text:
Cyberpunk in 2022
Posted byJacob Robinson November 7, 2022 November 7, 2022 Posted inUncategorizedTags:anime, art, cdpr, cyberpunk, games, gaming, media, tv shows
Cyberpunk (the franchise, not the genre) is shaping up to be one of the more interesting AAA stories of recent years. I wanted to write a brief about my own experiences with the series, it's most recent successes (and failures), and where things might go from here.
An important note of context to start off: I am writing this post hot on the heels of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, the first real entry beyond 2077 into the Cyberpunk "cinematic universe" and a resounding all around success. By the time this article comes out this hype likely would have died down (this time I purposely wanted to avoid it, for reasons I'll elaborate on either). The negative side effect is that much more information may come out between when I write this and when it gets published. If there's any key info I'm missing here, it's because it wasn't around when I wrote it!
Personal Backstory
I have a (somewhat) interesting history with CD Projekt Red (abbreviated as CDPR for the rest), the developers of Cyberpunk as most of us know it today. Knowing it can help better explain why I feel some of the ways I do.
My first CDPR game was The Witcher 2, back on release. I never finished it but I remember it being a big deal. The first big game from CDPR, really, as the first game in the trilogy was a lot more niche. It was one of the more solid WRPGs of that year, and balanced a good deal between being accessible for the average RPG player but also relying on the difficulty that good old Eastern European RPGs were known for. Of course, the game came out in early 2011. Skyrim came out in November. That settled that.
When The Witcher 3 got announced, it built a lot on the success of 2. For starters, it would be CDPR's first open world game (the previous ones were nonlinear but not open world). Second, it would be the end of the trilogy — a trilogy where most people only played the second game, but the end nonetheless. It was a game on my radar, but this time it was going up against both Bloodborne and MGSV. At the time, it didn't seem like it had much of a chance.
Except this time, the comparison was wrong. The Witcher 3 did very well, arguably better than the other two games combined. For MGSV it made sense, given the game's lukewarm reception… but the success over Bloodborne was genuinely impressive. What happened?
Well, for starters, CDPR earned itself a sterling reputation in the years between 2 and 3. Considered an indie darling (despite being AAA in terms of size) the company garnered a large, diehard fanbase. And, like most large diehard fanbases, they were dedicated to seeing the game succeed.
The Witcher 3, perhaps unsurprisingly given this fact, was released to massive fanfare. I, of course, got curious myself. I bought the game relatively early on in its release, for the PS4 (didn't have a good enough PC at the time). My initial impressions were, well, not very positive. The game was much bigger, sure — but it mostly consisted of points of interest that were already common in pretty much any major open world game. Combine that with a series of pretty bad glitches and bugs, some straight up breaking important questlines. In fact, for a brief period it was so bad that they considered taking the PS4 version of the game down entirety.
To say it was as bad as Cyberpunk's launch is a misnomer. But if one was clever enough they could see the writing on the wall: the larger the project CDPR was working on, the more it was prone to bugs. And Cyberpunk promised to be its biggest project yet.
Of course, my complaints about Witcher 3 were muted by its overwhelming praise, and CDPR went from being a indie darling to being the indie darling, one that could do no wrong and was focused on giving its players what they wanted. So when they heard that Cyberpunk was on the horizon, fans all over rejoiced about it like the second coming.
The path to Cyberpunk was a long one. Technically the project was announced before Witcher 3, but at that point it was only a single concept video and a few pieces of art. It remained that way for many years, talked about with only the occasional "When's Cyberpunk?" post, until finally it was unveiled only a few years before its scheduled release.
When gameplay footage was finally revealed, it actually did pique my interest right from the start. The game seemed to be going for a Fallout/Deus Ex inspired gameplay system, but with a truly open world.. But I wasn't nearly as excited as… some people. I knew at the end of the day it was the Witcher 3 devs, and I could be getting the same mediocre experience as I got with my last round trip with them. At this point I did indeed beat Witcher 3 all the way through, and while I did learn to appreciate it more than my first attempt it still did not strike me as the "game of the decade" that CDPR fans were espousing it as. In secret — perhaps out of spite — I hoped that Cyberpunk would fail.
There was already some unsettlement pre-release. Reviews for the game came out shockingly late (usually they hit a few weeks in advance, this time was a few days). The reviews were surprisingly vague, with some even mentioning that they only got to play a small portion of the full experience. Some CDPR antagonists like myself began to smile, though most people kept optimistic.
Then came the launch.
Perhaps there has been no greater outpouring of a shitstorm within a span of 24 hours as the initial release of Cyberpunk onto the masses. It became very clear right from the get-go that the game was bugged to hell and back. For PS4 players, the game was straight up unplayable — causing Playstation to make the infamous choice of recalling the game from its platform. Poor performance, audio desync, AI issues — it was like a theme park of messed up nonsense.
Of course, as I heard the news come in, my secret CDPR bias began to reveal itself. Eager as I was to see the fanbase get their just desserts, I decided to make a — on the surface — rather strange decision. You see, in this time after release rumors abound that refunds for the game would be free-flowing and easy to get, much easier than a traditional release. So, wanting to be in the eye of the storm of the chaos first hand, I decided to buy the game. Full price. On Xbox One. Yeah, I don't really understand why I did it either. But it was this bizarre decision on my part that leads us to the rest of this blog post.
When I booted up the game and made my character, I immediately started to laugh at the issues. My frames dropped to 15 FPS in the intro area, a few items were inaccessible, NPCs stood still and did nothing. And so, I continued to play to see what else was wrong. Then I played again. And played some more. And more. Soon my friends began to ask why I was playing the buggy piece of shit so damn much. It was around this point I realized something odd — despite all its flaws, despite all its issues, I enjoyed Cyberpunk more than Witcher 3. In fact, I enjoyed it a lot.
The next few months I spent trying to decipher what it was that pulled me into the game so damn much, all the while getting ever closer to beating it. And at this point, I feel like I've come up with a pretty good answer.
Why Cyberpunk Was Better
Let me start this off by stating the obvious: I am not trying to excuse the state of the Cyberpunk launch. In fact, it was objectively pretty awful. Worst is that most of its issues were likely due to investor and management decisions that then trickled down to effect the creatives themselves. Cyberpunk, quite plainly, bit off a level of magnitude more than it could chew. Some stuff was obvious — for example, infinitely branching story paths were never going to happen in a million years (just like with every other game that's promised it). Other parts of the game you can tell fell apart due to scope creep: there are so many strange details of zero import, the map is about 3x too large, there are a ton of rumored modes that apparently got cut (multiplayer? VR??). All in all it was a simultaneously hilarious and depressing disaster.
So, like I said — the game on launch was bad. There's no doubt about it. What I'm trying to say here instead is why I enjoyed it despite all those flaws.
I think the biggest thing, especially in comparison with The Witcher, is the world. The world building and storytelling in Cyberpunk is the one thing I have seen nobody but the deepest contrarians shit on, and for good reason.
Cyberpunk's world is… interesting, in a good way. The best way to explain this is to think about all the other notable worlds out there: Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Warcraft, Star Wars, etc. These worlds are, of course, filled with danger. The life expectancy in them I imagine is not particularly high. Yet despite this, they are worlds people would wish to live in. Often people daydream about being a space trader on The Outer Rim, or have a little hobbithome, or go to Hogwarts.
Cyberpunk, on the other hand, is a world you would never, ever, want to live in.
A world where sex and violence floods the streets, where Type A investment banking crazies rip themselves apart in corporations, where economic inequality is disastrously high, where the only way to become a hero is to kill a bunch of people and then yourself. There is no occupation you would want to be in Cyberpunk. Working in a corporation? Get your life torn apart by your manager. A ripperdoc? Get kidnapped by a gang. A mercenary? Enjoy the 10 minute long lifespan and cyberpsychosis, buddy.
But here's the thing: in the context of a videogame, it all tends to make a lot of sense. In most modern military FPS games, you kill enough people to break Geneva Conventions several times over. But in Cyberpunk, that's the rule. Everybody kills that many people! Everybody makes the same crazy decisions! Everybody ignores traffic signs and drives five times over the speed limit!
This is what's wild and interesting about Night City. In other more reasonable worlds you usually have to control yourself to be immersed. In Cyberpunk, that lack of self control is the immersion. Contrast this with Witcher, which is more or less generic high fantasy. Yes, there is violence and boobies and sex all the same, but it's no different from what you might get out of a Game of Thrones or Black Company. Cyberpunk's world, by contrast, felt genuinely exciting.
And of course, beyond the world, there are those little moments. The initial heist in Konpeki Plaza. The absolute insanity that is the Peralez questline. All the companions who, genuinely, feel like companions. And, of course, the ending — I had gotten the good ending on my first playthrough by simply playing the character, and while it felt a little too focused towards certain companions it overall really felt like a complete experience.
So, I came out of Cyberpunk with a bittersweet feeling. On one hand I genuinely enjoyed the game, on the other I — in good faith — could not recommend it to anybody. I needed something else, some sort of excuse to get people interested, something that kept all the good elements of Cyberpunk but put it in a new light, preferably with the assistance of a team that was much more competent than CDPR.
Here comes Edgerunners.
The Edgerunners Angle
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is the first step in the so-called "Cyberpunk cinematic universe", a short anime miniseries written by the Cyberpunk team and developed by Trigger, the animation studio behind Gurren Lagann and Kill La Kill, with music by Silent Hill's Akira Yamaoka. It was announced relatively soon after the launch of 2077, being produced mostly in tandem.
As soon as I saw the announcement of Edgerunners, I knew this'd be it. Often you get those rare PB&J matchups, like Nier Automata — the combination of Yoko Taro's writing and Platinum Games' gameplay — that just feel right. I knew the story was there in Cyberpunk, and I knew Trigger's art and animation was some of the best I've ever seen. But I also knew that 2077 was a disaster and Trigger couldn't write an engaging plot to save their lives. It felt like a natural combo.
Of course, no one really paid attention during the leadup of Edgerunners. Virtually all the promotional material looked very good, but since everyone was caught up in the disastrous launch and its damage control the last thing anyone was interested in was a Cyberpunk anime. Hell, even in the weeks before the show launched all people could talk about was any of Trigger's other in development projects. There was no interest.
Part of me was genuinely concerned. I had become a Cyberpunk believer, and while I was still skeptical of CDPR I wanted people to become invested in the same world that I was. It seemed, by all intents and purposes, that things were going to go out in a puff of smoke — that the show was going to be pretty good, but relegated more to an underground hit rather than something more substantive. That wouldn't have been enough to save Cyberpunk. The series where everything went out in bangs, instead went out with a whimper.
But a few interesting things happened. First of all, the show was good. Very good. Considering what I mentioned before, not entirely surprising. But the second thing — the surprising one — was that it was a huge hit.
Over the span of a week, people became Edgerunners obsessed. The show's hashtag trended 24/7 for five days. Tens of thousands of pieces of art work were created. 2077, most notably, received enough sales during this time to pass the 20 million lifetime sales mark — making it one of the greatest bounce-backs in sales post launch of any videogame.
So, Edgerunners was a massive, worldwide success. I was happy. CDPR, I presume, was happy. Trigger was happy though perhaps a little anxious by the fact that a 3rd party western title was 10x more popular than any of their original IPs. The question no longer became if Edgerunners would help bring back the Cyberpunk franchise. The question was, instead… would it be enough?
CDPR Under The Trigger
If you were to look under the Edgerunners hashtag during those 5 days, and filter out all the Rebecca and Lucy fan art, you'd notice an interesting pattern. There was a lot of praise for the show, and a lot of praise for Trigger, but rarely any mention of CDPR. Which was strange given the fact that, beyond being the originators of the new franchise, they did have a sizable impact on the production of the show itself (all the writing, as I had mentioned, was done on the CDPR side). This bias began to reveal itself fully when a very particular tweet reared its head in the midst of the fervor.
I can no longer find the tweet now that it's been awhile since all this occurred, but I'm sure you can find the evidence with enough digging. It was one of those simple "Cyberpunk is good? Always has been" sorts of things. And while that statement is debatable, the response was certainly vitrolic. Filled with long lists of all the launch faults, responses saying "You're a AAA sympathizer" etc etc, it became clear that people were certainly still mad at CDPR.
To be fair, Trigger deserves the credit it gets. They were the ones who ultimately executed on CDPR's vision, who created all the character concepts that fans so adore, and their growth through this project is really something to promote. In a lot of ways, Edgerunners feels like Trigger "growing up" — a studio which traditionally focused on (mostly empty) spectacles of action and color now had a framework to bring a complex story and philosophy into the mix, all while keeping the same spectacle. But they did, for the most part, get handed that framework by CDPR. Really it's this collaboration that should be praised first and foremost — not just between two studios with vastly different focuses, but also ones in vastly different places. It's Poland and Japan, for god's sake! You've got language, cultural, and geographic barriers all in one bundle! However, they still pulled it off in the end.
But, as usual, I'm not here to make arguments. The simple fact is that Edgerunners was not enough to turn CDPR back into that darling game developer they once were. So, what's the next step?
Well, the first natural place to go is the game itself. By the time I finished 2077, it was barely on version 1.1 — with the Edgerunners update it was brought to 1.6. So I, of course, decided to play it again. More specifically, I decided to buy it again, since I hadn't brought my Xbox to the new apartment and heard that the PC version was a whole lot better, anyway.
I'm not entirely certain what was a bug fix in the updates, or what just naturally runs better on PC versus console. But immediately in my first 10 hours of playing I noticed a multitude of fixes. Some were sad, like the removal of the weird "rail grinding" glitch that gave you super speed if you sprinted on a fence. But most of them were sighs of relief, like the improvement of audio syncing and fixing model spawning and placement in cutscenes. Also the loading was much, much faster — though this might be more of a hardware difference. Overall, 1.6 feels like I'm playing a real game. A Bethesda game, maybe, but a real game nonetheless.
Yet despite how much CDPR may fix 2077, I don't think the series' future lies in that game. I also don't think it lies in expansion packs like the upcoming Phantom Liberty. Rather, it lies in things similar to Edgerunners — perhaps not a cinematic universe per say, but a series of new, smaller games or stories which take place in the same world.
Unfortunately, as of this point, it doesn't look like there's too much steam left in Cyberpunk. As of me writing this, CDPR just released its "forward-looking" statement on new products in their pipeline. It consists of about 10 new Witcher projects and a single new Cyberpunk game. Looks like the bad guys won this time, boys. But who knows… maybe the future will change again, just like how it did with Edgerunners.
What Decides Good Art?


