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thechasefiles · 5 years ago

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The Chase Files Daily Newscap 14/2/2020

Good Morning #realdreamchasers ! Here is your daily news cap for Friday February 14th, 2020. There is a lot to read and digest so take your time. Remember you can read full articles via Barbados Government Information Service (BGIS), Barbados Today (BT), or by purchasing a Weekend Nation Newspaper (WN).

EDUCATION MINISTRY WARNED ABOUT IGNORING UNION – The “stench of physical rot and infrastructural decay” at Vauxhall Primary is bad. But it’s not the worst case of environmental issues affecting learning institutions across the island, the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) has warned. In the wake of a rat infestation problem, substandard bathroom facilities and other environmental issues which have captured public attention, the union has condemned the Ministry of Education’s attitude and approach as “untenable and unacceptable”. And, unless “proactive changes” are made in “short order”, the union is threatening to bring a slew of other unhealthy and unsafe existing situations to the public’s attention. “We are most keenly aware that the conditions at Vauxhall recently made known to Barbadians, do not represent the worst conditions we can identify,” the union said Thursday in a statement. But despite the Education Minister, Santia Bradshaw’s visit yesterday at Vauxhall during a planned “silent protest” by teachers, the union accuses the ministry of ignoring several pieces of correspondence outlining numerous cases of unhealthy environment in schools. The BUT warned: “We will be forced to make the unhealthy, unsafe and unsecured school plants known in the absence of the ministry’s repeated failure to engage the union as requested. “These developments are not consistent with “a talking government”, what is deemed “fit for purpose” or the best managerial practices. There must be dialogue and feedback forms a critical part in dialogue. Without dialogue, conditions will not be satisfactorily addressed in a meaningful manner,” the statement charged. Looking back on issues which resulted in the 2006 closure of Louis Lynch Secondary as well as Society Primary and Chalky Mount Primary being condemned, the BUT complained that signs of decay at a number of schools built in the 1990’s like All Saints Primary, Lester Vaughn and Queen’s College continue to be affected by “systemic neglect”. “This continues today, unchecked, given there is little evidence of guidelines in terms of the maintenance or inspection of the physical infrastructure of public schools; whether older or newer; structures be wooden, coral stone or wall; nursery, primary, secondary or tertiary; in town or the country; or housing a large or small roll,” said the union. “Certain schools have endured the brunt of extreme neglect while others have been better maintained where parents possess the wherewithal. Some businesses have also supported these efforts from time to time and they must be commended,” the statement said. But given Government’s mandate to oversee the health and safety of stakeholders at all public schools, the union has been disappointed with recommendations made to the Prime Minister and the Social Partnership, which appear to have fallen on deaf ears. Zeroing in on issues of safety, the union indicated it is still awaiting a promised increase in “psychosocial support staff” in the form of guidance counsellors, which the union agreed to introduce after extended meetings with education stakeholders last May. The statement acknowledged that agitation by the BUT led to a summer maintenance programme by the Ministry of Education which resulted in physical issues at 40 primary schools and 10 secondary schools being addressed. However, that number, and more particularly the quantum and quality of the repairs undertaken, represent a mere drop of water in the ocean of unsecured, unsafe and unhealthy schools,” the statement complained. On Wednesday, the Education Minister revealed that 300 children would be away from school for the remainder of the week while issues at Vauxhall Primary are addressed. (BT)

FORDE INCEST A BIG WORRY – There seems to be an increase in incest. So said Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, Cynthia Forde who, while not having any empirical data, has drawn her conclusion from increased reports about the matter. Speaking to the media after a seminar entitled Communities Make A Difference at the Savannah Hotel Wednesday and hosted in collaboration with the National Assistance Board, Forde said too few young people were educated about protecting themselves. “You can’t have young children, 13 or 14 years old, whose bodies are developing and they know little or nothing about AIDS,” she cautioned. “I believe the statistics in this country on incest, of persons taking advantage of young girls and boys, is climbing. I do not have the statistics, but from the stories you hear, from the little snippets you see in the newspaper where men get charged with having relationships with young girls or underaged girls and women getting charged with having relationships with younger boys, it says to me no sensitisation or little sensitisation is there.” (WN)

GENDER IDENITY WRONGFUL DISMISSAL - For the first time on record, the Employment Rights Tribunal (ERT) is being asked to address an allegation of unfair termination on the basis of gender identity. The development follows failed attempts by the Labour Department to resolve a dispute between Alexa Hoffmann and her former employer, Court Caribbean Law Practice over Hoffmann’s decision to change her name as a reflection of her gender identity. The legal firm has refused to place its legal position on the matter in the public domain. If successful, Hoffmann hopes the decision will set a precedent for the local Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community. The outspoken activist declined to disclose her given name at birth, which was used in August 2015 when she was hired as a legal assistant. Hoffman explained the issues came to a head when she was attacked in February 2018 and her supervisor, lawyer, Nigel Bennett asked her why she was being referred to as Alexa in the public domain. In response, the trans woman said she explained that although her name had not yet been changed, persons referred to her as Alexa as a courtesy. But it was only in October of the same year when her name was officially changed at the national registry that Hoffman claims she was asked to stay home from work. Weeks later, the trans woman said she emailed her employer to inquire about her status and was informed that she had been placed on leave while the company engaged in consultations on the matter. This eventually resulted in a meeting at the labour department on February 7, 2019 where the two parties were unable to resolve the matter “amicably”. When contacted, Attorney Nigel Bennett refused to comment extensively while the tribunal addresses the matter but admitted the law firm was challenging the basis of Hoffmann’s claims. “We have no issues at all, but as a matter of propriety, the matter is before the ERT and we are simply going to put forward our position to the ERT and let them make a determination. Once they have made a decision in that regard we could make a comment, but it would be highly inappropriate of us to do that before,” Bennett told Barbados TODAY. Asked what legal remedies she would be seeking, Hoffmann doubted the practicality of reinstatement but said she is pursuing damages. Even more important she explained, is the need to set a definitive precedent for “marginalised and downtrodden” persons in the LGBT community. “Outside of the compensation, I am looking to send a message that regardless of an employer’s consternation about the diversity of his staff, as long as that diversity does not have a direct impact on the work they are employed to do…it should not be cause to suspend them,” Hoffman said. “If you have an employee whether they are gay, straight, bisexual, trans, disabled, HIV positive or whatever the situation is…let them do their work in peace, and if I have to go through the Employment Rights Tribunal process to let employers know that I have the right to be left alone to do the work that I have been hired to do, then so be it,” the trans woman added. It is still unclear when the tribunal will hear the matter, and while Hoffman is willing to be patient, she has not ruled out the possibility of approaching the civil courts to adjudicate on the case. The trans activist meanwhile added that she was hoping to empower transgender Barbadians to pursue careers outside the traditional areas of beauty and cosmetology, if that is their desire. “I keep realising there are a lot of people who go through what I go through as well but many of them feel so beaten and downtrodden that they can’t seem to muster up the fight to get up and stand up for themselves…but I keep thinking that if I don’t make this move, I don’t know who else will make it,” Hoffmann said. “It’s not just about me anymore, because I am thinking about other people who may want to become professionals in whatever field they want. (BT)

