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GC - "Sony has spent a lot of money on God of War: Ascension. How much? $50 million apparently."
As much as I loved God of War: Ascension, it seemed like God of War III had a bigger budget. Especially considering that GoW3 had to be built from the ground up for PS3 and they were able to use it's resources when creating Ascension
god of war 3's budget was 44 million.
Yeah but I think Sony did a bigger budget with Ascension.
But after all those commercials and marketing campaign's it only managed to hit 360K. But then again, the game is still selling.
It's funny how quick some people can be to use vgchartz's numbers when it's convenient for them.
So that means that it has already made $59 x 1 000 000 = $59 000 000
Keep in mind that it's not the actual figure after all expenses etc. but it's on it's way to profit. That's good imo. As long as it breaks even i'm happy, it means they didn't loose any money on the franchise.
Yeah but they're more reliable than the random '360k' that AngelicIceDiamond came up with. Maybe they're talking a specific region or something? Claims on VGCharts are that it's being undertracked as well.
That's not really how it works. It's not the full RRP of the game going to the publisher. You have to take cuts for the retailer, then divvy things up to developer, manufacturer, etc.
Sony would be making around $20-$30 off (being generous - I believe normal 3rd party publishing is $12 per copy - Sony doing it 1st Party means they'll obviously take a bigger cut) each copy sold at full retail price right now.
Thats leaving out what gamestop take from those $59.99, i dont think GoW:A was profitable.
You are absolutely right, that's why i said "Keep in mind that it's not the actual figure after all expenses etc." The etc, refers to all the cuts from publisher to various studios.
I know Santa Monica Studios hasn't made $59 million but the game itself has. They've probably made 30 percent of that, which is roughly $20 million.
The 360k number is focused on NA and Ascension's first month only. (By a source to have actual reputation)
And why should anyone care about claims by random internet users of it being under-tracked?
Oh! Oh! Can I play financial analyst? Can I?
Also - GOW:Ascention was great.
Anyway, the takeaway lesson is GOW Asc did not sell as much as predicted, and it had a big budget. The other GOW (Gears of War) didn't fare too well either. Is there fatigue?
SO... can they recover the money for this game, afaik, Aecension isn't selling amazing...
Don't forgot money coming from DLCs, PS Passes and indirectly: from selling toys, royalties from strategy guides,shops exclusivity in DLCs/ collector's editions and finally PS3 systems sold...
Everyone probably demanded more money for the next game, that shoots the cost of development through the roof. Once you resign onto the next contract there's usually a raise if your last game sold by the truck full. Plus the team was probably way larger this time with more networking programmers and testers since this is the first online game in the GoW series.
Marketing with that superbowl commercial wasn't cheap either lol
"Anyway, the takeaway lesson is GOW Asc did not sell as much as predicted, and it had a big budget. The other GOW (Gears of War) didn't fare too well either. Is there fatigue?"
They've been out a month, give or take. See how it goes after 6 months or a year.
i think switching directors effected the game and not to mention leaving things out that could have made the story better i think the family death scene would have been impacting, the epic moments also slowed down they never matched the start of the game.
with that said i think god of war needs a break i mean there's only so much you can add to kratos story
While that would have added to the story i don't think that would have helped. The best prequels have always explored a character we don't know much about, we knew alot of kratos past already and you really can't top fighting gods like in 3. It was fighting against its own series in alot of ways.
I believe each console game had a different director not sure about the psp versions
Kratos: God of the Arena
PS4 exclusive fighting game....believe!
They registered "Kratos" so who knows what spawns from that, it could be something or it could be nothing.
Bought all 4 HD remakes couple days ago, brilliant games to be honest.
Wow!! That much?? I apologise for calling it a quick cash grab in that case.
What a waste Sony could have used that money to get Ps3 owners some timed GTA5 exclusive content.
/Sarcasm. SARCASM please don't de-bubble me i'm joking >_< lol
Ascension sure as hell didn't feel like a $50 million game. God of War Ascension felt so, pointless to me at the end. Sure it was a prequel but I felt I could've been a-ok, had I totally skipped this game.
The multiplayer is there for those who care I guess but multiplayer was never was brought me interest in the series, it's the story.
Who directed this game? I know about 4 directors for the God of War series which IMO, is already too many directors and directions. Jaffe did it the best. Barlog was nice with GoW2. Stig was alright with GoW3. And even Ru Weerasuriya for Chains of Olympus.
Too many changes in lead.
Ascension also had multiplayer so that really added to the costs. It's essentially 2 games in one.
That most likely included a pretty sizable marketing budget.
Without question. Not only was that live action commercial anything but cheap, they aired it during the superbowl (various sources claim a 30 second ad was roughly 3.5 million for the 2012 SB, so this is at least 2%+ of the overall budget.).
Thats true for the televised superbowl but they only aired the commercial for ppl watching online much cheaper than on television
Yeah, the commercial only aired for those watching the Superbowl by streaming on the net. The commercial did not air during the televised Superbowl.
The commercial did not air on TV, it aired online, hence it was cheaper than a 3.5 mil T.V airing.
@ Everyone who replied (minus chobit)
While you're right that it never aired on the TV, I only listed the TV price because it was the only data I could find and you would see that despite that, I only mentioned it being a million dollars.
2% of 50,000,000 is 1,000,000... really basic math.
I REALLY enjoy Ascensions MP.
Then chances are, we've killed each other at least once :b GODdamn addictive!!
Still haven't played it yet. Waiting for it to be around 25$ before I buy it.
im still for more info on the tlou demo before i buy this...
I wonder if they can recoup their investment. Seems pretty risky to make high budget games now, considering the current state of active buyers.
They have already sold over a million copies im sure Sony is going to be fine with that
No the problem is a high budget game needs to be a GOOD game, relative to everythign else. Good on it's own? Yes. If you've played the 5 games before it? Not gonna sell $50M.
"If you've played the 5 games before it? Not gonna sell $50M."
That's not even logical. It's at 1 million after a month, see what it does in another 6 or a year.
I don't get why people see a number and assume that's it. That is all it will ever sell. It is so short-sighted.
I felt that God of War:Ghost of Sparta was better done than Ascension. Good game and great combat but nothing like God of War 3.
Hard to understand....
Plastation's #1 franchise coming in this late into this gen with around 80 million ps3 owners out there and made with a 50 million dollar budget.....
.... And it only sells around 1 million? Wtf
"Plastation's #1 franchise"
GOW still sold horribly. 1 million copies are you serious?
Why do PS3 owners not buy their exclusives? It makes no sense.
Look at Microsoft and Nintendo exclusives, they always sell well, much more than PS3 exclusives.
"Look at Microsoft and Nintendo exclusives, they always sell well, much more than PS3 exclusives."
Like Gears of War: Judgement?
Guess that must have done horrible because it's sold crap after one month.
@jcn...I do buy sony exclusives. Infamous, uncharted and little big planet. Bought each installment for each series. at the end of the day god of war is a hack n slash. I'm not gonna drop 60 bucks on a hack n slash no matter how pretty it is.
Gran Turismo is PlayStation's number 1 franchise. Also, iirc, Uncharted is bigger than God of War as well.
"And it only sells around 1 million? Wtf"
ffs. It's been one month!
1 million is not the final number. God, you people can't be this stupid.
It amazes me how once this powerhouse of a franchise sank just like that. How in the world did this happen?
This is one of the dangers of having a continuing game going for long. It becomes over-saturated after a long period of time. Will Batman Arkham Origins fall victim as well?
Highly doubtful, but we said the same thing about Kratos.
One game hasn't sold well...GOW3 sold over 5.2 million. I wouldn't exactly say the franchise has sank.
