#big burn istanbul 2018

[gemsofgreece]

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia, its original full name being Ναός της Αγίας του Θεού Σοφίας (Church of the Holy Wisdom of God) is a Greek Orthodox Church located in Istanbul, present day Turkey.

The church was completed in 537 by the orders of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I and it was the most precious and impressive landmark of Constantinople and the entirety of the Byzantine Empire. The basilica was designed by the Greek geometers Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles. Upon setting his eyes on the completed church, it is said that Justinian cried out in Byzantine Greek “Νενίκηκά σέ, Σολομών!” (Neníkiká se, Solomón) which means “I have outdone thee, Solomon!” He was referring to Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem, whose majesty had been unparalleled according to the Hebrew Bible. Hagia Sophia remained the largest cathedral in the world for the next  thousand years. Hagia Sophia became the seat of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

The basilica suffered a lot of damage due to earthquakes, fires and during the era of Byzantine Iconoclasm, when the use of religious images was prohibited. At that time, Emperor Leo the Isaurian (726) ordered the icons to be destroyed, a damage that Empress Irene of Athens (797 - 802) tried to reprieve as much as possible. The cathedral was repaired after each of its destructions.

In 1204, Constantinople was sacked by the Crusaders. According to Greek historian Niketas Choniates, the crusaders stripped Hagia Sophia of all its gold and silver ornaments and several furnishings. According to Arab historian Ali ibn al-Athir, the crusaders also massacred some of its clerics. During the Latin Occupation of Constantinople (1204-1261) Hagia Sophia functioned as a Roman Catholic Church but its extensive damage was not repaired until its return to Orthodox control.

On 29 May 1453, Constantinople fell to the attacking forces of the Ottoman Turks which marked the end of the Byzantine Empire and the beginning of a several centuries long enslavement of Greek and Slavic people. During the siege of the city, the women, children, elderly and sick seeked refuge inside Hagia Sophia. When the city fell, the Ottoman troops headed to pillage the Church first thing.The sick and elderly they found inside the Church were killed and the children and women were sold as slaves. When Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror came to see the church himself, he immediately ordered it to be converted into a mosque. Mehmed renovated Hagia Sophia and retained its name as Aya Sofya, which became the first imperial mosque in Constantinople, now called Istanbul.

During Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent’s reign (1520-1566), the gorgeous mosaics depicting Jesus, Mary and various Byzantine emperors were covered by whitewash and plaster, which was removed only in 1931.

Until the 20th century, Hagia Sophia had been renovated and modified many times, especially with the addition of structures of the Islamic faith. The most notable example of restoration was by Sultan Abdulmejid (1823 - 1861) who hired the Swiss-Italian architects Gaspare and Giuseppe Fossati for the job. The brothers worked on strengthening the structure in many ways and tried to prevent further damage to the Christian mosaics and decorations.

Gaspare Fossati's 1852 depiction of the Hagia Sophia, which he and his brother renovated. Lithograph by Louis Haghe

In 1931, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, first president of the Republic of Turkey, which is the natural successor of the Ottoman Empire, ordered that Hagia Sophia should be turned into a museum. He was thus trying to make Turkey a secular state and lead it to the path of a more contemporary and tolerant society. For the first time in centuries, the carpets were removed to reveal the marble floor decorations and the plaster was also removed, uncovering many of the worn mosaics. The state of the Church was deteriorating and its restoration was funded by WMF. It was finished in 2006. By 2014, Hagia Sophia was the second most visited museum in Turkey, with 3.3 million visitors annually. In 2006, the Turkish government permitted Christians and Muslims alike to pray in a small room but it was strictly prohibited in the rest of the building.

In 2007, Greek American and Turkish movements started campaigns so that Hagia Sophia would function as a church or a mosque respectively. Since the 2010s, several turkish campaigns and government officials demanded Hagia Sophia to be turned to a mosque again. When Pope Francis acknowledged the Armenian Genocide in 2015, which Turkey officially denies, the Mufti of Ankara threatened that the conversion of Hagia Sophia would be accelerated. In 2016 and ever since, muslim prayers have been held there by various groups but the Association for the Protection of Historic Monuments and the Environment filed a lawsuit and the court decided the monument should remain a museum.

Since 2018, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed his intent to convert Hagia Sophia to a mosque, aiming to ensure the vote of the religious populace. He added that Atatürk’s move to make Hagia Sophia a museum was a “very big mistake”. Inside Hagia Sophia, he dedicated his prayer to all the souls who “left them this work of inheritance” and especially the conqueror of the Church and its city. In May 2020, Turkey celebrated the anniversary of the Fall of Constantinople with an Islamic prayer inside Hagia Sophia. Greece condemned that action and the Turkish goverment called that stance futile.

On 10 July 2020, and in the mid of tense relations of Turkey with many countries, including Greece, the Council of State with Erdogan’s influence decided the turn of Hagia Sophia to a mosque. The decision received secular and global criticism as well as requests to be undone. The decision is supported by the large majority of the politicians in Turkey and the largest part of the public. A few Turk scholars have denounced the decision. With a blatant indifference to the concerns, the Turkish president invited many foreign leaders to the opening of Hagia Sophia as a mosque, including some of those expressing concern and particularly Pope Francis.

On 22 July, the ancient marble floor was covered once again with carpets. The Christian mosaics will be once again hidden with curtains and lasers, with the promise that they won’t be further destroyed.

As Hagia Sophia is a UNESCO World Heritage Monument, this decision needed the official agreement of its committee. This step was ignored and UNESCO announced its deep regret for this decision.  The World Council of Churches, Pope Francis, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople and the Russian Orthodox Church’s Patriarch Kirill of Moscow have denounced the conversion. Josep Borrell, the EU’s high representative of the foreign affairs, Greek culture Minister Lina Mendoni, the spokesperson of the USA Morgan Ortagus, Jean-Yves Le Drian, the foreign minister of France, Vladimir Dzhabarov, deputy head of the foreign affairs committee of the Russian Federation Council have all criticised the move. The former deputy prime minister of Italy Mario Salvini led a protest against the decision, calling for all plans of a future accession of Turkey in the EU to be terminated once and for all. Greece and Cyprus called for EU sanctions on Turkey. A protest was held in East Jerusalem, Israel, during which a Turkish flag was burned and a Greek and a Greek Orthodox Church flag were displayed.

From the other side, Ersin Tatar, the prime minister of the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”, congratulated the decision. This state is globally recognised only by Turkey, as the rest of the world acknowledges it as occupation of the northern part of Cyprus since the Turkish invasion in 1974. The foreign ministry of Iran, the Arab Maghreb Union, the grand Mufti of Oman and the Pakistani politician Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi supported the decision. The Muslim Judicial Council in South Africa celebrated by sacrificing a camel.  On the other hand, Shawki Allam, grand Mufti of Egypt, ruled that conversion of the Hagia Sophia to a mosque is "impermissible".

Hagia Sophia opened as a mosque for Friday prayers on 24 July amongst celebrations and even songs with lyrics such as “you were always ours and we’ll always be yours”. In Greece, bells tolled and flags flew at half-staff at hundreds of churches across the country in protest. It is the fourth Byzantine Greek church converted from museum to a mosque during Erdoğan's rule. 

And that is the story of Hagia Sophia.

*All information is from Wikipedia and various news sites.

[selfcallednowhere]

February 3, 2018 Dallas, TX

They opened with "James K. Polk." This surprised me--I expected them to keep doing it during the Quiet Storm section cos that was what they did the previous two nights. I'm honestly feeling pretty burned out on this song live after seeing it a million times--seeing it done acoustically during Quiet Storm was different enough to keep me interested, but when it's just the normal arrangement I am yeh rather sick of it.

Next they played "Damn Good Times," the second song all three nights on this trip, which I very much am not sick of even though I've seen that one a bunch too. It's one of my favorite live songs, actually--it's just SO FUN. "Hey, Mr. DJ, I Thought You Said We Had a Deal" was next and also superfun, even though the presence of Curt would've made it way better.

After that Flans said that this theater was "the box that rocks," and then, gesturing at the balcony, told us that we'd be meeting our accusers one by one and then all our verdicts would be read.

After "All Time What," Flans that it was time for the "fastest-singing portion" of the show, and that they were going to try to sing together. Then John said that this show was like a re-enactment of the instore they'd done earlier in the day cos so many of the same people were there. Then Flans said that he'd gotten our verdicts and we were all guilty.

I didn't really try to think about what song has them both singing really fast and singing together when he said it, but if I had I probably would've been able to figure out what the song was: "Letterbox." I was really excited to see it again, cos it's one of my top top top favorite songs.

After "New York City," Flans said that the show was "going too fast." Then he made them turn the house lights on for a "beard assessment." He said the beards looked "shockingly natural," and ordered a "round of beards" for everyone.

John said that they were going to be playing a lot of new songs and it was "a burden" and "a weight pressing down and crushing everything." I don't understand why they kept acting like we were going to hate seeing the new songs so much--I loved it and actually wished they would play more new songs.

Then Flans said that what they were aiming for was volume, and "as Bob Dylan said, there's just too much sound." Then they played a little bit, and Flans said if you buy I Like Fun you can get "all your favorite classical themes in one set."

Then they played "Mrs. Bluebeard." John really mangled the lyrics when they played it for the first time two days prior to this, but then the next day he did a lot better and only screwed up a couple of times and I was proud of him! But this time he was back to screwing up all over the place again. I was amused because afterwards he said "That's how it goes!" NO IT ISN'T JOHN. (Yes, I of course understand that he knew that too and that was the joke.)

Next they played "Music Jail, Pt. 1 & 2" which is one of my fav Glean songs, so I'm glad that one is still in the set.

After "Particle Man" and then "The Famous Polka," Flans said that they were playing two sets, which gives plenty of time to email and text.

Then:

JL: We're playing a lot of new songs, so bear with us. JF: No one likes the new songs, John. But we've already locked the doors!

Then there was this really obnoxious and probably drunk woman screaming for "When the Lights Come On," which they were most likely going to play anyway because they'd already played it at every other show on the tour. They said they weren't gonna play it and she just kept screaming for it. Then Flans said that they were gonna play it but now they weren't because of her, and then she started yelling "BUT I LOVE YOU," which made Flans tell a story about how they played at Bonnaroo which "is like being on the surface of Mars, you want to be anywhere else, and we were getting paid," and he met someone who told him how TMBG meant so much to them "and by the way, I love '500 Miles.'" Then the obnoxious woman went back to screaming, and I guess Flans figured there was no way to get her to shut the fuck up besides playing the song, so he asked John if he wanted to play it and John said "Sure. Fuck it." So then they played it and it was COMPLETELY AWESOME like it had been the other times I'd seen it, but also I was just happy to not have to hear that woman screaming anymore, and I'm sure all the rest of the crowd and the band and well anyone else in the building actually were too.

After "Your Racist Friend" they played "Nothing's Gonna Change My Clothes," YES YES YES. Even though I'd just seen it the day before I was ecstatic, since it's one of my fav songs and I've only seen it live a handful of times.

Next came "Cyclops Rock"--I'm really happy that's one of the Mink Car songs they've brought back into the set. It's great live--SO ROCKIN'.

Afterwards, Flans asked John about the current political climate.

JL: It's awesome! JF: Who needs nightmares when you have daymares? Things are gonna be great...later.

John introduced "The Mesopotamians" by saying that when he was a kid in 3000 BC there was a TV show about them.

Then came the set break and then Quiet Storm, the first three songs of which were the same as the previous two nights: "Older" and "I Like Fun" with the contra-alto clarinet, then "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too" on accordion. Before the third Flans said they were "Tres Might Be Giants" and made Marty give a sample of what he can do with the electronic drums.

After that there was something that really upset me:

JF: How are you, John? How are you doing with that accordion? JL: I'm ok. The accordion...just have to deal with it.

This is definitely not the first time I've witnessed him complaining about how much he hates playing accordion these days and I'm sure it won't be the last, but it still really upsets me every single time because seeing him play it is pretty much my favorite thing.

Then Flans was talking about the storm sound effects--he reassured us that they are in fact not just fans blowing in mics.

Then they played MY THEME SONG. Nothing is ever going to be as special as seeing it for the first time the day before, but I was still unbelievably excited to see it again.

After that they played something they hadn't played either of the previous two days: "Meet James Ensor." So that was an unexpected surprise. I love that song, and I thought it worked really well in this format.

Then the band came back on stage. Flans introduced Dan as being "the finest guitarist in They Might Be Giants."

Next they played "Istanbul." I'm so unbelievably sick of this song live, but I do at least like the crazy jam session at the end of it. Flans jumped up on Marty's drum riser for part of it and it was silly.

Afterwards, Flans said he was sick of that acoustic music and that it "reminded him of his folkie days." Then he asked whoever was in charge of the A/C to turn it on (he was right, it was for some reason really warm even though it was chilly outside). Then he said that the next song they had to play "out of contractual obligation to our band."

The song was "Number Three," which is superfun live. It's become one of the Pink songs I've seen the most cos they've been playing it a lot the last few years, but I always really enjoy it.

Afterwards Flans said that they wanted to thank "the guy holding the beer perilously close to the end of his fingertips."

Then:

JF: This next song is from the album Glean, everybody. JL: That's right. JF: All the way back to 2015! JL: Not a song that we have to do. A song that we get to do. JF: Think about the good old days. 2015. Things seemed so...so normal then. No dystopian...hellscape.

They played "Answer," and then John put his accordion on and Dan came over to the keyboard. Flans said that he was getting on the keyboard "where he belongs," and I was like "Ummmm how does the keyboard player feel about you saying that?" But HEY if you ask me John does belong with his accordion on, not behind the keyboard.

The next song was a major show highlight for me: "Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head"! This is a very special song to me, it was my very first fav TMBG song (in other words the one I'd most rock out to as a 5-year-old hearing my dad play his cassette of Pink), and I still love it dearly now. I've only seen it a handful of times, so it was a big deal.

Next they played "Doctor Worm," which wasn't as big a deal since I've seen it a million times, but still really fun as always.

Flans was mentioning where the next few shows are going to be, and said if we know anyone in those places we should tell them to come to the shows.

