Stabilizing the System of Mortgage Finance in the United States

Author/Editor:

Richard Koss

Publication Date:

August 8, 2017

Electronic Access:

Free Full Text. Use the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this PDF file

Disclaimer: IMF Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to encourage debate. The views expressed in IMF Working Papers are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF, its Executive Board, or IMF management.

Summary:

It has been over a decade since the peak of house prices in the US was attained, and while there has been a concerted regulatory response to the subsequent collapse, the two Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) remain in conservatorship. While this action served to forestall a deeper crisis at the time, over the past several years risks related to the system of mortgage finance can be seen building across several dimensions that need to be addressed. While reforms to the GSEs are an important part of dealing with these concerns, this paper argues that broader changes need to be made across the entire mortgage landscape to stabilize the system, even before the final state of the GSEs is fully determined.


In one of the more surreal chapters in the ongoing Trumpcare saga, the Independent Journal Review’s Haley Byrd reports that some of Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s (R-AK) Republican colleagues hope to entice her into supporting their latest effort to repeal Obamacare by letting Alaska keep much of Obamacare.

Under the reported deal — alternatively nicknamed the “Alaska Bribe,” the “Alaska Purchase,” the “Polar Purchase,” and the “Snow Job” — Alaska and Hawaii “will continue to receive Obamacare’s premium tax credits while they are repealed for all other states.” The proposal reportedly also includes favorable treatment for these two states under Medicaid.

After Byrd’s report became public, for what it’s worth, one of the leading Senate sponsors of the new Trumpcare bill reportedly went into damage control mode.

Sen. Graham is telling other senators that reports about a special deal for Alaska are "complete bullshit" per a senior GOP aide — Leigh Ann Caldwell (@LACaldwellDC) September 21, 2017

If Murkowski ultimately is offered the deal described by Byrd, however, it would raise serious constitutional concerns. According to Georgetown law professor Brian Galle, the Alaska Purchase probably runs afoul of a provision of the Constitution requiring the U.S. tax code to have a degree of uniformity.

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Though the Constitution gives Congress the power to tax, it also provides that “all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States.” This clause has not played much of a role in American tax policy, but it creates a problem for the Alaska Bribe should Murkowski’s state be offered tax credits that most states will not receive.

As Galle writes, “the leading recent authority on the uniformity clause is, coincidentally, also a case from Alaska, U.S. v. Ptasynski.” There, the Supreme Court held that “where Congress does choose to frame a tax in geographic terms, we will examine the classification closely to see if there is actual geographic discrimination.” For such discrimination to be permitted, “Congress has to show ‘neutral factors’ that justify its distinction. A purpose to ‘grant…an undue preference at the expense of other…states'” would flunk the test.

So a provision of Trumpcare whose purpose is to provide particular states with favorable tax treatment, in order to entice a wavering senator into supporting the bill, could be struck down under Ptasynski.

Would it actually be struck down? That decision would ultimately rest with an increasingly partisan Supreme Court that may be reluctant to undo major legislation pushed by Republicans. And if it is struck down, it is far from clear that the Court would strike down more than just the one provision involving the tax code.

At the very least, however, if Murkowski were to agree to the enticement described in Byrd’s report, she would likely see her name in unfavorable headlines for years as the legal challenge to the Alaska Purchase wound its way through the courts.

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Republican officials were once quite bothered by the idea that one state might receive favorable treatment in order to buy an uncertain senator’s support for a larger bill.

In 2009, thirteen state attorneys general wrote Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid threatening litigation against the so-called “Cornhusker Kickback,” an enticement for Nebraksa Sen. Ben Nelson (D) that was ultimately removed from the Affordable Care Act. Their letter offered several theories, including allegations that the now-defunct special treatment for Nebraska was a “display of arbitrary power” and that it could violate various constitutional provisions because it “is a disadvantage to the citizens of 49 states.”

These were weaker legal arguments than the case against the Alaska Purchase, largely because the Nebraska deal did not involve the tax code. But they are indicative of what Republican officials thought was an appropriate way to secure votes when Democrats controlled the Congress.


Mike English of the Blaze shoots during their round one NBL match against the New Zealand Breakers.

CJ Bruton of the Breakers shoots during the round one NBL match against the Gold Coast Blaze.

Gary Wilkinson of the Breakers takes a shot on goal under pressure from Larry Davidson of the Hawks during their round one NBL match.

Mika Vukona of the Breakers clears the ball under pressure during their round one clash with the Wollongong Hawks.

Joevan Catron of the Hawks drives to the basket under pressure from Gary Wilkinson of the Breakers during their round one NBL match.

Guard CJ Bruton waves to the Vector Arena crowd as the Breakers leave the court after warm-ups.

Coach Andrej Lemanis talks to his team during a first half timeout.

Breaker Tom Abercrombie tries to drive by Kings guard Luke Cooper.

Breakers guard Cedric Jackson tangles with Sydney's Luke Martin going for a loose ball.

Out in the open, Alex Pledger drives to the hoop, being blocked by the rim on a one-handed dunk.

In a New Zealand basketball record crowd 6383 filled Vector Arena to watch the Breakers and Kings.

Breakers forward Tom Abercrombie throws down as easy dunk during the first quarter against the Sydney Kings at Vector Arena.

Breakers guard Cedric Jackson in action, defended by Nathan Crosswell during NZ Breakers v Adelaide 36ers basketball match at the North Shore Events Centre.

Breakers guard CJ Bruton shoots a three pointer against the Wollongong Hawks at North Shore Events Centre.

Breakers player Tom Abercrombie looks to get past Hawks forward Oscar Forman.

Breakers guard Cedric Jackson tussles for the ball against Glen Saville (left) and Dave Gruber of the Hawks.

Breakers Forward Gary Wilkinson fires up after colliding with Hawks player Glen Saville on the way to the hoop.

Breakers forward BJ Anthony and Hawks forward Dave Gruber scramble for the ball.

Breakers coach Andrej Lemanis appeals to the referees for a call.

Tom Abercrombie soars over Townsville's Michael Cedar to block his shot.

Breakers coach Andrej Lemanis gets his message across against the Melbourne Tigers.

Breakers guard Cedric Jackson looks for a way through the Tigers defence.

Breakers guard Thomas Abercrombie completes an impressive slam dunk against the Melbourne Tigers.

Both teams erupt into an all out brawl.

Blaze's Anthony Petrie is ejected from the match.

Breakers Mika Vukona in action against the Gold Coast Blaze.

Tom Abercrombie of the Breakers under pressure from Chris Warren of the 36ers.

Cedric Jackson of the Breakers goes for the basket against the Adelaide 36ers.

Diamon Simpson (L) and Daniel Johnson (R) of the 36ers competes with Dillon Boucher (C) and Tom Abercrombie of the Breakers.

Mika Vukona of the Breakers competes with Diamon Simpson of the 36ers.

Gary Wilkinson of the Breakers reaches for the basket against the Adelaide 36ers.

Cedric Jackson drives to the basket during the Breakers game against the Perth Wildcats.

Jesse Wagstaff of the the Wildcats and Breakers' Benny Anthony Jnr. compete for the ball.

Tom Abercrombie of the Breakers drives past Ayinde Ubaka of the Melbourne Tigers.

CJ Bruton goes up for the lay-up.

Cam Tragardh of the Melbourne Tigers tries to get past the Breakers' Alex Pledger.

Breakers forward Dillon Boucher puts up a shot against the Adelaide 36ers.

Breakers forward Thomas Abercrombie hangs off the hoop against the Adelaide 36ers.

Breakers forward Mika Vukona helps up guard Cedric Jackson against the Melbourne Tigers.

Breakers forward Thomas Abercrombie flies at the basket against the Melbourne Tigers.

The North Shore Events Centre crowd gets behind the Breakers during their top-of-the-table defeat of the Perth Wildcats.

Breakers centre Alex Pledger grasps possession during the 73-67 win over the Perth Wildcats in Auckland.

Leon Henry shows his emotion after Breakers team-mate Cedric Jackson sunk a buzzer-beating shot against the Perth Wildcats.

CJ Bruton fights for posession during the Breakers clash with Wollongong at the NSEC.

A bemused Andrej Lemanis jokingly applauds the referee after a foul is called on Mika Vukona.

Tom Abercrombie rises above Glen Saville of the Wollongong Hawks.

Dillon Boucher tussles for position during the Breakers win over the Wollongong Hawks.

Gary Wilkinson of the Breakers wins the ball against the Adelaide 36ers.

CJ Bruton of the Breakers surges forward against the Adelaide 36ers.

Dillon Boucher of the Breakers celebrates after the match against the Adelaide 36ers.

Cedric Jackson of the Breakers goes for the basket against the Adelaide 36ers.

The teams are seperated by the ref after an unsportsman foul against Gold Coast Blaze forward Stephen Hoare.

Breakers coach Andrej Lemanis during the match against Gold Coast Blaze.

Gary Wilkinson of the Breakers beats Ben Allen of the Crocodiles to the rebound.

Peter Crawford (centre) of the Crocodiles looks to get past Dillon Boucher (right) and Tom Abercrombie of the Breakers.

Alex Pledger (right) of the Breakers contests for the ball with Elvin Mims of the Townsville Crocodiles.

Dillion Boucher of the Breakers in action against the Blaze.

Morgan Natanahira of the Breakers shoots against of the Blaze at the Gold Coast Convention Centre.

Jason Cadee of the Blaze shoots during their match against the Breakers at the Gold Coast Convention Centre.

Breakers point guard Cedric Jackson finished with 17 points and seven assists as the Breakers rolled by the 36ers 91-76 in Adelaide.

