#basically it's believed that the domestication of fire is what made the development of modern humans possible

[home-fire]

an archeological hymn to Hestia

Before foundations were laid below you or roof raised above you, you were;

Before stones were marked out to hold you, or chimney and fireplace covered you, you were;

Before the shelter of walls embraced you, center of the home as yet unbuilt, you were;

Within the unwitting spark of tinder, the fragile ember, within the first primordial fire, you were;

The telltale sign of human presence-- that which made man into mankind, noble Hestia, you were;

The light that lit our way, the warmth that preserved us, tool and weapon and giver of food, you were;

The ritual heart, the circle center, the primal stage of ancient tales, you were;

Tender, keeper, bonder of bonds, bringer of shelter, guider and guardian of the human race,

From our infancy, great Hestia, you were-- ever have been, ever will be-- and ever shall you be deserving of praise.

[randomfandomfiction]

An Introduction to Ereri

All your required reading in one place!

king of carrot flowers by unhappy_turtle (23k, Mature)

It's a Sunday. He's washing his favorite mug and trying not to pay too much attention to the funeral that's going on across the street.

---

(Levi lives across the street from a cemetery and Eren's father has recently passed away.)

Corp de Ballet by Dominura (26k, T+)

The Royal Stohess Ballet school is almost as esteemed and as world renowned as the Royal Stohess Ballet Company itself. It brings students in from far and wide with the hope that they too could join the ranks of the most elite dancers in the world.  Mikasa and Eren can hardly believe they’ve made it this far, the chance to be able to dance in the company of their dreams fills them with hope. Along the way they meet new people, make new friends, and enemies. However, they learn that you can never judge a book by its cover.

In my opinion this is one of the more underrated Ereri fics - I think it deserves a lot more love because I really really enjoyed it

Fireside by twisting_vine_x (37k, Explicit)

A/N: Essentially, the one in which Levi ditches his car and ends up half-frozen on Eren’s doorstep, and then falls harder for Eren in four days than he’s ever fallen for anyone in his life.

Basically, this story shall contain roaring fires, hot chocolate, a whole roster of adorable animals (cause Eren’s spending his reading week watching over Hanji’s farm in frozen Alberta, whereas Levi is an author who lives in Vancouver), a bunch of cuteness with Eren and Levi bonding over nerdy shit; and, essentially, Levi and Eren being trapped together for days, with both of them realizing just how compatible they are, and with both of them aware of the fact that they're from different worlds and live entire provinces apart.

- - -

 Levi’s known this kid for maybe four hours. There’s no reason for him to feel this protective.

 The wind’s still howling outside, though, and Levi still can’t feel his toes.

 Eren may well have saved his life, by opening his door.

 Maybe Levi’s allowed to feel a bit protective in return.

Art Of War by catsonfire (52k, Explicit)

Noisy neighbors, nursling dinosaurs, satanic box cutters, shitty convenience store management, the word 'fuck', hereditary (but not really) homosexuality, beer and ramen, pennies, truckstops, strippers, closets, semi-public defacing, rings, house parties, "recreational" drug use, accidental rendezvous, toxic stew (don't eat the stew), nice abs, housewives--batteries not included, over-educational movie sessions, copious domesticity, kittens named after landlords, a shit joke at participating locations, and many, many happy endings. A modern AU in which Eren moves into the apartment directly above Levi's.

Hands Clean by Ashke (55k, Mature)

Eren's your typical high school student, despite his anger management problems. One day, he has to visit the nurse's office to only discover that the usual nurse has been replaced by a man with steel gray eyes and a mouth with no filter. Eren's interest is piqued.

A classic and must-read! Very well-known amongst fanfic readers

The Little Titan Café by pocketsizedtitan (65k, T+)

Just another cliche AU in which Eren works as a barista in his mother’s café, specializing in latte art. And then there’s Levi, who’s not exactly your typical patron, because, well, he’s blunt and rude (which Eren supposes isn’t that much different from regular customers) but mostly he just confuses Eren’s poor little homosexual heart.

I have always loved this fic! It’s one I regularly reread, just because I love the slow burn and development of the relationship between these two. This one is also pretty much a fandom staple and very well-loved

half light by foreverautumn (66k, Not Rated)

He wouldn't say that they're friends, really. They're not quite just acquaintances either; the more he thinks about it, Eren's not sure how to describe their relationship. They sort of... tolerate each other, in different ways.

But yeah, the more he thinks about it (and he does think about it quite often), Eren thinks that he'd like for them to be friends.

(AU where Eren tries to figure out what you do when friendly feelings turn into something more.)

Love.exe by anonymous (69k, Not Rated)

All Levi wants to do is drink tea, run his goddamn convenience store, and not have to deal with this kid who keeps coming in to leech his wifi bringing down high-end corporations.

Please note you need an ao3 account to read this ^

Holding Hands In The Rain by twisting_vine_x (106k, Explicit)

A/N: Basically the one with thousands of words of Eren and Levi crushing like crazy on each other, and being absolutely freaking ridiculous together, and slowly falling in love against the backdrop of modern-day Vancouver.

- - -

Levi only realizes how much he’s not paying attention to anything around him when there are shoes beside the puddle he’s drawing. Looks up to find Eren standing right there in the rain, the hood on his jacket pulled back, and his hair plastered down against his head. He’s just standing there, and – he’s watching Levi with an expression that looks so fond it actually hurts; and Levi’s just managed to get his breath back and open his mouth when Eren moves closer, and Levi loses his air all over again.

Chasing Summer by Dressed_in_Darkness (115k, Explicit)

Two more weeks left before Levi Ackerman graduates from high school and leaves the small town of Shiganshina. He can't wait for the moment that he can finally put that dreadful town behind him. But when a Grisha Jaeger becomes the new family doctor, bringing along his ill son that breathes new life into the town he desperately wants to escape, will Levi find a reason to stay?

I normally reeeeally dislike first-person written fics (I just find them super difficult to get into and generally won’t read them) but this is an exception! Honestly I can’t even explain how big a deal that is for me

An Unlikely Alliance by Monsoon (117k, Explicit)

When Scouting Legions main trading partner, Wall Maria, is experiencing economic strain from constant attacks by the neighboring kingdom Titan, the leaders of the two nations come to an agreement: Scouting Legion will provide military protection in exchange for land and financial aid for the still growing nation.

Their new alliance will be sealed with the union of King Jaegar's son Eren to the Scouting legions strongest soldier, Lance Corporal Levi. But how will the cold, impassive soldier warm to his new husband, who is far from the weak, spoiled princess he was expecting?

1994 by Vee (124k, Explicit)

Before cell phones. Before the Kardashians. Before internet porn. The year is 1994. Eren, Mikasa, and Armin, poor kids from the wrong side of the tracks, have been transferred with the rest of their neighborhood to the posh, uptown Trost High (Home of the Titans). Mikasa and Armin seem to fit in well enough, but Eren isn't quite so lucky. Of course, most of this has to do with Eren's personality. When he accepts a bet to lose his virginity (and actually prove that someone likes him) by the end of the semester, it's hard for him to deny the improbability of winning. After all, the only one he seems to be talking to these days is the weirdly pretty (and just plain weird) goth working at the donut shop down the street...

An absolute classic and must-read! Much loved and well-known, this is definitely a fandom staple

The Strange and the Usual by lalazee (126k, Explicit)

When Eren finds himself stuck in what is essentially a halfway house for supernaturally inclined misfits, there's no stopping the veritable shopping list of events that leave him pushed closer and closer to ex-exorcist, Levi. But when is it ever that simple?

I. LOVE. THIS. I have recced ^ before and I will continue to do so for a very long time!! This is my absolute favourite Ereri fic. It has been years since I read this for the first time and I have never forgotten it. Please read and support the author!!

Click on my Heart by CocoaChoux (140k, T+)

Levi is a well-known, full-time let’s player on YouTube who just so happens to take care of his deceased relative’s child. Content with his punk/gamer life, he did not expect to one day click on a video of fellow YouTuber, QueenPastelEren. He especially did not expect to be so smitten within the first few seconds of watching the pastel goddess with green and gold eyes.

This was one of my first Ereri fics and I’ve never forgotten it. Eren is lovely, Levi is adorable, they are so cute together, and the way the author expresses body dysphoria here is really excellent to read and understand.

Haute Couture Love by SailorHeichou (163k, Mature)

Eren Jaeger is sharp, determined and hard working but doesn't consider himself beautiful or good looking in the least. When he lands his dream job, working at Survey Corp Publications as the Executive Assistant to a high-end Fashion magazine's Editor-in-Chief, his life is turned Topsy-Turvy. All he wants to do is work hard to become an Editor, but his boss Levi seems keen on making his life a living hell.

Levi is a notorious playboy who gets what he wants both in and out of the bedroom. As Editer-in-Chief of New York's best selling high-end Fashion Magazine, Levi is forced to work with an overly determined, hot-headed brat with a rat's nest for hair and the most incredible eyes he's ever seen and it's all because of Erwin Smith.

Another fic that makes me put aside my dislike of first-person narration!! I love sassy Levi!!

[tlatollotl]

There's no other way to put it: Maria de los Angeles Tun Burgos is a supermom.

She's raising five children, does housework and chores — we're talking about fresh tortillas every day made from stone-ground corn — and she helps with the family's business in their small village about 2 1/2 hours west of Cancun on the Yucatan.

Sitting on a rainbow-colored hammock inside her home, Burgos, 41, is cool as a cucumber. It's morning, after breakfast. Her youngest daughter, 4-year-old Alexa, sits on her knee, clearly trying to get her attention by hitting a teddy bear on her mom's leg. The middle daughter, 9-year-old Gelmy, is running around with neighborhood kids — climbing trees, chasing chickens — and her oldest daughter, 12-year-old Angela, has just woken up and started doing the dishes, without being asked. The older kids aren't in school because it's spring break.

Burgos is constantly on parental duty. She often tosses off little warnings about safety: "Watch out for the fire" or "Don't play around the construction area." But her tone is calm. Her body is relaxed. There's no sense of urgency or anxiety.

In return, the children offer minimal resistance to their mother's advice. There's little whining, little crying and basically no yelling or bickering.

In general, Burgos makes the whole parenting thing look — dare, I say it — easy. So I ask her: "Do you think that being a mom is stressful?"

Burgos looks at me as if I'm from Mars. "Stressful? What do you mean by stressful?" she responds through a Mayan translator.

A five-minute conversation ensues between Burgos and the translator, trying to convey the idea of "stressful." There doesn't seem to be a straight-up Mayan term, at least not pertaining to motherhood.

But finally, after much debate, the translator seems to have found a way to explain what I mean, and Burgos answers.

"There are times that I worry about my children, like when my son was 12 and only wanted to be with his friends and not study," Burgos says. "I was worried about his future." But once she guided him back on track, the worry went away.

In general, she shows no sense of chronic worry or stress.

"I know that raising kids is slow," she says. "Little by little they will learn."

Breast, formula or goat?

Burgos learned how to be a mom by watching — and helping — her own mom, her aunts and her neighbors raise many children. Throughout her childhood, she was training to be a mom.

Here in the U.S., many parents don't have this firsthand experience before having children themselves. Instead, we often learn about burping, potty training and tantrum control through parenting books, Google searches and YouTube videos. But this information comes with two big caveats, which aren't always divulged.

For starters, parenting advice can give the impression that the recommendations are based on science. But a deep look at some studies reveals that the science is more like smoke and mirrors. Sometimes the studies don't even test what the parenting expert is purporting they do.

Take for instance a study often cited as evidence that the "cry-it-out" method of sleep training is effective. The method claims that if babies are left to cry themselves to sleep, eventually they will learn to fall asleep on their own without crying, and sleep through the night.

But what the study actually tests is a gentler regime, in which babies were left to cry for only a short amount of time before being comforted. And the parents were supported by a hefty amount of personalized counseling on their babies' sleep and eating habits. The babies who made progress also did not retain the ability to put themselves to sleep and stay asleep over the long term.

As psychologist Ben Bradley argues in his book Vision of Infancy, a Critical Introduction to Psychology: "Scientific observations about babies are more like mirrors which reflect back the preoccupations and visions of those who study them than like windows opening directly on the foundations of the mind."

And sometimes the data supporting the recommendation are so flimsy that another study in a few years will come along and not only overturn the first study but completely flip the advice 180 degrees.

This is exactly what happened last year with peanuts. Back in 2000, the American Academy of Pediatrics advised parents not to give babies peanut butter because one study suggested early exposure would increase the risk of developing an allergy. But last year, the medical community made a complete about-face on the advice and now says "Let them eat peanuts!" Early peanut exposure actually prevents allergies, follow up studies have found.

So if science isn't the secret sauce to parenting books, what is? To answer that, we have to go back in time.