We can constantly satisfy our respected customers with our good high quality, good price tag and good support due to we have been additional specialist and extra hard-working and do it in cost-effective way for Ball Mounted Bike Rack , Ball Mounted Bike Racks , Steel Ball Mounted Bike Rack , Innovation and Win-Win business". Welcome to visit our website and do not hesitate to communicate with us. Are you completely ready? ? ? Let us go!!!
"Reliable top quality and great credit score standing are our principles, which will help us at a top-ranking position. Adhering on the tenet of ""quality first, consumer supreme"" for Ball Mounted Bike Rack , Ball Mounted Bike Racks , Steel Ball Mounted Bike Rack , We offer the great variety of products and solutions in this area. Besides customized orders are also available. What's more you will enjoy our excellent services. In one word your satisfaction is guaranteed. Welcome to visit our company! For more information you should come to our website.If any further inquiries please feel free to contact us.


text:
Now Viewing » Hummer
Who Owns This Hideous Hummer?
Okay, I've seen some pretty crazy cars before but this one might top the list. This 2001 Hummer H1 with 4-tone interior including boa, alligator, ostrich, and crocodile is for sale on eBay and listed as celebrity owned but doesn't say who. The Hummer is also covered with not just one but FOUR coats of Rhino Liner, it has LED Strobe lights, a PA system, and CB radio to enhance the swat look exterior. If that wasn't enough, it also comes with riffle racks and a pistol holder. It can be yours for just $89,500. Take a look at the full listing here.
Anyone know who's it is?
Chad Netherland: Master Of Strength and Car Enthusiast
11 Comments · Leave a comment...
10-time Guinness World Record holder, Chad Netherland is the true master of strength and destruction. He holds more Guinness world records in martial arts and strength than anyone else in the world. Just a few of his talents include tearing phone books by hand, ripping decks of cards by hand, bending steel bars and nails by hand and driving a nail through a board by hand. But beyond being a guy you probably wouldn't want to challenge in a strength competition, he's also a huge car enthusiast and has been since he was a child.
"Growing up I had the Lamborghini Countach 500 poster on my wall next to the Porsche 959 and the Ferrari Testarossa not knowing that one day I would be able to drive all of them." Netherland said.
Chad currently drives a blacked out Hummer H2 SUT with a body package. His top cars to drive for speed and performance include the Ferrari F430 for its amazing handling and performance, the Lotus Elise because it's like driving a really fast go-cart, the Porsche 911 for great acceleration and handling and last but not least, the Lamborghini Diablo for its raw power.
Chad's favorite car ever though is the Ferrari F430. "One of my favorite cars to drive has to be the Ferrari F430. I was filming in Las Vegas and had the opportunity to take the F430 around the Las Vegas Motor Speedway at 140mph. It was AMAZING!" said Netherland " I did however later that night hit 80mph between two traffic lights on Las Vegas blvd in a lotus…lol
For more information checkout his website or follow him on Facebook.
www.chadnetherland.com
www.facebook.com/chadnetherland
Christian Audigier's Hummer H1 Convertible Diesel
Christian Audigier definitely has one bad ass matte black Hummer H1 Convertible Diesel. The Hummer was custom built by the guys over at West Coast Customs but it looks like Mr. Audigier's moving on to bigger and better things because the Hummer is currently up for sale. Since he sold Ed Hardy for around $62 million earlier this year we're guessing he's got options…
Arnold Hits The Open Air in His Old School Hummer
Arnold Schwarzenegger hit the streets in his old school H1 Hummer with his entourage close by in their boring black suburbans.
Jeremy Shoemoney Drives His H2 With A Grandpa Shoulder Pad
You guys may have no idea who Jeremy Schoemaker is but in a few far-off industries of the world he is a huge celebrity and he even balls like he's out-a-control (see after the jump). Anyways I was just watching this funny video and can not help but call out the granny seat belt shoulder-pad that Jeremy is rocking in his H2. What is up with that.
Do any other celebrities roll like old people?
You can learn more about Jeremy Schoemaker at his blog.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Been thinking about how developed nations best eradicate or at least minimize corruption. Would love to start up some ideas to see if some day the DR manages to overcome that social cancer. I understand that established and independent branches of the government along with stiff penalties help deter such crimes. How can we turn things around in the Dominican Republic? I've often imagined there being a series of monetary incentives for citizens to turn in corrupt public officials or an investigative team videotaping bribes to politicians, judges, etc... What do you think?
I am a true beliver in capital punishment for this type of thing. I know its not really a deterrent but it sure does stop people from doing it over and over again. Not many dead people are repeat offenders.
A bit extreme for my taste, but I hear your frustration. Public humiliation along with confiscation of home, funds, etc AND stiff sentences would be what I'd call for.
What level of corruption would you have carry the death penalty?
Dream on, it'll never change. The country mentality was architecturally carved as such, many moons ago.
Yeah, I'm the eternal dreamer, I guess. Does your position, whether accurate or not, advance the topic. Is capitulation the answer? I don't think so. Until more of us begin to think differently and believe it possible, nothing will change. I guess it's easy for me to be optimistic from a distance, but I don't see how a defeatist approach helps. Just my two cents.
Do you think that the UK, the USA and Europe were never as corrupt as the DR is now?
We can't change mentality. The country was designed to be and operate as is. Same parties, same people, same families, same way of life.
Two things: i'd love to stay on topic and get some input how to best catch and punish those guilty of corruption and the second point, I believe there are some, albeit not viable yet, options in politicians emerging. It will take a groundswell to change the paradigm in politics, but it can be done if other nations are examples.
Last edited by Matem�tico; 05-09-2014 at 05:26 PM.
Seeing as you asked. If I was king of the world it would happen from the ahole traffic cop that extorts money out of me upwards. Lawyers would be in my sites as well.