Jason Cadee of the Blaze passes against the New Zealand Breakers at the Gold Coast Convention Centre.

Leon Henry of the Breakers in action against the Gold Coast Blaze.

If there was any doubt these New Zealand Breakers are something special it was removed tonight in a pulsating, dramatic overtime opening game of the Australian NBL's grand final series.

The Breakers somehow, some way were able to take the best shots of a very, very good Perth Wildcats side and - on the back of some overtime heroics from CJ Bruton and Mika Vukona - nail a pulsating 104-98 victory to begin this best-of-three series in the perfect fashion.

They did so without getting a single minute out of arguably their best, certainly their most explosive, player in Thomas Abercrombie who had to sit and watch the best game of the season from the comfort of the bench.

1 of 57 JASON OXENHAM/Fairfax NZ Tom Abercrombie holds the championship trophy aloft. 2 of 57 JASON OXENHAM/Fairfax NZ Rio Bruton shows his dad is number one after CJ collected the grand finals MVP award. 3 of 57 JASON OXENHAM/Fairfax NZ Alex Pledger shows off his championship ring. 4 of 57 Photosport Cedric Jackson delivers the ball to centre Gary Wilkinson as Perth's Shawn Redhage attempts a block. 5 of 57 Getty Images Dillon Boucher jumps for joy as the Breakers win their second straight Australian NBL title. 6 of 57 JASON OXENHAM/Fairfax NZ CJ Bruton of the Breakers ducks through the arms of Matt Knight and Brad Robbins of the Perth Wildcats. 7 of 57 Getty Images CJ Bruton gets the crowd going after hitting a three pointer in the grand finals decider. 8 of 57 PETER MEECHAM/Fairfax NZ Dan Carter and Jerome Kaino show their support for the NZ Breakers. 9 of 57 Getty Images New Zealand Breakers' coach Andrej Lemanis with the ANBL championship trophy. 10 of 57 Photosport New Zealand Breakers' Dillon Boucher participates in the championship-winning tradition of cutting down the nets. 11 of 57 Photosport The New Zealand Breakers' celebrate their victory in the ANBL finals series. 12 of 57 Jason Oxenham/Fairfax NZ Breakers' guard Cedric Jackson takes the ball to the hoop in game three of ANBL finals series against the Perth Wildcats. 13 of 57 Jason Oxenham/Fairfax NZ Breakers' Alex Pledger climbs high for a dunk. 14 of 57 Photosport The New Zealand Breakers and the Perth Wildcats get involved in an altercation in game three of the ANBL finals series in Auckland. 15 of 57 Peter Meecham/Fairfax NZ Breakers' forward Mika Vukona avoids the attention of Perth Wildcats' forward Shawn Redhage. 16 of 57 Peter Meecham/Fairfax NZ Breakers' guard CJ Bruton goes past Perth Wildcats' point guard Brad Robbins. 17 of 57 Getty Images Breakers and Wildcats players get involved in an altercation. 18 of 57 Peter Meecham/Fairfax NZ The crowd cheers as the Breakers take to the court during the third and deciding game of the ANBL finals series against the Perth Wildcats. 19 of 57 Getty Images Leon Henry and Dillon Boucher of the Breakers look on from the bench during game two. 20 of 57 Getty Images Shawn Redhage of the Wildcats celebrates with supporters at the end of the game during game two. 21 of 57 Getty Images Breakers playing discuss tactics during a break in play of game two of the ANBL finals series in Perth. 22 of 57 Getty Images Kevin Lisch of the Wildcats and Cedric Jackson of the Breakers contest for a loose ball during game two. 23 of 57 Getty Images Breakers and Wildcats players get involved in an altercation. 24 of 57 Getty Images Breakers big man during game two of the ANBL finals series in Perth. 25 of 57 Getty Images Leon Henry of the Breakers lays-up against Matt Knight of the Wildcats during game two. 26 of 57 JASON OXENHAM/Fairfax NZ Cedric Jackson gets amongst the front-row fans after making a basket and being fouled. 27 of 57 JASON OXENHAM/Fairfax NZ Mika Vukona looks to score down low under pressure from Luke Nevill. 28 of 57 JASON OXENHAM/Fairfax NZ Small forward Leon Henry defends Perth's Cameron Tovey. 29 of 57 JASON OXENHAM/Fairfax NZ Tom Abercrombie gingerly runs onto the court during player intros. 30 of 57 JASON OXENHAM/Fairfax NZ Gary Wilkinson gets the Breakers fired-up pre-game. 31 of 57 Getty Images Dillon Boucher celebrates the Breakers win over Perth Wildcats in game one of the ANBL finals series. 32 of 57 Getty Images Leon Henry of the Breakers lays the ball up over Luke Nevill of the Perth Wildcats in game one of the ANBL finals series. 33 of 57 Getty Images Alex Pledger of the Breakers battles with two Perth Wildcats players for the ball in game one of the ANBL finals series. 34 of 57 Jason Oxenham/Fairfax NZ Breakers guard CJ Bruton on the ball. 35 of 57 Jason Oxenham/Fairfax NZ Breakers centre Gary Wilkinson drives into Perth Wildcats centre Luke Nevill in game one of the ANBL finals series. 36 of 57 Photosport Tom Abercrombie is treated on the floor while team-mates go after the referee. 37 of 57 Photosport Tom Abercrombie lies on the court in agony after severely straining ligaments in his left ankle. 38 of 57 Photosport The moment before Tom Abercrombie was taken out by Townsville's Peter Crawford on a breakaway dunk. 39 of 57 Photosport CJ Bruton raises his arms after a crucial fourth quarter three-pointer in the game three win. 40 of 57 Photosport Cedric Jackson hits the hardwood to grab possession for the Breakers. 41 of 57 Photosport MAKE OR BREAK: The Breakers are getting ready for a do-or-die match against Perth tonight. 42 of 57 Getty Images The Breakers celebrate after winning game two of the NBL Finals series against the Townsville Crocodiles. 43 of 57 Getty Images Eddie Gill of the Crocodiles passes the ball past Tom Abercrombie of the Breakers during game two. 44 of 57 Getty Images Russell Hinder of the Crocodiles looks dejected in game two of the NBL Finals series against the New Zealand Breakers. 45 of 57 Getty Images Dillon Boucher of the Breakers drives past Jacob Holmes of the Crocodiles during game two. 46 of 57 Getty Images Dillon Boucher of the Breakers makes a lay-up during game two. 47 of 57 Getty Images Michael Cedar of the Crocodiles attempts a jump shot over Cedric Jackson of the Breakers during game two. 48 of 57 Getty Images Mika Vukona of the Breakers drives past Todd Blanchfield of the Crocodiles during game two. 49 of 57 JASON OXENHAM/Fairfax NZ Breakers forward Thomas Abercrombie keeps the ball in play. 50 of 57 JASON OXENHAM/Fairfax NZ Breakers head coach Andrej Lemanis talks to his players. 51 of 57 JASON OXENHAM/Fairfax NZ Breakers forward Dillon Boucher scoots around Townsville Crocs forward Jacob Holmes. 52 of 57 JASON OXENHAM/Fairfax NZ High-fives for the Breakers in the NZ Breakers. 53 of 57 JASON OXENHAM/Fairfax NZ Breakers guard Cedric Jackson scoots around Townsville Crocs point guard Eddie Gill. 54 of 57 JASON OXENHAM/Fairfax NZ Breakers forward Thomas Abercrombie charges into Townsville Crocs forward Todd Blanchfield. 55 of 57 JASON OXENHAM/Fairfax NZ Breakers forward Dillon Boucher battles with Townsville Crocs forward Peter Crawford. 56 of 57 JASON OXENHAM/Fairfax NZ Breakers forward Dillon Boucher on the fast break chased by Townsville Crocs guard Michael Cedar. 57 of 57 JASON OXENHAM/Fairfax NZ Breakers guard Cedric Jackson passes under pressure from Townsville Crocs centre Luke Schenscher.

Without Abercrombie, the Breakers did extremely well to go toe-to-toe with this rugged Wildcats outfit and their outstanding MVP guard Kevin Lisch.

That they were able to come from six down late in regulation to nail a brilliant overtime win was the icing on the cake.

The Breakers now head to Perth for game two in eight days' time able to play with the freedom of a side one up knowing at worst they'll be coming home for the decider.

Getty Images MAKING THE PLAY: Matthew Knight of the Perth Wildcats lays the ball up under pressure from Cedric Jackson of the New Zealand Breakers.

A second straight championship is now just one tantalising win away for a club who simply do not know when to quit.

What a game it was. And at the end, even though there was the usual Perth chippiness, both sides can hold their heads high.

A record crowd of 9125 was treated to an instant classic between two clubs who do tend to produce the memorable when they meet.

In a game of runs, it had looked as though the Wildcats' steaming third quarter had put them in position to seal victory.

They got their noses in front in the final period and looked like they were on their way with an 85-79 lead with just under two and a-half minutes remaining.

But key buckets down the stretch to Cedric Jackson and Vukona and some outstanding defence helped the Breakers force overtime as the referees put their whistles in their pockets over a frantic finale.

Then in the five minutes of overtime, first Vukona and then Bruton stepped up splendidly to make nerveless plays to enable the Breakers to take the final grip on proceedings.

Vukona was a monster early, grabbing rebounds, powering inside; then when his body finally wore down up stepped Bruton to nail a pair of triples that sealed the deal.

Jackson had a huge game for the victors, finishing with 25 points and eight assists as he slipped back into his best form.

