#netherlands pro league

[coachtfd]

Clubs I would keep an eye on for young players right now:

Palmeiras (Brazil)

River Plate (Argentina)

Crystal Palace (England)

Royale Union SG (Belgium)

Famalicao (Portugal)

Red Bull Salzburg (Austria)

Nijmegen (Netherlands)

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Year

1. Belgium approves four-day week and gives employees the right to ignore their bosses after work

Workers in Belgium will soon be able to choose a four-day week under a series of labour market reforms announced on Tuesday.

The reform package agreed by the country's multi-party coalition government will also give workers the right to turn off work devices and ignore work-related messages after hours without fear of reprisal.

"We have experienced two difficult years. With this agreement, we set a beacon for an economy that is more innovative, sustainable and digital. The aim is to be able to make people and businesses stronger," Belgian prime minister Alexander de Croo told a press conference announcing the reform package.

2. Spain makes it a crime for pro-lifers to harass people outside abortion clinics

Spain has criminalized the harassment or intimidation of women going for an abortion under new legislation approved on Wednesday by the Senate. The move, which involved changes to the penal code, means anti-abortion activists who try to convince women not to terminate their pregnancies could face up to a year behind bars.

3. House passes bill to federally decriminalize marijuana

The House has voted with a slim bipartisan majority to federally decriminalize marijuana. The vote was 220 to 204.

The bill, sponsored by Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York, will prevent federal agencies from denying federal workers security clearances for cannabis use, and will allow the Veterans’ Administration to recommend medical marijuana to veterans living with posttraumatic stress disorder.

The bill also expunges the record of people convicted of non-violent cannabis offenses, which House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said, “can haunt people of color and impact the trajectory of their lives and career indefinitely.”

4. France makes birth control free for all women under 25

The scheme, which could benefit three million women, covers the pill, IUDs, contraceptive patches and other methods composed of steroid hormones.

Contraception for minors was already free in France. Several European countries, including Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway, make contraception free for teens.

5. The 1st fully hydrogen-powered passenger train service is now running in Germany. The only emissions are steam & condensed water.

Five of the trains started running in August. Another nine will be added in the coming months to replace 15 diesel trains on the regional route. Alstom says the Coradia iLint has a range of 1,000 kilometers, meaning that it can run all day on the line using a single tank of hydrogen. A hydrogen filling station has been set up on the route between Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven, Bremervörde and Buxtehude.

6. Princeton will cover all tuition costs for most families making under $100,000 a year, after getting rid of student loans

In September, the New Jersey Ivy League school announced it would be expanding its financial aid program to offer free tuition, including room and board, for most families whose annual income is under $100,000 a year. Previously, the same benefit was offered to families making under $65,000 a year. This new income limit will take effect for all undergraduates starting in the fall of 2023.

Princeton was also the first school in the US to eliminate student loans from its financial aid packages.

7. Humpback whales no longer listed as endangered after major recovery

Humpback whales will be removed from Australia's threatened-species list, after the government's independent scientific panel on threatened species deemed the mammals had made a major recovery. Humpback whales will no longer be considered an endangered or vulnerable species.

Climate change and fishing still pose threats to their long-term health.

Some other uplifting news from last year:

A Cancer Trial’s Unexpected Result: Remission in Every Patient

California 100 percent powered by renewables for first time

Israel formally bans LGBTQ conversion therapy

Tokyo Passes Law to Recognize Same-Sex Partnerships

First 100,000 KG Removed From the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

As we ring in the New Year let’s remember to focus on the good news. May this be a year of even more kindness and generosity. Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2023!

Thank you for following and supporting this g this newsletter

Buy me a coffee ❤️

[mostlysignssomeportents]

EU to Facebook: 'Drop Dead'

A leak from the European Data Protection Board reveals that the EU’s top privacy regulator is about to overrule the Irish Data Protection Commission and declare Facebook’s business model illegal, banning surveillance-based ads without explicit consent:

https://noyb.eu/en/noyb-win-personalized-ads-facebook-instagram-and-whatsapp-declared-illegal

In some ways, this is unsurprising. Since the GDPR’s beginning, it’s been crystal clear that the intention of the landmark privacy regulation was to extinguish commercial surveillance and ring down the curtain on “consent theater” — the fiction that you “agree” to be spied on by clicking “I agree” or just by landing on a web-page that has a link to some fine-print.

Under the GDPR, the default for data-collection is meaningful consent, meaning that a company that wants to spy on you and then sell or use the data it gathers has to ask you about each piece of data they plan to capture and each use they plan to make of it.

These uses have to be individually enumerated, and the user has to actively opt into giving up each piece of data and into each use of that data. That means that if you’re planning to steal 700 pieces of information from me and then use it in 700 ways, you need to ask me 1,400 questions and get a “Yes” to each of them.

What’s more, I have to be given a single tickbox at the start of this process that says, “No to all,” and then I have to be given access to all the features of the site or service.

The point of this exercise is to reveal consent theater for the sham it is. For all that apologists for commercial surveillance insist that “people like ads, so long as they’re well-targeted” and “the fact that people use high-surveillance services like Facebook shows a ‘revealed preference’ for being spied on,” we all know that no one likes surveillance.

There’s empirical proof of this! When Apple added one-click tracker opt-out on its Ios platform, 96% of users opted out, costing Facebook more than $10b in the first year (talk about a ‘revealed preference!’) (of course, Apple only opted those users out of tracking by its rivals, and secretly continued highly invasive, nonconsenual tracking of its customers):

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/14/luxury-surveillance/#liar-liar

Properly enforced, the GDPR would have upended the order of the digital world: any argument about surveillance between product managers at a digital firm would have been settled in favor of privacy, because the pro-privacy side could argue that no one would give consent, and the very act of asking would scare off lots of users.

But the GDPR wasn’t properly enforced, thanks to structural problems with European federalism itself. The first line of GDPR enforcement came from privacy regulators in whatever country a privacy-violator called home. That meant that when Big Tech companies violated the GDPR, they’d have to account for themselves to the privacy regulator in Ireland.

