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End the 1 percent's free ride: Taxing land would solve America's biggest problems
Want a real overhaul of the tax code? Here's an elegant way to reduce inequality and mitigate poverty -- in one tax
By Jesse Myerson
Published November 22, 2013 5:30PM (EST)
Donald Trump, Mitt Romney, Lloyd Blankfein (lev radin via Shutterstock/Reuters/Steve Marcus/Jim Young/Salon)
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Appealing to the overwhelming majority of Americans who believe the tax code is so complex that it needs "major changes or a complete overhaul," Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp, R-Mich., have adorably started a joint Twitter handle: @simplertaxes. The bipartisan love fest is no doubt a heartfelt effort, but not very convincing from men who acquired the fancy titles by opening and maintaining loopholes for the ownership class. Baucus' hot-off-the-presses tax reform proposals predictably simplify the code very little.
At present, neither party advocates the tax code so elegant it can reduce inequality, mitigate poverty, stimulate productivity, prevent asset price bubbles, stem community-shredding gentrification and drain the distended Wall Street cabal of its ill-gotten gains – in just one tax.
Land value. If we want a real overhaul/simplification of the tax code, the way to do it is to tax land value. It might be the only tax we need. No sales tax. No income tax. No payroll tax to fill a Social Security trust fund. No corporate income tax that, as we can plainly see, offshores profits. No need to tax labor and industry at all. Just tax the stuff that humans had nothing to do with creating, and therefore have no basis to claim ownership over at all. You'll find that almost all of it is "owned" by the fabled 1 percent.
And boy are they sucking a lot of money out of it. By far the most valuable asset form in the U.S. is real estate, and the majority of that is the value of the land, as distinct from the value of the human-made buildings. Economist Michael Hudson has assessed that the land value of New York City alone exceeds that of all of the plant and equipment in the entire country, combined. No one put any enterprise or cost into producing the land's value – they simply bought it when it was cheap, sold it when it was dear, and waited for the check. "They" are the Finance, Insurance and Real Estate (FIRE) sector, and they capture 40 percent of the United States' profits, despite the complete passivity of their profit-accumulation method.
Not only would a land value tax (LVT) drastically shrink that Wall Street bloat, it would have prevented the housing bubble in the first place. Land, after all, was the speculative commodity at play, not the houses themselves, which, as "Arrested Development" incisively suggested, were a bunch of crap. With an LVT, the cookie-cutter McMansions in suburban housing developments would only be worth the cost of their cheap paneling, artificial marble and the rest of it. Without one, they were wrongly assessed as being worth the value of the land they stood upon, which speculators bid up and up and up.
An LVT would stimulate urban property development without incurring the socially catastrophic ethnic displacement pattern we call "gentrification." As that noted far-left rag the Economist notes, "Property developers … would be less inclined to hoard undeveloped land if they had to pay an annual levy on it." Despite this, the new developments wouldn't push rents up throughout the rest of the neighborhood, because the increased land value would be taxed. The rest of the apartment buildings in the area didn't get any nicer. So why should they cost more? Urban land, scarce by definition, is very valuable. There is no reason to let a small group of rich landlords extract its value, when what created the value are parks, subways, local restaurants and other things the landlords didn't provide.
Nothing could simplify and demystify the taxation experience for Americans like making sure that the vast majority of us who don't own the resources, who don't collect rent and capital gains, who have to work to get our paychecks, wouldn't ever have to mark April 15 on the calendar again.
In contrast to its tiny tax base, the amount of revenue that can be raised by taxing the land is huge. Enough, for example, to support truly liberatory social spending, like a universal basic income, without risking inflation. Or the money could be devoted to starting a sovereign wealth fund to collectivize ownership claims on capital (the dividends to provide a UBI). Or it could go to local public banks capable of investing in the needs of their communities and regions.
If this sounds like it's a little too far outside the box, the solution is to collapse the box. Capitalism requires pretending that individuals' private ownership of the land, minerals, gases and oils that nature provided is not a completely ludicrous idea. And as long as our political parties are both capitalist parties, there is little hope for a land value tax. But the day is coming, and soon, when it will no longer be so.
Jesse Myerson
MORE FROM Jesse Myerson
Related Topics ------------------------------------------
Inequality Land Land Value Tax Poverty Real Estate Tax Reform Taxes The One Percent Wall Street
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This non-gendered "hair space" in RiNo is creating community through haircuts
At Bee Sweet, hair cuts are priced by the hour, not by gender
By Sarah Kuta, Special to The Denver Post Nov 14, 2019, 6:00 am
Dani Bee, center, stylist and owner of Bee Sweet, cuts the hair of client Andrea Gibson, a queer poet and activist, on Nov. 12, 2019 in Denver. The RiNo "hair space" has become a refuge for transgender, queer or gender-fluid Denver residents who don't feel comfortable in traditionally gendered salons and barbershops. (Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post)
Laurel Javors never felt totally comfortable getting a haircut.
Javors, 30, started taking testosterone 3½ years ago and noticed that while barbershop employees were always polite and accepting, the shop itself didn't feel totally relaxing and safe.
Then Javors started going to Bee Sweet, an inclusive hair space in RiNo where no one makes assumptions about identity and haircuts are priced based on complexity and time involved, rather than gender.
Javors immediately felt more at home there.
"I felt like the masculinity of some of the (barbershop) clients was pretty problematic, and while they accepted my queerness and they were very gracious and accommodating, I don't think they understood the importance of hair to a queer identity," said Javors, who lives in Denver and works in politics. "It just became really obvious that I needed a space where I could speak really freely about my experience as a trans person and I wouldn't have to worry about some of the other clientele maybe saying something or giving a look."
When Dani Bee opened Bee Sweet in April 2017, she set out to redefine the haircutting experience — it's not a salon or a barbershop, but rather, a "hair space."
She strives to create a warm, welcoming and non-gendered atmosphere for everyone who walks through the door. And based on feedback from her clients and the demand for her services (she books appointments six to eight weeks out), she's succeeded.
"Nothing about any part of your orientation or identity will have any kind of impact on the service you get," said Bee. "If you want a feminine pixie cut, I will give you one, but that's not going to be based on how you bring yourself into the appointment. That's based on what you ask for."
Abrean SophiaMarie, stylist and business partner at Bee Sweet, cuts the hair of client Andrew Simmons on Nov. 12, 2019 in Denver. (Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post)
There are no men's or women's haircuts here — just haircuts, period. (Bee charges an hourly rate, with haircuts starting at $55.) No one has to explain why they want a certain style or why they want to look a certain way, which can sometimes happen in a more traditional salon or barbershop setting.
"Instead of trying to sum somebody up based on what they look like or based on any kind of assumption, you get to ask them what's important, what they're trying to achieve with their appointment today," said Bee. "Yes, hair does vary in density, texture, head shape — all of it — but that does not come down to how someone identifies in their gender."
Bee, 33, started doing hair in 2012 in her home state of Iowa. While there, she worked at a salon with different haircut prices for men and women, which didn't sit well with her. But when she approached the salon's owner about creating a non-gendered price list, the owner wouldn't budge. Bee decided it was time to move on.
After relocating to Denver in 2014, Bee worked as an educator at the Aveda Institute and as a stylist at Ashe Atelier, an inclusive and non-gendered Denver hair space now called Above Ground. When that space went through a location and branding change, Bee decided to open her own business.
Bee Sweet has grown so much in the last 2½ years that Bee brought in another stylist this spring and recently expanded the space to be three times larger. Bee hopes to someday host classes and workshops for people who want to make their businesses more inclusive.
Photos of business partners of Bee Sweet Dani Bee, upper photo left, and Abrean SophiaMarie, upper photo right, next to a Strands for Trans sticker on the window at the entrance of their hair space on Nov. 12, 2019 in Denver. Strands for Trans is an online registry that lists companies that are transgender-friendly. (Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post)
"It just makes sense to be safe and inclusive, from whatever perspective you want to look at it," she said. "If you want to be a queer-oriented stylist or if you just want to be a solid service provider or business owner … the move is to be inclusive, open and inviting."
In terms of advertising, Bee and fellow stylist Abrean SophiaMarie's haircuts speak for themselves.
"It is entirely word of mouth," said Bee. "I haven't put any investment into marketing. I run an Instagram account where I take headshots of people after I cut their hair and that has been a huge part of it. It's a place to go to see happy, cute queers and it's like, 'Oh my gosh, I want to look and feel like that person.'"
Clients say Bee and SophiaMarie ask the right questions to get the perfect cut and style. And the two stylists understand the importance of a haircut that helps a person look and feel like their authentic self — for some, hair can symbolize a transition or serve as an important outward expression of identity.