But Bruton was not far behind him, going five-of-12 from deep, six-of-15 overall for 20 points to go with three assists and two boards.

Of course no one loves the big moment like the veteran Aussie, and down the stretch it was clear to all that the Breakers had the game-winner in their midst.

Daryl Corletto added 16 points (5/10 FG, 4/6 3PT) for the winners, Gary Wilkinson had 12 points and seven boards and Dillon Boucher nine points, seven rebounds and four assists as he continued to make big plays when it mattered.

Vukona came good late to finish with 14 points and five rebounds.

Alex Pledger weighed in with a solid eight points and four boards and made two huge free-throws in overtime when Vukona had to retire with cramp.

Lisch led the Cats with a game-high 27 points and had quality backup from Matt Knight (17 points/five rebounds) and Shawn Redhage (15 points/five boards).

But they will be cursing letting this one slip through their grasp after a magnificent third-quarter fightback that put them in the box seat.

The signs hadn't looked good early when the Cats, perhaps buoyed by Abercrombie's absence, got off to an explosive 14-2 start inside the first four minutes.

But then the home team exploded on a 22-4 run of their own to roar into the lead, 28-24 at the end of the first.

The Breakers knocked down five triples in this period, a pair apiece to Bruton and Corletto as they showed they were here to play - even without their classy Tall Black Abercrombie.

That intensity continued in the second quarter when the Breakers held the Wildcats to just 11 points and, on the back of some inspirational play from Jackson, forged out to a 15-point lead.

Jackson, playing like the MVP he perhaps should have been, was magnificent in the first half, knocking down six of his eight shots for a game-high 14 points to go with four assists.

Corletto weighed in with 11 points as he nailed three of his four looks from deep, while Bruton and Wilkinson added eight and seven points respectively.

The Breakers also did a great job of restricting MVP Kevin Lisch to just five first-half points, as the Cats offence cooled off after their fast start.

But the men from the wild west, chasing their sixth NBL title in their 26th consecutive playoff appearance, are nothing if not fighters.

Back they came in the third quarter, a 17-2 run early in the third erasing the deficit and leaving us with a thriller on our hands.

NZ Breakers 104 (Cedric Jackson 25, CJ Bruton 20, Daryl Corletto 16, Mika Vukona 14, Gary Wilkinson 12), Perth Wildcats 98 (Kevin Lisch 27, Matthew Knight 17, Shawn Redhage 15, Luke Nevill 13, Jesse Wagstaff 12). 1Q: 28-24; HT: 50-35; 3Q: 68-66; FT: 84-84.


Four Chicago suspects pled not guilty on Friday to several charges related to kidnapping and torturing a young schizophrenic man, which they allegedly broadcast on Facebook Live.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, public defenders for Brittany Covington, 18, Tesfaye Cooper, 18, Jordan Hill, 18, and Tanishia Covington, 24, entered not guilty pleas during their arraignment.

All four suspects are charged with hate crimes, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated unlawful restraint, and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Three are also charged with residential burglary. One offender faces robbery charges, along with the possession of a stolen motor vehicle.

The video played on Facebook Live showed a bound and gagged white victim huddled in a corner while assailants are heard saying “Fuck white people” and “Fuck Donald Trump” as they beat him and cut his scalp with a knife. Another video clip shows assailants forcing the victim to drink toilet water.

The suspects are due back in court March 1.

Previous coverage of the case and the national reaction to it can be found here.


MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – State commerce officials say a statewide sweep of gas stations last month found nine hidden credit card skimmers, which criminals use to steal credit and debit card information from unsuspecting customers.

Mike Rothman, the Minnesota Commerce Commissioner, announced on Thursday that the inspection was conducted over a three-week period, examining readers at more than 1,000 gas stations in the Twin Cities metro and Greater Minnesota.

“The Commerce Department is cracking down on these skimmers to protect Minnesota consumers against identity theft and fraud,” Rothman said in a statement. “We are working to make sure the state’s gas pumps are secure and customers’ credit and debit card information is safe.”

The recent inspection checked 8,500 credit card readers. There are about 52,000 such readers in the state.

Moving forward, the Commerce Department says its inspectors will be looking for skimmers or any sort of tampering with gas pumps as part of their routine.

Officials say they are also working with gas stations to train their operators on how to protect against skimmers.

Consumers are advised to inspect card readers at gas stations before swiping a card. If one sees signs of forced entry or tampering, the gas station clerk should be alerted.

To avoid skimmers, it’s advised that consumers pay inside the gas station or with cash. To protect against fraud, one should be sure to monitor bank and credit card accounts.


Interview

Fatah insisted that the idea of Pakistan ended in 1971 when the "majority of its people said we do not want Pakistan and created Bangladesh".

Mohd Asim Khan

Pakistan-born Canadian writer Tarek Fatah (he objects to being called a Pakistani) is offending and entertaining in equal measure.

From Partition to the interpretation of Islam, he has views that verge on the extreme, and even when speaking on serious topics he glides from the sombre to the ludicrous, blurting out profanities now and breaking into a childlike giggle the next moment. At times, he contradicts himself.

Such is the charm of the man that you may disagree with him on all that he is saying, but you just can't dislike him. This is because whatever he says has that tinge of sincerity you can't ignore, even if it is outright controversial.

For example, he said communal riots in India would not happen if Indian Muslims forgo their personal law, and objects to names like Taimur (as Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan has named his son) and Aurangzeb.

Fatah is proud of his roots in India and his Hindu ancestry. He eulogises the great Indian civilisation and calls Pakistan an "abstract idea". But his snide remarks are not reserved only for Pakistanis or Muslims; he also takes India's Hindu right to task over love jihad and their perceived fondness for Hitler.

"India is a civilisation that has a past and a future. It's the only civilisation that has that. In spite of being assaulted and attacked and plundered over a thousand years, it has risen up again," Fatah, whose books include "Chasing a Mirage: The Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State" (2008) and "The Jew Is Not My Enemy: Unveiling the Myths that Fuel Muslim Anti-Semitism" (2010), told IANS in an interview.

"On the other hand, Pakistan is not a nation, it's just a state of mind. There is no such people as 'Pak', like we have Afghans in Afghanistan, Kazakhs in Kazakhstan and Balochs in Balochistan. Where are the Pak people?" he asked.

Fatah insisted that the idea of Pakistan ended in 1971 when the "majority of its people said we do not want Pakistan and created Bangladesh".

Asked why he doesn't like to be called a Pakistani, Fatah said: "India is a republic rooted in 5,000 years of Indus Valley civilisation, the other (Pakistan) is a concoction of hatred. Pakistan is merely a military enterprise for the jihadis."

Fatah went on to say that all the proponents of Pakistan were "Hindu hate mongers", including the celebrated Urdu poet Allama Iqbal.

"Iqbal's ancestors were Hindus but he was a Hindu hater. He went to the extent of plagiarising his own poetry to attack the Hindus. I would call people in India who are still celebrating Iqbal and singing his tarana (anthem) as idiots," Fatah said.

However, despite calling Partition a tragedy, Fatah has little tolerance for the idea of Pakistan -- or any of its component territories -- merging with India.

"Why should Pakistan merge with India. Bhutan is an independent country; so why not Balochsitan or Sindh? What is this obsession with territories? It's a very feudal concept," he said.

Although he believes that Balochistan and Sindh should be independent countries, he dismisses separatist movements within India such as that for Khalistan or Azad Kashmir or Bodoland as "ideas drawn up in Pakistan's boardrooms".

On Kashmir, he said that although the Kashmiris fit his definition of a nation, like the Balochs, they can't be given independence as "Kashmiris themselves opted to join India in 1947".

Fatah also has an objection to Indian Muslims naming their children after kings and Sultans such as Aurangzeb and Taimur.

"Indian Muslims have made people like Aurangzeb their heroes. That's why Saif Ali Khan has named his son Taimur. His wife says my husband is a historian. Is this what they got in history?" Fatah asked.

So what should have been the baby's name, in his opinion?

Pat came the reply: "Hitler rakh lete jee, toh Hinduon ko bhi thand par jaati. (They should have named him "Hitler" instead, so that even Hindus would have liked it). Because the (right wing) Hindus are so fond of Hitler. It's only in India that Hitler's books sell like hot cakes."

The Canada-based writer has no love lost for Indian Muslims who flaunt surnames which show their Arab lineage such as Hashmi, Naqvi and Bukhari.

"By flaunting surnames like Hashmi and Qureshi, they are saying 'we are not Indians, we are Arabs'. Only the Muslims who have converted from Hindus are Indians," he said.

"But this phenomenon plagues all Indians. Even Hindus who have made money take fancy names. So Namrita becomes Nikki Haley and Piyush becomes Bobby Jindal. They are all liars," Fatah said.

While slamming the mullahs for stopping inter-religious marriages -- which he said happened quite frequently in undivided India -- Fatah does not spare the Hindus.

"The mindless Hindus are talking of love jihad. What nonsense is this? It is the fundamental human right of a man or woman who they choose to marry," he said.

Fatah said that Indian Muslims are to be blamed for communal riots in India. "You end Muslim personal law, the communal riots would end. Muslims want communal riots and blame Hindus," he said.

(Mohd Asim Khan can be contacted at mohd.a@ians.in)


At 49-43, the Minnesota Twins are engaged in a three-team battle for the A.L. Central crown. The Twins are 1.5 games back of the resurgent Chicago White Sox following yesterday’s victory over the Pale Hose (the Detroit Tigers also sit a game and a half back of the division lead). There is essentially no chance that the Wild Card comes out of anywhere but the AL East, so it’s division title or bust for the Twins. The club’s odds of playing postseason baseball — currently 36 percent according to Cool Standings — are heavily influenced by Justin Morneau’s return to health. But the Twins could also use a return to 2008 form from Kevin Slowey.