Then:

JL: If you don't know anyone in those towns...the first letter of each city...backwards spells out...an important message. I know it seems like a random tour where you like...it's like drawing a star on the map. There really is a reason for it. JF: Our booking agent is keeping it a secret from us. JL: Yes, he hasn't told us what the message was. We haven't been able to figure it out. JF: But it appears the letters spell out some kind of swear word. JL: Yes. Something very harsh. JF: It seems to be some kind of swear word and then the words "you guys." We're not sure what it means. It's impossible to know what that message could mean. JL: Before we get off-track here. Apparently--there's a thing called the Kessler effect. [The name of the venue was The Kessler.] And I believe it originated here. What it is, is when stuff in space starts smashing into each other and...all of space is destroyed. Do you guys know about this? And I don't know why but this theater is the very first part of that chain. The Kessler effect. JF: I first heard about it when we were described as the Kessler effect of bands. JL: I mean, yeh. We've smashed into, um...Soup Dragons, I believe.

(I thought he might've been making this whole thing up, but my friend Ant, who's very knowledgeable about space stuff, informed me that no it's a real thing, it actually is when stuff in space smashes into other stuff and they break apart, and it can actually be really dangerous. The "all of space is destroyed" part I'm pretty sure he made up though!)

Then they played "The End of the Tour," which is so good live (though I do think it works best as a show closer).

Next came "Spy," lots of fun as always. At each show I'd been to John played a sample of something as part of his improv part--this time it was "Here Comes Santa Claus," which was silly. I also managed to scream during the parts when Flans was trying to get everyone in the crowd to scream, even though I was feeling almost weak from excitedly singing along with every song and screaming after they played songs I particularly loved.

Then they played "I Left My Body," which was the last I Like Fun song of the night.  I really loved all the new songs I got to see them play, but I just wish they'd played even more!

They closed out the main set with "Twisting," which was, as always, COMPLETELY KICKASS. For some reason Dan was singing the "she wants" backing vocals instead of John--I'm not sure what was up with that and I didn't like it.

They started the first encore with "Let Me Tell You About My Operation." This is my current favorite Flansong, so I love seeing it live.

Flans said that the next song was their new single, which I was confused by because they'd already played "I Left My Body" (which wasn't a single exactly, but the closest thing the album had). But he was just joking--it was actually "Why Does the Sun Shine?", which is of course very much not a new song. John informed us that things that are a gas on the sun included Fiestaware, which he held up his red mug when he said (holding tea instead of coffee this time, I noticed, as evidenced by the string and tag sticking over the edge). He paused for a long time before the list of things that the heat and light of the sun are caused by the nuclear reaction between, but finally it was "Stuff! Things! Items! And objects!" He is so silly!

The first song of the second encore was "Wicked Little Critta," and they closed the show the same way they did the night before: with "Birdhouse in Your Soul." A perfect close to a perfect night.

John continued on his "stripey shirts, nothing but stripey shirts" streak, so he was 3/3 on this particular show trip for me. This time it was a black and white stripey t-shirt that I don't think I've ever seen him wear before.

[istandistmag]

Big Burn İstanbul Geceleri Tüm Hızıyla Devam Ediyor!

Burn Enerji İçeceğinin katkıları ile Çarşamba gecelerinin vazgeçilmez adresi Flamme’da Berlin ateşi Nico Stajen ile alevlenecek.

Hafta ortasında mola vermeyi seven ve haftanın geri kalanı için enerjilerini dans etmekten alanlara Berlin’den gelen güzel bir önerimiz var: Nico Stojan! Doksanların başında başlayan Nico Stojan etkisi tür olarak sadece kendi adıyla kategorilendirilebiliyor. Berlin gece hayatında henüz popüler değilken Stojan o dönemde yaptığı caz ve hip hop soslu tech house müziği kitlelere sevdiren isim oluyor. Berlin’in ünlü kulübü Bar25’in uzun süre daimi DJ’i olan Nico Stojan etkisi kulübün kapanması ile bitmiyor daha da güçlenerek devam ediyor.

Stojan çok beklemeden festivallerin ve kulüplerin aranan isimleri arasına giriyor.

Acid Pauli, NU, Nicone ve Philip Bader gibi isimlerle yaptığı sayısız ortak çalışmayla ile minimal house türüne sayısız katkıda bulunuyor. Acid Pauli ile ortak kurdukları Ouïe records ile kendi vizyonunu katarak yarattığı modern dans müziği kayıtlarını dünya ile paylaşmayı amaçlıyor ve başarıyor da.

Stojan için şu anda analog ve dijital tonları mükemmel biçimde harmanlarken doğadan aldığı ilhamı da dinleyicilerine hissettiriyor diyebiliriz.

Bir bahar Çarşamba’sında eğlenmek ve doyasıya dans edip enerjinizi toplamak için Nico Stojan ’dan daha iyi bir alternatif sanırız düşünülemez.

https://soundcloud.com/nicostojan

Türkiye’de ve dünyada elektronik müziğe yön veren Burn Enerji İçeceğinin birbirinden eğlenceli etkinliklerinden haberdar olmak ve hiçbirini kaçırmamak için sosyal medya hesaplarını takip etmeyi unutmayın.

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[newstfionline]

The Tragedy Of Saudi Arabia’s War

By Declan Walsh, NY Times, Oct. 26, 2018

Chest heaving and eyes fluttering, the 3-year-old boy lay silently on a hospital ward in the highland town of Hajjah, a bag of bones fighting for breath.

His father, Ali al-Hajaji, stood anxiously over him. Mr. Hajaji had already lost one son three weeks earlier to the epidemic of hunger sweeping across Yemen. Now he feared that a second was slipping away.

It wasn’t for a lack of food in the area: The stores outside the hospital gate were filled with goods and the markets were bustling. But Mr. Hajaji couldn’t afford any of it because prices were rising too fast.

“I can barely buy a piece of stale bread,” he said. “That’s why my children are dying before my eyes.”

The devastating war in Yemen has gotten more attention recently as outrage over the killing of a Saudi dissident in Istanbul has turned a spotlight on Saudi actions elsewhere. The harshest criticism of the Saudi-led war has focused on the airstrikes that have killed thousands of civilians at weddings, funerals and on school buses, aided by American-supplied bombs and intelligence.

But aid experts and United Nations officials say a more insidious form of warfare is also being waged in Yemen, an economic war that is exacting a far greater toll on civilians and now risks tipping the country into a famine of catastrophic proportions.

Under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi-led coalition and its Yemeni allies have imposed a raft of punitive economic measures aimed at undercutting the Houthi rebels who control northern Yemen. But these actions--including periodic blockades, stringent import restrictions and withholding the salaries of about a million civil servants--have landed on the backs of civilians, laying the economy to waste and driving millions deeper into poverty.

Those measures have inflicted a slow-burn toll: infrastructure destroyed, jobs lost, a weakening currency and soaring prices. But in recent weeks the economic collapse has gathered pace at alarming speed, causing top United Nations officials to revise their predictions of famine.

“There is now a clear and present danger of an imminent and great, big famine engulfing Yemen,” Mark Lowcock, the under secretary for humanitarian affairs, told the Security Council on Tuesday. Eight million Yemenis already depend on emergency food aid to survive, he said, a figure that could soon rise to 14 million, or half Yemen’s population.

“People think famine is just a lack of food,” said Alex de Waal, author of “Mass Starvation” which analyzes recent man-made famines. “But in Yemen it’s about a war on the economy.”

The signs are everywhere, cutting across boundaries of class, tribe and region. Unpaid university professors issue desperate appeals for help on social media. Doctors and teachers are forced to sell their gold, land or cars to feed their families. On the streets of the capital, Sana, an elderly woman begs for alms with a loudspeaker.

“Help me,” the woman, Zahra Bajali, calls out. “I have a sick husband. I have a house for rent. Help.”

And in the hushed hunger wards, ailing infants hover between life and death. Of nearly two million malnourished children in Yemen, 400,000 are considered critically ill--a figure projected to rise by one quarter in the coming months.

“We are being crushed,” said Dr. Mekkia Mahdi at the health clinic in Aslam, an impoverished northwestern town that has been swamped with refugees fleeing the fighting in Hudaydah, an embattled port city 90 miles to the south.

Flitting between the beds at her spartan clinic, she cajoled mothers, dispensed orders to medics and spoon-fed milk to sickly infants. For some it was too late: the night before, an 11-month old boy had died. He weighed five and a half pounds.

Looking around her, Dr. Mahdi could not fathom the Western obsession with the Saudi killing of Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul.

“We’re surprised the Khashoggi case is getting so much attention while millions of Yemeni children are suffering,” she said. “Nobody gives a damn about them.”

She tugged on the flaccid skin of a drowsy 7-year-old girl with stick-like arms. “Look,” she said. “No meat. Only bones.”

The embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington did not respond to questions about the country’s policies in Yemen. But Saudi officials have defended their actions, citing rockets fired across their border by the Houthis, an armed group professing Zaidi Islam, an offshoot of Shiism, that Saudi Arabia, a Sunni monarchy, views as a proxy for its regional rival, Iran.

The Saudis point out that they, along with the United Arab Emirates, are among the most generous donors to Yemen’s humanitarian relief effort. Last spring, the two allies pledged $1 billion in aid to Yemen. In January, Saudi Arabia deposited $2 billion in Yemen’s central bank to prop up its currency.

But those efforts have been overshadowed by the coalition’s attacks on Yemen’s economy, including the denial of salaries to civil servants, a partial blockade that has driven up food prices, and the printing of vast amounts of bank notes, which caused the currency to plunge.

And the offensive to capture Hudaydah, which started in June, has endangered the main lifeline for imports to northern Yemen, displaced 570,000 people and edged many more closer to starvation.

A famine here, Mr. Lowcock warned, would be “much bigger than anything any professional in this field has seen during their working lives.”

When Ali Hajaji’s son fell ill with diarrhea and vomiting, the desperate father turned to extreme measures. Following the advice of village elders, he pushed the red-hot tip of a burning stick into Shaher’s chest, a folk remedy to drain the “black blood” from his son.

“People said burn him in the body and it will be O.K.,” Mr. Hajaji said. “When you have no money, and your son is sick, you’ll believe anything.”

“The big countries say they are fighting each other in Yemen,” Mr. Hajaji said. “But it feels to us like they are fighting the poor people.”

Yemen’s economic crisis was not some unfortunate but unavoidable side effect of the fighting.

In 2016, the Saudi-backed Yemeni government transferred the operations of the central bank from the Houthi-controlled capital, Sana, to the southern city of Aden. The bank, whose policies are dictated by Saudi Arabia, a senior Western official said, started printing vast amounts of new money--at least 600 billion riyals, according to one bank official. The new money caused an inflationary spiral that eroded the value of any savings people had.

The bank also stopped paying salaries to civil servants in Houthi-controlled areas, where 80 percent of Yemenis live. With the government as the largest employer, hundreds of thousands of families in the north suddenly had no income.

At the Sabeen hospital in Sana, Dr. Huda Rajumi treats the country’s most severely malnourished children. But her own family is suffering, too, as she falls out of Yemen’s vanishing middle class.

In the past year, she has received only a single month’s salary. Her husband, a retired soldier, is no longer getting his pension, and Dr. Rajumi has started to skimp on everyday pleasures, like fruit, meat and taxi rides, to make ends meet.

“We get by because people help each other out,” she said. “But it’s getting hard.”

Economic warfare takes other forms, too. In a recent paper, Martha Mundy, a lecturer at the London School of Economics, analyzed coalition airstrikes in Yemen, finding that their attacks on bridges, factories, fishing boats and even fields suggested that they aimed to destroy food production and distribution in Houthi-controlled areas.

Saudi Arabia’s tight control over all air and sea movements into northern Yemen has effectively made the area a prison for those who live there. In September, the World Health Organization brokered the establishment of a humanitarian air bridge to allow the sickest Yemenis--cancer patients and others with life-threatening conditions--to fly to Egypt.

Among those on the waiting list is Maimoona Naji, a 16-year-old girl with a melon-size tumor on her left leg. At a hostel in Sana, her father, Ali Naji, said they had obtained visas and money to travel to India for emergency treatment. Their hopes soared in September when his daughter was told she would be on the first plane out of Sana once the airlift started.

But the agreement has stalled, blocked by the Yemeni government, according to the senior Western official. Maimoona and dozens of other patients have been left stranded, the clock ticking on their illnesses.

“First they told us ‘next week, next week,’” said Mr. Naji, shuffling through reams of documents as tears welled up in his eyes. “Then they said no. Where is the humanity in that? What did we do to deserve this?”

The Saudi coalition is not solely to blame for Yemen’s food crisis.

In Houthi-held areas, aid workers say, commanders level illegal taxes at checkpoints and frequently try to divert international relief aid to the families of soldiers, or to line their own pockets.

Despite the harrowing scenes of suffering in the north, some Yemenis are getting rich. Upmarket parts of Sana are enjoying a mini real estate boom, partly fueled by Yemeni migrants returned from Saudi Arabia, but also by newly enriched Houthi officials.

Local residents say they have seen Houthi officials from modest backgrounds driving around the city in Lexus four-wheel drives, or shopping in luxury stores, trailed by armed gunmen, to buy suits and perfumes.

Tensions reached a climax this summer when the head of the United Nations migration agency was forced to leave Sana after clashing with the Houthi administration.

In an interview, the Houthi vice foreign minister, Hussain al-Ezzi, denied reports of corruption, and insisted that tensions with the United Nations had been resolved.

“We don’t deny there have been some mistakes on our side,” he said. “We are working to improve them.”

Only two famines have been officially declared by the United Nations in the past 20 years, in Somalia and South Sudan. A United Nations-led assessment due in mid-November will determine how close Yemen is to becoming the third.

To stave it off, aid workers are not appealing for shipments of relief aid but for urgent measures to rescue the battered economy.

“This is an income famine,” said Lise Grande, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Yemen. “The key to stopping it is to ensure that people have enough money to buy what they need to survive.”

The priority should be to stabilize the falling currency, she said, and to ensure that traders and shipping companies can import the food that Yemenis need.

Above all, she added, “the fighting has to stop.”

One hope for Yemenis is that the international fallout from the death of the Saudi dissident, Jamal Khashoggi, which has damaged Prince Mohammed’s international standing, might force him to relent in his unyielding prosecution of the war.

Peter Salisbury, a Yemen specialist at Chatham House, said that was unlikely.

“I think the Saudis have learned what they can get away with in Yemen--that western tolerance for pretty bad behavior is quite high,” he said. “If the Khashoggi murder tells us anything, it’s just how reluctant people are to rein the Saudis in.”

