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Your Wait for New Game of Thrones Just Got Longer

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Find out why the HBO hit won't be returning on its usual schedule

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Is it over? Can it be true? If so, it's a victory for a campaign that once looked hopeless, pitched against a fortress of political, corporate and bureaucratic power.

TTIP - the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership - appears to be dead. The German economy minister, Sigmar Gabriel, says that " the talks with the United States have de facto failed". The French prime minister, Manuel Valls, has announced "a clear halt". Belgian and Austrian ministers have said the same thing. People power wins. For now.

But the lobbyists who demanded this charter for corporate rights never give up. TTIP has been booed off the stage but another treaty, whose probable impacts are almost identical, is waiting in the wings. And this one is more advanced, wanting only final approval. If this happens before Britain leaves the EU, we are likely to be stuck with it for 20 years.

The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (Ceta) is ostensibly a deal between the EU and Canada. You might ask what harm Canada could do us. But it allows any corporation that operates there, wherever its headquarters might be, to sue governments before an international tribunal. It threatens to tear down laws protecting us from exploitation and prevent parliaments on both sides of the Atlantic from legislating.

To say that there is no mandate for such agreements is an understatement: they have received an unequivocal counter-mandate. The consultation the EU grudgingly launched on TTIP's proposal to grant new legal rights to corporations received 150,000 responses, 97% of which were hostile. But while choice is permitted when you shop for butter, on the big decisions there is no alternative.

It's not clear whether national parliaments will be allowed to veto this treaty. The European trade commissioner has argued that there is no need: it can be put before the European parliament alone. But even if national parliaments are allowed to debate it, they will be permitted only to take it or leave it. The contents are deemed to have been settled already.

Only once the negotiations between European and Canadian officials had been completed, and the text of the agreement leaked, did the European commission publish it. It is 1,600 pages long. It has neither a contents list nor explanatory text. As far as transparency, parity and comprehensibility are concerned, it's the equivalent of the land treaties illiterate African chiefs were induced to sign in the 19th century. It is hard to see how parliamentarians could make a properly informed decision.

If you seek to buy a secondhand car these days, the salesperson might wheedle and spin, but they will also - thanks to EU consumer protection laws - be obliged to explain the risks and caveats. If you want to know whether or not to buy this trade treaty, you have no such protection. The EU's website tells you what a wonderful set of wheels this is but carries not a word about the risks.

Here is its answer to the question of whether the Ceta negotiations were conducted in secret. "Not at all ... During the five years of talks, the commission held various civil society dialogue meetings for stakeholders." I followed the link it gave and found that four meetings had taken place, all of them in Brussels, all dominated by corporate trade associations, which are likely to have been on the inside track anyway. Where was the publicity? Where were the attempts to reach beyond a gilded circle of lobbyists and cronies? Where were the efforts to take the discussion to other nations? Where were the debates, the drive to seek genuine public engagement, let alone consent? If this is transparency, I dread to think what secrecy looks like.

After long hours struggling with the treaty, I realised I hadn't a hope of grasping its implications. I have had to rely on experts commissioned by groups such as Attac in Germany and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

Like TTIP, Ceta threatens to lock in privatisation, making renationalisation (of Britain's railways, say) or attempts by cities to take control of failing public services (as Joseph Chamberlain did in Birmingham in the 19th century, laying the foundations for modern social provision) impossible. Like TTIP, it uses a broad definition of both investment and expropriation to allow corporations to sue governments when they believe their "future anticipated profits" might be threatened by new laws.

Like TTIP, it restricts the ways in which governments may protect their people. It appears to prohibit, for example, rules that would prevent banks from becoming too big to fail. It seems to threaten our planning laws and other commonsense protections.

Anything not specifically exempted from the agreement is considered covered. In other words, if governments do not spot a potential hazard before the hazard emerges, they are stuck with it. The EU appears to have relinquished its ability, for example, to insist that investment and retail banking be separated.

