Question: Describe the Cannabis Conversation program in Colorado.

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 Describe the Cannabis Conversation program in Colorado.

Colorado opens the "Cannabis Conversation" to talk about driving high.
State transportation officials are surveying thousands of residents this year to better understand public attitudes toward driving under the influence of marijuana, with the hopes of blunting the increasingly deadly trend.
Amid a rise in Colorado auto fatalities involving marijuana, state transportation officials are surveying thousands of residents this year to better understand public attitudes toward driving under the influence of pot, with the hopes of blunting the increasingly deadly trend.
The Cannabis Conversation, a campaign led by the Colorado Department of Transportation, law enforcement and the marijuana industry, launched this year. It held its first open house in the metro area Wednesday at Denver’s Montclair Recreation Center, and there will be more meetings in Fort Collins, Pueblo and Denver in the coming weeks.
The number of marijuana-related automobile fatalities in Colorado, as measured by the drug’s chief psychoactive ingredient, hit 77 in 2016, the latest in a series of sharp increases in recent years. Fifty-one of those drivers had levels of that substance, called Delta 9 THC, above the threshold for cannabis impairment under Colorado law.
And according to a survey done by CDOT last year, just over half of marijuana users said they had gotten behind the wheel of a vehicle in the last 30 days within two hours of using the drug. That percentage was little changed from the response to the same question a year earlier.


Question: Hey have you heard of the video game, Telepath Tactics?

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 Hey have you heard of the video game, Telepath Tactics?

Telepath Tactics is a steampunk turn-based Fire Emblem style RPG that adopts the best gameplay practices of titles like Final Fantasy Tactics and Disgaea. It was successfully financed on Kickstarter and the game was officially released by Sinister Design on April 16, 2015.
The music that Ryan Richko has crafted for Telepath Tactics is wonderful, and brought back memories of playing some of my favorite RPG titles including Chrono Cross, and several Final Fantasy titles. I was also struck with images of Game of Thrones, the Myst series, World War II as a track reminded me of Kenji Kawai’s work for the series Apocalypse, and for a brief moment in one of late tracks in the album a darker moment from Super Mario World. The album has great musical range and since I have not played the game, I can only imagine that it thoroughly enhances it.
There is a reoccurring theme in the soundtrack that is featured on many of the tracks. You can hear the theme transition from a guitar, flute and full symphonic sound starting at 1:15 in the track titled “Onslaught”.
Game Music Online noted that the soundtrack was professionally orchestrated, mixed, and mastered, the soundtrack features performances from Michelle Hassler (violin, viola), Judy Kang (cello), Anya Muradian (flute), Kristin Cone (didgeridoo), and Richko himself (guitar, bass, ukulele).
The tracks that really stood out and brought back memories of Chrono Cross were the tracks titled “Frozen Memories” with its flowing strings and “Aduura De Zaris” with a darker tone and haunting distant vocals.
The track titled “Enslaved” features the sound of winds and echoes with a somber cello and strings which sounded similar to something you’d expect to hear in HBO’s Game of Thrones.
“A Menacing Foe” is the track that took me back to one of my favorite tracks by Kenji Kawai but gradually becomes something much darker and features some creepy wailing vocals, and rapid urgent strings. “Eaters of Darkness” is another track I really loved because it has such an unsettling beginning and uneasiness throughout the track with its fast paced percussion and dark electronic tones.
The album also features some lighter tracks. The opening track “Sisters” evokes a sense of warmth and is a track I could wake up to every morning. “A Quiet Village” is a soft flute and strings track that would work in any RPG town setting. The guitar and piano melody in “Getting To Know You” offer a nice rendition of the game’s theme, and “Dance Of The Isles” with its steady tambourine and stringed accompaniment had me tapping along.
Of the two tracks composed by Craig Stearns “Tactician’s Duel” is my favorite with some nice horns and strings. The other track “Dungeon” has a sound very different than the overall soundtrack album with a unique techno style beat.
As for that darker Super Mario World sound I heard in the soundtrack? The second last track on the album called “The One Who Gorges on Suffering” from the 1:05 minute mark to 1:25 creeping behind the score what sounded to me like the “Ghost House” music. The track itself features some fantastic chorals and a triumphant rendition of the game’s theme shortly after the “Ghost House” moment. Maybe it’s the composer’s photograph that tuned my ear to that melody, let me know what you think.
The album is available for purchase on Bandcamp for $5.00, and you’re getting 25 tracks of great music clocking in at just under 60 minutes. I wholeheartedly recommend the Telepath Tactics soundtrack and can’t wait to hear more from this composer who just seems to be getting started in the world of video game music.
Have you played Telepath Tactics? What did you think of the music as it appears in the game?


Question: What is the status of Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk in China?

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 What is the status of Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk in China?

The PG-13 film about one of WWII’s fiercest battles is not expected to undergo any serious cuts.
Christopher Nolan’s World War II epic Dunkirk has been approved for cinemas in China, according to sources familiar with the matter, but a release date is yet to be announced.
An official Chinese version of the trailer was available online as early as March. The film is due to hit screens in North America on July 21.
Nolan’s epic war thriller about the evacuation of Allied troops from the French coastal city of Dunkirk before Nazi forces push them into the English Channel got an official MPAA rating of PG-13 in March.
That decision surprised many considering Operation Dynamo, the rescue mission that saved 338,226 soldiers from being stranded in Dunkirk, was one of the fiercest battles of the war.
But Nolan has since revealed that Dunkirk is “not a war film.” “All of my big blockbuster films have been PG-13. It’s a rating I feel comfortable working with totally,” Nolan told ABC News.
“Dunkirk is not a war film. It’s a survival story and first and foremost a suspense film.
Dunkirk is set to be the fifth film by Christopher Nolan to bow in China, after Batman Begins, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, and Interstellar.
Dunkirk also stars Oscar-winner Mark Rylance and Kenneth Branagh, as well as Cillian Murphy and Tom Hardy, who also featured in Nolan’s Dark Knight films and Inception.
Despite its focus on the western theater of the war and with no particular Chinese angle or cast, the film could do well in China. World War II drama Hacksaw Ridge was a surprise hit in the second half of 2016, with its strong story and war themes familiar to and welcomed by audiences in China.


Question: Provide an overview of the 1912 Queensland state election.

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 Provide an overview of the 1912 Queensland state election.

