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Many people have shunned the gaming industry because of its massive growth and popularity among younger consumers. Those who oppose the gaming industry argue that it's highly addictive and could cause negative behaviors. Specifically, many U.S. politicians have complained that video games encourage violence. Yet, according to a study conducted by researchers at the Oxford Internet Institute and the University of Oxford, it was concluded that violent video games have no correlation with aggressive behaviors in teenagers and the amount of time spent playing violent games. The researchers used a combination of subjective and objective data to measure teen aggression and violence in games. Additionally, the contents of the video games were classified using the official Pan European Game Information and Entertainment Software Rating Board rating systems, rather than basing the ratings off player's perceptions. Oxford's study is just one of the many pieces of research conducted that have all concluded that video games do not promote violent behavior. Moreover, some studies have even suggested that video games actually decrease violent behavior and crime rates because players are avoiding mischief outside. Furthermore, a study by the Université de Genève, suggested that video games also improve cognitive functions, specifically among the subjects that played action games. Benoit Bediou, a researcher at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences (FPSE), said that the results were beyond dispute and that the effects of action-based video games can pave the way for video games to expand people's cognitive abilities. While many people discourage others from entering into the gaming industry, many have successfully created sustainable and rewarding careers. And as the gaming industry continues to ramp up, more people will look to enter into the marketplace. By the end of the year, Newzoo predicts that the global game market will generate USD 152.1 Billion in revenue. By 2022, Newzoo expects the market to deliver revenues of USD 196.08 Billion, accelerating at a CAGR of 9% during the forecast period from 2018 to 2022. UMG Media Ltd. (TSXV:ESPT.VN), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC), Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA), HUYA Inc. (NYSE:HUYA)
Majority of the most popular global games are heavily action-based. According to Newzoo, the top core PC games are League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Hearthstone, Fortnite, and Overwatch. The main reason why these games are highly popular is that they have all incorporate a ranked or competitive system. Furthermore, because competitive games are online, there will always be a social comparison among players. Naturally, the social comparison will create a competitive behavior, causing players to yearn for a better placement. Nowadays, most games, whether they are shooters, massive online multiplayers, strategy, or even open-world concepts, have introduced a competitive aspect to keep players engaged for hours each day. Generally, most ranked systems are based on tiers where players can progress from a lower bracket and work their way to the highest bracket. The major incentive for lower-ranked players is being able to progress throughout the game and become better, thus achieving a higher rank. However, once players reach the top bracket, typically, their goal is to become the number one player on the leaderboards. Whether players are in the lowest or highest tier system, the incentive to achieve a better placement is the major factor as to why competitive games are on top in the industry. Another widely popular game is Apex Legends, a shooter-based battle royale, which recently implemented a ranked mode. At its launch, Apex Legends gained tremendous popularity as millions of players signed up for the game. However, its popularity quickly faded due to the lack of content updates and a competitive scene. Now, with the integration of a tier system, players believe that the community will be more engaged by the different playing environment. In return, industry experts believe that Apex Legends will also see an increase in active players as well as the hours spent on the game per player. Whether people are playing or viewing video games, the competitive edge of the eSports industry is what will set it apart from other global industries. "The foundation of today's most popular esport titles such as League of Legends, Counter-Strike, and Overwatch is skill-based competition. These games are designed to reward those who master specific roles and acquire in-depth game knowledge," said Hendrik Mokrusch, Executive Assistant at Rogue Sports Europe. "Nowadays, a growing number of players commit intensely to develop these skills and abilities in order to outperform others and fulfil their gratification needs. For many, playing competitive video games is no longer just about having fun. Recent ecosystem developments in esports have proven that players from all skill-levels seek competitive environments and are looking for new ways to improve their game play."
UMG Media Ltd. (TSXV:ESPT.VN) announced breaking news earlier this week that, "it has entered into an agreement to acquire Activate Entertainment LLC ("Activate"). Activate is a creative management and production services company that specializes in esports events and activations.
-- In 2019, Activate has produced a number of major esports events, including the "Esports Experience" at the National Advertising Broadcaster (NAB) Show in Las Vegas, and the "Panasonic Esports Arena" at InfoComm in Orlando
-- Activate works with hospitality brands such as Marriott International and Caesars Entertainment on their esports initiatives
-- Activate helps corporate brands such as Panasonic and Roland develop points of entry into the esports industry
-- Activate has produced top-tier livestream productions for clients at major shows including E3, San Diego Comic Con, Dell Technologies World and The World Series of Poker
-- Activate has offices in both Las Vegas and Los Angeles and is led by Chris Iaquinta and Dirk Hagen, who have combined over 40 years experience in the event management and production industry, with a focus on turnkey, custom activations for a wide variety of entertainment industries, both gaming related and beyond.
'Bringing Activate into UMG will greatly expand the services and expertise of UMG in the esports event management side of the industry,' commented Dave Antony, CEO of UMG. 'Being able to add the experience of Chris and Dirk will be invaluable as UMG expands.'
Activate was responsible for the broadcast, production and execution of over three dozen live premium esports and video game activations in the last calendar year, bringing their nearly four decades of professional execution and delivery to bear. Activate also serves as the Director of Gaming and Esports for various entities, including NAB Show and the Metarama Gaming Festival.
'UMG represents the perfect structural partner that will allow our newly unified businesses to further raise the standard for esports livestreams and event productions', said Chris Iaquinta, President of Activate Entertainment. 'Together, our ability to provide professional results and deliverables to clients, partners and customers will be greatly amplified.'
In consideration for the acquisition of Activate (the "Transaction"), UMG will issue 2,333,333 Common Shares at a price of $0.30 per share. The shareholders of Activate have the ability to receive $3,000,000 in additional common shares ("Performance Shares") of UMG. The Performance Shares will be earned over the 18 month period following the closing of the transaction. The number of Performance Shares to be issued will be based directly on the gross revenue of Activate and will be issued at the 10 day weighted average price of UMG shares at the time of issue. The Transaction is subject to due diligence and regulatory approval, including the acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange. The Transaction is an arm's length transaction.
Closing is expected to occur in the next 30 days.
About UMG: UMG Media Ltd. ("UMG") is a premier esports company in North America, offering live gaming entertainment events and online play. UMG provides online and live tournaments as well as the creation and distribution of original esports content. For more information about UMG visit www.umggaming.com."
For our latest "Buzz on the Street" Show featuring UMG Media Ltd, recent corporate news, please head over to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgvUGw85sMo
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and intelligent edge. Recently, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Microsoft Corp. recently announced a new collaboration to enhance opportunities for education, recreation and therapy for Veterans with mobility limitations by introducing the Xbox Adaptive Controller -- a video game controller designed for people with limited mobility -- in select VA rehabilitation centers around the country. The partnership, which was formalized April 18th, will provide controllers and services to Veterans as part of therapeutic and rehabilitative activities aimed at challenging muscle activation and hand-eye coordination, and greater participation in social and recreational activities. Together, VA and Microsoft identified an opportunity to introduce or reintroduce gaming to Veterans with spinal cord injuries, amputations, and neurological or other injuries at 22 VA medical centers across the United States. Microsoft is donating its Xbox Adaptive Controller, game consoles, games and other adaptive gaming equipment as part of the collaboration. "We owe so much to the service and sacrifice of our Veterans, and as a company, we are committed to supporting them," said Satya Nadella, Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft. "Our Xbox Adaptive Controller was designed to make gaming more accessible to millions of people worldwide, and we're partnering with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to bring the device to Veterans with limited mobility, connecting them to the games they love and the people they want to play with."
Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC), a leader in the semiconductor industry, is shaping the data-centric future with computing and communications technology that is the foundation of the world's innovations. Intel recently announced its next-generation Intel® Xeon® Scalable processor family (codename Cooper Lake) will offer customers up to 56 processor cores per socket and built-in AI training acceleration in standard socketed Intel Xeon Scalable processor offerings with availability starting in the first half of 2020. The breakthrough platform performance delivered within the high-core-count Cooper Lake processors will leverage the capabilities built into the Intel® Xeon® Platinum 9200 series, which today is gaining momentum among the world's most demanding HPC and AI customers, including HLRN, Advania, and others. "We are excited about the early customer deployments of the Intel Xeon Platinum 9200 series that we introduced as part of our 2nd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable processor family. Bringing a 56-core processor into our mainline Intel Xeon Scalable processor family in the next generation will further expand our ability to address customer needs for the highest levels of performance in artificial intelligence, high performance computing and high density infrastructure." Lisa Spelman, Vice President and General Manager of Data Center Marketing, Intel Corporation.
Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) creates incredible technology and entertainment that connects millions of people to the moments and experiences that matter most. Comcast Spectacor and The Cordish Companies recently announced plans for a USD 50 million, next-generation esports and entertainment venue in the heart of the Philadelphia Sports Complex. Adjacent to Xfinity Live!, the first-of-its-kind venue will seat up to 3,500 guests and stand as the largest new-construction, purpose-built esports arena in the Western Hemisphere. Its primary tenant, the Philadelphia Fusion esports franchise, is one of 20 international teams competing in the Overwatch League. In addition to serving as a premier destination for competitive gaming events, Fusion Arena will also host a variety of live entertainment programming and experiences. Comcast Spectacor is a professional sports and live entertainment company that is part of Comcast Corporation, a global media and technology leader that operates Comcast Cable, NBCUniversal and Sky. "We're thrilled to introduce a venue like no other as we move forward with the next phase of development within the Philadelphia Sports Complex," said Dave Scott, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Comcast Spectacor. "Fusion Arena gives esports fans a best-in-class venue to call home and be proud of. Beyond competitive gaming, it's a stunning facility that will host a wide array of events."
HUYA Inc. (NYSE:HUYA) is a leading game live streaming platform in China with a large and active game live streaming community. HUYA Inc. recently announced that it will operate a newly-established e-sports team and join the Overwatch LeagueTM, the first major global professional e-sports league with city-based teams across Asia, Europe, and North America. This Chengdu-based new team joined the Overwatch League at the start of its 2019 season. This business collaboration between Huya and the Overwatch League reaffirms Huya's strategic focus on e-sports. "We're delighted to establish a deep partnership with the Overwatch League," said Mr. Henry Sha, Chief Financial Officer of Huya. "We're excited by the growth potential of e-sports, and we're looking forward to leveraging our gaming expertise and capabilities. As a leader in China's game live streaming industry, we think we can help grow the popularity of the Overwatch League by providing unique resources and a large viewer base. We believe our team in Chengdu will demonstrate Huya's focus on the global e-sports industry and will further expand e-sports awareness and participation of Chinese gaming enthusiasts."
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Wednesday Reads: Tank Girl Says It…Dems Got The HousePosted: November 7, 2018 Filed under: 2018 elections, Civil Liberties, Civil Rights, Congress, corruption, Democratic Politics, Donald Trump, Elections, House of Representatives, legalizaton of drugs, morning reads, open thread, Political and Editorial Cartoons, racism, Republican politics, right wing hate grouups, the GOP, U.S. Politics, Voting Rights, Wednesday Hump Day Cartoons, white nationalists | Tags: Georgia voter suppression, Stacy Abrams 67 Comments
Hey, I know…that is a little too positive, coming from someone like me…but even I have to grasp at some rays of hope. Yesterday, on my way to practice I took a picture of the sunset. It made me think of the future, in this way:
I said a little prayer, may this setting sun be the last of "tRumpian unaccountability"…and will tomorrow's morning sun bring hope for our democracy.
That image of Tank Girl, it is morning…she is having tea and putting on her boots…preparing herself for the day's ass kicking. We can turn this shit around! Let's see what comes from winning the House?
Meanwhile, in Georgia:
As of 8:45 this morning, only 75,386 votes separate Kemp and Abrams…
Brian Kemp's Lead in Georgia Needs an Asterisk – The Atlantic
The Democrat Stacey Abrams, a black woman, made a valiant effort to win the governor's race in Georgia, one of the original 13 states, whose commitment to human bondage ensured that the U.S. Constitution would treat slavery with kid gloves. A state that was part of the Confederacy. A state scorched by Union General William Tecumseh Sherman in the Civil War. A state that refused to accept the outcome of that war, treating its black residents as second-class citizens—if that—until the federal government forced its hand, a century later, with the Voting Rights Act. She tried to write a new narrative for this state.
Although Abrams has not yet conceded, citing uncounted ballots, it looks as though the other side has won, and the narrative is the same as ever. Abrams didn't have to fight just an electoral campaign; she had to fight a civil-rights campaign against the forces of voter suppression.
Indeed, I can't quite bring myself to say that Abrams "lost," because there's an asterisk next to her Republican opponent's victory.
Brian Kemp, who billed himself as a "Trump conservative," refused to step aside as Georgia's secretary of state; he ran for governor of a state while overseeing the elections in that state. Former President Jimmy Carter, a Georgian with much experience monitoring elections abroad, stressed that this conflict of interest ran "counter to the most fundamental principle of democratic elections—that the electoral process be managed by an independent and impartial election authority." Kemp had no intention of relinquishing a post he has held since 2010, and often wields as a weapon to cull Georgia's electorate. He understood that he would need every trick in the book because he was up against a woman who, in addition to serving as the minority leader of the state's House of Representatives from 2011 to 2017, founded a formidable voter-registration organization, the New Georgia Project.[…]Under Kemp, Georgia purged more than 1.5 million voters from the rolls, eliminating 10.6 percent of voters from the state's registered electorate from 2016 to 2018 alone. The state shut down 214 polling places, the bulk of them in minority and poor neighborhoods. From 2013 to 2016 it blocked the registration of nearly 35,000 Georgians, including newly naturalized citizens. Georgia accomplished this feat of disfranchisement based on a screening process called "exact match," meaning the state accepted new registrations only if they matched the information in state databases precisely, including hyphens in names, accents, and even typos.[…]Days before the deadline to register for the November election, the Associated Press reported that Kemp had put 53,000 applicants on hold due to exact-match problems. An analysis of Kemp's records found that 70 percent of those applicants were black. (Georgia is roughly 32 percent black.) Separately, the Georgia chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union found that some 700 absentee-ballot applications and almost 200 absentee ballots were rejected by county officials due to a law mandating that the signatures on absentee applications and ballots visually match the signatures on file. Thus, poor penmanship was added to the list of crimes that can lead to disenfranchisement in Georgia.[…]
In the end, it looks like Kemp won. It's impossible to know if his attempts to restrict the franchise are what pushed him over the line. But if the Georgia race had taken place in another country—say, the Republic of Georgia—U.S. media and the U.S. State Department would not have hesitated to question its legitimacy, if for no other reason than Kemp's dual roles as candidate and election overseer. Of course, there were other reasons. As of this morning, he led by about 75,000 votes; more than 85,000 registrations were canceled through August 1 of this year alone.
Stacy Abrams is vowing not to concede until all votes are counted. I think she should demand a recount…as well.
This is a good thread to round up the tRump effect:
From down along this thread:
Other observations:
This piece of shit is gone:
On that note, here are a few cartoons:
Blue Shadow: 11/07/2018 Cartoon by Steve Artley
I think Boston Boomer had this in one of her post, but it is so good I have to repeat it:
Election Sticker: 11/07/2018 Cartoon by Rob Rogers
11/06/2018 Cartoon by Signe Wilkinson
I wonder what the rest of today will bring?
See you in the comments…this is an open thread.
Sunday Reads: How long must we wait?Posted: September 9, 2018 Filed under: 2018 elections, 2020 Elections, abortion rights, Affordable Care Act (ACA), birth control, Black Lives Matter, corruption, Discrimination against women, Donald Trump, misogyny, morning reads, open thread, PLUB Pro-Life-Until-Birth, Reproductive Rights, Republican politics, the GOP, We are so F'd, Women's Rights 26 Comments
After reading Boston Boomer's post yesterday about all this…shit, it makes me even more disturbed.
I am not able to work my thoughts into words lately. Maybe it is the fact that nothing or no one will hold this nightmare accountable…and that we are this close to having a cancerous monstrosity of this administration appointed for a lifetime membership to the Supreme Court. Together with Gorsuch…Kavanaugh and the rest of the conservative members will change our lives as Americans. The impact will be fatal. In an all to literal sense. It will solidify tRump…he will get away with everything. (And this is not pushing it too far, would tRump even take it to announcing himself…president for life?) Would Kavanaugh just nod and say, sure…it is within his executive rights?
I'm tired of being Chicken Little, or a Cassandra…but nothing gives me hope.
Here's a few links you may have missed:
This article was recommended by Sarah Kendzior:
Some more issues with Women's Tennis:
At U.S. Open, power of Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka is overshadowed by an umpire's power play – The Washington Post
Chair umpire Carlos Ramos managed to rob not one but two players in the women's U.S. Open final. Nobody has ever seen anything like it: An umpire so wrecked a big occasion that both players, Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams alike, wound up distraught with tears streaming down their faces during the trophy presentation and an incensed crowd screamed boos at the court. Ramos took what began as a minor infraction and turned it into one of the nastiest and most emotional controversies in the history of tennis, all because he couldn't take a woman speaking sharply to him.
Williams abused her racket, but Ramos did something far uglier: He abused his authority. Champions get heated — it's their nature to burn. All good umpires in every sport understand that the heart of their job is to help temper the moment, to turn the dial down, not up, and to be quiet stewards of the event rather than to let their own temper play a role in determining the outcome. Instead, Ramos made himself the chief player in the women's final. He marred Osaka's first Grand Slam title and one of Williams's last bids for all-time greatness. Over what? A tone of voice. Male players have sworn and cursed at the top of their lungs, hurled and blasted their equipment into shards, and never been penalized as Williams was in the second set of the U.S. Open final.
