cap it off, those bad guys even use her name. TIA-chan and the others told us Maria is from America, so maybe she and Evil Mom are connected to the American commandos the real Finé was working with last season, the “dirty US-scum monkeys” who tried to double-cross her and got absolutely destroyed for it. A lot of the time, seasonal villains get forgotten by a show and its characters once a new season rolls around, so I really like that Finé’s influence still plagues us even though the shitlord herself was defeated. It gives continuity and a good springpoint to launch us into the new season and its new conflicts and characters. Said new character racked up like three nicknames from me in the space of one episode. That’s gotta be a record. Maria is going to have to put up with a lot of crap from me in these posts. That’s fair, seeing as apparently I AM GOING TO HAVE TO PUT UP WITH A LOT OF CRAP FROM HER IN RETURN. Black Gear is not what I was expecting when I was told there would be “weird fashion choices” this season, you utter trolls. And when I said at the start of the episode “so i herd u liek shipping mudkipz with some pink girl” I did not know it was going to be a villain ship. I was hoping for some compassionate, slow-building romance where Tsubasa gradually learns to love again and finds a partner she can share her dreams with, with Tsubasa still honoring Kanade’s memory and what Kanade meant to her. But instead, not only is it someone who is extremely shady, but also someone who dishonors Kanade’s memory by using a twisted version of her Gear and also borrowing Finé’s name, the person ultimately responsible for Kanade’s death. So congratulations, Maria, you somehow managed to make both Kanade and Finé spin in their graves at the same time. I never would have thought that was even possible. Fuck me for daring to hope for an angst-free relationship in this wretched fucking anime. Even Hibiki and Miku have their doghouse moments. This is why we can’t have nice things. Tsubasa doesn’t have to stay widowed forever of course, but she can do better than a terrorist. They have great chemistry on stage together, but… yikes yikes yikes. I really hope Maria follows the same path Chris did and gets a redemption arc by season’s end. I hope it won’t be a complete repeat of Chris’s arc, though. Chris fills her own role quite well. There’s no need to ditto it with Princess Cadence when the anime could instead take literally any direction with Maria’s arc. I already adore Chris a lot, I dunno if there’s room in my heart for yet another misguided dangerous little shitlord struggling to find their place in the world while clipped in by an evil woman controlling them. I may have to accept Not Liking this new character. Maria is already high on my shit list for what she did to Tsubasa in this episode. Not saying I could never like her. Just saying she needs to, you know, stop threatening the lives of civilians before I’ll consider taking her off my shit list. But I’ll give her a fair shake. Everybody deserves a chance at redemption. If I was willing to give Finé the benefit of the doubt (and we remember how disastrously that turned out, jeez), then I can trust that Maria will eventually see the light as well. Here’s hoping, Princess. She does seems similar to pre-Getting-Her-Shit-Together Chris, though. Maria and early Chris both think the world is flawed and want to make it better, they just have exceptionally short-sighted and awful, even outright murderous, means of accomplishing that. And like Chris, Maria’s bitterness probably drips down from losing someone close to her. With Chris it was her parents, with Maria it’s probably that girl from the prologue who was holding the Aron fetus while Maria looked on. I use terms like bad guy/evil/villain pretty casually, just because it’s easier than typing out crap like “morality is a complex gray-shaded issue with mutable boundaries, but this character behaves unnecessarily harmfully toward others and therefore falls on the darker side of the alignment spectrum” every time one of these characters is on screen. Calling Maria and her Evil Mom “bad guys” doesn’t mean I think they lack dimension. Even someone as over-the-top evil as Finé had depth to her once we pinned her in a specimen box and got out the magnifying glass. Likewise, Maria seems like she has some ogre-onion layers to her rather than just simple Villain. That first “stay calm” comes out really hushed and shaky, like she’s saying it to herself before she says it again, much more confidently, to the panicking crowd. Maria isn’t as coldly in control as she’s pretending to be in front of Tsubasa and her hostages. Maria Eve better overcome the “Corruption” aspect of her name and live up to the “Purity” part of it. The anime even played with this duality some more by contrasting her pure white concert outfit with her corrupted black Gear. I understand now why Symphogear only showed us Hibiki’s transformation at the start of the episode and not Chris’s. To contrast it with Maria’s transformation at the end. The anime did the same in the first episode of Season 1. During the concert battle (damn, am I going to have to start saying “the first concert battle” to differentiate it from tonight’s disaster?? please no), the anime showed us Kanade’s transformation but not Tsubasa’s. This was to contrast it with Hibiki’s first-ever transformation at the very end of the episode. Same with Season 2’s opening episode. We’re given Hibiki’s transformation at the start but not Chris’s, so we can compare Hibiki to Maria’s transformation at the very end of the episode. Kanade, Hibiki, and now Maria. Three very different people, all linked by Gungnir. I’m enraged, but also fascinated by where this season could go. We touched on this with Finé last season, but I really adore “opposing parallels” as a theme in fiction. When character structure takes Oppositional Symmetry to the point that the villains are just shitty reflections of the heroes. This theme especially lends itself well to a very visual medium like anime, where things like character design are much more mutable than live-action shows, so anime can play around a lot more with parallels in design and/or identity between protagonists and antagonists. Heck, this episode even had internal Oppositional Symmetry. We began the episode with a “Gungnir girl” working together with another Symphogear to defeat a horde of Noise. And we ended the episode with an opposing “Gungnir girl” working against another Symphogear to threaten her with a horde of Noise. With all these dark parallels floating around even only one episode in, it looks like it’s shaping up to be a Fight Your Darker Self season for Symphogear. If well-played, the character relationship dynamics this season could turn out really interesting. Maria’s identity certainly seems to be woven from those Shadow Self threads. I just can’t figure out whose shadow she’s supposed to be. We could look at her as Chris’s shadow, like we talked about. But she could also be Hibiki’s shadow, since she uses a corrupt version of Hibiki’s Gear and twists Kanade’s heroic legacy that Hibiki carries. Maria’s transformation background song sounds like a frickin choir from Valhalla, much more dramatic than the Scottish reel that usually plays over Hibiki’s transformation sequence. But despite the parallels to Chris and Hibiki, it looks like Symphogear is setting Maria up to be Tsubasa’s shadow. They’re both famous pop idols who want to use their music to make a difference. And their joint concert involved a ton of choreography emphasizing them moving in sync, alternately side by side and opposite each other. Their concert also included more of that white/black duality theme with their costumes. Heck, the display screens even spell out “Maria x Tsubasa” in giant letters when they make their entrance. Tsubasa and Maria seem to have another thing in common. They both had to watch someone they care about die, while they were unable to save her. And in both cases, that someone was a Symphogear girl singing a Climax Song. And it looks like it majorly fucked up both Maria and Tsubasa. It’s clever that the anime chose to call these two the Queens of Music. Coupled with their black/white thing, it makes me wonder if the anime is going for a chess motif. It sure would fit the Oppositional Symmetry theme even further. The Queens are the two most powerful pieces on the chessboard, who protect the main leader and act as his striker. Tsubasa is definitely our agency’s top fighter, while Maria seems to fill the same role for her “Finé” group. Both of these Queens even have a daughter relationship to their leader. Snoop Oni is Tsubasa’s uncle and only parental figure we’ve seen in her life, and Evil Mom is Maria’s… well, mom. But, chop a Queen’s crown off and she’s basically just a very tall Pawn. Hopefully, Maria will someday wake to the fact that she’s more than likely just being used as some asshole’s pawn, like Chris realized with Finé. I’m still confused about how well these “Queens” knew each other before tonight’s concert. How in the world did they collaborate to put on a huge event like this together, yet never actually meet until after the event was in motion? I guess it’s technically possible they choreographed the routine long-distance, and each girl rehearsed in her home country with a stunt double of her partner, so tonight’s the first time they met in person. But even if that’s the case… they still never talked via phone, or teleconference, or email, drunk snapchats, anything?? Not even posing together for the concert’s promo posters? And what about right before the concert started? They were standing right next to each other on that rig before it rose up through the stage. Is Symphogear telling me there wasn’t even a hello between them while they were waiting for the crew to lift the rig up, they just stood there frozen in their performance poses, completely silent and ignoring each other? I hope the anime elaborates on this before season’s end, or I’m putting a dollar in the MCSP jar. We’ll have to see how Maria and Tsubasa develop from here. The whole “shadow self” comparisons will probably become clearer once we meet those other mysterious magical girls. If Maria wields Black Gungnir, it’s possible these girls will wield Black Ame no Habakiri and Black Ichaival to round out the dark symmetry theme. Symphogear, you better give me the names of these two henchmen real quick, else I’m just gonna end up calling them Bebop and Rocksteady. We’ve already had enough silly reference nicknames this episode, don’t make me saddle these girls with even more. Also, if the speculation is correct that one of the themes of this season really will be Fight Your Darker Self, then part of me hopes we get to see Evil Mom fight Good Dad. Watching Snoop Oni bust out his Bruce Lee moves on an old lady in a van would be morbidly hilarious to the shitlord side of me. I’m happy Symphogear is keeping female antagonists like the first season. Seems more often than not, magical girl shows I’ve seen have a male villain, so this is refreshing. I also have no idea what the Aron fetus has to do with this woman’s “plan”. It seems so far that Evil Mom is the one making the plans and pulling the strings, with Maria taking orders and using her idol status to act as the mouthpiece for her mom’s terrorist group. But unless actual Mind Control is involved in forcing Maria to behave this way, she’s just as culpable as Chris was when she was under Finé’s direction. The kicker is that Maria and Evil Mom probably believe that the awful things their group are doing are for some good cause, what with their “If you want peace, prepare for war” motto. But Maria threatened the lives of thousands of civilians, and is using these human beings as bargaining chips for her demands. And if she’s connected to the episode’s earlier Noise attacks, then her group is also responsible for all those train crew and Marines who were killed, and the Noise will likely kill more people at her and Evil Mom’s orders before she’s defeated. I don’t care if their group’s cause is curing fucking cancer. A good result doesn’t heal the damage caused by terrible methods used to reach that result. Japan’s largest stadium also hosts concerts, and it holds over 70,000 people. In the U.S., Beyoncé held a big concert earlier this year, where some guys threw a football around as part of the opening and closing act of her concert or something, and the attendance was also in the area of 70,000. This episode made a huge deal about how Tsubasa and Maria’s concert was a highly-anticipated international sensation, so we can gather that the crowd would be comparable to those numbers. Tens of thousandsof people, all ready to be killed at Maria’s command. On top of that, these people are Maria’s fans. People who adore her and support her and came out just to hear her sing. And she thanks them for their support by threatening their lives and using them as hostages. Low. Even Chris in her worst moments of rage still showed remorse for hurting powerless people. When you have less empathy than Nehushtan-era Chris, you dun fucked up. Maria had better get her act together and show us she has some goodness in her, because in this introductory episode she comes across as Grade-A Beef Jerky, heavy on the Jerk. And if she tries to pull some weak crap like “I wasn’t really going to murder them all, I only threatened to murder them all”, I will roll my eyes so far back they will cross into the next plane of existence. A bullshit excuse like that doesn’t alleviate Maria’s dishonorable actions here. It also won’t bring back the people who died earlier in the episode from her group’s Noise attacks. But, a bad person doesn’t mean a badly-written character. Maria has great charisma and enough complexity lurking under the surface that she looks like she’ll make a really cool opponent! And an even cooler good guy if she ever realizes There Are Things In This World Worth Protecting. I’m so scared of how much she and her mom and those other two Symphogear girls might hurt our heroes over the course of this season. But at the same time, I’m looking forward to the challenge of how our team will defeat this formidable second “Finé” enemy. Wow, I got so overwhelmed by Maria and Evil Mom in the second half of the episode that I forgot about this overgrown lab rat. We got a whole batch of new antagonist characters this episode, so I don’t know what role this guy will play in relation to the others. But like I said, he’s suspicious af and I don’t trust him. Still, the Season 1 predictions turned out like 90% wrong, so I could be wrong about this guy, too. Same with the speculation about Maria, Evil Mom, and their “Finé” group. Who knows where things will go from here. I could be completely mistaken, and their motives and arcs and such will turn out quite different from the ideas they gave me in this episode. But that’s the fun! Being proved wrong is just as enjoyable as being proved right, since it means Symphogear was able to throw me for a loop and keep me guessing. This series knows what it’s doing with its audience. Plenty of questions were raised in this episode (really Maria, one sock?), as they should be in a solid opening episode. My head’s humming, and I can’t wait to learn more about all these new characters and new developments. I don’t know how our heroes are going to get out of this disaster in one piece, and hopefully without a lot of other people dying in the process, too. I guess all we can do is brace ourselves and forge ahead into the next episode!

After campus demonstrations and social media campaigns, students at FTII have escalated the protest against their new chairman in the way they know best - by making a video on his weak credentials. The spoof video suggests that Gajendra Chauhan, whose nondescript film career spans a list of C grade movies and commercials, is not eligible for a post earlier held by stalwarts like Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Girish Karnad and Saeed Mirza. The four-minute video, posted by the portal Newslaundry on Thursday, has scenes from soft porn movies and ads for good luck pendants in which Chauhan acted. Also included are interviews where Chauhan lavishes praises on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and clippings of him dancing with Asaram Bapu who is now in jail for allegedly raping a minor girl. The images speak for themselves. Apart from playing of Yudhishthir in the 1988 TV series Mahabharat, Chauhan has acted in a few obscure Bollywood movies such as Khuli Khidki, Jungle Love, Vaade Iraade and Saya. Ajayan Adat , the FTII student who made the video along with his friends, told Newslaundry they were protesting both against his lack of credentials and the increasing interference of the ruling party in film bodies. The video follows an open letter, published earlier this week by an unnamed student, which told Chauhan that his body of work has nothing in common with the FTII or its illustrious former heads. "You have no connection whatsoever with FTII to understand this space. You are not an alumnus nor have you worked or associated professionally with students or artists from here... You may say you will learn on the job, but sir we aren't talking about hiring an intern," the letter said. It also said that even a "fourth standard student" could understand that he was not fit for the post and that his appointment was a reward for his political affiliation to the BJP. The protests at the Pune campus is into its seventh day, with students at JNU, National School of Drama and Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute lending outside support . Chauhan has so far stonewalled all allegations against him, saying that he should be given a chance to prove his capabilities. "The BJP talks about patriotism (rashtrabhakti), nationalism, and there’s nothing wrong in that. It will be helpful in making an ideal society,” he told HT in an interview. These kind of statements only further fuelled fears of political indoctrination as the students cherish the freedom of expression this prestigious institute upholds. They said the protests were not only against Chauhan, but also others who made it to the FTII governing council apparently on the strength of their BJP connections. "Four to five members have very strong RSS-BJP connections, and no strong credentials," said Kislay, a student. These include Anagha Ghaisas whose husband is a Sangh pracharak, Narendra Pathak who is the former president of ABVP in Maharashtra, Rahul Solapurkar who was in contention for a BJP ticket and Pranjal Saikia, office bearer of Sanskar Bharti which is an RSS-affiliated cultural organisation. Shailesh Gupta who has been named an alumni in the governing council's structure is known only for a fanboy propaganda video he made on Narendra Modi. The appointments at FTII follows similar political interventions by the Modi government in other film bodies. Earlier this year , producer Pahlaj Nihalani who is famous for his Modi campaign video 'Har Ghar Modi' was appointed chairman of the Censor Board and actor Mukesh Khanna who campaigned for the BJP was made head of the Children's Film Society. Malayalam actor Suresh Gopi who is likely to spearhead BJP's campaign in Kerala is reportedly due for appointment as National Film Development Corporation chairman. Read:Nothing wrong with my ideology, says FTII chairman Gajendra Chauhan First Published: Jun 18, 2015 14:22 IST

Exercise key to long, happy life THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA 10 SEP 2013 Image: Aletia/Shutterstock The study found that 150 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week added two to three years to the lives of the men during the 13-year study. Sustained physical activity can add years to life and substantially improve the quality of those years, according to the latest results of a long-term study into more than 12,000 elderly Western Australian men. In a paper recently published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers from The University of Western Australia found that 150 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week added two to three years to the lives of those men who remained physically active for the duration of the 13-year study. Those who had regularly engaged in physical activity throughout the study also aged more successfully than their inactive counterparts. Successful ageing was defined as ageing free of depression, memory loss or functional incapacity, while physical activity was defined as 150 minutes or more per week of exertion that made people huff and puff. "So not only were active people more likely than non-active people to survive, but those who were alive and active when we followed up had reached old age in good shape, without evidence of depression or of cognitive or functional problems," lead author Professor Osvaldo Almeida said. "In other words they were able to move about and do their business without significant assistance - looking after their finances, looking after themselves, looking after their house etc, and they did not have any evidence of mental illness." Professor Almeida, Winthrop Chair of Geriatric Psychiatry at UWA's School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, said the study also showed it was never too late to take up regular exercise, with those men who were inactive at the beginning of the study but who took up regular physical activity during the follow-up period also reaping the benefits. "Those who started off inactive but became more active as time went by benefited as well," he said. "Not as much as the ones who were active at the beginning and the end, but quite a bit more than those who were inactive throughout." Meanwhile, men who were active at the start of the study but gave it up over the 10-13 year follow-up period all but lost the health benefits of physical activity. "It's better to become active than to be active and stop," Professor Almeida said. "The message is it's never too late to start physical activity, and by engaging in regular physical activity older people not only survive longer, but they ensure that the chance of them ageing successfully - without significant functional impairments - also increases. "Not only do they add years to life, but they add quality to their years." The study concluded that regular physical activity seemed to promote longevity and healthy ageing and should be encouraged when safe and feasible. The Health in Men Study (HIMS) is a longitudinal study of 12,201 men aged 65-83 when recruited in 1996. The HIMS research team, largely made up of UWA researchers, has so far published more than 100 papers on a wide range of men's health and ageing issues.

This post may contain affiliate links; please read the disclosure for more information. Opening is set for late summer for Flying Fish restaurant at Disney’s Boardwalk – “Cafe” goes away as part of the name, and diners will be welcomed to a sophisticated, interior that still pays homage to the golden era of seaside boardwalks. Chef Tim Majoras, who was has been on the Flying Fish team since 2011, takes the helm in the kitchen. Sustainable fish will be the star of the new menu, and Majoras’ new Fruits of the Sea appetizer features rock shrimp and clams from Florida, grouper cheek, mussels, a splash of Brandy and a rich lobster stock. The seafood is served over a generous dollop of velvety celery root puree with adds a depth of flavor to the dish. Stig Jacobsen, general manager and sommelier at Flying Fish, says he is happy with expanded space for wine storage and is “finding gems” for a more in-depth wine list. The interior features an all-new kitchen and dining room (with expanded space for private dining events), sparkling architectural accents, like golden-winged room panels and an impressive chandelier that mimics a school of flying fish swimming overhead. Next door, the new AbracadaBar lounge opens, taking the spot formerly occupied by the candy and ice-cream shop. The new “curious cocktail lounge” combines the Golden Age of Magic with the magic of Disney storytelling, so look for whimsy in the design from the Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) team, who create stories in true Disney fashion. According to WDI, the lounge was once a secret stomping ground for famous touring magicians, local boardwalk illusionists and the loveliest magician’s assistants of the day. After every magic show, these prestidigitators would gather at the bar, where they’d conjure up new cocktails, swap magic tips and tricks, and often stay up all night attempting to “out-charm” each other with their extraordinary illusions. According to BoardWalk lore, it was on just such an evening that every single magician in the lounge vanished into thin air, never seen again… And after sitting vacant for nearly 70 years, the secret magician’s lounge is now back in the spotlight. AbracadaBar guests will get a special peek into the sophisticated social club, and while it’s rumored that the magicians who frequented the lounge vanished without a trace decades ago, their magic still remains strongly intact, and can be seen, heard, and even savored in the bar’s signature cocktails.

About The Author Una is a UI Engineer at DigitalOcean. She writes technical articles around the web and on her website una.im, is a Sass community organizer, and cohosts the … More about Una… Web Image Effects Performance Showdown Smashing Newsletter Upgrade your inbox and get our editors’ picks twice a month. Your email Subscribe → As browsers constantly improve their graphical rendering abilities, the ability to truly design within them is becoming more of a reality. A few lines of code can now have quick and dramatic visual impact, and allow for consistency without a lot of effort. And as with most things in web development, there are often many ways to achieve the same effect. In this post, we’ll take a look at one of the most popular image effects, grayscale, and assess both the ease of implementation and performance implications of HTML canvas, SVG, CSS filters, and CSS blend modes. Which one will win? As browsers constantly improve their graphical rendering abilities, the ability to truly design within them is becoming more of a reality. A few lines of code can now have quick and dramatic visual impact, and allow for consistency without a lot of effort. And as with most things in web development, there are often many ways to achieve the same effect. In this post, we’ll take a look at one of the most popular image effects, grayscale, and assess both the ease of implementation and performance implications of HTML canvas, SVG, CSS filters, and CSS blend modes. Which one will win? Further Reading on SmashingMag: Filters on the web work like a lens laid over an image. They are applied to the image after the browser renders layout and initial paint. In supporting browsers, filters can be applied individually or layered on top of one another. Because they can be applied as image modifications after the initial render, and are likely an enhancement, filters gracefully degrade by merely not being visible in browsers which do not support them. Meet Smashing Book 6 — our brand new book focused on real challenges and real front-end solutions in the real world: from design systems and accessible single-page apps to CSS Custom Properties, CSS Grid, Service Workers, performance, AR/VR and responsive art direction. With Marcy Sutton, Yoav Weiss, Lyza D. Gardner, Laura Elizabeth and many others. Table of Contents → CSS Filters Let’s get started with the most straightforward method for producing a grayscale effect: the humble, yet powerful CSS filter. To achieve this effect, we add a single line of CSS: filter: grayscale(1) . This filter desaturates the image and can be used with any numeric or percentage-based value between 0 and 1 (or 0% to 100%). Note: currently, filters for WebKit-based browsers must be prefixed with -webkit- . However, a solution such as Autoprefixer would eliminate the need to add them by hand. Live Demo – CSS Filter .cssfilter-gray { -webkit-filter: grayscale(1); background: url('img/bird.jpg'); filter: grayscale(1); } Background Blend Mode CSS blend modes provide an endless variety of options for image effect combinations. There are two ways to use blend modes: the mix-blend-mode property and the background-blend-mode property. mix-blend-mode is the property which describes how the element will blend with the content behind it. is the property which describes how the element will blend with the content behind it. background-blend-mode is used for elements with multiple backgrounds, and describes the relationship between these backgrounds. We’ll use the background-blend-mode: luminosity to pull luminosity channels over a gray background in our example, resulting in a grayscale image. One thing to note is that background order is constant: background images must always be ordered before solid colors or gradient backgrounds for effects to render properly. Color must be the last background layer. This is also a safeguard against older browsers which do not support background-blend-mode – the image will still render without the effect. The only difference with blend modes and the CSS filter is that we now have multiple backgrounds, and are using background-blend-mode: luminosity , which grabs the luminosity values from the top image (the bird tester) and layers those brightness values over a gray second background. Live Demo – Background Blend Mode .cssfilter-gray { background: url('img/bird.jpg'), gray; background-blend-mode: luminosity; } At the moment, this is the newest and thus least supported option, though it still works well in Chrome and Firefox, and has partial Safari support. Note: Safari supports all blend modes except for the HSL-based blend modes: hue, saturation, color, and luminosity. HTML5 Canvas HTML5 <canvas> allows for a ton of flexibility when it comes to image manipulation, because we have access to each individual pixel’s data (specifically through canvasContext.getImageData ) and can manipulate each one through JavaScript. This method, however, is the most complex and comes with the most overhead. It also has a few nuances in cross-origin issues due to security concerns. To fix the cross-origin error in Chrome, your image will need to be hosted on a cross-origin resource sharing (CORS) friendly site like GitHub Pages or Dropbox, and specify crossOrigin="Anonymous" . See the live example for a demonstration. The way to achieve a grayscale effect with <canvas> is to strip the red, green and blue components from any outlying value in the pixel value while maintaining its luminosity level (brightness). One way to do this is to average the RGB values like so: grayscale = (red + green + blue) / 3; . In the example below, we are using the RGBa values in the format (R,G,B,a) in the image data; the red channel is data[0] , the green channel is data[1] , and so on. We then get the luminosity level of each of these channels (the brightness) and average them to turn the image grayscale. Live Demo – HTML5 Canvas SVG Filter SVG filters have the widest support (even in Internet Explorer and Edge!) and are also (almost) just as easy to use as CSS filters directly. You can use them with the same filter property. In fact, CSS filters stemmed out of SVG filters. As with canvas, SVG filters allow you to transcend the flat plane of two-dimensional effects, as you can leverage WebGL shading to create even more complex results. There are a few ways to apply an SVG filter, but in this case we will still use the filter property on the background image, just like the CSS filter example for consistency. The biggest difference with SVG filters is that we need to be careful to include and link to this filter with the proper path. This means we need to import the SVG on the page above the element in which we are using it (which can be made easier by using templating engine and include statements). Live Demo – SVG Filter <svg> <filter id="grayscale-filter"> <feColorMatrix type="saturate" values="0"/> </filter> </svg> .svgfilter-gray { background: url('img/bird.jpg'); -webkit-filter: url(#grayscale-filter); filter: url(#grayscale-filter); } Filter Performance So how do these stack up when it comes to initial render performance? I made a test page for each and used the WebPagetest comparison feature in Chrome 47. Keeping in mind that each test gave slightly different results, the overall trend can be summed up as follows: The CSS filter, SVG filter and CSS blend mode methods all loaded in relatively similar time frames. Sometimes the SVG filter was faster than the CSS blend mode (but always barely) and vice versa. The CSS filter was generally among the fastest to load, and <canvas> was always the slowest. This is the most significant insight gleaned. <canvas> was regularly lagging behind the other methods in rendering the image. For fairness sake, I wanted to also compare load time for multiple images. I created ten renditions of each (instead of just one) and ran the tests again: The results were similar (keep in mind there were slight variations in each test). The CSS filter was 0.1ms slower in this case, showing that between CSS filters, blend modes and SVG filters, the results are inconclusive for the speediest method. However, HTML5 <canvas> lagged noticeably in comparison. Taking a look deeper into page load time via JavaScript render and paint render time, you can see this trend continuing. Filter Type Time to Render Time to Paint CSS Filter 12.94ms 4.28ms CSS Blend Mode 12.10ms 4.45ms SVG Filter 14.77ms 5.80ms Canvas Filter 15.23ms 10.73ms Again, <canvas> took the longest time to render and longest time to paint, while the two CSS options were the speediest, SVG coming in the middle. These results make sense, because <canvas> is taking each individual pixel and performing an operation on it before we are ever able to see any image at all. This takes a lot of processing power at render time. While normally SVGs are used for vector graphics, I would still highly recommend them over <canvas> when dealing with raster image effects. Not only is SVG faster, but it is also much easier to deal with and more flexible within the DOM. Generally, CSS filters are even more optimized than SVG filters, as historically they are shortcuts emerging out of SVG filters and, thus, optimized in browsers. #nofilter What about using no filter? I compared our overall speediest method (adding a CSS filter) to editing your image in photo editing software before uploading it (I used Preview on Mac OS X to remove saturation). When preediting the image, I found a consistent 0.1ms performance improvement in my tests: Conclusion Image filters are a fun and effective way to provide visual unity and aesthetic appeal on the web. Keep in mind that they do come with a slight performance hit, but also with the benefits of speedy design in the browser and the opportunity to design interactions with. For simple image effects use CSS filters, as they have the widest support and simplest usage. For more complex image effects, check out SVG filters or CSS blend modes. SVG filter effects are particularly nice because of their channel manipulation capabilities and feColorMatrix . CSS blend modes also offer some really nice visual effects with overlapping elements on the page. You can use similar blend modes within SVG (such as feBlend ), though they are akin to CSS background-blend-mode in the sense that the interaction pertains to the SVG itself and not with surrounding elements, like mix-blend-mode allows. Just don't use <canvas> for filters.

It is the finest door on the Gore. Immense, some 850 pounds of Brazilian cherry, swinging smoothly on a single pivot. It’s a door that says you’ve arrived at a place different from the rest. Any day now you’ll be able to see this door for yourself. Finally, the boards are set to come down at 95 King East. And beyond that door, where strippers used to toil, Hamilton has created a house of art. There will be a gallery here. Artists will work here, and live here too. It’s been five years in the making, and the total cost will exceed $4 million. But it’s a beauty. Otto Fein, construction superintendent, tries out the mighty door at 95 King East. (Reg Beaudry/urbanicity) Much history has come ahead of the art. A hundred years ago, Mills Hardware opened a store at this address. Business prospered, the hardware store grew to a chain, and the building grew too. The hardware business lasted until the 1960s. Before that decade was done, the address had another life altogether. An immense sign went up on the old hardware store – Diamond Jim’s Tavern, with a top-hatted, mustachioed dandy two-storeys tall inviting you to stop awhile. Girls on the ceiling Tiny Tim played there. And the Platters. And there were the girls, on ceiling swings. Diamond Jim’s was our little Vegas. In the late ‘70s it went down a notch or two and became Bannister’s, where strippers ruled. There was a period when management tried to lure couples too with feature acts like Fernandez the Hypnotist and Marsha Mallow, 450 pounds of fun and fluff. And Liz ‘The Lip’ Lyons, age 74, raunchy enough to make a sailor squirm. The Spec sent me down to cover her matinee on a slow-news day in the summer of ’84. I watched a pasty-faced guy in the front try to heckle her. Liz scorched him. Not one word of that show fit a family newspaper. Diamond Jim's Tavern took over the building on King East that was once a hardware store. Then came Bannister's and a stageful of strippers. (Local History and Archives, Hamilton Public Library) Bannister’s limped along, changed names once or twice. And then it went under. The city saw that as a chance to rid the core of a cancer. In 2008, CityHousing Hamilton bought the strip club under power of sale for about $700,000. All along, the idea has been to create a genuine artists’ colony, to bring some of the James North buzz to the Gore precinct. That’s not like just opening a shoe store, and there have been some detours along the way. But now it’s nearly done. Showcase the building CityHousing CEO Brenda Osborne says they’re holding a by-invitation open house in two weeks for the arts community and people involved in housing services in Hamilton and Toronto. “We want to showcase the building,” she says. “It’s a unique concept in this area.” There are 12 apartments on the top two floors, and you’ll need to be an artist to get one. CityHousing will soon take applications and tenants could be moving in by December. The units are to be at market rent – affordable, but not geared to income. Originally, the target was $650 a month to live in the building. “But it’s exceeded my expectations,” Osborne says. “It’s beautiful.” She’s thinking $800 might be more in line. Raunchy Liz Lyons played everywhere, including Bannister's in downtown Hamilton. (Album cover, 1979) The look and feel of this building has much to do with the designs rendered by Bill Curran, principal of TCA Architects, offices in a reclaimed furniture store on James Street North. He’s the guy who chose about 30 quotations for the doors and hallways of the King project. Van Gogh, Emerson, Gandhi. And this one, from Winston Churchill: “We shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us.” “This building is a catalyst for downtown,” he says. “It has to be better than ‘good enough.’” Off the Art Crawl route But how much of a difference can one building make? This is King East, well off the Art Crawl route. “Is it a couple of blocks too far?” Curran says. “I don’t think so. The hope is this building will have its own sense of place.” The gallery on the first floor has great expanses of exposed brick and a ceiling 16-feet high. Beyond it, there are big studios, with clerestory windows that look up to a world of 1879, Treble Hall. There are more studios downstairs. Architect Bill Curran shows CBC Hamilton one of the apartments. This one faces Gore Park and the Royal Connaught. (Reg Beaudry/urbanicity) The apartments upstairs are condo quality. Parquet floors. Big windows. Old steel beams, some that still say Hamilton Bridge and Tank. “That makes my heart flutter,” Curran says. The decision on who will manage this complex and make it a true artists’ hub is still in the works. Curran hopes the project can be truly inclusive. “I hope there are poetry classes and dance and painting. I hope there are two-year-olds and 82-year-olds. I hope this building gets used by as many different groups as possible.” Paul.Wilson@cbc.ca | @PaulWilsonCBC

Bolts along Bay Bridge bike path fail Welders' basic mistake adds to Bay Bridge problems An error by welders means that every bolt securing the railing along the new span's bike path will have to be inspected. An error by welders means that every bolt securing the railing along the new span's bike path will have to be inspected. Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle Image 1 of / 9 Caption Close Bolts along Bay Bridge bike path fail 1 / 9 Back to Gallery Numerous bolts used to anchor the railing along the bicycle path on the new Bay Bridge eastern span have failed, forcing Caltrans to make plans to replace hundreds of the steel parts, The Chronicle has learned. Crews that built the railing committed what experts called a basic mistake - they welded the bolts in place firmly in their slots rather than leaving a small amount of room to accommodate a natural expansion of the bicycle path that happens in hot weather. As a result, scores of the 1-inch-diameter bolts have been sheared off along the 1.2-mile bike path on the southern side of the span's skyway section. All of them, along with hundreds of others that were solidly welded, will have to be inspected and possibly replaced, a Caltrans spokesman said Tuesday. The problem pales in comparison with the failure of 32 steel rods crucial to seismic-stability structures on the eastern span and questions that have been raised about the soundness of more than 2,300 similar metal fasteners. But it also adds to skepticism about how Caltrans managed construction of the bridge, which is scheduled to open to traffic Sept. 3 - a timetable that is now very much in doubt. 'Serious questions' "This is not pretty," said Bob Bea, civil engineering professor emeritus at UC Berkeley. "If we are being challenged by straightforward, simple things, it raises serious questions about what we've done on complex situations." Caltrans officials will update the Metropolitan Transportation Commission on Wednesday about the status of the steel rods. They may also be asked about the problems with the bridge railing, which the agency says it has known about since last year. Caltrans designers added the bike path to bridge plans in the late 1990s to placate cycling activists. The path will extend from the eastern shore to Yerba Buena Island and is supposed to open in 2015, after the existing eastern span is torn down. The problem The path consists of 30-foot segments that are allowed room to move in openings known as expansion joints. The bolts that failed are in the hundreds of 3-foot-long segments of the railing, which link together the 30-foot sections. The expansion joints allow the segments - steel plates that support a blend of asphalt and polyester - to move slightly as they expand and contract as the weather heats up and cools down. The 4 1/2-foot-tall railing, painted white like the rest of the span and installed after the skyway was finished in 2008, is held in place by several bolts, which in turn are covered by decorative caps. During inspections in 2012, Caltrans officials say, crews discovered that scores of the bolts had failed under those caps. The problem is that rather than being allowed to slide in slots in the expansion joints, the bolts had been welded solidly in place. When the weather heated up and the bike-path decks expanded, the bolts sheared off. Inspect and replace "It is not a bolt problem," said Caltrans spokesman Will Shuck. "The bolt has to slide free, but the welding prevents it from doing so. "The caps and welds have to be removed," Shuck said, "and any place where the bolt broke, they have to be replaced." Every bolt holding the railing in place will have to be inspected, and many are likely to have to be replaced, Shuck said. He didn't have an estimate for how many such bolts are on the span, but conceded the total was at least in the hundreds. Shuck added, "It will be 100 percent fixed before they open that bicycle path. I'll tell you that much." He also did not have an estimate for how long it will take to fix the problem or how much it will cost. Whatever the expense, it is likely to be dwarfed by the $10 million fix for the rods that failed on the seismic-stability structures. Those rods, made of high-strength, galvanized steel, snapped after workers tightened them in March because they had been invaded by hydrogen, which can get into the metal either during the manufacturing process or when the fasteners are exposed to the elements. Caltrans says it's unclear when the hydrogen invaded the rods, but concedes that the fasteners were made to be harder than those the state allows to be galvanized for typical bridges. Harder metal is more vulnerable to hydrogen after it is galvanized. A lapse in quality control Bea said the problem with the bike-path railing amounted to a major lapse of Caltrans' quality control, similar to the problems that have arisen with steel rods. "Most of these things people do without malice," Bea said. "To these welders, working on the bridge, they figure, 'We better tie these suckers down.' The question is, who is watching the welders?"

Gen. John Nicholson Jr. is the 17th commander of the US occupation of Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion. It’s not exactly a plum job, as the war is going poorly, and he appears to be falling out of favor quickly with President Trump, after having inherited the position back in March of last year. Officials are now revealing details of a tense, multi-hour meeting on July 19, during which President Trump complained that the US is losing the war in Afghanistan, and expressed frustration with his advisers, who have been urging an escalation in the protracted war to try to slow the rate of loss. Trump has been resistant to the escalation calls, skeptical that they’ll do anything to change the tide of the war, but also appears to be increasingly frustrated with Gen. Nicholson in particular, repeatedly suggesting during the meeting that Nicholson should be fired “because he is not winning” the conflict. That’s about par for the course for commanders in Afghanistan, as more than a few have been relieved of command because the war was going more poorly than the president at the time was satisfied with. Trump’s suggestions of sacking him are a bit more frank than the public comments ahead of the dismissal of past commanders, but Nicholson’s slightly over one year time as commander is roughly the norm. Whether this is just the latest shuffling of the leadership to give the illusion of forward motion remains to be seen, put some reports have suggested that some in the White House are pushing for an outright withdrawal from Afghanistan instead of continuing to drag out the failed conflict. Last 5 posts by Jason Ditz

Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) were among the estimated 100,000 demonstrators who joined the People’s Climate March in New York on Sunday, demanding action on the issue of climate change. (Divya Jeswani Verma/The Washington Post) Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) were among the estimated 100,000 demonstrators who joined the People’s Climate March in New York on Sunday, demanding action on the issue of climate change. (Divya Jeswani Verma/The Washington Post) For 140 years, the Rockefellers were the oil industry’s first family, scions of a business empire that spawned companies called Exxon, Mobil, Amoco and Chevron. So it was no trivial matter when a group of Rockefeller heirs decided recently to begin severing financial ties to fossil fuels. “There is a moral imperative to preserve a healthy planet,” said Valerie Rockefeller Wayne, a great-great-granddaughter of oil magnate John D. Rockefeller Sr. and a trustee of the largest charitable foundation in which the family still plays the leading role. On Monday, the foundation, known as the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, will formally announce plans to begin divesting itself of fossil-fuel stocks, citing concerns about climate change. The symbolic cutting of ties to a key part of the family’s heritage is being timed with the start of another symbolism-laden event: a gathering of world leaders to grapple with the environmental consequences of decades of fossil-fuel burning. President Obama will join heads of state from more than 120 countries Tuesday at an unusual climate summit convened by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The meeting in New York is aimed at persuading governments to do more to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases in the face of new evidence of an accelerating buildup of heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The high-level gathering — the biggest since a troubled round of international climate negotiations in Copenhagen five years ago — is likely to underscore the diplomatic and political difficulties ahead as the governments seek to hammer out a treaty limiting global greenhouse-gas emissions by late next year. The Obama administration separately faces tough negotiations with overseas trading partners China and India over proposed cuts in fossil-fuel burning, while also defending its climate policies against attacks from Republican opponents in Washington. But the perception of halting progress on climate politics stands in sharp contrast with an increasingly energetic movement that will be on display on the summit’s periphery. An unlikely coalition of groups — including corporate executives, philanthropists and urban planners — are in New York this week to showcase practical steps being implemented to address the causes of climate change and mitigate its effects. Entrepreneurs and businesses will promote technology breakthroughs that are making wind and solar power competitive with more traditional energy sources in some parts of the country. And investors and foundations with collective holdings in the tens of billions of dollars will formally join a global ­“divest-invest” movement that seeks to shift capital from fossil-fuel extraction to renewable energy. New participants in the movement, such as the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, say their decision reflects not only concerns about the environment but also a belief that renewables are becoming an increasingly sound investment at a time of growing uncertainty about the future of fossil fuels such as coal. “The action we’re taking is symbolism, but it is important symbolism,” said Stephen Heintz, president of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, which controls nearly $900 million in assets. “We’re making a moral case, but also, increasingly, an economic case.” The summit’s formal events are playing out against a boisterous backdrop that includes thousands of activists and protesters. On Sunday, a crowd estimated by organizers at more than 300,000 marched through central Manhattan in what was believed to be the biggest climate-related demonstration ever held. The massive rally, which was mirrored by smaller protests in other cities around the globe, drew not only environmental activists but also college students, labor groups, A-list Hollywood celebrities such as actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo, and politicians including New York Mayor Bill de Blasio (D). “Our mission is to make this a decisive moment and a turning-point moment, and I felt today that I was seeing history starting to be made,” de Blasio told reporters. But several key names are missing from this week’s summit. China, the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, will be represented by its vice premier, Zhang Gaoli, rather than President Xi Jinping. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi likewise will skip the gathering, although he is expected to discuss climate change during an official visit to the White House this month. Several European governments are being represented by foreign ministers or other senior cabinet officers. 1 of 31 Full Screen Autoplay Close Sept. 21, 2014 Skip Ad × Broad coalition marches for new climate policies View Photos Activists, politicians and celebrities rally in New York to demand action on climate change. Caption Activists, politicians and celebrities rally in New York to demand action on climate change. Sept. 22, 2014 Gloria Fallon from Chicago holds a parachute banner that reads “Justice” while taking part in the “Flood Wall Street” demonstration in Manhattan. Hundreds of protesters assembled in New York City's financial district Monday. Adrees Latif/Reuters Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue. The absences of the heads of state of some of the world’s biggest emitters of greenhouse gases has led skeptics of the U.N. climate treaty process to belittle the New York gathering as a meaningless exercise in public relations. “President Obama has pledged to be at the Summit. The leaders of China, India, Australia, Germany, Canada, among others, have better things to do,” Patrick Michaels, a climatologist at the Cato Institute, a libertarian-leaning think tank, wrote in a blog post last week. The Obama administration is seeking to use the summit to showcase its achievements in reducing U.S. carbon emissions while publicly urging other countries to do more. The White House will tout efforts to raise fuel-economy standards for the automotive industry and reduce pollution from coal-burning utilities, as well as more recent, voluntary initiatives to encourage investment in solar energy and phase out production of the heat-trapping hydrofluorocarbons widely used in air conditioners. “We are taking the summit seriously, both to show the world that the United States is committed to leading the fight against climate change and to call on other leaders to do the same,” White House counselor John Podesta told reporters last week. While acknowledging formidable challenges in international climate negotiations as well as from a skeptical Congress, administration officials say they plan a more aggressive push in the weeks ahead. Adding urgency, the officials said, are new scientific findings that show record growth in concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, along with new evidence of changes in weather patterns and ocean chemistry. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported last week that, despite unusually cool weather in the eastern United States, global average temperatures over the summer were the highest since detailed record-keeping began in the 1880s, putting 2014 on a track for being the hottest year in historical time. “Across the country and around the world, people are grappling with drought and wildfires and severe weather,” Podesta said. “So we don’t have time to dabble in climate denial.” The increased emphasis on climate change also reflects shifting political realities. While large majorities in Congress — including nearly all Republicans and many leading Democrats — have voiced opposition to binding international treaties on greenhouse-gas emissions, opinion polls have shown growing concern over climate change in a year in which the Northeast continues to repair the damage from 2012’s Hurricane Sandy, while the country’s western half wilts under epic heat and record droughts. “The administration is beginning to see a large political opportunity as the GOP appears stuck in what I call ‘climate nihilism,’ ” said Paul Bledsoe, a former Clinton White House climate aide who is now a senior fellow on energy at the German Marshall Fund. “On both political and policy grounds, they see a need to be aggressive and to prompt popular activism and international action.” The shifting politics is partially a reflection of a transformation in the priorities and tactics of environmental groups leading the fight for more aggressive climate policies. Once dominated by legal, legislative and regulatory strategists, the major envi­ronmental organizations have poured money into local politics while also attempting to broaden their base, encouraging people at local levels to engage in civil disobedience as well as fund-raising and legal action. The green movement was galvanized by the fight over the proposed Keystone Pipeline, as activists, led by Middlebury College professor Bill McKibben, seized on the controversy to mobilize college students and encourage divestment to block construction of the proposed conduit that would transfer crude from Canadian oil sands to refineries in the Gulf of Mexico. Other major groups, such as the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council, have increasingly promoted citizen activism to protest coal-burning projects. On the electoral front, the League of Conservation Voters plans to spend $25 million in this election cycle, five times as much as than it did in the 2010 midterm elections, with much of the money going to state contests. Key industries also have shown increased sensitivity to climate politics, agreeing in some cases to work with the Obama administration in adopting voluntary curbs on emissions. On Monday, the State Department will trumpet an initiative that commits companies to taking further steps to reduce methane emissions from oil and natural gas operations. In the 10 months since State Department officials first approached energy firms about its Climate and Clean Air Coalition Oil and Gas Methane Partnership, six have agreed to take part, including Southwestern Energy, the fourth-largest U.S. natural gas producer, as well as the British firm BG Group and Norway’s Statoil. “We believe that it’s much better that the companies are proactive,” said Helge Lund, chief executive of Statoil. “In that way, perhaps we’ll be able to impact the direction so we can have as rational and market-based solutions as possible.” The recent decisions by energy firms and elite financial organizations have helped reinforce perceptions of a cultural shift, even though the divest movement has not significantly altered the course of big oil and gas companies that remain convinced that the increasing appetite for energy in rapidly developing nations will outpace any increase in renewable energy. Still, on the eve of the U.N. summit, leaders of the divest-invest initiative prepared to release a long list of new participants in a campaign that now includes 180 institutions and local governments as well as nearly 700 individuals, collectively representing $50 billion in assets. Billionnaire hedgefund manager Tom Steyer will formally join the movement on Monday, sources familar with the decision said. Of the many additions, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund stood out because of historical ties to one of the world’s great oil empires. Wayne, the Rockefeller descendant now on the fund’s board of trustees, said her foundation would first divest its assets from industries involved in coal and tar-sands mining, followed by a more gradual disengagement from other fossil-fuel stocks. Some family members continue to hold stock in Exxon Mobil — a modern descendant of the Standard Oil company co-founded by her great-great-grandfather in the 1870s — and several have used their status as shareholders to launch proxy campaigns to encourage the company to adopt more environmentally friendly policies, Wayne said. “This is part of a natural progression for us,” said Wayne, who marched Sunday with her three children in the pre-summit demonstration in New York. Wayne said she felt certain that her famous ancestor would approve. In their lifetimes, both the Standard Oil founder and his son, the philanthropist John D. Rockefeller Jr., were ardent supporters of conservation causes, purchasing huge swaths of ranch land and donating them to the federal government to create some of America’s first wilderness preserves for future generations to enjoy. If the elder Rockefeller were alive today, she said, he would be “investing in alternative energy sources and renewables right now.”

TRENTON -- Paul Sigmund, chief of staff to Trenton Mayor Tony Mack, faces five charges including heroin possession and aggravated assault on a police officer following his arrest this morning just blocks from city hall, authorities said. Sigmund, 46, is currently in jail and his case may be transferred to neighboring Lawrence Township to avoid any conflict of interest, said Trenton municipal Prosecutor Lyle Hough. Sigmund was arrested this morning in the Hanover Academy section of Trenton and his city-issued Ford Escape was found nearby, according to acting Trenton Police Director Joe Juniak. The SUV was towed, he said. Sigmund is charged with heroin possession, two counts of aggravated assault on a police officer, obstruction and resisting arrest, Juniak said. Lauren Ira, spokeswoman for Mayor Tony Mack, said Sigmund has been relieved of all duites indefinitely and is expected to undergo drug rehabilitation. Sigmund, who previously served on the Mercer County freeholder board with Mack, joined the administration in March after the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs recommended Mack hire a chief of staff. During his short time working for the city, Sigmund was also charged with speeding and driving a city-owned SUV without a license. Sigmund comes from a family that is well-known in Mercer County and nationally. His grandfather, Hale Boggs, served as a congressman from Louisiana, and his grandmother, Lindy Boggs, succeeded her husband in Congress after his death. His aunt is Cokie Roberts, a journalist with National Public Radio and ABC News. Sigmund’s mother, who worked for President John F. Kennedy and founded the nonprofit organization Womanspace, died in 1990. His father is an emeritus professor at Princeton University. Sigmund worked as an executive for RCN Corp. in California before being tapped for the chief of staff job by Mack. He moved from California to accept the position. Follow the Times of Trenton on Twitter.

