Daily Archives: May 9, 2017

Why? Artificial Intelligence To Provide An Explanation – MediaPost Communications

Posted: May 9, 2017 at 3:31 pm

Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, Google Assistant, Microsoft Cortana and artificial intelligence technology from other developers often serves up responses and content without a perceived reason. Shouldn't users have the ability to ask the AI why?

In an interview with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos at the recentInternet Associations annual gala in Washington, D.C., Michael Beckerman, president and CEO of the Internet Association, asked him to explain Amazon's approach to artificial intelligence.

It is a renaissance -- it is a golden age, Bezos said. "We are now solving problems with machine learning and artificial intelligence that were in the realm of science fiction for the last several decades."

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Bezos said much of the value from machine learning happens beneath the surface in search results, improved product recommendations and improved forecasting for inventory management.

He's correct. About 35.6 million Americans will use a voice-enabled virtual assistant home hub such as Amazon Echo and Google Home at least once monthly in 2017 -- up 128.9% from 2016, according to eMarketer.

One challenge for consumers will be transparency and finding answers to why these devices choose to serve up specific types of content.

Microsoft has already begun to teach systems how toread and answer questions. The group is trying to develop what it calls a "literate" machine.

An article published Monday in Slate in collaboration with Arizona State University and New America explores the way this emerging technology will influence society, posing the question of why users lack the ability to question the machine.

Transparency has become a major initiative across the online advertising industry. In the past few years the advertising industry has seen a major push to improve transparency around the data that makes the decisions for the content people see and hear.

The article makes the point that what the device picks to serve the user should have an obvious relationship to the request. For example, Alexa recently picked a song from 1990s rap artist Sir Mix-a-Lot based on a "diet" of "kid's music, show tunes, Beatles, Rat Pack, and Pink Martini. Why?

Similar to the right to be forgotten or the right to privacy or the right for Amazon Alexa, Google Home or Microsoft Cortana to be allowed to access and use personal data, these devices should inform individuals when using personal data when "automated decision-making, including profiling" is involved in process that data."

In 2016, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union adopted the General Data Protection Regulation, a data protection act that proposes to bring on major changes that takes effect May 2018 in the EU.

When this legislation kicks in, "A.I. will owe you an explanation every time it uses your personal data to choose a particular recommendation or action." The analysis explains that it will put users in a better position to evaluate and correct the decisions these devices make on the user's behalf.

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The Cognitive Analyst and the Artificial Intelligence – Security Intelligence (blog)

Posted: at 3:31 pm

This is the final article in a three-part series on how IBM Watson for Cyber Security can help analysts win the arms race against cybercrime. Be sure to read part 1 and part 2 for the full story.

In just the time since I started writing this series, Watson and the way we work with it has evolved. An IBM employee prototyped a voice interface with his young son, for example. IBM also announced that Watson now works with MaaS360 for improved mobile security.

As it evolves, Watson will help to address a very real problem that has been growing in the security landscape for some years now: the cybersecurity skills gap. The need for experienced security analysts grows every year.

Since Watson is an augmentative technology, the intention is not to replace security operations center (SOC) analysts, but to make them more productive. They will become cognitive analysts in a cognitive SOC. This will create even more time and opportunities for senior IT professionals, who will not need to spend so many hours mentoring junior analysts.

Despite these potential benefits, a couple of questions consistently arise in conversations with peers in the industry: Will analysts skills atrophy if they are not doing the day-to-day digging? Furthermore, will Watson eventually render analysts redundant? What will it mean to be a cognitive analyst?

The fear that moving from one methodology to another, especially one perceived as needing less effort, will cause skills to atrophy is as old as civilization. Take the fear of the Greeks at the move from an oral to a written tradition, for example. The concern, in that case, was that people would lose the ability to accurately memorize large amounts of information.

I recall when the electronic calculator was introduced at school. It caused much concern among parents and teachers who believed it would undermine the capability for mental arithmetic. Indeed, they were right. How many people do you know can memorize a long work, word for word? And you will still get a reaction in shops if you can tell the cashier the total cost of your items before the register adds it up.

The point is that nobody realistically expects anyone to do that kind of thing today. We do not even value it, except as a novelty. There are bigger and different problems we are looking to solve. Trying to use logarithmic tables can be fun, but if you want to model something complex, it would take you centuries to calculate it manually.

