Monthly Archives: June 2017

Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor expected to smash gambling records as punters prepare to stake 40MILLION – Mirror.co.uk

Posted: June 15, 2017 at 7:48 am

Punters are expected to stake an incredible 40million on the outcome of Floyd Mayweather's mega-fight with Conor McGregor .

The two biggest egos in combat sport will clash in Las Vegas on August 26.

And bookmakers expect wagers to smash the previous record set when Mayweather outpointed Manny Pacquiao two years ago.

A spokesman for Ladbrokes said: "The 20m we took as an industry in the buildup to the Anthony Joshua v Klitschko fight came dangerously close to smashing records.

"But we're forecasting double the amount of that figure to be staked by the time these two blockbuster names come to blows."

Mayweather is the long odds-on favourite at 1/12 with McGregor priced at 6/1.

And another bookmaker has already seen 135,000 staked since the fight was officially announced last night.

A Betfair spokesperson said: "Mayweather is widely considered the best boxer of his generation, while McGregor is the UFCs biggest star, so its no surprise this could be one of the richest fights in history.

"And judging by the fact weve seen more than 100k bet on the fight in just 12 hours, we expect this to become the biggest boxing event of all time on Betfair Exchange."

poll loading

McGregor Mayweather

See the rest here:

Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor expected to smash gambling records as punters prepare to stake 40MILLION - Mirror.co.uk

Posted in Gambling | Comments Off on Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor expected to smash gambling records as punters prepare to stake 40MILLION – Mirror.co.uk

County hears support for euthanasia of feral cats – Moscow-Pullman Daily News

Posted: at 7:48 am

A Potlatch woman told the Latah County Commissioners on Wednesday the county has a feral cat problem, and euthanasia might be the most safe, cost-effective and humane solution.

Khaliela Wright asked that the commissioners spend the $20,000 the county provides annually to the Humane Society of the Palouse more effectively.

In a letter, Wright wrote that the county's $20,000 could spay and release 50 feral cats annually whereas the same $20,000 could euthanize 400 animals.

"To me it would make sense to use the money that you do have as efficiently as possible and that would be taking money out of the hands of the Humane Society and making it available for people who want to get rid of feral cats," she wrote.

She said Wednesday that residents could choose to spay or neuter and return the feral cats to their outdoor homes or euthanize them.

Wright said much of the research she has done proves the Trap-Neuter-Return program is very ineffective and often the most expensive option available.

She said people do not want feral cats returned to their homes after they are spayed or neutered so the program is ineffective.

"It's an ongoing problem, and it needs to be dealt with, and it needs to be looked at," Commissioner Dave McGraw said.

The TNR program also recommends vaccinating the cats but those vaccinations wear off, Wright said. She said residents would have to trap the cats annually, which is not something people want to do.

Feral cats sometimes die painfully from vehicles or other animals rather than being euthanized humanely, she said.

Plus, she said, they continue to reproduce.

Wright said she cared for four feral cats last year that she tried to give to the shelter. Now she has 10, which she said the Humane Society of the Palouse will not take because they are feral, and one of them is pregnant again.

She said it would cost her $1,000 to spay and neuter the 10 feral cats.

"As far as I'm concerned - and a lot of other people, euthanasia really is the compassionate option," Wright said.

She said People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Humane Society of the United States recommend euthanasia for feral cats.

Feral cats produce health risks. Some of the infections Wright mentioned to the commissioners can be transmitted to humans while others can spread to pets.

McGraw said he and the other commissioners will look into solutions to the feral cat issue and welcomes input from the public.

Commissioner Tom Lamar said they should communicate with all the Latah County towns to better address the problem.

See more here:

County hears support for euthanasia of feral cats - Moscow-Pullman Daily News

Posted in Euthanasia | Comments Off on County hears support for euthanasia of feral cats – Moscow-Pullman Daily News

Whose death is it anyway? Why I support the euthanasia debate – Stuff.co.nz

Posted: at 7:48 am

READER REPORT:

ANDREA LANE

Last updated13:03, June 15 2017

123RF

Many of those who would seek assisted suicide are not physically capable of taking their own life.

