El Máster Edwin

Today I want to take advantage of congratulating a good colleague and friend on his special day. Happy Birthday!! @Ivanp

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Nick movie: Coraline Time: February 5, 2009 Netflix / Amazon / HBO: N/A Duration of the movie: 100 M Trailer:

The first four-door Lotus since the Carlton swings in with much electric power This is the new Lotus Emeya, and it is 17mph slower than the last saloon car to wear four doors and a Lotus badge. That infamous Nineties troublemaker – because not enough has been written about it – was a Vauxhall breathed on by Norfolk’s specialists deemed too fast for public roads. TopGear.com estimates there’ll be 100 per cent less parliamentary debate and newspaper campaigns to get this car off the public highway, such is the 21st century motoring landscape. You’ll likely have some internal debate over the Emeya’s silhouette and visual language, though. And how that debate materialises rather depends upon your feelings about the Eletre SUV, from which this new Emeya clearly takes its aesthetic from. The twin-headlight treatment sits atop a similar fang-like front, sweeping back over the four-door silhouette to reveal a similar single line brake-light treatment. If the Eletre had been sat on by something heavy, the Emeya is the result. Like that car – and the Porsche Taycan it is clearly born to rival – the third all-new Lotus comes bursting at the seams with power and technology. Lotus tells us the Emeya features a pair of electric motors – a single speed unit up front, a dual speed unit at the back – for full-time AWD, powered by a 102kWh battery (able to accept a 350kW DC charger to add 93 miles in five mins), and harnessed through a two-speed gearbox. Big, ‘race-grade’ brakes, too. Lotus claims 892bhp, 726lb ft of torque, 0-62mph in 2.78 seconds and 159mph flat out. Not quite the infamous 176mph achieved by the Lotus Carlton, but plenty fast enough in the so-called ‘real world’. And it’ll apparently be able to read the ‘real world’ incredibly quickly, like some sort of hyperactive voiceover reading out credit card terms and conditions. The adaptive air suspension can read the road “1,000 times a second”, constantly adjusting the dampers to deliver what Lotus claims will be a “confident and comfortable drive”. A stable drive, too, courtesy of aero trickery applied throughout. An active front grille helps reduce drag (and cool the batteries and brakes), while an active air lip increases high-speed downforce that, says Lotus, makes the Emeya “a truly exciting car to drive with great front-end feel”. Further aero wizardry comes via an active rear diffuser and rear spoiler, the former “inspired by motorsport”, the latter a dual-layer setup 10mm wider than the one on the Already Wide Eletre SUV, able to offer 215kg of downforce. Eight vents dotted about the Emeya’s body help smooth overall airflow over and under the thing. Inside the thing there are definite shades of Tesla, centred around a large central touchscreen and an in-car audio system from KEF. Looks good. Clean. There’s active noise cancellation to drown out the aforementioned ‘real world’, along with such luxury materials as aluminium, Alcantara and leather. Lotus makes mention of a new thread repurposed from cotton scraps from the fashion industry. Lotus also makes mention of a 55in “projected augmented reality head-up display”, which – in lieu of any further explanation – we imagine is a fancy HUD displaying nav, ADAS, obstacle warnings, lane departure assist and so on. “Bringing together our rich heritage with intelligent performance and the latest cutting-edge technologies, we’re pushing the boundaries for how a luxury electric vehicle should look and handle, making it truly for the drivers,” said Lotus Group boss Feng Qingfeng. Just not ‘debated in parliament’ boundaries, mind. Link

