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Powering up: How batteries are driving the e-mobility revolution
Dubai, UAE May 20, 2020
Our daily travel is harming the planet. But advances in battery technology, performance, safety and recyclability could help it recover, by facilitating the global transition to more sustainable energy systems.
Collectively, transport is responsible for just under one quarter of global CO2 emissions, according to International Energy Agency (IEA) data. Road vehicles like cars, buses and trucks, contribute three-quarters of that figure. Aviation and shipping each contribute around 11% of total transport emissions, while rail contributes just over 1%[1].
While supranational global organizations have called for urgent action to tackle climate change, national governments and even individual cities have already begun taking their own, positive, steps to limit exposure to harmful emissions, like CO2 and nitrogen dioxide.
In the UK, the government plans to ban new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2040, as part of a £3 billion (US$ 3.9 billion) clean air strategy. France has also pledged to end the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040, while Denmark has proposed a full ban on new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 and on hybrid vehicles from 2035. Meanwhile, the mayors of Paris, Madrid, Mexico City and Athens have said they plan to ban the most polluting diesel vehicles from city centers by 2025[2].
But with emissions from transport rising faster than any other type[3], and demand for transport set to increase as our cities continue to expand, the need for cleaner, greener mobility solutions has never been more pressing.
For decades, electric vehicles (EV) have been touted as the answer to this conundrum. In many ways, they are the ultimate disruptive innovation. Unlike other game changing technologies like nuclear fusion[4], the base technology behind e-mobility already exists and is in place around the world. Yet so-called e-mobility has never yet quite reached the promise of its potential.
A flurry of recent advances in battery technology, however, could finally push e-mobility into the mainstream as the electric vehicle revolution gathers pace.
EVs driving the future
The benefits of e-mobility are clear. Electrification is a key decarbonization lever for road transport. In use, EVs currently emit 30%-60% fewer emissions than combustion engines, depending on the power mix[5].
As well as eliminating fossil fuels in our road vehicles, electric vehicles – and the batteries that power them – also enable a greater share of intermittent renewable energy to enter grid systems. When it is particularly sunny or windy, the supply of renewable power can exceed the demand for grid electricity. Whereas batteries enable energy to be stored for several hours or days.
Furthermore, the materials in batteries can be recovered and recycled – some of them indefinitely[6] – unlike fossil fuels, which are burned and lost forever when used for energy production.
In fact, according to the IEA's Tracking Clean Energy Progress report, electric vehicles are one of only seven of the 45 energy technologies and sectors that are on track to meet the Sustainable Development Scenario[7], which is aligned to global commitments in the 2015 Paris climate agreement.
The stats are certainly encouraging. According to Global EV Outlook 2019, the global share of electric car sales rose to more than 2.5% of new car sales in 2018[8]. The global electric car fleet exceeded 5.1 million, up from 3.1 million in 2017, representing an increase of 63%[9]. In terms of overall share of the global passenger car stock, the IEA forecasts that EVs will increase from 0.8% in 2020 to almost 15% by 2030[10].
Experts predict the electric vehicle market to continue expanding for the foreseeable future. The latest edition of the Electric Vehicle Outlook, an annual report from BloombergNEF, forecasts passenger electric vehicle sales to rise to 10 million in 2025, 28 million in 2030 and 56 million by 2040[11]. Bloomberg forecasters also predict that the share of electric vehicle sales will exceed internal combustion engine (ICE) sales by the mid-to-late 2030s.
But although electric vehicles are increasingly popular and have the potential to make a significant impact to emissions reduction targets, that potential can only be realized if e-mobility becomes the norm, rather than the exception. And winning that battle means overcoming more than a century of familiarity, loyalty and trust for the traditional internal combustion-engine (ICE) – not to mention more recent preconceptions and technical and infrastructural challenges that have hindered the take-up of electric vehicles.
In a UK Government's Department for Transport (DoT) 2016, study into driver attitudes towards electric cars[12], researchers found that the three most important factors that put consumers off buying an electric vehicle were the availability of charging points, the range you can travel on one charge, and the cost at point of purchase.
All three of these issues boil down to the same problem: batteries. Unlike trains and trams, road vehicles can't be fitted with an external power connection, so they need to carry all their potential energy around with them in the form of a battery. Indeed, it is difficult to overstate the importance of batteries in the success of mobility electrification.
Batteries are by far the largest cost component in an electric vehicle, they dictate the range the car can travel, and they determine how often they need charging up. Get the battery right, and the three main challenges in the mass take-up of e-mobility evaporate in a zero-emission haze.
For a long time, though, batteries have been the Achilles heel of electric vehicles. They kept the costs high and the range low, leading to the kind of negative perceptions revealed in the UK DoT study from a few years ago. But recent improvements in battery technology could transform the electric vehicle industry – changing consumer perception – and hence see e-mobility finally realize its potential.
Supercharging storage
Batteries convert electrical energy into chemical energy while they charge and reverse this process when they are used to power vehicles, gadgets and, increasingly, homes.
Most batteries are made up of two electrodes – a negative anode and a positive cathode – and an electrolyte, which reacts with the electrodes to create energy.
Compared with other areas of electronics, the development of battery technology has been relatively slow[13]. Until recently, much of the progress made has been driven by portable devices such as smartphones and laptop computers. With the increasing focus on e-mobility over the past decade, however, the development of battery technology has moved into top gear.
One of the major research hurdles in the development of new batteries has been finding suitable materials for electrodes and electrolytes that work well together and generate high levels of energy efficiently, without compromising safety or other aspects of the battery design.
Another challenge is that batteries must meet challenging consumer demands. For e-mobility batteries, this means simultaneously fulfilling criteria such as high power and energy density, long autonomy, long life, low cost and high safety, while also being easy to recycle[14].
Bring on the batteries
Over the past two decades, lithium-ion batteries have emerged as the battery of choice for most electric vehicles, due to their better performance, efficiency and safety compared to traditional batteries. The big downside, however, was the cost. And although performance was better than traditional batteries, it still wasn't anywhere near as good as an ICE.
Invented around 30 years ago, lithium-ion batteries use lithium ions as the interlocutors between the cathode and anode. Far lighter and more compact than earlier types of rechargeable battery, and able to hold their charge for longer, they are now found in everything from mobile phones to laptops – and electric vehicles. The three scientists that pioneered their development were awarded the Nobel Prize for chemistry as recently as October 2019.
Now, a new generation of lithium-ion batteries is having a dramatic impact on e-mobility and other sectors thanks to their ability to store a large amount of energy in a small, compact battery and be recharged again and again.
The General Motors model Vauxhall Corsa E, for example, a small passenger car released in the UK in April 2019, has a range of 209 miles[15], long enough to drive between London and Manchester on one charge. Some higher-end electric cars can go even further on one charge. US EV start-up Rivian will launch its RT1 with a 180 kilowatt-hour capacity battery pack that can travel 410 miles on a single charge – far enough to get you from Manhattan to Montreal, or Abu Dhabi to Muscat.
Toyota, which pioneered the hybrid electric vehicle market with the best-selling Prius and has made ground-breaking advances in hydrogen-fueled vehicles, plans to launch 10 electric vehicles in the early 2020s, starting in China before rolling them out to Japan, India, the United States and Europe. It aims to sell 5.5 million electrified vehicles by 2025[16].
Technological advances made over the next few years look set to push the market further. Analysis by accountancy firm BDO found that the world's top 20 carmakers spent US$ 86 billion on research and development in 2018, up from US$ 82 billion the year before[17], as they accelerate the transition towards electric and autonomous vehicles. And this figure does not include the many small car makers that focus exclusively or primarily on electric vehicles.
Much of the innovation taking place around batteries concerns the materials used in their construction. Battery researchers are constantly experimenting with different materials and chemistries to make batteries cheaper, denser, lighter, more powerful and more sustainable. So-called 'next generation' lithium-ion batteries are a key area of research. Tesla, for example filed a patent for additive-enriched lithium-ion batteries, with a much longer lifespan[18]. The company is also reportedly developing batteries with cathodes made from lithium-iron phosphate (LiFePO4).[19]. These so-called LFP batteries are reportedly free of cobalt, which is expensive and environmentally destructive. LFP batteries also have higher charge and discharge rates and longer lifetimes than conventional lithium-ion cells.
Safer and stronger
Scientists are finding ways to push the limits of lithium-ion batteries with new active families of materials[20]. In 2019, IBM Research announced it had discovered a new, more sustainable battery chemistry that's free from heavy metals like nickel and cobalt and which could potentially out-perform lithium-ion technology. IBM claims all the materials used in this battery can be extracted from standard seawater, severely reducing the environmental impact of batteries.
Another area of focus is battery technologies that use a 'dry', nonflammable electrolyte rather than a liquid. Many believe these so-called solid-state batteries are the future of batteries, both in terms of safety and performance.
In February 2020, Mercedes-Benz announced a partnership with the Canadian utility Hydro-Québec to develop next-generation lithium batteries with a solid and nonflammable electrolyte[21]. The previous month, the Canadian utility announced a separate partnership with the University of Texas and lithium-ion battery pioneer (and Nobel Prize winner) John Goodenough, to commercialize a solid-state battery with a glass electrolyte[22].