The results of modern complex modeling include improved medicine, better sports outcomes, more functional cars and a better understanding of the universe. Now we use our minds to solve more complex problems since we have alleviated the burden of the small tasks.

During the Industrial Revolution, society moved to create different demands and different jobs. That new technology enabled and supported an almost tenfold growth in population in the U.K. in just 150 years. Similarly, I believe that analysts role will evolve rather than disappear. Everyone whose work is touched by the power of this augmentation technology will probably find that there are shifts in the way they approach the work and how they spend their time day to day. But ultimately, they will be shifting to work of higher value.

Watson delivers threat information to the cognitive analyst more readily, having discounted material that is not relevant to the situation. In other words, Watson cuts down waste. Its the difference between searching information in Google and having to go to the library to hunt through loads of paper journals to find exactly what you are looking for.

By focusing cognitive analysts attention on what really matters, Watson will help them learn the patterns of attacks. These patterns may have been lost in the noise previously, when analysts were still trying to identify the trees and could not see the forest.

Watson is a very exciting technology with a great future, and it will transform the way we approach security.

Given the information that QRadar holds about an enterprise, with all its integrations and modules, I envision a future in which Watson provides advice on the best way to configure your network, servers and applications to counter the most current threat landscape. I imagine that Watson might one day write custom policies or rules in other technologies to protect your network. I can also see it providing an educational facility to train security specialists to detect and respond to the most likely threats for the specific industries in which they work.

Technology is great when it can make human lives better. We have this wonderful invention the internet and I want humanity to enjoy all the benefits of it without having to take unreasonable risks. Watson has endless potential to help us achieve exactly that.

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PwC appoints its first artificial intelligence leader – economia

Posted: at 3:31 pm

News Danny McCance 9 May 2017 11:48am

The Big Four firm has appointed Euan Cameron to the newly created role of UK artificial intelligence (AI) leader just in time for the AI summit, which begins in London today

Camerons appointment comes alongside a raft of appointments within PwCs senior tech leadership.

He will take control of all AI across the firm, to help clients embrace the emerging technology and coordinate PwCs own move towards AI.

He has been a partner since 2007 and brings with him over 20 years experience in consulting, with a focus on the development of corporate strategy, informed by data and analytics.

The core team that Cameron will lead consists of more than 30 specialists working with AI, robotic process automation and machine learning in the UK.

PwC aims to expand this to more than 200 by 2020.

The firm is looking to drive growth in cyber security, data and analytics, tech consulting and fintech.

Emerging technologies are already disrupting how we live and work, and their potential impact can no longer be ignored, Jon Andrews, head of technology and investments at PwC, said.

Artificial intelligence and automation form a key part of our targeted investment in technology, responding to high demand for expertise in these areas from our clients.

Our ambition is that well continue to grow our revenues from technology-related areas including AI, cyber security, data analytics and fintech, Andrews added.

Other appointments include Zubin Randeria, who will lead around 200 cyber security experts in the UK; Neil Hampson, a cyber security practice leader, to lead the data and analytics team; Mark Leaver, who will expand his existing financial services consulting role to concentrate on fintech and Madeleine Thompson, who takes on a new role in technology consulting.

Commenting on the new appointment, Cameron said, To be successful, AI needs to be implemented as part of a broader business transformation strategy.

"We are working with our clients on three main areas: helping businesses to understand the value of AI and the opportunities it holds; supporting their full AI journey from initial projects to large-scale transformation; and providing assurance services to create trust and confidence around AI-enabled business functions."

In February, Karen Bradley, secretary of state for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport announced that the UK can expect to receive more than 17m in funding to boost its artificial intelligence sector.

Opinion 9 December 2016

Features 19 October 2016

News 27 September 2016

Features 2 September 2016

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Musical Immortality: What Does it Take to Become a Legend? – Noiseporn

Posted: at 3:30 pm

You know what they saysatin sheets are very romantic, but everyone loves a biopic. Admittedly, that wasnt my best Madonna transition, but the point of it all is that Universal has recently acquired the rights to an unproduced screenplay, Blonde Ambition, and are currently brainstorming a film of the same name which will chronicle Madonnas rise to fame in New York of the early 1980s. If only I could go back in time to 1983 and rub this knowledge in my young fathers facewhos a flash in the pan now, dad?