In the early 1980s, the British writer Christina Hardyment began reviewing more than 650 parenting books and manuals, dating all the way back to the mid-1700s when advice publications started appearing in hospitals. The result is an illuminating book, called Dream Babies, which traces the history of parenting advice from 17th-century English physician and philosopher John Locke to the modern-day medical couple Bill and Martha Sears.

The conclusions from the book are as clear as your baby's tears: Advice in parenting books is typically based not on rigorous scientific studies as is at times claimed but on the opinions and experiences of the authors and on theories from past parenting manuals — sometimes as long as the 18th century.

Then there's the matter of consistency — or lack thereof. Since the late 1700s, "experts" have flip-flopped recommendations over and over, from advising strict routines and discipline to a more permissive, laissez-faire approach and back again.

"While babies and parents remain constants, advice on the former to the latter veers with the winds of social, philosophical and psychological change," Hardyment writes. "There is no such thing as a generally applicable blueprint for perfect parenting."

Take, for instance, the idea that babies need to feed on a particular schedule. According to Hardyment's research, that advice first appears in a London hospital pamphlet in 1748. Sleep schedules for babies start coming into fashion in the early 1900s. And sleep training? That idea was proposed by a British surgeon-turned-sports writer in 1873. If babies "are left to go to sleep in their cots, and allowed to find out that they do not get their way by crying, they at once become reconciled, and after a short time will go to bed even more readily in the cot than on the lap," John Henry Walsh wrote in his Manual of Domestic Economy.

Even the heated debate about breastfeeding has been simmering, and flaring up, for at least 250 years, Hardyment shows. In the 18th century, mothers didn't have high-tech formula but had many recommendations about what was best for the baby and the family. Should a mother send the baby off to a wet nurse's home, so her husband won't be offended by the sight of a baby suckling? And if the family couldn't afford a wet nurse, there was specially treated cow's milk available or even better, the baby could be nursed by a goat, 18th-century parenting books advised. (If you're wondering how moms accomplished such a feat, Hardyment includes an 18th-century drawing of a young mom pushing a swaddled newborn underneath a goat's udder.)

Goat udders aside, perhaps the bigger issue with parenting books and advice on the Web is what they aren't telling you. And boy, is there a large hole.

These sources ignore most of the world and come almost entirely from the experience of Western culture. But when it comes to understanding what a baby needs, how kids work and what to do when your toddler is lying on the sidewalk (just asking for a friend), Western society might not be the best place to focus.

"WEIRD," stressed-out parents equal anxious kids?

In 2010, three scientists at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, rocked the psychology world.

They published a 23-page paper titled "The weirdest people in the world?" And in it, uncovered a major limitation with many psychological studies, especially those claiming to address questions of "human nature."

First, the team noted that the vast majority of studies in psychology, cognitive science and economics — about 96 percent — have been performed on people with European backgrounds. And yet, when scientists perform some of these experiments in other cultures the results often don't match up. Westerners stick out as outliers on the spectrum of behavior, while people from indigenous cultures tend to clump together, more in the middle.

Even in experiments that appear to test basic brain function, like visual perception, Westerners can act strangely. Take one of the most famous optical illusions — the Muller-Lyer illusion, from 1889.

The Müller-Lyer illusion, devised in 1889.

Americans often believe the second line is about 20 percent longer than the first, even though the two lines are exactly the same length. But when scientists gave the test to 14 indigenous cultures, none of them were tricked to the same degree as Westerners. Some cultures, such as the San foragers in southern Africa's Kalahari desert, knew the two lines were equal length.

The conclusion from these analyses was startling: People from Western society, "including young children, are among the least representative populations one could find for generalizing about humans," Joseph Heinrich and his colleagues wrote. The researchers even came up with a catchy acronym to describe the phenomenon. They called our culture WEIRD, for Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic societies.

With that paper, the ethnocentric view of psychology cracked. It wasn't so much that the emperor of psychology had no clothes. It was more that he was dancing around in Western garb pretending to represent all humanity.

A few years later, an anthropologist from Utah State University, David Lancy, performed a similar analysis on parenting. The conclusion was just as clear-cut: When you look around the world and throughout human history, the Western style of parenting is WEIRD. We are outliers.

In many instances, what we think is "necessary" or "critical" for childhood is actually not present in any other cultures around the world or throughout time.

"The list of differences is really, really long," says David Lancy, who summarizes them in the second edition of his landmark book The Anthropology of Childhood: Cherubs, Chattel, Changelings. "There may be 40 to 50 things that we do that you don't see in indigenous cultures."

Perhaps most striking is how Western society segregates children from adults. We have created two worlds: the kid world and the adult world. And we go through great pains to keep them apart. Kids have their own special foods, their own times to go to sleep, their own activities on the weekends. Kids go to school. Parents go to work. "Much of the adult culture ... is restricted [for kids]," Lancy writes. "Children are perceived as too young, uneducated, or burdensome to be readily admitted to the adult sphere."

But in many indigenous cultures, children are immersed in the adult world early on, and they acquire great skills from the experience. They learn to socialize, to do household chores, cook food and master a family's business, Lancy writes.

Western culture is also a relative newcomer to parenting. Hunter-gatherers and other indigenous cultures have had tens of thousands of years to hone their strategies, not to mention that the parent-child relationship actually evolved in these contexts.

Of course, just because a practice is ancient, "natural" or universal doesn't mean it's necessarily better, especially given that Western kids eventually have to live — and hopefully succeed — in a WEIRD society. But widening the parenting lens, even just a smidgen, has a practical purpose: It gives parents options.

"When you look at the whole world and see the diversity out there, parents can start to imagine other ways of doing things," says Suzanne Gaskins, a developmental psychologist at Northeastern Illinois University, who for 40 years has been studying how Maya moms in the Yucatan raise helpful kids.

"Some of the approaches families use in other cultures might fit an American child's needs better than the advice they are given in books or from the pediatricians," she adds.

Who's in charge?

So what kind of different philosophies are out there?

When I spent time with Maya families that Gaskins has studied, I saw a very different approach to control.

In Western culture, parenting is often about control.

"We think of obedience from a control angle. Somebody is in charge and the other one is doing what they are told because they have to," says Barbara Rogoff, a psychologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who has studied the Maya culture for 30 years.

Gelmy, one of the five kids in Maria de los Angeles Tun Burgosa's family, rakes the backyard of their home in Yucatan, Mexico.

And if you pay attention to the way parents interact with children in our society, the idea is blazingly obvious. We tend to boss them around. "Put your shoes on!" or "Eat your sandwich!"

"People think either the adult is in control or the child is in control," Rogoff says.

But what if there is another way to interact with kids that removes control from the equation, almost altogether?

That's exactly what the Mayas — and several other indigenous cultures — do. Instead of trying to control children, Rogoff says, parents aim to collaborate with them.

"It's kids and adults together accomplishing a common goal," Rogoff says. "It's not letting the kids do whatever they want. It's a matter of children — and parents — being willing to be guided."

In the Maya culture, even the littlest of children are treated with this respect. "It's collaborative from the get-go."

The idea is so strong that some Mayan languages don't even have a word for "control" when talking about children, Rogoff says.

After visiting the Maya village this spring, I've been trying this approach with my 2 1/2-year-old daughter. For instance, I often struggle to get Rosemary to put her clothes on the morning. In the past, I would nag and yell: "Put your shoes on! Get your jacket!"

But now I try a more collaborative approach. "Rosemary, mom, dad and Mango [our dog] are all going to the beach," I explain. "If you want to go to the beach, you have to put your shoes on. Do you want to go to the beach?" So far it's working.

And if Rosemary says she doesn't want to go to the beach? What would a Maya mom do? She would drop her off at an aunt's or neighbor's house and spend an afternoon without her. Because Maya families also have a different idea about who is supposed to care for the kids. One way to think of it: They don't keep mom in a box.

Get mom out of the box

In our culture there's a lingering belief that the ideal family structure for kids is a stay-at-home mom who devotes her full attention to the kids. That may sound like a relic from the past. But even just 10 years ago, 41 percent of people thought moms working outside was harmful to society, PEW research found. The result is a mom stuck in an apartment or a single-family home — which are both essentially boxes — raising children, alone.

But if you look around the world and throughout human history, this parenting approach is arguably one of the most nontraditional out there. The notion that the mom is responsible for raising the children, alone, is even strange within Western culture. Up until about 150 years ago, households were much larger and included extended family members and sometimes paid help, historian Stephanie Coontz documents in The Way We Never Were. And women were expected to earn some income for the family. "Women not only brought home half the bacon, they often raised and butchered the pig," Coontz says.

Anthropologist David Lancy compares the "mom in the box" approach to parenting to what happens with an Inuit family in the Arctic, when inclement weather isolates a mom and her child in an igloo and forces the mom to be the only playmate for the children. Most of the burden of parenting is placed on the mom. "There is every reason to believe that modern living conditions in which infants and toddlers are isolated from peers in single-parent or nuclear households produce a parallel effect," Lancy writes: a mom left to a perform a role typically performed by children — that is, siblings, cousins, neighborhood kids and whoever else is hanging around a home.

Human children didn't evolve in a nuclear family. Instead, for hundreds of thousands of years, kids have been brought up with a slew of people — grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, the neighbors, Lancy writes. It's not that you need a whole village, as the saying goes, but rather an extended family — which could include biological relatives but also neighbors, close friends or paid help.

Throughout human history, motherhood has been seen as a set of tasks that can be accomplished by many types of people, like relatives and neighbors, the historian John R. Gillis writes in The World Of Their Own Making. Anthropologists call them "alloparents" — "allo" simply means "other."

Across the globe, cultures consider alloparents key to raising children, Lancy writes.

The Maya moms value and embrace alloparents. Their homes are porous structures and all sorts of "allomoms" flow in and out. When a woman has a baby, other moms work together to make sure she can take a break each day to take a shower and eat meals, without having to hold the baby. (How civilized is that!)

In one household with four kids that I visited, the aunt dropped off food, the grandma stopped by to help with a neighbor's baby and, all the while, the oldest daughter looked after the toddler — while the mom fed the livestock and started to make lunch. But in Western culture, over the past few centuries, we have pushed alloparents to the periphery of the parenting landscape, Gillis writes. They aren't as valued and sometimes even denigrated as a means for working moms to outsource parenting duties.

In the past few generations, fathers have stepped up and started helping with a big chunk of parenting duties. Since 1965, American dads have more than doubled the number of hours they spend each week on child care, PEW research found. But moms still carry most of the load. They spend, on average, 14 hours each week on child care while fathers spend about 7.

The result is something unique in human history: A mom stuck in a box, often alone, doing the job typically performed by a handful of people. As Gillis writes, "Never have mothers been so burdened by motherhood."

[theranchblog]

