HUMBOLDT, Sask. – A Calgary trucking company that owns the semi truck that collided with the Humboldt Broncos bus, killing 15 people, has been ordered to keep its vehicles off the road.A spokesman with Alberta Transportation says Adesh Deol Trucking Ltd. started operating last fall.John Archer says the government suspended the commercial carrier’s safety fitness certificate on Monday.He says the move is standard procedure and the company passed a recent inspection.The Saskatchewan junior hockey team was on its way to a playoff game Friday when the crashed happened north of Tisdale.RCMP have said the truck driver survived the accident.
OTTAWA — Canada’s privacy czar is taking Facebook to court after finding the social-media giant’s lax practices allowed personal information to be used for political purposes.A joint report from privacy commissioner Daniel Therrien and his British Columbia counterpart released Thursday says it uncovered major shortcomings in Facebook’s procedures and called for stronger laws to protect Canadians.The commissioners expressed dismay that Facebook had rebuffed their findings and recommendations.Facebook insists it took the investigation seriously. The social media giant says it offered to enter into a compliance agreement.The probe followed reports that Facebook let an outside organization use an app to access users’ personal information, and that some of the data was then passed to others. Recipients of the information included the firm Cambridge Analytica.The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — A whistle blew, an impeachment inquiry swung into motion and the president at the centre of it all rose defiantly to his own defence, not always in command of the facts.A CIA officer, in a complaint filed under federal whistleblower protections that preserve anonymity, alleged President Donald Trump abused his office in pressing for a Ukrainian investigation of a Democratic rival, Joe Biden. That revelation persuaded Democrats to move ahead with an inquiry that could produce articles of impeachment. Trump has reacted with anger, with weekend tweets that made the groundless accusation that Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, the Intelligence Committee chairman taking the lead in the impeachment review , criticized him “illegally.”A look at Trump’s recent words on impeachment, Ukraine and other subjects:UKRAINETRUMP: “Liddle’ Adam Schiff … fraudulently and illegally inserted his made up & twisted words into my call with the Ukrainian President to make it look like I did something very wrong. He then boldly read those words to Congress and millions of people, defaming & libeling me.” — tweets Saturday.THE FACTS: He is exaggerating Schiff’s exaggerations. The California Democrat, in what he said was a parody during a committee hearing, mocked and overstated the president’s pleas in his July 25 call to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, as Trump does with his critics routinely. Schiff’s remarks are not illegal nor would it be defamatory or libelous, because lawmakers are shielded from liability for comments made in the course of Congress under the “speech or debate” clause in the Constitution, which seeks to foster political debate.During Thursday’s House intelligence committee hearing, Schiff made clear he was providing an account that was in “essence” what he believed Trump was conveying to Zelenskiy when “shorn of its rambling character.”No exact transcript of Trump’s comments with Ukraine’s president actually exists, just a rough transcript released by the White House.___TRUMP, describing the July 25 phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart: “Another Fake News Story! See what was said on the very nice, no pressure, call.”— tweet Thursday.TRUMP: “My call was perfect.” — remarks to reporters Thursday.THE FACTS: It’s a big stretch for Trump to say he placed no pressure on Zelenskiy in that phone call — a conversation marked by Trump’s blunt remark: “I would like for you to do us a favour,” according to a White House account of the call.Trump repeatedly prodded Zelenskiy to help investigate Biden and son Hunter, as well as to look into a cybersecurity firm that investigated the 2016 hack of the Democratic National Committee and concluded it was carried out by Russia.The call followed a monthslong campaign by Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, conducted on Trump’s behalf to get Ukrainians to scrutinize Hunter Biden’s business dealings in Ukraine when Joe Biden was vice-president. It also followed Trump’s abrupt suspension of military aid for Ukraine that Congress had approved. The aid was recently released.When Zelenskiy thanked Trump for past U.S. aid and suggested his country might need more, Trump switched the topic to the investigation he wanted Ukraine to do. He asked Zelenskiy to work with Attorney General William Barr and Giuliani on the matter.As for the call being “perfect,” it was actually worrisome enough so that White House attorneys moved a rough transcript of it to a highly secure system where fewer officials would have access to it than is normally the case for conversations between Trump and world leaders.The call and the broader effort to win a foreign government’s help on a matter that could benefit Trump’s reelection are what sparked the impeachment inquiry.___TRUMP, denouncing information from the whistleblower: “All second hand information that proved to be so inaccurate.” — tweet Friday.THE FACTS: The whistleblower’s accusations have not been shown to be incorrect. Several key details have actually been corroborated. For example, the White House account of the July 25 phone call showed that the whistleblower had accurately summarized the conversation, as relayed by unidentified U.S. officials, in the complaint sent to the acting director of national intelligence.___TRUMP: “I want to see other countries helping Ukraine also, not just us. As usual the United States helps and nobody else is there.” — remarks to reporters Wednesday.TRUMP: “I’d withhold again, and I’ll continue to withhold until such time as Europe and other nations contribute to Ukraine. Because they’re not doing it; it’s the United States. … Why is it only the United States putting up the money?” — remarks to reporters Tuesday.THE FACTS: It isn’t only the U.S. putting up money. It’s false to say “nobody else is there.”European Union institutions have provided far more development assistance than the U.S.— compared with $204 million from Washington. EU members, Japan and Canada also contribute significantly.Since 2014, the EU and European financial institutions have mobilized more than $16 billion to help Ukraine’s economy, counter corruption, build institutions and strengthen its sovereignty against further incursions by Russia after its annexation of Crimea.The U.S. is a heavy source of military assistance. The aid package held back by Trump, and recently released, amounted to nearly $400 million in such aid. But NATO also contributes a variety of military-assistance programs and trust funds for Ukraine. In most such cases, the programs are modest and NATO countries other than the U.S. take the lead.___TRUMP, in the July 25 call with Ukraine’s leader: “Germany does almost nothing for you. All they do is talk.” — according to White House account of the conversation, released Wednesday.THE FACTS: Germany is the third largest bilateral donor to Ukraine, after the EU and the U.S.“Anyone who views this soberly will conclude Germany is strongly involved,” said German foreign ministry spokesman Rainer Breul.___GUN CONTROLTRUMP: “It is disgraceful what the Do Nothing Democrats are doing (the Impeachment Scam), but it is also disgraceful what they are NOT doing, … Gun Safety … and much more!” — tweet Saturday.TRUMP, speaking of the Democratic senator from Connecticut: “Chris Murphy — who I’ve been dealing with on guns — you know, so nice. He’s always, ‘Oh, no, we want to work it out. We want to work it out.’ But they’re too busy wasting their time on the witch hunt.” — news conference Wednesday.THE FACTS: Trump is the main holdup on gun control legislation as he mulls whether to endorse expanded background checks.The Democratic-controlled House passed a bill in February that would require background checks on all gun sales, including those between strangers who meet online or at gun shows. But Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said it’s not clear the Senate would be able to pass the legislation or that Trump would sign it into law. Earlier this month, McConnell stressed that Congress would remain “in a holding pattern ” on gun control as lawmakers await proposals from the White House.A proposal being floated by Barr on Capitol Hill would require background checks on all commercial gun sales, including at gun shows. But Trump told reporters this month the plan was one of many ideas under consideration and he would go “very slowly.”___ECONOMY and TRADETRUMP: “How do you impeach a President who has created the greatest Economy in the history of our Country.” — tweet Saturday.TRUMP: “Our country is the strongest it’s ever been economically.” — news conference Wednesday.THE FACTS: It isn’t.In the late 1990s, growth topped 4% for four straight years, a level it has not reached on an annual basis under Trump. Growth reached 7.2% in 1984. The economy grew 2.9% in 2018 — the same pace it reached in 2015 under President Barack Obama — and hasn’t hit historically high growth rates.The unemployment rate is near a 50-year low of 3.7%, but the proportion of Americans with a job was higher in the 1990s. Wages were rising at a faster pace back then, too. More Americans are now out of the workforce, taking care of children or relatives, or going to school, while others became discouraged about their job prospects and stopped looking. The government doesn’t count people as unemployed unless they are actively searching for jobs.___VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE: “We have before the Congress what will be the largest trade deal in American history. … It’s time for Congress to pass the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement and pass it this year.” — remarks Thursday in Indianapolis.THE FACTS: It’s not the largest trade deal ever made.It covers the same three countries as the North American Free Trade Agreement, which the Trump administration is seeking to replace. In contrast, the Uruguay Round of trade negotiations concluded in 1994 created the World Trade Organization and was signed by 123 countries. The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston found the following year that the WTO’s initial membership accounted for more than 90 per cent of global economic output.___TRUMP on the effects of the impeachment inquiry: “The stock market went up when they saw the nonsense. All of a sudden the stock market went down very substantially when they saw a charge. After they read the charge, the stock market went up very substantially.” — remarks to reporters in New York on Wednesday.THE FACTS: First, he’s not actually charged with anything. He’s saying the market went down Tuesday when the impeachment drive was announced and up after the White House memo on his phone call with Ukraine’s president came out. That’s roughly right, but it’s wrong to tie the market fluctuations solely — or even primarily — to the impeachment episode.The market cares even more about the economy, and currently the biggest wild card for the U.S. economy is how much Trump’s trade war with China could curtail growth. Since it began last year, the stock market has fallen with each escalation of tensions and risen when the two sides appeared close to resolving the dispute.The 142-point drop in the Dow Jones Industrial Average on Tuesday was partly due to the impeachment developments but was also tied to Trump taking a hard line on China in a speech to the United Nations, which seemed to dim the prospects that coming talks would resolve the trade standoff. While the market did move higher Wednesday after the release of the memo, the Commerce Department released some solid numbers on the housing market around the same time.Moreover, just after the comment on the stock exchange, Trump told reporters a deal with China “could happen sooner than you think,” and the Dow quickly doubled its gain.The economic-political dynamic was evident in the impeachment inquiries of Presidents Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton. After the initial inquiry of Nixon in October 1973, the S&P 500 index fell 33% the next year. But the S&P 500 gained 39% after the Clinton impeachment inquiry started in October 1998. The difference: The economy was headed toward a recession in the mid-1970s, while the economy was growing strongly in the late 1990s. For Trump, the U.S. economy slowed to growth of about 2% in the second quarter from 3% in the first quarter and current estimates are for 2% growth in the third quarter.___TRUMP: “In America, the result was 4.2 million lost manufacturing jobs … the United States is now taking that decisive action to end this grave economic injustice.” — address Tuesday to the U.N. General Assembly.WHITE HOUSE: “The president is getting rid of the disastrous North American Free Trade Agreement and replacing it with a better deal, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Our country has lost 4 million manufacturing jobs since NAFTA went into effect.” — news release Tuesday.THE FACTS: The loss of factory jobs is not all due to NAFTA.Trump is correct that the United States has lost nearly 4 million factory jobs since that pact took effect in January 1994. But most economists attribute the losses to other factors — the recessions of 2001 and 2007-2009, automation that lets machines replace workers and low-cost competition from China.Trump’s proposed NAFTA replacement is hardly expected to create a jobs boom. The independent International Trade Commission estimates that the new deal would create 176,000 jobs over six years, a rounding error in a country with 152 million nonfarm jobs.___BEAUTY PAGEANTTRUMP, recalling his days as the owner of the Miss Universe pageant: “It’s a great thing. And we had a winner from Ukraine.” — remarks Wednesday before a meeting with Zelenskiy.THE FACTS: A Ukrainian woman has never won the Miss Universe title. Several made the top 10 during Trump’s tenure at the pageant, which he bought in 1996 and sold in 2015. But none took the prize in the pageant’s history, which dates to 1952. Ukrainian Olesia Stefanko was first runner-up in 2011.___Associated Press writers Michael Balsamo, Zeke Miller, and Paul Wiseman in Washington and Paul Harloff in New York contributed to this report.___Find AP Fact Checks at http://apne.ws/2kbx8bdFollow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheckEDITOR’S NOTE _ A look at the veracity of claims by political figuresHope Yen And Calvin Woodward, The Associated Press
Former Indiana coach Kevin Wilson calls in plays from the sideline against Northwestern on Oct. 22, 2016. Credit: Courtesy of IU AthleticsFormer Indiana coach Kevin Wilson has been hired as Ohio State’s new offensive coordinator, a team’s spokesman announced on Tuesday. Wilson will also coach tight ends.Ryan Day, who was announced as quarterbacks coach last week, was also named co-offensive coordinator by OSU coach Urban Meyer. Day replaced Tim Beck who joined former OSU offensive coordinator Tom Herman’s staff at Texas last weekWilson, who resigned from Indiana on Dec. 1 following allegations of mistreating players, including forcing members of his team to play through injury, had a career record of 26-47 with the Hoosiers in six seasons at the helm. During his time, the Hoosiers were 0-1 in bowl games before Indiana reached the Foster Farms Bowl this season, where they lost 26-24 to Utah.Associate head coach Tom Allen replaced the outgoing Wilson.Wilson coached at Miami (Ohio), Northwestern and Oklahoma before he was hired in 2011 at Indiana. Wilson was the co-offensive coordinator at Oklahoma under coach Bob Stoops from 2002 to 2005, then offensive coordinator 2006-2010. Wilson’s offenses frequently ranked among the best in the country over his eight years at Oklahoma, including a then-NCAA record of 716 points scored in the 2008 season.Since his introduction as Indiana’s coach, Wilson has been involved in multiple close matchups with the Buckeyes, including a 38-17 contest this year which had Indiana well within striking range at halftime. No word has been given by OSU as to whether or not the move affects offensive coordinator Ed Warinner. The Buckeyes open their season on Aug. 31 against Indiana, Wilson’s former team.