If I had to speculate about similar biopics to come in the next few decades? Lady Gaga would probably be a good guess, but maybe Im a little biased as her rise to fame, personal style, and fan base remind me of Madonnas meteoric rise to prominence. Beyonc is up there tooI mean shes basically already hailed as a goddess, so I cant imagine that will diminish in years to come. In fact, archaeologists of the future may unearth Mother Monster and Queen Bey memorabilia buried beneath the ruins of our civilization and conclude that they were worshipped as deities. History is fascinating, isnt it?

But what exactly elevates a pop star or group to that level of immortality that only a few chosen artists have managed to attain? Is it the number of hit singles under their belt, their daring fashion choices, the sheer magnitude of their fan base, or is the accidental genius of an early, tragic death? Artists have become immortal in all the aforementioned waysjust look at Diana Ross, Cher, Michael Jackson, or Prince (who is still staking a claim in the industry post-mortem, with the issue of several new, previously unreleased songs), artists that fit snugly into one or more of those categories.

Perhaps, in order to solidify ones place in the pantheon of undead icons that are emblazoned forever in the collective musical psyche, you have to conquer all of the above in one way or another. Killer, experimental fashion sense, the ability to produce hit after hit, and the undying love of millions of fansall these accoutrements combine to create an indestructible force of musical domination. And the untimely demise? Maybe that is just the morbid cherry on top that really puts you over the edge into eternal super-stardom.

Only time will tell which artists of our generation manage to make legendary status and achieve eternal fame. Until that time, we can only satisfy ourselves with watching the biopics and post-mortem releases of our parents idols, wondering fondly what the future may bring.

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Startup Promises Immortality Through AI, Nanotechnology, and Cloning – Big Think

Posted: at 3:30 pm

One of the things humans have plotted for centuries is escaping death, with little to show for it, until now. One startup called Humai has a plan to make immortality a reality. The CEO, Josh Bocanegra says when the time comes and all the necessary advancements are in place, well be able to freeze your brain, create a new, artificial body, repair any damage to your brain, and transfer it into your new body. This process could then be repeated in perpetuity.

HUMAI stands for: Human Resurrection through Artificial Intelligence. The technology to accomplish this isnt here now, but on the horizon. Bocanegra says theyll reach this Promethean feat within 30 years. 2045 is currently their target date. So how do they plan to do it?

The company writes on their website: We're using artificial intelligence and nanotechnology to store data of conversational styles, behavioral patterns, thought processes and information about how your body functions from the inside-out. This data will be coded into multiple sensor technologies, which will be built into an artificial body with the brain of a deceased human.

Advances in many new technologies including cryonics will be required for the plan to be successful. Getty Images.

This will be done with Humai company-developed apps. Theyll be collecting data on you for years. Over time, theyll get a good model of who you are, what you know, what youve been through, and even your personality quirks. Then when the inevitable is upon you, cryonics will freeze your brain for storage while they prepare your artificial body.

How and of what the body will be made of hasnt been elaborated on. Your brain will be thawed and any damage repaired via nanotechnology, borrowing information from backup files, if need be. As the brain ages we'll use nanotechnology to repair and improve cells, Bocanegra said. Cloning technology is going to help with this too." Once your brain is transplanted into this new body, your brainwaves will control it, as if it was your own.

Futurists like Ray Kurzweil say the singularity will shortly be upon us. This is when AI becomes so advanced, that it can program itself to become better, smarter, faster, and therefore, beyond human control. Elon Musk says well need to create neural implants thatll link our brains with computers, in order to keep up.

We already have AI thats so advanced, researchers dont completely understand it. But this plan and Musks go beyond aligning us with technology. They ultimately seek to interweave us and advanced technology, to the point where we may not know where the person ends and the machine begins.

We can now hook the brain up to prosthetic limbs, even give them touch sensation. Getty Images.

This brings up all kinds of philosophical and existential questions. Are we merely data imprinted into neural networks? Will this become a service to lend immortality to the rich, while forgoing others? Bocanegra says it will be made available to everyone and should lead to other life-saving techniques and technologies. And you wouldnt have to undergo the process, if you didnt want to. I dont think of it as fighting death, he told Popular Science. I think of it as making death optional.

How might the advent of such a technique change the allocations of resources on our planet? Eliminating death from the equation could see our world become overpopulated and resource scarce, should no controls be put into place, leading to social turmoil, even war. And would we still savor life, without an end to it, and work to make it as rich an experience?

