Mars is becoming a popular destination spot – The Tribune – Ironton Tribune

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Mars is getting to be a popular destination.

There are three countries planning to have a space craft arrive at Mars in February 2021 USA, United Arab Emirates and China.

The latest one that I have heard about was the Chinese mission, which had a successful launch of their rocket with a Mars rover on Thursday. They will be using their rocket named The Long March 5.

This rocket has been used for several space missions. It is able to loft a payload of 55,000 pounds which is similar in capacity to our Delta IV Heavy or Elon Musks Falcon Heavy, although their intent is to arrive in February 2021, the space craft will orbit Mars two to three months before they will land their rover, named Tianwen-1, in the northeastern part of Mars.

Russia used their Soyuz Rocket to take 2.8 tons of supplies to the international Space Station (ISS) on Thursday.

The cargo ship arrived at the ISS in just three and half hours after liftoff.

I have been wondering about the most dangerous portion of the trip of the astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurleys space flight, which is the fiery return to earth. The earliest tentative return date is Aug. 2. They plan to splash down in the Gulf of Mexico. During this past week, Behnken participated in the 300th spacewalk by an

American astronaut to finish the job of replacing the old NiCad batteries with new Lithium ion batteries.

The scientists are still at work with the samples bought back from the moon by the Apollo astronauts.Japanese scientists have a theory about an asteroid shower that hit the moon and the earth some 800 million years ago and triggered an ice age that covered the world.

The moon has no erosion and craters are preserved forever, the largest one is 57 miles in diameter.

They have studied the pictures of the cratered surface taken by their space craft and having studied the crater debris samples from the Apollo missions, they theorize that the huge asteroid shower also hit the earth.

They believe that the earth received an estimated 40 to 50 trillion tons of asteroids which destroyed almost all of whatever life there was at that time.

That is 60 times the weight of the asteroid that killed off the dinosaurs and most of the animal and plant life 66 million years ago. They will be receiving samples from their mission to the Asteroid Ryugu in December. They are very excited about this.

They hope to that the age of this asteroid will be the same as those that hit the moon 800 million years ago. If you work with spacecraft, you should have patience of the Biblical Job.

Their Hayabaya2 started for the asteroid in June 2018 and after it grabbed a sample of the asteroid, started back to earth in November 2019. It is expected back in December this year.

If they are lucky, it will have a few grams of Ryugu aboard.

Don Lee, a pilot flying out of Lawrence County Airport since 1970, has been in charge of equipment and grounds maintenance for the last several years. He can be reached at eelnod22@gmail.com

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Mars is becoming a popular destination spot - The Tribune - Ironton Tribune

CU Boulder Helped The UAE Launch Its First Mission To Mars – CBS Denver

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1 Killed When Dump Truck Crashes Into HomeThe dump truck crashed into a home in Longmont on Friday.

'We Will Never Find Peace': STEM School Shooting Victim Kendrick Castillo's Father At Gunman's SentencingMaya 'Alec' McKinney was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole for the deadly school shooting.

Aurora Public Schools Will Use Remote Learning Until Oct. 8The school district will keep students on a remote learning schedule until Oct. 8.

Rain Doesn't Deter Protesters In Downtown DenverThe protesters took to the streets after gathering at the state Capitol.

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock: Homeless Camps Are Complicated IssueHancock discussed how the city is handling the homeless encampments.

Weekly Reality CheckCBS4 Political Specialist Shaun Boyd interviews Democrat & Republican analysts.

Homeless Outside Governor's Mansion MovesDenver's mayor says the camp moved on their own.

Sheridan School District Releases Back To School PlanThe plan includes face coverings and the option for remote learning.

Dump Truck Crashes Into Longmont HomeOne person was killed in the crash, others involved were injured.

Chicano Music Festival Moves Online This YearThe 24th Annual Chicano Music Festival continues through Aug. 2.

Colorado Parks And Wildlife Restocks Arkansas RiverCPW piped 22,000 endangered plains minnows into the river.

Family Seeks Refund From Johnson & Wales UniversityThe university announced it is closing at the end of next year.

Protesters Gather At State CapitolThe protesters gathered outside the state Capitol on Friday evening.

Maya 'Alec' McKinney Sentenced For STEM School ShootingKendrick Castillo was shot and killed in May 2019 while trying to save other students.

Way To Go Offers Guidance For Making Telework The New NormalIn the wake of coronavirus, teleworking may be the answer to the Denver Metro Areas commuting congestion.

ADA Turns 30 Years Old This Month But Still Room For ImprovementADA experts say there is room for improvement in the digital space.

A-Basin Gets Ready For Season With New ChairliftThe lift will replace the Pali lift closed this spring.

Parents Concerned About School Sports Amid CoronavirusThe concerns include health and safety as well as potential college scholarships for students.

Rainy Weekend For ColoradoWatch Lauren Whitney's forecast

Restaurant Workers Rally To Extend $600 Jobless BenefitsThe additional benefits expire July 31.

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock: Homeless Camps Issue Is ComplicatedHancock says a plan is underway to remove the homeless camps from Denver streets.

Maya 'Alec' McKinney Sentenced For STEM School ShootingMcKinney was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole plus 38 years.

Senator Gardner Visited The Rocky Mountain Arsenal Today To Explain How Money From The Great American Outdoors Act Will HelpRocky Mountain Arsenal will be receiving money from the Great American Outdoors Act to help with the back log of maintenance projects it has.

A Driver Crashed Into A Building This Morning Near South Wadsworth And QuincyA drivers foot slipped and hit the gas peddle causing them to crash into a building, the driver was taken to a hospital for minor injuries and no one else was hurt.

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CU Boulder Helped The UAE Launch Its First Mission To Mars - CBS Denver

Alibaba News Roundup: Ant IPO, Mars and the Prado… – Alizila

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The Alibaba News Roundup is a weekly digest of events and happenings across the company. This weeks coverage looks at Ant Groups dual IPO plans and how Alibabas livestreaming technologies brought netizens to the Prado Museum as well as a historic Mars mission launch.

To receive the latest news direct in your inbox, sign up for the weekly Alizila newsletter.

Ant Group on Monday announced that it has commenced the process of a concurrent initial public offering on Hong Kongs stock exchange and Shanghais Nasdaq-like STAR board. According to a statement released by Ant, the IPOs will enable the company to accelerate its mission of digitalizing Chinas service industry as well as develop global markets and expand investments in technology and innovation. Founded in 2014, Ant is a leading provider of financial-services technology and is also the parent company of Chinas largest mobile payments business, Alipay. Since its establishment, the company has remained committed to inclusive and sustainable financial services, especially for small and micro enterprises. Following the announcement, Ant on Thursday launched a new technology brand called AntChain for the companys blockchain-based digital solutions, which aggregate technologies such as artificial intelligence, internet of things and secure computation. The brand aims to make collaboration and trade easier and safer for industries that typically involve many parties and complicated processes.

Alibabas travel-services platform Fliggy this week partnered with the famed Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid to showcase the museums vast collection of priceless artworks. The 150-minute museum tour, which covered masterpieces by the likes of Francisco Goya, Diego Velzquez and Raphael, attracted more than 410,000 viewers within the first 60 seconds of streaming and received 100,000 likes and close to 2,000 comments. The stream was the latest in a series highlighting tourist attractions in Europe, allowing Chinese netizens to virtually globetrot from the comforts of their own homes. The series previously featured locations such as the British Museum and the Palace of Versailles.

Alibaba Groups travel-services platform Fliggy used livestreaming to bring netizens to Madrids Museo Nacional del Prado.

While international tourism remains more virtual than reality at the moment, in China, domestic traveling is slowly resuming as the country emerges from Covid-19. RV tours, in particular, have become increasingly popular with Chinese holidaymakers, with bookings for recreational vehicles on Fliggy growing by 120% year over year in July. According to a tour operator on the platform, private RVs offer vacationers a comfortable and convenient way to enjoy interprovincial traveling while maintaining their social distance from others. Although RV tourism is still an emerging trend in China, Fliggy said that it hoped to encourage more people, including young vacationers and families, to explore this mode of traveling. To fuel interest in RV excursions, the platform recently launched a special RV package to scenic destinations in Qinghai province, including the Taijinar Lakes and Emerald Lake.

Taobao Live hosted a private livestreamed cinema broadcast of Chinas first independent Mars rover launch on Thursday. The milestone event of Tianwen-1s blastoff was duly captured by Taobao Lives first big-screen livestream, which was viewed by a small group of space enthusiasts in a Hangzhou movie theater. Representatives from the designed-for-mobile livestream channel said they hoped to explore more cross-screen content innovations, especially as cinemas in China begin to reopen after Covid-19. Aside from the invitation-only cinema screening, the livestreamed launch was also made available to other viewers through the Taobao Live app.

Alibaba this week announced a partnership with Starbucks to further elevate the experience for Chinas coffee lovers by introducing the U.S. coffee chains in-store pickup feature across some of the most popular apps in its ecosystem. The Starbucks Now service, now made available on platforms such as Alipay, Taobao, Amap and Koubei, allows users to preorder their favorite beverages and food online, then pick them up in person at select Starbucks stores. Read more about this partnership here.

While Yakult may be best known for its cult-favorite probiotic drink, the Japanese brand also has a budding beauty business that it is now bringing to Chinese consumers through its recently opened Tmall Global flagship store. Like the companys tangy namesake beverage, Yakults beauty products feature lactic acid bacteria as their star ingredient and tout moisturizing properties that promote inner and outer health. Through Tmall Global, the brand is currently selling more than 40 products from its Yakult Beautiens line, including lotions, masks and face creams. The company is among the latest to use Tmall as a gateway into Chinas booming beauty market. Click here to learn more about the platforms role in facilitating beauty-brand success in the country.

