Author: News Polite

Buffalo Shooting Updates: Investigators Begin Building Case

Dominique Calhoun had pulled into the parking lot of a Tops supermarket, about to treat her two daughters to ice cream, when she suddenly saw people running out of the store screaming.

By the time she had exited, 13 people had been shot, 10 of them fatally, after an 18-year-old white gunman opened fire in what has been described by police as a racist attack.

“That literally could’ve been me,” Ms. Calhoun said. “I’m just in shock. I’ve never had something like this happen so close to home.”

Ken Stephens, 68, a member of a local anti-violence group, described a grisly scene. “I came up here, and bodies were everywhere,” he said.

News of the shooting spread quickly across the city. Marilyn Hanson, 60, raced to Tops to make sure her daughter, who lived nearby, wasn’t among the victims; she was safe.

Both Ms. Hanson and her daughter shop at the store often.

“My daughter was so scared because that could’ve been me in that store,” Ms. Hanson said, adding: “If a Black man did this, he’d be dead, too,” referring to the fact that the shooter had surrendered and been taken into custody.

Daniel Love, 24, was inside his Love Barber Shop near the supermarket with his wife when he heard a noise, he said. His wife is from Iraq and immediately recognized the sound of gunfire. He told her to get down, he said. He eventually ran to the parking lot and saw the lifeless body of someone he knew.

Ulysees O. Wingo Sr., a member of the Buffalo Common Council who represents a district adjacent to the site of the shooting, said he also knew some victims. As he spoke, onlookers gathered at the site, with about 100 standing along a side street. Yellow police tape cordoned off the block surrounding the store, and at least two dozen police officers, along with several vehicles, guarded the perimeter.

“This is the largest mass shooting to date in the city of Buffalo,” Mr. Wingo said. “I don’t think anyone here in the city of Buffalo thought that something like this could ever happen, would ever happen.”

Mr. Wingo said most of the shoppers at the Tops supermarket were Black, mirroring the surrounding neighborhood.

Dorothy Simmons, 64, typically spends part of her Saturdays at Tops, shopping for food to prepare for Sunday dinner. “That’s what we do in this community,” said Ms. Simmons, who has lived in East Buffalo all her life. On this Saturday, Ms. Simmons was at work in Amherst when she heard the news. She cried, she said. “This is our store — this is our store,” Ms. Simmons said.

Ms. Simmons, who is Black, said the fact that the gunman was able to surrender showed disparity.

“If that had been my son, it would have never been surrender. We never had a chance to surrender,” Ms. Simmons said. “It would never be that way.”

Dan Higgins contributed reporting from Buffalo, New York.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

I own everything, have total privacy and life has never been better

This is a parody of the article published by the World Economic Forum titled “Welcome to 2030. I Own Nothing, Have No Privacy And Life Has Never Been Better.”

Welcome to Mars. Welcome to my city, or should I say “our city” because I, like every other inhabitant, is a stakeholder in it. No, I don’t mean “shareholder,” as this isn’t a dystopian future run by private companies. My city on Mars has a decentralized governance structure just like the greater Mars. It is not a corporation nor is it a militarized state. It is a set of institutions governed directly by The People.

As a result of this system, we have police that spread peace instead of violence. We have financial systems that spread wealth instead of creating poverty. We have institutions that are open instead of closed and transparent instead of secret, all of which makes corruption practically impossible. Our institutions are bottom-up and people-powered instead of top-down and authoritarian.

This might seem odd to you, living in a world where you can’t afford a home, decent healthcare or quality education. Where a tiny number of people have incredible power leading to widespread corruption, even in supposedly “free and open” countries. This is because you live in a centralized world. You have two choices: centralized private corporations or centralized governments with a monopoly on violence. We, on the other hand, live in a decentralized city and in a decentralized world.

Related: Tales from 2050: A look into a world built on NFTs

Decentralized government

In our world, it makes perfect sense for everyone to say they own everything. Every product and service, at least all of the most important ones, is provided by a decentralized organization — an organization that no one person or group controls and that anyone can acquire a stake in. Especially important are the organizations, like those that provide public goods, that are required by the constitution to be governed by one-person-one-vote. Meaning that simply by residing within that organization’s territory, you receive an equal stake in that organization to everyone else.

We don’t simply have our basic needs met; we live in an abundant world thanks to technology far beyond what you have on Earth. This is because on Mars, all technology is open source, meaning that there is incredible competition to develop new and innovative solutions but also participation remains accessible to every single citizen. All of this is made possible thanks to an advanced financial operating system that emerged in 2022 that enabled people to profit from the creation of open-source software. That year, a piece of software (itself open source) was released that made a peer-to-peer (P2P) economic system with no barriers to entry available to everyone for free and quickly spread virally.