There are few topics as popular, and yet divisive, aseuthanasia. Both sides raise compelling arguments, and those arguments are numerous.

Clearly the issue requires detailed consideration and that, if nothing else, makes it unfortunate that David Seymours End of Life Choice Bill has been drawn in an election year. Euthanasia campaigner Matt Vickers noted that it would have been better if the issue could have been debated before the election year.

The best-case scenario is that it becomes a major election issue; the worst, it is dismissed quickly and quietly to allow politicians to get on with the important business of campaigning. But we should not be content to let this opportunity slip away.

Suicide itself has not been a crime in New Zealand since 1893, and attempted suicide was struck off the statute books in 1961. There is no legal barrier to a person taking his or her own life. The current prohibition on assisted suicide is also at odds with our otherwise patient-centred health system.

READ MORE: * Euthanasia an election time-bomb * Euthanasia advocate's advice to NZ * Health staff support assisted dying * Euthanasia a 'good death'

End of life care for the terminally ill or those with irremediable illnesses is dictated by law, regardless of what is in the best interests of the patient. This is the one area of medical care in which the patients views cannot be considered and taken into account in determining a course of action.

Rather than law, then, the barrier is one of ability. Many of thosewho would seek assisted suicide are not physically capable of taking their own life. Even where a person is capable of taking action themselves, I would argue it is barbaric to leave them with the choice between a potentially long and undignified exit from this world or violent options to take their own life.

As Lecretia Seales said in her affidavit to the Supreme Court, [as]my death has become more inevitable, I constantly worry that it could be slow, unpleasant, painful and undignified. I worry that I will be forced to experience a death that is in no way consistent with the person that I am and the way that I have lived my life.

And that is the crux of the issue for pro-euthanasia campaigners dignity.

SUPPLIED

Lecretia Seales died from cancer, shortly after hearing that a bid to allow her doctor to help her die had failed.

The most commonly cited argument for rejecting any form of assisted suicide is that it is not possible to balance the right to dignity with the vulnerability of those potentially eligible. There is a fear that the disabled, chronically ill or elderly might feel obligated to relieve their families (and society) of the burden they are perceived to have become.

Alternatively, if patients are unable to make the decision for themselves, their lives could be ended too early under the guise of "best interests". These arguments have been used in high profile courts cases in the UK to rule against assisted suicide.

But such fears have been shown to be unfounded. Six states in the United States and four European countries have some form of assisted suicide and the ceiling has not caved in. Research looking at the state of Oregon, the first place in the world to allow assisted suicide and where it has been lawful since 1997, found no evidence of vulnerable peoplebeing abused as a result of the law.

MONIQUE FORD / FAIRFAX NZ

Only Parliament can deal with the issue of assisted suicide, but we should be as involved as possible.

Concerns specific to David Seymours bill centre around whether it is too vague to provide sufficiently robust protection of those vulnerable people, but I disagree.

In addition to requiring up to three different doctors to assess the person and their request, thebill provides for the appointment of a registrar to monitor compliance with the provisions and co-sign the prescription for the life-ending medication.

Finally, thebill would require the patient themselves to confirm their wish to die immediately prior to the medication being administered. I find it difficult to conceive of a way to make the safeguards any more robust without making the hurdles too high for thebill to be a realistic option for our terminally or irremediably ill.

Further, the comprehensive requirements for reporting compliance with the safeguards and the resulting death mean records would be clear and transparent. The fact that these reports must be reviewed by a committee comprised of two doctors and a medial ethicist would allow for constant monitoring to ensure there is no abuse of the system.

One important way in which thebill could be improved is in its definitions. Although it is not defined, "terminal illness"is sufficiently defined by the likelihood of it causing death within six months. The concept of an "irremediable disease"is more nebulous. Labour MP Carmel Sepuloni went so far as to suggest acne could be considered an irremediable disease for the purposes of thebill.

