Explainer: What is artificial intelligence? – ABC Online

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Updated August 07, 2017 12:02:45

Artificial intelligence has jumped from sci-fi movie plots into mainstream news headlines in just a couple of years.

And the headlines are often contradictory. AI is either a technological leap into greater prosperity or mass unemployment; it will either be our most valuable servant or terrifying master.

But what is AI, how does it work, and what are the benefits and the concerns?

AI is a computer system that can do tasks that humans need intelligence to do.

"An intelligent computer system could be as simple as a program that plays chess or as complex as a driverless car," Mary-Anne Williams, professor of social robotics at the University of Technology, Sydney, said.

A driverless car, for example, relies on multiple sensors to understand where it is and what's around it. These include speed, location, direction and 360-degree vision. Based on those inputs, among others, the "intelligent" computer system controls the car by deciding, like a human would, when to turn the steering and when to accelerate or brake.

Then there's machine learning, a subset of AI, which involves teaching computer programs to learn by finding patterns in data. The more data, the more the computer system improves.

"Whether it's recognizing objects, identifying people in photos, reading lung scans or transcribing spoken mandarin, if we pick a narrow task like that [and] we give it enough data, the computer learns to do it as well as, if not better, than us," University of New South Wales professor of artificial intelligence Toby Walsh said.

AI doesn't have to sleep or make the same mistake twice. It can also access vast troves of digital data in seconds. Our brains cannot.

Yes, probably every day.

AI is in your smart phone; it's there every time you ask a question of iPhone's Siri or Amazon's Alexa. It's in your satellite navigation system and instant translation apps.

AI algorithms recognise your speech, provide search results, help sort your emails and recommend what you should buy, watch or read.

"AI is the new electricity," according to Andrew Ng, former chief scientist at Baidu, one of the leading Chinese web services companies. AI will increasingly be all around you from your phone to your TV, car and home appliances.

Four factors have now converged to push AI beyond games and into our everyday lives and workplaces:

The term artificial intelligence was first coined in 1956 by US computer scientist John McCarthy. Until recently, the public mostly heard about AI in Hollywood movies like The Terminator or whenever it defeated a human in a competition.

In 1997, IBM's Deep Blue computer beat Russian chess master Garry Kasparov. In 2011, IBM's supercomputer Watson beat human players on the US game show Jeopardy. Last year, Google's AlphaGo beat Go master Lee Sedol.

"We now have the compute power, the data, the algorithms and a lot of people working on the problems," Professor Walsh said.

AI promises spectacular benefits for humanity, including better and more precise medical diagnosis and treatment; relieving the drudgery and danger of repetitive and dehumanising jobs; and super-charging decision making and problem solving.

"Driverless cars could save many, many lives because 95 per cent of accidents are due to human error," Professor Walsh said.

"Many of the problems that are stressing our planet today will be tackled through having better decision making with computers" that access and analyse vast troves of data, he said.

There are a range of concerns:

Experts are famously split on this.

Prominent tech entrepreneurs and scientists such as Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking, among others, warn that AI could reach and quickly surpass humans, transforming into super-intelligence that would render us the second most intelligent species on the planet.

Musk has compared it to "summoning the demon". Scientists call it singularity, "where machines improve themselves almost without end," Professor Walsh said.

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg accuses Musk of being alarmist. Professor Walsh says we don't yet even fully understand all the facets of human intelligence and there may be limits to how far AI can develop.

He's surveyed 300 of his AI colleagues around the world and most believe if AI can reach human level intelligence, it is at least 50 to 100 years away.

If it happens, humanity will likely have already solved most of the problems about whether the machines' values are aligned with ours. "I'm not so worried about that," he says.

The recent push into AI came from big US tech companies such as Google, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft and Apple. And the US military. What could go wrong?

There's growing concern that these companies are too big and control too much data, which trains the AI algorithms.

China has now also joined the race with plans to dominate the world in AI development by 2030.

There's presently very little national or international regulation around how AI is developed. The Big Tech companies have begun discussing the need for guiding principles to ensure AI is only used for public good.

"One of those is what is the point of AI? It has to be to augment people, to support people, not replace them," Microsoft Australia national technology officer James Kavanagh says.

"Secondly, it has to be democratised. It can't be in the hands of a small number of technology companies.

"Thirdly, it has to be built on foundations of trust. We need to be able to understand any biases in algorithms and how they make decisions."

Topics: robots-and-artificial-intelligence, science-and-technology, australia

First posted August 07, 2017 06:02:12

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Explainer: What is artificial intelligence? - ABC Online

Suicide Rate Hit 40-Year Peak Among Older Teen Girls In 2015 – LEX18 Lexington KY News

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(CNN)-- The suicide rate among girls between the ages of 15 and 19 reached a 40-year high in 2015, according tonew data from the National Center for Health Statistics.

In the shorter term, the suicide rate for those girls doubled between 2007 and 2015, the research indicates.

By comparison, the 2015 suicide rate for boys in this age group was lower than in the peak years of the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s. The researchers derived suicide rates from official data from death certificates.

"These data show that between 2007 and 2015, there's substantial increases in suicide rates for both young males and young females," said Tom Simon, an author of the report and associate director for science in the division of violence protection at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which published the new data Thursday.

"For young males, there was a 31% increase in suicide rates, and for young females, the suicide rate doubled," Simon said.

Potential factors

Specifically, the suicide rate for males between 15 and 19 increased from 12 per 100,000 population in 1975 to 18.1 per 100,000 in 1990. It then declined to 10.8 per 100,000 by 2007 and then increased again to 14.2 per 100,000 by 2015.

Among females, the suicide rate increased from 2.9 per 100,000 in 1975 to 3.7 per 100,000 in 1990, dipped to 2.4 per 100,000 in 2007 and then spiked to 5.1 per 100,000 in 2015.

"We know that overall in the US, we're seeing increases in suicide rates across all age groups," Simon said, putting the new report in perspective.

"We're not seeing the same kind of increases among the oldest adults, but we are seeing substantial and sustained increases now for the other age groups really going back to 2000," he said, adding that the the pattern is "pretty robust."

Carl Tishler, an adjunct associate professor of psychology and psychiatry at the Ohio State University who was not involved in the report, said the high suicide rates among older teens in 2015 "could be the result of a lot of things."

"Some of the opiate or heroin overdoses in adolescents may be interpreted by emergency departments as suicides. There may be more Internet suicides," Tishler said.

Simon said it's "unlikely" that increases in suicide rates are due to any single factor. Possible risk factors for suicide include a history of substance abuse, exposure to violence, social isolation, conflict within relationships, stigma and a lack of available support.

Simon suggested that the lingering effects of the Great Recession in the late 2000s may have contributed to stress within families, causing anxiety in teens.

"In times of economic prosperity, suicide rates go down," he said. "In times of economic instability, suicide rates go up."

Gender differences

Social media can have either negative or positive effects, Simon said. Cyberbullying and harmful content might push a vulnerable teen toward self-harm, yet "social media can help increase connections between people, and it's an opportunity to correct myths about suicide and to allow people to access prevention resources and materials."

Dorian A. Lamis, an assistant professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory University School of Medicine/Grady Health System, theorized that use of social media and cyberbullying may affect teenage girls more than boys, resulting in rising suicide deaths among older teen girls.

"Some research has suggested that the timing of puberty in girls is a contributing factor for the increased suicide rate," said Lamis, who was not involved in the new research. Puberty starts as early as 8 in some girls. The psychosocial and physical changes may leave girls "vulnerable to depression, anxiety and other psychiatric disorders earlier on in life." These known risk factors for suicide may catch up with a girl as she grows older.

Tishler noted thatprevious studiesfrom the CDC have indicated that males take their own lives at nearly four times the rate of females and thus represent 77.9% of all suicides. Yet females are more likely than males to have suicidal thoughts.

"If you look at suicide attempts by girls, it's typically that girls attempt suicide about four to one or three to one over boys, yet boys complete suicide in the reverse," Tishler said. "That tends, we think, to have to do with the modality of suicide attempt."

Simon noted that in this older teen age group, the primary method chosen by boys is firearms, yet for girls, the most common method is suffocation. Still, a significant number of females may choose to poison themselves with anoverdose, which can be remediated in an ER in some cases, Tishler said.

He theorized that girls now have access to pills that may be more lethal -- or more quickly lethal -- than those available to girls in the past, and this may have contributed to the rising rate of suicide deaths among teen girls. Similarly, Lamis conjectured that girls may have access to "more lethal methods in their suicide attempts, resulting in an increased number of deaths."

The new report also does not indicate how many of the teens who completed suicide were in treatment with a medical health professional and how many were receiving medication for depression or other mental illness, Tishler said. He added that he's convinced that the quickness to start or change these medications, which are categorized as psychotropic, "is done in such a manner that makes people more vulnerable to attempting suicide."

"Physicians need to be careful" when increasing, starting or stopping psychotropic medications, because this may "give someone energy to die by suicide," Tishler said.

One symptom of depression can be psychomotor retardation, which medication reduces, helping people become more active. They may attempt more activities to do better in school or to be more social. The medicines may give depressed teens more energy to plan and follow through with a suicide attempt or die by suicide.Psychotropic drugsalso can change mental status and in some cases may increase suicidal thoughts, which is why some of them come with warnings.

"The message for parents, teachers, coaches and religious leaders is to not be afraid to talk to a young person when they are concerned," Simon said. He added that anyone contemplating suicide or concerned for another should reach out to theNational Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

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Suicide Rate Hit 40-Year Peak Among Older Teen Girls In 2015 - LEX18 Lexington KY News

Religion column: Follow the ‘Golden Rule’ – Daily Press

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For sure, theres one Bible verse thats politically correct, no matter the context or situation. It was posted in my first-grade classroom. Parents, no matter the presence or absence of religious affiliation, have depended on it to shape or control behavior. And I suspect its been heard in legislative assemblies as well, at least in the public sphere if not in the back rooms and corridors.

Its entered the culture so thoroughly that it has its own moniker: The Golden Rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Its use actually predates the Holy Scriptures, appearing in ancient Egypt as well as in other pre-modern cultures. Sometimes called the maxim of reciprocity, it is touted by many as the hallmark ethic of a civilized society.

Well. If that be the case, friends, we are living in a less-than-civil world.

Perhaps a closer look at its biblical origins may be helpful in these days when civility, especially in public discourse and action, seems to be on a very long sabbatical.

While many might identify the Golden Rule as no more than a familiar proverb, it may be interesting to know that the scriptural roots of this saying first occur in the Hebrew Bible in Leviticus (19: 9-18, the section that addresses moral holiness in an expansion of the Ten Commandments). There one reads the words, Love your neighbor as yourself. It occurs at the conclusion of a passage that emphasizes community life and justice.

In the Greek Bible, Jesus, as reported in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, further expands this foundation of moral law. In each of these writings, the context is what we know as Jesus Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:12) or the Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6:31).

Both show us a Jesus who has no fear of being called a radical. Here, he talks, not about the religious insiders (as perhaps we hear in Leviticus), but about the excluded ones: the poor, the hungry, the sick, the oppressed, the alien. It is for those marginalized ones that he demands an ethics of compassion that is rooted in justice. Justice that remembers that all are created in the image of God.

