etherFAX Unlocks Structured Data and Eliminates Information Silos with its Artificial Intelligence Solution for Automated Data Extraction – Healthcare…

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HOLMDEL, N.J.

etherFAX today announced an artificial intelligence (AI) solution that facilitates advanced capabilities of searchable PDF, OCR, and other Key Value Pairs. These new capabilities are ideal for healthcare and organizations that need to extract data from a broad range of applications and systems. Using Microsofts Cognitive Services, etherFAX AI extracts and digitizes data from a range of unstructured documents and forms to eliminate information silos and dramatically improve processes and workflows.

Today,clinical care teams and healthcare administrative teamsstill spend a considerable amount of timetyping in, clicking through, and editing electronic health records. Manually keying in patient data into fields isnot onlytime-consuming and inefficient,but also can be inaccurate and unreliable.

etherFAX AI reduces error rates associated with manual data entry by extracting information that is stored in unstructured document types, such as PDFs and paper-based forms. The solution digitizes data that can be searchable and ready to be integrated into workflows and applications, such as EMRs. To improve interoperability and reduce information silos, form recognition allows users to easily incorporate data into third-party workflows and share information across platforms.

Healthcare providers must be able to share, access, and analyze data fast and accurately, said Paul Banco, CEO and co-founder of etherFAX. Automated data extraction transforms content locked in unstructured formats into usable, structured information. For healthcare organizations specifically, etherFAX AI ensures less time is spent on manually entering and searching for information, helping to deliver a quality patient care experience, process claims faster, and receive timely payments.

etherFAXs AI solution for document data extraction can be used with multiple formats including JPG, PNG, PDF, and TIFF, while results can be extracted into JSON or XML formats. Extracted data can be mapped to third-party systems, allowing tasks such as indexing patient records, scheduling and referrals to be automated. As staff no longer has to spend valuable time unlocking unstructured data trapped in form images, they can focus onmore value-added items and care initiativesto improvepatient health outcomes.

To learn more about data extraction from etherFAX, visit the corresponding solution page:http://www.etherfax.net/solutions/artificial-intelligence

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Founded in 2009, etherFAX offers a secure document delivery platform and suite of applications widely used across a broad range of industries to digitize workflows and optimize business processes. As a leading provider of hybrid-cloud fax solutions supporting healthcare enterprises, etherFAX securely transmits protected health information and high-resolution, color documents directly to applications and devices with end-to-end encryption and ultra-fast transmission speeds. With more than 6 million connected endpoints, etherFAX is the worlds largest document exchange network, supporting every major fax server, application, and fax-enabled device. The etherFAX partner network continues to grow and evolve to strengthen platform-agnostic document delivery to and from fax providers, fax servers, EHRs, and Health Information Exchanges. etherFAXs secure, cloud-based, and encrypted data exchange solutions are SOC 2 compliant, HIPAA compliant, PCI DSS certified, and HITRUST CSF certified. For more information, visitwww.etherfax.net, call us at 877-384-9866, or email [emailprotected]

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Artificial Intelligence to Assist, Tutor, Teach and Assess in Higher Ed – Inside Higher Ed

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Higher education already employs artificial intelligence in a number of effective wayscourse and facilities scheduling, student recruitment campaign development, endowment investments and support, and many other operational activities are guided by AI at large institutions. The programs that run AIalgorithmscan use big data to project or predict outcomes based on machine learning, in which the computer learns to adapt to a myriad of changing elements, conditions and trends.

Adaptive learning is one of the early applications of AI to the actual teaching and learning process. In this case AI is employed to orchestrate the interaction between the learner and instructional material. This enables the program to most efficiently guide the learner to meet desired outcomes based upon the unique needs and preferences of the learner. Using a series of assessments, the algorithm presents a customized selection of instructional materials adapted to what the learner has demonstrated mastery over and what the learner has yet to learn. This method efficiently eliminates needless repetition of material already learned while advancing through the content at the pace of the learner ensuring that learning outcomes are accomplished.

There is great room for further growth of AI in higher ed, as Susan Fourtan writes in Fierce Education:

The potential and impact of AI on teaching have prompted some colleges and universities to take a closer look at it, accelerating its adoption across campuses. For perspective, the global AI market is projected to reach almost $170billion by 2025. By 2028, the AI market size is expected to gain momentum by reaching over $360billion, registering a growth rate of 33.6percent between 2021 and 2028, according to a research firm Fortune Business Insights report. The market is mostly segmented into Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing (NLP), image processing, and speech recognition.

One of the pioneers in applying AI to supporting learning at the university level, Ashok Goel of Georgia Tech, famously developed Jill Watson, an AI program to serve as a virtual graduate assistant. Since Jills first semester in 2016, Goel has repeatedly and incrementally improved the program, expanding the potential to create additional AI assistants. The program is becoming increasingly affordable and replicable:

The first iteration of Jill Watson took between 1,000 and 1,500 person hours to complete. While thats understandable for a groundbreaking research project, its not a feasible time investment for a middle school teacher. So Goel and his team set about reducing the time it took to create a customized version of Jill Watson. Now we can build a Jill Watson in less than ten hours, Goel says. That reduction in build time is thanks to Agent Smith, a new creation by Goel and his team. All the Agent Smith system needs to create a personalized Jill Watson is a course syllabus and a one-on-one Q&A session with the person teaching it In a sense, its using AI to create AI, Goel says, which is what you want in the long term, because if humans keep on creating AI, its going to take a long time.

Increasingly, many students are accustomed to interacting with AI-driven chat bots. Serving in a wide range of capacities at colleges, the chat bots commonly converse in text or computer-generated speech using natural language processing. These algorithms may even create a virtual relationship with the students. Such is the case with a chat bot named Oli tested by Common App. For 12 months this chat bot communicated with half a million students of the high school Class of 2021 twice a week to guide them through the college application process. In addition to the pro forma steps in the application process, Oli would offer friendly reminders to students to look after themselves in these COVID times, including suggestions to remind them to keep in touch with friends, listen to favorite music or take deep breaths. When the process was complete, Oli texted.

Hey pal, Oli said one week before officially signing off, I wanted to let you know that I have to say goodbye soon. Remember, even without me, youre never alone. Dont hesitate to reach out to your advisor or close ones if you need help or someone to talk to. College isnt easy, but its exciting and youre so ready! The relationship might have ended there. But some of Olis human correspondents had more to say. Hundreds of them texted back, effusive in their praise for the support the chatbot had offered as they pursued college. Research about social robots shows that children view them as sort of alive and make an attempt to build a mutual relationship, writes MIT professor Sherry Turkle. Its a type of connection, a degree of friendship, that excites some researchers and worries others.

Just last month, Google announced a new AI tutor platform to give students personalized feedback, assignments and guidance. Brandon Paykamian writes in GovTech,

[Google Head of Education] Steven Butschi described the product as an expansion of Student Success Services, Googles software suite released last year that includes virtual assistants, analytics, enrollment algorithms and other applications for higher ed. He said the new AI tutor platform collects competency skills graphs made by educators, then uses AI to generate learning activities, such as short-answer or multiple-choice questions, which students can access on an app. The platform also includes applications that can chat with students, provide coaching for reading comprehension and writing, and advise them on academic course plans based on their prior knowledge, career goals and interests.

With all of these AI applications in development and early release phases, questions have arisen as to how we can best ensure that biases are avoided in AI algorithms used in education. At the same time concerns have been raised that we make sure that learners recognize these are computer programs rather than direct communication with live instructors, that privacy of learners is maintained, and related concerns about the use of AI. The federal Office of Technology and Science Policy is gathering information with the intention of creating an AI Bill of Rights. Generally, the AI bill of rights is meant to clarify the rights and freedoms of persons using, or who are subject to, data-driven biometric technologies.

How is your institution preparing to integrate reliable, cost-effective and efficient AI tools for instruction, assessment, advising and deeper engagement with learners? Are the stakeholdersincluding faculty, staff, students and the broader communityincluded in the process to facilitate the broadest input and ensure the advantages and intended outcomes from the use of AI?

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Identifying Risk of Adverse Outcomes in COVID-19 Patients via Artificial Intelligence-Powered Analysis of 12-Lead Intake Electrocardiogram – DocWire…

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Cardiovasc Digit Health J. 2021 Dec 31. doi: 10.1016/j.cvdhj.2021.12.003. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Adverse events in COVID-19 are difficult to predict. Risk stratification is encumbered by the need to protect healthcare workers. We hypothesize that AI can help identify subtle signs of myocardial involvement in the 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG), which could help predict complications.

OBJECTIVE: Use intake ECGs from COVID-19 patients to train AI models to predict risk of mortality or major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).

METHODS: We studied intake ECGs from 1448 COVID-19 patients (60.5% male, 63.416.9 years). Records were labeled by mortality (death vs. discharge) or MACE (no events vs. arrhythmic, heart failure [HF], or thromboembolic [TE] events), then used to train AI models; these were compared to conventional regression models developed using demographic and comorbidity data.

RESULTS: 245 (17.7%) patients died (67.3% male, 74.514.4 years); 352 (24.4%) experienced at least one MACE (119 arrhythmic; 107 HF; 130 TE). AI models predicted mortality and MACE with area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.600.05 and 0.550.07, respectively; these were comparable to AUC values for conventional models (0.730.07 and 0.650.10). There were no prominent temporal trends in mortality rate or MACE incidence in our cohort; holdout testing with data from after a cutoff date (June 9, 2020) did not degrade model performance.

CONCLUSION: Using intake ECGs alone, our AI models had limited ability to predict hospitalized COVID-19 patients risk of mortality or MACE. Our models accuracy was comparable to that of conventional models built using more in-depth information, but translation to clinical use would require higher sensitivity and positive predictive value. In the future, we hope that mixed-input AI models utilizing both ECG and clinical data may be developed to enhance predictive accuracy.

PMID:35005676 | PMC:PMC8719367 | DOI:10.1016/j.cvdhj.2021.12.003

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Redheads really do have a stronger tolerance for pain than …

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BOSTON Redheads have a reputation for being hot-tempered. They also are said to have a higher pain threshold than others. Although there may not be scientific proof of their short fuse, according to a recent study, there may be some science behind their pain tolerance. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have shed light as to why those with red hair respond differently to some types of pain than those with different colored hair.

Specialized skin cells, called melanocytes, are responsible for producing different skin pigmentations and hair colors. Those with red hair animals and humans alike have slightly different protein receptors on the surface of their melanocytes. Previous research from MGH shows that when these receptors do not function properly, as in redheads, it causes decreased pigmentation.

The research team tested a breed of red-haired mice that, like humans, have melanocytes that lack the properly functioning receptor. Additionally, these mice also showed a greater capacity for pain tolerance, making them the best candidates for this particular study.

The results indicate an association between the melanocyte receptor (melanocortin 1 receptor) and the hormone proopiomelanocortin (POMC). The absence of melanocortin 1 receptor activity in the red-haired mice prompted their melanocytes to generate less POMC. This results in the splitting of POMC into several hormones, one of which increases sensitivity to pain and another that reduces sensitivity to pain.

When these hormones are produced, they help to keep the equilibrium between opioid receptors, which decrease pain, and melanocortin 4 receptors, which heighten sensitivity to pain. Reduced concentrations of both hormones in red-haired mice (and, thus, presumably in humans) should counterbalance each other. However, the body creates other substances unrelated to melanocytes that trigger pain receptors. As a result, downregulation of melanocyte-related chemicals causes an increased number of opioid impulses, which raises the tolerance level for pain.

These findings describe the mechanistic basis behind earlier evidence suggesting varied pain thresholds in different pigmentation backgrounds, says lead researcher Dr. David E. Fisher of Massachusetts General Hospital, in a statement. Understanding this mechanism provides validation of this earlier evidence and a valuable recognition for medical personnel when caring for patients whose pain sensitivities may vary.

Scientists have found new methods to influence the bodys normal mechanisms that govern pain, such as by developing drugs that block the melanocortin 4 receptors engaged in pain perception. Our ongoing work is focused on elucidating how additional skin-derived signals regulate pain and opioid signaling, adds co-lead author Dr. Lajos V. Kemny, a research fellow in dermatology at MGH. Understanding these pathways in depth may lead to the identification of novel pain-modulating strategies.

This study is published in Science Advances.

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Redheads really do have a stronger tolerance for pain than ...

10 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Gingers – Listverse

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Gingers are naturally born redheads and are usually pale with many freckles on their bodies. You might even say they are the feisty and sexy mythical creatures of this planet. Red is the rarest hair color in the worldonly one to two percent of the worlds population is lucky enough to have been born with red hair. There have even been (false) rumors that redheads are going to be extinct soon.

Thanks to an episode of South Park, the saying about gingers having no soul has become popularized, but there are many advantages to being a redhead. Being born a ginger is no curse; if anything, its more of a superpower. Here are ten fascinating facts about gingers that you should know.

It has been said that redheads are more likely to be left-handed than those of other hair colors, but there is only limited scientific study to prove this. What we do know about gingers being left-handed has everything to do with their recessive genes. A recessive gene is one that can be masked by a dominant gene. To have a trait that is expressed by a recessive gene, you must get the gene from both of your parents.

Red hair comes from a recessive gene known as the melanocortin 1 receptor, better known as MC1R. Both parents must be a carrier of the MC1R gene to have a redheaded baby.[1] Left-handedness is also a recessive trait, and about ten to 12 percent of all people in the world are left-handed. Recessive traits tend to come in pairs, though, and that explain why many gingers are left-handed.