A second-round pick out of Winthrop in the 2005 draft, Slowey has always boasted off-the-charts control. He issued just 1.3 walks per nine innings in the minors, punching out 8.8 per nine, and surrendering 0.5 HR/9 despite a low ground ball rate. According to Minor League Splits, Slowey induced grounders 41.1 percent of the time on the farm, but many of the fly balls hit against him were weak — his infield fly rate was 19.5 percent.

Slowey made his big league debut in 2007, tossing 66.2 innings with 6.35 K/9, 1.49 BB/9, and a 4.78 xFIP. He owned one of the five lowest ground ball rates among pitchers with 60+ IP, at 28.9 percent. Converesely, the low number of grounders led to lots of round trippers — Slowey gave up 2.16 HR/9. The prospect often compared to Brad Radke had a higher-than usual home run per fly ball rate (13.3 percent), but with so few grounders and ample fly balls hit, homers figured to be a big problem for Slowey if hitters continued to loft the ball so often.

The next year, Slowey’s ground ball rate increased (relatively speaking), and he posted a 4.02 xFIP in 160.1 innings after coming back from an early-season biceps strain. Since then, Slowey’s xFIP has gone in the wrong direction: in 2009, he had a 4.23 mark in 90.2 IP before right wrist surgery ended his season in July, and he currently holds a 4.68 xFIP in 100 innings this season. Slowey’s control remains superb, though he’s walking slightly more hitters (1.35 BB/9 in ’08, 1.49 BB/9 in ’09, and 1.71 BB/9 this year). His K rate, 6.9 per nine in 2008 and 7.44 per nine in 2009, is also a little worse than usual at 6.3 K/9. Another disconcerting sign for Slowey is his ground ball rate.

I used Pitch F/X data from Joe Lefkowitz’s site to find Slowey’s batted ball distribution over the 2008 to 2010 seasons. I also included the MLB averages for pitchers, provided by Harry Pavlidis at The Hardball Times. These numbers differ from the BIS data on Slowey’s player page, but you’ll note a clear change in his batted ball profile:

(Note: Pitch F/X is showing more of Slowey’s fastballs as “sinkers” this season. It seems like this could be a classification change by Pitch F/X instead of a change on Slowey’s part, so I decided to lump all his fastballs together. For the purposes of this article, the MLB averages for the fastball are for four-seamers.)

Slowey’s ground ball rate, already low, has declined sharply. Some of those grounders have been replaced by pop ups, particularly in 2009. But this season, Slowey’s giving up lots of balls classified as flies and liners, which is not a happy development, given that fly balls typically have a slugging percentage between .550 and .600 (Slowey’s career SLG% on fly balls is .639) and liners fall for hits about 72 to 73 percent of the time (about 75 percent for Slowey).

Is Slowey doing anything different in terms of pitch selection this season? He is using his fastball less often, in favor of mid-80’s sliders and mid-70’s curveballs:

Using Lefkowitz’s Pitch F/X tool, I broke down Slowey’s batted ball distribution by pitch type:

In 2010, Slowey’s ground ball rate on his fastball is down, with more flies and liners hit. The rate on his slider has remained about the same, though that GB% is still well under the MLB norm. His GB rates on the curve and changeup are down, with more curves classified as flies and more changeups classified as liners.

How is Slowey faring when batters put these pitches in play? Here are his slugging percentage on contact numbers by pitch type, along with MLB averages from Pavlidis’ article:

Slowey’s slugging percentage on contact with the fastball remains slightly below average, while the SLGCON on his slider has improved. But he’s looking like Charlie Brown when he breaks out the curve or the change. Six of his sixteen homers given up have come on curveballs and changeups.

With opponents rarely chopping the ball into the grass, Slowey has coughed up 1.44 homers per nine innings this season. Also not helping his case is Minnesota’s outfield D — typically featuring some combination of Delmon Young, Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel in the corners; Twins fly catchers have a collective -6.8 UZR/150 this season (all have poor career marks, too). Even with outstanding control, it’s going to be hard for Slowey to be more than a league-average starter if he keeps generating so few grounders.


The Illinois Department of Public Health has confirmed that eight refugees were diagnosed with active tuberculosis (TB) “during the initial health screening or within 90 days of the refugee arrival” in the four years between 2012 and 2015.

This data was not included in the Reported Tuberculosis in the United States documents published annually by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) between 2012 and 2015. Those reports confirmed 1,565 cases of active TB diagnosed among refugees in the 46 states that reported immigration status upon first arrival among foreign-born residents of the United States diagnosed with active TB.

Illinois is one of four states that do not share this data with the CDC. Arizona, Virginia, and Washington are the other three states.

“Illinois reports all data elements required by the CDC. It would be inaccurate to try to compare the Illinois data to the data in the CDC report due to different reporting methodologies,” spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Health (IDPH) told Breitbart in an emailed statement.

“Background information-the IDPH Refugee Health Program does track TB among refugees,” the spokesperson added, noting:

The IDPH Communicable Disease Control Section does not report refugee TB data to the CDC in the same manner as some other states, but Illinois does report all data elements required by CDC. In some states, the refugee program is part of the communicable disease section. That is not the case in Illinois. The reporting methodology is different, therefore comparing Illinois data with the CDC report would be comparing apples to oranges. The Illinois Refugee Health Program captures active TB cases during the initial health screening or within 90 days of the refugee arrival. This is one reason why Illinois’ data is not included in this CDC report. The data provided in the CDC report comes from our Communicable Disease Control Section. While the IDPH Communicable Disease Control Section tracks foreign-born cases of TB as this information is important for evaluation, testing, and treatment decisions, the Section is not required to collect and report refugee information to the CDC.

“However, it would be inappropriate to try to compare the Illinois data to the data in the CDC report due to different reporting methodologies. 2015 – 4 TB cases (calendar year), 2014 – No TB Confirmed Cases Reported (Federal Fiscal Year), 2013 – 2 TB cases (Federal Fiscal Year), 2012 – 2 TB cases (Federal Fiscal Year),” the spokesperson noted.

Twenty-six thousand four hundred and six refugees were resettled in Illinois by the federal government between 2003 and 2015, according to the Department of State.

Surprisingly, CDC does not require Illinois or any other state to provide data related to immigration status upon arrival for patients diagnosed with active TB for its annual Reported Tuberculosis in the United States.

“CDC encourages states/jurisdictions to provide as complete information as possible, but there is no requirement that they provide immigration status as part of routine surveillance,” a spokesperson told Breitbart News on Monday.

Limiting reporting of cases of TB diagnosed upon arrival, however, fails to capture the majority of the refugee TB cases which develop and are diagnosed more than a year after their arrival.

As the annual Reported Tuberculosis in the United States, 2015 stated, only 17 percent of the 6,350 cases of active TB diagnosed among foreign-born residents of the United States that year, or 1,003 out of 6,350, were diagnosed less than one year after their arrival in the United States.

Twenty eight percent of those cases, or 1,779 out of 6,350, were diagnosed more than one year after but less than ten years after their arrival, 19 percent, or 1,240 out of 6,350, were diagnosed more than ten years but less than twenty years after their arrival, and 26 percent, or 1,682 out of 6,350, were diagnosed more than twenty years after their arrival. (Nine percent of cases were classified as “unknown/missing.”)

In Illinois, 18 percent of foreign-born TB cases diagnosed in 2015, or 43 out of 243, were diagnosed less than one year after their arrival in the United States. Nine percent those 43 foreign-born cases, or 4 out of 43, were refugees.

Eighty two percent of foreign-born TB cases diagnosed in 2015 in Illinois, or 200 out of 243, were diagnosed one year or more after their arrival in the United States. If nine percent of those 200 cases were refugees, that would mean there were 38 additional cases of refugee TB diagnosed in Illinois that year.

Discovering that information, however, seems problematic, since “the IDPH Communicable Disease Control Section tracks foreign-born cases of TB as this information is important for evaluation, testing, and treatment decisions, the Section is not required to collect and report refugee information to the CDC.”

The eight cases of refugee TB reported to Breitbart News by Illinois, combined with the eleven cases in 2015 reported to Breitbart News by the state of Washington, brings the total known cases of active TB diagnosed among refugees in the United States between 2012 and 2015 to 1,584.

This latest estimate understates the true number of refugee TB cases in the United States during these four years because Arizona and Virginia do not collect refugee TB data or report it to the CDC, New York City and Washington, D.C. do not report this data to the CDC (and have not commented to Breitbart News whether they collect it), Illinois does not track cases of TB diagnosed in refugees after their initial medical screening in the first year after their arrival, and the state of Washington has not provided refugee TB data to Breitbart News for the years 2012, 2013, and 2014.


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Let’s start with the good news. Heinz Hollerweger, head of Audi’s Quattro GmbH, says that expanding sales in the U.S. is vital for improving the division’s performance. “Europe is becoming a less important market, the U.S.A. and China are where we see growth happening,” he told us at the press launch for the new Audi R8. So naturally we asked him about the replacement for the current RS4 (pictured)—specifically its prospects for America. And those prospects look good.

Firstly, as previously reported, Hollerweger confirmed that the new car will switch to six-cylinder power, with a turbocharged unit in place of the outgoing model’s charismatic naturally aspirated V-8. “I think that power has increased more than enough, and of course other performance is improved too,” he said, adding that the upcoming car will have a higher output than the last one’s 420 horsepower.

