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Much of Baykeeper's work focuses on strengthening or maintaining clean water laws and regulations related to toxic pollutants and other contaminants capable of compromising the health of San Francisco Bay. We do this work by engaging in policy and regulatory processes, as well as conducting outreach, research and education. When necessary, we litigate on behalf of clean water and the laws intended to protect it.
Since passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972, scientists and regulators have identified a number of pollutants considered harmful and worthy of strategies intended to reduce their presence in the Bay. Some of these include:
- Heavy metals, such as copper, mercury and nickel
- Pesticides, including chlordane, dieldrin, diazinon, DDT and pyrethroids
- Pathogens from human and wildlife sources
- Persistent organic pollutants - notably PCBs, dioxins and furans
- Trash from storm water and land-based sources
- Other contaminants like cyanide, selenium and various pharmaceutical products
Since our establishment in 1989, Baykeeper has been actively engaged in developing control strategies for much of these pollutants. This article explains our on-going efforts to regulate direct pesticide application to waterways. Read more to learn about our work to improve a regulatory tool intended to reduce mercury in the Bay.
San Francisco Bay's Legacy of Pollution
In the years following implementation of the Clean Water Act, toxic pollutants were significantly reduced by regulating point source discharges, such as those from industrial polluters and sewage treatment plants that discharge directly to the Bay. These efforts reduced inputs of key contaminants such as nutrients, copper and nickel. Some of the most harmful pollutants found in San Francisco Bay, however, are the result of past practices, such as the use of elemental mercury in gold mining processes during the Gold Rush era.
Contaminants present in the environment today due to activities of the past are known as legacy pollutants, which pose a significant problem to the Bay due to their toxicity and persistence in the environment. Scientists now consider the most significant legacy pollutants found in the Bay to include mercury and PCBs, which are found in relatively high concentrations in Bay sediments and are the principal cause of fish consumption advisories throughout the San Francisco Estuary. Restoration of the Bay as a thriving fishery relies in part on our ability to remove these contaminants or, at a minimum, significantly reduce ongoing inputs so the ecosystem can slowly remove these pollutants through chemical transformations or by flushing contaminated sediments from the estuary.
New and Emerging Contaminants of Concern
Regulators and scientists have long known about the presence and toxicity of legacy pollutants like PCBs and mercury, yet are just now becoming aware of the fact that numerous potentially harmful chemicals are entering the environment – of which we know very little about. Such contaminants are known as contaminants of emerging concern, or CECs, and include a range of chemicals generally found in consumer products, pharmaceuticals and personal care products. CECs can be broadly defined as any synthetic or naturally occurring chemical that is not commonly monitored in the environment but has the potential to enter the environment and cause adverse ecological or human health effects. These pollutants enter waterways primarily via stormwater and wastewater treatment plants, which are not designed to treat and remove the chemicals that make their way down the drain.
Currently, only 91 contaminants are regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act, while approximately 100,000 chemicals have been registered or approved for use in the United States over the last 30 years. Over the last ten years there has been a failure to add any new chemicals to the Safe Drinking Water Act – a fact that has raised increasing alarm over inadequate regulations surrounding the approval of new chemicals and the potential risk of retaining thousands of potential contaminants within common pharmaceuticals, food and consumer goods.
Local researchers, notably those from the San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI), have begun investigating a number of CECs. According to SFEI, there are approximately 100,000 chemicals listed in the US EPA Toxic Substances Control Act inventory, including ~82,000 industrial chemicals, ~8,600 food additives, ~3,400 cosmetics ingredients, ~1,000 active pesticide ingredients, and over 3,000 pharmaceuticals. Despite the high volume and large number of chemicals in use, only a very small portion of these are routinely monitored in the environment. In response, water quality programs at the regional (i.e. Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in the San Francisco Estuary, or RMP), state (e.g., for fish consumption advisories), and federal level (e.g., NOAA Mussel Watch) have begun to incorporate some of these chemicals into their monitoring efforts as a proactive measure to identify chemicals that potentially threaten the health of wildlife and humans.
Preliminary data from San Francisco Bay suggests that contaminants such as flame retardants and pharmaceutical products are found in higher concentration in the South Bay, where tidal flushing is lower and wastewater treatment plants represent a high percentage of total freshwater inflow. This preliminary monitoring is a first step towards gaining more information on the current extent of CEC exposure in aquatic environments and can be used to guide further monitoring and management actions.


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Tue Nov 29, 2011 8:10 pm
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What, you don't know! How could you not to know? "Night of the wind of the Lord ZhuangFengMaiSha yi is helpless, this boy didn't know when become so smart, think he think deceit deep wisdom plan, inferno to none, but from the boy's mouth are not set out some useful things. "Old man, I really don't know, I had a dream, and then strength will be promoted, and later had a dream, get a level of magic scroll the gold." The wind yi sitting in wide ShiYi, sipping tea side innocent way. "Smelly boy, how do you no longer a dream and then become 18 TianMo wing......." The night of the wind yi used to devil with reasons made in distress situation, but the wind yi have skill, he do this of Lao tze also times have a face, besides inferno set position with strength, at this time the status of yi the wind in his heart in a straight line, the eldest brother mike has only. Satan then."I also want to ah, maybe one day return true into 18 TianMo wing......." The wind yi ah say with smile. Since asked not to come out, the night Lord also not going to ask, and then from the opportunities of pump him out.
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Don't want to say to calculate, the competition is now over, tomorrow in the competition of the all people all want to travel to demons, you help mike deep adventure things I already know, do well, very the king's demeanor, but you have to be careful KuangMo wanda boy revenge, the devil is deep the best place to kill people kill." The night the kingly way. "Revenge? I was afraid he dare not to get me." The wind yi shrugged his shoulders, he also know, miller lover are rescued, from his mouth is not hard to guess his do, everything was perfect, is all calculate calculate calculate thousands of less than miller was in his little valentine there for ten several ace resettlement, Charlie several people being forced to * *, they feature too obvious, it is easy to guess his head to come, this is why the final stages of the race to whom they will. "Confidence is a good thing, don't arrogance line." Night Lord meaning have to point to, say that finish also did not know from which took out a dark ink to throw things such as wind yi, way: "take things get."
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The wind yi took a closer look, not was stunned, hand is a black silk thin soft armor, such as gourmet woman's tentacles satiny skin, still take a warm feeling. "Yin evil spirit silk soft armor! Old man, gave me!" The wind yi cried, Yin evil spirit silk soft armor, inferno ten is handed down one of the treasure, with rumours of Yin evil spirit the silkworm vomit of the extremely silk is made, numerically difficult injury, with one hundred square meters store object space, it is said that is the devil king that year of personal soft armor, I don't know if it's really true. But it doesn't matter is true, with this soft armor has one hundred square meters store object space, the value cannot estimate, and know that store object space instruments such as space rings, bracelets, belts, and so on for creating the space of stone material must be becoming scarce, that store object space instruments also more and more scarce, usually a square space ring that also need a gold to buy, now heard the biggest store object space vessels only fifty square meters. How much more poor inferno, have storage space of the instruments are much rarer.
"Don't? Don't take over." Night Lord cold hum a track. "To, how don't? Old man, I really love you." The wind yi ga ga laugh, rapid picks up the Yin evil spirit silk soft armor.
"Get out." Night Lord stared past, looking at wind yi away and disappear disappear in front of, the heart have produced a very strange feeling. Inferno family idea more light, all with the strength to talk, but even if in the strongest of the first son mike. Satan there, he has not had the strange feeling, but somehow, before it hated before the youngest son of, but he did have a kind of want to protect his impulse, this protection is not simply for the sake of face and our strength, but like being inspired's hidden father love, but night Lord not know it. For example, the Yin evil spirit silk soft armor was his meaning is to lend the wind in the demon of self-defense deep yi with, want to take after, but when the wind yi asked whether sent to him, but he did not argue. And at the same time, all the king's KuangMo mansion, miller with my hair down, a face to terrorizing kneeling on the ground, holding a stained with the blood of the sharp knife, lying before the exactly is he rescued lover. This he so cherish lover now stopped breathing, neck a deep incision is still in the mooring poisson flow blood, his eyes empty big zheng, be like in the indictment and cried out to...... in a "Mike, do not destroy your night Lord, I wish countries by the magic miller generation after generation of a bitter!" Miller face upwards crazy roar, countenance, canthus slide two lines of bright red blood as the tears.
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Time back to two hour ago, when miller fear dreaming with his lover back to KuangMo palace, and he has determined to face the world also to fulfill his looks great love, thought KuangMo king will be outraged, but that he didn't think it is, KuangMo wang just said 1: "KuangMo throne or you the king lover, you choose your own!" Say that finish, KuangMo in stone desk king left a symbol of the throne KuangMo kingdom KuangMo make and a cold light illuminating the sharp knife, and walked out. Obviously, the power and the love between, miller chose the right, but will all night Lord countries to fault blamed on but completely forgotten his determination to before, we forget his great love. Night has suddenly torrential rain, winds blew great guns, mingled with the measures such as the lightning, and feeling of oppression blew on. The wind yi lost himself in a blank silver to draw on the scroll, the two drops of the sweat from temples down slowly, in the side,
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and a few have destroy the empty scroll. As the wind yi to paint finish the last a pen, a sigh abruptly in mind ring, but let the winds of artistic conception is sink into yi impressively wake up with a start, hand shake a magic brush, has completed ninety-nine percent of the magic scroll immediately waste. "I'm XX you big ye." The wind yi curse word, and thought to the but again a think is wrong, the sigh is in your mind the moment, much like the one day in the devil king on ceremonies held at saved his life's groans, murphy is the devil king sigh? Who heard who can learn TianMo work?
But the next let wind yi how to move, but never less than that from induction like millions of light years ago the sighing sound of, also don't know if he started the illusion, or the subconscious mind was the host of the inferno day ceremonies of wu to hypnosis.
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2012 marks the 60th year of Queen Elizabeth II's reign—her diamond anniversary as monarch of the British people. Ahead of the celebration for this momentous milestone (as well as the 2012 Olympic Summer Games) crews wreathed London's 117-year-old Tower Bridge in thousands of LED lights. And last night, Mayor Boris Johnson flipped the switch.
In all, crews spent six months designing and installing the new system. The laid 6,500 feet of LED linear lights, 1,800 LED lamps, and 1,000 junction boxes running some 16,500 feet of cable. Designed by the French firm Citelum, the installations is expected to weather London's weather for the next 25 years with a 40-percent energy savings over the previous lighting rig. [GE]
The bridge will remain all-white like this through the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.