[opedguy]

Biden’s New Chance with Iran

LOS ANGELES (OnlineColumnist.com), March 1, 2021.-- Resisting an angry media call to sanction Saudi Arabia’s 35-year-old leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, 78-year-old President Joe Biden has another big decision what to do with Iran.  Biden’s figuring out the 2020 campaign is over, no need to do everything to spike 74-year-old former President Donald Trump.  Biden’s first month in office was spent trying to undo Trump’s four years with executive orders, something that satisfied his base but not what’s best for the country.  What’s best for the country is to get foreign policy right, not to do the opposite of Trump and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.  Biden just did the right thing today telling the press that he will not sanction Bin Salman over loud objections from the press for the Oct. 2, 2018 gruesome murder of former Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi embassy in Istanbul.

             Now comes the acid test for Biden on Iran, currently breaching the uranium enrichment limits of the July 15, 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA].  Former President Barack Obama spent two years getting badly out-negotiated by Tehran, handing Iran $1.6 billion in cash and $150 billion in sanctions relief.  Iran took the money and went on a state-sponsored terrorism binge, feeding arms-and-cash to Houthi rebels in Yemen to prosecute a proxy war against Saudi Arabia.  Iran spent large sums of cash supporting proxy war against Israel, feeding arms-and-cash of Hamas terrorists in Gaza and Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon and Iraq.  So when it comes to Iran, Biden’s best move is not repudiating Trump’s foreign policy but using it to his advantage to gain leverage on Tehran to return to compliance.  Iran insists there can be no compliance until the U.S. ends all sanctions.    

         Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khaemenei thinks that Biden would do anything to spite Trump, including entering into another bad nuclear deal. Trump has afforded Biden new leverage by maintaining sanctions, forcing Iran back into compliance before making any new nuclear deal.  “President Joe Biden’s administration should change Trump’s maximum policy towards Tehran . . If they want talks with Iran, first they should lift sanctions,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibxzadeh.  Iran thinks they can play Biden’s contempt toward Trump into a bad deal with the U.S.  Trump was a tough negotiator with Tehran, despised not because of weakness but because he called Tehran on the table for its malign activities in the Persian Gulf and North Africa.  Biden said Sunday that the U.S. would try to “re-engage in meaningful diplomacy” in consultation with P5+1 partners.     

        Biden knows that the most influential P5+1 partner is Russian President Vladimir Putin.  If Joe listened to the media, he’d burn all bridges with Moscow, slapping Putin and key members of the Kremlin with new economic and travel sanctions.  Slapping Putin with sanctions over Russian dissident Alexi Navalny makes zero sense.  State Department officials, led by 58-year-old Tony Blinken, can’t possibly think that Trump’s logic in trying to get along with Putin was a bad idea.  Since coming to power last month, Biden has spent much of his time bashing Putin, meddling in Russia’s internal affairs in terms of handling Navalny.  Now that Navalny’s spending the next two-years-eight-month in a penal colony, he’s the last excuse Biden should give not to get along with Putin.  Biden played his cards right with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, now it’s time to get it right with Putin.      

       Asking Iran to return to compliance under terms of the JCPOA sounds like a simple request before the U.S. ends economic sanctions. But Iran was never in compliance with the JCPOA because Tehran would not permit Vienna-based International Atomic Weapons Agency [IAEA] inspectors to enter Iran’s sensitive military uranium enrichment sites. “The new U.S. administration’s refusal to return to the deal is a historic mistake,” Khatibzadeh said, saying Tehran would continue to work with IAEA inspectors, despite saying last week they would not grant access into nuclear enrichment sites.  U.S. officials asked the IAEA’s board of governors to sign onto a U.S. resolution condemning Iran for scaling back inspections.  Iran’s can’t call all the shots and must allow IAEA inspectors back if it wants to see any U.S. sanctions lifted and further negotiations.     

        Biden has a golden opportunity to use Trump’s tough approach with Tehran to enable him to get Iran back into full compliance with the JCPOA.  Ayatollah Khamenei insists that the U.S. must first end sanctions before Tehran will even enter into informal discussions.  Khamenei has said Iran will enrich uranium to whatever level he sees fit, regardless of what the U.S. does with its sanctions.  “Europeans, with the backing of the United States, have initiated a wrong path in the IAEA’s board . . . we believe this move will lead to a mess,” said Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.  “We have solutions for all the scenarios,” showing that Zarif’s ever the game player.   After getting nowhere with Trump, Zarif figures he’s back to his old tricks with the Biden administration.  Biden should learn from Obama’s past mistakes, and hold Iran’s feet to the fire until they comply with the JCPOA.

 About the Author

 John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.  

[thisdaynews]

Everton: Carlo Ancelotti 'a massive coup' but is he right for Toffees?

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/everton-carlo-ancelotti-a-massive-coup-but-is-he-right-for-toffees/

Everton: Carlo Ancelotti 'a massive coup' but is he right for Toffees?

Will Carlo Ancelotti’s experience at Goodison Park be a happier one then that of 2011?

Carlo Ancelotti’s last experience of Goodison Park and the Premier League was being sacked by Chelsea in a side room on the final day of the season in May 2011 – now he is back at Everton as the biggest managerial appointment in the club’s history.

Ancelotti was greeted after a 1-0 loss by then Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay to hear the news that his two-year reign was over after failing to follow up a Premier League and FA Cup Double in 2010 with a trophy the following season.

Since then, the 60-year-old Italian’s travels have taken him to Paris St-Germain, Real Madrid – where he won the Champions League for the third time in 2014 – and Napoli, who sacked him last week.

Is Ancelotti the right fit for Everton?

This has been the burning question since Ancelotti’s arrival at Everton was first suggested, and has led to an outbreak of genuine anger among many fans who feel those questioning the appointment were telling the club to know their place.

Quite simply, Everton have appointed the best, most successful man available for the job. How can they be criticised for that?

It carries risks, but so would the retrograde step of reappointing David Moyes, favoured for a time by some in the Goodison Park boardroom, or even Mikel Arteta, appointed by Arsenal on Friday but who also had admirers at Everton.

Few managers come with a guarantee these days.

Ancelotti is football royalty, one of only three men to lift Europe’s elite trophy three times, alongside Liverpool’s Bob Paisley and Real Madrid’s Zinedine Zidane.

His appointment instantly gives Everton global relevance.

He may be understated but Ancelotti’s achievements at AC Milan – where he won the Champions League in 2003 and 2007, although he was also in charge for Liverpool’s famous comeback in Istanbul in 2005 – make him box office.

The debate around his suitability for Everton is a valid one, but it is hard to question or criticise owner Farhad Moshiri for pulling off this undoubted coup.

It is a show of ambition by Moshiri. He has handed Ancelotti a lucrative long-term contract and will also back him heavily in the transfer market. It could light up Goodison Park.

Moshiri’s reign has been disappointing so far, but he deserves huge credit for refusing to accept second best when such an outstanding candidate suddenly appeared on the market at the same time he was seeking a new manager.

Moshiri has always wanted a ‘Hollywood’ manager with the reputation and successes of Jose Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola.

Now Everton have one. And it can only be cause for optimism.

Ancelotti won the Champions League twice with AC Milan

The key question mark – and there is one – is that Ancelotti’s successes have been built on brilliantly calm man-management and tactical wisdom, which have made him the ideal facilitator of great players such as Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid.

Everton is a completely different task: rebuilding a team assembled on largely unwise spending that needs work from the ground up.

It is different from what Ancelotti is used to. However, it is disrespectful to suggest a man of such calibre and experience would find such a task beyond him.

And perhaps talk of a “fit” should be the other way around. Maybe it is down to Everton – who have been struggling before hiring Ancelotti – to mould themselves to fit him.

And this is where Ancelotti’s reputation will come in, where his name alone and the opportunity to play under him will attract players who would not have previously considered Everton.

Would this be the case with Moyes, whose name was greeted with such negativity by Toffees supporters when raised? Would this be the case with Bournemouth’s Eddie Howe or the Portuguese coach Vitor Pereira, who were also mentioned?

It would not. So while there is a debate to be had, it is hard to see the bad news for Everton in Ancelotti’s appointment.

Ancelotti appointed as Everton manager

Media playback is not supported on this device

What do Everton fans want from their new manager?

Ancelotti’s big tasks

Ancelotti is fortunate that he arrives at Everton with the club, team and fans reignited by Duncan Ferguson’s spell in caretaker charge.

The pure theatre of Ferguson’s presence in the technical area lifted the gloom of Silva’s final days and allowed Ancelotti to benefit from optimism after potential tough run of fixtures yielded a win against Chelsea and a draw at Manchester United, before the Carabao Cup quarter-final loss to Leicester City on penalties after a stirring fightback from two goals down.

Everton caretaker boss Ferguson said: “Nobody knows the players better than me. I’ve been here many a year and hopefully the new guy coming in uses me.”

Ancelotti is sure to make it his business to find out why 19-year-old compatriot Moise Kean has not made an impact, even being substituted as a substitute by Ferguson at Old Trafford.

Kean will surely welcome Ancelotti’s cool, analytical, arm-around-the-shoulder style, not to mention another Italian voice, and the forward might see his arrival as the chance to get his Everton career going.

The youngster has created some of his own problems – he was excluded from the matchday squad at Southampton in November for being late for a team meeting for the second time – but there is no doubt this is an untapped talent Ancelotti will hope to release.

Ancelotti has quality to work with in Brazil striker Richarlison, who has just signed a new five-year contract, France left-back Lucas Digne and England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. Iceland midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson is enigmatic but gifted.

Striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, 22, has looked transformed under Ferguson, while another young Englishman, 21-year-old midfielder Tom Davies, can only develop via Ancelotti’s wisdom.

The new manager needs to make Everton tougher to beat and more steely in the face of adversity. They never came from behind to win a league game during Marco Silva’s 18 months in charge.

Ancelotti is certain to be in the transfer market in January and beyond.

Everton’s summer trading under director of football Marcel Brands was flawed, leaving the squad light in central defence after on-loan Kurt Zouma returned to Chelsea. The need for a recognised goalscorer has never been adequately addressed since Romelu Lukaku left for Manchester United in summer 2017.

How will Everton’s new set-up work?

Moise Kean signed a five-year deal with Everton and Marcel Brands (left) was the driving force behind the deal

This will be one of the most intriguing aspects of Everton’s marquee appointment.

Everton brought in Brands in May 2018, shortly before Silva’s arrival as manager, after huge success at PSV Eindhoven. Such was his early impact that he was appointed to the board in January 2019 and, according to chief executive Denise Barrett-Baxendale, was responsible for the “whole football strategy”.

This dynamic surely shifts, even with subtlety, with Ancelotti coming in.

It is clear this move is driven by the ambition of Moshiri and it is likely such a significant and influential figure as Ancelotti will want to exert more power, understandably, than the understated Silva.

Brands has also been responsible for transfer work at Everton – he was the man behind the Kean purchase from Juventus.

Everton had operated a model of buying younger players with potential sell-on value, such as Kean.

Will that change now?

Ancelotti’s pull means more established players could be lured to Everton, who will clearly back him with high finance.

The Italian’s relaxed, cool personality means there is every chance the changes will develop without friction, but the strong-minded and powerful Brands will surely also want his say.

If Everton pull it off it will be a powerful partnership – but it will need to bed in.

For now, however, Everton have every right to celebrate a massive coup and Moshiri’s boldest statement of ambition and intent.

Read More

[travels-with-chris]

Istanbul

6th November 2018- Day 4

We had a busy day planned and started with a leisurely buffet breakfast with those great views. We then headed out to just five minutes from the hotel for a Turkish shave. The man started with Chris and lathered him before using a cut throat razor. A lighter was then used to burn stray ear hair, a comb and scissors for eyebrow hair, before a tar like substance is applied to the cheeks and across the nose. This is then ripped off, slightly painfully and an oil is applied to the skin and hair. Once this was complete the process was repeated on Richard. For just over £4 each it was well worth the money.

Having spotted a pleasant looking tea gardening our first full day we returned to drink one apple and one orange tea, which was really nice. Even with the setting adjacent to a graveyard it was relaxing and as you would expect, peaceful.

One place dominates the old town more than any other, Hagia Sophia, once the worlds biggest building. Firstly, a cathedral, then a mosque it is now a museum. Having been closed the previous day the queues were quite big, many guides said we could queue jump by going as a group, saying the wait would be 90 minutes if not. Well we were in within about twenty minutes, so there! We walked the grounds then took in the downstairs. Here we saw and touched the wishing column, damp when touched and said to cure illnesses and to have supernatural powers. Up the step ramps passing through the marble door the views to down below are spectacular.heading back down there was time to look at the mosaics, before passing the fountain on the way out. Time for a quick break for a hot dog lunch sitting on a nearby bench in Sultan Ahmet Square before more exploring!

On the hippodrome of Constantinople is a 4th century obelisk, at one end, a walled Obelisk from the 10th century at the other, as well asa serpent column now missing the serpents heads, celebrating the Greek victory over the Persians in the 5th century BC. There is even a German fountain given as a gift in 1900 to mark the visit of Kaiser Wilhem two years earlier.

A few minutes away we reached the sea front, saw the city walls and followed them along the water on and on. We thought we were heading to a well preserved part of the walls but after an hour we had no idea where we were, well that’s a lie we were at a hospital, but that’s all we knew. Time for tea and baclava which gave us a much needed rest. On we went again and lo and behold we found the city gates. Just scraping together enough energy for a walk to take in better views and a good picture, we were soon on the tram back to the hotel, stopping for wine and then more rest!

Near to the hotel a tout had asked us everyday to go in for dinner, well tonight was to be his night. With two chicken wraps with salad and chips it was nice to sit and people watch. With just enough of an appetite for an ice cream we headed to where we had spotted me ice cream seller performing tricks to draw the crowds in. Let’s just say neither of us were disappointed, though it’s better to watch from afar than be the one involved, as you will see.

[apexart-journal]

GA RAM KIM IN NYC, DAY 7

Mon Oct 15, 2018 - Day 7

9:00am: Café Grumpy I grabbed a coffee from Café Grumpy: they maid me iced flat white (less milk latte). Better taste for me, it made me happy.

9:30am: Circle Line Cruise in a rainy day

2 & half hours in Cruise It’s a real circle line. The unlimited scenery spread before myself. NYC is a really big city. I cannot imagine how big is it. How many buildings are there. I didn’t expect that I would come to the Inwood Hill Park area again in 24hours by a cruise ship. I did the cruise twice; once was in Istanbul, another was in London. And this time was the most spectacular. (But it doesn’t mean of the best.) Color-chip: Grey, brown, dark green

copyright © 2018 garamkim

1:30pm: Lunch at Pio Pio 8 Foods: Not good not bad Atmosphere: wonderful The waiter recommended me must-go restaurants. (because He knew that I am a tourist). He also mentioned “yelp” (yesterday, another told me). I need to download it.