EX-NURSE 39 YEAR OLD CASE DRAGS ON - Former Government-paid nurse Coral Wilkinson says she has had enough of her attorney-at-law Sir Richard Cheltenham,QC, claiming he has been tardy in completing her injury settlement case with the State, almost 40 years after her fall on the job. Wilkinson, who fell and injured her back while on duty at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) in April 1981, said today she is fed up with how long it has been taking to bring closure to the matter. “I can’t take this any longer,” said Wilkinson. She recalled an occasion in which she said she was being blamed for not getting in touch with Sir Richard. “I said, ‘but you see why I planned that I wasn’t calling back you because every time I call, all I am hearing is that, it doesn’t mean because I am not hearing from you all that nothing isn’t happening. So I said nobody hasn’t called me so I figure nothing is happening,’” Wilkinson stated. Thirty six years old at the time of her spinal injury, the ex-Government health care provider told Barbados TODAY she desperately needs the final payment so she can finish her medical procedures overseas and bring some ease to her deteriorating physical condition where she can no longer bathe herself or touch water with her bare hands. Wilkinson said that last year, her attorney told her he was ready to submit her final claim. “Every time he keeps telling me the same thing over and over,” she declared. While admitting that Sir Richard was able to obtain an initial pay out in 2017 of some $300,000 to allow her to travel to the United Kingdom for one phase of corrective surgery, Wilkinson contended that that money was not even sufficient to cover all her medical bills and stay in the UK. She said she had to pull her pocket to avoid embarrassment when she needed transportation to attend therapy or get around generally. She also revealed that in October last year, another offer of just over half million dollars was made to her as a final settlement, which she rejected. “You know how much he offered me that day as a final settlement? Make a guess…$550,000…after 1981 until now and I can’t even help myself. I said ‘no, no, no.’ No way am I going to accept it. That can’t even cover the hospital fees in England,” Wilkinson said with a chuckle. She said that after numerous telephone calls to Sir Richard’s office and hearing “excuse after excuse” she has decided to stop calling. She told Barbados TODAY that Sir Richard has no valid reason for not submitting her final claim to the Government because she had furnished him with all of the documents he requested since 2017. “I went up to [the UK] and when I was ready to come back down, I told the doctors I was going home on August 3. When I went to see the doctors for physiotherapy and so on, all of the doctors’ reports were there waiting for me to be collected. I came back down here on August 3 [2017], and in a week’s time, I had everything photocopied and sent to him [Sir Richard],” Wilkinson stated. She explained that in the same year, her attorney requested an additional medical report, this time from her local specialist which Wilkinson said was provided outlining the condition of her back and her mental state as well. “That wasn’t enough. In March last year I talked to him. He still had not done anything yet. Nothing he had not done yet,” the former nurse complained, adding that the spinal injury has resulted in such serious neurological problems, she cannot tolerate water on her bare hands “When I go in the bath on mornings and the water comes down and hit my fingers, I would get electric-like current going through my body and I am now bathing in gloves. Can you imagine?” Wilkinson asked with a tremble in her voice. When Barbados TODAY reached out to Sir Richard, he contended that his client’s case was being advanced and more progress was expected in the coming week when his secretary returned from a week-long break. “Her case is being advanced. She got an interim [payout] up to a few years ago. Went off to London and all the rest,” he said “The last thing that Coral told me, bearing in mind that it is a few years and more since she went to London, that she had seen the surgeon specialist here. So I wrote him and asked him, since we can’t get anything from the surgeon specialist in England, to send me a summary of when he last saw her, because you can’t submit a claim with a report two or more years old,” Sir Richard recalled, adding that he required an updated one. He said it was only after his client called him just before Christmas last year and he told her he was waiting on the report from the specialist here, that there must have been a misunderstanding on his part. “Because although I told you [Wilkinson] I had been to him [the doctor], I did not mean for you to get an update from him. But that only happened a few days before Christmas; so the matter is on my desk and I am working. The secretary is off for a week, so that when she comes back we could start doing some business,” Sir Richard told Barbados TODAY.Responding to his client’s complaint that she had been trying to get an audience with him but gets the run-around when she called, the prominent Queen’s Counsel said Wilkinson was always in his office, and had not asked for any audience with him since before Christmas last year. “So as soon as my secretary comes back, which is next week, I will reach out to Coral and give her a new appointment, so that I could review with her what I have written; so that once she says okay that it is accurate, we can go,” Sir Richard promised. “I could understand that she is also troubled and her situation is deteriorating and she has carried her burden for many, many years…except that some three years ago I did get an appreciable interim for her and she went off to London. This is now time to bring closure to it. But there was a misunderstanding about the doctor here, the surgeon specialist…and she did go to see him. I thought since the report from England is dated, that I should write him. But she said she didn’t understand or expected me to do that,” he said.Meanwhile, the former QEH nurse said she presently has six discs out of place in her back and screws implanted in her back from a surgery in 1998 intended to stabilize a shaky spine due to constantly falling at home. Wilkinson, who said she has been seeing a psychiatrist for the past 19 years, will also require a battery to be surgically placed in her back to stimulate the nerve to produce feeling, physiotherapy until the day of her death and a care giver considering she is now unable to bath and dress herself. She revealed that once she got her final payout to assist with further surgery in the UK, she would have to return to England for critical follow up treatment every six months.Wilkinson said her physical disability which has forced her to use a walker continues to cause unbearable pain. (BT)

LABANE CASE THROWN OUT – The year-old La Cabane on Batts Rock beach will get its liquor licence renewed. But the renewal came after three residents from nearby neighbourhoods expressed strong objection to the operation of the restaurant in the Bridgetown Traffic Court yesterday.Queen’s Counsel Clyde Turney, who lives at Batts Rock, along with two residents from Prospect, St James, had filed an objection to the renewal of La Cabane’s liquor licence which expired yesterday. The three residents, whose case was put by Queen’s Counsel Leslie Haynes, argued that the noise coming from the bar and restaurant, on Tuesdays to Sundays, was so annoyingly loud that it prevented them from sleeping and from hearing their televisions. They especially complained about drumming which emanated from the restaurant on Sundays and continued until 9 p.m. The restaurant is closed on Mondays. (WN)

GROOM REMANDED – A young Barbadian who does contract work in Canada and goes between that northern country and home, may have to put his planned wedding on hold. Despite his pleas for a second chance and an opportunity to proceed with his wedding arrangements, 24-year-old Winslow Ricardo Bonnett of no fixed place of abode, heard Magistrate Kristie Cuffy-Sargeant say: ”remanded for sentencing”. Bonnett appeared before Cuffy-Sargeant today charged with entering the apartment of Canadian visitor Ethel Marley and her husband on January 13 with the intention to steal. He is also accused of loitering on the premises of Yellow Bird Hotel on February 3 when it was suspected he was about to commit theft. According to the facts read by the police prosecutor, Marley, who owns the apartment, complained that she and her husband were awakened by a noise coming from the kitchen. The court was told the complainant observed the sliding glass door being opened and saw a man whom she could not identify at the time. However, police investigators were later led to the accused based on finger prints and palm prints taken from the door. This afternoon when the magistrate asked Bonnett if he had anything to say, he replied “I apologize to you, the owner of the apartment. I would like a chance…I would like to proceed with being married.” Bonnett, who pleaded guilty to both charges, will now have to wait until March 12 to know his fate. (BT)

