American Stroke Association Urges EmPOWERMENT – Atlantic Highlands Herald

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Robbinsville, NJ -The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association urges Americans to take action to reduce their personal risk factors for stroke, the No. 5 leading cause of death.

Stroke is a disease that affects the arteries leading to and within the brain and occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood (and oxygen) it needs, so it starts to die.

The American Stroke Association notes that an estimated 80% of strokes may be prevented if people started taking better care of themselves. This includes making healthy lifestyle choices like eating better and moving more. While some stroke risk factors cant be helped, like family history, race or age, most can be modified, treated or controlled, including obesity, smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Through the American Heart Association and American Stroke Associations scientific research, the EmPowered To Serve movement and the efforts of passionate volunteers, Americans have better access to resources to prevent heart disease and stroke and are positively impacting health outcomes in their communities for generations and celebrations to come.

EmPOWERED To Serve exists to improve health within multicultural communities. Community can be defined in many ways and EmPOWERED To Serve embraces that. You may consider your extended family, neighborhood, or church your community. It may be your apartment complex, school, or the city or social organizations in which you participate. EmPOWERED To Serve has something for everyone looking to improve their health and make an impact on health within their communities.

We need your help spreading heart disease and stroke awareness to your communities. As a leader in your community, you have the power to shape the future. EmPOWERED To Serve is looking to increase healthy living behaviors, enhance the chain of survival, and expand access to a healthy lifestyle. For more information please visit http://www.empoweredtoserve.org.

The American Stroke Association also urges everyone to learn the warning signs of a stroke by remember the simple acronym FAST:

For more information in either English or Spanish, please visit strokeassociation.org

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American Stroke Association Urges EmPOWERMENT - Atlantic Highlands Herald

Value-led Leadership – HuffPost

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Value-led Leadership is fundamental in any career path and it is rooted in who you are and what matters to you the most. Whether you are a junior in a company or the CEO of your own, staying strong to what you believe in and your principles is relevant to all of us at any stage of our career. As working environments evolve and enter into an age of emergent leadership, it's important now more than ever to lead through values. Having founded and run Whitebox London for 11 years, I strongly believe a conventional leadership model is quickly dying and running a business which instills trust, encourages personal vision, continually inspires and promotes empowerment is the answer to unlock the human potential we invest in.

Self-reflection as a Leader

Even after many years of guiding and leading others, I am always looking at improving my leadership technique and reflecting on what I believe in. In order for me to lead and inspire others, I must understand myself first to make the right decisions. We as people are constantly changing and it is necessary for me to assess how every version of myself strengthens these values and how I translate that in the workplace. To be a good leader, we must be receptive to our surroundings and to be an even greater leader we must turn our observations into actions in the best way possible to suit our organisation.

Trust through Authenticity

Pretending to be someone youre not in business is a waste of time these days. People are smarter than ever and are able to judge you, read you and question you before youve even walked into a room. Instilling trust through authenticity is very important for me with all my stakeholders. Being transparent with them makes them loyal, gives them that personable connection they seek and this value is integral for me in the running of Whitebox.

Management to Empowerment The Now

With the rise in technology and globalisation over the years, I have had to adapt my leadership style since the birth of Whitebox 11 years ago. We have moved from leading through hierarchy to creating an environment that leads through collaboration. This gives employees at any level the opportunity to add value and help contribute more towards the end goal of an organisation. When we create a culture that inspires and encourages interconnectedness, the need to manage and control employees disappears. They no longer need managing in a conventional sense, but need empowering instead. It is important for me to continue to learn and change my leadership style in order to keep up with competitor brands while staying true to my values and what I believe in.

Were living in a world of increasing uncertainty and can no longer adhere to traditional leadership models to help us progress. The future of leadership in business lies in values, instinct, authenticity and making the right choices. They say the older you are the more stuck in your ways you get and even though Ive been in this business for over 11 years, it is important now, more so than ever, to accept the change and learn to evolve with it.

Pioneers for Change is a seed-bed for innovative thought. An activator of personal potential. A catalyst for collective energy. A community to drive social change. Pioneers for Change is an initiative of Adessy Associates.

Adessy Associates believes social and business objectives are mutually reinforcing. We equip organisations with sustainability / social responsibility strategy, management and communications to enable a sustainable future. We focus on benefit for people, planet and profit with bespoke services that harness sustainability, innovation, consciousness and purpose. We are proudly B Corp certified.

Do you have a story of positive change or social impact to share? Contact us to discuss being featured on the blog.

Eroshan graduated in 1996 with a Bsc (Hons) degree in Information System Design and embarked upon his professional career in London with Accenture. After spending 3 years there, he moved on to Barclays Capital where he was a Business Analyst overseeing the implementation of IT systems as required by the bank. In a bid to combine his passions of real-estate and design, Eroshan founded Whitebox London in 2005; aiming to create high quality turnkey homes in central London for discerning clientele.

Eroshan Meewella is one of the founders of Whitebox, a bespoke property development and interior design firm that offers its clients the highest levels of quality and refined finishing.

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Who’s Winning the Fight for the Best In-Car Technology? – NBCNews.com

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BMW's new Connected Plus service uses real-time traffic reports to give you a heads-up when it's time to leave and even sends out an alert to the folks you're meeting to let them know when they can expect you. BMW

BMW is by no means the only maker racing to introduce such high-tech features into your car, truck or crossover. Ford, for example, now lets you access Amazons Alexa with a tap of a button on the steering wheel. Among other things, you can use that digital voice assistant to have your favorite beverage waiting at Starbucks for your morning commute.

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We think our cars need to play well with the digital lifestyle owners choose, Tom Brenner, head of BMWs digital services, told NBC News during a tour of the companys technology center in downtown Chicago.

The facility more closely represents what youd expect to find in Silicon Valley than a typical automotive development center. Filled with young, latte-drinking cyber-geeks, it works at a pace that sees new products, services and updates of existing software roll out, on average, every two weeks. Consider that the average BMW vehicle has a life cycle of about six to seven years, with only a modest update halfway through.

BMWs intense focus on digital technology might seem an oxymoron considering the brands long-running advertising tagline, The Ultimate Driving Machine. But Brenner and other company officials say there should be no surprise. Why, they ask, would you expect that the typical Americans increasingly digital lifestyle be interrupted once they slip behind the steering wheel?

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BMW began its foray into technology with the launch of the 2001 7-Series. Its flagship sedan introduced the concept of an iDrive, a sort of mobile mouse that controlled an array of onboard functions, including navigation, audio and climate control. The list of features built into todays cars has rapidly escalated, especially with the debut of driver assistance technologies like Blind Spot Detection, as well as the addition of hands-free Bluetooth phone and audio pairing.

"The new asset in the automotive business is data."

BMW Connected Plus will go several steps further. It tracks appointments in an owners calendar and, if there is driving involved, it calculates not only driving time but how long it might take to walk to your car and then help you find where to park. Youll get an alert 10 minutes before you should leave to give you time to get ready.

You can then ask your Alexa device to turn the car on and, on the sort of sweltering summer day that Chicagoans faced this week, turn on the air conditioning.

There are plenty of other services coming, including the ability to access e-mail on your Microsoft Exchange server, even dictating a voice reply.

(Some functions, BMW and Microsoft stress, will be disabled when the car is in motion to avoid compounding the already serious issue of driver distraction.)

Such functions are likely to become even more desirable in the years to come, explained Brenner. According to various studies by organizations like the Boston Consulting Group, one-third or more of the miles Americans travel by 2030 are likely to be in driverless automobiles. That will provide plenty of time to watch content, Brenner said, work, or catch up on some sleep.

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It takes only a little imagination to think about all the possible services and features that will migrate into the automobile in the coming years, Gerri Martin-Flickinger, the chief technology officer for Starbucks, said during a joint news conference with Ford last March.

Meanwhile, auto manufacturers are racing to pair your car with all the digital devices in your life. Chevrolet on Friday announced owners can operate the MyChevrolet app through their Apple watches to lock or unlock a vehicle, find directions to where it was parked or sound the horn.

One of the challenges will be to add new functionality to vehicles already on the road. Tesla has addressed that by incorporating over-the-air, or OTA, updates that can be used to install new services, replace old software or even diagnose vehicle problems. Honda launched OTA capabilities with its new Odyssey minivan, and BMW is working on similar technology for Connected Plus.

