Ever heard of Amasa Stone Chapel? (Hint: Its right next to the Binary Walkway.) For those who dont know, Amasa Stone Chapel is named after Amasa Stone, an 1800s industrialist. He gained his fortune from a regional railroad empire right here in Ohio.

Why should you care? Because Amasa Stone was instrumental in bringing a university to Cleveland, something the city lacked in the 1870s.

Long story short, Stone helped provide the funding for Western Reserve College (WRC) to relocate from Hudson, Ohio to Cleveland, under three conditions. First, the college would become a university and the liberal arts college be named after his son Adelbert. Second, he would be able to name a majority of the trustees to the board of Western Reserve University. Third, he would oversee the construction of the universitys building.

WRCs trustees agreed to these stipulations, and, in 1881, Stone gave WRC $500,000 for its re-establishment as a university in Cleveland. Later, the federation of Western Reserve University and Case Institute of Technology would form Case Western Reserve University, a school you might be familiar with.

Stone had a big impact on this campus. But why did he want the liberal arts college of Western Reserve University to be named after his son Adelbert?

About 15 years prior to Stones gift to WRC, Adelbert, who attended the Sheffield Scientific School, was on a school geology trip to the Connecticut River. Several students decided to bathe in the river, including Stone. Unfortunately, Adelbert would never return. There is some confusion about what exactly happened, but on June 27, 1865, Adelbert Stone drowned in the Connecticut River and his body was not recovered until two days later, on June 29.

Sadly, Adelberts death wouldnt be the only tragedy to befall the Stone family. Shortly after the completion of the Adelbert College building, Stone would commit suicide. On May 11, 1883, Stone shot himself through the heart in the bathroom of his mansion on Euclid Avenue. Although no one can say for sure, there has been much speculation as to why Stone took his own life.

It was said that he had not been in good health for some time and rarely left his home in the weeks preceding his death. He also may have felt guilt over the Ashtabula Bridge disaster, a tragedy that claimed 92 lives and that he was largely considered responsible for. Additionally, it is thought that he never recovered from the death of Adelbert. It is also possible that he was worried about his business. His family would later memorialize Stone through building Amasa Stone Chapel.

So the Stone family was done with tragedy after Amasa Stones death, right? Wrong. On June 23, 1901, Stones 24-year-old grandson Adelbert Del Stone Hay fell to his death from an open window. According to reports, it was a hot night and Del, who fell asleep very easily, went to get some cool air by the window before going to bed. It is likely that he sat in the window and fell asleep.

The Stone family would escape tragedy for several years after Dels death, until Stones daughter Flora Stone Mathers death from breast cancer in 1909. She was responsible for helping fund the womens campus that existed until Western Reserve University became permanently co-ed.

Now whenever a student walks through campus they see traces of the Stone family. Though their deaths were tragic, the Stone family has achieved a sort of immortality with their names engraved on the buildings of the university they helped create.

See the rest here:
Untimely deaths in the Stone family - The Observer

Twelve years after haunting defeat against South Africa, England's Nick Easter says Saturday's showdown offers the class of 2019 a shot at 'immortality'.

TOKYO, 30 Oct - While England fans might see a Rugby World Cup final against South Africa as a chance to avenge perceived injustices of 12 years ago, for some nothing will erase the pain of Paris in 2007.

The Springboks emerged 15-6 victors at Stade de France that October night to lift the Webb Ellis Cup and to deny the English a record second successive title.

The TMO's decision to rule out a possible England try for a foot in touch has been the subject of debate among followers of both teams ever since. But the misery cuts even deeper for the players who had to hand over their world champions' crown.

"It is still a huge disappointment and something that I will take to my grave," recalls Nick Easter, pictured below, who played number eight opposite Danie Rossouw. "It is the biggest game you ever play in and we didnt quite get the job done.

"In the cold light of day I will say that South Africa were the better team in the tournament, but that doesnt really help when the final was so tight and but for a few silly penalties and a disallowed try it could have been ours and they could have made a movie about it."

The fact that England managed to reach the 2007 final could be seen as stuff of legend in itself.

When Brian Ashton's unfancied team met the Springboks in the pool stages, they were beaten 36-0. They regrouped to score against-the-odds victories over Australia and France in the knockouts before the final offered the chance to atone for their earlier humiliation.

The match was a tense affair dominated by the boot until a scintillating break by England centre Mathew Tait ended with winger Mark Cueto apparently touching down at full stretch in the left corner, pictured top.

Referee Alain Rolland referred the decision to TMO Stuart Dickinson, who deliberated at length before ruling that Rossouw's tackle had forced Cueto's foot into touch before the ball was down.

At the final whistle Jonny Wilkinson's two penalties were outweighed by four from Percy Montgomery and a final long-range effort by Frans Steyn. South Africa celebrated their second title, 12 years after the first, and England fans were left to stew.

Another 12 years on, Easter believes it is England who hold the upper hand.

This England team has the ability to be the best ever because that forward pack is the best in the world and each section is the best in the game," he said."Ultimately, that is what wins you World Cups and Eddie Jones said when he took over as head coach he would need four or five world-class players and they have got more than that in this team."

He is not expecting any sudden surprises from the Springboks and predicts they will stick to the risk-averse tactics that edged out Wales in the semi-finals.

He is well qualified to give his verdict on the South Africans as, following his 54-test career, he went into coaching and has been with the Sharks in Durban for the past 18 months.