We can only hope something good can come out of November:
And what about that plaid shirt guy?
And by the way:
Latest update on Florence:
17 years, is a long ass time!
Check out this tweet from Pasco Sheriff's office…
And what the fuck is with the brown sock monkey?
In relation to that….
I want to end with this news out of Dallas…
This is an open thread.
Wednesday Reads: 37% of Dumbfvcks is still a lot of Dumbfvcks!Posted: August 15, 2018 Filed under: 2018 elections, corruption, Donald Trump, morning reads, Political and Editorial Cartoons, Wednesday Hump Day Cartoons | Tags: Space Force 18 Comments
Last night on the Chris Hayes show… the two guest were talking about the 36-38 percent of polls that continuously believe every fucking word tRump says, whatever tRump says…
Poll: Most think Trump lying about Russia probe
The president is relentlessly attacking Robert Mueller and what he keeps calling the "witch hunt." A new poll finds it isn't working.
That is the link to the video from the show….it is only 5 minutes if you didn't see it last night.
How many times do we have to kick this dead horse?
It is always the same.
I see people on The Last Word, discussing how tapes of tRump saying the N-word will be very bad for tRump:
We all know that 37% won't be upset about tRump's use of the N-word…hell, it will only delight his followers.
I think it is painfully clear….nothing tRump does…will get him what he truly deserves. Impeachment and prison.
It is all super bullshit.
Now the cartoons:
08/15 Mike Luckovich: Sheet yes!
Yes, exactly!
08/09/2018 Cartoon by Joe Heller
Clay Bennett editorial cartoon: 08/14/2018 Cartoon by Clay Bennett
Nick Anderson cartoon: 08/11/2018 Cartoon by Nick Anderson
Melania's Parents: 08/14/2018 Cartoon by Deb Milbrath
SPACE FARCE: 08/13/2018 Cartoon by Deb Milbrath
Charlottesville 1: 08/11/2018 Cartoon by Deb Milbrath
Ingraham Angle: 08/10/2018 Cartoon by Deb Milbrath
08/14/2018 Cartoon by Nate Beeler
Doug Jones Kavanaugh Decision: 08/10/2018 Cartoon by J.D. Crowe
08/14/2018 Cartoon by Signe Wilkinson
08/14/2018 Cartoon by Matt Wuerker
08/07/2018 Cartoon by Matt Wuerker
08/14/2018 Cartoon by Joe Heller
08/14/2018 Cartoon by Jimmy Margulies
08/13/2018 Cartoon by Jimmy Margulies
08/14/2018 Cartoon by MStreeter
08/14/2018 Cartoon by Joel Pett
Omarosa: 08/14/2018 Cartoon by Rob Rogers
California fires: 08/13/2018 Cartoon by Adam Zyglis
Enriching his family: 08/10/2018 Cartoon by Adam Zyglis
Chris Collins arrested: 08/09/2018 Cartoon by Adam Zyglis
08/11/2018 Cartoon by Steve Artley
08/11/2018 Cartoon by Gustavo Rodriguez
On that note, this is an open thread….
Sunday Reads: It's a tRump Ass World….Posted: August 5, 2018 Filed under: 2018 elections, children, corruption, Discrimination against women, Domestic terrorism, Donald Trump, Drone Warfare, Fox News, Free Press, Journalism, just because, misogyny, morning reads, Myanmar, open thread, racism, Rape Culture, Refugees, Republican politics, Russia, Russian Trump Investigation, SCOTUS, the GOP, U.S. Politics, Venezuela, white nationalists | Tags: Clarence Thomas, Nicolas Maduro 31 Comments
I've guess you all have seen the latest paintings from the tRumptonian artist Jon McNaughton?
Bizarre Right-Wing Trump Portrait Gets Mercilessly Mocked On Twitter | HuffPost
A right-wing artist's latest "heroic" image of President Donald Trump received some pretty savage reviews from people on social media.
Jon McNaughton painted a take on George Washington's crossing of the Delaware, except in this version Trump is commanding a boat filled with members of his administration.
"Trump endeavors to cross the 'swamp' of Washington D.C. as he carries the light of truth, hope and prosperity," McNaughton wrote. "The murky water of the deep state is laced with dangerous vermin, perfectly willing to destroy American prosperity for their personal ideologies and financial gain."
Take a peek at the link to see the various jokes, I've posted one of the funnier ones below, which conveniently also shows what the original painting looks like….
You can also see another new "work of art" (excuse me while I vomit) below…I don't know what the name of that piece of shit is…but it must have Strangling the Mueller somewhere in the title.
Nah, see? It is called Expose the Truth. God it is fucking disgusting.
So, now that I have posted some of the visual images for the thread, I suppose I should get around to throwing some links in the pie as well.
I don't know what to make at that tweet above… I know whatever is being done with the attacks on the press is dangerous. Just like the paintings of tRump strangling Mueller with a tie…it crosses the line.
Pastor at Trump rally prays to shield Trump from 'jungle journalism' | TheHill
From enemy of the people to jungle journalism….
The pastor delivering the invocation at President Trump's rally in Ohio on Saturday called for God to shield Trump from "jungle journalism."
CNN reported that Gary Click, a pastor and member of the Ohio GOP's State Central Committee, delivered the prayer ahead of Trump's remarks, asking for God to "protect our President and his family with a shield of faith, Lord."
"That shield of faith against the fiery darts of the wicked one, Lord, against that jungle journalism that extorts the truth and distorts honesty and integrity every single day, gets in his face with lies and mistruths and innuendos," Click continued.
I doubt they hired that preacher from craigslist.
Even Fox News is sensing the danger:
What The Heck Is Happening When Even Fox News Starts Making Sense? | Crooks and Liars
But tRump still threatens:
Trump: I 'destroy' careers of Republicans who say bad things about me | TheHill
President Trump bragged about his prowess in defeating the Republicans who oppose him, saying at an Ohio rally that he "destroys" the careers of GOP politicians who dare defy him.
"How do you get 100 percent of anything? We always have somebody who says 'I don't like Trump, I don't like our president, he destroyed my career,' " Trump said.
"I only destroy their career because they said bad things about me and you fight back and they go down the tubes and that's OK," he added.
He is a fucking thug, and it looks like Sunday will only be used for more threats and blows toward Mueller.
Sunday shows preview: Trump's attacks on Mueller probe ramp up | TheHill
Read more at that link.
Maybe something big is coming?
Trump voicing concerns about son being entangled in Mueller probe – CNNPolitics
I thought this was a true enough tweet below.
Yeah, that is gross:
Justice Clarence Thomas Is Having an Outsize Influence on the Trump Administration – Mother Jones
Twenty percent of the quiet justice's former clerks owe their current jobs to President Trump.
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is by far the court's quietest and most conservative justice. He went 10 years without asking a single question from the bench, a streak broken in 2016, not long after the death of his friend Justice Antonin Scalia. Since then, Thomas hasn't uttered a word in court. His opinions are so quirky and radically conservative that his colleagues on the bench often seem reluctant to sign on to them, making him perhaps one of the least influential justices in the court's history.
But the court's only African-American justice is having an outsize influence in one important sphere: the Trump administration. A new report by the AP's Mark Sherman indicates that roughly 20 percent of the clerks—a total of 22—Thomas has hired since his confirmation in 1991 are either now working as political appointees in the administration or have been appointed by Trump to federal judgeships.
In other news, this headline got me thinking…what the fuck is she doing back? Hope Hicks Spotted Boarding Air Force One
Check it out, I wonder if this was agreed on at the summit:
Steven Seagal Named By Russia As Special Rep To US For Humanitarian Ties | Deadline
Russian President Vladimir Putin presented a Russian passport to the US actor in 2016, and now Seagal will expand his ties, serving as a goodwill ambassador. He will receive no salary, the Ministry said, adding, "It's a case of people's diplomacy intersecting with traditional diplomacy."
Seagal's new role was noted by Kremlin-backed TV station RT, who noted Seagal as welcoming the appointment.
"I've always had a very strong desire to do all I can to help improve Russian-American relations," RT quoted Seagal. "I have worked tirelessly in this direction for many years unofficially and I am now very grateful for the opportunity to do the same thing officially."
Don't forget…
While Seagal is popular in Russia, he has been accused in the US of sexual misconduct.
In March of this year, two women who previously accused Steven Seagal of rape and sexual assault stepped forward to offer more detailed accounts of the actor's alleged misconduct. Los Angeles attorney Lisa Bloom told reporters in a press conference that she will represent former Dutch model Faviola Dadis and one-time aspiring actress Regina Simons as they seek justice.
Actresses Juliana Margulies and Pamela Anderson have also complained about Seagal's conduct during auditions.