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Alibaba News Roundup: Ant IPO, Mars and the Prado... - Alizila

Forgotten Captain America Easter Egg Could Be The Key To Vision’s Return – Screen Rant

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A forgotten Easter egg from Captain America: The First Avenger could play a role in the resurrection of Vision in Marvel's Disney+ shows.

A forgotten Easter egg from Captain America: The First Avenger could be the key to Visions return in Marvels WandaVision. The Star-Spangled Avengers MCU debut featured a blink-and-you-missed-it cameo from the original Human Torch, a character whose history in the comics goes all the way back to 1939. The Torch had a deep connection to the Vision in the pages of The Avengers and this could carry over to the MCUs Vision (Paul Bettany).

The Vision met his end in Avengers: Infinity War at the hand of Thanos (Josh Brolin). Earths Mightiest Heroes tried desperately to protect Vision from Thanos and the Black Order at the battle of Wakanda, but it was to no avail. Once Thanos had the Time Stone, he was able to kill Vision and take the Mind Stone. Since Vision was killed before the snap, he was one character who wasnt brought back to life by Smart Hulks snap in Avengers: Endgame. Regardless, Visions time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe isnt over just yet. Somehow, hell be making a return in Marvels second Disney+ series, WandaVision. The upcoming series, which will parody various popular sitcoms from different eras, will bring Wanda and Vision together in a suburban setting.

Related: How Marvel Phase 4 Can Replace MCU's Quicksilver With X-Men's

Its possible that Visions mysterious resurrection will have something to do with his comic book origin story from the 1970s. After seeking out the truth about his origins from the Mad Thinker, Vision learned that he was created from two separate sources: the brain patterns of Wonder Man and the body of the original Human Torch. The first character to use the Human Torch name wasnt Johnny Storm of the Fantastic Four, but Jim Hammond, an android superhero and longtime ally of Captain America. It was revealed after Hammonds mind was wiped, his body was transformed into the Vision, complete with a new set of abilities. What this means is that the original Human Torch and the Vision were the same person. This was a neat twist, but it was retconned in the 1990s so that the two characters could coexist.

Could Visions original backstory be incorporated into the MCU? Jim Hammond exists in the MCU, but so far hes only been utilized as an Easter egg at the Stark Expo in Captain America: The First Avenger. It could be that Marvel can finally do something with this character in WandaVision. If the Human Torch is indeed a functioning (or at least partially functioning) android in the MCU, his body would certainly have its uses, either to SWORD, Scarlet Witch, or someone else entirely.

The body of Jim Hammond wasnt used to create Vision in Avengers: Age of Ultron, but it could be how Vision will be reborn in WandaVision. If its possible for Visions mind to be restored, theyd still need an android body to upload his consciousness into. That could be where Jim Hammond comes in. After recovering his body, Marvel can adopt his 1970s origin story and revive Vision in a new body. It could then be upgraded to look and function like Visions, just like what they did to the Human Torch in the original comic.

More: Marvel Theory: WandaVision's Villain Is Scarlet Witch's Comic Book Mentor

Key Release Dates

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Nicholas Raymond is a staff features writer for Screen Rant. He has a degree in journalism from the University of Montevallo. He is the author of the psychological thriller and time travel novel, "A Man Against the World." Nicholas' love for telling stories is inspired by his love for film noir, westerns, superhero movies, classic films, foreign cinema, and wuxia. He also has interests in ancient history. His favorite actors are Tyrone Power, Charlton Heston, and Eleanor Parker. His favorite film is Casablanca, and his favorite director is Alfred Hitchcock. He can be reached by email at cnrmail@bellsouth.net and on Twitter at @cnraymond91.

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Forgotten Captain America Easter Egg Could Be The Key To Vision's Return - Screen Rant

Greg Daniels talks about the origins of Upload – Explica

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On the second day of Comic-Con At Home activities, a panel was held dedicated to the original Amazon Prime Video series. Upload, whose first season premiered on May 1.

Created by Greg Daniels (The Office), Upload is a science fiction comedy that is about a future where people can avoid natural death by transferring their consciousness to a virtual world, developed by highly advanced technology, although not accessible to the entire population.

The protagonist of the story, Nathan, is a young programmer who, after a fatal car accident, chooses to migrate to virtual terrain; specifically (and thanks to the support of his wealthy girlfriend) to Lakeview, one of the most sought-after artificial paradises on the market.

The series is based on all the technological aspects that define our life and current interactions (apps, social networks, mobile devices), diverting them to the point of satire and applying them to completely unusual situations; many of them related to the particular functioning of the digital beyond.

However, in the days when Upload was conceived, dependence on technology was nowhere near as intense as it is now

In the first few minutes of the Upload panel in Comic-Con At Home, Greg Daniels He was questioned about the divergences between the finally released show and the projects management idea, since it began to circulate in the writers mind since the 90s (when he works on Saturday Night Live).

[Upload] its not as much as the original idea, said Daniels. The original idea was really inspired by ads for CD players that were barely hitting the marketSo it was a long time ago. It was the idea of going digital from analog.

And jokingly added:

Im a very old comedy writer. The original idea was conceived when I realized that you could have a gramophone without the wax cylinder to record sound. That opened my eyes.

It was not until fifteen years later that the project would begin to take on greater shape, based on the technological advances of the new century.

I did not start with this version [la definitiva] but until 2014 , stressed Daniels. Then I had a chance to include all the big tech companies that are probably still around. In fact, the last time I did one of these panels at a Comic-Con, I was hosting the People of Earth show. They asked me what I was doing there and I said, Well, Im practicing directing for this other science fiction project Im working on. This [Upload] It turns out to be THAT another sci-fi project.

Enter here to see the full panel for FREE, where the cast of the series also met: Robbie Amell (Nathan), Andy Allo (Nora), Kevin Bigley (Luke), Allegra Edwards (Ingrid) and Zainab Johnson (Aleesha).

The ten episodes of the first season of Upload are available through Prime Video Mxico.

Comic-Con Upload

Too Guzmn I have a very bad memory. In solidarity with my memories, I choose to lose myself too. Preferably in a movie theater.

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Greg Daniels talks about the origins of Upload - Explica

A Cop Shot Me With A Foam Projectile And I’m Still Feeling The Shock – LAist

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By Adolfo Guzman-Lopez

I think about May 31, 2020 every day. It was my son's 16th birthday and my wife and I helped him make it into a socially distant celebration in a park.

But that's not what I think about.

What I think about every day happened a few hours later: The pop of a police weapon that launched a projectile in my direction while I finished an interview with a kneeling protester.

I wonder whether I saw the trajectory of the round. I can't remember.

I wonder whether others shot at protests -- and in other circumstances -- also wonder whether they saw the projectile coming at them.

I wonder if my eyes could have seen the round's straight line from the muzzle, flying at fastball force and ending up striking the bottom of my throat, where it would rattle my body and my life.

And it strikes me that it's part of a rattling many of us are going through, a rattling of long-held beliefs, a rattling of our public institutions.

WHY I'M WRITING THIS

That weekend I was shot, there were many other people injured by police as protests over the killing of George Floyd took place in Southern California and across the country. I'm writing this because I owe it to myself, to you, and to the others injured to document the impact. Not because my injury is among the most severe. It's not. I owe this account because I believe that examining our stories will help answer this question: how much force should police officers be empowered to use?

Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily newsletters. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now.

It's been seven weeks since my injury. I was off work for four weeks. The first week was the hardest physically and mentally. Then the slow gears of workers' compensation in the time of COVID-19 stretched the time off even longer. One week I had three different medical appointments. Then I took a week off with my family. And now I'm back in the reporting saddle.

Writing this has allowed me to gather my thoughts and fold in more information about what happened on May 31. I may be one of the more well-known people in Southern California injured by police but that shouldn't keep us from asking who else was hurt and push to find out why.

The Long Beach Police Department is investigating the circumstances of how I was hit and has released some of the results of that ongoing investigation. The department doesn't investigate every less than lethal shooting this way. If you haven't already, please read my colleague Aaron Mendelson's thorough report about their findings. It's important to know what the police department says.

READ: Why Did Police Shoot An LAist Reporter With A Foam Round In Long Beach?

Regardless of whether I was targeted or not, being shot by a police foam round shook my life. Others suffered more severe injuries. Some have written about their ordeals. Lexis-Oliver Ray's photos make his account mesmerizing. I humbly add my story to their written, spoken and unspoken stories.

I see you KPCC/LAist journalists Chava Sanchez, Josie Huang, and Emily Guerin, and fellow Los Angeles journalists who endured police force from pointed guns to tear gas and batons to dodging foam rounds. The L.A. County Board of Supervisors named some of those journalists in a recent resolution. And I see everyone else who was tear-gassed or shoved with a baton or arrested. For you whose pain is ongoing, I send thoughts of love and healing.

WALKING TOWARD THIRD AND PINE

By three o'clock in the afternoon on May 31, my wife and I were sitting down on a picnic blanket at a park in East Long Beach. We set up a table with drinks and birthday cupcakes for my son and his friends and placed our lawn chairs far enough apart that neither he nor his friends would think we were ready to helicopter in and break up their fun. Two of our friends and their baby joined us on their picnic blanket to talk. I took a nap on the grass.

As I woke up at about four o'clock, I thought: there's a protest in Long Beach today. Where's my phone? Sure enough, my editor had called me about 15 minutes before to ask if I could check it out. After a quick stop at home to gather my equipment and fill a backpack with a bottle of water and a power bar, I was on my way to downtown Long Beach.

