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NASA orbiter captures snowy dunes on Mars – CNET

Posted on August 25, 2017 by Danzig

Spring comes calling on the red planet.

Ah, winter on Mars. Like on Earth, it's a time of shorter days, cooler temperatures and a buildup of ice and snow. But winter is inevitably trumped by the oncoming spring. A NASA image from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows an intriguing glimpse at a series of Martian dunes covered with a dusting of carbon dioxide (dry ice) snow as spring visits the red planet.

The increasing sun in the springtime creates changes in the landscape. "The ice on the smooth surface of the dune cracks and escaping gas carries dark sand out from the dune below,"NASA says.

These dunes are located in the planet's northern hemisphere. The MRO snapped this image in late May and NASA highlighted it on Thursday as part of its Image of the Day series. The spacecraft has a knack for picking up fascinating views of dry ice on Mars. Check out this 2016 look at exotic formations at Mars' south pole.

26 weird objects seen on Mars, explained (pictures)

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NASA orbiter captures snowy dunes on Mars - CNET

Don’t believe this insane ’15 days of darkness’ rumor that NASA has already debunked – BGR

Posted on August 25, 2017 by Danzig

Ah, the internet. Its given us complete freedom to communicate with basically whoever we want and provides a wealth of information to anyone who takes the time to search. Unfortunately, it also facilitates the spread of absolutely ridiculous rumors that have no basis in reality, and a particularly asinine claim that the entire Earth is about to be shrouded in darkness for over two weeks just keeps giving NASA grief. Its time for a quick reality check.

The claim, which has been circulating on fake news sites since as far back as 2015, goes something like this: NASA confirms that a curious celestial event is about to take place that will cause our entire planet to fall into darkness for roughly 15 days. The rumor even goes so far as to allege that NASA has provided the white house with a 1,000-page document explaining exactly what is about to happen.

The original fake news report reads as follows:

NASA has confirmed that the Earth will experience 15 days of total darkness between November 15 and November 29, 2015. The event, according to NASA, hasnt occurred in over 1 Million years.

Astronomers from NASA have indicated that the world will remain in complete darkness starting on Sunday, November 15, 2015 at 3 a.m. and will end on Monday, November 30, 2015 at 4:15 p.m. According to officials, the November Black Out event will be caused by another astronomical event between Venus and Jupiter.

Charles Bolden, who was appointed to head of NASA by President Obama, issued a 1000 page document explaining the event to the White House.

It is, of course, complete nonsense, and if youre even vaguely familiar with the movements of the planets around the Sun you already know that. Still, the newest rehash of the rumor, which has been modified to include November 15th-29th as the days in which the Earth will be affected, is already starting to make the rounds on fake news sites and conspiracy forums.

NASA hasnt officially addressed this most recent version of the claim most likely because its so utterly absurd and impossible that its not worth their breath, and its been debunked many times already but if you happen to see an easily-fooled friend or gullible relative spreading this kind of trash, just pull them back down to Earth and explain how silly the whole thing really is.

Don't believe this insane '15 days of darkness' rumor that NASA has already debunked - BGR

Get to Know NASA’s New Astronaut Class: Video Series – Space.com

Posted on August 25, 2017 by Danzig

The next people to take a trip around the moon or become the first humans to travel to Mars could belong to NASA's newest astronaut class.

Tuesday (Aug. 22), the agency released a series of videos in which the newest group of future space travelers discuss things like where they'd like to go and how they think they'd handle the trip. You can watch all the videos onNASA Johnson's Youtube page.

"I live in Boston so I'm used to small spaces," said Jonny Kim, a Navy SEAL and member of the new astronaut class, about why he's a good candidate to spend months in a small spacecraft. In response to that same question, other members of the class said things like: "I pack light," "[I have] good self-hygiene" and "When I sleep I cuddle up, so I don't take up that much room." [What It's Like to Become an Astronaut: 10 Surprising Facts]

The videos were filmed before the new cadets arrived in Houston for the start of their two-year training period, which began this week. Members of the class are referred to as "astronaut candidates" until they complete this training period.

Each of the interview videos is about 2.5 to 4 minutes long. The candidates answer such questions as how they came to apply for the astronaut program, where they were when they got the call from NASA saying they'd been accepted, what they're excited about doing in space and what space food they're looking forward to, among others.

Tuesday, the new astronaut class got the chance to talk to NASA astronauts Peggy Whitson, Jack Fischer and Randy Bresnik, who are living on the International Space Station. The class was joined by Canada's two new astronaut candidates, Joshua Kutryk and Jennifer Sidey. The astronaut candidates asked their new co-workers things like what aspects of training they wish they'd paid more attention to, what the most important skills are for an astronaut and (to Whitson) what it was like being a woman going through astronaut training.

The new astronaut class includes seven men and five women who were chosen from the largest pool of applicants in NASA history 18,353. That shattered the 1978 record of 8,000 applicants, according to NASA.

Follow Calla Cofield @callacofield. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.

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Get to Know NASA's New Astronaut Class: Video Series - Space.com

Narwhals are helping NASA study climate change because they are just that awesome – Fast Company

Posted on August 25, 2017 by Danzig

Narwhals are not just unicorn-tusked marvels frolicking in the ocean waves and inspiring some of the internets greatest hits. They are alsoNASAs secret agents in studying climate change.

Narwhals are some of the few animals who are happy thatthe glaciers are melting, so scientists from NASAsOceans Melting Greenland (also known by the not-at-all subtle acronym OMG) have conscripted them into their climate change studies. OMG is trying to figure out how quickly Greenlands ice will disappear, and thefeeding habits of narwhals are proving helpful. According to Bloomberg, The whalestend to feedat the bottom of melting glaciersand can dive to depths of 1,800 meters, precisely the areas that OMG needs to survey. In short, follow the narwhals, and theyll show you the seasonal ebb and flow of glaciers, which could reveal howmuch ice is left.

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Narwhals are helping NASA study climate change because they are just that awesome - Fast Company

Operators Join Forces With Law Enforcement, Driving Down ATM Crimes In New York City – Vending Times

Posted on August 25, 2017 by Danzig

NEW YORK CITY -- By 2013, the Big Apple's ATM operators were in crisis. According to industry sources, an estimated four to five automated teller machines fell victim to robberies once a week. That number would often jump to multiple robberies a day. As overall crime decreased to record lows in New York City, robberies of ATMs were incongruously soaring to new heights. Even for the city that never sleeps, this was a profoundly distressing pattern.

Jim Shrayef of Everything ATM (Brooklyn, NY) told Vending Times that the robberies took various forms. These included simply removing a freestanding ATM, using a handtruck, from a location during business hours, to well-coordinated efforts that saw machines yanked out of locations with a chain or rope. In several instances, the criminals attacked closed stores, breaking in with the specific purpose of robbing the ATM. Most disturbing, he said, were robberies of route personnel filling machines. Aside from the robberies, there was also a fair amount of vandalism taking place.

Shrayef operates equipment through Everything ATM, which also provides consulting services and support material to those entering the cash machine field. He found the stealing and crime situation particularly alarming. "These were not random attacks, and this was not stealing lunch money," he said. "They were specialized criminals who saw ATMs as easy targets."

Local police were initially less than responsive in the face of the crime wave, often only taking a report without a follow-up investigation. Sometimes suspicion would fall on the ATM operator or location owner. Part of the problem was the age-old view among law enforcement and the general public that ATM robberies, like those of vending machines, were so-called "victimless crimes." As such, they were given low priority status.

The solution came when Shrayef began organizing independent operators to address the problem. Forming the Northeast Regional ATM Association, which unified ATM deployers from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. The concept behind the new association was not only to create a means of sharing information, but also to offer a way to lobby locally.