text:
HomeChanges on EarthClimate ChangeMurray-Darling system under strain as orchard plantings increase 41%
Murray-Darling system under strain as orchard plantings increase 41%
March 21, 2018 Qinyou Climate Change 2
Growth in permanent plantings, mainly water-intensive almond trees, has dramatically increased in the Mildura region. Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Farmers and others in Mildura region are warning trees could be left to wither and die
A huge expansion of irrigated crops in the Mildura region of the lower Murray is threatening to overtake the water available in the river, and has set the scene for a disaster if drought conditions return.
A 16-day heatwave that hit the region this summer exposed the vulnerability of the Sunraysia and western New South Wales regions. During that time, the Murray-Darling basin's water managers scrambled to meet demand, as the region experienced a run of days over 35C between 16 and 29 January.
But it is the long-term scenario that has environmentalists and water authorities worried. Growth in permanent plantings, mainly water-intensive almond trees, has dramatically increased in the region.
In the 20 years from 1997 to 2015 the area under irrigation in the Sunraysia district increased by 41% or 45,000 hectares, according to the Sunrise project that uses aerial photos to map land use.
There was some reversal during the millennium drought, but the pace of expansion has intensified in the past two years.
An additional 4500ha of permanent plantings (mainly almonds) was planted last winter and another 15,500ha is due to go in over the next five years along the lower Murray.
"The whole region is booming agriculturally," Andrew Kremor, Lower Murray Water's manager of customer and stakeholder relations, said. "Almonds are booming, table grapes are booming, even wine grapes."
Kremor said Lower Murray Water had managed to meet demand during January's hot spell by planning ahead, raising the level of water in storages and reminding users of conservation measures such as watering at night.
But the Victorian Farmers Federation's water council chairman, Richard Anderson, said the region had been "just days off facing major water restrictions". He said: "If the hot weather had continued, we would have been in real trouble."
Anderson said the problem was likely to get worse because many of the almond trees had yet to reach maturity, which would increase the demand for water.
Much of the irrigation expansion is also taking place on the basis of temporary water rights that are purchased each season, raising fears of what will happen if there is another drought.
There is no real sense of what water is truly available.
Stefano de Pieri, chef and Mildura resident
The ability to trade water throughout the Murray-Darling basin system has created a kind of gold rush. Under the Murray-Darling basin plan, it is possible to buy water rights outright or for a season from water holders and use them elsewhere in the river system. Restrictions are only triggered when river levels fall below certain thresholds.
As well as issues around availability of water, there are also delivery constraints. The Bambah choke limits the flow of water from the upper Murray to the Sunraysia region.
Longtime resident of Mildura and celebrity chef Stefano de Pieri is worried. "Citrus is going very well, because of China. Also table grapes. People are investing a lot of money in almonds. At the moment they are doing well, but how long is a piece of string? Where do they get the confidence from?"
"I am baffled because there is no real sense of what water is truly available and what is not," he said. "Buying, selling, renting. No one can really guarantee me that this water is available."
In the millenium drought between 2005 and 2009, farmers in Mildura went through the heartbreak of having to leave citrus orchards and vineyards to wither. A number of family farms went under. De Pieri fears it will happen again.
Stefano de Pieri, chef and Mildura resident, says despite brisk trade in water, no one can guarantee its availability. Photograph: Stefano de Pieri
The Murray Darling Basin Authority, which has oversight of the basin plan acknowledges that the risk of not having enough water to meet demand in the lower Murray has gone up substantially.
"From governments' point of view – and that's commonwealth and state governments – we are aware of the increasing development and are doing quite a bit of work on understanding what that will mean for future water demand," said the MDBA's executive director of river management, Andrew Reynolds.
"We got through that peak period this year – we managed pretty well – but we are conscious that if development continues, the risk profile increases as well."
He said the MDBA's role was to make sure investors were aware of the increasing risks and to provide information so they could make informed decisions.
He said the MDBA was doing research on when nut plantations require their peak amount of water and how this would interact with demand from other crops.
Reynolds said if another drought occurred the price of water rights was likely to rise sharply but this would likely prompt seasonal crop producers such as cotton and rice growers to sell their entitlements rather than plant.
A water gold rush
In Mildura, between 2005 and 2009 during the millennium drought, large areas under irrigation were left to die after farmers who had been reliant on purchasing temporary water found themselves facing impossible prices.
At the moment Mildura feels like a boom town, riding on the water equivalent of a gold rush.
When the Guardian visited last week the coffee shops were full and the main street busy. Evidence of expansion of irrigation was everywhere, with new plantings taking root, literally.
The local press was trumpeting the record prices being paid for irrigated properties.
Last week CK Life Sciences International, a company owned by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka Shing paid $45m for citrus and grape producer Naniloc Colignan Farms. In 2016 the company snapped up Seven Fields at Redcliffs in 2016 for $90m.
"The last 20 years has seen huge corporatisation and huge usage of big tracts of land to grow things. The game has changed. Whether the plan itself was the driver of this expansion, or the expansion itself is globally driven, it's not clear," De Pieri said.
He says the risk will be to the remaining small family farmers who will face skyrocketing water prices in a dry season. "We are operating in a vacuum, it's grab what you can, when you can," says De Pieri.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/mar/22/murray-darling-system-under-strain-as-tree-plantations-increase-41
water-intensive
Can climate litigation save the world?
NSW Labor refuses to approve forestry agreements based on 'out-of-date' science
Global Warming Is Messing with the Jet Stream. That Means More Extreme Weather.
November 4, 2018 Qinyou Climate Change 0
A new study links the buildup of greenhouse gas emissions to more frequent heat waves, floods and droughts in the Northern Hemisphere. BY BOB BERWYN, INSIDECLIMATE NEWS OCT 31, 2018 Greenhouse gases are increasingly disrupting […]
Rising Hummus Prices? Blame a Drought Half a World Away
February 9, 2018 huangtian Climate Change 1
By AMIE TSANG FEB. 8, 2018 LONDON — British shoppers began noticing in recent weeks that hummus prices were up significantly. The cause: a drought thousands of miles away. Insufficient rains in India have resulted […]
Drought affecting 99 percent of New Mexico
April 5, 2018 huangtian Climate Change 1
By Ollie Reed Jr. / Journal Staff Writer March 30th, 2018 What you see is what you get when it comes to New Mexico's mountain snowpacks, and there's not much to see. In some cases, […]
Qinyou says:
This is about the food system, what we eat accounts for much the changing of climate.
Hunger in Africa at the heart of UN conference in Sudan
Al jazeera 2018/02/24 The United Nations estimates more than 220 million people are facing hunger across the African continent. The United Nations estimates more than 220 million people are facing hunger across the African continent. [...]


Did you RMA your 20XX card, if so please post the details.
Discussion in 'Graphics Cards' started by Kaapstad, Nov 6, 2018.
Ouch, well at least EVGA should sort it out for you.
Gigabyte Aorus 2080Ti Xtreme Waterforce AIO.
14 days of use, playing Ghost Recon: Wildlands and crashed on me a few times then completely died on me and wouldn't boot into Windows. RMA'd and money back after two days. Big shout out to OCUK for sorting it out so quick though. After watching a few videos on YouTube I'm guessing it was probably a Mem issue?
Mine gone pop this morning after about a month.
It crashed playing Apex Legends last night, since booting it this morning the card is showing a error code 43 in device manager and the card won't display a resolution over 1024 x 768.
I've tested very thing from changing the drivers, fresh install of windows, testing the MB on different BIOS versions and also the different BIOS's on the card. All changes net the same set of results.
That's worrying, I'm onto my second 2080Ti and this time I opted for the EVGA FTW3 Ultra... Fingers crossed it lasts. I have heard EVGA are good with RMA's.
So I done a bit more digging last night and it does definitely look to be a problem around the memory.
EVGA has responded within 20 mins of raising the support reference and have given me a RMA number, as I have requested a advanced RMA I am waiting for it to be approved.
GPU-Z reports that my 2080 Ti has Micron VRAM so I'm hoping it was just one small bad batch.
Oh excellent I bought their 10 year warranty with my Ti, question what happens in say 3 years if the card breaks down and 2080ti's aren't about do they give you the equivalent?
RMA has all been approved and I am just waiting for them to send me a replacement card now.
Thus far EVGA have been very good.
Sorry to hear about your card.
1450 Euro's to be precise.
my new zotac has the Samsung ram im glad to say . the arous I had had the micron ram .
Another victim here! Zotac rtx2080ti broke in under a week last night- space invaders artefacts all over screen then died. Was part of a 3k build from here so passed initial stress tests etc. The really concerning thing is i bet i only gamed on it for a few hours tops before it died. See attached pic i took as it died. Very unhappy as i paid for the fast track on this 60 quid and now im unable to game and i am still having to tamper with the machine myself to take it out and return it which i paid for them to do.
This has never happened to me before so I'm unsure what to do.
I updated my entire set up before Christmas and spent a fortune on it.
This is one picture I took.
What would you recommend? Do I contact ASUS or where the place I bought the card from?
Contact the place you bought it from. Your contract is with them. If they try to refer you to Asus, refuse.
I feel for you mate mine broke last night as i was showing it off to friends which was obviously humiliating but also hilarious the irony of it! We spend a fortune on these and they are failing left right and centre regardless of the brand. Get in touch with where you got the card from first see what they say.