This is a list of candidates who stood for the 1912 Queensland state election. The election was held on 27 April 1912.
The main parties in the election were the Liberal Party, led by Premier Digby Denham and the Labor Party, led by Leader of the Opposition David Bowman.


Question: Describe the business activities and office of BitMEX.

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 Describe the business activities and office of BitMEX.

A crypto trading firm, BitMEX, has rented the priciest office in the office in Hong Kong and, worldwide. Hong Kong Economic Times reported Wednesday that the financial organization has completed the lease of the 45th floor of the Cheung Kong Center. BitMEX office has become the most expensive rental unit in Hong Kong center and worldwide.
The final area of occupancy makes up about 20.000 square feet (≈1858 m2) and the rent goes as high as $28.66 per square foot ($308.5 per square meter). The previous rent record also holds in Hong Kong Central District amounted $26.75. The historical high was set more than ten years ago in 2008 in the midst of the global financial crisis. According to Bloomberg, among the new neighbors of the cryptocurrency firm, there are blue-chip companies like Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Allianz, Barclays Plc, Bank of America Corp., Royal banks of Canada and Scotland, the Securities and Futures Commission, Bloomberg LP and billionaire Li Ka-Shing’s empire.
BitMEX is best known as a leverage crypto trading platform. The exchange is not listed on the CoinMarketCap information website since, according to the service, BitMEX is a derivatives market as opposed to spot trading markets. The spot trade implies instant delivery of purchased assets, while the derivatives are financial instruments derived from the original asset, such as futures contracts and options. The daily trading volume reported on the exchange website is $3.40 billion. The largest crypto exchange, Binance, has a $1.17 billion over the past 24 hours. This makes BitMEX potentially most influential exchange that uses cryptocurrency as an underlying asset.
Notably, on the 22nd August at 1:00 UTC Bitcoin market surged over $12 million up in just over an hour. Many investors have pointed at the coincidence in time between the spike across crypto markets and BitMEX scheduled maintenance of the exchange.
Arthur Hayes, the founder, of BitMEX, recently gave a prediction of a dip in Bitcoin price down to $5000 and a follow-up recovery of the market by the end of the year. Hayes previously worked as a derivatives trader and money maker at Deutsche Bank and Citibank’s Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). Laid off from Citigroup, Hayes was inspired to co-found the business in 2014 after he discovered a money making opportunity from an imbalance in the price for Bitcoin in Hong Kong and China.


Question: Describe Zhu Yun.

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 Describe Zhu Yun.

Zhu Yun (, born 1989) is a Chinese team handball player. She has played on the Chinese national team, and participated at the 2011 World Women's Handball Championship in Brazil.


Question: What happened in Melbourne this morning?

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 What happened in Melbourne this morning?

A man witnesses said grabbed a handgun during a domestic dispute early Wednesday was taken into custody, Melbourne police said.
A woman and her grandson told police that Ryan Peter Drummond, 29, of the 600 block of Burr Street brandished a gun during an argument about money and infidelity, the affidavit states. The grandson said Drummond pointed the gun at his grandmother's head.
When officers arrived to the home shortly after 2 a.m. Wednesday, Drummond was outside, but he ran inside upon seeing the police. He stepped out again holding a cell phone and a bottle of soda, the affidavit states.
Drummond refused to drop the items or follow instructions from the police, according to the affidavit. The officers tackled him and determined he was not armed. They found a gun in a closet in the home, police said.
Drummond was charged with aggravated assault with a firearm and resisting arrest without violence. He was being held without bail at the Brevard County Jail.


Question: What's the deal with privacy in cryptocurrencies?

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 What's the deal with privacy in cryptocurrencies?

A lot of cryptocurrencies have launched in recent years. Many aimed to enhance privacy and anonymity, although their success varied. A few of these cryptocurrencies allow public viewing of all transactions, while others make privacy optional. And still others keep the privacy feature as strictly implicit.


Question: "I'm feeling a bit defeated trying to build my e-learning portfolio. I'm not sure where to start and I'm worried about not having anything to show. Any advice on how to overcome this?"

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 "I'm feeling a bit defeated trying to build my e-learning portfolio. I'm not sure where to start and I'm worried about not having anything to show. Any advice on how to overcome this?"

This post is one in a four-part series for How to Build Your E-learning Portfolio. You can read Part 1 here.
I understand that building your portfolio can be challenging. As are most things in life.
Maybe you don’t know where to begin.
My goal here is to become your portfolio-building sensei and hold your hand through this entire process. There are times when you will feel overwhelmed (maybe even by looking at those three challenges), but you don’t need to feel that way. It’s okay. Everything will be okay. You just need to have a real conversation with yourself about when you want to stop hunting down every work opportunity (that costs time that no one is paying you for!) and let your portfolio do the work for you.
Now, you may already feel challenged by those challenges impacting your lack of portfolio, but I’m asking you to challenge yourself even more!
Before taking the leap into full-time independent contractor-ship, I knew that I needed some sort of portfolio. I had been freelancing part-time for several years and was losing out on a lot of opportunities because I had nothing to show when asked “can we see your portfolio?” At the time, I had a full-time job with clients predominantly in the Defence sector, and all of my coolest work samples were classified as controlled goods; I wasn’t able to share any of my professional work, and I felt defeated.
At first I wallowed, but then I had some real-talk with myself, got serious, and created my first two portfolio pieces. The first was a tabbed interaction with hotspot pups designed to teach you how to bathe a cat. When in doubt, go with what you know. I’m a crazy cat lady who didn’t really know how to bathe a cat, but wikihow came to the rescue with some hilarious illustrations, and that simple tabbed interaction is still a hit with clients.
The second portfolio piece was inspired by many of the small business books I had read. I wanted to share brief reviews of these books, so I created a hotspot-based interaction that linked to book reviews contained within scrolling panels.
Both of these portfolio pieces were very basic in terms of technological prowess, they were developed in Articulate Storyline before I had become more experienced within Storyline, and were the launching pad for my portfolio.
The moral of this story: When feeling defeated, challenge yourself to be creative!
Very simple and effectively motivational.
This is very useful to me. I work with proprietary content for all of my ISD/e-Learning projects and am struggling with how to expand my portfolio. I’m working on my blog! It’s in the making – how did you brand yourself? Logo, theme, etc.
Also, how would you recommend showing your design documents/course outlines without the actual content? If someone wanted to see how to develop content.
I’d recommend making a resume with your elearning programs. It’s a great way to show your experience in two ways at one time.
This right here is what has completely encouraged me!! Thank you for this series, I’m referring to it over and over again as I build my portolio, and build my modules at home. As I, too, work for a company where I cannot share anything – I can’t even send it home. But, I’m encouraged.