Looks like DC is trying to make the relations between the Neo Nazis holding a rally and folks counterprotesting the racist KKK white nationalist fucks:
D.C. Metro Considers Separate Trains for 'Unite the Right' White Nationalist Rally – Truthdig
In an effort to head off violence between white nationalists and counterprotesters, the District of Columbia metro transit system is considering providing separate trains for those attending the white supremacist "Unite the Right" rally Aug. 12. The use of separate trains for such a purpose would be unprecedented.
In response to criticism, Jack Evans, chairman of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, said in a Washington Post article:
"We're not trying to give anyone special treatment. We're just trying to avoid scuffles and things of that nature."
It doesn't look like special treatment helped the situation in Portland:
Portland protestor seriously wounded by flash-bang grenade fired by cops clearing way for alt-right marchers
Hundreds of far-right protesters from as far away as Florida gathered on the waterfront in Portland, Oregon for a "Freedom March" on Saturday. Dozens of those interviewed said they were there to utilize their "freedom of speech." To do so, they came armed with bats, weighted fighting gloves, wooden poles, canisters of mace, knives, shields and body armor.
The police had declared a day earlier that all such weapons were illegal in Portland parks. But no effort was witnessed to confiscate the weapons or arrest the weapon-holders.
For hours, four lines of riot police kept the far right separated from a much larger crowd of anti-fascists. The Portland police seemingly wanted to avoid a replay of June 30, when they took a hands-off approach to another far-right rally that quickly degenerated into a violent brawl of about 100 people, resulting in five hospitalizations.
This time it was the police who sent protesters to the hospital. Later in the day, when the far right decided to march into the city, police decided to sweep the streets of counter-protesters. Neither side had permits, but police provided protection to the far right to march for two blocks.
To clear the way, police shot dozens of flash-bang grenades at more than 1,000 people who had gathered to oppose what they say are white supremacists.
There are exclusive pictures of the wounded at the Raw Story link.
About the latest tRump tariffs:
Here are a few links above various things….
There was a strange assassination attempt last night…WATCH: Speech By Venezuelan President Maduro Cut Off After Reported Explosion
Maduro was unharmed in the attempt, but many of the military members in attendance were seen reacting to the explosion.
Footage of the speech, circulated on social media, showed Maduro delivering a speech before the sound cuts out, and those on the stage duck. A camera then shows soldiers running from in a square, before the footage cuts completely.
According to Patricia Laya, Bloomberg News's Venezuela Bureau Chief, the feed cut after an explosion was heard near the stage.
Orson Welles: actor, director… painter? | Film | The Guardian
Iam essentially a hack, a commercial person," Orson Welles once said. "If I had a hobby, I would immediately make money on it or abandon it." Self-deprecation aside, this most creatively ambitious and restless of US directors was hardly a hack. Welles did have a hobby, though – one he never abandoned or monetised, and one that is now shedding fresh light on a mighty career.
For in private, the great man worked quietly as an artist – yielding a vast, varied collection of paintings, drawings and doodles that has rarely been given serious scrutiny. That output is the subject of The Eyes of Orson Welles, a whimsical documentary by film critic, historian and lifelong Welles devotee Mark Cousins. An exhibition of the artworks, on which Cousins advised, is also now running at Edinburgh's Summerhall galleries.
For those who think of Welles chiefly as the stern, booming talent behind such concrete American standards as Citizen Kane, Cousins's film is revelatory, exposing a wry, playful, angry, often lovestruck man behind the Hollywood legend.
That is all I have today, hope everybody is doing well.
This is an open thread.
Sunday Reads: "Sanctions that didn't exist before this regime took office." – Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State.Posted: July 29, 2018 Filed under: 2016 elections, 2018 elections, 2020 Elections, abortion rights, Bailout Blues, Congress, corruption, Discrimination against women, Donald Trump, double-speak, Elections, Human Rights, ICE Immigration and Customs Enforcement, immigration, morning reads, open thread, racism, Rape Culture, Refugees, refugees from Central and South America, Reproductive Health, Reproductive Rights, Russia, Russian Trump Investigation, the GOP, tRump crimes against humanity, U.S. Politics, Violence against women, War on Women, Women's Healthcare 13 Comments
A lot of shit went down this week, the reason I chose to highlight the quote up top is simply because of the key word: Regime.
Many news outlets made quite a point about Mike Pompeo's Freudian slip, referring to the tRump Administration as "this regime."
THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER Senate Grills Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Aired 4:30-5p ET CNN.com – Transcripts
"Sanctions that didn't exist before this regime took office." – Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State.
Now, I read the transcript…link above, and honestly…I don't know what the fuck "regime" Pompeo is talking about; so much bullshit is spewing from his mouth. But if he is indeed referring to tRump…he spoke the words we all know to be true.
I think the following sentiment has been mentioned before:
Take a look at this thread, it deals with Stein and Sanders and Tad Devine…and only strengthens my belief in #FuckBernieSanders :
Here is another long thread to check out, about my state…Georgia and the asshole named Kemp currently running for Governor:
A few tweets that continue to question the 2016 elections.
Here are some associations with tRump and his "friends" ….including the folks that perhaps Putin may have wanted to be excluded from sanctions?
Treasury May Drop Sanctions on a Company Owned by One of Putin's Allies – Mother Jones
The Trump Administration may lift sanctions on a major Russian company founded by one of Vladimir Putin's top allies.
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnunchin told reporters during G-20 meeting of Finance Ministers last week, that the department may remove sanctions on Rusal, an international aluminum company that controls an estimated 6 percent of the global market that has long been controlled by Oleg Deripaska. Deripaska is a Putin confidant who has been implicated in suspected coordination between Moscow and Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, but he has repeatedly denied involvement. As Reuters reported, the department is mulling the move in the wake of a sharp increase in aluminum prices that followed Trump's imposition of a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports.
"The objective was to impact the oligarchs, not to impact the hardworking people of Rusal as a result of the sanctions," Mnunchin told CNN, which reported the comments on Friday.
In April, Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions on Deripaska and Rusal, along with 24 other Russians, in a delayed action aimedat punishing Russia for interfering the 2016 election. Under the sanctions, the US assets of the individuals and firms listed are frozen, and American citizens are barred from doing business with them. Deripaska was specifically singled out for "having acted or purported to act for, or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, a senior official of the Government of the Russian Federation."
Updates on tRump's crimes against humanity:
The latest on that 6 year old who was assaulted at a detention center…she has been reunited with her family.
A 6-Year-Old Detainee Was Reportedly Made to Sign a Responsibility Form After She Was Allegedly Sexually Abused at a Facility | Teen Vogue
A 6-year-old girl was allegedly sexually abused while at an Arizona-based detention center, The Nation reports. The child, who The Nation refers to as D.L., reportedly left Guatemala with her mother because of gang violence; they were separated at the U.S. border on May 24, as a result of the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" immigration policy. The 6-year-old was then placed in Casa Glendale, a detention center run by Southwest Key Programs.
According to The Nation, D.L.'s father (who lives in California) received a phone call from Southwest Key on June 11, telling him that another child in the detention center had allegedly "fondled" his daughter and other children. Mark Lane, a spokesperson representing D.L.'s family, told The Nation that the 6-year-old's father was instructed "not to worry" because "Southwest Key was changing some of its protocols and such abuse would not happen again." (The report notes that several weeks later, D.L.'s father received another phone call, alerting him to a second instance of alleged abuse by the same suspect.)
The Nation also reports that D.L. was asked to sign a form that was part of the detention center's "intervention protocol." The form, a copy of which was obtained by The Nation, noted that D.L. was instructed to maintain her "distance from other youth involved," and that she was made aware it was her "responsibility to maintain appropriate boundaries with peers/workers." The document also noted that it was D.L.'s "responsibility to report sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and/or inappropriate sexual behavior."
Boston Boomer mentioned this yesterday in the comments:
But this is really the disgusting part:
How Catholic Bishops Are Shaping Health Care In Rural America | FiveThirtyEight
Almost as soon as President Trump took office, he began rolling back health care rules that had angered religious groups for much of the last decade. First, Trump signed an executive order declaring that his administration would protect religious freedom. Then, his administration ruled that health insurance plans offered by large employers don't have to cover contraception for employees, an about-face from a contentious Obama policy. The Department of Health and Human Services created a Conscience and Religious Freedom Division, signaling a new focus for the agency. A proposed rule could require all 5,500 hospitals in the U.S. to post notices informing individuals and entities that they are protected from religious discrimination.
The changes are all designed to ensure that employers, health care institutions and providers don't have to participate in health care practices they object to for ethical or moral reasons. But even decades before the Trump administration moved to roll back Obamacare policies, some religious hospitals — in particular, Catholic hospitals — already had the green light from the government to deny certain treatment options to their patients. These hospitals' right to refuse care is generally unquestioned, creating a dilemma for the people who walk in the door: What happens when you need or want a standard medical service, but the hospital won't provide it?