The former White House chief of staff had argued that the charges against him in Fulton County related to his actions as a federal official serving in the Trump administration. A judge on Friday denied former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows' bid to move the Georgia criminal case against him to federal court, ruling that his alleged involvement in efforts to pressure state leaders to overturn the 2020 election results was not part of his official duties as a government official. U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones issued the ruling after holding a hearing on the matter in Atlanta federal court last week that included five hours of testimony from Meadows, who, along with former President Donald Trump was charged last month in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ sweeping election interference case. "The Court concludes that Meadows has not shown that the actions that triggered the State’s prosecution related to his federal office," Jones wrote, adding, "Meadows’ alleged association with post-election activities was not related to his role as White House Chief of Staff or his executive branch authority." State prosecutors, Jones said, had “put forth evidence that at various points during the time of the alleged conspiracy Meadows worked with the Trump campaign, which he admitted was outside of the role of the White House Chief of Staff." Mark Meadows at the White House, on Oct. 30, 2020. "In light of the State’s evidence that Meadows undertook actions on behalf of the campaign during the time period of the alleged conspiracy, Meadows was required to come forward with competent proof of his factual contention that his actions involving challenges to the outcome of the Georgia’s Presidential election results were within his role as Chief of Staff. His efforts fall short,” the judge wrote. Meadows later notified the court that he would appeal the ruling. His attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday night. To date, five of the 19 defendants in the DA's case have moved to have their case heard in federal court. In a court filing this week, Trump said he might move to do so as well. Under court-ordered deadlines, he has until the end of this month to decide, according to the filing. Jones said in Friday's ruling that his decision "does not, at this time, have any effect on the outcome of the other co-Defendants who have filed notices of removal." The indictment in Fulton County alleges Trump, Meadows and the 17 others engaged in schemes aimed at subverting the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia, a 2020 battleground state that was won by Joe Biden. Meadows is charged with violation of Georgia's anti-racketeering law and solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer for his involvement in Trump's Jan. 2, 2021, call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger asking him to "find" the exact number of votes needed to defeat Biden. He's pleaded not guilty. Meadows’ lawyers argued that the charges all pertain to official actions he took while he worked for the president, and the case should therefore be heard in federal court, where he could assert additional defenses, including immunity from the criminal charges. “Mr. Meadows has the right to remove this matter. The conduct giving rise to the charges in the indictment all occurred during his tenure and as part of his service as Chief of Staff,” Meadows’ lawyers wrote in a 14-page filing. The DA's office countered that White House officials shouldn't be involved in political campaigns. “Federal law prohibits employees of the executive branch from engaging in political activity in the course of their work,” they noted, pointing to the Hatch Act, a law that Meadows once told Politico “nobody outside of the Beltway really cares” about. The law “bars a federal employee from ‘us[ing] his official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the result of an election’” — exactly the conduct Meadows is charged with, prosecutors noted. In his ruling, Jones agreed that "engaging in political activities exceeds the outer limits of the Office of the White House Chief of Staff.” He also declined to consider Meadows' immunity claim, since he found he was acting outside the scope of his duties. The judge further noted that the purpose of the removal stature is to prevent interference with federal functions, and said that's not what's happened in this case. "Assuming jurisdiction over this criminal prosecution would frustrate the purpose of federal officer removal when the state charges allege—not state interference with constitutionally protected federal activities, but federal interference with constitutionally protected state actions," Jones wrote. Link

A bear cam in Katmai National Park looks out at brown bears hunting for salmon A lost hiker was saved in an Alaskan national park this week thanks to the vigilant viewers who were watching a bear cam livestream. Talking to the camera on Dumpling Mountain, the hiker appeared to say "lost" and "help me". Park rangers at Katmai National Park were alerted to the stranded hiker and were able to rescue him. The park is one of the most remote in the US, accessible only by plane or boat. Around 15:15 local time (00:15 BST) bear enthusiasts were tuned into the Dumpling Mountain live cam on Explore.org - a live nature camera network and documentary channel - when one viewer commented online: "There is someone distressed on the camera." The bear cam does not play audio, but viewers wrote that the hiker appeared to be asking for help, saying they could read his lips. Explore.org also told the BBC the hiker "gave a thumbs down signal". Rangers rescue the hiker from Dumpling Mountain There is no cell service on Dumpling Mountain - or anywhere else in the remote park. Viewers got in touch with Explore.org staff, who were able to reach the National Park Service. A moderator on the web cam page told the vigilant camera watchers: "Thanks viewers for letting us know. Explore is aware and able to get in touch with Katmai. They are also reviewing the footage." The company said "staff disconnected the webcam's public feed but continued to monitor live images through webcam controls and shared further updates with National Park Service staff". "The park sent a search and rescue team to find the hiker, who was caught in windy and rainy conditions with poor visibility," Cynthia Hernandez, a spokesperson for the National Park Service, said in a statement to the BBC. Park rangers found the hiker at 18:48 local time "unharmed, and brought the hiker back to safety". Explore.org shared the video clip of the stranded hiker on X, formerly known as Twitter and wrote: "Bear Cam saves a hikers life!" Viewership for the Alaska bear cam surges ahead of Fat Bear Week, which this year takes place in early October. Fat Bear Week is a po[CENSORED]r online contest held by Katmai National Park that crowns one bear the fattest of them all as the animals bulk up on salmon before hibernation. With seven cameras around the park, it is typical for people to tune into the park's po[CENSORED]r bear fishing spots. But the hiker was lucky people were also watching the alpine tundra of Dumpling Mountain - a considerably less picturesque spot, which was shrouded in fog when he was seeking help on Tuesday. Link