Question: Can you tell me where the Everglades Wetland Research Park is located?

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 Can you tell me where the Everglades Wetland Research Park is located?

The Everglades Wetland Research Park is a teaching and research facility of Florida Gulf Coast University. It is located at the Naples Botanical Garden, in Naples, Florida, USA.


Question: What is BoxLock Home?

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 What is BoxLock Home?

Chances are, you probably don't like it when a courier leaves a delivered package just sitting on your doorstep – what's to stop someone from stealing it? Well, that's why BoxLock Home was created. It's a padlock that only the courier and yourself (or someone of your choosing) can open.
The idea is that the BoxLock will be locked onto on a user-supplied lidded box, on your doorstep. That box will in turn be attached to the deck or the wall, so it can't just be picked up by a passing thief.
When a courier arrives with your parcel, they simply hold the lock up to the shipping label, and press a button on top. This allows a barcode reader on the bottom of the lock to scan the barcode on the label. The lock then connects to your home Wi-Fi network, and accesses the internet to check that a) the parcel is addressed to you, and b) that it's scheduled to be out for delivery that day.
As long as both of those criteria are met, the lock then opens. This allows the courier to open the box, stick the parcel inside, then close it and relock it. The BoxLock subsequently remains locked until another delivery is made, or until you wirelessly unlock it via an app on your smartphone.
That app will also notify you each time the lock has been opened, letting you know which parcel has arrived. The system is currently compatible with Amazon, FedEx, UPS and USPS shipments. Of course, if you're going with Amazon and don't mind the courier opening your front door, you could also use the Amazon Key service.
The BoxLock padlock itself is weatherproof, and should operate for up to 30 days on one charge of its battery. It's currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign, where a pledge of US$94 will get you one. The planned retail price is $129.


Question: What were the results of the 1983 regional council elections in Réunion?

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 What were the results of the 1983 regional council elections in Réunion?

Regional Council elections were held in Réunion on 20 February 1983. The Rally for the Republic–Union for French Democracy–Departmentalist Militant Front alliance emerged as the largest in the Council, winning 18 of the 45 seats.


Question: Describe the structural drivers behind the rising costs of the middle class lifestyle.

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 Describe the structural drivers behind the rising costs of the middle class lifestyle.

There are four structural drivers behind the soaring costs of the middle class lifestyle.
The key take-away here is that the first two causes are structural and cannot be changed by passing a law or funding another state bureaucracy. Though many believe they can tax global corporate capital to eliminate wealth inequality, capital is mobile and will move to where it can expand. The dominance of money in politics also means that the political machinery is for sale to the highest bidder, which just so happens to be global capital.
Since financialization rewards both capital and the central state that depends on tax revenue, reversing financialization politically is a non-starter.
No wonder the middle class is evaporating. These trends are far more powerful than the proposed solutions.
Let's start with Baumol's cost disease, named after economist William J. Baumol, whose work with William G. Bowen I described in Productivity, Baumol's Disease and the Cliff Just Ahead (December 8, 2010).
Baumol examined the relationship between productivity and cost, and found that productivity in labor-intensive services (for example, nursing and teaching) had intrinsically lower rates of productivity increases than goods-producing industries.
The performing arts offers a striking example: it takes the same time to learn and play a Mozart concerto now as it did in 1790, so productivity gains will be modest.
Note how manufactured goods such as TVs, clothing and autos fell in price while education and healthcare soared. Baumol foresaw the crunch that his theory predicted: as healthcare and education took a larger share of the national income/GDP, taxes would have to rise substantially to pay for those services.
He described the social choices we faced in a seminal 1993 paper: Health care, education and the cost disease: A looming crisis for public choice.
Baumol under-estimated the power of the low-productivity sectors such as healthcare and higher education to exploit political capture to increase their share of the national income. In other words, the extraordinary rise in healthcare and higher education costs arise not just from the low productivity of these sectors, but from their cartel power to obscure the true costs of their bloat and push prices higher.
That's how we end up with college degrees and medical procedures that cost more than a house.
I covered these headwinds to capitalism in Is This the Terminal Phase of Global Capitalism 1.0? (February 8, 2013).
In brief, urbanization drives wages higher, regardless of the era or economic system, and external costs such as pollution and depletion must eventually be paid out of labor and capital alike. The demand for more state services is unquenchable, and the state responds by buying off key constituencies with more benefits.
Wallerstein is one of the few who clearly understands the State's role as enabler and enforcer of monopolies and cartels. High profit margins are most easily maintained by persuading politicians to create/regulate quasi-monopolies and cartels.
The State has two core mandates: enforce quasi-monopolies and cartels for private capital, and satisfy enough of the citizenry's demands for more benefits to maintain social stability.
If the State fails to maintain monopolistic cartels, profit margins plummet and capital is unable to maintain its spending on investment and labor. Simply put, the economy tanks as profits, investment and growth all stagnate.
If the State fails to satisfy enough of the citizenry's demands, it risks social instability.
That is the nation-state's quandary everywhere. With growth slowing and parasitic cartels increasingly difficult to maintain and justify, the State has less tax income to fund its ever-expanding social spending.
In response, the State raises taxes and borrows the difference between its spending and its revenues. This further squeezes spending as the cost of servicing debt rises along with the debt. The rising cost of debt service is an ever-tightening noose that cannot be escaped.
And this leads us straight to financialization, the parasitic extraction of profits from the real economy by finance and the state. Remember Wallerstein's key insight: the state depends on cartel pricing to sustain high labor costs, investment and the taxes that flow from high wages and profits. As the real economy stagnated, the state (which includes the Federal Reserve) incentivized financialization and speculative credit bubbles to keep the money flowing to feed its own spending.
In other words, the state isn't just a passive patsy in financialization--it is a willing partner, because financialization funds the state. Just look at the enormous expansion of property taxes and income taxes that flowed from the housing and stock market bubbles.
Asking the state to limit financialization is like asking the fox guarding the henhouse to stop eating plump hens. If the fox stops consuming the plump hens, it dies. If the state stops financialization, the state's enormously expensive programs and its debt machine all die, too.
In essence, the state has no choice: to save itself, the middle class must be sacrificed. From the point of view of global capital, the ideal partner is a powerful central state that imposes cartel pricing on the economy: $200 million a piece F-35 fighter jets, $100,000 college diplomas, $200,000 medical procedures, $1,000 a pill medications, etc.
From the point of view of the state, it's more important to protect corporate profits and preserve the ability to borrow another trillion dollars at near-zero interest rates than it is to restore a vibrant middle class.
Debt-serfdom works just fine for the financial sector and the central state that enforces the serfdom. Food stamps (bread) and distracting entertainment (circuses) are cheap. What's not to like about debt-serfdom to those in power? Not only is it an ideal arrangement, it's the only one left to the state and its partner, global capital.
Thank you, Bob M. ($100), for your outrageously generous contribution to this site -- I am greatly honored by your steadfast support and readership. Thank you, Sarah M. ($50), for your splendidly generous contribution to this site -- I am greatly honored by your steadfast support and readership.