No sweet talk about being nice so that someone will be nice back to you, as I was taught.

But a hard commentary on those who would use power and wealth to win, no matter how badly anyone else loses.

With apologies to Thomas Paine, we may be living once again in times that try mens and womens souls. When every day, no, every hour, brings another personal attack, I-have-the-power-so-Ill-use-it-however-I-please moment ... well, these are the times that try all souls. And, by try, I mean in the Lords Prayer sense: do not bring us to the time of trial. Jesus knows, as we do also, that each moment of life tests our commitment to his command to love God and to love neighbor. And that neighbor is everyone, everywhere!

If I want good health care for myself and my family, then I want the same good health care for everyone else. No exceptions. No Cadillac policies for a few and Yugos for the masses.

If I want freedom to worship as I choose, then all must have that same freedom to choose, without my harsh judgment or punishment.

If I wish my children to have the best opportunities for education, then I must work so that all children have the same chances for a good and prosperous life.

And if I want to be spared political oppression and suffering, then I must welcome those who are fleeing torture and sure death.

Its right there in the Holy Scriptures. Jesus says it. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Isabel F. Steilberg is a priest in the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia. She can be reached by email at isabel.steilberg@gmail.com.

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Religion column: Follow the 'Golden Rule' - Daily Press

Following the Golden Rule – Register Pajaronian

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SANTA CRUZ Just a few hours after an 18-hour trip from Redwood City that included a jaunt under the Bay Bridge, the Golden Rule docked in Santa Cruz Small Yacht Harbor for a two-week rest.

The sailboat, a 34-foot, two-mast ketch, is in town as part of a worldwide tour to protest nuclear proliferation, an all-encompassing mission that includes nuclear power, but focuses on weapons.

The tour, which is sponsored by Veterans for Peace, comes as the United Nations pushes a first-ever multilateral treaty to ban nuclear weapons. More than 120 countries signed the legally binding treaty on July 7, a group that did not include the United States, Russia and 48 other countries.

The treaty will become international law once it is ratified by 50 countries.

The crew of the Golden Rule hopes among other things to focus on those holdout nations, said project manager Helen Jaccard.

Jaccard said the ship will also travel along the southern states and the eastern seaboard, as well as up the Mississippi River.

After traveling through the U.S., the crew plans to go through the Panama Canal and on to Asia, she said.

The overall mission is to educate people about the overall danger of radiation, stop war and protect the environment, she said. If we reach out to a broad audience, we have a much better chance of ending the nuclear era.

The Santa Cruz stop on Thursday also came just before Hiroshima Day, the Aug. 6 anniversary of the day the U.S. dropped a nuclear bomb on that Japanese city in 1945.

Veterans for Peace Santa Cruz chapter president Henry Meserve called the ships arrival, a sign of the possibility of peace, and the possibility of doing away with nuclear weapons.

Meserve, who served in the U.S. Marines from 1960-65, said his father was a pacifist who knew the Golden Rules original crew. He said the ships mission is particularly relevant at a time of increasing hostility between the U.S. and North Korea, which is ramping up its nuclear weapons program.

We dont want any more veterans, he said.

In 1958, the Golden Rule became one of the first environmental activism vessels to go to sea, manned by a crew that planned to sail to the Marshall Islands. There, they wanted to stop the U.S. government from conducting aboveground nuclear weapons tests.

The ship sailed from San Pedro toward the U.S. nuclear test zone, but the trip was sidelined after a crewmember got sick and a storm damaged the boat.

On March 25 they sailed again, but the crew was arrested and jailed in Honolulu.

But that incident, coupled with growing concern and skepticism from a public against its government, resulted in the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963.

The story set the stage for such environmental crusaders as Greenpeace and the Sea Shepherds.

Still, the Golden Rule languished for years in Humboldt Bay, eventually sinking thanks to two holes in its stern, Jaccard said.

The ship was removed by a salvage company and was narrowly saved from being turned into firewood by a call by its previous owner, extolling its historical virtues, Jaccard said.

After that, a group took five years to restore it, with the help of several financial contributions, Jaccard said.

The rotating crew sleeps on four bunks, and share a kitchen and a small bathroom.

Jaccard said years of living in an RV made such a cramped lifestyle all the easier.

Goldie is really lucky, she said. She is incredibly lucky or magical. When I lay on the bunk with my feet up, I think to myself how incredibly lucky I am.

The Golden Rule will be docked at P Dock through Aug. 18. The public is invited to visit through Sunday, and then Aug. 16, 17 and 18 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

For information, to follow the progress of the Golden Rule or make donations, visitwww.vfpgoldenruleproject.org or call (206) 992-6364.

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Following the Golden Rule - Register Pajaronian

Is the Golden Rule Still Golden? – HuffPost

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Remember the Golden Rule? Its the credo we learned as children, reminding us to do unto others as we would have them to do unto us.

Its also referred to as the Law of Reciprocity.

Many of us agree that the Golden Rule sounds great in theory. However, Over we discover over time that people around us dont always abide by it. Perhaps we dont abide by it, either.

My previous podcast entitled Respect feeds right into this latest subject. The Golden Rule invites us to delve into the nebulous and often challenging arena of interpersonal relationships. Within this current podcast, I share how Ive endeavored to employ The Golden Rule on personal and professional fronts, and offer a final tale that might greatly surprise and inspire you, too!

If youve ever pondered why the world behaves the way it does, and wondered what can be done to turn it around, tune in for a listen.

Expect to be challenged to think afresh and anew. More than that, expect to operate as a potential world changer as you increase your peace and happiness while youre paving a way to the peace and happiness of others!

Finally, listen in as Patti Mocco shares what makes her happy from the inside out, too.

Click here or on the bar below to listen to Podcast 122: The Golden Rule.

Like these podcasts? Subscribe for more on iTunes, iHeart Radio and Stitcher Radio.

Maura is a Speaker on Influence, Leadership and Emotional Intelligence

Visit Mauras Author page for her 2017 Art of Happiness series

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Is the Golden Rule Still Golden? - HuffPost

Political theater: Richmond’s ‘Progressive Liberal’ riles them up from inside the wrestling ring – Roanoke Times

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LURAY Jeff X was writhing, the victim of a backdrop slam that left the diminutive wrestler from Coeburn sprawled on the mat. His opponent, all 6-foot-5, 240 pounds of him, turned to face the crowd, a sea of people liberally speckled with camouflage and Hemi Orange, then flexed both biceps in triumph.

Hillary! shouted Dan The Progressive Liberal Richards, straining to be heard over the rockabilly band playing on the nearby stage, the blat of monster truck exhaust notes from across the grounds and, maybe loudest of all, the boos of the audience.

#Impeach was printed across the front of his blue trunks. Dump Trump was on the back.

Build the wall, someone shouted back.

The show last weekend was part of Cooters Last Stand billed as the last of the series of Dukes of Hazzard fan festivals organized by Ben Jones, the former congressman and actor who played the Duke boys favorite mechanic on the television show.

For the unfamiliar, this brand of wrestling is probably best understood as sweaty theater rather than a traditional athletic contest. Sports entertainment, they call it in the big leagues.

Most shows feature a babyface or, simply, face the wrestler the crowd is supposed to root for, and a bad guy, called a heel.

There was no doubt who was who at Cooters Place, where some 20,000 people were expected over the course of the two-day event in Luray.

Pickups parked in the fields across U.S. 211 sported stickers like Dont steal, the government hates competition, We the people have had enough, and Republican: Because everyone cant be on welfare.

Page County went 73 percent for President Donald Trump, and Hazzard Nation may be an even bigger backer of the first member of the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame to serve as commander in chief.

Who voted for Trump? Jeff X asked the crowd after trotting into the ring to cheers, drawing a lusty chorus of whoops.

A crazy dream

Richards, a 37-year-old real estate agent from Richmond whose real name is Daniel Harnsberger, was met with a torrent of invective as he ambled into the ring, wearing knee-pads featuring a parody of the Ghostbusters logo with Trumps face.

Vote Democrat, he shouted.

For Harnsberger, who has been drawing national and international media attention for the past month for the wrestling persona hes been developing since 2015, it was another perfect venue. Hes made a name as a down-talking D.C. elitist tailor-made to taunt the wrestling fans of Appalachia, whom he calls hilljacks that live in hollows, not hollers.

We had people try to fight him earlier, said Beau James, a longtime wrestler and promoter from Kingsport, Tenn.

James, who has known Harnsberger since shortly after he started wandering into matches while attending Concord University in Athens, W.Va., is something akin to the Liberals strict wrestling sensei.

Theres no praise for doing your job. But there is a boot in your ass for not doing your job, James said.

James helped Harnsberger fine-tune The Progressive Liberal, feeding him a few lines at a show in Racine, W.Va., about a year ago. One mentioned Hillary Clinton coming for the crowds guns once she won the election.

A guy walked up with a pistol on his hip and begged us to try to take it from him, James said. We knew we had something.

Harnsberger, a 1999 graduate of Midlothian High School and a former college basketball player with a communication degree, had wrestled on and off for the better part of the past 14 years in one-offs and small-time circuits.

He once took a five-year break because he realized he wasnt doing himself or the business any favors.

I told Dan: Youve got to find yourself, James said.

Before a Deadspin piece at the end of June that hoisted him out of obscurity, the biggest thing in Harnsbergers life was a career move: from regional manager for a courier company to newly licensed real estate agent looking to start a property management business.

Instead, his summer has been a whirlwind series of interviews, from rolling on the mat with a Vice News reporter to amicable verbal sparring with Fox News Tucker Carlson, squeezing in Sports Illustrated, CBS, the BBC and dozens of other outlets in between.

This whole thing has just been a crazy dream, said Harnsberger, who also got billing in promotional materials for the Luray show alongside WWE Hall of Fame tag-team duo The Rock n Roll Express and Jimmy Valiant, also known as The Boogie Woogie Man.

Its unlike anything I would have expected, he said. Truthfully I dont want it to end. Its a high: the attention and the recognition.

Out here, its brave

I didnt like that guy at all, said Jennifer Purvis, 37, of Luray, a wrestling devotee who was ringside for many of the two-day matches at Cooters, spending much of the time screaming at Harnsberger.

To put Dump Trump on his rear end? Ive never seen anything like it.

But even in deepest Trump country, there was also some knowing admiration for his heel performance.

After Harnsberger eventually pinned a determined but overmatched Jeff X, then mounted the turnbuckles and screamed, Im a winner to the crestfallen crowd, a tall man in the audience with a little girl on his shoulders shook his head and chuckled to himself.

Best gimmick Ive seen in a while, he said to no one in particular before herding his kids off toward the massive lines where fans patiently waited for autographs from Dukes of Hazzard cast members like Catherine Bach, who played Daisy Duke.

There were even a few who liked his brand of politics.

Its ballsy. Out here, its brave, Naomi Baez, 21, of Norfolk, said of Harnsbergers character.

Her father, David Baez, 48, also of Norfolk, said he didnt quite grasp the concept until he saw the crowd.

I thought hed be the good guy. We have to remember where we are, he said. I know this is a shtick he does, but we love it.