Similarly, in February 2020, Toyota announced a joint venture with electronics giant Panasonic that will specialize in the development and production of prismatic lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), as well as more advanced energy storage solutions like solid-state batteries[23].
Meanwhile, in March 2020, researchers from the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology and the Samsung R&D Institute Japan announced they had developed a solid-state battery that could deliver an EV range of 500 miles (800 km) on a single charge. The battery prototype is also longer-lasting, with a cycle life of more than 1,000 charges, and has enhanced overall safety, said the research team[24].
Another innovator taking a slightly different approach to electric vehicle innovation is US-based EV start-up Rivian, in which Abdu Latif Jameel is an early-stage investor. For its new product line-up, there are two options, a 105kWh lithium-ion battery stack with a nominal range of about 190 miles, or a huge 180kWh battery that can power the cars for more than 400 miles. While many early customers are eagerly anticipating the arrival of these large electric cars, the real genius of Rivian lies not only in the batteries, but also in the company's innovative 'skateboard' chassis.
This houses the vehicle's quad motors, independent air suspension and hydraulic roll control system, as well as the lithium-ion battery[25]. Rivian's flexible platform also includes an intelligent battery management system, which uses artificial intelligence to extend the lifespan of each vehicles' battery. The AI will observe how new owners drive and charge their vehicles before adjusting different parameters in order to maximize longevity. It is reported that smarter charging strategies – personalized to each individual owner – could increase a Rivian's battery life by up to three times[26].
Charging ahead!
Even while the major players are announcing a stream of battery innovations, new research coming out of labs and specialist start-ups across the globe is pushing forward the boundaries of battery technology even further.
Researchers at Pennsylvania State University[27] in the US, for example, have developed a technology that could provide more than 200 miles of charge in as little as 10 minutes. Using a normal at-home charging point, a typical electric car would usually take around eight hours to charge from empty-to-full[28].
"If we have a ubiquitous fast-charging infrastructure on the roadside, drivers need no longer to worry about the cruise range. After driving 200-300 miles per charge, one can pick up another 200-300 miles by charging for 10 minutes," said Dr Chao-Yang Wang, who led the research[29].
Echion Technologies, a start-up based in Cambridge, UK, said in February that it had developed a new anode for high-capacity lithium batteries that could charge in just 6 minutes[30]. Not to be outdone, a team of researchers in South Korea announced that same month that its own silicon anode would charge to 80 percent in 5 minutes[31].
Prices down as demand rises
BloombergNEF forecasters expect annual lithium-ion battery demand for electric vehicles to increase exponentially over the next decade, passing 1,748GWh annually by 2030[32]. The total demand for batteries in all applications was just 180GWh in 2018[33].
Passenger cars and commercial vehicles are collectively expected to account for around 83% of global battery demand by 2030[34].
As demand rise the battery technology advances, the cost is expected to decrease, from US$ 176/kWh in 2019 to US$ 87/kWh in 2025 and US$ 62/kWh in 2030[35], which should help make electric vehicles more attractive to the mass market.
For a midsize car made in the US in 2015, the battery made up more than 57% of the car's total cost. In 2019, that figure was 33% and by 2025, the battery will be just 20% of the total price tag[36].
According to consultants at Deloitte, 2022 is predicted to be the 'banner year' when the price of owning and running EVs will achieve parity with ICE counterparts: "With the cost of ownership no longer a barrier to purchase, EVs will become a realistic, viable option for any new car buyer[37]."
If Deloitte's prediction is correct, and EVs manage to win over consumer skepticism to become the dominant vehicles on driveways and in car parks across the globe, it will be due in no small part to the battery technology.
The mysterious black box that is the crucial catalyst for maximizing the delivery of power to the vehicle, reassurance to the owner and cash to the manufacturer.
[1] https://www.iea.org/reports/renewables-2019/transport
[2] https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/gearing-change-transport-sector-feels-heat-over-emissions
[4] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-50267017
[5] http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_A_Vision_for_a_Sustainable_Battery_Value_Chain_in_2030_Report.pdf
[6] https://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/towards_the_battery_of_the_future_FB20_en.pdf
[7] https://www.iea.org/topics/tracking-clean-energy-progress
[8] https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2019
[9]https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/industries/automotive%20and%20assembly/our%20insights/the%20road%20ahead%20for%20e%20mobility/the-road-ahead-for-e-mobility-vf.ashx
[10] https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/charts/electric-car-market-share-in-the-sustainable-development-scenario-2000-2030
[11] https://about.bnef.com/electric-vehicle-outlook/
[12] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/public-attitudes-towards-electric-vehicles-2016
[13] https://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/towards_the_battery_of_the_future_FB20_en.pdf
[14] https://www.nature.com/articles/nmat4777
[15] https://www.vauxhall.co.uk/cars/new-corsa/electric.html
[16] https://www.toyota-europe.com/world-of-toyota/feel/environment/better-air/electric-vehicle
[17] https://www.bdo.co.uk/en-gb/news/2019/top-20-carmakers-r-d-spend-tops-70bn-in-a-year
[18] https://www.businessinsider.com/million-mile-battery-tesla-miles-lifetime-2019-11?r=US&IR=T
[19] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tesla-china-electric-exclusive/exclusive-tesla-in-talks-to-use-catls-cobalt-free-batteries-in-china-made-cars-sources-idUSKBN20C0RP
[20] https://www.saftbatteries.com/media-resources/our-stories/three-battery-technologies-could-power-future
[21] http://news.hydroquebec.com/en/press-releases/1580/hydro-quebec-partners-with-mercedes-benz-on-development-of-solid-state-battery-technologies/
[22] https://spectrum.ieee.org/energywise/energy/batteries-storage/john-goodenough-glass-battery-news-hydroquebec
[23] https://global.toyota/en/newsroom/corporate/31477926.html
[24] https://news.samsung.com/global/samsung-presents-groundbreaking-all-solid-state-battery-technology-to-nature-energy
[25] https://rivian.com/technology/
[27] https://news.psu.edu/story/594641/2019/10/30/research/and-out-10-minute-electrical-vehicle-recharge
[28] https://pod-point.com/guides/driver/how-long-to-charge-an-electric-car
[29] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/30/electric-cars-could-be-charged-in-10-minutes-in-future-finds-research
[30] https://echiontech.com/news.php
[31] https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-02/nrco-krd022120.php
[33] http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_A_Vision_for_a_Sustainable_Battery_Value_Chain_in_2030_Report.pdf
[36] https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/newsletters/2019-04-12/electric-vehicle-battery-shrinks-and-so-does-the-total-cost-juebizw9
[37] https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/uk/Documents/manufacturing/deloitte-uk-battery-electric-vehicles.pdf
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In adition to these modules, also check out our Drupal Development Cheat Sheet, some PHP debugging tools, a super cool Automated development environment, and of course, the Drupal Official Documentation. See all our Drupal Tutorial here.
Here is a list of modules that every developer should think about enabling on day one of every project. These modules are intended to help development and should be uninstalled before going in production.
Devel module is the perfect companion for development. It includes debugging functions like krumo, it prettyfies existing PHP functions with their dprint_r() and ddebug_backtrace()and it also generates content, comments, users and such.
Search Krumo is the missing piece of the puzzle, it adds a search bar in krumo output. You can type in the search box a variable name, a function, a renderable array item or even the content of the page itself and you will find it in krumo instantly. On top of it all, it tells you also the variable that stores the information for each piece of the website. Finding the correct element of the page to copy and paste into your code becomes a child's play.
Coder (optional) provides an automated review of the code, how it's written and how to improve it. Coder uses some very smart programs that can give you hints about coding best practices and alert you of potential flaws to be aware of. Although it's cool, don't rely on it entirely because it is just a stupid script and not a sensible reviewer.
Form Inspect (optional) provides a krumo for every form on the site. When enabled, it will include the krumo for every form element on every page you visit. Since most pages on drupal are made of forms, this can be very handy at times. Rather than inserting and removing "dsm($form);" on your code in order to inspect a form, you can just enable/disable the forminspect module.
Devel Themer is an enhancement to the devel module by adding information about the theme in a very nice interface. Upon installation a checkbox will appear at the bottom of the screen. When you check it, a floating window will appear, displaying information about theme templates, preprocess functions and a krumo output at the botom. Then you can click anywhere on the page to get information about this specific element. It's awesome.
Style Guide provides a page that includes all sorts of tags and classes for themers to do all the CSS work in one go (hopefully). This is good to ensure that everything in your CSS is styled according to the design and avoid unpleasant surprises when new pages are created.
It's often useful to have a plain drupal site on your local machine to test new modules or themes before using them on your development site. Although the development site is made for tests, it also holds the next code that will go on production some day. For big changes that might break things up it's wise to have a test site. This test site can be much more than just a crash test dummy, by adding some extra modules, you will start to grasp how useful it can be.
The Example module is probably in every developer's favourite list because it provides clean and documented code to awesome things in Drupal. To say it more bluntly, it's a copy/paste heaven for lazy developers (or, say, developers with deadlines).
Module Builder is another cool gadget for developers and site builders. It allows you to create a skeleton module using the web interface. This is a great way for site builders to dig into module development. You will create your module using the admin interface of your drupal site, chose the things you would like your module to do, and get the code of a "ready-for-development" module.
If you have suggestions please share them in the comments, I'm always excited about these tools!