Question: Explain the trend of US bank balance sheets since the recession.

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 Explain the trend of US bank balance sheets since the recession.

Loans and leases (of all types) as percentage of US banks' total balance sheets continue to decline and are now at the lowest levels in at least 40 years (since this data has been kept).
Credit is being displaced by cash (reserves), as the Fed's securities purchases result is further dilution of US banks' balance sheets. While some believe this will motivate banks to accelerate lending, as the chart below shows, it hasn't. Credit expansion in the US has been slowing and is well below pre-recession levels.


Question: What is the Amtrak Capitol Corridor BOGO offer?

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 What is the Amtrak Capitol Corridor BOGO offer?

Looking for a Saturday getaway? You can now buy one full-fare ticket for Saturday travel from now until September 29, 2018 aboard the Capitol Corridor and you’ll get another fare absolutely free. One-day advance purchase required.
Please note that when booking, you must select “Adult” as the Passenger Type for all passengers, including Children and Seniors, in order to receive the discount fare.
Where Will You Go with BOGO?
This scenic 170-mile route runs from the Sierra Foothills and Sacramento, down to the San Francisco Bay and Oakland, and all the way to San Jose/Silicon Valley. Whether you want to get in some quality shopping time, enjoy the region’s fine dining options, or catch a game, the Capitol Corridor will get you there in style and comfort. Check out our route map to plan your trip.
Through our convenient connector bus, travel to the City and tour its hilly landscapes, bustling downtown, cable cars and colorful Victorian houses. End your day at the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and take in a magical sunset.
The California State Railroad Museum illustrates railroad history in California and the West and is one of Sacramento’s most popular tourist destinations. Afterwards, check out nearby Old Town Sacramento, and enjoy the unique old-time streets, saloons and shops.
Enjoy spring and summertime fun at the 100-acre Great America amusement park, featuring a roller coaster and over 40 other rides and attractions.
Suisun City is situated by the largest contiguous estuarine marsh in the United States. With a bicycle and sense of adventure, anyone can take the train to Suisun and explore this unique habitat.
Avoid traffic and parking hassles. Take Capitol Corridor to exciting sports and entertainment events in San Jose, Santa Clara, Sacramento and the Oakland Coliseum.
• This offer is exclusively available at www.Amtrak.com.
• Valid for one free companion rail fare with the purchase of one regular (full) adult rail fare.
• Valid for sale between April 6, 2018 – September 28, 2018.
• Valid for travel only on Saturdays between April 7, 2018 – September 29, 2018.
• Blackouts apply on all days except Saturday.
• Advance reservations are required a minimum of 1 day prior to travel.
• Up to 2 children ages 2-12 may accompany each adult at half the regular (full) adult rail fare.
• Seating is limited. Seats may not be available on all trains at all times.
• Fares are subject to availability.
• Valid for travel on the Capitol Corridor and associated thruways; except not valid on the 7000-8999 thruway series.
• The companion and full fare passenger must travel together on the same itinerary and have tickets issued together.
• Not combinable with any other discount offer.
• In addition to the discount restrictions, this offer is subject to any restrictions, blackouts and refund rules that apply to the type of fare purchased.
• Fares, routes and schedules re subject to change without notice.
• Once travel has begun, no changes to the itinerary are permitted.


Question: Explain the recent developments concerning Turkish officials' campaigning in the Netherlands and other parts of Europe.

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 Explain the recent developments concerning Turkish officials' campaigning in the Netherlands and other parts of Europe.

Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders has said he would ban all Turkish officials from campaigning in the Netherlands, slamming the Dutch government for its “weak” response to Ankara’s plans to hold a rally in the country.
The Dutch government called Turkish plans to stage a referendum campaign rally in Rotterdam “undesirable,” but stopped short of following several German cities which banned similar events.
The German ban drew the ire of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other top Ankara officials.
In contrast, the response from Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte was “very weak,” Wilders told journalists on Sunday, saying that he “would do things differently” were the decision up to him.
“I would declare... the whole Cabinet of Turkey persona non grata,” said the leader of the Party for Freedom, which will enter the Dutch general elections on March 15 as the main rival of the ruling VDD party.
“Coming here to advocate the change of the Turkish constitution that will only strengthen the Islamofascist leader Erdogan of Turkey... is the worst thing that could happen to us,” he added.
Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern also spoke out against Turkish government members campaigning inside the European Union.
“A collective EU response to prevent such campaign events would make sense so that individual countries like Germany don’t end up being pressured by Turkey,” Kern told Germany’s Welt am Sonntag newspaper.
The Turkish referendum in April would grant Erdogan sweeping new powers, including the ability to appoint ministers and top state officials, dissolve parliament, declare emergency rule and issue decrees.
Ankara has been organizing rallies in Europe, involving top government officials, in order to win support for the changes from Turks living abroad.
According to the Dutch Turks Association, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was planning to attend a rally in Rotterdam on March 11.
Earlier this week, the small German town of Gaggenau withdraw the permit for a rally on March 9, organized by the Union of European Turkish Democrats (UETD), citing security reasons.
Shortly afterwards, Cologne announced the cancelation of another UETD event at which Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci was due to speak.


Question: Describe the content of this week's Open All R's podcast.

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 Describe the content of this week's Open All R's podcast.

This week’s Open All R’s Podcast meets one of the unluckiest QPR fans going, as well as dissecting the wins against Wigan and Bristol Rovers.
Antti Korpela flew in from Finland for the 7-1 drubbing at West Brom and 3-0 loss to Bristol City earlier this month, and is the special guest on the phone this week talking about his experience.
Paul Finney is hosting with Chris Charles from BT Sport, author Dan Trelfer, journalist Ian McCulloch and some gobby git from this website in the studio.