CHOO DOE SERVICE FOR $12 IN POT – One hundred and twenty hours of community service was the sentence today handed down by the District “A” Criminal Court No 2 magistrate on a first-time drug offender. Magistrate Kristie Cuffy-Sargeant informed Benjamin Richard Choo, a self-employed man of #26 Walkers Terrace, St George that he had to complete the service for having $12 worth of cannabis in his possession yesterday. Twenty-seven-year-old Choo pleaded guilty to the offence and was granted $1,500 bail with instructions that he had to reappear in court on June 26. (BT)

FORDE TO REAPPEAR IN COURT – Twenty-one-year-old Rico Radarah Reneal Forde of Salters, St George, was remanded to HMP Dodds after appearing at District ‘A’ Criminal Court Number 2 this morning. He was not required to plead to any of the offences and Magistrate Christie Cuffy-Sergeant remanded him to reappear at District B on February 19 and District ‘A’ Criminal Court Number 1 on March 12. Forde is charged with having one .9mm Smith and Wesson pistol and nine rounds of ammunition on February 7 without the relevant permits from the Commissioner of Police. On January 26, he “recklessly or without lawful authority or excuse, discharged a firearm in a public place”, namely the Sol Service Station at Charles Rowe Bridge, St George, placing Jianne Douglas in danger of death or serious bodily harm. On the same day, he is alleged to have caused serious bodily harm to Shaquille Callender with intent to main, disfigure or disable him, or to do some serious bodily harm to him and used a firearm without a valid licence during the same incident at the gas station. The final incident occurred on January 4 where he is alleged to have discharged a firearm at Government Hill, St Michael, placing Rashad Massiah in danger of death and serious bodily harm. (BT)

DRUG ACCUSED ON BAIL – A 40-year-old unemployed man this afternoon denied four drug-related charges brought against him by the police for the alleged offences which occurred yesterday. When Sherman Danny Green of 3rd Avenue, Harts Gap, Christ Church went before District “A” Magistrate Kristie Cuff-Sargeant, he pleaded not guilty to unlawful possession of cannabis, unlawful possession of cocaine; unlawful possession of cocaine with intent to supply and trafficking of the same drug. After the prosecution did not object to bail, the Magistrate released Green on $1,500 bail when she took into consideration that the value of the cocaine was estimated at $1,050 and the cannabis $60. Cuffy-Sargeant also placed conditions on the bail which require the accused to report to the Hastings Police Station every Wednesday before noon with a form of identification. The case was adjourned until May 6, but has been transferred to the District “A” Criminal Court No 2. (BT)

PRIEST VIOLENCE NOT THE WAY – Barbados cannot continue to turn a blind eye to gun violence, especially when it happens in front of children, warned an Anglican cleric yesterday. Reverend Trevor O’Neale issued the caution in his sermon during the funeral service for 37-year-old Marlon Jermaine Holder at St Philip’s Parish Church. Holder, the second man to be gunned down for the year, was shot and killed outside St Alban’s Primary School in St James, where he had just pulled up to drop off his six-year-old son on January 17. He was shot through the car window. The priest said such acts of violence could have lasting effects on children. “The sad thing about it is, it is being done in the presence of our children. Do you know that a child experiencing violence is going to be scarred? That it is going to lead to behavioural problems? It is going to lead to mental challenges sometimes,” he said. (WN)

FREE CITY WIFI SOMETIME AFTER MARCH – The Smart Bridgetown project, which includes free public WiFi, has been delayed another three months, the Government’s information technology chief has told Barbados TODAY. The free WiFi, which is the first phase of the project, was originally scheduled to begin by the end of last year. But a delay in obtaining a vendor to offer the service has forced officials to set a new implementation date of the second quarter of this year, said Rodney Taylor, the director of the Data Processing Department in the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology. He said the tendering process was now closed and officials were in the process of choosing a suitable provider. About a dozen domestic and overseas IT firms submitted bids to provide the service for the community WiFi phase of the project. Taylor told Barbados TODAY: “There were some delays with respect to the public tender. “The tender has closed and we are in the stages of evaluating the tenders we received. “And we hope that by the end of the financial year, which is March, we are able to sign off on a vendor and start with the implementation of that.” Under phase one, free broadband internet access being extended from the Bridgetown Port to Independence Square. And with officials now considering adding new areas including the planned Fairchild Street market, the free Wi-Fi could stretch from the Jewish Synagogue in Magazine Lane to Golden Square in Jordans Lane.The next phase of Smart Bridgetown is “smart parking” which will use a smartphone app to locate available spaces in Bridgetown and pay for parking electronically, said Taylor. Smart Bridgetown was allocated about $1 million to get it started. (BT)

There are 323 days left in the year Shalom! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram for your daily news. #thechasefiles #dailynewscaps #bajannewscaps #newsinanutshell

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ravensale46-blog · 5 years ago

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The Bear’s Den, March 30, 2019

BEAR DOWN, CHICAGO BEARS, BEAR DOWN!!!!

BEARRRSSSS / FREE AGENCY / DRAFT

Hoge: Even At A Lower Price, Trading Jordan Howard Made Sense | WGN Radio - 720 AM - A trade that has been expected for months finally materialized Thursday night, as the Bears sent Howard to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2020 sixth round pick that could eventually turn into a fifth round pick, depending on the conditions.

Mayer: Bears re-sign DB DeAndre Houston-Carson - ChicagoBears.com - The Bears on Friday re-signed safety DeAndre Houston-Carson to a one-year contract. The 2016 sixth-round draft pick has appeared in 32 games in three seasons, contributing primarily on special teams.

Mayer: Bears believe in their revamped backfield - ChicagoBears.com - It will sport a new look after at least one addition and one subtraction, but the Bears are confident that their retooled backfield will boast depth and diversity in 2019.

Medina: With Jordan Howard Gone, How Will the Bears Address Their Running Game? - Bleacher Nation - For the first time since 2015, the Bears’ running backs room won’t feature Jordan Howard. So what’s next?

Medina: The Bears Are Bringing Back Safety DeAndre Houston-Carson on a One-Year Deal - Bleacher Nation - Valued reserve safety and special teams contributor DeAndre Houston-Carson is back for another year.

Bernstein: I Won’t Miss Jordan Howard - 670 The Score - Howard simply wasn’t quick or elusive enough to fit in Matt Nagy’s offense.

Bears Re-Sign DeAndre Houston-Carson On 1-Year Deal - 670 The Score - The Bears have re-signed DeAndre Houston-Carson, who’s a backup defensive back and a key special teams contributor.

Emma: Why The Bears Traded Jordan Howard - 670 The Score - In trading running back Jordan Howard to the Eagles, the Bears moved on from a player they didn’t desire anymore and gathered what they could in return.

Biggs: A lack of success forced Ryan Pace to chase pricey free agents. Now the Bears can bide their time with ample cap room - Chicago Tribune - After years of being very active in the first wave of free agency when teams are forced to overpay by nature, the Bears were able to be more reserved this time around. They have ample cap room for now, making it a better situation for GM Ryan Pace.

