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Space a champion of 2nd Amendment – New Jersey Herald

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

Posted: Feb. 20, 2017 1:14 pm

Editor:

I read with some skepticism the Feb. 10 New Jersey Herald story about two young neophytes seeking to challenge incumbent Assemblyman Parker Space and his announced running mate, Hal Wirths, in the June Republican primary.

Of particular interest was the claim that Assemblyman Space is not fighting for Second Amendment rights -- an allegation I know firsthand to be incorrect.

As executive director of New Jersey's official state rifle and pistol association, I can state unequivocally that Assemblyman Space is one of the Garden State's true Second Amendment champions. Not only has he has consistently and reliably opposed every piece of gun control and anti-hunting legislation to cross his desk, but he has also sponsored major pro-gun initiatives including right-to-carry.

Anyone can pay lip service to the Second Amendment, but few can back that up with a proven record of action like Assemblyman Space.

To be sure, there are incumbents who should be challenged in the primaries on Second Amendment grounds, but Assemblyman Space is not one of them.

Scott L. Bach

Executive Director, Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs

Newfoundland

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Space a champion of 2nd Amendment - New Jersey Herald

This Presidents’ Day, defend the First Amendment – The Hill (blog)

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

In many ways, free speech is the right that protects all others, reinforcing every freedom that we hold dear and that so many have fought and died for.

This Presidents' Day, we should reflect on the reasons our Founding Fathers enshrined this right in our First Amendment. And we must acknowledge that this fundamental right is under attackeven for those who have fought to protect it.

Brandon Coleman, a Marine Corps veteran, began working as a therapist at the VA hospital in Phoenix to provide care for his brothers and sisters in arms. When he found that veterans there were dying due to negligence, he spoke upand for that, he was punished. When he told management what was going on, they told him thats how people get fired. They even tried to use his own personal medical records against him, and issued a gag order to silence him.

Colemans VA experience reminds of President Abraham Lincoln, who famously said that we as a nation will never be destroyed from the outside. "If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher, he said if the United States loses its freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.

Veterans like Brandon fought to defend us against external threats, but more and more are realizing that the biggest threat to our freedom is a government that is quick to limit our inalienable rights. The oath servicemen and women take to support and defend our Constitution doesnt end when we hang up our uniforms and return to civilian life.

Brandons case is one of many instances in which the very same government thats supposed to be protecting the right to free speech has tried to suppress it. Its not just happening at the VAlook at the way the government has intimidated religious groups by leaking donor lists, or the scandal at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), in which the agency targeted certain groups because of their views on public policy.

Time and again, the government has silenced those it disagrees with by using citizens private information against them. Which makes it all the more concerning that a growing number of states are now trying to get more information about Americans who exercise their First Amendment rights.

In South Carolina, legislation was recently filed in the state Senate that would force essentially every nonprofit organization that educates citizens about public policy to disclose to the government the names, addresses, and employers of supporters who donate more than a certain dollar amount. Similar efforts have surfaced in both Nebraska and South Dakota. Touted under the banner of transparency, these so-called disclosure laws are nothing more than thinly-veiled attacks on free speech.

Throughout our history, the First Amendment has allowed citizens to challenge the government and powerful groups in all sectors, rooting out fraud and corruption. It has allowed marginalized groups to speak out against injustice, spurring progress toward equality. It has allowed millions of Americans to contribute to a marketplace of ideas, fostering a free society, a thriving culture and the largest economy in the world.

All too often today, our free speech right that was designed to hold the government accountable is being used by the government to harass, intimidate, and silence the very citizens the right is meant to protect.

With a new administration and a new Congress, there may now be a real opportunity to scale back and prevent further threats facing our First Amendment rights. But during these turbulent political times, we cant take that for granted.

Abolition, the womens movement, civil rights the inalienable right to free speech is what gave the foot soldiers in all of these movements the ability to speak up for themselves. Now that free speech is under attack, will we speak up for it?

Mark Lucas is the executive director of Concerned Veterans for America.

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

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This Presidents' Day, defend the First Amendment - The Hill (blog)

No, Milo Yiannopoulos’ 1st Amendment rights aren’t at risk – Washington Examiner

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

The rights of Milo Yiannopoulos were violated. Angry about his politics and uncomfortable with his trolling, violent protestors kept him from delivering scheduled remarks in a public venue. His right to free speech was categorically infringed.

But that was more than three weeks ago at UC Berkley and it bears zero resemblance to the current controversy surrounding Milo's CPAC speech. In reality, there's little threat to his First Amendment rights.

