Showing posts with label Factor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Factor. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Officials: Speed a Factor in Paul Walker Crash
Fans of “Fast & Furious” star Paul Walker created a makeshift memorial Sunday at the site where a car he was riding in crashed, killing the actor and a friend.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department says speed was a factor in the one-car crash in the community of Valencia, about 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Deputies found a 2005 red Porsche Carrera GT engulfed in flames when they arrived Saturday afternoon.
On Sunday, fans of Walker, 40, gathered to leave flowers, candles and memorabilia from the action film franchise.
Walker’s publicist said Sunday that the other person in the car was Roger Rodas, a friend of Walker’s who owned a sport car dealership in Valencia.
Ame Van Iden said the actor was the passenger, though the sheriff’s department did not confirm that.
The Porsche crashed into a light pole and tree and burst into flames. The downed light pole had a speed limit sign of 45 mph.
Sheriff’s deputy Peter Gomez said investigators are working to determine how fast the car was traveling and what caused it to go out of control, including whether the driver was distracted or something in the road prompted him to swerve.
Walker and Rodas had attended a fundraiser benefiting victims of the recent typhoon in the Philippines. The event was held by Walker’s Reach Out Worldwide, a charity he founded in 2010 to aid victims of natural disasters.
The fundraiser and toy drive took place at Rodas’ custom car shop, Always Evolving. Attendees rushed to the nearby crash to try to put out the flames with fire extinguishers.
Bill Townsend, who attended the event, told AP Radio that Walker appeared very happy at the fundraiser.
“He was smiling at everybody, just tickled that all these people came out to support this charity,” Townsend said. “He was doing what he loved. He was surrounded by friends, surrounded by cars.”
The “Fast & Furious” star had been on break from shooting the seventh installment of the Universal Pictures franchise. Production began in September and while much of the film has been shot, it’s incomplete.
Universal has not yet said what it plans to do with “Fast & Furious 7,” which is currently slated for release in July.
“Your humble spirit was felt from the start,” Ludacris, Walker’s “Fast & Furious” co-star, said on Twitter. “Wherever you blessed your presence you always left a mark, we were like brothers.”
His “Fast & Furious” co-star Vin Diesel posted a photograph of him and Walker arm-in-arm on Instagram with the message: “Brother I will miss you very much. I am absolutely speechless.”
Walker rode the “Fast & Furious” franchise to stardom, starring in all but one of the six action blockbusters, beginning with the first film in 2001. The blond-haired, blue-eyed Los Angeles-native brought California surfer good-looks and an easy, warm charm to the popular street-racing series.
“Your humble spirit was felt from the start,” Ludacris, Walker’s “Fast & Furious” co-star, said on Twitter. “Wherever you blessed your presence you always left a mark, we were like brothers.”
Walker is survived by his 15-year-old daughter.
He stars in the upcoming Hurricane Katrina drama “Hours,” which Lionsgate’s Pantelion Films is to release Dec. 13. He also stars in “Brick Mansions,” a remake of the French action film “District B13″ that Relativity plans to release next year.
© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Officials: Speed a Factor in Paul Walker Crash
Thursday, October 31, 2013
VIDEO: Simon Cowell on Love and Fatherhood
The music mogul is opening up about fatherhood and he’s not holding back. We were all pretty shocked when we found out Simon Cowell had a long-term girlfriend, who was still married! But not even Simon could prepare himself for the bombshell Lauren Silverman dropped when she revealed she was pregnant! But all that drama’s behind the couple, and rumor has it, the perpetual bachelor is going to make an honest woman out of his baby mama. But he confesses, “I’m not brilliant with babies. I never know what to do.”
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VIDEO: Simon Cowell on Love and Fatherhood
Monday, September 30, 2013
VIDEO: Paulina Rubio"s Ex-Husband Says She"s Crazy!
The drama continues in the custody battle between Paulina Rubio and her ex-husband. According to TMZ, Nicolas Vallejo-Najera has asked a judge to order Paulina to get a psych evaluation. According to Nicolas, the singer was previously ordered by the judge to get a psych evaluation, but failed to do so. Nicolas is claiming that Pau needs her head checked, because she’s crazy. Nic also claims that he dropped their son off at Paulina’s on August 3rd, and has not seen him since. This isn’t the first time the duo has made accusations against each other. Since their divorce after five years of marriage in 2012, each has accused the other of bad parenting. Earlier this year, Paulina even hired a P.I. to track Nic’s every move.
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VIDEO: Paulina Rubio"s Ex-Husband Says She"s Crazy!
Sunday, September 1, 2013
origins of modern language being pushed back by a factor of ten to maybe 1 million + years ago!!