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Nick movie: The Dark Knight Rises Time: July 16, 2012 Netflix / Amazon / HBO: HBO Duration of the movie: 165 M Trailer:

Glorious Audi Quattro homage enters series production, and yes, it still costs *loads* This is the EL1, a car you’ll remember as being a) an electric homage to the Audi Quattro, and b) really rather delectable. News has reached Top Gear towers that further deepens its delight. For its maker – ELegend, which they insist on shoutily capitalising as ELEGEND – has confirmed the S1-inspired bodyshell and its associated electric motivation is able to race around the Nürburgring for two entire laps using just one full charge of the battery. Which, for its lucky owners, means an unspecified number of minutes of sheer terror trying to remember the bloody place’s corners without having to look at battery charge! Hurrah! That’s thanks to a new cooling strategy, while other changes over the concept and prototype cars we’ve seen previously include new door handles, exterior mirrors, and – genuinely – doors and a boot hatch that can open… a bit wider. Hey, details matter. Details like modern infotainment, air-conditioning, a rear-view camera and parking sensors. ELegend has also fitted proper hard-shell sports seats and deployed exposed carbon liberally around the cabin. Otherwise it’s as per the delightful concept we first saw back in 2021 and again in 2022. ELegend says it’s been working with a company called Roding Mobility GmbH to develop its own tech platform, and for this run of 30 cars will use an “existing power setup for the inverter motor-transmission unit”. It remains a twin-motor car – a single speed motor on the front and rear axles – coupled to diffs front and back, a single-speed gearbox and an 80kWh battery. ELegend quotes 805bhp, able to catapult the carbon monocoque and carbon panelled Quattro-homage from 0-62mph in 2.8 seconds. It’ll also do 0-124mph in 7.5s and top out at 186mph. Normal range – when not hotfooting it around 26-odd miles of scary German racetrack – is quoted at just under 250 miles, while the price is quoted at €890k plus VAT. Which is just over £915k. Yikes. “With the EL1, we are quoting automotive legends, while at the same time casting an eye forward in terms of design, technology, material quality and craftsmanship, creating a retrofuturistic form for the 21st century that is unlike any other,” said Marcus Holzinger, ELegend boss. There’s more than an eye forward. As previously reported, ELegend already has two more “icons” using the same 805bhp powertrain in the pipeline once this run of 30 EL1s starts in 2024. Delightful. Link