Although he wouldn’t discuss exact timing, he said the RS4 will be launched relatively early in the production cycle of the new A4. We’re presuming that means shortly after the S4, which is due next year and which will stick with a modified version of the current car’s supercharged V-6.

The more pressing question is whether the new RS4 will make it to the U.S. Hollerweger confirmed that it will launch as an Avant station wagon, saying, “that is what people expect from the RS4.” Based on past experience, that means Audi America is likely to deny it to us. But there is a glimmer of hope. “The U.S. is changing, and there is more demand there [for wagons], so maybe that will change,” Hollerweger said.

So will there be a sedan? Hollerweger suggested not: “we have to think of where we want to sell cars, and what is expected there. The potential in China and the U.S. for RS models is getting us thinking about body styles that may work there—maybe a hatchback, like the RS7.”

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With a Sportback four-door version of the current S5 having already been sold in certain markets, that sounds like a pretty broad hint that we’re likely to get an RS5 Sportback rather than an RS4. RS4 Avant or RS5 Sportback, we’ll take Audi’s maximum A4 however we can get it.


Irish musical duo

John and Edward Grimes (born 16 October 1991), collectively known as Jedward, are an Irish singing and television presenting duo. They are identical twins and first appeared as John & Edward in the sixth series of The X Factor in 2009, generating a phenomenon of ironic popularity described as "the Jedward paradox".[1] They finished sixth[2] and were managed by Louis Walsh, who was their mentor during The X Factor.[3][4]

Jedward have released three albums: Planet Jedward, Victory, and Young Love. The first two went double platinum in Ireland.[5][6] They have released nine singles, including "Under Pressure (Ice Ice Baby)", a mash-up of "Under Pressure" by Queen/David Bowie and Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby"; "Lipstick", with which they represented Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011; and "Waterline", with which they represented Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2012.

Jedward are also known for their television work, including presenting children's series Jedward's Big Adventure and OMG! Jedward's Dream Factory, and for participating in Celebrity Big Brother 8 [7] and Celebrity Big Brother 19 of which they were announced runners-up missing out on the winning spot to Coleen Nolan. John and Edward's combined net worth was estimated at €6m in September 2013, and they have been ranked as the fifth most financially successful former X Factor UK contestants.[8] They also appeared on the fourth series of Celebrity Coach Trip in 2019.

Early and personal life

Identical twin brothers John Paul Henry Daniel Richard Grimes and Edward Peter Anthony Kevin Patrick Grimes were born in Dublin. John and Edward's first school was Scoil Bhríde National School in Rathangan. They then attended King's Hospital School for four years before being moved to the Dublin Institute of Education.

The twins competed in school talent shows during their school years and were inspired by Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys. They were also members of the Lucan Harriers Athletic Club and Dundrum South Dublin athletics club and have competed in several Irish athletic tournaments.[9]

In addition, they briefly worked as games testers for Xbox 360 format holder Microsoft and support football clubs Newcastle United and Celtic.[10]

Career

2009–2012: The X Factor and Planet Jedward

Jedward performing live on the X Factor Tour, in 2010

In 2008 John and Edward formed a duo and the following year they auditioned in Glasgow as a group for the sixth series of The X Factor, under the name John & Edward.[11][12] Despite being described by judge Simon Cowell as "not very good and incredibly annoying", John & Edward were put through to bootcamp, then made it to judges' houses, where Louis Walsh selected them for the live shows.[13] The twins' inclusion in the final 12 was a controversial decision, due to their lack of experience,[14] but Walsh stood by them, saying "I don't know how people can hate two nice young kids from Ireland. They've been edited really badly and come across as the people everyone loves to hate... but they're just raw, naïve and innocent and they have the potential to be really good."[15] John & Edward became known for their unpolished but enthusiastic performances,[16] famously including a version of Britney Spears' "Oops!... I Did It Again", during which they reenacted the Titanic monologue.[17] After their departure from The X Factor, Jedward were signed to Modest! Management, however it was later announced that Louis Walsh had reached "an amicable agreement", which allowed him to take the twins on.[18]

From February until April 2010, they performed on the X Factor Live tour, where they were credited with the boost in demand for tickets, that led to an extension in the tour run.[19] Their debut single "Under Pressure (Ice Ice Baby)" was a mashup of "Under Pressure" and "Ice Ice Baby", with Vanilla Ice contributing guest vocals. In March Jedward's Sony contract ended, but the following day Universal Music Ireland signed them on a three-album contract.[20] In April 2010, Jedward began their first solo tour, a 27-date tour of Ireland called the Planet Jedward Tour. Due to popular demand, it was extended with a second 43-date leg in the UK and Ireland. The Irish Independent rated the tour positively, saying that "Jedwardmania is right up there with Beatlemania."[21] Jedward's second single, a cover of the Blink-182 song "All the Small Things", was released in July 2010 and peaked at number 21 on the Irish charts and number 6 on the UK Indie Chart. The same week, Jedward released their debut album Planet Jedward, consisting of cover versions. It which went straight to number one on the Irish Albums Chart and number 17 on the UK Albums Chart.[22][23] In August 2010, Jedward appeared in their own ITV2 documentary, entitled Jedward: Let Loose, a three-part series in which they moved out of their home for ten days.[24]

2011–2012: Victory

Jedward performing live on the X Factor Tour, in 2010

On 12 February 2011, Jedward released their third single and Eurovision Song Contest entry "Lipstick", which peaked at number one in Ireland. Jedward successfully qualified from the second Eurovision Song Contest semi-final, eventually finishing in eighth place. After the Eurovision Song Contest, "Lipstick" was released digitally across Europe, where it charted in many countries such as Belgium, Sweden, Germany and most notably Austria where it peaked at number three. The song also peaked at number 8 in the South Korea's international artists' chart.[25] "Lipstick" had featured in a Hyundai advertising campaign in South East Asia.[26] Shortly after the Eurovision Song Contest, on 23 May, Jedward performed in front of an audience of 60,000 people at College Green in Dublin City ahead of a speech by visiting U.S. President Barack Obama.[27] In April 2011, Jedward began their second tour, the Bad Behaviour Tour, with a series of dates across Ireland.[28]

Jedward's next single "Bad Behaviour" was released in July and reached number one in the Irish charts.[29] This was followed two weeks later by their second album Victory, consisting entirely of original tracks. A new version of Planet Jedward was released by the German branch of Universal Music in July, featuring a mix of tracks from Planet Jedward and new songs from Victory.[30] On 31 July, the twins began the first leg of their third tour, The Carnival Tour, with 12 shows across Ireland and Northern Ireland.[31] In September Jedward played their first European tour, with dates in Sweden and Germany,[32] followed by a UK tour.[33] Three days after the first leg finished, Jedward entered the Celebrity Big Brother 8 house. They made it to the final, eventually finishing in third place. The third single from Victory, "Wow Oh Wow" was released in August 2011, with a music video featuring their Celebrity Big Brother housemate Tara Reid. In December, Jedward starred in the pantomime Jedward and the Beanstalk, a musical comedy version of the fairytale Jack and the Beanstalk.

2012–2013: Young Love

Jedward performing at Eurovision Song Contest, in 2011

In 2012 saw Jedward again win the Irish national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, this time with their song "Waterline". In May, Jedward performed "Waterline" at the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku, Azerbaijan. After qualifying from their semi-final, they eventually came in 19th place in the grand final.[34] "Waterline" was also the lead single on the twins' third album Young Love, released in June. The tracks "Young Love" and "Luminous" were also released as singles. Jedward released the charity single and "unofficial" Irish UEFA Euro 2012 song "Put the Green Cape On", a reworking of "Lipstick".[35] The duo embarked on the European leg of their Victory Tour in January, playing in Austria, Germany, Sweden, Finland and Estonia. This was followed by the Young Love Tour in Ireland in August.[36][37] They also visited Singapore, where the new album had enjoyed popular success.[38]

In June they ran as part of the 2012 Summer Olympics torch relay in Dublin on day 19 of the relay.[39][40] The twins starred in their own TV series Jedward's Weird Wild World on UK TV channel 5*, with John and Edward humorously presenting a selection of popular internet videos.[41] Over the Christmas and New Year period RTÉ broadcast the second series of their show OMG! Jedward's Dream Factory,[42] and the second season of their BBC series Jedward's Big Adventure screened in early 2013.[43] Over the festive season, Jedward starred in their third annual pantomime, Jedward & the Magic Lamp.[44] In January 2013, the twins made a promotional visit to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, appearing twice on MuchMusic's New Music Live show[45] and also made an appearance on Canada AM.[46] While in Toronto, Jedward also filmed a promotional video for the Young Love album track "Happens in the Dark" and previewed a clip from the video on New Music Live.[47] Later in the month, it was announced that Jedward's three-album contract with Universal Music Ireland would not be renewed.[48]

The music video for "Happens in the Dark" was premiered on Much Music in March, with the video having been shot in Toronto earlier in the year.[49] In April the twins filmed a video for the song "What's Your Number?" in New York City.[50] Later in the month they made a promotional visit to Australia, including radio and television appearances.[51] In June, Jedward joined the line-up of A Night for Christy, a gala concert in aid of Aslan frontman Christy Dignam. The twins performed Aslan's song "She's So Beautiful" with the band.[52] In July the twins performed live shows in Cork and Limerick, with a UK live tour scheduled for September.[53][54] In November the twins toured Australia, with performances in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney. While in Australia they also released the music video for Young Love album track "Can't Forget You".[55]

2014–present: Fourth studio album

In January 2014, the third series of their CBBC television programme Jedward's Big Adventure was broadcast. Due to its popularity, the series run was doubled to 10 episodes.[56] They also provided weekly style commentary of the contestants in Sweden's Melodifestivalen competition and made a guest performance at the Melodifestivalen Second Chance show in early March.[57] In April 2014, Jedward debuted their new single "Free Spirit" on Australian radio station KIIS 106.5. This was followed by news of the duo's fourth studio album to be released later in the year. The album will contain songs written and produced by Jedward.[58] The duo's follow-up single "Ferocious" was released in November 2014, charting at No.15 on the Irish singles chart.[59] In November 2014 it was announced that John and Edward would be joining the cast of ITV's new circus reality show Get Your Act Together in 2015.[60]

Between 2014 and 2016, they released several new self-penned singles and directed the accompanying music videos. The twins appeared on The Ray D'arcy Show in February 2017 and confirmed that they are working on their fourth studio album, which is due for release in the near future[when?].

