Act II, scene ii

Summary: Caliban enters with a load of wood, and thunder sounds in the background. Caliban curses and describes the torments that Prospero's spirits subject him to: they pinch, bite, and prick him, especially when he curses. As he is thinking of these spirits, Caliban sees Trinculo and imagines him to be one of the spirits. Hoping to avoid pinching, he lies down and covers himself with his cloak. Trinculo hears the thunder and looks about for some cover from the storm. The only thing he sees is the cloak-covered Caliban on the ground. He is not so much repulsed by Caliban as curious. He cannot decide whether Caliban is a "man or a fish" . He thinks of a time when he traveled to England and witnessed freak-shows there. Caliban, he thinks, would bring him a lot of money in England. Thunder sounds again and Trinculo decides that the best shelter in sight is beneath Caliban's cloak, and so he joins the man-monster there. Stephano enters singing and drinking. He hears Caliban cry out to Trinculo, "Do not torment me! O!" . Hearing this and seeing the four legs sticking out from the cloak, Stephano thinks the two men are a four-legged monster with a fever. He decides to relieve this fever with a drink. Caliban continues to resist Trinculo, whom he still thinks is a spirit tormenting him. Trinculo recognizes Stephano's voice and says so. Stephano, of course, assumes for a moment that the monster has two heads, and he promises to pour liquor in both mouths. Trinculo now calls out to Stephano, and Stephano pulls his friend out from under the cloak. While the two men discuss how they arrived safely on shore, Caliban enjoys the liquor and begs to worship Stephano. The men take full advantage of Caliban's drunkenness, mocking him as a "most ridiculous monster"  as he promises to lead them around and show them the isle.

Analysis Trinculo and Stephano are the last new characters to be introduced in the play. They act as comic foils to the main action, and will in later acts become specific parodies of Antonio and Sebastian. At this point, their role is to present comically some of the more serious issues in the play concerning Prospero and Caliban. In Act I, scene ii, Prospero calls Caliban a "slave" , "thou earth" , "Filth" , and "Hag-seed" . Stephano and Trinculo's epithet of choice in Act II, scene ii and thereafter is "monster." But while these two make quite clear that Caliban is seen as less than human by the Europeans on the island, they also treat him more humanely than Prospero does. Stephano and Trinculo, a butler and a jester respectively, remain at the low end of the social scale in the play, and have little difficulty finding friendship with the strange islander they meet. " Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows," says Trinculo , and then hastens to crawl beneath Caliban's garment in order to get out of the rain. The similarity, socially and perhaps physically as well, between Trinculo and Caliban is further emphasized when Stephano, drunk, initially mistakes the two for a single monster: "This is some monster of the isle with four legs" . More important than the emphasis on the way in which Caliban seems to others more monster than man, is the way in which this scene dramatizes the initial encounter between an almost completely isolated, "primitive" culture and a foreign, "civilized" one. The reader discovers during Caliban and Prospero's confrontation in Act I, scene ii that Prospero initially "made much of" Caliban ; that he gave Caliban "Water with berries in't" ; that Caliban showed him around the island; and that Prospero later imprisoned Caliban, after he had taken all he could take from him. The reader can see these events in Act II, scene ii, with Trinculo and Stephano in the place of Prospero. Stephano calls Caliban a "brave monster," as they set off singing around the island. In addition, Stephano and Trinculo give Caliban wine, which Caliban finds to be a "celestial liquor" . Moreover, Caliban initially mistakes Stephano and Trinculo for Prospero's spirits, but alcohol convinces him that Stephano is a "brave god" and decides unconditionally to "kneel to him" . This scene shows the foreign, civilized culture as decadent and manipulative: Stephano immediately plans to "inherit" the island , using Caliban to show him all its virtues. Stephano and Trinculo are a grotesque, parodic version of Prospero upon his arrival twelve years ago. Godlike in the eyes of the native, they slash and burn their way to power. By this point, Caliban has begun to resemble a parody of himself. Whereas he would "gabble like / A thing most brutish"  upon Prospero's arrival, because he did not know language, he now is willfully inarticulate in his drunkenness. Immediately putting aside his fear that these men are spirits sent to do him harm, Caliban puts his trust in them for all the wrong reasons. What makes Caliban's behavior in this scene so tragic is that we might expect him, especially after his eloquent curses of Prospero in Act I, scene ii, to know better.

SCENE II.

_Another part of the island._

  _Enter CALIBAN with a burden of wood. A noise of thunder heard._

_Cal._ All the infections that the sun sucks up
From bogs, fens, flats, on Prosper fall, and make him
By inch-meal a disease! His spirits hear me,
And yet I needs must curse. But they'll nor pinch,
Fright me with urchin-shows, pitch me i' the mire,                   5
Nor lead me, like a firebrand, in the dark
Out of my way, unless he bid 'em: but
For every trifle are they set upon me;
Sometime like apes, that mow and chatter at me,
And after bite me; then like hedgehogs, which                       10
Lie tumbling in my barefoot way, and mount
Their pricks at my footfall; sometime am I
All wound with adders, who with cloven tongues
Do hiss me into madness.

  _Enter TRINCULO._

                        Lo, now, lo!
Here comes a spirit of his, and to torment me                       15
For bringing wood in slowly. I'll fall flat;
Perchance he will not mind me.

_Trin._ Here's neither bush nor shrub, to bear off any
weather at all, and another storm brewing; I hear it sing i'
the wind: yond same black cloud, yond huge one, looks               20
like a foul bombard that would shed his liquor. If it should
thunder as it did before, I know not where to hide my head:
yond same cloud cannot choose but fall by pailfuls. What
have we here? a man or a fish? dead or alive? A fish: he
smells like a fish; a very ancient and fish-like smell; a kind      25
of not of the newest Poor-John. A strange fish! Were I
in England now, as once I was, and had but this fish
painted, not a holiday fool there but would give a piece of
silver: there would this monster make a man; any strange
beast there makes a man: when they will not give a doit to          30
relieve a lame beggar, they will lay out ten to see a dead
Indian. Legged like a man! and his fins like arms! Warm
o' my troth! I do now let loose my opinion; hold it no
longer: this is no fish, but an islander, that hath lately
suffered by a thunderbolt. [_Thunder._] Alas, the storm is come     35
again! my best way is to creep under his gaberdine; there
is no other shelter hereabout: misery acquaints a man with
strange bed-fellows. I will here shroud till the dregs of the
storm be past.

  _Enter STEPHANO, singing: a bottle in his hand._

_Ste._ I shall no more to sea, to sea,                              40
                Here shall I die a-shore,--

This is a very scurvy tune to sing at a man's funeral: well,
here's my comfort.                                  [_Drinks._

[_Sings._ The master, the swabber, the boatswain, and I,
                       The gunner, and his mate,                    45
               Loved Mall, Meg, and Marian, and Margery,
                   But none of us cared for Kate;
                   For she had a tongue with a tang,
                   Would cry to a sailor, Go hang!
               She loved not the savour of tar nor of pitch;        50
               Yet a tailor might scratch her where'er she did itch.
                   Then, to sea, boys, and let her go hang!

This is a scurvy tune too: but here's my comfort. [_Drinks._

_Cal._ Do not torment me:--O!

_Ste._ What's the matter? Have we devils here? Do                   55
you put tricks upon 's with savages and men of Ind, ha? I
have not scaped drowning, to be afeard now of your four
legs; for it hath been said, As proper a man as ever went
on four legs cannot make him give ground; and it shall be
said so again, while Stephano breathes at's nostrils.               60

_Cal._ The spirit torments me:--O!

_Ste._ This is some monster of the isle with four legs, who
hath got, as I take it, an ague. Where the devil should he
learn our language? I will give him some relief, if it be
but for that. If I can recover him, and keep him tame, and          65
get to Naples with him, he's a present for any emperor that
ever trod on neat's-leather.

_Cal._ Do not torment me, prithee; I'll bring my wood
home faster.

_Ste._ He's in his fit now, and does not talk after the             70
wisest. He shall taste of my bottle: if he have never drunk
wine afore, it will go near to remove his fit. If I can recover
him, and keep him tame, I will not take too much for
him; he shall pay for him that hath him, and that soundly.

_Cal._ Thou dost me yet but little hurt; thou wilt anon, I          75
know it by thy trembling: now Prosper works upon thee.

_Ste._ Come on your ways; open your mouth; here is that
which will give language to you, cat: open your mouth; this
will shake your shaking, I can tell you, and that soundly:
you cannot tell who's your friend: open your chaps again.           80

_Trin._ I should know that voice: it should be--but he
is drowned; and these are devils:--O defend me!

_Ste._ Four legs and two voices,--a most delicate monster!
His forward voice, now, is to speak well of his friend;
his backward voice is to utter foul speeches and to detract.        85
If all the wine in my bottle will recover him, I will help
his ague. Come:--Amen! I will pour some in thy other
mouth.

_Trin._ Stephano!

_Ste._ Doth thy other mouth call me? Mercy, mercy!                  90
This is a devil, and no monster: I will leave him; I have
no long spoon.

_Trin._ Stephano! If thou beest Stephano, touch me,
and speak to me; for I am Trinculo,--be not afeard,--thy
good friend Trinculo.                                               95

_Ste._ If thou beest Trinculo, come forth: I'll pull thee
by the lesser legs: if any be Trinculo's legs, these are they.
Thou art very Trinculo indeed! How earnest thou to be
the siege of this moon-calf? can he vent Trinculos?

_Trin._ I took him to be killed with a thunder-stroke.             100
But art thou not drowned, Stephano? I hope, now, thou
art not drowned. Is the storm overblown? I hid me
under the dead moon-calf's gaberdine for fear of the storm.
And art thou living, Stephano? O Stephano, two Neapolitans
scaped!                                                            105

_Ste._ Prithee, do not turn me about; my stomach is not
constant.