It sunk because the game was uninteresting compared to GoW III. The single player was not even remotely as sasisfying as brutally murdering all the gods.
Because, if you use logic, you can see it happened before GoW1, and killing a god then would ruin god of war 1 and the feels it gave you.
It was more focused on the story, and I liked that. Still a million is not "sinking", nor is God of War a continuous game. Name any other mainstream game that releases games 3 years apart?
TBH 1 million for a marquee series is not very good.
I blame sony for their over focus on the multiplayer part when advertising. People probably didn't realize that this is a fully fledged GoW-Game, not just some spin off.
Possibly. Or maybe it was that the PS4 was announced and people are just holding off.
It's exactly as I predicted, PS4 announcement has practically assassinated sales expectations for all PS3 games. Expect similar to worse sales for TLoU and Beyond...
I personally think it's more because of franchise fatigue.
exacly god of war had a good run but people now want something else.
Yup. I bought GOW3 but not GOW:A. I might buy it cheaper but I just am not that interested in yet another GOW title. Same with Uncharted 3 and Resistance 3 tbh. I bought those two when they GAVE them to me for 15€ each and they are still wrapped in plastic in my backlog. I loose interest pretty quick if it's more of the same. This is however just my opinion about this.
edit @ people calling salesdoom.
This GOW will sell well. I find it laughable for people to claim this game will flop in sales or something. It might not hit 5mil like GOW3 did but it will go up to 3.5-4 million for sure. Haven't we seen this already people..?
Yewles is probably correct, or at least halfway correct. The PS4 announcement probably has hurt PS3 sales of both games and hardware). To be honest it probably hurt 360 sales of games and hardware also. I personally had my money ready to buy another PS3 and GOW:Ascension, but when they announce the PS4 I promptly put my money back in my pocket and waited for more guidance.
I'm still waiting for more guidance (emphasis on the word "still"). The PS3 still costs $249US - $299US, depending on which one you buy. There is no way in hell I am paying that with a PS4 releasing this year. But without knowing what Sony will do I can't tell what the best way to spend my money is. Sony needs to tell us a price and a date for the PS4 and they need to go ahead with the PS3 price cut.
Game makers should realize that gamers only have so much money.
Nah the game didn't sell because it sucked.
It had nothing to do with the PS4 announcement.
This is true. Now that I am more careful on what games I buy with the next gem, the reviews and a couple friends who had it said it was different.... Harder, shallow etc. that discouraged me from buying the games. Ima highly anticipating the last of us
Disagree. I'm still enjoying it, the multiplayer is fun as hell. It's well executed (even if not balanced perfectly) and much more importantly, something fresh.
So you are telling me 80 million ps3 owners are waiting for a ps4 to buy a game?
Does this price tag not worry any of you guys as gamers?
$50 Million is a crap load of cheddar to be spending on a videogame. I can see the argument that systems are so complex now that it takes that many more people to complete a project but it just means that a) prices are going to need to go up to offset these costs or b) perhaps titles that are actually really good but fail to make profit expectations may not see sequels or further support.
Dude, next gen consoles will be easier to develop for,supposedly, and developers like epic will be leasing out there engines that are easier to develop games with meaning that making games should use less time and money.
AAA Games aren't gonna be cheaper to make and market next gen.
In fact, since you mentioned Epic....Tim Sweeney said it would cost double.
What most certainly I can assure you of, is AAA game development and marketing costs is not gonna get cheaper....that's a guarantee.
""For God of War: Ascension a mid double-digit million amount was invested," lead producer Whitney Wade said. (Via rough translation)"
This is what everything in this "article" is based on? Yea how about waiting for an actual number rather than a convoluted statement from a probably badly translated website.
I'll buy it when it hits $30
I've got it for 40 and it's worth it. Get it while there are enough people playing it online, without the MP I'd say you miss 60% of the fun.


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subset: commoncrawl


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0x90 necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 219 diseños de 24 diseñadores freelance.
Reflare is a young start-up in the IT area. Currently we offer security consulting and iPhone development services (quirky, but it keeps the customer base broad). We are all in our 20s yet very good at what we do. Incorporation was the next step up after years of freelance and consulting work.
I know that 150$ isn't what some of you guys deserve for your designs. In the past (working at bigger companies) I have overseen a few contests here and was always amazed by the results. I wish I could offer better compensation, but even this stretches our budget at the moment.
Let me make you an offer:
I guarantee 100% feedback. As quick as I can humanly give it.
Also, the contest will be guaranteed as soon as 99Designs allows it and at least one submission reaches 5 stars.
I will do all I can to make this contest as fun and exciting for participating designers as possible.
Help us get a logo for our company - use your creativity to give it a face.
We are targeting companies of all sizes. Most customers are acquired through direct contact at conferences/events or word of mouth. Thus we need a logo that conveys trustworthiness as well as being memorable.
In the end, executives will make the decisions whether to contract us or buy one of our products. Thus the logo should not be too geeky or technical.
It's up to you. Set your creativity free!
You can use the company name as part of the logo, make it the logo itself, add a symbol to the name, integrate the name into a symbol... whatever you think is cool. Also, the capitalization of "Reflare" is optional. "reflare", "reFlare" or any other combination can be used.
The only requirements we have are:
- It must look good on light and dark backgrounds (separate versions for light and dark backgrounds are also ok)
- We need the final logo as a PSD
Apart from that, go crazy. You will have the feedback you need to experiment.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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Dr. Valentin Gapontsev earned a doctorate at the Moscow Institute of Physics & Technology and started what became IPG Photonics at age 52 in 1990. The company manufacturers fiber lasers that can cut, weld, mark and braze metals and other materials. While the company started in Russia, the market there was frozen, but he was able to get clients in Italy, Germany, and the U.S., ultimately locating his headquarters in Oxford.
Mr. Gapontsev and his family trust own 47.6 percent of IPG — holdings worth $1.4 billion on Nov. 23 — up 34 percent since IPG's 2006 initial public offering.
But the Worcester resident is 73 years old, and it's unclear who will take over from him when he is gone. Why did he move the company to Oxford? Should you invest in its shares?
Peter Cohan of Marlboro heads a management consulting and venture capital firm, teaches business strategy, and is the author of 11 books – most recently, "Hungry Start-up Strategy: Creating New Ventures with Limited Resources and Unlimited Vision." His column runs Sundays and Wednesdays on telegram.com. His email address is firstname.lastname@example.com.
Mr. Gapontsev has overcome some big challenges in his career. He has been able to convince doubters around the world by building products that deliver better value to customers.
As he told the Boston Globe, when he started, many doubted him. "Great scientists said, 'You are crazy; it is not possible.' Now everybody thinks it is so simple, so easy; in the beginning nobody was even thinking in that direction."
And IPG also overcame a near death experience when the dot-com bubble burst. That's because it got 86 percent of its revenues from telecom companies that supplied builders of fiber optic networks during the 1990s to handle the rapid growth in Internet traffic. Those money-losing network builders had been kept alive by borrowing, $3 trillion in total, and the bursting of the dot-com bubble meant that they stopped buying from IPG.
To IPG's credit, Mr. Gapontsev decided to bet the company on lowering its costs by vertically integrating. To understand vertical integration, it helps to think of an industry as a chain of different companies, from the most basic raw materials to the end-user. For IPG Photonics, this meant making its own electronic components, such as power diodes and optical fiber connectors, rather than buying them from distributors. This allowed IPG Photonics to reduce its costs by as much as 90 percent, giving it the option of lowering its prices or holding on to more profit.