Eumelanin and pheomelanin are two pigments found in the hair shaft, and all hair colors have a combination of these two pigments. The more eumelanin in the hair, the darker it will be. The more pheomelanin in the hair, the redder it will be. Redheads have very little eumelanin in their hair. As you grow older, the hair follicles stop producing the pigment. The hair on your head will appear white when all of the hair follicles lose their color completely.[2]

Red hair retains its natural pigment longer than other shades, though, meaning gingers dont need to worry as much about going grey. Ginger hair just fades with age through an array of colors, from faded copper to rosy blonde to silvery white. Gingers can enjoy being ginger for an entire lifetime!

It appears that gingers are more sensitive to certain types of pain and less sensitive to others. There have been many studies conducted to show that redheads react to pain differently than people with other hair colors. They are more sensitive to cold weather, suffer more from toothaches, and are at a greater risk for developing sclerosis and endometriosis. In other ways, though, redheads are much tougher when dealing with pain, such as stinging pain in the skin.[3]

A study conducted by a Louisville University team found that redheads require 19 percent more inhaled general anesthesia than dark-haired people. They also found that the anesthetic lidocaine was less effective in redheads. A study by McGill University behavioral neuroscientist Jeffrey Mogil showed that both genders of redheads needed less opioid morphine to dull their pain, and ginger women needed less of a kappa opioid drug that is used to treat labor pain. Its just a fact: Redheads feel pain differently.

Red on the headfire in bed! This saying has been proven true. Hamburg sex researcher Dr. Werner Habermehl studied the sex lives of hundreds of German women and then compared them by their hair colors. He came to the conclusion that the sex lives of redheaded women were much more active than those of any other hair color.[4]

They say blondes have more fun, but that statement may be false. It is also reported that ginger women orgasm more than women of any other hair color. A study from Match.com showed that single women with red hair have a 41 percent orgasm rate, which is higher than blonde womens 36 percent rate. Just remember that red has always been the color of arousal, and it doesnt look like that will be changing anytime soon.

Gingers are unique in many ways, and they may even have their own scent. The author of Le Parfum de la Femme, Augustin Galopin, wrote in his book that redheads have the strongest scent, which he described as of amber and violets. Rowan Pelling, founder of The Erotic Review, once said, Redheads famously have a distinctive civet scent, which drives many an admirer wild. Stephen Douglas wrote in The Redhead Encyclopedia that redheads have a naturally sweet, musk-like scent.

Jackey Colliss Harvey, author of Red: A Natural History of the Redhead, explains that all humans have a microscopic film on their skin called the skin mantle (or acid mantle). The skin mantle of a ginger is more acidic than others because of their genes. Collins says that the scent of a cologne or perfume will smell differently on a redhead because of mixing with this natural scent.[5] Its hard to escape the intoxicating scent of a ginger.

You wouldnt know it by looking at Carrot Top or old pictures of Shaun White, but gingers have less hair on their heads than those of other hair colors. If you are counting the total number of strands of hair, redheads have fewer on their head than people of any other hair color. Redheaded women have about 90,000 strands of hair on their head, while blondes have around 110,000, and brunettes have about 140,000.[6]

Fewer strands of hair doesnt mean that gingers are going bald, though. Each strand of hair on a redhead is much thicker than other colors, and it usually appears as if gingers have more hair. Dont be jealous, but fewer strands of hair means that it is much easier to style.

Gingers are looked at as the unicorns of humansthey are pretty rare and beautiful! According to the National Institutes of Health, only about two percent of the worlds population is redheaded. The rarest of all redheads are those with blue eyes. Most gingers will either have brown, hazel, or green eyes. Both parents must possess the recessive gene in order to have a redheaded baby, and those who do have a one-in-four chance of it happening.

The highest percentage of redheads in the world reside in Ireland, according to Eupedia, a European website that explores ancestry and genetics. Gingers are almost equally found in Scotland, and a slightly lower percentage come from Cornwall in England as well as Western Switzerland.[7] Just because they are rare doesnt mean gingers will be going extinct, though. Thanks to genetics, redheads wont be joining the dinosaurs anytime soon.

Redheads with pale skin would be well-advised to avoid too much time in direct sunlight without protection. There is one advantage of being a ginger, thoughthey can produce more vitamin D, even on cloudy days.[8] Healthy levels of vitamin D enable them to fight against certain diseases more efficiently than those of other hair colors.

Having a sufficient supply of vitamin D helps prevent rickets, which is an illness that progressively weakens bone structure. It also helps prevent tuberculosis, a potentially fatal disease. Low levels of vitamin D have also been linked to diabetes, asthma, and arthritis. The pale skin of a redhead may mean that their skin will burn more easily when exposed to the Suns rays, but their paleness gives them the ability to create more vitamin D and fight off many diseases.

Not only are gingers less likely to develop rickets and tuberculosis, but theyre also less prone to developing prostate cancer as well. Researchers at Finlands National Institute for Health and Medicine found that redheads were less likely to develop prostate cancer than those with blonde, brown, or black hair. Ginger men were 54 percent less likely to develop the disease.

The National Institute of Health and Medicine in Helsinki, Finland, studied more than 20,000 men over a 30-year span. They discovered that the MC1R gene may help to control the way cancerous cells divide and grow.[9] The way genes dictate hair pigmentation also influence tumor development. The statistics may favor the redheads, but that doesnt mean they shouldnt get screened regularly for prostate cancer, however.

There are many advantages of being blessed with beautiful red hair, but there is one major disadvantage: Gingers are far more likely to develop skin cancer than people of any other hair color. The light-skinned gingers of the world have always been known to have an increased chance of developing skin cancer, but researchers have also linked the MC1R gene to the disease. A team led by Dr. David Adams of Britains Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute studied more than 400 melanoma patients. They found that people with the MC1R gene have more skin cancers with mutated tumor cells, and they arent all caused by the Suns radiation.

Those with red hair are at the highest risk of developing skin cancer, but even non-redheads who still carry one part of the MC1R gene are at a greater risk than those who do not carry the recessive gene. Gingers only make up one or two percent of the entire worlds population, but they make up 16 percent of the worlds melanoma patients. Somewhere between 26 and 40 percent of melanoma patients are carriers of at least one part of the MC1R gene.[10] Unfortunately, you cant control being born with the MC1R gene that can possibly lead to skin cancer, but if youre a redhead, its smart to take the right precautions, such as staying out of the Sun and applying sunscreen regularly.

Im just another bearded guy trying to write my way through life.www.MDavidScott.com

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Pixars Turning Red Skips Theaters & Heads To Disney+ – Deadline

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The Disney-Pixar movie Turning Redwill not debut in theaters on Friday, March 11. Instead, its heading exclusively to Disney+ worldwide,a big subtraction to movie theaters that were looking to play this title and at a time when Omicron was looking to calm.

Its the third Pixar movie to skip theatersand go straight to Disney+, after SoulandLuca.

The international markets where Disney+ isnt available, Turning Redwill be released theatrically, with dates to be announced.

It would be prudent for Disney to know in advance from its diagnostics whether a movie is meant for theaters or Disney+. Its just a fair thing to do for cinemas, which trulyhave been challenged during the pandemic. If Disney didnt have theatrical confidence in the movie, then dont date it its that simple. Dont tease theaters that are expecting product from you and counting on certain income. Sounds fair, Disney, no?

Soul,according to Samba TV, drew a first-weekend audience of 2.4 million over December 25-27, 2020 in smart TV homes. Samba TV didnt monitor Luca, so theres no data on whether it was a success.

Last year, just as movie theaters were reopening in New York City and Los Angeles, Disney debuted Raya and the Last Dragonin theaters and on Disney+. Cinemark initially refused to play the movie over terms. The movie fizzled at the B.O. with $54.7 million. Samba TV didnt measure audience for that animated feature either.

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Ref Watch: Genge, Hepburn, Zebo, Botham and Sutherland – red or yellow? – RugbyPass

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10:55am, 10 January 2022

The Gallagher Premiership and United Rugby Championships citing officers and disciplinary committees face a busy start to 2022 after a number of high-profile players were involved in controversy over the course of the most recent round of action.

And their deliberations will be watched with greater than usual interest since Six Nations availability will hinge on the length of any suspensions handed down.

Alec Hepburn Exeter v Harlequins

Offload Lewis Ludlam

Offload Lewis Ludlam

Exeters England international saw red for a 39th minute tip tackle on Joe Marler.

The prop joined Sam Simmonds in a two-man hit and in the process produced a clear-out reminiscent of the infamous spear tackle on Brian ODriscoll during the 2005 Lions series in New Zealand.

After consulting with TMO David Rose experienced referee Ian Tempest described the video evidence as pretty clear.

He went on: It is a clear lift. There is two men involved and a throw, there is a bit of a release and no regard for No.1s safety there who lands on his head. There is a lift, a let-go, the Harlequins player lands on his head.

That is going to be a red card for Exeter No.1. A clear lift and a drop, no regard for his safety, he lands on his head, it will be a red card for No.1

Analysis:

The main talking point about this decision surrounded the role played by England back-rower Sam Simmonds.

Exeters no.8 made the initial tackle on Marlers left leg before being joined by Hepburn who arrived on his opponents right.

On this basis, the decision to card only one of the tacklers has been questioned however looking at replays it is clear that the actions of the two tacklers are materially different.

While Hepburn lifted Marlers right leg well beyond the horizontal, Simmonds manages to keep his left-hand side at a much lower level. Importantly the no.8 also keeps hold of Marler throughout the clear-out and by doing so in law is seen to have shown a regard for his opponents safety which is absent in Hepburns actions.

One red card for Hepburn is therefore entirely justified.

Simon Zebo Munster v Ulster

Only 13 minutes had gone in the Irish derby whenMunster scrumhalf Craig Casey put up a box-kick that Zebo and Jack Crowley chased.

Both players arrived just as Ulsters Mike Lowry was landing after catching the ball and in their combined hit it was the Irish international winger who failed to adjust his height and as a result smashed his right shoulder into the full backs face.

With significant force evident, although Lowry was on his way to ground and as a result below his usual height when contact occurred, the officials deemed a red card appropriate.

Analysis

The main talking point surrounded the process by which the red card was awarded.

After watching four replays of the incident, Scottish referee Mike Adamson was content to send Zebo to the sin bin.

Speaking to TMO Brian MacNeice, Adamson said:

Just confirming, we do have shoulder contact to the head and we are seeing that as foul play because the red player is upright hes not bent at the hips.

Well just go into the level of danger. Hes coming from distance Im seeing it as a high degree, but there is another tackler involved so it is quite a dynamic situation. The player has caught it, hes coming down, so Im going to mitigate it as a yellow card. Are we seeing that? Are we seeing it as a mitigation?

However, the TMO was convinced that Zebos tackle was reckless and encouraged Adamson to look at more replays until he eventually changed his mind and pointed out that Zebo should be tackling lower.

Rory Sutherland Bath v Worcester

The Warriors Scotland international prop saw red at the Rec after only 75 seconds when his upright tackle position was deemed to have caused a clash of heads with Baths Will Stuart.

The damage done ended the England tight heads involvement in the match and he was immediately joined on the sidelines by Lions tourist Sutherland after referee Craig Maxwell-Keys brandished a red card.

Analysis

This is exactly the kind of challenge which World Rugbys crackdown seeks to eliminate and the red card was surely no surprise to anyone who saw the replay.

Getting players to bend and tackle lower is at the heart of the safety campaign but perhaps due to his frustration at suffering a narrow defeat despite playing almost the whole contest a man short, Worcester coach Jonathan Thomas seems to still be taking an old school approach.

He said: By the letter of the law its a red card and you cant argue with it, but I think there is an issue with the law.

I retired from rugby because of head knocks, so I am all about ensuring player safety.

But it is an accidental head-on-head collision, and the footwork used by Stuart has to be a mitigating factor.

Something is wrong with the game if we are going to have a sending-off for that.

Since Stuart moved his 19 stone slightly to Sutherlands left as the tackler approached he cannot be accused of having a total absence of footwork.

However, this was very definitely not a case of a prop being bamboozled by some Jason Robinson style dance moves and several years into a safety-led campaign there is no going back.

James Botham Edinburgh v Cardiff

Cardiffs Wales international flanker was hurt in the 56th minute as a result of a heavy head-on-head contact in a ruck from Edinburgh replacement Dave Cherry.

He received lengthy medical treatment on the pitch, with the game being held up for some five minutes before being stretchered off.

Thankfully the nine-times-capped back-rower subsequently Tweeted news of his speedy recovery.

Replays subsequently showed that Cherry collided with him as he cleared out, yet despite the lengthy delay referee Frank Murphy and TMO Neil Paterson declined to review the incident.

Analysis

Given World Rugbys stance on head contact and the amount of time the officials had available it does seem astonishing that the incident was not reviewed.

Of course, it may be that TMO Paterson looked at it behind the scenes and decided that there was no need to draw it to Murphys attention, or that the height at which it happened provided enough mitigation.

While both officials will be very aware of not stopping the game without good cause, the need to spot and deal with potential foul play especially when the incident caused a serious head injury is surely paramount.

Given the force with which Cherrys head struck Botham this surely needed to go to the man in charge even if only for completeness and to prevent accusations of the incident being completely missed.

Ellis Genge Wasps v Leicester

The Leicester skipper escaped with a yellow card for striking Wasps winger Francois Hougaard in the face then pulling his hair during an incident just before half-time.

While referee Tom Foley only brandished a yellow, many suggested Genge was fortunate not to have been given a straight red after appearing to intentionally push his hand into Hougaards face in the general vicinity of his eyes.

During a lengthy discussion with TMO Rowan Kitt, Foley described the England props actions as totally unnecessary before adding nothing was done by Hougaard to merit that reaction.

When issuing Leicesters captain with a yellow card Foley added that the response to Hougaards initial shove was disproportionate.

Analysis

While BT pundits David Flatman and Austin Healey both concluded that a yellow card was sufficient punishment there is no doubt that other players have seen red for making contact with the eye area without having any intent to gouge and pulling hair indeed Chris Ashton has managed both.