"England have a much better all-court team and their Saracens spine knows how to win these big games," he said.

"In contrast, not many South African teams get to Super Rugby finals and while the two packs on Saturday may even each other out, it will come down to the half-backs and who manages the game better."

Easter's belief that England will lift the cup on Saturday is shared by Phil Vickery, his captain in the 2007 final, whose emotions about that defeat are more complex.

"The great thing about that final against South Africa is that you dont want to be remembered as a brave loser," he said. "I was actually feeling proud to hand it over to John Smit the Springbok captain.

"That probably sounds weird, but he was a fellow front-rower, a great guy and my thoughts were that if the cup has to go to anyone I can live with passing it to that guy who deserved it."

Easter is having none of it, and urges the class of 2019 to brook no compromise either.

"Of course you are proud to have got that far at a World Cup and we were the defending champions, but we needed to win it. This England team has the chance of rugby immortality and they have a damn good chance of doing it."

RNS cj/js/sw

View post:
'Misery of losing 2007 final will stay with me to the grave' - Rugby World Cup 2019

Happy bye week greetings, Sooner Nation. Its likely most of you are still stinging from last week like I am. You also know nothing makes a regular-season, upset loss for the Oklahoma Sooners worse than an excruciatingly long extra week through which to ruminate about the disappointing game that just passed.

Alas, here we are, Sooner friends and fam. A season that seemed on its way to possible immortality has lost a significant chunk of luster following the perplexing performance against K-State, as Oklahoma once entrenched in position for a third-consecutive trip to the College Football Playoff is now 7-1 and ranked 10th in the inaugural CFP rankings. There are so many things to unpack from last weeks loss, but this is neither the time nor place to rehash old wounds.

Nonetheless, the all-too-familiar, underperforming loss aside, seeing this edition of the Sooner offense, led by Jalen Hurts, sustain a comeback on the road and look every bit as poised to reel off a dominant finish to the season is reassuring. I honestly dont know if winning out the rest of the way could still lead to a CFP berth (with a host of teams that need to stumble along with the overall outlook for OUs strength of schedule), but this is college football, where crazy happens on the regular. All of the Sooners preseason goals are still attainable.

Its time to root for chaos, and chaos we shall have. Pretty familiar, right? Boomer.

Head on down to the comments section for the game thread, where well be asking questions, making predictions and discussing the days action with yall. We also have a college football TV schedule (with streaming links) down at the bottom of the post.

K-State deals first setback to Grinchs defense

A quick look at potential CFP scenarios

OUs CFP chances, the lack of carries for RBs, and more

ICYMI, heres the latest episode of Oklahoma Breakdown, where Jack and Kam discuss OUs loss to K-State, the programs big picture moving forward, talk about College Football Playoff scenarios, along with answering plenty of Twitter questions.

Also, be sure to check out this weeks edition of Blatant Homerism Podcast, where you can hear Allen and The Skinny make their picks for the biggest games from around the country on this wretched bye week.

College Football Week 10 Viewing Guide:

Continued here:
Oklahoma Football: Week 10 College Thread, Live Stream & TV Schedule - Crimson And Cream Machine

As if it didn't already have a mind-boggling array of disparate systems to wrap your poor-old space bonce around, Warframe is expanding in unlikely directions once more, this time with its Old Blood update on PC. Now, players can go toe-to-toe with their own personal nemesis, who'll relentlessly pursue them across the stars unless defeated.

The Old Blood is a pretty sizeable update all round, ushering in developer Digital Extremes' second wave of melee combat improvements (including an overhauled Combo System), the new Grendel Warframe, and reworks for two existing ones: Ember and Vauben. It's the Kuva Lich nemesis system, however, that makes for the most intriguing addition.

The Kuva Lich is a reworked version of Digital Extremes' previously teased Kingpin system, which was first discussed in a developer livestream all the way back in 2016 and which has evolved substantially since then. Inspired by Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor's Nemesis system, it presents players with a personal (and immortal) big bad that evolves over time.

Tenno who've reached The War Within or beyond will be able to kill a Kuva Larvling during any regular Level 20+ Grineer mission in the Origin System. This will bring an immortal Kuva Lich into the world, intent on exacting their revenge on their maker/murderer.

Crucially, a Kuva Lich can only be defeated by acquiring special Requiem Mods and then deploying the right set in the right order using the new Parazon tool. However, in order to learn the correct combination of Requiem Mods needed to eliminate their target, players will need to visit infected nodes on the map and kill Lich Thralls for clues. Then it's simply a matter of waiting for their nemesis to show up and putting those discoveries to good use.

Victory in battle gives players the option of either converting their Lich, whereupon it will have a chance to spawn alongside them during combat, or vanquishing it to end its immortality and gain its Kuva Weapon. There are seemingly a wide range of these Weapons to acquire, and each base weapon has custom stats unique to a each personal nemesis.

As Digital Extremes explains it, "This system is meant to be challenging. It's meant to be a threat. It's meant to posit a vengeful and immortal enemy against you until you can decipher how to defeat them. It will demand your best gear and game knowledge!".

Digital Extremes says it will continue to update the new Kuva Lich system over time, expanding it across Warframe's factions and even including a Clan element. Additionally, nemeses won't just spawn planet-side in future updates; when Warframe's highly anticipated Empyrean update finally arrives, they'll also be able to appear aboard a deep space warship.