A first step for the new association was to educate ATM operators in best practices when it came to safety and security. This begins with identifying suspicious behavior and obtaining details of a robbery. The regional organization, which works osely with the much larger National ATM Council, also began lobbying the New York Police Department, eventually landing meetings with community affairs officers

Calling All Cars

Shrayef recalled that the initial meetings with the New York Police Department were often less than pleasant. "We thought it was going to be just a formality," he said. "And some of the operators made angry comments to the officers. However, our complaints worked their way up to Police Commissioner William Bratton, and he lent an ear. He actually sent people out to do some fact finding."

Bratton's investigation discovered what equipment owners and operators had long suspected: ATM robberies were not random. Neither were they "inside jobs" committed by operators or storeowners. They were the work of organized criminal gangs operating throughout New York City's five boroughs.

"Commissioner Bratton took the time to hear what we had to say," Shrayef said. "And he understood how dangerous it was. He understood how our industry is necessary to neighborhoods underserved by banks." In many New York neighborhoods, an ATM that goes out of service at the local grocery store can prove disruptive for the storeowner and the community at large. The ATM crime spree represented a quality of life issue.

A police taskforce was formed that soon led to arrests. Robbery incidents of ATMs began to drop quickly once the NYPD took action and allocated resources to the problem. "After some arrests were made, it was clear these were gangs that had knowledge of the industry," Shrayef explained. "The criminals also realized the police were on to them, and they were taking a major risk by robbing ATMs. Within a year, there was a marked drop from the height of 2013, and within two years a major improvement."

Present incidents of ATM robberies, as Shrayef reported, have dropped dramatically from the 2013 highs of several a week to one or two a month throughout the city. "Some months have been completely robbery free," he added.

While Bratton may have left office in 2016, his successor, Commissioner James O'Neill, has kept up the proactive approach that has seen ATM robberies drop to new low levels that reflect the city's historic low crime rate. And all it took was a group of dedicated operators who wanted their voices heard.

TEAMWORK CONTINUES: George Sarantopoulos (l.), chairman of the National ATM Council, Jim Shrayef (second from l.), president of the Northeast Regional ATM Association, and Danny Frank (r.), NRATMA's executive director, meet with NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill, who succeeded Bill Bratton last year.

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Operators Join Forces With Law Enforcement, Driving Down ATM Crimes In New York City - Vending Times

Drug giants are ripping off the public by selling the same medicines under different labels – The Sun

Posted on August 25, 2017 by Danzig

DRUG giants are ripping off the public by selling the same medicines under different labels, a probe has revealed.

And some big-name pills are ten times dearer than stores own brands with the same ingredients.

Otrivine nasal sprays come in three different boxes for allergies, congestion and sinusitis.

Yet a Which? probe claims all are medically identical.

They say Sudafed Day & Night Capsules for colds and flu cost 4.50 but are no different from store chain Wilkos 95p ones.

Pain pills Combogesic and Nuromol, which mix ibuprofen and paracetamol, are ten times pricier than separately buying own-brand versions of the ingredients.

And olive and almond oil work just as well as Earex ear drops.

The watchdog says there is little proof some products, such as Centrum vitamins and Benylin syrup, are necessary or effective.

Its editor Richard Headland said: Youre sometimes wasting money on medicines as theres a lack of evidence they work. And there are cheaper alternatives.

According to Which? some firms declined to show evidence of how their product worked.

They said, through a spokesperson or the manufacturers trade body, the Proprietary Association of Great Britain (PAGB), that the regulator had licensed the medicine, and therefore it is safe and effective.

Why wont the firms show their evidence? The PAGB says its because they dont want to give competitors "commercially sensitive" data.

CONSUMER group Which? has these tips when scrutinising over-the-counter remedies:

John Smith, PAGB chief executive, said: "Branded OTC medicines enjoy a long-standing heritage of trust and manufacturers invest heavily in research and product development.

"In order for a medicine to be granted a licence, manufacturers mustprovide robust evidence to show it is effective before it can be sold in pharmacies and other retail stores."

Manufacturers have invested in research and new product development, and its rare for over-the-counter medicines to have patent protection once launched.

Some firms did share their data.The European Medicines Agency encourages this for pharmaceutical drugs and routinely publishes the clinical data submitted by companies.

Which? also called on firms to be equally transparent, so that shoppers can see if their medicines are really value for money.

Otrivine:FIRM makes three nasal sprays for allergies, congestion and sinusitis.

Experts say: All are identical.

Glaxo-SmithKline insists they are for different ailments so buyer can pick the product most suited.

Nuromol:NUROMOL and Combogesic include paracetamol and ibuprofen.

Experts say: Cheap version of ingredients would be 2.8p a dose instead of 29p and 25p respectively in these packets.

Sudafed:HAS phenylephrine, a decongestant, to help with colds and flu.

Experts say: Scant evidence phenylephrine beats placebo. Cheaper versions available.

Sudafed says regulators approved it.

Benylin:BENYLIN Chesty Coughs claims it works deep down to loosen phlegm.

Experts say: Theres no evidence active ingredient glycerol works.

Benylin says products are clinically proven.

Centrum Advance 50+:TABLETS are said to give dietary support to over-50s.

Experts say: Not needed on healthy diet. Own-label pills five times cheaper.

Maker Centrum says its claims meet EU rules.

Earex:MEANT to help shift stubborn ear wax.

Experts say: It works, but cheap olive and almond oils or saline solution do too.

Earex says government watchdogs recommend product.

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Drug giants are ripping off the public by selling the same medicines under different labels - The Sun

This 19th Century Lady Doctor Helped Usher Indian Women Into Medicine – Smithsonian

Posted on August 25, 2017 by Danzig

Anandibai Joshee (left), Kei Okami and Tabat M. Islambooly, students from the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania.

On February 24, 1883 18-year-old Ananabai Joshee announced her intentions to leave India and attend higher education in the United States. She would be the first Indian woman to do so. In my humble opinion, declared Joshee, addressinga packed room of Bengalese neighbors, acquaintancesand fellow Hindus who had gathered at Serampore College, there is a growing need for Hindu lady doctors in India, and I volunteer to qualify myself for one.

Though Joshee would indeed go on to become the first Indian woman to study medicine in America, she would not live long enough to fulfill her goal of serving Hindu women when she returned. However, her ambition and short-lived success would help blaze a new trail for future generations of Indian lady doctors: After Joshees educational victory, many medically-minded Indian women would follow in her footsteps.

.....

Joshee was born with the name Yamuna on May 30, 1865 into a high-caste Brahmin family in Maharashtra, near Bombay. Her father Ganpatrao, straying from orthodox Hindu customs regarding women and girls, encouraged Joshees education and enrolled her in school from an early age. Joshees mother, however, was both emotionally and physically abusive. As Joshee would later recall: My mother never spoke to me affectionately. When she punished me, she used not just a small rope or thong, but always stones, sticks and live charcoal.

When Joshee was six, Ganpatrao recruited a distant family relative named Gopalrao Joshee to tutor her. Three years into this arrangement, her tutor received a job promotion at the postal service in another city. There are few records of this time, but at some point, Yamuna and Gopalraos tutoring relationship became a betrothal, and they married on March 31, 1874. As was Maharashtrian custom, Yamuna changed her name upon marriage to Ananabai, which means joy of my heart.

Joshee was only nine, but at the time it was not uncommon for a Hindu girl to be married so young. What was unusual was that one of Gopalraos terms for marrying Yamuna was that he continue to direct her education, as medical historian Sarah Pripasdocuments in her dissertation on international medical students in the U.S.Throughout their marriage, he took an active role in maintaining Joshees education, teaching her Sanskrit and English, and ultimately securing means to move her to America for higher education.

By the time Joshee was 15, it appears she was already interested in medicine. At that point Gopalrao wrote a letter to an American Presbyterian missionary stationed in Kolhapur, asking for assistance in bringing Joshee to America for medical study. Gopalraos correspondence asking for help from the Presbyterian Church was published in the Missionary Review, an American periodical. But the church declined to assist Joshee, because she had no intention to convert from Hindu to Christianity per request of the church to serve as a native missionary.