Moreover, Mr. Gapontsev also decided to spread out the company's sources of revenue. That is, IPG was no longer so dependent on selling its products to just one industry. It began making lasers for manufacturing, cutting and welding in automobile and aircraft factories and shipyards. By 2008 telecom accounted for a mere 7 percent of revenue. IPG also sells lasers for plastic surgery. That is not a guarantee against a drop in revenue, but it does provide some comfort to IPG shareholders, compared to the risks that IPG faced when its 1990s bet on telecommunications companies blew up.
Now IPG is the market leader in an industry that is growing at 10 percent a year. The company has a 75 percent market share in the $600 million laser fiber market, according to Olga Levinzon, an analyst with Barclays Capital. And in a conference in Manhattan in early 2012, IPG Chief Financial Officer Timothy Mammen said that he expected the company to grow at a 25 percent compound annual growth rate through 2015.
The reason IPG's lasers are so popular it that they use optical fibers to generate their intense light; competing products use crystals or gases. That matters to companies that buy IPG's products because welders can control fiber lasers more precisely than competing lasers, while "still delivering enough power to weld car bodies or slice through steel plates," according to the Globe. Not only that, but fiber lasers are as much as 30 times more efficient than competing technologies, according to IPG's financial filings.
Mr. Gapontsev – he did not respond to a request for an interview I left on his office voice mail system – appears to have moved his headquarters to Oxford partially because of a great tax deal. IPG Photonics got a 10 percent tax credit from Massachusetts and a 76 percent discount on its Oxford property tax. In exchange, IPG Photonics has created more than 600 jobs, more than double the 250 local jobs it promised by 2019 in its 1999 20-year Tax Increment Financing agreement. IPG Photonics also says it has paid $645,000 in local taxes and spent $1.4 million on local businesses, according to WBJournal.com.
Mr. Gapontsev ought to be thinking about succession planning, given his age. And according to IPG's financial statements, that job is being done by its independent directors. But are the growth prospects for IPG so strong that its stock would be a good investment, despite the risk that Mr. Gapontsev's successors may not be as skilled?
One way to address that question is to examine IPG's price-earnings to growth ratio. If the PEG is less than 1, I think a stock is a bargain. If it trades above 1, the stock is less than attractively priced.
With a PEG of 1.63, IPG is over-valued on a price-earnings ratio of 21 and earnings per share forecast to grow at 12.9 percent to $3.24 by 2013. However, it is worth considering that in its most recent quarter, IPG grew faster than expected. Its "revenues increased 21 percent and net income was up 29 percent from the prior year," as Mr. Gaponstev explained in an Oct. 31 conference call with investors.
Mr. Gapontsev wrote in SPIE Professional that his father taught him to be strong in the face of adversity. And in managing IPG he has certainly demonstrated his ability to do that. If his successors have that same trait, investors in IPG will continue to do well and should consider whether to buy shares during market downturns.
Peter Cohan of Marlboro heads a management consulting and venture capital firm, teaches business strategy, and is the author of 11 books – most recently, "Hungry Start-up Strategy: Creating New Ventures with Limited Resources and Unlimited Vision." His column runs Sundays and Wednesdays on telegram.com. His email address is firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Learning Disability??
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Learning Disability??
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In my day nickels had pictures of bumble bees
Learning Disability??
January 01, 2005, 08:57:43 PM »
Just curious how many applicants out there and their experiences? I am not sure if this is the right place to post either...
I have about 90 pages that certify that I am 'special' but I didn't get the dx until late in high school b/c I was the only kid they ever had in AP sciences but remedial math....anyway, I am 26 now and was always able to compensate for my disabilty but college bit me in ass (b/c stubborn me really thought I didn't need to tell my school about it) but I still managed great grades (for my school at least) after one bad semester ( my undergrad advisor put me in advanced science classes that I was the only frosh in...such a great plan) and my lsast score is really bad. The lsat bastards shot down my request for accommodations b/c my documentation stressed the math issue (it was there to juxtapose it with my success in sciences etc...) Anyway, I want to hear what 'special' folks like us do....I wrote an addendum about my experience but I don't think lsat scores should be my barrier to a T-2 law school. I was always a strong student (minus a few bad ideas in college...yeah 8 am calc...) Ok...Thanks!
Re: Learning Disability??
Reply #1 on:
January 17, 2005, 01:46:03 PM »
Hey...I'm an LD kid, too. My experiences are different from yours, however. I was a preemie baby (only 2 pounds) and was supposed to have cerebal palsy and be subject to blindness. Thank goodness, since I went through therapies since birth..I am "normal." The only obstacle I face is LD. I have a processing disability which makes the LSAT nearly impossible (the lsat is a processing test). My documentation goes back until birth, so I had an easier time getting accomodations, but quite frankly, this was not enough. Personally and having lived with LD for my entire life, I do not think that the LSAT is indicative of my capabilities ( or anyone else that has LD)...and that is what I wrote my addendum on. If you have a strong GPA, this will probably help your case (especially if you have a processing disability). I'm applying with a 150 LSAT, and sadly, that score was a result of 5 months of studying..but it was what I had to do. SO far I havent heard from any schools, but I'm hoping they see past my score and realize that I can make it through law school. I'll let you know how it goes. Let me know how it goes for you, too.
Re: Learning Disability??
Reply #2 on:
January 17, 2005, 02:00:13 PM »
P.S. all the best of luck to you
also put a positive spin on your addendum, prove to them that you can do it, since you have learned how to work with your disability.
Re: Learning Disability??
Reply #3 on:
January 17, 2005, 02:26:32 PM »
I am LD too. However, I was not formally tested until sophmore year of college. Mine is a visual processing problem. My grades in high school were all A's and B's, then freshman and sophmore year in college I was averaging around a 2.0. After testing, and pursuant to work with an educational therapist, my average GPA for my final two years rose to a 3.8. My overall GPA was only a 2.8 which definitely is going to hurt me in the application process. I was able to do fairly well on the LSAT and scored a 166. I just made sure to include references to my LD in my personal statement and/or in my transcript addendum. Best of luck.
In my day nickels had pictures of bumble bees
Re: Learning Disability??
Reply #4 on:
January 17, 2005, 02:50:39 PM »
I am so glad to hear these stories, I was getting so discouraged. I wish I could get a 166. I have many processing disabilities and super duper ADHD which I finally decided to get treatment for last year (which makes my life alot easier) I wrote an addenda explaining I can exceed my lsat score and my college transcripct demonstrates this. Its just been such a fight with lsac and I don't need untimed but a few extra min. wouldn't hurt either. I am hoping a good p.s and my addenda will overcome my numeric status. I also sent in all my documentation to show that I did study for six months but my score does not reflect that. Anyway, keep the stories coming and hopefully soon I will have good news to share here :-)
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Law School Discussion
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On The Road Through Nothingness
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Anglican bishops decry the 'new creed' of extreme capitalism
A trillion for the Iraq War, almost as much to rescue Wall Street, but basic health care for all is too expensive? Why aren't Christian leaders in the U.S. saying as much? In England it's a different story: "[T]he Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, warned in a magazine article that modern devotion to the free market is a form of idolatry and that Karl Marx was morally right in his analysis of the power of 'unbridled capitalism.' He believes that Marx's economic theories, as implemented by authoritarian state regimes, have proved equally wrong and harmful to unfettered market ideology, but that the protest against a greed-driven system is one that should be taken seriously." READ MORE >
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Big Brain Theory: Have Cosmologists Lost Theirs?