The Progressive Liberal is indeed a gimmick, but only in the wrestling sense of the term, in that its a calculated, amplified persona designed to rile up the crowd. Harnsberger insists the character is a reflection of his real-life politics and beliefs, if not necessarily his personality.

Out of the ring, Harnsberger comes off as almost bashful for someone who delights in getting half naked and exchanging verbal abuse with crowds of strangers. He tends to look away when he talks about himself. He repeatedly references his need for more ring time to improve his wrestling.

And although he exhorted the crowd to look at his beautiful liberal body minutes earlier, outside the small tent that passes for a dressing room and rest area for the wrestlers at the event, he laments legs that he says are too skinny.

But a guy who knows a thing or two about wrestling thinks Harnsberger is the total package.

Hes a beautiful kid. Hes got it all, said Valiant, who has a wrestling school near his home in Shawsville, near Blacksburg.

Youve got to have everything going for you to make it in business, especially our business. A lot of guys, if you dont get it in 10 years, youll never get it. ... Hes really sincere and wants it. So many kids want it, but most dont want to work for it.

For all of the attention Harnsberger is getting, life in regional wrestling remains a grind. He and many of the wrestlers at the Luray show had wrestled the night before at the New River Valley Fair in Dublin. They packed up that night and drove more than 180 miles up Interstate 81, slept at their motel in Harrisonburg for few hours, and were at Cooters bright and early to set up.

Everyone thinks its super-glamorous, said Harnsberger, who is single, has no children and has never been married. Its not always. You pay a lot of dues. ... It doesnt make sense why anyone would love it; you just do. If theres one reason, its the rush of getting a reaction from the crowd.

In between matches, while attempting to sell a few autographed photos, he waits for a food voucher from the organizers, eventually spending it on a sad-looking, burnt double burger and soggy fries.

Its awful, he says between bites. Sooooo terrible.

A decent meal will have to wait until he, James and some of the other wrestlers commandeer a table near a corner at the Golden China buffet in Harrisonburg after the days show.

Far left, like me, he texts a reporter coming to meet him. Much of the meal is off-the-record to avoid breaching kayfabe, a wrestling term that refers to the portrayal of the characters, storylines and feuds as genuine.

There is one major revelation, though. Harnsberger, who has just spent the day in an unbridled Dukes of Hazzard extravaganza, has never seen the show, nor any of the other 70s and 80s programs the other wrestlers regard as cultural touchstones.

And its hard to get a sense of what Harnsbergers fellow wrestlers make of The Progressive Liberal and his newfound celebrity.

Its an example of good things coming to people that work hard, said Kacee Carlisle, who grew up in San Francisco, lives in Northern Virginia and said she fell in love with wrestling at age 8. Hes handling it well.

Stan Lee, another wrestler from Tennessee who has been wrestling with Harnsberger, occasionally as his tag-team partner, said he wasnt initially sure about the persona and his pro-Clinton attire.

The elections over, he told Harnsberger. I dont think anybodys going to care anymore. ... When he came out with that shirt, people hate that. And they hate the character.

Whether its love or hate isnt important, as long as a wrestler gets the crowd to react.

That is the hardest and most important part of wrestling, becoming somebody people care about, said Adam Hangman Page, a 26-year-old wrestler from South Boston, who was born Stephen Woltz.

Page had spent the previous five years teaching high school in Halifax County and wrestling on the side until he made the jump to full-time grappler last year, splitting his time between Ring of Honor Wrestling in the United States and New Japan Pro-Wrestling overseas.

He has never met Harnsberger, but cant escape stories about him on social media and wrestling and news sites.

Hes not wrestling for any of these huge national companies, but I see his name every time I turn around, Page said. Hes found a bit of a niche for himself. ... No matter where he is, people are going to have an opinion about him the second they see him. And thats good.

Kelly Fuller, 47, of Midlothian, was raised in a family of wrestling fans and in a room covered with posters of wrestlers.

I planned to marry Ricky Steamboat when I grew up, she said. That didnt happen.

Her son, Charles, 13, has spent much of life in and out of hospitals and doctors offices for grueling hemophilia treatments. A bright spot has been the Make-a-Wish-Foundation and the chance to meet his wrestling heroes, including big names like Brock Lesnar. His Make-a-Wish T-shirt has dozens of wrestlers signatures.

In Luray on Sunday, it got one more from Harnsberger, who added a bumper sticker that he inscribed with When you turn 18, vote Democrat.

Dont take that, Charles mom said jokingly. Were Republicans.{/span}

Its the last day of Cooters Last Stand, and Harnsberger is surprised at the gimmick money autographed photos and similar merchandise that he is making from a crowd that has overwhelmingly booed him.

But any cordiality at Cooters, where Uncle Jesses Rules against cussin and fightin? have largely held sway, is about to disappear.

Harnsberger is about to face off against James, his friend and mentor, for his final match. He hints that he has something special planned and might not be around for an interview afterward.

He enters the ring with his standard taunts Im going to turn this town into a sanctuary city before pulling a trash bag out of his trunks.

Then, at a venue where Ben Cooter Jones himself warned potential guests, If you dont like rebel flags, please dont come; where there are Confederate battle flag oversized dice hanging from rear-view mirrors; where replica General Lee Dodge Chargers with rebel flags on the roof are parked as far as the eye can see; and where Confederate soldier re-enactors stand in the audience, Harnsberger performs a move that draws a genuine gasp or two from the crowd.

He pulls a rebel battle flag from his trunks, wipes his backside and crotch with it, spits on the ensign, and stuffs it in the garbage bag, eliciting howls of rage before James knocks him to the canvas from behind. Much of the match revolves around rescuing or stuffing the flag back into the trash bag, but James is getting the worst of it, including getting strangled at one point with Harnsbergers Hillary Clinton T-shirt.

The audiences despair is mounting, along with calls for Harnsberger to get hit with a chair. Finally someone throws one into the ring.

And though James has already secured the upper hand by grabbing the hammer used to ring the bell and clobbering Harnsberger with it, he delivers the coup de grace with a folding chair, stretching Harnsberger out on the canvas.

Then, to the crowds delight, he pulls the trash bag over Harnsbergers head. The Progressive Liberal squirms around inside before tearing a hole and sticking his head through. He leaves the ring, still wearing the bag, to jubilant jeers.

The South is avenged.

A few minutes after the match, Harnsberger sent a text.

I am in the tent. We can talk outside of it. Should be safe, he wrote.

One little kid gives him a high-five, and he banters with a few others. But then he gets a dose of the undercurrent of ugliness that colored much of the 2016 presidential campaign.

A big man, though he still has to look up at Harnsberger, with a young girl in tow makes a remark about the absurdity of a woman president.

Harnsberger replies that other advanced countries have had female leaders. The argument devolves, but the man eventually compliments the idea of the character and walks away.

That kind of exchange doesnt bother Harnsberger, but, to borrow a favorite pejorative of Trumps, he said he does find it sad. He says he tries to engage with the people at his shows in a constructive way.

There are reasons why people vote for Trump, and I think when youre having a political conversation its good to understand someone elses thinking on the other side, he said. Maybe you can have a more productive discussion, whether you change someones mind or not.

Then, a kid waiting in line for an autograph from one of the Dukes of Hazzard cast members yells out: Snowflake!

No one asked you punk, so go away. Im talking to a reporter, Harnsberger said. Whos a snowflake now? Youre backing up.

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Political theater: Richmond's 'Progressive Liberal' riles them up from inside the wrestling ring - Roanoke Times

City Hall staffers see $2.8M in raises through fiscal year 2017 – NY … – New York Daily News

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NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Updated: Thursday, August 3, 2017, 9:41 AM

The mayor's poll numbers may be down, but salaries for his staff are going up, up, up.

Mayor de Blasio doled out $2.8 million in raises in fiscal year 2017, which ended June 30, a Daily News analysis found.

The News analyzed the salaries of 538 staffers who worked in the mayors office in both fiscal years 2016 and 2017 and found that 426 of them got raises. Of those, 40 staffers got pay hikes of 20% or more and 15 saw their pay increase by 30% or better.

The payroll data for fiscal 2016 and 2017 were obtained through a Freedom of Information Law request.

City urged to verify if mayor's legal bills are job-related costs

The biggest raise, measured as a percentage of the salary, went to Alexander Merchant whose salary shot up 81% from $67,000 in 2016 to $121,000 this year.

Merchants pay hike came in two parts a raise to $82,555 in December 2016 for a promotion within the mayors Office of Operations.

Next, he received a jump to $121,000 in May for a new position as an adviser with the first deputy mayors office, according to City Hall.

Mkada Beach, chief of staff at the Mayors Office of Special Projects and Events, saw her salary boosted by 38%, to $85,000 before being suspended without pay in June.

Mayor, governor rally against Republican health care bill

Beach was charged in connection with an auto insurance fraud ring busted by Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. She has since been let go, city officials said.

Avi Fink who has been linked to several questionable campaign donors saw his salary climb by 42% this year.

Fink, 31, was promoted to be the mayors deputy chief of staff in October. His salary jumped then and once again on March 1, landing at $175,000.

While not reflected in their titles as listed in the payroll documents, many of those earning raises of 30% or more Merchant, Beach and Fink included wound up in entirely new jobs, moving from one office to another, with new responsibilities, said de Blasio spokeswoman Freddi Goldstein.

De Blasio to taxpayers: Pay my $2.3M legal bill from ethics probe

I know its fun to beat on public servants, but these are people who received promotions or more senior jobs. When you get a new job, you get a new salary, whether you work in city government or a grocery store, Goldstein said.

The most common raise was for considerably less 3%, which was what 302 staffers gained. That is in line with the raises that went to city employees who are represented by District Council 37, Goldstein said.

While de Blasio clearly approves of his staffers, just 50% of city voters gave Hizzoner favorable marks in the latest survey of his approval rating, released by Quinnipiac University this week.

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How to retire early with financial independence in 3 steps – NBC2 News

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NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Millennials are the first generation to shun traditional retirement and seek financial freedom instead -- when income from savings is enough to cover expenses, and working becomes a choice, often long before the age of 65.

Becoming financially independent and retiring early, a process known as FIRE, can be achieved at any income level by saving a high percentage of your salary, or cutting your expenses -- or both. CNNMoney profiles people who've reached financial independence early and on their own terms.

On a recent Wednesday afternoon, 29-year-old J.P. Livingston sat at an outdoor cafe in New York's West Village, wrapped in a cozy sweater, sipping tea and talking about her current project: retirement.

Livingston says she quit the workforce last year with $2.25 million after working in finance for only 7 years.

Let the Baby Boomers have their "retirement," with its delayed gratification and uncertain benefits, say an increasing number of young people like Livingston. Instead, they are gaming their income, saving rates and investments to become financially independent and retire early -- a process known as FIRE.

While Americans commonly spend most of what they earn and fall short on traditional retirement savings, today's young people are the first generation to plan for financial freedom: 63% of affluent Millennials prefer financial freedom over retirement, while 37% are saving to leave the workforce altogether, according to a study from Merrill Edge.

Anyone can achieve financial independence simply by saving a lot. Most people who are able to quit the workforce at a very young age do it by saving at least half their income.