Or would we become, as Freud once called us, prosthetic gods, completely bored because the world has become devoid of any discovery or surprise? Such concerns arent quite around the corner, and many critics have questioned the soundness of Bocanegras plan and the forthrightness of his motivations.

This isnt exactly pie in the sky. But it isnt doable yet either, and some wonder whether Humais timeline is sound. For instance, we havent yet successfully placed a human in suspended animation and revived them. And thats just one piece of an exceedingly complex puzzle. According to Bocanegra in an interview with Popular Science, the most challenging part will be surgically implanting the preserved brain into an artificial body.

Other biological processes too would have to come with this new body. A lot of delicate factors would have to be understood and balanced properly. Consider that our behavior isnt only regulated by our brain. Hormones for instance play a crucial role. Colonies of bacteria in our microbiome also contribute quite a bit to our neurochemistry. Yet, we know very little about how they work.

Theres a question as to whether the human mind can be digitized. Pixababy.

Experts questions whether or not it will be possible to download someones thoughts into a computer. "The technology which could extract legible thoughts and ideas out of an organ made of living tissue is nowhere near anything we have yet, according to British software consultant Michael Maven.

He told the Huffington Post that Humai has just two researchers working on the project, and a total staff of five. An impressive source of funding and large teams of scientists would have to be employed for decades, to ensure such advancements, unless Humai is planning to piggyback on others work, or merely to collect payments from desperate parties hoping to escape their demise.

Even so, the trajectory of these technologies overall, will likely make such a feat possible in the distant future. And this isnt the only ambitious project looking to cheat death. The 2045 Initiative, started by Russian billionaire Dmitry Itskov, is also looking to develop technology, which would allow someone to transfer their personality into a non-biological carrier and extend life, perhaps indefinitely.

Futurist Ray Kurzweil thinks the first step is not only possible but inevitable.

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This AI Company Offers Cryogenic Freezing With Its Health Plan – Motherboard

Posted: at 3:29 pm

Since congressional Republicans voted in a bill containing the Trump administration's roll back of the Affordable Care Act, healthcare is once again a topic on everyone's lips. In the absence of any universal healthcare scheme, employer-provided medical coverage is a crucial benefit for employees, tempting people to stay at jobs they might otherwise have left, or apply for positions they wouldn't otherwise consider.

In the contest to attract new hires, tech companies often supplement already generous salaries with comprehensive benefit packages, and in this vein one company has hit on a novel idea: A health plan that covers its employees beyond death and into the realms of a speculative future rebirth.

Last week Numerai, an AI-driven hedge fund that invests based on models submitted by its anonymous data scientists , announced that it would be giving all its employees the chance to be cryogenically frozen in the event of death and resuscitated at some point in the future. The unusual statement was made in a tweet on Tuesday from founder Richard Craib, with a link to a job posting for a software engineer in which "whole-body preservation cryonics" is listed as a benefit offered.

In a phone call with Motherboard, Craib explained that the idea came from his own personal membership of cryonics provider Alcor, whose services will now be extended to Numerai employees too.

"If you want to have a chance of living much, much longer, then whether cryonics gives a five percent chance or a ten percent chance, it's still very good value for money," Craib said. "When I realized you could do it through a life insurance policy, then you're only paying a few hundred dollars a month for the chance of eternal life."

According to the founder, employees at Numerai had expressed interest and curiosity at Craib's own decision to be cryonically frozen in the event of his death, and after first joking about the idea of offering it to his staff on a startup podcast (discussion from the 1h15 mark) he decided to make it a reality. As far as new hiring goes, he also hopes the unconventional offer will "attract interesting people" to the company.

In practical terms, Numerai takes out an employee life insurance policyin this case provided by Transamericathat will cover cryonic storage, ensuring that on death an employee's body is delivered to Alcor and frozen, to be reanimated at such a future time as medical technology can undo the fatal damage. (A blurb on the Alcor site reads: "Revival of today's cryonics patients will require future repair by highly advanced future technology, such as molecular nanotechnology. Technology that is advanced enough to repair a cryopreserved brain would by its nature also be able to regrow new tissues, organs, and a healthy body for the revived person.")