For multinational corporations, Ireland is what old-time con-artists used to call a “made town,” where the cop on the beat is in on the side of the criminals. Ireland’s decision to transform itself into a tax haven means that it can’t afford to upset the corporations that fly Irish flags of convenience and maintain the pretense that all their profits are floating in a state of untaxable grace in the Irish Sea.

That’s because there are plenty of other EU countries that compete with Ireland in the international race to the bottom on corporate governance: Malta, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Cyprus, etc (and of course, there’s post-Brexit UK, where the plan is to create an unregulated haven for the worst, wealthiest companies in the world).

All this means that seeking Irish justice from a corporation that wronged you is like asking a court in Moscow to punish an oligarch’s commercial empire on your behalf. Irish regulators are either “dingo babysitters” (guards in league with the guarded) or resource-starved into ineffectual torpor.

That’s how Facebook got away with violating the GDPR for so many years. The company hid behind the laughable fairy-tale that it didn’t need our consent to spy on us because it had a “legitimate purpose” for its surveillance, namely, that it was contractually obliged to spy on us thanks to the “agreement” we clicked on when we signed up for the service.

That is, you and Facebook had entered into a contract whereby Facebook promised you that it would spy on you, and if it didn’t spy on you, it would be violating that promise.

Har.

Har.

Har.

But while the GDPR has a structural weakness — allowing corporations to choose to be regulated in countries that can’t afford to piss them off — it also has a key strength: the private right of action, that is, the right of individuals to sue companies that violate the law, rather than having to convince a public prosecutor to take up their case.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/01/you-should-have-right-sue-companies-violate-your-privacy

The private right of action is vital to any privacy regulation, which is why companies fight it so hard. Whenever a privacy bill with a private right of action comes up, they tell scare-stories about “ambulance chasers” who’ll “clog up the system,” trotting out urban legends like the McDonald’s Hot Coffee story:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/06/12/hot-coffee/#mcgeico

But here we are, in the last days of 2022, and the private right of action is about to do what the Irish regulators wouldn’t do: force Facebook to obey the law. For that, we can thank Max Schrems and the nonprofit he founded, noyb.

Schrems, you may recall, is the Austrian activist, who, as a Stanford law student, realized that EU law barred American tech companies from sending their surveillance data on Europeans to US data-centers, which the NSA and other spy agencies treated as an arm of their own surveillance projects:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/07/16/text-adventures-resurgent/#nein

Schrems brought a case against the Irish regulator to the EU’s top privacy authority, arguing that it had failed its duty by ruling that Facebook’s “contractual obligation” excuse held water. According to the leaked report, Schrems has succeeded, which means, once again, Facebook’s business model is illegal.

Facebook will doubtless appeal, but the writing is on the wall here: it’s the end of the line for surveillance advertising in Europe, an affluent territory with 500m+ residents. This decision will doubtless give a tailwind to other important privacy cases in the EU, like Johnny Ryan’s case against the ad-tech consortium IAB over its “audience taxonomy” codes:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/06/16/inside-the-clock-tower/#inference

It’s also likely good news for Schrems’ other ongoing cases, like the one he’s brought against Google:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/05/15/out-here-everything-hurts/#noyb

Facebook has repeatedly threatened to leave the EU if it is required to stop breaking the law:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/09/22/uncivvl/#fb-v-eu

This is a pretty implausible threat, growing less plausible by the day. The company keeps delivering bad news to investors, who are not mollified by Mark Zuckerberg’s promise to rescue the company by convincing all of humanity to spend the rest of their lives as highly surveilled, legless, sexless, low-polygon cartoon characters:

https://www.fool.com/investing/2022/12/06/why-meta-platforms-stock-dove-today/

Zuckerberg and his entire senior team have seen their net worth plummet with Meta’s share price, and that means the company needs to pay engineers with actual dollars, rather than promises of shares, which kills the massive wage-bill discount the company has enjoyed. This is not a company that can afford to walk away from Europe!

Between Apple’s mobile (third-party) tracker-blocking and the EU calling time on surveillance ads, things are looking grim for Facebook. You love to see it! But things could get even worse, and soon, thanks to the double-edged sword of “network effects.”

Facebook is a network effects business: people join the service to socialize with the people who are already there — then more people join to socialize with them. But what network effects give, they can also take away: a service that gets more valuable when a new user signs up loses value when that user leaves.

This is beautifully explained in danah boyd’s “What if failure is the plan?” which recounts boyd’s experiences watching MySpace unravel as key nodes in its social graph disappeared when users quit: ��Failure of social media sites tends to be slow then fast”:

http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2022/12/05/what-if-failure-is-the-plan.html

Facebook long understood this, which is why it spent years creating artificial “switching costs” — penalties it could impose on users who quit, such as the loss of their family photos:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/08/facebooks-secret-war-switching-costs

This is why Facebook and other tech giants are so scared of interoperability, and why they are so furious about the new EU Digital Markets Act (DMA), which will force them to allow new services to connect to their platforms, so that users who quit Big Tech won’t have to lose their friends or data:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2022/04/eu-digital-markets-acts-interoperability-rule-addresses-important-need-raises

An interoperable Facebook would make it easy to leave social media by removing the penalties Facebook imposes on its disloyal users, and the EU’s privacy framework means that when they flee to a smaller safe haven, they won’t have to worry about commercial surveillance:

https://www.eff.org/interoperablefacebook

But what about advertising-supported media? Sure, being spied on sucks, but a subscription-first media landscape is a world where “the truth is paywalled, but the lies are free”:

https://www.currentaffairs.org/2020/08/the-truth-is-paywalled-but-the-lies-are-free/

Ironically, killing surveillance ads is good news for ad-driven media. Surveillance-based ad-targeting is nowhere near as effective as Google, Facebook and the other ad-tech companies claim (these companies are compulsive liars, it would be amazing if the only time they told the truth is when they were boasting about their products!):

https://onezero.medium.com/how-to-destroy-surveillance-capitalism-8135e6744d59

And consent-theater or no, targeted ads reach fewer users every day, thanks to ad- blockers, AKA, “the biggest boycott in world history”:

https://blogs.harvard.edu/doc/2015/09/28/beyond-ad-blocking-the-biggest-boycott-in-human-history/

And when a publisher does manage to display a targeted ad, they get screwed. The Googbook dupololy is a crooked affair, with the two tech companies illegally colluding (via the Jedi Blue conspiracy) to divert money from publishers to their own pockets:

https://techcrunch.com/2022/03/11/google-meta-jedi-blue-eu-uk-antitrust-probes/

Targeted ads are a cesspit of ad-fraud. 15% of all ad revenues are just unaccounted for:

https://twitter.com/swodinsky/status/1511172472762163202

The remaining funds aren’t any more trustworthy. Ad-tech is a bezzle (“the magic interval when a confidence trickster knows he has the money he has appropriated but the victim does not yet understand that he has lost it”):

https://pluralistic.net/2021/01/04/how-to-truth/

As Tim Hwang foretold in his essential Subprime Attention Crisis, the pretense that targeted ads are wildly effective has been slowly but surely losing ground to the wider awareness of the fraud behind the system, and a reckoning is at hand:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/10/05/florida-man/#wannamakers-ghost

Experiments with contextual ads (ads based on the content of the page you’re looking at, not on your behavior and demographics) have found them to about as effective in generated clicks and sales as surveillance ads.

https://pluralistic.net/2022/04/29/taken-in-context/#creep-me-not

But this is misleading. Contextual ads don’t require consent opt-in (because they’re not based on your data) and they don’t drive users to install blockers the way creepy surveillance ads do, so lots more people will see a contextual ad than a surveillance one. Thus, even if contextual ads generate slightly less money per reader or viewer, they generate far more money overall, because they are aren’t blocked.

Even better for publishers: contextual ads don’t erode their own rate cards. Today, when you visit a high-quality publisher like the Washington Post, many ad brokers bid to show you an ad, but only one wins the auction. However, all the others have tagged you as a “Washington Post reader,” and they can sell that to bottom-feeder junk sites. That is, they can collude with Tabooleh or its rivals to offer advertisers a chance to advertise to Post readers at a fraction of what the Post charges. Lather, rinse, repeat, and the Post’s own ad revenues are drained.

This doesn’t apply with contextual ads. Indeed, none of the tech giants’ much-vaunted “data advantage” — the largely overstated value of knowing what you did online 10 or 20 years ago, the belief in which keeps new companies out of the market — applies to context ads:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/04/11/halflife/#minatory-legend

The transformative power of banning surveillance advertising goes beyond merely protecting our privacy. It also largely answers the case for “link taxes” (pseudo-copyright systems that let giant media companies decide who can link to them and charge for the privilege).

The underlying case for link taxes, snippet taxes, etc, is that Big Tech is stealing the news media’s content (by letting their users talk about and quote the news), when the reality is that Big Tech is stealing their money (through ad-fraud):

https://doctorow.medium.com/big-tech-isnt-stealing-news-publishers-content-a97306884a6b

Unrigging the ad-tech market is a much better policy than establishing a link-tax, like the Democrats are poised to do with their Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (JCPA):

https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-influence/2022/12/06/jcpa-opponents-spring-into-action-to-block-ndaa-inclusion-00072602

It’s easy to understand why the monopoly/private-equity-dominated news industry wants JCPA, rather than a clean ad market. The JCPA just imposes a tax on the crooked ad-tech giants that is paid to the largest media companies, while a fair ad market would reward the media outlets that invested most in news (and thus in expensive, unionized news-gathering reporters).

Indeed, the JCPA only works if the ad-tech market remains corrupt: the excess Big Tech rents that Big News wants to claim here are the product of a rigged system. Unrig the system and there won’t be any money to pay the link tax with.

Image: Anthony Quintano (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mark_Zuckerberg_F8_2018_Keynote_%2841118883004%29.jpg

CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

[Image ID: A theater proscenium. Over the proscenium, in script, are the words 'Consent Theatre.' On the screen is an image of Mark Zuckerberg standing in front of the words 'Data Privacy.' He is gesturing expansively. A targeting reticle is centered on his face. The reticle is made of the stars from the EU flag.]

[faithinchances]

3.10 PSA

International break is a thing that the Prem (and just about every pro league in the world) goes on a couple times a season, during which time some players will be called-up to their national teams to play international matches (country vs country rather than club vs club). The players who are called up will travel “home” (ie, to their home country) to train with the national team and play the international matches (probably two, one at home and one away). Each break lasts about a week.

Not all of the characters will be called up, just the ones who are in the top handful of players of their position and nationality in the world.

Coaches aren’t involved in this, really. The national teams all have their own dedicated coaches, who are in charge of selecting the roster for this international break. Club coaches would remain behind and train the players who weren’t called up (or they might let everyone have the week off and go on vacation themselves). I can see Roy (who was an England international according to the Arlo White cheat sheet) checking in with Jamie a lot if he were called up, but it would be weird and inappropriate and happen via text/phone call. He would not be there in person.

Dani Rojas is a likely candidate (he’s listed as a Mexico international on the Arlo White cheat sheet), so is Thierry (since he’s in the Prem, he’s probably the best Canadian keeper). Maybe Sam, especially since Akufo features? Maybe Colin? If some time has passed and he’s continued to play so well, especially.

Unlikely candidates: the English, French, and Dutch (all these national teams are very good. They were all at the last World Cup; the Netherlands went out to Argentina who won, France were runners up, and England was who France beat in the round before on penalties). Unlikely candidates: anyone out of the starting 11.

If Jamie is called up, he wouldn’t go to Manchester. The England national team trains outside of Birmingham. 

[iww-gnv]

When the International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPRO) general secretary Jonas Baer-Hoffmann appeared at the Future of Sport conference in Paris last month, he described athlete data as “the third big-value contribution the players make to the sport industry,” following their on-field performance and image rights. Such a statement reflects data’s evaluated status in modern sports. Yet while name, image and likeness rights have been commercialized extensively in professional sports, data rights are a nascent field, evolving at varying speeds based on club cooperation, league and union maturity and legal jurisdiction. There’s a wide range of data collected, too, inclusive of GPS vests, optical tracking cameras, force plates, heart rate monitors and more.  FIFPRO, the consortium representing 66 global professional soccer unions, recently announced its grand ambition to tackle the issue itself, serving as an accelerant of a universal solution across soccer. The idea, Baer-Hoffmann said, is to “translate the highest standard of data protection legislation” into a centralized platform whose development is led by FIFPRO with the athletes’ interests at the center. The Netherlands-headquartered FIFPRO started exploring rights and protections of athlete data about five years ago. A survey it conducted during the 2020-21 season reported that 80% of pro players rated their interest in using data as at least an 8 on a 1-to-10 scale. Only about half, however, had full access to it or even understood why and how it was collected.

