In last weeks column What is Religion?, what seemed like a thoughtful, intelligent exploration of what it means to be religious, how modern Catholics fit into society and what increasing secularization means for Christians today, ended up being a list of ways religious Americans have been victimized and persecuted by the left. I believe it took real courage for the author to begin with an interesting premise ripe for exploration (what religions decline means for society) and end with a completely unrelated idea. I love a twist ending.

So, because of the bold new ideas brought forth by What is Religion? last week, I believe it would be a fitting tribute to honor the victims of todays greatest villain: progress.

First, we pay homage to marriage, brutally murdered in 2015 by the Supreme Court when same-sex marriage was legalized. As last weeks author wrote, traditional Christians are now the heretics for preaching that marriage is a sacramental union between a man and a woman, which makes our first tribute somewhat special in that we honor two victims: marriage and traditional Catholics. We must remember who the persecuted are here: the traditional Catholics who are being forced to live in a society where people can marry whomever they please. Its chaos!

We continue along the same vein for our second remembrance, cake shop owners and wedding vendors, who not only are forced to see gay people get married, but also are forced to treat them like they would normal people and provide services when the gays patronize their business. Like last weeks author wrote, Bake that cake, bigot, says the state, and the state is not very polite! Here, too, we find a second victim: traditional Christians, who are being forced to relinquish their traditional beliefs in the face of unrelenting progress. Look no further than a few months ago, when a Christian wedding vendor was mercilessly attacked online after refusing to allow an interracial couple to marry on her premises, and this was after she cited her Christian beliefs! Does free exercise mean anything anymore?

We move next to eulogize the white man, yet another victim of this war on tradition. I can think of no better example than the one last weeks author used when he wrote that Beto ORourke had apologized for simply being a white male. Though I can find no evidence of ORourke apologizing for being a white man, I have no doubt in my mind that it happened.

Im sure I dont need to explain to the reader how the white man has been victimized by liberals today. Look to Brett Kavanaugh, whose life was ruined by an accusation of sexual assault, and who has nothing to look forward to anymore aside from a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court. Devastating. Now direct your attention towards Louis C.K. Ever heard of him? I doubt it since the liberals canceled him over his mistreatment of women. The poor guy only has 18 more shows this year, only 12 of which are sold out. Congress is also a good example. Only 60% of the House and 71% of the Senate are white men, and this number continues to decrease. The power that white men have held unquestioningly in our society is beginning to slip away, and once more we know the culprit: Progress strikes again. Pour one out for the white man.

Our final victim is truth. This may seem abstract, but bear with me, as last weeks author said it when he discussed the history of discrimination towards minorities: It is clear to me that contemporary liberalism exaggerates this legacy to an absurdly false degree, such that practical Catholics who maintain the Churchs beautiful teachings on life, marriage and sexuality are somehow responsible for centuries of dead queers. I am again in complete agreement with the author. Aside from the occasional historical blip, like the burning alive of homosexuals during the Inquisition, the worst thing Catholics have done to queer people is say things they may not want to hear. Sure, in 1976 Pope Paul VI said that homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered and can in no case be approved of. And, yes, in 1986 Pope Benedict XVI said, Although the particular inclination of the homosexual person is not a sin, it is a more or less strong tendency toward an intrinsic moral evil.

But these are just words. Its true that every instance of LGBT victimization (including physical and verbal abuse) increases, on average, the likelihood of self-harming behavior by 2.5 times, but if we start blaming Catholics and their complete and utter rejection of gay people throughout history for some of the issues they face today, where would we stop?

Its clear liberals killed the truth of history and exaggerate legacies of discrimination, and they continue to wage war on everything else we hold dear. Once again we see that traditional Christians are the victims of this heretical religion of liberalism. Im sure it wont be long until leftists get their hands on something really important, and we lose another warrior in the fight against progress. Will women become priests? Will blackface be illegal? I shudder to think.

Progress is a mass murderer, and it has claimed countless victims over the years, but there is still something left to protect. Last weeks author hit the nail on the head when he said that traditional Christianity in the West is quite ill, as only 70.6% of Americans are Christian, and Christianity is only the most popular religion in the world by half a billion. Its clear progress is attempting to stamp out Christianity just like it did our previous victims, and we cannot allow that to happen.

So, we must avoid progress at all costs, lest we allow it to take away the things we hold dear. I call upon each of you to bury your heads in the sand. Cover your ears! Refuse to learn from history! Hide yourselves in places where everyone thinks like you! This is the only way we can turn back the tide of progress, and we cannot afford to lose this fight. Godspeed.

Mary Szromba is a senior majoring in philosophy and political science, and shes never been wrong about anything in her entire life. Questions, comments and anonymous love letters can be directed to [emailprotected] or @_murrrrrr on Twitter.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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In memoriam: The victims of progress - Observer Online

BALTIMORE A new pastoral framework for marriage and family life should be ready for a vote by the U.S. bishops by next November at the latest, according to Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia.

It may even be ready for a vote when the bishops meet in June 2020, said Chaput, chairman of the U.S. bishops Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth.

Chaput, speaking to the bishops Nov. 12 during their fall general meeting in Baltimore, made it clear the forthcoming document is not a plan, since it is intended to be applied within parishes and dioceses. It was never meant to be a single comprehensive national plan but a resource towards the development of pastoral plans at the diocesan/eparchial levels, he said.

The U.S. bishops first approved a pastoral plan on family ministry in 1978 and reaffirmed it in 1990. They also launched a National Pastoral Initiative on Marriage in 2005, and wrote a pastoral letter on marriage in 2009. In addition, numerous statements, resources and initiatives have been offered over the years, Chaput said.

When Pope Francis issued his apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love) following the 2014 and 2015 synods on the family, the U.S. bishops decided to formulate a plan to buttress the reception and implementation of the results of the synods and the popes teaching, Chaput said.

The framework will have four pillars: Prayer and relationship with Jesus, formation, accompaniment and advocacy, he added. Each pillar addresses areas or situations of need faced by couples and families today. Following a short description of the situation are suggested ways that a local pastoral plan might educate and encourage the faithful in these circumstances. Finally, pastoral strategies are suggested to engage audiences effectively.

Next comes the implementation of a pastoral plan at the local level and the need to engage families themselves, the parish community, which Chaput in quoting St John Paul II called a family of families, and broader collaboration with all Gods faithful, he said.

After the framework is approved, it will be augmented through publication of a resource guide that can be updated in an electronic version; regional convocations to identify and respond to the specific needs of couples and families; consultations offered to dioceses on request; and a development of a leaders page on the http://www.foryourmarriage.org website.

During discussion following Chaputs presentation, Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago said a discussion among the bishops on Amoris Laetitia would be helpful. Chaput replied that such a discussion had been contemplated, but a lot of things happened in the Church, and that all disappeared. It got sidetracked by the response to (former) Cardinal (Theodore) McCarrick, and abuse issues and leadership issues.

I think we can have good discussion among ourselves, he said.

Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento, California, said the process of local implementation needs to be rethought.

We have the perspective that were going to have these services and were going to invite people to come, Soto said. I think we need to have a more of a spirit of missionary, we go out and we consciously and deliberately think of where are the contexts of where need to be, not the traditional places where we do family catechesis and outreach.

Crux is dedicated to smart, wired and independent reporting on the Vatican and worldwide Catholic Church. That kind of reporting doesnt come cheap, and we need your support. You can help Crux by giving a small amount monthly, or with a onetime gift. Please remember, Crux is a for-profit organization, so contributions are not tax-deductible.

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Archbishop reports on progress of document on marriage and family life - Crux: Covering all things Catholic

The NFL's efforts to take the unprecedented step of coordinating a league-wide workout for Colin Kaepernick must be applauded. It's a testament to the way Kaepernick has conducted himself and the way his lawyers and representatives have persevered.

It was, simply, the right thing to do, regardless of whether or not anything like it has ever taken place before. In a season in which backup quarterbacks have dominated the narrative and injuries have become rampant at the all-important position, the universal shunning of Kaepernick for even a workout had gone on long enough. It was a bad look for all involved and it never should have come to this for a league that has embraced second chances for men who have been accused and convicted of far worse.