Biggs: DeAndre Houston-Carson, special-teams standout, returns to Bears on 1-year contract - Chicago Tribune - The Bears re-signed safety DeAndre Houston-Carson to a one-year contract Friday, bringing back one of their core special teams players. He tied for the team lead in tackles on special teams last season and contributed to the dime defense late in the year.

Jordan Howard Traded to the Eagles (Plus: NFC North Defensive Bracket Breakdown) - Chicago Audible Podcast - Jordan Howard is no longer a Chicago Bear. Check out our raw instant reaction Plus, we go through and rank each NFC North team at every defensive position.

Ingalls: Trading Jordan Howard Hurts, But It Doesn’t Matter - Chicago Audible Blog - It may sting letting go of a productive back such as Jordan Howard, recent history proves that Super Bowl teams don't typically rely on a featured back.

Stankeviz: Why trading running back Jordan Howard to the Eagles made sense for the Bears - NBC Sports Chicago - For as good a player as Howard is, his fit within Nagy's system never quite worked.

Mullin: Bears make winning deal sending Jordan Howard to Eagles through Chicago-Philly 'pipeline' - NBC Sports Chicago - From the beginning of Matt Nagy’s tenure as Bears head coach, the question became not if Jordan Howard would be on his way out of Chicago, but rather when.

5 Players the Bears Could Target to Replace Jordan Howard - NBC Chicago - The Chicago Bears don't have a first or second round draft pick this season, but they could still make a move to snag a running back as they look to replace Jordan Howard.

Sikes: Jordan Howard Thanks Bears Organization - Club Dub Bears Blog - It was just a matter of time before what happened yesterday became official. Jordan Howard is no longer a Chicago Bear.

Sikes: Trey Burton On His First Year In Chicago “Bears Fans Are Awesome” - Club Dub Bears Blog - Looking back at the end of the 2017 season, the Bears tight end situation was pretty bleak. Zach Miller’s career ended in New Orleans on a horrific knee injury, Dion Sims continued to show that he was not reliable, and they had an unproven rookie in Adam Shaheen.

Orr: Ranking NFL teams QB situations, best to worst - SI.com - Taking stock of NFL each team’s quarterback room—not just starting talent, but cost, health, backup quality and more. Ken's Note: Bears are 10 spots below Derek Carr, Mike Glennon and Nate Peterman? I'll have some of what Sports Illustrated is drinking, please...

Smith: Jordan Howard trade again shows Eagles prioritize compensatory picks – ProFootballTalk - The Eagles’ decision to trade a 2020 third-day pick for Bears running back Jordan Howard is another example of the value Philadelphia places on compensatory picks. That’s because Howard is heading into the final year of his rookie contract.

Jahns: Bears search for right back intensifies in draft - Sun Times - The Bears traded running back Jordan Howard to the Eagles for a sixth-round pick.

Finley: RB Jordan Howard says his goodbye to the Bears - Sun Times - ”Although it was brief, the past three years were truly an amazing experience,” Jordan Howard wrote on Twitter.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Which 2018 NFL playoff team is in the most trouble for the 2019 season? - NFL.com - The 2018 playoff field was absolutely stacked. Two months later, following loads of offseason movement, which 2018 playoff team is in the most trouble heading toward the 2019 campaign? Let’s debate!

KNOW THY ENEMY

NFL poll: Everyone agrees the Detroit Lions got better in free agency - Pride Of Detroit - Lions fans are seriously chugging the Kool-Aid.

NFL free agency: Former Lions TE Luke Willson signs with Raiders - Pride Of Detroit - For yet another offseason, the Lions will move on from their previous year’s tight end talent.

Grading the Vikings’ free agency moves so far - Daily Norseman - Has Minnesota gotten better in the last three weeks?

The draft offers depth, but expect the Packers’ biggest improvements at WR to come from within - Acme Packing Company - The NFL Draft is rich in second-day receiving prospects, but Green Bay’s three choices a year ago figure to set the tone for the position in 2019.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Wiltfong: Bears re-sign DeAndre Houston-Carson - Windy City Gridiron - The Bears have brought back special teams stand out DeAndre Houston-Carson.

Wiltfong & Gowton: Jordan Howard - 5 things to know about the Eagles’ new running back - Bleeding Green Nation - Bears perspective on Philadelphia’s new backfield member.

WCG CONTRIBUTORS BEARS PODCASTS & STREAMS

2 Minute Drill - Website - iTunes - Andrew Link; Steven’s Streaming – Twitch – Steven Schweickert; T-Formation Conversation - Website - iTunes - Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; WCG Radio - Website - iTunes - Robert Zeglinski - The Blitz Network

THE RULES

Windy City Gridiron Community Guidelines - SBNation.com - We strive to make our communities open and inclusive to sports fans of all backgrounds. The following is not permitted in comments. No personal attacks, politics, gender based insults of any kind, racial insults, etc.

The Bear’s Den Specific Guidelines – The Bear’s Den is a place for Chicago Bears fans to discuss Chicago Bears football, related NFL stories, and general football talk. It is NOT a place to discuss religion or politics or post political pictures or memes. Unless otherwise stated, the Den is not an open thread, and profanity (including profanity only stated in pictures) is prohibited.

Click on our names to follow us on Twitter:

WCG Contributors: Jeff Berckes; Patti Curl; Eric Christopher Duerrwaechter; Kev H; Sam Householder; Jacob Infante; Aaron Lemming; Ken Mitchell; Steven Schweickert; Jack Silverstein; EJ Snyder; Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; Whiskey Ranger; Robert Schmitz; Robert Zeglinski; Like us on Facebook.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2019/3/30/18287858/chicago-bears-free-agency-draft-mocks-offseason-second-wave-pace-nagy-jordan-howard-houston-carson

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

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wineanddinosaur · 5 years ago

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We Asked 20 Brewers: What Are the Worst Trends in Beer Right Now?

Not all beer trends are created equal. Some have staying power and become national or global phenomena, while others fizzle quickly. There are several movements coursing through American breweries that are worth celebrating, but, for now, let’s focus on the absolute worst. We’re examining the garbage gimmicks that deserve a good riddance. That leave a bad taste in your mouth. That make you want to White Claw your eyes out.

Below, beer makers confess the recent developments they wish would disappear.