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Q: How to fill a column with the header of the maximum value in a range of columns for every row I have a CSV file like this
Screen Name,Sports,Music,Movies,Politics,Vehicles,Media,Word Count
henrywinter,0.12,0.005714286,0,0.005714286,0,0.017142857,175
BumbleCricket,0.081818182,0.009090909,0,0,0,0.009090909,110
SamWallaceTel,0.196172249,0.009569378,0,0.004784689,0,0.019138756,209
Marcotti,0.06779661,0,0,0,0,0.02259887,177

Now, how do I fill a column in each row with the header of the maximum value in a range of columns for every row??

A: I'm assuming you don't want to include word count because it's always much bigger than the others.
If you read the CSV into A1:H5 and then put this formula in (say) J2 and pull down, it should find the column header matching the maximum value in each row:-
=INDEX($B$1:$G$1,MATCH(MAX($B2:$G2),$B2:$G2,0))

The result in your example is always Sports.

(have changed B2 to zero to show that Media is selected).

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Jamieson Vitamin B12 1200mcg, Timed Release, 200 tablets
Timed Release Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) 1,200 mcg assists in the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats for energy production. It supports a healthy cardiovascular system, blood cells and tissues. This product assists in the synthesis of essential fatty acids for maintaining myelin and it plays an important role in healthy function of the immune and central nervous systems.
Jamieson's Timed Release Vitamin B12 1,200 mcg contains a high-quality source of Vitamin B12 that is processed without heat or solvents to ensure the integrity and effectiveness of this important nutrient. The special time-diffused tablets provide gradual release of Vitamin B12 over six to eight hours.
Product colour may vary due to natural changes in the colour of raw materials.
Assists in the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats for energy production
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Assists in the synthesis of essential fatty acids for maintaining myelin
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Ensures continuous synthesis of DNA, the genetic material in all cells
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Vitamin B12 ........................1,200 mcg
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What is an atheist? An atheist is a someone that does not believe in God (or gods) — but you already knew that. What you might not know is that most atheists don't think that there is proof that God doesn't exist. Moreover, most atheists hold that, in general, it isn't possible to prove that something does not exist; it's only possible to prove that something exists. How is atheism different than agnosticism? Agnostics don't know if God exists. They either think that it is not knowable if God exists, or they simply reserve judgment until they have more evidence. Atheists believe that God does not exist based on the available evidence. So is atheism just a belief like theism (Judaism, Christianity, etc.)? That depends on the theist! There are many reasonable theists that believe that God exists but they also recognize that they could be wrong; they base their belief on the evidence they have and how compelling they judge the evidence to be. They are willing to reconsider given new evidence. On the other hand, there are many fundamentalist theists who claim that they are certain that God exists, even though they can't produce any reasonable evidence. Rather than believing because of the evidence, these theists hold stubborn, irrational beliefs in spite of the evidence. That type of "belief", which is more accurately labelled "blind faith", is very different from atheists' beliefs about science, and it is very different than any other rational belief, whether about God or anything else.
This understanding of atheism is fairly commonly accepted by other atheists, although some theists complain that 'negative atheism' is trivial or evasive. William Lane Craig argues that Martin is 'redefining' the term to argue for the presumption of atheism, and it is certainly clear that atheists involved in these debates tend to be positive atheists. As well as the claim that it represents the etymology of the term, atheists tend to favour this definition because it treats atheism as the 'null hypothesis', and seems to clearly put the burden of proof on the believer. Martin is clear that defence of negative atheism merely requires refutations of theistic argument, while defence of positive atheism requires reasons for disbelief to be given. One criticism of Martin's definition is that it is not what is commonly understood by 'atheism', and may therefore be confusing and unhelpful. As well as Martin's acknowledgement that dictionaries tend to define atheism positively, many surveys have shown that far fewer people identify as atheists than lack belief in God. For example, Greeley's 2003 survey found that 31% of Britons did not believe in God, but only 10% considered themselves 'atheist'. Martin's appeal to etymology does not necessarily make his definition more helpful if it is not how the word is understood: and his use of agnosticism to be a question of belief rather than knowledge sits uneasily with this etymological approach. Putting to one side the question of what atheism 'should' or 'really' means, the positive-negative distinction is certainly useful in philosophical discussions as a shorthand for different sorts of atheism.
Richard Dawkins does not provide such a strict definition of atheism, and the fact he opposes describing a child as 'Atheist' or 'Christian' suggests that he views atheism as a conscious position and thus leans towards the dictionary definition of atheism as necessarily an active disbelief: Martin's 'positive atheism'. Dawkins' central argument against religion is probabilistic, and his scale of belief reflects this, ranging from 1: 'Strong theist. 100% probability of God' to the equivalent 7: 'Strong atheist'. He doesn't see 7 as a well-populated category, placing himself as 6: 'Very low probability, but short of zero. De facto atheist'. Again, this terminology suggests that he sees atheism as strictly requiring certainty. It should not be taken for a lack of certainty in a practical sense, however: Dawkins states 'I am agnostic only to the extent that I am agnostic about fairies at the bottom of the garden'.
Dawkins divides agnosticism into TAP (temporary agnosticism in practice) and PAP (permanent agnosticism in principle), identifying the first as Sagan's stance on alien life. All but 1 and 7 on his scale can be identified as TAP. The second, PAP, he rightly argues would not be on the scale at all, even in the middle, though it is not clear if this is not sometimes true for TAP as well: Sagan does not give a probabilistic response to the question of alien life. Dawkins reserves PAP for questions that can never be answered by science: and it is central to his thought that God can be shown to be incredibly improbable scientifically. As such, committed agnostics tend to be portrayed as obscurantist, and Dawkins attempts to claim that Huxley overlooked the question of probability, perhaps in an attempt to accommodate the religious to make his central points more effective. Whether this can be squared with Huxley's references to Kant and his 'pretty strong conviction that the problem was insoluble' is another question. In any case, Dawkins' reading of agnosticism makes a useful distinction and seems fairer to the etymology and common use of the term 'agnostic', and most agnostics can be helpfully placed in the TAP or PAP categories.