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Pat Robertson Endorses Giuliani for President
Pat Robertson puts the "War on Terror" and Christian nationalism ahead of the Gospel and traditional values, and confirms liberal claims that the Christian Right is interested in power, not piety. READ MORE >
Human Therapeutic Cloning at a Standstill
What's Behind Steroids? A Culture of Fear
"We must openly address not only the drug issues plaguing the sports we love, but the culture of fear that shakes our society... We're scared of failure, aging, vulnerability, leaving too soon, being passed up — and in the quest to conquer these fears, we are inspired by those who do whatever it takes to rise above and beat these odds. We call it 'drive' or 'ambition,' but when doing 'whatever it takes' leads us down the wrong road, it can erode our humanity. The game ends up playing us..." READ MORE >
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Learn the nutrition secrets of the planet's oldest people with these 12 simple steps to a longer, healthier life.
The islands of Okinawa, a lush archipelago southwest of the main island of Japan, are home to the largest and healthiest population of centenarians on earth. They suffer significantly fewer heart attacks and 80 percent fewer incidences of breast cancer and prostate cancer, and have lower rates of diabetes and less than half of the ovarian and colon cancer cases that we do. Their secret? A nutrient-dense diet and stress-proof lifestyle.
Before you pack your bags and say sayonara to your on-the-go American fast-lane life, consider this: "It's the little tweaks to your everyday routines that can make the biggest difference in your lifelong wellness," says Peter Martin, PhD, director of the gerontology program at Iowa State University in Ames. Think of today as the first day of the rest of your long, healthy life. Get started with these 12 simple steps.
Okinawan centenarians tend to stay lean throughout their lives by eating fewer calories than they burn off during the day. But retaining a healthy body mass index (BMI) is just one piece of the longevity puzzle; maintaining a stable weight is every bit as important.
Research has linked yo-yo dieting to elevated risks of hypertension, endometrial cancer, and a preponderance of body fat in the upper body, a risk factor for heart disease. If you're a yo-yo dieter, take a long, hard look at your approach to weight loss. If your BMI is over 25, by all means take steps to reduce it by exercising more and eating less, but choose activities and foods you can live with for the long haul. "The most effective way to restrict your calorie intake is to gradually reduce the portion sizes of foods you already eat," says Lisa Young, RD, PhD, author of The Portion Teller (Doubleday, 2005).
Okinawan elders are surprisingly fit. Many of the physical activities they engage in -- gardening, practicing traditional dance and tai chi, or simply walking to a friend's house -- give them more energy and contribute to their sense of community. The regimen sticks because it's woven into their lives. Okinawans also tend to get their daily exercise in the evenings, which can help relieve the day's tension and prime the body for rest.
Unlike Okinawans, Americans tend to focus more on getting through a meal than on enjoying it, according to Bradley Willcox, MD, one of the authors of The Okinawa Diet Plan (Clarkson Potter, 2004) and coprincipal investigator of the Okinawan Centenarian Study. "Americans look for convenience in the foods they eat, while Okinawans look for meaning," explains Dr. Willcox.
Sitting down to enjoy a meal with friends and family can help you take the focus off food as a source of emotional gratification. "If you can train yourself to enjoy mealtimes as a social activity that involves interaction with people you care about, you will eat more slowly and will likely make more thoughtful food selections," agrees Young. But it's not just the sitting down to eat that's important, it's also the preparation of the food. "Taking the time to prepare a meal can give it meaning," explains Young.
Thanks to the globalization of food resources, it's quite possible to buy tomatoes in December and winter squash in July. In water-locked Okinawa, however, people traditionally eat more locally grown foods, and that means constantly changing their dietary intake. As a result, their food choices are fresher, riper, and more flavorful. "That constant change-up of nutrients may explain their resistance to chronic illness," says Dr. Willcox.
In America, the best way to eat more seasonally is to shop at your local farmer's market or join a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program. CSAs are local groups that allow you to buy a "share" in a local farm. In return, you'll get a weekly shipment of the farm's freshest offerings.
How many times have you put your fork down and thought, "Whew, I'm stuffed!" Well, you'd never hear that in Okinawa. But you would hear the saying hara hachi bu, which translates literally into: "80 percent full." "Hara hachi bu is sort of an insurance plan against feeling deprived," says Dr. Willcox. "It takes about 20 minutes for the body to signal the brain that there's no need for more food. Hara hachi bu gives the brain a chance to catch up."
To help her clients home in on when it's time to stop eating, Young advises using a hunger-rating system. At various times during a meal, rate your hunger on a scale from 1 to 5 (1 is famished and 5 is stuffed). "Just stopping eating to think about how you feel decreases the odds that you'll charge past the comfort zone of 3," she says.
Okinawans may eat fewer calories, but they also eat more food. Confused? The foods that are paramount in the Okinawan diet are less calorically dense, explains Young. "They have more nutrients, greater bulk, and fewer calories per gram." Vegetables are the least calorically dense foods you can eat. Fruits are runners-up, then whole grains. After that come lean proteins like skinless white-meat chicken, pork tenderloin, extra-lean beef, and seafood, then fatty proteins like dark-meat chicken with the skin on and fattier cuts of beef and pork. The most calorically dense foods include fats, oils, and sugars. If this sounds like a new food pyramid, it is. To lower the caloric density of your diet to more closely match the Okinawan diet, you need to eat fewer fats, oils, sugars, and fatty protein sources while you increase your intake of vegetables, fruits, whole grain and lean proteins, says Dr. Willcox. Vegetables and fish make up the bulk of the Okinawan diet.
Besides helping you feel fuller on fewer calories, eating a diet rich in vegetables and fruits and low in saturated fat from animal proteins has been shown to significantly cut your risk of chronic disease. Consuming 25 grams of whole grains daily may help reduce your risk of coronary heart disease by 15 percent. These foods are loaded with antioxidants, which help reduce the cellular damage caused by free radicals.
A large part of the Okinawan diet is made up of antioxidant-rich proteins like soy. Another major protein is seafood, which provides omega-3 fatty acids. These fats are superstars when it comes to protecting against heart disease, depression, and Alzheimer's, because they reduce arterial inflammation. "Each type of protein consumed by the Okinawans offers an additional benefit. Soy offers phytochemicals; legumes, which include soybeans and lentils, provide fiber and antioxidants; seafood supplies healthy fats. These beneficial by-products help them live longer and with fewer diseases. They simply get more bang for their protein buck than we do," says Young.
Instead of your usual beef burger, slip a salmon patty or veggie burger on a whole-wheat bun once in a while. Order the shrimp chow mein instead of the pork. Find a whole soy food you enjoy and include it in your diet at least once or twice a week. (Our pick: steamed edamame pods sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.)
A 2002 study published in the journal Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences revealed that Okinawan elders suffer very few sleep problems compared with Japanese living in urban areas. Okinawans tended to go to bed earlier, leading researchers to conclude that staying up late and then waking too early could be hazardous to physical and mental health.
Occasionally burning the midnight oil isn't going to cut your life short, but you might consider what you could be giving up. Studies show that lack of sleep can lead to overeating, reduced cognitive function, and even depression. Developing a nightly wind-down may help you get into bed earlier and relax faster. Turn off the television and treat yourself to a relaxing bedtime ritual that allows you to focus on drifting into dreamland. If daytime worries keep your mind racing, try meditation, write in a journal or read a book. Okinawans also take short naps throughout the day. How much sleep you need is personal, but if you're struggling to wake each morning, rest assured: You need more.
Okinawan elders often refer to themselves as being gujah, or having a strong-willed character. "Centenarians tend to be very dominant, to want to have their way," explains Leonard W. Poon, director of the Institute of Gerontology at the University of Georgia in Athens. Having a strong will means doing everything in your power to achieve what you want. To do that, you must hold yourself accountable for your own success and failure. In other words, whatever your goal, whether it's to lose weight or love your job or raise productive, accomplished, sensitive children, go after that goal with the full knowledge that you (and no one else) are responsible for reaching it. Such determination will help you succeed.
