Tribute: The creation of this page is a direct result of the catastrophe wrecked on the United States Northeast by Hurricaine Sandy, which extensively damaged both NYU Langone Medical Center and Bellevue leading to their prolonged shutdown and our secondary over-indulgencein academic productivity. This page is dedicated, in small measure, to all who suffered loss as a result of this unprecedented disaster.

Introduction

The aim of this page is to review the anatomy of the internal carotid artery proper, from the cervical segment to its intracranial bifurcation, particularly asregardsits geometry (with secondary endovascular interventional implications) andlocation of its various, and often complex aneurysms. Patients seeking information on treatment ofcerebral aneurysms mayvisit the page titled Patient Information: Cerebral Aneurysm. The author of the website,Maksim Shapiro, MDis a practicing neurointerventional radiologist in at theNYU Langone Medical Centerin New York City, and can be reached with questions, comments, appointment requests, etc. via theContact Ussection.

The branches ofintracranial ICA are described in exhaustive detail on their respective pages. It would take take hundreds of pages, with associated surgical dissection images and videos, to describe surgical anatomy of the carotid siphon,and so we will touch upon this vast topic somewhat, mainlyin connection withstrategiesin aneurysm treatment. Our primary focus is endovascular, andwe will present information in angiogrpahic format, without too many diagrams, which often appear to the trainee sofrustratingly comprehensiblewhen comparedwithreality.

A brief overview of ICA anatomy. The ICA in the neck (cervical ICA) extends fromcarotid bifurcation to skull base. It then goes through the petrous bone of the skull base (petrous segment), and turns up within the foramen lacerum, existing the bone. It passes under a key landmark structure called petrolingual ligament, and enters the cavernous sinus, where it usually has an s-shaped look, though much variability exists. In the cavenous sinus, the artery is surrounded by venous plexus, such that carotid rupture there leads to a carotid-cavernous fistula. After an anterior turn (genu), the ICA leaves the cavernous sinus, passing through the dura cover of the sinus that is called the proximal dural ring. The ICA then goes through a small but important region where, though already out of the cavernous sinus, it is not yet subarachnoid, or intradural. This transitional or clinoid area has been subject of much surgical attention. After this short segment, the ICA goes through another dural ring, called the distal dural ring, and then becomes intradural, or subarachnoid.This transition is critical, since aneurysms past the distal dural ring are located in the subarachnoid space, and their rupture leads to subarachnoid hemorrhage. The ophthalmic artery is usually (90% of time) located just distal to the distal dural ring (i.e. intradural, i.e. subarachnoid), and this region is home to many kinds of complex aneurysms. Other times, the ophthalmic arises more proximally, from the transitional (extradural) or the cavernous segment, or from the external carotid all very important variants.Past the ophthalmic segment,artery continues into the hypophyseal region (with inconstantly observed superior hypophyseal arteries), where otherkinds aneurysms can form. The next major branch of the ICA is the posterior communicating artery, home to particularly notorious PCOM aneurysms, which seem to rupture with increased frequency for given size, when compared to other aneurysms of the ICA (ISUIA data). Next comes the anterior choroidal artery and its aneurysms, which can be mistaken for the PCOM type when the latter is hypoplastic. Finally, after a short terminus segment, home to some perforating branches, the ICA bifurcates into the MCA and ACA. This fairy tale has many variations and inconsistencies, but is useful as a general guide. Now that we have the general layout, before getting into pathology, we must review some segmental classifications of the ICA.

Segmental Classifications of the ICA

The ICAhas been repeatedlysubdivided into discrete parts, or segments, to aid description of its pathology. We, at NYU, are also to blame for one such scheme. A brief review of the more popular classificatons is necessary and useful for the trainee and lay professional.

The first classification was devised by Fischer in 1938, designating intracranial ICA from C1-C5, against direction of blood flow. Its aim was to help localize skull base lesions via their mass effect on different ICA segments, before the era of cross-sectional imaging. It was not designed to describe ICA aneurysms.

The Fischer classification endured until development of reliable microsurgical and catheter angiographic technique, which paved the way for development of predominantly non-lethal aneurysm neurosurgery.

In 1981, Gibo, Lenkey, and Rhoton, based on incredible supracliniod ICA dissections which became a landmark in vascular neurosurgery, classified their findings according the the Gibo system, which numbered 4 segments cervical, petrous, cavernous, and supraclinoid, with an alphanumeric designation of C1 thru C4, in direction of blood flow. The C4 segment is subdivided into ophthalmic, communicating, and choroidal (see below). The C3 segment began wherever the ICA emerged from the dural covers as a subarachnoid vessel. This simple and elegant classification, predating the era of dural rings and clinoid discussions, continues to be in use.

The landmark present-day classification, however, belongs to Bouthillier and collegues, whoproposed a Modified Fischer Classification in 1996, with alphanumeric designation of ICA segments in direction of blood flow. This system was also based on careful microsurgical dissections and optimized for present-day aneurysm clipping. Importantly, it formally recognized theclinoid segment as a transitional area between the cavernous and intradural ICA, as will be discussed below.

The Bouthillier classification was widely adopted, despite some criticism. For example, Ziyal and collegues questioned the need for a discrete Lacerum Segment, and dispensed with it based on their careful dissections. They also got rid of the ophthalmic and communicating segments, in favor of simple cisternal segment. This classification, shown below, did not achieve widespread use.

An entirely different approach was taken by the great Lasjaunias who, together with Santoyo-Vazquez, subdivided the ICA based on embryologic considerations rather than anatomical landmarks adjacent to the ICA. The article is available free of charge: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF01773165?LI=true#page-1Segment boundarieswere defined by intracranial ICA branches, such as mandibulovidian artery, MHT, ILT, ophthalmic. This systemmakes the most physiologic sense, andconceptualizes many variants of the ICA and its branches, but it was not designed to facilitate surgical dissections or emerging endovascular methods.

Much surgical work was done to address the complex anatomy of the ICA surrounding the region of the anterior clinoid process, including the transitional segment between the cavernous and intradual ICA, and the various ophthalmic segment aneurysms. Surgery which required removal of the clinoid process was rather complex, and aneurysms within the cavernous segment were regarded by many as either unclippable or clippable given superb skill and acknowledgement of higher stakes. Work on aneurysms near the ophthalmic artery (and optic nerve) was associated with a well-known risk of visual loss. At the same time, more reliable endovascular techniques were emerging with introduction of the GDC. This modified the conceptual framework, emphasizing aneurysm dome morphology and neck anatomy, with less critical attention to surgical landmarks. Finally, emergence of primary endoluminal (flow diversion) methods allowed for treatment of the un
derlying ICA dysplasia, which often transcends artificial segmental boundaries. Our own NYU classification of ICA segments, developed as aresult ofangiograhic and cross-sectionalreview anddiscussion, is based predominantly on endovascular considerations.

Finally, it is not the purpose of this page to advance a particular classification: the object is to illustrate the anatomy and pathology of the ICA; the NYU classification is used because we find it most useful at the moment as long as there is understanding of whatever anatomy the classification describes, any scheme is fine. For classical descriptive purposes, one can use the following system:

From an endovascular standpoint, however, we find that aneurysms which lie on the Transitional-Ophthalmic-Hypophyseal continuum have particular common endovascular (rather than surgical) features, which unite rather than divide them, as has been previously the case. We therefore hold, somewhat boldly, that all of these can be considered as paraophthalmic. This is not the system in current use, though we hope it gains following, which would look something like this:

This is nicely illustrated in the artwork below:

In the following section, each segmentis discussed in more detail, and relevant aneurysms are shown.

A note regarding aneurysms: The following section will repeatedly emphasize a key point: aneurysms in general, andthose of ICA in particular, are not perfect spheres with slender, elegant necks these can be encountered in diagrams, pamphlets, and other works of art and safely cured with a permanent marker, at zero risk. Real aneurysms tend to be irregular growths which arise on basis of underlying ICA dysplasia, and frequentlytranscending arbitrary and even embryologically-dictated boundaries. Images in this section will direct one towards recognition of this state and its therapeutic implications.

Cervical Internal Carotid Artery

The carotid artery usually bifurcatesbetween C3-5, except when it does not. High bifurcations are disadvantageous for vascular surgeons but not for carotid stents per se.

Atherosclerotic disease of the carotid bifurcation and its treatment is a separate topic. It is potentially important in terms of accessing the internal carotid artery with large-diameter catheters,increasingly utilized in modernendoscular procedures. In such cases, we try to keep the exchange wire in the ECA, and bring the guide into the ECA as well and flush it there, or keep it in the CCA, and go through the stenosis with a smaller profile and more compliant distal support catheter (these catheters are getting better and more numerous, which is excellent news). If additional support becomes necessary later on, the guide can then be more safely advanced into the internal carotid artery over the larger diameter distal access catheter, ratherthan primarily over a smaller cross-section guidewire, thereby minimizing the step-off

The cervical internal carotid artery is supposed to have no branches, except when it does. Persistent hypoglossal artery is one such branch (See neurovascular evolution). The ascending pharyngeal artery occasionally takes off from the proximal ICA also, as does the occipital. Aside from embryologic implications, it underscores the potential costs of catheterizing the ICA without a roadmap, which is also useful to visualize the not so rare Cervical Internal Carotid Artery Loops. They are felt to represent a kind of embryologic redundance, which can also be observed intracranially involving the PCOM and A1 segments for example (Lasjaunias and Berenstein)as opposed to the tortuous vessels seen in the vasculopaths.

Loops are, of course, significant from an endovascular access standpoint, presenting challenges for distal catheterization and delivery of larger caliber devices. This is fortunately becoming less problematic, as distal support catheter technology rapidly improves.

Retropharyngeal ICA: Distinct from loops are carotids with unusual courses, particularly those that swing anteromedially towards the back of the oropharyngeal wall, best appreciated on cross-sectional imaging. They are surgically important, particularly when it comes to procedures related to the posterior nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal walls. Apulsatile mass in the back of the throat is probablythe ICA, and should be treated with appropriate respect.

Webs the cervical ICA, in particular its proximal aspect, are sometimes seen to harbor a particular narrowing which is caused by shelf-like proliferation of connective tissue, probably similar to that of fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD). The angiographic appearanceis very different, however, with a single shelf of stenosis. This can be occasionally a cause of embolic stroke due to blood stasis over the shelf, more likely than hemodynamic narrowing. This young man presented with a transient language dysfunction:

MRA and angio of the same patient, left ICA. A second patient, with a similar angiographic appearance of carotid web, noted incidentally. For more info, see dedicated Carotid Web page

Aberrant Carotid Artery fully treated in the Ascending Pharyngeal Artery Section, as this vessel is, in fact, not the ICA, but rather ascending pharyngeal reconstitution of the true ICA in the petrous segment, due to cervical ICA agenesis. The aberrant carotid is made up of the ascending pharyngeal artery, its inferior tympanic branch, and the caroticotympanic branch of the ICA. The vessel has a characteristic lateral swing within the petrous bone (red arrows), bringing it into the middle ear cavity, which can be appreciated on MR, CT, and angio. This variant comes up with unfortunate regularity as a middle ear pulsatile mass, subjected to an unwitting biopsy. Case courtesy of Dr. Howard Antony Riina, NYULMC

The same appearance angiographically, with a somewhat posterior course in the lateral projection (yellow arrow)

Finally, a VERY cool stereo 3D-DSA, visualizing the aberrant ICA within the ear canal.

Carotid Occlusion Vasa Vasorum Reconstitution

An occasionally seen, quite fascinating consequence of carotid occlusion. Since all tissues require blood supply, it stand to reason that walls of larger blood vessels, such as the aorta and carotid arteries, contain smaller arteries for the nourishment of the various connective, muscular, and other tissues which make up the wall. These are called Vasa Vasorum. On some occasions, occlusion of the primary carotid artery lumen is followed by hypertrophy and, possibly, hyperplasia of these vasa vasorum to reconstitute the carotid artery distal to the site of occlusion. When encountered, these vasa vasorum networks tend to be long, extending from the carotid bulb (usual site of atheromatous occlusion) to the pertous segment, where the native carotid artery is again opacified. This pathway is likely to be present only when the more typical collateral pathways (circle of Willis, ophthalmic artery) remain insufficient (see Collateral Circulation page for extensive discussion on the topic). Below is a typical example of carotid vasa vasorum (red) a tortuous channel or multiple channels, having no resemblance to the native lumen. A normal petrous carotid is artery is labeled (yellow).

Another example, with a duplicated channel (pink)

Aneurysms

In cervical ICA, these aretypically of dissecting type, and therefore pseudoaneurysms (white arrow), such as this one.

Dissecting aneurysms are a heterogeneous bunch. Many seem to be either asymptomatic or clinically benign, generating much harm in terms of patient anxiety but little beyond that. They can, when particularly large, act as embolic sources.

Carotid Dissection

This is an important topic, addressed in a dedicated Patient Information Carotid/ Vertebral Dissection page. While most carotid dissections do not lead neurologic dysfunction, a fact which patients should remember, the range of occasional issues is large, including em
bolic stroke from dissection-related thrombus formation and distal embolization, flow-limiting stroke due to insufficiency of distal collateral pathways, and occasional rare issues such as pulsatile tinnitus or lower cranial nerve dysfunction due to dissection-related mass effect.