_Cal._ [_aside_] These be fine things, an if they be not sprites.
That's a brave god, and bears celestial liquor:
I will kneel to him.                                               110

_Ste._ How didst thou 'scape? How camest thou hither?
swear, by this bottle, how thou camest hither. I escaped
upon a butt of sack, which the sailors heaved o'erboard, by
this bottle! which I made of the bark of a tree with mine
own hands, since I was cast ashore.                                115

_Cal._ I'll swear, upon that bottle, to be thy true subject;
for the liquor is not earthly.

_Ste._ Here; swear, then, how thou escapedst.

_Trin._ Swum ashore, man, like a duck: I can swim
like a duck, I'll be sworn.                                        120

_Ste._ Here, kiss the book. Though thou canst swim
like a duck, thou art made like a goose.

_Trin._ O Stephano, hast any more of this?

_Ste._ The whole butt, man: my cellar is in a rock by
the sea-side, where my wine is hid. How now, moon-calf!            125
how does thine ague?

_Cal._ Hast thou not dropp'd from heaven?

_Ste._ Out o' the moon, I do assure thee: I was the man
i' the moon when time was.

_Cal._ I have seen thee in her, and I do adore thee:               130
My mistress show'd me thee, and thy dog, and thy bush.

_Ste._ Come, swear to that; kiss the book: I will furnish
it anon with new contents: swear.

_Trin._ By this good light, this is a very shallow monster!
I afeard of him! A very weak monster! The                          135
man i' the moon! A most poor credulous monster! Well
drawn, monster, in good sooth!

_Cal._ I'll show thee every fertile inch o' th' island;
And I will kiss thy foot: I prithee, be my god.

_Trin._ By this light, a most perfidious and drunken               140
monster! when's god's asleep, he'll rob his bottle.

_Cal._ I'll kiss thy foot; I'll swear myself thy subject.

_Ste._ Come on, then; down, and swear.

_Trin._ I shall laugh myself to death at this puppy-headed
monster. A most scurvy monster! I could find in                    145
my heart to beat him,--

_Ste._ Come, kiss.

_Trin._ But that the poor monster's in drink: an abominable
monster!

_Cal._ I'll show thee the best springs; I'll pluck thee berries;   150
I'll fish for thee, and get thee wood enough.
A plague upon the tyrant that I serve!
I'll bear him no more sticks, but follow thee,
Thou wondrous man.

_Trin._ A most ridiculous monster, to make a wonder                155
of a poor drunkard!

_Cal._ I prithee, let me bring thee where crabs grow;
And I with my long nails will dig thee pig-nuts;
Show thee a jay's nest, and instruct thee how
To snare the nimble marmoset; I'll bring thee                      160
To clustering filberts, and sometimes I'll get thee
Young scamels from the rock. Wilt thou go with me?

_Ste._ I prithee now, lead the way, without any more
talking. Trinculo, the king and all our company else being
drowned, we will inherit here: here; bear my bottle: fellow        165
Trinculo, we'll fill him by and by again.

_Cal. sings drunkenly._] Farewell, master; farewell, farewell!

_Trin._ A howling monster; a drunken monster!

_Cal._ No more dams I'll make for fish;
                Nor fetch in firing                                170
                At requiring;
             Nor scrape trencher, nor wash dish:
                'Ban, 'Ban, Cacaliban
                Has a new master:--get a new man.

Freedom, hey-day! hey-day, freedom! freedom, hey-day,              175
freedom!

_Ste._ O brave monster! Lead the way.    [_Exeunt._

  Notes: II, 2.

  4: _nor_] F1 F2. _not_ F3 F4.
  15: _and_] _now_ Pope. _sent_ Edd. conj. (so Dryden).
  21: _foul_] _full_ Upton conj.
  35: [Thunder] Capell.
  38: _dregs_] _drench_ Collier MS.
  40: SCENE III. Pope.
  [a bottle in his hand] Capell.]
  46: _and Marian_] _Mirian_ Pope.
  56: _savages_] _salvages_ Ff.
  60: _at's nostrils_] Edd. _at 'nostrils_ F1. _at nostrils_ F2 F3 F4.
    _at his nostrils_ Pope.
  78: _you, cat_] _you Cat_ Ff. _a cat_ Hanmer. _your cat_ Edd. conj.
  84: _well_] F1 om. F2 F3 F4.
  115, 116: Steevens prints as verse, _I'll ... thy True ... earthly._
  118: _swear, then, how thou escapedst_] _swear then: how escapedst
    thou?_ Pope.
  119: _Swum_] _Swom_ Ff.
  131: _and thy dog, and thy bush_] _thy dog and bush_ Steevens.
  133: _new_] F1. _the new_ F2 F3 F4.
  135: _weak_] F1. _shallow_ F2 F3 F4.
  138: _island_] F1. _isle_ F2 F3 F4.
  150-154, 157-162, printed as verse by Pope (after Dryden).
  162: _scamels_] _shamois_ Theobald. _seamalls, stannels_ id. conj.
  163: Ste.] F1. Cal. F2 F3 F4.
  165: Before _here; bear my bottle_ Capell inserts [To Cal.].
    See note (XII).
  172: _trencher_] Pope (after Dryden). _trenchering_ Ff.
  175: _hey-day_] Rowe. _high-day_ Ff.


Martin: Uhhh, babe, we need to talk
Nicole: What's wrong?
Martin: I'd rather tell you in person, when can we meet up?
Nicole: I'm afraid I'll be kind of busy the next few weeks, a lot of people at my work quit so it's been hell
Nicole: Can't you just tell me now??
Martin: I don't know, it just doesn't feel right...
Nicole: Oh God, just tell me already!! What is it
Nicole: Do you wanna break up? Is there someone else?
Martin: No one! I swear
Nicole: Huh... you didn't say no to the break up part though
Martin: I mean... it's not that I want to but... I guess that depends on you... because there's something you should know
Nicole: What is it... You're making me anxious
Martin: I'm, well... I'm asexual
Martin: I thought you should know because... well... I know it can be a problem in a relationship
Martin: I just wouldn't want you to feel unhappy with me
Martin: It's not like I can't have sex, but it's just not the same for me as for other guys, I guess
Martin: I love you but I want you to be happy, so I thought you should know
Nicole: Well... I'm a little speechless, that's not what I expected, but I don't think it has to be a problem... I don't want to break up like this, let's give it a try first

Martin is asexual. Nicole doesn't want to break up for this reason. She wants to give their relationship a try.


Lauren: Hi do you still need me for tomorrow
Pam: Yes please!!
Lauren: Do you have any more rota?
Pam: No, but the Manager's back tomorrow so she may do some more then. I'll ring in the morning and let you know.
Lauren: ok that's great
Pam: Did you have a good holiday?
Lauren: Yes, will tell you all about it tomorrow
Pam: Look forward to it!

Pam doesn't have rota for Lauren, but Manager may give Lauren more tomorrow. Pam and Lauren will meet tomorrow and discuss Lauren's holiday.


Paula: Why do they make this game with super hard levels?
Stew: No idea. I hate those.
Paula: It really makes it not fun at all.
Stew: Yep.
Paula: I just can get past 637 no matter what I do.
Stew: Did you try looking up the cheats online?
Paula: Brilliant!

Paula cannot get past level 637 in her game. She will look up the cheats online.


Ally: how many did you do so far?
Jill: like 20 or 30
Jill: I can't do more than 3-4 per day
Ally: how many hours?
Jill: 40? maybe 35...
Ally: ok, same here

Jill did 20 or 30 so far, 3-4 per day, 40 or 35 hours, so the same as Ally.


Jeff: Have you heard about this Christmas at Wall Street?
Peter: Yup, was apparently the worst since the end of the 19th century
Miranda: but it's bounced back since, no panic
Jeff: I've listened to some radio podcasts about the American economy
Jeff: and it's pretty scary, I mean the economic war on China that Trump is waging and all his unpredictability
Jeff: but I'm not an economist
Peter: I know, it's hard to say what may happen because Trump is rather unpredictable
Peter: But people in my bank seem calm, at least 2019 should be calm
Miranda: yup, calm, but the global economy will get weaker
Miranda: and the growth will be weaker but not tragic, I suppose
Jeff: and the EU? How do you think?
Miranda: We just don't know what will happen to the UK and with Brexit
Miranda: There are many different scenarios possible
Miranda: but it seems that 2020 may be much worse
Peter: I agree, I'd expect a global economic meltdown in the early 2020s

Jeff, Peter and Miranda wonder what American and global economy will be like.


Tim: The situation there is terrible now
John: I know and, honestly, I don't think it's gonna change any time soon
Jeremy: why? I think the world's attention is now on Kongo really
John: exactly, too much money involved
John: everybody wants it's resources, they are crucial for the US, for China, for everybody
Alice: for our smartphones
John: Exactly
Alice: yes, I'm not very positive either
Tim: yup, just the same story all the time
John: Ebola, war, militias, diamonds...
Tim: Hard to say what should be done
John: Surely the elections were not done properly
Tim: this for sure

The situation in Kongo is terrible because of its resources and politics.


Ernest: hey Mike, did you park your car on our street?
Mike: no, took it into garage today
Ernest: ok good
Mike: why?
Ernest: someone just crashed into a red honda looking just like yours
Mike: lol lucky me

Mike took his car into garage today. Ernest is relieved as someone had just crashed into a red Honda which looks like Mike's.


Question: What Should Investors In Conservation Syndications Do When DOJ Seeks Injunction?