4:00pm: Book talk ‘Writing the Women’s Movement, 1963-1991’ It was meaningful. It will be the total collection of the 2nd wave of feminism. There were full of old women looks like a scholar, a professor, or a critic. The book is coming up in 2020, will be published by The Library of America. There are 2 editors for the book, Alix Kates Shulman and Honor Moore. They spoke about how they selected over 800pages from the diverse. Q&A was impressive. Everyone said their name first, and made questions. People looked very exited, It was the celebrating moment.

6:30pm: Studies Project: Immigrants for immigrants: taste of home Food sharing and talking. It’s a gathering to build the network of immigrants artists. The striking sentences of the session: “Why do we immigrate?” “Human being wants to live in their own land.”

Day 7 What I like: Customised iced flat white   Challenge:  Feet burning

[mayramoss-blog1]

Unloved: Picking the Best XI of Players Who Haven't Yet Earned a Senior International Cap

With the 2018 World Cup to look forward to throughout the summer, football fans can expect to see some of the brightest talents in World football shining on the biggest stage of them all.

Throughout the years there have been some truly great national sides packed full of top talents and the World Cup in Russia will be no exception.

However, there remains a large pool of players who have eluded an international call up, in spite of their abundance of talent.

Some of these players still have much of their career ahead of them and subsequently have the potential to finally pick up that elusive international cap however, some have seen their chance at a career at international level pass them by without so much as a look-in.

Here is a 'World XI' of players who are yet to be capped by their country at senior level.  

1. GK: Timo Horn

24-year-old FC Koln goalkeeper Timo Horn is among one of Europe's most talented shot stoppers, having consistently proven himself to be one of Die Geißböcke's best players, keeping an impressive 66 clean sheets since graduating from the Bundesliga outfit's academy in 2011.

Assuming Horn was born in any other country in the world he would almost certainly be his country's number one. However, it's unfortunate for the Cologne born keeper that he has to compete against a host of top-class German shot stoppers in Manuel Neuer,  Marc-André ter Stegen, Bernd Leno, Kevin Trapp, Loris Karius and Oliver Baumann.

Although Horn has competed for Germany at every youth level, he is yet to be called up to the senior team, and assuming Die Mannschaft continue in their habits of producing some of the world's best goalkeepers, it is likely to stay that way.

Honourable mention: Gerónimo Rulli 

2. LB: Alex Telles

Unfortunately for Alex Telles, the FC Porto man was born into a generation of top-class Brazilian left backs, including the likes of Marcelo, Alex Sandro and Filipe Luís.

Perfectly embodying the modern full back, Telles has pace to burn and is just as capable going forward as he is in defence, often proving to be Os Dragões creative outlet down the left flank, notching two goals and 18 assists from 37 games throughout the 2017/18 campaign.

At 25, there remains a chance Telles may be called up to the Seleção, with the pacey defender attracting attention from a host of top clubs and current first choice Brazil left back Marcelo potentially coming towards the tail end of his international career.

Honourable mention: Marcos Alonso

3. CB: Aymeric Laporte

Just how Aymeric Laporte hasn't received a call-up to the France squad is a mystery. The young defender was a consistently stoic figure in the Athletic Bilbao back line since graduating from their second team midway through the 2012/13 season.

While competition for the position of centre back in the France squad is tight, Laporte is more than capable of matching, or even outclassing, his compatriots, with fellow Manchester City man Eliaquim Mangala picking up eight caps for Les Bleus.

As a confident ball-playing centre back, the 23-year-old defender would fit seamlessly into Didier Deschamps' France squad, paying alongside either Raphaël Varane or Samuel Umtiti, the Manchester City new boy could prove to be a revelation at the World Cup.

4. CB: Jamaal Lascelles

Since returning from his loan to Nottingham Forrest, Jamaal Lascelles has proven to be one of Newcastle United's key players, playing at the heart of the Magpies defence and playing a huge part in their return to the Premier League in the 2016/17 season as they were crowned champions of the second tier of English football, maintaining the joint-best defence in the league in the process.

Under the tutelage of former Liverpool and Real Madrid manager Rafael Benítez, Lascelles has steadily developed into onto of the finest English defenders in the league, pushing the likes of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones for their spots in the Three Lions squad.

Possessing versatility as well as the leadership qualities that are lacking from many of the players in the current national team squad, it wouldn't be surprising if Gareth Southgate handed the 24-year-old defender his first senior England cap before the World Cup this summer.

5. RB: Mariano

Throughout his career, Mariano has been a solid full back, plying his trade for the likes of Tombense, Fluminense, FC Girondins de Bordeux, Sevilla and now Galatasaray. Despite never playing for his native Brazil at a senior level, he did earn a call up to the Cananrinha squad twice in 2010 and 2017, although he didn't make a single appearance, being kept out of the side by Dani Alves and Maicon.

Following the arrival of Luis Muriel, Mariano made a move to Istanbul to play for current Turkish Süper Lig leaders Galatasaray, whereby his contributions have seen Aslanlar maintain the third-best defensive record in the league, behind only Beşiktaş and İstanbul Başakşehir. 

Throughout his career the tireless defender has made 396 appearances, winning the Coupe de France, the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A and the Europa League. However, at 31-years-old, it seems unlikely the veteran defender will ever earn himself a cap for Brazil.

6. CM: Gabi

Perhaps one of the best players in recent times not to receive international recognition, Atletico Madrid's captain Gabi is considered the complete footballer by many fans, with the Spanish midfiedler becoming known for his industrious efforts across the centre of the park.

Being kept out of the Spain national side by the likes of Xabi Alonso, Sergio Busquets and Marcos Senna seeing the former Real Zaragoza man fail to make a single appearance for an already top quality La Roja side.

Playing as the beating heart of an immensely successful Atletico Madrid side in recent years, the 34-year-old midfielder has quality in numerous departments, a fantastic combative ball-winner with an unprecedented ability to distribute the ball and initiate the attack. As such, Gabi played a huge part in Los Rojiblancos 2013/14 La Liga winning campaign.

Honourable mention: Amadou Diawara

7. CM: Dani Parejo

An all-round midfielder, capable of being deployed in the centre of midfield or in a more advanced role, Valecia's captain Dani Parejo has become known for his extraordinary vision and passing ability since joining Los Murciélagos in 2011.

Despite being an integral member of Valencia's midfield since joining from Getafe with his metronomic passing has opening up numerous La Liga defences, seeing him rack up a total of 44 league assists from 272 appearances, Parejo has been kept out of the Spain squad by a wealth of world class talent, including Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas and David Silva.

Although his quality passing and attacking play has garnered the attention of the likes of Liverpool in recent years, the 28-year-old has remained loyal to the side he has made over 250 appearances for.

8. CM: Arthur

One of the best young Brazilians to burst onto the scene in the 2017 Brasileirão, Arthur has proven himself to be the future of the Seleção. The young midfielder's passing ability were second to none in Brazil last season, helping Grêmio to their third Copa Libertadores triumph.

Although Arthur doesn't operate as a traditional Brazilian midfielder, incorporating an abundance of fancy turns and flicks into his play, his transitional play and incisive passing have garnered him worldwide acclaim. 

Subsequently, Europe big clubs have come calling and Barcelona have agreed a deal that will allow them first refusal on the Brazil starlet. Arthur has already earned game time for his country at the Under-17 and Under-20 levels, and with the World Cup fast approaching it would be a surprise if Tite overlooked the 21-year-old for the trip to Russia.

9. LW: Leon Bailey

Eligible to play for Jamaica, the country of his birth, or (possibly?) England via ancestry, Bayer Leverkusen's talented young winger Leon Bailey is already being compared to legendary Bayern Munich and Netherlands winger Arjen Robben.

This season, Bailey has become an integral component of Heiko Herrlich's exciting Werkself outfit as they continue to cause problems for the rest of Germany's top teams. 

In turn, the youngster has attracted the attention of the media and the English FA who are courting the Jamaican-born attacker, as well as a host of top clubs across Europe including Manchester City. 

The player's agent and father however claims his son is prepared to wait until he is eligible to represent Germany. 

Bailey's pace and skill have allowed the 20-year-old to run rings around Bundesliga defences this season, racking up 11 goals and five assists from 25 appearances and helping Leverkusen compete with the likes of FC Schalke 04, Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt and RasenBallsport Leipzig for Germany's much sought after Champions League spots.

10. RW: Malcom

Brazil have an abundance of talent across the pitch at all age levels, and FC Girondins de Bordeux's Malcom is no exception. Between himself and Ajax's David Neres (who is also uncapped by Brazil) the Canarinha have their right wing covered for years to come.

Throughout his time with Les Girondins, Malcom has caused a innumerable amount of Ligue 1 defenders headaches, whether it be his ability to beat his marker effortlessly in a one-on-one scenario or pick out a teammate with an inch perfect pass, the 21-year-old Brazilian has all the skills in his locker to one day become a legend of the Seleção.

Competing for a place against the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Douglas Costa, Willian, Gabriel Jesus, Roberto Firmino and, of course, Neymar is no easy task. However, Malcom has continued in a stunning vein of form, pushing his seniors all the way for a place in Tite's squad.

11. ST: Wissam Ben Yedder

Wissam Ben Yedder has been enjoying a phenomenal season for Sevilla so far this campaign, moreover the Frenchman has consistently brilliant since breaking onto the scene at Toulouse, notching 80 goals across 206 games since the 2010/11 season.

At 27-years-old, the Sarcelles-born striker has had the option to represent Tunisia due to parental heritage, but has held out in the hopes he might one day represent Les Bleus on the international stage.

Unfortunately for Ben Yedder, he faces competition from a host of top attacking talent that hail from France however, his lethal form in the Champions League this season may just see Didier Deschamp's head turned in the direction of the Sevilla hitman as he considers his options for Russia.

Honourable mention: Lautaro Martínez

Source link

http://www.manutdnews.online/?p=15681

[istandistmag]

Big Burn İstanbul Serisi İle Yaz Ateşi Kulüpleri Sarmaya Devam Ediyor!

Havaların ısınmasıyla birlikte yaz ateşi kulüpleri sarmaya Big Burn İstanbul serisi ile devam ediyor…

Burn Enerji İçeceği elektronik müzik severleri mutlu etmeye devam ediyor. Mayıs ayında Hypnose ve Klein’da gerçekleşecek 2 büyük etkinlikte 2016 ve 2017 yıllarında Burning Man’de sahne alan Luciano ve Beduin’i dinleme fırsatı sunuyor.

04 Mayıs Luciano Candenza Weekend / Hypnose Hall

İstanbul’un yeni festival deneyimi Big Burn İstanbul Nights kapsamında ilk etkinlik 4 Mayıs Cuma Gecesi elektronik müziğin yeni gözdesi Hypnos Hall’da Big Burn İstanbul serisi kapsamında Cadenza İstanbul Weekend.

Elektronik müzik dünyasının yıldız isimlerinin başında gelen, İbiza’nın en heyecan verici partilerinin arkasındaki isimLuciano; Minimal Techno’dan House ve Latin melodilere uzanan eklektik setleriyle kalıpların dışına çıkan bir prodüktör. Elektronik müziğin en eski ve uluslararası tek etkinliği “DJ Awards” ta içinde en iyi uluslararası DJ ödülünün de olduğu 10 dalda adaylığı ve toplam 5 ödül kazanımı var!

Tüm dünyanın dinlediği, ödüllü DJ Luciano ile uluslararası bir deneyim yaşamak için 4 Mayıs Cuma gecesi Hypnose Hall’a bekleniyorsunuz.

11 Mayıs Bedouin / KLEIN

Doğu’nun gizemi ve Batı’nın cesareti bir araya geldiğinde bakın neler oluyor! Tamer Malki ve Rami Abousabe’nin Brooklyn semalarında hayata geçirdiği bir proje bedevi anlamına gelen Bedouin ortaya çıkıyor… Sözsüz deep müziğin en başarılı isimlerinden biri olan Bedoun 2017 Big Burn İstanbul’la katılanların efsane performansı ile hatırlayacakları isim 11 Mayıs Cuma akşamı Klein’da tekrar İstanbul’un elektronik müzik tutkunları için sahnede olacak. İçinizdeki ateşin çağrısına kulak verin siz de bu efsane akşamda Klein’da yerinizi alın.

Türkiye’de ve dünyada elektronik müziğe yön veren Burn Enerji İçeceğinin birbirinden eğlenceli etkinliklerinden haberdar olmak ve hiçbirini kaçırmamak için sosyal medya hesaplarını takip etmeyi unutmayın.

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The post Big Burn İstanbul Serisi İle Yaz Ateşi Kulüpleri Sarmaya Devam Ediyor! appeared first on istandist.com - İstanbul' u Keşfet & Explore the Istanbul.

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POLITICO Playbook: ‘POLITICAL EARTHQUAKE’ in Alabama

HERE YOU GO, JARED — BREAKING, at 4:17 a.m.: “ISTANBUL (AP) – Palestinian President Abbas says Palestinians won’t accept any role for U.S. in Mideast peace process ‘from now on.’” http://bit.ly/2Bl3lUY

BANNER HEADLINE in the Montgomery Advertiser: “SEN. JONES (D) … Alabama votes Democrat in for historic change” http://bit.ly/2AhkEm1

Story Continued Below

Good Wednesday morning. GABE DEBENEDETTI and ALEX ISENSTADT in Birmingham, Alabama: “A Democrat has been elected to the Senate from Alabama for the first time in a quarter-century, and the political earthquake has just begun.” http://politi.co/2Ajs4p5

The White House is waking up to this reality: Palestinians say they won’t deal with the U.S. in Middle East peace process. The president endorsed the losing candidate twice in the Alabama race: Luther Strange lost the primary, and Roy Moore lost the special election. And he now faces a razor-thin majority in a U.S. Senate where he’s all but alienated a handful of the members of his own party. It looks like he’ll get tax reform done. But 2018 is looking really difficult for the president.

WHAT DOUG JONES’ VICTORY MEANS …

— THE FLIMSY MAJORITY: Governing in Washington has now become a coin flip. Republicans’ 51-49 majority isn’t much of a majority at all. This doesn’t have much of an impact at the moment, because Luther Strange will remain in the Senate until the end of the year, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters yesterday.