Another useful distinction can be made between a broad sense of atheism (positive or negative), according to which an atheist lacks a belief or positively disbelieves in any God or gods, and a narrow sense of atheism (positive or negative) according to which an atheist lacks a belief or positively disbelieves in the personal God believed in by members of the Abrahamic religions, or some other subset of gods. Certain thinkers are positive atheists about Abrahamic religion, but best described as agnostic (whether TAP or PAP) about a deist God, or some other possible sort of God.
In the current atheist debates the New Atheists generally deny that there are good reasons to believe in the sort of personal God believed in by members of the Abrahamic religions. This is because they perceive the great Abrahamic religions – Christianity, Judaism, and Islam – as the greatest threat to the integrity of science and the rule of secular law. However, they also reject deism – the belief in a God that is not based on revelation but on evidence from nature and does not intervene in the world – polytheism (belief in many gods), and pantheism (belief that God is identical with nature). The last is described by Dawkins as 'sexed-up atheism', as he sees it as seeing the natural world in a spiritual way: probably very true for modern pantheists, though by no means universal amongst earlier pantheists, many of whom were more accurately panentheists, seeing the world as within God, rather than exhausting a description of him.
If we apply this distinction to the contemporary debates, the three chief public atheists, (Dawkins, Dennett and Harris) should probably be categorised as positive atheists in the broad sense. Dawkins, for example, denies not only of the personal God of the Abrahamic religions but also the more minimal deist God; he also dismisses the gods of the polytheistic religions, as well as the alleged pantheism of scientists such as Einstein, which he interprets as mere religious metaphor. The Abrahamic God is their primary target, but they broadly dismiss all other forms of belief in God as well.
Moreover, although this is not entailed by atheism in any of the abovementioned senses, avowed atheists tend also to disbelieve in supernatural entities of any kind (e.g., spirits, disembodied souls) and also in supernatural interventions of any kind in the course of nature or events inexplicable in terms of the best contemporary (orthodox) scientific understanding of the universe (for example, parapsychological occurrences).
It is noteworthy, however, that the strident atheist Sam Harris has signalled an openness towards the possibility of parapsychological events in nature. This, of course, does not affect his status as an atheist, since the existence of phenomena such as telepathy and precognition is compatible with there being no God or gods. However, this puts him at odds with Dawkins and Dennett, for whom belief in such things is inextricably associated with the religious mentality.
The attitude to the term 'atheist' also varies, with some thinkers wishing to escape its negative connotations, or purely reactive definition. Sam Harris did not use the term in his first book, 'The End of Faith', and argued at a recent conference that 'our use of this label is a mistake-and a mistake of some consequence', objecting on both 'philosophical and strategic' grounds. Alternatives proposed or used include 'free- thinker', 'rationalist' and the controversial 'Bright'.
Unlike a religion, atheism is not organized under a common doctrine (belief system). The only shared opinion among atheists is the non-existence of a deity. There are a few common beliefs among atheists such as views regarding morality, religion and spirituality, but these beliefs vary greatly and are outside the definition of atheism and thus are not required to be an atheist.
Largely, atheism remains unorganized and as some would say, "organizing atheists is like trying to heard cats".
For the most part, immorality and morality are subjective. Every culture, civilization, belief system, family and individual has their own definition of what being moral means. There are however a few common ideas derived from natural laws that are considered immoral such as deceit, theft, murder any any other kind of caused suffering (see Humanism).
There is no evidence that atheists are any less moral according to their society's cultural beliefs than those of the society who subscribe to a religious doctrine. Most atheists consider themselves moral. Many atheists call themselves Secular Humanists; they adhere to a set of beliefs that promotes human values without specific allusion to religious doctrines.


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Posted inBusiness & Economy
'Understaffed, underpaid:' Local Starbucks workers file union petition
by Manan Bhavnani December 6th, 2022 December 8th, 2022
Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of the barista's name. The RoundTable regrets the error.
Workers at the Starbucks store at 519 Main St., one of three stand-alone Starbucks in Evanston, have filed to organize a union.
Photo by Kristi Gy on Pexels.com
"We're doing this because we're severely understaffed," said Hannah Andersen, a barista at the store. During peak hours around 3 p.m. there are only two employees at the store, she said, when three or four would be needed to handle the rush.
"We want to build a warm environment not just for customers, but also for us," she added.
The filing Sunday for the Main Street store follows a national push for unionization. According to the National Labor Relations Board, union petitions saw a 53% increase in the past year.
"It's exciting, it's progress," Andersen said of the union petition. Despite the issues, "we can all attest that we love our jobs and we want to stay here," she said.
Andersen said she hopes labor efforts at the Main Street store can inspire unionization drives elsewhere, including the other two Evanston Starbucks. "A lot of what we've talked about is to keep the momentum going," she said.
Other employee concerns include scheduling, pay and sometimes, belligerent customers, Andersen said. Some weeks, she said she's only scheduled to work nine hours, which is barely enough to get by. Compensation and benefits, which are tied to scheduling, are another problem, she said, citing a colleague who's set to lose their benefits over work hours.
In a statement Tuesday, Starbucks defended its commitment to employees.
"Right now, our focus is on listening to our partners, addressing their needs, and ensuring we are delivering the very best Starbucks Experience we can offer. We support our partners' right to have their voices heard and we are committed to listening," the statement read.
The Chicago area previously had seven Starbucks stores that were unionized. However, in October, the company closed a North Side Chicago store that was the first to unionize before contract talks could begin. Last month, the company shuttered a Seattle store that was the first to unionize in the chain's home city.
The Main-Dempster Mile District, where the Main Street Starbucks is located, is home to more than 200 businesses, with only a minority of those businesses being chains, according to Katherine Gotsick, executive director for the district.
She welcomed the Sunday petition by Starbucks employees. "I think Evanston in general is a real progressive town," Gotsick said, though "every store is different."
Workers at Starbucks at 1901 Dempster St. declined to comment.
Manan Bhavnani
Prior to joining the RoundTable, Manan Bhavnani covered business and technology for the International Business Times, with a focus on mergers, earnings and governance. He is a double Medill graduate, with... More by Manan Bhavnani
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Laura Scalia says:
December 7th, 2022 at 5:04 PM
Great article. ❤. FYI the person quoted in your article is Hannah Andersen. Her name ends EN. Not ON.
Susy Schultz says:
Thank you, Laura. We have corrected the story and put a correction on the page to reflect the change. Again, thank you for pointing this out. We appreciate it. Susy Schultz, editor