The NFL's effort to schedule a workout for him is a noble gesture -- and a meaningful one. The NFL and Kaepernick (and former 49ers teammate Eric Reid) already had settled a lawsuit over collusion accusations, but the quarterback had not been given another shot in the league even as owners pledged $90 million for the types of social justice initiatives Kaepernick championed. He has not played since 2016 when he was 29 years old.

The timing and haste with which this all was decided and announced did Kaepernick no favors in many regards. He will never get back the years he was ignored, and one could certainly quibble with the suddenness of this arrangement, nearly three-quarters of the way through the season, at a time when college scouting requirements remain in full swing on a day of the week in which future NFL players are playing on college campuses nationwide.

No one associated with any NFL team had any inkling this announcement of a Kaepernick workout in Atlanta was upcoming, sources around the league told CBS Sports. Nor did anyone close to the quarterback. There had not been any recent momentum about this, there was not much back-and-forth, and, according to sources with knowledge of the situation, the overture from the league office about a tryout caught even the quarterback by surprise.

This was not a negotiation, the sources said. It was more like a take-it-or-leave-it offer. The league told the quarterback it would send out an invite to all 32 teams if Kaepernick was willing to take part. The workout would take place in Atlanta, on Saturday. And there wasn't much wiggle room on any of it.

Sources said Kaepernick's advisers, realizing that wasn't much time for NFL teams to react and change scouting schedules and deal with logistics, preferred to do it later. Wouldn't a Tuesday, when teams normally would be working out veteran free agents, make more sense? Perhaps, but this was going to be Saturday and it was going to be Atlanta.

And, as for other elements of time, this wasn't going to something Team Kaepernick could mull for long. They had two hours to make a decision, sources said, and that was it. If he agreed this notice was going out to teams on Tuesday, and away we go.

Kaepernick has never stopped working out, and he has never stopped believing in his dream to return to the NFL, and he has always been willing to work out for any team at any time, as he told me himself a few years back as we sat for hours in the lobby of a hip New York hotel. So, of course, he was going to accept. You can't say no when the league is willing to go this far and reach out in a way I cannot recall it ever doing before for any player. There was never any thought to decline.

However, there was a request that the NFL provides a list of the individuals who would attend. There was a hope that this would be taken seriously by the teams and, sources said, it was conveyed to the league that the idea was for people involved in an actual decision to sign the player be present (all the while knowing that most general managers are already occupied with travel to their game or to scout a college game on Saturday, and knowing that it would be impossible for almost all quarterback coaches or coordinators or head coaches to be present, as they would if Kaepernick was working out for them privately on a Tuesday at their facility, for instance).

We'll see which team personnel commit as the week unfolds and how many teams actually do attend. The quick turnaround from announcement to workout gives them an easy out if they do not. But however random it may have been, and however late in the season it may already be, and however many years have passed since the 49ers parted ways with the quarterback who led them to their only Super Bowl appearance in recent history, the overture has to be commended.

Will it be enough to convince an owner that it is truly okay to sign him? Will it be sufficient to show Kaepernick is worthy of the kind of opportunities routinely afforded to guys like Blake Bortles and Blaine Gabbert and Matt Schaub and Nathan Peterman? Soon enough, we should find out. This is progress. It is, finally, a chance.

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Colin Kaepernick workout shows the NFL is finally making real progress and getting it right - CBSSports.com

Microsoft didn't break down the Inclusion Index by demographic, so it's unclear which groups are included in that unhappy 12 percent. Are they minorities who feel overlooked, majorities that disagree with the initiative, or a combination of groups? However, it did pledge to use the findings to "better understand" those who are upset and determine whether or not its campaign is having the "intended impacts."

This latest report also showed signs of general progress, including a newly expanded equal pay section that covers Microsoft's presence in the five largest markets outside the US (Canada, China, Germany, India and the UK). The wider data suggests the gender pay gap is virtually non-existent, with women typically making $0.999 for every $1 men make.

Representation also improved, although not by much. Women now make up 29.2 percent of Microsoft's core workforce (not including divisions like LinkedIn or game studios), up from 28.1 percent in 2018. In the US, the black community has climbed from 4.0 to 4.4 percent, while 33.3 percent are Asian versus 32.2 percent a year earlier. There were also very slight increases in Hispanic and multiracial workers.

You can expect Microsoft to keep this up in the near future. The company portrayed diversity as a practical benefit, not just a feel-good initiative -- it cited a study showing that people process exclusion the way they do physical pain, impeding their productivity and social interaction. A more representative workforce theoretically helps staff reach their potential on top of leading to products that truly reflect society.

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Microsoft workers say it's making progress on diversity - Engadget

Predictive maintenance is a journey, not a sudden revolution. It must begin with certain aircraft, emphasize certain components and proceed in careful, logical steps.

For instance, Etihad Airways has established a project to introduce predictive maintenance on selected types of its aircraft, notes Paul Kear, senior vice president Technical. We have already introduced Airbus Skywise predictive maintenance on our A320s and A321s, Kear says. For some specific systems, we have also developed in-house solutions that use system data to support condition-based maintenance.

The carrier has retrofitted 15 of its single-aisle aircraft with technology called FOMAX, for Flight Operations and MAintenance eXchanger. This enables the aircraft to transmit information for up to 24,000 parameters to support predictive maintenance.

The predictive technology monitors several systems and components on these aircraft, identifying both chronic problems and system-related faults. Kear says Etihad prioritizes monitoring those systems that can significantly impact technical dispatch reliability and that provide sufficient data to support reliable monitoring and alerting. These include air-conditioning systems, landing-gear proximity sensors, anti-ice valves and hydraulic systems.

For predictions, Etihad uses Airbuss Skywise and its internal data analytics solution, called I-Health, a real-time prognostic tool that creates self-learning processes that can be applied to trend calculations.

For predictive-maintenance algorithms to produce maintenance alerts, the algorithms need a continuous data feed, Kear says. This data is basically the values of a particular aircraft parameter obtained at certain intervals throughout the flight. Etihad thus uses a number of data sources, including the aircraft condition monitoring system, or ACMS, FOMAX and flight data, that are all linked to one common data frame package in which self-learning and trending commands are processed.

On challenges involved in moving toward predictive maintenance, Kear notes that FOMAX is a new unit that must be installed in the avionics compartment of the Airbus jets. It requires specific wiring and antenna installations that take about two days, with the first installation being especially challenging.

Furthermore, predictive maintenance alerts must be analyzed by Etihads maintenance teams to determine the most appropriate actions based on information available. Our teams study information obtained from a range of sources, which is very time-consuming, Kear explains. Moreover, a number of algorithms still require adjustment to reach maturity and avoid no-fault-found component removals.

Finally, environmental impacts also pose challenges. Issues such as maintenance deviations or modifications, hot temperatures and high levels of humidity mean our engineers are operating mostly at the limit of certain components specifications, Kear says.

Nevertheless, Etihad has made substantial progress. It has already created virtual failure corrections that eliminate deviations from environmental impacts. It is also using past failures in a self-learning algorithm that predicts behavior of some components.

We have also had success with wing anti-ice valve fault predictive alerts, and gear proximity sensor fault detection, Kear says. A solution developed in-house for air-conditioning systems has also streamlined data collection, analysis and maintenance planning.

Etihad is now focusing on translating scheduled maintenance tasks into predictive tasks. We continue our efforts to mature algorithms and explore our internal data analytics engine for in-house capability development, Kear says.

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Etihad Airways Making Steady Progress On Predictive Maintenance - MRO Network

By VERNON ROBISON

Moapa Valley Progress

Ashley Centers of Anytime Fitness in Mesquite shows off the gyms lineup of all new Precor cardio equipment. The gym is currently offering a special Progress readers discount to new members. PHOTO BY VERNON ROBISON/Moapa Valley Progress.