Republicans argue that the Senate majority leader should schedule individual votes for the hundreds of military promotions the Alabama senator is holding up. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., arrives for a hearing on Capitol Hill in July. WASHINGTON — As Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., keeps hundreds of military promotions in limbo for a sixth straight month, his Republican colleagues are trying to deflect criticism by pointing the finger at a familiar GOP foe: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. “I think the majority leader should take the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff nomination to the floor as we do our top Cabinet officials,” Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee, said in an interview. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, likewise said that “this is entirely within Sen. Schumer’s control.” “He filed five cloture petitions, I think, on nominations this week. He could do that on these military nominations, and it would break the logjam and, I think, begin to get us to a solution,” Cornyn said. Cornyn and his fellow Republicans are referring to a procedure that would allow the Senate to consider the nominees, albeit in a delayed fashion. Tuberville’s hold applies only to quickly approving military promotions, which the Senate normally approves without delay in large batches because all 100 senators agree, whereas his fellow Republicans now say the chamber should consider the promotions one by one. Schumer, D-N.Y., deflected this week when he was asked whether he would bring Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr.’s nomination to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs up for a standalone vote, before Tuberville lifts his hold on all nominees, particularly because the current chairman, Gen. Mark Milley, is scheduled to leave by the end of the month. “The bottom line is this is a problem created by Republicans, and it’s up to them to solve,” Schumer told reporters, “Sen. McConnell, Sen. Thune have said they disagree with Tuberville. It’s now up to the Republican Party to get him in line. We’re not going to shift the burden to Democrats when this is a Republican-caused problem.” Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is the Senate minority leader. John Thune, R-S.D., is the minority whip. Many Senate Democrats agree, seeing the prospects of approving promotions as an all-or-nothing proposition. “Bringing up one or three or five does not solve the problem,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. “Sen. Tuberville has created a problem that pervades our entire military, and trying to glue one hole closed does not fix that problem." In blocking the military appointments, Tuberville has cited his objection to a Defense Department policy that provides paid time off and reimburses travel costs for service members and dependents seeking abortions. As he digs in on his tactic, the number of promotions that have not been approved by the Senate only grows. Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed, D-R.I., said that “650 of them will need to pass through the Senate for promotion or [be] reassigned by the end of this year.” The growing number of promotions and vacancies in the top ranks of the military is increasing pressure for some kind of action. “I think for the sake of our nation, we’re going to have to eventually,” Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said of approving the highest-ranking promotions one by one. “But also I think that Sen. Tuberville needs to be heard, and I’m all for getting votes and doing whatever he would want to do on this floor, like any of us.” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said the Senate needs to vote on the promotions, but he did not specify how. “I do think we’re going to have to start voting here sometime soon,” Hawley said. “Because I just don’t see the dam breaking on this any other way. So, I mean, I would say let’s, let’s start voting.” Tuberville has said a simple vote to undo the Pentagon’s abortion policy would not be enough for him to release his holds, saying instead that he wants the Defense Department to undo the policy and have the Senate subsequently vote to reinstate it. Both those votes would be likely to fail in the Senate, where legislation of that kind requires 60 votes to pass. The impasse has left Republicans searching for a solution, with Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah floating a middle ground whereby the Pentagon would say it would stop paying for travel for abortion services for those beyond 16 weeks of gestation. “I’d look for some kind of compromise,” Romney said. “The idea that one side or the other is going to give, that’s not how Washington works. There has to be something towards the middle.” But Tuberville, who says he has not had additional conversations with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin since their call in July, was dismissive of that potential compromise, saying he would “probably not” support it. “I’m willing to talk, but seems like there’s nobody who wants to have [a] conversation,” Tuberville said. “It’s their way [or] the highway.” Link

Jimmy Fallon has apologised to staff at NBC's Tonight Show following allegations that he had created a toxic work environment. "I feel so bad I can't even tell you," he told staff on a Zoom call, according to Rolling Stone magazine. It follows an investigation by the magazine which exposed damaging allegations from 16 of the US TV show's current and former staff. They told Rolling Stone that for years they felt belittled and intimidated. They described Fallon's behaviour as "erratic" - depending on whether he was a having a "good Jimmy day" or a "bad Jimmy day". They said they were subject to angry "outbursts". According to Rolling Stone's original story which revealed the allegations, the guests' dressing rooms were referred to as "crying rooms". "Writing for late night is a lot of people's dream jobs, and they're coming into this and it becomes a nightmare very quickly," an anonymous person told the magazine. For those who had concerns and expressed them to human resources, the issues remained unresolved, the magazine reported. All of the current and former staff who spoke to Rolling Stone requested anonymity "out of fear of retaliation". In a statement, a spokesperson for NBC wrote: "We are incredibly proud of The Tonight Show, and providing a respectful working environment is a top priority... As in any workplace, we have had employees raise issues; those have been investigated and action has been taken where appropriate." After the Rolling Stone investigation, Fallon reportedly told the show's staff: "It's embarrassing and I feel so bad. "Sorry if I embarrassed you and your family and friends." However, some current employees of the show have come to Fallon's defence. One told People magazine that Fallon was "a really, really positive guy". "He makes a point of commending you when you do a great job and when he's happy," said the employee, who also requested to remain anonymous. "I've never been belittled, yelled at, nothing like that." "I'm really happy to work there right now," another employee, who said they had not heard of "crying rooms", told People. The Tonight Show has had nine different showrunners - top-level TV producers - since Fallon took over as the show's host in 2014. In its debut with Fallon, the show had over 11 million viewers. Prior to The Tonight Show, Fallon built his reputation in comedy as the host of NBC's Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. Link

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Nick movie: The Dark Knight Time: July 14, 2008 Netflix / Amazon / HBO: HBO Duration of the movie: 152 M Trailer:

Video title: UNUSUAL MEMES COMPILATION V103 Content creator ( Youtuber ) :UnusualVideos Official YT video: