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Why Are Bitcoin Prices Rising Post-Fork? We Make Sense of It All

Posted on August 15, 2017 by Danzig

Bitcoin Prices Smashing New Records as Institutional Demand Gains Traction
Bitcoin prices keep reaching lofty levels in 2017, with no slowdown in sight. The latest Bitcoin record high took out a significant price prediction by Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:GS) of $3,900 for 2017. And there's still four-and-a-half months left to go in the year. With Bitcoin literally trading in uncharted territory, the investor community is left to wonder, "How high?"

Now that the Bitcoin fork "issue" is over, what happens next? In case you missed it, Bitcoin sank.

The post Why Are Bitcoin Prices Rising Post-Fork? We Make Sense of It All appeared first on Profit Confidential.

CyberPunkReview – The latest news and reviews from the Cyber …

Posted on August 14, 2017 by Danzig

Game Review

Release Date: MS-DOS, Mac OS, WW: October 31, 1995

Windows, WW: September 5, 2013

OS X, Linux, WW October 17, 2013

iOS, Android, WW: January 14, 2016

Developer: Cyberdreams

Producers: David Mullich, Robert Wiggins

Platform: Android, MS-DOS, Mac OS, Windows, Linux, OS X, iOS

Genre: Horror and adventure

Degree of Cyberpunk Visuals:

Degree of Cyberpunk Themes:

Rating:8/10

If you love dark and horror fantasy, then there is no doubt that you will absolutely love this game.

Overview: This is a story that makes you believe that fate is worse than death. I recommend you read the short collection first before you play the game because there are several horrifying scenes that will either make you want to play the game or haunt you to bed.

The Story: The plot of the video game revolves in America, Russia, and China creating a subterranean complex of high technology. It is too difficult for humans to understand. The supercomputer soon started killing people but left one woman and four men. They are the only ones left on Earth to be tortured. However, through the research of the AM, these five survivors will find ways in order to defeat the opponent.

Just imagine yourself as an immortal and being tortured by AM because you are one of the chosen playthings. Ellen is the only woman in the story, a 2-dimensional character had been turned into a sexual slave and was used by the four men in the group. One of the guys, Benny, who was a gay in the earlier part of the story had turned straight again but he was transformed into a mutant with a suspiciously large penis. Gorrister and Nimdok are the other guys of the chosen playthings of the story.

As you play this game, you will eventually answer the question, Why did he choose these five individuals? AM will soon challenge these five characters into playing a game, playing with their biggest fears and meddling with their own flaws. However, you know too well that even if he promised that he will set them free once they win the game, he will never do anything he promised.

If youre thinking of the Saw body-horror games, then you are wrong. For instance, one of the guys, Gorrister is suicidal. His wife was killed a hundred years ago. He found himself in a seppelin and was now provided with all the ways to commit suicide. However, he received help from a talking jackal which made him surpassed the game.

However, this game wasnt made to be completed by anyone. By the time every character had been able to complete each of their games, they are lifted into a new level where they discover that AM cannot be defeated. If they win the game, they will only be turned into a blob monsterwhich sucks after hours spent in order to win the game. The end of the story is simplehumanity is completely wiped out. Thats it.

See the rest here:

CyberPunkReview - The latest news and reviews from the Cyber ...

Last Week in Cyberpunk 7/17/2017 | Neon Dystopia

Posted on August 14, 2017 by Danzig

First, Id like to apologize for the late arrival of Last Week in Cyberpunk this week. Technical issues in the form of a tumultuous transition to a new computer setup left me running far behind, and the arrival of life to the face, delayed me further. That being said, life was far from boring last week! Cyberspace is in jeopardy but refuses to back down from the challenge, and the endless rebirth of the cyberpunk genre in new and old skins fails to cease.

The Internet overwhelmingly voiced their support for Net Neutrality on Wednesday, July 12th. More than 1.6 million comments were submitted to the FCC on Wednesday, and as of Friday, that had risen to more than 2 million, surpassing the numbers reached during the Internet Slowdown Day in 2014. Additionally, more than 124,000 phone calls and 5 million emails have been received by the FCC in support of Net Neutrality. When asked about the sheer number of comments received Chairman Pai said, As I said previously, the raw number is not as important as the substantive comments that are in the record. Based on previous comments about the exceptionally important contribution to the debate made by 19 nonprofit municipal-broadband providers who oppose the current net neutralityrules and the lack of comment about the 30 smallISPs who have voiced support for Net Neutrality, it isnt hard to make suppositions about who Pai believes is making substantive comments. Should the FCC decide to do away with Net Neutrality, as Pai has stated is his intention, this record breaking number of comments may become very important should Pai have to defend his decision in court.

Last week, we reported on Rachel Maddows warning to other news agencies to vet sources. Following that story, The Intercept published a rebuttal to some of the claims that Maddow made. This isnt to say that the underlying theme of the show was incorrect, news agencies need to be sure of the facts before publishing a piece, but another lesson that may be taken away from this is that news agencies should also be wary of stretching the truth.

The documents that Maddow claimed to have received from an unknown source described as a fairly convincing fake NSA document that purports to directly implicate somebody from the Trump campaign in working with the Russians on their attack on the election, turns out to have been a document that is fairly easily identified through the use of metadata as being forged from the documents publish by The Intercept after their release and not before, however Maddow put heavy emphasis on the idea that this document was likely produced before the publication of The Intercepts document. The primary importance of this is that there does not appear to be some kind of widespread conspiracy to mislead the media, rather the document in question could have been forged by anyone.

The latest development in the case of Reality Winner, who is accused of leaking classified NSA documents to The Intercept, the same ones mentioned above, is that First Look Media, the parent company of The Intercept, has not only acknowledged their mishandling of the documents in regards to protecting sources, but have also pledged to contribute to the legal defense of Reality Winner partnering with a grassroots support group called Stand with Reality. To quote Betsy Reed, the editor-in-chief of First Look Media,

At The Intercept, we have also been carefully examining our own role in Winners predicament. Our reporting practices came under immediate scrutiny after the publication of our story as the Trump administrations DOJ suggested in an unsealed affidavit and search warrant that it had gleaned clues about the leakers identity in part from our reporting. An internal review of the reporting of this story has now been completed. The ongoing criminal case prevents us from going into detail, but I can state that, at several points in the editorial process, our practices fell short of the standards to which we hold ourselves for minimizing the risks of source exposure when handling anonymously provided materials.

Like other journalistic outlets, we routinely verify such materials with any individuals or institutions implicated by their disclosure and seek their comment, as we explain on our website. This process carries some risks of source exposure that are impossible to mitigate when dealing with sensitive materials. Nonetheless, it is clear that we should have taken greater precautions to protect the identity of a source who was anonymous even to us.

As the editor-in-chief, I take responsibility for this failure, and for making sure that the internal newsroom issues that contributed to it are resolved. We are conducting a comprehensive analysis of our source protection protocols and will make revisions to ensure that any materials provided to us anonymously are handled in the most secure manner possible. We will ensure that all staff members have rigorous security training and are held to account for any lapses. Our security team will be consistently integrated into the editorial process. We will also provide revised and expanded guidelines for whistleblowers on our website. I am grateful to the entire Intercept staff for committing to this essential task.

Protectwise is a new cyber-security company founded by Scott Chasin and Gene Stevens, former employees of McAfee. What makes Protectwise so much different than other cyber-security companies is there new interface, a 3D visualization of computer systems that emulates a cyber city. This is something right out of a cyberpunk setting and it will even provide VR and AR as possible options for implementing the system. They are targeting the highest grossing companies as clients (mega-corps anyone?) and hope that their new interface will allow for more intuitive operation. In addition to the aesthetic aspects of the software, they have also integrated features from lots of different kinds of cyber-security software making this a sort of one-stop shop for cyber-security solutions.