Graham Clarke, 36, and his wife Lindsay, 32, walked free from court after the case was found not provenCredit:Iain McLellan/Spindrift Photo Agency Prosecutors are now considering whether to order a retrial in the original case. A juror has been jailed for six years after accepting a bribe during a £7 million cocaine dealing trial, which saw the defendants walk free.In what is believed to be one of the first cases of its kind in Britain, Catherine Leahy, 62, was found guilty of accepting money to influence her actions while serving as a juror on a criminal trial.The widow and former classroom assistant was acting as jury foreman in the five-month trial of a husband and wife who were accused of running a cocaine empire and money laundering operation in Scotland.Graham Clarke, 36, and his wife Lindsay, 32, walked free from court after the case was found not proven at the High Court of Justiciary in Glasgow in April 2016.But the day after the verdict was delivered, court staff received a tip off suggesting one of the jurors may have been bribed. Detectives began probing the finances of all the jurors and after suspicion fell on Leahy, they bugged the Glasgow home she shared with Joseph, her 22-year-old son. But the jury did not believe her and at the High Court in Edinburgh she was sentenced to six years.Sentencing, Lord Turnbull said: “In my judgment, to agree to accept a bribe, from or on behalf of the accused, whilst serving as a juror in a High Court trial, involves conduct which reflects such a serious breach of the public duty which forms the cornerstone of justice in our society, as to constitute conduct at the most serious end of that contemplated by the provisions of the Bribery Act.“The nature and seriousness of the lengthy trial in which you served as a juror, and accepted the position of spokesperson, aggravates the offence even further.”Liam Murphy, procurator fiscal for specialist casework, said: “Leahy took advantage of a position of public responsibility for financial gain without any regard to the consequences.” Want the best of The Telegraph direct to your email and WhatsApp? Sign up to our free twice-daily Front Page newsletter and new audio briefings. During her trial it emerged that Leahy had received almost £3,000 in instalments, paid into her bank account between April and June 2016.The court heard that Leahy had been struggling financially at the time with only her salary as a classroom assistant and widow’s pension.She vehemently denied having been bribed, claiming the money had come from a savings club she belonged to. He was originally on trial with his mother but the charges against him were later dropped. Police recorded 31 conversations between Leahy and her son, who at one point was heard to say: “Mum, it wasn’t just you that got bribed so that now when they come to you, you’re a step ahead.” His mother then replied: “There is nothing that can link you with them.” 
EVERY WEEKDAY EVENING,TheJournal.ie brings you the five stories you need to know before you head out the door.1. #BOSTON: Details of those killed and injured in the Boston bombings on Monday have emerged today with families paying tribute to those who lost their lives. President Barack Obama will travel to Boston tomorrow to take part in an interfaith service in memory of the three people who died at the finish line of the marathon.2. #IRON LADY: The funeral of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher took place today with over 2,300 mourners in St Paul’s Cathedral including Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister David Cameron. It has emerged that the Iron Lady reportedly told a Labour Minister for Northern Ireland that he could not trust the Irish because “they are all liars”.3. #MICHAEL D: Irish president Michael D Higgins addressed the European Parliament in Strasbourg today in a speech that called for MEPs not to ignore the “suffering” of European citizens. He said the public feel that decisions are being made to address market concerns rather than with compassion for people living in member states.4. #HOODIES: An independent town councillor in Castlebar, Co Mayo has asked the council to examine whether something should be done about people wearing hoodies, as he said those committing crimes cannot be identified because they “camouflage their faces with a hood”. He said people in the community have told him they are “terrorised” by people in hoods.5. #SAME-SEX MARRIAGE: The parliament in New Zealand has voted to legalise same-sex marriage, becoming the first country to do so in the Asia-Pacific region. The move was met with loud cheers by the crowds in the galleries who burst in to song, belting out an emotional rendition of the the traditional Maori love song, Pokarekare Ana.
Friday 23 Feb 2018, 10:09 PM Image: PA Images http://jrnl.ie/3869321 An ‘exceptionally drunk burglar’ fell asleep in the kitchen of a house he was raiding Mark O’Mahony has 86 previous convictions and was jailed for two years. Short URL Mark O’Mahony was said to be embarrassed as he knew family of the house he fell asleep in. Feb 23rd 2018, 10:09 PM 29,338 Views 
Mark O’Mahony was said to be embarrassed as he knew family of the house he fell asleep in. Image: PA Images By Aoife Nic Ardghail AN “EXCEPTIONALLY DRUNK” burglar who fell asleep in the kitchen armchair of the house he was raiding has been jailed for two years.Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that David English, the home owner, initially thought Mark O’Mahony (33) was his son when he found the intruder sleeping in an armchair at the end of his kitchen table.O’Mahony woke up and repeatedly claimed that English had let him into the house, but co-operated with emptying his pockets when asked to do so.English’s wife entered the kitchen a short time later and the couple retained O’Mahony until gardai arrived.Judge Martin Nolan commented that a burglar falling asleep in the middle of a crime was “a new departure” in his court.“This could be described as an inept non-violent burglary,” he said, noting that O’Mahony had behaved himself and used no violence towards the householders.O’Mahony, a father-of-two of St Donagh’s Road, Donaghmede, Dublin, pleaded guilty to burglary at Carndonagh Park, Donaghmede, on 10 June, 2017.He also pleaded guilty to possessing a medical card, driving license and jacket belonging to Eric Mulrooney at the same location. He has 86 previous convictions, including theft, robbery and handling stolen property.Garda Jason Flynn told Dean Kelly BL, prosecuting, that English’s son had departed for the airport between 3am and 4am and had left the front door open.English was getting up for work a short time later when he discovered O’Mahony asleep in the kitchen.Garda Flynn said O’Mahony emptied his pockets on request when English noticed his wife’s bag on the kitchen counter. The intruder was later found with about €100 in cash taken from the bag.The garda revealed that a car in the area had also been broken into that night and items, including a jacket, were taken.He said O’Mahony was “exceptionally” drunk and wearing this jacket when gardai arrived at the Carndonagh Park premises.He agreed with Helen-Claire O’Hanlon BL, defending, that the weather had been “atrocious” on the night.He further agreed that O’Mahony told him he had been at his uncle’s funeral and couldn’t recall anything else after he had dropped his grandmother home.Garda Flynn accepted that O’Mahony had a serious drug addiction.O’Hanlon submitted to Judge Nolan that the funeral had triggered events for her client, who was very remorseful and embarrassed because he knew relatives of the English household.Judge Nolan said he suspected O’Mahony stole the coat because of the weather.He said if O’Mahony had shown the “slightest” bit of violence towards the householders, the sentence would have been doubled.He imposed a two-year jail term, backdated to when O’Mahony entered custody on the matter in June last year.Read: Gang of armed locals chase burglars through town in Leitrim >Read: Woman (50s) rescued after being tied up by burglars and having house set on fire > 28 Comments Share156 Tweet Email2 Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey didn’t