The news was revealed by Real Salt Lake's twitter account #RSL has acquired SLC native & former Skyline HS star Justin Braun from Montreal in exchange for a condition instagr.am/p/M881I8sFTa/ — Real Salt Lake (@RealSaltLake) July 11, 2012 The Conditional Draft Pick is in 2014 and Justin Braun will wear #13 Braun will wear #13 for #RSL, has scored 24 goals / 13 assists in 108 #MLS games ... depth up top for #CCL run; conditional 2014 pick to MTL — Real Salt Lake (@RealSaltLake) July 11, 2012 Justin Braun never got regained his starting position as soon as Bernardo Corradi came in to the club and even more when Marco Di Vaio was signed as a Designated Player. He is a hard working player but the fit between the role he was filling and what he could bring technically quickly became a gap. It was a question of time for him to be traded especially that it helps the Montreal Impact in its salary cap situation. Jesse Marsch about the trade We appreciate Justin's efforts on and off the field with our club and wish him luck with RSL Nick De Santis about the trade

5000 victims? Edit There is a monument, picture is included on this very page, that is stating there were 7000 victims! I would suggest to change 5000 into 7000 and also add the remark that files on this drama will be closed by UK government till 2045. You can't deny 2000 persons unless you have proof that what was written on the monument was entirely wrong. Miss Lizzy (talk) 23:52, 12 February 2012 (UTC) As I understand it, the memorial commemorates the victims of two ships: the Cap Arcona and the Thielbek, which is where the total of 7,000. Salmanazar (talk) 21:15, 16 February 2012 (UTC) "193 Fighter Squadron" Edit This bit doesn't make sense. If this is meant to refer to an RAF squadron, then it should be No. 193 Squadron RAF. And is an article from China Daily, through the Chinese state propaganda agency, really a credible source? 195.173.13.125 (talk) 12:26, 6 February 2008 (UTC) Source : "The Typhoon's Last Storm," by Paris-based US film maker Lawrence Bond, includes shocking testimony by rare survivors recounting how Royal Air Force planes returned time and again to strafe swimmers who survived the initial attacks. 3 instead of 8 ? No, there were the No. 198 Squadron and the No. 193 Squadron, based in Ahlhorn (Großenkneten), led by Squadron Leader Donald Murray Taylor. " Donald Murray Taylor joined the RAF July 1937. Posted to 11 FTS, Wittering Sept.18 and was on staff at 5 Armament Training Station at Penrhos from May 7, 1938. In early 1940 he went to 64 Sq. at Church Fenton. Over Dunkirk on May 31, 1940 he destroyed a Bf 109 and on July 1st he shared in the destruction of a Do 17 and on the 10th damaged a Bf110. He was shot down in a surprise attack on July 17 by Lieutenant Wick of 1/JG2 whilst on Convoy Patrol. He was wounded when he crashed at Hempstead Lane, Hallsham, in Spitfire P9507. He was taken to Eastbourne Hospital. He commanded 195 Sq. from Nov.16, 1942 until Jan.1944 and then 197 Sq. from Jan-.July 1944 and was awarded the DFC (5.9.44) and later commanded 193 Sq. from April 1945 until disbanded on August 31, 1945. " (86.64.182.240 (talk) 15:48, 23 February 2008 (UTC)) Dear anonymous contributor who repeats to change the external links: Please don't change the URLs to [[http://www.something.com]], as those will display as [[1]] - which is very ugly. Either leave them without any brackets like they are now, or change them like this with a description on what to find at the link: [http://www.something.com Website showing something]. See also our Manual of style. Every time you change it to the ugly looking style it will be reverted to the previous one anyway, so there is no point to continue to do that. Thank you. andy 13:31, 4 Nov 2003 (UTC) Removal of the Reason for loading the Concentration Camp Prisoners Aboard the Ships Edit Someone has also removed the text stating why the prisoners were actually onboard the ships in the first place. They weren't going on a pleasure cruise - the ships were to be taken out into the middle of the Bay of Lübeck and then scuttled with the prisoners locked below decks so as to drown them. This was stated at the war crimes trial of the men responsible and the officer in charge (Max Pauly, ex-Commandant of Neuengamme) along with several others, was hanged. 82.111.65.142 13:35, 3 May 2005 (UTC) "the ships were to be taken out into the middle of the Bay of Lübeck and then scuttled with the prisoners locked below decks so as to drown them." This claim is unsubstanciated and illogical. Why should they walk the prisoners from Neuengamme to Luebeck, put them on ships and wait for them to be sunk by the British? They killed 55,000+ in Neuengamme, so why wouldn't they go on and kill 7,000 more? The claim that the ships were to be scuttled is nothing but a lame excuse of the RAF (sinking ships with prisoners was more than a little embarrassment ...) 141.13.8.14 11:17, 3 May 2006 (UTC) the claim is also impossible as the middle of the bay is not deep enough to sink a ship as big as the Cap Arcona. It would partially be left standing on the bottom sticking out of the water. See here: http://data.ecology.su.se/baltic96/depth.htm surre Given that the RAF strafed survivors of the sinking to ensure that they did not reach shore alive, and the words of Allan Wyse make clear that this was ordered and that those being strafed were known to be noncombatants, this claim rings more than a bit hollow. --7Kim 14:23, 3 May 2007 (UTC) You don't need to write 'with the imprisoned prisoners below', that is the one job of a prisoner, and by god they will be captive. However illogical the arugment of them drowning prisoners of wars, if it was stated in the Nuremburg Trials, it should be regarded as fact as many other articles use what went on during the trial as fact, unless someone wishes to contend that part of the Nuremburg was false. Either way, it's going to need a citation. Günther Schwarberg states in his book "Angriffsziel Cap Arcona" (which is, incidentally, listed as one of the sources for this article) that 'Cap Arcona' had effectively been handed back to the Hamburg-Süd line, after the ship's engine systems had been ruined during her last trip as a refugee-ship. She was then confiscated again, this time by the SS, and the prisoners were brought aboard. The involvement of Graf Bernadotte must, under these circumstances, be seen as pure whitewash: She would not have been able to make any crossing under her own steam. On the other hand, it seems highly probable that she was indeed intended to be sunk with the prisoners aboard; the camps had in fact been dissolved primarily for the purpose of disposing of witnesses- many of whom perished by being marched across Germany, with little food or water. Towing her further out to sea and opening the seacocks would have been quite possible, and would be very much in tune with the usual efficiency of the SS in murdering people. Towing her all the way to Sweden would have been a different thing altogether. However- if she was intended to be scuttled, she would not have been towed to the middle of the Bay of Lübeck, but further out altogether. As for the British military authorities- I wouldn't be able to say what exactly they did or did not know; but there are some good reasons to assume that they did know quite a few things. They were able to deciphre radio-messages coded with one particular model of the 'Enigma'-coding-machine to the point were they could translate 75 % of the intercepted messages within 15 minutes after intercdeption, and the remaining 25 % within a few hours. That particular 'Enigma'-model had originally been in use with the Luftwaffe, but had been replaced by a newer model; the model in question (Enigma-D, I believe) was then primarily used by the SS, the German postal service, and the Reichsbahn. (Source: "Entschied Ultra den Krieg?", 1981, ISBN 3-8033-0314-1; Original version of this book: "Ultra goes to war- the secret story" by Ronald Lewin, Hutchinson / London , 1978) The Wehrmacht was extremely distrusting as far as Radio-communications were concerned; they preferred cable-links such as Telephone and Telegraph for their communications. The result was that the Telephone-system within Germany was constantly overloaded; subsequently the Reichsbahn- charged with organising rail-transportation of troops and materials not only within Germany, but also throughout the occupied territories- had to rely increasingly on using Radio-transmitters for their own communications. These communications were coded with the very Enigma-codes the British were able to de-code as described above. That means they were able to see exactly when a train with prisoners was to leave, what route it would take and where it was destined: It was the Reichsbahn who were responsible for most of the prisoner-transports, including those destined for the death-camps. Many of the 'Cap Arcona'- prisoners were not transported by train, but some of them were- and, as I said, the SS was using the same Enigma-machines at any rate. That means the British *must* have known- or so logic would dictate. 83.71.24.140 (talk) 22:51, 25 December 2007 (UTC) A crucial sentence in need of clarification Edit I have trouble with the first paragraph of the Sinking section. <<On April 26, 1945, she was loaded with prisoners from the Neuengamme concentration camp near Hamburg and, together with two smaller ships, Thielbek and Athen, was brought into the Bay of Lübeck.>> So far, so good. But the next sentence is rather unclear, and needs clarification: <<During these days, informed by British Intelligence, Count Folke Bernadotte, vice-president of the Red Cross, gained much goodwill leading a rescue operation transporting west European deportees to hospitals in Sweden, of whom some were French-speakers transported aboard the Cap Arcona.>> What precisely is being meant? Yes, Bernadotte has goodwill via the White Buses operation, ok. Is the point & crux of the matter that "British intelligence" (hopefully not an oxymoron at the time) had concrete knowledge about who was on board the three ships (and nevertheless went on to the sinking & killing of 7,000 people)? From the French Web site : http://www.michel-hollard.com/ "Michel Hollard : En février 1944, il est arrêté par la Gestapo à Paris en compagnie de deux de ses subordonnés. Torturé, emprisonné à Fresnes et condamné à mort, il est déporté au camp de concentration de Neuengamme. Il est sauvé miraculeusement du naufrage du Cap Arcona, en baie de Lubeck, que l'ennemi sabordait intentionnellement. Ce sauvetage est dû au Prince Bernadotte qui, informé par l'Intelligence Britannique, envoya une vedette sur place et obtint le salut de quelques prisonniers de langue française." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Hollard Hoisting of the White Ensign Edit Quoting from the Sinking-paragraph: "After the first wave had attacked the ships, the Cap Arcona hoisted the white ensign without any effect." This is not confirmed and rather unlikely, especially concerning the Cap Arcona. Whether the Athen hoisted a white flag is at least questionable but also not confirmed. Where does this information come from? holsteiner 10:22, 29 January 2007 I might guess there were 500 SS Officers on board. Not exactly a civilian transport. --88.89.69.123 (talk) 23:37, 6 August 2011 (UTC) Infobox header Edit Sorry, I may be asking a question that is obvious to people with specialised knowledge, but why is the word 'Career' the title of the infobox? If it's intentional and appropriate, could it be wikilinked to the nautical definition so the uninitiated can understand why it's used? Anchoress 01:45, 3 May 2007 (UTC) Is This English? Edit This article is incredibly hard to read. Having read it twice, I'm still hazy. It is not made clear that this was a boat as part of an operation by Count Bernadotte rescuing concentration camp victims (is that correct? I'm not sure I even understand the article correctly). What does Hitler's suicide have to do with anything -- the sentence that mentions it doesn't make any sense? Was any justification at all given for the British action? The quote about "That's war" notwithstanding, surely some purpose was given? This article needs some serious love, guys. I would try to help, but I don't know anything about the subject. 67.175.166.240 03:10, 3 May 2007 (UTC) Agreed. This page is awful and should not have been featured on the Wiki main page. ScubaSteve2k1 06:37, 3 May 2007 (UTC)ScubaSteve2k1 This article does need serious cleanup. Look at this sentence from the article: "Photos of the burning ships; listed as Deutschland, and Thielbek, Cap Arcona, swimming survivors were taken on a reconnaissance mission over Bay of Lübeck by F-6 aircraft of the USAAF's 161st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron around 5:00 PM, shortly after the attack." Can someone put the cleanup infobox on this article? Rstandefer 13:28, 3 May 2007 (UTC) I've just read this page through 3 times and I'm only JUST starting to understand what it's all about! I'm going to have a go at re-writing it, but I don't know how good it will be, I just feel some of it needs to be re-worded a bit! Let me know how I get on! LookingYourBest 21:28, 3 May 2007 (UTC) I've had a go at re-writing the first couple of paragraphs of 'sinking', I think it makes SLIGHTLY more sense now! Let me know what you think! LookingYourBest 08:34, 4 May 2007 (UTC) Great job. i made a couple of small changes for clarity, but the article is 100% better in my opinion. Rstandefer 14:26, 4 May 2007 (UTC) WP:NOR and poor referencing Edit This section: The RAF has sealed the records about these attacks until 2045.[8] No convincing explanation of why the attacks were carried out in the first place has ever been given - the war in Europe was for all intents and purposes already over, and the sinking of these unarmed ships would have served no tangible purpose even if they had been empty. Is perfectly fine in general (Something should be found to mention there was no obvious reason, but it should be backed up) but is poorly worded, reading like OR and the only ref is a commercial link. Anyone wanna fight for its continued existance or can we all agree to delete it until someone wants to acctually 'adopt' it and properly write it up? (or someone can do that tag that labels it as being possibly OR and poorly referenced, can't remember the blasted shortcuts) Narson 16:57, 3 May 2007 (UTC) "I asked for more information but the RAF declined to give it to me on the grounds the investigation is still open - 55 years later," Bond said. According to at least one of the references (http://app1.chinadaily.com.cn/star/history/00-03-07/f02-uk.html) the RAF understood that "the ships carried Nazi leaders and troops trying to flee crumbling Germany to make a last stand in Norway, then still in German hands." This conflicts with the article which speculates that the reason why the records have been sealed is "the war was effectively over and the destruction of these non-military targets was of no discernible strategic value." Also, I think the records have been sealed under a British Government rule, not an RAF one. However, to be sure of this I would need to do some digging. Greenshed 20:04, 3 May 2007 (UTC) 2045... the war was effectively over Edit "The RAF has sealed the records about these attacks until 2045.[8] This may be due to the fact that, by this time, the war was effectively over and the destruction of these non-military targets was of no discernible strategic value." I think this needs to be changed. At first I thought this was a typo and that the records were actually sealed until 1945, when the war was effectively over. Then I realized that the records are - in fact - sealed until 2045. "by this time..." is referring to the time of the attacks, not the time of the unsealing. How about: "The RAF has sealed the records about these attacks for 100 years, until 2045.[8] This may be due to the fact that, by the time of the attacks, the war was effectively over..." Trigam41 18:34, 3 May 2007 (UTC) Or... I suppose you could delete the line altogether... sure. I do think we should expand MoD to Ministry of Defense. We don't have ministries in America, and it might be nice to expand the abbreviation. Trigam41 21:34, 3 May 2007 (UTC) Then the declaration of surrender could have been in place by then. There were another 5 days of this limbo, and someone took moch time before stating and declaring the obvious. I wont question what took the Germans so long, it may have something to do with German efficiancy. --88.89.69.123 (talk) 23:42, 6 August 2011 (UTC) Hindsight is always 20/20. If the war would have been effectively over, there would have been no necessity for germany to run ships across the Baltic Sea. Instead British intelligence and troops still had to be on the alert for counter-attacks and suicide missions. The sealing of the documents is probably due to the RAF’s obligation to protect their former personnel from prosecution for actions performed in the line of duty. As various pilots have come forward, the actual course of events isn't really a secret anymore. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 46.115.117.38 (talk) 09:57, 1 December 2013 (UTC) The holding-back of certain documents is not necessarily due to nefarious or suspicious motives. Often it is simply due to the relevant documents containing information that would either cause distress to living relatives of those concerned - some reports may describe deaths of aircrew and other personnel in graphic and distressing manner, or that the documents may contain operational information that could prove useful to a future enemy. For every document that is to be released it is necessary to ensure that it contains no private personal information - due to the Data Protection Act, and that it also does not provide information on tactics, etc., that are still useful today - as an example, some of these were still in use by the V bomber force throughout the Cold War. For documents that contain this sort of data, it is necessary to manually redact such information, and this is a very time consuming, and labour intensive, and therefore costly, process. So often it is simpler and cheaper to retain the classified nature of the whole document. BTW, the Geneva Conventions require ships carrying non-combatants, i.e., the wounded, sick, evacuees, etc., to be clearly marked by being painted white overall and with prominent red crosses. None of the three ships attacked that day were. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2.24.215.139 talk ) 10:21, 22 September 2014 (UTC) Records Sealed Edit I have contacted the MoD regarding the supposed "sealed files" and neither the MoD nor the National Archive can find any sealed records. Those files which do exist have been placed in the National Archive and are free to view. Of particular interest is the War Office investigation by No 2 War Crimes Investigation Team, led by a Major Till, into events at the Neuengamme Concentration Camp. Prisoners from this camp were placed on the Cap Arcona by their German guards, and as a consequence Major Till and his team also examined the circumstances surrounding the sinking of this vessel. This report is held by The National Archive under the reference WO 309/1952. Also on deposit in the National Archive are the Operational Record Books of 2 TAF, 83 Group and the squadrons involved. Details of the operation and the reasons for conducting it are in the files held in the National Archive. Unless anyone can find conclusive evidence of "sealed files" then I will delete the references to them, since they are unsubstanciated rumours as far as I can tell. --J.StuartClarke 20:16, 15 May 2007 (UTC) "I asked for more information but the RAF declined to give it to me on the grounds the investigation is still open - 55 years later," Bond said. China Daily, 2000-03-07 .(86.64.182.240 14:24, 19 May 2007 (UTC)) That article was written in March 2000. I requested the files under the FIOA, which only came into force in Janurary 2005, and there are none that aren't in the public domain. --J.StuartClarke 18:11, 19 May 2007 (UTC) The present RAF, not this old report : See The 100-Year Secret: Britain's Hidden World War II Massacre. The Lyons Press, October 2004. Page 170, 171.(86.64.182.240 08:57, 23 May 2007 (UTC)). That book was published on 1st September 2004. If the FOIA only came into force on the 1st Janurary 2005 then I'm not quite sure how the writer came to those conclusions. The fact that he has written a book does not make him right. --J.StuartClarke 02:56, 24 May 2007 (UTC) This report (Major Till) has been accessible by the authors in 2003; the book speak about it several pages. The most interesting remains the RAF's Archives, legally accessible at most in 2045.(86.64.182.240 09:13, 24 May 2007 (UTC)) Which report? The report by the War Crimes unit is in the National Archive, as are the operational logs of the Air Group involved. --J.StuartClarke 14:56, 24 May 2007 (UTC) The most interesting remains the RAF's Archives, legally accessible at most in 2045 : the other documents that are not in the Till's report. British Army Major Till, who was the post war investigator into the sinking of the ships in Lubbeck Bay on 3 May 1945 including the Cap Arcona, asked the RAF in writing several times for their documents and complained that he was not given them. The British judge at the trial of Max Pauly in Hamburg also stopped survivor Philippe Jackson from giving any testimony on the event restricting him to his accounts of Pauly's actions at Neuengamme. I requested these RAF files on the sinking of the Cap Arcona from the RAF in 2000 and received a response in writing saying the event was still under investigation and would not be released at that time. I did have full access to Major Till's investigation since he was a lawyer working for the war crimes investigation unit and not the RAF. The RAF has also never released any gun camera footage of the attacks even though all the pilots I interviewed who flew the attacking planes claim their planes were equiped with these cameras and they functioned correctly. Lawrence Bond This is what the MoD sent me, when I requested it under the FOIA: "Dear Mr XXXXXXXXXXX While we are aware of that rumours persist of the existence of closed file or files relating to events on the 3 May 1944, neither the Ministry of Defence nor the National Archive can find any files on the subject of the sinking of the Cap Arcona, the Thielbeack and the Deutschland by aircraft from 83 Group on 3 May 1945 other than those which are already in the public domain. The files on the matter have been deposited in the National Archive at Kew in London and are listed in the catalogue of the National Archive which is available on the internet. If you are unable to visit the National Archive yourself I suggest that you contact the Search Department who, for a fee, will undertake research for you and send you photocopies of the relevant documentation. The information contained in The National Archive is on open access to members of the public. Of particular interest is the War Office investigation by No 2 War Crimes Investigation Team, led by a Major Till, into events at the Neuengamme Concentration Camp. Prisoners from this camp were placed on the Cap Arcona by their German guards, and as a consequence Major Till and his team also examined the circumstances surrounding the sinking of this vessel. This report is held by The National Archive under the reference WO 309/1952. Also on deposit in the National Archive are the Operational Record Books of 2 TAF, 83 Group and the squadrons involved. Details of the operation and the reasons for conducting it are in the files held in the National Archive and, under Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act, I would ask you to consult these documents. Yours sincerely XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX Air Historical Branch(RAF) If the information enclosed does not address your requirements or you wish to complain about any aspect of the handling of this request, then you should contact the member of the Air Historical Branch who has sent the reply in the first instance. Should you remain dissatisfied, then you may apply for an MOD internal review by contacting the Director of Information Exploitation, 6th Floor, MOD Main Building, Whitehall, London SW1A 2HB. If you are still unhappy following an internal review you may take your complaint to the Information Commissioner under the Provisions of Section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act. Please note that the Information Commissioner will not investigate your case until the MOD internal review process has been completed." Either the MoD is lying or they really don't have anything. --J.StuartClarke 13:52, 29 May 2007 (UTC) Appointment and answer in 2045.(Page 170, 171).(86.64.182.240 13:21, 5 June 2007 (UTC)) It doesn't exist. I fail to see what more proof you need. --J.StuartClarke 14:11, 5 June 2007 (UTC) These British laws do exist. Yes, they do. However, under the FOIA there has to be both an acknolegment that the file exists and a reason for it being withheld. Neither were given for the above request, so the file cannot exist. --J.StuartClarke 13:03, 19 June 2007 (UTC) These laws (2045) are the laws of the page 171 ("The 100-Year Secret: Britain's Hidden World War II Massacre". The Lyons Press, October 2004). 62 years of investigation : "I requested these RAF files on the sinking of the Cap Arcona from the RAF in 2000 and received a response in writing saying THE EVENT WAS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION and would not be released at that time." : grotesque ! The FOIA only came into force in January 2005. --J.StuartClarke 15:33, 19 July 2007 (UTC) I've removed a couple of lines of conjecture from the article and added a citation tag for one of the sentences that claim to have documents proving the British Government knew it was at fault. Can't go throwing accusations like that around without backup! Lol! LookingYourBest 11:54, 7 September 2007 (UTC) I'm going to remove that reference, since the research was done prior to 2001 when the FOIA came into effect. I have shown above that the RAF have no files on the subject and all known files are in the public domain. Just because a man has written a book does not make him right. We must be selective of our sources, and carefully analyise all of them. --J.StuartClarke (talk) 21:39, 17 February 2008 (UTC) The RAF operation against the three ships would have been initiated by photo-reconnaissance of the area which would have shown the three ships without any indication of what they were being used for. IIRC, one of the ships - Deutschland - had been re-painted to signify that it was a hospital ship but they had run out of white paint before the task was completed, and only the funnel and a limited area of the ship had been painted white. The other ships remained in their normal wartime paint schemes. There was therefore no way for the RAF planners of the strike to have been aware that the ships were transporting prisoners, unless the ships had all been marked with prominent red crosses. In order to prevent attacks from the air and from submarines, ships being used for humanitarian purpose - such as hospital ships, transporting POWs, etc., - are required to be painted white overall with prominent red crosses. The existence of places such as Belsen had only recently been made public in Britain and the possibility that the ships might be carrying concentration camp prisoners would almost certainly never have crossed any of the pilot's minds. And if they had known this then they almost certainly wouldn't have attacked, never mind strafed people in the water - when bombing 'friendly' i.e., occupied, countries they used to fly low over the targets first to give the French, Belgian, and Dutch factory and other workers time to get out and under cover before they dropped their bombs. So it's highly unlikely that the RAF would have knowingly attacked ships full of prisoners, even German ones. That was just the sort of thing they were fighting against. They'd have had no trouble attacking and sinking the ships if they thought the SS was using them though, and strafed them into the bargain. The SS were loathed on the Allied side, and justifiably so. Whether there was any Ultra intelligence available about the ships and their contents - one can hardly call them passengers - in the limited time between a strike being planned and actually carried out, I doubt, as being movable ships, any delay in attacking them could lead to them not being where they were reported to be. So the attack was probably planned and carried out the same morning the reconnaissance photos were taken. If the RAF 2nd TAF did receive any information on the ships occupants then I suspect it may well not have been until several day after the event. The Ultra distribution system would not have known the attack was being planned, and if they had known the ships were carrying prisoners the information would probably not have been deemed important enough to pass on - why would one want to supply general information on prisoner's movements - unless it was also known that they were liable to be attacked by 2nd TAF. I suspect that the planners and aircrew just thought the ships were being used by 'fleeing Nazis' - as these were the only sort of people who could get hold of ships or any other form of mechanised transport in Germany at the time. Just about everyone else had to walk. So despite the conspiracy theories, the whole event was probably just what it was always stated to be, a tragic accident. These happen frequently in war. BTW, putting the moral and humanitarian aspects aside, there'd have been no point in the RAF knowingly attacking three ships carrying refugees, as that would have involved risking valuable pilot's lives for no military purpose, and it wouldn't have shortened the war by one little bit. This BS is stirred up nowadays by the same group of people who did it back in 1945 (you get the picture?). The attack was erroneous and not responsible for the majority of casualties. Most of the victims died because they were not assisted or even forcefully kept back from attempting to rescue themselves. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 46.115.117.38 (talk) 10:07, 1 December 2013 (UTC) This is a untrue and loaded term, it needs to be replaced. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.248.159.240 (talk) 06:51, 28 September 2007 (UTC) Also what comes to mind from the strafing the shipwreck survivors in the water, on purpose, isnt that a war crime? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.248.159.240 (talk) 07:03, 28 September 2007 (UTC) I'd be inclined to agree with your first point here, it seems that the term Hell Ship was reserved for Japanese POW ships. Googling "Arcona Hell Ship" only throws up this article and copies of this article. I'd suggest changing it to Prison ship and removing the Cap Arcona reference from the Hell Ship article as well. I don't really understand your second point though, sorry! LookingYourBest 09:30, 28 September 2007 (UTC) From the Web site : http://www1.uni-hamburg.de/rz3a035//arcona.html —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.64.182.240 (talk) 13:46, 2 October 2007 (UTC) "Provisional toilets were installed on the deck of the Thielbek and embarkation started on the 20th April. The Swedish Red Cross were present and all concentration camp prisoners except the Russian prisoners received a food parcel which, with the combination of malnutrician and thirst, caused terrible suffering. The water supplied from the ship's tank was totally insufficient. Twenty to thirty prisoners died daily and were removed by lorry. All prisoners, except the political prisoners, remained one or two days on board before being transferred to the Cap Arcona by the Athen. The SS personnel were gradually reduced and replaced by 55 to 60 year old territorial army members and marines. There was straw on deck for the holds there being no beds. There were large stocks of provisions under tarpaulin on deck but distribution was disorganized. The sick and the Russian prisoners received little. The latrines were inadequate. Buckets were lowered into the holds and raised when full. The stench was terrible. Gastroenteritis raged. ... Gehrig was to escort the prisoners to their deaths aboard the Cap Arcona. He ordered captain Nobmann of the Athen to take 2,300 prisoners and 280 SS guards on board and to ferry them to the Cap Arcona. Captain Nobmann initially refused but obeyed when threatened with being shot following a drumhead court martial. The SS and Kapos drove the prisoners on board with yells and blows. They had to climb down rope ladders into the deep holds of the ship. In the haste many prisoners fell and were seriously injured. There was hardly room to move in the dark, cold and damp holds. There were no toilets or water. After some hours the fully laden ship left the harbour for the Cap Arcona anchored off Neustadt. Captain Bertram refused to take the prisoners on board even after the SS came aboard. The Athen remained off Neustadt overnight and returned to Lübeck next morning, the 21st April, the prisoners having been given nothing to eat or drink. ... On the 27th April the Athen arrived in Neustadt with 2,500 prisoners from Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp who were transferred to the Cap Arcona. For three days the Athen journeyed to and fro between Lübeck harbour and the Cap Arcona. There were finally 6,500 prisoners on board and 600 SS guards. There was hardly anything to eat or drink and prisoners continued to die. A launch brought drinking water and took the dead back to Neustadt daily. The Russians received the worst treatment being locked in the lowest hold without fresh air, light or food. The number of dead grew ever larger. The Athen made its last journey to the Cap Arcona on the 30th April but this time to take prisoners off as the Cap Arcona was so over crowded that even the SS could no longer endure the starvation, stench and dead." —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.64.182.240 (talk) 13:43, 2 October 2007 (UTC) (copied from User talk:Sluzzelin) In response to the original poster's concerns, I cared neither about truth nor loadedness when I removed the wikilinked attribute "hell ship" from the article on Thielbek. My own concerns with this metaphor are ambiguity and verifiability in reliable sources. Following common usage, "hell ships" linked to the article on a different category of ships. This was misleading. I find no reliable references to the Thielbek as a "hell ship" or "Höllenschiff". The passage cited above describes conditions that could be called infernal in an essayistic text, or compared to Imperial Japanese Jigoku Sen, but it doesn't make this comparison or mention the word "hell ship". I asked user:Clio_the_Muse to dig in and see what could be found. "A search of the Cambridge catalogue under 'hell ships' only calls up Raymond Lamont-Brown's Ships from Hell: Japanese War Crimes on the High Seas. Beyond that there is one other source that I know of: Death on Hell Ships: Prisoners at Sea in the Pacific War by Gregory F. Michno. I have absolutely no doubt at all that conditions on these Nazi ships were indeed hellish by any reasonable measure, as indeed they were on the Trans-Atlantic slave ships; but the point remains that the term 'Hell ships' has come to refer to a particular historical phenomenon. To use it more widely thus risks confusion over issues of interpretation. I hope this is useful." Unless someone finds a notable reference to the Cap Arcona or Thielbek as a "hell ship" or "Höllenschiff", I suggest removing the attribute "hell ship" from both articles. The link under "See also" can stay, in my opinion. If a notable author's comparison to Japanese hell ships is found, the link might be worked into the article. ---Sluzzelin talk 06:23, 28 October 2007 (UTC) Done. ---Sluzzelin talk 20:49, 31 October 2007 (UTC) Third-worst maritime disaster in history Edit This article needs some serious work ... Edit There's a huge amount of stuff in this article that is either not sourced or is sourced to sources of dubious reliability - personal websites and the like - or to unpublished sources (RAF reports etc). In addition, it concerns me that some of it may fall under Original Research - drawing non-trivial conclusions from the sources without any supporting source for those conclusions. I suspect part of the reason is simply because much of this text was written before our requirements for citations became as rigorous, and the information can in fact be found within the linked published sources, but there are some things on here that seem a little unproven. I'm also wondering whether this article should be split into one about the ship itself and one about the sinking and its circumstances - as it is the latter wholly dwarfs the former and the article is not really about the Cap Arcona itself very much at all. Thoughts? Matthew Brown (Morven) (T:C) 22:49, 21 April 2008 (UTC) You can see the American photos (Photos of the burning ships, listed as Deutschland, Thielbek, and Cap Arcona, and survivors swimming in the cold Baltic Sea (seven degrees Celsius), were taken on a reconnaissance mission over the Bay of Lübeck by F-6 aircraft of the USAAF's 161st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron around 5:00 PM, shortly after the attack.), if you pay. See www.militarygnome.com or www1.uni-hamburg.de/rz3a035//arcona.html, "The Sinking of the Thielbek". ([[Special:Contributions/86.64.182.240|86.64.182.240] (talk) 13:25, 22 April 2008 (UTC)). I'm afraid that in my opinion a statement that a commercial photo archive contains a picture of something is NOT a published source for Wikipedia's purposes. (Neither are FOIA requests, for that matter). I feel that this article suffers from two problems. The first is that there are things people want to put here that are not available in any published sources, even if they might be true (or at least supported by some documentation, whether accurate or not). Wikipedia's sourcing requirements require that information here be supported by published sources of reasonable quality - which generally does not include personal websites unless the website is by a recognised expert in the field. The second is that there isn't that much in the way of published work or criticism of it available. The books cited in the article appear to be pretty much the sum and total of what there is out there. A search of academic databases I did turned up essentially nothing related to the Cap Arcona, which is surprising given the Holocaust association. This leaves us with a small number of books produced by people with strong interests in the subject matter, and few to no published sources analyzing the quality of the research of those books. Furthermore, all the published books appear to precede the wider accessibility to UK archives recently made available under the freedom of information act there. Also, much of the work on this article appears to have been the work of a very small number of people with websites about the sinking and the events around it - the textual similarities with at least one site out there are striking. I fear that these people aren't necessarily best versed in what a Wikipedia article should be, and are instead trying to get their website content out to a wider audience by republishing it here. Matthew Brown (Morven) (T:C) 05:22, 23 April 2008 (UTC) Has the "Till Report" ever been published? Edit Wikipedia needs published sources. Has the Till Report ever been published? My impression from what I'm reading here that it hasn't been, and it's been only available through the National Archives. Matthew Brown (Morven) (T:C) 19:13, 2 May 2008 (UTC) This excerpt (from National Archives, since January 1 2005, see upper "Records Sealed") can be read in the Benjamin Jacobs and Eugene Pool's book, The 100-Year Secret: Britain's Hidden World War II Massacre. The Lyons Press, October 2004. ISBN 1-59228-532-5.(86.64.182.240 (talk) 14:25, 3 May 2008 (UTC)). Documents available in the National Archives are freely available. People can either go to Kew themselves or if they can't be arsed or don't live near enough they can request that photocopies or electronic copies of the documents are sent to them. --J.StuartClarke (talk) 01:27, 5 May 2008 (UTC) Confusion with the "Wilhelm Gustloff", and/or disinformation ? Edit The Times - May 30, 1947 - Page 5 "AIRMEN IN GERMANY BRITISH OCCUPATION FORCES IN TRAINING CLOSE COOPERATION WITH THE ARMY By Our Aeronautical Correspondent. ... MOCK WAR ... There is a bombing range a mile or so from the shore, near where the German " Strength through Joy " ships (??????) , the Deutschland and the Cap Arcona, WHICH WERE BEING USED AS ARMED TRANSPORTS, were sunk a few days before the end of the war by rocket-firing Typhoons of the R.A.F. 2nd T.A.F. These vessels, rusting and half submerged, can still be seen lying upside down, and on closer inspection one can observe the gaping holes which testify to the deadly effect of rocket-projectiles..." —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.64.182.240 (talk) 15:26, 4 July 2008 (UTC) NPOV Tag Edit The section on the sinking suggests that the ship was sunk when the British government was aware that it was loaded with concentration camp survivors, and that the British government is to this day engaged in a continuing attempt to cover up the evidence. Very strong proof (lacking here) should be required before any such claim can be said to be objective.Mtsmallwood (talk) 23:05, 15 December 2008 (UTC) I removed the phrasing there is some evidence british intelligence were aware of the prisoners and this may be why the records have been sealed. I have also re-phrased he two surrounding paragraphs where they contained similar inferences. Reasons: 1) none of the sources cited in the article suggest this. Putting in statements with apparent citations that do not support the argument is not good practice. 2)The explaination used earlier of failure to pass on messages and warnings in time of war is a more sensible and supported reason for the attack. 3) Unrelated to anything cited in the article if anyone can suggest even a vaguely coherant reason why the RAF would deliberately as opposed to by tragic error bomb and kill 5,000 of their own allies civilians and POW's. As well as of course providing verifiable sources that back this up I'll be glad to discuss it. Kurtk60 (talk) 00:02, 17 December 2008 (UTC) 1) From the Till report of June 1945: "From the facts and from the statement volunteered by the RAF Intelligence Officer, it appears that the primary responsibility for this great loss of life must fall on the British RAF personnel who failed to pass to the pilots concerned the message they received concerning the presence of KZ prisoners on board these ships".(86.64.182.240 (talk) 13:35, 24 December 2008 (UTC)). Sorry I phrased my point 1 here poorly, apologies. Yes your spot on that a failure to pass on information was probably responsible. The reason for my edit is that the phrasing at several points in the article implied a deliberate attack on the prisoners. Rather than a tragic lack of communication in time of war. These two sentences I removed/re-phrased illustrate the point I hope. "The attacking force stated that they were unaware that the ships were laden with prisoners. However, the facts appear otherwise. " & "The RAF reportedly thought that the ships carried escaping SS officers, but there is some evidence that British intelligence knew the truth, which may be the reason why the official records have been sealed until 2045" I have no issue with mentioning that some elements of the RAF may not have told others about the prescence of prisoners onboard (which the Till report supports) by mistake infact it should definately be included. But the phrasing should not wander into suggesting anything more sinister? Kurtk60 (talk) 18:15, 25 December 2008 (UTC) If the three ships were just transporting concentration camp inmates for 'humanitarian' purposes, i.e., to evacuate them from a likely battle area, then why didn't the Nazi Government just tell everyone that's what they were doing. They could have placed statements in the press, announced it on the radio, informed the International Red Cross, etc,. They didn't. Instead they kept it all quiet. Strange way to behave if they had the well-being of the inmate's in mind. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.4.57.101 talk ) 15:50, 3 March 2012 (UTC) death toll Cap Arcona and frighter Thielbeck Edit I've just read a german article of NDR-online about the topic (www.kriegsende.ard.de) where they state that 4,500 prisoners of concentration-camps had been on the Cap Arcona. Of those only about 350 survived. While 80% (I don't know of how many) of the crew, SS, guards and the Captain Bertram saved themselves. 1 hour after the attack on the Cap Arcona the frighter Thielbeck was shot at, it took 20 min. to sink. Anyway, the Thielbeck carried 2,800 prisoners, of those only 50 survived. Most of the seamen including the Captain Jacobsen died, too. They now estimate a total toll of about 7,500 prisoners, I know that the numbers don't add up right. Maybe they mean 7,500 as a total of all people who died. The third ship was the Athens. She held 2000 prisoners at the time of the sinking but was still in the Harbour of Neustadt. That's how all of them could survive. Anyway, the Wilhelm Gustloff which was sunk on Jan.30th the same year, by the russian U-Boat S-13, carried more than 10,000 people. They were mostly children and women. Many of the women were pregnant or had little kids, most personnel was female. The Gustloff had a hospital and facilities to give birth. The people were escaping from East-Prussia, so the ship was hopelessly overfilled. Towards the end they stopped registering the passengers but say that more than 9,500 died. 5,000 of those were children. They call it the greatest ship-catastrophy of all times. The sinking of the Cap Arcona and the Thielbeck could well be the second biggest. ----Silke, 17th of Jan, 2009, early morning —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.234.176.89 (talk) 13:18, 17 January 2009 (UTC) 1) If you understand the German language, from the German Talk page "Cap Arcona" : "Folgende Zahlen kursieren - welche sollte ich als gültig hier referenzieren? Da lasse ich es lieber unbestimmt... vorgefunden und im Artikel so belassen: "...wobei die meisten der an Bord befindlichen ca. 4600 KZ-Häftlinge ums Leben kamen." Bei Diercks/Grill Seite 178: "nur 350 von etwa 4.500 Häftlingen der "Cap Arcona" und 50 von 2.500 Häftlingen der "Thielbek" überlebten..." Lange, Cap Arcona, Dokumentation 1988, Seite 78 "etwa 6.000 Personen" zum Zeitpunkt des Angriffs auf dem Schiff / wenige Seiten vorher jedoch: am "Morgen des 3. Mai 1945 4.209 Häftlinge sowie etwa 500 Mann Besatzung und Bewachung an Bord" Weblink ARD: C.A. von 4.500 KZ-Häftlingen an Bord überleben 350, / "Thielbek" 2.800 Häftlingen nur 50 Überlebende Weblink Abendblatt: „...nach Langes Recherchen ....Cap Arcona" 4300 Häftlinge, 400 Soldaten und 70 Mann Besatzung. Nur etwa 400 Menschen überlebten. Auf der "Thielbek" überlebten etwa 50 von mehr als 3000 Menschen." --Holgerjan 20:01, 12. Apr. 2008 (CEST)" Russian Wikipedia : "Cap Arcona" 5,594 victims. 2) Read the Talk page :MV Wilhelm Gustloff/Archive/1, section "Citing sources". " http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/bio.php?ID=92&reviewID=11483 "Unsolved History: Wilhelm Gustloff - Deadliest Sea Disaster". June 15, 2004. "Just about the time you give up all hope, though, an expert from London who specializes in catastrophe factors turns up and almost saves the show. He has a software program he's developed over several years which reconstructs maritime accidents and predicts – with some fairly pinpoint accuracy – the reactions of human beings under such stress. His mingling PC people fill the basic outlines of the Gustloff's structure and the step-by-step pandemonium is played out for us. We watch stairwells overcrowd and become impassible. We see the massive build-up of "hot spots" – red areas on the monitor screen – showing where passengers line up to wait for lifeboats and meet their destiny. Using data compiled from those who were there as well as ship's registries and rosters, our authority calculates that number of survivors – and miraculously, arrives at a figure only a few dozen away from the actual total. But the most compelling news is kept for last. It wasn't three, or six, or even eight thousand people who perished in the ship. He feels that more than TEN thousand died in the Baltic that night." Bill Gibron " (86.64.182.240 (talk) 15:31, 17 January 2009 (UTC)). The more I read about everything the more I think the estimation of the death-tolls are o.k. that way. I think they are bringing the numbers of prisoners down because at the time of the attack some 100-200 might have died of exhaustion, malnutrition, etc. I actually think that this would be nice to add to the article (just to show the people's situation on the ships before the bombing). The site deutsche-passagierschiffe.de for example says: at the evening of April 28th there were 4,600 prisoners and 500 guards on board...every day 15-30 prisoners died...less than 350 people(!?) survive the unimaginable end. This site is also listed as source of the Russian article, so I don't know yet where they get their 5594 victims from. Maybe the numbers also go down because of the French and other Westerners being taken off, but I don't know that. I think it still is totally o.k. to say that there were about 4,500 (maybe even 4,600) on board. Especially because the Captain himself says that he only had about 4,500 prisoners on board at the time of the attack. I got the number from the "Dentist of Auschwitz". Jacobs himself was still brought aboard on May 1st, as one of 60 or so. So if some had been dying or leaving, than more were already coming. That's probably why some say 4,600. I don't know where they get the numbers of survivers from, so I wouldn't change anything there right now and just leave it at 4,500 prisoners to 350 survivers. I also think that the numbers of the Thielbek differ because some include the crew and some just list the prisoners. But since almost everybody died, prisoners as crew alike, and the captain too, I would put the numbers together. And say that of 3000 people just 50 made it to shore alive. At some point the numbers have to be added so people understand why it is the second worst seafaring incident, next to the Goya, in history. As a total of about 7,500 died in the ships, the water or ashore as a result of the bombings and shootings, while 7,000 of those were concentration-camp prisoners. That's also what the memorial says. Silke28, 11:38, Wed. 21. Jan. 2009 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.234.176.89 talk ) 08:53, 22 January 2009 (UTC) who was the crew? ss? soldiers? Flakmatrosen? sailors? Edit There are some other sentences that trouble me. German trawlers sent to rescue the crew... they rescued 400 SS? 20 SS women? 16 sailors? I do not know the source of this information but no other article I read says so. Everybody talks about 500 guards (deutsche-passagierschiffe.de), 500 seamen, "Flakmatrosen" and guards (deutsche Wikipedia- Seite), 400 soldiers and 70 crew-members (Lange, abendblatt.de),... Lange also says that there was no higher SS present anymore at the time of the bombing. He sees the absence of higher SS as indication that they were going to sink the ship anyway. The German Wikipedia article states that most of them had run off in the morning. That was when the shooting of the Stutthof-Haeftlinge occured, which was another incident that day. I don't want to say its wrong, it just seems like a high number and I was wondering where it comes from. Or does 400 ss-men mean the 400 soldiers? Another sentence is: Most of the prisoners who tried to board the trawlers were beaten off, while those who reached the shore were shot down in the surf. Now Benjamin Jacobs in the "Dentist of Auschwitz" says: My naked comrades and the sunburned fisherman were my archangels... he was rescued by a fisherman together with other inmates, but the boat was lying so low in the water that they couldn't take anybody else. Earlier in the same chapter "Inferno" he says: "Hundreds of prisoners filled the top deck. At the stern about fifty German civilians, including a few women, and at least that many German sailors also confronted with the same dilemna." At that time he can also see the tipped Deutschland, "on one of its smokestacks appeared a large red cross". I thought the Deutschland was attacked an hour later than the Cap Arcona, but there were still SS and about 50 sailors around. Maybe they were waiting to get picked up or something. Many of the prisoners were struggeling in the water. Later, after the ship started tilting, he says: "We were rapidly sinking. Few people were left on deck. The sailors and some SS men were still there." I guess nobody came to get them. They were still sitting on the sinking ship. I do believe that most crew-members made it to shore, maybe right after the impact, eiter in boats or with life-wests. But it doesn't come together if the trawlers rescued all this ss and just 16 sailors. In the next chapter of his book Benjamin Jacobs reunites with his brother, who was still on the sinking ship when he himself got rescued. The brother says that the British came and got them off the ship. Maybe they took the sailors as well. ----Silke28, 1:49, Thursd. 22.Jan.2009 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.234.176.89 (talk) 12:01, 22 January 2009 (UTC) "Johnny" Johnson ? Edit Aeroplane Monthly - June 1984 - Page 290 "Cap Arcona: atrocity or accident?" "The second attack--the one that was to have such tragic consequences--was delivered by 198 Squadron, according to Coastal Command's survey team. Nine Typhoons swept over the bay at 1500hr. They were led by Group Captain "Johnnny" Johnson, who also commanded 123 Wing. Johnson was well known as a skilful and determined fighter pilot; he ... As might be expected, Johnson's leadership on this day was effective, although his pilots were completely unaware that their targets contained a cargo of innocent victims." - "Johnny" Johnson = "Johnny" Baldwin [John Robert Baldwin (ace) ]. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.64.182.240 (talk) 14:24, 5 May 2009 (UTC) Removal of NPOV tag Edit I think the tag has been there a while. It looks to me that the sinking section is pretty neutral now. Any objections to removing it? DHooke1973 (talk) 12:49, 20 December 2009 (UTC) Vaughan is an unreliable American writer. This article requires proper recourse to SS or other German archive sources to support Vaughan's ridiculous contentions. The turbines on the Ancona, a splendid liner, were repairable and replacable and it is madness to suggest that these prisoners were transferred there for some kind of destructive execution. This is just anti-nazi propaganda and tripe. 86.165.100.194 (talk) 12:44, 4 May 2015 (UTC) In French language : "Le fait d’avoir enregistré le témoignage de M. Pierre Clostermann quelques semaines avant sa disparition et qui reconnaît, pour la première fois, sa présence à bord des avions qui ont bombardé le Cap Arcona est bien plus important. Pierre Clostermann reconnaît sa présence dans les avions mais nie le fait d’avoir tiré sur les survivants dans les canots de sauvetages malgré certains témoignages contraires. Les témoignages de qui ? dit-il. Qui a témoigné ? Où étaient-ils ces témoins quand cela se passait ? Ils ne pouvaient pas être dans les avions, c’était nous qui étions dans les avions. Nous étions les seuls à pouvoir voir ou alors quelques allemands rescapés… Il poursuit : j’ai trouvé que c’était malheureux, scandaleux, manque de pot, pas de chance. C’était absurde… c’est tout. Il n’y a pas de raison que l’on regrette particulièrement tout ça. On avait des sentiments pour les camarades, pour les gens qui ont été tués à nos côtés, qui étaient nos amis sans ça… En quoi ces déportés ont-ils été utiles pour gagner la guerre ? C’était plutôt à porter au débit des alliés qu’au crédit des alliés..." — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.64.182.240 (talk) 10:21, 24 June 2011 (UTC) Google translation of above: "Having recorded the testimony of Mr. Pierre Clostermann few weeks before his death and which recognizes, for the first time, his presence on board aircraft which bombed the Cap Arcona is much more important. Pierre Clostermann his presence in the aircraft but denied having fired on the survivors in the lifeboats despite some contrary testimony. The testimony of that? he said. Who testified? Where were these witnesses when this happened? They could not be in airplanes, it was we who were in airplanes. We were the only ones who can see and then some German survivors ... He continues: I thought it was unfortunate, outrageous, hard luck, no luck. It was absurd ... that's all. There is no reason why we particularly regret it all. We had feelings for friends, for people who were killed on our side, who were our friends without it ... What the deportees have been useful to win the war? It was rather to be debited and credited allies allies..." ~Eric F 184.76.225.106 (talk) 22:40, 7 April 2012 (UTC) Where can you buy the US photos ? Edit You can buy the US photos in Arlington (Virginia, USA). — Preceding unsigned comment added by 95.172.88.8 (talk) 11:27, 7 December 2012 (UTC) The RAF has used white phosphorus bombs, like that: Edit Karl Kaufmann ordered to hang himself by Hitler. Edit The article says he was ordered to hang himself, but the link takes you to his biography page, and it says he died in 1969. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 73.35.150.195 (talk) 00:28, 3 May 2015 (UTC) Magdalena and Lillie Matthiessen Edit I have reverted the attached paragraph; which is duplicated in the article on White Buses and belongs much better there; as the Swedish rescue operation had no organisational link in with the Cap Arcona sinkings; and had been completed some days earlier. TomHennell (talk) 14:56, 8 June 2015 (UTC) "On 30 April 1945, two Swedish ships, Magdalena and Lillie Matthiessen, sailed from Lübeck, the first with 223 western European prisoners, for the most part French-speaking. Among them was Michel Hollard, a member of the French Resistance, who had been transferred from Thielbek to Magdalena. Lillie Matthiesen carried 225 women from Ravensbrück for transportation to hospitals in Sweden.[citation needed]" It is part of the "prison ship" story, though. Most of the prisoners were from Neuengamme, but some of these were prematurely rescued by this Swedish action. Ditto for the prisoners from Ravensbrück. There is a debate about the prisoners from Dora-Mittelbau, since part of these people originally came from Auschwitz - Furstengrübe, and there was a selection of prisoners by the Swedish Red Cross in the barns near Ahrensbök (cf. books of Benjamin Jacobs and Samuel Pivnik), when prisoners from Western Europe were rescued and from Eastern Europe were marched off later to Neustadt Bay and loaded on the Cap Arcona. Furthermore, Dr. Arnoldsson of the Swedish Red Cross warned the British Army about KZ prisoners on the ships on May 3, in addition to the warning of Paul de Blonay on May 2. As an aside, the people from Stutthof were loaded on their barges on April 25, 1945, and towed to arrive in Neustadt Bay in the evening of May 2. They docked alongside the Cap Arcona, but were refused, and later the prisoners went off on their own and stranded on the beach in the morning of May 3. (Bomwatty (talk) 11:09, 9 June 2015 (UTC)) Neither the Magdalena nor the Lillie Matthiessen were German prison ships though; they were the Swedish support vessels for the White Buses operation; mainly transporting fuel for the buses (and were clearly Red Cross marked). Once the designated 'White Buses' prisoners had been evacuated, the two boats became available for one additional rescue mission on 30 April. The sinking of the Cap Arcona was three days later. By definition, the prisoners trasferred to the prison flotilla from Neuengamme were going to be those not released from Neuengamme through the White Bus programme - e.g Russian POWs. Whatever may have been the motivation for moving the residual inmates to the flotilla (and that is still highly confused); prisoner release was not among them. Otherwise why not just leave them in the camp when the British and Canadians approached? There had been some initial planning in late April for setting up a final-retreat concentration camp in Norway (using guards evacuated from Sachsenhausen) but by the beginning of May the priority of the KL leadership was personal escape. Realising that in SS uniform they could no more surrender to the Western Allies as to the Russians, the bulk of them had gathered in Flensburg by 2nd May; and as much as anything, hiding the prisoners below decks in the three ships appears to have been a means to delay their discovery for a few days during which the SS leadership would hide their identities and "dive down into the Wehrmacht", as Himmler (and Donitz)advised them to do on 3rd May. TomHennell (talk) 13:38, 9 June 2015 (UTC) The Magdalena and Lillie Matthiessen transport on April 30 has been described on page 7 of the Swedish report listed indicated as note 1 in the English Wikipedia page on the White Buses. It is not clear whether the breakdown given there is entirely correct. In any case, this transport was organized by de Blonay and Arnoldsson, after they had found out in Lübeck harbour that there were ~ 7 000 KZ prisoners on the ships, and obtained permission to transport some of these prisoners to Sweden. It is not clear to me at all that whatever happened to Dönitz c.s. in Flensburg had any influence on the behaviour of people in the Lübeck area. Bomwatty (talk) 14:57, 9 June 2015 (UTC) on 30 April, Dönitz HQ as supreme military commander in the North was still at Plön, only a few miles from Lübeck; and he was very much in control of the Wehrmacht forces in the city; though not of course of the SS prison ships out it the bay. He only moved his HQ to Flensburg on 2 May, joining the SS leadership who were already there (albeit that Himmler himself didn't arive til 3 May). From then on, Dönitz as Reichs President and the SS in Flensburg were dancing around one another; whereas Dönitz promptly assumed command of the OKW (and obtained pledges of allegiance from all the Army Group commanders not previously under his control), he pointedly refused to do so publicly for the SS. While covertly, making arrangements enable the SS leadership to escape from the British and Americacns was as much a polity of the Flensburgh government, as was continuing arrangements for regular troops to escape from the Russians. The point being that without Dönitz agreement, the SS leadership could neither escape to Norway (as they had originally planned), nor be hidden in the Wehrmacht (as eventually happened). But either way, the prisoners on the ships were an embarassment that neither Dönitz nor the SS Leadership at Flensburg wanted to admit to knowing about. TomHennell (talk) 16:57, 9 June 2015 (UTC) I have reinserted this reference at a more appropriate point in the text - with a link across to the White Buses article. I suggest that further details and corrections would be more appropriately mmde there. Nothing that I have found links that rescue mission specifically with the Cap Arcona - which is the particular subject of this article. TomHennell (talk) 08:54, 10 June 2015 (UTC) Draught Edit This is pretty confusing: "Draught: 12.8 m (8.7 m)." 12.8 is obviously wrong, but I wonder if 8.7 is correct. Kendall-K1 (talk) 14:20, 19 June 2015 (UTC) Submarine signalling Edit This article mentions that Cap Arcona was equipped for submarine signalling, as do many other ship articles. This is unlinked, and I cannot find an article describing it. Davidships (talk) 18:06, 14 January 2016 (UTC) At the time, the term referred to a primitive form of underwater acoustic communication using a Fessenden oscillator. It could be used for communication between ships and also served as a form of sonar, particularly for locating icebergs. Kendall-K1 (talk) 19:34, 14 January 2016 (UTC) Maintaining fiction, or fleeing advancing Soviets Edit

Slovak Prosecutors Go After Far-Right Party One president, at least, spoke out in favor of values this week in Europe. Andrej Kiska, president of Slovakia, told attendees at the GLOBSEC summit in Bratislava on Friday that “Our values are our strongest survival weapon against any enemy.” He went on, furiously subtweeting another traveling president, “That’s why we can act globally as the advocates of human rights and respect for the dignity of every single human being. Our values are the unique reason why we are the ‘good guys.’” His speech was a long recital on how the true challenge to the West is defining precisely those values that make it “the West” in the first place: Kiska singled out strong civic institutions and democracy. What he wants, he said, is to make elections “boring” again. He wasn’t just referring to the toxic climate that has seeped into politics in Britain, France, or the United States. Hours earlier, Slovakia’s prosecutors moved to carry out Kiska’s words by banning the country’s far-right party — People’s Party Our Slovakia — arguing that the formation threatens Slovak democracy. The general prosecutor filed a motion to have the party dissolved. “The programme and activities of this extremist party with fascist tendencies violate the constitution, law and international agreements,” the prosecutor’s spokeswoman, Andrea Predajnova, told Reuters. People’s Party, whose leader Marian Kotleba is an open admirer of Jozef Tiso, who ran Slovakia as a Nazi satellite state during World War II, won about eight percent of the vote — and 14 seats — in last year’s parliamentary elections. The party is currently polling at around 10 percent. If People’s Party is dissolved, it will be the second time Kotleba suffers electoral dissolution; his Slovak Brotherhood party was broken apart in 2006 for violating the constitution. But if it isn’t, Kotleba could use this incident as ammunition going into this autumn’s regional elections. And if he does, People’s Party, who calls the Roma minority “gypsy parasites” and is openly critical of both the European Union and NATO, could make for anything but “boring” elections. “Let’s stop supporting the narrative of the EU and NATO being on the verge of a terrible irreparable breakdown,” Kiska pleaded on Friday. “Let’s stop seeing the need for revolutions and radical solutions when in fact what we need is old-fashioned politics and sober policies.” Whether his country’s Supreme Court agrees — or thinks banning a fascistic party led by a Nazi fanboy is the surest route back to sobriety — will soon be seen. Photo credit: JOE KLAMAR/AFP/Getty Images