Petrous Segment

Petrous segment This is the ICA segment inside the petrous bone and partially within foramen lacerum. The artery enters the skull at right angle and has an initially ascending course (vertical petrous subsegment), turning anteromedially (horizontal petrous subsegment) and exiting the petrous bone at foramen lacerum, where it turns up and travels a short distance before issuing from the foramen above the horizonal plane of the petrous bone (lacerum subsegment). At this point, it passes beneath the Petrolingual Ligament (PLL), an important landmark which defines entry of the ICA into the cavernous sinus (cavernous segment). The PLL cannot be angiographically seen, and the plane of the temporal petrous bone can be taken as its landmark (distal yellow line). As everyone knows, the ICA does not go thru and thru the foramen Lacerum, but runs into it, as T-intersection.Bouthillier defined a discrete Lacerum segment where the ICA ascends inforamen lacerum.The existence of this discrete segment was questioned by Ziyal. Weagree that a separate lacerum segmentdoes not seem to be necessary, both anatomically and pathophysiologically, as aneurysms of the petrous segment almost always extend into the Lacerum portion of the ICA, butvery rarely beyond the PLL. There is much variability in the lengths and angles of the petrous segments. At the genu between the vertical and horizontal segments, the ICA gives off the caroticotympanic branch, which courses posteriely towards the middle ear (this is the route aberrant carotid takes to hook up with the petrous carotid). This branch is rarely seen, as it is encased inthick temporal bone. At the distal horizontal petrous segment, before the artery heads superiorely into the lacerum (or transitional) segment, it gives off the mandibulovidian artery, which courses anteriorly through the vidian canal. A small waist (pink arrow) is sometimes seen where the artery enters the petrous bone.

Stereo 3D-DSA of petrous ICA.Short horizontal segment (white), vertical segment (red), lacerum subsegment (purple) and mandibulovidian artery (lower purple arrow) bifurcating into mandibular and vidian branches.

Purple arrow demonstrating a small mandibulovidian artery. Notice how the petrous carotid often appears somewhat attenuated and mottled due to overlap of the petrous bone, compared with the uniform dark color of the cervical and cavernous segments not to be confused with thrombus.

Petrous Segment Aneurysms

Aneurysms of the petrous segment seem to come in two types post-traumatic and other. Post-traumatic (not aneurysms but pseudoaneurysms) are usually created by skull base fractures involving the temporal bone, with secondary petrous segment tear/dissection/pseudoaneurysm formation. The other category usually looks like fusiform large/giant petrous bone blowout, often partially thrombosed, and often extending into the cervical ICA but rarely past the PLL into thesegment. When the bone is often extensively remodelled, attesting to long-standing anerysm presence, and the abnormality is easily appreciated on a non-contrast head CT. In my experience, most patients or parents cannot recall any impressive head trauma. Patients with such long, irregular, and partially thrombosed aneurysms can present withan embolic stroke. Historically, treatment was based on a deconstructive approach of carotid sacrifice, withor without bypass, depending on results of test occlusion. Now, many such cases are being treated with Pipeline or similar endoluminal devices.

Illustrations:

Frontal (top) and lateral (bottom) projection digital subtraction angiographic (DSA) and native images demonstrate a fusiform aneurysm involving distal cervical and petrous segments. The long-standing aneurysm, partially thrombosed, produced extensive remodeling (yellow arrows) and erosion (red arrow) of the petrous bone, with bowing of the posterolateral right sphenoid sinus wall and dehiscence of lateral petrous apex (red arrow); status post pipeline embolization. A coil mass in the posterior fossa (black arrows) also seen on CT scan, belongs within a dissecting aneurysm of the mid-basilar artery (purple arrow), also treated with Pipeline (rightmost three images); coils were placed into the aneurysm after documenting its rapid short-term expansion in a patient presenting with new headaches.The case highlights an innate predispostion for aneurysm formation in this patient population.

This incidentally discovered petrous segment aneurysm, with secondary osseous remodeling (yellow arrows), is associated with dorsal ophthalmic artery variant (red arrows), which I believe also supports thenotion of a congential predispostion; there is no history of trauma.

Three petrous segment aneuyrsms, all extending into the lacerum subsegment, but not distal to the petrolingual ligament, as landmarked by the horizontal plane of the temporal bone (white arrows). This is the pathophysiologic side of argument againsta separate Lacerum segment.

3D-DSA of petrous segment aneurysm, confined below the PLL.

A mirror image of giant holo-Fischer aneurysm which involves all post-petrous carotid segments, and also does not violate the PLL. Poster case for trans-segmentaldysplasia.A small mandibulovidian artery (white arrow) is seen.

CAVERNOUS SEGMENT

Defined as that portion of the ICA located within the cavernous sinus see dedicated Cavernous Sinus page for more venous details. In practice, the anatomy of Cavernous Segmentis dependent onsize and morphology of the cavernous sinus, which has a variable and complex anatomy, both in terms of size and compartmentalization. Injection of the ICA or, more appropriatelyCCA, does not necessarily visualize the entire ipsilateral cavernous sinus, particularly when its main cerebral tributary the superficial Sylvian venous system is underdeveloped. From an microsurgical standpoint, the cavernous sinus begins (lets assume, please) at the petrolingual ligamen, and ends at the proximal dural ring. Neither structure isvisible angiographically or bycross-sectional imaging. One can only guess, on angio, where cavernous sinus begins and ends. When the cavernous sinus is well-formed, and when itscompartmentsreceive amplevenous drainage from the ipsilateral common carotid territory, you can guesstimateits boundaries by superimposing arterial and venous phases on each other, as shown below. In practice, this is of little value, since ballpark estimates can be made anyway, and precise localization (say when a transitional aneurysm is present) leaves room for doubt anyway. In the image below, the posterior cavernous (dark blue)sinus is well-developed, receiving a large superficial sylvian / sphenoparietal sinus tributary (orange), allowing one to visualize the proximal boundary of the cavernous sinus (yellow arrow) as a line, against the background of the arterial phase. The inferior petrosal sinus is marked by light blue arrow. The same information can be gathered from a CT angiogram, whenever it is contaminated with venous state.

The more typical uncertainty of cavernous sinus borders, particularly at the distal aspect, has important clinical significance in terms of deciding whether a given aneurysm is purely intracavernous (and therefore extradural), or distal to the cavernous sinus (clinoid, paraophthalmic, or whatever your boss calls it, and therefore potentially intradural). Consequently, aneurysms in uncertain locations (probably distal to the cavernous segment, andprobably not yet intradural) are sometimes called transitional, underscoring the uncertainty.

The cavernous segment can be subdivided into various segments, as seen below. There exists simply endlessvariability in cavernous sinus and ICA cavernou
s segment geometry, withall manner of straight andcurved segments and subsegments to the great delight of computational fluid dynamics enthusiasts and classification junkies (like us). There are also immediately practical endovascular implications in terms of navigability, catheter support, and implant (stent) behaviour around the various curves.

The important Meningohypophyseal Trunk arises from the genu (bend) of this segment. Its prominence is variable, of course, as its territory is in balance with those of the ILT, clival branches of the Ascending Pharyngeal Artery, and with the MMA. It most typically will be seen as supplying the hypophysis, with a characteristic early blush and early venous phase (not to be mistaken for a dural fistula). The famed artery of Bernasconi-Cassinari comes from there also. In the image below, the lateral tentorial arcade arising from the proximal genu supplies a small sigmoid sinus fistula (orange).

The second important branch of the cavernous segment is the Inferolateral Trunk (ILT), which supplies the floor of the middle cranial fossa, cranial nerves of the cavernous sinus, and is in balance with the Middle and Accessory Meningeal Arteries. Therefore, it is a potential conduit to the ophthalmic artery, expressed in its full prominence as the dorsal ophthalmic (red arrow).

On occasion, one can appreciate slight enlargement in ICA caliber within the cavernous segment. Whether this is physiologic, within a particular cavernous compartment (akin to constriction of the vertebral or radiculomedullary artery when piercing the dura), or a marker for future Cavernous Segment aneurysmdevelopment is unclear. The distal constriction (distal yellow arrow) is as reliable an angiographic marker of the proximal dural ring as any other. This is a lateral left ICA injection in a young epileptic patient status post craniotomy (blue arrow) and subdural strip placement (purple arrow) for invasive EEG monitoring (study done as part of Wada evaluation). Notice enlarged ICA caliber of the cavernous and transitional segments, between two yellow arrows. The distal arrowpoints to vessel constriction which probably marks the location of the dural ring, and its corresponding intradural transition. The ophthalmic artery ostium may be extradural. Notice hypertrophied anterior meningeal artery, post craniotomy-related MMA sacrifice.

On the other hand, it is also important to recognize the physiologic variability in vessel size based on local and systemic factors spasm and vasodilatation. When catheter-related, these are usually straightforward, but it is not always so. As an example, see pre- and post- AVM resection angiograms of this patient, where the cavernous segment is perfectly delineated as a region or relative vascular constriction (left image, yellow arrow), whereas the subsequent study the same area (red arrow) actually marks a subtle change towards relative dilatation. This is not related to any catheter manipulation. The MHT is labeled with blue, and ILT with purple arrows.

ANEURYSMS

What is certain is that nontraumatic cavernous aneurysms are usually fusiform, and have a strong female predominance. The former observation seems to run somewhat at odds with the theory of preferred aneurysm origin at vessel ostia, as championed by the superb works of Rhoton. For example, the superior hypophysealaneurysms are felt to arise at the ostia of superior hypophyseal arteries, not to mention the ophthalmic, PCOM, choroidal, etc. Curiously,saccular aneurysms rarely form in association withthe more consistently visualized MHT and ILT, whichare first in line to receive the brunt of supra-petrous ICA inflow. The hypertension theory is also suspect, as there are many patients with such aneurysms having nohypertension, and incidence in men is rare. It seemsmuch more likelythat the underlying cause has a primary genetic basis.

The majority of cavernous aneurysms preferentially expand laterally, into the cavernous sinus.It is a fact of singular consistency that the proximal vertical subsegment (from the PLL to the posterior genu, yellow arrows) is very rarely involved, even when the remaining cavernous ICA is transformed into a monstrous deformity (see image below). The explanation for this observation seems to be missing in the literature (please correct me if you come across any!)

Even when involvement of the vertical segment is suggested by some images, angiograhic techniques such as earlier phase or 3D-DSA imaging can help clarify the situation (below). Note actual transition into the aneurysmal segment (red arrows). A small waist marks the petro-cavernous transition in the upper case.

Read the original:
Internal Carotid Artery and Its Aneurysms | neuroangio.org

Sprowls Hall is hosting a dual art exhibit in the Kipp Gallery for artists Elaine Quave and Jillian Dickson.

The showing of Pushing Petals runs from Oct. 8 to Nov. 1.

Both artists wanted to examine the complexities of the cycles of birth and death as well as highlight the numerous connections and similarities between the anatomy of the human body and structures found often in nature.

The driving idea behind the art was that we as a species are permanently connected to nature. The show is meant to exhibit how dependent we are on the ecosystems around us to sustain our lives. The art is meant to drive the mind toward the recognition that nature will always be vital to our survival.

Pushing Petals fuses the anatomy of the human body with structures in nature, such as plants and insects, and the work seeks to dissolve the imagined divisiveness we have assumed when it comes to our connection, or lack thereof, with the natural world.

This exhibit is a visual representation that humanity and nature are not separate entities at all, but one single unit.

Quaves works in the show consist of ceramic sculptures that depict interesting fusions of plant anatomy and human anatomy. She used porcelain human bones to simulate certain plant structures and to communicate how closely connected the cycles of life and death are.

Quaves works in the exhibit also remind the viewer to

acknowledge the many negative impacts we are having on our

environments and calls to mind the environmental losses, the losses of true biodiversity and how the age we are living in has been termed the Anthropocene, or the age of man, known to be characterized by the devastating impact human actions have caused to the planets natural processes and habitats.

Dicksons art in the exhibit is meant to remind the viewer of the female body and the incredible things it is capable of.

Dicksons works are illustrations fusing images of human organs, flowers, ribbons and creatures such as butterflies and birds to connect the female body with wild nature. The drawings are meant to depict the female body alongside natural processes such as the blooming of flowers to connect the two entities of human and nature and transform them into a single whole.

Dickson uses classic imagery of the female body being fragile and beautiful by creating blooming and budding flowers, the exquisite delicacy of butterfly wings and flowing, floating ribbon. She pairs these gentle features with contrasting images of starkly veined tissue, thick taught ropes colored with almost-violent shades of reds and purples and images of placentas to drive home the strength of the female bodys capabilities, despite the societal expectations for how a female body is to look. Her works remind the viewer of innate female strength and resilience and how nature is forever pushing onward in its infinite cycles.

Read the rest here:
Art exhibit fuses human anatomy with nature | Culture - Indiana University The Penn Online

Welcome to the Anatomy of a Goal, where each week we dissect one goal (or near goal) from the previous weeks Columbus Crew SC match.

For match 15 of the 2017 MLS Season, we take a look at Ola Kamaras 59th minute goal that put Columbus Crew SC up 3-0 as the final goal in a win over the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday.

Heres a look at the finish from the Crew SC striker.

Crew SC came out firing on all cylinders, scoring two first-half goals and putting Seattle on the defensive almost immediately. The Black & Gold defense held firm for much of the match, with Zack Steffen playing one of his best games to date. Seattle, without Chad Marshall, Clint Dempsey, Jordan Morris and most of their first choice backline, struggled to slow the Columbus attack.

I chose this goal instead of one of Columbus first two, because this third goal is the epitome of the Berhalter system working at its best. Specifically, this goal features a 10-pass sequence (with every pass on the ground), where nine different Crew SC players touched the ball, which traveled from the right side of the field to the left side, and ended with a goal right running right up the middle of the pitch.

This goal starts with a Jonathan Mensah header to fellow center-back Josh Williams off of a Seattle clearance.

Williams receives Jonathans header and takes the ball up the right side of the field, where he finds a wide open Hector Jimenez. A center back playing a ball out wide to a wingback, it doesnt get much more Behalter-system than that.

With the ball out wide, Crew SC center midfielder Artur checks to Jimenez who plays the simple pass to the Brazilian. Artur then turns to the middle of the field to survey his options.