Its difficult to find an automaker that isnt working on in-car technologies, and theyre partnering with the obvious list of major Silicon Valley and other tech companies: Google, Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Amazon, as well as major restaurant chains, digital service providers, and an endless list of smaller tech firms and start-ups.

Some manufacturers are offering their services at no charge at least for an initial period that can run from one to three years. But all are looking for the right business equation. General Motors has developed a steady revenue stream from its OnStar service, with an la carte menu of safety, convenience and service features.

Theres another pay-off. BMW believes it can boost its loyalty rates measured in returning customers by several percent, which is worth millions of dollars, explained Dieter May, the head of digital products and services. Thats on top of potential revenue streams from various paid services.

Yet as with other access points to the connected world, there is a potential downside.

Data is becoming a currency, with actual value, and it must be protected," Danny Le, principal and automotive leader, at KPMG, told NBC News. "Security needs to be invested in.

In-car technology is the single biggest source of complaints about todays vehicles.

Indeed, the threat of hacking has become an all-consuming conversation within the automotive digital community, as it has throughout the tech world.

There are other risks. BMW took a lot of heat early on for the cumbersome operation of the original iDrive. Only with recent iterations have consumers given strongly positive reviews. Ford was similarly thrashed for problems with its early Sync in-car system. According to David Sargent, head of automotive practice at J.D. Power and Associates, in-car technology is the single biggest source of complaints about todays vehicles.

The new asset in the automotive business is data, said Le.

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Who's Winning the Fight for the Best In-Car Technology? - NBCNews.com

New technology for producing porous aluminum – Phys.Org

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July 18, 2017 The new technology of producing unsinkable material from the aluminum alloy was patented at the Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU). Credit: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University

A new technology of producing an unsinkable aluminum alloy was developed at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU). Porosity is produced by the addition of foaming gas into liquid aluminum during re-melting. The porous materials can increase stiffness and sound and heat insulating proprieties, according to the SPbPU's Media-center.

"A high porosity level can be used to decrease the density of structural elements, e.g. sheets. The density can be decreased even lower than the density of water. Resulting structural elements would be unsinkable. And its usage in shipbuilding will ensure unsinkability even with a leak in the hull," says Oleg Panchenko, deputy head of the Laboratory of Light Materials and Structures SPbPU, one of the inventors.

In many cases, the carrying capacity of thin materials (1 mm or less) is sufficient for a lot of structures. But material with such thickness sometimes has geometric limitations (the thickness is too small for manipulation) or it can't be joined without deformation. Due to the material's porosity, it is possible to increase the thickness, maintaining the weight while stiffening the structure.

A similar technology has been patented in Japan, but it produces only entirely porous material. Researchers of SPbPU found a way to produce homogeneous and heterogeneous distribution of pores in the material. Because it is made of solid material, it can be either porous if necessary or with nonporous thickening or solid structure. Using this technology, double-layer sandwiches may be produced in which only one side is porous, increased density can be conferred to selected areas for mechanical or welded joints.

Explore further: Selective laser melting additive technology method for material microstructure formation

Provided by: Peter the Great Saint-Petersburg Polytechnic University

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Coding And Connectivity: New Plan To More Fully Integrate Technology In Vt. Classrooms – Vermont Public Radio

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Vermont still has a lot of work to do to fully integrate technology into public school classrooms, according to the latest draft of the state's digital learning plan, put out by the Agency of Education.

Audio for this piece will be posted.

The last statewide digital learning plan for Vermont's schools came out in 2012; a lifetime ago when it comes to technology.

Peter Drescher is the technology coordinator for the Vermont Agency of Education. Drescher says this issue isn't having enough computers the schools have plenty at this point but that teachers aren't fully embracing the technology.

"I think the digital-use divide is still a big issue," Drescher says. "You can walk down a hallway and find only two teachers out of 10 who are using technology in their classrooms. It's a serious equity issue at schools, and we can't have that anymore."

The last digital learning plan covered six years. Drescher says the state wants to move toward a three-year period to better assess how rapidly technology needs change. This proposal would cover 2018-2021.

Vermont schools are trying to move toward more individualized learning, which uses video instruction, online courses and students working on their own and in smaller groups.

More and more work is being done through the cloud, and Drescher says schools need to make sure they have the connectivity to support the emerging platforms.

"You can walk down a hallway and find only two teachers out of 10 who are using technology in their classrooms. It's a serious equity issue at schools, and we can't have that anymore." Peter Drescher, Vermont Agency of Education

He also says more Vermont teachers need to be trained in computer programming, from grade school right on up to high school.

"We have a lot of interest in that Hour of Code activity that happens in December and schools really want to push that and do more programming within other content areas," Drescher says. "But we don't really have anyway to train teachers in to how to understand that and do that. So, that's the deficit we have right now, is having some kind of program that allows them to get that training."

According to the plan the state wants educators to more seamlessly use technology throughout the day, and it says administrators should recognize best practices and work to have them more widely used throughout Vermont schools.

The Agency of Education also wants all schools, but particularly middle and high schools, to use technology anytime personalized training is being offered to students.

The state is collecting comments on the draft plan through the end of September and hopes to issue a final plan before November 1. As part of the new state plan, each supervisory union will be asked to put together its own local three-year plan, which will be due to the Agency of Education June 30, 2018.

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Coding And Connectivity: New Plan To More Fully Integrate Technology In Vt. Classrooms - Vermont Public Radio

Durban FilmMart Recognizes Works in Progress From Across Africa … – Variety

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The Durban FilmMart, the industry development program of the Durban Intl. Film Festival and Durban Film Office, has wrapped its latest edition with an awards ceremony showcasing a range of works-in-progress from across the African continent, includinga documentary that follows the life of one of Kenyas leading political activists, a portrait of three women fighting for the rights of sex workers in South Africa, and an absurdist comedy set in an old-age home on the outskirts of Johannesburg.

Since its 2010 inception, the Durban FilmMart has become an important forum for helping to facilitate or launch film projects in Africa. So far, it has helped facilitate close to 100 African co-productions.

The journey of growing the Durban FilmMart over the past eight years has been remarkable, said Toni Monty, head of the Durban Film Office. What started as an idea to create a business networking hub all those years ago hasbecome an important platform for African filmmakers to connect to the global marketplace.

Recent success stories include The Wound, a South African-German-Dutch-French co-production, which opened the Berlinales Panorama section this year; The Dream of Shahrazad, a South African-French-Egyptian co-production that premiered in the Masters Section of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam in 2014; and The Boda Boda Thieves, a South African-Kenyan-Ugandan-German co-production, which had its world premiere in the Berlinales Forum in 2015.

This year the Durban FilmMart (DFM) hosted 600 delegates from more than 30 countries. Twenty-two official projects in development were presented at the finance forum through the DFMs partnership with CineMart and the Intl. Documentary Film Festival of Amsterdam.Four projects were hosted at the DFM by the Realness scriptwriting residency, while Frances Produire au Sud supported the Jumpstart Project, a mentoring program to introduce six emerging filmmakers to the art of the pitch. Two documentary projects were supported by Hot Docs, andsix CineFAM projects were rigorously mentored by Torontos CaribbeanTales.

Along with its finance and co-production forum, the DFM and its partners handed out a number of awardsMondaynight.

The Intl. Documentary Film Festival of Amsterdam (IDFA) chose Lobola: A Brides True Price, produced by Sarah Basyouny and directed by Sihle Hlophe, as the most promising documentary project. The duo will have the opportunity to attend Novembers IDFA Forum, one of Europes top gatherings for documentary filmmakers, producers, commissioning editors, funds and private financiers.

AfriDocs, the broadcast stream that screens African and other international documentaries across sub-Saharan Africa, awarded a 3,000 ($3,460) grant to the Kenyan doc Uasi, produced by Matrid Nyagah and Linda Ogeda, and directed by Sam Soko. The projects creators will also have an opportunity to pitch the film at the Srfond Pitching Forum in Oslo later this year.

The CineMart Award, sponsored by the co-production market of the Intl. Film Festival Rotterdam, went to the South African feature Miles from Nowhere, produced by Bongiwe Selane and directed by Samantha Nell. The pair are invited to attend the Rotterdam Lab, a five-day training and networking event for producers from around the world.