The study, reported in the journal Frontiers in Language Sciences, pushes back the origins of modern language by a factor of ten – from the often-cited 50,000 years to 500,000 – 1,000,000 years ago – somewhere between the origins of our genus, Homo, some 1.8 million years ago, and the emergence of Homo heidelbergensis.
This reassessment of the evidence goes against a scenario where a single catastrophic mutation in a single individual would suddenly give rise to language, and suggests that a gradual accumulation of biological and cultural innovations is much more plausible.
In my way of thinking all pack animals communicate to varying degrees.. Watch dolphins hunt or wolves tracking and killing and tell me they are not communicating in some way…Chimps in the wild
Chimpanzees make tools and use them to acquire foods and for social displays; they have sophisticated hunting strategies requiring cooperation, influence and rank; they are status conscious, manipulative and capable of deception; they can learn to use symbols and understand aspects of human language including some relational syntax, concepts of number and numerical sequence;[28] and they are capable of spontaneous planning for a future state or event
The modeling of human language in animals is known as animal language research. Nim Chimpsky, a chimpanzee, was successfully taught 125 signs during his life, though some disagree on whether this can be constituted as true language. There have been other, more successful animal language projects, such as Kanzi and Koko, as well as some parrots
So to me it is not a stretch at all to assume language of some sort has been with our species since the beginning…Tarzan and Jane seemed to get along just fine with very few words….OK maybe not a great example but you probably get the idea.! Jane was smart in her way and Tarzan was well versed it what they had to do in their habitat to survive; great pair without all the comforts of a modern home…….I am amazed that the study is finally pushing the so called language barrier back so far….Interesting…
I have a little experience in Asia and some of the languages around here are tonal…Which means one simple word can have 9 different meanings (mandarin) or 5 different meaning (Thai) Context kind of makes a different but it is as though they ran out of words and started using descending, flat, rising, rising and falling, and falling tones for the same words…both are very old languages or parts of older languages. Over the last 40 years the Thai language has changed with the times. It used to be a softer language than it is today.. No doubt due to T.V. and everyone trying to make a buck (Baht) has had an effect…Then you add in the slang that has become a normal vocabulary…language is a thing that grows and changes over time… unless it is a dead language…
origins of modern language being pushed back by a factor of ten to maybe 1 million + years ago!!
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Family ties a factor in key Senate races
FILE – In this file photo taken Aug. 2, 2013, U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor is interviewed at his campaign office in Little Rock, Ark. Pryor is part of a string of Senate incumbents and challengers with long family ties who could help determine whether Democrats maintain their control of the Senate in the 2014 elections. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston, File)
FILE – In this file photo taken Aug. 2, 2013, U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor is interviewed at his campaign office in Little Rock, Ark. Pryor is part of a string of Senate incumbents and challengers with long family ties who could help determine whether Democrats maintain their control of the Senate in the 2014 elections. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston, File)
FILE – In this file photo taken Nov. 5, 2008, former U.S. Sen. David Pryor, D-Ark., comments in Little Rock, Ark. Pryor or members of his family have held statewide office for all but two years since 1974 in Arkansas. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston, File)
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Sen. Mark Pryor likes to tell voters that he always puts Arkansas first, borrowing the campaign slogan associated with his family for decades. In Wyoming, Liz Cheney bets that her famous father’s name will be gold in her Senate race. And in Louisiana, Sen. Mary Landrieu counts on her kin’s New Orleans ties to help lift her to re-election in a tough race.
Family does matter in the runup to next fall’s Senate elections: Candidates are wielding famous political pedigrees in a number of races that could determine whether Democrats maintain control in the 2014 elections.
Famous last names mean automatic name recognition and, typically, an easier time raising money. Beyond that, and 15 months before Election Day, it’s unclear whether family ties will translate into votes next fall.
For several Democrats, their deep family roots in conservative-leaning states could help them make the case that they are in touch with local values and act in constituents’ best interests as they seek to rebut Republican arguments that they are nothing more than rubber stamps for President Barack Obama’s policies. Yet, with congressional approval ratings dipping to record lows, a political pedigree also could turn into a liability if voters decide they’d rather have some new blood in the Senate.
History is filled with famous political families with national images — the Kennedys, Rockefellers and Bushes are among them — and there are similar political dynasties in individual states across the nation.
This year, family ties figure prominently in Arkansas, where Pryor’s father, David, served the state as governor and U.S. senator, and in Louisiana, where Landrieu’s father, Moon, was New Orleans’ mayor during the 1970s and her brother, Mitch, now leads the city. In Wyoming, former Vice President Dick Cheney’s eldest daughter has galvanized the state’s political scene by seeking the seat of Sen. Mike Enzi, a Republican favored by his party’s establishment.
In the cases of Pryor and Landrieu, Republicans say voters are savvy enough to judge sitting senators on their performance rather than their pedigree.