Ceta claims to be a trade treaty, but many of its provisions have little to do with trade. They are attempts to circumscribe democracy on behalf of corporate power. Millions of people in Europe and Canada want to emerge from the neoliberal era. But such treaties would lock us into it, allowing the politics we have rejected to govern us beyond the grave.

If parliaments reject this treaty, another deal is being prepared: the Trade in Services Agreement, which the EU is simultaneously negotiating with the US and 21 other nations. Theresa May's government has expressed enthusiasm: her Department for International Trade says: "The UK remains committed to an ambitious Trade in Services Agreement." So much for taking back control.

Corporate lobbyists and their captive governments have been seeking to impose such treaties for more than 20 years, starting with the Multilateral Agreement on Investment (it was destroyed, like TTIP, by massive public protests, in 1998). Working in secrecy, without democratic consent, they will keep returning to the theme, in the hope of wearing down our resistance.

When you are told that the price of liberty is eternal vigilance, this is what it means. This struggle will continue throughout your life. We have to succeed every time; they have to succeed only once. Never drop your guard. Never let them win.

* A fully linked version of this article can be found at Monbiot.com
Topics

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The transatlantic trade deal TTIP may be dead, but something even worse is coming | George Monbiot

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Is it over? Can it be true? If so, it's a victory for a campaign that once looked hopeless, pitched against a fortress of political, corporate and bureaucratic power. TTIP - the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership - appears to be dead.

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This baby is definitely going to go places in her life with unlimited miles under her belt - and it's all because she couldn't wait a few more hours to be born.

A woman started going into labor on a flight from Dubai to the Philippines. Two of the other passengers on the plane who happened to be nurses rushed to help as the plane made an emergency landing in India to make sure the mother would be okay.

MORE: Hotel Not Only Returns Lost Toy, It Makes Photo Album of Bunny's VIP Stay

Another passenger had a suitcase full of baby clothing to offer the little infant once she was born.

The airline, Cebu Pacific, rewarded the brave baby with free flights for life in honor of her early arrival.

( WATCH the video below)
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Baby Born Prematurely On a Plane Gets Free Flights For Life - Good News Network

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This baby is definitely going to go places in her life with unlimited miles under her belt - and it's all because she couldn't wait a few more hours to be born. A woman started going into labor on a flight from Dubai to the Philippines.

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The BBC's Richard Galpin reports from the migrant camp in Calais known as the Jungle on the deteriorating conditions there, and the possibility of it being closed down.

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"It's not a hero thing,'' one of the rescuers, Ed Staff, told Miguel Almaguer in a segment that aired on TODAY Wednesday. "It's just something that I would expect someone to do for me."

The pileup occurred Aug. 25 after a runaway tractor-trailer slammed into slowing traffic on New York's Route 17. Staff, Chris White, Albert Fiori and Doug Kumpon leaped into action when they saw a car engulfed in flames.

"We knew we didn't have a lot of time,'' White said. "The cabin of the vehicle itself was starting to fill with smoke."

An elderly woman was trapped inside. Kumpon grabbed the door handle but it snapped off, and so did the rear door handle when the men attempted to open it.

"It was scary,'' Kumpon said. "The flames came around three-quarters of the car."

Staff scrambled to find a fire extinguisher and began dousing the flames as the other three men smashed open the passenger window and pulled the woman to safety. She suffered only minor injuries.

Ten people were taken to the hospital following the crash, but no one was killed, according to NBC affiliate WBGH. The driver of the truck was ticketed for inadequate brakes.

"Without question, they are heroes, and they had no idea the camera was rolling,'' Mayor David said. "We are a wonderful community filled with great citizens who risked their lives not only for neighbors and family members, but for complete strangers."

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Rescuers who pulled woman from burning car: 'It's not a hero thing'

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"It's not a hero thing,'' one of the rescuers, Ed Staff, told Miguel Almaguer in a segment that aired on TODAY Wednesday. "It's just something that I would expect someone to do for me." The pileup occurred Aug. 25 after a runaway tractor-trailer slammed into slowing traffic on New York's Route 17.