quite have that effect, because the projections were two-dimensional. It’s still a really fun ride, and just the queue line is worth experiencing because it winds through the halls of Hogwarts and offers an almost museum-like look at the school. And it does at least some of the job of sending you flying through the Hogwarts grounds and providing a bit of vertigo in the process. But without the 3D effect, it fell flat after the ride through Gringotts.Oh, and the rest of the Harry Potter areas are really fun. Diagon Alley is an impressive slice of magical shopping with plenty of shops, including an absolutely packed Ollivander’s with dozens of different wands. And, if you get an interactive wand with an infrared emitter built into it, you can trigger little setpieces throughout Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade by waving your wand at them, making things like lanterns light up or fountains splash. I got Narcissa Malfoy’s wand. I like the design, even if it looks like an S&M toy.Konkey Dongminator 3-D: Race Through Everything ElseYou really want high-quality, high-resolution 3D to get the most out of these rides. Skull Island: Reign of Kong is another recent ride to use 3D to great extent. You’re put in a truck that drives through Skull Island, dealing with threats like dinosaurs and King Kong himself. Instead of staring ahead, you look left and right out of the back passenger seats of the trick, which engages you in a more physically active manner. Instead of simply getting flung around in your seat, you need to look around to see everything menacing you in the primordial jungle. And when King Kong gets angry and starts throwing the truck around, the shaking and swooping 3D makes it seem real.On the other end of the spectrum, Terminator 2 ride T2 3-D: Battle Across Time is downright ancient. It was opened in 1996, and still runs to this day. It’s gotten a few updates, notably a newer introduction video designed to look more like a modern technology company’s ad reel than the production of a mid-90s robotics firm, but otherwise it’s the same show and uses the same two-decade-old 2D and lower resolution footage combined with live actors.The bad news is that, compared with Race Through New York and Escape From Gringotts, T2 3-D: Battle Across Time looks ancient and jarring. The 3D video suffers from a painful amount of ghosting (the effect of seeing part of the alternate eye’s intended image in addition to what a given eye is supposed to see). It’s also really goofy, with CG effects that Reboot would be slightly ashamed of and the use of an Edward Furlong impersonator.The good news is that it’s really goofy, with CG effects that Reboot would be slightly ashamed of and the use of an Edward Furlong impersonator. It’s the most amazingly schlocky experience you’ll get at the park, and I recommend it wholeheartedly. It has a freaking T-1,000,000. I’m not kidding.Ride, Don’t WatchUltimately, 3D isn’t a huge deal even at theme parks, and the older rides that don’t have 3D or have an inferior version of it can still be worth going on (The Simpsons Ride is pretty great, incidentally). But when it’s done really well, like in Race Through New York and Escape From Gringotts, it really pushes the experience past “sitting in a dark room while your chair moves” into something that actually feels close to an exciting roller coaster ride. These recent 3D installations really are technically impressive, and show just how far theme park rides have come in the last few years.3D is still pretty dumb on TVs and monitors unless you have really specific tastes, though. And, while the New Nintendo 3DS’ glasses-free 3D effect is pretty impressive. there’s a reason the overwhelming majority of users flick the 3D slider off after a few minutes of playing. 3D just isn’t compelling enough unless you’re saturated in it, staring at a projection that completely covers your vision Remember 3D TVs? Before 4K and UHD, having a 3D HDTV was a big bullet point in proving your product was high-end or your home theater setup was rad. For a time, 3D was the biggest feature you could get on an HDTV, and it meant that TV was much more expensive. It looked cool, but not cool enough to justify the extra price, or dealing with glasses (especially for active 3D TVs with shutter glasses that needed batteries).Basically, 3D on TVs are dumb. They’re annoying to use, and even if they make things pop out they can’t change the fact that you’re staring at a rectangle a few feet away, and that doesn’t really give you a sense of immersion. 3D in movies is slightly less dumb, but it has the same problems. You need to wear glasses, and unless you’re looking at something on a true eye-filling IMAX screen you’re still staring at a rectangle popping out at you. And, unless the projector is very good, the 3D will make the picture annoyingly dim (a problem for the cheap theater near my apartment).Going UniversalThere’s a place where 3D isn’t dumb, and it might be the only place where 3D isn’t dumb. That place is big-budget theme parks. Last week, I went to Universal Studios Orlando and its sister park Universal’s Island’s of Adventure in Orlando, Florida (Universal provided me with a park pass and express pass for the trip). There I became convinced that 3D can actually be great, as long as it isn’t anywhere near my TV. If you want to see how 3D can give a really immersive, compelling experience, you only need to go to a 3D-equipped attraction ride at a park like Universal Studios.Attraction rides are part-movie, part-roller coaster. You sit down and the seat shakes, twists, and turns to give you the impression you’re moving thanks to complex hydraulics under the platform or vehicle. While you’re getting thrown around in your seat, projectors fill your view with light and sound, occasionally adding blasts of air and splashes of water to add to the effect. Some of these rides even incorporate tracks, mixing real movement with the shaking and spinning.They’re also pretty strict on not taking pictures during the rides. So enjoy the views of the outsides of the attractions!Race Through New YorkThe first attraction ride I tried at the park was also one of the newest and best examples of how 3D takes these rides to another level. When the park opened, I went straight to the Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon, based on The Tonight Show. I was led through a queue area that impressively recreated the architecture of Rockefeller Center complete with historical memorabilia from The Tonight Show’s history (including a display for “Conan O’Brien, 2009-2010,” which might be the saddest thing I saw at the park) before being given 3D glasses and shown into a theater.The “curtains” of the theater were a projection that completely filled my vision, splashed across a near-IMAX-sized wall. We were directed to put on our 3D glasses, and the show started. The curtains opened, and Jimmy Fallon was introduced by The Roots. Which is still really, really weird to think of them as Jimmy Fallon’s house band.Now, even before the “ride” began, the show itself was really impressive in 3D. Extremely bright, high-resolution projectors combined with the glasses gave the virtual set a real sense of depth while maintaining a smooth enough framerate that it looked realistic and not just a 3D movie. Jimmy danced around the stage, then got in the Tonight Rider to get the race started.The platform on which the seats were mounted started to shake, and we raced with Jimmy through a stylized, heavily CG-filled New York City. The seats lifted up, tilted, dipped, and pivoted with every maneuver as we raced through the streets, then down into the subway, and finally into space.We didn’t actually leave the theater, but the sensory overload was convincing enough to give a powerful sense of movement. I actually got a sense of vertigo when the seats shook and tilted and we launched down through the street into the subway. Part of it was because of the tilt of the seats, part of it was the blasts of air, and a big part of it was the 3D projection. The illusion that the things flying at me were actually coming closer helped convince my brain that I was actually moving at ridiculous speeds.Though