"One of the first things I did after I came out was cut my hair and it just became a way for me to signal queerness," said Javors. "I'm at a point in my career where I have to have a little bit more of a professional haircut, but we find ways to queer it up and I'm very fluid with how I express gender. She's just done a really great job working with me to make my hair a place for me to signal queerness."
But Bee Sweet isn't just about hair. A big reason that the space has been so successful is the friendly, almost therapeutic environment Bee and SophiaMarie have created. Clients show up when they get bad news, even if they're not on the schedule for a haircut, for example.
Longtime client and friend Ricki Rodriguez always schedules a haircut at Bee Sweet on the same day she schedules a therapy appointment — it's a gentle way to spend a day off from work, she said.
"(The haircut) feels like a warm hug session in itself," said Rodriguez, 29. "As soon as you step in, something about that energy … just knowing how safe you feel there. That you're not going to be judged. Dani's always very good about asking, 'How are you feeling today? Do you need silence from me? Do you want to chat? Do you need advice?'"
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Post tags: beauty and hair, gender, LGBTQ, RiNo, The Latest
Sarah Kuta, Contributor
Sarah Kuta is a Longmont-based writer and editor. She loves to travel, participate in book clubs, go thrifting and spend time with her Rhodesian Ridgeback, Daisy.
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This past March I went on a 10 day intensive retreat with Father Thomas Keating and David Frenette at the Garrison Institute in New York. David has been with Father Thomas since the beginning of Contemplative Outreach, and co-founded the earliest retreat community where people could learn Centering Prayer. He was at the monastery here a few years ago, giving a 5-day retreat on the growth of contemplative attitudes in the Spiritual Journey. He is currently developing curriculum to assist long time practicioners to deepen and move beyond common obstacles in prayer, so that it moves more easily into contemplation. There was also an emphasis on methods that help integrate the fruits of Centering Prayer into everyday living. Our day started at 6:30 A.M. and often went until almost 9pm with prayer, teaching and guided meditation. Father Thomas came for the final weekend as did Gail Fitzpatrick-Hopler.
The Institute is located on the Hudson River about one hour north of New York City. The building and grounds are a monastery that had been vacated since Vatican II. The Institute's mission is to bring together the wisdom of various contemplative traditions, and apply the knowledge to pressing social issues. Father Thomas is one of the Institute's founding spiritual advisors. To be with him is always wonderful. He talked about unity and oneness as being the purpose of life. He said it's stupid and a mistake to believe that God doesn't love us! He spoke of the cross as witness to the infinite goodness of God who goes to any length to make us divine. There are layers of reality and to our own identity, and that Ultimate Reality is in fact God's own Self. As we move toward unity consciousness, our understanding is that God is the Ground of every experience and not separate from the content of our life. Our task is to be willing to become God, to receive the totality of the Divine nature through our consent. God's love has no limits and has the goal of making us equal to God. By identifying with the cross and moving through the process of transformation, the myth of the separate self is relinquished. The greatness of human-kind is revealed in the Paschal Mystery, as everyone is invited to the fullness of divine/human life.
David Frenette has a web-site called Incarnational Contemplation. He does contemplative spiritual direction and will be giving several retreats each year that focus on deepening our consent in Centering Prayer. Much of what he focused on involved images of receptivity. Even with many years of practice, we can get stuck in an effort of trying to make prayer happen rather than surrendering. Deepening receptivity means being still or "just to be," rather than forcing the issue. Prayer is like helping a flower grow by cultivating the best conditions for growth to happen. But the growing process itself is out of our hands and our consent is simply saying yes to an invitation that allows prayer to unfold. How must we act to acquire what is freely given and always present? David stressed renewal in the basics of the Centering Prayer method. The guidelines provide a solid foundation for when were struggling. His presentation was very helpful and I hope he can visit us. He has many good stories about the early days of Contemplative Outreach. At present he is only funded for several retreats a year, but my guess is that he will be very much in demand before long. I'd say we should be open to any possibility that might arise for his availability. We would all benefit through his extensive experience. Meanwhile, we can all visit his web-site and read his new book!
After this retreat, I'm left with a profound sense of gratitude for Centering Prayer and people like Sisters Virginia and Mary, as well others who started the ministry in Minnesota. Let's continue to consent to God's invitation and share in the work of transforming the world.
The conference schedule was broken into two parts. The first 2 days were attended by over 200 leaders and was dedicated to the work and business of the Contemplative Outreach organization. Reports were given by the various officers and coordinators of the programs, ministries, and regions of the USA.
Voting members and observers participated in a review and refinement process to the "Vision Statement of Contemplative Outreach" and "Theological Principles of Contemplative Outreach" which has been developing for several years and has been opened to input from all of it's members. A facilitation process was used as we "chewed" on this work. It was somewhat awesome to participate in the process with this many people involved. We worked at eight person tables and periodically half of our table would shift to another table to compare view points and to work at establishing a consensus of that particular work. This was not an easy feat for the facilitator but was handled skilfully. Our work will be sent back to a committee for final rewrite. Everything was done very peacefully and respectfully.
All in all, when all was said and done, as we adjourned I left feeling that the Contemplative Outreach is sound spiritually, financially and organizationally. I also felt that while it is experiencing expansive growth and depth of its members and an increasing demand for its services, it is rising to meet the challenges of the future.
As a leader new to this level of the Contemplative Outreach I was somewhat overwhelmed by all that is going on through out the country and beyond. I feel a need to examine my role and look towards the future of our Minnesota Chapters of Contemplative Outreach.
I was able to connect and meet with Contemplative Outreach staff and other Contemplative Outreach leaders including the "Prison Ministry" and "AA Eleventh Step Ministry" Coordinators. These contacts will be valuable for our future local activities.
Fathers Thomas Keating and Richard Rohr spoke through out the conference, individually and jointly. They were very enriching and inspiring.
I purchased books that had just been published and am showing them around. Of particular interest, is a book called "Journey to the Heart, Centering Prayer for Children." Another new book, which I just finished reading, is titled "Centering Prayer and the Healing of the Unconscious." authored by Murchadh O'Madagain. It is a good resource book. It covers the relationship of CP to other types and kinds of meditations and answers various criticisms of Centering Prayer. I also viewed a copy of a new book that is just being printed, titled "A Pathway to Freedom". It is a workbook introduction to Centering Prayer for prison inmates. I forwarded an information sheet to Sr. Mary White and she will order a copy for possible use in our prison ministries.
Short video clips of a new nine part video series is being produced. It is titled "Heartfulness, The Path of Transformation in Christ" featuring Father Thomas Keating and Doctor Betty Sue Flowers. They aren't exactly sure how they are going to use it. One possibility is a TV series. We will be hearing more about this in the future.
I visited a number of information booths and picked up literature for future use.
While the business half of the conference was somewhat gruelling because of the amount of activity we covered in a short time, the second half was a joy to behold. Our ranks swelled to almost five hundred people and we filled the grand ballroom wall to wall.
After a joint meal, our evening session began with "Sacred Sounds" by musician Jodi Roberts who played a series of different sized Tibetan singing bowls. The melodic rhythms settled us in for the program presentations. Timothy Koock, local coordinator from Houston and Gail Fitzpatrick Hopler, President of Contemplative Outreach welcomed us to the conference. Thomas Keating OSCO and Richard Rohr OFM spoke to the group. We finished the evening with a Taiz'e Prayer service. It was indeed a sacred time.
Saturday was filled with, Centering Prayer sessions, presentations by the featured speakers. There were several 12 step meetings available. These meetings were well attended. Meal time was a great opportunity to mix it up with a variety of attendees. Meals were eaten at eight person tables and we were able to sit with a different group at each meal. We connected with folks from Canada, Australia, Mexico, South America, Hawaii, Africa and other areas of the world. The group was very diverse and represented many different cultures, work situations and backgrounds. I felt elated at being able to connect with all these different groups. A significant group of Hispanics were represented from several areas. It was wonderful to hear their language flow through out the group activities. The busy day finished with a banquet, served buffet style in the open areas of the main floor of the hotel. The highlight of the evening was a concert featuring local choral singers and musicians playing stringed instruments. This was hosted and sponsored by the family and friends of Timothy Koock.
The conference closed at noon on Sunday. The morning began with Centering Prayer/Meditation, an optional Roman Catholic liturgy and breakfast. Father Keating closed with final words and a blessing.
"Finally my friends, whatever is true and just, whatever is pleasing and pure, whatever is gracious and beautiful, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, dwell on the good in others, and what you have learned and received, and heard and seen in me, put into practice: and the God of peace will be with you."