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'Convulsing' during 4th Arkansas inmate's execution draws scrutiny
VARNER, Ark. (AP) - Arkansas wrapped up an accelerated executions schedule with a lethal injection that left the condemned inmate lurching and convulsing before he died, prompting calls for investigations and renewed scrutiny of the state's efforts to put multiple inmates to death on a compressed timeline.
Kenneth Williams on Thursday became the fourth convicted killer executed in Arkansas in eight days as the state sought to carry out as many lethal injections as possible before one of its drugs expires Sunday.
An Associated Press reporter who witnessed the execution said that about three minutes in, Williams' body jerked 15 times in quick succession -- lurching violently against the leather restraint across his chest -- then the rate slowed for a final five movements.
J.R. Davis, a spokesman for Gov. Asa Hutchinson who did not witness the execution, called the movements "an involuntary muscular reaction" that he said was a widely known effect of the surgical sedative midazolam, the first of three drugs administered.
Williams' attorneys released a statement calling witness accounts "horrifying" and demanding an investigation into what they called the "problematic execution."
Arkansas had scheduled eight executions over an 11-day period before one of its lethal injection drugs expires on Sunday. That would have been the most in such a short time since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, but courts issued stays for four of the inmates. The four lethal injections that were carried out included Monday's first double execution in the United States since 2000.
Williams read a prepared final statement before the execution began, apologizing to the families he "senselessly wronged and deprived of their loved ones." He also spoke in tongues, the unintelligible but language-like speech used in some religions. But his prayer faded off as the midazolam took effect. He said, "The words that I speak will forever be, will forever ..." before he fell silent.
The inmate breathed heavily through his nose until just after three minutes into his execution, when his chest leaped forward in a series of what seemed like involuntary movements. His right hand never clenched and his face remained what one media witness called "serene."
After the jerking, Williams breathed through his mouth and moaned or groaned once -- during a consciousness check -- until falling still seven minutes into the lethal injection.
A Friday morning tweet from the account of a Republican state Sen. Trent Garner, who witnessed the execution, said Williams did not "seem in pain. ... It was not cruel, unusual, botched or torture."
Williams was sentenced to death for killing a former deputy warden, Cecil Boren, after he escaped from prison in 1999. At the time of his escape in a 500-gallon barrel of hog slop, Williams was less than three weeks into a life term for the death of a college cheerleader.
"Any amount of movement he might have had was far less than any of his victims," said Jodie Efird, one of Boren's daughters, who witnessed the execution.
State officials have called Arkansas' string of executions a success, declaring justice served and "closure" for victims' families. Some concerns had been raised about Monday's execution of Jack Jones, whose mouth moved after attorneys said he should have been unconscious, though a federal judge determined it did not appear to be "torturous and inhumane."
All of the Arkansas inmates -- including Williams -- have died within 20 minutes of their executions beginning, a contrast from troubled midazolam-related executions in other states that took anywhere from 43 minutes to two hours. Though witnesses to those lengthier executions also described hearing inmates breathe heavily, snore or snort or seeing them struggle against their restraints.
"The long path of justice ended tonight and Arkansans can reflect on the last two weeks with confidence that our system of laws in this state has worked," Hutchinson said in a statement issued after Williams' execution.
Davis, the governor's spokesman, said later that he was sure Hutchinson would follow up "as he does with every execution," but that the governor was confident the Department of Correction "did what it was supposed to do."
Davis stood by his previous description of the state's executions as "flawless."
Dale Baich, an assistant federal public defender who witnessed a flawed 2014 Arizona execution that took two hours, said in an email early Friday that after reading media reports, "It appears from witness accounts that Mr. Williams was not fully sedated when the paralytic was administered.
"At a minimum, this was a deviation from the protocol."
Williams' lawyers had said he had sickle cell trait, lupus and brain damage, and argued the combined maladies could subject him to an exceptionally painful execution in violation of the U.S. Constitution. They argued Arkansas' "one size fits all" execution protocol could have left him in pain after a paralytic agent rendered him unable to move. State and federal courts rejected the claims.
Williams was sentenced to death for killing Boren after escaping from the Cummins Unit prison in a barrel holding a mishmash of kitchen scraps. He left the prison -- where the execution chamber is located in another part of the facility -- less than three weeks into a life prison term for killing University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff cheerleader Dominique Hurd in 1998. At the conclusion of that trial, he had taunted the young woman's family by turning to them after the sentence was announced and saying "You thought I was going to die, didn't you?"
After jumping from the barrel, he sneaked along a tree line until reaching Boren's house. He killed Boren, stole guns and Boren's truck and then drove away to Missouri. There, he crashed into a water-delivery truck, killing the driver. While in prison, he confessed to killing another person in 1998.
At the time of Boren's death, investigators said it did not appear Boren was targeted because of his former employment by the Arkansas Department of Correction.