Notice Federico Higuain, making a run on the left side of the image. The Black & Golds No. 10 also checked back to Jimenez and, after the ball was passed to Artur, he immediately made a run up the field, taking a defender along and opening up space for the Crew SC offense. So far, none of these passes have been pressured by Seattle.

Artur plays a simple square pass to his midfield compatriot, captain Wil Trapp, who, seeing that he has ample time and space, lets the ball run in front of him as he surveys his many options.

Immediately, Trapp has four options: a drop pass to Jonathan, a pass to left-back Jukka Raitala; carry the ball up the field himself or a difficult pass up the field to Justin Meram.

As pressure from Alvaro Fernandez arrives, Trapp opts for the safe option and slots a pass into the path of Raitala.

To this point, the ball has moved from the center backs, to the right back, to both central midfielders and now to the left back, all without much defensive pressure.

Seeing space ahead of him, Raitala carries the ball up the left side of the field, waiting for pressure from Seattle.

Ive highlighted this image to show this nifty move by Raitala. As Cristian Roldan begins to pressure him, Raitala does a quick cutback which leaves Roldan a few yards ahead of him and gives the Crew SC left back time and space to make a decision.

With about two yards of space, after making a clever move on Roldan, Raitala slots the ball to an unmarked Meram.

As Meram receives the ball, he is open and thus able to survey all of his options. The Crew SC winger could pass the ball back to his left back, dribble the ball up the field until he is defended, find Federico Higuain or pass a square ball to Artur.

Meram decides to dribble forward until he is engaged by Seattle right back Jordy Delem. As Delem begins to defend Meram, the Crew SC winger will initiate a brilliant series of one-touch-passes with Higuain, confusing Delem and setting up Merams eventual assist to Kamara.

Lets take a look at Meram and Higuains quick passing combo before we break it down.

After Merams first pass to Higuain, the Crew SC attacking midfielder makes a one-touch pass back to his winger. Delem, the only defender engaged with these Black & Gold attackers, switched pressure to Higuain after Merams initial pass and now is switching back to Meram after Higuains one-touch pass. A hallmark of possession-based systems like Columbus is putting offensive players into these two-on-one situations with the defending team.

As we saw in the build up to Ola Kamaras great goal in New England, Crew SC will use these rondo opportunities to confuse defensive players and open up an offensive players options to pass or dribble.

As Meram receives the pass from Higuain, and as Delem shifts back to Meram and prepares to shift back to Higuain, the Crew SC winger makes his run into open space. By making this run, Meram forces Delem to decide whether he will run with him or defend Higuain.

Merams run slows Delem just enough to give Higuain the opportunity to play another one-touch pass into the space ahead of his teammate, who has gotten around the delayed defender.

With Delem out of the picture, and with slight pressure from Oniel Fisher, Meram has two immediate options: continue dribbling forward toward the middle of the field or slot a pass into Kamara who is running the channel between Seattles center backs.

Meram, still not pressured, slots the ball between Fisher and Seattles right center back Gustav Svensson, as Kamara continues running that center channel.

Now, Kamara is in a footrace with Seattles defenders. If Kamara wins this race, he will have to immediately decide what to do with the ball, be it a shot with his left foot or a quick stab forward to create more space.

Kamara decides to fire a one-time shot with his left foot, looking to beat Stefan Frei on the back post just like Crew SCs previous two goals.

Kamara is able to hit an inch-perfect ball that bangs in off of Seattles back post and in.

Take a closer look at just how tough Olas shot was.

Findings:

Continued here:
Anatomy of a Goal: Ola's Dagger - Massive Report

What determines our character? Nature or nurture? Genetic inheritance or social environment? It is an age-old debate, and Alice Birch now adds to it with this startling theatrical triptych about three generations of mothers and daughters. Whatever my doubts about Birchs conclusion, the play is odd, arresting and, in Katie Mitchells immaculate production, highly original in its form.

Birchs progress as a writer has been fascinating to watch. She delivered a short, sharp shock in 2014 with Revolt, She Said, Revolt Again which was a subversive, playful piece calling for revolution in everything from sexual relationships to the workplace. In 2015, the Orange Tree brought us an earlier Birch play, Little Light, about sibling rivalries, that suffered from too much withheld information. Since then Birch has written a polemical piece about porn, We Want You to Watch; the admired Ophelias Zimmer, which I missed; and the recent film Lady Macbeth, which transposed a Russian novel to Victorian England and got a five-star review from Peter Bradshaw.

On the evidence so far, I would say Birch has a gift for radical experiment in the style of Caryl Churchill and Sarah Kane. In her new play we are confronted by three women, Carol, Anna and Bonnie, who we learn are mother, daughter and granddaughter. They exist in three different time zones but the story of their lives is told simultaneously. As Birch herself says, the text has been scored and can be read, or viewed, horizontally. In practical terms that means that, as dialogue and action often overlap, we decide where to focus our attention.

It is simpler than it sounds. We first meet Carol when she is emerging from hospital having tried to kill herself by slitting her wrists; subsequently giving birth does little to quell her visible unease. While following Carols story, we also see her grownup daughter Anna suffering from drug addiction, joining a commune and marrying a documentary film-maker by whom she has a daughter. That daughter, Bonnie, has grown up to be a skilled physician who is gay, guarded in her relationships and determined to avoid the possibility of procreation.

If I say that panels above the stage reveal early scenes to be taking place in 1973, 1998 and 2033 and that by the end the story has moved on by roughly a decade, you will get the general idea.

So what is Birch suggesting? Evidently that inherited suicide is a possibility and that the trauma of Carols life is transmitted to the next generation and beyond. I am not qualified to say whether that is psychologically true, but behind the play lies a genetic determinism that I resist. We all know what Larkin said about what parents do to their children (They fuck you up) but Birchs play leaves little scope either for self-invention or the impact of social and economic forces. Even Bonnies choice of profession seems shaped by her grandmothers actions, and you are led to wonder whether Carols momentary surrender to a womans kiss has some connection with Bonnies sexual preference.

Even if I question many of Birchs assumptions, she has found the ideal form in which to explore her subject. I can, in fact, think of few exact parallels to this play. Charlotte Keatley in My Mother Said I Never Should interwove four generations of mothers and daughters and Edward Albee in Three Tall Women cross-cut between the different stages of his adoptive mothers life. But Birch not only presents three lives concurrently but deftly establishes overt and subliminal links between them: Carols anguish over childbirth is echoed in Annas experience and even a word such as radiant takes on varied associations when applied to all three characters.

Mitchells production is characteristically precise and detailed, and Alex Ealess design of a strip-lit institutional room with five doors proves highly adaptable.

Casting also ensures that the three women, although linked by blood, are idiosyncratically different. Hattie Morahan plausibly lends Carol the air of a once-golden girl infinitely baffled by her inability to find happiness in marriage or parenthood. Kate OFlynn exactly captures Annas congenital instability and resentment at being treated by her future husband as a case history. Adelle Leonce meanwhile is all wariness and isolation as Bonnie, and there is good support from Jodie McNee as her ardent suitor and Paul Hilton as Carols perplexed husband.

Its a play that raises many more questions than it answers but for two uninterrupted hours it kept me hooked. It also confirms that Birch is a questingly experimental writer who, even if she insufficiently acknowledges our capacity to escape our parental legacy, has a remarkable gift for reinventing dramatic form.

At the Royal Court theatre, London, until 8 July. Box office: 020-7565 5000.

In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. Hotlines in other countries can be found here.

See the article here:
Anatomy of a Suicide review a startling study of mothers and daughters - The Guardian

Without properly functioning muscles the human body would be unable to move. Muscles help to propel us through space, pump our blood, expand and contract our lungs and move nutrients through our body. One aspect of our skeletal muscles is responsible for athletic stamina. Learn about fast and slow twitch muscles, how they can determine whether you would be a better sprinter or marathoner and the role of massage therapy.

There is no getting around it; all body functions that involve movement require muscle activity. It may be as obvious as when we walk, rise from sitting or toss a ball. It may be movement we take for granted such as our heartbeat or in the iris of the eye. Muscles control the movement of food through the digestive system and enable us to breath. Some muscles are used occasionally; some are in constant use, remaining contracted to help the body maintain posture in defiance of gravity. By their very movement and resulting friction, muscle fibers provide the heat that maintains a consistent body temperature as well as assist in the pumping of blood and lymph in and out of cells.

The human body has three types of muscle skeletal, cardiac and smooth. Skeletal muscle is responsible for posture and movement of bones. It also guards the entrances and exits of the digestive, respiratory and urinary tracts. Cardiac muscle is what the heart is made of. Smooth muscle is found in the gut, around the bronchi, within the urinary tract, the reproductive organs and in the walls of the blood vessels. Skeletal muscle moves in response to nerve impulses. Cardiac and smooth muscle fibers respond to changes in local environment, hormone fluctuation, pH balance, ions and temperature among other factors.

Skeletal muscles connect bone to bone with tendonous attachments. When they contract, the bones generally pull closer together or flex. When they are at rest, the bones are further apart or extended. More complicated movements, such as circumduction, supination, pronation or rotation are a combination of flexion and extension, a blending of muscular contraction and relaxation.

Normally the muscles act together in a coordinated manner, producing smooth, efficient movements. Some movements are under conscious control, especially when first learning specific tasks such as writing or riding a bicycle, other less so like the blinking of eyes or scratching an itch. With disorders such as Parkinsons, the signals from the nervous system to the muscles are confused, producing antagonist and agonistic movements at the same time, resulting in either oscillatory movement (tremors) or persistent spasm (rigidity).

There are two basic categories of skeletal muscle fast twitch (also referred to as fast glycolic or Type IIB) and slow twitch (slow oxidative or Type I). Within the fast twitch there is a second category sometimes referred to as intermediate, Type IIA, or fast oxidative fibers. Each has their own set of characteristics and purpose. The percentage of fast, slow and intermediate twitch muscle fibers varies from person to person. The proportion is determined by genetics but can change with physical conditioning. Certain hormones, such as human growth hormone (HGH), testosterone and thyroid hormones can also stimulate the metabolism and size of muscle fibers.

Fast Twitch (Type IIB):

Slow Twitch (Type I):

Intermediate (Type IIA):

The physiology of fast or slow twitch muscles is most often utilized in sports. Athletes who run provide a good example. Those who spring short distances generally will have a higher percentage of fast twitch muscle fibers, while those who run in marathons have more slow twitch fibers.

Another example often used is the dark and light meat of poultry. The breast muscles or white meat of a free-range chicken consist of fast twitch muscle fibers needed for brief burst of flight, while the red or dark meat in their thighs and legs are used for walking and standing.

The type of skeletal muscle fiber is largely determined by heredity. Massage cant change that. What massage can do is help to bring oxygen and nutrients to muscle cells, which in turn can help them to work more efficiently and heal quicker.

Individuals who are highly athletic or participate in competitive sports have a tendency to test their bodies to maximum endurance and, at the very least, experience sore muscles. They often get injured in their pursuit. Some injuries are serious others are minor, involving microscopic tears in muscle tissue. When administering massage, care needs to be taken to customize the session to the athlete as well as the sport. Sports massage techniques, most of which are derived from traditional Swedish massage, have been found to be the most effective in promoting healing and maintaining optimal fitness.

To maximize the effectiveness of your massage, make sure to ask your clients about any physical training they participate in, whether it be recreationally or professionally. Knowing this may help you determine just which massage techniques will be best for them.

Advanced Anatomy & PhysiologyCommon Sports InjuriesSports MassageSwedish Massage for ProfessionalsUnderstanding Sports Massage

British Broadcasting Company. Muscles Fast and slow twitch. BBS Science & Nature. Available from http://www.bbc.com.uk/science/humanbody/factfiles/fastandslowtwitch/soleus.shtml. Internet; accessed 25 March 2010.

Haycock, Bryan. Fiber Types, Training, and Hypertrophy. Think Muscle. Available from http://www.thinkmuscle.com/articles/haycock/hst-07.htm. Internet; accessed 25 March 2010.

ICBS, Inc. Sports Massage. Holisticonline.com. Available from http://www.holisticonline.com/massage/mas_sports.htm. Internet; accessed 25 March 2010.

Premkumar, Kalyani. (2004). The Massage Connection: Anatomy and Physiology, 2nd ed. Baltimore: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Robson, David. How Do Fast-Twitch & Slow-Twitch Muscle Fibers Influence Athletic Performance?. Bodybuilding.com. Available from http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/drobson33.htm. Internet; accessed 25 March 2010.

Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Muscle. Wikipedia. Available from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle. Internet; accessed 25 March 2010.

Originally posted here:
Anatomy Review: Slow and Fast Twitch Muscle Fibers ...

I am so happy so many people saw it and were affected in some way by it, actress LaTanya Richardson Jackson says about her recent arc on Greys Anatomy as patient Diane Pierce and mother to the character Dr. Maggie Pierce played by main cast member Kelly McCreary. It touches us on such a human level because thematically what it dealt with and how it dealt with [it], so many of us are going through or have gone through or have been touched by it, Richardson Jackson explains in her interview with Gold Derby (watch the exclusive video above) before adding, This cancer epidemic in the world is the scourge of our existence.

Billed simply as LaTanya Richardson for most of her career, she now uses LaTanya Richardson Jackson as her stage name, alluding to her marriage to Oscar nominee Samuel L. Jackson, which is at 36 years and counting. Despite sharing a profession, the couple has not appeared on screen together since the film Mother and Child in 2009. Richardson Jackson explains, We used to work together all the time when we were younger, when we were really going up and we were sort of at the same level. But since his star rose so high and he became a supernova, we have not found ourselves able to work together. She laments about the last time that they shared a set, He had such a huge trailer and so many amenities that were not afforded to me. I said, Oh well, I guess we wont be doing this again because I cant take it. But I think in the future, I would love to do a play with him.