As I walked to 3rd and Pine, and wondered what this protest would be like, I remembered lessons from protests I've covered. I remembered the abundance of stories unionized janitors told me about their decades of low-paid work at a peaceful march in downtown L.A. five months ago. The May Day Melee in MacArthur Park in 2007 taught me to keep a distance from advancing police in riot gear.

Photojournalists are often a good barometer of being too close to the action. I learned that while watching L.A. Times photographer Luis Sinco in 2002 at an Inglewood march where protestors demanded discipline against a police officer who punched an African American teenager in the face. Sinco was up against the banner at the front of the march to get the shot and was jostled out of the way by some of those in the front. He gave back as much, if not more, than what he got.

The protest at 3rd and Pine would turn out to be like all those protests, and more, rolled into one.

In the space of an hour, the 100 or so protestors doubled in number. There was little social distancing but most people wore some kind of face mask. Their energy ranged from subdued and focused on the message that police killings like that of George Floyd needed to stop, to pockets of people breaking into stores and stealing clothes and hats.

Within that hour, I'd walked around the intersection, called in two news reports, took photos on my phone, and tweeted accounts of the protests.

At 6:09 p.m., Tony Marcano, my editor for my regular beat covering higher education tweeted at me:

I captured the chanting of protesters on video:

And then, a few minutes before 6:30 p.m. I'd just conducted an interview with a protester and was typing his name into my phone when I heard a loud pop.

The pop was followed (this is where the fluidity of time kicks in) by an impact at the place where my neck meets my collarbone, followed by a nearly instantaneous reaction to run.

Pop. Impact. Run.

I ran in the opposite direction of the shot with a lot of other people. We passed a fence and got to a parking lot and stopped. I looked back and saw that the cops weren't running after us. I felt my throat. My fingertips had blood on them when I pulled my right hand away. I asked a few people around me to look at my neck and tell me what it looked like. Some cringed, others said it wasn't too bad.

A few yards away I saw a man with a long-lens camera. His name was Jorge Roa and he said he was there to document police actions. I asked him to take a picture of my wound.

I threw a lot of F-bombs as I called my editor and my wife. Most of those were versions of, why the [bleep] was I shot? Look at Roa's photo. That dazed look on my face is me wondering what the hell had just happened to me and playing and rewinding in my head the mental video of the pop, the impact, and the running.

In my car, I looked back at the photos, videos, and text that I had posted in the hour before I was hit with the foam round. Protesters held signs that read, "No lives matter until Black lives matter!" and "Latinos 4 Black lives." The videos I posted showed protestors chanting "We love Long Beach! Please don't hurt us!" as well as people breaking into a store and stealing clothes.

I didn't think much about the next post to upload, it would be the latest information: police had fired foam rounds into the crowd and I had become part of the news because I had been hit. So I took a couple of selfies and enlarged one to better show my wound. I posted it on Twitter at 6:40 p.m.

I still had work to do. Our newsroom's Larry Mantle, the longtime host of KPCC's AirTalk, was anchoring special coverage of the day's protests and I went on the air to describe what had happened. He asked me if I felt I was targeted. I didn't say yes, but I did say that I did not see anything around me that could have prompted an officer to fire a foam round. So I felt that I was shot for standing in the middle of the street talking to another person. Read Aaron Mendelson's story to see what the video gathered by police showed was happening around me at that time.

WE LOVE U!

My wife and my 9-year-old daughter were pulling into our driveway as I was arriving from the protest. I'd called my wife to tell her what happened. My daughter had heard the conversation on the car speaker, but the reality of what happened to me didn't become clear to her until she saw me.

When she stepped out and saw the wound on my neck, which I had not yet cleaned, she cringed and she said, "No, no, no," as if she was seeing something that she didn't want to but which she couldn't control. She didn't cry, but her voice became high pitched and she shook her hands as if she'd burned herself on a pan. I told her I was going to be OK. She walked into the house as I talked to my wife.

When I walked into my house my daughter handed me a drawing she'd made. It was two stick figures. She'd boiled down me and her to two recognizable traits: my square glasses and her long, curly hair bulging like puffed-up quilt squares. Here it is.

Art is her superpower. That's the ability she summoned to make sense of and resolve what her mind and body were feeling. My eyes welled up.

LIKE A LEAD BLANKET

On the way home from the protests I had called a family friend who's a doctor. He said my injury was probably only a superficial wound and that it may not need urgent care if I was still able to talk. At about 7:20 p.m. my wife sent him a picture of the wound. He hadn't seen the injury. When he did, he changed the recommendation and said, yeah, go to the emergency room.

My wife drove me to Long Beach Memorial Hospital and I told her I'd call her when they released me. Because of the pandemic, she couldn't come with me. The CT scan ordered by the emergency room doctor didn't show any damage to my larynx or other internal parts but suggested just how powerful the impact was. "Artifact from scattered dental fillings," is what the report said.

In other words, I was hit hard enough to rattle my teeth.

Luckily, I didn't lose my voice. My wound scarred over within a week. A doctor prescribed a steroid for the inflammation in my throat and told me to rest my voice. I've been mostly functional since the injury.

At 10 o'clock I was sitting in the hospital lobby calling home to say that I was done. When I hung up I looked up at the television screens. They showed businesses engulfed in flames on 7th Street and Pine Avenue in Long Beach. That's just four blocks from where I'd been reporting. Neither me nor that part of Long Beach ended the day as we had started it.

WHEN IS VIRAL GOOD, WHEN IS IT BAD, OR IN BETWEEN?

The tweet of my injury was on its way to getting tens of thousands of likes, retweets, and comments. I became another reporter injured -- in my case, a radio reporter, whose voice is essential for the job -- hit in the throat with a rubber projectile, on a weekend of national protests sparked by the killing of an African American man who died when a police officer placed his knee on the man's throat for nearly nine minutes.

Texts and other messages began to stream in stronger by the hour. Generally they fell into three categories: those who didn't mention the injury and sent good vibes, love, and healing wishes; people who were angry at police as a result of my injury and officers' use of force against others; and messages from people who said they'd heard my voice or read my reports for a long time and that they couldn't believe such a thing could happen to someone they knew.

A woman said she'd been listening to me all her life. I'm hoping she's in her 30s and maybe started listening in the backseat of her parents' car as a kid.

I'd pledged to disconnect from work for a week while I recovered and processed my trauma. But I broke that pledge. I felt a responsibility to respond to colleagues, former colleagues, friends, family, and Long Beach neighbors.

None of the messages had ill will -- but it all felt like a eulogy.

If the dead had to go through all this praise and comments and well wishes, I'm sure it would kill them.

But in all seriousness, it felt like my mind and body were pressed under a lead blanket like the one the dentist puts on you when you're having x-rays taken. It was too much. I've been lucky enough to find a therapist who's listening and guiding me.

Before my injury, I'd wondered at times to what extent the journalism I've produced has made a difference. I've earned awards and have received praise for my stories from listeners and colleagues over the years. But doubt still creeped in.

This experience put a big exclamation point on "yes, it does" make a difference. Given a choice, though, I'd rather not have gone through this experience to reach this understanding, but I recognize this is a way to get there.

THE MAYOR AND THE RABBI

I'll highlight two messages. In a video call a few days after, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia apologized to me.

And Stephen Einstein, the founding Rabbi of congregation B'nai Tzedek in Fountain Valley, wrote this email to Mayor Garcia:

Einstein didn't do this out of the blue. He and I have had deep conversations about religion. I am not Jewish but my wife is, and we're raising our kids Jewish, so I met Rabbi Einstein through our congregation in Long Beach.

I asked him why he wrote that email. He said he was shocked that a journalist would be injured by police while conducting an interview. He also said he was motivated by the biblical dictum, "justice, justice shall you pursue." It was an unjust act, he said, and he called on the mayor to investigate.

WE ARE ALL RUBEN SALAZAR

When we are all able to move about as before in Southern California, take a trip to the Cal State Northridge campus. There's an important plaque out there. It's dedicated to the Los Angeles journalists who've died on the job. I thought about it when L.A. Times reporter Daniel Hernandez wrote about my injury. A fellow reporter told him that seeing my injury reminded him of what happened to Ruben Salazar, an L.A. Times journalist killed during a large protest in East L.A. in 1970.

I told Daniel the comment may be part of unresolved trauma in Los Angeles among those who remember Salazar's shooting or know that there were conflicting accounts about whether the Sheriff's deputy who killed Salazar targeted him or not.

If plaques are still how we honor significant events, let's take a lesson from artist Sandra de la Loza. She's been creating plaques for alternative and often ignored events in Los Angeles history, like the displacement in the late 1950s of working-class people from Chavez Ravine. The Dodgers would build their stadium there years later.

There should be alternate plaques put up where people suffered police use of force on the weekend of May 31, 2020. Yeah, the 3rd and Pine intersection would be one place. It can be a real or virtual plaque.

For me, the plaque there would be a reminder to see my life and work differently, be grateful, and do more to help connect our disparate Southern California communities.

HOLDING A FOAM ROUND LAUNCHER IN MY HANDS AND PULLING THE TRIGGER

Last Wednesday, Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna talked to me and my newsroom colleagues about his department's findings in an investigation of how I got shot.

He apologized and invited me to the department's police academy to hold a foam round launcher in my hands and fire it.

Luna said, based on the investigation, that the foam round bounced off something or someone before hitting me. What evidence is there to support that, I asked. He said: We don't train officers to shoot people in the neck or head. And, he added, despite how bad my injury was, if it was a direct hit the injury would have been a lot worse.

The round carries the force of a 100 mile-an-hour fastball, he said. Shooting a foam round on a mannequin would demonstrate to me how much damage one of these rounds leaves behind, he said. I neither accepted nor declined the invitation during that Zoom meeting.