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Wednesday 12 December 1979
The Meaning of Original Human Experiences
The analysis of the first chapters of Genesis forces us, in a way, to reconstruct the elements that constitute man's original experience. In this sense, the character of the Yahwist text makes it a special source. Speaking of original human experiences, we have in mind not so much their distance in time, as rather their basic significance. The important thing is not that these experiences belong to man's prehistory (to his "theological prehistory"), but that they are always at the root of every human experience. That is true even if in the evolution of ordinary human existence, little attention is paid to these essential experiences. They are so intermingled with the ordinary things of life that we do not generally notice their extraordinary character.
On the basis of the analyses carried out up to now, we have already realized that what we called at the beginning the "revelation of the body," helps us somehow to discover the extraordinary side of what is ordinary. That is possible because the revelation (the original one, expressed first in the Yahwist account of Genesis 2:3, then in the text of Genesis 1) takes into consideration precisely these primordial experiences. In them, there appears almost completely the absolute originality of what the male-female human being is: as a man, that is, also through his body. As we discover it in the biblical text quoted, man's experience of his body is certainly on the threshold of his whole subsequent "historical" experience. However, it also seems to rest at such an ontological depth that man does not perceive it in his own everyday life. This is so even if at the same time, and in a certain way, he presupposes it and postulates it as part of the process of formation of his own image.
Without this introductory reflection, it would be impossible to define the meaning of original nakedness and tackle the analysis of Genesis 2:25, which runs as follows: "And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed." At first sight, the introduction of this detail, apparently a secondary one in the Yahwist account of man's creation, may seem something inadequate or misplaced. One would think that the passage quoted cannot bear comparison with what has been dealt with in the preceding verses and that, in a way, it goes beyond the context. However, this judgment does not stand up to a deeper analysis. Genesis 2:25 presents one of the key elements of the original revelation. It is as decisive as the other texts of Genesis 2:20 and 2:23, which have already enabled us to define the meaning of man's original solitude and original unity. To these is added, as the third element, the meaning of original nakedness, clearly stressed in the context. In the first biblical draft of anthropology, it is not something accidental. On the contrary, it is precisely the key for its full and complete understanding.
This element of the ancient biblical text makes a specific contribution to the theology of the body that absolutely cannot be ignored. Further analyses will confirm this. But before undertaking them, I take the liberty of pointing out that the text of Genesis 2:25 expressly requires that the reflections on the theology of the body should be connected with the dimension of man's personal subjectivity. It is within the latter that consciousness of the meaning of the body develops. Genesis 2:25 speaks about it far more directly than other parts of that Yahwist text, which we have already defined as the first recording of human consciousness.
The sentence, according to which the first human beings, man and woman, "were naked" and yet "were not ashamed," unquestionably describes their state of consciousness, in fact, their mutual experience of the body. It describes the experience on the part of the man of the femininity that is revealed in the nakedness of the body and, reciprocally, the similar experience of masculinity on the part of the woman. By saying that "they were not ashamed," the author tries to describe this mutual experience of the body with the greatest precision possible for him. It can be said that this type of precision reflects a basic experience of man in the "common" and pre-scientific sense. But it also corresponds to the requirements of anthropology and in particular of contemporary anthropology, which likes to refer to so-called fundamental experiences, such as the "experience of shame."
Referring here to the precision of the account, such as was possible for the author of the Yahwist text, we are led to consider the degrees of experience of historical man, laden with the inheritance of sin. However, these degrees methodically start precisely from the state of original innocence. We have already seen that, referring to "the beginning" (which we have subjected here to successive contextual analyses), Christ indirectly established the idea of continuity and connection between those two states. This allows us to move back from the threshold of man's historical sinfulness to his original innocence. Genesis 2:25 makes it especially necessary to cross that threshold.
This passage, together with the meaning of original nakedness inherent in it, takes its place in the contextual setting of the Yahwist narrative. After some verses, the same author writes: "Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons" (Gn 3:7). The adverb "then" indicates a new moment and a new situation following the breaking of the first covenant. This situation follows the failure of the test connected with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. At the same time that test constituted the first test of "obedience," that is, listening to the Word in all its truth and accepting love, according to the fullness of the demands of the creative Will. This new moment or new situation also implies a new content and a new quality of experience of the body, so that it can no longer be said: "They were naked, but were not ashamed." Here, shame is an experience that is not only original, but a "boundary" one.
The difference of formulations that divides Genesis 2:25 from Genesis 3:7 is significant-in the first case, "They were naked, but they were not ashamed"; in the second case, "They knew that they were naked." Does that mean that, to begin with, "They did not know that they were naked," or that they did not see the nakedness of each other's body? The significant change testified by the biblical text about the experience of shame (of which Genesis speaks again, especially in 3:10-12), takes place at a deeper level than the pure and simple use of the sense of sight.
A comparative analysis of Genesis 2:25 and Genesis 3 leads necessarily to the conclusion that it is not a question here of passing from "not knowing" to "knowing." Rather, it involves a radical change of the meaning of the original nakedness of the woman before the man and of the man before the woman. It emerges from their conscience, as a fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil: "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" (Gn 3:11).
This change directly concerns the experience of the meaning of one's body before the Creator and creatures. Subsequently, the man's words confirm this: "I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself" (Gn 3 :10). That change, which the
Yahwist text portrays so concisely and dramatically, concerns directly - perhaps in the most direct way possible - the man-woman, femininity-masculinity relationship.
We will have to return again to the analysis of this change in other parts of our further reflections. Now, having arrived at that border which crosses the sphere of the "beginning" to which Christ referred, we should ask ourselves if it is possible to reconstruct, in some way, the original meaning of nakedness. In Genesis, nakedness constitutes the immediate context of the doctrine about the unity of the human being as male and female. That seems possible, if we take as a reference point the experience of shame as it was clearly presented in the ancient biblical text as a "liminal" experience. We shall attempt this reconstruction in our following meditations.
Copyright © Dicastero per la Comunicazione - Libreria Editrice Vaticana


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The Greater Port Jefferson-Northern Brookhaven Arts Council's mission is to support artistic activity in the Northern Brookhaven area embodying music, film, theater, literature, dance and visual arts and all educational and cultural endeavors as they relate to the arts. This mission is accomplished by coordinating our efforts with arts organizations, artists, local municipalities, schools, art galleries, libraries, theaters and other such organizations within the community that share our common goal.
GPJAC Website


text:
Jonah Hill made an emotional apology during his appearance on "The Tonight Show" for using a homophobic slur in a recent encounter with a paparazzo.
"I'd actually like to address something if it's OK with your audience," Hill said to Jimmy Fallon. "Unfortunately, this isn't a joke."
The "22 Jump Street" star explained that a photographer was harassing him and he was "genuinely hurt by this and made angry by this." He said he responded with "the most hurtful word I could think of at that moment."
At that point, Hill said to the photographer, "Suck my d--k, you f----t," he said.
"I didn't mean this in the sense of the word. I didn't mean it in a homophobic way," he said, pausing for a moment. "The word I chose was grotesque, and no one deserves to say or hear words like that."
Hill explained that he has been a "supporter of the LGBTQ community" and that he had let the community down by throwing the slur at the photographer.
U.S. & World
"My heart's broken, and I am genuinely and deeply sorry to anyone who has ever been affected by that term in their life," he said. He added that he hoped that people would use his mistake as "an example of what not to do" in a heated situation.
"I don't deserve or expect your forgiveness, but what I ask is that at home—" Hill said into the camera. "If you're watching this, and you're a young person especially, if someone says something that hurts you or angers you, use me as an example of what not to do, and don't respond with hatred or anger. Because you're just adding more ugliness to the world."
"I know I'm usually funny and stuff, but this wasn't funny," Hill said. "It was stupid, and I deserve the s–t I'm gonna get for it."
Fallon brought spirits up by unwittingly making a small joke.
"It's good that you came out," Fallon said, as the audience laughed at the double meaning of the statement.
Hill made a similar apology earlier Tuesday during an interview on "The Howard Stern Show." "I am happy to be the poster boy for thinking about what you say," the "Superbad" star told Stern.
On the "Tonight Show," the discussion turned to Hill's latest movie, "22 Jump Street," which reunites him with "21 Jump Street" co-stars Channing Tatum and Ice Cube.
According to Hill, he and Tatum could never make Cube laugh while on set, but one day the pair was on a plane with the rapper and he was laughing uncontrollably while watching a movie on his laptop.
Hill and Tatum walked by and discovered Cube was watching the 1995 movie "Friday," in which he appears.
"He was watching his own movie," Hill said. "He couldn't get enough of it."
Watch Hill's apology above. You can also hear the interview below.