“Lactose in IPAs. Not a fan.” — Brandon Tolbert, Owner and Brewer, Short Throw Brewing

“Big Beer creating new breweries in popular beer-centric destinations while posing them as independent startups. The average consumer is unaware that their money is not supporting the local craft-beer community, but rather the international beer conglomerates.” — Ignacio Montenegro, Co-Founder, Tripping Animals Brewing Company

“I’m tired of breweries ignoring sexual harassment and sexism and treating it as ‘boys being boys.’ In over half of the breweries I’ve worked at, I‘ve experienced examples as blatant as a head brewer telling everyone he would screw me straight. Or less obvious instances where a man asks why I’m the one carrying something heavy. It’s 2019 and I demand equality and respect.” — Megan Stone, Brewer

“I think ratings on apps and websites have taken some of the human element out of craft beer. While it’s great to have craft-beer fans excited about beer X, Y, or Z, I often see consumers relying too heavily on ratings to drive what they purchase as opposed to having a conversation with their bartenders and brewers. Most all of my beer ‘Aha!’ moments have come through connecting with someone and trying something completely new and unfamiliar. I think it’s our jobs as brewers and bartenders to help guide more of those experiences for craft-beer fans.” — Corey Gargiulo, General Manager, Evil Twin Brewing NYC

“The packaging and selling of unfinished beer. Many small breweries don’t have the necessary pasteurization capabilities in order to make a product stable after blending in various fruits and juices, so they package it in cans and warn the consumer to ‘keep it cold’ to avoid the cans exploding. For me, this is a trend I’d like to see fade away. Either buy a pasteurizer for your cans, or simply keep it on tap in your taproom where it can be controlled.” — Paul Wasmund, Head Brewer and Blender, Barrel Culture Brewing and Blending

“The ‘slow pour’ pilsner. I appreciate and cherish the craft of beer and can see why this is desirable. However, there are other ways to achieve optimal flavors and aromas without bartenders having to wait five to seven minutes to serve the beer.” — Mark Johnson, Brewer, DuClaw Brewing Company

“Seltzers in breweries. I think the trend will leave a negative impact on the integrity of the industry. I understand the desire to diversify, especially given stagnant sales across the industry of late, but hard seltzer is not the answer. I can get down with hazy IPAs, pastry stouts, and even beer cocktails. Seltzer is a quick copout for a lot of fledgling places. I’d like to see low-calorie beer or even nonalcoholic craft options fill the void. At least it’s still beer.” — Chris Gilmore, Brewer, Lone Tree Brewing Company

“A trend making me sad, but I don’t see it ever going away, unfortunately, is the ouroboros of hype. People want to get a beer everyone’s talking about, stand in line for its release or pay scandalous money, sometimes more than eightfold the initial price, and of course they will rate it marvelous even if it’s just O.K. Nobody wants to admit putting a lot of effort, be it time or money or both, into just a good beer. So they call it exceptional and more people want it. And here we go again. This leaves out of the spectrum of attention thousands of really good breweries. Plus, there is enjoyment-versus-price ratio. Do you feel that beer was worth every penny you paid? Sometimes you pay a lot but feel cheated because the beer wasn’t as great as you expected it to be. And if someone pays way more than the brewery price and is not happy, all the discontent unfairly goes to the brewer, not to the secondary market trader in part driving the hype.” — Lana Svitankova, Speaker, Varvar Brew

“Was glitter beer ever a trend?” — Mike Shatzel, Co-Owner, Thin Man Brewery

“Not enough minorities, blacks, and Hispanics drinking craft beer. I’ve been in the brewing industry since 2015 and have experienced nothing but greatness from the beer to the people who enter our establishment. What I do not see, though, is a lot of color. … Overall, I’ve experienced great beers and breweries but I would love to see more diversity in the industry.” — James Higgs, Intern, Forager Brewery

“Distributor consolidation and the buying up of craft breweries and brands by large multinational companies is creating a super-challenging retail environment for all the independent craft brewers.” — Ron Jeffries, Founder and Brewer, Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales

“Whole pastries, instead of constituent ingredients, going into stouts. You’re not even thinking about flavors anymore, you’re just trying to do something for Instagram.” — Ethan Buckman, Co-Owner and Head Brewer, Stickman Brews

“The liberal interpretation of double dry hopping, or DDH, is a pet peeve of mine. DDH is an actual process where the first dry hop is added during active fermentation and the second in secondary. But most people simply just dry hop multiple days. And also, double of what? Since most brewers don’t disclose their original dry hop rate, they’ve started a dry hopping arms race. I’ve seen as high as 15 pounds per barrel, and that’s just a waste! Only so much hop oil can dissolve in beer. At a certain point it’s literally throwing money down the drain.” — Morgan Clark Snyder Jr., Owner and Brewer, Buttonwoods Brewery

“I’m over the meatheads who still think it’s O.K. to put out sexist beer labels and social media posts. It’s not edgy or tongue in cheek. It’s gross, it’s harmful, and it should be beneath us as an industry. I also think it appeals to the type of crowd who have no problem commenting on a female bartender’s appearance, but would only take a beer recommendation from a dude. No one needs more of that.” — Jonathan Moxey, Head Brewer, Rockwell Beer Company

”It’s exciting that the popularity of high quality and well-made lagers is on the rise. It’s a huge bummer, however, when brewers chase trends and make lagers with cheap ingredients, poor brewing techniques, and fast tank times. It has taken a long time and a great deal of hard work to get well-made, vibrant, and incredible lagers out to the U.S. beer drinker. I believe that innovation and tradition can go hand in hand with this realm of beers, but the key is for the brewer to respect the scope and the challenge of brewing lager beer.” — Josh Pfreim, Co-Founder and Brewmaster, pFreim Family Brewers

“The beer community is a vocal one, and we love how people freely review, discuss, and share their opinions about beers they try. However, a trend I see that isn’t constructive is a tendency of people to default their reviews to a comparison of any given beer to an archetype of that beer style. As opposed to evaluating a beer as an independent expression of a style — and most importantly whether they liked it! — it becomes more a question of does it taste like X beer or is it better than Y beer. We as a brewery place primary importance on innovation and are never trying to duplicate an expression of any given style. So, we believe it would be a positive move for craft beer if the community would keep an open mind and evaluate beers as unique steps along an evolution of a style, not a catalog of archetype imitations.” — Harris Stewart, Founder and CEO, TrimTab Brewing

“I honestly hate the unfermented, super-fruited beers, the ones where you can literally chew on the fruit particles like a smoothie. The first time someone let me taste one I thought it was some sort of beer slushie. These aren’t safe unless you have a way to pasteurize. Then more power to you. But at that point just go down to Jamba Juice and get yourself a smoothie.” — Alyssa Thorpe, Head Brewer, Jagged Mountain Craft Brewery

“As a Belgian brewer who believes in the artistry of beer, I am afraid brewers are complacent with the ‘Chardonnization’ of their beers. We are bound by styles and rules but we’re not able to differentiate ourselves. You sell a kettle sour, a porter, and an IPA. Oh, great. So does Starbucks — sorry, I mean the brewery on the other side of the street. How do you make your taproom stand out? Is it the liquid? Is it your ties to the community? I challenge brewers to think out of the box. If you have an IPA that’s fruity, can you describe it differently than an IPA? Can you educate the consumer who hates IPAs on how they can appreciate this emerging style that now has so many subcategories? Unfortunately, we have seen winemakers go down the road and sell their wine by grape variety in the new world or by region in the old world. Creatively, I think we can push ourselves even more!” — Peter Bouckaert, Co-Owner and Brewer, Purpose Brewing & Cellars

“Overloaded sweetness. Great for sipping, but ruins the session and really messes up your gut.” — Tim Matthews, Head of Brewing Operations, Oskar Blues Brewery

“The eternally unsatisfied drinker.” — Antonio Lopes, Owner and Brewer, Lupum

The article We Asked 20 Brewers: What Are the Worst Trends in Beer Right Now? appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/20-worst-beer-trends-craft/

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isaiahrippinus · 5 years ago

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Faced With Record-High Temperatures and Unpredictable Harvests, Champagne Is Changing Its Method

Champagne, much of the world’s go-to drink for celebrations, may not be quite so dependable down the road.