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New Sage Grouse Exhibit Opens at the High Desert Museum
Sage Grouse: Icon of the Sagebrush Sea features the natural history, cultural significance, and conservation efforts centered around America's largest grouse
Discover the iconic denizen of the sagebrush sea, North America's largest grouse, at the High Desert Museum's new exhibit in Bend, Oregon. Sage Grouse: Icon of the Sagebrush Sea is produced in partnership with The Nature Conservancy and sponsored in part by the Sage Grouse Initiative. This exhibit explores the birds' role in the sagebrush ecosystem, as well as its important cultural value to Native Americans, hunters, and birdwatchers. Check out the video below for a teaser of the amazing footage captured in this new exhibit!
Greater sage-grouse populations have disappeared from parts of their historic range due to habitat loss and degradation. Although sage grouse once numbered in the millions, fewer than 400,000 birds now live in the American West. The High Desert Museum's exhibition explores the birds' fascinating natural history, as well as the unprecedented collaborative efforts to protect sage grouse and their habitat.
The sagebrush sea features extraordinary vistas across the West. Photo: Steve Chindgren
The exhibit opens on the heels of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's recent decision not to list the greater sage-grouse under the Endangered Species Act. While highlighting the success of voluntary, cooperative conservation projects like those led by the Sage Grouse Initiative, the exhibit will also offer specific ways the public can directly support sage grouse conservation.
This Friday, Oct. 16, the public is invited to attend an opening reception for this unique exhibit from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. The reception features award-winning book author and photographer Noppadol Paothong, who wrote Save the Last Dance: A Story of North American Grassland Grouse.
Elk also depend on the high desert's sagebrush steppe ecosystem. Photo Steve Chindgren
The museum will host several special programs on the exhibit over the next few months, including tribal legends and dances related to sage grouse, Lewis and Clark's journal entries on North American grouse species, and the role of sagebrush steppe plants in sage grouse survival. This exhibit is made possible by partnership and support from The Nature Conservancy, Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Teton Waters Ranch, and the Sage Grouse Initiative.
Click here for details on the exhibit and its special sage grouse programs.


Designed to provide an effective protection to mechanical components during operation.
Its use is recommended in case of start-up overloads, temporary load peaks and reversal of motion rotation in order to prevent the damaging of motor units and transmission components such as belt or chain drives, gears etc. They are generally used on machinery or equipment requiring a reliable safety device.
The material used for the manufacture of the friction plates does not contain asbestos.
The unit to be connected is tightened between the friction plates. The pressure of the springs through the nut generates the friction force.
During the ordinary operating time of the transmission, if the correct limiter type has been chosen and the lock nut tightened, we should have no motion between the driving unit and the limiter itself. This is called a rigid drive.
At overloads, the driving unit inside the torque limiter slips, thus limiting the torque. The drive is immediately stopped.
When the overload ends, the drive is automatically reengaged.
No need of action from the outside.
The LC torque limiters can be used both in dry and oil operating conditions. When used in oil conditions, a 25% drop of the torque capacity has to be considered. In case of oil bath, it is required to dip the friction plates into a SAE30 oil type before mounting.


Coventry City fans have reacted after former club captain Carl Baker revealed just how close he was to making a return to his beloved Sky Blues.
The ex-skipperwas the subject of intense speculation linking him with a return to the Ricoh Arena all summer.
After the 34-year-old left Portsmourth on transfer deadline day, speculation reached fever pitch.
It was widely believed, with a new baby on the way and his young family settled in the area, linking up with his old boss Mark Robins would have been the ideal switch for Baker.
But he admits he got an offer he simply couldn't refuse – to play in the lucrative Indian Super League in front of huge crowds.
Baker held exit talks with Pompey chiefs before finally agreeing a package to part company with the club he'd helped win the League Two title and promotion back to League One in his first season at Fratton Park.
A return to Coventry looked the most likely until he received a call from Atletico de Kolkata boss Teddy Sheringham.
Baker will now link up with former Sky Blues striker Robbie Keane and ex-City midfielder Conor Thomas at ATK .
Don Haley: As always, Money talks, if he was "so dedicated" to CCFC then he would have signed one what may, better off with players who TRULY WANT TO put on the shirt, and at 34 he was definitely not one for the future was he?
Kieron Beaman: Who cares now. Our club needs sorting out ASAP before we are no longer.
Michael Shaw: Fair play to Carl I don't blame him for not coming back, would've been nice to see him back like Micky Doyle but he'll do well at ATK.
Dave Benfield: He'd need his head examined if he joined up with SISU!!!
Susie Dunn: Fair play to him. Maybe when he gets back we can get a season out of him.
Andy Sweeney: Good luck to him. He owes the club nothing.
Scott McKerlie: No great loss is it?
Adam Reeve: Gutted he didn't come back to the City, but great move for him and his family!


Summit Day on Mt Everest – amazing video.
This great quality video was shot by Darren Aronofsky on his summit day on Mount Everest. The date was 21st May 2008 via the South Col route.
Stunning pictures of the Hillary Step and beyond. This is probably the best quality video I have seen, just a shame it was not a longer video.
The music is 'Death is the Road to Awe' by Clint Mansell from the film 'The Fountain' by Darren Aronofsky.


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press-release lydia-ko
Ko Receives New Zealand Honor
Lydia Ko Receives New Zealand Honor
lydia-ko
Photo Credit: 2018 Getty Images
Written By: Associated Press
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) - Former top-ranked golfer Lydia Ko has received one of New Zealand's highest civil honors.
The 21-year-old Korean-born golfer was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the country's New Year's honors list.
Ko was the top-ranked women's golfer from February 2015 to June 2017. She was also the youngest player to win a professional tournament and the youngest tournament winner on the LPGA tour.
Ko said the award was "a huge honor for me. I am grateful to be recognized alongside many talented, inspiring New Zealanders and those who make New Zealand a better country for all of us Kiwis."


Waldo schmaldo. There's way more fun to be had by searching through these images from around the world, and finding a sneaky kitty skulking about. Hilarious fun for cat lovers, and the perfect time-killer on a coffee table or porch. Spiral-bound; 160 pages with full-color photography.


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Deep in Space...
Spelljammer - Ancient Of Days (2015)
With their 2012 album Vol.2, Spelljammer released a modern stoner rock classic. Heavy, trippy, monolithic - it was all of those things and more. Original vinyl copies change hands for big cash these days, and it has a high reputation among many. Following that album up would be a challenge for anybody but, right from the get-go, it's clear that Spelljammer haven't let their guard down with Ancient Of Days.
The 12-minute-long opener, "Meadow", is exactly what you'd want and expect from a heavy stoner doom band like Spelljammer. It starts with three minutes or so of droning feedback and heaviness before kicking into a truly gigantic riff. It's heavy and brutish, but also groovy, and there's definitely a degree of compositional sophistication here - there's effective use of quiet / loud dynamics throughout. I've always appreciated an acoustic track or two on doom albums, and Spelljammer supply their own with the Ancient Of Days' second song, "Laelia".
The album is well-produced with some excellent, thick guitar tones and fittingly psychedelic vocal effects. Much has been made in the press release of the group's new three-piece line-up; however, from where I'm sitting, it hasn't made a huge difference musically which is no bad thing. It's not that this album is a rehash of previous efforts, far from it, but it's not a million miles either sonically or stylistically. Fans of the band's previous outings will be very happy with what Spelljammer have offered here, whilst newcomers to the group will find a band that, for my money, sit with the best of all doom bands operating at the moment.
~ Martin
For fans of; Monolord, Electric Wizard, With The Dead, Windhand, early Om
Facebook • Bandcamp
Labels: Heavy Psych, RidingEasy Records, Spelljammer, Stockholm, Stoner Doom, Sweden
Growing From Ashes...
Stoned in Hell...
Finding A Dark Center...
Reasons To Fight...
Super Satisfying Stoner Sounds...
Fear For Your Child...
Following The Old Ways...
Grooves And Gnashing...
Bringing The Doom To You...
Riding The Star Lane...
Banging Heads And Pulling Threads...
Heady Vibes...
Live And Powerful...
Ride The Tide...
Comforting Alien Skies...