For those unfamiliar with the obnoxious populist provocateur, Milo has made a career of exposing liberal double standards. The operating procedure of the Breitbart writer is pretty simple. He mocks the pieties held by many on the Left, trashing in particular the special treatment afforded to individual groups.

And Milo puts on a good show. Normally his antics are more entertaining than his arguments are incisive. But he's always aggravating on purpose. That's gotten him kicked off of Twitter and college campuses, all the while catapulting his career.

But his comments about pedophilia are beyond reprehensible. In a recently surfaced January 2016 video, Milo speaks fondly and even defends "relationships between younger boys and older men." Later he makes light of the sexual abuse that rocked the Catholic Church, quipping that he's "grateful for Father Michael" and adds that he "wouldn't give nearly such good head if it wasn't for him."

Is all of this terribly offensive? Absolutely. Is it protected speech under the First Amendment? Yes. Does that mean that CPAC will violate Milo's rights if they cancel his speech? Not at all.

As a private organization, CPAC can give a venue to whomever they please. Whether they cut or keep Milo in the speaking line-up for this week's conference in Washington, D.C., is completely up to them. Whether he speaks or is silenced, his rights won't be violated.

There's only one way the Berkley episode can be replayed this Friday. If a violent mob rips him from the stage or the government bars him from speaking. Clearly, there's little chance of that happening.

Philip Wegmann is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.

Also from the Washington Examiner

No one in Trump's senior staff "ever worked inside the government."

02/20/17 1:55 PM

Top Story

Just a tiny percentage of the nearly 1 million on the government's deportation list have been arrested.

02/20/17 9:27 AM

First Amendment-loathing FEC commissioner to quit – Canada Free Press

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

Federal Election Commission member Ann Ravel, a left-winger who proposed regulating political speech on the Internet, announced she is stepping down from the FEC on March 1.

Ravel, appointed by President Obama, caused a firestorm in 2015 when she said

it would be under the purview of the FEC to look at some of the issues that arise in new media and the impact of new media, in particular with respect to disclosure and ensuring that there is no corporate contributions, for example excessive contributions or contributions to a particular candidates for example.

In other words, she appeared to be saying that media outlets coverage of politicians could be tantamount to contributions to those candidates. This is, of course, the way statist bureaucrats think.

The comments were made at a conference co-hosted by the leftist Brennan Center for Justice. George Soross Open Society Institute has given at least $4.5 million to the Brennan Center since 2005.

Ravel played the victim card when Americans pushed back.

I was, I should say vilified, and it was said by one of my fellow commissioners that I was trying to censor the Internet and as a result there was a barrage of really angry, threatening misogynist responses to me about it and suffice it to say nothing has happened.

In her letter of resignation to President Donald Trump she raised the Lefts standard authoritarian talking points.

I respectfully urge you to prioritize campaign finance reform to remedy the significant problems identified during the last election cycle. Disclosure laws need to be strengthened; the mistaken jurisprudence of Citizens United reexamined; public financing of candidates ought to be expanded to reduce reliance on the wealthy; and Commissioners who will carry out the mandates of the law should be appointed to expired terms at the FEC. Thank you very much.

But her whining at taxpayer expense will soon end.

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First Amendment-loathing FEC commissioner to quit - Canada Free Press

How cryptocurrency will cripple todays governments and …

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

Cryptocurrency will cripple governmental ability to collect taxes, and they wont see it coming. When its already happened, expect major changes to take place in how society is organized on a large scale but also expect governments to act in desperation to retain control.

As bitcoin launched in 2009, most early adopters saw its disruptive potential. While bitcoin has stalled for some time approaching a valid use of the term stagnation, cryptocurrency in a larger context is still just as disruptive. In 2011, I stated that bitcoin (cryptocurrency) will do to banks what e-mail did to the postal services. This is not just true, but it will be even more brutal to governments, and by extension, governmental services.

Now, governments love anything that smells like innovation, because it means jobs, this magic word that smells of magic unicorns to anybody in government. Therefore, people who like innovation are nurturing this bitcoin thing, this cryptocurrency thing, this ethereum thing (as if governments made a difference, but still). Lots of startups in tip-of-the-spear financial technology means that their government may get a head start over other governments. They have no idea that cryptocurrency will radically scale back the power of government, not just their own one, but also all those other governments over which it seeks a competitive edge.

Individual people in government can also love bitcoin because it gives them something to do. More specifically, it gives them something to regulate. Fortunately, other people in government see that this gives them something to do, which is to hold those government regulators with an overdeveloped sense of order somewhat in check. Youll hear no shortage of wannabe regulators saying that bitcoin is bad because its being used in crime and contraband trade!, to which I usually respond, well, bitcoin is a currency, so I mean you put it in relation to the US Dollar, which then is not used in crime and contraband trade, is this the argument youre using to support your position?, at which point the discussion generally changes topic.