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There is now a confirmation of the cause of Lou Reed's death

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Watch: Firefighters Pull Dog From Rubble 10 DAYS After Earthquake In Italy

A golden retriever named Romeo has been pulled alive from a pile of rubble in Italy 10 days after towns in the area were destroyed by a magnitude-6.2 earthquake.

Video released by the Italian fire department shows firefighters freeing the dog on Friday from the ruins of a building in Amatrice.

A man in the video can be heard yelling in Italian: "Romeo, come here! Best dog in the world!"

Despite his ordeal, Romeo ran around wagging his tail, stopping only to be pet and to let a firefighter inspect his paw. A local official told Reuters Romeo was in good health.

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Watch: Firefighters Pull Dog From Rubble 10 DAYS After Earthquake In Italy

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A golden retriever named Romeo has been pulled alive from a pile of rubble in Italy 10 days after towns in the area were destroyed by a magnitude-6.2 earthquake. Video released by the Italian fire department shows firefighters freeing the dog on Friday from the ruins of a building in Amatrice.

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Walt Disney World is now requiring young children to have their fingers scanned to enter the Magic Kingdom and its other theme parks.

The park rolled out the ticket verification process for children between the ages of 3 and 9 in August. Older guests have already been scanning their fingers.

Disney touts its Ticket Tag program as a way to prevent people from fraudulently using or sharing tickets -- which can cost as much as $124 a day depending on the season. According to the Walt Disney World website, the system scans a finger and converts the image into a "unique numerical value" that is tied to the ticket when it is used to re-enter or visit another park.

The park doesn't store fingerprints and discards the scan "immediately," according to the website.

Disney declined to comment when asked how big a problem ticket fraud is at the park.

The finger scanning process applies to Disney World in Florida, not Disneyland in California.

Related: Disney plants seeds for ESPN streaming

Tom Bartholomy, an expert on scams and frauds who runs the Charlotte, N.C., branch of the Better Business Bureau, said stolen tickets at theme parks, concerts and other events are fairly common.

"We've been advocating for greater means of security than just a piece of paper," Bartholomy said.

Parents who do not want to have their children's fingers scanned can have their fingers scanned instead. Any guests who don't want to participate in the finger scan can visit the park's guest relations department.

CNNMoney (New York) First published September 7, 2016: 5:52 PM ET

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Disney World scanning toddlers' fingers to stop ticket fraud

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The park rolled out the ticket verification process for children between the ages of 3 and 9 in August. Older guests have already been scanning their fingers. Disney touts its Ticket Tag program as a way to prevent people from fraudulently using or sharing tickets -- which can cost as much as $124 a day depending on the season.

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The 2016 Rio Olympics have taken its toll on the city's struggling infrastructure, but the Olympic Committee is taking strides to ensure more efficient social and environmental responsibility by reusing the buildings typically abandoned after the games.

Using a method known as "nomadic architecture", several of the Olympic structures can be assembled and disassembled like puzzles - this makes it so that instead of rotting and taking up space in the city, they can be contributed towards public spaces and projects.

MORE: Colombians Are Building Houses Made of Wasted Plastic-Shaped Into Huge Lego Bricks

AECOM, an engineering consulting company that created the master plans for the Olympics has mapped out the event's "legacy mode" - also known as the plans and processes of cleaning up once the games are over.

"With the legacy vision already in place, the strategy was always to create world‑class sports facilities that would not languish unused after the Games," says Bill Hanway, AECOM's Global Sports Leader on the buildings. "This meant looking hard at the business case for each stadium. If it didn't have a clear role post-Games, it became a temporary venue, with its constituent parts designated for reuse."

RELATED: Businessman Gives $18 Mil to Restore DC's Lincoln Memorial, His 4th "Patriotic Gift"

Now that the games have ended, construction crews will start the deconstruction of the building for better use.