[retrogamingloft]

Pro Evolution Soccer 4 (PES 4) emerged as a landmark release in soccer video gaming upon its 2004 debut. As the fourth installment in Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer series, it was made available across multiple platforms including Xbox, PlayStation 2, and Microsoft Windows. The game distinguished itself with superior graphics and enhanced gameplay mechanics, providing a more lifelike soccer simulation than its predecessors.

A notable feature of PES 4 was its comprehensive licensing. It included fully licensed leagues from the Netherlands, Spain, and Italy, in addition to numerous licensed clubs worldwide. This extensive licensing was significant, as it added a layer of authenticity that previous entries lacked due to licensing constraints. Furthermore, the game's expanded Master League allowed players to manage a team across multiple seasons, handling finances and player development.

Critically acclaimed for its gameplay depth and realism, the game featured an advanced AI that made matches more challenging and tactical. It offered players refined control over actions like passing and shooting, allowing for precise adjustments in power and direction. The game also introduced innovative set-piece mechanics and features such as quick restarts, enhancing strategic elements during matches.

From a personal standpoint, at first, I genuinely enjoyed the game, especially compared to its predecessor. However, as time went on, I found it leaned too heavily towards an "arcade" style, which wasn't quite to my liking. It wasn't that the game was easy, but rather it lacked a strong emphasis on teamwork. Individual players, if skillful enough, could dominate by themselves.

This became evident when, after mastering the gameplay, it was possible for a single player to outmaneuver the entire opposing team and score. While I don't wish to detract from the game's merits, this aspect led to my disinterest. Once I felt there was no more to achieve, the game lost its appeal, and I moved on to other pursuits.

Despite this, PES 4 undeniably raised the bar for soccer simulations on the Xbox and other platforms, offering an immersive and enjoyable experience for sports enthusiasts. It remains a beloved entry in the series, celebrated for its substantial advancements in sports gaming.

[freifraufischer]

GIGA Pro Gymnastics has updated their website with among other things a bunch of quotes from gymnasts. I am presenting them here because I think the totality of how little copy editing they've done in how they've represented the words of these young women reflects on the professionalism of GIGA and how capable they are of representing the best interests of these athletes.

But it gets worse... because their website is dynamic in that they've fixed some of these quotes... but only on desk top.

And these people want to run a major media platform for this sport!

I want to stress I am in no way making fun of the athletes for these quotes. We have no idea under what circumstances they gave them... but this ... this is bad. The text represents the worst of the two (mobile) though Danusia Francis' name is misspelled in both.

“I am beyond excited to hear about a pro league for gymnastics. I hop [sic] this means we will see more amazing gymnasts competing in the sport they love for longer periods of time.” --Trinity Thomas - USA; 2018 Pan American Champion; 4x National Team Member; NCAA Champion, U of Florida

“When I first heard about the Pro League I thought it was a really exciting step for women’s gymnastics. Finally having the platform to showcase our talents alongside the worlds [sic] best whilst promoting the sport we all love, it’s a big game changer and I can’t wait to see how it comes together.” --Becky Downie - Great Britain; 2008 and 2016 Olympian and 3X European Champion

“I think the GIGA Pro League is a great opportunity for all female gymnasts to show people how beautiful our sport is. And to get everybody internationally involved.” --Eythora Thorsdottir - Netherlands, 2X Olumpian [sic], 4X European Championships medalist, record holder for the highest Olympic All Around finish for femail [sic] Dutch gymnasts

“I think the gymnastics pro league is brilliant. many [sic] girls are devasted [sic] when they have to leave gymnastics behind after so many years. Continuing that journey will be incredible and a dream come true for many in the sport.” --Derrian Gobourne - USA gymnast. NCAA National Champion and 2x National NCAA runner up at Auburn

“I’m overly excited for GIGA - a revolutionary step for the sport. This opportunity gives hig-level [sic] gymnasts the platform to monetize their craft - something they have been perfecting since they were just able to walk. To finally see positive change in our sport is exuberating, and it provides inspiration and hope for the next generation.” --Nia Dennis, NCAA National Champion and All American at UCLA, and former USA Gymnastics National Team Member

“Gymnastics has always been an anomaly in the sense that we peak when we’re in our teens, anything close to pro-meaning elite- is worlds apart to be made in the sport, and after college there is nowhere to look to continue to grow in the sport…” --Katelyn Ohashi - USA; 4x National Team Member; NCAA National Champion, UCLA; 6x NCAA All-American

“The Pro-League will be a great opportunity for the female athletes involved to capitalize on their hard work. It’s brilliant for the fans to see so many of their favourite gymnasts in one place, and it’s fantastic for the sport in terms of exposure and pushing the boundaries of creativity!” --Danusia Frances [sic] - Great Britain/Jamaica; 2012 & 2020 Olympian; Former UCLA Gymnast

“Professional Gymnastics is an amazing opportunity to continue the sport post college and even prior too. Being able to watch high level athletes compete across the world is a huge accomplishment in women [sic] sports & will be a game changer in the sport of gymnastics!” --Olivia Trautman - USA; Former National Team Member; NCAA National Champion, U of Oklahoma

“I think this is a great opportunity for female women to be empowered and rewarded for their hard work and commitment to this sport! Different experiences like this give new exciting opportunities for these athletes to stay involved and enjoy the sport in new ways.” --Ellie Black - Canada; 2012, 2016, 2020 Olympian

[mariacallous]

The Texas Observer and Bellingcat have identified the leader of a white nationalist group that distributed antisemitic and racist flyers in Weatherford, Mineral Wells, and Eagle Pass, three small Texas cities, over the last year. In an online conversation with the Observer, Rhett Murry Loftis, a 23-year-old resident of Weatherford, admits he leads the Parker County Active Club. 