This completely disregards the observation that bitcoin and cryptocurrency were designed to not submit to regulation in the first place. Well, at least not governmental regulation. It is heavily regulated but by its source code, and by its source code alone.

The reason this will cripple todays governments todays idea of what a government is and does is because todays economy is built on one layer doing actual work and three layers of abstraction on top.

At the first and bottom layer of our economy are the individual people doing all the actual work.

The second layer on top of the first is the abstraction we call corporations, which is a way to organize our economy and optimize transaction costs.

The third layer on top of the second would be banks, which handle money for corporations and individual people in a middleman gatekeeper position.

Finally, the fourth layer is the government, which takes advantage of the banks gatekeeper position to siphon off taxes from money flows in order to fund itself and governmental services. In other words, layer four completely depends on layer three for its operations or at least for the relative simplicity of funding its operations.

Now, what bitcoin and cryptocurrency do is make away with the banks cutting them out of the loop entirely, making them redundant, obsolete, dinosaurified. This resulting absence of anything where banks used to be creates an air gap between the functional part of the economy people and corporations and governments who want funding.

The way governments want to tap all money flows in order to fund itself is not entirely unlike how the surveillance agencies want to tap all information flows in order to have an information advantage. In this way, the deployment of cryptocurrency is to tax collection what deployment of end-to-end encryption is to mass surveillance. The government can no longer reach into money flows and grab what it wants, but will be dependent on people actively sending it money. The government cant point a gun at a computer and have it give up its money; you can only make a computer operator feel very sorry for not voluntarily producing the keys to that money. So the government is no longer able to collect taxes without the consent even if coerced and forced consent of the people being thus collected.

The deployment of cryptocurrency is to tax collection what deployment of end-to-end encryption is to mass surveillance.

Governments, and individual people in government, have no idea about this bigger picture. Theyre far to wrapped up in things-as-usual to notice. They wont see it coming until its already happened.

When this happens, there will be no shortage of people in government who suddenly want to regulate cryptocurrency only to find out it will be as effective as regulating gravity. When this happens, government as we know it will be redefined from a coercive Colossus able to take what it wants and do what it wants into a construct that actually depends on people wanting to fund it. This will be a very interesting time to live in. While todays governments will see themselves as getting crippled, I suspect most citizens will regard it as unquestionably healthy that governments will actually begin to depend on the approval of the people at large.

Were just beginning to see the changes to society that the Internet brings. This is one of them.

(Note: I write cryptocurrency and not bitcoin on purpose here, just as Id prefer proclaiming the success of social media over the success of Myspace.)

Rick is Head of Privacy at Private Internet Access. He is also the founder of the first Pirate Party and is a political evangelist, traveling around Europe and the world to talk and write about ideas of a sensible information policy. Additionally, he has a tech entrepreneur background and loves good whisky and fast motorcycles.

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Regulations Push Cryptocurrency Traders to LocalBitcoins – newsBTC

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

Bitcoin volumes rise on LocalBitcoins amid increasing regulatory hurdles imposed by government agencies. Read more...

The increasing interest in Bitcoin has got the community looking for ways to overcome the roadblocks set by government agencies. As regulatory issues affect conventional methods of buy and selling cryptocurrencies over established platforms, the community members seem to have migrated to peer-to-peer platforms like LocalBitcoins.

The market charts published by Coin Dance platform shows increasing Bitcoin trade volumes on LocalBitcoins. The surge in Bitcoin demand on the peer-to-peer trading platform appears to be driven by the recent developments in the Chinese cryptocurrency industry.

The region wise demand trend shows the cryptocurrencys volumes surge to record levels in the Chinese market. The volumes in Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Mexico, Norway, and Venezuela have also exhibited similar trends. Out of all these markets, China, Mexico, and Venezuela hold a special significance.

The Chinese Bitcoin exchanges have recently frozen Bitcoin withdrawals from the platforms as they work on implementing new AML and compliance systems. The limited functionality on these exchanges has almost brought trading activity to a standstill. It is during these times the peer-to-peer exchanges score over centralized platforms like BTCC, OKCoin, Huobi and others. People have resorted to using LocalBitcoins to continue trading.

Similarly, amid the worst financial crisis, Venezuela has been cracking down on Bitcoin mining and exchange activities. SurBitcoin, a leading Venezuelan exchange recently suspended services after its banking partner decided to withdraw support. Mexico, on the other hand, seems to be preparing itself to face any unexpected executive orders by the US President Donald Trump that might affect remittances between the two nations.