The destruction of America

Stuff Nobody Cares AboutA not so random collection of observations about things you should care about, but no one does because History no longer plays a part in America 45 Communist Goals For America In 1963 – How Many Have Come True?The 1963 Congressional Record Lists 45 Goals For Communism To Achieve In America.Decide For Yourself How Many Have Become Reality.The Calm Good Old Days of May Day – May 1, 1937 – A man holding an American flag attends a peaceful May Day assembly at Union Square in New York City. credit photo: AcmeToday is May Day.How May 1 mutated from a day of championing workers rights into a day of promoting socialism, communism, and all perceived injustices does not concern the average person on the street. Yet, it is a fact that there is more division, discord and disgruntlement in America as ever before.How did we arrive at this point in history?If you were to say there is a concerted effort to undermine democracy in the United States, you may be called a conspiracy theory nut or a supporter of President Donald Trump or his predecessor, President Barrack Obama. It’s kind of funny how both Democrats and Republicans see the other party as eradicators of freedom.But what is behind it all? Communism? Please, don’t be ridiculous. After all, Senator Joe McCarthy and the House of Un-American Activities Committee was all just a witch hunt persecuting the innocent. Were there ever any communists in high places or influencing mass media? Did communists have any goals they wanted to bring about in America?Though the following story has been regurgitated around the internet for a number of years, we investigated the veracity of the following claim:In 1963 Florida (Democratic) Congressman Albert “Syd” Herlong read into the Congressional Record, “45 Goals of Communists” to bring about in the United States. One of Herlong’s constituents, Mrs. Patricia Nordman provided the list which came from a book by Willard Cleon Skousen, The Naked Communist,(1958).It is always said, “consider the source.” We’ll briefly examine the source, Skousen, following his 45 goals list.Simply put, it is true. The “45 Goals of Communists” was entered into the Congressional Record in 1963. And Skousen did write The Naked Communist.The focus of the book was the communist country of strength at the time, the U.S.S.R. (Russia). Regardless of alleged U.S. election meddling, today China is the dominant and more dangerous communist force in the world.How many of these goals have come to fruition?Communist Goals (1963) Congressional Record–Appendix, pp. A34-A35, January 10, 1963Current Communist GoalsEXTENSION OF REMARKS OF HON. A. S. HERLONG, JR. OF FLORIDA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Thursday, January 10, 1963 .Mr. HERLONG: Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Patricia Nordman of De Land, Fla., is an ardent and articulate opponent of communism, and until recently published the De Land Courier, which she dedicated to the purpose of alerting the public to the dangers of communism in America.At Mrs. Nordman’s request, I include in the RECORD, under unanimous consent, the following “Current Communist Goals,” which she identifies as an excerpt from “The Naked Communist,” by Cleon Skousen:[From “The Naked Communist,” by Cleon Skousen]Current Communist Goals1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war.2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war.3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament [by] the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength.4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war.5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites.6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination.7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N.8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev’s promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N.9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress.10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N.11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.)12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party.13. Do away with all loyalty oaths.14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office.15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States.16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights.17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers’ associations. Put the party line in textbooks.18. Gain control of all student newspapers.19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack.20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policy-making positions.21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures.22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to “eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms.”23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. “Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art.”24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them “censorship” and a violation of free speech and free press.25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as “normal, natural, healthy.”27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with “social” religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity, which does not need a “religious crutch.”28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of “separation of church and state.”29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis.30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the “common man.”31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the “big picture.” Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over.32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture–education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc.33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus.34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities.35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI.36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions.37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business.38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand [or treat].39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals.40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents.42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use [“]united force[“] to solve economic, political or social problems.43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government.44. Internationalize the Panama Canal.45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction [over domestic problems. Give the World Court jurisdiction] over nations and individuals alike.Realize first that Congressmen can enter anything into the Congressional Record. So this was not a big speech that enraptured Congress. Skousen’s work being cited word for word in the Congressional Record is not that unusual. What is unusual is that somebody found this text was in the Record and started to spread it on the internet. From that point on it has been used by conservative groups to show the inroads communism has made in the United States over the last five decades.Skousen (1913-2006) during his long life was an FBI Special Agent; an attorney; a teacher at Brigham Young University; author and a Mormon theolgan. He was also most notably a fervent opponent of communism and promoter of the free market.According to his many detractors he was a charlatan with zany beliefs including that the Founding Fathers were direct descendants of the Lost Tribes of Israel, who had migrated to the British Isles—and that by extension, the Constitution was the direct descendant of the ruling system of the ancient Israelites. There is absolutely no truth in that.In 1960 Skousen was fired as Chief of Police in Salt Lake City by Mayor J. Bracken Lee.  After the firing Lee wrote that Skousen “is a very dangerous man because he preaches one thing, practices another, does not tell the truth, and cannot be relied upon. He also was one of the greatest spenders of public funds of anyone who ever served in any capacity in Salt Lake City government.”Critics have attacked Skousen’s affiliation with the ultra-conservative John Birch Society (he was never a member) along with his behavior, creationist beliefs, etc.. He was accused as a self-promoter who inflated his own accomplishments.While Skousen may be unsavory, instead of examining and debating the cited text of The Naked Communist, the man has been sullied.To discredit the 45 goals, it was pointed out one of Skousen’s sources, Arsene De Goulevitch used Boris Brasol as one of his sources.Brasol, was a czarist emigre to the Unites States who helped to spread “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion,” a forged anti-Semitic diatribe that continues to influence the ignorant.The germane question is: does all of that negate that these were and are actually communist goals?Skousen writes of the 45 goals:If the student will read the reports of Congressional hearings together with available books by ex-Communists, he will find all of these Communist objectives described in detail. Furthermore, he will come to understand how many well-meaning citizens have become involved in pushing forward the Communist program without realizing it. They became converted to Communist objectives because they accepted superficial Communist slogans. Soon they were thinking precisely the way the Communists wanted them to think.Here you can read the entire text of The Naked Communist and see if it makes any sense to you. Skousen may come off as a paranoid loony. Or he may have been exposing an actual plan to infiltrate America.Decide for yourself if the arguments presented are nonsense or if in the past 56 years we are being transformed into disciples and prisoners of communism.“Be seeing you.”

[thedrowsydoormouse]

If you could make any household pet enormous what would it be? My dog is already pretty big (he sat on my throat the other day and I almost blacked out).

Favourite mythology/fairy tale etc? I don’t know if this really counts but I really love hearing ghost stories from the Disney parks. I love the contrast between the super clean, family friendly, safe image Disney prides themselves on in the parks versus the darker underbelly of the hauntings showing the not so safe and family friendly side.

If you could design a planet what colours would you choose? Every color of the rainbow, made metallic/sparkly, with a black background so they really pop.

Sentient plants or sentient machines? Machines. I’m basically vegetarian so sentient plants would be a nightmare.

Disney, Pixar or DreamWorks? Disney who also owns Pixar so I guess both of those!

Ice cream or soup? It depends on the weather and what I feel like having because I love both.

If you could live in any TV show/film/book which would you choose? Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist because I would love to know what songs are playing in my head so I can make a playlist.

Futuristic or steampunk? Steampunk. Give me corsets and top hats and all that crazy shit any day!

Space travel or time travel? Time travel because eventually, if you travel far enough into the future, you wind up in space anyway.

Superhero or sidekick? Hero. I hate being told what to do.

Favourite guilty pleasure? I don’t believe in guilty pleasures. If you like something just own up to it and own your truth instead of feeling like it has to be at all shameful.

Best comfort food? I live in Southern California and grew up eating a lot of asian food so my comfort foods have become Chinese takeout, sushi, thai food, and stuff like that.

Least favourite school subject? Biology. My teacher was the worst and it was so boring.

Weird quirks/actions you’ve noticed you do since rp? I don’t rp nearly often enough to have developed any quirks.

Favourite scene from any book/show and why? I have way too many but in the most recent episode of Zoey’s her powers were glitching and she was singing all her inner most thoughts out loud and that entire episode was fucking brilliant!

If you could come back as an undead being which would you choose? Vampire. I’m already basically nocturnal, I’m inhumanly pale, and I can totally get behind the aesthetic.

Rp scene that was the most difficult to film. See previous rp question.

Oddest things you’ve used to make a costume or film stand? When I was in college I had to make a ball gag out of a couple headbands and a dog toy for a student film I worked on. It was a very fun, interesting Halloween.

Favourite type of chocolate? Milk chocolate.

Do you think you’re best known for fluff, angst or crack? I haven’t actually published any of my writing yet but a lot of it is very angst-y.

Favourite hot drink? Tea. I could drink nothing but hot tea all year because there’s so many variations and flavors to suit my moods.

Outfit aesthetic you aspire for? “Is she a witch, a vampire, or a rock star. Or maybe she’s a pirate. I honestly can’t tell but I wish I was her because she is fabulous.”

Sun, moon or stars? Moon AND stars.

If you could master any five languages which would you choose? French, Irish, German, Spanish, and Italian.

Favourite place? It depends. My favorite place here in California is New Orleans Square in Disneyland. But my two favorite places to travel to are New York and New Orleans.

Something that’s bothering you at the moment? I can’t tell if I’m bored or hungry.

Favourite headcanon? Jimmy Palmer (NCIS) is openly bi but completely forgot to come out at work which is why it’s never mentioned or talked about.

Plot of a story/show you wish had been completed? I wish we had actually seen the Tiva reunion in Paris instead of just hearing about it second hand through the notes Senior had Jimmy deliver.

Favourite trope? Sexual tension you could cut with a knife.

Favourite flavour of crisps/chips? Zapp’s Spicy Cajun Crawtators.

Sweet or sour? Both

Spicy or savoury? Both again.

What would be the theme tune to your life? Monster by dodie

Favourite breakfast food? I hate breakfast.

If you could live in any historical era which would you choose? Sometime between the late 60′s (Vietnam Conflict era) and the 80′s when punk and goth were just starting out and counterculture was becoming more of a thing.

Premise of memorable childhood TV shows? I grew up watching a lot of Food Network more than actual kids tv and my favorite show was about how various sack foods are made.

If you could be any shape what shape would you be? I’m already pretty close to an hourglass shape.

If you could switch lives with any character who would it be? Breena Palmer from NCIS. I want a husband who loves me and our kid as much as Jimmy does and it would be kind of awesome to work as a mortician!

If you could switch the limb of one animal with another (e.g a spider leg to a fish tail) what would you choose? I would swap out my dog’s paws with cat paws because his nails hurt like a mother fucker when he steps on me.

If you could create a country what would you name it? Addamsland.

Do you make ny resolutions? Never have, never will.

Season you’re most looking forward to? Fall. I’m ready for Halloween.

Fish scales or reptile scales? Fish. They tend to be more metallic or holographic!

Paper or parchment? Paper because I’m not pretentious.

Paperback or ebook? Paperback. 

Warm tones or cool tones? I am painfully cool toned.

Creative subjects or analytical subjects? Subjects that require creative analysis.

Fog or snow? Fog. Give me those horror movie vibes!

Make up a premise for a TV show you’d want to see. Everyday life of a Chosen One post revolution in the style of B99 or Parks and Rec.

Any unpopular headcanons? Sam never actually got his soul back, he just got better at hiding it.

Favourite story genre? Urban fantasy. Give me magic in a big city like modern day New York and show how it seamlessly weaves into everyday life.

Trope that is most overrated in your opinion? Enemies to lovers but only if it’s done wrong like with (this is gunna piss off a lot of people) Reylo. Don’t have a girl fall in love with her abuser. If it’s done right in a way that doesn’t promote domestic abuse then I’m fine with it and sometimes even enjoy it. But it’s done wrong too often for me to ignore.

City lights or candle light? City lights. I want to bathe in neon.

Which element do you think best represents you. Fire. I can be really useful and helpful but I can very easily get out of control and destroy everything.

Opinions on valentine’s? Fucking hate it.

If you could feasibly live on one other planet, which would you choose?

Wood or marble? Wood. Marble, to me, is a little too Kardashian. I’d rather see an ornately carved wooden entrance way than one with giant marble staircases and marble pillars and the walls painted to match the marble.

Are you a spontaneous planner or an in advance planner? I like to have some idea of what I’m getting myself into but I also enjoy being able to go with the flow the day of and seeing where my moods take me.

Did you have any weird beliefs as a kid? The mirror in my bedroom was a portal to a different universe.

Any famous historical figures you think don’t deserve it? 90% of the famous white men. Like fuck Elvis and fuck the Beatles.

If you could be any plant which would you be? Mistletoe because of my red hair and my love of poison!

Any weird facts? Teeth are actually closer to calcified skin than bone.

Did you have a treehouse as a kid? No.

Rabbits or ferrets? Rabbits.

If you could switch lives with someone you know for a day, who would you choose? My dog. He does basically the same shit I do all day but he doesn’t know what’s going on so he never stresses about anything.

Opinions on nicknames? Some are fine. It depends on who gave it to you and their reason behind it. 

If you could become instantly skilled in one new skill, what would you choose? Fixing computers.

Ink wells or biros? normal pens.

If you had to switch one: fish in the sky or birds in the sea, which would you switch? Birds in the sea. 

Cheesecake or sponge cake? Both.

Weirdest deja vu moment? Last night watching TOWIE and talking with my mom.

Field of wildflowers or a forest? Forest. Weird shit happens in forests.

Nymph or merperson? Nymph.

Funniest story behind an inside joke? My freshman year of high school I was in the fall play and during my costume fitting they had me try on a dress that fit me like a second skin. The problem was they put it on me backwards so I had to rush to get it back on the right way. At the same time, one of the guys in the cast was trying to get into the wardrobe room and was pounding on the door telling us to hurry up which led to my friend, who was helping me with the dress, yelling at me to suck in my boobs (which were shockingly big for my 90 lb., 14 year old self) while twisting the dress around and another friend stopping the guy from opening the door. The whole thing gave off very B99 cold open vibes and it was great! Every time my friend saw me after that she’d yell “suck in your boobs” and we’d both die laughing, much to everyone else’s confusion!

If you could, would you choose to erase any of your memories permanently? I would erase all my memories from 9/11. Hopefully that makes me not as depressed and anxious.

@anangelamuse-castiel-spnfam I don’t know how I finished mine first because that never happens but now it’s your turn!

[32flavasshoetique]

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[illusoryair]

I discovered an interesting, (kinda) idle, text based browser game: Epitaph (which I might have been playing at work while pretending to be doing research)

You are an observer of the development civilizations on alien planets. Once every x to y number of seconds, you are allowed to choose to introduce new knowledge to them, in attempt to help them flourish. But making unwise choices could also lead to utter destruction. The civilization will also make advancements by themselves. 