If your condition is the result of an event outside of your control – a vehicle accident, slip and fall, or hazards stemming from another's negligence – blame for your situation can be assigned to that person or entity. And you have a right to seek to hold them accountable for your expenses. The process can be legally complicated. An experienced attorney can help.
Ongoing therapy:Release from the hospital might not be the end of restorative therapy. Adaptive training can last a long time and cost a great deal.
Home adaptations: If you suffer a disabling spinal cord injury, getting around your house will have to change. Adaptations to entries, bathrooms, cooking facilities will be required.
Transportation: Losing the use of limbs does not mean you're immobile. But it costs money to get a properly equipped vehicle.
Assistive technology: Body movement and social engagement can be critical to overall health. Devices to help foster phone or computer communication are available, as are systems to assist you in standing or sitting, stretching your body.
With your focus understandably being on getting a grip on the issues of daily living, it can be easy to overlook these issues in the aftermath of a disabling injury. To understand what your potential needs might be, identify all possible resources and assemble them effectively requires a comprehensive plan. The first step in making that plan is consulting a skilled attorney.


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Q: Search matching transaction code from browser If I need a matching transaction code (TCode) for the thing which I want to do in SAP I often google for the matching tcode. Usually I can find a matching tcode quickly, then I enter it in the well known input in the upper left corner of the SAP GUI.
Is there a way to avoid the switching between browser and SAP GUI?
Is there a way to search for the matching tcode by its description?
For example I search a tcode to list all available users in the system.

A: use Table TSTC or database view INFO_TRANT in order to find TCODE, the description can be found in TTEXT field.


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June 10, 2014 - 5:37 pm EST 6 years ago
Golfstradamaus: 2014 U.S. Open
Matthew Castonguay Follow
If you've been waking up feeling spry, loving life and experiencing a general feeling of euphoria this week, it's probably because the U.S. Open is upon us. The season's second major brings the second shot at glory and for one man, the shot at continuing his run at the grand slam.
All right, seriously though — Bubba Watson doesn't stand a snowball's chance in hell this week at Pinehurst, so we can move on from the grand slam talk. So, now that you know who ISN'T going to win the U.S. Open, here are a bunch of guys who will … or at least can.
114th United States Open
Pinehurst No. 2, Pinehurst, N.C.
ODDS to Win:
Rory McIlroy 10/1
Tiger Woods WD
Adam Scott 12/1
Phil Mickelson 15/1
Jordan Spieth 20/1
Jason Day 25/1
Justin Rose 25/1
Matt Kuchar 20/1
Henrik Stenson 25/1
Dustin Johnson 30/1
Bubba Watson 15/1
Brandt Snedeker 60/1
Lee Westwood 40/1
Jason Dufner 30/1
Sergio Garcia 35/1
Graeme McDowell 40/1
Zach Johnson 50/1
Hunter Mahan 50/1
Charl Schwartzel 50/1
Rickie Fowler 60/1
Keegan Bradley 50/1
Webb Simpson 40/1
Jim Furyk 30/1
Luke Donald 40/1
Steve Stricker 50/1
Jimmy Walker 50/1
Ian Poulter 60/1
Louis Oosthuizen 60/1
Patrick Reed 100/1
Harris English 60/1
Graham DeLaet 80/1
Hideki Matsuyama 50/1
Bill Haas 80/1
Jonas Blixt 80/1
Ryan Moore 80/1
Ernie Els 100/1
Martin Kaymer 40/1
Gary Woodland 60/1
Billy Horschel 80/1
Nick Watney 150/1
Victor Dubuisson 80/1
K.J. Choi XX
Angel Cabrera 100/1
Jamie Donaldson 100/1
John Senden 100/1
Marc Leishman XX
Matt Jones 150/1
Miguel Angel Jimenez 100/1
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano 200/1
Francesco Molinari 100/1
Matteo Manassero XX
Thomas Bjorn WD
Russell Henley 150/1
Chris Kirk 100/1
Thorbjorn Olesen XX
Nicolas Colsaerts 200/1
Peter Hanson XX
Geoff Ogilvy 150/1
Charles Howell III XX
Martin Laird XX
Brendon de Jonge 150/1
Freddie Jacobson XX
Joost Luiten 100/1
Charley Hoffman XX
Kevin Na 125/1
Will MacKenzie XX
Ryo Ishikawa XX
Brooks Koepka 200/1
Peter Uihlein XX
Robert Garrigus XX
Bo Van Pelt 150/1
Ryan Palmer 150/1
Kevin Stadler 150/1
Retief Goosen 125/1
Padraig Harrington XX
Chesson Hadley XX
Kevin Streelman 150/1
Stewart Cink 200/1
Paul Casey 100/1
Stephen Gallacher 125/1
Russell Knox XX
Chris Stroud XX
Matt Every 125/1
Branden Grace XX
George Coetzee XX
Tim Clark XX
Thongchai Jaidee 200/1
Roberto Castro 300/1
Lucas Glover 250/1
Y.E. Yang 500/1
Boo Weekley 200/1
D.A. Points 500/1
Luke Guthrie 250/1
Kenny Perry 500/1
Darren Clarke 500/1
Michael Campbell WD
Oliver Goss 500/1
Matthew Fitzpatrick 500/1
Garrick Porteous XX
Field (all others) 12/1
With Pinehurst No. 2 playing somewhere in the neighborhood of a million yards long this week, you've got to look at Jason Day. Not only has Day been a runner-up in the U.S. Open twice, he also mashes the ball off the tee and hits it high and soft with his irons. It's hard to imagine a scenario where a healthy Day doesn't contend this week. I know I said much of the same about him before the Masters, but we'll chalk up his T-20 at Augusta to that wrist injury he was nursing. This week he's healthy and I expect the Aussie to contend. At 25/1, you'll be sorry if you pass him up.
There's no one out there that the people want to see win more than Phil Mickelson and I'd like to tell you that will happen, but honestly, who the hell knows? Mickelson finished second last year at Merion. He also finished second in 2002, '04, '06 and 2009. If you believe in trends, Mickelson's next runner-up finish will come in 2016. He's played pretty close to garbage the last couple of weeks, by his standards, and that's not just from me, that's from him. In his press conference Tuesday, Mickelson admitted, "I haven't had the form this year to get excited." But, at the end of the day, when it comes to Phil, you've got to zig when everything says zag. And so, at 15/1, I'm putting at least a c-note down on Lefty this week, albeit against my better judgement.
A guy who has been getting absolutely no love is Jonas Blixt and honestly, I couldn't tell you why. The Swede has been playing solid golf all year, finished T-2 at Augusta in April and fourth at last year's PGA Championship. This will be his first start in the U.S. Open and, if you believe in trends, he will probably fare very well because of it. He's making just his fourth-ever start in a major and knowing his previous results at the PGA Championship and the Masters, you can do the math about how well he's fared as a rookie. He's done nothing but play well on big stages and when you combine the skills needed to succeed at Augusta and at Oak Hill, you've got everything you need to play well at Pinehurst. The best part about Blixt this week? The 80/1 payday, of course.
A sleeper pick at the U.S. Open is the Frenchman Victor Dubuisson. He picked up his first win on the European Tour late last year and ever since then has been one of the best players in the world. Despite missing the cut at Augusta in April, Dubuisson finished second to Jason Day at the WGC-Accenture Match-Play and most recently, finished runner-up at the Nordea Masters two weeks ago. Dubuisson is making only his third career start in a major but that shouldn't scare you away. For a guy who many think could do for golf in France what Seve Ballasteros did for golf in Spain, picking up a major this early in his career would be huge … and at 80/1, so would your payday.
The final name I have for you this week is a guy that many are picking to do well in Pinehurst. Matt Kuchar seems like a guy on the verge of winning his first major championship. Really, it's about the only thing he hasn't accomplished yet in his career. He's already had a good showing at Augusta this year and I think had it not been for a four-putt and Bubba Watson's dominance on Sunday that Kuch could've slipped on a green jacket. Kuchar is a favorite this week with him getting just 20/1 money, but even that isn't too bad considering most weeks you'd be hard-pressed to find him for that value.
If you're looking for more names or ones I didn't mention but still like this week, check out the action on the Graham DeLaet, Graeme McDowell, Billy Horschel and Miguel Angel Jimenez. If you wanna put some money on an amateur who'll play well, put your money on Cameron Wilson or Matthew Fitzpatrick. And for good measure, one guy who could go "Michael Campbell" on all of our asses and collect the win is Kevin Na, who has never won on tour but is playing great golf right now and getting 125/1 this week.
OK, that's it. Take those to the bank and hunker down for what promises to not be anywhere near as good as the tournament that took place here in 1999. Cheers!
– Golfstradamaus
Related Link: Complete 2014 U.S. Open Coverage
More U.S. Open Coverage:
– The 5 Golfers Who Have Achieved the Career Grand Slam
– By the Numbers: U.S. Open History
– Pinehurst 2.0: Mean Greens
– The Real Origins of Pinehurst
– A Look Back: Phil Mickelson's Six U.S. Open Runner-Up Finishes
– Masters Thoughts with Will Ferrell
– Pinehurst No. 2: Restored Back to its Historic Roots
– 5 Things You Need to Know: 2014 U.S. Open at Pinehurst
– Chuck Irons, Golf P.I. Is 'Pinecursed'
– 2014 U.S. Open Round 1 & 2 Tee Times and Pairings
– Greatest Ever: Payne Stewart & the 1999 U.S. Open
– Top 9 U.S. Open Moments
– 9 Players to Watch at the 2014 U.S. Open
– 9 Best Golfers Yet to Win a Major
– Missing Major: 9 Players Who Just Missed Career Grand Slam
– U.S. Open Ticket Prices Plummet From 2013
– U.S. Open Odds: McIlroy, Scott and Mickelson Lead
– Oh, the Places Golf's Majors Trophies Have Been
– TaylorMade Scripting for 2014 U.S. Open
– Nike Golf 2014 U.S. Open Scripting
– It's Official: Tiger Woods To Miss U.S. Open
– Phil Mickelson Sees Multiple Olympics, U.S. Open Wins in Future
– Heartbreaker: Amateur's U.S. Open Dream Ends with Self-DQ
– USGA Hands Out 25 More U.S. Open Exemptions
– Cheyenne Woods Qualifies For U.S. Women's Open