The handball venue known as the Future Arena will be used to build four 500-student primary schools in the city's Jacarepaguá neighborhood while the $38 million Aquatic Stadium where Michael Phelps dominated his races will go towards creating two community swimming centers.

CHECK OUT: Solar-Powered Retreat in New Zealand Built For Only $75,000

The International Broadcast Center will become a high school dormitory for gifted athletes; the peninsula that featured several game venues will become host to public parks and private development; and the Tennis Center and souvenir shop can simply be disassembled for better use.

Not only are nomadic buildings better for the city's infrastructure, but they're also cheaper to build and more environmentally friendly since they don't require permanent design and materials.

Build Positivity In Your Friends Lives, Click To Share - Photo by Around The Rings 1992

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Olympic Buildings To Be Disassembled Like Puzzles For Public Parks and Schools - Good News Network

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The 2016 Rio Olympics have taken its toll on the city's struggling infrastructure, but the Olympic Committee is taking strides to ensure more efficient social and environmental responsibility by reusing the buildings typically abandoned after the games.

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"I was so excited that I got to be a Bulldog," Jordan Huffman told TODAY.
RELATED: Woman with Down syndrome celebrates college acceptance letter: 'I got in!'
Ever since moving to the Atlanta suburbs as a young boy, the now 21-year-old dreamed of becoming a University of Georgia Bulldog. He watches every football and basketball game, keeps track of all the scores and toured the campus with his high school marketing club.

But until recently, The University of Georgia did not offer a program for students with Down syndrome. When mom, Kathryn Junod, tried encouraging him to apply to other schools that did have programs, Huffman refused.

He was determined to become a Bulldog.
RELATED: Meet the inspiring student with Down syndrome who's changing sorority life
The reason? He wants "to live on my own and also hang out with friends," and many of his high school friends attend the University of Georgia.

When the university announced it was starting the Destination Dawgs program for students with Down syndrome in January 2017, Huffman immediately applied.

"I explained to him that it is highly competitive," Junod said.

But that didn't discourage him.

If he didn't get in this year, he'd just apply again until he did.
RELATED: Woman with Down syndrome defies odds to celebrate her 75th birthday
"He was just dead set that this was the school he wanted to go to," Junod said. "Once he gets onto something and puts his mind on it, he is dead set."

As part of the application process, Huffman spent a weekend at the school, further bolstering his love of the Bulldogs. Like any mom of a future college freshman, Junod felt nervous about letting her son go.

"That weekend kind of helped me get over the anxiety," she said. "Just seeing how he was and how happy he was when I went to pick him up ... that made me feel a lot better."

When the letter arrived, Junod read it and couldn't wait to share it. She decided to record Huffman's reaction. The video shows him reading "Congratulations, you've been accepted." He then lets out a huge Bulldog whoop.
RELATED: Team manager with Down syndrome sinks game-ending 3-pointer against brother's team
"He was pleasantly surprised," Junod said. She also feels thrilled by his acceptance.

"I am so happy for him," she said. "I always told him that if you work really hard and you try and do your best, your dreams can happen."

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Young man with Down syndrome excitedly learns he's been accepted to dream college

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"I was so excited that I got to be a Bulldog," Jordan Huffman told TODAY. RELATED: Woman with Down syndrome celebrates college acceptance letter: 'I got in!' Ever since moving to the Atlanta suburbs as a young boy, the now 21-year-old dreamed of becoming a University of Georgia Bulldog.

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Doggy Love

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If it hadn't been for some persistently crafty humans, then this poor pup might have starved to death.

When Eli the German shepherd was brought into the Ada Animal Hospital in Boise, Idaho, he was smaller and more feeble than any other hound in his litter.

Eli couldn't keep any of his food down, so his breeders gave him up to the clinic for special care.

