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Burqas Banned and LGBT Muslims Welcome at Germany’s First ‘Liberal’ Mosque – Newsweek

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

Full-face veils are banned; Men and women, straight or gay, can pray together; Sunnis and Shiites, who in other parts of the world are engaged in bloody conflicts, are encouraged to sit side-by-side.

Welcome to Germanys first liberal mosque.

Dozens of people gathered for Friday prayersled by a female American imam at the opening of Ibn-Rushd-Goethe-Mosque in Berlin on Friday, the AP reported.

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The mosque was the realization of an eight-year dream of German-Turkish womens rights activist Seyran Ates, who moved to Germany from Turkey as a child and was part of a government agency assisting with the integration of Muslims in Germany.

I couldn't be more euphoric, it's a dream come true, Ates, 54, told AP this week.

The mosque is jointly named after Ibn Rushd, a 12th century Andalusian Islamic scholar also known as Averroes, and German playwright Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. It currently occupies the third floor of an old Lutheran church in Moabit, a neighborhood with a sizeable immigrant population.

German-Turkish lawyer, author and activist Seyran Ates (R) readies the prayer area prior to an inaugural friday payer at the Ibn Rushd-Goethe-mosque in Berlin on June 16. Men and women can pray together at the mosque, which is also open to LGBT Muslims. JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP/Getty

Ates said the mosque will be open to all but added that women would be proscribed from wearing the burqaa veil that completely covers the face and leaves just a mesh screen for the wearer to see throughand the niqabwhich covers the face except for a small slit for the eyes. [This is] for safety reasons and because it is our conviction that the full-face veil has nothing to do with religion, but is a political statement, Ates told German magazine Spiegel. Germanys lower house of parliament recently passed a bill banning full-face veils for people in certain professions, including judges and soldiers.

Read more: 10,000 Muslims will march in Cologne on Saturday against terrorism

More than 4 million Muslims live in Germany, with the majority coming from Turkey. Under Chancellor Angela Merkels open doors policy, Germany has taken in more than 1 million refugees since 2015, most of whom are from Muslim-majority countries Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Merkel has come under fire from conservative elements in Germany for the policy, and tensions have been further inflamed by Islamist-inspired attacks carried out in the country. In December 2016, Anis Amri, a Tunisian migrant whoseasylum request was turned down by German authorities earlier in 2016, drove a truck into a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people. The Islamic State militant group (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attack.

A police car is parked in front of the St. Johannis Protestant church which houses the Ibn Rushd-Goethe-mosque in Berlin on June 16. JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP/Getty

Germany and Turkey havebeen at loggerheads since German authorities banned Turks living in Germany from carrying out rallies in support of changes to the Turkish constitution that would give more power to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Turkish leader accused Germanys government of fascist actions that were reminiscent of the Nazi period.

Ates said that the new mosque was designed to give modern and liberal Muslims the opportunity to show our faces in public. She said that she had received threats from people about the project, but that most of the feedback had been beautiful and positive, AP reported.

The womens rights activist was the subject of an assassination attempt in 1984 when working as a counselor for Turkish women and was previously attacked by the enraged husband of a former client. She will start Arabic and Islamic theology studies later this year and hopes to become an imam.

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Burqas Banned and LGBT Muslims Welcome at Germany's First 'Liberal' Mosque - Newsweek

Liberal Orthodox seminary reiterates opposition to intermarriage – The Jerusalem Post

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

Liberal Orthodox seminary reiterates opposition to intermarriage
The Jerusalem Post
Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, the liberal Orthodox rabbinical seminary, released a statement stressing its opposition to intermarriage following an essay by one of its graduates advocating welcoming intermarried couples. The statement, issued Friday ...

To understand white liberal racism, read these private emails – KUOW – KUOW News and Information

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

On a gray day last October, teachers across Seattle wore a shirt that read BLACK LIVES MATTER.

They knew there might be criticism. John Muir Elementary in south Seattle had done this in September and received a bomb threat and hate mail from across the U.S.

But they did, and the day was, by most accounts, uneventful. Some kids got it most didnt. Just another school day.

And then, a backlash, but this time not from outsiders. White parents from the citys tonier neighborhoods wrote to their principals to say they were displeased. A Black Lives Matter day was too militant, too political and too confusing for their young kids, they said.

Some danced around their discomfort, others snarked in ALL CAPS. These parents would not talk to us, so we made a public records request for their emails.

Their names were blacked out, which is why they are not named here.

Wrote a parent at Laurelhurst Elementary: Can you please address why skin color is so important? I remember a guy that had a dream. Do you remember that too? I doubt it. Please show me the content of your character if you do.

From Eckstein Middle School in Wedgwood: What about red and black or yellow and white and black? How does supporting Black Lives Matter help that gap?

And from Bryant Elementary in Ravenna: Im writing to share what my 9-year-old daughter told me about what she learned in class regarding the Black Lives Matter discussion. She said she felt bad about being white. And that police lie and do bad things.

These three schools are in northeast Seattle, one of the whitest, most affluent corners of the city. They are also in staunchly liberal neighborhoods dotted with rainbow yard signs that say All are welcome.

This is what Ive come to call Seattles passive progressiveness, said Stephan Blanford, a Seattle school board member whose doctoral research focused on race and public education. We vote the right way on issues. We believe the right way. But the second you challenge their privilege, you see the response.

Blanford is black and represents the Central District, the historic African-American heart of the city. He wasnt surprised by the emails from parents after the Black Lives Matter day. Middle-class white parents have asked him for help getting their kids out of Madrona Elementary, which is 44 percent black.

No one will say to me, We dont want our kids to go to a black school, but I believe thats frequently the underlying reason, Blanford said.

Black Lives Matter emerged from a Twitter hashtag in 2013. The movement gained momentum as videos emerged of police officers killing black men, and from there became a rallying cry against racism. Those three words say that black lives havent mattered enough in this country, and they should.

Reaction to the Black Lives Matter day might have been more muted had Sarah Talbot, the principal atLaurelhurst, not sent an email afterward to parents.

I heard from a few parents concerned about what teacherswerentsaying, Talbot wrote.

They werent saying anything about lives the lives of students, parents and families who are not black. I worried about that too. Would our Native students feel left out, since they face the same (or worse) effects of systemic racism in schools and outside of schools that black students face? What about the majority of the students in our school who are white? They also live with the effects of a society that unfairly prioritizes their lives.

But then I remembered that atLaurelhurstElementary, we have a 20 percent difference in the growth of black students reading skills when compared to the average growth of all students at our school."