READ MORE: * Euthanasia in NZ liable to abuse * Why can't I have the option of assisted dying? * Their life, their death, their decision * Fundraising for defence

While common sense would say no doctor is going to certify that acne is sufficient cause for assisted suicide, the general issue of requiring watertight definitions is not unreasonable. Extending the definition section to at least include "irremediable"can only strengthen thebill.

My main concerns relate to the expectations placed on doctors. The mandatory requirements are onerous and time-consuming.

In addition to the expected requirements to explain the patients condition and their options, doctors are required to encourage their patients to discuss the option with their loved ones and/or a counsellor. They mustprovide the opportunity for the patient to do so while simultaneously ensuring the patient understands that they do not need to discuss the situation with anyone if they do not want to.

The burden of ensuring the patients decision is free from influence also falls on the doctor. It is these aspects that I see as the undoing of the Bill.

In a health system that is already stretched to breaking point, most doctors would tell youthatas much as they would like to take the time required to guide a patient through this process, their workloads probably would notallow for it.

That, combined with the responsibility for ensuring the decision has not been made under pressure from others (something that is potentially subjective and difficult to evaluate), may lead many doctors to opt out under the conscientious objection clauses.

If our doctors do not feel that they can give effect to thebill without jeopardising themselves or their career they are far less likely to be comfortable with the process.

The bottom line is that only Parliament can deal with the issue of assisted suicide, but we should be as involved as possible.

The New Zealand Supreme Court, in the Lecretia Seales case, found that any declaration on the topic would have the effect of changing the law, therefore "trespassing on the role of Parliament". This is the perfect example of how important it is for everyday New Zealanders to be involved in our democratic processes.

At the end of the day, it is those we have elected to Parliament who will make these important decisions on our behalf. I sincerely hope the End of Life Choice Bill progresses to select committee stage and strongly encourage everyone to contribute to the discussion and leave Parliament in no doubt as to where the public stands.

-Stuff Nation

View all contributions

Read the original post:

Whose death is it anyway? Why I support the euthanasia debate - Stuff.co.nz

Posted in Euthanasia | Comments Off on Whose death is it anyway? Why I support the euthanasia debate – Stuff.co.nz

Sporting clubs devastated by senseless vandalism – Coffs Coast Advocate

Posted: at 7:47 am

SENSELESS vandalism of Richardson Park in Sawtell has left local sports clubs reeling and the council counting the cost of repairing the playing fields.

Over the long weekend, vandals forced their way into the ground and then used a vehicle to totally destroy the playing surface.

"We are very angry and upset at the repeated destruction and vandalism to the playing surface at Richardson Park over the long weekend," Alex Pearson, President Sawtell/Toormina AFL said.

"We are somewhat fortunate that we have an away game this weekend. Howeverthe damage to the playing surface affects our home games in the following weeks and will most definitely affect our ability to train.

"These actions by reckless individuals show a lack of respect, not only to the Sawtell/ Toormina AFL club, but to all Sawtell sporting groups that use Richardson Park and the local community that use the ground for recreational activities."

Rod Buckle, President of Sawtell Cricket Club, said his members were also very disappointed.

"The fact they had to take the effort to remove a fence to do it and then to come back and do it again makes it even less understandable. I am sure these people would know someone they have affected in either the cricket club or the local AFL club," Mr Buckle said.

"The fact they are old enough to hold a licence and still have the lack of judgement to think this would be a good idea in a small community beggar's belief.

"They seem to think these are victimless crimes, but they effect more than just the clubs. It affects the community, the players, the supporters, the sponsors and all the volunteers that put time into making what are great local clubs."

Council is urging any residents who witnessed the damage to the Park to report it to Police.

"What people don't realise is that this sort of reckless behaviour causes more than just damage to the grass," the council's Section Leader for Stadium and Major Events Daniel Heather said.