Miles from Nowhere was also recognized by Produire au Sud, of the Festival des 3 Continents in Nantes, which has invited Selane and Nell to take part in its developmental workshop program.

Videovision Entertainment named The Dabulaphu (The Short Cut) the Best South African Film Project. Producers Zikethiwe Ngcobo and David Max Brown and director Norman Maake received a prize of R75,000 ($5,805), which guarantees the films release once its completed. The prize also includes marketing and distribution support from Videovision.

Publicity consultants Versfeld & Associates announced that they will develop publicity material and advise on publicity profiling through the development of two South African projects, Womxn: Working, produced by Tiny Mungwe and directed by Shanelle Jewnarain, and Richard Was Here, produced by Akona Matyila and directed by Jack Chiang.

The CineFAM-Africa Incubator Accelerator Programme award to pitch at the CaribbeanTales Film Festival in Toronto went to Mary Ann Mandishona for Mamba Kazi African Warrior Queens.

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Durban FilmMart Recognizes Works in Progress From Across Africa ... - Variety

Defending WNBA champion Los Angeles Sparks remain a work in … – ESPN

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Coach Brian Agler and the Sparks won eight consecutive games from June 10 through July 2.

Alana Beard had never experienced the elation and satisfaction of winning a championship until last October, but after more than a dozen years in professional basketball, she understood the reality.

At some point, after the celebration dies down, you have to get your team together and try to do it again.

The Los Angeles Sparks, who improved to 14-5 with Monday's home victory over the Indiana Fever, host the Chicago Sky on Thursday in their final contest before Saturday's All-Star Game in Seattle (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET). As the midseason break approaches, Los Angeles has a solid grip on the No. 2 spot in the standings behind the league-leading Minnesota Lynx (15-2). The Sparks have hit a couple of rough patches -- a pair of two-game losing streaks, one early in the season and another earlier this month -- but are largely playing good, steady basketball on a path toward the playoffs.

The core of last year's championship team returned with Candace Parker, 2016 MVP Nneka Ogwumike, Beard and Jantel Lavender primed again for significant roles. But there was also substantial change: Point guard Kristi Toliver left for Washington and was replaced in the starting lineup by Chelsea Gray, a starter for the first time in her career; Riquna Williams, who missed 2016 with an injury, and talented, young guard Odyssey Sims were brought in.

No. 1 pick in the 2012 draft, 2012 WNBA rookie of the year, three-time WNBA All-Star, 2016 MVP and president of the WNBA Players' Association. This summer, Nneka Ogwumike adds another line to her resume: 2017 Body Issue athlete.

Brittney Griner is expected to miss a month. Tayler Hill is out for the season. And Elena Delle Donne missed Sunday's game and will be reevaluated this week. How will Phoenix and Washington cope while their stars recuperate?

Sue Bird of the Storm and five former MVPs headline the WNBA All-Star Game starters who will play in Seattle on July 22.

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Sparks coach Brian Agler admits he knew more about his team last year at this point than he does this season. But that is not a bad thing.

"We are moving in the right direction," he said. "It's a puzzle. Even though we had a lot of people back, we had several new people, and it's been an ongoing process to put it all together. But I didn't expect any different."

Neither did Beard.

"If you didn't understand that we were going to be a different team this season, you were not living in reality," Beard said. "But I don't mind not knowing, I'm confident about where we are."

Ogwumike said the Sparks have been going through a "spring cleaning" during the first half of the WNBA season.

"We are working on ourselves, focusing on what we can do better as a team and what individual people can do to contribute," Ogwumike said. "There are definitely some things that are a work in progress for us, but we are building off last year in our own way. In some cases, that requires starting from scratch."

Beard, who led Duke to consecutive Final Fours in 2002 and 2003, said she came into the season with an open mind and a big smile after winning the first title of her career. And with the awareness that it guarantees nothing going forward. If the Sparks want to become the first team in the WNBA to win back-to-back titles since Los Angeles did it in 2000 and 2001, they are going to need some of the same things that got them there last time -- and quite a few different ones. It is a message Agler has been preaching since training camp and continues to emphasize.

"Coach Agler talked to us just today again about the things that we can pull from last season," Beard said. "That knowing that we know how to win a title, there's no excuse for not getting things done. If they don't get done, it's because we choose not to do it. I feel like this team is 10 times better than last year, but there is so much more room for improvement."

Ogwumike said she had no expectations at the start of the season.

"It's been hard work to re-identify ourselves," she said. "I think we are playing well, we just need to be consistent. We really need that."

"If you didn't understand that we were going to be a different team this season, you were not living in reality. But I don't mind not knowing, I'm confident about where we are."

The Sparks are averaging 84.2 points a game, fourth in the league behind Minnesota, the Connecticut Sun and the Dallas Wings, and better than last season's 83.0 scoring average. L.A. ranks second in opponents' scoring average (77.8 PPG) behind the Lynx, a little behind last season's 75.9 points a game.

Gray has emerged as one of the league's most improved players and a very capable floor leader and scorer. Williams, who averaged more than 15.0 points a game for the Tulsa Shock in 2015, has scored in double figures in five of the past eight games. Sims, after opening the season with 20 points against Seattle, has struggled to find her role in the offense, averaging 5.5 points per game off the bench.

Beard, meanwhile, is having perhaps the best all-around season of her career, putting up her highest scoring average since 2009 at 12.6 points per game. And Parker and Ogwumike are still the most athletic, dynamic frontcourt tandem in the league. Ogwumike is tied for second in the WNBA in scoring (20.1 PPG), and Parker ranks among the top 15 scorers at 15.8 PPG.

Through the first half of the season, Minnesota might have taken back the mantle as title favorite, with MVP frontrunner Sylvia Fowles and the best start in franchise history. But Agler's arrival in 2015 -- he coached the Seattle Storm from 2008 to 2014 -- established a culture in Los Angeles, Beard said. The 2016 championship didn't define it as much as it cemented that the Sparks are doing the right thing.

"Championship teams are not about talent or players, they are about the leaders you have in your system and they are about culture," Beard said. "He built the foundation, and the rest is up to us."

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Defending WNBA champion Los Angeles Sparks remain a work in ... - ESPN

Lula and Brazil’s Progress – Wall Street Journal (subscription)

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Lula and Brazil's Progress
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The forever-developing nation of Brazil has been putting its legal system to an extreme stress test, impeaching one former president, indicting the current one, and late last week convicting former President Lula da Silva of corruption even as he plans ...

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Lula and Brazil's Progress - Wall Street Journal (subscription)

Review in Progress – IGN

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[Editors Note: Because Splatoon 2 depends on servers for matchmaking, and because Nintendos Switch mobile app will launch alongside it on July 21, this review is in progress until shortly after its released to the public. Read on for our full impressions of Splatoon 2 as it exists in its pre-release state.]

It feels as if the paint had just begun to dry on Splatoon after its release on the Wii U in 2015 when Nintendo applied a fresh coat and relaunched it with Splatoon 2 on the Switch. That may be why this sequel feels less like a whole new game than a new version of the first one that rolls up the best post-launch updates to the colorful and adorably non-violent team-based shooter and adds some new toys. Of course, considering the first game is a lot of fun, thats not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you missed it for lack of a Wii U. And despite some questionable choices that can leave you trapped in matchmaking purgatory, the addition of a standout and clever take on a co-op horde mode provides some seriously addicting fun that has me coming back for more.

Like its predecessor, Splatoon 2s emphasis on using vibrant, ink-based weapons to splatter both enemies and the ground alike in your team color to control territory makes it a distinctive kind of visually rewarding fun. Controlling the ground is more than just a way of keeping score, though youre far more mobile in your own territory, creating lots of opportunity for strategies around creating a highway to an objective and cutting off your opponents, and also setting up areas to submerge into the ink and replenish your ammo. The key to victory on the eight distinct and symmetrical maps currently in rotation often lies in being aware of terrain, ink management, and the oppositions plans.