Healthy centenarians the world over are usually very socially involved, says Poon. "They go to church and senior centers more often. Although they sometimes live independently, it's within a strong community." Ironically, many centenarians outlive their children, so neighbors, friends and other acquaintances become extremely important.
Despite being gujah, older Okinawans are also highly adaptable, which gives them resilience when things don't happen to go their way. "Challenges and setbacks can keep you cognitively aware and mentally strong," says Poon. "They exercise your mind. But when you encounter a setback, resilience is your most important friend." If you do suffer a defeat, focus less on what caused you to stumble and ask yourself what you can learn from the experience. Then use that knowledge to try again.
Spirituality also plays a major role in Okinawa, and may explain why centenarians are better than most at letting go of daily problems. "Religion and faith in general are often what keeps many centenarians feeling balanced and protected from life's troubles," says Martin. If you don't subscribe to a particular faith, seek out other group activities with like-minded people -- a membership in a local theater club or lecture series, for instance.
Originally published in Fitness magazine, April 2006.


text: Latest News Trump lashes out at Obama's decision to condemn Israel at UN Security Council President-elect Trump says, "This puts Israel in a very poor negotiating position" Published 2 years ago on December 24, 2016 By Alex Christoforou 770 Views Share Tweet A day before the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanded that Israel stop settlements in Palestinian territory, made possible by the US refusing to use its UN Security Council veto power, president-elect Trump warned outgoing president Obama to veto the resolution. This is what the president-elect said in a statement Thursday… "As the United States has long maintained, peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians will only come through direct negotiations between the parties, and not through the imposition of terms by the United Nations." "This puts Israel in a very poor negotiating position and is extremely unfair to all Israelis." After the UNSC vote, and the passing of the landmark resolution, Trump tweeted this veiled warning to the United Nations on Friday… "As to the U.N., things will be different after Jan. 20th." As to the U.N., things will be different after Jan. 20th. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2016 Via Zerohedge… Following today's surprising decision by the US' Samantha Power to abstain in a UN vote over Israel settlements, one which provoked Israel to lash out at the Obama administration "friends don't act that way", but more importantly defied Trump who in a previous tweet urged Obama to veto the resolution, it was only a question of how long before Trump tweets his response. The time was less than an hour, because just minutes after the vote, the president-elect slammed the current administration's decision, while ominously warning the UN that it would be "different" under his presidency. Liked it? Take a second to support The Duran on Patreon! Related Topics:Donald TrumpUNIsraelSecurity CouncilPalestine Up Next Transparency and statesmanship in action. Vladimir Putin holds a public Q&A event that Obama never did in 8 years Don't Miss Germany Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble says he feels "no compassion" for Greek PM Alexis Tsipras Advertisement You may like Watch: Democrat Chuck Schumer shows his East Coast elitism on live TV Trump nominates ex-TV host Nauert with limited political experience to be next UN envoy No Jail Time For Flynn; Mueller Says Former Trump Official Provided "Substantial" Assistance Click to comment Leave a Reply This comment form is under antispam protection This comment form is under antispam protection Subscribe Notify of new follow-up comments new replies to my comments Latest Second Canadian Citizen Disappears In China According to the he Globe and Mail, the man was identified as Michael Spavor, a Canadian whose company Peaktu Cultural Exchange brings tourists and hockey players into North Korea. Published 5 hours ago on December 13, 2018 By Tyler Durden Via Zerohedge… For a trade war that was supposed to be between the US and China, Canada has found itself increasingly in the middle of the crossfire. And so after the arrest of a former Canadian diplomat in Beijing in retaliation for the detention of the Huawei CFO in Vancouver, Canada said a second person has been questioned by Chinese authorities, further heightening tensions between the two countries. The second person reached out to the Canadian government after being questioned by Chinese officials, Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said, at which point Canada lost contact with him. His whereabouts are currently unknown and Global Affairs Canada said they are in contact with his family. "We haven't been able to make contact with him since he let us know about this," Freeland told reporters Wednesday in Ottawa. "We are working very hard to ascertain his whereabouts and we have also raised this case with Chinese authorities." According to the he Globe and Mail, the man was identified as Michael Spavor, a Canadian whose company Peaktu Cultural Exchange brings tourists and hockey players into North Korea. He gained fame for helping arrange a visit to Pyongyang by former NBA player Dennis Rodman, and he met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on that trip, the newspaper reported. Attempts to reach Spavor on his contact number either in China, or North Korean went straight to voicemail. Spavor's personal Facebook page contains several images of him with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un including one of him with both Jong-un and former Dennis Rodman at an undisclosed location. Michael P. Spavor, right, pictured here with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, second from right, and Dennis Rodman. Another image shows the two sharing a drink on a boat. The unexplained disappearance takes place after China's spy agency detained former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig in Beijing on Monday, who was on leave from the foreign service. The arrest came nine days after Canada arrested Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou at the request of U.S. DOJ. While Canada has asked to see the former envoy after it was informed by fax of his arrest, Canada is unaware of Kovrig current whereabouts or the charges he faces. "Michael did not engage in illegal activities nor did he do anything that endangered Chinese national security," Rob Malley, chief executive officer of the ICG, said in a written statement. "He was doing what all Crisis Group analysts do: undertaking objective and impartial research." One possibility is that Kovrig may have been caught up in recent rule changes in China that affect non-governmental organizations, according to Bloomberg. The ICG wasn't authorized to do work in China, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang said during a regular press briefing in Beijing Wednesday. "We welcome foreign travelers. But if they engage in activities that clearly violate Chinese laws and regulations, then it is totally another story," he said, adding he had no information on Kovrig specifically. As Bloomberg further notes, foreign non-governmental organizations are now required to register with the Chinese authorities under a 2017 law that subjects them to stringent reporting requirements. Under the law, organizations without a representative office in China must have a government sponsor and a local cooperative partner before conducting activities. ICG said this is the first time they've heard such an accusation from the Chinese authorities in a decade of working with the country. The company closed its Beijing operations in December 2016 because of the new Chinese law, according to a statement. Kovrig was working out of the Hong Kong office. Meanwhile, realizing that it is increasingly bearing the brunt of China's retaliatory anger, Trudeau's government distanced itself from Meng's case, saying it can't interfere with the courts, but is closely involved in advocating on Kovrig's behalf. So far Canada has declined to speculate on whether there was a connection between the Kovrig and Meng cases, with neither Freeland nor Canadian Trade Minister Jim Carr saying Wednesday that there is any indication the cases are related. Then again, it is rather obvious they are. Indeed, Guy Saint-Jacques, who served as ambassador to China from 2012 to 2016 and worked with Kovrig, says the link is clear. "There's no coincidence with China." "In this case, they couldn't grab a Canadian diplomat because this would have created a major diplomatic incident," he said. "Going after him I think was their way to send a message to the Canadian government and to put pressure." Even though Meng was granted bail late Tuesday, that did not placate China, whose foreign ministry spokesman said that "The Canadian side should correct its mistakes and