It’s quite a fun and fast game. I found myself getting attached to civilizations only for them to fall suddenly. The main problem would probably be that it gets hard to keep track of multiple civilizations at once because of the way the game is set out.

Alright, I'll admit I'm only making this post because I finally got a successful playthrough. Say hello to Agblap'bap'slap which sounds like it was named by someone choking on a fruit. Note that not all events are the direct result of choices. (Warning: Spoilers obv. And loooooooooooong.)

We first became aware of the Agblap'bap'slap in 2980. They reside on the torrid planet Axblap'kax'slax in the Sbasbag system. They are passive, devout, and daring.

These guys have...interesting naming conventions. Lots of AHs and EEs and discreet syllables that end on hard consanents. Unfortunately they tend to give some things very similar names so I find it hard to tell what the game is really referring to sometimes. 

The Agblap'bap'slap have learned how to catch water-dwelling creatures such as the sbeesceeg, which is now a staple part of the Agblap'bap'slap diet.

The Agblap'bap'slap have begun to cultivate crops. One especially popular crop is a kind of hardy vine known as eepklap'baeeg'slax.

More than one food source is important at the start. Or else they risk over hunting. 

The Agblap'bap'slap have developed a simple system of writing, which they use primarily for storytelling.

The Agblap'bap'slap have begun to watch the skies and recognize patterns in the movements of stars, which they use to navigate over great distances and keep track of time.

The Agblap'bap'slap have developed a sophisticated understanding of basic mathematics, such as arithmetic, algebra, and geometry.

The Agblap'bap'slap make extensive use of stone tools in a variety of contexts, including when hunting the wild apklax'keep'slag.

The Agblap'bap'slap have mastered the control of fire. They use it to cook their food, and to light their villages at night.

The Agblap'bap'slap have domesticated a species of small flying creatures. The pets assist their Agblap'bap'slap owners with navigation in exchange for food and shelter.

The Agblap'bap'slap have discovered how to forge molten metal into jewelry, tools, weapons, and armor.

Some things can only be developed after something else. For example, metalworking follows fire.

Some of the Agblap'bap'slap have begun to experiment with alchemy, systematically searching for new ways of combining and manipulating ingredients to yield useful chemicals, compounds, and medicines.

The Agblap'bap'slap have begun to use lenses and mirrors made from polished crystal, glass, and water to redirect and focus light.

The Agblap'bap'slap have begun to construct permanent dwellings and other structures, making especially extensive use of limestone as a building material.

I don’t know why. I always try to keep them from developing construction for as long as possible. 

In 3289, many of the disparate Agblap'bap'slap kingdoms were united under a single banner by an individual known as Skascap Axblax'ceeap'slag. The resulting empire has its capital at Sbascax and rules over approximately 22% of the entire Agblap'bap'slap population. Like many other Agblap'bap'slap states, it is governed by a council of oligarchs.

The Agblap'bap'slap have built elaborate pipe and sewer systems to supply their larger settlements, such as Sbascax, with fresh water and a hygenic means of waste disposal.

In 3319, a rapidly growing religion known as Axblax'bap'slag became the official religion of the largest Agblap'bap'slap state. Adherents of Axblax'bap'slag wear brightly colored clothes to mark themselves as believers.

Pro-tip for creating new religion to sweep the world: take the name of your race and just change a few letters. 

The Agblap'bap'slap have begun to make use of more sophisticated construction techniques, relying on sturdy structural elements such as arches and buttresses to support larger and larger buildings.

The Agblap'bap'slap have developed a simple printing press, and mass-produced versions of important texts have begun to circulate widely throughout the world. Romance novels are especially popular.

Through systematic observation and categorization of the various living things on Axblap'kax'slax, the Agblap'bap'slap have begun to develop a more sophisticated understanding of biology. Some theorists have even put forth the idea that dramatically different-looking organisms, such as the apklax'keep'slag and the sbeesceeg, may in fact share a single common ancestor.

In their efforts to understand the motion of planets in the sky, free-falling bodies, and projectiles, the Agblap'bap'slap have developed a new branch of mathematics which is immediately recognizable as calculus.

The Agblap'bap'slap have learned how to build ships and sail them across the oceans of Axblap'kax'slax to explore and trade over increasingly greater distances.

My other civs kept dying from developing sailing too early and catching some unknown disease, especially if they’re living closely. 

The initially controversial theory that diseases are caused by microorganisms has begun to catch on among the Agblap'bap'slap, leading to the widespread adoption of public health policies which have greatly reduced the spread of disease.

The Agblap'bap'slap have begun to construct wind and water mills, which redirect the forces of the natural world to perform repetitive mechanical tasks such as grinding grain and pumping water.

The Agblap'bap'slap have developed a practical and cost-effective steam engine, which can be fueled with wood or coal.

The Agblap'bap'slap have successfully tamed electricity, and are now beginning to deploy it throughout society. Electric lights are widespread, electric motors are used to drive factories, and the growing need for electric power has led to the construction of power plants near every major center of Agblap'bap'slap population.

We’re getting modern aye!

The Agblap'bap'slap have discovered a way to manufacture gunpowder, which they primarily use in warfare.

The Agblap'bap'slap have developed flying machines which can carry them into the skies above Axblap'kax'slax.

With the development of the transistor, the Agblap'bap'slap have begun to construct more sophisticated electronic circuits.

In 3504, the Agblap'bap'slap population reached 25 million individuals. Many of these dwell within permanent cities, the largest of which is known as Sbascax and has a population of 80,000.

Due to its role as the birthplace of several major Agblap'bap'slap religions, including the especially prominent Axblax'bap'slag faith, the city of Sbascax is regarded by many of the Agblap'bap'slap as a holy site. The archbishop of Sbascax is considered the de facto leader of the Axblax'bap'slag church as a whole, and pilgrimages to the city are commonplace.

The Agblap'bap'slap have begun to develop rockets.

The Agblap'bap'slap have begun harnessing the power of electricity to send messages across very great distances with unprecedented speed. Due to the overhead of encoding and decoding messages, long-distance communication remains far from instantaneous, but it is now possible for individuals on opposite sides of Axblap'kax'slax to exchange several messages over the course of a single day.

The Agblap'bap'slap have discovered that electromagnetic waves may be used to transmit information, enabling the development and widespread deployment of media for audiovisual broadcasting.

The Agblap'bap'slap have developed an accurate model of the internal structure of the atom, which has also enabled them to understand the phenomenon of radioactivity.

The Agblap'bap'slap have begun to understand quantum physics.

The Agblap'bap'slap have begun to build general-purpose programmable computers.

The Agblap'bap'slap have arrived at a sophisticated understanding of genetics, which has enabled them to craft new forms of life by deliberately modifying the genes of existing organisms.

The Agblap'bap'slap have taken their first tentative steps into space, launching craft capable of supporting several individuals into orbit around Axblap'kax'slax before retrieving them safely.

In 3617, the Agblap'bap'slap successfully detonated their first prototype nuclear weapon. It remains unclear whether the Agblap'bap'slap scientists who worked on the bomb understand the sheer destructive potential of the weapon they have created.

The Agblap'bap'slap have begun to connect their computers into a single vast network, enabling communication and collaboration on a truly global scale.

The Agblap'bap'slap have constructed their first cost-effective quantum computers, dramatically improving their collective ability to perform certain types of calculation.

The Agblap'bap'slap have begun to experiment with the use of "intelligent materials", in the form of swarms of programmable nanobots.

The Agblap'bap'slap have developed a form of artificial general intelligence which rivals many of their own intellectual capabilities.

I was kind of worried when they developed AI by themselves because other civs kept ending due to an AI rebellion. 

The Agblap'bap'slap have begun to establish permanent colonies on worlds other than Axblap'kax'slax. Although still largely unable to travel outside of the Sbasbag system, the distribution of Agblap'bap'slap civilization across multiple worlds greatly reduces the risk that they will collapse due to any crisis of merely planetary scale.

Through their investigations of quantum phenomena, the Agblap'bap'slap have discovered a means of sending and receiving messages which travel at speeds exceeding that of light itself.

In 3671, a single nuclear weapon was deployed in an attack on a medium-sized Agblap'bap'slap city. The incident did not escalate into a full-scale nuclear war, but the city was almost completely obliterated, resulting in the deaths of some 163,000 Agblap'bap'slap.

I was worried things would go downhill but they didn’t. But still. Disappointing. 

The Agblap'bap'slap have successfully tested their first faster-than-light starship. No longer are they trapped within the gravity well of the Sbasbag system: they are now free to take their place alongside us as fellow wanderers among the stars.

Now they have finally progressed to where “we” are at as well, we can invite them in. 

In 3687, the Agblap'bap'slap joined us.

[theconservativebrief]

An important intellectual debate is currently playing out involving the French ambassador to the United States — and a late-night comedy host.

During a Monday monologue, Daily Show host Trevor Noah made a joke about France’s World Cup victory. Alluding to the fact that 80 percent of the French team’s players were of African descent, he quipped, “Africa won the World Cup.”

“I get it, they have to say it’s the French team,” said Noah, who is black and South African. “But look at those guys. You don’t get that tan by hanging out in the south of France, my friends.”

French Ambassador Gerard Araud took offense to the comments, and sent a letter to Noah on Wednesday afternoon outlining his complaints. “By calling them an African team, it seems you are denying their Frenchness,” Araud wrote. “This, even in jest, legitimizes the ideology which claims whiteness as the only definition of being French.”

That evening, Noah fired back in a web segment, defending his original joke and arguing that Araud was actually erasing the identity of his nation’s players. It’s a powerful monologue, despite Noah’s attempt to imitate a French accent at the beginning, and deserves to be watched in full:

Ultimately, this isn’t an argument about one joke. It’s a debate about two competing visions for how liberal societies should handle diversity and racism.

Araud is coming from a traditional French perspective, and his argument can’t be understood without grasping the very aggressive vision of assimilationism that’s been dominant there for decades (arguably centuries). Noah understands this, and in his response offers a critique of traditional French approaches to diversity from a progressive, multicultural point of view.

The core issue at stake is deep and philosophical: a divide over the fundamental role of diversity in democracy, one that explains, among other things, a major part of the debate over “identity politics” currently raging inside the United States.

So even though this incident started with one comedian’s joke, it’s worth taking quite seriously — as it tells us a lot about modern politics.

French Ambassador Gerard Araud at the UN. John Moore/Getty Images

The core of Araud’s response to Noah’s initial joke was to argue that the comedian doesn’t really get what it means to be French.

“France is indeed a cosmopolitan country, but every citizen is part of the French identity and together they belong to the nation of France,” Araud writes. “Unlike in the United States of America, France does not refer to its citizens based on their race, religion, or origin. To us, there is no hyphenated identity, roots are an individual reality.”

This approach to race, which may sound bizarre to American ears, reflects widely divergent histories: George M. Fredrickson, an eminent historian of race in France and America at Stanford, dates the origins of the Franco-American disagreement over race all the way back to independence. For a complex of reasons — ranging from differences over the role of the state to the two revolutions’ differing experiences with religion — America developed a national culture centering on liberal tolerance, whereas revolutionary France focused more on building a shared sense of national identity and unified culture.

The two countries diverged further as they developed. Because France had no large, domestic slave population, preferring instead to enslave Africans in its colonies, race never became the fundamental cleavage in its politics. While both countries experienced mass immigration, immigration to the United States has featured much more non-European migrants (until, roughly, the end of colonialism in the mid-20th century). It was also far easier for immigrants to the US to become citizens without learning the local language and culture.

The result of all of this was that French national culture came to view matters of diversity and immigration as issues centering less on tolerance than on assimilation. As Fredrickson puts it:

Recognizing the role that race has played in producing group inequalities, the United States has adopted race-specific policies such as affirmative action and electoral reforms designed to promote greater representation for minorities. After a brief experiment with multiculturalism in the 1980s, it would appear that France has decisively rejected “the American model” and resolutely returned to an assimilationist approach to the diversity created by the new wave of immigration.

This history means that traditional French liberals — the camp in which Araud is best situated — have a very particular approach to race and racism.

They believe that the best way to convince French citizens to accept diversity is to convince French whites that Muslims and people of African descent are every bit as French as they are. Playing up their ethno-religious differences, they believe, only serves to distance them from their essential Frenchness. What’s worse, they argue, it fuels a narrative on the French far-right that people who aren’t European by blood can never truly become “French.”

Hence why Noah’s joke about “Africa” winning the World Cup rankled so much. Benjamin Haddad, a French scholar at the Hudson Institute who has worked for President Emmanuel Macron, told me that it sounded like the rhetoric he hears from far-right party leader Marine Le Pen.