Now is the perfect time for Progress readers to start getting into shape. This month, the Anytime Fitness facility in Mesquite is offering a special discount on membership for people who identify themselves as readers of the Moapa Valley Progress.

And that is not only good for the Mesquite facility located at 550 W. Pioneer Blvd. Membership at that Anytime Fitness gym will also extend to 24 hour a day access to any of the 4,000 clubs across the U.S. and in 35 different countries around the globe.

Centers said that Anytime Fitness is a great option for residents of both Virgin and Moapa Valleys who commute to Mesquite or even back and forth to Las Vegas.

We are pretty much everywhere, Centers said. So people that come here to Mesquite regularly for work or for shopping or whatever, they can stop in at any time of the day to get a workout too. That includes people who are back and forth to Las Vegas. They can work out at a location there.

All members of Anytime Fitness receive a secure access key card that provides 24 hour acess to any of the facilities around the world.

The Mesquite location sports a spacious gym area that is well-equipped with the cutting edge work-out machines.

The gym recently updated its cardio exercise equipment with all new Precor brand treadmills, ellipticals, bikes and even an AMT machine. This equipment includes Preva networked fitness systems where the user can simply swipe an electronic key fob and the machine will load up all of his/her individual past workout data.

The Precor treadmill and bike machines even offer preset workouts where a large display screen depicts beautiful scenic trail environments from around the world. The machine adjusts uphill and downhill segments based on what is present in the actual trail.

It is supposed to be as if you are walking through that environment, Centers said of a treadmill machine.

Each of these machines are also bluetooth compatible so that members can connect with their favorite wireless headsets and earbuds.

Other equipment at the gym include full-body circuit machines, SPIN bikes, a dedicated stretching area and private showers.

Nearly half of the gym layout is dedicated to an extensive free-weight system. In my opinion, we have the best free-weight offering in all of Mesquite, Centers said.

She would know given her intensive fitness background. Centers hails from a small town near Dayton, Ohio where she was heavily involved in the sport of competitive power lifting from a young age.I was only 11 1/2 when I started that, Centers said. I was so young that there wasnt even a division for me in the state. They had to create one for me.

Ashley is excited to be able to offer her many years of experience to customers in being a resource and in answering their questions. She said that a lot of customers at first think that, because she is young, she cant really understand what it is like for older people to face the aches and pains of a daily workout routine.

There are a lot of similar precautions that have to be taken in weight training workouts when you are older compared to when you are very young, she said. I learned, though, that you just have to work with what you have. That concept goes across young, old and everything in between.

Centers emphasizes though that the services she can offer to customers as General Manager of the facility are limited. She is available to answer questions about equipment and she gives a full tour and orientation to all new gym members. But she, herself, cannot provide extensive personal training services. The Anytime Fitness facility does, however, offer personal training services to members at an additional cost. The gym also offers fitness classes to its members, also at an additional cost.

Fit Boot Camp, held on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 am, is taught by John Bellanger, a 20 year veteran of the U.S. Military. The class uses all body weight exercises such as air squats, pushups, stretching and more; all done on mats.

The facility also offers a Tai Chi class taught Mondays and Wednesday at 9 am by Liz Etie, an experienced Tai Chi instructor.

Ashley said that the Anytime Fitness facility in Mesquite is busy but never crowded. There are not usually people lined up waiting to use equipment.Our members here are so courteous to each other and considerate of one anothers needs, Centers said.

They are always helping each other out and supporting each other in their workouts. It is a great community!

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Another Reason For Progress Readers To Get In Shape - mvprogress

WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) -

From the Wichita Linemen to the Doo Dah's, even the River Riders, Wichita's new Triple-Abaseball team has kept the city on its toes with name after name. So far, not one has stuck.

"We've tried to be really good listeners to the community and what we wanted to do is choose something that you're going to be proud to wear," says Team owner, Lou Schwechheimer.

For months, the team's twitter account has released logos and names that might or might not be in the running.

Schwechheimer says the logo or name could be end up being one that has already been released.

Baseball in Wichita is only 145 days away and the stadium is coming together. The lights are up, the grass is laid and the bullpen is nearly complete. Schwechheimer says nearly all the work has been done locally.

"Two thousand man hours a day working on the stadium...Everybody on this crew, the construction guys, from the welders, to the concrete guys, to the seat installation guys, to the heating and electrical...it's personal. They want to tell their kids and grand kids that they helped build this ballpark."

Seats are expected to be put in by January and in just months, players will arrive for Spring training.

"When our players come out here, they're gonna really feel like they're in a big league ball park," says Schwechheimer.

The team's name will be announced Wednesday, November 13, at Wave in Downtown Wichita.

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Baseball stadium progress ahead of team name announcement - KAKE

Editors Note: This article originally appeared on Order from Chaos.

Lebanons protesters show that the once-unthinkable may now be plausible. The proxies of Iran and Syria in Lebanon, after years of solidarity, show tentative signs of diverging. With even Shia protesters on the street, and with Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallahs calls to disperse unheeded, Hezbollahs faade of invincibility is showing cracks. The Lebanese army and security forces have responded with admirable courage, restraint, and independence in defying calls by Hezbollah leaders and private pleas from the presidential palace to clear the streets. In contrast with unprecedented and overt criticism of Hezbollah, public support for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) is soaring.

These trends, while nascent and fragile, are promising and very much in U.S. interests. Yet rather than reinforcing them, the White House, in an astonishingly ill-timed decision,suspended $105 million in U.S. security assistanceto the very institutions that have defied Hezbollahs demands to end the protests. The Trump administrations move gives both Damascus and Tehran the gift of a unifying message to the Lebanese about Americas unreliability as a partner. It also undercuts the argument that the LAFwith improving capabilities thanks primarily to U.S. supportprovides better and more professional security for Lebanon than Hezbollahs rockets, which only create dangers rather than provide genuine protection. (Those who argue that the LAF is mere cover for, or an enabler of, Hezbollah underestimate the increasing annoyance of LAF officers, who know how much the LAFs capacities have grown thanks to the United States, with Hezbollahs arrogance and constant belittling of the army. LAF pride and capabilities, both linked to years of sustained U.S. support, endanger Hezbollahs resistance narrative.)

For years, Iranian and Syrian interests and tactics in Lebanon have largely coincided: They seek to discredit and divide the so-called March 14 movement that emerged against Damascus and Tehran in the aftermath of the murder of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri in 2005; resist U.S. and French efforts to bolsters Lebanons sovereignty and independence; and use Lebanon to threaten Israel.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah has expanded its influence in, and in some cases control over, Lebanons domestic institutions via its 2006 memorandum of understanding with the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), a Christian party. The FPM gave Hezbollah, an Iranian-supported Shia terrorist group, the veneer of national, cross-sectarian political legitimacy it previously lacked. Hezbollah returned the favor by backing FPM founder Michel Aoun for president three years ago. Since 2006, Aoun and his son-in-law, Foreign Minister Gebran Bassile, have been reliable fronts for Hezbollahs and thus Irans interests in Lebanon. Until recently, Aoun and Bassile probably saw no contradiction between their alliance with Hezbollah/Iran and Damascus interests in Lebanon.

The current demonstrations have the potential to shake the foundations of both the Iranian-Syrian solidarity in Lebanon and the Hezbollah-FPM relationship. Nasrallah has used speeches filled with innuendos and thugs on motorcycles in what so far have been unsuccessful attempts to undercut the demonstrations and prevent the Saad Hariri government from resigning. By contrast, some of Syrias traditional allies in Lebanon, including Bashar al-Assads childhood friend Sleiman Franjieh, have remained conspicuously silent or even sent relatives to join the demonstrations. The notorious former security chief Jamil as-Sayyid, one of the enforcers of Syrias pre-2005 control over Lebanon, has issued statements sympathizing with the anti-corruption and/or anti-establishment demands of the protesters.