DARPA, (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) which is an arm of the Department of Defense responsible for development of emerging technologies for military applications, has just announced that they are granting six multi-million dollar grants to six different universities to develop brain implants for the Neural Engineering System Design (NESD) program, which is charged with developing brain-computer interface systems. Each lab is developing implants with different methodologies that may lead to improved vision, hearing, download/upload of thoughts, improved cybernetic limbs, augmented senses and much more. Our cyberpunk future is at the door.

W3C Advisory Committee representative for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Cory Doctorow, has officially launched an appeal of the W3Cs implementation of DRM (Digital Rights Management) in web-video. The W3C is responsible for setting international standards for the Internet. The two premises of the appeal are that there are no protections for people who lawfully break DRM when it gets in the way, for example creating systems for people with disabilities, and that the W3C membership were not polled for about whether or not they should implement this DRM. This is the first time in the history of the W3C that this appeals process has been used. You can read the full notice here.

A number of cyberpunk influenced shows have been nominated for Emmy Awards this award cycle. The list includes Westworld, The Handmaids Tale, The Man in the High Castle, Mr. Robot, and Black Mirror. You can see a full listing of the Emmy Nominations here.

Westworld ended its first season with the fantasy park being thrown into chaos as the hosts, robotic characters in the narrative of the park, gained sentience and began rebelling against the humans who have trapped them in cycling loops and the visitors who have come to exploit them for entertainment. The above GIF released at San Diego Comic-Con has some interesting implications for where we will pick up the story. People trapped inside the park with the hosts reaching out for help, only to be replaced with a message that all is well and that a new narrative is about to begin

Bernie is an interesting little film from Roberto de la Torre about a robotic bounty hunter tracking down escaped convicts. It is fragmented, but fascinating none the less. The film is beautiful from an effects perspective and the landscapes chosen are put on display to great effect. The description of the film is: A quick test for a Sci-fi movie. Shot in Martinique. Not much, but worth its short run time.

Number 13 is a short film fromSteve Petersen based on the Dark Horse comic of the same name fromRobert Love and David Walker. The official synopsis:

In a far-off future where hope is a forgotten word, a teenage boy awakens in a wasteland patrolled by mechanized monsters. With no memories of his past life, no belongings and no home, the only thing he truly possesses are mysterious, cybernetic powers. It is these abilities, coveted by rival factions intent on exploiting him, that quickly entangle him in a deadly struggle for the future of humanity. Known only by the number tattooed on his head, he is NUMBER 13.

Zygote is an intense biopunk horror short from Oats Studios,Neil Blomkamps experimental studio, and is another fantastic entry in the series of films. The horror that is depicted in this short rivals some of the best horror movies out there, and the tension runs high. All of this is exemplified by fantastic character chemistry and a fascinating premise. The official synopsis is:

Stranded in an arctic Mine, two lone survivors are forced to fight for their lives, evading and hiding from a new kind of terror.

Netflixs BLAME! adaptation in partnership with Polygon Pictures is coming to Blu-ray. The Blu-ray in addition to the Japanese dub and English subtitles, will be shipping with an exclusive epilogue manga that is set in the aftermath of the film and is written and illustrated by Tsutomu Nihei himself. The deluxe edition will also come with a Making Of documentary, concept art, script for the movie, a pamphlet that was handed out in the theaters, and five 1/35-scale figures that were given away with advance tickets to screenings. A hefty collection for the collectors out there.

Ready Player One is a heavily anticipated film from legendary director Steven Spielberg based on the novel of the same name by Ernest Cline. This week the movies logo has been released, and like the heavily 80s inspired novel, the logo has a 80s feel to it. In addition to the revelation of the logo, it was also announced that legendary composer Alan Silvestri (famous for Predator 1 and 2, Back to the Future 1 and 2, and Contact) will be scoring the film. Ready Player One is scheduled to premiere in March 2018.

Last week Entertainment Weekly released a new crop of pictures prior to the Blade Runner 2049s new trailer. The sequel to the classic movie, has its own aesthetic that maintains a kind of noir style, but remains distinct from the original. The story too seems to be its own, although obviously inspired by the original heavily. This either means this movie is going to do what good sequels should, broaden the scope of the original and stay faithful to the import elements that made the first one good, or it will fail fantastically to live up to the legacy of one of Hollywoods most beloved films.

BLADE RUNNER 2049 (2017)

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

If the amount of hype surrounding this classic rebirth isnt enough to engage your consumeristic side, NECA has announced action figures based on Blade Runner 2049. The figures are scheduled for release in September.

Blade Runner itch not scratched yet? I know mine never is, apparently also so for filmmaker Wes Anderson. Yes, that Wes Anderson. He has announced a documentary about the life of dancer, actor, screenwriter, director, and producer Hampton Fancher called Escapes. Fancher is best known in cyberpunk circles as the writer and producer of Blade Runner, and now as the writer for Blade Runner 2049. Escapes will open in New Yorks IFC Center on July 26th and become available to a wider audience in August.

SyFy Films will be releasing the newest film from Mateo Gil, Realive, in theaters in September and then on video-on-demand and Digital HD in October. Mateo Gil is best known for Vanilla Sky. The official synopsis is:

In REALIVE, Marc Jarvis (Tom Hughes) is diagnosed with a disease and given a short time to live. Unable to accept his own end, he decides to freeze his body. 60 years later, in the year 2084, he becomes the first cryogenically frozen man to be revived in history. Marc discovers a startling future, but the biggest surprise is that his past has accompanied him in unexpected ways.

On July 18th, Nexon is officially relaunching Ghost in the Shell: First Assault with a load of new features. The game is free to play on Steam. The official description of the game is:

Join Section 9 in a first person shooter experience. Become a member of an elite force of cybernetically enhanced combat operatives dedicated to the defense of society, and use your advanced firepower, Tachikoma Tanks and unique cyber skills to bring down cyber terrorists in a connected world.

Magrnatron 2.0 is an upcoming VR game for iPhone and Android devices from the Neon Minds Collective. This game seeps of classic interpretations of cyberspace depicted in cyberpunk works of old, and then drops you right into an immersive digital experience within that collective hallucination.

There is no more anticipated game within the cyberpunk community than Cyberpunk 2077. We are scrambling for even the tiniest morsel of information about the game. At about the 13-minute mark in the above interview, Marcin Iwinski explains the logic for keeping the lid on the game, needless to say the game is very much still in active development.

Our friends over at Gamerant had a moment to talk with Mike Pondsmith, the progenitor of not only of the universe of Cyberpunk 2077, but cyberpunk roleplaying as a medium, confirmed that the game will include the classic roles introduced in Cyberpunk 2020, many of which are a bit unorthodox for an action rpg. For those not familiar, these roles are Cop, Corporate, Fixer, Media, Netrunner, Nomad, Rockerboy, Solo, Techie, and Med-Tech.

You just cant keep a good magazine down, it seems. OMNI has just been acquired by the classic adult magazine Penthouse, which was actually behind the magazine from the beginning. The magazines most recent iteration was in the form of a website, but now it will be returning to print in October. Pamela Weintraub, one of OMNIs original editors, will once again be active in the magazines production. Is this the dawn of a new era for OMNI or a return to the old legacy?

Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments below or on social media!

‘Observer’ Review: Bloober Team goes 2-for-2 with a haunting … – Mic – Mic

Posted on August 14, 2017 by Danzig

The continued melding of human and machine and the question of what the future holds for us makes cyberpunk an increasingly relevant genre. Although were only at the cusp of cybernetics and genetic engineering technology, there are soon going to be a whole new set of social and political debates concerning the future of the human race. After all, the paradox of the Ship of Theseus becomes even more of a conundrum when were replacing organs, limbs and perhaps even our brains with engineered components.