KB-6186: How to avoid the unsafe pass while matching dzdo command?
When a dzdo command is defined with elevated privilege and selects Glob expressions, adclient will do string pattern checking only.
If asterisk (*) is defined in the command, users can place any string, including using "/.." to traverse up the directory.
In current version, please do not define "*" in command with Glob expressions.
Regular expressions will not accept "/../" as a valid expression and not allow the command to be executed.
Starting from Suite 2016.1 there is a new attribute in hierarchical zone Unix Command Right to allow dzdo/dzsh to check all command arguments and prevent navigation up a path hierarchy.
Please refer to the 'Prevent navigation up a path hierarchy' checkbox in Access Manager (Suite 2016.1).


text:
Daviesia umbonata is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a bushy, openly-branched shrub with narrowly elliptic to narrowly egg-shaped, sharply pointed phyllodes and yellow and red flowers.

Description
Daviesia umbonata is a bushy, openly-branched shrub that typically grows to a height of . Its phyllodes are narrowly elliptic to narrowly egg-shaped,  long,  wide and sharply pointed. The flowers are arranged singly or in pairs in the axils on a pedicel  long. The sepals are  long and joined at the base, the upper two lobes joined for  and the lower three triangular and  long. The standard petal is elliptic with a notched centre, about  long,  wide and yellow with a dark red base. The wings are  long and dull red, the keel  long and dull red. Flowering occurs in June and July and the fruit is a shallowly triangular pod  long.

Taxonomy
Daviesia umbonata was first formally described in 1997 by Gregory T. Chandler and Michael Crisp in Australian Systematic Botany from specimens collected by Crisp near Moonijin in 1980. The specific epithet (umbonata) means "bossed" referring to bulges near the sepal lobes.

Distribution and habitat
This daviesia grows in kwongan north from the Wongan Hills-Manmanning area in the Avon Wheatbelt, Geraldton Sandplains and Jarrah Forest bioregions of south-western Western Australia.

Conservation status
Daviesia umbonata is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.

References

umbonata
Taxa named by Michael Crisp
Plants described in 1997
Flora of Western Australia

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Puto Bumbong Recipe is traditionally made from a special variety of heirloom sticky or glutinous rice called Pirurutong which has a distinctly purple color, soaked in salted water and dried overnight and then poured into bumbong or bamboo tubes and then steamed until done or steam rises out of the bamboo tubes. It is served topped with butter or margarine and shredded coconut mixed with sugar.
Making the Puto Bumbong without using bamboo steamer is different technique than traditional Puto Bumbong, Filipino Christmas is always have bibingka and puto bumbong the yummy treats every simbang gabi, try to make without bamboo steamer you can say almost the same taste.
Watch this video below to follow procedure.
Do you like this recipe? If you do, you can also share this with your friends and family online. For more daily recipes, feel free to visit our website more often and don't forget to leave your comment.
Do It Yourself Valentine's Day Treats For Your Loves Ones That You Can Try Sweet Couple Dances On Timeflies "Stuck With Me" As They Portray The Evolution Of A Developing Love Story—How Romantic!


If you are planning on having a birthday that is out of the ordinary, then it really is important that you will have to think out of the box as well. Remember that there really is a high chance that you will get to find a couple of ways to actually achieve such goal but the thing is that it will surely be appropriate for you to make sure that you will want to produce quality standard invitations.
Technically speaking, one could choose to purchase services from regular stores but it really takes someone who is skilled enough to ensure that the invitation will be designed in a more constructive manner. No matter the celebration it may be, it is important that you will have your invitation designed accordingly.
Remember that you may choose to check on the very specifics and items that we have for you to actually achieve a specific set of standards. to be able to assure that you are investing accordingly is one thing that needs to be made and done right for you to assure that the invitation is based on how you specifically want it to be.
There really are a number of ways for you to come up with such specific and among these include the need to be aware as to how you want the invitation to be sent out. Over the years, there have been quite a number of ways that are found to be appropriate and ideal for such purpose and it is now possible for you to actually choose from a plethora of options, all of which are different from each other.
Where you will have the invitation sent out is one thing that you should also plan out as well and if you are going to use social media as a medium, then to use out graphic invites will be needed and appropriate. This option basically is the quickest way to do it.
Generally speaking, web page invites also are found to be really appropriate and ideal when it comes to achieving an impressive way to send out invites. What is great about this matter is the fact that you could easily set this up in no time.
It also is possible for you to consider doing video invites if your goal is to make sure that you will impress your guests. What is yet another great thing about Adobe free invitation creator is the fact that you will be able to personalize the video invitation you will come up with, reason why you should not hesitate on adding such personalized touches in order for you to effectively achieve a high quality invitation for your guests and whatnot.


text:
Update: PRISTIN's Nayoung and Eunwoo write letters to fans after dissolution announcement
May 25, 2019 by singapore
Updated on May 25 from KST:
Eunwoo and Nayoung of PRISTIN expressed their thoughts about the dissolution of the group.
On May 25, Eunwoo left a comment on the Xiyeon Instagram post which reads as follows:
There were some things I did not mention in the chat room, so I'll write here! I love all members of PRISTIN, and I'm very grateful that you've been with me for so long. I love you guys. Xiyeon, you worked so hard.
Although we may sometimes feel uncertain about the path we will take, it would be good if we could help each other and not lose hope. I'm sure the HIghs feel the same way.
Nayoung unniRoa unniYuha unni, Yebin, Kyulkyung, Sungyeon, Yewon, Xiyeon and [Kyla]We all work hard. Let's all be happy. [Kyla]you really worked hard. I do not think I could do more for you, so I'm sorry. Let's eat delicious food together the next time we meet.
I love you all [fans] also. Thank you so much for supporting us and for loving us.
Nayoung also wrote a message to fans on his Instagram:
Hi. This is Im Nayoung.
First, I apologize for having to greet you with unfortunate news.
I want to thank & # 39; HIgh & # 39; for always giving me strength during my activities, as well as all those who have constantly supported and encouraged me. I will not be able to greet you more like PRISTIN, so I'm sorry for "HIGH" and all.
I left this nest called Pledis, where I've been since 2011, and I'm getting ready for a new beginning. Thanks to the Pledis family for their relentless support while I was at the agency. I will not forget all the people who have supported me so far, and I will work harder to become an Im Nayoung that can grow a little more. Please support the PRISTIN members who have always been with me in happy and sad times as well.
Just as they say that if there is an end, there is also a beginning, PRISTIN is over, but I will start over as Im Nayoung and become a hard working person to show off a good image.
Updated on May 24 KST:
Kyla from PRISTIN now also posted on Instagram to share her thoughts with fans after the group broke up.
She wrote in English:
Dear HIghs
I'm so devastated that I have to upload this post and I know many of you have a million questions. For now, I just want to say that I'm sorry and also incredibly grateful to all of you who supported us from the beginning, from when we were Pledis Girlz until now. While Pristin has officially disbanded, I would like to ask all of you not to be upset and angry but happy with the memories we had together and all the incredible things we do. Moving on, I hope you all find in your heart to support me like Kyla Massie instead of Pristin Kyla. I had been with Pledis for about 9 years now and I am very fortunate to have had this amazing experience and to have had such a wonderful second family. Thank you. It has been a roller coaster for the last two years and I could not be more grateful to all the people who supported us in that period. Thank you very much. I love you with all my heart.
She signed in Korean, saying, "I love you, our HIghs."
Xiyeon of PRISTIN posted a letter on the Instagram to his High fans after the news was announced that the group fell apart.
Read the full letter below:
Hi, this is Park Siyeon.
First of all, I'm sorry for writing to you with bad news.
I was able to spend really happy days thanks to High, who loved me steadily throughout my 11 years in Pledis and two years with PRISTIN. Thank you.
Although this is the end of our activities as PRISTIN, I will work hard in the future as Park Siyeon to make up for all the love you have given me.
I hope that together with you, you will watch and support the new beginning of our members, with whom I have been for a long time.
I'm sorry and I'm grateful to everyone who loved and waited for PRISTIN.
On May 24, it was announced that PRISTIN was disbanded. Members Nayoung, Roa, Yuha, Eunwoo, Rena, Xiyeon and Kyla have all signed off with the agency, while Kyulkyung, Yehana and Sungyeon will remain at Pledis Entertainment.
How does this article make you feel?
Categories singapore Post navigation
Renault Mégane R.S. Trophy-R: Record at the Nürburgring. But with the question – Magazine – Auto
Doctors broke the ancient myth of a glass of red wine


Cosgrove celebrated reaching the 20-goal mark at the weekend when he struck a timely second-half double to help Derek McInnes' visitors overcome bottom-club Dundee, providing the perfect platform going into Sunday's Scottish Cup semi-final encounter with Neil Lennon's treble chasers at Hampden.
Despite a stuttering start, the 22-year-old has proceeded to claim an impressive haul in front of goal and, in so doing, silence his critics who claimed the former Wigan man would never prosper in the Scottish top-flight following his move north of the border in January 2018.
It's a quite remarkable tally to have claimed in his first full season in Scotland but the Englishman has unfinished business and believes saving his best for Celtic in their last-four tie would eclipse anything up until now.
"I think scoring at Hampden would top the lot," smiled Cosgrove. "It's well noted that this is probably the biggest game of the season and we're all relishing the chance to play there and get through with a win and get through to another final.
"I think it's been typical of us this season: we've put in our best performances against the stronger sides.
"You can include the Old Firm in that. You look at the 0-0 at their place [Celtic] a couple of weeks ago, you could argue that as much control as they had, we were perhaps unlucky to come away without a win.
taken spot-kick to put the Dons on the road to victory on Tayside, before his 77th minute clincher from Connor McLennan's assist ensured a happy journey home to the Granite City for their jubilant travelling support.
The 6ft 2in forward is bursting with pride courtesy of his exploits and even revealed his pre-season target was simply to nail down a regular first-team starting slot following his switch from Carlisle.
"Ever since I got on to my goal trail, I was made well aware of the prestige that comes with getting 20 goals at this club," said Cosgrove. "You just look at Adam Rooney, who did it for numerous years, and the plaudits that he's got for it.
Cosgrove couldn't stop Celtic sweeping to another trophy under former manager Brendan Rodgers thanks to Ryan Christie's winner in the League Cup final at Hampden in December, although he was an integral part of the visiting side which held the champions to a recent 0-0 draw at Parkhead.
Now, though, the ex-Carlisle forward is relishing his return to Glasgow and believes he's a different proposition altogether from the one which faced the holders at the National Stadium four months ago.
"The League Cup was a tough one to take," he reflected. "It's well known that Celtic have that quality and they need that one chance and they've put it away.
Meanwhile, Craig Curran, pictured below, insists Dundee haven't thrown in the towel in their faltering bid for Premiership survival.
Their latest set-back leaves the Tayside club three points adrift at the foot of the table and with a mountain to climb, but striker Curran is adamant they haven't lost hope of staying up with just five post-split fixtures remaining.
"This isn't where we expected to be," conceded Curran, left.