After school, a mom learned that her 5-year-old was asked to stand up in front of his class and talk about Black Lives Matter and his shirt. By the end of the day, he had taken it off and shoved it in his cubby.

TheLaurelhurstBlog, which doesn't name its writer, wrote to media a week later: Many parents contacted theLaurelhurstBlog and found the email disturbing, divisive and offensive, and one called it racially biased."

The blogger continued, Talbot says there is injustice and there are gaps but where are her examples? Since she didnt provide any, is it her own invented bias that she is bringing to the community, creating divisiveness?

Director Blanford urged me to interview Jill Geary, the school board director representing northeast Seattle. Geary is a white mom of five with a daughter at Laurelhurst Elementary; maybe she could explain parent thinking, he said.

Geary doesnt see herself as a total insider, however. She was once an administrative law judge who focused on special education; years ago she refused to join other parents in trying to oust a program for highly traumatized kids at Laurelhurst.

She sighed a little as she explained:

They would prefer to be all lives matter, because then their child is included in the conversation about mattering, she said. What they dont think is, would a black mother feel like her child matters, based upon the way that history, the nation, the city, the institutional structures, have treated her child? Thats not the process theyre using.

Geary shared a story from earlier in the year: A sticker that read HCC = APPartheid was placed outsideThurgood Marshall Elementary. HCC stands for Highly Capable Cohort; APPartheid is a play on what the program was called before APP, or Advanced Placement Program.

The sticker's message: The gifted program is overwhelmingly white. Last year,1 percent of the program was black, even though the district was 16 percent black.

We got very angry emails about that, as though we had sponsored it, Geary said. They were upset their kid was being shamed for being in HCC. I think thats the same instinct.

Read: Where are the black kids in Seattle's gifted program?

When Geary spoke with a parent upset about the Black Lives Matter day last fall, she said, I know your child matters. You know your child matters. But Im not sure that we as a society have made it clear that we believe black children matter in the way that white children matter.

But Geary said caring a lot is part of the culture at affluent schools like Laurelhurst, where parents have time and money to get involved.

Theres a portable on the playground, and we are arming ourselves to get rid of it, Geary said. I hate to say it, but that is privilege amplified.

I asked Jennifer Harvey, a religion professor in Des Moines, Iowa, to read these emails and share her thoughts. Harvey recently had an opinion piece in The New York Times titled, Are we raising racists?

As a white person myself, I hear and I know how white people think about race,and I wasn't surprised to see just a basic lack of understanding of how racism functions, Harvey said. This would not be unique to Seattle liberal whites, nor among liberals who didn't vote for Trump. These kind of sentiments are very deep seated.

She continued: What I see when I read these emails is this utter failure to value black life. Because if you value black life you go, Oh my god, even if I don't understand this,why is it that African-Americans need to have this movement for black lives, and what is it like to be a 10-year-old child who's black?

It's like there's this total white vortex that just screams out from these emails, whether they are being nasty intentionally or just saying,'I don't get it.'They make me really sad.

Not that all parents bristled at the Black Lives Matter day. Several cheered on the school in their emails. And when I contacted members of the Laurelhurst PTA members, two moms replied that they supported it.

But there was also a mom heartbroken by how the day had played out for her son.

I was feeling scared to drop them off at school, [my son] in particular, being at Laurelhurst as a brown student in a sea of white peers and white staff, she wrote to Principal Talbot.

That morning, the mom and her son talked about what his Black Lives Matter shirt meant. He told me he felt scared, the mom wrote.

As we parked, he said, Mom! I just got a good idea. If I get white paint and put it all over my body to cover the brown so they cant see it, then people will stop killing us black and brown people.

I cried so many tears of sadness, fear, anger and feelings of lost hope yesterday morning, she said.

After school, she learned that her 5-year-old was asked to stand up in front of his class and talk about Black Lives Matter and his shirt. By the end of the day, he had taken it off and shoved it in his cubby.

I asked him why, and he said because he was tired of people asking him about it and wanting to take his picture, the mom wrote. I was so angry all I could do was pick him up, hug him so tightly and said, I can see why you chose not to wear it. That sounds uncomfortable and unfair.

When I told Director Blanford this story, he said it made sense the boy was overwhelmed. In his day-to-day experience as a student, he's probably pretty invisible, and then all of a sudden, hes the celebrity in the classroom."

Referring back to the critical parents, he said, The intersection of class and race always has the potential to be explosive. This was a nice powder keg, and it just needed the match."

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To understand white liberal racism, read these private emails - KUOW - KUOW News and Information

PTI govt believes in press freedom: KP CM – The News International

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

NOWSHERA: Chief Minister Pervez Khattak said on Saturday that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government believed in the freedom of the press.

He was speaking at a ceremony at the Nowshera Press Club, where he distributed among the journalists the allotment letters of 10-marla plots at the Media Colony in Nowshera.

Pervez Khattak said that the media was the fourth pillar of the state and it played an important role in bridging the gap between the government and people.

The PTI government attaches great value to the media for continuity of democracy and rule of law, he added.

He said his government supported the press clubs across the province.

The chief minister said it was the top priorities of the government to provide relief to the common man. We have taken several steps to make the province financially self-reliant, he maintained.

Pervez Khattak said that his government believed in carrying out uplift projects across the province.

He said the government was spending Rs15 billion on the construction of embankments in Peshawar, Charsadda and Nowshera districts. He said that work on flood prevention projects in Malakand, Hazara and Abbottabad would be launched shortly.

We have launched various projects to protect the flood-prone areas from floods, he added.

He said the provincial government had recommended to the federal government to include in its Annual Development Programme (ADP) the construction of Peshawar-Attock-Khairabad bridge and reconstruction of Nowshera-Mardan Grand Trunk Road.

He said that PTI didnt compromise on the rights of the province and increased the net hydel profit from Rs6 billion to Rs18 billion. He said Rs18 billion loans had been paid back to the federal government borrowed by the previous governments.

He said the provincial government had earmarked Rs126 billion for its Annual Development Programme.

He said his government had presented a balanced budget of Rs603 billion for the fiscal 2017-18, adding it increased the education budget by 18 percent compared to the previous budget allocations for this sector and earmarked Rs27.91 billion for education.

He said that Rs49.27 billion were allocated for health, Rs4.35 billion for agriculture and Rs720 million were earmarked for sports, culture and tourism.

He said that reasonable allocations had been made for environment, forest, information and communications, public housing schemes and allowances for employees of government departments.

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PTI govt believes in press freedom: KP CM - The News International

Achieve financial independence with stocks by following this one … – AOL UK

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

Unless you suddenly win the lottery, achieving financial independence is not an easy task. It takes time to save and build a suitable nest egg, as well as building the experience required to manage that nest egg before you can quit the rat race and live off your savings.