She would have to find another way. Still, this correspondence wasnt entirely fruitless:An American woman named Theodicia Carpenter read about Joshees situation in the Missionary Review and promptly began a long distance correspondence with Joshee. Later, when Joshee did travel to America, Carpenter would housed her and helped her pick a university.

Even though Gopalrao was deeply invested in Joshee, this relationship was also marked with physical abuse, which Gopalrao seemed to have wielded to keep Joshee focused on her education. Sociologist Meera Kosambi attempts to piece together Joshees public and private lives in her articleRetrieving a Fragmented Feminist Image,revealing a seeming ambivalence toward her husbands treatment. In a letter that Joshee wrote while studying in America, she tells Gopalrao that It is very difficult to decide whether your treatment of me was good or bad It seems to have been right in view of its ultimate goal; but, in all fairness, one is compelled to admit that it was wrong, considering its possible effects on a childs mind.

Despite her husbands role in motivating her education, Joshee was not merely a passenger to her own life. An 1880 letter to Carpenter shows that Joshees decisionto pursue study in womens medicine was her own, driven by personal experience with illness and observing the struggles of the women around her. As a rule we Indian women suffer from innumerable trifling diseases," she wrote, "unnoticed until they grow serious fifty percent die in the prime of their youth of disease arising partly through ignorance and loathsomeness to communicate of the parties concerned, and partly through the carelessness of their guardians or husbands.

This belief echoed through the halls of Serampore College three years later when she announced her decision to study in abroad in the service of Hindu women. In her speech, she explained that Hindu women were reluctant to seek care from male physicians. And even though there were European and American missionary women physicians in India, they did not appreciate or honor the customs of Hindu patients. Together, as Joshee pointed out, these complications left Hindu women with inadequate medical care.

At the samet ime as she faced obstacles from American Protestants who wished to see her convert before studying in America, Joshee was also facing opposition from other Hindus who doubted that she would maintain Hindu customs while living in the West. Yet Joshees commitment to her religious beliefs remained firm. As she told the crowd at Serampore College, I will go as a Hindu, and come back here to live as a Hindu. As Pripas says, She wasnt just wanting to treat Indian women; she specifically wanted to serve Hindu women.

Joshees speech earned her the support of her Hindu community. And in light of her success, she received a donation of 100 Rupees, which, combined with the money she saved from selling the jewelry her father had given her afforded her passage to America. Finally, after years of planning, she set sail from Calcutta on April 7, 1883.

Joshee arrived in New York on June 4, 1883 where she was met by Carpenter. Joshee lived with Carpenter through the summer of 1883 while she decided which medical school to attend. She eventually decided on Womens Medical College of Pennsylvania, which had both a positive reputation and a robust international student body.

Though the college'sembrace of international students was an important factor in training foreign women as physicians when their home countries denied them that opportunity, Pripaswarnsagainst viewing itas an international beacon for progress and gender equality. International students attendance at the college was part of a larger effort at religious and imperial expansion as many of these students were brought to the college by American Protestant missionaries overseas. The end goal of educating these women was for them to return to their home counties after training and serve as native missionary physicians.

Joshee did not enroll as a Protestant; nor did she return to India as one. In this regard, Joshee was unique, says Pripas. Even throughout her studies in America, she continued to wear her sari and maintain a vegetarian diet. She was aware that Hindus in India would be watching to see if she kept her promise to return Hindu, and she was openly critical of missionaries and religious dogmatism. So by maintaining public display of her religion and culture, she both satisfied her Hindu community and subverted the religious imperialism embedded in the college's mission.

At the college, Joshee focused on womens healthcare, specifically gynecology and obstetrics. Even in her studies, Joshee integrated non-Western medical practice. In her research, Pripas highlights that Joshee used her own translations of Sanskrit texts in her thesis, showing a preference for traditional womens knowledge over interventional birthing techniques, like use of the forceps. In 1886, at the age of 20, Joshee graduated with a U.S. degree in medicinean unprecedented achievement for an Indian woman.

Just before graduation day, Joshee received an offer from the governor minister of Kolhapur in India to serve as Lady Doctor of Kolhapur. In this position, she would receive a monthly salary and run the womens ward at Albert Edward Hospital, a local hospital in Kolhapur. Joshee accepted the position, which she intended to take up after further training in the United States. However, Joshee fell ill with tuberculosis sometime prior to graduation, and she was forced to return home before finishing her plans for further study.

Joshee returned to India in November of 1886 with rapidly declining health. Though she received a combination of Western and Ayurvedic treatment, nothing could be done to save her. She died in February 1887 at the age of 22, never having the chance to run the womens ward at Albert Edward.

Joshees graduation was soon followed by more Indian women. In 1893, seven years after Joshee,Gurubai Karmarkaralso graduated from Womens Medical College of Pennsylvania and returned to India, where she mainly treated women at the American Marathi Mission in Bombay. In 1901, Dora Chatterjee,described asa Hindu Princes Daughter, graduated from the college; back in India,sheestablished the Denny Hospital for Women and Children in Hoshiarpur. Though Joshee was the first, she certainly was not the last Indian woman to study abroad and return home to care for other women.

In herbiography of Joshee, 19th century writer Caroline Dall asked, If not yourself, whom would you like to be? Joshee simply answered, No one. Despite a short life marked by abuse and religious discrimination, Joshee accomplished what she set out to do: to become a Hindu lady doctor. And while Joshee would not have wished to be anyone but herself, there is no doubt that many Hindu women and girls would aspireto be like her and follow in the trail she had blazed.

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This 19th Century Lady Doctor Helped Usher Indian Women Into Medicine - Smithsonian

Spotlight on acupuncture in laboratory animal medicine – Dove Medical Press

Posted on August 25, 2017 by Danzig

Back to Browse Journals Veterinary Medicine: Research and Reports Volume 8

Elizabeth R Magden

Department of Veterinary Sciences, Michale E Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, TX, USA

Abstract: Acupuncture has been practiced for thousands of years, although it is only in the past century that science has worked to unravel the mechanisms behind its use. Literature supporting the efficacious use of acupuncture to treat a variety of conditions has been and continues to be published, including the randomized controlled studies we all appreciate when practicing evidence-based medicine. The use of acupuncture in veterinary medicine has paralleled the trends observed in people, with an increasingly common use to remedy specific medical conditions. These conditions are commonly related to neurological dysfunction or orthopedic pain. Although pain relief is the most common use of acupuncture, numerous other conditions have been shown to improve with this therapy. Laboratory animals are also benefiting from acupuncture. Its use is starting to be incorporated into research settings, although there is still further progress to be made in this field. Acupuncture has been shown to improve clinical conditions and quality of life in laboratory animals, and should be considered as a tool to treat laboratory animals with conditions known to benefit from therapy. Here we review the history, mechanisms of action, and use of acupuncture to treat veterinary patients and laboratory animals.

Keywords: acupuncture, laboratory animals, nonhuman primates

This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License. By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.

Spotlight on acupuncture in laboratory animal medicine - Dove Medical Press

Military Tropical Medicine Course Provides Valuable Training – Pentagram

Posted on August 25, 2017 by Danzig

The Military Tropical Medicine (MTM) Course, led by the Navy Medicine Professional Development Center (NMPDC) and taught by NMPDC Course Directors in conjunction with the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences trained 86 coalition and U.S. medical providers.

The six-week annual course started July 5 and went to Aug. 11, with four weeks of classroom training and two weeks of field application to sites in Africa, South America and the Pacific.

MTM educates medical providers on historic war-time diseases and emerging infectious diseases, such as diarrhea, as well as more severe viral event outbreaks from leishmaniasis, viral hemorrhagic fever, malaria, Zika virus and Ebola. The overarching goals of MTM are to increase Force Health Protection and readiness for our beneficiaries as well as supporting Military Stability Operations. The methods of achieving these goals is through helping medical professionals identify, diagnose and provide support in a Department of Defense or host nation environment for these tropical diseases.