Tax reform is likely safe, as the Senate plans a Monday vote, and the House a Tuesday vote. But anything else the president wants to do legislatively is going to face stiff headwinds. Trump can lose only one vote on anything. And he’s beat up on key Republicans like Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), so his margin for error is completely nonexistent. Any single Republican senator will have leverage to exact concessions from the leadership given the razor-thin majority. McConnell will have to guide the White House more than ever. PROBABLY DEAD ON ARRIVAL: Any sort of overhaul of entitlements. A LOT HARDER: Repealing Obamacare. A BETTER BET? Infrastructure.

— HOUSE REPUBLICANS FURTHER SQUEEZED. Speaker Paul Ryan’s majority is already perpetually frustrated by a Senate that can’t — or won’t — move its bills. Hey guys, it’s only going to get worse for you now.

— TESTS ABOUND: Can the president figure out how to navigate this new political reality? Will CHUCK SCHUMER be able to keep Doug Jones in the fold? He’s been sneakily successful at keeping Democrats unified on legislative items like health care and tax reform. Now he has a senator who just might periodically find it in his interest to side with Republicans. KEEP YOUR EYES ON IMMIGRATION. A tighter majority could give Democrats more leverage — if they are unified. Nancy Pelosi and Schumer have staked out a fix for DACA as “must-do.” And now they’ll have an extra Democratic vote in 2018.

— FRESH QUESTIONS ABOUT STEVE BANNON. Get used to hearing this: candidates matter. That’s what Mitch McConnell’s world will be saying plenty over the next few days. Steven Law, the head of the McConnell backed Senate Leadership Fund, said: “This is a brutal reminder that candidate quality matters regardless of where you are running. Not only did Steve Bannon cost us a critical Senate seat in one of the most Republican states in the country, but he also dragged the president of the United States into his fiasco.”

REMEMBER: Bannon world was trying to tell reporters that if he had campaigned for Ed Gillespie in Virginia, he could’ve won. Gillespie lost by nine points. Bannon was essentially all in for Moore — he campaigned for him late in the race — and Jones nearly cracked the 50 percent mark.

— THE MIDTERMS: DEMOCRATS were already energized after the Virginia and New Jersey elections. Watch for the party to seize on this victory to pull in a pile of campaign cash for the midterm elections and re-up with top tier candidate recruits. REPUBLICANS are increasingly nervous about their prospects next year with President Trump as the leader of their party, and with little to show voters. House Republicans have been telling us for weeks that they feel a potential wave as they stare 2018 in the eye.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY, from Josh Holmes in Mike DeBonis’s story in the Post: “If I had the top five Republican minds in politics and we spent three months attempting to conceive of a way to lose an Alabama Senate race, I’m not sure that we could come up with it. You could literally take any name out of a phone book except Roy Moore’s and win by double digits. And we managed to get the only guy in Alabama that could lose to a Democrat.” http://wapo.st/2z7DH4b

NYT’S JONATHAN MARTIN and ALEX BURNS note a “suburban shellacking” in Alabama. “In Jefferson County, which includes Birmingham and some of the state’s wealthiest enclaves, Mr. Jones, the Democratic candidate, captured more than 68 percent of the vote. And in Madison County, home to Huntsville and a large NASA facility, Mr. Jones won 57 percent of the vote.” http://nyti.ms/2z80tsC

WAPO’S BOB COSTA: “Democrats are jubilant — and newly confident about 2018 — as Alabama delivers win on Trump’s turf” http://wapo.st/2z6CcU3

A RECOUNT might not be allowed, per Rick Hasen. http://bit.ly/2nYBynM

THE COLLECTIVE ‘PHEW’ MOMENT: Senate Republicans were scheduled to meet today to discuss whether they would allow Roy Moore in the conference. They don’t have to do that anymore.

— WHAT TO LEARN FROM THIS: “5 takeaways from Alabama’s startling special election,” by Gabe Debendetti and Alex Isenstadt: “Here are POLITICO’s five takeaways after Alabama’s wild, ugly, controversial, and historically unparalleled Senate race: Bannon’s bruising. Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon went all-in for Moore – and then some. … What black voter problem? All the chatter across Alabama for the final week of the race focused on Democrats’ alleged problems turning out black voters. But after a blockbuster turnout operation designed by Jones’ campaign and national Democrats, African-American voters turned out in massive numbers for the former U.S. attorney. … Trump loses capital. The president put his political capital on the line – and lost. …

��Revenge of the soccer mom. The other primary reason for Jones’ win was strong antipathy toward Moore among white, suburban, college-educated conservatives. … Democrats to Trump: Watch out. … Alabama’s historic turnout on Tuesday mirrored enormous numbers for Democratic voters in both Virginia’s and New Jersey’s gubernatorial races even after muddy campaigns in all three states – and party operatives are now lunging to capitalize on that energy ahead of the 2018 midterms.” http://politi.co/2BZUxkj

— BEHIND THE NUMBERS: “Exit polls: How Doug Jones pulled off his stunning win,” by Steven Shepard: “Doug Jones needed a surge of black voter turnout and a wide gender gap to pull off his stunning victory over embattled Republican Roy Moore in Tuesday’s special Senate election. In becoming the first Democrat to win a statewide federal election in Alabama since 1992, Jones proved that Democratic fears of low turnout among African-American voters — a reliable Democratic constituency in the racially polarized state — were unfounded.

“According to exit polls conducted by the National Election Pool, blacks made up about 29 percent of the electorate on Tuesday and voted for Jones almost unanimously, 96 percent to 4 percent — results that match turnout patterns showing greater than expected vote counts in many of the Black Belt counties and the state’s urban centers. Jones also made some inroads among white voters — particularly women and those with college degrees. While Moore still won white voters by a more-than-2-to-1 margin, 68 percent to 30 percent, that is closer than other recent elections in which Republicans won nearly 4 out of 5 white voters.” http://politi.co/2z6yA4l

— THE PRESIDENT’S MISCALCULATION: “Trump suffers ‘big black eye’ in Alabama,” by Eliana Johnson: “Doug Jones didn’t just defeat Roy Moore in Alabama’s Senate race on Tuesday night — he administered the most crushing and embarrassing political blow of President Donald Trump’s young presidency. Jones’ win meant that Trump, who had endorsed Luther Strange in the Republican primary before backing Moore in the general election, threw his weight behind the losing candidate not once, but twice, in the Alabama race.

“It was an extraordinary outcome in a state that Trump carried by 28 points in last year’s presidential election. Jones’ victory, the first by a Democrat in Alabama in 25 years, exposed the limits of the president’s power in a party that is now frequently referred to as ‘the party of Trump.’ Indeed, though rank-and-file Republicans have resisted, fought, and feared Trump’s influence over GOP voters, Tuesday’s election results suggested that, whatever the president’s power, he is incapable of boosting other anti-establishment candidates to office.” http://politi.co/2BZeO9p

— @realDonaldTrump at 11:08 p.m.: “Congratulations to Doug Jones on a hard fought victory. The write-in votes played a very big factor, but a win is a win. The people of Alabama are great, and the Republicans will have another shot at this seat in a very short period of time. It never ends!”

****** A message from the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates: UAE airlines bought $42 billion in US-made commercial aircraft at the 2017 Dubai Airshow. That’s economic growth and jobs for Americans. The UAE-US commercial aviation relationship is a win-win deal. http://politi.co/2AtLDMj ******

KNOWING DOUG JONES — “Doug Jones: A Lawyer in the Thick of Alabama’s Big Moments,” by NYT’s Alex Burns and Campbell Robertson: “Before the special election on Tuesday, the largest of Mr. Jones’s historical moments, and perhaps still the most consequential, were the successful prosecutions of two of the Klansmen involved in the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, nearly 40 years after the crime. Mr. Jones served as lead prosecutor. Though he continued to be involved in some of Alabama’s highest-profile legal cases in private practice, the church bombing prosecutions were his last work for the federal government until he starts his new job in Washington.

“Over the years, Mr. Jones, now 63, has remained a rare combination: part bourbon-sipping Southerner and part New York Yankees-loving Democrat. He has often called in to discuss legal matters with Paul Finebaum, whose radio talk show is akin to a religious service for college football fans in the Southeast, and he has been a longtime friend of former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., whose 1988 presidential campaign he worked on. Mr. Biden returned the favor with a rally appearance in October.” http://nyti.ms/2Cd7Oab

HAPPENING TODAY — HOUSE REPUBLICAN RUMBLE — House Republicans meet at 3 p.m. to discuss the end of year. Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has a messy situation on his hands. Government funding expires in nine days. The leadership faces resistance from appropriators, who don’t like the short-term funding of government, especially after they spent months passing the 12 spending bills; conservatives don’t like the uptick in spending; and Texans are angry because the billions they want in disaster spending might be pared back in size, and pushed back to January.

— THE CONCERN: The leadership has been talking about passing a full year of defense funding, paired with a short-term funding measure that funds government through sometime in January — a move aimed at forcing the Senate to swallow it. It’s not a sustainable position, because McConnell does not think he can pass this. So Republicans could be forced to pass a short-term spending measure, and revisit the fight in January. BUT Democrats will have much more leverage next year once Jones is sworn in.

— CONSIDER THIS: Republicans might have to swallow an immigration deal they don’t like. Congress might boost spending to new levels. They might bolster Obamacare. And they’re funding government on a two-week basis. TRUTH BOMB: They did better with President Barack Obama in the White House!

NOT A GOOD LOOK — “In texts, FBI agents on Russia probe called Trump an ‘idiot’,” by Josh Gerstein: “Two FBI agents assigned to the investigation into alleged collusion between President Donald Trump’s campaign and Russia exchanged text messages referring to the future president as an ‘idiot,’ according to copies of messages turned over to Congress Tuesday night by the Justice Department. Special Counsel Robert Mueller removed one of the agents, Peter Strzok, from the Russia probe ‘immediately’ after learning of the texts in late July, the department said in a letter to lawmakers. The other agent, Lisa Page, had already ended her assignment to Mueller’s office. Copies of the messages obtained by POLITICO show the pair reacting to various developments as the presidential race unfolded and that their reaction to Trump was negative from early on.” http://politi.co/2AC0qrm

WHERE THINGS STAND — “White House lawyer: Mueller finished with interviews he’s requested,” by Darren Samuelsohn: “Special counsel Robert Mueller on Tuesday completed interviews with the last in a slate of about two dozen current and former White House witnesses he’s initially requested as part of the investigation into Russia’s actions in the presidential election, White House attorney Ty Cobb said. It’s unclear if Mueller will seek follow-up interviews or seek to question additional people beyond the initial batch of witnesses, but the completion of this round of questioning tracks with the goal Cobb has long stated publicly that President Donald Trump’s White House was cooperating with the Russia investigators in search of a speedy resolution to the probe. …

“Cobb had previously said he expected the interviews to wrap up by Thanksgiving but, as the holiday approached, he backed away from that timeline. Cobb has also said he was looking for Mueller to issue a statement by the end of the year exonerating the president. Mueller’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Cobb’s characterization of the special counsel probe.” http://politi.co/2BiXwHE

ON TAXES …

— “GOP tax plan could bring big New Year’s surprises,” by Brian Faler: “American taxpayers may get a jolt on New Year’s Day when new tax rules — including some sudden tax increases — take effect just days after Republicans hope to pass their overhaul and have it signed into law. In an effort to juice the economy with tax cuts ahead of the midterm elections, the GOP is planning a Jan. 1 start date for its sweeping rewrite of the code. But along with Republicans’ much-advertised cuts in business and individual taxes, there would be tax increases as well, some of which have been barely debated.

“Some people who sell their homes may find they owe thousands more in taxes; investors could pay more when they sell stocks; and undocumented immigrants could find themselves cut off from a popular child tax credit Republicans plan to expand. Fringe benefits for workers such as subway passes and help with moving expenses will likely no longer be deductible, which might prompt companies to drop them.

“Payroll administrators worry they won’t be able to make changes to tax withholding by the first of the year, and both large and small businesses may face altogether new tax rules that many scarcely understand. Those overnight changes would leave the public little time to adjust, critics say, and highlight a downside to Republicans’ rapid-fire approach to rewriting the code.” http://politi.co/2nTn74o

— “GOP negotiators move closer to reducing top tax rate for high-income households but face blowback,” by WaPo’s Erica Werner and Damian Paletta: “Senior Republican negotiators were moving closer to a deal Tuesday to reduce the top tax rate for high-income households from 39.6 percent to 37 percent, blowing by political concerns about aiding the rich in order to ease passage of a $1.5 trillion tax package. The move, which needs to gain the support of a broad swath of Republicans in the House and Senate, would lower taxes for top earners throughout the country, potentially addressing the concerns of two GOP constituencies about separate tax legislation passed by the House and Senate.

“Wealthy individuals in New York, California and other high-tax states had complained that their taxes might go up under the plan, which curtails the ability of taxpayers to deduct state and local taxes. And conservative House Republicans had said it did not go far enough to bring down top rates — long a principle of Republican economic orthodoxy.” http://wapo.st/2CaPSwE

SO, at the end of the day, Republicans are cutting the top marginal tax rate.

PRESIDENT TRUMP is having lunch with tax conferees from both parties. He will deliver his “closing argument” on tax reform in the grand foyer at the White House at 3 p.m. Trump will be joined by five middle income families and talk about how the tax bill will help each one individually, according to a senior administration official. He’ll also be flanked by more than 100 people — many of them young — to try and press the point that the tax bill will have a lasting impact for the next generation.

BEN WHITE talks taxes with DOUGLAS HOLTZ-EAKIN in the latest POLITICO Money podcast: “The Republican tax plan is not going to pay for itself, and the Trump administration should stop pretending it will. That’s the message from Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a former director of the Congressional Budget Office and senior adviser to President George W. Bush and the presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

“‘I don’t think these things pay for themselves. They never have,’ said Holtz-Eakin, president of the conservative think tank American Action Forum, in the latest edition of the POLITICO Money podcast. ‘But the growth is really important.’” http://politi.co/2iZQhty … Listen to the full podcast http://apple.co/2nUA2Dc

THE JUICE …

— VP MIKE PENCE’S HOLIDAY PARTY – Pool report: “Pence entertained about 60 RNC members and spouses at his residence [last night]. Each member received a photo with him upon entering. Drinks included a so-so white wine and a seasonally appropriate mulled (virgin) cider. Food included a delightful baked salmon. … Guests were entertained by Marine Corps piano, a string orchestra from the Air Force, and a Northern Irish Christian band.” Pic http://politi.co/2AU5gxd

SPOTTED: RNC chairman Ronna McDaniel, who Pence referred to as “Ronna Romney McDaniel,” Rep. Amata Radewagen (R-American Samoa), former Puerto Rico Gov. Luis Fortuño, and Henry Barbour, the powerful Mississippi committeeman and nephew of the ex-governor.