Last month, I wrote about the Department of Justice beginning to crack down on abusive conservation easement syndications. DOJ is seeking an injunction against people associated with EcoVest Capital, which according to Peter Elkind of Fortune is the most prolific syndicator of conservation easements. I explained the concept behind conservation easement deductions in that piece last month (and other coverage over the last several years). Here we are going to discuss them from the point of view of investors, which greatly simplifies things. To an investor, the program is something of a black box. The Black Box  An investor (Let's go with Terry for a name) in an EcoVest deal pays them some money. Before Form 1040 for that year is due, Terry will get a K-1 showing a charitable contribution that is a multiple of the amount invested (probably between four or five times). So Terry will get back more than the investment in tax savings. That, of course, is the essence of the deal as far as Terry is concerned. In a few years, the property as encumbered by the easement is sold by the partnership. Terry will then get some of the original investment back. Terry needs to make sure the return preparer includes all required disclosures. But now Terry has heard that DOJ is calling the deals all sorts of nasty names. They literally refer to the persons named having "ill-gotten gains". Terry put $20,000 into a 2017 deal and $20,000 into a 2018 deal. Tax savings federal and state were $30,000 in 2017 and are projected about the same for 2018. I was actually asked that question. Not by anybody who has ever been my client, just to be clear. Worst case, as far as I can figure, Terry might have to give back the $30,000 in savings from 2017 along with a 40% penalty. In principle, Terry might avoid the penalty by filing an amended return (or returns if there were state savings) which leaves the question of what to do about 2018. What To Do About Return Not Yet Filed  The 2018 question is a lot easier to answer. Terry should ask for the $20,000 back from EcoVest and consider supplementing the fourth quarter estimate, although that probably won't make much difference. I spoke with EcoVest investor relations and they made it clear that they won't just cut a check. Their point of view is that DOJ has arbitrarily struck demanding that five hard-working people, who are connected to EcoVest one way or another, are being asked to take up different work. Due to the government shutdown, they have not been able to respond. The EcoVest representative who only gave me his first name indicated that a statement has been sent out to the twenty or so broker-dealers that they use. I haven't gotten my hands on a copy of that yet. If Terry has the stomach for this sort of thing there could be complaints to various regulatory bodies which might encourage EcoVest to reconsider. I think the stakes are too low to engage a lawyer. Assuming the refund exercise is fruitless, Terry should plan on going on extension. EcoVest has indicated that the K-1s will be issued. But even if they are issued, my inclination would be to extend based on the assumption that the tax savings will not be available and see what develops. My partner often chides me about procrastinating. She is usually right. I've yet to see the dirty dishes spontaneously clean themselves, but I can keep hoping. Here, though, procrastination is the right answer. I don't give audit lottery advice, but this circumstance is different. I really don't think that Terry should amend the 2017 return and give back the tax savings. When you get a K-1, you are supposed to put on your return what the K-1 shows. What Terry should do is verify that the correct disclosures were included with the 2017 return and, if not, possibly amend for that. I really think that engaging a tax attorney is premature. You don't know for sure that your deal is going to be attacked and what the actual outcome will be. If you have the means (and you should if you were a qualified investor), plan to have your tax saving plus 40% or so liquid in a couple of years. Kiss it goodbye mentally now, which will cut your stress a lot. If it develops, as is not that unlikely, that you get to keep it, I think you should donate it to a legitimate conservation organization as a kind of penance for having profited from these shenanigans, but that is just me moralizing. My Sympathies  In EcoVest vs DOJ, I am rooting for DOJ. Syndication of conservations easement charitable deductions is a travesty. It doesn't even make good nonsense. The investors are a different story. From what I can gather, somebody told them that these deals are legitimate and there is a sense in which that is true. So they have some sympathy from me. As Learned Hand wrote:  Over and over again courts have said that there is nothing sinister in so arranging one's affairs as to keep taxes as low as possible. Everybody does so, rich or poor; and all do right, for nobody owes any public duty to pay more than the law demands: taxes are enforced exactions, not voluntary contributions. To demand more in the name of morals is mere cant. Future investors get less sympathy. IRS Notice 2017-10 indicates the syndicated conservation easements are listed transactions. Reilly's Fourteenth Law of Tax Planning - If something is a listed transaction, just don't do it.


Question: Why Didn't Apple Use Qualcomm's Modems In 2018 iPhones?

Like I said last week in my article entitled If The FTC Case Against Qualcomm Seems Like a Clown Show Right Now, It's Because It Started That Way, if you havent been following the FTC versus Qualcomm case and are in the tech industry, you probably should. Whats likely at stake are future inventors rights to monetize their inventions, the U.S. government becoming an IP price fixer, U.S. 5G competitiveness, and competitiveness in related industries like self-driving cars and smart cities and potentially even national security. One of the things that caught my eye last week was Apple COO Jeff Williams FTC testimony that Qualcomm wouldnt sell it chips for its 2018 iPhones. This could be viewed as support for the FTCs no license-no chips accusation against Qualcomm and be damaging to Qualcomms defense. Williams testified that But in the end, they (Qualcomm) would not support us and sell us chips- I contacted Steve (Mollenkopf), I sent him emails, I called. We tried to get them to sell us chips and they would not.  Three days ago, Bloombergs Ian King and Mark Gurman ran a piece from leaked emails in September 2017 between Apple and Qualcomm suggesting Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf did offer to sell Apple its wireless chips for use in 2018 iPhones. The article said that Apple wanted source code for the modems and Qualcomm wanted a commitment to 50% of the supply over two years. If accurate, this article would support what Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf testified to when asked, was there ever a time when Qualcomm withdrew from competing for business at Apple? and Mollenkopf answered, no.  While I would have preferred to see the Qualcomm-Apple emails in testimony versus leaked emails, no one so far is questioning the email authenticity with me. Ill assume this wasnt part of FTC evidence because the FTC limited its investigation through 2016. I want to peel back the onion a bit and dig in on a few things. First off, this exchange seems like good, old fashioned negotiating. I spent over 20 years at hardware OEMs and chip companies, did a lot of negotiating from both sides, and this is what negotiation looks like. It appears Qualcomm wanted a volume commitment and Apple, based on Williams testimony, seemed prepared to offer it, given Williams earlier testimony on a desire to dual-source. Apple also appears to want the source code for the thin modem. I will assume that Apple wanted Qualcomms latest X20 LTE modem at the time and the X20 source code. What I dont understand is why Apple wouldnt just keep using the X16 modem, which lined up well right next to Intels XMM 7560 gigabit class modem from a feature and speed standpoint. Apple already had the source code for the X16 modem and continues to ship the X16 in older iPhone models today. In November 2017, Qualcomm asked a San Diego court to force Apple to provide a software audit on how Apple was using its source code. In September 2018, Qualcomm filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Apple for trade secret misappropriation. What is evident from this chain of events from September 2017 to September 2018 is that Qualcomm was worried Apple was going to misappropriate its X20 source code as Qualcomm believed it did with the X16. Apples stock response to these trade secret theft accusations was, "Qualcomm's illegal business practices are harming Apple and the entire industry. They supply us with a single connectivity component, but for years have been demanding a percentage of the total cost of our products - effectively taxing Apple's innovation." Even though Qualcomm had its fears over trade secret theft, according to the Bloomberg emails, the company was still prepared to sell it modems with a volume commitment. To the core of the FTCs suit against Qualcomm is that it wouldnt sell chips unless customers paid for licensing fees. If the emails referenced to in the Bloomberg article are accurate, then it looks like Qualcomm's Mollenkopf was prepared to sell its chips to Apple but Apple didnt like the terms. This all strikes me as negotiation, not anti-trust harm, particularly when Apple could have used the X16 modem with which it already had the source code and is still buying. This he said-she said are what courts are for, to piece through these things and as I have said, Im no lawyer and dont play one on TV. I hope to see a day that Apple and Qualcomm can resolve its differences and focus all on what consumers want- innovative products and great experiences, because Im getting sick of all this. Disclosure: Moor Insights & Strategy, like all research and analyst firms, provides or has provided paid research, analysis, advising, or consulting to many high-tech companies in the industry, including Advanced Micro Devices, Apstra, ARM Holdings, Bitfusion, Cisco Systems, Dell EMC, Diablo Technologies, Echelon, Ericcson, Frame, Gen Z Consortium, Glue Networks, GlobalFoundries, Google (Nest), HP Inc. HewlettPackard Enterprise, Huawei Technologies, IBM, Jabil Circuit, Intel, Interdigital, Konica Minolta, Lenovo, Linux Foundation, MACOM (Applied Micro), MapBox, Mavenir, Mesosphere, Microsoft, National Instruments, NOKIA (Alcatel Lucent), Nortek, NVIDIA, ONUG, OpenStack Foundation, Peraso, Portworx, Protequus, Pure Storage, Qualcomm, Rackspace, Rambus, Red Hat, Samsung Technologies, Silver Peak, SONY, Springpath, Sprint, Stratus Technologies, TensTorrent, Tobii Technology, Synaptics, Verizon Communications, Vidyo, Wellsmith, Xilinx, Zebra, which may be cited in this article.


Question: Will NFL adopt CFL policy for pass interference review after officiating error?