RELATED: Deaf Girl Teaches Deaf Puppy Sign Language in Cutest Video Ever

X-rays showed that Eli had a megaesophagus - an organ that becomes swollen and useless, preventing any food from digesting.

Several surgeries proved fruitless at fixing the pup's digestive situation and the situation seemed dire.

CHECK OUT: Tiny Disabled Dog Walks Again With Wheels Crafted From Toys

That's when the office's manager built a feeding chair for Eli that keeps his body vertical while he eats, allowing gravity to push the food into his stomach.

In just 3 weeks, the canine has gained over 30 pounds and has started a long happy puppy partnership with Savannah Amberson, his owner at the clinic.

( WATCH the video below)

Cleveland 19 News Cleveland, OH
Click To Share This Pawesome Story With Your Friends

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Crafty Humans Saved Pup's Life By Making Him Special Feeding Chair - Good News Network

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If it hadn't been for some persistently crafty humans, then this poor pup might have starved to death. When Eli the German shepherd was brought into the Ada Animal Hospital in Boise, Idaho, he was smaller and more feeble than any other hound in his litter.

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Prague 😎❤️ pic.twitter.com/cNnrlf6qbh
— Zac Efron (@ZacEfron) September 7, 2016

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Venue: Rio de Janeiro Dates: 7-18 September Time in Rio: BST -4

Coverage: Live updates, video clips, medal table, results and news alerts, catch-up service, plus commentary on BBC Radio 5 live. Television coverage on Channel 4.

Brazilian president Michel Temer was booed as the 2016 Paralympic Games opened in Rio de Janeiro to a backdrop of colour and music.

Thousands of performers were involved either side of the two-hour procession of competing countries at the Maracana.

Competition begins on Thursday, when Great Britain's Dame Sarah Storey can become the most successful female Paralympian.

Storey goes for gold in the C5 pursuit (qualifying: 15:19 BST, finals: 21:12).

Your guide to day one of the Paralympics

How Games could better Rio Olympics

Rio Paralympics sport-by-sport guide

How to follow the Paralympics on the BBC

Fireworks, stunts and a beating heart

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The opening ceremony began with American Aaron "Wheelz" Fotheringham, in a wheelchair, jumping from a massive ramp from the Maracana stands and performing a back flip through a giant ring.

The Brazilian national anthem was played on the piano by Carlos Martin, whose right hand is severely disabled, before the parade of athletes, with the loudest cheer of the night reserved for competitors from the host nation.

Each nation carried a piece of a jigsaw, which bore the name of their country on one side and faces of competing athletes on the other.

Once completed, the jigsaw was adorned by the faces of every competitor at the 2016 Games. All of the faces came together to form a beating heart, which began beating in time to the music.

One of the most striking parts of the ceremony was when bright lights temporarily 'blinded' the crowd to try to show spectators the reality Paralympic athletes face, forcing them to rely on other senses such as hearing.

Political figures booed

Rio 2016 organising committee president Carlos Nuzman was booed during his speech, as was President Temer a short while later.

The South American country has been beset by political unrest and, just 24 hours earlier, former Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff left her official residence for the last time following her impeachment and removal from office.

Nuzman did manage to finish his speech, which spoke of building a "new world, more accessible to all and with no obstacles". Temer's role was brief as he officially opened the Games and handed over to more performers.

Finally the flame was lit in driving rain and in front of a cheering crowd by influential official Marcia Malsar.

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Five moments not to miss on Thursday

21:12 BST - Dame Sarah Storey is likely to be in the women's C5 pursuit final (qualifying at 15:10)

21:45 BST - ParalympicsGB's Jonnie Peacock races in round one of the men's T44 100m

23:01 BST - USA's Tatyana McFadden competes in the first of seven events in the women's T54 100m

23:04 BST - Defending champion Beth Firth could be defending her title in the women's S14 100m backstroke final

23:32 BST - Ihar Boki, who won five golds at London 2012 for Belarus, in the men's S13 100m butterfly final

A difficult build-up to the Games
Funding
The biggest concern for the Games was around a shortfall in funding, with the struggling Brazilian economy and low ticket sales meaning Rio's organising committee had not raised enough money to fund the event.