— COMMERCE SECRETARY WILBUR ROSS and his wife Hilary Geary Ross hosted their holiday party last night where “guests drank Champagne and feasted on shrimp, smoked salmon, regional cheeses and pigs in the blanket while admiring their hosts’ extraordinary collection of art works by surrealist painter Rene Magritte”, according to an attendee. SPOTTED: Attorney General and Mrs. Jeff Sessions, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Louise Linton, Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, Kellyanne Conway, Jane Stanton Hitchcock, Patty Hearst Shaw, Chris and Lorraine Wallace …

… David Rubenstein, Rima Al-Sabah, Ashley Gunn, Ken Duberstein, Alexandra de Borchgrave, the ambassadors from Kuwait, Italy, Spain, Italy, Germany and Egypt, U.S. Amb. to France Jamie McCourt, U.S. Amb. to Spain Duke Buchan, Bill Nitze, Joan Fleischmann Tobin, Kevin Chaffee, Francesca Craig, Anita McBride, Lee Folger, John and JoAnn Mason, Buffy Cafritz, Ginny Ryan, Stuart and Wilma Bernstein and Tom Quinn, Rusty Powell, C. Boyden Gray, Susan Markey, James Rockas, Wendy Teramoto, Tom Barrack and his girlfriend Cio Soler, Reed and Maggie Cordish.

PHOTO DU JOUR: Senator-elect Doug Jones and his wife Louise wave to his supporters at a watch party in Birmingham, Ala. on Dec. 12. Jones defeated Republican Roy Moore in a close special election. | John Bazemore/AP Photo

NEW POLITICO/MORNING CONSULT POLL — STEVEN SHEPARD: “Half of voters say sexual misconduct accusations against Trump are credible”: “Fifty percent of registered voters think the allegations against Trump are credible, more than the 29 percent who think they are not credible. The remaining 21 percent of voters don’t know if the allegations are credible.” http://politi.co/2z7L1wH

SARAH KLEINER in Politico Magazine: “Veterans Charity Raises Millions to Help Those Who’ve Served. But Telemarketers Are Pocketing Most of It”: http://politi.co/2iZsRoc

****** A message from the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates: Boeing is the preferred supplier for UAE commercial aviation requirements. Over the past 10 years, UAE customers have ordered $150 billion in Boeing planes, supporting 781,000 jobs in the US and injecting billions of dollars into the US economy. In 2016, the US had a $19 billion trade surplus with the UAE, America’s third largest trade surplus globally. http://politi.co/2AtLDMj ******

HMM — “Trump’s Stand-In Bureaucrats May Have Overstayed Limits,” by Bloomberg’s Josh Eidelson: “President Donald Trump’s slow pace of hiring for key government jobs has left stand-ins occupying positions for so long that it may violate time limits on acting appointments, potentially resulting in decisions being overturned in court. Enforcement actions as well as policy decisions on a variety of topics, such as easing restrictions on methane emissions from oil wells or permitting schools to offer 1 percent milk, could be challenged on the grounds that they were enacted by officials who had been in acting roles too long or were improperly delegated authority.” https://bloom.bg/2ylq6ma

— “Millions of People Post Comments on Federal Regulations. Many Are Fake,” by WSJ’s James V. Grimaldi and Paul Overberg: “A comment posted on the Federal Communications Commission’s public docket endorses a Trump-administration plan to repeal a ‘net neutrality’ policy requiring internet providers to treat all web traffic the same. Calling the old Obama-era policy an ‘exploitation of the open Internet,’ the comment was posted on June 2 by Donna Duthie of Lake Bluff, Ill. It’s a fake. Ms. Duthie died 12 years ago. The Wall Street Journal has uncovered thousands of other fraudulent comments on regulatory dockets at federal agencies, some using what appear to be stolen identities posted by computers programmed to pile comments onto the dockets.” http://on.wsj.com/2z6sKjq

VALLEY TALK — GOOGLE’S TOP SEARCHES in the U.S. this year: Hurricane Irma, Matt Lauer, Tom Petty, Super Bowl, Las Vegas Shooting, Mayweather vs McGregor Fight, Solar Eclipse, Hurricane Harvey, Aaron Hernandez, Fidget Spinner. Their 2-min. “2017 Year in Search” video http://bit.ly/2Bhbiuq

MEDIAWATCH — NEW NYT MAGAZINE COVER – Sunday’s magazine is a special “She Said” edition that is dedicated to sexual harassment: “Amanda Hess, Anita Hill, Laura Kipnis, Soledad O’Brien, Lynn Povich, Danyel Smith and Emily Bazelon discuss how the rules of the workplace should be revised — and other questions of sex, power, ambitious and fairness.” http://nyti.ms/2CcQ3HU … The cover http://bit.ly/2AygF8Z

SPOTTED late last night at Le Diplomate: Jonathan Capehart, Nick Schmit, and Obama alums Sam Tubman, Joe Paulsen and former U.S. Amb. to Singapore Kirk Wagar. When Jones’ victory was called, there were cheers at the bar. … David Gergen and Arthur Brooks having lunch at Darlington House in Dupont yesterday

SPOTTED celebrating the career of retiring Fox lobbyist Kathy Ramsey at the Phoenix Park Hotel: CIA Director Mike Pompeo and wife Susan, Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) and wife Mylene, Rep. Billy Long (R-Mo.) and wife Barbara, Rep. Susan Brooks (R-Ind.), Chip Smith, Richard Bates, John Orlando, Bryce Harlow, Eddie Fritts.

OUT AND ABOUT — Newsmax Media held its Christmas party last night in New York at the 48th Lounge on Avenue of the Americas. SPOTTED: Randy Levine, Michael Clemente, former Sen. Al D’Amato (R-N.Y.), Steve Forbes, Tom DiNapoli, Maggie Haberman, Sam Nunberg, Bo Dietl, Rick Ungar, Randi Weingarten, Bill White Pat Caddell, Betsy McCaughey, Richard Johnson, Judith Miller, Bernard and Hala Kerik, Kimberly Reed, Monica Crowley, Lloyd Grove, Joe Conason, Deroy Murdock, Scott Rasmussen, Andrew Stein, Deroy Murdock and Rita Cosby.

SPOTTED at the RIAA and Spotify charity bash at the 9:30 Club celebrating Musicians On Call with Fifth Harmony: Reps. Ted Deutch (R-Fla.), Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), and Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Michele Ballantyne, Mitch Glazier, Tom Manatos, Emery Simon, Toby Knapp, Pete Griffin, Tyler Grimm, Lee Thomas Miller, Cara Duckworth, Jonathan Lamy, Sarah Gilmore, Sean McLean, Todd Flournoy, Chris Ortman, Austin Weatherford, Chris Cylke and Jonathan Adelstein.

SPOTTED at the Jefferson Hotel yesterday afternoon for a party for Tina Brown’s new book “The Vanity Fair Diaries: 1983 – 1992” hosted by Connie Milstein, Tammy Haddad, Andrea Mitchell, Carol Melton, Gail MacKinnon, Rachel Pearson, Kathy O’Hearn, and Hilary Rosen ($16 on Amazon http://amzn.to/2C0rahB): Chris and Lorraine Wallace, Jane Harman, Teresa Carlson, Kimberley Fritts, Ambassador Dina Kawar, Susan Sher, Heather Podesta, Kathleen Parker, Mack McLarty, Lloyd Hand, Tom Forrest, David Frum, Kristi Rogers, Becca Ginsberg, JoAnne Ginsberg, Jen Bloch, Kelley McCormick, David Chavern, Margaret Sullivan, Howard Fineman, Ryan Williams, Terri Fariello, Neera Tanden, Megan Smith, John Coale, Tori O’Neal, Alyse Nelson, Tom Quinn, Linda Douglass and former Amb. John Phillips, Kevin Baron, Robin Goldman, Jill Barclay, Janet Donovan, Craig Gordon, Jane Hitchcock and Jim Hoagland.

TRANSITIONS — @rchammond: “25 new stamps in my passport from traveling with Sec. Tillerson, but I am most proud of the U.S Seal on the front. Today is my last day working alongside America’s diplomats at the @StateDept. It has been a privilege to serve in the Trump Admin. and to be part of #MAGA … After the New Year, and a few weeks off, I will return to @TheHeraldGroup to help our clients develop and execute winning communications and public affairs strategies. #MerryChristmas”.

BIRTHDAYS OF THE DAY: former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, now president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council, is 67. How he got his start in politics: “The mayor of my town, Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, was shot and killed in a City Council meeting and I was asked by his father to run for mayor. I worked on rebuilding infrastructure. The mayor’s death was related to an unfixed sewer problem that caused sewage to back up in people’s homes.” Read his Playbook Plus Q&A: http://politi.co/2yiFi3L

–Trish Regan, host of “The Intelligence Report” with Trish Regan on Fox Business Network. How she got her start in journalism: “I got my start writing for the local town newspaper in Hampton, N.H., in the fifth grade. But, I never thought I’d be a journalist. Growing up, more than anything, I wanted to be an international opera star! Seriously. Fortunately, the journalism thing turned out to be a good fallback position.” Q&A: http://politi.co/2yiFi3L

BIRTHDAYS: Todd S. Purdum … Mo Elleithee, executive director of Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service at the McCourt School, Fox political contributor, Hillary campaign alum, former DNC spokesman, and loyal Hoya (hat tip: Ben Chang, his former Georgetown roommate) … Michael D. Smith, exec. director of MBK Alliance and Youth Opportunities at the Obama Foundation and former special assistant to President Obama (h/t Crystal Carson) … Jeffrey Schneider, principal at The Lead PR … Ben Bernanke is 64 … former Secretary of State George Shultz is 97 … Herman Cain is 72 … Allan Blutstein, America Rising’s FOIA Wizard, is 5-0 … Brian Baenig is 42 … Kelly Gleeson … Amy Mitchell … Stephenie Foster (hat tip: Jon Haber) … Washington Institute’s Stephanie Valdes … Nancy Fitzpatrick … Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) is 75 … Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) is 55. He celebrated Sunday with a big party with supporters in Silver Spring (h/t Marina McCarthy) … Rep. Donald Norcross (D-N.J.) is 59 … Edelman’s India Goodman … Morgan Williams …

… Riva Sciuto, manager of global comms and public affairs at Google … Bharat Krishnan … Rajeev Chopra … NBC News’ Haley Talbot, right-hand to Andrea Mitchell (h/t Olivia Petersen) … Nick Payton … Google’s Conor Chrisom … Peter Ogburn is 38 … Atefeh Yazdi … Karen Hicks … Joe Rozek, executive director of homeland security and counterterrorism at Microsoft Licensing … Martin Whitmer … William Todd … Ruth Wedgwood … Viviana Hurtado … Elizabeth Dial Pinkerton … Leighann Lenti … Bernard Duffi is 45 … Jill Latham … Vera Jordan … Alec Zender … George Fishman … Randy Riddle … Pat Peyton … Alan Julson (h/ts Teresa Vilmain)

****** A message from the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates: UAE airlines have received or have on order more than 800 Boeing aircraft. Emirates is the world’s largest operator of Boeing 777s and has 40 Boeing 787-10s currently on order. Flydubai operates an all-Boeing fleet of planes and has a total of 361 Boeing 737s on order. Etihad operates 24 Boeing 777s with 25 more on order, and has an additional $8.7 billion order for Boeing 787-10s. UAE airlines now serve 11 US gateway cities from Dubai and Abu Dhabi with more than 250 weekly nonstop flights. http://politi.co/2AtLDMj ******

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[elitehomespro]

Prices of properties in Besiktas

In the real estate tax, the unit values of the square meters, which will be effective from 1 January 2018, will burn the citizen’s pocket. Büyükdere Street in Levent in Istanbul, went from 2,800 liras to 24,500 liras in seven years, Besiktas Balli Street 700 liras went to 11 thousand 500 liras. In the villa area Zekeriyaköy, the streets of Akçaağaç and Aksöğüt remained in a thousand 500 liras.

The unit values renewed every 4 years in the real estate tax were re-determined this year. The Mayor or his or her deputy, a commissioner from the municipality, a deputy registry manager or deputy, 1 member from the chamber of commerce, 2 representatives from the Ministry of Finance and village or neighborhood chiefs, determined the new unit values, street by street individually. New unit values in the real estate tax will be effective from January 1, 2018, and real estate taxes in the new year will be paid over these values. During real estate transactions, the value of the title deed will not be lower than the value of the real estate tax. After the old unit values that brought with it big arguments, the values of 2018 are also arguable.

The municipalities, during the last fixations made this year, increased the value of early 2010 to 8, 9. The increase rates exceeded 700 percent in Istanbul. In many cities, inflation was well overvalued. One of these is Beşiktaş. Levent Neighborhood in the province of Büyükdere Caddesi, which is connected to the county, was 2,800 liras per square meter in 2010, 24 thousand 500 liras for the year 2018 was determined. Ballı Sokak also connected to the same neighborhood, the 700 square meters in 2010, the value of the square, from the beginning of 2018 elevated to 11 thousand 500 liras. Up to 183 per cent of the new attraction centers of Anatolian side are also in Ümraniye. Ihlamur Kuyu Alemdağ Street, which is close to the Istanbul Financial Center in the district, has become a point of view of contractors and investors. The value of 300 liras in 2010 increased by 183% to 850 liras in the year 2010 and it increased from 150 liras to 425 liras in İstiklal Mahallesi. In the Site Quarter near Istanbul Finance Center, the lowest 65 and the highest 800 liras were up to 2,500 liras.

  from Istanbul Real Estate http://ift.tt/2ATYbwk via IFTTT

[juliandmouton30]

This week, BIG completed a war museum beside a Nazi bunker

This week on Dezeen, BIG completed a second world war museum next to a German-built bunker in Denmark and a replica of the Parthenon was constructed on a Nazi book-burning site using 100,000 forbidden titles.

Danish firm BIG carved linear passageways out of a sand dune to create an "invisible museum", as well as creating new exhibition space for the adjacent bunker.

100,000 forbidden books used to construct Parthenon replica on Nazi book-burning site

Meanwhile, Argentinian artist Marta Minujín built her Parthenon replica from thousands of prohibited books on a site used by the Nazi to burn them in Kassel.

Inside Festival revealed the 78 projects contending for this year's World Interior of the Year title, including a mathematics gallery designed by Zaha Hadid Architects and the office Neri&Hu created inside an old missile factory.

World Interior of the Year 2017 shortlist announced

American women in architecture weighed in on the ongoing "female architect" debate and work on a giant observation wheel planned for New York's Staten Island ground to a halt.