Moreover, Lebanese political activists detected significance in the absence of a bilateral meeting between Aoun or Bassile and the Syrian delegation on the margins of this years U.N. General Assembly. In another reported example of how Aoun and Bassile are thought to be viewed in Damascus, no high-level Syrian official attended Aouns U.N. General Assembly address. The value of Hezbollahs FPM-provided Christian veneer has declined precipitously, with Bassile now a favorite target of the protesters as a symbol of everything that ails Lebanon.

Iran and Syria may be starting to eye each other with suspicion in Lebanon; it would not be the first time that regional actors used Lebanon as the theater for their competition. Two Lebanese politicians speculated about a connection to what is happening in the Alawite regions of Syria, where Bashar al-Assad may view Iranian influence and Shia proselytizing as a threat to his secular, Alawite base. Assad, who would have considered Hezbollah a junior partner during the pre-2005 Syrian occupation of Lebanon, may also resent the current strength and presence of Hezbollah in Syria: Whos the junior partner now? How much control can Assad exert over Hezbollah inside Syria? Given that Assad still needs Irans and Hezbollahs help in Syria, he can, according to this theory, use Lebanon to send a message.

One can imagine that, if Michel Aouns ill health led to a presidential vacancy now, any Syrian-Iranian divergence would surface more visibly, with Hezbollah (and Iran) backing Bassile and Damascus wanting to restore its primacy in Lebanon via someone like Franjieh. The presumed candidacy of Lebanese Army Commander Joseph Aoun, with his enhanced credibility for independence, would be more aligned with the sentiments of the street. But the Lebanese president is elected by parliament, not the people. While the current Lebanese parliament reflects the very establishment that the protesters wish to topple, one hopes that the members of parliament will think about protesters views if they are put in a position as to whether to choose between Damascus, Tehran, or their own Lebanese constituents.

As inspiring as the current demonstrations are, it is hard to be optimistic when no leaders with broad cross-sectarian credibility are emerging to constructively channel the energy of the streets. The worrying economic and financial situation adds additional strains. Still, the potential for positive change exists in a way that a few weeks ago was unimaginable. We should not want to make it easier for the pro-Syrian and pro-Iranian forces to overcome any differences and prevail in the end over the protesters.

Theres an argument for the United States maintaining a low profile, to undercut Nasrallahs predictable arguments about a U.S. conspiracy, and a guiding principle should always be do no harm when trends emerge that are clearly in U.S. interests. Instead, the White House suspension of security assistance at this of all times, gives Damascus and Tehrans Lebanese allies a message around which to re-unite: that the United States is an unreliable partner and that the LAF will not get needed assistance, meaning Hezbollahs arsenal remains essential to Lebanons security. American officials who are seeking to promote U.S. interests in Lebanon face a strange set of bedfellowsIran, Syria, Hezbollah, and apparently the White Houseand face the difficult task of pushing back against all four.

Originally posted here:

With Lebanon Making Fragile Progress, Now Is the Wrong Time to Pull U.S. Assistance - Lawfare

If youre interested in Progress Software Corporation (NASDAQ:PRGS), then you might want to consider its beta (a measure of share price volatility) in order to understand how the stock could impact your portfolio. Volatility is considered to be a measure of risk in modern finance theory. Investors may think of volatility as falling into two main categories. First, we have company specific volatility, which is the price gyrations of an individual stock. Holding at least 8 stocks can reduce this kind of risk across a portfolio. The other type, which cannot be diversified away, is the volatility of the entire market. Every stock in the market is exposed to this volatility, which is linked to the fact that stocks prices are correlated in an efficient market.

Some stocks are more sensitive to general market forces than others. Some investors use beta as a measure of how much a certain stock is impacted by market risk (volatility). While we should keep in mind that Warren Buffett has cautioned that Volatility is far from synonymous with risk, beta is still a useful factor to consider. To make good use of it you must first know that the beta of the overall market is one. A stock with a beta greater than one is more sensitive to broader market movements than a stock with a beta of less than one.

View our latest analysis for Progress Software

Given that it has a beta of 0.81, we can surmise that the Progress Software share price has not been strongly impacted by broader market volatility (over the last 5 years). If history is a good guide, owning the stock should help ensure that your portfolio is not overly sensitive to market volatility. Many would argue that beta is useful in position sizing, but fundamental metrics such as revenue and earnings are more important overall. You can see Progress Softwares revenue and earnings in the image below.

Progress Software is a small company, but not tiny and little known. It has a market capitalisation of US$1.9b, which means it would be on the radar of intstitutional investors. Small cap stocks ofthen have a higher beta than the overall market. However, small companies can also be strongly impacted by company specific developments, which can move the share price in ways that are unrelated to the broader market. That could explain why this one has a low beta value.

One potential advantage of owning low beta stocks like Progress Software is that your overall portfolio wont be too sensitive to overall market movements. However, this can be a blessing or a curse, depending on whats happening in the broader market. This article aims to educate investors about beta values, but its well worth looking at important company-specific fundamentals such as Progress Softwares financial health and performance track record. I urge you to continue your research by taking a look at the following:

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.

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One Thing To Remember About The Progress Software Corporation (NASDAQ:PRGS) Share Price - Simply Wall St

RAYMOND The town planning board has given the green light for Exeter Hospital to move ahead with plans to build a 24,000-square-foot medical office building just off Route 101.

Medical office building proposed for spot off Route 101 in Raymond

At a meeting last week, the board granted conditional approval for the one-story facility to be constructed on just over 3 acres at the corner of the Exit 5 westbound off-ramp and Freetown Road in Essex Commons.

According to officials, the building would be similar to the hospitals Epping Regional Health Center and would include primary care, rehabilitation, physical and occupational therapy, and other services.

It would also be built with the idea that urgent care would be offered at some point.

Construction isnt expected to begin for at least a couple of years.

Planning Board Chairman Jonathan Wood pointed out that the nonprofit hospitals new medical building would be located in an area thats considered a gateway to town.

For it to be non-revenue-producing for the town is not good. However, it would be a magnet for our existing commercial activities that are in that area because people coming here might actually stop and get something to eat or go buy something or something along those lines, he said, adding the town could look for a contribution in lieu of taxes.

Joseph Coronati of Jones & Beach Engineers in Stratham outlined the project for the board and highlighted what he considered one of the benefits to constructing medical office buildings in places like Raymond.

The idea of bringing a sort of satellite service to Raymond, I think, actually is better regionally because currently if anyone in Raymond or Fremont or Deerfield goes to Epping to go to their facility theyre driving right through your town.

The idea of creating these satellite locations actually reduces impacts because theres less traveling to get to the locations. Im in Deerfield, and we go to Epping so we drive through Raymond for all my kids appointments, my appointments, my wifes, and in the future we may not have to do that, he said.

Planning board member Gretchen Gott asked what the trigger would be to move ahead with an urgent care service.

The decision will be based on demand, which could be day one, said Phil Chaput, Exeter Hospitals senior director of facilities planning and project management.

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Plans progress to bring Exeter Hospital medical building to Raymond - The Union Leader

Now is the time when we anticipated harvest news of small crops to stoke a market rally. There is no shortage of news. There is a shortage of bullish enthusiasm.

The Nov. 8 U.S. Department of Agriculture reports were hoped to contain results from actual field surveys that would challenge traders ideas about crop size and change prices. In fact, USDA numbers changed little, and the market remains stagnant. Analysts have been shy about predicting large changes to crop yields.

There has been talk that there is a published number that represents the guess of the USDA number, then a private estimate that is more of a true analyst estimate of crop size.

How did it come out? USDA did reduce the corn yield a whopping 1.4 bushels per acre to 167 bpa. That was a half-bushel below the official average trade guess, but still seven or eight bushels above what analysts talk about privately.

The USDA did not change the soybean yield at all, leaving it at 46.9 bpa. Private talk has that at 45 bpa, but the average published trade guess was at 46.6 bpa. Also suspect is the USDAs harvested acres estimate. We had 81.7 million acres last year, and are expected to harvest 81.8 million this year.