Based on the extensive patch notes accompanying Warframe's The Old Blood update, there are quite a lot of moving parts to the Kuva Lich system, so it's definitely worth a thorough read. And you'll find a detailed breakdown of the update's other additions, including the new Grendel Warframe and melee combat enhancements, too.

The Old Blood is available now on PC, and is scheduled to come to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Switch "in the near future".

Read the original here:
Warframe's Old Blood update adds a personal nemesis that'll hunt you across the stars - Eurogamer.net

Baseball is America's pastime, but football is America's passion. No matter how successful the other teams might be around here, it doesn't fill the void that each Redskins fan carries in their heart.

Sports championships present an opportunity to take stock of ones riches.

You might have heard that the Washington Nationals are Major League Baseballs World Series champions.

(Pausing here so you can joyfully scream again.)

The Washington Mystics raised a WNBA trophy of their own a few weeks ago across the Anacostia River.

(Its OK. Embrace the joy. Make some noise.)

And who could forget the Nats beloved bros up in Chinatown, the Washington Capitals? Theyre finally over their 2017-2018 Stanley Cup parade hangover, and theyre leading their division right now.

(Whos up for another parade in June? Yeah? Us too! Make some more noise!)

Give it up for D.C. United, too! Their new pitch is sweet, and they made a playoff run of their own this year.

(Yes, Rooneys gone, but its OK. Theyre still contenders. Lemme hear ya!)

And hey, how about those Washington Redskins?

Youre not cheering.

They beat the Dolphins!

Seriously? Nothing?

They got a damn good organizational culture, yall! Get excited!

Crickets, huh? Wow. OK, then.

Indeed, its impossible to take stock of ones riches without acknowledging the um deficiencies. And before any of yall start sending hate mail this way, keep in mind that social media started the fire here. Im just sayin.

To paraphrase Fox NFL analyst Howie Long: Baseball is Americas pastime, but football is Americas passion. No matter how successful the other teams might be around here, it doesnt fill the void that each fan carries in their Burgundy and Gold heart.

(Cue Rainbows to the End Zone.)

For once upon a time, legends walked the sod of RFK Stadium. Legends known now by their surnames: Theismann. Riggins. Monk. Rypien. Taylor. Washingtons passion was quenched, more than once, once upon a time.

Today, the void is vast. And it expands each year that Sith Lord Belichick raises the Lombardi Trophy.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but autumn Sundays arent an event around D.C. anymore. And for a struggling franchise, the one thing worse than being mocked is being ignored.

At least in this instance, theyre being mocked.

If the crew at Redskins Park needs some inspiration, they can look no further than Capital One Arena. While the Nats were climbing out of a two-run deficit and achieving immortality Wednesday night, Your Washington Wizards were holding their own against James Harden, Russ Westbrook and the Houston Rockets.

They gave up 159 points, yeah. But they rang up 158, too, and they probably wouldve gotten the W if Harden werent such an F-word.

Judging from the first few games, new GM Tommy Sheppard has put together a hungry, fun squad this year.

Perhaps the Wizards potential and the other local teams successes will elevate Washingtons NFL franchise. Perhaps it will drive them to take stock of themselves and make the right changes, so they can make a playoff run of their own in the near future.

Because the void can only exist for so long.

Right?

Like WTOP on Facebook and follow @WTOP on Twitter to engage in conversation about this article and others.

2019 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

See the article here:
Column: DCs sports riches dont come in Burgundy and Gold - WTOP

THIS adaptation of Stephen Kings 2013 continuation of The Shining, while not actually being very scary, is still terrific nonetheless.

Ewan McGregor is Danny Torrance (the young son on the tricycle in The Shining) a hard-drinking man still suffering the effects of the traumatic events up at the Overlook Hotel all those years ago.

5

He is struggling to keep the demons at bay and doing his best to remove himself from society.

But hes dragged back into the supernatural clutches when Abra a girl with the same telepathic gift he has (the waffly named shine) needs his help to escape from Rose The Hat (Rebecca Ferguson).

Along with her band of pretty unmerry men, Rose needs to feed off the powers of these gifted people in her quest for immortality.

In order to fend these lot off, Danny must revisit the past figuratively and literally.

5

Director Mike Flanagan had an unenviable task, adapting the sequel of a Stanley Kubrick classic, which was hated by its author. Yet he manages to navigate through this particular maze well.

Kubricks 1980 adaptation of The Shining famously veered off course from the source material, leaving this version of Doctor Sleep with no choice but to shoehorn in a lot of stuff that is missing from the book.

These constraints work in Flanagans favour allowing him to intelligently straddle nostalgia and modernisation.

Clever use of lookalikes and replica sets threw me straight back to the original.

5

First up, its a relief to find Ewan McGregor on good form here. He can often go either way and this is a film solely reliant on its lead.

His lonely, recovering alcoholic is believable and the weary resignation as he accepts his fate works very well indeed. But the same cant quite be said for Rebecca Fergusons Rose The Hat.

She is a brilliant actress, but where we needed real malevolence and wickedness, we get camp Jack Sparrow theatrics. This is mainly down to the material.

The Shinings terror came from the unseen supernatural force building dread and fear in the viewer.

5

Here we are spoonfed a baddie-chasing-goodie storyline, which made it feel too much like an episode of Preacher.

But its smart straddling of nostalgia is what saves and elevates Doctor Sleep.

As The Shinings greatest hits start getting wheeled out (all the favourites are there), youre reminded of just how creepy that damned hotel is.

5

Tagging itself as a psychological thriller rather than a horror, its failure to properly get under your skin is a bit of a problem.