In a growing number of communities around the country, especially in rural areas, patients and physicians have access to just one hospital. And in more and more places, that hospital is Catholic. That sounds innocuous — a hospital is a hospital, after all. But Catholic hospitals are bound by a range of restrictions on care that are determined by religious authorities, with very little input from medical staff. Increasingly, where a patient lives can determine whether Catholic doctrine, and how the local bishop interprets that doctrine, will decide what kind of care she can get.
This is worrying news:
I lit candles for Lewis this morning…I hope he gets better…
Sunday Reads: "Cotton-Pickers" and "Baby-Dealers"Posted: June 24, 2018 Filed under: children, corruption, History, Human Rights, ICE Immigration and Customs Enforcement, immigration, indefinite detention, Mental Health, Mid Day Reads, morning reads, open thread, Refugees, refugees from Central and South America, Republican politics, the GOP, Trade, Trump, tRump crimes against humanity, U.S. Politics, US & Canada 31 Comments
Have you heard the latest?
Oh, there is always a latest these days…every few hours, someone from tRumpWorld says or does something outrageous, that had the same "thing" been said or done a couple of years ago…would have been cause for resignations, being fired, impeachment, imprisonment…etc.
Think about it…
I watched Tanner 88 last night, a series I had not seen since it came out in 1988. It made me think about the years, 1988, 1998, and 2018.
1988- Gary Hart…Below is an article from 1987…it reads like a pulp fiction piece when you compare it to the scandals from tRump:
The Destruction of Politician Gary Hart | Vanity Fair
After the crash of his presidential campaign, the smoking pieces of Gary Hart's life were blown across the front page of every newspaper in America. Gail Sheehy discovered the black box in the wreckage, and has put all the pieces back together. What she found is startling: the world of Donna Rice is much darker than it seemed, and Hart was on a collision course with it all along.
Here is a particular bit to relish:
I examined Donna's live-in love affair with a big-time cocaine dealer, who is currently serving ten years in a federal penitentiary. Four of Donna's friends illuminated the rest of the smoke and mirrors in this high-rolling netherworld. It might be seen as the forbidden picture show to which Hart's hidden, sybaritic side had always longed for admission. Indeed, it might be one in a dizzying series of mirrors on which, according to a senior political consultant who has known and watched him for over a decade, "Gary Hart has been writing in lipstick for years, 'Stop me before I fuck again.' "
Geez, 'Stop me before I fuck again.' Could be the title of tRump's biography…only perhaps a slight change to, fuck it up again?
1998- Bill Clinton…Another look from an article in 1998, yes this one is also from Vanity Fair…keeping with the same magazine for context.
Bill Clinton and Women | Vanity Fair
When the dust of Clinton's presidency settles, the laws against sexual harassment will still be on the books. But the social sanctions against the behavior will be irretrievably damaged.If you doubt this, look around. In the weeks that followed the Lewinsky scandal, those who had been most affronted by the awkward new social arrangements lately demanded of them shambled out of their caves to beat their chests. Conservative columnist John Leo, for example, crowed in U.S. News & World Report that the scandal was "probably the decade's high-water mark of euphoria around the water cooler … a chance to break free from the office sex police." It's all very well to protest that we shouldn't look to our politicians as role models: the saga of Clinton's sex life is being played out on too large a screen to ignore. You can say until you're blue in the face that public men are entitled to a realm of privacy; that certain kinds of bad private behavior do not necessarily conflict with political competence, or even genius; and that adultery is not in itself of feminist concern. These are all irrelevancies. This mess is on our hands, and we do not have the luxury of arguing with its existence; the best we can do is call it what it is.
2018- Donald tRump…Again, from Vanity Fair:
Trump's Prayer-Day Benediction: Paying Off Porn Stars Totally Normal for "People of Wealth" | Vanity Fair
Why is everyone making such a fuss about something all rich people do?
Last night on Fox News, in an unintentionally hilarious attempt to clear his client's name, our man Rudolph W. L. Giuliani informed host Sean Hannity that not only did Donald Trump know about the hush money lawyer Michael Cohen paid porn star Stormy Daniels, but the president repaid the $130,000. In what appeared to be an (unsuccessful) effort to get Trump off for potential campaign finance violations, Giuliani told Hannity that the whole thing was "perfectly legal" because "they funneled it through a law firm, and the president repaid it." As my colleague Abigail Tracy points out, it doesn't actually matter where the money came from—Trump's own pocket, campaign contributions, or elsewhere—or if it was repaid; if, per the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, the money in question was used "for the purpose of influencing any election for Federal office," it's still a crime! Which made Giuliani's Thursday morning appearance on Fox & Friends slightly problematic, considering he told the group it was a good thing Cohen made the Daniels story "go away," as it would have been really bad if "that came out on October 15, 2016, in the middle of the last debate with Hillary Clinton."
But hey, we're not here to debate what is or isn't a federal crime—we're here to discuss the social mores of the 1 percent. After Giuliani finished his media blitz, Trump logged onto Twitter to inform his followers that despite how things might look, paying porn stars six figures for their silence is standard operating procedure for the rich.
Gee, the good old days, when news about tRump was just things like paying off porn stars with campaign funds, conspiring with Russia, money laundering etc.
Anyway, that trip down memory lane was brought to you by the little mini-series Tanner 88, made possible from director producer Robert Altman and writer producer Gary Trudeau. Check it out if you can…it is streaming on Filmstruck and Amazon.
Now here are the links for today:
Fox News segment blows up after Trump advisor tells black Democrat he's 'out of his cotton-picking mind'
ox News host Ed Henry had to shut down a discussion on President Donald Trump's immigration policies on Sunday morning when White House adviser David Bossie told a black Democratic consultant that he was out of his "cotton-picking mind."
During the segment, Democratic communications expert Joel Payne railed at the Trump administration racist policies. The criticism angered Bossie, who also complained about ex-CIA Director Michael Hayden comparing the child detention centers to a Nazi concentration camp.
"Michael Hayden posted a picture of Auschwitz," Bossie complained.
""Yeah, that liberal Michael Hayden," Payne shot back, sarcastically referring to the fact that Hayden is a conservative.
"You are out of your cotton-picking mind!" Bossie blurted, causing Payne to blow up.
"Cotton-picking mind?" Payne exclaimed. "Brother, let me tell you something. Let me tell you something, I got some relatives who picked cotton, okay?"
Host Henry tried to take control as the two guests began yelling at each other, with Henry insisting Bossie intended to say "out of your mind," before he called an end to the panel.
Video of "confrontation" can be found here:
Fox's David Bossie Tells Democrat Joel Payne 'You're Out of Your Cotton-Picking Mind' About Dog Whistles | Mediaite
Ed Henry Apologizes for David Bossie's 'Cotton-Picking' Fox & Friends Remarks: 'We 'Don't Agree With That' | Mediaite
There was another kerfuffle this time between tRump representative, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and an outraged public, Juan Cole takes a look at it here:
Sarah Sanders complains about not being served in Restaurant after Urging same Treatment of Gays, Immigrants
Sara Sanders complained on Twitter about not being served at the Red Hen restaurant in Lexington, Virginia. WaPo reports that the owner, Stephanie Wilkinson, insisted that patrons uphold standards of honesty and compassion, and that Sanders flacks for an "inhumane and unethical" administration, defending Trump's "cruelest policies."
Wilkinson's grounds for not serving the White House spokesperson amounted to personal indecency. It is important to underline that this is what social scientists call an "achieved" status. The grounds had to do with Sanders' own record of behavior and character, not with anything arbitrary about her.
In contrast, to achieved status, you have ascribed status. The latter is determined by things people think about your inherited characteristics. Being Black or Latino is an ascribed status. Or your family religion as a Catholic or Jew would be in this category of ascribed. It has to do not with your personal standards of character but with what prejudices people might have toward a whole group, of which you are part by virtue typically of inheritance. Even if you converted to Catholicism, e.g., you are not responsible for what all Catholics might have done or for what fanatic Protestants think about Catholicism.
It is wrong to shun people because of their ascribed status. It isn't wrong to refuse to associate people because of their achieved status.
Sanders achieved her status as pariah in many quarters by lying assiduously on television for a living– by saying things she knew were wrong and/or untrue.
In contrast, Sanders is an advocate for allowing restaurateurs to discriminate on truly objectionable grounds, of ascribed status.
Read the rest at the link.
In connection with this: Expert: Sarah Sanders broke ethics rules with tweet about restaurant | US news | The Guardian
On Saturday, using her official White House account, Sanders posted: "Last night I was told by the owner of Red Hen in Lexington [Virginia] to leave because I work for POTUS and I politely left. Her actions say far more about her than about me.