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Feds Charge Casper Man With Child Porn Possession, Distribution
Kevork Djansezian - Getty Images
The Wyoming U.S. Attorney's Office has charged a Casper man with possessing and distributing child pornography, according to court records.
Clarence Winfrey, 56, was initially charged in Natrona County District Court with the same counts.
But Thursday, District Court Judge Daniel Forgey granted Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Hambrick's request to dismiss the state counts so federal prosecutors can take over.
If convicted in federal court, Winfrey faces up to 20 years imprisonment for the possession count, between five and 20 years imprisonment for the distribution count, and five years to lifetime probation.
The government regards child pornography as a crime of violence because it involves sometimes brutal assaults on children who cannot give consent to sexual activity.
The case started in November when a U.S. Department of Homeland Security undercover agent in New Mexico was on a public online chat forum in a chat room about "childslavesex" and "pedomoms." The agent then was contacted by a "Mr. Frey," who was later identified as Winfrey, according to the criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court.
Winfrey asked whether the undercover agent had children or underage relatives, if they performed sexual acts, and if so, what. During subsequent conversations, Winfrey said he planned to train his girlfriend, and her the prepubescent daughter and son, to be sex slaves. Winfrey also told the agent that he was a retired Navy veteran.
Winfrey also asked if the agent was familiar with a popular series of child pornography, and later sent the agent a video with an underage female and an adult male.
Meanwhile, the agent and Winfrey began communicating through Yahoo, with Winfrey using the name "nwinspirit."
The calls continued intermittently, and it took time to gather evidence. Meanwhile, Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation agents located Winfrey's vehicle, his residence in the 1200 block of North Center Street, and his Internet Protocol address.
After obtaining a search warrant, the undercover agent began a computer chat with Winfrey on the morning of May 5. At the same time, DCI agents executed the search warrant at Winfrey's address. They brought him outside to clear the residence and search for evidence.
After acknowledging his Miranda rights, Winfrey admitted to being "Mr. Frey" in the online chat room and "nwinspirit" on Yahoo, but quit talking when the subject of the child pornography video he sent the Homeland Security undercover agent.
Investigators found 130 images of child pornography on a hard drive, an image on a cell phone.
The federal government will seek to detain Winfrey, according to court records.


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Ebola: MSF handing over activites as outbreak is contained in Lofa county, Liberia
The Ebola outbreak has improved in Lofa County, Liberia, to the extent that Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has now decided to withdraw from the area.
Since 30th October there have been no new patients in the Ebola management centre (EMC) in Foya, this means that, as new organisations arrive to aid the response, the need for MSF's response is greatly reduced.
The success this intervention in northern Liberia has benefited from a comprehensive approach and constant community involvement and can, therefore, be considered a model example of an effective response.
Martin Zinggl/MSF
Ebola patient Deddeh recovers and celebrates with a thumbs-up. Out of solidarity she decides to stay in the Ebola confirmed area in Foya to take care of Elijah, a three-month-old boy who has lost his mother to Ebola and has been infected himself.
Six 'pillars' of Ebola management
When MSF took over the management of the EMC in Foya in August 2014, the teams not only faced up to 130 patients a day but also had to deal with the fear, denial and misinformation of the local population as they had never experienced an Ebola outbreak before.
Soon it became clear that the intervention could not only focus on isolating patients but that MSF needed to take a comprehensive and transparent approach if the virus was to be contained.
So the teams began to work on all six 'pillars' of Ebola management; including isolation, outreach, safe burials, health promotion, psycho-social support and contact tracing.
The Ebola Management Center (EMC) in Foya, Lofa County, Northern Liberia.
Reaching zero cases
Ebola can severely affect family and community structures, forcing people to stop what was once natural to them, such gestures as caring for their sick relatives or paying their last respects to the deceased.
"We are convinced that our all-encompassing approach, including open and transparent cooperation with communities, local authorities and partners, has led to this impressive reduction in the number of cases in Lofa County," says Ettore Mazzanti, MSF project coordinator in Foya.
"Trust and the understanding of the communities have been very important for the acceptance of our medical activities and, ultimately, in successfully containing the virus. Without understanding and adapted coping behaviours, it is impossible to reach zero cases."
Urgent need for healthcare systems
In the last few months, in preparation for their departure and the arrival of other organisations, the MSF team started reorganising the EMC by gradually decreasing bed capacity from 85 to 10 beds and by reducing the number of national and international staff in line with the declining number of Ebola cases.
To support the local health system, MSF donated Ebola protection kits to health structures and focused on training health staff in the districts of Foya, Kolahun and Vahun in Ebola patient care, including case definition, isolation and supportive care, as well as on protective measures and infection control.
In Lofa County, as with the rest of Liberia, the entire health system has collapsed as a result of the fear surrounding the Ebola epidemic.
Many health workers have died, most hospitals and clinics remain closed making the safe reopening of essential health services is one of the most urgent needs at the moment.
Naoufel hands some water sachets to new arrivals waiting in the triage.
MSF remaining vigilant
"Health workers have been decimated by the epidemic and we must ensure that the remaining staff can return to work with confidence", says Mazzanti.
Health promotion and mental health activities were slowly reduced as well, as more and more local NGOs became active in the area.
By 10th December, all MSF activities in these areas had ceased, as they had been completed and handed over to the Ministry of Health and its partners.
"It is great to see that life has almost returned to normal around here but there are definitely mixed feelings in the Lofa community," observes Mazzanti.
"On the one hand, with MSF moving out, people are confident that the situation has improved. But on the other hand, people are concerned about the situation in bordering Guinea and Sierra Leone, where the outbreak is still ongoing.
"Also, with Christmas coming, people will be travelling a lot and there will be more gatherings, meaning that the risks of contamination will increase. We must definitely not lower our guard and we must remain vigilant."
Find out more about MSF's Ebola response and our work in Liberia
Sierra Leone: Living through epidemics and expanding in challenging times
Liberia: Preventing another Ebola outbreak
Guinea: Five questions on the 2021 Ebola outbreak