Crediting theater as her first love, Richardson Jackson enjoyed the first major nomination of her career in 2014 when she was nominated at the Tony Awards for her lead role in the A Raisin in the Sun play revival on Broadway. Thats written on the rsum of my soul, she gushes, noting, That really came out of left field because I was replacing [aging Tony winner and Oscar nominee Diahann Carroll] during a very deep rehearsal period that was so quick that [the premiere was only two months after being cast] that it never would have crossed my mind. Everybody who does theater though [] Tonys thats bigger to us than any Oscar.

For the Emmys this year, Richardson Jackson has submitted her third and final Greys Anatomy performance for Best Drama Guest Actress consideration the episode Be Still, My Soul directed by starEllen Pompeo in her directorial debut. Although her character ultimately succumbs to the cancer, Richardson Jackson believes that theres hope for Diane to return in some incarnation for a future season. She elaborates, I think that theres a lot there to be mined. I just keep trying to insert myself into it again because I had such a great time there and I was very sad to have to die and leave. Richardson Jackson even admits to being a fan of the show from the very beginning, which made her casting in the 13th season that much sweeter.

Be sure to make your Emmy predictions. Weigh in now with your picks so that Hollywood insiders can see how their TV shows and performers are faring in our Emmy odds.You can keep changing your predictions until just before nominees are announced on July 13. Join in the fierce debate over the 2017 Emmys taking place right now with Hollywood insiders in our TV forums. And visit our home page for the latest in entertainment news.

Related: Ellen Pompeo directs Greys Anatomy episode about mommy issues

Related: Watch our many interviews with 2017 Emmy contenders

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Link:
LaTanya Richardson Jackson ('Grey's Anatomy'): Cancer 'touches us on such a human level' [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO] - Goldderby

Continued below... Team Bauerle

As previously reported by Canada Free Press (CFP), after I was called a lunatic and worse in January 2014 and beyond, a war hero friend and I put together a team of patriots to help me prove what sounded crazy even to me: that I was and had been under illegal surveillance, that it was very high tech and that I was right all along. It was known as Team Bauerle.

This team I put together to prove my claims of being under surveillance consisted of retired SEALS, Delta Force, Green Berets, intel (CIA) and law enforcement pros, both active duty and retired.

This team disbanded after they made contact with the people conducting the illegal surveillance, who assured my people that I would be compensated for the anguish through which I had been put.

After believing the matter resolved, my Team Bauerle disbanded, but the surveillance continues, in violation of what I thought and was assured was an agreement we had privately reached, that has not been honored, despite my repeated entreaties.

I held back photos and videos in the interest of what I was told was national security.

Until now.

Since the publication of the CFP article Radios True Patriot, another loved one has received calls from a military contractor with contracts with the NSA.

Nothing was saidNo message was left.We have tried to call the number but despite being listed as a landline, it is a cell number and no one ever returned our calls to tell us why they had called my loved-one, twice without leaving a message (we have screenshots).

Was it some kind of veiled threat?

I dont scare.

In fact, I take it as a compliment that more than one person had told me that I reminded them of the Billy Bob Thornton character in Goliath. The authenticity of these photographs I am allowing CFP to publish of cloaking-invisibility technology in use in my own backyard has been confirmed byRichard Schowengerdt,the man who invented invisibility in the 1990s.

The first picture is a simple cell phone shot of my backyard, in daylight.

But what is that midway up the utility pole, to the right?

I invented a process to break the invisibility camouflage, and Ive never even taken a physics class.

Persistence.

And being more than a little pissed off.

Again, I now believe Team Bauerle was lied to in Spring 2016, and that the people illegally surveilling me were stalling to delay me or prevent me from pursuing a public course of action with the video and these (and many other) photos.

Mr. President, I now believe there is a high probability that those engaged in the harassment of me and several loved ones and friends are operatives of the Shadow Government trying to bring you and your presidency down. The reason I asked CFP to report on what I reasonably believed was a settlement that would be honored with those responsible for the illegal surveillance? (see CFP Vindicated)

Among other weirdness, a loved-one had received a butt-dial mystery call from April Melody of the DNC. (See pic from CFP)

I do not trust the Clintons or the Obama Mob, and I wanted that call and my story on the public record, lest I have a sudden heart-attack induced by hacking my ICD, or a lightning strike, or have my vehicle suddenly accelerate and crash.

This call to my loved ones cell phone was made hours after Hillarys DNC convention acceptance speech, and the person who received the call would have no reason to be on any DNC call list.

We learned the number belonged to Ms. Melody of the DNC because it was part of the Wikileaks dump.

Why would this person, very close to me, receive a call from a DNC staffer on the Wikileaks dump?

I left messages for her. She never returned my calls. How about that? Huh? President Trump, I have tried reaching out to you through mutual friends, but I have recently realized that even you may not know about the surveillance techniques under development right now, because no one from the White House ever got back to me.

One of your closest aides had no idea of my situation when it was brought to his attention.

I am concerned about you and believe it a strong possibility that you are being kept in the dark by Obama holdovers at the FBI, NSA and CIA because they WANT you to look like a paranoid lunatic.

Has anyone in our government advised you not to upset the intelligence apparatus, Mr. President?

I believe we are not just talking about the Obama progressives currently employed in intel, but those who may be doing private contract work after leaving the service.

I have decided to release these photos,with many more to come, complete with instructions on how to defeat these technologies, to help keep you safe.

If, as Commander in Chief, you request I not release additional photos and videos of this technology in action, I will obey, Sir.

Isnt it odd how many of your PRIVATE conversations were leaked to certain people?

With all of the leaks from your inner circle, there is something rotten going on.

President Trump, The Swamp is a bitter enemy and they will do anything to drain you.

You, President Trump, need to watch your back and I call upon you to open a federal probe of the illegal surveillance of citizens like me, and as you Tweeted, even yourself.

Former President Carter also believed that he was being illegally surveilled, but I suppose hes just delusional too, huh? And lets not forget the previous administrations illegal surveillance of Sharyl Attkisson and James Rosen.

I have a lot of intel to give you as a starting point.

Did I sound like a lunatic when we spoke? I hope not.

Did you sound like one to me? No.

But something is very, very suspicious.

I have concluded the people who have illegally surveilled me (and loved ones) since at least 2013 and who continue to do so, hacked my electronics as well as those of my loved ones and friends (like former White House Travel Chef Tracy Martin, whose phone was hacked and had his home broken into days after appearing on my show to confirm that the real Hillary Clinton has no use for our black brothers and sisters and frequently uses the N-Word.) are most likely Deep State people and those who simply cannot accept the fact that you beat The Swamps choice. (See: Tom Bauerle: Can Satellites Reprogram Voting Machines?, and DNC intimidation of Tom Bauerle loved ones exposed by Wikileaks)

Naturally, a significant amount of money will be needed to compensate me for massive invasions of privacy and my civil rights.

My home, despite having a state of the art security system, has been broken into on numerous occasions.

One such break-in was recorded in January 2014, and a professional came to my home, watched the video and informed me that it looked like electronic cloaking, a term of which I had never heard.

That professional? A Federal Agent Specifically, Secret Service.

We became acquainted when he reached out to me to request I make it clear that the Secret Service monitored comments made by listeners on my shows Facebook page, and requested that I remind people that the Secret Service investigates all potential threats. Of course, I happily obliged, as the Secret Service has better things to do than chase down idiots who vented violently against Mr. Obama.

I will not publicly name that person at this time.

On a subsequent visit to my home, he told me It looks like they have the full array against you tonight.

That individual gave me a box of chocolate from President Obamas Air Force One. (see photo, left)

We would meet periodically until one day he kind of vanished from the face of the earth, not only with me but also from a mutual friend.

It isnt a question of national security any more.

The issue is freedom and the republic.

What else makes sense?

We have been subjected
to years of civil rights violations as well as privacy violations.

Yes, this letter to you may cost me my job (Why would you bring this up again? I might affect the Almighty Revenue stream if people think youre nuts! I can almost hear it now), but there comes a time when people have a right to know what their government, research institutions and military contractors are up to.

And I will be litigating against ALL involved.

We should be talking about a MAJOR amount of compensatory and punitive damages here.

I believe the only reason I am alive is because of Team Bauerle and the info we gathered on them and their operation which dates at least back to 2013.

I can play the intel games with the best of them, and am damned proud of how I have withstood threats, implied threats and too many coincidences to be random.

There are waay tooo many such coincidences for me to stay quiet any longer.

And to other members of the media and left-wing bloggers who are salivating over the chance to question my sanity again, a la Alinskys ridicule, is a powerful weapon theory.

You would do quite well to refer to the statement by Dr. Marshall (Canada Free Press) attesting to my sound mental health. Mr. Bauerle does not need psychotropic medication.

My attorneys and I will vigorously pursue any unfair injury to my brand which may arise from false accusations that I have delusions or any such mental health issues.

I do not, and never have.

Youre on notice: youd best think twice before you call my sanity into question, and you may wish to reflect on the multiple corroborations of my claims by private citizens and the inventor of the technology, the above mentioned Richard Schowengerdt, who confirmed the photo below as proof beyond any doubt that I was correct about being under high tech surveillance.

I believe in the First Amendment, but I will not allow my reputation to be unfairly slandered or libelled and will be aggressive in pursuing any such damage to my brand.

You are put on notice: while I am a public person, and slander and libel claims have to meet a higher threshold to be actionable, my attorneys and I will have a keen eye on media outlets and their reporting on this, and will vigorously pursue any hint that I am mentally ill or delusional.

I am not an attorney, but you would be well-advised to speak with your legal counsel about the reckless disregard for the facts standard and ask yourself If a jury sees these pictures, the unambiguous corroboration from the man who invented cloaking technology they show , the statement from Dr. Marshall attesting to my sound mental health, what would the preponderance of evidence suggest? That I have mental issues, or that I am and have been telling the truth. So as much as it may pain you, I am very aware of the law in this regard.

And I just need 51% proof, even though it is my opinion as a layman I can exceed reasonable doubt in any claim. Choose your words very, very carefully when describing my claims.

Ill be happy to undergo a polygraph. And any ad hominem attack regarding my mental health will be dealt with appropriately. That isnt a threat. It is a promise, and Im doing you a favor in advance. I did not and will not pursue any action against the Amherst Police Department, because I respect law enforcement, and as I have stated, at that time I was making claims without substantiation. In their shoes, I also would have wanted a psych-eval. You members of the media and bloggers will receive no quarter at all from me should you recklessly disregard the facts of my case. Not just corporations, but individual reporters and bloggers work will be scrutinized carefully for any damage done unfairly to my brand and future income potential.

Meanwhile, heres the thing: The personal safety of truth-tellers is left hanging perilously in the balance.

If they can do this to the duly elected President of the United States, whats to stop them from doing it to the rest of us.

Continued here:
Open Letter to the President: Yes, YouAre Probably Being Spied On - Canada Free Press

On Friday afternoon, in response to a PAIA application by DA Shadow Minister of Social Development, Bridget Masango, for information on any new contract between Sassa and CPS, the Department of Social Developments Deputy Information Officer, Michael Machuberg, responded, contract entered into between the department and/or Sassa with Net1/CPS for the distribution of social grants from 01 April 2017 does not exist and therefore not unavailable in our possession.

On March 6, however, Net1 CEO Serge Belamant in an interview with Radio 702 said that the previous week his company had agreed to a set of terms with Sassa on two very, very important issues, one of them were the commercial terms going forward, and the other set of terms is what we were going to do on behalf of Sassa in order for them to take in-house a number of technical processes we currently perform.

So, with only three weeks to go, the entire Sassa social grants crisis still appears to be in legal limbo.

Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng last Wednesday directed Sassa to furnish, by 16:00 on Monday, full details of responsible officials, dates when these officials became aware that the time frames set out by the court could not be met, why the court had not been informed and whether Minister Dlamini had been informed, and if so, when.

Hopefully, whatever it is Sassa and the department and the minister submits to the court will unravel this very thickly woven knot of obfuscation, lies, deceit and delay tactics, and most important, why. Sassa officials and the minister, hopefully, will also answer why they secretly met with President Jacob Zumas lawyer Michael Hulley in December 2016 who then offered legal advice overruling that offered by Advocate Wim Trengove.

One of the officials who is likely to feature in the submission to the ConCourt is Zodwa Mvulane, Sassas Executive Manager, Special Projects. A batch of letters accompanying Belamants affidavit to the ConCourt on March 7 and in response to an application by the Black Sash gives some insight into the anatomy of the train smash.

Timeline and names of officials:

On May 24, 2016, Belamant wrote to Mvulane indicating that he had met with Sassa at your request a few months ago to discuss the implications for Sassa to achieve this objective [of taking the payment in-house]. We discussed both a closed loop system that could permit interoperability with the NPS [National Payments System], as well as an open loop system as is currently provided.

Belamant told Mvulane there is not enough time left between now on March 31, 2017 for the banks to assist in this massive task... As time is running out quite rapidly, it is critical for Sassa to decide on the way forward. In order to prevent disruption in the payment process and to protect beneficiaries, it may be better for Sassa to extend the current CPS contract for at least 12 months, during which Sassa could refine their strategy and implement a phase-out and phase-in plan.

On May 31 Advocate Nazeer Cassim and Mias Mostert advised Sassa that the Constitutional Court would have to be informed of the change in status pertaining to deliverables as well as the possibility of CPS tenure being extended. Meaning that by then Sassa had been aware that it was not going to meet the seven deliverables as set out by the ConCourt.

The court will be especially sensitive in our view to the continued involvement of CPS. Our concern is that the impression might be created that Sassa has all along been pulling the wool over the courts eyes. To prevent this impression from being created, our suggestion is that the change in proposed time frames relating to deliverables be coupled to new information emerging from the meeting with SARB... wrote Cassim and Mostert.