text:
Fenix TK70
Fenix was one of the first Chinese companies that made high quality flashlights and has a broad selection of lights, I have only reviewed a few of them:
. This time I look at the most powerful light Fenix has ever made the TK70. The light is also the largest light Fenix has ever made, it uses 3 leds and 4 D batteries. The light has four brightness settings and two flashing modes and uses the same interface as the TK35, TK41 and TK60 (more about that later). The light is made of aluminum with hard-anodized (Type 3) finish.
The light is delivered in a cardboard box with foam insert.
The box contains the light (head, 2xbody, tailcap), 3 extra o-rings, a lanyard, a shoulder strap, 3 caps for the head and battery tube, a manual and a warranty card. Note: The tube is in two parts, a 3 and a 1 D cell, they have to be used together because the light need 4 D cells to work.
The light has a triple smooth reflector with a 3 XM-L led at the bottom. The sides of the bezel has some plain faces, this work as a anti roll device.
As usual on high power lights it has some cooling fins and just behind the fins are the switches. One switch is on/off and with a double click it will change between normal and flashing modes. The other switch is used to select brightness (low-medium-high-turbo) or flashing mode (sos-strobe), press on it to change brightness or flashing mode. The last selection of this switch is remembered and the light will start at the same setting next time it is turned on. Note: The light never starts in flashing modes, always in steady brightness modes.
The battery connection in the head is recessed to provide mechanical polarity protection. There is a spring behind the center connection, i.e. the batteries will rest on the plastic ring with the body, not on the plus connection with the nipple.
The head uses square cut threads for connection to the body. There is also a o-ring to seal the connection from water.
The body is cut with large rectangles to improve the grip, except the extender part.
The tailcap is flat, i.e. the light can tail stand, but due to the length of the light it is not very safe. The tailcap has the usual spring for battery connection.
The light includes 3 caps that can be placed over the threads when the light is disassembled, but these caps does not have any type of lock and will only stay on if there is something external to hold them.
The light includes a lanyard and a shoulder strap, but I do not like the design. The strap is very thin and the light is missing a forward mounting point for the strap.
Here are some examples on how the shoulder strap can be mounted.
Here is all the part the light can be disassembled in without tools.
The TK70 is the brightest led light at the current time, it has not only a very high lumen output, but the 3 emitters are also focused very well, giving the light a good throw. I wonder why it has a two part body, when it can only work with 4 batteries and I do not like the shoulder strap, it is too thin and there is no mounting point on the head.
Looking at the price may explain the reason for the less than ideal solutions Fenix has used here, the light is cheap compared to other high power led lights, but it is the brightest of them.
Technical specification and measurements
This light is designed for 4xD NiMH batteries and can work on 4xD Alkaline or 3xD batteries, but only at the lower power settings.
Measured size and weight:
Length: 404 mm
Diameter: 38.2 mmm to 106 mm
Weight: 1462 gram with NiMH batteries
The light uses a 3 x Cree XM-L led.
In the above table I have collected all modes, measured at 4.8 volt. I have also included off as a mode, because the light uses a small amount of power. All the estimated runtimes are with 9000mAh D batteries. The estimated lumen is scale from the specified maximum. The brightness is a relative measurement from a lux meter.
A voltage sweep at high shows a very nice stabilization. When the voltage goes down the light will automatic change to a lower mode. The light has a very high current consumption and there is some noise from the driver when running in turbo mode.
When the light steps down in brightness it will change the selected brightness, i.e. even if the light is turned off it will next time turn on at the current reduced brightness level, the switch must be used to increase brightness again.
In high the light has perfect stabilization and uses considerable less current than in turbo.
Again perfect stabilization, the two dip in current at 3 and 3.3 volt is the low battery warning (The light meter was to slow to register it).
Low does also have perfect stabilization and does also show the battery warning.
The good stabilization and automatic step down can also be seen in the runtime. With the alkaline I used (Panasonic) the runtime on turbo was less than one minute and after 26 minutes it drops down to medium. All runtimes where done with 4 cells, the light could not use turbo or high with 3 cells for any length of time.
The light has a dual frequency strobe with 6.8 and 15.4 hz, it changes between them each 1.8 second.
The sos uses a 0,37 second dot and it takes 11.8 second to transmit, there is a 2.5 second pause before next sos.
The light is current regulated and there is only a small amount of high frequency noise in the light.
Comparison to other Flashlights
Olight SR90, Olight SR91, Olight SR92
Fenix TK41, Fenix TK60, Fenix TK70:
For the full comparison to other lights with graphs and beamshots see


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target sheer asymmetrical tee, f21 leaf necklace, american apparel skirt, thrifted clutch, report signature shoes
I bought this AA skirt back in July and I wore it for the first time to hookah and drinks last Saturday night. Hookah/drinks was fun as always, and a late night Chinese food run was the perfect way to end the night!
I have to say congrats to my dear friend Nkechi who JUST GOT ENGAGED!!!


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Bulls shake rough first half to rally past division rival Pacers
CHICAGO -- Bulls center Joakim Noah believes the Eastern Conference is more than a two-team race.
His message: Don't dismiss Chicago just yet.
Following an 89-77 victory over first-place Indiana on Monday night, Noah said the Bulls think they are capable of competing with anyone in the East, be it the Pacers or defending champion Miami Heat.
"We feel like we can go at anybody, we can beat anybody, when we're hungry. Stay humble and keep grinding," Noah said. "I said right after the game, 'I'm excited about having an opportunity to play these guys again.' "
The season series with the Pacers is over -- the teams split four games and the home team won each one -- so another meeting would have to come in the playoffs.
"It was real physical; my body is sore right now," Bulls forward Taj Gibson said. "That's the kind of games we play against our rivals, playoff basketball. That's going to happen."
Gibson, bouncing back from a subpar performance and postgame rant when the teams played last Friday in Indiana, scored 23 points to lead five Bulls in double figures.
Kirk Hinrich had 18 points on 7-for-13 shooting, Mike Dunleavy scored 13, Jimmy Butler 12 and Noah added 10 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
Gibson, who was 9 for 15 from the field, also had eight rebounds in 32 minutes off the bench.
The Bulls (40-31) pulled within 2 percentage points of Toronto (39-30) for third place in the Eastern Conference, a rise that wasn't considered realistic when star guard Derrick Rose was injured and Luol Deng was traded.
The win also prevented Indiana from clinching the Central Division title on Chicago's home court. The Pacers are looking to win consecutive division crowns for the second time since joining the NBA (1998-99 and 1999-2000).
The Pacers, who were led by Paul George's 21 points, have dropped three straight and six of eight on the road. They've lost four of five at the United Center, including both visits this season.
"Give them credit, as their defense is elite," George said. "You need quick strikes and fast breaks to beat it."
That didn't happen too often Monday night and it hasn't been happening enough of late for the Pacers as they continue to struggle.
"It's just the type of stuff where people can't get into a rhythm," said center Roy Hibbert, who had just three points and five rebounds. "It's just a lot of 1-on-1 basketball."
The Pacers earned a 91-79 victory over the Bulls on Friday night at Indiana on the strength of a 19-0 third-quarter run. This time, the Bulls turned the tables, starting the second half with a 16-5 surge to take a 49-39 lead.
A few minutes later, Indiana had cut the lead to 55-49 and George had the ball on a fast break ahead of the field. Hinrich, though, caught him from behind and looked as if he was going to give an intentional foul. Instead, Hinrich stripped the ball and the Bulls headed in the opposite direction as George complained that he was fouled.
The Bulls completed the four-point swing on Gibson's dunk to make it 57-49 with just more than 4 minutes left in the third quarter.
The Bulls took a 64-56 lead into the fourth and were never seriously threatened down the stretch.
"We made a lot of defensive adjustments," said Gibson, who fouled out of the previous meeting and accused the Pacers of flopping. "We played with a lot more intensity, a lot more aggressiveness, and it showed."
Game notes
Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau was asked if there was a chance Rose could return for the playoffs. "No," he said. "He's doing a little bit more, he's coming along (and) doing some things in practice. But he's out for the year." ... Pacers coach Frank Vogel when asked if Hibbert was the NBA Defensive Player of the Year: "Hands down. He's the best rim-protector on the best defense in the league. I think that's who the award should go to. I'll be very disappointed if he doesn't get the award this year." Hibbert's main competition could be Noah, who received the endorsement of Rockets coach Kevin McHale a couple of weeks ago. ... Former Bull C.J. Watson missed the game with a right hamstring strain.
Regular Season Series
Series tied 2-2
Game Information
- Referees:
- James Capers
- Haywoode Workman
- Kane Fitzgerald


text: A strong and dynamic piece of light pop rock music. This track evokes confidence and positivity, and is great for a wide variety of projects. Bright and happy, a perfect piece of music for adverts, commercials, trailers and sitcom TV shows. Cool muted delayed guitars join together with multi layered drums and percussion to bring a sense of energy, fun and motivation.