MVRDV designed a pixellated Rotterdam skyscraper and unveils plans for Eindhoven housing with jagged grass-covered roofs.

The lion logo on Dutch national football kits was transformed into a lioness for the women's team.

MVRDV designs new Rotterdam skyscraper featuring pixellated walls

In the UK, London major Sadiq Khan appointed David Adjaye, Alison Brooks and Sadie Morgan as design advocates for the capital city, and David Chipperfield described Brexit as an "attempt to get out of EU regulation".

This year's Royal Academy architecture lecture was given by Balkrishna Doshi, who claimed that India is at risk of losing its architectural identity in an interview with Dezeen beforehand.

India's young architects must be taught to appreciate their design heritage, says Balkrishna Doshi

Silicon Valley company Jawbone went into liquidation and world-renowned Paris boutique Colette announced it will close after 20 years.

Meanwhile, retailer giant Amazon filed a patent for underwater warehouses and architecture studio Reed Watts proposed turning unwanted tower-block cladding into migrant housing.

Female artists customise Adidas trainers to represent the 50 United States

Adidas unveiled limited-edition trainers customised by female artists, while rival Nike launched a lightweight Flyknit sports bra.

The blue and white sari famously worn by recently canonised nun Mother Teresa was officially trademarked to protect her reputation.

Tristan Auer was named Maison&Objet 2017 Designer of the Year and Jan Boelen was announced as curator of Istanbul Design Biennial 2018.

Vertically sliding walls open Bergmeisterwolf's Italian villa extension to the garden

Popular projects this week included an Italian villa extension with descending glass walls, a Tokyo house with triangular lightwells and an Indonesian holiday home topped by a shipping container.

Related story

BIG creates subterranean museum by carving channels into dune by Nazi bunker

The post This week, BIG completed a war museum beside a Nazi bunker appeared first on Dezeen.

from ifttt-furniture https://www.dezeen.com/2017/07/15/this-week-on-dezeen-news-big-nazi-bunker-parthenon-replica-inside-festival-mvrdv/

[lindoig]

Days 68 to 74

Just to orient ourselves, Day 68 was Monday, 3 July!  (And I am posting this on Sunday, 9 July.)

It started with me taking the car in for its 70,000Km service and walking back the 200 metres to the van for breakfast.  We did a load of washing in preparation for moving on again on Tuesday (at last – starting to get a little stir-crazy after 9 days propped in Katherine with not a lot of things to do apart from working around the van).  I went birding and photographing along the river in the afternoon and the first thing I saw was a small red-bellied black snake crossing the path a metre ahead of me.  I took a pic of it, but it was hiding its head in the grass so it just looks like a shiny black rope.  We saw a somewhat larger one on Thursday when we were driving so I tossed out the anchor, but it (the snake, not the anchor) also seemed more anxious to slither away than getting its photo taken.

We had had a looooong phone call with Deanne on Sunday, mainly chatting about our overseas travel plans for 2018 – 3 weeks around Ireland in a campervan, a 10-day eco-cruise in the Scottish Isles, 3 weeks campervanning in Scotland, by train to London and on to Istanbul (retracing the Orient Express), then some time in Turkey, a little driving, but mainly training to Beijing (with some stopovers), a mini-tour of China and home again – but everything after Scotland is still subject to negotiation.  Deanne and Rob may be in Asia about the same time as us and we hope to cross paths if that happens.  It got us quite excited!

It is now almost a week later and I haven’t written anything in all that time – just too busy relaxing I think.  It is not always easy finding a block of time to update my blog and it is too hard to do it a couple of sentences at a time.

We are now in Kununurra – and that means that in the last 3 months, we have caravanned in all Australian States and the Northern Territory.  That is certainly a first for us.  Even when travelling for work, I probably never visited all the States in 3 months and only ever went to the NT on business once or maybe twice.  It wasn’t on my Bucket List, but I am happy to tick it nonetheless.

The week has zipped past. Tuesday, we hit the road again and it was a great feeling.  Everything seemed brighter and sharper away from Katherine’s ‘Big Smoke’ – the senses seemed more acute and the colours were brighter and the sounds clearer. Love this country!  It was the hottest day we have had since leaving home (mid-30s, and the sun burns fiercely when directly overhead so far north) and they have all seemed much the same since then.

We were hassled out of the caravan park in the morning.  They had someone parked at the gate early in the morning waiting for our site and the manager sat on his motor-bike almost beside our van to geeing us along while we were packing up.  Even though we were off the site by about 10:10am (normal checkout is 10am but many parks won’t let new bookings in until after 2pm), it was a little confronting to have him sitting there for half an hour hurrying us up.  

At last, Katherine was behind us and we were on our way to Timber Creek, stopping at the Victoria River Roadhouse at lunchtime.  We drove down to the river and walked around the rocks, but it was very hot so we didn’t linger long. Interestingly, we got quite a good view of a grey falcon when driving down to the river and on the way back, it perched and posed beautifully for us in a tree close to the side of the road for us – Sean Dooley, eat your heart out!  (For those who don’t know, Sean is a well-known birder, but he has never seen a grey falcon – so frequently asserts that there is no such bird.  This was our 7th confirmed sighting, 6 of them really good views!!)

We started a walk at Joe Creek in the Judbarra National Park and saw some spectacular rocky cliffs, but it was simply too hot to do the uphill stretch so we retraced our steps back to the car.  Strangely, it seemed at least twice as far back to the car as when heading out – maybe we were dehydrated or something, but it was hard work – but worth it for the spectacle.

An interesting aspect of the day’s drive was the absence of ‘dressed’ anthills. We have seen three varieties of anthills in our travels: more-or-less conical ones, often no more than a metre high (but some are quite high); the ‘magnetic’ ones that align north-south to control the heat in parts of the nest; and some larger dome-shaped blobs, as if a kid had thrown them together by chucking handfuls of mud at them, all lumpy and unsymmetrical.  The main ones, and there must be many millions of them, are the first type and all the way up the Stuart Highway and east into Queensland, there are thousands that have been dressed up in shirts, hats, bras, coats, you name it.  Some even have pants draped across them (difficult to get the legs in as you may have guessed). Every conceivable outfit and variation seems to be represented – hi-vis vests, hard-hats, crash helmets, uniforms of all sorts, fatigues, bikinis, with sashes, pipes, broom handles for arms, it goes on – and on and on – thousands of them in all states of disrepair. But I saw only one dressed anthill (with just a bra and panties so maybe she was almost undressed) all the way from Katherine to Kununurra.

We arrived at the Timber Creek Caravan Park, just in time to see the croc-feeding they do three times a week.  Boooooring…… they dangled some scraps of meat in front of a couple of small freshwater crocs that seemed to have little interest in it, but one had a bit of a go just to keep the crowd happy.   What was more interesting was the kite feeding.  They tossed small pieces of meat up and the black kites and whistlers dived and lunged to catch them on the wing – before they hit the ground where a hungry dog was enthusiastically lapping up the leftovers.  The kids got into the act and enjoyed it and I got a few pics – and gave a little lesson to some of them about how to recognise the various kites.  A really interesting thing happened as everyone was heading back to their vans.  A barking owl appeared from nowhere and attacked two kites that were perched where it wanted to sit.  It won – easily – and then sat and posed for me to take several photos.  Remember what I said about how hard it is to see and identify nocturnal birds – that was our third in about a week!

The caravan park was inhabited a large colony of bats with their distinctive odour (and their incessant rowdy bickering) permeating the air throughout the day – but mercifully not at night when they all took off to feed in someone else’s backyard.  At night, it was the road-trains that parked immediately outside the park with their motors and freezer units blaring away all night.  Most inconsiderate for the tourists trying to get some sleep after a tiring day reading and knitting and chatting and maybe fishing……!  We are in a somewhat similar situation at Kununurra, surrounded by screaming bats all day, but fortunately no trucks at night.

We booked a cruise on the Victoria River (NT’s largest and even in the Dry, it is huge).  We explored the area during the heat of the day, including a drive to a few river access points and up along the escarpment to some great scenic lookouts and one over the town.  Then we boarded an old bus to take us out to where the boat was waiting.  We cruised 70km downstream, checking out the crocs and their hundreds of wallabies prey – and some birds – and had a finger-food dinner on a pontoon in the middle of the river before returning just after dark. It was a good cruise and wonderfully cool on the water, but I felt the cruise-captain could have taken a little more time creeping up on some of the wildlife instead of roaring in on it and scaring them away before we got close enough for really good photos.  On return to camp, we were still a little peckish to bought some greasies from the pub before watching another DVD.

The next day, we set ourselves a challenge and we are so glad we did.  We have numerous 4WD and adventure travelling DVDs with us and we watched one about the Binns Track that runs for over 1000 km over some pretty extreme terrain.  We weren’t about to do that, but we did the first 150km of it, including our own bit of extreme terrain.  We drove out and down the Bullita Access Track and had lunch at the old Bullita Homestead – a quaint and very interesting old place, amazingly small for what was a working station for over a hundred years, nestled on a beautiful river with a mammoth boab outside.  We saw hundreds of boabs that day, from mere saplings to 3000-year-old monsters.  The trunks come in an amazing variety of shapes: round, square, bifurcated, trifurcated, quadfurcated, conical, inverted conical, smooth, gnarled, branched, symmetrical and asymmetrical – a most unusual tree and the older ones are quite awe-inspiring.  I just love them.  They call them the upside-down tree because when they have no leaves (now – in the Dry), their branches look like roots running in all directions and at all angles.

We also called in to Limestone Gorge.  It is a limestone gorge (yes, really) that is quite a few kilometres long and the end is accessed by driving down a ‘track’ that is simply large rough river boulders. It is a very dramatic gorge, mainly in blacks and greys with a bit of yellowish-cream in recently broken and unweathered places, but we just took some pics and headed back to the real objective of the day – the Tuwakam Track.  It is only 20km long and joins the Bullita road with the Buchanan ‘Highway’, but the guide says to allow 3 hours in good conditions – strictly high clearance 4WDs only. It was a lot of fun and we really only took a bit over 2 hours.  Some parts were reasonably good going – I got up to about 20 kph a couple of times – but a lot of it was ungraded rock and I was frequently walking the car over boulders twice the size of watermelons for 100 metres at a time.  We crossed a few creeks and creek-beds and some of the entry and exit angles were daunting. Several times, I thought the car would simply not climb such steep exits, but in 4WD low and with a heavy foot, it just ploughed ahead wherever I pointed it.  It truly is an amazing vehicle.  We saw a few wild donkeys and a snake along the track, but at the time, my focus was more on the track than the wildlife.  We met up with a young couple with two little kids doing the Track too – she is a travel writer and writes about travelling in extreme places with kids.  We chatted with them for quite a while when we reached the Buchanan – and they headed back to Timber Creek, but we still wanted to go further to Jasper Gorge.  That was about 30km further south on the Buchanan and it was VERY different from the Limestone Gorge of the morning. Similar structure with huge rocks and dramatic cliffs, but all in darker, richer reds, maroons and oranges.  We walked around exploring for a while, but we had 150km or so, mainly on rough roads, to get back in time for dinner so we set off into the dusk.  There was another couple setting up to camp overnight at the Gorge and we thought they would enjoy a nice quiet night on their own under the stars – but we saw quite a lot of cars, including a few hoons, heading down to join them as we headed north again.  It was a great day, a real adventure for us, certainly more extreme than anything we have attempted before and we came through without a scratch.  The round trip was exactly 300km, well over 200 on dirt roads and despite the Tuwakam Track only being 20km, it was a standout adventure for both of us.  Certainly a confidence booster for next time, whatever, wherever and whenever that may be.

Next day, we moved on west again and had planned to stay in the Keep River National Park, touted as a good birdwatching place. We stopped at the Ranger station, ate our lunch and looked at the display there, and I cruised the lagoon at the back, photographing birds and water-lilies – it was quite lovely, but very hot. I also noticed that our caravan was leaking – one of our water tanks was dribbling water.  We will have to get it fixed, but it looks like a cracked hose in a very difficult place to reach so I think I will get someone else to do the hard part.  One tyre has scrubbed out very badly and we have a couple of other small things to get fixed so hopefully, we can find someone with time to do these things while we are in Kununurra.

We drove through the rest of the National Park looking for a place to camp, but unfortunately, both camp-grounds were fully occupied.  The Park was a bit disappointing, not at all what we expected (in our ignorance), hot and dusty with long walks to get to any of the places we wanted to see so with a leaky water tank, we deemed it better to head across the border and stay at Kununurra instead.

We arrived here late afternoon on Friday only to find our first-choice van park full.  So was our second choice so we let our fingers do the walking and we eventually managed to get the last site available in a Big Four Discovery Park. Big 4s are my least favourite parks – over $50 a night, jam-packed against everyone else and with more draconian regimentation than anywhere else. They are usually manicured to within an inch of destruction - so don’t dare walk on the grass or do anything much else.  As luck would have it, this one doesn’t seem so bad and it certainly hasn’t seen a manicurist for some time.  The design is less than optimal, but we are on a good site, a little separated from our neighbours – even if it was almost impossible to reverse into the allocated space.  We are not much more than 50 metres from the lake and the facilities are close-by too so we don’t have much to complain about.  We have booked some great adventures for during the week so managed to extend our stay until Friday – I just hope we can get our maintenance jobs done before then, because we are heading for the Gibb River Road after that – one of the most iconic trips in outback Aussie travelling folklore.

Yesterday (Saturday) we needed some down-time so we took it very easy, hiding out under the air conditioner for most of the day.  We did a couple of small maintenance jobs and a bit of cleaning – and the ‘weekly shopping’ at Coles in the late arvo, but not much else.  I did a big review of our birding log – currently 230 for the trip and 41 newies for us – and caught up with several days’ email from when we had no service at all.

Today, we have done the washing and updated our blogs a bit, but very soon, we have to get up to Reception because we are going on a Sunset cruise on Lake Kununurra – with a BBQ dinner at dusk.  Incidentally, keeping up with time is a bit difficult.  We crossed the border and picked up 90 minutes, but going from the extreme west of one time zone to the extreme east of another means that the difference in ‘solar time’ is more like 3 hours – we are awake by about 5.30, but it is dark again by just after 5 in the afternoon – seems very weird, especially with such short twilights in these latitudes.

I will post this now before our cruise and add some relevant pics in the next day or two.