On another day with a different set of match officials Genge may have suffered a similar fate.

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Ref Watch: Genge, Hepburn, Zebo, Botham and Sutherland - red or yellow? - RugbyPass

Ginger Kids – Wikipedia

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11th episode of the ninth season of South Park

"Ginger Kids" is the eleventh episode in the ninth season of the American animated television series South Park. The 136th episode of the series overall, it first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on November 9, 2005. In the episode, Cartman is led to think he has contracted a mysterious and sudden onset of "gingervitus" (in actuality, Stan and Kyle use skin bleach, dye and tattoos, to transform him into a ginger kid in his sleep). Sick and tired of being ridiculed for his fake red hair, light skin and freckles, he rallies all the ginger kids everywhere to fight against the persecution and rise up to become the master race they are intended to be, or so he thinks.

The episode was written and directed by series co-creator Trey Parker.[1] It caused controversy after its ironic premise was misunderstood by people who acted violently against redheads.

For a class presentation, Eric Cartman delivers his own against what he calls "gingers": people with red hair, freckles, and pale skin due to an alleged disease called "Gingervitis". He describes them as being disgusting, inhuman, unable to survive in sunlight, and having no souls. Kyle Broflovski, who labels Cartman's presentation as a hate speech, points out that he too has red hair, to which Cartman says that there is a second class of redheads, the "daywalkers", who have red hair but not pale skin and freckles.

In Kyle's attempt to prove Cartman wrong, he decides to do a presentation countering Cartman's facts, arguing that being a "ginger kid" is an inheritable trait. To prove this, Kyle and Stan Marsh visit a family who have redhead children. To their shock, the non-Ginger parents of the Ginger kids, who each carry a recessive gene that has caused them to have Ginger kids, possess the same prejudice towards Ginger kids as Cartman. The father of the Ginger kids informs Kyle that marrying an Asian woman ensures that the recessive gene is not passed down, and mentions a friend who is marrying an Asian woman for that reason. When Kyle makes his presentation, Cartman stands up for his claims and uses Biblical references, alleging that Judas Iscariot was a Ginger. As a result, Cartman's speech causes a new-found prejudice towards Ginger kids in the school. The gingers are treated as outcasts and forced to eat in the hallway rather than the cafeteria. Stan, Kyle, and Kenny McCormick agree that they need to teach Cartman a lesson.

At night, the three sneak into Cartman's room and use skin bleach to make his skin pale, dye his hair red, and put Henna tattoos of freckles on his face. Cartman wakes up in the morning to discover that he now has the disease "gingervitis" and has become a Ginger himself. Cartman is taken to the doctor, who turns out to be prejudiced himself and soon insults him, even suggesting that Mrs. Cartman have him put down, which she considers. At school, Cartman is laughed at by Butters Stotch, and faces discrimination from the very people he himself convinced to despise Gingers. He is forced to join the gingers in eating in the hallway despite his attempts to convince them that he is still who he was. In response to this, Cartman establishes the "Ginger Separatist Movement" to promote the better aspects of being ginger.

Initially peaceful, Cartman's movement quickly becomes violent and Nazi-esque in tone, arguing that Gingers are a "great race", though when he tries to name a successful "ginger", the gingers are forced to simply declare themselves as being like "Ron Howard and others." He and his organization start holding protests, including beating up a brunette who played Annie, for playing a redhead but not actually being one. Eventually, Cartman convinces the Ginger kids to decide to kill all the town's non-gingers by telling them "The only way to fight hate is with MORE hate!"

An hour before dawn, the boys decide to sneak into Cartman's room and change him back to his original appearance. However, on their way over to his house, Ginger kids start to creep out of seemingly nowhere and follow them. At first, though terrified, the boys try to ignore them and decide to go home. Kenny is suddenly snatched away, prompting Kyle and Stan to break into a run. Meanwhile, children across the town are abducted from their homes by the Ginger kids. Eventually, Stan and Kyle are the only ones left. They lock themselves in a barn for protection but the Ginger kids break in and capture them both.

All the non-gingers are taken to the Sunset Room at the Airport Hilton Hotel, complete with a lava pit and refreshment buffet. They are all imprisoned in cages and will be chosen for sacrifice one by one.

"Daywalker" Kyle is chosen as the first. Cartman states a "half-ginger" is much worse than one with no such trait. However, he asks that before he dies, he say something private to Cartman. Kyle whispers in Cartman's ear that he is not in fact a "ginger". Now thinking only of self-preservation, he realizes that if his own cult were to learn of his true physical identity he too would die with every other non-"ginger kid" of the town. Cartman pretends to have had an epiphany that everyone should live in harmony and peace since Kyle's speech, then gets everyone to sing a song about how the different races should live together in peace. As the non-gingers are freed, an annoyed Kyle calls Cartman a "manipulative asshole" for his hypocrisy. Cartman gleefully responds "Yes, but I'm not going to die".

On the DVD commentary for "Ginger Kids", Trey Parker and Matt Stone said that they had wanted to do an episode about ginger kids for a long time, though did not initially know what to do for it. Parker and Stone were inspired to create the episode by a billboard that they saw in England while promoting the show. The billboard read "Only you can prevent ginger" and had a picture of a redheaded girl. Parker and Stone did a lot of research to ensure that there was some truth to the whole story, rather than it being purely fictional.

The fact that Kyle has red hair introduced some difficulties during production. Parker and Stone felt that they needed to distinguish Kyle from the other redheaded kids because the character does not associate with them. Also, it had already been established that Kyle did indeed have red hair, thus making it more necessary to give an explanation as to why he was not like the other gingers. They eventually settled on the idea that there were true redheaded gingers, like the ones Cartman starts associating with, and "daywalkers", people like Kyle with red hair but no freckles or light skin.

In the episode, a man tells Stan and Kyle "If you really don't want to have ginger kids, marry an Asian woman. Asians don't carry the recessive gene. I know a guy who's marrying a Japanese woman very soon for just that reason." This is an intentional reference to Parker doing the same thing in real life. He once had a girlfriend whose mother had red hair, and ended the relationship to avoid having redheaded children, and even admitted to harboring what he described as racial prejudice against gingers. He later married Emma Sugiyama, a Japanese woman.[3][4]

The episode supposedly inspired the infamous "National Kick a Ginger Day" in 2008. The event was started out on Facebook with a target date of November 20 and attracted many members from Canada and the United States. Several students with red hair were assaulted by other students. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police investigated the incident as a hate crime.

A second incident related to this happened in 2013 at Wingfield Academy in Rotherham, Yorkshire, where red-headed students faced discrimination based on their hair color. Parents of the discriminated students launched a Facebook group protesting the offending students in an attempt to end the bullying. Many parents were enraged of the incident, resulting in some of them fetching their children during the school hours out of fear of them being potential targets. School staff "strongly reprimanded" the offending students.[5] A school spokesperson declared the incidents "deplorable acts" and stated that the entire institution was warned that students who continued such discrimination would also be punished.[6]

Singer Ed Sheeran claims the episode was the start of noticeable discrimination against red hair in America.[7]

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Chris Sprowls heads into his final Session already a victor. How will he build on that? – Florida Politics

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Under the leadership of Speaker Chris Sprowls, the House in 2021 delivered one of its best Sessions of the past decade.

Weve previously notedhe wasnt afraid to reach across the aisle to get the job done. Combined with his and Senate President Wilton Simpsons positive working relationship, the Legislature looks ready for another productive Session come Tuesday.

From literacy to the workforce to health care and even historic changes for the environment, no policy area remained untouched last year.

Heres how we think the Speaker might build on last years wins and deliver on his promise to prepare Florida for future challengesto round out his final Session as the head of the Florida House of Representatives.

Mothers and Babies

In his organization speech last year, Sprowls announced he wanted to tackle the disparities Black women face in maternal health care and the resulting disproportionate health outcomes for their infants. And he delivered.

Last Session, we saw Medicaid extension for mothers and NICA reforms. Both measures are designed to help mothers and babies in crisis. They also serve as a rebuttal to Democratic claims that conservatives dont care about women or about babies after they are born the perfect setup for the expected fight over abortion rights this year.

Here in the state of Florida, we dont kill babies, Sprowls said back in 2019 in his designation speech. Expect this Session to be the year he takes care of this unfinished business.

Child Welfare

Last Session, Sprowls worked with the Senate to address issues facing foster children as they turn 18 and transition out of a familys care. As the father of two young boys, hes attuned to the issues related to fatherhood and fatherlessness and the crisis facing at-risk youth.

If the Children, Families and Seniors Subcommittee meetings during Committee Weeks were any indication, well see continued progress on this issue. Leadership already cued up significant legislation including a foster children bill of rights for Session.

Stay tuned.

Education

One of the major themes of Sprowls first Session was a strong push in the education and workforce arenas.

In both his designation speech and organization speech, he outlined proposals to improve educational outcomes and how that translates into Floridas talent pipeline.

When the first book deliveries from his New Worlds Reading Initiative arrived at the doorsteps of Floridas young readers in December, we saw how quickly his ideas could impact the lives of Floridians. We also witnessed increased accountability for VPK programs and the nations largest expansion of public-school choice.

The Portraits in Patriotism civics education and anti-cancel culture legislation provided red meat to his base. All the while, his tuition assistance for out-of-state students and those taking high-demand or virtual classes recognized the real-world needs of Floridas students and industries.

Last but certainly not least, Sprowls vision to transform Floridas broken workforce programs into a central REACH office was realized. It remains to be seen what impact this has on Floridas job seekers and workers, but a system now place gives reason for optimism.

Sprowls success in moving legislation in the education and workforce arenas means well probably see more this year.

Environment

In recent years, Sprowls is among the most aggressive and effective Republican champions onenvironmental policy.

As Speaker-designate, Sprowls was not afraid to speak out about the pressing reality of climate change and sea level rise, and he put his words into action immediately after taking the helm of the Florida House, investing $200 million to address the problem and work toward solutions.

I give Speaker Sprowls a lot of credit, Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a Dec. 9 news conference. I told him this is something I think we should do, and he really led the way to be able to do it.

And this coming Session, all signs point to Sprowls becoming a major champion for Floridas beloved sea cows. Last Session, he spearheaded the effort to appropriate $8 million for manatee habitat restoration.

In August, he hitched a ride with scientists from the Clearwater Marine Aquarium to learn more about the current research to mitigate manatee deaths and how public policy and legislation can improve the situation.

And just last month, we saw pictures on Twitter of Sprowls helping release manatees back into the wild and meeting with experts on how to continue to save them.

Fighting the woke movement

Before DeSantis ever held a news conference on his anti-woke agenda, Speaker Sprowls gave a sharp rebuke of woke Twitter Robespierres in his organization Session speech in November 2020.

We can probably expect to see the Speaker get behind the Governors push to legislate out progressive ideology in public schools, and perhaps take it a step further.

With so many transformational wins, Sprowls final Session has the potential to become an exclamation point on his tenure as Speaker.

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Chris Sprowls heads into his final Session already a victor. How will he build on that? - Florida Politics

Why the Red Wings should consider trading Filip Zadina – Winging It In Motown

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Knowing when to hold on and when to move on is key in the world of hockey.

A player can have all the tools and chemistry needed to succeed at the NHL level, but without a system that benefits him, hell keep treading water. This is a common theme in todays league. Devon Toews was once a supporting cast member of the New York Islanders. His trade to the Colorado Avalanche and the breath of fresh air that resulted transformed him into an elite play-driving defender. Sometimes, a change of scenery is all a player needs to take off. Its bittersweet, but sometimes, these things can wind up for the best in the long run.

This prelude brings us to our current enigma: Filip Zadina. The 2018 sixth overall pick seems to develop more questions with every answer he brings. With just 10 points in 34 games and a healthy scratch last Tuesday against the San Jose Sharks its hard to make heads or tails of whats going on with the forward. Hes shooting at a ridiculously low 5.6% and all of his shots either end up wide of the net or in low-danger areas. Sam Gagner, who has played the entirety of the season on the fourth line, has three more points than Zadina.

Zadinas strong possession metrics and ability to drive play show that hes more than capable of playing at the NHL level. He has the tools needed to make it in the big leagues but his finishing is damaging his ability to impact any roster. The biggest enigma as of right now is his viability with the Detroit Red Wings. The teams rebuild is chugging along at a good pace. As old veterans make their way out, talented, cost-controlled players are filing in. At 22 years of age, Zadina has a chance to be one of the latter. But, if recent games are indication, it might be time to move on.

Last nights effort against the Anaheim Ducks was an exercise in frustration. Head coach Jeff Blashill tried just about everything to get his game going, giving him different linemates, situations on the ice, and even some time on the power play. During a key faceoff, Zadina went on autopilot, handing the Ducks the game-tying goal on a silver platter.

Zadinas lack of production and the rise of the rookies is making it harder and harder to find a spot for him on the roster. A change of scenery might be just what he needs to reignite his game. With that said, where could Filip Zadina fit in and what kind of return could the Red Wings garner in a trade?

Zadina appears to be a complete NHL player in nearly every sense of the word. Hes been able to consistently drive the puck and maintain control of the offensive zone while not missing his assignments on defense. As far as playing at the NHL level goes, he appears to be doing just about everything right. Why trade him now?

Trading a young, cost-controlled player is just as much a gamble as it is an exercise in frustration. On one hand, Zadina is only 22 and could easily turn things around. On the other, the clock appears to be ticking for the forward, who has just 19 goals in 120 career games. Zadina, who was drafted as a shoot-first forward, should not be scoring less than one goal every 10 games.

