Brunch Hate Reads: NYC Kids Choose Multi-Million Dollar Apartments For Their Parents

Posted on by

We here at Brunch Hate Reads have seen every permutation of terrible in the weekend pages of the NY Times, from the hungover futurism consultants who are so over Brooklyn to the 22-year-old creative souls just trying to find a multi-million dollar place to hang their giant portraits of themselves. We've definitely seen some shit in our daybut we're happy to report we haven't become jaded by all the mason jar trend pieces. As we learned from a piece today, we still have the capacity for dumb-struck awe at their ability to hold up a mirror to modern New York and only notice 1% of the reflection.

This one really is a doozy.

Before we go any further, you should get yourself a glass of champagne and read the PSA below.

PSA: The NY Times has a weakness for self-parodying trend-baiting, masochistic Millennial obsessing, and the perverse lifestyles of the filthy rich. If a reporter with the Real Estate, Style or Weekend sections approaches you about a story, just smile gently and run in the opposite direction. No one is forcing you to become representative of everything that everyone hates about New Yorkers.

The NY Times Presents: Brunch Hate Reads is proud to bring you the story of .1%ers who have trained their children to help them buy multi-million real estate around NYC. "In New York, teens and preteens are becoming savvy connoisseurs of real estate," the Times writes.

No, they are not. There is nothing savvy about being able to functionally use a website.

Here are a few real sentences from the article:

Still, for a lark the couple strolled over to check out their sons find, which, in addition to the pool and an expansive terrace, had bedazzling views of the Hudson and the Palisades. We looked at each other and said, This is unbelievable, Mrs. van Merkensteijn recalled. The idea that you could own a place like this in New York City was amazing.

Skye came along to the closing a few months later.

"They choose where they and their parents are going to have dinner or where theyre going to go on vacation," Stuart Moss, an associate broker at Corcoran, told the Times. "So why shouldnt it extend to where theyre going to spend several million dollars for a residence?" Maybe because (follow us with this one) they are... children? I know this sounds crazy, but maybe children shouldn't be responsible for millions of dollars and major household decisions? We know rich people live entirely different lives than everyone else, but mixing money & kids generally hasn't worked out in the past.

Originally posted here:

Brunch Hate Reads: NYC Kids Choose Multi-Million Dollar Apartments For Their Parents

Orbital Insight Raised $8.7 Million To Use AI To Analyze Satellite Data

Posted on by

Satellite tracking of development at Olympic stadium in China. (Credit: Digitalglobe/Orbital Insight)

Orbital Insight, a company that provides data analytics of satellite imagery, announced this week that it had closed an $8.7 million Series A round led by Sequoia. Bloomberg Beta, Google Ventures, citizen.vc and Lux Capital also participated in the round. Sequoia partner Bill Coughran of Sequoia will be joining the board of Orbital Insight as part of the deal.

Orbital Insight was founded by Dr. James Crawford, an artificial intelligence researcher and entrepreneur who has experience building intelligent systems for NASA and other organizations. He was also previously the Engineering Director of Google Books, an experience that helped lead to the idea for his new company.

What this company really is is a Google Books like pipeline that is, an automated AI pipeline designed for understanding and processing satellite imaging at scale, Crawford explained to me.

The past few years have seen an explosion of satellite imaging companies. Older companies like DigitalGlobe continue to put up satellites and produce reams of detailed data. However, theyve been joined by a number of startups such as Planet Labs, Skybox and more who are putting up a myriad number of satellites.

The result of this influx is that between the various companies watching the planet from above, its possible to see changes being made in particular parts of the globe over time, and to track and monitor those changes. Those changes, in turn, can be used to inform decision makers and investors about the status of the economy, agriculture production, and more.

To analyze these images, Orbital Insight has developed machine learning programs that can be taught to find and analyze data points of interest. During its seed phase, for instance, the company used a human to tag cars in parking lots while the program observed it. After a few hundred tags, the program learns to identify cars in other parking lot images without the human being involved.

This wasnt an idle exercise, either. Once Orbital Insights deep learning program learned how to count cars, the company was able to determine a mathematical relationship between the number of cars in parking lots of retail stores in a quarter to the stores revenues that quarter. That type of information is definitely valuable to investors. But for the company, its a proof of concept that will allow it to pursue other kinds of data.