Between the original arsenal, the guns added in post-launch updates, and the new ones introduced in Splatoon 2, theres plenty of ink-based weaponry to choose from, and yet each type has distinct uses. Theres the fast and furious Inkbrush that covers ground quickly, contrasted with the Slosher that manages to turn a literal bucket of ink into a deadly close-range weapon. One of my favorites of the new batch is the Dualies, dual-pistol style weapons that have a great rate of fire and also let you quickly dodge-roll when firing to strafe enemies and release a concentrated burst of ink. Theres also a brand-new array of special weapon powerups, many of which work well with proper coordination to break stalemates. The protective Ink Armor shields your entire team from harm, while the Tenta Missiles can lock onto and fire a salvo of ink strikes on multiple enemies.

Obtaining new gear is a smoother process than in the first game.

Going hand in hand with Splatoon 2s wealth of weapons is a set of gear that provides both style and bonuses in combat, with the added twist of over 20 random secondary abilities that unlock after youve battled with them equipped enough times. These range from practical effects, like increasing ink recovery rates, to highly specialized abilities that can track the enemy who last splatted you or players youve recently hit. Obtaining new gear is a smoother process than in the first game, too you can now order any gear youve seen on other people in-game using currency earned from battle, though the abilities attached to yours might not be the same due to random generation. Paying to scrub unwanted extra traits to make room for new ones leaves chunks of those abilities behind to apply to other gear, letting you mix and match from your inventory, or you can try your luck at unlocking different bonuses to replace the old ones that better align with your playstyle. This is a good way get value out of gear you earned but dont plan to wear: by scrubbing enough ammo-conserving bonuses from gear I wasnt using, I was then able to apply that trait to my favorite jersey (for a hefty price). Offering the chance to craft the perfect gear for your playstyle to give you a better edge in the more competitive Ranked Battles has kept me more invested than I was in the first Splatoon.

Aquatic Ambience

With a world this colorful and fun, its great to see how much better people and places look on the Switch. Characters like the weapons dealer Sheldon and clothing merchant Jelfonzo look better than ever with more detailed models and textures, and the various forms of street art and graffiti scattered around the maps pop. The ink itself shimmers and glints with shiny flecks. Despite it all, Splatoon 2 never failed to maintain a smooth 60 frames per second in battle even with ink flying in all directions in a fully populated eight-player match. In handheld mode, things look great, and the option to set sensitivity for both modes of play helped immensely when switching between handheld and docked mode. I actually ended up swapping between motion and non-motion controls with surprising ease (though not being able to use the control stick to look up and down with motion and controls does take getting used to every time).

Solo Artist

Splatoon 2 brings back a very familiar and simple 32-mission single-player campaign that, with some exceptions, follows the style of its predecessor almost to the letter. Theres a fair amount of hand-holding and will only take six or so hours to run through and find most collectibles, but missions provide some pretty fun ideas to play around with. There are places to stylishly grind on ink-rails like a squid version of Tony Hawk, and elsewhere you can lure giant, ink-vacuuming Squee-G robots into your enemies path. Spraying ink to activate expanding sponges or moving platforms gives it a light Super Mario Sunshine feel, but it rarely challenges you the way co-op and multiplayer do. The most significant improvement over Splatoon is that the sequels campaign lets you try out each of the weapon types, which is a great way to learn about their potential and how they can be used in multiplayer before jumping online. This focus on weapon research greatly extends replay value, as you can head back into levels youve already conquered to discover new challenges based on the weapons strengths and limitations.

Heading into Splatoon 2s main lobby lets you queue up for an engaging variety of online modes. Each mode automatically drops you in one of two maps that change up every two hours, which keeps things feeling fresh and doesnt let a map wear out its welcome as quickly as in other games, where the community often picks a favorite and plays it to death. The standard Turf War mode, which carries over from the original, is welcoming for beginners and veterans alike with the simple yet entertaining concept of competing to ink the most territory in three minutes. No two matches ever feel the same because the battlefield hotspots dictated by the competing colors of ink are constantly changing, and several times being at the right place at the right time was what narrowly pushed our team to victory. This is one case where I actually miss the Wii U gamepad without the second-screen map or an always-on-screen minimap, you have to hold a button to overlay a map to see how things are going or jump to a teammates location. This means youll need to be that much more alert to the status of your team and the terrain, and finding a safe spot to check the map overlay took some getting used to.

Being at the right place at the right time was what narrowly pushed our team to victory.

Besides Turf Wars, Ranked and League Battles are where more precise and objective-based modes await. The king-of-the-hill-inspired Splat Zone, a tug-of-war style payload mode called Tower Control, and a spin on capture-the-flag where you carry a powerful but movement-impeding weapon to the enemy base called Rainmaker. Unfortunately, these modes arent well populated yet, so Ill have to wait until Splatoon 2 goes live before I can effectively test them out.

The only real problems Ive encountered so far are the lobbys matchmaking system and the lack of a between-match loadout screen. Like in most games, once youve picked your mode of choice youll be sent to a room awaiting seven more players to begin. The catch is that nobody can cancel out or do anything else (such as the minigame the first Splatoon gave us to kill the time here) until either the match fills up or the timer runs out a couple of minutes later. Even if your group does fill up fast (which we can assume will be more likely after launch) and you get to play a round, you're still left with the problem of being unable to swap out weapons and gear between matches. I dont mind not being able to switch during a match because that makes you carefully consider your choices and commit to the role your weapon fills, and the matches arent that long to begin with. But after playing with a great group and leveling up, the last thing I want to do is ditch them just so I can put on a new pair of shoes.

Cooperative Calamari

Where Splatoon 2s single-player campaign gently guides you through Octoling enemies, the new Salmon Run mode is an excellent cooperative foil. As hilarious as it is addicting, this mode puts you and up to three other players up against three timed waves of relentless enemies while collecting a quota of golden eggs from boss creatures and depositing them in a basket. Unlike other horde modes, Salmon Run deftly uses Splatoons ink and territory mechanics to ensure youre not only splatting fish but also struggling to maintain control of the ground as enemies try to stifle your movement. The Boss Salmonids you face are some of the most memorable enemies Ive seen in a horde mode since Left 4 Dead, wielding trash as makeshift weapons and armor and shooting beams of ink from atop a tower of pots and pans. Their distinct looks help you assess threats quickly, which is essential because your team must neutralize them before being overwhelmed.

When playing online, youll be given one of four random weapons to use for every wave, and I love how it challenged me to adapt and fill new roles on my team: In one wave I was sniping bosses with the Splat Charger, but in the next wave I had to clear a path to the egg basket with the Roller instead. Difficulty can be set when playing locally, and steadily grows when online thanks to the randomized nature of enemy waves and weapon loadouts, boss configurations, and special events like rising water levels or egg-stealing mothership invasions. Those shifting conditions kept me coming back to see what would happen next.

The Boss Salmonids you face are some of the most memorable enemies Ive seen in a horde mode since Left 4 Dead.

Playing locally with friends is a blast my teammates and I frantically screamed out boss names and locations of golden eggs to direct each other to counter problems and capitalize on opportunities. But this also highlights how key communication is to survival, something that doesnt currently translate well in random online matchups, where you can only give basic callouts. Thats something that will hopefully improve with the launch of Nintendos mobile app, which will allow voice communication (one of the things we found lacking with the original Splatoon on the Wii U). Co-op is also the only mode that can only be played online on certain days for specific amounts of time, which is truly frustrating considering just how fun it is. I get that Nintendo wants to ensure full rooms on the days Salmon Run is active, but Id rather have the option to queue up with friends online or have a way to easily back out if nobody is around to play with (going it alone is pretty much a death sentence). Luckily, you earn rewards much faster online; if you choose to play locally you can play as much as you want, but it takes much longer to earn bonuses.

Thats it for now, but check back after Splatoon 2 and the Nintendo mobile app launch on July 21 for the final review. But if I had to score Splatoon now, Id give it an 8.3.

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Review in Progress - IGN

Brexit Talks Reveal Dashes of Frustration and a Hint of Progress – Bloomberg

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Commuters walk across London Bridge against a backdrop of Tower Bridge during sunrise in London.

Brexit negotiators acknowledged frustration on both sidesover the U.Ks divorce from the European Union, due to entrenched early positions. But signs of progress are also emerging.

The second day of the monthly negotiations in Brussels saw officials delve into the details of the main issues they want to make headway on before an October summit of leaders. Several hours devoted to how to keep a soft Irish border after Brexit, as well as the rights of European nationals in the U.K.