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Tower of jewels may refer to:

Echium simplex, plant native to Tenerife, Canary Islands
Echium virescens, plant native to Tenerife, Canary Islands
Echium wildpretii, plant native to Tenerife, Canary Islands
Tower of Jewels (Lakeside Amusement Park), building at amusement park near Denver, Colorado
Tower of Jewels (PPIE), central building at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, the 1915 world's fair in San Francisco, California
The Tower of Jewels, a 1920 American crime drama film directed by Tom Terriss

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Frankly Speaking: Saudi Arabia sets example on combating terror financing, says French Senate member Nathalie Goulet
Frankly Speaking: Saudi Arabia sets example on combating terror financing, says French Senate member Nathalie Goulet /node/1979966/saudi-arabia
https://arab.news/mm5cd
Frank Kane
Leading French politician and foreign affairs expert makes the comments as President Macron embarks on Saudi visit
Gulet gives her views on "Frankly Speaking," the series of video interviews with regional and international policymakers
DUBAI: France and the rest of Europe can learn from Saudi Arabia's approach to combating the financing of terrorism, a leading French politician and foreign affairs expert has told Arab News.
Nathalie Goulet, a member of the Senate of France and the country's commission on foreign affairs and defense, said: "Saudi Arabia has its own place on the subject of fighting financing of terrorism, and they do it very seriously. It is matching international standards on the subject."
Goulet, who recently returned from a visit to the Kingdom for meetings with senior policymakers about the campaign to halt terrorism finance, highlighted Saudi initiatives with Etidal, the center for combating extremist ideology, as well as actions by the Saudi Central Bank, and financial intelligence services.
"In Europe and especially in France there has sometimes been a kind of bad habit to link Saudi Arabia with the financing of terrorism and we have to break this image and what is now purely fake news," she added.
Nathalie Goulet noted that the Muslim Brotherhood was still playing a significant role in terrorism funding in Europe.
Goulet, speaking just before a visit to the Kingdom by French President Emmanuel Macron, gave her views on "Frankly Speaking," the series of video interviews with prominent regional and international policymakers and businesspeople.
In a wide-ranging interview, she also spoke of the rising threat from the Muslim Brotherhood and its role in terrorism finance, the volatile relationship between France and Algeria, and the reforms in Saudi Arabia under the Vision 2030 strategy.
On terror funding, she contrasted the practice among the Muslim community in France, where zakat donations are made in cash and therefore harder to control, with the situation in the Kingdom.
"Saudi Arabia put in place a system to prevent any collection of zakat by cash. Everything is by banking transfer to a special NGO and that is very useful, very clever, and also very, very safe.
"On collecting zakat, Saudi Arabia can be an example for us because we are absolutely unable to track the money and, at the same time of course, most of the zakat is giving (money) for good purposes. But sometimes it's not and we try to ban cash as much as possible. Saudi Arabia is giving us an excellent example," she said.
Frank Kane hosts Frankly Speaking: Watch more episodes.
She noted that the Muslim Brotherhood was still playing a significant role in terrorism funding in Europe and pointed out the organization's influence in the Islamic community and within humanitarian organizations.
"First of all, they have a lot of humanitarian actions but then they use the same money to sponsor terrorism all over Europe. We have to ban those people, definitely. Austria already banned the Muslim Brotherhood from Austria; Germany is on the way. France – not yet – but I am pushing them a lot," she added.
Goulet hit out specifically at the role of the Islamic Relief organization, which she alleged had been aiding terrorism finance, supported the terror-designated Hamas organization in Palestine, and claimed its executives had been responsible for spreading anti-Semitic messages on social media.
"So, what we have to do is track the money and then try to ban any financing for those people. We have to check and have strong investigations into how they collect money and what they are doing with this money, and we have to stop any terror financing absolutely," she said.
The Kingdom's resolve in tackling the funding of terrorism was an example of the positive changes taking place in the country under the Vision 2030 reform plan, which was having a profound effect on life in Saudi Arabia.
"When you see the difference on the streets, the way that the youth is happy in the country, and when you see the development, it is clear that something has happened. And it's the Vision 2030 of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman which has brought it about and will bring such a lot of hope in the country," Goulet added.
On French foreign policy toward Muslim countries, she thought that the issue was complicated by France's colonial history. "It's always very emotional," she said.
With regard to Algeria, France's former colony, relations with which have been strained owing to comments made by Macron, and some visa issues, Goulet expected the situation to improve, adding that "links with Algeria are very strong."
On Lebanon, a country Macron has visited several times in attempts to help it through its intensifying crisis, she said the Lebanese people should look to a new political generation to repatriate the proceeds of corruption held in overseas havens, rather than seeking financial bailouts from countries such as France.
However, she spoke out against French policy in Lebanon with regard to Hezbollah. "The government for the last 15 years has been treating Hezbollah in a very strange way – like there is a political Hezbollah and a military Hezbollah, and we have to ban the military Hezbollah to discuss with the political Hezbollah.
"But the reality is that there is just one Hezbollah. Just as there is one Hamas, there is one Hezbollah, there is not one military and one political. It's the same terrorist group," she said.
Goulet was also critical of attitudes toward Arabs and Muslims within France. A recent Arab News survey with YouGov showed that 64 percent of French people had a negative impression of the minority groups.
"I think it's a fact unfortunately and it's because of the major political leaders surfing on the wave of populism right now. It's something which will help them collect votes," she added, referring to the presidential elections in France next year.
"We also have the yellow vests (movement) and street agitation, along with conspiracy theories, and everything is boiling in the same pan to produce something that smells very bad."
Goulet, who is a member of the Centrist Union political grouping in the French Senate, was disparaging of the presidential prospects of Eric Zemmour, the rightwing populist who recently gained ground in opinion polls.
She said: "I think these things will collapse soon. It was just like a small fire. His campaign will collapse. That is not France, I mean that cannot be France. I mean this guy is a pure populist. He has no team and I hope he will run out of money soon and then will disappear in the trash because he doesn't deserve anything else but trash."
The politician expressed hope that relations between France and Britain – under increasing strain since Brexit and the arrival of the government of Boris Johnson – could improve but noted that the "misunderstandings" in Anglo-French affairs went all the way back to French military leader Napoleon Bonaparte.
With regard to the latest flashpoint – the migration of refugees across the English Channel – Goulet said the situation was "unbearable," but pointed out that higher levels of social benefits were available to refugees in the UK compared to France and other EU countries.
"I know for sure that Britain attracts emigrants because it's easier for them to live there and have some subsidies and help. So, maybe one of the keys is for Britain to be more restrictive regarding migrants so it doesn't look so attractive – maybe."
Statement by Islamic Relief Worldwide
Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) categorically denies funding terrorism and also denies any support for Hamas. As a registered charity regulated by the Charity Commission of England and Wales, IRW is independently audited on behalf of governments, UN bodies and other significant institutional donors several times a year. Between 2009 and 2019, the organisation underwent over 500 internal and external audits which found no evidence of using funds for anything other than saving lives and contributing to the global humanitarian agenda in line with the important humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality and independence.
We have stringent checks in place to ensure that money only goes to where it is needed – helping the most vulnerable. We routinely screen all trustees, senior management, staff, volunteers, partners and contractors to ensure they have no links to proscribed groups or entities of any kind.
What Madame Goulet has said to Arab News about Islamic Relief supporting Hamas and 'sponsoring terrorism all over Europe' is completely untrue. It is also untrue that our board was 'dismissed for anti-Semitism' and that our organization 'works against European standards' – in fact we are a trusted partner of the European Community Humanitarian Organisation (ECHO) and we elected a new board in 2020 as part of a long-planned change to our governance model. The EU funds Islamic Relief Germany received last year amount to €118,477 and not €700,000 as Mme Goulet claims, while Islamic Relief's total income was £149 million and not £60 million.
IRW rejects and condemns terrorism and believes that all forms of discrimination – including anti-Semitism – are unacceptable. Regrettably, there have been historic cases of individuals falling short of our values, but these have been dealt with firmly and swiftly, and the individuals involved are no longer with the organisation. Following these past incidents, the Charity Commission of England and Wales conducted a fact-finding review last year which concluded that we had responded thoroughly and appropriately. In addition, an independent review was conducted by the former UK Attorney General, Dominic Grieve QC, which found that the organisation was not institutionally anti-Semitic.
You can find a link to the Independent Commission report here.
You can find the Charity Commission's statement on the completion of its fact-finding review here.
Topics: Frankly Speaking Editor's Choice
Special video
Frankly Speaking: 'The future of retail is both physical and digital – phygital', says MAF CEO Alain Bejjani
Frankly Speaking: 'More Western military support needed to head off terror groups' in Iraq, says Peshmerga Gen. Sirwan Barzani
Frankly Speaking: Fugitive motor mogul Carlos Ghosn ready to stand trial in 'a fair and neutral jurisdiction'
Frankly Speaking: SoftBank Vision Fund accelerating hi-tech investment, globally and in Saudi Arabia, says CEO
Frankly Speaking: Saudi Arabia, US 'working closely on multiple fronts' to resolve Middle East conflicts, says Fahad Nazer
Frankly Speaking: Saudi role in OPEC+ contributed to 'strong global economy recovery,' says Daniel Yergin


Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Moreau Family Health serves people of all ages. We welcome you to be a part of our family—here or at any of our health center locations. Our pediatric, adult and family medicine practitioners provide comprehensive primary health care services. A wide array of specialty and ancillary services are also available to Hudson Headwaters patients. The services available at this location are listed below.


text:
<form class="form-horizontal">

                <select class="form-control">
                    <option>Choose your profile..</option>
                    <option>GoodManga</option>
                    <option>MangaReader</option>
                </select>

</form>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The thing that excites many in the currency industry is the idea for payments to move at the speed of light. Are they crazy or genius? Well, the development of a system with this ability is already in the works for Ethereum and is known as the Raiden Network.
The goal in development is to have the ability to send and receive payments at high speeds across the network. The way this can be done is through a model where users can privately exchange messages which sign the transfer of value. Currently, the model where every transaction hits the giant ledger on the blockchain is becoming less efficient.
Along with the speed, Raiden will be able to bring costs down significantly for transactions. That has been the desire since the introduction of Bitcoin and Ethereum. For Bitcoin, the blocks currently take 10 minutes to be processed which can be an annoyance. However, Ethereum has a target on 12-second block times which is improving speeds significantly.
When implemented, the Raiden network could help increase the capacity of Ethereum. It will allow the Ethereum network to scale up from doing 25 transactions per second to above 1 million transactions per second. In addition, the Raiden Network hopes to introduce smart contracts into the system as well.
If you take a poll from most currency experts, bringing the technology to more people is a huge priority. However, the issue is that currently blockchains can't support the transactions of millions of people.
For example, Visa can roughly support 45,000 transactions per second while Ethereum can only do 25 in a second.
Every node on the bitcoin and Ethereum networks, keeps a record of all transactions made in order to verify new transactions. The more transactions, the more complex the calculations get on the blockchain. This also equates to more GPU power being needed to move a transaction across the network.
In conclusion, the Raiden network will help take load off the ethereum network and help power transactions faster. The scalability in this new technology addition could be game-changing.