"The fields at Richardson Park now require significant remediation work, which is ultimately paid for by the community. It takes resources off other community projects and, most significantly, the damage leaves local sports and other users - including local schools - without grounds."

Vandalism across the Coffs Coast, particularly at public sport facilities, is a problem and Council is grateful for the support of the local Police command in helping tackle and deal with this behaviour.

Anyone that witnesses vandalism should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, Coffs Harbour Police Station on 02 6652 0299 or 131 444 (after hours).

Continue reading here:

Sporting clubs devastated by senseless vandalism - Coffs Coast Advocate

Posted in Victimless Crimes | Comments Off on Sporting clubs devastated by senseless vandalism – Coffs Coast Advocate

Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Crash That Killed Chehalis Motorcyclist – Centralia Chronicle

Posted: at 7:47 am

A Castle Rock man was sentenced to spend the next three years of his life in prison Wednesday for leaving the scene of an Interstate 5 collision that killed a Chehalis motorcyclist in April.

Had David L. Huisenga, 44, stayed at the scene, rather than leaving and attempting to cover up his involvement by setting fire to his truck, he likely wouldnt have even received a traffic citation, Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer said.

To me that is just telling, Meyer said. The defendant made a stupid decision.

Huisenga pleaded guilty in separate hearings Wednesday in Lewis County Superior Court for hit and run with a death and second-degree arson.

Meyers office and Huisengas attorney, Don Blair, jointly recommended a sentence of 31 months, the low end of the standard sentencing range given Huisengas limited criminal history.

After hearing arguments from both attorneys and input from the motorcyclists family, Superior Court Judge Andrew Toynbee imposed a sentence of 36 months.

This isnt just a regular hit and run involving a death, Toynbee said. I do this in part because Mr. Huisenga didnt just leave the scene. He did more than that; he tried to cover his tracks.

In a separate hearing immediately following the first, Superior Court Judge Joely ORourke imposed a sentence of 12 months in prison for the arson charge, to run concurrently with the longer sentence.

Meyer said he split the crimes into separate case numbers because he viewed the hit and run and arson as separate crimes.

The Washington State Patrol received a report just after 5 a.m. April 25 of a crash involving multiple vehicles at milepost 80 of northbound Interstate 5 in Centralia.

According to a report from the State Patrol, Michael T. Fields, 57, of Chehalis, was driving northbound when his motorcycle crashed and slid across a freeway lane into the shoulder. He was ejected and hit by a 2018 Freightliner semi truck killing him at the scene.

Several friends and family members spoke Wednesday at Huisengas sentencing hearing.

I was one of Mikes work family, said David Roose. I cannot tell you what a loss this is.

Tami Hodgins, longtime partner of Fields, described him as a kind and generous man.

Mostly my heart is broken, she said. Physically I have a hard time getting things done. Other times I just feel plain angry he was taken from me.

The State Patrol learned that a red 2001 Chevrolet Silverado truck registered to Huisenga was in some way involved in the crash after finding a license plate at the scene. Detectives asked members of the public to come forward with any information they might have about the crash.

Meyer told The Chronicle Wednesday Fields motorcycle actually hit Huisengas truck. After his arrest, Huisenga reported he was changing lanes at the time the vehicles collided, after seeing the motorcycle coming up behind him.

Meanwhile, at about 9:15 a.m. that morning, a Washington State Department of Transportation worker saw smoke coming from an area near Exit 63 of I-5 south of Chehalis.

Fire crews responded and found a vehicle on fire. While the vehicle was destroyed, crews found a license plate matching the one left at the scene of the crash, identifying it as Huisengas truck.

Fire investigators determined the truck was intentionally set on fire, according to court documents.

That afternoon, Huisenga walked into the Castle Rock Police Department to report his truck stolen. He later admitted to setting fire to it after the collision, then walking south to Castle Rock.

Toynbee and both attorneys noted that, according to state law, hit and run, even when involving a fatality, is not considered a crime against a person. Huisenga pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of the crash, not causing the other mans death.