President Trump has already hinted about a possible disruption of remittances along with increased import taxes between the United States and Mexico. As he plans to pressurize Mexico into sharing the costs of the controversial border wall between both countries, Mexicans are preparing to deal with any eventualities by adopting Bitcoin as an alternative.

These developments show that no matter what the governments do, Bitcoin cant be completely taken off the equation. With no improvements in regulations at sight for the immediate future, the cryptocurrency trade volumes of LocalBitcoins is expected to go up further.

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Regulations Push Cryptocurrency Traders to LocalBitcoins - newsBTC

Most Frequent Cryptocurrency Beginner Questions Part 2 – The Merkle

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

This is a continuation of the most frequent questions I am asked by friends, colleagues, and family as I try to teach them more about cryptocurrencys exciting new role in our world. The previous article has already covered the basics from legitimacy to acquisition, I wanted to focus on the questions I get asked after newcomers have gotten some coin.

This is great! But where can I even spend these?

While Bitcoin and other altcoins may not have as wide an adoption by retailers and service providers as various fiat currencies have, there are still many places that accept Bitcoin and other cryptosas a form of payment. Airline booking agencies, computer hardware and software sites, VPN services, and many brick and mortar businesses all accept Bitcoin, with the list growing everyday. My friends and I are gamers, so many of the people who ask this question usually are thrilled when they find out that Steam accepts Bitcoin as a payment option now. Im sure that Steam saw a fair share of my friends coins coming in during the Steam winter sale this past year.

I also explain that Bitcoin and other altcoins thrive as a peer to peer currency as well, for personal debts. For example, this past weekend I was having a few beers with some of my Bitcoin holding friends and I ordered a pizza for the group. One of them didnt have any cash, but we both had our mobile wallets and he sent me some bitcoin to pay for his share of the pizza. This example may be even more powerful than just telling someone they can spend coins with online, because you get to participate in the process with them.

Why is my transaction taking so long to confirm?

This is a problem almost exclusive to Bitcoin. I have no intention on having this post become a catalyst for the blocksize debate, but I do have to field this question often. Usually this problem for the newcomer comes from a lack of understanding how transaction fees work in the Bitcoin network.

Since miners have to process transactions and only so many transactions can be processed in a block, fees are required by the miners to put the transactions through. If you pay too low of a fee (as many of the Bitcoin neophytes I speak with do), the chances of the transaction being painfully slow and/or outright orphaned increase exponentially. While theyve usually paid enough that it will eventually get confirmed, this is can be frustrating for the new coin user.

From my experience, such a mistake is rarely made again. However this is one reason that I usually that the new user does a practice run with a seasoned cryptocurrency user by say, paying for your share of a pizza with Bitcoin. This way the veteran can help out, and usually waiting a bit longer for someone to pay you back for pizza will not break the bank.

Between these two posts, these are the five most common cryptocurrency questions that I encounter. As always, I hope my experiences are helpful to all the other cryptocurrency evangelists out there.

If you liked this article, follow us on Twitter @themerklenews and make sure to subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest bitcoin, cryptocurrency, and technology news.

Most Frequent Cryptocurrency Beginner Questions Part 2 - The Merkle

Cryptocurrency hardware wallet KeepKey integrates dash – CoinReport

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

Cryptocurrency hardware wallet KeepKey announced in a press release sent to CoinReport that it has integrated cryptocurrency dash.

Those using KeepKey can now receive, store and send their dash on their KeepKey devices, and via the built-in ShapeShift function, swap between other digital currencies like bitcoin, dogecoin, namecoin and litecoin.

Dash currently has a market capitalization of over $120 million and stands seventh on the most valuable digital asset list. In September and October last year, the median 24-hour volume trading of the cryptocurrency was about $680,000. In November and December, the amount almost doubled. Now, in the first quarter of 2017, its averaging about $2 million per day.

KeepKey founder & CEO Darin Stanchfield

Partnering with Dash is the natural next step for KeepKey since our wallet is purely focused on security, mobility and convenience; attributes that Dash shares, said KeepKey CEO Darin Stanchfield in the release.

KeepKey protects digital assets from hackers by limiting their exposure to the internet. With this integration, we are extending our utility, and adding one more asset users can transfer to or from directly on our device.

Dash director of finance Ryan Taylor said on the occasion, As the ecosystem of services integrated with Dash continues to grow and mature, solutions to ensure user funds are stored as securely as possible is more important than ever. Because of Dashs unique capabilities and the announcement and execution of our software upgrade, weve experienced triple digit price appreciation, so many of our users will love having this option available to secure the growing value of their Dash.