DIGITAL BEDDING: Paul Longman says his Advanced Sleep Technologies is producing three types of adjustable beds with air, foam and spring mattresses.
MINIATURE TOUR: VR shopping guide is central to the iSense Sleep mattress-buying experience.
A rendering shows the layered features of an iSense Sleep spring mattress.
A Springfield startup is bringing new technology features and virtual reality shopping into the mattress business.
The vision comes from longtime mattress manufacturing executive Paul Longman. Through Advanced Sleep Technologies LLC, Longman debuted his iSense Sleep comfort control and adjustable mattress Jan. 28 at the 2018 Las Vegas Furniture Winter Market. There, the company signed its first international licensee with Russia-based Askona as well as 30 domestic clients, officials said.
Central to the startup is a unique VR shopping guide that will be in all stores where iSense Sleep mattresses are sold. It shrinks the user and takes them through an in-depth tour of what their future bed is made of, how they can adjust it and why they should choose it over other mattresses.
While adjustable technology has been around in air mattresses for a couple decades, Longman said iSense Sleep is bringing individual comfort control to spring and foam mattresses, too. In the spring mattresses, for example, the typical innerspring layer is paired with VariCoil technology that has the ability to adjust the mattress on demand from ultra plush to ultra firm via a smartphone application.
The products are at least a year in the making through an undisclosed self-funded investment by Longman when he founded Advanced Sleep Technologies in February 2017. He spent the previous 11 years as CEO of Australian-based bedding company A.H. Beard.
Prior, Longman served as a managing director for Carthage-based Leggett & Platt Inc. (NYSE: LEG) from 2001 through 2005. Though he was based in Australia, Longman made two trips a year to Carthage and met his wife, Denay, eventually prompting the move to southwest Missouri.
"This is a tough market, and if we can break in here, that's a career highlight," Longman said.
With the move, he brought a dream: to improve sleep habits with adjustable mattresses. To make it possible, Longman hand-selected manufacturers across the country.
But it all starts in Springfield.
Advanced Sleep Technologies and its 10 employees have operated out of upstairs office space at 333 S. Jefferson Ave. since May 2017, and next month, they'll spill into the downstairs. At the northwest corner of Walnut Street, a showroom is coming to display the three types of iSense adjustable mattresses.
The company is working with three manufacturing plants, for each type of mattress.
Leggett & Platt in Carthage handles the production of the adjustable spring mattress, while California-based American National Manufacturing Inc. makes the air mattress. The adjustable foam mattresses are created with chemicals and technology from Fort Smith, Arkansas-based Peterson Chemical Technology LLC, and Georgia-based Elite Comfort Solutions handles the manufacturing.
Peterson's company works with industry staples Serta and Simmons but also budding brands, such as Casper.
The iSense Sleep beds, Longman said, are priced similar to Serta and Tempur-Pedic mattresses – ranging between $2,800 and $4,200 on ISenseSleep.com.
Advanced Sleep Technologies owns the trademarks for VariCoil, which is used to make the adjustable spring mattresses, as well as the VariFoam technology, according to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
The key is being able to make adjustments to both sides of the bed via the smartphone app.
Other companies, such as Sleep Number, use similar technology to iSense Sleep to make on-demand adjustments to a mattress but only have the mattresses with air surfaces.
"The design of the bed is unbelievably perfect," said Don DePaulis, owner of four specialty mattress stores in Florida called Relax in Comfort.
DePaulis bought in at the recent Las Vegas market.
"I had no reason to go to market this year, other than to see iSense Sleep," he said.
DePaulis said prior to iSense Sleep, he hadn't found adjustable spring and foam mattresses.
Here's the difference: An adjustable bed has a motorized frame to create varying angles and sleeping positions. With an adjustable bed frame, it's encouraged to purchase a mattress that is designed for adjustable beds. An adjustable mattress skips the motorized bed frame and makes all adjustments within its components, Longman said.
DePaulis noted most new technologies in the mattress market struggle after the initial splash, and while that remains to be seen for iSense Sleep, he expects Longman's VR angle will energize consumers.
According to research conducted in 2016 by the Better Sleep Council, only 9 percent of consumers own an adjustable bed, though a third say they're familiar with the concept and would be interested in buying one.
Conversely, a fourth of consumers said they are not interested in adjustable beds. According to the Better Sleep Council, adjustable beds can help alleviate health issues like snoring and back pain and make it easier for people to read, watch TV and work in bed.
In Las Vegas, iSense Sleep officials say they inked those 30 customers for the first order to go out in April, while close to 100 more customers are preparing for the second order of mattresses in July. The initial order will go out to boutique stores, like DePaulis' Relax in Comfort, on April 2, resulting in sales of several hundred thousand dollars.
Longman declined to disclose the number of beds sold in the first order or other specific clients but said they exceeded their goal for the first show.
Longman said they avoided striking deals with major mattress firms to have more control over the first batch of mattresses. Still, Longman inked iSense Sleep's first international licensing deal with Askona, which has over 950 stores in Russia.


text:
DE WOOLF TALK IT UP
Psychedelic trio DeWolff are delighted to reveal their new dark and horrifying video for Big Talk. The track is taken from their upcoming album Thrust, out May 4th via Mascot Records/Mascot Label Group. To celebrate the release of Thrust the band will be playing a special show at The Black Heart, London on Tuesday 15th May.
Speaking about the track the band said "Every second you live there is a fork in the river where you can just follow the stream, do what other people expect you to do, think what other people tell you to think… or you can take control and live the best life you can live. For yourself, for other people, for the world. Don't let anger control you and don't let lies corrupt the kindness and innocence with which we're all born. Don't let the Big Talk kill ya, like the guy in the video. Or is it this killer new track that's so lethal? We wanted to make a video with a very strong and simple concept. We came up with the idea of a man who swallows everything that's being put in front of him. Director / DOP Christiaan Kanis took our idea to the next level and using a RED camera (Stranger Things was shot with this camera) he created an intense and beautiful yet horrifying cinematic experience. The actor you see is our friend Mitch Rivers, an amazing songwriter and musician himself. The result is definitely the most incredible music video we've ever released."
Now staples in the Dutch Top 10 Album Charts, on the new album 'THRUST', they tackle contemporary social and political issues on 'Deceit & Woo' which was written on the day of Donald Trump's inauguration and they explore the political climate closer to home on the opening track 'Big Talk'. 'California Burning' attacks todays loud mouth society, they tackle gambling on 'Tragedy, Not Today', dark undertones on 'Swain' and they approach the god of death on 'Tombstone Child'.
They formed in the Netherlands' Deep South of Geleen, when they were barely teenagers in 2007 by brothers' Pablo (singer/guitarist) and Luka van de Poel (Drums) and Hammond organist Robin Piso. They have released 5 studio albums previously, all have catapulted them up the charts in their homeland. Whilst still in their teens they played the prestigious Paradiso in Amsterdam and took to the mainstage at PinkPop Festival in front of 10,000 fans, relentless touring followed, earmarking them as a formidable live act. Since then they've played to 30,000 at Lowlands Festival, 15,000 at Sziget, as well as Reeperbahn, Rockpalast, Rock Oz Arenas and supported The Black Keys, Blues Pills, Ten Years After, Deep Purple and count Seasick Steve as a fan.
They've played Castle's throughout Europe, been invited to perform at a Russian millionaire's birthday party in Berlin, they had bodyguards for a show on a Moscow rooftop and at a Biker festival just outside the city, they came face to face with unexpected pyrotechnics, nudity and watched fire spread across the stage during their set.
In 2017, the band celebrated their 10th Anniversary in fine style as they headlined their own DeWolffest to 3,500 fans with support from amongst others, Wolf People and Little Barrie. Ten years of being a band and wanting to produce your greatest record to date has made 'THRUST', a full representation of the DeWolff live experience incorporated with the in the studio experimentation. It represents the sound of rock 'n' roll in 2018; equal doses of anger, frustration, emotion and at times disillusion with the state of the world today and all delivered in a hooky and gloriously epic fashion.
MORE TALK OF CATHERINE
PLANT HAS GOT THE BLUES (FEST)
REVIEW: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN – ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE (2022)
Reviews November 8, 2022


text:
- Installs Oracle RAC, RAC One Node and normal single instances.
- Start with one or more clean machine(s), end up with a fully configured RAC Cluster.

### Getting started

Pre-requisites:

- Ansible >= 2.4
- Oracle Linux (or any RHEL-based Linux System) >= 6.4
- Oracle Database/Grid Infrastructure 18.3.0.0, 12.2.0.1, 12.1.0.1, 12.1.0.2, 11.2.0.4, 11.2.0.3
- For example configurations, look in:
```
  SI/FS:   group_vars/vbox-si-fs.  - vagrant config: http://github.com/oravirt/vagrant-vbox-si-fs
  SI/ASM:  group_vars/vbox-si-asm  - vagrant config: http://github.com/oravirt/vagrant-vbox-si-asm
  RAC/ASM: group_vars/vbox-rac-dc1 - vagrant config: http://github.com/oravirt/vagrant-vbox-rac
```

By default, installs a single instance 18.3.0.0 database on a filesystem.