As more military members are deployed globally, in smaller units and often without robust medical capabilities, the training is especially critical. Force Health Protection can be a driving factor in the continued health and well-being of service members deployed to regions of the world where tropical diseases are still prevalent and quality care may be a significant distance from the military base.

The MTM training opportunities can also be tools for health diplomacy and creating strategic partnerships with our partner nations. Military personnel are also able to obtain over 120 continuing medical education credits for attending. This is highly beneficial for members. It satisfies most medical professional annual educational requirements in one event. It is a significant cost savings to Navy Medicine, and provides medical professionals valuable training they can use immediately prior to a deployment or assignment at a remote location.

This years training took medical professionals from the Navy, Army, and Air Force, as well as Naval Academy Cadets, to Ghana, Honduras, Liberia, Peru and Tanzania. International military students from Cambodia, Liberia, Peru, India, Tanzania, and Canada join the class to learn and share their experiences. MTM students learned from the Walter Reed Military Medical Center staff that set-up the Ebola Unit to prepare for beneficiaries infected with the disease and hear from a doctor from the Armed Forces of Liberia regarding his experience in Liberia during the outbreak of Ebola.

Members of the medical community who cannot make it to the six-week training have other opportunities to receive this critical training. "Mini-MTM" classes are available at the request of the unit/command and the course director can take the class to the unit/command, if requested. Mini-MTM is a week-long classroom-only class geared toward enlisted and officer medical staff with key topics from the six-week course. This class has previously been given to members of the Chilean military, USNR and SOF medics. Another training option is the Just-in-Time MTM. This is also classroom-only and is typically a few days in length. This option has been highly successful for deploying or deployed units/commands, Flight Surgeons and Undersea Medical Officers.

Navy Medicine Professional Development Center is part of the Navy Medicine team, a global healthcare network of 63,000 Navy medical personnel around the world who provide high-quality health care to more than one million eligible beneficiaries. Navy Medicine personnel deploy with Sailors and Marines worldwide, providing critical mission support aboard ship, in the air, under the sea and on the battlefield.

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Military Tropical Medicine Course Provides Valuable Training - Pentagram

Belchertown man wants Amherst’s town name banished – Amherst Bulletin

Posted on August 25, 2017 by Danzig

AMHERST As discussion continues about whether the public square is an appropriate place to honor the Confederacy with statues and memorials, a Belchertown resident is asking state and town officials to end the recognition of Lord Jeffery Amherst by renaming the town of Amherst.

In an email sent the morning of Aug. 17 to the towns Select Board and Town Manager Paul Bockelman, as well as State Rep. Solomon Goldstein-Rose and State Senate President Stanley Rosenberg, William Bowen, of Pine Brook Drive, is calling for Amhersts name to be banished.

Its something thats been on my mind for a while, and its something that should be addressed, Bowen said.

Bowen explained that it is inappropriate to honor a person he describes as a ruthless 18th-century general who was the father of germ warfare. He cites the actions of Lord Jeffery Amherst, in command of British army forces in the North American colonies, and an order to use small pox to exterminate American Indians during Pontiacs Rebellion in 1763.

When he worked in Amherst, Bowen said he met several Native Americans who were bothered by the town using the British generals name.

The American Indians, the Native Americans, are totally offended by the name of Amherst, they really are, Bowen said.

Amherst took its name in 1759, when it separated from Hadley and then-Massachusetts Gov. Thomas Pownall named the new district after his close friend.

There has been periodic controversy over the Amherst name since. Most recently, in early 2016, trustees at Amherst College agreed to drop the unofficial mascot Lord Jeff after students raised concerns about the appropriateness of the honor.

In his email, Bowen writes: In light of what is happening in the U.S. south, with citizens insulted by and demanding the immediate removal of statutes and memorials to those of the Confederate U.S. states, we the people demand and petition the commonwealth of Massachusetts and the city of Amherst, Massachusetts to immediately change the name of Amherst, Massachusetts.

Such a vile person in no way deserves recognition and memoriam in the United States of America, Bowen added. The use of Lord Jeffery Amhersts name is a constant reminder of the atrocities he directed.

Bowen said he isnt sure whether the Legislature will act, noting that he also sent the letter to Sen. Eric Lesser and Rep. Thomas Petrolati.

But hes convinced the matter is under its purview, pointing to discussions on Beacon Hill about prohibiting public schools from using Native American imagery.

Im hoping the Legislature will act; its in the realm of present legislation right now, Bowen said.

Pete Wilson, a spokesman for Rosenbergs office, said a quick review by legal counsel shows that Massachusetts towns have changed their names by special acts of the Legislature, though these likely have followed actions by Town Meetings or city councils in those communities.

Goldstein-Rose said that he wouldnt act unless Amherst officials and residents made such a push.

That is what happened when current Town Manager Paul Bockelman worked inManchester, which is was renamedManchester-by-the-Sea in 1989.

While many of us may want to change the names of our towns for any variety of reasons - and, in fact, we did change the name of a town I worked in previously - it is really up to the residents of Amherst to make this decision, Bockelman said.

Select Board member Connie Kruger said she understands the sentiment, but notes changing the towns name is unlikely to gain traction, based on past history.

Others have tried to do this in Amherst, Kruger said. Its been a conversation over many years.

In fact, in 2000 agroup of area residents aimed to removethe names of Massachusetts communities that were named in honor of those who foughtAmerican Indians, including Amherst and Turners Falls.

The Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce is opposed to the change, noting that it wouldcost millions in disruptionsto the change the brand.

Interim Executive Director Jerry Guiderasaid removing Amhersts name is less likely than the current president holding a campaign event at one of the towns mostprogressive cafes.

Youre more likely to see Donald Trump organize a multimillion dollar fundraiser at Black Sheep Deli than see this ever get passed, Guidera said.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.

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Belchertown man wants Amherst's town name banished - Amherst Bulletin

EARLE LOCKERBY: A simplistic approach – The Guardian

Posted on August 25, 2017 by Danzig

My input on the Fort Amherst issue has been two-pronged and consistent. Firstly, that most advocates of renaming were making false statements to support their case. Secondly, that I do not support the expunging of Amhersts name. Mr. Couture has tacitly acknowledged my correctness in the first area: (Lockerby) may be technically correct, as he distinguishes honest history from ideologically driven narrative I can assure him that I am correct, period. I might add that it is honest history that Im interested in here, not ideologically driven narrative. The latter I leave to philosophers and political scientists. Now, for the second matter. Messrs. McKenna and Couture have been at pains to demonstrate that Amherst had a strong dislike of Indigenous people in North America and used language in describing them that is today considered unacceptable. They could have saved themselves the trouble, since what they have discovered is well known to historians. But is that reason to change the name of Fort Amherst? Germ warfare has been used since medieval times. During the Second World War, the co-discoverer of insulin, Sir Frederick Banting, proposed innovative ways of distributing pathogens, including aerial spraying and distribution through the mail. Banting (a Nobel laureate) is revered as a Canadian icon who made a major contribution to mankind. Because of his despicable proposal, should Bantings name be stripped from three schools, a string of research centres, a fellowship and Banting House National Historic Site?

The name of Sir Hector-Louis Langevin, a Father of Confederation, was recently expunged from a government building in Ottawa as a result of claims from indigenous people that he was responsible for the residential school system. Subsequently, it has been determined by historians that it was Sir John A. Macdonald, as Prime Minister and Minister of Indian Affairs, who presented the concept of residential schools to the House of Commons in 1883. In so doing he remarked: When the school is on the reserve the child lives with its parents, who are savages; he is surrounded by savages, and though he may learn to read and write, his habits, training and mode of thought are Indian. He is simply a savage who can read and write. Later, Langevin, as Minister of Public Works, made similar remarks and implemented the policy of his political master by announcing three schools. The views of Amherst and Macdonald reflected commonly-held views of their times; few of Macdonalds parliamentary colleagues would have considered his remarks hateful, repugnant as they are in the context of today.