But as with most other employee medical coverage, leaving the company means an end to the benefits, and thus the loss of a shot at eternal life. Doesn't the founder see anything dystopic about the idea of an employer having control over an employee's afterlife?

"You know, that's more an indictment of other companies," Craib said. "Why doesn't the next company that they join offer cryonics, because they probably do offer healthcare. I think maybe this will start a trend where more forward thinking people will start to offer this."

Currently most Numerai employees have signed up, though Craib says that some have opted out for religious or philosophical reasons. Those who retained the coverage have the chance to join the likes of Hal Finney, computer scientist and bitcoin pioneer, whose body currently rests in the Alcor vaults. But for software engineers who are more focused on bringing new life into the world than extending their own, other Silicon Valley companies might be a better option: big players like Facebook, Apple and Google provide fertility benefits such as egg freezing and IVF as part of their health packages.

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SPECIAL REPORT: Sick of medicine? What about a home remedy? – KKCO-TV

Posted: at 3:29 pm

MESA COUNTY, Colo. (KKCO) -- These days it seems like there's a quick fix for just about every ailment.

Some people swear by home remedies, like coconut oil to make your hair grow faster, or ginger to get rid of a cold.

But how safe are they, and do they really work?

For Jennifer Stephens, her interest in alternative medicine began when she started having some health issues a few years ago.

Her first instinct was to see a doctor.

But after a misdiagnosis, she decided to take matters into her own hands.

"So, I had actually sought out an integrative medicine doctor and looked at that as an alternative. And I found out indeed I did have an issue with my thyroid, said Stephens.

During the process, she also discovered essential oils.

He prescribed a natural thyroid medication and really had a conversation with me about synthetic vs natural," said Stephens.

One use and she was hooked. Stephens made it her mission to learn everything about essential oils.

However, safety remained her number one priority, especially for her family.

"What am I giving my daughter? What kinds of things am I giving her when she says I have a headache? Am I handing out Tylenol or an over-the-counter medication?" she asked.

That is when she found doTERRA.

"As a parent, I do my research, I have looked at doTERRA essential oils, which is the company I choose to use the oils from," she said. "They are certified pure, therapeutic grade, they are third party tested."

Thanks to the oils, the Stephens family embraced a more natural and healthier lifestyle.

They no longer turn to traditional medication for a quick fix.

"In our house, if we have a headache we will use peppermint and frankincense and lemon, and we layer oils on our forehead and probably on the back of our neck," Stephens said.

She also turned to oils when her 14-year-old daughter, Keeli, was struggling to keep her energy up during the day.

"I have a very boring class at the end of the day and it's very hard to stay awake," said Keeli.

After mixing and matching the right combination of oils, she says she's not only more alert, but actually doing better in class.

"Some of the positive side effects were how motivated I got during class, and how focused I was, especially reading books," said Keeli.

However, keep in mind, its not always a one-size-fits-all approach. "It's not matchy-matchy, so it's not if you have a headache you definitely do this thing, if you have a tummy ache you definitely do this thing," said April Schulte-Barclay, a doctor who specializes in acupuncture and oriental medicine.

She and her team work to treat the entire body, while trying to find the source of the problem.

"Lets say someone walks in and they have chronic headaches. It's very likely that from their primary care physician they've been prescribed some sort of pain relieving medication, but underneath those headaches is probably an imbalance, something that needs to be addressed," said Barclay.

She tells me in some cases, a simple fix may end up doing more harm than good.

"So if we are dependent on medicine for too long, then we are usually ignoring a deeper problem that continues to fester and fester," said Barclay.

She says sometimes the best solution to a problem could be hiding in your pantry.

"For example, apple cider vinegar, raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar, is really helpful to boost what I call your stomach chi, or your bodys ability to digest properly," said Barclay.

Barclay said you can take two tablespoons of the vinegar, mixed with 4 ounces of water. You can also add honeyfor your digestive remedy.

And it doesn't stop there.

Dr. Marie Collier works at St. Mary's.

She uses both traditional and alternative methods to treat her epilepsy patients.

"I have the knowledge and the training to integrate both," said Dr. Collier.

She says it's all about finding a balance, and she says it's always a good idea to get advice from the experts first.

"Doctor Google is a dangerous place I always recommend meeting with a medical professional and talking about your options, reviewing your medications," said Collier.

For moms like Stephensshe says it's good to remember, you're not the doctor.