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Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver
Social Media Share Tools
Object Details
- Manufacturer
- Curtiss Wright Corporation
- Physical Description
- Single engine, two seat, folding wing, carrier based scout-bomber.
- Summary
- During World War II, U.S. Navy bombing squadrons flew Helldiver dive-bombers against Japan from November 1943 to the war's end in September 1945. After a prolonged development, about 30 Navy squadrons operated Helldivers aboard 13 carriers. Changes in carrier tactics, technology, and weapons made dive-bombing—delivering a bomb at a steep angle to increase accuracy—obsolete as the war progressed. The Helldiver was the last dive-bomber operated by the Navy and the last significant combat aircraft produced by Curtiss-Wright.
- This Helldiver was completed in May 1945, but the war ended a few months later, and it never saw combat. From September through December 1945, Bombing Squadron (VB) 92 aboard the USS Lexington flew it in the western Pacific and occupied Japan. It served with various other Navy units until 1948 and entered the Museum collection in 1960.
- Long Description
- A key component of U.S. Navy and Marine Corps doctrine from the interwar period to the end of World War II was dive bombing, which was the use of an aircraft to deliver a bomb at a steep angle to increase accuracy. U.S. Navy dive bomber squadrons flew Curtiss SB2C Helldivers against Imperial Japan beginning in November 1943 until the end of the war. Changes in carrier tactics, technology, and weapons made the dive bomber obsolescent as the war progressed making the Helldiver the last of the type operated by the U.S. Navy. The Helldiver is also the last significant combat aircraft produced by the Curtiss-Wright Corporation.
- The SB2C was the third carrier-based dive bomber called "Helldiver" and produced by Curtiss. "Hell diver" was a heroic and death-defying name for both pilots and aircraft in the popular American imagination beginning in the 1920s. The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer production Hell Divers (1932), starring Clark Gable and Wallace Beery as rival aerial gunners, featured the first Helldiver, the F8C-4, which first served aboard USS Saratoga. Naval and Marine aviators flew F8C-4 and -5 and O2C-1 and -2 biplanes in both active and reserve squadrons through the 1930s. Curtiss reused the name for the SBC series, which entered service with scouting squadrons aboard the carriers Yorktown, Saratoga, and Enterprise in late 1937. Designed by Raymond C. Blaylock, the Navy and Marine Corps' SBC-3 and -4s were the last American combat biplanes. The Navy and Marine Corps did not recognize these aircraft officially as "Helldivers." What the Navy did recognize was the bombing and reconnaissance capability of dive bombers with the official designation SB (Scout Bomber).
- The Navy placed a May 1939 order with Curtiss for a new scout bomber, designated the SB2C (Scout Bomber, Design Number 2, Manufacturer Curtiss), to replace the Vought SB2U Vindicator, the Douglas SBD Dauntless, and the Curtiss SBC. Blaylock and his team designed a two-seat, single-engine monoplane with an internal bay capable of carrying 1,000 pounds of bombs and folding wings to facilitate storage aboard an aircraft carrier. Curtiss constructed a new factory for the Helldiver at Columbus, Ohio. Women and African-Americans trained for the war effort made up a considerable portion of the factory's workforce. The first Helldiver prototype appeared in December 1940. Numerous design problems, accidents, and the required corrections pushed delivery of the first production Helldiver back to June 1942 with initial fleet delivery to Scouting Squadron (VS) 9 the following December.
- The near-disastrous carrier trials in early 1943 were a continuation of the Helldiver's problems. Landing gear failures and a characteristic bounce that prevented the tail hook from engaging with the cross-deck cable resulted in Helldivers being caught in flight deck barriers. Some SB2Cs experienced structural failures that included the loss of wings in steep dives or tails breaking off mid-air or at landing. Veteran bombing squadron crews and carrier air group officers also had a strong attachment to the easier-to-fly and highly successful Douglas SBD Dauntless. As a result, crews came up with new names for the Helldiver. They nicknamed it the "Beast" due to its size and handling qualities. Irreverent naval aviators and air crewman also called it an "S.O.B. 2nd Class," which was a profane play on the official Navy designation "SB2C" and the Navy's enlisted personnel ratings. The Helldiver was faster and carried more ordnance than the Dauntless and intensive training alleviated the handling problems over time.
- Bombing Squadron (VB) 17 assigned to Bunker Hill flew the first operational Helldiver sorties on November 11, 1943, when they attacked the Japanese fortress at Rabaul. As the American naval offensives across the Pacific intensified, including the Marianas campaign, the battles of Leyte Gulf and Okinawa, and the attacks against Japan itself, Helldivers became an integral part of the carrier air group. The scout and dive bomber role, however, waned over the course of the war when the carrier air groups utilized faster and more capable Grumman F6F Hellcat and Vought F4U Corsair fighters in the fighter-bomber role and air-to-ground rockets offered increased accuracy. Moreover, the Grumman TBF Avenger was as capable as a level bomber as it was a torpedo bomber. Nevertheless, bombing squadrons aboard Essex, Shangri-La, Wasp, Ticonderoga, Yorktown, and Lexington filled a niche as they flew some of the last combat missions of the war during the summer of 1945. Approximately thirty Navy squadrons operated Helldivers aboard thirteen different carriers during World War II. The U.S. Navy and Naval Reserve continued to operate Helldivers into the early Cold War era with the final aircraft stricken from the active inventory by June 1949. The navies of France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Thailand operated surplus SB2Cs well into the 1950s.
- The design of the SB2C evolved over time. The SB2C-1C featured a 1,500 horsepower Wright Twin Cyclone R-2600-8, three-blade Curtiss Electric propeller, and a 20 mm cannon in each wing. SB2C-3s appeared with a new 1,900 horsepower R-2600-20, four-blade Curtiss Electric propeller, perforated dive brakes to decrease buffeting, four rocket rails under each wing, and the capability to operate an APS-4 airborne radar system. The -3 and the improved SB2C-4 were the Helldivers that equipped the majority of U.S. Navy squadrons during the war in the Pacific with production numbering 3,157 aircraft combined. The SB2C-5 was the last variant in the series. It was an improved version of the SB2C-4 with increased fuel capacity by thirty-five gallons, a frameless pilot's canopy, tail hook fixed in the extended position, and deletion of the propeller spinner. Most carried the APS-4 system as standard equipment. SB2C-5s entered production in February 1945, which was too late to see widespread service before the end of World War II, with final delivery in October. Total deliveries of SB2C-5s numbered 970 Helldivers.
- Total SB2C production at Columbus numbered 5,516 while Canadian Car and Foundry and Fairchild Aircraft, Ltd., in Canada delivered 834 SBWs and 300 SBFs respectively. Curtiss manufactured 900 fixed-wing A-25 dive bombers at its St. Louis, Missouri, factory under contract to the Army Air Forces with final delivery to the Marine Corps.
- The U.S. Navy accepted NASM's Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver (BuNo 83479 and Cat# A19610118000) on May 19, 1945, at the Curtiss factory in Columbus, Ohio. The aircraft went to Naval Air Station (NAS) Port Columbus, located on the same airfield, three days later. In June, it was at San Diego where it was prepared for transfer to Guam in the Pacific Theater for assignment to a Carrier Air Service Unit, arriving there in July. The war ended before the Helldiver saw combat, but for the three months that followed, September through December 1945, the artifact was assigned to Bombing Squadron (VB) 92, the "Battling Beasts," aboard the U.S.S. Lexington (CV-16) in the Pacific, which included service in the western Pacific and occupied Japan.
- By January 1946, the Helldiver was with a detachment of Bombing Squadron (VB) 11 at Santa Rosa, California, where it stayed until February 7, 1946. The aircraft had little activity in the months that followed until it was assigned to Attack Squadron (VA) 3A at San Diego for most of the month of November. Activity again lessened; and after its first and only major overhaul on February 13, 1947, the airplane was again active with Aviation Training Unit (VA-ATU) #4 from April 1947 through March 1948 at NAS Jacksonville. It later moved to Norfolk and later to Weeksville Naval Auxiliary Field near Elizabeth City, North Carolina, for preservative treatment and storage. On May 31, 1948, the airplane was dropped from the Navy inventory and set aside for the National Air Museum. It was flown to Norfolk on March 2, 1949, given preservative treatment, and placed in a metal storage container. At that time, the Navy used the Helldiver for a local display and painted in the three- tone camouflage scheme, a pattern which was already outdated prior to the date the aircraft was manufactured. The log book shows an ill-defined thirty minute flight on January 7, 1952, but in all probability, its last flight was on February 3, 1949, having accumulated approximately 630 flying hours.
- The Helldiver entered the National Collection in September 1960. At this time, it was probably given another preservative treatment, all of the openings were covered, and it was parked outdoors on the grounds at Suitland, Maryland. In 1975, the aircraft traveled to the National Naval Aviation Museum (NNAM) where it underwent restoration before exhibition in their museum. The NNAM completed the restoration before 1982 and put the artifact on indoor display. The Helldiver returned from NNAM to the Garber Facility in October 2003. In 2010, the Helldiver arrived at the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar at NASM's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.
- NASM's Helldiver is one of seven surviving SB2Cs as of 2013 that are complete and in museums or undergoing restoration. Of those seven, five are -5 variants. There are four documented SB2C wrecks in the United States and the Pacific.
- Credit Line
- Transferred by the United States Navy
- 1945
- Inventory Number
- Restrictions & Rights
- Usage conditions apply
- Type
- CRAFT-Aircraft
- Dimensions
- Overall: 13ft 2in., 10546.9lb. (4.013m, 4784kg)
- Other: 13ft 2in. x 36ft 8in. x 49ft 9in. (4.013m x 11.176m x 15.164m)
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- See more items in
- National Air and Space Museum Collection
- Location
- Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA
- Exhibit Station
- World War II German Aviation
- National Air and Space Museum
- Record ID
- nasm_A19610118000
- Metadata Usage (text)
- Not determined
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv9e8c1085d-1e09-402f-b4ac-93ed770154d0
Related Content
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.