Macdonalds name adorns buildings and statues in Ottawa and across the country, including Charlottetown, and he is often considered the primary founder of Canada. Are we to obliterate his name from these buildings and pull down statues? There is hypocrisy in getting rid of the low-hanging fruit and leaving the rest. Unless we are prepared to rename everything bearing the names of Banting, Macdonald and many more historical figures who impacted Canada, renaming Port-la-Joye / Fort Amherst National Historic Site would be piecemeal, facile, arbitrary and ad hoc. The recent Langevin episode has given historical renaming a bad name (pun intended), and demonstrates that historical renaming can indeed be a slippery slope.

Mr. McKenna stated that he has been in touch with certain Parks Canada experts, implying that they have enlightened him. Perhaps he and Mr. Couture could obtain further enlightenment from other Parks Canada experts who recommended to the federal government that Amhersts name not be removed from Fort Amherst. I, for one, concur with the Parks Canada recommendation.

I shall now bow out of the Amherst debate, at least for the time being. If others wish to continue it, I trust that they get their facts straight; that they square their renaming advocacy with the broader picture (which Ive only touched on here) in a consistent and coherent way; and that they attempt to bring historical context to bear. In Canada there are more sensible and effective, and less controversial and divisive, ways of pursuing reconciliation with First Nations peoples than renaming sites and buildings and tearing down statues a simplistic approach to fix complex problems.

- Earle Lockerby has written many articles, including peer-reviewed papers, on Island history and has authored and co-authored several books.

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EARLE LOCKERBY: A simplistic approach - The Guardian

Area man wants Amherst to change town’s name – The Recorder

Posted on August 25, 2017 by Danzig

In an email to the towns Selecboard and Town Manager Paul Bockelman, as well as State Rep. Solomon Goldstein-Rose and State Senate President Stanley Rosenberg, William Bowen, of Pine Brook Drive, is calling for Amhersts name to be banished.

Its something thats been on my mind for a while, and its something that should be addressed, Bowen said.

Bowen explained that it is inappropriate to honor a person he describes as a ruthless 18th century general who was the father of germ warfare. He cites the actions of Lord Jeffery Amherst, in command of British army forces in the North American colonies, and an order to use small pox to exterminate American Indians during Pontiacs Rebellion in 1763.

When he worked in Amherst, Bowen said he met several Native Americans who were bothered by the town using the British generals name.

The American Indians, the Native Americans, are totally offended by the name of Amherst, they really are, Bowen said.

Amherst took its name in 1759, when it separated from Hadley and then-Massachusetts Gov. Thomas Pownall named the new district after his close friend.

Such a vile person in no way deserves recognition and memoriam in the United States of America, Bowen added. The use of Lord Jeffrey Amhersts name is a constant reminder of the atrocities he directed.

Bowen said he isnt sure whether the Legislature will act, noting that he also sent the letter to Sen. Eric Lesser and Rep. Thomas Petrolati.

But hes convinced the matter is under its purview, pointing to discussions on Beacon Hill about prohibiting public schools from using Native American imagery.

Im hoping the Legislature will act; its in the realm of present legislation right now, Bowen said.

Select Board member Connie Kruger said she understands the sentiment, but notes the likelihood of changing the towns name is unlikely to gain traction, based on past history.

Others have tried to do this in Amherst, Kruger said. Its been a conversation over many years.

See original here:

Area man wants Amherst to change town's name - The Recorder

Are Corporate Employees Protected by the First Amendment? – IPWatchdog.com

Posted on August 25, 2017 by Danzig

In this day in age, if an employee has something to say, they should be able to say it, right? Not exactly. One Google employee recently learned the hard way when he was fired after writing and circulating a memo where he criticized the companys diversity efforts.

When the memo went public on August 5th, women and under-represented groups in tech criticized it andGoogle denounced it. But, after Google fired the engineer claiming hed violated the companys code of conduct, things changed. Some people appalled that someone could lose his job for expressing dissent, while some took to Twitter discussing the topic of free speech.

However, the First Amendment only protects the publics right to free speech from government censorship, and not corporate censorship. One of the reasons that a private employer can censor speech is because the First Amendment does not cover private entities as it is limited only to government federal, state and local.

Veronica Nannis, a partner with Joseph Greenwald & Laake focusing on qui tam litigation and whistleblower rights, sat down with IPWatchdog to discuss the question controversial topic of free speech in the workplace.

Private employers are typically allowed to censor speech that occurs on the job. The First Amendment does not cover them, she explained. They are also allowed to censor speech or activity that discriminates against, creates a hostile work environment or harasses another employee. In that regard, and as with all our rights, our right to free speech generally ends where another persons rights begin.

An employees off-the-clock, private, political or religious activities are protected by both federal and state discrimination laws, but once political speech enters the work place, a private employer may legally discipline or fire an employee for such proselytizing in many cases, per Nannis. The gray areas in between are times when you need to seek consultation with an employment attorney in your state.

As it related to the Google incident, it was first reported that a memo authored by a Google employee, titledGoogles Ideological Echo Chamber, was being circulated among Google employees. Later that day, the memo was obtained by the media and made public. The memos author was identified in the press as a senior employee named James Damore. In the memo, Damore criticized the efforts of tech companies, Google included, to employ programs and hiring practices concentrating on diversity. Specifically, Damore was critical of tech company initiatives which had the goal of recruiting and employing female engineers.

The crux of Damores critique was that the reason for the low number of women in the tech industry was not something that could be countered by policies promoting diversity through recruitment, education, or anti-discrimination measures, explained Nannis. Rather the reason there are so few women in the tech field is due to biological differences, including higher agreeableness and more neuroticism, that leave women less well-equipped to perform the work that tech jobs demand.

The media coverage sparked debate, some outrage, and a focus on Googles culture, among other things. After days of the media firestorm, Google had terminated Damores employment. Googles CEO, Sundar Pichai, stated, in an email published by the Washington Post, that although Google strongly supported the rights of its employees to express themselves and debate issues like those discussed in Damores memo, To suggest a group of our colleagues have traits that make them less biologically suited to that work is offensive and not OK. It is contrary to our basic values and our Code of Conduct. Pichai reiterated that point by stating that portions of the memo violate our Code of Conduct and cross the line by advancing harmful gender stereotypes in our workplace. For his part, Damore stated, as reported in the Financial Times, that he is currently exploring all possible legal remedies. Damore also stated that prior to his employment being terminated, he had filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board and that its illegal to retaliate against a NLRB charge.

According to Nannis, while whistleblowers are protected under various state and federal laws and retaliation laws can protect employees who file complaints or grievances, Google explained that the company could not have retaliated against Damore, because it was unaware of his NLRB complaint until news of the same was reported in the media after his dismissal.

Anti-retaliation laws generally require the employer to have known about the complaint and to have fired the employee, at least in part, due to it, she said.

So, how can employees protect themselves from incidents like Googles in the future?

Know your rights, be sensitive to others rights and know your employers rights too. Many states, including Maryland where I practice and California where Google is located, are at-will employment states, she explained. An at-will state means that, absent a contract, certain union protection, legal prohibition or public policy, an employer can demote or fire an employee for any reason,or no reason at all. If you live in an at-will state, your private employer does not need a reason to fire you. So, while an employee can speak at will, a private employer can fire at will as well.

In addition, Nannis advises to look to see if there are any state laws protecting private employer censorship of speech for non-work related activities. California is one of a handful of states, including Colorado, New York and North Dakota, where there are laws protecting limited out-of-work speech.

She added, If the Google employee had given an off-the-clock speech about his political views as may relate to IT and he had not mentioned Google by name, he would have had a stronger defense under California law, and Google might have had a harder time firing him for out-of-work activities. However, without the protection of one of these exceptions, an employee in an at-will state risks firing when he or she speaks out in a way that displeases their private employer.