1. Clone this repository:
   `git clone --recursive https://github.com/oravirt/ansible-oracle`

2. Add the following file to `/tmp` on the controlmachine
   - `LINUX.X64_180000_db_home.zip`

3. Create an Ansible inventory file
   ```
   [myhostgroup]
    dbhost
   ```

4. Run the playbook:

   `ansible-playbook single-instance-db-on-fs.yml -e hostgroup=myhostgroup -i /path/to/inventory`

   where the `-i` part is optional

### Roles

A lot of these roles uses Ansible modules that comes from [ansible-oracle-modules](https://github.com/oravirt/ansible-oracle-modules)

**common**

This will configure stuff common to all machines
- Install some generic packages
- Configure ntp

**orahost**

This will configure the host specific Oracle stuff:
- Add a user & group
- Create directory structures
- Handle filesystem storage (partition devices, creates vg/lv and a filesystem (ext4, xfs, btrfs) etc). If you want to create your database on a filesystem (instead of ASM) this is where you define the layout.
- Install required packages
- Change kernel paramemeters
- Set up pam.d/limits config
- Configures Hugepages (as a percentage of total RAM)
- Disables transparent hugepages
- Disables NUMA (if needed)
- Configures the interconnect network (if needed)
- Configures Oracle ASMLib

**orahost-ssh**

Configures passwordless ssh between clusternodes if setting up RAC (`configure_cluster=True`)
- Uses existing ssh-keys

**orahost-storage**

This role configures storage that shoud be used by ASM.
- Partitions devices (using parted)
- Create ASMlib labels or sets up udev-rules for device name persistence

**oraswgi-install**

This role will install and configure Oracle Grid Infrastructure (RAC/SI)
- Adds a .profile_grid to the oracle user
- Sets up directory structures
- Copies the install-files to the servers, or installs from a remote location (e.g nfs share)
- Install Oracle Grid Infrastructure

**oraasm-manage-diskgroups**

This role will statefully manage the lifecycle of an ASM diskgroup
- Uses the **oracle_asmdg** module
- Create/delete diskgroup.
- Add/remove disks
- Manage attributes for the DG

**oraswdb-install**

This role will install the oracle database server(s). It is possible to run more than 1 database from each home. It performs both Single Instance/RAC installations.
- Creates a .profile with the correct environment
- Creates directory structures
- Installs the database-server(s)

**oradb-manage-db**

This role statefully manages the lifecycle of a database
- Uses the **oracle_db** module
- Creates/deletes: `state: present/absent`
- Maintains archivelog/force_logging True/False

**oraswgi-manage-patches**

Manage patches in a GI environment
- Uses the **oracle_opatch** module
- Manages opatchauto type of patches as well as 'normal' one-offs

**oraswdb-manage-patches**

Statefully manage patches in a DB environment
- Uses the **oracle_opatch** module
- Manages opatchauto type of patches as well as 'normal' one-offs

**cxoracle**

Installs cx_Oracle in preparation for using [ansible-oracle-modules](https://github.com/oravirt/ansible-oracle-modules)

**orahost-cron**

Configures cron schedules if needed

**orahost-logrotate**

**oradb-manage-<*>**

Statefully manages various aspects of the DB. They all use modules from [ansible-oracle-modules](https://github.com/oravirt/ansible-oracle-modules)

- **oradb-manage-pdb**
- **oradb-manage-tablespace**
- **oradb-manage-parameters**
- **oradb-manage-roles**
- **oradb-manage-users**
- **oradb-manage-grants**
- **oradb-manage-redo**
- **oradb-manage-services**

### Deprecated roles

_**oraasm-createdg (use oraasm-manage-diskgroups instead)**_

_**oradb-create (use oradb-manage-db instead)**_

_**oradb-delete (use oradb-manage-db instead)**_

_**oraswgi-opatch (use oraswgi-manage-patches instead)**_

### Note

These are the Oracle binaries that are pre-configured to be used. They have to be manually downloaded and made available (either locally, from a web endpoint or through a nfs-share)

For 18.3.0.0:
```
    LINUX.X64_180000_db_home.zip
    LINUX.X64_180000_grid_home.zip
 ```

For 12.2.0.1:
```
    linuxx64_12201_database.zip
    linuxx64_12201_grid_home.zip
 ```

For 12.1.0.2
```
    linuxamd64_12102_database_1of2.zip
    linuxamd64_12102_database_2of2.zip
    linuxamd64_12102_grid_1of2.zip
    linuxamd64_12102_grid_2of2.zip
 ```

For 12.1.0.1:
```
    linuxamd64_12c_database_1of2.zip
    linuxamd64_12c_database_2of2.zip
    linuxamd64_12c_grid_1of2.zip
    linuxamd64_12c_grid_2of2.zip
 ```

For 11.2.0.4:
```
    p13390677_112040_Linux-x86-64_1of7.zip
    p13390677_112040_Linux-x86-64_2of7.zip
    p13390677_112040_Linux-x86-64_3of7.zip
 ```

 For 11.2.0.3:
 ```
    p10404530_112030_Linux-x86-64_1of7.zip
    p10404530_112030_Linux-x86-64_2of7.zip
    p10404530_112030_Linux-x86-64_3of7.zip
 ```


Back to Jane's ww2 fighters?
the pacific A Dream come true!!
Should "Battle for Malta" be next?
Luthier, this is my final attemp!
Fuel Gauge in spitfire ??
One other thing CFS2 did right on damage aircraft.
WWII Aircraft performance data books?
Who Has installed SP4 WinXpPro ?
How to change default background in game?
Help Needed : Can't See Campaigns?!
What's your "dream" ground target?
Listen to this! the Westland Whirlwind!
Squad's using historical squadron designations.
which B25 and beaufighter model launched torpedoes?
Big error inside 1-185 cockpit.
Post Your "Pacific" Screenshots Here.
Netwings down as of 11AM Pacific North Am. time ?
I-185 has a FW190 stick!
I-185 has a FW-190 stick !
I-185 has a FW-190 stick!
How to take screen shots of Web Pages?
Why has I185 a FW-190 stick?
What is your favire plane on AEP?
OT-- Discovery channel alert... Bismarck now..
pilot career not loading -any solutions? edit pilot ?
Anyone know about the Radeon 9550?
Anyone heard of the Radeon 9550?
Mustang and cobra still flying tanks?
What information is Oleg looking for in regard to new aircraft??
For which aircraft is Oleg looking for info?
VEF IS UP AGAIN !
How do you increase Campaign ground/air activity???
.50 cals in AEP Patch ?
Don't know if I'm missing something.
Post your wishes for BoB.
the new update looks fantastic!
PF / AEP - to be different games ?
Tales from online: staying cool in the desert, and 109 gunnery.
Is air density modeled in IL2, FB, AEP or PF?
Tales from online: 109f4 and 109g2 vs allied fighters, full real.
Yak 9M with one MG???
speed tests, why crimea map?
What new desert map? Where?
Joystick Question - Which Model is the Bomb????
"Fighting Lady" (1944, Oscar for Best Documentary in 1945) - fantastic Pacific air war footage!
What plane do you want most now???
Do You Like IL2 Movies ?
Found a Sidewinder FFB2 at retail!
So how fast should the YP-80 roll?
Can Our conf.ini Files Be Hacked While Playing This Game Online?
Does anyone know of a campaign that sims the first Blitzkreig?
Oleg, do you like CFS3?
Error 1335 on install HELP, wanna get online!!!
JUNO users does this happen to you?
Some Very Impressive screenshots - New Game!
where exactly is the "Kuban" area?
Curious about the new games.
A question regarding bombs and skip-bombing.
Was artillery affected by patch?
What plane do you NOT want to see included ?
Does anyone have complete list of the AEP 2.01 patch changes?
Talisman.., do you have one?
Talisman.Do you believe in em?
The best joke or phrase about..
What do you experts feel about the P-40E?
How do you enable music.