This funding round is geared towards utilizing satellite images to find other sources of useful data. One project, for example, is examining the shadows of buildings in China over time. Using those shadows and a little trigonometry, the company aims to be able to figure out the rate of construction in China to see if its speeding up or slowing down.

The rest is here:

Orbital Insight Raised $8.7 Million To Use AI To Analyze Satellite Data

A Couple Of Pictures Of The Freedom Tower & FDNY Ten House At Night In Manhattan – Video

Posted on by


A Couple Of Pictures Of The Freedom Tower FDNY Ten House At Night In Manhattan
Watch in "HD" New York City Fire Department - A Couple Of Pictures Of The Freedom Tower FDNY Ten House At Night In Manhattan. This wasnt a planned video but I like how the pictures came...

By: Acepilot2k7

Go here to read the rest:

A Couple Of Pictures Of The Freedom Tower & FDNY Ten House At Night In Manhattan - Video

Freedom! Online – Battlefield Hardline – Borderlands Atlas Mugged – Helldivers – Submit your content – Video

Posted on by


Freedom! Online - Battlefield Hardline - Borderlands Atlas Mugged - Helldivers - Submit your content
Check us out at online.freedom.tm Freedom Online is looking for content on these four games. If you do reviews, previews, best of #39;s, Top 10 #39;s, or even let #39;s plays, check out the site and...

By: Freedom!

See the original post here:

Freedom! Online - Battlefield Hardline - Borderlands Atlas Mugged - Helldivers - Submit your content - Video

Freedom Industries to explain Elk cleanup at public meeting

Posted on by

Consultants from Freedom Industries and officials from the state Department of Environmental Protection will be on hand next Tuesday to explain plans for Freedom to clean up its former Elk River chemical storage facility under DEPs voluntary industrial remediation program.

A public meeting on the cleanup project is scheduled from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Charleston Civic Center, according to a public notice provided by Freedom.

The meeting comes as deadlines loom for Freedom to reach agrement with DEP on the next step in the cleanup and for the company to explain to U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Ronald Pearson its plan for completing its bankruptcy case and resolving millions of claims filed by thousands of victims of the water crisis that followed last years leak from one of Freedoms chemical tanks. It is also scheduled for one day after a Monday hearing in U.S. District Court, where Freedom is set to plead guilty to criminal pollution violations related to the spill.

At the meeting, Freedoms environmental consulting firm, Arcadis, will discuss what has been done so far to clean up the site and provide further assurances on remediation, soil removal and chemical analysis, said Mark Welch, Freedoms chief restructuring officer.

Welch said that he would also discuss Freedoms ongoing bankruptcy case, and the companys plan to conclude that case. Freedoms toxicologist, environmental lawyer, and others will be on hand to answer questions from the public, Welch said.

On April 9, Freedom is scheduled to appear in bankruptcy court at a hearing Pearson scheduled to hear what Freedom has been able to accomplish to resolve the $200 million in claims filed against it by spill victims. In an order earlier this month, Pearson said that the only progress in the bankruptcy case has been on the site remediation and that the rest of the matter is stagnated.

Kelley Gillenwater, spokeswoman for DEP, said that officials from the agencys Voluntary Remediation Program would attend to answer questions about the program, but would be able to provide limited information about the plan for the Freedom site.

We cant give any specifics about the plan for Freedom, though, because thee isnt one yet, Gillenwater said. Were still waiting on information from Freedom.

Gillenwater noted that the program doesnt require Freedom to hold a public meeting, but DEP has encouraged Welch to do so to explain whats going on and hear questions and concerns.

Last week, DEP approved Freedoms application to enter the agencys voluntary cleanup program, a move that Freedom has said would help it save money on remediation at the site of the January 2014 chemical spill that contaminated drinking water for 300,000 people in Charleston and surrounding communities.

Read more:

Freedom Industries to explain Elk cleanup at public meeting

Chipotle's pork choice-and religious freedom

Posted on by

Despite the possibility that Chipotle's decision to pull pork from almost a third of its restaurants will come at a cost, the corporation's commitment to serving "food with integrity" has outweighed its quest for financial gain. "We would rather not serve pork at all, than serve pork from animals that are raised in this way," Chris Arnold, the company's communications director, told the Washington Post.

Read MoreChipotle considers raising prices ... will customers bite?