Presenting Sassas annual report to Parliaments portfolio committee on social development on October 13, 2016, where the closing balance of irregular expenditure was revealed as R1-billion and fruitless and wasteful expenditure as R10.9-million, the agency dedicated one paragraph to the institutionalisation of the payment system.

This is planned for implementation in four phases. Phase 0 was the Advisory Committee investigation that took place against the backdrop of the Cash Paymaster Services that ends in March 2017. Phase 1 will be led by Work Stream leaders appointed with the concurrence of the minister to guide the successful implementation of the recommendations of the Advisory Committee for the smooth transition of Sassa towards effectively and efficiently incorporating its payment role to the current in-house functions. Phase 2 and 3 entailing the transition and full roll-out respectively will be implemented during the period April 2017-March 2019.

It was at that presentation, made by then Acting Director-General of the DSD, Dr Wiseman Magasela, that the DAs Bridget Masango first raised the alarm saying that this was a huge project that needed to be undertaken by Sassa and which required a lot of preparation and that involved the lives of 17-million people who were dependent on social grants.

Where is the plan for this project and could the portfolio committee have access to it? Also was Sassa ready to take over the process? asked Masango.

The DAs Lindy Wilson also asked how far the agency was in terms of the seven deliverables as set out by the Constitutional Court.

According to the Parliamentary Monitoring Groups record of the presentation Magasela told the committee that Sassa was ready to give details or reach an agreement of when to come back to the committee to explain progress for the takeover and not withholding any information from the Committee.

Mr Magasela said Sassa was fully aware that the project was a huge one with responsibility in terms of making sure that social grants for 17-million south Africans were fully paid on time as had been the established practice. The Agency was working towards making sure that come March 2017 all south Africans would receive their grants. The Minister was providing political leadership on the issue. There was also a project manager managing this project.

On October 19 the portfolio committee met again to review and adopt the DSD budget and recommendations report. Once again members asked about the progress for Sassas takeover of grant payments.

On November 16 a meeting had been planned for Sassa to brief the portfolio committee but was cancelled at short notice and replaced by a presentation by the National Development Agency.

The minutes read: Members objecting pointed out that the Sassa briefing had been agreed upon as far back as 13 October and had been placed on the agenda following an agreement by the chairperson as far back as June that the plan would be presented to the committee. There was a suggestion that the chairperson had deliberately tried to prevent the presentation, but the chairperson explained that this had in fact happened firstly because the Minister, who wanted to accompany the Sassa delegation, was out of the country, and secondly because Sassa would be meeting with stakeholders prior to coming to brief the committee.

On November 30 Minister Dlamini and Sassa returned to Parliament to brief the committee with regard to Sassas readiness to take over as paymaster for the grants. Present along with Dlamini was the newly-appointed Director-General of the Department of Social Development, Zane Dangor, as well as newly appointed CEO Thokozani Magwaza. At that meeting opposition as well as ANC members complained that the department had not sent the presentation document earlier so that members could read and interrogate it.

At that meeting Magwaza told members that Sassa was ready for the takeover from April 1.

However, SASSA through the minister asked that the committee does not push it to reveal its contingency plans in public as this might jeopardise the work it has done already. What matters is that by 1 April 2017, the grant will be paid. (our italics)

Sassas Executive Manager, Raphaahle Ramokgopa, at that meeting said that Sassa had fulfilled its obligations to the Constitutional Court which had assumed a supervisory role over the agency after the 2012 contract with CPS. The first report, she said had been about the fresh tender application, the second dealing with progress towards implementation of the tender, the third with the outcome of the tender process and the fourth with the implementation process within Sassa.

Ramokgopa admitted that there are areas where Sassa was not meeting deadlines and that the agency had sought a legal opinion.

With the feedback received from legal counsel and other people, Sassa will go back to explain to the court what had happened, the work in progress and the mechanism in place for implementation, said Ramokgopa.

At this presentation is appears as if Ramokgopa parrots some of the content of Belamants May 24 letter to Mvulane.

Heres Ramokgopa on November 30; There are two options. The first is an open architecture or open loop. This involves operating in the national payment system that is provided for by the Reserve Bank. The second option looks into a combination of both an open and closed loop system. Both options specify the need for Sassa account requirements which Sassa has done an expression of interest for. Sassa is also in discussion with the Reserve Bank, PASA and BASA on a specialised account which has limited facilities... The open loop is a system operating in the national payment system, the accounts are fully accessible and allow direct reconciliation. Biometrics is a key factor in both options. In the current payment, the Reserve Bank has given permission to Sassa to utilise biometrics for older people and disabled persons. Discussions are on the way as to whether this can be extended to all beneficiaries. The reason for the need for biometrics is for fraud and risk management. Option 1 requires a new Sassa card that operates in both a closed and open system. It must be an integrated system flexible enough to operate in both and allow cash disbursement for beneficiaries in remote areas. Generally, for both options Sassa needs to develop an internal ICT system, recruit relevant capacity and use a phase in and phase out approach.

Heres Belamant to Mvulane on May 24; We discussed both a closed loop system that could permit interoperability with the NPS, as well as an open loop system as is currently provided. The reason for the two approaches which are both technologically equivalent in terms of interoperability, is that a closed loop system would allow Sassa to provide a payment solution which would be under its control in totality as Sassa would operate only under the Social Assistance Act of 2004. An open system would require Sassa to obtain or make use of a banking licence, amongst others, or to outsource this function to one or more banks resulting in a solution similar to the current system. The open loop payment solution would be governed by the banking rules, the SARB. PASA Visa and MasterCard, the FSB, etc. and, as such, Sassa would not have actually taken the payment function in house in any way but simply outsourced it to a different bank or/and service provider which would probably require a fresh tender to be issued.

At that meeting the DAs Wilson asked whether Sassa had accomplished the ConCourts seven deliverables as well as Who is the supervisor now? Was the court informed when the deliverables were changed? Have the deliverables been extended especially once the deadline for a deliverable has passed? Was the Constitutional Court informed about it and what was the decision?

To which Dangor replied that the fact that some of the timelines have not been met means that Sassa has to go back to the Constitutional Court to discuss the options. The Constitutional Court is the supervisor.

Zodwa Mvulane replied that when Sassa began to solicit advice from other stakeholders as well as reports from the work streams it became apparent that Sassa had been overly ambitious about some of its timelines.

Hence Sassa took the advice and broke down the deliverables and start working on things that matter.

Minister Dlamini then suggested that the committee that it invite officials from Treasury, the Reserve Bank, the Post Office and Postbank so that members could have a clear understanding of what is going on.

However, added Dlamini, there are challenges Sassa cannot talk about.

Back now to Belamant waiting in the wings.

On December 9, 2016 Belamant wrote to Dlamini expressing that he was becoming increasingly concerned with the lack of communication from Sassa and that CPS would also commence the dismantling of its payment infrastructure on January 1, 2017.

Belamant told Dlamini As you are aware, on November 30, 2016, Sassa reported to Parliament that it would be ready to perform the payment of all social grants by April 1, 2017. The Contract and Service Level Agreement (the contracts) between Sassa and Cash Paymaster Services (Pty) Ltd (CPS) were declared invalid by the Constitutional Court of South Africa. The Constitutional Court, however, suspended the declaration of invalidity until a) Sassa issued and awarded a fresh tender or b) until March 31 , 2017 which ever event occurred first.

He added that over the past six months (so at least from August) the SARB, PASA, Grindrod bank and MasterCard have engaged with us to debate the technological issues related to the longevity of the existing Sassa branded cards and if a solution could be found to prolong their lifespan beyond April 1, 2017. He added that these stakeholders were of the view that finding a solution was primordial as Sassa had not finalised or disclosed their transition plan, but that such plan would undoubtedly require the Sassa branded cards to continue to operate beyond April 1, 2017 to ensure that there would be no disruption to the payment of grants service going forward.

And then As a result, we have developed and tested a plan that will ensure continuity but such plan requires your urgent endorsement and commitment.

On December 18 the Sunday Times reported that Minister Dlamini, Dangor, Magwaza, Mvulane and Ramokgopa had met with President Zumas lawyer, Michael Hulley, at the Intercontinental Hotel at OR International Airport. Dlamini had summoned the officials and Hulley had arrived out of the blue.

Dangor and Magwaza reportedly expressed at the meeting their serious concerns with the meddling of Hulley in the matter and also quizzed his role in the matter.

On December 22 Sassas Mvulane responded to CPS saying that it was willing to engage on probabilities for assistance in the transition of Sassa operations towards a new service model, and suggested a first meeting on January 5, 2017.

On December 30 Dlamini chaired a meeting with Sassa CEO, Magwaza, Mvulane, Dlaminis special adviser, Sipho Shezi, DSD deputy director-general Brenton van Vrede, Sassas legal consultant Tim Sukazi, Ramokgopa as well as head of corporate services, Dumisani Ndlovu, at President Zumas lawyer Michael Hulleys office in Durban. There they discussed the CPS contract.

Dangor reportedly refused to attend this meeting.

On February 1 Sassa was back in Parliament for a briefing with the committee, a meeting Dlamini skipped, opting to attend a Cabinet lekgotla instead. Opposition members refused to accept her apology and also complained once again about the late circulation of material to be presented.

ANC committee member Hope Malgas rebuked opposition members saying the lekgotla was important and warranted the postponement of meetings.

There is nothing wrong in postponing. The ANC being in government has to give guidance, said Malgas.

Ramokgopa set out six options including retaining CPS (only snag being the extension of the illegal contract), procuring the services of banks [Treasurys suggestion] while this option may guarantee service delivery, there is no guarantee that beneficiaries will be pa
id who are at the cash pay point, procuring the services of banks and the setting up of a special account [a plan that needed six months], option four using banks for some payouts and CPS for cash pay points, using SAPO and the appointment of a service provider for cash distribution and for banked beneficiaries to use existing accounts.

Given the above circumstances, Sassa came to the conclusion that it has failed. Sassa is of the view that Option 1 carries the least risk in terms of service delivery failure and as such should pursue the option while working on Option 6. In order to pursue this option, Sassa will approach Constitutional Court as a matter of urgency, since this is likely to be virtually the only mechanism to regularise such an approach which would otherwise be irregular. Also procurement in relation to Treasury practice Note 3 of 2016/17 will need to be followed.

It was at this meeting that Magwaza let slip with regard to the fact that Sassas selection of option 1, to go with CPS, had not yet approached the Constitutional Court but that the lawyers have assured Sassa that the court will approve since it is a matter of national emergency.

Which lawyers Magwaza did not disclose.

Was this Hulleys advice?

The ConCourt will soon find out.

On February 2 the Minister of Finance wrote to Dlamini informing her that continuing a contract with CPS would expose government to legal challenges. He proposed that a tender be given to banks and the Post Office.

Sassa revealed what everyone keenly watching developments feared, and suspected: that it was nowhere near ready to assume the critical function and had, in fact, not fulfilled even a single one out of the seven deliverables set out by the Constitutional Court.

If you ask me to choose between irregular [processes] and the country going up in flames, I choose irregular, Thokozani Magwaza told the committee to some audible gasps in the room.

9 February Magwaza wrote to Belamant with regard to exploratory discussions.

16 February Belamant replies to Magwaza stating we have... not received any formal notification from Sassa or yourself regarding the dates for such exploratory discussions. I am concerned that any further delay will significantly impact on our ability to conclude an interim arrangement. It is our view that any negotiations in this respect will require adequate time and consultation to address the following aspects of a new contract. including but not limited to duration, price, phase-in or phase-out strategy, BEE.

Belamant added that it is unlikely that the current contract can be extended due to the Constitutional Court judgment as well as the legal constraints of the PFMA. An extension of the contract would, in any case, be unacceptable to the Net1 board of directors due to the ongoing controversy and reputational damage to our company. I have rescheduled my diary as well as my travel arrangements to accommodate the Sassa meetings and will be available to meet with you from 1 March 2017.

On February 22 the portfolio committee met again. This time the panic was even palpable in the minutes published later by PMG. Dlamini, with CEO Magwaza wiping his brow frequently, dominated the meeting, seldom allowing Sassa officials to speak.

It was the IPFs Liezl Van Der Merwe at the meeting who asked, Can you confirm they [CPS] are seeking an extra R1.3-billion from this department to pay out the social grants? I also want to know that you dont want to pass the buck to Treasury but there are allegations that come March 31 and there is a problem of some sorts you will pass the buck and blame Minister Pravin Gordhan which will give the minister and the president more ammunition to fire Pravin Gordhan.

Committee chair Rose Capa accused the media of terrorising the poor.

On February 28 Sassa appeared before Scopa to account for the mess. It was learned that Magwaza had been booked of ill with high blood pressure and that CEO of the National Development Agency, Thamo Mzobe, had been appointed that morning as acting CEO, and who became ill a week later. Dlamini opted to skip this Scopa meeting, which angered members. It was a shambolic presentation. Members called for Dlamini to account to Scopa.

That same day Sassa filed papers with the Constitutional Court asking it to authorise its engagement with CPS for 12 months from April 1, 2017 to March 30, 2018. Twenty-four hours later Sassa withdrew the application on orders from the minister. Mzobe, who was still on the job at that point, said that Sassa had not been consulted by Magwaza and were now merely sending a follow-up report to the court.

On the same day, the Black Sash files with the Constitutional Court asking the court to act in a supervisory role with regard to the new CPS contract. In court papers the Sash says Sassa breached its constitutional obligations of transparency and accountability to the public to Parliament and to the court.

March 2, 2017 Dlamini and Sassa filed the follow-up report with the ConCourt accepting responsibility for the fiasco.