Related: Crypto as a ‘public good’ in the 22nd century

Fee-less smart contracts

The foundational element of this system was fee-less and upgradeable smart contracts. If you think about it, all of our interactions and exchanges are managed through contracts, whether they are written down, verbalized or implied. Even money itself is just a contract between the citizen and the State to provide a stable medium of exchange.

Earlier versions of these “blockchain networks” had been released, but they were often very energetically wasteful (which is not suitable for the Mars economy) and required people to pay fees for every little thing they did. Imagine that we wanted to allow citizens to cast their votes in popular elections on a blockchain so that we could eliminate voter fraud. Forcing citizens to pay to cast votes would erect unacceptable barriers to participation and forcing the government to shoulder that cost would only decrease the capital it has available to deliver valuable services to its citizens. Putting those issues aside, the more used this platform became, the more energy it would waste, and energy is a precious commodity on Mars.

Related: Space invaders: Launching crypto into orbit

This new platform, however, was entirely fee-less and highly efficient. Smart contracts that allowed people to cast votes, create different kinds of money and even share their thoughts publicly could all be created and used for free. Just as the fee-less nature of the internet had opened a creative space for an entirely new universe of products and services — even entirely new business models — the fee-less nature of this blockchain opened up a similar creative spaces for an infinite variety of new solutions, which is what has driven the technological revolution on Mars.

While SpaceX obviously triggered the initial growth phase of Mars by transporting its early inhabitants, it was this blockchain that enabled those inhabitants to establish an entirely new socio-economic system that led to an explosion of productivity while at the same time increasing personal freedom and privacy.

But see for yourself by hopping on the next Starship flight to Mars!

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.

Andrew Levine is the CEO of Koinos Group, a team of industry veterans accelerating decentralization through accessible blockchain technology. Their foundational product is Koinos, a fee-to-use and infinitely upgradeable blockchain with universal language support.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Inside the Search and Sad End for Corrections Officer Vicky White

A booking officer at the county jail told another corrections official at 3:30 p.m. that Vicky couldn’t be reached. Calls were going straight to voicemail. After it was confirmed Casey had never returned to the jail since leaving with Vicky that morning, the state issued a Blue Alert, a notice of a violent attack on a law enforcement officer and an active search for the suspect.

“She scheduled the van transport that morning, made sure all the other armed deputies were out of the building and tied up in court,” Singleton later told CNN. “Knew the booking officer wouldn’t question her, the assistant director, when she told her she was going to take him to court and drop him off with other employees.”

Moreover, he said, she “purchased the getaway car, she sold her house, got her hands on cash, she went shopping, bought clothes for him.”

Authorities uncovered her purchase of the Ford Edge on May 1, their first significant lead. They later learned that, after ditching the Edge in Tennessee on April 29, the duo paid $6,000 cash for a black Ford F-150 pickup truck that same day.

A police officer in Evansville, Ind., saw the truck parked in the area on May 2 while doing a routine check for stolen vehicles and ran the license plate—but it hadn’t been stolen, so nothing came up.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Binance CEO CZ to support Terra community but expects more transparency

Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, the CEO of crypto exchange Binance, recently questioned the idea of hard forking the Terra blockchain as a means to revive the once-thriving LUNA and UST ecosystems. Following up on the same, CZ revealed his perspective on the appropriate course of action for falling projects across the crypto community.

“This won’t work,” said CZ while dismissing the validators’ idea of a hard forking to TERRA2, which would involve providing a new version of LUNA to all holders based on a snapshot of the holdings before the market collapsed. CZ suggested:

“Reducing supply should be done via burn, not fork at an old date, and abandon everyone who tried to rescue the coin. I don’t own any LUNA or UST either. Just commenting.”

Instead, he suggested that the Terra community should first use its Bitcoin (BTC) reserves to buy back UST to revive its pegging.

Pointing out the potential issues with forking Terra, CZ said that “Minting, forking, don’t create value.” However, he recommended buying back and burning as some of the ideal means to revive the token’s market value. While showing support for the Terra community, CZ highlighted the need for “more transparency from them. Much more!,” which includes details about specific on-chain transactions (transaction ids) of all the funds:

“Failures can/will happen. But when they do, transparency, speedy communication and owning responsibility to the community is extremely important.”

CZ further clarified that Binance had no active investments in Terra, nor did the company acquire any UST holdings, dismissing the ongoing rumors on Crypto Twitter about Binance’s interest in Terra:

“Binance Labs invested $3m USD in Terra (the layer 0 blockchain) in 2018. UST came much later after our initial investment.”

Binance Labs, the investment arm of Binance, invested in numerous projects over the past four years, which according to CZ, have seen varying degrees of success and failures.

On an end note, CZ hopes Terra can rebuild itself “in a proper and sensible way”:

“Regardless of my personal views, or the solution chosen in the end, we will always be here to support the community in any way we can.”