A Kaiser Family Foundation survey finds that among insured, non-elderly adults struggling with medical bill problems, charges from out-of-network providers were a contributing factor about one-third of the time. Further, nearly 7 in 10 of individuals with unaffordable out-of-network medical bills did not know the health care provider was not in their plan’s network at the time they received care. “Surprise medical bill” is a term commonly used to describe charges arising when an insured individual inadvertently receives care from an out-of-network provider. This situation could arise in an emergency when the patient has no ability to select the emergency room, treating physicians, or ambulance providers. Surprise medical bills might also arise when a patient receives planned care from an in-network provider (often, a hospital or ambulatory care facility), but other treating providers brought in to participate in the patient’s care are not in the same network. These can include anesthesiologists, radiologists, pathologists, surgical assistants, and others. In some cases, entire departments within an in-network facility may be operated by subcontractors who don’t participate in the same network. In these non-emergency situations, too, the in-network provider or facility generally arranges for the other treating providers, not the patient. For insured patients, the surprise medical bill can involve two components. The first component reflects the difference in patient cost-sharing between in-network and out-of-network providers. For example, in a managed care plan that provides coverage in- and out-of-network (sometimes called a PPO plan), a patient might owe 20% of allowed charges for in-network services and 40% of allowed charges for out-of-network services. A second component of surprise medical bills is due to “balance billing.” Typically health plans negotiate fee schedules, or allowed charges, with network providers that reflect a discount from providers’ full charges. Network contracts also typically prohibit providers from billing patients the difference between the allowed charge and the full charge. Because out-of-network providers have no such contractual obligation, however, patients can be liable for the balance bill in addition to any cost-sharing that might otherwise apply. Data on the prevalence of surprise medical bills and costs to consumers are limited. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires health plans in and out of the Marketplace to report data on out-of-network costs to enrollees, though this provision has not yet been implemented. Research studies offer some clues as to the prevalence and cost to patients due to surprise medical bills: One national survey found that 8% of privately insured individuals used out-of-network care in 2011; 40% of those claims involved surprise (involuntary) out-of-network claims. This survey found that most surprise medical bills were related to emergency care. In 2011, the New York Department of Financial Services studied more than 2,000 complaints involving surprise medical bills, and found the average out-of-network emergency bill was $7,006. Insurers paid an average of $3,228 leaving consumers, on average, “to pay $3,778 for an emergency in which they had no choice.” The same New York study found that 90% of surprise medical bills were not for emergency services, but for other in-hospital care. The specialty areas of physicians most often submitting such bills were anesthesiology, lab services, surgery, and radiology. Out-of-network assistant surgeons, who often were called in without the patient’s knowledge, on average billed $13,914, while insurers paid $1,794 on average. Surprise bills by out-of-network radiologists averaged $5,406, of which insurers paid $2,497 on average. A private study of data reported by health insurers in 2013 to the Texas Department of Insurance suggest that emergency room physicians often do not participate in the same health plan networks as the hospitals in which they work. Three Texas insurers with the largest market share reported that between 41% and 68% of dollars billed by for emergency physician care at in-network hospitals were submitted by out-of-network emergency physicians. Analysis of provider directories of these three insurers found that between 21% and 45% of in-network hospitals had no in-network emergency room physicians. Federal and State protections against surprise medical bills Policymakers at the federal and state level have expressed concern that surprise medical bills can pose significant financial burdens and are beyond the control of patients to prevent since, by definition, they cannot choose the treating provider. Various policy proposals have been advanced, and some implemented, to address the problem. These include hold harmless provisions that protect consumers from the added cost of surprise medical bills, including limits or prohibitions on balance billing. Others include disclosure requirements that require health plans and/or providers to notify patients in advance that surprise balance billing may occur, potentially giving them an opportunity to choose other providers. Federal policy responses Several federal standards have been adopted or proposed to address the problem of surprise medical bills in private health plans generally, in qualified health plans offered through the Marketplace, and in Medicare. These standards vary in scope and applicability: Out-of-network emergency services (all private health plans) – The ACA requires non-grandfathered health plans, in and outside of the Marketplace, to provide coverage for out-of-network emergency care services and apply in-network levels of cost sharing for emergency services, even if the plan otherwise provides no out-of-network coverage. For example, if an HMO would normally cover 80% of allowed charges for in-network care and nothing for out-of-network care, the HMO would have to pay 80% of allowed charges for an out-of-network emergency room visit. This provision does not, however, limit balance billing by out-of-network emergency providers. – The ACA requires non-grandfathered health plans, in and outside of the Marketplace, to provide coverage for out-of-network emergency care services and apply in-network levels of cost sharing for emergency services, even if the plan otherwise provides no out-of-network coverage. For example, if an HMO would normally cover 80% of allowed charges for in-network care and nothing for out-of-network care, the HMO would have to pay 80% of allowed charges for an out-of-network emergency room visit. This provision does not, however, limit balance billing by out-of-network emergency providers. Proposed changes to coverage for out-of-network non-emergency services (Marketplace plans) – Recently the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services proposed changes to address surprise medical bills for non-emergency services for individuals covered by qualified health plans offered through the Marketplace. Proposed standards would apply when an enrollee receives care for essential health benefits from an out-of-network provider in an otherwise in-network setting (for example, anesthesia care for surgery performed in an in-network hospital.) Plans would be required to apply out-of-network cost sharing for such care toward the plan’s annual out-of-pocket limit for in-network cost sharing. The proposed rule would waive this requirement whenever plans notify enrollees in writing at least 10 days in advance (for example, as part of a plan pre-authorization process) that such surprise medical bills might arise. The proposed rule indicates that CMS may consider an alternative under which all out-of-network cost sharing for surprise medical bills would count toward the in-network OOP limit, regardless of whether the plan provides advance notification, but notes the agency is “wary of the impact of such a policy on premiums.” The proposal would not apply to balance billing charges arising from surprise medical bills. In addition, the proposal would seem to not affect enrollees of HMO or EPO plans that do not cover non-emergency out-of-network services at all. Such plans comprise 73% of all QHPs offered in the federal Marketplace in 2016. – Recently the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services proposed changes to address surprise medical bills for non-emergency services for individuals covered by qualified health plans offered through the Marketplace. Proposed standards would apply when an enrollee receives care for essential health benefits from an out-of-network provider in an otherwise in-network setting (for example, anesthesia care for surgery performed in an in-network hospital.) Plans would be required to apply out-of-network cost sharing for such care toward the plan’s annual out-of-pocket limit for in-network cost sharing. The proposed rule would waive this requirement whenever plans notify enrollees in writing at least 10 days in advance (for example, as part of a plan pre-authorization process) that such surprise medical bills might arise. The proposed rule indicates that CMS may consider an alternative under which all out-of-network cost sharing for surprise medical bills would count toward the in-network OOP limit, regardless of whether the plan provides advance notification, but notes the agency is “wary of the impact of such a policy on premiums.” The proposal would not apply to balance billing charges arising from surprise medical bills. In addition, the proposal would seem to not affect enrollees of HMO or EPO plans that do not cover non-emergency out-of-network services at all. Such plans comprise 73% of all QHPs offered in the federal Marketplace in 2016. Out-of-network services (Medicare) – Rules governing the traditional Medicare program generally limit patient exposure to balance billing, including surprise medical bills. Providers that do not participate in Medicare are limited in the amount they can balance bill patients to no more than 15% of Medicare’s established fee schedule amount for the service. Since these rules were adopted in 1989, the vast majority of providers accept Medicare assignment, and beneficiary out-of-pocket liability from balance billing has declined from $2.5 billion annually in 1983 ($5.65 billion in 2011 dollars) to $40 million in 2011. The rules are somewhat different for Medicare Advantage plans, which typically have more limited provider networks compared to traditional Medicare and which may not provide any coverage out-of-network. For emergency services, Medicare Advantage plans must apply in-network cost sharing rates even for out-of-network providers. Balance billing limits similar to those under traditional Medicare also apply. For non-emergency services, enrollees in PPO plans in surprise medical bill situations would be liable for out-of-network cost sharing, but Medicare balance billing rules would still apply, while enrollees in HMO plans might not have any coverage for non-emergency out-of-network services. State policy responses New York’s comprehensive approach to surprise medical bills – Last year a new law took effect in New York limiting surprise medical bills from out-of-network providers in emergency situations and in non-emergency situations when patients receive treatment at an in-network hospital or facility. To date, this law stands out as offering the most comprehensive state law protection against surprise medical bills. For emergency services, patients insured by state-regulated health plans (e.g., not including self-funded employer plans) are held harmless for costs beyond the in-network cost sharing amounts that would otherwise apply. For non-emergency care, patients who receive surprise out-of-network bills can submit a form authorizing the provider to bill the insurer directly, and then are held harmless to pay no more than the otherwise applicable in-network cost sharing. In both situations, out-of-network providers are prohibited from balance billing the patient; although providers who dispute the reasonableness of health plan reimbursement may appeal to a state-run arbitration process to determine a binding payment amount. The New York law applies only to state-regulated health plans. However, patients who are uninsured or covered by self-insured group health plans may also apply to the state-run arbitration process to limit balance billing by providers under certain circumstances. – Last year a new law took effect in New York limiting surprise medical bills from out-of-network providers in emergency situations and in non-emergency situations when patients receive treatment at an in-network hospital or facility. To date, this law stands out as offering the most comprehensive state law protection against surprise medical bills. For emergency services, patients insured by state-regulated health plans (e.g., not including self-funded employer plans) are held harmless for costs beyond the in-network cost sharing amounts that would otherwise apply. For non-emergency care, patients who receive surprise out-of-network bills can submit a form authorizing the provider to bill the insurer directly, and then are held harmless to pay no more than the otherwise applicable in-network cost sharing. In both situations, out-of-network providers are prohibited from balance billing the patient; although providers who dispute the reasonableness of health plan reimbursement may appeal to a state-run arbitration process to determine a binding payment amount. The New York law applies only to state-regulated health plans. However, patients who are uninsured or covered by self-insured group health plans may also apply to the state-run arbitration process to limit balance billing by providers under certain circumstances. Limited provisions addressing surprise medical bills – A number of other states have laws limiting balance billing by out-of-network providers in certain circumstances. Some of these laws apply only to certain types of health plans (HMO vs. PPO) or only to certain types of providers or services (for example, for ambulance providers or emergency care services.) – A number of other states have laws limiting balance billing by out-of-network providers in certain circumstances. Some of these laws apply only to certain types of health plans (HMO vs. PPO) or only to certain types of providers or services (for example, for ambulance providers or emergency care services.) NAIC model act – This fall, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) proposed changes to its health plan network adequacy model act to address surprise medical bills. NAIC model acts do not have the force of law, but often encourage state legislative action. For example, twenty states had adopted the previous NAIC model act on network adequacy or similar laws for network-based health plans. In addition, federal health insurance laws and regulations sometimes cite NAIC model act standards. The model act revisions would apply new standards for in-network facilities (hospitals and ambulatory care facilities) with non-participating facility based providers (such as anesthesiologists or emergency physicians). For emergency services, state-regulated plans would be required to apply in-network cost sharing rates for surprise medical bills (extending the ACA’s requirement for non-grandfathered plans to grandfathered plans as well). For balance billing amounts, out-of-network facility-based providers would be required to offer patients 3 choices: (1) pay the balance bill, (2) for balance bill amounts greater than $500, submit the claim to a mediation process with the provider to determine an allowed charge amount, or (3) rely on any other rights and remedies that may be available in the state. Similar requirements would apply for non-emergency services. In addition, health plans that require pre-authorization of facility-based care would be required to notify enrollees that surprise medical bills could arise, and plans would be required to provide enrollees with a list of facility-based providers that are participating in the plan network. Finally, plans would be required to keep data on all requests for mediation involving surprise medical bills and, upon request, report it to the state regulator. Discussion Surprise medical bills can contribute significantly to financial burden and medical debt among insured individuals, though data on the incidence and impact of this problem are limited. Federal authority to track the incidence and impact of surprise medical bills exists but has not yet been implemented. Policy makers have considered and adopted various responses, yet tradeoffs are involved in protecting consumers from surprise bills. There is concern among some as to whether or how new consumer protections might affect insurance premiums. Establishing requirements both on what health plans must cover and on amounts that out-of-network providers can bill can limit the impact on premiums, though providers may balk at restrictions on how much they can charge. The problem of surprise medical bills is likely to continue, and may increase to the extent plans create narrower provider networks. The very nature of the problem means that consumers will be hard pressed to take action to avoid surprise medical bill situations absent intervention by policy makers.

Boks safe after mid-air scare Johannesburg - The Springbok rugby team's flight to Australia was forced to return shortly after departing from Johannesburg on Friday night due to engine failure. "The Qantas flight on which the team was travelling was forced to return to OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg less than two hours after take-off," the SA Rugby Union said in a statement. Saru said the third engine on the Boeing 747 overheated, but it returned and landed safely in Johannesburg. The team would remain in Johannesburg overnight. SARU says the plane returned safely to Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport, landing less than two hours after its departure. "There was a loud bang and a bump and the captain told us we would be unable to continue our journey to Australia as engine No. 3 had failed," team spokesman Andy Colquhoun said. "So we dumped fuel and returned to Johannesburg. Everyone is fine." Colquhoun added that the 28-man squad would stay overnight in Johannesburg and was waiting for advice from Qantas on when they would be able to travel to Australia. Several Springboks and Springbok staff members reported the incident on the social network Twitter. Alistair Hargreaves - “@Al_Hargreaves: So Quantas have to send another aircraft which means 1 more night in jhb. @GaryGoldrugbyiq reckons he checked flames coming out the engine!” “@Al_Hargreaves: "The Springboks have just landed... In joburg. One of the engines failed and we had to turn around. Beautiful start to the trip! #hack” John Smit - “@JohnSmit123: Wow,just had to do an emergency landing at OR Tambo,we lost an engine after take off but safely landed now!My second safe emergency landing!” Ashley Johnson - @ashj1605: Back in joburg!! Our nr3 enjin exploded with a big bang!!! Gary Gold - “@GaryGoldrugbyiq: Wish I never watched #carteblanche on the #quantas 380 incident! Our engine just blew on take off and we just returned to Jhb, not much fun!” Sports journalist Brendan Nel, speaking to rugby writer JJ Harmse had the following to say - “@BrendenNel: Just spoke to jj harmse who was on the plane. Says it wasn't that bad, they were on a 747 and not an A380...” “@BrendenNel: Jj reckons it felt "like a speed bump" not too bad and they only knew when it was announced over the intercom.” South Africa is scheduled to kick off the Tri-Nations against Australia in Sydney next Saturday July 23. The Springboks play Australia in their opening match of the Tri-Nations in Sydney next weekend, before they travel to Wellington for the second and final match of their away leg against New Zealand. AP

About Rivals: Masters of the Deep is a 2-4 player tactical game for two or more players set in the cold dark depths of the Lurk. Players take command of either the Cog or the Nautilus, gather a fighting force and, through wise decisions and strategic moves, destroy the opposition. An Underwater Steampunk Battle Game set in the World of Rivals. IN THE DEEPEST OF THE DEEP SEAS... lies the Lurk. It is dark but clear, cold but habitable and a swell of life begins where land ends. The Gorgangrackles eat the Anglerfin. The Anglerfin eat the Chumtails. The Chumtails eat the Trollsharks. The Trollsharks...well they eat each other. Between the moistened mountains of Bluff and Butte sprawl the villages of the Nautilus, a peculiar race of tentacle-bearded nature-lovers. The villages are said to reside on top of a rare mineral deposit of UnderAether. Topside a Cog would give his left leg for a small glimpse of the material. The UnderAether could supply their factories & way of life for centuries and here it is resting under the tentacles of water breathers. The Rivalry has been fought for longer than most remember. Help bring this story to life by supporting us on Kickstarter! Rivals has previously been seen on: The Nerdist Rivals: Masters of the Deep comes with: The Rivals Rulebook 15 Game Dice 52 Game Hex Tiles featuring the Lurk 60 Tokens Loot Cards such as harpoons, scuttlebrute scales, kracken greaves, rayguns... Lurker Cards Event Cards Activation Cards 31 miniatures including 5 Cog heroes, 5 Nautilus Heroes, 16 Nautilus and Cog Minions and 5 Creatures of the Lurk! Expected MSRP - $89 Each faction has five Heroes to choose from. Each hero has their own Unique abilities. Cog Heroes Loot Cards - Armor, Items, Weapons THE BOARD The hex map is randomly generated for each play. Similar to Catan there is a shuffling of tiles and then clockwise placement. THE DICE There are 3 sets of dice. White, Red & Black. Black dice are the strongest and have the highest chance of rolling hits while the white are the weakest. THE MINIATURES The minis are all sculpted by Alain Viesca our Master sculptor and each are around 40mm. ______________________________ In Masters of the Deep, Cog & Nautilus go head to head on the battlefield. Your team will engage in fast-paced combat and interact with the board itself. The Creatures of the Lurk will come out of hiding, coral will try and eat you, Underwater rip tides will batter you all as you fend off your opponent. This is only a BETA Rulebook. This is not final. Rules, graphics and layouts may all be improved. Gameplay Video is Prototypes - Not the Finished Art By adding the listed amount to your pledge you can get these sweet items sent to you with the game. *Click on any add-on for a closer view Cog Heroes From Left to Right: Tobias "The Songsmith" - The newest member of the GearHeads, he brings harmony with every swing. Melee / Degrade Rivals Theodore P. Stevedore - Known as the leader of the GearHead Brigade, the Cogs mightiest heroes. Range / Upgrade models. Reginald M. Hornblower - Known for his tracking abilities, Reginald is the hunter of the GearHeads. Long Range / Upgrade himself Geoffrey "The Hammertoe" - Known for his wit and trademark rivetry. Melee / Attack multiple Rivals. J. Potts III - The oldest and most stubborn member of the GearHead Brigade has more bite than bark. Range / Repair Nautilus Heroes From Left to Right: Algernon ChiffChaff - The Chieftain of the Nautilus. Range / Upgrade models Brighton "The Bareknuckle" - It is said he can kill a Razorfin in one punch. Melee / Attack multiple Rivals Jules "The Lightbringer" - May be blind but can see things others can't. Long Range / Healer Eleanor Eudora Lash - First female Nautilus hero. She fights with the strength of 3 Nautilus. Range combat / Confuse Rivals Dorian "The Topknot" - Level headed and wise, Dorian has a keen sense on the battlefield. Melee / Degrade Rivals Clockwork Infantryman - Range / Degrade Rivals Clockwork Wrenchman - Melee / Upgrade Himself Drone - Range / Repair Automaton - Melee / Large / Attack Multiple Rivals Trench Gunner - Range / Extra Damage Trench Runner - Melee / Upgrade Himself Shaman - Range / Attacking Multiple Rivals / Heal Three Headed Dogfish - Melee / Upgrading Himself Mudwiggle SnapCracklers Viperfish Troll Shark Mutated Troll Shark We have quotes out with 3 manufacturers and depending on the amount raised will help us determine the amount of games we will be able to produce which in turn helps us determine which Manufacturer will get our Business. These are 3 Highly respected Manufacturers in the field so there is ZERO worry about quality of game. A BIG THANK YOU We want to thank all of our playtesters, editors, sculptor, designers, writers and any other 'ers we may be forgetting. -Alain Viesca, Michael Anderson, Stephanie Roach, Fannie Lam, Dwayne Hendrickson, Josh Wren, Ashton Owens, Logan Neff, Luke Walvoord, Marcus Morrison, Nathan Jorgensen, Zach Schaffer, Bryan Davis, Seth Newmen, Alyssa Layman, Deanna Layman, Oklahoma Christian Phase 5 Apartments(All of those strapping young men), and a score of others who I am probably forgetting but I still love you ;) ________________________________________ WE ALSO MAKE TOYS! WE KICKSTARTED THEM HERE & HERE ________________________________________ Keep up to date on Facebook for Contests, Giveaways and Other Goodies

news TTC budget woes deepen Toronto ignores the growing backlog of transit repairs and renewal at its peril—not to mention the $2.8-billion hole in the plan Transit is a vital Toronto service with an insatiable hunger for money. TTC’s budget committee met yesterday to consider a first cut at their next 10-year capital plan and how this might fit with the City of Toronto’s limited funding. To hear TTC management, all is well, at least in the short term. Spending plans for 2018 match available funding and, most importantly, the City-imposed limit on borrowing for transit projects. But over 10 years, available funding—monies that various governments have committed to provide—are about $2.8 billion short of the $9.24-billion plan. This gap between what the City will pay and what the TTC needs has been growing for years. It is only minimally offset by accounting prestidigitation that assumes the TTC will not actually spend all the money they are asking for. That shaves $420 million off of the total, but much remains. How Deep is the Hole? The first big problem with the TTC’s budget is that it understates the long-term shortfall by omitting many projects from the formal “base budget.” There are four different types of “unfunded” transit projects: Base budget items for which there is no funding because the City and its “funding partners” cannot or will not ante up the money: $2.273 billion (e.g., automatic train control for Line 2 (BD), new subway cars for Line 2, new subway cars for ridership growth on Lines 1 (YUS) and 2, purchase of new buses starting in 2021, purchase of additional new streetcars for ridership growth and system expansion) Deferred new budget requests for items that are “should haves,” but not yet important enough to formally be in the base: $1.05 billion (e.g., purchase of more than 500 new buses separate from those above, new bus technologies, future Wheel-Trans buses, Warden Station redevelopment) Scope changes on existing projects: $128 million (e.g., fire ventilation upgrades, escalator replacements) Projects for future consideration: $2.216 billion (e.g., Bloor-Yonge Station capacity improvements, platform edge doors on Line 1, new subway maintenance facility at Davisville, station modernization, new transit control centre, Islington Station improvements) Groups 2 to 4 all contain a variety of facility upgrade projects to deal with aging infrastructure. Many of these have a relatively low cost, but collectively they are worth hundreds of millions. These are only a sample showing the largest or more important projects. These lists are growing because City Council has instructed the TTC that new projects cannot be added to the “base budget” without Council approval. This does not make the projects disappear. It only hides their cost by leaving them out of the official version of the capital plan. The only exceptions are projects that are deemed critical, or that do not start until the 10th year of the plan, far enough in the future that they have little effect on spending projections. One important change at the City is the imposition of a “stage gate” process where a project cannot even reach commitment to proceed until its design is sufficiently advanced to keep the risk of cost overruns low. This is a big change for those who prefer to sketch plans on napkins and worry about the cost later, but it also affects management who low-ball cost estimates simply to get political approval. A more rigourous process has its effects on both groups. Noble as this change may be, it is a recent addition to the process, and few projects have actually gone through it. The benefits will take a few years to materialize, and it is unlikely that pet projects will completely disappear from TTC plans even with dubious cost estimates. Which Projects Go First? The second problem is that every project is presented as if it had equal importance in the overall scheme. The TTC Board previously asked that staff propose a prioritization scheme for projects, but this has yet to appear. A big issue is the meaning of “priority”—is a priority project one where “if we don’t do this, something will break,” or one where “if we don’t do this, I won’t be re-elected”? Even “break” can mean anything from annoying unreliability to complete collapse. Not only is a priority list missing, major project clusters (such as the planned renewal of the Bloor-Danforth subway) are scattered across multiple budget lines with no indication that they are related. Budgets can be deadly dull reading, and the documents can be daunting to a novice, including most members of the TTC board and Council. During the meeting it was obvious that members, and not a few management, were struggling with the details of this core TTC planning document. The budget committee itself cancels more meetings than it holds, and tends to review the budget in the heat of the moment when the whole document must be approved. Little surprise that few understand how it works. This is not just an exercise in good management theory, but an important part of planning for the City’s transit future. Without digging, it is almost impossible to learn how the budget relates to various initiatives councillors might like to see. Is there actually a provision for some change, or has a request simply been relegated to the “someday” pile? Are all components of a change present, or are there “oops,” missing pieces lurking in the budget that will delay policy changes? A good example lies in service quality and improvement. Within the 10-year plan, there is provision for only 99 new buses, to be acquired over the coming five years, dedicated for service improvements. Hundreds more may be purchased, but these will simply replace what is on the street today. Pressed to explain what these would be used for, management explained that they would mainly be spare service buses, “run as directed” as the TTC calls them, to fill in where necessary. Planning and Budgeting The TTC board will receive three important reports in coming months that could have significant effects on the capital budget: Ridership Growth Strategy: a plan for building ridership with a more attractive transit system. This will require more vehicles, but the lead time to provision buses (not to mention build a garage to house them) can be several years. All the will to improve service can founder through a lack of capital resources. Bus Fleet Plan: related to the RGS or even to a “do nothing” approach to service. The TTC needs an updated view of its bus and streetcar needs, based on anticipated changes in demand, changing vehicle technologies and the shift of riders between modes as new LRT and subway services replace bus routes. Renewal Plan for the Bloor-Danforth Subway (Line 2): Separately from the Scarborough extension, the BD line is 50 years old and in need of major overhaul for track, signals, fleet and maintenance shops. As jobs and population return not just in the core area, but to other parts of the “old” city like Liberty Village, there is a growing demand for travel. What are the options for moving more people by transit in areas where streets are clogged with motorists? There is little provision for this in the capital budget. Other non-TTC projects (such as SmartTrack) compete for funding and these can elbow aside the more mundane, but badly needed, work on the existing transit system. A structural problem with the TTC budget comes from the age of the subway system. For decades, many components have used up their design lives and some parts of the system—track, trains, escalators—have been replaced once or more. Now with large segments of the subway over 40 years old, the bill is coming due on replacing major subsystems and structures. This effect is only dimly appreciated by members of the TTC board because only the highest priority subsystem—signalling—has attracted their attention through its cost and ongoing service interruptions. As written, the 10-year plan gives no indication of the magnitude and timing of effects from these issues and policy decisions that they could trigger. Paying for Transit Money for transit projects comes from many sources including direct charges against taxes at all three government levels, from project-specific subsidies and from other levies such as development charges. In recent years, City finance staff have become more creative in their approach to financing capital needs, and this includes measures that could have unexpected consequences. One example is a scheme, advanced in the budget presentation, that the savings from “efficiencies” could be used to finance debt for capital projects. Suppose a new bus fleet is alleged to be more energy efficient and require less maintenance. These savings could help pay for the buses, even to the point of subsidizing a premium price. However, the savings must actually materialize and be sustained over the life of the debt. If they are not, then there is an unfunded cost. If the energy or maintenance savings don’t pan out, what pays down the debt? Problems with new bus technologies that failed to deliver on expectations (Compressed Natural Gas and Hybrids) are perfect examples. Recently, purveyors of electric buses have suggested that their extra cost could be financed through savings compared to diesel buses. If that approach is taken, the savings could be completely eaten up to offset the extra vehicle cost. More importantly, savings like these would normally offset rising operating costs. A new bus might use less fuel, or run forever without a tune-up. However, those savings will not translate to more service or lower fares because they will be scooped to pay down the debt. This is a subtle way to transfer capital costs to the operating budget and poach money that should be providing service or limiting fare increases. One large potential funding source is the second phase of the federal Public Transit Infrastructure Fund, but this is not yet a done deal. Details of the next phase of PTIF remain uncertain, and the current phase extends only to March 2019. For the City, there is a tricky balancing act. If PTIF money goes to a project that is now City-funded, then the City can recoup part of its contribution for use on other projects. However, if an unfunded project such as new trains for the BD line moves into the funded part of the plan, this requires net new City spending unless there are offsets elsewhere. The TTC’s plan gives no indication of which projects might be on their “wish list” for PTIF grants or how the timing of this funding would affect the staging of projects in the pipeline. The capital budget and plan passed by TTC’s budget committee is, at best, an outline of what capital spending could look like over the next decade, but it raises difficult questions about the number and scale of unfunded projects. This must be explored and explained in better detail to the full TTC board and to Council as it works through the 2018 budget. Much vital work does not lend itself to photo ops nor to election campaign slogans, but Toronto ignores the growing backlog of transit repairs and renewal at its peril.

(CNN) There's a bit of video that goes around the Internet every so often, showing a couple of clueless 1990s television hosts trying to decipher the mysteries of the Internet. "What is Internet, anyway?" NBC "Today" show host Bryant Gumbel asks in the 1994 clip after stumbling through an email address that ends in the now-famous .com suffix, as if it's written in some alien language. How far we've come. Thirty years ago, the .com Internet domain was born. In case you're not familiar, the companies and organizations that hand out Internet addresses use top-level domains like .com to organize the addresses. There's .gov for government, .edu for education, .mil for the military and .org for organizations. Addresses that end in .com can be registered by anyone, although the suffix stands for "commercial." Although other domains predate it, officially at least, .com is the one that got the whole online party going, launched the careers of countless millionaires, radically reformed our economy and wormed its way into our everyday language and lives. Let's look back at one of the grandaddies of domains as it enters its fourth decade, and ahead at what its future might hold. It didn't explode onto the scene. It was more of a trickle The first .com domain name -- Symbolics.com -- was registered March 15, 1985. Only five others joined it that year. It would take two years for the first 100 names to be registered, according to Verisign, the company that now manages the extension. But between 1995 and 2000 -- the era of the "dot-com bubble" -- registrations finally did take off, rocketing from 9,005 to more than 20 million. JUST WATCHED Here comes .apple: Web domain expansion Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Here comes .apple: Web domain expansion 03:50 It reshaped our economy The focus on the commerce inherent in .com turned what started as an academic exercise into a commercial powerhouse. In by 2010, the Internet had grown to $2.3 trillion in economic impact in the world's 20 biggest economies, according to the Boston Consulting Group (PDF). By 2016, that will nearly double to $4.2 trillion, the firm estimates. Another estimate from 2011 (PDF) placed the Internet's economic impact at $8 trillion. Websites built on .com real estate powered most of that growth: One hundred percent of Fortune 500 companies and all of the world's fastest-growing corporations have a .com presence, Verisign says. It defined an era Who could forget the dot-com era, that period of seemingly unbridled growth where anything with a .com attached to it seemed infinitely valuable? The promise of a new economy driven by brash young American entrepreneurs was inescapable. It's this time when "dot-com" became a touchstone. Controversial hacker and Web entrepreneur Kim Schmitz even changed his last name to Dotcom in apparent homage to the thing that had made him rich. "Before 2000, the term dot-com indicated American innovation and entrepreneurialism, both inside and outside the U.S.," said Stephanie Ricker Schulte, a University of Arkansas communications professor and author of the 2013 book "Cached: Decoding the Internet in Global Popular Culture." Along the way, it gained some baggage Investors kept pouring money into tech firms. They kept spending. But one thing was missing: profits. What became known as the "dot-com bubble" burst in 2000, wiping out millions of dollars in valuations and putting an end to speculative firms such as pets.com, whose sock-puppet mascot became a widely ridiculed symbol of the era's failings. Despite its cutesy image, revealed to the country along with a spate of other dot-coms during the 2000 NFL Super Bowl, the company lost $147 million in the first nine months of the year and was dead by November. JUST WATCHED New domain names to expand web Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH New domain names to expand web 02:14 "After 2000, after the so-called bubble burst, 'dot-com' came to represent American hubris and greed, especially outside the U.S.," Schulte said. "My favorite example of this is an article published in Germany that described Internet executives washing their car with champagne." Now, it seems fewer Internet startups or workers define themselves by the dot-com label. Startup seems to be the preferred term. "It's not a universally good thing," said Andrew L. Russell, an associate professor at the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey. "There's some ambiguity in dot-com." But it's still going strong Still, it's hard to argue the dominance of the .com domain. New .com domains are registered at an average of one per second, Verisign says, adding to the 115 million on the books. And while the headiest days of the Internet domain name gold rush are probably well behind us, domains are still selling for premium prices. The website insure.com, for instance, became the most expensive ever purchased in 2009, at a cost of $16 million, according to most-expensive.com. What will the future hold? Today, the undisputed champ is challenged by plenty of eager newcomers. New, more personalized domains are cropping up all the time: .coach, .green and .money are just a few of the latest. Increasingly, e-commerce is being conducted on smartphone apps, making it reasonable to ask whether .com will even be a thing in 10, 20, 50 years. Will future Fortune 500 execs bellow orders to dismantle the old .com websites as a relic of "quaint" 20th century technology? Maybe, but probably not, says Schulte. "I think .com will always be present at least in a residual way," she said. "History is important, even in places as seemingly ephemeral as the Internet."

Not too long ago, Nicole Kidman was, in my humble opinion, the sexiest girl in Hollywood. I have always admired her manner and grace, and always dreamed what it would be like to have her for a night … or three. And so, I was dissappointed when she slowly began to fade from the spotlight, making way for newer, younger girls. Well, it looks like she wants that spotlight back, and what better way to regain it than by doing a topless photoshoot? V Magazine is the lucky publisher who got the exclusive shots, so I will do what is only fair and bring those shots to you. With all these high dramas that she has been in recently, maybe this is a sign that she wants another part where she can be the sexy diva that she was born to be? Maybe that shot is the new Nymphomaniac movie? We’ll have to wait and see. (due to the visible nipple in the second image, I had to label this NSFW … although, it isn’t really that NSFW)

Bonanno crime family mobster turned rat Hector “Junior” Pagan is set to take the stand as the governments star witness at upcoming mob trial. Pagan is best known for being the ex-husband of Renee Graziano one of the stars of the hit TV series Mob Wives. The former mob enforcer decided to become an informant after a drug conviction and wore a wire secretly taping conversations with fellow mobsters. These tapes lead to the arrest of former Bonanno family acting boss Vincent “Vinny TV” Badalamenti and his former father-in-law and high ranking mobster Anthony Graziano among others. Pagan cut a deal with the feds which included him admitting his role in the 2010 murder of James Donovan an alleged Lucchese crime family associate and loanshark during a botched robbery. “Hector Pagan” Pagan is now the star witness against two accomplices Bonanno mobster Richard Riccardi and Gambino family associate Luigi Grasso which he claims joined him in the fatal robbery attempt. Even though Pagan himself fired the fatal shot into the leg of Donovan causing him to bleed to death he has played his turncoat card perfectly. According to Pagan he was accompanied by Grasso and helped apprehend Donovan at gun point and Riccardi is accused of supplying the guns. But defense attorney’s argue that Pagan is really the guilty party in the murder of Donovan as he fired the fatal shot leading to his death and he has been caught lying to both the U.S. attorney and Brooklyn distract attorney about the mafia murder. Both Grasso and Riccardi are being held with out bail while they await trial. The mobsters are facing a sentence of life in prison if convicted.

Public transportation ridership may have increased in 2012, but major transit agencies across the nation have picked an odd way to celebrate. On July 1, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), which serves the Philadelphia region, will increase fares. Meanwhile, New York City’s Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) will, for the fourth time in five years, up its prices this weekend. Seven time zones to the east, the Estonian capital of Tallinn has taken the opposite approach: In January, it entirely scrapped fares for city residents, although they must initially purchase a smart card. Those who live outside the city still have to pay fares. According to Reuters, the city decided a carrot in the form of free rides is the best way to deal with traffic congestion by luring drivers onto buses and trams. (A bit of stick has been applied, too, as cars are now barred from some roads and parking fees have increased.) The city government purchased 70 new buses and 15 new trams to meet the anticipated surge in demand. Three-quarters of Tallinn residents support the plan. Free fares have only been in place for a little less than two months, but so far the policy seems to have had its intended effect. Tallinn’s transportation department reports that traffic fell by 10 percent, meaning about 7,600 fewer cars in the city per day. Officials also claim the nearby town of Keila (population 10,000), which made public transit free starting February 1, is emulating their model. Keila’s decision makes sense for an inarguable reason: The fare system for its two bus lines costs more to operate than any revenue it brought in. As Jarrett Walker wrote in his 2011 book Human Transit, many cities that offer free public transportation do so for similar reasons: They are so small that the cost of maintaining fare infrastructure isn’t worth it (or they are university towns, where a school subsidizes the cost of most rides). As Walker notes in a blog post on Tallinn, the city is uniting with a few other Western European cities that offer free transit, all with populations well below 100,000, to form a Free Public Transport European Network and spread the idea across the continent. Tallinn is the largest city yet to provide free public transportation, but its population is still substantially smaller than that of Washington, D.C. (by about 200,000 people). Would such a scheme work in a mid-to-large American city? According to Jennifer Perone’s 2002 study, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation and Florida Department of Transportation, it isn’t likely. While she wrote that free transit is manageable and worthwhile in rural regions and small towns, she cautioned against such a policy for larger systems: All well-informed transit professionals that were contacted for their opinions spoke strongly against the concept of free fares for large systems, suggesting some minimal fare needs to be in place to discourage vagrancy, rowdiness and a degradation of service. These experts drew on the experiences of three mid-sized American cities that briefly experimented with fare free transit. Between 1978 and 1979, both Trenton, N.J., and Denver, Colo. offered free transit during non-peak hours. In both cases, ridership increased (by 16 percent and 36 percent, respectively). The authors claim however, that these were generally not people lured from cars, but were what they call “problem riders.” In Trenton, 92 percent of transit drivers reported that their jobs were less enjoyable after the free fare program was instituted. These issues, along with revenue problems, caused both cities to discontinue their experiments after a year. Austin, Texas is the only sizable American city to try totally free transit, from October 1989 to December 1990. Ridership increased dramatically but it was “regarded as disastrous” due to a spike in “problem riders” and the increased expense of security measures and repair of damaged vehicles. The policy also proved unpopular with transit drivers, 75 percent of whom signed a petition to end fare free transit because of their negative experience with “Joy-riding youth and inebriated adults, as well as vagrants.” Physical assaults on Austin’s public transit grew from 44 in the three months before the institution of free fares to 120 in the three months afterwards. “In none of the [three] experiments did the increase in transit ridership include automobile commuters enticed by the fare-free service,” Perone writes. Many of the experts Perone interviewed suggest that even very low fares could dramatically cut down on issues with “problem riders.” The Miami Beach Transportation Management Association offered free electric shuttle bus service and experienced the same kind of issues and complaints listed above. Then it instituted a 25-cent fare. Judy Evans, the agency’s executive director, claims a 90 percent reduction in vandalism as a result. Considering how hard it is to raise money to do, well, pretty much anything in the U.S., finding an alternative source of public revenue is the other great challenge to fare free transit. New York’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg had a dreamy suggestion along those lines last year, telling reporters: If you were gonna design, keep in mind, the perfect public transportation system, you would have it be free and you would charge people to use cars, because you want the incentive to get them to do that. There actually is a detailed plan for just such a fare free system in New York. Promoted by the late transit advocate Ted Kheel, it proposes a 24-hour, $16 congestion charge for cars entering Manhattan south of 60th Street. The proceeds would then be used to pay for free public transportation and further discourage personal automobile use in the city. Proponents claim that such a plan would increase support for congesting pricing, as it would allow citizens to clearly see where the money paid by drivers is going. Of course, the fate of Bloomberg’s much less ambitious congestion pricing scheme (it died in Albany) suggests that Kheel’s plan is unlikely to be instituted, even in the U.S. city most dependent on public transportation. While Tallinn’s experiment is probably too new to provide us with much guidance, Henry Grabar writes in The Atlatntic Cities that a few French municipalities paid for free fares by raising taxes on larger businesses (the studies he parses are written in French, so I’m relying on his analysis here). In Châteauroux, a city of 49,000, ridership grew by 81 percent between 2001 (when fare free was instituted) and 2002, and has increased further since. The city of Aubagne, which is only a little bigger than Châteauroux, started providing free transit to its whole metro region in 2009 (around 100,000 people). Since then, ridership has grown by 170 percent and congestion has dropped by 10 percent. One French magazine reported that a near-perfect 99 percent of residents said they were happy with the policy. Those last numbers seem to show that the “problem rider” issue hasn’t troubled the residents of Aubagne. In Tallinn there is a slight barrier to entry, in that riders have to buy a card and prove residency before getting free rides. This may suffice to cut down on issues of vandalism and vagrancy highlighted in Perone’s study. More research out of Tallinn will further illuminate the issue, but as congestion pricing and taxation remain politically poisonous issues, it is likely that we’ll see more fare increases before U.S. cities take up any form of the experiment again.

Welcome to Tuesdays with Richard on Thursdays, a weekly multimedia series featuring Seahawks All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman. Throughout the 2016 season, Richard will provide a unique and intimate glance at his life behind-the-scenes and on the field. This week, Richard puts a unique spin on the 5 Toughest portion of our Elite 101 series. One thing I think people often forget about professional athletes is that, to a large extent, we’re fans, too. Not the “Can I get a picture with you?” or “Can you sign my baby?” kind of fans, but we enjoy watching the best athletes in the world compete at the highest level as much as the next person. And we appreciate greatness when we see it, regardless of the sport. During down time, in the locker room or on the training table, my teammates and I engage in the same sports debates as anybody else. Better in his prime: Muhammad Ali or Mike Tyson? The Warriors, or the ’96 Bulls? Kobe, MJ or LeBron? (For the record, I’d put my money on Ali over anybody, the ’96 Bulls, and Kobe — but it’s close.) It’s the hypothetical scenarios and matchups that make for the greatest debate because there are no real answers. We’ll just never know. So when I see highlights of — or hear people arguing about — the greatest wide receivers of all time, it’s tough for me as a competitor to not sit back and think, Man, I wish I could have played against some of those guys. So in that spirit, I started thinking about some of the great wide receivers who came a little before my time in the NFL — guys I would have loved to have had the chance to line up against and lock down. And the first that comes to mind is a guy I actually did get the chance to play against…. Randy Moss I got to play against Randy during the latter part of his career, in 2012, when he was with the 49ers. But that’s not the Randy Moss I wanted to cover. I wanted young Randy. The one who made his name into a verb. We yelled it all the time when we were kids and somebody made a highlight catch over a defender — especially if it was a touchdown. “You got Mossed!” That started pretty much right when Randy came into the league. In his early days with the Vikings, he was Mossing people left and right, like with this catch against the Packers: Or this one-handed grab he made on Charles Woodson, a future Hall of Famer: Those dudes got Mossed, and a catchphrase was born. At the end of his career, when I played against him, Randy still had speed. He still had quickness. He still had hands. But he wasn’t quite the same as he had been when he was in his prime. When he came into the league, he had probably the best combination of speed, quickness and hands anybody had ever seen. And on top of that, he had the size and leaping ability — I guess you’d call it “Mossability” — to go up and get the ball, no matter where it had been thrown. Throw in the fact that for most of his time in Minnesota he had a quarterback in Daunte Culpepper with one of the strongest arms in the league — who could air it out and really let Randy shine — and that would have made for a fun matchup for a cornerback like me. In fact, that Vikings offense was so prolific that we don’t have to go far to find the next guy on my list. We just need to look to the other side of the field. Cris Carter Cris Carter had probably the best hands in the NFL — maybe ever. He was a true master of his craft. He was a guy who would have been a lot of fun to cover because the margin for error would have been so small. You couldn’t even let the ball get to his hands, because if it got there, he was catching it. Every time. He was the guy making one-handed catches left and right back when it was still a rarity. To keep the ball from getting to his hands, I would have had to reroute him. I would have had to disrupt him at the line of scrimmage and break on the ball early — maybe try to get into his head and rattle him a little bit, which would have been difficult, because he was such a competitor. It would be even more difficult to defend Cris in today’s NFL, because back in his day, the game was more physical. Now, with the way the rules have changed, DBs aren’t allowed to disrupt receivers at the line the way they used to, so they have even more of an advantage than they had when Cris was playing. Cris Carter is a Hall of Fame wide receiver, but it’s pretty scary to imagine what a guy like him could do in today’s game, where he would essentially be able to run free. And in any era, as a defense, I don’t know how you could stop both Cris Carter and Randy Moss on the same offense. But man, I would love to find out. Terrell Owens Strong. Fast. Athletic. A big body with great hands. T.O. had it all. I can’t think of many wide receivers who had all the different skills that T.O. had, plus a six-foot-three, 225-pound frame. He could beat guys in so many ways. He could use his speed to get behind the defense on go routes. He could catch a screen pass and use his speed to take it to the house. He could go over the middle because he had the size and strength to take a couple of hits, bounce right off them and keep on going. Statistically, he’s in the top three all time in both receiving yards and touchdowns, so you know he took care of business on the field. And everything he did and said after the whistle and off the field — the celebrations, the popcorn, the press conferences — made for some pretty fun TV, too. I think a trash-talk battle between me and T.O. would have been pretty hilarious. Unfortunately, I think the extracurricular stuff he did rubbed some people the wrong way — particularly Hall of Fame voters. But at the end of the day, he’s an all-time great receiver who should be in the Hall of Fame, just like Cris Carter is and Randy Moss undoubtedly will be. In fact, T.O. was such a unique talent that I think he was the first wide receiver of his kind that we had seen since a certain Hall of Famer who came before him…. Michael Irvin Anybody with a nickname like “the Playmaker” is a guy any elite cornerback would want the chance to line up against. As corners, we treat all receivers the same regardless of talent level or résumé — that’s how you avoid letdowns. But at the end of the day, we measure ourselves by how we perform against the best receivers in the game. Irvin’s nickname was apt. He was a big-time playmaker. He adjusted well to different types of press coverage. He was physical. He had great hands, ran clean routes and had the speed to either get behind the defense or take a short pass and turn it into a long touchdown. And he shone brightest when it mattered the most. During the Cowboys’ three Super Bowl runs in the ’90s, Irvin’s playoff stats were: Games: 9 Catches: 48 Receiving Yards: 688 Touchdowns: 6 Playmaker. Guys like Irvin, T.O. and Calvin Johnson are probably in a category by themselves when it comes to their combination of size, speed and physicality. I imagine that when you lined up against Michael Irvin, you knew you were in for a full day’s work — especially with all the dynamic players those Cowboys teams had around him. He’s the Playmaker, and I’m the kind of guy who would want to see for myself what that’s all about. And just like T.O., playmakers are gonna talk a little bit. So Michael Irvin would have been a fun matchup for me. Jerry Rice Many people consider Jerry Rice the greatest receiver of all time, and it’s hard to argue with that. He had the speed and all the tools that a lot of the other guys on this list had, but with Jerry, his greatness was predicated mostly on his hands and his route running. He knew exactly where he wanted to go, and he was pretty much always able to get to that spot right on time because he had such a good rapport with his quarterbacks. They knew where he wanted to go, too. Jerry and the football would meet at that spot, and on his way there, Jerry would often leave defenders on the ground in his wake. In addition to Jerry, it would have also been fun to play against Joe Montana and Steve Young running Bill Walsh’s West Coast offense. I think if I could choose two historic offenses that I would love to match our Seahawks defense up against, it would be Walsh’s 49ers and those ’90s Cowboys teams with Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin. And just like Cris Carter, Jerry Rice is another guy from a different era who I think would wreak havoc on defenses in today’s NFL — he would maybe be even more dangerous today, if you can imagine that. To cover Jerry, you’d have to press him at the line of scrimmage. They’d probably use motion and move him around to try and beat the press, and you’d have to get your hands on him somehow to disrupt his timing. If you didn’t get your hands on him and throw his timing off, he’d get to his spot, the ball would be there on time and it would be over. Jerry time. Like I said: As a cornerback, you measure yourself by how you perform against the best receivers in the game, and I’d like to think I could hold my own with Jerry and the other all-time greats on this list. But I guess we’ll never know.

Source: U.S. Navy, used with permission Note: Above, clockwise from left: Fleet replenishment oiler USNS Henry J. Kaiser (T-AO 187), aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), destroyer USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93), and cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59). Great Green Fleet demonstration, July 2012. Recently the Department of Defense (DoD) released its annual procurement for bulk fuels to be delivered to its facilities in the eastern and inland United States and Gulf Coast. For the first time, this procurement requests military-specification diesel fuel and jet fuel that are blended with biofuels. The biofuels components, however, are optional and will only be accepted if certain cost and performance requirements are met. A similar procurement for the Rocky Mountain and West Coast regions is expected to be released later this year. The U.S. Navy's interest in biofuels is part of its goal to generate 50% of its energy from alternative sources by 2020: nuclear energy, electricity from renewable sources, and biofuels. The Navy currently sources about 17% of its energy supplies from renewable and nuclear sources of electricity. No biofuels are currently included in that percentage. The Navy's interest in biofuels is limited to those fuels that can be used as direct replacements for petroleum-based gasoline and distillate fuels, also known as drop-in biofuels. These fuels require no modification or operational changes to distribution infrastructure, aircraft, or ships. Although biodiesel blends readily with diesel fuel or jet fuel, and is compatible with most diesel engines, it is not a drop-in fuel. Certain properties limit biodiesel blends from being used in some applications: potential fuel system clogging and poor performance at low temperatures prevent its use in jet fuel for civilian or military use, and water separation problems prevent its use as a marine diesel fuel. Drop-in biofuels are available today on a limited commercial basis, and operable U.S. production capacity is about 210 million gallons per year. Drop-in biofuels tend to be more expensive than petroleum fuels. The 2014 National Defense Authorization Act prohibits DoD from paying prices for alternative fuels that are higher than it would pay for traditional fuels. To address these economic issues, the Navy and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the Farm-to-Fleet program in December 2013. The program intends to increase the production of drop-in biofuels in the short term to allow producers to improve yields and lower feedstock costs through experience, and to achieve economic competitiveness by 2020. Firms wishing to offer drop-in biofuels under the current solicitation can apply to the USDA Commodity Credit Corporation for grants to offset the cost of feedstocks used to produce the biofuels. Some drop-in biofuels may also qualify for Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs), which can be used to comply with the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) or sold to other parties. The RFS has encouraged the production and import of drop-in diesel that can meet DoD's requirements. It remains to be seen whether the combination of the USDA grants and RIN value is enough to bring drop-in jet fuel to market at a price comparable to traditional jet fuel. For this year's fuel procurements, there are two acceptable sources of drop-in biofuels: hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA), and Fischer-Tropsch (FT) liquids. HEFA biofuels are produced through the reaction of vegetable oil or animal fat with hydrogen to yield hydrocarbons that are nearly identical to those found in petroleum-based diesel fuel or jet fuel. FT liquids are hydrocarbons produced from coal-, natural gas-, or biomass-based synthesis gas and are suitable for blending into diesel fuel and jet fuel. In the near term, EIA projects that HEFA fuels likely will be used in much greater quantities than FT liquids. Unlike with HEFA, the United States has no commercial-scale production of FT fuels. Other nations produce FT liquids, but their production is more often based on coal and natural gas, not biomass. The U.S. therefore does not import large volumes of FT liquids, because coal- and natural-gas based fuels do not qualify for credit under the RFS or the California Low Carbon Fuels Standard. Principal contributor: Tony Radich

OMG continues their great performance, Final game comes down to epic base race The morning begins with OMG continuing their consistent domination while the last game of the night comes down to an incredible base race. HaoKai utilizes an early level 1 teleport to establish dominance. VOD Ashe taking many a tumble and hymn of valor, while Vayne has several pots. VOD Hey, this isn't their lane... VOD I know it's invisible, but you can take my word for it, the dragon was slain. Michale “DreXxiN” Lalor Starcraft: Brood War Veteran and League of Legends Crew Lead. Events Attended 2013 [f]Poland[/f] Intel Extreme Masters Katowice 2013 [f]Germany[/f] Intel Extreme Masters World Championships Although entering as a weak team,has been doing quite well as of recent, evenon the first day of the week.knows a lot of the strength in Wings of Aurora lies in their unique set of champions, where they banned out, a generally odd set of bans.Kicking things off straight away, HaoKai on Ryze blows teleport at level 1 to make an aggressive play on the enemy team, putting a bit of damage onto the enemy support and setting his team up with an intimidating approach. Afterwords, they would approach through top tri-bush into the purple side Lizard of the Elder, scouting the enemy Zed for a free pick and first blood on Ryze.Despite giving up the first kill of the game, LM would quickly find themselves getting back on their feet, utilizing the mobility of Shen to keep things evened up, but not without spoiling some advantages of their own with an aggressive bottom lane duo of Graves and Elise.30 minutes into the game, Livemore's support get caught out, which allows Wings of Aurora to easily contest baron. However, after a strong engage lead by Malphite, things would look a bit painful for Wings of Aurora. To their merit, their support Elise was able to secure a killing blow on baron just before dying. Afterwords, LM struggled to fight but WoA ultimately prevailed for the win.Yet another scenario of uninvited guests kick off whenfaces off against. This time, blue side didn't manage any merits and it went back to the typical farm game. Wayi Spider pulled out champions such asandthis game, very untypical picks not seen often in the western world whereas OMG went for a much more standard and safe team composition.OMG would find that paying off for them after going hyper-aggressive level one top lane with Renekton pulling off a clean 1v1 kill onto the enemy Shen. Meanwhile, Spider would find themselves pressured bottom lane due to not picking a strong AD laner to punish Vayne's dreadful laning phase.After Shen went down once, OMG knew that he would be icnredibly vulnerable there on and repeatedly dove onto him, securing 2 kills and 1 assist for their fellow Renekton and allowing some easy gold for Twisted Fate in the mid lane. Meanwhile, to stay ahead of Spider's bottom lane, Vayne would stack lifesteal with potions and outtrade everything Ashe could do with the help of Sona.Following that, it was pretty much smooth sailing for OMG, showing just how dominant they have become in the most recent weeks of the LPL. Playing like a truly top team in the world, they proceeded to take every advantage they could without throwing and took an easy win off of Wayi Spider.In the third game of the night withvs., we'd find ourselves with the only safe opening to the LPL today with both teams beginning on their own sides in the jungle. Positive Energy pulled out a Jungle Shyvana, which hasn't seen the light of day in quite some time in the western world.Though Invictus Gaming did manage to pull the first blood of the game away from PE's hands, it was onto a Thresh rather than one of the other mega threats bolstering themselves in Invictus Gaming's roster. The game was fairly passive, just like in the beginning of the game, for several minutes. That is up until...A surprise lane swap would catch Rumble by surprise, allowing the very late game scaling champion of Twitch to become infinitely stronger in the palms ofThough Positive Energy did a good job at attempting a siege on towers, the defensive timing of Invictus Gaming was much too keen to let a tower fall, even if near death.The overzealous need of objective control would end up being a largely faulted point in PE's play, throwing themselves in very disadvantageous situations and allowing iG to become even further ahead. Though being able to stay even in towers for the greater portion of the game, PE's gold deficit would prove too much to come back from, allowing iG toThe last game of the day would have the most relate-able team offacing off againstNothing flashy would happen early on in the game with the exception of brawling between CaoMei and and his lane opponent. Shortly after 5 minutes in,on sniffs out his first prey and grabs a kill, allowing the bottom lane of World Elite to get ahead in gold as well.Not letting that dissuade Royal Club from the potential win, they quickly even up the tides in kills, but lose control of dragon as well as having their mid tower fall first. Troll shows himself on a roll today, being part of every kill of World Elite's within the early phase of the game. However, with Weixiao underperforming a bit as he has been of recent, Royal Club finds themselves catching back up and controlling the dragons on their own.Royal Club would continue to find themselves mounting a great lead, as well as having superior oracle and ward control across the map. In a 23 minute attempt at baron, Royal Club rip it away from World Elite for absolutely free, giving World Elite yet another grim outlook in today's LPL.Not willing to falter once again in their performance, World Elite stay in the game despite their deficit, closing off the kill deficit and bringing the gold values extremely close and making the move on towers. With their middle inhibitor down andgoing 13-2-9 with 300 as Kassadin at this point, all seemed hopeless for World Elite now. However, in a blink of an eye and an epic bace race, World Elite kills the Nexus off faster and takes the win!