Investing is the best way to grow your wealth. With interest rates at theirlowest level in history, equities are one of the few remaining places where you can achieve an attractive return on your money without having to take on excessive risk.

To build a substantial savings nest egg, all you need to do is save more than you spend and put in place a regular savings plan. The earlier you start to save the better as, over time, the power of compounding will do all of the heavy lifting. And just like saving, tobe a successful investor there's one main rule you need to follow to be able to achieve the best return on your money.

Unfortunately, most investors fail to understand this point, andtheir performances suffer as a result. Indeed, accordingto the latest study from Dalbar, since 1984, the average US equity fund investor has lagged the market by an average of 7.3% per annum as they have jumped in and out of the market.

So what's the answer? Well, studies have overwhelmingly shown that the only way to achieve the maximum returns from investing is to focus on the long term. This means ignoring short-term market bumps and instead concentrating on the estimated long-termgrowth potential of the companies you own.

Concentrating on the long-term performance only might seem like an easy task, but most investors fail to grasp this concept, and as a result, their returns suffer.

For example, over the past 10years, the FTSE 100 has booked bothup and down years. In 2007 the index rose 7.4% before falling 28.3% in 2008. The index went on to increase 27.3% in 2009, and 12.6% in 2010, but then fell 2.2% in 2011. However, if you'd sold at this stage thinking that the index had no further left to run, you would have missed out on a gain of 10% in 2012, 18.7% in 2013, 0.7% in 2014 and 19.1% in 2016 (the index fell 1.3% in 2015).

Even though the FTSE 100 fell in three of the past seven years, during the past decade, it has chalked up a total return of around 80%. This example shows clearly that focusing on the long viewis the best course of action for most investors. If you'd sold out in any of the down years, you would have not only crystallised losses but also you would miss out on the market's recovery.

So overall, investing is the best way to build your nest egg but without a pateint investment horizon, you're unlikely to unlock the full potential of your money.

A long-term approach is essential for building wealth. If financial independence is your goal, the Motley Fool is here to help. Our analysts have recently put together this brand new free report titled The Foolish Guide To Financial Independence, which is packed full of wealth creating tips.

The report is entirely free and available for download todaywith no further obligation.

So if you're interested in exiting the rat race and achieving financial independence, click here to download the report. What have you got to lose?

Rupert Hargreaves has no position in any shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

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Achieve financial independence with stocks by following this one ... - AOL UK

Seychelles Attractions – What to See in Seychelles

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

With very few exceptions, all visitors to the Seychelles will pass through Mah, even if only to land and take off at the international airport. Victoria, the charmingly low-key capital, is the starting point for most excursions, and a destination in itself.

Apart from numerous idyllic beaches, Mah's numerous attractions include many sites of historic interest, some stunning viewpoints, and studios belonging to sculptors and painters who have fallen for the Seychelles's charms, and settled down here to let their art imitate the life around them. Hikers and bikers can roam free on the island's trails, and the roads are easily navigable by car; it's very hard to get lost.

Most of Victoria's shops and main facilities are set around the distinctive clock tower (Lorloz, in Creole) which was built in 1903 to commemorate the Seychelles becoming a crown colony in its own right, separate from Mauritius. A replica of Little Ben, which marks the entrance to London's Victoria Station, it initially stood on the waterfront but, thanks to extensive land reclamation, is now some way inland.

Another colonial memento, the Sir Percy Selwyn Clarke Market, named for a popular post-war governor, is a daily hotchpotch of fresh food and flowers, and an excellent spot to pick up some souvenir spices.

Victoria's two imposing cathedrals act as a reminder of its Anglo-French heritage. Construction on the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception, on Olivier Maradan Street, started in 1851, and it was renovated in 1995 when the Seychellois sculptor, Egbert Marday, fashioned the tabernacle and the carved doors. The Anglican cathedral, St Pauls, on Revolution Avenue, was originally consecrated in 1859, but completely rebuilt in 2004.

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Seychelles Attractions - What to See in Seychelles

Air Seychelles expands codeshare network to Beijing – Aviation Tribune

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

Air Seychelles, the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles, has expanded its codeshare agreement with Etihad Airways to offer travelers easy one-stop connections to the Chinese capital of Beijing.

The new codeshare deal will see Air Seychelles place its HM code on Etihad Airways daily service between Abu Dhabi and Beijing, a city of more than 21 million people and the home of six Unesco World Heritage Sites including the Forbidden City and the Great Wall.

The codeshare route is the island carriers fourth codeshare connection with Etihad Airways in East Asia after Hong Kong, Seoul in South Korea, and Tokyo and Nagoya in Japan.

Air travelers will have one-stop access between Beijing and Seychelles via Abu Dhabi, which is linked to the tropical island group through double-daily flights with Air Seychelles and Etihad Airways.

Roy Kinnear, Chief Executive Officer of Air Seychelles, said:

Our new codeshare route with Etihad Airways provides guests with convenient travel options to Beijing and reinforces the strong political and economic relations between Seychelles and China.

Nearly 6,000 travelers from China have visited our shores this year, and we are working hand-in-hand with our tourism partners to grow this number further.

For instance, this codeshare will support the Seychelles Tourism Boards recent roadshow in China by providing travel agents with new booking options to Seychelles.

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Air Seychelles expands codeshare network to Beijing - Aviation Tribune

Tropical trouble? Storms could spin up in Atlantic, Caribbean – USA TODAY

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

Two separate tropical systems are developing in the Atlantic and the Caribbean.(Photo: National Hurricane Center)

Two separate systems one in the western Caribbean, the other in the central tropical Atlantic could develop into tropical storms within the next few days, the National Hurricane Center said.

The center said there's a 60% chance the Caribbean system will become a tropical storm within the next five days, and a 50% chance of developmentfor the Atlantic one.

The first storm, a slowly budding tropical system now in the western Caribbean Sea, will slowly drift across the Yucatan Peninsula into the Gulf of Mexico over the next few days, AccuWeather said. As it passes over the Yucatan, torrential rainfall and mudslides are possible in Mexico, Belize and Guatemala.

After emerging into the Gulf, the storm could potentially move toward the U.S. Gulf Coast. The storm is not forecast to become a hurricane, which occurs whenwinds reach 74 mph.

NOAA predicts active Atlantic hurricane season with 5 to 9 hurricanes

Meet the hurricane hunters, whose harrowing flights are all in a day's work

The tropical system in the central Atlantic is forecastto drift toward the islands of Dominica, Barbados, Martinique, St. Luciaand Grenada late this weekend.