Rio's mayor Eduardo Paes had to secure an additional £36m of funding and £24m in sponsorship from state-run companies, meaning the Paralympics will go ahead, but with cuts to the workforce and transport services as well as the closure of some media centres.

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Tickets
Ticket sales have improved, with 1.6 million sold of the 2.5 million available, after only 12% had been bought just three weeks ago.

The London 2012 Paralympics sold a record 2.7 million tickets.

Prince Harry has made a donation to the #FillTheSeats initiative, which is working with Paralympics organisers to buy 10,000 tickets for local children.
Russian doping

There was also the ongoing saga of whether Russian athletes would be able to compete, after a report commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Association found evidence of widespread doping across Russian sport.

Unlike the Olympics, which allowed individual sport federations to decide if Russians could compete at Rio 2016, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has applied a blanket ban, which Russian officials unsuccessfully appealed against.
Athlete classifications
And concerns have been raised about whether the system used to determine the classifications athletes compete in is being manipulated to boost medal chances.

British T37 200m sprinter Bethany Woodward, who has cerebral palsy and will not be competing in Rio, has criticised the British Paralympic Association (BPA), saying "they've brought in people who are not like me in terms of disability".

BPA boss Tim Hollingsworth said no advantage was being sought for Britain's 264 athletes in Rio.

The IPC says the system is always under review, while UK Athletics said it will look at classifications after Rio, standard practice for the body after every Games.

Paralympic moments you must not miss

The 10 international athletes to watch in Rio

The 10 things you should know about the Paralympics

Who are the big hitters?

China are the Paralympics superpower, having topped the medal table at London 2012 with 231 medals, 95 of which were gold.

Russia came second four years ago, with 36 gold medals, but will not be in Rio because of their ban, giving Great Britain, third in 2012 with 34 golds, a great chance of moving up a place.

Among the global stars in Rio are Brazilian swimmer Daniel Dias, American swimmer Elizabeth Marks, Australia's Olympic and Paralympic table tennis player Melissa Tapper and the Netherlands' 'Blade Babe' Marlou van Rhijn.

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Rio Paralympics 2016: Opening ceremony sees Brazil president booed

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Venue: Rio de Janeiro Dates: 7-18 September Time in Rio: BST -4 Coverage: Live updates, video clips, medal table, results and news alerts, catch-up service, plus commentary on BBC Radio 5 live. Television coverage on Channel 4. Brazilian president Michel Temer was booed as the 2016 Paralympic Games opened in Rio de Janeiro to a backdrop of colour and music.

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British-born author, literary critic and journalist Christopher Hitchens has died at the age of 62.

He died from pneumonia, a complication of the oesophageal cancer he had, at a Texas hospital.

Vanity Fair magazine, which announced his death, said there would "never be another like Christopher".

He is survived by his wife, Carol Blue, and their daughter, Antonia, and his children from a previous marriage, Alexander and Sophia.

Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter described the writer as someone "of ferocious intellect, who was as vibrant on the page as he was at the bar".

"Those who read him felt they knew him, and those who knew him were profoundly fortunate souls."

Hitchens was born in Portsmouth in 1949 and graduated from Oxford in 1970.

He began his career as a journalist in Britain in the 1970s and later moved to New York, becoming contributing editor to Vanity Fair in November 1992.

He was diagnosed with cancer in June 2010, and documented his declining health in his Vanity Fair column.

In an August 2010 essay for the magazine he wrote: "I love the imagery of struggle.

"I sometimes wish I were suffering in a good cause, or risking my life for the good of others, instead of just being a gravely endangered patient."

Speaking on the BBC's Newsnight programme, in November that year, he reflected on a life that he knew would be cut short: "It does concentrate the mind, of course, to realise that your life is more rationed than you thought it was."