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Will Rondo get cut from Team USA?
Rajon Rondo landed about an hour ago in Vegas and is ready for USA Basketball tryouts. One would think after being one of the elite performers in this past Sping's playoffs and with all the Redeem Team dropouts that "tryouts" for Rajon are just a formality. Not according to ESPN's Chris Sheridan, who is predicting that Rajon won't make the cut:
First of all (said in my Barkley voice), I'm surprised Sheridan lists Kevin Durant as a guard. Besides that I just don't see any of those other guys as better players than Rondo. He's the truest point guard of the bunch in my opinion. What's yours?In five weeks, Team USA's roster will be set.The 22 players who reported for the start of minicamp Tuesday will have been cut down to 12, and the Americans will begin their quest to win the FIBA World Championship for the first time since 1994...
Here is my best guess at the composition of the squad (and although it is an early guess, it is an educated one based partly on conversations with various NBA and USA Basketball officials, partly on my own experience having covered Team USA at every major international basketball competition since 1996):
Chauncey Billups, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Tyreke Evans, Derrick Rose, Stephen Curry.
Cuts: Rajon Rondo (free throw inaccuracy), Eric Gordon (loses designated shooter role to Curry), O.J. Mayo (superfluous).


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LOS ANGELES – Regina King and Uzo Aduba used the come-as-you-are fashion edict for Sunday's virtual Emmy Awards to highlight the national struggle for social justice.
Both Black actresses wore T-shirts featuring Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old EMT from Louisville, Kentucky, who was shot and killed by police in March. King's T-shirt featured Taylor's face.
"The cops still haven't been held accountable," King said in a Zoom session with media. "She represents just decades, hundreds of years of violence against Black bodies. Wearing Breonna's likeness and representing her and her family and the stories that we were exploring, presenting and holding a mirror up to on 'Watchmen,' it felt appropriate to represent with Breonna Taylor."
King won for actress in a limited series or a TV movie as the masked hero in HBO's "Watchmen."
Taylor was shot in her apartment after police officers executing a no-knock warrant burst in and killed her after returning fire from her boyfriend. None of the officers has been charged. One was fired and two others were placed on leave.
Aduba, sitting behind a table at home, wore a black T-shirt with Taylor's name in gold. King and Aduba were pleased to see each other's fashion choice.
"I loved when I saw her shirt and standing in it with such strength and power, which we all know she has," said Aduba, winner for supporting actress in a limited series or TV movie for "Mrs. America" in which she played Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm.
Aduba wanted to give a boost to the demands for social justice that have swept the nation during the coronavirus pandemic this year. Without an audience or red carpet, nominees were encouraged to wear whatever they wanted and say anything in accepting their trophies from wherever they chose to be.
"I would be remiss not to bring in some of what is happening outside in the streets and the experiences of so many who look like myself," Aduba told reporters via Zoom.
Damon Lindelof wore a black T-shirt with "Remember Tulsa '21" in yellow letters while accepting the Emmy for limited series writing for "Watchmen." Cord Jefferson, who shared the award, and Lindelof stood in front of a banner reading "Give a Damn" that was hung from a fireplace mantle.
Lindelof, who is white, was drawing attention to the race riot in Oklahoma that occurred after white residents, many of them deputized and given weapons, attacked Black residents and businesses in the city. Jefferson called it "the original sin of our show."
"This country neglects and forgets its own history often at its own peril, and we should never forget that," Jefferson said.
"This Is Us" actor Sterling K. Brown presented the show's final award for best drama series. He took the stage at Staples Center wearing a black T-shirt with white letters BLM for Black Lives Matter and a white raised fist.
Host Jimmy Kimmel and several others encouraged viewers to register and vote in the upcoming November elections.


text:
What constitutes news? What does the word even mean anymore? Words have gone from having specific meanings to being malleable tools used to advance a progressive agenda.
Warnings of global cooling in the 1970s became warnings of global warming in the 1990s. Then, when the facts turned out to be completely uncooperative, it became climate change, a meaningless catch-all that can be neither proven nor disproven and whose only use is to bludgeon opponents of the progressives' "solution." What doesn't change is that solution. It's always more government, more control.
All of this was done in plain sight, right in front of our noses. But like an easy mark being taken on the street in a game of three-card Monte, conservatives continued to play with barely a whimper.
This week the media focused on gay marriage. The Supreme Court heard two cases that won't be decided for months, yet the days leading up to the hearings were plastered with stories of gay and lesbian couples designed to elicit an emotional response. The days after were filled with "analysis" about as useful as a fortune cookie. Logic, on the other hand, was absent. So was any news about the tanking economy, the lack of jobs, the failure of the progressive agenda to in any way help struggling Americans.
Opponents of gay marriage were painted as knuckle-dragging Neanderthals; supporters were portrayed as just this side of civil rights marchers staring down fire hoses and attack dogs. Progressives have been building to this moment for a decade, and the media played its part perfectly. Media bias is as much about how something is covered as what is covered.
Language is the key to communication, but it's also the key to manipulation. This fight was won by the left the moment it introduced the words "same-sex marriage." With that, the word was essentially redefined. Opponents played right along, adopting "traditional marriage" as their cause. Marriage always has meant one thing — the union of a man and a woman — but once it was "adjectived" a new normal was born. (I explained this and the reason for my opposition to gay marriage last year,: read it here.)
But this issue is hardly the only one where language is both the first casualty and a key weapon in the battle. In fact, progressives and their media allies do this all the time and are winning because of it.
Polls show gay marriage rates about as high as polar bear attacks in Miami do on the list of concerns of Americans, but you'd think it was the key to deficit reduction and economic growth with the amount of coverage it has gotten. Similar attention inversely proportional to the concerns of the American people is being paid to other issues, and similarly weaponized words are being employed to advance them.
Immigration reform gets coverage, but little outside of handpicked sad tales of woe designed not to inform but to elicit sympathy for illegal aliens. I used that term deliberately because you're not supposed to, yet it's the most appropriate description of their legal status. At least for now. New terms range from "undocumented workers" to "new Americans," neither of which makes any sense when you look at the fact surrounding their being in this country illegally. But the law and logic have no place in this fight.
Who exactly is clamoring for "comprehensive immigration reform?" We're told illegal aliens snuck into this country to find work and send money back home to take care of their families. Were they asking for citizenship? Of course not. It's progressives, acting "on their behalf" who are.
If our economy was in desperate need of more unskilled workers, our public education system pumps them out at an alarming rate. If we were flush with computer engineers a case could be made, but we need to import those and progressives won't increase the number of high-skilled H1B visas without it being part of a larger package. Companies in need of skilled labor continue to move out of the country while progressives play chicken with our economic future. They don't want high-paying jobs, they want voters — or, more correctly, votes.
The ability to work in this country could be extended to illegal aliens easily and with little fanfare or controversy, but that's not the point. Racial politics is the progressives' bread and butter; their quest for power was born from racism. Over the years, their tactics have changed but their object hasn't. They obtain power by dividing — by race, by gender, by anything they can. They create victims, exploit them by claiming to be their champion, get votes, advance their agenda and gain power. But they never solve problems; they only exploit them. Ask the black community how 50-plus years of near blind loyalty to progressives has worked out for them.
The only place the tools of division are irrelevant to progressives is in their leadership. If you're about advancing the agenda, for "the cause," that's all that matters. Race hustlers such as Al Sharpton fit right in, and no one says a word about Michael Moore earning tens of millions of dollars decrying the accumulation of wealth by others.
Being a progressive is a get-out-of-hypocrisy free card for damn-near anything. It's the red queen we are constantly searching for but never finding in this never ending game of three-card Monte we keep playing with progressives. If we don't reclaim the language we will keep losing.
PS: My friend Paolo pointed out to me how progressives used to call ex-felons "pips" or previously incarcerated persons, but now they're called "Returning Citizens." Felons, or even "pips," lets you know someone committed a crime and is therefore ineligible to vote. But a "returning citizen" who is ineligible to vote, that just sounds wrong. Progressives, always in search of more votes, will win the ex-felon vote, but restoring voting rights to murders, drug dealers and the like has been a tough sell. Denying "returning citizens" the vote is an easier case to make. Forget the fact that they aren't returning from Club Med or a stint in the Peace Corp, they're getting out of prison, the agenda must be advanced. Expect to hear more about this in the coming years as the push to restore voting ex-felon's voting rights continues to grow.
Derek Hunter is Washington, DC based writer, radio host and political strategist.: You can also stalk his thoughts 140 characters at a time on Twitter.