release Ms. Meng Wanzhou immediately." The tension, according to Bloomberg, may force Canadian companies to reconsider travel to China, and executives traveling to the Asian country will need to exercise extra caution, said Andy Chan, managing partner at Miller Thomson LLP in Vaughan, Ontario. "Canadian business needs to look at and balance the reasons for the travel'' between the business case and the "current political environment,'' Chan said by email. Chinese officials subject business travelers to extra screening and in some case reject them from entering, he said. Earlier in the day, SCMP reported that Chinese high-tech researchers were told "not to travel to the US unless it's essential." And so, with Meng unlikely to be released from Canada any time soon, expect even more "Chinese (non) coincidences", until eventually China does detain someone that the US does care about. Liked it? Take a second to support The Duran on Patreon! Continue Reading Latest Multipolar World Order in the Making: Qatar Dumps OPEC Russia and Qatar's global strategy also brings together and includes partners like Turkey. Published 5 hours ago on December 13, 2018 By Federico Pieraccini Authored by Federico Pieraccini via The Strategic Culture Foundation: The decision by Qatar to abandon OPEC threatens to redefine the global energy market, especially in light of Saudi Arabia's growing difficulties and the growing influence of the Russian Federation in the OPEC+ mechanism. In a surprising statement, Qatari energy minister Saad al-Kaabi warned OPEC on Monday December 3 that his country had sent all the necessary documentation to start the country's withdrawal from the oil organization in January 2019. Al-Kaabi stressed that the decision had nothing to do with recent conflicts with Riyadh but was rather a strategic choice by Doha to focus on the production of LNG, which Qatar, together with the Russian Federation, is one of the largest global exporters of. Despite an annual oil extraction rate of only 1.8% of the total of OPEC countries (about 600,000 barrels a day), Qatar is one of the founding members of the organization and has always had a strong political influence on the governance of the organization. In a global context where international relations are entering a multipolar phase, things like cooperation and development become fundamental; so it should not surprise that Doha has decide to abandon OPEC. OPEC is one of the few unipolar organizations that no longer has a meaningful purpose in 2018, given the new realities governing international relations and the importance of the Russian Federation in the oil market. Besides that, Saudi Arabia requires the organization to maintain a high level of oil production due to pressure coming from Washington to achieve a very low cost per barrel of oil. The US energy strategy targets Iranian and Russian revenue from oil exports, but it also aims to give the US a speedy economic boost. Trump often talks about the price of oil falling as his personal victory. The US imports about 10 million barrels of oil a day, which is why Trump wrongly believes that a decrease in the cost per barrel could favor a boost to the US economy. The economic reality shows a strong correlation between the price of oil and the financial growth of a country, with low prices of crude oil often synonymous of a slowing down in the economy. It must be remembered that to keep oil prices low, OPEC countries are required to maintain a high rate of production, doubling the damage to themselves. Firstly, they take less income than expected and, secondly, they deplete their oil reserves to favor the strategy imposed by Saudi Arabia on OPEC to please the White House. It is clearly a strategy that for a country like Qatar (and perhaps Venezuela and Iran in the near future) makes little sense, given the diplomatic and commercial rupture with Riyadh stemming from tensions between the Gulf countries. In contrast, the OPEC+ organization, which also includes other countries like the Russian Federation, Mexico and Kazakhstan, seems to now to determine oil and its cost per barrel. At the moment, OPEC and Russia have agreed to cut production by 1.2 million barrels per day, contradicting Trump's desire for high oil output. With this last choice Qatar sends a clear signal to the region and to traditional allies, moving to the side of OPEC+ and bringing its interests closer in line with those of the Russian Federation and its all-encompassing oil and gas strategy, two sectors in which Qatar and Russia dominate market share. In addition, Russia and Qatar's global strategy also brings together and includes partners like Turkey (a future energy hub connecting east and west as well as north and south) and Venezuela. In this sense, the meeting between Maduro and Erdogan seems to be a prelude to further reorganization of OPEC and its members. The declining leadership role of Saudi Arabia in the oil and financial market goes hand in hand with the increase of power that countries like Qatar and Russia in the energy sectors are enjoying. The realignment of energy and finance signals the evident decline of the Israel-US-Saudi Arabia partnership. Not a day goes by without corruption scandals in Israel, accusations against the Saudis over Khashoggi or Yemen, and Trump's unsuccessful strategies in the commercial, financial or energy arenas. The path this doomed trio is taking will only procure less influence and power, isolating them more and more from their opponents and even historical allies. Moscow, Beijing and New Delhi, the Eurasian powerhouses, seem to have every intention, as seen at the trilateral summit in Buenos Aires, of developing the ideal multipolar frameworks to avoid continued US dominance of the oil market through shale revenues or submissive allies as Saudi Arabia, even though the latest spike in production is a clear signal from Riyadh to the USA. In this sense, Qatar's decision to abandon OPEC and start a complex and historical discussion with Moscow on LNG in the format of an enlarged OPEC marks the definitive decline of Saudi Arabia as a global energy power, to be replaced by Moscow and Doha as the main players in the energy market. Qatar's decision is, officially speaking, unconnected to the feud triggered by Saudi Arabia against the small emirate. However, it is evident that a host of factors has led to this historic decision. The unsuccessful military campaign in Yemen has weakened Saudi Arabia on all fronts, especially militarily and economically. The self-inflicted fall in the price of oil is rapidly consuming Saudi currency reserves, now at a new low of less than 500 billion dollars. Events related to Mohammad bin Salman (MBS) have de-legitimized the role of Riyadh in the world as a reliable diplomatic interlocutor. The internal and external repression by the Kingdom has provoked NGOs and governments like Canada's to issue public rebukes that have done little to help MBS's precarious position. In Syria, the victory of Damascus and her allies has consolidated the role of Moscow in the region, increased Iranian influence, and brought Turkey and Qatar to the multipolar side, with Tehran and Moscow now the main players in the Middle East. In terms of military dominance, there has been a clear regional shift from Washington to Moscow; and from an energy perspective, Doha and Moscow are turning out to be the winners, with Riyadh once again on the losing side. As long as the Saudi royal family continues to please Donald Trump, who is prone to catering to Israeli interests in the region, the situation of the Kingdom will only get worse. The latest agreement on oil production between Moscow and Riyad signals that someone in the Saudi royal family has probably figured this out. Countries like Turkey, India, China, Russia and Iran understand the advantages of belonging to a multipolar world, thereby providing a collective geopolitical ballast that is mutually beneficial. The energy alignment between Qatar and the Russian Federation seems to support this general direction, a sort of G2 of LNG gas that will only strengthen the position of Moscow on the global chessboard, while guaranteeing a formidable military umbrella for Doha in case of a further worsening of relations between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Liked it? Take a second to support The Duran on Patreon! Continue Reading Latest Truth and Free Speech Are Being Taken Away From Us A population that does not respect and defend free speech, debate, and truth will not long have the liberty that results from free speech, debate, and truth. Published 5 hours ago on December 13, 2018 By Paul Craig Roberts Authored by Paul Craig Roberts: Dear Readers: This is my quarterly request for your support. Many supporters are now monthly donors. This call is a reminder to those who respond to the quarterly requests and to the many who are yet to respond. In keeping with a decision made by the regular donors, those of limited means are exempt from the request. Free speech and the ability to speak truth are being shut down. It is happening with the complicity of the print and TV media, the liberal/progressive/left, the