I've been thinking about that invitation. Maybe holding the launcher would have put me, for a moment, in the police officer's place at the intersection of 3rd and Pine. But what about putting the officer in my place, going about your work collecting information then finding yourself with a bloody wound at the bottom of your throat?

On careful consideration, I don't want to hold and fire a foam rubber launcher like the one that fired the round that hit me. And I do not want to see how much greater the physical impact could have been on me.

I already know the actual impact. It has affected my body and my emotions and challenged me in ways I hadn't expected.

J Michael Walker's illustration for this story is so on point. See how the figure after being shot (it's me and it's everyone else who was hit in some way by police force) is made up of different parts, Cubist-style? That's what police use of force does, it breaks the person up physically and psychologically. And with the help of others the person will come back together and continue working and living.

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A Cop Shot Me With A Foam Projectile And I'm Still Feeling The Shock - LAist

This Is Not an Executive Suite, It’s Foretravel’s Prevost H3-45 ESS Floorplan – autoevolution

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Never failing to amaze us with meticulous design and quality, while packing a virtually endless amount of incredible features for your ultimate comfort, the Foremost in luxury motor coaches have masterfully applied their expertise to the ultimate in excellence, Prevost H3-45 VIP.

The magnificent Prevost chassis and shell is made available for a limited number of motor coaches per year, and it sure made a sound landing in the hands of Foretravel.

I dont really even know where to start talking about this H3-45 Emperor Sauna Suite (45ESS) floorplan. Its simply mind-blowing! The spec list goes on forever and every one of the features is worth pointing out.

In case youre in need of some fresh air but dont want to miss the game or your favorite show, it also comes with a 32 Samsung LED 1080P Exterior TV to top things off.

A multicolored, decorative ceiling lighting package gives the living area the mood and look of your choice. Just to make yourself extra cozy, youll be accompanied by the 18 Amantii fireplace for a welcoming ambiance and even a Meural Digital Art Display, giving you access to over 10,000 works of art from museums and galleries around the globe.

For a more personalized approach, the Meural display also enables you to upload and display your own library of photographs or images.

But its the master bathroom and its sauna facilities that really start to heat things up (get it?). The glass-frosting feature, water or steam settings, temperature and sound system can all be controlled digitally with a couple of swipes on the touchscreen.

A hand shower and multiple water tiles compose the Kohler DTV+ system, fitted as an overhead rain shower and side body-sprayers thatll be sure to give you a good scrub, while the Kohler Invigoration 9kw steam generator will turn the master bathroom into your privatespa retreat. Oh, and because there can never be too many LEDs, youll find them here too.

Floors are heated, the ECOsmarte filtration tanks ensure top water quality and Total Visions rear view camera helps you maneuver this splendid home on wheels with additional ease. Powered by an EPA compliant 500HP Volvo D13 engine, the 45ft-long machine runs on Allison 5th Generation 6 Speed automatic transmission.

What else could you possibly want? With a current asking price sitting at only $1,850,000, Foretravels Prevost H3-45 Emperor Sauna Suite will undoubtedly remain an exquisite pleasure to be enjoyed by a very select few.

Link:

This Is Not an Executive Suite, It's Foretravel's Prevost H3-45 ESS Floorplan - autoevolution

7 great reasons to choose managed WordPress hosting – ITProPortal

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Your website is your online business card and the most important marketing you have at your disposal. Customers will decide whether to do business with you based on the quality and performance of your website. It pays to get it right.

Many businesses use the excellent WordPress platform to host their website, but without the right care and attention, a WordPress website can be slow, buggy, and insecure. It takes a lot of time and effort to keep a WordPress website running smoothly. Managed WordPress hosting is a type of web hosting service that does this for you, leaving you time to focus on your core business.

In this article, we take a look at some advantages of managed hosting with a particular focus on managed hosting for WordPress.

Lets break down the concept of managed WordPress hosting into its composite parts.

Hosting refers to storing a website on a publicly-accessible computer server so that anyone can visit it using a web browser. You rent some server space, upload your website, and point your domain name to it. This is also known as unmanaged hosting, as youll handle all of the maintenance, security, and backups yourself.

Managed hosting is the next step up and means the web hosting company will perform some of the day-to-day duties for you. The provider will take an active role in securing your server, updating software, taking backups, and making performance tweaks.

Managed WordPress hosting is a specific type of managed hosting that focuses on WordPress websites. On top of handling day-to-day server management tasks, a managed WordPress hosting service takes care of administering and optimizing your WordPress software. You dont have to worry about any of the underlying nuts and bolts and can instead focus on providing great content for your visitors.

Today's best InMotion WordPress Hosting deals

Managed hosting clearly has several benefits. Lets look at some of the reasons you might choose managed hosting over unmanaged hosting.

1. Simplicity

Certainly, the most noticeable benefit of managed hosting is how simpler your life is if you choose it over an unmanaged solution. If you have an existing website, the support team will help migrate your website across to your new host.

Managed hosting is particularly useful for beginners. Setting up an entire website on an unmanaged hosting environment is too complicated for people without existing experience in the field, and youll spend days or weeks trying to get up to speed on how to control and manage everything.

As technical challenges are handled by the web host, you can do more with your website hosting. For example, you could run several websites targeting different customers without having to think about how it all works under the hood because the managed hosting company will take care of the details for you.

2. Speed

Modern Internet users do not tolerate slow websites. If a web page takes longer than a few seconds to load, visitors will head elsewhere with their business. Its bad enough youll lose their custom, but Google will also interpret the visitors actions as disapproval of your website, downgrading your website in search engine results. So, you should always be taking pains to make sure your website is running as quickly as possible.

If youre managing your own website, you have a mountain of things to do to keep your website running quickly. Youll need to ensure the server configuration is sound, theres a caching solution in place, and that your website is free of superfluous code, plugins, and images.

Managed WordPress hosting takes care of this for you, keeping your WordPress website running fast at all times.

3. Support

If you choose managed hosting, youll have a team of technical experts at your beck and call. Many managed hosting companies have 24/7 support and can be contacted through email, phone, and live chat.

Unmanaged hosting typically has much weaker support and it's certainly less personalized. Youre expected to fix most issues on your own, with the hosting company setting limitations on what theyll help with and what they wont. If you dont come from a technical background, managed hosting makes much more sense.

4. Additional services

Besides giving you increased support, managed WordPress hosting will offer a range of extra services that make your website run more smoothly. For example, most managed hosting companies will handle your backups and software updates for you. Managed WordPress hosting will update your WordPress sites, maintain your file caching system, and perform a range of administrative tasks that keep your WordPress site secure and performing well. Without managed hosting, your in-house team will have to spend their precious time on these mundane but important tasks.

5. Increased security

Attackers are constantly trying to compromise the security of websites to access private customer information or to use the website as a launching point for further attacks. Keeping your website up to date and patching any potential security holes is a full-time job.

Managed hosting greatly simplifies this task, as the web hosting company will implement a security strategy for you. Theyll make sure there are preventative measures in place, monitor your website for any suspicious activity, and be ready to restore your website from a recent backup if a significant breach were to occur.

6. Scalability

One of the most important web hosting considerations is scalability. Many business websites have relatively low traffic throughout the year but experience huge spikes of visitors around holidays or during sales events. A website hosting service that runs fine when you have few visitors but crashes when youre busy is completely useless.

Massive surges in traffic are hard to handle on your own. Managed hosting takes the problem off your hands, as the website host will respond to any traffic surge by allocating more resources to your website. Managed WordPress hosting usually includes a service where your popular pages and files are cached automatically so that the stress on your WordPress database is reduced. Good managed hosting companies have the staff and infrastructure to take care of any expected or unexpected surges in traffic promptly and effectively.

7. More value for your money

Companies on a budget often gravitate towards unmanaged hosting as they assume managed hosting is expensive. In fact, managed hosting is almost on a par with unmanaged hosting in price, with some managed hosting packages costing less than $10 per month.

Considering the enormous amount of extra value you get from managed hosting, its now a really compelling choice.

Managed hosting doesnt require technical know-how and saves you from having to worry about cyber-attacks, bugs, crashes, and a whole heap of potential performance issues that can tank your website. Managed hosting doesnt cost much more than unmanaged hosting and offers you peace of mind.

Choose managed hosting for a faster website that can easily scale when you experience traffic spikes. Save yourself from having to worry about the minutiae of running a website by opting for a hosting solution that takes care of it for you.

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7 great reasons to choose managed WordPress hosting - ITProPortal

A Way to Safeguard Biodiversity, Bolster Fisheries, and Protect Ocean Habitat – The Pew Charitable Trusts

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Overview

Ocean health is critical to all life on this planet. Phytoplankton, the microscopic plants found in the sunlit area of almost all oceans, generate about half of the Earths oxygen, and the complex interaction between the ocean and the atmosphere sustains our climate.1 Yet the oceans are in decline, largely because of human activities that are driving the collapse of fisheries, the loss of biodiversity, and the acidification of seawater. The evidence suggests that to halt this downward slide, more of the worlds ocean must be protected.2

In 2016, members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, a global authority on the status of the natural world, adopted a motion recommending that nations protect 30 percent of their waters from all extractive activities by 2030. Safeguarding ocean space in marine protected areas (MPAs) has been proved to help conserve marine life and associated habitats. Creation of MPAs can improve ocean health and provide multiple benefits to the people whose lives and traditions are linked to these waters.