Toronto Argonauts defensive back Matt Black can see the winds of change blowing through the NFL after Sundays controversial finish to the NFC title game  just like in the CFL in 2014. The Los Angeles Rams advanced to the Super Bowl with a 26-23 overtime win over the New Orleans Saints  the first game of a wild semifinal Sunday that started a debate about rules that happen to be different in the CFL. Greg Zuerlein kicked the game-winning 57-yard field goal after forcing overtime with a 48-yard boot late in the fourth quarter thanks in large part to a blown call in the quarter. On third-and-10 inside the Rams 15-yard line, Saints quarterback Drew Brees threw a pass toward receiver Tommylee Lewis. But Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman not only didnt turn his head to see the ball, but delivered a helmet-to-helmet hit on Lewis at about the five-yard line before it arrived. Amazingly, no flag was thrown. Had a penalty been called, New Orleans wouldve received a fresh set of downs and the chance to run the clock down and kick a short game-winning field goal. Wil Lutzs 31-yard field goal put the Saints ahead 23-20 but St. Louis got the ball at its 25-yard line with 1:41 remaining and drove for a tying field goal. Saints head coach Sean Payton was incensed with the non-call, but could do nothing about it. Had this happened in a CFL game, Payton wouldve had an opportunity to challenge the play. CFL teams can make one challenge per game so long as they have at least one timeout. If the challenge is unsuccessful, a timeout is charged. But a team keeps the timeout if the challenge is successful. Regardless of the outcome, no other challenges can be made. So under CFL rules, Payton wouldve still had to have his challenge and at least one timeout to have the play reviewed. On Sunday, the CFL drew praise from ESPN, which also suggested it was time for the NFL to expand its replay rules. And the Edmonton Eskimos tweeted: If anything has been learned today, it is that the @CFL rules are @NFL rules and that theres less of a chance of seeing the same teams in the championship.  Black, entering his 11th CFL season with the Argos, expects the NFL to look hard at making pass interference a reviewable offence. I think this will spur change in the NFL, said Black, a two-time Grey Cup champion. I think youll see the review of this because of that play. But Id want it to go both ways. If theres offensive pass interference then you can challenge it and if theres defensive pass interference then you could do that too.  In 2014, the CFL became the first football league to make pass interference reviewable. That came after Hamilton defensive back Evan McCollough wasnt called for contacting Montreal receiver Duron Carter in the end zone late in the Tiger-Cats 19-16 overtime win in the 13 East Division semifinal. Instead of getting the ball at the Hamilton one-yard line, Montreal had to settle for a game-tying field goal. Coaches initially had two challenges but that number was reduced to one in 2017. In the 2015 Grey Cup, a successful challenge by head coach Chris Jones helped Edmonton beat Ottawa 26-20 in Winnipeg. Jones challenged an incompletion that was changed to pass interference and put the Esks on the Redblacks 10-yard line. That set up Jordan Lynchs one-yard TD run with 3:22 remaining and Mike Reillys completion to Akeem Shavers for the two-point convert to erase a 20-18 deficit. Glen Johnson, the former CFL official who later served as the leagues director of officiating, said there was no doubt Robey-Coleman interfered with Lewis. I did (expect a flag to be thrown). Johnson said. Absolutely (it was pass interference) and I say that with all empathy for the official because people just dont know until theyre out there just how hard it is. As an official, way back I went from not liking (replay) to feeling it was a really good tool to help us. And when I went into management I went, This is absolutely mandatory to protect the integrity of the game.  The AFC championship game wasnt immune from criticism, either, and it too revolved around a rule unique to the NFL. The New England Patriots, after winning the coin toss for overtime, marched 80 yards on 15 plays  capped by Rex Burkheads two-yard TD run  to beat the Kansas City Chiefs 37-31. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who threw for 295 yards and three TDs in regulation, never touched the field in the extra session. In the CFL, both teams get the ball in overtime. In the NFL, a touchdown ends the game. That prompted Calgary Stampeders punter Rob Maver to tweet: I say this as an objective viewer: the NFLs overtime rules are complete and utter garbage.  But Nik Lewis, the CFLs all-time receptions leader (1,051) now in his first season as the B.C. Lions running backs coach, likes the NFLs overtime policy during the regular season, But he thinks both teams should get the ball in the playoffs. Its a battle to earn the right to go to the next stage, he said. Really, the coin toss decides the game.  Black supports the NFLs OT format. If you drive 80 yards and score a touchdown, tell me why the New England Patriots dont deserve to go to the Super Bowl, he said. If New England had to kick a field goal, Mahomes gets the ball back and the Chiefs get an opportunity to march down the field. If they score a TD, were sitting here talking about how amazing a 23-year-old kid is whos taking his team to the Super Bowl. I dont think there has ever been or will ever be another combination like Tom Brady and (Pats coach) Bill Belichick.  However, it was the non-call in the NFC contest that drew the most attention. Like Black, Johnson believes the incident will move the NFL closer to allowing coaches to challenge pass interference. I hope it does, he said. I hope it serves as good dialogue for the rules committee.  But Johnson believes the CFLs challenge system could be tweaked. The hardest part in figuring all of this out is you want a system, method or approach you can get to that leaves you that challenge for that moment, Johnson said. Had we not had two (challenges) in the 15 Grey Cup, they might not have had that other challenge to use late in the game to fix that PI. I think fundamentally there has to be a system to use replay to get egregious calls fixed. The officials want it, the fans want it, the coaches want it. Everybody wants it.  Lewis, though, doesnt see it that way. The reason is its never consistent, theyre judgment calls, said Lewis. Theres not a consistent rule on pass interference so I think its very hard to decide which is interference and which isnt. But theres no doubt that play was pass interference.  Still, Lewis said the Saints couldve made the play moot by scoring TDs in a dominant first half rather than settling for field goals. As a player or coach, you know theres going to be calls for and against you that are borderline, he said. So you dont want to put yourself in that situation (where game is decided by officials call).  Jim Daley, a former head coach with Winnipeg and Saskatchewan, said with CFL coaches having just one challenge, a viable option could be having the replay official buzzing the game official when theres an obvious miss. It was a huge mistake, an obvious mistake and (NFL) has already admitted that, he said. In the CFL if youve already used your challenge, youre not challenging that play anyway. I just think there might be a process where a review official whos away from the heat of the game but sees the whole picture can somehow reach the game official and review it.


Question: What prop betting lines are available for Super Bowl LIII?

CLOSE Two weeks before the biggest game in football descends on Atlanta, officials say they are doing everything to ensure it's a success. (Jan. 15) AP  Super Bowl Sunday means heavily scripted commercials, a star-studded halftime show and a football game (by the way, the Patriots are favored by 1 1/2 points over the Rams as of Jan. 21 per Bovada). It also means lots of wagering on different bets. Here's a look at some of the betting lines that Bovada is presenting days before the start of Super Bowl LIII. YES -110  NO -130  CLOSE Jarrett Bell and Mike Jones from New Orleans and Kansas City on how the Rams and Patriots pulled off their impressive wins to head to the Super Bowl. YES +900  NO -3500  CLOSE SportsPulse: This will likely go down as the worst officiated championship weekend ever. But if you are a fan of chaos and pure insane entertainment it was incredible. Trysta Krick breaks down how the Patriots and Rams punched their ticket to the Super Bowl. Coke or variants -170  Pepsi or variants +130  SUPER BOWL LIII: TV, schedule, kick off time, streaming for Patriots-Rams


Question: Can Corning Sustain Its Momentum in the Fourth Quarter?

Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) is slated to announce fourth-quarter 2018 results on Tuesday, January 29, 2019. Shares of the glass technologist are down modestly from its exceptional third-quarter report in October as of this writing -- albeit primarily driven by the broader market's decline since then. To be clear, last quarter Corning demonstrated accelerating growth and expanding margins as its investments in innovation and manufacturing capacity began to yield fruit. And if management's commentary is any indication, shareholders should expect to see more of the same next week. Before Corning's Q4 results hit the wires, then, let's have a look at what investors should be watching. Multiple panes of Corning glass. More  IMAGE SOURCE: CORNING. A "step change" in profitability  Three months ago, Corning Chairman and CEO Wendell Weeks boasted that Q3 marked a "step change in our earnings power," particularly as Corning leveraged its "recent phase of intense operating and capital investments to capture substantial benefits." Remember, Corning is in the home stretch of its four-year Strategic and Capital Allocation Framework announced in late 2015. Under that framework as of the end of last quarter, the company had already returned $11.4 billion (of a $12.5 billion goal) to shareholders through dividends and repurchases, and remained on track to invest $10 billion back into the business to solidify its industry leadership and capture future growth. Next week, the market will expect the company to confirm it has continued to make notable progress toward those goals, as per usual. But shareholders should also listen closely for any updates regarding Corning's targets for the duration of this year, as well as potential plans to extend its framework at the end of 2019. As for this quarter's headline numbers, Corning's latest guidance calls for full-year 2018 sales to "exceed $11.3 billion." Based on its sales of $8.255 billion through the first nine months of the year, that means the fourth quarter should arrive (conservatively) at around $3.05 billion. Meanwhile, Corning does not provide specific consolidated bottom-line guidance. So for perspective, and though we usually don't lend much credence to Wall Street's expectations, most analysts will be looking for Corning's core earnings to increase roughly 14% to $0.57 per share. Breaking it down  Corning did offer some broad expectations in October for each of its five primary segments to end the year. At optical communications, its single largest business, fourth-quarter sales should climb in the low-single-digit percent range sequentially, from $1.117 billion last quarter, helped by large ongoing projects from multiple carrier and data center customers. All told, that should mean optical achieves slightly higher year-over-year growth than the 9% increase we saw in Q3. Next, Corning's display technologies segment should benefit from ever-larger television screen sizes. Coupled with the recent ramp of Corning's Gen 10.5 LCD glass substrate facility in China, display technologies should see volume growth slightly above the low-single-digit sequential increase expected from the broader display glass market. At the same time, its revenue and earnings benefit for this segment will be held back by continued annual display glass price declines -- though it's worth noting Corning has done an admirable job moderating those declines in recent years.


Question: Should We Debunk Junk Science Or Not?

Junk science is everywhere, and it takes many pernicious forms. There are the outright scams, of course, advertised by charlatans aiming to make a quick and easy buck. There are the malicious actors, trying to spread falsehoods and misinformation to score political or economic points instead of promoting honest scientific debate. And there are the lazy and flawed scientists themselves, trumpeting poorly-done, low-quality, and even outright sketchy work in a bid to get some media and public attention on themselves. All of these manifestations have a common theme: they take the name of science and apply it to something that definitely does not adhere to any reasonable definition of the word or bear even the slightest resemblance to the proper practice of the discipline. It obviously needs to be addressed and confronted, lest the problem grow out of control (if it isn't already out of control) and regain some semblance of legitimate scientific identity in the hearts and minds of the general public. It's here, in the how rather than the why of combatting junk science, that two schools of thought emerge:  Method 1: Debunk, Full Blast  There is bad, junky science, promoted by bad, junky people. They must be defeated. We must take their claims at face value and tear into them, exposing them for the frauds and deceits that they are. The goal of such a debate wouldn't be to change the mind of our opponent - they likely aren't interested in having their mind changed anyway. But people can watch and listen to that debate. Maybe some of those people have an opinion on the subject, but not a strong one, and can be swayed with logic and reason. Most people probably haven't even thought about the issue at all, and this would be a golden opportunity to plant the right kind of seed at exactly the right time. Failing the opportunity for a debate, we can at least provide resources. Videos, articles, podcasts, the works. Bring up dubious claims and bear the full weight of the evidence against them. Highlight examples of bad science so that people know what to look for in the future. Method 2: Avoid, At All Costs  But even the mention of junk science gives their proponents credibility. After all, scientists debate each other all the time in open forums. Thus if a scientist is debating someone else, they must hold them as a peer, even a colleague. By giving them the air of legitimacy, we aren't helping ourselves, but them. Even if the debate is "lost" (whatever that means), they can then turn around to their followers and rightly claim that they went toe-to-toe with other scientists. Junk scientists aren't playing by the same rules. Instead, it's best to avoid open confrontation. Instead, explain what science is and how science works, and let it be. Have confidence that the right information will get to the right people and let natural forces do their work. It's best not to...sully our hands, so to speak. Method 3: All of the Above  Both approaches have merit. Both schools of thought make very valid points. Both techniques are right in their own ways and wrong in their own ways. In the end, we need to give people tools to decide between junk and valid science on their own. And since "people" is really a collection of billions of individuals, we can't make universal assumptions and apply universal techniques and hope it all works out in the end. The struggle against junk science is much more personal than that; it can only be won through a single human being at a time.