We partnered with KeepKey because we aim to create the best overall experience for our users. The peace of mind and convenience that KeepKey can provide makes them a valuable addition to our family of partners. Their products also align well with our belief that the user experience should be a focus.

This beta release by KeepKey, however, will not support dashs InstantSend and PrivateSend functions.

We like to listen to the community and implement new technology in response to community requests and feedback. While hacks in todays global information age are pervasive, and so too is the rise of cryptocurrency, more and more people are investing in a digital vault for their valuable cryptocurrencies. Crypto assets vary in their characteristics, and attract the use of different audiences for different reasons. One thing we are certain of though is the trend for investing and holding multiple types of assets is becoming increasingly popular and KeepKey helps makes this both simpler and safer, Stanchfield added.

The entire digital currency market has almost tripled in value in a year, from $7 billion in January 2016 to more than $19.9 billion now.

Images courtesy of KeepKey via PR firm Wachsman PR

Cryptocurrency hardware wallet KeepKey integrates dash - CoinReport

Swiss canton to launch its own cryptocurrency – Finextra – Finextra

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

Ticino, the southernmost canton of Switzerland, is planning to issue its own local digital currency for everyday use. Its circulation may be confined to Ticino territory.

The future cryptocurrency called ticinocoin (TIC) is a brainchild of computer scientists Claudio Rossini and Michele Fiscalini. The developers have already tested the currency: the pilot phase of the project was completed last week, reports Tribune de Geneve. Regional virtual currency based on the blockchain technology is expected to stimulate the local economy offering faster, more transparent and less expensive transactions. According to Fiscalini, circulation of TIC may be limited to local services and products from Ticino.

The expected exchange rate of TIC is one Swiss franc. However, operations with ticinocoin may require obligatory authorisation by FINMA, the Swiss monetary regulator.

Ticinocoin is not the first local currency in Switzerland. In 2015, Lmanic Arc introduced the regional currency Lmans. Now it accounts for more than 100,000 units in circulation. The launch of the electronic version of Lman is due in March. Another Swiss region, Valais, may introduce its own complementary currency Farinet in 2017.

Switzerland, the home of Xapo, Ethereum and ShapeShift, is regarded as a haven for cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies. In May 2016, the City Council of Zug in the east Switzerland launched a pilot project allowing to pay for municipal services with bitcoin. During the initial phase of the programme, the maximum amount payable with the cryptocurrency was limited to 200 Swiss francs. The city authorities are not opposed to extending the experiment to other cryptocurrencies.

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Swiss canton to launch its own cryptocurrency - Finextra - Finextra

BitBay Resurfaces with the Most Advanced and Secure Wallet in Cryptocurrency Space – newsBTC

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

BitBay is a free software program that provides the security you need to protect all of your online transactions, especially at places like Craigslist, Hoobly and eBay Classifieds.

After keeping a low profile for some time, BitBay, the cryptocurrency software suite offering unbreakable smart contracts is now back with the most advanced and secure wallet in cryptocurrency space. The software suite is capable of supporting an entire smart contracting interface with decentralized markets and other features.

BitBay is a free software program that provides the security you need to protect all of your online transactions, especially at places like Craigslist, Hoobly and eBay Classifieds. It removes any centralized services from online transactions and allows buyers to interact directly with sellers safely and securely.

The platform offers unbreakable smart contractsfor important real world applications. These contracts are secured by collateral deposits from both parties, making them unbreakable. Further, there is no fear of fraud as the collateral funds will be burnt in case a party cheats or exits the contract with the intention of defrauding the other.

Arbitrators, biased third parties, escrow and even fees have been eliminated on BitBay due to their smart contracts system. Without any middlemen, it can create coins for cash contracts like a decentralized LocalBitcoins, where cash payments are completely trustless. It can also be used to create employment contracts, decentralized eBay-like delivery contracts, and even barter contracts.

The many user-friendly templates on BitBay let people create smart contracts by just entering few details. The pre- existing templates like Cash for Coins are already being used successfully and many new ones like buy/sell anything contract template are to be added to the platform shortly.

BitBay has a decentralized marketplace in place and the completely anonymous marketis built right into the client which allows users to create their own public and private markets. There is also the option to simply check different contracts already available in the main market.

The BitBay software allows communication between users by supporting email with end to end encryption like Thunderbird and it also supports Bitmessage for a more decentralized option.

Finally, BitBay also plans to launch their secret star feature soon, that will eliminate the cryptocurrencys volatility.