An MPA is a defined geographical area of water that is managed to achieve the long-term conservation of nature.3 In these areas, fishing and other human activity is restricted, which allows depleted populations to recover while protecting key species and vulnerable habitats. MPAs that share these five characteristics have been shown to have the greatest impact: fully protected with no extractive activities permitted, well-enforced, older than 10 years, larger than 100 square kilometers (38 square miles), and in isolated locations.4

Over time, fully protected areas result in more and bigger fish and greater biodiversity.5 These benefits accrue in different climates and have been observed in tropical and temperate regions.6

Fisheries benefit from the creation of MPAs. Thriving populations of fish within fully or strongly protected areas are more likely to supply adult and larval fish to outside areas. The spillover of animal life from the MPA then sustains or increases the catch of nearby fisheries.7 One study in Ecuadors Galapagos Islands found that waters surrounding an MPA supported higher catches and greater fishing effort.8 Effectively placed MPAs have been shown to increase fish biomass and offer a path to recovery for predatory species such as tunas and sharks.9 Protecting key spawning or nursery areas used by vulnerable species can also be highly effective.10

Creation of MPAs as a fisheries management tool is garnering support and interest, specifically because of its contributions to ecosystem-based management approaches. Data from the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization shows a tripling of the percentage of stocks fished at unsustainable levels from 1974 to 2015.11 New evidence indicates that fisheries regulations on their own may be insufficient in creating sustainability, and a combination of management steps and fully protected areas may be necessary.12

The sustainability of marine life can depend on how well populations and critical ocean ecosystems are connected. As individuals within a species move to other areas and reproduce, they maintain what is known as population connectivity. MPAs that are contiguous or incorporate different ecosystemsfor example, an area that protects essential fish habitat such as sea grass as well as open oceancan maintain the interaction among marine communities. Large MPAs that encompass multiple habitats, or networks of MPAs that protect migratory pathways and key habitats, can better ensure the connectivity of populations, which can then help build resilience in a changing environment.13

A lack of good data about the movement of highly migratory species can make it more difficult to determine the role and benefit of MPAs in safeguarding highly mobile animals, some of the oceans key predators. Although complete habitat range is still being documented for many of these species, research suggests that their movement can be predictable. For example, tagging studies of leatherback turtles, northern elephant seals, salmon sharks, and white sharks have found that these species repeatedly return to specific areas.14

Protecting areas used by these animals for spawning or as nurseries could prove highly effective.15 Species can exhibit increased vulnerability when they form groups to spawn, feed, or migrate.16 Protecting these habitats for migratory fishes through MPAs can reduce threats linked to specific areas in the same way that small protected areas are used to protect key foraging habitats for migratory birds or nesting beaches for marine turtles.17

Protected areas can lead to economic growth through tourism. For example, the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, a fully protected area on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, has about 3,000 visitors a day, making it one of the most visited beaches in the state.18 The educational awareness created by the visitor center at the bay is expected to generate about 100 million USD in value added to the community over the next 50 years.19

Protecting habitats such as coral reefs can generate considerable benefits for communities. For example, the net benefit from coral reefs to Hawaiis economy has been estimated at $360 million a year, and that can lead to scientific investments.20 Since 2005, over 10 million USD has been invested in research in the Papahnaumokukea Marine National Monument, another protected area in Hawaii.21

Mounting scientific research indicates that fully protected marine areas can help build resilience against the effects of climate change.22 The alterations are far-reaching and include rising sea surface temperatures, the loss of coral reefs as waters acidify, decreased ocean productivity, shifts in species distribution, and impacts on fisheries.23

MPAs help build biodiversity and genetic diversity, improve carbon sequestration, and even enhance the absorption of carbon dioxide. Safeguarding mangroves and coral reefs in coastal areas can provide buffers against storms while protected wetlands aid in long-term storage and carbon sequestration.24 MPAs can lead to more resilient ecosystems and in turn help secure the well-being of societies that depend on healthy oceans.

MPAs can play a significant role in addressing the threats facing the ocean. These areas can help boost ocean biodiversity, fisheries, and the economies that depend on them. The Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy Project is working with governments, local communities, indigenous groups, and other partners to support creation of MPAs around the world to aid in restoring ocean health for the benefit of all.

The rest is here:

A Way to Safeguard Biodiversity, Bolster Fisheries, and Protect Ocean Habitat - The Pew Charitable Trusts

Love in action the Golden Rule: Meditation for 6th Sunday after Trinity – Guardian

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The golden rule is one rule that has universal application and endorsed by all the great world religions, as shown in their sacred books as follows:

Christianity: Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets (Matt. 7:12)

Confucianism: Do not do to others what you would not like yourself. Then there will be no resentment against you, either in the family or in the state. (Analects 12:2)

Buddhism: Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful (Udana-Varga 5,1)

Hinduism: This is the sum of duty; do naught onto others what you would not have them do unto you. (Mahabharata 5,1517)

Islam: No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself. (Sunnah, 40 Hadith of an-Nawawi 13)

Judaism: What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellowman. This is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary. (Talmud, Shabbat 3id)

Taoism: Regard your neighbours gain as your gain, and your neighbours loss as your own loss. (Tai Shang Kan Yin Pien)

Zoroastrianism: That nature alone is good which refrains from doing another whatsoever is not good for itself. (Dadisten-I-dinik, 94,5)

Philosophers like Socrates and Aristotle also upheld the Golden Rule:Socrates (436-338 BC): Do not do unto others what angers you if done to you by others.Aristotle (384-322 BC) We should behave toward friends as we would wish friends to behave toward us.

However, unfortunately, out of selfishness and evil heart, many people do not only fail to live up to it, but also go further to act wickedly towards their neighbours. People in some of these religions even kill others ritually and religiously (in the name of religion like the Boko Haram). It should not be so with Christians because Christianity is built on love, even for the unbelievers and enemies! This love is to be in practical terms Love in Action.

The Ven. Dr. Princewill Onyinyechukwu Ireoba is the Rector, Ibru International Ecumenical Centre, Agbarha-Otor, Delta State.

Original post:

Love in action the Golden Rule: Meditation for 6th Sunday after Trinity - Guardian

Shining stars: The Astronomy Photographer of the Year shortlist – New Atlas

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The Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year is one of the worlds top astrophotography competitions, and the 2020 shortlist offers a sublime selection of this years best entries, from some mind-bending close-ups of the suns surface to a series of magnificent Milky Way skyscapes.

The contest is run by the Royal Observatory Greenwich, an iconic scientific institution founded nearly 400 years ago. There are eight key categories in the contest, spanning a broad spectrum of astrophotography styles, from skyscapes incorporating land perspectives, to more focused categories looking at galaxies and aurorae.

BEN BUSH

As with previous years, the contest illustrates the incredible skill and determination these photographers display to create these images. UK photographer Ben Bushs shot of an aurora over Icelands famous Vestrahorn is a great example. To get the perfect shot of the aurora reflecting over the water, Bush waded out into the freezing North Atlantic ocean in the middle of night.

Mathew Browne

Other shortlisted images highlight the patience and timing needed to compose the ideal frame. Matthew Browns shot of the Moon passing behind Londons Shard skyscraper is an example of a fleeting moment in time that took the photographer days to catch.

Kirsty Paton

The winning photographs will be revealed later in the year, sharing 10,000 in prize money.

Take a look through our gallery at more shortlisted images from this years contest.

Source: RMG

Read the rest here:

Shining stars: The Astronomy Photographer of the Year shortlist - New Atlas

How this e-learning platform on Astronomy can answer all your questions about the universe – EdexLive

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Everybody is curious to know about the universe but in the process of knowing it, we also learn and develop some superstitious beliefs. Shweta Kulkarni was also curious to know more about the universe but she channelled her interest in the right direction. That's how she was able to start the digital platform AstronEra. This 24-year-old, who is a Royal Astronomical Society fellow, tells us about her interest in the subject, "I was only 16 years old when my parents bought me my first telescope. I would show my friends the stars and other interesting things in the sky. They were really impressed with me. Gradually, I read more and learnt more about astronomythrough various platforms. When I was 18, I co-founded a non-profit organisation called Astron-SHK."

While educating youngsters about astronomy, she met several experts like Dr Govind Swarup, Professor Jayanth Narlikar and many others. That's when she got the idea to create astronomy-based videos, which eventually won her international fame. Shweta explains, "I wrote to the Department of Science and Technology about the lack of astronomical videos available for learners and our interest to create some of them. They gave us a grant of `2.5 lakh and we were able to produce five videos especially for the beginners in astronomy. We were invited to the International Astronomical Youth Camp held in the UK and were surprised to see that most of the people had already watched our videos. What they liked about them was the contribution of Indian scientists in the field of Astronomy."

With this newfound popularity for her videos, she decided to start AstronEra, an e-learning platform, in 2018. "Everybody has the right to learn about this subject and develop a scientific temperament, and AstronEra facilitates the same. This digital platform, incubated at IIMB'sNSRCEL, provides a wide range of astronomical courses for people of all agegroups." Currently, Shweta who is pursuing a BSc in Astronomy with Honours from theUniversity of Central Lancashire through distance learning, builds the content for these courses with the help of mentors and her friends who are also experts in the field. She explains, "There are different courses including space exploration, Hubble space telescope, a guide to buy a telescope, exploring the solar system, astronomy without a telescope and so on. As many students have shown an interest in studying Astronomy during the lockdown, we are offering most of these courses at half price. Over 2,000 students have taken up these courses so far."

Shweta also goes to government schools or schools in tribal regions to create awareness about the universe and various eclipses so that they don't follow superstitious beliefs. A few months ago, Shweta's team visited around 500 tribal schools in Maharashtra with a telescope and helped students observe the Moon. "They were surprised, happy and found it amazing. What more can I ask for? We also gave them two of our online courses for free which were translated to Marathi and Hindi. All I dream is to spread the knowledge of Astronomy and bring that interest for this subject among the youngsters," she concludes.