Question: Provide a description of the band Luxembourg.

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 Provide a description of the band Luxembourg.

Luxembourg are a British five-piece indie band. For most of their life, the lineup consisted of David Shah (lead singer), Rob Britton (guitar), Alex Potterill (keyboards), Jon Bacon (bass) and Steve Brummell (drums). Bassist Jon left the band at the end of 2006 and was replaced by David Barnett. Luxembourg have been compared to artists like Pulp, The Smiths and Roxy Music and sometimes described as "pop noir".


Question: How did your dad react when you got your ankle twisted at the movie theater? Respond in detail.

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 How did your dad react when you got your ankle twisted at the movie theater? Respond in detail.

Yes! She wasn’t that much into it but since then she has been requesting Jack-Jack nonstop. She liked it more than we thought!
How’d Margot like the movie?
Sounds like you should be making a comic out of this!
I was being rowdy (I was always a handful as a kid) and my dad picked me up and put me down in the seat next to him. Thing is my leg caught on the seat as he was sitting me down and my ankle got all twisted. I don’t remember much of either the incident or the aftermath, I was really little. I wanna say it was Aladdin we were seeing.
I love finding out what kids have decided to do in any particular moment! It’s always unexpected. I remember one time, we were getting ready for a road trip, and my daughter (who was maybe 4 at the time) decided we needed a safety briefing. So she made all the adults line up by the back door so she could flip through a book and point at all the pictures and explain what safety tip it represented. It was a book of crochet patterns for stuffed toys, though, so it lost the plot in the middle somewhere. Like, “Make sure to wear your seatbelt. Don’t talk on your phone while you’re driving. Stay with the group and don’t, uh, wander off into the woods. Make sure to… feed… the deer. Run away from wild predators.” When she was done, we solemnly thanked her for making sure we knew how to be safe. Then I went to get my son (who would’ve been 2) to put him in the car, and I found him in my bathroom, licking the shower door.


Question: Describe the events surrounding the omnibus spending bill President Trump wanted funding for his border wall.

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 Describe the events surrounding the omnibus spending bill President Trump wanted funding for his border wall.

Congress released a $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill Wedneday that provides no funding for President Donald Trump's proposed border wall – a major setback for Trump, who had demanded $25 billion to construct a concrete barrier to stop illegal crossings from Mexico.
Though Republicans control both the House and the Senate, Congressional leaders caved to Democrats' demands that the spending bill include zero funding for one of the president's key legislative priorities.
The spending bill does provide more than $1.2 billion for border security enhancements, including high-tech surveillance systems, as well as some $641 million for over 30 miles of new fences and border-crossing obstacles.
But Democrats strongly objected to any funding for a permanent wall that will help control illegal immigration across almost 2,000 miles of the border with Mexico.
Conservatives already are slamming the 2,232 page bill that dramatically increases spending – one that is set to be voted on as soon as Thursday with almost no Congressional or public deliberation.
"I'm voting against it . . . and if the bill passes the way it is, I hope the White House does veto," conservative Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan told The Hill. "But I think it's not good for the American taxpayer, not consistent, anywhere close to consistent, to what we said we would do when they elected us in 2016."
Freedom Caucus leader Rep. Mark Meadows shared the sentiment.
"It is troubling when we get a tunnel and we don't get a wall," Meadows said.
Meadow’s reference to a "tunnel" was the $541 million the bill earmarks for the massive Gateway rail tunnel that will link New York City and New Jersey.
The Gateway project has been a pet project of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Gateway will receive more than half of the $900 million Schumer sought for the project. The omnibus provides more than $3.2 billion for infrastructure and railway projects not specifically earmarked, money that could be used to cover the balance of Schumer's request.
The omnibus, though denying any funding for the border wall, will give ignition to Gateway, a project that is expected to cost taxpayers at least $30 billion to complete.
A major setback for President Donald Trump who had demanded $25 billion to construct a concrete barrier to stop illegal crossings from Mexico, Congress released a $1.3 trillion omnibus spending Wednesday that provides no funding for President's proposed border wall.


Question: Explore the Space for Giants map and learn about elephant movement and behavior.

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 Explore the Space for Giants map and learn about elephant movement and behavior.

A Space for Giants map.
Do elephants have a circadian rhythm? This visualization shows the hourly positions of five bull elephants fitted with GPS collars in Laikipia County, in central Kenya. The visualization illustrates 34,786 GPS positions, which have been compressed into a single 24-hour period to illustrate the general pattern of movement throughout the day, regardless of season or individual.
In Laikipia, elephants live within a mosaic of land use types that include land managed for conservation, land used for smallholder cultivation and land that is used by subsistence pastoralists. We have redefined these into three broad categories: 1) Safe habitat; 2) Unsafe habitat-Pastoralist; 3) Unsafe habitat-Cultivation. Elephant cows and calves tend to stay within safe habitat away from potential conflict and associated risk with people. Bulls, on the other hand, are more likely to indulge in high-risk/high-reward behavior. Some of them gather into crop-raiding groups that exploit nearby unsafe habitats, particularly croplands, under the cover of darkness. By day their range contracts within refuges of relative safety. By night, they fan out rapidly to exploit resources, including crops, in the surrounding unsafe habitats before retreating back to safety at dawn.
Please explore the map. Zoom in to see crop raids in action. Click on polygons to reveal property information.
Map created by Wildermaps for Space for Giants. Email us with feedback!


Question: "Wow! That photo from Amarok's blog is great! Did you see the pyramid in the back?"

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 "Wow! That photo from Amarok's blog is great! Did you see the pyramid in the back?"

It’s getting colder outside and like in previous years it is time for the Amarok team to look back on the past 12 months. It’s been an astonishing ride including over 4000 commits, a Quick Start Guide and 6 new releases of Amarok.
You can find more detail about how to participate at http://amarok.kde.org/en/roktober/2010.
A big Thank You! from the whole Amarok team.
It’s in Paris 😉 You can see the Louvre in the background.
Oh I’m damned, I didn’t see the pyramid in the back.
Hehe yea. It does indeed.
@G-Man – what constitutes “proper CUE sheet support” to you? Please write to our list or pop into #amarok to tell us what’s lacking for you. As far as I know, cue sheets are supported if your cue sheet is in the same folder as the track files. See https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=187587.
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Question: "Do you know of any desert oases?"

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 "Do you know of any desert oases?"