“Name ID has helped Landrieu and Pryor during their careers, but they are pretty far along into their own careers now and they have a voting record,” said Brian Walsh, a Republican strategist and former aide to the National Senatorial Campaign Committee.
John Anzalone, an Alabama-based Democratic pollster, counters that it will be more difficult for Republicans to attach the Democratic incumbents to Obama next year because the president will not be on the ballot. He said many children of prominent politicians, especially in places less favorable to Democrats, have been successful by sticking to the mold of their parents — not the party’s leader.
“There’s always this need to distinguish yourself, that you’re not part of the national party cabal,” Anzalone said.
___
Thomas reported from Washington.
___
Follow Ken Thomas on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AP_Ken_Thomas
Follow Andrew DeMillo on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ademillo
Family ties a factor in key Senate races
Family ties a factor in key Senate races
FILE – In this file photo taken Aug. 2, 2013, U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor is interviewed at his campaign office in Little Rock, Ark. Pryor is part of a string of Senate incumbents and challengers with long family ties who could help determine whether Democrats maintain their control of the Senate in the 2014 elections. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston, File)
FILE – In this file photo taken Aug. 2, 2013, U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor is interviewed at his campaign office in Little Rock, Ark. Pryor is part of a string of Senate incumbents and challengers with long family ties who could help determine whether Democrats maintain their control of the Senate in the 2014 elections. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston, File)
FILE – In this file photo taken Nov. 5, 2008, former U.S. Sen. David Pryor, D-Ark., comments in Little Rock, Ark. Pryor or members of his family have held statewide office for all but two years since 1974 in Arkansas. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston, File)
| Buy AP Photo Reprints | ||
|
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Sen. Mark Pryor likes to tell voters that he always puts Arkansas first, borrowing the campaign slogan associated with his family for decades. In Wyoming, Liz Cheney bets that her famous father’s name will be gold in her Senate race. And in Louisiana, Sen. Mary Landrieu counts on her kin’s New Orleans ties to help lift her to re-election in a tough race.
Family does matter in the runup to next fall’s Senate elections: Candidates are wielding famous political pedigrees in a number of races that could determine whether Democrats maintain control in the 2014 elections.
Famous last names mean automatic name recognition and, typically, an easier time raising money. Beyond that, and 15 months before Election Day, it’s unclear whether family ties will translate into votes next fall.
For several Democrats, their deep family roots in conservative-leaning states could help them make the case that they are in touch with local values and act in constituents’ best interests as they seek to rebut Republican arguments that they are nothing more than rubber stamps for President Barack Obama’s policies. Yet, with congressional approval ratings dipping to record lows, a political pedigree also could turn into a liability if voters decide they’d rather have some new blood in the Senate.
History is filled with famous political families with national images — the Kennedys, Rockefellers and Bushes are among them — and there are similar political dynasties in individual states across the nation.
This year, family ties figure prominently in Arkansas, where Pryor’s father, David, served the state as governor and U.S. senator, and in Louisiana, where Landrieu’s father, Moon, was New Orleans’ mayor during the 1970s and her brother, Mitch, now leads the city. In Wyoming, former Vice President Dick Cheney’s eldest daughter has galvanized the state’s political scene by seeking the seat of Sen. Mike Enzi, a Republican favored by his party’s establishment.
In the cases of Pryor and Landrieu, Republicans say voters are savvy enough to judge sitting senators on their performance rather than their pedigree.
“Name ID has helped Landrieu and Pryor during their careers, but they are pretty far along into their own careers now and they have a voting record,” said Brian Walsh, a Republican strategist and former aide to the National Senatorial Campaign Committee.
John Anzalone, an Alabama-based Democratic pollster, counters that it will be more difficult for Republicans to attach the Democratic incumbents to Obama next year because the president will not be on the ballot. He said many children of prominent politicians, especially in places less favorable to Democrats, have been successful by sticking to the mold of their parents — not the party’s leader.
“There’s always this need to distinguish yourself, that you’re not part of the national party cabal,” Anzalone said.
___
Thomas reported from Washington.
___
Follow Ken Thomas on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AP_Ken_Thomas
Follow Andrew DeMillo on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ademillo
Family ties a factor in key Senate races
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Italians Head to Voting Booths, Election Ends 9:00AM EST Monday; Surge for Grillo and "The Apathy Factor" Will Doom Bersani Coalition
Voting booths are open in Italy though 3:00PM Monday (9:00AM EST). Exit polls will trickle in soon after but early exit polls could be misleading. If the result is close will may not know for over a day.
The Wall Street Journal offers this Italian Election Guide.
Italian voters can cast ballots Sunday and until 0900 ET Monday, after which exit polls will provide quick but approximate insight into the probable result of the election.
The center-left coalition led by Democratic Left leader Pier Luigi Bersani was five percentage points ahead of Silvio Berlusconi’s center-right coalition according to the average of polls before a blackout on such surveys kicked in two weeks ago, giving it clear front-runner status.