text:
Price Channels are lines set above and below the price of a security. The upper channel is set at the x-period high and the lower channel is set at the x-period low. For a 20-day Price Channel, the upper channel would equal the 20-day high and the lower channel would equal the 20-day low. The dotted centerline is the midpoint between the two channel lines. Price Channels can be used to identify upward thrusts that signal the start of an uptrend or downward plunges that signal the start of a downtrend. Price Channels can also be used to identify overbought or oversold levels within a bigger downtrend or uptrend.
Note: This indicator, developed by Richard Donchian, is sometimes referred to as Donchian Channels.
Upper Channel Line: 20-day high Lower Channel Line: 20-day low Centerline: (20-day high + 20-day low)/2
The formula above is based on a daily chart and a 20-period Price Channel, which is the default setting in SharpCharts. Price Channels can be used on intraday, daily, weekly or monthly charts. The look-back period (20) can be shorter or longer. Shorter look-back periods, such as 10 days, produce tighter channel lines. Longer look-back periods produce wider channels.
The Price Channel formula does not include the most recent period. Price Channels are based on prices prior to the current period. A 20-day Price Channel for October 21 would be based on the 20-day high and 20-day low ending the day before, October 20. A channel break would not be possible if the most recent period was used. On the chart below, notice how prices broke above the upper price channel because the high was based on the next-to-the-last bar, not the current bar.
Price Channels can be used to identify trend reversals or overbought/oversold levels that denote pullbacks within a bigger trend. A surge above the upper channel line shows extraordinary strength that can signal the start of an uptrend. Conversely, a plunge below the lower channel line shows serious weakness that can signal the start of a downtrend. Once an uptrend has started, chartists can move to a shorter timeframe to identify pullbacks with oversold readings. A move below the lower channel line indicates oversold conditions that can foreshadow an end to the pullback. Similarly, short-term bounces within a bigger uptrend can be identified with Price Channels. A move above the upper channel line signals overbought conditions that can foreshadow an end to the bounce.
Price Channels can be used to identify strong moves that may result in lasting trend reversals. Basically, a move above the 20-day Price Channel signals a new 20-day high. A move above the 20-week Price Channel signals a new 20-week high. Obviously, a 20-week high is more consequential than a 20-day high. The choice of timeframe depends on your trading timeframe and rationale for using Price Channels. For example, chartists can use weekly charts with 20-week Price Channels to determine the big trend and overall trading bias.
The chart above shows weekly prices for the Nasdaq 100 ETF (QQQQ) over a 4 1/2 year period. The green arrows mark weekly highs above the upper channel line that signaled the start of an uptrend. The red arrows mark weekly lows below the lower channel that signaled the start of a downtrend. These channel breaks caught a few good trends, but there were two whipsaws or bad signals. Indicator signals are not perfect and there will be whipsaws. It is just part of the game.
Signals can be filtered further by using a close-only line plot. The second chart shows the same 4 1/2 year period with 20-week Price Channels and QQQQ as a close-only line plot. This eliminates the intra-week highs and lows. Notice that QQQQ did not close above the upper channel line in May 2008 or below the lower channel line in May 2010 (blue arrows). Using a close-only price chart reduces volatility and signals.
Price Channels are similar to the Stochastic Oscillator when one considers what the Stochastic Oscillator measures. This momentum oscillator measures the level of the close relative to the high-low range over a given period of time, say 20 days. The Stochastic Oscillator is relatively high when the close is near the high end of its 20-day range and low when the Stochastic Oscillator is near the low end of this range.
Let's compare the 20-day Fast Stochastic Oscillator with 20-day Price Channels. The Stochastic Oscillator will usually be above 80 when prices exceed the upper Price Channel. Similarly, the 20-day Fast Stochastic Oscillator will usually be below 20 when prices move below the lower Price Channel. There is a slight timing difference because Price Channel data ends with the prior period. Stochastic Oscillator data, on the other hand, ends with the current period. This means the Stochastic Oscillator includes the most recent price action, but Price Channels do not. Nevertheless, the two measure pretty much the same thing.
The Dow Industrials SPDR (DIA) chart shows 20-day Price Channels (pink) with the 20-day Fast Stochastic Oscillator. The red and green lines indicate when prices are overbought (near the upper channel line) and oversold (near the lower channel line), respectively. The prices move above and below the centerline as the Stochastic Oscillator moves above and below 50.
Learn More: Stochastic Oscillator
Measuring overbought and oversold conditions can be tricky with Price Channels. Securities can become overbought and remain overbought in a strong uptrend. Similarly, securities can become oversold and remain oversold in a strong downtrend. In a strong uptrend, prices can move above the upper channel line and continue above the upper channel line. In fact, the upper channel trend line will rise as price continues above the upper channel. This may seem technically overbought, but it is a sign of strength to remain overbought. Similarly, the Stochastic Oscillator can move above 80, which is technically overbought, and remain overbought for an extended period.
Successful use of overbought and oversold levels depends on successful trend identification. Once a bigger uptrend has been identified, traders can look for oversold levels in the smaller trend. Short-term oversold levels occur after a pullback within a bigger uptrend. As noted above, the weekly charts turned bullish when QQQQ surged above the upper channel line. Once the weekly chart is bullish, traders can turn to the daily chart to look for oversold signals. The weekly chart represents the bigger trend, while the daily chart represents the smaller trend.
The chart above shows daily prices for QQQQ. The bigger trend (weekly chart) is up so we would be looking for pullbacks on the daily chart. The green arrows show when QQQQ dipped below the 20-day Price Channel. There were two good signals in early July and early November. There were three touches in January-February. The first two signals were "early", while the February signal was a direct hit.
Inverse logic can be applied in downtrends. A weekly downtrend starts with a plunge below the lower channel line. Once this downtrend is established, chartists can turn to the daily chart to look for overbought signals. Overbought signals occur after a bounce within a bigger downtrend. Downtrends tend to be faster than uptrends. This means overbought readings may not occur during a strong or fast downtrend. Chartists may then need to tweak the Price Channel settings or use the centerline for signals. Prices are more likely to touch the centerline than the upper channel line.
Price Channels tells us when a security reaches an xx-period high or an xx-period low. 20-day Price Channels mark the 20-day high-low range, 10-week Price Channels mark the 10-week high-low range. The centerline marks the midpoint. Securities that continuously exceed the upper channel line show strength. After all, it takes strong buying pressure to forge higher highs. Conversely, securities that continuously break the lower channel line show weakness. Strong selling pressure is evident with lower lows. Using Price Channels, chartists can determine the dominant force, buying pressure or selling pressure. As with all indicators, it is important to use other analysis techniques to confirm or refute the Price Channels. Chartists can use chart patterns, indicators or basic chart analysis to complement Price Channels.
Price Channels can be found in SharpCharts as a price overlay and should be shown on top of a price plot. Upon selecting the indicator from the dropdown box, the default setting will appear in the parameters window (20). Users can change the parameters to suit their charting needs. A shorter look-back period will narrow the channels. A longer look-back period will widen the channels. Click here for a live example.
For more details on the parameters used to configure Price Channels overlays, please see our SharpCharts Parameter Reference in the Support Center.
StockCharts members can screen for stocks based on Price Channel values. Below are some example scans that can be used for Price Channels-based signals. Simply copy the scan text and paste it into the Scan Criteria box in the Advanced Scan Workbench.
Members can also set up alerts to notify them when a Price Channels-based signal is triggered for a stock. Alerts use the same syntax as scans, so the sample scans below can be used as a starting point for setting up alerts as well. Simply copy the scan text and paste it into the Alert Criteria box in the Technical Alert Workbench.
This scan starts with stocks that average $20 per share and 100,000 daily volume per day. An uptrend is present because the stock is trading above its 200-day SMA. The stock becomes oversold with a move below the Lower Price Channel and then turns up with a cross back above the Lower Price Channel.
[type = stock] AND [country = US] AND [Daily SMA(20,Daily Volume) > 100000] AND [Daily SMA(60,Daily Close) > 20] AND [Daily Close > Daily SMA(200,Daily Close)] AND [Daily Close crosses Daily Lower Price Chan(20)] AND [Daily Close > Yesterday's Daily Close]
This scan starts with stocks that average $20 per share and 100,000 daily volume per day. A downtrend is present because the stock is trading below its 200-day SMA. The stock becomes overbought with a move above the Upper Price Channel and then turns down with a cross back below the Upper Price Channel.
[type = stock] AND [country = US] AND [Daily SMA(20,Daily Volume) > 100000] AND [Daily SMA(60,Daily Close) > 20] AND [Daily Close < Daily SMA(200,Daily Close)] AND [Daily Upper Price Chan(20) crosses Daily Close] AND [Daily Close < Yesterday's Daily Close]
For more details on the syntax to use for Price Channel scans, please see our Scanning Indicator Reference in the Support Center.
Even though Price Channels are not used specifically in Thomas Carr's Trend Trading for a Living, the book shows traders how to trade in the direction of the underlying trend. Carr also shows readers how to configure a bullish and bearish watch list from which to set your entry and exit prices.
Michael Covel's Trend Following introduces the fundamental concepts and techniques for a variety of trend following systems. Covel shows why market prices contain all available information, and readers will learn how to interpret price movements and profit from trend following.