Umm Al-Maa, meaning Mother of Water, is one of the largest lakes in the oasis but unfortunately, like all the lakes, the water table in the area is so low that the lakes are drying up.
As well as the waters being extremely dirty, the saline levels are now similar to the Dead Sea (which is great news if you like floating in crud). The abandoned city of Gebraoun is also relatively nearby with its impressive ruins, the settlement is testament to the life-sustaining qualities that the lakes once had.
Turpan, or Tulufan as it’s also known, is an oasis city in the Xinjiang Uygur Region in China. It is just 8km west of the ruined city of Jiaohe, a border garrison town destroyed by Genghis Khan during the Han dynasty.
This wonderful desert lake is set within Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Maranhao, Brasil. It forms part of a system of fresh water lagoons which fill up with rainwater during the first six months of the year and then gradually evaporate over time to be topped up again the following year. Some of the lakes within the park are dotted with palm trees. This lonely lake, however, has one solitary dry branch decorating its banks.
Crescent Lake in China’s Gobi Desert sits on the edge of an ancient city that once saw traders embark on their journey along the Silk Road to the West. Today it is drying up and has dropped more than 25 feet in the last 30 years, in part due to water being redirected for local farmers and a doubling of population, resulting in the slow disappearance of a lake that has existed for thousands of years.
The beautiful oasis of Chebika in Tunisia is probably one that most people know about without realizing it. It is where Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope was filmed. The story goes that the oasis was actually named after one of the characters, Chewbacca.
This remote desert lake, fringed by sand dunes is located in Khar Nuur, Mongolia. It’s a refreshing swimming spot for travelers who manage to venture into one of the world’s vast desert plains.
This castle is part of an oasis on the western shore of the Persian Gulf in Saudi Arabia, called Qatif. The city dates back to 3,500 BC.
It was believed to be the Garden of Eden, a piece of Heaven on Earth, and was for many years the main town and port in the western Gulf, which meant it was a popular spot for invasion and take over by ruling powers through the ages. This resulted in an eclectic mix of architecture and the area now boasts some of the best archeological sites in the kingdom.
The Island has no hotels, nor hostals. the government aim to develop its historical castle in the old town of Tarut by turn it to complex will include public garden, well our people hope plans go well.
Huacachina is a small oasis town in the Ica region of southwest Peru. This oasis, named ‘Oasis of Americas’, is a popular resort with local families and tourists. A legend says the lagoon was created when an inquisitive young hunter disturbed a beautiful princess bathing. She fled, leaving the pool of water behind which became the lagoon.
I would like to know if I might have a backdrop made for a vignette used to photograph Arabian horses at the 2009 Pyramid Society Egyptian Event of the first photograph in your series (that of the Erg Awbari Oasis).
I will be glad to pay a price for the use of this photograph.


Question: Write a review of the movie Black '47.

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 Write a review of the movie Black '47.

This week see the release of the first major movie set during the Great Famine. Starring James Frecheville, Stephen Rae, Jim Broadbent & Hugo Weaving Black ’47 is one of the most eagerly awaited Irish films of 2018.
Last Wednesday I got a sneak preview of the movie and in this podcast I review Black ’47.


Question: Hey there! I was wondering if you can tell me about your new website?

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 Hey there! I was wondering if you can tell me about your new website?

I've just launched my new website modern-sql.com. It's very small right now—just six content pages—but it will grow over next month and years and might eventually become a book like Use-The-Index-Luke.com did. So I though I'd better get you on board right now so you can grow as the site grows.
They hardly cover more than entry-level SQL-92. Some tutorials don't even mention that they describe a proprietary dialect.
The examples just show the syntax but not how to solve real-world problems.
They don't document the availability of the features amongst different database products.
modern SQL covers SQL:2016—the current release of the ISO SQL standard. But it adheres to the fact that many databases are developed against older releases or only support a subset of the standard.
Note that there is a hierarchy: the recommended (most idiomatic) approach is shown first, standard conforming alternatives next and proprietary alternatives last but only if inevitable.
Click on a feature (e.g., “valid where select is valid”) to see how the availability of the features has evolved.
There you can see that SQLite just recently started to accept values where select is valid. The timeline view also documents the last checked version for those databases that don't support a feature.
Inevitably, modern SQL will become both: an homage to the SQL standard and a rant about its poor adaptation. The availability documentation and the above mentioned alternative approaches (conforming or proprietary) are there to keep the “rant” a productive one. Look at the “select without from” use-case to get the idea.
This is just the first step of a long journey. I invite you to follow it via Twitter, Email or RSS.


Question: Describe the comments Donald Trump made at the NATO summit.

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 Describe the comments Donald Trump made at the NATO summit.

President Donald Trump took his war of words with America’s allies to a new level Wednesday, telling NATO’s top official Germany is “captive” to Russia due to a recent energy deal. And he called alliance members “delinquent” on their contributions to NATO’s budget.
Before he departed for the alliance summit in Belgium that starts a week-long trip that also features meetings with U.K. leaders and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said the latter would likely be the “easiest.” He made good on that prediction at the start of the NATO summit, lecturing NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in front of media members.
In March, Germany agreed to allow Russia’s energy-exporting monopoly Gazprom to build a pipeline through its waters. More recently, the European Union made a new deal with the same firm that will tighten Moscow’s grip on Europe as its leading fuel supplier, which it has been for decades.
“The former chancellor of Germany is head of the pipeline company that’s supplying the gas,” he said, referring to Gerhard Schröder. “You tell me, is that appropriate? I’ve been complaining about this from the time I got here.
“Germany is totally controlled by Russia,” Trump said, contending the European country gets up to 70 percent of its energy from the Russian pipeline.
But the U.S. president did not stop his criticism of Germany there.
“Germany is just paying a little over 1 percent” of its GDP annually to the alliance’s budget, Trump griped. Members have pledged to get to 2 percent, but most countries are well off the mark — something Trump campaigned to change.
“Germany is a rich country,” he complained. “Well, they could increase it immediately — tomorrow — and have no problem,” he said of Germany.
“But I have to bring it up because I think it’s very unfair to our country, it’s very unfair to our taxpayer,” he said.
Some Democratic lawmakers were quick to criticize the president for his remarks, questioning his desire for warmer relations with Moscow.
If Trump leaves his meeting with Putin “without ironclad assurances and concrete steps toward a full cessation of Russian attacks on our democracy, this meeting will not only be a failure — it will be a grave step backward for the future of the international order and global security,” they said.
“The president needs to remember that, as Commander-in-Chief, his duty is to protect the American people from foreign threats, not to sell out our democracy to Putin,” the statement concluded.
House Intelligence Committee member Eric Swalwell of California used a tweet to weigh in, writing that “Germany at least gets energy out of its relationship with Russia. What do we get? This embarrassment below. That’s what,” referring to a video of Trump’s comments.
The meeting with the NATO leader is the lone formal one-on-one session the White House planned for the president at the summit.
“I am pleased to have this opportunity to be here for this exchange of views,” she said.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters at the summit that Trump will have a similar meetings later in the day with French President Emmanuel Macron.