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UK Election 2019
Mom is arrested after her one-year-old son died from 'severe' bath burns when she 'refused to call 911 because she didn't want to lose custody'
Christina Marie Hurt, 35, arrested early Friday on manslaughter charge in Miami
She told cops that her son had been burnt by scalding bathwater on Wednesday
Didn't call for medical assistance until Thursday morning in fear of losing kids
Medics found the child unresponsive on a dirty mattress in the yard
By Keith Griffith For Dailymail.com
Christina Marie Hurt, 35, was booked on aggravated manslaughter charges on Friday
A mother has been arrested after her one-year-old son died from 'severe' bathwater burns, when she allegedly failed to get him medical assistance in fear of losing her children.
Christina Marie Hurt, 35, was booked on aggravated manslaughter charges early Friday in Miami, after her son died with 'severe burns from his mid torso, to the toes', police said.
Family friends identified the child as Ethan, who turned one in December. Officials have not yet confirmed the child's name.
Hurt, who has five other children, previously served two years on probation for a 2014 child neglect charge, court records show.
She works as a waitress at Cracker Barrel and the Cheesecake Factory, according to her Facebook profile.
Hurt told investigators that Ethan was scalded on Wednesday night while she was taking the trash out at her house in Homestead, on the southern outskirts of Miami.
Family friends identified the dead child as Ethan (pictured left and right). He turned one in December and was one of six children
Courtesy of WPLG
Suspected serial killer accused of murdering NINE people in... High school teacher, 30, 'had sex with his 17-year-old...
'The defendant subsequently learned that while her 10-year-old daughter was attempting to bathe the victim, the defendant's 4-year-old son made the bathwater extremely hot, causing the victim to sustain severe burns from his mid torso to the toes,' police wrote in the arrest report cited by the Miami Herald.
'The defendant stated that when she observed the victim's injuries she dropped because the victim's skin was burned and peeling,' the report said.
But instead of calling for help, Hurt gave the baby Tylenol and juice while he threw up repeatedly during the night, according to the report.
Hurt allegedly told police that she didn't call 911 because she feared losing custody of her children.
On Thursday morning, after dropping her other children off at school, Hurt said she took her injured son to a friends home in Goulds, about 10 miles away.
The home is reportedly some kind of flophouse, with as many as 30 people believed to be living in it.
On Thursday morning, Hurt allegedly took the injured child to this ramshackle home instead of calling paramedics. Witnesses said the baby was 'lethargic and had shallow breathing'
Paramedics found the child unresponsive on a dirty mattress in the yard of the home in Goulds. Officials are seen removing the body from the home
Witnesses told cops that when Hurt arrived at the home in Goulds home, the baby was 'lethargic and had shallow breathing'.
They urged her to get medical help, but she 'adamantly refused', according to the report.
Around 11am, the baby stopped breathing and Hurt took him outside and placed him on a mattress in the yard, police said.
Randy Joseph, whose sister lives next door, told CBS Miami that he gave the boy CPR while waiting for paramedics.
'And when the paramedic came, they zip his zipper jumper down,' Joseph said. 'The paramedic said "oh my god." I said "what the hell".'
Rescue crews arrived to find the child unresponsive, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Hurt was taken into police headquarters for questioning, and booked on charges at 1.22am on Friday, records show.
She is being held in Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center pending $10,000 bail.
www.miamiherald....
1-Year-Old Dies, Investigators Want To Know What Happened « CBS Miami
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Miami mom arrested after her son died from bath burns
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Two problems I've seen a number of times are accidental coupling and poorly defined message semantics.
JAX London is just a few weeks away! In this interview, we speak to Eoin Woods, co-author of "Software Systems Architecture: Working With Stakeholders Using Viewpoints and Perspectives," about the two sessions he will deliver as part of the Systems Integration and Agile tracks at JAX London.
JAXenter: At Jax London you will present a session on 'Integrating Systems with Event Driven Architecture.' What are the common problems to look out for, when adopting an event driven approach?
Eoin Woods: Two problems I've seen a number of times are accidental coupling and poorly defined message semantics. The idea of event driven systems is that senders and receivers don't know of each other's existence; they just publish and consume events. However what sometimes happens is that events get very obviously tied to systems and mutate into service calls. So the publishers start using the events to implicitly invoke operations and get accidentally coupled to the receivers. Poorly defined message semantics are pretty self explanatory – if you're going to publish and consume events you need to really understand what they mean, so their meaning needs to be clearly defined, not just their field names and types. It's quite rare that people take the time to do this and it often doesn't matter initially, but results in a real mess as the system starts to evolve.
Eoin Woods: Everyone! Seriously, the idea behind the session is that "architects" – or "chief programmers" or "lead engineers" or "technical leads" or "system designers" or "systems engineers", whatever you call them – and agile development teams want the same thing; working, valuable software, in production quickly and reliably, continually evolving. They just seem to want to go about it differently. However, I believe strongly that the differences are mainly style, emphasis and presentation rather than anything fundamental. In this session I have a set of tangible practices for architects to help them work well with and in agile teams. So anyone involved in agile development where there's also some notion of system design and architecture should find it useful.
Eoin Woods is head of application architecture at a major fund manager and is responsible for the design of the firm's new equities portfolio management system. His main technical interests are software architecture, distributed systems, computer security, and data management; he is co-author of the book "Software Systems Architecture: Working With Stakeholders Using Viewpoints and Perspectives", published by Addison Wesley. Eoin can be contacted via his web site at http://www.eoinwoods.info.


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A Harry Potter Play Is Happening
Story from Movies
Photo: Courtesy Warner Bros.
J.K. Rowling's big announcement today is the best thing to happen to Harry Potter fans since Neville Longbottom joined Instagram. The children's author has revealed that a play about the boy wizard will debut in London's West End in 2016.
The BBC reports that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will run at the Palace Theatre starting next summer, with tickets going on sale this fall.
"It will tell a new story, which is the result of a collaboration between writer Jack Thorne, director John Tiffany, and myself," Rowling revealed in a series of tweets today.
"I don't want to say too much more, because I don't want to spoil what I know will be a real treat for fans," she added.
Rowling did reveal that the story is not a prequel. Instead, it will focus on an "untold part of Harry's story."
Potter mania has had quite the resurgence lately. Eddie Redmayne has been cast in the Potter spin-off of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and just this week Rowling shared a new story about Potter and his relatives, the Dursleys.
If only we could all Apparate to London for opening night.
Harry Potter And The Cursed Child Play JK Rowling
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