Related: Breaking: Binance suspends LUNA and UST trading amid issues on Terra blockchain

Binance was among the early birds to have suspended UST and LUNA trading on its platform as the Terra ecosystem commenced its death spiral.

As a result, Binance users were no able to spot trade LUNA/BUSD and UST/BUSD pairs, just a day after Terra blockchain validators were forced to take the network offline on May 12.



Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Why New England Patriots rookie Tyquan Thornton’s blazing 40-yard dash is promising sign – NFL Nation

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:

1. Thornton’s blazing speed: Running the 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine is one of the ultimate solo pursuits for rookies looking to break into the league. All eyes are on them. No one is there to pick them up.

How former Baylor wide receiver and Patriots second-round pick Tyquan Thornton prepared for that defining moment — in which he posted a blazing time of 4.28 seconds, the fastest of any receiver this year and fourth fastest of any receiver since 2006 — is a notable story that potentially bodes well for his transition to the pros.

Thornton was planning to prepare in Texas but made a late switch to XPE Sports in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he was part of a training group with Baylor cornerback Kalon Barnes (seventh round, Panthers) and University of Texas-San Antonio cornerback Tariq Woolen (fifth round, Seahawks).

The three produced the fastest times at this year’s combine — Thornton’s 4.28, Barnes at 4.23 and Woolen at 4.26.

“They just kept pushing each other. It was a competition and it ended up working well where they all killed it at the combine,” said XPE’s Matt Gates, who has been training prospects for the combine since 2003.

Just as Thornton fed off the competition with Barnes and Woolen, the Patriots are banking on the same thing happening in a New England receiver room headlined by DeVante Parker, Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne and Jakobi Meyers.

There is more to playing football than running a 40-yard dash, of course. So how Thornton’s scorching speed is blended into the Patriots’ overall system — and if he can master a variety of routes — will be one of the key determinants of whether the team had a successful draft.

Gates, who worked with the 6-foot-2, 181-pound Thornton for a 10-week stretch that began in early January, is optimistic.

“When we started pre-testing, I was like, ‘Man, we’ve got something here,'” he said. “Super smooth. Super explosive. And honestly, for a guy that is that fast, you don’t typically see someone who can change directions and catch the ball well. A lot of times you’ll see straight-ahead wide receivers who can blow the top off it, but they can’t run a route. Tyquan can do all that — he’s got good hands, he’s smart, he picks things up quick.”

One example of how Thornton picks things up came early in the 10 weeks spent training with Gates.

“His technique wasn’t great. Even though he had a track background, we just had to tighten up some things on his start and a few things along the way,” Gates said. “It clicked right away.”

play

0:38

Baylor QB Blake Shapen drops a dime to Tyquan Thornton, who makes a fantastic catch for a touchdown.

2. Heat prep: With the Patriots scheduled to open the season in Miami, hydration and conditioning — always important — figure to be emphasized that much more throughout training camp. Along those lines, the Patriots and Raiders are planning to hold at least one of their Las Vegas-based August joint practices outside, with the other inside Allegiant Stadium. Las Vegas weather in August is often sizzling, with highs sometimes hitting triple digits.

3. Jedd’s guests? The Patriots might see a benefit of staying out West after their Week 14 game against the Cardinals, instead of traveling home and then turning back around for a Week 15 game on the road against the Raiders. Coach Bill Belichick has done that in the past, most recently with back-to-back road games in Los Angeles in 2020. If so, an extended stay at the University of Arizona — where former Patriots quarterbacks coach Jedd Fisch enters his second year as head coach — would make sense.

4. Rookie intros: Offensive lineman Cole Strange and the rest of the Patriots’ 2022 rookie class were on the field for the first time Friday and Saturday in a closed-to-the-media rookie minicamp, and they will now spend the majority of the offseason in town as they transition to life in the pros. Members of the draft class were brought in two weeks ago for more of a brief introduction, and now the official onboarding process is underway and the daily on-site work begins. While always subject to change, May 26 is the first time media members are scheduled to have access at practice.

5. McDuffie & McCourty: University of Washington cornerback Trent McDuffie, whom the Chiefs traded up with the Patriots to select at No. 21 overall, was compared to longtime Patriots captain Devin McCourty by a scout when factoring in his combination of on-field talent and off-field traits. While the Patriots were widely acknowledged to have received excellent value in their trade down to No. 29 — gaining third- and fourth-round picks — the trade could ultimately be judged differently if McDuffie turns that McCourty comparison into reality.

6. Patriots’ request: One of the notable nuggets from NFL Vice President of Broadcasting Mike North was that the Patriots requested to play their games out West back-to-back if possible, which tied into New England ultimately getting four straight prime-time games. It’s a request other teams made as well, with North noting Atlanta, San Francisco, Miami and Las Vegas falling into that category.