I’ll still be that guy and complain that the ride got the layout of the subways wrong. There were no turnstiles to be seen, and the tunnel walls were curved, not flat. This is the MTA, not the London Underground!Harry Potter and the Comically Unsafe FacilitiesThe Wizarding World of Harry Potter areas helped both show off more of how effective 3D can be when it’s done well and how much you can miss it when it isn’t done at all. I rode the Escape from Gringotts ride at Diagon Alley and the Forbidden Journey ride at Hogsmeade. Both are rides that put you on a rail-driven vehicle through a magical location (a flying bench through the grounds of Hogwarts and a mine cart through the vaults of Gringotts). Both combine movie projection and movement, throwing your seat in different directions and whipping you around a track while you experience the irresponsibly dangerous world of Harry Potter. Both even lead you through some impressive sets as you wait for your turn on the ride. But Gringotts is newer and uses similar 3D as the Jimmy Fallon ride, and Forbidden Journey doesn’t use 3D at all.Thanks to 3D, the Gringotts cart ride is a much more immersive experience. Fireballs and the arms of big security golems fly at your face while you race around the virtual and real rails, both giving an excellent sense of depth and obscuring the contours of the different molded projection screens to keep them blended with the stonelike set pieces of the ride. At one point, it gets very dark for a moment as the ride falls steeply, and the bombardment of sensory stimulation meant I still don’t quite know if that bit was an illusion and a shaking seat or the result of the ride actually dropping down a short roller coaster-like slope.
Patrick Timm is a local weather specialist. His column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Reach him at http://patricktimm.com. Monday night’s storm turned out to be a fast mover, and most of the heavy rain was over by morning rush hour. Winds were in the 30-40 mph range, but reports from a few areas of higher elevation were at 50 mph. Seems the worst of the storm was to our north and south.It was really a beast of a storm that spawned a short-lived tornado in the Port Orchard area in Kitsap County. National Weather Service investigators were out Wednesday surveying the destruction and determining the strength of the tornado. They reported that it was an EF2 tornado with winds of 120-130 mph ripping rooftops completely off in its 1.4-mile path.Locally, rainfall amounts were well over 2 inches in our outlying areas and foothills. Vancouver tallied about an inch and a half, which brought our monthly total to just under 3 inches — still an inch below average. More rain is on tap today, and showers through Christmas, but nothing heavy.Our temperatures have been running way above average in the 55- to 60-degree range at some weather stations here in Clark County. Remember, our normal high is around 44 degrees. The good news is beginning Friday we drop back into the 40s, with lows in the 30s. This also means snow levels will be way down below the passes most of the time. I expect some snow to fall as low as our higher foothills at times. This would include the coast range too, but here in the city no snow. This is based on getting more of a northerly flow of air to cool things down.The first day of winter officially starts at 2:23 p.m. Friday, and the weather may be just fine with fair weather after the storm clouds from today move on. That fair weather may hold through on Saturday before the next batch of precipitation arrives. Not too bad for running those last-minute Christmas errands.We’ll chat on Sunday as the snow levels slowly come down.
While we’re definitely in the “aggregation” or “curation” age, many online startups are investing in staff and resources for creating original content (which is more than can be said for many of their peers coming from traditional media). Blodget acknowledges the knocks against HuffPo’s content (paying a few big name writers while plucking content from low-or-unpaid bloggers and generating SEO-bait) but he also says that with HuffPo expected to grow another $20 million to $50 million in revenue that it “will likely hire a lot more New York Times staffers to go with the ones it has already got. In other words, HuffPo will keep getting better.” Blodget doesn’t reveal what he’s paying to generate content, but says “We didn’t make that profit because we’re a sweatshop, by the way.” He claims a 25-person newsroom, (which is larger than many magazines which are generating far more than $4 million and splitting four or five people—if they’re lucky—across print AND digital). He writes,“Our newsroom salaries for full-time employees, for example (which include bonuses and benefits) are now higher than at many companies in the traditional news industry. Because the digital news business is quite different from the traditional news business, we often promote from within, and we’ve had the huge pleasure of watching folks who joined us as interns grow up to take leadership positions. True, we can’t yet toss around the $300,000-$500,000 a year per brand-name columnist that Huffington Post and Daily Beast are now reportedly tossing around. But, in future years, if we keep doing what we think we can do, we should be able to pay our top people a lot more than we do today.”But what’s the cost of growing and getting better? According to Google Analytics, Business Insider has seen a steady rise in traffic, generating nearly 8 million uniques in February (comScore has it at 3.5 million—Blodget says he will address the discrepancy). Meanwhile, financial blogger Felix Salmon estimates that expenses have been growing at the same rate as Business Insider’s audience (spending between 23 cents and 36 cents per unique visitor), and points out that Business Insider has moved away from producing premium content for Wall Street “elites,” after realizing that there’s “no money in micro-publishing.”Many traditional publishers—overleveraged and struggling to meet covenants or lose it all—can’t invest in content (or real lead gen or real marketing services, etc.) But for the rest—many of which are seeing improvements in print and boasting solid margins even through the worst of the downturn, and who HAVE proven there is money in micro-publishing—continuing to operate on a shoestring across all media (even as they consider a metered model) will leave them wondering why business is going to a digital startup. At FOLIO:, we’re used to having to cajole publishers to share metrics to back up the case they’re making for their own success. Kudos then to Henry Blodget (pictured right), CEO of financial news and analysis site Business Insider, who shared the type of proprietary financials that keep most PR heads up at night in a blog about the viability of “digital news” as a business. (The admissions come on the heels of Huffington Post’s $315 million sale—or as one talkbacker to Blodget’s post wrote, “The headline on this post should be: Dear AOL, For your consideration, we’re an excellent Web property too!”) The stats: Business Insider generated $4.8 million in revenue in 2010 (up from $39,495 a couple years ago), mostly from advertising. The company was profitable in 2010 (making $2,127), but Blodget warns it will dip back into the red over the next few quarters, due to aggressive investment, spurred in part by New York State’s capital tax. “Making $2,127 feels about 2,127 times as good as losing money,” he writes. The Costs Of Making Online Content a Real Business