On average, there's one named storm in June in the Atlantic, Caribbean or Gulf of Mexico every other year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationsaid.

"Its not so uncommon to get a named storm in the Atlantic during June,"Weather Underground said, noting Colin and Danielle developed during the month in 2016 and werethe earliest C and D storms on record.

"But its remarkable to have two potential tropical cyclones at the same time during mid-June," the websiteadded.

The next names on the list of tropical storms in the Atlantic basin for 2017 are Bret and Cindy, after Arlene formed in April.

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Tropical trouble? Storms could spin up in Atlantic, Caribbean - USA TODAY

Island happy: Sapphire Falls adds Caribbean dinner show – Orlando … – Orlando Sentinel (blog)

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, the newest of Universal Orlandos on-property hotels, has added a weekly dinner show that goes with its islands-oriented theme. Caribbean Carnaval is presented to guests and Central Floridians on Wednesdays.

The festivities unfold at the resorts Cayman Court, a covered, open-air pavilion. Thats the setting for an all-you-can-eat buffet, select drinks (including Planters Punch) and colorful entertainment featuring musicians and dancers who represent a 45-minute tour through the Caribbean.

Our team wanted to create something that was fun, that had fantastic food and really inspired by the beautiful islands of the Caribbean with dance and music and something very interactive, said Barb Bowen, managing director.

Songs from the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago are performed. It all builds up to get-on-your-feet crowd participation. The show debuted last month.

Weve tried to adapt to the feedback that weve gotten, Bowden said. What weve really learned is that the interactive part the conga and the limbo our guests really love.

In addition to visitors, the event has appeal as a date-night option or for corporate outings, she said.

Other Loews properties at Universal already have special events, such as monthly lobby concerts at the Hard Rock Hotel and the Wantilan Luau on Saturdays at the nearby Loews Royal Pacific Resort.

We think this, depending on our guests travel patterns, gives our guests maybe two opportunities to see a dinner show, Bowden said.

Most striking on the buffet is the mojo-roasted suckling pig. Other fare includes ropa vieja, jerk chicken, grilled snapper, Caribbean rum cake and guava flan.

Caribbean Carnaval tickets are $69 ($35 for ages 3-9). Children under age 3 get in free. Seating begins at 6 p.m., with entertainment kicking in at 7 p.m. For reservations, call 407-503-3463 or go to caribbeancarnaval.eventbrite.com.

The public has received its first glance at the vacation cottages to be available at Margaritaville Resort Orlando, which is scheduled to open in late 2018. Floridians might feel right at home.

Inspired by Key West, Bahamas, Jamaica, coastal Carolina, the Florida Keys and towns along the Gulf Coast, these homes are designed to reflect those diverse architectural styles and periods while capturing that unmistakable Margaritaville paradise, said Pat McBride, CEO of the McBride Company, which leads the design process of the Margaritaville properties.

Together, the project teams selected dozens of atmospheric architectural details intended to transport visitors, both mentally and physically, to the Margaritaville state of mind, McBride said in a news release.

The rendering released last week shows units in one-, two- and three-level designs. The dominant colors are pink, yellow, aqua and white. Other touches seen are shutters, Adirondack chairs and, naturally, palm trees.

Margaritaville has nine resorts/hotels across the Southeast U.S. and Caribbean. The Central Florida version is under construction along Highway 192 in Kissimmee, east of State Road 429.

When complete, the 300-acre Margaritaville Resort Orlando resort will feature 1,000 vacation homes, 300 timeshare units and a 187-room hotel. The properties are inspired by the lifestyle of singer/songwriter/author Jimmy Buffett.

Margaritaville says its vacation-home pricing starts at $250,000. For more information, go to margaritavilleresortorlando.com.

First responders will receive an unusual shout-out this fall: Their professions will be incorporated into the design of the annual corn maze presented by Long and Scott Farms.

As seen from the sky, a fire truck with a ladder, a police car and an EMT vehicle will be woven into the pathways of the corn maze, which consumes nearly 7 acres. Customers work their way through the puzzle that is cut into higher-than-your-head cornstalks. (Theres a plan for rescuing the hopelessly lost, too.)

Scotts Maze Adventures marks its 15th year of operation in 2017. The seasonal attraction reopens Sept. 30. It will open, on select days primarily Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 10.

The ecotourism attraction also includes a mini-maze, a zip line for kids, playground, giant jumping pillow, super slide, hayrides, misting maze, picnic areas and fishing opportunities.

Admission is $12 for ages 4 and older. Its free for 3-year-olds and younger. For more information, go to http://www.longandscottfarms.com

Theres a grand-opening date for Mine Blower, the wooden roller coaster at the Fun Spot park in Kissimmee. The ride will debut Friday, the company says.

When the project was announced, the key element of the thrill ride was its 360-degree barrel roll, which will turn passengers upside down over the loading station without the benefit of shoulder harnesses. Since then, more features have been revealed, including high-banking moments and what the designers referred to as a heart over head moment.

Fun Spot officials have said the ride represents a $6 million investment. It was built on the east side of the attraction, displacing two flat-land Go-Kart tracks. .

Fun Spot visitors will pay $9 to ride the new coaster, or it can be bundled with other rides with an all-day pass.

Got a news tip? dbevil@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5477; Twitter, @ThemeParks

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Island happy: Sapphire Falls adds Caribbean dinner show - Orlando ... - Orlando Sentinel (blog)

Caribbean chronicles – The Hindu

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

Caribbean chronicles
The Hindu
It's a short tour, five one-day internationals and one Twenty20, with stopovers in just three of the cricket-playing Caribbean's many magnificent islands, Trinidad, Antigua and Jamaica. The West Indies team is a yet-more-pale shadow of its old fiery ...

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Caribbean chronicles - The Hindu

Want offshore wind turbines off La Jolla? – San Diego Reader

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

The Sustainable Energy Advisory Board is discussing community choice aggregation today. Its a hot topic revolving around greenhouse gas emissions and whether to stay with SDG&E or create a new local government agency tasked with purchasing energy and setting utility rates. SDG&E would still deliver the electricity and send out the bills which would include charges for the city-bought energy, SDG&Es transmission services, and a fee for no longer buying energy from SDG&E.

The advisory board responsible for advising the city council and mayor on energy policy was established in 1981 as the Energy Advisory Board in response to the oil crisis sparked by the Iranian Revolution it was redubbed to its current moniker in 2003.