Radicalised by the 1960s, Hitchens was often arrested at political rallies and was kicked out of the Labour Party over his opposition to the Vietnam War.

He became a correspondent for the Socialist Workers Party's International Socialism magazine.

In later life he moved away from the left. Following the September 11 attacks he argued with Noam Chomsky and others who suggested that US foreign policy had helped cause the tragedy.

He supported the Iraq War and backed George W Bush for re-election in 2004.

It led to him being accused of betrayal: one former friend called him "a lying, opportunistic, cynical contrarian", another critic said he was "a drink-sodden ex-Trotskyist popinjay".

But he could dish out scathing critiques himself. He called Bill Clinton "a cynical, self-seeking ambitious thug", Henry Kissinger a war criminal and Mother Teresa a fraudulent fanatic.

'A great voice'

He also famously fell out with his brother, the Mail on Sunday journalist Peter Hitchens, though the pair were later reconciled.

Hitchens could be a loyal friend. He stood by the author Salman Rushdie during the furore that followed the publication of his novel The Satanic Verses.

Writing on Twitter after the announcement of Hitchens' death, Mr Rushdie said: "Goodbye, my beloved friend. A great voice falls silent. A great heart stops."

Former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair publicly debated religion with Hitchens at the Munk Debate in Toronto in November 2010.

"Christopher Hitchens was a complete one-off, an amazing mixture of writer, journalist, polemicist, and unique character," said Mr Blair.

"He was fearless in the pursuit of truth and any cause in which he believed. And there was no belief he held that he did not advocate with passion, commitment and brilliance.

"He was an extraordinary, compelling and colourful human being whom it was a privilege to know."

The MP Denis McShane was a student at Oxford with Hitchens.

He said: "Christopher just swam against every tide. He was a supporter of the Polish and Czech resistance of the 1970s, he supported Mrs Thatcher because he thought getting rid of the Argentinian fascist junta was a good idea.

"He was a cross between Voltaire and Orwell. He loved words.

"He could throw words up into the sky, they fell down in a marvellous pattern."

Christopher Hitchens was everything a great essayist should be: infuriating, brilliant, highly provocative and yet intensely serious
Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister

Commentators pay tribute to Christopher Hitchens
The publication of his 2007 book God Is Not Great made him a major celebrity in his adopted homeland of the United States, and he happily took on the role of the country's best-known atheist.

He maintained his devout atheism after being diagnosed with cancer, telling one interviewer: "No evidence or argument has yet been presented which would change my mind. But I like surprises."

The author and prominent atheist Richard Dawkins described him as the "finest orator of our time" and a "valiant fighter against all tyrants including God".

He said Hitchens had been a "wonderful mentor in a way".

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who once worked as an intern for Hitchens, said: "Christopher Hitchens was everything a great essayist should be: infuriating, brilliant, highly provocative and yet intensely serious.

"He will be massively missed by everyone who values strong opinions and great writing."

Hitchens wrote for numerous publications including The Times Literary Supplement, the Daily Express, the London Evening Standard, Newsday and The Atlantic.

He was the author of 17 books, including The Trial of Henry Kissinger, How Religion Poisons Everything, and a memoir, Hitch-22.

A collection of his essays, Arguably, was released this year.

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British-born author, literary critic and journalist Christopher Hitchens has died at the age of 62. He died from pneumonia, a complication of the oesophageal cancer he had, at a Texas hospital. Vanity Fair magazine, which announced his death, said there would "never be another like Christopher".

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Superheroes bring smiles and fun to children in hospital

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In honor of the opening of the new Wesley Children's Hospital, members of the Wichita Police Department SWAT team repelled down the side of the building donning superhero masks and capes to being some joy to the young patients.

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New York City officials announced a plan yesterday to restock New York Harbor with oysters using old toilets to create their habitat.

Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection said porcelain from 5,000 recycled toilets will be installed to provide oyster beds and breeding grounds. Fifty thousand live oysters will also be lowered into the sea.