Amanda G. Ciccatelli is a Freelance Journalist for IPWatchdog, where she covers intellectual property. She earned a B.A. in Communications and Journalism from Central Connecticut State University in 2010. Amanda is also currently the Lead Strategist of Content Marketing, Social Media & Digital Products at Informa, a leading global business intelligence, academic publishing, knowledge and events business. She also works as a Freelance Journalist for Inside Counsel. Amanda was formerly a Web Editor at Technology Marketing Corporation. Follow her at @AmandaCicc.

Link:

Are Corporate Employees Protected by the First Amendment? - IPWatchdog.com

NAACP asks for meeting with Goodell over Colin Kaepernick’s First Amendment rights – CBSSports.com

Posted on August 25, 2017 by Danzig

The NAACP's interim president Derrick Johnson has officially requested a formal meeting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to discuss NFL players and their ability to exercise their First Amendment rights.

According to a letter sent to the league by the NAACP, the meeting will specifically focus on Kaepernick's perceived "blackballing" by the league in light of his protests last season. It also questions the silencing of NFL players' platforms, citing Tommie Smith and John Carlos's black power salute at the 1968 Olympics, among other examples.

Kaepernick's lack of a job has raised many eyebrows throughout the offseason, particularly with the quarterbacks being signed ahead of him. Johnson penned a concern regarding Kaepernick's First Amendment rights and also strongly insinuated that his protest was the sole cause of him not being signed. An excerpt of the letter reads:

Last season, Mr. Kaepernick chose to exercise his First Amendment rights by protesting the inequitable treatment of people of color in America. By quietly taking a knee during the national anthem, he was able to shine a light on the many injustices, particularly, the disproportionate occurrences of police misconduct toward communities of color. As outlined in your office's public statement, this act of dissent is well within the National Football League's stated bylaws. Yet, as the NFL season quickly approaches, Mr. Kaepernick has spent an unprecedented amount of time as a free agent, and it is becoming increasingly apparent that this is no sheer coincidence.

"No player should be victimized and discriminated against because of his exercise of free speech -- to do so is in violation of his rights under the Constitution and the NFL's own regulations.

Obviously, invoking the Constitution is a powerful tool, and it raises questions about what's covered by free speech. The NAACP also stressed the important of free speech in the Civil Rights Movement, along with the importance that it's upheld moving forward.

The exercise of free speech has proven to be a vital tool in in bringing to the public's attention often ignored issues of social justice, particularly in the African-American community. The powerful act of utilizing one's platform to address issues of discrimination and inequality has long been employed by many of the world's greatest athletes.

Some teams may be a starting quarterback injury away from signing Kaepernick, but the Baltimore Ravens disproved that theory when rumors swirled after Joe Flacco's back injury. They ultimately chose to sign Thaddeus Lewis to spell Flacco. There have been protests in front of the NFL headquarters regarding Kaepernick, including one on Wednesday.

Since losing the starting job in San Francisco, Kaepernick has faced tremendous scrutiny. Other athletes have joined in on his protest, and depending on how the next few weeks go, these protests may start to pick up steam if Kaepernick remains unsigned -- whether it's fair or not.

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NAACP asks for meeting with Goodell over Colin Kaepernick's First Amendment rights - CBSSports.com

The ACLU was practicing a core First Amendment duty – Washington Post

Posted on August 25, 2017 by Danzig

August 24 at 6:24 PM

Regarding the Aug. 23 Metro article Crisis vaults McAuliffe into spotlight:

It is outrageous for Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) to assert that the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia bears some responsibility for the violence in Charlottesville. The citys decision to revoke the permit for Jason Kessler to hold a rally in Emancipation Park was a prior restraint on free speech. The Supreme Court said prior restraint is the most serious and the least tolerable infringement on First Amendment rights.

Prior restraint can be justified only if government places reasonable limitations on the time, place and manner of the speech. It was the citys burden to show that revoking the permit for Emancipation Park and granting a permit for McIntire Park met these standards. The federal court said the city failed to do so.

The ACLU finds Mr. Kesslers views loathsome. To suggest that Mr. Kesslers speech was not entitled to First Amendment protection would eviscerate the First Amendment. As Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. reaffirmed: The idea that the government may restrict speech expressing ideas that offend ... strikes at the heart of the First Amendment. Speech that demeans on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, disability, or any other similar ground is hateful; but the proudest boast of our free speech jurisprudence is that we protect the freedom to express the thought that we hate.

David A. Drachsler, Alexandria

The writer is a member of the Litigation Screening Committee of the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia.

Lawyer who objected to mandatory bar’s PAC contribution loses First Amendment appeal – ABA Journal

Posted on August 25, 2017 by Danzig

Bar Associations

Posted August 23, 2017, 4:00 pm CDT

By Debra Cassens Weiss

Shutterstock.com

A federal appeals court recently ruled against a North Dakota lawyer who alleged the mandatory state bar violated his First Amendment rights.

Arnold Fleck had claimed the bar should have given him the chance to affirmatively consent before using his money on activities that werent relevant to the practice of law. The St. Louis-based 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed in an Aug. 17 opinion (PDF).

The Goldwater Institute, which represented Fleck, said in a press release it plans to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case. The Associated Press has a story.

Fleck had objected because a portion of his mandatory dues went to a PAC that opposed a 2014 ballot initiative known as Measure 6, which would establish a presumption that each parent is entitled to equal parental rights. The measure was rejected by voters.

The state bar dues notice, which was revised as a result of Flecks lawsuit, says bar members can deduct a certain amount from their dues in a Keller deduction for activities that arent germane to law practice. The reference is to the 1990 U.S. Supreme Court case Keller v. State Bar of California.

Keller held that mandatory bars can use members required dues to fund activities germane to regulating the legal profession and improving the quality of legal services, but not to fund nongermane activities that a member opposes.

Fleck had argued the bar should have required him to opt in to use of his dues for nongermane activities, rather than requiring him to opt out. The 8th Circuit said the procedure satisfies Supreme Court precedent.

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Lawyer who objected to mandatory bar's PAC contribution loses First Amendment appeal - ABA Journal

Letter: The right has hijacked the First Amendment to preach hate … – INFORUM

Posted on August 25, 2017 by Danzig

Recently in Charlottesville, Va., the 'Southern strategy' veil was lifted again. White supremacy born out of hatred, bigotry and profound ignorance resulted in chaos, violence and death again!

Fundamentalists like the Huckabee crowd, Robertson's, Falwell's, Bannon's and maybe some of you will offer the usual rationalizations, moral equivalencies and justifications. The fundamentalist right have hijacked the First Amendment to preach their filth of hate and bigotry.

The most dominant flag at this sickening display in Charlottesville was the Confederate flag. The Star Spangled Banner, our beautiful symbol, is flown around the world as a beacon of freedom, hope and decency; something not one of these terrorists would understand, including President Trump. No matter what Trump says he cannot explain away being intellectually and morally destitute.

Please proceed, Special Counsel Bob Mueller. You sir, are a Vietnam combat decorated Marine. You have had your skin in the game, fighting for flag and country. Leave no stone unturned and no one left behind. Justice and decency must prevail!

Jenson lives in Detroit Lakes, Minn.

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Letter: The right has hijacked the First Amendment to preach hate ... - INFORUM

First Amendment in Peril? – City Journal

Posted on August 25, 2017 by Danzig

In the marketplace, traditionally understood, when a company produces a poor product or mistreats its customers, it faces market disciplinenew ones come in and steal market share. Thats the theory, at least.

Too bad its not true right now, at least not on the Internet.

Google and Apple, with a combined 98 percent market share in mobile-phone operating systems, have banned Gab, an upstart Twitter competitor with a free-speech policy quaintly modeled on the First Amendment itself, from their app stores. Google cited hate speech as its reason for exclusion; Gab doesnt censor. What few people yet understand is that Google and Apple have used their duopoly status to revoke the First Amendment on mobile phones. Because the Internet is now majority mobile, and a growing majority of all web traffic comes from mobile devices, the First Amendment is now effectively dead in the mobile sphere unless policymakers act to rein in the tech giants who serve as corporate gatekeepers to digital speech.