Head coach Jeff Blashills system appears to prioritize defense and high-scoring chances over shots on the net. While this is great for stifling the opposition and improving two-way play, its been a detriment to many offense-minded players. Andreas Athanasiou, for all his faults, succeeded best when he was put in a position to succeed. When Blashill made him focus on defense over scoring in 2019-20, his offense suffered, pulling the teams goal differential further down than it had been in years.

The thing is, neither party was completely in the wrong; Blashill was right about Athanasious shortcomings, and Athanasiou was correct in his observation about his own play style. The same can be said of Zadina, who has recently looked like a ghost of his former defense-minded self. This two-way rebranding appears to have taken effect on Zadina, who looks less confident with the puck than hes ever been before. Despite its criticisms, Blashills insistence appears to carry with it some merit. Take a look at Zadinas advanced stats, courtesy of Evolving Hockey:

Zadina is generating offense at a high rate at even-strength, but his defensive woes are causing the team to suffer. Hes a double-edged sword on the ice, generating offense but remaining detrimentally defensive. While this double-edged sword style could work with a player like, say, Patrick Kane, Zadinas 10 points in 34 games is simply not enough to justify his defensive play.

Pius Suter has been Zadinas center for nearly the entirety of the 2021-22 season. Unfortunately, the two havent clicked; in fact, both produce better offense when theyre apart than they do together. The thing is, the teams third line is generating a great amount of chemistry on its own. The combination of Vladislav Namestnikov, Michael Rasmussen and Adam Erne seems to bring some sneaky creativity at just about every avenue. While Zadina could certainly make an impact at this role, it doesnt seem prudent to break up a good thing especially when its helping Rasmussen get back to normal.

Last seasons affair with Jakub Vrana and Dylan Larkin was one worth watching on a near-nightly basis. The trio wreaked havoc up and down the ice, and reuniting the Czech-mates might be just what the forward needs to put a spark in his game. But Zadina shouldnt have to rely on his linemates to be a good player. Having better linemates could certainly help, but a true indicator of a successful NHLer lies in his ability to generate offense where there is none.

Even that, however, appears to be a problem for Zadina. Take a look at this Moritz Seider sequence and Zadinas involvement within it:

If any other player on the roster received the pass Zadina sent to Seider, it wouldve gone off the skate and into the hands of the Kings, who would, in turn, transform it into an empty net goal. These incredibly risky plays are just a microcosm of how frustrating Zadinas decision-making can get at times. Chemistry or no, something has to change in order for Zadina to stick around.

This is where things start to get a little sobering. Every organization and its fans alike overvalue their players and prospects. Remember the time Toronto Maple Leafs fans suggested that a Tyler Bertuzzi for Travis Dermott trade was justified? Bias clouds our judgment but a cost-controlled 22-year-old may still net some worthwhile results. Here are three candidates that may take a swing at the former first-rounder:

The Flyers have a player that is not only similar to Zadina, but appears to be in dire straits with his organization: Travis Konecny. Konecny, at 24 years of age, has plenty of hockey left in him. Hes a talented scorer who is just two seasons removed from 61 points in 66 games. At $5.5M/year through 2024-25, hes locked in to an affordable contract through his prime. Why, then, has he locked himself so firmly in the Flyers doghouse and whats stopped him from scoring in nearly two months?

Like Vrana, consistency is a big issue with Konecny. He often goes through scoreless droughts, and with a team as wildly unpredictable as the Flyers have been, a case could be made that his environment is spurning these results. Trading Zadina for Konecny might require a sweetener, however; with the Flyers eyeing a rebuild, theyll look to stock up on draft picks and prospects however they can.

If the Red Wings can coax Konecny from the Flyers, theyll need to pony up with one or the other. The Philly Voice believes that Konecny wouldnt net a first or a second round pick; but Zadina, a third, and a prospect like, say, Jared McIsaac might just do the trick. Then again, this is the same team that just spent a first round pick to acquire Rasmus Ristolainen, one of the worst defensemen in the NHL. Anythings possible, right?

Okay, here me out: a player that isnt given situations to succeed needs a change of scenery. Sound familiar? The Ottawa Senators have one, too, and his name is Erik Brannstrom. Brannstrom, who was one of the key pieces in the Mark Stone trade, desperately needs a fresh start. When it seemed like Brannstrom finally had a chance to succeed, the Senators signed Michael Del Zotto, who immediately took his spot in the lineup. Now, at 22 years of age, Brannstrom has played just 66 NHL games with 17 points to boot.

Its not that Brannstrom is a bad player by any means in fact, his advanced stats and play at the AHL level suggest otherwise. Hes spent the last few weeks injured, but his limited ice time and deployment lead many to believe that the Senators just dont see a place for him in the organization. With that said, could he find an opportunity with the Red Wings? Given both teams positions in their rebuilds and their need at both respective positions, a case could be made for a one-for-one trade.

In Zadina, the Senators get a capable two-way player with top-six potential. In Brannstrom, the Red Wings secure a middle-pairing defenseman who can pick up the load on both even-strength and the power play. This is one of those rare trades that could positively impact both teams, and its something the Red Wings should absolutely consider if they want to ship off Zadina.

I would pay good money to be in the head of Ken Holland when Steve Yzerman calls him. Its safe to say the Oilers need change, and they need it fast. Despite outstanding performances from Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the team is in dire straits. The depth scoring is drying up, the goaltending is underwhelming, and theyre relying on Duncan Keith and Cody Ceci for defense. Things are not looking ideal for Edmonton, and they desperately need a change.

Enter the Red Wings, and, more specifically, Filip Zadina. Holland was actually the one to draft Zadina. Hes likely very familiar with the forwards play style and might have a better idea of what he needs to succeed. Playing him on Connor McDavids wing might help to break him out of his slump. Holland initially wanted Evan Bouchard with the pick, but said he couldnt pass up a high-potential player like Zadina. Now, he gets to have his cake and eat it, too.

Edmontons assets allow the Red Wings a bit of flexibility with their trade. On one hand, they could easily go back to the drawing board and ask for a slew of picks. On the other, there is one prospect who could make an impact as early as next season. That players name is Dylan Holloway. Holloway had a fantastic season last year with the University of Wisconsin, putting up 35 points in 23 games. Hes spent this season recovering from an injury, and has had several long-term injuries in the past.

While hes almost certainly going to be a great NHL player in his career, will the Oilers be willing to risk the forwards health for a chance at success? Its hard to say. One thing is for sure, though: Holloway wont come cheap. If Detroit wants to pony up for Holloway, they need to either bring more to the table or focus on other prospects. Thankfully, there are quite a few in Edmontons system, but none as eye-catching as Holloway.

When a player consistently struggles, one of two things can change: the player, or the system. As of right now, it doesnt look like the latter is changing. Unless Zadina completely turns things around, it wouldnt be a shock to see Yzerman attempt to tender a few offers for the maligned forward. This, of course, isnt to say that Zadina is a bad player as mentioned earlier, he has the tools needed to make an impact at the NHL level. The best situation for both parties might be to go their separate ways and seek a trade.

Barring an overpayment, however, it doesnt seem likely that Zadina would be flipped so stringently. Until Vrana is back and Yzerman has a clearer idea of what kind of player Zadina will be no move will be made. Time is on the organizations side to find a trade partner, if a trade is to be tendered. Theres no pressure to do so, and, barring an overpayment, Zadina will likely stay put through the duration of this season.

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Why the Red Wings should consider trading Filip Zadina - Winging It In Motown

Car of the Week: A 2005 Ford GT, the First Modern American Supercar, Is Heading to Auction – Robb Report

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I remember hopping into a brand-new Ford GT back in 2005. It was red, low, quick and loud. There was a lot to like about that car. It felt brutally honest and a little raw, with none of the fussy details or delicate build of the eras Italian supercars. It didnt feel like parts would fall off, but it wasnt like one of Germanys rolling bank vaults, either. It just felt American. The engine was sublime, but booby-trapped. Forgetting it was supercharged, I planted my foot and did a pirouette in the middle of an intersection while attempting a left-hand turn from standstill. Embarrassing, but the only thing damaged was my pride. The Ford GT commands respect.

When I first encountered the Ford GT, I couldnt help but feel like Id reconnected with an old friend after decades of being apart . . . one whod gained considerable inches and many pounds, but otherwise looked much the same. Dwarfing its predecessor and three inches taller, the Ford GT made no pretense of being a racing machine like the car that inspired it. Credit for such a successful variation on the theme of the original Ford GT40 goes to Camilo Pardo, who, under the direction of J Mays, designed an homage to Fords 1-2-3 sweep of Le Mans in 1966 and the marques consecutive victories from 1967 to 1969.

The tribute concept was unveiled at the 2002 Detroit Auto Show to great acclaim, with a production version following to coincide with Fords centenary. Fords GT was a home run for the company, with a total of 4,038 examples builtall model year 2005 and 2006.

Few people at the time could have imagined that these would become first-class collectibles 15 years on, but their performance on the auction ramp has been consistent, thanks to strong interest and the inherent drivabilityand reliabilityof the model. Solid values can also be attributed to Pardos artful styling, one that captures the essence of Fords racing icon without any hint of retro-kitsch. In other words, its an enduring design.

Arguably the first modern supercar from the US, the Ford GT was built up from a lightweight aluminum space frame with aluminum bodywork; notably a passenger cell bookended by two clamshells. Mounted mid-rear is a 550 hp, 5.4-liter V-8with the aforementioned superchargermated to a Ricardo six-speed transaxle. The power-to-weight ratio and exceptional balance make the Ford GT, weighing in at less than 3,500 pounds, a rewarding car to drive, and a reminder that the more analog a vehicle is, the more fun it can be.

Many colorways were offeredmost with racing stripesincluding the GT Heritage Edition, which was liveried in Gulf Oil motorsport colors and of which 346 were made. This all-black example, however, is particularly stealthy, with forged aluminum wheels punctuated by grey-painted calipers. And the black-leather interior features a McIntosh sound system, one of the few options that could be selected. Delivered new to Mel Clayton Ford in Santa Barbara, Calif., the car shows fewer than 2,000 miles.

Estimated to fetch between $350,000 and $400,000, the car will be made available through Gooding & Company during its Geared Online Scottsdale Edition auction. In recent years, we have noticed a steady increase in demand for first-series Ford GTs, says Justin Gosaynie, a Gooding & Company specialist. This striking, highly collectible stripe-delete Ford GT presents a rare opportunity to interested parties, especially considering its low mileage, single-owner status, special features and attractive color combination. Online bidding opens Monday, January 24 and begins closing Friday, January 28.

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Car of the Week: A 2005 Ford GT, the First Modern American Supercar, Is Heading to Auction - Robb Report

Famed White Cliffs of Sicily Are Defaced in an Act of Vandalism – The New York Times

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ROME Saturday was a bad news, good news sort of day for Sabrina Lattuca, the mayor of Realmonte, a small town on the western coast of Sicily.

She awoke that morning to find that vandals had thrown iron oxide powder across the white cliffs known as the Scala dei Turchi, or Staircase of the Turks, staining Realmontes principal tourist draw with bloody red blotches.

But by nightfall, much of the damage had been undone thanks to the efforts of a crew of cultural heritage experts, municipal workers and local citizens who spent the day scrubbing the site with the aid of mops, brooms and water pumps.

They are an example of the best of Sicily, Ms. Lattuca said of the people who helped with the cleanup. In 24 hours, she added, this teamwork was able to restore beauty and splendor to the Scala dei Turchi.

Molded by waves and wind over millenniums into a grandiose natural staircase, legend has it that it was the favorite landing spot of pirates and invaders from faraway lands, like the Turks, hence its name.

Long a seaside draw for Sicilians, the marlstone cliffs achieved a wider fame thanks to a series of crime novels featuring Inspector Salvo Montalbano by the late Italian writer Andrea Camilleri, who lauded the sites astonishing beauty. The works were later turned into a popular TV series.

And they also achieved cinematic renown in Giuseppe Tornatores Malena and other films.

Investigators in Agrigento, the areas largest city, about 10 miles to the east of the Scala dei Turchi, are now scouring videos taken from surveillance cameras on the roads leading to the site on the night between Friday and Saturday, when the vandalism took place.

Major Marco La Rovere, the commander of the military police branch of Agrigento, which is investigating the case, said his officers and local prosecutors had an idea of who might have vandalized the site, which had been defaced by graffiti in the past. Now, they were searching for evidence to back up their hunch, he said, declining to give details. Its an open investigation, he said.

Ms. Lattuca had no doubts that the vandalism was the work of a madman.

There is no other explanation for such an absurd act, she said.

Michele Benfari, Agrigentos top cultural heritage official, instead said the gaping wound left by the oxide powder might have been a statement left by a disillusioned artist grappling with the tragedy of the pandemic.

He cited one artist who made headlines when he threw red dye in Romes Trevi fountain in 2007 and dumped thousands of colorful balls on the Spanish Steps a year later.

That could be one interpretation, he said. Acts of vandalism had been rare in his area of Sicily, he said.

Fortunately, Mr. Benfari noted, the iron oxide powder used by the vandals is relatively harmless if it isnt mixed with other chemicals. Special vacuum cleaners were used to remove the powder and the remaining traces were scrubbed clean using a simple soap on some patches.

We were lucky, he said.

The Scala dei Turchi is currently closed to the public on safety grounds, as well as over concerns that the site was being damaged by mass tourism. It is also the subject of litigation to determine ownership of parts of the site between the region, the local government and a private individual.

Before the pandemic, the site drew an estimated one million visitors a year, said Giuseppe Taibi, the local representatives for the Fondo Ambiente Italiano, an organization often referred to as the National Trust of Italy, which in past years successfully lobbied to demolish two illegal structures that had been built there.

It was a major victory in an area of Sicily infamous for its dismal track record in illegal construction projects. In 2016, the Fondo Ambiente Italiano inaugurated a lookout deck overlooking the cliffs on the former site of one of the demolished buildings.