7. Eyes on Watson: Any potential discipline that Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson faces from the NFL bears watching in New England when considering the Patriots travel to Cleveland in Week 6. Whereas the Patriots face Arizona later in the season and won’t benefit from missing DeAndre Hopkins during his six-game suspension, there’s an element of unknown with whether they’ll see Watson.

play

2:16

Booger McFarland discusses how Deshaun Watson fits with the Cleveland Browns after being traded.

8. Kraft’s SBJ honor: A crowd of about 1,000 is expected at the Marriott Marquis Times Square on Wednesday night, when Patriots owner Robert Kraft will join esteemed company as he is presented the Sports Business Journal Lifetime Achievement Award. Kraft is scheduled to be introduced by Meek Mill. The award goes to leaders and pioneers who have helped shape the dynamic sports industry, and past winners include Dan Rooney, Jerry Jones and Paul Tagliabue — all of whom are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. SBJ publisher and executive editor Abraham Madkour highlighted how Kraft’s background as a fan has shaped his Patriots ownership tenure.

9. Ekuale’s choice: Defensive lineman Daniel Ekuale was elevated from the Patriots’ practice squad seven times last season and provided some interior pass-rush presence. Little-known story: He considered an opportunity to join the Bills for the playoffs but elected to stay in New England on the practice squad instead. Ekuale will now vie for a roster spot at a position that includes returning starters Davon Godchaux and Lawrence Guy, along with Christian Barmore, Byron Cowart, Carl Davis and sixth-round pick Sam Roberts.

10. Did you know: The Patriots visit the Vikings on Thanksgiving, marking the first time they’ll play a game on the holiday since 2012, and the sixth time overall:

  • Nov. 22, 1984 — 20-17 loss to Dallas

  • Nov. 23, 2000 — 34-9 loss to Detroit (Tom Brady‘s NFL debut)

  • Nov. 28, 2002 — 20-12 win against Detroit

  • Nov. 25, 2010 — 45-24 win against Detroit

  • Nov. 22, 2012 — 49-19 win against N.Y. Jets (Mark Sanchez butt fumble)



Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Why Dejan Kulusevski was dropped for Tottenham’s clash with Burnley


Tottenham midfielder Dejan Kulusevski has been forced to drop to the bench for Tottenham’s clash with Burnley as a result of a stomach bug, according to reports.

The Swede has been in brilliant form since he arrived in north London in January from Juventus, on an initial loan deal that will certainly be made permanent this summer.

So far, he has contributed 3 goals and 8 assists in 16 Premier League outings, which is a very solid return for a player in his first taste of Premier League football. However, he has had to be replaced in the starting XI by Lucas Moura for their home tie against Burnley as a result of a virus picked up in the aftermath of their 3-0 win over Arsenal.

Reportedly, he is not alone from suffering, although others who are also affected remain unknown.

Spurs need 6 points

The win over Arsenal in the north London derby has handed Tottenham an outside chance of top 4, but they remain a point behind their north London rivals with two games left to play.

They must beat a stubborn Burnley, who themselves are in dire need of points to escape the relegation battle they have found themselves embroiled in, before playing already relegated Norwich on the final day of the season.

And Antonio Conte and co. must also rely on their bitter rivals dropping points, with a tricky trip to St James’ Park against a resurgent Newcastle to come for Mikel Arteta’s side before they end the season at Everton, who may still need points to survive depending on other results.

It could yet go down to the final day.

Read more:

Everton vs Brentford betting tips: Premier League preview, predictions & odds

Tottenham betting odds, next game:

Tottenham vs Burnley odds: result, both teams to score, correct score & goalscorers

Tottenham’s latest videos

Amazing behind-the-scenes footage of the North London Derby | Spurs 3-0 Arsenal | Matchday Uncut

Watch access-all-areas footage of Tottenham Hotspur’s brilliant North London Derby win over Arsenal FC!…

2022-05-14T17:00:53Z

Conte’s INCREDIBLE celebrations in his first North London Derby 🔥 | CONTE CAM | Spurs 3-0 Arsenal

Watch Antonio Conte’s reactions as he lives his first ever North London Derby win!…