Twitter ran into controversy last year when it was accused of censoring conservative voices. Gab founders Andrew Torba, an alumnus of Silicon Valleys prestigious Y Combinator accelerator, and Ekrem Bykkaya saw a market opportunity for a competitor focused on free speechnot just for conservatives but for dissidents globally. Last August, they launched Gab, a Twitter-like app where, according to company spokesman Utsav Sanduja, Whatever is permissible under the First Amendment is what Gab allows onto its site.

Gab grew slowly but has now reached over 200,000 usersa substantial number, though tiny compared with Twitter. It generated modest revenue through a freemium model, wherein users could pay to upgrade to a Pro level. Gab pulled off a coup by raising $1 million through crowd-funded investment. The company says that it is planning an Initial Coin Offering with its own digital currency based on the Ethereum standard. In short, Gab is a real company, with legitimate founders, a business strategy, revenue, more than 200,000 users, and seven-figure funding.

Apple and Google dont agree. Gab built an app for Apples iOS operating system, but Apple wouldnt approve it. This means that iPhone and iPad users cant use the Gab app because users cant install applications on those devices unless Apple approves them. Gabs Android app was available through Googles app store until yesterday, when Google banned it, citing violations of its hate-speech policy. In order to be on the Play Store, social networking apps need to demonstrate a sufficient level of moderation, including for content that encourages violence and advocates hate against groups of people, a Google statement read. This is a long-standing rule and clearly stated in our developer policies. While Android users can install unapproved apps, its a cumbersome process, and being kicked out of the app store reduces the apps reach.

No doubt, a number of far-right groups have found a home on Gab. I tried Gab myself when it first came out, finding it functionally an interesting mix of Twitter and Reddit, but with too many far-right users for my taste. So I dropped it. Gab also courted trouble with provocative moves like publicly announcing a job offer for James Damore after Google fired him and taunting Silicon Valley after its crowd-funding success. It also uses a green frog as its logo. Gab claims that this is not the controversial Pepe the Frog, identified with the alt-Right, but rather inspired by the plague of frogs from Exodus. Even if this is true, the logo choice seems like a deliberate provocation.

But its difficult to credit Gab as a white-supremacist site when its cofounder is a Turkish Kurd and Muslim. Bykkaya, who says Ive never supported Trump for a minute in my entire life, is concerned about speech repression in his part of the worldfor good reason, as Turkey is infamous for its violations of free speech and for locking up journalists. Gab spokesman Sanduja is a South Asian Hindu from Canada.

Gab points out that other major social-media platforms have hosted ISIS activity, and child-porn rings, facilitated drug dealing, and carried live streams of murder, torture, and other crimes. Yet all are still allowed by Google. Google itself actually hired Chris moot Poole, founder of the notorious website 4chan, known not just for offensive speech but also for the distribution of hard-core pornography. Police have made multiple child pornography arrests associated with 4chan. There remain multiple 4chan apps in Googles app store.

At a minimum, Apple and Googles decisions about offensive app behavior are arbitrary. This is a problem the market cant easily solvebecause there is effectively no market. Both the Apple and Google app stores are private markets owned by those companies, which act as their effective governments. You cannot easily start a new mobile business without their permission. If your app follows the First Amendment, theres a good chance that youll be rejected. Regardless of how one views Gab or any other application or group, two Silicon Valley companies should not be the governors of the mobile Internetwhich, in due course, may be indistinguishable from the Internet itself.

The mobile-Internet business is built on spectrum licenses granted by the federal government. Given the monopoly power that Apple and Google possess in the mobile sphere as corporate gatekeepers, First Amendment freedoms face serious challenges in the current environment. Perhaps it is time that spectrum licenses to mobile-phone companies be conditioned on their recipients providing freedoms for customers to use the apps of their choice.

Aaron M. Renn is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor ofCity Journal.

Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Originally posted here:

First Amendment in Peril? - City Journal

NSA Tournaments – NSA Florida Fastpitch

Posted on August 25, 2017 by Danzig

N S A SUMMER SLAM 2017 FISH HAWK LITHIA 2017-08-26 2017-08-27 8U - 18U NSA BATTLE OF THE BATS LEGENDS WAY BALLFIELDS NTC CLERMONT 2017-08-26 2017-08-27 8U-18U NSA IRON WOMAN CLASSIC MINIMUM OF 5 GAMES SEMINOLE COUNTY SOFTBALL COMPLEX ALTAMONTE SPRINGS 2017-09-02 2017-09-03 8U-18U N S A LABOR DAY IRONWOMAN - 3 SEED INTO DBL. ELIM. 2017 EDDIE C MOORE CLEARWATER 2017-09-02 2017-09-03 8U - 18U LETS GET READY TO RUMBLE HANCOCK PARK CLERMONT 2017-09-09 2017-09-10 8U-18U N S A QUEEN OF THE DIAMONDS 2017 NEW TAMPA COMM. TAMPA 2017-09-09 2017-09-10 8U - 18U NSA SEPTEMBER SLAM COMMUNITY PARK WEST PALM BEACH 2017-09-09 2017-09-10 8U-18U N S A KING OF THE HILL- 2 SEED INTO DLB ELIM EDDIE C MOORE CLEARWATER 2017-09-16 2017-09-17 8U - 18U NSA DOUBLE DOUBLE LEGENDS WAY BALLFIELDS NTC CLERMONT 2017-09-16 2017-09-17 8U-18U NSA DOUBLE DOUBLE AT THE BEACH CITY CENTER PARK PORT ORANGE 2017-09-16 2017-09-17 8U-18U N S A POLK IRON WOMAN- 3 SEED INTO DLBD ELIM CHRISTINA PARK LAKELAND 2017-09-23 2017-09-24 8U - 18U NSA GRIP IT AND RIP IT CHAIN OF LAKES TITUSVILLE 2017-09-23 2017-09-24 8U-18U NSA LOUISVILLE SLUGGER FALL CHAMPIONSHIPS LEGENDS WAY BALLFIELDS NTC CLERMONT 2017-09-30 2017-10-01 8U-18U N S A BATTLE OF THE BUCK #1 WIN $1000 ! ! ! ! 2017 NEW TAMPA COMM. TAMPA 2017-10-07 2017-10-08 8U - 18U NSA FALL FRENZY COMMUNITY PARK WEST PALM BEACH 2017-10-07 2017-10-08 8U-18U NSA STRIKE OUT CANCER AWARENESS TOURNAMENT ORMOND BEACH SPORTS COMPLEX ORMOND BEACH 2017-10-07 2017-10-08 8U-18U NSA BEAT CANCER WITH A BAT AWARENESS TOURNAMENT HANCOCK PARK CLERMONT 2017-10-14 2017-10-15 8U-18U ST LEO REVERSE EXPOSURE INVITATIONAL 2017 Eddie C. Moore Clearwater 2017-10-14 2017-10-15 8U - 18U ST LEO/N S A REP THE ROAR TOURNAMENT EDDIE C MOORE MADIERA BEACH CLEARWATERMADIERA 2017-10-14 2017-10-15 8U - 18U MICHELE SMITH COLLEGE SHOWCASE 2017 EDDIE C MOORE MADIERA BEACH CLEARWATERMADIERA 2017-10-21 2017-10-22 8U - 18U MICHELE SMITH SOFTBALL FOR HEARTS 2017 EDDIE C MOORE MADIERA BEACH CLEARWATERMADIERA 2017-10-21 2017-10-22 8U - 18U NSA MIZUNO FALL CHAMPIONSHIPS 2 GAME SEED INTO DOUBLE ELIM LEGENDS WAY BALLFIELDS CLERMONT 2017-10-21 2017-10-22 8U-18U N S A BOMBERWEEN - COSTUME CONTEST 2017 EDDIE C MOORE CLEARWATER 2017-10-28 2017-10-29 8U - 18U NSA SPOOKTACULAR LEGENDS WAY BALLFIELDS NTC CLERMONT 2017-10-28 2017-10-29 8U-18U NSA SPOOKTACULAR AT THE BEACH CITY CENTER PARK PORT ORANGE 2017-10-28 2017-10-29 8U-18U 8th ANNUAL PITCH FOR THE CURE 2017 CLEARWATER AND MADIERA CLEARWATERMADIERA 2017-11-04 2017-11-05 8U - 18U NSA SOUTH FLORIDA FALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS COMMUNTIY PARK WEST PALM BEACH 2017-11-04 2017-11-05 8U-18U NSA STARS AND STRIPES FOREVER ORMOND BEACH SPORTS COMPLEX ORMOND BEACH 2017-11-04 2017-11-05 8U-18U N S A FALL BRAWL 2017 Multiple Venues Polk County 2017-11-11 2017-11-12 8U - 18U NSA VETERANS DAY CLASSIC HANCOCK PARK CLERMONT 2017-11-11 2017-11-12 8U-18U BATTERBALL TURKEYFEST DOUBLE - DOUBLE 2017 EDDIE C MOORE CLEARWATER 2017-11-18 2017-11-19 8U - 18U NSA BATTLE AT THE BEACH IN BEAUTIFUL PORT ORANGE CITY CENTER PARK PORT ORANGE 2017-11-18 2017-11-19 8U-18U NSA KNOCK HUNGER OUT OF THE PARK LEGENDS WAY BALLFIELDS NTC CLERMONT 2017-11-18 2017-11-19 8U-18U N S A THANKSGIVING PICKEM-- PLAY 1 OR 2 DAYS 2017 NEW TAMPA COMM. NEW TAMPA 2017-11-25 2017-11-26 8U - 18U N S A TOYS FOR THE TOTS #1 Fishhawk LITHIA 2017-12-02 2017-12-03 8U - 18U NSA TOYS FOR TOTS LEGENDS WAY BALLFIELDS NTC CLERMONT 2017-12-02 2017-12-03 8U-18U N S A FALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP 2017 Multiple Venues Polk County 2017-12-09 2017-12-10 8U - 18U NSA TOYS FOR VETERANS COMMUNITY PARK WEST PALM BEACH 2017-12-09 2017-12-10 8U-18U N S A TOYS FOR THE TOTS #2 2017 NEW TAMPA COMM. TAMPA 2017-12-16 2017-12-17 8U - 18U NSA TOYS FOR TOTS AT THE BEACH CITY CENTER PARK PORT ORANGE 2017-12-16 2017-12-17 8U-18U