That sent a strong signal, said Mr. Taibi. Its also a way to admire the site without destroying it, by allowing too many visitors, he said.

The Fondo has also promoted the Scala dei Turchi on its list of places to safeguard in Italy. It is de facto a patrimony of humanity that must be protected, Mr. Taibi.

Locals clearly agreed.

As soon as we heard that Scala dei Turchi had been defaced, we rolled up our sleeves and got to work, said Claudio Lombardo, who heads the local branch of the environmental association Mareamico, which monitors and conserves coastal areas.

As it is so snow-white, so pure, the Scala dei Turchi is the emblem of a clean and honest Sicily, and it must be preserved and protected, said Ms. Lattuca, the mayor.

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Famed White Cliffs of Sicily Are Defaced in an Act of Vandalism - The New York Times

Arsenal hit with 20,000 fine for players losing their heads over Gabriel red card in controversial Man… – The Sun

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ARSENAL have been fined 20,000 for losing their heads after Gabriel was sent off vs Manchester City.

The Brazilian defender was given his marching ordersin the2-1 defeat against the Cityzensafter receiving two quick bookable offences.

1

Arsenal were hit with an FA charge on Wednesday for 'failing to ensure its players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion'.

The FA statement read: "Arsenal FC has been charged with a breach of FA Rule E20.1 following its Premier League game against Manchester City FC on Saturday January 1.

"It is alleged that Arsenal FC failed to ensure its players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion during the 59th minute.

"The club has until Friday January 7 to respond."

Gabriel received his first caution after making a comment to referee Stuart Attwell afterBernardo Silva won a controversial penalty.

He was then shown his second yellow card just two minutes later after bringing down Gabriel Jesus on the halfway line.

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Arsenal's players reacted in furious fashion and surrounded the referee to berate him for the decision they clearly did not think was fair.

But Gabriel's needless foul infuriated BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinandwho labelled the star as 'stupid, immature and petulant'.

Mere minutes earlier, furious Gunners players surrounded Attwell after he gave Citys equalising spot-kick after being recommended to view Granit Xhakas clash with Silva on the pitchside monitor.

Players from both sides engaged in a bout of pushing and shoving after the changed decision.

Xhaka, incandescent at being penalised, told the referee he should look again after he saw the incident replayed on the giant screens at the Emirates.

Arsenal players including Gabriel attempted to scuff up the penalty spot, although Riyad Mahrez still drilled home.

The FA is still considering action after City goalscorer Rodri and his jubilant team-mates were pelted with missiles while celebrating his injury-time winner.

In December 2020, ex-Lille ace Gabriel wassent off against Southampton at the Emirates in an almost exact replica of his City red.

He received two yellow cards in quick succession, only this time the bookings were four minutes apart.

And the time of his sending off was also similar to his dismissal against City, as he was shown his red card in the 62nd minute.

Not only that, but the manner of both the second of yellow cards were very similar.

Jesus was fouled by Gabriel after the latter clattered into his compatriot just past the centre circle.

In the draw with the Saints, it was Theo Walcott that was hauled down as he spun Gabriel just past halfway.

And both incidents occurred whenArsenalwere drawing 1-1.

Get all the latest Arsenal news, updates and transfer gossip with our live blogs

Following the disappointing City loss, Gabriel took to social media to declare he would DIE for the Gunners.

Hetweeted: "Hard to accept it, but only God knows everything! Proud to be part of this team!!! Amazing spirit!

"We will keep working together, fighting until the end!! For this team I will run until I die!! Lets keep improving in 2022!!!"

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Arsenal hit with 20,000 fine for players losing their heads over Gabriel red card in controversial Man... - The Sun

Mission complete. Task Force Phoenix heads home after 9-month mission in the Middle East – United States Army

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1 / 9 Show Caption + Hide Caption From left, Command Chief Warrant Officer 5 Rich Huber, Sgt. 1st Class Robert Jones, Staff Sgt. Vergia Farrow, Col. Alan Gronewold and Command Sgt. Maj. Refugio Rosas poses for a photo in front of the Task Force Phoenix T-wall at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. (Photo Credit: Maj. Jason Sweeney) VIEW ORIGINAL 2 / 9 Show Caption + Hide Caption Task Force Phoenix Over the Horizon (OTH) force CH-47 Chinook helicopters arrive at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, on Aug. 3, 2021. The OTH helicopters are flown by crews from Task Force Phoenix's 1st Battalion, 171st Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), from the Minnesota National Guard and Iowa National Guard. (Photo Credit: Maj. Jason Sweeney) VIEW ORIGINAL 3 / 9 Show Caption + Hide Caption Task Force Raptor Soldiers move a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter on the flight line at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. (Photo Credit: Maj. Jason Sweeney) VIEW ORIGINAL 4 / 9 Show Caption + Hide Caption Crew chief Sgt. Jaime Martinez, from A Company, 1st Assault Helicopter Battalion, 140th Aviation Regiment, currently attached to C Company, scans his sector in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter in northern Iraq. (Photo Credit: Maj. Jason Sweeney) VIEW ORIGINAL 5 / 9 Show Caption + Hide Caption Task Force Phoenix Commander Col. Alan Gronewold, Task Force Phoenix Command Sgt. Maj. Refugio Rosas and Task Force Command Chief Warrant Officer 5 Rich Huber case the 40th Combat Aviation colors during a Transfer-of-Authority ceremony for the outgoing unit Task Force Phoenix, 40th Combat Aviation Brigade, and the incoming Task Force Eagle, 11th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade, in the base theater at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. The casing of the colors symbolically marks the end of Task Force Phoenix's nine-month mission in the Middle East. (Photo Credit: Maj. Jason Sweeney) VIEW ORIGINAL 6 / 9 Show Caption + Hide Caption Task Force Phoenix Commander Col. Alan Gronewold, Task Force Phoenix Command Sgt. Maj. Refugio Rosas and Task Force Command Chief Warrant Officer 5 Rich Huber case the 40th Combat Aviation colors during a Transfer-of-Authority ceremony for the outgoing unit Task Force Phoenix, 40th Combat Aviation Brigade, and the incoming Task Force Eagle, 11th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade, in the base theater at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. The casing of the colors symbolically marks the end of Task Force Phoenix's nine-month mission in the Middle East. (Photo Credit: Maj. Jason Sweeney) VIEW ORIGINAL 7 / 9 Show Caption + Hide Caption U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Brandon Parker, Chief of Staff, Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve, addresses the Soldiers of the outgoing unit Task Force Phoenix, 40th Combat Aviation Brigade, and the incoming Task Force Eagle, 11th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade, during a Transfer-of-Authority ceremony in the base theater at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. (Photo Credit: Maj. Jason Sweeney) VIEW ORIGINAL 8 / 9 Show Caption + Hide Caption Task Force Eagle Commander Col. Matthew Hill addresses the audience during a Transfer-of-Authority ceremony for the outgoing unit Task Force Phoenix, 40th Combat Aviation Brigade, and the incoming Task Force Eagle, 11th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade, in the base theater at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. (Photo Credit: Maj. Jason Sweeney) VIEW ORIGINAL 9 / 9 Show Caption + Hide Caption Task Force Phoenix Commander Col. Alan Gronewold addresses his Soldiers who have completed their nine-month mission in the Middle East and wishes godspeed to the incoming unit Task Force Eagle, 11th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade, during a Transfer-of-Authority ceremony in the base theater at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. (Photo Credit: Maj. Jason Sweeney) VIEW ORIGINAL

CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait With the casing of the 40th Combat Aviation Brigade's red and blue colors, Task Force Phoenix's nine-month mission in the Middle East formally came to an end.

On Jan. 6, Col. Alan Gronewold, Command Sgt. Maj. Refugio Rosas and Command Chief Warrant Officer 5 Rich Huber cased the colors during a Transfer-of-Authority ceremony in the base theater at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. The ceremony marked the official transfer of the mission from Task Force Phoenix to Task Force Eagle, 11th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade.

"All of you should be very proud," U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Brandon Parker, Chief of Staff, Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve, told the Soldiers of Task Force Phoenix in a speech during the ceremony. "You have worked tirelessly under very challenging conditions to fulfill our mission. And let me just state, I believe our mission to be the most righteous oneto assist in ridding the world of most unconscionable evil, that is ISIS."

Parker said the 40th CAB played a critical role toward achieving a lasting defeat of Daesh and ISIS during a period when Operation Inherent Resolve transitioned from combat operations to an advise-and-assist role.

"Col. Gronewold, Task Force Phoenix, we owe you a debt of gratitude for which we can never repay," Parker said. "You have paved the way for steady progress toward a day when ISIS is a distant memory."

Led by the California Army National Guards 40th Combat Aviation Brigade, Task Force Phoenix consisted of more than 1,700 Soldiers from a mix of active duty and Army National Guard units from nine states, as well as aviation squadrons from Spain and Italy. The task forces aviation assets included UH-60 Black Hawk, CH-47 Chinook, AH-64 Apache, AS-532 Cougar and NH-90 Puma helicopters, and MQ-1C Gray Eagle unmanned aerial systems.

The task force's mission was to execute air-ground operations in Kuwait, Iraq, the Eastern Syria Security Area, Jordan and Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Inherent Resolve and Operation Spartan Shield to sustain the military defeat of Daesh, enable growth and capability of partnered forces and deter hostile actors in the region.

The two Army National Guard battalions in the task force were 1st Battalion, 168th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion) and the 640th Aviation Support Battalion. The active-duty Armys Task Force Wolfpack, 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, fell under Task Force Phoenix until October when it swapped out with Task Force Attack, 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment. Task Force Toro, from Spain, and Task Force Griffon, from Italy, were under Task Force Phoenixs tactical control.

"It has been the greatest honor of my military career to have served here with you on this great team of teams," Gronewold said in a speech during the ceremony.

His Soldiers faced numerous challenges over the course of the deployment, including responsibility for a massive operational area over five countries in two theaters, extremely high desert temperatures, a two-week sandstorm, and enemy mortar, rocket and unmanned aerial system attacks.

"But you and your Soldiers persevered and overcame every obstacle in your way," Gronewold said. "Your accomplishments have been huge."

Those accomplishments included flying 13,500 manned flight hours, safely delivering 16,300 passengers, moving 2.8 million pounds of cargo, conducting 208 MEDEVAC missions and flying 14,000 unmanned flight hours. The brigades Soldiers fueled aircraft, delivered millions of pounds of cargo by ground, conducted aircraft maintenance to keep the fleet flying, as well as numerous other tasks required of a combat aviation brigade of 1,700 Soldiers.

Gronewold thanked his Soldiers for enhancing the reputation of the unit by their actions over the deployment. He thanked them and their families for the sacrifices they have made over the past year.

"As you head back home, hold your heads high with pride for what you have accomplished, he said. Well done. Phoenix! On fire!

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Mission complete. Task Force Phoenix heads home after 9-month mission in the Middle East - United States Army

Marcela Valladolid’s Transformation Is Seriously Turning Heads – Mashed

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Marcela Valladolid was born and went to school in San Diego, Calif., but had close family ties right across the Mexican border in Tijuana. She grew up proud of her heritage but was shocked to realize the stereotypical perceptions of Mexico held by her peers. Speaking to Parents Latina Magazine, Valladolid recalled her friends' reactions when they would come over after school. "They would visit our home in Tijuana and say, 'Oh my God, this is actually really beautiful. This is not like Taco Bell!'"

"And so that became my mission," Valladolid continued, "to show what we've got and all that Latinos contribute." In the years since, that has included making traditional Mexican dishes and customs more accessible through thoughtful, easy-to-follow explanations and demonstrations via her cookbooks, television appearances, social media, and, most recently, Zoom lessons. "For me, being Mexican is the best thing you could ever be in the world," she told Parents Latina Magazine. "Mexican culture is a bottomless Mary Poppins bag that you can pull magical things out of. My goal has always been to show that."

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Marcela Valladolid's Transformation Is Seriously Turning Heads - Mashed

Kickboxers, a wig and four armoured vans: The long hunt for Melbourne’s ‘Gym Gang’ – The Age

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Just three days before Christmas in 2006, an armoured van in the old style, white, grey and boxy, pulled up outside a bakery at a shopping centre in Melbournes west. Replenishing the Commonwealth Bank ATM was a routine job for Armaguard crews, and the company had a security plan in place, as it did for each of its drops.

Today, the driver was to park nose-in at the loading zone, then open the rear door where the money was kept.

But it turned out this day was far from routine. Today the drivers partner was the inside man for a gang of armed robbers who were hidden somewhere nearby, within line of sight of the van.

The Armaguard van robbed at Sunshine Plaza in 2006.

The first hint that something might be wrong was how slow the insider was to get out of the truck. When he did, he left the passenger side door slightly ajar just enough for someone in the know to gain access. Then he gave the prearranged signal that the job was on: he bent to tie his shoelaces.

Shoppers and staff would hardly have noticed a third guard walking purposefully towards the van. He was the lead bandit, dressed in a stolen uniform, hiding in plain sight. He walked up to the passenger side, entered the van through the open door, casually threw a red rag over the internal camera, then climbed through a door into the back where the cash was held.

According to the prosecutors in the subsequent court case, he grabbed two slash-proof bags about the size of large sports bags, each bulging with cash, then hopped out the rear door of the truck and walked away, avoiding the gaze of nearby CCTV cameras as he left. It had taken just minutes.

Inside the bags was a cool $1.1 million.

The passenger-side guard was a kickboxer whose trainer, the popular Paul The Fox Fyfield, would later be charged and acquitted of the robbery.

Following his acquittal, Fyfield is entitled to the presumption of innocence, yet at the time he was charged, police told a court he was a leading figure in an Oceans 11-style crime gang made up of a tight group of Melbourne mates connected to the fight and fitness business, which pulled seven intricately planned and executed jobs over 24 years, starting in the early 1980s, which between them were worth $5 million.