text:
Collapse of the Pilcomayo River
Martín-Vide, J.P.; Amarilla, M.; Zárate, F.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2012.12.007
http://hdl.handle.net/2117/113665
The Pilcomayo River flows south-eastwards from the Bolivian Andes across the Chaco Plains, setting the border between Argentina and Paraguay. It flows down along 1000km, in principle, to finally join the Paraguay River. It spills over the plains during the rainy season from January to March. The sediment load of the Pilcomayo is one of the largest in the world: 140milliontons per year, which is mostly wash load from the upland Andes. The mean concentration of suspended sediment is 15g/l. The max...
The Pilcomayo River flows south-eastwards from the Bolivian Andes across the Chaco Plains, setting the border between Argentina and Paraguay. It flows down along 1000km, in principle, to finally join the Paraguay River. It spills over the plains during the rainy season from January to March. The sediment load of the Pilcomayo is one of the largest in the world: 140milliontons per year, which is mostly wash load from the upland Andes. The mean concentration of suspended sediment is 15g/l. The maximum recorded concentration is as high as 60g/l. The river has built a large fan covering a surface of 210,000km2, with many abandoned channels. Today, it is a river prone to avulsion, raising border disputes between the two lowland countries, Argentina and Paraguay. Moreover, the very special feature of Pilcomayo River is that it does not actually flow into the Paraguay River. Very far upstream of the mouth in the Paraguay the channel blocks itself with sediment and wood debris forcing water and sediment to spread across the plains. Moreover, the point of blockage has moved hundreds of kilometers upstream throughout the 20th century. Many environmental issues arise because of this collapse (channel discontinuity), not the least of them is the migration of fish. The future of the river concerns Bolivia and the two lowland countries. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.
Martín-Vide, J.P., Amarilla, M., Zárate, F. Collapse of the Pilcomayo River. "Geomorphology", Gener 2014, vol. 205, p. 155-163.
Alluvial fan, Channel morphodynamics, Log jam, Meandering, Pilcomayo River, Suspended load
Martin Vide, Juan Pedro (author)
Amarilla, Mabel (author)
Zárate, Fernando José (author)
Pilcomayo_Geomorphology.pdf (2129739 bytes)


The flavors of spicy, pungent Indian long peppers complement sweet cherries and gamey hens to make for a delicious and special holiday dinner.
This Grilled Cornish Game Hens Recipe With Spiced Cherry Marinade is a special dinner fit for a holiday celebration.
With preparation schedules, sample menus and instructive sidebars, chef Bradley Ogden takes the guesswork out of holiday dinner preparation so that you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time with the family.
Award-winning chef Bradley Ogden presents his first cookbook in over a decade. Holiday Dinners with Bradley Ogden (Running Press, 2011) includes 150 cherished recipes for a range of winter holidays — Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's — in one delicious guide for making the most memorable meals for the most special occasions. In this excerpt, find a guide for a very special holiday meal, a Cornish game hen recipe.
You can buy this book in the GRIT store: Holiday Dinners With Bradley Ogden.
Indian long peppers, also known as Pippali long peppers, can be found at most Asian, Indian, or Middle Eastern grocers. Their spicy and pungent flavor complements the sweet cherries and the gaminess of the hens.
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, simmer the juice and cherries until reduced by half. Purée until smooth and set aside.
In a small nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, toast the coriander seed, fennel seed, mustard seed, red pepper flakes, and Indian long peppers or peppercorns until lightly browned and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the spices to a spice grinder and grind until smooth. Place the ground spices in a medium bowl, add the cherry purée, lemon, turmeric, salt, and pepper; set aside.
Rub the hens with the spiced cherry marinade; place in a single layer in a glass dish; cover with plastic wrap; marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Let the hens sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling.
Prepare a gas or coal grill. Place the hens over a medium flame or moderately hot coals, basting occasionally with the marinade. Turn the hens twice while cooking. Cook the hens until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the hen registers 165°F, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the hens to a large plate and tent with foil to keep warm; let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Split the hen in half, down the middle through the breast bone; arrange the halves so they overlap in the center of the plate.
Note: To butterfly the hens, use poultry shears to remove the wing tips and cut out the backbone; with the breast-side up, press the rib cage down firmly to flatten. Turn the hen over and remove any excess fat and liver from inside cavity; rinse the bird thoroughly under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
Reprinted with permission from Holiday Dinners with Bradley Ogden, © 2011 by Bradley Ogden, Running Press, a member of the Perseus Book Group. Buy this book from our store: Holiday Dinners with Bradley Ogden.


text:
Q: How to protect password in Selenium scripts I am  writing selenium (seleno) scripts to test a c# MVC web application which requires users to log in. At the moment the username and password are hard-coded into the script but I need to make sure the password is protected before I can commit the scripts to our code repository.
The scripts will be run autonomously through CI (TeamCity) so the password must be available to the program without any human input.
In terms of security requirements, the password is common knowledge amongst devs but it is also bundled with the software that is deployed to clients (which obviously opens a back door to anyone in possession of the password - for better or for worse). So if someone gains access to our codebase we need to be sure that they cant get at the password. The password itself is stored (salted) in a sqlite database.
If I pass an encrypted value into the program and then decrypt it will that protect us? Im not too bothered about the password being in memory on the server where the test runs as that server should be securely locked down and will only exist for the duration of the tests.
The only other thing I can think of is to insert a temp password into the sqlite database once TeamCity has spun up the temp server instance and before the tests are run. Not sure how to achieve that though.
I would have thought this would be a really common problem with selenium but I havent as yet been able to find a definitive solution.

A: The solution is to set your passwords at runtime. I would suggest environment variables. Then they are not in your codebase and instead somebody would need to hack into where you run your tests from.

A: As SiKing suggests, the solution is to use a temporary, test specific password which wont make it into production code. Simples.

A: One approach that I have used is to execute javascript to evaluate things:
storeEval
prompt("What password")
secretPassword

That only really works for user run stuff via webdriver though.
You could setup some kind of small ajax request at the start of the test to http://localhost/credentials.json or similar, which is set up on your CI instance (but not available anywhere else).

A: Add a password manager extension like bitwarden,keepass etc.., and configure it to auto-login... give 2-3 sec in code to auto-login

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


You can apply now to become one of the 25 Green Talents of 2019 and have the opportunity to present your research in sustainable development in Germany!
The Goethe-Institut Johannesburg is hiring! Read more about the available positions here.
The German Research Foundation (DFG) calls attention to researchers at German institutions to the opportunity to invite early-career African scientists (Postdocs) from Sub-Saharan African countries of all academic fields for a three-month research-based cooperation visit at their institution in Germany.
The International Colloquium on Sustainable Development in the Urban Age, jointly organised by the Faculties of Law of the Freie Universität Berlin and the North-West University will take place in Potchefstroom from 7 - 8 March 2019! All interested students and researchers in this field are welcome to apply!
The DAAD Young Scholars in Africa Conference will take place in Nairobi, Kenya from 1 - 3 March 2019.
3000 researchers, scientists & policy-makers from all over the world attended the Science Forum South Africa (SFSA) in Pretoria in December 2018. Research in Germany and DAAD South Africa were present with a stall and Science Talks.
The DAAD will be at the Science Forum South Africa together with the German Embassy from 12 - 14 December 2018. The DAAD South Africa Team will be at an information stand ready to answer all your burning questions about study and research in Germany and DAAD scholarships!
The Federal Germany Ministry for Education and Research is bestowing the German-African Incentive Award for the second time to African researchers!
The Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa (MIASA) has Fellowships (Junior/Senior) on offer on "Parliaments and Democracy in Africa" at the University of Ghana from September to December 2019!
There are travel grants available for exciting programmes in sustainable food production and food security as part of the Pan-African Soil Challenge (Pascal) that will take place from 26 - 30 November 2018 in Accra, Ghana!