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NSA Tournaments - NSA Florida Fastpitch

What the Announced NSA / Cyber Command Split Means

Posted on August 25, 2017 by Danzig

The move to elevate Cyber Command to a full Unified Combatant Command and split it off from the National Security Agencyshows that cyber intelligence collection and information war are rapidly diverging fields. The future leadership of both entities is now in question, but the Pentagon has set out a conditions-based approach to the breakup. That represents a partial victory for the man who directs both Cyber Command and the NSA.

The move would mean that the head of Cyber Command would answer directly to the Defense Secretary and the National Security Agency would get its own head. Its a move that many have said is long overdue, and its exact timing remains unknown. So what does the split mean for the Pentagon, for Cyber Command, and for the future of U.S. cyber security?

The split will give the commander of Cyber Command central authority over resource allocation, training, operational planning and mission execution. The commander will answer to the Defense secretary directly, not the head of Strategic Command. The decision means that Cyber Command will play an even more strategic role in synchronizing cyber forces and training, conducting and coordinating military cyberforce operations and advocating for and prioritizing cyber investments within the department, said Kenneth Rapuano, assistant defense secretary for Homeland Defense and Global Security.

The Start of a Process

The move announced on Friday fulfills a mandate in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2017. Former Defense Secretary Ash Carter hinted at the split back in May 2016. But it wont happen immediately.

Instead, Defense Secretary James Mattis and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joe Dunford will nominate a flag officer to take over the new Cyber Command as well as the NSA. That person could be Adm. Michael Rogers, who currently heads both, or someone else. Trump has reportedly asked Mattis to give him the name of a nominee.Speculation has focused on Army Lt. Gen. William Mayville as the nominee to head Cyber Command.

Once that new person is nominated and confirmed and once Mattis and Dunford are satisfied that splitting the two entities will not hamper the ability of either Cyber Command or the NSA to conduct their missions independently, only then will Cyber Command and the NSA actually split.

What Does it Mean for Leadership?

Read one way, the announcement means Rogers will lose power. Even were he to become the nominee to the new elevated Cyber Command, he would still wind up losing the NSA eventually. If he were to stay on as head of NSA after the confirmation of a new Cyber Command head, as expected, he would briefly serve under Mayville until the formal split.

Read another way, the lack of a concrete timetable for the split, despite such a requirement in the authorization bill, represents a partial win for Rogers.

Rogers took over the NSA and Cyber Command in the spring of 2014. He has been resistant to the idea of a split, telling lawmakers in September that U.S. national security benefitted from the dual-hat arrangement. This view was not shared by then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper nor then-Defense Secretary Ash Carter. Rogers resistance was one of many issues that rubbed them the wrong way.

It got so bad that in November, unnamed sources told The Washington Post that Clapper and Carter were urging President Barack Obama to fire Rogers.

The truth is a bit more nuanced. Clappers goal was to split the NSA from CyberCom. He was not a strong advocate of removal, but was willing to defer to [the Secretary of Defense] if Carter felt strongly about selecting new leadership at Cyber Command, a source inside the intelligence community said. There were other concerns unrelated to the potential split.

Rogers outlasted both Clapper, who had long planned to retire at the end of the Obama administration; and Carter, a political appointee. Rogers attitude toward an NSA-Cyber Command split evolved. In May, he testified that he would support a split was done in a way that did not hamper either the NSA or Cyber Command.

The manner in which the split was announced is in keeping with what Rogers has said he wanted.

The move toward a conditions-based split also met with the approval of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz, a longtime Rogers ally. I appreciate the administrations commitment today to ensuring that a future separation of the so-called dual hat relationship between Cyber Command and the National Security Agency will be based on conditions, rather than arbitrary political timelines, McCain said in a statement. While Cyber Command and the National Security Agency should eventually be able to operate independent of one another, the administration must work closely with the Congress to take the necessary steps that will make this separation of responsibilities successful, and to ensure that each agency will emerge more effective and more capable as a result.

What It Means for Cyber Command, the NSA, and Cyber Operations

The elevation of Cyber Command represents a big step forward for the militarys cyber ability, but it has yet to be catch up to the NSA in terms of collecting signals intelligence or creating network accesses, according to Bill Leigher, who as a rear admiral helped stand up Navy Fleet Cyber Command. Leigher, who now directs government cyber solutions for Raytheon, applauds the split because the NSA, which collects foreign intelligence, and Cyber Command, a warfighting outfit, have fundamentally different missions.This caused tension between the two organizations under one roof. Information collected for intelligence gathering may be useful in a way thats fundamentally different from intelligence for military purposes, he says. If you collecting intelligence, its foreign espionage. You dont want to get caught. The measure of success is: collect intelligence and dont get caught. If youre going to war, I would argue that the measure of performance is what we do has to have the characteristics of a legal weapon in the context of war and the commander has to know what he or she uses it.

This puts the agencies in disagreement about how to use intel and tools that they share. From an NSA perspective, cyber really is about gaining access to networks. From aCyber Command point of view, I would argue, its about every piece of software on the battlefield and having the means to prevent that software from working the way it was intended to work [for the adversary], he said.

The split will allow the agencies to pursue the very different tools, operations, and rules each of their missions requires, he said. Expect NSA to intensify its focus on developing access for intelligence, and Cyber Command to prepare to rapidly deploy massive cyber effects at scale during military operations and shut down the enemy. Both of this will likely leverage next-generation artificial intelligence but in very different ways said Leigher.

What the Announced NSA / Cyber Command Split Means

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