US Department of Justice (sic), the law schools and bar associations, Congress, and the federal judiciary. The attack on Julian Assange is the arrow aimed at the heart of the ability to publish the truth. If a journalist can be indicted for espionage for publishing leaked documents that a corrupt government has classified in order to conceal its crimes, the First Amendment is dead. Moreover, as the claim is that government was harmed by Wikileaks publishing the truth, Assange's secret indictment sets the precedent that truth is harmful to government. This precedent will be extended to include the publication of any information or opinion, classified or not, that the government regards as harmful. The media then officially becomes what it mainly already is in effect—a Ministry of Propaganda for the government and those who control it. As a person who has held high security clearances, I can say with confidence that no more than one percent of classified information falls in the realm of national security. Most classification is simply to prevent the people and Congress from knowing what is going on. Classification allows the various components of government to put the spin where they want it. "National security" has always been an excuse accepted by patriots for the government to conceal its wrong doings and hidden agendas. Give thought to the alleged harm done by Wikileaks publishing the information leaked by Bradley Manning and the Clinton emails that were downloaded onto a thumb drive and not hacked as security experts have proved. Give thought to the documents proving the warrantless and thereby illegal spying by the NSA that Edward Snowden revealed. How was government hurt by the information? Government should have been hurt, but it was not. The presstitutes did not take up the issue. No one in government was punished for the war crimes, lies, and illegal and unconstitutional acts that the publication of the leaked documents revealed. None of Washington's vassal governments renounced its vassalage on the basis of the information that revealed they were spied on and deceived. Washington's vassal governments already knew that Washington lies and deceives them. The Chancellor of Germany simply accepted that Washington listens to her private telephone calls. Vassals simply accept indignities as a consequence of their vassalage. The only people punished were those who revealed the truth—Manning, Snowden, and Assange. Washington imprisoned Manning and seeks to imprison Assange for damage that Washington did not suffer. As a country loses its liberty, legal scholars who formerly would have protected liberty turn against it in order to curry favor with power. Recently, I read a specious legal argument that the First Amendment did not really protect Ellsberg and the New York Times when the Pentagon Papers were published, but that no president wanted to be the first one to break the tradition of extending such protection. The author claims that Assange is not protected by the First Amendment even though he is a journalist. The author of the article did not realize that his argument means that journalists have squatters' rights in First Amendment protection. For the Justice Department to bring a case against Assange means overturning a right that is ensconced in common law as well as in the Constitution. Washington has shown that it is not interested in any rights but its own to do what it wants. The George W. Bush regime overturned the Constitutional protection of habeas corpus when the regime declared that it could detain citizens indefinitely in prison without presentation of evidence to a court. The Obama regime destroyed due process and the Constitutional right to life when the regime declared that it could assassinate citizens on suspicion alone. Both regimes ignored statutory and Constitutional prohibitions on torture and only punished those who revealed the torture. If Bush and Obama had the right to torture, what was the point of prosecuting those who revealed that torture happened? As the truth revealed by Wikileaks has had no adverse consequence for Washington, what is the point of Washington's assault on Assange? In part it is revenge on an individual brazen enough to stand up to Washington, and in part it is to criminalize the telling of truth that is critical of the government. Once there was a time when the media would have been up in arms in defense of Assange and press freedom. That was before the media was illegally concentrated in a few hands by the Clinton regime and before the media became concentrated ideologically. The media hates Donald Trump and thereby hates Assange for publishing the Hillary emails that the media believes cost Hillary the election. The media is much more intent on helping the Deep State deep-six Assange than the media is in defending its First Amendment protections. The liberal/progressive/left sees it the same way. The politics of the liberal/progressive/left is Identity Politics, and Identity Politics hates white fly-over America that elected Trump. This is why the media and the liberal/progressive/left are helping the military/security complex tie Assange to Trump, Putin, and "Russiagate." The Guardian newspaper has destroyed what little credibility it still had by publishing obviously false information concocted to connect Assange to "Russiagate." See: https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2018/11/30/the-guardian-is-a-professional-liar-not-a-newspaper/and http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/50715.htm The military/security complex planted on its media assets the fiction that Assange fled to the Ecuadorian Embassy to escape prosecution for rape.The presstitutes consistently repeat the lie, as Harriet Alexander in the UK Telegraph does, that "Mr Assange fled to the embassy to avoid charges of rape, sexual molestation and coercion. All charges were dropped by May 2017" (http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/50716.htm ). There were never any such charges filed against Assange. Assange took asylum in the embassy, because it was clear that he was going to be extradited to Washington where he would get a show trial as a spy. It is not possible that Harriet Alexander and the editors at the Telegraph do not know this. Nevertheless, they repeat the lie, the purpose of which is to put Assange in a bad light that will aid his conviction on false charges. Washington knew that it could tell this lie about Assange raping women because Washington knew that #MeToo and other radical feminists believe that that is what men do, and that #MeToo would be delighted to have yet another celebrity provided for their denunciation. Washington also knew that its media whores hated Assange for having the integrity and courage that they do not have and that they would willingly stomp him to death with their hobnailed boots. The US Justice (sic) Department knows it has concocted a false case and intentionally kept it secret, but has no worry because insouciant Americans will believe its indictment regardless. The judiciary will permit the false case to be tried in a federal court because every judge wants to be elevated rather than criticized and even framed, and the jury will be too afraid to go against Assange's public conviction in the media to find him innocent. The jury's guilty verdict will murder the First Amendment, but the jury will be able to go home to their neighborhoods without being ostracized. It is not only the government that is attacking free speech. Free speech is under full scale attack by everyone who claims to be "offended," by the invention of "hate speech" to control what can be said about "victim groups," by the Israel Lobby that is having laws passed that prohibit the boycotting of Israel for its mistreatment of Palestinians and by equating criticism of the Israeli government with anti-semitism. ( See, for example, https://www.globalresearch.ca/the-film-the-israel-lobby-does-not-want-you-to-see/5661958 ). Twitter, Facebook, and Google are all active in deciding what can and cannot be said. (See, for example,https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2018/11/30/stating-the-fact-that-men-are-not-women-gets-feminist-banned-from-twitter/ ). Public forums are denied to people who are disapproved of by other people. A population that does not respect and defend free speech, debate, and truth will not long have the liberty that results from free speech, debate, and truth. This website respects truth, and it requires your support. Liked it? 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[BREAKING] Double Homicide in East Texas Under Investigation
Van Zandt County authorities are on the scene of a double homicide near Edom on County Rd. 4812.
Van Zandt County Sheriff Pat Burnett said the bodies of a man and a woman were discovered inside a home at that location, after deputies received a call from a family member.
The cause of the couple's death is not known at this time and the Texas Rangers are assisting deputies in their investigation.
Sheriff Burnett said, "We are in the early stages of the investigation" and hope to have more information later today."