In recent years, France’s Champagne producers have noted record-high temperatures and unpredictable harvests. As climate change continues to alter growing conditions, winemakers forced to reconsider their techniques, including vinification methods, harvest periods, and even the grapes they use. In other words, Champagne is in a constant state of flux.

“Adaptation is fully part of our daily work,” Cyril Brun, chef de caves at France’s Champagne Charles Heidsieck since 2015, says. He’s not alone: Major houses and small, independent growers alike are impacted by the rapidly changing conditions.

According to the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC), the region’s trade association for winegrowers and houses, the average temperature in the Champagne region has risen 1.1 degree Celsius, or about 2 degrees Fahrenheit, over the past 30 years. This may sound small, but even a fraction of a degree of warming dramatically decreases global crop yields. This year’s growing season was no exception, reaching a record high of 42.9 degrees Celsius, or 109 degrees Fahrenheit.

Champagne’s primary grape varietals — Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier — require very specific growing conditions. The historically wet, cool climate of northeastern France is imperative to producing the crisp, elegant flavors that are hallmarks of Champagne wines.

That’s because grapes from cooler regions don’t ripen as quickly as those from hot climates, and so they historically retain a great deal of acidity. In fact, many of the region’s signature winemaking practices, including the esteemed méthode champenoise, originated as a way to compensate for unripe grape harvests.

Now, however, winemakers are concerned their vines are maturing too quickly, producing grapes with acid levels that are too low. The Comité Champagne reports the total acidity of the region’s wines have dropped an average of 1.3 grams per liter over 30 years.

To address declining acidity levels, winemakers have leaned on blending. At Champagne AR Lenoble, reserve wine comprised an unprecedented 45 percent of this year’s non-vintage release, the Brut Intense “mag 15.” Christian Holthausen, AR Lenoble’s head of export sales and international communications, says it was necessary. “We now need reserve wines to bring freshness to our base wines each year,” he says.

AR Lenoble keeps reserves in its cellars in Damery, roughly 70,000 magnums under natural cork and under a bar and a half of atmospheric pressure. This is working for the time being, but it’s a pricey solution. “For a small, 100 percent family-owned, independent house like AR Lenoble, the investment was, and continues to be, massive,” Holthausen says.

Producers are also trying to retain their winemaking styles by blocking malolactic fermentation, a vinification process that converts fresh-tasting malic acid into softer lactic acid. The idea is that wines with detectable “malo” are often perceived to have less acidity. In 2015 and 2018, the hottest years in Champagne, AR Lenoble ended up blocking more than 90 percent of malolactic fermentation.

Charles Heidsieck’s Cyril Brun has also taken the “no malo” approach with some wines he’s worked with since 2015. Brun is experimenting with new types of yeasts to avoid oxidation, too. “I have had to gently move some cursors within my recipe to stick to my signature,” he says.

Dosage, the small amount of sugar added to most Champagnes to soften their acidity, has been reduced nearly everywhere in Champagne. It helps that zero-dosage Champagnes are having a moment, of course; but for many, the addition is simply no longer necessary.

“Sugar used to hide some unripe Champagnes. This is not the case anymore,” Michel Drappier, the seventh-generation head of Champagne Drappier in the Aube region’s Côte des Bar, says. “We produce more and more Brut Nature, and the quantity of liqueur added to all other cuvées has been reduced to at least half the amount.”

Florent Roques-Boizel, CEO of Champagne Boizel in Épernay, says his family has been producing a zero-dosage Champagne for the past decade for this very reason. “The trend for zero dosage will continue to develop as the climate gets warmer,” he says. “But this also means we have to be more precise and demanding to achieve perfect ripeness of our grapes with reasonable yields to achieve good concentration levels.”

Champagne Larmandier-Bernier estimates that 20 percent of the 2019 harvest was damaged due to spring frost. Credit: Champagne Larmandier / facebook.com

For growers, the greatest challenge is arguably the rise of unpredictable harvests. Weather is erratic by nature, but recent events have made this more difficult to accommodate, even for those with decades of experience. Extreme weather patterns like frost, hail, storms, fires, and drought have more than doubled across the board since 1980, and, in Champagne, harvest has arrived an average of 18 days earlier in the past 30 years.

“Unfortunately, today we do not have any effective way to fight against frost or hail,” Jean-Jacques Cattier, chef de cave at Champagne Armand de Brignac, says. However, he adds, “reserve wines can be used to protect quality and quantity in the case of a climatic problem decreasing harvest potential.”

Sophie Larmandier, of the grower-producer Champagne Larmandier-Bernier in Vertus, estimates that 20 percent of the year’s harvest was damaged due to spring frost. It’s not a worst-case scenario — that would be 2003, when a severe frost destroyed 75 percent of the crop — but her family has learned to prepare in case nature is not feeling generous. “We don’t fight it,” she says. “We just keep several years of stock in our cellars.”

Additionally, some producers are reconsidering the four other varietals that can be used to make Champagne: Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris. These grapes have mostly fallen out of use, and currently represent less than 0.3 percent of the wine grown in Champagne. Still, they present a viable option for producers looking to adapt within the strict regulations of the region.

A few growers are experimenting by replanting the varietals in trial plots or blending them into less commonly seen cuvées, like Champagne Drappier’s Quattuor, which is equal parts Chardonnay, Arbane, Pinot Blanc, and Petit Meslier. “At Drappier, we use more Arbane,” Drappier says, “as it has late ripening and with more acidity.”

Ultimately, Champagne producers may need to reckon with a groundbreaking idea, one that’s possibly unimaginable in a region so steeped in tradition: Swapping out the three signature varieties — Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier — for new grapes altogether.

The Comité Champagne is working on developing Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Arbane, Gouais, and Petit-Meslier cross-breeds that are late-ripening, as well as disease- and heat-resistant. “The grape variety innovation program is specifically designed to keep the freshness of Champagne and to produce sparkling wine of excellence,” Thibaut Le Mailloux, the CIVC’s director of communications, says.

Michel Drappier is certain he and his fellow winemakers can preserve Champagne’s character and esteem in the decades to come. “We have enough tools in our hands to be confident, and our imagination to adapt our vines to a new climate will do the rest.”

Besides, he adds, “Drinking Champagne gives inspiration, doesn’t it?”

The article Faced With Record-High Temperatures and Unpredictable Harvests, Champagne Is Changing Its Method appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/champagne-climate-change-effects/ source https://vinology1.tumblr.com/post/189471807064

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johnboothus · 5 years ago

Text

Faced With Record-High Temperatures and Unpredictable Harvests Champagne Is Changing Its Method

Champagne, much of the world’s go-to drink for celebrations, may not be quite so dependable down the road.

Champagne Larmandier-Bernier estimates that 20 percent of the 2019 harvest was damaged due to spring frost. Credit: Champagne Larmandier / facebook.com

Besides, he adds, “Drinking Champagne gives inspiration, doesn’t it?”

The article Faced With Record-High Temperatures and Unpredictable Harvests, Champagne Is Changing Its Method appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/champagne-climate-change-effects/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/faced-with-record-high-temperatures-and-unpredictable-harvests-champagne-is-changing-its-method

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sumukhcomedy · 7 years ago

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The Locker Room Leader

There's a concept in sports of “the locker room leader.” It's a player on the team that can rally everyone together. Sometimes it's the best player on the team, sometimes it's not. The Cleveland Cavaliers have often mentioned that the acquisition of Channing Frye in the middle of the 2015-16 season helped them win the NBA Championship for those reasons. It wasn't that Frye was that great of a player. It was that he was an emotional presence that connected the team. The same was said of James Jones, a veteran who barely got playing time.