Question: Have His Cake and Eat It Too?

Bill Clinton has been pretty good to President Bush about the War on Terror and the war in Iraq  up until now. In July of '03  right after the invasion  Clinton went on TV and said, "Hey, all you guys ticked at Bush, just remember we all knew we'd have to do something about Saddam someday." That was good. It was actually brave because the Democrats were busy formulating the "Bush lied" lie which is now accepted on the blue side of things as absolute, unquestionable truth, when in fact it is the biggest cowpie I've ever stepped in. But now Clinton has gone off the deep end. Here's what he said to a group of students  one presumes Arab students  at the American University in Dubai:  "Saddam is gone. It's a good thing." I interrupt his statement here because this is where he should have stopped. But he didn't. He went on. "But I don't agree with what was done," Clinton said. "It was a big mistake. The American government made several errors, one of which is how easy it would be to get rid of Saddam and how hard it would be to unite the country." Now there is a certain truth in the latter part of the statement. It's obviously been easier to knock Saddam off than unite the country. But uttering the words "it was a big mistake" in an Arab country, in front of an Arab audience, can mean only one thing: The ex-president thinks we shouldn't have gone into Iraq. But he just said Saddam is gone and that's good. Clinton had eight years to get rid of Saddam without a war. It didn't work. It would never have worked. Saddam was busy buying off the U.N. and France. He was busy killing his opponents and CIA spies. He was busy convincing his neighbors and the rest of the world that he had WMDs, because if they thought he didn't the U.S. wouldn't have had time to invade. Iran would have done it first. Clinton has defined the Democrat position on Saddam: We are glad he's gone, now let's stone the guy who ran him out. The beauty of this is that they say it with a straight face. That's My Word. Watch John Gibson weekdays at 5 p.m. ET on "The Big Story" and send your comments to: myword@foxnews.com  Read Your Word


Question: Did J.R. Smith call Marcus Smart a "bum" for DeAndre' Bembry incident?

originally appeared on nbcsportsboston.com  J.R. Smith appeared to call out one of two players Saturday night on Instagram. Scroll to continue with content Ad  We think we have a pretty good guess. After ESPN's "SportsCenter" Instagram account posted a video of Marcus Smart charging at DeAndre' Bembry during Saturday night's Boston Celtics-Atlanta Hawks game, the former Cleveland Cavaliers guard chimed in by writing "such a bum" in the comment section. JR Smith's not a fan of Marcus Smart. pic.twitter.com/SNTxMLeCgv  Josh Poloha (@JorshP) January 20, 2019  Technically, Smith's "bum" jab could be directed at Smart or Bembry. But Smith and Smart have serious history. A quick recap: During the 2018 NBA playoffs, Smart confronted Smith after the Cavs guard pushed Al Horford while he was in the air attempting to catch an alley-oop. When Boston and Cleveland met this preseason, Smart and Smith scuffled again, and their beef continued off the court with some nasty postgame remarks and tweets. So, it's safe to say Smith's comments aren't directed at Bembry. Smart has bigger problems to worry about, though: His Celtics will aim for their fourth consecutive win Monday, while Smith has stepped away from the Cavs while seeking a trade. Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device.


Question: Could a Tsunami Happen Here?

Alaska (search) has been hit by massive earthquakes in the past, and is still at risk. So is Washington state. Both are bordered by 700- to 800-mile fault zones. So the U.S. has installed an early-warning system that reads the speed and direction of tsunamis  which are generally undetectable until they hit the shore because wave energy travels very deep and at near-supersonic speed underwater. "We live in an area similar, and we should not lull ourselves into thinking it could not happen to us," said Eddie Bernard of Pacific Marine Laboratory (search) in Anchorage. "It could happen to us." Click in the box near the top of the story to watch a report by FOX News' William LaJeunesse.


Question: Is Green Plains a Buy?

After a rough 2017 investors might have been hoping that things couldn't get worse for ethanol producers. Then 2018 happened. Last year, ethanol prices averaged their lowest selling prices since 2002 -- years before the United States started blending the renewable fuel into its gasoline supply. That spoiled the operations of Green Plains (NASDAQ: GPRE). While it began 2018 as the nation's third-largest ethanol manufacturer, it exited the year a peg or two lower. Management sold noncore assets and 20% of the company's ethanol production fleet, then used the proceeds to retire $495 million in long-term debt. The move should save enough in interest expense to tip the business into profitability, but there are still some questions that won't be answered until year-end results are announced. Let's dig into the details. A man staring at a chalk board with money bags and question marks drawn on it. More  Image source: Getty Images. By the numbers  Green Plains generates revenue and income from multiple products and services supporting ethanol production. The business also creates animal feed products (primarily byproducts of the overall ethanol production process), sells meat from its cattle feedlot business (one of the largest in the United States with 355,000 head of cattle), and generates income from an ownership stake in Green Plains Partners (a storage and transportation partnership supporting the parent). Vertical integration has become a necessity for improving the margin structure of ethanol production. That was especially true last year. In the first nine months of 2018 the company's ethanol segment reported an operating loss of $60.7 million, compared to an operating loss of $26 million the year before. High-margin products and services in the animal feed, food ingredients, and partnership segments allowed Green Plains to post an overall operating profit -- barely. Metric First Nine Months 2018 First Nine Months 2017 Year-Over-Year Change Revenue $3.03 billion $2.67 billion 13% Operating expenses $3.02 billion $2.64 billion 14% Operating income $8.4 million $34.3 million (75%) Net income ($23.1 million) $29.4 million N/A Operating cash flow less inventory change $31.1 million $54.6 million (43%)  Data source: SEC filing. Of course, the slimmed-down business will look a bit different in 2019. Late last year, Green Plains sold off its high-margin vinegar business, which, alongside the cattle feedlot business, helped to generate $34 million in operating income for the food ingredients segment through the first nine months of 2018. Losing that high-margin income will hurt, but the company will save more in interest expense from paying off its term loans. Shedding 20% of its ethanol production will also help to shrink losses in the core segment. The biggest improvements might arrive on the balance sheet. Here's how management last communicated the changes, with the pro forma results indicating the impact from recent transactions:  Metric Sept. 30, 2018 (Pro Forma) Sept. 30, 2018 (Actual) Total long-term debt $337.8 million* $832.8 million Net debt ($46.9 million) $598.3 million Shareholders' equity $1.06 billion $898.9 million Book value per share $25.61 $21.70 Net debt to EBITDA 2.5x 6.3x  *NOTE: Comprising convertible debt and a revolving credit facility. Data source: Investor presentation. Overall investors have to like the improvements in the table above, but investors will want to make sure these asset sales don't result in sharply lower EBITDA -- therefore hiking up leverage ratios -- going forward. Despite the overnight improvements on the balance sheet, Wall Street hasn't changed its pessimistic outlook for the business. Perhaps analysts are waiting for clearer signals from management on what to expect in the near term, but they haven't updated their earnings expectations for the next 12 months. That much is obvious from a side-by-side comparison between Green Plains and its closest publicly traded ethanol-producing peers Archer Daniels Midland (NYSE: ADM) and Valero (NYSE: VLO), notably in the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios.


Wall St. Bears Claw Back Into the Black (Reuters) Reuters - Short-sellers, Wall Street's dwindling\band of ultra-cynics, are seeing green again.


Carlyle Looks Toward Commercial Aerospace (Reuters) Reuters - Private investment firm Carlyle Group,\which has a reputation for making well-timed and occasionally\controversial plays in the defense industry, has quietly placed\its bets on another part of the market.


Oil and Economy Cloud Stocks' Outlook (Reuters) Reuters - Soaring crude prices plus worries\about the economy and the outlook for earnings are expected to\hang over the stock market next week during the depth of the\summer doldrums.


Iraq Halts Oil Exports from Main Southern Pipeline (Reuters) Reuters - Authorities have halted oil export\flows from the main pipeline in southern Iraq after\intelligence showed a rebel militia could strike\infrastructure, an oil official said on Saturday.


Oil prices soar to all-time record, posing new menace to US economy (AFP) AFP - Tearaway world oil prices, toppling records and straining wallets, present a new economic menace barely three months before the US presidential elections.


Stocks End Up, But Near Year Lows (Reuters) Reuters - Stocks ended slightly higher on Friday\but stayed near lows for the year as oil prices surged past  #36;46\a barrel, offsetting a positive outlook from computer maker\Dell Inc. (DELL.O)


Money Funds Fell in Latest Week (AP) AP - Assets of the nation's retail money market mutual funds fell by  #36;1.17 billion in the latest week to  #36;849.98 trillion, the Investment Company Institute said Thursday.


Fed minutes show dissent over inflation (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Retail sales bounced back a bit in July, and new claims for jobless benefits fell last week, the government said Thursday, indicating the economy is improving from a midsummer slump.