Actually, we will not know how prevented planting and abandoned acres affect the final acres until the January inventory report. The USDA numbers landed on the market with no real result. We traded down into the report, maybe anticipating a bounce out of it. The bounce did not come, and now we are looking for new news.

The harvest is slow, but we dont have a real number on the progress because Veterans Day delayed our progress reports a day, until Nov. 12. It is believed that the corn harvest is 65-68% done, against an 85% average. The soybean harvest may be close to 90% done, with many areas finished.

This much progress should have provided analysts data to estimate the crop size. The estimates I see still suggest that the crop is over-estimated. How could we have this massive weather problem that slows planting from April until June and floods out large areas, but still gives us a 167 bpa yield after a 176.4 bpa yield last year?

Pappy always said nothing is ever as bad as a farmer says it is, but this year was bad. Still, even with my prejudices, I caution that the market assumes that the USDA is right until they can be proven wrong. Spec funds are adding to short positions, putting money where the estimates are.

Based on the history of their methodology, the USDA will have a couple more small reductions in crop estimates. A big one would be only a result of surprise about the real crop size.

There is talk in the business of what could change the corn balance sheet. Ethanol production is turning profitable again. More corn could go into gasoline, especially since so much corn is lower in quality than last year. This could mean that it takes more corn to make the same ethanol.

South American soybean planting has been delayed by dry weather (they wait for rain to plant the crop). That, in turn, could limit the size of the safrina corn crop, planted after soybeans.

Also, the high beef prices could mean greater feeding of corn, especially of lower-quality corn which has less nutrition per bushel. Then, there is just the fact that the lower test weight of late-planted corn could mean that farmers and traders alike are overestimating what is coming off the fields.

The USDA is now saying that we will end up with a carry out of over 1.9 billion bushels of corn when the marketing year ends Aug. 31. The factors above could greatly cut that carry out. Still, the greatest error in the USDA numbers could just be in the production.

Up-to-date agriculture news in your inbox!

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Lots of news, little price progress - Farm and Dairy

One of the not-so-small gifts of living in a representative democracy is that you cant accomplish things alone. Whether youre trying to get a stop sign put up on a dangerous corner or to change US policy on greenhouse gas emissions, you have to reach out to others. And learning how to persuade, motivate, and involve them learning the skills of active citizenship, in other words makes this a stronger, more resilient country.

So I want to make a case for building and using those skills by tackling the issues right in front of us. We all live in communities that we know better than anyone who doesnt live there including the policy makers who every day make decisions on larger issues that affect our lives there. Who better than those who live in a particular community to step up, identify its problems, and then work to solve them?

Dont get me wrong. There are battles aplenty on the big issues of health care, education, the role of government, tax policy, foreign policy These matter, and they require the attention of ordinary citizens as well as of political leaders and policy makers.

But so does improving the quality of life where we live. As a member of Congress, I was constantly impressed by the issues constituents wanted addressed: they were usually linked in some way to the larger issues we took up on Capitol Hill, but always approached with the unique perspective of the particular community.

These approaches ranged widely. One groups purpose was to upgrade railroad warning lights, after too many accidents at crossings spurred them on. In a drought-stricken community, residents came together to manage the use of water in their watershed. Schools were a constant concern, as parents struggled to make sure that bright kids could be challenged while kids who were struggling or in some other way disadvantaged got opportunities to find a path to success. Hospital emergency rooms, roads and bridges, community centers and programs for the elderly All of these commanded attention from ordinary people who identified the problem, gathered allies, debated tactics, and found a way to make their communities better.

Often these were people who were not closely connected with politics or government. They just wanted to improve something in their community, so they learned how the system works, and then learned how to make it work to help them accomplish their goals. Some of them, over time, became community leaders and moved on to school boards, city councils, and state legislatures after honing their democratic skills by working on problems of immediate concern. Others went back to their lives, pleased that theyd improved one aspect of their neighbors lives.

I came to see these examples as the wellspring of representative democracy.

To be sure, even at the local level, things can get complicated. It used to puzzle me when someone would come forward with an idea to improve a water system or a sewer system, and just as quickly opposition would pop up. Often this was because improvement required change including, sometimes, a tax increase. And there will always be voices for leaving things be. But thats the nature of the democratic process: change deserves debate, and learning to marshal facts, find and work with allies, and ultimately sway public opinion is part and parcel of living in the system we enjoy.

The more people are willing to do this, the more confident we can be that the answer to Lincolns question at Gettysburg can this nation long endure is Yes. It works if citizens step up to address the needs and conditions they face. Participating in the process challenges us to make our case, develop our skills of persuasion, and become better at speaking, listening, building consensus, and being an engaged member of a community.

These are the bedrock skills on which democracy rests, and the more of us who possess them, the stronger our system will be. Nothing in public life gave me greater pleasure than to see citizens in action.

Lee Hamilton is a senior advisor for the Indiana University Center on Representative Government; a distinguished scholar at the I.U. Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies; and a professor of practice at the I.U. ONeill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years.For information about the educational resources and programs, visit website at corg.indiana.edu. or like" Indiana University Center on Representative Government on Facebook.

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We make progress when citizens tackle the small stuff - Seymour Tribune

Monday was the first time the Seattle media caught up to UW Head Coach Mike Hopkins after Washington's come-from-behind 67-64 win over No. 16 Baylor at the Armed Forces Classic in Anchorage. The Huskies used a 21-5 closing run to end the game with the victory, but it wasn't easy. In fact, far from it.

The Huskies committed 15 first-half turnovers and couldn't contain a Baylor offense that hit five 3-pointers as the Bears took a 31-24 lead into intermission.

As it was Washington's season-opener, this was the first time the team had played with something on the line. It was the first time Kentucky transfer Quade Green had played since getting his eligibility waiver approved. This was the first time playing a real game for true freshmen Isaiah Stewart and Jaden McDaniels. And it showed too. Everybody, in Hopkins' words, were trying too hard to making something happen, instead of letting the game come to them.

Once they slowed down in the second half and got into a rhythm, they were able to execute on defense, make some shots, and get the Anchorage crowd behind them. And that helped spur their final 21-5 run.

Hopkins talked about speeding up the process for the team by calming things down, as well as his assessment of Green, McDaniels, Stewart, and more as they prepare for Mount St. Mary's Tuesday at Alaska Airlines Arena. Hopkins also talked about the news this past weekend that Washington has been named as the Pac-12 representative for the 2020 China game. They will play Tulane. It's the second time they've played in the China game, beating Texas 77-71 in 2015 in Shanghai.

To listen to the full media session with Hopkins, click on the audio link above.

Below are selected quotes.

On the clinic where he coached the Air Force team...

"It was an amazing experience. They told me I'm coaching these group of guys and we went over and I didn't know who was who. It was funny just asking questions. I was asking a guy on the bench...I was like, okay, who is the best ball-handler? Who is the best shooter? Who starts? (laughs) What offense have you been running? It was coaching on the fly. I had Hameir and Jamal on the bench and it was just a lot of fun.

"The greatest thing about the military when you're dealing with soldiers is, yes sir, no sir. I said, are you the best rebounder in America? He looked at me and he goes, I can be sir. (laughs) Well, you've got to rebound with two hands! Sir!

"But it was an amazing experience and we were able to win at the end. It was a lot of fun. I know they really appreciated it and they were there at the game, so we saw them at the end. So it was just an incredible experience."

On how you were able to finish the game on a 21-5 run...

"We just had to calm down. At the beginning of the game we were just going so fast. Everybody was trying to make things happen, rather than let it happen. Trust the offense, trust your teammates. Defense, we did a good job of adapting to how they were attacking us. Guys started making plays. We made blocks, we made steals, we rebounded the ball. We started to get into the flow of the game, where it was just happening rather than forcing it to happen. We were able to do that at the end, and as we started to gain confidence and started to get closer, the crowd got behind us and it took us to the finish line. But I would attribute it to just slowing down, having poise, and executing the game plan."

On the new rule on flopping...