“I’m a fascist, there’s no denying that,” Loftis said in a series of direct messages. 

Loftis, a former musician, said he first got active in the white nationalist movement in 2021 after spending several years lurking in online forums. In April 2023, Loftis formed the Parker County Active Club, which he described as a “white nationalist fight club.” Loftis also admitted that he organises white nationalist activism under the name of the Texas Nationalist Network.

Parker County is located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex in north central Texas and, in addition to the county seat Weatherford, contains parts of Mineral Wells and Fort Worth. The local Active Club is part of a decentralised network of “Active Clubs” that has spread across the United States and the global since 2020.

Described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as among the nation’s most active white nationalist groups, they use a combination of online propaganda, martial arts training, in-person gatherings, and small-scale demonstrations to drive recruitment and create new clubs. Bellingcat has previously reported on their presence in California and the Netherlands.

Jared Holt, a researcher at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a think tank focused on extremism and human rights, said these white supremacist clubs “are increasingly organised and resourced and could pose even greater threats to public safety and community wellbeing in the immediate future.”

Like other Active Clubs, the one in Parker County promotes white nationalist and neo-Nazi ideology, such as the “Great Replacement Theory” and the white genocide theory, which proclaim the Jewish population and non-white immigrants pose an existential threat to the white race. Posts from the group’s Telegram chatroom quote Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. Videos show members making stiff-arm salutes. 

Loftis told the Observer that he does not identify as neo-Nazi. But he acknowledged he collaborates with them.

“Although I believe some form of Fascism is the answer, National Socialism is not that,” Loftis said. “I do admire Hitler and I believe the Roman salute is a powerful symbol of White power….One of my main passions is to help facilitate cooperation and collaboration between various pro-White groups.”

The two active clubs in Texas, the Parker County Active Club and the Alamo Active Club, gathered for demonstrations outside the state Capitol in Austin in 2023 and somewhere near San Antonio in 2024, according to posts in their Telegram channels. Although the number of Texas members is unclear, photos and videos indicate that at least a dozen young men are involved.

While Texas Active Clubs have maintained a relatively low profile, Tennessee Active Club members made national headlines last year when they acted as security for a controversial right-wing mayoral candidate who was arrested on charges of promoting prostitution in the mid-1990s in Dallas. Researchers have expressed growing concern about the growth of this extremist network.

Photos and videos in the Parker County Active Club chatroom document overlap with other white nationalist groups, including Patriot Front, the White Lives Matter movement, and the Goyim Defense League. One video shows Loftis distributing antisemitic flyers with members of the Goyim Defense League whom the Observer identified in prior reporting. 

“Active Clubs can best be understood as modern-day skinheads, as they often engage in the same networks, activities, and ideologies,” Holt said. “They are wearing a very thin veil, but I worry it might just be enough that it’s left some people confused as to what is going on here. This is the same old hate with a new wig and makeup.”

One of the earliest posts in the Parker County Active Club chatroom emphasised the importance of maintaining good operational security and not revealing identifying information. 

Loftis was confirmed to be the leader of the Parker County Active Club by the Observer and Bellingcat because of social media posts, images, and music he shared online. 

[aronarchy]

https://www.reddit.com/r/JewsOfConscience/comments/1aef2x5/comment/kk7prli

u/s_y_s_t_e_m_i_c_:

Top Members of Far-right Swedish Party With neo-Nazi Roots Meet Israeli Minister in Knesset (Haaretz, January 29, 2024)

I’m reminded of a study that Peter Beinart wrote about on European antisemitism and how it is moderated by support for Israel.

Beinart explains, citing the findings of a study by Andras Kovacs, a sociologist and professor of Jewish Studies at the Central European University, and Gyorgy Fischer, the former research director for Gallup in Hungary:

In Europe, the story appears somewhat similar, but with a disturbing twist. This fall, Andras Kovacs, a sociologist and professor of Jewish Studies at the Central European University, and Gyorgy Fischer, the former research director for Gallup in Hungary, published a fascinating study entitled, “Antisemitic Prejudices in Europe.” To some degree, the evidence they find resembles evidence from the US. As a general rule, for instance, Western Europeans like Jews more but Israel less whereas Eastern Europeans like Jews less but Israel more. For instance, Romania, Poland and the Czech Republic exhibit some of the continent’s highest rates of both support for Israel and hostility to Jews. In Britain, Sweden and the Netherlands, by contrast, sympathy for Israel is far lower and so is antisemitism.

The reasons for this aren’t a mystery. Kovacs and Fischer find a strong correlation between antisemitism and xenophobia. “Antisemitism,” they write, “is largely a manifestation and consequence of resentment, distancing and rejection towards a generalised stranger.” Which is why Europe’s most antisemitic countries are also the most Islamophobic. But the very xenophobia that leads some Europeans—especially Eastern Europeans—to dislike Jews can also make them admire Israel.

The Beinart Notebook - Are Zionists more antisemitic than anti-Zionists?

Beinart states that the reason for this contradictory support is xenophobia and an admiration of Israel’s policies.

Israel, after all, has exactly the kind of immigration policy that many European xenophobes want for their own countries: an immigration policy that welcomes members of the dominant group and keeps out pretty much everyone else. Moreover, if you’re a xenophobe who dislikes the Jews in your country because they dilute ethnic and religious purity, Israel offers them a place to go and be with their own kind. That’s one of the reasons Arthur Balfour embraced Zionism in 1917. He liked the idea of a Jewish homeland in Palestine in part because he wanted Eastern European Jews to go there and not to his country.

The Beinart Notebook - Are Zionists more antisemitic than anti-Zionists?

In a nutshell, the study found a “strong correlation between antisemitism and xenophobia”—and Peter noted that xenophobic countries admired Israel, because they wanted to emulate similar policies towards immigrants.

While this news article in-question is about a Swedish figure (and Sweden overall, Peter notes, is less xenophobic, less antisemitic and thus, less pro-Israel), I think the politics at play here makes it applicable to Peter’s thesis. The Swedish party in-question are categorically fascist, ultra-nationalists. So one could see why they would find common cause with the far-right in Israel who would like to expel the Palestinians.