To know more about their interesting courses, you can checkastronera.org

Link:

How this e-learning platform on Astronomy can answer all your questions about the universe - EdexLive

The wheel with 12 spokes: Astronomy in ancient India – The New Indian Express

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There are very many references to the Sun, Moon, stars, planets, meteors, etc., in Vedic literature before 1500 BCE. The Sun is the Lord of the universe, and the Moon shines by the Suns light. The Earth is described as a sphere.

Even casual observations of the sky would reveal that there are three clear time-markers in the sky, namely, a day, a lunar month and a year. All the major civilisations tried to understand the correlations among these time units. A verse in Rigveda says: The wheel (of time) formed with 12 spokes, revolves round the heavens, without wearing out. O Agni, on it are 720 sons (that is, days and nights).

So, a year has 12 months and 360 days. Later in Taittireeya Samhitaa, there is a clear mention of a solar year of 365 days. The names of the 12 months are given in this Samhitaa as: Madhu, Maadhava, Shukra, Shuci, Nabhas, Nabhasya, Isha, Urjaa, Sahas, Sahasya, Tapas and Tapasya. Now a lunar month is nearly 29.5 days, and 12 lunar months make 354 days. To align the lunar months and the solar year, there would be an extra intercalary month or adhika maasa called samsarpa in some years.

In the Rigveda, it is stated that God Varuna charted a broad path for the Sun in the sky. This obviously refers to the ecliptic, which is the path of the apparent motion of the Sun around the Earth in the sky, in the stellar background. It is inclined to the celestial equator, which is a large circle in the sky in the plane of Earths equator. This is depicted in the picture above.

Here S1, S3 are the equinoxes, S2 is the summer solstice, and S4 is the winter solstice. Vedic literature describes the apparent half-yearly northern (Uttaraayana; from S4 to S2), and southern (Dakshinaayana; from S2 to S4) motions of the Sun, and equinoxes in Taittireeya Samhitaa, Aitareya Braahmana and other texts.

The Moons sidereal period is nearly 27 days, and its path is only slightly inclined to the ecliptic. Then it is convenient to divide the ecliptic into 27 equal parts called nakshatras. This concept is essentially Indian, and the names of the 27 nakshatras, Ashvini, Bharani, ... Revati are also listed in the Taittireeya Samhitaa. The Samhitaa also refers to a five-year yuga cycle, wherein the Sun and the Moon return together at the same position in the sky after five years. All in all, there are rudiments of a calendar with 12 months in a year, inclusion of intercalary months appropriately, and 27 nakshatras as markers of the Moons movement. But it is not formulated mathematically and there are no clear rules.

It is in Vedaanga Jyotisha, ascribed to sage Lagadha, that we have a quantitative calendrical system, with a five-year yuga. One of the verses in it says: When the Sun and Moon occupy the same region of the zodiac together with the asterism of Vaasava (Shravishthaa), at that time begins the yuga, the synodic month of Maagha, the solar month called Tapas, the bright fortnight (of Maagha) and their northward course (Uttaraayana). So, winter solstice is at the beginning of Shravishthaa (Delfini) constellation. This corresponds to some time between 1370 BCE and 1150 BCE, though the text could have been composed a little later.

In the Vedaanga Jyotisha calendar, one has a yuga with five years, 60 solar months, 62 lunar months and 1,830 civil days. There are two adhikamaasas in five years. The concept of a tithi, which is 1/30 of a lunar month, is mentioned, perhaps for the first time. Vedaanga Jyotisha is the first text in India to give simple arithmetical algorithms in calendrical astronomy for finding tithi, nakshatra, the positions of the Sun and the Moon in the sky, and so on. There is nothing on planetary motion.

Compared to the actual value of 365.2564 days for a sidereal year, the Vedaanga Jyotisha value is 366 days. It has been suggested that this was for ease of calculations, with corrections introduced appropriately.

The Vedaanga Jyotisha gives a formula for the duration of day time (sunrise to sunset), according to which it is 12, 15 and 18 muhoortas, when the Sun is at the winter solstice, equinox and summer solstice respectively (one muhoorta is 48 minutes). The formula is reasonably correct for a latitude around 28.

The Kaatyaayana Sulbasutra (composed around 5th century BCE) describes the determination of the east and west directions from the shadows of a gnomon. Data for the annual and diurnal variations of a gnomon-shadow, given in Arthashastra and many Jaina and Buddhist texts around 300 BCE, seem to be based on observations. Recent research indicates that an eclipse cycle of nearly 18 years was in vogue even before the Vedaanga Jyotisha.

There is a long gap between 300 BCE and Aryabhateeya, the first extant text on full-fledged mathematical astronomy in India, composed in 499 CE. However, there were 18 siddhaantas earlier, five of which were summarised in Varaahamihiras Pancasiddhaantikaa composed around 520 CE. Exciting research on pre-Aryabhatan astronomy is going on.

M S Sriram

Theoretical Physicist & President,Prof. K.V. Sarma Research Foundation

(This is the fourth article in the series on Indias contributions to science and technology)

(sriram.physics@gmail.com)

See more here:

The wheel with 12 spokes: Astronomy in ancient India - The New Indian Express

The Only Obstacle To A Healthy World Is Government Secrecy And Propaganda – Scoop.co.nz

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If people in power were no longer able to hide secretsand spin lies about what's going on in the world, all of ourmajor problems would come to an end. Because secretive andmanipulative power structures are the source of all of ourmajor problems.

If the public could see what'sactually happening in their world, they would immediatelybegin using the power of their numbers to overhaul ourcurrent system. This is why our current system pours so muchenergy into preventing the public from seeing what'sactually happening in their world.

If it weren't forthe constant campaign of obfuscation and manipulation ofpublic perception via veils of government secrecy andpropaganda, humanity would naturally find its way out of thepower-driven tribulations it now faces, as surely as you'llavoid obstacles and hazards in your path when you arewalking with your eyes open. The only problem in this caseis that our eyes have not been permitted toopen.

May All BeRevealed

"The fight for humanitys futurebegins at your own eyelids."https://t.co/j1JQcolxIh

Caitlin Johnstone

(@caitoz) June24, 2020

It isn't actuallynecessary to hold a bunch of hard, rigid ideas about exactlywhat kind of society we should have, what kind of politicalsystem we should have, what kind of economic system weshould have. There's nothing wrong with promoting ideas andhaving preferences of course, but really if you just gavehumanity the ability to navigate through its own troubles byremoving the blindfolds of propaganda and power opacity, itwould organically create a healthy society, andrealistically such a society probably won't look a whole lotlike our mental models.

You do have the option, then,of simply promoting the end ofgovernment/political/corporate/financial opacity and the endof establishment perception management. Wanting humanity tosee with clear eyes so that it can make its own informeddecisions about where to take itself is a complete politicalposition, in and of itself. You don't have to hold any otherpolitical preferences of any kind if you don't wantto.

The desire for an end to the obfuscations andmanipulations of the powerful so that humanity can find itsown way is the most anti-authoritarian position you canpossibly take, because it also protects the world from yourown authoritarian impulses.

I personally am veryleftwardly inclined and believe that if humanity had itsperception management blindfolds removed it would naturallycreate a world where we're all truly equal and everyone istaken care of by the collective each according to theirneed, but what the hell do I know? Maybe if the blindfold isremoved I'd be proven wrong. I respect human sovereigntyenough to want to find out, free from my own politicalpreferences. I should not be the one making such societaldecisions, society as a whole should. I just want humanperception to be freed up enough to make thatcall.

How To Defeat TheEmpire

"What I do advocate, in as manydifferent ways as I can come up with, is a decentralizedguerrilla psywar against the institutions which enable thepowerful to manipulate the way ordinary people think, actand vote."https://t.co/4F5dWaURdq

Caitlin Johnstone

(@caitoz) September10, 2019

If you choose to makethe end of perception management your foremost priority,that means you push for government transparency at everyopportunity and support any movement to take away secrethiding places from the powerful.

It means opposing theway the powerful bolt shut all the doors on public scrutinyof their behavior, smear anyone who speculates about whatthey might be up to as a crazy conspiracy theorist, andimprisons anyone who leaks information about what they'rereally doing to the people.

It means you supportwhistleblowers like Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden whohelp shine light on the things power tries to keep hidden inthe dark.

It means you support WikiLeaks and JulianAssange and any journalist who helps expose the secrets ofthe powerful.

It means you fightthe empire's propaganda machine at every opportunity tobreak public trust in its manipulations.

It means yousupport breaking up the monolithic mass media and givingeveryone the equal ability to influence the dominantnarratives.

It means opposing internet censorship,since Silicon Valley plutocrats proppingup the establishment their kingdoms are built upon bycensoring anti-establishment voices is another way ofkeeping people from being shown the truth about theirworld.

I personally would add that it means supportingthe decriminalization of psychedelics, because seeing withinourselves is just as important as seeing what's happening inour world and entheogens can facilitate this seeing, butmaybe that's just me.

Cancel GovernmentSecrecy: Notes From The Edge Of The NarrativeMatrix

"Government says it needs secrecy tomake war on its enemies effectively, and, curiously, themore secrecy we allow it the more wars and enemies it seemsto have."https://t.co/fLWa478cva

Caitlin Johnstone

(@caitoz) July20, 2020

Again, there's no harmin engaging in politics and pushing for the changes you'dlike to see in your world, and there can be many benefits todoing so. But as long as people are successfully preventedfrom seeing and understanding what's really happening intheir world by the obfuscation of information and by themanipulation of people's perception of that information, thestatus quo will always remain in place.

So in myopinion this is the most sensible point upon which toconverge our energy. I personally have no interest incontrolling what humanity does, and desire only that peoplecome to see freely enough to make their owndecisions.