MORE: Seafood Lovers Rejoice - Chesapeake Blue Crabs Rebound Like Crazy

Oysters once thrived in the city's waters. Scientists estimate half the world's oysters once lived in New York Harbor through the 17th century.

Their populations declined from pollution, and Dutch colonists began overharvesting them.

Officials note that oysters returned to New York Harbor on their own in the past few decades, after the passage of the 1972 Clean Water Act led to healthier waterways. But de Blasio's office still labeled the species "functionally extinct."

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The mollusk deposit will provide a boon to local ecosystems.

"This oyster bed will serve multiple purposes - protecting our wetlands from erosion, naturally filtering our water and providing a home for our sea dwellers are just a few," said de Blasio in a statement (Ben Guarino, Washington Post, Sept. 7).
Reprinted with permission from E&E Publishing Isn't This Story A Pearl? Click To Share - Photo by Editor B, CC

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Old New York City Toilets Used to Reintroduce Oysters - Good News Network

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New York City officials announced a plan yesterday to restock New York Harbor with oysters using old toilets to create their habitat. Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection said porcelain from 5,000 recycled toilets will be installed to provide oyster beds and breeding grounds.

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We've always known that dogs understand us on incredibly personal levels - but in a recently released study, we now have concrete evidence that dogs not only understand our feelings, but the exact words we're saying.

A team of Hungarian scientists gathered several well-trained canines to go through an MRI machine in order to read their brain activity.

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Through pre-recorded tapes, the hounds listened to their trainers recite different phrases in angry, neutral, and happy tones of voice while they were in the machine.

What they discovered was that dogs use the left hemisphere of their brain to process words while their right side distinguished tone - which is almost identical to how humans understand language.

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This essentially means that even if you were to say "Bad dog!" or "We're going to the vet!" in a cheerful tone of voice, the pooch would still be hear the negative words and feel accordingly.

"It shows that for dogs, a nice praise can very well work as a reward, but it works best if both words and intonation match," Attila Andics of Eötvös Loránd University, lead author of the study said in a statement. "So dogs not only tell apart what we say and how we say it, but they can also combine the two, for a correct interpretation of what those words really meant."

( WATCH the video below)

Click To Share This Pawesome Story With Your Friends - Photo by Eniko Kubinyi

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Dogs Can Actually Understand What Humans Are Saying, Study Says - Good News Network

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We've always known that dogs understand us on incredibly personal levels - but in a recently released study, we now have concrete evidence that dogs not only understand our feelings, but the exact words we're saying. A team of Hungarian scientists gathered several well-trained canines to go through an MRI machine in order to read their brain activity.

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This single mom wasn't afraid to butch up if it meant her sweet child wouldn't feel left out on Donuts for Dads Day.

Yvette Vasquez was dropping her son Elijah off at Sue Crouch Intermediate School in Fort Worth, Texas when she noticed that there were more cars in the parking lot than usual.

When she asked why, Elijah explained it was because there was a special parenting event - but it was for dads only.

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Noticing the sad look on the boy's face, Yvette insisted they drive the 7 minutes back to their home so she could be his father for the day.

One plaid shirt, fake mustache, and spritz of cologne later, 'Mr. Vasquez' was escorting her son into the school weather they liked it or not.

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However, not only did most of the fathers there applaud her courage, but her Facebook photos with the hashtags #WeGettingThemDonuts and #ILoveHim became an instant hit with parents everywhere.

Multiply The Good: Click To Share - Photos by Yvette Vasquez

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Single Mom Disguises Herself as a 'Dad' So Son Won't Feel Left Out - Good News Network

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This single mom wasn't afraid to butch up if it meant her sweet child wouldn't feel left out on Donuts for Dads Day. Yvette Vasquez was dropping her son Elijah off at Sue Crouch Intermediate School in Fort Worth, Texas when she noticed that there were more cars in the parking lot than usual.