The past two days show that Britains divorce payment to the EU remains one of the biggest sticking points, people familiar with the talks said. Both sides are barely going further than trying to understand each others positions, quizzing each other as they seek to tease out common ground, according to people familiar with the discussions speaking on condition of anonymity.

With Theresa Mays government embroiled in infighting in London, nearly 100 civil servants are in the Belgian capital working to reach a deal by the end of next year with time on the side of the bloc. The risk for the U.K. is crashing out of the union in 2019 with tariffs awaiting and businesses fleeing.

Accused by EU negotiator Michel Barnier of wasting time, the U.K. has sought to regain some of the initiative this week by spelling out its stance on key issues.

British officials believe the government took a significant step last week when it acknowledged in writing for the first time that it owed the EU money. Analysts have said the amount, based on past commitments, could stretch to 100 billion euros ($115 billion). Yet the U.K. is unlikely to agree to a figure until the last minute, according to the people familiar with the discussions.

The EU has said it must be persuaded of sufficient progress in the negotiations on the U.K. payment, citizens rights and the Irish border before it will allow talks to move toward the crucial issue of future trade -- something both sides want to do in October.

If all goes well, the U.K. and EU will sign an agreement by the end of 2018 to allow ratification by the European Parliament, before Britain leaves the bloc the following March.

The U.K. governments latest position is that if it can convince EU negotiators that it has signed up to the principles of a financial settlement and that Britain wont go back on its word, that will be enough, according to the people familiar with the discussions.

But as the U.K. seeks to maintain leverage as long as possible, it wont make any legally binding commitment until an overarching Brexit agreement is signed, the people said.

Talks in Brussels are scheduled to last until Thursday, when U.K. negotiators will return to London, leaving the European Commission to brief officials from the 27 countries on progress. A third round of negotiations is planned for the final week of August.

Earlier in the day, European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas denied that it was a problem that Brexit Secretary David Davis only stayed a few hours on Monday before leaving the talks. We are not concerned about it, chief negotiators do not have to be present all the time, he told reporters in Brussels.

And on the U.K. having a team twice as large as that of the EU? His response: We dont feel that we have been invaded.

Although the negotiators are focused on the task at hand, both sides are making efforts to get along. On Tuesday, many of them spent their lunch hour together eating salad served in the European Commission. An issue over a lack of coffee for the two teams on Monday was rectified 24 hours later -- with the help of some chocolate biscuits.

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Brexit Talks Reveal Dashes of Frustration and a Hint of Progress - Bloomberg

Let’s not roll back bipartisan progress on global food security – The Hill (blog)

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One year ago this month, members of Congress put aside party politics and took action to support millions living in extreme poverty.

The Global Food Security Act, a bill sponsored by Sens. Johnny IsaksonJohnny IsaksonLets not roll back bipartisan progress on global food security Senate Dems to Trump official: Don't give compounds to Russia in meeting next week Tillerson: Trump and Putin had 'positive chemistry' MORE (R-Ga.) and Bob CaseyBob CaseyDem leaders amp up calls for bipartisan ObamaCare fixes Lets not roll back bipartisan progress on global food security Vulnerable senators raise big money ahead of 2018 MORE (D-Pa.) and Reps. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), passed on July 6, 2016 and was sent to the presidents desk for signature. The legislation authorized an agriculture development initiative to help alleviate global poverty and hunger in developing countries. The Act called for a comprehensive whole-of-government approach to global food and nutrition security, prioritized transparency and accountability in all programs, and recognized the critical role that women play in agriculture, nutrition and household food security.

Significantly, resilience was elevated to a full objective of the program to help ensure that unforeseen events do not derail progress toward reaching a world without hunger. With the new strategy in place, USAID has welcomed civil society to input into the selection of performance monitoring indicators. The country selection process is expected to be finalized soon.

Laws like the Global Food Security Act are strong examples of bipartisan efforts to help modernize Americas foreign assistance programs. But, these efforts to make government more efficient could be nullified should the draconian cuts to foreign assistance proposed by the White House this May be enacted.

In budget recommendations submitted to Congress, the White House called for 32 percent cuts to foreign assistance. Cuts of this nature would have a devastating impact on programs like Feed the Future that help to address global agricultural development. The initiative has helped nearly 7 million smallholder farmers and producers to improve their crop yields since being launched in 2009. The program has reached 12.5 million children with nutrition programs. The initiative has seen particularly strong results in Rwanda, Senegal and Malawi.

The White House has frequently made the case that other countries should take on the burden of global development and humanitarian response. Earlier this month, leaders from the twenty most powerful countries in the world attended the 2017 G20 meetings in Hamburg, Germany. Though 20 million people in Yemen, north-east Nigeria, Somalia and South Sudan are facing starvation due to conflict and drought, food and nutrition security was not on the G20 agenda in any meaningful way. The imminent need for famine response and increased investment in food security initiatives that can promote resilience and prevent future disasters is profoundly clear. Yet the G20 hasnt had the political will to tackle this issue.

As one of the largest national donors to global food security initiatives, the United States must continue to lead. Rejecting President Trumps cuts to foreign aid is a critical first step. From Des Moines to Dallas, advocates in all parts of the country have taken 283,054 actions to demonstrate to policymakers that foreign assistance saves lives, builds economies, and keeps us safe here at home. Now, it is time for Congress to heed their call.

Judith Rowland is U.S. Policy and Advocacy Manager atGlobal Citizen

The views expressed by this author are their own and are not the views of The Hill.

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Let's not roll back bipartisan progress on global food security - The Hill (blog)

Estimated Premium Increases from Repeal and Delay – Center For American Progress

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After the failure of the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has reverted to the previously-rejected strategy of repealing major parts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) with no replacement.

McConnells revived strategy of repeal and delay would cause immediate chaos in the individual insurance market despite putting off the implementation of certain provisions for two years. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has projected that this approach would increase premiums in the individual market to levels 20 percent to 25 percent higher relative to those under the ACA in the first year after enactment. By 2026, premiums would be about 100 percent higher than under current law.

Table 1 displays the effect that these increases would have on projected premiums. Under repeal, a 40-year-old would pay $1,100 more for coverage next year. By 2026, a 40-year-old would pay $6,500 more annually for coverage.

Notably, the actual financial impact on many enrollees would be even more extreme than these numbers indicate. Currently, the vast majority of marketplace enrollees receive tax credits that reduce the share of the premium they pay and more than half receive cost-sharing subsidies. Under the Senates plan for repeal and delay, these tax credits would be repealed after two years with no replacement.

To estimate what premiums would be next year, we used information on the 2017 average benchmark silver premium and inflated it to 2018 rates. Under implementation of the ACA, including continued payment of cost-sharing reductions and enforcement of the individual mandate, premium increases next year would reflect mostly increases in medical trend. The consultancy Oliver Wyman predicts that premiums should rise about 8 to 11 percent in 2018. We used the midpoint of this prediction, 9.5 percent, to estimate the 2018 premium for a 40-year-old under current law.

To apply CBOs estimate that premiums would increase by 20 percent to 25 percent in the first plan year after a repeal bills enactment, we also used the midpoint, or 22.5 percent, for the 2018 premium difference. The CBO projected that the annual silver plan premium would be $6,500 for a 40-year-old in 2026 under the ACA. We applied the CBOs projection that premiums would about double to estimate the premium for a 40-year-old in 2026 under repeal and delay.

Emily R. Gee is the health economist for the Health Policy team at the Center for American Progress. Thomas Huelskoetter is the policy analystfor the Health Policy team at American Progress.

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Estimated Premium Increases from Repeal and Delay - Center For American Progress

Scotts claims significant progress in killing GE bentgrass in Oregon – Capital Press

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EPAs approval of a special local need label for the Reckon herbicide will allow Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. to continue to make significant progress in controlling a genetically engineered creeping bentgrass in Malheur and Jefferson counties in Oregon, company officials say.

Sean Ellis/Capital Press

Danielle Posch, a senior research specialist with Scotts Miracle-Gro Co., points out the difference between genetically engineered creeping bentgrass (pictured on the left) and conventional creeping bentgrass (two plants on the right), July 12 during a field day at Oregon State Universitys agricultural experiment station in Ontario, Ore. Posch said Scotts is making significant progress in controlling GE bentgrass in Malheur County.