“His [Noah’s] original skit, ‘you don’t get that tan in the south of France,’ is Le Pen level stuff,” explains Haddad. “Many French cringe at this debate because it’s been a far-right talking point for 20 years.”

Trevor Noah is, of course, coming from a different perspective. A black South African man working in the United States, he’s steeped in the culture of two countries whose entire existences were defined by race and racial oppression. Both nations have, in different and distinct ways, developed official cultures of multiculturalism — a celebration and accommodation of racial differences, rather than an erasure of them — as a means of trying to reconcile racial tensions.

Noah’s response video is essentially an extended defense of this model and a head-on critique of traditional French assimilationism. For one thing, Noah argues, the French model erases the positive pride that Africans, both on the continent and in the diaspora, feel in their common heritage.

“Coming from South Africa [and] watching the World Cup in the United States of America, black people all over the world were celebrating the Africanness of the French players,” he said. “Not in a negative way, but rather in a positive way going, ‘Look at these Africans who can become French.’ You know what I mean? It’s a celebration of their achievements.”

“When I’m saying they’re African, I’m not trying to exclude them from their Frenchness but include them in my Africanness”

In Noah’s view, insisting that you can’t hyphenate your identity — that you can’t be French-Algerian, but must be either French or Algerian — cuts people off from a valuable sense of pride and community. It’s a vision that strips people of who they are, and of what matters to them, in the name of “assimilation.” A quote from Count Stanislas–Marie–Adélaide de Clermont, offered during the 1789 French National Assembly’s debate over the legal status of Jews after the Revolution, helps sum up what Noah finds objectionable about the French model:

To the Jews as a nation, one must refuse everything; but to Jews as men one must grant everything…there cannot be a nation within the nation.

The idea that you cannot have a Jewish community in France, only individual Jews stripped of their Jewish identity, sounds profoundly offensive (at least, it does to this Jew). But Noah argues that Araud, and French national culture, hasn’t moved on from this 19th-century view — that insisting that hyphenate identities are impossible is stripping communities of their core, essential identity.

The point about the far right, Noah argues, is missing vital context. The same line — “these are African players” — means something very different when it’s being said by a black comedian than by a racist French politician, and that audiences are smart enough to understand why:

I believe context is everything. There are certain things that you can say — like, when I say to my friends, ‘What’s going on my nigga?’. And if a white person came and said the same thing, yeah, there’s a big difference. When I’m saying they’re African, I’m not trying to exclude them from their Frenchness but include them in my Africanness.

So the issue here, contrary to Araud’s point, isn’t that Noah fails to understand the French model. It’s that he thinks it’s wrong.

End of the argument with @Trevornoah He didn’t refer to a double identity. He said »they are African. They couldn’t get this suntan in the south of France ». i.e They can’t be French because they are black. The argument of the white supremacist.

— Gérard Araud (@GerardAraud) July 19, 2018

My own view — cards on the table — is that Noah is the winner in the debate. Araud continues to restate his basic position, even in the tweet above sent after Noah’s response was released, without grasping the subtlety of Noah’s points about context and identity.

But I’m less interested in point-scoring, at least right now, than I am in pointing out the stakes of the argument.

While Araud’s specific arguments are grounded in French identity and history, his basic starting point — that the best way to approach issues of race is a kind of colorblind emphasis on what unites us as citizens — is the same argument that underpins liberal critiques of “identity politics” in the United States.

After the 2016 election, Columbia University professor Mark Lilla wrote a New York Times essay, “The End of Identity Liberalism,” making an argument similar to Araud’s (a piece that also follows a long tradition of liberal handwringing about identity in the US). In the piece, Lilla even cited his time taking a sabbatical in France as formative of his opinions on this subject.

American liberalism’s emphasis on identity and difference, Lilla argues, is destroying the foundations of democracy in the country — helping the far-right in precisely the way that Araud says:

The standard liberal [view] for nearly a generation now has been that we should become aware of and “celebrate” our differences. Which is a splendid principle of moral pedagogy — but disastrous as a foundation for democratic politics in our ideological age. In recent years American liberalism has slipped into a kind of moral panic about racial, gender and sexual identity that has distorted liberalism’s message and prevented it from becoming a unifying force capable of governing.

Lilla proposed replacing “identity politics” with a “post-identity liberalism,” one that speaks “to Americans as Americans … a nation of citizens who are in this together and must help one another.” His proposal, in short, is to Frenchify American liberalism.

Critics of Lilla’s position replied that this would be electorally ineffective — Democrats need minorities, and need to appeal to their particular identities to get them — but, more fundamentally, that it would be wrong.

“What we find in the backlash by liberals against progressives is nothing other than a betrayal of the true and full values of liberalism,” Stanford professor David Palumbo-Liu argued in a Vox essay. “Liberals like Lilla would have us turning back the clock to compete for the leadership of what one might call an ‘off-white America,’ with issues of race and gender and other minority positions relegated to the background.”

This is a more explicitly political twist on Noah’s position. The comedian is arguing that stripping French World Cup players of their Africanness means separating them from an important part of themselves; the professor is arguing that removing identity politics from liberalism is to remove the specific concerns of marginalized groups from the political docket. Both believe that a colorblind liberalism is one that has blinded itself to important parts of what matter to individuals from minority groups.

What’s really at stake here, then, isn’t just a petty feud between public figures — or even a culture clash between two men of different backgrounds. Instead, it’s a profound debate splitting liberals in increasingly diverse democracies — both in Europe and the United States.

Original Source -> Trevor Noah’s feud with France over race, identity, and Africa — explained

via The Conservative Brief

[ricokpd6000556-blog]

Liquor Awareness Classes May Soon Be Mandatory.

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The Massachusetts system of mandatory obligation insurance coverage has functioned as the confirming ground for the experiment of required vehicle insurance coverage. Among the reasons that Microsoft straightened with Toshiba's modern technology is actually that HDDVD offers necessary managed copy." What that suggests is that unlike with today's regular DVDs, dealt with duplicate makes it possible for consumers to earn legit duplicates of their HD motion pictures and appreciate this material around the house or throughout their individual networks.

[rickhorrow]

15 to watch tech 5 and power 5 week of 11617

with Jamie Swimmer,  Tanner Simkins

As Congress prepares to debate the Republican tax bill this week, the NFL is pushing back against a provision that would get rid of tax breaks for communities and states that borrow money to fund stadiums. According to the Wall Street Journal, the league’s opposition is the latest in a "series of political clashes this football season." NFL Executive VP/Communications Joe Lockhart said, "We believe that the construction of new stadiums and renovations of stadiums are economic drivers in local communities. If the idea is to promote economic growth, this would be a step backwards." Public funding of sports stadiums, and municipal bond tax exemptions that often underwrite such deals, have recently “come under fire from members of both parties." According to a Brookings report, subsidies for NFL stadiums cost $1.1 billion, and that study "didn’t include" Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which was in part financed by about $200 million in municipal bonds. If the provision remains in place, several high-profile planned sports facilities could be impacted, including the Raiders’ Las Vegas stadium and extensive renovations to Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena.

As the NBA season intensifies, E-Poll Market Research has unveiled its annual list of the NBA’s most marketable players. Topping the E-Score list is the Warriors’ Stephen Curry, who slightly edged out LeBron James. Though LeBron has a higher Awareness than Curry, research shows Curry as the more appealing of the two former MVPs, with an Appeal of 57% versus LeBron’s 41%. Interestingly, three of the top five most marketable players – James, Dirk Nowitzki, and Kevin Durant – are signed with Nike. And two players on the top 10 list are not signed with any of the major sports brands. Dwyane Wade is with Li-Ning, and Klay Thompson has a deal with Anta. Among the NBA’s most marketable up-and-comers are Giannis Antetokounmpo, a.k.a. the Greek Freak, and Lonzo Ball, who has made headlines with his decision not to sign with a major sponsor and instead push his own Big Baller Brand. E-Poll notes Ball has the lowest Appeal at 29%, possibly due to the hype around his “overexposed” father, Lavar.

The Houston Astros are official World Series champions. After one of the most dramatic and entertaining Series in sports history, the Astros topped the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 in Game 7 to claim the title. The excitement of the Series caused secondary market ticket prices to soar for the final game, as StubHub’s average sales price for Game 7 was $1,791, more than $600 above the average price for Game 1. Low-end tickets for the ultimate matchup drew prices north of $1,300, well “above the full-park average price for Games 1 and 2 at Dodger Stadium.” According to data from SeatGeek, the average resale price for a Game 7 ticket was $1,740, which is comparably low in relation to last year’s Game 7 price of $2,420 for the Indians-Cubs series. Former Ticketmaster CEO Nathan Hubbard last night tweeted that “triangulating pricing and inventory tonight, it looks like sellers will make >$40 million on Game 7.” Next, look for the Dodgers and Astros to raise across the board ticket prices in 2018 – and for other MLB clubs to follow suit.

This year’s World Series is sure to go down in history as one of the “most memorable” Fall Classics ever staged. According to the Wall Street Journal, a record 25 home runs were hit between the Astros and Dodgers, while two games were decided by one run, three games were decided by two runs, and another was “tied in the ninth before a late scoring flurry.” World Series MVP George Springer led the way with five home runs of his own. “What this Series has done with the sport is hopefully have people around the country that just appreciated the emotion that’s in our game, the youthfulness that’s in our game, the drama that’s come with this series,” said Astros manager A.J. Hinch. Heading into the offseason, the Dodgers are the early favorites to win the 2018 World Series at 5-1 odds. The Astros are tied for second with the Cleveland Indians, at 6-1. Thanks to an electric postseason, MLB is anticipating more fans are already counting down to Spring Training than baseball has seen in decades. And the best evidence of a baseball resurgence will be seen if Little League sign-ups are up come spring.

Injuries to some of the league’s best and brightest players continue to plague the NFL this season – with business implications. According to SI.com, with Houston Texans rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson’s ACL tear, eight “’face of the franchise’ players have been lost to season-ending injuries this year.” Joining Watson is Andrew Luck (Colts), Odell Beckham Jr. (Giants), Aaron Rodgers (Packers), Joe Thomas (Browns), Eric Berry (Chiefs), J.J. Watt (Texans), and David Johnson (Cardinals). As of November 1, 295 players had been placed on injured reserve this season – up from 277 at the same time last year. Watson had been one of the league’s breakout players this season, as he was “one of the most genuinely exciting, thrilling things that has happened to the NFL this year or in recent memory.” The news of Watson’s ACL tear comes at a bad time for the NFL, which is already fighting to keep its ratings up. Losing marquee, fan-favorite players will only ensure the league loses more viewers in the short term.

Sports marketing is a lot tougher nowadays due to the industry’s position at the crossroads of politics and culture. According to SportsBusiness Journal, leading marketers noted at the 2017 Sports Marketing Symposium that reaching fans has become a more difficult task than in the past. “We have to be more like real brands,” said New York Giants VP & CMO Mike Stevens. “We have to be storytellers. We have to get our message out because the truth is, negative stories get a lot of coverage.” Philadelphia 76ers CMO Katie O’Reilly spoke about how difficult it is to maintain a solid brand identity and integrity in the modern era of sports. Social media and a digital presence have given teams, leagues, and organizations more platforms to market their products to fans, while simultaneously giving them more channels to monitor and regulate. “You have to make sure you’re aware of social issues and how your fan base feels about that,” noted NASCAR Senior VP & CMO Jill Gregory. In this era of heightened sensitivity, it’s virtually impossible to develop a marketing plan that won’t offend someone, somewhere – even when your basic stage is a ballpark or court.

Rwanda’s new Gahanga cricket stadium is more than just a venue for the national team, it is a reminder of how far the country has come since the 1994 genocide. According to The Independent, Rwanda national team captain Eric Dusingizimana described the stadium as “a dream come true.” Longstanding President Paul Kagame was present for the opening ceremony, a day that has been six years in the making. The new stadium’s name is “the Lord’s of East Africa” and was constructed using 66,000 handmade tiles without using concrete – “the same way as Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia although with the added bonus of actually being finished.” The pavilion will also serve as an HIV testing center and restaurant going forward, giving it a true place in the community apart from just cricket. Previously, Rwanda's only other cricket stadium was at École Technique Officielle, the site of a “notorious” 1994 massacre and the location of the film “Shooting Dogs.” A poignant example of the healing power of sport – even in a country still rebuilding from a tragedy that unfolded over two decades ago.