Philanthropy

Jedward are involved with many charity projects, and were one of the highest rated charity ambassadors in Ireland for 2011.[61] Jedward are ambassadors for the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) and have fronted an ISPCC poster campaign.[62] The proceeds of their Euro 2012 charity single "Put The Green Cape On" also went to the ISPCC. From 2010 to 2013 Jedward performed annually at the ChildLine Concert, which benefits the ISPCC's ChildLine service.[63][64] Also in Ireland, Jedward have been involved with the ISPCA's My Dog Ate It campaign,[65] and promote the Concern Worldwide Fast fundraiser.[66] Jedward have also been involved with Comic Relief,[67] Sport Relief[68] and Children in Need,[69] in the UK, as well as giving their time to visit children in hospitals.[70]

Other ventures

Advertising

Jedward have been involved with many advertising campaigns in the UK and Ireland. In 2009, agreed to be the subject of a Tourism Ireland radio campaign, which made a tongue-in-cheek apology to the UK for Jedward's antics on The X Factor.[71] In 2010, Jedward fronted an advertising campaign for Irish fast food chain Abrakebabra.[72] Jedward have also fronted advertising campaigns for East Midlands Trains,[73] Rowntree's Randoms,[74] Disney Universe[75] and a Travel Supermarket commercial with comedian Omid Djalili. The latter was later banned after the UK Advertising Standards Authority ruled that the advert was misleading.[76] In 2011, they fronted an advertising campaign for mobile network 3 Ireland, including their own Jedward-branded mobile phone.[77]

Stage

Since 2010, Jedward have performed in an annual pantomime over the Christmas and New Year period. Based at the Olympia Theatre, Dublin, the pantomimes also star Linda Martin. John and Edward play themselves and the shows feature Jedward songs. The twins' first show was Cinderella in 2010, where they played the fairy godbrothers.[78] They returned in 2011 with a sell-out season of Jedward and the Beanstalk,[79] and again in 2012 with Jedward and the Magic Lamp.[80] In 2013 their fourth pantomime was Jedward in Beauty and the Beast.[81]

Fashion career

Jedward have also been signed to Next Models and appeared in fashion magazines such as i-D, Esquire and Grazia.

Impact

Their fans include Pixie Lott and Robbie Williams.[82] Taoiseach Brian Cowen also backed the singers,[83] while Leona Lewis said that she worried about them.[84][85] Two leading British political parties, Labour and the Conservatives, each released campaign posters parodying the twins.[86][87] Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown came under fire in November 2009 for describing Jedward as "not very good" and later apologised for doing so.[88][89] Following this, Walsh stated "So Gordon Brown and Simon Cowell both have something in common: neither of them know what the public want." Former Prime Minister David Cameron admitted that he enjoyed watching The X Factor and that Jedward were his favourite act. Cameron also bought a T-shirt with their faces on it.[88][90][91][92] The Irish Independent called Jedward "tone-deaf twins", even though the pair were voted more popular than The Beatles in a teenage poll. Comedian Oliver Callan has parodied them on his RTÉ 2 show Nob Nation.[94] Their 2017 court case[95] was later the subject of a stage musical starring comedians Kevin McGahern and Tony Cantwell.[96]

Discography

Studio albums

Filmography

Awards and nominations

See also


SARASOTA, Fla. - The search for Cuban outfielder Henry Urrutia has come to an end.

Urrutia obtained his work visa and made it out of Haiti. I’m told that he’s in Miami and will take his physical before reporting to the Orioles’ minor league complex at Twin Lakes Park in Sarasota.

Executive vice president Dan Duquette confirmed tonight that Urrutia had arrived in Florida.

“He needs to get in shape and we need to see how far along he is,” Duquette said. “He needs to get the rust off. I’m not sure how much he was able to train in Haiti.

Urrutia, who received a $778,500 bonus from the Orioles over the summer, batted .397/.461/.597 with 12 homers, 32 walks and 23 strikeouts in 305 at-bats in his final season in Cuba. He played for Las Tunas in the Cuban League from 2006 to 2010 and batted .350 with 72 doubles, nine triples, 33 home runs, 219 RBIs and 209 runs. He also represented Cuba in the 2010 World Championships.

The 6-foot-5, 195-pound switch-hitter didn’t play in 2011 due to a suspension after an unsuccessful attempt at defection.

The Orioles wanted to assign Urrutia to Double-A Bowie over the summer, but he was stuck in Haiti while attempting to obtain his visa.

The club will decide on an affiliate for Urrutia after he works out in Sarasota.

“Let’s see where he is,” Duquette said.

At least the Orioles know that he’s in Miami and able to officially join the organization.

Here’s a scouting report on Urrutia from July.

In other news, Tsuyoshi Wada will throw his third bullpen session from a regular mound on Saturday, according to manager Buck Showalter. Wada threw 25 pitches today and said he continues to feel stronger.


The European election in Greece

By Christoph Dreier

29 May 2014

The outcome of the European election in Greece reflects the population’s resolute opposition to the Greek government and the European Union’s austerity drive. Support for the ruling New Democracy (ND) and its social democratic coalition partner PASOK (Panhellenic Socialist Movement) fell to an all-time low. For the first time, the United Social Front (SYRIZA EKM) emerged as the strongest contender. Third place was taken by the fascist Golden Dawn.

Compared to the Greek parliamentary election of two years ago, the two governing parties lost more than 10 percentage points. The ND garnered only 22.7 percent of the vote (compared to 29.7 percent two years ago). Although PASOK had affiliated with other parties in the Olive Tree coalition, the grouping received only 8.0 percent (as compared to 12.3 percent for PASOK in 2012). Compared to the last European election five years ago, the governing parties lost almost 40 percentage points, losing considerably more than half of their erstwhile voters.

The SYRIZA (Coalition of the Radical Left) breakaway organisation, the Democratic Left (DIMAR), which was part of the coalition government until a year ago, also collapsed. Two years ago, it won 6.3 percent of the vote. In this election, it obtained only 1.2 percent of the votes cast, well below the 3.0 percent parliamentary threshold requirement.

SYRIZA is now the strongest party electorally. It was able to match its result in the previous national election with only slight losses (26.6 percent compared to 26.7 percent). However, its success in concurrent local elections was more limited. SYRIZA was the winner on the Ionian Islands and in the region of Attica, where more than a third of the Greek population lives. Contenders from the ruling parties were able to prevail in seven regions, but four other regions elected independent candidates.

The fascists of Golden Dawn were able to increase their share of the vote in the European election as compared to the Greek parliamentary election two years ago from 6.9 percent to 9.4 percent. They are now the third strongest party.

Golden Dawn, which has carried out repeated attacks on political opponents, immigrants and homosexuals, has been promoted by the state apparatus and is closely connected with the ruling ND. Election analyses revealed that over 50 percent of the police voted for Golden Dawn.

For the first time, the new liberal Potami (the River) group gained 6.6 percent of the vote and will send two deputies to Brussels. The arch-Stalinist Communist Party (KKE) received 6.1 percent, slightly improving its result from the last parliamentary election (4.5 percent). The right-wing populists of the Independent Greeks (ANEL) dropped from 7.5 percent to 3.5 percent.

The election result places the coalition government under heavy pressure. Over the last two years, the coalition’s once comfortable majority has declined by some 27 deputies. Currently, it is based on only 152 of the 300 deputies. If the European election results were repeated in a national parliamentary election, the ruling coalition parties would lose 94 seats.

Despite the disastrous result for the ruling coalition, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras ruled out any prospect of early elections. “Those who tried to turn the EU into a plebiscite election failed,” Samaras said in a brief televised address. “They failed to create conditions of instability, uncertainty and political ungovernability.”

The premier said he knew what he had to do. “We will proceed as quickly as possible,” he said, without being more specific. According to press reports, Samaras is planning a radical reshuffle of his government. On Thursday, he will meet with President Karolos Papoulias to discuss the future course. This will be followed by planned coalition talks.

At noon on Monday, SYRIZA Chairman Alexis Tsipras met with the president, who has a purely symbolic role in Greece. Afterwards, Tsipras said: “We should move to national elections as soon as possible in an organised and calm manner to restore democratic normality.” He added that Samaras had lost moral legitimacy to lead new negotiations with the European Union and impose new austerity measures.

The election result signifies a clear rejection of the policy of the Greek government, which has been imposing Brussels’ austerity dictates on the population for the past two years. During this period, wages have fallen by up to 60 percent, general taxation has increased, and unemployment has risen to over 27 percent. The health and education systems are on the brink of collapse. Approximately 40 percent of workers are already excluded from health care because they are unable to afford treatment.