ONTARIO, Ore. Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. is reporting significant progress in eliminating genetically engineered creeping bentgrass plants from Malheur and Jefferson counties in Oregon.

Were making a tremendous dent in the population of bentgrass right now, said Danielle Posch, a senior research specialist with Scotts.

She was hired by Scotts in March to coordinate efforts to control the plant with local farmers, ranchers and irrigation districts.

The creeping bentgrass was genetically engineered by Scotts and Monsanto Corp. to withstand applications of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsantos Roundup weed killer, which makes it hard to kill.

It took root in Malheur and Jefferson counties after escaping field trials in 2003 and some farmers worry the plants could clog irrigation ditches and affect shipments of crops to nations that dont accept traces of genetically modified organisms.

Malheur County farmer Dan Andersen said Scotts is making real progress in controlling the plant.

Theyre doing a good job of staying right on top of it, said Andersen, co-chairman of a working group of farmers, irrigation district representatives and others that was created in Malheur County to coordinate with Scotts in its continuing efforts to try to control the plant.

East Oregon farmer Bruce Corn, a member of the Owyhee Irrigation Districts board of directors, agrees.

He said he used to have several of the plants on his property but its really hard to find one on my place now. Theres definite progress. I think so far Scotts is doing a pretty good job on it.

Andersen is not overly hopeful the plant will ever be eradicated from the area, but I think well be able to get to a point where its minor and very manageable, he said. But were still going to have to be vigilant keeping an eye out for it and not letting our guard down.

Posch said efforts to fight the plant were provided a significant boost earlier this year when EPA approved a special local need label for Reckon, an herbicide that is effective in controlling the bentgrass.

The special label will allow growers and irrigation districts to spray glufosinate, the active ingredient in Reckon and the most effective herbicide for killing the bentgrass, over water during the growing season.

That chemical previously could only be used over waterways, such as canals, during a short period before the beginning of the growing season or after canals were dry.

The plants werent growing during those times which made it harder to kill them because they didnt take up the chemical, Posch said.

Being able to use Reckon over waterways during the entire year is a game-changer in efforts to combat the GE creeping bentgrass, Posch said.

In my opinion, its a godsend, Andersen said.

Scotts has also started a voucher program that provides growers with the plant on their property with free, 2.5-gallon containers of Reckon.

For more information about that program, contact Posch by email at danielle.posch@scotts.com.

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Scotts claims significant progress in killing GE bentgrass in Oregon - Capital Press

‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ Review: Finale of biblical proportions – Rappler

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Published 1:10 PM, July 18, 2017

Updated 1:10 PM, July 18, 2017

FINAL CHAPTER. Caesar (Andy Serkis) faces new challenges in 'War for the Planet of the Apes,' Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Matt Reeves War for the Planet of the Apes is a triumphant and fitting conclusion to a trilogy of films that deserves much more fanfare and acclaim than it already has.

Evolving apes

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

The franchise, which started with Rise of the Planet of the Apes back in 2011, saw the landscape of blockbuster cinema in a constant state of flux.

While other franchises latched on to treating the movie-going public like visitors of a theme park who are just in it for the roller coaster-like spectacle and experience, the Planet of the Apes reboot keeps on evolving without necessarily straying from the story of Caesar (Andy Serkis), the ape who evolves from being a laboratory experiment into the leader of intelligent simians who are out to dislodge humans as the dominant species in the world.

Rise suffered from being an origin story, and while competently directed by Rupert Wyatt, its pleasures relied on its ability to mold the beginnings of an apocalypse that will connect to the horrors of Franklin J. Schaffners original Planet of the Apes (1968) or Tim Burtons 2001 remake. Reeves took over for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), proceeding to craft a tale of Shakespearean consequences out of monkeys eking out an organized society amidst persecution from surviving humans.

War continues Dawns tradition of reshaping pop culture to make more overt allegories that reflect very current realities.

Cruelty and faith

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Opening with a battle between human soldiers and defending apes deep within the forest, the film immediately slows down, treading forward with a deliberate pace, utilizing familiar tropes of various genres in pursuit of its vivid exploration of both human cruelty and faith.

War stretches Dawns metaphors to near biblical proportions.

Caesar, from the rising and benevolent leader ruler of the previous film, is dealt with strife that forces him to expose a humanity that is even more compelling than before. He becomes a Christ-like figure, a symbol of hope for an enslaved people. He is even granted imagery reminiscent of seminal moments from the bible.

He is hung on wooden beams, almost crucified before being quenched of his thirst by a little girl (Amiah Miller) that his people are supposed to hate in a sequence that sparks hope amidst such stark cheerlessness. He is provided moments of doubt, where he questions his own morality after facing dilemmas that compromise his own rules.

Faith is clearly a persistent theme.

As the film paints the burgeoning apes as distressed by humanitys abuse and oppression and the remaining people of the world as desperately clinging to their diminishing superiority, they rely on solitary figures of differing charismas. While Caesar plays the role of his peoples savior with obvious ease, the surviving humans only have the Colonel (Woody Harrelson), a crazed authoritarian who thrives in discrimination for self-preservation. They hold their positions in their respective groups with doctrines like survivalism and exodus that are all akin to religion.

Portrait of inequity

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

At this point, War has pushed the franchise as far as it could from Schaffners iconic sci-fi film.

The original Planet of the Apes, with its ending Charlton Heston lamenting the fall of humanity feels like a cautionary tale, a work that feeds on our collective fear of being inferior as what that films hero has suffered through at the hands of civilized primates.

Rise, Dawn, and now, War, with their diligent effort to humanize the animals that have previously been depicted as villains, and create a world of abject division that results in atrocities that may have been inspired by real history, are portraits of the recurring inequity that has besieged society since the beginning. Rappler.com

Francis Joseph Cruz litigates for a living and writes about cinema for fun. The first Filipino movie he saw in the theaters was Carlo J. Caparas 'Tirad Pass.' Since then, hes been on a mission to find better memories with Philippine cinema.

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'War for the Planet of the Apes' Review: Finale of biblical proportions - Rappler

Gig review: Catfish and The Bottlemen at Don Valley Bowl, Sheffield – Yorkshire Evening Post

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15:42 Tuesday 18 July 2017

Sheffield, are yis good? hollers Van McCann, guitar draped loose, as several thousand teenage girls respond with wails of rapture.

Llandudnos most famous son is on ebullient form, and with good reason; only a song into Catfish and the Bottlemens show at the Don Valley Bowl and three different variants of coloured smoke are billowing across the grass verges, engulfing a crowd high on the Welsh quartets swaggering two-pronged guitar assault.

Their knack for throwing crunchy, catchy riffs together, cribbed from the mid-noughties indie songbook, is a wholly unfashionable one less old dog, new tricks, more new dog, old tricks. But on a drizzle-soaked South Yorkshire evening, their rock n roll anachronisms remain boisterously potent, thanks to their slick live chops and their frontmans brash wantonness.

Winding up a short UK tour, this is as much a victory lap as anything else for the group, coming on the back of arguably their most successful year. As such, they stick to the hits; across an hour-plus set bolstered by occasional jams, they lean heavily on debut record The Balcony, its brash brand of in-yer-face chunky riffs and laddishly romantic lyricism lending themselves well to the response McCann and cohorts Benji Blakeway, Bob Hall and Bondy Bond incite.

Their frontman oozes cookie-cutter bad-boy charisma; when he wiggles his hips during the throbbing bass breakdown for Soundcheck, the response is a deafening scream. On Pacifiers buffed-up scuzz, he drawls with an assured confidence; on the low-slung surge of Anything, his darts his tongue out with a lazy swipe, to audible swoons. He is a magnetic throwback; a sexed-up black hole of a performer with an inextinguishable gravitational pull.

Such is the fervour McCann inspires, his bandmates often fall into his shadow, but they vamp along gamely, with rambunctious runs through Twice and 7.

At one point, the stage is almost flooded by inflatable crocodiles thrown from the audience, the emblem of the bands second album The Ride. Its a strangely whimsical offering on a night of less quirky fare; when the glossy air-punch anthemics of Cocoon arrive, it quickly dispels any notion of capriciousness, instead regaling with a faux-nostalgic hedonism.

From the bottom of our hearts Sheffield, thank you, their bandleader proclaims earnestly before energetic closer Tyrants.