In England, one can observe a similar phenomena with the alliance between the English Defense League (EDL), in particular Tommy Robinson, and right-wing Zionists. The EDL has a branch for British Jewish members—and notable pro-Israel activists are supporters of such right-wing groups.

Supplemental:

Haaretz - Why the U.K.’s neo-Nazis Are Posing With Israeli Flags

Robinson in particularly has been coddled by right-wing Zionists, who have paid his legal fees when he continually fucks up in life.

The Philadelphia-based think tank Middle East Forum is one of the British extremist’s biggest sponsors. Daniel Pipes, MEF’s president, confirmed to The Times of Israel that his group has spent roughly $60,000 on three demonstrations defending Robinson’s legal trial.

The Jerusalem Post - Why are US ‘pro-Israel’ groups boosting a far-right, anti-Muslim UK extremist?

[alexbkrieger13]

nice article:) and a funny bit 😂

How Ève Périsset adapted perfectly to Chelsea

The first Frenchwoman in history to play for Chelsea, the 27-year-old defender finds PSG this Thursday evening in the Champions League, to testify to her good adaptation to England

Entering the legend of Les Bleues on July 23, by transforming with aplomb the penalty of victory during the quarter-final of the suffocating Euro against the Netherlands in Rotherham (1-0 ap) , Ève Périsset now wants to write that of the Blues.

After going around the question in France, playing successively for OL (2009-2016), PSG (2016-2020) and Bordeaux (2020-2022), the 27-year-old defender dared to leave her zone. of comfort by signing for Chelsea in early June, a first for a French player. While she will find PSG this Thursday evening at Stamford Bridge, in a final for first place in Group A of the Champions League, Périsset quickly fell in love with her new life in London.

The adventure however began like a whirlwind, since she had not even had time to unpack her boxes in London, mid-August, that she was already going on tour in the United States. Barely returned to England, Périsset then joined the selection. “After two and a half weeks of post-Euro holidays, the recovery was sporty, that's clear (laughs) . But since mid-September, I found my marks, I settled in my house, ten minutes by car from the Cobham training center (south-west of London) ”, she relates, little disturbed. by the weather but who sometimes feels the "lack of French bread" .

Dithyrambic about the evolution of women's football in England (see L'Equipe of October 19), highlighting an "extraordinary enthusiasm" , a "very homogeneous level" and "top infrastructure, with real billiards everywhere" , Périsset plunged into this new bath all of a sudden. “The first home game against Tottenham, in a friendly, I took an ankle sole, with stitches in the key. It was a welcome message to Anglet Erre”, she laughs. “Then we were supposed to play our first in the Championship at Stamford Bridge, against West Ham, but the game was postponed due to the death of the queen (September 8). It was a very special time, the whole country was in mourning, with the face of Elizabeth II everywhere. I really understood where I was, ” continues the new Chelsea player.

Not always a starter at the start, his place in the eleven is now almost assured

Close to the Czech Katerina Svitkova, who arrived at the same time as her, the Frenchwoman knew how to be accepted despite the language barrier, overcoming the shyness that could have slowed her down when she started out as a pro: "In the locker room, they listen to French music, including Djadja by Aya Nakamura, so I sang that for my hazing. I did 10 seconds on my own, then the whole team came with me. »

Not always a starter at the start, Périsset's place in the eleven is almost assured now, while she alternates between the right side of the defense, and a right axial position when Chelsea play five in defense. The staff are waiting for her progress in English so that she can completely free herself, but immediately flashed on her fighting qualities. Admirer of coach Emma Hayes, in place for ten years, an "extraordinary character, always with a smile and with a real touch on the game" , Eve the Londoner has found her new Garden of Eden

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 9.17 (after 1920)

1920 – The National Football League is organized as the American Professional Football Association in Canton, Ohio. 1924 – The Border Protection Corps is established in the Second Polish Republic for the defence of the eastern border against armed Soviet raids and local bandits. 1928 – The Okeechobee hurricane strikes southeastern Florida, killing more than 2,500 people. 1930 – The Kurdish Ararat rebellion is suppressed by the Turks. 1932 – A speech by Laureano Gómez leads to the escalation of the Leticia Incident. 1935 – The Niagara Gorge Railroad ceases operations after a rockslide. 1939 – World War II: The Soviet invasion of Poland begins. 1939 – World War II: German submarine U-29 sinks the British aircraft carrier HMS Courageous. 1940 – World War II: Due to setbacks in the Battle of Britain and approaching autumn weather, Hitler postpones Operation Sea Lion. 1941 – World War II: A decree of the Soviet State Committee of Defense restores compulsory military training. 1941 – World War II: Soviet forces enter Tehran during the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran. 1944 – World War II: Allied airborne troops parachute into the Netherlands as the "Market" half of Operation Market Garden and British XXX Corps advances into the Netherlands as the "Garden" half of the Operation. 1944 – World War II: Soviet troops launch the Tallinn Offensive against Germany and pro-independence Estonian units. 1944 – World War II: German forces are attacked by the Allies in the Battle of San Marino. 1948 – The Lehi (also known as the Stern gang) assassinates Count Folke Bernadotte, who was appointed by the United Nations to mediate between the Arab nations and Israel. 1948 – The Nizam of Hyderabad surrenders his sovereignty over the Hyderabad State and joins the Indian Union. 1949 – The Canadian steamship SS Noronic burns in Toronto Harbour with the loss of over 118 lives. 1961 – The world's first retractable roof stadium, the Civic Arena, opens in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 1961 – Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 706 crashes during takeoff from O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, killing all 37 people on board. 1965 – The Battle of Chawinda is fought between Pakistan and India. 1974 – Bangladesh, Grenada and Guinea-Bissau join the United Nations. 1976 – The Space Shuttle Enterprise is unveiled by NASA. 1978 – The Camp David Accords are signed by Israel and Egypt. 1980 – After weeks of strikes at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk, Poland, the nationwide independent trade union Solidarity is established. 1980 – Former Nicaraguan President Anastasio Somoza Debayle is killed in Asunción, Paraguay. 1983 – Vanessa Williams becomes the first black Miss America. 1991 – Estonia, North Korea, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, the Marshall Islands and Micronesia join the United Nations. 1991 – The first version of the Linux kernel (0.01) is released to the Internet. 1992 – An Iranian Kurdish leader and his two joiners are assassinated by political militants in Berlin. 2001 – The New York Stock Exchange reopens for trading after the September 11 attacks, the longest closure since the Great Depression. 2006 – Fourpeaked Mountain in Alaska erupts, marking the first eruption for the volcano in at least 10,000 years. 2006 – An audio tape of a private speech by Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány is leaked to the public, in which he confessed that his Hungarian Socialist Party had lied to win the 2006 election, sparking widespread protests across the country. 2011 – Occupy Wall Street movement begins in Zuccotti Park, New York City. 2013 – Grand Theft Auto V earns more than half a billion dollars on its first day of release. 2016 – Two bombs explode in Seaside Park, New Jersey, and Manhattan. Thirty-one people are injured in the Manhattan bombing. 2018 – A Russian reconnaissance aircraft carrying 15 people on board is brought down by a Syrian surface-to-air missile over the Mediterranean Sea.