In 2008, detectives launched a cold-case investigation into this so-called Gym Gang which concluded that the same group pulled off robberies on an Ascot Vale train (October 1982, $288,000), a Glen Waverley armoured van (October 1991, $185,000), the Myer city store (August 1993, $500,000), a Chadstone armoured van (February 1994, $107,000), the Chadstone Shopping Centre (May 1994, $80,000), a Richmond armoured van (June 1994, $2.3 million) as well as the Sunshine Plaza armoured van (December 2006, $1.1 million).

A number of the suspects in these robberies not Fyfield have also been linked to three unsolved murders. But only now, after four decades and multiple criminal trials, can the story be told in full.

The shoelace-tying guard on that December day in 2006 was a powerful middleweight kickboxer who trained under Fyfield at the Underworld Gym in Banana Alley, in the heart of Melbourne. With its dim, sweat-smelling interior and low, curved ceiling, the gym off Flinders Street on the banks of the Yarra River is a favourite haunt of martial artists and boxers, as well as security guards and thugs.

The quietly spoken Fyfield was a super-fit 46-year-old who had schooled boxers and eight world kickboxing champions. At about 180 centimetres tall, with the thin waist and thick arms of a fighter, he is seen as a leader in Australian combat sports. When he speaks, people listen, an associate says.

Fyfield has been the subject of police interest for years, though he was never charged over many of the crimes of the Gym Gang and has been convicted of nothing. He may be guilty only of enjoying the company of the type of colourful characters drawn to the fight game, where his profile is that of a leader, a man who is slow to anger and who is rarely flustered.

Unflappable: Paul The Fox Fyfield.

At multiple suburban fight nights over three decades, places fuelled by blood, sweat, fear and bourbon, The Fox presented a calm figure, counselling his fighters to breathe, stick to the plan, protect themselves and strike quickly. He has trained professionals, taught boxing to office workers seeking a thrill and volunteered his time at a last-chance school. In an industry full of rogues and rip-off merchants, he is known as a straight shooter.

Police investigating this spate of robberies eventually ended up knocking at his door. But that moment came years after the Gym Gang was alleged to have done its first job.

At 6.40am on October 21, 1982, just 13 minutes after sunrise, a blue Harris train with 20 passengers on board pulled into the inner-suburban Ascot Vale station. Inside the locked drivers section in the fourth carriage were two part-time guards and a paymaster who was carrying wages, in cash, for staff at 13 stations along the line.

On this payday, the total amount being carried was nearly $500,000, 25 per cent higher than usual, as it contained a backdated pay rise as well as the usual pay.

In the trains last carriage, a passenger noticed a man with his head buried in the morning newspapers form guide. He had red hair and a beard but, the fellow traveller noticed, black eyebrows. The man in the red wig was one of two members of the Gym Gang on the train that morning. Two more were waiting at the station.

The Age on October 22, 1982, after the first Gym Gang robbery.Credit:The Age

When the train pulled in, the fake redhead left by the rear door and started walking in the opposite direction to the station exit, perplexing the observant passenger.

[That passenger] turned out to be a brilliant witness for us, says the original investigation leader Adrian Mason, then a detective sergeant with the Armed Robbery Squad.

The red-headed robber approached the trains guard in the rear carriage and confronted him, using his newspaper to conceal a gun. As he trussed the guard with wire, he placed the newspaper on the seat. At the same time, one of the other bandits bailed up the driver, while two others hit the payroll in carriage four. After the rear guard was freed, he popped redheads newspaper inside his uniform, the only souvenir he was going to get of his ordeal and, it turned out, a valuable piece of evidence.

It emerged later that, just before the train had pulled in, a gang member had placed a call to the Ascot Vale police claiming a man with a gun had gone berserk on the other side of the suburb. The distraction meant it was less likely a random patrol would stumble across them as they escaped, giving them a few extra minutes.

The gang grabbed $288,000 that day, money held in a large strong box, but they missed two big briefcases filled with the overflow cash from the back pay. The money was to be delivered, station by station, to staff at 13 stops. At Ascot Vale the first stop after the cash was loaded into the train at Southern Cross in Melbournes CBD the amount was highest.

It was clear to police from the start that it was an inside job. But who was the mole?

George Zakharia is a rare commodity - brutal in the ring, all brains out of it.

A flyer had been printed by the railways to inform staff when and where they would receive their bigger-than-usual pay packet. The flyers printer was former Australian light heavyweight champion Trevor Stretch Anderson.

The newspaper left in the guards compartment was tested for prints and matched one taken from champion kickboxer George Zakharia, 25, whod been arrested in Cheltenham stealing from cars a few months earlier. Later raids found an unexplained $14,700 cash in the roof of his home. He was charged and convicted for the robbery, but refused to implicate anyone else.

Zakharia did his time 12 years, reduced on appeal to 10 and reduced further for good behaviour. Then he rebuilt his life to become an entrepreneur and fight promoter. Former world champion Jeff Fenech once said: George Zakharia is a rare commodity - brutal in the ring, all brains out of it.

Then and now, Zakharia and his brother Nick were close friends of Paul Fyfield. Another mate is kickboxer Pasquale Percy No Mercy Lanciana.

Once the initial investigators for the Ascot Vale job had George Zakharias thumbprint, they started looking at his associates a group of well-trained security guards who controlled the door at Melbournes popular Chasers nightclub in Chapel Street, Prahran. The crew included Lanciana, Zakharia and his brother Nick and Stretch Anderson.

Soon, police uncovered photos of the crew together at a remote camp in the Dargo High Plains in Victorias snow country, training with firearms, practising martial arts and eating raw offal.

With no hard facts to implicate his associates, the buck for the Ascot Vale job stopped with George Zakharia. Investigators worked on, building circumstantial evidence that was never quite enough to stick. And as the 1980s rolled into the 1990s, the robberies continued.

In the 1994 Chadstone Shopping Centre robbery, the bandit shot two guards in the legs on his way to taking $80,000. The robber had ambushed the guards after they had picked up the takings from the Hoyts cinema complex. When a brave shopper followed the gunman, he said calmly: I told you to keep back - then shot him in the leg too.

Later that year, on June 23 in Richmond, the team disguised themselves as road workers. Dressed in overalls and hard hats, they stopped an armoured van as it was at a stop light about to drive onto the Monash Freeway. As a small truck slipped in behind to block any escape, they handcuffed the guards and placed bags over their heads, before driving the van to a quiet blind alley. There they opened the back with a pre-cut key to reveal $2.3 million in cash, a mixture of old and new notes.

Police examine the Armaguard van after it was abandoned in the Richmond armed robbery in 1994.Credit:John Woudstra

Unbeknownst to the crooks, behind the brick wall at the end of the lane was the secret office of the police surveillance branch. Bristling with cameras at the front, it had none at the rear. No footage was recorded.

The whole job took just eight minutes. Again, it had all the signs of an inside job. The guard inside the van, John Johnston, said he was traumatised by the robbery, so much so that when he returned to work he only lasted a few hours. He eventually took a less stressful job as a gate guard and received $8000 in crime compensation.

Teased by fellow staff about what he had done with his share of the take, he joked that it was buried under his in-ground swimming pool. Police always wondered how Johnston could afford such a sprawling home and an investment property in St Kilda on a guards wages of around $13 an hour.

Tests on the key from the Richmond job led police to a Prahran locksmith. He was a martial arts expert. Phone records showed calls between the locksmith and a key member of the Gym Gang.

When Australias best safebreaker, Graham Kinniburgh, was murdered in 2004 outside his Kew home as part of the Underbelly war, there were multiple death notices. One read: A loved and true friend. It was from the Prahran locksmith. It remains unknown why a man known to illegally open safes was friends with one supposed to make sure they remained shut.

Again, interesting intelligence, but hardly evidence.

As the investigations ground on, an informer came forward to the Federal Police. He nominated a man for legal reasons well only call him The Driver as a key organiser. A career crook and heavy gambler, The Driver had moved from Melbourne to Port Douglas and seemed to be living well beyond his means.

Phone records showed that in the months leading up to the Richmond robbery, The Driver phoned a tyre business in the outer south-western Melbourne suburb of Carrum Downs. Why would a man in Port Douglas want to deal with a tyre business in outer Melbourne? Perhaps because it backed onto a large vehicle compound: Armaguards.

It was planned over a considerable period of time and the preparation was meticulous.

For this job to work, the gang needed a key cut from an Armaguard van original. At the Carrum Downs depot, the keys were kept on a piece of string hung from a nail near the door, and the vans were parked in an open area inside the compound. An insider could easily lift one of the keys, have it copied, then test that their freshly cut key fitted the van that was always used for the run.

Members of the Gym Gang trained at various fitness centres around town, and, before the Richmond job, The Driver rented not one but two warehouses near one of them. Inside the warehouses the gang stored equipment and hid getaway cars. A later police search found a milk carton with the same use-by date as the day of the robbery.

In the weeks before the job The Drivers phone went silent, but his girlfriends pinged on local towers several times, placing it near the Carrum Downs Armaguard depot and along the route taken to the Reserve Bank in Melbourne and back again. These, the police believe, were dry runs.

It was planned over a considerable period of time and the preparation was meticulous, says the head of the initial investigation, Detective Sergeant Ross McKenzie, a now-retired member of the Armed Robbery Squad. It was obvious to me this wasnt the first time they had committed such an offence.

But still there was never quite enough evidence to bring charges and secure a conviction. Eventually the Richmond investigation stalled and the files were boxed and sent to archives.

In 2008 a new group of detectives decided to revisit the investigation, not with a tip but with technology. Why not use DNA to check old exhibits? Through meticulous detective work, police eventually found DNA on the Richmond handcuffs matched that on a balaclava at the Glen Waverley job. Game on.

The investigation, codenamed Tideland, would highlight modern police methods and lead to a chess game between the suspects and the detectives where each side tried to infiltrate the other, approached witnesses and used surveillance and counter-surveillance methods straight out of Hollywood.

Some of the suspects and their associates had even moonlighted as actors. Fyfield appeared in the 80s TV cop drama Special Squad. They were fit young men who looked the part. One associate of the gangs was heavily involved in the male fashion industry, and police say he did some part-time modelling. A few ended up as extras on the client list of a TV and movie agency.

Fyfield himself appeared with his mate George Zakharia in the 1982 romantic musical comedy The Pirate Movie.

Zakharia played a bearded pirate, Fyfield a policeman. To call it cheesy would be an insult to the dairy industry. The movie included lyrics such as:

We wheel, We deal,We steal and thunder.We shoot, we sloot,We put em under.

It would be the only time either Fyfield or Zakharia would sing.

A few hours after the Ascot Vale train robbery in 1982, a telephone operator was asked to put a Melbourne call through to Auckland. As was the habit of the day, she listened to the first 30 seconds to check the connection was clear. The jobs done, no problems. The boys are right, the caller said.

The call was from a Melbourne film office to one of the staff from The Pirate Movie. There is no evidence the call was made by Fyfield. As luck would have it, the telephone operator was the wife of a policeman. She told her husband, who reported the call.

The disguises for the job came from the movie, one of the original investigators says.

(I once received a call from a man saying his photo at the funeral of gangland murder victim Willie Thompson, another part-time actor connected with combat sports, was in a crime book I co-wrote with Andrew Rule. The cover photo of Leadbelly showed Fyfield and George Zakharia carrying Thompsons coffin.

Instead of an earful he gave me a pitch. Wouldnt he be perfect for a role of some sort in the first Underbelly TV series, which covered Melbourne gangland war? I agreed. The producers didnt.)

The cover photo of Leadbelly showed Paul Fyfield (left) and George Zakharia carrying the coffin of fighter and gangland murder victim Willie Thompsons coffin.

When George Zakharia was arrested six weeks after the 1982 Ascot Vale armed robbery, police initially concealed the fact that he had been identified from a thumbprint left on a newspaper. Detectives say as a result, some in the gang believed police had a source in the inner sanctum who was talking.

Three weeks after Zakharias arrest, one of the crew, Stretch Anderson, shot and killed his estranged wife Pam and her friend Jan Toll at the suburban Greensborough Shopping Centre before shooting himself. It is not clear why, but some police believe he (wrongly) thought she was talking to detectives. Two years later, in July 1984, a young mother, 23, was shot in the back of the head at point-blank range while sleeping in her Werribee home in Melbournes west. Her 22-month-old son was just a few metres away in his cot. She was Maryanna Lanciana, the wife of Percy No Mercy Lanciana. Detectives believe she was murdered because someone in the gang feared she was informing. Police have since revealed she was not.

The night of the murder, Lanciana had been on the door of a city nightclub until 5am and stayed at his parents Seddon home in Melbournes west. He later offered $55,000 on top of the governments $50,000 reward to solve the murder.

Whenever Tideland detectives quietly approached potential witnesses, they would receive a visit from one of the gang. One gang member approached his ex-wife with the loaded question: Are we good?

As the investigation expanded, so did a separate cold-case murder probe that would centre on members of the Gym Gang. But that too would go sour.

Robert Bluey Bob Mather was an underworld facilitator who could match up people with particular skills a gangland version of LinkedIn. When his son Ray was bashed outside a St Kilda nightclub in October 2000 by powerlifter- turned-bouncer George Germanos, police say Mather called in a favour.

A few months after the bashing, Germanos went to his sister, Penny Ziakis, and tried to borrow $5000 to buy a handgun. He said, Im in trouble, theres a hit on me, Ziakis told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald in 2016. Ive bashed a kid, I didnt know who he was.