Share Video Playerhttps://cdn.hpm.io/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/26143754/US-MA-Clinton-Wellesley-CR.mp400:0000:0002:14Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume.Hillary Clinton peppered her Wellesley College commencement address Friday with barbs aimed at her rival in last year’s presidential election, criticizing President Donald Trump’s budget proposal as a mean-spirited “con.”The former Democratic presidential nominee never mentioned Trump by name even as she lashed out at his proposed budget as “an attack of unimaginable cruelty on the most vulnerable among us.”She said during her speech at her alma mater that the spending proposal fails to address critical issues such as opioid addiction and climate change. “It is shrouded in a trillion-dollar mathematical lie,” she said. “Let’s call it what it is. It’s a con. They don’t even try to hide it.”Clinton also painted a portrait of a political environment where some are hostile to the fundamentals of an enlightened society and are engaged in “full-fledged assault on truth and reason.”She said people on social media can deny science and concoct “elaborate, hurtful conspiracy theories about child abuse rings operating out of pizza parlors.”“Some are even denying things we can see with our own eyes, like the size of crowds,” she said, a reference to the Republican president’s false claims about the size of his inauguration crowd.“When people in authority invent their own facts and attack those who question them, it can mark the beginning of the end of a free society,” she said.Clinton urged graduates to listen to those they may disagree with and get out of their internet bubbles, despite the push-back they may receive.“In the years to come there will be trolls galore online and in person eager to tell you that you don’t have anything worthwhile to say or anything meaningful to contribute,” she said.“They may even call you a nasty woman,” she said, referring to a comment Trump made to her during a debate.Clinton said she understands the anger that some of the graduating members of the class might be feeling in the wake of the election. She said she felt similar outrage as she was graduating 48 years ago.She said in her classmates distrusted authority and were angry at the growing casualties in Vietnam — and the occupant of the White House.“We were furious about the past presidential election of a man whose presidency would eventually end in disgrace with his impeachment … after firing the person running the investigation into him,” she said, drawing a parallel between Richard Nixon and Trump.She said graduates shouldn’t be afraid of their ambition, dreams or even their anger, calling them powerful forces that can be harnessed to make a difference in the world.Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said Clinton’s speech was a “stark reminder” of why she lost the election.“Instead of lashing out with the same partisan talking points, Hillary Clinton would be wise to look inward, talk about why she lost, and expand the dwindling base of Democrat Party supporters,” she said.Clinton’s speech marked a return engagement of sorts for Clinton. She delivered the first student commencement address 48 years ago in 1969, the year she graduated from the all-women’s school. She also delivered the 1992 commencement speech.Clinton appeared relaxed and joked at times during the speech.She said after her defeat she was able to rely on her family, her grandchildren and long walks in the woods.“I won’t lie, chardonnay may have helped,” she added.
Florian Martin/Houston Public MediaDr. Michelle McNutt, chief of trauma at Memorial Hermann’s Red Duke Trauma Institute (fourth from left) and Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo (first from right) held a media briefing on January 29, 2019, to provide an update on the five police officers who were injured while serving a search warrant on January 28 in Southeast Houston.HPD Chief Art Acevedo released the names of the two persons involved in a Monday shooting with police officers in Southeast Houston and the hospital that is treating the wounded officers provided an update on their condition.Dr. Michelle McNutt, chief of trauma at Memorial Hermann’s Red Duke Trauma Institute, said she could only provide information about three of the five officers that were treated because of patient privacy guidelines and family wishes. She noted those three officers are stable.McNutt detailed that one of the officers suffered a gunshot wound to the face. He was operated on Monday night and will have to undergo additional operations by the hospital’s facial trauma.Another officer who also suffered a face wound and who, according to Acevedo is a 50-year-old sergeant and a 25 year veteran with HPD, won’t require surgery and will likely be discharged Tuesday.A third officer who sustained a knee injury has already undergone surgery by the orthopedic trauma team and will likely be discharged later this week. The HPD chief said he is a 50-year-old sergeant and a 27 year veteran.Another wounded officer is a 33-year-old who, according to Acevedo, sustained a sustained a shoulder gunshot wound and was released from the hospital Monday night.The fifth officer who was wounded in the shooting, specifically on his neck, is still in the hospital and, according to HPD, is in serious but stable condition.Florian Martin/Houston Public MediaThe Pecan Park house where four police officers were shot on January 28, 2019 while serving a search warrant.Acevedo said he is not releasing the names of the wounded officers because of security concerns.The HPD chief explained how the shooting occurred when a group of officers were serving a search warrant at the 7800 block of Harding Street, in Southeast Houston. According to Acevedo, the officers immediately came under fire upon entering the house.Additionally, a pitbull dog attacked them and was killed. Subsequently, a male suspect came from the back of the house and opened fire. An officer was hit on one of his shoulders and went down falling on a sofa in the living room.At that time, a female suspect went towards the fallen officer reaching over him and trying to get his shotgun and that’s when back up officers made entry and discharged their firearms striking the female suspect, after which an exchange of gunfire continued. Both suspects died in the shooting.Florian Martin/Houston Public MediaDennis Tuttle, 59 years-old, is one of the suspects involved in a January 29, 2019, shooting with HPD officers that occurred in Southeast Houston. He died during the confrontation.Acevedo said the male suspect was 59-year-old Dennis Tuttle and the female suspect was 58-year-old Rhogena Nicholas. The HPD chief detailed they were both white.Florian Martin/Houston Public MediaRhogena Nicholas, 58 years-old, is one of the suspects involved in a January 29, 2019, shooting with HPD officers that occurred in Southeast Houston. She died during the confrontation.Investigators found marijuana in the house, along with a “white powdery substance” that Acevedo said could be cocaine or fentanyl. Additionally, several firearms were recovered: two 12-gauge shotguns; a 20-gauge shotgun; a 22 caliber rifle and a Remington 700 rifle.As is customary in officer-involved shooting incidents in the city limits, the incident is being investigated by the HPD Special Investigations Unit, HPD Internal Affairs Division and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.Mayor Sylvester Turner visited the officers at the hospital Tuesday morning. In a tweet, he praised their bravery and said that one of them had switched careers and had found his calling at HPD, which comes to show the commitment to public service that policemen have.Community tip critical to investigationAcevedo said it was a neighbor’s tip that directed narcotics officers to the house in Pecan Park.He said his thin-stretched department can only do so much to fight crime, which is why a good relationship with local communities — including the immigrant community — is crucial.“We rely on them,” he said. “They’re witnesses, they’re complainants, and we rely on them. And I think thanks to those efforts, those outreach efforts in Spanish and in other languages, our community trusts us.”Acevedo said HPD has worked hard to assure immigrant communities that officers won’t ask about their citizenship status.You can watch chief Acevedo’s media briefing here:Chief @artacevedo gives update @memorialhermann hospital on injured officers https://t.co/G6KlXx42Bw— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) January 29, 2019 Share