[sobeeh2005]

Al-Qadisiyah's Return to the Saudi Pro League: Preparations and Key Signings

Al-Qadisiyah, owned by the oil giant Aramco, has made a successful return to the Saudi Pro League (Roshn League) after a standout season in the lower divisions. The team is currently conducting a training camp in the Netherlands, focusing on intense preparations for the upcoming season. Key Players and Transfers Al-Qadisiyah has significantly bolstered its squad with key signings, including…

[eterniiptv]

Spain Clinches Euro 2024 Title with Last-Minute 2-1 Victory Over England

Substitute Mikel Oyarzabal scored a dramatic late winner as Spain triumphed in the Euro 2024 final on Sunday, beating England 2–1 to re-establish themselves as a powerhouse on the international stage, ending England’s dream of securing their first title in nearly six decades.

England, as they had done throughout the tournament, came from behind when substitute Cole Palmer scored the equalizer in the 73rd minute, shortly after entering the game.

However, England’s resurgence was halted when Oyarzabal, the Real Sociedad forward, converted a cross in the 86th minute, securing Spain’s fourth European Championship and their third in the last five editions. Spain had previously won in 1964, 2008, and 2012, with the latter two titles bookending their 2010 World Cup victory during the golden era of Xavi Hernandez, Xabi Alonso, and Andres Iniesta.

While it remains to be seen if this generation, led by the brilliant Yamal who played just a day after his 17th birthday, can replicate the achievements of their predecessors, their victory was well-deserved.

Spain was the standout team throughout the tournament in Germany and remained unfazed by the predominantly pro-England crowd at the Olympiastadion.

England had hoped to secure their first men’s international title since their historic 1966 World Cup win but fell just short in their first-ever final on foreign soil. Following their penalty shootout defeat to Italy three years ago, they became the first team to lose back-to-back Euros finals.

Spain Overcome Rodri Injury

Spain dominated the game from the start, with England spending most of the first half chasing the ball. Neither team managed a shot on target until stoppage time at the end of the first half when Phil Foden’s effort from a Declan Rice free-kick was easily saved by goalkeeper Unai Simon.

Rodri’s injury occurred just before this, as he collided with teammate Aymeric Laporte while blocking a Kane shot. Spain’s standout holding midfielder was replaced by Martin Zubimendi at the restart.

Despite the potential disruption from Rodri’s absence, Spain quickly opened the scoring. Yamal, collecting a Dani Carvajal pass, darted inside and set up Williams, who scored with a low first-time shot across Jordan Pickford into the far corner.

England, needing to come from behind as they had in their previous knockout games, saw Southgate substitute Kane for Ollie Watkins, replicating the semi-final strategy against the Netherlands. Spain had opportunities to extend their lead, prompting their fans to chant ‘ole’ with each successful pass.

Southgate introduced Palmer for Kobbie Mainoo in an attempt to shift the momentum. Within three minutes, England equalized when Bukayo Saka’s cross was laid off by Jude Bellingham for Palmer, who scored with a low first-time shot.

Spain’s winner came four minutes from time, thanks to their super-sub Oyarzabal. He passed to Marc Cucurella on the left before racing into the middle to convert his teammate’s low cross, staying just onside.

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[theultimatefan]

Unexpected Starts, All-Stars and a Saves Mark Set: Ten Things to Know in the American Association This Week

The American Association of Professional Baseball (@AA_Baseball) season continues with a full slate of series this weekend, all available for free live viewing at aabaseball.tv. With the All-Star Game in Kansas City just 12 days away, check out the roster selections here.

Here are 10 (or so) more Things to Know about the AAPB this week:

When Iowa State Representative JD Scholten (House District 1) made a spot start for the Sioux City Explorers on Saturday, his first trip to the MercyOne Field at Lewis & Clark Park mound in 17 years, expectations were tempered. But that 6 2/3 innings of two-run ball earned the 44-year-old righty a win, media attention locally and nationally, and another start today at Fargo-Moorhead (12:30 p.m. CT, AABaseball.tv).

The Cleburne Railroaders' Carter Aldrete (nephew of 10-year Major Leaguer Mike Aldrete and son of nine-year pro Rich) has had a fantastic first season in powder blue, and he's the cover man in the June/July issue of Johnson County Community Life, which also previewed the season and included a feature on Railroaders Superfan Garey Wiley, who has attended all but two of the team's home games since 2017.

AAPB Broadcast alum Sean Aaronson, who has broadcasted the St. Paul Saints since 2007 (in the AAPB from 2007-20), was called up to broadcast six Minnesota Twins games - replacing Kris Atteberry, who broadcasted for St. Paul (2002-06, including '06 in the AAPB) and Sioux Falls (1999-2001).

On the player alum side, Gabriel Cancel (Milwaukee '23) was recently signed by the Blue Jays organization and homered six times in his first 10 games for Triple-A Buffalo, and Twins organization infielder Payton Eeles (Chicago '23), who began the season in Low A, was promoted to Triple-A St. Paul., where he’s slashing .333/.600/.667 in his first six games.