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BitBay Resurfaces with the Most Advanced and Secure Wallet in Cryptocurrency Space - newsBTC

Bitcoin Price Watch; Here’s To A Profitable Week – newsBTC

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

Here's a look at what we are focusing on in the bitcoin price this morning.

Well here we go, a fresh European session and, with it, a fresh week in the bitcoin price. Our intraday strategy was a little bit up and down last week, as price chopped in and out of periods of volatility. The week started off pretty flat, but then things picked up as the days went by, and we managed to close out on a pretty decent note.

With any luck, as things play out going forward, we will see a continuation of the volatility, and get some proper trades and profits under our belt. So, with this in mind, lets outline some key levels and see where we can take the session.

As ever, take a quick look at the charts below in order to get an idea of whats on, and where we are looking to get in and out of markets if and when price moves. Its a five-minute candlestick chart, and its got our range overlaid in green.

So, as the chart shows, the range we are using for todays morning session out of Europe is defined by support to the downside at 1040 flat, and resistance to the upside at 1051. Were not using 1050 flat as price broke above t a little earlier, and so we think 1051 is a little more solid right now. Whether that proves a smart move, well see.

Anyway, if we see price break above resistance, we are going to look at getting in to the upside in a long position towards an immediate target of 1060. A stop on the trade at 1048 will ensure that we are taken out of the trade in the event of a bias reversal.

Conversely, if price closes below support, we are going to get in short towards 1030. A stop on this one at 1043 looks good.

Charts courtesy of SimpleFX.

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Bitcoin Price Watch; Here's To A Profitable Week - newsBTC

Espedilla: Beating Psoriasis at home (part 3) | SunStar – Sun.Star

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

Espedilla: Beating Psoriasis at home (part 3) | SunStar
Sun.Star
Psoriasis would be a lot worse if you won't kick the habit of smoking. In fact, one study have shown that people who smoked more than a pack a day were twice as likely to have a serious case of psoriasis than those who smoked half a pack or less. Women ...

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Espedilla: Beating Psoriasis at home (part 3) | SunStar - Sun.Star

In Conversation With: Priyanka Lama at London Fashion Week … – VERVE

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

Fashion

Text by Sadaf Shaikh

How have you incorporated the theme of The Indian Pastoralists in your showcase? The Indian Pastoralists represent the varied artisanal communities that inhabit a few pockets across the mountains in India. I have taken inspiration from the life of the highland communities of Lachen and Lachung in the foothills of the Sikkim Himalayas. Almost trans-human in nature, as believed in folklore, they have been living in self-sustaining societies, in harmony with nature. Untouched and unaffected by modernism, they live in a metaphysical state.

What are the elements that influenced your collectionThe Unreached?As the name signifies, these are communities that have rarely been written about or researched on. My designs takea deconstructed approach from the bakhu and honju, which are traditional garments worn by the women from that region.

What are the local elements that you have tried to retain?I have used the indigenous Eri and its yarn waste exclusively for this collection. The fiber is natures own upcycled product, where the cocoon is technically waste after the silkworm transforms and leaves, earning its name of peace or non-violence silk.

What does the P.E.L.L.A woman symbolise?A P.E.L.L.A woman finds poetry in fashion. She is someone who appreciates the beauty of true craftsmanship and has an eye for the most inconspicuous of details.

How have you maintained abalance between an Indian and global aesthetic? My work blurs the boundaries of what we perceive is Indian or global. I think it is very important to appreciate design in its true form, regardless of origin or destination.

What are the techniques and textiles used? P.E.L.L.A as a label incorporates zero-waste design techniques in pattern-making. This means eliminating waste in the design phase itself. You will see garments made out of a single block of fabric which is used to create the silhouette. The finishing is painstakingly hand-rolled and blind-hemmed to create a boundaryless design.

London isDiverse. It has a beautiful mix of people from all around the world, and the very fact they are acceptingis beautiful.

A show that you would want to attend at London Fashion Week J.W.Anderson.

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In Conversation With: Priyanka Lama at London Fashion Week ... - VERVE

Championship 2016/17 table: Super Computer predicts end of season final places – February update – talkSPORT.com

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

Monday, February 20, 2017

With two-thirds of the Championship season played, the table is finally starting to take shape.

Many people expected surprise packages Huddersfield Town and Leeds United to drop off the pace, while big-spending Aston Villa have underachieved in their attempts to make an instant return to the Premier League.

Brighton and Newcastle have been fighting for top spot all season, while Norwich's recent defeat at Burton leaves a seven-point gap between sixth [the final play-off place] and seventh.