Protecting against piracy is something console manufacturers take very seriously due to the potential loss in revenue they believe comes with it. That’s part of the reason why consoles like the PS3 and Xbox 360 have regular system updates applied. If an issue or exploit is found, Sony/Microsoft can automatically patch it either over the Internet or off a disc before a new game is allowed to be played.For the PS4, Sony may be introducing a new test in order to determine whether you are attempting to play a pirate copy of a game. A validation check has been detailed in a new patent, entitled “Benchmark Measurement for Legitimate Duplication Validation,” that Sony filed for back in 2011 and which got published a few days ago that measures the load times of a game. If those times don’t fall within a specified range, the game is classed as suspicious and further validation checks are carried out to ensure piracy isn’t occurring.Such a validation system would require time ranges be specified on a per media and per game basis. So a game distributed on Blu-ray may have an average load time of 50 seconds, with the validation passing if the game loads in between 45 and 55 seconds. A different time would be required for the same game distributed over the PlayStation Network as it would typically load faster.The test performed doesn’t have to be time based, though. Sony could also monitor the data rate of the media transferring to the system. If it didn’t fall within a specified range then the game would be detected as loading from some other media, and therefore is more likely to be an illegal copy.It’s not known whether Sony intends to employ this system in the PS4, but it does offer a silent form of checking the games being loaded on the console are in fact legitimate. In fact, Sony wouldn’t need to use such a system until an exploit allowing copied games to run was found. So it could lay dormant as part of the firmware until it was required. Gamers wouldn’t even know it was there.My biggest issue/concern with such a system is how reliable it can be. Would a console that has a disc player that takes a little while to get spinning due to its age and wear start classing legitimate discs as illegal? A lot depends on how consistent the hardware being used is regardless of the where and when it was manufactured. Sony would also have to take into consideration the different iterations of the hardware it releases, and have some way of updating the load time averages for every single game release. It actually sounds like a big headache Sony would not want to manage.
Though the PS4 released back in November in the United States, gamers of the console’s home country, Japan, had to wait until the end of February to finally get ahold of the next generation. The PS4 released in Japan last Saturday, and sold out by Sunday. This isn’t shocking news, as the PS4 quickly sold out everywhere it launched. What was always going to be interesting about the delayed Japanese launch, though, was exactly how many units would sell, how much of a lead over the competition that would give Sony, and just how Microsoft would respond. The numbers have been revealed, and those figures deliver the shocking news.Back in November, both the PS4 and Xbox One hit over a million sales at launch, but the PS4 quickly beat Microsoft’s console to twice that, and was sitting around 5.3 million units sold before the Japanese launch. During the first two days of Japanese availability, the PS4 sold 322,083 units. Though the US launch hit a million units sold in half the time, these numbers indicate an extremely successful Japanese launch. To compare, the PS3 — which despite taking almost five years to catch up to the Xbox 360 in terms of sales — sold a little over 88,000 units during that same launch span. Both consoles experienced supply constraints. It doesn’t come close to the PS2 launch, which managed over 650,000 units sold during that time, but the PS2 is the best-selling console of all time.The original Wii, which sold amazingly well in terms of hardware, managed about 360,000 units during its first week of availability in Japan.Meanwhile, likely to combat the PS4 releasing in its home market — thus raising the worldwide sales figures — Microsoft announced an Xbox One bundle that would be priced at the regular $500, but include Titanfall essentially for free. Microsoft also announced a price drop for this bundle in the UK to the tune of about $50 when converted to dollars.Microsoft is planning a Japanese launch for the Xbox One, but no date is set, and the brand has traditionally not had much of a presence in Japan. Now that the PS4 is available in its home market, though, Microsoft’s uphill battle with the comparative console sales figures is only going to get steeper.
Explore further Citation: Researcher figures out how sharks manage to act like math geniuses (2014, September 17) retrieved 18 August 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2014-09-figures-sharks-math-geniuses.html (Phys.org) —Bioresearcher Andy Reynolds with Rothamsted Research in the U.K., believes he has solved the mystery of how sharks act like math geniuses—they simply turn away from turbulence, he reports in his paper published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences. His research effort and paper came in response to prior research that showed sharks trap prey using what’s known as Lévy flight—a mathematical description of an optimal way of moving from one position to another using both long and short hops. Great white shark at Isla Guadalupe, Mexico, August 2006. Credit: Terry Goss/Wikipedia By most simple measures, sharks are not the smartest swimmers in the sea, yet, they have somehow managed to learn to use Lévy flight when chasing prey, optimizing energy use in the process. So, how do they do it? Reynolds claims its more reaction than thought and believes his computer simulations prove it. Normally responsible for investigating or developing models of insect movement patterns over terrain, Reynolds in this case, turned his attention to the way sharks and some other sea creatures move through their environment when chasing prey. After learning that many of them use Lévy flight, he sought to find out why.Lévy flight actually makes sense for predators, he found, it’s based on movements that can be used to gain the most amount of resources for the least amount of effort. Reynolds suspected sharks wind up using it due to turbulence in the water. Turbulence, he notes, is not conducive to efficient swimming. He turned to a part of turbulence theory which suggests that Lévy flights can arise naturally if a chaser (the shark) turns away from the direction of unusually strong turbulence. He took what he’d worked out with his math calculations and translated it to a computer model of shark movement. When run, the simulation showed the theories matched perfectly with real world observations. Sharks, it seems, are not great thinkers, instead, they merely appear to be so by simply avoiding messy turbulence.Reynolds’ results show that seemingly intelligent behavior in other animals may not be what it appears, and thus researchers and others observing such behaviors should consider the possibility that other factors may be at play. © 2014 Phys.org Jellyfish food-finding strategy found to be more complex than thought This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. More information: Lévy flight movement patterns in marine predators may derive from turbulence cues, Proc. R. Soc. A 8 November 2014 vol. 470 no. 2171 20140408, DOI: 10.1098/rspa.2014.0408 AbstractThe Lévy-flight foraging hypothesis states that because Lévy flights can optimize search efficiencies, natural selection should have led to adaptations for Lévy flight foraging. Some of the strongest evidence for this hypothesis has come from telemetry data for sharks, bony fish, sea turtles and penguins. Here, I show that the programming for these Lévy movement patterns does not need to be very sophisticated or clever on the predator’s part, as these movement patterns would arise naturally if the predators change their direction of travel only after encountering patches of relatively strong turbulence (a seemingly natural response to buffeting). This is established with the aid of kinematic simulations of three-dimensional turbulence. Lévy flights movement patterns are predicted to arise in all but the most quiescent of oceanic waters.