Game-changers they aint but Catfish and the Bottlemen tap into youthful rebelliousness with a chutzpah it would be boorish to undermine. New dog, old tricks indeed.

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Gig review: Catfish and The Bottlemen at Don Valley Bowl, Sheffield - Yorkshire Evening Post

Montreal’s Ancient Future Festival Reveals 2017 Lineup with Hudson Mohawke, the Underachievers, Sam Paganini – Exclaim!

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tienne de Crcy, Omar Souleyman, Project Pablo and more will also perform at the 3rd annual event

Published Jul 18, 2017

The festival will take place at the Quai de l'Horloge and at Hangar 16 in the Old Port of Montreal on September 8 and 9. On those days, the event will feature the likes of Hudson Mohawke, the Underachievers, Sam Paganini, Kevin Saunderson, tienne de Crcy, Omar Souleyman, Victor Ruiz, Eagles & Butterflies, Branko (Buraka som Sistema), Mall Grab, Johnny Trika, Mad Rey et Folamour, Kgoon, Grandbuda and more.

Also a spotlight will be shone on local acts such as Project Pablo, Atroxx, Rico Shae, Kris Tin, Nymra & Sofisticated, Zepha, Obsolte Collective and TGV.

Speaking of the festival, organizers stated, "At the edge of the river, the musical experience is a paradox between nature and the building where the past and the future confront. An independent and eco-responsible festival where landmarks are deconstructed to give way to hedonism and the unpredictable."

To learn more about programming and tickets, head to the festival website here.

Learn more aboutAncient Future Festivaland other summer festivals on Exclaim!'sSummer Festival Guide.

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Montreal's Ancient Future Festival Reveals 2017 Lineup with Hudson Mohawke, the Underachievers, Sam Paganini - Exclaim!

Kenan Malik on 20 years after the fatwa on Salman Rashdie – Daily Review

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When Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa against Salman Rushdie in 1989, even in Australia, in what was then the outer suburban offices of Penguin Books, fear changed the way we not only acted but also thought.

We debated the pros and cons and many of us believed that if people are put at risk by a book and by writing even by commenting on books and writing then maybe its better if we choose silence.

Twenty years on, British writer Kenan Malik took us back to that time in a book he called From Fatwa to Jihad, showing with measured and powerful analysis how that was a moment that changed the world.

Following the murders of journalists at the French magazine Charlie Hebdo, Malik updated his book, reiterating his sharp criticism of Leftist support for dangerous identity politics.

The Rushdie affair, he wrote, gave early notice of the abandonment by many sections of the left of their traditional attachment to ideas of Enlightenment rationalism and secular universalism and their growing espousal of multiculturalism, identity politics and notions of cultural authenticity.

Maliknow campaigns in words to challenge what he sees is the odd situation where both Left and Right claim national identity must be defended.

Malik doesnt talk much about his background, although he recently wrote an article about growing up in Manchester and the killings at the music concert. That he was born in India to a Muslim father and Hindu mother and arrived aged five to live in England is not something he puts forward to justify his ethical and social thinking about identity politics.

He does talk at his Pandaemonium website about his interest in radical far-Left politics when he was younger, and about how the response to the Rushdie affair changed his mind. He now campaigns in words to challenge what he sees is the odd situation where both Left and Right claim national identity must be defended.

The consequences of identity politics and of concepts such as cultural appropriation is to bring about not social justice but the empowerment of those who would act as gatekeepers to particular communities, he says.

Hes been attacked, of course, for criticising multiculturalism policies that curtail freedom of speech, but he shows, in his magisterial new book, The Quest for a Moral Compass, how ethical thinking can provide a path down through history and hopefully into the future.

His books are not widely distributed yet in Australia, but his imminent tour may amend that a little: he begins his tour at Byron Bay Writers Festival from August 4 to 6, then speaks at the Seymour Centre in Sydney on August 8, State Library of NSW on August 10, and finally at Bendigo Writers Festival, August 11-13, where he is in conversation with Tony Walker for La Trobe Universitys Ideas and Society talks.

Rosemary Sorensen is director of Bendigo Writers Festival

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Kenan Malik on 20 years after the fatwa on Salman Rashdie - Daily Review

The Tesla Freight Network: A $10 Billion Opportunity – Seeking Alpha

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Introduction: The Tesla Freight Network

Following its strategy in passenger cars, I predict that Tesla (TSLA) will begin by selling semi trucks to customers before transitioning to an on-demand self-driving service. I believe that Tesla will launch a Tesla Network for freight like its planned Tesla Network for passengers. I anticipate that this service, which I call the Tesla Freight Network, will probably launch sometime in the early 2020s. Using some rough back-of-the-envelope math, I find that the Tesla Freight Network could eventually generate tens of billions or even hundreds of billions in revenue for Tesla.

This is not a new idea. Uber (UBER) already has launched a similar service, Uber Freight, although for now it still uses human drivers rather than self-driving trucks. Uber also acquired Otto, a self-driving truck startup, and continues to work on developing self-driving for long-haul freight trucking. Uber has made clear its service for passengers will go autonomous. Taking Uber Freight autonomous seems like a given.

In October, Tesla announced the Tesla Network for passengers, an autonomous ride-hailing service that will compete with Uber. With Tesla now working on self-driving freight trucks, the logical next step is to develop a competing service to Uber Freight. Tesla will have an edge over Uber, as well as over other competitors, if the all-electric Tesla semi can achieve a cost per mile than semi trucks powered by diesel engines. This should be achievable thanks to the lower energy cost, lower maintenance cost, and longer lifetime of electric powertrain technology. Tesla will have an additional advantage in machine learning for self-driving freight trucks if can build up a large fleet of primarily human-driven trucks with Autopilot that collect driving data.

Contrary to popular belief, Tesla is not already priced for perfect execution of its strategy. That could only possibly be true if Teslas strategy did not include self-driving, which CEO Elon Musk has stated is the companys No. 2 priority, behind only the Model 3 launch. Self driving for passengers would likely grow Teslas market cap several times over. Self driving for freight represents another opportunity for growth that ranges from around a 20% increase in market cap at 1% market share and a several-fold increase at higher market shares.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk talks about the Tesla semi truck at TED.

Let's spend a moment indulging in the dangerous game of linear extrapolation. If Tesla is successful in quadrupling its production volume in 2018, its share of the U.S. passenger vehicle market will be roughly 1%. At a 1% share of the freight trucking industry, Tesla would generate $10 billion in revenue. At the S&P 500s historical average price/sales ratio of 1.45, this revenue would add $14.5 billion to Teslas market cap. That's about 20% growth from Tesla's all-time high market cap of $63.6 billion.

By comparison, as of late last year Tesla's share of the U.S. large luxury sedan market is around 30%. It's a segment that includes the BMW (OTCPK:BMWYY) 7 Series and the Mercedes-Benz (OTCPK:DDAIF) S-Class, based on a combination of price, performance, and interior passenger volume. At a 30% share of the freight trucking market, Tesla would generate $300 billion in revenue and add $435 billion in market cap (at the same price/sales ratio).

However, I don't believe either of these precedents are a good guide to predicting Tesla's market share in the freight trucking industry. Freight trucking is purely about cost per mile, not about qualitative factors such as aesthetics, brand, or driver experience, which are important for car buyers. As such, Tesla's market share will be a function of 1) its cost per mile relative to the current industry average, 2) the degree of competition in the self-driving electric freight truck space, and 3) its production volume.

The economic rationalism of the freight trucking industry and the anticipated dramatically lower cost per mile of self-driving electric freight trucks means these vehicles will dominate the freight trucking industry. No other company is known to be developing this kind of vehicle.

Competition will no doubt arrive eventually, but right now it looks like Tesla might be the only company working on a self-driving electric freight truck. Until other manufacturers launch competing vehicles, there is theoretically no limit to Teslas share of the freight trucking market. The only limiting factor will be its production volume.

It's worth considering the following. At a 5% share of the U.S. freight trucking market, Tesla would generate $50 billion in revenue and add at least $72 billion to Tesla's market cap. That added $72 billion alone is more than 110% of Teslas market cap at its all-time high of $63.6 billion. As long as the Tesla Freight Network is successful, Tesla could lose revenue from all other sources and still grow 10% from its all-time high.