This is one of the arguments at the core of Observer. This is the second game from Bloober Team, the Polish-based game studio behind the excellent Layers of Fear. On a physical level, its a disturbing look at poverty, classism, corporate greed and the morality of genetic engineering and cybernetics. It doesnt stop there though; the above lead into the major theme of the game: In our effort to better ourselves with technology, will we end up losing our humanity?

Observer is set in Krakow, Poland, in the year 2084. In this future, Polands governing body is also its largest employer: Chiron Incorporated. After a third world war in the 2050s known as the Great Decimation, the geopolitical makeup of the world has changed dramatically, and Poland stands as a major, though isolationist, global power.

In this future Poland, a caste system assigns each citizen to their lot in life. Class A citizens can travel the country unimpeded and are the wealthiest people in the country and dont even have to answer to the authorities unless the National Board of Directors orders it. Class B citizens make up the middle-class of Poland. Class C makes up around 90% of Polands population, and its one of their apartment blocks where the game takes place.

The character you play as in Observer, police detective Daniel Lazarski, is a Class B citizen. Lazarski is an Observer, part of a special police unit equipped with a cybernetic implant that allows the Observer to connect to others neural implants to extract information. After a frantic call from his son, Daniel traces his location to a Class C apartment block, and thats where we take over.

Daniel and the caretaker of the tenement building

Events soon transpire that have you locked inside the tenement building, and you must try to find your son by searching through each crumbled and dirty floor. Bloober Team did an excellent job driving home the squalor these Class C citizens are forced to live in. The building has as much character as the humans in the game, as it hides the bizarre and macabre around each turn.

As the game progresses, youll not only be figuring out the mystery of your sons frantic call, but also the stories of the people who live in the building. Youll meet virtual-reality addicts, uncover illegal organ harvesters and witness the frantic and sad lives of those who are just trying to survive another day. All throughout this, the threat of a disease affecting those with cybernetic implants hangs above you. The nanophage is an omnipresent and real threat for the poor of Observer, and the building lockdown thats trapped you there typically proceeds the news of an outbreak.

To uncover the answers to all these mysteries, you have several tools at your disposal. Through your cybernetic implants, you can scan for biological and mechanical objects of interest. When you find a scene of particular interest, the game turns into a mode somewhat like LA Noire. Youll piece together clues that can take you further into the narrative. Sometimes these clues are red herrings that lead you to a dead end, and sometimes youll find a side story tangentially related to the main plot.

It would be easy to chock Observer up as a walking simulator, because youre not technically fighting anyone. In fact, aside from some stealth sections, there are no adversaries you have to avoid at all. This game doesnt need that to feel frantic though. The pace is excellent, balancing the sections where you explore the building with those you spend examining clues or getting plot exposition perfectly. Theres always a feeling of edge in the building, and you never know what youll find behind the next apartment door. Will it be a hilarious and awkward interaction with a disgruntled tenant, or will it be an ajar door with a decapitated body inside? Theres no way to tell until you take a deep breath and push on.

Particular attention has to be paid to Lazarskis voice actor, Rutger Hauer. Most notable for his beautiful portrayal of the antagonistic Nexus 6 Roy Batty in Blade Runner, Observer marks his first role in a video game. Hauers voice has a lilting timbre that makes the whole game richer as a result. Most of the exposition in the game comes from Hauer as Lazarskis internal voice, and as he has the most lines in the game by far, a mediocre voice actor in this role would have made for a poor experience overall. Astonishingly though, especially for an indie production, the VA cast as a whole was great. AAA studios need to take note because Bloober Team blew 90% of the games Ive played from this year away when it comes to the quality of Observers script and execution.

Its entirely possible to fly through Observer and only follow the main plotline. However, to get the most out of the game, youll need to leave no stone unturned. The game took me roughly nine hours to beat, and it was nine of the best hours of gaming Ive had this year. There are some aspects that video game fans might not be fond of though. As much as I loved it, it has a movie feel to it. If youre craving fast-paced gameplay, Observer may not be for you.

I dont usually get involved with the games are art discussion, but Observer is one shining example of a unique, beautiful, haunting look at what one version of our future may be if were not careful. I havent gone too deep in describing the games narrative because its something you should discover on your own, but there is a lot of philosophical and allegorical underpinnings to its story. However, it doesnt slam that stuff over your head until its just not fun anymore. Observer is as much an entertaining sci-fi story as it is commentary or warning, and thats what makes it such an excellent title. Its accessible, its well-made, and its one of the best games this year.

Check out the latest from Mic, like this deep dive into the cultural origins of Gamergate. Also, be sure to read this essay about what its like to cosplay while black, a roundup of family-friendly games to play with your kids and our interview with Adi Shankar, producer of the animated Castlevania Netflix series.

Originally posted here:

'Observer' Review: Bloober Team goes 2-for-2 with a haunting ... - Mic - Mic

Chartists Placing Targeted Microwave Solutions Inc. (TMS.V) on Their Radar – Clayton News

Posted on August 14, 2017 by Danzig

Shares of Targeted Microwave Solutions Inc. (TMS.V) are moving on volatility today -11.11% or -0.005 from the open. The TSXV listed company saw a recent bid of 0.04 on 156000 volume.

Doing the necessary homework, investors have a wealth of information about publically traded stocks. Figuring out which ones are going to steadily outperform can be a tricky task. Many investors opt to follow what covering sell-side analysts think about certain stocks. Following analyst updates to estimates and targets may help gauge overall stock sentiment. However, solely following analyst views may not be enough to put the entire investing puzzle together. Technical traders may want to still keep tabs on the fundamentals, and vice-versa.

Now letstake a look at how the fundamentals are stacking up for Targeted Microwave Solutions Inc. (TMS.V). Fundamental analysis takes into consideration market, industry and stock conditions to help determine if the shares are correctly valued. Targeted Microwave Solutions Inc. currently has a yearly EPS of -0.11. This number is derived from the total net income divided by shares outstanding. In other words, EPS reveals how profitable a company is on a share owner basis.

Another key indicator that can help investors determine if a stock might be a quality investment is the Return on Equity or ROE. Targeted Microwave Solutions Inc. (TMS.V) currently has Return on Equity of -124.73. ROE is a ratio that measures profits generated from the investments received from shareholders. In other words, the ratio reveals how effective the firm is at turning shareholder investment into company profits. A company with high ROE typically reflects well on management and how well a company is run at a high level. A firm with a lower ROE might encourage potential investors to dig further to see why profits arent being generated from shareholder money.

Another ratio we can look at is the Return on Invested Capital or more commonly referred to as ROIC. Targeted Microwave Solutions Inc. (TMS.V) has a current ROIC of -108.54. ROIC is calculated by dividing Net Income Dividends by Total Capital Invested.

Similar to ROE, ROIC measures how effectively company management is using invested capital to generate company income. A high ROIC number typically reflects positively on company management while a low number typically reflects the opposite.

Turning to Return on Assets or ROA, Targeted Microwave Solutions Inc. (TMS.V) has a current ROA of -95.05. This is a profitability ratio that measures net income generated from total company assets during a given period. This ratio reveals how quick a company can turn its assets into profits. In other words, the ratio provides insight into the profitability of a firms assets. The ratio is calculated by dividing total net income by the average total assets. A higher ROA compared to peers in the same industry, would suggest that company management is able to effectively generate profits from their assets. Similar to the other ratios, a lower number might raise red flags about managements ability when compared to other companies in a similar sector.

Trying to project the day to day short-term movements of the stock market may be all but impossible. Stocks have the tendency to make sudden moves on even the slightest bit of news or for apparently no reason at all. The daily trader may be looking to capitalize on swings or momentum, but the long-term investor may be searching for stability and consistency over a sustained period of time. During trading sessions, stock movements can seem like a popularity contest from time to time. Even after careful study, there may be no logical reason for a particular stock move. Riding out the waves of uncertainty may not be easy, but having a full-proof plan for when markets erode may just be the savior. Having the patience to wait out abnormal moves may help evade the mistake of letting go too soon out of panic.