And Livingston sets the bar pretty high. She saved at least 70% of everything she made for 7 years. And she chose a career -- and a city -- that would help her do that by maximizing her income, despite the high cost of living.

She had a mission. What else would you call it, when you start planning your retirement as a teen?

"I've wanted to be financially independent and retire early for years," Livingston said, recalling wandering around bookstores as a tween and being drawn to books on early retirement.

Sure, she had a few things going for her -- more than most: She managed to graduate from Harvard University in three years with no debt and some savings. She also landed a very high-paying job in finance that came with a six-figure income that increased exponentially over time. And she had a plan that made it possible for her to reach financial independence before she and her husband started a family and expenses inevitably grew. (A new project for her retirement: having a baby. She recently learned she's pregnant.)

But her nest egg is self-made. Even though her husband still works, Livingston's own savings are enough to cover both their living expenses -- around $67,000 per year -- for the rest of their lives.

"I came from a family that grew up really poor," said Livingston, who now writes under that pen-name on her blog about retiring early, TheMoneyHabit.org. "My family constantly reminded me that it was important to focus on providing for yourself." She prefers to remain anonymous to protect her privacy in revealing sensitive financial information. (CNNMoney has independently confirmed her identity.)

Livingston's fast-track to financial freedom was strategic, with each stage building on the next. First, she focused on her income, then on building her savings, followed by investment growth. Now that she's reached retirement, she's focused on tax optimization.

Here's how she did it.

Super-charge your income

Instead of moving to an area with a low cost of living (an easy way to slash expenses), Livingston doubled down on New York City.

"You can find the best job opportunities here," Livingston said. "I couldn't have found my job in Omaha, Nebraska. Maybe in Chicago, but I'd be paid less. I was paid the most here."

She worked hard to continually boost her income, which came through salary, raises, bonuses and commissions. When she first started working she was earning six-figures right out of the gate. Her starting salary was $60,000, plus incentives, which could easily double her yearly pay. But it only went up from there. Over the years, she increased her salary significantly, earning promotions with raises upwards of 30% along the way. By the time she quit her job, her paycheck was in the mid-six-figures.

A major feather in her cap was not having any debt, especially student loans.

"I was very aware of how expensive Harvard was," said Livingston. "I decided I should just get out early." She paid for school through scholarships and her family's savings. Graduating early allowed her to avoid paying additional expenses and move directly into earning an income.

Even if you go to a less expensive school, she says, if you can get it together to graduate a year early, you can avoid taking a loan for that year or, if you have the savings, "you can park that $20,000 in the market and start earning."

Crank the savings rate sky-high

Livingston's hard-core formula to reach a 70%-plus savings rate: income minus expenses equals savings.

When friends called her to go out, she'd steer them toward the most affordable social engagements: "I'd love to see you! Can I join you for drinks after? Or are you free for brunch?"

In addition to offering her a high income, New York's higher density offered her ways to save. She was able to live car-free and found that higher earning people getting rid of great stuff led to super deals on Craigslist or curbside.

"We had a gorgeous, pristine storage bench my roommate found on the street with a 'free' sign on it," she said. "It was one of the nicest pieces of furniture in the whole apartment."

She also had a broad choice of living situations. She opted for a third-floor walk-up where she had a mattress on the floor and paid $1,100 a month, her first year out of college. After that she moved to a 325-square-foot fifth-floor walk-up where she still lives with her husband and dog.

While building up her savings she started out living on $25,000. Even as her salary grew, her spending only went up to $30,000 a year.

"Incremental improvements that you build into your routine will pay out not just once, but it will pay off multifold," says Livingston. Lowering your rent by adding another roommate, saying you'll only meet friends for brunch, coffee or drinks (as opposed to more expensive dinners), "that will keep paying off for you year after year."

Grow the money

But you're not going to get to $2.25 million just by skipping a few dinners. About 60% of Livingston's net worth came from savings, and about 40% came from investing, primarily in a combination of low-cost index funds, options and municipal bonds, depending on the market.

Her expertise in the financial industry certainly helped juice her investment returns.

Once your savings are substantial, she says, the tweaks you make to your investments will have much more impact than any changes to your spending or saving habits.

For example, if you earn $70,000 a year and have regularly saved a significant portion for a few years, you may have between $120,000 to $150,000 in savings. If you can get a 10% return on your investments, you'll add $12,000 to $15,000 to your savings.

Among the proponents of FIRE, who support each other on various spaces on-line, Livingston's accomplishment is called "Fat FIRE," which is like FIRE, but with much bigger monthly budgets, and therefore much larger nest eggs.

She and her husband now live on $67,000 a year, an annual budget others on the path to FIRE may balk at as very high.

"That buys us a lot of cushy luxuries which include maid service and sending laundry out," she said. "We skimp on a lot of things, but those actually end up being quite affordable in Manhattan because of the density, and are offset by the cheap rent we pay." Plus: they don't have a washing machine.

While her expenses are completely covered by her savings, her husband still works, but by choice.

These days Livingston is working on growing her money and helping others to do the same through her blog.

"The you that is intentional with your money and constantly looking for improvement will be that much wealthier than the one that isn't, whatever your starting circumstances may be."

By Anna Bahney

The CNN TM & 2017 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.

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How to retire early with financial independence in 3 steps - NBC2 News

CNNMoney readers react: She retired at 28 with $2.25 million – Aug … – CNNMoney

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The story got people talking.

Many CNNMoney readers viewed Livingston as an outlier with advantages that most people don't have because she graduated from Harvard with zero debt and had an extremely high income.

RadicalM0derate says on Twitter: "So to retire young: get into Harvard & pay for it through scholarships and family $; save most/all of your 6 figure income for 10 yrs. Easy."

To be sure, Livingston is in a rarefied group.

The acceptance rate this year at Harvard is 5.2%, according to Harvard. And getting any degree debt free is far from the norm: The average student debt tops $30,000.

Plus, Livingston's mid-six-figure income put her squarely in the 1%. Most people earn something closer to the median income, which is $56,500, according to the Census Bureau.

Full story: She retired at 28 with $2.25 million

But some readers found her story inspiring, and the lessons applicable.

As Anton Mykytenko posted on Facebook, her experience, while on one end of the spectrum, is scalable: "Regardless of whether or not she received some help, she still worked to find the place where she's paid the most versus her living costs, saved up 70% of her income, and planned early. No matter your situation, these are still things you can apply to your life. Think about how what she did can help you get ahead instead of getting outraged."

Many people have achieved financial independence on much lower incomes, like this couple we profiled in June. While age 28 is extreme, those with lower incomes might be able to do it by 35 or 40, or by moving somewhere with a lower cost of living, or learning to live on less.

Other readers pointed out that Livingston can't be financially independent if her spouse still works.

"She is not really retired she got married & plans on having kids & her husband still works. Like many families," writes Patrick Landers on Facebook.

But Livingston's savings are enough to cover both her and her husband's expenses regardless of his income. (Plus, he has some savings of his own).

Some readers questioned whether financial independence is possible for someone who didn't go to Harvard, and isn't in the 1%.

One Reddit user thinks it is: "I live in NYC. $2 million is our number and we are 3/4 of the way there. Of course I made less than this woman for my entire career, went to SUNY, and still spent much of my time and money partying when I was her age. But I'm 44 and almost there."

Related: How to become financially independent in 5 years

At such a young age, is $2.25 million really going to be enough to last for the rest of her life?

As Matthew Coldrick replied on Facebook, "Most people need that much to retire at 60. Good luck making $2m last 60 years."

With a nest egg of $2.25 million to live on for the next 60 years, she could take out $88,800 annually or about $7,400 a month from age 29 to 89, assuming a 4% growth rate. Not living large, but certainly better off than many people, especially considering she isn't even working.

So Livingston feels set at 29 years old with her pot of gold. Many readers wanted to know: then what?

Karren Omeara asks on Facebook: "So than what do you do with at least 50 years left?"

"Live" replied Deborah Toomey.

Even by making a few tweaks to your current finances -- saving 20% for retirement instead of 10%, looking to used goods instead of new, cutting entertainment expenses, investing what you have in a way that suits your risk-tolerance -- you can still get to the retirement you're looking for. Whether it is at 28 or 58, it's your journey, better to have more control over it now than less later.

CNNMoney (New York) First published August 4, 2017: 3:52 PM ET

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CNNMoney readers react: She retired at 28 with $2.25 million - Aug ... - CNNMoney

Chester floodplain housing scheme unanimously rejected – ChesterChronicle.co.uk

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Councillors unanimously rejected a large housing scheme targeting the Chester floodplain.

Ospitium 4 wanted to build 140 terraced houses and 140 apartments for rent on farmland off Clifton Drive, near Blacon, together with a new public park, childrens nursery, estate managers office and flood defence measures.

There were also plans for geothermal heating, bicycle and car parking, a footbridge, new accesses created by demolishing four houses fronting Sealand Road plus junction improvements.

But members at Cheshire West and Chester Council's planning committee followed the planning officers recommendation in refusing the scheme, known as Ogilvie Park, due to constraints including flood risk and loss of green space.

Andy Scargill, chairman of Friends of North Chester Greenbelt, addressed the meeting on the question of flooding.

He said: The applicants want to build their houses on top of huge concrete tubes to allow the water to flow up and down when such a catastrophe occurs. The Environment Agency said this wouldnt protect gardens, estate roads and cars so they would recommend that people in the houses, should they be built, drive their vehicles to the top of the Blacon escarpment to avoid the flood waters.

This is a nonsense, you couldnt make it up.

If it was the case that there was insufficient land within the Chester area to provide for new homes then there may be an argument for building on unsuitable land. Your Local Plan clearly identifies category 1 land by Wrexham Road which is more than adequate for Chesters future needs, currently an application has been lodged to build 1,400 houses.

Patrick Davies, for the applicant, said: Ogilvie Park provides much needed housing within a managed private-public park , 280 apartments and houses 80% private rental sector and 20% affordable private rental sector.

He said the project was in line with current thinking about the need to combat the UK housing crisis.

Mr Davies added: Ogilvie Park provides flood defences to protect 1,200 existing properties, up to 2,000 new homes and circa 50,000 square metres of potential commercial floor space which could be located on CWaC-owned land and other landowners.

He claimed the scheme was wholeheartedly backed by the Environment Agency.

Mr Davies said the ecological information provided by the council was based on a 1993 UK-wide report compiled by flying over the area with no samples of flora taken. He added: The proposal will create what the survey thought it had detected, planted grassland and enlarged hedgerow habitat to create opportunities for the existing water voles and encourage wider bio-diversity.

Blacon ward councillor Carol Gahan was concerned at building on high risk floodplain leaving new residents with an insurance and personal risk. The site had been ruled as unsuitable when the council drew up its Local Plan. She claimed the flood defences relied on a manually operated system which she felt was reckless.

There would be a loss of green space and wildlife in an area identified as deprived. And Cllr Gahan said Clifton Drive would be turned into a major thoroughfare even though it was just a country lane. Residents on Sealand Road would be overpowered by the housing at the rear with increased traffic at the front. She feared the impact on health and community services of another 1,000 residents.