Workers are overwhelmingly opposed to this policy. Since 2010, some 6,300 demonstrations and protests have been held in Athens alone. That amounts to 14 per day. It includes as many as 36 general strikes, which have sometimes been attended by hundreds of thousands of workers. On Tuesday, May 20, teachers demonstrated outside the Ministry of Education against the government’s plans to cut jobs and merge or close more schools.

This popular opposition is expressed in the election results for the ruling parties, which in recent weeks have once again been openly supported by the German government and EU officials. In light of the turnout of around 60 percent, only about a fifth of the electorate actually voted for one of the governing parties.

Samaras’s intention to continue the government’s policy unchanged is a clear warning to the working class. In the last elections, only the undemocratic electoral system enabled the coalition to maintain its majority. Since then, the coalition has systematically curtailed workers’ democratic rights. Striking workers have been placed under martial law, demonstrations have been outlawed and fascist gangs encouraged. The social attacks that have been launched in Greece cannot be imposed by democratic means.

The opposition of the workers, however, finds no expression in the program of the main opposition party, SYRIZA. Although the party uses its election campaigns to pose as an opponent of the austerity policy, it actively supports the EU and its brutal program of social reaction.

Only two weeks ago, Tsipras declared at a congress of the German Left Party that a SYRIZA government would in principle recognise Greece’s debt and sit down with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to negotiate the terms of new loan agreements.

Last year, Tsipras made several trips to the US and other European countries to meet with representatives of the EU, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and various governments. Each time, he assured his hosts they had nothing to fear from a SYRIZA government. On the contrary, Tsipras claimed, a government under his leadership would bring more stability to the country.

A SYRIZA government would be a thoroughly right-wing regime. It would continue the course of the Samaras government and follow the dictates of Brussels. As is the case in France under the Socialist Party government of François Hollande, the right-wing policies of an ostensibly left-wing government in Greece would strengthen the fascists. SYRIZA has already collaborated with the right-wing populists of ANEL on a number of occasions.

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Black Friday 2016 For Mobile World

If it is November, then it is Black Friday. Black Friday is the last Friday in November when you are thinking about those amazing gifts that will bring joy for your dear ones in December. If not, you certainly are in that category of people who makes long, long, long lists since last Black Friday with things you want to buy, waiting for this specific day when they are cheaper. Either way, there are two sure facts: everybody knows what Black Friday is and all customers buy in one day more than they could imagine (or they could use in their entire lifetime) just because of the huge sales. If years ago, people were making long queues early in the morning, in cold, outside the store and they were fighting for products inside, now this battle became online and since last year mobile devices have a bigger impact for this event. If we take a look at some stats published by Techcrunch we realize that 35% of Black Friday purchases in 2015 where made via mobile. Moreover, AppAnnie revealed a study after Black Friday 2015 where it shows a list of retail apps that won last year with this occasion. In 2016, the competition is fierce for mobile shoppers that need to make the best deal using their phones and tablets but for marketers, too because they have to stand out of the crowd to attract customers.

Black Friday For Mobile Shoppers

If you want to enjoy more these days and to eliminate the stress of getting the best price for the most incredible products in the shortest amount of time we have some tips to turn all this craziness in a pleasant adventure.

Make your wishlist before the big day. Go to stores and analyze those products to be sure about their quality and their features. Check the store policies and be sure that you can return a product if you don’t like it or it doesn’t fit you. Then wait to attack the sales from the comfort of your home. Focus on mobile apps. A recent study published by Apptentive shows that 88% of consumers use retail mobile apps. This makes sense because apps are more customized and user friendly and they know what you are looking for before you press any button. Trust the evolution of technology and forget about the tiring mornings when you were waiting for stores to open their doors and after that you were struggling to reach other promotions. That’s history. Show your fidelity for some brands. Many companies offer special promotions for loyal customers who use frequently their app. Opt for receiving push notifications and wait for those messages that will announce top sales for your favorite products. If you still like to go to some specific stores for Black Friday choose those apps that can help you find the best route to get there or other apps that allow you to compare very fast, prices and characteristics of products. Test them before to be sure that they do what you want. Be careful for the shipping fee. There are a lot of retailers that offer free shipping. These benefits make you save time and money, which is the main target of using your mobile devices for Black Friday.

Black Friday For Mobile Marketing

In order to avoid the chaos in that short period of time and to handle better the entire process, follow our best practices to reach as many customers as possible.

Update your application. Prepare your app for this “holiday” and offer your users an unforgettable experience. Let images and layouts to tell the story of this event and don’t forget that your app should fit perfectly for all types of devices. Don’t wait for the big day to arrive. Start now to change your app’s interface as a promise of professionalism to your users and allow them to imagine what will happen for Black Friday. Keep in mind that mobile purchases are expected to hit 20 billion in the next period, as Apptentive NO errors. It is great to change colors and images for this period but, this effort means nothing if your app will crush in that specific day. The time is limited and it is unacceptable to let users struggle to make their purchases or to view your offers. Should I say more? Test your app 100 times if need it to be sure that everything will go as planned. Implement easy payment methods. All what users want in that day is to complete as fast as possible a transaction and to move on to the next one. If they need to remember their card number and all the personal information they will abandon the shopping cart in an instance. Allow people to use any fast payment services like Apple Pay or Android Pay and everything will go faster. Messaging is the key. Use in – app messages and push notifications to announce your users about the improvements you made to your app and about the promotions for this occasion. It’s useless to make the best offers if nobody knows about them. Use deep linking. If you spread the word about the huge advantage of using your app during Black Friday, be sure that users won’t get lost inside your app in that rush and allow them to land on the same page where they can find the promotion they are looking for. Take advantages of mobile moments. This is the perfect period of the year not only for increasing your revenue, but for user acquisition and especially for user retention. Focus on attracting your customers offering an amazing experience overall and they will come back to your app after the Black Friday, too.

Final Thoughts

Over the last few years retailers began to start Black Friday earlier. So, it is almost Black Week than Black Friday. In case you are a shopper that dreams to buy whatever he wants with no restrictions be careful not to lose time with useless actions and prepare your techniques starting now. If you are a retailer this is the biggest reason to prepare your promotions and your app to achieve the success you are dreaming for. It is all about the strategy to turn this madness in an organized opportunity in terms of earnings.


Bakaki tskalshi kikinebs – ring any bells?

When I think back to my first days in Georgia, as a foreigner and not having much of an idea about the culture, identity or indeed, language of the former soviet republic, it makes me smile. Not simply because they are fond memories, but because the identity of that person eludes me. I don’t really recognise her anymore. This, if memory serves, was back in 2014. Personal ties took me, quite happily so, to the country. I remember it vividly. I instantly fell in love with Tbilisi, coming from London, I had never seen such contrast before. Yet, one prominent memory will always stay with me. Looking out of the window of a cab from Tbilisi airport to Didube, with a jaw-dropping type expression on my face, trying to avidly comprehend how people could actually understand the Georgian alphabet, and pronounce letters that, to my naive ears, sounded incomprehensible. I’m not going to bore you with anything other than my quest to learn the language, for fear of rambling on. Suffice to say, my initial trip took me to three Georgian cities, all in stark contrast to the other. Tbilisi, Batumi and, rather significantly, Zugdidi. I had already brushed up on my Russian before arriving, as I knew that English, at least outside of the capital, was not widely spoken.

Sitting around the table in the Kakhati region of Zugdidi, at a Supra my hosts had put on in honor of my arrival, I vividly remember a dear, dear lady, whom will always stay in my heart, slowly going through the Georgian alphabet and asking me to repeat. Wait right there; let me paint you a little picture, this very evening was the first time I’d ever ‘tasted’ Chacha. I was already two shots down. Megrelian Chacha is stronger than any other, and at this early stage and in my slightly intoxicated state, I pathetically thought I could repeat back what was being said to me. Wrong. My vain efforts were met with uncontrollable laughter. Three letters in particular. If you are not Georgian, and have had some time in this country, no doubt you’ll know what these three letters are.

ყ – Well blow me down, this ain’t a letter, it’s a trick of the tongue, no?! No. It is a letter, and one I thought I would never be able to master

კ– Ok, so a hard ‘K’ right? So why am I being told that I’m pronouncing it incorrectly? It’s what I like to call ‘the click’ – The word Yes (in Georgian: კი) is a prime example of this, and where ‘the click’ is best displayed.

წ– A jumple of letters all rolled into one! ‘Tz’ was a real enemy of mine in the beginning.

So I suppose back then, looking back, I admitted defeat. I gave up trying and stuck to Russian. Then something weird happened..

My life then took me back to London for a while, but I would come back to Georgia every couple of months and drive by the same places. So, to my actual point, what was the triggering factor in my learning of the language? The word ‘Lombardi’. I kid you not. There in an area stretching from the church on Rustaveli, up until the beginning of Vake on Chavchavadze, that has Lombardi’s (Bureau de change) a plenty. So those were my first letters, simply because they were blasted everywhere and I knew what it said. Having 8 letters under my belt, I thought I’d test the waters and see if I could go any further. I went to Biblus books and bought a children’s book on the Georgian alphabet. A….B…..G….three more. Maybe this seemingly impossible language was possible after all, just maybe?