The minister and Sassa accept responsibility for Sassas inability to deliver the system deliverables set out in the progress report, reads their submission.

Sassa also claimed it only became aware in August and October 2016 after advice from technical advisers that it would be unable to take the payment of social grants in house after March 31. Sassa added it was not ready to move forward due to budget constraints, insufficient internal capacity and a lack of skilled personnel to implement the plan in the time frame it had contemplated.

March 3, 2017 DSD DG Zane Dangor resigns citing a breakdown in the relationship with the minister.

March 5, President Zuma met with Dlamini and Gordhan and said the Sassa crisis is solvable.

March 5 Dlamini and her spokesperson Lumka Oliphant call a last-minute press conference which ends up with Dlamini refusing to answer questions from journalists. Dlamini blamed the media for creating panic with regard to the payment of grants on April 1. Dlamini confirmed however that no deal with CPS had been signed, contradicting an earlier statement that a deal had in fact been concluded.

March 7 Minister Dlamini appears before Scopa and receives a grilling of note. She tells committee members that Scopa had underestimated the amount of work.

March 8 The Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng directs Sassa to reply in detail questions relating to responsible officials, a time line for the fiasco as well as when it was the minister was informed.

March 14 4pm Will all be revealed? DM

Photo: Minister of Social Development Bathabile Dlamini closes the National Youth Camp at 3 South African Infantry Battalion near Kimberley, Northern Cape, 12 December 2016. (Photo: GCIS)

Continue reading here:
SASSAgate: Anatomy of the Hidden Hand will all be revealed to ConCourt? - Daily Maverick

What Is Anatomy?

Anatomy is the study of the structure of living organisms. This subdiscipline of biology can be further categorized into the study of large scale anatomical structures (gross anatomy) and the study of microscopic anatomical structures (microscopic anatomy). Human anatomy deals with anatomical structures of the human body, including cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems. Anatomy is always linked to physiology, the study of how biological processes function in living organisms.

Therefore it is not enough to be able to identify a structure, its function must also be understood.

The study of human anatomy gives us a better understanding of the structures of the body and how they work. When taking a basic anatomy course, your goal should be to learn and understand the structures and functions of the major body systems. It is important to remember that organ systems don't just exist as individual units. Each system depends on the others, either directly or indirectly, to keep the body functioning normally. It is also important to be able to identify the major cells, tissues, and organs being studied and to know how they function.

Studying anatomy involves lots of memorization. For instance, the human body contains 206 bones and over 600 muscles. Learning these structures requires time, effort, and good memorization skills. The following tips will help make learning and memorizing body structures easier.

The most important thing to understand when studying anatomy is the terminology. Using standard anatomical terminology ensures that anatomists have a common method of communicating to avoid confusion when identifying structures. Knowing anatomical directional terms and body planes for instance, enables you to describe the locations of structures in relation to other structures or locations in the body. Learning the common prefixes and suffixes used in anatomy and biology is also helpful. For example, if you are studying the brachiocephalic artery, you can figure out its function by knowing the affixes in the name. The affix brachio- refers to the upper arm and cephal refers to the head. If you have memorized that an artery is a blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart, you can determine that the brachiocephalic artery is a blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the head and arm regions of the body.

Study aids are very useful when studying anatomy. Believe it or not, anatomy coloring books are one of the best ways to learn and memorize structures and their location. The Anatomy Coloring Book is a popular choice, but other coloring books work as well. Anatomy flash cards, like Netter's Anatomy Flash Cards and Mosby's Anatomy & Physiology Study and Review Cards are recommended as well. Flash cards are valuable for reviewing information and are not meant to be a substitute for anatomy texts. Acquiring a good complementary text, such as Netter's Atlas of Human Anatomy, is a must for higher level anatomy courses and those interested in or already attending medical school. These resources provide detailed illustrations and pictures of various anatomical structures.

I can't state it enough, to really make sure you comprehend the material, you must constantly review what you have learned. It is vital that you attend any and all anatomy review sessions given by your instructor. Be sure to always take practice quizzes before taking any test or quiz. Get together with a study group and quiz each other on the material. If you are taking an anatomy course with a lab, be sure that you prepare for what you are going to be studying before lab class. The main thing you want to avoid is falling behind. With the volume of information that is covered in most anatomy courses, it is important that you stay ahead and know what you need to know, before you need to know it.

Organisms are arranged in a hierarchical structure. Cells compose tissues of the body, which can be categorized into four primary types. These tissue types are epithelial tissue, muscle tissue, connective tissue, and nervous tissue. Tissues in turn form organs of the body. Examples of body organs include the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, liver, pancreas, thymus, and thyroid. Organ systems are formed from groups of organs and tissues working in conjunction to perform necessary functions for the survival of the organism. Examples of organ systems include the circulatory system, digestive system, endocrine system, nervous system, lymphatic system, skeletal system, and reproductive system.

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Anatomy - Tips and Advice for Studying

Barely two years after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government was formed, all the papers can talk about on Sunday morning is its apparently imminent demise. A coalition crisis is in full swing, sending Israels preeminent pundits scrambling to find people to blame and issues to make the center of the agenda. With all the attention going to the possibility of fresh elections, relatively little attention is given to the Israeli airstrike on Syria early Friday morning and the rocket fire rupturing southern Israels weekend calm.

To virtually nobodys surprise, the free daily Israel Hayom is sympathetic to Netanyahu, explaining his position on its front page that the existing public broadcaster would cost less than the proposed new one set to be rolled out. What do we need it for? Netanyahu is quoted in the papers headline, setting the tone of the rest of the article. It quotes senior Likud official Yariv Levin saying that with 30 seats, the ruling party can stick to its guns despite pressure from its coalition allies.

The paper exhibits the most balanced manner of reporting by quoting Likud ministers throughout the first five paragraphs of its main report, only getting around to the Kulanu partys counterpoint in paragraph six.

What others perceive as the premiers paranoia is what Mati Tuchfeld calls political sensors on maximum sensitivity, and when Netanyahu detects sparks of non-compliance by one of the coalition partners, he projects [the message] that the master of the house is willing to go all-in, come what may.

Its not just the broadcaster and its not just Kahlon, he writes, arguing that this whole crisis was a brilliant masterstroke by Netanyahu to keep his coalition partners in line. Its also [Jewish Home party leader] Naftali Bennett, who just a couple of days ago said that Netanyahu has neglected religious Zionism. Its also Liberman, who though he appears Netanyahus most trusted partner, nonetheless his comments about closing the yeshiva in [the West Bank settlement of] Eli sent the prime minister down a dead end.

If Israel Hayom takes the defensive stance in Netanyahus favor, Yedioth Ahronoth comes out swinging against the prime minister. It dispenses with any semblance of reportage in the opening pages, leading instead with that fearsome duo of twin op-eds by mainstay pundits Nahum Barnea and Sima Kadmon.

Like Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair, Netanyahu has solidified his grip on his party in his fourth term in office but is cursed to self-destruct, Barnea expounds. The economy is strong, the country is secure, Likud is joined by right wing parties in ruling the country, and hes welcomed in Moscow, Beijing and Washington with open arms, Barnea says.

Crises like thse are born on WhatsApp and die on WhatsApp, he says. All it needs is intervention by the prime minister. Netanyahus sudden interest in the fates of Israel Broadcasting Authority workers is the most baseless crisis, Barnea says.

Netanyahu was the one who passed the bill through the Knesset to disband the corrupt, bloated and unnecessary IBA that had been under his wing for years. Kahlon stands against him not because the public broadcaster is dear to his heart or pocket, but because theres a limit to his willingness to be a mop.

Kadmon likewise calls out Netanyahu for flipflopping on the public broadcasting corporation issue, but says that the broadcaster isnt the real issue at hand at all. She charges that its his wife, Sara Netanyahu, calling the shots because of a personal dislike of certain journalists hired by the new broadcaster. Its clear to everyone close to the prime minister that something is going on when Netanyahu is susceptible to the influence of his relatives.

Ladies and gentlemen, wake up. This is your prime minister. The man making a list of critical decisions, like which response we should take against Gaza, or what to do about Irans power in Syria. Is this the man you would let make fateful decisions? Wait, would you buy a car from this man?

Haaretzs Chemi Shalev compares Netanyahu to Titus. For destroying Jerusalem? No, because Netanyahu also has a mosquito buzzing in his head driving him crazy in the form of the media, he writes. Netanyahu will found and ruin coalitions until he silences the irritating journalists, he charges.

Some analysts connect the flipflop that Netanyahu did over the weekend to his relatives waverings, he writes. Others are certain that its an initiative aimed at somehow saving him from an approaching indictment. There are still others who say that Netanyahu is simply puffing out his chest with Moshe Kahlon specifically, and his coalition partners in general, to bring them back into line, with no real intention to go to the polls.

All these things are right, he says, but they miss the point: Netanyahus treatment of the press is irrational and its eating him up inside.

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Anatomy of a crisis - The Times of Israel

Forbes

Scam Alert: Anatomy Of An Inheritance Fraud Letter Forbes My wife received a letter from Canada the other day. It was neatly typed, but had no return address. The first paragraph sounded promising, noting an "inheritance opportunity" with "genuine intentions." Not suprisingly, letters that start this way are ...

The rest is here:
Scam Alert: Anatomy Of An Inheritance Fraud Letter - Forbes

The neck

In terms of extreme forces they endure, this season we anticipate a greater mechanical grip and faster cornering speeds so we would expect a possible increase in the lateral and longitudinal g-forces which will increase the load on the neck. The neck has to endure a 30-35% increase in load, so the equivalent of about an extra 30-40kg.

Technogym is a partner of ours and they have provided a specific machine known as the F1 Training Machine which enables the drivers to sit in a very specific position and build the right strength. The steering wheel is plate-loaded so you can adjust the position and the load. The drivers can also wear a helmet with attachments of bungee cords which help provide some elastic resistance to simulate the loads they experience in the car.

The drivers also need neuromuscular capabilities so their nervous system needs to be able to react quickly to stimulus on the track, whether that be a move by a fellow competitor, debris on the track, or information or instructions from the pit. They have to make quick decisions in seconds. Driving at such high speeds requires instant decision-making while controlling a million pound machine which is very valuable to the team.

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The anatomy of F1 drivers: from lightning reactions to superstrength necks - Telegraph.co.uk

In the second in my series on the crisis besetting the National Electricity Market (NEM) in eastern Australia, I look at the tightening balance of supply and demand.

Australias NEM is witnessing an unprecedented rise in spot, or wholesale, prices as market conditions tighten in response to a range of factors.

As shown above, spot prices are typically highest in summer, due in large part to the way extreme heat waves stretch demand. The historical summer average across the NEM is around $50/MWhour. As recently as 2012, summer prices were as low as $30/MWhour. With only a few days to go in the 2017 summer, prices are averaging a staggering $120/MWhour on a volume-weighted basis. Many factors have played a role, including hot weather, and the drivers vary from state to state.

In South Australia, the high prices have been accompanied by a series of rolling black-outs culminating on 8th February. Spot prices are more than twice last summer, on a volume-weighted basis, and three times the summer before that. Volatility has increased markedly, as evidenced by the way the volume-weighted price has diverged from the averaged spot price.

But the price rises and security issues have not been restricted to South Australia, with Queensland and New South Wales experiencing steeper rises in percentage terms. Current Queensland volume-weighted prices are averaging $200/MWhour, some 300% above the long-term summer average.

On the 12th February new demand records were set in Queensland, with prices averaging $700/MWhour across the day. New South Wales narrowly averted load shedding on 10th February as temperatures and spot prices soared. So far, the exception has been Victoria, where summer prices have remain relatively subdued, at levels not far above the recent average.

Demand for electrical power varies over a range of time-scales, from daily, weekly to seasonal, as well as with longer-term economic trends. A key determinant in how much power is needed on any given day is the maximum daily temperature. As shown below, the maximum daily demand marks out a characteristic boomerang shape when plotted against maximum daily temperature. The boomerang bottoms out at temperatures of around 25C when air conditioning loads are at a minimum.

As illustrated above, demand increases significantly in response to heating loads as the weather cools below 20C and cooling loads as the weather warms above 30C. The difference in demand across the weather cycles can be substantial. For example, in South Australia the maximum daily demand varies from around 1500 megawatts on a day with a maximum temperature of 25C to around 3000 megawatts during heatwaves when the temperatures exceed 40C. With minimum daily loads under 1000 megawatts, This implies well over half the generation capacity in South Australia is needed to meeting peak demand in extreme days, with much of it sitting idle waiting for extreme hot weather events. To recoup costs in an energy-only market like the NEM, such peaking capacity demand extreme pricing accompany its dispatch. In reality to manage risks, such capacity is normally hedged at a cap-contract of around $300/MWhour

Similar patterns apply in other states, although in percentage terms the range is less severe. In Queensland the increase between 25 and 40 degree days is about 2000 megawatts or approx 30%.

A comparison of the figures above show some subtle but important differences in the South Australia and Queensland markets. Notably, the diagrams show that annual demand in Queensland has been rising progressively over the last four years, while it has been static in South Australia. The extreme weather of Sunday 12th February set a new demand record in Queensland, and well above any previous weekend day. In contrast, the 8th February peak in South Australia was lower than previous peaks. To understand why spot prices spiked to similar levels in the different regions requires a deeper dive into the local market conditions.

One reason for seasonal variability in prices is the natural variability in weather conditions, and particularly the frequency and intensity of heat waves. As illustrated below, the 2017 summer in Adelaide has been rather normal in terms of weather extremes, so far with only six days above 40C compared to seven last summer and thirteen in the 2014 summer. To date, the mean maximum is around 29.7C , more-or-less spot on the average over the last five years. As such weather variability would not seem to be the key factor driving the recent dramatic rise in spot prices.