"I always do my best to treat people, including those I disagree with, respectfully and will continue to do so."
Walter Shaub, federal ethics chief under Barack Obama and briefly Trumpand now a fierce critic of the administration, responded: "Sanders used her official govt account to condemn a private business for personal reasons … she can lob attacks on her own time but not using her official position."
Since when do these people have any shred of ethics?
Case in point, Jeff Flake went on one of the Sunday shows:
Flake: Trump has 'unfortunately' redefined Republican Party | TheHill
Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) said Sunday that President Trump has "unfortunately" redefined the Republican Party, and reiterated his calls for the president to face a primary challenge in 2020.
These assholes could do something, but they consistently vote with tRump anyways…fuck them all.
Here is a few other news items:
BNSF: Estimated 230,000 Gallons Of Oil Spilled In Derailment – Talking Points Memo That is a train derailment in Iowa…
Can America's allies target Trump's businesses in response to tariffs? – Business Insider
Op-eds in The Houston Chronicle and the Canadian news magazine Maclean's suggested the only way to quell the rising trade tensions is to strike at Trump's businesses. While some countries, such as China, have appeared to try and sway the president through treating his family's businesses more favorably, countries have not made moves to curtail the businesses' activity within their borders.
Debbie Shon, an international trade lawyer at Quinn Emanuel and a former official in the US Trade Representative's office under President Bill Clinton, said that effectively hitting Trump's businesses using trade actions — while legal — would be difficult.
"Looking at Trump's businesses, I'm not sure what goods he sells that could be subject to tariffs or how you could use trade actions to hit his businesses unless you really tailored some sort of measure targeting key industries like real estate," Shon told Business Insider.
That would force any country trying to go after Trump to get creative with their response. Scott Gilmore, a social entrepreneur and former Canadian diplomat, suggested in Maclean's that Canada should use anti-corruption laws to pressure Trump on trade.
Trump-branded skyscrapers in Toronto and Vancouver represent the president's most prominent business ventures in the country.
Well, I will leave that one to Dak…
At Midnight, Riyadh Erupts in Cheers for Women Drivers–but Women Activists still in Jail –Another one from Juan Cole, give it a read.
Now some updates on the shit happening at both borders:
Strict immigration enforcement extends beyond the border to Maine, Ohio – Axios
The chaos isn't just in the Southwest. Increased highway checkpoints and workplace raids away from borders are alarming advocates for immigrants.
The big picture: "For 11 hours on Wednesday, drivers who wanted to travel through a remote stretch of northern Maine were asked a simple question: Where were you born?," the N.Y. Times reports.Show less
More details of other raids at the link.
Boston Boomer linked to this yesterday in the comments: Babies separated from immigrant parents in Miami shelters, lawmaker says | Miami Herald
At least 10 babies and toddlers taken away from their parents after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border are being housed in "tender-age shelters" in Miami-Dade, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz told the Miami Herald on Saturday.
The Florida lawmaker said the children — who range in age from newborns to 5 year olds — are being sheltered at His House Children's Home in Miami Gardens and Catholic Charities' Msgr. Bryan Walsh Children's Village in Cutler Bay, formerly known as Boys Town.
These facilities are also housing about 88 children ages 6 to 12 who have been separated from their parents, she said.
When the Democratic congresswoman, who represents parts of Miami-Dade and Broward counties, provided the Miami Herald with these figures, she cited a document given to her by federal officials.
It is very disturbing…especially when you consider the other tweet BB linked to, that the children will be adopted out.
More lawsuits are being filed against tRump: 'Not knowing anything about my daughter is torture': Immigrants separated from children at border file lawsuit in federal court – ABC News
As DHS released a statement: Fact Sheet: Zero-Tolerance Prosecution and Family Reunification | Homeland Security
It says over 500 children have been reunited with their families.
- CBP has reunited 522 Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) in their custody who were separated from adults as part of the Zero Tolerance initiative. The reunions of an additional 16 UAC who were scheduled to be reunited on June 22, 2018 were delayed due to weather affecting travel and we expect they will all be reunited with their parents within the next 24 hours. There will be a small number of children who were separated for reasons other than zero tolerance that will remain separated: generally only if the familial relationship cannot be confirmed, we believe the adult is a threat to the safety of the child, or the adult is a criminal alien.
All this as one op/ed calls for asylum: The U.S. Should Grant Asylum To All The Families We Separated | HuffPost
In many countries, when thugs take power, they inflict harm on others. Every person then has a choice to make: join the thugs or refuse to harm others. The morally correct choice is the harder one. The brave ones who refuse to be complicit ― such as my clients from El Salvador, Nepal, Haiti and Cameroon who were asked to make this very choice ― were met with the most dire consequences. If they escape, they forsake all they know in hopes that they will be safer in places unknown.
Clinging to the audacious hope that their children's lives will be better, families flee to the U.S., the nation whose symbol is a Statue of Liberty and whose laws have welcomed millions seeking refuge. In the most cruel bait and switch, President Donald Trump ― aided by his attorney general and secretary of homeland security ― took those children away, stripping from their parents the very reason they risked so much.
They say the most unrelenting grief a person can experience is burying their child. Our country has inflicted this kind of pain on desperate parents. The very least we can do is grant them the right to stay here.
So, have a good afternoon and evening. This is an open thread.
Sunday Reads: Twenty YearsPosted: June 17, 2018 Filed under: Congress, corruption, Domestic Policy, Donald Trump, Human Rights, ICE Immigration and Customs Enforcement, immigration, indefinite detention, morning reads, open thread, PLUB Pro-Life-Until-Birth, Political and Editorial Cartoons, racism, Real Life Horror, Refugees, refugees from Central and South America, the GOP, tRump crimes against humanity, U.S. Politics, Violence against women, white nationalists 71 Comments
Good Morning?
It is never a good morning with that asshole in office. That headline above could seriously be used for tRump…with all the crimes he has committed. That he is getting away with… it is infuriating. These last two days I had to stay away from the news. I could not subject myself to the horrors anymore.
Last night while I was looking up a few things to post for today, I was listening to my album of Omara Portuondo…this song was so emotional for me, it is talking about a breakup, but there is a line that seems so poignant with today's standard. The tRump standard.
How mournfully we watch
A love that ebbs away
Heartlessly a part of the soul
Is torn away
That part about "Heartlessly a part of the soul…Is torn away"… That is what tRump and Sessions and the rest of these assholes are doing. And let us not forget, on this Father's day, that so many of these "men" are "fathers" themselves.
Heartless and cruel. Calculated and precise. I don't give a fuck about Godwin's Law…these people, tRump, his top brass…"generals" or head accomplices and or advisors, administration and his devoted cult like followers, they are all Nazis.; in the purest sense of the word.
¿Qué te importa que te ame,
Si tú no me quieres ya?
El amor que ya ha pasado
No se debe recordar
Fui la ilusión de tu vida
Un día lejano ya,
Hoy represento al pasado,
No me puedo conformar.
Si las cosas que uno quiere
Se pudieran alcanzar,
Tú me quisieras lo mismo
Que veinte años atrás.
Con qué tristeza miramos
Un amor que se nos va
Es un pedazo del alma
Que se arranca sin piedad
What does my love mean to you
If you no longer love me?
We should not dwell
On love that is past
I was your life's desire
One day long ago
Now I'm history
I can't face the change
If only we could make
Our dreams come true
If only you would love me
As you did twenty years ago
How mournfully we watch
A love that ebbs away
Heartlessly a part of the soul
Is torn awayWritten by:
Felipe Valdes Leal
I only have a series of Tweets and Instagram links for you today. I cannot manage any comments. My head is to overwhelmed with disgust.
The bottom line:
And while all this shit is going on…it isn't just little brown children tRump and the GOP despise:
A few other tweets to take a look at:
Back to the crimes against humanity:
View this post on Instagram
To commemorate World Refugee Day, we'll be sharing stories of women displaced by conflict and war in the communities where Women for Women International works. Today we celebrate the courage and resilience of Rose, an internally-displaced woman who is rebuilding her life against all odds. Read her story on our blog. Link in bio. #With Refugees #SheInspiresMe #WomensRights #Feminist
View this post on Instagram
"With everything that is happening, it's a great reminder that there is no excuse for separating children from their parents. Not biblical, not legal, not moral. The only reasons are hate, xenophobia and white supremacy."—@vamos_juntos_ #Resist #ChingaLaMigra #DismantleICE (🎨@lazy.beam)
Updates on bills put forth in Congress to stop the atrocious tRump policy of stealing children from their parents:
I believe the first GOP congress critter is speaking out on the "FamiliesBelongTogether issue…
Happy Father's Day:
This is an open thread.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
National Performance Network > Job Announcements > Skirball Center in Los Angeles Seeks Production Manager
Skirball Center in Los Angeles Seeks Production Manager
The Skirball Cultural Center seeks an experienced, detail-oriented, conscientious Production Manager. This position is accountable for the professional presentation of a wide variety of programs and events, including concerts, films, lectures, performances, conferences, meetings, and social gatherings. The Production Manager reports to the Vice President and Director of Programs. This position is full time with benefits.