text:
The Librarian - Shanghai
Pudong New Stage
143 Pudong Da Dao Pudong Shanghai
This ticket is only available as a paper ticket
Paper ticket
- Receive Tickets via Express Delivery
- All Attendees Require a Ticket
- Show Lasts 60 mins
- English Language (without Subtitles)
- Recommended Age: 4+
For the last 25 years, Paul-Émile Dumoulin has worked in a municipal library.
He is serious and proud, though terribly clumsy. The shelves must be impeccable, publications carefully organized. But beware, when his passion for books gets ahold of him, he can't help but plunge, head first, into their stories.
Overwhelmed with excitement, he starts doing acrobatics, performing feats of balance, juggling, break dancing and beatboxing. This is a show that highlights the power of literature as well as imagination.
The word of Director M-H-D'Amours
Reading has always been a stimulating activity for me, and in addition, it develops the cognitive ability and the imagination of children in a remarkable way. As for the library, it is a place of all possibilities, from one shelf to another, from a novel to a non-fiction book, a place so quiet, and yet so noisy with all those words locked behind the covers, those words that are just waiting to be read, to come alive and take their reader on an adventure, to a distant country, and maybe even fall in love.
The Librarian brings books to life, through the character of Paul-Emile Dumoulin, interpreted by Hyppolite, a multidisciplinary artist who has largely contributed to the creation of this production.
Aug. 8 (Thu.) - Aug. 9 (Fri.) @ 19:30
Aug. 10 (Sat.) - Aug. 11 (Sun.) @ 10:30 / 15:30
Language: English (without Subtitles)
ALL ATTENDEES NEED A TICKET.
2019.08.02 - 2019.08.04 Beijing
2019.08.08-2019.08.11 Shanghai
2019.08.16 - 2019.08.17 Hangzhou
Shanghai Sharks CBA Basketball - 2019/20 Season
247 Gift Card


I was listening to the September 21st issue of the Phedippidations Podcast and was surprised, honored, and proud to have been named the blog of the week. Steve Runner is a great guy and I love the podcast–he says he is not a philosophical type, but I get a lot out of his ruminations. At any rate, thanks, Steve. You can check it out yourself at http://www.steverunner.com. Awesome stuff.
You are one lucky guy!!!


text:
BDS Occupied Territories
ACLU: US Congress ban on Boycotting Israel is Unconstitutional
contributors 03/08/2018
TeleSur | – –
The bipartisan bill was rewritten after criticism by civil rights advocates but it remains challenged by the ACLU.
The legal advocacy group American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) announced Tuesday their opposition to a revised draft of a legislation targeting the growing pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
The ACLU criticized the Israel Anti-Boycott Act, which was introduced last year by a group of Democratic and Republican legislators, warning it would infringe upon the free speech of United States citizens.
BDS is a nonviolent movement launched in 2005 to pressure Israel to end its illegal occupation of the West Bank, Gaza, and the Golan Heights, to respect the human rights of Palestinians under occupation, and to recognize Palestinian refugees' right to return.
It is inspired by the 1990s boycott campaigns against the apartheid regime of racial segregation and domination in South Africa and was recently nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.
In light of mounting criticism, last week Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) released a joint statement about amending the bill. However, the ACLU responded that while there have been "several significant improvements" the bill still harms freedom of speech and political expression.
Ben Wizner, director of the ACLU Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project explained in a letter to Senators Cardin and Portman that "the revised bill continues to penalize participants in political boycotts in violation of the First Amendment." The ACLU also warned that if passed, the organization would most likely challenge it in court.
"The Supreme Court ruled decades ago that political boycotts are protected by the First Amendment, and the ACLU is currently fighting two lawsuits challenging Kansas and Arizona laws requiring state contractors to certify that they are not participating in boycotts of Israel," Wizner added.
Syndicated by permission from TeleSur
Bonus video added by Informed Comment:
Democracy Now! from last summer: "Criminalizing Critics of Israel: Congress Considers Sweeping Bills to Fine & Jail Backers of BDS"
Filed Under: BDS Occupied Territories, Rights


For safety reasons, Aztec Recreation may deny participation to patrons who do not follow ARC guidelines, who arrive 10 minutes after the start of class, or who arrive after class has reached maximum capacity.
No outside weights permitted in this room.
Only authorized personnel are allowed to operate stereo equipment.
Only authorized personnel are allowed to conduct Personal Training in this facility.


technology. Each unit is thoroughly tested in our facility prior to shipment and is packaged in a way to minimize the risk of damage in transit. Stewart Glapat provides a thorough maintenance manual and a videotape training aid with every Adjustoveyor sold. We hope that you will join us as partners in assuring a long productive life of operation for your equipment by providing the proper orientation and training of your employees with respect to safety, operation, and preventative maintenance of the unit.
If your unit is damaged in transit, it should be noted on the bill of lading and the carrier notified through the claims procedure. Responsibility for damage in transit may be difficult to prove, UNLESS IT IS NOTED ON THE BILL OF LADING AT THE TIME OF DELIVERY. WE WILL BE AVAILABLE TO THE CARRIER TO ADVISE ON THE QUICKEST REMEDY TO THE PROBLEM.


Full audit trail with personal I.D.
The Krohne Summit 8800 Flow Computer dramatically increases performance, that saves time, is more cost effective and has the best possible accuracy! Summit 8800 bring the flow computer into the communication age.


daltile harrison mirage daltile harrison new york.
daltile harrison com a b c d a b c d daltile harrison new york.
daltile harrison tile daltile harrison new york.
daltile harrison subway tile tub daltile harrison new york.
daltile harrison daltile harrison new york.
daltile harrison tile flooring daltile harrison new york.
daltile harrison floor tile terrace x daltile harrison new york.
daltile harrison slate attache meta dark gray daltile harrison new york.
daltile harrison tile adjusting production daltile harrison new york.
daltile harrison x porcelain field tile in daltile harrison new york.
daltile harrison restore daltile harrison new york.
daltile harrison cottage kids bathroom with us ceramic color collection bright yellow 4 1 4 in daltile harrison new york.
daltile harrison triangle mosaic daltile harrison new york.
daltile harrison bathroom tile floor porcelain stoneware patterned daltile harrison new york.


Geranium wallichianum 'Buxtons Blue' Always much sought after & not often offered is this unique plant with large (1.5 ') saucer shaped flowers which are of sky blue with a startling white eye, dark stamens complete the masterpiece. Requires a cool shaded area to do best & flowers summer into autumn. Seed raised plants.


As a school we are part of the First Federation Trust. The First Federation schools aim to be fully inclusive school communities and to involve all members of the community in decision-making and policy development. We regard staff, parents and pupils as undertaking a joint enterprise to make learning exciting and positive for all of us. We are all members of a team working co-operatively to this end. The expertise of parents and carers is highly valued.


text: [Click here to see the Project](https://www.hackster.io/team-jatayu/race-car-dashboard-online-connectivity-cf5dd3)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Sybra piceomacula is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Gressitt in 1951.

References

piceomacula
Beetles described in 1951


text:
Criminal Securities Fraud: Another Ex-Wilmington Trust Executive Gets His Prison Term, Former Rock Capital Trader in $13.7M Fake Profits Scam to Serve 5-Year Sentence, and Ex-NJ Financial Adviser Who Defrauded Customers Waits for Jury Verdict
January 29, 2019 Bank Fraud, Current Investigations, Investment Advisersccollins
Ex-Wilmington Trust VP is Sentenced to 21-Months for Bank Fraud
A federal judge has sentenced Joseph Terranova, a Former Wilmington Trust Corp. VP and commercial real estate manager, to 21 months in prison. Terranova's sentence comes almost five years after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud related to a securities fraud that involved hiding from investors and regulators that commercial real estate loans that were past due.
Terranova is one of several Wilmington Trust executive to receive a sentence for the bank fraud, which involved fraudulent actions to hide hundreds of millions of dollars in delinquent loans. When the bank's debt burden became public knowledge, it almost failed and was sold at a severely reduced price to M & T Bank Corp. in 2011. Meantime, bank stockholders sustained serious losses.
Former Rock Capital Trader Who Pleaded Guilty to Wire Fraud Gets 5-Year Sentence
Thomas Lindstrom, an ex-Rock Capital Markets LLC trader, is sentenced to five years in prison and two years of supervised release. Lindstrom, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2018, is accused of fabricating false profits, which led his firm to shutter after a more than $13.8M loss. Now, in addition to his prison term, the former Rock Capital broker must pay one of his victims $13,776,518.
The false profits scam took place from 1/2014 to 1/2015. According to prosecutors, Lindstrom bought hundreds of thousands of options at lower than prevailing prices while giving the securities the Chicago Board of Trade's minimum settlement value and then inflating said value. He allegedly used the firm's money to "create phantom profit" so he could make $275K.
Meantime, Rock Capital was forced to shutter because the firm could no longer stay in operation after its owner was forced to use his own money and the company's assets to cover the losses sustained through Lindstrom's alleged actions.
A parallel civil case brought by the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission in 2016 was resolved last year. The regulator ordered Lindstrom to pay almost $14M in restitution and an $855K civil penalty. The CFTC also imposed permanent trading and registration bans on him.
Ex-New Jersey Financial Adviser Awaits His Fate in Investor Fraud Trial
July deliberations continue in the criminal securities fraud trial of Kimm C. Hannan. The former New Jersey financial advisor is charged with 53 securities fraud related-counts, as well as single felony charges of theft from a person in a protected class and aggravated theft.
According to testimony heard at Hannan's trial, five investors gave him about $1.7M. Between 2014 and 2017, he allegedly used their funds, including their retirement money, to fund his faltering businesses and his own expenses, rent, and gambling activities at casinos.
Prosecutors referred to a recorded interview that Hannan gave to Ohio Division securities officials, in which he admitted to using investor money that he claims were loans on his own bills but without the customers' knowledge. He also acknowledged his failure to disclose his business woes. Hannan is accused of running a Ponzi scam.
Investor Fraud Lawyers
At Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas, LLP (SSEK Law Firm), our investor fraud lawyers are here to help people that have suffered losses in fighting to recoup their money. We have helped thousands of investors, including retail investors, high net worth individual
Investors, and institutional investors. Contact SSEK Law Firm and ask for your free, no obligation case consultation.
: Joseph Terranova, Kimm C. Hannan, Rock Capital Markets, Thomas Lindstrom, Wilmington Trust
Previous Post Texas Real Estate Developer Faces SEC Charges Over Alleged Multimillion-Dollar Ponzi Scam Next Post Investor Fraud: Quest Capital Strategies Must Pay Investor $276K in Woodbridge Ponzi Fraud, FINRA Warns Firms About Recommending Unsuitable 529 Plan Share Classes, and Ex-Ameritas Broker is Barred from the Securities Industry
Wilmington Trust Agrees to $210M Settlement in Shareholders' Bank Fraud Lawsuit
May 24, 2018 ccollins
Criminal Securities Fraud: Jury Convicts Former NJ Investment Manager Over $10M Ponzi Scam and Wilmington Trust Executives Get Prison Term of Six Years
December 21, 2018 ccollins