Link:

Chartists Placing Targeted Microwave Solutions Inc. (TMS.V) on Their Radar - Clayton News

Tenkan Signals Negative Momentum For Targeted Microwave Solutions Inc. (TMS.V) – Evergreen Caller

Posted on August 14, 2017 by Danzig

Shares ofTargeted Microwave Solutions Inc. (TMS.V) are on watch as the Tenkan Line has moved belowthe Kijun line, indicating negative momentum for the equity. Targeted Microwave Solutions Inc. moved-0.005 in the most recent session and touched0.04 on a recent tick.

The Tenkan Line or Tenkan Sen (Sen means line in Japanese) is known as the conversion line or turning line is similar to a 9SMA but actually is quite different. Remember a SMA (simple moving average) will smooth out all the data and make it equal but the Tenkan Line will take the highest high and lowest low over the last 9 periods. The explanation for this is Hosada felt price action and its extremes were more important than smoothing any data because price action represented where buyers/sellers entered and directed the market, thus being more important than averaging or smoothing the data out. As you can see by the chart below, the Tenkan Line is quite different than a 9SMA. Because the TL (Tenkan Line) uses price instead of an averaging or the closing prices, it mirrors price better and is more representative of it. You can see this when the TL flattens in small portions to move with price and its moments of ranging.

Akin to all moving averages, the angle of the Tenkan line is very important as the sharper the angle, the stronger the trend while the flatter the Tenkan, the flatter or lesser the momentum of the move is. However, it is important to not use the Tenkan line as a gauge of the trend but more so the momentum of the move. However, it can act as the first line of defense in a trend and a breaking of it in the opposite direction of the move can often be a sign of the defenses weakening.

Turning to addtiional indicators, Targeted Microwave Solutions Inc. (TMS.V) currently has a 14-day Commodity Channel Index (CCI) of -145.10. Dedicated investors may choose to use this technical indicator as a stock evaluation tool. Used as a coincident indicator, the CCI reading above +100 would reflect strong price action which may signal an uptrend. On the flip side, a reading below -100 may signal a downtrend reflecting weak price action. Using the CCI as a leading indicator, technical analysts may use a +100 reading as an overbought signal and a -100 reading as an oversold indicator, suggesting a trend reversal.

Investors may be trying to define which trends will prevail in the second half of the year. As the markets continue to chug along, investors may be trying to maximize gains and become better positioned for success. Technical analysts may be studying different historical price and volume data in order to help uncover where the momentum is headed. Coming up with a solid strategy may take some time, but it might be well worth it in the long run. As we move deeper into the year, investors will be closely tracking the next few earnings periods. They may be trying to project which companies will post positive surprises.

We can also do some further technical analysis on the stock. At the time of writing, the 14-day ADX for Targeted Microwave Solutions Inc. (TMS.V) is 40.83. Many technical chart analysts believe that an ADX value over 25 would suggest a strong trend. A reading under 20 would indicate no trend, and a reading from 20-25 would suggest that there is no clear trend signal. The ADX is typically plotted along with two other directional movement indicator lines, the Plus Directional Indicator (+DI) and Minus Directional Indicator (-DI). Some analysts believe that the ADX is one of the best trend strength indicators available.

Interested investors may be watching the Williams Percent Range or Williams %R. Williams %R is a popular technical indicator created by Larry Williams to help identify overbought and oversold situations. Investors will commonly use Williams %R in conjunction with other trend indicators to help spot possible stock turning points. Targeted Microwave Solutions Inc. (TMS.V)s Williams Percent Range or 14 day Williams %R currently sits at -100.00. In general, if the indicator goes above -20, the stock may be considered overbought. Alternately, if the indicator goes below -80, this may point to the stock being oversold.

Tracking other technical indicators, the 14-day RSI is presently standing at 32.90, the 7-day sits at 33.78, and the 3-day is resting at 32.48 for Targeted Microwave Solutions Inc. (TMS.V). The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is an often employed momentum oscillator that is used to measure the speed and change of stock price movements. When charted, the RSI can serve as a visual means to monitor historical and current strength or weakness in a certain market. This measurement is based on closing prices over a specific period of time. As a momentum oscillator, the RSI operates in a set range. This range falls on a scale between 0 and 100. If the RSI is closer to 100, this may indicate a period of stronger momentum. On the flip side, an RSI near 0 may signal weaker momentum. The RSI was originally created by J. Welles Wilder which was introduced in his 1978 book New Concepts in Technical Trading Systems.

For further review, we can take a look at another popular technical indicator. In terms of moving averages, the 200-day is currently at 0.27, the 50-day is 0.08, and the 7-day is resting at 0.04. Moving averages are a popular trading tool among investors. Moving averages can be used to help filter out the day to day noise created by other factors. MAs may be used to identify uptrends or downtrends, and they can be a prominent indicator for detecting a shift in momentum for a particular stock. Many traders will use moving averages for different periods of time in conjunction with other indicators to help gauge future stock price action.

Here is the original post:

Tenkan Signals Negative Momentum For Targeted Microwave Solutions Inc. (TMS.V) - Evergreen Caller

Can This Stock Gain Any Traction: EDAP TMS S.A. (NASDAQ:EDAP … – FLBC News

Posted on August 14, 2017 by Danzig

EDAP TMS S.A. (NASDAQ:EDAP)are valued at$2.70 at the time of writing and have moved0.00% since the open. Smart investors often look for value stocks with upside potential. While this stock is priced cheaply, its important to determine if there is any actual value.

Lets take a quick look at how the price of EDAP TMS S.A. (NASDAQ:EDAP) is currently trading in comparisonto some of its simple moving averages. At current levels, shares have been seen trading -12.22% away from the 20-day moving average. The stock has been recently separated from the 50-day moving average by -15.60%. Using a broader approach, the stockhas been trading -9.45% off of the 200-day moving average. After the latest check-in, shares are-29.87% off of the 50 day high and 3.68% away from the 50 day lownumber.

As a whole,2017 has been a solidyear for small-cap stocks thus far. Investors may be examining their positionsand trying to determineif they have the rightexposure to small-caps. Deciding on small-cap portfolio weighting may depend prominently on the risk appetite for each individual person. Investors also may need to evaluate their short-term and long-term objectiveswhen deciding how best to tackle the stockmarket. Micro-capstocks have historically outperformed early in economic expansion cycles, and underperformed later in the cycles. With the current economic cycle in year eight, it begs the question as to why small-cap stocks have still been chugging along and outperforming certain averages.

In terms of performance, shares of EDAP TMS S.A. (NASDAQ:EDAP) are -17.68% since the start of 2016. Over the past week, shares are -8.47%. Moving out to look at the previous month performance, the stock is at -15.63%. For the quarter, performance is at 6.73%. During the past six months, EDAP TMS S.A. (NASDAQ:EDAP)s stock has been -14.42% and -11.18% for the last 12 months.

Investors are alwayson the look for the next great stock to own. Picking the next winner to bolster the portfolio may involve some hard work and a little bit of stock market magic. Sifting through the wealth of information about public companies can be a daunting task.

Many savvyinvestors will attack the equity markets from many different angles. This may include keeping close tabs on fundamental and technical data. This may also include tracking analyst opinions and following what the big money institutions are buying or selling.

Disclaimer: The views, opinions, and information expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any company stakeholders, financial professionals, or analysts. Examples of analysis performed within this article are only examples. They should not be utilized to make stock portfolio or financial decisions as they are based only on limited and open source information. Assumptions made within the analysis are not reflective of the position of any analysts or financial professionals.