"They usually give you a warning and then the second time they can give you a technical foul. They shoot foul shots and have the ball. It's going to be a big play as the season progresses, and it could impact games. Guys who kick out their feet, that could end up being a technical foul where they make a three, they wave it off and the other team is shooting foul shots and with the ball. It's going to be interesting how it's called, because it can be a little bit a personal call, per se. Was it a flop, was it not a flop? Do you go back and watch tape and say his leg kicks all the time? Whatever that may be. But they called it on Jaden.

"There is a guideline on what they would consider a flop. And then they can go back to the video and watch it. But it was a personal call and they felt like he did. We felt differently but it was their call. That's why they get paid the big bucks."

Do you have to emphasize it in practice?

"We don't flop. At the end of the day, we're not floppers. We're basketball players. The rule, I'm sure, comes into effect with guys that kick (when they shoot), but I don't know how you really determine it on a tape. Even if you're 250 pounds and I'm 145 and I do this and he falls over like the Incredible Hulk just hit him, he still him. I guess they would consider that a flop because someone my size could never hit someone that big? Somehow he determined (the flop on McDaniels), but it's going to be a big play in the game this year. It could impact some games."

Thoughts on Quade's debut?

"I thought at the beginning...he had 9 assists, which was really good. I still felt like the rhythm of the game, it was a little bit different. I felt like he was anxious in the beginning. Normal things when you haven't played for a year, but we know how good he is and he's just going to keep getting better and better the more that we dance together, you know? More chemistry. He's a great point guard, he can make open shots, he can make others around him better."

On McDaniels and Stewart's poise at the end...come to expect it from freshmen now because of their experience already coming into college?

"I think there's special freshmen. I think it all depends. I don't think it's a ranking or whatnot. We talked about getting the right kid in our program, and they're not only talented but they're unselfish, they want to win, they make the extra pass. A lot of those threes we made at the end were off double-teams where those guys made the plays and the passes. That just shows their winning mentality and the buy-in to our culture. They're just incredible talents, they play the right way and we're lucky to have them."

On switching to man defense at the end...

"We've been practicing it and we saw in the middle of the second half we wanted to play more of it, but we had foul trouble. Isaiah (Stewart) had three (fouls), Hameir (Wright) had four, Jaden had three. Wanted to change something up, wanted to see if something else could work. But we stayed in it. We got to the time out and the coaches said, what do you think about man on the last possession? We'd been practicing it for these types of situations. We were able to call a time out and get Jamal (Bey) in and we were able to get a big lineup in. When you go 6-6, 6-7, 6-9, 6-9, and 6-10, all can guard multiple positions. We were able to switch and keep them off that three-point line and use our length and size, which was difficult for 'em at the end and I think it threw them for a loop a little bit. It worked. I'm sure you'll see more of it."

On Mount St. Mary's...

"A team you can't take lightly. They had Georgetown down 19. This is a team, they've got really good guards. They didn't win a lot of games last year but they've got a lot of returning players that are sophomores that got a lot of experience last year. They're confident kids. They went right at Georgetown and played. We respect everybody we play, and we know we're going to have to go out and play well to win. We're focused on how do we get better? We've got to get a lot better. We can't go out and play the way that we did. Put ourselves in the sand trap for 75 percent of the game. We've got to get better. These guys had a good practice yesterday, we'll have a good one today, and DMGB...doesn't matter, get better."

On if Marcus Tsohonis redshirts...

"I don't know. We'll see in the next couple games, see where he is. His teeth were bad. He's had a tough run, in practice getting hit a couple times even after having his mouth problem. So we'll see how it goes."

On playing Tulane in China in 2020...

"The Pac-12's been really bullish about the China deal. It's been great for the Pac-12 to get an opportunity to take your team overseas, just like what we did in Italy. It's an incredible experience, gives you a chance to bond, be in a place that's incredible and play a good basketball game, learn a different culture. Those are all great learning experiences for our guys and stuff they'll remember for the rest of their lives. They are those moments. You go back to the Baylor game, that was a moment. Going to Italy is a moment. Brain tattoos. For the rest of your life. We're honored to be the representative for the Pac-12 and going out there and playing that game. Really excited for that."

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Mike Hopkins: we will speed up our progress by slowing down - 247Sports

Ian Begley, SNY.tv|Twitter|

Knicks owner James Dolan spoke with team president Steve Mills and others in management on Monday, the day after Mills and GM Scott Perry held an impromptu press conference to express their frustration with the Knicks.

Dolan speaks with Mills and other top decision-makers regularly, just as most NBA owners do, but this conversation seemed to carry a little more weight. Sources familiar with the conversation told SNY that management came away with the impression that their jobs would be secure as long as the Knicks 'showed progress' this season.

How Dolan and other organizational decision-makers define 'progress' is unclear. This conversation took place before the Knicks' 18-point loss in Chicago on Tuesday. That game certainly wouldn't fit the loosest definition of progress.

The Knicks fell to 2-9 after the defeat and have dropped five games by at least 18 points. It's clear that the club needs to be more competitive, consistently, for head coach David Fizdale to keep his job.

ESPN reported that Mills had been laying the groundwork internally to fire Fizdale prior to Sunday. It's logical to think that games like Tuesday's would speed up the timetable on Fizdale's dismissal.

Sources told SNY that, in addition to Fizdale, Mills and Perry are also 'on notice' in the wake of the Knicks' slow start. Regardless of what happens with Fizdale, opposing executives expect Mills and Perry to be given the remainder of the season to show Dolan that the team they put together can be competitive.

But, as we noted on Tuesday, the notion that Perry or Mills, who has served as either president or GM of the Knicks (under Phil Jackson) since 2013-14, would be immune to the consequences that would come of New York continues to under-perform is inaccurate.

If the Knicks continue to struggle, agents and executives keeping an eye on the Knicks believe that the most likely scenario has Fizdale being fired during the season and Mills and Perry being replaced after the year.

New York hosts Dallas and former franchise cornerstone Kristaps Porzingis on Thursday in what figures to be a charged atmosphere at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks' last home game was eventful. At some point during the second half of New York's 21-point loss to Cleveland, Dolan spoke to Mills and Perry about the state of the club. It's fair to assume he wasn't happy.

Afterward, Mills and Perry addressed the media -- which is extremely rare. Usually, the head coach talks to the media after games. The executives talked about a lack of consistency and a sense of urgency to get things turned around. They also expressed support for Fizdale.

But it's clear that Fizdale is on shaky ground at the moment - and Tuesday's loss certainly didn't stabilize anything for the head coach.

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Sources: After conversation with James Dolan, Knicks execs under impression jobs safe if team shows progress this season - SNY.tv

After a tough loss to the Celtics on Saturday, the Spurs had a perfect opportunity to bounce back against a weak Memphis team in San Antonio before Tony Parkers jersey retirement ceremony. They instead had another thoroughly disappointing performance and lost to the Grizzlies 113-109.

Once again, a slow start got the Spurs in a double-digit hole they spent a lot of energy trying to get themselves out of. The execution on offense was either too mechanical or too hectic, with players either having to work too hard to get shots that should be easy to manufacture, or rushing into bad ones. On the other end the small mistakes San Antonio typically makes were not as noticeable as in other losses, but the team lacked the versatility necessary to contain a Grizzlies squad that had significant size advantages and muscled its way into the paint over and over throughout the night. When the Spurs tried to respond with physicality, they couldnt help but foul. When they tried to drop back to protect the basket, they surrendered open looks from range. Memphis was ahead by as many as 16 both in the first and second halves and deserved those leads.

There were good stretches in which the Spurs closed the gap, usually spearheaded by the bench. Derrick White looked like a better fit than Dejounte Murray with the starters and in the minutes in which he was on the court alongside Patty Mills San Antonio looked like a more cohesive team. Rudy Gay had it going offensively and provided a much needed scoring punch on a night in which others struggled. The Spurs made their runs, normally propelled by the long ball falling, and came surprisingly close to stealing a game they should have had no business winning. The Grizzlies deserve an enormous amount of credit for not folding under pressure in the fourth quarter, but had a couple of questionable calls gone the other way San Antonio might have actually completed the comeback.