The most significant change in the South Australian market last year was the closure in May of its last coal fired-power plant - Alintas 520 megawatt capacity Northern Power Station. Along with questions about long-term coal supply, Alintas decision to close had a lot to do with the low spot prices back in 2015.

Back then, spot prices were suppressed on the back of a fall in both domestic and industrial demand as well as the addition of new wind farms into the supply mix. As shown below, the rapid uptake of solar PV in South Australia had impacted the demand for grid based services, especially during summer, limiting price volatility, and affecting generator revenue streams via a lowering of forward contract prices. In combination, the conditions made for a significant excess in generating capacity, or capacity overhang.

Despite the falling average demand, and a changing load distribution, the peak demand during the recent heat wave reached above 3045 megawatts in the early evening of 8th February (at 6 pm Eastern Australian Standard Time). That was 340 megawatts lower than the all time South Australian peak of 3385 megawatts for South Australia on the 31st January 2011. The peak on February 8th was accompanied by a spot price of $13160/MWhour.

With the closure of Northern, any comparison with previous peak demand events should factor in any demand previously served by Northern Power Station. Before its closure Northern contributed around 420 megawatts power on average over the summer months. Without that supply available this year, the February 8th peak effectively exceeded the previous peak by around 80 megawatts in adjusted terms.

Queensland has experienced a hot summer with the maximum daily temperature in Brisbane reaching 37C for the first time since 2014 years, and an average daily maximum of 31.2C (at the time of writing). That is about one degree above the average of recent years. However, with only four days with a maximum temperature above 35C, compared to five in the summer of 2015, weather effects seem unlikely to fully account for the extraordinary rise in spot prices this summer.

In detail the Queensland market differs from other regions in the NEM in as much as it is the only region to have experienced significant demand growth in recent years. Mapping the change of demand growth over the years, by time of day, helps reveal the drivers for market tightening, as shown below firstly in absolute terms, and then in relative terms normalised against 2014.

Between 2009 and 2014, summer demand fell by about 400 megawatts (or 6%), with the greatest change occurring in the middle of day. This pattern is akin to the signal in South Australia shown above, and reflects how the growing deplyment of domestic rooftop PV was revealed to the market as a demand reduction.

Since, 2014 demand has grown appreciably across all times of day, skewed somewhat towards the evening. Relative to 2014, demand is up by almost 800 megawatts across the board, and by as much as 1200 megawatts at 9 pm. The 800 megawatt base shift in demand can be attributed in large part to new industrial loads associated with the commissioning of the LNG export gas processing facilities at Curtis Island.

In terms of extreme events, it is notable that February 12th this year set a new Queensland demand record at 5.30 pm of 9368 megawatts (at the half hour settlement period) with a spot price of $9005. This is extraord
inary given it was a Sunday, a day which normally sees demand down several percentage points, on corresponding weekdays with similar temperature conditions.

Victoria is the exception to the trend of rising spot prices, with the summer prices of 2017 not much above long term average. In part, the relatively subdued prices can be attributed to the absence of extreme heat in southern Victoria so far this summer. The mean maximum daily summer temperature in Melbourne stands at about 27C, slightly below average of the previous five years. So far there have been no days with temperatures above 40C, compared to eight in 2014 and four in 2016.

The dominant factor in subduing the Victorian markets prices is likely to be the ongoing fall in demand. In the year to 18th February, demand in Victoria fell by 200 MW. This follows a persistent reduction in demand that has seen a fall of almost 500 megawatts over the last three years, equivalent to 9% of average demand. As shown below, the contrast with Queensland is stark, and reflects significant reductions in industrial demand stemming from the closure of the Point Henry aluminium smelter in August 2014 (Point Henry consumed up to 360 megawatts) and more recently the reduced demand from the Portland smelter on the back of damage caused by an unscheduled power outage on December 1st, 2016. While power capacity in Victoria was reduced by the closure of the 150 megawatt Anglesea coal-fired power plant in August 2015, the cumulative demand reduction over the last decade has led to substantial capacity overhang. All that is set to change with the closure of the 1600 Megawatt Hazelwood power station, slated for the end of March.

The figures shown in the previous sections reveal that peak demand events are stretching the power capacity of the NEM in unprecedented ways, for a variety of reasons. The tightening in the demand-supply balance is driving steep price rises that, if sustained, will have widespread repercussions. For example, a $20/MWhour rise in the Queensland spot price translates to a notional annual market value of $1 billion, that must eventually flow through the contract markets. With summer prices already more than $100/MWhour above last year, the additional costs to be passed onto energy consumers may well tally in the many billions of dollars.

In South Australia, the market tightening follows substantially the reduced supply stemming from the closure of the Northern Power Station.

In Queensland, the market tightening is being driven substantially by industrial loads such as the new LNG gas processing facilities. To the extent that the LNG industry is a significant driver, it is a heavy excise to pay for the privilege of exporting our gas resource. The makings for a policy nightmare, should the royalties from our LNG export be outweighed by the cumulative cost impacts passed on via our electricity markets.

It is important to note that the electricity market is designed so that prices fluctuate significantly in response to the normal capacity cycle, as capacity is added to or removed from the market following rises and falls in demand. In small markets, such as South Australia, the spot price fluctuations over the capacity cycle can be extreme, because the capacity of an individual large power plants can represent a large proportion of the native demand.

Although not large in terms of total capacity by Australian standards, Northerns 520 megawatt power rating represented around 40% of the South Australias median demand. That made Northern one of the Australias most significant power stations in terms of its regional basis size. Its withdrawal has dramatically and abruptly reduced the capacity overhang in South Australia. Spot prices were always going to rise as a consequence, because that is the way the market was designed. In addition, Northerns closure has also increased South Australias reliance on gas generation, and it has concentrated market power in the hands of remaining generators, both of which have had additional price impacts beyond the normal market tightening.

In both Queensland and South Australia, the rises in spot prices is signalling the growing tightness in the market. Under normal circumstances would serve to drive investment in new capacity. The lessons of Northern show that any new capacity in South Australia will need to be responsive to the changing pattern of demand, unless the makers rules are changed.

Further, both regions have questions about the adequacy of competition. Both are subject to the impacts of parallel developments in the gas markets, which have made gas production much more expensive. In the case of Queensland this is greatly exacerbated by the extra demand from the LNG gas production facilities.

Finally, these insights have importance for predicting how the markets the will react to the impending close of the 1600 MW Hazelwood Power Station in Victoria, all topics I hope to consider in following posts in this series.

Continue reading here:
Anatomy of an energy crisis - a pictorial guide to the tightening market, Part 2 - The Conversation AU

Courtesy of Mariane Ibrahim Gallery

1. This painting is largealmost 79 inches squaremaking the scale of the bodies larger than life.

2. Mwangi Hutter is a "double-gendered, multi-cultured personality entity" with studios in Berlin and Ludwigshafen, Germany, and Nairobi, Kenya. More conventionally known to be a husband-and-wife artist team, Mwangi Hutter is each of their surnames side by side. Through their work, they merge their bodies and creative efforts into one joint identity, a "collective being" exploring the aesthetics of interrelationship. They also have four children together.

3. Ingrid Mwangi was born in Nairobi to a German mother and a Kenyan father. She moved to Germany at the age of 15. The experience of being biracial"growing up in Kenya, I was a white person," she has said, and "coming to Germany, I realized very strongly that I was a black person"has given her the perspective of an insider/outsider in both of her cultures and instilled a lifelong interest in questioning the edges of identity.

4. Robert Hutter met Mwangi in art school in 1998. They started collaborating, and in 2005 began to produce work as Mwangi Hutter.

5. The title of this painting is Again fulfilling, and it's part of the Union Series, which portrays the artists in a series of embraces that embody all sorts of relationship dynamics. In some of the paintings, the figures are more distinct; in others, the bodies are almost completely merged into one form. The light and dark values of their skin tones are intentionally mixed together to show that there are no hard boundaries between them.

6. Even the space around the figures is allowed to penetrate their forms here and there.

7. Made with acrylic paint and black and white liquid chalk, the materials are applied to the canvas in big, expressive gestures that leave watery drips. Mwangi Hutter's work often involves physical performance, and in this case, they consider the act of painting its own kind of performance. Asked which of them specifically applied the paint and liquid chalk to the canvas, the artists replied, "Both."

8. Most of the Union Series works are new and this is the first time they have been exhibited. Mariane Ibrahim Gallery is located at 608 Second Avenue, 206-467-4927.

See more here:
Anatomy of a Painting: The Gorgeous Specifics and Backstory of Again fulfilling by Mwangi Hutter - TheStranger.com

The halls of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital are getting a little fuller. On Monday, it was confirmed that Grey's Anatomy is adding Anthony Hill (Watchmen) and Sherri Saum (Locke & Key) to the cast of the ABC medical drama. According to Deadline, they will be introduced in "Love of My Life," which is set to air on Thursday, March 26.

At this time, few details regarding their roles have been made available, though they will reportedly portray people from Teddy (Kim Raver) and Maggie's (Kelly McCreary) pasts, whom they run into at the LA Surgical Innovation Conference.

Hill will take on the role of Winston, "a past resident at Tufts who Maggie used to work with," while Saum will portray "an old friend of Teddy's."

They will be joining an existing cast that, along with Raver and McCreary, includes Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey, Chandra Wilson as Miranda Bailey, James Pickens Jr. as Richard Webber, Kevin McKidd as Owen Hunt, Jesse Williams as Jackson Avery, Caterina Scorsone as Amelia Shepherd, Camilla Luddington as Jo Wilson, Kelly McCreary as Maggie Pierce, Raver as Teddy Altman, Giacomo Gianniotti as Andrew DeLuca, Greg Germann as Tom Koracick, Chris Carmack as Atticus "Link" Lincoln, and Jake Borelli as Levi Schmitt.

The casting news comes less than a week after Grey's aired its farewell episode for Justin Chambers' Dr. Alex Karev. Chambers, who had starred on the drama since its series premiere back in 2005, had announced in January that he had made the decision to part ways with the series.

"There's no good time to say goodbye to a show and character that's defined so much of my life for the past 15 years," Chambers announced at the time. "For some time now, however, I have hoped to diversify my acting roles and career choices. And, as I turn 50 and am blessed with my remarkable, supportive wife and five wonderful children, now is that time."

"As I move on from Grey's Anatomy, I want to thank the ABC family, Shonda Rimes, original cast members Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson and James Pickens, and the rest of the amazing cast and crew, both past and present, and, of course, the fans for an extraordinary ride," he added.

Chambers' final episode, "Leave a Light On," aired on Thursday, March 5 and drew mixed reactions from fans.

New episodes of Grey's Anatomy air Thursday at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

See the article here:
'Grey's Anatomy' Adds Newcomers Anthony Hill and Sherri Saum - PopCulture.com

A few weeks ago, Grey's Anatomy fans were overjoyed to hear that Shonda Rhimes is expanding the Grey's universe with a spinoff series focusing on the personal and professional lives of Seattle's firefighters.

The yet-to-be-titled series is the second spinoff from Grey's Anatomy Private Practice ran from 2007 until 2013 and will be executive produced by both Rhimes and Betsy Beers. Long time #GreysAnatomy writer and producer, Stacy McKee, will act as showrunner.

But while we've been given details about the crew of what will no doubt become a popular series, the information about the characters of the series has been less forthcoming. However, one hint we have been given came during the Grey's Anatomy Season 13 finale, when the hospital required evacuation during the explosion.

As fans will remember, part of the hospital exploded after Stephanie's plan to set the rapist on fire went awry. With the hospital quickly burning, firefighters were soon on the scene to battle the flames and help rescue patients and doctors. Given the news about the firefighter spinoff series was announced shortly before the finale aired, it was implied that some of the firefighters from the Season 13 finale will appear in new series. So who did we see in Episode 13 that might crop again? Take a look:

We were first introduced to firefighter Carroll while announcements were being made on how the hospital buildings will be evacuated. Carroll later accompanied Ben inside to find Stephanie, and we learned she was actually the fire captain when she was called on to inspect the body of the rapist killed in the blast.

Given that Shonda Rhimes' series are so often led by strong female characters, it would be no surprise to see actor Stephanie Czajkowski return as firefighter Carroll in the new spinoff in a major role. When asked about the possibility of her character return, Czajkowski was unable to give a definite answer, though remarked that it would "be a dream come true to have Firefighter Carroll be a part of the expansion of Shondaland."

We briefly met firefighter Ben as he came across Meredith, Riggs and nurse Bohkee while Riggs was part way through a lobectomy. After first ordering the group to evacuate, he eventually gave them 15 minutes to close up the patient, and assured Meredith that the firefighters were all keeping an eye out for the missing Erin.

The actor who played firefighter Ben is Nelson Grande, a man who is no stranger to hospital dramas having already starred in General Hospital, but what's even more interesting is that Grande apparently studied Fire Science in college before dropping out to pursue his acting dream. Talk about a perfect role!

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Are These Two Of The New Characters In 'Grey's Anatomy' Firefighter Spinoff? - moviepilot.com

Gross anatomy classes often are a rite of passage for medical school students, and so it soon will be at theUniversity at Buffalo's new medical school.

The Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences will showcase a cutting-edge gross anatomy lab on its seventh floor that is centralized and has 30 tables in its main area. In all, there will be 50 tables for gross anatomy and continuing medical education purposes.

"This will be a pretty innovative gross anatomy lab," said Dr. Michael E. Cain, dean of the medical school.As students dissect, they will have images directly in front of them, through CT scans and MRI scans.

Gross anatomy is taught every year to every medical student. The course is taught in the fall, so it will be taught this September on South Campus because the new medical school will not be open for classes until early next year.