Moving refusal, Cllr Eleanor Johnson said: We are told that this application is ambitious but I say I find the design to be utilitarian. I was going to say Eastern bloc but I was told I couldnt say that! It reminds me more of something like you see on television built around Chernobyl and I think we have moved forward from that. We want something people want to live in.

To her, building on the floodplain was unthinkable and she could not go against any of the seven reasons offered by the planning officer as reasons for refusal.

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Chester floodplain housing scheme unanimously rejected - ChesterChronicle.co.uk

Andaman And Nicobar Islands – Blue Seas, Virgin Islands And Colonial Past – Andhrawishesh (blog)

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August 03, 2017 19:11

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Andaman And Nicobar Islands - Blue Seas, Virgin Islands And Colonial Past:- Andaman and Nicobar Islands, located in the Bay of Bengal are known for their scenic beaches, dense forests and adventurous water sports.

Out of the 600 islands in the Bay of Bengal, only around 36 islands are inhabited. The archipelago is divided into two groups of islands - the Andaman Islands and the Nicobar Islands. Of these, only 9 islands in the Andaman Islands group are open for tourists.

The sandy beaches form as nesting homes to turtles, animals such as spotted deer, wild boar, gecko, crab-eating macaque and python can be spotted in the 86% area still covered by dense forests.

In Andaman and Nicobar Islands, rains are usually on and off while the other days are mostly sunny. You can visit the Beladaru beach at Batarang Island, if it is sunny. There are many indoor activities to indulge you as well, when it rains.

Other places to visit here are Radhanagar, dolphin resort, Cellular jail and Phoenix Bay Jetty which is quite a sight in the rains.

- Summer ( April - July ) Summer temperatures range between 24 to 37 degrees Celsius. During this time, all the water sports are open to visitors and it is an excellent time to visit the islands.

- Monsoon (July - September ) During this time, the temperatures range between 22 to 35 degrees Celsius. July and August witness the maximum visits to the islands. However, in case of heavy rainfall and unpredictable seas, water sports may not be an option.

- Winter (October - March ) Winters are not severe at all. Weather stays mild and pleasant. Temperatures range between 20 to 30 degrees Celsius.

- How To Reach

Andamans can be reached via air and water only, since these are an isolated cluster of islands in the Bay of Bengal along the Eastern coast of India.

Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair is connected via flights to Kolkata and Chennai. Only domestic operators offer flight service to Andaman Islands.

Nearest Airport: Veer Savarkar International Airport (IXZ)

You can reach Port Blair via water from Kolkata, Chennai and Vishakhapatnam only. It takes about 4 days to reach Andamans via cruise.

There are auto-rickshaws and taxis available in Port Blair and on Havelock Island and are the best means to move around. On Havelock Island, you can also rent scooters and motorbikes.

1) Havelock Island

Havelock is one of the most popular islands among the 600 in the region and is the most developed when it comes to tourism. It is a 2-4 hour ferry ride away from Port Blair.

Named after a British general, Havelock Island is the largest island that comprises of Ritchies Archipelago. Havelock is located 57 km north-east of the capital city Port Blair. It consists of 5 villages which are Shyam Nagar, Vijay Nagar, Radha Nagar, Krishna Nagar and Govinda Nagar.

2) Scuba Diving

Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a popular spot for scuba diving among tourists. Most popular island among all the islands for the dives, however, is Havelock. It is an ideal diving destination for everyone, right from a novice to an experienced diver. For non-certified amateur divers, charges start from about INR 3,500 for a 30-minute dive.

Scuba Diving is the most sought after activity on Havelock island. The top agencies which are certified by SSI and PADI and provide scuba facilities are Barefoot Scuba, Doongi Dives, DiveIndia, Andaman Dive Club and Andaman Bubbles. Smaller Dive schools include OceanTribe, Gold India and ScubaLuv.

Andamans, with its clear waters and rich coral reserves, offers a large number of spots for shallow as well as deep dives (up to 55m). The major dive spots are: Pilot Reef (6-18m), Lighthouse (6-20m), Aquarium (12-15m), Elephant Beach (6-25m), Jacksons Bar (20-35m), The Wall (10-55m), Johnnys Gorge (25-30m), Dixon's Pinnacle (18-40m), Minerva Ledge (10-18m).

3) Cellular Jail

The Cellular Jail constructed by the Britishers is the old colonial prison situated in Port Blair. The jail complex is now owned by the Government of India and it is recognized as the national memorial monument showcasing the life of prisoners during theBritish period.

The jail narrates the horrifying and darkest period in the history of India. Soon after the Sepoy Mutiny in the year 1857, Britishers began to use the islands of Andaman and Nicobar as the jails to put the independence leaders behind the bars. The secluded islands were chosen due to their distant location from the main parts of the country where the prisoners would be kept in the dark depriving them of the situation in the country and excluding them from the society.

Many of the prisoners died due to inhumane conditions, many were hanged till death and many simply perished.

- Open Time: National Memorial: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM, 1:00 PM - 4:15 PM (Closed on Mondays)

4) Snorkeling in Andamans

Snorkeling is another popular water sport among tourists. Sea around Havelock Island serves as one of the best sites for snorkeling.

You can see a kaleidoscope of colors underwater with a variety of reef, fishes, turtles, sharks and rays. Snorkeling costs around INR 400-500, and is much cheaper compared to Scuba diving.

5) Ross Island

Ross Island is one of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, about 2 km east of Port Blair. One can see remnants of an opulent past in the ruins of the church, swimming pool and the chief commissioners residence with its huge gardens and grand ballrooms. Managed by the Indian Navy, there is also a cemetery and a small museum.

Ross Island, a few km from Aberdeen jetty at Port Blair, is yet another member of the Andaman group of islands.

6) Neil Island

Neil Island is apparently named after a British soldier, James George Smith Neill, who had sternly dealt with the insurgents during the suppression of the 1857 Mutiny.

The island is located 40 kilometres north-east of Port Blair, the capital of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It is the southernmost island of Ritchies Archipelago.

Neil quite small compared to Havelock is a place to chill out after the bustle of Havelock Island. You can walk the whole island in about an hour or two.

In Neil there have three good sand beaches. The color of sea water is light blue, dark blue and green. Neil Island is a peaceful island. You can go around to see the natural bridge, beach #8, sitapur beach, ramnagar beach and lakshmanpur beach.

7) Water Sports In Andamans

The Andamans, while great for the peaceful, undisturbed soul-searching vacation that you need, also happen to be a hub for indulging in some killer water sports. Come, soak in the fun!

Activities offered : Water-skiing, Sail boats, Windsurfing, Speed Boats, Snorkeling, Scuba Diving, Para sailing, Water scooters, Row boats, kayaks, paddle boats

Cost of Activity : Starts at Rs. 2000 including equipment, depending upon the kind of activity.

Currents : 55 - 64 cm/sec

Difficulty Level : Easy-Medium

Nearest Airport : Port Blair

Nearest Port : Port Blair

Region : Bay of Bengal

Time required : 4-5 days if you want to try out all the different sports

Water Temperature : 26-30 degrees Centigrade

Air: It is most convenient to travel to Andaman Islands by air. The airport is situated at the capital city of Port Blair. Regular flights are available to the islands from Chennai, Kolkata and Delhi. One can also get flight from Bhubaneshwar on certain days.

Sea: Another way of reaching these exotic groups of islands is through sea. The regular passenger ship services to Port Blair commence from Chennai, Visakhapatnam and Kolkata with usually 3-4 sailings per months both sides. The complete voyage takes around 50 to 60 hours approximately to reach the final destination.

Things to carry

1) Sunblock

2) Flip Flops

3) Hats

4) Bathing Suits

5) Sunglasses

6) Energy Bars

7) Waterproof camera bags, lenses and battery packs

Safety Tips

Carry a small bottle of water during the day for emergencies. Stretch before participating in water sports. Make sure you choose operators that offer up-to-date safety gear.

General tips

The best time to visit the Andamans is from October to May. It is during this time that the Emerald Isle is at it's prettiest, balmiest best. Choose good adventure operators who will provide good equipment.

8) Wandur National Park

Located in the south-western coast of the Andaman Islands, Wandur National Park is a marine life conservation area situated at a distance of 25 km from the capital city of Port Blair. The wildlife sanctuary which is also known as the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park consists of a group of 12 islands which are situated geographically in a labyrinthine shape and are home to some of the most exquisite marine wildlife in the world.

The national park is a great place to try some snorkeling and diving in the crystal clear water of the islands. The coral reefs are the highlight of the park exhibiting their glorious forms.

The famous islands to visit are Jolly buoy Islands, Redskin Island, Grub Island, Rangat Island, Neil Island and Long Island. The national park can amaze and dazzle everyone visiting especially those who hold wildlife close to their hearts.

- Open Time: The first boat trip starts at 8:30am and continues till 10:30am at an interval of 30 minutes. The National Park has only 150 permits for tourist entries distributed on the basis of first-cum-first-serve.

9) Chatham Saw Mill

Chatham Saw Mill is the biggest and the oldest mill across Asia owned by the Forest Department. The mill is also a storehouse for a variety of woods cut into different shapes and sizes.

- Open Time: All days of the week except Sunday: 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM

10) Corbyns Cove

Corbyns Cove is the nearest beach to Port Blair. It is quite popular among tourists as well as locals.

It serves as an ideal place to just get a good sunset view and laze around. There are quite a few water sports which draw many adventure enthusiasts here.

- Open Time: All days of the week: 12:00 AM - 12:00 PM

11) Barren Island

Barren Island is located at a distance of 35 kms of Port Blair, the capital city of the Andaman and Nicobar islands. The island is famous as a rare and interesting scuba-diving destination.

12) Viper Island

Years before Cellular Jail was constructed, Viper Island was used by the British to keep the freedom fighters in exile. You can still see the remains of the jail which was built in 1867 by the British.

13) Wandoor Beach

A small village in the southern part of South Andaman, Wandoor is most recognized for its Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park.

The village also has some beaches which are relatively less crowded and offers mesmerizing views. You can combine your trip with a visit to Jolly Buoy or Red Skin Island, where you get to see beautiful corals. Wandoor is easily accessible and is only 1-2 hour bus ride away from Port Blair.

14) Baratang Island

See more here:

Andaman And Nicobar Islands - Blue Seas, Virgin Islands And Colonial Past - Andhrawishesh (blog)

Call of the Avant-Garde: Constructivism at Heide fuels visions of a new utopia – The Sydney Morning Herald

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It's tricky to imagine now but in the years immediately before and after the Russian Revolution, there was an absolute belief in Moscow and beyond that a utopian society was achievable.

The Bolshevik visionof a socialist, egalitarian world was not a lofty, impossible ideal: a classless society with equal rights for all seemed like a real alternative.

A group of artists, driven by these heady, noble ideas, were determined to create a new movement, a form of art of the people and for the people. The movement would become known as constructivism and their work and vision was in keeping with the revolutionary spirit of the time.

Driven by a social agenda of inclusivity, practicality and utilitarianism, the constructivists made art inspired by cubism, which was abstract, made use of bold colour and was meant to challengeconventional ideas about creativity.