Tesla also will capture market share internationally. While statistics on the global freight trucking industry are not readily available, the U.S. has a 25% share of the overall global transportation industry. The international opportunity, then, may be several times larger than the opportunity within the U.S.

U.S. freight trucking already was a $726 billion industry in 2015 and its growing. The American Trucking Associations forecast a 35% increase in freight tonnage moved by trucks from 2016 to 2027 as its baseline scenario. A 38% increase in revenue would push the industry past the $1 trillion mark.

I anticipate that self-driving electric freight trucks will accelerate the climb to $1 trillion in revenue. Driver compensation accounts for 31% of the operating costs of a freight truck, with fuel costs at 25%, repair and maintenance at 10%, and insurance at 6%. Thats 72% of operating costs that can be reduced dramatically by a self-driving electric freight truck. Far lower costs mean that freight companies can offer far lower prices. This has the potential to unlock a new level of demand for freight transportation. Moreover, as Galileo Russell observes, self-driving electric freight trucks are likely to grab market share from rail.

This article is based on rough back-of-the-envelope math. High-powered research teams will release different estimates based on sophisticated mathematical models. These models capture subtleties back-of-the-envelope math cant. Its possible that due to factors Im not modeling in my rough math, Teslas opportunity is much smaller than I claim.

For instance, perhaps under conditions of dramatically lower costs and intense competition, aggregate freight trucking revenue could drop so low that Tesla would require a much larger market share to add $72 billion to its market cap. I am somewhat skeptical of this particular scenario because I dont see competition intensifying quickly and I suspect growth in freight volumes may offset the drop in costs. However, I cant rule it out and there may be other scenarios I havent considered.

A successful launch of the Tesla Freight Network will, I believe, eventually add a minimum of $14.5 billion in market cap to Tesla and more likely a multiple of that number. Investors who feel confident in Teslas technological leadership and ability to execute, as I do, should consider seizing on this opportunity. Since the Tesla Freight Network may not launch until years after the initial production of the Tesla semi truck currently planned for 2019 this is an opportunity for investors who are prepared to hold onto their stock for a long time.

My recommendation: Buy TSLA and hold on a very long-term basis, i.e. at least 10 years and ideally longer.

Disclosure: I am/we are long TSLA.

I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

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The Tesla Freight Network: A $10 Billion Opportunity - Seeking Alpha

BBC accused of turning the Proms into a platform for anti-Brexit fanatics – The Sun

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Conductor ranted about the UK leaving the EU and Germans played Land of Hope and Glory in protest

BBC bosses are under fire after the Proms classical music festival was hijacked by anti-Brexit stunts twice in one weekend.

Renowned conductor Daniel Barenboim ranted against the UK leaving the EU and had a German orchestra play Elgars Land of Hope of Glory in protest at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday.

BBC

It came just 48 hours after pianist Igor Levit performed the official EU anthem unexpectedly on Friday night during an encore.

The BBC defended the impromptu performance of Beethovens Ode To Joy as an artistic choice.

But the brazen interventions sparked uproar from Tory MPs, who slammed the BBC for giving a platform to Euro-fanatics.

They were left incensed by a long speech from the conductors podium at Londons world famous music venue on Sunday night and broadcast on TV and radio.

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Classical music supremo Daniel Barenboim, 74, hit out at isolationist tendencies and nationalism in its very narrow sense is something that is very dangerous.

And he hinted that Brits voted to leave the EU because of a lack knowledge, saying the main problem of today is that there is not enough education.

And in an interview also broadcast by the BBC before the live show, he claimed English composing hero Edward Elgar makes the best case against Brexit because this is European music.

Alamy

He also went on to claim that humanism could solve terrorism, saying: religious fanaticism cannot be fought with arms alone.

He claimed: The real evils of the world can only be fought with a humanism that keeps us all together. Last night Tory MP Andrew Bridgen raged that the BBC will happily go along with anything that supports the Remain cause.

The Leicester MP claimed it was quite pertinent that they chose Land of Hope and Glory, mother of the free.

Because that is what we will be once again when we leave and take back control of our borders, laws and money.

He added: And the BBC and Proms organisers had better get used to it.

They have had a year to come to terms with the fact we are leaving the EU, and yet still they want to undermine democracy.

And Romford MP Andrew Rosindell added: For the BBC to allow this shows their actively letting Euro-fanatics voice their views, whilst ignoring the democratic majority.

He added: The BBC must be neutral, if its not that is wrong and cant continue, its harming Britain.

The annual Proms concerts showcase classical music from Britain and around the world and are held every summer with many of the concerts broadcast live on Radio 3 and BBC4.

Last night respected classical music commentator Norm Lebrecht said: This was out of order. The Proms are, and must be, politically neutral.

He added: Using the Proms as a political platform risks damaging a national treasure.

Despite a wonderful performance of Elgars less favoured symphony, this was a very bad night for the reputation of the BBC Proms.

Last night a BBC spokesman said: The Proms is not a political platform and all artists are booked on the basis of their musical excellence.

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BBC accused of turning the Proms into a platform for anti-Brexit fanatics - The Sun

Disruption of WhatsApp in China triggers censorship fears – Christian Science Monitor

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July 18, 2017 BeijingUsers of WhatsApp in China and security researchers have reported widespread service disruptions amid fears that the popular messaging service may be at least partially blocked by authorities in the world's most populous country.

WhatsApp users in China reported Tuesday on other social media platforms that the app was partly inaccessible unless virtual private network software was used to circumvent China's censorship apparatus, known colloquially as The Great Firewall.

WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook and offers end-to-end encryption, has a relatively small but loyal following among users seeking a greater degree of privacy from government snooping than afforded by popular domestic app WeChat, which is ubiquitous but closely monitored and filtered.

Questions over WhatsApp's status come at a politically fraught time in China. The government is in the midst of preparing for a sensitive party congress while Chinese censors this week revved up a sprawling effort to scrub all mention of Liu Xiaobo, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate who died Thursday in government custody.

A report this week by the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab detailed how Chinese censors were able to intercept, in real time, images commemorating Liu in private one-on-one chats on WeChat, a feat that hinted at the government's image recognition capabilities.

It appeared that pictures were also the focus of the move to censor WhatsApp. Late Tuesday, users in China could send texts over WhatsApp without the use of VPNs, but not images.

Nadim Kobeissi, a cryptography researcher based in Paris who has been investigating the WhatsApp disruption, said he believed The Great Firewall was only blocking access to WhatsApp servers that route media between users, while leaving servers that handle text messages untouched. He said voice messages also appeared to be blocked.

But there was no evidence to suggest that Chinese authorities were decrypting WhatsApp messages, Mr. Kobeissi added.

A Chinese censorship researcher known by his pseudonym Charlie Smith said authorities appeared to be blocking non-text WhatsApp messages wholesale precisely because they have not been able to selectively block content on the platform like they have with WeChat, which is produced by Shenzhen-based internet giant Tencent and legally bound to cooperate with Chinese security agencies.

Because WhatsApp content is encrypted, "they have moved to brute censor all non-text content," Mr. Smith said in an email. "It would not be surprising to find that everything on WhatsApp gets blocked, forcing users in China to use unencrypted, monitored, and censored services like WeChat."

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said he had no information on the issue when asked by reporters on Tuesday.

Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment. WhatsApp is one of the world's most widely used messaging services, with more than 1.2 billion users.

Signal, another encrypted messaging service, appeared to also have patchy service with significant delays.

China has long blocked Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, with officials arguing that foreign social media services operating beyond their control pose a threat to national security. But authorities in China, as with other governments, are paying increasing attention to encrypted messaging apps.

After Beijing waged its largest-ever crackdown on human rights lawyers and activists in 2015, the People's Daily newspaper, the ruling Communist Party's official mouthpiece, singled out Telegram as the platform where lawyers the coordinated their activities. And in closely orchestrated and televised trials, the arrested lawyers read scripted confessions explaining how they used the apps to communicate freely with collaborators overseas.

Telegram has since been blocked, with many Chinese dissidents switching in recent months to WhatsApp.

The progressive tightening of messaging apps forces Chinese users to resort to domestic apps such as WeChat "to simply function and have day-to-day communications," said Kobeissi, the security researcher. "Then they can be monitored en masse."

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Disruption of WhatsApp in China triggers censorship fears - Christian Science Monitor