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Can This Stock Gain Any Traction: EDAP TMS S.A. (NASDAQ:EDAP ... - FLBC News

Schools preparing for opening day – The Daily Planet

Posted on August 14, 2017 by Danzig

As the lazy days of summer draw to a close, teachers and administrators at Tellurides public schools and the private Telluride Mountain School are getting ready for the 2017-18 year.

Telluride Elementary School (TES), Telluride Intermediate School (TIS) and Telluride Middle/High Schools (TMHS) which operate under the Telluride R-1 School District will kick off on Monday, Aug. 28. The first day of classes at Telluride Mountain School is set for Tuesday, Sept. 5.

While most Denver public schools are already underway, Telluride Superintendent Mike Gass said that Telluride doesnt begin school until late August due to the various school spaces that are leased for the summer by organizations such as Telluride Science Research Center, Telluride Academy and Telluride Film Festival.

Gass said he intends to adjust the 2018-19 school calendar so that the first semester ends before winter break, which means classes will begin earlier in August next year.

Teacher training, however, kicks off this week: on Wednesday, for the new math curriculum at TMHS, and on Thursday, for a teacher leadership training. All district teachers officially return to their classrooms on Aug. 21.

High school athletic teams volleyball, golf, cross-country and soccer officially begin practice tomorrow.

Registration for new students opened this past Wednesday.

According to TMHS Principal Sara Kimball, there are already 33 new students registered for the middle/high school.

We graduated a big senior class last year and we have a smaller freshman class coming in. So we thought we might be down in enrollment, Kimball said. But weve got a lot of new kids coming in.

Kimball urges parents to submit their registration materials soon; they are due Aug. 25.

Two new teachers will join TMHS: a new middle school counselor and a new high school special education teacher.

New to the public school district this year: The Pinhead Institute will be teaching middle school technology classes. The high school also added a new anatomy and physiology class and a broadcast journalism class to its schedule.

According to TIS Principal Chad Terry, enrollment at the intermediate school also is rising significantly.

So far we have over 30 brand new students to the Telluride Intermediate School, said Terry. Because of all of these new families, we are sitting around 340 students in these four grades. All of the grade levels have four homeroom sections. Fifth grade in particular issitting around 90 students, which is historically one of the largest classes that Telluride has ever seen.

Notably, the dual immersion program will grow into third grade this year.

We have a great third-grade team of teachers, Terry said. (They) have invested a ton of time and energy into helping the dual immersion program grow into (the intermediate) school and continue to offer a great education in bothEnglish and Spanish.

TIS welcomes new teacher Cela White to its fourth-grade classroom.

Terry added that there will be an opportunity for parents and students to drop off supplies and set up lockers/cubbies on Friday, Aug. 25, from 2-3 p.m.

TES will kick its first day of school off with a longstanding tradition in which teachers, parents and students gather on the front steps of the elementary school at 8:05 a.m. to share opening day comments and introductions and to sing the school song.

According to TES Principal Susan Altman, so far there are 10 new students entering the elementary school. She said there are four new TES teachers this year: two from Spain, one from Mexico and one Telluride local.

We also have increased our classes to four sections in both kindergarten and first grades, opening up a third dual immersion classroom at each grade level, Altman said. This will honor our continued efforts to keep classroom sizes down.

Other than routine deep cleaning of all floors, and painting and prepping classroom spaces, there have been no major renovations to any of the public schools.

Gass encourages people interested in running for one of three available School Board seats this fall to submit their petitions, which are now available at the district office and are due to the San Miguel County Clerks Office on or before Sept. 1.

TELLURIDEMOUNTAIN SCHOOL

Meanwhile, the Head of School Search Committee at Telluride Mountain School is in the final process of determining a replacement for Karen Walker, who is entering her last year at the helm.

According to Associate Head of School Andy Shoff, the committee hopes to announce that decision before Sept. 1.

Students return to classes at TMS on Sept. 5 with the exception of new, incoming Montessori students, who will begin the following day, Sept. 6.

TMS teachers return to their classrooms on Aug. 21, two weeks before TMS students arrive, for preparation, collaboration and professional development.

While there were no major changes to the TMS campus, a small bouldering wall was installed onto the building over the summer for outside play.

According to Shoff, the school is enjoying its largest enrollment ever, particularly in the high school, though there are new students entering just about every grade this year. There also has been a strong uptake in inquiries from international families, given the imminent launch of the International Baccalaureate program at TMS in grades 11 and 12.

Though most classes are now full, some seats are still available. For more information about admissions at TMS, contact ashoff@telluridemtnschool.org.

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Schools preparing for opening day - The Daily Planet

How Elon Musk Plans to Turn Humans Into Robots – Yahoo News

Posted on August 14, 2017 by Danzig

Elon Musk wants to get inside your head. In April, the Silicon Valley billionaire announced plans to launch Neuralinka company dedicated to developing a brain-to-machine interface to cure brain ailments like paralysis and memory problems and help people compete with robots when the artificial intelligence revolution makes human brains obsolete. Musk says this will be accomplished by implanting tiny electrodes into the brainallowing for things like downloading and uploading memory and casual brain-to-brain communication.

Leaders in the neurotechnology field welcome Musks arrival, while neuroethicists and others urge caution. The endeavor may sound like science fiction, but its feasible, says Timothy Deer, president of the International Neuromodulation Society, a nonprofit group of researchers and developers dedicated to using spinal cord stimulation to treat neurological pain. The cochlear implant was invented 20 years ago, and with electricity and the right frequencies targeting the brain, it allows people to hear, he says. That sounded impossible back then. And great gains require great brains, Deer says. Ben Franklin didnt know how to harness electricity, but he and others knew it was the key to something. Now, we know how to use electricity in very specific ways. Its exciting to see how Mr. Musk might change how we think.

Humans have been trying to mess with their brain waves to solve diseases since ancient times: The Romans and Greeks used to put electric fish on top of their heads to relieve pain, says Ana Maiques, CEO of Neuroelectrics, a company that develops noninvasive wireless brain monitoring and stimulation technologies.

Elon Musk, chairman and chief executive officer of Tesla Motors Inc., gestures as he speaks during a news conference in Fremont, California, on September 29, 2015. David Paul Morris/Bloomberg/Getty

Maiques is happy Musk has entered the neurotech field. With new technologies, including artificial intelligence, there is a lot of room for startups and new companies, she says.

Jennifer French, co-founder and executive director of Neurotech Network, a nonprofit that advocates for and educates the public about implantable technology, says investments in neuroscience and neurotechnology from the Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies Initiative started by the Obama administration have been critical in exploring the brains mysteries.

Zack Lynch, founder of Neurotechnology Industry Organization, a global trade association representing companies involved in neuroscience and brain research, says, The [human] brain is the most complicated organ on the planet. The neurotechnology industry produces $165 billion in yearly revenue, he says, but 90 percent of that revenue comes from pharmaceuticals for neurological disorders like Lou Gehrig's disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Annual revenue from neurological devices is about $10 billion.

If Musk is successful, he will run into a swamp of ethical issues. Neuroscience raises questions about technology, art, entertainment, warfare, religion and what it means to be human, Lynch says. And these considerations will be difficult to address in the short term, says Peter Reiner, professor and co-founder of the National Core for Neuroethics. Most important is privacy of thought. When a computer is hooked up to me and knows what Im thinking, that becomes a very challenging area to navigate. Another issue is what Reiner calls reason bypassing. If a device can influence your brain without you perceiving it, are you really making your decisions? He believes society already faces these questions with smartphones: Advertisers are collecting information about users based on their browsing habits and then using that data to try to change their behavior.

Daniel Wilson, a best-selling author and robotics engineer, considers these ethical issues in his novel Amped, which predicts that neurotechnology will cure people with mental disabilities and eventually help them leapfrog beyond human ability. The amplified humans known as amps are then discriminated against because the public fears their abilities.