Current members appointed by the mayor include SDG&E special counsel, a public policy consultant, a labor organizer, a building industry professional, a Chamber of Commerce member, the CEO of a firm that advocates for clean technology, a solar industry advocate, construction industry professional, and an associate for the California Center for Sustainable Energy. This non-profit has been deep in the trenches with the city to move along a slow-going community choice feasibility study. The current chair is a former pharmaceutical executive.

On May 23, Francisco Urtasun talked to the community planners committee, a group made up of representatives from different local planning groups. Urtasun is regional vice president of Sempra Services, a new division of Sempra Energy, the parent company of SDG&E.

The back and forth was lively and a bit heated at times. The agenda item slated for 15 minutes went on for close to an hour.

Urtasun said more than once that he wasnt with SDG&E explaining that utility companies arent allowed to advocate against community choice. He said a law was passed after a firefight between Pacific Gas & Electric and Marin County when they formed a community choice aggregate in 2010. The way around this for SDG&E was to form Urtasuns new division with shareholder and not ratepayer funds in 2016. He made it clear he wasnt lobbying against community choice but instead wanted to be part of what he described has been a very one-sided conversation full of misinformation.

His main points of contention are that choice already exists with SDG&E as 130,000 residential customers have chosen to go solar and countless commercial customers have gone direct access. According to SDG&Es website, customers can opt for 100-percent renewable energy now if they choose.

His other beef was that community choice programs can muddy the waters with renewable energy portfolios that dont lead to the kind of greenhouse gas emission reductions that new renewable projects produce. He explained that community choice programs use renewable energy certificates (commodities traded on the open market) that are then laid over natural gas or coal and it counts as green.

There were eight public speakers, all in favor of community choice. Three were from advocacy groups (Climate Action Campaign, San Diego 350, Community Energy Action Network), one was a local regulatory attorney, and another was a member of the Carmel Valley planning group that said recently they voted in favor of community choice. The other three included concerned citizens from Mira Mesa, San Carlos, and a local scientist not affiliated with any community choice organization.

More than one speaker mentioned that ratepayers could opt out of community choice and return to SDG&E at anytime. Everyone would be automatically opted-in if community choice happens. A 2015 community choice assessment stated that a fee will be charged if anyone opts to return to SDG&E. There is also an exit fee that customers would pay for leaving SDG&E, possibly for decades.

The main reason mentioned for choosing community choice was the citys climate action plan goal to reach 100-percent renewable energy citywide by 2035. The main argument in favor was access to more renewable energy with the added benefit of lower rates.

The 2015 assessment ran some numbers that came up with a possible five percent savings over SDG&E rates with a similar SDG&E renewable energy portfolio. Because of the exit fee, the city wont be able to offer community choice to everyone and also keep rates competitive during the first three years.

More concrete information should be forthcoming when the feasibility study is released. According to the advisory board May meeting minutes, it should go before the board late summer.

Dr. Aaron Day spoke of his concern about the disconnect of Sempra promising to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 while currently signing 20-year contracts for new natural gas plants.

The representative from the Southeast planning group said, Ill be damned if anyones going to tell me what to do with my power. If you want me to be like a real fool and spend more money so I can get an electric car and not buy any power from him [Urtasun]. But he has his virtues, he has engineers who know what the hell theyre doing.

Clairemonts representative said friends in Marin County (the first in California to choose community choice) have seen their utility bills decrease dramatically.

The representative from Uptown said even though solar has been heavily pushed, its still only a tiny percentage of the energy produced. We talk about the horrors of natural gas. Its 60 percent of the energy in California. He said offshore wind turbines produce more energy than solar but joked, Now I know Joe over here from La Jolla, youre going to go before the La Jolla planning group and say we want the offshore wind turbines all along the beach. Well pick up the pieces of whats left of you afterwards.

He then said energy right now is akin to 1960s S&H Green Stamp trading. He said Southern California uses a lot of coal. Many people may not realize that at night in Los Angeles, the majority of the energy is from coal. If you have an electric car, you got a coal mobile.

The Scripps/Miramar representative cut to the chase when he called the whole debate completely fraudulent because neither Sempra nor community choice produces energy.

Want offshore wind turbines off La Jolla? - San Diego Reader

Young nun fights for justice for immigrants and the poor in Indy – Indianapolis Star

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

Sister Tracey Horan, the winner of the 2017 Cardinal Bernardin New Leadership Award for her work to reduce poverty and racial inequity, talks transformation and relationships she has learned from. Kelly Wilkinson/IndyStar

Sister Tracey Horan listens to speakers at City Market, during a vigil and march from the City Market to Christ Cathedral on Monument Circle, calling on city and county law enforcement to stop supporting unlawful detentions of undocumented immigrants by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Thursday, June 15, 2017.(Photo: Kelly Wilkinson/IndyStar)Buy Photo

Tracey Horan had never been behind the walls of a convent before she moved to El Paso, Texas, after college to teach middle-school math.

She was surprised to learn that the religious sisters watched TV, told jokes and evendrank beer on occasion. But they also were deeply spiritual and committed to social justice issues. Horan, who was on ajourney of self-discovery and discernment, wondered if she was being called to the religious life.

The Indianapolis native and Roncalli High School grad lived with the Sisters of Charity for two years, growing not only in her faith but in her awareness of systemic poverty, discrimination and economic oppression issues the sistersconfronted in their work and discussed at the dinner table every evening.

Today, the29-year-old one-time cheerleader-turned-teacher-turned-community activist is a second-year mission novice with the Sisters of Providence, founded by Saint Mother Theodore Guerinin 1840. She will take her firstvows this year vows of poverty, chastity and obedience on her way to becoming a full member of the religious order based at St.-Mary-of-the-Woods.

Company creating bread for space travel – FOX 13 News, Tampa Bay

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

LOS ANGELES -

Weve figured out how to put a man on the moon, but a sandwich in space is another story.

Back in 1965, NASA astronauts snuck a corned beef sandwich into the pocket of a spacesuit. That was the first and probably last time a sandwich orbited the planet.

For the most part, astronauts aboard the International Space Station eat dehydrated space food, but Bake In Space wants to change that. The German-based company has developed a dough that creates crumbless bread, plus several oven designs, and its a potential game changer.

Founder Sebastian Marcu told New Scientist, As space tourism takes off and people spend more time in space, we need to allow bread to be made from scratch.

The ovens will be tested on the International Space Station next year. So get ready astronauts, you may soon be washing down a sandwich with your Tang.