text:
TeamPrinciples
Sci-Fi for Liberated Futures
Sabrina Meherally
Pexels @TimaMiroshnichenko
LastNext
30 years ago, Back to the Future was just a cool futuristic movie with wild ideas. But today, hands free video games, dog walking drones and flying cars don't seem so far fetched. In fact, self driving cars, holograms, and even the mobile phone were inspired by Science Fiction. If Sci Fi - or rather, our ability to imagine and storytell - can have such a tremendous influence on society, it can also create the blueprint for liberated futures.
For as long as I can remember, I've LOVED anything Sci Fi. But it wasn't until recently that I began contemplating why.
Science Fiction takes me out of my reality. It's filled me up with wonder, curiosity, and excitement. In the world of Sci Fi, anything goes. No one's sitting around mumbling, "that's so unrealistic".
Sci Fi gives us the permission to dream an alternate reality of new possibilities.
For the past two weeks, I've been deeply contemplating the importance of imagination and the significance of Science Fiction in our present time.
Imagination is a concept less frequently referenced in the DEI space - yet, quite possibly the most powerful vehicle for change.
What we see around us is a direct reflection of our past and our current condition. Not of our future.
In order to build a future world where everyone thrives, we need new visions to aspire to.
We need fiction.
Netflix show Bridgerton is a great example. While the show has been criticized by some for its lack of "historical accuracy", I see it as a breath of fresh air. The fictional show is set in 19th century London where Queen Charlotte is depicted as a Black woman. If the idea of Black nobility makes you uncomfortable, ask yourself why.
Mainstream media bombards us with harmful narratives every day, which reinforce stereotypes, and thus our current condition. Fantasy and science fiction are tools for liberation. They help us visualize alternate societies so that we can break free from unjust realities.
In her book, Emergent Strategy, adrienne marie brown writes: "We must imagine new worlds that transition ideologies and norms, so that no one sees Black people as murderers, or Brown people as terrorists and aliens, but all of us as potential cultural and economic innovators"
We must imagine ourselves in spaces we've never been, dream up new systems, paint new societies, and write about our collective emancipation.
When we *share* these visions, we release spores of possibility out into the world. And sooner or later, they give rise to a new reality.
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Just want to make sure I have an issue and I am not misunderstanding how my launchpad should be working.
when I have a set playing and I want to trigger a new scene or clip, if I try to hit a launchpad button right on the beat it ALWAYS misses and wait till the next one (quantization). I can see that I might have a problem if I had poor rhythm and I was always hitting it late, but it have to hit is SIGNIFICANTLY ahead of time for it to trigger on the beat I want. it makes me think I have a driver issue or something.
I just want to make sure that with other people it works so that it triggers (at least some of the time) when it is supposed to. I've seen videos so I assume this is the case.
anybody's 2 cents and confirmation that I'm not crazy would be appreciated. Thanks.
What's your launch quantize set to?
usually a bar. but no matter what it's set to it misses and is obviously off when it does trigger.


Apparently bus travel is the new hotness in travel in the North East Corridor. There are about 5 new companies operating in the Boston – Washington, DC area. Some of them are just new brands on old names, like BoltBus and MegaBus instead of Greyhound and Champion, and some would seem to be newcomers to the space. And these are decidedly NOT the typical Chinatown bus setups. Yes, they leave from a random street corner somewhere in the cities they serve, but they also have real websites where they sell tickets and publish schedules. Some of them (at least Bolt and Mega) have on-board WiFi and plugs at the seats. I'm on the bus now and plugged in and posting away, as well as getting some work done.
On the down side, it is still a bus. Only about 30% of the seats are full on the mid-day Monday New York-Philly run, but I can imagine it being rather uncomfortable if it got more crowded. And I did just get to listen to J.K. (the woman across the aisle) talk to about 4 different people at top volume about getting her time sheet in and her expenses paid. I suppose that happens all the time on the train, too, but it was still pretty annoying. And there is always the potential for traffic problems, but we've managed to avoid them thus far.
Overall, I'm satisfied thus far, especially since it is rather less expensive than the train options and is a non-stop trip, at least to Philly, but I don't know that it would be a great option on a crowded ride. I'll potentially find out next week when I make the final leg of my ridiculous 2x to Hawaii in 10 days trip back from the Philly airport and try MegaBus out (I'm on BoltBus today).
Turns out that the WiFi isn't very good, which is too bad. I just dropped offline (from the bus to the internet, not locally) though it was working OK about 10 minutes ago. And now I'm sortof back, though it is slower than the free WiFi at a Continental Presidents Club, which is saying a lot.
Update (~5pm): After spending about an hour in traffic thanks to a fire somewhere on or near the Ben Franklin Bridge into Philly I'm not as convinced of the value of the bus. If it really was a train fire as was indicated online then I might've been just as delayed on the train, but this is getting to be pretty painful, even with the Internet (which has been pretty good during the hour delay).


Sometimes you struggle a lot to make a bullet print nice groups, and other times there is less effort. With the Nosler Custom Competition, it was too easy!
My "long range" rifle, the one I've used for a couple of Swedish field shooting competitions (where distances from 200 to 600 meters are common) is a plain old Tikka T3 Super Varmint in 308 Winchester. The only alterations I've made to the rifle is spray it with Duracoat Tactical Black, replace the bolt shroud with one made of metal, install a "tactical" bolt handle with is a bit nicer to use than the factory one, and also replace the aluminum recoil lug with a steel version. I used to have a McMillan A-TH stock for it, but actually sold that and went back to the factory stock as the McMillan was simply too bulky and heavy.
The 308 is certainly not the best choice for longer distances due to its inability to launch bullets of high ballistic coefficient (bc) at sufficient velocities, but for some reason I stick to it. Maybe that's because I like to do things the hard way, or maybe it's due to the fact that I mainly use it at my home shooting range where the maximum distance is 300 meters. I should have gotten the 6,5x55 version but I didn't. Previously I had worked up a handload with Hornady A-Max 168's as these are a fair trade-off between low recoil (due to relatively low weight) and decent but not superb bc. This load has been used for the field shooting competitions and the idea was that they are also suitable for hunting small to medium sized game. In Sweden, it basically means animals up to and including roe deer in size. This bullet would certainly be suitable also for dispatching the larger deer species, but I have not had any chance to hunt those.
When the time came to try the cheaper Nosler Custom Competition 168 grain bullets from the bulk pack of 1000 I had bought, I felt lazy and tried the same setting on the bullet seater as for the A-Max. I also used the same amount of Norma 203-B powder (equivalent to Reloader 15). I figured that the amount of powder would certainly be fine, and since the Nosler bullet has a tangent ogive, it should be fairly tolerable to seating depth. Boy, was that an understatement!
Too bad this bullet isn't suitable for longer ranges due to the so so bc, but for these ranges up to 300 meters, it is awesome. Of course, the Tikka T3 is also a big part of this equation. The T3 just keeps impressing the h--l out of me. And combined with the Nosler bullets... boy oh boy!


The launching of this new site appears interesting for several reasons, the first of which being the niche strategy that started off this new adventure in the eTourism sector.
Indeed, historic destination trips constitute one of the broadest segments in the travel industry. And yet, HistoricTraveler is the first site ever to use it as a proper "destination".
We are well aware that it would be very risky to try and launch a new BtoC general-interest site in the eTourism sector. As a good many pretenders are still competing in this specific sector , we can already anticipate a few deaths in the coming months.
This is why niche strategies remain among the last ones that might still be successful with only "normal" financial means.
This is how HistoricTraveler.com decided to commit itself to the History enthusiasts niche, by offering them a large range of products and services with a real legitimacy thanks to its partnership with Primedia Inc, a publishing company specialised in this sector.
Therefore, Internet users who visit HistoricTraveler.com will be able to book a historic trip online, which is the site's main goal, but they will also benefit from a great deal of online services such as an access to many history publications as well as numerous bibliographic elements. It goes without saying that the site takes advantage of all the Internet possibilities and also offers historic news as a whole, thus allowing enthusiast travellers to consult up-to-date files.
On the travel sector alone, HistoricTraveler mainly offers trips to museums, battlefields (beaches of Normandy/D-Day), historic homesteads but also other elements that are a little less warlike, such as an exploration of the roots of New Orleans Jazz through a cruise on a paddlewheel steamboat.
The site also offers a supplementary consumer-friendly element. It does not only propose package holidays but it also allows its visitors to compose a personalised program for their next historic trip, whether they do it on their own or with the help of professionals who work for the site.
This consumer-friendly orientation can also be seen through the right users gain as soon as they become members: they are allowed to send comments and suggestions. This "community" option perfectly fits the passion segment chosen by the site.
And yet, the site never forgets its commercial strategy as registered members receive exclusive discounts on the trips that are offered.
Another strategic element is that the historic legitimacy gained by the site through its partnership with Primedia (group specialized in history) is made even stronger off line via the launching of a quarterly print edition.
Instant set up of an on/off line synergy. The HistoricTraveler printed version will be distributed as a supplement to six of Primedia's award-winning history publications to 500.000 readers.
Attack of a segment that remains rather untouched online but could still prove big enough to generate a turnover that might constitute a real business model all on its own.
Partnership with a leader that gives the site a real legitimacy at once.
Large offer: a few thousand trips are on offer as well as partnerships with a few hundred independent Tour Operators.
Through an established Internet knowledge, HistoricTraveler is produced by Away.com, the web's leading provider of extraordinary travel (over one million members and over 100.000 pages of content).
Even though online success does not amount to putting together a few positive elements, we can still consider that most of the criteria that could lead HistoricTraveler to success are gathered here.
You can also notice that, even for a niche, professionalism is still required when you want to succeed on line and that the time when people used to set out to succeed online by investing money on an unexploited segment is well over.
And yet, nobody can say for sure that HistoricTraveler will be a success. It will be up to travellers to decide whether or not the website will be successful.
Indeed, even though the idea might appear appealing, will it manage to prompt history enthusiasts to use HistoricTraveler.com services to book their coming trips? Will Internet users who were used to booking their trips on Travelocity or Expedia websites desert those sites to the sole benefit of HistoricTraveler?
No matter how appealing the challenge appears to be, we still have an unknown factor: no matter how wide the historic sector appears to be, it mainly belongs to the eldest category of travellers, who are among the people who least use the Internet.
On the other hand, these specific Internet users are well-off and can also travel all year long.
Let's hope that the last element will prevail because HistoricTraveler.com's strategy does appear attractive.