2022-05-14T09:00:52Z

Premier League table

# Team MP D P
1 Manchester City 36 72 89
2 Liverpool FC 36 65 86
3 Chelsea FC 36 42 70
4 Arsenal FC 36 11 66
5 Tottenham Hotspur 36 23 65
6 Manchester United 37 1 58
7 West Ham United 36 11 55
8 Wolverhampton Wanderers 36 -3 50
9 Brighton & Hove Albion 36 -4 47
10 Leicester City 35 -4 45
11 Crystal Palace 35 4 44
12 Aston Villa 35 -1 43
13 Brentford FC 36 -8 43
14 Newcastle United 36 -21 43
15 Southampton FC 36 -20 40
16 Everton FC 35 -19 36
17 Burnley FC 35 -17 34
18 Leeds United 36 -38 34
19 Watford FC 36 -38 23
20 Norwich City 36 -56 21
Player Team Goals
Salah, Mohamed Liverpool FC 22
Son, Heung Min Tottenham Hotspur 21
Ronaldo, Cristiano Manchester United 18
Kane, Harry Tottenham Hotspur 15
De Bruyne, Kevin Manchester City 15
Jota, Diogo Liverpool FC 15
Mane, Sadio Liverpool FC 15
Sterling, Raheem Manchester City 13
Zaha, Wilfried Crystal Palace 13
Toney, Ivan Brentford FC 12
Vardy, Jamie Leicester City 12
Mount, Mason Chelsea FC 11
Saka, Bukayo Arsenal FC 11
Mahrez, Riyad Manchester City 11
Bowen, Jarrod West Ham United 10
Fernandes, Bruno Manchester United 10
Dennis, Emmanuel Watford FC 10
Pukki, Teemu Norwich City 10
Raphinha Leeds United 10
Smith-Rowe, Emile Arsenal FC 10



Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

The meaningful shift from Bitcoin maximalism to Bitcoin realism

There was a time when all cryptocurrencies traded against Bitcoin (BTC). Speculators ventured into other coins when they saw assuring tokenomics or promising hype, but Bitcoin was their settlement coin of choice.

Things have changed. Stablecoins now constitute a critical $150 billion pillar in the cryptocurrency market. Perpetual futures over-amplify market sentiment and, more often than not, dominate price action. Much more capital, including from institutional funds, has come into the market lately with only a moderate impact on Bitcoin’s price. So, some former bulls now dismiss Bitcoin as boring.

Is this the end of Bitcoin maximalism? Probably not. But, perhaps, it’s time for more realism.

Related: Gold, Bitcoin or DeFi: How can investors hedge against inflation?

Bitcoin in a sea of memes

Just as Disney’s stock can hold value next to gold, new digital-native names like the nonfungible token (NFT) project Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) can rise next to Bitcoin in the digital asset arena. And, just as investors would be willing to obtain the rights to a nearly century-old Mickey Mouse, the BAYC represents a new approach to brand building. And, it could work.

It might not, though. It’s speculative, which is what traders like.

ApeCoin’s (APE) volatility is not the same as that seen in Bitcoin today. The apes track brand hype, while Bitcoin now trades against a macroeconomic backdrop. It’s realistic to say that Bitcoin is consolidating as a core holding, not just in the digital asset space but even with some brave institutional investors — who typically shun volatility. Bitcoin is the established base layer in the digital asset market, but will it also be the ultimate reserve asset?

In all fairness, it’s not Ripple (XRP), Shiba Inu (SHIB) or Bitcoin Cash (BCH) that we see sovereign wealth funds beginning to hold. No serious retirement funds are picking them up either. Realists see that because Bitcoin has proven itself to be resilient throughout multiple crises and because it is truly decentralized and beyond the reach of any single government’s control, it is different from its contenders.

We can see that in the “payments” sector, Bitcoin’s dominance with a $750 billion market capitalization is obvious as it dwarfs the next in line. At the same time, however, we cannot dismiss the rise of other “cryptocurrencies” against Bitcoin as futile simply because they are not Bitcoin. Realism opens up the conversation and more understanding, which is ultimately the key driver of adoption.

Bitcoin for boomers

From a price perspective, Bitcoin is only boring for those who crave the roller coaster rush of speculative trading. As that interest looks elsewhere, Bitcoin is growing up and that in itself can unlock more growth.

While YouTube influencers race from farming and breeding to staking and minting, haven’t we also seen the conversation about Bitcoin become so much more mature and focused on first principles?

No, we didn’t get to see a $100,000 Bitcoin in 2021. But, then, do we really need to be that greedy when we haven’t even reached 5% global adoption yet? Yes, in a less boring world, Bitcoin can benefit from human greed and speculation — as with all investments — but those same impulses can send any asset value plummeting.

Related: Boom or bust? Is there a way for Bitcoin price to hit $100K in 2022?

Bitcoin takes time

A Bitcoin maximalist typically wants to own enough Bitcoin to do well for themselves across time and space. They probably also want to see a fair and more just economy — hence their support for Bitcoin in the first place. A maximalist should also agree that it’s better to see billions of people holding a little Bitcoin than a few million holding all of it.

Indeed, buy-the-dip moments aren’t just useful for those most committed to Bitcoin, but they also help with further distribution as new entrants are attracted to the buying opportunity. That’s a good thing.

In this respect, it’s helpful to ask yourself how much Bitcoin you think you should own or aim for. And then act accordingly.