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Company creating bread for space travel - FOX 13 News, Tampa Bay

BRPD shooting: Update says gun stolen from Ascension Parish – Weekly Citizen

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

Greg Fischer Editor-in-chief @AscensionEditor

Here is the latest report from La. State Police on Baton Rouge officer-involved shooting June 13:

Update: June 16, 2017

The Louisiana State Police continues to investigate the BRPD officer-involved shooting on Acadian Thruway in Baton Rouge. BRPD Officers stated that the traffic stop was initiated due to a vehicle equipment violation.

Officer statements indicate that the suspect immediately exited the passenger side with the gun, began to flee and turned pointing the gun towards the officer who was giving verbal commands. The suspect was armed with a stolen Ruger .22 caliber semi-automatic long barrel pistol. The gun was confirmed stolen out of Ascension Parish.

Additionally, the suspect was in possession of suspected ecstasy. State Police was notified yesterday by the coroner that 2 rounds traversed from rear to front of the suspect's torso and 1 struck his leg. Investigative elements of the case continue including ballistics, trajectory, toxicology, DNA analysis and additional interviews if warranted.

Original Release: June 14, 2017

On June 13, 2017 shortly before 11:30 pm, officers with the Baton Rouge Police Department were involved in a shooting in the 1200 block of Acadian Thruway. In accordance with the MOU between the Baton Rouge Police Department and the Louisiana State Police, Troopers were called to investigate the incident.

Troopers from the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigation responded to the scene of the officer involved shooting where preliminary investigation revealed that BRPD officers were conducting a traffic stop. During the course of the traffic stop, a passenger exited the vehicle holding a gun and was shot by a BRPD officer. No officers were injured and the suspect died at the scene.

Troopers from Louisiana State Police Troop A and the LSP Crime Lab were called to the scene to assist with the investigation and will work to gather all of the facts surrounding the incident.

This is still an active investigation.

Original post:

BRPD shooting: Update says gun stolen from Ascension Parish - Weekly Citizen

Facebook Chatbots Spontaneously Invent Their Own Non-Human … – Interesting Engineering

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

Facebook chatbot agents have spontaneously created their own non-human language. Researchers were developing negotiating chatbots when they found out the bots had developed a unique way to communicate with each other. Facebook chatbots have accidentally given us a glimpse into the future of language.

[Image Souce: FAIR]

Researchers from the Facebook Artificial Intelligence Research lab (FAIR) have released a report that describes training their chatbots to negotiate using machine learning. The chatbots were actually very successful negotiators but researchers soon realized they needed to change their modes because when the bots were allowed to communicate among themselves they started to develop their own unique negotiating language.

[Image Souce: FAIR]

This unique and spontaneous development of non-human language was an incredible surprise for the researchers who had to redevelop their modes of teaching to allow for less unstructured and unsupervised bot-to-bot time.

The chatbots surprised its developers in other ways too proving to excel at the art of negotiation. Going as far as to use advanced negotiation techniques such as feigning interest in something valueless in order to concede it later in the negotiations ensuring the best outcome. Co-author of the report, Dhruv Batra, said, No human [programmed] that strategy, this is just something they discovered by themselves that leads to high rewards.

But dont panic, the accidental discovery of some basic communication between chatbots isnt about to trigger singularity. Singularity, if you are not up on the doomsday techno jargon, is the term used for the hypothesis that the invention of artificial superintelligence will abruptly trigger runaway technological growth, resulting in unfathomable changes to human civilization.

But these chatty bots definitely provide some solid opportunities for thinking about the way we understand language. Particularly the general view that language is our domain and exclusive to humans.

The research also highlights the fact that we have a long way to go in understanding machine learning. Right now there is a lot of guessing games that often involve examining how the machine thinks by evaluating the output after feeding a neural net a massive meal of data.

The idea that the machine can create its own language highlights just how many holes there are in our knowledge around machine learning, even for the experts designing the systems.

The findings got the team at Facebook fired up, they write,There remains much potential for future work, particularly in exploring other reasoning strategies, and in improving the diversity of utterances without diverging from human language.

Chatbots are widespread across the customer service industry using common keywords to answer FAQ type inquiries. Often these bots have a short run time before the requests get too complicated. Facebook has been investing heavily in chatbot technology and other large corporations are to follow. While there isnt a strong indication of how these negotiating bots will be used by Facebook, other projects are getting big results.

The bot called, DoNotPay has helped over 250,000 people overturn more than 160,000 parking tickets for users in New York and London byworking out if an appeal to a ticket is possible through a series of simple questions, and then guiding the user through the appeal process.

Sources: FAIR,TheVerge, TheGuardian, TheAtlantic, Futurism

Featured Image Source: Pixabay

Facebook Chatbots Spontaneously Invent Their Own Non-Human ... - Interesting Engineering

Here’s How Current Trends Are Changing Space Exploration as We Know It – Interesting Engineering

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

Ever since we first looked up at the stars, weve been trying to find ways to get there. We managed to make it to the moon in the 1960s and have an established presence in orbit for the better part of the last 30 years. Weve watched the technologies change and advance and followed along every step of the way. Now, as we get closer to our goal of reaching the Red Planet, current trends in technology and engineering are transforming our old ideas about space exploration.

[Image Source: NASA]

How is space exploration changing and how could it impact our first steps into the universe? Lets have a look.

Anyone can take a telescope and point it at the sky, but it takes a skilled hand and a sharp mind to find something in all that black. Traditionally, telescopes relied on mirrors and the principles of light refraction. New technologies, however, are shaking that up, enabling astronomers to see further and more clearly than ever before.

Modern telescopes rely on spectrography, enabling bundles of squeezed light to be transmitted to the computers and analyzed.

These new advanced technologies have enabled us to make some of the most amazing discoveries of our time, like the Trappist 1 system a seven-planet system that is potentially habitable just 39 light years away from our own little blue dot. Theres no way wed have been able to see that amazing new system relying on the just light we could capture with our simple telescopes.

3D printing isnt just for toys and trinkets anymore. Here on earth, its been used for everything from creating custom replacement parts to building prosthetic limbs for amputees. It could change the way new tools and replacement parts for satellites are created. It may even have implications for the International Space Station.

In 2014, the ISS used a 3D printer to build a ratcheting wrench. According to NASA, it took less than a week to design the ratchet, have the design approved by the engineers and build the ratchet itself the last part took only four hours.

This technology could potentially change the way rockets and supply runs like SpaceXs Dragon shuttle are packed. Instead of sending up bulky replacement parts that take up space, may or may not be needed and add additional weight to the rocket, NASA or SpaceX can send up the components needed for a 3D printer.

Any tools or replacement parts that are needed, even if its something that breaks unexpectedly, can be designed and printed in a matter of hours.