The Production Manager coordinates with Skirball departments and outside contractors on the production of public events and supervises activities during the actual performance. In cooperation with the Programs and Hospitality/Private Events departments as well as porters, AV, security, facilities, and catering staff, the Production Manager will:
Typically, these skills and knowledge are the result of a degree in film, theater, media, event production, or related discipline and/or several years of increasingly responsible professional and supervisory experience in similar production jobs.
The incumbent must be able to perform this job safely, with reasonable accommodation if necessary, without endangering the health or safety of him/herself or others.
Please send resume and cover letter describing your skills and interests by mail, fax, or e-mail to:
Human Resources
Re: Production Manager
Skirball Cultural Center
2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA. 90049


text:
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On-demand, at-home beauty is quite a new concept, but we've been working away at it for a few years now. We've worked hard to create a platform that connects skilled beauty therapists and busy customers successfully, and can't wait for you to try out LeSalon! We now have over 100 highly-skilled beauty therapists travelling to homes around London. We're now the fastest-growing beauty app in the UK. Our co-founders, Jean-Michel and Natasha, started LeSalon for two key reasons: to empower beauty therapists to take control of their lives and careers, and to make life easier for Londoners by providing busy Londoners with high-quality beauty treatments delivered to their homes. All told, we wouldn't blame you if you're thinking about joining the LeSalon phenomenon. In fact, we are wholeheartedly welcoming you aboard! Let's make the world more colourful together!
There's so much more to LeSalon than at-home manicure treatments. We even offer corporate beauty treatments, sending our Salonettes to your office for a day of manicures, lashes, waxing and more - it's something both office managers and employees look forward to! If you're wondering what at-home waxing is like or how a pedicure is done at home, take a look at our help page. All of our home beauty treatments are performed to a 5-star standard. Through years of experience in every aspect of our business, we've built the perfect service for all your beauty needs.
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LeSalon in Drayton Green exceeds expectations, every time.
Immaculate manicure! Thanks
Would've liked a wider colour selection (generally reds, pinks and nudes) but otherwise a lovely experience thank you 😊
What a lovely experience !
Arrived on time, very pleasant and good quality of work.
Very good! Friendly and professional
Thank you as always for a perfect manicure!!
Themelina was brilliant as always. Really relaxing treatment and my nails look gorgeous.
Clean, polished work! Marjorie was fast and very pleasant! Probably the best mani-pedi I've ever had in a long time! Would definitely want to do this every month! 💯💯💯


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Organ and tissue donation occurs after a person has died. Transplantable organs and tissue can be donated to help the lives of individuals in need. Anatomical gift means a donation of all or part of a human body, after death, for the purpose of transplantation, therapy, research and/ or education.
Donation is important because thousands of people die or suffer needlessly each year due to a lack of organ and tissue donors. A transplant is often the only hope. A single donor can save the lives of up to eight (8) people for organ donation and enhance the lives of at least 50 others through tissue donation.
In the case of tissue donation, for which most deceased persons can be potential donors, the local tissue recovery organization receives a referral from a hospital, medical examiner or funeral home notifying them that an individual has reached cardiac death. An initial determination of donor eligibility is made based on basic criteria and available information (i.e., age, cause of death, immediate evidence of infection, etc.). Donated tissues such as skin, bone, tendons, veins and heart valves can dramatically improve the quality of life for recipients, and even save lives.
If it is determined that the deceased individual is a candidate for donation, the state donor registry is searched and one or more persons who know the potential donor (i.e. historians and/or next of kin) are contacted for a medical and social history. If the potential donor is not found on the registry, his or her legally authorized representative (usually a spouse, relative or close friend) is offered the opportunity to authorize the donation, also known as the legal next of kin.
Vital organs and tissues can be donated for transplantation. Organ donation is an option for people who have been declared legally dead by brain death criteria. Tissue donation is an option for people who have reached cardiac death.
Organs must be recovered as soon as possible after death is legally declared. This is always done in a hospital setting with a transplant team. Organs – heart, kidneys, pancreas, lungs, liver, and small intestine. Organ transplants are life-saving.
Tissue – cornea, skin, bone, heart valves, blood vessels, and tendons. Tissue donation such as skin for burn victims or eye donations for sight-restoring cornea transplants give people a chance to lead full, productive lives. Unlike organs, tissue can be processed and stored for an extended period of time for use in burn cases, ligament repair, bone replacement, etc., such procedures as in dental, orthopedic, reconstruction and vascular. Tissue donation must be initiated within 24 hours of death.
Bone Marrow – a living donation
Each year, lifesaving and life-enhancing tissue are provided by approximately 30,000 tissue donors.
One tissue donor can enhance the lives of more than 50 people.
More than 1 million tissue transplants are done each year and the surgical need for tissue has been steadily rising.
For more information on donation and tissue donation, click on the links below.
Donation Facts
Compassion for Life


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The nation's hitherto vibrant capital market is almost in limbo judging by the absence of fresh Initial Public Offers (IPOs) with most companies and investors staying away from the capital market. Bukola Aroloye in this report examines the issues
Nigeria's capital market once the bread basket for firms hungry for long term funds, have since gone into terminal coma. With recession fever shaking the confidence of private investors in long term commitments, the capital market has since become a shallow ghost of its former self; Initial Public Offers (IPO's) and Private Placements that were once choice of the market as recently as 2009, have suddenly become lamentably scarce!
IPO now a scarce commodity
Only Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc and Transcorp Hotels Plc made Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) last year. While Seplat's, which was a global IPO, was 100 per cent successful, that of Transcorp Hotels Plc recorded 50 per cent subscription.
The capital market has been incapable of providing the needed funds required to fortify the equity standings of several listed companies in the clutches of debt overhangs. (
Debt to equity ratios have risen sharply in the last two years as investors pull money out of the financial system, making IPO doubtful.
Analysts believe that the overall weak macroeconomic scenario, the sustained negative market sentiments in the year, coupled with other factors such as falling oil prices, and the tension in the socio-political space, have not encouraged successful primary market activities.
Meanwhile a shareholder Ade Oluyemo said these re-occurring trends are now raising questions on the health status of our primary markets as regards to IPO, since the exchange is yet to record a single IPO; over the last six months in 2017.
Another shareholder said Abiodun Adewale since 2013 to date, majority of the markets across the world have expressed optimism about the revival of the IPO/PO markets driven by expectations on the back of performances recorded in 2012.
In Nigeria, there seems to be a lull and lack of action in this area. For instance, the firms that signified interest in coming to the market last year have suddenly developed a cold feet – prominent of which include MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria Promasidor Nigeria, among others.
The dearth of IPO has however, made the stock market take the middle road –choosing to deploy the rights-issue option with at least 14 quoted companies deploying this vehicle between 2010 and 2012.
The questions that thus come to mind is: is it matter or question of liquidity. Further, could it be a question of listed companies not wanting a further dilution of ownership or a reinforcement of ownership ahead of changes or threats from market making activities?
While analysts continue to ponder on the driving factors, we understand that some firms have continued to gauge the market pulse, taking their time to approach market to raise capital based on their valuation considerations of share offer price.
Some other planned IPOs were placed on hold due to the prevailing negative market sentiments, driven by growing uncertainties on the back of falling oil price and other macro-economic challenges.
There have been growing agitations for multinationals in the telecoms, oil and gas to list on the nation's bourse by way of public offer for purchase by interested members of the investing public.
Experts have argued that compelling big corporations in niche sectors of the Nigerian economy, especially those in telecommunications , oil and gas to list on the exchange will significantly raise the capitalisation of the stock market which is currently estimated at slightly above N9 trillion.
There is no gainsaying the fact that the listings of these giants would ultimately shore up the liquidity of Nigerian capital market, which will in turn restore the much-needed investors' confidence.
Nonetheless, sectorial analysis of the market shows that the telecommunication sector is under-represented. MTN, if listed would become the first major national telecom company shares to be traded on the NSE.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) Oscar Onyema at the 5th Standard Bank West Africa Investors' Conference held in Lagos in 2014 assured stakeholders that the equity market would witness increased number of IPOs from prospective companies.
But that optimism has not been actualised in spite of efforts made by the NSE since 2012 to roll out initiatives that will compel companies, especially multinational firms to list on the Exchange.
The NSE had provided a legislation that covers incentives, unbundling of stringent eligibility requirements that create high barriers for potential entrants and hinder participation by willing businesses as well as adopted options that promote foreign investment in the economy.