Their work ranged across mediums, includingpainting and sculpture, photography,textiles and the graphic arts as well as stage and costume design.

It was this versatility that helped tomakethe Russian constructivists'contribution so remarkable and enduring, according to the co-curators of Call of the Avant-Garde - Constructivism and Australian Art at Heide Museum of Modern Art.

Sue Cramer and Lesley Harding say the movement focused on art's role in the new society, rather than aesthetics.Traditional ideas of art were denounced as "individualistic, subjective and bourgeois".

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For this reason, many of the original constructivists abandoned media such as painting and sculpture, in favour of what we would now call "design". Their thinking was that art should have a practical purpose andtheir work was used in posters and brochures promoting the cause as well as textile design andthe painting of buildings, trains and ships.

As Cramer and Harding concede, it is a complex movement to define. The name takes in several phases,the first of which is the Russian artists working together after the revolution, mainly based in Moscow. Working in 1920 and 1921, this group decided to takeart into the factories and onto the streets, in an effort to integrate art into everyday life.

Key names includedVladimir Tatlin, Alexander Rodchenko, Varvara Stepanova, the Stenberg brothers, KonstantineMedunetskii, Karl Ioganson and AleksaiGan.

Up until the 1970s, constructivism generally referred more to the international movement that was inspired by the Russians, rather than the Russian artists themselves.

For the Heide show, Cramer says, the first body of research involved "sharpening our knowledge of what constructivism was, so we could speak about how its ideas have been picked up."

"[We] needed to be clear on that before we tackle the idea of how Australian artists were influenced, given the influence came via a second wave.A number of Russian artists had largely left Moscow and disseminated ideas of constructivism through Europe, especially the UK but also in France and Germany."

It was not untilthe 1930s and '40s that Australian artists started using the term to describe their work. Cramer and Harding say the local emphasis was onthe movement's principles such as geometric abstraction, rather than any ideological or philosophical aims.

At that point, the Russian artists were still largely unknown, hidden behind the Iron Curtain, so it was through the prism of other international artists that the movement was discovered here. Abstract painters,largelyin Sydney, such as Frank Hinder, RalphBastonand Gordon Andrews were the first to adopt the name, largelyinfluencedby artists in Britain and the US.

Later generations of Australian artists worked locally and overseas with proponents of the ideas underlying constructivism. German-born Inge King, for example, worked in Britain in the late 1940s along with Leonard French and then emigrated to Australia in 1951, bringing with her a wide experience of European art. Lenton Parr worked with sculptor Henry Moore in England, where he started to construct sculpture with machine parts. King and Parr later founded Melbourne's Centre Five group, advocates of abstract art and art with a social purpose.

Cramer says the constructivistidea of utopianism and art into production arecurrent ideas and warrant further investigation.

Timed to coincide with the anniversary of the Russian Revolution in October this year,Call of the Avant-Garde: Constructivism and Australian Artfeatures more than 200 works.Pieces by Australian artists such as RalphBalson,IngeKing, Robert Owen, Rose Nolan and ZoeCroggonare shown alongsideBritish constructivistsBen Nicholson and Barbara Hepworth, aswell asworks by key figuresfrom the original Russian movement including AlexanderRodchenko, AlexandraExterand ElLissitzky.

The idea for the showin part came when Cramer andHarding worked onCubism and Australian artin 2009. Their research unearthed an incredible volume of material;Constructivism is the third in a series examining modernism, together withLess is More: Minimalism and Post Minimalism.

"The excitement of new formal discoveries, the integration of ideas across the various art forms, and the strong role taken by women artists who, unusually for the time, were considered equal to the men, are just some of the inspiring features of Russian constructivism that continue to resonate today," says Cramer.

The state of the world, interestingly, has also given a new currency to this hugelyinfluential movement. Cramer argues that constructivism has a particular relevancebecause of key developments in global politics in recent times:"people are looking at different ways to create a better world".

Even if today's artists are largely sceptical about the possibility of any genre of politics creatinga utopia, their aims no doubt often align with the original constructivistobjective of creating a better world.

Call of the Avant-Garde: Constructivism and Australian Art runs until October 8. heide.com.au

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Call of the Avant-Garde: Constructivism at Heide fuels visions of a new utopia - The Sydney Morning Herald

Why John Motson, Seven Stories and Newcastle Town Moor are in a new TV series about Utopia – ChronicleLive

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What or where is Utopia, that perfect world described by Sir Thomas More who also coined the word in his book of that name, published in 1516?

And what has it got to do with football commentator John Motson and Newcastles Town Moor?

The answers to these and many other Utopia-related questions will be found in the new Utopia season of programmes on BBC Four, and particularly in the three-part series called Utopia: In Search Of The Dream which starts on Tuesday, August 8.

The latter is presented by art historian Richard Clay, professor of digital humanites at Newcastle University, and in the past few months it has taken him on a whirlwind tour of Britain, the United States, Lithuania and Belarus.

Its not very glamorous, making TV, he jokes.

He is speaking from the Northumberland coast where he is currently on holiday. Sounds pretty utopian, I suggest. I wouldnt disagree with that, he replies.

This series of hour-long programmes started when ClearStory, an independent production company, pitched a documentary marking the centenary of the Russian Revolution to the BBC.

They kept sending them away to think of something more ambitious and eventually they came back with the idea of something around utopias. This then became a season of programmes.

Richard, who has presented previous documentaries on BBC Four, including one two years ago about the history of graffiti, was approached just before Christmas to work on Utopia: In Search Of The Dream and filming began in March.

Whichever way you look at it, this was an ambitious undertaking. Anyone who knows anything about television will know an awful lot of filming goes into making three hours of documentary.

Richard says: Episode one opens with archive footage of Obama talking about making the world a better place and then we have John Motson...

At which point I have to interrupt. Er, John Motson? On Utopia?

That was me talking about football as Utopia, says Richard.

We chose him because hes a legend. Hes got 50 years of football experience and an amazing stock of memories and he turned out to be a good choice, a serious interviewee.

He was going to football before I was born and talked about things like people streaming out of the factories and into the match where bosses and workers would suddenly be equals.

He also talked about village football where, as soon as youre on the pitch, youre all members of the team, working together and with a shared goal ideally lots of goals.

Theres something really utopian about that.

Richard says they had hoped to film Motty at a village match but had to settle for Watford FC.

And as for his own football allegiance, Richard, who was born in Darlington but grew up in Yorkshire and then Lancashire, says: I usually say Im a fan of North East football although half my family are from Sunderland.

They all supported Sunderland apart from one cousin who, as a rebellious teenager, supported Newcastle.

Also appearing in the first programme is professorial colleague Matthew Grenby, an expert on childrens literature, who was filmed at Seven Stories running a workshop about the idea of a perfect world based on Gullivers Travels.

Richard says: He was asking the kids what their version of Utopia would look like and the film crew was grinning through the whole thing.

A lot of the things they said were what youd expect, like not killing people and not stealing, but one kid said everybody must live up trees and another said everyone must like football.

So what would happen if somebody doesnt like football? Oh, said the kid, we throw them in the river.

Not all of these priceless exchanges made the final edit, warns Richard, but what remained sounds thoroughly entertaining.

The Town Moor features in the series because of Richards interest in Thomas Spence, the 18th Century radical who advocated the common ownership of land and opposed the threatened enclosure of this open green space in the 1770s.

It was when I moved to Newcastle two years ago that I realised he was a Geordie and supported the Freemen who succeeded in keeping this enormous space in the heart of the city accessible for grazing, he explains.

Im not taking sides politically. Im just observing, as a historian, that there was a vision of shared ownership of this resource and that utopian vision hasnt been compromised, although I suspect generations of people have had to keep defending the moor.

The film crew, mostly up from the south, couldnt believe what they were seeing. What on earth is this in the middle of the city with cows grazing on it?

Sir Thomas More, whose political satire Utopia started it all, features in the series.

We filmed in a monastery, says Richard, because Mores idea of Utopia, where there is no private property, was thought to have been inspired by monastic living.

But in what was clearly a wide-ranging exploration, there is also room for an interview with a Wikipedia boss, Star Trek actress Nichelle Nichols, architect Norman Foster, whose firm designed Sage Gateshead , and composer Steve Reich.

The big competing ideologies of the 20th Century Communism, Capitalism and Fascism are all covered, hence those trips to the Baltic states which have felt the effects of all three.

And that might sound rather depressing, considering the cost in human lives.

But Richard says his exploration of historys utopias ends on a positive note.

The final programme ends up saying a recurring theme throughout history and across human societies and cultures is this urge to create a better, more equal way of life.

Despite the endless challenges in attempting to make it happen, we keep on trying and theres something really heartwarming and optimistic about that.

And with that hes away to enjoy his break in the county which he has chosen to make his home.

Ive been here for two years and Ive got no intention of leaving, he says.

Beautiful deserted beaches, incredibly friendly and generous people and the Town Moor!

He makes it sound rather utopian.

The first part of Utopia: In Search Of The Dream is screened on Tuesday (August 8) at 9pm on BBC Four.

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Why John Motson, Seven Stories and Newcastle Town Moor are in a new TV series about Utopia - ChronicleLive

‘New People’ Author Danzy Senna Loves The Troublesome Characters – NPR

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New People is a novel where infatuation gnaws at what looks like happiness.

Maria lives in Brooklyn with Khalil, her fiance. They met at Stanford and they love each other, the light skin color they share, and the life they begin in the late 1990's, Khalil an up and coming dot-commer, Maria a grad student studying the Jonestown Massacre. They're called the "King and Queen of the Racially Nebulous Prom." But Maria's eye wanders to a poet who is vividly and distinctly different from her fiance.

We never see any of his poetry and author Danzy Senna says she wanted it that way. "I liked keeping him somewhat mysterious, so that he could become more of the object of her projections ... he is unlike her fiance, not mixed-race. He's black, she's biracial. I think there's a quest for maybe authenticity, and for something 'real' that she's looking for and sort of not finding in her life."

On the cruel prank Maria played on Khalil

When they were at Stanford and in some ways, the Stanford of the early '90s was similar to the atmosphere on campuses now and it's highly politicized, and the identity politics are at an all-time intensity, and Khalil has just kind of discovered his black identity, and is embracing his blackness. And Maria and a friend of hers smoke pot one night and decide to play a prank on him ... and they leave him a racist message on his answering machine, in the voice of what they think of frat guys. And the horror is, it then sets off this other chain of events where he thinks it actually is a racist incident, and he ends up mobilizing the campus around his newfound victim status.

On Maria's character

I wasn't trying to write a female character who was necessarily the person I would want as my best friend. Maria's a very conflicted and problematic and sort of deceitful character. And as a novelist, we want the character that's going to kind of cause trouble, in their own life and those of others, and that's where the story is, and the pulse.

On Maria's work on the Jonestown Massacre

I was fascinated with the way that Jim Jones used all the rhetoric of racial liberation and progressive politics and kind of left-wing enlightenment to lead all of these people to their death, and the sort of paradox of the Jonestown Massacre that it sounded really amazing, in terms of this utopia he was creating, and then it went so terribly wrong. And it reverberated in me as someone who was raised in the '70s in a sort of multiracial family, and a lot of the politics of my parents and their friends were reflected in those people in Jonestown.