"You can't just assume you knowI would suggest doing research, I think you have to go with a company that has put forth the effort to make sure they are educating people," she said.

Keep in mind, there are always risks, whether it's medication or a home remedy.

The experts say everybody responds differently, even to natural approaches.

Everyone we spoke with says the most important thing to do is consult your medical team before deciding on a treatment.

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Nutrition agency seeks power to police food supplements – Business Daily (press release) (blog)

Posted: at 3:28 pm

Economy & Politics Sunday, May 7, 2017 19:19

By MUTHOKI MUMO

Kenyas nutrition regulator is set to get additional powers to police the countrys chaotic food and nutritional supplement industry that is currently dominated by quacks and pseudo-medics.

Proposed amendments to the Nutritionists and Dieticians Act expand regulatory powers of the Kenya Nutritionists and Dieticians Institute (KNDI) to include registration and inspection of businesses that prepare and sell food and food supplements.

The KNDIs mandate is currently restricted to accrediting professionals working in the sector. The proposed law gives the institute power to set quality standards and ensure compliance by manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers of food and supplements.

KNDI chief executive David Okeyo told the Business Daily that the mandate would enable the institute to deal with people who dupe Kenyans into buying products that are at best ineffective and at worst dangerous.

Manufacturers will have to explicitly explain what is in their products, said Dr Okeyo.

The nutritional supplements industry has largely remained unregulated and Dr Okeyo says that there is an alarming rate of mushrooming masqueraders who are giving Kenyans empty promises of killing diabetes, curing cancer or losing weight.

The supplements have in many cases been proven to be ineffective and even toxic.

Last year, Kenyan doctors raised the alarm over cancer patients being cheated into throwing away fortunes on supplements.

The law has broad implications for the food industry. If Parliament passes the Bill manufacturers and restaurants will have to open up their doors to KNDI to facilitate the testing of the composition of food products to ascertain their fitness for consumption.

Besides, the manufacturers will have to prove that they have sufficiently informed consumers of the contents of the products.

Dr Okeyo said that if the Bill is passed into law, a restaurant would be legally required to warn diabetic or lactose-intolerant customers of menu items that could potentially harm them.

Traders of harmful food and supplements, those that label their products falsely or fail to register with the KNDI alongside the makers and traders of products under insanitary conditions will face fines of up to Sh5 million or jail for up to three years besides losing operating licences.

The proposed law also promises more stringent regulations for dieticians and nutritionists.

In addition to college diplomas and degrees, they will be required to pass accreditation exams administered by the institute. Quacks could be fined up to Sh500,000 and face two years in jail, a penalty that is higher than the current Sh100,000.

In addition, anyone found to issue false accreditation certificates will pay Sh1 million as fine, up from Sh500,000.

If people are masquerading and they can afford to pay the penalty, they will continue to masquerade. We are raising the bar so that they can desist, said Dr Okeyo. The Bill, however, raises concern over duplication of responsibilities within the government.

Currently, the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) is tasked with enforcing quality standards on manufacturers of food.

Dr Okeyo said that the Bill would not strip Kebs of its duties. Rather, he would have the standards body harmonise its systems with the criterion that nutritionists would develop.

The Food, Drugs and Chemical Substances Act and the Public Health Act set out standards for establishments selling food for public consumption. The Bill proposes stripping both these laws of the oversight as regards regulating the food business.

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Queen calls for urgent redesign of education in Arab world at Google Zeitgeist – Jordan Times

Posted: at 3:26 pm


Jordan Times
Queen calls for urgent redesign of education in Arab world at Google Zeitgeist
Jordan Times
She insisted that the world needs to stop thinking of refugees and migrants as a problem and accept the movement of people as the new norm, a by-product of our current global order, calling for an upgrade to global humanitarian systems that would ...

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Behind Enemy Lines: Talking surprise division leads and forgotten teams with AZ Snake Pit – Bless You Boys (blog)

Posted: at 3:26 pm

There are some teams we dont get to cover all that often, simply because they dont cross paths with the Detroit Tigers on a regular basis. The Arizona Diamondbacks certainly fall into that category. Quick, off the top of your head name a player who isnt Paul Goldschmidt.

Well, you probably did, but you see my point.