It's absolutely insane that informationwhich affects us all is kept hidden away from our clearvision by secrecy and propaganda. It's even crazier thatthey shame us when we wonder what's really going on andthrow us in prison when we try to find out. We must liberateourselves from this madness so we can create a healthy worldtogether.

_______________

Thanks for reading!The best way to get around the internet censors and makesure you see the stuff I publish is to subscribe to themailing list for my website,which will get you an email notification for everything Ipublish. My work is entirelyreader-supported, so if you enjoyed this pieceplease consider sharing it around, liking me on Facebook,following my antics onTwitter,checking out my podcast on either Youtube,soundcloud,Applepodcasts or Spotify,following me on Steemit,throwing some money into my tip jar on Patreonor Paypal,purchasing some of my sweetmerchandise, buying my books Rogue Nation:Psychonautical Adventures With Caitlin Johnstoneand Woke:A Field Guide for Utopia Preppers. For more infoon who I am, where I stand, and what Im trying to do withthis platform, clickhere. Everyone, racist platforms excluded, hasmy permission to republish, use or translate anypart of this work (or anything else Ive written) in anyway they like free ofcharge.

Scoop Media

Rogue journalist

Caitlin Johnstone is a 100 percent crowdfunded rogue journalist, bogan socialist, anarcho-psychonaut, guerilla poet and utopia prepper living in Australia with her American husband and two kids. She writes about politics, economics, media, feminism and the nature of consciousness. She is the author of the illustrated poetry book "Woke: A Field Guide For Utopia Preppers."

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The Only Obstacle To A Healthy World Is Government Secrecy And Propaganda - Scoop.co.nz

$6M Worth of Tether on the Bitcoin Cash Chain Highlights the Benefits of SLP Tokens | Technology Bitcoin News – Bitcoin News

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During the first week of July, crypto supporters noticed that Tether issued 1,010 stablecoins via the Simple Ledger Protocol (SLP) framework on Bitcoin Cash. Now theres a much larger amount of SLP-based tethers in circulation as the company has minted a total of 6 million on the Bitcoin Cash blockchain.

Digital currency enthusiasts have been watching the Tether project grow for years now and to-date the firm has $9.8 billion in total liabilities according to the companys transparency page. The USDT stablecoin is spread across various blockchains including Ethereum, Tron, Algorand, and EOS. Just recently, USDT was migrated onto the Bitcoin Cash blockchain by leveraging the Simple Ledger Protocol.

Bitcoin Cash supporters are now aware that there are over 6 million SLP-based USDT in circulation today. Data stemming from simpleledger.info and a BCH blockchain explorer shows that SLP-based tethers are circulating quite frequently. A number of BCH supporters have been discussing the benefits of SLP-based stablecoins and the Cointext CTO, Vin Armani, discussed the subject on July 11.

Armani tweeted a link from news.Bitcoin.com, which reported on millions of dollars worth of USDT stablecoins frozen in 40 addresses. You cant stop me from using a Bitcoin address for which I have the key(s). Theres no freeze address function on Bitcoin, as has been added to these Ethereum stablecoin contracts, Armani said. The Cointext founder further stated:

USDT is now available as *uncensorable* SLP tokens on BCH.

In addition to the permissionless benefits the Bitcoin Cash chain offers, the network fees needed to interact with SLP-based USDT on the BCH chain is quite minimal. A typical fee on the BCH network is only $0.003 per transaction or a third of a U.S. penny. Just recently, members of the Reddit forum r/cryptocurrency discussed how interacting with ERC20s on the Ethereum chain was quite costly. The author of the original post shared a gas fee which was $16 and said and you guys were complaining about high BTC fees WTF!? One commenter responding to the post wrote:

Sending transactions on ETH is still cheap. Interacting with smart contracts is another story

Another concept that stems from the mind of Vin Armani could essentially do away with the already inexpensive gas fees needed to push SLP-based transactions. For instance, the crypto community could leverage the Simple Ledger Postage Protocol Armani invoked in November 2019. The Postage Protocol allows SLP-based tokens to be sent without using fees (generally known as gas) to complete transactions.

In essence, the Postage Protocol allows users to pay for their miner fees using the SLP token itself, Armani explained last year. This is accomplished through the use of an intermediary server called a post office. The user sends the post office the requisite value of the needed BCH as an additional output in a transaction. Upon receiving and validating the otherwise invalid transaction, the post office attaches additional input containing native BCH (stamps) and then broadcasts the postage paid (valid) transaction to the network.

The fact of the matter is, stablecoins and any type of tokens, like non-fungible assets are much cheaper to send via the Bitcoin Cash chain. Many BCH supporters believe that in time, the market will realize this fact and migrate and build token infrastructure using the Simple Ledger Protocol. Besides being cheaper, SLP-based tokens are also permissionless and anyone from anywhere around the world can have full control over their tokens if they possess the private key(s).

What do you think about the $6 million worth of tether on the Bitcoin Cash chain? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below.

Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.

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$6M Worth of Tether on the Bitcoin Cash Chain Highlights the Benefits of SLP Tokens | Technology Bitcoin News - Bitcoin News

Bitcoin Cash (BCH) Down $2.45 Over Past 4 Hours, Fares the Worst Out of Top Cryptos to Start the Day; Eyes 100 Day Average – CFDTrading

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Bitcoin Cash 4 Hour Price Update

Updated July 24, 2020 11:19 PM GMT (07:19 PM EST)

The end of a 3 four-hour candle positive run has come for Bitcoin Cash, which finished the previous 4 hours down 1.03% ($2.45). Those trading within the Top Cryptos asset class should know that Bitcoin Cash was the worst performer in the class during the previous 4 hours.

238.62 (USD) was the opening price of the day for Bitcoin Cash, resulting in yesterday being one in which price moved down 0.67% ($1.6) from yesterday. As for how volume fared, yesterdays volume was up 18.26% from the previous day (Wednesday), and up 54.85% from Thursday of the week before. On a relative basis, Bitcoin Cash was the worst performer out of all 5 of the assets in the Top Cryptos asset class during yesterday. The daily price chart of Bitcoin Cash below illustrates.

Coming into today Bitcoin Cash is now close to its 20, 50 and 100 day averages, located at 232.14, 235.13 and 237.9 respectively, and thus may be at a key juncture along those timeframes. Trend traders will want to observe that the strongest trend appears on the 90 day horizon; over that time period, price has been moving down. Or to view things another way, note that out of the past 14 days Bitcoin Cashs price has gone down 8 them.

Over on Twitter, here were the top tweets about Bitcoin Cash:

My guilty pleasure is sleeping in an oversized Bitcoin Cash TShirt

@RyanSAdams @BanklessHQ It was done in the context of LINK making to the top 10.Grouping Cardano with Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin Silver (shitcoins)as a project that has no place competing as a currency makes no sense. There was tribalism among AOL, Netcom,etc in Now we just call it the internet.

@lasvegaspokers I enjoy ACR a great deal, regardless of hiccups that occur from time to time. I was nervous about Bitcoin cash outs but my first two have been a great experience.

As for a news story related to Bitcoin Cash getting some buzz:

Bitcoin Cash Leading Dev Announces Bitcoin ABC is Moving Forward with the Grasberg DAA CoinSpice

Schet and Bitcoin ABC, however, found issues with Toomims proposal such as it was, ultimately preferring Grasberg.Bitcoin Cash Node (BCHN) lead maintainer freetrader took issue with Schets characterization of no concrete proposal having reached ABC.False: the concrete proposal (with code) of an integer-approximation ASERT by Jonathan Toomim reached ABC (and everyone else) and was discussed in the last DAA meeting, freetrader insisted in comments on read.cash.

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Bitcoin Cash (BCH) Down $2.45 Over Past 4 Hours, Fares the Worst Out of Top Cryptos to Start the Day; Eyes 100 Day Average - CFDTrading

Cryptocurrencies Price Prediction: Bitcoin Cash, NEO and Ripple European Wrap 22 July – FXStreet

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Bitcoin Cash Price Analysis: BCH/USD short term falling wedge pattern breakout flashing buy signals

Bitcoin Cash advanced higher following the announcement that Grayscale Bitcoin Cash Trust had finally been approved for public listing on the stock market. The announcement came when the market was mostly lifeless. Following last weeks deep to $216 (support), Bitcoin Cash recovery stalled in a range between the 23.6% Fibonacci retracement level and the 50% Fibo taken between the last swing high of $232.63 to a swing low of $216.91. Read more ...

NEO is the 21st largest digital asset with the current market capitalization of $787 million and an average daily trading volume of $285 million. The coin is most actively traded on Binance and OKEx against USDT and BTC. At the time of writing, NEO/USD is changing hands at $11.42. The coin has gained over 6% in the recent 24 hours and stayed mostly unchanged since the start of the day. Read more ...

Ripple re-embarked on the journey of breaking barriers after testing the support at $0.19 last week. The recovery took place in tandem with other cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin which this time joined in the rally closing in on the resistance at $9,500. Ripple majestically rose upwards but encountered acute resistance within a whisker of $0.20. Read more ...

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Cryptocurrencies Price Prediction: Bitcoin Cash, NEO and Ripple European Wrap 22 July - FXStreet

The Crypto Daily Movers and Shakers July 22nd, 2020 – Yahoo Finance

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Bitcoin, BTC to USD, rallied by 2.43% on Tuesday. Reversing a 0.56% decline from Monday, Bitcoin ended the day at $9.402.0.

It was a bullish start to the day. Bitcoin rallied from an early morning intraday low $9,174.4 to an early afternoon intraday high $9,457.2.

Bitcoin broke through the major resistance levels before falling back to $9,340 levels.