On the end of the novel

I leave her in a very precarious position ... I know not everybody reponds to that but for me, I like a story that leaves the problem inside of me, still alive. For me that ending was very clear, and left her very much alive. And I didn't judge her at all as I was writing this. I felt I inhabited her without any judgment, and watched her, and led her down this path, and this sort of rabbit hole. But the characters we love as novelists are the ones that bring us into trouble and conflict.

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'New People' Author Danzy Senna Loves The Troublesome Characters - NPR

Bjrk on her utopian new album: "This is my Tinder record about being in love" – Mixmag

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Yesterday, Icelandic icon Bjrk announced that her new album, which'll be the first since her 2015 'Vulnicura' record, is coming soon.

Following up on the brief social media announcement, Bjrk dives further into the inspirations and thoughts behind the album in a new interview with Dazed.

This is like my Tinder record, she says before explaining further that the album is about "being in love. Spending time with a person you enjoy on every level is obviously utopia. I mean, its real. Its when the dream becomes real.

Her 2015 release, she explains, was very much a "heartbreak album", influenced by her divorce from artist Matthew Barney. Addressing the rumors upfront, Bjrk explains that this album is more like a "dating album" as she continues to rebuild after the separation.

Beyond her own personal experiences, Bjrk also mentions that the album is undoubtedly tied into the world's current controversies. Maybe thats why it became a utopian theme if were gonna survive not only my personal drama but also the sort of situation the world is in today, weve got to come up with a new plan, she said. If we dont have the dream, were just not gonna change. Especially now, this kind of dream is an emergency.

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Bjrk on her utopian new album: "This is my Tinder record about being in love" - Mixmag

Utopia Creations open new office to dominate Leeds market – Journalism.co.uk

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Press Release

This month saw Utopia Creations, Leeds's most exciting sales and marketing firm open a second office in the city, to increase their dominance in the region

2017 has been great so far for Utopia Creations as they launch their newest office in Leeds, the sales and marketing specialists are pleased to offer further representation for new and existing clients.

Utopia Creations specialises in a personalised form of direct marketing which allows them to connect with their customers' ideal consumers on a face-to-face basis. By encouraging one-to-one interactions between brand and consumer, Utopia Creations can drive long-lasting and personal business relationships between brand and consumer. In turn, this often leads to increased customer acquisition, brand awareness and brand loyalty for their clients.

About Utopia Creations: http://www.weareutopia.co.uk/about-us/

Direct event marketing strategies have unique capabilities, including reaching customers in targeted areas, in a low cost zero commitment platform. The one-size-fits-all approach can secure important live markets and can allow strategies to be tailored to reach their maximum potential.

Utopia Creations expose the top reasons why brands need to utilise event marketing:

Face-to-face selling builds relationships and ultimately builds trust. Consumers are becoming increasingly picky with their vendors, choosing those who are socially and economically conscious. Person to person promotions allows brand image and vision to be shared readily. Trust is easier to establish when working face to face with customers. Dedicated sales agents are on hand to answer questions, demonstrate products and offer a friendly smile throughout the entire experience.

A high level of personal service leads to additional referrals, which can result in increased sales. Satisfied customers become mini ambassadors who spread a positive message about their experience with a brand. Referrals from friends or family hold considerable value and are more likely to influence a decision that a manufactured advertisement regardless of how engaging it may be.

Face-to-face selling simplifies complexity, getting to "yes" faster. Irrespective of product or service being sold, a face to face sales set up is streamlined and offers the consumer more opportunities to tailor their packages to ensure maximum effectiveness is achieved. What's better than a private executive to provide expert advice on options and offer their experience to maximise the potential of the new investment.

Utopia Creations are excited to increase their market reach through 2017 and beyond, the possibilities for their clients is endless.

Source: https://salesandmarketing.com/content/3-benefits-face-face-relationship-selling

To find out more about Utopia Creations, follow them on Twitter @UtopiaCreation_ and find them on Facebook.

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Utopia Creations open new office to dominate Leeds market - Journalism.co.uk

‘Crisis of Control’: AI Risks Could Lead to Utopia or Destruction – Voice of America (blog)

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Posted August 4th, 2017 at 11:00 am (UTC-4)

An illustration projected on a screen shows a robot hand and a human one moving towards each others during the AI for Good Global Summit at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Geneva, Switzerland, June 7, 2017. (Reuters)

Hardly a day goes by without news about a breakthrough in machine intelligence or some debate about its pros and cons, more recently between Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg and Tesla Motors Elon Musk. Adding his voice to the mix, author and IT specialist Peter Scott warns that rapid AI growth comes with serious risks that, if mitigated, could take humanity to a new level of consciousness.

If we build ethical artificial intelligence and it becomes superintelligent, it could become our partner

In Crisis of Control: How Artificial SuperIntelligences May Destroy or Save the Human Race, Scott, a former contractor with NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, argues that there are two risks associated with rapid AI development. If these dangers are successfully mitigated, they will propel us into a new utopia, he said. Failing that, they could lead to the destruction of the human race.

FILE Product and graphic designer Ricky Ma, 42, poses with his life-size robot Mark 1, modeled after a Hollywood star, in Hong Kong, China, March 31, 2016. (Reuters)

The first risk is that AI could put biological weapons and weapons of mass destruction in the hands of average people so that someone in their garage could create a killer virus that could wipe out millions of people.

The second is that as the technology becomes more prevalent, someone could accidentally or deliberately cause a disaster through internet networks connecting global infrastructure. This crisis of control, as he calls it, is whether we can control what we create.

Will we be able to control the results of this technology, the technology itself? he asked. Theres always been a debate about technology going back to at least the atom bomb, if not the sword, but the further we get, the more volatility there is because of the large-scale potential effects of this technology.

There have been multiple revolutions throughout history that changed the way people lived and worked. But Scott said this time is different.

Where do we go from there? Whats left? There really isnt much room about that in what you would call a hierarchy.

FILE A woman inputs orders for a robot which works as a waitress in a restaurant in Xian, Shaanxi Province, China, April 20, 2016. (Reuters/China Stringer network)

One could argue that humans still need to program and maintain their intelligent machines. But that is also a knowledge-transfer function, said Scott. The point at which machines learn that job will transform the world in an instant because they will do it much, much faster. And the big question is when will that happen?

That could be in 10 or 50 years. Whenever it happens, humans need to come up with a new basis for employment that hasnt been done by machines, he said. And its very hard to see what that might be in an era where machines can think as well as a human being.

Alarm bells already are sounding off about the risks of automation to human workers. Scott predicts AI will take over jobs traditionally associated with the pinnacle of employment development such as chief executive officer, chief technology officer, and chief finance officer. It will take longer to automate jobs like therapists and psychologists that require sensory skills, and acute understanding of the human psyche, grounded in human experience

But the process has already begun, with AI systems like IBMs Watson already tackling complex medical problems. And the boundaries of what we call artificial intelligence keep getting moved, he said. AI, which was little more than parlor tricks back in the 1980s, now extends to chatbots,

FILE A man takes pictures with humanoid robot Jiajia, produced by University of Science and Technology of China, at Jiajias launch event in Hefei, Anhui province, April 15, 2016. Jiajia can converse with humans and imitate facial expressions, among other features. (Reuters/China Stringer Network)

humanoids like Chinas Jiajia robot, and voice assistants holding a conversation with humans the stuff of science fiction.

Science fiction writers have already tackled some of these dilemmas. In the 1940s, prominent science fiction writer and biochemist Isaac Asimov introduced the Three Laws of Robotics to govern the creation and ethics of intelligent machines.

There are similar efforts underway to create a set of AI ethics. In January, a group of AI experts came up with The Asilomar Principles, 23 statements they agreed upon on how to create ethical artificial intelligence.

But its not just about ethics. A new renaissance of the study of the human heart is needed, said Scott, to deal with the threats of not just machine intelligence but people who could wreak havoc if they get their hands on this technology. Given enough attention and funding, he said the next revolution will be in human consciousness.

His hope is that professions that repair wounds in the human heart will evolve in partnership with an ethical AI to develop medicines more quickly and cure cancer, disease, aging, and perhaps have something to teach us in psychology, in philosophy, ethics as well.

If we do that, then we will be able to coexist on a planet that has a new species of silicon beings that are many times more intelligent than us.

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'Crisis of Control': AI Risks Could Lead to Utopia or Destruction - Voice of America (blog)

New Found Glory Are Doing An In-Store Signing For Their Aussie Fans – Music Feeds

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News Written by Emmy Mack on August 6, 2017

SicknewsNew Found Glory fans!The band have just announced a brand new event ontheir forthcoming Aussie tour itinerary.

Theyll be getting up-close-and-personal with fans for an in-store signing at Sydneys Utopia Records in the midst oftheir 20 Years Of Pop Punk dates.

Its going down at the underground heavy music stalwart on Kent street from 5pm before the dudes show at The Metro this Friday, 11th August.

Thanks to the utterly wonderful people atUNFDtop shelf blokes and Soundwave Festival 2009 giantsNew Found Gloryare poppin in for a quick almost secret until now guerrilla signing before theirThe Metro Theatreshow this coming Friday, Utopia wrote on Facebook by way of the big announcement.

They have let us know they will sign just about anything, CDs, LPs, Soccer Trophies, Babies foreheads, you name it!!!

Please be here around 5 pm to avoid disappointment and an array of sadness.

Well, you heard em.

Check out the details below or catch NFGs full list of Aussie tour dates here.

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New Found Glory Are Doing An In-Store Signing For Their Aussie Fans - Music Feeds

Oceania Travel guide at Wikivoyage

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Oceania is sometimes described as a continent; however, it is a vast region where the waters of the Pacific Ocean rather than land borders separate nations.

The countless small islands are known for their white sand with swaying palm trees, astounding coral reefs, and rugged volcanoes. Oceania also contains the deserts of Australia and the highland rainforests of Papua New Guinea, as well as indigenous tribal communities and modern world cities side by side.

Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea are by far the largest countries in this pseudo-continent, and the former two are the most visited by travellers. Oceania includes the vast island nation groupings of Polynesia (extending from New Zealand to the north and east), Melanesia (to the west, and south of the equator), and Micronesia (almost wholly north of the equator).

As its name indicates, this region is defined by large expanses of ocean dotted with many small and large island nations. The climates range from tropical to desert to near arctic.

Australasia is a more narrow region, consisting of Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea and nearby islands.

Colonialism by European powers has had a pervasive influence on the social landscape and culture of most of the region. British colonialism has made cricket part of the Australian and New Zealand summer, and has also resulted in either one or both forms of rugby becoming an integral part of the cultures of Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa. The bringing of British indentured labour from India to harvest sugar cane in Fiji has led to long-term political unrest, but also means that Nadi has some of the best kofta balls to be had outside of Mumbai. Francophone New Caledonia sees the modern capital and tourist hub Noumea surrounded by Melanesian villages rarely visited.

See the country articles for detailed information on how to Get in.