[thisdaynews]

Breaking News: Champions League Final: 5 key factors which could influence the game

New Post has been published on https://www.thisdaynews.net/2018/05/22/breaking-news-champions-league-final-5-key-factors-which-could-influence-the-game/

Breaking News: Champions League Final: 5 key factors which could influence the game

Taking a look at the key factors which could determine the biggest footballing war of the season

Right then ladies and gentlemen, the Champions League final is almost upon us. It’s fitting that the two most exciting teams this season clash against each other to grab the biggest trophy in club football. Liverpool vs Real Madrid, Ronaldo vs Salah, Zidane vs Klopp, Firmino Vs Ramos and what not. If this doesn’t excite you, trust me, folks, nothing ever will.

We look at the key aspects of the game which could well determine which team lays it’s hands on the trophy when Milorad Mažić blows his final whistle on the night.

#5 Liverpool’s inexperience:

Since that magical night in Istanbul, rightly called as the greatest night in the rich history of Liverpool FC, the Anfield faithful have waited for 13 long years to see their team compete in another final.

This in itself might be Liverpool’s undoing on the big night as, on nights having magnitude as big as this, it’s the players’ experience which helps in soothing the nerves, getting into stride quickly and rising to the occasion.

The fact that no one in this Liverpool squad has played a Champions League final before makes Klopp’s task all the more important as it’ll be his duty to maintain his player’s resolve, not allowing to succumb to such immense pressure et al.

These are the matches where players turn into legends; the ones that distinguish the true greats from the mere mortals. Klopp himself had to face defeat in his lone appearance in 2013 when his Robert Lewandowski-led team were comprehensively beaten by Bayern Munich, which was a perfect example of the Bavarians using their big match experience to snarl away Dortmund when Robben scored with the last kick of the game.

Madrid, on the other hand, are the most successful team in the history of this competition and will be looking forward to lifting the trophy for a record-extending 13th time. Marcelo, Ramos, Kroos, Modric and Ronaldo among the other Real players have played in numerous finals prior to this and it’ll be interesting to see if they can bring their experience to the fore one more time.

#4 Real Madrid’s shaky defence

Real Madrid’s defenders haven’t exactly covered themselves in glory this season

Real Madrid’s backline has been defensively poor throughout this season, letting in goals by the dozen. Opponents have found the back of Madrid’s net a staggering 15 times this season in the Champions League.

Keylor Navas has managed to keep just 2 clean sheets in 10 matches played this term, which pales in comparison to the competition high 6 he had managed in last year’s triumphant campaign.

The full-backs Carvajal and Marcelo have put in commendable performances going forward, but it has been their defensive showing which has left a lot to be desired. Their defensive lapses almost cost them against Juventus, who were cruelly kicked out of the competition when Ronaldo scored the last-ditch penalty.

Even in their last league game of the season, they blew a two-goal advantage, highlighting their defensive frailties. The huge acres of spaces left behind by the full backs were quite smartly exploited by all the teams, but Madrid being Madrid, survived by the skin of their teeth.

However, they’ll have to be at the top of their game in order to stop the marauding trio of Salah, Mane and Firmino. Klopp would consider himself a relieved man if the two are kept busy on the night as Real are bound to suffer going forward if the two are negated.

In the absence of Carvajal for the second leg against Bayern, Madrid were found woefully short of quality, both in defence and attack. Bobby Firmino has been the standout performer for the Reds this year and has troubled every defence with his directness and subtle movements.

Salah and Mane both use their supreme pace to run defences ragged and their combination will be fundamental to Liverpool’s chances. The center-backs Ramos and Raphael Varane will have their hands full throughout the course of the match and if they manage to come out of the battle unscathed, which quite frankly seems unlikely at the moment, this final will surely be Madrid’s for the taking.

#3 The midfield battle

Can they do it again?

Though the front three of Liverpool have rightfully gained plaudits from their fans and football pundits alike both domestically and in Europe, their midfielders have performed exceedingly well, both in attack and defence.

Their captain James Milner has registered the most assists this season (8). The captain’s armband has seemingly taken his game to a higher level and his immaculate performances on the pitch are a testament to that fact.

Jordan Henderson has been the defensive rock in the midfield three. The much-maligned England international has overcome a torrid start to the season and looks set to finish the season with a flourish.

Georgino Wijnaldum has enjoyed a breakthrough season, earning Klopp’s trust and has become an instant hit with the fans. In absence of the Ox, he’ll be the one tasked with dictating play and carrying the ball forward.

Madrid, however seemingly have the edge in this area of the pitch, thanks to the effortless style of play and insane reading of the game displayed by the midfield double pivot of Kroos and Modric.

The delicious outside-of-the-foot passes, amazing through balls, calmness on the ball and telepathic connection on the pitch has been a sight to behold. Casemiro, who has been brilliant in patches, symbolising Madrid’s year, remains Zidane’s best bet to play the role of a destroyer at the heart of Real’s midfield.

The Whites will be praying for Casemiro to churn out a repeat of last year’s final in which he was at his belligerent best and scored an absolute screamer during a critical phase to give Madrid some breathing space.

#2 Team selection, tactics and formation

Can he secure a hat-trick?

After an underwhelming end to a torrid domestic campaign on Sunday, Zidane stated that he had all the 24 players available for the big night and summarised his feelings about it by blatantly moaning that he was ‘fu**** up’.

That’s what the problem of plenty does to you more often than not. Klopp, on the contrary, might go with the traditional 4-3-3 with Wijnaldum playing behind the front three and Milner playing with Henderson in the central midfield.

Virgil Van Dijk ought to start as central defender along with Dejan Lovren while Alexander Arnold may start with Robertson as the full-backs. Bale looks set to regain his place in the starting XI given the breathtaking form he is in.

Another thought doing the rounds is that we might get to see the famed trio of ‘BBC’ back again which seems quite logical as well, but I personally feel that Benzema will have to make way for Isco given the scanty amount of game time he has had in the past few fixtures.

Also, it will be quite interesting to see will be how Klopp manages to make use of his substitutions if the game goes into extra time. That, although seems unlikely given the number of goals that will be plundered within regulation time.

Contrarily, Zidane has made a living out of his timely and tactical substitutions who have time again bailed his team out, with Marco-wonderboy-Asensio and Lucas Vazquez providing the fresh legs and width required on the pitch late in the game.

As far as tactics are concerned, the “geggenpressing” style of Klopp has stuffed the momentum out of many a side in Europe and against Madrid, the Reds will surely look to harass the Madrid players on the ball.

Casemiro, of all Madrid players, always seems a bit uncomfortable on the ball and I won’t be surprised if he’s touted as the trigger point for Klopp’s hounding boys.

A riveting off-pitch encounter awaits us, innit?

#1 Is there any stopping Mo Salah or Cristiano Ronaldo?

Who will blink first?

Both Liverpool and Real Madrid have qualified to the Final primarily due to the blistering form their respective talismans, Salah and Ronaldo.

While Cristiano has always amazed the football audiences around the world with his unparalleled consistency and a burning desire to win everything, the Egyptian king has been nothing short of a revelation in his debut season at Anfield.

Destroying defences in England and Europe alike, Salah has racked up the numbers (and trophies) at an astonishing rate this season. The Golden Boot winner scored a mind-boggling 32 goals in the Premier League this season, overtaking the record of 31 goals held by a certain Cristiano Ronaldo.

However, when it comes to the Champions League, there hasn’t been a better player than Ronaldo in its history. Even after he failed to score in two legs against Bayern Munich in the semifinals, he has already plundered 15 goals this term, 5 more than the PFA Footballer of the year.

While Salah has never reached this stage of the competition in his career, it will be the 5th time when Cristiano steps out to play the final for Madrid. He has ended up winning the trophy on four occasions and the Liverpool defence will have to defend for their lives if they are to stop the man from scoring in a competition in which he has scored 121 times.

They might follow the Bavarians’ strategy of tightly marking the Portuguese and closing out the passing lanes to him if they are to prevent him from finding the back of the net. As in Mo Salah’s case, there haven’t been many teams who have kept a lid on him.

Even if teams make a conscious effort to shut out Salah, he still manages to serve goals on a platter and that is the reason why he is so hard to defend against. For all the goals and assists which salah has against his name, he has shown this tendency to miss some easy chances as well.

Klopp would be wary that in a Champions League final against Real Madrid, there won’t be many chances on offer and he’ll require his sensational forward to be at his imperious best if Liverpool are to lift the trophy after 13 years.

When these two met last time around in an international friendly, it was the Madeira born player who hogged the limelight with his twin headers in stoppage time to overcome the deficit created by none other than Salah. Will Mo get his revenge in Kiev on the grandest of stages on Sunday night or will it be the Madrid superstar who will come out trumps again?

Your guess is as good as mine folks!

[tragicbooks]

It's not just Meals on Wheels. These 15 other programs get the ax under Trump's budget.

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The problems with President Trump's much-derided 2018 budget don't end with funding cuts for Meals on Wheels and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Photo by Olivier Douliery/Getty Images.

While cuts to programs that ensure homebound seniors can have human contact and a hot meal and poor kids can watch Big Bird immediately struck much of America as misguided — even cruel — the cuts to those programs are just the tip of the iceberg. According to a report in The Atlantic, the proposed budget looks to defund more than a dozen federal agencies entirely — many of which administer programs families across the country don't even realize they depend on.

Here are 15 ways Trump's budget cuts could negatively affect the lives of Americans and people around the world.

They're not as flashy, but just as concerning.

1. Deadly chemical accidents could become more common.

Photo by Tom Hindman/Getty Images.

The Chemical Safety Board, which has its funding zeroed out by Trump's budget, is tasked with investigating the causes of hazardous material spills and disasters and making recommendations to prevent them from reoccurring.

Eliminating the agency would be "standing up for death and destruction," according to chemical safety consultant Paul Orum in an interview with the Houston Chronicle.

2. If you live in parts of these eight states, finding a doctor could become much harder.

Photo by Robyn Beck/Getty Images.

Delta Doctors, a program that brings foreign-born doctors trained in the United States to underserved areas of Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, and Mississippi is run by the Delta Regional Authority, an agency whose funding is eliminated by the budget.

People who are poor or elderly are further out of luck. As part of their visa requirements, the Delta Doctors "must provide care to the indigent, Medicaid recipients, and Medicare recipients."

3. Homeless veterans could have an even rougher go of it.

Photo by Frederic J. Brown/Getty Images.

Trump's budget eliminates the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, which helps communities across America provide for their most vulnerable populations, including developing special strategies to aid those who served in the military.

4. More Alaskan towns could wind up underwater.

A home near Anchorage tips on its due to beach erosion. Photo by Gabriel Bouys/Getty Images.

Since 2015, the tiny Denali Commission has been working on protecting, repairing, and relocating Alaskan villages that have been damaged, threatened, and uprooted by climate change. Under Trump's proposed budget, that would go away.

5. American companies looking to sell stuff in countries that are just starting to build up their infrastructure would lose out.

Photo by Wang Zhao/Getty Images.

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency sounds sort of boring, but it helps U.S. companies get a leg up on selling their wares to other countries that are building roads, bridges, hospitals, airports, and mobile networks, helping solidify U.S. ties to those countries and create jobs back home.

The agency has enlisted American firms to help build a gigantic solar farm in Jordan, to work on Istanbul's IT systems, and to collaborate with China on aviation. These opportunities would go away under the Trump budget.

6. Coal mining communities in Appalachia could see more potholes and worse medical care.

A coal miner at work in Portage, Pennsylvania. Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images.

Trump's budget axes the Appalachian Regional Commission, which invests in boosting health services, improving physical infrastructure, and developing the economy in coal country.

7. Young people who want to make the world a better place through AmeriCorps would lose one of their best opportunities to do so.

An AmeriCorps volunteer works in Missouri. Photo by Julie Denesha/Getty Images.

Started by President Clinton in 1993, AmeriCorps sends thousands of Americans on volunteer service trips around the country and world, helping struggling communities rebuild, providing job training, and improving America's image globally.

AmeriCorps is run by the Corporation for National and Community Service, which, under Trump's budget, loses all its funding.

8. Struggling communities in rural New England could also see less help for their economic development.

Photo by Sarah Rice/Getty Images.

The budget eliminates the Northern Border Regional Commission, which recently helped a college in Maine build a new manufacturing lab, an airport in New Hampshire build a new hanger, and made dozens of other investments in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, and upstate New York.

9. We'd also know less about how to prevent war from breaking out around the world...

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

The U.S. Institute of Peace, which Trump's budget defunds, brings analysts, experts, and conflict survivors from around the world together to discuss and innovate strategies for avoiding violent conflict.

10. ...and less about issues of global concern in general, like how to train more women leaders.

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images.

The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, which studies many areas of international public policy, would also be gutted.

The Center runs The Women in Public Service Project, which sponsors training sessions around the world to cultivate the next generation of female politicians, CEOs, and heads of state.

11. Rural communities across the country could lose one of their best sources of free high-speed internet access.

Photo by Informationwave/Wikimedia Commons.

The proposed budget cuts funding to the Institute of Museum and Library services, which, in recent years, has invested millions of dollars bringing broadband Wi-Fi to libraries in small towns across America, according to an agency statement.

Internet access and online freedom, by the way, were declared a human right by the U.N. in July 2016.

12. Our relations with our neighbors to the south could get even worse...

The destruction of Hurricane Matthew in Haiti. Photo by Nicolas Garcia/Getty Images.

The Inter-American Foundation, which invests in local grassroots development and humanitarian relief projects in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America is also slated to have its budget cut to zero.

13. ...and our relations with countries on distant continents could deteriorate too.

A solar farm in Morocco. Photo by Fadel Senna/Getty Images.

If the U.S. African Development Foundation goes away, similar grassroots and humanitarian projects in Africa would also be on the chopping block.

14. Hundreds of Americans in danger of losing their homes could have a harder time staying put.

Photo by John Moore/Getty Images.

Trump's budget eliminates funding for NeighborWorks America, officially known as Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, which recently invested $40 million in helping American families avoid foreclosure, according to a HousingWire report.

15. Domestic violence victims looking for protection who can't afford lawyers could find themselves out of luck.

Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images.

The Legal Services Corporation, which helps underprivileged Americans — including victims of abuse, shady creditors, and housing malfeasance — get their day in court by providing them with legal aid, is also slated to go under the 2018 budget proposal.

The good news? This budget is just a proposal ... for now.

Trump's plan would mean a lot of pain for a lot of people, but for the moment, a plan is all it is. In order for the budget to take effect, it still has to make it through the House and Senate.

If less war, more art, and fewer chemical burns seem like your jam, call your member of Congress and tell them to oppose it!

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