Chipotle's founder and CEO, Steve Ells, has made a decision to commit to self-imposed standards, which he personally finds important, enabling him to live out his commitment to environmental care and sustainability through how he runs his business. His example has also drawn othersemployees, investors, and customers alikeby giving them a place to work and patronize that shares their beliefs and values. As the Washington Post observed, "The unparalleled success of the chain is glaring proof that people are willing to pay a bit more for that promise."

Or, as one online reviewer put it, Chipotle is "a fast food chain with a conscience."

It is a wonderful thing that individuals are not only able to start and build a business in their chosen trade, but they are also free to structure that business in a way that reflects their personal beliefs and values. In turn, a wide market of choice is provided for employees and consumers, offering an opportunity to partner with a larger association with a shared commitment to a common cause. In America, we have the ability to act out our individuality and diversity in every aspect of our lives, and not just in our private or personal decisions.

Read MoreTraders bet on wholesome rally

Protecting corporate conscience acknowledges that behind a company name, individuals with their own identities, perspectives, freedoms, and convictions are making decisions that affect real peopleowners, employees, customers, and the community.

There is a distinct social good to preserving the freedom of individuals to form and operate a business based on deeply held principles rooted in conscience. Many great leaders throughout our nation's history have understood the importance of this freedomhow it elevates and benefits our society as a whole when individuals openly and fully live their lives according to the moral values that motivate them, even when reasonable people disagree with those values.

It is time that we take a step back from unnecessarily politicized debates about corporations and acknowledge the simple fact that many Americans are motivated to be a force for good in their communities because of, not in spite of, their faith. Faith animates compassion, and compassion leads to greater integrity and ownership of caring for those in need around us. Furthermore, organized compassionate responses need not come solely in the form of a church or charity to be appropriate, authentic, or effective.

Read MoreWhat shareholders think about Starbucks' race idea

See the original post here:

Chipotle's pork choice-and religious freedom

New York charges Narco Freedom executives in alleged Medicaid fraud scheme

Posted on by

NEW YORK: Leaders of a Bronx nonprofit that provides drug and alcohol treatment to tens of thousands of New Yorkers have been indicted over an alleged scheme to plunder the charity and defraud Medicaid of more than US$27 million, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said.

The indictment announced Wednesday expands Schneiderman's criminal case announced last October against Narco Freedom Inc, its founder Alan Brand and his son Jason Brand.

It also adds new criminal charges against the nonprofit's chief executive, Gerald Bethea, Controller Richard Gross, Alan Brand's son Jonathan Brand and employee John Cornachio.

Schneiderman said Narco Freedom cheated Medicaid by submitting claims for excessive services, operating unregulated treatment programs and coercing patients who live in its Freedom Houses to remain in treatment.

The Brands and Cornachio have also been accused of misusing funds to support lavish spending habits, including vehicles such as a Tesla, a Porsche 911 Carrera, a Range Rover and a vintage Corvette.

"Criminal enterprises that use non-profits to steal millions in public funds poison New York's charitable sector," Schneiderman said in a statement.

The defendants face from one to 25 criminal counts each, including enterprise corruption, grand larceny and insurance fraud, Schneiderman said. Narco Freedom faces 18 counts.

Michael Bachner, a lawyer for Alan Brand, said his client "continues to vigorously deny any wrongdoing in connection with these charges, and will be vindicated after trial."

Narco Freedom and a lawyer for the nonprofit did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A lawyer for Bethea could not immediately be identified. Lawyers for the remaining defendants were not immediately available for comment.

Founded in 1971, Narco Freedom provides substance abuse, medical, mental health and social services to more than 36,500 people, including patients and family members, according to its website.

Continue reading here:

New York charges Narco Freedom executives in alleged Medicaid fraud scheme

CIJ against further curbs on freedom of speech

Posted on by

Parliament only allowed to place legitimate restrictions on freedom of expression as set out in the Constitution.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) has called on the government to consult with stakeholders, including civil society, on any proposed amendments to the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (CMA).

CIJ, in addition, condemns any attempts to further curb the freedom of expression and calls on the government to amend the CMA so that it moves towards international standards on freedom of expression, rather than away from them.

Other laws such as the Penal Code and the Sedition Act have also repeatedly been used to arrest and charge individuals for comments that they have posted online, said CIJ Directors Sonia Randhawa and Jac Kee. It is thus puzzling why the government requires more laws to purportedly improve control over social media.