In comedy, whether it be stand-up, improv, or sketch, there are similar possibilities because comedy still involves teamwork, community, and a “scene.” Some comedy scenes are small enough geographically that anyone involved in it has no choice but to be interacting with others that are a part of it.

Comedy in that sense has its community aspects but within that community come a variety of types. You have individuals trying to make a career out of comedy and being consummate professionals, you have hobbyists that just love being a part of comedy, and you have drifters popping in an out of the occasional open mic or improv class. In the smallest of comedy scenes, these people all are forced to merge together. It's never quite clear what each individual's goals in even doing comedy are. Maybe they don't even know what their goals are.

Comedy still functions as a business and the longer you keep doing it the more and more you get entrenched in the business components of it because, presumably, you are attempting to make a career out of it. Even in the smallest of comedy scenes, there is a business to be had. Money can be made, though it's usually very minimal, and the drive that any comedian has in running a show or a festival primarily has to come with a love for comedy and its advancement within that community and scene.

In some scenes, leadership comes because it's thrust upon you. Simply by having personal drive, an ability to organize successful shows, and be funny, you can automatically become someone that matters in the small world that is a city's comedy scene. With that comes a responsibility to see through the same joy and diligence out of your community that you seek. As a leader, you have a certain vision for what you want to accomplish out of comedy, you live in a city where you are doing this, and you would like the community of other comedians to similarly see this vision.

But comedy and business are still different. First, it's based off geography. There is a high difference between being part of a smaller comedy scene than a larger one. Additionally, as a leader, you have no control over who your colleagues are. It's not as if you are the CEO of a company or a manager of a department and have hiring power. You can't hire who enters an open mic. You can't teach those who don't want to be taught. You can't keep quiet those who want to start unnecessary drama.

The advancement of the Internet has only complicated the lives and goals of the “locker room leaders” of any comedy scene. Each day on Facebook is a reflection of that. In some cases, there are serious issues like sexual harassment or assault that should be discussed in a public format. In other cases, anger over the booking of one comedy show for whatever arbitrary reason only seems to reveal the absurdity and meaninglessness of comedy and those who are a part of it. Much like anything on the Internet, some things are worthy of being discussed publicly and some are better left to private conversations. Either way, the ones that are not worthy of being discussed aren't really doing anything other than destroying the people who truly care the most about comedy—the very people who work diligently to try to build the community that is now receiving extremely petty complaints.

I came directly from my job for this photo shoot for Alive. I always managed to promote comedy in Columbus by not looking funny at all.

Comedy is selfish. It has to be. It's a selfish act in and of itself to get on a stage and ask a group of people to pay attention to you and be entertained by you. But it's strange because you attempt to do this selfish act in an area where you have no choice but to socialize and interact with others—others who at the least have the similar pursuit of wanting to get on a stage and talk. Despite its selfishness, though, comedy still has to be able to function organizationally and have its goals. Any comedy scene should be safe, fun, and seek an advancement to the goals of the individuals who are a part of it. If it's not doing that, then honestly, what the hell is this comedy scene even doing and why even do comedy?

As a locker room leader, you want to help resolve the problems that may exist in your scene. You want people to be happy and accomplish all the joy that you have gotten out of comedy as well. Such leaders make little money running shows. They have to deal with various personalities and keep them under control. They get whatever credit for that work but it will never feel like enough especially when they see the small money that comes with this lifestyle at the end of the day. The only sense of doing any of this is out of an absolute love for it and that you want to continue to help and advance others in your comedy scene who absolutely love it as well.

There was a time where we were able to handle our issues in-house and try our best to resolve it reasonably and accomplish all of our goals. That time has clearly changed not just in comedy but in how society functions. It's fine, and part of leadership is adjusting accordingly to changing environments, but it only means that it's making the already underappreciated work of such comedy scene leaders that much more difficult.

I left a small comedy scene in Columbus for L.A. because that's what I wanted to do. I had been there for 9 years and I felt that I had done my part. I thought myself and the generation that I was a part of (many of whom also moved) left that comedy scene in better shape than when we started. I can say that there are a lot of comedians from other scenes of our generation who felt the same way about their cities. There's progression in comedy and a time to understand that I had to move on. I wanted that advancement for my professionalism in comedy and to learn more in comedy. But I also honestly no longer wanted the pressure that came with being a locker room leader. I didn't have the energy anymore to be that for a scene with everything else going on in my life. And, worst, I already started to feel like I was just an old guy in the scene and I didn't want to get in the way of the advancement of younger comedians in Columbus to progress and carve that scene in the way they wanted to.

Logging into Facebook as a comedian now leads to a common theme where you can pick any random city in America and its comedy scene is having a meltdown over some issue that’s happening in it. Again, some of those issues are serious and worthy of public discussion. Others only reveal the small world that comedy is and that what matters to some comedians is really miniscule in the bigger picture that is both comedy and life. And, each time I see these kinds of posts, I feel for the leaders of those scenes because I've been there. This type of public drama has been a part of social media for years now and it's not getting any better much like it's not getting any better in general society.

Most comedians tend to mock the President. But part of what makes us dislike the President is his poor leadership skills when it comes to social media. He'd rather start fights than make peace. He'd rather think himself better than anyone else. The worst leaders abuse the power they have. The quality locker room leaders of comedy scenes don't do that. They are better than that. They want to talk to the comedians who may have issues. They want to see the advancement of their fellow comedians and their community and scene as a whole. But dealing with the whining and knee-jerk reactions and self-indulgence of some comedians can only go so far when being such a leader already has few rewards to it.

At the end of the day, we all get on a stage and try to make strangers laugh. And, presumably, we love doing that. And yet, somehow, we manage to be unbelievably mad over a luxury to be able to do what we love.

#stand up comedy #comedy #leadership #business #cavs

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wineanddinosaur · 5 years ago

Text

Faced With Record-High Temperatures and Unpredictable Harvests, Champagne Is Changing Its Methods

Champagne, much of the world’s go-to drink for celebrations, may not be quite so dependable down the road.

In recent years, France’s Champagne producers have noted record-high temperatures and unpredictable harvests. As climate change continues to alter growing conditions, winemakers are being forced to reconsider their techniques, including vinification methods, harvest periods, and even the grapes they use. In other words, Champagne is in a constant state of flux.

Now, however, winemakers are concerned their vines are maturing too quickly, producing grapes with acid levels that are too low. The Comité Champagne reports the total acidity of the region’s wines has dropped an average of 1.3 grams per liter over 30 years.

“Sugar used to hide some unripe Champagnes. This is not the case anymore,” Michel Drappier, the seventh-generation head of Champagne Drappier in the Aube region’s Côte des Bar, says. “We produce more and more brut nature, and the quantity of liqueur added to all other cuvées has been reduced to at least half the amount.”