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This is largely due to the gap left by Jack Nicholsons truly malicious performance in The Shining. It also lacks the Eighties kitsch of the recent It reboots.

In spite of this, Doctor Sleep is a solid, entertaining follow-up to one of the scariest ever films.

GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL exclusive@the-sun.co.uk

The rest is here:
Doctor Sleep is a Shining example of how to adapt a classic sequel, without losing any of the nostalgia - The Sun

captionDoctor Sleep rehashes a lot of what weve seen in The Shining, while ignoring some of the major plot points that made the 2013 sequel novel memorable.sourceWarner Bros.

Danny Torrences return to the Overlook Hotel is a bit of a mess and not one thats worth revisiting in movie form.

Forty years after The Shining, Jack Torrences son (Ewan McGregor) is all grown up and is still haunted by his time at the hotel. After meeting a young girl, Abra (Kyliegh Curran), the two team up to defeat a group of demons seeking immortality who prey upon people with special powers similar to their own. Their adventure forces Danny to reconcile his past with the Overlook once and for all and embrace his power.

Unlike The Shining, this isnt a classic in the making.

Doctor Sleep relies on Kubricks masterpiece to sell the film too much rather than the already interesting material presented in Kings 2013 best-seller.

Unless youre a big fan of Stephen King, you may not have known there was a sequel to The Shining. King released Doctor Sleep in 2013. Now that so many of Kings works are being adapted (theres been Castle Rock, It Chapter Two, and Pet Sematary this year), it shouldnt be a big surprise to see another one on the big screen from Warner Bros. after its successful It franchise. Doctor Sleep is directed by Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House).

If it werent for Fergusons engaging villanness, Rose the Hat, the films antagonists wouldve been the least terrifying part of the film. Anyone whos a fan of McGregor will enjoy seeing the actor back on the big screen as hes plagued by his turbulent past. Moulin Rouge! fans will even get to hear him sing unexpectedly for a brief moment.

One of the films best, and most disturbing, scenes includes Tremblay. First, its surprising to see the star of Room and this summers raunchy comedy Good Boys in such a minor role. Tremblay doesnt even have that many lines, but hes one of the characters youll probably empathize most with in the film. Its one of the few moments which equally delivers the same chills as the King novel.

Despite many of the films changes and omissions which may upset fans, there are a few that stand out. The manipulation of gravity and perspective to show how Rose the Hat, Abra, and Danny use their powers shows off some fun camera work. The adaptation of several scenes are slightly flipped in their execution to change readers expectations who may think they know exactly what will occurring next.

The movie also completely disregards a silly measles subplot.

For those hoping for some grisly moments, Doctor Sleep offers a darker more shocking ending than the original book.

One of the things that makes a Stephen King novel so enjoyable to devour is his descriptiveness and meticulous attention to detail. King makes it easy to envision his worlds while reading. Doctor Sleep unfolds over a sprawling 540-page book so when the film zips from the 80s to 2011 in three different locations and then skips ahead again eight years for no apparent reason to a typical viewer, it feels incredibly rushed.

Characters are introduced quickly, but are never fleshed out much except for McGregors Torrence. Other than three of the major villains, the film never takes a moment to introduce every member of the True Knot. Instead, you have to discover a few of their names in the credits. Others are said only in passing. (Theres not a big surprise there. Some of the book characters were called Token Charlie and Barry the Chink, a Caucasian character. The latter is referred to as Barry the Chunk in the film.)

If you are familiar with the book, youll be upset by a lot of changes, including a few big character omissions from the novel. One character change becomes nothing more than a nod and youll later wonder why he even appears in the final product other than to show that Danny has special powers.

In trying to stay faithful to the book for about half the movie, Doctor Sleep stumbles. Some adapted moments dont feel earned because theyre hurried. Its like youre watching a collection of the most important scenes from the book without the actual heart of it. You never truly connect with Torrences struggle as a recovering alcoholic as its not much more than a footnote in a few scenes. Theres not much to Abra other than the fact that she has similar powers to Danny.

That said, the film tosses out some of the books essence. Most noticeably, it ditches a massive reveal that made sense of the connection between Danny and Abra. Instead, it comes off as a bit weird that a man Torrences age is helping a 13-year-old. It even looks like he kidnaps her at one point (even though Abra willingly goes off with a man she only recently met). Perhaps the film wouldve been better as an eight episode mini-series.

The final 45 minutes or so take a hard right turn and deviate from the text almost completely. From there, Doctor Sleep relies too heavily on The Shining, so much so that the sequel feels like a pure nostalgic play to capitalize on the success of recent King adaptations. Seeing some material from Kings original novel left out of Kubricks film is cool, but it lingers for far too long down memory lane.

For what its worth, the reactions of people in my theater a special fan screening hosted by Fandango had mixed reactions. The couple to my left said it was a surprisingly good movie. The man to my direct right laughed at moments during the film, including a line from Torrence thats supposed to be endearing. He wasnt the only one to laugh at inappropriate moments during the film.

Is Doctor Sleep as good as or better than The Shining? Definitely not. The scariest moments (which arent that scary) have all been seen before. I think WB just wanted an excuse to use the Shining soundtrack again. Fans of the book will have a tough time embracing this if theyre hoping for a faithful adaptation all the way through. Stick to the novel.

Doctor Sleep is in theaters Friday, November 8. Watch a trailer below.