Usually, playing within the American League, fans have a passing knowledge of the opponent, whats been going on with the team, what injuries have plagued them. But when we dip into the NL, outside of the big boys like the Dodgers, Cubs, Giants, and Cardinals, it can sometimes be hard to keep track.

We chatted with Charlie Gebow from AZ Snake Pit, SB Nations Arizona Diamondbacks community, about what Tigers fans can look forward to, and whether the DBacks early success is going to be sustainable for a whole season.

BYB: Lets just get this right out of the way to start things off. Can we have Jake Lamb?

AZSP: No

Okay, but maybe?

No, no Jake Lamb to you go to heck do not pass purgatory do not collect salvation.

Fine, lets move on to the real questions. Archie Bradley, do you see him as a long term bullpen arm, or do you think the aim is to move in into a starters role?

Its tough. With this Being a contender thing going on, the bullpen needs all the help it can get, as Bradley is one of the few pieces that anybody is comfortable with at the moment. There have been rumblings of turning him into an Andrew Miller-like fireman/long term stopper, which he has good stuff for. If this were morea rebuilding project, and it may well be in the long-term, then I would be more comfortable throwing Bradley back in the rotation, because life is an ceaseless ball of entropy that we cant escape.

I dont think anyone expected the Diamondbacks to have this kind of a start to their year. Do you see it as being sustainable throughout the season, and what exactly is working so well for the team?

Well, theyre hitting the lights out at home and the pitching has improved enough. Is that sustainable? Maybe? Its hard to tell. The offense is not hitting at all on the road, and that includes a recent series at Coors of all places. I saw a tweet that summarized it well: The Diamondbacks hitting well at home or hitting poorly on the road is due for regression, whichever one hits first and hardest will be the key to the season.

The pitching is regressing in the good way, though. Even without Shelby Miller there are four starters who are legitimately intriguing. One of which is Robbie Ray, who you will see in this upcoming series. Not sure why I would single out Robbie Ray to a Tigers website, but hes been up and down, but his strikeout rate has been phenomenal and he has some Ace potential. Again, not sure why I would bring him up.

Zack Grienke hasnt exactly been a superb starter for you guys since he came over from LA. Do you think thats a natural decline with age, or is their something specific hampering him?

#actually Zack Greinke is good now (at least so far into 2017), the key seems to be that hes getting a lot better movement on his slider, resulting in more strikeouts and other fun stuff. Hes probably not going to perform in a way that justifies a 35 MM+ salary a year, but thats just him taking advantage of the market and its not like ownership would use that money on something more useful.

Paul Goldschmidt has been quietly building a superb career with you guys. Is he really as good as everyone thinks he is, or is it more that hes the best player in a club where not many other players stand out?

He is definitely the best hitting Right-Handed First Baseman in Major League Baseball.

(Pause for trolling)

But seriously, he legitimately has been one of the best hitters in the league throughout his career. Hes 12th in fWAR overall since he debuted in 2011. Hes one of the best defensive 1Bs in the league, and gosh hes just handsome.

best player in a club where not many other players stand out how dare you.

In the AL Central, the Diamondbacks are one of those teams we rarely see, so we dont often think about them. Does that go both ways? Do Arizona fans often forget the Tigers exist?

I dont forget the Tigers exist because of work-related slack channels and the ratio of Tigers writers to others (cough). But I think the Tigers are a team that has contended for the most part over the last decade, so theyre in the larger Baseball zeitgeist.

Which of the Tigers do you think will pose the biggest challenge for the DBacks?

Miguel Cabrera will always be the stuff of nightmares. Theres still some hurt feelings over Justin Upton that havent quite healed, and theres always a fear that your past exes will walk by and youre like Daaaang, youre looking good and ex is like No, youre a scrub now, later!

(See, in this metaphor, Justin Upton is the ex)

However, we can exchange horror stories about the back end of our respective bullpens. Especially with closers with the initials of F.R.

Lets circle back to that Jake Lamb thing

Well let him go for Cabrera, Verlander, and 1984 Whittaker and Trammell. But theres no such thing as a time machine NOT WITH THAT ATTITUDE THERE ISNT!

Thanks to Charlie for taking the time to chat with us, even if he is inflexible about Lamb. The Tigers play two games against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then will meet the Arizona team again on June 13 and 14 in Detroit.

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Behind Enemy Lines: Talking surprise division leads and forgotten teams with AZ Snake Pit - Bless You Boys (blog)

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