Question: Describe the uses of flexible electrodes developed by the Stanford Bao Lab.

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 Describe the uses of flexible electrodes developed by the Stanford Bao Lab.

Flexible electrodes could pave the way for new brain interfaces and wearables.
For smart clothing or skin-worn devices to improve, first we need electronics that won't snap like a twig when you move. Using a soup thickener, of all things, scientists from Stanford's Bao Lab created a flexible electrode with "uncompromised electrical performance and high stretchability," said lab director Zhenan Bao. The material could one day be used in better brain-monitoring electronics and smart clothing embedded with heart sensors, LEDs and other tech.
Plastics are normally insulators, but using two different polymers, Bao and her team came up with one that conducted like a champ. However, it wasn't flexible at all, so the team enlisted the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and its unique X-ray equipment to find just the right additive. That turned out to be a molecule similar to those used to thicken soups in industrial kitchens. It completely stopped the crystallization process, resulting in a stretchy material suitable for use in circuits or electrodes.
"We thought that if we add insulating material, we would get really poor conductivity, especially when we added so much," said Bao. However, using their experience with flexible polymers, they created a thin, nearly transparent material that actually conducts electricity slightly better when stretched. In fact, the high conductivity and 96 percent light transmittance "is among the highest values reported for ... transparent electrodes," and best by far for a flexible material, the paper notes.
Using an inkjet printer, the researchers have already created electrodes and stretchable transistor arrays. That could soon yield "next-generation wearable and epidermal electronics and bioelectronics," according to the paper. It also opens up "exciting possibilities down the road for brain interfaces and other implantable electronics," said Bao. However, you may never look at boxed soup the same way again.


Question: Respond in 396 words. Describe IBM's instructions regarding changes to the Power8 processor.

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 Respond in 396 words. Describe IBM's instructions regarding changes to the Power8 processor.

In announcement letter A18-0567, which came out on July 17, the warning was a bit shorter than usual, and we are not sure why. Perhaps IBM meant to give a warning and didn’t realize it was running out of certain Power8 processors aimed at Power E880 and Power E8880C enterprise-class processors. We don’t know. But what we can tell you is that effective that day, IBM stopped selling the 48-core processor complex for those two high end machines, which are among the most powerful ones that IBM sells in the Power Systems line. To be specific, the four card, 48-core processor features running at 4.02 GHz for these systems are no longer available for the plain vanilla servers or their Capacity BackUp (CBU) high availability mirror or SAP HANA (using the Integrated Facility for Linux) variants. These processors are not available for new system orders or for field upgrades from prior generations of Power7 and Power7+ machines alike.
IBM is suggesting that customers who are doing new orders of Power E880C machines should consider taking a 40-core Power8 complex running at 4.19 GHz or a 32-core Power8 complex running at 4.35 GHz. Our advice has always been to go with more clocks and the fewest cores possible because of the core-based software pricing for IBM i and third party applications, so this seems reasonable to us.
That said, it is probably more reasonable to see what IBM has in store for the “Zeppelin” Power E950 (one node, four socket) and “Fleetwood” Power E980 (two or four nodes, with eight or 16 sockets) servers that are expected sometime in the third quarter. That means any day now, more or less. With the Power9 chips offering considerably more performance per core – somewhere between 40 percent and 50 percent, depending on the clock speeds – than the Power8 chips they will replace, it makes sense to wait if you can and cut back on the number of cores even further. IBM has promised to offer upgrades from Power E870 and Power E880 to Power E970 and Power E980 machines. I had been guessing, way back in October 2017, that IBM would have this big Power9 iron out by this May. The one from two months ago. But that was just a hunch. The plan was good as of February, but it could have changed for all I know.


Question: Describe the situation surrounding Zach Randolph's recent arrest.

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 Describe the situation surrounding Zach Randolph's recent arrest.

Zach Randolph was arrested for marijuana possession in Los Angeles on Wednesday night.
Sacramento Kings forward Zach Randolph was arrested for marijuana possession in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, TMZ reports.
The scene was reportedly chaotic, with police vehicles vandalized and unruly behavior taking place. It‘s unclear what directly led to Randolph’s being detained, but he was arrested on $20,000 bail according to the police report. KCRA-TV Los Angeles reported that Randolph was one of three men who initially fled the area, and that he was arrested after being brought out of a nearby housing unit.
“We are aware of the situation. We have no further comment at this time,” the Kings said in an official statement to SI.com.
Randolph, 36, signed with the Kings this offseason after a long stint with the Memphis Grizzlies. Randolph has a history of legal troubles dating back to his time with the Portland Trail Blazers early in his career. In 2010, he was linked to a police investigation in Indianapolis after a vehicle registered in his name was found in a suspected drug house.
During his time in Memphis, Randolph by and large rehabilitated his image and was regarded as an involved member of the community. Last January, he was given the NBA’s monthly Community Assist award for his continued work helping kids and families in need.


Question: What is the latest update on the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination?

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 What is the latest update on the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination?