Wilson believes brain-to-machine interfaces will become common, but that they will not diminish the humanity of their users. People often look at human creations, and we call them unnatural, Wilson says. But from my perspective, theres nothing more natural than a human being creating a tool. Birds nests or anything animals do instinctively always seems natural, but we consider it unnatural when a human uses a tool. Thats the most natural thing that a human can do. To put that tool in our bodies is a completely natural extension of what weve been doing for millennia.

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How Elon Musk Plans to Turn Humans Into Robots - Yahoo News

Political correctness doesn’t kill people – The Outline

Posted on August 14, 2017 by Danzig

In 1966, Ronald Reagan was elected governor of California on a promise to clean up the mess at Berkeley, which he described as a haven for communist sympathizers, protesters, and sex deviants. Reagan got the schools president fired, attempted to cut the educational budget, and, in 1969, ordered an armed confrontation with student demonstrators who were protesting the war. Officers opened fire with shotguns and tear gas. One student, a bystander, was killed. Another was permanently blinded, and 32 were hospitalized with severe injuries.

On May 1, 1970, President Richard Nixon told an audience at the Pentagon: You see these bums, you know, blowing up the campuses. Listen, the boys that are on the college campuses today are the luckiest people in the world, going to the greatest universities, and here they are burning up the books, storming around about [the Vietnam War]. Three days later, the Ohio National Guard opened fire on student protesters at Kent State University, leaving four students dead and nine wounded. On May 15, local police killed two black students and left twelve more wounded during a demonstration at Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi.

Somehow, despite decades worth of counterexamples, the American mainstream remains convinced that campus activists represent a unique threat to public safety and civil discourse. For the last two years in particular, Americas worst opinion columnists have been echoing the hippie-punching sadism of 1960s politicians.

In April, New Yorks Jonathan Chait called for forceful opposition to illiberal student demonstrators. The Atlantics Conor Friedersdorf has written dozens of columns about the dangers of political correctness on campus, like students signing petitions or people being mean to racists on Facebook. In May, Bret Stephens wrote in the New York Times that students with traditional religious values or conservative political views now feel decidedly unsafe about expressing their views on campus.

Friday night, hundreds of torch-bearing neo-Nazi protesters, presumably not feeling decidedly unsafe, marched through the University of Virginias Charlottesville campus. They chanted traditional religious values like Fuck you faggots! Former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke joined them to deliver conservative political views: We are going to fulfill the promises of Donald Trump. Thats what we believed in. Thats why we voted for Donald Trump, because he said hes going to take our country back, he said. The local police did virtually nothing to stop them, even as they threw rocks and maced counterprotesters. Finally, one of the neo-Nazis rammed his car several times into a mass of counterprotesters holding anti-fascist, worker solidarity, and Black Lives Matter signs, leaving one dead and 19 seriously injured.

Despite having his name explicitly invoked by a neo-Nazi leader during the unrest, Donald Trump opted to remain neutral, calling it an egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides. He downplayed the effect his administrations race-baiting has had on white nationalists: It has been going on for a long time in our country not Donald Trump, not Barack Obama. It has been going on for a long, long time.

Trumps comment about violence on many sides is part of a larger pattern of commentators ignoring the massive power differential between young left-wing activists and their adversaries. Even as neo-Nazis welcomed the election of their favored candidate, and as hate crimes spiked, too many journalists attempted to maintain neutrality. So far, the only demonstrator to actually murder someone on a college campus has been a member of the alt-right, 20-year-old James Alex Fields. But, for years now, the commentariat has lambasted students for trying to repel speakers who pander directly to Fields demographic because student protesters censored far-right ideologues, they were made equal to the fans of those far-right ideologues, who actually kill people.

Student activists prevented statutory rape advocate and alt-right leader Milo Yiannopoulos from directly targeting undocumented and transgender students. They prevented Charles Murray, the most prominent American race scientist since Madison Grant, from speaking at Middlebury College. They prevented Ann Coulter from giving a talk at Berkeley that very likely would have resembled the statement David Duke delivered at UVA. For this, they earned the bottomless ire of the media. Even the day of the murder in Charlottesville, The Atlantics Peter Beinart published an egregiously ill-timed article titled The Rise of the Violent Left.

For the commentators cocooned in Westchester County and the DC suburbs, ideology is a harmless hobby. But true ideology is not a thought experiment. The ideology put forth by alt-right firebrands like Yiannopoulos inspires action, and that action often leads to hate crimes. The audience expected to attend presentations by Yiannopoulos and Coulter is the same crowd that just marched through the UVA campus carrying torches and giving the Sieg Heil angry young white men in polos and khakis, radicalized by Breitbart, Infowars, and The Daily Stormer, who carry weapons in anticipation of public clashes with anti-fascists and Black Lives Matter. If you let their heroes speak, you invite them to campus. When you invite them to campus, you invite violent hate crimes. It doesnt appear out of nowhere, and it doesnt come from many sides.

While Americas milquetoast centrists may have had their judgement clouded by a debate-club mentality, commentators on the right were well aware what might result from a media frenzy against young left-wing demonstrators. Earlier this year, dozens of conservative publications trotted out Ronald Reagans decision to use deadly force at UC Berkeley as something to aspire to. In February, Fox News ran the headline This Is How Ronald Reagan Dealt With UC Berkeley Protesters In 1969. Similar articles appeared on The Blaze and The Daily Wire. In April, The Federalist published an article titled Heres What Ronald Reagan Did When College Kids Went Ape At UC-Berkeley. Author Donna Carol Voss noted that an innocent bystander was killed and several more injured, but nevertheless asked Where is Ronald Reagan when we need him? He would have put a stop to it all right quick. These were not calls for free expression or tolerance of right-wing views they were calls for blood. The right-wing media openly prescribed deadly force for out-of-control left-wing activists. Is it any surprise that someone listened?

The far right knows exactly what happens when the media continually exaggerates the threat posed by campus politics. The state cracks down, teenagers are maimed or killed, and middle-aged sadists re-elect whoever ordered the violent repression. If not, a vigilante like Fields, high on far-right agitprop, will step in. It worked for George Wallace, it worked for Reagan, it worked for Nixon, and it might just work for Trump. In the most optimistic view, the centrist commentators who wasted so many columns scolding student activists to a national audience didnt know how useful their screeds were to the far right. They forgot that, for the last 50 years, hysterical media anger at uppity college students has always turned out to be unfounded and embarrassing in hindsight. They forgot that college students were right about Vietnam, civil rights, apartheid, and every other cause handwringing centrists accepted long after the fact. The brightest minds in the liberal media simply forgot that college protesters have never been the perpetrators of deadly violence only the victims. If this is true, it would serve them well to remember.

Power

Who cares what college students think?

A lot of journalists, and its weird.

Link:

Political correctness doesn't kill people - The Outline

Social justice warriors bring down the curtain on Broadway hit ‘Great Comet’ – Washington Times

Posted on August 14, 2017 by Danzig

A critically acclaimed musical with one of the most diverse casts on Broadway tried to reverse slumping ticket sales by replacing a black actor with a more famous white one, but social justice warriors torpedoed the move, and the show will not go on as a result.

Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 will hold its final performance on Sept. 3, four months after it was nominated for 12 Tony Awards, the most of any production last season.

The historical musical joins a growing list of artistic endeavors to offend social justice advocates over issues of identity politics. Social critics savaged last years Marvel Universe film Doctor Strange, accusing filmmakers of whitewashing an Asian character by employing actress Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One.

They also rejected the Nina Simone biopic Nina because lead actress Zoe Saldana had to use a prosthetic nose and darken her skin for the role.