Exit polls in 2006 and 2008 underestimated votes cast for Mr. Berlusconi, but unless Italy’s 51 million eligible voters shifted dramatically in recent days, Mr. Bersani should – even with fewer than a third of the ballots cast – win a plurality, meaning his coalition will be awarded a majority of seats in the 630-seat lower legislative chamber.
Shift Has Taken Place
The Journal says “unless Italy’s 51 million eligible voters shifted dramatically in recent days, Mr. Bersani should win a plurality.“
I suggest such a shift has taken place. The open question regards turnout and apathy, not a shift, per se.
Loser’s Penalty
In the Chamber (the lower House of parliament) the party with the largest plurality in the national vote gets a majority (54%) of the seats. In the Senate (the upper chamber of parliament) each of 17 Italy’s regions operate independently and the winner of each region gets a majority (55%) of the region’s seats.
There are 315 seats in the Senate. Lombardy, Italy’s largest region gets 49 seats and the winner will take 27 seats (55%). The other parties will split the remaining 22. Second place may only get 10.
The Journal sums it up this way.
“If Mr. Bersani wins all 17 regions, his coalition will have 178 seats and a commanding upper-house majority. However, if he loses Lombardy, the most populuous region, he will have only 162 seats. If he wins Lombardy but loses Veneto – a near certainty given polling trends – and also loses Sicily – to Mr. Grillo rather than Mr. Berlusconi – the center-left will have 159 Senate seats, a razor-thin majority.“
Not So Fast
I am not convinced Bersani wins the Chamber, let alone the Senate. Some 22-25% of Italians were undecided in the election polls before blackout two weeks ago. Since then, I suggest (based on crowd turnout and social media comments) that there has been a surge for Beppe Grillio and Silvio Berlusconi.
The last election polls before the blackout look like this:
- Bersani center-left 34.5%
- Berlusconi center-right 29%
- Beppe Grillo’s Five-Star Movement 19%
- Monti Civic Choice 12%.
Given the number of undecided voters, Bersani can easily drop 3% or more (and I suspect more). If Berlusconi and/or Grillo gets a huge percent of the undecided votes, Bersani can easily drop to second or even third place.
Senate Coalition Unlikely
Monti is a lost cause and I doubt he gets more than 10%, making a Senate coalition unlikely if not impossible.
I commented on the possibility of a win by Berlusconi or Grillo in Germany Warns Against “Silvio the Savior” (And That May Backfire); Fake Horse Race Odds Get Around Blackouts.
Reader “AC” who is from Italy but now lives in France writes …
Hi Mish
After a hung parliament, the next most likely outcome may very well be the Five Star Movement (M5S) getting an absolute majority. Rage against the political class is extremely high in Italy, everything that looks “new” is getting votes. Grillo was able to catch the sentiment shift with extremely populist proposals even though his economic program is quite incoherent if not blatantly preposterous.
Grillo support comes from the youngest part of the population.
Undecided voters may not vote at all (in Italy you do not have to register to have right to vote, you are registered by default) or they will probably shift massively to Grillo. The outcome will depend on whether the undecideds stay home.
How Grillo’s parliament members will react as newly elected officials is a real unknown. Grillo himself will not be in the Parliament, and his party will be quite young. None of them have much political experience, even not in smaller city councils.
What they will do? How they will react? Nobody knows. That’s the most “fascinating” thing of M5S, completely new people of a completely new party managed in a completely new way. Grillo and his candidates never did a single minute of TV interview during the whole campaign. They decided to ignore completely TV (but TV has not completely ignored them). This also is completely new, probably new in the modern world.
I do not think Berlusconi will be able to win this time. He has definitely lost a part of his voters, those that expected from him to keep his past promises.
The hung parliament is the most likely outcome, as I said months ago, and I do not even think that Bersani and Monti together will have majority.
Last but not least: Monti has declared yesterday that Merkel was not comfortable with Bersani as Prime Minister, but Merkel officially denied the minute after. Really a strange declaration from a man like Monti that made of international credibility its main “value proposition”.
Regards
AC
The Apathy Factor
I expect a surge of voter enthusiasm for Grillo that will take votes away from Bersani and Berlusconi. Somewhat paradoxically, I also expect a surge in apathy where voters stay home.
The apathy I refer to is not on the Grillo or Berlusconi side, but apathy for Bersani and Monti. Certainly the campaign by Monti is anemic. Thus, unless there is a late surge of energy for Bersani (and I highly doubt there is), Bersani is going to come up short.
Mike “Mish” Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Italians Head to Voting Booths, Election Ends 9:00AM EST Monday; Surge for Grillo and "The Apathy Factor" Will Doom Bersani Coalition
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