Friday Night Inc. Friday Night Inc. Receives Approval from Clark County to Cultivate Cannabis on New Property VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 9, 2017 / Friday Night Inc. (Friday Night) (CSE: TGIF) (FRA: 1QF) (OTC PINK: VPGDF) has received approval on its land use application from the Clark County Commissioners hearing, held on November 8th, to cultivate cannabis on the new property. Friday Night Inc. management is scheduled to finalize and close the land purchase agreement on Monday, November 13th. Shortly after the land purchase agreement is closed, the design team will finalize the building plans and commence construction. The necessary building permits were already submitted for and obtained by transferring the old permit numbers, which as a result, has saved valuable time in the permitting process. About Friday Night Inc. Friday Night Inc. is a Canadian public company, which owns, and controls cannabis- and hemp-based assets in Las Vegas Nevada. The company owns 91% of Alternative Medicine Association, LC (AMA), a licensed medical and adult-use cannabis cultivation and production facility that produces its own line of unique cannabis-based products and manufactures other third-party brands. Infused MFG, also a 91% owned subsidiary, produces hemp-based, CBD products, thoughtfully crafted of high quality organic botanical ingredients. Friday Night Inc. is focused on strengthening and expanding these operations within and outside of the state. Visit http://fridaynightinc.com. For further information, please contact: Joe Bleackley, Corporate Communications 604-674-4756 [email protected] Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements. The use of any of the words "anticipate," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "may," "will," "project," "should," "believe," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks including, inability to attract new customers in Nevada as a result of the license, the inability of the Company to take advantage of the license arrangement and various risk factors discussed in the Company's disclosure documents, which can be found under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com. Friday Night undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law or the Canadian Securities Exchange. SOURCE: Friday Night Inc.

In a bid to prevent cars being forced to retire from races because visor tear-offs were getting stuck in brake ducts, the FIA said in Australia it was going to enforce a regulation that forbid drivers from discarding them on track. But following concerns from teams about the matter, the enforcement was delayed until Spain, and then put back again to this weekend. With teams and drivers still unsure about exactly what they will do, Alonso suggested on Wednesday that there may have to be some extreme places to stuff the visors to prevent them being thrown on to the track. "Let's say it's a strange rule, because we never had this kind of rule, but it's also not a problem to keep the tear-offs inside the cockpit, so it's OK," explained the Spaniard. "We have different solutions that we will find tomorrow. We keep trying, we tried a couple, and tomorrow we will find a place. Some of these places I cannot tell now, because it's a '18-plus' thing! "But I think we will have to do it in the pitlane, to be honest. When we do the pitstop, this ten seconds when we are at 60km/h is the perfect opportunity to do all these things." Tricky solutions Alonso's teammate Jenson Button was equally unsure about what he would be doing with the tear offs once they were taken off. "There are many different ideas that people have come up with," he said. "If we stick them in the cockpit in different places, it is not the easiest thing to do - especially when you have been taking off tear offs for 20 years of your life, then suddenly you cannot take them off, it is difficult. "Even when you know you have to take them off and your hand is in the air, and it is blowing around and you're trying to put it back in the cockpit and stick it somewhere, it is tricky. "Plus the first race being Monaco – you have to stick it in the car and not let go. It is difficult for everyone." But Button felt that the controversy over the matter would soon disappear once drivers got used to it. "It is one of those things; none of us really like it, but like a HANS Device, no driver liked it and it wasn't comfortable, but after one race you have forgotten about it and you deal with it." Penalty question Alonso added he was unsure about what the penalty would be for any driver who did throw his tear off on to the track. "It is still not decided yet," he said. "We are still asking the FIA what will be the penalty, and there is still some debate about that." Check out our Monaco GP preview…

I love Thanksgiving. Though few people would claim it to be their “favorite” holiday, it’s always nice to take a day off of work to sit around the dining table, stuffing your face and arguing politics and religion with your wacky Fox News-loving Uncle Joe who you only get to see, like, twice a year. What’s not to love about that? Once the turkey and the spirited lecture about why Obama‘s a “commie muslin” who’s ruining the country are done, you all crawl your overstuffed asses to the living room to watch some tube. Most families do one of two things: they sit back and watch the Detroit Lions lose, or they watch some classic holiday films. If you fall into the latter group, here are five of the best Turkey Day flicks. Dutch (1991) To prove to his girlfriend that he’s a great guy, Dutch Dooley volunteers to pick up her son from a prep school and drive him home for Thanksgiving. The kid turns out to be a dick, and road trip hijinx ensue. Sounds like a pretty stupid, unimaginative premise, and it is — but the film stars Ed O’Neill and Ethan Embry, so it’s worth watching. Son In Law (1993) There are two types of people in the world: those who can’t stand Pauly Shore, and those who don’t know who the hell that is. Regardless, this 1993 vehicle to exploit Shore’s fleeting popularity is good mindless fun. Shore plays “Crawl,” an obnoxious college douche who travels to a small town farm for Thanksgiving break, posing as the fiance of the farmer’s daughter (played by Carla Gugino, who had her hand eaten in Sin City). He annoys the shit out of everyone, but eventually they come around and learn to love the Weas’. The film also stars Lane Smith (the district attorney in My Cousin Vinny) and Patrick Renna (Ham in The Sandlot). Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) The quintessential Thanksgiving film, Planes, Trains & Automobiles is, like Dutch, a film written by John Hughes that pairs together two unlikely characters who must make it home for the holiday — all the while getting under each other’s skin and having wacky adventures. Like Uncle Buck, John Candy serves as the lovable antagonist; like The Great Outdoors, one of the two characters ends up homeless and destitute and relies on the protagonist for support and shelter. Hughes was formulaic, for sure, but thanks to great actors and hilarious scenarios, his films just work. Grumpy Old Men (1993) While not Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon’s greatest film (The Odd Couple), Grumpy Old Men is far from their worst (Out to Sea). Released on Christmas Day 1993, the film centers on Matthau’s Max Goldman and Lemmon’s John Gustafson battling for the affection of the beautiful and eccentric widow, Ariel Truax (Ann-Margret). Despite their mutual desire for the same woman, it is Chuck, owner of the bait shop, who enjoys her company on Thanksgiving – which only inflames the competition between Goldman and Gustafson. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) Is it Christmas movie? Is it a Halloween movie? Let’s end the debate once and for all: The Nightmare Before Christmas is best enjoyed halfway between the two holidays, making it the perfect Thanksgiving flick. What other films do you suggest for Thanksgiving Day viewing?

The Mississippi attorney general's office releasing the TAC report, which details how the state should work to fix its children's mental- and behavioral-health care system, this week is just one in a line of recent examples where transparency could have enabled the democratic process to work in a more efficient way. The report details what advocates, news reports and other state officials have repeatedly said when asked about Mississippi's system of mental-health care—we over-rely on institutions to serve those who need care instead of offering community or home-based services instead. If this information was out in the open two years ago when researchers completed the report, the State could have spent two years working to fix the system instead of allowing its agencies to continue to make the same mistakes. The State could have made and shown progress out in the open, even if the attorney general wanted to continue legal discussions and possible settlement agreements in private. Keeping the report secret didn't help anyone—not the taxpayer, lawmaker or especially the child with mental- or behavioral-health needs. The obvious fixes necessary to help the state's children are the same today as they were in 2015, and the report shows that they might be even more important now, since spending on institutional care for children increased from fiscal-year 2010 to fiscal-year 2014. On a national level, senators are on the verge of introducing a health-care reform bill that few lawmakers outside the inner circle have seen or will see before they are expected to vote on it. Again, taxpayers and Americans that the legislation directly affects will be in the dark until the last possible second. Keeping legislation or reports in secret out of fear is not going to change the outcome or the predicted public reaction Since when did our democracy value a few like-minded officials cowering in a corner deciding what should go into legislation? We vote as a primary function of democracy, but the involvement and engagement doesn't end there. If Republicans are fearful of public outcry against the legislation, passing it in secret won't help. There will be outcry once it's passed anyway, but why not engage the public at the front end in order to bring in as many opinions and voices as possible? Democracy in all its forms does best out in the open, in public for all citizens to engage in the process. In the current polarized political era, it's tempting to be petty, partisan and stubborn, but now is not the time. The political process should be done in as public a forum as possible, and Americans must demand this from both state and nationally elected leaders. We are their employers.

Wednesday night finalized House and Senate negotiators ona controversial bill to encourage companies to share cyber-threat data with the government, adding it to a must-pass government spending bill and setting up final votes in both chambers as early as Friday. The Cybersecurity Act of 2015, which lawmakers included in the omnibus spending bill released early Wednesday morning, closely resembles the Senate’s cyber bill, known as the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA). It establishes processes for companies to transmit cyber-threat indicators—pieces of malicious code, for example, or leftover digital signatures from an attack—to a portal run by the Department of Homeland Security. It also grants companies immunity from prosecution resulting from their sharing of said data, which could include scraps of their customers’ personal information. Supporters believe that the increased sharing of cyber-threat data will make it easier to detect and mitigate future attacks, while critics contend that information sharing would not have stopped major cyberattacks like the December 2014 Sony hack or the Office of Personnel Management data breach. Civil-liberties groups and security experts are also concerned that the process for scrubbing customer records from threat data is insufficiently robust. “Ramming through such legislation is not only bad politics, it’s bad for a representative democracy.” Leading technologists and privacy activists attacked the decision to stash the controversial cyber bill in the omnibus budget legislation. Harley Geiger, senior counsel at the civil-liberties group the Center for Democracy and Technology, described the move as “forcing bad policy through must-pass legislation.” Kevin Bankston, director of New America’s Open Technology Institute, called it “shameful.” Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.), one of four lawmakers who sent a letter to his colleagues urging them to oppose adding cyber legislation to the omnibus, called the legislation “unconstitutional surveillance” and “wasteful spending.” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), the upper chamber’s leading privacy advocate, attacked the final bill as weaker than its predecessors. Internet-freedom activists and like-minded lawmakers already hated CISA and its House counterparts, but changes in the final version deepened their frustration. The Open Technology Institute posted a graphic comparing versions of the legislation that graded the changes from preliminary to final text. The group’s analysis, with which Wyden agrees, is that the final version of nearly every provision is the worst permutation. In the omnibus version, companies now get liability protection even if they are grossly negligent in their sharing of threat data. And unlike in previous versions, the president can create a data-sharing portal outside of the DHS if he deems the DHS portal to be dysfunctional. Although the NSA, the FBI, and other intelligence agencies can access the DHS portal, shared data gets “scrubbed” to remove Americans’ personal information before the DHS lets outside agencies access it. If the president created an FBI portal, the bureau could access shared data directly. If not thoroughly scrubbed, that data might include evidence of Americans’ behavior that the FBI wouldn’t otherwise have. “We’ve got to count on it to not use [threat data] or to use [it] only in limited circumstances laid out in the bill for non-cyber reasons,” said Greg Nojeim, senior counsel at the Center for Democracy and Technology. “Ramming through such legislation is not only bad politics,” wrote Mark Jaycox, legislative analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, “it’s bad for a representative democracy.” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, attempted to dispel these concerns, sending a letter to colleagues disputing the premise of many opposing arguments. But the letter took on only the most extreme versions of those arguments, and the fact remains that the bill did make significant changes. .@RepAdamSchiff just sent out a Dear Colleague letter attempting to dispel “inaccurate claims” about #CISA language pic.twitter.com/CnoS4o7Ggc — Dustin Volz (@dnvolz) December 16, 2015 Lawmakers also eliminated a provision that would have required the DHS to assess the cybersecurity risks to critical-infrastructure sectors like manufacturing, finance, and communications. Business groups hated the provision, telling Congress that it “[ran] counter to the voluntary nature” of the legislation by requiring new incident reports. A minor turf battle erupted in the House as last-minute negotiations hinged on which of the lower chamber’s two bills to incorporate into the final product. Civil-liberties groups preferred the privacy provisions in the Homeland Security Committee’s bill, the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act. But despite pushback from Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas), lawmakers ultimately incorporated the Intelligence Committee’s version, the Protecting Cyber Networks Act. President Obama endorsed CISA when it passed in October. Congress will begin holding votes on the spending bill, with the latest iteration of CISA included, at the end of the week. Photo via Ben Becker/Flickr (CC BY 2.0) | Remix by Jason Reed

Sarah Huckabee Sanders called out CNN tonight after the network used the wrong photo while sharing a comment from Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah: Here is what presumably happened. There is, in fact, another individual by the name of Raj Shah who does look like that. This Raj Shah, however, is the President of the Rockefeller Foundation and not currently serving in the White House. Per Google Images, this is not the first time this Raj Shah has been confused for the other Raj Shah. Anderson Cooper briefly addressed the slip-up and said “we regret the error” after Huckabee Sanders mentioned it on Twitter. Huckabee Sanders called out CNN for this hours after the network corrected a botched report on WikiLeaks emails. You can watch the initial segment and Cooper’s follow-up above, via CNN. [featured image via J. Louis Bryson / Shutterstock.com] — — Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com

Chikun-What? A New Mosquito-Borne Virus Lands In The U.S. toggle caption Ezequiel Abiu Lopez/AP Pediatrician Jennifer Halverson will never forget her 36th birthday. The St. Paul native was volunteering at a maternity clinic in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. She felt great — she went to her job that day and then out to dinner with friends. I woke up at 3 in the morning, and what struck me the most was that my shoulders were on fire. It was like I was being stabbed in both shoulders. But when she got home and went to sleep that night in May, something didn't feel right. "Then I woke up at 3 in the morning," she says, "and what struck me the most was that my shoulders were on fire. It was like I was being stabbed in both shoulders." The pain quickly spread to all of Halverson's joints — her hips, her knees and elbows. Even her fingers and toes hurt. Halverson also had a fever, a rash and painful sores in her mouth. When she flew home to Minnesota, the doctors confirmed what she thought might be true: chikungunya. Though the rash and sores quickly faded, and the illness is rarely fatal, the joint pain it causes can last for months. Halverson is still hurting — she says she still can't open jars. A year ago, chikungunya didn't even exist in the Western Hemisphere. It was only found in Africa and Asia. But in October, the mosquito-borne illness cropped up on the island of St. Martin. Then it spread like wildfire. The Pan American Health Organization reported Monday that over the past seven months, chikungunya has sickened more than a quarter-million people in the Caribbean. And the nasty virus has already started to trickle into the U.S. So far, 112 travelers have brought chikungunya to 27 states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday. The disease hasn't yet spread beyond those travelers. But health officials think it's only a matter of time. We expect that over the course of the next months or years — as this virus spreads through the American tropics, and we see more travelers coming into the U.S — we will see local transmission. "Right now, we are worried about chikungunya in the U.S.," says Roger Nasci of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "In fact, we expect that over the course of the next months or years — as this virus spreads through the American tropics, and we see more travelers coming into the U.S — we will see local transmission." Why? Because many parts of the U.S. have the key ingredient for spreading chikungunya: a big black-and-white striped mosquito, called Aedes albopictus. "Yeah, that's the Asian tiger mosquito that people notice when it's there because it bites during the daytime," Nasci says. "They're very aggressive and very noticeable because populations can be large." The Asian tiger mosquito is common in the eastern third of the U.S. And its territory reaches as far north as Connecticut and New York City. The Aedes aegypti mosquito also transmits chikungunya. But this species is found mostly on the southern edges of the U.S. There's no need to worry about chikungunya for this Fourth of July weekend, Nasci says. The risk for catching chikungunya in the U.S. is still very low — even if a case or two pops up in your county. But if you're still worried, Nasci says there's an easy way to cut your risk further: Get rid of standing water in your backyard. "These mosquitoes, they live in the water in your flower pot reservoir, the kid's toy that's out back and collects rainwater ... or that tire or bucket," he says. "So if you eliminate those containers, you're going to reduce the number of mosquitoes near your residency, which is going to reduce your risk." And if the virus does get a foothold or two here in the U.S., Nasci thinks the outbreaks will likely be small and limited only to summer months. Even in Florida, mosquito populations go down during the winter. There's something else Americans have going for them when it comes to stopping chikungunya: "We love air conditioning," he says. So we spend a lot of time indoors, where mosquitoes — and chikungunya — can't get us.

In Transcritique: On Kant and Marx Kojin Karatani undertakes the ambitious project of actualizing Marxism—both in the sense of ’updating’ it and bringing out its full potential—by reading Kant with Marx and Marx with Kant. The idea behind such cross-fertilization of thinkers seemingly radically opposed is to give Marxism its badly needed ethical orientation, while similarly presenting Kant’s ’transcendental critique’ as a methodological ground for Marx’s critique of capitalism. Indeed, the bulk of the book attempts a close reading of both Kant and Marx to show that an adequate understanding of each brings out hidden, usually invisible dimensions of both. Such cross-reading not only pushes both toward a ’common ground’—the space of what Karatani calls ’transcritique’—but furthermore suggests a viable alternative to purely normative or purely socio-economic criticisms of global capitalism. Radical theoretical alternatives to the capitalist model of economy, with perhaps the exception of Hardt’s and Negri’s Empire, are currently hard to come by. This project presents thus a timely and highly inspiring attempt to point to a space ’beyond capitalism’, a space sketched realistically as it is grounded in a disillusioned acceptance of the world-disclosing power of the capitalist economy as much as it is fine-tuned to its inner workings. It is fascinating, indeed, to see how an academically rich and well-informed reconstruction of thinkers like Kant and Marx can be made to speak to pressing current issues, namely the development of alternatives to global exploitation and the unjust distribution of wealth. The book´s major achievements are, first, a compelling cross-reading of ethical and social-theoretical (precisely: socio-economic) perspectives, and, second, a beginning of an answer to the question of how we can effectively challenge the capitalist system from within by means of an alternative understanding of ’economics.’ The few questions we are going to raise in the following more detailed discussion should thus by no means curtail the basic endorsement that this project deserves. Karatani´s book makes an important contribution to the reconstruction of current systems of economic power as a necessary presupposition for ethically motivated paths toward their ’immanent transcendence.’ To begin with, the forging of a new position from Kant/Marx is presented as ’transcritique.’ The term designates a methodological approach, inasmuch as the perspective Kant/Marx evolves from the reflexive movement in-between their positions. Similarly, each thinker is taken to exemplify this approach on his own. Kant and Marx are interpreted as creating perspectives that refuse fusion or arrest into new ’systems,’ existing rather in the oscillation between opposed or contradictory perspectives. For Karatani, such ’trans-critique’ is made possible by, and exercised through, the reflexive movement in-between cultures, communities, and cognitive perspectives. In this vein, Kant and Marx become anti-foundational master-thinkers of unearthing presuppositions, which in turn is explained by their outsider-position vis-à-vis their subject matter and context. Karatani illustrates this by Kant’s refusal to become a state philosopher by remaining in Königsberg, and through Marx’s outsider-position vis-à-vis the German, the French, and the British cultures respectively. More importantly, he suggests that Kant oscillates between, rather than ’sublates,’ rationalism and empiricism, while Marx is taken to stand in between Ricardo (emphasizing the production sphere of capitalism) and the unjustly forgotten Bailey (emphasizing the circulation sphere as value-generating). For Marx, stepping outside of Germany and experiencing economic crisis brought about an “awakening, accompanied by a certain shock. This was to see things neither from his own viewpoint, nor from the viewpoint of others, but to face reality that is exposed through difference (parallax)” (3). Kant, in turn, “continuously confronted the dominant rationalism with empiricism, and the dominant empiricism with rationalism. The Kantian critique exists within this movement itself” (4) Such a methodological outsider- or in-between position allows both thinkers to radically question the existing presuppositions shared by their contemporaries. Moreover, Karatani (if implicitly) applies this approach self-reflexively, as he moves between Kant and Marx from the ’interstice’ of a Japanese-Western context. The second major similarity between Kant and Marx, as I read Karatani, consists in their understanding of reality as mediated by forms. What appears in Kant as categorial and intuitive forms of experience, and in Marx as value form, finds a common source in a conception of experience—and thus of subjective thought and individuality—as pre-constructed by media. I would consider this claim toward a mediation of experience—whether in the symbolic form of cognitive categories or in the economico-symbolic form of money—as the essential move toward relating Kant and Marx. This is because this step allows for a complex, and for the author central, analysis of reality as a ’necessary illusion.’ With Kant, we can establish that experience is mediated, and as such constitutes a categorial construction of objects that appear as necessary, while being nonetheless constructed through a symbolic medium that remains implicit. The experience is illusion, but at the same time (perceived as) necessary. This insight is applied to Marx’s analysis of capitalism, inasmuch as the true mechanism that produces value is both illusionary, necessary, and implicit. In compelling passages of rereading Marx, we are told about the intrinsically religious, since projective and illusionary character of capitalist economy, which entails its own metaphysics and religion in commodity fetishism. Third, the reconstruction of the mediated nature of capitalist economy enables a subtle position in-between a determinism cementing the status quo and a revolutionary project of a wholesale overthrow of capitalism (a position admittedly not much defended today). The source of capitalism’s possible demise can be seen, again, most clearly with Kant (!) who, while giving us tools to see how something constructed can appear as necessary, nonetheless shies away from mistaking the constructed appearance (phenomenon) for the thing-in-itself (noumenon). In this gap between appearance and the thing-in-itself resides an essential possibility to challenge, revise, and transcend the current order. Moreover, Kant addresses the need to go beyond the mere experience of appearances in the ethical domain, where his categorical imperative gives immediate proof of the law of reason. The Kantian path to ethical transcendence is crucial, first, since it suggests the content of the categorical imperative (in the famous third formulation), i.e. never to treat another merely as a means, but always also as an end. Moreover, Karatani maintains that this shows that Kant situates this ethical demand squarely in the emerging capitalistic order, as the imperative to treat another never merely as a means is clearly taking into account the capitalistic mode of instrumental action, in which others are economically reduced to mere means. For Karatani (here similar to Frankfurt School Marxism), the Marxian enterprise makes sense only against the backdrop of a normative vision, which is implicitly entailed in concepts such as exploitation, alienation, revolution, and, of course, communism, and which can be explicated with reference to Kant. Kant’s moral imperative, combined with his appearance/thing-in-itself distinction, allows us to conceptualize the possibility of projecting alternative orders and practices, while accounting, still, for the capitalistic order as a necessary experiential frame for social life. So far, so good. We might now be more willing to accept Kant and Marx as possible companions in the (trans-) critique of capitalism. But this big picture needs a lot of filling in, which is precisely what the interpretive analyses of the book are about. Perhaps the true originality of the approach consists not even in the just outlined broad ’fusion,’ but rather in the specific moves and models that are employed as the picture is painted in the text. Yet here we also encounter difficulties which, in part, arise from the interpretive decision to make this a ’trans-critical’ text between Kant and Marx alone, that is, to be almost fixated on fitting each and every move into a scheme that allows as true parameters only Kant or Marx. We already explained how the ’common ground’ for moving from Kant to Marx and back again is provided through an account of symbolic mediation. Indeed, both Kant and Marx are explicated with regard to frequently invoked structuralist or holistic models of language (references range from Cassirer to Saussure, Jakobson, and Wittgenstein). Karatani does not only read Kant or Marx closely, but fills this reading with numerous, indeed at times exuberant references to other theorists and ideas, either to support or to contrast the idea at stake. Again, what is most important here seems to be the symbolico-holistic reading of media such as Kant’s synthetic a priori as a necessary illusion to constitute reality, and the subsequent interpretation of the capitalist medium of money as the dominating value form for capitalism. But the fact that such a crucial dimension—the theory of symbolic mediation—is merely invoked whenever suitable in order to support Kant/Marx means also that it is never explicated as such. Perhaps the transcritical space between Karatani and this reviewer reveals that the true movement in this text is not between Kant and Marx, but between Kant/Marx and the linguistic turn, which would have required a more full-blown explication. Perhaps, then, certain questions concerning the specific and doubtlessly original readings of Kant and Marx could have been addressed better. With regard to Kant, it is not clear how Karatani’s re-reading succeeds in grounding the notion of objectivity he wants to derive from Kant. The problem arises because Karatani’s Kant is taken to base ’objectivity’ on the relation to the other: “Kant has been criticized for his subjective method. But in fact, his thought is always haunted by the perspective of the other” (2). For Karatani’s Kant, only the other can unleash the critical potential inherent in the concept of the thing-in-itself: “It is not the thing that negates (falsifies) a scientific hypothesis; it is not the thing but the future others who speak… What Kant implied by the thing-in-itself was the alterity of the other that we can never take for granted and internalize just on our whim or at our convenience” (51). But if it is the perspective-of-the-other that allows for critical transcendence of subjective viewpoints, and if, in line with ’transcritique,’ the other’s truly challenging viewpoint derives from being situated differently, the source of a shared ’objective’ view is, instead of being grounded, radically thrown into doubt. Karatani suggests that “(d)ialogue… is that which occurs between others who do not share a common set of rules… (73). But if the rules defining my own and the other’s background understanding are different, and if this is a necessary condition for true criticism, the notion of ’objectivity’ cannot be the one that Kant, by reconstructing a transcendental ground of enabling empirical knowledge, had in mind. Whether Karatani wants to suggest a Wittgensteinian open-endedness of language-game perspectives, a counterfactual ’regulative ideal’ at which all different perspectives are ultimately aiming at vis-à-vis the thing-in-itself, or whether some real fusion of different perspectives in dialogue can even be an option—the notion of objectivity is in need of further explication, especially in light of Karatani’s categorical dismissal of ’public consensus’ conceptions of truth. With regard to Marx, I have doubts that Karatani’s theoretical reform of orthodox and structuralist Marxism goes far enough, or differently put, whether his rejection of economic reductionism suffices to capture the relative autonomy of culture. Karatani’s analysis culminates in the claim that capital, state, and nation form an intrinsically connected amalgam, so that any critique of capital in the name of state (social democracy) or nation (’third world’ independence movements) is doomed to fail. Most important, however, is the fact that “capital, state, and nation should be seen as different forms of human exchange, and not structured like the architectonic metaphor: base/superstructure”(204). Capital creates human relations through commodity exchange via money, the state is based on the principle of plunder and redistribution, and the nation is grounded in the principle of gift and return. Even though analytically independent, the value form of money allowed the forging of the synthesis of the modern capitalistic nation-state. At the same time, capitalism always remains parasitic on lifeworld backgrounds. Along those lines, Karatani develops an intra-Marxian critique that emphasizes the importance of the circulation sphere (market) over against the production sphere (labor), employing a relational conception of value as created through a commodity’s place in the system of circulation. He thus arrives at a reevaluation of the source of anti-capitalistic action, inasmuch as the true power of the worker resides in his role as consumer, on which capital essentially depends for the creation of surplus value. Workers must realize their power as consumers, and vice versa: “The opposition to a capitalist nation-state should neither be a worker’s movement nor a consumer’s movement; this should be a movement of workers qua consumers, and consumers qua workers. The movement has to be a transnational association of consumers/workers” (295). The goal is the creation of global ethico-economic associations, “association” being a fourth and quasi-utopian form of human exchange. The ethico-economic model combines moments from the state (equality), where strangers encounter one another, and the nation (fraternity), where subjects are empathetically concerned with one another (while thereby, I presume, allowing for free self-realization). This is the vision of a new, ethical mode of interaction where others are not reduced instrumentally, are not ’mere means’ (Kant), while the complex, anonymous, and economic organization of modern societies is taken into account. Karatani finds a realization of this model in LETS (Local Exchange Trading System), based on an interest-free conception of money. Accordingly, Karatani argues that the exchange mode of money is but one of four forms of human interaction. Capitalism thus involves more than a narrowly defined economic infrastructure. Yet what we would need, then, is a more broadly conceived model of symbolic and cultural exchange, both to explain (economic) power and to point to a path of possible resistance. If capitalism is, indeed, “a certain force that regulates humanity beyond its intentionality, a force that divides and recombines human beings” which Marx attempted to “decode for the whole of human life” (5), than the Gandhian move toward alternative modes of economic exchange can be but a small beginning toward escape or transformation. If we take seriously that economic life is but one form of human exchange, needing to be theorized alongside other forms of symbolic mediation, we should accept that capitalism’s grip (or that of modern power in general) extends in different forms, including symbolic, psychological, and economic modes of oppression. The so-called postmodern theorists including Michel Foucault (on power) and Pierre Bourdieu (on symbolic capital and habitus), which Karatani ignores, could have taught valuable lessons in this regard. Thus, while Karatani’s Marxian self-critique contributes to our understanding of capitalism via the symbolic form of money, its true potential might only be realized if applied (trans-critically?) to more fine-grained theories of symbolic and cultural power.

Top Patent Judge Steps Down Over Ethics Scandal, Highlighting How CAFC Has Become Too Close To Patent Lawyers from the total-failure dept Rader and Michel's perspectives are likely skewed by the fact they spent their time on the bench surrounded by patent lawyers (who by definition work with firms that have the resources to hire patent attorneys). For the typical software-producing firm, patent lawyers are simply too expensive. Most firms never get patents, and they typically settle patent claims rather than taking them to court. As a result, Judges Michel and Rader rarely hear from smaller firms for whom the patent system is nothing but a burden. For many years we've written about the serious problems with CAFC , the court of appeals for the federal circuit, which is better known as the appeals court where all patent cases go. CAFC was created in the early 1980s under the belief that a more "specialized" court could better handle the more complicated technical issues related to patents. But what really happened is that it basically built a club of patent-friendly judges, who spent nearly all of their time with patent lawyers, and thus took an increasingly patent-friendly view of the world. That one of the key original judges on CAFC was also a long-time well known patent lawyer who almost single-handedly wrote the 1952 Patent Act, seemed to set the tone that has remained throughout the court's existence.Just a few years ago, Tim Lee highlighted how the two most recent Chief Judges at CAFC, Randall Rader and Paul Michel, were too close to patent lawyers, and had formed a friendly sort of club:That point has apparently been driven home loud and clear over the past few days. The WSJ revealed that the CAFC is in the midst of an ethics crisis after it had to reissue two rulings after Rader recused himself, and only once it came out that he not only sent a laudatory email to a patent lawyer practicing before the court, but even, a move that would likely help that lawyer sign up more clients.As all of this has come out, Rader has now stepped down as the Chief Justice and issued an apology Even though he's now stepping down (though remaining on the court -- just not as Chief Judge), this should, once again call attention to the fact that CAFC is an experiment that failed and should be done away with entirely. Rather than creating a specialized court that understood technical issues, it created acourt that massively changed patent law to favor patent holders and patent abusers. The fact that the Supreme Court has regularly struck down CAFC rulings as nonsensical is one sign. The fact that its Chief Judge thinks its okay to send buddy-buddy "good job" emails to lawyers practicing before the court is just the nail in the coffin of how far gone the court is. Filed Under: cafc, patent lawyers, patents, randall rader

New York Times columnist David Brooks was once an enthusiastic backer of George W. Bush’s disastrous invasion of Iraq. He’d write columns for the Weekly Standard – the official journal of bankrupt neoconservative thought – glorifying Bush for his steely-eyed determination and tartly mocking the pansy liberals and other anti-war types who opposed Bush’s righteous exercise in nation-building and freedom-spreading. “History will allow clear judgments about which leaders and which institutions were up to the challenge posed by Saddam,” Brooks prophesied in the March 2003 column, “and which were not.” That prediction didn’t quite pan out. Yes, the Iraq war ended up being a disaster, but contrary to Brooks’ assurance, the “clear judgments” about who was right and who was wrong about Iraq are still pending, as evidenced by the fact that so many people who got it so terribly wrong haven’t faced any real consequences. Let’s use Brooks himself as an example. He landed his plum gig on the Times op-ed page a few months after the war started and used his perch to continue singing the praises of Bush and the Iraq experiment, like in this September 2004 column predicting that Iraq’s elections would help undermine the insurgency. What judgment did Brooks face for being constantly and consistently wrong about Iraq? Well, he’s still writing for the Times op-ed page. Advertisement: But, according to his latest Times column, Brooks claims to have learned from the mistakes he made about Iraq. You can’t undo the past, Brooks writes, but you can draw lessons from it: The first obvious lesson is that we should look at intelligence products with a more skeptical eye. There’s a fable going around now that the intelligence about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction was all cooked by political pressure, that there was a big political conspiracy to lie us into war. That doesn’t gibe with the facts. Anybody conversant with the Robb-Silberman report from 2005 knows this was a case of human fallibility. This exhaustive, bipartisan commission found “a major intelligence failure”: “The failure was not merely that the Intelligence Community’s assessments were wrong. There were also shortcomings in the way these assessments were made and communicated to policy makers.” There’s so much that’s wrong in these two paragraphs. Brooks’ argument that the invasion was just one big good-faith “whoopsie” on the part of the Bush White House was demolished just yesterday by his colleague Paul Krugman. The problem with the Iraq intelligence wasn’t just a lack of “skepticism” on the part of the people consuming it – there was a concerted effort to twist and manipulate that intelligence to achieve the desired end of invading Iraq. But, Brooks counters, the notion that “the intelligence about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction was all cooked by political pressure” is a “fable.” This is a dishonest and easily debunked straw man. No one is arguing that all the intelligence was cooked. There were definite failures within the intelligence community. The problem, again, is that those failures were compounded by the Bush administration spin and deception about aluminum tubes and secret Al Qaida connections. But, Brooks counters again, it’s just not true that the Bush people cooked some of the Iraq intelligence because the “exhaustive” Robb-Silberman report found that it was all just a series of errors. This, again, is false. The Robb-Silberman report was not “exhaustive” – the commission was specifically instructed not to investigate how Iraq intelligence was manipulated by policymakers. That task fell to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, which found that George W. Bush and his closest advisers regularly made definitive statements about Iraq’s weapons programs and terrorism ties that were either unsubstantiated by available intelligence or didn’t reflect disputes within the intelligence community. Having exonerated the architects of the war – and, by extension, himself – of conscious wrongdoing, Brooks explains what he’s really learned from this ordeal: military interventionism is only slightly overrated as a policy. If the victory in the Cold War taught us to lean forward and be interventionist, the legacy of the Iraq decision should cause us to pull back from the excesses of that mentality, to have less faith in America’s ability to understand other places and effect change. These are all data points in a larger education – along with the surge and recent withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan. I wind up in a place with less interventionist instincts than where George W. Bush was in 2003, but significantly more interventionist instincts than where President Obama is inclined to be today. Obama, of course, has also intervened in Iraq, sending fighter planes and drones to attack the Islamic State. Brooks wants more than that, but less than a full-scale invasion. He wants… I don’t know. Something. He’s landed at a mushy and undefined middle ground, which indicates to me his belief in interventionism hasn’t substantially changed, but the failure of Iraq is forcing him to express it differently. Advertisement: But let’s go back to Brooks’ 2003 assurance that history will render its verdicts on those who endorsed the Iraq debacle and those who did not. History hasn't yet allowed "clear judgments" on the backers of the Iraq misadventure because the people who should be feeling the sting of those judgments – like David Brooks – are doing their level best to water down and explain away the appalling conduct that led to the actual war. What makes Brooks’ column so galling is that he’s trying to present his self-serving exculpation of the Iraq war architects as a lesson learned. Brooks pretty clearly hasn’t learned a thing, and that’s to be expected when you suffer no consequences for being completely and catastrophically wrong.

The folks at Pro Football Focus released grades for some key players after the Los Angeles Rams’ statement win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday afternoon. The comeback victory established the Rams as one of the top teams in the NFL, largely thanks to the performance of the offense. However, PFF didn’t have the Rams’ key playmakers among the highest-graded players in Week 4. Here were the top five grades for Los Angeles on Sunday: DI Aaron Donald, 89.8 overall grade DI Michael Brockers, 84.8 overall grade T Andrew Whitworth, 81.9 overall grade TE Tyler Higbee, 81.0 overall grade S John Johnson III, 80.8 overall grade Brockers and Donald were absolutely dominant. Donald pressured Dak Prescott nine times, which was his most this season. He did miss out on a sack when Prescott somehow escaped his grasp, but it was a terrific performance by the two-time All-Pro, who hasn’t missed a beat this season. As for the not so good, quarterback Jared Goff was among them. Despite completing 21-of-36 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns (98.7 passer rating), Goff received a grade of just 45.2 from PFF — his second-lowest of the season. Against the Redskins, he received a grade of 43.1. Goff had some good plays, he had a 128.6 passer rating on throws coming from a clean pocket and his touchdown throw down the seam to Gurley was a thing of beauty. But offsetting that there was the bad: he had just a 39.6 passer rating on throws coming under pressure, completing just 3-of-11 passes for 16 yards while under duress and he nearly threw Dallas back into the game late with a ball that should have been intercepted by Anthony Brown. Related Rams open as early favorites over Seahawks in Week 5 Take that grade as you will, but Goff was a big reason the Rams won. He made clutch throws late and didn’t try to do more than he was capable of. He didn’t turn it over once and led the Rams to a huge comeback win. Sure, he made a few minor mistakes, but overall, Goff was solid.

The decade-long search for a new FBI headquarters has been canceled by the federal government, The Washington Post reported Monday. Officials from the General Services Administration (GSA), which oversees federal real estate, said a lack of stable leadership at both agencies could have deterred funding of the search, the paper said. DONALD TRUMP JR. 'DID NOT COLLUDE WITH ANYBODY,' WHITE HOUSE SAYS Both the FBI and GSA are undergoing leadership transitions. President Trump’s pick for FBI Director, Christopher Wray, has yet to be confirmed, while Trump has not yet nominated anyone to lead the GSA. The plan, pushed by both the Obama and Trump administrations, was to relocate the FBI to a building in the District of Columbia’s suburbs after trading the J. Edgar Hoover Building – the current ­headquarters – to a real estate developer and using $2 billion in taxpayer funds to cover what was left. COMEY MEMOS REPORTEDLY HAD CLASSIFIED INFO; TRUMP SAYS 'THAT IS SO ILLEGAL' Neither administration was able to convince Congress to approve the plan. Congressman Gerry Connolly, D-Va., said in a statement that the report revealed "insurmountable" conflicts. Connelly represents northern Virginia and surburban Maryland, locations which were angling for the new headquarters. "Reports that the federal government is pulling the plug on a new FBI headquarters reveals insurmountable Trump conflicts with GSA, FBI, and Vornado. This is devastating news. Conflicts have consequences," Connolly said. TRUMP PARTNER SAID IN RUNNING TO BUILD FBI HEADQUARTERS Vornado Realty Trust, a partial owner with the Trump Organization in two buildings, is also a major investor in a building owned by the family of Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Vornado was one of three finalists to build a replacement FBI building. The plan was originally allocated $390 million in order to make the move. Fox News' Chad Pergram contributed to this report.

Here's what the presidential candidates have to say about about allowing states to proceed with legalizing marijuana, and the grades they received by two interest groups. The Marijuana Policy Project supports legalizing marijuana. Smart Approaches to Marijuana opposes legalization. DEMOCRATS Hillary Clinton: Says she would not interfere with states legalizing marijuana. "I really believe it's important that states like Colorado lead the way, so that we can lean what works and what doesn't work," she told Denver's KUSA on Oct. 14, adding that she "would not want the federal government to interfere with the legal decision" made by state voters. Marijuana Policy Project: B Smart Approaches to Marijuana: B- Martin O'Malley: Supports reclassifying marijuana at federal level to allow more research and does not seem inclined to crack down on states legalizing the drug. "I think we should keep an open mind and look at what Colorado is doing - and Washington state - and learn from it," he told CNN. Marijuana Policy Project: C- Smart Approaches to Marijuana: C Bernie Sanders: Says he would vote to legalize marijuana at the state level. "I would vote yes because I am seeing in this country too many lives being destroyed for non-violent offenses," he said at the Democratic presidential debate on Oct. 13. UPDATE: He announced Wednesday that he is proposing ending federal prohibitions, which would allow states to decide whether to legalize the drug. Marijuana Policy Project: A Smart Approaches to Marijuana: D- REPUBLICANS Jeb Bush: Opposes legalizing marijuana but told C-SPAN on Feb. 27 that "states ought to have that right to do it." Marijuana Policy Project: D Smart Approaches to Marijuana: B- Ben Carson: Supports medical use of marijuana but "would enforce the federal ban on states that have legalized the drug," says spokeswoman Ying Ma. At a June 27 appearance at Western Conservative Summit in Denver, Carson said there's a way to provide medicinal uses "while still enforcing federal law." Marijuana Policy Project: D Smart Approaches to Marijuana: A Chris Christie: Has been blunt in making it clear he would shut down legal recreational marijuana sales. "If you're getting high in in Colorado today, enjoy it until January of 2017," Christie said in Newport, N.H. on July 28, "because I will enforce the federal laws against marijuana as president of the United States." Marijuana Policy Project: F Smart Approaches to Marijuana: A Ted Cruz: In early 2014, he criticized the Obama administration for allowing Washington and Colorado to launch retail sales of recreational marijuana. A year later, told the Conservative Political Action Conference the states should be allowed to decide. "If the citizens of Colorado decide they want to go down that road, that's their prerogative," he said. Marijuana Policy Project: C+ Smart Approaches to Marijuana: B- Carly Fiorina: At the second GOP presidential debate, she talked of the death of a stepchild from alcohol and drug addiction and warned of the dangers of marijuana. But she said, "I agree with states' rights." Marijuana Policy Project: C+ Smart Approaches to Marijuana: B Lindsey Graham: He's opposed legalizing recreational marijuana but has not said whether he would interfere with states that legalized the drug. However, after Washington, D.C., voters legalized marijuana in 2014, Graham showed no interest in joining congressional attempts to block the action. "To be honest, that's pretty far down my list of priorities," he told the Washington Post. Marijuana Policy Project: C- Smart Approaches to Marijuana: B Mike Huckabee: If the states "think that marijuana and the legalization of it is a great thing," he told an Iowa television station Oct. 17, "You know, I'm willing for them to experiment and find out." But he made it clear he was skeptical of recreational marijuana. "Ever know any stoners from college? How did they turn out?" he asked in an Oct. 17 Iowa TV interview. Marijuana Policy Project: B- Smart Approaches to Marijuana: B+ Bobby Jindal: In a March 16 interview on Hugh Hewitt's radio show, he criticized Obama on marijuana legalization. "Unlike our current president, I actually think it means something when you take an oath to uphold the Constitution and the laws of our nation, and you don't get to pick and choose which laws you want to enforce." Marijuana Policy Project: C- Smart Approaches to Marijuana: B+ John Kasich: Says he is fighting a Nov. 3 ballot measure to legalize marijuana in his home state of Ohio. However, "if states want to do it...I haven't made a final decision, but I would be tempted to say I don't think we can go and start disrupting what they've decided," he told MLive.com on Sept. 9. Marijuana Policy Project: C- Smart Approaches to Marijuana: B+ George Pataki: Criticizes the Obama administration for allowing retail sales contrary to federal law but told radio interviewer Hugh Hewitt on April 23 that he "would be very strongly inclined to change federal law" to allow state voters to legalize marijuana. Marijuana Policy Project: C Smart Approaches to Marijuana: C+ Rand Paul: The most openly pro-marijuana of the GOP presidential candidates, Paul says he hasn't taken a stand on "actual legalization" but supports legislation to ease federal curbs on the drug, encourage more research and fully legalize medical marijuana in states that have adopted it. "I don't think the federal government should override the states" on their marijuana policies, he said in the second GOP presidential debate. Marijuana Policy Project: A- Smart Approaches to Marijuana: D- Marco Rubio: He does not support allowing states to go their own way on marijuana legalization. "The federal government needs to enforce federal law," he said Aug. 19 on Meet the Press. Marijuana Policy Project: D Smart Approaches to Marijuana: A Rick Santorum: Says the states shouldn't be allowed to violate federal law. "[I]f we have controlled substances, they're controlled substances for a reason," he told radio host Hugh Hewitt on April 16. "The federal law is there for a reason, and the states shouldn't have the option to violate federal law." Marijuana Policy Project: F Smart Approaches to Marijuana: B+ Donald Trump: He's been less than clear. In 1990, he called for legalizing all drugs, saying that would undercut drug cartels. In a Feb. 27 appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference, he said Colorado's legalization of marijuana is "bad and I feel strongly about that." He was then asked about the state's right to act, and Trump replied: "If they vote for it, they vote for it. But, you know, they've got a lot of problems going on in Colorado. Some big problems. But I think, medical marijuana, 100 percent" in support. Marijuana Policy Project: C Smart Approaches to Marijuana: C+ -- Jeff Mapes 503-221-8209 @jeffmapes

New research from Penn State suggests that the number of Earth-sized planets in the habitable zones of low-mass stars is more common than previously thought. University Park, Pennsylvania — The number of potentially habitable planets is greater than previously thought, according to a new analysis by a Penn State researcher, and some of those planets are likely lurking around nearby stars. “We now estimate that if we were to look at 10 of the nearest small stars we would find about four potentially habitable planets, give or take,” said Ravi Kopparapu, a post-doctoral researcher in geosciences. “That is a conservative estimate,” he added. “There could be more.” Kopparapu detailed his findings in a paper accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal Letters. In it, he recalculated the commonness of Earth-sized planets in the habitable zones of low-mass stars, also known as cool stars or M-dwarfs. Scientists focus on M-dwarfs for several reasons, he explained. The orbit of planets around M-dwarfs is very short, which allows scientists to gather data on a greater number of orbits in a shorter period of time than can be gathered on Sun-like stars, which have larger habitable zones. M-dwarfs are also more common than stars like the Earth’s Sun, which means more of them can be observed. According to his findings, “The average distance to the nearest potentially habitable planet is about seven light years. That is about half the distance of previous estimates,” Kopparapu said. “There are about eight cool stars within 10 light-years, so conservatively, we should expect to find about three Earth-size planets in the habitable zones.” The work follows up on a recent study by researchers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics which analyzed 3,987 M-dwarf stars to calculate the number of Earth-sized planet candidates in cool stars’ habitable zones—a region around a star where rocky planets are capable of sustaining liquid water and therefore life. That study used habitable zone limits calculated in 1993 by Jim Kasting, now an Evan Pugh Professor in Penn State’s Department of Geosciences. Kopparapu noticed that its findings, based on data from NASA’s Kepler satellite, didn’t reflect the most recent estimates for determining whether planets fall within a habitable zone. These newer estimates are based on an updated model developed by Kopparapu and collaborators, using information on water and carbon dioxide absorption that was not available in 1993. Kopparapu applied those findings to the Harvard team’s study, using the same calculation method, and found that there are additional planets in the newly determined habitable zones. “I used our new habitable zone calculations and found that there are nearly three times as many Earth-sized planets in the habitable zones around these low mass stars as in previous estimates,” Kopparapu said. “This means Earth-sized planets are more common than we thought, and that is a good sign for detecting extraterrestrial life.” Research Paper: A revised estimate of the occurrence rate of terrestrial planets in the habitable zones around kepler m-dwarfs Image: Penn State

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Customization Features and Water Cooling Support 100W USB Type-C™ Power Design(Power Delivery 2.0) Fast Intel® USB 3.1 Dual PWM Water Pump Control NVMe PCIe Gen3 x4 22110 M.2 Onboard Triple NVMe PCIe SSDs in RAID O Support (Z170) NVMe PCIe Gen3 x4 U.2 Onboard Dual Armor with Ultra Durable™ Design Ambient Surround LED Powered by Intel's own Thunderbolt controller the new Thunderbolt™ 3 protocol, which is available over a USB Type-C™ connector on the back I/O of the GIGABYTE Z170X-Ultra Gaming, brings an unprecedented single-wire bandwidth of up to 40 Gb/s -- twice more than the previous generation of Thunderbolt! This incredible increase in bandwidth is also accompanied with support for different protocols such as Mini DisplayPort 1.2 and USB 3.1, which is backwards compatible with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0, opening up a world of new possibilities.Support for Mini DisplayPort 1.2 makes Thunderbolt™ 3 a must have for any enthusiast. 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EXCLUSIVE: The untitled John Mulaney/Lorne Michaels multi-camera comedy pilot, which missed the cut at NBC last month, has found a new life at Fox. I’ve learned that Fox has ordered a script, described as a quick pass at the script by Mulaney that got a pilot order at NBC. If the network likes the new version, the project will receive a six-episode series order. I hear Fox brass are big fans of Mulaney and were interested in the project with some script and potential cast adjustments. I hear star Mulaney and co-star Martin Short and set to continue, with the future of the other cast members unclear. The cast of project, a young ensemble comedy based loosely on Mulaney’s life, includes Saturday Night Live‘s Mulaney and Nasim Pedrad as well as comedy veterans Short and Elliot Gould. The pilot, from Universal TV and 3 Arts, was in contention for a series order at NBC but ultimately got a pass. Universal TV is becoming a major comedy series supplier for Fox. The network already has two half-hour series from the NBC-affiliated studio on the fall schedule, returning comedy The Mindy Project, which was also originally developed for NBC, and another vehicle toplined by an SNL alum, the Andy Samberg starrer Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which Fox landed in a bidding war last summer. Mulaney wrote the script and is executive producing the project with Andy Ackerman, who directed the NBC pilot and is staying on as director, Michaels, Andrew Singer, Dave Becky and David Miner.

Frozen 2: Will Disney Make The Sequel? By Sean O'Connell Random Article Blend Let It Go, songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez sang, "Happy Oscars to you. Let’s do Frozen 2!" I mean, that’s a no brainer, right? Calling Frozen a hit is the understatement of the century. Since opening nearly a year ago, Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee’s film has gone on to become the highest-grossing animated film The Avengers -- that is the continuation of a larger Cinematic Universe. Frozen 2 seems inevitable. It’s just not official. We reached out to Disney, who had no official comment on the state of Frozen 2. But the writing’s clearly on the wall. In a conversation with Frozen 2 directly, saying, "I think the characters are very rich, [and] I think there are other stories left to tell." One of those stories will be told in Frozen Fever, a Disney short film that Frozen fold for this one-off. Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck are scheduled to direct the short, while Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez are expected to pen an original song. Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger recently opened up about extending the Frozen universe, saying that he thought the movie had "real franchise potential" when speaking to investors on an earnings call (via "There’s a lot of active development. You will see Frozen in more places than you see today. … This has real franchise potential. We expect to see not just new product but continued interest in this and continued impact on the bottom line for quite awhile. Its success speaks volumes on the future of animation at our company." One of those extensions is the Despite this popularity Disney hasn’t revealed concrete plans for a sequel just yet. That hasn't stopped fans from creating wish-list trailers for the unavailable sequel. Nice title art. The music's a little overbearing. The bigger question might not be "if" Frozen 2 happens, but "how?" There have been only three direct sequels to Disney animated features that have played theatrically. The studio tends to favor direct-to-DVD sequels of everything from Peter Pan to The Jungle Book. Could Frozen 2 go that route? Possible. Either way, we can basically bank on Frozen 2 happening. As And if the co-directors have their way, Frozen 2 will star Benedict Cumberbatch, Jamie Foxx and Dame Judi Dench… at least, according to an interview recently with What do you think? Will Frozen 2 happen? On paper, it seems guaranteed. But nothing official has been signed on the dotted line yet. We’ll continue to track. Let us know if you think Anna and Elsa deserve another adventure in Arendelle. It was an adorable moment at the Academy Awards. While accepting the Oscar for Best Song on behalf of their collaboration, songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez sang, "Happy Oscars to you. Let’s do!"I mean, that’s a no brainer, right? Callinga hit is the understatement of the century. Since opening nearly a year ago, Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee’s film has gone on to become the highest-grossing animated film OF ALL TIME (with $1.274 billion in worldwide grosses). It’s currently the fifth-highest grossing movie ever (on the global charts), and sits behind two James Cameron movies and one Marvel movie ---- that is the continuation of a larger Cinematic Universe.seems inevitable. It’s just not official. We reached out to Disney, who had no official comment on the state of. But the writing’s clearly on the wall. In a conversation with Pop Sugar , Buck and Lee – around the time of the Academy Awards – addressed the idea ofdirectly, saying, "I think the characters are very rich, [and] I think there are other stories left to tell."One of those stories will be told in, a Disney short film that Variety reports is arriving in Spring 2015. Most of the original team will be back in thefold for this one-off. Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck are scheduled to direct the short, while Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez are expected to pen an original song. EW reports that the short story "will take place on Anna’s birthday as Kristoff the reindeer-preferring ice-gatherer and the mystical, chill-inducing Elsa try to stage a royal celebration. Although Elsa’s icy powers are no longer a secret in the kingdom, her control of them is still a bit iffy."Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger recently opened up about extending theuniverse, saying that he thought the movie had "real franchise potential" when speaking to investors on an earnings call (via Variety ). Iger said:One of those extensions is the planned stage adaptation . Video games have been announced, and the original film continues to be a social media smash Despite this popularity Disney hasn’t revealed concrete plans for a sequel just yet. That hasn't stopped fans from creating wish-list trailers for the unavailable sequel.Nice title art. The music's a little overbearing. The bigger question might not be "if"happens, but "how?" There have been only three direct sequels to Disney animated features that have played theatrically. The studio tends to favor direct-to-DVD sequels of everything fromto. Couldgo that route? Possible. Either way, we can basically bank onhappening. As Forbes writes, "Disney foregoing another round in Arendelle is basically tantamount to passing up free money in the hundreds-of-millions. That they haven’t out-and-out committed and may leave it without a sequel shows something vaguely resembling artistic integrity as a matter of company policy."And if the co-directors have their way,will star Benedict Cumberbatch, Jamie Foxx and Dame Judi Dench… at least, according to an interview recently with SheKnows What do you think? Willhappen? On paper, it seems guaranteed. But nothing official has been signed on the dotted line yet. We’ll continue to track. Let us know if you think Anna and Elsa deserve another adventure in Arendelle. Frozen 2: Everything We Know So Far Blended From Around The Web Facebook Back to top

Wrapping up his coverage of Friday’s early morning Senate vote that at least temporarily scuttled GOP hopes for a repeal of ObamaCare, MSNBC anchor Brian Williams could not help but admire Senator John McCain’s decision to align himself with Democrats, calling him and two other GOP defectors a “profile in courage,” and he welcomed the vote against the Republican bill as “the people of this country... getting their voices heard.” At about 1:59am ET on Friday, about 20 minutes after the 51-49 vote against the so-called “skinny repeal” bill was confirmed, Williams enthused: “Sometimes the people of this country have a funny way of getting their voices heard and injecting themselves into a debate, especially this one, which just threatened to go on without the advice and consent of the people who are both the boss and the customer under our system of democracy. The American people, the people who put all 100 members of the U.S. Senate into that chamber to do the people’s business in Washington.” <<< Please support MRC's NewsBusters team with a tax-deductible contribution today. >>> Pivoting to his salute of McCain, Williams read an admiring tweet from Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy: “We’ll leave this hour quoting Senator Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut, saying ‘I ran into John McCain as walked underground to the Senate for the final vote. Someday, I’ll get to tell my grandkids what he said to me.’” Then Williams offered his own praise for GOP defectors McCain, Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, even as he fumbled the name of Murkowski’s home state: “The words of John McCain, who was indeed a profile in courage tonight, along with two women in the Republican caucus, the Senator from Maine, Murkowski — Senator from Alaska, Murkowski — Senator from Maine, Collins. For our next hour of live coverage, my colleague and friend Ali Velshi takes it away from here.”