The winner of the prestigious TERI under Project Search Phase V award were announced on 28 April where Chiranjiv Bharati School, Sushant Lok bagged first prize for best performing school in various activities throughout the year 2013-14 transition campaign – Inspire.Anushyas Kumar was selected as the fifth Tetrapak Ambassador and Ananyaq Veearun as STEP member. There are about 200 schools across the country who are part of this project. The first award was given by Jaideep Gokhale, communication director, Tetra Pak, South Asia Markets and the management award was given by Praveen, Environment Manager, Tetrapak, South Asia Markets.School Management was also awarded the Search Pillar Award for its continuous support towards working for the environment cause and sensitizing the community about the same.
Nearly eighty-five per cent of tobacco addicts can quit the habit of consuming nicotine products just by meditation, a study said. The study that commenced in early 2014, conducting tests on 1,021 tobacco addicts of various forms, also found that the person did not relapse into addiction once he had quit the habit through meditation.The study showed 62 per cent of tobacco addicts of various forms who attended regular Yoga classes quit nicotine use within one month, while the non-regulars took a little more time to do so. “Apart from the 62 per cent who had quit tobacco in one month, there were 7.49 per cent who quit tobacco between 2-6 months and 15.47 per cent who quit tobacco after 12 months,” said the study, conducted by Brahma Kumaris centres all across India. Also Read – Add new books to your shelfCalling it Raja Yogi lifestyle, Valsalan Nair, a doctor associated with the Brahma Kumaris sect, said that the entire procedure of the particular lifestyle was associated with health promoting behaviours. “The findings of this study concludes that the Raja Yoga lifestyle is effective in management and relapse prevention among tobacco addicts,” said Nair. The study was published in the Indian Journal of Private Psychiatry. The research was made public by Brahma Kumaris at the ongoing World Health Organization’s (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control – world’s biggest conference on anti-tobacco policies. Also Read – Over 2 hours screen time daily will make your kids impulsiveExplaining the research, Nair said all the data was collected on one-to-one interview basis after obtaining consent of 1,021 persons spread across 25 states and two Union Territories. “The data was managed centrally at Medical Wing Research and analysed by independent analyst.” According to the study, apart from meditation what also contributed towards quitting the habit was positive thinking classes and satwik food – a vegetarian diet beneficial in developing clarity, concentration and focus that spiritual development requires.
Ever feel that credit card processing fees are taking an exceptionally large bite out of your profits? You may be right, says Bob Carr, CEO of Heartland Payment Systems, a card processing company based in Princeton, New Jersey. “Transaction costs have increased to the point where some merchants are paying as much as 3 percent of the total sale,” says Carr, who recommends five steps to manage processing and reduce the costs of credit card processing.1.Understand your bill. Know what services you are getting and how much you are paying for each one. “Most [business owners] don’t know this is something you can negotiate once you understand the billing,” says Carr.2.Scout out surcharges. At a minimum, processing fees involve the credit card company, the bank that issued the card and the processing company. “There can be up to 10 middlemen between the merchant and their money,” says Carr. “Ask your processing company, ‘Who am I paying, and what are they doing for me?'”3.Know your numbers. Fees differ by card type, so learn which ones your customers use most often, and negotiate processing accordingly. “Merchants [can] get quoted a lowball rate on one category, such as debit cards, and pay a much higher rate on others,” Carr explains.4.Buy, don’t rent. Processing equipment suitable for small businesses can be purchased outright for $300, yet many merchants fall prey to leases priced at $40 to $50 per month or more.5.Shop around. Says Carr, “The best way to buy is the way the big guys buy: talking to multiple companies and negotiating the lowest possible price.”Jennifer Pelletis a freelance writer specializing in business and finance. October 1, 2006 2 min read Growing a business sometimes requires thinking outside the box. This story appears in the October 2006 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe » Free Webinar | Sept. 9: The Entrepreneur’s Playbook for Going Global Register Now »
Though Costa Rica’s star goalie Keylor Navas wasn’t threatened in the opening half, he got fortunate when a Bobby Wood cross that went through his grasp didn’t find the feet of another U.S. attacker before slipping out of the area.The game was Navas’ first in National Stadium since the March qualifying win over Jamaica and the Real Madrid keeper helped ignite a defense that looked completely different from June’s 4-0 Copa América loss to the U.S.As an undermanned defense continued to hold a U.S. attack that looked surprisingly lifeless, the Ticos offense took its 1-0 halftime lead and exploded with a barrage of goals in the second half.When Venegas went to the ground in the 65th minute, Ramírez subbed on fellow forward Joel Campbell. The 24-year-old star took no time in making his presence felt as he helped start the action on a second goal where captain Bryan Ruíz broke free on the right side before feeding Bolaños for a header in front of the net.Campbell then came back with the third and fourth goals of the night on nearly identical breakaways where he beat Brooks and was left one-on-one with a helpless Guzan. Ramírez has been subbing Campbell in late in the past few games, and the move again payed off as the forward gave La Sele a second gear following Venegas’ departure.The United States now drops to 0-9-1 all-time in qualifiers played in Costa Rica and will be in desperate search for some points in the next leg of Hexagonal play. The lopsided loss will undoubtedly raise questions over the future of Coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who may not be able to survive the wait until World Cup qualifying picks up again in March.Costa Rica, which leads the CONCACAF group, will return to World Cup qualifying with a very tough visit to Mexico on March 24. Facebook Comments ¡Los amo maes! Los amoooooo pic.twitter.com/FHw6BTD6Ks— TDMás (@tdmas_cr) November 16, 2016 Flickering lights from cell phone cameras and the constant blaring of horns among the red-clad aficionados at a sold out National Stadium Tuesday night set the scene for a high-energy World Cup qualifier between two of the region’s powers.Costa Rica didn’t disappoint its faithful as it went on to clobber the United States 4-0, giving La Sele the perfect payback for a June loss of the same margin on U.S. soil. More importantly, the win gives La Sele an all-important six points to start Hexagonal play, the last round of qualifying ahead of the 2018 World Cup.Costa Rica came out as the aggressor in the opening minutes Tuesday night, led by striker Johan Venegas, who got the start over Marco Ureña. The 27-year-old forward proved Coach Óscar Ramírez’s decision correct as he constantly wrecked havoc on the United States’ backline.Minutes after a chippy start with U.S. defender John Brooks, where the two had to be separated at one point, Venegas blew by the tall defenseman; his near goal in the 7th minute was denied by a kick save from keeper Brad Guzan.Venegas, who plays professionally in Major League Soccer for the Montreal Impact, had about five close calls on goal before finally breaking the scoreless tie in the 44th minute. Fellow MLSer Christian Bolaños chipped up a beautiful ball in the box where Venegas got enough space from Brooks to head it home.
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