text:
Got Questions about Privacy? We've Got Answers.
Privacy Policy and Data Privacy Lawyer
Our team has drafted thousands of privacy policies.
Privacy Policies = Legal Security
Whether you're a sole proprietor selling drones on Shopify or a programmer plotting the next TikTok, we'll guide you through the legal maze.
Our privacy policies — for websites, software, games, and applications — will give you a solid legal foundation on which you can build your business.
In addition to drafting privacy policies, we can answer questions about Internet and online privacy laws that affect your business, like the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography And Marketing (CAN-SPAM) Act, Communications Decency Act (CDA), and Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DCMA).
Do I Need A Privacy Policy? (Yes.)
Privacy policies are important as they disclose to your users how you capture and share their information. Data privacy has been a huge issue for the past ten years and the laws are constantly changing when it comes to data privacy.
Be sure to be prepared so that you can stay ahead of the curve.
Privacy policies detail data collection methods and retention procedures. Any website, app, or piece of software that collects and stores personally identifiable information should have a privacy policy.
Additionally, privacy policies need to conform with current laws and regulations regarding the use and disclosure of personal information.
Millions of websites lack proper a privacy policy, leaving them exposed to costly litigation. Many website owners think it's too costly; others don't understand the value of compliance. While ignoring these problems may work for a short term, in the long run, you're putting your business at risk…skydiving without a parachute.
Think all lawyers are tech savvy? Here's a test: Crash a Bar Association mixer and ask an attendee their thoughts on Ethereum smart contracts.
We, however, are tech enthusiasts; we're also lawyers who stay up-to-date on the latest government regulations that affect online businesses.
NEED LEGAL HELP WITH A DIGITAL SECURITY BREACH OR ONLINE PRIVACY COMPLIANCE ISSUE?
We help businesses navigate the post-hack legal maze. We also assist companies with complying with COPPA, HIPAA, and GDPR.


text:
Lamorinda Weekly: Orinda Mayor Steve Glazer Announces Run for California Senate
Posted by Buffy Tarbox 784pc on February 04, 2015
Lamorinda Weekly
By Laurie Snyder
"I'm in. Voters deserve an opportunity to elect a fiscally conservative, independently minded, bi-partisan problem solver." With that simple tweet, Orinda Mayor Steve Glazer announced his 2015 run for the California Senate.
Stating via Facebook that he expects to see "more bricks flying my way from entrenched and powerful interests," he explained his rationale for filing papers late in the day Jan. 23. "The issues I previously campaigned about remain urgent priorities: a compassionate state government that lives within its financial means; banning BART strikes; reining in our unfunded public pensions; greater support for education but with reforms in teacher discipline and seniority; affordable higher education, independence from special interests, and protecting our environment." He added that he will remain focused "on problem solving over partisanship."
In response, Orinda City Council Member Dean Orr tweeted, "Best news item of the week. All in!" Orinda Union School District Board of Trustees Member Julie Rossiter also tweeted her support.
Glazer, a former political advisor to Gov. Jerry Brown, managed Brown's successful 2010 gubernatorial campaign, and has also counseled CalChamberPAC, the California Chamber of Commerce's political action committee. He is also now in his fourth year of an eight-year term as a Brown-appointed member of the California State University Board of Trustees.
The District 7 seat was vacated by Mark DeSaulnier, who was elected to represent Lamorinda in Congress following George Miller's retirement. Glazer will run against three other Democrats, including Joan Buchanan of Alamo, who termed out in December as the California Assembly member representing Lamorinda and other District 16 communities. Other candidates include Assembly Member Susan Bonilla (Concord) and Terry Kremin.
The primary election will be held March 17; the special election scheduled by Brown will be May 19. L. Snyder
Source: https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue0824/Orinda-Mayor-Steve-Glazer-Announces-Run-for-California-Senate.html


text:
societyofv666
1413 Karma
Commented in r/LeavingNeverlandHBO
I've always wondered how much being a JW enabled MJ as an abuser and contributed to his own possible SA as a child.
100% agree, and I feel so horrible for her and people who have been in her situation. It also frustrates me to no end that so many people supported Johnny under the pretence of caring about male survivors of abuse, and yet the world has treated Michael Jackson's accusers like shit.
Commented in r/MansonIsAbusive
"Marilyn Manson is not racist because he surrounds himself with POC!!!" Uhh, and what about these?
I know it's time-consuming but I would definitely encourage you to look into some of this stuff if you can. I post about a lot of it on my TikTok and Tumblr (both under Society of Victimization), and you're more than welcome to start there. If you think "well, that commenter seems really biased against him so idk if I want to use them as a resource", that's fine too. But it is worth looking into given how his situation is demonstrative of how society frames allegations of macabre things (abuse, sexual assault, racism, etc.).
If the only evidence of racism/anti-semitism on his part was the Nazi memorabilia, then I would perhaps be inclined to give him some benefit of the doubt, because I know this is a very contentious issue even amongst Jewish people. I certainly don't have the answer as to whether or not there is an ethical way to purchase these things if you have an intellectual interest in the subject. However, his alleged antisemitism isn't solely the result of his collections; it's just one piece of the whole picture.
I don't think I made myself clear when I mentioned the Spin Magazine quote, so I apologize for that. I brought it up because I have seen many people excuse his swastika tattoos because the swastika was not consider a symbol of hate prior to the Holocaust. His supporters have claimed that he is merely embracing it as a "Hindu symbol". However, he himself acknowledged in that interview that the image of the swastika can't really be separated from Nazism. He openly acknowledges this and still decided to get those tattoos. To me, this demonstrates how comfortable he is with associating himself with antisemitism/white-supremacist ideology.
Perhaps this is a controversial opinion, but I actually don't think it matters that much what his intentions are with his use of Nazi imagery. This is because at the end of the day, if I have trauma related to ethnocentrism and I see someone embracing symbols of it, I don't care if they're doing it "ironically" or if they genuinely hate racial/ethnic minorities. Either way it's going to serve as a reminder of how cruel the world can be. That's just my "hot take" though.
It is tricky to determine how much of it is part of his act, or some form of social criticism, and I promise I'm not trying to claim to be inside his head lol. I will say that I think there is more than enough evidence to suggest that he is at very least comfortable with people associating him with racism. I would cite this as evidence here:
He referred to his brother-in-law (and his family) as a racial slur in the leaked Johnny Depp text messages.
In a letter he wrote circa 2006, he claimed to feel like a "slave to Jews". This was sold via Invaluable.com.
He has multiple tattoos with antisemitic origins.
He has collaborated with people accused of antisemitism, including Kat Von D. and Kanye West. These collaborations took place after/during accusations of antisemitism had been made public.
People who have known/et him have accused him of making racist remarks, such as Evan Rachel Wood and Charlene Yi.
He has been known for his habit of collecting of Nazi artifacts. This was alleged by Stephen Bier (Madonna Wayne Gacy) as part of a lawsuit, and Manson himself has claimed that he and Johnny Depp have tried to purchase Hitler's gun.
He stated in a Spin Magazine interview that he didn't want to be a "pussy" by saying that a swastika was just a Hindu symbol.
I think I get what you mean. I've come to realize that there are people who advocate against certain groups because of a belief in justice and equality, and there are people who just like to be in opposition with others. As I get older I realize how many people who consider themselves progressive actually have deeply conservative belief systems.
I also think it's important to remember that being anti-Christian and being antisemitic aren't mutually exclusive. There are so many people who are marginalized in some way but are not in support of other marginalized groups (for example, racism within the LGBT+ community). Just something to consider.🤷
Commented in r/DeppDelusion
Game of Thrones actress Esmé Bianco says her relationship with Marilyn Manson left her with physical scars and PTSD
I'm gonna be so pissed if they pull a Dr. Curry on her.
Opinion Article: As an expert in child sexual abuse, here's my take on Michael Jackson's accusers in Leaving Neverland
When I was a kid I thought I would go to jail for damaging a library book. I can't even imagine how scared they must have been.
Emancipation's Antoine Fuqua To Direct Michael Jackson Biopic For Lionsgate; John Logan Script & 'Bohemian Rhapsody's Graham King Producing With Estate
I hope this isn't insensitive but like…how do you cast someone to play Michael Jackson? Like, are they going to use prosthetics and makeup? Cast multiple actors to play him? His appearance just changed so much I'm struggling to imagine it.
Everyone had an MJ phase man
I kind of get what you mean I think. This comment made me think about Diane Dimond's account of MJ music being accidentally played at Gavin Arvizo's wedding. His music has permeated our culture so much it's almost hard in some ways to think of him as a real person. I myself definitely went through an "MJ phase", although I think it was more about researching his crazy eccentric life as opposed to idolatry.
That being said, he was a real person who hurt a lot of people, and for me that's always going to be the first thing I think of when I think of MJ.
Has anyone talked to Andy Dick about Groupie?
I know what you're talking about. I've seen a screenshot of the comment he apparently left on a CK YouTube video, but when I went to go and actually find the comment it's not there.
I know, there are so many confusing and contradictory statements that have been given about the film. I've fallen down a rabbit hole thinking I would eventually find something concrete and so far it's pretty much nothing. Hopefully one day we'll know more.
Apparently he has stated that the whole thing is staged. I have not been able to find proof of this as of yet.
I put everything I could find about 'Groupie' in a series of videos on my TikTok if you want to check that out (I believe I posted them all in this sub as well).
If you find any more information I would love to know!
Commented in r/breakingbad
The "Fly" episode
He absolutely did destroy everyone's lives. I'm with you on that 100%. The whole time I was watching I thought it was fascinating that he believes this is all for good despite the obvious horrifying consequences his actions have on the people around him.
I just personally believe that he has feelings of remorse and regret to an extent. That's what makes the show interested. If he didn't care at all about anyone, then I don't think his transition into Heisenberg would be meaningful at all. It's not that he doesn't care at all, it's just that he doesn't care enough.
Many people believe that the horrible things they do are justified. Of course there are remorseless serial killers and people with severe personality disorders who genuinely lack any semblance of empathy. But there are also people who do really terrible things with the idea that it will all be worthy it in the end in mind. I've known many parents who have done horrible things to their children while believing that they are actually doing them a favour in the long run.
His actions are irredeemable, and I don't feel bad for how he ended up. He was abusive and dangerous with an ego so big that it made him borderline delusional.
That's what makes him interesting. He's capable of being compassionate. He's capable of sacrifice. But he almost always chooses not to be, and this becomes more and more obvious as the show goes on.
I literally said Walter is a piece of shit though. Having complex emotions doesn't make someone redeemable. Just interesting.
Lol I wasn't meaning to start a fight, I just find Walter to be very nuanced in terms of his emotions and conscience. I think to some extent a lot of his feelings are up to interpretation (although by the end it's obvious to the audience and himself that he ultimately did it all for selfish reasons).
Oh don't get me wrong he was 100% a piece of shit and I was actively rooting for Jesse and Skyler to get away from him the whole time lol. I meant more so that he feels love or what he thinks is love for the people around him. There are certain things that he does and says that show (to me) that he does have that capacity to some degree (he's still a POS though). For example, when he told Jesse he was sorry for Jane's death, and the assembly scene where he's trying to rationalize his guilt over the plane crash. He seems to have at least a small sense of compassion for other people. I think Mike even tells Jesse that Walt must care about him a little, because the rehab he sent him to with his own money was a really nice one. But at the end of the day if his compassion and his ego/pride get into a battle, the ego will always win.
I think that's what makes Walt so interesting. He clearly does care about other people at least to some degree. He just cares about his ego more.
Bernie vids on YouTube did recently, but I think he said he didn't really remember much. Here's the video for reference: https://youtu.be/6mYjwmtQZXQ
Commented in r/Fauxmoi
Anna Kendrick made embryos with 'toxic' ex who had feelings for someone else
When I read this I thought "I bet Jon Voight was in it"😂
Why do people always say Jack was the racist?
Is this a joke?😭
What is your favorite moment in Breaking Bad?
The whole fly episode honestly
The amount of times I have actually seen people claim that he's just using Nazi imagery in his art and couldn't be racist at all because it's "just art" is so frustrating. Like…you don't get Nazi tattoos and use racial slurs because you're critiquing racist ideologies.🤦
Amber Heard has taken Provigil consistently for narcolepsy, but when she was with Johnny Depp, their shared doctor David Kipper had her taking Ambien, Xanax, and two sets of Gabapentin (300mg and 100mg). Heard is also confirmed to have ADHD.
One thing I've noticed that I'm sure has been mentioned here before, is that it seems like Depp gets to be "neurodivergent", whereas Heard has to be "crazy".
Amber Heard in the book 200 Women Who Will Change the Way You See the World, 2017.
Amazing 👏
The Ginger Fish (AKA Kenneth Wilson) Injuries
Just so it doesn't seem like I'm putting words in his mouth, I have no clue if he views his experiences as traumatic or if to him it's more of a "eh, that's rock stars for you!" sort of thing. That said, I hope he's doing well. As far as I can tell he seems like a nice guy.
The thing that stuck out for me was Manson's comment: "on my stage that kind of violence is completely necessary". That's quite the response to your drummer breaking his collarbone in an accident that you're at least partially responsible for.🫤
The Groupie Video: What We Don't Know
Yeah I don't think that the film should be released to the public unless there is concrete proof that everyone involved was a willing, adult participant. I just meant that if you're trying to prove that a certain actress was in your movie, wouldn't the best way to prove that be to release some footage of the movie? Even if it was just submitted to the court (in regards to the lawsuit with Illma Gore), that would clear up everything.
That being said, I have no proof that Manson has access to the footage. I just know that unless the footage is reviewed by some sort of objective party, we will never know for sure who it is.