In wake of the controversial comments made by Houston Texans Owner Bob McNair, head coach Bill O’Brien is being praised by his players for his response. According to the Houston Chronicle, Texans players have since described their coach as “a rock – a voice of reason whose leadership helped avoid a near mutiny” ahead of their game against the Seahawks. McNair seemingly compared NFL players to inmates in prison during an owners meeting, which did not go over well with his team. Texans players wanted to show that they were angry with McNair’s comments, leading them to consider skipping a game. O’Brien won his players’ trust “throughout the ordeal” by showing his unconditional support for them, while simultaneously convincing them that taking the field was the right thing to do. Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones was in the room with McNair and is “adamant that McNair was not talking about NFL players.” This is a situation in which words speak louder than actions – and in today’s highly-charged political climate, it is imperative for McNair and others in leadership positions to think long and hard before they speak.

With Ezekiel Elliott’s suspension being mulled over by the NFL, Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones is claiming that his star running back is a “victim of an over-correction” by the league and Commissioner Roger Goodell. According to SportsBusiness Journal, Jones thinks that Goodell is overcompensating for his mishandling of the Ray Rice domestic violence issue, and that Elliott is being penalized for Rice. “Two years ago this wouldn’t be an issue, before Ray Rice this wouldn’t have been an issue because the Commissioner shows where he really wants to come down when he did with Ray Rice,” said Jones. Rice initially was handed a two-game suspension after a video was released of him punching and dragging his then-girlfriend out of an elevator, while Elliott was handed a six-game suspension without video evidence. Jones noted the discrepancy here is “unbelievable,” especially considering the debate that Elliott might be innocent. The incident is only the latest battle of wills between Goodell and NFL owners, and may well impact Goodell’s contract extension.

The NFL currently hosts four games in London annually, but that number might soon be rising. According to PA Sport, Commissioner Roger Goodell “hinted at increasing the number of U.K. games” before the Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings took the field at Twickenham Stadium in London last week. The league currently has a 10-year deal in place with EPL club Tottenham to play games at new White Hart Lane. The club’s soon-to-be-completed stadium in North London will be able to hold 61,500 spectators, and could even feature a retractable turf field specifically for NFL games. While Goodell hinted at the possibility of adding more games, NFL U.K. Managing Director Alistair Kirkwood currently feels that four games is “the right number of games for London to host at the moment and is not ruling out a return to Twickenham Stadium in the future.” Within the next few seasons, four games will likely become six, especially if White Hart Lane is a white hot hit.

The Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, are now less than 100 days away. According to Reuters, less than one-third of total tickets have been sold, though organizers still remain optimistic about selling the lot before the Opening Ceremony. The Olympic torch relay started at the beginning of November, which should help spur more domestic interest in the Games. In an attempt to sell tickets within South Korea, organizers are targeting “schools, government organizations and public companies” with block ticket deals for low-demand events. Almost all Olympic venues are being finished currently or have already been completed, while restaurants for fans are being built in empty fields around the Olympic Stadium. The bobsled track and ski-jump mountain are being lauded as the Games’ most stunning images, “nestled in the hills near the stadium.” Efforts will only ramp up as the event draws closer in the coming weeks. President Trump’s South Korean visit in the days ahead will also doubtless draw global attention to the region, and to the Games.

The Milwaukee Bucks are still in the hunt to find a naming rights partner for their new downtown arena. According to SportsBusiness Journal, the team is not willing to compromise its standards just to sign a sponsor immediately, but rather will wait for the right fit in order to enhance its brand equity. “We think there’s a tremendous value,” said Bucks President Peter Feigin. “The Giannis (Antetokounmpo) effect is a big deal. It's kind of exploded for us on an international basis, so all of a sudden, the prospects of who to work with have changed over the last six months.” Feigin noted that “in a perfect world” the team would sign a blue chip international brand, but at this point the team is open to smaller, regional concerns. Antetokounmpo, from Greece, has really helped push the Milwaukee brand across the globe, so the team is trying to capitalize on that movement.

U.S. Soccer Vice President Carlos Cordeiro has entered the running to become the next U.S. Soccer President. According to ESPNFC.com, Cordeiro is currently Sunil Gulati’s right-hand man, so many assumed that he would support his “longtime friend and colleague” if Gulati chose to run for reelection. Instead, the former Goldman Sachs partner penned a letter to potential voters outlining a platform that calls for significant structural changes within the U.S.S.F., a bold financial growth strategy, and plans to bid to host the men’s and women’s FIFA World Cups in 2026 and 2027, respectively. “U.S. Soccer has achieved a lot over the last 25 to 30 years, but I think we’ve hit a plateau,” said Cordeiro. “This is not about Sunil. I’ve decided to take the plunge here because I think it’s about the federation and how I fit into that.” The election will take place in February, and more candidates are sure to enter to field before then. Stay tuned.

Detroit is pulling a major audible with their hopeful MLS expansion bid. According to the Detroit News, officials working to bring an MLS franchise to the city have scrapped the idea of building a soccer-specific stadium and now plan on using Ford Field as their preferred site. Architects working on the bid found that the NFL Lions’ home field can be made into a state-of-the-art soccer stadium. Up to this point, a soccer stadium was being planned on the site of Wayne County’s unfinished jail in Greektown, though that is no longer being considered. “We concluded that the downtown location of an MLS stadium is paramount to an MLS team’s success,” said Palace Sports & Entertainment Vice Chair Arn Tellem. “And no MLS stadium sits in a better downtown location than Ford Field.” It remains to be seen whether MLS approves of this move away from a soccer-specific stadium, as the league has been trending towards building facilities specific to its sport for many years now.

Questions are circulating as to whether MLS misled San Antonio officials in regard to landing an expansion team. According to the San Antonio Express-News, Bexar County (Texas) Judge Nelson Wolff recently asked a local district attorney to investigate the matter. In 2015, MLS encouraged local San Antonio officials to purchase Toyota Field for $9 million and submit a bid for an expansion franchise. That purchase came “two years after Crew Chair Anthony Precourt had obtained the legal right to relocate the Crew to Austin.” Wolff notes that he was told by MLS Deputy Commissioner Mark Abbott in 2015 that the league “would not add both San Antonio and Austin as expansion cities,” which is problematic now that the Columbus Crew seem likely to move to Austin. Precourt denies claims that the team reached an agreement to use University of Texas facilities starting in 2019. Since the two cities are so close together, it may be possible for a compromise to be reached so that soccer fans from both markets can enjoy “their” regional team.

Five Top Tech

1. We could soon be watching Esports competitions in the Winter Olympics. Last week in Switzerland, representatives of the Olympic movement met to discuss where Esports could fit into the Olympic picture. The move could become a landmark development for Esports as they continue to gain momentum on the global stage. Ubisoft Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Geoffroy Sardin said about the potential addition: “We’re proud to be part of the Esports exhibition leading into the Winter Olympics that will provide fans with more ways to engage with the sports they love. We have been developing ‘Steep Road to the Olympics’ in close relation with the IOC and we are now looking forward to this competition.” If the Olympic committee approves the addition of Esports into the most prestigious athletic competition in the world, the public outcry could be intense. Regardless of which side of the court you are on in terms of Esports being a sport or not, the worldwide increase in interest is changing the spectrum.

2. Facebook continues to look into making more investments into broadcasting sports on their platform. Facebook has been live streaming IPL soccer games, and could expand to other sports in the future. The potential broader entrance of Facebook into the sports streaming arena could be a cause of concern for both Amazon and YouTube, who agreed to large partnerships to stream live sports this year.  Misha Sher, Vice President of Sports and Entertainment at MediaCom told SportTechie, “Facebook will almost certainly bid on major sports rights so it’s a question of when rather than if. I believe it will happen in the next 12-18 months and it will disrupt the way these rights have traditionally been sold. I think the recent bid for the IPL rights is a clear indication of their ambition. Facebook will want to lead in disrupting this space and the upcoming Premier League rights will likely be their first bet.” If Facebook expands its sports streaming realm, consumers will have a bevy of options to watch their favorite teams play every week. Whether it’s the NFL, MLB, NBA, or other sports, Facebook could create a new problem for cable networks now struggling to not be left in the dust.

3. Game Four of the World Series brought Augmented Reality and traditional marketing into the fold at the same time. Before that game, Mastercard and MLB collaborated on a message that was read by Astros star shortstop Carlos Correa. The message encouraged fans in the park to donate to Stand Up To Cancer, another MLB partner. Mastercard’s Executive Vice President of North American Marketing and Communication said of the gesture, “We’re proud to come together with MLB, our cardholders and partners for the seventh consecutive year and advance SU2C’s mission. It’s truly special to thank baseball fans at the World Series through AR for their commitment towards the fight against cancer.” Fans could see the message if they had the MLB Ballpark app, which encourages fans to use it to buy food, tickets in order to better help MLB teams build personalized database profiles. Teams are now able to collect more personal data than ever before thanks to features like the BallPark app, to be used in traditional partner marketing as well as their philanthropic ventures.

4. If you attended an MLB World Series game in Houston last week, you were treated to some of the greatest World Series action we have seen in a long time. Thanks to newly-installed 360 degree cameras, you could also see exactly where you were during each game. SportTechie describes the technology as the cameras take “multiple images thousands of times during a game, then pieces them together to create a giant 360-degree photo that shows in detail every person there. Fans can go online to find themselves and tag the photo on social media.” With the new technology in place, the fan experience has been improved. And with a better fan experience, an organization builds trust. MLB knows that attending a World Series game can be a bucket list event, especially if your favorite team has advanced to the Fall Classic. While it doesn’t seem like much more than just a picture of a person at a game, that 360-degree photo cements a lifelong memory for that fan.

5. For NBA Teams, every small advantage can go a long way over the course of an 82-game season. Accordingly, the Chicago Bulls are implementing a new way of tracking and analyzing their players’ sleep patterns, and how they can affect play on the court. One change the team made after analyzing early data was moving their shootaround back one hour, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., in order to give players a few extra crucial minutes of rest. Chip Schaefer, Chicago Bulls Director of Sports Performance, said in a statement, “We felt there was enough data to collect at home. What we are looking at is particularly back to backs and late-night returns, what their sleep patterns were — not to be intrusive on them but rather to advise us and our coaching staff on the scheduling of practices and shootarounds and things like that. I think it’d be very helpful not only to the NBA but to the world of professional, elite sports in general.” The Bulls could change the way the NBA evaluates player rest. This season in Chicago may not be great in terms of wins and losses, but the team is taking necessary steps to change the way their future players will be trained. Time will tell if the new-look Bulls will also be the well-rested Bulls.

Power of Sports 5

1. ESPN Opens Community Sports Facility in Bangalore. This week, as part of its global “safe spaces” initiative, ESPN representatives gathered with community leaders and local residents in Bangalore to celebrate the opening of a new multifunctional sports facility dedicated to the local community. The facility is the first of its kind to be built in Asia. The court was refurbished by members of the local community alongside ESPN and Disney employees. The facility will host several development programs focused on teaching the local youth valuable life-skills and empowering them to reach their full potential.

2. Los Angeles Chargers Helping Feed the Homeless. The Los Angeles Chargers are underwriting a new initiative to help serve 30,000 meals to people in need throughout the most underserved areas of Los Angeles. The initiative will be presented at Summit LA17, a local flagship ideas festival in downtown LA. Chargers owner and chairman Dean Spanos will be present at the event, along with Chargers offensive tackle Russell Okung, to help serve meals and to inspire others to take action.

The movement is being operated in conjunction with Robert Egger and the L.A. Kitchen, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to reclaim local, healthy food that would otherwise be discarded and use it to provide healthy meals to local citizens in need. The groups participating in the movement hope that their efforts will inspire others across the country to follow in their footsteps and help feed those in need in their own city.

3. Anthony Rizzo Announced as Recipient of 2017 Roberto Clemente Award. Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo was announced as this year’s Roberto Clemente Award recipient before Game 3 of the World Series last week. The award is given out annually to the player who best represents Major League Baseball through a combination of extraordinary character, philanthropy, and community involvement.

The Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation assists pediatric cancer patients and their families. Over the last five years, the foundation has contributed more than $4 million to programs that provide financial assistance to children and their parents. Earlier this year, the foundation also made a $3.5 million donation to the Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago. Rizzo makes frequent trips to many of the hospitals across the city to visit with the children currently undergoing treatment. Rizzo was a five-time nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award before winning this season.

4. Former Raven Hosting Celebrity Cornhole Tournament Fundraiser. Former Baltimore Raven Matt Stover is hosting a Celebrity Cornhole Tournament at the Baltimore Museum of Industry to raise money for his Players Philanthropy Fund. Plenty of Baltimore’s biggest celebrities are expected to attend the event on Monday night, including current Baltimore Ravens Justin Tucker, Brandon Carr, and Brandon Williams. Other athletes confirmed to be attending the event are Baltimore Oriole Mike Wright and lacrosse star Paul Rabil, among others. Tickets for the event are being sold for $75 and include tickets for dinner and a drink.