The lab also will feature side labs designed for use by peopleand community groups not involved in primary anatomy instruction. These side labs are a new addition, allowing for enhanced use by other departments in the medical school and also by outside groups for continuing education. Students from other colleges and even some high schools, emergency medical doctors and dental oral surgeons will use the lab for practice. Paramedics could also use the lab regularly to train for intubation. Those training sessions currently have to be scheduled when classes are not in session.

In addition to gross anatomy being taught in the new building, it also will continueto be taught on South Campus for dental students and undergraduates.

Reporter Karen Robinson covers the Buffalo NiagaraMedicalCampus.Follow her on twitter at@krobinsonBNor reach her by email atkrobinson@buffnews.com.

When new medical school opens, the books will stay behind

New UB medical school to expand surgical simulation

UB's medical school to be completed by Labor Day

See the article here:
New med school will have expanded gross anatomy lab - Buffalo News

There might be hope for Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams) and April Kepner (Sarah Drew) after all!

Last week's episode of Grey's Anatomy saw the divorced pair open the door for a rekindled romance with a sexy hookup while in Montana on a case -- where they also met Jackson's estranged father (Eric Roberts). While the couple's future is still uncertain, Drew assured fans at PaleyFest on Sunday that Japril will always be together -- whether romantically or otherwise.

RELATED: 'Grey's Anatomy': Jackson Meets His Father and Reunites With April -- Are They Back Together?

"I think the main takeaway from that experience in Montana is that these two people... there's so much love there, there's so much respect there. They know each other so well," Drew said during the Grey's Anatomy panel. "Whether it continues and moves towards romance or stays platonic, we know for sure that these two are going to be okay, and that they're always going to depend on one another, and they will always be one another's person."

"At the end of the day, who knows [what will happen]?" she added.

Williams also commented on the pair's connection, calling April Jackson's "best friend."

"He has a great support system and an absolute failure in the same experience," he shared of the tense scene when Jackson comes face-to-face with his father. "He's doing it with the full support of his person, his best friend, April Kepner."

EXCLUSIVE: Sarah Drew on Juggling Greys Anatomy With Motherhood, Her TV Twins & Future of 'Japril'

"I was excited [for the scene]. It's been a big cloud over the character for his entire life, and my entire career playing him," Williams confessed. "It's been like, a big gaping hole, so being able to fill that in with a human being, with a person you can make eye contact with and ask all these questions... was a very exciting process."

"I really prepared myself by making sure I went over and understood my timeline, and what this character has been through, but also I was just really laid the table to be able to listen and be honest in the moment," he added.

Williams and Drew shot the episode on location in Montana, with Kevin McKidd (Owen Hunt) directing.

"We went off with Kevin to shoot episode 16 while all the rest of these guys were shooting episode 10 or 11, so we were shooting with the Scandal crew. We were working with a completely different crew, in a completely different set, on location. We were in the mountains," Drew revealed. "It really did feel like we were shooting a movie. It was really neat to get the chance to kind of get out of the hospital and follow just one specific story all the way through to the end, because we got the opportunity to really take time to listen."

"So much happened in the silence in that episode, which we just don't have the luxury for when we're servicing so many different storylines," she said. "So it was really amazing."

Photo: Getty Images

RELATED: Jesse Williams Slams Hollywood Whitewashing: 'The More Diverse a Movie Is, the More Money It Makes'

"I was so proud of Jesse and Sarah, and everyone... the work that we did," McKidd offered. "When I read that script, I wanted it to feel like an independent movie -- a really high end, quality independent movie. That was my approach."

"I really encouraged the actors to just breathe," he added, "and I think it turned into something beautiful."

While Jackson and his father hashed it out on Thursday's episode, there's clearly much more to the pair's story -- which Williams said he "would love" to explore.

"I really hope so, not just selfishly, for being able to work with such an incredibly talented actor [in Roberts]," he said. "I would love to. I think there's a lot left to do there."

RELATED: 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'Scandal' Picked Up for New Seasons

"We've planted a lot of seeds this season -- and that's one of them -- that resonate in a lot of ways," added Debbie Allen, who executive produces the series in addition to starring as Jackson's mother, Catherine Avery. "But there's more coming."

As for Williams and Drew's relationship in real life, the 35-year-old actor said it's "much more stable" -- though Ellen Pompeo and Justin Chambers arguably had the most chemistry on stage, as Chambers sweetly gave up his coat for his shivering co-star.

"We don't fight, and it's really helpful. I think that generally, it's a really lighthearted set. We crack a lot of jokes and have a lot of fun and try to save the drama for what's on screen," Williams admitted. "We're carrying that with us for weeks at a time to deliver, to serve it up to you, so it's a lot of heavy weight, a lot of drama, and drama that we're trying to figure out how to articulate for you. So we try to keep it light."

EXCLUSIVE: 'Grey's Anatomy' Stars Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew Say Jackson and April Will Find 'Happiness'

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'Grey's Anatomy's Jesse Williams & Sarah Drew on That Japril ... - Entertainment Tonight

Just in case you thought the conspiracy theory that Russia secretly controls the US government is exclusively an affliction affecting the Democratic party, Sen. John McCains recent performance on the floor of the US Senate should disabuse you of this optimistic notion. Responding to Sen. Rand Pauls blocking of a vote in favor of the accession of Montenegro to NATO, the failed former GOP presidential candidate let it all hang out:

I note the senator from Kentucky leaving the floor without justification or any rationale for the action he has just taken. That is really remarkable, that a senator blocking a treaty that is supported by the overwhelming number, perhaps 98 at least of his colleagues would come to the floor and object and walk away. The only conclusion you can draw when he walks away is he has no justification for his objection to having a small nation be part of NATO that is under assault from the Russians. So I repeat again, the senator from Kentucky is now working for Vladimir Putin.

Whats remarkable is that this kind of lunacy is tolerated in the US Senate: I recall that Sen. Elizabeth Warren was rebuked and silenced by Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell because she read a letter from Coretta Scott King that called into question the motives of Jeff Sessions, then a Senator and a candidate for the office of Attorney General. Surely McCains outburst was an even more egregious violation of the rules than Warrens, and yet McCain was allowed to proceed uninterrupted. Perhaps this is an example of warmongers privilege.

In a later interview, Sen. Paul sought to explain McCains behavior as an indication of the Senator from Arizonas advanced age: perhaps, he suggested, McCain is past his prime, and, by the way, this is a good argument for term limits. Well, yes, but in the current political atmosphere where Vladimir Putin has been elevated to the status of a virtually omnipotent force who has the power to change election results and infiltrate the highest reaches of Western governments its no crazier than anything else were hearing out of Washington these days.

Be that as it may, ordinary Americans may have a few questions about this bizarre incident, starting with: What the heck is Montenegro?

A tiny republic in the middle of the Balkans, Montenegro has a popultion equal to that of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and a military force of around 2,000 soldiers and sailors. Up until the break up of Yugoslavia, it was never a unified independent country (except for a few years early in the twentieth century). Today, it is even less unified, beset as it is with rival factions that routinely battle it out in the streets. Its former President (and, alternately, Prime Minister) Milo Djukanovic, is a former top Communist official who came to power in 1997 in an election marred by allegations of fraud and violent protests, and is known as Mr. Ten Percent on account of his reputation for corruption. Although retired (this is, I believe, his third retirement) he is still the real nexus of power in the country.

Formerly a bastion of Serbian nationalism, Montenegro has undergone demographic changes since the end of the Yugoslav era, with a large incursion of Albanians who have initiated a campaign to create a Greater Albania by merging the southern portion of the country with Albania proper. Aside from that, however, there is the question of whether Montenegro will join NATO and the European Union, a project dear to the heart of Djukanovic, and opposed by the former Serbian majority which still remembers how the country was bombed under NATOs rubric during the Kosovo war.

The recent elections, billed as a referendum on NATO membership, yielded ambiguous results for Djukanovics party: the hope was that Djukanovics Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), the successor to the old Communist Party, would win an outright majority, thus enabling the pro-NATO forces to push NATO membership through parliament without having to resort to a referendum. The DPS ended up winning 41 percent of the vote, not enough to form a government, although an alliance with smaller parties not all of them pro-NATO gave Djukanovic a parliamentary majority. The opposition parties are now pushing for a popular vote on entering NATO, and recent polls indicate that voters are split almost exactly down the middle on the issue.

That doesnt deter Djukanovic, who, with the help of the Western media, has managed to replicate the anti-Russian hysteria we are seeing infect our own politics. According to Djukanovic, a Russian plot to attack the parliament, kill members of the ruling party, and take over the country was narrowly averted when a number of plotters were arrested. The New York Times describes these sinister plotters as follows:

Mr. Djukanovic and his officials initially provided no evidence to support their allegation of a foiled coup attempt on Oct. 16, the day of national elections. They said only that 20 Serbs some of whom turned out to be elderly and in ill health had been detained just hours before they were to launch the alleged putsch. Nonetheless, Mr. Djukanovic insisted it is more than obvious that unnamed Russian structures were working with pro-Moscow politicians to derail the countrys efforts to join NATO.

After months of searching, the alleged weapons cache that was to be used in the coup attempt has yet to turn up. But, hey, who needs weapons when youre part of the vast Putinite Conspiracy? Oh, those Russians stealing elections from Michigan to Montenegro! Is there anything they cant do? The alleged leader of the plot has been granted a plea deal, and is now spinning a tale of intrigue so murky that light cannot penetrate its depths. One version has it that Russian special forces disguised as a Cossack folk band arrived on the scene to recruit those plotting to off Djukanovic. Those are some very special forces indeed. Oddly, the alleged plotters have all been released, including the supposed ringleader. Meanwhile, leaders of the anti-NATO opposition are being arrested for ties to the plot.

This what Sen. McCain was talking about when he claimed that Montenegro is under assault from the Russians. Its the Montenegrin version of the same line of baloney hes been pushing here in the US: that the Russians stole the 2016 presidential election, and are subverting American democracy.

Sen. Paul was right to block approval of Montenegros accession to NATO: that country is the perfect backdrop for an international incident that would drag us into a conflict with Russia. In accusing Paul of working for Vladimir Putin, McCain is limning the tactics of Djukanovic, who is busy framing up and arresting his political opponents on similarly phony charges.

The alleged Russian agent Mike Flynn, forced to resign as National Security Advisor because of his nonexistent ties to Moscow, reportedly recommended that the Trump administration approve Montenegros bid to join NATO. I guess he didnt get his directive from Putin in a timely manner. On the other hand, the Montenegrin opposition is petitioning Trump advisor Steve Bannon to urge the President to veto it.

Montenegros accession to NATO would plant yet another tripwire that could easily lead directly to a collision with Russia. At the very least it would cause substantial internal turmoil in the country, perhaps ending in an all-out civil war such as happened in Ukraine.

President Trump was right when he said during the campaign that NATO is obsolete. It is also dangerous in that it pledges us to go to war in defense of member nations. With Turkey, a NATO member, moving rapidly into Syria, and now face-to-face with Russian and Syrian soldiers, and with British troops now entering Estonia, where a make-believe Russian threat is supposedly being thwarted, our membership in NATO could very well drag us into a conflict on two fronts.

How is this putting America first?

A Special Note: For the Raimondo completist, check out my interview with Chronicles magazine.

N
OTES IN THE MARGIN

You can check out my Twitter feed by going here. But please note that my tweets are sometimes deliberately provocative, often made in jest, and largely consist of me thinking out loud.

Ive written a couple of books, which you might want to peruse. Here is the link for buying the second edition of my 1993 book, Reclaiming the American Right: The Lost Legacy of the Conservative Movement, with an Introduction by Prof. George W. Carey, a Foreword by Patrick J. Buchanan, and critical essays by Scott Richert and David Gordon (ISI Books, 2008).

You can buy An Enemy of the State: The Life of Murray N. Rothbard (Prometheus Books, 2000), my biography of the great libertarian thinker, here.

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McCain and Montenegro: The Anatomy of a Conspiracy Theory by ... - Antiwar.com

As hospital after hospital went offline, security researchers around the world started poring over the ransomware that had gone round the globe.

And one 22-year-old in the UK ended up saving thousands more computers across the world being infected.

Working together through the night on an IRC channel - an online chatroom themed around a topic, in this case #wannadecryptor - researchers shared their findings.

Despite the spread of the ransomware, researchers weren't impressed.

"It really doesn't seem like a sophisticated attack at all," one hacker told me. "It's embarrassing the NHS got caught out by this."

Other researchers found that the malware was using Tor - anonymity software originally developed by US defence - to communicate with its command and control centre on the deep web (the part of the internet not visible to search engines).

That command and control wasn't active - a sign perhaps "these folks didn't even properly set up their command infrastructure properly before launching", according to another researcher.

And there was another weakness in the malware, found by a 22-year-old security researcher in the UK, who goes by the handle of MalwareTech (MT).

The malware checked a site. MT bought the domain for a few pounds - and ended up slowing the spread of the attack. Without realising it, he had stumbled on a kill switch for the ransomware.

"The kill switch wasn't discovered until about three hours after we'd bought the domain which had already killed all subsequent infections," MT told Sky News.

"From what I can see it killed every infection that contacted our C2 (command and control server)."

:: Hack exposes serious NHS vulnerabilities

The hackers had built in the kill switch, but not registered the site.

If that site was active, a kill switch would activate, stopping the worm's spread. By activating the domain, MT slowed the spread.

Nor was MT impressed by the sophistication of the attack.

"Although the exploit used is very sophisticated (taken from NSA leak), the ransomware itself seems somewhat amateur", he told Sky News.

That raises more questions about NHS systems, which a Sky News investigation found to be underfunded and lacking last year - and also why the UK government didn't do more to make sure they were secure.

While everyone, including the newish National Cybersecurity Centre, part of GCHQ, was "monitoring the situation", a handful of volunteers actually brought the ransomware to a halt.

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Anonymous hero disrupts hack with 'kill switch' - Sky News