Christian Toto, a film critic who edits the Hollywood in Toto blog, said the fall of The Great Comet is just the latest example of political correctness suffocating art.

This is an area where race shouldnt matter, in part because the production itself was known for its diversity, Mr. Toto said. This was not an all-white show where they finally hired a person of color and kicked him out. This was a show with a very diverse cast doing what youd think was the right thing from the social justice playbook, and it still wasnt enough.

Based on a 70-page excerpt from Leo Tolstoys War and Peace, The Great Comet enjoyed a meteoric rise to prominence when it opened at the Imperial Theater last fall.

The role of Pierre Bezukhov had been played by singer-songwriter Josh Groban, who is white. He left the show in early July and was replaced by Hamilton veteran Okieriete Oak Onaodowan, who is black.

Ticket sales lulled without Mr. Groban, and producers Howard and Janet Kagan feared The Great Comet would come crashing down without a new star to fill seats.

On July 26, they announced that Mr. Onaodowan had graciously agreed to step aside for Tony-winning actor Mandy Patinkin, who stars in the Showtime series Homeland and has been one of Broadways biggest names for decades.

Oak, who was scheduled to appear as Pierre for this period, graciously agreed to make room for Mandy, and we sincerely hope that Oak will return to us in the fall or winter, Mr. Kagan said in a statement at the time. He is a terrific Pierre.

The decision to replace a black actor with a white one resulted in an immediate backlash on social media and in the theater community.

Writing at the website Broadway Black, Jamara Wakefield said the move raises questions about how Black actors are valued and supported within Broadway.

It is ironic when Black actors participate in narratives about colonial history, change present day history by adding to the diversity to Broadway, and then are easily replaced as if their only value to a production is based on ticket sales, Ms. Wakefield wrote.

Tony-winning actress Cynthia Erivo said the effort to boost ticket sales shouldnt override a person doing his job.

What I know for a fact is that Oak worked extremely hard for this, Ms. Erivo said on Twitter. Which makes this occurrence distasteful and uncouth.

In response to the public outcry, Mr. Patinkin withdrew from the role of Pierre, saying he misunderstood Mr. Onaodowans receptiveness of the change and would never accept a role knowing it would harm another actor.

I am a huge fan of Oak and I will, therefore, not be appearing in the show, he wrote.

The shows producers released a statement saying they had the wrong impression of how Oak felt about the casting announcement and how it would be received by members of the theater community, which we appreciate is deeply invested in the success of actors of color as are we and to whom we are grateful for bringing this to our attention.

In a series of posts on Twitter, Great Comet creator Dave Malloy said the show approached Mr. Patinkin only because it was in desperate shape and on the brink of collapse. He apologized for missing the racial optics of the situation.

Despite Mr. Patinkins withdrawal, Mr. Onaodowan announced that he would still be leaving the show and delivered his final performance on Aug. 13. The role of Pierre will be played by Mr. Malloy during its final two weeks.

The Great Comet is not the only show that has run afoul of the arbiters of political correctness, but it may be the most diverse.

Indeed, director Rachel Chavkin said The Great Comet went out of its way to make color-conscious casting decisions.

Internally and this emanates from Dave and me, but its a value shared by everyone on the team there is a commitment to color-conscious casting, to ensuring diversity at all levels, Ms. Chavkin said in an interview with Deadline in June. Ive been acutely aware of my own failings to ensure always diverse creative teams, and thats something Im beginning to be more conscious of in my career.

Meanwhile, the World War II film Dunkirk, which depicts the evacuation of British troops across the English Channel, was panned by some critics for lacking a diverse cast.

HBOs Confederate, a streaming series that has yet to air about what would have happened if the Confederate States of America had won the Civil War, already is facing charges of cultural appropriation. Critics have accused two of its producers, who created the networks popular Game of Thrones series, of seeking to create a slave fan fiction for Confederacy apologists.

Given how diverse the cast of The Great Comet is, Mr. Toto called the efforts of the social justice warriors short-sighted.

You would think that the people sharing their outrage would think, Wait a minute, if the show closes because they get rid of the successful white actor, then those people are out of work, he said. And now those people are out of work because of it. Its very short-sighted, and its very absurd.

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Social justice warriors bring down the curtain on Broadway hit 'Great Comet' - Washington Times

Welcome to Charlottesville – proof that political correctness is wrecking America – RT

Posted on August 14, 2017 by Danzig

Robert Bridge is an American writer and journalist. He is author of the book on corporate power, Midnight in the American Empire," released in 2013. robertvbridge@yahoo.com

The events that just rocked Charlottesville, Virginia are symptomatic of every ailment now infecting the US political body - extreme political correctness, intolerance of free speech, and a police presence that seems designed to promote violence rather than curb it.

If ever there was a lightning rod for attracting the disciples of Liberalism and political correctness, the new creed that is destroying honest debate and discourse in the Land of the Free, you could do no worse than a bronze statue of Robert E. Lee in the town square. For those who never heard of the man, Lee was a very skilled general who led the South's Confederate forces against Lincoln's Union during the Civil War, the bloodiest US military conflict to date.

Lee also proved irresistible to the alternative right ('alt-right'), an increasingly vocal group of predominantly frustrated white men who, in this latest convulsion to rattle the US, view the removal of the Southern general's statue as an appropriate metaphor for the endangered white male. The Anti-Defamation League defines the alt-right as individuals who want to preserve the white majority in the US, over fears that descendants of white Europeans are losing their majority status, which will eventually result in white genocide.

Although there is a big temptation to connect this latest bout of left-right strife with the rise of Donald Trump, and the epic fall of Hillary Clinton, that explanation falls wide of the mark. As witnessed by the Tea Party and other right-wing movements, such as Unite the Right, Oath Keepers and the 3 Percenters, these groups were itching for a fight long before the mogul of Manhattan crashed the political scene. But the left has been equally guilty of kicking up its share of dirt.

The great schism in American politics began shortly after the attacks of 9/11 when George W. Bush initiated an opportunistic crackdown on civil liberties through the Patriot Act, a veritable tome that few legislators had a chance to read, yet signed it into law anyways. This slide towards totalitarianism continued under Barack Obama, the first president to carry out extrajudicial killings of US citizens outside of war zones, oversee a vast surveillance network courtesy of the NSA, and speak openly about 'updating' the Second Amendment right to bear firearms. These constitutionally-challenged moves made a lot of conservative-minded folks, and certainly some Liberals, very nervous.

However, what seems to have really triggered the right was Obamas raft of culturally explosive legislation, which turned traditional American values on their head. From the legalization of marijuana, to endorsing same-sex marriages, to opening the door, quite literally, to transgenders using the bathroom and changing facilities of their choice, it seems Obama punched every hot-button issue before leaving office.

At the same time, the left, well before Trump was considered hot political property, was also manning the trenches. On Sept. 17, 2011, a group called Occupy Wall Street took over Zuccotti Park in the heart of New Yorks financial district, where they held protests against economic inequality. The protesters were forced to leave their site on November 15, 2011, but their message continues to resonate to this day.

Two years later, following the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of African-American teenager Trayvon Martin, the Black Lives Matter hashtag became a social media phenomenon. The tag went from the world of virtual reality to the streets, where thousands of protesters condemned a reported rise in police brutality against blacks.

Finally, and most disturbingly, a group called Antifa arrived on the scene, espousing anti-fascist rhetoric against far-right groups. This militant group, which has been declared a domestic terrorist group by the New Jersey Department of Homeland Security, resorts to violent tactics that mirror the very fascist ideology it purports to be challenging. At Berkeley, black-masked Antifa members reportedly left behind property damage and started fires, while the group is believed to have violently disrupted the March 4 Trump event. This thuggish tendency, which seems to be strangely prevalent on the left, to resort to outright violence every time somebody attempts to challenge an idea sets a disastrous precedent. It also leads directly to outbreaks of violence.