The Players Philanthropy Fund is a public charity that helps athletes, entertainers, and other philanthropists maximize their charitable giving while protecting their finances and reputation. Stover co-founded the organization alongside philanthropy expert Seth McDonnell after retiring from the NFL in 2011.

5. Saudi Arabia to Allow Women into Sports Stadiums. Beginning next year, Saudi Arabian women will be allowed to attend sporting events in stadiums in three of the country’s major cities, according to a statement issued this week by the General Sport Authority.  According to the report, families will soon be able to enter the stadiums in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. Saudi Arabia’s governing body for sports has said that the preparations would begin immediately to get the three venues ready for the accommodation of families by early 2018. The selected stadiums are the homes of six teams in the Saudi Professional League. This decision is the latest in a series of changes aiming to give Saudi Arabian women more freedom. Last month, the country made a public decree announcing that women will be allowed to drive for the first time in history, beginning next June.

[tophatal]

The Old Man And The Sea

Of late, with all of the political in-fighting , backbiting and basic nonsense that seems to encapsulate the landscape of American politics on the domestic and international front . I’ve begun to take a look at some of the asinine things now out in print within the various news’ formats and social media platforms. The latest piece de resistance would appear to be the issue of what is meant to be ‘ White Privilege’ . From my own perspective I simply believe it to be the social basis, whereby Caucasians will continue to cling to power , be it politically, socially and economically. The fact that in large part, they feel it is being perpetuated by minorities when in fact, minorities have never been seen or be treated as their equal is somewhat perplexing, but here we are at a point in the nation’s history, where a President can simply be bold enough to insult a panacea of ethnic groups and it’s seen as his right as freedom of speech , while he also claims to be uniting the country as a whole.

Last I looked , President Donald Trump had little understanding of the rule of law let alone the Constitution. Be that as it may, nine months into his Presidential reign , his supporters remain staunch in their support while his detractors continue to look for ways to take him down.

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Away from the political landscape , the World Series is now in progress and the two best teams in baseball are now providing the fans with what should be an exciting series. I believe this series could and should go to a full seven games given the abilities of the two teams, the AL’s Houston Astros and the NL’s Los Angles Dodgers . The Dodgers have the highest payroll in the game as well as being among the best supported teams in baseball. Dave Roberts and his Houston counterpart, AJ Hinch could be up for managerial honors in 2017 , given their achievements this season. As for the teams themselves, after the first two games , they’re now square at one game apiece with game-three set to take place on Friday night at Minute Maid Field in Houston , Texas. The opposing pitchers will be Yu Darvish of the Los Angeles Dodgers against Lance McCullers Jr of the Houston Astros.

Not to take away from the spectacle of the World Series , but the other big story within the game has been the New York Yankees making the decision not to renew the contract of team manager Joe Girard . His four-year contract was due to expire and it was thought the front office might well be leaning towards a renewal . It wasn’t to be and after ten years in charge , Girardi is out the door and no chance his making another $16-$20 million over the next four years. Luckily enough with vacancies now in Washington with the Washington Nationals and Philadelphia with the Philadelphia Phillies, Girardi has his pick of two viable alternatives. Though I do expect there to be one or two more possible vacancies coming up within the next few weeks.

Joe Girardi was able to guide the New York Yankees to a World Series’ title in 2009 , but since then, their appearances in the postseason have often ended in failure before the Fall Classic itself. Brian Cashman general manager of the Yankees’ organization is also in the last season of his existing contract and the siblings controlling the ball-club, Hal Steinbrenner and Hank Steinbrenner have not expressed their sentiments in keeping Cashman in his current role. If changes are to be made concerning the roles of the manager and general manager then now would be the time to do it. Gary Denbo was allowed to leave the organization to join Derek Jeter within the front office of the Miami Marlins , where Jeter now serves in the role of Chief Executive Officer while Denbo serves in his capacity as Vice President, Player Development & Scouting .

In terms of a new manager, where the New York Yankees go from here is anyone’s guess , as they could promote from within to fill the vacancy left with the departure of Joe Girardi or they could go out and seek a more high-profiled name to succeed Girardi. One thing is certain , the core of this roster , where several of the younger players made their mark this season. It leaves this ball-club in a very healthy situation, though I do believe several of their highly overpaid veterans ought to be shown the door because of their lack of productivity. I don’t believe there can be any justification for the return of CC Sabathia , Matt Holliday , Jacoby Ellsbury , Michael Pineda and Aroldis Chapman . I know that the Yankees like to do things a certain way , but when you’re shelling out over $20 million a year and getting very little in return . Then , there comes a time when you have to rethink your strategy entirely.

Ideas above their station and the belief, they continue to remain relevant . It has been several years since the Florida Gators were striking fear into their opponents. This season , the only thing being struck are the players’ egos , as they realize they’re way in over their heads, while the coaching staff of Jim McElwain looks to take down not an opponent, but fans who have become sick and tired of the mediocrity shown by the team . After a recent game , McElwain could be seen berating a fan who called for the dismissal of the entire coaching staff. It’s funny , I was under the impression some college coaches were thick-skinned. Clearly, Jim McElwain’s skin is softer than a baby’s ass and is of a really delicate nature . The loss to Texas A&M brought about the capitulation of the Gators’ season and the end to their postseason hopes of a playoff berth. Up next for the Florida Gators will be a game against the number three-ranked Georgia (Bulldogs) to be played at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville , Florida on Saturday 28th October , 2017 .

Nick Saban will continue to rewrite the history books in terms of modern College Football . His legacy is there for all to bear witness to. With the number one ranked team in the nation , Saban has Alabama (8-0) firing on all cylinders as they look to have another unbeaten season. Their upset loss in the national title game to Clemson were what dreams are made off as Clemson in a game of cat-and-mouse , beat their more well-established opponent . The path to this season’s national title game will be a pleasant one for Alabama , as they have nothing else left to lose , other than their dignity. Dabo Sweeny and his fans knows that the program still has a great deal to live up to . In week nine Clemson will to face Georgia Tech . Alabama for its part will be looking to make it nine consecutive wins in a row when they take on LSU (Tigers) on the 4th November , 2017 .

The number of unbeaten teams in the NBA now stands at three , with the Los Angeles Clippers (3-0) , Portland Trailblazers (3-0) and the San Antonio Spurs (4-0) being the only franchises without a loss. Pretty much safe to say by the end of the season all of the teams will have suffered a defeat . On Thursday night there were five games taking place with the most interesting being the contest between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics . For the Bucks, Giannis Antetkounmpo has lived up to the expectations based on his performances of last season for the team . This season Antetkounmpou has proven to be equally effective alongside a considerably improved starting lineup. The next game for the Milwaukee Bucks will be a match-up against the Atlanta Hawks on the road at the Philips Arena in Atlanta , Georgia on October 29th .

At this moment in time I believe Giannis Antetkounmpo to be one of the top-ten centers in the league and among the best forwards now playing !

It will certainly be interesting to see what the Milwaukee Bucks are capable of achieving this season within their division as well as the league overall . I don’t see them a s fifty-win team, but they are certainly able to play themselves into contention, f we see the coaching acumen of Jason Kidd rise to the fore. He is by far in a way one of the most innovative coaches in the league today , though not yet on the plateau of Gregg Popovich , the five-time championship winning coach. Popovich has been able to coach All Stars , but he has also been able to groom and develop talent turning them into All Stars . Those claims cannot be made for the likes of Phil Jackson , Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra , because they were handed the keys to a Ferrari and then merely asked to take it for a spin before going on their respective journeys. Doubt my word , then simply look at the facts ?

Gregg Popovich continues to be a miracle worker and his record is remarkable. This season the San Antonio Spurs are without their best player , Kawhi Leonard , but somehow they remain in contention . Once Leonard is back in the starting lineup , then I expect to see this team really challenge the likes of the Golden State Warriors , Houston Rockets , Los Angeles Clippers and the Oklahoma City Thunder within the Western Conference . As contentious and competitive as that conference continues to be , by contrast the Eastern Conference will remain mediocre. Those who are on the know cannot deny that very fact. Popovich will lead the San Antonio Spurs out for their next game against the Orlando Magic , as he seeks to win the one thousand one hundred and fifty-fifth regular season of his professional coaching career.

Injuries we know tend to plague a season no matter what the professional sport and it is the case once again within the NBA. How the teams fare will be dependent upon what the coaches seek to do in rearranging their lineups from day to-day. Midway into month-three of the schedule , I believe the teams will have found their rhythm while playing some competitive basketball.

So all of the hoopla and hype cannot hide the fact of what we already know , the Miami Dolphins are not a very good team . Having lost Ryan Tannehill for the regular season , the front office saw fit to seek out the retired Jay Cutler , offer him a one-year $10 million deal . Adam Gase seemingly had no faith in Matt Moore who led the team to the postseason in 2016 , in one of the Dolphins’ most recent appearances. Cutler’s lack of consistency has derailed any hopes they may have had within the AFC East as well as obtaining a postseason berth within the AFC . The team’s defense cannot mask the fact they’re simply not that good to begin with. With Jay Cutler now suffering an injury , it would appear team owner Stephen Ross will continue to tow the league line by having nothing to do with Colin Kaepernick . This might well come from the fact in recent weeks under the advice of his legal counsel , Kaepernick has filed a grievance within the US Federal Courts with the charges of collusion by the NFL and team owners . There may well be grounds for the suit, but the preponderance of proof will be by that of the plaintiff and his being able to prove his case. However , what has been glaringly obvious team owners have paid this issue very little lip service , while NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell continues to hide behind a great deal of rhetoric while in the background. What also is astoundingly clear, the NFLPA leadership and their Executive Director DeMaurice Smith have shown very little support for Kaepernick.

The Baltimore Ravens played host to the Miami Dolphins in a Thursday night game played at London’s Wembley Stadium . This match-up proved to be eventful as Joe Flacco was lost the Ravens , even though they routed their opponents in a 40- 0 clubbing of Miami. Matt Moore’s performance itself was far from satisfactory and it should tell you something that prior to the start of the game , Miami had seen fit to sign David Fales to a contract. As I alluded to earlier , I do believe there are grounds for Colin Kaepernick to proceed with his suit against the NFL. Now his detractors are likely to suggest that Kaepernick is not that great a player if you base it on his play during 2016 , but I would suggest he is far from being the worst quarterback in the league last season and his statistics would be favorable over number of players in the league who have played two or more games in the league during this season . If we really want to make comparisons concerning the ability of Colin Kaepernick and how he measures up against Jay Cutler and Joe Flacco , perhaps we might take a look at their statistics .

As for understanding the reasons behind Colin Kaepernick’s stance , let’s just say when it comes to real activism by the NFL , it tends to favor their making money and placing what they believe to be a pristine image rather than actually taking a noticeable stance. As for the issue of privilege , be it Black or White , let’s just say that whole issue has never been addressed in the true sense of the word . Dallas Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones suggests that the players on the Cowboys’ roster are his property. Last I looked, in spite of their current mediocre record , the Cowboys wasn’t a plantation , but I am beginning to deduce Jones’ slave mentality approach is something that might be shared by several of his fellow owners .

Donald Trump’s idiotic rants calling for the NFL players to be fired from their teams for showing a lack of patriotism when the national anthem is played., indicates he has no concept as to the rule of law , let alone the issue of free speech ( freedom of expression) , yet he considers it appropriate to denigrate people of color and the families of fallen war veterans , using the language and tact you’d come to expect of a highly uneducated person. My bad , I forgot his education at Brown University and Wharton Business School actually allows him that privilege. Bigoted ‘white privilege ‘ run amok . Jerry Jones like Donald Trump , they don’t lack candor , but what they do lack, is respect for another person’s right to express themselves freely. What might be even more hypocritical about the owner , has been his willingness to support players on his team who’ve ran afoul of the law under suspicion for acts of battery , spousal abuse and even felonious assault. The reason behind his support , simply from the fact, it would lessen the chance of the Dallas Cowboys winning a game.

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Byron Scott, the now fired former coach of the Hornets. GM , Jeff Bower who has now assumeed the position of head coach on an interim basis. And assistant coach , Tim Floyd. It’s safe to assume that the reins may well be handed over to Floyd at some time in the future given the fact Bower has no experience as a coach of any kind with regard to the NBA . picture apears courtesy of nbae/ getty images / Richard Tyson …………..

Rays’ third baseman , Evan Longoria at the plate for team. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Vic Hallam

Carl Crawford’s three-run home run in the sixth inning highlighted Tampa Bay’s three-game sweep of the Angels. The Rays are five games over .500 for the first time in team history. photo appears courtesy of the Associated Press/ Mike Carlson ………….

Gatots’ player Tim Tebow (15) and his coach Urban Meyer discuss their options during a game. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Chris Dickson ……………….

Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig’s steroids proposal, made to the union last month, calls for a 50-game ban for first offenders, a 100-game penalty for second offenders and a lifetime ban for a third positive test. photo appears courtesy of Associated Press / Adam Roundtree …….

Carolina Panthers’ Julius Peppers saluting fans as he walks off the field after the Panthers’ 23-10 win over the New Orleans Saints in an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C. The Panthers have decided the price is too steep to keep their all-time sacks leader. It means five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers is about to become one of the top prizes in free agency. Agent Carl Carey says the Panthers have told him they won’t place the restrictive franchise tag on Peppers for a second consecutive year at a cost of more than $20 million. The move Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010, comes two days before the tag deadline. photo appears courtesy of Associated Press/ Rick Havner ……

Mike Dunleavy (#17) of the Indiana Pacers goes up for the lay up against Brendan Haywood (#33) of the Dallas Mavericks during a game at the American Airlines Center on February 22, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. photo appears courtesy of NBAE/ Getty Images/ Glenn James ……………….

University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman, left, and head football coach Rich Rodriguez, right, are shown at a news conference in Ann Arbor, Mich., Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010. The NCAA has found that Michigan’s storied football program was out of compliance with practice time rules under coach Rodriguez. Incoming athletic director David Brandon disclosed the finding Tuesday. He says there were no surprises in the NCAA findings. He also says Rodriguez remains the coach. Michigan has 90 days to respond and will appear at an NCAA hearing on infractions in August. photo appears courtesy of Associated Press/ Paul Sancya ……

Los Angeles -January 13th 2010. New head coach of the USC Trojans Lane Kiffin shakes a hand as he makes his way to his press conference at Heritage Hall in Los Angeles, California. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Harry How ……………..

Duke’s Jon Scheyer collides with Virginia Tech’s Malcolm Delaney, left, during the first half. Scheyer scored 25 points and collected 10 rebounds in the win. The Blue Devils defeated Virginia Tech (Hokies) 67-55 in the game . photo appears courtesy of Associated Press / Sara Davis ……………..

Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts speaks to the media Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010 at the Chicago Cubs spring training facility in Mesa, Ariz. photo appears Assoc. Press/ Matt York ….

Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella, right, along with coaches Matt Sinatro, middle, and Lester Strode watch pitchers warm up during spring training baseball camp practice Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010, in Mesa, Ariz. photo appears courtesy of Assoc. Press/ Ross D. Franklin ………..

Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Mauer swings in the batting cage at baseball spring training in Fort Myers, Fla., Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010. photo appears courtesy of Assoc Press/ Nati Harnik …….

Florida Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, left, watches batting practice with Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez during spring training baseball Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010, in Jupiter, Fla. With the smallest payroll in the majors last year, the Marlins won 87 games and finished six games behind eventual league champion Philadelphia in the NL East. Visiting spring training to watch the first full-squad workout, Loria said the 2009 Marlins underachieved. photo appears courtesy of Assoc Press/Jeff Roberson ……..

Israeli model Bar Refaeli seen here doing a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition phot-shoot.

Ray Allen (#20) of the Boston Celtics looks for a play against LeBron James (#23) of the Cleveland Cavaliers on February 25, 2010 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. photo appears courtesy of NBAE/ Getty Images/ Brian Babbineau …..

Floyd Mayweather, left, and current WBA welterweight super champion Shane Mosley exchange words during a news conference in New York, Tuesday, March 2, 2010. The press conference was to promote their May 1, 2010 fight in Las Vegas, Nevada. photo appears courtesy of Assoc Press/ Seth Wenig ……..

Floyd Mayweather, left, and current WBA welterweight world champion Shane Mosley pose for a picture during a news conference in New York, Tuesday, March 2, 2010. The news conference was to promote their May 1, 2010 fight in Las Vegas, Nevada. photo appears courtesy of Assoc Press /Seth Wenig

Scott Boras, chided for bonus demands for amateur clients, says the Major League Baseball draft needs restructuring. “In this system, everybody thinks this is about money. No, this is about saving money. It allows for less mistakes,” he says. photo appears courtesy of USA Today Jason M. Millstein ………………..

Commissioner of Major League Baseball Bud Selig and actress Sarah-Jessica Parker take part in an on field presentation during the 79th MLB All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium on July 15, 2008 in the Bronx borough of New York City. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images North America / Jim McIsaac ……………

Stacey Dash , actress , designer and entrepreneur .

Jennifer Aniston shows us that she’s more than willing to be your ‘friend’ ?

Model & Playboby playmate Naureen Zaim . Who wouldn’t mind teaching her a lesson or two on human anatomy ?

Cuban American actress & model Natalie Martinez

Martinez again looking good as only she possibly can !

Oh mon ami ! she possibly can ! Je t’aime !</strong

Who wouldn’t want to play with Natalie Martinez ?

Well hello there !

Model & actress Natalie Martinez ……….

Actress & model Natalie Martinez …….. Who wouldn’t want to get ahold of her rims ? I know I would !

New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez watches his fly-out in the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Friday, March 26, 2010, in Tampa, Fla. photo appears courtesy of Assoc Press / Mike Carlson ….

Sarasoata , Fl ,. Infielder Adrian Beltre (29) of the Boston Red Sox throws over to first for an out against the Baltimore Orioles during a Grapefruit League Spring Training Game at Ed Smith Stadium on March 27, 2010 in Sarasota, Florida. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ J Meric ……….

St. Louis , Bobby Maze (3) of the Tennessee Volunteers looks to shoot the ball against Mike Kebler (20) and Draymond Green (23) both of the Michigan State Spartans during the midwest regional final of the 2010 NCAA men’s basketball tournament at the Edward Jones Dome on March 28, 2010 in St. Louis, Missouri. Michigan State beat Tennessee 70-69. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Dilip Vishwanat …

The Duke Blue Devils hold up the trophy after a 78-71 win over the Baylor Bears in the south regional final of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament at Reliant Stadium in Houston on Sunday. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Ronald Martinez …

Butler’s Nick Rodgers hold up the West Regional trophy as the team returned home to Indianapolis amid a throng of fans after earning a spot in the Final Four with a victory over Kansas State Saturday. photo appears courtesy of Associated Press/ A J Mast ………..

West Virginia’s Da’Sean Butler and Joe Mazzulla hug after the game. Butler scored 18 points and Mazulla pitched in a career-high 17 to help West Virginia hold off the Wildcats. The Mountaineers would defeat the Kentucky Wildcats 73-66 to make their way the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Jim McIsaac ……….

Russian actress & model Anya Monzikova . Who wouldn’t want some of Monzikova alongside some fresh Beluga caviar ?

2008 Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford. The player is widely expected to be taken number one overall in the upcoming NFL Draft. The team with the first pick are the NFC’s St Louis Rams . photo appears courtesy of Associated Press/ Chris Rogers ………..

Eagles’ quarterback Donovan McNabb. The player is said to want to remain with the Eagles but it’s becoming clear that he will be traded sooner rather than later. Eagles’ coach Andy Reid and team President Joe Banner are willing to listen to offers for the Pro Bowler. photo appears courtesy of US Presswire/ Jody Gomez ………….

Tebow (15) left is seen here alongside his former college coach Urban Meyer. The two proved to be very sucessfule as a team combining to win two national titles in four years. photo appears courtesy of boston.com/ articles …………

DeMaurice Smith Executive Director of the NFLPA. Smith who assumed the position after the death of his predecessor Gene Upshaw. He was elected to the position by the board members of the Players’ Association. Smith was a corporate litigation attorney for the DC law firm Patton Boggs. photo appears courtesy of Associated Press/ Phillip Mitchell

Carlos Boozer #5 of the Utah Jazz has his shot challenged by Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on April 2, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. The Lakers would go on to defeat the Jazz 102-96 in the game . photo appears courtesy of NBAE/ Getty Images/ Andrew D Bernstein ………..

Donovan McNabb of the Philadelphia Eagles. The player was traded to the Washington Redskins a divisional rival in the NFC East. It adds to the flavor this upcoming season when the player meets his ‘former team’ . photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Hugh Malcolm ………………..

Baylor’s Brittney Griner and U Conn’s Maya Moore are seen here during the women’s Final Four game between the two teams. Geno Auriemma’s Huskies would go on to defeat the Baylor Lady Bears 70-50 in the game played at the Alamodome in San Antonio , Texas , Sunday April 4th 2010. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Alicia Mack ………..

Cleveland Browns nose tackle Shaun Rogers and his lawyer Patrick D’Angelo, center, talk to reporters after leaving Cleveland Police Headquarters where Rogers was charged with one felony count of carrying a concealed weapon on Friday, April 2, 2010, in Cleveland, Ohio. Rogers was arrested at Cleveland Hopkins International airport on Thursday after he tried to take a loaded handgun through airport security. photo appears courtesy of Associated Press/ Jason Miller …..

Butler head coach Brad Stevens , left to right, Gordon Hayward and Ronald Nored smile during an interview session for the men’s NCAA Final Four college basketball championship Sunday, April 4, 2010, in Indianapolis. The Butler Bulldogs will face Mike Krzyzewski’s Duke Blue Devils in the championship game Monday night to be played at Lucas Oil Stadium , Indianapolis, Indiana. This in many ways will be very much a “home game” for the small and in-obtrusive college team from Indiana. The furor over over their improbable journey has resonated within the state and across the nation. photo appears courtesy of Associated Press/ Mark J Terrill ……………

Los Angeles, April 4th 2010. Manu Ginobil (20) of the San Antonio Spurs goes to the basket against Luke Walton (4) of the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on Sunday. The San Antonio Spurs would go on to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers 100-81 in a game played at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. photo appears courtesy of NBAE/ Getty Images/ Noah Grahame …………….

Tiki Barber and his wife Gina Cha. Barber’s wife is six months pregnant with twins and is now in the midst of separating from the former NFL star. photo appears courtesy of Wire Image/ Duffie Marie Arnoult ………….

23 year old Traci Lynn Johnson an intern with NBC Universal and who works alongside Tiki Barber on the NBC morning show “The Today Show” . Barber and Johnson are romantically involved and the former NFL star has now separated from his wife of 11 years , Gina Cha. The couple have two children with twin now on the way in terms of Cha’s pregnancy. photo appears courtesy of Social Media SEO ……….

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2010/tracker#dt-tabs:dt-by-round/dt-by-round-input:1

Playboy Playmate Kayle Collins …………August 2008. Is there a need to proceed further concerning Kayle’s attributes ?

Jameer Nelson of the Orlando Magic goes for the layup in the Eastern Conference semi-final game played against the Atlanta Hawks. NBAE/ Getty Images/ Fernando Medina ………

Head Coach Jerry Sloan of the Utah Jazz fields questions from the media following his team’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Two of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2010 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on May 4, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. NBAE Getty Images _ Andrew D Bernstein

Kobe Bryant (24) of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots against Deron Williams (8 )of the Utah Jazz in Game Two of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2010 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on May 4, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. NBAE Getty Images/ Noah D Bernstein

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – JUNE 24: (L-R) Robert Vittek, Martin Skrtel and Radoslav Zabavnik of Slovakia celebrate victory after knocking Italy out of the competition during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Group F match between Slovakia and Italy at Ellis Park Stadium on June 24, 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images ……

Johannesburg , South Africa – June 24 th 2010. Kamil Kopunek of Slovakia celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Group F match between Slovakia and Italy at Ellis Park Stadium on June 24, 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images ……

Fabio Cannavaro, captain of Italy, leaves the field dejected after being knocked out of the competition by Slovakia during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Group F match between Slovakia and Italy at Ellis Park Stadium on June 24, 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images ………

In this Sept. 18, 2010, photo, Florida Marlins’ Dan Uggla bats in a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Miami. Uggla has been traded from the Marlins to the Atlanta Braves for infielder Omar Infante and left-hander Mike Dunn. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

This is a 2008 file photo of Dan Uggla of the Florida Marlins baseball team. Uggla and the Atlanta Braves have reached a preliminary agreement on a $62 million, five-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press Wednesday Jan. 5, 2011 on condition of anonymity because the agreement was not yet final. (AP Photo/Rob Carr, File)

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Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Wei-Yin Chen (16), of Taiwan, comes into the dugout following the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)

ST. PETERSBURG – AUGUST 04: Designated hitter Jeff Keppinger #7 of the Tampa Bay Rays fouls off a pitch against the Baltimore Orioles during the game at Tropicana Field on August 4, 2012 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)

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Simply chime in with a comment as you see fit with regard to the points raised within this a rticle.

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  The Old Man And The Sea ……… The Old Man And The Sea Of late, with all of the political in-fighting , backbiting and basic nonsense that seems to encapsulate the landscape of American politics on the domestic and international front .

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