text:
PSP Swiss Property AG
Press release News vom 17.08.2018
Half-year results as per 30 June 2018
PSP Swiss Property with successful lettings. Improved ebitda guidance for FY 2018 and lower vacancies expected.
Compared to the previous year's period, net income (excluding changes in fair value) rose by CHF 5.5 million or 6.8% to CHF 85.6 million. For FY 2018, PSP Swiss Property expects an improved ebitda (excluding changes in fair value) of CHF 240 million. Lower vacancies below 6% are expected at year-end 2018.
Real estate portfolio and letting activities
At the end of June 2018, the carrying value of the total portfolio was CHF 7.342 billion (end of 2017: CHF 7.046 billion). The property portfolio purchased from Edmond de Rothschild (Suisse) S.A. is included since Q1 2018. All properties are centrally located and perfectly maintained. Strategically, this acquisition perfectly fits the existing portfolio of PSP Swiss Property and strengthens its position in particular in the French-speaking part of Switzerland.
Furthermore, the new construction "Grosspeter Tower" in Basel was completed and reclassified to the investment portfolio. It has become one of the city's most distinctive buildings with a hotel and offices. As per mid-2018, around two third of the space was let and recently Migros Bank and Spaces, a provider of co-working facilities, signed lease agreements. As a result, the "Grosspeter Tower" is practically fully let.
The development projects progressed as planned; the already concluded pre-lettings are promising. At the renovation project opposite Zurich's main train station (Bahnhofplatz 1, Bahnhofquai 9/11/15), No18, a provider of co-working facilities, will move in at the end of 2019. Ruby Hotels & Resort, a German hotel group, becomes tenant at the property located at Beatenplatz (Waisenhausstrasse 2/4, Bahnhofquai 7). The opening of Ruby's first hotel in Zurich with around 210 rooms is scheduled for 2021. The tenant for the restaurant will be assigned in autumn 2018. The attractiveness of the entire building complex will improve substantially thanks to the ongoing renovations and the renowned tenants.
UBS AG recently leased 4'200 m2 at the building being renovated at Hardturmstrasse 161 / Förrlibuckstrasse 150 in Zurich-West. Already since April 2018, Westhive provides co-working facilities to start-ups as well as marketing and technology companies. The tenant mix at this property including also companies in the telecommunication, IT, medtech and energy sectors as well as the public authorities is well diversified.
In March 2018, the demolition of the two "Orion" buildings also located in Zurich West (Förrlibuckstrasse 178/180, Hardturmstrasse 181/183/185) started. They will be replaced by a state-of-the-art new office building for CHF 130 million by 2021. A significant lease agreement with a renowned anchor tenant might be signed shortly.
Some of the developments – to be reclassified to the investment portfolio after their completion – will generate rental income starting in FY 2020. Only the residential project "Residenza Parco Lago" in Paradiso – all units to be sold – will have an earlier P/L impact. By adopting IFRS 15 (Revenue from Contracts with Customers), income from condominium sales are recorded during the current business year.
In the context of streamlining the portfolio, the property located at Av. des Morgines 8/10 in Petit-Lancy was sold for CHF 55 million in June 2018, leading to a pre-tax gain of CHF 2.3 million. Furthermore, the property located at Bernerstrasse Süd 167/169 in Zurich and the development project "Bahnhofareal" in Rheinfelden might be sold shortly.
As per end of June 2018, the vacancy rate was successfully lowered to 6.8% (end of 2017: 8.2%). The improvement resulted from several new lettings and the sale of Av. des Morgines 8/10 in Petit-Lancy. 1.0 percentage points of all vacancies are due to ongoing renovations. Of the lease contracts maturing in 2018 (CHF 29.1 million), 87% were renewed, respectively extended at the end of June 2018.
Half-year results H1 2018
With the adoption of IFRS 15, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, the previous year's period H1 2017 and FY 2017 had to be restated. Revenues relating to condominium sales are now recorded using the so-called percentage-of-completion-method. The application of IFRS 15 did not have any material impact on H1 2017 resp. FY 2017 (for details see H1 2018 report and presentation available on www.psp.info).
During the reporting period, net income (excluding changes in fair value) reached CHF 85.6 million (H1 2017: CHF 80.1 million). The increase of CHF 5.5 million or 6.8% resulted mainly from higher rental income as well as a rise in capitalised own services, both also related to the portfolio purchase (Edmond de Rothschild). Rental income rose by CHF 2.3 million to CHF 138.7 million (H1 2017: CHF 136.4 million), capitalised own services by CHF 2.0 million to CHF 3.3 million (H1 2017: CHF 1.3 million).
Operating expenses increased by CHF 1.9 million to CHF 29.0 million (H1 2017: CHF 27.1 million). Financial expenses declined by CHF 1.5 million to CHF 11.5 million (H1 2017: CHF 13.1 million).
Net income (including changes in fair value) reached CHF 158.3 million (H1 2017: CHF 94.2 million). The significant increase of CHF 64.1 million compared to the previous year's period resulted mainly from the periodic revaluation of the properties, which resulted in an overall appreciation of CHF 91.5 million (H1 2017: appreciation of CHF 17.7 million). At the same time, however, tax expenses increased by CHF 15.7 million to CHF 40.5 million (H1 2017: CHF 24.8 million). EPS (including changes in fair value) amounted to CHF 3.45 (H1 2017: CHF 2.05). EPS (excluding changes in fair value), which is the basis for the dividend distribution, amounted to CHF 1.87 (H1 2017: CHF 1.75).
At the end of June 2018, NAV per share was CHF 87.17 (end of 2017: CHF 86.96); the dividend payment of CHF 3.40 per share made on 11 April 2018 must be taken into consideration in this regard. NAV before deducting deferred taxes amounted to CHF 105.14 (end of 2017: CHF 104.22).
Strong capital structure
With total equity of CHF 3.999 billion (end of 2017: CHF 3.989 billion) – corresponding to an equity ratio of 53.2% (end of 2017: 54.0%) – the capital base remains strong. Interest-bearing debt amounted to CHF 2.591 billion, corresponding to 34.5% of total assets (end of 2017: CHF 2.491 billion respectively 33.7%). Excluding debt capital invested as fixed-term deposit totalling CHF 125 million, the debt ratio was 33.4%. At the end of June 2018, the passing average interest rate was 0.92% (end of 2017: 0.99%). The average fixed-interest period was 3.4 years (end of 2017: 3.6 years). Currently, unused committed credit lines amount to CHF 850 million.
PSP Swiss Property has ratings from two international rating agencies: Senior Unsecured Rating A- (outlook stable) from Fitch and A3 Issuer Rating (outlook stable) from Moody's.
On 31 July 2018, the land relating to the land lease property located at Zeughausgasse 26 in Bern was purchased for CHF 7.9 million.
Market environment and outlook 2018
PSP Swiss Property expects that the predicted economic expansion will have a positive impact on the demand for office space, at least in central locations. The outlook for retail space in central locations is also significantly better than for assets in the periphery. The investment market for commercial properties is expected to remain challenging.
The focus of PSP Swiss Property remains on the modernisation of selected properties, the further development of the sites and projects as well as ongoing letting activities. Acquisitions are considered primarily in the strategic investment areas and must be justified by potential added value in the long-term.
For FY 2018, an improved ebitda (excluding changes in fair value) of CHF 240 million is now expected (previous guidance: more than CHF 235 million; 2017: CHF 242.2 million).
With regard to the vacancies, a lowered rate of below 6% is expected at year-end 2018 (previous guidance: around 7.5%; end of June 2018: 6.8%).
Key financial figures
H1 20171
H1 2018
CHF 1 000
EPRA like-for-like change
Net changes fair value real estate investments
Income property sales (condominiums)
Income property sales (investment properties)
Total other income
Net income excl. real estate gains3
Ebitda excl. real estate gains
Equity ratio
Interest-bearing debt
Interest-bearing debt in % of total assets
Portfolio key figures
Number of investment properties
Carrying value investment properties
Implied yield, gross
Implied yield, net
Vacancy rate end of period (CHF)
Number of sites/development properties
Carrying value sites/development properties
End of period/Equal FTE
Per share figures
Earnings per share (EPS)5
EPS excl. real estate gains5
Distribution per share
Net asset value per share (NAV)7
NAV per share before deferred taxes7
Share price end of period
Restated IFRS 15, Revenue from Contracts with Customers.
Change to H1 2017 or carrying value as of 31 December 2017 as applicable
"Net income excluding gains/losses on real estate investments" corresponds to the consolidated net income excluding net changes in fair value of the real estate investments, realised income on sales of investment properties and all of the related taxes. Income from the sale of properties which were developed by the Company itself is, however, included in the "net income excluding gains/losses on real estate investments".
Excluding debt capital invested as fixed-term deposit totalling CHF 125 million: 33.4%.
Based on average number of outstanding shares.
For the business year 2017. Cash payment was done on 11 April 2018.
Based on number of outstanding shares.
Giacomo Balzarini, CEO · Phone +41 (0)44 625 59 59 · Mobile +41 (0)79 207 32 40
Vasco Cecchini, CCO · Phone +41 (0)44 625 57 23 · Mobile +41 (0)79 650 84 32
Report and presentation are available on www.psp.info
www.psp.info/reports
www.psp.info/presentations
Today, 10:30 hrs (CET): conference call held in English
Switzerland / Europe · +41 (0)58 310 50 00
Great Britain · +44 (0)207 107 0613
USA · +1 (1)631 570 56 13
Other numbers · https://media.choruscall.ch/documents/Attended_DI_numbers.pdf
Publication Q1-Q3 2018 · 13 November 2018
Publication FY 2018 · 26 February 2019
Annual General Meeting 2019 · 4 April 2019
Publication Q1 2019 · 7 May 2019
PSP Swiss Property – leading Swiss real estate company
PSP Swiss Property owns a real estate portfolio of CHF 7.3 billion in Switzerland's main economic areas; its market capitalisation amounts to CHF 4.3 billion. The 93 employees are based in Geneva, Olten, Zug and Zurich.
Since March 2000, PSP Swiss Property is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (symbol: PSPN, security number: 1829415, ISIN CH0018294154).
None of the information in this press release constitutes an offer of securities for sale in the United States. Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration. None of the securities of the Company referred to in this press release have been or will be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or under the applicable securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States.
PSP Swiss Property AG, Kolinplatz 2, CH–6300 Zug
Phone +41 41 728 04 04 [email protected]
www.psp.info