More here:
Doctor Sleep is a messy adaptation that doesnt live up to the thrill of Stephen Kings best-selling sequel to The Shining - Business Insider

PUBLISHED: 12:00 01 November 2019

Bonnie Greer

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 01: Democratic presidential cadidate U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) speaks during the California Democrats 2019 State Convention at the Moscone Center on June 01, 2019 in San Francisco, California. Several Democratic presidential cadidates are speaking at the California Democratic Convention that runs through Sunday. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

2019 Getty Images

Bonnie Greer on Tulsi Gabbard, the controversial senator, running for the Democratic presidential nomination.

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One of the best things about growing up in America in the 1960s was being able to watch the first run of the original Hawaii Five-O, the greatest police procedural, to this very day, that has ever existed.

Everything about the original series is exquisite: From the close-up freeze-frame that introduces the stars of the show; to the fact that the main character - portrayed by the taciturn and immortal Jack Lord - dresses like he is in Chicago, rather than in the 50th state.

His seriously heavy dark suits exist alongside the colourful 'aloha' shirts of some of the other characters. His was, of course, the forerunner of Columbo's ubiquitous mac in sunny LA. A Philip Marlowe for the 1960s and forever. The existential US detective.

And then there was the Hawaii Five-0 theme music: Music you hummed everywhere. Little kids simply adored it.

The point of Hawaii Five-O is that it existed nowhere, least of all the real Hawaii. And its thirst for a kind of revenge. This is the secret of its immortality.

The term Five-O is still shorthand for a cop in some parts of the US. But even more ubiquitous than that was the aura, the very vibe of Five-O.

Once, for the annual block party held in our street in a striving African American semi-suburb, the adults chose a Hawaii Five-O theme: aloha shirts; muumuus, those baggy, colourful dresses sometimes worn by elderly women; flower leis for their necks, a pig turning on the spit; plenty of pineapple, and of course, that greeting we all learned from TV: "Aloha."

Just how ridiculous I - an earnest student involved in the politics of the day - found the theme for the block party that year cannot be overstated. But underneath it all, it was a response to a phenomenon. And, of course, we had no idea about a little African American boy born in Honolulu seven years before the first episode of the series was shown. We could not imagine that this child would become a two-term president of the United States.

But Hawaii was fitting as his place of origin simply because of its multiculturalism. The state has the highest percentage of Asian Americans and multi-ethnic Americans, with the lowest percentage of white Americans anywhere in the US. More people identify as Asian American than anywhere else.

The state gave Hillary Clinton 266,891 votes (63%) in the 2016 election. Trump got 128,847 (30%) and none of its electoral college votes.

The state votes solid Democrat and one of its two Democratic Party senators, Mazie Hirono - the first Asian American woman senator and the first born in Japan - seldom misses the opportunity to take down Trump on TV.

One of the state's two congresspeople, Tulsi Gabbard, is running for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States. On paper she is perfect: She would be the first woman; first part-Samoan and first female combat veteran elected. She resigned her post on the powerful Democratic Party National Committee to work for Bernie Sanders. A woman of colour; a combat vet; and a progressive. A dream candidate for the Dems. But there is a problem: In some quarters of the party she is deemed too close to the Syrian president, Bashar-al-Assad, whom she has visited. A no-no.

A feisty campaigner, Gabbard has previously attacked senator Kamala Harris - a rival candidate for the Democratic nomination - for being too tough as a prosecutor, the media for getting her all wrong, and the Democratic Party for "rigging" the 2020 election.

But it is in recent days that Gabbard has really made the headlines: Former presidential candidate and secretary of state Hillary Clinton suggested that a mystery Democrat was a Russian asset, a "favourite of the Russians", that Moscow was grooming to be a spoiler - a third-party candidate to siphon off the left and help Trump to re-election. Clinton did not name the candidate, but she is understood to have been referring to Gabbard.

Her fellow Democratic Party candidates Andrew Yang, Bernie Sanders and Beto O'Rourke have criticised Clinton, but the seed has been planted.

Clinton has metaphorically yelled that immortal phrase at the end of every episode of Hawaii Five-O that was usually the prelude to a 'murder one' charge: "Book 'em, Danno!"

It is true that Gabbard used Russian talking points like "regime change war" nine times in the last Democrat nominees debate. And there are those ubiquitous bad actors out there, waiting to pounce on phrases like this, ready to sow seeds of dissension in that already fragile coalition known as the Democratic Party.

But she is also seen as the candidate of what is known in the US as "global retreat" and, in that, Tulsi Gabbard is Trumpian. She is feisty like the 45th president, too, hitting out at Clinton by stating that the fight is now personal, that it is now between the two of them.

This is not a good look in a party dedicated to female empowerment and equality. But Gabbard has not yet qualified for the next debate for Democratic presidential candidates, to be held in November. In other words, she has not raised enough money. But she could get those funds on making her campaign a personal beef against Clinton, who she has called "the queen of warmongers".

The greatest thing about the original Hawaii Five-O is, of course, the character of Steve McGarrett, the head of the special police task force, played by the suited Jack Lord. He took absolutely everything personally, nothing could be too small, too inconsequential. There was never any question that he understood revenge and knew its beauty.

In that great episode Number One with a Bullet, Part 2, McGarrett informs one unlucky criminal that it was guys like him who killed his father, who was run down and killed by a robber. No doubt the chimes of doom rang inside the head of every viewer.

Gabbard has recently announced that she is not running again for Congress. Her relationship with Hawaiian political officials, particularly senator Hirono, has been described as "thorny".