In the search for ways to efficiently pack a radiation shield to protect manned spacecraft on deep space missions, Nasa is looking to the public for help If you know your crane from your bishop’s mitre, Nasa needs you. The space agency is launching a challenge to crowdsource origami-inspired ideas for a foldable radiation shield to protect spacecraft and astronauts on voyages to deep space, such as missions to Mars. Facebook Twitter Pinterest “Origami is a natural fit to many problems involving deployability in space,” says Robert J. Lang, origami artist and former Nasa physicist. Photograph: Mark Bolitho With the challenge open for entries from 26 July, innovative designs can be submitted through the website, Freelancer. “The theory is that there will be a lot of people who have expertise in folding techniques or origami and [Nasa] want to find a very efficient way to pack a radiation shield,” said Matt Barrie, founder and CEO of Freelancer. Helen O’Brien, a space engineer from Imperial College London who is not involved in the project, said that radiation shields – typically made of aluminium – are a crucial component of both manned and unmanned spacecraft. “Essentially cosmic rays and other solar radiation can be very damaging to both people and electronics,” she said, pointing out that it can cause cancer, as well as triggering faults in circuits. But, she noted, mass means money when it comes to space missions, and bulky items take up space that could be used for instruments – or people. “Nasa want something that is sufficiently packed and compact so that when you actually land on a planet you can expand it and it will provide maximum efficiency and protection from radiation,” said Barrie. As well as the radiation shield challenge, two other projects have been announced, one of which is asking for animation storyboards to help the space agency explain its experimental system for keeping track of objects inside the International Space Station (ISS). The other is to create a badge, known as a mission patch, for the space agency’s 3D printer-cum-recycling project, the “In Space Manufacturing Refabricator”. UK-built pollution monitoring satellite ready for launch Read more The challenges are the latest in a series of conundrums posed to the public by the Nasa Tournament Lab and Freelancer. Previous challenges have ranged from suggestions for an app interface for astronauts’ smartwatches, to designing an arm for the Astrobee robot, that will help with tasks on the ISS. “The whole premise is that by tapping into the minds of millions of people we will hopefully find unexpected solutions to problems that Nasa internally couldn’t come up with,” said Barrie. It is not the first time space engineers have turned to the Japanese art for inspiration. Among previous projects, earlier this year Nasa announced it had joined forces with researchers at Brigham Young University to create an origami-inspired folding radiator that allows the rate of heat loss to be controlled by changing its shape. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Origami designer Mark Bolitho points out that from heart stents to folding at a molecular level, origami has many scientific applications beyond space. Photograph: Mark Bolitho Robert J. Lang – an origami artist, world expert on the mathematics of origami and a former Nasa physicist – said that he was not surprised that Nasa was looking to the art for inspiration. “Origami is a natural fit to many problems involving deployability in space, and Nasa has worked with origami artists – myself and others – over the years,” he said. Mark Bolitho, a professional origami designer and an organiser of the international meeting on Origami in Science, Mathematics and Education to be held at the University of Oxford next year, added that applications extend beyond space. “There have been many advances in the application of folding in science,” he said, citing innovations such as heart stents, car air bags, “and even experiments to fold at a molecular level.” O’Brien, too, welcomed the use of origami in space engineering. “Origami is fantastic – the way that the intricate structures can be produced in such a small volume, but then also can be deployed to something that is really huge,” she said. “There is no reason why that kind of [approach] cannot be used to provide innovative and low mass shielding for space missions in the future.”

Warriors’ fans should be salivating at the prospect of a prosperous 2014 season if Shaun Johnson’s early season form continues after he orchestrated a devastating 48-4 victory over the Broncos in Dunedin. Johnson’s silky-smooth skills demonstrated in the Auckland Nines continued into the Broncos trial, while English recruit Sam Tomkins was also instrumental in the nine-try romp. The fledgling fullback/halfback partnership of Tomkins and Johnson looms as an ominous threat for opposing NRL sides with both players exhibiting exhilarating attacking flair. With Johnson only required to play 52 minutes, fullback Tomkins saw out the entire match and looked assured under the high ball while demonstrating a desired aggression in his kick returns in a flawless, all-round display. The Broncos will look to immediately expel what was an deflating performance out of their system before they clash with the Bulldogs in Round 1. Brisbane were constantly on the back foot due to a lack of possession brought about by a combination of handling errors and missed tackles. The Warriors gained the early initiative after only four minutes when Johnson sliced through Brisbane’s defence from a scrum base move 10 metres out. The Broncos managed to strike back in the 14th minute after Ben Hunt launched a bomb that Kodi Nikorima knocked backwards into the path of Jack Reed to plant the ball over the line. It took the Warriors less than five minutes to extend their lead to 12-4 after Glen Fisiiahi squeezed his way over in the corner with only millimetres separating his right boot and the sideline. Fisiiahi nabbed a double on the half-hour mark to stretch the score out to 16-4 after lovely lead up play from the Warriors’ outside backs. A Johnson line break had the Broncos scrambling and home side crossed from the next play with a Carlos Tuimavave pass setting up Fisiiahi. Brisbane had no answers to the Warriors attack and the home side crossed moments before half-time when Nathan Friend interchanged passes with Feleti Mateo to allow Charlie Gubb to crash over from close range. Trailing 22-4 at half-time and only enjoying 35 per cent of first-half possession, the Broncos started the second stanza in spirited fashion, but were soon deflated by another Warriors try in the 50th minute. The Warriors right-side attack was on song again as Tuimavave crossed out wide and Johnson converted to take the score out to 28-4. Johnson’s sideline conversion was the last action he saw as he was withdrawn by coach Matthew Elliott after 52 minutes. A quick-fire double by the Warriors piled further misery on the Broncos with David Fusitu’a (64th minute) and Sam Tomkins (69th) both crossing to extend the score to 38-4. Konrad Hurrell helped himself to a double inside the last 10 minutes as the unrelenting Warriors stretched the scoreboard out to 48-4 at full-time. Warriors 48 (Glen Fisiiahi 2, Konrad Hurrell 2, Shaun Johnson, Charlie Gubb, Carlos Tuimavave, David Fusitu’a, Sam Tomkins tries; Johnson 4, Chad Townsend 2 goals) def. Broncos 4 (Jack Reed try) at Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin. Halftime: 22-4 Warriors.

A New God Eater Console Game Is In The Works, More On God Eater Online By Sato . September 14, 2016 . 4:00am Bandai Namco recently announced God Eater Online, an upcoming MMO action smartphone game. Key developers had more to share in an interview featured in this week’s issue of Famitsu magazine. [Thanks, Hachima.] The interview features producer Yusuke Tomizawa, director Hiroshi Yoshimura, producer Kensho Monden, along with Asobimo’s director Hiroo Hasegawa. The thought of making a free-to-play God Eater game, and working it as an MMO, is an opportunity to increase the number of players. Asobimo has experience in the field after having worked on Avabel Online. You’ll still take on Aragami in the upcoming title. When a powerful enemy appears on the field, you can get help from other players and tag up by forming a party right then and there. Similar to the previous God Eater games, you’ll get to do things such as use a step maneuver after attacking, or devour use devour combos. Those who’ve played past God Eater games won’t have trouble picking this one up. The goal is to have up to 100 players on the field. There’s a leveling system in God Eater Online. Using skill points from the levels you’ll increase stats. These will also have influence on various actions such as being able to use more items. The game is set in the same time as previous God Eater games, not in a parallel world. Story missions take about 10 minutes each. You’ll get to spend long periods of time in the MMO areas. Story missions are single-player only, but NPCs can help out. The goal is to put in all God Arcs and guns from the entire series. A new God Eater game is in the works for console, but they can’t say much about it for now. Some sort of announcement might be made for it on September 17 at Tokyo Game Show 2016. God Eater Online is in development for Android and iPhone.

After an international break which seemed like an eternity, next up for Liverpool is a difficult away trip to Stamford Bridge. We are of course no strangers to Chelsea considering the amount of times we have played them in the league and Champion’s League over the last number of years. So expect some players to be quite familiar with each other by this stage. I would expect this game to be a cracker given the fact that both Villas-Boas and Dalglish are two managers who like to play attractive, attacking passing football. It certainly is set up to be the game of weekend. But will it be a Super Sunday for Liverpool? Liverpool go into the game on the back of a poor performance and poor result against Swansea at Anfield. All though a lot of credit must be given to Swansea for putting in a great display of football. Sometimes you have just got to put your hands up and say the opposition played well. Our last six reads DWDDWW. One thing noticeable in that form is the lack of defeats we have had over the last number of games. In fact our last defeat came back on 18th September, that infamous 4-0 loss to Tottenham. Again, as I mentioned in my last article, if we could just turn some of those draws into wins we would really be in the mix at the top of the table. We sit sixth in the table on 19 points, only 3 points behind Sunday’s opponents Chelsea who sit in fourth place. Chelsea having a 5+ better goal difference, so a 0-3 win on Sunday would see us climb above them in the table (Editor’s Note: We can dream can’t we?). We have the joint second best defence in the league this season, with ourselves and Man City conceding 10 goals apiece. This season’s surprise package, Newcastle United, so far top that list having only conceded a paltry 8. Added to that, Pepe Reina has kept 4 clean sheets in total and you can see we are gradually beginning to gel at the back. Chelsea go into the game on the back of an away 0-1 win at Blackburn, with Frank Lampard having scored the only goal of the game. Their form guide and last six reads WLLWWW. Those two defeats include a 0-1 away loss at QPR and that incredible game and 3-5 home loss to Arsenal. A game which may be held up as a template of how to beat Chelsea for the rest of the season. Chelsea sit in fourth place in the table, 3 points behind Newcastle (resisting the urge to say ‘surprise package’) in third and only 4 points behind Man United in second place. With Newcastle playing Man City away this weekend, Chelsea will see it as a great incentive to get 3 points and climb above them in the table. Chelsea Scouting Report So let’s take a look at how Chelsea may set up, their formation and some of their key players so far this season. Andre Villas-Boas is a manager who is more interesting than most in the Premier League. At aged 34 it is a phenomenal achievement to manage a top club like Chelsea. He is also a manager who has become accustomed to success, and at his previous club Porto had some fantastic successes, winning a treble of Portuguese Cup, League and Europa League. So we are dealing with a man who knows his football, his formations, and his tactics. His preferred formation of course is well known, and that is a 4-3-3 system. See graphic below: I expect the back four to be Cole, Terry, Ivanovic and Bosingwa as above, with both the full backs essential in providing some width to Chelsea’s attacking play. Mikel will play the holding role in front of the back four and as the game develops when the full backs sometimes get stranded up the pitch, expect Mikel to drop almost in between Terry and Ivanovic (as a third centre back) with both the centre backs finding themselves sometimes pushed out wider to cover in behind for the advancing Cole and Bosingwa. Lampard and Ramires will fill the more advanced central midfield positions and provide support for the front three. Expect both of them to make runs beyond the front three at points in the game, namely when either or both of Mata and Sturridge have not advanced into front positions quick enough to support the ball and Torres. Take a look at my graphic below, this is the Chelsea players average position for the entire game against Arsenal. A few things to note: how close Mata is to Torres, how advanced Lampard and Ramires are, how advanced their full backs are, and how high up the pitch both central defenders are. Chelsea will approach the game with their own well known tactic, which relies on players playing a high pressing game and winning the ball back as soon as possible, and preferably winning that ball high up the pitch. This is a fantastic tactic with the right players, quick players, mobile, with fleet of foot and technically gifted. Do Chelsea have these type of players though? I think the Arsenal game put some question marks over players such as Lampard, Ramires, Terry, Ivanovic and Bosingwa. Have these players got the attributes to play this high pressing game? Lampard, Terry and Ivanovic certainly aren’t quick, mobile and fleet of foot. It’s open to interpretation I suppose. Of course a natural consequence of playing high up the pitch is your defenders have to play a high line. And with that comes the very risky tactic of playing the offside game against their opponents. Chelsea are third in the table with 43 offsides provoked this season. Only Stoke, in first place on 54, and Arsenal in second place on 47, have used this tactic more often so far this season. See the chart below for an overview. Off course with Andre Villas Boas in charge his team obviously like to pass the ball. With 5387 total accurate passes (including throws and goal kicks) they outshine everyone else in the Premier League so far this season. Their nearest rival in the passing stakes are Man City with 108 less accurate passes with a total of 5279. See chart below for the full breakdown: Furthermore, on a percentage basis, when we look at Chelsea’s open play pass percentages they also come in joint first with Man City with an open play completed pass percentage of 86%. See chart below. So we can expect Chelsea to approach the game not only putting plenty of pressure on our players when they lose the ball but also using the ball intelligently with plenty of accurate passes when they are in possession. So let’s take a look at the stats of Chelsea’s key men in attack. As their central pivot front man they have Torres, Drogba or Anelka to choose from if that is they way they want to play. Mata and Sturridge usually play either side of Torres to make up Chelsea’s front three, and in behind the two central midfielders charged with getting forward and providing support are Lampard and Ramires. The table below indicates who the danger is amongst these players: Any highlighted green in the above table indicates that that is best stat in any particular category. For example: Frank Lampard has the best chance conversion rate at 35% and best shooting accuracy rate of 65% in the table. It’s clear from taking a quick glance at the table that Lampard, at aged 33, has more green highlighted than any other player. Rumours of his demise are greatly exaggerated perhaps? So we will have to watch out for the attacking runs of Lampard in behind our defence as he has 6 goals scored all ready this season, which is an excellent return for any midfielder. With Mata playing slightly to the left of Torres he has created more chances from open play than his front colleagues in the table at 16 chances created. Mata also has attempted more crosses at 14 than anyone else. Both Drogba and Anelka with only 7 appearances between them this season really don’t figure much on the table. So in summary Chelsea’s danger men are Lampard, with his goal return, shooting accuracy and excellent chance conversion ratio, and Mata with his chance creating and crossing skills. Special mention goes to our former player Fernando Torres with not one green category highlighted. Ouch. Liverpool Offensive/Defensive Formation By now I think we all know that Kenny likes his 4-4-2 formation. Or any variant of it such as 4-4-1-1. But for the Chelsea game I would really like him to change this to a 4-2-3-1. Something similar to how Arsenal lined up against Chelsea when they beat then 5-3 a couple of weeks ago. Here is my proposed line-up for the game against Chelsea: I think this is a system best suited to playing against Chelsea’s 4-3-3 system. With Chelsea overloading the midfield and with Mikel, Ramires and Lampard in there we are going to concede a lot of possession and territory if we have to rely on Charlie Adam breaking from midfield to provide our players with support. I believe we need both Adam and Lucas to sit in there and provide cover in front of Skrtel and Agger. Chelsea are quite fluid as an attacking force. With Lampard, Ramires, Sturridge and Mata all making runs beyond our back four and darting between the lines to create chances it is essential we don’t leave gaps in between the lines. Yes this may make us a little bit more defensive than usual, however with playing 4-2-3-1, the three behind Suarez of Downing, Bellamy and Kuyt should make up for that lack of attacking threat in the pivotal central midfield area. Chelsea are going to put us under a lot of pressure at the back with their high pressing game. So it will be extremely important that our back four are composed on the ball and try and keep passing the ball out of defence rather than knocking it long. If we panic and knock it long then Terry and Ivanovic will have a field day against the smaller Suarez up front and we may see the ball coming back at us and under waves of pressure. So Enrique and Johnson will have to make space on the wings to provide an outlet for the ball as Chelsea’s front three close our defenders down. So how do we score against Chelsea. I could write an essay on it. But simply, just ask Arsenal. Chelsea have conceded 15 goals this season and have only kept 2 clean sheets. I believe with the right tactics and formation this game is there to be won for us. I alluded to Chelsea’s high line in my scouting report of them, and this more than any other tactic is giving me hope that we can come back from Stamford Bridge with a positive result. Chelsea play such a high line it is open to be played through. If your going to play a high line and press up the pitch to condense the space it is imperative you put pressure on the ball. I don’t believe some of Chelsea’s players are suited to this tactic. Offside is a very difficult tactic to play. You need a really good, organised and consistent back four, who know each others movements inside out. This is extremely hard to maintain in the modern era. Especially with squad rotation, injuries, the amount of games played, language problems and different cultures and nationalities, all reasons that offside as a tactic is almost impossible to maintain. Below are both graphics stills I took from the Chelsea V Arsenal game. They are phase 1 and 2 of an attack by Arsenal in which they almost scored. This type of scenario happened time and time and again in this game. Chelsea are obviously in blue and Arsenal in red. The white represents where the ball broke down and is about to be played to Gervinho who is hugging the left touchline. Notice the position of the three Chelsea defenders, who are marking Van Persie. They couldn’t be further up the pitch. The next graphic is taken from when Gervinho received the ball. As you can see Gervinho now has the ball. But where are Chelsea’s three defenders? They are still in the same position. Instead of running backwards towards their own goal to prevent the ball going over the top of them they continue to hold the line and try to play offside. Its obvious to anyone what happens next. Gervinho plays the ball through the Chelsea defenders and Van Persie runs in on goal to create a clear cut chance. My next graphic illustrates what might happen with our proposed line-up above. As you can see this is my reason for playing Bellamy with Suarez. If both or either of Bellamy can isolate Terry or Ivanovic with a a ball over the top from the likes of Downing or Adam then Chelsea are going to find themselves in a lot of trouble. In a straight race for the ball over the top or through the lines with either Bellamy or Suarez there is only going to be one winner. The amount of space illustrated in blue in the above graphic that Chelsea leave in behind is incredible. If they continue to play such a high and dangerous line against us then in my opinion we need to exploit that with Bellamy and Suarez’s pace. You can see from the Guardian chalkboards heatmap above how much time both Terry and Ivanovic spend high up the pitch in the area just inside their own half. It’s also noticeable from this graphic the amount of time they spent in the full back positions covering for their comrades. So let’s take a look at the Chelsea defence compared to our own in the following stats table: Most of the Chelsea defenders compare very favourable to our own. And to be honest looking at the table there are not that many stats that are interesting or stand out. Highlighted in green is the worst stat for any particular player in any particular area. It’s noticeable that Ashley Cole is the one that stands out here. He makes more ground 50/50’s (101) than anybody else in the table yet has the lowest ground 50/50 win ratio at 44%. Hence my reason for picking Kuyt on the right handside of our line-up. Traditionally in these games Kuyt does well against Ashley Cole, and with Kuyt’s fighting ability and his height advantage it might be an area we can exploit. Especially as, unsurprisingly given his height, that Cole has only won 36% of his aerial 50/50 duels. As a side note, it’s worth noting here in red the amount of interceptions the Chelsea back four have made compared to our own. 99 between them compared to our lowly 37. Again this maybe a natural consequence of playing such a high line. You always need to be on the front foot with a high line, and cutting out through balls between you and your fellow defenders. Of course any LFC analysis can’t be complete without mentioning our poor chance conversion ratio. A lot has been made lately about it lately. It is worth noting that the quality of these chances are something that is not telling from the stats. It is also worth noting, to give it it’s proper name, that this is really a shot assist statistic. As you can see from the graphic below it is still at a poor 9%. Joint second bottom with WBA, QPR and Wolves. Relegation company some might say. So it really is becoming our Achille’s heel this season. If we are to get anything from this season it really is important that this statistic is improved over the next few games. As of now, it is becoming a worrying trend. As a final note, we should really end on some positive statistics. And while our chance conversion ratio is very poor we have the best ground 50/50 win percentage in the league so far this season. Something that is worth pointing out before we go into the game against Chelsea where the midfield battle will be pivotal to who wins the game. As you can see from the chart above, we have a ground 50/50 win percentage of 54%. Our nearest rivals in the table are Spurs at 53%, and our opponents on Sunday Chelsea on 51%. Will this enable us to dominate the midfield though? If Adam and Lucas sit then maybe as in my proposed line-up above then maybe. Here’s to 3 points and a win on Sunday. I’d appreciate any feedback on this post. Please do leave a comment! You can follow me on twitter here: https://twitter.com/#!/artful_dodger74

This mom is doing right by her baby, and everyone else. Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images In 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared that measles had finally been eliminated in the United States. It was a triumph—but it didn’t last. By 2014 there were 677 reported cases of the disease, the highest rate in 20 years. In 2015, there were 189 reported cases—low compared to 2014, but still outrageous considering there were zero cases 15 years earlier. Scientists attribute the unfortunate rise in measles and other infectious diseases to the growing number of parents who forgo or delay vaccinations for their children. People who abstain from vaccinations endanger the general population by weakening herd immunity, in which a highly immunized population protects against the spread of a disease. When less than 96 percent of a population is vaccinated, measles is more likely to spread to people who can’t be vaccinated for health reasons and to people who don’t develop full immunity even after being vaccinated. This means that we should all be frightened by the anti-vaxxer movement, even those of us who do vaccinate our children. But a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health indicates that the biggest victims of the anti-vaccine movement are the children of anti-vaxxers. Researchers at Emory University and John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Health reviewed all studies on vaccinations and two infectious diseases, measles and pertussis (also known as whooping cough), published over the last 15 years in order to figure out the connection between vaccine delay, refusal, and exemption and recent outbreaks of measles. They found that those who don’t get the measles vaccine are far more likely to get and spread the measles than those who got it—and that the vast majority of the unvaccinated people who got measles were unvaccinated by choice. Of the 970 measles cases with detailed vaccination data, 574 cases were unvaccinated despite being vaccine eligible and 405 (70.6%) of these had nonmedical exemptions (eg, exemptions for religious or philosophical reasons, as opposed to medical contraindications; 41.8% of total). The findings for pertussis, or whooping cough, were a little more complicated. The researchers found that “the 5 largest statewide epidemics had substantial proportions (range, 24%-45%) of unvaccinated or undervaccinated individuals.” However, there also were several pertussis outbreaks in highly vaccinated areas, which, they say, indicates waning herd immunity. The researchers conclude that the phenomenon of vaccine refusal, as opposed to medical exemption, has led to an overall increased risk of both diseases, especially for the unvaccinated. Although the rise of measles and whooping cough are alarming to all reasonable parents, anti-vaxxers might not be as concerned, thanks to their belief that so-called “natural immunity” is superior to vaccinations. According to this theory, children who come into contact with a disease when they are young will develop an immunity to it on their own, and will end up healthier overall for not having been subjected to the vaccine. (Anti-vaxxers conveniently ignore the fact that vaccines pose virtually no health risk to most individuals, which means that avoiding them doesn’t confer any benefit.) Historical data roundly refute the idea that natural immunity works as a public health strategy. For a 1986 study, scientists looked at the prevalence of natural immunity to measles, rubella and mumps in the pre-vaccination era. They analyzed the health records of 1700 unvaccinated Spanish children and found that, among 6- and 7-year-olds, “only 12% of the children showed antibodies against the three diseases and 18.7% exhibited triple susceptibility.” By comparison, the measles vaccine, is 93 percent effective at preventing measles with one dose, and, with two doses, 97 percent effective. People who choose not to vaccinate their children are mostly hurting their children. Refusing vaccines increases your child’s odds of getting sick, and in all likelihood they won’t develop “natural immunity.” The new study ought to convince parents that vaccinating their kids is the only healthy choice, unless medically contraindicated. But considering that anti-vaxxers are typically impervious to facts, it’s likely that they’ll ignore the new evidence, and their children will continue to pay the price.

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall , a lifetime automotive expert,, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340."Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing."Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and nowdedicated to fellow enthusiasts."I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry."My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today."Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show , the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights , along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Enlarge By Jennifer S. Altman for USA TODAY Talat Hamdani, whose son Salman, an EMT, died when the World Trade Center collapsed on 9/11, sits at her home in Lake Grove, N.Y. NEW YORK — After that cruel day nine Septembers ago, Talat Hamdani felt twice victimized: first by fellow Muslims who killed her son, then by fellow Americans who doubted that a Muslim like her Salman died a hero at the World Trade Center. Now, Hamdani says that with anti-Muslim feeling aroused by plans for an Islamic community center and mosque two blocks from the Ground Zero site, she again feels like a double victim. "It's worse now than it was then," says Hamdani, a retired middle school English teacher who supports the project. Despite feeling an anti-Muslim backlash in the weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, she says, "at least there was empathy then. I got tons of support. Now I'm getting hate mail." FULL COVERAGE: 9/11: How one day changed our world Hamdani is one of hundreds of American Muslims who lost loved ones on 9/11, yet found themselves tarred, because of their faith, by the attacks. As 9/11's ninth anniversary approaches, some of these Muslims worry that the controversy over the mosque near Ground Zero is feeding a revival of the Islamophobia of 2001. FBI statistics show that hate crimes against Muslims remain relatively rare. But recent headlines reflect tension over Muslims' place in America: A young man is accused of stabbing a Muslim cab driver in New York City last month. A Florida preacher plans to mark Sept. 11 by publicly burning Qurans. Across the nation, groups oppose plans to build mosques, including ones proposed by moderate congregations. PHOTOS: Sept. 11 memorial under construction THE OVAL: Obama backs mosque, draws strong reactions 9/11 MUSEUM: Proposed mosque not only controversy Yet 9/11 had more Muslim victims (about 60 of nearly 3,000 killed) than terrorist hijackers (19). They included an assistant bank vice president and a cook, a commodities trader and a waiter, an insurance executive, a security guard and an IT guy. They included immigrants from all over: Sarah Khan, a cafeteria manager from Guyana; Syed Abdul Fatha, a copy machine operator from India; Zuhtu Ibis, a computer technician from Turkey. There was Michael Baksh, a Pakistani immigrant on his first day of work at the insurance firm Marsh & McLennan, and Abdoul Karim Traore, who had risen at 3 a.m. that day to deliver USA TODAY before reporting to work as a cook at Windows on the World restaurant. Karamo Trerra, a computer tech, was ready to celebrate his fourth wedding anniversary on Sept. 12. NEW SURVEY: What Americans think, or know, about Islam IN NEW YORK: Muslim groups support mosque And there was Salman Hamdani, who apparently abandoned his commute to work that morning to offer his skills as an EMT and police cadet at the Trade Center. That was where he eventually would be found, in 34 pieces. "People of all faiths died that day," including Muslims, says his mother, Talat. "It is not fair to hold us responsible." The Muslim 9/11 victims' families are not a cohesive community. Few are in touch with one another. (Many relatives left the country, some because they were not here legally.) They've experienced different levels of prejudice — some say they have faced none at all — and differ on issues such as the proposed Islamic community center. Talat Hamdani says she supports the plan, because of its proponents' constitutional rights; because it would promote religious tolerance, and because moderate American Muslims "have been scapegoated. We have had to carry this cross for nine years now." Neda Bolourchi, a legal mediator in Los Angeles, lost her mother, Touri, who was aboard the jet that crashed into the south tower. She opposes the mosque because she believes it would politicize the Ground Zero area and destroy it as a sacred place for reflection and remembrance. "I have no grave site to visit," she says. "All I have is Ground Zero." Three families The families of Muslims killed on 9/11 are spread across the nation: • Mehr Tariq's husband Tariq Amanullah, an assistant vice president at Fiduciary Trust, died in the south tower. She is 49 and lives with her two young adult children in California's Silicon Valley, where they moved in 2005 to be near her brothers. Her neighborhood is diverse — about one-third Muslim — and tolerant. She feels comfortable visiting a local mosque for Quran study. "I read about (anti-Muslim sentiment)," she says. "I don't experience it here." In 2001, when she attended a counseling session in New York for 9/11 families, some non-Muslims in the group didn't distinguish between extremist and moderate Muslims: "I felt so isolated, because the other people were so angry. They would blame just 'Muslims.' " She stopped going. The furor over the Islamic center in New York reminds her of 2001: "Nobody cares that Muslims were victims as well as non-Muslims." • Baraheen Ashrafi's husband, Mohammed Chowdhury, died atop the north tower, where he was a waiter at Windows on the World. Ashrafi, 38, lives in Edmond, Okla., where she moved with her two children to be near her sister. A native of Bangladesh, she became a U.S. citizen in 2004. Hers is the only Muslim family in the neighborhood. Despite some incidents over the years — remarks about her head scarf, soda cans thrown at her car, an old woman in a wheelchair at Wal-Mart who refused her offer to help with something on the top shelf — she usually feels accepted. She never tells acquaintances about her 9/11 connection; most people only know that she's a widow. Nor has she told her son Farquad, born two days after 9/11, how his father died. She knows the day is coming when she must, and dreads it. She worries about the safety of American Muslims, and was shaken by the August assault on the New York cabbie, whose accused attacker reportedly had expressed polite interest in Islam. It shows, she says, that "some people are looking good on the outside, but inside are full of hate." • Ysuff Salie's daughter Rahma, who was seven months pregnant, and Rahma's husband, Michael, were passengers aboard the jet that crashed into the north tower. Ysuff, 64, and his wife, Haleema, 58, live in Newton, Mass., and run two bakery-cafes. After 9/11, several of their Muslim relatives were barred from international flights and almost missed the memorial service for Rahma and Micky. Haleema felt compelled to tell reporters: "We would like people to know that we are Muslims and my daughter and son-in-law were Muslims. They were victims, too." Today, Ysuff says he hasn't felt much prejudice — "and I operate in a very public place" and avoids controversy. "If I see a disturbance, I keep away. If someone asked me (about the Islamic center), I'd say, 'No comment.' I'm not a person to judge." Reinforcing a mother's faith Talat Hamdani has two stories about 9/11. One is about who it took from her, the other about what it did to her. Both begin the morning of the attacks, when Salman, 23, left their home in the Bayside section of Queens in New York City heading to his job as a lab tech at Rockefeller University on Manhattan's Upper East Side. He had a Quran in his backpack and a date after work in Jersey with a young woman he had met online. He was born in Pakistan — his two U.S.-born younger brothers would tease him about it — and moved to America with his parents in 1980, when he was 1. His father, Saleem, owned a convenience store, and the boy helped with odd jobs such as sorting the Sunday papers. He became a citizen in 1990. He had graduated in June 2001 from Queens College, where he majored in chemistry, and he hoped to eventually go to medical school. He trained as an EMT and drove part-time for an ambulance service. He joined the Police Department's cadet program, a sort of ROTC for cops. This, his mother infers, is what happened on 9/11: While heading toward the city on the elevated subway train, Salman saw the twin towers burning and wanted to help. He used his EMT and police cadet credentials to get downtown, where he was killed when the north tower collapsed. When he did not come home that night, the family searched frantically. They visited hospitals, checked the morgue, posted "missing" fliers. (Some were ripped down.) In early October, they flew to Mecca to pray for his return. They even nurtured a perverse hope: that perhaps Salman was one of the many young Arab and Muslim men secretly detained for questioning. Meanwhile, police were asking the family about Salman's politics and his computer. Rumors spread. Someone distributed amateurish fliers with Salman's picture, saying he was wanted for questioning by the city-federal terrorism task force. A New York Post story about Salman was headlined "Missing — or Hiding?" Talat has never gotten over what she regards as the slander of her son. She says it helps explain her advocacy of the Islamic center: "This is a cause for me. If there'd never been a shadow of suspicion cast on Salman, then there would be no reason for me to do this. My anger comes from his own country casting suspicion on him." With no word on their son, his parents left the front door unlocked and slept on the living room floor — waiting, against all reason, for him to walk back in. That's where they were late one night in March 2002, when two policemen appeared at the door. Salman's remains had been identified; his name was clear. The following month, at his funeral, the police commissioner called him a hero. "Most people would have gone in the other direction" during the aftermath of the attacks, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. "He went in to help people." Two years later, Saleem Hamdani died. The medical cause was cancer, but his wife deemed him as much a casualty of 9/11 as his son. Her attempt to clear Salman's name made Talat an activist. She joined Cindy Sheehan at Iraq war protests near President George W. Bush's vacation home in Texas, and she attended hearings of terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. She realized that 9/11, which had taken away so much, also had given her something. "It reinforced my faith," she says. "It gave me more confidence. I found myself standing up for a faith as I never had before." When the Islamic center became an issue, she was the only Muslim 9/11 family member to step forward. In June she spoke at a community planning board hearing, as opponents jeered. "My legs were shaking," she says. "But I had a mission: to honor the memory of my son, and to heal the wounds of 2001." After appearing on television, she got hate mail at home on Long Island. One letter said, "Go back where you came from." Another said, "Not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims." Talat has her own conclusions. She says the true martyrs of 9/11 were not the men who piloted planes into buildings, but their victims: "They gave their lives doing what they believed in." The martyrs were Salman, and all the others born in faraway places with unusual names. "They died for one reason," she says. "Not because they were Muslims or from Pakistan or anywhere else. They died because they were Americans." Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more

2012 will be a more highly regulated year since all 50 state legislatures passed close to 40,000 new laws in 2011. A number of those measures will take effect Jan. 1. A compilation prepared by the nonpartisan National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) highlights laws taking effect on New Year's Day in at least 21 states. State legislators have been especially active on issues pertaining to immigration, government costs, and the care of young people. But Americans will face new state laws on a wide variety of areas ranging from abortion to the distribution of shark fins, the NCSL report shows. NCSL did not provide a breakdown on which states produced the most new laws, but its report on laws taking effect on Jan. 1 was heavy with legislation from California. In some cases, states are taking markedly different stands on issues, with immigration being a key example. Laws requiring businesses to enroll in the federal E-Verify program to determine the eligibility of workers to be employed in the United States will go into effect in Louisiana, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Georgia. But a law taking effect Jan. 1 in California takes almost the opposite approach: It prohibits any state or local government from requiring a private employer to use the E-Verify program unless required to do so by federal law or as a condition of receiving federal funds. On the cost-control front, state employees will feel the pinch. A Delaware law requires new state employees who become members of the Delaware pension fund to make larger contributions than earlier members. It also will require those new members to be older or to work longer than current members to earn a pension benefit. In North Dakota, state workers' pension contributions also increase. An Oklahoma law increases the retirement age for judges who start work after Jan. 1. State lawmakers also passed numerous laws in 2011 to protect children and improve their education. In Illinois, those 18 and under will be required to wear seat belts when using taxis to travel to school functions. A law in Oregon requires state universities and community colleges to waive tuition and fees for current and former foster children under age 25. And California passed a law to prohibit the use of ultraviolet tanning devices by those under age 18. Several measures regulating abortion take effect on New Year’s Day. In New Hampshire, girls seeking an abortion will be required to first tell their parents or a judge. It was passed over the governor’s veto. Meanwhile, a law takes effect in Arkansas aimed at Planned Parenthood facilities that provided an abortion pill. It requires facilities that perform 10 or more nonsurgical abortions a month be subject to the same kind of state Health Department inspections as facilities offering surgical abortions. Many states passed laws aimed at restricting texting or the use of cellphones when driving. A Nevada law prohibits drivers from text messaging and using hand-held phone devices. North Dakota passed one law that bans drivers younger than 18 from using cellphones and another that bars all drivers from text messaging. Oregon adjusted its laws on the subject, adding an exception for drivers operating a tow vehicle, roadside assistance vehicle, or a vehicle owned by a utility. While most of the laws that take effect in 2012 are aimed at protecting people, some focus on the animal kingdom. Two coastal states, California and Oregon, passed measures prohibiting the possession, sale, or distribution of shark fins. The fins are used in soup and are considered a delicacy in some Asian cultures. Animal-rights advocates argued it was cruel to cut off a shark’s fin and then dump the fish back in the ocean. • Material from the Associated Press was used in compiling this report.

Whether it is the driverless cars technology or high-end robotics , Linux is becoming the preferred platform of choice in many high-tech fields. Dronecode Project by Linux Foundation is the latest attempt at creating a new unified Linux based platform to be used in Drones of the future.The Linux Foundation announced on October 13 at LinuxCon Europe the founding of the Dronecode Project. The goal of this project is to unify existing open-source drone projects and assets under a non-profit structure. Eventually, there will be a Linux based platform for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).The project's founding members include 3D Robotics, Baidu, Box, DroneDeploy, jDrones, Laser Navigation, SkyWard, Squadrone System, Walkera and Yuneec. It is reported elsewhere that Qualcomm and Intel are also joining the efforts to build a truly opensource platform for UAVs.Dronecode already has more than 1,200 developers working the project. The platform is also being adopted by many of drone companies such Skycatch, DroneDeploy, HobbyKing, Horizon Ag, PrecisionHawk, Agribotics, and Walkera.[Further reading @ ZDNet.com

The president of conservative pro-family group Faith2Action last weekend announced the pre-launch of ReaganBook, a social networking site described as “the Facebook for patriots,” according to Right Wing Watch. Faith2Action President Janet Porter told attendees at the Ohio Liberty Coalition’s “Reload 4 Liberty” event that Facebook has been censoring people like anti-gay activist Peter LaBarbera. Porter lamented that “while tomorrow Facebook employees are gathering to go march at the gay pride parade in San Francisco,” they are censoring people with “unpopular opinions.” She then described ReaganBook as a social network that tears down walls like President Reagan. “We’re tearing down walls of tyranny and censorship,” she said. ReaganBook, now at 36 members, welcomes all individuals to “connect and share freely.” The site says it will not “scan, mine or sell user content.” “We stand by what Ronald Reagan said, ‘Government has no power except those voluntarily granted to it by we the people,'” the site reads. “The same holds true for your social media: don’t grant your social media any power to collect, sell, exploit, and divulge your private information.” Watch Porter’s announcement via Right Wing Watch:

Question Answer Episode Marshall hits Lily with what after he proposes? Pilot Thing Ted pretends he is buying at the store? Purple Giraffe Barney's luggage contains? Sweet Taste of Liberty Name one of the things Ted fondly remembers about Natalie. Return of the Shirt Barney says that there are 24 similarities between women and what? Okay Awesome The Slutty Pumpkin's drink? Slutty Pumpkin Unusual creature in Ted and Marshall's apartment? Matchmaker Place Lily's apartment has been turned into? The Duel Sport Marshall's family has created? Belly Full of Turkey Name of the shot that Carl creates? The Pineapple Incident 'Celebrity' that joins the gang on New Years? The Limo First thing that Marshall and Lily agree about for the wedding? The Wedding Fake name Victoria uses? Drumroll, Please 'I want to know you, like _____ _____ _____.' Zip, Zip, Zip What Barney refers to Ted's embarrassing story as? Game Night Where is Marshall's dream internship? Cupcake The song Marshall and Lily sing? Life Among the Gorillas Who do Marshall, Lily, and Barney hang out with? Nothing Good Happens After 2 AM Cutout Ted and Marshall use on Sandy? Mary the Paralegal What Scooter wants to be? Best Prom Ever What Robin shows Ted to cheer him up? Milk What Ted does to stop Robin's camping trip? Come On The pet George Clinton buys Lily? Where Were We? What Ted orders to cure his hangover? The Scorpion and the Toad What Ted and his dad talk about if things get uncomfortable? Brunch Movie Ted is mad that Robin dislikes? Ted Mosby, Architect Concert Marshall and Brad go to? World's Greatest Couple Who plays the Cougar? Aldrin Justice Show the end of the episode reference? Swarley What Barney has to find to win the game? Atlantic City Name of Robin's hit single? Slap Bet What James does that reveals he's in a relationship? Single Stamina Word that Ted calls Lily? How Lily Stole Christmas Where the gang takes Robin's sister? First Time in New York Name of Ted's annoying ex-boss? Columns Who Barney bumps into on the street? Monday Night Football Where is Ted's interview? Lucky Penny Name of Barney's one-man show? Stuff Name of the song that the Fiero plays? Arrivederci, Fiero One of the names that Barney gives the truck in his Top Ten List Moving Day What Lily's grandmother gives her at the bridal shower? Bachelor Party Show Barney appears on? Showdown Phrase Barney discovers has power at a wedding? Something Borrowed Where Robin ends up after the breakup? Something Blue Ted's tramp stamp? Wait For It What Robin keeps finding everywhere? We're Not From Here What Robin tries using to shave her legs? Third Wheel One of Robin's 'buts' from the episode? Little Boys Name of Ted's date? How I Met Everyone Else Celebrity that Marshall and Jeff see in the restaurant? I'm Not That Guy Name of Barney's crazy date? Dowisetrepla One of the gang's annoying habits? Spoiler Alert Name of the song at the end of the episode? Slapsgiving Fashion Show that Ted and Barney go to? The Yips One of the eight steps of the Platinum Rule The Platinum Rule Item that Ted picks up at the club? No Tomorrow Barney's lie that Stella only likes men with ______. Ten Sessions Website that one of the Final Four women has created? The Bracket Nickname Marshall gives his report? The Chain of Screaming Name Marshall gives to phenomenon when people act differently around old friends? Sandcastles in the Sand Person Barney says wrote the Bro Code? The Goat One of two politicians that Randy tries to insert Bro into? Rebound Bro Animals that Lily's paintings have soothing effects on? Everything Must Go Animal Robin's dog turns into after surgery? Miracles Movie Ted makes Stella watch? Do I Know You? Name of the bank that Barney works for? The Best Burger in New York Place where Robin accepts a job at the end of the episode? I Heart NJ One of the reasons for an Intervention in the episode? Intervention One of the two people Stella doesn't want at the wedding? Shelter Island Robin's middle name? Happily Ever After Any of the names Barney gives to the phenomenon of women looking hotter in groups? Not A Father's Day What does Sven's design for the building look like? Woooo! One of the poses Barney and Ted brainstorm? The Naked Man What Marshall uses to carve the turkey 3-5 years in the future? The Fight Canadian bar that Marshall brings Robin to? Little Minnesota Marshall's euphemism for going to the bathroom at work? Benefits Name of Ted and Barney's bar/band? Three Days of Snow The more common name for iliopsoas tendinitis? The Possimpible Name of Barney's fake wife or son? The Stinsons Name of Ted's high school/college ex? Sorry, Bro Question Answer Episode What Lily plants in Ted's bed to start the breakup? The Front Porch One of the Canadian celebrities the gang guesses? Old King Clancy The movie the Murtaugh List is based from? Murtaugh What Marshall decides to start to make him indispensable at GNB? Mosbius Designs Name of the security guard who helps Barney and Marshall? The Three Days Rule Song that Marshall makes a chart for? Right Place, Right Time The name of Tony's movie? As Fast As She Can What is on the next door building's roof? The Leap Subject of the class that Ted accidentally goes to first? Definitions Name of any of the three doppelgangers in the show? Double Date Any of the three topics that Robin gets distracted by? Robin 101 Name of the song Marshall writes about the date? The Sexless Innkeeper Name of the energy drink Marshall and Ted have? Duel Citizenship Bagpipes is a euphemism for what? Bagpipes Celebrity that Lily invites to break up Barney and Robin? The Rough Patch The play that involves fake websites, an awesome name, and a smartphone? The Playbook Any of the board games that Mickey creates during the episode? Slapsgiving 2: Revenge of the Slap Name of the girl that Ted pursues in the episode? The Window Actor who is Lily's smoking voice? Last Cigarette Ever One of three guest stars in the episode? Girls Versus Suits Robin's phrase that is used as a drinking game? Jenkins Sportscaster who guest stars in the episode? Perfect Week Barney's ringtone in the episode? Rabbit or Duck One of the hot-chick professions in the episode? Hooked Where does Robin go when she's upset? Of Course Herb Barney is allergic to? Say Cheese Marshall claims he's been mugged by what? Zoo or False The guessing game that Marshall plays with the gang? Home Wreckers What Robin leaves in the room when she moves out? Twin Beds The poem that Ted recites twice in Italian? Robots Versus Wrestlers Jed Mosely's catch phrase? The Wedding Bride What Marshall and Lily will do when they find the fifth doppelganger? Doppelgangers Former flame that is at the bar? Big Days Song that Barney, Sam, and James sing? Cleaning House Item that reminds Ted about the GNB building? Unfinished Celebrity that you have to have seen to be a real New Yorker? Subway Wars What Ted says he does for a living to Zoey? Architect of Destruction What Marshall must eat to ensure his child's a boy? Baby Talk Name of Randy's beer Canning Randy Exhibit that young Barney damaged? Natural History Name of Robin's TV show? Glitter Special poultry that Ted has prepared Blitzgiving One of Lily's three rules about going out with another man's wife? The Mermaid Theory Movie that Ted wants to see? False Positive Robin's former co-anchor that reappears? Bad News Movie that Marshall's father tells him to rent? Last Words Celebrity who plays Honey? Oh Honey Movie that is Lily and Marshall's Valentine's tradition? Desperation Day Person who Ted runs into at Hong Kong airport? Garbage Island Guy who Robin begins dating? A Change of Heart Word that Ted can't pronounce? Legendaddy Country where Lily was running off to? The Exploding Meatball Sub Subject of Marshall's rock opera? Hopeless Building that Zoey reveals she grew up in? The Perfect Cocktail App that Robin can't get to download? Landmarks Creature that Lily's vomiting sounds like? Challenge Accepted Theme of Punchy's wedding? The Best Man Game that Pete wants to play with Marshall? The Naked Truth Event where Ted runs into Victoria again? Ducky Tie Class that Ted and Marshall take together? The Stinson Missile Crisis Movie creature that Nora hates? Field Trip Name of Lily and Marshall's doctor? Mystery Vs. History Song Naomi sings to Ted? The Slutty Pumpkin Returns What the sign in front of Maclaren's reads? Disaster Averted Food that Ted and Marshall go to find? Tick, Tick, Tick Name of James' daughter? The Rebound Girl Team that Robin pretends she's sad about not making? Symphony of Illumination Book series that Marshall loved as a kid? Tailgate One of two people who become part of the new group? 46 Minutes Person who is raising bees in Lily and Marshall's basement? The Burning Beekeeper Way that Barney and Ted determine they can enjoy the Drunk Train? The Drunk Train Country where Robin goes in the episode? No Pressure Any of the hobbies Ted uses Robin's room for? Karma Place where Quinn and Barney are going on vacation? The Broath Any of the politicians that the future predicts will be president? Trilogy Time Any of the people that Lily has dream-cheated with? Now We're Even Alcohol that Barney and Marshall take shots of? Good Crazy Middle name that Barney proposes for Lily and Marshall's kid? The Magician's Code - Part 1 Name of Victoria's fiance? The Magician's Code - Part 2

By Dr. Mercola Goats are being genetically engineered to become "pharm animals" that carry vaccines in their milk. Current experiments being conducted by researchers from Texas A&M are geared toward producing an "edible" malaria vaccine, with the ultimate goal being that children drinking the milk will become vaccinated in the process. While claiming that bioengineered animals could be "life-savers" for people in third-world countries, the researchers ignore the glaring issue that such biotechnology often produces unknown, and unintended, health consequences that prove tragic for individuals and the environment. Vaccines in Your Milk? Transmogrifying farm animals into "pharm" animals to act as living and breathing pharmaceutical factories is not new. In 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first drug produced by livestock that had been bioengineered to express a human gene. In that case, the protein was extracted from the milk of genetically engineered (GE) goats. In the latest instance, researchers introduced DNA coding for the malaria parasite into the goat genome linked to milk production. The DNA is supposed to "switch on" only in the mammary gland when the goat produces milk. As we've seen in the past with genetically modified plants, genetically engineered vaccine-producing animals might enter the food supply unexpectedly -- exposing unintended recipients to the vaccine. Or the animals might escape and breed with others, passing these bioengineered genes on with unpredictable consequences. Even the technology itself is risky at best, because when animals are exposed to foreign DNA, literally anything can happen. Take, for instance, milk from cows treated with a synthetic, genetically engineered growth hormone called rBGH. rBGH milk differs from natural milk nutritionally, pharmacologically, immunologically, and hormonally, and along with causing health problems in the cows, it is linked to cancer in humans. What does ingesting the DNA from the malaria parasite in your milk cause? No one knows. Vaccine Makers See Dollar Signs When They See Third-World Countries Malaria is caused by a parasite of the species Plasmodium, which is spread from person to person by infected mosquitoes. Every year, it results in about 1 million deaths, the majority of which are in third-world countries. We are certainly in need of a solution, and while it sounds good in theory that a child could be protected from malaria just by drinking a glass of milk, remember that vaccines often weaken and confuse children's immune systems, which ultimately increases their susceptibility to the very infectious diseases vaccines are designed to prevent. The most vulnerable of the world's children are those in the poorest countries where death and disease is often a result of malnutrition, and where children are often battling some sort of infection 200 days out of the year. Vaccines can be devastating to these already immunosuppressed children, as well as to adults. However, emerging vaccine markets like third-world countries will soon outgrow developed markets by hundreds of billions of dollars. Emerging markets are areas of the world that are beginning to show promise as a profitable venture for many products, including vaccines. And emerging markets – primarily in developing countries in Southeast and Central Asia, and Africa – have been on vaccine makers' radar for quite some time. Advertisement Giving Immune-Compromised Children Vaccines May Create Illness, Not Cure It One reason that vaccine makers are interested in these parts of the world is that that's where most of the world's deaths from major infectious diseases occur. The only problem has been that, until recently, making vaccines for undeveloped countries with no money to pay for them, was not exactly a profitable goal for vaccine makers. Concerned that developed countries would have little or no resources for addressing serious infectious diseases if vaccine makers continued their pull-out, the World Health Organization and the G8 – the top developed countries in the world – responded with a plan for inducing vaccine companies to stay in the business. That plan was called Advance Market Commitments (AMCs). Under AMCs, developed countries make legal, binding agreements to purchase vaccines that are needed in low-income countries. The purchase guarantees a bottom line for the manufacturers. In return, the manufacturers promise to sell those vaccines at reduced prices in the countries where they are most needed. Unfortunately, legally binding, advance market commitments to purchase vaccines that are mostly needed in third world countries could backfire on developed countries that don't need – or want – certain vaccines. Malaria is one of the top neglected diseases that world health leaders want to address with AMCs, so the GM vaccine-producing goat milk might already be on their radar. The ability to resist diseases like malaria requires a strong immune system, and for that, you require good nutrition, clean drinking water, and sanitation. If we want to help people in other countries to lower their malaria rates, it would be wise to focus on these basics first. In order to eradicate infectious disease from a nation, you have to first address compromised immune systems. If you hit immune suppressed children with a potent, adjuvant-loaded vaccine, you're far more likely to create new disease, not eradicate it. It's similar to the corporations seeking to plant genetically modified golden rice in the developing world to purportedly alleviate vitamin A deficiency. What people in the developing world need to receive ample dietary vitamin A are the basics like access to a diverse range of nutritious foods -- including animal products like eggs, cheese and meat and vegetables such as dark leafy greens and sweet potatoes. This is the type of diet that is attained from biodiverse farming -- the opposite of what will occur if golden rice is planted on a large scale. So in the end it appears the golden rice will do little to improve vitamin A levels in the poor -- and may actually make vitamin A deficiency worse. Fertility Problems, DNA Damage Among the Serious Health Problems Linked to GM Foods The vaccine-producing GM goats are a double-edged sword because while no one knows for sure what consuming GM vaccine-containing milk will do to humans, there's very convincing evidence that genetically modified foods spell nothing but trouble for your health. In one review of genetically modified organisms (GMO) -- an analysis of 19 animal studies -- it was revealed that nearly 10 percent of blood, urine, organ and other parameters tested were significantly influenced by GMOs, with the liver and kidneys faring the worst. In the only human feeding study ever published on genetically modified foods, seven volunteers ate Roundup-ready soybeans. These are soybeans that have herbicide-resistant genes inserted into them in order to survive being sprayed with otherwise deadly doses of Roundup herbicide. In three of the seven volunteers, the gene inserted into the soy transferred into the DNA of their intestinal bacteria, and continued to function long after they stopped eating the GM soy! So, exposing children in third world countries to these potential risks needs to be carefully considered before a malaria vaccine is distributed in GM milk especially when there are other innovative ways of fighting malaria available. In addition, Jeffrey Smith, founder of the Institute for Responsible Technology, has documented at least 65 serious health risks from GM products of all kinds. Among them: Offspring of rats fed GM soy showed a five-fold increase in mortality, lower birth weights, and the inability to reproduce Male mice fed GM soy had damaged young sperm cells The embryo offspring of GM soy-fed mice had altered DNA functioning Several US farmers reported sterility or fertility problems among pigs and cows fed on GM corn varieties Investigators in India have documented fertility problems, abortions, premature births, and other serious health issues, including deaths, among buffaloes fed GM cottonseed products Why We MUST Insist on Mandatory Labeling of GM Foods Mandatory labeling may be the only way to stop the proliferation of GM foods in the US because while GM seeds are banned in several European countries, in the U.S., certain states are actually passing legislation that protects the use of GM seeds and allows for unabated expansion! At present, no less than 14 states have passed such legislation. Michigan's Senate Bill 7771, if passed, would make that 15. The Michigan bill would prevent anti-GMO laws, and would remove "any authority local governments may have to adopt and enforce ordinances that prohibit or regulate the labeling, sale, storage, transportation, distribution, use, or planting of agricultural, vegetable, flower or forest tree seeds." While legislation like this sounds like crazy nonsense to most people, such bills are essentially bought and paid for through the millions of dollars Monsanto and other biotech companies spend lobbying the US government each year. In the first quarter of 2011 alone, Monsanto spent $1.4 million on lobbying the federal government -- a drop from a year earlier, when they spent $2.5 million during the same quarter. Their efforts of persuasion are also made infinitely easier by the fact that an ever growing list of former Monsanto employees are now in positions of power within the federal government. Proof Positive that GMO Labeling WILL Change the Food Industry Many don't fully appreciate the strategy of seeking to have genetically engineered foods labeled in California. The belief is that large companies would refuse to have dual labeling; one for California and another for the rest of the country. It would be very expensive and a logistical nightmare. So rather than have two labels, they would simply not carry the product, especially if the new label would be the equivalent of a skull and crossbones. This is why we are so committed to this initiative as victory here will likely eliminate genetically engineered foods from the US. Powerful confirmation of this belief occurred in early 2012 when both Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo Inc. chose to alter one of their soda ingredients as a result of California's labeling requirements for carcinogens2: "Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc. are changing the way they make the caramel coloring used in their sodas as a result of a California law that mandates drinks containing a certain level of carcinogens bear a cancer warning label. The companies said the changes will be expanded nationally to streamline their manufacturing processes. They've already been made for drinks sold in California." This is a PERFECT example of the national impact a California GMO labeling mandate can, and no doubt WILL, have. While California is the only state requiring the label to state that the product contains the offending ingredient, these companies are switching their formula for the entire US market, rather than have two different labels. According to USA Today: "A representative for Coca-Cola, Diana Garza Ciarlante, said the company directed its caramel suppliers to modify their manufacturing processes to reduce the levels of the chemical 4-methylimidazole, which can be formed during the cooking process and as a result may be found in trace amounts in many foods. "While we believe that there is no public health risk that justifies any such change, we did ask our caramel suppliers to take this step so that our products would not be subject to the requirement of a scientifically unfounded warning," Garza-Giarlante said in an email." Learn More about Genetically Modified (GM) Foods

Saab pulled off a bit of technological surprise in rainy Gothenburg on Monday. I had shown up expecting something new, but not the first-off-the-line Giraffe 4A radar, complete with gallium-nitride (GaN) active electronically scanned array technology. Everyone's been talking about GaN and its merits for a few years, but as far as we knew the closest thing to a production application was Northrop Grumman's G/ATOR, which is supposed to get upgrated to GaN (from the currently standard gallium arsenide, or GaAs) in time to be operational in 2018-19. Saab's first Giraffe 4A radar Meanwhile, Saab's electro-tomtens in Gothenburg were quietly working in the moonlit farmyard, as tomtens do, and now have a customer (not named) for the GaN-based. 2,000-module Giraffe 4A, with delivery due in 2016. That was the industry-news bit. However, the way they showed it off was quietly spectacular. We media reptiles first saw it outside the assembly hangar, antenna up and open to the sky. While we had lunch (fish was present, need you ask?) they folded the antenna down into its container, loaded the radar on to a truck and drove it up a short, steep dirt track into the woods. They hooked it up to a generator, in the rain, popped the antenna up again and proceeded to run a series of live demos for the media, powering down between each group to avoid microwaving our brains. They did this with a near-brand-new development article. Moreover, none of the Swedish engineers saw anything unusual about this, at all.