These cases are never easy to address and this partIcular crime has been troubling to those of us who have been on the prosecution side, Toynbee said. The crime is leaving the scene.

Meyer said he plans to work to change the law classifying hit and run as a victimless crime.

See the article here:

Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Crash That Killed Chehalis Motorcyclist - Centralia Chronicle

Posted in Victimless Crimes | Comments Off on Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Crash That Killed Chehalis Motorcyclist – Centralia Chronicle

Anthem Essay Contest Ayn Rand Education

Posted: at 7:47 am

All fields are required except where indicated. Your Information Address City Country State/Prov Zip/Postal code United States Canada Afghanistan land Islands Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua And Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia And Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, The Democratic Republic Of The Cook Islands Costa Rica Cte D'Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island And Mcdonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran, Islamic Republic Of Iraq Ireland Isle Of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, Democratic People's Republic Of Korea, Republic Of Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic Of Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia, Federated States Of Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Qatar Runion Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Saint Barthlemy Saint Helena Saint Kitts And Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre And Miquelon Saint Vincent And The Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome And Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard And Jan Mayen Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic Of Thailand Timor-leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad And Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks And Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Vatican City State Venezuela Viet Nam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Wallis And Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Your Grade Level Major College Preference Graduate Degree (i.e. Graduate, Law, Med, etc.) Your Teacher and School Information Name of school Address City Country State/Prov Zip/Postal code United States Canada Afghanistan land Islands Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua And Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia And Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, The Democratic Republic Of The Cook Islands Costa Rica Cte D'Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island And Mcdonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran, Islamic Republic Of Iraq Ireland Isle Of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, Democratic People's Republic Of Korea, Republic Of Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic Of Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia, Federated States Of Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Qatar Runion Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Saint Barthlemy Saint Helena Saint Kitts And Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre And Miquelon Saint Vincent And The Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome And Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard And Jan Mayen Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic Of Thailand Timor-leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad And Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks And Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Vatican City State Venezuela Viet Nam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Wallis And Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Name of the teacher who assigned the essay (if applicable) Your Essay Please select the topic question your essay addresses Topic 1: Equality knows that his invention will benefit mankind greatly. Topic 2: Politically, Anthem depicts a completely collectivist society. Topic 3: To Prometheus the word "ego" is holy, but today one is usually

Equality knows that his invention will benefit mankind greatly. However, this was not his primary motivation in conducting his experiments, and it is not the primary source of the joy and the pride he experiences in his work. What is his primary motivation? Do you think that Equality is right to be motivated in this way? What do you think the world would be like if everyone were motivated in the same way?

Politically, Anthem depicts a completely collectivist society. What ideas do the rulers appeal to in order to justify their collectivist society? Do you see any similarities between these ideas and the ones that you hear around you today? In what way has your own thinking about such ideas changed as a result of reading and reflecting upon Anthem? Relate your answer to the speech, "The Soul of a Collectivist," made by a villain in a different Ayn Rand novel, The Fountainhead.

To Prometheus the word "ego" is holy, but today one is usually told that it is wrong to be an egoist. Is Prometheus an egoist? What does this mean? Is it something good or bad? Explain your answer by reference to specific events in Anthem, and to the speech, "The Soul of an Individualist," made by the hero of a different Ayn Rand novel, The Fountainhead.

Have you checked to ensure that all personally identifiable information has been removed from your essay?

Link:

Anthem Essay Contest Ayn Rand Education

Posted in Ayn Rand | Comments Off on Anthem Essay Contest Ayn Rand Education

Tech Talk: Israel’s Fortune 500 companies – The Jerusalem Post

Posted: at 7:47 am


The Jerusalem Post
Tech Talk: Israel's Fortune 500 companies
The Jerusalem Post
The award was developed, according to Boaz Arad, executive director of Ayn Rand Center Israel, in recognition of the entrepreneurial spirit which creates wealth that improves our lives, and we wanted to recognize and show appreciation to those people ...