It shouldnt come down to a few calls late in the fourth quarter, however. The Spurs are supposed to be better than the Grizzlies; they are supposed to be a deep veteran team with continuity on its side; they are supposed to win games at home against inferior opponents, because thats what theyve always done under Gregg Popovich.

Unfortunately it might be time to accept that these Spurs are not like past iterations and are actually more of a work in progress than we hoped theyd be. The pieces are there for them to be good, but figuring out how they fit has proved harder than expected.

Hopefully losses like this one, as painful as they are, help the Spurs speed up the process of finding their identity, because with every passing game the margin of error shrinks.

The Wolves are one game ahead of the Spurs in the West standings after a hot start. Its early in the season, but a win against them would be big.

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Spurs show they are still a work in progress in failed comeback attempt against the Grizzlies - Pounding The Rock

Long-term contract extensions are rare during the season. If there is a window, however, the bye week can present it.

However, with the Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott, no progress was made on contract talks during the off week, sources say. In fact, negotiations in earnest have not gone on for some time.

As Dallas is set to face the Minnesota Vikings tonight, there is "nothing going on," per one source.

This means Prescott is headed toward the franchise tag this offseason. At this point in the season, with a tag looming, it's hard to imagine a new deal getting done. That said, neither side has put a deadline on it and talks could kick into gear at any point.

If the Cowboys gave Prescott the exclusive franchise tag, it would cost them more than $33 million. If he's tagged again in 2021, it would eclipse $40 million, and he could become a free agent in 2022 if they haven't struck a pact.

For Prescott, his play for the NFC East-leading Cowboys has earned him a spot among the game's richest players. His passer rating of 102.5 is among the best efforts in his career, despite the pressure to perform in a contract year.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys have said there is no doubt he's their QB of the future, and teams don't let those guys go into free agency. Thus, the tag.

This sets up an interesting situation for two looming contracts. With Prescott slated for the franchise tag, receiver Amari Cooper is also in a contract year. Cooper has said he's comfortable waiting until after the season for a new deal.

Could Dallas tag Prescott and then transition tag Cooper? In the final year of the Collective Bargaining Agreement only, they can. Time will tell how they handle it.

Follow Ian Rapoport on Twitter @RapSheet.

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Dak headed to tag after no progress on deal - NFL.com

Death Stranding is a very strange, very slow, very tedious game with a fascinating, bizarre and ... [+] self-indulgent plot. I still can't make up my mind about it.

Death Stranding is a very strange game. Im fascinated by it but Im not at all sure that I actually like playing it. Its not just that it isnt fun. It often feels like a chore, like the game is doing its level best to keep you from having a good time.

Maybe thats the point?

As the headline suggests, this is not a complete review, but rather a review-in-progress. I have two reasons for this.

First, I cant play this game in long stretches. Ive never been a fast reviewer, preferring to take my time with games. This is one that requires lots of time and a great deal of patience.

And since Im possibly a little OCD when it comes to completionist stuff, I find myself getting off-track from the main story frequently and spending a lot of time delivering stuff, or building stuff, that I dont really need to in order to pen a review. I cant help myself.

Second, I want to play the game in the wild for a bit before giving it a score. Yes, there have been reviewers and other players out there in the game during the review period, but this is just a small sampling of how many players will be out there after launch. What will the game look like then? Its an asynchronous multiplayer game, meaning other players structures, cargo and so forth will appear in your game and yours in theirs. You can help them deliver stuff for you. I think the only way to review a game like thisor any multiplayer gameis to test it in real world conditions.

So there are my reasons and here are my impressions of the games early hours. Ill continue to post over the coming days (weeks?) until Ive finished the game and fully absorbed its story/mechanics/etc. and post a final arbitrary number as a score at the end of all that.

I think this will be an interesting test of what it means to be a video game critic. The thing is, I dont really like Death Stranding. But....

Its grown on meIve certainly left behind the I hate this game with a passion phasebut I havent ever said to myself Boy I sure am glad Im reviewing this game!

It is fascinating, however. Its strangely engrossing.

Death Stranding from BB's perspective.

Loading up your cargo, figuring out how much you can carry and where to go first, and what youll need to get there. Every delivery is a puzzle. The right tools for the grueling, brutal terrain make all the difference. And patience. Youll need that in spades. The story, also, with all its vagueness and bombastic nonsense and ridiculous Hideo Kojima ticks. Its undeniably interestingand just as confusing. This is Kojima unchained. Its honestly a shame that the fascinating story wasnt paired with a better video game with actually good combat. Well get to combat in a minute.

First, lets talk about terrain.

Ive never played a game with such an emphasis on terrain before. The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild had some interesting terrain mechanics, but this goes far beyond anything in that or any other game. The rocky, despairing landscape of Sam Porter Bridges America is simply a nightmare to get across, whether on foot or in the vehicles you encounter, all of which are infuriatingly ill-suited to traversing rocks, ditches, cliffs steep embankments, narrow streams and all the rest.

At first you wont have vehicles or any sort of enhancements to help you over this rocky scrabble and if youre like me it will drive you crazy with boredom and frustration. The tedium is overwhelming. Trudge from this location to that location to deliver some cargo then listen to them praise you for being such a swell guy.

Youre named Sam Porter Bridges (Norman Reedus). Sam is your name and youre a Porter working for the Bridges organization (led by the weirdly named Die-Hardman) so I guess thats how Sam gets his full name. I would be Erik Writer Forbes under this system. Hmmmmm. Not the worst.

In any case, Sam is a grudging helper to this Bridges group thanks to his familial ties to the President of the United Cities of America (UCA) and he sets out to link up a bunch of cities and outposts with weird names like Capital Knot City or Port Knot City to the chiral network.

Just chillin' in Death Stranding.

Youll hear a bunch of apocalyptic fantasy mumbo jumbo in this game which is why Ive compiled this glossary of terms and explanations which you can reference for either your own amusement or to help you understand what were talking about here.

The game opens to Sam out in the wild. After the credits role, and Norman Reeduss brief introduction, we find him riding on a motorbike faster than you will ever ride one. He even makes a snazzy jump that Im pretty sure is impossible in the actual gameyou just never move fast over this games terrain.

He crashes when Fragile (La Seydoux) appears in front of him, and his bike goes over the edge of a cliff, which is why you have to hoof it for so long after this point. You make your way to a cave where you and Fragile meet and hide from a BT. Its a very scary moment.

Then its off to make your first delivery.

Almost immediately the song Dont Be So Serious by Low Roar kicks on as you clamber along your rocky path. Its a gorgeous song, and its a powerful opening to the game. Its probably the best thing that will happen over the course of the next ten hours.

Death Stranding

Those hours are spent delivering cargo for various holographic people to various points across the map as you unlock new tools to help you in your journey, including weapons made from your sweat, blood and bodily waste. Yes, you have #1 and #2 grenades in this game. All these grenades are used against BTs, while nonlethal weapons like the bola gun are used against MULEs and other humans, though these humans are usually very easy to beat even with just your fists.

Youll be sent to remote bunkers to bring 30kg machines. Some of the missions are timed. Some are based on how damaged the cargo gets. Youll scale mountains and sneak past terrifying BTswraithlike beasts from the land of the dead, also called the Beach.

Youll unlock a ton of tools that you can craft at most cities and outposts. Ladders to help you scale sheer cliffs. Ropes to help you climb down. PCCs that you can use to build anything from bridges to super-useful generators that can charge your vehicles and machine legs.

Youll also meet a bunch of different characters, from Deadman and Die-Hardman and Heartman (I sense a trend with these names) to Fragile and Amelie. I wont spoil any of it for you. Its all very strange, but it sure looks good.

It really is a breathtaking game, though as beautiful as it is its never lovely. Its more of a despairing beauty. The beauty of a wilted flower, of birch trees in winter, of cemetery rows. Its a hopeless landscape and a lonesome one and you spend most of your time alone with BB, trudging along trying to stay on your feet and not get killed by BTs and not have your cargo get busted from a fall or from the Timefallrain that accelerates time for whatever it touches.