At the other end of the table, barring a miracle upturn in form like last season under Neil Warnock, Rotherham United look destined for the drop and it is a question of who will be joining them in May.

Birmingham City continue to slide underGianfranco Zola, while Bristol City and Aston Villa are on poor runs.

talkSPORT has decided to submit this season's data into the Super Computer to see howthe Championship table will look in May. At this stage, no one can say with any certainty, but our popular systemhas had a good go of predicting the final standings. Based on information available on February 20, 2016, take a look at how the Super Computer is predicting the final standings - from 24th to first -by clicking the right arrow, above.

The table, of course, should be taken with a pinch of salt! Anything can happen over the next three months, but it is always fun to speculate. Where do you think your team will finish? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below...

Championship 2016/17 table: Super Computer predicts end of season final places - *February update* - talkSPORT.com

China’s new supercomputer will be 10 times faster – Economic Times

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

BEIJING: China has started to build a new-generation supercomputer that is expected to be 10 times faster than the current world champion, a media report said.

This year, China is aiming for breakthroughs in high-performance processors and other key technologies to build the world's first prototype exascale supercomputer, the Tianhe-3, said Meng Xiangfei, the director of application at the National Super Computer Tianjin Centre, on Monday.

The prototype is expected to be completed by 2018, the China Daily reported.

"Exascale" means it will be capable of making a quintillion (1 followed by 18 zeros) calculations per second. That is at least 10 times faster than the world's current speed champ, the Sunway TaihuLight, China's first supercomputer to use domestically designed processors. That computer has a peak speed of 125 quadrillion (1 followed by 15 zeros) calculations per second, he said.

"Its computing power is on the next level, cementing China as the world leader in supercomputer hardware," Meng said.

It would be available for public use and "help us tackle some of the world's toughest scientific challenges with greater speed, precision and scope", he added.

Tianhe-3 will be made entirely in China, from processors to operating system. It will be stationed in Tianjin and fully operational by 2020, earlier than the US plan for its exascale supercomputer, he said.

Tianhe-1, China's first quadrillion-level supercomputer developed in 2009, is now working at full capacity, undertaking more than 1,400 assignments each day, solving problems "from stars to cells".

The exascale supercomputer will be able to analyse smog distribution on a national level, while current models can only handle a district, the daily said.

Tianhe-3 also could simulate earthquakes and epidemic outbreaks in more detail, allowing swifter and more effective government responses, Meng said.

The new machine also will be able to analyse gene sequence and protein structures in unprecedented scale and speed. That may lead to new discoveries and more potent medicine, he said.

Stem Cell Company Combining Stem Cell Therapy with Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment – PR Newswire (press release)

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- StemedixInc., a U.S. based stem cell therapy group that specializesin the use of stem cells to treat patients with degenerative conditions, announced today that they are offering their patients a powerful treatment combination; Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) and Stem Cell Therapy. According to research, the benefit of having HBOT treatments in conjunction with stem cell therapy is increasing the synthesis of nitric oxide, which signals the release of stem cells.

A recentstudyby researchers fromNeural Regeneration Researchfound results showing test subjects that underwent bothmesenchymalstem cell transplantation and HBOT had better neurological outcomes and better cognitive performance scores than subjects that endured only one type of treatment. Anotherstudyat the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, led by researcher StephenThom, MD, PhD, found that HBOT increases stem cell activity. After one treatment, the stem cell concentration doubled and after 20 treatments, they increasedeightfold.

Based on the growing interest and success, Fred Palmer, director of operations, at Stemedixsaid, "We are very proud to be working with the most recent and advanced technologies in the industry today. This combination of hyperbaric oxygen and stem cell therapies is progressively becoming the recommended treatment from our physicians and the selected treatment of our patients. Studies coupled with our own results we have seen thus far have been very impressive and supportive to our decision to offer this adjoining treatment."

Stemedix is now combining their stem cell therapy treatments with HBOT which allows for healing to occur that enables fibroblasts (tissue cells), capillaries (circulatory), osteoblasts (bone cells) andstem cellsto be stimulated. Without appropriate levels of oxygen in the tissue, healing cannot take place. With HBOT, oxygen is dissolved into all of the body's fluids, plasma, central nervous system fluids, lymph, and bone. In addition, the areas of the body that are lacking oxygen will begin to receive oxygen again.

To learn more about StemedixHBOT and stem cell therapy, contact Stemedixat 800-531-0831.