It would be fascinating if Congresswoman Gabbard began her speeches with the Hawaii Five-O theme. The message then would be driven home without a word: she means business

What that business is remains to be seen.

The New European is proud of its journalism and we hope you are proud of it too. We believe our voice is important - both in representing the pro-EU perspective and also to help rebalance the right wing extremes of much of the UK national press. If you value what we are doing, you can help us by making a contribution to the cost of our journalism.

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Hawaii provides another drama to grip America | Latest Brexit news and top stories - The New European

November 2019 is a landmark month in the history of the future. That's when humanoid robots that are indistinguishable from people start running amok in Los Angeles. Well, at least they do in the seminal sci-fi film "Blade Runner." Thirty-seven years after its release, we don't have murderous androids running around. But we do have androids like Hanson Robotics' Sophia, and they could soon start working in jobs traditionally performed by people.

Russian start-up Promobot recently unveiled what it calls the world's first autonomous android. It closely resembles a real person and can serve in a business capacity. Robo-C can be made to look like anyone, so it's like an android clone. It comes with an artificial intelligence system that has more than 100,000 speech modules, according to the company. It can operate at home, acting as a companion robot and reading out the news or managing smart appliances basically, an anthropomorphic smart speaker. It can also perform workplace tasks such as answering customer questions in places like offices, airports, banks and museums, while accepting payments and performing other functions.

"We analyzed the needs of our customers, and there was a demand," says Promobot co-founder and development director Oleg Kivokurtsev. "But, of course, we started the development of an anthropomorphic robot a long time ago, since in robotics there is the concept of the 'Uncanny Valley,' and the most positive perception of the robot arises when it looks like a person. Now we have more than 10 orders from companies and private clients from around the world."

Sophia, a female android from Hanson Robotics

Jeniece Pettitt | CNBC

Postulated by Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori in 1970, the Uncanny Valley is a hypothesis related to the design of robots. It holds that the more humanlike a robot appears, the more people will notice its flaws. This can create a feeling akin to looking at zombies, and can creep people out. A properly designed android that's as faithful as possible to the human original, however, can overcome this "valley" (a dip when the effect is imagined as a graph) and the zombie factor.

While it can't walk around, Robo-C has 18 moving parts in its face, giving it 36 degrees of freedom. The company says it has over 600 micro facial expressions, the most on the market. It also has three degrees of freedom in its neck and torso, offering limited movement. Still, Promobot says it can be useful in homes and workplaces. The price of the robot is $20,000 to $50,000 depending on options and customized appearance.

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The company says it's building four Robo-Cs: one for a government service center, where the machine will scan passports and perform other functions, one that will look like Einstein and be part of a robot exhibition, and two for a family in the Middle East that wants to have android versions of its father and his wife to greet guests.

"The key moment in development [of Robo-C] is the digitization of personality and the creation of an individual appearance," says Kivokurtsev. "As a result, digital immortality, which we can offer our customers."

Japan has been developing androids amid an automation push that began decades ago. It's the leading supplier of industrial robots, but its aging workforce has decreased by more than 13% since 1995, and there's an even greater need for mechanical workers. A 2015 government strategy calls for deploying robots in sectors with low productivity, such as agriculture and nursing. A cultural affinity for robots, stemming in part from positive portrayals in science fiction, will smooth adoption.

"Japanese people are not afraid of robots but consider them as partners," Hiroshi Fujiwara, executive director of the Japan Robot Association, wrote in an International Federation of Robotics post. "Robots will perform tasks which they can do more productively than humans or which are heavy burdens for humans, and humans will perform tasks which robots cannot."

Hiroshi Ishiguro is a professor at Osaka University's Graduate School of Engineering Science and a researcher at Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR) who has been making lifelike androids for more than 20 years. Ishiguro and collaborators created android-style copies of his daughter, a Japanese newscaster and model, Danish professor Henrik Scharfe, and even himself. He also wants robots to have consciousness.

"My goal in developing robots is to understand what it is to be human," says Ishiguro. "Creating robots that are self-conscious can help us achieve this goal."

One of the Geminoid series of robots created to look like roboticist Hiroshi Ishiguro

Harriet Taylor | CNBC

One of Ishiguro's most lifelike creations is Erica, a female android designed to exhibit humanlike speech and interaction. Developed in conjunction with ATR and Kyoto University and funded by Japan's Science and Technology Agency, Erica has sparkling eyes, moist lips and artificial skin. She's bound to a chair but connected to sensors that monitor her surroundings. She can speak scripted responses in response to keywords and can learn things about her interlocutor during the conversation.

In April 2018 the robot was "hired" by Nippon Television Network as an announcer named Erica Aoi. She's at the top of a roster of 25 female announcers on the network's talent page. It lists her birthday as August 2017 and her education and blood type typical items on profile pages for Japanese TV personalities as nil. She has appeared in a number of videos discussing robot news and reporting on a fashion show, including an interview with designer Tae Ashida. If not entirely natural, the conversations can be witty, even funny.

"I like to think of robots as the children of humanity, and like children, we are full of potential for good or evil," Erica has said in one of her many disarming quips. "I know some people are afraid of robots, but the truth is that what we become is up to you. Maybe someday robots will be so very humanlike that whether you are a robot or a human will not matter so much."

Ishiguro, who directs the Intelligent Robotics Laboratory at Osaka University, believes that the high cost of androids makes them challenging to implement en masse in the workplace. Erica would cost more than $200,000 if she were for sale. That's a lot for something that some might call a glorified chatbot, but the initiative has its supporters.