Its a slog, man. But it has a certain rhythm that I have, after many hours, started to enjoy in an obsessive-compulsive sort of way. I enjoy the puzzle involved in getting from X to Y. I enjoy it less when I have to keep retracing my stepsand theres a lot of that, unfortunately.

Death Stranding

It is nice to have the asynchronous multiplayer. Having other players help with things like ladders and bridges and generators is greatand its nice to know that the structures youve built can help others, too. Its a bit like Dark Souls in that regard. In that game you can leave little messages helping (or hindering) other players. You can also summon or invade other players, something not present whatsoever in Death Stranding.

There are other odditites you encounter, like the fact that Monster Drink is what you drink to replenish stamina, both out on missions (its in your canteen) or in your private room where several cans are prominently displayed. I find this . . . incredibly tastelessa garish, immersion-breaking inclusion that might have earned Kojima Productions some extra cash, but at the expense of the games integrity.

Theres also a prominently displayed ad for AMCs Ride With Norman Reedus TV show that youll see whenever he goes to take a dump.

You can make Sam urinate outdoors. You can make him go #1 and #2 in his private room, and you can have him take a showera shower that spends a great deal of time focusing up and down the length of Reeduss naked body, leaving only a very small percentage to the imagination. Its weird. Some of Reeduss fans might have a little too much fun with it.

Death Stranding

As I noted previously, Ive gotten past the good lord I hate this game phase into something more like grim determination. I want to deliver the goods. I want to see what happens. I want to learn more about this mysterious world and its peculiar cast of characters and its haunting creatures.

The game is mechanically tedious. The terrain might be more fun if there were better combat on the other side of its ponderous navigation. Hell, I think someone should take the terrain concept from this game and create a really cool RPG adventure that takes into account weight limits and whatnot and really gives players hard choices about loot and treasure and weapons and armor and so forth. There is the skeleton here of a very fun game.

This game, though. I guess well see.

Its not great or terrible. I cant get on board with the critics singing its praises as a 10/10 masterpiece or those who say it's the worst game ever. Except when my truck gets stuck in a ditch and I have to reload because nothing I can do will get it out. Thats annoying.

Nor do I think But its art! is a great counter to tedious gameplay. Who cares? Just because something is art doesnt mean its good. Theres good and bad art, and yeahits all pretty subjective. Some people will love this game and some will hate it.

Im going to finish it so I can write a final review. Maybe itll continue to grow on me. Maybe it wont. Maybe Ill finish it hating the thing more than ever. Maybe I'll be singing its praises from the mountaintop.

So far, its a mixed bag. There are many other games Id rather be playing. But theres something about this dead world and this bizarre obsession with delivering cargo, and with getting likes from other players and NPCs, that makes me want to keep coming back. Maybe Im just a masochist. Then again, I always thought of myself as more of a sadist.

Im a critic, after all.

More to come, and soon. Thanks for reading, and let me know your thoughts on the game once youve played it for a while. You can always find me on Twitter and Facebook.

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Death Stranding Review-In-Progress: The Slog Of Slogs - Forbes

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One firefighter was injured fighting the blaze, the Los Angeles Fire Department said Saturday night.

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A firefighting helitanker flies above the Hollywood Sign as smoke of the Barham Fire rises from in the hills behind in Los Angeles, California.(Photo: ETIENNE LAURENT, EPA-EFE)

One firefighter was injured fighting abrush fire that consumed 34 acresin the Hollywood Hills areaof Los Angeles Saturday night before crews stopped the still-active fire'sforward progress.

The fire, referred to as the Barham Fire by the Los Angeles Fire Department, could be seenfrom Universal Studios and Warner Bros. Studios and sent smoke billowing near the iconic Hollywood sign. LAFDreported no civilian injuries orstructure damage. Nostructures werethreatened as of about 6:30 p.m. Saturday, according to a LAFD release.

The injured firefighter is being taken to an area hospital; the injury is not life-threatening, a LAFD release says.

The forward progress of the fire was stopped around 5 p.m., according to a LAFD release.

TheWarner Bros. Studiolot in Burbank was evacuated Saturday due to the fire, CNN reports.

The fire was 15% contained, LAFD reported at about 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

More than 200 fire personnel, five helicopters and two aircraft were used to fight the fire, according to a Saturday evening tweet from Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti.

The cause of the fire,remains under investigation, according to LAFD.

Contributing: The Associated Press

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Fire crews stop progress of brush fire that sent smoke billowing near Hollywood sign - USA TODAY

Being a first-timer at anything can be overwhelming. Youre so concerned about fitting in and doing things right that all your personality drains out of you, leaving nothing but a wannabe perfectionist who reads like a nervous mess.Despite introducing herself as a walking mess in the video below, it sure looks like Abby McEnany left all of those overwhelming vibes outside her first full-time job as the lead actor, writer, and creator on a comedy series.

Work in Progress premiered its pilot at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, getting scooped up by Lilly Wachowski and her production company, Circle of Confusion, before selling to Showtime, where the show will debut this December.

In the video below, McEnany a veteran of the Chicago improv scene takes you on a mini tour of her set, explaining how the show came to be, what motivated it, and sharing behind-the-scenes footage of what looks like a very good time filming it all. Her energy is quickly infectious, and having seen and loved the pilot at Sundance, that same charisma is about to sweep through television as Work in Progress rolls out.

The series features McEnany as a 45-year-old self-identified fat, queer dyke from Chicago whose misfortune and despair unexpectedly lead her to a vibrantly transformative relationship. Chicago-based performer Karin Anglin co-stars alongside Celeste Pechous, with Julia Sweeney (Saturday Night Live, Shrill) appearing in a crucial role as herself. Theo Germaine, who IndieWire cited as another 2019 breakout talent in Netflixs The Politician, will also appear as a special guest star.

Work in Progress is executive produced by McEnany, fellow co-creator Tim Mason, and co-writer Lilly Wachowski. All three serve as co-showrunners on Season 1, while Mason is directing these initial episodes and Circle of Confusion colleagues Lawrence Mattis, Ashley Berns, and Josh Adler are all onboard as executive producers, as well.

Work in Progress premieres Sunday, December 8 at 11 p.m. ET on Showtime. Check out the exclusive video below.

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Work in Progress: Its Time You Get to Know Abby McEnany, So Let Her Introduce Herself Watch - IndieWire

Oculus VR CTO John Carmack was given a lifetime achievement award today at the third annual VR Awards, recognizing not just his contributions to VR in his years at Oculus but also "an illustrious career which has spanned over several decades."

"John has been an inspiration to us all in the virtual reality industry; we are proud to recognize the work he has done and the immense impact he is continuing to make," AIXR chief executive Daniel Colaianni said. "As the hardware and technology continues to evolve, John will no doubt be leading at the forefront of innovation for virtual reality."

The Accenture VR Lifetime Achievement Award is the first to be handed out by the VR industry, which is still very much in a nascent state. Carmack alluded to that in his acceptance speech video, saying that his initial reaction to learning about the award was to think that it might be "premature."

"I'm often kind of grumpy around the office because I really haven't been satisfied with the pace of progress that we've been making. When I'm in VR I see the magic there, but my brain is always throwing up these giant 'to do' Post-It Notes on top of everything, reminding me of all the work that's yet to be done. So it's going to be a little while before I really feel good about reminiscing about my achievements," Carmack said.

He nodded to his "brushes with paleo-VR" in the 1990s, but said that he considers the modern era of virtual reality to have begun with Palmer Luckey's Oculus Rift prototype, which he helped show off at E3. But while the technology has advanced since then, Carmack acknowledged that VR itself remains very niche.

"All that technology really doesn't mean much until it's brought in service of user value," he said. "So more than anything, I hope that I've been helpful in bringing this new canvas for people to work on, and that the work that those people do will be paving the way in the future."

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John Carmack says he's not 'satisfied with the pace of progress' in VR development - PC Gamer