Most staunch Bitcoiners, including Michael Saylor, took time — maybe years — to come to their inspiring views. Famed financier Ray Dalio is still evolving. Most politicians barely understand Bitcoin and I have to assume there are even times when El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, who made Bitcoin legal tender in his country, stares at the charts and feels nervous.

Related: El Salvador’s Bitcoin Law: Understanding alternatives to government intervention

Anyone coming into the crypto space for the first time because a funny dog or pixelated primate presented itself as a hyper-sound asset is going to need time as well — A lot of it. But, the end result isn’t necessarily Bitcoin maximalism.

Being a core holding, though, most participants in the space have some exposure to Bitcoin already. Just looking at the game theory playing out across emerging markets and in the context of the current sanctions regime, as well as inflation, most investors in digital assets know it’s good to hold “some Bitcoin.”

Too toxic?

Some say Bitcoin maximalists are toxic. But, people are toxic everywhere. And, what maximalists in Bitcoin do a good job of is reiterating first principles, which helps anchor the conversation. Their motto is, Bitcoin doesn’t need you, you need Bitcoin. True? Well, true or not, the point is: Don’t put your life savings in a memecoin because the community is so nice to you.

Let’s be real. The world is dealing with currency debasements, Bitcoin mining can and does serve environmental goals, the United States and its allies did freeze Russian foreign reserves, the future is profoundly digital, inflation is not transitory and holding Bitcoin in the context of any of these makes complete sense.

Bear markets show what projects and protocols are really made of. Axie Infinity’s Smooth Love Potion (SLP) token currently trades around 40-times lower than its all-time high. Bitcoin is at about 2-times lower than its all-time high. Breaching $69,000 sooner rather than later would not be unreasonable or even out of the ordinary.

Finally, banks “getting into Bitcoin” is somewhat of an oxymoron and some might argue Bitcoin needs none of that, but it’s equally realistic to say that Bitcoin’s integration with global finance and existing infrastructure makes the asset more resilient, as it brings in more stakeholders who will be invested long term.

No one needs to be a Bitcoin maximalist, but everyone should be a realist.

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.

Ben Caselin is the head of research and strategy at AAX, the crypto exchange to be powered by London Stock Exchange Group’s LSEG Technology. With a background in creative arts, social research and fintech, Ben develops insights into Bitcoin and decentralized finance and provides strategic direction at AAX. He is also a working member of Global Digital Finance (GDF), a leading industry body dedicated to driving the acceleration and adoption of digital finance forward.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Opinion | Let Actors Act

Adrian Lester, a British actor from Birmingham and the son of two immigrants from Jamaica, was nominated last week for a Tony Award for his performance in “The Lehman Trilogy” as Emanuel Lehman, one of the German-born Jewish founders of the fallen investment behemoth Lehman Brothers. Lester, like the other actors in the three-man play, takes on several parts, including female characters and at one point, a thumb-sucking toddler.

There has been no outcry about a British actor of African descent playing a German Jew, nor was there any fuss when he played Bobby, a character traditionally performed by white actors, in a London production of Stephen Sondheim’s “Company,” for which he won an Olivier.

And why should there have been? It’s called acting.

There was no protest either about Lester’s co-star Simon Russell Beale, born to British parents in what was then British Malaya and a former chorister at St. Paul’s Cathedral, playing a German Jew. Adam Godley, the third actor in the play, is Jewish in real life, but he’s also bisexual — not so in the play. Again, it’s called acting, and Beale and Godley were also nominated for Tony Awards last week.

And yet countless actors have been criticized for playing people they do not resemble in real life.

Earlier this year, Helen Mirren was lambasted for portraying Golda Meir, a former prime minister of Israel, in a forthcoming biopic even though she’s not Jewish — engaging in what is now called “Jewface.” In a recent interview defending Mirren, Ian McKellen (who incidentally has played everything from a wizard to a cat) asked, “Is the argument that a straight man cannot play a gay part, and if so, does that mean I can’t play straight parts?” He went on: “Surely not. We’re acting. We’re pretending.”

Daring to take on parts different from oneself didn’t always kick up a storm. Back in 1993 when Tom Hanks played a gay character in “Philadelphia,” he was hailed as brave for taking on homophobia and won an Oscar. Today, his performance no longer plays so well in some quarters. “Straight men playing gay — everyone wants to give them an award,” the performer Billy Porter complained in a 2019 actor’s round table. Yet many of our best gay, lesbian and bisexual actors — Jodie Foster, Alan Cumming, Kristen Stewart, Nathan Lane — have won awards for straight roles without even a murmur of complaint.

What we are effectively saying here — without ever, heaven forbid, saying it out loud — is that it’s OK for actors from groups considered to be marginalized — whether gay, Indigenous, Latino or any other number of identities — to play straight white characters. But it’s not OK for the reverse.