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The overall objective of the 3rd annual meeting of the C2 Institutes and Centres is to, through capacity building, collaboration and coordination of efforts, ensure contribution towards the objectives of UNESCO and the World Heritage Centre and regional relevance. The meeting will specifically build institutional capacity through focusing on Results Based Management as a practical tool for the C2 Institutes and Centres.
The meeting is hosted by Nordic World Heritage Fund (NWHF) and supported by the Norwegian Ministry of the Environment (MoE).
The meeting will specifically focus on how RBM can be a tool promoting informed decision-making and management for results. Technical assistance will be provided by Mme. Othilie du Souich, Programme Planning Officer (RBM and SISTER) from UNESCO Bureau of Strategic Planning. She will introduce us to the basics of RBM and demonstrate benefits through anecdotes and guide us through practical working sessions using Periodic Reporting as a case study.
The meeting will follow up on the two previous annual meetings by producing a report and recommendations that will be presented to the World Heritage Committee (at its 37th Session in 2013) and to the General Assembly of the States Parties to the Convention (at its 19th Session in 2013).
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SOCHI, Russia – Canadian ice dance silver medalists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir bemoaned the split allegiance of coach Marina Zoueva, who also works with American gold medalists Meryl Davis and Charlie White.
They spoke Tuesday, hours after the free dance was won by their Michigan training partners.
"We sometimes felt like (Zoueva) wasn't in our corner," Moir said, more in the way of stating a fact as he and Virtue perceived it than as a complaint. "We had some odd things happen this year. We expected Marina to be on our team and work with us like in Vancouver."
That didn't happen for the 2010 gold medalists, although they insisted they understood why Zoueva spent so much time with Davis and White, and they praised Zoueva for how she handled the dicey situation.
"The shoe was on the other foot," Moir said.
"Whatever differences we had to take care of on our own," Virtue added.
Zoueva, among the world's top ice dance coaches, did not immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press.
When Virtue and Moir won the Vancouver Olympics ahead of Davis and White, they were on the cutting edge of ice dance. But the Americans overtook them in the last four years and came to Sochi as world champions and Grand Prix Final winners.
There were times in the last year when Virtue and Moir had to re-evaluate their relationship with the coach. Moir said they went to Zoueva "on countless occasions" to tell her they would not be happy with a silver medal.
"We felt a little bit like it was getting away from us," Moir said. "We were trying to get balance. She listened to us and kind of reshaped our programs. She's an artist, too, and wanted to keep her vision."
The Canadians, who have not yet announced future plans but are expected to retire from competition, were not downgrading the silver after it was in their hands. They admitted to being thrilled with how well they skated.
"We couldn't have asked for more about our performances," Virtue said. "It's nice to be satisfied and content with our job. We've managed to create the Olympic moment."


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Herbalife, a marketer of fitness and nutrition products, was a little more than 36 minutes into its conference call when the operator turned the call's second question over to David Einhorn of Greenlight Capital.
Seconds later the stock would collapse nearly 20 percent, erasing about $2 billion in market cap.
Einhorn is famous for calling the fall of Lehman Brothers and for raising questions of fraud at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters late last year.
Einhorn asked three main questions to Herbalife executives, focusing on the lack of previously disclosed information on its annual reports as well as the workings of sales outside of its network.
Below, the full questions that triggered the sell-off.
- "First is, how much of the sales that you'd make in terms of final sales are sold outside the network and how much are consumed within the distributor base?"
- "What is the incentive for supervisor to sign somebody up to become a distributor as opposed to - if they're just going to consume for themselves as opposed to just selling them the product for the markup. How does the distributor - how does the supervisor come out better?"
- "When you had your previous 10-K, you disclosed three groups of distributors at the low-end. You called 29% self consumers, 57% small retailers, and 14% potential sales leaders and then that disclosure did not repeat in the subsequent 10-K. So, I got two questions, first of all how do you track that and how do you characterize and know which ones are which? And second, why did you stop disclosing that in the last 10-K? Is that something that you stopped tracking or just stopped disclosing?"
Einhorn finished off thanking the executives for actually offering to follow up with data to investors when they couldn't answer the question on the call.
Listen to Einhorn's questions from the call below:


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File this one under, get well soon.
I never get sick. I can't even remember the last time I had a cold. In fact, I can hang out with the sickest of the sick and it doesn't faze me. My immune system scoffs at cooties.
At least until last weekend's all-day, convoluted flight aboard a Delta 757 hack-a-thon.
There was no where to run. No where to hide. I couldn't escape the recirculating, germ-infested, potently disgusting, cough cloud.
Drats, I'm down for the count.
Now what?
Here's my answer — shiitake mushroom, vegetable, and chicken soup.
Take that, you cold cooties.
I've been making different versions of this soup for years. I don't have a recipe. I made it up and it varies depending on what I have on hand. One thing that doesn't change is the base, which I make out of chicken broth, mushrooms (usually shiitake, but others will do), and a potato. That's my medicinal launching pad.
Here's how it goes, but remember, this is an outline, not an exact formula. Be creative.
Melissa's medicinal soup
What you need
1 small to medium-sized potato, peeled and chopped *
handful of shiitake mushrooms (about 1/2 cup), cleaned and chopped
8 cups chicken broth, divided (if not homemade, I use Imagine GF Organic Chicken Broth)
2 tablespoons oil (I use coconut oil, but any will do)
1/2 cup chopped onions
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 stalks celery with leaves, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
1 sweet potato or yam, peeled and chopped
8-ounce can organic tomato sauce (not tomato paste, I use this version)
1 cup cooked, diced chicken
beans (one 15-ounce can, or dried cooked beans) *
2 cups spinach
herbs, sea salt, black pepper
What you do
1. Place chopped potato in a medium sauce pan. Cover with about 2 or 3 cups chicken broth and bring to a light boil. Use enough chicken broth to simmer potatoes until fully cooked. After about 10 minutes, add the chopped shiitake mushrooms to the potato/chicken broth mix. Cook for another 5 to 7 minutes, until potatoes are fully cooked and mushrooms are cooked, but not mushy. Turn heat off, set aside to cool.
2. In a large soup pot, heat oil over low-medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add 2 cups chicken broth, celery, carrots, sweet potato, tomato sauce, and cooked chicken. Turn heat to low.
3. Place cooled chicken broth-potato-mushroom mixture into a VitaMix or other blender. Make sure the mixture has cooled somewhat. Add another cup or two of room-temperature chicken broth and blend until all ingredients are incorporated. Mixture should be a gravy-like consistency, but not too thick. Add more broth during blending as needed. Pour the blend into soup pot, along with any remaining chicken broth. At this point, all the chicken broth (approximately 8 cups), the cooked chicken, and the vegetables, with the exception of the beans and the spinach, are in the pot simmering on low.
4. Cook on low for 2 hours or more. This can simmer on low all afternoon. Add rinsed beans (any kind is fine), herbs, seasonings, and spinach about a half hour before you're ready to serve the soup. Canned beans get mushy if you cook them too long, add them add the end.
5. Serve and get well soon.
Cook's notes (important):
* I normally use a small-medium Red potato for this base, because it has less starch than a Russet or Yukon Gold. I use potatoes as a thickener in lots of my recipes, rather than using a processed gluten-free flour or starch, but I choose my potato variety according to how much thickening I want in the recipe.
* I often use cooked, dried beans, but when I'm pressed for time, I use a can of beans (any kind) from Eden Organics. Canned beans retain their fiber and Eden Organics uses BPA-free cans. Canned beans are a healthy choice in a meal like this.
* Simply Organic All Purpose Seasoning is my favorite "go-to" seasoning. I use about 2 tablespoons in this recipe.
* Rather than adding the spinach to the soup, a half a cup of raw baby spinach can be placed in the bottom of a soup bowl or mug. Ladle the hot soup directly over the spinach and gently stir. That way the spinach is warm, but also fresh and just lightly wilted. That's my favorite way to add spinach to soups.
Peace, love, and cootie-busting soup.