Preston goalscorer Callum Robinson began his career with Aston Villa, Birmingham's great rivals Preston North End gave their hopes of a late play-off push a boost with victory over Birmingham City, who had Craig Gardner sent off with 10 minutes to go. Blues, who have won once in 13 games under Gianfranco Zola, fell behind when an unmarked Callum Robinson headed in. Che Adams levelled with a fierce, bouncing strike after half-time. But Jordan Hugill tapped in from Daryl Horgan's square ball to win it, moments before Blues captain Gardner was sent off for a second bookable offence. Preston climb to 10th, seven points below the play-off places, while Birmingham slipped to 14th, a further eight points behind. Blues, without injured quartet Clayton Donaldson, Michael Morrison, Ryan Shotton and Jacques Maghoma, and suspended midfielder David Davis, have now lost five of their seven away games since Zola's arrival on 14 December, conceding 14 goals on their travels in that time. Gardner - captaining Birmingham for the first time - was dismissed for a late tackle on Greg Cunningham just moments after Hugill's winning goal, having been booked earlier in the second half for a foul on Horgan. After Preston's Hugill was denied by a brilliant save from Tomasz Kuszczak early on, Robinson had space to head in the opener from close range when Aiden McGeady was given time to cross from the left wing. Zola's side had hope when Adams latched on to Lukas Jutkiewicz's fine knock-down to lash in from outside the area with his left foot, netting for the first time since November, but Hugill evaded the Birmingham defence to earn Preston a second successive win. Preston manager Simon Grayson: "We dominated from start to finish, created some real good chances and there was some outstanding individual performances. "We just needed a couple more goals to warrant that first-half performance. "You always know if you don't take those chances, the opposition are going to have some spell in the game. "We've shown a lot of character to stay in a game in the second half; we dug in and took our chances when they came along." Birmingham boss Gianfranco Zola: "I don't want to talk about luck any more, I'm fed up of using that. The reason we keep losing games like this is not because we are unlucky, at the moment we are very poor, simple as that. "I'm the first person responsible, we can do much better than this. We had total control in the second half. We were just waiting to score. "The players are very edgy at the moment, the confidence is not there. I am sorry, I am very frustrated at the moment. "Now is the moment we stop talking and just start acting a little better than we are at the minute."

A husband who wanted to end 10 years of sexless marriage has filed for a divorce but the court ruled he should give it another try. The 37-year-old man married in May 1999 and went to the U.S. for graduate studies right afterwards. His wife, one year younger than him, supported his studies for nearly 10 years, but the man filed for divorce, complaining the couple did not have sex once in all that time. The Seoul Family Court on Monday dismissed the suit. "While the court acknowledges the fact that the marriage was sexless, it is also true that the husband never raised the issue with the wife throughout the marriage," the bench said. "The fact that there was no sex between the couple cannot be a reason for divorce as the couple had successful marriage without sex." It said since the wife is trying on her part to maintain the marriage by receiving professional counseling, it felt the two could with a little more effort make it work.

Oh how quickly things can change in MLB. Not too long ago, fans in San Francisco were crossing their fingers in hopes of landing either Shohei Ohtani or Giancarlo Stanton. Some even had the audacity to dream about landing both! That would have been a feat of epic proportions, and would have automatically made the Giants favourites in the National League. But that was not to be. Instead, the Giants missed on both occasions, and it seems that every effort to bring in the required oomph that team needs to compete has failed — so far. Now the Giants have set their sights on Evan Longoria. The #SFGiants have keen interest in acquiring #Rays 3B Evan Longoria, but the Rays would have to take one of Giants' high-salaried players such as Hunter Pence or Denard Span to make it work. — Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 18, 2017 In taking a five year, $86 million commitment off the Rays’ books, it seems like the Giants need some form of salary relief in 2018, and only one of the two players listed by Nightengale is even remotely likely, as noted by MLB Trade Rumors: Taking on either of those contracts would be a fairly tall order for the cost-conscious Rays. Pence is entering the final season of a five-year, $90MM contract and is owed $18.5MM in 2018 — more than the $13.5MM that Longoria is set to take home this coming season. Obviously, taking on Pence’s deal would still provide the Rays with long-term cost savings — Longoria is owed $86MM over the next five years — but the short-term complications in that scenario are readily apparent. Taking on Span’s deal would be closer to a cash-neutral proposition. He’s owed a $9MM salary plus a $4MM buyout in the coming year, though he will also reportedly be paid a deferred $3MM from his signing bonus come Jan. 20, 2018 as well, so even that scenario could require the Rays to take on some additional 2018 dollars. Armed with one of the weakest systems in MLB, and with very few prominent prospects at the top levels of their system, the Giants don’t have much to offer the Rays in terms of prospects. Furthermore, the Rays have no incentive to settle for either of the players mentioned as they play out the final year of their rather expensive contracts. If the Giants require salary relief, only one player makes sense for the Rays to target as they look to stay competitive in 2018: LHP Madison Bumgarner There’s no need to introduce MadBum to any of you, but just to recap a few of his many achievements, here they are, 1508 IP, 1313 hits, 342 BB, 1482 SO, 1.097 Whip, 3.01 ERA, 29.4 WAR 102 IP in playoffs over 16 games, with a 2.11 ERA and 0.899 Whip 2014 NL Babe Ruth Award All-Star games in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 (injured for much of 2017) 3 x World Series Winner and 2014 NL NLCS MVP, 2014 WS MVP Needless to say, he’s earned his reputation as one of the most effective playoff performers in MLB history and would be a huge addition to the Rays rotation. Madison Bumgarner’s Contract In terms of finances, MadBum is owed the following: 18 : $12M club option ($1.5M buyout) : $12M club option ($1.5M buyout) 19: $12M club option In picking up the veteran southpaw, the Rays would be acquiring two years of control with the option to not carry on with him should he get injured in 2018, something that minimizes risk and also leaves open the option for a Qualifying Offer post-2019 that could net the Rays a first round draft pick. Bumgarner was only able to put up 1.7 fWAR in 2017, but projects to 3.4 WAR on depth charts, providing the Rays with approximate surplus value to what Longoria offers the team at that cost while also giving the Rays salary relief in 2020-2022. It would likely take one of the Rays several MLB capable starters to seal the deal, but the Rays would be trading from a position of strength to acquire an elite arm on a short term contract. What Bumgarner would add to the Rays rotation There are a lot of positives that would come from adding Bumgarner to the Rays rotation. Here they are in no certain order: Bumgarner has averaged 6.7 innings per start over the last 3 years, which is 0.7 more than Chris Archer’s 6.0 IP per start. Less work for the pen would be welcomed, particularly in the later parts of the season when bullpens are often taxed. Through 622 PA vs AL teams, Bumgarner has managed a .247/.290/.386 line against, with a 3.66 ERA and 1.155 whip, both of which are very close to Archer’s career 3.63 ERA and 1.214 whip Over the past 7 seasons, Bumgarner has managed 3.1 WAR or better (2017 pro-rated) and he’s managed a high of 5.2 WAR in 2015. Adding a 3 WAR pitcher (or better) to the Rays rotation places him 1st or 2nd, along with Archer, and if Blake Snell and Jacob Faria take the step forward most expect they will, it could lead to 5 starters with 2 WAR or better in the rotation. Adding a 2nd LHP to the rotation in Bumgarner also allows the Rays to use Ryan Yarbrough in the pen, which provides a second southpaw - and one that can pitch multiple innings when required. The Giants are welcomed to come calling on Evan Longoria, but they don’t have the prospects to get it done, and the Rays don’t have the incentive to take anything less than what keeps them competitive in 2018. So even if an Evan Longoria trade seems unlikely, if the Rays were to be tempted, Madison Bumgarner would need to be the forbidden fruit. See what McCovey Chronicles, our sister site for the Giants, has to say about the potential of a Longoria trade.

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has conducted live firing tests of the BAE Systems Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) from its Airbus Helicopters Tiger rotorcraft. Testing with the Australian Army’s 16 Aviation Brigade’s Tigers included using APKWS to convert a Forges de Zeebrugge (FZ) unguided rocket into a laser precision-guided weapon, and marked the first time airborne testing for both the Tiger and the FZ was conducted with APKWS. The weapon scored 10 hits out of 10 during the live trials, which took place in the country’s Northern Territory near Darwin in November 2014, BAE announced on 13 April. This followed ground testing of the system at Australia’s Woomera test range in August 2014, during which APKWS hit seven for seven. The 10 test shots were conducted in “extreme heat conditions” at ranges of 1,500-4,500m (4,920-14,800ft), at altitudes of 200-1,500ft and at speeds of up to 140kt (259km/h). All 10 shots hit the target within 1m of the laser spot, BAE says. “We’re very excited about the results – to go 10-for-10 is magnificent,” Dave Harrold, precision guidance solutions product line director at BAE says. “We showed up, never having utilised that warhead and motor before, and we went 10-for-10.” BAE Systems Conversations with the ADF are continuing, Harrold notes, specifically surrounding how a purchase of the weapon system would manifest. The Royal Australian Navy has also shown interest in utilising APKWS on its Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky MH-60R helicopters, and was present during the airborne testing. A joint purchase by the army and navy could be a possibility. Further testing is expected to take place in Australia with different types of warhead. APKWS was originally designed to convert Hydra rockets into precision-guided weapons, and is used on some of the US Marine Corps’ rotary platforms – namely the Bell Helicopter UH-1Y Venom and AH-1W Cobra. In December 2014 BAE received a $45 million contract from the US Navy for the fourth full rate production order for 1,601 APKWS for the USMC. Harrold is confident the US Army will be using APKWS on its Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopters “in the first half of this year”, as the acquisition of a low quantity of the system nears completion. Once the army acquires APKWS this will put BAE in good stead with international operators of the Apache that may be interested in acquiring similar weapon systems, Harrold notes. Demonstrations have also been carried out on fixed-wing types. Under US Central Command-funded testing, the US Air Force’s Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt and Lockheed Martin F-16, as well as the USMC’s Boeing AV-8B Harrier II, have already been tested with APKWS modified for fixed-wing aircraft. Further testing of APKWS on the F-16 is expected in 2015, Harrold says, which would also open up export opportunities for the system. “If we can get qualified on the US F-16 I think that will drive international interest,” he notes. Nations that have FZ inventories could also be targeted, and demonstrating APKWS on the Tiger could open up potential conversations with France, Germany and Spain, all of which operate the type.

The fates of immune cells can be decided at the initial division of a cell. Researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have discovered that the production of daughter cells with different roles in the immune system is driven by the lopsided distribution of the signaling protein c-Myc. Nudging c-Myc in one direction or the other could make vaccines more effective or advance immunotherapies for cancer treatment. The research appears online in the scientific journal Nature. The fate of daughter T cells in the immune system (lower cells in image) is decided at the first cell division and influenced by the expression level of c-Myc protein (green). Credit: Katherine Verbist, Ph.D., St. Jude The fate of daughter T cells in the immune system (lower cells in image) is decided at the first cell division and influenced by the expression level of c-Myc protein (green).Credit: Katherine Verbist, Ph.D., St. Jude Asymmetric cell division generates two types of cells with distinct properties. This type of cell division is essential for producing various cell types and plays an important role in development. Rather than producing two identical daughter cells, the cells undergoing asymmetric division produce daughter cells that are fated for vastly different roles. In the case of activated T cells, researchers knew that one daughter cell became the rapidly dividing effector T cells that launch the immediate attack on infectious agents and other threats. The other daughter cell became the slowly dividing memory T cells that function like sentries to provide long-term protection against recurring threats. Until now, the mechanism underlying the process was unknown. "Our study shows that the way in which the regulatory protein c-Myc distributes during asymmetric cell division directly influences the fate and roles of activated T cells," said corresponding author Douglas Green, Ph.D., St. Jude Department of Immunology chair. "We also show how this asymmetry is established and sustained." The researchers worked with cells growing in the laboratory and in mice. Scientists showed that during asymmetric cell division of activated T cells, high levels of c-Myc accumulated in one daughter cell. There, c-Myc functioned like a shot of caffeine to launch and sustain the rapid proliferation of effector T cells, including those in mice infected with the influenza virus. In contrast, the daughter cells with low levels of c-Myc functioned like memory T cells, proliferating to mount an immune response a month later when mice were again exposed to the virus. Researchers also identified the metabolic and signaling pathways that serve as a positive feedback loop to sustain the high levels of c-Myc that effector T-cells require to maintain their identities and function. The scientists showed that disrupting certain components of the system disturbed c-Myc production, which altered the fate of T cells and caused effector T cells to operate like memory T cells. "Our work suggests that it may be possible to manipulate the immune response by nudging production of c-Myc in one direction or the other," Green said. "Potentially that could mean more effective vaccines or help to advance T-cell immune therapy for cancer treatment." c-Myc is an important transcription factor that regulates expression of a variety of genes and plays a pivotal role in cell growth, differentiation and death via apoptosis (programmed cell death). Excessive or inappropriate production of c-Myc is a hallmark of a wide variety of cancers. Previous research from Green and his colleagues showed that c-Myc also drives metabolic changes following T cell activation. The metabolic reprogramming fuels proliferation of effector T cells. "Activated T cells divide every four to six hours. There is no other cell in adults that can divide that fast, not even cancer cells," Green explained. In this study, the researchers observed several metabolic changes that arose from the way c-Myc partitioned in the cell. These metabolic changes help regulate the way the cells divide, proliferate and differentiate. In a series of experiments, researchers showed how manipulating that system could affect T cell fate following asymmetric cell division by modifying production of c-Myc. "While daughter cells of activated T cells seem to have very different fates, we showed their behavior could be altered by manipulating these metabolic and regulatory pathways to increase or decrease c-Myc levels." Green said. Asymmetric cell division is an important driver of other fundamental processes in cells, including early embryonic development and the self-renewal of stem cells. "Similar control mechanisms exist in other cells that divide asymmetrically, including stem cells in the digestive and nervous systems," he added.

Solar Rooftops Can Save Californian Grid & Residents $1.4 Billion Annually February 8th, 2016 by Joshua S Hill These are the conclusions from a new white paper published by SolarCity’s Grid Engineering team, which describes in detail how distributed energy resources such as rooftop solar, batteries, and advanced inverters, could offer “a superior economic alternative to today’s centralized grid design.” The white paper, A Pathway to the Distributed Grid (PDF), aims to evaluate “the economics of distributed energy resources” and outline “a pathway to capturing their potential value.” As the authors of the report note, “Designing the electric grid for the 21st century is one of today’s most important and exciting challenges,” with challenges including the need to evaluate “ways to both modernize the aging grid and decarbonize our electricity supply, while also enabling customer choice, increasing resiliency and reliability, and improving public safety, all at an affordable cost.” In other words, there’s a lot to do. Part of the solution, therefore, could be, and maybe should be increasing our reliance upon existing technologies like the aforementioned solar and batteries. The authors of the report calculated that if California and its utility sector was to switch to distributed resources like rooftop solar, the state would see net societal benefits in excess of $1.4 billion annually — and that’s for solar customers and non-solar users alike. Some of those $1.4 billion worth of benefits include improved flexibility in grid planning and operations, increased affordability and consumer choice, and improved grid reliability and efficiency. In addition to continuing to decrease dependency on fossil fuels. Over $1.4 Billion per Year in Net Societal Benefits from DERs by 2020 Unsurprisingly, however, the existing regulatory landscape is not conducive to a pathway that involves transitioning to distributed energy resources. Currently, there is no incentive for utilities to make a shift away from their current financially beneficial methods. For rooftop solar to begin affecting the industry for the better, regulators must provide utilities with the incentives to see why transitioning to distributed energy resources could be a better method for everyone involved — especially the consumer. The authors of the white paper recommended several “next steps” for industry stakeholders to help modernize the grid: Future regulatory proceedings and policy venues related to capturing the benefits of DERs should incorporate the expanded benefit and cost categories identified in this paper. Regulators should look for near-term opportunities to modernize the utility incentive model, either for all utility earnings or at a minimum for demonstration projects, to eliminate the bias toward utility-owned investments. Regulators should require utilities to modernize their planning processes to integrate and leverage distributed energy resources, utilizing the integrated distribution planning process identified in this paper. Regulators should require utilities to categorize all planned distribution investments in terms of the underlying grid need. Utilities should make data available electronically to industry, ideally in a machine-readable format.

It’s getting harder to be homeless in America. Laws that criminalize homelessness are cropping up in cities throughout the country, while simultaneously, a national shortage of shelter beds and housing options is roiling the system. Since 2001, the U.S. has lost nearly 13 percent of its low-income housing according to a report by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty that surveyed 187 cities. The advocacy group’s report found that laws placing restrictions on loitering, begging, sitting and lying down in public have increased nationwide since 2009. Eighteen percent of cities now ban sleeping in public and 42 percent of cities ban sleeping in vehicles. And that’s a problem, NLCHP Executive Director Mary Foscarinis told NPR, because it makes it difficult for individuals to get back on their feet. “It’s really hard to get a job when you’re homeless anyway, or to get housing,” Foscarinis said. “You have no place to bathe, no place to dress, no money for transportation. But then if you also have an arrest record, it’s even more challenging,” she said. In May, city officials in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, passed a series of ordinances cracking down on public drunkenness, urination and sleeping on sidewalks — all in an effort to help the homeless and preserve the city’s quality of life, city spokesman Matt Little told USA Today. “The city of Fort Lauderdale has a distinguished history of compassion toward those in need,” Little said. “Protecting our quality of life and business environment ensures continued funding for humanitarian needs.” NLCHP says an overwhelming increase in urban homelessness after the recession and a widespread initiative to revitalize cities’ downtown areas incited the crackdown on the homeless. There are some cities that pool resources to provide housing and other services instead of criminalizing the homeless, the report said. Florida’s Miami-Dade County raises money for the homeless through its Homeless and Domestic Violence Tax. The group also urged the federal government to provide the National Housing Trust Fund with $3.5 billion dollars each year to increase affordable housing and prevent people from living on the streets. “The federal government should play a leadership role in combating the criminalization of homelessness by local governments and promote constructive alternatives,” the report said. Editor’s note: The lead of this piece was updated to more accurately reflect the current state of homelessness.

While Israel suppresses Palestinians from the outside, the Palestinian Authority is tightening its grip and control of political expression in the media, the streets, and even in mosques — all of which is a gift to the occupation. By Furat Awadallah In August 2015, Palestinian security forces arrested, and in some cases detained without charge, 194 Palestinian civilians, including lawyers, university students and lecturers, largely on grounds of political affiliation or opinion, or for criticizing PA officials on social media. Later in 2015, PA security forces oppressed Palestinian civil society, including journalists, to rein in political and media freedoms. These events follow ongoing arrests and detentions, by the PA and its president against young voices that are critical of the Palestinian government or supportive of Hamas, as documented by Human Rights Watch. The bill for these security forces reached $1 billion of of the Fatah-led government’s $3.8 billion budget in 2014, or an estimated 28-37 percent of the national budget, based on even higher estimates from other sources, according to Al-Monitor. By contrast, just .01 percent of the budget went to the Ministry of Culture. So much of the Palestinian political effort is directed against the Israeli military occupation that we often neglect urgent problems of Palestinian governance. Like the Israeli occupation, governance in Palestine, and increasingly in the West Bank, is characterized by authoritarianism in the name of the national liberation struggle. The main features of this tendency include the PA’s governmental corruption, political arrests and detentions, and consequently, political silencing. These deepen public mistrust and advance perceptions among Palestinians that the PA is an obstacle to liberty and independence, which in turn increases the popularity of Islamic organizations; recent polls showed Hamas gaining ground in the West Bank. The attraction to Hamas as the representative of political Islam has always been largely due to political mistrust or even disgust with the Palestinian leadership. It’s clear why: the Palestinian government does not rise to the minimum standards of good governance, due to corruption, misuse of foreign aid for political interests and poor distribution of resources. The growing despair among Palestinians that a stable political resolution to the conflict is possible, combined with turmoil over political and religious identities in the Arab world , has expanded the audience and attraction of Palestinian Islamic factions such as Hamas and Hizb at-Tahrir (the party of liberation). Israeli officials exacerbated this trend by provoking religious dimensions of the conflict in 2015. The Palestinian Authority, which governs in the West Bank, could have coordinated with civil society and liberal and democratic forces – a dwindling minority – in order to challenge radicalism. Instead, in 2014 the Palestinian president appointed Mahmoud al-Habbash, well known for his Islamic radical views, as supreme Shari’ah judge, advisor and minister of religious affairs, giving him administrative power to supervise mosques and religious institutions for political purposes. In the past, mosques in the West Bank often fell under the influence of Hamas, until Fatah had Hamas imams removed, insisting that there should be no politics in the mosque. In fact, Fatah now seeks to advance its political agenda through mosques in the same way, through figures like Habbash. Since Hamas, the PA’s bitter political rival, still controls local mosques in Gaza, the PA’s main goal in appointing Habbash appears to be intimidating Hamas in West Bank mosques and not, as it declared, to keep political interests out of mosques. Through this move, the PA shunned the needs of the Palestinian society as a whole. It is directly and indirectly suppressing a minority of independent thinkers, leftists and atheists critical of the PA’s appointed officials. Those critics have been walled off from political participation by the methods cited earlier. The PA thus crushes the independent social forces advocating liberal and democratic values in Palestinian life, while turning a blind eye to the rising popularity of radical Islamic factions who aspire to an Islamic state or caliphate. But the PA is playing a dangerous game. By cracking down on basic human rights of the desperate Palestinian people, particularly their right to freedom of expression and a free media, as well as their right to protest structural corruption and to choose their political loyalties, the PA is driving them away, draining all legitimacy or governing authority. At the same time, the PA is exhausting all of its resources to maintain its highly circumscribed power within ‘Area A’, while the Israeli occupation continues to undermine any remaining authority outside its semi-autonomous urban centers. These factors advance the collapse not only of a specific government, but of the whole Palestinian state project. When Palestinians give up on the idea of building a state, there is little to stop the descent into generalized violence and radicalism. That would be the greatest possible gift to the occupier. Furat Awadallah is a Palestinian living in Sweden. He is a former volunteer coordinator at an implementing partner (Refugee Rights Association) of UNHCR in Northern Cyprus, where he also completed his BA in international relations.

A mural of tall ships on the side of a building in downtown Halifax will soon be painted over, after the building's owner was unable to find the artwork a new home. The artwork, called Tall Ships 2000, is featured on Barrington Street on the side of the Freak Lunchbox candy store. The building's structural problems need repair and the building's owner said earlier this year that meant the mural had to come down. Jeremy Smith, the owner of the Freak Lunchbox as well as the owner of the painting and building, had asked the public for submissions to replace the work with something more modern, while looking for someone interested in putting the mural up elsewhere. Smith told CBC News on Friday he has done everything he could to find a new home for the mural, without success. He said he was quoted a $3,000 price to remove the mural, which he said was not a reasonable price for a mom and pop candy store. Artist upset Zeqirja Rexhepi, the Dartmouth artist who painted the mural, says it upsets him that the mural will be painted over and he's hoping the city will step forward to help save it. "The owner, he's going to do whatever he wants, but he has to consider because it's art. Art is not only mine, it is everybody's. He's got to find some solution for that," he said. Rexhepi painted the mural in 2000 to commemorate tall ships visiting Halifax. He fled Kosovo with his family in the late 1990s, and says the Barrington Street mural was his first major commission after arriving in the city. It was painted on sheets of plywood, which were attached to the side of the Barrington Street building. After Rexhepi voiced his displeasure earlier this year about a replacement piece of art, Freak Lunchbox offered to help find a place to move the mural. Support structure too expensive Dominion Diving in Dartmouth offered to provide a place for the artwork on the rear of its business. The location overlooks the historic Shubenacadie Canal. Matthew Lohnes, the president of Dominion Diving, said he was willing to fund the cost of installation and electrical lighting for the painting because he thought it would be a public service. "Us being a nautical company, family-owned, born and raised around the water, I always liked that mural when I was driving through Halifax," he said. However, Lohnes said that the cost of a new support structure for the mural was more than his business could afford. Lohnes estimated the structure would cost between $10,000 and $20,000, and he said others should help shoulder that cost. Rexhepi said he believes that the city should take on the cost of moving the mural, as public art is a means of beautifying public space. He said it would also send a message to mural artists who have already put up work around Halifax that their work is valued. The city originally helped fund the cost of creating the painting through a grant to the Downtown Halifax Business Commission, but said it's not involved with current discussions around the mural. Freak Lunchbox has hired Jason Botkin, a Montreal-based mural painter, to create a new piece of art on the side of the building. Botkin will arrive to begin his work on Tuesday, so Smith said that the current mural must be painting over by Monday.

Former UK Prime Minister David Cameron yesterday (29 March) said he always disliked "the European flag and the European Parliament". His admission, made at an event in Ukraine, came on the day the UK triggered Article 50and began the formal process of leaving the EU. Cameron resigned as prime minister the morning after the UK referendum on European Union membership in June 2016. His government had led the Remain campaign, which was defeated in a 52-48 split of the vote. Speaking yesterday at a conference organised by billionaire Victor Pinchuk, he said: "I led the campaign to stay in and I didn't like the European flag and the European parliament," according to The Times. Cameron's professed arguments for staying in the EU were criticised for being too utilitarian in the aftermath of the Brexit referendum. He told the British public they would be "stronger and safer" in Europe but was unable to match the emotional appeal of the Leave campaign. Cameron, who spent six years at Number 10, added: "I think it is worth understanding that Britain always was uncertain, in fact opposed to the idea of the deeper and more integrated political union. "We looked at the European flag and we thought, 'well, we don't really like the European flag, we've got our own flag'. We looked at the European Parliament and we didn't really like the European Parliament. We've got our own Parliament, which we are very proud of." Cameron was always mistrusted by the Eurosceptic wing of the Conservative party. In the run-up to the referendum, speculation on the true feelings of Boris Johnson's took centre stage after Tory grandee Sir Nicholas Soames claimed the Leave campaigner had previously admitted he was "not an Outer". Pinchuk, who hosted the event, is reported to supply pipes to Russian energy firm Gazprom. The size of Cameron's fee is not known. Reflecting on the campaign that climaxed in his resignation, Cameron said: "We were always uncertain about that political union element. I was passionate about my side of the argument. "I threw myself into the argument, I made every argument I could, I fought as hard as I could, but I knew that if I lost I would have to think about resigning. "Having argued so strongly the way I did, I knew it would be hard to have the credibility to continue to take the country forward in the direction that people wanted it to go in."

Happy Anniversary everyone! This is our 2-year show and it’s a good one. Live from PAX West, it’s the audio version of the Let’s Rank It! panel. Darryl and Dave were joined by Friends of the Show and true CCGs Felix, Trin, Aaron, and special guest Jeff from Petaluma. Below is the final ranking after the panel. Enjoy! Team GFB Radio – Episode 104 – Two Years and LIVE at PAX West Original Air Date: September 5th, 2016 Let’s Rank It! 1) #MonetizeTeens 2) Fire Emoji 2.5) having a row to yourself on an airplane, no matter where on the plane it is, even if its by the bathroom and adam boyes backs up the toilet 3) Uber blazing Nasty Boys after a pretty 100 day 3.11) PUSHA-T YEUGH 3.33345) You write a ton of code, and it compiles the first time with no warnings 4) Caffeinated Mints 4.278) You wake up after a great night’s sleep, it was great, and your mom, who loves you, is making you your fave breakfast 4.5) A business zinger that kills the deal, but man, was it funny 5) Spaceballs the Movie 6) Airplane The Movie even with the guys who speak Jive 6.5) Haunted Mansion 7) Nutella it’s gdlk 7.0000001) The first sip from a perfectly chilled Coke, and it’s hot out and you need it 7.5) The crispy top of a blueberry muffin, and spell checking 8) Knife Truck that actually exists 9) Gameboy Sound on startup 9.1) The concept of diversity 9.34) Your phone drops, flat on its face, you pick it up to find the screen twist isn’t shattered 9.5) The smell of electronics heating up, wafting into your nostrils 10) Keytar Scrub not showing up and letting Pope blast it out on stage (not his quads) 11) Ice Cream Truck 11.5) Pokemon Go, and you find your friend is on your team unexpectedly 12) Stupid Dog stares at you and it doesn’t even know you or care about you, you need professional help 13) Tipping and exerting influence and power over fellow man 14) Best Taco Bell you’ve ever had aka Friday 15) Numbered List In Word not cheap ass google docs or clones 16) Windjammers (the sequel you will never), ever get I hate you 17) D12 not the rap group 18) Rookie of The Year and that handsome lead actor who tapped Tara Reid 18.6) Your friend leaves your WoW guild because you can’t keep up with his level, and then a month from now his ass gets banned for gold farming, just his ass. 19) Default iPhone Alarm noise aka wake up youre late 19.5) Darth Vader with two cats 19.667876) Headlock on the reg, but man the dude smells good for once, which is a nice twist 19.75) photo called “A Group of Teens Dabbing” 19.9) Food being cold at a restaurant, getting a new one, and a half-off discount. 20) 3rd party off brand ass controllers even the good ones 21) Felix’s Talky Dentist 22) Having to go with button fly jeans at PAX and two stalls are broken 22.5) accidentally drinking 3 pulls of vodka when you are hungover, and have been puking. 23) Turn on the Fog Machine 24) Smashing teeth while smashing 24.5) Having a catch phrase, period, and then on top of that it being “Kachow!” 25) San Fran aka my personal hell 25.5) Dropping an atomic bomb in a co-workers toilet at a party; toilet overflows; your new nickname at work is “Ass Load McGee” 25.9) dumb cats making dumb noises, they don’t have intent they don’t have brains just nerve centers 26) Not having sex 26.5) Taking a drink and getting a surprise cig in your mouth; being embarrassed in front of the other hunters 27) Red Wedding which we didn’t see so hopefully its not rad 29) Getting Roppongi’d over and over again and justifying it was a business expense 29.5) Cliff diving your way to a hemmeriod which I cant spell 30) Your teeth get bodied at Burger King by a single French fry 30.5) Your peacefully taking a dump, probably looking at your phone or some shit minding your own business, then this dude kicks the door open, pukes on you and punches you in the face into a coma 31) Almost losing your arm, and also, by the way, not getting to go to culinary school and losing a lot of money kind of maybe 32) JV being a world class dick to someone he claims to be a good friend, neigh, brother. Why would you do that to me? Why?

US President Barack Obama has welcomed the recent remarks of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in which he condemned religious based violence and gave an assurance that his government will give equal respect to all religions. "The President welcomed Prime Minister Modi's February 17 condemnation of religious-based violent acts, and his assurance that his government will give equal respect to all religions," the White House said on its website yesterday in response to an online petition. Launched by the New York-based Sikh for Justice, the online petition had urged Obama before his India trip to raise the issue of "Sikh Genocide" and "Sikhs' Right to Self-determination" during his talks with Modi. The petition had attracted more than 125,000 signatures. The White House responds to petition in less than a month after it was launched. Thanking those who signed the petition, the White House said during his recent trip to India, the President discussed the importance of religious freedom and tolerance in India on January 27 during his speech at Siri Fort in New Delhi. "President Obama underscored that India's success depended on the nation not being 'splintered along the lines of religious faith'," it said. "As the President said in his January 27 speech, 'In both our countries, in India and in America, our diversity is our strength'. We are committed to working with India to reaffirm this principle not just within our own countries but around the world," the White House said. Commending Obama's principal stand on equal status to all religions, SFJ legal advisor Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, said "White House's response to Sikh group's petition is yet another reminder to Modi that India's success depends on giving all religious communities freedom and right to profess, practice and propagate their faith without the fear of persecution". While Obama in his speech in India clearly affirmed the equal status for Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Jains and Budhists in America, Modi in his February 17 response on religious tolerance failed to address the issue of Article 25(b) which labels 'Sikhs' as 'Hindus', Pannun said.

The Policy Report The Policy Report is published by Adam Haverstock and Igor Kagan. It was started on September 8, 2008 when the two discussed the need for an outlet to express their opinions on California Politics in a state where very few people understand the makeup of the government, let alone debate how to make it effective. As the project progressed, it became clear that their mission should be to develop a site where regular people can receive information about what is happening in their state in terms they can understand and without the political spin and rhetoric. We are based in the San Fernando Valley, CA and most of our discussions focus on Los Angeles, the State of California and, of course, the United States. We always welcome comments. This blog is intended to be a place where voters and share their opinions about issues that affect them. Mission Statement The purpose of The Policy Report is to inject common sense debate and analysis on public policy issues into a world of spin and extreme partisanship. Our contributors come from opposite sides of the political spectrum, but agree that most difficult problems can only be solved by working together. In the end, we are all fighting for a better world. The Policy Report is a place to argue about the best ways to get there. Can I repost The Policy Report articles on my site? Yes, as long as you link back to The Policy Report. This site is licensed under a Creative Commons License. This means it can be reproduced as long as you give credit to The Policy Report and link to the article. Go to the Creative Commons website for more information about content distribution.Can I contribute content? Sure! We are always looking for concerned citizens who would like to write about local, state or federal politics. There are a few conditions: You must live in California or have a working knowledge of the California Government. You must have good writing skills including grammar and spelling. This is a part-time project and we don’t have time to proofread all of your writing. including grammar and spelling. This is a part-time project and we don’t have time to proofread all of your writing. You cannot be extremely partisan. We pride ourselves on being moderates who encourage bipartisan solutions to problems. If you are too liberal or conservative, you just won’t fit in. If you feel you meet the qualifications above, email your article (including photos) to Adam for review. Can my company/campaign advertise on your site? The publishers of the site want to keep it from being a minefield of advertising. That being said, a few advertisements placed in the sidebar would help offset the cost of the domain, hosting, etc. If you are interested contact Adam for details. Contributors Adam Haverstock Adam is a 24-year-old registered Republican. He considers himself a center-right political orientation. A social moderate, he supports policies that allow individuals their human rights without paying for those allowances with other citizens’ tax dollars. He considers fiscal issues to be his area of interest and is a member of the Club For Growth, an anti-tax advocacy group. He has spent several years visiting Sacramento and Washington DC lobbying in support of Higher Education and in support of various pieces of legislation. He has worked on campaigns for candidates in and around the San Fernando Valley, California. He holds a BA in Psychology from California State University, Northridge. He currently works as a researcher in the recreation and hospitality industry. Igor Kagan Igor is a 23-year-old registered Democrat. Politically, he leans left, but argues that he is objective. In his perfect world everyone would have equal opportunity to reach their full potential. This goal informs and motivates his political beliefs. When not debating politics, Igor enjoys sports, reading, and nature. An engaged citizen, Igor sits on the executive board of the San Fernando Valley Young Democrats and volunteers for Grid Alternatives, a non profit that installs solar panels for low income homeowners. During the day, he works as a clean air advocate for a large public health organization. Igor holds a BA in Public Policy and Communication Studies from California State University Northridge. Born in Ukraine, Igor now proudly calls Los Angeles his home. 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I take great pride in developing quality content that appeals to readers with both a sense of Fiscal Conservatism — a leaner California government with lower taxes and less involvement– and a belief in Social Centrism — that every individual can do whatever they want as long as it doesn’t affect the rights or wallet of anyone else. Hopefully the same interest in California Politics that brought you to the site will inspire you to both comment on the site and to contribute your own work. You will notice some changes coming to the site in the coming weeks. My hope is to make it more than “just a blog”, but rather a community where users can exchange opinions. Feel free to Register as a member and begin posting your own opinion on California public policy or comment on someone elses. Feedback is always appreciated. Thanks again for your interest in California Politics and The Policy Report. Adam Haverstock Editor +++ Resource Page The Political Resources Page is designed to serve as a resource for the political novice. It has links to government websites that can give you information on candidates, propositions, or analysis of both. It also includes anything that we thought might be useful to the political researcher who wants impartial information. Do you know a resource that isn’t listed here that probably should be? We would love to hear about it. Please Email Adam and let him know about it! Election Results Archive November 4, 2008 - California Propositions 1A thru 12 - California Propositions 1A thru 12 March 2, 2009 - City of Los Angeles Election General Resources / Non-Profit Organizations Register to Vote - The site is a page in the California Secretary of State’s Website that will mail you a voter registration form already filled out for you to sign and mail. - The site is a page in the California Secretary of State’s Website that will mail you a voter registration form already filled out for you to sign and mail. Project VoteSmart - This site is a great resource to see an elected official’s voting record. Rather than hearing what they say on an issue, view how they voted on that issue. Actions speak louder than words. - This site is a great resource to see an elected official’s voting record. Rather than hearing what they say on an issue, view how they voted on that issue. Actions speak louder than words. Govtrack.us - This site allows you to look up the voting record of members of congress and track bills as they go through committees in the US Senate or House of Representatives. - This site allows you to look up the voting record of members of congress and track bills as they go through committees in the US Senate or House of Representatives. FactCheck.Org - This site is a non-partisan organization that does research on claims made in political ads, speeches and the like. - This site is a non-partisan organization that does research on claims made in political ads, speeches and the like. Public Policy Institute of California - Similar to the Legislative Analyst’s Office, except this one isn’t government run and is funded privately. These guys provide inpartial analysis of State Public Policy. - Similar to the Legislative Analyst’s Office, except this one isn’t government run and is funded privately. These guys provide inpartial analysis of State Public Policy. The Rose Institute - A research center at Claremont College that focuses on California Public Policy. Advocacy Organizations California Forward - An advocacy organization that focuses on bipartisan government reforms including redistricting and the California budget process. - An advocacy organization that focuses on bipartisan government reforms including redistricting and the California budget process. California Business Roundtable - A non-profit, nonpartisan organization composed of chief executive officers of leading California businesses . - A non-profit, nonpartisan organization composed of chief executive officers of leading California businesses California Clean Money Campaign - A non-profit organization that advocates for public campaign financing. - A non-profit organization that advocates for public campaign financing. National Popular Vote - An advocacy organization that supports the elimination of the Electoral College and using the national popular vote to elect the President. Blogs and Websites BlogNetNews - A regionally based syndication of political and current event blogs. A regionally based syndication of political and current event blogs. Fullosseous Flap’s Dental Blog - A Ventura County based political blog. Political Parties California Republican Party Website United States Republican Party Website California Democratic Party Website United States Democratic Party Website City of Los Angeles Resources City of Los Angeles Website - This site has links to Mayor Villaraigosa’s website, and links to the City Council’s Website. You can watch tapings of public hearings online and get information about your City Councilman. State of California Resources California Bill Lookup Service - This website allows you to see the actual text of a bill, from when the bill was introduced to the current incarnation of the bill. Amendments are stricken out so you can see what text was removed. The site quality is fair, but it is a great resource. This website allows you to see the actual text of a bill, from when the bill was introduced to the current incarnation of the bill. Amendments are stricken out so you can see what text was removed. The site quality is fair, but it is a great resource. California Campaign Finances Website - This site lists the contributions to political candidates or campaigns as required by law . This site lists the contributions to political candidates or campaigns as required by law California Secretary of State Website - The Secretary of State is charged with the facilitation of impartial and fair elections for the State of California. Here you can get the language of propositions and information about candidates. It also tells you when elections are and can register you to vote online. - The Secretary of State is charged with the facilitation of impartial and fair elections for the State of California. Here you can get the language of propositions and information about candidates. It also tells you when elections are and can register you to vote online. Legislative Analyst’s Office Website - This office reviews all legislation that is proposed in California, including proposed bills in the Assembly and Senate and State Ballot Initiatives and provides impartial, independent analysis. A good resource to get the straight talk on legislation. - This office reviews all legislation that is proposed in California, including proposed bills in the Assembly and Senate and State Ballot Initiatives and provides impartial, independent analysis. A good resource to get the straight talk on legislation. ElectionTrack.com - This site keeps track of campaign contributions that state candidates declare including how much the donation was and who contributed it. You can see who contributes to specific campaigns. It can even notify you of exceptionally large contributions by email. - This site keeps track of campaign contributions that state candidates declare including how much the donation was and who contributed it. You can see who contributes to specific campaigns. It can even notify you of exceptionally large contributions by email. California State Assembly Website - This is the website for the lower house of the California Legislature. It has assembly rosters, and agendas for committee and assembly hearings. Updated Daily. This is the website for the lower house of the California Legislature. It has assembly rosters, and agendas for committee and assembly hearings. Updated Daily. California State Senate Website - This website is similar to the Assembly Website, but is for the State Senate of California . - This website is similar to the Assembly Website, but is for the State Senate of California California Governor’s Website - The site for the Governor of California. Has features including links to government resources and an archive of signed and vetoed bills. It also has the latest announcements issued by the Governor. Federal Government Resources The House of Representatives Website - This site has information on committee assignments, hearing dates and times, house bill lookup and other helpful features. It also helps you find your congressman and view their website. This site has information on committee assignments, hearing dates and times, house bill lookup and other helpful features. It also helps you find your congressman and view their website. Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives - Here you can look up information regarding the specific text of bills and laws, see how representatives voted in roll call votes and other similar information. - Here you can look up information regarding the specific text of bills and laws, see how representatives voted in roll call votes and other similar information. The US Senate Website - This is the official site of the Senate. It has similar functions to the House of Representatives website, including links to individual senator’s websites. - This is the official site of the Senate. It has similar functions to the House of Representatives website, including links to individual senator’s websites. The President’s Website - The official site of the President of the United States. 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Why did Napoleon Fail in Russia in 1812? By Robert Burnham Napoleon failed to conquer Russia in 1812 for several reasons: faulty logistics, poor discipline, disease, and not the least, the weather. Napoleon's method of warfare was based on rapid concentration of his forces at a key place to destroy his enemy. This boiled down to moving his men as fast as possible to the place they were needed the most. To do this Napoleon would advance his army along several avenues and converging them only when necessary. The slowest part of any army at the time was the supply trains. While a soldier could march 15 - 20 miles a day, a supply wagon was generally limited to about 10 - 12 miles a day. To avoid being slowed down by the trains, Napoleon insisted that his troops live as much as possible off the land. The success of Napoleon time after time in Central Europe against the Prussians and the Austrians proved that his method of warfare worked. However for it to work, the terrain must co-operate. There must be a good road network for his army to advance along several axes and an agricultural base capable of supporting the foraging soldiers. In 1812, Napoleon invaded Russia with about 600,000 men and over 50,000 horses. His plan was to bring the war to a conclusion within twenty days by forcing the Russians to fight a major battle. Just in case his plans were off, he had his supply wagons carry 30 days of food. Reality was a bit different. Napoleon found, as the Germans found in 1941, that Russia had a very poor road network. Thus he was forced to advance along a very narrow front. Even though he allowed for a larger supply train than usual, food was to be supplemented by whatever the soldiers could forage along the way. But this was a faulty plan. In addition to poor roads, the agricultural base was extremely poor and could not support the numbers of soldiers that would be living off the land. Since these 600,000 men were basically using the same roads, the first troops to pass by got the best food that could easily be foraged. The second troops to go by got less, etc. If you were at the rear, of course there would be little available. The Russians made the problem worse by adopting a scorched earth policy of destroying everything possible as they retreated before the French. As time went by, soldiers began to straggle, due to having to forage further away from the roads for food and weakness from lack of food. The situation was just as bad for the horses. Grazing along the road or in a meadow was not adequate to maintain a healthy horse. Their food had to be supplemented with fodder. The further the army went into Russia, the less fodder was available. Even the grass began to be thinned out, for like food the first horses had the best grazing, and those bringing up the rear had it the worse. By the end of the first month, over 10,000 horses had died! Soldiers weakened by poor diets and fatigue are susceptible to disease. Typhus was rampant among the troops due to infestations of lice. Additionally, the poor food, combined with bad water, and camping on sites where tens of thousands bivouacked before (and thus contaminated the water and area with feces) made intestinal ailments such as diarrhea and dysentery common. By the time Napoleon had reached Moscow, three months later, over 200,000 of his soldiers were dead or hospitalized due to disease and exhaustion. Poor discipline was another major problem. Troops had to forage to survive. The deeper they went into Russia the further they had to go each day to find food. Commanders lost control of their troops as many soldiers' only concern became finding food and just disappeared. These soldiers did not necessarily die, but form a uncontrollable mass bringing up the rear. As months went by, units cease to exist, except in name only. This became especially true during the retreat in the late Fall. Much of the army was soon a mob, with little cohesion and no effectiveness. This in itself would not be too great of a detriment, except for the impact on those units that were still intact. There were several cases during the retreat where mobs of soldiers broke into the few warehouses that contained supplies and destroyed more than they ate — and leaving little or nothing for those fighting in the rear guard. The worse case of this was in Smolensk. At a major warehouse bureaucrats insisted that the soldiers must be with their units before they would be issued food. The troops couldn't handle this stupidity and rioted, demolishing the warehouse and much of the food that was stored there. In another case, at the crossing of the Berezina, thousands of soldiers in these mobs panicked when they were attacked by the Russians. In their desperate attempt to cross the bridge it broke, and at least 10,000 - 20,000 soldiers died or were captured. The final factor was the weather. First it was too hot — making it a dry, dusty march to Moscow. Then when the Retreat began, it was too cold at first. This was a bone-chilling well below zero cold that few had experienced before. First to die were the weak who, too exhausted to walk, laid down and died. As the little food supplies they had ran out, the strong got weaker and they too began to die. But then the weather changed. There was a warm spell which thawed the frozen roads — slowing down the march even more. Roads that were heavily rutted, but solid soon were quagmires of mud. Streams that were once frozen were quick moving and obstacles that had to be overcome. Rivers that could have been crossed without bridges now needed bridges. All of which took precious time and energy, something the army did not have. Then once again the weather took a turn for the worse — this time far colder than before. Thousands died in their sleep overcome by exhaustion and exposure. By the time the army crossed into Poland in early December, less than 100,000 exhausted, tattered soldiers remained of the 600,000 proud soldiers who crossed the Nieman five months before. For more information about this topic, read: Clausewitz, Carl von. The Campaign of 1812 in Russia . Greenhill, London; 1992. Haythornthwaite, Philip. Uniforms of the Retreat from Moscow: 1812 . Hippocrene Books, New York; 1976. Nafziger, George. Napoleon's Invasion of Russia . Presidio Prees, Novato; 1988. Tarle, Eugene. Napoleon's Invasion of Russia : 1812 Oxford University Press, New York; 1942.