The Olympics are getting most of the international attention this summer, but there’s more worldwide baseball out there. Fargo-Moorhead RHP Orlando Rodriguez will be representing Spain at the upcoming European baseball tournament in the Netherlands.

Call it vacaciones, a siesta or a quick trip South of the Border, but AAPB All-Star Izzy Alcantara found Fargo-Moorhead more to his liking, returning to the RedHawks after a four-game stint with Aguascalientes in the Mexican League. The speedster (38 stolen bases through Wednesday) is second in the league in batting at .355 and has gone 10 for 26 in six games since his visit to the historic central Mexican city.

The Winnipeg Goldeyes are participating in a scholarship program with Baseball Manitoba, incorporating players, coaches and umpires into the offerings. Applications are due Monday, available through this link.

Members of the Kane County Cougars were on hand assisting clients at the Marklund Hyde Center in Geneva, Ill., on Tuesday for a softball game. The Center provides 24-hour residential care for infants, children and adults with severe and profound developmental disabilities. See a gallery of images from the fantastic day here, and congratulations to the whole Cougars organization on an amazing, fulfilling event.

On-field Congratulations are in order to the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks' Alex DuBord, who recorded his franchise-record 48th save in a F-M uniform last night in a win over the West-leading Sioux Falls Canaries. A former 10th-round pick of the San Francisco Giants out of Faulkner (Ala.) University, the Fargo native is in his fourth year with the RedHawks, posting 12 saves thus far in 2024.

Earlier this year, former longtime Gary SouthShore RailCats PA announcer, Tommy Williams passed away at the age of 66 years old. Williams was the PA announcer for the RailCats for 18 years and his signature “People, People, People.” opened up every RailCats home game, every fan that attended a game knew the voice and the signature statement as the sign of summer in Northwest Indiana. To honor his contributions not just to the RailCats, but also his love for sports in the Region for so long, the press box that Williams called home was renamed the “Tommy Williams Pressbox” on his birthday, July 4.

Some fun theme nights coming up:

Thursday, “Shirt off our Backs” Night, Winnipeg Goldeyes

Friday, “I’m Ron Burgundy?” Night, Sioux Falls Canaries

Friday, Video Game Night, Kane County Cougars

Sunday, Sensory Game, Gary SouthShore RailCats

Tuesday, Celebrate Reading Night, Sioux City Explorers

Wednesday, Tyler’s Amazing Balancing Act, Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks

[nightlyterrors]

MUSE FILE: DANIELLE CHRISTINA MORGAN

name: danielle christina morgan | age: fifty | orientation: lesbian | occupation: soccer superstar (formerly), actress (formerly) / producer, firm owner and investor | languages: english, dutch and french | height: 5'8 (169cm)

overview.

danielle was born in an unconventional family setting, to a father living in the states and her mother in the netherlands. she was raised by the latter for the most part, under conditions that wouldn’t exactly be described as proper. still, her mother loved her and that’s what mattered most to her. she found her outlet in playing football, or soccer as americans would say, which worked out great until her talent was noticed by certain scouts when sixteen. that’s when things started to change between her and her mother as well, the latter getting a taste for money. still, danielle doesn’t blame her even now. when at rock bottom, money often seems the best way to fix things. as she got recruited by a youth team from the states, danielle already wondered how that could even happen but was assured by her mother that she was simply that good. and whilst she was good, her mother did hide a fact that danielle still doesn’t forgive her for; her father’s influence. as it turns out, he is a renowned businessman in new york who got word of his daughter that he knew nothing of, being quite the talent in football. ever seeing opportunities to cash in, he decided to pitch in and get her to the states. whilst he did get her into the youth team, it was beyond his influence that she later got an offer of a full scholarship for harvard; which she took up on, doing a study in law. during this time, she had no contact with her father at all and didn’t even know of his existence. she only met him at the start of her career as a pro player for the national team, being persuaded to play for the states as players get paid more there; anything to help out her mother especially. they connected well, till she found out the truth about him having been involved. whilst she is legendary at football, there was a sour taste to know that her father was partially of influence in the starts of her career.

she then made the decision to cut all contact with him at once and keeping to that. her ties to her mother, who had moved to the states to support her, worsened significantly as well. many years later their bond would restore to some extent, especially when danielle would continue financially supporting her mom and the latter moving back to the netherlands, where she occasionally visits. to get further away from the states for a while, and new york in particular, danielle also started playing for major league teams back in europe and enjoying the fame that came with it. she very much became an icon, especially when she publicly came out as gay and actively fought for equal rights. this also earned her the necessary hardships in the beginning especially given the time, but nothing ‘the golden girl’ could not handle. her fame grew, her reputation without a blemish. the pay wasn’t massive like it would be in present days, but she made it turn massive by investing in companies and such. she clearly got the business mindset from her dad, along with qualities from her law study, and used that well.

still, the public was shocked when finding out that danielle got pregnant at twenty-four, even if it was fully intentional and through ivf treatment. cause as much as she enjoyed her career, she had wanted a family since very young. and so, alexander was born two months before she turned twenty-five. young indeed, though she managed well. also when two years later, she welcomed a little girl named aimee. perhaps she wasn’t a perfect mother with the chaos of her career, but she was a warm one who would do anything for her children. that, in combination with football becoming less and less fun to her, she retired somewhat early at the age of thirty-one.

already being famous and with the internet becoming more of a thing, she ventured into a different type of career; acting. and though she was fairly good at it, especially in femme fatale roles, danielle could not stand being told exactly what to do and when. for this reason, she decided to make use of her creative mind which she definitely got from her mom, and instead dipped into becoming a producer with several awards to her name. this became a long process, but years later and she’s more known for her feats in filmmaking than football. she also still uses her qualities from law school, but mostly to assure she and her children don't end up in suffocating contracts.

[khelnow]

India vs Ireland Highlights, Men's FIH Pro League 2023-24 Rourkela Leg

The Indian men’s hockey team faced defeat against Australia in shootout after the match ended in a 2-2 draw in regulation time. This was India’s third straight draw in the Men’s FIH Pro League 2023-24, the Men in Blue won just one of the shootouts in those three matches with that coming against Netherlands. They first went down to World No.1 Netherlands and then Australia in the shootout.