Now, with the arrival of Donald Trump on the scene, all of this accumulated political firewood, as it were, has paved the way for round one of a conflagration that won't be resolved anytime soon.

In considering the violent events that shook Charlottesville, where actual fatalities and numerous injuries occurred, it is important to consider what sparked this event, and that was the decision to remove Robert E. Lee's statue from the city center. It seems a reasonable case could be made for both sides of the debate, yet that is exactly what is missing in America these days - healthy debate.

First, it must be said the Confederate cause that Lee defended - that is, an agrarian system based on slavery - is obviously noxious and indefensible. Hundreds of thousands of Africans were physically removed from their homeland and delivered to American shores, forced to till the fields of their 'masters' from morning til night. Not until the emergence of Abraham Lincoln and the North's hard-fought victory in the Civil War did African Americans secure their full-fledged membership in US society. Thus, many Americans find it distasteful that a statue of Lee, gallantly astride his horse, sits in a park that bears his namesake.

Yet the question remains. Will removing Lee's statue eliminate the stain of slavery from American history books? No, it won't. So what is it exactly that we wish to accomplish by its removal? Should Americans be expected to tear down every physical reminder of those historical figures whose ultimate legacy was being on the wrong side of history? Should we be prepared to close down Gettysburg Military Park in Pennsylvania, for example, the sprawling site of the Battle of Gettysburg, the Civil War's bloodiest battle that precipitated the final defeat of Lee's army? It was on the basis of that victory, after all, that lent inspiration to Lincoln's famous 'Gettysburg Address.'

"To forget history is to repeat it" is not some silly cliche, but sound advice that we ignore at our own peril.

The willingness to remove statues from our main squares is just one step away, I believe, from demanding history books be purged from any reference to such events for fear of offending somebody. In both cases, we wish to remove the physical content because we find it morally offensive. Thanks to the toxic atmosphere of political correctness that has sanitized all debate and discussion, we already see the first signs of such extremism. It's a sad day in America when university campuses, the very fountain of free thought, resort to violence every time a controversial guest speaker is invited to address a group of students.

So deeply entrenched are the roots of political correctness that Americans, who can barely pronounce the words 'male' and 'female' these days without facing a lawsuit, are now willing to remove not only stone representations of dead historical figures who still have hard lessons to teach, but living, breathing individuals carrying messages that some may find unsettling, yet that have a right to be spoken nevertheless.

As a nation, we've traveled light years away from the sound advice given by the English writer, Beatrice Hall, who said, "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

Meanwhile, the right of assembly by all participants should have been protected by the authorities in Charlottesville since the idea of allowing these two groups, which exist at extreme ends on the political spectrum, to mingle in the proximity of tiny Emancipation Park (formerly called 'Lee Park') was simply insane.

It should be noted that Unite the Right (UtR) had secured the necessary permits to assemble to hear various speakers discuss the decision to remove the historical Lee statue. They also had the blessing of the American Civil Liberties Union (Yet this did not stop "Unite The Right" organizer Jason Kessler from being attacked by protesters while attempting to hold a news conference). This decision naturally led to counter groups, notably from Antifa, to also secure permits to hold counter rallies. Thus, this quaint Virginia town had collected together enough combustible material to have given the authorities enough incentive to ensure public safety, yet once again the police failed spectacularly on that point.

Reminiscent of the violence that left Berkeley campus resembling a war zone over a scheduled talk by Milo Yiannopoulos, a British commentator associated with the so-called alt-right, the Charlottesville police fueled the tension by driving the conflicting sides into something resembling a mosh pit. Indeed, by all outside appearances, it looked as if the police were willfully inciting violence between the leftist and rightist camps.

Are the local police forces really so inept as to force two opposing groups together during a protest? According to various accounts I have heard, that is exactly what happened. While I will leave the question of police measures to other commentators, it needs to be emphasized that if Americans are to retain their constitutionally protected freedom of speech and assembly, then the authorities must be expected to create the safe spaces for such events.

When Americans are being physically denied the right to express themselves due to an oppressive atmosphere of political correctness, then the authorities must take the necessary steps to protect them, otherwise the natural result will be more violence.

It's sad that the national state of debate in America has reached the point when such measures are required, but without open debate and discussion on all issues, America will be stuck in a Civil War mindset.

@Robert_Bridge

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.

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Welcome to Charlottesville - proof that political correctness is wrecking America - RT

Perry: ‘political correctness has to stop’ – Wisconsin Gazette

Posted on August 14, 2017 by Danzig

Texas Gov. Rick Perry says political correctness has to stop, citing the flap over Chick-fil-A and opposition to same-sex marriage as an example.

Perry addressed an event over the weekend hosted by The Family Leader in Waukee, Iowa, aiming to rally Christian conservatives.

He said that when Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy defended the sanctity of marriage, the left went nuts.

According to his prepared remarks, Perry continued: When conservatives are offended by a corporate policy, we simply choose not to give them our business.

He added that offended liberals try to keep everyone else from giving them business.

Perry apparently didnt mention to those gathered the multiple boycotts waged by the Christian right this past year against businesses that endorsed marriage equality, backed nondiscrimination laws or supported LGBT Pride events. The main targets of right-wing boycotts are Starbucks and General Mills.

Cathy said recently that his company backed the biblical definition of family.

That sparked an outcry from gay activists. But hundreds of thousands of customers also jammed the restaurants during Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day.

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Perry: 'political correctness has to stop' - Wisconsin Gazette

Joy Reid explains that ‘anti-political correctness’ is just repackaged racism in epic tweetstorm – Raw Story

Posted on August 14, 2017 by Danzig

MSNBC host Joy Reid went on a scathing tweetstorm calling out the right-wing and tea party for not only allowing but promoting white supremacists who used the movement to spread their hate. In her tweets, Reid linked political talking points used by Republicans, directly to the Nazis that protested in Charlottesville.

Something people might want to remember: the whole anti-political correctness movement was about rebuking the notion of a polite society where open expressions of racism, sexism and other forms of bigotry against minority groups are frowned upon. Reid wrote. The POINT of anti-PC is to liberate specifically white right wing Protestant men to say out loud what society has forced them to sublimate as out-groups gained social standing and civil rights. The reason Rush [Limbaugh] and [Michael] Savage and other right wing radio is so popular is they offered an outlet for that kind of anti-PC expression. Breitbart, 4Chan, [Fox News] The Five and the rest are just the natural extension of that.

Reid continued, saying that white nationalists have always seen the mainstreaming of such messages a helpful recruiting tool.

They used the Tea Party movement as fertile recruiting ground, she said, linking to a Guardian report that linked white supremacists to the tea party.

Birtherism, fomented by Trump and his friend Joseph Farah, offered fertile recruiting ground, she continued, including a link to the Southern Poverty Law Center profile of Joseph Farah, who runs WorldNetDaily.

And anti-PC meme culture offers a fertile recruiting ground too. And theyre aiming young, she wrote, linking to a Guardian report about white nationalists using college campuses as a recruiting ground.

She also cited former Breitbart writer Milo Yiannopoulos, who once claimed the alt-right values are often described by establishment-types as being on the fringe. He claimed that they were not.

Actual white supremacists and Nazis are a fringe. There arent many of them. But they lay eggs in the cultural unease of white Americans, Reid tweeted. A real leader would try to calm that unease and reject the egg layers. But Trump travels with them. He hired them and retains them.

She noted that President Barack Obama tried to do it, but that people of color cant stop the unease alone. White American must also join the movement to fix things and Trump isnt helping.

So to be very real right now? Americans need to look past this White House for leadership. You wont find it there. Find it elsewhere. Soon, she closed.

You can read and retweet her comments below:

Something people might want to remember: the whole "anti-political correctness" movement was about rebuking the notion of a "polite society"