Such double standards may not trouble you. But if it’s a problem that a “miscast” actor — one who differs in identity from the character — takes a role away from a “properly cast” actor when there are already fewer roles for underrepresented or marginalized groups, then why not condemn Simon Russell Beale for taking a job from a Jewish actor? Why no outcry every time a 40-something actress bends biology to play the mothers of 25-year-old actresses, robbing older actresses who more plausibly fit the part?

If, however, the real problem is actors not being able to understand what it feels like to be part of a demographic group or to have a sexual orientation outside the confines of their own experience, then none of these actors should be able to play anyone unlike themselves. In other words, no one should ever be allowed to play a part.

Hollywood has wisely moved on from the offensive extremes of blackface and Shylock stereotypes, “queeny” stock gay characters and Mickey Rooney’s embarrassing turn as a Japanese landlord in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” There is plenty of room in the middle without ricocheting to the other undesirable extreme.

It’s not that strict typecasting should never happen; it can yield rewarding opportunities for both actors and audiences. Behold the deaf performers in the Oscar-winning “Coda.”

But deaf performers can also act movingly in a musical like the 2015 Deaf West revival of “Spring Awakening,” which featured them in roles that were originally performed as hearing characters and performed simply as characters, neither explicitly hearing nor deaf, but transcendently human in their expression.

Likewise, in a recent revival of “Oklahoma,” Ali Stoker, who uses a wheelchair, was able to fully embody Ado Annie, who spends much of her time in the movie and previous stage versions swishing away from her suitor, Will Parker, just as Daniel Day-Lewis once captured, with extraordinary sensitivity in “My Left Foot,” the wheelchair-bound writer and painter Christy Brown.

Good actors are able to find a way to portray people who are not like themselves, whether on the surface or well below, which is what differentiates them from those of us who could barely remember our lines in a fourth-grade production of “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” Acting is a feat of compassion and an act of generosity. Those capable of that kind of emotional ventriloquy enable audiences to find ourselves in the lives portrayed onscreen, no matter how little they may resemble our own.

Bravo to those actors who do that well. Bravo to the talented Adrian Lester, who makes you forget the color of his skin, his nationality and his religion — and gives himself over entirely to his performance. There is no reason for any actor to apologize for exercising and reveling in his craft.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And here’s our email: letters@nytimes.com.

Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram.



Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Check Out the Most Surprising Celeb Transformations of the Week

Twenty-five years after The Real World: Boston, this reality TV star is fitter than ever.

The Challenge: All Stars fans noticed Yarbrough’s shocking fitness transformation when they tuned into the May 11 season three premiere. Later, the 50-year-old opened up about his 60-pound weight loss in an interview with E! News.

“I feel completely reinvigorated. Honestly, every day is my birthday now,” Yarbrough said. “It’s amazing being back with the spotlight on me and get out there and show the world my natural life progression. It’s a different kind of feeling when you are 50 years old and you still have the opportunity to get out there and compete.”

In addition to adopting the ketogenic diet and cutting alcohol and sugar from his diet, Yarbrough strives to hit 20 miles a day, whether on a bike, the elliptical or running. As for his decision to get healthier? That came after his doctor told him he had high blood pressure.

“I felt great and that was one of the factors to push it further,” Yarbrough recalled. “I was already going down the road, but after that I was like, ‘Look, no, no way. This changes tomorrow.’ And I just put into place everything I needed to do get that back in order. Here I am now, feeling better and healthier than ever.”

To hear more about Yarbrough’s journey, check out the rest of E! News’ chat with The Real World alum here.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

NFT visionaries are doubling down on community ethos amid a bearish cycle

The fever-pitch euphoria of nonfungible tokens (NFT) reached its proverbial all-time highs in the hours preceding the calamitous gas wars of the Otherside metaverse land sale. 

But by most reputable accounts, following almost a year of frantic exponential growth, rife speculation and cultural spotlighting, the market was long overdue a respite. A hiatus from minting drama. It has now subsided and officially entered its inaugural bearish cycle.

Statistical data from OpenSea paints a sorrowful assessment of the market’s financial fortunes, with the floor prices of some highly popular collections more than halving since peak highs.

The eminent Bored Ape Yacht Club is down from its peak floor price of 156 Ether (ETH) from the beginning of May to 98.8 ETH at the time of writing. Similarly, CryptoPunks dropped from 125 ETH on Oct 2 to its current value of 50 ETH.

Other profile picture projects (PFP) such as RTFKT Studios’ CloneX, Azuki, Doodles, and even metaverse lands The Sandbox and Decentraland have all suffered similar fates.

The highly revered Cool Cats and World of Women — which just six months ago were categorized as blue-chips for their innovative approach to intellectual property and community spirit — have experienced the most drastic reductions in the value of the top collections.