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellThe Mueller report is a deterrent to government service Senate Republicans tested on Trump support after Mueller Anti-smoking advocates question industry motives for backing higher purchasing age MORE (R-Ky.) said the Senate will hold a vote on Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination this week.
"The time for endless delay and obstruction has come to a close. Judge Kavanaugh's nomination is out of committee. We're considering it here on the floor and ... we'll be voting this week," McConnell said.
McConnell's comments, made during a Senate floor speech, comes as the FBI has to wrap up its investigation into multiple sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh by Friday.
GOP senators and aides have been careful not to pin down a specific timeline on Kavanaugh's nomination, arguing that the FBI could wrap up its work before the Friday deadline.
If McConnell waited until Friday to file cloture on Kavanaugh's nomination that would set up an initial vote on ending debate as early as Sunday.
If McConnell filed cloture before that, he could bring up the vote as soon as the Friday deadline passed or when the FBI wrapped up its investigation.
McConnell's pledge that the Senate will vote on Kavanaugh's nomination comes as Trump's nominee remains short of the simple majority needed to be confirmed.
Republicans hold a narrow 51-49 majority meaning they can lose one GOP senator before they need help from Democrats to confirm Kavanaugh. No Democrats have said, yet, that they will support him.
GOP Sens. Susan Collins Susan Margaret CollinsSenate Republicans tested on Trump support after Mueller Collins: Mueller report includes 'an unflattering portrayal' of Trump GOP senator: 'No problem' with Mueller testifying MORE (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski Lisa Ann MurkowskiCain says he 'won't run away from criticism' in push for Fed seat Cain says he won't back down, wants to be nominated to Fed License to discriminate: Religious exemption laws are trampling rights in rural America MORE (Alaska) remain undecided on Kavanaugh's nomination.
GOP Sen. Jeff Flake Jeffrey (Jeff) Lane FlakePollster says Trump unlikely to face 'significant' primary challenge Trump gives nod to vulnerable GOP Sen. McSally with bill signing Flake opens up about threats against him and his family MORE (Ariz.) said last week that he would support Kavanaugh. But he was key to getting the one-week investigation into the allegations against Kavanaugh.
He said over the weekend that he expected to support Kavanaugh unless the FBI finds something in its investigation.


Question: Describe the philosophical and political components that constitute Corbynism.

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 Describe the philosophical and political components that constitute Corbynism.

Everyone knows who Jeremy Corbyn is, and most of have an idea of “Corbynistas” too – but relatively little thought has been put into what Corbynism really means as a political ideology.
It’s forgivable for the casual follower of the news to be confused. In the right-wing press, we hear about Jeremy Corbyn the Soviet bloc spy.
On the left, Corbynism tends to be romanticised. And in the centre, we’ve lived through the great punditry crisis of 2015-17, as the unelectable dinosaur did better than anyone could have imagined.
But little of what we read day today deals with what he actually believes and why. One effort to get to grips with this comes in the form of Corbynism: A Critical Approach, a book by Matt Bolton and Frederick Harry Pitts.
“The origins of the book lay in our frustrations with the way that Corbyn is critiqued or examined across the spectrum,” Bolton told i. His book is heavy on theory – it’s certainly not afraid of discussing the “substantialist strand of value theory” for example – but it’s also filled with criticisms that we don’t often hear, coming from left-wing academics.
Here are some of the conclusions they’ve drawn.
Next, you’ve got the Momentum strand – still a little Bennite in its older members, but driven mostly by the energy of younger people radicalised after the 2008 crash.
On top of that, there are postcapitalists, cultural theorists and more.
Corbyn’s major achievement, he says, is that the Labour leader keeps things vague.
The vagueness goes some way towards explaining why Corbyn’s rise happened when it would have seemed impossible to an observer wondering whether Corbyn, McDonnell or Diane Abbott would emerge for a left-wing tilt at the leadership in 2015.
“Would Corbynism have been possible without Corbyn? The ideas were there, and we had the upsurge starting in 2008, but we’re doubtful that any other figure from the left would have been able to do it,” says Bolton.
When Bolton and his co-author Frederick Harry Pitts use the term “Stalinism” in relation to Corbynism, they’re not talking about gulags. They’re referring to a particular world view that splits countries into two camps: the American “imperialist” camp on one side, and those who resist American dominance on the other, led in Stalin’s time by the Soviet Union.
“If you look at Seamus Milne and Andrew Murray, both of whom were very influential in the Corbyn circle, they have an explicitly Stalinist background,” says Bolton.
He adds: “Any group that opposes the states that are seen as the embodiment of capitalism through the lens of imperialism, is seen as anti-capitalist.
“You can see this in particular with Syria. Because they view Assad as anti-American, they see any opposition to Assad as a proxy for the Americans. So these Syrians fighting basically for liberal democracy gets dismissed either as a jihadi thing or as stooges of American democracy.
When it comes to policy at home, however, it’s not Soviet policy that the Labour leader reaches for.
Bolton and Pitts links Corbyn to Tony Benn’s Alternative Economic Strategy which emerged in the 1970s and early 1980s – the last time the left was a serious force within the party.
But the other side of Bennism is the idea that the British economy and industry were “under attack” from finance – and that Britain needed to build a “siege economy” to throw off the shackles of the bankers, Bolton says.
Bennism’s sense of attack from the financiers leads Corbyn to describe the economy as “rigged” – something that might be intuitive to a lot of left-wingers. But left-wingers aren’t the only people who use it, Bolton points out – Donald Trump, Bannon and even Michael Gove have adopted it too.
“The political ambivalence of the ‘rigged economy’ term alongside the economic nationalism is quite dangerous,” he says.
It’s this sort of thinking that leads Corbyn into his anti-Semitism rows.
“If you see capitalism as something that’s imposed on workers rather than something more general, it’s not inevitable that you end up with anti-semitism, but the potential is there.
There’s a reason Jeremy Corbyn is “anti-EU by instinct”, as it’s presented in the media. In the Bennite tradition, the EU stops Britain building a “siege economy” and growing its industrial base without restriction, according to Bolton.
“They don’t want to be in the single market because they think it restricts their ability to provide state aid for national industry,” he adds – meaning he wants to be able to put public money into nationalised businesses in a way that might be illegal under EU rules.
Of course, Corbyn campaigned to Remain, and even if he did want to change his post-referendum position on Brexit, he had a chance to do it when Theresa May lost seats in the election. “They could have said you’ve had your chance, you’ve lost the election, let’s have a re-think. But they want Brexit, I think,” says Bolton.
Corbynism is open to many different left-wing ideas, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t clash. One particularly difficult subgrouping is what Bolton calls the “conspiratorial wing” – or the “Chris Williamson-Labour Against The Witch Hunt-Canary strand”.
“You’re starting to see a split between them and the intellectual leadership,” he says. “They’re starting to turn against them.
“You can see the tension between the radical-but-sensible thinkers at the core of the party and their zealous outriders on social media and elsewhere when the latter turn against the leader’s perceived enemies.
“Jon Lansman has done more for Corbynism than almost anyone apart from John McDonnell, maybe,” says Bolton.
“But once he does one thing to contradict the leadership’s position, which is put himself forward as General Secretary against Jennie Formby, instantly the Chris Williamson wing started to turn against him.