Hitherto several companies have been beneficiaries of a strong capital market with the restructuring of their capital base creating local giants such as the Dangote Group. Equally many banks have been able to take advantage of a lively market to recapitalise and enhance their stability and liquidity. This has paid off in spades over the last decade. In fact, the banking sector has been one of the greatest beneficiaries of the capital market in recent years.
The 2005/2006 banking consolidation exercise in which financial institutions were compelled by the CBN to raise their shareholders' funds to N25billion, reflecting how banks took advantage of a vibrant long term market for capital to improve their fortunes and perhaps guarantee survival.
Besides the duo, no other IPO has taken place since 2008. In fact, only Right Issues (sale of shares to existing shareholders in proportion to their current shareholdings) have recorded successes in the market since then. The successes have been hinged on the fact that existing shareholders, in the main, represent 'captive' buyers of new shares. For quite some time, Right issues have remained the only market game in town, especially for companies that could galvanise support from pre-existing shareholders.
A fresh start
Interestingly, about seven companies listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) have approached regulators and have got their shareholders' nod to raise N191 billion before the end of the year, 2017, while four firms have successfully floated about N7.2 billion from January to June 2017.
Companies floating right issues
Money raised by way of rights issue floated in the first half of 2017 include: UACN Property Development Company, UPDC Plc N5.2 billion, Portland Cement Plc N1.02 billion, Livestock Feeds N750 million, and Meyer Plc N218 million.
Besides, the seven companies that have gotten shareholders' approval to raise about N191.3 billion this year include: Guinness Nigeria Plc N39.7 billion, Forte Oil N20.0 billion, UACN Plc N15.4 billion, Union Bank Plc N50 billon, Unilever Nigeria Plc N63.0 billion, and May & Baker Nigeria Plc N3.0 billion.
This year alone the stock market has lost-5.22 per cent of its value year- to- date.
Not even the banking sector which is not only the dominant sector but also the most actively traded could back stop the weekly tumbles.
The development has worried several investors who seem to be looking for clarity amidst rampant uncertainty. Particularly worrisome was the fact that the market had developed niggling volatility that reversed hopes that prevailed when it seemed that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration was going push growth oriented policies.
A bevy of stocks have also been reeling from their unprecedented heights to lower levels. Whereas, many investors are optimistic that the downward bound market would reverse the losses that have been recorded, subtle fears are now palpable that this may be an encore of the experience of 2009.
The market became the toast of the Nigerian business community, with traders, civil servants, farmers and even students making equity investments.
Many analysts noted that the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) became a beehive of activities with both investors and speculators scrambling to make a kill. Some individual stocks recorded over 100% appreciation while others edged up by 50% and above.
But the story has since changed. The market continued in the red disposition and is plunging further by the day
Unfortunately, the government economic vision has not really offered hope to the citizenry. Whereas the government is still struggling to implement its promises for an expansionary economic focus for 2017 given the budget, there is still fear as she has not been able to borrow funds to fund its budget. As the nation struggles to get out of the present quagmire, many industry observers have expressed doubt given the current shrinking revenues.
A bleak future awaits the market for obvious reasons. The massive decline in the value of the Naira which trades officially at N315 a dollar and N390 at the parallel market has made investment difficult. Though the Naira seems to be appreciating now from about N350 (Officially) to N315 and N520 (Parallel Market) to N390 per dollar, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) still believes the Naira is overvalued by 20 per cent
Interest rates are still very high and unfriendly at the giddy height of 30 per cent and this will continue to keep the value of stocks down and low.
Foreign investors have remained on the edge and are not as comfortable to invest much in Nigeria given the weakness of the Naira which will have reduced the value of their expected dividends and capital gains as most of them are reportedly divesting while others are waiting on the wings.
Some international agencies had also announced the deep risk in investing in Nigeria to the foreign investors as many of them may be considering moving their investments to other more viable investment destination.
Government's revenue has shrunk badly given the sharp fall in the price of crude which plunged from $114 per barrel on June last year to hover between $45 and $50 currently.
Experts blame the overall weak macro-economic outlook; the sustained negative market sentiments, and the falling oil prices as responsible.
Analysts suspect that any public offering or Rights issue packaged at this moment would fail. This is because investors are already weary and have little or no money to spare for investment.
Fear of failure in initial public offers has compelled banks to look elsewhere for terribly needed money; banks have shifted attention to other sectors to source capital for their operations.
Stakeholders' reaction
Mr. Ambrose Omordion of Invest Data Limited had been quoted as saying that the complete absence of initial public offers (IPO), and public offers in the equities market can be attributed it to the depressed nature of the economy and the low level of confidence among the investing public.
According to him rights issue and public offers cannot thrive in an environment where the secondary market (trading on the floor of the exchange) is not vibrant, explaining that several reasons entice companies to list on the exchange.
"I' m not optimistic at all. The economy is not favourable to the capital market so how will anybody contemplate doing a public offering or initial public offering now. The capital market is in more trouble than we can imagine", a former managing director of one of the big banks who declined being named in print, said.
Also commenting on the issue, Managing Director, Crane Securities limited, Mr Mike Ezeh, said that there is apathy toward the capital market.
''To raise money from the public now is difficult. There is negative impression about the market which has been worsened by the weak economy that is deep in recession. Even existing shareholders are not easily wooed to take up their rights. They think about it thoroughly before doing that,'' he said adding that Guinness Nigeria which is doing a right issue now can be finding easy.
Tunde Ariwajoye, head analyst for investment house, Orient Asset & Trust , points to the fact that the local new issues market has slipped into oblivion, 'companies simply are not interested in improving their debt to equity ratios by raising funds from the capital market anymore for two simple reasons; first the market is currently 'soft', meaning that equity prices are pretty disappointing, and second, and perhaps of greater concern, not coming to the market is a whole lot better and honourable than having to face the tragedy and embarrassment of a failed offer.'
According to Ariwajoye, 'A relevant local adage says that if you cannot make my condition any better, kindly do not make it worse!"
Also Sola Oni CEO, SOFUNIX Investment and Communication said that renewed decision by some quoted companies to do Rights Issue as an instrument of capital injection is a measure of investor confidence in the economy and the market. Rights issue presupposes that the shareholders are pleased with the company's performance and have confidence in its ability to generate future earnings.
Hitherto, deployment of either Rights Issue or Initial Public Offering (IPO) was literally kept at bay due to economic recession that impacted negatively on corporate earnings. However, the on-going relative stability in the operating environment is a beacon of hope.
The attractions of rights issue are that the prices are discounted as a way of compensating the shareholders. A shareholder may take his Rights fully or partially. He may elect to simply trade the rights, a form of derivative to generate cash.
The re-emergence of Rights Issue signals the impending arrival of Its IPO in the nearest future. It's all about investors' perception of the economy in the short, medium and long run.
SEC view
The spokesman, for Securities and Exchange Commission, (SEC), Mr. Naif Abdulsalam said the apex regular of the capital market is not unaware that some of the companies that have obtained approval from SEC to raise funds have not been able to do so.
Abdulsalam explained that raising money from the capital market was purely a business decision regarding the disposition of the firm involved.
He added that most of them may be looking at the disposition of the market to make a decision on the best time to ask the public for funds
Johnson Chukwu, MD/CEO of Cowry Asset Management Limited said that the reason for the absence of IPO in the Nigerian equities market is principally due to the weak market conditions in the past few years.
For the past three years the Nigerian equities market has been reporting negative performance in market index and capitalisation. With a consistently bearish market, investors would be reluctant to subscribe to new Offers since their expectation is that such investment would lose value upon listing. Secondly existing shareholders would not approve public offers of their company shares if they consider the market values not to reflect the intrinsic worth of their companies. Even in the event that such companies need additional capital, directors would prefer the bond market or right issues to avoid dilution of existing shareholders or selling the company at give away price to new investors. In effect, you can only have an active primary equities market if you have a vibrant secondary market. This explains why the Nigerian investment market has witnessed minimal activities in the primary market and the few offers have been limited to rights issues.


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Study design
Design: Single-centre, open-label, two parallel-arm phase 3 randomised comparative study.1
Allocation: All consecutive eligible patients were randomly allocated to receive either rituximab or tacrolimus along with alternate-day prednisolone over a 12-month period.
Blinding: Blinding was not undertaken.
Study question
Setting: Patients were recruited from a single centre in Sealdah, Kolkata, India.
Patients: All patients aged 3–16 years with steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome (SDNS) attending the study centre with estimated glomerular filtration rate >80 mL/min/1.73 m2. The participants were in remission with no proteinuria and no previous exposure to a corticosteroid sparing agent, and a secondary form of nephrotic syndrome and active infection had been excluded. All participants had a kidney biopsy 3 months prior to enrolment.
Intervention: Following randomisation, children received either oral tacrolimus for 12 months or a course of rituximab infusions:
Tacrolimus: 0.2 mg/kg/day (target trough levels of 5–7 ng/mL).
Rituximab: Two to …
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