However, the NFT market is by no means alone in this trend. Macroeconomic factors of inflation, stock declines, and a lack of consumer affordability have been compounded within the crypto industry this week by the devastating collateral damage of the Terra (LUNA) stablecoin crisis. 

And yet, despite the mellow social atmosphere and cultural admission of the falsehoods of WAGMI, the underlying sentiment among experienced artists, founders and advocates of the space is that the bear market will provide an opportune moment for reflection and rebuilding.

Alongside this, founders and core holders are welcoming the moment to broaden the conversation from greed-obsessive floor prices to more conscious subjects such as utility, societal impact, and IRL interactions.

Much like in the 2017-18 crypto winter, humbleness, resilience, and determination are the core pillars needed to cultivate a revival.

For a comprehensive overview of the ways in which NFT projects can preserve, and continue to fulfill their founding philosophy, community values and roadmap visions, Cointelegraph’s tech reporter Tom Farren conversed with a number of expert thought leaders within the space. 

Aleksandra Artamonovskaja, a passionate NFT spokesperson and newly appointed partnerships lead at Joyn.xyz, spoke candidly about the importance of recognizing the opportunities presented within bearish cycles, sharing her belief that it’s the “perfect time to align your vision”, before stating:

“When the market is hot, it’s hard to focus because there is so much noise […] This [downturn] has acted like a cleaning mechanism for all the speculation that’s taking place. It will now be more clear, especially for investors, which projects are continually building and sticking to their values. It’s a good test to show that they are going to persevere no matter the circumstances.”

On the topic of 1/1 artists, Artamonovskaja reflected that “two years ago, artists that were selling 1/1’s didn’t have that much support,” but that now “it’s a completely different case because of NFT galleries, marketplaces, artists residencies, exhibitions, competitions, and more.”

“It’s not perfect,” she says, “but it’s an opportunity for artists to look at how they can engage, not just with the buyer, but within the ecosystem itself,” before concluding that “co-creation is a really good direction to explore.”

Related: NFTs could mark a resurgence in art galleries

TIME Magazine, recognized as one the most progressive organizations championing the leap into the decentralized sphere, announced a flurry of crypto adoption initiatives throughout 2021, including adding Bitcoin (BTC) to their balance sheet, and accepting crypto payments for their 18-month digital subscription option in partnership with Crypto.com.

In March this year, the historic 99-year-old magazine published a revelatory interview with Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin alongside a commemorative genesis NFT magazine issue

TimePieces, a Web3 creative subsidiary of TIME, has equally embraced the culture and ethos of the space, launching a number of artistically diverse and culturally relevant NFT collections such as Slices of TIME and Build a Better Future, among others.

President of TIME Magazine, Keith Grossman shared his anticipations for the future prospect of NFT projects based upon their intentions – monetary or value-orientated, assessing that many “greed-based communities [won’t] survive over the next year as the focus of these are primarily quick, monetary return – not a greater cause or belief system.”

“Values-based communities” have the highest capacity to thrive according to Grossman because “their members are focused on building something together that is bigger than any one individual or immediate economic return and share a common belief that values creates value over time.”

Later in the conversation, he openly revealed the areas of growth that TimePieces will attentively seek to develop throughout the bearish cycle in order to best serve their community and the wider ecosystem, stating:

“TIMEPieces will focus its energy on continuing to invest in building its Web3 presence and continuing to lean into our brand to provide strong programming and access for its community members […] Our view will not change due to market conditions: we are evolving our brand within this space for the next 100 years – not 100 minutes, weeks or months. Years!”

TimePieces is actively recruiting for five roles, including a head of collector relations and a manager with metaverse experience – all of which come with a strong affinity for applicants within the TIMEPieces community. 

Related: The NFT sector is projected to move around $800 billion over next 2 years: Report

Acknowledging the current market dynamics, coupled with the relatively high risk of NFTs within an investment portfolio, co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Rarible, Alex Salnikov, declared his opinion that “NFT collections which are bought for user enjoyment or artistic appeal, and which offer valuable utility, will hold relatively steady.”

Rarible is the the fourteenth leading marketplace by volume traded over a 30-day period with $2.81 million according to data from DappRadar. Speaking on the question of aiding their community through what can be an uncertain time for many, Salnikov said:  

“We pride ourselves on being a community-centric marketplace, and this principle has never been more important to uphold than during a bear market. Our team is placing a particular emphasis on supporting community-focused NFT collections.”

Citing their work with Solana-based Degenerate Ape Academy, and Meta Angels to develop and launch bespoke marketplaces for their ecosystems, Salnikov noted that this supports their overarching ambitions to “dedicate a greater proportion of fees earned on the marketplaces to the project’s treasury or DAO, and have overall greater flexibility as opposed to larger, more centralized platforms.”



Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Exit mobile version