The CIJ was expressing its grave concerns on the announcement by Communications and Multimedia Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek on the intention to amend the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (CMA) to improve enforcement and governance of social media.

The CMA, noted CIJ, was frequently used to curb freedom of expression on the internet and contains clauses which are unreasonably wide and open to misinterpretation and abuse. Section 233, for instance, makes it an offence to post any content which is obscene, indecent, false, menacing or offensive in character with the intention to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass another person.

This clause is extremely wide and goes beyond the legitimate restrictions that are allowed to be placed on the freedom of expression by Parliament, as set out in the Constitution, warned CIJ. While posting content that annoys, someone may be rude or undesirable in certain contexts, but it should not constitute an offence punishable with a hefty fine and/or imprisonment.

CIJ has repeatedly called for the clause to be repealed in order to comply with the Constitution and international human rights standards on freedom of expression.

Ahmad Shabery Cheek told Parliament on Thursday that communication laws will be amended to further curb the increasing number of cases involving the abuse of the Internet and social media.

Ahmad Shabery said his ministry would be amending the Communications and Multimedia Act, and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission Act, especially provisions related to governance and enforcement.

More here:

CIJ against further curbs on freedom of speech

BOMBARDIER PRIMOVE to Provide Wireless Charging and Battery Technology to Berlin

Posted on by

Editors Note: There are photos associated with this press release.

Berlin will be the first capital city to turn a complete bus line into an eco-friendly route using e-buses with the wireless PRIMOVE charging system and the compact PRIMOVE battery system. Starting in summer 2015, passengers on the city centre bus line 204 will be able to enjoy a quiet and zero-emission ride through Berlin. The German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) is supporting the project in the context of the "International Showcase Programme for E-mobility Berlin Brandenburg".

On the occasion of the installation of the inductive charging pad at Berlin's first charging station the project partners Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG; Berlin public transport authority), Technical University (TU) Berlin and Bombardier Transportation invited representatives from the BMVI, the City of Berlin and media to inform them about the technical details of the wireless charging technology, the current project status and the further project milestones. At the event, guests had the rare opportunity to inspect the charging pad, which will be invisibly embedded under the ground in just a few days. The precast charging pad weighs seven tons, is five meters long, two meters wide and 25 centimetres thick.

Bombardier's innovative PRIMOVE system charges the Berlin buses' batteries at 200 kW in the very few minutes of dwell time spent at the end stations. This allows the e-buses to serve the 6.1 km long bus line back and forth - without additional stops or battery changing for an entire day. As with an electric toothbrush, charging works without a cable connection. As soon as the e-bus is positioned over the underground charging pad, the pick-up coil mounted on the underside of the vehicle lowers. The inductive energy transfer begins, generating an electromagnetic field. This poses no danger to drivers, passengers or pedestrians - or even to people with pacemakers. With the optimization of the transfer frequencies and advanced shielding, the charging system falls well below the very strict European limit values for electromagnetic emissions.

Starting in April 2015, additional PRIMOVE charging stations will be installed at the route's second end stop as well as at BVG's bus depot where the four e-buses will be based. The e-buses will be built this spring by the Polish manufacturer Solaris. The twelve meter long vehicles are nearly identical to the Urbino 12 electric bus equipped with PRIMOVE charging and batteries, which has been in successful passenger operations in Braunschweig, Germany, since March 2014. The delivery of the first e-bus to the Bombardier site in Mannheim, Germany, for final coordination of the technical components is planned for May 2015. Following this, the vehicles will be delivered to Berlin for approval and commissioning. In summer 2015, passenger operations on route 204 will commence.

Berlin's new fleet of e-buses will save around 260 tons of CO2 per year. In order to achieve the same affect, around 250 private cars in Berlin, on the basis of normal driving behaviour, would have to be switched to electric mode.

Further material for download:

Graphics and facts about the technology as well as photos of the event are available under the following link:

http://www.bombardier.com/en/media-centre/newsList/details.bombardier-transportation20150318ebusberlinabsommerfaehrtdielini.bombardiercom.html

Can an electric bus compete with a diesel bus in daily operation? You'll find the answer in this video.

Read more from the original source:

BOMBARDIER PRIMOVE to Provide Wireless Charging and Battery Technology to Berlin