Paul Krugman had a good op-ed about a month ago about the wonk gap on the right, "the G.O.P.'s near-complete lack of expertise on anything substantive." Conservatism embraces an echo chamber atmosphere because it's warm and fuzzy, and by that I mean it's very comforting to surround yourself with sources that tell you what you want to hear.
Whenever things like this come up, I remember the excellent post that Julian Sanchez wrote on the right suffering from epistemic closure. It's must-read and ever more relevant by the day.
It explains the GOP's denial of election polling in 2012 and climate science generally, their lack of awareness of overwhelming support for things like universal background checks on gun purchases, their repeated problem with economics, and many other things.
You don't find academics and scientists advising the GOP on climate change, you find businessmen and corporate lobbyists, because those are ideological allies. Academics have long been denounced as liberal elitists by the right and kept on the outside of their media sphere. Unfortunately for conservatives, academia happens to be where science comes from, and you can't exclude one without excluding the other.
A few days after that op-ed, Krugman linked the wonk gap to the GOP's Obamacare obsession and the possibility of their shutting down the government and/or causing America to default on its debt. This was nearly three weeks ago, back when I was giving the odds of a shutdown at less than one percent (whoops).
The justification that Republican aides were giving almost a month ago for delaying the individual mandate was that if Obama is going to delay the employer mandate, let's delay other chunks of it too, if we can't defund or repeal it.
As Krugman explained, that's the wonk gap in full effect. The employer mandate was a disincentive for businesses to discontinue their health insurance coverage for no other reason than to increase profits. It should be one of the ACA provisions that Republicans support, because it's the only thing keeping every business in the country from kicking their employees off their insurance plans and onto the exchanges where coverage might not be as good or affordable.
That's a concern that Republicans have expressed since the ACA's inception in 2010, and the employer mandate is supposed to prevent it. Yet their problem isn't that a good provision was delayed, it's that it wasn't nuked along with everything else.
But that's all the employer mandate does. It doesn't provide significant funding for the exchange subsidies and it's only a one-year delay, so it's not like millions of businesses are going to purge their employer coverage for 12 months and then bring it right back next year to comply with the law and avoid the fine.
Businesses will still have to comply with the mandate next year and there is no significant downside to delaying it.
The individual mandate is another story. The mandate floods the private insurance market with healthy people in order to offset what otherwise would be skyrocketing premiums from the parts of the ACA that improve coverage by banning pre-existing condition discrimination. If you keep the extremely popular pre-existing condition provision but delay the mandate, you could very well send some of these insurance companies into bankruptcy, and premiums on the exchanges everywhere would explode.
Democrats didn't pass the mandate for fun — it's harmed them politically for four years and will continue to for years more — and Republicans didn't invent it to amuse themselves. It's the primary cost containment feature of Obamacare. Without it, you can't have all the other stuff that people really like, not without sending premiums through the roof.
And I mean really through the roof. New York bans pre-existing condition discrimination already and has premiums above $1,000 per month. The Obamacare mandate is bringing that number down to the $300 range on the exchanges (before subsidies!) because that's its sole purpose. If you delay the individual mandate and not the entire health care law, you'd be turning all of America into New York.
I had to explain to someone on Facebook about two days ago why the employer mandate could be delayed but not the individual mandate. I don't expect very many people to know this stuff, it's not necessary in order to know that the ACA will help you get affordable insurance that's probably of higher quality than what you have right now.
But if even the Republican Party doesn't understand it, how do they have any business talking about health care reform, much less trying insanely hard to make huge changes to it?
Someone asked me a few days ago why the GOP hated the Affordable Care Act, and I listed some of the reasons that I think explain it. But it never occurred to me that some of them may simply not understand it. Now it's clear that either they don't know, or they don't care.
There are good reasons to oppose what the GOP is trying to do right now that have nothing to do with supporting the ACA. Delaying the mandate without also delaying the rest of the law would cause catastrophic damage to the insurance market. It'd also force millions of people to wait another year before they could get comprehensive affordable insurance. Yet it wouldn't stop the law and we'd just have to go through this again next year.
Because the GOP tends to view things through superficial filters while blocking important outside sources of information, they just don't understand that all the damage to the economy they predict from a smooth roll out of the ACA would actually come from delaying the mandate while leaving the rest of the law alone.
Flat out repealing the law would be better than delaying the mandate. It'd screw over about 40 million people over the next couple of decades, but it wouldn't destroy the health care insurance market and destroy thousands of jobs.
Speaking of recession, has anyone read or written about the economic effects of the federal government furloughing 800,000 people? Even at the absolute worst of the Lesser Depression, monthly job losses didn't exceed more than 750,000 to 850,000 jobs per month. I have a very hard time believing that suddenly having 800,000 federal employees laid off won't damage the economy in some way.
With job growth probably averaging 130,000 to 150,000 per month this year, a sudden drop in 800,000 jobs should be scaring the hell out of everyone right now.
* The Washington Post editorial board blames only the GOP for the shutdown and demands they re-open the government. I don't know who is on that board, but the op-ed page is edited by Fred Hiatt and regularly features posts by former Bush administration officials, current Republican politicians, and various conservative voices. If you wanted to find defense of Bush administration war crimes — torture — the WaPo op-ed page has been the place to go. This isn't exactly the pages of the New York Times saying this.
* Former WaPo White House correspondent Dan Froomkin is firing shots at top tier media outlets for painting the shutdown as a dispute where "both sides" are to blame. False equivalency is the second most destructive practice of the mainstream media behind uncritical repetition and amplification of government claims.
* Between two government programs (Medicare, Medicaid) and the private insurance market, costs over the past decade have increased dramatically for two of them, while one has remained roughly flat the entire time — and it wasn't the private market.