See the rest here:

Tech Talk: Israel's Fortune 500 companies - The Jerusalem Post

Posted in Ayn Rand | Comments Off on Tech Talk: Israel’s Fortune 500 companies – The Jerusalem Post

PBS Is Airing Right-Wing-Sponsored School Privatization Propaganda – The National Memo (blog)

Posted: at 7:47 am

Reprinted with permission from MediaMatters. ByBRETT ROBERTSON

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and her department have pushed for an expansion of privatized school choice programs in the proposed budget for fiscal year 2018, particularly in the form of private school vouchers. Now a propagandistic three-part documentary series called School Inc.will help DeVos in her efforts to gain public support for expanded private school choice options. The series has alreadyaired on PBS stations insome markets and will be shown on more this month,

A majority of people across the partisan spectrum oppose private school vouchers, programs that redirect public education money to pay for private school tuition. Vouchers are problematic for many reasons, including their history of allowing for discrimination against LGBTQ, disabled, and special education students, their impact on reducing public education funding, and their ineffectiveness in boosting academic achievement.

Despite these problems, private school vouchers are a long-standing priority of the corporations and right-wing funders backing the education privatization movement. The late Andrew Coulson, long-time head of the Cato Institutes Center for Educational Freedom, was the driving force behind School Inc. The Cato Institute is a right-wing, libertarian think-tank that calls for the elimination of public schools in support of greater educational freedom to choose from a free market of privately run schools.

In addition to School Inc.s roots in the radical, libertarian Cato Institute, education historian and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education Diane Ravitch found that the film was funded by a number of arch-conservative foundations with ties to the dark money ATM DonorsTrust and the Ayn Rand Institute. Ravitch has prescreened School Inc. and provided this scathing review to The Washington Post:

This program is paid propaganda. It does not search for the truth. It does not present opposing points of view. It is an advertisement for the demolition of public education and for an unregulated free market in education. PBS might have aired a program that debates these issues, but School Inc. does not.

Why would a public broadcast channel air a documentary that is produced by a right-wing think tank and funded by ultra-conservative donors, and that presents a single point of view without meaningful critique, all the while denigrating public education? PBS responded in part with a statement to the Post, saying,PBS and local member stations aim to offer programs that reflect diverse viewpoints and promote civic dialogue on important topics affecting local communities.

However, as Ravitch notes, when a documentary fails to objectively present information about a topic that may not be well understood by the general public, the result is unlikely to promote civic dialogue. And when major media outlets uncritically provide a platform to right-wing ideologues, they further misinform and polarize the debate around important issues such as public education.

Go here to read the rest:

PBS Is Airing Right-Wing-Sponsored School Privatization Propaganda - The National Memo (blog)

Posted in Ayn Rand | Comments Off on PBS Is Airing Right-Wing-Sponsored School Privatization Propaganda – The National Memo (blog)

Shall we all hang separately? – Nevada Appeal

Posted: at 7:47 am

"We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately." Benjamin Franklin

There are two basic philosophies in this world: "We're all in this together" versus "Every man for himself." At various times, one or the other philosophy has prevailed.

One example of the first philosophy is Christianity. Early Christians sold their property, shared, and contributed to those in need. (Acts 2:44-45). Both Jesus and Paul used the image of the body to illustrate how Christians should work together. They knew f one suffered, they all suffered. (I Corinthians 12:15-27). Hoarding wealth and ignoring the needs of others is the exact opposite of what Christianity teaches. (Matthew 25:31-46).

The second philosophy is embodied by the teachings of Ayn Rand. Rand believed in what she called "enlightened self-interest," which is actually selfishness. She even wrote a book called "The Virtue of Selfishness." Several current Republican leaders have said they admire Rand's philosophy. They seem to believe that the ultimate goal of life is to gain wealth, and if others suffer, too bad.