On March 22, 2001, Germanos was lured into Armadales Inverness Park for a late-night meeting, almost certainly by a call from a nearby phone box. Someone was there first, almost certainly hiding under a bush near the entrance. Germanos walked in about five metres then turned back, possibly after the hidden person mentioned his name. The last thing Germanos saw was the flash of the barrel as he was shot in his barrel chest. Then the killer shot him four times in the head from point-blank range a classic underworld ambush.

Another murder connected to the gang is that of Dimitrios Belias, a con artist. It was said he owed Bluey Bob $100,000 and had neither the means nor desire to make things right.

He said, Im in trouble, theres a hit on me ... Ive bashed a kid, I didnt know who he was.

On September 9, 1999, Belias parked outside a Melbourne hotel and at 5.47pm Bluey Bob hopped into his car for a chat. As with Germanos, Belias was lured to a meeting, this time in an underground car park in St Kilda Road, and just before 7pm he was shot at point-blank range in the back of the head.

In 2014 police linked the Germanos and Belias murders to the killing of Maryanna Lanciana, offering three $1 million rewards. The then head of the Homicide Squad, Detective Inspector John Potter, said: We have information the three murders are connected and there will be people in the community who have associated with a particularly criminal group with information that can assist us.

Sometimes police offer rewards when they have hit a dead end. Not this time. Nearly two years earlier, Tideland investigators had found a chink in the Gym Gangs armour: they had convinced a key member to secretly talk to them.

The newly invigorated investigation was split into separate components follow the money, use modern forensics to refocus on exhibits from the crime scene, eavesdrop on the suspects and recruit insiders to turn on the gang.

Six weeks after the $2.3 million Richmond heist in 1994, the brothers who owned a disused tip in the Melbourne bayside suburb of Williamstown were delighted when a suburban solicitor approached them with an offer to buy the sprawling piece of land.

Although it was valued at $595,000 the solicitor, John Anile, who was not himself involved in the robbery, made an official offer of $555,000 on the books $5000 as a deposit and the remainder to be paid by bank cheque about a year later. Off the books, though, there would be an additional cash payment of $400,000 on behalf of his client and good friend: Percy No Mercy Lanciana.

Anile signed the contract in a real estate agency and the following day drove to meet the brothers at their home with Lanciana and his sackful of money following in another car.

The guy counted the cash and they signed the contract at $555,000, he later said in a bugged conversation.

According to the books, the lawyer owned the land through Anile Residential Pty Ltd, but Lanciana was a silent partner. They subdivided the land into 31 lots and sold the proposed single and double-storey townhouses off the plan before the final payment was due. Three years later the solicitor was squeezed out and Anile Residential was taken over by a company owned by Lanciana.

When he told his wife they were no longer involved in the development, Anile invoked the classic line from The Godfather: I was made an offer that I couldnt refuse.

Disgraced lawyer John Anile.

Tideland detectives sent an informer to see Anile and they met several times in 2013 at the appropriately named Gravy Train cafe in Yarraville. In the bugged conversations, Anile says: I mean there are things you dont talk about. I know where the money came from. I know the lot Let me put it this way, they did something that gave them a lot of cash, you can join the dots if you want. You join the dots, I am not going to say. You join the dots.

All I can tell you is that the $400,000 cash was a small proportion of it You dont have to be a genius. They had a bunch of cash, and they did not work. So, unless theyve got a money tree, it came from somewhere. I know where it came from, but Im not going to talk about it.

Anile was arrested the following year, in 2014, convicted, won a retrial then chose to plead guilty. Earlier this year the well-liked and respected local solicitor, who devoted 25 per cent of his time to pro bono work, was sentenced to a minimum of 21 months in jail.

Over the decades of the Gym Gang investigation, investigators became familiar with the patterns of the group and its associates. And even though the armed robberies were years in the past, the main suspects always acted as if they were being followed. They would not meet in pubs, clubs or private homes but in public spaces, usually suburban cricket grounds. They rarely stood and chatted but were always on the move and never met at the same spot twice.

One member, a fitness fanatic, travelled most places on his pushbike rather than in a flash car. At one point police saw him at a park eating an ice cream. Even though there was a rubbish bin next to him, he carefully wrapped the stick in the wrapper and put it in his pocket. They suspect he thought it might be grabbed for DNA. Perhaps he just didnt want to be a litterbug.

Despite the obstacles, detectives kept chipping away, and eventually achieved a number of breakthroughs. A second inside man, this time from the 2006 Sunshine job, talked. In addition, a key player in Melbournes money laundering scheme began working for police, the insider in the 1993 Myer robbery confessed and one of the Gym Gangs closest friends made a statement.

Let me put it this way, they did something that gave them a lot of cash, you can join the dots if you want.

One told of changing notes from the Richmond job at a bank while Lanciana nervously walked up and down outside pushing a pram. So police checked the old security tapes. There is a man fitting Lancianas description pushing a pram like any dad on a stroll. In court much later, he would be the one left holding the baby.

Finally, in 2012, came an unexpected breakthrough when NSW Police rang Melbourne to say a man charged with a large number of frauds wanted to make a deal. He claimed he had the story on some of Victorias biggest unsolved crimes. He was The Driver.

The Driver identified the members of the Gym Gang who were part of the Richmond heist. He gave details of the planning, how he followed the armoured truck on dry runs and used a van to block it in during the raid. He even starred in a police reconstruction of the crime recorded on video.

Then he volunteered something else: He had been the driver when the hitman arrived to kill Germanos and Belias.

Police sent The Driver overseas for his own protection, but already anxious and isolated, he sank into such a deep depression that his designated minders requested permission to travel to his secret address to support him.

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Kickboxers, a wig and four armoured vans: The long hunt for Melbourne's 'Gym Gang' - The Age

‘The Bob’s Burgers Movie’ Trailer: The Hit Show Heads to Theaters – ScreenCrush

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After a dozen seasons and well over 200 episodes,Bobs Burgers is finally getting its very own movie. The creatively titledThe Bobs Burgers Moviefeatures all the voices you know from the show, including Kristen Schaal as Louise, H. Jon Benjamin as Bob, John Roberts as Linda, Dan Mintz as Tina, Eugene Mirman as Gene, and Larry Murphy as Teddy, plusZach Galifianakis, Kevin Kline, and David Wain.

The first trailer for the film is here and at least at the start it cleverly mimics a stereotypical fast food ad. But then the juicy beef patty transforms into that unmistakableBobs Burgers animation, and the adventure begins. Watch it below:

The Bobs Burgers Movie was first announced in the fall of 2017 and was originally scheduled for release in the summer of 2020. Covid got it delayed to April of 2021, and then last fall, Disney (which now owns 20th Century Studios) pushed the film again to May 2021. Here is the films official synopsis:

The Bobs Burgers Movie is an animated, big-screen, musical comedy-mystery-adventure based on the long-running Emmy-winning series. The story begins when a ruptured water main creates an enormous sinkhole right in front of Bob's Burgers, blocking the entrance indefinitely and ruining the Belchers plans for a successful summer. While Bob and Linda struggle to keep the business afloat, the kids try to solve a mystery that could save their family's restaurant. As the dangers mount, these underdogs help each other find hope and fight to get back behind the counter, where they belong.

The Bobs Burgers Movieis currently scheduled to open in theaters on May 27.

There were plenty of great movies in 2021. And also a ton of stinkers.

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'The Bob's Burgers Movie' Trailer: The Hit Show Heads to Theaters - ScreenCrush

A-League Women’s Wrap: Two sides of the Matildas coin exposed, triumphs for teams in red, and a reminder of what really matters – ABC News

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Each week, ABC Sport will bring you a Round Wrap of the A-League Women's competition, including winners, losers, and a good thing that happened on or off the field.

Sydney FC maintain their lead with 4-0 win over Perth Glory, Adelaide jump into a finals spot after 3-1 defeat of Canberra, the Wanderers get their first season win after 1-0 victory over Brisbane, and Melbourne City secure second after defeating Wellington 4-0.

The Matildas

If there wereany doubts as to why a handful of young, uncapped A-League Women's players were called up to the Matildas' Asian Cup training camp in Dubai this week, round six served as a reminder of exactly why these talented emerging players earned the nod.

On Saturday afternoon, barely six hours after Tony Gustavsson released his provisional squad list, two of the included players Cortnee Vine and Remy Siemsen starred for Sydney FC as they eased past Perth Glory to cement their spot at the top of the table.

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Vine was particularly deadly in the opening half, repeatedly tearing up the right wing with zippy runs and pinpoint crosses. It was her clipped pass that resulted in the Sky Blues' opening goal by midfielder Mackenzie Hawkesby in the 10th minute, a scoreline that she added to seven minutes later after latching onto a Hawkesby pass and fizzing the ball into the far corner. Vine would then set up Siemsen just before the half hour, taking both Sydney forwards to four goals apiece so far this season.

Two other players called up to the Dubai camp also shone over the weekend, this time for another sky-blue side. Melbourne City defender Winonah Heatley scored her debut ALW goal after bundling home a deep corner, while breakout striker Holly McNamara notched yet another assist when teeing up Kaitlyn Torpey for the club's opening goal in their 4-0 routing of Wellington.

When asked about what it was about these players that earned them camp call-ups, Gustavsson said their stats and styles of play were exactly what the Matildas needed when coming up against deep-lying, defensive teams during the Asian Cup.

"When it comes to these players they have impressed every single one of us that have watched them play live this year in terms of their performances, including myself and other coaches who have seen them, but also their stats are standouts," he told media after the announcement.

"Cortnee Vine, for example,her expected goals and assists arethe best in the league. She has the most key passes in the league so far, and she has the most one-on-one dribbling. And if you look at what it's going to look like in the Asian Cup, we need one-on-one experts that may need to break down a parked bus in some of those games.

"When it comes to Holly [McNamara], she has the most assists in the league and that's impressed me because I knew she can get in behind the back line and score goals, but the way she's facilitated others and made others look good she has the third-most key passes in the league, is good in the one-on-one dribbling stats [ and] her progressive runs, meaning her forward runs with pace, she has the second most in the league with that.

"And when it comes to Winny [Heatley], one [stat] that stands out is her playmaking skills as a backline player,the amount of times she actually plays forward and breaks lines, either by dribbling to take space or her passing, both short and long.

"So those are the three players that I can mention in terms of both stats [that] stand out, but also when we watch them live.

We think they all stand out and deserve to be brought in."

With 21 players already locked in, just two spots remain open in Gustavsson's squad that these emerging Aussies will fight for during the Dubai training camp and potentially earn their first-ever competitive tournament cap for their country. And if they're able to translate their ripping ALW form into Asian Cup performances, the Matildas could be well on their way to their second-ever women's continental trophy.

Western Sydney Wanderers

It might not have been the prettiest of games, but Western Sydney head coach Catherine Cannuli would not have cared as she returned from COVID-19 protocols to lead her team to their first win of the ALW season against Brisbane Roar on Sunday.

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A penalty converted by young striker Bryleeh Henry just after the hour was all it took for the Wanderers to snap their winless streak, defeating a red-hot Roar side fresh off a 4-2 win over champions Victory last week. The win takes Western Sydney up to seventh on the ladder.

It was just the second time in six games that Brisbane were kept scoreless, largely thanks to standout performances from Western Sydney defender Clare Hunt and goalkeeper Sarah Langman, who made a number of crucial touches,including tipping a Katrina Gorry shot onto the post,to keep her embattled side in the contest. Brisbane had over twice as many shots and three times as many on target as their opponents, but the visitors were able to hold on to secure all three points.

The win will give the Wanderers extra spark heading into the halfway point of the regular season, particularly after keeping runaway leaders Sydney FC to a 0-0 draw last week. They next play a struggling Victory team next Sunday, who will be without three key players, followed by a stuttering Perth two games that, based on their recent results, the Wanderers could be in with a good chance at snatching points from.

Adelaide United

Of all the clubs to emerge from round six, Adelaide United are arguably the biggest winners. Not only have they not lost any of they key players (in fact, they've gained one in the return of Dylan Holmes for the remainder of the season), but they are finding form right at the time that their most immediate opponents,namely Perth, Newcastle, and Melbourne Victory,are navigating some bumpy terrain.

Following their 3-1 win over Canberra United on Saturday, the Reds have now jumped into the top four with just a single goal separating them from third-placed Victory. It was a notable win for Adelaide, too, who faced a Canberra side that, despite having little to show for it on the ladder, continue to build and gel as the season progresses.

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Indeed, Canberra were unlucky not to come away with their first win of the season over the weekend, with the Reds' goals arriving mostly against the run of play,particularly in the second half,as Canberra dominated most statistical categories including shots (18 to six), possession (58 per cent to 42) and pass accuracy 69 per cent to 57).

But there's only one number that counts in football, and the Reds are the ones who have become clinical when it's mattered most. Striker Chelsie Dawber continuedto find the back of the net, scoring Adelaide's second and taking her season tally to four, while the impressive Holmes and winger Fiona Worts added a goal each.

The win sees the Reds leapfrog both Perth and Newcastle toposition themselves for what could be their first-ever finals appearance.

The top three

While the Matildas may have come out of this weekend as the biggest winners, calling up some of the league's best performers to help Australia's charge towards a second Asian Cup trophy, there is an inevitable inverse effect from this arrangement.

As a result of COVID-19 delaying the competition start and forcing a number of games to be postponed, neither of Australia's top domestic competitions will take a break during this international window. This means clubs will be missing key players for the next few rounds as their respective ladders begin to take shape.

It's just as well that the ALW's current top three Sydney FC, Melbourne City, and Melbourne Victory began the 2021-22 season as well as they did, as these are the three clubs that will bethe most heavily impacted by the loss of players until at least early February.

All three clubs will lose two key players to international duty;Sydney FC will miss striker Remy Siemsen and winger Cortnee Vine, Melbourne City will lose Holly McNamara and Winonah Heatley, and Melbourne Victory will be without Kyra Cooney-Cross and Courtney Nevin.