Rallies usually end with a fault. Whoever makes the fault loses the rally. For example, hitting the shuttle out is a fault: you lose the rally. Service faults Badminton has several rules about serving, most of which are meant to limit the advantage that can be gained from a serve. In club badminton play, disputes over the legality of serves are common. It helps to know the rules before you argue over them! With the exception of delays, breaking any of the following rules is a fault. In the case of delays, the umpire will normally warn the players first. If the players continue to delay, then the umpire would usually call a fault. Definitions 9.2 Once the players are ready for the service, the first forward movement of the server’s racket head shall be the start of the service. 9.3 Once started, the service is delivered when the shuttle is hit by the server’s racket or, in attempting to serve, the server misses the shuttle. These rules define when the service starts, and when it is delivered . These definitions get used in some of the rules below. Delays 9.1.1 Neither side shall cause undue delay to the delivery of the service once the server and the receiver are ready for the service. On completion of the backward movement of the server’s racket head, any delay in the start of the service (Law 9.2) shall be considered an undue delay. This is really two rules rolled into one. First, you cannot hold your serve indefinitely, hoping that the receiver will lose concentration or become uncomfortable. Similarly, the receiver cannot delay indefinitely. How long is an undue delay ? The rules don’t say, because it’s left to the umpire’s discretion. In club play, you just have to be reasonable. I suggest you should not take more than five seconds to serve (once ready). The second part of the rule is a convoluted way of saying something quite simple: when serving, you cannot pause between backswing and forwards swing. Many club players use this pause to upset the receiver’s timing. That is against the rules: it’s a fault. You might be sceptical about my interpretation here, but I am following official guidance from Badminton England. If you pause between backswing and forwards swing when serving, you’re breaking the rules. Of course, you don’t have to keep the same speed of swing, and you can also serve without using a backswing at all. Note that this rule also forbids an extremely slow serving action, because that would constitute an undue delay. Where the server and receiver must stand 9.1.2 The server and receiver shall stand within diagonally opposite service courts, without touching the boundary lines of these service courts. You’re not allowed to put your feet on the lines, when serving or receiving. Note that this rule is only about touching the lines: you may lean forwards or sideways so that your racket is outside the service court. Keep both feet on the ground 9.1.3 Some part of both feet of the server and the receiver shall remain in contact with the surface of the court in a stationary position from the start of the serve (Law 9.2) until the service is delivered (Law 9.3). Both feet must stay on the ground until the server contacts the shuttle. Only some part of each foot has to stay on the ground; this allows you to shift your weight and even turn your body (as in a forehand high serve). You may not drag a foot along the floor, however. Hit the base of the shuttle first 9.1.4 The server’s racket shall initially hit the base of the shuttle. This rule seems incongruous unless you know its history. It was introduced to prevent players using a particular style of low serve. The serve was called the Sidek serve or S-serve, after the Sidek brothers who popularised it in the 1980s. It was mainly used as a backhand serve. The S-serve involved slicing sideways across the feathers of an inverted shuttle, making it spin chaotically so that the receiver had difficulty controlling his return. The S-serve was so effective that many people felt it was ruining the game; eventually, the serve was banned by introducing rule 9.1.4 (above). Tournament video footage of the S-serve is hard to find, but here’s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvldP5KCobw>one example where both sides are mainly using S-serves (a good example is at 7:41). Note the wild, downwards-swerving path of many serves. The receivers make a large number of errors, and rarely succeed in attacking the S-serves. Although the S-serve is against the rules, other spinning serves are not. You may still slice the serve, and you may even hit the feathers, providing you hit the base first. These techniques may cause the shuttle to spin, wobble, or swerve, although the effect is far less dramatic than an S-serve. Serve from below the waist 9.1.5 The whole shuttle shall be below the server’s waist at the instant of being hit by the server’s racket. The waist shall be considered an imaginary line round the body, level with the lowest part of the server’s bottom rib. This is an important rule: it’s the one that prevents you from playing a smash as your serve! Note that the waist is not the same as the line of your shorts: it’s actually the lowest part of your ribcage. To judge how high you can serve from, feel for your lowest rib: the shuttle has to be below this. The angle of the server’s racket 9.1.6 The shaft of the server’s racket at the instant of hitting the shuttle shall be pointing in a downward direction. At first, this seems an unnecessary rule. We already have rule 9.1.5 to enforce a height limit; why do we need another one? This rule is useful because it prevents players from applying heavy top-spin to their drive serves. These serves travel fast and flat, and can actually swerve downwards after passing the net so that they reach the receiver below net height. They are almost impossible to attack. Drive serves can be perfectly legal, but this rule ensures that all legal drive serves will travel upwards as they pass the net — making them vulnerable to attack by an alert receiver. No stop-start serving 9.1.7 The movement of the server’s racket shall continue forwards from the start of the service (Law 9.2) until the service is delivered (Law 9.3). Many servers like to shake their racket back-and-forth behind the shuttle, as an attempt to disturb the receiver’s timing. That is a fault. This rule, together with rule 9.1.1, ensures that the service action must be one continuous movement with no double-action feints. To be precise, you are allowed to serve with either of these actions: One backswing immediately followed by one forwards swing backswing immediately followed by forwards swing One forwards swing on its own (no backswing) Where you have to serve 9.1.8 The flight of the shuttle shall be upwards from the server’s racket to pass over the net so that, if not intercepted, it shall land in the receiver’s service court (i.e. on or within the boundary lines). A serve that hits the line is in. The rule appears to suggest that, even if the receiver hits it back, a serve that was travelling out should be faulted. That is a misinterpretation of the rule: notice that the rule says shall land , not would land ! So the rule is technically correct, but it’s still badly worded. Some silly stuff: even if you were three metres tall and could hit a serve downwards, it would still be against the rules, because the serve must travel upwards. You also are not allowed to use some sneaky trick serve that swerves around the sides of the net posts! No second chances 9.1.9 In attempting to serve, the server shall not miss the shuttle. If you miss the shuttle on serving, you lose the rally. I recommend practising your serve more. Although it’s not explicitly mentioned anywhere in the rules, you also don’t get a second serve . This is different from tennis, where the server gets two attempts to put the ball inside the service court. Faults during the rally Hitting the shuttle to the wrong place 13.3 [It shall be a fault ] if in play, the shuttle: 13.3.1 lands outside the boundaries of the court (i.e. not on or within the boundary lines); 13.3.2 passes through or under the net; 13.3.3 fails to pass over the net; These are fairly obvious. Your shot must travel over the net, not underneath, around, or through it; and it must land inside your opponent’s court (unless he hits it back). If the shuttle lands on the line , it’s in. Only the first contact between the shuttle and the floor counts. Shuttles often hit the line and then bounce out ; this counts as in. When the shuttle touches something before reaching the floor 13.3 [It shall be a fault ] if in play, the shuttle: 13.3.4 touches the ceiling or side walls; 13.3.5 touches the person or dress of a player; 13.3.6 touches any other object or person outside the court; (Where necessary on account of the structure of the building, the local badminton authority may, subject to the right of veto of its Member Association, make bye-laws dealing with cases in which a shuttle touches an obstruction.) You lose the rallly if you hit the shuttle into the ceiling or walls. You also lose the rally if the shuttle touches you or your clothing. The last rule is just a stuffy way of acknowledging that many badminton courts are not perfect. For example, many courts have beams or girders crossing low above them. Most clubs decide to play a let when the shuttle hits a beam. This is standard practice, and I recommend it. You cannot claim a let for hitting the ceiling, however. Otherwise, whenever you were losing the rally, you could just hit the shuttle up to the ceiling and start again! Surprisingly, the rules do not specify a minimum ceiling height. Playing badminton with a low ceiling ruins the game, as it makes defensive shots ineffective. In practice, all major tournaments use very high ceilings, but some local or regional venues do not. Double hits 13.3 [It shall be a fault ] if in play, the shuttle: 13.3.7 is caught and held on the racket and then slung during the execution of a stroke; 13.3.8 is hit twice in succession by the same player. However, a shuttle hitting the head and the stringed area of the racket in one stroke shall not be a fault ; 13.3.9 is hit by a player and the player’s partner successively; With a little practice, it’s possible to catch the shuttle with your racket, using a scooping motion. For obvious reasons, you’re not allowed to do this during a rally. Similarly, you may not hit the shuttle twice, on your own or with a partner — for example, first hitting it up above net height, and then smashing it down! Note that a bad contact is not a fault. Many players, especially older ones, call no shot when they have made a bad contact — either hitting just the frame, or hitting both the frame and the strings. This is not a fault, and the rally should continue. Hitting the net or invading the opponent’s court 13.4 [It shall be a fault ] if in play, a player: 13.4.1 touches the net or its support with racket, person or dress; 13.4.2 invades an opponent’s court over the net with racket or person except that the striker may follow the shuttle over the net with the racket in the course of a stroke after the initial point of contact with the shuttle is on the striker’s side of the net; 13.4.3 invades an opponent’s court under the net with racket or person such that an opponent is obstructed or distracted; If you touch the net or the posts, you lose the rally. This commonly happens with /articles/net-kills>net kills: if the shuttle is tight to the net, it can be hard to play a net kill without hitting the net with your racket. You are not allowed to reach over the net to play your shot. Provided you make contact with the shuttle on your side, however, your racket may then pass over the net during your follow-through action. It’s hard to be sure what the rules intend for edge cases, such as a tight /articles/net-kills/technique/brush>brush net kill where the contact point is on your side but the top of your racket is intruding (just slightly) over the net. Even in officiated tournaments, these calls are made by eye, without the aid of video replays or electronic sensors (although video replays are sometimes used when the call is disputed). In practice, the court officials have a hard enough time judging whether the contact point was okay. To spot these edge cases accurately is beyond human ability. In other words, I wouldn’t worry about it. Just make sure that you contact the shuttle on your side. When lunging forwards to retrieve a tight drop or net shot, players often put a foot under the net. This is not a fault unless you obstruct or distract the opponent — for example, by treading on his foot! Obstructions and distractions 13.4 [It shall be a fault ] if in play, a player: 13.4.4 obstructs an opponent, i.e. prevents an opponent from making a legal stroke where the shuttle is followed over the net; 13.4.5 deliberately distracts an opponent by any action such as shouting or making gestures; Remember that you are allowed to follow-through with your racket over the net, providing you made contact on your side. If your opponent obstructs this — such as putting his racket in the way so that you would be forced to hit it — then you win the rally. Note that your opponent is allowed to put his racket in the path of the shuttle. He is not allowed to block your stroke, but he is allowed to block your shot. It’s a subtle distinction: your stroke is the movement of your racket; your shot is the movement of the shuttle. Deliberate distractions are not allowed. There’s a fine line here: the rule does not prohibit shouting (e.g. when you smash) or expressing yourself through gestures (e.g. a clenched fist after winning a point); but it does prohibit using these to distract your opponent.

An essay penned by the lead educator at a Modern Orthodox high school warned of possible shock. “This may surprise many adults, but the reconciliation of the Torah’s discussion of homosexuality represents the single most formidable religious challenge for our young people today.” The author’s declaration was every bit as surprising and shocking as he warned it would be. If true, we are looking at a systemic failure of Torah chinuch in significant parts of the Orthodox world. It would be to Orthodoxy what Galileo and Bruno had been to the Church – massive inability to respond appropriately to an intellectual challenge. Reading on in the essay, the incredulity mounted. More young people are “coming out” than ever before, and that repeatedly puts a face to this theological challenge…As they go off to college, students invariably face the painful moral dilemma created by the seemingly intractable conflict: believing in the primacy and validity of the Torah on the one hand, and following their hearts’ sense of morality with regard to loving and accepting their gay friends – or perhaps “coming out” themselves—on the other. All too often, this earnest challenge results in our children quietly losing faith in the Torah as a moral way of life. In my experience, many, if not most, 20 to 40-year olds in the modern Orthodox world struggle with the issue of homosexuality and the divinity of the Torah. They believe in a kind and just God and they want to believe in the divinity of the Torah. But at the same time they feel fairly certain that being gay is not a matter of choice. In the apparent conflict of these ideas, the first two premises seem to be losing ground. Could this really be? A Jewish people fiercely clings to its love and devotion to HKBH through millennia of persecution, pogroms, penury, ghettos, auto-da-fes, Crusades, exile, religious and racial hatred and a Holocaust – only to lose its faith over the banning of behavior foreign to 98% of the population? In those rare moments when our adversaries forgot about us long enough not to visit those horrors upon us, we contemplated a world in which suffering, disease, child mortality, ever-present warfare, and the brutish subjugation of the many by the few were the rule, not the exception. And we went right on proclaiming the goodness of G-d, Who gave us the Torah we cherished! When we repaired to the beis midrash we found respite and elevation. We read about Avrohom pointedly inquiring about Hashem’s mishpat. We tried putting ourselves in his shoes on the way to the Akeidah, preparing himself to slaughter his son for no reason other than Hashem wanted him to. (Not quite figuring it out how he passed his test did not prevent us, daily, from trying to collect Divine favor in his merit.) We listened to the plaintive cries of Yirmiyahu contemplating the vast destruction of the Churban. And we hung on to every word of dialogue in the Book of Iyov, waiting for the eureka moment in which we understood the prevalence of evil in our world. It never came. But we never relaxed our conviction about Hashem’s justice – although repeatedly given the opportunity. Moshe emes, v’soroso emes. And the gay issue is the burden that is too difficult to bear, the one that will open the exit door to observance for Orthodox young people? We could take this discussion in several directions. Some will challenge – perhaps correctly – the “many-if-not-most” assertion of the author. Others will enjoy a moment in triumphalists’ heaven, gloating on how the obviously less-pious Jews of the Modern Orthodox world got it all wrong, just as the “more Torah-authentic” Jews always suspected. This triumphalism is neither deserved, nor helpful. It might be more fruitful to discuss why the gay issue is a tempest in a cholent pot in other parts of the Orthodox world. Why is it unthinkable that substantial numbers of frum kids elsewhere would give up belief in G-d or the divinity of Torah in response? In some parts of the community, the question is moot. Gays are not discussed. Even using the word is taboo. What you don’t think about can’t be much of an issue. But this is not the case elsewhere, where people talk about the problem, are aware of families that have children who have come out, and have embraced Rav Aharon Feldman’s now-classic position paper on the subject.[1] They struggle to comprehend the pain and loneliness of people they know about – but giving up on the foundations of Judaism is not part of the response. Why not? Essentially, we’re asking why Torah chinuch in some parts of the community – certainly no stranger to their own problems – nonetheless is more successful in this area. What does it take to produce loyal Jews rather than emunah-challenged socially orthodox ones? We should be devoting serious study to this and related issues – meaning the collection of real data analyzed by proper scientific methodologies. Such study remains, at the moment, a pipe-dream. In its absence, I will offer one thought, which should be taken as nothing more than the product of some decades of observation, coupled with personal conjecture. Two phrases seem notably absent in the conversation in parts of the community, while very much in evidence in others. I believe that they have a profound effect on the orientation of young people. Those phrases are kabolas ole, and avodas Hashem. I rarely – if ever – hear them from my Modern Orthodox students and associates. I hear them often enough in parts of the community further to the right. Kabolas ole means acceptance of the yoke of mitzvos. It means that a person is prepared to do whatever HKBH asks of him or her. Accepting this yoke means that when established halachic protocols yield prescriptions and proscriptions, we obey them whether or not we find them convenient, whether or not they appeal to our sense of reason, and whether or not they are politically correct. Avodas Hashem means recognizing that each of us was placed on this earth to serve His goals, not what we perceive are our own. Placing this idea front and center means that we don’t treat the demands of Yiddishkeit as some form of payoff to a Divine boss, and once those demands are satisfied, are free to pursue all that we really want to do. It means that we find the ultimate sense of fulfillment in pleasing Him, no one else. The combination of these two phrases is a potent elixir, providing those who drink it with the strength to endure many challenges. I would never suggest that these two concepts describe the inner life and the outer behavior of the majority of the right-of-center Orthodox world. There are indeed many lapses, in deed and in intent. But words – memes – are important. They help define the boundaries of our thoughts, even if they do not linearly dictate their exact content. They create expectations that exert pressure – sometimes consciously, sometimes not – on behavior. Many of us look with revulsion at some of the memes that are transmitted by popular culture, particularly television, film, and popular music. In doing so, we (correctly) assume the impact that memes encouraging instant gratification, self-centeredness, and coarseness have on ourselves and our children. Should we be surprised if positively-oriented memes have a salutary effect on chinuch? Kabolas ole and avodas Hashem are phrases in the active vocabulary of large parts of the Orthodox world. Teaching them to young children, repeating them again and again, make them part of Orthodox consciousness. When they are part of someone’s life, he or she has an easier time responding positively to some of their implications. When they are absent from everyday life, those implications often never make it to the conscious mind. I don’t have the wherewithal to reintroduce these phrases into the everyday discussion of some parts of the Orthodox world. But for those who read the essay by the high school principal with horror, the reaction should be clear. We should ensure that concepts close to our minds and souls remain in sharp focus. Repeating concepts like kabolas ole and avodas Hashem too often is a far better approach than not often enough. May it be His Will that they rub off on both our children and ourselves. [1] Among other things, it reminds us that the Torah forbids behaviors, not orientation; that our dealings with those with SSAs should be compassionate and respectful, rather than contemptuous; that Orthodox men and women with SSAs have a contribution to make to the Orthodox community.

How happy, healthy, and secure are Americans? Gallup asked half a million adults across the United States to rate their well-being from one to 100 across five factors: daily life , physical health , location , finances , and companionship . Combined, these measurements determined the states and cities with the highest and lowest well-being. The survey reveals some clear geographic trends: 13 out of the 15 lowest ranking states are clumped together in a single band that stretches across the central and southern states from Michigan to Louisiana. Meanwhile, well-being scores soar just to the west. Those content neighbors join Hawaii, Alaska, and a few Northeast states as being among the healthiest. While Gallup’s survey doesn’t attempt to explain why individuals feel the way they do, it does expose some commonalities among the lives of Americans. Respondents from the lowest ranked states were more likely to report worse physical and financial health: They were more likely to smoke, be obese, and have little interest in life. They also reported not having enough money to buy food or healthcare. Twenty-nine percent of respondents in West Virginia, the lowest ranked state, were smokers, compared with only 13 percent of those surveyed in Hawaii, the top-ranked state. One out of every eight residents of Rhode Island, ranked number 42, felt unsatisfied with their standard of living, while one in 20 living in North Dakota, number 16, said the same. While respondents in the healthiest states generally score all aspects of their lives highly, Hawaiians’ scores plummet for companionship. While Hawaii ranks number one for overall well-being, it ranks 46 for companionship. By distilling each state’s survey answers, Gallup also calculated the well-being of residents of the 189 largest metro areas of the United States. States and metro areas with the lowest well-being scores are mostly in the eastern central part of the United States. 17 states and 63 metro areas in the bottom third of well-being scores Middle-ranked areas are concentrated along the eastern seaboard and scattered throughout the West. 17 states and 63 metro areas in the middle third of well-being scores The highest-ranked areas are mostly in the West and along the coasts. 16 states and 63 metro areas in the top third of well-being scores Larger population does not correlate with lower well-being. Only four of the top 21 most populous urban areas fall in the lower third of well-being scores. New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, the largest U.S. metro areas, are midrange when it comes to well-being. The smallest urban areas represent both the highest and lowest scoring populations. The Naples metro area in Florida ranks number one for metro area well-being, while Fort Smith, Arkansas, a city with about the same population, ranks at the very bottom.

Spread the love Police in Mason City, Iowa recently arrested two children and charged them with felony criminal mischief for stripping bark from a tree in front of their school. A neighbor with nothing better to do with their time witnessed the children peeling the bark from the tree and felt the need to call the police. The police actually took the call seriously, and showed up to treat the children like criminals. The police interrogated the children, who eventually admitted to peeling the bark off of the tree. When they confessed, the police arrested them and charged them with second-degree criminal mischief. “There’s nothing worse than seeing my 13-year-old son turn right, left and front as his mug shot is taken. My heart is hurting for my son. I don’t believe it had to go to this extreme,” mother Naomi Wells told The Global Gazette. “I guess as a parent, I should be at fault for not teaching him that pulling bark off a tree will kill it. I made sure to cover sex, drugs, drinking, responsibility, honesty and God, but trees, that one slipped my mind,” she added. The charges filed against the children were based on the cost of removing and replacing the tree, which came to $1,166. If the cost of the tree was lower, than the charges against the children would not have been as steep. However, Ms. Wells did some research on her own and got a quote from a local tree company that totalled around $475. If the police got a quote from the same company that Naomi Wells did, then the children would not have been charged with felonies. When asked about the high projected cost to replace the tree, Mason City Police Sgt. Dave Houser said, “I thought it was high to begin with, but how do you come up with a cost of a tree?” John Vibes is an author, researcher and investigative journalist who takes a special interest in the counter culture and the drug war. In addition to his writing and activist work he is also the owner of a successful music promotion company. In 2013, he became one of the organizers of the Free Your Mind Conference, which features top caliber speakers and whistle-blowers from all over the world. You can contact him and stay connected to his work at his Facebook page. You can find his 65 chapter Book entitled “Alchemy of the Timeless Renaissance” at bookpatch.com.

Nike Inc. says it has pulled from the market T-shirts emblazoned with the words "Boston Massacre" in the aftermath of last week's bombing during the Boston Marathon that killed three people and left dozens injured. The athletic company, based in Portland, Ore., said Monday that it took immediate action last week to remove the products. The shirts were sold primarily at its factory store outlets. "We conducted this process as quickly as possible and are confident the product has been removed from distribution," Nike spokeswoman Mary Remuzzi said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press. The shirts, which featured blood-splattered lettering, were designed for New York Yankees fans. The "Boston Massacre" phrase has been used to describe a pivotal late-season sweep by the Yankees of the rival Boston Red Sox in 1

A 35-year-old Tacoma mother and her husband are counting their blessings today after some Good Samaritans stepped in to help save her life. And now they want to find them to express their thanks. Sara Clerget tells KIRO Radio she had just finished the Seahawks 12K at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton Sunday when she suddenly started feeling dizzy. “And I knew that I needed to sit down and put my head between my legs, so I went over to a little barricade and I held on and sat down,” she says. A woman who saw Sarah sit down came over to check on her. “And immediately I kind of slumped over and she started screaming ‘help, help, help,” Sara recounts from her hospital bed at Valley Medical Center. The seemingly perfectly healthy woman had gone into cardiac arrest. Sarah says another person nearby jumped into action. “It was a man with a white Seahawks jersey. He immediately started performing CPR on me,” she says. Sara’s heart had stopped for two minutes. Medics arrived not long after and shocked her back to life. Sarah says she’s incredibly grateful for the strangers who sprung to action and saved her life. “They saw an emergency and they stepped right up, no one hesitated,” she says. Sara’s husband, Ryan, was at home with their 4-year-old and one-year-old at the time. He was shocked when he rushed to see her at the hospital. “She was in the emergency room and the first time I saw her was the first time I broke down crying, probably. You know, just seeing her connected to all those tubes and really letting it sink in about what just happened, it kind of hit home at that moment,” he says. Sara continues recovering at Valley Medical Center as doctors try to figure out what happened. They suspect an electrical signal must have misfired. Ryan says he couldn’t be more thankful, and he and his wife hope to find the people who helped to express their gratitude. Friends and family have been posting her story on Facebook in hopes of finding the Good Samaritans. They think they’ve tracked down one of them – believed to be a Kittitas County sheriff’s deputy. “More than anything, just thinking of those two (their children) growing up without having very little memory of their mother would have been unbearable for me and our family. So I need to thank those people.” KIRO Radio’s Ursula Reutin and Jillian Raftery contributed to this report

Photo by ISIPhotos.com By DAN KARELL The U.S. Men’s National Team’s victory on Feb. 1 against South Korea benefited the team in more ways than one. FIFA announced on Thursday that the USMNT has jumped up one place to No. 13 in the latest FIFA rankings, placing them ahead of Chile and England, who dropped two places to No. 15. The rankings also removed the defeat in Honduras last February from their points calculation, helping the U.S. improve its overall position. Elsewhere in CONCACAF, Mexico remained at No. 21, Panama moved up four places to No. 32, Costa Rica dropped three places to No. 35, and Honduras improved three spots to No. 40. Rounding out the top five was Spain, Germany, and Argentine in the top three places followed by Portugal in fourth, which swapped with Colombia, now in fifth. Switzerland jumped up to sixth place followed by Uruguay, Italy, Brazil, and the Netherlands. The next rankings will be released on March 13. ——— What do you think of this news? Like the current placement in the rankings? Think the USMNT could jump up again with a win in Ukraine? Share your thoughts below.

In an interview in 2016, Trump referred to Belgium as a "hellhole," and Belgians haven't forgotten his choice of words. In fact, 9,000 people took to the streets of Belgium to protest United States President Donald Trump's arrival for the annual NATO Summit, Politico Europe reported. Inspired by the Women's March in the U.S., four college students worked together to plan an anti-Trump protest as the controversial American president landed in Belgium, his fourth stop on his overseas tour. The protest began at 5 p.m. outside a railway station where a stage was set up. Activists and performers came to speak for an hour before thousands of people began their march. ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website Chants such as, "If you don't want Trump in Belgium clap your hands," and, "Hey hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go," were heard throughout the streets of the city. Some marchers were clad in rainbow apparel and others wearing the popular pink "pussyhats" that picked up at the Women's March. Others held clever, catchy anti-Trump posters that have become viral. One read, "Fight Donald Trump and his billionaire friends," and another stated, "Stay out of our hole," referring to Trump's comments on Belgium the previous year, CNBC reported. ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website People of all ages, from young children to a reported age 84, attended. The protest was overall anti-Trump but saw people gathering for many reasons, such as the American president's war agenda, his position on refugees and immigration, and the fact that some see him as being sexist, misogynistic, homophobic, Islamophobic and more. Omer Mommrerts, who is reportedly 84 and hard of hearing, attended the rally, which he says helped him regain hope in humanity, with his wife. "I see young people and that’s why I’m happy," he said. "It’s not one generation or one group. It’s inter-generational, inter-cultural. All kinds of people," Mommrerts added. Trump is in Belgium to attend the NATO conference after running on a platform to denounce and leave the organization of 28 members, some of which he claims have not done their fair share in contributing to military efforts to combat terrorism, the Daily Mail explains. The summit comes just days after a suicide bombing attack at an Arianna Grande concert in Manchester, England -- an attack for which ISIS has claimed responsibility. The NATO summit is expected to take new, strong measures to appease Trump, such as joining the 68-nation international coalition dedicated to fighting ISIS, as well as naming an anti-terror coordinator and renewing the organization's vow to move toward having each of the 28 nations spend 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defense by 2024. Currently, the five members of NATO that meet the standard for paying at least 2 percent to defense are Britain, Estonia, Greece (despite drowning in debt), Poland and the United States. Sources: Daily Mail, CNBC, Politico Europe / Photo credit: Alisdare Hickson/Flickr

Straight men’s physiological stress response to seeing two men kissing is the same as seeing maggots In heterosexual men, pictures of rotting flesh, maggots and spoiled food induce the same physiological stress response as pictures of two men kissing each other. That is the surprising finding that was recently published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Psychology & Sexuality. “We originally were interested in understanding the health effects of same-sex vs. mixed-sex public displays of affection for the couples in the relationship,” explained the study’s corresponding author, Karen L. Blair of St. Francis Xavier University. “However, one of the factors likely to influence how individuals experience PDAs is the reaction that other people have to witnessing PDAs. Consequently, we decided to begin the research by examining whether or not heterosexuals have negative responses to witnessing same-sex PDAs; in particular, we began by examining heterosexual male responses to male same-sex public displays of affection.” “Participants watched a series of slideshows: male couples kissing, male couples holding hands, mixed-sex couples kissing, mixed-sex couples holding hands, boring images (e.g., paper clips) and disgusting images (maggots),” Blair explained. “In between slide shows, we asked participants questions about their responses to the photos (not yet published) and we also collected saliva samples in order to assess salivary alpha-amylase in response to each slide show (the current paper).” Measuring levels of salivary alpha-amylase, a digestive enzyme that is associated with stress and is especially responsive to disgust, allowed the researchers to examine the men’s physiological reaction to the photos. The study was based on results from 120 heterosexual men (aged 18 to 45). “In comparing the salivary alpha-amylase responses of participants to the various slideshows, we found that participants had higher salivary alpha-amylase responses to the images of two men kissing and the disgusting images. In both cases, these responses were significantly different than the responses they had to the neutral stimuli.” However, Blair warned it was difficult to interpret the finding at this stage. “It is difficult to specifically state what this means. It could mean that participants found the images of male same-sex couples kissing to be equally disgusting as the disgusting images. It could mean that they had an anxiety response to the male couples kissing and a disgust response to the disgusting images, but that physiologically, we could not tell the difference between these two emotions.” Previous research has found a strong link between sexual prejudice and the emotion of disgust. For instance, a 2008 study found that individuals who are more easily disgusted are also more likely to make unfavorable moral judgments about gay people. But it was clear that the physiological reactions in the present study could not be explained by the participants’ sexual prejudices alone. “What is most important to note is that the responses did not differ as a function of self-reported levels of prejudice or self-reported levels of aggression towards gay men,” Blair explained. “In other words, it was not our highly prejudiced individuals who were experiencing a heightened physiological response to the images of same-sex couples kissing, it was everyone in the sample, even those with very low levels of prejudice.” The finding provides more evidence that the so-called “gay panic” defense — the assertion that a person’s sexual orientation can “trigger” a crime against them — is bunk. The defense was used by the two men who beat, tortured and murdered gay student Matthew Shepard in 1998. “Whatever is happening physiologically when someone witnesses same-sex PDA, it is not something so strong, or so uncontrollable as to explain the patterns of violent LGBTQ-hate crimes that have been repeatedly reported in the media,” Blair told PsyPost. “Clearly, the large majority of individuals who witness same-sex PDAs do not respond with violence, indicating that whatever small physiological response we are noticing here is not evidence for an uncontrollable or overwhelming fit of panic, as suggested by the ‘gay panic’ defense.” “Why do people low in prejudice still show an increased physiological response? We can’t say definitively, however, it could be that society has socialized the notion of same-sex sexuality and affection as being ‘disgusting’ or immoral so strongly, for so long, that merely witnessing it causes a slight physiological stress response. It would be interesting for future research to examine whether this physiological effect is more likely to be found in cultures that still evidence high levels of prejudice compared to those who have made more progress towards normalizing same-sex affection and sexuality.” The study is the first of its kind, and the researchers hope that future research will strengthen their findings. There are also some questions that additional research could help answer. “This is a very preliminary investigation of the physiology of sexual prejudice,” Blair said. “The work needs to be replicated with a larger sample and with more indicators of physiological reactivity as well as additional indicators to help decipher what the physiological responses mean. For example, it is difficult to determine whether an elevated salivary alpha-amylase level indicates stress, fear, or anger.” “One thing that we will be looking at in our own data to help solve this mystery is emotion-coding of the facial expressions participants made while watching each of the slide shows. This may help us to understand what emotions were prominent, especially among those self-reporting higher levels of sexual prejudice. We also need to replicate with different participants (men and women, in different locations) looking at different targets (e.g., female same-sex couples, gender-diverse couples, interracial couples, etc.). Each iteration of the study is quite expensive though, due to the collection of physiological data, so it will take some time and additional funding before we can run each of the iterations that we would like to run.” “This research was largely funded through a crowdfunding campaign on Experiment.com (http://www.drkarenblair.com/pdasponsors/), and later by the American Institute of Bisexuality. More information on how we fund some of our LGBTQ-related research can be found here: https://www.patreon.com/KLBResearch.” The study, “What do two men kissing and a bucket of maggots have in common? Heterosexual men’s indistinguishable salivary α-amylase responses to photos of two men kissing and disgusting images“, was also co-authored by Breanna Maureen and Rhea Ashley Hoskin.

QUEENSLAND police have launched an internal investigation after officers drove over a woman sleeping in a Townsville park. Their vehicle was driving off-road in Central Park on Dean Street when it ran over a 40-year-old indigenous woman who was lying on the ground about 2.55pm AEST yesterday. A police spokeswoman said at the time the officers were responding to a call when their vehicle accidentally struck the woman. The officers administered first aid on the woman, who is understood to have suffered leg injuries, before she was taken to Townsville General Hospital. The driver of the police vehicle was breath tested and returned a negative blood alcohol reading. An officer from the QPS Ethical Standards Command is on his way Townsville, and the Crime and Misconduct Commission has been informed of the incident.

After decades of searching, researchers have finally discovered distinct immune changes that occur during chronic fatigue syndrome, proving once and for all that it’s more than just “exhaustion” or a psychological condition. This is the first robust evidence that the illness, which can leave people bed-ridden for months at a time, is a biological disorder with distinct stages - and it means we'll also be able to diagnose it earlier than ever before. Just last month, the US took a big step forwards by classifying chronic fatigue as a disease, and renaming it ’system exertion intolerance disease’, or SEID. Along with the name change, it also was given a strict set of symptoms that doctors could use to diagnose the disease. In other countries such as Australian and the UK, the condition is known medically as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). But despite these clinical labels, scientists have struggled to find any signature biological changes associated with the disease that they could test for. So researchers from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health decided to investigate. They analysed blood plasma of 298 patients with chronic fatigue, and compared it to 348 healthy controls. After adjusting for stress levels and known immune system influences, such as age and sex, the team found specific patterns in 51 immune biomarkers that are associated with the disease. Their results are published in Science Advances. "We now have evidence confirming what millions of people with this disease already know, that ME/CFS isn't psychological," the lead author of the study, Mady Hornig, said in a press release. "Our results should accelerate the process of establishing the diagnosis after individuals first fall ill as well as discovery of new treatment strategies focusing on these early blood markers." Interestingly, they also found that there were unique patterns in patients who had had the condition for three years or less, which provides some insight into what causes the disease. These early patients had increased amounts of immune molecules called cytokines, in particular, cytokines called interferon gammas, which spike after many viral infections, including Epstein-Barr. These results support the hypothesis that chronic fatigue is the result of a “hit-and-run” infection that has interrupted the immune system’s ability to balance itself. Essentially, it seems that the immune system gets stuck in "high gear". "It appears that ME/CFS patients are flush with cytokines until around the three-year mark, at which point the immune system shows evidence of exhaustion and cytokine levels drop," said Hornig in the release. "Early diagnosis may provide unique opportunities for treatment that likely differ from those that would be appropriate in later phases of the illness." In fact, there are already drugs that are known to dampen cytokine behaviour on the market, which could potentially be trialled against chronic fatigue in the future. The team is now hoping to publish the results of a second study they've been running, which is looking not just at the biological changes that occur alongside chronic fatigue, but also at the agents that cause these changes. "This study delivers what has eluded us for so long: unequivocal evidence of immunological dysfunction in ME/CFS and diagnostic biomarkers for disease," the lead researcher on the second project, W. Ian Lipkin, said in the release. "The question we are trying to address in a parallel microbiome project is what triggers this dysfunction."

Greetings, folks! The bulk of the Community coalition is either en route – or on site – for HCS Las Vegas, but your friendly neighborhood Grim is guarding the Hawk nest to bring you some updates on what has been a pretty packed week. As most of you know, Halo celebrated its 15th anni-birth-sary-day on Tuesday. The occasion gave those who keep this universe close to their heart a chance to reflect not only on its past, but also on its potential. With that in mind, our very own Bonnie Ross wanted to take a moment to reflect on a few important evolutions taking place behind the scenes. Take it away, boss… ALWAYS EVOLVING BONNIE ROSS: As I look back over the years at 343 Industries, for me, it is as much (maybe even more) about the people here, the camaraderie within the studio, as it is about the amazing universe we get to play in. In the game industry, with the hours, the passion, and the time we spend together, our coworkers become our friends. While it's been an amazing week to celebrate the past 15 years and look back at all that Halo has given to so many, we've also been hard at work building our future. I'm excited about the team here at 343 Industries that is leading us forward, and I want to take a moment to give a heartfelt thank you to my colleague and friend Josh Holmes, who was the Creative Director on Halo 4 and has been the Studio Head of FPS game development on Halo 5: Guardians. Josh has been an instrumental leader for the Halo franchise, helping to build 343 Industries, and delivering multiple AAA games, as well as the ground-breaking sustain efforts for Halo 5: Guardians. After seven years of service to 343 Industries and the Halo universe, Josh Holmes will be leaving to work on his dream to develop independent games. I wanted to thank him for everything he has done for us and the Halo franchise, and I wish him the best of luck on his next adventure. We have an incredibly talented team of developers and set of leaders across 343 Industries. On the FPS team, Chris Lee, David Berger, and Neill Harrison have worked together as a team since Halo 4 and we were fortunate to add Tim Longo as the creative lead for Halo 5: Guardians. This core group will continue to guide our FPS team moving forward. I’m excited to announce that Chris Lee, the Lead Producer for Halo 4 and Executive Producer for Halo 5, will take Josh’s place as Studio Head of FPS Game Development and join my leadership team. I look forward to the next Halo 5 CU and the plans we have for the future. Congratulations, Chris! JOSH HOLMES: Like many of you, I fell madly in love with Halo 15 years ago. The first time I played Halo it left an indelible mark. It transported me to a world filled with mystery and wonder, and introduced me to a hero I would come to know most intimately, the Master Chief. More than anything, it inspired me to want to make more games like it. Here at 343 Industries I was given the opportunity to do just that, and since that day I’ve dedicated my life to growing this studio and expanding the Halo universe. Along the way I’ve had the great fortune to work with some of the best talent in the industry and I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together. I have loved every moment here on Halo but I find myself drawn to new horizons. This month I’m leaving 343 Industries and excited for my next adventure to pursue independent game development. As I depart I am passing the torch to my good friend and long-time partner in crime, Chris Lee. As the head of production on Halo 4 and Halo 5: Guardians, Chris has played a key role in the studio since our inception. He is a tremendous leader and Halo is in great hands with him. There are many things I will miss as I leave 343: the daily ritual of playtest, long nights spent triaging bugs, Berger’s hair… Most of all I will miss making games for the very best community of fans in the world: you. <3 Josh CHRIS LEE: As a long-time Halo fan, it is a tremendous honor to now lead such an amazing FPS development team. Josh has been a great friend and leader during the last 7+ years, and we wish him all the best in his indie efforts. Our team is fortunate to have a strong leadership core that has worked together on Halo 4 and Halo 5: Guardians, spending countless days, nights, and weekends dedicated to making games that pay homage to Halo's legacy, while continuing to move it forward. I am excited to continue shaping the future of this legendary franchise alongside our FPS team and the community that I love. Pretty soon we'll talk more about our next, free content update for Halo 5: Guardians and Halo 5: Forge. We're pretty excited about the CU content and think you will be too. I can't wait to jump into the community-built customs with our fans! Looking forward to you joining us as we build the next great Halo experience. Chris (@tefferlee) NEW STUFF Speaking of that upcoming new stuff coming to Halo 5: Guardians, at the end of our livestream this week, we included a little teaser on what players can look forward to in the relatively near future… [tweet]<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Join us for a little peek into what’s coming next for Halo 5: Guardians. <a href="https://t.co/TXipqSbFYT">pic.twitter.com/TXipqSbFYT</a></p>— Halo (@Halo) <a href="https://twitter.com/Halo/status/798718234945953792">November 16, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>[/tweet] Oh, and speaking of our recent livestream, if you didn’t get a chance to see it live, you can still check it out right here! It’s like being able to manipulate time, without requiring a plot device or Forerunner crystal. CAN’T HARDLY CRATE As part of our festivities, we revealed the next Halo Icons figure, exclusive to the Halo Legendary Crate. It’s classic Halo: CE Chief, baby! Make sure you sign up before December 15 to secure your own. Your future shelf thanks you. XBOX(OXOXOX) As we’ve mentioned before, this week has not only been a celebration of Halo’s first 15 years, but also of the Xbox platform and brand itself. With that in mind, our friends over at the MS mothership put together a rather lovely thank you letter to the community. COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT For this week’s Community Spotlight, we wanted to provide a collection of heartfelt Halo homages from creators, curators, and community both past and present. Most of these were seen in our 15th anniversary livestream, but we also thought it might be fun to collect them here in a “director’s cut” of sorts – you might just catch a couple of new bits this time around! Check it out. PROS & PROSE As mentioned earlier, we’ve deployed an all-star away-team to the neon-capital of Nevada for HCS Las Vegas, an epic Halo esports event that is going to showcase a pretty ridiculous array of talent from both top pro and amateur teams. While rest the team are busy handling the integral ins and outs of the event itself, our fearless fledgling CM is pounding the desert pavement on a quest to learn more about the ever-evolving competitive Halo scene. Let’s hear some of his early impressions… Ske7ch here with a quick report live from day one of HCS Vegas at the brand new Millenial Esports venue at the Neonopolis in the heart of the "Freemont Street Experience." I arrived a few hours ago and walked into a jam packed venue buzzing with excitement and dripping with sweat as the more than 200-person strong FFA tournament first round was well underway. Seconds after entering I bumped into none other than the man, the myth, the legend - Walshy. I haven't seen since PAX circa 2008-2009ish when he was in our booth playing against Luke Smith and a few fans. The arena area itself looks fantastic with huge screens, spotlights, neon and all the other bells and whistles one would expect to see at a high energy event. I'm told this isn't even the "real" venue yet and instead is a temporary setup while the larger main section is still under construction. That just means that future events at this venue will be even bigger and better. I found Uny sitting at a nondescript table that's basically mission control as he's running the FFA game servers for a chunk of the venue on a laptop. He's basically dual wielding laptops because he's also running all the @HCS social streams at the same time. Tim and Kevin from 343 are also here helping run the servers and keep the matches running smoothly. I eventually found Tashi who's been busy behind the scenes and still making time to do his trademark player interviews on the side. Speaking of Side, I found Strongside down stairs in the "green room" having a quick bite and catching his breath after an intense stretch of casting. One of our video editors from 343, Rob Bowen, came down this weekend and has been working fast and furiously to cut together Side's player interviews and getting them into the stream programming during breaks (I should mention that was a feature request / suggestion I heard from many in the community so I was stoked to find they're already implementing that!). Eventually I found my way around back to where the "talent" is and got to watch Bravo and Elamite doing their casting thing, which is always a treat. I think any of life's activities are more fun with casting behind it. So far the tourney seems to be going great and while it's moving a bit slow it's a small price to pay for having such a massive participant turnout. For me it's great to see a truly open event that's free to enter AND offers a legit cash prize. From what I've seen there are quite a few pro league players doing very well in FFA but we've also seen a few exciting new comers who've performed strong. At this juncture it's way too early to predict a winner. That's it for now - I gotta get back to being Tashi's assistant, the team needs more waters and possibly another Starbucks run. Make sure to tune in to Twitch.tv/PGLpro to catch the rest of today's FFA action including what should be a very exciting finals. And of course we still have a full weekend of 4v4 with relegation spots on the line and the big pro league finals on Sunday. In the meantime I'll keep tweeting, taking pics and attempting the occasional periscope stream live from the trenches! (Tweet at me with any requests or questions while I'm here, I'm yours to command - so long as it doesn't conflict with Tashi's commands) Ske7ch out. HCS Las Vegas takes place Nov. 18-20 in Las Vegas, and you can watch it live beginning at 11 a.m. PST each day on Twitch.tv/PGLpro, and as always, follow @HCS and @ESLHalo on Twitter for all updates on the Halo Championship Series and Halo esports. FAMILY TIES Coming up very soon – like, Nov. 28 soon – is the latest addition to the Halo universe, Halo: Smoke & Shadow, a digital-first e-novella penned by Kelly Gay. Fans who picked up the recently-released Halo: Fractures anthology were treated to a powerful and exciting introduction to Rion Forge in Kelly’s short story, “Into the Fire.” Plenty of lore-lovers have been clamoring for more on Rion’s adventures, and Halo: Smoke & Shadow aims to provide just that very thing. Plus, as a bonus, this digital release will also include the full text of “Into the Fire” so fans don’t have to miss out on Rion’s introduction. Let’s take a look at what’s in store for the new title… Find. Claim. Profit. In a post-war galaxy littered with scrap, it’s the salvager’s motto. And with a fast ship and a lust for adventure, Rion Forge has certainly made her mark on the trade. When the discovery of a wrecked UNSC cruiser brings Rion’s past back to haunt her, stirring fresh hope into a decades-old wound, she’s hell-bent on finding answers: What really happened to her father and his ship, the Spirit of Fire? We also revealed the cover art for Halo: Smoke & Shadow, as imagined by the ever-incredible Sparth. Click the cover image you see here for a cleaner version to perhaps adorn the lock screen of your favorite device, and make sure you grab this latest tale when it arrives! We'll also be talking a bit more about some other cool new stories strategically aimed at your Halo-loving bookcase, so stay tuned for more soon! PLAY OF THE WEEK In this week’s installment of POTW, The CageyBee007 uses a classic strategy to kill an opponent in the new Anniversary Throwback playlist. And that will go ahead and do it for us this time around. With next week being a rather widely-digested holiday, expect things to be a bit quieter on the Update front for a spell while we recover from our respective fowl-devourings. Of course, don’t wander off too far, as there’s always something interesting going on around these parts. From our entire Halo family to yours, thank you for an incredible week of fun and reflection, and for coming along for this wild and crazy ride. Until next time… Live well, play Halo, and as often as possible, be thankful. <3 Grim

With the loss of the Agena target vehicle shortly after it was launched on October 25, 1965 and no replacement immediately available, NASA scrapped the original Gemini 6 rendezvous and docking mission and quickly devised an alternate mission (for a complete description of the original Gemini 6 mission and its aftermath, see “The Unflown Mission of Gemini 6”). The crew of Gemini 6, Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford, would now fly a new “Gemini 6A” mission that would rendezvous with the Gemini 7 long-duration mission already scheduled for an early December launch. The actual docking would have to wait for the Gemini 8 mission scheduled for the first quarter of 1966. Training for the Worst After the decision was made on October 28, 1965 for the new Gemini 6A mission to rendezvous with Gemini 7, the Gemini 6 launch vehicle and spacecraft were cleared from the pad at Launch Complex 19 to make way for the immediate preparation for the launch of 14-day long Gemini 7 mission on December 4 (for a full description of the preparations and first few days of the Gemini 7 mission, see “Rendezvous in Space: The Launch of Gemini 7”). This would be followed by the launch of Gemini 6 from the same pad just nine days later. As ground crews rushed to tackle the logistical challenge of launching a pair of crewed spacecraft from the same pad just days apart, the crews of the Gemini 6 and 7 missions as well as their backups continued their training. Included among these numerous training sessions was time on simulators to practice various aspects of the mission especially the fast-paced and potentially dangerous launch phase of the mission. The crews would be required to train to solve a range of problems that could crop up during powered ascent including aborting the mission if required. Unlike the Mercury before it or Apollo to follow, Gemini did not use a launch escape tower to pull the capsule to safety in case of a problem during the earliest phases of launch. Instead military-style ejection seats were used – an arrangement also employed by the Soviet Union’s Vostok spacecraft. After much study and given the relatively low volatility of the propellants used by the Titan II launch vehicle (which tended to burn rather than explode), it was decided that ejection seats offered the best (and lowest mass) abort option for the Gemini crew for a “Mode I” abort. Mode I covered aborts on the launch pad out to about 50 seconds after liftoff when the Gemini, still under power of the Titan II first stage, was below an altitude of about 4,600 meters. During a typical Mode I abort, the doors of the Gemini capsule would swing open and lock in place as the ejection seats, built by Weber Aircraft, catapulted the pilots clear of the spacecraft. The pilots would then be pulled from their seats and descend on their own parachutes. During ejection the maximum stress would be 7 Gs with a maximum of 4 Gs during descent. The system was capable of lifting the pilot clear of the Gemini-Titan II even on the launch pad with the hatch just 46 meters off of the ground. After 50 seconds of powered flight, it was no longer safe for the astronauts to use their ejection seats. For the next 50 seconds of flight, the “delayed Mode II” abort option was available while still under the power of the first stage. In this abort mode, the launch vehicle’s engines would be shutdown and the crew would wait five seconds as the ascending spacecraft slowed down to minimize aerodynamic loads. Gemini’s four solid retrorockets would then fire simultaneously to push the reentry module clear of the launch vehicle. The Gemini capsule would then perform a normal parachute landing. Between 100 and 310 seconds after launch when the ascending spacecraft’s altitude had exceeded 23,800 meters, the Mode II abort option without the five-second delay could be employed. After about five minutes and ten seconds of powered ascent when the velocity of the ascending Gemini and its second stage had exceeded 6.3 kilometers per second, the crew could use the Mode III abort option. In Mode III, the second stage engine would be shutdown when a problem was detected and the Gemini would use its thrusters to push itself clear of the rocket. The Gemini then turns 180 degrees and fires its solid retrorockets one at a time. The Gemini reentry module would then follow a normal descent and landing profile, albeit with a steeper trajectory than a normal reentry from orbit. This more punishing descent trajectory was tested during the unmanned Gemini 2 suborbital test flight in January 1965 (see “50 Years Ago Today: The Launch of Gemini 2”). In order to support the various Mode II and III abort options, recovery crews were stationed from 66 kilometers off the coast of Cape Kennedy and across the Atlantic to the coast of Africa. Getting Gemini 6 Off the Ground With a veritable army of welders, technicians and other workers waiting in the wings, the clock for the launch of Gemini 6 started ticking on December 4, 1965 at 2:30:03.97 PM EST when Gemini 7 was successfully launched from LC-19. Immediately after given the “all clear”, workers descended on the launch pad to assess the damage and make any repairs needed so that the Gemini 6A mission, as it was officially called, could be launched nine days later. It was found that the launch of Gemini 7 had left the pad in very good condition. On December 5, Titan II GLV-6 serial number 62-12561 was installed on the pad at LC-19 followed later that same day by Gemini spacecraft number 6. Testing of the newly erected rocket and spacecraft began immediately. Preparations for the next launch proceeded better than anyone had dared hoped and it soon became apparent that Gemini 6 could be ready for launch a day earlier than originally planned. While a computer problem briefly dampened those hopes, the issue was repaired and the final simulated flight test was completed ensuring the early launch at 9:54 AM EST on Sunday, December 12 just 26 seconds before Gemini 7 passed overhead. Schirra and Stafford were up before dawn to prepare for their two-day flight to rendezvous with Borman and Lovell on Gemini 7. The flight’s backup crew, Gus Grissom and John Young, had already checked out and prepared spacecraft number 6 for launch by the time Schirra and Stafford were sitting down for their traditional launch day breakfast of steak and eggs with fellow astronaut, Gordon Cooper. Afterward, it was off to LC-16 where the crew donned their standard G4C spacesuits. Then it was on to LC-19 when Schirra and Stafford were strapped into their seats about 90 minutes before launch. As the largely uneventful countdown reached “zero” at 9:54:06 AM EST, the now familiar shriek of the Titan’s turbopump gas generator was heard followed by first stage engine ignition. With the spacecraft clock now running, automated systems detected a problem and immediately aborted the launch. After running for just 1.2 seconds, the first stage engines had shutdown with the announcement from the blockhouse,“we have a shutdown, Gemini 6”. Under mission rules, the crew should have ejected. But the cool headed command pilot, Wally Schirra with his hands on the D-ring between his legs that would activate the ejection seats, did not feel the Titan II leave the pad despite the start of the clock which would normally indicate otherwise. The veteran astronaut gambled that he and Stafford were safe… and the gamble paid off. Had the ejection seats been activated, the Gemini 6 mission would have been over before it started. After confirming that the Titan II was safe, the tower was erected to extract the crew from Gemini 6 and figure out what had happened. With the ejection seats safely deactivated, Schirra and Stafford finally exited the spacecraft at 11:33 AM. Work began to turn around the hardware as quickly as possible for another launch attempt. Normally this process would take four days. By this schedule, Gemini 6 could still fly an abbreviated one-day rendezvous mission to be launched on December 16 followed by recovery the next day. The Gemini 7 crew would return to Earth from their two-week mission on December 18 as originally planned. It was quickly discovered that a loose fitting electrical plug had been shaken free too early at engine ignition and caused the premature start of Gemini’s onboard clock. By the next morning, an investigation had shown that a cover had been inadvertently left over the inlet port of the first stage gas generator during its manufacture. Either the plug or the errant cover could have triggered the automated abort. The gas generator would be cleaned out and prepared for another launch attempt. Within a few hours, NASA and Martin engineers were certain not only of the causes of the launch abort, but that they could be ready for another attempt after only a three-day turnaround. But this would be the last chance at the rendezvous mission before Gemini 7 had to return. The story of the Gemini 6 and 7 missions is concluded in “Rendezvous in Space: Gemini 6 and 7“. Follow Drew Ex Machina on Facebook. Related Video Here is video footage of CBS New coverage of the Gemini 6 launch abort of December 12, 1965. Related Reading “A Brief History of Launch Aborts”, Drew Ex Machina, November 18, 2014 [Post] “Rendezvous in Space: Gemini 6 and 7”, Drew Ex Machina, December 15, 2015 [Post] “Rendezvous in Space: The Launch of Gemini 7”, Drew Ex Machina, December 4, 2015 [Post] “The Unflown Mission of Gemini 6”, Drew Ex Machina, October 25, 2015 [Post] General References David Baker, The History of Manned Space Flight, Crown Publishers, 1981 Barton C. Hacker and James M. Grimwood, On the Shoulders of Titans: A History of Project Gemini, SP-4203, NASA History Division, 1977 David J. Shayler, Gemini: Steps to the Moon, Springer-Praxis, 2001 “Gemini 7/6”, NASA Press Release 65-362, November 29, 1965

A Middletown man killed a child�s kitten by tossing it out a window after the girl told her mom that he hit her, according to court documents. Stephen Dodson Jr., 34, had threatened to kill the cat and the child�s mom if the girl told anyone about the sexual abuse he was inflicting upon her, the records show. Still, the child, now 14, told someone her story about how Dodson allegedly starting abusing her when she was 5 years old. Dodson, who also uses the name Stephen Davis, was arrested and arraigned Thursday on charges that include child rape and aggravated indecent assault on a child under 13. District Judge Daniel Baranoski set his bail at 10 percent of $50,000, citing the seriousness of the charges. Dodson told the court he can post the $5,000 needed for his release. Dodson�s attorney, Sharif Abaza, in a quest for an unsecured bail, had pointed out that his client is a married father of two children, ages 10 and 11, and the accusations are 9 years old. �These are just allegations at this point,� Abaza said. Middletown Detective Andrew Amoroso began investigating the allegations in May after receiving a report of multiple incidents of sex abuse of a child that occurred between 2005 and 2007, according to court documents. Jo Ciavaglia: 215-949-4181; email: jciavaglia@calkins.com; Twitter: @jociavaglia

Story highlights Experts question serial-killing claims Without details, "We don't even know where to start," searcher says Miranda Barbour told reporter that she had killed more than 22 people across four states Barbour and her husband are charged in a November 2013 killing Reporter Francis Scarcella walked into the Northumberland County Prison in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, with plenty of questions for the woman accused along with her husband of luring a man with a Craigslist ad, then killing him. He walked out with a bombshell of a story that's sent police and the press alike scrambling for answers. Miranda Barbour told Scarcella, a reporter for the Daily Item newspaper in Sunbury, that she'd killed before. And not just once or twice. "She said, she has, you know, done this before," Scarcella told CNN affiliate WNEP of his Friday interview with the 19-year-old murder suspect. "And I said, 'What's the actual number?'" "And she said, 'Under a hundred,'" Scarcella told the station. Barbour said she had stopped counting at 22 killings, according to Scarcella's story in the Daily Item. JUST WATCHED Alleged killer's tale 'hard to believe' Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Alleged killer's tale 'hard to believe' 02:57 JUST WATCHED Suspect: I've killed at least 22 men Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Suspect: I've killed at least 22 men 01:51 JUST WATCHED Prof.: I don't buy 'serial killer' story Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Prof.: I don't buy 'serial killer' story 03:27 Barbour told the Daily Item that the killings occurred over the past six years in Alaska, Texas, North Carolina and California. That's sent investigators in those states back to their cold-case files, but it's also raising questions among people who study serial killers. "Anything is possible, and of course it's conceivable that she's a serial killer," Northeastern University criminologist Jack Levin told CNN. But he said few women are serial killers, and those few are typically older and don't use knives, as Barbour is accused of doing in the Pennsylvania case. Authorities haven't yet corroborated any of Barbour's claims, including statements that she was involved in Satanism. Her alleged confession has raised questions among attorneys, missing persons experts and even a representative of the Church of Satan, the nation's largest satanic body. "Thorough investigation will likely demonstrate that this cult story is fiction," said Peter Gilmore, the New York-based head of the Church of Satan. In Alaska, state police are looking into the claims and will pursue "any leads that may present themselves," Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Megan Peters told CNN. And Monica Caison, the founder of a missing persons center in North Carolina, said her phone started ringing Sunday night with questions from families whose loved ones haven't turned up in years. "It sends everybody into a panic mode -- a hopeful panic mode," Caison said. "They want to be one of those, but they don't want to be one of those. They want their nightmare to end." 2013 killing In the one case in which authorities say they have pinned down Barbour's involvement, she and her husband, Elytte Barbour, 22, are accused of killing 42-year-old Troy LaFerrara, who police say responded to a "companionship" ad placed by Miranda Barbour on Craigslist. The couple just wanted to kill someone together, police said. They had been married for only three weeks at the time of the slaying, and had moved from North Carolina to Pennsylvania after tying the knot. Police say Elytte Barbour strangled LaFerrara in the front seat of her red Honda CR-V while Miranda Barbour stabbed him at least 20 times in November 2013. LaFerrara's body was found the next day in the backyard of a home in Sunbury, a small city about 100 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The last number dialed on his cell phone led police to the Barbours, according to authorities. Barbour claimed she began killing when she was 13 and involved in a satanic cult, Scarcella reported. "I can pinpoint on a map where you can find them," he quoted her as saying of the bodies. But she said LaFerrara's killing was the Barbours' first as a couple. Elytte Barbour told police at the time of his arrest that he and his wife had tried to kill others, but the plans didn't work out. Both Barbours face several charges in LaFerrara's death, including murder. Despite Miranda Barbour's statements to Scarcella, both have pleaded not guilty. Barbour's attorney, public defender Edward Greco, told CNN he didn't know she was planning to give the interview. He declined to comment on her claims. But Levin said the way LaFerra's body was left in someone's yard isn't typical of serial killers. "If you're a prolific serial killer, you're going to go out of your way to dump the body in a desolate area off a highway so that people don't find the evidence," he said. Claims raise doubts Sunbury Police Chief Steve Mazzeo told CNN that investigators have been in contact with the FBI and law enforcement in some of the states where Barbour has lived. The father of Barbour's 1-year-old child is dead, and Sunbury police have said that is part of their investigation. "We investigate all leads just because that's the proper protocol to follow through," Mazzeo said. Authorities also are looking closely at Barbour's claims that she was involved in Satanism, according to another law enforcement source close to the investigation. But Gilmore, of the Church of Satan, said his church has a "law and order philosophy" that does not condone killing. He said the church has had no contact with Miranda Barbour or her husband. Caison, the founder of the Wilmington-based Community United Effort Center for Missing Persons , has worked with murderers before in hopes of bringing closure to people whose loved ones haven't been seen in years. In 2009, her organization helped find the body of Alice Donovan, who was abducted and murdered seven years earlier, after Donovan's convicted killer wrote to tell Caison where the remains could be found. "Anytime anything like this happens, we start getting e-mails and phone calls. I started getting texts last night," Caison said. But she said Barbour will have to be questioned extensively by investigators before those claims can be put to the test. "You can't just say you've killed 22 people between this region and that region," Caison said. "You've got to give a town or something that only police or an organization like us would know." Without details like the gender, age or race of a victim, "We don't even know where to start," she said. And like Levin, she cast doubt on Barbour's claims. "That's a lot of people to kill in such a short time, and being so young and never making a mistake, I'm hard pressed to believe that amount," she said. And for the families she works with, "You don't want to build any false hope." Getting the interview Scarcella told WNEP he got the interview after Barbour sent him a letter saying she wanted to talk. Scarcella told CNN on Sunday that he was not allowed to bring a notepad or any other recording device into the interview. He said police allowed him to listen to the interview after it was conducted. In his interview with WNEP, Scarcella described Barbour as "very meek, very mild" with a "very low voice." "She never hesitated once," he told the station. "She never gave the impression of it was a rehearsal." Scarcella said he eventually asked if she had any remorse. "And she said, 'None,'" Scarcella told WNEP. But that's not what Scarcella said he found most surprising. That would be, he said, "the fact that she said that if she got out she would do it again."