The pullback saw Bitcoin fall through the third major resistance level at $9,358.03 before returning to $9,400 levels.

Resistance at $9,400 capped the upside late in the day.

The near-term bullish trend remained intact in spite of the early July pullback to sub-$9,000 levels. For the bears, Bitcoin would need to slide through the 62% FIB of $6,400 to form a near-term bearish trend.

Across the rest of the majors, it was a bullish day on Tuesday.

Tezos led the way, rallying by 9.29%.

Bitcoin Cash SV (+5.60%), Cardanos ADA (+4.66%), Ethereum (+4.13%), Litecoin (+4.53%), also found strong support.

Binance Coin (+1.43%), Bitcoin Cash ABC (+2.60%), EOS (+2.32%), Moneros XMR (+0.68%), Ripples XRP (+2.53%), Stellars Lumen (+2.59%), and Trons TRX (+2.42%) trailed the front runners.

At the start of the week, the crypto total market cap fell to a Monday low $262.70bn before striking a Tuesday high $274.62bn. At the time of writing, the total market cap stood at $270.71bn.

Bitcoins dominance fell to a Monday low 63.20% before rising to a Tuesday high 64.08%. At the time of writing, Bitcoins dominance stood at 63.76%.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin was down by 0.30% to $9,373.9. A bearish start to the day saw Bitcoin fall from an early morning high $9,402.1 to a low $9,373.9.

Bitcoin left the major support and resistance levels untested early on.

Elsewhere, it was a mixed start to the day. Moneros XMR bucked the trend at the time of writing, rising by 0.03%.

It was bearish for the rest of the majors, with Tezos down by 1.60% to lead the way down.

Bitcoin would need to avoid a fall through the $9,345 pivot to support a run at the first major resistance level at $9,515.

Support from the broader market would be needed, however, for Bitcoin to break out from Tuesdays high $9,457.2.

Barring an extended crypto rally, the first major resistance level would likely cap any upside.

In the event of a crypto breakout, Bitcoin could test the second major resistance level at $9,627 before any pullback.

Failure to avoid a fall through the $9,345 pivot level would bring the first major support level at $9,232 into play.

Barring an extended crypto sell-off, however, Bitcoin should avoid sub-$9,100 levels. The second major resistance level sits at $9,062.

This article was originally posted on FX Empire

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The Crypto Daily Movers and Shakers July 22nd, 2020 - Yahoo Finance

The Crypto Daily The Movers and Shakers July 19th, 2020 – Yahoo Finance

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Bitcoin, BTC to USD, rose by 0.24% on Saturday. Following on from a 0.19% gain on Friday, Bitcoin ended the day at $9,189.1.

It was another bearish start to the day. Bitcoin fell to an early morning intraday low $9,120.1 before making a move.

Steering clear of the first major support level at $9,114.93, Bitcoin struck a late morning high $9,217.0.

Bitcoin broke through the first major resistance level at $9,206.83 before easing back to $9,170 levels.

Late in the day, Bitcoin broke back through the first major resistance level to an intraday high $9,217.1 before easing back.

Steering clear of the days pivot level at $9,155 through the afternoon was key to avoiding a day in the red.

The near-term bullish trend remained intact in spite of the early July pullback to sub-$9,000 levels. For the bears, Bitcoin would need to slide through the 62% FIB of $6,400 to form a near-term bearish trend.

Across the rest of the majors, it was yet another mixed day on Saturday.

EOS (-0.04%), Stellars Lumen (-3.04%), and Tezos (-4.87%) saw red to buck the trend on the day.

It was a bullish day for the rest of the pack, with Ripples XRP rallying by 2.94% to lead the way.

Bitcoin Cash ABC (+1.01%), Ethereum (+1.33%), Litecoin (+1.36%), Moneros XMR (+1.17%), and Trons TRX (+1.31%) also found strong support.

Binance Coin (+0.59%), Bitcoin Cash SV (+0.64%), and Cardanos ADA (+0.60%) saw modest gains on the day.

In the current week, the crypto total market cap rose to a Monday high $273.18bn before falling to a Thursday low $258.89bn. At the time of writing, the total market cap stood at $266.27bn.

Bitcoins dominance fell to a Monday low 63.09% before rising to a Thursday high 64.28%. At the time of writing, Bitcoins dominance stood at 63.55%.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin was up by 0.06% to $9,194.3. A mixed start to the day saw Bitcoin fall to an early morning low $9,185.7 before striking a high $9,194.4.

Bitcoin left the major support and resistance levels untested early on.

Elsewhere, it was a mixed start to the day. At the time of writing, Tezos was up by 1.21% to lead the way.

Binance Coin bucked the trend early on, with a 0.24% loss.

Bitcoin would need to avoid a fall through the $9,175.43 pivot to support a run at the first major resistance level at $9,230.77.

Support from the broader market would be needed, however, for Bitcoin to break out from Saturdays high $9,217.1.

Barring an extended crypto rally, the first major resistance level and Saturdays high would likely cap any upside.

In the event of a crypto breakout, Bitcoin should break through the second major resistance level at $9,272.43. Resistance at $9,300 would likely cap any upside.

Failure to avoid a fall through the $9,175.43 pivot level would bring the first major support level at $9,133.77 into play.

Barring an extended crypto sell-off, however, Bitcoin should avoid sub-$9,000 levels. The second major resistance level at $9,078.43 should limit any downside.

This article was originally posted on FX Empire

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The Crypto Daily The Movers and Shakers July 19th, 2020 - Yahoo Finance

Elon Musks performance award could reach $55 billion (U.S.) and that is unacceptable – Toronto Star

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Earlier this week, shares in Tesla Inc. the electric car giant led by CEO Elon Musk, were evaluated at just over $330 billion (U.S.) on the New York Stock Exchange.

To put this number in perspective, it is equivalent to the joint market value of Canadas big 6 banks, or about three times the market value of General Motors, Ford and Honda combined.

While it is debatable whether the market is assessing Tesla correctly or whether it is a bubble about to be burst, one thing is certain: the talent, vision and passion of the charismatic, outspoken some say genius entrepreneur who has led the company since 2008 are key to its success. For that, Musk should be rewarded.

But how exactly should he be compensated for his leadership role?

Paying a handsome remuneration for a successful and dedicated CEO is probably a good idea for any company. Making sure that the principle of pay-for-performance is kept and verifying that the CEO isnt rewarded for luck is also important.

But as it turns out, the compensation package that Musk received at Tesla is unparalleled. Inspired, one may say, by the name of another company Musk is leading SpaceX.

Back in January 2018, when Teslas value was about $85 billion, Musk was awarded a 10-year compensation plan which has the features of a video game.

According to the plan, there are 12 different milestones (tranches) that Musk could reach, or unlock, and his compensation is tied to those milestones. The first milestone (which was recently met) is for the company to have a market value of $100 billion. From there, each subsequent tranche is $50 billion higher.

The terms of Musks plan require that the market value of the company for each threshold, for example, $100 billion, be kept on average for at least six months.

If the condition is met, Musk becomes eligible for options equal to one per cent of the number of shares outstanding, or about 1.69 million options. Musk could exercise each option at a price of $350 a share.

To give an example, if the current share price of Tesla is $1,500 a share, and each option allows Musk to buy one share at $350, each option is worth $1,150.

If all goes according to the plan, and Musk clears the last tranche a market value of $650 billion for Tesla he will be granted in total just over 20 million options. This translates to a staggering 10-year compensation of $55.2 billion (or $5.5 billion annually).

To be clear, this is just Musks current compensation contract. In addition, he already owns 38.7 million shares or about 21 per cent of all outstanding Tesla shares worth about $60 billion at current market price.

To understand how outrageous and disconnected from reality Musks potential maximum annual pay of $5.5 billion is, a few comparisons are required:

The median compensation for an employee at Tesla was $56,163 in 2018. Musk could make about 100,000 times that amount annually.

The average pay of the top 100 highest-paid Canadian CEOs in 2018 was $11.8 million (CND) according to a recent report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Musk could make 630 times that amount annually.

The median CEO compensation for the largest American firms, those listed in the S&P 500 index, was $12.8 million (U.S.) in 2018. Musk could make 431 times that amount annually.

Americas top earner Alphabet Inc.s CEO Sundar Pichai received a stunning $281 million in 2019. Musk could make 20 times that amount annually.

How could anyone justify such pay?

How can Musk justify it to himself? Does he really believe that he should get a contract worth about twice the annual GDP of Nepal, a country with a population of 28 million people?

Moreover, the fact that neither Musk nor the board of Tesla see fit to consider modifying the stratospheric compensation package in the midst of a global pandemic with historic high unemployment rates, shows how disconnected they are.

The company is defending the plan using a typical capitalist argument: Elons compensation will be 100 per cent aligned with the interests of our stockholders. That is, if the share price goes up, shareholders cant complain.

But for a company that is bragging about creating a better, sustainable world, and aspires to be instrumental in creating a green future, focusing solely on shareholders and share price is not what youd expect. What about other stakeholders? What about values related to equity and social justice?

Read the business news and analysis that matters most every morning, including the latest on what the coronavirus means for you, in our Star Business email newsletter.

Sure, create incentives, but $55 billion is excessive.

Elon Musks performance award is simply outrageous. The fact that he doesnt see this is disappointing. It also sets an inflated and problematic benchmark for other companies about to offer compensation plans to their CEOs.

But with pressure from activist shareholders, institutional investors and regulators, this can change. After all, Tesla is a public company, and its ordinary shareholders shouldnt sponsor what seems to be a pissing contest between Elon Musk and the richest person in the world Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

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Elon Musks performance award could reach $55 billion (U.S.) and that is unacceptable - Toronto Star