Safety Net (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - After earning a PH.D. in Sociology, Danny Bazil Riley started to work as the general manager at a commercial real estate firm at an annual base salary of  #36;70,000. Soon after, a financial planner stopped by his desk to drop off brochures about insurance benefits available through his employer. But, at 32, "buying insurance was the furthest thing from my mind," says Riley.


Wall St. Bears Claw Back Into the Black  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Short-sellers, Wall Street's dwindling  band of ultra-cynics, are seeing green again.


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Australia news LIVE: Census 2021 results released; chaos in Sydney for commuters amid rail industrial action Blockade Australia protests - Sydney Morning Herald


ASX opens up BWX dives 38pc Collins Foods Tassal jumps - The Australian Financial Review


Movie star unrecognisable as he is jailed - news.com.au


Australia's aged-care sector losing 65000 workers every year report finds - 9News


Innovative treatment reduces post-traumatic headache related disability study finds - News-Medical.Net


Pause in medication would improve Covid jab response for millions study shows - Financial Times


Israel loosens abortion regulations in response to Roe - 9News


The Hottest Game Of The Summer Has A Cheating Problem - Kotaku Australia


Each slave node shall implement the objects listed in Table 8-1 in its Object Dictionary.


For wire bonding or adhesive bonding soft gold shall be used.


For each telecommand packet transporting a request to change the maximum transition reporting delay, the application data field shall have the structure specified in Figure 8-113.


The data hold time after the DATA_CLK_OUT falling edge, tdh, shall be not less than 0.


The risk assessment shall cover the following:  1.	a summary and description of each hazardous activity, 2.	an assessment of the risks associated with the hazard, its likelihood and severity, 3.	an identification of all risk reduction measures and the verification of their effectiveness after implementation, 4.	a clear indication of the remaining and acceptable risks to operate the facility, 5.	the methodology used for the risk assessment.


Swage-type terminals that are mounted in a plated-through hole shall be secured to the PCB by an elliptical funnel swage in accordance with Figure 8-6 (b).     NOTE An elliptical funnel swage enables complete filling of the plated-through hole with solder.


The supplier shall ensure that inspection, measuring and test facilities, including both test hardware and test software are protected against adjustments, which can invalidate the calibration setting.


Each request to load raw memory data areas by reference shall contain: 1.	if the raw data memory management subservice manages more than one memory, the identifier of the memory; 2.	the file path of the file containing the data to load; 3.	an ordered list of one or more instructions to load a raw memory data area by reference.


The interface between the space segment element and the launch facility shall be verified before actual spacecraft operation.


To summary-report the content of each packet store, N shall be set to 0.


Our Deeds are the Reason of this #earthquake May ALLAH Forgive us all


Forest fire near La Ronge Sask. Canada


All residents asked to 'shelter in place' are being notified by officers. No other evacuation or shelter in place orders are expected


13,000 people receive #wildfires evacuation orders in California


Just got sent this photo from Ruby #Alaska as smoke from #wildfires pours into a school


#RockyFire Update => California Hwy. 20 closed in both directions due to Lake County fire - #CAfire #wildfires


#flood #disaster Heavy rain causes flash flooding of streets in Manitou, Colorado Springs areas


I'm on top of the hill and I can see a fire in the woods...


There's an emergency evacuation happening now in the building across the street


I'm afraid that the tornado is coming to our area...


Kevin: YOU LISTEN TO ME YOU MOTHERFUCKER! DON'T YOU EVER DISRESPECT THE GREATEST POP GROUP OF ALL TIME! YOU COCKSUCKER!!!! I HOPE YOU GET DIARRHEA AND IT RUNS DOWN YOUR LEG!!!! FUCK YOU BITCH ASS BITCH!


FUCK YOU,TINSKI, AND FUCK YOU, LOS... (you were close, urks) I had a dilemma...I went to get a fucking marker to right my sign...i opened it...and fucking ink went all over my GOD FUCKING DAMN CARPET!!! SOOOOOOOOO.....I'VE BEEN CLEANING MY FUCKING CARPET, YOU FUCKING TWATS!!!! SNIFF MY FUCKING SHAFT, YOU LOSER FAGGOTs, AND DYKES!!!

13' D WIDE...BITCHES. $120.00 CKs. They were made just right, to fit up your ass-holes!!!!!


Who said that? Who the fuck said that? Who's the slimy little communist shit, twinkle-toed cocksucker down here who just signed his own death warrant? Nobody, huh? The fairy fucking godmother said it. Out-fucking-standing! I will PT you all until you fucking die! I'll PT you until your assholes are sucking buttermilk!

Who said that? Who the fuck said that? Who's the slimy little communist shit, twinkle-toed cocksucker down here who just signed his own death warrant? Nobody, huh? The fairy fucking godmother said it. Out-fucking-standing! I will PT you all until you fucking die! I'll PT you until your assholes are sucking buttermilk!


You're gonna have to call the fucking United Nations and get a fucking binding resolution to keep me from fucking destroying you. I'm talking about a scorched earth, motherfucker! I will massacre you! I WILL FUCK YOU UP!

636 shares


God help you...

0

4

...if you get in my way today.

Motherfucker on Main that cut me off this morning? The only reason you're still breathing is your daughter was in the back seat....thank her for your life tonight!

The fucking asshole who lives above me? If you bitch about me smoking on my back porch that I pay rent for one more time I will come up there and throw your scrawny ass off your balcony then make sure your bar-b-q lands on your fucking head, I will then drag you to the street and curb-stomp your dumb ass!

My roomie? If you hit on me one more fucking time I will take naked pics of you in your sleep (if I can stomach it) and post them on every fucking website known to man! With your e-mail address! Then you can have fun fending off the pervs! I wouldn't fuck you with someone else's dick!

My ex? FUCK YOU!!!

My employer? If you lay me off I swear to whatever you consider holy that I will sink every motherfucking ship in the Puget Sound. Then I will set fire to every motherfucking building you own and walk through the inlet with with 2 mini gatling guns and 10 bajillion rounds of armor piercing explosive ammunition. When I'm done there won't even be teeth left to identify the bodies! Fucking selfish, greedy, cock-holstering pussies!

Travis? You promised to be my friend and I yours. WTF??? You bailed bitch! How very very CHRISTIAN of you. FUCK YOU...GO TO HELL! And I'll meet your punk ass there!


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WHAT THE FUCK MAN???? HOW THE BLOODY FUCKING FUCK COULD SLIPKNOT BE BETTER THAN MUSHROOMHEAD??? MUSHROOMHEAD HAVE WAY MUCH BETTER VOCALS, WAY MUCH BETTER LYRICS (WHICH AREN'T ALL JUST SWEARWORDS AND ARE REALISTIC) AND MUSHROOMHEAD ARE JUST WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY MUCH GENERALLY BETTER!!!

FUCK YOU SLIPKNOT, YOU USELESS CUNTS!!! ALL YOU DID IS STEAL MUSHROMHEAD'S IDEA WITH THE MASK! FUCK ALL OF YOU!!!


Oh, thank you very much. And I love your...coat. I love your coat.


Well, it's not but I'm still mad about it.


How are you going to get everything done?


Lily, where'd you get that?


I'll come with you.


What?!


What are you... What you're talking about?


In the mail or in my mind? Zero. She's up three-zip. Oh! Cupcakes! Great. I bet they're delicious, too. Yup, they're delicious. Damn it! I don't deserve these delicious cupcakes. God, I hate myself right now.


It means nothing.


I'm lost. What do I do?


Check out our new site Makeup Addiction

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FUCK IT I'm drinking and playing video games.


Incidence of sudden athletic deaths between 1985 and 1990 in Marion County, Indiana.
Relatively little information is available concerning the incidence of sudden death in athletes in the United States. The present study provides annual incidence rates of sudden athletic deaths in Marion County, Indiana, home of Indianapolis, the "amateur sports capital of the world." The overall incidence was 0.04% (18 athletic deaths in 44,481 forensic necropsies). This incidence varied slightly over the 6-year study period: 1985 (0.06%), 1986 (0.03%), 1987 (0.04%), 1988 (0.09%), 1989 (0%), 1990 (0.01%). Of the 18 sudden athletic deaths, 88% were cardiac in origin. A retrospective analysis of preparticipation screening efforts suggests that most of the cardiac conditions responsible for death could have been detected.


Haemodynamic steady state via combined infusion of dobutamine and dopamine in the pretransplant phase.
The course of a critically ill patient suffering endstage dilated cardiomyopathy is reported focusing on the use of inotropic support. A steady state haemodynamic condition was achieved using continuous low-dose infusion of dobutamine in combination with dopamine for several days. Thus as a candidate for heart transplantation he was made transportable to a foreign country.


In episode 330, Jack and Miles are joined by Yo Is This Racist's co-host Andrew Ti to discuss a Colorado store closing down after they boycotted Nike cause of Colin Kaepernick ad, Amazon canceling their plans to build an HQ in New York City, Trump calling a state of emergency over the border wall, Paul Manafort lying while under cooperation agreement, Frozen 2 trailer dropping, an absurd Newsweek story, the Oscars upsetting everyone, and more!

In episode 324, Jack and Miles are joined by Billy Wayne Davis to discuss some internet ads coming up, Google searches from different VPN's around the world, Trump's State Of The Union, federal prosecutors looking into Trump's inauguration committee, more Howard Schultz crap, Fox News hosts being surprised that people would want to tax the rich, and more!


Q:

How to add supported types to existing legacy std::list manipulation functions (i.e. templates?)