Since the cost of launching these rockets is directly tied to the weight of the cargo, finding ways to reduce that weight makes it easier to reduce costs and keep the rockets flying.

Big data is a buzzword in nearly every industry, and space exploration is no exception. There is so much data coming in from multiple sources every single day that it would take a human being lifetimes to process all of it. Thats where computer processing and analysis comes in.

Computers can sort through the data in a fraction of the time that it would take a human being, finding patterns and important data points wed likely miss. Astronomers are still trying to process data that reaches as far back as the Big Bang, the beginning of the universe, and computers are the only way to do that.

NASA is already using big data to sort through the information that its been gathering from the Curiosity rover currently stationed on Mars. In the not too distant future, one of the space agencys radio telescopes is expected to bring in more than 700 terabytes of data every single second that its online. By comparison, one terabyte will hold 20 Blu-ray quality movies or 250,000 high-resolution pictures.

While we dont have enough data to start making any sort of predictions, in time, the use of big data, when paired with predictive algorithms, could allow us to make predictions about celestial events.

Technology has always shaped the world we live in. From the invention of the wheel to the fabrication of the first internal combustion engine, weve always strived to make the world adapt to us and reach beyond our world.

The advances weve made in the 50 years since we first walked on the moon might seem small were still using rockets to get us off the planet, after all but every step weve taken for space exploration will make it easier once we start leaving our planet behind and heading out into the universe.

Whenever we feel alone, we look up and out into the universe and wonder if were the only ones out there. It wont be long before we can walk there ourselves and become the space-faring species that weve dreamed of for so long.

Sources: BusinessInsider, Phys, NASA

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Here's How Current Trends Are Changing Space Exploration as We Know It - Interesting Engineering

The evolution of women in video games continues at E3 2017 – Engadget

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

Sarkeesian and Feminist Frequency's Managing Editor Carolyn Petit have been compiling data on the gender of protagonists in video games announced at E3 since 2015, which plenty of people in the industry dubbed the "year of the woman." Sarkeesian and Petit weren't convinced, so they decided to dive into the actual numbers and break down the number of games announced at E3 that actually starred female characters.

"There was this sense in the air of, things are changing and there are more games starring women announced, etcetera, etcetera," Sarkeesian said. "But we were like, OK, but we might be getting ahead of ourselves. So we just started counting. And we came up with numbers and we decided to track them over the years, which would create a really interesting data set moving forward in terms of judging how the industry presents itself and how it's changing over time."

As it turned out, at E3 2015, just 9 percent of new games starred women, while 32 percent had men in the leading role. In 2016, the gap grew -- only 3 percent of newly revealed games featured female protagonists, while 41 percent starred men. This escalation made Sarkeesian and Petit nervous about the figures this year, but things are actually closer to 2015 -- the so-called "year of the woman" -- than 2016.

"The important thing, I think, is that we don't rest on our laurels," Petit said. "We don't say, 'Oh, hey, equality achieved!' or whatever when, actually, the reality is that there's still a lot of work to be done. These trends are encouraging and great, but they're not, hopefully, the end of anything."

Follow all the latest news from E3 2017 here!

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The evolution of women in video games continues at E3 2017 - Engadget

The evolution of friendships – The Straits Times

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

"Nobody likes you when you're 23," sang Mark Hoppus in the chorus to pop-punk band Blink-182's 1999 hit What's My Age Again.

I beg to differ.

I'd like to think that when I was 23, a long time ago, I had an active social life.

While studying for my exams as a young English literature undergraduate, my classmates and I were camped out at the McDonald's at Parkway Centre in Marine Parade for days on end, trying to make sense of Roland Barthes and Gayatri Spivak.

Saturday afternoons were spent with one of my closest friends from junior college, searching through the racks at music stores Gramophone and HMV, now both long gone. I remember trying to figure out whether it was worth plunking down the cash for the uncensored version of an Outkast album when I already had the censored one.

Saturday nights, on the other hand, were spent with my secondary school friends at the Dawood coffee shop at the junction of Frankel Avenue and Changi Road. We would talk, eat prata and drink endless cups of teh halia until the wee hours of the morning. That coffee shop closed years ago.

Looking back, I realise for the most part, those weren't exactly the most constructive uses of time.

However, they were invaluable in terms of creating memories and bonds with my friends and peers, and I look back on my early 20s fondly.

But becoming a working adult rapidly depleted me of leisure time, and that was compounded by my becoming a husband and father.

Regular deadlines make it difficult to decide at the last minute to catch that indie movie at a film festival, and paediatrician appointments stand in between you and impromptu Starbucks meet-ups.

I've struggled with the popular wisdom that one really needs to hold on to only a small circle of close friends. After all, I'm friends with different people based on different interests and the stage at which they came into my life, and those don't necessarily intersect.

The hours of conversation, shared experiences and time spent together that it takes to really build a friendship have dried up.

The people I attend religious classes at the mosque with aren't necessarily the ones I'll have debates with on the merits of 90s gangsta rap (although sometimes they are).

But after several years of raging against the inevitable consequences of "adulting" - as the kids call it now - I've come to accept that my social circles will never be what they were in the salad days of my youth.

And, in a lot of ways, I'm glad.

"Sometimes, we just outgrow the role that we play," raps Minnesota hip-hop artist Brother Ali in his song Walking Away. Ali was talking about his divorce, but I feel that it applies to friendships as well. I've come to accept two things: However close, not all friendships last forever, and just because you're connected on social media doesn't mean that you're necessarily friends. Facebook and Instagram have a way of keeping relationships alive way beyond their expiry dates.

Mostly though, I've come to realise the importance of having friends at work.

Numerous studies have shown how friendships at work improve productivity and increase employee engagement. I can personally attest to that.

I'm very thankful to have had friends who helped me through some pretty tough times at jobs I've held in the past, without whom going to work might have been a much more excruciating endeavour.

And I'm also grateful to be surrounded by people I consider my friends and peers now, who've helped me adjust to the hectic life of journalism.

I suppose it's not so much that friendships disappear, as it is that they change and evolve, just as we as people evolve and grow.

To expect my life to stay in stasis in 23 forever would not only be unrealistic, it would also be stifling.

Continued here:

The evolution of friendships - The Straits Times

Robotic Assistance Devices in ‘ASTORS’ Awards (Multi-Video) – 107.180.56.147 (press release) (registration) (blog)

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

Robotic Assistance Devices (RAD), an innovator in artificial intelligence and robotics, and exclusive North American assembly partner for SMP Robotics, is pleased to announce their SMP/RAD S5 Robotic Guard has been nominated to competein the2017 ASTORS Homeland Security Awards program.