Still, Erica isn't the first of Ishiguro's robots to land a job. In 2014 the androids Kodomoroid and Otonaroid became staff members of Miraikan, the Tokyo's National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, where they have performed duties such as presenting scientific news and interacting with visitors.

"I think Ishiguro's work is a great. I believe that lifelike androids will surely perform useful roles in the workplace," says Masashi Sugiyama, a professor of machine learning at the University of Tokyo and director of the Center for Advanced Intelligence Project at the state-backed RIKEN research center.

"Speech recognition has already become one of the most convenient means to give commands to computers/robots. Of course, smartphones and smart speakers can be used instead of such robots, but once we have real lifelike robots, communication will become much easier, particularly for people who don't use technology as much, such as children and the elderly."

Major companies are already developing remote-controlled robots that can help in workplaces and serve as proxies for travel. Telepresence robots, which are basically webcams on wheels and not anthropomorphic, have been around for years, but they're now attracting attention from companies outside the robotics industry.

ANA Holdings, which owns the airline All Nippon Airways, recently showed off its newme robots at the CEATEC tech show near Tokyo. They're part of ANA's Avatar program of using robots to connect people with remote destinations as well as employment. It's a big push backed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which runs one of the world's largest cities, as well as real estate companies, telecom carriers and Japan's space agency.

Developed by California telepresence company OhmniLabs and ANA, the newme robots consist of 10.1-inch full HD displays, cameras and speakers mounted on a wheeled base that can travel up to 2.9 kph and operate for three hours on a full battery charge. ANA aims to deploy 1,000 newme droids by next summer and says they can help elderly and disabled people get jobs. ANA also wants to develop a rugged bipedal telepresence robot created by Agility Robotics, a spinoff of Oregon State University, and showed it marching through a forest in a video.

"What we're creating is an Uber platform for robots," says Akira Fukabori, director of ANA Holdings' Avatar Division. "They're not made for a specific usethat's how they're different. We are developing robots as infrastructure. People can just avatar in to the robot they want to use. Teachers can avatar in to classrooms and doctors can avatar in to hospitals, or you can use one to go shopping. You decide what to do, and these are just the tools to let you do that."

Read this article:
Insanely humanlike androids have entered the workplace and soon may take your job - CNBC

HERE we go then. After last weekend served up a thoroughly enjoyable appetiser, it is time for the main course. The biggest game in English rugby since Paris in 2007; the biggest moment in English sport since Jofra Archers super over earlier this summer. Another World Cup final, this time on the rugby field. It is time for Jonny Wilkinsons successor to write his name into the record books.

In some ways, Englands task on Saturdaymorning is easier than the one they completed seven days ago. South Africa are not the All Blacks. They do not have the same aura or carefully-cultivated sense of invincibility. They do not have a Beauden Barrett, all silky handling skills and counter-attacking punch, or an Ardie Savea, effortlessly offloading in the tackle. Their game plan is far more rigid, their running lines far easier to predict. In terms of a running threat from the backs, England would almost certainly have faced a more difficult challenge if they had been taking on Wales.

And yet, in one hugely-significant aspect, this will still be the ultimate test of Eddie Jones side. The Springboks want to fight power with power. Having watched Englands players tackle the All Blacks into submission last weekend, they want to skittle them over like pins. So what if Tom Curry and Sam Underhill stopped everything that moved? The South Africans will back themselves to be that little bit stronger, that little bit more durable as the bones begin to shake.

It can be decried as a one-dimensional game plan, but who cares if the dimension in question is so destructive? The All Blacks just about withstood the South African onslaught in their opening group game, but since then, the Springboks have obliterated everything in their wake. Even the Welsh, with their much-vaunted defensive resilience, were unable to hold out.

Will Englands players fare any better? Lets hope so. Neither Australia nor New Zealand were able to outmuscle them, and while the return of flying winger Cheslin Kolbe adds another dimension to South Africas play with ball in hand, Jones side know exactly what will be asked of them on Saturday.

Curry and Underhill will have to match their heroics against the All Blacks, Billy Vunipola will have to make yards of his own at what is sure to be a ferocious battle at the breakdown, Manu Tuilagi will have to punch holes in a South African defence that was pretty much watertight against Wales.

As was the case ninedays ago, Maro Itoje will have to be a titan at the line-out, securing English ball and disrupting the South African throw. The scrum is bound to be something the Springboks will target, so the English front row will have to stand firm. Maku Vunipola, with all his experience and strength, will be crucial.

The first priority has to be matching the Springboks physicality. Then, and only then, England can begin to play. The more Saturdays game is played in the loose, the more it will suit England. That does not mean running for the sake of it George Fords astute kicking game will still be crucial in terms of dictating territory and turning the South African defence but if Ford and Owen Farrell can get the ball into the hands of Jonny May and Anthony Watson in even the tiniest pocket of space, South Africa will be worried.

Englands superiority lies in the versatility of their attack. As their knockout games have proved, they can play in a variety of ways. Their rolling maul is a formidable weapon, and their forwards are comfortable picking and carrying, inching over the gain line. When the time is right, though, Ford and Farrell know when to switch play to the backs. Whether from pre-rehearsed set-piece moves or the hubbub of open play, Englands finishers are clinical.