I have a specific question about adding supported types to existing legacy std::list manipulation functions. I tried to do this with templates without success, so I'd appreciate any advice on how to use templates better or use different mechanisms entirely. Please take a look at my scenario below and let me know if there's any thoughts on this. Thanks in advance for any help!
I currently have two std::lists of type A, and have insertion/removal/getter/etc functions for them. A simplified code snippet for this is shown below.
typedef std::list<A*> TListA;
TListA ListA1;
TListA ListA2;

void InsertIntoListA(A* pA)
{
    TListA& ListA = IsBoo()? ListA1 : ListA2;
    ListA.push_back(pA);
}

Now, it turns out I need to add type B, and I considered using templates to add this new type (as shown below), but it turns out there are two issues with that.
template <typename T>
void InsertIntoListT(T* pT)
{
    std::list<T*>& List;

    if (IsA())
        List = IsBoo()? ListA1 : ListA2;
    else
        List = IsBoo()? ListB1 : ListB2;

    List.push_back(pT);
}

Issue 1:
I cannot have "std::list& List" because since it's by reference, it needs to be assigned to an actual list. So I would end up with something like this, which is not ideal.
template <typename T>
void InsertIntoListT(T* pT)
{
    if (IsA()) {
        TListA& ListA = IsBoo()? ListA1 : ListA2;
        ListA.push_back(pT);
    } else {
        TListB& ListB = IsBoo()? ListB1 : ListB2;
        ListB.push_back(pT);
    }
}

Issue 2:
I am getting type conversion errors with either A to B, or B to A. I think this is because given the template T, the compiler will enumerate all four possibilities for "ListA.push_back" and "ListB.push_back," which leads to inserting A to list A, inserting B to list A, inserting A to list B, and inserting B to list B, and only two of these are valid. So I end up with something like this, which I think defeats the purpose of using templates.
template <typename T>
void InsertIntoListT(T* pT)
{
    if (IsA()) {
        TListA& ListA = IsBoo()? ListA1 : ListA2;
        ListA.push_back(reinterpret_cast<A*>(pT));
    } else {
        TListB& ListB = IsBoo()? ListB1 : ListB2;
        ListB.push_back(reinterpret_cast<B*>(pT));
    }
}

A:

Don't mix all in one function. It's very bad practice. Use something like
void InsertIntoListImpl(A* p)
{
   (IsBoo() ? ListA1 : ListA2).push_back(p);
}

void InsertIntoListImpl(B* p)
{
   (IsBoo() ? ListB1 : ListB2).push_back(p);
}

template<typename T>
void InsertIntoList(T* p)
{
   InsertIntoListImpl(p);
}

or some traits, or something else. But anyway, not many conditions in one function.
Any why not pass actual list to function for insert? It will be better.


Context: This is the most common method of construction procurement and is well established and recognized. In this arrangement, the architect or engineer acts as the project coordinator. His or her role is to design the works, prepare the specifications and produce construction drawings, administer the contract, tender the works, and manage the works from inception to completion. There are direct contractual links between the architect's client and the main contractor. Any subcontractor has a direct contractual relationship with the main contractor. The procedure continues until the building is ready to occupy.

Question: There are direct contractual links between who?


Context: After strengthening his government in northern China, Kublai pursued an expansionist policy in line with the tradition of Mongol and Chinese imperialism. He renewed a massive drive against the Song dynasty to the south. Kublai besieged Xiangyang between 1268 and 1273, the last obstacle in his way to capture the rich Yangzi River basin. An unsuccessful naval expedition was undertaken against Japan in 1274. Kublai captured the Song capital of Hangzhou in 1276, the wealthiest city of China. Song loyalists escaped from the capital and enthroned a young child as Emperor Bing of Song. The Mongols defeated the loyalists at the battle of Yamen in 1279. The last Song emperor drowned, bringing an end to the Song dynasty. The conquest of the Song reunited northern and southern China for the first time in three hundred years.

Question: What area was Kublai trying to capture by defending Xiangyang?


Context: The neighborhood of Sunnyside is on Fresno's far southeast side, bounded by Chestnut Avenue to the West. Its major thoroughfares are Kings Canyon Avenue and Clovis Avenue. Although parts of Sunnyside are within the City of Fresno, much of the neighborhood is a "county island" within Fresno County. Largely developed in the 1950s through the 1970s, it has recently experienced a surge in new home construction. It is also the home of the Sunnyside Country Club, which maintains a golf course designed by William P. Bell.

Question: Where is the home of the Sunnyside Country Club?


Context: The historical measure of a steam engine's energy efficiency was its "duty". The concept of duty was first introduced by Watt in order to illustrate how much more efficient his engines were over the earlier Newcomen designs. Duty is the number of foot-pounds of work delivered by burning one bushel (94 pounds) of coal. The best examples of Newcomen designs had a duty of about 7 million, but most were closer to 5 million. Watt's original low-pressure designs were able to deliver duty as high as 25 million, but averaged about 17. This was a three-fold improvement over the average Newcomen design. Early Watt engines equipped with high-pressure steam improved this to 65 million.

Question: What was the ideal duty of a concept engine?


Context: Imperialism and colonialism both dictate the political and economic advantage over a land and the indigenous populations they control, yet scholars sometimes find it difficult to illustrate the difference between the two. Although imperialism and colonialism focus on the suppression of an other, if colonialism refers to the process of a country taking physical control of another, imperialism refers to the political and monetary dominance, either formally or informally. Colonialism is seen to be the architect deciding how to start dominating areas and then imperialism can be seen as creating the idea behind conquest cooperating with colonialism. Colonialism is when the imperial nation begins a conquest over an area and then eventually is able to rule over the areas the previous nation had controlled. Colonialism's core meaning is the exploitation of the valuable assets and supplies of the nation that was conquered and the conquering nation then gaining the benefits from the spoils of the war. The meaning of imperialism is to create an empire, by conquering the other state's lands and therefore increasing its own dominance. Colonialism is the builder and preserver of the colonial possessions in an area by a population coming from a foreign region. Colonialism can completely change the existing social structure, physical structure and economics of an area; it is not unusual that the characteristics of the conquering peoples are inherited by the conquered indigenous populations.

Question: what do conquering people take away from native populations?


Context: Bills can be introduced to Parliament in a number of ways; the Scottish Government can introduce new laws or amendments to existing laws as a bill; a committee of the Parliament can present a bill in one of the areas under its remit; a member of the Scottish Parliament can introduce a bill as a private member; or a private bill can be submitted to Parliament by an outside proposer. Most draft laws are government bills introduced by ministers in the governing party. Bills pass through Parliament in a number of stages:

Question: Who may also submit private bills to Parliament?

an outside proposer
an outside proposer
an outside proposer


Working with one of the best Shakespeare sources, this film manages to be creditable to it's source, whilst still appealing to a wider audience.

Branagh steals the film from under Fishburne's nose, and there's a talented cast on good form.


Well...tremors I, the original started off in 1990 and i found the movie quite enjoyable to watch. however, they proceeded to make tremors II and III. Trust me, those movies started going downhill right after they finished the first one, i mean, ass blasters??? Now, only God himself is capable of answering the question "why in Gods name would they create another one of these dumpster dives of a movie?" Tremors IV cannot be considered a bad movie, in fact it cannot be even considered an epitome of a bad movie, for it lives up to more than that. As i attempted to sit though it, i noticed that my eyes started to bleed, and i hoped profusely that the little girl from the ring would crawl through the TV and kill me. did they really think that dressing the people who had stared in the other movies up as though they we're from the wild west would make the movie (with the exact same occurrences) any better? honestly, i would never suggest buying this movie, i mean, there are cheaper ways to find things that burn well.


Ouch! This one was a bit painful to sit through. It has a cute and amusing premise, but it all goes to hell from there. Matthew Modine is almost always pedestrian and annoying, and he does not disappoint in this one. Deborah Kara Unger and John Neville turned in surprisingly decent performances. Alan Bates and Jennifer Tilly, among others, played it way over the top. I know that's the way the parts were written, and it's hard to blame actors, when the script and director have them do such schlock. If you're going to have outrageous characters, that's OK, but you gotta have good material to make it work. It didn't here. Run away screaming from this movie if at all possible.


I've seen some crappy movies in my life, but this one must be among the very worst. Definately bottom 100 material (imo, that is).

We follow two couples, the Dodds (Billy Bob Thornton as Lonnie Earl and Natasha Richardson as Darlene) and the Kirkendalls (Patrick Swayze as Roy and Charlize Theron as Candy) in one car on a roadtrip to Reno.

Apparently, Lonnie isn't too happy with his sex-life, so he cheats on his wife with Candy, who's despirately trying to have a baby. Roy, meanwhile, isn't too sure if his sperm is OK so he's getting it checked by a doctor.

Now, I had read the back of the DVD, but my girlfriend didn't, and she blurted out after about 20 minutes: 'oh yeah, she's gonna end up pregnant but her husband can't have any baby's'. Spot on, as this movie is soooo predictable. As well as boring. And annoying. Meaningless. Offensive. Terrible.

An example of how much this movie stinks. The two couples set out in their big car towards Nevada, when they are stopped by 2 police-officers, as they didn't stop at a stop-sign. The guys know each other and finally bribe the two officers with a case of beer. Not only is this scene pointless and not important (or even relevant) for the movie, it takes about 5 minutes! It's just talk and talk and talk, without ever going somewhere.

I still have to puke thinking about the ending though. Apparently, Roy ISN'T having problems down there so he IS the father of the child. How many times does that happen in the movies... try something new! The cheated wife ultimately forgives her husband and best friend for having the affair and they all live happily ever after. Yuck.

Best scene of the movie is right at the end, with a couple of shots of the Grand Canyon. Why couldn't they just keep the camera on that for 90 minutes?

One would expect more from this cast (although Thornton really tries), but you can't really blame them. Writers, shame on you!

1/10.


I had been looking forward to seeing this film for a long time, after seeing "Return to Paradise," which I found to be gritty. I was so disappointed. The most realistic thing about it was the unpredictable ending which I think was partly stolen from "Return to Paradise."

Maybe I was expecting too much.

On the positive side Danes, Beckinsale and Pullman were fantastic in their roles. Although I didnt like Danes's character and first and found her very annoying.

I couldnt see anything realistic about the film. It could of been done so much better, for example there could of been more emphasis on the prison conditions and the sheer horror. It was too cheery a movie to be realistic. There could also of been more action and tension

The best thing about this film is the "tragic" ending. I couldnt of predicted that. But by that time I really didnt care what happened to them.