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Cx601 stem cell therapy maintains remission of complex perianal fistulas through 1 year in Crohn’s – Healio

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

Cx601 stem cell therapy maintains remission of complex perianal fistulas through 1 year in Crohn's
Healio
Patients with Crohn's disease achieved sustained remission of treatment-refractory complex perianal fistulas through 52 weeks after treatment with Cx601 stem cell therapy, according to results from the ADMIRE-CD trial presented at the 12th Congress of ...

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Cx601 stem cell therapy maintains remission of complex perianal fistulas through 1 year in Crohn's - Healio

AJ Foyt planning to undergo stem cell therapy – USA TODAY

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

A.J. Foyt during practice for the 2016 Indianapolis 500. (The Indianapolis Star)

Auto racing legend A.J. Foyt is hoping to find thefountain of youth for a body that has taken quite a beating over the years. And like a handful of athletes before him, its a journey that will take him outside the United States.

Foyt, 82, told IndyCar.com Saturday during a Verizon IndyCar Series test at Phoenix International Raceway that he plans to undergo stem cell therapy, likely in Cancun, Mexico, with injections into both ankles and shoulders as well as his blood.

Foyt suffered a broken back during a NASCAR race in 1964 and broken feet and legs during a 1991 IndyCar crash. In 2005, hewas stung more than 200 times by bees while trapped under his bulldozer at his Texas ranch. Hes had knee and hip replacements, and in 2014 underwent triple-bypass heart surgery.

Hes hopeful that stem cell therapy will help heal the lingering effects of some of those ailments.

They have to cut away some of the tissue from my stomach and it takes 8-10 weeks for it to grow back to produce the stem cells, Foyt told IndyCar. Ill probably have it done soon so that we can begin the treatment within the next two to three months.

Adult stem cells are able to grow and become a cell for a specific tissue or organ, according to the National Institutes of Health. They are different from embryonic stem cells, which come from fertilized eggs or aborted fetuses. Embryonic stem cells can turn into cells for nearly any tissue in the body.

But the procedure Foyt seeks has not yet been approved by the FDA for use in the United States, so he will head south of the border where several former football players have received these treatments.

MORE:Companies offer athletes hope with questionable stem cell treatments

It used to be you would have to go to Germany to get this procedure, but now its available in Cancun and that is probably where Ill have it done, Foyt said. Dan Pastorini (the former NFL quarterback) did it and it helped him. Peyton Manning (the former Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos quarterback) did it for his neck and it really helped him. Tony Dorsett (the former Dallas Cowboys running back) did it, so I think we should try it.

Dorsett underwent a procedure where stem cells were extracted from his own stomach fat then cultured and multiplied with the help of a serum derived from cattle. The cells were then purified and injected back into him, about 200 million at a time, in Cancun.

When I was taking the stem cells, I was able to figure things out a little better and not get as frustrated, Dorsett told USA TODAY Sports in November of 2015. But Dorsett also admitted the effects of the therapy faded over time.

Stem cell treatments are largely untested and unproven by U.S. standards. In general, the FDA has a critical threshold for adult stem cell therapies.

If the cells are more than minimally manipulated when extracted from a patients body, they are classified as biological drugs that must go through long and costly testing to make sure they are safe and effective for widespread use in the USA.

Contributing:Brent Schrotenboer and Jarrett Bell

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AJ Foyt planning to undergo stem cell therapy - USA TODAY

Exclusive: Marley Natural herb collection elevates artistic connection – The Cannabist

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

The Cannabist

Exclusive: Marley Natural herb collection elevates artistic connection
The Cannabist
We look at him as Bob's closest collaborator and friend, and we look at our packaging as the 'album covers' of our brand, so there is this full-circle meaning in honoring Bob and spreading the message of the enlightenment of the herb. Featuring ...

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Exclusive: Marley Natural herb collection elevates artistic connection - The Cannabist

India can develop space station, says ISRO chief – Times of India

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

INDORE: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman A S Kiran Kumar on Monday said the country has the capability to develop a space station, but it needed a long-term approach and an ambitious planning.

His comment follows ISRO display of technological prowess last week by launching 104 satellites+ in a single mission.

"We have all the capabilities to set up a space station. The day the country takes the decision, we will 'ok' the project. Just draw a policy and provide us necessary funds and time," Kumar said here.

He was in Indore to attend the foundation day ceremony of Raja Ramanna Center for Advanced Technology (RRCAT).

"We still talk about what would be the immediate benefits of a manned space mission. That is why the country hasn't made up its mind about when to invest in a space station," he said.

A long-term thinking was needed for setting up a space station, he said, adding "the sooner the better."

Kumar said ISRO was also mulling tying up with the industry to enhance the country's satellite launching capability.

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India can develop space station, says ISRO chief - Times of India

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