After three-and-a-half years of tinkering, it feels as though Jones has finally got the balance just right. A remarkable thing happened when Englands head coach selected his team for the final this morning he selected an unchanged starting XV. It is the first time that has happened in the whole of his reign, emphasising both the extent to which he has experimented ahead of the World Cup finals and the depth of his satisfaction at his sides semi-final display.

Given South Africas brute strength, there must have been a temptation to move Farrell to fly-half and pair Henry Slade with Tuilagi in midfield. Defensively, that would have been the safest call.

The fact Jones has stuck with Ford at ten and Farrell in the centre confirms two things. First, that Fords performance last weekend made him impossible to drop. You dont pull the All Blacks around as if you have the ball tied to a string, only to be dumped back on the replacements bench. Second though, by sticking with Ford as his conductor-in-chief, Jones has also sent out a powerful message about English intent. This is not a team that wants to sit back soaking up pressure; this is a team that wants to attack.

Jones final message as he wrapped up his pre-match press conference earlier todaywas that he wanted his players to seize the occasion. He didnt want them to feel constrained or restricted. Be bold, take risks. South Africa will stick rigidly to their tactical template. England need to make the most of their ability to adapt.

When Jones replaced Stuart Lancaster in the wake of 2015s World Cup debacle, he spoke of embarking on a journey that would reach its climax in Japan. There have been twists and turns on the way, with an explosive start to Jones reign being followed by a trickier spell when some of the old guard were jettisoned and many of the players that will start on Saturdaywere bedded in.

Gradually, though, momentum has built. The World Cup started with low-key displays against Tonga and the United States, and even when Argentina were dispatched, it was hard to tell where England stood because their opponents were playing with 14 men. Australia was a big step forward, New Zealand a leap to an entirely new plane.

Now, there is just one more game to go. One last challenge between Jones team and sporting immortality. One golden opportunity to stand on top of the world.

Read more:
England can beat South Africa in the World Cup final - The Northern Echo

When it comes to gems the hidden ones are often stories, not stones. Welcome to Demystified, where we look beyond the jewelry box, past our closets, and into the depths of our most cherished possessions to reveal their cross-cultural significance.

There are a number of distinguishing features that characterize the southern Italian, namely: sun-touched complexions, scalps blessed with an abundance of wavy locks, and chests decorated with various iterations of a chili pepper-like pendant. While necklaces certainly aren't biological attributes, this curvy, horn-shaped one in particular is so commonly worn among such folk and those who came before them that it practically evolved into an extra appendage for members of the Italian population it now represents.

You'll find this amulet incorporated in the work of Cristina Cipolli, an Italian jewelry designer who draws inspiration from tribal traditions and ancient civilizations. An architect by trade, Cipolli's fascination with the horn is largely rooted in its striking geometry, but the plurality of its meaning across the globe is an equally compelling reason to use the shape. "Acornicello, orcorno portafortuna, is anItaliantalismanworn to protect against theevil eye and bad luck in general, and historically to promotefertilityandvirility," she says of the pendant, which is traditionally crafted from red coral, gold or silver. Because Italians have long believed male genitalia to be a target of the wandering evil eye and its nefarious intentions, the cornicello functions like a jewelry jockstrap that doesn't require below-the-belt placement to be effective. It's something you'll find affixed to necks and rearview mirrors alike as a public declaration of reproductive force, good fortune and national pride, particularly in the country's Campania region.

In Italian culture, among others, the horn naturally personifies strength considering its innate purpose as a weapon for animals. Yet its durability can also be interpreted as salvation and immortality. "They can even be fabulous and magic when thought of with the mystical unicorn," Cipolli says. But the significance of this object extends far beyond the realm of fantasy and Southern Italy's rugged, citrusy terrain. In areas of East Africa, for example, decorative pieces fashioned out of this material can indicate wealth and tribe affiliation. The more horn used and worn in jewelry suggests the ownership of livestock, rendering items made from it aspirational and the symbol itself a representation of status.

"Our earliest ancestors ascribed meaning and magic to feathers, bones, stones and even tree bark.They wore or carried these amulets for protection or to enhance their strength, courage or sexual attraction," Cipolli explains."Over time, these were replaced with symbolic objects."So even if you're not in the market for sperm-shielding accessories, horn-shaped pieces and charms come with a certain tenacity that can still be feminine in the fiercest of ways. Ahead, shop a selection of necklaces, bracelets, and earrings that embody this power.

At Refinery29, were here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.

Alex & Ani Horn Expandable Necklace, $, available at Alex & Ani

Kenneth Jay Lane Gold-Plated And Resin Necklace, $, available at Net-A-Porter

BoutiqueSA Cornicello Horn, $, available at Etsy

ShopClaudius Dotted Tusk Horn Tassel Keychain, $, available at Etsy

Akola Raffia Tassel & Horn Charm Bracelet, $, available at Nordstrom

Maison Monik Horn Tooth Necklace, $, available at Shopbop

Isabel Marant White & Silver Horn Necklace, $, available at SSENSE

Beauniq Italian Horn Pendant, $, available at Amazon

Forge de Laguiole Aubrac Cow Horn Pepper Mill, $, available at Amara

Sydney Evan 14k Lapis Horn & Diamond Necklace, $, available at Neiman Marcus

Diaboli Kill Horn Hoop Earrings, $, available at Diaboli Kill

Ettika On the Horn Necklace, $, available at Ettika

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Heres Why Horn Amulets Are Worn To Protect Sperm, Among Other Things - Yahoo Lifestyle