Champagne Larmandier-Bernier estimates that 20 percent of the 2019 harvest was damaged due to spring frost. Credit: Champagne Larmandier / facebook.com

Ultimately, Champagne producers may need to reckon with a groundbreaking idea, one that’s possibly unimaginable in a region so steeped in tradition: swapping out the three signature varieties — Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier — for new grapes altogether.

Besides, he adds, “Drinking Champagne gives inspiration, doesn’t it?”

The article Faced With Record-High Temperatures and Unpredictable Harvests, Champagne Is Changing Its Methods appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/champagne-climate-change-effects/

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sumukhcomedy · 7 years ago

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To Stop Floyd Mayweather, Stop Giving Him His Nickname

I remember my family taking a trip when I was very young to Florida. It wasn't a particularly great trip and involved a lot of driving with two other families. But, at one point along the way, we stopped at a pretty crappy hotel. The one benefit to the hotel was that they had free HBO and would be showing the Mike Tyson fight that night. For us kids, it made this long trip a little more exciting. I don't remember which Tyson fight it was but he knocked out his opponent in the first round. That was Tyson at his peak.

“The baddest man on the planet” in the mid to late 1980s fell to Earth by 1990 when he was knocked out by James “Buster” Douglas in Tokyo in one of the biggest upsets in sports history. By 1992, Tyson was convicted of rape. The rest is history that has been played out for most of America to witness from ear biting to a face tattoo. One thing is clear: Mike Tyson has issues. He is not a good person in what our society deems as good. He is not a role model.

In the lead-up to last Saturday's Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor fight, numerous people brought up Mayweather's past incidents of domestic violence and rightfully so. Mayweather has never specifically responded to the allegations and often dodges the subject just as quickly as he dodges his opponent's jabs. But, if we are to believe Mayweather's words following this match, this was his last fight and he leaves boxing an extremely wealthy man. Mayweather's days are done and he will fall back into the cycle of so many retired boxers that came before him.

In the history of boxing, there is likely not one single good person. Maybe there was a trainer that was a nice guy or maybe a cutman that I'm unaware of. But, for the most part, it's a vicious sport involving terrible people inside and outside the ring. For as remarkable as Muhammad Ali was and who I consider the most important and influential athlete of the 20th Century, Ali still had his issues. No one is perfect but, in boxing, no one is even remotely close to perfection when it comes to morality. This is a sport that had mob ties, heavy gambling, and participants having to take dives let alone boxers coming up themselves in rough and violent environments and family lives that never got addressed because the violence only continued in the ring. As Americans, our culture has grown to become enamored by boxing for whatever reason. The fight and the spectacle of it all are appealing. A man fights another man. It seems like humanity and survival at its foundation. There is perhaps some deeper symbolism to be found in boxing and, with that, people likely expect there to be some moral high ground to come out of the larger than life figures that have emerged from the sport but there isn't. In fact, for all the wealth the most successful like Floyd Mayweather earn on one fight, they are actually morally bankrupt.

Our love for boxing or for really any sport has become ingrained in our society and culture. Team sports tend to be something we bond with as a community or as a city. Our families or our neighbors loved certain teams and so it passed down to us. We find inspiration out of these games because they are supposed to represent admirable life qualities: teamwork, sportsmanship, hard work, and the list goes on.

Over the era that I've been alive, though, sports has been taken over by big business and by unsavory people not looking out for our best interests. Sports are now more entertainment than ever and entertainment can't entirely be looked at as a positive thing. In fact, as we are now seeing far too often, when the curtain is pulled back on the sports or entertainment industry, we're finding a lot of disturbing realities.

There's a simple but difficult resolution to how we can change the existence and success of people like Floyd Mayweather in America. Don't watch them. Don't spend your money on them. Floyd Mayweather doesn't have a $100 million payday if everyone loses interest in Floyd Mayweather.

But it's easier said than done and that's largely again because of our history with sports. I shared similar sentiments about the Cleveland Browns after the first game of the 2015 season. Yet, I'm going to two Browns games this season. I'm not going because I particularly love the Browns anymore because I don't. I'm going because it gives me the opportunity to spend time with my brother and we live on opposite sides of the country. It's what's bonded us together since we were kids and he still loves the sports. That's a hard thing to let go and maybe that's our mistake now. We've allowed sports and family to be interwoven but we're not alone. There are so many families and communities like that.

I personally can't stand the NFL right now. Between the numerous domestic violence issues with players that the organization does not know how to handle properly, their obvious mishandling, hypocrisy, and lack of care of a variety of social issues, and their disregard and covering up of the concussion issue, this isn't a league or a sport I love anymore. As I said to a friend of mine the other night, this might be my last year having any care for the NFL. I have 2 live games with my brother left in me and how much more can they push out of me to just make me feel like I'm a sucker?

It's fine to scream about the issues. It's fine to provide awareness. But nothing will happen unless people stop paying for a product that supports awful behavior. We've allowed ourselves to line many terrible people's pockets including Floyd Mayweather. For Mayweather, it doesn't matter anymore. He's got his money and he'll spend it in the worst ways possible in casinos and strip clubs. He has the right to be the worst example of American excess. We gave that to him just because he was talented in a ring. And Floyd seems set to follow the same successful boxer story arc that has happened throughout history. Hollywood will make a movie about him in 15 years that will star someone like Jaden Smith. It'll probably win a few Oscars. It'll make Floyd seem more human and understanding because of what he overcame in life than how he actually is. His domestic abuse will continue to be pushed aside, and worse, somehow be made to seem acceptable.

No league and no athlete is perfect but few if any are some model for ethical behavior. Many are actually the worst people (especially in boxing) but at least a few are doing their part for their communities and giving their effort via their voice or via their pockets off the field or court. I wish there were more but at least some athletes are doing some good with their giant salaries. The problem with athletes is that we've heightened them to the standard of an era we never lived in. We've been made to believe that they will exemplify all the qualities in sports we were raised on to believe were the reasons why we played sports. We were presented some form of a Hollywood movie of how sports could be inspiring (imagine if Rudy ended instead with Rudy getting CTE and Notre Dame covering it up...not as fun but far more likely in 2017).

When situations like Mayweather's domestic abuse allegations come up, many people with no knowledge or no connections to sports tend to chirp up. Since they find sports annoying or stupid for whatever reason, this is another aspect to pile on to fans for liking “sportsball.” I referenced such individuals when I talked about the complications with the Cleveland Indians logo. But, just like with logos, the ethical and sometimes criminal behavior of athletes and of sports leagues is a major problem and one that we as sports fans are still trying to reconcile with. But we should understand what we need to do to stop this and it's to simply stop supporting it with our wallets. I’m aware of that and yet I’ll admit I’m still just as guilty of contributing to it with these 2 NFL games this year.

We can't particularly stop Floyd Mayweather now but we can prevent the future Mayweathers of all sports. To truly address Mayweather's history of domestic violence, American society and culture has to go right at what boxing and sports love the most. It's the same thing that led Tyson to take fights where he was out of shape at the end of his career. It's the same reason Ali damaged his mind and body more in his sad end in “The Last Hurrah” against Larry Holmes. It's the nickname that Mayweather himself has and that he created for his team's brand: “Money.”

#floyd mayweather #mayweather #mayweather vs mcgregor #boxing #money #mike tyson #muhammad ali #nfl #sports

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