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May 19, 2009 | 384 Pages
"A stunning debut fantasy about love and the ties of blood."—Armchair Interviews
"Kasai's debut is a boldly adventurous tale depicting a richly detailed world. The aspect of Traders shifting gender brings Ursula K. LeGuin's The Left Hand of Darkness to mind, while the activities on Chen's island are more reminiscent of Laurell K. Hamilton's Meredith Gentry novels."—Booklist
"When Sorykah's twin babies are stolen, she leaves her job as engineer aboard an ice-drilling submarine in the frozen land of the Sigue to search for her children, for they, like her, are members of the gender-shifting Traders, a rare subspecies of humans that can shift from male to female and back again. Kasai's first novel creates a frozen world inhabited by permutations of humans and animals, from the eight-limbed octameroons to dog-faced humans and wolves who can become men. Despite the bleak images of a world too often tampered with, Sorykah and her alter ego, the male Soryk, demonstrate the strength and persistence of love and loyalty. Reminiscent of Ursula Le Guin's paradigm-shattering The Left Hand of Darkness, this piercingly moving story belongs in most fantasy collections."—Library Journal
"Ice Song is definitely a compelling read, largely due to the fact that Sorykah is such a well-developed character. She has an equally intense and complex sense of love and resentment for her children. And the fact that she exists between the world of humans and the mutants is also a source of conflict for her character…Ice Song is a near-perfect combination of fantasy, great storytelling and social commentary."—Philadelphia Gay News
"Told in a quiet, sometimes almost dreamlike style reminiscent of fairy tales (though at times disturbing ones), Ice Song will appeal to teens interested in questions of identity and difference."—School Libray Journal


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Scott honored for 30 years service
When Steve Scott graduated from Broken Bow High School in 1978, he knew exactly what he wanted to do. Thirty years later, he is still doing it. Last week, Broken Bow Police Chief Scott celebrated 30 years of service to the police department and to the community of Broken Bow. He says from the time he was a sophomore in high school he knew he wanted to be a police officer. "My dream back then was to be a patrolman," Scott remembers. He first came to Broken Bow in 1969, when he was adopted by the Scott family. Prior to that Scott says he got into his fair share of trouble, and had a habit of running away from his foster home in search of his mother. Broken Bow seemed to be a good move for Scott, providing him the love and support he was needing. He, in turn, has developed a sense of loyalty to the community which has been a key factor is his years of service here. After graduating from high school, Scott went to Chadron State College and earned an associate degree in criminal justice. When he returned to Broken Bow he was approached by then police chief, Bob Jaseck, who asked him to apply for the force. Scott did, and started his career Oct. 20, 1980. "I can remember my first day on the job and wondering what I was getting myself in to," Scott laughs. "After only about two hours on the job I went on my first coroner call. "A week later I was riding with the Field Training Officer (FTO) and we got called to a domestic disturbance. We pulled up and this guy comes running out of the house with a lady chasing him with a shotgun. I thought, 'wow - this is real!'" Scott says the department, and policing in general, has undergone some dramatic changes since he first joined the force. Some of the biggest changes come in the field of technology and communications. Computers and video equipment in the patrol cars have changed the way the job is done, and therefore the training has also made significant changes. "Even our service revolvers have changed," laughs Scott. He says when he first started the department had one portable radio and one flashlight that everyone shared. Only one patrol car had an AM radio in it, so Scott used to carry his portable cassette player with him so he could listen to music while out on patrol. "Now everybody has their own computer, radio and everything else," he says. There was one desk in the office that all the officers shared back then, and one typewriter they all used to type up their reports. Each officer had their own drawer in the one filing cabinet in the office. As for his aspirations of becoming a patrolman, Scott says he did try once or twice. But after a few years on the BBPD he formed a deep loyalty to the department and community and chose to stay. "I never even dreamed I would be here 30 years - no way!" Scott says when he first returned to the community where he grew up he did meet some challenges. There were a few times, he recalls, when he had to arrest someone he had gone to school with or knew well, and he says sometimes they would give him a hard time about it. But that didn't happen often, or for very long. "I have always tried to treat people the way I want to be treated. I know that is an old saying, but I believe in it," says Scott. "I have no regrets for my service to the city of Broken Bow and the protection of its citizens. I would like to continue serving here as long as I stay healthy, and as long as the people want me here." The Broken Bow Police Department currently has five officers plus Scott on the force. Some of them offered to share stories about their boss, but those will have to wait for another story. In the meantime, the citizens of Broken Bow can be confident in knowing our police chief is doing all he can to keep us safe.


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Flash: Berkeley Couple Victorious in Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled today that the sponsors of Proposition 8 had no standing, or legal authority, to appeal a trial court ruling that struck down the statewide ban on same-sex marriage.
The 5-4 ruling has the effect of reinstating a 2010 decision in which now-retired U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker of San Francisco ruled in favor of two couples who challenged the 2008 voter initiative in a federal civil rights lawsuit.
The two couples who challenged the measure in a federal lawsuit in 2009 at Kristin Perry and Sandra Stier of Berkeley and Paul Katami and Jeffrey Zarrillo of Burbank.
Walker said in that ruling that Proposition 8 violated the federal constitutional rights to equal treatment and due process.
Gov. Jerry Brown and state Attorney General Kamala Harris, who were the original defendants in the couples' lawsuit, had refused to appeal, and the high court said today the initiative's sponsors, as a private group, didn't have the right to step in to defend it.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion, "We have never before upheld the standing of a private party to defend the constitutionality of a state statute when state officials have chosen not to do so.
"We decline to do so for the first time here," Roberts wrote.
In another decision today, the court by a 5-4 vote struck down the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which had prohibited the U.S. government granting federal benefits and tax advantages to same-sex couples who were legally married in their state.
San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera has said that in the event the high court dismissed the Proposition 8 appeal for lack of standing, he expected same-sex weddings in California to resume when the decision becomes final in about a month.
But there could be further litigation about the scope of Walker's ruling.
Herrera and lawyers for the two couples say an injunction issued by Walker requires California officials to license and register same-sex marriages on a statewide basis.
The sponsors of Proposition 8 have said in court filings, however, that they think Walker's injunction would only apply to the two individual couples who challenged Proposition 8.
Herrera said today, "My office is prepared to litigate immediately against any effort to limit or delay the restoration of marriage equality for all Californians."
Herrera also said, "I'm grateful for a decision that finally ends marriage discrimination against gay and lesbian couples, and that strikes down a law that has no place in 21st century California."
However, Andy Pugno, a lawyer for Protect Marriage, the Proposition 8 sponsors' campaign committee, said the group will continue to try to enforce Proposition 8.
"While it is unfortunate that the Court's ruling does not directly resolve questions about the scope of the trial court's order against Prop 8, we will continue to defend Prop 8 and seek its enforcement until such time as there is a binding statewide order that renders Prop 8 unenforceable," Pugno said.
Proposition 8 amended the California Constitution to provide that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid in the state.
Today's Supreme Court ruling set aside a decision in which the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last year upheld the couples' right to marry, although on narrow grounds that would apply only to California.
Hundreds of people gathered inside San Francisco City Hall this morning in anticipation of today's rulings. The DOMA ruling was announced first, eliciting loud cheers.
When the Proposition 8 ruling was released, there was initial confusion about what it meant, but the confusion quickly turned to jubilation when it became clear that same-sex marriages will likely resume in California.
San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee addressed the crowd, calling today a "historic, historic day for all of us."
"It's been a long road ... but gosh, it feels good to have love triumph over ignorance," Lee said.
Lee and Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom walked down the steps under the City Hall Rotunda with Phyllis Lyon, one half of the first lesbian couple to wed in San Francisco when same-sex marriage was briefly legal in 2008. Her spouse, Del Martin, died later that year.
"What a day, a special day," said Newsom, who started it all by unexpectedly allowing same-sex weddings in the city shortly after he became mayor in 2004.
Newsom said it is the leadership of same-sex rights pioneers like Lyon and Martin that led to today's events.
"It's people like Phyllis and Del that stepped up and stepped in half a century ago to these debates ... They didn't wait for someone to tap them on the shoulder, they didn't wait to ask for permission," Newsom said.
He pointed out that the story is not yet finished.
"Like any journey it's not linear -- it's messy, it's complex. There are good days and bad days, but it's a worthy journey that we're on," Newsom said.


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Fujihiro Bench Chisels / Multiple Hollow, Red Oak Handle
Product Code: D-FJ-301T-MULTI
Reward Points: 0
Availability: In Stock
Item # D-FJ-301T-MULTI
Type of steel: White steel laminated to soft iron
Overall length: 8.6"
Handle length: 4.5"
Length of neck to blade edge: 4.1"
Handle wood: Red oak
Fujihiro brand chisels are hand forged by Chutaro Imai, a blacksmith who has been making chisels almost 50 years and is located in Sanjo City, Niigata prefecture. These bench chisels are forged with white steel laminated to soft iron. Hollow on the back of the blade is multiple. Any size between 12mm to 24mm are twin hollow, and any size above 30mm are triple hollow.
Mr. Imai can also special forge the sword steel chisels (mokume style) in any style of chisel. Contact Hida tool for quotes and estimate of time.
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