The major countries of Australia and New Zealand offer connections from all continents, although there are few direct flights from South America. The main air hubs in the region are at Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Brisbane and Perth. There are other gateways offering opportunities to get in and interesting itineraries. Air France connects New Caledonia direct with Tokyo and Paris and also flies to Tahiti. Onward connections to Sydney and Auckland are possible. Fiji Airways connects Nadi with Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Singapore with connections through to Sydney, Auckland and Tahiti. Tahiti is connected to Los Angeles, and you can fly to the Cook Islands direct from there. Air New Zealand provides a service to Tonga and Samoa from Los Angeles and Auckland. The Los Angeles service is subsidized by the New Zealand government as a form of aid to the two countries. Manila, Guam and Honolulu offer a gateway to many countries of Micronesia, mainly on United Airlines. Air Niugini also operates flights from Port Moresby to several cities in East Asia and Southeast Asia

The smallest islands with less tourism present additional challenges to get to. Many are entirely deserted, and some have restrictions on access.

Several South Pacific cruises traverse the vast ocean, but a few berths are available for the patient traveller on bulk freighters or container ships plying the trade routes. The distances are enormous, as the Pacific Ocean is larger than the entire land mass of the planet.

Without a yacht, and a lot of time, the only way for travellers to get around between the main destinations of Oceania is by plane. Auckland, Brisbane, Los Angeles and Sydney have good connectivity to the region. It is usually possible to fly from the west coast of the United States through to Sydney or Auckland via Hawaii, Tahiti, Fiji or even the Cook Islands. Nadi Airport (IATA: NAN) in Fiji serves as the main air hub for the Pacific islands, so flying to other Pacific island nations would likely require a plane change there.

However, air routes tend to come and go depending on whether the airlines find them profitable or not. Much of English-speaking Polynesia receives regular flights from Air New Zealand. Melanesia is mainly serviced by national and Australian airlines. Fiji Airways also has a relatively good network of flights form their hub in Nadi to the other Pacific island nations. Don't expect daily flights. Patience is required.

Flying between Micronesia and the other two areas is problematic and may involve flying all the way to Honolulu or a complicated route through Manila, Sydney and Auckland.

Some flight options within Oceania, among others, are:

There are some options for boats, cruise ships, private yachts, adventure cruises, and even cargo ships.

Consult the guide for the destination you are visiting.

Many indigenous languages are spoken throughout Oceania, and with the exception of the Australian aboriginal languages, most of these languages belong to the Austronesian language family which also includes other languages such as Malay, Indonesian and Tagalog.

Due to a history of British and American colonisation, English is the dominant language in Australia and New Zealand, and a common second language throughout much of the Pacific islands with the exception of French-ruled New Caledonia and French Polynesia. In some areas, such as Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu, English-based creoles are co-official with standard English, and may be hard to foreigners to understand, though educated locals are almost always able to switch to standard English if necessary. French is naturally the main language in New Caledonia and French Polynesia, while Hindi is also spoken by a significant minority in Fiji, primarily those of Indian descent.

All island groups are fascinating and with time and money you can spend months just travelling around. There are some stunningly beautiful islands (Samoa, Cook Islands, French Polynesia), some fascinating cultures and festivals, some wonderful diving and totally deserted beaches.

Having histories dominated by colonisation, nearly all destinations give travellers opportunities to explore the often grim, but also interesting, stories of the past.

There is some unique wildlife to be discovered in the region. Australia and Papua New Guinea are the homes of marsupials, the species of mammals that include cute favourites like kangaroos, koalas, wombats and possums, and also the Tasmanian devil. Here you will also find the monotremes, in the species of platypus and echidnas, the only mammals in the world to lay eggs.

In New Zealand you can stumble upon (or more easily, see in human-made facilities) the shy and mostly nocturnal kiwi a flightless bird that has given the people of the country their nickname. Other flightless birds include the takahe, thought extinct until 1949, and the kakapo (night parrot). Other evolutionary oddities include the ancient tuatara, bats that hunt on the ground, and frogs that don't croak. A quarter of the world's seabirds breed in the New Zealand region.

Marine life is abundant and diverse throughout and one of the main reasons for travellers to explore this part of the world. Tropical fish and colourful reefs are perfect matches for scuba divers and snorkellers, but much can also be seen from the deck of a boat. You have the opportunities to see larger animals such as manta rays, dolphins and even whales.

In southern Australia and in New Zealand, seals, sea lions and penguins can be seen in their natural habitat, with Kangaroo Island, Phillip Island, coastal Otago and Stewart Island being popular sites.

The Pacific theatre of World War II involved land, sea and air battles between the Axis (mainly Japan) and the Allies (mainly the United States and Australia), from 1941 to 1945.

The remnants of the war can be seen at many places, such as the Kokoda Track on New Guinea.

Cricket is a popular sport in Australia and New Zealand, and is typically played over the summer.

Rugby is one of the most popular sports in Oceania, with rugby union being the dominant code in New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa, and rugby league being dominant in Australia and Papua New Guinea. In international competition, New Zealand are widely regarded as the undisputed kings of rugby union, while Australia occupies the same position in rugby league.

The pristine, white sandy beaches found throughout the South Pacific are great for just lying back and enjoying the peace and quiet.

There are locations for diving throughout Oceania. For coral and tropical fish, explore the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, the Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia, Fiji has some reef around Nadi, and spectacular unspoilt, brightly coloured coral on the more remote islands. Samoa is favoured by scuba divers. Cook Islands has accessible reef just off the beach on the main islands. Vanuatu has accessible reef too, but the facilities make it more challenging to access than Fiji. There are diving opportunities in the temperate waters of Tasmania and New Zealand too.

There are good opportunities to dive to shipwrecks. The Rainbow Warrior off New Zealand's North Island is one of the more famous ones, and the oceans of Micronesia have many interesting relics from WWII. The Marshall Islands and Bikini atolls are known as quite a ship graveyard, offering some of the most interesting wrecks in the world, including submarines and the only aircraft carrier accessible to divers. Most of the wreck sites are not for beginners though.

Vava'u in Tonga is a popular destination for yachts crossing the Pacific. Yachts can also be chartered there.

Being an oceanic area, there are countless opportunities for great fishing experiences.

Australia and New Zealand are home to some very significant and famous hiking trails, for example the ones of the Flinders Ranges, Abel Tasman and Tongario National Parks. The rugged, volcanic landscapes of many of the Pacific Islands offer good opportunities as well.

New Zealand has become famous as a place with a well developed infrastructure for almost any kind of adventure and extreme sports. As well as being the birthplace of commercial bungy-jumping, you will also find skydiving, paragliding, river rafting, power boating, rock climbing, cave exploration and a long list of what seems as self-invented combinations. The east coast of Queensland has many opportunities as well. Also, the Blue Mountains near Sydney are great for rock climbing, canyoning and hiking.

The volcanoes and many caves to be found throughout the Pacific islands are fit for some adventurous exploration as well, and the many tropical islands are perhaps even prettier when watched gliding above them.

Although not the first thing coming to mind, there are snow sports in the southern parts of Oceania. New Zealand has reliable winter snowfalls, and around 10-12 ski areas, mostly in the South Island. These include Treble Cone and Cardrona (Wanaka), The Remarkables and Coronet Peak (Queenstown), Mt Hutt near Christchurch and Whakapapa and Turoa on Mt Ruapehu in the North Island. Many northern hemisphere race and olympic teams train in New Zealand during the northern summer. The Snowy Mountains in New South Wales have the largest ski resorts in the southern hemisphere.

Although staple foods from outside the region, such as rice and flour, now have a firm foothold, the traditional staples of roots and tubers remain very important. The cheapest is usually cassava, which also plays a food security role as it can be left in the ground for a long time. Sweet potato is a very important crop and is found in most parts of Oceania with the major producing area being the Highlands of Papua New Guinea. Taro and yam are also widespread. The latter is the most valuable of the roots and tubers and there are many customs associated with its cultivation. In the Sepik area of Papua New Guinea, for example, sex between married couples is supposed to be forbidden while the yams are growing. On the other hand, in the Trobriand Islands the yam harvest is a period of sexual liberty.

In Australia and New Zealand, the food culture is largely similar to Europe and Northern America. Nevertheless, there are still some unique dishes and ingredients to be found, some known by the native inhabitants before the arrival of the Europeans, and others invented in more recent times. Thanks to recent immigration, Asian dishes and restaurants are also widely available and popular.

Kava is a drink produced from the roots of a plant related to the pepper plant and found mainly in Polynesia as well as Fiji and Vanuatu. It has a mildly narcotic effect. Other names include 'awa (Hawai'i), 'ava (Samoa), yaqona (Fiji), and sakau (Pohnpei). Traditionally it is prepared by chewing, grinding or pounding the roots of the kava plant. In Tonga, chewing traditionally had to be done by female virgins. Pounding is done in a large stone with a small log. The product is then added to cold water and consumed as quickly as possible, invariably as part of a group of people sitting around and sharing the cup. Check the rules before taking any out of the country, however, as importing kava can be illegal.

If interested in wine tourism, head to Australia or New Zealand. The former is one of the largest wine producers in the Southern Hemisphere.

Almost all of Oceania is safe for visitors, with the exception of Papua New Guinea, which remains a travel destination only for the more adventurous. In particular, Port Moresby has one of the highest violent crime rates in the world.

Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea all have areas where malaria is a risk. Fiji, New Caledonia, the Cook Islands, Samoa and the other islands are malaria free.

Dengue fever, chikungunya and Zika virus is increasingly present in tropical areas. Avoid mosquito bites night and day, especially during an outbreak.

The islands may be remote but sexual diseases know no boundaries. Usual precautions apply.

Excerpt from:

Oceania Travel guide at Wikivoyage

Oceania Rugby Cup title on the line – Rugby World Cup 2019 (press release) (blog)

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Regional focus: Oceania

Fridays Oceania Rugby Cup winner-takes-all encounter between the Cook Islands and Tahiti will decide which of the teams progresses to the next stage of Rugby World Cup 2019 qualification.

The biennial Oceania Rugby Cup, the regions showpiece event for development and targeted unions, has an extra edge this year with the winner of Friday's encounter between the Cook Islands and Tahiti progressing through to the next stage of Rugby World Cup 2019 qualification.

The winner of the one-off game in Rarotonga, the largest of the Cook Islands, will take on the winner of the Asia Rugby Championship 2018 in a home and away play-off for a spot in the global repechage tournament for Japan 2019.

READ MORE ABOUT RWC 2019 QUALIFICATION >>

Tahiti have never beaten the Cook Islands before in four attempts and are ranked 43 places below their hostsin 91st position in the World Rugby Rankings.

We feel we are the outsiders and the Cook Islands are the favourites but in rugby everything is possible. We hope we can perform to our best and win this game, said Charles Tauziet, chairman of the Tahiti Rugby Union.

While admitting to not knowing too much about their opponents, Cooks head coach Walter Tangata believes that if his side turns up on the daythe 2013 championshave every chance of winning a second Oceania Rugby Cup title.

I guess its more about maintaining the structure and game plan and focusing on what we need to do.If we do that right, we will be successful.

The match will be streamed live on the Oceania Rugby Facebook page.

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Oceania Rugby Cup title on the line - Rugby World Cup 2019 (press release) (blog)