Three recent LVN columns, written by local and state-wide conservatives, illustrate this "Me first" philosophy. The first column (Chuck Muth, 5/17/17) seemed to celebrate failure. The point of the column was not just that we should learn from our mistakes, with which I agree. Muth's point was that people should learn how to fail, like President Donald Trump, so they can become rich. To highlight this, Muth quoted Trump: "If 'A' students are considered the smartest people of all, why don't they all become extremely wealthy entrepreneurs?"

Becoming educated in order to help others nurses, teachers, social workers, etc. is pointless, according to Muth. The only goal of education is to learn how to become a wealthy entrepreneur. This illustrates one Republican value, that achieving individual wealth is more important than serving others.

The second column (Tom Riggins, 5/26/17) then belittled college graduates, explaining that they're not special, implying they somehow coasted through college and will now find out what "real" life is like. It seemed to imply that their achievements were meaningless unless they got some high-paying job as a result. Education for its own sake is useless.

From a young age, I wanted to go to college and knew my parents couldn't pay for it. I worked hard in school and earned a four-year, full tuition scholarship. Failure wasn't a beneficial goal. When I got to college, I worked part-time since I was responsible for my room and board, books, fees, and personal expenses. I also had to keep up my grades to maintain my scholarship.

I didn't have the luxury of knowing my parents would bail me out if I failed. I also never wanted to become a wealthy entrepreneur. So according to these columnists, I was a loser who hadn't learned about "real" life. I still felt pretty special when I got my degree.

I became a teacher and eventually was privileged to teach at the Douglas and Fallon campuses of Western Nevada College. My students worked hard in "real" life and in their classes. And if I had told them that to really learn a life experience, they should fail a few classes, they probably would have walked out on me.

The third column (Ron Knecht, 5/26/17) was an attack on unions. Unions were created by working people who realized there is strength in numbers. These people fought and died to gain such rights as the 8-hour workday, the 40-hour work week, workplace safety rules, paid sick leave, paid vacations, and other benefits workers take for granted today and many businesses would love to abolish. Conservatives like to pretend that workers would have achieved these rights individually, but that just isn't true.

Liberals believe we should work together. We should extend opportunities and a helping hand to those who need it, through private charities and government programs, so everyone can reach their full potential.

Conservatives pretend they're promoting rugged individualism but what they're really promoting is selfishness. In 2002, John Kenneth Galbraith summarized it this way: "The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness."

A week ago, we celebrated the 73rd anniversary of D-Day. If those troops had stayed isolated to protect themselves, D-Day would have failed. Now President Trump is isolating America by insulting our allies and cozying up to dictators. That doesn't make America great. It makes us alone and irrelevant.

Jeanette Strong, whose column appears every other week, is a Nevada Press Association award-winning columnist. She may be reached at news@lahontanvalleynews.com.

Go here to see the original:

Shall we all hang separately? - Nevada Appeal

Posted in Ayn Rand | Comments Off on Shall we all hang separately? – Nevada Appeal

We Don’t Need Uber – Motherboard

Posted: at 7:46 am

Uber is in turmoil. Soon after former Attorney General Eric Holder's investigation into the company's alleged culture of sexual harassment and misconduct was completed, CEO Travis Kalanick announced he is taking a leave of absence. During a meeting to discuss Holder's findings, board member David Bonderman made a sexist comment. He resigned Tuesday night. Meanwhile, the company was recently hailed for losing just $708 million in the first quarter of this year.

It's probably a good time to consider what Uberthe most valuable private company in the United Statesactually is, and what's happened to it. Uber was the rare startup that so quickly became ingrained in our culture that it's hard to remember a time without it. But Uber today also represents the worst of Silicon Valley, modern business, and capitalism: Its first mover status has conferred it a too-big-to-fail status that it doesn't deserve and that we no longer need.

Thankfully, we have a perfect case study that proves we don't need Uber. Just over a year ago, Uber (and Lyft) voluntarily left the city of Austin, Texas after the city had the audacity to ask the rideshare companies to require their drivers to submit to government background checks, which is what taxi companies in most cities have to do.