3/10


Effect(s) without cause is generally not possible in the real world but in the world of Hollywood remakes, not only is it possible, it's required. The Haunting has been given the computer treatment courtesy of a 1st-class cinematographer-turner-director who once showed promise (Jan de Bont- Speed) but has since produced a string of big budget garbage (Twister, Speed 2).

Actor are superfluous in a movie of this type and they seem to realize it. Liam Neeson and Cathrine Zeta-Jones act like they wish they were anywhere but in this film. Lili Taylor makes an attempt to add something to the proceedings but whatever that something might be is unknown since the script feels like half of it is missing. Events just happen, good and bad ghosts show up with no rhyme or reason and then the story just ends with a most unsatisfying non-event meant to wrap up the previous 90 minutes of inanity.

There really isn't even reason to see this for the effects since we all know that anything can be put on screen now. Why not watch effects in the service of a good story instead of just for their own sake?


This picture started out with good intentions, Bacon the scientist out to test the theory of invisibility, and Shue is cute as usual in her role. It all falls apart after that, it's your typical Hollywood thriller now, filmed on a soundstage with special effects galore, minus any kind of humour, wit or soul. In other words, don't waste your time watching this. Get the audiocassette tape with John DeLancie as the Invisible Man instead, also starring Leonard Nimoy. Now that was good, and HG Wells is well served, unlike with this mess.


I chose to see this movie because it got a good score here on IMDb. But a lot of people either have really poor taste or someone's been fixing the score.

Either way it was a real disappointment. The movie is exactly as stupid and far fetched as the title would suggest. There really is no reason to give a summary of the plot - but here goes: it felt like someone had been thinking: "Wouldn't it be cool to make a movie where there were snakes on a plane? And then the snakes for some reason would go crazy and start biting and stuff?!?" And that's about it! The plot is thin and unoriginal. The snakes are bad CGI (but it makes sense to cut corners on a movie that no one in their right mind will recommend to anyone!). The acting is poor, and all people are unbelievable stereo types.

To sum it up: It's one of the worst movies I've ever seen - stay away!


This film has to be the worst I have ever seen. The title of the film deceives the audience into thinking there maybe hope. The story line of the film is laughable at best, with the acting so poor you just have to cringe. The title 'Zombie Nation' implies a hoard of zombies when in fact there are six in total. This cannot be categorised as a horror film due to the introduction of cheesy 80's music when the zombies 'attack'. The zombies actually talk and act like human beings in the film with the only difference being the make up which looks like something out a La Roux video. If you ever get the chance to buy this film then do so, then burn the copy.


Pfizer says its COVID-19 vaccine is shown to be extremely effective in young teenagers.                                      Esteban Felix/AP                            hide caption              toggle caption              Esteban Felix/AP                                           Pfizer says its COVID-19 vaccine is shown to be extremely effective in young teenagers.                  Esteban Felix/AP                  New clinical trials showed that Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine elicits "100% efficacy and robust antibody responses" in adolescents from 12 to 15 years old, the drug company announced Wednesday. The trial included 2,260 participants; the results are even better than earlier responses from participants ages 16 to 25.  Pfizer and its vaccine partner BioNTech said they will submit the results "as soon as possible" to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency, asking regulators to expand their authorizations for the vaccine's use in young people.  Pfizer will submit the data "in the coming weeks," Pfizer CEO and Chairman Albert Bourla said in a news release about the trial. Calling the results encouraging, he added that the company is acting "with the hope of starting to vaccinate this age group before the start of the next school year."      During the clinical trial, 18 people who were in the placebo group developed COVID-19, while none of the people in the vaccinated group did. Blood tests showed a strong immune system response one month after participants received the second vaccine dose, according to a summary of test data released by Pfizer.  As for potential side effects, Pfizer said the vaccine was tolerated well in the late-stage trial.  Currently, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is authorized for use only in people who are at least 16. The companies, which developed the vaccine together, are working to test it in children as young as 6 months. In the first part of that study, a group of kids from 5 to 11 years old got their first shots last week. A second group, ages 2 to 5, are slated to receive their first doses next week.    Moderna, whose COVID-19 vaccine is authorized for people 18 and older in the U.S., is also testing its vaccine in adolescents; it announced a trial of around 3,000 participants from 12 to 18 years old in December. Moderna also said earlier this month it had administered the first doses of its vaccine to young children in a separate study that involves kids from 6 months to less than 12 years old.  Johnson & Johnson, whose vaccine got U.S. authorization one month ago, has also been moving to include children in clinical trials. The company will test the vaccine in only a small number of adolescents initially, with plans to expand the study if it is shown to be safe, according to a spokesperson at Janssen, the Johnson & Johnson subsidiary that developed the vaccine.


Are there any good source material on the Warsaw Ghetto to be had online?

Hi guys, I have a project I'm working on which requires unbiased primary sources on the Warsaw ghetto (demographics, population density, supplies, mortality rates, etc.). I've been scouring the net and my library for information about it, but I mostly seem to find holocaust denialist websites and websites referring to a book I can attain within my timeframe whilst providing incomplete information.

I'd really appreciate it, thanks!

Alternatively: Are there any better subreddits where I could ask for help? I figure I'll post this to /r/favors and /r/ask, but if there are any other good subs for this kind of stuff I'd appreciate you mentioning them.

Cheers!

Answer:
Many of the relevant primary sources wont contain the those specific details in an aggregated way. There are a few great examples of diaries and reports coming from the Warsaw Ghetto. The statistics you are looking for would likely come from secondary sources.

One great example is the Stroop Report. This is written by a commander (Stroop) and it documents the suppression of the uprising. I've included a link  to the National Archive where you can get the the full report [here](_URL_1_). This document was used in the Nuremberg Trials.

I would recommend you check out the [Yad Vashem site](_URL_2_). That is the Holocaust Museum in Israel. They have spent a lot of time collecting primary sources, photos, personal accounts etc, about the Holocaust of the Jews (Shoah). I've linked to the overview of the Warsaw Ghetto, but check out the digital collection at the top.

A last little tip is diaries of the time. I don't know where you're located, or which libraries you have access to but here are a few WorldCat records for some notable ones: [The Warsaw diary of Adam Czerniakow](_URL_0_) and [Scroll of agony, the Warsaw diary of Chaim A. Kaplan](_URL_3_).

Hope this help.

Source: I'm an academic reference librarian and Jewish history specialist


In medieval and pre-modern times, political entities made marriage pacts between heirs in order to secure peace. Often times, this didn't last for more than 20 years, if not even less. Why did they even bother?

Answer:
Twenty years of peace is much better than no peace at all.  Twenty years is enough time for a generation of young men to forgo military service, time to build infrastructure, time to consolidate power, and time grow a treasury.

There are also plenty of examples of peaces that last longer than twenty years, or even result in permanent peace and consolidation.  The nation of Spain was formed from [the union of the Kingdom of Castile and the Kingdom of Aragon](_URL_0_), a union that was set in motion when Isabella of Castile, the future queen, married Ferdinand the Catholic, a future king of Aragon.  Their grandson Charles V and great grandson Phillip II would later become kings of a united Spain.  James the VI of Scotland similarly oversaw the personal union of England and Scotland when he inherited the crown of England, becoming James I, in 1603.  England and Scotland would later formally join together to become the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707.

Your question also implies that it is particularly unusual for a peace treaty to last less than twenty years.  There are numerous examples of more modern treaties that did not maintain peace for much longer than twenty years.  There were only twenty-one years between the World Wars (1918 to 1939) and only twelve years between the Gulf War (ended 1991) and the Iraq War (began 2003).

I can try to include better sources if asked, but I don't think anything I've said here is controversial.


What happened to German and Italian volunteers in the International Brigades of the Spanish Civil War after they were disbanded in 1938?

Answer: I gave a relatively brief answer to this [here](_URL_0_), focusing more on the Germans (for whom I had a relevant source handy). If I get the chance later today, I'll try and expand on it!


What (if anything) did Native Americans think lay beyond the Pacific and Atlantic oceans?

Were there any religious or cultural assumptions about it being the edge of the world? Was there any speculation about there being other continents and civilizations? Mostly thinking of North America but if Central and South Americans had any ideas then I'd be interested to hear those too.

Answer:
The desert people of the American Southwest generally understood the concept of oceans as not being fundamentally different from a large lake or stream. Among the [recorded] creation myths of the O'odham peoples, at least two contain gods or demigods turning small rivers into vast oceans, splitting apart the original peoples of the Earth, although the survival of remote peoples is left ambiguous. One of these stories later goes on to discuss the people who survived the flood on the other side of the ocean, who were conveniently white-skinned. Another passage from the same source states that another group of people over the ocean were in fact dark brown. Both of these groups were the result of mistakes in creation, after which the perfectly colored Hohokam groups were created. As prophetic as these may sound, our one source of these tales was recorded from a drunkard by a priest in the 1930s. Given that it is the only semi-complete history of the O'odham remaining today, we have no means to determine how far back the individual elements go.

Among the Hopi and other Puebloan peoples, we have an understanding that the oceans were not the complete end of land. At the very least they understood that people lived in the islands off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts from trade with groups living nearer to the sea.

Both groups had an accurate understanding of the geography of their continent between the oceans and an understanding that humans could live on the water as their neighbors did. It's not impossible that they conceived of other lands similar to their own across the water, which was understood to be similar to a large river or lake. The stories we have hint at this understanding, but the near-complete absence of historical records about the O'odham and Yuman people make that suggestion speculative at best. The situation among the Puebloans is little better. While they clearly understood the concept of sailing quite well, the myths make scarce mention of foreign lands that would not have been visible from shore.

Bahr, Donald M., et al. *The short, swift time of gods on earth: The Hohokam chronicles.* Univ of California Press, 1994.

Courlander, Harold, ed. *The fourth world of the Hopis.* UNM Press, 1971.


Is the shield wall fighting depicted on the show "Vikings" historically accurate?

It seems like they have made an effort to depict something other than usual hollywood 1v1 fighting but is it accurate for the times with them pushing as a group and occasionally creating gaps for people behind to stab/shoot?

Answer: Awesome thank you. I checked the FAQ and totally missed it.