The SMP/RAD Robotics S5 Robotic Guard is a fully autonomous unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) that utilizes advanced artificial intelligence systems to augment traditional patrolling services by detecting unauthorized human and vehicle outdoor activity in restricted areas.

The security robot can patrol on a scheduled set route or routes and can report on anomalies that are found on its patrol route.

(Learn More about the SMP/RAD S5 Robotic Guard, fromSteve Reinharz, Founder and President of Robotic Assistance Devices.Courtesy ofSMP Roboticsand YouTube)

The robot uses machine vision learning inertial navigation and other proprietary navigation systems to know exactly where it is and where it is going.

The S5 Robotic Guard can operate up to 12 hours without recharging and continuously monitors in any weather environment, including rain, snow, gusty wind and temperatures ranging from -7 degrees F to 110 degrees F.

It incorporates automatic obstacle avoidance sensors, two-way audio, panic button and onboard panoramic video surveillance to increase situational awareness.

Additionally, it integrates with leading video management solutions and supports other business systems for special equipment, sensor integration, and advanced software development.

(Seethe SMP/RAD S5 Robotic Guardin Action! Courtesy ofSMP Roboticsand YouTube)

The S5 Robotic Guard is ideal for critical infrastructure and perimeter security to lower risk boost productivity and ensure safety.

It is also essential for remote location monitoring, providing security where otherwise none would be reasonable to implement, including oil and gas production facilities, utility locations and other enterprise sites.

Modern Robotic Guards can be used by organizations to make their security departments move beyond guns, guards and gates to streamline departments. By utilizing our RADBot, they can enhance their ability to effectively patrol large sites.

The 2017 ASTORS Homeland Security Awards Program,organized to recognize the most distinguished vendors of Physical, IT, Port Security, Law Enforcement, First Responders, (Fire, EMT, Military, Support Services Vets, SBA, Medical Tech) as well as the Federal, State, County and Municipal Government Agencies to acknowledge their outstanding efforts to Keep our Nation Secure, One City at a Time.

To learn more about the SMP/RAD S5 Robotic Guard go tohttp://roboticassistancedevices.com/smp-robotics-s5-robot/or visit the companys website athttp://roboticassistancedevices.com/.

Robotic Assistance Devices (RAD) is an innovator of artificial intelligence and robotic solutions for operational, security and monitoring needs.

Robotic Assistance Devices in 'ASTORS' Awards (Multi-Video) - 107.180.56.147 (press release) (registration) (blog)

A Florida university is making Quidditch a (virtual) reality – Quartz

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

I hold in my hands what looks and feels like a wand from a Harry Potter film. But this isnt one of the cheap replicas you can buy in a souvenir shop. It was 3D-printed right here, in the high-tech workshop where Im standing. And once I put on a HoloLens headset, its incredibly effective against the hordes of advancing dementors.

The gameand the wandwere developed by Pat Starace, director of the digital fabrication course at Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida. Over a 20-year career, Starace has produced a huge range of models, special effects, and animations for motion pictures and television, including the iconic 1979 title sequence from 60 Minutes. At Full Sail, he teaches students the rapid prototyping techniques needed to convert 3-D drawings into objects like magic wands, while also working on his own projects (like an animatronic toucan and a 3D-printed prosthetic hand modeled after Iron Mans glove).

The Dementor game was built to explore switching between augmented (AR) and virtual reality (VR) within the same experience: Players can either blast Dementors rushing at them from all sides of their living room, or be transported to what looks like a room at Hogwarts. In the industry, this type of game is still considered blue-sky thinkingexperiences tend to be segmented into AR or VRbut students vying for Full Sails Simulation and Visualization bachelor degree, launched in 2016, are encouraged to think big. Already, this blended approach is being embraced by industry players like Microsoft.

We talk about VR and AR as their own separate industries, but they are in fact simply screens into a virtual world, says Full Sail program director Rob Catto. The difference is that the screens actually put you into that world. VR is about much more than just putting on a headset; its about all of your senses.

As with Hogwarts wizards, training AR/VR wizards is a complicated business. Full Sails workshop is packed with 3D printers, laser cutters, and milling machines. Students learn everything from basic carpentry and spray-painting to how to make their own circuit boards. They study artificial intelligence, physics, data modeling, and human-computer interaction, and learn a diverse range of technical skills that includes using engines like Unity and Unreal, and coding in C Sharp and C++. The program is not for the faint of heart, and more suited to your average Hermione than your average Ron.

Early on, students are given a project that requires them to use skills like laser-cutting and circuit-board construction. They then go on to assemble and program devices like one Catto shows me in the Full Sail lab. Called a Stewart Platform, its a miniature version of what most theme park rides sit on top of, except this one fits in the palm of my hand. Its engrossing to watch the platform perform a wide range of dynamic movementsheaving, surging, swaying, rolling, hitching, and droppingespecially when those movements are synced to a characters on-screen movements.

When Full Sail student Carolyn Smith was tasked with building a Stewart Platform, she too turned to J. K. Rowling for inspiration. Smith designed her own version of Quidditchsort of like football, if football were played on flying broomstickscomplete with a Harry Potter figurine riding a broom. That got Smith thinking bigger: Why not make a broom you could actually ride while experiencing Quidditch in immersive VR?

Smith started by crafting a life-size Nimbus 2000a high-end broom model featured in the booksusing tools and materials from the Full Sail lab. She also found resources online: Being a keen cosplayer meant Smith was familiar with a community that enjoyed building realistic props, and various tutors offered help and advice. (One of them even lent her his personal power chisel.) After a lot of hard graftshe stayed up until 2am spray-painting and hand-layering broom bristles the model came together, and Smith turned her attention to making it fly.

Two instructors helped me with wiring it and doing thing like fitting in an accelerometer and connecting it to an Arduino computer, Smith says. Two buttons are placed just below the accelerometer [to accelerate and to grab the snitch, if youre close enough], which also connect to the Arduino, making complex adjustments that link the movements of the platform to those of the character generated on the screen.

A huge Harry Potter fan, Smith plans to visit Universal Studios Harry Potter ride to see how it compares to her efforts, and its not unlikely that shell stay in Orlando after graduation: The city has more than 100 companies working in the simulation sector, and the VR boom is continuing to gain momentum. But for now, Smiths only regret is how the project deadline prevented her from researching all the proper Quidditch lore. I wanted to try to make the game as accurate as possible, she says, but I ran out of time. Looking at what shes managed to build, I cant help but feel that Rowling herself might let a few inaccuracies slide.

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A Florida university is making Quidditch a (virtual) reality - Quartz

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