My linguistic skills improved slowly over the next year, with frequent visits to Georgia, me listening to Georgian radio and news in my office in London, and a year to the day that I first visited Georgia, I decided to move there. I got a job as a Medical Director and my daily sentence structure mostly consisted of an English base, with some Russian words thrown in and ending it with ‘Aba ra’ – I didn’t really know what I was saying, but knew I could finish off a sentence this way without sounding too conspicuous. I recently had a conversation with my friend about the meaning of the word ‘Aba’, and how it can be translated into English. To this day, I cannot find one single word to define its numerous connotations in Georgian.

I owe a lot to my job there, and to the people I had around me. I truly believe that if they had have spoken more English, my level of Georgian would not be where it’s at today. As the days, weeks and months rolled by, I found myself conversing more and more in Georgian; sometimes without even realizing it. I am frequently asked by Georgians and foreigners alike, how I learnt the language and more specifically, how I learnt to pronounce the letters. The secret? I have no friggin’ clue. All I can say is I immersed myself in Georgian life. Not an ex-pat one. I had one British friend in Tbilisi, that was it. The rest of my beloved friends were Georgian speakers only. So, the only methodology I can come up with to explain my attainment was that firstly, I had no choice, I chose to really listen and mostly importantly, I TRIED. Sure, I failed on many an occasion, but if I hadn’t given it a go, I’d be no nearer to success.

As I look back on my article here, I realize that, once again, I’ve swayed from point to point. Let me conclude by saying this: I am now somewhere near fluent in Georgian. However, I’m not exceptionally intelligent, don’t have a ridiculously high IQ, nor am I a book worm who studied the language nonstop until perfection, at least in my eyes, was attained. No, I lived it. I breathed it. Most importantly still, I had a true passion for the language, and the country. I still do. I encourage those of you who may have some reservations about giving it a go, to really try. It’s possible. I arrive at Tbilisi airport to the greeting of ‘’You’re the English girl who speaks Georgian, right?’’ – enough of an incentive for me.

By Tamzin Whitewood

30 May 2017 18:58


Are you familiar with the internet? If so, you're probably familiar with The Oatmeal.

The Oatmeal is a ridiculously popular online comic that tackles topics from grammar to the mantis shrimp to Nikola Tesla to paradoxical dogs, with smart writing and illustrations that are equal parts sweet, grotesque, and laugh-out-loud funny. The man behind it all is Matthew Inman, a 30-year-old former website designer turned comic artist in Seattle, Washington.

As it turns out, Matthew is also a runner, which I only recently found out after seeing his six-part comic The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances. Think of it as a graphic, online version of Murakami's What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, only with fewer words and more Blerch.

Shortly after reading that, and re-reading it, I got to thinking, Hey, wouldn't it be cool if I could somehow persuade Matthew to do an interview with me for Remy's World? Shortly after that, I thought to myself, Maybe I should try contacting him to see. And shortly after that, I actually followed through.

To my surprise and delight, Matthew responded right away and agreed to answer some questions via email. Our exchange is below.

(I should pause at this point to stress that -- unlike most of the crap I write -- the following interview is an actual, real thing that happened. Not just something I made up. FYI.)

Remy's World: When did you start running?

Matthew Inman: Ten years ago.

Were you athletic at all before you took up running?

Not at all. I hated any kind of exercise, especially running.

Do you remember the first moment you felt “like a runner”?

Running used to feel like a chore. The day I truly became a runner was the day that I realized that being sedentary now felt like a chore. Running makes me feel relaxed, healthy, and great. Not running makes me feel like a bloated pile of uninspired, forgettable crap. Being a bloated pile of forgettable crap is more of a chore for me now than just putting my running shoes on and sweating for 20 minutes.

What was the last race you did, and how'd it go?

I ran the White River 50-mile ultra at the end of July, and then a week later ran the Grande Ridge 13.1. The ultra didn't go so well. I'd done it two years before and flew through the course, loving every minute of it. (Almost every minute, anyway. I'm not sure love adequately describes how I felt at mile 47). This year when I ran it I got really sick at mile 17: nausea, dry-heaving, and stomach spasms. I managed to lumber my way to mile 50, but I was an hour slower than my previous time. A week later I ran the Grande Ridge half marathon trail run. It had some respectable elevation gains, but the race went really well. After running WR50 I wanted to do a quick race that I could just sail through and enjoy, without all the relentless 11 hours of agony that comes with running an ultra.

What's next, racewise?

The Seattle Marathon. I'm running it mostly because I want to see all my fellow Seattleites wearing "I believe in The Blerch" shirts.

What, if anything, does your job have in common with running?

Both produce an endless supply of poop jokes.

Has running affected your work in any unexpected ways?

The majority of my comics are written in my head while I run. I find when brainstorming ideas, if I focus really hard trying to come up with something I wind up empty-handed. If I focus on something else, however, such as running, showering, or even having a conversation, I find that those ideas will spring up. The tough part is getting them down on paper before they disappear back into the ether of my brain.

A few surprisingly heavy themes pop up fairly often in your comics: life, death, loss, the nature of existence… Are these things you think of while you run? Or is running an escape from such thoughts?

We've all got loudspeakers in our heads that are constantly shouting fears, worries, and doubts at us. Running, at least for me, turns the volume on that loudspeaker way down. It's my way of saying "Hey brain, shut the f**k up for a half-hour. I'm taking a little vacation from you." It makes terrible thoughts seem trivial, albeit temporarily. I don't know if it's just the endorphins doing the work on that one, but if so it's a drug-addiction I fully endorse.

What are your lifetime running goals? (I refuse to use the phrase “bucket list.”)

A [Boston qualifier], maybe, although probably not realistic -- I can't run very fast. I'm more of a slow and steady kind of guy, so I think running Western States would be a more realistic goal. Plus I really want one of those belt buckles.

How do you measure success as a runner?

Have you ever tried to chase a deer? They are REALLY hard to catch. I've never seen a wild animal in the forest that I didn't chase. I think success as a runner means eventually overtaking a deer and tackling it. I would even settle for a caribou, or even something fatter and slower like a mountain goat, but ideally it would be a deer. Aristotle once said that the true measure of the human spirit is the ability to outrun and pile-drive a wild animal. I subscribe to that philosophy completely.

You seem to be a bit of a contrarian when it comes to things like nutrition. Yes?

Yeah, I run well and eat badly.

Explain your philosophy on diet and nutrition, assuming you have one (and maybe you don’t)?

My eating habits are that of a circus animal. Every time I do a trick, I get a reward. Ran 20 miles? Heck yes it's time for meatloaf and gummy bears. The best advice I can give other runners is to not eat like I do.

Are you a “follow a training plan to a T” sort of runner? Or a “make it up as you go along” sort?

I just make it up as I go along, mostly. I know the importance of having a training plan but I just tend to do my own thing.

Do you run alone, mostly, or with a club or group?

A few years ago I ran with a group, which I really enjoyed. We'd meet at various trails all over Washington state and I'd get paired up with various runners. Nowadays I run by myself most of the time. Running is kind of a private matter for me. I'm not one of those people that slathers their Facebook wall in posts every time they go outside and exercise.

How often do you get recognized while running or racing?

I don't typically post photos of myself on my website so very few people know what I look like, but in Seattle it's becoming a bit more common for people to stop me and ask if I'm The Oatmeal. When people meet me in person they always say the same thing: "I thought you'd be fatter! :(" [ED: See above for a photo of Matthew racing.]

If you could guest-edit an issue of Runner’s World, what would you add or change?

I'd write a six-page piece on how to effectively chase, catch, and tackle a deer. Deer-tackling is the new 5K.

What’s the coolest place you’ve ever run?

The Monteverde Cloud Forest in Costa Rica. Imagine a forest with trees that are hundreds of feet tall laced with vines, rolling fog, and crazy amounts of jungle critters -- it looked like a scene from Avatar. Our hotel was near the park entrance so we snuck in at night and went for a short run. Overhead was an ocean of falling stars, and below us was a glittering sea of lightning bugs. Eventually the park rangers chased us out on motorcycles for being in there after-hours, so technically it was a night run lit by stars and lightning bugs, followed by a dramatic car chase.

If you could deliver one message to every runner reading this – and you can! – what would it be?

When stopped at an intersection, don't jog in place. You look like an idiot. [ED: As readers of The Runner's Rule Book know, I agree.]

Have you ever pooped yourself while running? Be honest.

Like, in my pants? No. Although I did get the runs pretty bad while out on an 18-mile trail run by myself. I wound up crapping all over the place and using my 2009 Seattle Marathon shirt as toilet paper. It was one of my favorite running shirts so I had this idea in my head that I could just wash it in a stream and then properly wash it when I got home. I eventually defiled the shirt enough times that I wound up throwing it into the woods. As far as I know that shirt is still out there on a mountain somewhere, along with my dignity.

Lightning round! Beer or wine?

Wine.

Running with music: Yes or no?

No. Don't try to drown out the agony of running with music and other distractions.

Hills or heat?

Hills hills hills. I'm from the Pacific Northwest so heat is like my Kryptonite.

Energy gel or banana?

Banana.

Road or trail?

Trail.

Meb or Ryan?

I don't know what that question means, so I'll just reply and say that I really enjoyed all of Meg Ryan's films.

Short-shorts or regular shorts?

Short-shorts. They look horrible on 99.9% of people, but running isn't about looking good.

NYC Marathon or Boston Marathon?

I want to run both of them while wearing Heelys.

Fill in the blank: Barefoot running is _________.

...a good way to DNF. If we were supposed to run barefoot we'd have evolved hooves by now.

My favorite thing on the internet (besides RunnersWorld.com) is _________.

Zombo.com

If you're one of the 18 people in the world who aren't familiar with Matthew's work, check it out at TheOatmeal.com.