In light of the impressive statistics listed by Gustavsson, the absence of these players could create holes that clubs may not be able to fill as the season reaches its mid-point.

Ladder leaders Sydney will miss not just the goals but also the assists of two of their three most dangerous players so far in Siemsen and Vine, though the pre-season recruitments of Chilean international striker Maria "Cote"Rojas and Kiwi winger Paige Satchell almost like-for-like replacements for the departing pair appear to have been part of head coach Ante Juric's season-long plans, possibly helping soften the blow over the next month of games.

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City will particularly miss the creativity of top assistant McNamara and defender Heatley who has been part of a back line that's conceded just four goals so far this season, while Victory will be loathe to lose yet more depth from midfield and defence in the absence of Cooney-Cross and Nevin, particularly given the club has let slip 12 goals in the past three games, making defensively minded players all the more necessary as their title defence slips away.

Depending on the Matildas' plans after the Asian Cup rumoured to be a friendly series in Europe these players may not return to Australia at all. If so, the current top three will need to have a plan B that ensures they maintain their spot on the ladder as other clubs such as Adelaide begin to find their groove.

Loan players

The top three aren't the only clubs who have lost players this week, though. Both Newcastle and Canberra will also lose the services of some of their best players as midfielder Emily Van Egmond and defender Karly Roestbakken have both been called up to the Matildas' Dubai camp.

However, unlike the above players who could make a return to the ALW in time for finals, these players won't be coming back at all. That's because these players as well as Melbourne Victory striker Lynn Williams and, later on this season, Alex Chidiac are on loan to the competition from their parent clubs, which they are expected to return to in preparation for their respective seasons.

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Van Egmond joined the Jets on a short-term loan from her NWSL club Orlando Pride, which ended this weekend following Newcastle's postponed game against Melbourne Victory. The NWSL begins its pre-season camp on February 1, a few days before the Asian Cup final, meaning Van Egmond will travel from India straight to the USA to begin preparations.

Similarly, US women's national team striker Lynn Williams will also be returning to her NWSL club Kansas City after spending the past month at Victory, where she scored three goals. Victory will also be without midfielder Alex Chidiac towards the back end of their campaign after her short-term loan from Japanese club JEF United Chiba ends at the end of February.

Finally, Canberra United will finish their season without local defender Karly Roestbakken, who will return to her parent club LSK Kvinner in Norway after the Asian Cup. Her short-term loan with her hometown club ended after United's loss to Adelaide this past weekend.

When it comes to the question of competition integrity, these short-term loan deals,which see players either arrive after the season has begun or leave before the season has ended,is one of a number of prongs that affects the quality, consistency, and marketability of the ALW. If decision-makers are serious about turning the competition into one of the top-five women's leagues in the world, ensuring it is no longer treated as a gap filler or layover point between bigger, better leagues ought to be part of the equation.

Rhali Dobson completes The Big Three Trek

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It was one of the feel-good stories of the last ALW season: Melbourne City player Rhali Dobson retiring from the professional game to take care of her partner, Matt Stonham, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour earlier in the year.

At the conclusion of her final match, Stonham who Dobson had proposed to repeatedlybut was constantly rebuffed got down on one knee to ask her to marry him. The moment went viral and sent many in the Australian football communityinto hysterical sobs.

One of the fundraising initiatives Dobson has been involved with over the years is The Big Three Trek a 150km walk from Newcastle to Sydney that ends at the Sydney Cricket Ground during the iconic Pink Test.

This past week saw the conclusion of this year's Big Three Trek, which raised almost $130,000 for the McGrath Foundation. Dobson was joined by a host of athletes and entertainers for the trek. Shecontinues to use her platform to shine a light on cancer research and family support. Legendary.

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A-League Women's Wrap: Two sides of the Matildas coin exposed, triumphs for teams in red, and a reminder of what really matters - ABC News

Markus Guentner: Extropy Album Review | Pitchfork

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The bell sound on Concept of Credence, from Markus Guentners new album Extropy, is just the bees knees. It comes out of nowhere, through a crack in the dense clouds of choir-synth-string-harmonics that form the bulk of the record, and its so evocative as to induce a little bit of whiplash. Such a terrifically ancient sound makes for a great contrast with Guentners hyper-treated textures; its just about the last thing anyone would expect to hear on a record like this. The bell itself is such a loaded soundso deeply intertwined with religion, ritual, death, and inevitabilitythat its easy to start thinking in outlandish, cosmic terms: Could this be the bell that tolls for all of us, floating somewhere in the seas of time?

Extropy leans hard into interstellar new-age aesthetics and sci-fi splendor. The portentous horn on Everywhere immediately conjures associations with Also sprach Zarathustra, the theme used in 2001: A Space Odyssey to announce humanitys transcendence and in innumerable parodies to mock sci-fi self-seriousness. The rest of the seven-track album sounds like the searching, minor-key themes from countless science documentaries and space operas, amplified and blown up until it resembles the vastness of space itself. Within these ebbing, flowing sheets of sound, Guentner suspends lonely little instrumentsa sonorous cello on Here, a sparkling vibraphone-synth on Nowhereto approximate the luminous little objects that twinkle from the murk of the cosmos.

Guentner is probably best known for his association with Wolfgang Voigts Kompakt label. He appeared on the first eight Pop Ambient compilations, and his 2001 debut In Moll is a highlight of the labels early catalog despite being clearly indebted to Voigts almighty GAS project. But Guentners textures have always been a little colder and more metallic than Voigts vivid swaths of sylvan psychedelia, and the compositions on Extropy have a steely edge that keeps them from feeling too weightless or incorporeal. They move like tied-down balloons, yearning to drift away but still tied to the constraints of gravity. Theres a heaviness to this music, which may have something to do with Rafael Anton Irisarris mastering. The Black Knoll Studio boss favors a gauzy yet bottom-heavy sound in both his own music and his engineering jobs for artists like Warmth and Loscil. Its easy to see why hed be drawn to a project like this.

Extropy does a great job of sounding epic and huge, but epic and huge isnt quite enough to sustain the project over its seven-track, hour-long runtime. This music is too forceful to be soothing, too gentle to be buffeting, and without any contrasting techno-oriented material, as on In Moll or 2005s 1981, the great, gauzy textures seem to swirl around vacantly, with nothing to stir them up. Guentner claims this music was inspired by the pseudoscientific prediction that human intelligence and technology will enable life to expand in an orderly way throughout the entire universe. But Extropy never really expands; it just pulses and contracts like an astral object viewed through the cold remove of a telescope.

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An Evolutionary Ancestor of Arthropods? – Discovery Institute

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Photo: Spriggina, by Daderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

A commenter at our newScience Uprisingvideo on the fossil recordasks whether a Precambrian fossil from the Ediacaran fauna calledSprigginacould have been an evolutionary ancestor of arthropods, purportedly contradicting a claim by Stephen Meyer. In fact, this is a claim Meyer addressed long ago inDarwins Doubt, where he explained why various authorities do not believe it was an evolutionary ancestor of arthropods or other Cambrian animal phyla:

Similar disputes have characterized attempts to classifySpriggina. In 1976, Martin Glaessner, the first paleontologist to study the Ediacaran in detail, describedSprigginaas a possible annelid polychaete worm based largely upon its segmented body. Nevertheless, Simon Conway Morris later rejected that hypothesis becauseSprigginashows no evidence of the distinguishing chaetes, leg-like bristled protrusions that polychaete worms possess. Glaessner himself later repudiated his original hypothesis thatSprigginawas ancestral to polychaetes, noting thatSprigginacannot be considered as a primitive polychaete, having none of the possible ancestral characters indicated . . . by specialists on the systematics and evolution of this group.

In 1981, paleontologist Sven Jorgen Birket-Smith produced a reconstruction of aSprigginafossil showing that it possessed a head and legs similar to those of trilobites, though examinations of subsequentSprigginaspecimens have shown no evidence of it possessing limbs of any kind. In 1984, Glaessner weighed in on this discussion as wellHe argued that Sprigginashows no specific characters of the arthropods, particularly of the trilobites. He also noted that the body segmentation ofSpriggina,and its known appendages are at the level of polychaete annelids (although, as noted, by this time he had rejectedSprigginaas a possible polychaete ancestor). Instead, he proposed thatSprigginarepresented a side branch on the animal tree of lifeone that resulted, metaphorically perhaps, in an unsuccessful attempt to make an arthropod.

In a presentation to the Geological Society of America in 2003, geologist Mark McMenamin revived the idea thatSprigginamight represent a trilobite ancestor. He argued that several features present inSprigginafossils are comparable to those in trilobites such as the presence of genal spines and an eff aced head or cephalic region. Nevertheless, many Ediacaran experts, including McMenamin, have also noted thatSprigginaspecimens show no evidence of eyes, limbs, mouths, or anuses, most of which are known from fossil trilobites. Other paleontologists remain skeptical about whetherSprigginadoes in fact exhibit genal spines, noting that good specimens seem to show relatively smooth edges with no protruding spines. In addition, analysis of the best recent specimens ofSprigginashows that it does not exhibit bilateral symmetry, undermining earlier attempts to classify it as a bilaterian animal, and by implication an arthropod. Instead,Sprigginaexhibits something called glide symmetry in which the body segments on either side of its midline are off set rather than aligned. As geologist Loren Babcock of Ohio State University notes, The zipper-like body plans of some Ediacaran (Proterozoic) animals such asDickinsoniaandSprigginainvolve right and left halves that are not perfect mirror images of each other. The lack of such symmetry, a distinctive feature of all bilaterian animals, and the absence inSprigginaspecimens of many other distinguishing features of trilobites, has left the classification of this enigmatic organism uncertain.

That was published in 2013. Five years later, Gnter Bechlynoteda paper published byDaleyet al.(2018)which vindicated Meyers point that the symmetry of strange non-bilateral symmetry ofSprigginamakes it a thoroughly implausible ancestor to arthropods. That paper stated:

Spriggina, for example, does not possess bilateral symmetry, but instead has a marked offset along the midline, and this alone is sufficient to reject a euarthropod affinity No euarthropod claim from the Ediacaran biota can therefore be substantiated.

Daleyet al.(2018) further found that Precambrian strata should have been capable of preserving stem arthropods that were ancestors to true arthropods that appear in the Cambrian. Yet arthropod ancestors are missing:

Modes of Fossil Preservation Are Comparable in the Cambrian and Precambrian

Hypotheses that regard Precambrian preservation as insufficient to preserve euarthropods can no longer be sustained, given the abundant lagersttten from the Ediacaran Period. Similarly, claims that euarthropods evolved as a tiny and soft-bodied meiofauna that escaped preservation cannot be substantiated because of how commonly the phosphate window is found in the Ediacaran and lower Cambrian, with microscopic euarthropods not appearing until 514 Ma.

An accompanying Oxford Universitynews release atScience Dailyemphasized this point in plain language:

The idea that arthropods are missing from the Precambrian fossil record because of biases in how fossils are preserved can now be rejected, says Dr. Greg Edgecombe FRS from the Natural History Museum, London, who was not involved in the study. The authors make a very compelling case that the late Precambrian and Cambrian are in fact very similar in terms of how fossils preserve. There is really just one plausible explanation arthropods hadnt yet evolved.

All of this confirms what the Dutch evolutionary ecologist Marten Scheffer wrote in a Princeton University Press book in 2009:

The collapse of the Ediacaran fauna is followed by the spectacular radiation of novel life-forms known as the Cambrian explosion. All of the main body plans that we know now evolved in as little as about 10 million years. It might have been thought that this apparent explosion of diversity might be an artifact. For instance, it could be that earlier rocks were not as good for preserving fossils. However, very well preserved fossils do exist from earlier periods, and it is now generally accepted that the Cambrian explosion was real.

While analyzing Daleyet al.(2017), Bechlyshowsthat were left with a situation where arthropods appear abruptly in the Cambrian period, without evidence of evolutionary precursors a timeline too short for arthropods to evolve by standard neo-Darwinian mechanisms:

[T]he paper by Daley et al. confirms that the Cambrian explosion implies a very acute waiting time problem, again as elaborated by Meyer (2013). Based on their postulated ghost lineages and on molecular clock data, the authors suggest that euarthropods originated about 541 million years ago. They conclude, Rather than being a sudden event, this diversification unfolded gradually over the40 million years of the lower to middle Cambrian, with no evidence of a deep Precambrian history. However, this conclusion is totally speculative and an artifact of their methodological assumptions. It is not based on actual fossil evidence (see above). The latter indeed suggests that the euarthropod body plan appeared with trilobites in the Lower Cambrian, as if out of thin air without any known precursors and without any fossil evidence for a gradual step-wise generation of this body plan.

Far from being a refutation of the abruptness of the Cambrian explosion, this study actually confirms it and makes the abruptness of the event even more acute. Here is why: since the authors refute the existence of stem group arthropods in the Ediacaran period before 550 million years, and euarthropods are documented already for the Lower Cambrian at 537 million years, there remains a window of time of only 13 million years to evolve the stem arthropod body plan from unknown ecdysozoan worm-like ancestors and to make the transition from lobododian pro-arthropods to the fully developed euarthropod body plan, with exoskeleton, articulated legs, compound eyes, etc. Since the average longevity of a single marine invertebrate species is about 5-10 million years (Levinton 2001: 384, table 7.2), this available window of time equals only about two successive species. Considering the implied enormous re-engineering involved, this time is much too short to accommodate the waiting times for the necessary genetic changes to occur and spread according to the laws of population genetics.

For those wedded to an evolutionary interpretation of lifes history, the fossil and genetic evidence leave the origin of arthropods a major mystery.

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An Evolutionary Ancestor of Arthropods? - Discovery Institute