174 SHARES Facebook Twitter The Netflix series that Marvel are producing continue to fire on all cylinders as we finally get a full trailer for the upcoming, hard-hitting Luke Cage. Joining Daredevil and Jessica Jones, Luke Cage brings back Mike Colter as Luke Cage along with Rosario Dawson as nurse Claire Temple, connecting the dots between Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage in a shared superhero universe. Get ready to get pumped up because this trailer is smart, funny, perfectly put together, and ready to deliver a knockout punch, just like Luke Cage. Now there was one jaw dropping, “Oh Hell Yeah” moment in this trailer for the old school Luke Cage fan boys and girls that we’ll discuss after you watch the trailer below. Here is that trailer moment: What a terrific nod to the original comics costume. Another interesting tidbit from the trailer is the book Luke is reading at the end. Little Green by Walter Mosley, is a hard boiled detective series set in L.A. after World War II. Ezekiel “Easy” Porterhouse Rawlins is a black detective working the hard side of L.A. and Cage could be looking for tips on how to manage himself in similar situations. We last saw Easy in 2007’s Blonde Faith, fighting for his life after his car plunges over a cliff. True to form, the tough WWII veteran survives, and soon his murderous sidekick Mouse has him back cruising the mean streets of L.A., in all their psychedelic 1967 glory, to look for a young black man, Evander “Little Green” Noon, who disappeared during an acid trip. Fueled by an elixir called Gator’s Blood, brewed by the conjure woman Mama Jo, Easy experiences a physical, spiritual, and emotional resurrection, but peace and love soon give way to murder and mayhem. Written with Mosley’s signature grit and panache, this engrossing and atmospheric mystery is not only a trip back in time, it is also a tough-minded exploration of good and evil, and of the power of guilt and redemption. Once again, Easy asserts his reign over the City of (Fallen) Angels. Marvel and Netflix are really knocking it out of the park with these new series. If only ABC could get on board and make Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. half as good as Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and now Luke Cage, we’d have some serious television to watch. Gotta tell you, we’d put any of the Netflix series up against any Marvel movie for entertainment purposes and be hard pressed to not have these Netflix series in the top five. Seriously, if the network is gonna m0ve Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to the 10PM time slot, let’s amp up the adult nature of the show and “Netflix-up” the ABC series. Luke Cage hits Netflix September 30th, so gather your favorite snacks and get ready for a weekend of Luke Cage Binge Watching. Via: Netflix Related 174 SHARES Facebook Twitter Category: TV

If you visit BoilingSteam once in a while, you’ll know this is not the place for 24/7 news. There are better websites for that, either GamingonLinux, or even the subreddit linux_gaming among other options. Still, there’s a bunch of things that have occurred in the past few weeks that I don’t want you guys to miss, and instead of rephrasing all these news in a painful way, we will go at it bullet-point style. New Upcoming Games New Games that May be Coming for Linux Linux Milestones MESA-dev has recently implemented tessellation, getting closer to GL4.x support. Game Engines News Games Updates DOTA2: Reborn Open beta will be delayed for linux a couple of weeks. Civilization V Mods are now available for Linux. Thanks Aspyr! Geometry Wars 3 is now 1080p capable and multiplayer should work. It was about time! Dying Light has now better performance on Linux. Time to split zombies in two. Planetary Annihilation has apparently a much better single player mode now. Looks like Shadow of Mordor is a little late (since we now officially in Summer). No biggie. Looks like Skullgirls may not be too far away anymore. Oddworld New’n Tasty now has better controller support for Linux. I still have issues though. Hardware & Steam Machines Additionally, don’t forget that the Steam Summer Sale is going on with many titles heavily discounted. It may be a good chance to get some Linux games if you are on a budget. Finally, just a quick reminder that BoilingSteam is running a big Survey to better understand who we are as a Linux Community of Gamers. You can go and fill your answers on Google Forms if you have not done so yet! (Google login NOT required). At BoilingSteam, we strongly dislike ads and that is why you won't find any during your visit. If you like what we do, please consider signing up to our newsletter (No Spam!). Register to our RSS feed also works. We are on Mastodon and on IRC too (Freenode, channel #boilingsteam). You can reach us anytime via the contact form for feedback, ideas and news tips. We are always looking for more editors/contributors - feel free to candidate!

You'll need a Plus subscription and a desktop browser to print this page https://www.songsterr.com/a/wa/plus e B G D A E let ring let ring let ring let ring 1 Intro Gradual accel. between tempos throughout the song =72 Am 7 5 5 5 Am(maj7)9/Ab 7 6 5 5 7 4 4 2 Am/G 8 5 5 5 8 D/F# 2 4 3 2 2 let ring 3 Fmaj7 0 3 1 2 1 0 1 2 4 G 0 0 2 Am 1 2 0 1 2 0 8 7 let ring let ring let ring let ring 5 Am 0 7 5 5 Am(maj7)9/Ab 7 6 5 5 7 6 Am/G 8 5 5 5 8 D/F# 2 4 3 2 2 let ring 7 Fmaj7 0 3 1 2 1 0 1 2 8 G 0 2 Am 1 2 0 1 2 0 0 2 let ring let ring let ring let ring 9 C 3 2 0 0 D 2 0 3 2 2 10 Fmaj7 0 3 1 2 0 Am 0 0 1 2 0 2 let ring let ring 11 C 3 2 0 1 G 3 3 0 0 3 12 D 3 3 2 0 2 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 0 2 let ring let ring let ring let ring 13 C 3 2 0 1 D 2 0 3 2 2 14 Fmaj7 0 3 1 2 0 Am 0 0 1 2 0 2 let ring let ring 15 C 3 2 0 1 D 0 2 3 2 16 Fmaj7 0 1 2 3 0 1 2 3 0 1 2 3 let ring let ring let ring let ring 17 Verse 1 Am 7 5 5 5 Am(maj7)9/Ab 7 6 5 5 7 18 Am/G 8 5 5 5 8 D/F# 2 4 3 2 2 let ring 19 Fmaj7 0 3 1 2 1 0 1 2 20 G 0 0 2 Am 1 2 0 1 2 0 let ring let ring let ring let ring 21 Am 7 5 5 5 Am(maj7)9/Ab 7 6 5 5 7 22 Am/G 8 5 5 5 8 D/F# 2 4 3 2 2 let ring 23 Fmaj7 0 3 1 2 1 0 1 2 24 G 0 2 Am 1 2 0 1 2 0 0 2 let ring let ring let ring let ring 25 C 3 2 0 1 D 2 0 3 2 2 26 Fmaj7 0 3 1 2 0 Am 0 0 1 2 0 2 let ring let ring 27 C 3 2 0 1 G 3 3 0 0 3 28 D 3 3 2 0 2 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 0 2 let ring let ring let ring let ring 29 C 3 2 0 0 D 2 0 3 2 2 30 Fmaj7 0 3 1 2 0 Am 0 0 1 2 0 2 let ring let ring 31 C 1 3 0 2 1 D 2 0 3 2 2 32 Fmaj7 0 1 2 3 0 1 2 3 0 1 2 3 let ring let ring let ring let ring 33 Am 7 5 5 5 Am(maj7)9/Ab 7 6 5 5 7 34 Am/G 8 5 5 5 8 D/F# 2 4 3 2 2 let ring 35 Fmaj7 0 3 1 2 1 0 1 2 36 G 0 0 2 Am 1 2 0 1 2 0 0 8 7 let ring let ring 37 Am 0 7 5 5 Am(maj7)9/Ab 7 6 5 5 5 7 5 5 6 let ring let ring 38 5 5 5 8 5 5 5 4 2 3 2 3 2 4 let ring let ring let ring 39 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 40 G 0 0 2 Am 1 2 0 1 2 0 Cadd9 3 0 2 3 41 Interlude Am7 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 0 1 2 2 0 G 3 0 0 42 D 2 3 2 0 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 43 Am7 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 0 1 2 2 0 Em/D 7 8 9 0 44 D 5 7 7 0 C/D 3 5 5 0 D 5 7 7 0 0 45 Am7 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 0 1 2 2 0 G 3 0 0 46 D 2 3 2 0 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 47 Am7 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 0 1 2 2 0 Em/D 7 8 9 0 48 D 5 7 7 0 C/D 3 5 5 0 D 5 7 7 0 let ring let ring let ring 49 Verse 2 =83 C 3 2 0 1 G/B 2 0 0 0 50 Am 0 1 2 0 2 2 1 0 2 let ring let ring 51 C 3 2 0 1 G/B 2 0 0 Fmaj7 0 1 2 3 52 Am 0 1 2 2 0 0 2 let ring let ring let ring 53 C 3 2 0 1 G/B 2 0 0 0 54 Am 0 1 2 0 2 2 1 0 2 let ring let ring 55 C 3 2 0 1 G/B 2 0 0 Fmaj7 0 1 2 3 56 Am 0 1 2 2 0 0 2 let ring let ring 57 C 3 2 0 1 G/B 2 0 0 0 58 Am7 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 0 1 2 2 0 G 3 0 0 59 D 2 3 2 0 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 60 Am7 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 0 1 2 2 0 Em/D 7 8 9 0 61 D 5 7 7 0 C/D 3 5 5 0 D 5 7 7 0 0 62 Am7 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 0 1 2 2 0 G 3 0 0 63 D 2 3 2 0 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 64 Am7 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 0 1 2 2 0 Em/D 7 8 9 0 let ring let ring 65 D 5 7 7 0 C/D 3 5 5 0 D 5 7 7 0 66 Verse 3 C 3 2 0 1 G/B 2 0 0 0 let ring let ring let ring 67 Am 0 1 2 0 2 2 1 0 2 68 C 3 2 0 1 G/B 2 0 0 Fmaj7 0 1 2 3 let ring let ring 69 Am 0 1 2 2 0 0 2 70 C 3 2 0 1 G/B 2 0 0 0 let ring let ring let ring 71 Am 0 1 2 0 2 2 1 0 2 72 C 3 2 0 1 G/B 2 0 0 Fmaj7 0 1 2 3 let ring let ring 73 Am 0 1 2 2 0 0 2 74 C 3 2 0 1 G/B 2 0 0 0 75 Am7 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 0 1 2 2 0 G 3 0 0 76 D 2 3 2 0 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 77 Am7 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 0 1 2 2 0 Em/D 7 8 9 0 78 D 5 7 7 0 C/D 3 5 5 0 D 5 7 7 0 0 79 Am7 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 0 1 2 2 0 G 3 0 0 80 D 2 3 2 0 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 81 Am7 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 0 1 2 2 0 Em/D 7 8 9 0 82 D 5 7 7 0 C/D 3 5 5 0 D 5 7 7 0 let ring let ring let ring 83 Verse 4 C 3 2 0 1 G/B 2 0 0 0 84 Am 0 1 2 0 2 2 1 0 2 let ring let ring 85 C 3 2 0 1 G/B 2 0 0 Fmaj7 0 1 2 3 86 Am 0 1 2 2 0 0 2 let ring let ring let ring 87 C 3 2 0 1 G/B 2 0 0 0 88 Am 0 1 2 0 2 2 1 0 2 let ring let ring 89 C 3 2 0 1 G/B 2 0 0 Fmaj7 0 1 2 3 90 Am 0 1 2 2 0 0 2 let ring let ring 91 C 3 2 0 1 G/B 2 0 0 0 92 Am7 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 0 1 2 2 0 G 3 0 0 93 D 2 3 2 0 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 94 Am7 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 0 1 2 2 0 Em/D 7 8 9 0 95 D 5 7 7 0 C/D 3 5 5 0 D 5 7 7 0 0 96 Am7 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 0 1 2 2 0 G 3 0 0 97 D 2 3 2 0 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 98 Am7 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 3 1 2 2 0 0 1 2 2 0 Em/D 7 8 9 0 let ring let ring 99 D 5 7 7 0 C/D 3 5 5 0 D 5 7 7 0 100 Verse 5 C 3 2 0 1 G/B 2 0 0 0 let ring let ring let ring 101 Am 0 1 2 0 2 2 1 0 2 102 C 3 2 0 1 G/B 2 0 0 Fmaj7 0 1 2 3 let ring let ring 103 Am 0 1 2 2 0 0 2 104 C 3 2 0 1 G/B 2 0 0 0 let ring let ring let ring 105 Am 0 1 2 0 2 2 1 0 2 106 C 3 2 0 1 G/B 2 0 0 Fmaj7 0 1 2 3 let ring let ring 107 Am 0 1 2 2 0 0 2 108 C 3 2 0 1 G/B 2 0 0 0 109 Interlude =85 D 2 3 2 0 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 Guitar Solo =93 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 Bridge =102 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 rit. =78 163 164 165 166 1 Add comment 2 Add comment 3 Add comment 4 Add comment 5 Add comment 6 Add comment 7 Add comment 8 Add comment 9 Add comment 10 Add comment 11 Add comment 12 Add comment 13 Add comment 14 Add comment 15 Add comment 16 Add comment 17 Add comment 18 Add comment 19 Add comment 20 Add comment 21 Add comment 22 Add comment 23 Add comment 24 Add comment 25 Add comment 26 Add comment 27 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The 10 Best Video Game Moms Every second Sunday of May is a special day for mothers in the United States, as they get a well deserved thank you for all of their hard work. While they should be appreciated every day, it doesn’t make Mother’s Day any less special. This year the holiday falls on May 14, which happens to be today (so if you forgot to purchase a present, you better go out shopping before you finish reading this article). Because of this, we here at PlayStation LifeStyle would like to send thanks to all of the hard working mothers that visit the site, and help make the world so great. Since we’re a gaming site, we decided to celebrate Mother’s Day in our own way by taking a look at some iconic gaming moms. While some of these characters probably shouldn’t be teaching a parenting class, they all have certain qualities that we can all learn from. Only two rules were in place: A) Since we’re a PlayStation site the video game moms had to appear on a PlayStation console at some point (sorry, Mother Brain) and B) Every character has to be a mother (although that should be pretty obvious). With that out of the way, check out our list below of the 10 best video game moms! We hope you enjoyed our look at the 10 best video game moms. While we only highlighted 10 great characters that have peculiar relationships with their children, there’s a ton of other great characters that also happen to be mothers (either biologically or not). So, it’s no knock against them if they didn’t make the list. Let us know in the comments below which video game mom is your favorite, and how you’ll be celebrating Mother’s Day! Recommended Reading:

In an extremely embarrassing gaffe for the Kansas City Royals, their Saturday game with the Detroit Tigers will air on tape delay in the Detroit market (and not air at all in the local Kansas City market) because the team scheduled the game at 7:10 PM eastern time, in Fox’s primetime exclusivity window for MLB. Because the game isn’t available nationally on Fox, local fans won’t be able to watch the game broadcast until 10 PM – joined either in progress, or on tape delay. There were plenty of possible fixes here. The Royals could have pushed the game time up to 4 PM eastern, allowing it to air in local markets without issue. Fox could have selected the game for its Saturday night package, teamed one announcer from each of their local affiliates, and only aired the game in the two markets. There’s no immediate word on whether or not the game will be able to be streamed live on MLB.tv (there’s a link for Fox Sports Detroit’s feed up, but until the game starts, we have no idea of knowing whether or not it will actually work). The Royals had no problem starting their Saturday home games on June 21st and 28th earlier in the day, outside of Fox’s window. They aired their game on June 7th in the window, and Fox actually picked it up. I know some teams have TV contracts that don’t allow every one of their games to air (hello, Diamondbacks, Athletics, and Rockies, to name three). But this situation is just ridiculous. The Tigers draw some of the strongest local ratings in MLB, and their second to last game before the All-Star Break won’t be on live in the market because the Royals aren’t changing the start time and Fox isn’t throwing Detroit a bone? That’s pretty ridiculous, and it’s a damn shame that no one did anything to alleviate this issue before it reached this point. [Fox Sports Detroit]

OTTAWA Despite recent troubles within the ranks of our historic national police force, Canadians surveyed by QMI Agency overwhelmingly have a favourable view of the RCMP and see it in a much better light than many other national institutions. But most wouldn’t trust a Mountie to watch their children. Abacus Data surveyed 1,000 Canadians and asked them their opinions on the RCMP, in light of troubles that have seemingly tarnished the force’s famous honour in recent months. A majority of Canadians surveyed (62%) had a very positive or mostly positive impression of the RCMP, with only the Canadian Forces ranking higher (at 66%) among our institutions. And the Mounties are still regarded highly as a national symbol to be proud of. The Maple Leaf came out on top with 83% of respondents saying it was both essential and important to Canada. Universal health care followed closely at 78%, with the Mounties at third, with 69%. "Despite recent challenges faced by the RCMP, Canadians still consider our national police force and its iconic red uniform an important part of our national identity," Abacus Data CEO David Coletto said. "Especially in regions where the RCMP is still serving local communities, the Mounties, like the Maple Leaf and universal health care, are considered to be essential or very important symbols of Canada." Western Canadians, those on the Atlantic coast as well as older Canadians were more likely to find the RCMP symbolic. Those in Quebec were more likely to respond that bilingualism was a significant symbol. But just because Canadian respondents want to like the RCMP doesn’t mean we’d trust forces members to look after our children. Only 21% of respondents said they’d trust an RCMP member to watch their child. Almost twice as many said they’d trust a doctor, followed by paramedic. When it came to problems within the RCMP — harassment, for one — Canadians tended to believe there were troubles within the force and that reforms are necessary. "Canadians see the Mounties as part of the country’s identity and have a positive impression of the organization but they think it’s time for reform within the RCMP," Coletto said. "Telling Canadians not to be concerned because they don’t understand the culture of the police force won’t cut it." The online survey of 1,000 Canadians was done from June 19 to 23. The pollster weighted the survey sample by age, gender, region and education level according to the most recent census data. The pollster’s method is widely used and capable of producing accurate results.

Roughly half of voters in Toronto — a traditional Liberal stronghold – would cast ballots for the Tories with less than a year to go before Ontarians head to the polls, according to a new public-opinion survey. Among decided and leaning voters, 49 per cent said they would vote for the Progressive Conservatives if the next election – scheduled for June 7, 2018 – were held today, while 31 per cent would support the Grits. Fifteen per cent said they would opt for the New Democrats and 5 per cent would pick the Green Party. That’s the upshot from a Mainstreet Research poll provided exclusively to QP Briefing Monday. Pollsters surveyed 2,000 Torontonians on July 9 and July 10 via landlines and cellphones, and the poll is considered accurate within 2.19 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Broken down by neighbourhood, support for the Grits was highest in the downtown core, at 37 per cent, but that wasn't enough to best the Tories, who came up with 43 per cent. The majority of folks in North York and Etobicoke said they preferred the PCs – 54 per cent and 50 per cent, respectively. “(PC Leader) Patrick Brown and that team is doing a good job in terms of penetrating in the 416 – no previous (Conservative) party or leader has been able to do that,” Quito Maggi, president of Mainstreet, said in an interview. “These numbers should be very, very concerning if you’re a Liberal anywhere, but especially in Toronto.” At first blush, Maggi was surprised at the overwhelming PC popularity in traditional Liberal bastions, pointing to one hint last September when PC MPP Raymond Cho wrested the the long-held Scarborough—Rouge River seat from the Liberals. He chalked the latest numbers up to a big advertising push featuring three videos the Tories have been airing that helps to build Brown’s brand for an electorate that is mostly clueless on his identity. “There is a distaste for the current governing party and the Liberals, but in terms of what the other options out there are, there’s a lot of question marks in people’s minds,” Maggi said. “As people get to know Patrick Brown, some of them are liking him, some of them are not … The advertising, I think, is helping, but these numbers are just awful news for the Liberals. “When we were seeing very large PC leads – right across the province – the one stronghold was always that the Liberals could still sweep the 416. These numbers (are) clearly showing that’s no longer the case,” he said. And with election day inching closer, nearly one-quarter – 23 per cent – of Torontonians don’t know which political party they’ll cast ballots for, the poll said. That number may shrink when the campaigns ramp up, Maggi said, and presents an opportunity for the PCs to pick up even more steam, particularly downtown and when it comes to environmental policy. The carbon question Mainstreet also gauged how Toronto feels about the Liberal government’s cap-and-trade program. Forty-six per cent said they strongly or somewhat disapproved of the government’s plan to combat climate change by putting a price on greenhouse gas emissions and requiring that businesses pay to emit them beyond the capped amount, or 142.3 megatonnes for 2017. Thirty-seven per cent approve of the program and 16 per cent aren't sure what to make of it. What’s more is that cap and trade has turned off 31 per cent of potential Liberal backers, per the poll. Thirty-seven per cent were indifferent, neither more or less likely to vote for the Grits because of cap and trade. Brown’s pledge to abolish the Liberals’ version of carbon pricing and replace it with a revenue-neutral carbon tax has also gained traction in the big smoke, even if it has alienated some in his own party base. But Maggi said that could translate to ballots on election day in The 6. Twenty-nine per cent of Torontonians would vote for the Tories if they’d scrap cap-and-trade, while 25 per cent would be less likely, the poll said. The promised carbon tax itself would rally 16 per cent of voters to the PC camp, but repel another 26 per cent. Forty-one per cent weren't swayed either way on the tax proposal. "PC supporters in Ontario will see it as good politics in terms of building a bigger tent – and that he's most certainly done," Maggi said. Mainstreet's numbers echo a string of surveys over several months that show the Grits lagging behind the Tories. For instance, a Forum Research poll earlier this month showed 38 per cent of Torontonians would vote PC, 32 per cent would pick the Grits and 21 per cent would cast their ballots for the NDP. A Mainstreet survey in February suggested Liberals were clinging to support in Toronto’s downtown core, but dwindling in neighbourhoods on the outskirts, such as in Etobicoke, Scarborough and North York. Another Forum survey in June – at the tail end of a stream of policy goodies to come out of the Grit arsenal, including an affordable housing plan, a $15 minimum wage, pharmacare for children and youth, as well as a balanced budget for the first time in almost a decade – had the Liberals and PCs in a dead heat, with each receiving 34 per cent support in the 416. “(The sweeping policy announcements) was just not being taken into account whatsoever by the voting public. That may change in the context of a campaign … Right now, it’s all noise. Anything [Premier] Kathleen Wynne or the Ontario Liberals announce is just dismissed as: This is them trying to buy our votes,” Maggi said. Another story that has failed to resonate deeply with the public is the drama swirling around certain PC nomination races, including in Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas, Ottawa West—Nepean and Newmarket—Aurora. Maggi said people generally view such controversy as growing pains associated with building a bigger tent, and he doesn’t expect it will translate to voter intention or hurt Brown’s brand. The potential for blowback has more to do with the party rank and file as many Conservatives are opposed to any sort of carbon pricing plan. “If anything is going to be dangerous to affecting his base, it’s going to be that,” Maggi said. Among PC supporters, 47 per cent strongly or somewhat disapproved of Brown’s plan to implement a carbon tax. Forty per cent approved and 13 per cent didn’t know how to feel about it. Mainstreet’s poll comes on the same day Environment and Climate Change Minister Glen Murray stepped down from cabinet and announced his resignation as Toronto Centre MPP as of Sept. 1. Maggi said the loss could harm the Grits chances of securing the long-held riding next spring (Wynne said she won't call a byelection to fill Murray's spot so close to the general election due to the associated cost) because, generally speaking, the fewer well-known incumbents on the ticket, the easier it is for other party candidates to steal the seat. For example soon-to-be-retired MPP Monte Kwinter, the oldest politician in Queen's Park history, polled more popularly than his own party in York Centre, where he has carried the Liberal banner since 1985. "The cumulative effect of all those incumbents across the province, Glen Murray included, potentially not running is going to have a negative effect right across the province for Kathleen Wynne. "The more incumbents she can convince to remain will increase her chances of ... reducing the number of losses you're going to have across the province in 2018," Maggi said, adding he doesn't think the Liberals have "a remote chance" of forming government next year. Correction: This story has been updated to show that 47 per cent of PC supporters strongly or somewhat disapproved of Brown's plan to implement a carbon tax, not 71 per cent as originally written. To contact the reporter on this story: snanji@qpbriefing.com @sabrinananji

Curses in the Realms change over time, and Ed provides you with some colorful curses you can add to your game. Since the end of the Sundering, an unknown but growing number of wizards have made use of more powerful alternatives to the bestow curse spell—and since this represents a widespread flowering of creativity in devising new arcane spells, it seems to meet with Mystra’s approval, with most of these new castings succeeding in a relatively swift and easy creative process. The House of Velarr Word spread in Zazesspur circa 1461 DR of an outlander wizard calling himself “Velarr,” who had recently arrived in the city (from Thay, some rumors asserted; from Durpar, others insisted), and who was offering tutelage for fees in the creation of a specific sort of spell: curses. Some say that Velarr always wore a mask, and under it his features were magically altered so as not to be his own. Others note that he hadn’t established the House of Velarr until it bristled with so many magical traps (not to mention guardian monsters such as gargoyles, golems, and even a lurking darkmantle or two) that he could appear to live and work alone, yet defeat a small army of hostile wizards who were in the house with him. Then rumors arose that Velarr had developed strong protective magic (and used them constantly) that turned curses back from him at their sources, so he need not fear clients he was teaching and assisting from betraying him. He had enemies, though—for one morning in 1469 DR, students arriving at the house found it a gutted ruin. Sometime the night before, inside a conjured temporary bubble that had absorbed all light and sound, several violent fires started at different locations inside the structure (that looked to some of the more experienced wizards as the incidental results of fiery spells, hurled in a duel) had ravaged the house. No bones or remains were found in the ruin, but Velarr was never seen again. It is not known if Velarr ever privately attempted to coerce or co-opt his clients into working with him or obeying him in activities outside his House of Velarr, but the effect of his short-lived school was to send out into the world almost a score of wizards, all independent of each other, who knew unique curse spells (all of them of higher level and of different nature than the widely known bestow curse spell). As is the way of wizards, some of these clients of Velarr took apprentices or sold spell scrolls for fees or had their written records seized by others after they died, so knowledge of these curses spread. With the restoration of Mystra and the stabilization of the Weave, all these curse spells seem to have gained stability, too, surviving with no apparent major changes. Thanks to the uses to which they’ve been put, some of them have become quite widely known about, if not widely wielded. Elminster is unwilling to provide specifics of these spells (though it seems clear that most are of third level or even higher), but he did provide an identification guide based on their effects. Those he has identified include the following: Althur’s Spidergout Whenever those afflicted by this curse try to speak, a spider of a random sort (possibly harmless, possibly not) is teleported from somewhere in Faerûn into their mouths. It might be facing outward, and it might not. (There’s apparently a similar “toadgout” curse, but thus far Elminster has only heard rumors and has not seen it with his own eyes.) Balarthran’s Recurring Profanity Whenever victims try to speak, they must concentrate or the word will be replaced by a full-volume utterance of a word selected by the bestower of the curse (which may not be a rude word; often it is something like “kill” or “murder” or “guilty,” to make others wary of the speaker). Cloahkaudra’s Follicular Fury Victims of this curse grow hair with astonishing speed—all over their bodies. It covers their features, interferes with vision, smell, speech and other oral activities, makes clothes tight and movement-restrictive, and may make many observers think the afflicted beings are turning into some sort of wild beast. If the hair is cut while the curse is ongoing, it grows all the faster in the shorn spot. This growth draws on the victim’s vitality, causing the victim to grow unhealthy. If the victim’s fortitude is sufficient to overcome the curse, the curse ends. If the victim fails to overcome the curse after another span of time, such as an hour, it continues, though the victim might still find the fortitude to vanquish this curse. Hanra’s Leaking Liquescence Victims of this curse perspire profusely and heavily. Hair is rapidly drenched, clothing becomes wringing wet, eyesight is repeatedly hampered unless an absorbent headband is worn (and itself wrung out or replaced frequently), and dehydration rapidly occurs. Eventually, drinking must become almost continuous to keep up with water loss (failure to do so brings on dizziness, nausea, then loss of balance, and finally loss of consciousness). When sleep or unconsciousness comes, the afflicted has a chance to withstand the curse and be rid of it. If the victim fails to do so, the curse goes into remission for one day and night, but returns the next day—and at next unconsciousness or slumber, the afflicted one has another chance to throw off the curse, but it becomes more difficult with each such attempt. Jarrakal’s Hallucinations When those afflicted by this curse looks at the faces of (human) strangers, they instead see the faces of humans they know but haven’t seen for years. This curse waxes and wanes (though victims won’t know when it’s operating or not), but ends instantly and for good—though the afflicted won’t be aware of it ending, at that moment—if those thus afflicted look at a face that is magically disguised. Jonatha’s Clumsiness Whenever victims try to grasp an item or perform any tasks of exacting dexterity (such as write something, thread a needle, or fasten a button), they must concentrate to do so. Trying to catch a moving item or grasp a live and mobile being requires even more focus. This curse lasts for five hours before a victim can attempt to remove it through sheer force of will (though magical means of removal can work instantly if used). If the victim cannot throw off the curse, it continues for another hour, whereupon the victim can try again to will it out of existence. Unless the victim breaks the curse or it is removed by magical means, it continues. Metalbane Victims of this curse can’t hold or touch metal—things of metal (not rock with metal ores in it, but all pure metal, whether alloys or of a single element) pass harmlessly through those so afflicted by this curse. So they can’t handle coins or most weapons (unless they bind the hilts completely in something), do up buckles, wield most tools, or perform most cooking tasks, and so on. This condition lasts for four hours before the victim has enough strength of will to make an initial attempt to break it; after those first four hours pass, the afflicted one can focus each hour to attempt to remove it. Zult’s Unquiet Slumber Whenever the afflicted ones fall asleep, they suffer wild spasms and cramps in their limbs. The pain of these spasms jolts them awake from the pain, since their limbs jerk about violently and uncontrollably. (Victims risk hitting themselves or their limbs against something hard and unyielding unless they succeed at being nimble enough to avoid such painful situations.) After a day, victims can, by means of their inherent fortitude, break the curse on their own. Failure sees them dealing with the curse for another day, plus they begin to have issues with agility due to having an increasingly unclear mind. Such losses to dexterity and their ability to process the world around them mount until lasting sleep is achieved by the curse being removed or running out, or these losses can stop if magically- or herbally-induced deep slumber occurs and lasts for eight hours or more. There are more, Elminster warns, that he’s still learning about. He added that he’s far more interested in tracking down a copy of one of Velarr’s protection spells that cause curses to rebound—but thus far, such magic still eludes him.

When a 2005 rezoning effort led to the creation of Hudson Yards, it was mostly seen as the domain of developers Related Companies and Oxford Property Group—after all, they had planned close to half a dozen projects at the site. But in the decade-plus since the rezoning, several other big-name developers have also cashed in on the neighborhood’s development boom. Brookfield is building its mini-megaproject known as Manhattan West, where two buildings in this development have already wrapped construction; Tishman Speyer is moving forward with a plan to build a supertall office building designed by Bjarke Ingels; and The Moinian Group has broken ground on its 940-foot-tall office tower, 3 Hudson Boulevard. Related and Oxford have also made major strides towards the completion of the first phase of their portion of the megaproject. The development’s first office tower, 10 Hudson Yards, opened in 2016; the first condo, 15 Hudson Yards, is scheduled to debut later this year; and the Thomas Heatherick-designed Vessel, The Shed, and a public park all scheduled to open next year. This guide offers a fuller picture of how the rezoning has changed the far west side of Manhattan, with projects currently under construction or in the development phase included. To keep it concise, we’ve stuck to the boundaries of the Special Hudson Yards District, which roughly runs from 30th Street to 41st Street between 11th and Eighth Avenues.

(Reuters) - The Michigan Senate approved legislation on Wednesday making genital mutilation of girls a state felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison, both for doctors who perform the procedure and parents who transport a child to undergo the surgery. The legislation, which now goes to the state House of Representatives, was spurred by the case of an emergency room physician charged last month under federal law with performing genital mutilation on two 7-year-old girls at a suburban Detroit medical clinic. Another doctor and his wife who ran the clinic also have been charged in that case, believed to mark the first U.S. criminal prosecution of its kind. The three defendants could face prison terms of up to five years if convicted. Genital mutilation of girls, typically involving removal of all or part of the clitoris, is banned by several international treaties but remains a common cultural or religious practice in some African countries, including Somalia, Sudan and Egypt. State Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Rick Jones, a sponsor of the legislation, cited recent expert testimony before his panel describing Michigan as a “hotspot” for genital mutilation due to its large community of immigrants from countries where such surgery is still routinely performed. “It’s been hidden. But now that we’re aware, we want to make a very strong statement to the world - never again in Michigan,” he said. Aside from carrying tougher penalties than federal statute, Michigan’s legislation would allow arrests and prosecution by local law enforcement. It also would close a federal loophole by outlawing transportation of girls under age 18 within state boundaries for purposes of undergoing genital surgery, Jones said. Parents or guardians who bring children to Michigan from abroad or are found to have taken them overseas for such procedures could likewise be charged. The federal law, enacted in 1996, targets practitioners of female genital mutilation as well as individuals who carry a child across state lines to undergo the procedure. The package of four Republican-sponsored Michigan bills cleared the state Senate unanimously, and Jones said he expects swift House passage and enactment by the governor in a matter of weeks. Jones said female genital mutilation bans have been passed or were under consideration in several other states, including Minnesota and Texas, but he believed Michigan’s would be the toughest. The World Health Organization has estimated that more than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone genital mutilation, which can cause lasting health problems.

Clay Higgins, a former police captain and public information officer in the sheriff’s department of Louisiana’s St. Landry Parish, earned his nickname "The Cajun John Wayne" by making a series of videos encouraging criminals to turn themselves in. The settings and substance differed, but the schtick was consistent: Dressed in his uniform, Higgins would recount the basics of the crime then try to persuade perpetrators to surrender, intimidating them with a barking drill sergeant-like delivery and a disdain borrowed from Dirty Harry. “We’re going to identify you, arrest you, and put you in a small cell,” Higgins said in one July 2015 video, made after a local restaurant named Stelly’s Market was broken into. “After that, I’m going to have a cheeseburger here with fries and a Coke and leave a nice tip for the waitress,” Higgins added, standing outside Stelly’s with his hands on his belt. “Meanwhile your next meal will be served through a small hole in a cell door.” That video has gotten more than 2 million views on YouTube and millions more as it made the rounds on national talk shows. Dozens of his other videos have topped 1 million on YouTube and Facebook. Advertisement: “We won’t have to wait on lab results [for DNA tests] ’cause you’re on St. Landry Crime Stoppers tonight,” Higgins said, referring to the segment on local TV in which his videos would air. “Congratulations son, I’m about to make you famous.” Few criminals gained notoriety, but the 53-year-old Higgins did as he sought the spotlight. His Internet fame led to on-air appearances on the "Today Show" and "Fox & Friends" and a profile on "CBS This Morning" in September 2015 — all of which added to his celebrity in his hometown of Opelousas and the surrounding Cajun country. Higgins decided to parlay his name recognition into political office, and announced in May that he was running for Congress as a Donald Trump-style Republican in Louisiana’s 3rd House District. As of the latest polling on June 14, Higgins was at 17.5 percent, which put him in second place in a seven-person field. If the election had been held last week, Higgins would be in a one-on-one runoff with Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle, a more moderate Republican, and it would not be implausible for the forces that have driven this wild election cycle to propel Higgins into office. That may or may not be true today. Suddenly, Higgins’ political ambitions are imperiled by the release of emails and sheriff’s department memos that Salon obtained from a public records request. They reveal a number of curious tidbits — ruminations on how “sex and youth sells” in Hollywood and the fact that Higgins, a former car salesman, believes he’s better looking in person than on TV. More, however, these emails reveal a public servant obsessed with making quick buck after quick buck on the taxpayer's dime. He repeatedly broke sheriff's department rules, using his job in law enforcement to launch a series of lucrative schemes, and has done little to show he would not do the same with a seat in Congress. After he became famous in early 2015, Higgins began exploiting his position in the sheriff’s department to sell t-shirts and mugs, negotiate paid talk show appearances, paid speeches, paid advertisements, and even a reality television show, Higgins’ emails reveal. He did all of this on his government email account during work hours without the permission or knowledge of his supervisors. Higgins also appears to have attempted to conceal his earnings from the IRS in order to avoid wage garnishment for unpaid taxes. Whether those actions constitute tax fraud is unclear. “I get paid 1500 for a television production and a grand for a radio production, plus 150 an hour travel time and an additional grand for a photo session,” Higgins wrote in an email to Tony Morrow, a lawyer in Lafayette, Louisiana, who he had agreed to film television ads for. “That’s a total of 10 grand for the eight productions.” Advertisement: But Higgins added an unusual request. “I prefer to get paid in cash,” he wrote. “I have my reasons for preferring cash, reasons best discussed, if need be, in person.” Higgins did not report this money in financial disclosure forms for his campaign. In other emails to his accountant this January, Higgins revealed that he was having $656 garnished from his wages by the IRS every month for back taxes and he wanted to pay a lower amount. This appears to be the reason Higgins requested cash payments — to make his on-paper earnings appear as low as possible and to keep the IRS from getting a piece of this side income. The St. Landry Parish clerk of court confirmed to Salon that Higgins had IRS liens for more than $44 thousand in back taxes, although their exact status today was unclear. When reached for comment, the Higgins campaign’s communications director Chris Comeaux refused to tell Salon the exact amount Higgins owes today, blaming the issues on “leftwing media.” Advertisement: “Captain Higgins has a professional tax firm who prepares his taxes,” Comeaux said. “Secondary employment and cash remuneration, reported on 1099, is common for most police officers.” But that doesn’t explain why Higgins would request to be paid in cash for secret reasons. When Higgins resigned from the sheriff’s department in February, he said in a press conference that it was because he could no longer follow his sheriff’s orders. He’d just released a video, widely criticized as racist, in which he referred to wanted men in an alleged gang as “animals” and “heathens.” But in an internal memo, obtained by Salon via a public records request along with the Higgins emails, St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz clarified the real reasons for Higgins’ departure to the rest of the department. “Clay Higgins formed a personal business venture to raise money by selling mugs, t-shirts, and other trinkets using department badge and uniform. All of which are against department policy,” Guidroz wrote. “I reined Higgins in.” Advertisement: Higgins’ emails, which contained contract negotiations for his clothing company, confirm this. “Traffic will stabilize and increase… as well as retail sites, all pushed by my public appearances,” Higgins wrote in one email about t-shirt sales, directly linking his police job to his personal money-making ventures. He also negotiated paid speaking appearances with other police departments. In one email, Higgins discussed his request for a speaker’s fee that included shopping money for his wife and part of the fuel for his friend’s private plane. “3250 might sound like a lot but it’s really not,” Higgins wrote in a different email. “My [Law Enforcement] only fee basically replaces what I could earn anyway plus compensation for travel time, wear and tear on my [car], and ownership of the video.” Advertisement: In his memo to the sheriff’s department, Guidoz wrote that “Higgins needed to take his own advice… ‘don’t be disrespectful, follow the law,’" or in his case, follow departmental policy. In August 2015, Higgins also debated whether to accept an appearance on "The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore," which has since been cancelled by Comedy Central. “There’s no money on the table, just a free trip to NY, but I’ve been to NY,” Higgins wrote to his financial advisor. “This guy is a huge Liberal Democrat,” his advisor, Andrew Ahrens, wrote back in reference to Wilmore. “To be blunt this guy is a real piece of shit.” "Fox & Friends" was off the table too. “The last time i did Fix (sic) and Friends, the little Italian looking pretty boy wanted to keep asking me how many cheeseburgers did I eat at Stellys,” Higgins wrote, in an apparent reference to Brian Kilmeade. Advertisement: Perhaps not surprising, considering his video prowess and professed admiration for Donald Trump, Higgins had dreams of launching a reality TV show, which he imagined would be entitled "American Justice." The premise was simple if preposterous: Higgins would drop in on SWAT teams around the country, filming himself arresting alleged criminals with those teams and then compelling the perps to confess their crimes through an on-camera interrogation. “Our project could feature… me actually involved as an operator during the arrest, flown out to wherever, assigned a spot on the arrest team... making the arrest, and having interaction with the suspect one-on-one,” he wrote in email to a talent manager at Entertainment One, a Toronto-based talent agency. Although Higgins believed himself capable of nailing perps through the sheer force of his personality, in the internal memo, Sheriff Guidroz questioned Higgins’ abilities, writing “Higgins’ five or six years as a patrolman (not supervisor), doesn’t give him the inherit (sic) right to claim to be a crime fighter.” In his emails, Higgins had attached a short draft for a rough cut of an "American Justice" pilot. “Because I’m a police officer, I can actively engage in manhunts,” he says in the video. “We’ll offer the suspects a chance at redemption, to express regret and seek a new path by talking directly to me.” Advertisement: When Salon reached out to Comeaux for further comment on Higgins’ emails, he replied with a statement from Higgins’ campaign attorney, Craig Engle. “I’ve taken a look at it, and it all looks fine to me,” said Engle. (The Angelle campaign refused to comment on Higgins' emails.) When reached via email, Sheriff Guidroz had a very different perspective. “I told him to complete a 'secondary employment request form' prior to engaging in any outside of the department money making venture,” Guidroz wrote to Salon. “Higgins DID NOT submit a 'secondary employment request form!' I did not authorize him to do appear on t-shirts, mugs or any other trinkets.” “In fact, it upset me to the point that I expressed dissatisfaction in his insubordination,” Guidroz added. Beyond the comments given to Salon, Higgins and his campaign have apparently not publicly commented on the controversy since news of Higgins’ emails was first reported on Wednesday by an NBC affiliate in Lafayette, Louisiana (the station obtained the documents via their own public records request). Advertisement: On Thursday, Lafayette’s IND Monthly also reported that Higgins had resigned from a previous police job for unnecessary use of force. Through this all, the Cajun John Wayne has continued to campaign. On Thursday, he called for police to arrest more illegal immigrants. Writing on Facebook, Higgins tried to sound like his old intimidating self: “An illegal laborer would much rather load up his unregistered car and make it back to Mexico WITH his cash and belongings, as opposed to risk being arrested.”

One of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's well-worn talking points is that building the economy and protecting the environment must go hand in hand. Tonight, at an international energy conference in Houston, he will receive an award for taking that position. "We recognize that Prime Minister Trudeau has taken a very clear position in terms of integrating energy and environmental concerns and the way that the two interact with each other," said CERAWeek conference chair Daniel Yergin in an interview with CBC News. "The award will highlight on a global basis what the prime minister is achieving in Canada and what he is conveying really to the world community on how to approach the challenges around energy and environment that the entire planet faces," said Yergin. The CERAWeek conference, organized by international financial services firm IHS Markit, is an annual event that brings in energy executives, politicians, clean tech companies and policy makers from 60 countries to talk about key issues facing the global energy industry. The topics up for discussion include everything from oil and gas to renewables. More than 3,500 delegates and 300 members of the media are attending the five-day conference. Trudeau will also give the keynote address to the global gathering of energy movers and shakers — the first Canadian prime minister to do so. 'High-profile sales job' Yergin said that given U.S. President Donald Trump's promise to renegotiate his country's trade agreements, Trudeau's attendance is "very timely." "I think at this particular time of discussion about trade and investment, to highlight in particular U.S. and Canadian relations is very important." "It gives [Trudeau] an opportunity to address a global audience," said Yergin. "The words he says here in Houston will really resound around the world." It could also give Trudeau a chance to do a high-profile sales job for Canada, said Jackie Forrest, director of research for the Calgary-based ARC Energy Research Institute, which examines trends in the energy business. Forrest, who is in Houston for the conference, said that even though Canada is a big energy producer, it still doesn't have a big global profile. "I think it's a great opportunity to get in front of this group and say Canada is a great place to invest. We have some real advantages, we have great resources, we are balancing the economy and the environment," said Forrest in an interview with CBC News. "I hope he makes a compelling argument for people to bring their capital to Canada." Canada vs. U.S. on carbon pricing Forrest said Canada has an advantage over the U.S. right now, partly because of the new federal-provincial climate strategy that includes a price on carbon. She said a carbon price can provide certainty for industry at the same time that the U.S. is changing its regulations on carbon emissions. "What's important is you know what the policies are, you've got lots of transparency and you can plan for those policies." On Friday, Trudeau will take part in a roundtable discussion with industry executives and clean technology leaders on the transition to low-carbon energy sources. The conference has increasingly included discussions on renewable energy and electric vehicles. During Trudeau's March 2016 trip to Washington, D.C., U.S. President Barack Obama and the prime minister agreed to work together on a number of environmental goals. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images) Trudeau and former U.S. president Barack Obama were in lockstep on their efforts toward developing a North American low-carbon economy, but that dynamic has changed since Trump was elected. "With the U.S. stepping back, more countries are looking to Canada to say we need leadership from North America, we need leadership on this issue, and hoping Canada can deliver. So that puts a lot of responsibility on Canada." said Clare Demerse, federal policy adviser for Clean Energy Canada. There were hints earlier this week about what Trudeau might say to the energy executives on that issue. Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr told the conference that Canada isn't going to step away from its long-term plan to reduce emissions and develop a green economy. We can expect the same message, perhaps with a bit more fanfare, from the prime minister tonight.

Photo At 14, it was easy to like Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones. And I did. These bands were like audio-visual packages tailored explicitly for my hormone and confusion levels, spackle kits for my hole-ridden sense of self. Because straight-up, blues based rock and roll is the prima materia of teen rebellion. So it was then, and so shall it be until the end of Spotify. Being a Yes fan, though, was something more complicated, and the death on Saturday of Chris Squire, the group’s co-founder and bassist for more than 45 years, reminded me of that. Yes was a staple of prog(ressive) rock, already an established force by the time I entered high school in 1977, when airwaves were still musically integrated. Like most, I was lured by their 1971 hit “Roundabout,” that seemed to get airplay for years after its release. It was not long before I owned every album and began painstakingly copying the Roger Dean logo — the YES like a snake swallowing its own tail — on all of my notebooks. Yes was based not in macho blues, but in refined classical music. It had movements, soaring melodies, plenty fancy Bach-infused keyboard and guitar passages, some nakedly suggestive of gamboling with sprites in forest glades. I did not exactly wear this on my sleeve. But as tough and bluesy as I wished to appear, this music spoke to a part of me. On the outside I was all “Street Fighting Man.” On the inside I was humming the bass line from “Total Mass Retain.” Squire, who was well known for being the band wild man, was a virtuoso of sorts who also poured a Stones-like street fighting spirit into Yes’s ethereal music, and saved many a song from descending into Hobbit-land (being human, he wasn’t always successful). Out of the mist of organ tones and castrati vocals would come a growl, disconcerting, oh-so-low, almost too low to be music, a primordial beast raising itself from the mud with a giant yawn. It was impolite, indelicate, wrong, and soon to be funky. To better understand Squire, go ahead, listen to “Roundabout” (it’s easy now): As the intro’s slow dance between the organ and Segovia-like guitar passages finally slides into tempo Squire delivers not something refined or even vaguely British, but a mean, nasty, funky, almost Bootsy-like bass line that will not quit. It may be the only Yes song a rhythmically self-respecting person could dance to, and in my mind, the key to the song’s longevity. A conventional bass line on “Roundabout” would have doomed it, and maybe the band, to obscurity. Squire is often said to be one of the musicians who “reinvented” the bass in popular music. Like other visionary bassists, such as Scott La Faro and Charlie Haden in jazz, and at times, Paul McCartney in pop, Squire asserted his right to full expression on the instrument of his choice by ignoring the supporting role ascribed to the rhythm section in popular music. Chris Squire bass lines were often melodic and beautiful, “high art” beautiful, but also rude and assertive in a way that showed me that musical expression was not uniform. It did not always pay to color inside the lines. A few years ago, I went with a high school friend to see a Yes concert (thanks, Joe). I didn’t jump out of my seat at the first notes of “Siberian Khatru” the way I used to but I enjoyed pretty much all of it. The best part, though, was Squire — tall, wild-haired, kicking his leg up on the big notes, strutting the stage like a pirate, living the dream and still nailing the lines. He seemed like a god of rock as they used to be made. Like he could have held his own in a street fight. Like he could have been hanging out later with Mick or Keith.

Over the past 18 months, the internationalization of the renminbi, China’s currency, has entered a new phase. Lower interest rates in the onshore renminbi market, combined with slower economic growth in mainland China and expectations of currency depreciation in the medium term, have caused the expansion of the offshore renminbi bond market to slow dramatically (in some quarterly periods, bond issuance has even contracted). This is despite the progressively greater opening of the Chinese capital account, increased interconnectedness between the onshore and offshore markets, and the addition of the renminbi to the IMF’s Special Drawing Right (SDR) basket. The Chinese government’s outward investment agenda is feeding into currency reform prospects. In late 2013 the government announced the so-called ‘Belt and Road’ initiative, commonly known in the West as ‘One Belt, One Road’. This initiative aims to promote infrastructure development in 60 countries in Asia and surrounding regions. However, it also has implications for the internationalization of the renminbi. Over the past several months, researchers at Chatham House and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) have studied the feasibility of using this initiative as a means to expand the use of the renminbi, both in the real economies of Belt and Road host countries and in the London offshore financial market. The first paper, Part 1: The View from Beijing, looks at a number of factors that are likely to emerge as new drivers of renminbi internationalization in the medium term and investigates the investment demand arising from Belt and Road projects and the potential for further cooperation between China and the UK, in particular the opportunities around London’s position as an offshore renminbi market and global financial centre. The second paper, Part 2: The View from London, examines the dynamics of renminbi internationalization, and whether London could become a key centre for renminbi-denominated project finance. The third paper, Part 3: Framework for Policy Discussion, identifies a series of 16 policy recommendations detailing how the Chinese and British governments, in collaboration with private banks and investors based in the City of London and worldwide, can effectively support the development of Belt and Road financing in such a way that it expands the use of the renminbi in both the financial and real economies.