The American political class has been working itself into a lather over the hacking of a number of email accounts, evidently by Russian intelligence, and the subsequent leaking of information from those emails during the recent presidential election campaign. Those leaks, it is said, hurt Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and might well have cost her the election.
The prevailing view is that what the Russians did was intolerable—that what we had here was an outrageous intrusion by a foreign power into America's internal democratic political process. You don't hear much nowadays about the "public's right to know." What is emphasized instead is the threat to American democracy posed by those Russian actions. What nerve the Russians had even trying to hack into the private communications of American political leaders! What nerve they had trying to influence 'our' presidential election!
But isn't there a bit of a double standard at work here? The complainers certainly know that the U.S. government eavesdrops, as a matter of course, on the private communications of many people around the world. The National Security Agency, whose job it is to do this kind of eavesdropping, has an annual budget of about $10 billion, and, according to an article that came out in the Washington Post a few years ago, intercepts and stores "1.7 billion e-mails, phone calls and other types of communications" every day.
Should we be outraged about any of this? This sort of spying, when the United States does it, is widely accepted. I doubt whether there is a single member of the U.S. national security establishment who would like to go back to the days when (to use Secretary of State Henry Stimson's famous phrase) 'gentlemen did not read each others' mail.' But if the United States is going to eavesdrop on other countries, Americans should not be too surprised—let alone indignant—when other countries do it to them.
In the present case, however, it is not just the hacking that people object to. It is the fact that this information was used to influence the U.S. presidential election. But here too a certain double standard is at work. Since 1945, America has intervened in the internal political affairs of other countries as a matter of course. Its basic attitude has been that free elections are great—as long as they do not produce outcomes the U.S. government doesn't like. Many of these episodes—Indochina, Congo, Chile, the Dominican Republic, and so on—are quite well-known. Other cases—like Guyana, where the Kennedy administration put heavy pressure on the British to prevent Cheddi Jagan from coming to power through the democratic process—are less familiar. But it is important to note that the practice was more common during the Cold War than many people realize.
Indeed, the United States felt free to intervene, sometimes massively, in the internal political affairs even of its democratic allies. To be sure, most people are vaguely aware of the fact that such interventions were common in the late 1940s. To cite but one example: the U.S. Ambassador in Paris, according to his diary, told the French prime minister in 1947: "no Communists in gov. or else." But even after the situation in western Europe had stabilized, direct intervention was by no means out of the question if the stakes were high enough. The Eisenhower administration, for example, threw its support behind the conservative government of Chancellor Konrad Adenauer in the 1953 German elections; that intervention was said by one German politician to have swung something like a million votes to Adenauer's side. A decade later, however, after the Americans had soured on Adenauer, the U.S. government played a leading role in driving him from power—an extraordinary episode which, even today, few people on either side of the Atlantic know much about.
None of this should be dismissed as ancient history. The habits that were formed during the Cold War period remain very much intact. The U.S. government still feels it has the right to influence the outcomes of elections in other countries. Everyone remembers how President Barack Obama warned the British, just before the Brexit vote, that if they chose to leave the European Union, they would be "in the back of the queue," when it came to making trade deals with the United States.
But the less well known case of America's involvement in Ukrainian politics is far more revealing. In 2014, Victoria Nuland, a high State Department official, was taped, presumably by Russian intelligence, talking with the U.S. ambassador in Kiev, Geoffrey Pyatt. The tape of that intercepted phone conversation was soon posted on YouTube. It was clear that Nuland and Pyatt had strong feelings about who should be running things in Ukraine. It was also clear that the United States (to use Pyatt's term) had a "scenario" for bringing about the political changes that were to its liking. As the Washington Post put it, they spoke "like political strategists, or perhaps like party bosses in a smoky back room. Using shorthand and nicknames, they game out what they would like to see opposition figures do and say, and discuss how best to influence some opposition decision-making." None of this was considered out-of-bounds, and the Nuland affair did not even get much attention at the time. Nuland was certainly not fired from her job. The finger was instead pointed at the Russians for having had the audacity to leak that taped phone conversation in the first place.
The assumption is that while the Americans have the right to intervene in the internal political affairs of all kinds of countries around the world, it is outrageous if any of them try to do the same kind of thing to the United States. It is perfectly okay for the U.S. government to eavesdrop on the private communications of the leaders of foreign countries, but it is outrageous that foreign powers should try to hack into the email accounts of American leaders and their associates. It is perfectly normal for the U.S. government to intervene in the internal political affairs of other countries, but it is an outrage when foreign governments try to affect political outcomes within America's own borders. The United States is the "indispensable nation" (to use then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's famous phrase) and the rules that apply to other countries simply do not apply to America. Those are the unspoken assumptions, and it is not hard to imagine how foreigners react to the sort of behavior they lead to. Does the word 'arrogant' come to mind here?
My own feeling is that a double standard of this sort is morally repulsive and politically counter-productive. I do not think the United States should arrogate to itself rights that it would not grant to others. But what that means is that, given the way America behaves, no one should get too upset if other countries behave the same way. If Americans approach the recent email hacking affair with those thoughts in mind, American commentators should thus be able to take what the Russians did in stride. It was in line with the way the world works—a world which is in large part of America's own making.
Marc Trachtenberg, an historian by training, is currently a Research Professor of Political Science at UCLA. He is the author of many works on twentieth century international politics. His most recent book, The Cold War and After: History, Theory, and the Logic of International Politics, was published by Princeton University Press in 2012.
 This piece (without the footnotes) originally appeared as a guest post on Stephen Walt's blog in foreignpolicy.com on 10 January 2017 (link).
 Dana Priest and William Arkin, "A Hidden World, Growing Beyond Control," Washington Post, 10 July 2010, A1 (link).
 Thomas Johnson, American Cryptology during the Cold War, 1945-1989, Book III: Retrenchment and Reform, 1972-1980 (National Security Agency: Center for Cryptological History, 1998) (link), 82. Anderson, according to that declassified history, "had acquired a box of top secret CIA National Intelligence Digests (NIDs), the unwitting courtesy of an NSC staffer who had been in the habit of taking them home for a little bedtime reading. After a marital falling out, his wife took the accumulated NIDs to Anderson, who kept them in his office and used them in his columns over a period of years." For other revelations along these lines, see Bill Gertz, "CIA Upset because Perle Detailed Eavesdropping," Washington Times, 15 April 1987 (link), and ex-President Richard Nixon's comments quoted in UPI dispatch, 6 April 1984 (link).
 Bob Woodward, Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1987), 30-31, 55, 86-87. DCI William Casey was supposed to have personally planted a listening device in the office of a senior official in an unidentified Middle Eastern country. Ibid., 147. On these matters in general, see Matthew Aid, The Secret Sentry: The Untold History of the National Security Agency (New York: Bloomsbury Press, 2009), esp. 143-144, 152-153, 163-165.
 Arthur Burns Journal II, 60 (entry for 3 April 1973), Digital Ford Presidential Library (link).
 See Stephen Rabe, U.S. Intervention in British Guiana: A Cold War Story (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2005). Note also Nigel Ashton, Kennedy, Macmillan, and the Cold War: The Irony of Interdependence (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2002), 67-71.
 See Melvyn Leffler, A Preponderance of Power: National Security, the Truman Administration, and the Cold War (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1992), 158. For a more detailed analysis, see Philip F. Dur, "Ambassador Caffery and the French Alliance," Louisiana History 27:3 (Summer 1986) (link), 256-259.
 See Richard L. Merritt, "The 1953 Bundestag Election: Evidence from West German Public Opinion," Historical Social Research 5:4 (1980) (link), esp. 8-9; editorial note in Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952-54, vol. 7, part 1, 532-533 (link); and U.W. Kitzinger, German Electoral Politics: A Study of the 1957 Campaign (Oxford: Clarendon, 1960), 251.
 See Marc Trachtenberg, A Constructed Peace: The Making of the European Settlement, 1945-1963 (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1999), 374-377.
 See, for example, Doug Palmer, "Obama: Brexit would move U.K. to the 'back of the queue' on U.S. trade deals," Politico.com, 22 April 2016 (link).
 Anne Gearan, "In Recording of U.S. Diplomat, Blunt Talk on Ukraine," Washington Post, 6 February 2014 (with link to the recording of the phone conversation posted on YouTube) (link). For a transcript of the call (with commentary) on the BBC website, see "Ukraine Crisis: Transcript of Leaked Nuland-Pyatt Call" (link).
 For the official U.S. reaction, see "US Official Apologises to EU Counterparts for Undiplomatic Language," in The Guardian, 6 February 2014 (link).