Austin did not immediately fall back into the clutches of evil taxi companies. Instead, the vacuum Uber and Lyft left was filled by local startups and nonprofits

The experiences of that city is instructive: Austin did not immediately fall back into the clutches of evil taxi companies. Instead, the vacuum Uber and Lyft left was filled by local startups and nonprofits such as Fasten, Ride Austin, Fare, Wingz, Arcade City, and the Austin Underground Rideshare Community. Getting a ride in Austin today isn't any different than it was before Uber and Lyft left town. Same drivers, same riders, same smartphones, same traffic.

Uber and Lyft continue to hemorrhage their funding in an existential game of chicken that pushes fares lower with subsidization from Silicon Valley's venture capitalistsa high stakes gamble that bets human drivers can be automated out of existence before VC pockets empty completely. Meanwhile, Austin's startups have realized that connecting driver to rider might be good enoughmost people just want to be able to hail a ride from the comfort of the bar while it's raining outside.

By design, Uber's trajectory has always been one designed to crush the competition and capture as much power and money as is possible without consideration for its social costs. In Uber's early days, Kalanick subscribed to an Ayn Rand-ian Libertarian ideology, telling the Washington Post in 2012 that Washington DC's taxi and limo regulations were reminiscent of the regulatory mess depicted in Atlas Shrugged. Kalanick and his friends now say he's backed away from the "libertarian" label. A 2015 Fast Company profile noted that "the only ideology Kalanick subscribes to is contrarianism."

If your founding theory is more-or-less "the rules don't apply to us," it's little surprise that Uber has apparently paid little mind to established norms about workplace respect.

Uber long ago stopped being a company whose fundamental purpose was to connect local drivers with local passengersinstead, it has become a political powerhouse that ignores local and state regulations and lobbies their way out of trouble later. Rather than comply with local law in Austin, Uber and Lyft forced through state-level legislation that superseded Austin's local regulations and allowed the companies to return to the city.

"The people designing our technology are not our people"

Uber's decisionsthe self-driving car research, the ignore regulations now, lobby away the problems later tactics, the selling of rides below market value to drive out competitionall make sense as a capitalistic endeavor designed to maximize long-term profits. But for the average driver, rider, or city, Uber is not a good actor. Drivers just want to earn some extra pocket money, and riders just want to get home, ideally without the moral quandary that comes with supporting a company that is perennially wracked with controversy.

The good news is that many people are realizing there's no particular reason why we can't replace Uber with a systems that favor the human over the dollar. At the Left Forum in Manhattan earlier this month, a panel of people seeking to make technology work for people laid this out plainly.

"The people designing our technology are not our people," Samir Hazboun of the Highlander Research and Education Center, which studies social movements and educates activists, said at the forum. "They're against us."

"We need to control the technology, we need to own the internet, we need to design it for what our needs are"

Uber and Lyft may soon reign again in Austin, and Uber will likely survive its current turmoil. But the question we should all be asking ourselves is simple: Why? Why do we need Uber? Its technology was innovative several years ago, but much of the software has been open sourced or reverse-engineered now, and the most important partthe human driversUber never owned nor cared to employ. We use Uber because of pure inertia, because of its first mover status, because its app is slightly less clunky than its local competitors, because it has substantial political clout, because its rides are (temporarily) subsidized.

Uber started a revolution, but it need not be a lasting regime. All these years later, Uber is still essentially just an app. And not a particularly complex one.

"We need to control the technology, we need to own the internet, we need to design it for what our needs are," Alice Aguilar, of the Progressive Technology Project, said at the Left Forum. "They're telling us what they want and we're doing it. But we can use these tools in a way that's appropriate for us without it leading to the demise of our work and our communities."

More:

We Don't Need Uber - Motherboard

Posted in Atlas Shrugged | Comments Off on We Don’t Need Uber – Motherboard